So . . . huh.

[x_multipleman]

I actually finished backreading this system yesterday, but it took me a while to figure out if I had anything to say about it.

I mean, it's not every day you find out that the place your parents sent you so you'd be safe had just been attacked the week before by the U.S. government.

But, I mean . . . now that I know that, it does answer a lot of questions, like, why people have been so edgy, and--

Damn, though, if I hadn't backread like that I dunno if I would've known much was wrong, I mean, I thought you guys were just sort of quiet, and maybe having some trouble with your powers. A week ago today you guys were hiding out, or captured, or on the run, and . . . now you're going to class and planning barbecues. I don't want to say it's like nothing ever happened, because I can see that stuff happened.

But I guess what I want to say is, I think I'd still be a complete wreck if I'd been here last week. And you guys aren't, and I really admire that.

And if there's anything I can do to help, I don't know what, but if you guys think of anything I can do, there's pretty much always a spare me around to do it.

I think I still have a lot of thinking to do about this stuff, so this may not make a lot of sense. But I just thought I should say something.

Comments

[x_multipleman]

x_synch
May 22 2003, 19:06:43 UTC
Some of those posts aren't really coherent, but you were right about it sounding like a war. Part of me is thinking that everyone here is a lot braver than I am. Of course, the other part of me wants to go hide in the library again. Or under my bed. Or, you know, back home in St. Louis.

Maybe they can sue or something like that? There has to be property damage at the very least.


x_rogue
May 22 2003, 19:52:33 UTC
It is scary... but if it happens here, it could happen anywhere. At least here, we learn to be strong. You know what? As much as you want to go home and hide right now, I have the utmost faith that if it happened again, you would be right in there with the rest of us. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, always.


x_synch
May 23 2003, 12:54:20 UTC
I guess you're right. Even though I think I would be hiding under a sofa or something.


x_crowdofone
May 22 2003, 20:34:28 UTC
It was probably one of those top secret plausible deniability Tom Clancy things, so I dunno if there's much to sue with.

I think I'm gonna really pay attention in that self-defense seminar even if I think I'm probably going to suck at it.


Re:
x_synch
May 23 2003, 12:53:32 UTC
See, that's why I want to be a lawyer or something. Then I could go all Tom Clancy on people like that and when they deny top-secret stuff, I can whip out evidence and go "a-HA!" Stuff like this just shouldn't happen.

I bet I'll suck more.


x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 13:17:59 UTC
That's cool. Wish I knew what I wanted to do.

And hey, man, you're not the one who dupes every time he gets hit, and then passes out after about eight or so. I don't think anybody's gonna suck more than me.


x_kitten
May 23 2003, 13:57:45 UTC
NEITHER OF YOU ARE GOING TO SUCK!!!


x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 14:47:08 UTC
Maybe not at the end of the course, I dunno, it depends on how good a teacher the guy is. But I haven't been in a fight since I was in first grade and punched someone for stealing my lunchbox and got lectures and grounded for a week when I got home.

And my powers are really, really not going to help.

So right at first? Yeah, I'm pretty much going to suck at it. I mean, I'm sorry, Kitty, I'm going to try my best, and maybe this Logan guy'll figure out how to teach me without me duping myself unconscious, but if I'm going to learn how not to get hit, somebody eventually is going to have to take a swing at me, and until I get the hang of it there's going to be a lot of very short lessons that end with a bunch of Jamies conked out on the floor.

I mean, unless by "self-defense course" they mean "plug me into a computer, download kung-fu into my brain, and make me fight Lawrence Fishburne." Because I could handle that. :)


Re:
x_kitten
May 23 2003, 14:58:18 UTC
... *thinks*

You know... if you want to learn how to not be hit that wouldn't be so hard. I mean, I could swing at you phased, and if I go through you that's a "hit", but there'd be no kenetic energy so no dupe, right? You'd have an obvious attacker to dodge, but it wouldn't activate your powers.

And sorry, but we're not in the Matrix. At least, I *really* hope not.


Re:
x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 15:29:07 UTC
Y'know, that would probably work. Cool. Thanks. :)

And yeah, that's all I was thinking about learning. I mean, maybe the teacher'll have other ideas, but I figure if I dupe when I get hit, I'll probably dupe if I hit somebody else, too--either way a fight'd be pretty short unless I get better at handling large numbers of dupes.

I'm just geek enough to know humans make very bad batteries, so we probably aren't in the Matrix. But wouldn't that make homework a lot easier? :)


x_siryn
May 23 2003, 15:19:38 UTC
... but at first, directly after you've taken a hit, you have a huge advantage, haven't you? Maybe you just have to use that and kick ass before you pass out.


x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 16:27:11 UTC
I'd better be very good at one-punch knockouts and never fight groups larger than six, then.

It's a nice thought, Terry, but I'm gonna have to get a lot better with my powers before I'm much good in a fight.


x_synch
May 23 2003, 15:53:25 UTC
Wait wait wait wait. Is Logan that guy with the claws? I don't want to be taught by the guy with the claws. I might get claws too and that would be OW all over again.


Re:
x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 16:19:05 UTC
I dunno, I've never actually met him. It's just his name was down as the instructor on the signup sheet.

Huh. I think he might be, though.

Well, at least claws are useful in a fight.


Re:
x_synch
May 23 2003, 15:50:27 UTC
I might dupe if I'm close enough to you and do the strobe light thing. And I still think I'm going to suck more.

If you suck more you can drive the Faxmobile. I just have to find a Faxmobile. Maybe I can steal a golf cart and paint it.


x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 16:28:53 UTC
See, now you're just encouraging me to fail spectacularly. ;)

Golf carts, huh? Anywhere there's mansions like this, there's probably golf courses nearby . . .


x_synch
May 23 2003, 16:34:38 UTC
You know, there probably are golf courses around here. Which means golf carts. Completely hypothetically, if someone wanted to borrow one, I don't think it would be missed. Not for a weekend.

Not that anyone would do that, of course. It would be wrong.


x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 16:49:53 UTC
It would be very wrong, of course.

Speaking purely hypothetically, local golf courses would be in the phone book, complete with addresses.


Re:
x_synch
May 23 2003, 17:27:00 UTC
I think I'm going to go do a book report in the library now. I think I'm going to do it on the phone book. It gets really interesting around the letter G.

I hope you suck more than I do. Because just hypothetically, I don't know how to drive a golf cart.


Re:
x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 17:39:12 UTC
Perhaps I'll join you. After all, it's always good to get an independent perspective on things like book reports.

Hypothetically, figuring out how to drive the golf cart would be part of the fun. How hard can it be?


!!!
x_rahne
May 23 2003, 17:45:56 UTC
You two behave!


Re: !!!
x_synch
May 23 2003, 17:58:32 UTC
We are behaving. It's all theory. Borrowing a golf cart would be very very wrong.

Hypothetically, want to help?


Re: !!!
x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 18:00:38 UTC
Why, Miss Rahne, whatever do you mean?

*grin* Seriously, though, we've got at least two people around here who can read minds, I'm not gonna actually go do something that could get me in that much trouble. It's just fun to pretend.


Re:
x_synch
May 23 2003, 17:57:32 UTC
Theoretically, really hard. My little sister and I tried to drive one when we were visiting Uncle Morris at the country club, and we kind of ran over some stuff.

Okay, a lot of stuff. But we only hit that one guy a little bit, and he wasn't hurt, and Kim was aiming for his tee.

Also theoretically, it wouldn't be much fun at all if we got caught. I don't need that guy with the claws mad at me.


x_crowdofone
May 23 2003, 18:15:12 UTC
Heh. Your sister sounds fun.

And you have a very good, completely academic point there. I may have a few more theoretical situations a bit closer to home that wouldn't be quite so much trouble, though, in a week or so.