Baby Clone

EndymionYesterday at 11:51 PM
1) Bodyguard/knight/guardian/protector Whatever crush
2) Original pantheon of gods getting up to typical god shenanigans
3) Clones and the nature of personhood and whether anyone is truly "disposable"

ManimalCrackersYesterday at 11:52 PM
1 and 3 sound fucking sexy

EndymionYesterday at 11:53 PM
CONSIDER:
BOTH
HEAR ME OUT

ManimalCrackersYesterday at 11:53 PM
UH HUH

EndymionYesterday at 11:54 PM
Character A is someone Extremely Important, doesn't matter what, doesn't matter why, but their life is in danger so they require round-the-clock security through a rotation of what are basically supersoldiers born and bred to kick ass and maintain absolute loyalty to whoever they serve
Except one in particular is just a Little Bit Wrong
A Little Bit Off
A Little Bit more inclined to inconvenient things such as "wants" and "individuality"
They start out just the same as all their fellows but gradually, through little prods and pushes, the cracks in their conditioning begin to show
They shouldn't want this
They know their only purpose is to be a shield

ManimalCrackersYesterday at 11:56 PM
oh man

EndymionYesterday at 11:56 PM
THAT SLOW PROCESS OF LEARNING HOW TO BE A HUMAN AND LOVE SOMEONE ELSE AT THE SAME TIME
DELECTABLE

ManimalCrackersYesterday at 11:56 PM
YEAH
god its like fish-out-of-water but its the whole human condition
jesus
consider: theyre helmeted most of the time too. and they just. at some point have this intimate scene of actually removing their helmet and seeing faces with their own eyes.
hrrnngh

EndymionYesterday at 11:57 PM
YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

ManimalCrackersYesterday at 11:57 PM
HRHHNNGH THATS GOOD

EndymionYesterday at 11:57 PM
MANI
MANI I NEED TO HIT YOU WITH SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT

ManimalCrackersYesterday at 11:58 PM
hit me

EndymionYesterday at 11:59 PM
They've never once been touched tenderly at any point in their existence. It's always been perfunctory holds for examination or through actual life-or-death combat (no such thing as sparring because why hold back on a clone when you can just make more?)
So the first time their charge lays a gentle hand on their face
Not to hurt
Not to harm
Just to be there
It causes a whole goddamn existential crisis

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:00 AM
god, yeah
theres a fucking flinch from that guard just because every touch has been so commanding, or so damn-near deadly if theyve made it this far already
but its just. genuine intimacy. and it may or may not cause an honest to god breakdown

EndymionToday at 12:03 AM
Consider: They flinch and close their eyes and immediately bare their neck for getting their head lopped off because their charge is well within their rights to terminate them for any reason or no reason at all and even if they can't see a reason, surely there must be something they did wrong, because why else would that touch exist if not to punish them?
The first thing they learned is that their life has no meaning outside of the satisfaction of the person they're created to protect
They're easily replaced
Step one toe out of line and goodbye, existence, it was nice knowing you

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:04 AM
also consider: they dont have a name
they have a number
or some codename that really doesnt give them significance

EndymionToday at 12:04 AM
YESSSSSSSSS
SHIT
FUCK
GOD DAMN

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:05 AM
none of the other ones have ever expressed a desire to know one another long enough to give each other nick names

EndymionToday at 12:05 AM
And and and

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:05 AM
its just. letters and numbers. identification codes.

EndymionToday at 12:06 AM
Their charge is like, "Yeah, no, too hard to remember, you're Jimothy now."
They start out calling all the clones by one Normal Human Name but then they gradually learn to pick out which of the clones is Their Favorite and name them something different because they're Special
OR WAIT
"You should get to pick one yourself. It's your choice."
"... Whatever you want is fine."
"Nope, nuh-uh, I'm not making the decision this time, it's all you, buddy."
"[Clone.exe has stopped]"

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:09 AM
[Windows XP Shutdown Noise]

EndymionToday at 12:09 AM
Charge gets way too into it and brings in a whole fuckin' stack of baby name books like, "HERE, read all these and find one you like."
"I don't like anything."
"Shut up, sure you do."
"If you say I do, then I do."

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:10 AM
God, they look through a dictionary or something. Anything to give them ideas.
Also, also, also
We have the potential to have a corporate concept here with these supersoldiers
like

EndymionToday at 12:11 AM
Oh oh oh, or consider
(Pls go on with your thought)

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:11 AM
this clone is on rotation with their charge. they have to fucking. put the mask back on. deal with going through the rest of their time because if they expose even a smidgen of rational human behavior its grounds for some sort of termination
i dont know if you saw blade runner 2049 but theres a scene where like
they use a special code to determine if a replicant is continuing consistent behavior or if its becoming self aware

EndymionToday at 12:12 AM
I want, like. A futuristic mafia type deal, you know?? Where it's like, clones are illegal except in government-sponsored scientific ventures but this bigwig got a hold of some black market technology and he's just been going wild trying to make a bunch of thugs to protect his heir
Oooooh, sounds neat! I've never watched Blade Runner but I Should

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:13 AM
the first one has some iffy parts but like. its a really good exploration of cloning and robotics and What It Means To Be Human and aware and conceptually it follows this pretty well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrP-_T-h9YM
YouTube
DE4AL7
Blade Runner 2049 Baseline Test (Both Scenes)

this scene is the main character dealing with that test
but YEAH I LIKE THE MAFIA CONCEPT TOO
oh man

EndymionToday at 12:14 AM
So it's literally Them Against The Whole World
If they're found out

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:14 AM
god, yeah. if theyre found out by anyone.
god thats good
its criminal activity but if that bigwig finds out his knock off clone thugs are sentient hes gonna fucking flip
he doesnt want real people, he wants things

EndymionToday at 12:16 AM
Another product to be moved, another possession to be owned, particularly if they're THAT protective of their eventual successor, anything that poses a threat to what he thinks is Proper ain't gonna exist for much longer

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:18 AM
He needs it to follow orders, not feel conflicted about them just because they've grown attached. He's got this awful militaristic attitude about his little collection of thugs.
God, consider, they go on the run or something and the guard has to fend off their clones. Themselves.

EndymionToday at 12:19 AM
OH HELL FUCKING YEAH
And consider
Consider also

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:19 AM
Very literally killing themselves in a way

EndymionToday at 12:19 AM
Scene where they get separated
And then our clone comes back, seemingly no worse for wear
But it's not them because EVERY CLONE PLOTLINE NEEDS TO HAVE ONE
I DON'T CARE HOW CLICHE IT IS

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:20 AM
oh god oh fuck
its not them
its cliche but its good

EndymionToday at 12:20 AM
Cliches are cliche for a reason and we're going self-indulgent, baybey
So I think depending on which role you wanna take, I have some half-baked ideas for both our main characters

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:21 AM
I kinda wanna take the role of the guard truth be told? If that's okay? I'm really cool with either but something sounds fun about trying to write the mental change.

EndymionToday at 12:22 AM
Totally good in my book since I find the other character more interesting anyway

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:22 AM
nice

EndymionToday at 12:22 AM
Imagine trying to be well-adjusted growing up as a future mafioso
But he (they're a he now I just decided) is SO starved for any kind of positive interaction and in many ways, he's still childish
Selfish
Spoiled
Deeply empathetic, which ain't good for this line of work
Willing to see himself in a line of walking, talking meatshields

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:24 AM
god
i love him

EndymionToday at 12:24 AM
This is honestly gonna be a challenge for me as well because I gravitate toward self-aware bastards but I think it'll be a nice change

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:25 AM
It's okay, it'll be a bit of a challenge for me too! Usually my characters that I play are pretty self-aware and knowledgeable but I kinda expect this guard to be a bit of a meathead ngl
Or at the very least blunt as a bat

EndymionToday at 12:25 AM
LOVE that

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:25 AM
i mean all they do is fight and guard and sleep and do other big person things
sentient thought? for like, no part of their lifespan? thats gonna be Weird on the development cycle

EndymionToday at 12:27 AM
All they've had for company is each other and handlers who barely looked at them much less talked to them
So getting paired up with a curious chatterbox for hours on end every day is gonna be. Something!
It's something alright!

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:27 AM
god, it sure is!
"So what do you do when you're not, y'know, here with me!"
"What needs to be done."
"Which is?"
"[Shrug.]"
honestly i think the guard's gonna be a he too. what are the odds the uncle's like. weird about it. wants it only to be men or something for some reason.
hes got some shitty reasons that theres "less emotions involved" or something

EndymionToday at 12:32 AM
YEP "absolutely no chance of catching feelings Ha Ha There's No Way This Is Gonna Backfire"

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:33 AM
and the genome is probably based off of some cookie cutter military guy, honestly. poor guy's so damn indistinct as far as appearance goes

EndymionToday at 12:33 AM
Oh oh oh
But what if it's
A Little more sentimental than that

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:33 AM
oh

EndymionToday at 12:33 AM
One of the boss's old friends
Died protecting him

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:34 AM
oh man

EndymionToday at 12:34 AM
Instilling in every clone that same loyalty
(Cue grumbling when all is revealed, "knew the fucker was too goddamn handsome for his own good")

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:35 AM
god
the original dude was already really chiseled and toned as it is.
but man the clones just get. beefy.
theyre lorge

EndymionToday at 12:38 AM
I'm still waffling on what to do appearance-wise because I'd lay down and die before I made an itty bitty twink to swoon longingly over your guy's muscles but also the SIZE DIFFERENCE LOVER IN ME.........

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:38 AM
do it
give in to your love for size difference and twinks
consider: hes a fucking bottom anyway because hes romantically stunted as hell

EndymionToday at 12:38 AM
OKAY
NOW THAT, WE CAN WORK WITH
Manlet tops are IN

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:39 AM
i normally dont like labelling tops and bottoms but like. come on.

EndymionToday at 12:39 AM
Switches are the only way to live, do NOT @ me

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:39 AM
youre fucking right

EndymionToday at 12:39 AM
But I do think it makes sense for my guy to be the, like,
Main Initiator for basically everything

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:39 AM
for sure!

EndymionToday at 12:40 AM
He's entitled and used to getting his way in all things, so why should this be any different?
But he's not Completely stinky, very curious, very open to new experiences, but also emotionally stunted in a different way from clone lad that he has room to grow out of as they get closer

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:42 AM
God, the guard having to escort him in public. They've got a lot to hide, and they've probably gotta act normal depending on who they're surrounded by too.

EndymionToday at 12:43 AM
I think that outside of rare trips to shit like auctions, bars where back-alley dealings are taking place, stuff like that, he'd be relatively isolated, which contributes to this need for freedom and longing to escape
So imagine he's always pushing his bodyguard to sneak out with him
"C'mon, just for a few minutes, nobody will know"
"If you don't then I'll sneak out anyway without you and probably get kidnapped and die or something, so you'd better come with me"

ManimalCrackersToday at 12:45 AM
The guard just watches him climbing out of his like, I dunno, ten story window.
"...Damn it."

EndymionToday at 12:46 AM
That thing happens where he almost slips and the guard is there to grab his hand just in the nick of time
"See? I'm a walking disaster. Need me some supervision. Are you coming or are you just gonna keep holding my hand like that?"
Manlet time

MANLET TIME

Let's see...
I like single-syllable nicknames
Christopher, but he's named after his father Who He Hates so he goes exclusively by Kit
Christopher "Kit" Hale Jr. sounds appropriately smug but also kind of adorable

EndymionToday at 12:59 PM
Thinking about the whole headache of whether clones can actually consent is gonna be interesting to explore
Like, "Do you actually want this or is it because I want this so you're mirroring what you think I want you to do because you've been conditioned to be servile the whole, what, year you've been alive?"