Surrogate, Season Two Announcement! 9-17-23

Surrogate, Season Two Announcement! 9-17-23

And the INCREDIBLE @sepiabandensis has painted this for us!

AND the incredible @captaincravatthecapricious has painted THIS for us:

Coming 9.17.23!!!

Something that makes me absolutely lose my mind both in a positive and distressing way is how we as humans not only created math but use it for literally EVERYTHING! Like?! you're telling me that we started out with 2+2 then 2x2 then 2/2 and so on and so forth AND we have expanded that knowledge so much that we can now explore SPACE ITSELF with what was once 2+2?

That's literally so insane to me. We, as humans, are doing the unimaginable all with something that we made ourselves long long ago. And to this day our knowledge of it is still expanding. With each passing century, we continue to expand on how to use mathematics to learn and create more. We started with small numbers and building houses and pyramids and doing things as simple as trading money for goods and such, to building rocket ships to space and genetically changing carbon-based things and the most complex equations you could ever see. We made those. With our minds put together and spending countless hours looking at numbers, we did that as a species. Math in general is mind-blowing but when space is added to the mix it actually gets INSANEl

Since as far back as the Egyptians when they built the pyramids to align with stars we've been looking at the stars and have been trying to map out how they work in the sky. Now we have telescopes sent to the farthest reaches of our system, all of that done with math, that we created.

And it's just as beautiful as it is grueling, sometimes taking as long as 4 hours just to work on 2 problems. That's why it's a core subject in school and why we learn it as early on as speaking and colors, because working on it now takes endless hours in order to get right, and even then we still fail at times. Because it's hard and it's beautiful and it's amazing. But still, with something as simple yet complex as numbers, we made literally everything that we see and hear today, EVERYTHING includes math. Human beings took what little we had and made it into the most fundamental part of our existence, not because the universe gave it to us, but because we wanted to see what we could do with it and what we could create. All from simple numbers.

I know for a fact that John was screeching in Arthur’s head this episode

Here we go, the malevolent Kingdom AU (as I've been calling it in my head!). A million thanks to everyone in the gc who helped me flesh this out!

Arthur Lester is the ruler of his kingdom, and has a political marriage to a princess of another kingdom, the beloved Queen Bella. She passed during childbirth and the country mourned, but they had their princess Faroe so there was light.

Years later, there is word of a conquering kingdom, Carcosa, and their sorcerer king. They have taken over a nearby kingdom and are expected to send an envoy soon. Arthur takes his daughter riding. It was supposed to just be riding, but Arthur always brings his hunting bow. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a mythical black stag, and takes off after it. Faroe tries to follow, but her horse bucks when she tried to get it to jump over the river and she falls into it. Arthur doesn't notice as he continues his hunt. A stranger in a yellow cloak approaches, and rescues her. Arthur never finds her. She is presumed dead. He is plagued with dreams of her death, drowning, though he has no logical reason to suspect that.

Parker was a new knight shortly after the incident occurred. It was obvious that the king wasn't really present during the knighting, but everyone reassured him that this was a mourning period. That things would go back to normal shortly. But things never seemed to go back to normal. The years passed, and most advisors left the court. What point was there advising a king who never attended? But this was his home and he had worked so hard to become a knight. So, fed up, he marches into the king's quarters. It looks like the king has been over indulging in the strong wines for a very long time. Slurring his words, he tells Parker to leave, threatens him. Parker can't help but laugh. He is so far from scaring Parker. He drags the king to the washroom and forces him to clean up. This becomes a routine, and with some time Arthur stops threatening and starts talking. He never tells Parker exactly what happened that fateful day in the woods, but between what Arthur let's slip and the rumors he can figure it out.

For years, he never hears word from the wicked King in Yellow, until he sends an invitation. His daughter, the princess of Carcosa, has come of age and it is time to introduce her to the world. Parker convinces Arthur to go, and to Arthur's shock, he sees Faroe sitting beside the King in Yellow. She seems to be scowling at him. He tries to run up to her but is escorted out of the ball.

When they arrive home, Arthur and Parker work tirelessly to find information on Carcosa and its king. He is rumored to be immortal, but one text says that his immortality comes from a piece of his soul being put into a weapon, the most human part. This weapon is the only way to defeat him, though wielding it comes at great cost. They resolve to find this cursed sword.

They come across it on their adventure, and Arthur grabs it. The moment he touches it, he hears a terrifying growl behind him, and turns to see a beast fast approaching. Without hesitation he runs the sword through the beast. Arthur hears Parker call his name as he does, and only when the beast's heart has fully stopped does he see the truth. It was only an illusion, and he has just killed his knight, his only friend. A voice in his head laughs, but Arthur realizes it is coming from the sword.

The fragment of the King in Yellow that has been put into the sword has the ability to distort what Arthur sees, and speaks to him. It's power only grows with every death caused by it. But the journey seems to change the fragment, and as his only companion on this journey, Arthur begins to trust it.

Along the way, the come across many foes and treacherous situations along with allies, including a healer named Lily. At some point they walk into the land of the Fae and encountering their ruler, a being who loves to make deals and play tricks, who only goes by Kayne.

Like I said, not 100% fleshed out and details are liable to change but its been rotating in my head long enough it deserves to be set free. It first started bouncing around my mind when i saw this amazing art and has changed a ton since the first iteration I had! Please feel free to ask questions, use the ideas, etc.

“Arthur look at the stage, I think Bonnie might have moved. Ok good he’s still there. Ok now look at pirate cove.”

“…Arthur he’s gone.”

“What?”

“Foxy is gone Arthur close the door ARTHUR”

“I-I’m trying John! Let the find the button!”

“Jesus fucking Christ Arthur!”

Thinking about the time I took a big sip of McDonald’s sprite and literally felt the back of my head tingle