ooc OOC Deep Science 1x1 with Blitz Boom

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Full disclosure, I don't really know what kind of things these foals would ask, if you could suggest some questions they might have I'd be happy for the assistance!

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

I imagine regular things (considering they have grown up in a facility), would be on their topic of questions. Now that they have asked how long they have to stay, other questions that could follow along the same lines, would likely be something like *Are you going to run experiments too?* *When is Arcade coming back?* *Are they gonna come get us again?* *What's for dinner?* *Are you gonna punish us if we say something wrong?*. That sorta thing. They've been isolated, and likely not treated the best of ways, considering what the facility were, and what they did to Arcade. From what you said, feeding have also mostly been down to a bowl of bread, along with what they ration out between each other, so questions about food could likely be a topic of interest for them as well.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Tried a new creator program that seems fairly interesting. Used it to try and imagine what Bling would look like, if she actually did become a new queen. Seeing how the Cheshire hive is a hive of performers and to some degree, showoffs due to that, it seemed fitting that she would go that route too.

So... Figured I'd show off my attempt at Queen Performa. Again, thinking Queen Bling sounds weird, so a name change is in order. This name sounds right.

Here teporting in with a puff of smoke, to make a proper stage entrance.

Still not sure about the horn yet, but I couldn't get the swirl in green, without the horn being the same. No program is perfect, but it does look good.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

That's some phenomenal quality there, it looked like a commissioned piece! What creator program did you use?

She looks very good!

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

It's a phone app called Avatar Maker: Fantasy Pony. Though fair warning- It will save the avatars, so you can keep the ones you made, but saving as an image, does not work. I have tried, and I can't find any evidence of it anywhere on my phone.

Got around it by using the share function, putting it on FB, then download it from there. Deleted it from FB after. Fairly quick way of doing it.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Thanks for the tip, if I can get it working you should see a number of characters appear here shortly.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Here's the others I've worked on.

A necromancer I use in my own thread, I can now finally give a face, called Spirit Prison.

A zebra I don't currently use, but now have ready.

An updated version of my character, Last Stand. Currently in my RP, protecting Princess Twilight, but formerly worked for Princess Luna. She were part of a group of fanatics, used for shady business, that requires unwavering loyalty. True *no questions asked, if the princess asks it* types.

And the one in a dress... Well, I were feeling creative, so welcome the White Mare of Harrowmark. She isn't a ghost, she just have translucent flesh and skin. Which freaks other out, even in Harrowmark itself. Still need to find a use for her, cause otherwise this is a waste.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

You're very good at it, but here's my attempts. First is Toupé, once she's grown up a bit, next is Ardee once she's grown up.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Awh, they're adorable! Very nice work.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

I think I get the reference to Jigsaw's Puzzles & Games. From SCP too, right? The uhm... Dr. Wondertainment stuff, right? Best bet I have right now at least.

Had some more fun with the creator before that though, a few days ago. Tried to imagine what Vale might look like. Think it got a little too terminator though.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

3 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

I think I get the reference to Jigsaw's Puzzles & Games. From SCP too, right? The uhm... Dr. Wondertainment stuff, right? Best bet I have right now at least.

I think you give me too much credit, I don't plan that far ahead on fun side pieces, but that is a good connection to make.

I'd tell you the actual reference, but that would spoil most if not all of the things I had planned for Cabinet Mare.

I do like your attempt at Vale, but you did go a bit terminator with it. Here's my attempt:

Spoiler

She shouldn't have a mane at all, but the maker doesn't have that option. I'm sure with more effort I could get it to look more accurate. (Mostly I can't quite get the colors right.)

I should mention though that (In reference to Void thinking Thestrals are vegetarians) Thestrals are not commonly vegetarian, but rather tend to be omnivores. Bat Ponies on the other hoof, which is the term for a pony possessing some but not all the traits of a Thestral, tend to be vegetarian. Bat Ponies are typically the offspring of a thestral and another kind of pony.

Elef, being a full blooded thestral, was fed extra protein even before he became a vampire.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Your attempt looks closer alright.

And for Void, whather and Null knows about other races, tends to wary. Hence why there were the *far as she were aware* part there. Like, to them, a bat pony is a bat pony, with the only variants being that, and vampire bats. Thestral is just a fancy word for bat ponies to them, rather than a distinct thing.

So far, no one have corrected them on that.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Forgot to mention this, but I am not gonna make a response today, sorry. I want to enjoy my birthday with stuff in real life.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Well happy birthday!

I was getting behind with posts anyway given the start of school and all.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

There you go, some more, local wildlife.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

17 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

Then however, came King Thorax, and everything changed more or less overnight once more. Suddenly, changelings got a change in society, long as they followed specific rules. Mostly about being open, not infiltrating at the same scale as before, and other precautionary measures like that. Frankly, Cheshire could've kissed Thorax right there and then, when the news got to Las Pegasus. Heck, she actually did so, when she eventually met him, as he got curious about the hive who had suddenly risen to prominence in Las Pegasus. A seemingly friendly one, by all accounts.

Man, the look on his face as it happened... There were still a few who recalled that moment with a degree of fondness, and a chuckle upon their faces. Poor Thorax had been flustered as all heck.

I'd have thought that unique identities would have been their goto MO, but that's up to you.

Is this law for changelings canon? Or did you come up with it? Either way is fine I'm just curious.

One reason Thorax might have been surprised by Queen Cheshire's kindness could be due to the Queen's Council not being too keen on him potentially usurping Chrysalis. His actions are contrary to millenia of tradition among changelings after all.

No need to change anything there, your hive is simply proving to be different from the Trojan and Manehatten hives.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

I doubt there are any laws specified in the show, but considering things, it just sorta made sense to me. Chrysalis had proven that changelings were highly dangerous, and as were seen when Thorax (pre king) went around, their kind were not trusted. Then suddenly, they change shape again, and have Twilight say they're nice, and everything is forgiven for all of them? That doesn't happen that easily. Especially not with the changelings that still refuses/are unable to *reform*.

Hence, it makes more reason, that there would be included some laws, to try and make things easier for all. The changelings would get a chance to be open, and regardless of prejudice, wouldn't be say, lynched, or run out of town. Not if there's a law abiding officer/guard anywhere near. Likely still ignored and refused service here and there though, with several being too worried of how the guards would react, to ask them for help.

As for what the ponies get: Well, laws about them being more open, and either showing themselves, or picking their own form, would make others start to feel less concerned and paranoid, about their closest being just changelings, waiting to overwhelm them all. So a better relation between the races could be worked on, whilst it would seem like the princesses were cautious, and thinking of their equines safety first and foremost. As you have implied several times in the RP, perception is an important part of how Celestia did her rule, to make her seem benevolent, and beloved by the Equestrians at large. She would surely not want to take a risk with this as well. Her personal feelings on the matter might be something else, but that is your cannon to bear. I dunno.

7 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

One reason Thorax might have been surprised by Queen Cheshire's kindness could be due to the Queen's Council not being too keen on him potentially usurping Chrysalis. His actions are contrary to millenia of tradition among changelings after all.

Hive Cheshire were a tiny hive, with no interest in fighting, kidnapping, or gaining any sort of high ranking position, to use for their own advantage. They would want nothing to do with the Queen's Council, as the ideal of the large, powerful hives, were so very contrary to their own, and the council would likely want nothing to do with them. Why bother with a hive, totaling only a dozen members, who could potentially lose a fight to an irate cat? Considering they stockpile extra emotional food, that they could share with changelings in need, getting within their sights, I figure they were more or less just tolerated. A bunch of eccentric samaritans, who could provide rations for long travels if need be, for others that they deemed more important.

That Las Pegasus did not have a known hive before they showed themselves, also means that their hive could function as a good hideout, in case others had to retreat, or hide for a little. And after they went public? Too prominent to be worth the hassle, and to some of the members of the council, likely beneficial. What with them doing all the work of promoting their kind to the public, they wouldn't need to bother handling the PR side of things, so to speak.

And yes, this would likely also mean that at times, they were taken advantage off, by others willing to flex their muscles. What happens when you're low on the totem pole sometimes.

[Props Valroa 26,046]

I remember a year ago I was involved in this with my OC of Cali. 

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Scar

I think you're confused mate. You were part of my prime thread.  Casual Stroll.

[Props Valroa 26,046]

2 minutes ago, Blitz Boom said:

@Scar

I think you're confused mate. You were part of my prime thread.  Casual Stroll.

Oh wow! My bad, lol.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Scar

It's fine. Here you go.  

 

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

I'm using an AI to generate the events inside the game, which is why some of the events may not be the most realistic, I figured it would be more authentic for what's to come.

8 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

"The marks varies for e-everyone, Ardee. My sister and I were born with ours, because what we did best, s-started there. Most get it when they're foals, around eight, w-when they start exploring varied things, and others, when they're older. And I'm sure that they never gave you the chance to go and t-try things, like regular foals did. There's still p-plenty of time for you to discover what your special gift is.

It seems we have differing ideas as to what a mark is/represents. I've always thought of it as a symbol of self-actualization, something one receives when they discover who they are/what defines them. One fimfic I read explained it this way: "Your mark doesn't say you're the best at something, it may not even be the thing you're best at, but rather your mark shows what fulfills you, defines you, what makes you different from the rest."

By that definition Null and Void fit fine, but I'm unsure about them having their marks from birth, I'd think they would have gotten them during their escape, that is when they would have internalized their curse as defining them. But I won't make you change that.

However, it does open a possibility. If they were to ever lose this curse, it would likely cause them to lose their marks as well given it no longer represents them. They could then rediscover themselves and get new marks. A possibility?

8 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

One of them were in P-Ponyville. A large thestral from the Night Guard, there to h-help Princess Twilight out a little. He were in his forties, with a g-good, long career in the guard. Never got his cutie mark, and he d-didn't care about it. Neither did his d-daughter, even though she had hers.

Although, by my definition/understanding of marks this shouldn't be possible. The guard would have to feel unfulfilled by his post, it doesn't make sense that he'd stay so long, be so loyal, if he hadn't internalized it. And for a race as proud as thestrals... again, it isn't something that needs changing. It is after all possible, albeit unlikely.

 

Reading through again I suppose this could simply be Void's understanding of marks given she may never have been fully educated on the subject, it does seem to match what the CMC thought they were about.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

5 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

However, it does open a possibility. If they were to ever lose this curse, it would likely cause them to lose their marks as well given it no longer represents them. They could then rediscover themselves and get new marks. A possibility?

A possibility, yes. Way I have always been told they work, is that the marks shows when you have found out what you're best at. Your specialty, if you will.

But hmm... In a way, both could technically be true. In regards to Null and Void at least, since what defines them, is their ability to repress magic. Later on in life, is when they made use of it, to find some sort of purpose on the road, to make themselves feel like they were doing something good. Yet they still showed the same sort of ability, even from they were born, when the staff were unable to use magical means to help with their births.

The thing is though, they can only go by what they know themselves, which is what they've been told, growing up. For example: Way you set it, they weren't born too long in between, yet Null see's herself as being about year older. It may be far less, but she have always been told, celebrated, and shown via numbers, that she were the older sibling by quite a lot of time. Extend this further then too, to their cutie marks. They have been told that they were born with it, but who isn't to say that in their first weeks or months of life, when they would be hard pressed to have memories off, the facility hadn't tried to run a few tests already? For example, set some powerful magical things near them, that they felt compelled to crawl over and embrace. Or if not compelled, urged to seek out, by the facility members.

It'd seem like toys to them, as they didn't know better, but if this were what defined them even at their youngest, it could have caused them to gain their cutie marks during one of said experiments. Which of course their parents would not have been allowed to tell them, so they were just told they were one of the rare cases that were born with them.

So basically, Void could go off some variation of misinformation, and rare case scenarios, when it comes to this.

Or as you also put it: 

5 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Reading through again I suppose this could simply be Void's understanding of marks given she may never have been fully educated on the subject, it does seem to match what the CMC thought they were about.

Now then, to the next point.

5 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Although, by my definition/understanding of marks this shouldn't be possible. The guard would have to feel unfulfilled by his post, it doesn't make sense that he'd stay so long, be so loyal, if he hadn't internalized it. And for a race as proud as thestrals... again, it isn't something that needs changing. It is after all possible, albeit unlikely.

Another rare case scenario, yet one with some degree of a caveat, that they were not aware of: The guard in question is unsure of his purpose.

He's fiercely loyal to the Night Guard, and believe that he owes them his life, as he were a foal thrown back and forth in foster homes and the orphanage growing up, and acted out, which in his older years, caused him to get imprisoned. The guard gave him a chance, as they believed he had potential, but needed discipline, and an authoritarian figure in his life that'd keep him on track. Which turned out to be true. It also made sure he is not as proud as some other thestrals, as both the guard and life, have made sure to beat him down a peg or two, several times over.

However, at the same time, he keeps wondering if this is what he were supposed to do. If we go by your way of seeing cute marks, it may well be that even if he feels comfortable, and believes he's doing good, the instability of his younger years have given him a rather deep rooted concern if he were supposed to be somewhere else. Something he never focused on much in the guard for a long time, as he kept getting streamlined to studies, training, etc. and were likely close to being at a stage where he were starting to believe this were where he belonged.

And then he got one of his fellow guards knocked up, and had to juggle the responsibilities of being a father. Something he had to do together with a mare whom he didn't have that deep seated love for that he felt should be present, but still wanted to do better, than the one(s) who had left him on the steps of the orphanage, rather than give him a proper home.

...Heh, or it turns out that when he gets older and his fur greyer, that he did have a cutie mark for a long time. It were just about as dark as his regular coat color, and as such, he never noticed it.

And yes, this is taken from another of my own characters. It makes for easy reference marks, without messing up cannon, or other players characters, when I do so.

Officer Stargazer, of the Night Guard. Prior to likely getting himself killed in the attack on Ponyville, in an attempt to save his daughter.

And to finish off: Regarding the clones, I do think they can get their own marks. They have just for a long time been told they're essentially worthless, and not even real, so why would they get them? And those who were not not told they weren't real, likely still haven't had the chance to try and discover themselves. What with having to hide all the time.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

13 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

or it turns out that when he gets older and his fur greyer, that he did have a cutie mark for a long time. It were just about as dark as his regular coat color, and as such, he never noticed it.

Now that would make an interesting story.

13 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

I do think they can get their own marks

Don't worry, I fully intend for them to get them, I know they're real ponies after all.

13 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

but who isn't to say that in their first weeks or months of life, when they would be hard pressed to have memories off, the facility hadn't tried to run a few tests already?

13 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

is that the marks shows when you have found out what you're best at.

One of the big parts of a mark, for me at least, is that it is an internal manifestation, it appears when discovered/realized by the one receiving it, which is why many authors use it as a sort of right of passage indicator, there's a certain mental maturity required to get a mark, a level of understanding inherent to it, otherwise it'd be more of a predestination thing. That is why I see the sisters getting their marks around the incident, because only then would they see their curse as defining them, before that it would have been an oddity to them, a quirk, but not necessarily a defining characteristic.

You could, alternatively, say that their parents were fairly direct about marks when they were younger, talked to them with respect to their curse in such a way that they prematurely self-identified with the curse before they could fully develop? Or perhaps were part of a similarly purposed study in the colony focused on trying to cause marks to manifest earlier?

Regardless, Null is in for a number of revelations that she may not like in her arc.

Speaking of, if you get tired of the game I could either give you some hints to move the objective along or something similar. It isn't crucial to the main story that you figure out the game.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

I like the idea that they were part of a study, which might have caused it to manifest early. Considering their curse, why not try and run them through some tests, and some studies that others who couldn't deal with magic, would not have been able to handle? Sure they were infants, but the facility have shown a substantial lack of empathy towards such things, so why would this stop them? I could see them do it at least.

And true to form, this study is likely of a sort that - although their parents have talked to them about certain things, regarding their past - would not be brought up willingly, by either Bunsen, or Calligraphy. Furthermore, I can tell you right away that the only thing both Null and Void cared to learn about, were if their parents loved them. After everything that's happened, they are certain that if the truth, and wants to hear nothing that might strain the relationship with them. Whatever their jobs were, they deliberately do Not want to hear the details.

As the saying goes: Ignorance is bliss.

Though, for all I know, they could have had marks painted on their flanks and were convinced that were their marks. Consider how similar they are, with the only difference being that they swirl in different directions. Due to their physical similarities, this might have been an early indicator of which one were which, before Void started to rapidly outgrow Null.

A coincidence that it turned out to be how their marks would turn out? Maybe. But if they had seen them as such for so long, there could be some credence to them manifesting the way they did, partially due to their subconsciousness. The subconsciousness being partially a factor in how cutie marks looks, could explain how it often seems to be things so well fitting with the name of said pony, no?

13 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

Regardless, Null is in for a number of revelations that she may not like in her arc.

Speaking of, if you get tired of the game I could either give you some hints to move the objective along or something similar. It isn't crucial to the main story that you figure out the game.

Oh, don't worry. Whatever happens, I know she's gonna be furious about something, considering how close they are to The Grey.

As for the game, not tired of it yet. Still curious to see if I can stumble into the solution, or get lost trying.