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Things are a bit weird lately so lets pick Carla just to slow down a bit.
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Sep 25, 2023 07:35
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Ooh, ooh! Isol seems cool. I wanna get to know her more.
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Sep 25, 2023 08:32
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Carla. We haven't really had a whole lot of solo time with her that hasn't been a raging party.
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Sep 25, 2023 11:05
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I'm also up for spending a morning with Carla that doesn't involve her trying to hook Ezra up with anyone.
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Sep 25, 2023 11:06
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Is Nikta always a dude or does gender change based on the player?
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Sep 26, 2023 00:46
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Nissin Cup Nudist posted:Is Nikta always a dude or does gender change based on the player?
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Sep 26, 2023 01:22
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I think Carla's a good choice for our first date. Surely our oldest and closest friend won't try and rope us into any shenanigans just before the big announcement, right? Surely.
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Sep 27, 2023 01:22
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I actually don’t like Carla at all! As a person, not due to the writing. She’s too forward, too silly, too obnoxious. Which means it’s probably a front she’s forcing. In my own game I intend to pick not her, but here? Carla. Let’s see the path untraveled.
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Sep 27, 2023 01:57
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  There is goon participation in this chapter!    : Hey, Carla.  : We don't want any!: Yes, yes, that's very funny.  : I was just sitting here, thinking that I didn't have anything to do or stress over for the first time in what feels like my whole life... and I found myself quite bored. : Aah, and I'm the one you turn to when boredom strikes, is that it? I'm a tool that exists only for your amusement? A monkey that dances when you say 'dance, monkey?': Yes.  : Well, you happen to be in luck: I had the same thought when I woke up this morning. I opened my eyes, stared at the ceiling, and realized, 'well, drat. I have nothing that needs doing for the first time in a decade.': I had to convince myself to get out of bed, to make it, and to even put on some clothes after.: Right? Isn't it great? : I'm guessing you're calling because you want to do nothing together, is that right?: I couldn't think of a worse way to waste the day, correct. : Hah! Ezra, you are a viper when you want to be!: I learned from the very best, Carla.: drat right, you did.: You wanna meet up downtown? We're on Day Three of the nonstop festivities down there. It'd be a good way to kill a few hours, at least.: Yeah, sure. It doesn't really matter where we go, in the end.: As long as it's with me, right? Careful, you'll make a lady's heart skip a beat with talk like that. : Maybe... twenty minutes from now?: Cool! Meet me in front of that old army surplus store. They're probably not getting a lot of business right now so it'll be easy to find each other there.: Hah, makes sense to me. See you then.:  I'm gonna hang up now.: Bwweeeeeooooooo : I have twenty minutes to get from here to where I'm going. Which isn't a lot of time.: I'd better get moving, then!*The screen fades to black.*    : No, not even for a second.: Their energy is so infectious... it's like a perpetual motion machine. A feedback loop of party-hardy-ing. Everyone is partying, so everyone else wants to keep the party going. : Maybe it's not impossible. Give everyone a beer and a giant hamster wheel, and we'd be in business.  : ... : Different, how? : Just... I dunno. Different. : I can't really tell what it is you mean.  : The last time I really got a good look at this place, I was three sheets to the wind and it was the middle of the night. That probably didn't help.: But... hmm. It doesn't feel like that's it. : Maybe it just feels different because of the constant, upbeat attitude and atmosphere? I mean, up until just three days ago, it was a pretty dour place to be. Everywhere was.: It's wild what a little attitude adjustment could do for a person – or a place.: I'll be real with you, Ezra: realistically, that sounds dumb as hell. That a place's 'feel' would somehow change how it looks.: ... But I can't think of a better explanation. Maybe there's some truth to it.Interesting disagreement from Carla, here. I think we can all agree that a person's own "vibes" can influence how they look, so why not a place? The presence of people, and what they're doing, absolutely can make a street come alive, or die out entirely.  Mind Your Poise (Carla's Theme)  : It's a wonder that every store isn't somehow geared towards either military goods, combat training, or something else war-related. You'd think thirteen years with humanity being laser-focused on beating a bad guy would have turned them all towards the effort.: On the one hand, it's only been thirteen years. Most of whatever store that isn't army-related would have been around before then.: But on the other hand, you're totally right. It's been three days and I'm still having a hard time trying to understand that the world existed before the last decade-and-some-change.: Like, when's the last time anyone had either the time or the inclination to go to a pawn shop? A fabric store? A brewery? A farmer's market? A library?That is depressing as hell, coming from Ezra. I'm pretty sure that life goes on whether or not there's a war for existence happening, but if Ezra is serious, then the Riklid really did have humanity by the balls. It's likely that an entire generation of teens growing up have known nothing but warfare and the adults in their lives did little else with themselves but keep training and getting ready for battle. Or Ezra is just being herself, the robotic nerd shut-in she is, and projecting hard.   : Hah, that's true. We've gotten really good at beer.  : In fact, that doesn't even sound like a half-bad idea. It's lunch time. What better way to celebrate our newly-gained futures and freedoms by destroying ourselves from the inside out with a greasy burger?: We had bar food last night for supper, Carla. What's with you and burgers?: I like burgers.: You know what? That's fair.: Fine, we can go to a fast-food place for lunch if you want. If you promise me that you'll eat a salad tonight. : No, but you've also been the one to choose where we go to eat for the past two meals. And on the night we won, we went to the bar you suggested. : ... You know what, Ezra?: You're right. I've been in the driver's seat for the past couple days.: What is it that you want to do this time? It's up to you. You lead, and I'll follow.: Hah, it's good to know that I have your permission to choose this time.: Oh, you know me. Even when I'm not steering, I'm still sitting in the hotseat.Man, I don't think I could handle a friend like Carla, whether she's putting up a front or not! Let others make decisions too, girl! : But seriously, go ahead and choose whatever you want this time.: Hmm...: Our options are admittedly pretty limited. Most of downtown is either food, bars, or army surplus stuff. It's only been a few days and life hasn't adjusted yet.: But I'm not in the mood for more quick, greasy food and I'd rather we didn't go somewhere that... reminds us of the past. * * * Goon participation! Carla is finally letting us take charge of a date? Wow! Where do we go for our date? There's the arts and crafts store or the computer parts store, but we could just eat out again. Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 00:25 on Oct 1, 2023 |
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Sep 28, 2023 05:51
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Call me simple. I want arts and crafts. Show me the moon hobby lobby!
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Sep 28, 2023 06:03
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StrixNebulosa posted:Call me simple. I want arts and crafts. Show me the moon hobby lobby! This!
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Sep 28, 2023 08:09
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Ezra is a total goon, and Carla can't sit still long enough to sew. To the computer store!
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Sep 28, 2023 11:13
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FoolyCharged posted:Ezra is a total goon, and Carla can't sit still long enough to sew. To the computer store! This is the real answer, the most in-character answer
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Sep 28, 2023 11:17
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I'm still voting for arts & crafts, simply because I know next to nothing about that topic and am kind of interested 
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Sep 28, 2023 13:22
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Computer Store
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Sep 28, 2023 20:29
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Computer Store, Computer Store!
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Sep 28, 2023 20:58
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Ezra needs a hobby that's low stakes and calming. Arts and/or crafts would fit the bill.
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Sep 28, 2023 21:30
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I wanna see what shenanigans we can get up to with Carla in the Arts & Crafts store. Watch them get a bunch of random things and go "I made a thing!" "What is it?" "gently caress if I know!"
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Sep 29, 2023 08:58
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 There is goon participation in this chapter! Mind Your Poise (Carla's Theme)  : I'm usually not.: But I figured – learning how to sew can be a valuable skill. And we're on the brink of a new future for us as individuals. Maybe now's the perfect time to learn something new; give my brain a break from learning everything there is to know about robots and androids. : ... : I'm not sure I like it. I think I prefer predictable, easy-to-guess Ezra Foy instead. Can I have her back?: Sure you can. : After we check out this arts and crafts store.  : Alright, lead the way, then.*The screen fades to black.*  : You didn't even do anything in there, Ezra. You just looked at the pretty fabrics and called it.: Sure. But now I know that I'm not an arts-and-crafts kind of gal, so it wasn't a total waste of time.Man, I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see the store at all, or have Ezra and Carla talk a bit while inside. This is an issue this game has, I think, with showing more than what we see. I am aware that the producer of the game wanted to keep the game brief, dialogue-wise, because it was under development for a long time. Even so, what a waste of showing what the "sci-fi Hobby Lobby," as it were, looks like. : I'm a bit more surprised by what you took away from that store, though. : Hasn't that ever happened to you? Where you're given, like, some building blocks or some paint and paper and you suddenly get an idea that you need to put down?: Uhh... maybe? If that's ever happened to me, it's only ever been once or twice.: And I've never considered myself to be a particularly artistic person. I'm sure if the inspiration did hit me, I'd try to put down whatever was in my head, and it'd come out wrong, and then I'd get frustrated and either give up or spend seven hours trying to perfect it.: Ah, so, you're not an artist. : I'm sure all the greats of yore had the exact same approach to their craft: either it's impossible and can't be done... or it's never perfect, despite how perfect it already is.: I dunno, I think I'd just rather not find out, personally. I'm good with what I am now.: And what 'are you now?': ... Not an artist.: Hah! Good dodge.: What about you, Carla? What are you going to do with what you bought? I've never taken you for a seamstress type.: I'll let you know when I'm ready to reveal it to the world.: It's some big secret, is it?: I wouldn't say it's a 'secret,' exactly.: I just don't want to set expectations. You're right: I'm not a seamstress. The most I've ever done is patch a hole in my shorts when I was a teen. Who knows if it comes out the way I want?: Ah, so you're a casual artist: 'it'll be done when it's done, and it might be trash when it is.': We'll find out which one it is when we get there!: You know, it's funny. : ... Like... 'ha ha' funny, or...?  : Not counting that one, of course.Let's take a guess: Carla is going to knit Ezra a sweater that says "I AM A ROBOPHILE, ASK ME WHY."  *The music and ambience fade out.*   : Well, that's convenient, that we timed everything exactly right to end at the turn of the hour!: We're tuning in, right?: I feel like we should. The dean made it sound kind of important. And it might have some information on what we should expect for the next school year, now that we're not all focused on the war effort.: Well, alright then! Let's see what's up.  : I'd like to open this press release with congratulating the brave men and women of Earth, and our Ghian friends and companions, who answered the call that our home had made of them; to protect not just us, not just our own galaxy, but that of our neighbours...: ... and the systems that lie beyond the horizon. Our enemies were stopped by these courageous few as they sought dominion over our stations, our roads, our homes, and our cradle.: Thirteen years ago, on the twenty-eighth of March, in the year twenty-three-eleven, our home – the planet Earth, the blue marble – had been attacked, and our solar system had come under siege by an adversary with no face, flying no flag, and making no demands.: And it was three days ago that their efforts were finally halted.: On June twentieth, at fourteen minutes past four P.M. Coordinated Universal Time, our men and women on the front lines had dealt a decisive blow to the aliens' efforts by destroying their largest ship that had been broadcasting their environmental superweapon onto the Earth.: Approximately seventy-two hours later, all remaining enemy vessels have fled our solar system. There are no traces of their ships remaining within the boundaries of our scanners.  : All of humanity and every Ghian, spread all across the solar system, had been working towards the day we could sleep soundly once again, and after thirteen harrowing, difficult years, we earned that day less than seventy-two hours ago.: The streets of Aerodrome Galilei have been sleepless with celebration ever since. And this press briefing hasn't been called to interrupt that. We've all earned a few days to ourselves.: However, I've been asked to lend a special guest an audience of the students of the University of Aerodrome Galilei, Section Four. Attendance was not compulsory, so to every student listening in now: you have the thanks of not just me, but of the entire facility.: I will be yielding my time to our guest speaker now.  (Vance's line and his following speech are spoken.): A third generation android...? What's that doing here? : I'm here to talk to you about the future.: Not just the future of our home and of our species – I'm here to talk about your future. Yours. The individuals listening to this broadcast.: What Dean Hawbert has told you is all true: by all accounts, the Riklid menace has been chased from our solar system, and there are no signs of any of them remaining within the boundaries of our technological capabilities.: Humanity has a long and storied history of being indomitable, adaptable, perseverant, and stubborn as all Hell. Even caught unaware and unprepared, we prevailed against the intruders and came out victorious.: But there's a real and undeniable truth that we must all accept.  : We've pushed our enemies back. We've won the war. But we must accept the reality that we are at our weakest and most vulnerable, and that the Riklid could return.: We have our long-time friends and allies, the Ghians, ready to help us with our rebuilding efforts and they stand as vigilant as us on the walls overlooking our systems, the combined Milky Way and Andromeda, ready to counterattack should the Riklid ever return.: But we can't rely on them indefinitely. The Riklid attacked the Earth – rebuilding it and restoring it is an Earthling task to perform.: As your Dean Hawbert said earlier, we all have every right and reason to want to celebrate. We have won a terrible war after thirteen, gruelling years. The Riklid have stolen your adolescent years – time you never had to enjoy, and time you'll never get back.: But there's still work to be done and preparations to make.: Now that we've all had the last few days to unwind and consider what the future may have in store for us, both as a whole and as individuals, I'm here to suggest to you that you maintain your vigil.: Some of you are training to be software engineers. Roboticists. Soldiers. Pilots. You've spent years valiantly honing your skills to help with the war effort – to help with your fellow humans when they needed you most.: And now that the war has 'ended,' you may be tempted to pursue other avenues. To take your life in a new direction; one you may have always wanted, but circumstances and duty had compelled you otherwise.: I'm not here to dissuade you from that. Part of what it means to be 'human' is to pursue passions that nourish you as a person, and us as a culture and community.: But I am here to suggest that you stay your course. Stay vigilant. The war was won thanks to your efforts, and the efforts of the students in the years and generations before you, and as of yet, there's no guarantee that the Riklid will never return.: The effort hasn't ended just because the fighting has. In fact, as I said earlier: we are, and will be, at our most vulnerable as we rebuild. We need your efforts and contributions now more than ever.: As you enjoy your celebrations tonight, I want you to remember the soldiers before you that had made the ultimate sacrifice in order to afford you the freedom you now have. You owe it to them to consider the lengths and struggles they had gone through...: ... And to consider whether the peace you now have is something you want to continue to fight for, so that those after you never have to go through the struggles that you and those before you had.: Thank you all for your time. Enjoy your week. Huh. Vance isn't exactly wrong here, is he (it)? It's literally been only three days since the Riklid ran off, who's to say they aren't just regrouping to get even more atmosphere-wrecking ships from deep space, or wherever it is they come from? Not that I like how he's saying the Ghians aren't part of the rebuilding effort. If they participated in the fighting and they've been our allies for centuries, then they can lend a hand (claw?) in restoring humanity's home.   : ...: ... Well, that was... fun?: Hmm. Mind Your Poise (Carla's Theme) : Oh. Uh...: It... wasn't what I had expected it to be. I was expecting it to be about, like, what we should expect next semester or something. Or when next semester is. Summer break came a few weeks early this year, after all. : Hmm. (Carla's line is spoken.): This is a really sudden change in Carla's attitude. Every time I brought up the question, she'd just laugh it off and call me paranoid or something.: But now, it's like she's a different person...: ... I don't think I'm ready to answer that question just yet, Carla. It's a heavy topic that needs more respect and thought than deciding right here and now just because someone in a uniform said I should. : ... (Carla's following lines are all spoken. You may listen to them here, with slight pauses to account for Ezra's own unvoiced dialogue.): Well said.: As for myself: I think it's a sensible stance for that Gen Three to take.: It's right in that maybe we're acting a little too suddenly to be celebrating like we are, and for as long as we have been. The Riklid were powerful enemies and it took us thirteen years to land a decisive blow.: But...?  : I'm sure you noticed that the Gen Three was wearing stripes on the shoulder of its uniform, telling us its rank.: Uhh, maybe... I was kind of focused on what he was saying, not what he was wearing.: Hmm. : You'd know this better than me, Ezra, but when did Gen Threes start rolling out?: Um... like, a week ago, now?: So its rank was given, not earned.: If I were to guess...: Using the Gen Three for the press release rather than a human, or even a Ghian, to talk about humanity's 'progress' and 'forward movement' was a deliberate choice. Nothing would signify our 'progress' more than the latest model of android.: And giving it the rank of staff sergeant was an effort to give it more authority, to try and appeal to anybody that responds better to the hierarchy. But they couldn't make anything higher rank without having a lot more people asking a lot more questions.: Are you sure you aren't thinking too deeply into this?: No.: But make your counterargument anyway.: Well... maybe they used a Gen Three because it was only produced here in Galilei very recently. I'm sure a human staff sergeant has more important things to take care of on Earth, and a human staff sergeant wouldn't be way out here in Galilei while a war was going on.: And the reason it has the rank of staff sergeant is because we have the means to put that sort of experience and knowledge into a combat android to begin with. Hell, we could do better than that, now.: Hmm...: No, I don't agree. Everything about that android, and the very specific words that it used... just seemed too deliberate to me.: Why do you think they would go through that kind of effort? Just to gussy up a robot and have him give us a speech about how we need to stay vigilant?: It's an open secret that the military economy loves two things: war, and new recruits. Since the Riklid first invaded thirteen years ago, they've essentially had unlimited money and bodies.: Now that the war is over, their cash flow is suddenly in jeopardy, and they're also going to be losing all those new recruits.: Five years ago, it was inconceivable that a newborn child wouldn't help with the war effort, and now, it's totally possible that no child would enlist at all. A baby born in the last decade was expected to join the war effort by the time they were of age.: And I'm sure you've noticed, but every year, the 'of age' qualifier got younger and younger.: The money is the lesser of two problems, especially now that we know that enemies like the Riklid even exist at all... but the Gen Three said itself that we're going to spend decades on rebuilding. The last thing anyone wants is to think about more war efforts right now.: And don't even get me started on that jingoism about rebuilding Earth being 'an Earthling problem'. That's a hell of a statement for a robot to make.: ...  (This is Carla's final spoken line.): ... Okay, well, first, before I answer that: is that all what you really think? Or were you just being an over-analytical Devil's Advocate?: It's what I really think.: Do you really think I'd put that much effort into bullshitting you?Carla's been pretty thoughtful about this. We could all tell she's got a horny, pushy, and sassy personality, but those eyes don't miss a detail, do they? : Hah, good point.: Carla certainly has a good point about the war machine being spoiled after the last decade of essentially infinite resources, and them wanting to hold onto that by encouraging current students to stay the course rather than try and restart their lives.: But on the other hand... Vance also made a handful of good points. We're at the most vulnerable we've ever been, especially now that we're letting our guard down, and we don't know where the Riklid came from or went to. Or if they'll be back. Goon participation! We got a serious conversation out of Carla, for once, regarding our future and what the military actually wants from us after that strange press conference. What do you all think? Is Vance right that we need to maintain vigilance for the Riklid returning, or does Carla make a good point that the powers that be just want to keep society in a "Starship Troopers"-esque forever war situation? Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 07:34 on Oct 11, 2023 |
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Oct 1, 2023 00:23
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Carla, for sure. That speech felt weird.
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Oct 1, 2023 03:47
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There's no option for "I think the general sentiment about needing to be vigilant was good but the speech felt off", so I'll just go with Carla here.
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Oct 1, 2023 05:00
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Carla made a good point, really.
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Oct 1, 2023 05:00
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 no hobby lobby[strike]carla made a good point[/strike] Actually, no! Vance. The speech was weird sure, but it is a good point, that dropping the military instantly is going to be potentially bad. And I don't mean in a warhawk sense, I mean in.... the game seems to want to push us to pick the extremes. I suspect - I hope I'm wrong - that Earth is gearing up to conquer our lizard buddies or something, what with the jingoism. Or the robots are beginning to take over. Sci-fi and war cliches abound. But - how do I put this. If I just got out a war so bad that they were reducing the age limit on getting soldiers, we've converted the entire economy and culture into warfare to the point where everyone has been mobilized (hobby lobbies aside) - it's been barely days, the military watching everyone drop out to get back to normal life is going to be terrifying, because genuinely it's been only days. We haven't conquered their home planet, we don't know the extent of their holdings. I'm seeing the game reflect on World War parallels (or maybe I'm projecting) but as essential as VE day was, it was possible because we'd cut off the head of the snake, so to speak. Mm. I need more information. StrixNebulosa fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Oct 1, 2023 |
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Oct 1, 2023 05:14
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Right now, they both make excellent points. With no communication between the Riklid and humanity (and others), there's no way to know the war is truly over, which is a very real possibility and you don't immediately disarm yourselves just because you won a clear victory once. On the other hand, maintaining a warlike state and culture forever isn't feasible, and rebuilding and recovery efforts are an absolute necessity, both as a species and as a culture. Still, as I've seen first-hand, knowledge from the private sector can absolutely be repurposed for the military if the need arises, so Carla's argument wins for me, because if the Riklid come back, humanity (and the Ghians) will be better prepared for them.
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Oct 1, 2023 08:00
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 There is goon participation in this chapter! Mind Your Poise (Carla's Theme) : ... but, honestly, you're probably right about it all. It's hard to think of a solid argument against anything that you said.: ... Hmm. : Hah, well, I want to believe whatever is the truth. Life is much easier when you believe you're on the right side of history all the time.: But...: ... if I'm being honest, I don't know if I can answer that question right now. What we do next has been a turbulent question for, well, the past three days, and you and Vance seem pretty opposed.: Vance wants us to stay the course and to remain vigilant; you want us to choose for ourselves and live our lives without believing that we're just fodder for the machine. : If you wanted to keep studying robotics and doing what you could to help our defence, that's more power to you, Ezra.: That said, maybe I overstepped a little by asking a question like that. I know the topic's been hanging over your head for a while now. : See, that kind of trips me up a little. After thirteen years, you think that the people that have been doing their absolute best to protect the entire solar system would try to scare the people they've been protecting into giving them more money and more recruits? : The Gen Three was right about one thing: we're in a very vulnerable place right now, both physically and emotionally. Nobody wants the Riklid to come back, especially now that we've been partying for three days and our school year was cut short in celebration.: Right now, it would be very easy to scare us with the idea that they might come back. It won't be pulse-pounding, finger-trembling, pants-wetting fear; it'd be the kind of fear that makes a person booby-trap their own house for burglars or whatever.: And a scared person is easier to convince than a happy drunk that's on their third bender in a row.: Or maybe I'm just being a conspiracy nut, I dunno. Like I said before, I think that being cautious and alert is a sensible stance for that Gen Three to take. There's just a bunch of underlying messages and motivations that I find skeezy.: So I take that to mean you won't be following Vance's advice and staying the course?: ...: I don't think I should answer that question, actually.: Uh, okay.: What we do with ourselves going forward is something that we all need to consider individually, Ezra. You've been very persnickety about our futures and I worry that if I gave you my answer, it'd influence your own.: And if I'm right, you haven't quite decided yet yourself.: ... No, I can't say I have.: You're studying robotics engineering, right?  : Nothing is saying that you won't eventually end up using that knowledge on something other than the war effort, anyway. I imagine roboticists are going to be in high demand for reconstruction!  : Vance made a big showing in that press release to try and convince the students of Galilei University to stay with what they were doing to make sure that we'll be better prepared if the Riklid return.: And maybe Carla's right in that it's just a gimmick to keep the money and the recruits flowing. But I don't have to stop studying robotics and technology now that the war is over.: Maybe it's not impossible to do both. To keep up my studies not because I was told that I should, but because I want to. I'd be able to help the future of my species one way or another, and I wouldn't have to start over again from thirteen years ago.  : It's certainly not a bad idea. And I'd have a big head-start on myself if that's what I chose.: I'll just keep that in the back of my mind for now.One of Ezra's "destinies" of what to do with her time and future has been unlocked, thanks to spending time with Carla. Ezra now understands with certainty that she doesn't need to continue doing what she's doing out of fear the Riklid might return or to assist the war effort, but to apply her knowledge and continued education to help humanity. We knew she had been toying with this idea earlier when she met Carla and Isol at the bar, but those were just what-ifs for her. Now, it's a possibility she feels she can actually put her efforts behind. Given her genuine love for machines having been sparked since she was just a little girl, perhaps her choice to go into robotics as a way to contribute to total war wasn't as forced or pushed on her as she might have thought...?   : Hey, any time, Carla. We've been friends for a long time; we don't need an excuse to just get together and be social with each other now and again.: Hah, I'll try and keep that in mind. The party's not over yet and I'll be damned if I'm not going to ride this out for as long as I can. Hmm... maybe being reckless with Carla is too much for Ezra's introverted self? In any case, Carla is genuine in her love for Ezra's company. That's true friendship right there. : That said, I need to get back home. I've, uh, been neglecting my housework ever since the party started and I promised myself that I'd try and make a bit of headway into it today.: After everything we just said, you're going to ditch me to go do chores? : But if that's how you feel, then I never said we have to stop hanging out. You're more than welcome to come back to my place and help out.: I've got a sink full of dirty dishes that could really use some attention. You handle those; I'll get started on dusting the place and sorting my laundry. Together, we'll get everything done in... maybe four hours?: Uhh... I just remembered that I, uh, also have something I need to do that doesn't involve you.: Hahaha! How the turns have tabled!We've got a printer that needs carrying for someone, Carla! Sorry we can't play maid! Well, uh, at least not in THAT way... : I'll catch up with you later, alright? I think I'll be busy for the rest of the day, but you let me know if you're available later.: If we can pull ourselves away from our nondescript house duties, sure thing.: That's the spirit.: Off I gooooooooooooooooooooo*The music fades out.*   : What a day! I can't believe it's already...: ... Two-thirty in the afternoon.: Wow.: I'm not used to... this. Having such an open schedule. My muscle memory wants me to take a shower and go right to bed.: There's so much I can do now that the war is over and... school is out. God, what a foreign concept: we never really got an extended break during studying and training and now, there's absolutely nothing for me to do.: I don't have any videogames to play, not that many have been made during the war, and I'm not much of a TV person – the only thing worth watching in the last decade was the news and it was never for the entertainment of it.: ...: I guess I could... ring up someone else? See if anyone else is willing to hang out?: Carla said she has a boatload of chores to get to. I could call her again, but she'd rope me into washing her floors or something. Spending my leisurely time doing someone else's housework isn't my idea of, well, a good idea. * * * Goon participation! It's time for date two! Who do we go on a date with this evening? You can choose between Nikita and Isol. * * * Databank: Ghians Ghians are a bipedal, lizard-like alien species hailing from a planet known to them as Ghi, existing approximately a five-year warp-speed journey away from Earth's sun. While within their star's Goldilocks Zone, Ghi is still notably closer to its star than Earth is to the Sun; as a result, Ghi is an arid, dry world largely covered in desert, with its equator being uninhabitable by humans. Its oceans and freshwater lakes are small, but dotting the surface of the planet are oases where the local Ghians thrive. To help deal with the intense heat, Ghians were evolved to have scales instead of skin; as humans have a common, ape-like ancestor, so too do Ghians have a common ancestor more closely resembling an alligator. Ghians are ovoviviparous: their children hatch from eggs while still in the womb and are born live. Modern-day Ghians do not typically grow hair upon their heads, but since their meeting with the humans, it's not unusual for a Ghian to take specially-designed supplements that promote hair growth for stylistic reasons – or to help them maintain their warmth when on Earth, a planet that's markedly colder than Ghi. Like Earth, Ghi is home to many different languages and geographic cultures, each with their own beliefs, forms of government, and methodologies. They have unique approaches to religion; to facts of life, such as death and processing their dead; to dress and fashion; and to agriculture, a difficult topic for them, given the inhospitality of their own planet. And like Earth, Ghians had spent many of their generations pondering the stars and whether they were truly alone within the universe. On one fateful day, their finest cosmologists and engineers sent off a satellite, pointed towards a hospitable planet they had discovered that was relatively nearby. While it was a hopeful gesture, it was intended to be performative, and nobody truly believed it would yield any results...
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Oct 1, 2023 19:41
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Isol
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Oct 1, 2023 20:23
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Isol
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Oct 1, 2023 20:27
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Isol time.
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Oct 1, 2023 20:58
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Gonna spoil and say Nikita.
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Oct 1, 2023 20:59
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Going with Isol
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Oct 2, 2023 00:04
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Isol.
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Oct 2, 2023 00:10
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Nikita is the one we know the least (both carnally and conversationally), and it would be nice to get to know them.
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Oct 2, 2023 05:39
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Isol!
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Oct 2, 2023 05:42
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Isol Also, I just noticed that she's got her tail wrapped around her left arm in this sprite. Nice detail that she's actually fidgeting with it, apparently.
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Oct 2, 2023 16:08
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 There is goon participation in this chapter!    (Isol's lines are spoken.) : Hey Isol, how's it going? : It's 'going,' in a sense.: Oh yeah? Busy day so far?  : ... 'Occasions dash... retaining...': Oh, 'time flies when you're having fun.' I don't think we have a, like, an antonym for that expression. 'Time stops when you're bored?' : Well, you know what is that I denote.: Is there anything I can assist you with, Ezra?: Do I need a reason to call you, Isol? What if I just wanted to talk? It's not like either of us are terribly busy. : Uh, what? : Dally. You know... where you say lighthearted nothings to try and entice the one you're talking with to like you.: ... Oh, 'flirt.' I guess half-and-half. Although if you're asking me, I guess I must be failing, huh?: Ghians handle the will-they-or-won't-they issue a little unlike Earthlings, is all.Isol is the best girl, confirmed. Would that we human beings could be just as direct without needing to be coy and not seen as weird! Or at least in modern western culture! : Well, before I make things any more awkward between us: I was wondering if you were available to go somewhere this afternoon.: Oh, so you were! This was all a lead-in to that!: Yep, the cat's out of the bag now. : At daylight, the day was nothing yet house chores and student accounting; then, at lunch, I had a session on culinary onsets across Earth to Galilei.: Sounds important.: It's all dull. Dreary, drowsy, dishearteningly dull. I could really rather use the distraction in the day and you calling at this hour is a lucky reward on sticking it out until now. : ... In case it wasn't clear, yes, I would enjoy going out today. Anywhere's good, as long as it's not here.: Hahaha! Well, if you need an ear to rant at for a little bit, I like to think I'm a pretty good listener. : Hah, well, if ever there was a time to blow off some steam, it'd be now that we finally have peace and the war is over.: So! Where did you want to go?: I actually didn't have any place in particular in mind. Is there anywhere special you'd like to go today?: ... Yes, actually.: Do you recall the discussion we had the other night on Starseekers?: On – oh, right, on the Observatory! Yes, I remember.: I think I'd like to go there today. The Starseeker's use until now was entirely war-related – three days is likely not a long duration to 'switch gears,' as it were, though I'd still like to try and see that residents can enter.: That, and I'd like to see how Earthling starseeking technology equates to Ghi's.: You asked where I'd like to go today, and I decided. That is where we'll go.: I certainly can't say that Isol is a woman that doesn't know what she wants. And I think I kind of like that sort of confidence...You slept with her two nights ago in a threesome she beckoned you on, Ezra. She knows exactly what she's after. Do you? : Sure, that works for me. Do you know the way there?: I just said I hadn't gone there yet.: Right, that's my bad.: The university is a bit of a detour for me, but I can meet you there, if that's easier.: Yes, I'd like that. I can get there in one-third an hour.: Twenty minutes. Got it. : ... Well, alright. That settles that, then.: I have twenty minutes to get from here to where I'm going. Which isn't a lot of time.: I'd better get moving, then!*The screen fades to black.*    : Ghi is a hot world. I reside in Galilei all year and it's insanity that Earthlings succeed in colds this intense. : Uh... it's twenty-two degrees Celsius. That's room temperature. : Wow. That kind of heat would kill a human in a few hours. : And Ghians can endure these colds, although not contentedly. I guess Ghians are just sturdier than Earthlings.: Hah, well, if this is a competition, then on Earth, there are people that live at the north and south poles, where the temperatures are coldest. At the south pole, the warmest day of the year averages to about minus twenty-six.  Hey, have some respect for Inuit cultures and those researchers on the Antarctic ice, Isol! : ... Anyway.: Yes, anyway! ...And Beyond, the Stars : Technically, what I said was I had yet to see this starseeker. : Whose would you say is better?: We landed here eight nunites ago, Ezra. It'll take longer than that to list the distinctions.: Eight nunites... that's... four minutes, right?: Closer to three, I think.: One thing I can say is that Ghian starseekers weren't usually so... direct with the data collected. Usually, when you wanted to know the stars the seeker was seeing, you had to ask the scientist running it. Or you'd just look and see on your own. : Huh. It was the Ghians that first made contact with Earth. You'd think that they'd be more upfront with the sort of information that an observatory would be collecting and not be so secretive about it.: It's likely that the starseeker I stayed at on Ghi was only... 'under-rolled,' should you understand.: I... don't think I do.  : The coins. The cash. It lacked the cash to generously hand out the data like this one can.: Ooooh, you're saying it was underfunded.: Yes, thank you. : Hah, well, I'm an Earthling myself, and believe me when I say that it's not exactly a picnic for us either. Our most popular language is some gross Frankenstein-esque mishmash of words stolen from other languages. : A 'Frankenstein.' It's what you mean when you're referring to something that was created when you mix a bunch of other things together to create something that looks vaguely like what all the other pieces started with, but not. : Where did this word originate?: ...: I'm not sure, now that I think about it. I want to say it started as a pop-culture thing back in the twentieth century? But I haven't seen or heard anything about whatever a 'Frankenstein' is since I was born.: Maybe it's just one of those things where words that were invented in popular culture are adapted into normal speech and their origins are forgotten over time.: Ghian languages share that trait.Interesting that the word "Frankenstein" survived the test of time as an idiom with a definition, but the original story was forgotten. I wonder if there is a word or idiom we use today that was from an artist's vision, but we forgot the artist or work itself as the origin and kept just the word... : There's a word in our largest language that originated in our own artistic cultures. The word is 'ghorulind' and it denotes when a creature – like a Ghian, let's say – struggles to create a sentence, usually when they're arguing.: As an illustration, let's start arguing.: Uh, what?: Just say anything, you know, challenging. A thing I wouldn't like.: Uh... you're smelly? : Like that. That's what a 'ghorulind' illustration is.: Haha, if I ever get into an argument with a Ghian and I can't think of what to say, I'm sure that'll come in handy.: Say, Isol.: Hnn?: Why did you come to Aerodrome Galilei in the first place? We're awfully far away from Ghi and we're kind of a detour away from Earth.: I...*The music fades out.*  : I had gone to Earth to, as you Earthlings would say, 'widen the horizons.' I was staying on leisure. Ghi and Earth are good allies and were during the last three-hundred-ish years, so I wanted to see what the noise was all concerning.: Your world is gorgeous, Ezra. Ghi is largely desert and rocks, and each oasis is a treasured resource that we work to shelter each generation. Earth was so... green. Green and azure.: And cold, yet that's a thing that any Ghian would tolerate. Including yours truly.: ... You know, it's funny. I'm a human – an Earthling – but I've never been to Earth. I was born and raised here in Aerodrome Galilei. I have no idea what it's like down there.: I would wish that you go there when you can. Touring is a way to change a creature. Going to a whole other world... can change your own clarity on existence. You'll turn into an alternate Ezra once you're done.: ... : I ran to Galilei when the Riklid landed on Earth thirteen years ago. I was included with the initial rescues; the starting creatures that got away.: ... You're a refugee.: I was what you would call a 'tourist.' And then I was sent here, where it was considered sheltered.: I think on that day occasionally. We all recall where we were when it started.: I was lucky to get to Earth at all, initially. Then the Riklid landed – not what anyone would call 'lucky.' And then I was with the starting rescues to get away to land elsewhere.: And then I was told I couldn't retreat to Ghi once I got here, and that I needed to start readying to join the war struggle. To shield a world that I was only holidaying on!: I like to think that it all rounds out and I just own 'standardized' luck, in the end.A tourist turned refugee turned militiawoman. That really sucks. Isol has spent a good part of her life contributing to humanity's total war against the Riklid in a world very far from her own. However, if the Riklid managed to beat humanity and Ghi itself had been spared until that point, then the existential threat would have eventually turned on her own kind as well. It's probably something that has crossed her mind, and the fact that she is finally free of her metaphorical shackles probably has something to do with her... let's call it sexual exuberance? She said she's staying in Galilei to open her eatery, though, so maybe she's grown to see it as a second home. : I'm... sorry to bring up such a difficult memory. That must have been horrifying to live through.: Sure. Yet it was also thirteen years ago, now. Far From Home (Isol's Theme) : I like to think I got through it, now.: And hey! Galilei dodged the Riklid's ire, and now, they're gone altogether! This isn't the occasion to dwell on our dour history. We should look onward!: That's an enviable personality and strength of character to have, Isol. You've been through a lot in the last thirteen years.: Yes, well, like I just said: although I enjoy the accolade, I would rather we not hang on the last thirteen years' history and concentrate instead on what ensues next.: Oh, right.: ... Actually, let's talk on you, Ezra. : I'd guess that it's too early in the day that the starseeker is any use to anyone. Yet let's just say, on discussion's sake, that it is.  : Huh. That's not a bad question to ask.: Nikita and I visited this observatory yesterday, and we learned that Earth will be visible Friday night. That's a thing I could look at. I'm told that the Earth has some weird effect on people when they see it from a distance.: But I could also just stare at the stars. Point the telescope in some direction and have a look, see what I find. Moving the lens even a quarter of a quarter of a millimeter would point me in a direction that likely nobody else has ever seen before.: Or maybe I could try looking for Ghi. Isol made the trip from Ghi to Earth and this observatory is probably strong enough to at least see Ghi's star. * * * Goon participation! What an interesting hypothetical Isol has posed! Where would you cast the telescopic eye? Would you look upon Earth for the first time, roll the dice and randomly scan the cosmos for something unknown, or sate your cultural curiosity and seek out Ghi, Isol's home world? Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 08:38 on Oct 3, 2023 |
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Oct 3, 2023 08:30
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Terra will no longer remain incognita!
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Oct 3, 2023 09:31
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I wanna see Ghi. I know what Earth should look like, but no clue re: Ghi.
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Oct 3, 2023 19:38
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If Ezra has been consistent about one thing so far, it's directionless wandering.
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Oct 3, 2023 21:44
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We're all tied up with one vote each, so next unique vote(s) I see takes it!
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Oct 6, 2023 08:53
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| # ? May 9, 2024 13:41 |
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Check out that Ghi.
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Oct 6, 2023 09:04
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