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tortoisesshells · 1 year

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top 5 ships (as in boats)?? :')

I'm going with fictional ships for the sake of argument, but:

(1) The Flying Dutchman (potc)- Dead Man's Chest knocked me off my chair (and onto the grimy floor of the theater in [town name redacted]) several times, but the sudden appearance of the Dutchman surging out of the water really set a new standard for "oh now that's a fucking haunted ship". She's decaying. She's got a massive pipe organ that's purely there for the drama. She's a cursed ship of the dead and damned. Who among us can best her?

(2) The Kerberos (1899)- ship of NIGHTMARES. Massive props to the member of the production team who said they wanted the Kerberos to feel like the anti-Titanic: you clever bastards succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. Dark, menacing, incomprehensibly portentously decorated even in the first class dining saloon, subject of wildly unethical science experiments, complete with mysterious trauma oubliettes, hundreds of miles from anything, and the command structure conveniently pre-disintegrated! I'm booking passage aboard as we speak.

(3) USS Constitution (Fallout 4 vintage) - you know, I don't think enough people have asked the most important question of our time, which is (to whit): what if we allowed robots (who apparently believe themselves to be Isaac Hull and his crew) to strap moonshot rockets to the sides of the USS Constitution? The answer is: well, thank goodness for live oak sides, even 200+ years after the end of the world. Anyway, my good friend Captain Ironsides has never let me down.

(4) USS Tiger Shark (Below) - HAUNTED. SO HAUNTED. What if you were on a submarine that wanted you to die, as well as, you know, the whole of the Kriegsmarine operating in the Atlantic, as well? It would suck, but the record player with a mind of its own (and the mirror that's displaced in time?) were undoubtedly rad. A+ submarine.

(5) The Pequod (Moby-Dick) - "[...]you never saw such a rare old craft as this same rare old Pequod. [...] She was a thing of trophies. [...] tricking herself forth in the chased bones of her enemies. All round, her unpanelled, open bulwarks were garnished like one continuous jaw, with the long sharp teeth of the sperm whale, inserted there for pins, to fasten her old hempen thews and tendons to. Those thews ran not through base blocks of land wood, but deftly travelled over sheaves of sea-ivory. Scorning a turnstile wheel at her reverend helm, she sported there a tiller; and that tiller was in one mass, curiously carved from the long narrow lower jaw of her hereditary foe." bless Ishmael for finding this cool, and even sexy, as opposed to running back to the green hills of New England.

Ask me my "Top 5" anything!

#honorable mention to the Indie of Hornblower fame. her musical cue lives on forever in my head.#but that did not go with the theme of ' terribly haunted ' I've mostly got going here. what if a ship were incomprehensibly haunted?:#the most important question of my time.#ask meme #polkaknox talks #this IS below propaganda. it's not good and you won't thank me but it IS good. you understand.

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percheduphere · 6 months

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LET'S TALK ABOUT MOBIUS'S HEAVY KEYS

I wrote a meta on S1 Mobius here, mostly exploring his interrogation persona and emotional trajectory toward S1E6. I also have a fun little list on all the things I love about him here.

@mitromana posted about how we should talk about Mobius's sass and even cruelty more. @wowwwmobius posted how Mobius realistically would not be doing well post-S2E6 (I wholeheartedly agree), and they and @inwantofamuse shared amazing comments. All of this inspired this meta.

Thank you @mitromana @wowwwmobius @inwantofamuse!

Mobius's interrogation scenes are him at his most cruel and ruthless. The flipside of being a highly empathetic person is that it is very VERY easy to use this skill in highly abusive, cunning, and powerful ways. This is especially true if the person armed with this skill is exceptionally intelligent and is convinced their motivations are good. At the TVA, before Loki's exposure of the truth, Mobius is both of these things. Worse, he has access to the TVA's more ethically unconscionable technology, which he does not hesitate to use.

The road to evil is paved with good intentions. Mobius strolls onto this road more than once, but he manages to not stay on it because two people curb this risk: Loki and, yes, Sylvie.

Take in Loki's words and posture in this scene. The words alone are a frail and weak comeback for a silver-tongue God of lies. They do nothing but reveal Loki is in FACT scared. His arms are crossed tightly over his abdomen, a primal protective response. He's leaned as far away from Mobius as possible. This is the best Loki can come up with in the face of a boring man in a boring suit, really?

You can see why Mobius was moved into the position of Analyst from Hunter. He may not be able to prune children, but he can literally bring a God like Loki to the ground, breathless, confused, and frightened, with nothing more than WORDS. And this is with a variant Mobius likes. Imagine what he can do to a variant he hates.

For HWR and Ravonna's purposes, Mobius is the perfect weapon to get whatever they want out of whatever variant they capture before sending them off to get pruned. How do they keep him from questioning anything?

Memory-wiping (more than once), brainwashing, propaganda, and:

A little something for Mobius's identity, something that fulfills his intrinsic need to take care of others while also gently stroking his ego.

Yes, the genocide of multiple timelines over the span of eons is horrifying. But Mobius is capable of being complicit with it as long as his environment feeds his intrinsic psychological and emotional needs. The people on the Sacred Timeline become his new children, and he will do anything ANYTHING to protect them.

There was one thing HWR and Ravonna didn't anticipate: that this man's empathy for a specific Loki would be the very thing that liberates the multiverse and his own bondage from a corrupt bureaucracy.

However...

I don't believe Mobius ever anticipated becoming emotionally compromised when he advocated on Loki's behalf. He likely genuinely believed that after centuries of studying Loki, he knew him well enough to make him useful for the TVA. But the subconscious, oh. That is a different story, and in Loki's own words, Mobius has a gift for lying to himself.

I discuss the interrogation scene and Sif loop scene in depth here, so I won't repeat myself, but I'd like to draw our attention to the 2 gifs below, framing my analysis:

Imagine where Mobius's mind must be at:

I spent centuries studying you and believing in you. I waited more centuries for your nexus event to come. I tasked every hunter to inform me of your arrival immediately, no matter what I was doing, no matter where I was. I abandoned a case. I ran to your trial. I put my job, reputation, and eons-long friendship with Ravonna on the line. I tested your theory. I brought you with me on the field. You talked to me. You challenged me. You made me proud. You made me laugh.

I gave you daggers and you stabbed me. You STABBED me. When all I wanted to give you was--

Mobius cracked hard and fast. Applaud Owen Wilson for THIS interpretation of the script and THIS delivery.

Thankfully, the very person who put Mobius in this fragile state of mind is also the person Mobius deeply wants to believe in. Even after being betrayed, Mobius still wants to believe in Loki and his capacity to be a wonderful person. And so he looks at Ravonna's TemPad, decides Loki deserves to be with whoever he wants to be with (even if that person will never be Mobius himself), frees Loki to help him save the woman he loves, and gets pruned for it.

Mobius survives thanks to plot-armor. And who is the first person he meets?

The bane of his existence.

And Sylvie wastes no time driving a knife into a very fresh wound. Mobius, however, only recently unleashed all his rage. His reservoir for compartamentalizing has refreshed, so he can take Sylvie's truth bravely, without a flinch, and acknowledge that truth with one of his own.

Mobius owns it. He doesn't deny it. He tacitly agrees with her and gives her a reason why.

We should remember how dangerous Mobius can be. He is currently sitting in a car with the variant he is most likely to hate. Sylvie is strong, clever, and resilient, but her ability to regulate her emotions is weak, especially if she is triggered. Mobius can destroy her very easily with his words.

But Mobius can't hate her. He can't. She was right and he was wrong, but most importantly Loki loves her.

He won't hurt the person Loki loves most. No. He will take her to him instead. He can stomach the pain, the disappointment. He's good at that. Loki's well-being, his happiness, comes first.

In fact, Mobius stomachs Sylvie's knife twists a second time and chooses not to defend himself. I don't doubt a large part of him agrees with her. Nevertheless, he can't help but hope Loki might stand up for him in that moment. He tries, and fails, to make light of it by rolling his eyes and turning to his friend. When Loki leaves him not explaining why, his true feelings about this interaction surfaces on his face.

Aren't you going to say anything?

The saddest thing is that this is the LAST intimate moment THIS Mobius has with Loki before Loki crosses the gangway and never returns. This is it. This is what he's left with: the thought Loki didn't care enough to defend him and Loki leaving.

HE doesn't get to hear that he's just trying to see in the dark and is doing everything he can to keep the surviving timelines alive. SYLVIE does.

HE doesn't get to hear Loki tell him he saved his life. DON does.

HE doesn't get the final goodbye and "thank you, Mobius", his PAST SELF does. And if Mobius happens to remember this moment in the present, he will know that he was the one who propelled Loki to bear this massive burden ALONE.

My worry for Mobius post-S2E6 is that he is more than talented at ignoring his own needs and addressing his own problems. He is infinitely better--a master, even--at taking care of anyone else. It's a devastating flaw, but it comes from a very raw place:

His heart, his soul, will always remember being a single parent.

Being a parent at all is hard to begin with. There are only so many hours in a day, and the majority of it is devoted to putting someone else's needs before your own. Being a single parent is even harder. You might have a few people to help you, but ultimately, there's no partner to share every high and low intimately. To be a single parent of not one but TWO children?

Game over.

Some viewers have interpreted Don ignoring his sons' phone calls at work as negligent. Honestly, I don't think that's the case. He will call them back. Don is Mobius and Mobius is Don. He will take care of them. But refusing every beck and call at work is the only personal boundary he has. He cannot have many boundaries for himself at home or anywhere else. He has to decline not one but two calls for his own sanity. Nevermind that he works Monday through Saturday, nine to five, to make enough money to keep them healthy and happy. Where is the break? There is none. This is Don's glorious purpose.

Mobius leaving the TVA is understandable for two crucial reasons: One, it is a reminder of all his horrifying acts and complicity. Two, it is a reminder Loki is no longer there. But by leaving the TVA, Mobius separates himself from his only support system. That's not good. That is decidely unhealthy. The fact that it doesn't cross B-15, Casey, or OB's minds that this is a very bad idea tells you everything you need to know about the number of genuinely close friends Mobius has.

Mobius has two. He walked away from one to be with the second, and the second walked away from him, too. TWICE.

But he still loves him anyway.

When you take a man like this and take away everything that's kept him functional: the TVA, Ravonna, Loki, and then show him a content life in which he cannot even be with his own children because another version of him already exists, what do you think will happen to him given we've seen how violently Mobius can snap?

And guess what: only one person has ever seen Mobius snap on more than one occasion. Only one person understands the triggers and how to handle them. I'll give you three guesses as to who it is.

Mobius "has a happy ending" is absolute bullshit. He is at risk.

#loki #mobius #lokius #loki series #loki season 2 #loki spoilers #loki meta #sylvie #my meta

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forthedancingandthethriving · 11 days

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(TW: Suicide contemplation)

Celeste knows this is wrong. She knows this is very wrong, but what other choice does she have?

She looks down towards the ocean below, her orange colors seemingly glowing from the ocean. She wraps her arms around herself, swallowing thickly.

She can't stand living under the Empire's rule. With a shaky breath, she slowly lifts a foot from the rocky ground of the cliff. A small white and black sea anemone rests nearby.

"Celeste!" A voice calls, and she turns around, her violet eyes going wide.

"Lexi?" She asks, voice faint and hoarse.

The purple Octoling manages to skid to a stop. She looks like she ran all the way from the city to here. "D-Don't jump!" Lexi pleads. "I.. I figured out a solution!"

The orange Inkling looks at her, confused. "Wh.. How could you have found a solution?" Celeste wraps her arms tighter around herself, shivering from the cold winds. This part of the Empire was always freezing. "I can't even turn into a squid, Lexi.. I'm of no use to even shock troops.."

"No, that's the thing!" Lexi rushes forward and grabs Celeste by the shoulders. She shakes her. "Do you remember when we were kids?! And we ended up in that weird crag in the ocean?!"

"The one where I saw my dead mom?" She blinks.

"Uh- Yeah! That one!" Her best friend nods after an awkward pause. "Listen, there's news of the empress's advisor visiting soon! He's looking for anyone who has info on the rebellion! Do you remember what saved us?!"

Slowly, it clicks for Celeste. "Mermaids...!"

Lexi nods vigorously. "Exactly! And there's rumors that he'll reward accurate information with anything the person wants! Do you know what this means?!"

Tears well in her eyes. "They.. they could cure me.."

"Yes!" Her best friend hugs her tightly. "There's a chance you won't be sick anymore!"

Celeste felt like, finally, things were looking up for her. Tears fall down her face as she buries her face into the crook of Lexi's neck. "Thank you, Lex'.. thank you.."

"Anything for my best friend," Lexi assures her with a gentle smile. She then pulls away and looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "And don't tell me you were gonna jump thinking that maybe that myth was true?"

"It could be! You never know," Celeste responds as she wipes away tears.

"Pssh, Octolings and Inklings not being able to go in water? Yeah, right." Lexi laughs, and Celeste can't help but laugh with her. "The whole Empire is water-based. We would've had to be forced to evolve if we couldn't."

"True." Celeste giggles as she calms. "And the Empress wouldn't ever do that. I mean, I've heard she's cold, but she isn't cruel!"

"Exactly!" The purple Octoling grins. "Now, let's head back! I'm starving."

○●○

Juliano sighs to himself as he lounges back in the chair. He stares at the papers upon papers of reports given, but he knew they were all frivolous. Details about the rebellion were never this detailed and were never this grand. He knew that the Empire fed propaganda, and for a... good (he cringes at that, but he doesn't let his face betray him) reason.

The sea bunny-human hybrid by his side, Spots, squeaks.

"I know." He drops some papers down on the desk in front of him. "They're all brainwashed citizens hoping to get into the palace. None of this is worth our time, Spots."

Spots lets out a squeak that sounds like a snicker.

"I know you told me," Juliano huffs, "and I know I didn't listen. So be quiet you-"

A few knocks on the door made Juliano and Spots fall quiet. He schools his face to the apathetic one he's practiced for all these years. "Enter."

In comes Captain Snapper, a blue Inkling. He gestures a hand, and in comes two younger ones, a purple Octoling and an orange Inkling.

Juliano feels a pang in his heart, and his foggy memory tells him he's seen those colors before. "Captain, who are these?"

"Lexi and Celeste," Captain Snapper answers. "They keep on saying how they need to meet you personally, because they got good info on the rebellion, sir."

He raises an eyebrow. No one was ever so bold as to meet him personally. "Hm.. go ahead."

The purple Octoling steps up. "I'm Lexi, sir, and this is Celeste." They both stand confidently in front of him, and Juliano admires that. Not many had the guts. "And we're pretty sure we know the rough approximations of the rebellion!"

He hums. "Go on.."

"When we were younger," Celeste starts, her scratchy voice making Juliano blink in surprise, "Lexi and I got swept out to sea.. and we ended up in a weird crevice in the earth. We.. got saved by mermaids, sir."

His gaze snaps to Captain Snapper. "Is this true?" He asks, voice tight with urgency.

The captain seems surprised, but nods. "Yes, sir! They got swept out at a very young age, and later in the day showed up on the shore out of nowhere."

Juliano glances at Spots and they share a look. It wasn't public information that the rebellion tended to frequent that place.

He sits up straighter in his chair. "Captain Snapper, what are their ranks?"

Captain Snapper frowns a bit. "Lexi is a good solider-in-training, despite only being 15 years old. She's already completed all of our expert courses, she's already at the Tigerfish rank." He then pauses. "But.. Celeste.. isn't ranked at all."

Juliano narrows his eyes. "Why not?"

"She's sick, sir," Lexi answers. "She has been since birth. She doesn't produce enough ink, and her muscles tend to give out whenever she exerts herself too much. She faints as well. Even shock troop training is too much on her."

Celeste lowers her head, ashamed. Juliano can't help but feel pity. Ocotlings and Inklings, after being subjugated by Empress Moria, were decided to be turned into troops. It worked very well, but it took.. centuries of training and brainwashing. Now, all the species knew was fighting and war, a far cry from their past.

Nowadays, an Inkling or Octoling that couldn't fight was worthless.

"Does anyone else know this?" Juliano asks, looking towards Captain Snapper.

The captain shakes his head. "No, sir. It's been kept under wraps." He glances away. "Celeste.. is my niece, sir. I know it's wrong to be coddling her, but-"

"No. In fact, this can be used." Juliano cuts him off.

The trio looks surprised. "Pardon?" Captain Snapper blinks.

The right-hand of the empress smiles. "I know of her condition, how it can be cured too. But.. I need your help, first." He looks at Lexi and Celeste.

"Anything. If.. if you can cure me.." Celeste had tears in her eyes.

"I can," Juliano assures her. "But you need to help me first."

Lexi bounces on her heels. "How can we help?"

"Simple." He stands from his chair and walks over to the window. He pulls back the blinds, showcasing the wide city that Octolings and Inklings reside in. Massive buildings tower, and the patter of rain was evident.

It always rains in the Empire.

"We'll make it look like you were thrown out, Celeste." Juliano turns his head to look at the Inkling. "We'll rough you up a bit, and then toss you somewhere the rebels frequent. Lexi, you'll go with her, and you'll tell them that Celeste was meant to die since she was sick, and you stood up for her. So they sent you to die, too." He looks back out the window. "You'll infiltrate the rebellion that way. After all, they're soft-hearted fools."

He hums. "You'll figure out how they work, where they're located, everything. After a few months or so, you'll send us everything you know. Then we'll have our army enter and squash them."

"And.. afterwards.." Celeste looks at him hopefully.

"I'll give you the cure." He nods.

"Thank you..!" She sniffles, happy tears in her eyes.

Juliano nods. "You two are dismissed. Captain Snapper, take him to the Prime Quarters. They're to be treated as Empire agents from this moment onward."

Lexi and Celeste look at each other, elated. Captain Snapper eyes his niece and her best friend with pride. "Of course, sir."

Once the three exit, and the door shuts behind them, Juliano sighs softly. Spots makes her way over to him, her ears twitching. She squeaks.

"Yes, I do intend to give her the cure." He nods. "It's a good way to keep her loyal. That, and Lexi is already a Tigerfish at her age. If Celeste can catch up.."

Spots raises an eyebrow. Juliano pauses before relenting. ".. yes, they do remind me of a duo. But it's.. hard to remember," he admits. "I doubt it matters, though."

The sea bunny nods her head. She then makes a few gestures.

"That still floats around?" He raises an eyebrow. "You'd think after a few hundred years, it would vanish." He shrugs. "Well, as long as they don't believe it, what does it matter?"

Spots tilts her head.

"Yes, it was true once upon a time." Juliano closes his eyes, trying to remember. "Octolings and Inklings couldn't go into water. It harmed them badly. Empress Moria didn't like that so she.. forced evolution."

Spots pulls a face.

Juliano raises an eyebrow. "Why does that surprise you? Do you know what she did to the Para-Koopas and Para-Goombas?"

The sea bunny relents with a nod. She then makes a grand sweeping gesture.

The right-hand pauses. Then, he looks back to the ocean. "I don't hope to have to use her," he says softly. "But if we have to play dirty, we must."

The hybrid looks at him with a frown. Then, she leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiles gently.

Outside, the rain continues to fall. It always rained lightly in the Rainpool City.

#oc: celeste the inkling #oc: lexi the octoling #avatar: juliano #oc: spots the sea bunny #oc: captain snapper #tw sucidal ideation #washed up memories au #fanfiction: my writing!#!posts!#*casually adds some very dystopian elements to this au* wow lol why is this so sad?

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