I don't know about you guys, but I think it will be really interesting to explore how sex and sexuality would develop in the Madnessverse, especially societies acceptance of prostitution, pornography, erotic art and literature, and non-traditional genders and sexual identities. Is there a Sigmund Freud and a Carl Jung? Masters, Butler and Kinsey, will they exist? What about the development of scientific studies on sex, sex reassignment surgeries, the production of condoms, satisfiers, and contraceptive pills? I imagine, for instance, the Europans being very similar to OTL France during the Belle Époque and the roaring 20s: much more open-minded than it's neighbors. West Germania, Italy, Austria and the Southern German States before the advent of Peter I and the new HRE, will be similar, I guess. I'm not sure about the Illuminist ideas on sexuality, they can be either extremely liberal or extremely conservative -as most communist states were IOTL. Eduist Brazil and the Neutrality Pact Nations, I believe would be much like their OTL counterparts of the time: male promiscuity and brothel frequentation is tolerated and even expected, with female and LGBT sexuality frowned upon or repressed, and erotic art and pornography banned but circulating only underground. Now, it's in the RU and the other Fascist Nations with their racial ideologies that things get interesting: is Better-Infee intercourse considered bestiality? What about intercourse between different Better races? I can totally imagine underground literature, art and films depicting such acts being strictly forbidden but still circulating and widely popular.
"What Madness Is This?" Volume II: Prophecies in the Dark
- Thread starter Napoleon53
- Start date
I’m gonna take a gander on Pennington’s secret: I think maybe he’s Custers bastard son that Custer didn’t know existed. 99% chance I’m wrong though.
'
I've been thinking about that as well. Other theories I have are
that he is a secret surviving mexican or a foreing spy. He can be a Worm cultist, which given what we know about them, is a real possibility and maybe he even has contact with Fred Merkwudigliebe and knows the truth behind the sootstorms.
Glad to see again all that juicy content here in the new thread!
“It’s him! It’s Graham! He’s the Devil in disguise! Run, you fools! Run while you still can!”
“It’s him! It’s Graham! He’s the Devil in disguise! Run, you fools! Run while you still can!”
My guess as to what is going on with Pennington is that he is a Worm cultist. However, that would be almost boring for this timeline, so there is probably something extra happening. For example, Pennington has a Tobias-level harem of Mexican indentured Infies and uses them and his illegitimate children as the nucleus of a Charles Manson style Aztec restorationist and Worm worshipping cult with the goal of causing a wave of uprisings across the Union. Once the RU has been brought to its knees, Pennington might guess, he can emerge from the Metropolis Underground with his LSD addled and cocaine frenzied Aztec army to rule the new world of warlords and megacorps. Let's see how that works out for him.
You're all wrong! Muaha, his secret is much more interesting and dark. *Rubs hands* I can't wait to get to it because it's gonna be super fun to write.
If I recall correctly, In the Union Forever, there was a chapter after the 1936 cuba raid talking about how the infee laborers were brought to the mainland and auctioned off. It mentions how Huey Long was one of the auction goers. I still occasionally laugh at the thought of huey long in a betting war with some other businessman over who gets to own a scrawny irish guy.
Your machinations scare me, and your constant hype building overwhelms me.
Napo's world building is a bit like Cthulhu. It's overwhelming, awe-inspiring, terrifying, and incomprehensible all at once. It's a wild ride, and no one can predict most of what happens. Hell, I'm only good at predicting Carolina and Corea because Napo has been gracious enough to let me do a lot of the building for him. If I didn't know better, I would say Napo has some kind of secret wacky tobaccy that inspires him.
I also give up on predicting how would the Mainline Madness world develops, especially in those wacky Loomies (Could understand the Soviets. Loomies are just libertarian left in names..). Seems like because Napo’s visions are so Orwellian and Lovecraftian, plus his own background, 70s aesthetics have made it so incredibly difficult to flesh out ideas to perfectly match the atmosphere. I could guess that’s why there are a bunch of Alt!Madness from the mainline.
Back to my version of Madness, where the “saner” environment befits my idealization better ...
Back to my version of Madness, where the “saner” environment befits my idealization better ...
I'd also like to point out Sternbild city from the Tiger & Bunny anime. That while it lacks the memetic wackiness of Saints Row it does have it's particularly brand of crazy. Considering it's a mostly an AMERICAN city with a very Japanese esque countryside, mixed in with the fact that it has corporate sponsored superheroes. Plus let's not forget it's actually divided into three levels supported by giant steel structures with the higher you go the more opulent things get.
The whole thing feels like something Uncle Joe would build as a combination big middle finger to Custer's Metropolis, permanent reminder to the Macarthur's on who's in charge, example to the Japanese on what they should be like and Joe's personal ego booster.
https://tigerbunny.fandom.com/wiki/Sternbild_City?file=T&bs1pilot-002.PNG
First off: this is one of my favorite compliments ever.
Second: I know with how bizarre I can get this will come as a shock (I daily drove a hearse for a year and write fictional histories thousands of pages long lol), but I have never done a single drug in my life, and the amount of alcohol I have drank in my 24 years on Worm Go-er, Jehovah's green earth could be poured into a single glass. Gotta preserve the purity of my fluids, Mandrake. *Puffs cigar even though I don't smoke either*
I feel despite being Hispanic Chuck Oswald would really relate to Diego when it comes to the wives department.
Just swap pain pills and tequila!
Just swap pain pills and tequila!
I just had an idea: OTL, during the latter half of the 19th century, there was a long and drawn out guerilla war between the Mexican government and Yucatec Mayan rebels, who followed a cult mixing Christianity and the native religion. It lasted for over 50 years, as the Mexicans had a hard time hunting the Mayans through the thick jungles and mountains of Yucatan. ITTL, I would imagine the RU facing a similar problem during the immolation of Mexico, leading to the Maya and other native Central American peoples surviving in isolated pockets. But now that Old Mexico has mostly dissolved into anarchy, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to try to take back their native lands.
Plus, the idea of a Mayan priest sacrificing captured Yankee soldiers to Kukulkan is Madness as hell.
Plus, the idea of a Mayan priest sacrificing captured Yankee soldiers to Kukulkan is Madness as hell.
You earned every word of that compliment Napo. This timeline is a beautiful, gaping maw of Star-Spangled insanity.
And silly Napo, we all know that alcohol and tobacco are only bad for you if they're... *whispers* foreign.
*Puts on seersucker suit and a creepy smile*
"That's why I only drink the finest bourbon from out a Nashville way, and pair it with a fine cigar made from 100% East Cackalacky Plantation Grown Tobaccy! Buy em today!"
Plz ignore the abused laborers
I was actually thinking he could be a Worm cultist too...
Oh....?
...On a scale of "*animated pupil smallening intensifies*" to "*pants to be darkened*", how afraid should we be?
Allow me to set the scene:
You're in a Yellow King taxi, hurtling down the Destiny Road. A scratchy version of "Yellow Dog Blues" blares through the Rollarite's single speaker, sounding more like an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog than some easy listening. The cabby is a sideburned chap with a yellow cap, sipping at a Sweet Victory. He asks if you're a Steele man. Sweating, you say yes. He gives a ginger casual salute in the rear view mirror. Reaching back to you, he offers you a smoke of some sort labelled "Firebreather." You reluctantly take it and raise it to your lips.
"Gotta light?" you question him, still trying to comprehend where you are but also trying not to act nervous.
"Sure, fella. Here you goes," he says, tossing a metal lighter back to you. "I want that right back! Important memento."
You turn the lighter over and see an inscription. "To Dad. Love, John."
"My boy got killed by Neuties last year. It was his last gift to me," he says in a somber tone. At that, you light your cigarette and pass the lighter back. "May he rest in peace. Say, here's your stop, sir!" he points to a dingy looking motel on the side of the road.
You take your briefcase and thank and pay the driver. The money looks funny. Is that fucking Joe Stalin? Republican Union? What's a Republican Union? You turn to face the motel as the driver speeds off.
"Daygone Inn," reads the orange mermaid sign. "Complimentary New England-style Breakfast." You can smell the rotting tuna sandwiches from here. Before you go in, you desperately try to think of why you are here. Who you even are. You decide to sit on the pavement and open the briefcase for a clue. You open it up and there is a metal box of some kind inside. On it is a single nameplate badge and an official-looking seal.
"Crosstime Anomalous Activities Unit,
SCP Foundation."
"Oh," you murmur softly, your memories flooding back. "Yeah, that. Well, the O5 is going to get an interesting report this trip. This looks even worse than that universe where Germany won WWI."
BTW, that cab in the picture has HPL's birthday as a serial. Dammit I love useless references. Years of reading "easter egg" articles about games and movies have taught me where to put them. lol
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I want to imagine that Yellow King cabs is involved in a version of the Chicago Taxicab wars but diapers up to 11, as is the way with Madness
You genius. Lol That is exactly what I had planned. I learned about it from History Guy and have been reading up on it. I now petition the audience to come up with a cool name for a rival company.
EDIT:
"BLACKWOOD BUSLINES" has a kind of nice ring to it.
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