Time to be the change I want to see in fandom by introducing my Regent headcanon: he can understand the Defect. It's not just beeps and boops to him, it's actual language. Naturally, this has led me to imagine quite the humorous scenario:
Defect: curious beeps (something something "What's your friend's name?" referring to Osty, presumably while the Necrobinder isn't looking its way)
...
Regent:
Regent: Ex-CUSE YOU, Lich! Are you deaf, perhaps? Unfamiliar with the phrase 'speak when spoken to'???
Necrobinder: And just who am I meant to be speaking to? It's not like I'd miss one of your questions, as obnoxious as you are.
Regent: I am NOT—! Ahem... The construct has an inquiry for you!
Necrobinder: Be honest. Does it look like I speak construct?
Regent:
Regent: YOU DON'T???
This is followed by him taken ABACK that all intelligent life on Preon doesn't speak the same language (since I presume struggle-free Starris over here wouldn't have things such as language barriers lmao), which leads him to question if the Silent and Ironclad are unable to understand the Defect as well. This goes about as amusingly as it sounds (considering how little those two speak), ending with:
Necrobinder: Oh well. Guess you'll have to translate for the lot of us.
Regent: Who, me???
Regent: Absolutely NOT! Such a task is beneath royalty!
Defect: sad beeps
Regent: N...no need to frown, construct! They're merely missing out!
Necrobinder: (What on Preon does he mean by "frown"???)
Defect: more sad beeps
And then he takes it upon himself to translate anyway LMAO
also if anyone wants the evidence used to support this headcanon, it's under the cut (with pictures!)
but beware, the yapping is intense... Monologue level (the Regent card), even
Think about it: the Regent is an alien from another planet that still understands and communicates with those native to Preon quite effortlessly.
Now, to my knowledge, it is only the Ancients we really see him hold a conversation with, which isn't exactly a fair measure to base this on when they might have their own cosmic ways of communicating (ironically, the Defect is evidence of this, seeing as they seem to understand it just fine while we, the players, mostly can't)
To counter this, however, I propose the epoch We Need a Hero! I can only imagine the Regent would learn of the trouble the Spire is causing via word of mouth (given how much he loves to talk), and I doubt he'd be able to gain the depth of understanding mentioned in this epoch if he hadn't spoken to the commonfolk
Moving onto the Defect's epochs, we see it actively speaking to its friend Flaw. Not just inquisitive beeps. Not just <3 emoticon (we love you Defect and Darv). But actual, proper dialogue shared between the two constructs (albeit only 1 word each)
And once again, the Ancients also seem to understand what the Defect is saying beyond beeps and boops, which is proof enough that those beeps and boops are speech of some caliber
Back to the Regent, it's clear he's at least familiar with complex machinery (as seen in the epoch Anomalous Planet pictured below)
Now... does that mean he's any good at operating machinery? Debatable LMAO. But! Perhaps he doesn't have to be! Just as plenty of people can speak intelligently but still struggle to spell the words they often say, perhaps our dear princeling studied enough tech on his home planet to understand it intimately! His, uh... technique, we'll call it, just needs some work when it comes to using it ^^;
(never let this man mend your resident Defect at rest sites)
Now, all of this is not to say there can't be sentiments that are lost in translation. Far from it when the Defect is, well... defective in its messaging at times, as seen in the beautiful string of text below you can get in the Aroma of Chaos event. Couldn't get it to translate into much of anything at all, by the way. Here it is:
1100 0011 1100 0011... repeated 3 times. Just in case any of you wanna knock yourselves out running it through a bajillion decoders like I did.
(interestingly enough, the most sensible conclusion I came to for it is that it translates to ÃÃ, aka the Latin A or the tilde A according to some websites? Idk, it's been a long trip down the rabbit hole, and I also know nothing about coding so I could be completely wrong abt this, but it can basically be summed up as some kind of encoding issue, orrrr... a placeholder—something we sts2 fans aren't unfamiliar with huh :P)
I'll let google take it away from here (boo, AI summary results, I know...)
So basically what I'm trying to say is there's a good chance the Defect is Portuguese /j
There are gonna be people who won't like hearing this but if you want to live in a world where mixed marriages, families, and adoptions (particularly POC adopting outside their "race") aren't maligned and discriminated against, then you have got to get more chill about seeing someone partaking in something cultural that you don't think fits the "race" you perceive them as.
It's a vague memory now, it was a vague memory even at the time I made this post, but I think what sparked this was remembering stupid comments I saw about a Chinese-American cookbook that were complaining about it being written by a white woman and then I looked the white woman up and the briefest research showed she was adopted as a child into a Chinese-American family and just....
*pinches nose*
Fellas, is it cultural appropriation to inherit your family's culture but you don't pass the blood quantum test?
All of you are literally just racist. You've come full-circle. You're working under the belief that people are supposed to "keep to their own kind" and that means the socially invented concept of "race", and "race mixing" of any sort is unnatural.
i think we should bring this back (with some amendments ofc) if we ever needed an "internet etiquette" for the younger generations, now is the moment to remind them. purity culture kills fandom
as well as the three laws of fandom:
Don't Like, Don't Read (DL;DR), Your Kink is not My Kink And That's OK (YKINMKATO) and Ship and Let Ship
NO ONE LIVING hasn't been squicked out by something. There's over 7 billion of us, my delights and disgusts aren't universal. So I move on. Don't like the ship? Move on. Don't like____? Move on.
I am not an exception. Neither are you. I don't like it I move on and shut my gob about it because everyone everywhere is squicked out by something and they need to put the thing down and just…motor.
We are thrilled to announce that we have raised a total of 1,070 USD for the Trevor Project! (And since it is the charity's Month of Giving, the donation will be matched 5X, making the final donation worth 6,420 USD!) And thus, the project has reached completion!
Thank you to our fellow mods, contributors, and everyone who has been with us along the way to make this happen, until we meet again!
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Been so stressed lately so I made this after watching one of those "things to do with your OCs" videos.
Not perfect, but it was actually fun to do even if I poked myself with a needle a lot! May add more stuff to it later to hide the cardboard, now I can carry Pumpkin Cream whenever I want.
pov you forgot that the milgram experiment was a real thing so imagine the whiplash i felt when i thought my professor was talking about an online series where the audience progressively traumatizes the characters more with each trial. which highkey fits cause this lecture is about research ethics.
unlearn shame. then with all the new space in your brain you can learn something cool. like you can learn how to read braille. or you can learn how to make chocolate mousse. you can do anything really
Preorders for Twisted Fairytales have officially begun until March 1st 12AM EST! We have a large variety of artworks, writing, merch, and even a bonus zine for behind the scenes content! All profits will be donated to the Trevor Project.
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DoaHD | Entry 7: I Accidentally Insulted the Consul
A/N: Once again, I want to thank everybody for their patience as I got the next chapter out. I like, love this chapter so much so I might be doing additional sketches since I couldn't figure out which scene to draw for spot art. Thank you all for your support and I hope everybody has a happy holidays!
Taglist: @minecraftninjerkid@ryctone@shipperlewaterkitty | Google Form to be added to taglist
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Strawberry Tea Cookie found herself resting on a balcony back inside, staring off into the ceaseless night where she mapped her thoughts against the stars, creating twisted constellations in the shape of her dilemmas.
“Can you continue doing that for the rest of your life?”
Wildberry Cookie had a point— he always did. The sickness, the guilt and shame… They will all continue to pile up until it's all she felt. She wondered how Peach Jam Cookie did it: lying and backstabbing so easily. Her saccharine words were as light as cotton candy, yet just like the confection was only full of air. Did she feel any guilt stringing along her uncle? Better yet, can she feel guilt at all?
What an obvious question.
Yet as much as she despised her aunt, she had won the favor of her parents, perhaps she was doing something right…
“Taking a break?”
Next to her stood the Consul, composed with his hands behind his back as he faced her. The designer took in a deep breath, reeling back everything into a neat spool at the back of her mind. If there’s one thing she can do correctly tonight, it’s not leaving a bad impression on the leader of this nation. “I am. Are you as well, Consul?”
“As much as I love chatting with others, I also enjoy a bit of alone time.” Clotted Cream Cookie remarked.
“Oh.” Strawberry Tea Cookie immediately took a step back. “I shall dismiss myself, then.”
“W-wait–” The Consul reached out for the former heiress from his place, his movements surprisingly impulsive. He seemed to have realized, as he quickly rewinded himself into his original position. “I actually wanted to speak with you.”
She raised her eyebrow. “About what?”
“I noticed that you left our conversation from before quite quickly. I couldn’t help but feel that I may have offended you with my comment about Hollyberry Cookie’s juice intake, and subsequently made an assumption about your drinking habits.” Clotted Cream Cookie’s expression was serious, yet his voice wavered with an unfamiliar nervousness. “I would like to formally apologize to you, Lady Strawberry Tea Cookie, for making such an inappropriate and unprofessional statement towards you and Hollyberry Cookie.”
The designer couldn’t help but be stunned at how… elaborate his apology was. Yet it held a strange sense of vulnerability in it.
“There’s no need to apologize, I left because Crab Dip Cookie was waiting to talk to you,” her voice faltered slightly when mentioning her name. “It didn’t register to me that you were making a stereotype.”
“I didn’t notice either until later on.” Clotted Cream Cookie replied, his voice more relaxed now. “I will be more careful with what I say moving forward, but I truly wanted to ensure you were comfortable tonight.”
“Thank you, Consul.” The conversation fell into silence. There was an itch in the bottom of Strawberry Tea Cookie’s stomach that urged her to continue with another topic, as if each word unspoken would bring her closer to being expelled from the Crème Republic. She was not well-versed in conversation regarding politics and government— and the knowledge she does have is irrelevant given she is in a foreign country. Other icebreakers such as “where are you from” or “what is your occupation” were already answered, and she felt it would be rather strange to ask for elaboration out of the blue. She needed something casual and inoffensive, one that could revitalize the stale silence and buy her more time to think of another topic, a question that can be answered by any cookie regardless of the situation: “...How has the night been faring you so far?”
“I had a great time, it’s not often I get to attend gatherings like this with all the work I do.” Clotted Cream Cookie mused. “Although I can’t help but say that I’m glad it has quieted down a bit.”
A vast majority of cookies had left at this point, leaving a polite mess that some servants were beginning to clean. The music had all but lulled into a concluding melody led by a single pianist, and the lights had dimmed to a degree that no longer gave the designer a headache.
“Likewise.”
“How about you?” The Consul reflected. “How has the rest of the celebration been for you?”
“It was… good.” An overstatement, but he was the last cookie she wanted to dump her woes on.
“I saw you were walking with Elder Sablé Cookie earlier,” he continued. “It seemed that I didn’t need to introduce you two after all~.”
“She’s…” The designer paused for a moment, biting the side of her cheek as she searched for an appropriate word. “...pleasant, I enjoyed my exchange with her.” Another overstatement.
“Yes, her knowledge on art and culture is truly one-of-a-kind.” Clotted Cream Cookie remarked with a light chuckle. “House Sablé has had a major influence on the Crème Republic’s fashion culture since its inception, much like your house, I presume?”
“House Strawberry does influence popular art trends in the Hollyberry Kingdom, however fashion belongs to another house.”
“Ah, you must be quite the outlier then.” Clotted Cream Cookie chuckled, he leaned against the rail. “Pursuing fashion in a house of art.”
An outlier in more ways than one. Strawberry Tea Cookie remarked solemnly. “I consider fashion as the medium for my art.”
“I see, it seems they are often interwoven, then.” He hummed. “Forgive me, I’m not well-versed in this subject.”
“I don’t expect a cookie like you to be—“ Her jam stilled, freezing itself into spikes that pricked her from the inside. She slowly turned her head to face Clotted Cream Cookie’s equally shocked expression. “I—“
“Pardon?”
She might as well return to the Hollyberry Kingdom at this point.
A feverish heat bloomed in Strawberry Tea Cookie’s cheeks, followed by a pang of dread piercing her stomach. “F-forgive me, I did not intend for that to sound as disrespectful as it did.” She internally scrambled to form an explanation. “You didn’t seem too knowledgeable on— I meant—“ She let out a desperate sigh, the heat in her face jumbling her thoughts as if her brain had been thrown into a blender at the highest speed.
Laughter.
The Consul was laughing.
Great Ancients, have mercy on her soul.
“Apologies, your statement just caught me off guard,” Clotted Cream Cookie said as his giggles became more controllable. “I believe I understand what you’re trying to say: that you expected this wasn’t the subject of my expertise, yes?”
For the love of the Greenish-Red Dragon that still sounds like a terrible thing to say. Strawberry Tea Cookie nodded, refusing to make eye contact with the Consul. “I had no intention of insulting your intelligence…”
“I’m not offended at all.” He chuckled. “How about we call this conundrum even, then?”
“Please…”
“Although it wouldn’t hurt to learn more about the arts...” Clotted Cream Cookie pondered. “Has Elder Sablé Cookie mentioned her exhibition to you?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“Perhaps I should attend.” He pondered. “The arts is such an important pillar of the Republic, after all~.”
“I’m certain you’ll learn a lot from it.” Slowly, albeit reluctantly, she began letting the spool unwind itself.
“Yes, I’m quite sure. It’s a shame I missed so many in the past.” The Consul lamented. “Luckily, I have some time in the morning before my meeting with Lady Crab Dip Cookie.”
Strawberry Tea Cookie perked up at the name.
“Your meeting with her is on the same day?” An idea sparked in her head at his confirmation. “Would you be willing to deliver a message on my behalf if I met you at the exhibition?”
“Oh, of course.” He smiled. “What for? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Ah…” The designer paused, trailing off as she thought of the best way to explain this without revealing how terrible she was. “I was separated from Crab Dip Cookie before we could exchange contact information, I quite enjoyed our time together and would like to speak with her more.”
The Consul chuckled, a slightly confused look on his face. “I would be glad to, but the post office is always available to deliver it directly to House Crab.”
“It’s… Urgent.”
“My, Lady Crab Dip Cookie must have made quite the impression on you~.” Clotted Cream Cookie mused. “I’m a bit curious about what piqued your interest in her.”
“Well…” Crumbs she shouldn’t have said anything. “...I only intend to stay in the Crème Republic for a few months, I assume her schedule is quite busy so I would like to establish a connection as soon as possible.”
“Of course, I should have considered that.” He smiled. “How about we meet at Elder Sablé Cookie’s art exhibit at its opening and I will pass your message along to Lady Crab Dip Cookie.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Strawberry Tea Cookie gave a curtsy. “Thank you.”
“Consul.” They both turned to see the retainer standing at the balcony entrance, posture straight with a hand resting on her sword, formality and discipline like flour in her dough. “I apologize for interrupting the conversation but Elder Custard Cookie has requested for your departure back to Manor Custard.”
“I understand, thank you Financier Cookie.” He turned back to face Strawberry Tea Cookie. “This is where I unfortunately have to depart, have a wonderful—” Clotted Cream Cookie’s eyes lit up, realizing he forgot something. He reached behind his cloak, fishing for something in his pocket. “I have been meaning to return this to you this entire night, yet it seems I kept getting sidetracked.” In his hand was a familiar looking sketchbook with House Strawberry’s crest embedded into the burgundy velvet. “A crew member found this in the cabinet when they were cleaning out the airship, I believe it’s yours?”
“It… is.” Strawberry Tea Cookie slowly took hold of it. “I didn’t think I would see it again.”
“Well I’m glad we found it,” the Consul smiled. “It would have been a shame if those sketches were lost. That being said, I hope you don’t mind that I skimmed through it.”
Something within the designer skipped a beat, a satisfying tug like she had freed a huge tangle of thread stuck in the bobbin holder.
“...It’s okay,” she reassured. “Thank you for returning this for me.”
“It’s my pleasure~,” he joined Financier Cookie’s side. “Have a wonderful night, Lady Strawberry Tea Cookie.”
“You as well, Consul.”
“Honorifics are unnecessary, you may call me Clotted Cream Cookie.” With that, he departed, trailed by Financier Cookie who echoed the same goodbye to the designer.
Strawberry Tea Cookie stood in her spot, watching as they walked away. She kept staring into that space, before peering down at the sketchbook that had been returned to her.
“It would have been a shame if those sketches were to be lost.”
She opened it, slowly flipping through each scrapped design. Yet instead of overwhelming frustration, her eyes locked onto portions she did find satisfactory, archiving themselves into her mind where they were pieced together into something new— improved. A sudden surge of energy swelled within the designer, similar to that upon landing in the Crème Republic.
She had a long night ahead of her. But this one, she was looking forward to.
pov you forgot that polyester and polyurethane are actual materials so imagine the whiplash i felt when i thought my 70 year old professor was talking about two gen-z anime twinks only to realize he was talking about drug delivery systems…
turnnoffyourmind
annaxmalina
areudirty
romaincrisis
snowghoul
stormborns
