Question Most unbelievable things in the Whateley Universe

Alright everyone here it is, what is it that you find unbelievable about the Whateley Universe? Ignore the superpowers, and remember this is supposed to be FUN .

Two things, one universe wide, and one story specific.

First universe wide. How do 600+ teenagers make their way across the country and from around the world, mostly on their own, without getting lost, kidnapped, etc. and travel without the dreaded "Unaccompanied Minor" bit?

Second in Calamari: The Hotdog Vendor is surprised at the amount of food the teenagers eat, come on a real world Hotdog Vendor wouldn't blink at what they ate.

Now remember keep it fun and lighthearted.

That Alya is allowed to do multi-million dollar contracts when he's14 and too young to legally do so,.

That Jobe is sanctioned by the UN for a few little biological issues, while Jericho is allowed to roam around freely.

That the US doesn't have a number of kill Sats designed to take out UFO's over the continental US.
"Why yes Dr. Diabolik, please try to raid one of our cities again."

*snerk* You'd be surprised the discussions me and Joe have had on topics like that.

That Jade isn't in ARC, under lock and key.

Rose Bunny wrote: That Jade isn't in ARC, under lock and key.

Do you honestly think that ARC would have even the slightest prayer of holding Jade? Even if they tried to make a Jade-sicle, she'd cast J-team into stuff around her before they could get her frozen so that she'd defrost herself. And absent a Jade-sicle, would a roaming J-team even blink at the difficulty of escaping ARC?

Astrodragon wrote: That Alya is allowed to do multi-million dollar contracts when he's14 and too young to legally do so,.

That's easy. Ayla's legal guardian (Gracie) signed the necessary legal documents. But all the actual wheeling and dealing was Ayla's, and all the involved parties quickly learned not to underestimate him.

That the USA would ever allow the MCO to operate in their territory. the USA has a long history of not co-operating with UN efforts to set up anything resembling global law enforcement.

They would definitely have a comparable agency, but there is no way they would allow it to be anything other than a Federal Agency, and even then some States would complain about it. Honestly, I suspect that places like Russia and China would be the same. they would have their own equivalent of the MCO but they would not allow such a group to operate outside of direct Government Control.

Realistically an international MCO would probably be limited to the same countries that signed on to the International Criminal Court. Which means, Europe, Oceania, South America, about half of Africa and a few countires in Asia.

Domoviye wrote: That the US doesn't have a number of kill Sats designed to take out UFO's over the continental US.
"Why yes Dr. Diabolik, please try to raid one of our cities again."

Dr. Diabolik likely has protections against such things. And he's got better space tech than anyone else. He built the first moon base, ya know?

...

It's sorta unbelievable that there hasn't been any mass magical interference with plots, like in Whilst Any Speaks with that Truth Spell-thing interfering with the mental rescue mission?

Or I'm just forgetful.

... How about the lack of hobgoblins, other than by Sidhe? Although, that might be due to the teaching being able to force the higher-levels to be good enough that that's not an issue?

...

Story... Story... I'm surprised that Wihinape hasn't interacted with Bast? ... Although, Cougars might be out of Bast's domain?

konzill wrote: That the USA would ever allow the MCO to operate in their territory. the USA has a long history of not co-operating with UN efforts to set up anything resembling global law enforcement.

They would definitely have a comparable agency, but there is no way they would allow it to be anything other than a Federal Agency, and even then some States would complain about it. Honestly, I suspect that places like Russia and China would be the same. they would have their own equivalent of the MCO but they would not allow such a group to operate outside of direct Government Control.

Realistically an international MCO would probably be limited to the same countries that signed on to the International Criminal Court. Which means, Europe, Oceania, South America, about half of Africa and a few countires in Asia.

You have to consider the point in history that this was coming into place. The US didn't have a long history of denying not cooperating with the UN at that point because the UN didn't have a long history yet.

The MCO could have gotten in on the ground floor with the stares thus becoming ever present, just because it is a UN orginization doesn't mean that it can't be a big part of the states.

konzill wrote: That the USA would ever allow the MCO to operate in their territory. the USA has a long history of not co-operating with UN efforts to set up anything resembling global law enforcement.

You're assuming that the MCO didn't start as an American organisation that uses the UN to get international.

Considering that the MCO gets a good deal of its funding from private individuals like the Goodkinds who are 'American' billionairs, then I could easily see it having been founded in the USA and having gone international from there. Also super powered individuals that are multinational criminals, Does anyone doubt that Interpol would be a lot stronger by the 2000's because of that little problem. When the human race is beset by a common enemy there will of course be a few Quislings but for the most part we're going to look at that sort of thing and be like siblings with our family members, We can pick on each other, but YOU can't!
What I have a hard time getting my mind around is that there are enough changelings that the govt has processes in place to handle them. Recall that if the Mandarins in the various agencies had their way we'd still probably be using clay tablets and cuneiform...! Only slightly kidding on the last bit. Govt agencies seem to generally be very slow to adapt to new tech...

Anne wrote: Govt agencies seem to generally be very slow to adapt to new tech...

Boy is that the truth. The most technically accurate lines in 'Black Hawk Down' were:

Personnel Sergeant: I possess a rare and mysterious skill which prohibits me from going on missions.
New Private: Typing?
Personnel Sergeant: (Looking up, annoyed) Can you type?
New Private: Uh...no Sergeant...

That there are villains that want to destroy the universe without a real clue or reason on how big a task it really would be as with those that think that they can stop someone who might actually be capable of doing such. If a person can posses such capabilities I don't think a few superhero's would be able to stop them given the amount of power they would have to possess.

Oh and the amount of anguish a characters suffers without going insane over it. Spirit or no spirit.

E M Pisek wrote:
Oh and the amount of anguish a characters suffers without going insane over it. Spirit or no spirit.

Well there are various levels of mental illness. Some people who are seriously mentally ill can still function in daily life with help, and some with what would be considered mild symptoms can't. It depends on how successful medication is, the exact symptoms, the person suffering from it, etc.
Jade clearly is not what society would consider normal, considering her willingness to self harm, attack threats with excessive to deadly force, etc. But she is functional, the cases of self harm have largely disappeared except when situations may call for it, and she is careful about her targets for lethal force.

Kayda has had her moments of being barely functional, but she also gets a lot of mental and emotional support as well as medicinal help (the magic herbal teas). So while she's suffered a lot of anguish, she has pulled through the worst of it, to be a functional if easily shaken individual.

We see similar things with many of the characters, they're messed up, some very severely, but they are functional to varying degrees. And that fits the stories, as a non-functional character staring at padded rubber walls all day in a strait jacket isn't very interesting.

The way that Elrod manages to break/incapacitate himself each week in a different way, and keeps on doing it.

Malady wrote:

Domoviye wrote: That the US doesn't have a number of kill Sats designed to take out UFO's over the continental US.
"Why yes Dr. Diabolik, please try to raid one of our cities again."

Dr. Diabolik likely has protections against such things. And he's got better space tech than anyone else. He built the first moon base, ya know?

His murderous satellites are like ninja satellites... new kill sats go up and they just bide their time... but if they were to target something he doesn't want taken out <dot> <dot> <dot>

I'll leave it at that

That Whateley's tuition is really that high. Yes, it is used as a gag sometimes (Curse of the Dragon Queen), yes, it has been explicitly implied that wealthier students subsidize the poor/abandoned/orphaned/persecuted students ('Shine, etc.). There's reasoning and rationale behind a lot of it (Tech track, magic track), but when you really think about it, wouldn't Whateley's semi-secret status, massive board funding, encourage multi-national corporate and government support? Whateley is taking in some of the most dangerous mutants on the planet, civilizing them, instilling ethical standards in them, ensuring that they not only survive, but thrive, pay back, and benefit some facet of the international community.

This is the kind of thing where I'd more expect the UN or at least NATO to have a side fund to sponsor mutants. Bring them to Whateley, train them to be safe and productive members of society...before they become a problem. Even the Illuminati should be backing the Academy, if only to ensure that stability that they can later exploit.

I guess, a second, sort of related one? Whateley is like...the worst kept secret in the world. I did appreciate that the Imp arc acknowledged that other characters found it very strange that she had a 30+ year villainy career and never knew about the school.


Hmm...story specific? Probably that Tansy and Kayda didn't realize they were already friends until they had their little spat in the beginning of Fall 2007. They totally were friends by the end of Spring, because Kayda came in without any knowledge of the horrible stuff Tansy had done. I loved the way it played out, but both girls were really in denial. Lanie might be closer to each of the girls separately, but Tansy and Kayda like...totally had each other's backs. Kayda didn't judge Tansy, and Tansy helped Kayda just because.

I blame each girl's individual stack of neuroses for not realizing they were already friends.

Well, actually, the British Government does exactly that.
If the kid needs to go to Whateley, they cover it, on the grounds that its cheaper than them turning to crime instead

Astrodragon wrote: Well, actually, the British Government does exactly that.
If the kid needs to go to Whateley, they cover it, on the grounds that its cheaper than them turning to crime instead

Or building their own school.

Valentine wrote:

Astrodragon wrote: Well, actually, the British Government does exactly that.
If the kid needs to go to Whateley, they cover it, on the grounds that its cheaper than them turning to crime instead

Or building their own school.

They do have their own school, but for the high end powers its cheaper to pay for Whately then create a school.
And any major explosions happen in the USA, which is an added bonus

Astrodragon wrote:

Valentine wrote:

Astrodragon wrote: Well, actually, the British Government does exactly that.
If the kid needs to go to Whateley, they cover it, on the grounds that its cheaper than them turning to crime instead

Or building their own school.

They do have their own school, but for the high end powers its cheaper to pay for Whately then create a school.
And any major explosions happen in the USA, which is an added bonus

The UK couldn't possibly have a rogue band of superpowered ASBOs and Chav's running about? That simply wouldn't be civilized.

Tut. Tut.

Why are there still wrought-iron benches around the campus still, especially with the influx of fae students?

Rose Bunny wrote: Why are there still wrought-iron benches around the campus still, especially with the influx of fae students?

That's for fae to know and ewe to find out.

The most unbelievable things is Elrod's and Morpheus output rate

Ignore this

[/quote]
The UK couldn't possibly have a rogue band of superpowered ASBOs and Chav's running about? That simply wouldn't be civilized.

Tut. Tut.

[/quote]

Misfits anyone www.channel4.com/programmes/misfits/episode-guide

^ Oh right! Them! ... But, they're an isolated group instead of the widespread superpowers of the Whateley-verse.

Katssun wrote: That Whateley's tuition is really that high. Yes, it is used as a gag sometimes (Curse of the Dragon Queen), yes, it has been explicitly implied that wealthier students subsidize the poor/abandoned/orphaned/persecuted students ('Shine, etc.). There's reasoning and rationale behind a lot of it (Tech track, magic track), but when you really think about it, wouldn't Whateley's semi-secret status, massive board funding, encourage multi-national corporate and government support? Whateley is taking in some of the most dangerous mutants on the planet, civilizing them, instilling ethical standards in them, ensuring that they not only survive, but thrive, pay back, and benefit some facet of the international community.

This is the kind of thing where I'd more expect the UN or at least NATO to have a side fund to sponsor mutants. Bring them to Whateley, train them to be safe and productive members of society...before they become a problem. Even the Illuminati should be backing the Academy, if only to ensure that stability that they can later exploit.

Sure there's money from sources other than the students... but you have to take a look at what the school provides the average student (in this instance one that doesn't cause trouble, has powers that don't damage anything or anybody, rarely gets sick and has no issues passing their classes). They get a safe environment ( we know better, but on average ) which is provided by a campus that's nowhere near most towns and cities so everything must be shipped in special to them, top-end security personnel which are trained and equipped enough to topple a small government (at the least), and magical wards and other protections which can have hefty material costs and must be maintained. They get rooms in some pretty nice dorms (even the old ones aren't TOO shabby) which includes kitchens, various social and study areas and in most cases underground access to the rest of the campus. They get a nice laptop and have high-speed internet most everywhere. They get food cooked in bulk enough to feed that small country that was being toppled and fair to good quality on top of that. They have access to pools, gyms, riding and hiking trails, all the tunnels you can spelunk in, and a number of social gatherings throughout the year.

There are also the facilities for each specialty of the students... top-end machinery and plenty of space for the gadgeteers, etc... AND most of them get a budget to help pay for lab space and materials whether that be technological, metaphysical or magical.

Now look at the fact that many of students will have at least one incident of disagreeing violently with another, powers going out of control or in control but still hurt another or cause a good amount of damage, be hurt or have a power related medical emergency, or need help academically or with their powers. That's going to increase costs somewhat with the use of security, repairs to damaged property and such, medical costs to themselves or others and special tutoring.

And that's just they people needing a little help or special attention.

It REALLY scales up from there...

and this is just off the top of my head... the people handling budgeting and finances for the school REALLY earn their paychecks.

It'd realistically not surprise me if cost (and remember Whateley does pay their staff top dollar, to the point that Carson correctly believes that she competes with the richest other schools salary wise, or more so. ('spc considering she is offering top 10 salary for Ivy league unis...) for the school runs well into the quarter billion plus range. (roughly 100 guards, about twice that in staff at least? even assuming just an average of 150k/year, with other costs... (assuming they're lower than RL) 45 million in salary alone) Food costs, Hawthorne, et al...

Now: To be fair, there are offsetting factors
Whateley gets a cut of all products and patents sold though the school or made on the school (10%). That adds up.
They get various shares of federal and state money (now to be fair, that's really only thousands per student, maybe 10 of thousands)
they get donations.
As for the UN 'funding it' Well, remember in both generations, in a lot of ways the MCO is "UN" and has a vested interest at the highest levels in not making mutants or others safe, but portraying their threat. And is a competition for the budget.

Realistically, given what has been stated in forum about the tuition cost, even assuming every student pays full price, it very likely doesn't cover salary.

DanZilla wrote: Now look at the fact that many of students will have at least one incident of disagreeing violently with another, powers going out of control or in control but still hurt another or cause a good amount of damage, be hurt or have a power related medical emergency, or need help academically or with their powers.

Not to mention state-of-the-art medical care with full coverage to include vision and dental at the regions arguably best medical facility, if not one of the top medical facilities in the country.