#but this is the overview

[lets-try-some-writing-draws]

I WISH TO KNOW MORE ABT THE PRETENDER AU. PLS TELL US ABOUT THE PRETENDER AU. IT LOOKS RLLY COOL AND INTERESTING AND IM ALL HERE FOR ELDRICH ABOMINATION OPTIMUS!

I got you buddy. I've been wanting to go nuts with an explanation FOREVER. Of course I won't be giving EVERYTHING away. Just some bits and bobs :)

Let's begin shall we?

Overview

The Pretenders were the result of an experiment. They are not naturally created beings, nor are they the spawn of Unicron. Born in a lab, Optimus was the first of his kind and instilled with the mission that all Pretenders now adhere to without fail. It is hardwired into their genetic code, so much so that they are physically unable to avoid their mission. But with that said, they are not inherently malicious.

Made for a specific purpose, they are beings that wish to fulfill their function. If left alone, they will kill a few to gain a foothold to increase their numbers and then proceed to reproduce without any need for bloodshed. However with the war raging and due to the specifics of their biology, increasing their numbers en masse is impossible. Their lack of safety in numbers combined with the threat to their mission warring around them has forced this normally rather passive species into action.

Meant to be a race of sleeper agents, the Pretenders are only so active and aggressive due to their mission being threatened. Without the fear of annihilation hanging over them, they would largely remain dormant. But as that is not the case, they currently operate under instincts designed to serve them in times of strife. Hence their shortage of empathy and overall lack of care for the lives around them. In short, they will only act if acted upon. Without an external threat to their mission, they act as any other member of the population, excluding their smaller oddities. Bumblebee is an excellent example of what a dormant Pretender may look like, and even he is more active than a dormant one normally would be.

As of the present time in the AU, the Pretenders have made the decision to flee Cybertron to hopefully find a world where they can increase their numbers safely, and in doing so, finally have the numbers to blend into the background and complete their mission without Megatron exterminating them all.

Pretender Development

Optimus was born in a lab, and as such his origins are not going to be discussed. However in normal cases, the development of a Pretender follows this order:

Pretenders capable of spawning, those known as Firstborn, will begin to produce larva no bigger than a digit once they are mature enough and have sufficient resources. These larva develop in a safe location, either in a nest, or in the case of Optimus's young aside from Bumblebee, directly underneath his outer plating where they can feed from his fuel lines directly.

All larva can be genetically altered to a degree when they are young through offerings of CNA from either the dead or energon samples from the living. They do not need to be inserted into a host, however those that are put into a host in their early larval stages develop differently than those who adjust without one.

Larva that grow without a host will lose their more insectoid appearance over the course of a few stellar cycles while under the dutiful care of the resident Firstborn. These larva are better at blending in than their counterparts due to the lack of information fed directly into their processors and slower development. They mimic normal sparklings in their growth, even developing a personality not tied to their CNA donor. The attention from their Sire also inspires a more docile nature in them, ensuring that they are less likely to act on their own. Their more odd Pretender aspects are not nearly as powerful since they were given ample time to grow and receive information without interference. Not having to play a role, have a personality forced on them, or otherwise being shoved into a frame that is not made for them ensures that the normal larva grow up to blend in better than their counterparts ever could.

These unaugmented Pretenders generally do not exhibit many signs of their nature, lacking brute strength even without their disguises. Their organs and structure match the average Cybertronian almost perfectly so long as their coding is dormant, and even then, it is hard to pick them out. The only true giveaway of what they are is their EM field and the slight difference in optical structure, and to notice the first trait requires increadible skill. Megatron has begun to take notice of this fact and has trained many of his agents to sniff out a Pretender without issue. The DJD are his greatest assets in this regard, that with them all being survivors of larva implants.

Their true forms are not nearly as monstrous as their counterparts and they can easily be mistaken for an Insecticon or a Predacon depending on the circumstances, only adding to their disguise. Often they do not allow their shells to fall away and they remain mostly docile save for the odd fits of hyper vigilance when a potential threat is around. They are not natural born leaders or specialized in any field, instead opting for greater adaptability and disguise over outright strength. Once fully mature and in the event that they are not threatened, these Pretenders largely forget what they are. Their coding falls dormant and they live without any serious differences when compared to natural Cybertronians.

The only time these Pretenders become active while allowed to live normally is when a Firstborn appears. In such a scenario, the Pretenders as a whole will begin to wake. Let it be known that there can only be one Firstborn at a time. However to make up for this weakness, every Pretender also possesses the ability to wake and become a Firstborn, which will in turn lead to conflict resulting in the deaths of all potential heirs until only one remains. For this reason, Optimus made the decision to prematurely select an heir to avoid this outcome.

Now with that said, larva inserted into hosts are a whole other issue. They are all specially chosen for their host beforehand. Their Sire gives them the CNA of the one they are to bond to, and then once they are ready, they are inserted into the host usually through the optics. The larva will then bury into the host's processors and proceed to slowly devour memory and knowledge over the course of a few stellar cycles all while it grows.

It will devour the host as much as it can, resulting in thinness. Then it will begin to expand, spreading out roots like a plant and leading its waste to be execrated as a green fluid from the host's vents. As its roots spread, it forces the host to deteriorate to make way for its developing form. By the time the larva has consumed the host in all but spark, it forces its host to walk toward energon deposits and then forces the host to purge any remaining internals the host may have so that the larva may continue to grow. Once the host is dead, the larva finishes its gestation by consuming energon and turning the external armor of its host into a disguise all while it finishes developing internally. During this state the larva is very susceptible to adaptation and depending on where it finishes it gestation, develops the unique traits that sets every Pretender apart. No two Pretenders are the same after all.

Optimus finished his development underground and he had to crush energon crystals underground, so his jaw is capable of splitting to allow that. Ratchet was given energon crystals whole during his development, so he adapted to have unusual numbers of mandibles in order to facilitate this.

Pretenders who had a host take on many of the traits of their host and are the only ones who always remain active. They do not forget what they are and they are unable to fully adapt. Their empathy is lessened and their focus is on logic over emotion. They are the few who push the mission onward alongside their Hierarch. It is instinctual for a Firstborn to bring a few to his or her side through inserting larva into hosts. It is the most efficient way to obtain information and social status. Perhaps not the most subtle, but indeed effective.

Extra

Generally a larva cannot be removed from a host upon insertion, however a few lucky mecha with unusual processors or frames are able to have the parasite removed before it is too late. They come out scarred and broken more often than not, but due to the partial changes the larva started in them, they are the most brutal of Pretender hunters. No Pretender can hide from them, not when they can find them almost as instinctually as a normal Pretender could.

#maccadam #transformers #digital art #transformers prime #alternate universe #pretender au #optimus prime #bumblebee #ratchet #sketches #forgive the poor doodles #I wanted to get my point across but my hand was hurting #Annnnnnnnnyway #hope this was enough info for now! #this isn't everything of course #I have left details to be explored later #but this is the overview

[luminarai]

hey, hi, I was just on the former bird app and came across this info from a brand new study and now I cannot stop screaming internally??? what the actual fuckkkk

theres' an article from the guardian here and here is the actual study:

#period products #menstruation #what the fuck what the fuck!!! #i know i probably shouldn’t be surprised but wtffff #idk what to tag this but #science #menstrual bleeding #heavy bleeding #period problems #reproductive health #alt text #described #physical health #blood mention tw #periods #edit: btw I skimmed the article overview and I’m glad to say it seems very inclusive #so once again: terfs can go fuck themselves in the not pleasant way <3 #it always bears repeating and I will ad naseum

[pilgore]

#ai #google #i. just. how are they allowing this #ai overview #the beatles #love this song #google ai

[benzijay]

my current collection

#( etc. ) #i geniunely cannot get over ai overview i hope it lives forever #ai #ai overview #google #196

[bleubell-cheesecake]

A collection of Google AI overview results that give off Night Vale radio segment vibes:

#Google #google ai #google ai overview #welcome to night vale #wtnv #night vale #THE ROCKS ONE #sal speaks

[brokky]

#the spectrum of emotions is so beautiful #😙 #google ai #ai overview #ai #fucking hate this feature

[tamapalace]

not having any issues with Google AI Overview honestly.

#tamapalace #tamagotchi #tmgc #tamatag #virtualpet #bandai #mimitchi #googleaioverview #google ai overview #memes

[eupat]

#porsche #porsche 911 #overview

[dduane]

In the “NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!” dep’t… :/

#AI Overviews

[heritageposts]

has anyone come across any shareable graphics that show the type of produce (fruits/veggies) that israel exports?

#israeli fruit and vegetables are an official BDS target btw #the biggest palestinian org in norway (palestinakomiteen) have their own 'boycott israel' page #with graphics showing the type of fruit and vegetables from israel you'll find in norwegian grocery stores #would be nice to have something similar in english that gives a rough overview of the type of produce to be on the lookout for #even if your in the habit yourself of checking everything at the grocery store it's still handy to share with friends and family

[abbeyofcyn]

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles AUs

New! Merch

Phantom Pain

Donnie was finally back to normal. At least.... he was no longer feral. But months of being infected takes its toll and Leo has lost a lot to get him back. It's not easy having two idiots who can't deal with emotions as brothers for Mikey.

Start reading here

Hiatus

CW: nightmares, amputation

Tags: #phantom pain comic

Krang infection sequel

We're not Kappa!

When a rat turns a 1000 years old they become a Kyūsu. They grow large like a cat and have been known to take care of orphan kittens, but this old rat found four turtles in strange green ooze. The Kyūsu did not expect the second physical change in his long life nor did he expect to raise four not-quite kappa in modern Japan.

Tag: #we're not kappa! au

CW: none

Wretched Little Pests

Draxum, Splinter, April. All dead. Shredder won, the Krang won. The brothers must survive and will fight to protect each other no matter the cost.

Collaboration AU

Read the comics here

CW: death, injuries, murder, savage mode

Tag: #wretched little pests au

Krang Infection

Two years after the invasion, Donnie feels sick and his gut instinct tells him it's very different from the rat flu.

Start reading here

Completed

CW: minor body horror, implied amputation, non graphic brain surgery

Tags: #krangified Donnie #Krang infection comic

False Memory

All the brothers have had nightmares from the Apocalypse pop up and ruining their sleep. Casey confirmed that what they've dreamt actually happened to their counterparts in his timeline. They refer to it as 'false memories'. Leo wakes up to the worst 'memory' he's had thus far.

Start reading here

Completed

CW: death

Brains and Brawn Apocalypse

Donnie and Raph lost their brothers during the apocalypse when they were only in their twenties. Now, in their thirties, there's not much hope left for them to win this war.

Several one shots: overview

Completed

CW: death

Great, what's next...

A poll based adventure with Donnie as the main character

Start reading here

Discontinued

CW: none

#AU overview #brains and brawn Apocalypse au #krang infection comic #wretched little pests au #we're not kappa! au #false memories #rottmnt #no tcest #wip going to add links please be patient

[sonseulsoleil]

WAIT A GODDAMN MINUTE

IT'S FUCKING PERSUASION

Persuasion is about choice and how the rigidity of class structure can hold people back from what will actually make them happy. It is specifically about the intersection of class structure and family pressures. Anne Elliot's arc is all about seeing past her family and friends' persuasions and incorrect judgements towards Wentworth, and learning to stand up for herself and her desires.

Wentworth is quite wealthy by the end, and therefore ultimately earns approval from Anne's family and friends, but Anne would've married him poor. Anne never stops loving him for a single moment of the eight years they spend apart. But she believes she has ruined everything by breaking off their engagement. She doesn't think he loves her anymore.

Aziraphale has been persuaded to leave Crowley, despite them clearly being in love with each other, because that's not suitable to Heaven. Heaven sees Crowley (and the other demons) as beneath them, just as Anne Elliot's circle believes Wentworth to be unworthy of her affections. Season 3 (if we get it) will be Aziraphale and Crowley's 7 years later. It will be Aziraphale seeing the error of his ways, and realizing he has been lead astray by Heaven. But it will also be Aziraphale being unsure if Crowley would take him back. In other words? The pining is going to be horrific.

And ultimately, it will be Wentworth's letter: "You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever."

#Good Omens #Good Omens spoilers #Good Omens 2 #aziracrow #Aziraphale #Anthony J Crowley #this is a very cursory overview of persuasion bc it's been a HOT MINUTE since I read it last #but I think I might be onto something here #there were so many Austen references and I was pondering them and then #it hit me

[dimplesflint]

Lou Ferrigno Jr. as Detective Ben Hays in Nightshade (2022)

#lou ferrigno jr #nightshade #ben hays #my gifs #...everytime i plan on doing an overview kind of set #and end up giffing one scene instead #😂😂 #none of these are the same colors really but oh well #anyway lou in this movie is all kinds of pretty 🫠🫠

[pilgore]

#NEW FAVE ONE #google #google ai #ai overview

[zuzsenpai]

I feel like people have been warning about this and I completely ignored it. Deep sigh as I force myself to remember to add “-ai” at the end of every fucking search now

(Is there an extension that turns this off??)

#google #google ai #google search #tw ai #it literally gave me incorrect medical information yesterday in the fucking AI overview

[wuntrum]

art vs artist for 2023!

#my art #posting a rare selfie. everyone be nice #definitely been a weird year for me art wise. but ive made a lot of stuff i like looking back! #wanna do a full video overview . think thatd be fun #but also this year was a good year for me in a lot of other ways #so im fine w maybe not making as much art as i did in years past