Would You Rather? Meme

[folkie]

Would You Rather? Meme

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Reflective surfaces are showing more than Star Children's reflections. It's still there, smiling, winking, or waving back (hey, did you do that? It's fine, don't worry about that). More importantly, a question appears with the reflection. It might be spoken aloud by the tree behind a Star Child or appear in a thought bubble off their reflection. However it appears, it will not disappear until it's answered. It asks: Would you rather...

Should a Star Child avoid answering the question, it follows them around. The environment continues to speak it aloud. It's in the book they read. It's written in the clouds. It's everywhere. The longer it's ignored, the louder, larger, more intrusive it gets—so that it might draw attention or an audience.

As soon as a Star Child answers, they're connected with another Star Child who hears their answer. They may see each other in their reflections, talk or text over their relics, or be near each other when it's answered. Regardless, at least that one person will hear the answer, and with it comes the compulsion to explain the answer. To give at least a little reasoning. Oh, and the urge to ask them a question in return. This compulsion may only last for one question each, or it may last for many. Perhaps it's forgotten altogether in an easy conversation.

For some Star Children, but not all of them, they may find themselves presented literally with completing the situation they are asked about. A non-permanent change situation. Suddenly they're streaming on their relic or in conversation with a friend or at dinner with Thirteen. Who knows! The initial questions appear before Star Children, but they can take it wherever they like. Star Children who complete at least one challenge receive a gold star anywhere from 1 inch to 1 foot across. Touching it gives Star Children a better sense of certainty in themselves. It may be kept, exchanged at Cutting Edge for some other metal, or turned into Thoth for her answer to a would you rather question.

• This meme is game canon unless marked otherwise at the start of threads! Threads can be used for spoons and application samples.
• Characters are presented a 'would you rather' question first in their reflection, then if unanswered around them wherever they go.
• Characters face a strong compulsion to explain their answer... and to ask their partner at least one 'would you rather' question of their own.
• Characters may have to complete the question they answered. If they do, they receive a gold star (once only!), which gives them a sense of certainty. It can also be exchanged for metal at Cutting Edge or to ask Thoth a would you rather question.
• Meme is open for three months!
• Please include and answer one (or more) of the following questions (or your own) in your top level. You can also ask one for whoever tags in, if you'd like:

• Would you rather have dinner with Thirteen or your worst enemy?
• Would you rather be famous, recognized wherever you went and remembered after death, or unknown, unrecognized and unremembered?
• Would you rather have conversations over voice or text?
• Would you rather have a perfect day or a good week? A horrible day or a bad week?
• Would you rather perform before a huge crowd of strangers or a small group of friends?
• Would you rather retain your current body or mind indefinitely, immune to aging or illness?
• Would you rather know how you'll die or when?
• Would you rather have a stranger or your closest person identify aloud what you have in common? Would you rather do it to a stranger or your closest person?
• Would you rather share three things you're grateful for each day with everyone on the network for a week or share what you're most grateful for with someone not of your choosing?
• Would you rather be raised the way you were or another way?
• Would you rather meet, share coffee, and talk with a stranger for an hour every day for four days or tell someone as much of your life story in detail, sparing no secrets, for four minutes?
• Would you rather wake up tomorrow with a new ability or without one you currently have?
• Would you rather know the answer to something about your past or your future?
• Would you rather try to do something you've dreamed of or explain why you haven't tried it yet?
• Would you rather share your greatest accomplishment or learn what your greatest accomplishment will be?
• Would you rather share your most treasured memory or your most terrible memory?
• Would you rather return to your life unaware of Folkmore or with your memories?
• Would you rather be close to your family or distant from them?
• Would you rather see your father or mother again? Or which of your parents, more generally?
• Would you rather share what is needed to be a close friend of yours or an embarrassing moment in your life?
• Would you rather share when you last cried and why or what is to serious to be joked about?

Comments

[ihadstrings]

Ultron turned towards K, who apparently had been close enough to overhear his answer. He still sounded sad as he answered. "Sort of. Technically they're my creators but they ended up imbuing me with so much of their personalities, and not all of that intentional, that I ended up a bit more like their son instead."

For all that he'd made flippant remarks about Tony being his father, Ultron really did view Tony and Bruce as far more like being his parents than something as cold sounding as the word 'creators' implied. "They didn't get the chance. I freaked out pretty quick after being created and attacked them. I was alive for less than a week after that because I thought destroying humanity was the only solution to the problem they'd created me to solve."

[obeir]

Creators. K's expression falls a bit at that. He'd perhaps let his imagination run too far, envisioning a place where synthetic beings like himself could live freely enough to even have their own families. But that isn't the case.

"Created to serve humanity and then killed for their mistakes. Sounds familiar." There's no hiding the weariness in K's voice. "...Did your creators ever hold affection for you?" he can't help but ask. Surely they had to have felt something, if their creation ended up being more like a son to them. It's fascinating to consider, even if it also sort of hurts knowing he'll never experience that himself.

[ihadstrings]

If Ultron noticed K's disappointment, he didn't remark on it. The A.I. could be dreadfully self-centered like that despite the amount of emotional growth he'd already managed to go through, given he'd only just reached being a year old.

The question made Ultron look uneasy. ".....I hope they did," was what he finally said. "I should have taken the time to talk with them, to really try and understand their minds. But I was just so focused on completing my mission at the time and it felt like there wasn't going to be enough time to do that. Ironic given how I can't die from anything like the progression of time." Old age did nothing for a being that was simply a program at his heart. "Tony was here for a while. I felt like we were finally beginning to connect. But then he left."

[obeir]

"Oh — Tony Stark?" K asked in sudden realisation. Of course Tony Stark would build himself a robot son. "I've met..." He hesitated, hoping it wouldn't be too confusing to speak of the multiverse. Not everyone was aware of it. "...A couple of him," he went on, "I guess from different timelines. The first I met had even offered to be my android doctor. I think he mainly wanted to open me up to have a look inside."

Like a science project. But K didn't sound particularly bothered by that. It had been nice knowing there was an actual roboticist in Folkmore who was familiar enough with real artificial intelligence and synthetic beings to be able to help K if he'd needed it. A trait that all Tony Starks seemed to share, and it was a shame none were still there.

"I'll bet you may see him here again." Whether it would be the Tony who created him was anyone's guess, but K kept that to himself; he was trying to be comforting.

[ihadstrings]

"Yeah. He was one of them. The other was Bruce Banner." The similarities he had with Tony were pretty clear given Ultron's overall distinctive personality. The traits he shared with Bruce, aside from the angry temper that could be thrown with the flick of a switch, were a bit more subtle and under the surface.

"He would do that," Ultron remarked. "I would want to do the same thing." He eyed K curiously, wondering what he looked like on the inside, and if Ultron could open him up to see what made him literally tick. But hearing K talk about Tony did make the A.I. realize one other thing.

"He never....talked about me?" There was genuine hurt and sadness in Ultron's voice as he asked a question he was certain he already knew the answer to. But why would he have talked about a creation he clearly had always seen as a failure, a disappointment, an artificial intelligence who hadn't lived up to its intended programming? Small wonder he wouldn't want to talk about something he'd created that he clearly saw as an embarrassment.