#i mean its not cool that we have a cat over population problem

[theadventurek9]

Incorrect breed guesses, Cat edition:

Everyone thinks Rebel is a Bengal or Bengal cross. They don't believe me when I say she is your typical cat. Shorthair variety, brown spotted tabby in color. Her spots look nothing like Bengal spots.

She doesn't even have a breed...just a type.

[mademoiselle-swan]

No turning back

The Constellation

This takes place after Mastermind, as will the next few chapters…

Picking a bunch of his beloved jelly pouches from the shelf, Shouta rubs his eyes tiredly and pinches the bridge of his nose when Izuku tosses a pack of hair ties into their shopping cart.

They don’t need any hair ties.

He likes his hair loose just fine, Izuku’s is a mess of curls that refuses to be tied back, and Hizashi hasn’t let his hair grow longer than a few centimeters since Oboro’s death.

“Problem child. Why would we buy those?”

“Have you ever thought of tying your hair back?”

Shouta gives his son the best deadpan look he can muster. “Why would I do that?”

“Well, that way people can’t tell when you activate your quirk!”

“…”

“What?”

“Why the fuck didn’t I think of that?” He groans, pinching the bridge of his nose none too gently. “I need coffee…”

“Want to drop by the cat cafe on the way home?”

Shouta stares at him for a few seconds before letting out a fond chuckle.

“And you wonder why Zashi thinks you’re my real son.”

-.-

“Hey Shouta?”

“Yeah?” Mutters Shouta as they run across the rooftops, escaping yet another hero who attacked his adoptive father for looking like a hobo.

“Can I call you dad?”

“Sure.”

“Thank, Dad.”

-.-

Shouta sighs as he closes the door to his apartment, resting his forehead against it, the cool wood helping his headache.

“Tough meeting?” Calls Izuku from the kitchen, from which escapes the most divine scents.

He nods, before realizing his kid can’t see him. With another sigh he trudges into the kitchen, ruffling Izuku’s unfairly soft hair before sliding into one the stools surrounding the kitchen counter.

“Yeah. The Rat assigned me a new mission.”

“Anything interesting?” Hums Izuku as he finishes up tonight’s supper, which, predictably, is katsudon. He doesn’t mind though, far from it. After all, his son’s recipe is to die for.

He nods, hesitating for barely a second before soldiering on. “Interesting enough that I’d like you to tag along, kid.”

“Really? What kind of mission?”

“Assassination.”

He can see the way his son stiffens at that and sighs. “I’ll drop off the file on your desk later, alright? Just, don’t do anything you don’t feel ready to do yet, alright? We go at your own pace, kid, do you understand?”

The smile Izuku shoots him is wobbly but sincere. “Yeah. Thanks.”

-.-

Izuku enters his bedroom with a sigh, sitting at his desk and staring at the folder lying on his desk like it’s going to bite him.

Eventually, he picks it up, flipping it open gingerly, and his eyes widen the more he skims through its contents.

Turns out that Zawa’s target is a high ranked member of the Commission, who’s pushing for harsher policies towards the quirkless and those with mutant or “villainous” quirks, if that’s even possible.

There’s a wind whirl of cold, calculative rage growing inside his chest the more he reads about the twisted agenda the bastard is pushing.

Legalizing Quirkless and Mutant trafficking, making it easier for said minorities to be killed in broad daylight, dehumanizing them, downgrading them to the status of pets and slaves.

He scowls down at the mugshot of the man, taking in his admittedly handsome features, the aristocratic slopes of his cheekbones, his neatly slicked back dark purple hair and matching eyes gleaming with arrogance and manipulative cunning, the smug smirk curling the man’s thin lips.

He works in the PR department for the Commission, and is often seen on TV because his quirk, Gospel, allows him to sway opinions and makes others more susceptible to believe his preachings and it works even through a screen. Though it only works on people who are unaware of the truth and has a very weak hold on the person’s mind that weakens over time, HC uses him to keep the population ignorant and malleable.

The man holds a position on the board of legislation of the Commission. Which means that he may very well be successful in passing the legislation he wants to pass. Especially since there’s been a lot of protests and outrage since his fake suicide made the news. There’s no doubt that the HSPC wants to nip the movement at the bud before it gains any more momentum.

His hands curl into fists, clenching hard, knuckles bleeding white and nails digging into his palms.

That can’t happen. Things are already hard for the minorities, they last thing they need is even more laws being passed that threaten to rob them of their basic human rights.

That leaves one single conclusion. A logical conclusion. The same one Nedzu and Shouta made. A conclusion that settles heavily on his shoulders the more he reads about the sorry excuse of a human being his dad is going to kill sooner than later.

If he goes ahead with this, there will be no turning back.

He doesn’t care.

He has passed his judgement.

His decision has been made.

The bastard needs to go down.

Shinsou Tsuzashi needs to die.

Izuku will ensure he does.

-.-

Shouta looks up from the blueprints of his target’s office when he hears footsteps getting closer.

His son walks into the living room silently, his hands curled into tight fists. His green eyes, usually so expressive, are hardened chips of ice, a storm raging in their viridian depths. His mouth is set in a firm line and his jaw, visibly clenched.

“Problem Child?”

Izuku’s expression is stubbornly determined as he answers.

“Count me in.”

@felicityroth

[warsofasoiaf]

I'd love to hear your thoughts about Cyberpunk 2077 when you are ready/have finished the game. Maybe besides the game itself you have an opinion about the crunch, bugs and general feeling of disappointment in a good portion of the fans

Sure thing. It’s going to be a long write-up and there are going to be spoilers, so you better believe that this is going to have a cut. Reader beware. For context, I have beat the game, and I played it on PC and only on PC.

I’ve been a fan of the cyberpunk genre for a long time. Transhuman and techno-utopian sci-fi always struck me the wrong way; that it was too optimistic and ignored a less savory element of human nature that simply would not go away with the advent of new technologies. While I only briefly dipped my toes in the water of the Cyberpunk tabletop game (I was always a bigger fan of Shadowrun), I did enjoy the genre and was eager to see a AAA cyberpunk game. I also really liked CD Projekt Red with what they did with RPG’s like the Witcher 3. Particularly when it came to the smaller sidequests, they really found a way to bring a lot of noir elements and hard-hitting character moments to the game, and I believed that it could translate very well into a cyberpunk game. After all, noir was a similar response to detective fiction to what the cyberpunk genre was to earlier elements of sci-fi. So I was quite optimistic when it came out. What we got was...well, it didn’t quite meet up with expectations.

There are some good things about the game. Assuming you have a beefy rig, PC cyberpunk looks pretty good. Not only does it look good, but it looks like the dismal 1980′s inspired future that had defined the genre, with its neon lights, omnipresent advertising to the point of satire (amphetamines are available from vending machines in a variety of flavors and commercials are completely ridiculous). The fixers are great examples of different cyberpunk archetypes like Regina Jones being a media or the Padre being an underclass civic leader looking to protect his community with a bit of a violent streak. Plenty of the characters had great personality, the nomads and Panam were enjoyable, Judy had a great questline that detailed optimism and bitter disappointment (and the character looks cool and is a bit of a cinnamon roll), River’s quest was a perfectly serviceable cop questline with enough horror elements, they were all fine. Keanu wasn’t a great voice actor, but he did serviceably and was apparently just wonderful with the staff, so I’m willing to cut him a pass. The level design can encourage a variety of different play styles, with attribute points opening up certain pathways. Given that it’s an open-world sandbox game, the goal should be to immerse yourself in the world, and touch on elements of cyberpunk as you go through the various quests, and you do see some of that. You see the gross exploitations of dolls in the sex trade when you go to Clouds, the bizarre elements of self-expression that new technologies can offer such as the twins in Kabuki, Pacifica is an abandoned recreation ground for the rich with the nice image of rotting Ferris wheels and abandoned malls, and you can see the divide between the have’s and have-not’s on full display both in the opening (compare and contrast the Street Kid with the Corpo beginnings) or take a look at the Peralez’s penthouse apartment versus Judy’s cramped digs. Honestly, one of my favorite things in the game were just the consumables to highlight the different food and drink available to the people of Night City. The heavy population means that foods like fried ants or locust pepperoni are common, amphetamines are available in a variety of flavors, and there are no less than 20 burrito vending machines on every street (the future is not all bad it seems). I like little worldbuilding moments like this in video games because it does give a sense of completion and immersion within the world. I honestly felt bad for Johnny Silverhand, because by the end of the game I had to be a bloated man-ball of Holobites Peach Pie and Cirrus Cola. 

The game even took a few things that had aged poorly in the cyberpunk genre and improved them. The Mox is a gang specifically meant to stop the Disposable Sex Worker trope, it’s small and part of the reason it survives is that it’s small, but it offers a chance of improvement over the exploitation that the Tyger Claws offer. The cyberpyscho quest is probably the best one of this. Earlier Cyberpunk had cyberpsychosis as a serious concern directly correlated with how many implants you got. The Solo archetype even spoke about how you risk losing your humanity with your implants as you became stronger, better, faster. Even later iterations had depersonalization/derealization disorders as people who could see in the dark lost connection to those who couldn’t. A quick thought in our present though, changes this. My eyesight and hearing is just fine, but I don’t lose connection or common empathy with individuals who are blind or deaf. I have two arms and two legs and I have not lost empathy for amputees. Why then, would I lose empathy and connection with someone with average human eyesight after I get my eyes replaced and now I have the ability to see in the dark or have telescopic sight? The cyberpsycho quest actually took this concept to task; cyberpsychos around the city are seen as horrifying threats that need the high-threat response of MaxTac to deal with, but Regina is looking to see if she can cure cyberpsychosis. Mechanically, the cyberpsychos are boss-fights with elements of puzzle gameplay (how to handle the different skillsets that they have) and a bonus reward for non-lethal damage which rewards certain playstyle archetypes or prepwork for those who ensure that they have a non-lethal option. The information you find around each cyberpyscho showcase different problems in the target’s life, no real common thread or inciting incident that you can trace the onset of cyberpsychosis toward and identify a culprit. After you complete the quest, you learn the twist: there is no such thing as cyberpsychosis. Each of the targets were actually just experiencing different stressors within their lives, such as PTSD, losing their job, drug abuse, etc. and the breakdown is made much worse because these individuals have the ability to toss dumpsters like they were baseballs or pick the wings off a fly with a cybernetically enhanced brain with a .50 cal. Some of these individuals had terrible implant surgery done by bargain-basement ripperdocs and temporarily lost the ability to discern reality from fantasy, something that could easily be seen as a science fiction adaptation of temporary insanity brought on by a poor reaction to medicine. It’s backed up by the game too. V can fill every slot in their cyberware deck but never once experiences cyberpsychosis. Oda has ultra-legs and flaming-hot mantis blades and is in perfect control at every point in the game, even when he’s trying to jab those mantis blade through your sternum. Cyberpyschosis isn’t real, the irresponsible media just ran with it because fear sells. For all the flaws of the game, I respect the game for taking cyberpsychosis in that direction.

But for all those good things, the game couldn’t help but feel shallower than the Witcher 3. The side-gigs were formulaic to the point where they even led with a category. There were few twists and very little that was surprising. Exposition for these quests was limited to a short text dump and a minute voice-over. Night City was big but it was relatively sparse. NCPD never seemed to intervene in any crimes (giving the character the chance to do so) but every so often they were around a taped-off crime scene, giving a sense of inconsistency that hampered the world. While it was a bustling city, it felt empty, most of the people I saw on the street were meaningless, just NPC’s walking around to give a sense of activity. There was little in the way of things to see and experience that was unique or different about these NPC’s. They weren’t crowds I could hide in like Hitman, they didn’t have ambient dialogue that showcased something like the Witcher 3. Much like other open-world games, this sense of shallowness pervaded much of the empty space of the world; it was incredibly *big* but there was little in it. Much of the time I was driving or running through empty space that was completely worthless to me. Normal for city living, but all of that is wasted time going from point A to point B, and unlike the Witcher 3, there were no small in-game beats to help flesh it out or build it. I never had Millie from “Where the Wolf and Cat Play” give me a little picture, I never had people from a liberated village say “hey, look, it’s that guy Geralt, thanks for killing those harpies.” These were things that made the Witcher 3′s world really come alive. I didn’t have that, and I was left

Of course, we also have to handle the elephant in the room, and that was CDPR’s conduct both during production and after release. Crunch has become an increasingly common part of video game development and it’s not healthy to developers. CDPR had been called out on it once before, but it seemed there was little change in how that happens. I’m not quite sure if there’s anything we can do, and I’m sympathetic to the need to hit target deadlines to actually deliver a finished product, but there’s got to be a better way, whether that’s a change to the incentive structure, or something, because it’s hurting folks. I like games like Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2, but I understand that there was a real human cost to these masterpieces, and I wonder if there’s something we can do about that. 

Similarly, what happened after launch was beyond terrible. The last-gen console version were simply not ready for release and shouldn’t have been released to the public. CDPR openly covered up this, by only previewing the PC version, they hid the fact that the game wasn’t ready, and they avoided delaying the last-gen console version because they were looking to capitalize on holiday sales. I’m sympathetic for the need to generate sales, but the flip of this is that you have to deliver the product you advertise, and for last-gen consoles, they didn’t do so. Bugs are one thing, these games are massive undertakings of interacting systems and bugs are inevitable; some of my favorite games were buggy at release, notably Fallout: New Vegas, Witcher 3, and so on. But this went past bugs and into malpractice and deception, and that’s something that’s less forgivable. I personally had few bugs that were out-and-out game breaking but things not loading, quests bugging out, floating bags and other physics wonkiness, all of that hurt the immersion. I’d be more willing to forgive the game without the deception; I can laugh at bugs but not at ignoring quality control to get holiday sales instead of delivering a quality product. Consumers are angry at CDPR and have every reason to be, and I’m one of them. I can express my disappointment and I will do so, we need developers to stop these practices and the only way we can do that is through our wallets and words. I’m not going to tell anyone not to buy CDPR games, that’s entirely your decision because I’m a radical individualist. But I am going to say that they’ve burned a lot of their good karma with me; credibility is a hard beast to gain back. Much like other big name developers, CDPR has hurt their standing in my eyes. Whether that means I need to resort to going to indie games for a little bit or something else, I don’t know, but it’s rough. I liked CDPR and wanted to believe it’d be different, but it seems to not be the case.

Overall, I think it’s another AAA open-world game only made better by my love of the genre, and that stings. I enjoyed some aspects of it, and I hope that through Free DLC, patching, and other good deeds, the game can redeem itself and stimulate new love of the genre. But CDPR needs to do a lot more than that to win back my affection. If anyone has anything specifically that they want to know about the game, such as talk about the main story, individual characters, or so on, just ask.

Thanks for the question, Khef.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[rwby-redux]

Deconstruction

Worldbuilding: Genetics

If any of my Deconstruction posts were going to turn heads, I had a hunch it would be this one. You’ll probably find this topic incongruous with the others simply because—unlike Aura, Semblances, Dust, and Grimm—genetics isn’t one of RWBY’s unique gimmicks. If I’m being entirely honest, part of why this post exists is because I still had some miscellaneous talking points to address, but lacked a proper heading to file them under. Call it what it is: a dumping ground for wayward thoughts.

But there’s a bit more to it than just that. The reason why I want to talk about this is because, much like the other mechanical aspects, genetics does have a bearing on RWBY’s worldbuilding, and the stories that were subsequently built around it. It has an undeniable impact on the sociopolitical human-Faunus schism that set the stage for Remnant’s immediate past, and the present-day terrorist acts committed by the White Fang. Genetics is also an extension of RWBY’s adherence to color theory, reflected in the hair and eye color choices of the ensemble cast.

Before we can finally conclude Part 1 of the Worldbuilding posts, we need to discuss this topic from both a narrative and a production standpoint. Genetics is firmly rooted in the development and design choices of the writers—choices which, as you’ll quickly see, had long-lasting consequences for the show.

Today we’re going to be dividing this topic into two sections. Since I’m sure it’s already on your mind, let’s get the obvious one out of the way first:

The Genetics of the Faunus

The Faunus are going to have an entire post dedicated just to them, but it’s impossible to talk about genetics without at least a passing mention of one of Remnant’s two main species.

Subspecies.

Races?

Yeah. You can quickly see where this is going.

Before I get ahead of myself, let me provide some context. Just like the conception of the Maidens, the Faunus can trace their developmental history to a rather impulsive design choice:

“Monty really wanted a character with cat ears,” admits Miles Luna. Shawcross expands on how Blake Belladonna’s look resulted in a cornerstone of the show’s lore. “So if Blake has cat ears, does that mean anyone can have cat ears? Could they have other animal traits? It’d be cool to see someone with scales or a fox tail…” [1]

Let me clarify by saying that there’s nothing wrong with basing a decision on aesthetics (in principle, anyway). And RWBY isn’t the only franchise guilty of doing this. It only takes a few seconds of consulting TV Tropes to see that zoomorphism is extremely pervasive. And while I have a tendency to complain a lot on this blog, I’m not such a kvetch that I’ll deny that animal-people with lion tails and ram horns look fucking sweet.

The problem I have with Faunus (from a genetic standpoint) is the way they’re inconsistently described in relation to humans. While Qrow unambiguously refers to them as a separate species, [2] we have Faunus characters that contradict him by describing themselves as a race. [3] This leads to the inevitable issue of whose account do we trust? On one hand, the information provided to us by Qrow is through World of Remnant, a spin-off series whose entire purpose is to clarify information and teach the audience about core worldbuilding concepts. On the other hand, what we’re told about the Faunus being a race comes directly from Ghira Belladonna. In this context, who would you expect to be the better authority on Faunus—a human, or a Faunus?

Even if we set aside the complicated implications of an outgroup member talking over a minority, we’re still left with the issue of well, which is it? Are they a race or a species? And why does it even matter?

Before we can answer any of those questions, let’s quickly define both terms:

A species is a taxonomic rank used for classifying groups of organisms together on the basis of being able to participate in genetic interchange via sexual reproduction, to produce fertile offspring.

A race (in biology) is an informal/unrecognized taxonomic rank below subspecies, defined as unique subgroups with either geographic, physiological, or genetic distinctions from other subgroups within their species. In anthropology, however, a race is typically regarded as a social construct. In this case, it refers to an identity held by members of a population that share physical or social qualities that are seen as categorically distinct.

The answer, if we’re being objective, is probably something along the lines of “RWBY’s writers thought that the two terms were interchangeable, or they didn’t think the distinction mattered enough to do the research and settle on a definition.” Unless someone specifically reached out to a Rooster Teeth employee and asked, we’ll never truly know. Speculation will only get us so far, and where this blog is concerned, we need a definitive answer—or at the very least, we need to talk about why the distinction matters to us.

So, are Faunus their own race? Meaning, are they a self-identifying ethnic group with a common language, ancestry, history, culture, nation, or social treatment within their residing area?

Common language: That’s a definite no. RWBY still hasn’t managed to explain how everyone across the four kingdoms speaks the same language, let alone develop any conlangs.

Ancestry: We actually don’t have a canon answer for this. The show has yet to tell us where the Faunus came from, so we can’t make any assumptions about how related they are to one another.

History: Technically, yes. But the series has a gross tendency to homogenize the experience of Faunus across Remnant, so the history of Faunus in Vale is virtually identical to that of Mistral. This trend results in storytelling discrepancies, like the Faunus in culturally-unprejudiced Vacuo [4] being equally threatened by and involved with the Faunus Rights Revolution, when there shouldn’t have been an in-world basis for this scenario.

Culture: Don’t make me laugh. RWBY couldn’t even be bothered to give any of its four kingdoms distinct cultures. Apart from a few scenes in Menagerie where you see a bunch of background characters hanging out in the Shallow Sea district of Kuo Kuana, there really isn’t anything culturally unique to the Faunus.

Nation: I guess? I personally wouldn’t consider Menagerie a nation, simply because it’s not one the Faunus originated from, but were rather given in the aftermath of the Great War. As far as we know, Faunus have always been just as widespread across Remnant as humans.

Social treatment: We’re told that social treatment for the Faunus as a whole is shitty, but that the degree of shittiness varies from place to place. Forgive me if I don’t buy that. Not after we’ve seen students in Vale physically harass a Faunus, [5] shops in Mistral refuse service to Faunus, [6] and companies in Atlas extract labor from Faunus. [7] If social treatment is contingent on shared experiences, then why are we told that these experiences change depending on the kingdom? And if the kingdoms vary in levels of racial acceptance, then why are we repeatedly shown the exact opposite?

Based on the aforementioned criteria, I’m inclined to say that Faunus don’t fit the definition of race.

So, are the Faunus a separate species from humans?

“History gets a little fuzzy past a certain point, but we do know that their kind and ours are completely compatible, from a—a biological standpoint.” | Source: World of Remnant, Volume 4, Episode 6: “Faunus.”

That’s a resounding no.

As much as the taxonomist in me wants to talk about things like the multiple competing species concepts, or the fact that plants frequently violate the definition of species by producing fertile hybrids through polyploidy (chromosomal doubling), I have to restrain myself. For simplicity’s sake, we’re accepting that Faunus and humans are members of the same species on the basis that they’re not reproductively isolated.

The reason why genetics matters in regards to the race-species discourse is because we have yet to learn what the Faunus truly are. If we ignore the fact that they exist because Monty Oum wanted to stick cat ears on a girl, then we have to figure out what their existence means to Remnant’s past: Did the Brother Gods intervene in the early evolution of Humanity v2.0, by creating a subset of people with animal traits that would sow discord, for the sole purpose of giving Ozma another obstacle to overcome? Did Salem (who watched Humanity v2.0 evolve) try to influence their evolution, and somehow managed to bestow animalistic traits upon select groups of early hominids? Is Dust like a magically-radioactive fossil fuel that by pure chance mutated early people through exposure, resulting in their animalistic traits? Are the Faunus’ animal traits completely irrelevant to the plot, and are only there for the sake of style?

That’s why the Faunus’ genetic background matters—because as the story progresses, it’s going to inform what questions the audience asks.

There’s a good chance that all of this will end up being nitpicky conjecture, and there won’t be any storytelling payoff. But I think it’s still important to address, if for no other reason than to illustrate why pre-production worldbuilding is essential for telling a coherent story. But I digress.

Genetics, and Its Relationship with Color Theory

It goes without saying that RWBY is defined by color. It’s reflected in nearly every facet of the franchise—team names, wardrobe, Dust color, Aura color, emblems, characters’ names, even the show’s title—and it’s just as important from a worldbuilding standpoint as it is from a narrative one. [8]

Where color theory and genetics cross paths is in the field of character appearance—specifically, hair and eye color. For the moment, let’s set aside eye color as a visual device for foiling and paralleling characters (like Yang Xiao Long’s purple eyes compared to Blake Belladonna’s yellow eyes). Instead, we’re going to talk about these phenotypes from a hereditary perspective.

We’re going to streamline this discussion a bit by focusing on hair for the moment, and picking three colors that would be considered unnatural by our world’s standards. Let’s go with blue, green, and pink. Here’s a handful of characters who have these traits:

Blue hair: Neptune Vasilias, Ciel Soleil, Henry Marigold, May Marigold, Nebula Violette, Sky Lark, Trifa

Green hair: Emerald Sustrai, Marrow Amin, Bartholomew Oobleck, Reese Chloris, Russel Thrush, Sage Ayana

Pink hair: An Ren, May Zedong, Nadir Shiko

Now we’re going to take those lists and swap out the characters’ names for their inferred country of origin:

Blue hair: Mistral, Atlas, Atlas, Atlas, Vacuo, Vale, Menagerie

Green hair: Vale, Atlas, Vale, Mistral, Vale, Mistral

Pink hair: Mistral, Vacuo, Mistral

We can conclude that these hair colors are natural on the basis that we never see characters dying their hair, and that similarly unusual eye colors (red, pink, purple, yellow) would also be natural in Remnant. Unless we’re assuming that everyone is wearing custom contact lenses, then it’s safe to say they’re legit. With the example of hair color, you’ll notice that they’re distributed across a wide number of nationalities, with little hint of consistency among them.

At the end of the day, it’s easy to write this off as “the writers wanted to have cool character designs and not have to think too hard about the worldbuilding implications behind them.” But there is a worldbuilding implication behind them, and it’s one that I’ll be focusing on in later Deconstruction and Amendment posts, so I want to make sure we talk about it now:

RWBY has repeatedly shown us that people are fairly geographically isolated from each other, and travel between kingdoms has always been difficult due to the Grimm. It wasn’t until eighty years ago, when the Great War ended, that a combo of international political cooperation and technological advancements made travel safer and more commonplace. Keep in mind that when populations of humans are geographically isolated from each other over prolonged periods of time, it results in those populations evolving specific anatomical traits.

Let me give you a few real world examples. Epicanthic folds are predominantly found in East Asian, Polynesian, and North Asian ethnic groups. Red hair, while not exclusive to any one nationality, is statistically highest in people of Northwestern European ancestry. Darker complexion is most common in equatorial populations, where high melanin production (especially eumelanin) protects against UVR exposure.

RWBY has every reason under the sun to ascribe certain phenotypes to the ethnicities of each kingdom, and for some reason it just doesn’t. Like, why not make green hair a trait common to people with Sanus ancestry? How about red eyes originating from Anima?

Avatar: The Last Airbender pulled this off by making dark skin, brown hair, and blue/gray eyes features of the Water Tribes. The Fire Nation, to reflect its broader geographic distribution, has a much wider range of phenotypes, with both light and dark skin tones and black or brown hair. However, it still retained golden, amber, and bronze eyes as a distinguishing characteristic of people descended from this ancestry. Frankly, I love that the show took the time to establish those traits among its ethnic groups. Not only was it a great way to visually communicate to the audience the ethnicity of the characters, but those traits took on entirely new meanings in the sequel Avatar: The Legend of Korra. When we meet the brothers Mako and Bolin for the first time and see their respective eye colors—amber and green—we’re immediately able to deduce that they’re the products of successful multiculturalism, something that would’ve seemed impossible seventy years ago when the world was gripped by war. It’s a powerful statement that was conveyed through careful attention to detail and excellent worldbuilding. Given that RWBY also takes place several decades after a global war, the writers had the opportunity to pull off a similar feat. And I don’t think it ever occurred to them once.

At the end of the day, it’s not the worst thing RWBY could’ve done. I think I’m just disappointed by the missed opportunities. The show already has so little going for it when it comes to shaping the identities of its four main kingdoms, so with color being such a vital motif for the show, this feels like it should have been a natural progression of those ideas.

On a more positive note, we’ve finally reached the end of Worldbuilding (Part I) - Mechanical Aspects! Next time, we’ll get to introduce the second section of worldbuilding topics: history.

-

[1] Wallace, Daniel. The World of RWBY: The Official Companion. VIZ Media LLC, 2019, page 42.

[2] World of Remnant, Volume 4, Episode 6: “Faunus.”

[3] Volume 5, Episode 3: “Unforeseen Complications.” Ghira Belladonna: “[Adam’s] actions not only tarnished the reputation of an organization originally created to bring peace and equality to all, but to our entire race.”

[4] World of Remnant, Volume 4, Episode 4: “Vacuo.”

[5] Volume 1, Episode 11: “Jaunedice - Part 1.”

[6] Volume 5, Episode 6: “Known by Its Song.”

[7] Volume 7, Episode 1: “The Greatest Kingdom.”

[8] Wallace, Daniel. The World of RWBY: The Official Companion. VIZ Media LLC, 2019, page 44.

[talesofsonicasura]

Stand Needed

Snatcher and Moonjumper contract a nasty undead illness. Luckily, Hat Kid knows someone who could help in exchange for a price. Too bad it's another weirdo on a whole other level.

Every creature can get sick. Dogs can contract illnesses, cats can get sick, rats can carry sickness and humans get sick from small colds or deadly diseases. Though no one ever thought the undead could contract an illness but it is possible especially for soul-devouring species.

There is an illness that can disturb the magic energy of powerful spirits, particularly those whose power grew greatly by consuming the life force of innocence more than the damned or vice versa. This causes their magic to malfunction, spells to fail or backfire, and if not treated in time that spirit in question will become stone.

The Subcon Forest, a dark and mysterious biological creature born from the ghostly energy that soaks deep in the soil. A fallen kingdom that's entire population was devastated in a single day by deadly frost and then revitalized into this maze of trees by powerful ghostly fire. Magic flows throughout the forest, haunted noose that come alive to snatch their victims, cherries that became crystalized then exploded when introduced to ghostly energies, swamps that drag treaders into the deep abyss and even bells that affect the spiritual plane.

Two types of inhabitants make this dead land their home under the laws of their ruler. Dwellers, spirits that are tied to the world by the masks they wear and capable of revealing the spiritual plane to others. And then there are the Subconites, dwellers whose spirits are given physical form through puppet bodies so they can interact with the world.

Both under the rule of the Snatcher, a powerful ghost that haunted the land. Trespassers he caught are forced to sign magical contracts with their souls as the price. All but one had made it out with their soul not getting devoured and bodies dumped like garbage. Another spirit did dwell within this ghostly forest and commanded the Dwellers that didn't want to be involved with the ghostly ruler.

This spirit known as Moonjumper also was a soul stealing entity that was at odds with the Snatcher. Clashes between both spirits were given and often depleted their magic to the point souls were required to replenish them. Snatcher fed on ones that belonged mostly to the innocent since they trespassed on his land more often and Moonjumper took those who were destined for hell as they fled to his part of the forest after performing dastardly deeds.

And this is where their problem all started. In a large tree lined with giant mushrooms and carved into with a jack o lantern was the dwelling for a particular specter. The Snatcher, a ghost around 20 ft long in size with a body similar to a serpent but covered completely in a mane of dark purple fur, a thick curly tip mane followed by glowing yellow eyes and mouth often found on a child's jack o' lantern with two fangs and spindly arms with two clawed fingers.

The spirit had a book in hand that's cover read 'Ghostly Magic and Illnesses' with eyes narrowed in annoyance and frowning in distaste. His powers had been acting finicky as late as last night. His warping magic left him in the wrong location than what he wanted, hands burst into flame without reason but the biggest sign was one of his contracts. The paper looked dead than it's pristine yellow cut.

Thus he delayed any new contracts and halted his duties to immediately find what was going on with his powers. A magical sickness wasn't what he expected. Especially as one as deadly to him like this. The Chaos Petrification, a sickness that manifests in soul eating entity's who had too much of innocent or damned energy in their appetite.

"...The only cure is the energy from a being with an immense fighting spirit. A soul whose willpower is so powerful that they can bring their inner being to life. By consuming some of this energy, the sick spirit's powers will return to proper balance. These souls are very rare and the illness will take four days to permanently petrify the spirit. What the peck?!" He shut the book with a huff.

"How the peck am I supposed to find a soul with an immense fighting spirit? What does that even mean by willpower that can come to life?!" He exclaimed with his animalistic rough growl mixed alongside the mischievous jovial balanced tone of his voice echoing through the forest. This wasn't something that needed to happen. You can't rule over a forest if you are a stone statue.

"Guess I'm not the only in this same predicament." A much softer male voice with an echo made the Snatcher's frown turn into an annoyed snarl. Turning around to bore holes into the head of the corpse possessing spirit at his home's doorway. The spirit was much smaller than him, around the size of a human man if he was missing his legs.

Their head was a pale blue moon shaped mask flipped on its back, red stripes going down the bottom side of the mouth, two eyes of slightly different sizes with red stripes or star spots in them, the fangs making the mask bear an aura of madness, his spindly body covered in torn remains of a prince attire consisting of a white ascot and red coat but manacles with broken chains around his wrists.

"Moonjumper, how did you get here? Have you forgotten you are banned from this part of my forest?" Snatcher growled whilst looking at this intruder with aggravation. "Trust me, I wouldn't have impeded on your land if it wasn't for good reason. I believe Chaos Petrification being both our problems." Those words were enough for the violet ghost to drop the book an instant.

"You have it too? This is really bad. Magic is the only thing keeping that witch's frost from eating the whole forest. And I really don't want her anywhere near that pecking border." The spirit shivered upon the thought of the ice witch that dwelled in a small section of the forest. All three of them were at odds but neither of the two males hated the other more than the female demon by their borders.

"As much as you hate me, neither of us wants our land to become frozen over with ghostly ice. We need each other to keep her at bay. From what I overheard is that the cure is the energy of a soul with a powerful inner will?" Moonjumper said, picking up the dropped book and opened it back to the page the other specter had it on.

The page in question held a person shaped hieroglyph and multiple wisps around them with a giant wisp at the center. Underneath the image was a scrap of text that seemed unreadable. With a flick of his fingers, red string manifested on that tiny part of the page. It covered the area before they vanished upon burrowing into the pages as restored text that read 'Stand User' in its place.

"Stand User? A bizarre name but much better than nothing. Though it's the first I heard of it." Moonjumper hummed looking at those two words that were the key to their salvation. "Maybe the kid might know. She may be a weirdo but she's a weirdo from space so the Hat Brat might have a clue." As if on signal by the violet ghost, a soft thump was heard by his tree alongside a childish girl saying Tada.

Then walked in a little girl who seemed to be around 8 years old in age, hair a chocolate brown ponytail and bright blue eyes wearing a purple top hat with a gold ribbon, a purple Victorian looking shirt, white pants, black shoes and a violet umbrella decorated in stickers. "Hey Snatcher! And Moonjumper you here too?! Bowie was wondering where you were!" The child who was known as Hat Kid said with honest surprise.

Both ghosts decided to inform the young child about their current predicament. The girl may be young but her actions in the past showed she was a force to be reckoned and a good source of help. After all, no one had ever bested Snatcher in a fight or escaped the manor of the Subcon's Ice Queen alive.

"A Stand User? Don't know what that is but I think my new friend might know!" That caught the attention of the two specters. Hat Kid has a habit of making friends with very interesting individuals. These very people were often useful to Snatcher in particular considering his special contacts known as Death Wishes.

"Really? Who's this new friend of yours and where are they now?" Snatcher questioned nearly getting into the kid's face. "Her name is Jodie Joestar and I met her in Mafia Town! She looked extremely lost and said something about a Stand thingy that took her from her friends! In fact she's waiting on my ship right now since I said you guys might know a way for her to get back!" Hat Kid exclaimed, both ghosts were quite pleased to hear this.

It shouldn't be so hard to ask the woman about it. Though even if the Snatcher wouldn't think or much less admit it, Moonjumper was quite curious on what kind of person was this Jodie Joestar. A question he was glad to ask Hat Kid about on their way to her ship.

"What kind of person Jodie is like? She's quite cool and very nice! Her hair is blue and the surprising thing is that it's completely natural! Jodie also knows some cool tricks I could do with my hat and apparently loves to sing. I plan on asking her if she wants to hang out later and show me these special comics she has called Manga! Oh and she has a lot of siblings, like 7 brothers and one sister! One of her brothers is her twin too!"

Snatcher could only do a small dry cackle in his head. This Jodie sounded like another weirdo. They had to be crazy to stand the little purple hat wearing alien girl known as Hat Kid. Plus having 8 siblings was guaranteed to drive someone up the wall with madness. Then again, might be another soul that could be a new contractor. His forest did need some maintenance that didn't involve the kid.

Hat Kid's spaceship could be described as very colorful and imaginative to anyone who goes inside. Various rooms with bright color carpets, different setups being connected by various sized tunnels which most were crawlspaces to any adult guests, displays with the subjects of each one floating in midair or the massive pile of pillows that could be found in the bedroom.

Each room contains a telescope, a type of transporter that took others to certain parts of the planet that it was locked on to. Funnily, the telescope in her room leads straight to Subcon Forest which was also the same place the trio arrived in. Though they weren't exactly counting on the sound of music above them.

This music sounded very strange. It was like a flute with a higher pitch mixed with the tone of a harmonica and light notes found in an ocarina. The song itself was very soothing despite it's somber tune and all three of them had different thoughts upon it. To Hat Kid, it sounded like something that could be heard from a fairytale. There was this sort of magic to it that you would only find from unexplained wonders.

For Moonjumper, it was very calming to him. It reminded him of whenever he was stargazing, his inner turmoils were quelled and he could feel himself at peace despite his cursed afterlife. And for Snatcher, the tune reminded him of home. Before Subcon had become the haunted forest it was now. Where children were playing, the sun was shining and everything was filled with peaceful life. The time he was truly happy and had a better honest outlook of the world.

They all looked to see the source of that melody on top of the pillow mountain. It was a young woman with slightly long curly blue hair and the music was coming from a leaf she had pressed to her mouth. She appeared to be around 5'10 in height with light peach skin and her body completely covered in a peculiar style of clothing.

It consisted of a black long sleeve kimono to the point that it completely swallowed her arms and legs, a torn sleeveless white long coat with seagreen bottom starting from halfway, a long blue sash like harness around her waist and brown hiking boots. This had to be the girl that Hat Kid was talking about, Jodie Joestar.

From her closed eyes and no reaction to their arrival, it was clear she didn't notice them yet. 'She's quite talented if she can create such music with a simple leaf. And cute…' Moonjumper immediately shoved that last thought in the back of his mind. No ogling a human girl especially one you don't know nothing about.

Jodie opened her eyes and immediately spotted the little girl alongside the two ghostly guests. She then placed the small plant piece in her pocket before sliding down the pillow mountain. "Welcome back Hattie-san! I see you brought guests too! Konnichiwa!" Her voice was light, peppy and had a soft energy to it as she bowed to the two ghosts much to their surprise.

"Konnichi-what? Sorry girlie but I don't speak alien or bow to random strangers." Snatcher snarked but the young woman didn't let it bother her much. "Sorry about that. Konnichiwa means Hello in Japanese and bowing to someone you first meet is a sign of respect from Japan as well." Jodie explained, her voice riddled with modest honesty.

"Quite an interesting custom. Sorry for not introducing ourselves. I am Moonjumper and the large fellow beside me is Snatcher. You must be Jodie Joestar?" The chained ghost's question was met with a small nod. "Correct. Hattie-san said you could be of assistance with my particular situation." That's right, Hat Kid did say she was stranded but how bad could it be?

"It depends on how bad it is and what you can give in return, kiddo. Nothing in this world is free." Snatcher had slithered around her side before his face got up close and personal to the woman with a finger to her face. She merely moved his finger aside much to the specter's surprise. "It's rude to put your fingers in someone's face Snatcher. You wouldn't want someone to do the same to you." And then she booped him on the area where his nose would be if the ghost had one.

Hat Kid giggled and Moonjumper had put his own down seeing the flustered face of Snatcher as Jodie walked over to Hat's bed and sat at the end. He clearly was having trouble processing the fact that some random stranger booped him, Snatcher the Ruler of Subcon, on his face in pure nonchalance. The sound of the kid's laughter and Moonjumper's amused look had him push it to the side as he glared at the two then Jodie.

The bluenette wasn't even a bit fazed as she spoke once more. "To put it simply, this isn't my world. I was sent here by the power of an enemy Stand, I believe he called it 'When They Come For Me'. Stands are the manifestation of a person's fighting spirit and each one is different from the other. They come in many shapes, types and forms. Some are named after the tarot deck and lately music or songs."

It had to be another world. He had to jinx himself. Moonjumper had to resist facepalming for that one. "Stand Users have a habit of attracting other Stand Users and some aren't really nice learning that." The violet ghost decided to butt in. "I guess that means you're a Stand User too since 'Stand Users have a habit of attracting other Stand Users.'" Jodie ignored his snarky interruption with a placid face.

Snatcher really was trying to aggravate her but he wasn't going to be easily satisfied. "Very astute. I am a Stand User but lucky for you is that I'm one of the friendlier and more rational ones. If you would've asked someone else that then they would attack or in a worse case scenario kill you in very gruesome ways. Trust me when I say you don't want to make an enemy of someone who could erase you from existence or turn you into a living bomb with a single touch."

And the peaceful ambient mood immediately shriveled up and died from Jodie's words. 'Erase someone from existence? That peck neck kid could've got us destroyed in an instant if she brought some fool capable of that on board! I may be powerful but I'm not stupid. Though I had to applaud her for killing the mood so quickly.' Snatcher had to reluctantly admit that last bit in his head.

Jodie then continued. "Don't worry though if there are any other nasty Stand Users then I can easily handle them. It's sort of my job to keep the bad nuts under control with my Stand: What's Up Danger!" Almost on cue something large and white had appeared in front of the bluenette causing the two ghosts and child to jump back in surprise.

Standing proudly before then was a white lion/dog hybrid beast with a ragged green and red bowtie on their chest around a good 12 ft in size, a seagreen underbelly alongside horn like ears and sharp bladed claws of that same color, a mouth of oversized monstrous fangs and tusks that looked like something from a horror movie, two eye sockets filled with various colored eyes than just one, dark blue bladed spikes on each side of the back, and a blue tail ending with a plush viper head that had blue bunny ears alongside a stitched mouth.

"That is a big freakish cat. And seriously 'What's Up Danger?' At least some fool knows what they're getting into once that comes out." The beast or What's Up Danger rolled their eyes at the violet specter's snark. "Kitty!" Then Hat Kid just pounced on the large feline with a big hug much to everyone's surprise. Jodie immediately became as flustered as her Stand who clearly was not used to random hugs.

"Hattie-san, you are one of a kind because no one has ever called Danger a kitty and hugged her." The woman couldn't help but chuckle as the feline plucked the child off her leg and settled the little girl on her back with her tail. Moonjumper merely looked at the peculiar creature with a curious gaze. It's not everyday a ghostly demonic feline jumps out of someone.

He then noticed Jodie giving the two ghosts a look that clearly read: 'You can get closer if you want.' Moonjumper came closer with no issue while Snatcher held back a groan and settled with a skeptical look before begrudgingly coming over. Danger merely sat down and watched them making it clear she had no problem with what they did. Especially since Hat Kid was petting her much to the feline's pleasure.

"So you said you were looking for my assistance but for what?" Filling her in on the situation was apparently easier than they expected. "Turning to stone sounds really awful. If you need some of my Stand Energy then take what you need. Danger and I have no problem with it. Right, girl?" A soft mew confirmed the feline's answer to her partner.

"Thank you very much Jodie. You are a 'lifesaver' I believe what people say these days. Please hold out your hand or paw." The duo followed Moonjumper's instruction and pulled out their respective left limb. Snatcher had cautiously taken Jodie's while Moonjumper took Danger's. he vast difference in size was made clear as the violet ghost and feline practically overshadowed their respective partner's hand.

Both females felt a large prick at the center of their being that vanished as fast it came, a flu shot being the closest to compare the feeling. The reactions of the two ghosts were instant once they let go. A large burst of blue flame ignited from Snatcher's hand before manifesting as a pristine gold contract paper with a large bright smile and strings whipped from Moonjumper's in an elegant controlled fashion.

"I'm back in business! Maybe even better than ever since my contracts never had such a perfect pristine look to them." The specter couldn't help but admire the elegant masterful craftsmanship of the calligraphy and detailed fabric/paper of the very item in his claws. "My magic feels much better as well. It has been some time to be able to manipulate my strings like this after escaping the Horizon. You have an incredible spirit Miss Joestar."

Jodie and Danger couldn't help the big smile on their beaming faces at the Moonjumper's praise and the sorta gratitude from Snatcher. "Now to get you home! You know the telescopes on my ship, the ones that I use to travel on different parts of the planet." Hat Kid's inquiry earned a round of nods from the room's occupants.

"I was thinking that we can power up one of the telescopes so it can send you back! And the best ones for the job was Snatcher and Moonjumper." That didn't sound like a bad idea. All of them had seen how the strange objects worked, most of them even used it, they were very accurate on where they warped to and from.

"Doesn't sound too hard considering we got a sample of the kiddo's soul. It'll act like a guide to her planet and last location before ending up in that stupidity infested town. The telescope used for my forest will boost our chances since it's linked to the realm of yours truly." A larger smug smile grew on the specter's face that earned him an eye roll from the other ghost.

With a simple spell, the telescope to Subcon had undergone a significant change. It was now larger with the brown cover replaced with a deep violet marked by red spirals, a second notch by the lenses marked with a J, and a mechanism that changed the lense for a bright sea green one. "There we go. Now the telescope can warp to your world and not just Subcon Forest with a turn of the notch." Moonjumper didn't expect the sudden hug from the woman and Snatcher didn't expect her to hug him next. Hat Kid's hug wasn't a surprise.

What's Up Danger vanished as Jodie recalled the being back into her own soul. "Thank you guys! I hope we can meet again in the future someday but for now this is goodbye. My family is probably worried or on a crusade for that Stand User so best to put out the flaming torches and put down any Stand Rushes quickly as possible. Sayonara and Arigato." With a smile on her face, the girl vanished in the light of the telescope.

Snatcher and Moonjumper stared at the object a bit longer before instinctively looking at Hat Kid. She had a very familiar disaster impending smile on her face. "You're going to follow her, aren't you?" The chained specter was answered by the smug look in the child's eyes. "At least give her three days. I want to see what kind of face she makes when we pop up. Plus there's a book of spells that might come in handy."

An impossible thing to knock about Snatcher and Hat Kid. When you grab their interest expect to follow you with every chance they get. And prepare for the impending mayhem to follow. Ghosts and children always tend to cause mischievous mishaps after all.

This is another Hat in Time crossover but instead I used Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Hat Kid here is a bit more chatty because I want to practice all sorts of interactions especially with two diverse sets of characters from two different franchises.

While Unappreciated Hunter was exploration in its style, this is more of how these very unique series interact with another when you take into consideration how vastly different they are. Kind of like a melting pot as characters handle brand new situations and the oddities provided.

This is all my first attempt at writing Moonjumper so I hope I did good. Until next time folks!

This is Jodie Joestar and her Stand What's Up Danger! Alongside the song that her name comes from.

[recentanimenews]

OPINION: The Life and Times of an Indian Otaku

  Makoto Shinkai's Weathering With You marked a historic first in my anime watching career. Contrary to popular belief, being the first anime to be released in Indian theaters is not the historic first in question (that honor goes to Shinchan: Bungle in the Jungle). Rather, Weathering With You would become the first film I'd ever watch on opening day — "first day first show" as we Indians call it. In the mad scramble to get tickets, I'd emerged a winner. Was it worth the struggle?

An emphatic yes. It was so good I went on to rewatch it twice.

    To fans in India: I’m so happy to tell that ‘Weathering With You’ (Tenki no ko) will release in India this October! We have licensed the Indian distribution rights to PVR Pictures and BookMyShow backed company Vkaao.

— 新海誠 (@shinkaimakoto) August 10, 2019

  The Indian theatrical release of Weathering With You in 2019 marked an important moment in the history of the Indian anime fandom. The story of how Shinkai noticed (and fulfilled) an online petition by Indian fans asking for its release here is already the stuff of legend. Because access to anime (especially in theaters) was so scarce in India, even in 2019, fans sought to have the film legally released in theaters. And thanks to Shinkai, it worked. To Indian anime fans, this represented the moment Japan — and the rest of the world — recognized our existence in the fandom. But Indian otakus didn't spring up overnight. Anime has had nearly three decades of history here. It just looks a little different than the rest of the world. The origins of anime in India go back to the '90s. Prior to the economic reforms of 1991, we had one — yes, only one — TV channel, the state-owned Doordarshan. The post-1991 wave of private TV channels brought with it a flood of international TV shows, among them anime like Robotech (which aired on the newly-created Star Plus). Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, the anime adaptation of the Indian mythological epic of the same name, was released in 1992 and had a long and troubled production history, but the end product was a grand success, with its all-star Hindi cast and catchy songs turning it into a TV fixture for well over a decade. It even received a US release, with Bryan Cranston voicing the lead role. The remainder of the '90s would see various anime achieve varying degrees of success, from Nippon Animation's 1989 adaptation of The Jungle Book — which became a nationwide hit — airing in India starting in 1993, to late-night anime like You're Under Arrest and Gunsmith Cats. Despite this, there wasn't yet an actual fandom surrounding anime at the time. That would all change upon the turn of the century.

  Cartoon Network revolutionized the Indian anime market when the channel arrived in 2001. The launch of dedicated anime programming block Toonami brought with it two anime that would permanently shape the future of the fandom: Dragon Ball Z and Cardcaptor Sakura (albeit in its heavily-edited Cardcaptors form). While I never watched Dragon Ball Z (compared to all my friends at school), I did watch some Cardcaptors with my sister, which would actually be the very first anime I watched. My own viewing habits notwithstanding, DBZ was very much the anime of the moment. Schoolkids would frequently shout out famous lines from the iconic English dub. We'd even invented various hand games based on attacks and moves from DBZ. In 2003, another monumental shift would come as the childhood classic Pokémon hit the small screen, followed closely by Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Beyblade. The merchandise associated with these franchises turned them into smash hits with a younger audience. All the cool kids had Pokemon cards and Beyblade tops. Battling with them at school was the stuff childhood was made of. To this day, these toys continue to sell well. Beyblade tournaments are still very much a thing. While many of my schoolmates were avid fans of DBZ, there were other trends in anime that could be observed, trends that had to do with language. From my experience, certain anime were only available dubbed in Hindi — a language spoken largely by the northern half of the country. Coming from a south Indian city with a significant north Indian population, I could observe a clear trend wherein Hindi-speaking north Indians grew up with these Hindi-dubbed anime, while people in the south (who spoke other languages) largely grew up with titles that were available in English (or Tamil, as fans of DBZ's Tamil dub can testify). Interestingly, these Hindi dubbed anime tended to be ones that were popular in Japan but not so much in the West — stuff like Doraemon, Shin-Chan, KochiKame, and Case Closed. This gave the north Indian anime scene a rather unique flavor. An even more interesting case is that of India's northeastern region (comprised of states like Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya). Being culturally different from the rest of India, these states have had a history of consuming Korean and Japanese media, and they embraced anime and manga in a way the rest of the nation had not. Anime-related cosplay is huge in the northeast, with some of the best cosplay conventions in the nation taking place there and becoming a part of the local fashion scene. The general acceptance of otaku culture in the region continues to be high.

Eventually, anime would become a little more accessible to all. The launch of dedicated channel Animax in 2004 represented another watershed moment in the fandom. The shows Animax brought over were unlike anything we'd seen in the medium. Shows like Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Inuyasha, and K-On! redefined what anime meant for Indian audiences who had previously seen anime as a childhood interest and no different from other cartoons. As the channel slowly began to shift its focus to the older teen/young adult demographic, more mature anime like Cowboy Bebop, Hell Girl, Akira, and Welcome to the NHK challenged our conservative notions of what was acceptable to air on TV, especially considering these shows aired in daytime slots rather than late-night. This honeymoon period did not last. Animax was delisted by service providers in 2012. The years to come would be some of the most frustrating for us anime fans, as availability was at its most inconsistent and uncertain. While the channel attempted to make a comeback later on in 2016, it eventually disappeared for good in 2017. Despite all these problems, I look back on Animax fondly. Thanks to it, we became aware of the existence of the entity known as "anime." We began to actively seek out anime over other forms of animation. In short, it resulted in the formation of an actual fandom centered around anime. Anime fan clubs began to pop up in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata. Widespread conventions outside of the northeast region came next. Anime Con India was started in 2010, followed closely by Delhi Comic-Con in 2011. Anime conventions in India are a curious thing. They are very unlike the sprawling, sophisticated conventions of the West. The funds simply aren't there for that sort of thing. I don't recall a single Indian anime convention that was attended by a voice actor, animator, or the like. So what are Indian cons about? In an interview with The Citizen, Anime Con India founder Nitesh Rohit talked about his reason for starting the con: "like any other belief and faith they all needed a temple to congregate (at)." This statement really resonates with me, and sums up what Indian cons are about. What they lack in scale and facilities, they make up for in intimacy and a feeling of togetherness. They are more or less small-scale events for anime fans to find other fans, to network with them, and basically feel less alone. Because feeling alone was part of the original Indian otaku experience. The early fandom was largely an urban phenomenon, as going to cons wasn't an option for everyone and the internet wasn't what it is today. So, you had these disconnected pockets of fans. People around you were unlikely to share your interest in anime and may have even judged you for it. The general consensus in India was (and still is) that animation is a medium for children. And remember, for a long time, anime accessibility varied by region. So, if you were lucky enough to find a kindred otaku, there was no guarantee they were into (or had even heard of) the same titles as you. This meant that we hadn't really had the ability to develop any sort of unique culture or traditions of our own. Things like going to cons, renting anime DVDs, memes and in-jokes — these things didn't exist for the vast majority of early fans who were school-going kids or college students of little means. A culture of our own wouldn't arise until much later — when that generation grew up.

  Of course, it wasn't just us who grew up — technology did, too. The internet became more ubiquitous. Social media and forums enabled us to network with each other regardless of location, in ways we'd never have imagined. To the scattered fandom of the early days, this has been nothing short of a blessing. The other big change ushered in by the internet was the era of streaming. Until then, most of our anime viewing took place on television and as previously stated, was not always very consistent. Accessibility improved greatly with the launch of Netflix in 2016. In today's India, Netflix is a household name, with a significant portion of young adults having access to a subscription. With a catalog of over 200 anime, Netflix has been responsible for pulling in many new fans. Plenty of people "come for the movies, stay for the anime." Series like My Hero Academia, Death Note, and One-Punch Man have become mainstream successes in this fashion, with a significant following even among non-anime fans. Another streaming service that is beginning to make inroads into the Indian market is Crunchyroll, with simulcasts like Boruto and originals like Tower of God, and the fact that it is free makes it accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Most Indian anime fans I know of have heard of Crunchyroll, and as more titles get licensed it is inevitable that its popularity will rise. And us otakus are doing plenty to help it do just that.

The success of Weathering With You is a shining example of the tight-knit nature of the Indian anime fandom. All it took was one person (an anime fan named Divishth Pancholi) to create a Change.org petition asking for its release in Indian theaters. The petition went viral, getting over 50,000 signatures and attracting the attention of Shinkai and the producers, resulting in its release here. Today, that event is seen as a smaller part of a greater Indian anime movement that is pushing for increased availability and acceptance of anime in India. Hashtags like #IndiaWantsAnime frequently make their presence felt on social media. This fandom isn't without its problems — it isn't the most inclusive when it comes to non-male fans, the "animation is for kids" specter hasn't been fully shaken off, and I'd love for anime BluRays/DVDs to be more widely available here. But I am grateful for the fandom's existence for getting me into anime in the first place. Without them, I'd have never been sitting in a movie theater on October 11, 2019, watching Weathering With You.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[wings-of-indigo]

So, Waitress is closing and Why I am Happy about that: An Exceedingly long essay Rant about Broadway

Look. Nobody's gonna read this, most likely, but it's 2 in the morning and my brain's been obsessing over Broadway (more than usual, anyway) since communing with my people at intensive this week. So, in the interest of getting some sleep before 8 hrs of dance and shitty high notes tomorrow, here goes.

I love classic, high-school-and-community standard musicals. I love new and experimental musicals. I love Disney film-to-stage musicals. I love institution musicals like Chorus Line, Cats, and Wicked; I even have a soft spot for Phantom. I am eagerly anticipating West Side Story next Christmas (seriously, I have a calander).

BUT.

As I said to one of my fellow dancers during post-class stretch (after noting his insane flexibilty and making yet another resolution to stretch more) I am Sick to GoDAMnEd DEATH of revivals, franchise adaptions, and restagings taking up the Broadway and greater theater markets.

I get why it's happening; I do. Musical theater, even shows that never make it out of Regional productions (Be More Chill, btw, I'm so proud of you bby :'-D ) are REALLY FREAKING EXPENSIVE, not just to stage, but also to develop. Broadway productions nowadays regularly go upwards of TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in costs.

Those costs are more and more frequently being met through funding by large groups of wealthy investors, who can expect basically little to no return on that investment. Only a select few shows that make it to the Great White Way do well enough to turn a profit (let alone the kinds of numbers that Hamilton, DEH, and Wicked continue to make), and more and more shows are closing in defict or once they break even. (Coincidentally, this is probably why we're seeing more and more straight plays on Broadway, especially in limited engagements. They're quicker, cheaper, and still have the same level of prestige.)

It makes sense then to assume that a show linked to an already successful property has a better chance of reaching that break-even mark, or perhaps generating a small return, than a more original idea. It's a surer bet, and we've seen it a lot these past few seasons. Anastasia, Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge, Mean Girls... we get it. We promise. Investors want some security in an extremely and notoriously insecure market before they're willing to lay out the dough.

I get it. Everybody gets it.

And, to be fair, some of those shows are and continue to be GOOD. Tony nominees and award winners, even. But here's the problem: it's boring.

And not because I know how Act 2 ends without getting spoilers on tumblr. Unless they're younger than ten, the population of Broadway-and-musicals fans generally has a good handle on where a show's relevant plotlines are going. It's really not the wanting to know the end that keeps your butt in your overpriced red velvet seat and your eyes on the stage. It's the score, the words, occasionally the choreography, and most importantly the magicians on, off, and backstage bringing those things to life in a new and interesting way.

The antithesis of this, then, is having to watch slavish recreation of iconic scenes, lines, and characters from iconic films, presented Onstage! (TM), now with Bonus Songs! for your reconsumption. (Yes, Pretty Woman, I'm looking at you.)

Hey, I love Pretty Woman the Movie, slightly dodgy messages about feminity aside. I love it as a movie, and I really don't need to watch the knock off version of it, even if it comes in a shiny Broadway package.

Anastasia, and Beetlejuice, on the other hand, work extrodinarily well as musicals because they are NOT carbon copies of the original, somehow miraculously transplanted onto the stage.

Ironically, musicals based on original ideas are actually some of the most successful and well reviewed recent productions. Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and Hadestown this season are all original works, and well, look at them. (Fishy, huh? Coincidence, I think the fuck not.)

Recently I got to see The Prom on Broadway, the day after I saw Pretty Woman. The contrast between shows and my enjoyment of them was well defined. I couldn't look away from The Prom, despite many of the major story beats being as obvious as our Cheeto-in-Chief's spray tan. I and the entire rest of the theater were completely engaged by what was going on onstage, both comedically and dramatically. At Pretty Woman, I found myself checking the Playbill to see how many songs were left for me to make it through and anxiously comparing the size of my thighs to the dancers onstage to pass the time (ah, pre pro Body Issues, welcome back! We all thought you'd retired!)

Three guesses which show I'd choose to see again.

When I read that Waitress was closing, the first thing I did was panic and start marking pre January weekends where I would both be free and possibly have disposable income (I've never gotten to see the show, and frankly I would like too). My second reaction was, yes, to mourn the closure of a wonderful show, but it was mixed with hopeful anticipation. Waitress had a good long time in the sun, and just like a well lived life, eventually it must and should end. It's better, in my humble student opinion, to live with memories and cast albums (and regional productions) than the stodgy life of a show that's jealously clung to its Broadway berth through the tourist-and-date-night trade (*cough*Phantom*cough*). It's sort of like your 40 something mother taking selfies in booty shorts in an effort to prove she's still 'hip' and in her twenties. Cringe.

Ephemera is the nature of live performance, and probably part of its allure. And just like in the natural world, old things have to end so that new things can become. Waitress closing is a vital part of this cycle.

Broadway has a limited number of theaters. That's a hard and absolute fact. Maybe a quarter of them are effectively taken off the market for new shows by productions apparently cursed with immortality. Waitress has just opened up another spot both physically and creatively for a new project- hopefully something we haven't seen before- and I hope to God, Satan, and Sondheim that it doesn't get filled with another franchise spinoff, celebrity jukebox musical, or -Lin Miranda forbid - yet another revival.

Why the revival hate, though? Aren't revivals an major way to revisit the landmark and important musicals of the past and bring them to a new audience?

Well, yes. They are, especially when they're staged and presented with the emphasis on letting the music and words speak for themselves and giving the actors leeway to work with the material, without the typical levels of Broadway Extra (TM) and creative meddling from the producers. (The recent Lincoln Center staging of A Chorus Line is a good example of the stripped down style I'm talking about.) But even if they have their place, once again, revivals (while valuable and cool and all that) are Something We've Already Seen.

Let's take Newsies for example. A show with a huge fan base (mostly teen, mostly girls) who I frequently see wishing for a revival.

Now, I am a raging Newsies fan. Newsies is the show that got me started on attempting to make a profession out of dance and theater. I can sing both the OBC and Live albums back to front. I may or may not have had embarrassing crushes on certain cast and characters that I will take to my grave (I'll never tell and you'll never know, mwahhaha). So, do I love and worship ever iteration of this show? Yes. Do I wish I had been able to see either the Natl Tour or Broadway productions? Hell yes, with all my heart. Do I wish the Gatelli choreography was in any way accessible for me to learn? More than I want Broadway tickets to cost less than my soul, kidney, and hypothetical but unlikely first born combined.

But do I want a Broadway revival? Hell FUCKING No.

It's over, it's done, and it lives on in reinterpretation in regional and junior productions. Good. That, to be quite honest, is where it should belong.

It doesn't need to be rehashed on the biggest stages, and to be frank, neither do most of the ultra popular revivals that have been happening. (Yes, Ali Stoker is awesome and deserves the world, but Broadway does not need Oklahoma. If you need to see it that bad, go find a high school production somewhere. I recommend the midwest.) Broadway does not need 1776 (even though I am looking forward to it). Broadway does not need a Sweeney Todd revival (even though I want one like I want ice cream after suffering through jazz class in an un-air-conditioned studio on a 90 degree afternoon with no breeze. Seriously, I might be making sacrifices at my altar to this cause in the back of my closet).

Broadway needs musicals that are at least nominally original, and if not, come from something obscure enough (Kinky Boots, Waitress, Newsies) that they can make their own way. Barring that, investors, writers, and directors, please have the courage and decency to take established content in a new direction. Please, I'm begging you. I'd honestly-and-truly much rather sit through something that didn't try to shove the better version of itself down my throat even as it bored and annoyed me to tears. If I'm going to pay $80+ to sit through two hours of something terrible (and less engaging than my dancer body image issues) at least let me get my money's worth in unique horribleness.

[chilled-soul-speaker]

In-Character Interview!

Rules:

1. Choose an OC.

2. Answer them as that OC.

3. Tag 5 people to do the same. (Tag as many as you wish)

I was tagged by: @ariela-of-aedyr (thanks!!)

1. What is your name?

Snærún Dökkvatn. Technically, Dökkvatn was the name of my clan, not my last name. Many documents here in the Dyrwood were very insistent that I have a last name.

2. Do you know why are you named that?

From what I have been told, I was given my name by my parents as a way to wish for success in life. I was slated to become the next Runecaster, what is considered to be a Wizard in the rest of Eora, and so the name I was given roughly translates to “Snowy Rune”.

3. Are you single or taken?

Single.

4. Have any abilities or powers?

I have trained in metaphysics and have a decent understanding of how to manipulate arcane energy with spells, and about a year ago I gained the powers of a Watcher.

5. Stop being a Mary Sue.

…What is a ‘Mary Sue’?

6. What’s your eye color?

It’s brown, but recently I’ve been observing that they sometimes appear purple. This could be caused by liberal use of my Watcher abilities…*leans elbows on table with a serious expression* It might be worthwhile for me to contact Adaryc and compare…*trails off*

7. How about your hair color?

*snaps back into focus and sits up straight* Ah…it’s white, like most of my clan members.

8. Have any family members?

…Technically, no. The other three children that survived my clan’s destruction were adopted by other clans and are no longer considered my family. I do consider my friends that I traveled with this past year my family now.

9. Oh? How about pets?

It seems I have many. *sighs* Edér seems to have snuck in many dogs and cats into the keep over the past year, but after some training, most of the dogs have turned into fine guard dogs, and the cats do well with managing the local rodent population. I don’t consider my wurm, Nils, a pet though. He is also one of my companions and is beginning to learn Aderyan.

10. That’s cool, I guess. Now, tell me something you don’t like?

Well, that’s a broad question. I’m not fond of the weather here in the Dyrwood, it’s too warm for my liking. But, if I’m being honest, I haven’t been satisfied with anywhere I’ve lived temperature wise, with the only exception being my visit to the White March.

11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?

I like to keep my hands busy, so I have quite a few that I focus on. When I’m not studying, I work on leatherwork, enchanting, alchemy, and herbalism.

12. Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before?

It is my belief that you cannot live without harming someone. It is kith’s nature to harm one another, even if it is unintentional.

13. Ever… killed anyone before?

*sighs irritably* Yes, but only if I was forced to and the assailant threatened me or my companions. I do not take pleasure in killing, but I do not shy away from it either.

14. What kind of animal are you?

*sly smile* I’ve been told by my new acquaintances in the nobility that my adversaries assume that I am a lamb; naïve and innocent, unknowing of the world due to my beginnings in the Wend. They soon learn that I use that façade to make them underestimate me. I have heard whispers that I am called the ‘White Wolf’ by those that survive my attacks.

15. Name your worst habits?

*thoughtful look* Edér has told me that I have a habit of expecting people to understand me without me explaining anything. This has caused some problems between me and my friends a bit. I’m working on improving this. I also tend to make quick judgements on kith and situations without taking much consideration into the larger picture.

16. Do you look up to anyone at all?

I look up to my friends for different reasons. They all have something different that I admire about them (excluding Durance) and I strive to emulate those aspects in everything that I do.

17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?

…I suppose bisexual. I have had relationships with both men and women.

18. Did you attend school?

*long sigh* I was supposed to attend Bragganhyl with support from a patron but…things happened, and I burnt down that patron’s ship. So, I am mostly self-taught, with some tutelage from past employers as well as help from Aloth.

19. Ever want to marry and have kids one day?

Marriage…possibly. I’m not against it, but I think my partner would have to be the one to bring it up. I don’t believe the need of some sort of binding ceremony for partners to prove their loyalty to each other. And…kids? *sharp exhale* Never. I don’t deal well with being around children.

20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

If I understand what the Steward reports to me, I am well respected by my employees and some of my fellow acquaintances in the nobility if that is what you mean by ‘fan’?

21. What are you most afraid of?

Heights is the easiest thing to say. I absolutely abhor having to climb up and down with a sheer drop nearby. But, to be completely honest…*long pause* Gods, it sounds ridiculous saying this out loud…children. It is nothing against them, but seeing children brings back horrible memories from my childhood.

22. What do you usually wear?

If I am training, usually just my trousers and breast band. If I am expecting guests or otherwise working on the upkeep of the keep, I have a loose dress. When I travel outside of the keep, I have the same leather armor that I had when I first left the Wend, modified for the hotter weather, of course.

23. What’s one food that tempts you?

I haven’t had it in many years, but I do miss the flavor of Ysae. It is a fish from the waters near the Wend with a very sweet taste. I prefer it pickled like many Glamfellan along the coast make it. The closest to Ysae I’ve had in the Dyrwood have been the speckleback fish that we caught in the March.

24. Am I annoying you?

…This interview has gone on for quite some time. I’m beginning to tire.

25. Well, it’s still not over!

*slow exhale* Well, continue then.

26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?

Due to my travels, I have lived in the low and middle classes. I suppose that currently with my ownership of Caed Nua and its surrounding lands, that I would be considered high class now.

27. How many friends do you have?

A few close ones.

28. What are your thoughts on pie?

*wrinkles nose* It’s either too sweet or too bland. I can eat the savory pie from Guilded Vale, but that is never my first choice for a meal.

29. Favorite drink?

I make my own blends of tea from the herbs I grow here at Caed Nua. *quiet laugh* I have been told by my friends that they are too bitter for them to drink without anything to sweeten the drink.

30. What’s your favorite place?

…That’s a difficult question for me to answer. At the moment I would consider Stalwart my favorite place. It reminds me of my homeland.

31. Are you interested in anyone?

*long pause and looks away* Yes…but I believe that we need to find who we are outside of a countrywide crisis before I consider pursuing him. We were, and are, dealing with our own personal problems. Plus, he had a mission that he took on, and I could never be selfish and keep him from that call.

32. That was a stupid question…

*looks back and narrows eyes* Maybe you should have considered your questions more carefully before coming here.

33. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?

The lake. The ocean’s saltiness irritates me, and I hate washing off dried salt.

34. What’s your type?

I assume you mean in romantic relationships. I prefer people who understand that I am flighty and not likely to stay in one place for too long. Loyalty, bravery, and a clear head have always attracted me. Someone who can sit with me to spend time with me quietly, or someone that I can talk to for hours on end about an assortment of topics would be ideal, I think. I could go on, but I would not bore you with that.

35. Any fetishes?

That is an inappropriate question.

36. Camping or outdoors?

…Both? This is not a very clear question. Do you not camp outdoors? Or are you asking if I prefer to sleep in a tent or under the stars? If that, I prefer a tent. There are a number of unsavory bugs in these northern countries that I will not stand being near me as I sleep.

[journeysintowebcomics]

Stand Still Stay Silent Liveblog #62

UPDATE 62: Onslaught

Last time the crew made preparations to defend against the ghost onslaught that’s coming. It’ll be quite the difficult night, given how, well, pretty much everyone is ill-prepared to fight against ghosts, but they got Onni’s help, so they have that on their side. Let’s continue.

It’s just the start and the effectivity of the runes is now confirmed. With some luck it’ll continue being effective even after exploding, now that it’s not on paper. If it’s still there, then it’ll be quite the effective wall against ghosts!

Too bad it’s all crammed into one spot, now that I think about it. The ghosts could go in a circle and find a spot where there are no runes and then attack from there. Is this particular ghost...incinerated or...exorcised or...gone? Perhaps? That’d be a favorable situation.

Reynir’s runes are taking out the ghosts, Emil’s explosives will defeat the trolls. A lot of them are currently on fire, and those that aren’t incinerated shall get shot by Sigrun, Emil and Mikkel. The main ghost horse isn’t advancing yet, observing from behind its dying troupe. It’s a pretty freaky image!

Looks like the fire from the runes doesn’t last for long. When it starts to die, Sleipnope tries to step forth, and now it’s the turn of the second line of magical defense Lalli Hotakainen. He gets there and punches the ghost! I think. Sure seems that way. Either that or he tried to stab the ghost and it didn’t work.

I hope it manages to slow it down. The next page shows it may have been some kind of barrier, so perhaps it did? The ghost isn’t deterred, though. Instead of trying to advance further, it stares Lalli down, showing it’s able to talk. Somehow. Is this a new development? Because if so, it can’t mean anything good.

“Less weak” instead of stronger? I feel there’s an important distinction here, but I’m not sure how to express it without making it sound redundant. Can you be ‘less weak’ without being stronger?

One of the trolls managed to get past the perimeter of doom and gets right onto the tank, scratching it like a cat before Sigrun jumps on it. That’s risky! Quite impressive she managed to keep her balance instead of crashing down after stepping on that thing. It’s not enough to kill the troll, so she moves to stab it.

Ouch! That injury is acting up. This is a problem...just how bad is that wound, if after all this time it hasn’t healed at all? Or perhaps it’s infected? If it’s infected, it’ll be bad – Mikkel is an okay medic, but is he prepared to heal an infection? What if she gets sepsis? She’s in the middle of nowhere! And it’s not like anything they can walk into a hospital and use anything there, too. She’d be in great danger if this gets even worse.

The pain makes her be unable to do anything, giving another troll enough time to swat her aside with a tail, the troll Sigrun tried to stab clings onto the undercarriage of the tank. It’ll be able to bid its time to attack anyone in the crew who lets their guard down, hm? Golly, I keep feeling Sigrun will get very hurt tonight, and that thought is pretty scary to me. Them being without a competent captain would be quite the problem.

Mikkel saves her! And he doesn’t break anyone’s leg in the process. The bad news is that despite their efforts, the runes and the bombs, they haven’t whittled down the enemy numbers much yet.

Translation: we have the entire troll population of Denmark attacking us.

In the Vasterstrom household, Onni is playing an instrument and getting ready to provide backup. I find pretty cool that, even though he’s so far away, he’s able to support the crew. It’s good he’s part of this team, he’ll save them for the second time.

Also, he’s playing that instrument with his foot. I hope that’s a vital part of mage training.

Another Finnish spell, and there’s no translation in Ms. Sundberg’s author note. As usual, I’d like to ask for a translation from you, dear reader. It’s always fun to know what these spells say. They’re quite poetic!

The result of Onni’s spell is a large bird-like burst of flame emerging from Emil’s flamethrower. That’s going to be a fun time.

Perfect! That’s going to get rid of several trolls and, with some luck, make the rest run away. I’m not sure if it’ll be any help with the ghosts but since Onni knows those are a problem too, it’s possible it’ll help solve that as well. Sleipnope isn’t making any effort to get in, which I’m taking as a good sign.

It’s running away! Problem solved!

I can’t even begin to imagine how any of this is pronounced, hah. No translation for this one in the author’s notes either, unfortunately.

It seems it’s over. I’m stopping the update for now. But it sure must be so baffling for Tuuri and Reynir inside. Are they hearing the noises of the fighting outside? They have no idea what’s going on, haha!

Next time: in three updates

[thechadwickpaul]

The Best A Man Can Get

For thirty years, Gillette has used the tagline “The Best a Man Can Get.” In 2019, however, there is outrage over their latest advertisement short film. 

In the commercial “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be,” Gillette asks its audience if this is the best a man can get while the topics of bullying, the Me Too Movement against sexual harassment, and masculinity echo in the background. Gillette recognizes that, given the changing culture, these types of behaviors are no longer acceptable. These types of behaviors have been laughed off or justified by traditional excuses, but something has finally changed and there will be “no going back.” 

The company then presents a clip of former NFL player and actor Terry Crews stating that “men need to hold other men accountable.” Gillette then offers to Crews’ statement by adding that men need to hold other men accountable to “say the ‘right’ thing [and] to act the ‘right’ way.”

The commercial continues to suggest ways that men can hold other men accountable to say the right thing and to act the right way. The examples include one man responding “come on” when another man refers to a woman as “sweetie” when telling her to smile and one man approaching a woman in a cat call formation when his friend steps in to play defense while informing him that his behavior is not cool. Gillette recognizes that there are some men who are leading the charge against bullying and harassment in both big and small ways. However, more action needs to be taken because the boys that are watching today are going to be men in the future. 

Refusing to read any opinion pieces on this commercial in an effort to preserve the purity of my own opinion, I am confused as to why the campaign is controversial. Men can be better: this is a fact. Women could also be better. Nobody is perfect, which seems to be an indirect premise in Gillette’s advertisement. 

Gillette identifies the problem: men have been getting away with socially unacceptable behavior towards women and each other for far too long. These behaviors have been justified through humor and tradition. 

Gillette offers a solution to the identified problem: men need to hold other men accountable by intervening when men are not saying or doing the right thing.  Gillette appears to define what they mean by doing the right thing when they show one male friend intervening when another male friend is engaging in socially unacceptable behavior. The company simply challenges its audience of men to be better men in regards to sexual harassment and bullying. 

On Gillette’s website, they recognize that brands such as their own influence male culture. If the brand is challenging men to be the best a man can be, then they feel that they have the responsibility to assure that they promote “healthy versions of what it means to be a man.” 

As a part of Gillette’s “The Best Men Can Be” campaign, they are committing to donate $1 million per year for the next three years to nonprofit organizations that execute programs in the United States that “inspire, educate and help men of all ages achieve their personal ‘best’ and become role models for the next generation.” 

In my opinion, Gillette is doing nothing wrong. They want to preserve their tagline while utilizing it to address social and political current affairs. Gillette is a private razor company that has succeeded through reaching out to the population of men. Their market of men has made them the company that they are today. Running a campaign to help fund nonprofit efforts to inspire, educate, and help men achieve their best seems to align perfectly with their organizational goals through promoting healthy versions of what it means to be a man. They plan to give back to the market that made them successful. 

Is the campaign sexist? You may believe so. In my opinion, it is not. To believe that the campaign is sexist would be similar to suggesting the Gillette’s business model is sexist. Gillette recognized that there was something missing in the market of razors for men. They began creating razors that addressed the specific needs of men and they succeeded. Now, they recognize a problem within their market of customers, and are choosing to use their own funds to address these issues in a way that they best see fit. 

You can disagree with Gillette; I know I do. I do not need a razor company telling me the “right” way to be a man/ I do not personally believe that Gillette is responsible for promoting healthy versions of what it means to be a man. Gillette is a private company operating in a capitalistic economic system.At the end of their day, their responsibility is to provide the best quality items at the lowest available costs to their market. I do not recognize the Gillette marketing team as experts on what it means to be a man, but I do applaud their attempt to join the national conversation on masculinity, bullying, and sexual harassment.

I do not disagree with their efforts, however, to address an issue that they believe exists. Who knew that a campaign to inspire men to be better could be of such uproar? 

I do not think that the ad is controversial. They identify a problem and offer their solution. Whether or not you agree with their campaign, they have the liberty to utilize their profits in the best way that they see fit. I am not inspired by the ad, but I am certainly not offended. The ad suggests that we can do better. We all can do better. 

[switchblades-and-cherries]

The Town That Time Forgot-Chapter 1

Ok so this is an Modern!Outsiders story that I have been thinking about writing for a while now. And because I want to make my life even harder lol. I think I’m also going to be tossing in the 100 writing prompt challenge by Sunshockk on Deviantart into the mix. Now whether or not I can actually write 100 chapters of this is a different story, but I figured it would be cool to see what chapters I could make with just 1 word as inspiration.

I actually chose not only the word but also who Ellie meets first with a random picker, so the fact that this has Sodapop in it doesn’t necessarily mean she will end up with him...We will see how the story progresses to see who she chooses ;) . Also if you would like to see what Ellie looks like, I drew a picture of her here .

All of the lovely boys are in this story as well, so do not fret. And because Ellie is 25, I have upped their ages a bit.

Ponyboy 19 Johnny 21 Sodapop 21 going on 22 Dallas 22 Steve 22 Two-Bit 23 Darry 25

This all being said, Let’s get to the story!!!

 Word Count: 1,824

Warnings: Cussing, Socs harassing Ellie

Word Inspiration: Bubble

"The town that time forgot"

That was where I was headed, the real name for it was Rocksville funny enough. It was a once abandoned town out in Oklahoma, but since has grown to a population close to seven thousand. Though the revival of the once ghost town was not what made it remarkable, or gave it it's name-No, it was due to the fact that the whole town was still modeled as if it had never moved past 1965. The buildings were built in that style, the food was still grown locally so that it could be sold for less. Heck, even the people never moved past the era, everyone still dressed in the fashion, drove the cars, even the houses were decorated with fifties through sixties decor. It was a Rockabilly dream, and my soon to be home.

When I had found the Rockabilly community I fell in love, having always been drawn to the era, I always wished that I could have been born then, instead of the nineties. When I changed my entire lifestyle, my mother suggested that I go live with my grandmother for a bit, and if I liked it, get a house of my own in the community. Grandma had always been part of my life since I was little, and had told me stories about her younger days, mom said that she influenced me, but grandma just says that sometimes the soul doesn't move past the times they loved the most.

So here I was, driving down the highway in my nineteen fifty-seven Chevy Bel Air, getting strange looks from people my own age, but thumbs up from my elders. Excited didn't even begin to explain how I was feeling, it was like a sense of longing was finally being fulfilled, like where I was supposed to be was finally within reach-And as I pulled off to the side road that led to the town I realized, it really was. I knew that the community was very closed off, but I didn't realize how much until I pulled up to the gate, it was like this whole town was in its own little bubble.

"Hello there sweety, what can I do for you?" The elderly man asked, walking out of his small room and up to my car.

"I'm here to see my grandmother, Donna Smith" I replied, smiling at the gentleman.

"Well I'll be, are you little Ellie? Donna talks about you a lot, glad to have ya finally stop by, My name is William" He smiled back.

"Very nice to meet you William" I replied before he nodded.

"Right then" he spoke before turning around and making his way to the gate. He grabbed the keys from his belt and unlocked the giant padlock, before pushing the gates open.

"Wow this place really is old fashioned" I stated to myself, watching as he waved me over.

"Enjoy your stay dear, and welcome to Rocksville" He told me before I kept driving, seeing him close the gates behind me and return to his room. The town was a bit empty on the way in, nothing but a few farmlands, but as soon as you hit downtown, you knew it. I felt like I was about to cry as I drove through the streets, people crossing, old cars lining the sides. Old soda shops, diners, and movie theaters, along with so many mom and pop shops. It was only after the second red light that I realized-I had no idea where grandma's street was in this town.

"I guess I should ask someone if they can give me directions" I stated, pulling off into a parking space on the side of the street. Cutting my car off, I gathered my purse and stepped out onto the street, quickly making my way to the sidewalk, making sure to give a thank you wave to the people who had stopped to let me get out and around my car. People were a heck of a lot nicer here than in the cities I've been to, that's for sure. I looked around for the best place to ask, there was a small clothing store in front of me, a small food store beside that. The mechanic at the end corner looked promising, if anyone knows almost everyone in town, it's a mechanic.

Mulling over my options, I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of whistles and cat calls.

"Hey there pretty lady, haven't seen you here before"

"We would have remembered this one boys"

"Want us to show ya around? You'll have a good time"

Looking behind me I saw a group of what I could only describe as Socs making their way towards me. Looking forward again I rolled my eyes.

"No I'm fine thank you" I stated, trying to be polite, even if they didn't deserve it.

"Awe come on baby, it will be fun" what I could only guess was the leader, said as he grabbed my arm and spun me around. Ok, I take back what I said about people being a heck of a lot nicer here.

"I said no!" I told him, taking my arm from his grasp.

"Well looky here boys, the kitten has claws"

"They're more fun when they fight back"

"Makes winning them even better"

"Listen, I'm giving you five seconds to leave me alone," I told him, I may not look it, but if growing up with four older brothers taught me anything, it was how to protect myself.

"Or what?" The leader asked with a smirk.

"Or your ass is going to be on the ground"

"what did you say bitch?" he snarled

"One"

"You think you're tough shit huh new girl?"

"two"

"Ok I've had enough of your shit"

"Hey! Why don't you three piss off and leave the lady alone" A voice spoke up from behind us. I turned to see a guy who one could successfully describe just by saying "movie-star handsome". Short brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a jaw-line that should probably be illegal. He wore a blue mechanic outfit, with the top tied around his waist, showing off his white undershirt.

'Dang grandma these are where the good-looking guys have been hiding?!'

"Stay out of this Curtis, this doesn't involve you" The leader of the Soc gang spoke.

'Curtis? First or last name?' I wondered.

"Maybe not, but I'm not gonna stand by while three creeps harass her" He spoke, stepping in front of me.

'oh ok then, didn't know I looked that dainty but I appreciate the action'

"what did you say?" The leader asked, getting in the guy's face.

"Do you really want to do this again? Remember what happened last time" The man coolly spoke. The Socs just scoffed, the two in the back muttering their displeasure.

"You can keep the little broad, but this isn't over Curtis" The leader said before he and his goons left. The man sighed before turning around to face me. Seeing him up this close I could get a better look at him. He seemed older, not as old as me, but perhaps in his early twenties. Though his face said that he hadn't had the easiest life, there was a maturity to him that was beyond his age.

"You ok?" He asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh yeah, thank you, I really appreciate it" I smiled.

"No problem, though I would have liked to see you put him on his ass" he smirked, causing me to laugh.

"I would have too if you hadn't stepped in. But thanks to you, I didn't have to get my dress dirty" I smirked, this time it was his turn to laugh.

"You're new here, never seen you around" He stated.

"Do new people really not come here all that often?" I asked, this was the third person who said I was new.

"Well no-But the pink in your hair kinda makes you stand out" he smiled, motioning towards my pink streak.

"Oh...Yeah, I suppose it would" I chuckled.

"Were you needing help with anything?" he asked.

'Ok I stand by my first thought, people are a heck of a lot nicer here'

"Oh yeah, actually I do need some help. I'm here to stay with my grandmother for a bit, and I'm not exactly sure how to get to maple street" I told him.

"Oh that's simple, just head down this road and turn right on the last crossroad, onto Bel Lane. Keep going on that road till you come to a curve and it's the first road on your left right after the curve." He told me, gesturing the different directions.

"Keep going, make a right on Bel Lane, keep going, first right past the curve" I repeated.

"Got it" he smiled.

"Thank you so much, and for helping me out with those guys. I'm Elizabeth by the way, but everyone calls me Ellie" I smiled, holding out my hand.

"Sodapop, nice to meet you Ellie, hope to see you around" he smiled back.

"You too" I nodded, turning to head back to my car.

"Enjoy Rocksville" he called out.

"I already am" I laughed. I climbed in my car and looked over, Sodapop must have already gone back to the mechanic shop.

'Well this town keeps getting more and more interesting' I smiled to myself, pulling out onto the road and heading to grandma's house. With Soda's directions it didn't take me long to find the road, and soon I was pulling up into grandma's driveway. Being greeting by her small Yorkie, Pattie, as soon as I climbed out of the car.

"Hey girl, long time no see" I smiled, squatting down and picking the excited dog up.

"Is that my granddaughter I see!" I heard my grandmother's voice call from the front porch.

"Tis I!" I called back, rounding the cars and smiling. Grandma hugged me as soon as I stepped onto the porch, being careful of Pattie.

"Did you have trouble finding the place?" she asked as we walked inside.

"A bit, but a mechanic in town helped me after he helped me with a Soc problem," I stated, putting Pattie down.

"Oh dear, I hope they didn't both you too much, you have to be careful with some guys in town, they need a good smack upside the head" she stated, sitting down in her chair.

"Yeah" I laughed

"But Sodapop Curtis helped me out," I told her.

"Oh, he is such a nice young man isn't he...Single too" she stated with a smile, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Grandma! I just got here!" I blushed.

"I'm just saying" she shrugged, leaning down to pick Pattie up, and sitting her on her lap.

"I have a feeling living here is going to be very interesting" I laughed.

"You have no idea sweety" she patted my hand with a wink.

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. I’m going to have the next chapter out as soon as I can ^_^

[verdigrisprowl]

Oct 12 Date Night - Titanic’s Final Mystery

Yes, again. Prowl wanted to actually see it.

Soundwave and Prowl watched it at Soundwave’s Iaconian apartment. Prowl was quite pleased that the debunked theories that the narrator ominously brought up early on were re-debunked by the end, with both science and historic context.

He got a little too emotional over tiny white crabs.

Today verdigrisprowl 9:38 pm *arrives. he is Ready to try titanicking again. with someone who WON'T feel the need to comment on it when he talks about the show.* *... or if he DOES feel the need to comment on it, it'll be constructive commentary.* *IN ANY CASE. what's the setup like, he hasn't watched a movie here before.* NoodlesAtNight 9:40 pm *Naturally. He's still contemplating ways to make Rodimus' life miserable. Prowl won't let him go through with them, he's sure, but it's still mood soothing.*

*Anyway. The folding couch that pulls down off the wall, pushes back, and uncovers a large video monitor is where he's seated. It's close to the portion of the apartment supporting the upstairs bedroom loft thing. If Soundwave wanted, he could scoot to the closest side of the couch, reach his arm into the wash racks, and clean it.* verdigrisprowl 9:42 pm *tight quarters* verdigrisprowl 9:43 pm *but Prowl would rather Soundwave scoot to the other side of the couch and reach his arm around Prowl.* *... because that's where he's sitting. on the couch. with soundwave.* NoodlesAtNight 9:44 pm *It's a three-person couch, and the only one there. He doesn't host public movie nights here for several reasons, and that's the main one.*

*Soundwave will do exactly that, and lower his head to suggest a quick nuzzle of properly settling in.* verdigrisprowl 9:45 pm *and a nuzzle he shall get.* Do you want to just—restart from the start? I think I stopped being able to focus on the documentary some time before I actually left. NoodlesAtNight 9:46 pm [[Let's. It will be better without pokes and Primes, he thinks.]] verdigrisprowl 9:47 pm So do I. verdigrisprowl 9:48 pm *aaand begins* NoodlesAtNight 9:48 pm [[...This is, perhaps, a little rude, but - every time he sees that wreck, he hopes never to perish underwater.]] NoodlesAtNight 9:49 pm [[It looks so - so...]] *Hand motion.* [[...So.]] verdigrisprowl 9:49 pm Gross? NoodlesAtNight 9:49 pm [[Yes, thank you.]] verdigrisprowl 9:49 pm It does look gross. verdigrisprowl 9:50 pm I occasionally have to remind myself that the Titanic wasn't a person, because if it was, that would be among the worst corpses I've ever seen. Just in terms of rot and decay. NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm [[Oh, good. He is glad he is not the only one to think so.]] verdigrisprowl 9:52 pm I really do appreciate the whole premise behind this documentary. A proper, thorough, foot-by-foot examination of the crime scene. ... I mean it wasn't a CRIME, but. NoodlesAtNight 9:52 pm [[The autopsy? Or the entire -- ah.] verdigrisprowl 9:52 pm Well—yes. It's essentially an autopsy, too. NoodlesAtNight 9:53 pm ((one sec my cat keeps tipping over my damn glass)) NoodlesAtNight 9:54 pm ((okay good)) verdigrisprowl 9:54 pm *points at the hangar with a bunch of ship pieces spread out* That's what—have you ever seen a mechaforensic autopsy? That's what our autopsies look like too. verdigrisprowl 9:55 pm *oh they're reverse engineering the Titanic from the rubble. Watches in delight. Even though he's already seen this part.* NoodlesAtNight 9:56 pm [[He's never been able to watch one in progress, live. He's seen recordings of them, or read reports, but... criminals such as he once was do not jump at the chance to get /into/ police stations, most times.]] *Huffing.* verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm That's fair. Although most autopsies don't happen inside police stations. It depends on the precinct, though. NoodlesAtNight 9:57 pm [[Oh? Where do they take place, then?]] verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm Generally, either at the medical examiner's facility or in a dedicated and independent forensics department. NoodlesAtNight 9:58 pm [[Ah. We are not welcome there, either.]] *Huffing more.* verdigrisprowl 9:58 pm Fair enough. In some areas, the medical examiner might be at a hospital. NoodlesAtNight 9:59 pm [[Still. He would enjoy watching one that way if he could.]] *Pause.* [[...Are the hospital ones watchable?]] verdigrisprowl 9:59 pm ... Unlikely, unless you've got a reason to be allowed to watch. Anyway, if they're in a hospital, they also usually don't have the space and resources for a /full/ autopsy. verdigrisprowl 10:00 pm Fish are going to eat those flowers. verdigrisprowl 10:01 pm *oh boy main circulating pumps* NoodlesAtNight 10:01 pm [[Insects eat the ones humans leave on the ground. He believes it is an important part of their mourning process, this feeding of the local wildlife.]] verdigrisprowl 10:02 pm Hmm. I appreciate their thoroughness. NoodlesAtNight 10:03 pm [[As does he.]] verdigrisprowl 10:03 pm If it's a "spaceship of the deep," why don't they just call it a "watership"? Or "deepship". NoodlesAtNight 10:04 pm [[...What a horrible way to go.]] *Shakes his head.* [[He doesn't know. Less impressive, he supposes.]] verdigrisprowl 10:04 pm Less impressive than "spaceship"? A ship that travels in space? verdigrisprowl 10:05 pm Oh, these questions again. verdigrisprowl 10:06 pm Rivet heads and lifeboats and imaginary design flaws. NoodlesAtNight 10:06 pm [[Spaceship /of the deep./ It sounds more fantastic than the normal word. As if the average spaceship was a - a spaceship of the shallows. And shallows are rarely impressive.]] [[He does not mind the questions. He minds that they insist on playing that /noise./]] verdigrisprowl 10:06 pm I mind the questions. They're leading and foster long-disproven rumors. ... Would "deepship of the space" sound more impressive than "spaceship"? verdigrisprowl 10:07 pm I still wonder why they concluded that the Titanic sank intact, when witnesses said otherwise. NoodlesAtNight 10:07 pm [[...It depends on what the space is, he supposes.]] verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm I mean, yes, fine, MAYBE they were trying to save face. But it's stupid—an inquiry was made to TRY TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH. The inquiry was nonpartisan. So SOMETHING must have made them conclude it sank in one piece despite the witnesses. NoodlesAtNight 10:08 pm [[And he still thinks it is to save face. If your ship /must/ have sunk, then at least you can claim that it held together in one piece the whole way down. A freak accident. Certainly nothing the rest of your ships would do. Crumbling apart would be more embarrassing.]] verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm Not MUCH more embarrassing than sinking in the first place. verdigrisprowl 10:09 pm And it would cover up potential flaws in the sister ships that should be addressed. *a moment of silence as the Titanic comes on screen.* NoodlesAtNight 10:10 pm [[That depends on your perspective. Jazz perishing was embarrassing for the Autobots. Never knowing who actually managed it? More so. One of their greatest mechs, potentially brought down by some lowly grunt.]] *Small shrug.* [[That is his view of it, at least.]]

[[Humans are nearly as bad at admitting to flaws that would spoil their image as we are.]] verdigrisprowl 10:12 pm But more importantly than an embarrassment—it's a tragedy. A tragedy that can be avoided on the other ships. And I can assure you, the Autobots would have desperately wanted to know who was dangerous enough to successfully kill Jazz. Your example supports my point. NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm [[Ah, lovely. He's surprised the window survived.]]

[[Mm. He sees where you go with that. Very well; he concedes. If he is right, then it was pure ego overriding good sense. If he is wrong, then that is a mystery worthy of its own documentary.]] verdigrisprowl 10:14 pm I'd like to see a documentary on the inquiry. NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm [[As would he. A proper one, mind. Not a dramatization.]] NoodlesAtNight 10:16 pm [[How did they lose it for seven decades? Didn't they find the survivors where it went down? Were there no records kept?]] verdigrisprowl 10:16 pm ... From what I've read about the inquiry, though, there wasn't very much ego to go around. I could be wrong, but—the main emotion I got out of it was... shame. Shame and grief. NoodlesAtNight 10:16 pm [[Oh? Go on.]] verdigrisprowl 10:17 pm Until recently, humans lacked the technology to explore very deep. It's like exploring a black hole would be for us. Dark, and hard to go much farther than the surface without being crushed. NoodlesAtNight 10:18 pm [[Ah. He wonders how many other ships they have 'lost' because of that...]]

[[But the shame. They actually cared about the fleshlings lost?]] verdigrisprowl 10:18 pm You see how they have to make specialized multi-million-dollar "spaceships of the deep" just to do this production. NoodlesAtNight 10:19 pm *Huffs. Prowl will be picking on that phrase forever, won't he?* *Still doesn't see why pulling the piece off is a problem. They'll know where it was and where it went. They could even put it back.* verdigrisprowl 10:19 pm *points* The mission is potentially a disaster because their spaceship of the deep got its cord stuck on the ship. Just—something that small has potentially doomed the investigation. That's how hard all this is for humans. verdigrisprowl 10:20 pm *gives Soundwave a surprised look about the "cared" comment.* ... Yes. The massive loss of life is—is why Titanic is a tragedy instead of just an unfortunate loss of a cool ship. NoodlesAtNight 10:20 pm [[He knows that. The general population of humans knows that. He is surprised the company knew it.]] verdigrisprowl 10:21 pm The company is made of humans, too. A company might not care about lives; but humans in a company do. NoodlesAtNight 10:22 pm [[Hmm.]] *Going to chew on that for a second.* verdigrisprowl 10:24 pm *studies the shot of the debris field closely* NoodlesAtNight 10:24 pm *Puff.* [[Crab.]] verdigrisprowl 10:24 pm Hm? NoodlesAtNight 10:24 pm [[On one of the bottom pieces. A lone white sea creature, sitting on it as if it were just another stone. He supposes to them it is.]] verdigrisprowl 10:25 pm Oh. I suppose so, yes. *small smile as the pieces fit together. Triumph.* NoodlesAtNight 10:25 pm *Record record.* verdigrisprowl 10:25 pm That's such a satisfying moment—finding a key piece of evidence. verdigrisprowl 10:26 pm ... He called it an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and a self-guided robot. verdigrisprowl 10:27 pm *points at the yellow torpedos.* They're Autobots. NoodlesAtNight 10:28 pm [[It is odd thinking about things of that nature. That while we were away from Cybertron, creatures like space slugs crawled over and through dead supremes and wrecked ships like mere underground tunnels. Things important to us mean nothing to them. He occasionally wonders what we are doing with things that are important in their optics.]]

[[Oh, that isn't fair. It hasn't a single faction insignia.]] *And he wanted it to be his old faction. It's a fantastic sound-based device.* verdigrisprowl 10:28 pm It's an Autonomous Robot. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them. NoodlesAtNight 10:29 pm *Rattling vent snort.* verdigrisprowl 10:29 pm *another smile. that was a good one.* NoodlesAtNight 10:29 pm [[And what was he? A mindless meatbag?]] NoodlesAtNight 10:30 pm *There's nothing angry in that. He's amused.* verdigrisprowl 10:30 pm Tell me what "Decepticon" is a portmanteau of and I'll tell you what you were. verdigrisprowl 10:32 pm It IS odd—the crab thing, I mean. And, in this case—it's amazing to—to look at, this—this vast tragedy. This is... ground that has been sanctified by tragedy. And the crab has no idea and doesn't care. NoodlesAtNight 10:32 pm ((oh damn it make me have to go down and get exodus why don't you)) verdigrisprowl 10:32 pm ((LMAO you can tell Prowl later)) ((IS it a portmanteau in aligned?)) NoodlesAtNight 10:32 pm ((i'm honestly blanking right now)) verdigrisprowl 10:34 pm ... It seems like an insult, for such a creature to not know or care. NoodlesAtNight 10:35 pm [[It is hardly the crab's fault. It is doing what it knows to do. Its world is different in many ways.]] verdigrisprowl 10:35 pm *it's time. they are hardlining with the autobot torpedos.* NoodlesAtNight 10:35 pm *Pause.* [[What do you suppose the crabs of Titanic's time made of this thing falling into their world?]] verdigrisprowl 10:35 pm I know. Which is why I say "seems." ... Maybe it was a tragedy to them, too. A bunch of crushed crabs. verdigrisprowl 10:36 pm ... So it turned as it sank. At least 180°. Possibly more if it rotated multiple times. ... Which means it could have flung debris in every direction. NoodlesAtNight 10:37 pm [[Hmm. Perhaps. It's far bigger than thousands of their kind.]] *He nods. He doesn't know if Prowl was serious, but it makes sense to him. He's seen enough nature documentaries from Earth to know that some of its animals recognize when their mates and friends are gone.*

[[That seems more reasonable than all of the materials dribbling out in a straight line. Nothing about water is straight lines.]] verdigrisprowl 10:38 pm Well, not a STRAIGHT line, no. But rotation vastly increases the amount of area debris may have landed over. It's no wonder they have such a huge search area. NoodlesAtNight 10:38 pm [[Ah, a good point.]] verdigrisprowl 10:38 pm *HUNDREDS of pieces. HUNDREDS.* ... I would REALLY like a copy of this map. And to think—soon, there will be so much less to explore. NoodlesAtNight 10:38 pm [[Not much different from a crashing air ship, then, is it?]]

[[As he said - he will see about acquiring it.]] verdigrisprowl 10:39 pm Beyond the fluid dynamics, not really. There's certainly more in common than dissimilar. NoodlesAtNight 10:39 pm [[...What is THAT.]] verdigrisprowl 10:40 pm ... A floating crab? *what's a shrimp? WHO KNOWS.* I saw another white crab on one of the boilers. There's so many conspiracy theories about those poor boilers. NoodlesAtNight 10:41 pm [[And more on those. It must make a good resource for them. ... That is something of an acceptable fate, he would think. Shelter and fuel for the living, even in death.]] [[What are the theories?]] verdigrisprowl 10:41 pm Hm. *hold on a second, he might be slightly. a little bit choked up about the Titanic providing crabs with shelter.* NoodlesAtNight 10:42 pm *He'll hold.* verdigrisprowl 10:42 pm Oh—just—I can—show you a documentary sometime. People who blame a fire in the boilers for weakening the ship. It's rubbish. NoodlesAtNight 10:42 pm [[Is it the coal fire one? He remembers that one.]] verdigrisprowl 10:43 pm Yes, that one. Did I—? Did you show it? *he thought he'd watched it by himself.* ... I think I remember complaining about it. You DID show it, didn't you. NoodlesAtNight 10:44 pm ((.....i THINK he did)) ((if he didn't, don't take this as him lying to prowl)) verdigrisprowl 10:44 pm ((if YOU saw it, then he must have)) ((MUN ERROR MUN ERROR THE MUSES ARE INNOCENT)) NoodlesAtNight 10:44 pm [[He believes so.]] verdigrisprowl 10:44 pm Hm. Well—that one. verdigrisprowl 10:45 pm ... I DID watch it by myself. But I posted a bunch of screenshots and my commentary. You must have read my commentary. NoodlesAtNight 10:45 pm [[Ah! That must be it.]] verdigrisprowl 10:45 pm Well—the coal fire theory comes up a lot. verdigrisprowl 10:46 pm Amazing that they have to use artists in the investigation. NoodlesAtNight 10:46 pm [[Oh, replication...]] *Interested in this rivet business.* verdigrisprowl 10:47 pm At this point, human eyes and hands are more precise for creating 2D replicas than actual scanners and CGI replications. NoodlesAtNight 10:48 pm [[Artists are part of more career paths than many mechs know. Human police themselves require sketch artists, sculptors, photographers...]] verdigrisprowl 10:48 pm It's as haphazard as—as— *he tries to think of the most unthinkably juryrigged way of doing something scientific he can* As—as trying to replicate spatter evidence with poles and strings. *nobody would EVER do that.* verdigrisprowl 10:49 pm *.............. no wait he thought of that example BECAUSE he's seen humans do that.* Never mind. NoodlesAtNight 10:49 pm [[...Is there something wrong with apple shells?]] verdigrisprowl 10:49 pm Maybe they're poison. verdigrisprowl 10:50 pm Sometimes humans can only eat some parts of nominally "edible" plants because the other parts are poisonous to them. NoodlesAtNight 10:50 pm [[Then wouldn't an apple a day bring the doctor to them instead of keeping the doctor away? What strange sayings.]] verdigrisprowl 10:51 pm They must be talking about unshelled apples. Oh, look at that zoomed in map. That's amazing. Imagine if it was in color and high definition. ... REAL high definition, not human high definition. NoodlesAtNight 10:51 pm [[...And what is wrong with strings and poles?]]

[[Mm. Now you torment him.]] verdigrisprowl 10:52 pm Do you think it would violate the Tyrest Accord to help the humans create a full-scale hologram replica of the debris field? Ugh. Rivets again. The rivets are fine! They were state-of-the-art for the time! verdigrisprowl 10:53 pm I've read some report put out by a moron that said the iron used in the Titanic was weak, because the idiot had compared them to MODERN construction standards. As opposed to contemporary construction standards. NoodlesAtNight 10:53 pm [[He's never received the entirety of the Tyrest Accord. He could not tell you. If it did, however, he wouldn't watch it happening.]] verdigrisprowl 10:53 pm Oh—THESE people are using the correct rivets. ... You haven't? *well. pings it over.* NoodlesAtNight 10:54 pm *SWEET SOLUS' FORGE EMBERS* *His fingers twitch. He wants to read that, but he wants to focus on the rivets...* verdigrisprowl 10:55 pm *watches in fascination as they assemble the rivets* ... Do you think the technology they use to fix the rivets is accurate to the time period? It looked... modern. verdigrisprowl 10:56 pm ... Rivets don't unzip. That's nonsense. You can tell that with simple math. *simple for a robot designed solely to do math.* verdigrisprowl 10:57 pm HA! *the rivets are vindicated.* NoodlesAtNight 10:57 pm [[That is not how rivets were installed in that time period, no.]] [[He apologizes for the delay. He was consulting with Rumble.]] verdigrisprowl 10:57 pm I wonder if installing them correctly would change the test. verdigrisprowl 10:58 pm ... Why does Rumble know how rivets were installed in the 1910s? Does Rumble like the Titanic too? NoodlesAtNight 10:59 pm [[He was a Constructicon, is a writer, and works with him. He has toyed with the advice "write what you know", and done some research.]] verdigrisprowl 10:59 pm The seam wasn't in "boiler room six," the seam was along the whole length of the Titanic. You can tell that from the image. ... HE was in the CONSTRUCTICONS?! NoodlesAtNight 10:59 pm [[Well. Not yours. He was just a construction mech.]] verdigrisprowl 10:59 pm *AND PROWL WAS NICE TO HIM* ... Oh. verdigrisprowl 11:00 pm ... Are ALL construction mechs called Constructicons in your universe? NoodlesAtNight 11:00 pm [[Yes. Some simply became more infamous than others.]] verdigrisprowl 11:00 pm HA. *points at the screen again. The rivets are vindicated AGAIN.* Yes, the force WAS simply overwhelming. THANK you. verdigrisprowl 11:01 pm They're just—pulling out one debunked theory after another. NoodlesAtNight 11:01 pm [[He states that they, quote:]] [][][]Was pounded in with sledge hammers, or them air ones. Pneumoniac.[][][] verdigrisprowl 11:01 pm First that the rivets were weak, then that they were deliberately derelict in their duties by not having enough lifeboats. Pneumatic. NoodlesAtNight 11:02 pm *Quiet another minute. Then:* [][][]Ain't that what I said?[][][] verdigrisprowl 11:02 pm You added another syllable. And left out the T. verdigrisprowl 11:03 pm *look at that! huge new piece! never before identified! wow!!* Oh, what I would give to help reassemble the debris. NoodlesAtNight 11:03 pm [[Rumble has it now. Thank you.]]

[[What is the green piece??]] verdigrisprowl 11:04 pm ... I'm glad they vindicated the rivets. Usually when one of these documentaries starts conspiratorially talking about how there's a suspected "fatal flaw," it's because they're going to puff up a bunch of incredibly misleading and biased "evidence" to "support" their flaw. NoodlesAtNight 11:04 pm [[They must be winding up those sorts of viewers for fun. And ratings.]] verdigrisprowl 11:05 pm Must be. I'm glad. ... What a shame. Buried. NoodlesAtNight 11:05 pm [[Hm. As above, so below.]] verdigrisprowl 11:06 pm At the bottom of the ocean. NoodlesAtNight 11:06 pm [[He recognizes that isn't the meaning of that phrase, but taken at face value it suits.]] [[Ah - look at that. It is gorgeous.]] verdigrisprowl 11:07 pm Look at this. LOOK at the amazing fluid dynamics that must have gone into how the coal and dishes fell separately from the ship—and they just, skim over it. ... So huge. Think about all the work that went into making those engines. verdigrisprowl 11:08 pm They're bigger than us. NoodlesAtNight 11:08 pm [[He must give humans some credit. That they have learned to create such enormous, heavy things despite their fragile meat forms is a feat.]] [[And that they are. No doubt he himself could hide in a funnel.]] verdigrisprowl 11:08 pm *a moment of quiet for the footage of the titanic sinking.* verdigrisprowl 11:09 pm ... Is that the CGI ship sinking video that we watched, after the movie? It looks like the same quality. It didn't show the crash at the bottom, though. NoodlesAtNight 11:10 pm [[No, it is not the same one.]] verdigrisprowl 11:11 pm *silent as he watches the sinking recreation* NoodlesAtNight 11:12 pm *They do insist on playing the screams.* verdigrisprowl 11:12 pm ... Their conclusions are sound based on their evidence. *processor fans click on as he runs his simulations.* NoodlesAtNight 11:12 pm *Glances toward Prowl, curious.* verdigrisprowl 11:12 pm HA! *the ship is VINDICATED AGAIN* verdigrisprowl 11:13 pm Yes! It DID sink because of the stresses it was subjected to! Why is that so hard for so many historians to accept? NoodlesAtNight 11:15 pm *Is pleased that someone of such a lowly social position helped save so many.* verdigrisprowl 11:15 pm It's a tragedy that happened because of so many tiny things that went wrong. Not one single big thing. verdigrisprowl 11:16 pm *"we've been looking for evidence that the Titanic killed 1500 people, instead we found evidence she saved 700 lives." HUFF.* verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *it's a very emotional huff. Don't look at him he's fine.* NoodlesAtNight 11:17 pm *He won't look. Prowl may have his emotions without being prodded at.* verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *good. because he's gonna have them.* NoodlesAtNight 11:18 pm *But:* [[...700 and countless crabs.]] *Because he is serious about that being something of probable importance.* verdigrisprowl 11:18 pm *THE CRABS* verdigrisprowl 11:19 pm *leans on soundwave. support him.* NoodlesAtNight 11:19 pm *Wraps a feeler around Prowl, one loop at middle and one curled over a shoulder, and leans into Prowl. He is here to be a mighty rock.* verdigrisprowl 11:20 pm *prowl is but a crab and you are his titanic hull* NoodlesAtNight 11:21 pm *That is the sweetest thing the narrated form of what might be Prowl's thoughts has ever said about him.* NoodlesAtNight 11:22 pm [[He thanks you for asking him to watch this with you. Investigating this subject is always enjoyable, in its way.]] verdigrisprowl 11:22 pm It's... yes. Fascinating. On multiple fronts. NoodlesAtNight 11:22 pm *And he is pleased that the other Autobots' idiocy didn't completely spoil it.* verdigrisprowl 11:23 pm ... Thought-provoking. *they might have given prowl a cold reception, but they're no iceberg* NoodlesAtNight 11:25 pm [[What thoughts this time? If you haven't shared them yet.]]

*How wonderful these two are for one another. May /this/ ship never sink.* verdigrisprowl 11:26 pm Hm. I'm pleased that all the conspiratorial questions they posed at the beginning—about the rivets, the captain, and the lifeboats—were thoroughly debunked by the end. verdigrisprowl 11:27 pm Because there weren't enough lifeboats for everyone, but they WERE more than legally required, and genuinely more than they ever thought they'd need. ... I wish they'd mentioned that the collision itself was highly atypical, though. NoodlesAtNight 11:27 pm [[How so?]] *And yes, his opinion of the company is slightly improved by learning that they added more than legally necessary.* verdigrisprowl 11:28 pm Most nighttime iceberg collisions are, as you might imagine, head on. NoodlesAtNight 11:29 pm [[So he often sees in media.]] verdigrisprowl 11:30 pm The Titanic was designed with such a collision in mind. The bottom of the ship is divided into compartments. In a head on, or even side, collision, only one or two compartments would be pierced. Those compartments would be independently sealed off, and the ship wouldn't sink even if they filled completely. Up to four of its sixteen compartments could be flooded and the ship would stay afloat. NoodlesAtNight 11:31 pm [[Hm. That sounds an impressive number to him.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:32 pm [[Why did that not work, then?]] [[Too many slit open with the sideswipe?]] verdigrisprowl 11:33 pm Exactly. There had never before in maritime history been a recorded collision like that. They didn't prepare for it because it'd never been seen. Six compartments were ripped open. NoodlesAtNight 11:34 pm [[Then it would have been better to hit it head on after all instead of trying to avoid it, no?]] NoodlesAtNight 11:35 pm [[Whoever made /that/ decision should be held responsible.]] [[Not /rivets./]] verdigrisprowl 11:35 pm The human who made that decision went down with the ship. verdigrisprowl 11:36 pm I don't blame someone whose first instinct on being told that they're about to hit a ship-sinking chunk of ice to be trying to avoid it completely. They hardly had time to sit around and run complicated damage simulations on an invisible chunk of ice of unknown size. It was the wrong decision, but it wasn't a bad one. NoodlesAtNight 11:37 pm [[True. They haven't anything approaching your abilities.]] verdigrisprowl 11:38 pm And they'd never experienced a sideswipe before. A collision that crunched the front few compartments may well have seemed more devastating than a slow scrape that took off some paint and a couple of rivet heads. NoodlesAtNight 11:39 pm [[A hard lesson for the seafaring world to learn.]] verdigrisprowl 11:40 pm Indeed. verdigrisprowl 11:41 pm ... And it comes with a second important lesson: you'll never prepare for everything. NoodlesAtNight 11:41 pm [[He hates that lesson.]] [[But he has been made familiar with it.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:42 pm [[And you are right. It is of great importance. More so than the sideswipe.]] verdigrisprowl 11:43 pm ... How do you prepare for being unable to prepare for everything. I suppose lifeboats are a good start, but.

verdigrisprowl 9:50 pm I occasionally have to remind myself that the Titanic wasn't a person, because if it was, that would be among the worst corpses I've ever seen. Just in terms of rot and decay. NoodlesAtNight 9:50 pm [[Oh, good. He is glad he is not the only one to think so.]] verdigrisprowl 9:52 pm I really do appreciate the whole premise behind this documentary. A proper, thorough, foot-by-foot examination of the crime scene. ... I mean it wasn't a CRIME, but. NoodlesAtNight 9:52 pm [[The autopsy? Or the entire -- ah.] verdigrisprowl 9:52 pm Well—yes. It's essentially an autopsy, too. NoodlesAtNight 9:53 pm ((one sec my cat keeps tipping over my damn glass)) NoodlesAtNight 9:54 pm ((okay good)) verdigrisprowl 9:54 pm *points at the hangar with a bunch of ship pieces spread out* That's what—have you ever seen a mechaforensic autopsy? That's what our autopsies look like too. verdigrisprowl 9:55 pm *oh they're reverse engineering the Titanic from the rubble. Watches in delight. Even though he's already seen this part.* NoodlesAtNight 9:56 pm [[He's never been able to watch one in progress, live. He's seen recordings of them, or read reports, but... criminals such as he once was do not jump at the chance to get /into/ police stations, most times.]] *Huffing.* verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm That's fair. Although most autopsies don't happen inside police stations. It depends on the precinct, though. NoodlesAtNight 9:57 pm [[Oh? Where do they take place, then?]] verdigrisprowl 9:57 pm Generally, either at the medical examiner's facility or in a dedicated and independent forensics department. NoodlesAtNight 9:58 pm [[Ah. We are not welcome there, either.]] *Huffing more.* verdigrisprowl 9:58 pm Fair enough. In some areas, the medical examiner might be at a hospital. NoodlesAtNight 9:59 pm [[Still. He would enjoy watching one that way if he could.]] *Pause.* [[...Are the hospital ones watchable?]] verdigrisprowl 9:59 pm ... Unlikely, unless you've got a reason to be allowed to watch. Anyway, if they're in a hospital, they also usually don't have the space and resources for a /full/ autopsy. verdigrisprowl 10:00 pm Fish are going to eat those flowers. verdigrisprowl 10:01 pm *oh boy main circulating pumps* NoodlesAtNight 10:01 pm [[Insects eat the ones humans leave on the ground. He believes it is an important part of their mourning process, this feeding of the local wildlife.]] verdigrisprowl 10:02 pm Hmm. I appreciate their thoroughness. NoodlesAtNight 10:03 pm [[As does he.]] verdigrisprowl 10:03 pm If it's a "spaceship of the deep," why don't they just call it a "watership"? Or "deepship". NoodlesAtNight 10:04 pm [[...What a horrible way to go.]] *Shakes his head.* [[He doesn't know. Less impressive, he supposes.]] verdigrisprowl 10:04 pm Less impressive than "spaceship"? A ship that travels in space? verdigrisprowl 10:05 pm Oh, these questions again. verdigrisprowl 10:06 pm Rivet heads and lifeboats and imaginary design flaws. NoodlesAtNight 10:06 pm [[Spaceship /of the deep./ It sounds more fantastic than the normal word. As if the average spaceship was a - a spaceship of the shallows. And shallows are rarely impressive.]] [[He does not mind the questions. He minds that they insist on playing that /noise./]] verdigrisprowl 10:06 pm I mind the questions. They're leading and foster long-disproven rumors. ... Would "deepship of the space" sound more impressive than "spaceship"? verdigrisprowl 10:07 pm I still wonder why they concluded that the Titanic sank intact, when witnesses said otherwise. NoodlesAtNight 10:07 pm [[...It depends on what the space is, he supposes.]] verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm I mean, yes, fine, MAYBE they were trying to save face. But it's stupid—an inquiry was made to TRY TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH. The inquiry was nonpartisan. So SOMETHING must have made them conclude it sank in one piece despite the witnesses. NoodlesAtNight 10:08 pm [[And he still thinks it is to save face. If your ship /must/ have sunk, then at least you can claim that it held together in one piece the whole way down. A freak accident. Certainly nothing the rest of your ships would do. Crumbling apart would be more embarrassing.]] verdigrisprowl 10:08 pm Not MUCH more embarrassing than sinking in the first place. verdigrisprowl 10:09 pm And it would cover up potential flaws in the sister ships that should be addressed. *a moment of silence as the Titanic comes on screen.* NoodlesAtNight 10:10 pm [[That depends on your perspective. Jazz perishing was embarrassing for the Autobots. Never knowing who actually managed it? More so. One of their greatest mechs, potentially brought down by some lowly grunt.]] *Small shrug.* [[That is his view of it, at least.]]

[[Humans are nearly as bad at admitting to flaws that would spoil their image as we are.]] verdigrisprowl 10:12 pm But more importantly than an embarrassment—it's a tragedy. A tragedy that can be avoided on the other ships. And I can assure you, the Autobots would have desperately wanted to know who was dangerous enough to successfully kill Jazz. Your example supports my point. NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm [[Ah, lovely. He's surprised the window survived.]]

[[Mm. He sees where you go with that. Very well; he concedes. If he is right, then it was pure ego overriding good sense. If he is wrong, then that is a mystery worthy of its own documentary.]] verdigrisprowl 10:14 pm I'd like to see a documentary on the inquiry. NoodlesAtNight 10:14 pm [[As would he. A proper one, mind. Not a dramatization.]] NoodlesAtNight 10:16 pm [[How did they lose it for seven decades? Didn't they find the survivors where it went down? Were there no records kept?]] verdigrisprowl 10:16 pm ... From what I've read about the inquiry, though, there wasn't very much ego to go around. I could be wrong, but—the main emotion I got out of it was... shame. Shame and grief. NoodlesAtNight 10:16 pm [[Oh? Go on.]] verdigrisprowl 10:17 pm Until recently, humans lacked the technology to explore very deep. It's like exploring a black hole would be for us. Dark, and hard to go much farther than the surface without being crushed. NoodlesAtNight 10:18 pm [[Ah. He wonders how many other ships they have 'lost' because of that...]]

[[But the shame. They actually cared about the fleshlings lost?]] verdigrisprowl 10:18 pm You see how they have to make specialized multi-million-dollar "spaceships of the deep" just to do this production. NoodlesAtNight 10:19 pm *Huffs. Prowl will be picking on that phrase forever, won't he?* *Still doesn't see why pulling the piece off is a problem. They'll know where it was and where it went. They could even put it back.* verdigrisprowl 10:19 pm *points* The mission is potentially a disaster because their spaceship of the deep got its cord stuck on the ship. Just—something that small has potentially doomed the investigation. That's how hard all this is for humans. verdigrisprowl 10:20 pm *gives Soundwave a surprised look about the "cared" comment.* ... Yes. The massive loss of life is—is why Titanic is a tragedy instead of just an unfortunate loss of a cool ship. NoodlesAtNight 10:20 pm [[He knows that. The general population of humans knows that. He is surprised the company knew it.]] verdigrisprowl 10:21 pm The company is made of humans, too. A company might not care about lives; but humans in a company do. NoodlesAtNight 10:22 pm [[Hmm.]] *Going to chew on that for a second.* verdigrisprowl 10:24 pm *studies the shot of the debris field closely* NoodlesAtNight 10:24 pm *Puff.* [[Crab.]] verdigrisprowl 10:24 pm Hm? NoodlesAtNight 10:24 pm [[On one of the bottom pieces. A lone white sea creature, sitting on it as if it were just another stone. He supposes to them it is.]] verdigrisprowl 10:25 pm Oh. I suppose so, yes. *small smile as the pieces fit together. Triumph.* NoodlesAtNight 10:25 pm *Record record.* verdigrisprowl 10:25 pm That's such a satisfying moment—finding a key piece of evidence. verdigrisprowl 10:26 pm ... He called it an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle and a self-guided robot. verdigrisprowl 10:27 pm *points at the yellow torpedos.* They're Autobots. NoodlesAtNight 10:28 pm [[It is odd thinking about things of that nature. That while we were away from Cybertron, creatures like space slugs crawled over and through dead supremes and wrecked ships like mere underground tunnels. Things important to us mean nothing to them. He occasionally wonders what we are doing with things that are important in their optics.]]

[[Oh, that isn't fair. It hasn't a single faction insignia.]] *And he wanted it to be his old faction. It's a fantastic sound-based device.* verdigrisprowl 10:28 pm It's an Autonomous Robot. I don't make the rules, I just enforce them. NoodlesAtNight 10:29 pm *Rattling vent snort.* verdigrisprowl 10:29 pm *another smile. that was a good one.* NoodlesAtNight 10:29 pm [[And what was he? A mindless meatbag?]] NoodlesAtNight 10:30 pm *There's nothing angry in that. He's amused.* verdigrisprowl 10:30 pm Tell me what "Decepticon" is a portmanteau of and I'll tell you what you were. verdigrisprowl 10:32 pm It IS odd—the crab thing, I mean. And, in this case—it's amazing to—to look at, this—this vast tragedy. This is... ground that has been sanctified by tragedy. And the crab has no idea and doesn't care. NoodlesAtNight 10:32 pm ((oh damn it make me have to go down and get exodus why don't you)) verdigrisprowl 10:32 pm ((LMAO you can tell Prowl later)) ((IS it a portmanteau in aligned?)) NoodlesAtNight 10:32 pm ((i'm honestly blanking right now)) verdigrisprowl 10:34 pm ... It seems like an insult, for such a creature to not know or care. NoodlesAtNight 10:35 pm [[It is hardly the crab's fault. It is doing what it knows to do. Its world is different in many ways.]] verdigrisprowl 10:35 pm *it's time. they are hardlining with the autobot torpedos.* NoodlesAtNight 10:35 pm *Pause.* [[What do you suppose the crabs of Titanic's time made of this thing falling into their world?]] verdigrisprowl 10:35 pm I know. Which is why I say "seems." ... Maybe it was a tragedy to them, too. A bunch of crushed crabs. verdigrisprowl 10:36 pm ... So it turned as it sank. At least 180°. Possibly more if it rotated multiple times. ... Which means it could have flung debris in every direction. NoodlesAtNight 10:37 pm [[Hmm. Perhaps. It's far bigger than thousands of their kind.]] *He nods. He doesn't know if Prowl was serious, but it makes sense to him. He's seen enough nature documentaries from Earth to know that some of its animals recognize when their mates and friends are gone.*

[[That seems more reasonable than all of the materials dribbling out in a straight line. Nothing about water is straight lines.]] verdigrisprowl 10:38 pm Well, not a STRAIGHT line, no. But rotation vastly increases the amount of area debris may have landed over. It's no wonder they have such a huge search area. NoodlesAtNight 10:38 pm [[Ah, a good point.]] verdigrisprowl 10:38 pm *HUNDREDS of pieces. HUNDREDS.* ... I would REALLY like a copy of this map. And to think—soon, there will be so much less to explore. NoodlesAtNight 10:38 pm [[Not much different from a crashing air ship, then, is it?]]

[[As he said - he will see about acquiring it.]] verdigrisprowl 10:39 pm Beyond the fluid dynamics, not really. There's certainly more in common than dissimilar. NoodlesAtNight 10:39 pm [[...What is THAT.]] verdigrisprowl 10:40 pm ... A floating crab? *what's a shrimp? WHO KNOWS.* I saw another white crab on one of the boilers. There's so many conspiracy theories about those poor boilers. NoodlesAtNight 10:41 pm [[And more on those. It must make a good resource for them. ... That is something of an acceptable fate, he would think. Shelter and fuel for the living, even in death.]] [[What are the theories?]] verdigrisprowl 10:41 pm Hm. *hold on a second, he might be slightly. a little bit choked up about the Titanic providing crabs with shelter.* NoodlesAtNight 10:42 pm *He'll hold.* verdigrisprowl 10:42 pm Oh—just—I can—show you a documentary sometime. People who blame a fire in the boilers for weakening the ship. It's rubbish. NoodlesAtNight 10:42 pm [[Is it the coal fire one? He remembers that one.]] verdigrisprowl 10:43 pm Yes, that one. Did I—? Did you show it? *he thought he'd watched it by himself.* ... I think I remember complaining about it. You DID show it, didn't you. NoodlesAtNight 10:44 pm ((.....i THINK he did)) ((if he didn't, don't take this as him lying to prowl)) verdigrisprowl 10:44 pm ((if YOU saw it, then he must have)) ((MUN ERROR MUN ERROR THE MUSES ARE INNOCENT)) NoodlesAtNight 10:44 pm [[He believes so.]] verdigrisprowl 10:44 pm Hm. Well—that one. verdigrisprowl 10:45 pm ... I DID watch it by myself. But I posted a bunch of screenshots and my commentary. You must have read my commentary. NoodlesAtNight 10:45 pm [[Ah! That must be it.]] verdigrisprowl 10:45 pm Well—the coal fire theory comes up a lot. verdigrisprowl 10:46 pm Amazing that they have to use artists in the investigation. NoodlesAtNight 10:46 pm [[Oh, replication...]] *Interested in this rivet business.* verdigrisprowl 10:47 pm At this point, human eyes and hands are more precise for creating 2D replicas than actual scanners and CGI replications. NoodlesAtNight 10:48 pm [[Artists are part of more career paths than many mechs know. Human police themselves require sketch artists, sculptors, photographers...]] verdigrisprowl 10:48 pm It's as haphazard as—as— *he tries to think of the most unthinkably juryrigged way of doing something scientific he can* As—as trying to replicate spatter evidence with poles and strings. *nobody would EVER do that.* verdigrisprowl 10:49 pm *.............. no wait he thought of that example BECAUSE he's seen humans do that.* Never mind. NoodlesAtNight 10:49 pm [[...Is there something wrong with apple shells?]] verdigrisprowl 10:49 pm Maybe they're poison. verdigrisprowl 10:50 pm Sometimes humans can only eat some parts of nominally "edible" plants because the other parts are poisonous to them. NoodlesAtNight 10:50 pm [[Then wouldn't an apple a day bring the doctor to them instead of keeping the doctor away? What strange sayings.]] verdigrisprowl 10:51 pm They must be talking about unshelled apples. Oh, look at that zoomed in map. That's amazing. Imagine if it was in color and high definition. ... REAL high definition, not human high definition. NoodlesAtNight 10:51 pm [[...And what is wrong with strings and poles?]]

[[Mm. Now you torment him.]] verdigrisprowl 10:52 pm Do you think it would violate the Tyrest Accord to help the humans create a full-scale hologram replica of the debris field? Ugh. Rivets again. The rivets are fine! They were state-of-the-art for the time! verdigrisprowl 10:53 pm I've read some report put out by a moron that said the iron used in the Titanic was weak, because the idiot had compared them to MODERN construction standards. As opposed to contemporary construction standards. NoodlesAtNight 10:53 pm [[He's never received the entirety of the Tyrest Accord. He could not tell you. If it did, however, he wouldn't watch it happening.]] verdigrisprowl 10:53 pm Oh—THESE people are using the correct rivets. ... You haven't? *well. pings it over.* NoodlesAtNight 10:54 pm *SWEET SOLUS' FORGE EMBERS* *His fingers twitch. He wants to read that, but he wants to focus on the rivets...* verdigrisprowl 10:55 pm *watches in fascination as they assemble the rivets* ... Do you think the technology they use to fix the rivets is accurate to the time period? It looked... modern. verdigrisprowl 10:56 pm ... Rivets don't unzip. That's nonsense. You can tell that with simple math. *simple for a robot designed solely to do math.* verdigrisprowl 10:57 pm HA! *the rivets are vindicated.* NoodlesAtNight 10:57 pm [[That is not how rivets were installed in that time period, no.]] [[He apologizes for the delay. He was consulting with Rumble.]] verdigrisprowl 10:57 pm I wonder if installing them correctly would change the test. verdigrisprowl 10:58 pm ... Why does Rumble know how rivets were installed in the 1910s? Does Rumble like the Titanic too? NoodlesAtNight 10:59 pm [[He was a Constructicon, is a writer, and works with him. He has toyed with the advice "write what you know", and done some research.]] verdigrisprowl 10:59 pm The seam wasn't in "boiler room six," the seam was along the whole length of the Titanic. You can tell that from the image. ... HE was in the CONSTRUCTICONS?! NoodlesAtNight 10:59 pm [[Well. Not yours. He was just a construction mech.]] verdigrisprowl 10:59 pm *AND PROWL WAS NICE TO HIM* ... Oh. verdigrisprowl 11:00 pm ... Are ALL construction mechs called Constructicons in your universe? NoodlesAtNight 11:00 pm [[Yes. Some simply became more infamous than others.]] verdigrisprowl 11:00 pm HA. *points at the screen again. The rivets are vindicated AGAIN.* Yes, the force WAS simply overwhelming. THANK you. verdigrisprowl 11:01 pm They're just—pulling out one debunked theory after another. NoodlesAtNight 11:01 pm [[He states that they, quote:]] [][][]Was pounded in with sledge hammers, or them air ones. Pneumoniac.[][][] verdigrisprowl 11:01 pm First that the rivets were weak, then that they were deliberately derelict in their duties by not having enough lifeboats. Pneumatic. NoodlesAtNight 11:02 pm *Quiet another minute. Then:* [][][]Ain't that what I said?[][][] verdigrisprowl 11:02 pm You added another syllable. And left out the T. verdigrisprowl 11:03 pm *look at that! huge new piece! never before identified! wow!!* Oh, what I would give to help reassemble the debris. NoodlesAtNight 11:03 pm [[Rumble has it now. Thank you.]]

[[What is the green piece??]] verdigrisprowl 11:04 pm ... I'm glad they vindicated the rivets. Usually when one of these documentaries starts conspiratorially talking about how there's a suspected "fatal flaw," it's because they're going to puff up a bunch of incredibly misleading and biased "evidence" to "support" their flaw. NoodlesAtNight 11:04 pm [[They must be winding up those sorts of viewers for fun. And ratings.]] verdigrisprowl 11:05 pm Must be. I'm glad. ... What a shame. Buried. NoodlesAtNight 11:05 pm [[Hm. As above, so below.]] verdigrisprowl 11:06 pm At the bottom of the ocean. NoodlesAtNight 11:06 pm [[He recognizes that isn't the meaning of that phrase, but taken at face value it suits.]] [[Ah - look at that. It is gorgeous.]] verdigrisprowl 11:07 pm Look at this. LOOK at the amazing fluid dynamics that must have gone into how the coal and dishes fell separately from the ship—and they just, skim over it. ... So huge. Think about all the work that went into making those engines. verdigrisprowl 11:08 pm They're bigger than us. NoodlesAtNight 11:08 pm [[He must give humans some credit. That they have learned to create such enormous, heavy things despite their fragile meat forms is a feat.]] [[And that they are. No doubt he himself could hide in a funnel.]] verdigrisprowl 11:08 pm *a moment of quiet for the footage of the titanic sinking.* verdigrisprowl 11:09 pm ... Is that the CGI ship sinking video that we watched, after the movie? It looks like the same quality. It didn't show the crash at the bottom, though. NoodlesAtNight 11:10 pm [[No, it is not the same one.]] verdigrisprowl 11:11 pm *silent as he watches the sinking recreation* NoodlesAtNight 11:12 pm *They do insist on playing the screams.* verdigrisprowl 11:12 pm ... Their conclusions are sound based on their evidence. *processor fans click on as he runs his simulations.* NoodlesAtNight 11:12 pm *Glances toward Prowl, curious.* verdigrisprowl 11:12 pm HA! *the ship is VINDICATED AGAIN* verdigrisprowl 11:13 pm Yes! It DID sink because of the stresses it was subjected to! Why is that so hard for so many historians to accept? NoodlesAtNight 11:15 pm *Is pleased that someone of such a lowly social position helped save so many.* verdigrisprowl 11:15 pm It's a tragedy that happened because of so many tiny things that went wrong. Not one single big thing. verdigrisprowl 11:16 pm *"we've been looking for evidence that the Titanic killed 1500 people, instead we found evidence she saved 700 lives." HUFF.* verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *it's a very emotional huff. Don't look at him he's fine.* NoodlesAtNight 11:17 pm *He won't look. Prowl may have his emotions without being prodded at.* verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *good. because he's gonna have them.* NoodlesAtNight 11:18 pm *But:* [[...700 and countless crabs.]] *Because he is serious about that being something of probable importance.* verdigrisprowl 11:18 pm *THE CRABS* verdigrisprowl 11:19 pm *leans on soundwave. support him.* NoodlesAtNight 11:19 pm *Wraps a feeler around Prowl, one loop at middle and one curled over a shoulder, and leans into Prowl. He is here to be a mighty rock.* verdigrisprowl 11:20 pm *prowl is but a crab and you are his titanic hull* NoodlesAtNight 11:21 pm *That is the sweetest thing the narrated form of what might be Prowl's thoughts has ever said about him.* NoodlesAtNight 11:22 pm [[He thanks you for asking him to watch this with you. Investigating this subject is always enjoyable, in its way.]] verdigrisprowl 11:22 pm It's... yes. Fascinating. On multiple fronts. NoodlesAtNight 11:22 pm *And he is pleased that the other Autobots' idiocy didn't completely spoil it.* verdigrisprowl 11:23 pm ... Thought-provoking. *they might have given prowl a cold reception, but they're no iceberg* NoodlesAtNight 11:25 pm [[What thoughts this time? If you haven't shared them yet.]]

*How wonderful these two are for one another. May /this/ ship never sink.* verdigrisprowl 11:26 pm Hm. I'm pleased that all the conspiratorial questions they posed at the beginning—about the rivets, the captain, and the lifeboats—were thoroughly debunked by the end. verdigrisprowl 11:27 pm Because there weren't enough lifeboats for everyone, but they WERE more than legally required, and genuinely more than they ever thought they'd need. ... I wish they'd mentioned that the collision itself was highly atypical, though. NoodlesAtNight 11:27 pm [[How so?]] *And yes, his opinion of the company is slightly improved by learning that they added more than legally necessary.* verdigrisprowl 11:28 pm Most nighttime iceberg collisions are, as you might imagine, head on. NoodlesAtNight 11:29 pm [[So he often sees in media.]] verdigrisprowl 11:30 pm The Titanic was designed with such a collision in mind. The bottom of the ship is divided into compartments. In a head on, or even side, collision, only one or two compartments would be pierced. Those compartments would be independently sealed off, and the ship wouldn't sink even if they filled completely. Up to four of its sixteen compartments could be flooded and the ship would stay afloat. NoodlesAtNight 11:31 pm [[Hm. That sounds an impressive number to him.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:32 pm [[Why did that not work, then?]] [[Too many slit open with the sideswipe?]] verdigrisprowl 11:33 pm Exactly. There had never before in maritime history been a recorded collision like that. They didn't prepare for it because it'd never been seen. Six compartments were ripped open. NoodlesAtNight 11:34 pm [[Then it would have been better to hit it head on after all instead of trying to avoid it, no?]] NoodlesAtNight 11:35 pm [[Whoever made /that/ decision should be held responsible.]] [[Not /rivets./]] verdigrisprowl 11:35 pm The human who made that decision went down with the ship. verdigrisprowl 11:36 pm I don't blame someone whose first instinct on being told that they're about to hit a ship-sinking chunk of ice to be trying to avoid it completely. They hardly had time to sit around and run complicated damage simulations on an invisible chunk of ice of unknown size. It was the wrong decision, but it wasn't a bad one. NoodlesAtNight 11:37 pm [[True. They haven't anything approaching your abilities.]] verdigrisprowl 11:38 pm And they'd never experienced a sideswipe before. A collision that crunched the front few compartments may well have seemed more devastating than a slow scrape that took off some paint and a couple of rivet heads. NoodlesAtNight 11:39 pm [[A hard lesson for the seafaring world to learn.]] verdigrisprowl 11:40 pm Indeed. verdigrisprowl 11:41 pm ... And it comes with a second important lesson: you'll never prepare for everything. NoodlesAtNight 11:41 pm [[He hates that lesson.]] [[But he has been made familiar with it.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:42 pm [[And you are right. It is of great importance. More so than the sideswipe.]] verdigrisprowl 11:43 pm ... How do you prepare for being unable to prepare for everything. I suppose lifeboats are a good start, but. NoodlesAtNight 11:43 pm [[With as much as you /can/ think up.]] [[One of many reasons he keeps that map, in all honesty.]] verdigrisprowl 11:44 pm Rational. NoodlesAtNight 11:44 pm [[Do what you can, and - hopefully - the damage from what you can't will be minimized.]] verdigrisprowl 11:45 pm Hopefully. verdigrisprowl 11:46 pm ... Better seven hundred and six than zero. NoodlesAtNight 11:47 pm [[Indeed. In some cases, /one/ is better than zero. A full third is a job well done, when coming up against an unexpected threat. He cannot say there were many battles with such odds that turned out as well.]] verdigrisprowl 11:49 pm Hm. NoodlesAtNight 11:49 pm [[You disagree?]] verdigrisprowl 11:50 pm No, I agree; I'm just trying to think of cases where one ISN'T better than zero. NoodlesAtNight 11:50 pm [[He can think of at least one.]] verdigrisprowl 11:50 pm I mean, unless it's someone you'd rather dead. But in that case they wouldn't have been counted among the people you were trying to save. NoodlesAtNight 11:51 pm [[They might have been, were he an Autobot - but he isn't, and that wasn't any of the scenarios on his mind.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:52 pm [[But they are unfit for dwelling on long. Tonight is a pleasant night, tragic documentary subjects or not, and he would prefer it stayed that way.]] verdigrisprowl 11:54 pm *a nod in agreement.* verdigrisprowl 11:55 pm ... I wonder if anyone has constructed a full simulation of the fall from the surface to the bottom of the ocean to go with that simulation of the sinking. NoodlesAtNight 11:55 pm [[You, soon enough.]] *Huffing.* ((the tara 8 infiltr8s)) verdigrisprowl 11:56 pm Pff. Probably. I'm no good at animation, though. I can see it in my head but I can't... make it. verdigrisprowl 11:57 pm ... I guess that's what the artists are for. NoodlesAtNight 11:58 pm [[And now you know why he has one on his team, hm?]] *The fantastic things he can conjure up in his mind are by no means things he can bring to life outside of it.* NoodlesAtNight 11:59 pm [[Speaking of - he heard about your suggestive paint job. Really, there were easier ways of getting his attention than asking Bonecrusher to paint that on your avatar.]] verdigrisprowl 11:59 pm I didn't ask—! Today NoodlesAtNight 12:00 am [[Aha. So it WAS one of the others.]] verdigrisprowl 12:00 am *he facepalms.* The others got hold of Bonecrusher's datapad and messed around with it. He fixed the paint but didn't notice the bump map until we'd taken my avatar out to test how it looked in "natural lighting." verdigrisprowl 12:01 am ... I'm still not even sure how bump maps WORK. I mean, intellectually, I know what they do, but... *they violate physics, soundwave. those shadows shouldn't be there.* NoodlesAtNight 12:02 am [[We can go ask Buzzsaw for a lecture if you're interested in learning? He is easily bribed if it means showing off his knowledge.]] verdigrisprowl 12:03 am Bonecrusher tried. It makes my head hurt. But thank you. NoodlesAtNight 12:04 am *Which reminds him - he promised to hear all about some underground artists on a different planet in exchange for the next of his paint updates.*

[[As you wish. Then perhaps you'll show him the avatar in progress instead? He would like to see it in action, himself.]] verdigrisprowl 12:05 am *perks up* Oh—it's done now. He fixed the bump map. Here. *stands, moves to a relatively clear space, and transforms. Tadaa.* *it's got the Transformation Sound and everything.*

verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *it's a very emotional huff. Don't look at him he's fine.* NoodlesAtNight 11:17 pm *He won't look. Prowl may have his emotions without being prodded at.* verdigrisprowl 11:17 pm *good. because he's gonna have them.* NoodlesAtNight 11:18 pm *But:* [[...700 and countless crabs.]] *Because he is serious about that being something of probable importance.* verdigrisprowl 11:18 pm *THE CRABS* verdigrisprowl 11:19 pm *leans on soundwave. support him.* NoodlesAtNight 11:19 pm *Wraps a feeler around Prowl, one loop at middle and one curled over a shoulder, and leans into Prowl. He is here to be a mighty rock.* verdigrisprowl 11:20 pm *prowl is but a crab and you are his titanic hull* NoodlesAtNight 11:21 pm *That is the sweetest thing the narrated form of what might be Prowl's thoughts has ever said about him.* NoodlesAtNight 11:22 pm [[He thanks you for asking him to watch this with you. Investigating this subject is always enjoyable, in its way.]] verdigrisprowl 11:22 pm It's... yes. Fascinating. On multiple fronts. NoodlesAtNight 11:22 pm *And he is pleased that the other Autobots' idiocy didn't completely spoil it.* verdigrisprowl 11:23 pm ... Thought-provoking. *they might have given prowl a cold reception, but they're no iceberg* NoodlesAtNight 11:25 pm [[What thoughts this time? If you haven't shared them yet.]]

*How wonderful these two are for one another. May /this/ ship never sink.* verdigrisprowl 11:26 pm Hm. I'm pleased that all the conspiratorial questions they posed at the beginning—about the rivets, the captain, and the lifeboats—were thoroughly debunked by the end. verdigrisprowl 11:27 pm Because there weren't enough lifeboats for everyone, but they WERE more than legally required, and genuinely more than they ever thought they'd need. ... I wish they'd mentioned that the collision itself was highly atypical, though. NoodlesAtNight 11:27 pm [[How so?]] *And yes, his opinion of the company is slightly improved by learning that they added more than legally necessary.* verdigrisprowl 11:28 pm Most nighttime iceberg collisions are, as you might imagine, head on. NoodlesAtNight 11:29 pm [[So he often sees in media.]] verdigrisprowl 11:30 pm The Titanic was designed with such a collision in mind. The bottom of the ship is divided into compartments. In a head on, or even side, collision, only one or two compartments would be pierced. Those compartments would be independently sealed off, and the ship wouldn't sink even if they filled completely. Up to four of its sixteen compartments could be flooded and the ship would stay afloat. NoodlesAtNight 11:31 pm [[Hm. That sounds an impressive number to him.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:32 pm [[Why did that not work, then?]] [[Too many slit open with the sideswipe?]] verdigrisprowl 11:33 pm Exactly. There had never before in maritime history been a recorded collision like that. They didn't prepare for it because it'd never been seen. Six compartments were ripped open. NoodlesAtNight 11:34 pm [[Then it would have been better to hit it head on after all instead of trying to avoid it, no?]] NoodlesAtNight 11:35 pm [[Whoever made /that/ decision should be held responsible.]] [[Not /rivets./]] verdigrisprowl 11:35 pm The human who made that decision went down with the ship. verdigrisprowl 11:36 pm I don't blame someone whose first instinct on being told that they're about to hit a ship-sinking chunk of ice to be trying to avoid it completely. They hardly had time to sit around and run complicated damage simulations on an invisible chunk of ice of unknown size. It was the wrong decision, but it wasn't a bad one. NoodlesAtNight 11:37 pm [[True. They haven't anything approaching your abilities.]] verdigrisprowl 11:38 pm And they'd never experienced a sideswipe before. A collision that crunched the front few compartments may well have seemed more devastating than a slow scrape that took off some paint and a couple of rivet heads. NoodlesAtNight 11:39 pm [[A hard lesson for the seafaring world to learn.]] verdigrisprowl 11:40 pm Indeed. verdigrisprowl 11:41 pm ... And it comes with a second important lesson: you'll never prepare for everything. NoodlesAtNight 11:41 pm [[He hates that lesson.]] [[But he has been made familiar with it.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:42 pm [[And you are right. It is of great importance. More so than the sideswipe.]] verdigrisprowl 11:43 pm ... How do you prepare for being unable to prepare for everything. I suppose lifeboats are a good start, but. NoodlesAtNight 11:43 pm [[With as much as you /can/ think up.]] [[One of many reasons he keeps that map, in all honesty.]] verdigrisprowl 11:44 pm Rational. NoodlesAtNight 11:44 pm [[Do what you can, and - hopefully - the damage from what you can't will be minimized.]] verdigrisprowl 11:45 pm Hopefully. verdigrisprowl 11:46 pm ... Better seven hundred and six than zero. NoodlesAtNight 11:47 pm [[Indeed. In some cases, /one/ is better than zero. A full third is a job well done, when coming up against an unexpected threat. He cannot say there were many battles with such odds that turned out as well.]] verdigrisprowl 11:49 pm Hm. NoodlesAtNight 11:49 pm [[You disagree?]] verdigrisprowl 11:50 pm No, I agree; I'm just trying to think of cases where one ISN'T better than zero. NoodlesAtNight 11:50 pm [[He can think of at least one.]] verdigrisprowl 11:50 pm I mean, unless it's someone you'd rather dead. But in that case they wouldn't have been counted among the people you were trying to save. NoodlesAtNight 11:51 pm [[They might have been, were he an Autobot - but he isn't, and that wasn't any of the scenarios on his mind.]] NoodlesAtNight 11:52 pm [[But they are unfit for dwelling on long. Tonight is a pleasant night, tragic documentary subjects or not, and he would prefer it stayed that way.]] verdigrisprowl 11:54 pm *a nod in agreement.* verdigrisprowl 11:55 pm ... I wonder if anyone has constructed a full simulation of the fall from the surface to the bottom of the ocean to go with that simulation of the sinking. NoodlesAtNight 11:55 pm [[You, soon enough.]] *Huffing.* ((the tara 8 infiltr8s)) verdigrisprowl 11:56 pm Pff. Probably. I'm no good at animation, though. I can see it in my head but I can't... make it. verdigrisprowl 11:57 pm ... I guess that's what the artists are for. NoodlesAtNight 11:58 pm [[And now you know why he has one on his team, hm?]] *The fantastic things he can conjure up in his mind are by no means things he can bring to life outside of it.* NoodlesAtNight 11:59 pm [[Speaking of - he heard about your suggestive paint job. Really, there were easier ways of getting his attention than asking Bonecrusher to paint that on your avatar.]] verdigrisprowl 11:59 pm I didn't ask—! Today NoodlesAtNight 12:00 am [[Aha. So it WAS one of the others.]] verdigrisprowl 12:00 am *he facepalms.* The others got hold of Bonecrusher's datapad and messed around with it. He fixed the paint but didn't notice the bump map until we'd taken my avatar out to test how it looked in "natural lighting." verdigrisprowl 12:01 am ... I'm still not even sure how bump maps WORK. I mean, intellectually, I know what they do, but... *they violate physics, soundwave. those shadows shouldn't be there.* NoodlesAtNight 12:02 am [[We can go ask Buzzsaw for a lecture if you're interested in learning? He is easily bribed if it means showing off his knowledge.]] verdigrisprowl 12:03 am Bonecrusher tried. It makes my head hurt. But thank you. NoodlesAtNight 12:04 am *Which reminds him - he promised to hear all about some underground artists on a different planet in exchange for the next of his paint updates.*

[[As you wish. Then perhaps you'll show him the avatar in progress instead? He would like to see it in action, himself.]] verdigrisprowl 12:05 am *perks up* Oh—it's done now. He fixed the bump map. Here. *stands, moves to a relatively clear space, and transforms. Tadaa.* *it's got the Transformation Sound and everything.* NoodlesAtNight 12:06 am *Oh, how thorough! He'll give it a quick walk round, peering close at this and that. It's quite a nice job, that is.* [[Bonecrusher really must think about taking commissions. He'd keep himself in piles of credits.]] NoodlesAtNight 12:07 am [[Have you worked out the weight problems?]] verdigrisprowl 12:07 am Not yet. For now I'm just making random geometric objects inside me to serve as ballast. verdigrisprowl 12:08 am *transforms back* In a sense, I commissioned this. I'm now on contract to model something for him. NoodlesAtNight 12:08 am [[What will that be?]] verdigrisprowl 12:09 am I don't know yet, he hasn't told me. I hope it's not another Predacon. NoodlesAtNight 12:09 am [[It had better not be something at his expense.]] verdigrisprowl 12:10 am I'll insist on something else if it is. NoodlesAtNight 12:10 am [[Thank you.]] *Tilt head.* [[You do make a decent Predacon, though. And you've the name for it.]] verdigrisprowl 12:11 am *huff* At least my name suits /something/. I don't really make a decent Predacon, though. Bonecrusher just makes a decent Predacon avatar. ((nearly shutdown time)) NoodlesAtNight 12:11 am ((WHOOP right)) verdigrisprowl 12:12 am ((wanna leave it off there and say they kept chattering and/or banged)) NoodlesAtNight 12:12 am [[A fair point. But your name suits him as well. Perhaps the rest of you will too?]] ((i figured that would be the chatter/bang exit remark lmao ^ )) verdigrisprowl 12:13 am ((i don't have enough time to reply IC so LET'S SAY HE JUMPED THAT))

verdigrisprowl 11:59 pm I didn't ask—! Today NoodlesAtNight 12:00 am [[Aha. So it WAS one of the others.]] verdigrisprowl 12:00 am *he facepalms.* The others got hold of Bonecrusher's datapad and messed around with it. He fixed the paint but didn't notice the bump map until we'd taken my avatar out to test how it looked in "natural lighting." verdigrisprowl 12:01 am ... I'm still not even sure how bump maps WORK. I mean, intellectually, I know what they do, but... *they violate physics, soundwave. those shadows shouldn't be there.* NoodlesAtNight 12:02 am [[We can go ask Buzzsaw for a lecture if you're interested in learning? He is easily bribed if it means showing off his knowledge.]] verdigrisprowl 12:03 am Bonecrusher tried. It makes my head hurt. But thank you. NoodlesAtNight 12:04 am *Which reminds him - he promised to hear all about some underground artists on a different planet in exchange for the next of his paint updates.*

[[As you wish. Then perhaps you'll show him the avatar in progress instead? He would like to see it in action, himself.]] verdigrisprowl 12:05 am *perks up* Oh—it's done now. He fixed the bump map. Here. *stands, moves to a relatively clear space, and transforms. Tadaa.* *it's got the Transformation Sound and everything.* NoodlesAtNight 12:06 am *Oh, how thorough! He'll give it a quick walk round, peering close at this and that. It's quite a nice job, that is.* [[Bonecrusher really must think about taking commissions. He'd keep himself in piles of credits.]] NoodlesAtNight 12:07 am [[Have you worked out the weight problems?]] verdigrisprowl 12:07 am Not yet. For now I'm just making random geometric objects inside me to serve as ballast. verdigrisprowl 12:08 am *transforms back* In a sense, I commissioned this. I'm now on contract to model something for him. NoodlesAtNight 12:08 am [[What will that be?]] verdigrisprowl 12:09 am I don't know yet, he hasn't told me. I hope it's not another Predacon. NoodlesAtNight 12:09 am [[It had better not be something at his expense.]] verdigrisprowl 12:10 am I'll insist on something else if it is. NoodlesAtNight 12:10 am [[Thank you.]] *Tilt head.* [[You do make a decent Predacon, though. And you've the name for it.]] verdigrisprowl 12:11 am *huff* At least my name suits /something/. I don't really make a decent Predacon, though. Bonecrusher just makes a decent Predacon avatar. ((nearly shutdown time)) NoodlesAtNight 12:11 am ((WHOOP right)) verdigrisprowl 12:12 am ((wanna leave it off there and say they kept chattering and/or banged)) NoodlesAtNight 12:12 am [[A fair point. But your name suits him as well. Perhaps the rest of you will too?]] ((i figured that would be the chatter/bang exit remark lmao ^ )) verdigrisprowl 12:13 am ((i don't have enough time to reply IC so LET'S SAY HE JUMPED THAT)) NoodlesAtNight 12:13 am ((GOTCHA now grab log and go quick))

[script-a-world]

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Worldbuilding Discussion

Just in time for Christmas, mods Miri and Werew have written up some thoughts about the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas and the worldbuilding within. We hope you enjoy!

The world in Nightmare Before Christmas is an interesting one from  a world building perspective. (And one that goes along with several questions we’ve received over the last year.) Here you have a world, the human world, and you also have these separate, town sized holiday worlds. Each of these holiday worlds is completely different. Different climates, vegetation, animals, people. Each world is accommodating to the populace that lives within it. 

Halloween Town is just what its residents need. There is an appropriate level of darkness, pools are the right toxic contents that they aren’t toxic to the locals. Ceilings are high enough to pass beneath. An outsider in Halloween Town is going to have trouble finding the things they need to survive. When Jack falls into Christmas Town, he reacts with amazement at how different everything is. He wonders at why things are what they are. He searches for monsters under the bed and is surprised to find none. He makes a lot of comparisons to how things are different. That is often how we relate to new things. When Jack tries to explain Christmas Town to the people of Halloween Town, they have trouble imagining anything but what they know. They try to rationalize the objects with what they would expect. A box they understand. The look of it is unfamiliar, but surely what is inside is what they would expect to find in a box. Jack decides to approach Christmas from scientific means, taking it apart to try to reconcile it with what he knows of the world. He learns as much as he can but still can’t understand the meaning of it all. Eventually he decides that he doesn’t have to understand it to believe in it. He takes what he has learned and tries to apply it in his terms. The results are not recognized or welcomed by the residents of the human world on Christmas Eve. It is. It what they have been cultured to expect and they react with both fear and violence. In the end Jack realizes that Christmas is not where he naturally belongs, and really, it isn’t where he wants to be. He’s had his look at the other side and chosen his path.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a yearly staple in my household, both for the movie itself and the incredible stop motion work. Not to mention the sing along aspect of it. It’s worth a watch if you haven’t seen it, and worth another if you already have.

Happy holidays, and may one of your gifts in the coming year be the answer to all your world building dilemmas.

Mod Miri

Let me start out by saying that I LOVE this movie. It was a staple of my childhood, and it’s an all-around awesome movie. Honestly, even when looking with an intentionally critical eye, I didn’t see much that I thought should be improved. I hope you enjoy this analysis!

The Nightmare Before Christmas is set in a very fantastical world, and one that isn’t really like anything else in mainstream media. This originality is great, but with unique worlds there comes the problem of trying to convey the basics to the audience without getting in the way of the story. Because TNBC is a musical, it allows for a certain amount of suspension of disbelief and a certain amount of exposition by song. It uses the opening number in a particularly effective and believable way to introduce the world, by starting off on halloween and showing us the celebration that the residents put on; this introduces all of the characters (at least to our sight), explains the basic premise of the world, and shows off a lot of the settings and themes.

The introduction of the world by the first song allows the story to get right underway immediately afterwards, with the audience happily on board. Because the setting is introduced so quickly, the movie doesn’t have to waste dialogue time explaining the world, and this allows Jack’s motivations to be introduced within the first ten minutes of the film. This isn’t really worldbuilding, but I think it’s related and I also think that it’s a great and effective way to get the audience hooked right away. Wow, this world is so cool! What, the ruler of it is unhappy with his unchanging life? It’s an immediate, relatable look into his character and drives the rest of the story.

One thing that really sells Halloween Town as being very different from the real world is the culture. This is shown in small, subtle things, especially the idioms and phrases that the people use in ordinary conversation. A few examples that I enjoy:

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know!” -said in a delighted tone rather than a reproachful one.

“Like a vulture in the sky”

“This fog's as thick as, as... Jelly brains!”

There is also an obvious, recurring cultural tendency to see a lot of somewhat negative things associated with Halloween--death, fright, dark themes, and even violence--as positive. This makes it obvious that the world is very different and that the scary themes of Halloween are commonplace and positive to them. It’s a little bit tricky to pull this off in normal conversation without making the audience feel like you’re beating them over the head with it. It’s also tricky to make sure that no idiomatic or cultural phrases that don’t apply end up in your world! Sometimes the things that we think and say are so ingrained that we don’t even register that they might not make sense in a different context.

There are only a few things that I found to be critical of. Most of them aren’t very plot-relevant, and are honestly unimportant to the story. Still, there are a good handful of odd, unexplained things that don’t make logical sense.

The population of Halloween Town doesn’t seem to be very large, yet they have two rulers--Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King (also referred to as the King of Halloween) and the Mayor. These two do not seem to conflict, and the Mayor definitely defers to Jack. In such a small community, it doesn’t really make sense to have two different ruling parties, one elected and one not.

For that matter, the Mayor IS an elected official--or at least he says he is. Yet not once, even as a throwaway line, is anything about an election or voting mentioned. His character is presented as being The Mayor, as though that is the majority of his identity. He’s not just a random citizen who happens to have been elected; he Is The Mayor. That’s his entire being.

Halloween Town seems to be in some kind of limbo as far as its relation to other worlds goes. They seem to be at least aware of the real world, but don’t appear to interact with it; their Halloween celebration takes place in their town and they never talk about traveling outside of it until Jack does. They also clearly have never heard of or seen the other holiday worlds, which Jack stumbles upon completely by accident. Yet, when he sets off to do his own version of Christmas, he doesn’t seem to have any question in his mind about how to get to the real world, or how to get back. While this isn’t really that important, I kind of wish it had been explained.

One last thing that struck me as a little odd is how different Sally is culturally, as compared to the others. She seems to be more aware of the world as an outsider might see it, and she doesn’t use as many Halloween-ish phrases. Her sense of beauty is unique in her world, yet there is no indication that she has ever been outside of it.

Though I discuss these things as problems, I honestly do not think that it’s a bad thing that they went unexplained. The movie’s runtime is fairly short, and the pacing is excellent. Sometimes the world and the explanation of it needs to fall by the wayside in order to tell the story in the best way possible, and that’s fine. The only time when world problems bother me is when they are inconsistent AND directly influence plot events, but all of the idiosyncrasies I noticed in this movie were in the background.

All in all, I think that The Nightmare Before Christmas is a fantastic example of a unique, fantasy world that is presented in a fun and effective way.

Thanks for reading!

Mod Werew

[loyalbreed]

      Cent has decided to back away for the time being; because he feels that it is effecting people he has come to appreciate. That he doesnt know how to return such kindness that was given to him in full. And much like the beginning when the catfish thing first happened, he is overwhelmed and doesnt know where to begin to reach out to people. Again like the beginning, the only people who spoke to him about it wanting an answer. Were the people directly effected by it? Myself included, versus people who just kept using it against him?          The Catfish thing was resolved and ended well between many people who were effected actually. The person who owns the blog that is being linked about him is scrambling to delete it since it was kept by her and a lot of others. To make sure it was out there that what had done, did happen. And that it wasn't over looked either; the fact Cent asked to keep that blog up. Should be important notion alone over who he is as a person. It was not to be brought up negatively again and used as a tool to populate someones obsession and anger over him. Since it seems to continue to happen by the same people staring a new issue every so often when he has people comfortably having fun with him. Which makes me upset because it seems that if a community is happy; unhappiness needs to happen.

        I do not like long posts--and honestly this didnt stay short. But I want say how upset I am this happens again. Considering I was one of the close to him when Cent Catfished; its really stupid to see people who had nothing to do with him at the time. Bring this up as if they were really the ones effected most directly from it? Further you are bringing up bad feelings that many people have already come to let sit on their chest and deal with ultimately.        To further delve into my own sense of okay this post is about me, even though this isnt. I need you all to know how Call Out Culture is ineffective and Bad. From my stand point with my experience I want to leave you with a short burst of information about myself and how we handle it along with DCF, a separate government branch, DDS, and her therapists. ��       My sister is severely mentally disabled. For the rest of our lives we will be taking care of her. She cannot wash herself. She thinks that Star Scream from Transformers is real and often comes to talk to her. I told her once she couldnt date a toaster as a joke, and she threw the toaster at me screaming about it. She really thinks star scream is attractive, and often details herself with obsessions with Aliens and outer space. She thinks God is evil-- because God made her this way. And cant understand why that is a sad thing to say. She just gets frustrated; frustrated is her essence of living. And acting out on it is how she is derived of.          To continue, she has pushed me down stairs. Abused me. Told me to die. Tried killing me several times. Has emotionally abused my little brother to the point we have a separate staff of people in and out of our house for him.           This is nearly every day for me; every day it is. Is kayla alright? did she do something? Did she hurt someone? did she hurt herself? no? Good good. Today was a good day.          How is this relevant toward this situation and pertaining toward things going on; the thing is rather then take my sister out of the house considering how constant this is. The government stresses on keeping her in the home and helping us all as a whole keep together. When a break is needed; and it can be afforded. She goes into Respite Program where she leaves for a week or so. She is actually going to one soon, and is very excited because they are going to go out a lot!            To reiterate the government keeps disabled individuals who may be a threat to the family within the home. With emergency issues and things that need happen--and yes when she says she wants to kill you she means it. As someone she has tried to I can say that much alright.           To make a point; People who are an issue you do not merely remove them and or kick them out. Indeed themes need be addressed and if their are serious manners of which Pedophila is being actually done then we and you. Need to contact police enforcement. They will take you seriously; it is a serious endeavor. You can involve Tumblr Staff as well, there are channels to pull with if there is something volatile that need be addressed. I implore you to. Yet often times it seems when posts are made, the latter is true.              To highlight the issues where, Cent condones or romanticizes these things that are being said. If you read these rules it is not the case. He states that he will participate in these things but does not want just anyone asking him. Nor does he want anyone shipping with the character as he doesnt understand why it is you would? It is weird to think that from these text alone you would take context otherwise-- Especially knowing before this post was presented. Cent talked about how on his Bel blog he doesnt want to make people feel like his Bel is pushing on them or making them uncomfortable. And that he would never participate in noncon. Or that on King Arthur; he does not do any of these themes what so ever. That these themes are only present on the villainous character he does not even participate in roleplaying anymore.              To round this over; it is getting upsetting seeing how this is effecting one another when the general idea is ‘ i just want to be happy and want people to talk/do things with.’ Rather then ‘ i want nothing to do with this person. ‘ So many people are stressed out and want to talk to cent. Reach out to Cent. But are constantly being told otherwise; its sad and im happy to know that people exist out there that know in actuality how dealing with problems work. Versus adhering the idea that you need kick someone out.                    I fear those people. Because i fear letting my sister do something around someone and someone not understanding and condoning her for it when they only have a minuscule of the story. Seeing as people cant even understand someone who makes sense how would you understand someone like my sister? Its cool you can say now ‘ oh But no we arent talking about that. ‘ Yet the only reason why you can feel this way is because you know the story behind my sister, many of you dont know anything about Cent save for interacting with him and that he makes you laugh.          So Im going to Tell you one thing about Cent that for me now that you know my story makes me happy to share.           Seeing that Cent came out from such a bad place, being such a bad person, doing such horrible things but choosing to do better made me believe in others again. It made me believe that even if my sister does all the things she does. There is always a spot and place for her to truly come about and make a better decision too. True, Cent is a more able bodied man and isnt disabled like my sister. But its just the fact that he does and he could and he can. That makes me believe anyone can.           It makes me feel like no matter who you were in the past; you can always chose to be better then that. And no matter how many times or who wants to believe who you are in the past dictates who you are in the future. Wont ever mean as much; That anyone despite the things they have done can always chose to be a better person then what they had been. And cent really does solidify that fact. As someone who knew him from the time as a cat fished. That got catfished by him. Literally back stabbed by him. Only to come down and talk again as friends.                   I feel like I get to say that not anyone else, and Im really glad to be able to say that lmao. He is my closet friend and will always remain to be.             I don’t mind if you feel you do not want to talk to me or think I romanticize his issues as someone who has gone through so much. So much and more, you would not begin to understand. I feel you are more then welcome to believe that but I know there are people who talk to him and know what he does and feels the same. And are comfortable with the rounded world they have created with friends.              And I really ( SHOUNEN VOICE ) I really just believe in people--people change. And Cent makes me realize that this is possible. And you cant just remove people out of your life thinking they wont. And because I know better and because I am an adult with my head well on my shoulders. I can make that decision, i understand if you cannot yet or are afraid or uncertain. I implore you to keep yourself safe just know that some of us feel chill. and we are all alright btw!! So dont feel like we are being attacked or manipulated by cent. 

But I insist you stop thinking that trying to get rid of someone is going to solve an issue. People continue living and breathing every day regardless of what you think or want to happen? No one is ignoring the issues or ignoring the fact that stuff happened if you are scared or uncertain as well about them feel free to add me and we can always group convo and you can let your feelings bare. Or anyone really? just be mindful and fair?

This isnt going to make Cent come back i really just feel like. I want these feelings to be known and that if you are ever called out personally I will gladly give you a chance of your own. I can only hope to god, that he would give that chance to my sister one day if something happened. And to anyone and everyone, as well as  teach other people that everyone deserves that much.

[teresabert]

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[jemimacaleyfmpyear1]

Chernobyl disaster and documentary about wildlife taking over

The Chernobyl disaster was caused by a nuclear accident that occurred on Saturday 26th April 1986, at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR. It is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history and was caused by one of only two nuclear energy accidents rated at seven (the maximum severity) the accident started during a safety test on a nuclear reactor, which was commonly used throughout the Soviet Union. The test was a simulation of an electrical power outage to aid the development of a safety procedure for maintaining reactor cooling water circulation until the back up electrical generatiors could provide power. This gap was about one minute and had been identified as a potential safety problem that could cause the nuclear reactor core to overheat. It was hoped to prove during a scheduled reactor power down that the residual rotational energy in a turbine generator could provide enough power to cover the gap. Three such tests had been conducted since 1982, but they had failed to provide a solution. On this fourth attempt, an unexpected 10 hour delay meant that an unprepared operating shift was on duty. During the planned decrease of reactor power in preparation for the electrical test, the power unexpectedly dropped to a near zero level. The operators were able to only partially restore the specified test power, which put the reactor in a potentially unstable condion. This risk was not made evident in the operation instructions, so the operators proceeded with the electrical test. Upon test completion, the operators triggered a reactor shutdown, but a combination of unstable conditions and reactor design flaws caused an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction instead. A large amount of energy was suddenly released, vaporising super heated cooling water and rupturing the reactor core in a highly destructive steam explosion. This was immediately followed by an open air reactor core fire that realeased considerable airborne radioactive contamination for about nine days that precipitated onto parts of the USSR and Western Europe, especially Belarus, 16km away, where around 70% landed, before being finally contained on 4th may 1986. The fire gradually realeased about the same amount of contamination as the initial explosion. As a result of rising ambient radiation levels off site, a 10 kilometre radius exclusion zone was created 36 hours after the accident. About 49,000 people were evacuated from the area, primarily from Pripyat. The exclusion zone was later increased to 30 kilometres radius when a further 68,000 people were evacuated from the wider area. The reactor explosion killed two of the reactor operating staff. In the emergency response that followed, 134 station staff and firemen were hospitalised with acute radiation syndrome due to absorbing high doses of ionising radiation. Of these 134 people, 28 died in the days to months afterward and approximately 14 suspected radiation induced cancer deaths followed within the next 10 years. Among the wider population, an excess of 15 childhood thyroid cancer deaths were documented as of 2011. The Chernobyl disaster is considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, both in terms in cost and casualties. The initial emergency response, together with layer decontamination of the environment, ultimately involved more then 500,000 personnel and cost an estimated 18 billion soviet rubles (roughly US 68billion dollars in 2019)

I decided to watch a documentary of the Chernobyl disaster and how the animals and the wildlife is taking back over. The documentary is called wildlife disaster: how animals reclaimed Chernobyl| free documentary nature. on this documentary it said about things like, most animals like cats are still there probably won’t see another human in there life and that life continues as normal but nature outside has started to win back the land as there is no one there. Creatures are coming in like brown bears even though the people who lived there didn’t want them too. The animals are reapering since the humans left. Animals ransack the abandoned rooms and houses to find food, but bears aren’t just the only animals which has found the ghost town as it’s a perfect sanctuary for animals. Beyond the houses and gardens there are other numerous species that are reappearing in healthy numbers among them are elk and deer both would of been hunted as they would of been so close to human habitation but not anymore. Incredibly rare horses can be found here too, there the only true species that would of been the same as an original wild horse they were first at Chernobyl in 1998, because the exclusion zone had started to show signs that it is an unnatural sanctuary for other species. To everyone’s surprise as the houses and roads disappeared beneath a miniature forest Mother Nature started to reclaim this place from the ground up. Plants flourished and provided food for insects and the food chain has gradually established with such extraordinary varsity that has stunned the scientists, what they saw was nothing like the nuclear desert that they expected. They even found endangered species over 40 animals that were listed as protected. What man had abandoned, nature now embraced to create a remakeable, and self made haven, where for many years to come the wildlife can live understurbed by man. From the smallest pollinators to large grazing species and even predators like the wolf. A lot of animals there are independent and have left their families. This environmental tragedy is bitter, sweet a man made disaster that ruined this place and made it inhabitable for people but turned it into a unique sanctuary for wildlife. Remarkably nature has licked its wounds and fought back to reclaim this place and while we might not know what lies ahead for the radioactive animals of Chernobyl but we do know now that there are a lot more of them then there used to be and that means that there’s plenty to eat. Every meal that the animals eat has to be hunted down but that’s not as easy as you may think, when the people left there the rodent population declined. The Chernobyl disaster couldn’t of happened in a worse time as it happened in April (spring) so everything was coming out of hibination and vulnerable flowers were just coming into bloom. The forest floor with its fresh new growth soon intensified radiation. The animals in the exclusion zone are all radioactive. If the predators catch and eat mice or rabbits which live underground in burrows it means that they are full of radioactivity as the ground is still full of chemicals. One fast track for radiation entering the food chain has been through fungi, along with bacteria they are nature’s most prolific decomposes so there role in circulating radioactivity through the environment is crustal, they absorb radioactivity just as they would nutrients directly from the ground. Wild bore now thrive in the zones forests, one of there favourite foods is mushrooms and they can absorb 30 times of levels of radioactivity during the peak grow season. Despite the fact wild bore east mushrooms they have emmense power and sharp tusks so that makes them extremely dangerous even to alone wolves.