Eden's Edge (Worm/Sonnie's Edge [Love, Death, and Robots])

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Redcoat_Officer said:
Yeah. Their streams, plus Parian's shows, are basically all Brockton Bay has in terms of cape-related media, a depressing thought if ever there was one.

With the inevitable streaming of Annette's Beastie Baiting, Uber and Leet will be heamorraging subscribers like mad. It might even be enough to change Brockton Bay's reputation from 'scumbag capital of America' to 'that place where they film the kickass monster fights.'
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Sorry I made a snap judgement on your initial post. Ill try to be more openminded in the future.
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As for changing Brockton Bays rep, it probably wont be enough to completely change the city's reputation as a hellhole. It will certainly help, but "scumbag capital" will eclipse "kickass monster fights" unless something is done about all the gangs and villians.

Annette may be a horrible mother, but she has shown a willingness to take out villains. And she has an army of monsters that can be remote piloted...
Maybe she could help clean up the streets? That would also help Brockton Bay's rep.
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On the subject of Annette's monsters, she is cooperating with another tinker, so we could see cyborg monsters in the future! Or drones that are controlled with monster brains!

And because the connection is purely mental, anyone with the right mindset and training can pilot them. So, Lilith could recruit a bunch of people, give them basic training, then use a Cyborg Army to kick some ass!
 
I can now see Taylor, back in the monster body, fighting a gauntlet of her mum's creations, through the arena , then into the backstage. Utilising "Sonnie's Edge"
 
WhoAmEye said:
It's on my to-read list, but I'm kinda waiting until my life is stable enough I can emotionally handle the whole 'abusive ex' aspect
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hellgodsrus said:
I am reading it however. I second the recommendation but yeah, that bit my wife referred to is... stressful.
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I admit, I skipped those chapters for the same reason. I feel that the rest of the story is solid enough to recommend it, but yeah, I can see why you'd want to wait for some stability to dive into it!

Edit: Also, I just had this amusing (well, no actually quite horrifying but amusing out of the wider context) thought;

Tammi: "Join the LGBT club, they said. It'll be good for your secret identity, they said. Stupid sexy flood defences."
 
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Lilith's Manifesto
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    • Lilith's Manifesto
    -.-.-

    I am so very very tired right now.

    The tiredness is deeper than bones (I remember seeing her bones when I picked her up from the floor), deeper than soul (I thought mine shattered and torn and broken beyond weft and weave), deeper than…

    These haven't been lab notes in some time. I don't need notes. That's not how my power works. Not how I work. Maybe not how any tinker works, really. They're comforting, they're a crutch, a placebo, almost. These have always been journals, streams of consciousness. Arguments with myself, maybe. Attempts to pretend that the easiest thing to fix was a muscle strand, or a mistake or…

    It's hard to find words like this. My trade is words, but from that day my soul was blood and bile and bone. I am shriven.

    And Taylor. What has become of my girl. What have I done to her.

    When I saw the heroine following her I first thought it was a strike against me. Selfish? Arrogant? But for all my many flaws I'm not stupid. She doesn't I couldn't suffice to say, Taylor found my actions and found them wanting. And they were, they're - desperate flailings, they're cupping water in my hands as it pours and froths in.

    What do I want?

    I want my daughter to be safe and happy. She isn't, right now. Because of me, because of my mistakes. I have to really own that, that I made mistakes, that I failed. Failed. Failed.

    How do I make her safe and happy?

    Unclear. I think I'll try - having her be without me, for a time. I've failed enough - maybe she needs to leave the nest, or seem to do so, early.

    No, she needs real independence and I'll try to be a safety net because I do not trust that blonde, blithe, smiling girl (Gloryianna? Gloria?) but maybe Taylor will be happier that way.

    Safer…

    I don't think anyone can be safe in this city. In this world, the way it is. I see Kurt and Lacey living hand to mouth with no support, I see literal, actual Nazis walking the streets of the city to say nothing of those who support them and claim they do not fly the flag, I see those who dragged my husband from his car and murdered him and a part of me thinks she was right, Chrissy was right,     fuck the system, fuck my stupid moderate, slow pace of change dumb righteous twenty year old self, let's burn it all to the fucking ground.

    But I don't think Taylor would be safe if I started a hot revolution either.

    So we're going for a mix and match approach. I'll make what I can, I'll make my monsters, my children, pretend they're pets. Build my influence and empire and I'll smile and smile and still be a villain - a pantomime villain, since that's the way the world sees these things, and underneath what they think of as a 'real' villain (I that am not shaped for sportive tricks) - and slowly I'll wind my way round them, whisper poison in their ears, set their council against each other, and laugh as the corpses pile up to feed my girls.

    I want to change this city. I want to save this city. I want Taylor to be safe and happy.

    Lilit was the first wife of Adam, and was cast from Eden for not being subservient before him, or because she found love elsewhere. She is cast a trickster, a demon, a mother of monsters for daring to be born of the same clay.

    I've made so many mistakes. I'm a terrible person. Everyone has a Taylor they are trying to do right by. I will bear the burden, for them, I will take the blame. I will murder and become more terrible and more monstrous by their hands to end their hands. My body and mind sing for it - look how easily the words flow now!

    Let me be Lilith, then, if that's what I must be to make my daughters safe.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Jesus. I hate her. She's relatable. I think I hate her more because she's relatable and I can identify with the winding guilt and paranoia. It's like... everybody hates Greg, the whole fandom, because inside everybody there's a little tiny Greg trying to get out, pestering you at 2am about the cringey shit you did in middle school.

    On another note, we are now officially at the point where, should anything permanent happen to Taylor, Annette will explode rather than implode. I sure am glad Taylor is the protagonist and unlikely to die anytime soon because she's the only thing standing between Brockton and, well, 🔪🔪🔪.
     
    Shard Panic Attack
  • Apocrypha
    • Namer said:
    From 'Lab Notes' to 'Manifesto' too. Her shard is absolutely squealing with glee.
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    Her shard is freaking out.

    Beastie Shard: Host I know I wanted you to get data, but having our creatures fight each other won't get us data.

    Annette Host: Make Daughter's idea a reality, she'll like that right... right!?

    Beastie Shard: Host? Great she isn't listening, well at least she's doing something now, of course if she accepted my idea of stealing local currency with Mini Host in the first place then she'd have bonded with her Bud.

    Annette Host: Yes, this is the best plan, it even has Nazi murder!

    Transportation Shard: I don't see what the problem is.

    Beastie Shard: OF COURSE YOU DON'T YOUR HOST IS AN IDIOT WHO TAPES WHEELS ON THINGS!

    Sherrel Host (while taping wheels to a stick): I feel insulted for some reason.
     
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  • Apocrypha
    • WhoAmEye said:
    I want my daughter to be safe and happy. She isn't, right now. Because of me, because of my mistakes. I have to really own that, that I made mistakes, that I failed. Failed. Failed.
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    Well, she realizes her mistake. Hopefully, she will do better in the fut...
    Oh wait, nvm
    WhoAmEye said:
    Unclear. I think I'll try - having her be without me, for a time. I've failed enough - maybe she needs to leave the nest, or seem to do so, early.
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    Si thats why Annette hasn't gone after Taylor yet.
    WhoAmEye said:
    thinks she was right, Chrissy was right, fuck the system, fuck my stupid moderate, slow pace of change dumb righteous twenty year old self, let's burn it all to the fucking ground.
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    Well, the fireworks should be fun.
    WhoAmEye said:
    So we're going for a mix and match approach. I'll make what I can, I'll make my monsters, my children, pretend they're pets. Build my influence and empire and I'll smile and smile and still be a villain - a pantomime villain, since that's the way the world sees these things, and underneath what they think of as a 'real' villain (I that am not shaped for sportive tricks) - and slowly I'll wind my way round them, whisper poison in their ears, set their council against each other, and laugh as the corpses pile up to feed my girls.
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    When shit hits the fan, it will spray everwhere. Then one a swarm of Annette's supermonsters will swarm the area. Fun.
     
    I'm assuming the Chrissy referred to in her rant is Lustrom.

    So yay Annette has fallen so far into the deep end she is back to agreeing with the radical terrorist group she used to be a member of. Only now she can make remote controlled murder beasts.


    Dis gon be gud.
     
    BiomassDenial said:
    I'm assuming the Chrissy referred to in her rant is Lustrom.

    So yay Annette has fallen so far into the deep end she is back to agreeing with the radical terrorist group she used to be a member of. Only now she can make remote controlled murder beasts.


    Dis gon be gud.
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    Yes because a left wing protest group is definitely actually radical terrorists and hasn't been painted as such in media and post facto because that has literally never happened in the history of America and isn't, in fact, happening right now. Definitely antifa terrorists - sorry, lustrum terrorists.
     
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    hellgodsrus said:
    Yes because a left wing protest group is definitely actually radical terrorists and hasn't been painted as such in media and post facto because that has literally never happened in the history of America and isn't, in fact, happening right now. Definitely antifa terrorists - sorry, lustrum terrorists.
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    Lustrum didn't want to kill or hurt people. However, some of her followers were fanatics and maimed people. The Lustrumite movement as a whole wasn't a terrorist group, but the more extreme members were a radical terrorist group.
    WhoAmEye said:
    Remember, Lustrum never actually approved of the radical violence! It sort of happened after she got sent to the birdcage IIRC?
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    We actually dont know the timeline of events. Lustrum is a background character, and we get few details.
     
    Lustrums followers going too far was what directly lead to her getting caged.

    There was quibbling about whether or not she intended things to get as bad as they did. And she got railroaded in the sense that she took the blame as the leader of the organisation for everything they did.

    But that still doesn't change that folks under her banner and orders were pushing for pretty radical societal change which for some apparently meant castrating and or murdering people.

    Quote from Taylor's perspective in the book.
    "Part-celebrity, part-antihero, she'd gathered a following of college-aged feminists, building up an almost religious fervor, before giving the fateful orders that turned things violent, pushing her thousands of followers to humiliate men, often violently. Things soon escalated to the point that more fanatical followers were emasculating and murdering men, even carving up followers who weren't playing along.

    My mom had, in her graduate school days, been a part of one of Lustrum's groups. She'd backed out around the time things turned violent. I'd heard her wonder out loud, to Lacey, my dad's coworker, whether Lustrum had intended for things to get as bad as they had.

    But they had. A lot of people had suffered"

    She wasn't some poor misunderstood leftist who got shafted by the establishment for been radical and not taking it from the man. They killed people.

    Also this is based on info Taylor got from Annette, I can only imagine the actual established view of her actions is worse.
     
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    WhoAmEye said:
    Remember, Lustrum never actually approved of the radical violence! It sort of happened after she got sent to the birdcage IIRC?
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    As far as I know, it goes something like this;

    Lustrum forms feminist group in college.
    Annette joins group.
    Certain parts of Lustrum's group get angry with the lack of progress.
    Annette senses the wind changing and leaves group.
    The radical part of Lustrum's group mutilate some blokes.
    Lustrum claims responsibility to protect them and is Birdcaged.
    Movement splinters.
    Lustrum takes over control of the breach from the mens' side of the 'cage.
     
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    *FuryouMiko said:
    As far as I know, it goes something like this;

    Lustrum forms feminist group in college.
    Annette joins group.
    Certain parts of Lustrum's group get angry with the lack of progress.
    Annette senses the wind changing and leaves group.
    The radical part of Lustrum's group mutilate some blokes.
    Lustrum claims responsibility to protect them and is Birdcaged.
    Movement splinters.
    Lustrum takes over control of the breach from the mens' side of the 'cage.
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    It was more Lustrum gave direct orders to go out and violently humiliate men and some people took those too far and ended up at mutilation and murder.

    Intentions or a dislike of violence on her part didn't mean much at that point. No direct references to her falling on her sword to protect everyone or anything like that.

    A lot of her "oh she is misunderstood" characterisation is fannon. The few direct references to her throughout worm are pretty clear that things kicked off on her orders even if people did go further than she expected.
     
    ok so in order to prevent misunderstandings we'll make a WOG post on how this instance of Lustrum happened with the next chapter
     
    Yeah all good, I've got no issues with a fannon interpretation of her character as the existing info on her is slim. Probably going to be less of a departure in character than fannon Amy that's for sure.

    Just needed to make it clear to folks that her Cannon details while few and far between don't paint her as a innocent who got in over her head.
     
    Lustrum
  • Informational
    • So, having discussed it with lovely co-author @hellgodsrus

    BiomassDenial said:
    Lustrums followers going too far was what directly lead to her getting caged.

    There was quibbling about whether or not she intended things to get as bad as they did. And she got railroaded in the sense that she took the blame as the leader of the organisation for everything they did.

    But that still doesn't change that folks under her banner and orders were pushing for pretty radical societal change which for some apparently meant castrating and or murdering people.

    Quote from Taylor's perspective in the book.
    "Part-celebrity, part-antihero, she'd gathered a following of college-aged feminists, building up an almost religious fervor, before giving the fateful orders that turned things violent, pushing her thousands of followers to humiliate men, often violently. Things soon escalated to the point that more fanatical followers were emasculating and murdering men, even carving up followers who weren't playing along.

    My mom had, in her graduate school days, been a part of one of Lustrum's groups. She'd backed out around the time things turned violent. I'd heard her wonder out loud, to Lacey, my dad's coworker, whether Lustrum had intended for things to get as bad as they had.

    But they had. A lot of people had suffered"

    She wasn't some poor misunderstood leftist who got shafted by the establishment for been radical and not taking it from the man. They killed people.

    Also this is based on info Taylor got from Annette, I can only imagine the actual established view of her actions is worse.
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    A) Her canon details are literally just that quote from Taylor, who as we know is always reliable on capes and their abilities and pasts - and certainly her deeds have never ever been painted by the press or others in an over-negative light over the course of canon, despite what her motivations or the actual course of events were :rolleyes:.

    B) Frankly? While that seems to have been edited and is better than the original version of that quote from Worm, I think this is WibBib being a fucking dumbass again, so we're taking the, well, more realistic approach vis a vis what tends to actually happen to left wing protest movements i.e. mass smear campaigns, actual physical attacks and assassinations of their leaders, and every attempt possible to discredit them (again, one only has to look at current events to see this is true).

    WOG:
    Lustrum in this fic wanted to tear down the system, but things got out of control with escalating response between her followers and the government. She was willing to try and make things peaceful again, so they could have a second chance and maybe learn from this, but in the end got shafted by the system in the same sort of way Canary was. First offence? Too bad, you're getting Birdcaged. Incredibly disproportionate punishment.
     
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