#good thing orion solved that!

[solidgroundif]

[comicaurora]

Do you think ethics are just an attempt at being a healthier form of selfish?

In one of your Detail Diatribes where Batman confronts Catwoman and tries to stop her from killing Falcone, you highlighted the fact that his reasoning was not to protect her father, but to try and save her. Ever since, some very strange ideas about the nature of selfishness and selflessness have been rattling around my head.

It only started coming into focus when I tried to put into words why it was a bad thing that D-16 killed Sentinel Prime. My best answer right now is because it made D-16 into Megatron. Orion wasn't trying to save Sentinel, he was trying to protect the cybertronian people. Maybe if Orion focused more on saving D-16, they wouldn't have lost their friendship and all of Cybertron would be better for it. Of course, in the end, Megatron was the deciding factor in making himself, caring more about his pride than his current identity, but this highlights a strange selfish quirk in sustainable selfless behavior.

If you are purely selfless you suffer from spending more of yourself than you have to give. If you're too selfish you can't maintain the human connections that are a requirement for being a complete and healthy person. It leaves the best options as being selfless to make your environment an easier one for you to live in. Where your actions for others are repaid by the selflessness from your community. Or, being selfish with your charity. Taking care of what you care about because their well being positively contributes to your own.

To be fair, the opening sentence now looks like an incomplete thought. It probably should be asking if you think ethics is just an attempt at being a more healthy form of selfish and selfless. Really, just asking if ethics is meant to make you better at being a person, which seems like a question that can answer itself. Still, it feels like an important insight to highlight that to be ethical isn’t about how much of your own life you're willing to sacrifice. It's hard to be a good person when you're not a person anymore.

This is a fascinatingly deep question, and I'm very tickled that our two touchpoints in it are a transforming robot tank and Batman.

My personal opinion is that ethics and morals are not reflections of some universal truth of Justice and Goodness, as they are often framed, but are instead best-practice guidelines on how to function in the big, messy world without causing undue suffering to yourself and others. A facet of this is determining, case by case, how much you need to prioritize yourself vs how much you can afford to help others - in the framing you've proposed, selfishness vs selflessness.

Taking the specific examples we're focusing on - two cases where someone attempts to prevent a revenge killing for the benefit, not of the victim, but of the avenger - I think they reflect this worldview, that the killing is not seen as some innately universally-judged evil act that must be prevented for its own sake, but that the act of killing will harm the killer in a way the person trying to stop them doesn't want to see.

For Catwoman, committing premeditated murder wouldn't solve any of her problems in any way that arresting Falcone and having him legally unraveled would. It'd just park a first degree murder charge on someone who'd up til this point only dealt with petty larceny, and it would potentially weigh her down with misery and regret as she grappled with the trauma of taking a life.

For Megatron, killing Sentinel Prime wasn't a bad action because he deserved to live. They just spent that whole fight scene tearing through enemies. They're warriors on track to spend the next four million years killing each other; the whole "taking a life" ship has already sailed. The problem is that Sentinel is a symbol and a structural part of the political narrative in the founding of the next stage of Cybertron's society. If the first thing the new regime does is bloodily avenge itself on the face of the old regime for the personal wrongs it did them, that proves that the only thing they care about is personal satisfaction of their individual desires - just like Sentinel. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. If they can instead take a step back, think of the good of Cybertron as a whole, enforce a rule of law and a fair system of justice that applies equally to everyone, even on someone they personally loathe, that would signify integrity and credibility and the hallmark of wise, just and fair leadership capable of setting aside personal feelings for the greater good. It's not about Sentinel; it's about whether the satisfaction of killing him is worth the price of enforcing forever that personal vendettas are more important than the well-being of the people of Cybertron. Which makes it really obvious which one Megatron is going to pick.

My hottest take, and I mean this very genuinely, is that most of the human perception of what constitutes goodness and justice is one thousand percent based on vibes, and is extremely susceptible to narrative reframing. We see an unsympathetic victim (Sentinel Prime, Falcone) who has gleefully caused suffering to innocent people (so judged because they are framed sympathetically, not because we've actually enumerated their lifelong actions to determine they've never done anything wrong) and we feel (feel) that it would be right and just for them to suffer consequences (emphasis on suffer) because that would balance the scales on this vibes equation and that would make us feel like justice had been served. Would this suffering lead to any material good? Not inherently. Would it heal the victims? Not usually. Would it remove the source of the problem? Categorically not, what with how negative reinforcement works (or rather does not work.) It also wouldn't do anything about the other people empowered by the same system to be just as shitty in just as many ways that just happen to be offscreen from our POV. But it feels fair. So what is justice, if it reduces down to "I want them to hurt for the hurt they've caused me"? If it can be sated with a spectacle or distracted by a long nap and a good joke to let the feeling fade? What purpose does this justice serve if it is devoted wholly to the satiation of a bone-deep chordate-brain hunger for Retributive Violence rather than towards actually ensuring that the lives of those harmed are healed and supported and built up again after being broken down? (This is the entire core character arc in The Batman, btw, I'm not just monologuing for no reason here. He calls himself Vengeance for a reason, and the reason is he's doing Batman wrong)

That feeling - that white-hot burning core of Righteous Fury - is the unexamined heart of many systems of morality that focus, not on doing good, but on exacting satisfying retribution on Bad People Who Deserve It, categorized as People Who I Can Hurt Without Feeling Bad Myself. It's a very tempting concept for people who have suffered at others' hands. That feeling, that powerful instinctual understanding of "that's unfair," is incredibly strong. In my opinion, most systems of ethics are built, not around relitigating what is Good and what is Bad per se, but in trying to shape and curb that bone-deep, unbelievably powerful desire to rend the flesh from the bones of your tormenters.

But I mentioned that feeling is susceptible to narrative reframing. This is, as I understand it, a huge part of lawyering. Tell the story of what happened using true events and adding no falsehoods, but highlight the parts that make it feel like your client is the one who is being treated unfairly. They're not an unsympathetic wrongdoer who you can punish without personal moral stain - they're a loving spouse, a parent of three adorable children, they have a really cute puppy, they donate to charity, they're a wonderful conversationalist, a kind friend, etc etc. All those things can also be true of people who do terrible things, but thinking about them defuses that White Hot Core by making us sympathize with the sympathetic parts of them.

This is incredibly well-understood in fiction. It's the whole reason the tropes Kick The Dog and Pet The Dog exist. When you want the audience to root for a character's destruction, leave aside any of their potential quiet moments of sympathy - their tragic backstory, their cute pet, their adorable relationship with their mom - and instead show them going out of their way to commit some minor act of petty cruelty, say Kicking The Dog. The audience will infer that this badness is 24/7 and they have no reason to curb their enthusiasm for Righteous Vengeance. But if the writer wants the audience to see a spark of good in them, to sympathize, to believe they can be redeemed, they'll highlight one of those small moments of charming kindness, and allow them to Pet The Dog instead.

Neither of these acts, in the grand scale, have any bearing on the morality of this person's actions. A pet dog doesn't counterbalance a razed village; a kicked dog doesn't negate a generous contribution to the local soup kitchen. Goodness and badness is not a linear scale added or subtracted to by opposing deeds. BUT showing them to an audience reframes them narratively, and THAT is what shapes the judgment of the White Hot Burning Core. In the space of fiction, this form of bottom-shelf emotional manipulation is one of the cleanest ways to get the audience to root for the messy destruction of what is ostensibly, in the universe of the fiction, a wholly complex and living person who definitely has reasons for everything they've done, even ones that could be framed sympathetically when shown.

Meanwhile, in the real world, ethics are an attempt to judge what is best in a given situation without trusting the White Hot Burning Core to make the call, no matter how compelling "but it would feel really good though" might seem. They try to give someone perspective, context, other priorities to consider. The White Hot Burning Core might want you to rip someone's arms off for driving slow when you've got important places to be, but Ethics can present a number of compelling reasons not to do that - even if it's just "ripping their arms off will definitely make me even more late." And yes, this can be a balance of Selfishness Vs Selflessness. You are one of the people whose wellbeing ethics is designed to make you prioritize improving even if it feels weird, and when all other things are equal, your own health and happiness can be the deciding factor. In a world with an overarching Moral Force that weighs the goodness of your soul by sifting through every grain of action and intent seeking negativity to punish you for, absolute selflessness to the point of self destruction would still probably be seen as Morally Wrong, simply because the universe is a better place with you in it trying your best.

Anyway, if doing the right thing was simple, easy and painless, we probably wouldn't have so many thousands of years of arguing about what it looks like. Good luck out there everybody 👍

[in1-nutshell]

Hello, how are you? Can I request a Nightlight application in Transformers One? Nightlight works for Sentinel Prime. In this universe, she sympathizes with the lower classes and is dedicated to trying to convince Sentinel Prime to improve things. Nightlight becomes friends with D-16 Orion Pax Eliata One and Bumblebee?

I definitely want to do a longer version of this later in the future. Or possible a part 2, which ever comes first.

Hope you enjoy!

TF1 Version of Nightlight

SFW, Platonic, Cybertronian reader

TF1

Nightlight considered herself one of the luckier bots in Iacon.

She had a stable job and got to work under most of Sentinel Prime’s direct orders.

Not many bots could say they often talked to the Prime on a daily basis.

He was the bot everyone wanted or wanted to be.

She could only hope the mech that seemed larger than life could get behind her ‘passion project’.

Nightlight straightening her backstruts, puts on her best smile and salutes to the incoming Prime. Nightlight: “Good morning, Sentinel Prime, sir.” Sentinel smiles at the detective. Sentinel: “Nightlight, my friend. How’s my best detective doing today?” Nightlight passing him some data slugs. Nightlight: “The missing archive collection has been found and safely put back in its rightful place, sir. Also the missing bot cases have been solved and filed.” Sentinel: “And the—” Nightlight: “The cargo hold carts are still under repairs and under investigation as we speak.” Sentinel: “Good, good, take the rest of the day off then, you earned it.” Nightlight: “Actually sir, I was wondering if we could talk about the conditions of the miners—” Sentinel puts a servo out motioning her to be quiet. Sentinel: “Nightlight, Nightlight, Nightlight. How many times do we have to go through with this little ‘passion project’ of yours? The miners will get more accommodation when they reach more of the energon goals set. It’s only fair, no?” Nightlight: “But sir, wouldn’t they work better, faster even, if they had better conditions or equipment—” Arachnid suddenly appears on their right. Arachnid: “Sir, it is time to go.” Sentinel gives the detective a ‘sorry’ smile. Sentinel: “Its time for me to leave. Keep up the good work Nightlight!” Nightlight was about to protest when she was cut off by Arachnid staring at her as the pair left the room.

Her project started the day she met a peculiar pair of miners.

She was responding to an alert of an unauthorized miner entering the Archives.

Nightlight watched from afar Darkwing and another guard chasing this one cogless miner bot.

And quite frankly, he was giving the guards a run for their shanix.

She noticed another miner causing a distraction with his cart while the other escaped the guards.

The pair then met up in one of the train stations, probably to go back to work.

It was quite entertaining honestly.

Later, she went back to the Archive’s to see what exactly the miner was looking through.

It surprised her the number of data slugs he had gone through in relation to the Matrix.

One of Cybertron’s biggest mysteries.

She needed more answers.

Eventually, Nightlight got clearance to ‘supervise’ some miners for a shift.

That’s where she met Elita-One

Elita saluting at the taller bot. Elita: “Nightlight ma’am!” Nightlight: “Oh, just Nightlight will do… umm…” Elita still saluting: “Elita-One ma’am—I mean—” Nighlight: “Its all right. Do you mind giving me the tour then?” Elita: “Of course! Follow me!”

While doing the tour, Nightlight was making a mental list of things to improve.

She hadn’t been down in the mines before and already couldn’ imagine working down here for long hours and with rusting equipment.

Out of the corner of her optic, she spotted Darkwing punching two familiar looking miners.

When the tour was down and Elita had to go back to her team, Nightlight slipped into the miner’s medbay.

After scaring some bots, she finally found the two miners.

D-16 and Orion both looked at her in shock and amaze. Orion: “You’re Nightlight!” D-16: “The Nightlight! You solved several cases and foiled several assassinations attempts of several bots, including Sentinel Prime’s!” Nightlight feels a bit flustered by the sudden fan behavior. Nightlight: “Yeah, that’s me. And you two are the sneaky miner’s who snuck into the Archieve’s and got away with it.” Both mech’s suddenly looked frightened. Nightlight: “Relax, I’m not taking you in or punishing you two. It was actually the most entertaining things that happened on my shift in a while.” Orion and D-16’s optics widen. Orion: “You saw all that? But from where? The crowds weren’t that busy and there was no hiding places nearby?” D-16: “Do you have any cloaking technology?” Nightlight: “What? No, and to answer your question, I was simply observing from afar.” Nightlight shows the pair some grappling hooks in her arm plating. Nightlight: “These come in handy when you don’t have a flying alt mode or jetpack nearby.” D-16: “Primus…” Orion: “Wait, wait, if you’re not punishing us, then what are you here for?” Nightlight slips into a grim expression. Nightlight: “I originally came in to ask you about your snooping around for data slugs on the Matrix… instead I just found out today your working conditions and I don’t like it one bit.

Nightlight explained that she would straight to Sentinel himself and talk to him about getting them better working conditions.

 Truthfully D-16 and Orion thought this was a lie… but his was Nightlight they were talking about.

Maybe a little bit of faith would help.

Surely enough the miners started to notice some of the older equipment getting replaced with new ones.

They even had an extra hour of sleep and a bit more rations.

This did not satisfy Nightlight though.

She wanted more.

The detective started taking on bigger assignments in order to get on Sentinel’s personal circle.

She might have better luck in getting the miner’s more things that way.

Soon Nightlight started making her way into the mines without authorization.

Something was up, she could feel it.

Not only did she find out that the improvements had halted, but Sentinel was making more and more trips to the surface.

It was enough bells to set her off.

Especially hearing about 10 more sublevels under waste management.

So, Nightlight did the thing she did best, investigate.

Nightlight enters one of the waste trains cargo carts. Suddenly gets her blaster out hearing yelling behind her. The door opens revealing Orion, D-16, Elita and B-127. The detective looks at them in surprise. Nightlight: “What in Primus’s name is going on! Orion! D! Elita! B!” Elita:”Ma’am! I caught these bots trespassing!” D-16: “Wait, how do you know B?” B-127 waves at the detective. B-127: “Hi!” Nightlight: “He gave me some information on the sublevels under waste management. Now someone explain what—” Elita sprints past her. Elita: “Sorry ma’am! I need to turn this train around!” Orion and the others run after her. Nightlight blinks a bit before joining the chase. Nightlight: “This is what you get for making friends who are younger than you Nightlight… always running off… I swear… I need to listen to Ratchet next time I go out without my long-distance com link…” Nightlight starts climbing the trains railing to reach the others. Nightlight: “The one day I don’t bring my extra long grappling hook… I won’t be surprised if I see Alpha Trion at this point…”

[keysnocar]

we repost just so i can move his etching

@ghotstx HERE im sorry for clickbaiting you here :)

Also I can’t make this up, I literally mixed up ur username w another person so..welcome.? Haha

@ghostbny

Anyway, I'm FINALLY getting time to add to my TF Prime Numbers AU, starting with a little Orion ref/doodle sheet. This mostly helps me get to know what kind of character I'd like this version of him to be. (and ngl the plot has been whooping me idk what's happening or why sometimes :() )

This is Orion! Or, as the other bots know him,"37." (I’ll explain it later gng)

Here, he’s been with the autobots for around four vorns, (since he was just over 13 vorns old.) 

His Weapon isn't the familiar star saber or Zeta Prime's Axe. This choice involves his 'childhood', as does his design. I kept his lovable boxyness (well i love it) but made him less detailed, with less armor in general- though specifically around the joints. This is mostly because I wanted him to be a smaller bot, with an emphasis on his agility and flexibility, rather than being a heavy hitter. (at least in his youth.)

The Matrix also has a bit of change in its functionality, use, and importance to the plot.

Both of which I'll expand on in a separate post.

DON'T BE MISTAKEN by my choices in drawing him, he's never without the face mask unless alone.

-------------------------------------------------

The little doodles I have of him are more so to solidify his personality while he's this age range, but this is dependent on what’s going on around him as well. His age has proven to complicate some of my plot, but since he’d bonded with the Matrix at 13, it made sense to me that he’d been gradually reformatted in that short span of time between that and joining the autobots by the Matrix . So he appears much older. (I’ll explain it later gang Ik it’s weird but its important hshgjfhd)

Since taking up residence in the main Autobot Outpost on Cybertron, Orion, or "37" works mostly in solo reconnaissance, scouting territories, or pathfinding for small teams on other kinds of missions. When on base. He focuses on compiling the small amount of data the Autobot faction has managed to gather or receive on any prominent threats.

He ‘moved in’ with the Autobots around an earth year after the ‘ Fall of Gold.’ (as many bots had not-so-fondly begun calling it.) This event being the night that Decepticon forces raided, and then destroyed the large informational hubs of Iacon. This included but was not limited to the Senate Hall, Multiple high class Universities, and the Records tower. To many this marked the true beginning of the war- as the attack and largely successful destruction of such a profound city solidified the danger of the rapidly growing Decepticon movement.  After Iacon fell, the other strongholds of the planet have been slow, but surely following.

In his free time, he’s always reading, thinking, filing, sorting, polishing, solving- 'doing' something. there isn't a spare second he's not busying his mind, or if he can't at least manage that, his servos. 

Orion is not social in the SLIGHTEST with new bots. (this being all of his Autobot peers)  It 100% creeps everyone else out when he attempts to be. (he's got these large, piercing, non-emotive optics that seem to stare past and yet into anyone who's got his attention- and WOW is it an alarming, unreadable, gaze to be caught in if you don't know him well.)

The rare moment or two he does find himself in a conversation about something other than strategy or information he'd gathered- others find his conversation.. lacking at most. It's not that he isn't interested, not at all. It's more so that any personal information he dares to give away may end up doing more harm to his goals among the autobots than good. It sure is a lot easier to keep your origins to yourself, if everyone's too intimidated or put off to speak with you.

It's mostly because of this, that he prefers quietly watching and taking things in, over putting himself into a conversation. It's simply how he's accustomed to and has been taught how to function. Observing and compiling, interpreting and mimicking.

(That being said he is still a ‘teenager’ so it sort of sucks trying to keep himself isolated.)

His more reclusive behavior tends to keep other bots from bothering him. His quietly observant posture and constantly active tendencies often leave the others assuming he's got no time for- or interest in talking.

 He sees all of this as a good thing, the first few vorns of living with the bots, as he’s committed to putting all of his focus on figuring out this weird matrix thing. More importantly, keeping the fact that it forced its way onto his spark and won’t come off-  a secret. (Not to mention he can’t afford to be distracted by bots he doesn’t entirely trust.)

But considering Commander Magnus and Medical Officer Ratchet have already been looking at him as if trying to remember something they’d once known- he might not be able to make that last.

…let's hope no one puts the pieces together on where he came from before he can figure out how to explain it.

Admittedly, this style has a different feel than the ones I'm accustomed to creating in- and trying to keep the characters to a consistent level of both simplistic and shapey is already proving to be a fun challenge. I’ve been working on this idea for a while, and I have a lot of other little details or broad stories to fill in. PLEASE I can talk and brainstorm about this all day. I've already got a google doc and MAD plotholes.

(Vorn = 83ish earth years, which I use interchangeably with an earth year for easier understanding, because of the long lifespans.)

[starscream-is-my-wife]

In your nature documentary AU, just how wildly would Soundwave make the humans speculate on what is going On there? Depending on which cassette is seen first, several misunderstandings could arise.

Laserbeak gets seen first and it’s assumed that him and Soundwave are symbiotic because the bird can nest in that chest compartment and probably provides something they need to study further to find. Sure, but is that a CAT? Was it waiting to lure the bird? No, they seem to be getting along! Are those- are those straight up children? Between these two and Lil’ Yellow, are THEIR babies also smaller? Also if those two are being carried because they’re the big guy’s kids, then what’s the deal with the bird and cat?

But if they see the twins first then the animals and all of them “hunting” together, there’s the question of how animalistic the species is.

Haha I love those ideas! I'd like to think that Soundwave would probably be forced to be more diplomatic because of how much he and his cassettes are outnumbered with no backup, so while the cassettes won't harm the humans, Ravage and Laserbeak seem to be more competent at hiding themselves and following soundwaves orders of keeping peace then Frenzy and Rumble, who can't help themselves from messing with humans and getting caught first

Personally how I would have them appear is that strange fissures have been spotted in the forests even though these weren't the signs of a normal earthquake, the mystery was solved when Rumble got careless and was rumbling too close to the roads and the two of them got spotted.

They were so much smaller then Bee and must be younger so they didn't want to hurt them, alot were thinking 'damn these kids are causing alot of damage but they are kids' and 'if these kids also have giant robot parents who found out we hurt them we are dead'

Humans set a trap for them using energon borrowed from the 'good' bots and the twins got caught in a drop down cage, when the humans returned with Ratchet to show him, Laserbeak and Ravage had activated the back up traps trying to free them. Not only were there kids there were pets too?? This is when they hear footsteps and Soundwave appears from the forests. The humans take note on how Ratchet is very obviously on edge and putting himself in between them and the other robo family (?) when Soundwave recalls all of the cassettes into his chest. They transform through the bars and fly into his chest??

Z: 'They transform into cassettes??? I thought they can only transform into vehicles'

P: 'That means that the big one must be something that can play them... how strange, maybe its a different species that comes from the same family as our bots'

Ratchet talks to the other Robot the humans can only hear his Siren tuned rant about keeping his cassettes under control, the other bot speaks, it's the popular hit song barbie girl.

To Ratchet, Soundwave says that he will keep an closer eye on them and that they should work together to get off this planet. Ratchet says that they can talk about it later, Soundwave nods and walks off. The humans are like ??? Are you guys both moms???

Soundwave does have a more boxy figure then Ratchet but he's around the same size if not a little taller (Their only reference to a "male" is Orion who is just larger then average) so now they're theorizing if this new species reproduces asexually or doesn't have a family structure, the resemblance the twin cassettes have is way more noticeable then Bee and Angel, also the animals.. are they children? If they can transform into not just vehicles can they transform into other things? What if that tree is a robot? A small group of people are now paranoid of any technology. The main two humans want to see if the animals have a human form too and just choose to be animals. Are they pets? Are they also intelligent? How old are they? Can they speak? Is the dad an animal bot? Are they just a part of the bigger bot he's controlling wirelessly?? Is Bluebie (Blue Barbie) even female??

Soundwave does bring a wave of uncertainty about the all of bots to some the humans... like yeah they could be animalistic and dangerous! Where's the line! And if those things can cause THAT much damage to the town when they're that young, how much damage can a robot like Truck King do? Is their backup plan of using another truck to defeat him not enough? (It definitely isn't even the main two know that before but now the rest of the town does)

[apollosgiftofprophecy]

FANFIC POLL TIME!

Descriptions (because i NEED to explain things haha-):

CHOOSE WISELY

Of Bridges Built & Burned: Based off this clowning between me and @moodyseal

BUCKLE UP THIS GETS WILD READ THE LINK ABOVE FOR A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION

TD;LR- Commodus and Apollo get to both scream about their relationship (because it's usually only Commodus who does that), Commodus goes off to sulk/stew over it while Apollo completes his trials, then post-ToA they meet again and have a Much Needed Talk

...and *sobs* go separate ways... *ugly sobbing* DON'T MIND ME-

you know you love the ship when you write them breaking up in the most heart-wrenching scenario possible.

but shh...i have another idea to do with this but that's for another time😈

The Art of War: I've been DYING to do SOMETHING with Apollo (Favorite Son™) and Ares (Failure Son™) and I have 3 whole scenes in different points of time now!!!

First is when Apollo's young and new on Olympus. He's been shoved onto Ares for the time being because in Ancient Greece, boys were raised by their fathers and girls by their mothers, and when the father was unavailable, it was the eldest brother's job to watch his younger brothers.

Second scene is during/post Ares's kidnapping by the giants! Some Apollo angst, Zeus being the best dad ever (not), and Ares not having a good time.

Third and finally, is a little conversation post-ToA between them :3

The Sun's Rise: At last! Out of the vault! The moment we've been waiting for! Starring our boy Apollo, Prometheus being Prometheus, and a guest star you all should know by now :3

Hyapollo Multific: YEAH YOU HEARD IT. FIVE CHAPTERS OF HYAPOLLO, WITH SIDE DISHES OF APRICITY, HYARICITY, AND ONE-SIDED ZEPHYRUS PINNING FOR HYAPOLLO. COME GET UR FLUFF-DRAMA-ANGST FEST

@hyac1nthus i know you'd want to see this >:3

Koios ToA: What the hell was Koios doing during ToA? This fic will play like a snapshot of what our favorite titan was up too. Questions will be asked, answers will be found, and oh boy Phoebe and Koios are gonna have a bit o' long-overdue marital strife.

Drunk Twins: literally what is says on the label. the twins get drunk and the Hunt has to call in the mama wolf for backup lmao

The Conspiracy of Rachel Elizabeth Dare: based on this post by @hogoflight and expanded upon here by me! Rachel Dare is a conundrum to her friends, and they put their detective hats on to solve the case!

ToA BuzzFeed Unsolved: The Queer Capers of Lester Papadopoulos and Meg McCaffrey: BUZZFEED TIME! We need ToA buzzfeed fics so here I am making one :3

Apollo V Orion fight (with a side-dish of Jupiter & Commodus): Exactly what it says on the label lmao I had three oneshot ideas and then I went "COMBINE THEM!!" so here is a oneshot with three different things in it making a cohesive story :3

A Radiant Light: Did I make up an entire backstory for one background character? Yes. Is that character Phoebe the Hunter? Also yes.

how to get your daughter to divorce your brother and marry your nephew: a guide by demeter: funny fic about Demeter trying to get Meg, Nico, and Will to help her convince Persephone to divorce Hades and marry Apollo. Based off one of my headcanons haha

👀 lookin' forward to a lot of these, hehe!

Tag list: @txny-dragon @solahflare @fuzzystudios @apollosothertwin @peishathebookity @reuben-7991 @allylyrac @the-summersun

[h3nderyss]

kitty cuddles - yoo kihyun

pairing: kihyun x fem!reader . . . masterlist genre: fluff word count: 644 a/n: first monsta x fic, nobody writes fluff for them im literally so upset 🥲 but i'm here to solve that problem! this one's for all the cat lovers out there

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

the apartment was silent, the sound of the clock ticking being the only thing to break the stillness of the night. it read past midnight, and you had just finished brushing your teeth, the cool of the bathroom tiles a quiet reminder of how late it'd gotten.

the dim light from the living room caught your attention as you walked down the hallway. you had thought kihyun had gone to sleep already, but the faint glowing from the doorway told you otherwise. curious, you made your way to the source being careful to not make much noise.

there he was.

kihyun was stretched out on the couch in a loose t-shirt and sweats as he leaned on the armrest. in his arms, nestled close to his chest, was your black cat orion.

the sight stopped you in your tracks.

orion's sleek fur glinted faintly under the soft light, his paws resting lazily against kihyun's chest as if he had claimed him as his personal property. kihyun was absentmindedly scratching behind orion's ears, his fingers moving in a rhythm that appeared to put them both into a state of comfort.

you couldn't help but see how soft kihyun looked in this moment. his features were relaxed, his gaze downcast on orion watching as the cat slept calmly on him.

"you're still up?" you asked softly, stepping into the room.

kihyun glanced up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "couldn't sleep. i was waiting for you," he admitted, his voice low and warm. "orion came and found me. i think he knew i needed company."

you walked closer, leaning down a little. "or he just wanted attention," you teased, reaching out to stroke orion's fur.

kihyun chuckled, the sound quiet and fond. oh my god, his smile could make anyone melt. "maybe, but i don't mind." he shifted slightly, carefully, making room for you beside him. "come here."

you slid onto the couch, curling into his side as he draped an arm around you, still keeping one hand on orion. the three of you fit perfectly, a small bubble of warmth within this quiet space.

"he's so spoiled," you murmured, watching as orion spread out, his paws brushing against kihyun's chest.

you rested your head on kihyun's shoulder. "you'd make a good cat," you joked out of the blue.

he tilted his head to look at you, his eyes glinting with amusement. "yeah? you think you'd keep me around if i napped all day and knocked things off the table at 3am?"

"depends. would you still cuddle me like this?"

kihyun's smirk softened into a gentle smile, and he leaned down to press a kiss on your temple. "always," he murmured.

the three of you sat in comfortable silence for a while, practically almost drifting off into sleep sitting on the couch. the faint sounds of orion's purring and both of your soft breaths filled the space.

the soft light from the nearby lamp cast a golden glow over kihyun's features and you couldn't help but admire how at peace he looked.

"you know," you said after a while, you voice barely above a whisper, "i think he loves you more than me now."

kihyun laughed quietly. there goes that smile again. "not possible," he replied, his arm that was draped around your shoulder now threading his fingers through your hair. "you're still his favourite. i'm just the substitute."

you glanced up at him, feeling like playing around. "and me? am i still your favourite?"

he leaned down, his nose brushing against yours as his smile widened. "you've always been my favourite," he whispered, his voice filled with so much warmth it made your heart ache.

the kiss he gave you was soft, unhurried, like he had all the time in the world to remind you how much you meant to him.

[egosdelirium]

Thinking so many thoughts about...... James and Remus both being Spiderman in their own universes and somehow meeting when a portal opens a passage between them.

- Earth 48915

Remus is eighteen. Your local nerd, the loner with his nose always stuck in a book, the weird kid who's never really made any friends in school or at church. The one who never attempts to talk to girls. Dirt poor, has recently moved to London with Hope after Lyall suddenly passed away in a car accident (Remus was driving the car). Him and his mum left Wales and their little village behind to go live with Hope's brother, Ben, to try and give their lives a new meaning and get Remus a better education while they're at it. He gets into this private posh Secondary thanks to his uncle's contacts and his outstanding academic records.

There, he meets Sirius Black: the fittest, richest, smartest, most successful boy of the entire school who exclusively hangs out with future runaway model, Mary Mcdonald, and his little brother, Regulus. In addition to his all-rounded perfection, Sirius also belongs to the family funded Black Industries, a multi-million pharmaceutical corporation that is well known for its advanced discoveries and unorthodox research methods.

Remus avoids Sirius (and everybody else) to the best of his capabilities until he gets paired up with him for the end of the first trimester science project. Sirius loathes science, chemistry, and everything that has anything to do with molecules or atoms. He still gets top marks in it, but his real forte his maths: arithmetic, trigonometry, calculus. Sirius's brain is like a computer wired to solve equations. Remus, on the other hand, is 100% the science nerd Orion Black wishes his son was. In the end, their project turns out to be so good that they get paired together for the rest of the year, and Remus keeps falling more and more head over heels in love with his new lab partner and is very pathetic about it.

They start hanging out outside of school too, after Remus catches Sirius crying in the bathrooms one afternoon during footie practice and Sirius breaks down to him about how horribly abusive his parents are to him and Regulus. One night, Sirius has the great idea to sneak into his father's private lab with Remus (who's now become a regular in Sirius' bedroom) to employ his scientific knowledge to understand some top secret project Orion has been very elusive about, and there Remus gets bitten by a modified specimen of Wolf-spider that Sirius mistakenly frees from its box.

Spiderman shenanigans ensue (but Remus' chronic joint pain gets cured, so he's not complaining all that much)

- Earth 48916

James is a high school senior in a prestigious private school in upstate New York. He lives in Brooklyn with his british/punjabi mother and puerto rican father. He's the 'five different vacation houses in five different states' type of rich boy. Straight A's and B's, captain of the soccer team with a fullride scholarship to Columbia University, every girl's and boy's dream boyfriend.

Everyone's but Lily Evan's, no one other than his main academic rival and the girl he's been desperately in (unrequited) love with since ninth grade. She's top of half their classes (mainly the ones James can't be bothered trying to excel at), future valedictorian, exceptionally hardworking and particularly gifted in 'all things science'. She also allegedly hates his guts.

James mainly hangs out his two childhood best friends: Marlene, star player of the female's soccer and basketball team, and Peter, their very own regional chess prodigy. When James is not with them, he's usually surrounded by the guys from his soccer team or the ladies from the 'Crocheting for Charity' club he attends on weekends. He never really dates anybody else, albeit being asked out almost daily, because his mom taught him that perseverance is the only way to truly show the authenticity of one's desires.

James gets bitten on a saturday night, when he overhears Lily Evans argue with Severus Snape, her ex best friend turned new nazi schizo, as he was heading out after his crochet meet-up. The two are fighting about something in the school's science lab and Severus keeps trying to get Lily to look at a small box he's placed on the table, but they just end up screaming at each other and Lily storms out of the room. In his hurry to chase after her, Severus mistakenly hits the box and drops it to the floor. James, who had hidden just behind the corner, enters the lab to check for himself what the whole argument is about, and the genetically modified Golden Silk Orb-Spider that once was in the box bites him.

Spiderman shenanigans ensue. James is thrilled, Marlene is too, Peter not so much.

And Lily is too curious, and way too good at science and genetics to not get roped up into the whole mess, unfortunately for her.

[call-sign-shark]

Screeching back into your inbox because I have more asks dkjshkfdhgfd.

I realized that I asked about GOT Hev's relationship with the other Shelby Targs, but I never asked about Amos! I always assumed that they were still involved in ruling at least on some level and sitting on the Small Council while he and Hev were king and queen. What were all the dynamics like? Anyone he got on with? How were things between him and Polly? Was Tommy still hand of the king when Amos was king?

Thank you for your very useful question, Lily! As we have already discussed, Amos kept the Small Council as it was with the exception of Orion joining them.

the gif is literally one of the very rare compliments he made to Lucy. With that same cold expression, but it was genuine aha.

With that being said, let's move on to his relationships with the Targaryen. As surprising as it may sound, Amos' relationship with them was really okay despite being naturally cold, save for Aerthurys. It's mostly due to the fact he's a more than capable king. On top of being charming and enthralled with Hev, Amos truly is a great ruler, so it helped a lot in terms of relationship with the Targs. A scary, adamant king who punishes harshly and doesn't forgive, but he was fair and fearless. A real leader. Even though he lacked empathy and care, he knew what he was doing with the realm. As for his tyrant tendencies (because, admittedly, his need for control tended to be borderline at times), they were kept under control thanks to his wife and the Hand. Now, let's get into details.

-> Pollyanna

Amos kinda liked the regent Queen, especially because she was quick-witted and exuded something regal. I think he saw a bit of his own mother in her. As for Polly, she was relieved by the fact he was to her daughter's taste and, hence, she liked him. Admittedly, she was a bit unsettled by his stern behavior but quickly got used to it, appreciating the fact that Amos was charming and his manners impeccable. It was only as time passed that her liking for him became more mixed, for she disliked the way he always needed to monopolize Heaven. She felt also a bit uncomfortable with the co-dependency of these two, but since Hev was thriving she just went with the flow. Basically, she had a good relationship with her son-in-law. It's only when she discovered what he did to Heaven, years after the incident and unaware they had 'solved' their problems for a while, that she was gobsmacked.

-> Thomaryon

Overall, Tom didn't dislike Amos per se but didn't appreciate nor trust him either. I think he respected him for his ambition, his sharp intelligence and crushing aura. I also think he was pretty satisfied with working with a strategic and capable King, even though he'd never trusted him. Amos more or less thought the same - Tom was clever and he liked that. He was one of the very few people he didn't consider a lesser form of life.

Yet, as the Hand of the King, Tom remained wary of him because a. he knew he was extremely dangerous and b. Lucy didn't like him and, tbh, his beloved red demon's opinion was enough for him to be 'nope, he's not friend shaped'. Just like Polly, his opinion became more negative when he learned what he did to Heaven. However, - and contrary to Polly- he also confronted Aerthurys about it, saying that acting like he did was utterly stupid and selfish considering he knew how jealous Amos was. He really got after him for behaving like a homewrecker without thinking about the consequences. Moreover, being equally addicted to Lucy ( @mischievouslittlecreature ) he disagreed with the idea of separating Hev and him. Especially since, being the only one who didn't underestimate Heaven, he knew Amos would get a taste of his own medicine one day.

-> Aerthurys

Amos had hated Aerthurys from the start: it's not surprising considering all the anger that radiated off him. It went worse and worse. Amos quickly understood that Aerthurys had a soft spot for his wife but thought it had always been one-sided. As for Aerthurys, he had hated him from day one. He had hated him from the day they decided to offer him Heaven's hand to his last dying breath. He had hated him even more when he met him flesh and bones, rendered sick by his annoyingly handsome traits, his soulless black eyes coming back to life when he saw Heaven and how different - but somehow more terrifying - he was from what he had imagined. Their mutual hatred remained until the end, Amos trying to assassinate Aerthurys several times and Aerthurys snapping back, almost killing him.

-> Jon

Overprotective with Heavenerys, maybe as much as her own dragon, no one expected Jon and Amos to get along but that’s what happened. Jon could even tease his in-law depending on his mood, so it speaks volume on how they’ve managed to craft a brotherly bond. I think it is due to their age gap and the fact that Jon reminded him of Orion, his little brother. He never knew about the two dark moments Amos and Hev went through.

-> Aedarya

Amos ADORED Aedarya and the feeling was reciprocal. He has always found her sharp tongue, buttheaded nature, her fire and her penchant for chaos and bending rules sincerely amusing. As for Aeda, she was fascinated by Amos' skills in stealing faces and how he often defended her when she got scolded. She never knew about the two dark moments Amos and Hev went through.

Did I forget someone?

[ravioliet]

more Odd Squad oc posting! here are my main silly guys :D

character lore under the read more because i just know i'm gonna go on a whole ramble and don't want to make the post super long

so both of these guys are from precinct 73559 (which is the precinct we made for our ocs), Oriole is the creature room director and Orion is of course the branch manager. both of them are relatively new to the precinct, having been transferred there together just before Okiku stated working there (Okiku is @/dragonroar87's agent character btw! i consider her a main character which is why i'm using her as a reference for the timeline lol), and they are also quite close and consider each other as best friends (hence the bracelets) because before Orion was promoted and they were transferred the two of them were actually partners in the investigation department! although most agents in 73559 don't know this so they're just left to wonder why Oriole is always hanging around their manager's office and why she calls him Orion instead of Mr. O

personality-wise the two of them are pretty much opposites of each other and they definitely fit the whole 'silly partner and serious partner' pattern that canon kinda has, with Oriole being the more energetic and silly one and Orion being the more quiet and serious one, although their personalities and energy kinda rub off on each other when they're together.

Orion himself is like that introverted person who keeps taking leadership positions for some reason even though he doesn't particularly like public speaking or anything like that, because someone has to do it. he is actually a good leader though even though he doesn't realize it a lot of the time (he has a pretty bad case of imposter syndrome), and he cares about his agents a lot. he also happens to be a pretty big nerd which Oriole teases him about. he's also been through some pretty traumatic stuff and is a pretty anxious person as well, but he doesn't talk about any of that usually (i'll go into detail about it later but for now i'll just say that Oriole was not his first partner. do with that information what you will)

Oriole on the other hand is just a silly little guy full of joyous whimsy. she is very eager to learn things and to solve problems, but she has some chaotic tendencies and when she isn't causing problems on purpose she tends to cause them on accident instead, and she always manages to fix them in the end but that doesn't stop her from getting into trouble. she ended up transferring to the creature department after Orion was promoted because during the series of events leading up to that she was noticed for her talent in dealing with creatures, so in a way she and Orion were kinda promoted at the same time and i love that for them tbh. she enjoys her job very much, but she also still kinda multiclasses in investigation sometimes to help with cases and basically serves as an unofficial third partner to Okiku and Oceane a lot of the time. she has a few creatures that she calls her companion creatures that she's trained and she likes to bring them with her on cases and send out at villains like they're pokemon, the main one being a size-changing feathered snake/serpent dragon creature that she named Updog (she LOVES using the updog joke on people btw) and due to their shrinking ability Updog hangs out in one of her pockets usually. a few of her other creature names include names such as Mister President (so she can say things like "Mister President get off of the table!" or "the President ate my paperwork sorry"), Gazebo, and Periscope

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tags @theink-stainedfolk @ominous-feychild and @paeliae-occasionally!

OC Most Likely Tag

My questions:

- Most likely to win a cooking competition

-Most likely to be found reading in their free time

- Most likely to solve a complex puzzle the fastest - Most likely to burn something while cooking - Most likely to stop a robbery if they see it taking place - Most likely to not tell people they’re sick until they really need the help - Most likely to arrive ridiculously early - Most likely to be in a relationship for less than a week - Most likely to secretly be really good at music, but just not tell anyone

1. Most likely to win a cooking competition

Easily Twenari. My only other character who can cook is Mashal, but even then, he's only pretty good. Twenari’s out here making creme brulee with fire magic.

2. Most likely to be found reading in their free time

Also easily Twenari. That girl is a nerd extraordinaire. Sepo also enjoys reading, but not like her.

3. Most likely to solve a complex puzzle the fastest

Surprisingly, not Twenari. Astra is very quick when it comes to putting things together and taking them apart. She'd love those puzzles where it's just a bent tangle of metal you have to figure out how to separate.

4. Most likely to burn something while cooking

Either Izjik or Djek. Izjik has some fundamental misunderstandings when it comes to cooking food, since she prefers to eat things raw. Djek is just very distracted and will forget he's cooking something. Ivander also gets an honorable mention, but he doesn't count because he'd never willingly cook anything.

5. Most likely to stop a robbery if they see it taking place

Definitely Mashal. He's got that do-gooder mentality, and he's reckless enough to stop crime first, ask questions later.

6. Most likely to not tell people they’re sick until they really need the help

I want to say either Sepo or Avymere. Sepo would be the most obviously sick man in the world and continue to deny to your face that he feels anything but fine. Avymere is just a workaholic, so they'd probably tell you if they're contagious, but they won't change their routine at all.

7. Most likely to arrive ridiculously early

This is a tough one. I feel like most of my characters are either late or precisely on time down to the minute. I think I'll go with Elsind. She likes to show up early to help set things up.

8. Most likely to be in a relationship for less than a week

Also either Izjik or Djek. Izjik believes in true love and has a low tolerance for bullshit in that regard. Djek isn't trying to be in a relationship for anything but a fun time. Both get bored very easily.

9. Most likely to secretly be really good at music, but just not tell anyone

Well, it's not Sepo, because he makes damn sure everyone knows he's a music expert. In that case, I'll go with Avymere. It's something they wouldn't think is relevant, so they wouldn't bring it up.

I'll tag @mr-orion @albatris @vallkary @theprissythumbelina and anyone else who wants in :)

Your questions:

1. Most likely to confess to a murder

2. Most likely to be overdressed

3. Most likely to believe in ghosts

[quetzalpapalotl]

If you would be interested in talking about it I would love to know- how do you think IDW1 OP feels about the way Shockwave surgically altered him to carry the Matrix? It's such a wild note to me (both in what it implies about the Matrix and the whole idea of the "chosen leader" being something everyone in power understands you have to artificially construct, and in the sense of how OP understands his duty as a Prime because of it).

I'm always interested in talking about this disaster of a man, thank you.

This ended very long, I went on many tangents and for that I'm sorry, but I hope it does answer your question. Since this is about how I read OP I focused more on his character in the comics as a whole rather than what the authors were thinking.

First, I personally don't think that being altered to have a Matrix compartment really makes any difference on whether one can actually carry the Matrix. It makes it easier, but the Matrix still has a morality lock that a frame modification is not gonna pass. But then again, the morality lock doesn't end up mattering and it doesn't make the Primacy any less of a construct, but we'll get back to that.

Now, we can guess that despite having multiple Prime candidates, Orion was Shockwave's favorite. Shockwave calls him his brightest hope and entrusts him to Zeta in case anything happens to Shockwave. Yet there's a lot Shockwave didn't tell Orion, he didn't tell him about Zeta, he didn't tell him about the other candidates. He did the noncon body modification and is overall an extremely shady dude. But Orion has no distrust of him. Shockwave sort of acts like he expects Orion to rise up to do what Shockwave needs when he asks for it and Orion is perfectly willing to do it (as Roller calls out).

This makes sense, OP is a character who very badly wants to believe in Goodness, Hope, Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, more than he actually believes in it. In a way, he's playing fake it till you make it with reality and he reacts very intensely whenever the world disappoints him. This leads to him being either very trustful or very cynical depending on the person and situation.

Orion was a very privileged kind of naive. He thought the world was fundamentally good, that all you have to do to stop bad things is to stop the wrongdoers and that everything can be solved through the right channels. His encounter with Megatron shatters this image and makes him realize that he actually doesn't know how the world works.

To this Shockwave presents himself, he genuinely wants to help Cybertron, he understands that which Orion doesn't (Orion directly compares him to Megatron on this) and Shockwave has the idea that to fix the planet they just have to put the right person in power, Shockwave is still working with the system. The last point means that change can come peacefully, which is perfect as Orion wants to avoid a violent revolution (he has ideas on who's allowed to use violence). Shockwave presents himself as the solution to Orion's firts major moral crisis, so it's really no wonder that Orion clings to him so badly.

(Side note, but Shockwave seems to be winging his whole plan. It's unclear if he found out Nominus' Matrix was a fake before Sentiel and Proteus, but he didn't bring that up in CT. So if he ever thought it was real, was his plan to kill Nominus and shove the Matrix in OP's chest hoping it would take? Was that why he had multiple candidates? After he found out he was fake, was he planning on finding the real Matrix or also use a fake? Probably whichever was more viable)

Orion himself never shows any interest in becoming Prime, never even talks about the possibility. He seems just willing to go along with it because he's willing to go along with whatever Shockwave says. He insists to Roller that he's not with Shockwave because he singled him out (tho, I think he certainly likes Shockwave's attention). And after Shockwave dies in spirit, and someone else he trusted shows up to take the Primacy, Orion is happy to go along and serve under him.

(There is a version of events where OP ends up being Shockwave's puppet Prime which makes me insane to think about)

That's right! It's time to talk about IDW1's most important character!! This was a trap!!

Zeta fills in the gap Shockwave left in Orion's life, and he even actually ends functionism!!! (officially that is), so he seems like the right person to put all his hopes in. Despite this, he isn't Shockwave, Orion is not as taken by him and does bring up the fact that this Matrix and Primacy thing is made up to him.

What I want to highlight here is that Zeta not only admits to Orion that the matrix and the primacy are symbols to be used for control, but he also calls Orion himself a symbol, even before he becomes Optimus (but in a way, progressing the path Shockwave put him in by trying to make him a Prime). Zeta jumpstarts OP's mythification by using his image for propaganda.

Orion at first doesn't think that this is very cash money, but on top of being desperate to believe in someone, this questioning happens at the same time that he loses his faith in the Decepticon due to the other stuff happening. So out of good options (at least form his POV), he decided that hey, maybe Zeta has a point. Maybe we can use the symbols for good, since things are such chaos otherwise. And even tho he would later disown Zeta, I think he still learned to wrong lesson from him.

So, Zeta turns out to suck massively, he aids in killing him, Megatron shoots him in the back and he finds the real Matrix. After things didn't work out with the 3 dudes Orion had put his hopes in, it seems that now Optimus has to embody his own values himself. But out of those 3 Shockwave didn't let him down willingly, I think Optimus still wants to pay respect to his memory and their dream. And besides, because OP is prone to question all his life choices and will spent the rest of his life struggling to give up control, I think he does wonder that maybe things wouldn't have gone so far if, instead of blindly trusting Zeta, he had become Prime from the beginning as Shockwave wanted.

Now we know from the end of Mtmte that the Matrix' morality lock reacts to your own feeling. Someone like Rodimus who wanted to prove himself felt good bonding with the Matrix because that's what he expected. Optimus feels pain, he feels the fear of war in all Cybertronians, he calls him a warning about responsibility. This all reflects what Optimus himself thinks of responsibility: that is a burden.

When OP finds the Matrix he was feeling guilty over having followed Zeta, over having let things get this bad. But OP's idea of making amends is to take on more responsibility. Every time he tries to step down he ends up coming back because he feels that's what he has to do. So it's really not so much that because the Matrix choose him that he has to become Prime, but rather that because he can use this power he has to. He morally obliged to do so because what's happening is his fault. Besides, he was already the leader of the Autobot forces going into battle against Megatron (even tho in Autocracy he also acts like a regular cop, this is a mess, but let's roll with it) so this is still his duty. And what's he gonna do? Not try to stop Megatron? (Optimus is someone cannot stay still, but his repertoire of solutions is lacking). He not only chooses to use the literal and symbolic power of the Matrix, but he also chooses to become a symbol himself, one that's supposed to embody all the good in the world. (And this is also part of why he always comes back, he made himself too big on an idea to be able to just fade)

But it is a choice, even if Optimus doesn't think he has a right to refuse. OP always frames everything he does as a choice (at least in retrospective, he can go "you leave me no choice" in the moment). So if it's something that Shockwave wanted him to do, he still did it willingly. This sense of hyperresponsability also has OP never consider himself a victim, he doesn't tend to emphasize the ways in which he has been hurt, he never ever talks about how Zeta used him and lied to him (he has no right, he hurted people). So this aspect of him is why I think he doesn't acknowledge Shockwave violated his bodily autonomy. Shockwave saved him from the Senate, repaired him and made the modifications for the greater good. So really, OP was harmed and is fine.

Anyway, even tho, OP was indeed technically "chosen" by the Matrix, he still sees the whole thing as much of a construct as Zeta's Primacy. He has respect for the Matrix, he knows it can create life, it saved him from death, it gave him a vision and there's all the powers he would use later. Still, he doesn't think it's actually divine or that bonding with it makes him that special. During the course of the war he has made far more use of the Matrix' symbolic power than of its practical uses. (Including saying that the Matrix is giving him a vision to get out of situations dhasgdkjashdas I love that)

(And he's not wrong about the Matrix not making you special. Mtmte shows us that anyone can open it under the right mindset. And even if Zeta, Sentinel and Nominus never carried the real thing, Nova did, so I wouldn't argue it is a good judge of character)

Optimus doesn't feel super comfortable using the idea of the Matrix this way, but this is far from the only and/or worse morally dubious strategy he pulls out for the greater good. He kinda goes back and forth between paying lip serive to the idea that he's Just A Dude, and using the Matrix as an ID card. Until we get to Combiner Wars and onwards where OP is fully, shamelessly cashing on the religious clout of being Prime. But he also seems so struggle managing this internally in that he tries to not buy his own hype but it does get to his head sometimes.

Also, there's something funny going on in that Optimus' Autobots don't seem to have any formally institutionalized religion. I mean, Optimus had authority before the Matrix and I don't recall any official statemen in the Autobot code or anything that the Matrix means one is Primus' chosen and that's who the leader is (Bee could be voted into position, and Optimus stll considered Bee the leader when he got it the matrix back even if he did undermine him). Now the idea certainly exists and I don't doubt it what used for propaganda, but Autobots seem to be left to their own devices in matters of faith and everyone has their own beliefs.

But even if not everyone thinks that Optimus' is Primus' chosen exactly, the idea that the Matrix is... something and that it choosing Optimus means he is special is certainly the prevalent notion. In this sense, the Matrix becomes part of Optimus' mythos rather than the other way around. Optimus idealization is so real it causes people to develop delusions. And Optimus himself doesn't do much to avoid this. Sure, this kind of thing is often beyond one's hands, especially when you're one of the few people who can go toe-to-toe with Megatron (who also mythicized himself), but even if he denies being special when asked directly (which is usually to his closer friends who already idealize him less than the average bot), I doubt he has ever gone on official record like "My fellow Autobots, the Matrix doesn't mean shit". On the most charitable of takes, this kind of thing serves for morale, which would be needed when battling a figure like Megatron.

So Optimus is always under the shadow of himself. An idea he created from the dregs of a rotten legacy that he has to live up to because it's his duty to do so, because he can't not do anything and this is what he knows what do to. And this all ties back to Barber's broader themes of symbols, stories and Optimus as an idea as well as a person. And as we know, the ultimate conclusion Optimus reaches is that yeah, no, the Primacy cannot be salvaged, no one should have that much power regarldess of intentions, it needs to die so Cybertronians can move on, so he takes it to the grave with him.

[lunar1an]

thoughts on seek so far now that two arcs are done with:

the concept of a setting taking the increasing digital surveillance in our lives and amping it up to a thousand is really interesting, and i think it does some fun things with examining both how that becomes a norm and how that becomes a torment for winnie and A. there's a lot we'd consider intrusive in their lives that they just take as a matter of fact, like scanning someone's memories, but at the same time, surveillance becomes another form of familial pressure for winnie, and A ofc has the issue of being a mega celebrity. onboards are also a nice take on AI.

winnie is a compelling protagonist and you can tell she's been cooking for a long time (her existence was hinted at years ago in a hypothetical twigdice write-up wildbow made). i think her chapters and general plotline have been the most engaging so far tbh -- there's a lot of action, gradual reveals about the world winnie lives in, the tension between her love for her family and culture and her own personality clashing with them. arc two had a distinct set-up -- she's in another station, she has to do a particular job, all while an investigator is watching her every move, and we see that play out with a conclusion that leads into what the next arc will presumably be about.

the last two winnie chapters have also been nice, very much hearkening back to classic wildbow, with tense high-stakes situations. "character is put into a corner and has to use knowledge and skills that have already been established to solve the problem" type of deal.

basil and orion...hm. i don't love orion's chapters but i'm holding out for them being something that's better on a reread. i'm hoping that there's some thematic throughline or parallels in his chapters that will tie into the greater work. with basil it also depends on what A does. i'm a fan of 'A starts the machine apocalypse' theories and i also think that for someone that becomes as huge and larger than life as A, it's significant that we never actually see into her head. we're just viewers, like everyone else on the belt, and we can't truly understand her. and if A does some things that are extremely controversial or fucked up, it feels fitting that we'll never be able to see into her head and understand why.

basil just happens to be the closest eyes we have on A's actions, and it's appropriate that there's now a schism there, brought on by the science center. A's growing distant from basil, unable to trust him, and basil is increasingly pressured by A to do things he's increasingly uncomfortable doing. i think if this continues the basil/A storyline could have potential.

something i am worried about, however, is seek's momentum. the first arc kept feeling like set-up for more involved storylines. winnie is probably the best example of it. she gets a good couple chapters that pick up momentum...and then there's a timeskip, or a summary, and we're told what happens and moved onto the next scene. we get a cliffhanger about how the families are going to fight for the docks, and then winnie barely participates, only having the discussion with michal before being sent to sherman station, where we get the Next arc set-up.

and even just this arc, we get a couple of entertaining chapters with good flow, things happening one after the other, winnie saves carlen holder's life, and then...the scene completely skips. she's off to a mining planet. i feel like in previous WB works we'd at least have a chapter of her being forced to confront her family and the other folk, something that covers the post-attack situation further, but we're hurried along.

it's weird, pretty much. it's one of those things where i worry the multi-pov angle might be hurting seek here, because with so much swapping back and forth, or moving time forward for the Next big moment in basil or winnie's story, i don't feel properly involved or engaged with either of them.

[mai-komagata]

more sneak peak speculation

ok no more being defensive about this jam, gonna talk about things that i think are interesting/could go places. Feel free to reply with your own theories, just no outright negativity? pls? (I dont mind saying you don't like certain things in the context of analysis, just maintain the basic assumption that the writers are trying to tell a story in good faith).

1. In Charades, Spock learned that being fully human would not solve his problems. Any gains he got in connection with his crewmates, or greater emotional availability had tradeoffs: losing who he fundamentally was. Him not being able to connect telepathically with his mother must have felt like losing a limb if that limb was a childhood memory.

I'm seeing how the crew is seeing all these supposed benefits to being Vulcan. But I think faced with the prospect of being Vulcan forever, greater work efficiency is gonna take a huge backseat to completely losing your identity and sense of self.

2. I commented before on ethan peck's acting, but I love how he always does these subtle things in the vulcan centric episodes. Like in Spock Amok, how he became Gia Sandhu with changes in micro expressions. In this one, it is amazing how he goes from feeling extremely vulcan in his demeanor to just "switching" a vibe and feeling so much more human. His exasperation at his colleagues being rude fucks that think they know more about Vulcan than he does was incredibly well played. Can't wait to see how he unpacks it for them and teaches them to do better -- im sure they will get backlash from other humans, too. He is like the only Vulcan "acting normal" in a room of other Vulcans that don't do it right.

3. I love La'an especially how she looks in askance to the things she does to spock, like "am i doing this right?" sorta how spock looked for his crew on tips about how to behave like himself in "Charades". I need to rewatch it, but it feels like they are all play acting what they think Vulcans should act like, and not quite getting it. People are right, they are playacting Vulcans, because that is what they think is expected of them.

4. I love the depiction of the increased sensory perception, almost like they are tripping. I love these investigations into neurological differences, as a person with a lot of sensory overload/sensory seeking behaviors, I appreciate those being displayed in characters. The neurological differences not being "just culture" is what I loved about aliens being portrayed as aliens. How does culture evolve from the material realities?

5. I do like that Pelia and the rest of the bridge crew didn't expect them to complete tasks faster. But they do. The purpose of them being vulcan was not to be hyperefficient. It was a side effect that is tempting to this workaholic crew, but not the purpose of the transformation. I especially want to see how La'an reacts to this long-term.

6. WTF is up with the lirpa? Why do they have one? How is it required to contain radiation? I mean it looks badass but I need more context to their mission.

7. bonus: scotty is so cute. we are so lucky he got added to main cast. This has nothing to do with the episode. I was just so happy to see him.

8. secret bonus thing: I mentioned this in another post, but the fact that their hair grows/is braided/is different is such an amazing visual language. I like them being willing to play with costuming to tell a story here, instead of just having ears/eyebrows. It is a very novel storytelling technique. It reminds me of the end of "These old scientists" where the cartoon aesthetic is used to depict the feeling of orion drinks. SNW being willing to play with the medium of the message is so unique to modern sci fi.

[romajuliettemai]

A few more SSS incorrect quotes

I haven't posted sss stuff in a while and this has been in my drafts for forever so here we go! (Some of these were edited or created by me & take place in a past timeline- also don't ask why some of the spacings are weird idk)

Silas: Do you cook?

Roma: I made a cake once.

Marshall: Yeah, it was good.

Roma: Really?

Marshall: Don’t make me lie twice, Roma.

Orion: Some people are like slinkies.

Rosalind: What?

Orion: Not really good for much but bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.

Rosalind:

Rosalind: Please don't push Alisa down the stairs.

Orion, pushing Alisa down the stairs: Too late.

Benedikt: You need to stop swearing so much. Oliver: Shut the fuck up. Benedikt: Yeah, that's not how you do it. Oliver: Alright sorry. It's just that it's hard not to swear. The words just creep up on me when I least expect it. Benedikt: Now now, don't be like that. Just replace the swear words with 'beep' and you'll be fine. Oliver: Shit the beep up. Benedikt: Oliver: SHUT, DAMMIT! I MEANT SHUT!

Orion: I've never encountered a problem that can't be solved by an spontaneous musical number.

Juliette: BEHOLD, the field in which I grow my fucks! Lay thine eyes upon it, and thou shalt see that it is barren!

Alisa: Uh, I think I got your lunch. *Holds up a note that reads: ‘I am very proud of you. Love, Orion’* Rosalind: Oh yeah. I didn’t think this was for me. *Holds up a note that reads: ‘Be good. For the love of God, Please be good.’*

Rosalind: I owe you one.

Orion: It's ok, you can just date me and we'll call it even *winks with two eyes*

Alisa, after getting a library card: Now I know what true power feels like. *proceeds to climb on top of the bookshelves*

Roma: Guys, Orion is missing. Celia: Good.

Alisa: I tried to write ‘I'm a functional adult’ but my phone changed it to ‘fictional adult’ and i feel like that’s more accurate.

Orion: Oliver is at that very special age where a kid only has one thing on their mind. Phoebe: Girls? Oliver: Homicide.

Phoebe: Hey! Wanna hear a joke? Silas: Sure. Phoebe: Your life! Silas: Actually, my life isn’t a joke, jokes have meaning. Phoebe: Silas...no.

Orion: Now, if I may speak for good-looking people everywhere... Oliver, rolling his eyes: Only as their rodeo clown.

Benedikt: Celia, we tried things your way. Celia: No, we didn't. Benedikt: I did it in my head and it didn't work.

Roma, clearly exhausted: Did you have to stab them? Future Katherina: You weren’t there. You didn’t hear what they said to me. Roma: What did they say? Future Katherina: "What are you going to do, stab me?" Juliette, calling from the other room while sharpening her knives on a bowl: That’s fair!

Roma, rubbing his forehead, annoyed: In what world?

Alisa: I desire moisture. Oliver: Please just say "I want water" like a normal person.

Silas: You know I think my life has value. Orion: Who are you and what have you done with Silas?!

Sorry for not having posted anything Secret Shangai in a while- just been super busy. Probably not going to be as active on here just because I literally do not have the ability to be- but I'll hop on every so often and check in! Thank you to everyone doing their best to keep the fandom alive, I'll continue to try to contribute to that! <333

[brandwhorestarscream]

Ended up writing a rather lighthearted barbarian au :3

So, imagine this. It's time for the grand meeting of all the notable clans and whatever smaller ones that are able to attend. It's a time of celebration, trading, forging alliances, and solving conflicts.

But there's something in the air, an odd sort of tension. An anticipation.

Then, when it's time for the evening's feast, Galvatron of the Kaon clan stands, and the hall falls silent. Survival instincts, really. He doesn't react well to be ignored.

"It's time for my heir, Megatron, to find a bond mate. He's exceptionally strong and skilled in the art of combat, like any good carrier should be. So my clan will be holding a tournament, the winner of which will be given the honour to become Megatron's consort."

Galvatron sits, and the hall erupts into chaos. What an opportunity, the clan leaders think, a chance to ally with the Kaonites! Oh Primus Below, live amongst the Kaonites? A death sentence, everyone else thinks.

The gathering of the clans seem to end unusually quickly this time around, clans hurrying home to prepare their chosen suitor.

Could turn it into a Megop think too, by having Megatron fall in love with Orion Pax who isn't a member of the clans. Instead, he's a member of the Priesthood, supposed to be above things such as politics and love.

I'm sooo here for this. Megatron is probably very >:/ at his mom for deciding competition is the best way for him to find a partner. Shouldn't it be someone he gets along with and can respect and would be an asset to have ruling beside him?

Whatever 🙄 what does he know? I can definitely see him demanding something to make it fair, so he has some control: he gets to challenge the winner to a gladiatorial match. If they manage to impress him, then fine, he'll give them permission to go on with the courtship, but if not, send em back!

And you know me so well, I'm always here for some good megop, but! Consider: TFP Orion being from a neutral tribe that mostly specializes in knowledge keeping in a small, unremarkable village, but he's incredibly feral because Reasons. Megatron sees this tiny mech half his size tear out the throat of some wild beast with only his teeth and bare hands and is like 'that one. I want that one'