ooc OOC Deep Science 1x1 with Blitz Boom

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Sorry, should've been more specific perhaps. I meant more like she knows of him. Like someone talking to Ardee. She'd just assume this was the one. My bad on that one.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

No worries, that makes my response easier since you won't have to change anything.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Regarding Null being angy, remember that she is just in general a mare who responds to a lot of things, with initiate anger. She had seen the kitsune before, knew Ardee was gone, assumed the pegasus were another troublemaker she had heard of- She auto responds to it by flaring up.

Might be she doesn't yell at others all the time anymore, but that's because she's gotten better at stopping the anger from controlling her mouth. That still doesn't mean her thoughts and glare doesn't still reflect what's going on. You can see that in how her inner dialogue is a lot of negativity, paranoia, and bracing for the worst.

She's still a broken mare. It'll take years, more therapy, and Arcade, to help her slowly dissipate that inner fire, that kept her going over the last few decades.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

I was more referring to the fact that up until this point the pegasus has only been described as helpful, and was the one who called for security, so while I could understand her being suspicious, angry seems like an overreaction before she realizes who the pegasus actually is.

But she's you're character play her as you will. I look forward to her reaction to this next turn of events.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

It's a tense situation they're getting into currently. She'd be on edge already by Ardee being gone, and her hyping herself up for having to fight Basher. Might still have been a bit far? I can't tell honestly. The week or so before I get my B12 injection, I'm constantly tired, so I miss stuff at times.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

Actually, do you want to RP Cherish and Teal presenting and then listening to the other presentations? Or would you be okay with just a summary of the other presentations?

I don't want to put a bunch of effort into a pair of oral reports if you're not super interested since I don't really have much planned for the other two group's reports.

 

If you just want the summaries, then I can move ahead to the next segment in my next post.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

I don't much care for the presentation itself honestly. I sucked at those in school. xD

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

To be honest, I was mostly including them in an effort to dump a bunch of lore into the story without it just being a dump of lore.

I'll give the rest of the information in a summary in my next post, then we can move that story to the next phase.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

  I'm more than a little disappointed that Null didn't respond to my favorite line: (I say more in a "darn, I thought that would be more impactful" sort of way, but maybe Null has other things to worry about?)

On 2024-03-03 at 7:55 PM, Illiad Easle said:

The tendrils tightened, causing him to wince, "I have to say, that is a tempting offer. But you're not the first one to offer it to me. And the last mare who promised me redemption for doing her tasks tried to execute me afterwards. So forgive me if I'm less inclined to believe you than I did Celestia."

I'll do my post sometime tomorrow if you want to add something, I guess she can consider this internally later or ask someone else.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

I wanted to, but considering how fast he'd seemingly get out of things, I figured it'd make sense to focus things here. The right here and now, is trying to get him to surrender, or at least be able to say that she gave him the chance. Questions about Celestia aren't immediately important.

Also, I had trouble making it fit in with the flow at the time. I'll try and incorporate some thoughts on the matter.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

I wrote the name of the therapist somewhere, but I couldn't find it. xD I'll try and have it ready for next time. Which might first be next week, I'm afraid. Mixture of work and family about to fill my week here. :/ Sorry for that.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Sorry for the delays mate. You wrote just as I were going off for a few days, and then when I came back, and were about to write again, the forums went down for a couple of days. And now they are up, I need to leave until Tuesday again. :/

I'll see if I can find some spare time to write before that on the phone, but I can't make promises sadly. Busy Easter time.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

I totally get it, I'm actually on a family trip at the moment. If you want to just put your initial reactions in the ooc, that will hold me over until you can write a proper response. But no worries if that isn't possible.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Managed to get something done on the bus.

i didn't know how to actually approach the sort of lesson Sooth Sayer might give, but... Hopefully this sorta works. If not, lemme know, and I'll try and think of something.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

I think it's a good introduction to her character, and I had Gypsum give Sooth some suggestions, but basically I was thinking Sooth could speak on how trauma can affect marks, their meaning and understanding, or how they might be obtained, but that trauma does not mean that they are broken, or that marks earned through trauma mean that that trauma was necessary or required in their lives.

Mostly this is to speak to three of them:

• Elef is deeply traumatized by Rare's death at his hooves, and still blames himself for her death. He fears he does not deserve a mark after what he did, given he caused her to never get a mark.
• Toupé worries that something is wrong, since her mark isn't what she was told it would be. She also is aware of more than she lets on, namely that she was the subject of experiments, and she worries that her mark reflects that more than who she is.
• Nova earned his mark in the even where his parents died, and he saved his sister. His mark reminds him of this trauma, and it is only Lilac's presence that softens the trauma.

Hopefully that gives you some ideas, I can give more ideas or brainstorm something here if you want.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Wrote something now. If that isn't what you meant though, I haven't gotten the faintest idea how to incorporate things. I can't exactly have her use specific foals as examples, as that is highly unprofessional, and shows a clear lack of respect. I tried to touch on most things though.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Just for the record, I have zero idea how to go though an actual therapy session. So uh... If it comes down to that, I probably need to be more of a descriptive figure, rather than one asking direct questions. I'd probably mess something up horrendously otherwise.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

No worries, I don't have much experience with therapy either. I just thought it made the most sense for where Elef would be able to open up about his trauma. If you want, when we get there we can start with some general chat, getting Elef comfortable with the idea of sharing and confident that nothing he says will be shared, then he will reveal his trauma. At that point I can generate the questions and structure with AI, and we can use that to guide the session. We can also rough out the session here before doing the full RP of it to make sure it doesn't get ruined.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Sorry for the delays. Things are just... Time passes fast, and there's stuff to do all the time it seems. I'm gonna try and get a post out, soon as I can. Promise.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

I have nothing more in mind for Void atm, that can't be done better with skips. But I did add some story to wrap things up for that day. So we can do some skips if that is preferable, and explore various avenues.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

I guess we can brainstorm some ideas here, as to where to go with the story next.

It seems like things on the Null side are wrapping up, I don't have many plot points left on that end, and the ones I do have are more side quests than anything else:

• She did just talk about Basher, which is something, but I don't have much more to that then that he's working with the Grey now.
• We could explore more of her efforts to connect with Epsilon. I did think up a line the other day: "Why are you so determined to make us sisters?! You don't even know me. All you know is that we had the same biological father, a stallion you hated by the way. So why would you want to legitimize that association by being my sister?"
  • There is more to her history that I wouldn't mind exploring if you think Null would be willing to go into that, like another sister that did not survive and their more favorable ancestors, like Hercules.
• We have the story for Teal, whose name will involve a Tau, I'm thinking she'll become a teacher of some sort.
• We have the story for Elef, and him coming to terms with his killing Rare. I'm considering having at least one of the others know that he did it already.
  • I don't know if we have him start therapy first, or if he breaks down one night, either while out with Ada or after an unsuccessful hunt, and that gets Void to get him into therapy. He won't get his mark until after his trauma is resolved, so maybe Teal getting her mark and seeing that Ardee got her mark will push him further towards his existing thoughts that he doesn't deserve one because of what he did?
• As to the foals, I realized that there is a timing issue. I've set this story at 5 years after the Project left, so the foals would have to be 5 years old if they were rescued before Miss Powers boarded the Project. One way to fix this would be to rewrite a bit of the backstory, and say that Peal and Piecey were found in the Red Mesa facility after Miss Powers had left the others there. 
  • It is a minor plot hole sure, we could also say that Miss Powers got picked up on a later group for the Project, or never made it onto the Project and the clones just think that that is where she went.
• We have a side quest of Null visiting the dragons now that she is not nullified
• We have the side quest of Null finding out the history of Basher and Heavy, and how the two of them previously worked for Celestia.

Is there anything I forgot about? Any plot points or stories that you are interested in exploring in this world? It can even be with new characters or with characters we only briefly mentioned or explored previously.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

Oh! I totally forgot about Rasputin coming back for the changeling arc! So we also have that in the works.

So, any thoughts on this and the above?

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Sorry for the delay on this. Things have been hectic, and I keep missing tons of stuff. O_o

Null would totally go for a confrontation about why she thinks of Epsilon as family, and why she's so determined to want to find a way to purge the curse from their bloodline, before it claims her too. Even though she hated her father with every fiber in her being, it still hit her hard, because to her, family is everything. Even if she vocally disowned her biological father, he were still blood, and spilling the blood of her own family is something that she can't just get over, or forget.

It comes a lot from her relationship with Void, being the overprotective sister, as well as stemming from the guilt of thinking she were the result of their parents death. Combined with how she took family from Epsilon, despite her not having much of a choice in the matter, and it adds to her guilt, and her desire to see things right. To her, no matter what Epsilon says, she is kin, and Null can't simply turn her back on family. You could see that when she confronted her father, and much as she wanted him dead, and had thought of it up until she were there, she hesitated, and tried to talk to him, albeit briefly. Had he presented her with an alternative, she would likely not have stabbed him in the heart. Which were the most merciful death she could think of, as it was quick.

So that could well be explored, and during that process, maybe it'd serve to bring her and Arcade closer too. Giving him a chance to see how much family means to her, might stir something in him. If not that, then it certainly will in Null, who can't go through this, without exploring what family means, and what she's willing to do for it. Her own, potential one with Arcade included.

Teal's story could be interesting to explore. Give the kids each a chance to show how they get their marks, would be a good way to flesh them out a little.

I think it makes sense to have Elef as the third yes, due to the thought process you mention. We have had that slumber for a while, and he would likely do good with having that surface, and try to come to terms with the horrible accident that happened. If he comes out and tells others, Void certainly won't judge him for it. To her, there is a big difference between killing by accident, and doing so with intent.

I think Powers still being alive would be a good thing. A bit of hope in their story still, but her being picked up a bit later... I think she might have wanted to take the youngest with her if that were, so maybe it makes more sense the foals were found later?

Null visiting dragons? Can't say I remember an indication about that, but sure, we can do that.

Basher and his story would interest Null, and would add more flaws to the way she saw the princess. I can imagine us touching on that one during one of the other stories potentially? It is for you to decide. Though I do still have my odd kitsune to work with. Potentially he can work into something. For a minor spoiler about him: He is serving another, who knows of the future, and uses the kitsune to handle such things from afar. As to why? A deal that he had to make, and he feels miserable most times because of it.

I more or less have done what I set out to do with him, with his last scheduled appearance being towards a brief visit to Bling off script, with him mentioned if someone asks. After that... He might be able to slot into some of these other things, as a tool for pushing things along?

Also I have looked forward to the changeling plot expanding, yes. :3 It's gonna be a hard hitting moment, when Bling and the others, have to finally have their delusion of their mother being alive burst. Others can't convince them, but Pirouette was there, and he is family. He tells it, they believe him, and that bit of story would likely also be one more reason for Rasputin to tell him that his siblings are alive and thriving, and insist he returns home to them. He would know that to fully grow, Bling would have to accept that Cheshire is dead, and that she is not just a stand in. She is the leader of the hive, and have to carry on her mothers legacy, rather than holding false hope. Even if it will crush her to be told that.

Something along those lines. Rasputin is a smart cookie. He'll grasp several reasons, and Pirouette would not have to be convinced by more than to be told, that his siblings are still alive. He misses his family dearly.

As for other plots... There is Molotov making his wandering workshop, but he works better in the background of things currently. Can't think of anything else right now.

[Illiad Easle 3,139]

@Blitz Boom

On 2024-07-12 at 1:55 PM, Blitz Boom said:

So that could well be explored, and during that process, maybe it'd serve to bring her and Arcade closer too. Giving him a chance to see how much family means to her, might stir something in him. If not that, then it certainly will in Null, who can't go through this, without exploring what family means, and what she's willing to do for it. Her own, potential one with Arcade included

Sounds good, I'll see where that can be inserted into the flow.

On 2024-07-12 at 1:55 PM, Blitz Boom said:

Teal's story could be interesting to explore. Give the kids each a chance to show how they get their marks, would be a good way to flesh them out a little.

I think we'll have this happen after Null, Arcade, and Ardee return from New Pegas, just to keep the timeline from moving too quickly.
Plus that reminds me, we still have the second half of Gemini's mark celebration to do, the part where they go out in a tent to the dunes, since she wanted to wait for Ardee to get back to do it.

On 2024-07-12 at 1:55 PM, Blitz Boom said:

I think it makes sense to have Elef as the third yes, due to the thought process you mention. We have had that slumber for a while, and he would likely do good with having that surface, and try to come to terms with the horrible accident that happened. If he comes out and tells others, Void certainly won't judge him for it. To her, there is a big difference between killing by accident, and doing so with intent.

I've got a plan for this one ready, it will be a bit darker, but I think it will be pretty impactful. We'll have this arc start after Teal gets her mark.

On 2024-07-12 at 1:55 PM, Blitz Boom said:

I think Powers still being alive would be a good thing. A bit of hope in their story still, but her being picked up a bit later... I think she might have wanted to take the youngest with her if that were, so maybe it makes more sense the foals were found later?

Yeah, we'll say that she told them about the existence of the foals, and they found them later...

Although... that would make them not knowing that they're clones harder to believe.

Here's another idea: Originally Peal and Piecey were held in stasis with portable capsules while they finished gestating, and these are what were originally given to the young ponies to keep safe.

Or something like that, we can also just ignore this plot hole for the sake of convenience.

 

On 2024-07-12 at 1:55 PM, Blitz Boom said:

Null visiting dragons? Can't say I remember an indication about that, but sure, we can do that.

Early on in this trip, soon after Null, Arcade, and Ardee arrived in New Pegas they were sent a letter from the Dragons inviting her to visit now that her aura was gone. The dragons wanted to see if their effect would be different for someone who had previously seen through it. I could find a link for that letter if you want, it's probably a page or two back from where we are now.

On 2024-07-12 at 1:55 PM, Blitz Boom said:

Also I have looked forward to the changeling plot expanding, yes. :3 It's gonna be a hard hitting moment, when Bling and the others, have to finally have their delusion of their mother being alive burst. Others can't convince them, but Pirouette was there, and he is family. He tells it, they believe him, and that bit of story would likely also be one more reason for Rasputin to tell him that his siblings are alive and thriving, and insist he returns home to them. He would know that to fully grow, Bling would have to accept that Cheshire is dead, and that she is not just a stand in. She is the leader of the hive, and have to carry on her mothers legacy, rather than holding false hope. Even if it will crush her to be told that.

Something along those lines. Rasputin is a smart cookie. He'll grasp several reasons, and Pirouette would not have to be convinced by more than to be told, that his siblings are still alive. He misses his family dearly.

We'll have Rasputin return once Null and crew leave New Pegas to keep the number of active threads low, and so that we're not just leaving New Pegas unwatched for a section.

 

Alright, so it sounds like we're going to wrap up Null and Ardee's arcs in New Pegas, then have them return to Troy.

Once back in Troy, we'll have the party for Ardee, and the second half of Gemini's celebration. Probably have Ardee do the same activity at the same time.

Then we'll have Rasputin return to New Pegas, and we'll also so Teal's mark arc.

Then we'll do Elef's arc, and we'll see how things look at that point.

[Blitz Boom 4,626]

@Illiad Easle

Odd. Didn't see an update for this. Ah well, here we go.

On 2024-07-15 at 3:33 AM, Illiad Easle said:

I think we'll have this happen after Null, Arcade, and Ardee return from New Pegas, just to keep the timeline from moving too quickly.
Plus that reminds me, we still have the second half of Gemini's mark celebration to do, the part where they go out in a tent to the dunes, since she wanted to wait for Ardee to get back to do it.

Sounds good, as well as a fine way to go with the story once they return. Things can spiral off from there.  Perhaps Null and Arcade ends up in the background some, as they have some talks about things, set boundaries, expectations, and try to be more like a couple for a time, before things needs to move along. We'll see.

On 2024-07-15 at 3:33 AM, Illiad Easle said:

I've got a plan for this one ready, it will be a bit darker, but I think it will be pretty impactful. We'll have this arc start after Teal gets her mark.

Darker? Oh my. It's gonna come back to bite Null in the rear it sounds like, that she hasn't cast judgement on him yet. O_o Fearfully looking forward to it.

On 2024-07-15 at 3:33 AM, Illiad Easle said:

Yeah, we'll say that she told them about the existence of the foals, and they found them later...

Although... that would make them not knowing that they're clones harder to believe.

Here's another idea: Originally Peal and Piecey were held in stasis with portable capsules while they finished gestating, and these are what were originally given to the young ponies to keep safe.

Or something like that, we can also just ignore this plot hole for the sake of convenience.

We can go with the gestation pods. Only Ardee and Arcade would know what they were, and when the foals inevitably came out of them, they could just say that they had been in a stasis tank, that had been extra secure, and they had waited for the right time to get them out of it. They could probably convince them of that.

Or just ignore it, and pretend like we don't know. Just a small plot hole, that no one should care about. Your call really.

On 2024-07-15 at 3:33 AM, Illiad Easle said:

Early on in this trip, soon after Null, Arcade, and Ardee arrived in New Pegas they were sent a letter from the Dragons inviting her to visit now that her aura was gone. The dragons wanted to see if their effect would be different for someone who had previously seen through it. I could find a link for that letter if you want, it's probably a page or two back from where we are now.

I had 100% forgotten all about those two. xD Whoops.

We can go for that before they leave town for sure. Maybe she would get a second message, as they'd be impatient? Or she would recall as they passed the area and saw the building.

On 2024-07-15 at 3:33 AM, Illiad Easle said:

We'll have Rasputin return once Null and crew leave New Pegas to keep the number of active threads low, and so that we're not just leaving New Pegas unwatched for a section.

 

Alright, so it sounds like we're going to wrap up Null and Ardee's arcs in New Pegas, then have them return to Troy.

Once back in Troy, we'll have the party for Ardee, and the second half of Gemini's celebration. Probably have Ardee do the same activity at the same time.

Then we'll have Rasputin return to New Pegas, and we'll also so Teal's mark arc.

Then we'll do Elef's arc, and we'll see how things look at that point.

Yep, sounds like we have plans. Let's get it swinging.

Sorry for the delays too btw. Between work, panic attacks, and general tiredness, I am somewhat behind on a lot here.