#mother artifice

[kerosene-in-a-blender]

It occurred to me while at work that with Mother Artifice noting he was at the Sequester Lazaretto after the Moon Tearror and the fact he specializes in the facades people put up and the stories they tell themselves means there is a decidedly non-zero chance that he was one of the Mothers who treated Jonas Spahr while he was there and I spent the rest of my work day sniggering about the prospect of those two characters interacting

[midstpodcast]

Will you be our Val-UN-Tine?

Send some love through the Cosmos this year with some surreally special messages from the crew of our supernatural ship! 🧡

[jestersloverre]

Wild theory about what it means to become a mother (merciful)

I strongly suspect that a ‘Mother’ is a realised consciousness manifesting as a person, and not a literal person. Daughters and Granddaughters are people but Mothers are just consciousness. 

So becoming a ‘Mother' means that the consciousness of the realised granddaughter merges with all the other mothers that came before. So, for example, 'Mother Artifice' is not just the person/granddaughter who became Mother Artifice but rather the aggregate consciousness of all the other Mother Artifices that came before them as well. 

So if Dot were to become the new Artifice their consciousness would merge with the present Artifice and ‘Mother Artifice’ would no longer manifest in the form/personality that he presently does - the form that Everett is attached to. Because Everett is super emotionally attached to Mother Artifice, she blames Dot for the future loss of her loved one, leading to all the explosive emotions and hatred. 

This could also explain a lot about Artifice and Cleo’s confrontation in episode 14. Artifice warns Cleo that Dot will no longer being the same person after they become a mother, so it is effectively useless to form a relationship with them. And Cleo retorts that she sees Mother Artifice having relationships with people and does not understand why Dot would not be able to as well. 

If a granddaughter were to experience realisation and merge with the consciousness of the ‘Mother’ they are to become, it explains why ‘Mother Artifice’ can have relationships with people but ‘Dot’ will not be able to do so - because ‘Dot’ will no longer exist. 

[essektheylyss]

You know, it is actually really astounding how much compassion and care you can hear in Mother Artifice's voice; I mean this with complete sincerity, it is actually a really impressive feat on Xen's part to convey that while maintaining Artifice's loud monotone.

[wardensantoineandevka]

Merlin and Artifice's dynamic is legitimately so funny and the best. Just kind of clown-to-clown communication (enthusiastic science version) at all hours.

[ariadne-mouse]

The Granddaughter: I'm a fraud. I'm not ready for this, I can't control my emotions and thoughts, I'm supposed to have learned by now but I haven't! I'm scared all the time. I know I'm going to fail. I don't deserve to be the most senior novice! I know less and less every day and I've been lying to you all!!

Mother Artifice: yeah, yeah, imposter syndrome, we've all had it

[hello-eeveev]

Listening to Derealization, one of my favorite episodes, and thinking a lot about Dot, Mother Artifice, and Realization in general.

When the sloop gets attacked, Dot experiences “A growing silence. A clearing of their thoughts. An evaporation of emotion. A sense of their messy, flawed humanity being scoured out of them like dirty dishes in hot, soapy water.” This is what they have wanted, what they think they are supposed to be, and it is killing them. Their conceptualization of Realization is literally harmful.

Notably though, their doubt is what saves them. They know that this is not Realization and that they should not give into it because they are unsure. Their “messy, flawed humanity” is what keeps them alive, and they keep Merlin and Cleo alive by poking at their humanity, too—appealing to, then attacking Merlin’s pride; offering connection, reciprocation, and vulnerability to Cleo.

I think it’s notable that the sloop fails immediately after Dot tries to walk back admitting that Cleo is very pretty and that they are nervous around her. Their attempt to deny their humanity nearly dooms them.

I think that Dot’s assumption that Realization must be emotionless and thoughtless is entirely incorrect. I think that it is instead likely something like a constant meditative state, where thoughts are allowed to occur and pass by. It’s not mere coincidence that Mother Artifice’s frequent reminder that Realization will not be unclear is what got Dot to wake up and push through the tranquilization. In Homeward, he tells Dot that “fear has always been and will always be a companion” on the journey to Realization. He does not tell them not to feel it. “Do not maintain distance from or question your natural intuition. Let the experience come through however it is, and reveal whatever it has to offer,” he says in Rough Air. “Your entry point to Realization is exactly where you are and where you are going. Whatever comes is already in the right place. Just like you, Granddaughter, just like you.” Realization, it seems, is not a denial, but an acceptance.

I also want to point out that, upon relisten, Artifice is trying at almost every opportunity to reassure Dot and soothe their anxieties. It’s interesting because I think his tone and his position made it frequently come off as instructional, not the personal and personalized advice that it was.

I also want to talk about this, from episode 3:

M: (Hambing) "Well then why don't you get the habit fixed?"

X: (Mother Artifice) "BECAUSE I AM CONTENT WITH MYSELF. NOT ALL IMPROVEMENTS ARE NECESSARY AND NOT ALL AFFLICTIONS ARE HARMFUL.

Obviously, I’ve been thinking a lot about Artifice. I had already gained an affection for him, but with the final conversation in Homeward, he quickly shot up on the favorite character list. Knowing now how harshly he criticized himself and hid his perceived flaws when he was younger, his unashamed acceptance of his loud voice and acknowledgement that it is not something that needs to be fixed makes me really happy. “What is at the core of you is not a curse,” and all that. And it relates back to the idea of Realization as acceptance.

Look! Even Mr. Pesto is out here reinforcing the themes!

M: (Mr. Pesto) “I was scared. It’s a responsibility. A legacy. A once in a lifetime opportunity. What if I… What if I mismanaged it? Sullied the Delagney name? I could say no and keep pushing papers quietly and let some other sap take the role and regret the choice for the rest of my life. But…” 

X: (Dot) “But the Valorous choice was clear.” 

S: Mr. Pesto smiles at the Granddaughter with what looks like genuine warmth. 

M: (Mr. Pesto) “But the Valorous choice was clear. And yes, of course, I’ve mismanaged the old hotel aplenty. Look at it. What an absolute wreck. Some of which is my fault, plenty of which is not. Some things you just can’t control. I’m proud of it all, anyway.”

X: Mr. Pesto looks at the Granddaughter.

M: The Granddaughter looks at Mr. Pesto. 

S: Both of their eyes, for just a moment, are almost…shiny. What is going on here?

M: (Mr. Pesto) “You don’t stop being scared, but you do the right thing anyway. To quote an old Trust hero of mine who is now almost as irrelevant as me: ‘What great adventure is free from challenge?’” 

And this Dot and Cleo conversation, from episode 16:

S: (Cleo) “No matter how hard I try, I’m never gonna be enough for them. And that’s what made me change my mind, that…realization.”

X: Dot blinks, startled. “Realization?”

HMMMM IT’S ALMOST LIKE TRYING TO BE SOMETHING YOU AREN’T IS THE OPPOSITE OF REALIZATION! MAYBE THE TRUE REALIZATION IS LETTING GO OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS!!!

[acaptainbyanyothername]

(Moonward and Public Release Unend spoilers)

Why does Everett hate Dot so much? Based on the last episode, she was about ready to throw hands with a 19 year old. Like damn, what did Dot do, murder someone?

Okay, placing my bets and theories now for why Everett hates Dot with such vitriol: it’s not what Dot did, it’s what Dot will do. And what Everett thinks Dot will do is murder Mother Artifice.

What happens when a Mother dies? Well, specifically, what happens at the Lazaretto when a Mother dies? Mothers are monikered after what they are capable of treating— when Mother Trauma died, did the Lazaretto completely lose forever the Mother trained towards treating trauma? Phineas turns up for his weekly therapy session only to be turned away at the door: sorry, we no longer have a Mother Trauma, you’re shit out of luck.

It seems plausible to me that there must be a replacement method— just because our Mother Trauma died in Moonward doesn’t mean the Lazaretto doesn’t have a Mother Trauma anymore. Instead of Phineas (or anyone else who needs trauma therapy) being turned away, they walk in for their therapy session, meet Mother Trauma and… his horns are a little different? He’s taller, or shorter? His voice is a little higher, less gravely? It’s hard to tell under the veil, and it is never commented upon— the only thing that’s important for them to know is this is Mother Trauma, and their treatment can continue.

Granted, Mother Trauma’s death (drained of energy by Dark Sonia, stabbed with a dark mica knife on a haunted moon deep within the Fold) is, presumably, an unusual way to die. Presumably. But then that begs the question: what is the life cycle of a Mother like? Here’s my theory: when a Mother is ready to go, they will be replaced. A Daughter will rise to become a Granddaughter, which will rise to be a Mother, and they will seamlessly take over the role of whichever previous Mother was ready to move on. Mother Cholesterol mentors a Granddaughter, the Granddaughter achieves Realization, becomes the new Mother Cholesterol, and the previous one passes on to whatever comes next. It’s completely natural to the Lazaretto— the circle of life, if you will. It fits the anonymity of this organization: leave the person you once were behind (Dot has no name anymore) and become a necessary piece of the greater whole.

Who is Dot being mentored by again? Hmmmm :)

Speaking of Mother Artifice, I think it’s all but confirmed that he was a part of the crew of Mothers that assisted with Midst’s post-Moonfall disaster relief, and that he knew/helped Everett during that time, when she would have been just a child grieving the recent loss of her uncle (the Postmaster). Look at these two scenes:

(Episode 12, Fathom)

(Episode 14, Safety)

There’s this immediate sense of long-time familiarity and fondness. “Even after all these years,” and “Artie” and, most notably to me, “Evie”— what Everett was called as a child on Midst (which we know from when she was mentioned in Shindig). There’s a bond thirty years old here— almost Everett’s entire life. She’s known Mother Artifice since she was six, and her affection toward her loved ones has been a prominent character trait since her introduction.

Dot may be in line to become the next Mother Artifice. To the Mothers, this is seen as the natural way of things. To Everett, she sees Dot as Mother Artifice’s future murderer— a preemptive killer. No wonder Everett lashed out so harshly! Another loved one will soon be taken from her, and the one that will do it is just walking around! Trying to comfort her like they’ve replaced Artifice already!

The Mothers’ viewpoint is that all that is needed is Mother Artifice, not the person(?) that comprises(?) the Mother. But from a more human perspective, Everett cares about her Mother Artifice, the shouty, kind person that saved her as a child. Dot could never, ever be that person to her, even if they achieved Realization and one day Mother Artifice suddenly went from a yell to a whisper.

[thatwasahumanperson]

okay. i was thinking about episode 11 of unend and i have some thoughts about mother artifice.

so we all know the mothers are fold wizards with weird powers. the way mother artifice seemingly immediately determined the answer to cleo's mystery game had me wondering if those powers included some sort of truthtelling. but then i started thinking about the way he reacted to hambing's trickery. and how he refused to lie even as part of a game. and then i started thinking about his name.

i've been assuming up to now that mother artifice is named such because of his skill at engineering - after all, he's been credited as one of, if not the, primary minds behind the invention of the foldlight. but mothers aren't named after what they do. they're named after the problem/ailment that they solve/cure. and artifice can also mean deception.

what if mother artifice's real specialty isn't engineering, but truth?

[disasterpurplebois]

I am content with myself. Not all improvements are necessary and not all afflictions are harmful.

[bookshopsbizarreblog]

I'm not on Beacon and so am two weeks behind the best info on UnEnd, but here are my predictions for the series! I'm excited to come back to this and see which were right or wrong.

1) The Granddaughter gets given a name by Cleophee, or chooses one for themself

2) The Granddaughter doesn't understand how things work outside of the synobium, and becomes adorably bad at/uncomfortable with certain basic things

3) The Granddaughter is revealed to have been either an orphan raised by the Mothers, or possibly immaculately conceived (there is a prophecy) (I think this is less likely) (except for the prophecy)

4) The Granddaughter strays from the path of realization, which causes emotional issues and external dangers. Cleophee has to comfort them

4.1) A number of their dangers will be related to people's emotional states, trauma, and interpersonal drama. Often this will be cosmic, with the Foldlight manifesting their feelings. But more mundane issues will also arise from those sources. Especially for the Granddaughter's religious trauma, and whatever deeeeply repressed stuff Cleophee is hiding

5) Cleophee's pet does shenans. This is a repeated theme

6) Cleophee gets in trouble with wildlife and needs to be rescued

7) Cleophee shopping episode, with Granddaughter unhappily in tow (they enjoy it by the end)

8) Everyone named thus far except for Artifice becomes found family

9) One of the cool adventure lesbian wives (Everett or Micky) dies in the other's arm. It will somehow involve the Granddaughter, who will feel crippling guilt about it. If Micky dies, Everett will have even more problems with them. If Everett dies, they will forgive/reconcile/abandon their beef with the Granddaughter right before dying

9.1) It's also possible that Everett was scowling in their direction for "Oh this poor kid" reasons and will become a mentor character, making their death that much more tragic. Whatever the case, it will help the Granddaughter become more human

9.2) The bocular horse is very sad

10) A tearror happens, and the bocular man becomes real to some extent. He and the granddaughter bond.

11) Professor Merlin gets cut in half by a mica shard. It's very sad and tragic

11.1) Someone is getting cut in half by mica. It can't not happen

12) Artifice gets in an argument with the more mechanically minded parts of the crew over some problem, and his emotions revert him from being a Mother. It kind of breaks him, possibly into a puddle of goo

13) Mechanical issues with the carriage make an escape incredibly tense

[captainpookie338]

Does anybody else get Mandark vibes from Mother Artifice?

[jestersloverre]

Cleophee Guilemoth, my beloved. A Meta.

this is a gargantuan meta, but so are me feelings about Cleo.

Cleophee is a heartbreaking character - utterly overlooked and abandoned by her family who is indifferent to her existence. She moves in the world trying to meet the emotional needs of other people in order to justify her own existence.

Cleo generally exhibits the underlying core-belief of 'if everyone else is feeling good, then I will be safe' which is common for someone who has an emotionally dysregulated or abusive family. Cleo is 1) constantly making sure everyone else is feeling emotionally satisfied, 2) is hyper-observant of others' expressions, moods and the information they share, and 3) inspite of all this emotional alertness she deeply suppresses her own feelings.

These behaviours are coping mechanisms that Cleo has developed as a result of her dysfunctional and neglectful family. This is also how she over-compensates for not having a fold gift - a core insecurity.

1. Emotionally Satisfying Others:

In 1x15, during the phone call with her father, we see that Cleo's family is dysfunctional and chaotic. Moreover, family members specifically rely on her to help regulate their emotions, and Cleo has been actively playing this therapist-type role for multiple family members.

This is EXACTLY the type of behaviour Mother Artifice is referring to in 1x14.

Cleo doesn't' do this maliciously, but it's a behaviour she has cultivated to keep the peace in her awful family.

2. Hyper-observant:

During the LARP Cleo uses all her knowledge about everyone on the ship to give them tasks and partners to suit their disposition and keep them happy.

Further, Cleo is so perceptive of people's expressions that she alone can see through the grand-daughter's tranquil facade.

Often in dysfunctional households, children learn to read their parent's micro expressions to determine if that parent is like to have an emotional meltdown. Eventually that perceptiveness carries over to every interaction they have. This is what we see in Cleo.

3. Suppressed Emotions:

No one in Cleo's family, other than her late granny, cares about her well-being. This is why when Cleo is hurt she chooses to hide it in favour of starting a confrontation.

Where does this leave us? With Cleophee choosing to go to the Delta she is becoming a more active participant in her own life. On the other hand, she is an incredibly sheltered person and may start to feel like she has bitten off more than she can chew. Even then, it is a great set-up for her to finally understand that her true worth lies in who she actively chooses to be and not in arbitrary boons that she may or may not be born with.

[lmx-v3point3]

Ah yes, the conversation that made me cry has made me cry again

YOU ARE A BEING OF STRENGTH AND GRACE.

Our supernatural crew accepts their journey in #UNEND Episode 18 - “HOMEWARD” - available today on YouTube and wherever podcasts are found!🚀

Looking for even more from the Cosmos? Launch your own explorations at Midst.co!

▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umh6Rdhsw1E

🔮http://beacon.tv/series/unend

🍏 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/midst/id1681168186

🔊 https://open.spotify.com/show/7CIv9ouJit9nHcgBOvuaQ8

[wardensantoineandevka]

advice that I'm so confident nobody on the Ship will ever be need ever, not with the way people in this cosmos seem to be constantly falling from things at deadly heights

[ariadne-mouse]

Fun fact, 1x14 is actually Mother Artifice's departure from the series. Some say he is still out there looking for the ideal pair of hammock trees to this very day.