I absolutely adore your agent lore SO MUCH it feels really canon to me, just in a darker and realistic way!!
I am kind of wondering what your thoughts are on octavio, especially in this verse- if you have any of course LMAO 👍 so fair if you don't he just lives in my braincells rent free.
"You. Were not so different, you and I."
"|Shut. Up. Dont compare yourself to me. I did everything for this fragile world. A world you yourself almost destroyed twice.|"
"Aah, so did I, young squid. So did I."
3 rounds on the imprisoned geezer. Some thanks he got, after saving the world. The Captain was almost as bad as their old superior.
He only crosses his arms tighter as they clacked their beak.
"|The destruction of my world does not justify yours' survival.|"
Theres a dry chuckle from within the glass globe.
"Which world has the zapfishes. Which world is close to the sky? Which world allows everyone to...act the way you do. That annoyingly fresh attitude that just rubs in our face how much better you have it."
3s looking more unsure now, their hands clasping tight on their arms whenever theyre not signing. Thats a surprise.
"Mm. Do you understand, agent?"
The hesitance disappears, and their eyes and spots glint threateningly. "|Im the Captain now, and I will prefer to be referred to as such.|"
The king rolls his eyes. Mocks a salute.
"Stuffy kid. Damn. Alright, Captain.
Let me illuminate it a little more clearly for you.
You train your agents to keep my people underground. Sometimes, to the point of breaking their spirit. Because you want to keep them safe -- from me, from my troops, from anything the rough seas can throw at em. Right?"
"|I dont do it like you do. Hypnosis? Mind control? Eight ran away because of that!|"
"Who told you I used that on my entire nation? Damn old fool, that Craig.
As for your "Agent Eight"...
that one...
...had her reasons.
I hold no ill will towards her, or the others, for running.
In fact, I dont blame them one bit."
3 squints.
"They wanted a life that I cannot provide.
Its hard, underground. Constant energy crisis. Constant food shortage. Constant resource depletion. Who would stay? Except those who want to make it a better world to live in?
And you, Captain. What would you do in my place?"
And they stay quiet...
Before their voice rasps through a low hiss.
"Act...in a way... you wont."
"Hoh! So you can speak! Impressive.
But you know youd do similar. Ive heard how much Agent 4 hates your guts. Its not as easy being a leader, isnt it."
3 hisses louder, balling their fists.
"I...am not...you."*
"Yes. You. Are." The king presses his tentacles on the glass. "I did all I did for my fragile world. I continue to run my nation the way I do so everyone stays safe from the danger YOU bring. You and the REST of your nation. My troops are family. My troops are all Ive got."
He casts a glance at 4 (pre-Captain my Captain), who was approaching for her training.
"Even if they end up hating me."*
3 catches 4s gaze.
"Even if they end up deserting."
4 turns her gaze away, to look directly at Octavio.
"Do you understand?"
Now its 3 who looks, understanding dawning in their eyes.
Hes right.
"I must do what I need to, even if it hurts me. Id risk my life, my honor, my everything, for my people.
If I dont, who else will?"
3 thinks of the times theyd swooped in to save the newly returned 4 from hazards in the newer missions. The verbal and physical abuse from her beak and fists. The way they had to give her easier missions despite saying that it was tougher, just so shed have a more gradual growth. Have higher chances of surviving. Even if...underhanded.
4 herself breaks the silence, and their train of thought.
"Talking to the damn geezer again, Captain?"
"|He spoke first.
...but he makes good points.|"
"You cant seriously- hey. HEY! CAPTAIN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!"
theres a loud crash.
"|I dont think it fair to keep him here after he helped us save the world.|"
"Hohohoh! You are not so bad, Captain."
"GRAMPS IS GOING TO KILL YOU."
"Hah! No he wont. I know your old man. And for once in his life, he actually made a good call.
Captain.
Agent Three."
The mention of their old number, to refer to them, almost made tears spring to their eyes.
Almost.
After all, this was the reason they were dragged into this mess. But can they really keep blaming him for all this, after all this time?
Octavio shows...a hint of a smile.
"You make a fine protege for the man I used to know.
Keep it up."
3 holds 4 back from rushing the Octarian leader. "Go...back. Take care...of your people."
"Aye aye. Heheh. So long, suckers!!!"
And he was gone.
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When it comes to Abigail Marston leaving John in 1907, a lot of people throw mean comments at her, say that she was unfair for doing so and a lot of other things, however I think that people fail to consider the time that this game is set. This is not our modern day woman, this is 1907, and it might sound like I am stating the obvious but by the hatred that she gets it I think it needs to be said again.
1907!
Do you know the rights that women had then? Or the lack of. Women were bound to their husbands, they weren't allowed to own close to anything and were only allowed to vote in about 4 different states, some women that is. Women were seen as a servant to her husband.
It was also hard for women to earn money, the average woman over 16 working in a factory (as the majority was) earned 5-6 or 6-7 dollars a week, a week! Eggs on average costed 29 cents by the doz, a pound of round steak cost 15 cents and half a gallon of milk costed 15 cents as well.
What about rent? New Austin, which Blackwater and the surrounding area is in, is based of Texas which in 1904 had a rent per room pr month of 28 dollars.
So why would Abigail ever go through all of that? Because of John, because of Jack. Abigail stuck around John for eight years, practically begging him to fix himself, to become better because she knew that she was pretty much dependant on him, because she needs his support to be able to live and she wants to give her boy a chance at a better life but she can't with John constantly picking fights and literally putting her and her son's lives at risk.
A lot of people make it seem like she just suddenly took that chocie, but she didn't, it was a choice that most likely took her years not just due to the financial burden but also the social burden that comes with being a single mom in a time where pre-material sex was seen as a death sin. She could very well be killed merely for being seen with Jack and without a husband.
And not just that, but it was probably also a hard choice because despite of everything she loves John, she really does, yes she screams at him for going out with Saide but who wouldn't. "She won't allow him freedom," no she is scared he is going to die, for us it is easy to say "he isn't going to" because he is a main character and we can just redo if we die taking on twenty skinner brothers or whatnot, but it isn't like that for her. I want you to imagine that your partner/friend/parent told you they were going to fight a gang of who knows how many, you are going to be scared no matter how skilled that friend is because you don't want to lose them. John himself admits it is dangerous work by saying "we always find a way to almost get killed, dont we?" Which Sadie agees to.
Abigail took the choice to leave, putting herself in a terrible situation, not for herself, but for her son. She gave up her one true love so that her son could have a chance at life, have a chance to be better than her and John. It was not easy and it is not something we should shame her for, if anything we should praise her for putting her son before herself.
I love John, I really do, but I think it shows just how shitty of a father he really was, and that Abigail leaving was exactly the push he needed to get himself together, it was the wake-up call he needed. He knew how shitty women had it, he would have to realize how terrible he must have been for her to prefer that over him.
Now am I saying Abigail did everything right? No, she did not. Although I understand her fustrations with him doing bounties she has to realize she is not in a place to be picky about jobs. She did ask John to take on a huge debt for the farm and John is right in one thing "it is legal work that I can handle," and while the farm is taking some time to get up and running it is the best form of income that they have access to.
Now to talk about her annoyance with John going after Micah, it is understandable as it could trigger a decline to their former life of crime or just lead to straight up death. It is unnecessary, revenge is unnecessary, meaning that John is risking their entire life for "nothing." He argues back with "I am doing it for Arthur" but again, yes Micah killed Arthur but killing Micah wont change that, killinh Micah will not bring Arthur back nor put him in a better situation, it is revenge, it is not nessesary, it doesn’t do any good.
If John had died she would not only have lost her husband but also the farm, as women could not own property. I am not that knowledgable on debt laws in 1907, but I would imagine that in some way or another the massive debt John got would end up with her or Jack either way, putting her in a terrible situation.
@heavenlymorals made a similar post back in may 11th where they also explore and explain Mary Linton and Abigail in 1899, it is really amazing and also puts some other light on it.
Sources:
Rent, page 369: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-commissioner-labor-6306/eighteenth-annual-report-commissioner-labor-608452?start_page=370
Food, page 233: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000014585x&seq=233
Wages, page 15: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu56779232&seq=15
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