Anything is fair game... just don't complain when someone with more Whateley-verse savvy shoots your theory out of the sky.
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Question Kayda 10
- E. E. Nalley
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Arcanist Lupus wrote: Oh yeah, I noticed that Coyote is a Disney fan.
Not at any time, only when it was funny...

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- Amy_Amethyst
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M - O - O - S - E

A stranger is just a friend that you haven't met yet.
- Kettlekorn
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Danny needs to start working on finding a way to incorporate clothes of some sort into his shifting. It's probably doable, because his hair and nails shift with him and return, and both of those are just dead materials. Since his shifting is magic, it's probably something to do with either them being part of his self image, them being physically attached to him, or them being extrusions originally created by his own body. Those are all possibilities that can be exploited, albeit not necessarily in practical ways. He won't know until he tries, though. Maybe he'll get lucky and it'll work like it did for the Animorphs, letting him absorb anything that's skintight when he shifts to cougar and then restore it when he shifts back.
Worst case, he could get a gadget, devise, or charm that could create a hologram/illusion of a simple changing screen (this would be a lot easier/cheaper than getting it to cover him with holo-clothes or whatever, though that would be more convenient). He could leave it on his belt and just walk over and poke it with a claw before changing back. Alternately, he could use an elastic band to wear it around his waist under his shirt. If the band is stretchy enough, it'll keep the projector snug in cougar mode so he'll always have it with him in case he needs some privacy. Might be an interesting holdout in a fight, too; nobody expects the cougar they're fighting to randomly disappear behind a holographic changing screen and then leap through it to chomp their jugular.
As for Wondercute, they could be good for Danny if they can help him to get past caring what other people think of him. But I'm rooting for him to stand up and carve his own path instead of letting everybody railroad him like a pathetic loser.
He can paint with all the colors of broken wind.Arcanist Lupus wrote: Oh yeah, I noticed that Coyote is a Disney fan.
- elrodw
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Amy_Amethyst wrote: M - I - G -Gee he's dumb- H - T - Y - Why would anyone work for him?
M - O - O - S - E

Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Valentine
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Kettlekorn wrote: I also loved Mighty Moose.
Danny needs to start working on finding a way to incorporate clothes of some sort into his shifting. It's probably doable, because his hair and nails shift with him and return, and both of those are just dead materials. Since his shifting is magic, it's probably something to do with either them being part of his self image, them being physically attached to him, or them being extrusions originally created by his own body. Those are all possibilities that can be exploited, albeit not necessarily in practical ways. He won't know until he tries, though. Maybe he'll get lucky and it'll work like it did for the Animorphs, letting him absorb anything that's skintight when he shifts to cougar and then restore it when he shifts back.
Worst case, he could get a gadget, devise, or charm that could create a hologram/illusion of a simple changing screen (this would be a lot easier/cheaper than getting it to cover him with holo-clothes or whatever, though that would be more convenient). He could leave it on his belt and just walk over and poke it with a claw before changing back. Alternately, he could use an elastic band to wear it around his waist under his shirt. If the band is stretchy enough, it'll keep the projector snug in cougar mode so he'll always have it with him in case he needs some privacy. Might be an interesting holdout in a fight, too; nobody expects the cougar they're fighting to randomly disappear behind a holographic changing screen and then leap through it to chomp their jugular.
As for Wondercute, they could be good for Danny if they can help him to get past caring what other people think of him. But I'm rooting for him to stand up and carve his own path instead of letting everybody railroad him like a pathetic loser.
He can paint with all the colors of broken wind.Arcanist Lupus wrote: Oh yeah, I noticed that Coyote is a Disney fan.
Maybe he can scrounge up enough money to buy one of the harnesses Babs made. Of course they switch to the girls uniform...
Don't Drick and Drive.
- Malady
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- E. E. Nalley
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I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- Dpragan
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Topic Author
Lets see how to explain "relapses"...to me it seems that Kayda sometimes has to solve a mental issue more than once (Or several variations on the issue) to get her to believe it. Or that is how it seems to me.
As for the Author bit, that had to do more with my personal "teen drama-overload" circuit, being tripped making it hard to read, and not the writing.
That and my own guilt at not being able to read through it fast enough. Basically making sure that you weren't offended, at my inability to get through said "teen drama-overload" fast was on me, your writing of it is great by the by. (I blame the teens

And I'm probably still not explaining myself clearly. >_<
In the end reality is only consensual! It means that Al Gore is causing "Global Warming" by his rhetoric alone! Fortunately, there are enough Global Warming "Deniers" still about to keep him from boiling the planet.
=^+^=
- Dpragan
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Topic Author
E. E. Nalley wrote:
Arcanist Lupus wrote: Oh yeah, I noticed that Coyote is a Disney fan.
Not at any time, only when it was funny...
Could be worse I had Coyote in my head as a Old World of Darkness Nuwisha Fan, emulating Old Man Manyskins. with a strait-man paladin/avatar that he was only partially inside of the rest of the time popping out to menace people.
In the end reality is only consensual! It means that Al Gore is causing "Global Warming" by his rhetoric alone! Fortunately, there are enough Global Warming "Deniers" still about to keep him from boiling the planet.
=^+^=
- elrodw
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Dpragan wrote: Sorry, I sometime shorthand things in responses.
Lets see how to explain "relapses"...to me it seems that Kayda sometimes has to solve a mental issue more than once (Or several variations on the issue) to get her to believe it. Or that is how it seems to me.
You are reading it correctly. Bear in mind that Kayda is a teenager, and as I well know from my teenage daughter, sometimes it takes a dozen repetitions of a bad experience to get through that wall of stubbornness and make an impact. In part 4, Debra FINALLY got through. Well, Tansy did, but then the plan of Mrs. Horton and Lanie and Laneth stepped in, not knowing about what Tansy did, and as they say, too many cooks ....
She got it this time. Promise. She got a slap in the face about "Lanie cares, Mrs. H cares, Laneth cares, Deb REALLY cares - I guess they do care more than I thought." Lesson learned. Time to move on to new stuff - and I have a LOT of cool new ideas. Drama? Yes. Teen self-doubt drama? No. Travel, meeting tribes, old tribal conflicts, friends who want to go along, pesky little brother. Little sister of friend and pesky little brother. Fighting demons. yeah, fun stuff.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- null0trooper
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elrodw wrote: Drama? Yes. Teen self-doubt drama? No. Travel, meeting tribes, old tribal conflicts, friends who want to go along, pesky little brother. Little sister of friend and pesky little brother. Fighting demons. yeah, fun stuff.
The latest part had a nice bit of adult self-doubt drama

Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- Valentine
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Mrs. Carson, Mr. Two Knives, Ayla, Chou, Hank (Hank cares about everyone), Ros, Sensei Ito, the rest of the SFL, and on and on.
I still think her angst goes away just because she doesn't have enough time for there to be any angst.
Spezielle Operationsbüro für Angst und Weltherrschaft Are you a founding member?

Don't Drick and Drive.
- mhalpern
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Valentine wrote: I think you left off a few people...
Mrs. Carson, Mr. Two Knives, Ayla, Chou, Hank (Hank cares about everyone), Ros, Sensei Ito, the rest of the SFL, and on and on.
I still think her angst goes away just because she doesn't have enough time for there to be any angst.
Spezielle Operationsbüro für Angst und Weltherrschaft Are you a founding member?
I think that sibling related shenanigans also help tone down the angst, at least the internal angst, yes Danny's issues have caused some angst, but that was more Kayda's sense of self worth than anything, having a sibling going through their own issues will help put things into perspective
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- Kettlekorn
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- peter
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But I will put in a request. I'd like to see a Danny story, as opposed to him simply being a supporting character in Kayda.
Heck, I'd love to see a whole series of slice of life school stories that have no earth shaking implications. Just kids interacting and having fun.
- Phoenix Spiritus
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peter wrote: But I will put in a request. I'd like to see a Danny story, as opposed to him simply being a supporting character in Kayda.
Heck, I'd love to see a whole series of slice of life school stories that have no earth shaking implications. Just kids interacting and having fun.
+1!
- elrodw
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Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- peter
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elrodw wrote: In my work queue, there IS a Danny story. He's not just a supporting character (even though we find a few interesting things about him in K10 P6
Yay. Does the happy dance.
Danny situation is what I think of when I think of my favorite type of transformation stories.
The gender swap is of course wonderful, but even more so for me would be him dealing with his full cougar transformation.
In Cape High there is a panther shifter who each school day must spend one hour as her panther in order to acclimatize to it.
Of course there is the little fact that the animal form of shifters in this world start out as infants. So her Panther form is a panther kitten that can barely walk.
Adorable.
- Malady
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elrodw wrote: In my work queue, there IS a Danny story. He's not just a supporting character (even though we find a few interesting things about him in K10 P6
Hmm... When are its events, I wonder... Likely those missing two days from Kayda's POV...
Amalie + Danny... She's a sparker, so electro-hair trouble? Also with that Taeslin girl...
- elrodw
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Malady wrote:
elrodw wrote: In my work queue, there IS a Danny story. He's not just a supporting character (even though we find a few interesting things about him in K10 P6
Hmm... When are its events, I wonder... Likely those missing two days from Kayda's POV...
Amalie + Danny... She's a sparker, so electro-hair trouble? Also with that Taeslin girl...
Phoenix has given me a TON of ideas and snippets to adapt and use, and I intend to use them.
Danny has to spend time as Wihinape or in mountain lion form. What do you think will happen, given the cottage he's in? He has cat forms - how do you think Feral and Miyet and Cyberkitty are going to react to his kitty-boy form?
There are bullies who don't like him, who call him gay. What do you think people will say when he walks around with six or eight girls hanging all over him, stopping him to kiss him before they go into their classroom buildings and such?
And is Wondercute going to get him in trouble? Remember, Kayda is taking pics to send to Mom back home. What KINDS of pics? What kinds of things will Wondercute drag him into?
Ah, the possibilities. (cue evil chuckle # 17)
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- E. E. Nalley
-
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- Yolandria
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Mistress of the shelter for lost and redeemable Woobies!
- JG
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- Yolandria
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Mistress of the shelter for lost and redeemable Woobies!
- elrodw
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E. E. Nalley wrote: Danny is also front and center quite a bit in TBTBAE 3 and 4.
He's also featured in a prominent (very prominent) scene in Kayda 10 part 6.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- mhalpern
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elrodw wrote:
E. E. Nalley wrote: Danny is also front and center quite a bit in TBTBAE 3 and 4.
He's also featured in a prominent (very prominent) scene in Kayda 10 part 6.
You keep mentioning that, I have to predict that we will get it by friday...
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- Valentine
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JG wrote: Why does everyone find Adore so very fascinating?
We, ahhh, adore her?

Don't Drick and Drive.
- Dpragan
-
Topic Author
elrodw wrote:
Dpragan wrote: Sorry, I sometime shorthand things in responses.
Lets see how to explain "relapses"...to me it seems that Kayda sometimes has to solve a mental issue more than once (Or several variations on the issue) to get her to believe it. Or that is how it seems to me.
You are reading it correctly. Bear in mind that Kayda is a teenager, and as I well know from my teenage daughter, sometimes it takes a dozen repetitions of a bad experience to get through that wall of stubbornness and make an impact. In part 4, Debra FINALLY got through. Well, Tansy did, but then the plan of Mrs. Horton and Lanie and Laneth stepped in, not knowing about what Tansy did, and as they say, too many cooks ....
She got it this time. Promise. She got a slap in the face about "Lanie cares, Mrs. H cares, Laneth cares, Deb REALLY cares - I guess they do care more than I thought." Lesson learned. Time to move on to new stuff - and I have a LOT of cool new ideas. Drama? Yes. Teen self-doubt drama? No. Travel, meeting tribes, old tribal conflicts, friends who want to go along, pesky little brother. Little sister of friend and pesky little brother. Fighting demons. yeah, fun stuff.
I'm aware of that, I just didn't want you to think I was being critical of you, when it was me that was having the issues. (I get emotional to the point while reading watching stories that I have to leave the room or put the book down for a bit...come to think of it I still haven read the latest Buffy the Vampire Slayer Comic I bought and that was 2 weeks ago.)
In the end reality is only consensual! It means that Al Gore is causing "Global Warming" by his rhetoric alone! Fortunately, there are enough Global Warming "Deniers" still about to keep him from boiling the planet.
=^+^=
- null0trooper
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elrodw wrote: Danny has to spend time as Wihinape or in mountain lion form. What do you think will happen, given the cottage he's in? He has cat forms - how do you think Feral and Miyet and Cyberkitty are going to react to his kitty-boy form?
It would be fun to see Feral and Wihinape pushing Danny to work more on his hunting techniques. Starting out from Poe, that could easily land him too close to the Grove.
Cyberkitty's high-voltage discharges would be problematic if she gives in to her own kitten mode wanting to play. (In my own head-canon, all the plumbing fixtures are mutually isolated and have their own electrical grounds. There may still be indicator lights for when one of the "Light Up Your Life" crowd is taking a shower!)
Miyet - that depends on how much she's matured over the past year. She could be sympathetic, but maybe not.

elrodw wrote: There are bullies who don't like him, who call him gay. What do you think people will say when he walks around with six or eight girls hanging all over him, stopping him to kiss him before they go into their classroom buildings and such?
Haters gonna hate. I wonder how long before someone gets jealous enough to claim he's mentally manipulating the girls, or bribing them, or it's all just an act to hide the "fact" that he must be gay.
It still may come down to him being "more man than they'll ever be, and more woman than they'll ever get"
elrodw wrote: And is Wondercute going to get him in trouble? Remember, Kayda is taking pics to send to Mom back home. What KINDS of pics? What kinds of things will Wondercute drag him into?
Wondercute?
Trouble?
Nawww.
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- Katssun
-
Kidnapping Alyss as part of the attempt to get her to join? Someone has to play the Cheshire cat.null0trooper wrote:
elrodw wrote: And is Wondercute going to get him in trouble? Remember, Kayda is taking pics to send to Mom back home. What KINDS of pics? What kinds of things will Wondercute drag him into?
Wondercute?
Trouble?
Nawww.
Danny's whining is pretty funny. Girls have been falling all over him since he changed. He's too wound up to realize that they're (mostly) not patronizing him about it, but genuinely attracted to him. Like sister, like brother. The desperate need to be bashed in the brains with a cluehammer.
"Yes Danny...there are girls out there that are attracted to skinny, androgynous men. You don't have to be Beefcake Supreme to attract women."
Someone just needs to point Danny at Bravo and get him to understand that men like that attract morons like Pucelle. Or have him watch T-bird for an afternoon as a parallel to how stupid he's being.
Hopefully that would get the point across. He's even being told to join Wondercute and go after Misty and Lindsay. Only one of which is a ditz (and I'm not saying which!). Danny has so many options, he just has to accept that he's so kyooooot.
- mhalpern
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Katssun wrote:
Kidnapping Alyss as part of the attempt to get her to join? Someone has to play the Cheshire cat.null0trooper wrote:
elrodw wrote: And is Wondercute going to get him in trouble? Remember, Kayda is taking pics to send to Mom back home. What KINDS of pics? What kinds of things will Wondercute drag him into?
Wondercute?
Trouble?
Nawww.
Danny's whining is pretty funny. Girls have been falling all over him since he changed. He's too wound up to realize that they're (mostly) not patronizing him about it, but genuinely attracted to him. Like sister, like brother. The desperate need to be bashed in the brains with a cluehammer.
"Yes Danny...there are girls out there that are attracted to skinny, androgynous men. You don't have to be Beefcake Supreme to attract women."
Someone just needs to point Danny at Bravo and get him to understand that men like that attract morons like Pucelle. Or have him watch T-bird for an afternoon as a parallel to how stupid he's being.
Hopefully that would get the point across. He's even being told to join Wondercute and go after Misty and Lindsay. Only one of which is a ditz (and I'm not saying which!). Danny has so many options, he just has to accept that he's so kyooooot.
I don't know Alyss might play the Hatter, She can hat people with the perfect hat rather quickly,
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- elrodw
-
Katssun wrote:
null0trooper wrote: Danny's whining is pretty funny. Girls have been falling all over him since he changed. He's too wound up to realize that they're (mostly) not patronizing him about it, but genuinely attracted to him. Like sister, like brother. The desperate need to be bashed in the brains with a cluehammer.
"Yes Danny...there are girls out there that are attracted to skinny, androgynous men. You don't have to be Beefcake Supreme to attract women."
Someone just needs to point Danny at Bravo and get him to understand that men like that attract morons like Pucelle. Or have him watch T-bird for an afternoon as a parallel to how stupid he's being.
Hopefully that would get the point across. He's even being told to join Wondercute and go after Misty and Lindsay. Only one of which is a ditz (and I'm not saying which!). Danny has so many options, he just has to accept that he's so kyooooot.
So the bigots think it's cover. I've got an answer for that one.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Kettlekorn
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It's not that simple. Imagine that you find being fat revolting. You weren't fat before, but you get a mutation that makes you fat no matter how hard you work out and diet. People point out that there are people who like fat people. This is good to know, but doesn't eliminate the self revulsion. In fact, people liking you because of the hated trait can make it more painful, since they keep bringing it up and don't like you for the "right" reasons, etc.Katssun wrote:
Kidnapping Alyss as part of the attempt to get her to join? Someone has to play the Cheshire cat.null0trooper wrote:
elrodw wrote: And is Wondercute going to get him in trouble? Remember, Kayda is taking pics to send to Mom back home. What KINDS of pics? What kinds of things will Wondercute drag him into?
Wondercute?
Trouble?
Nawww.
Danny's whining is pretty funny. Girls have been falling all over him since he changed. He's too wound up to realize that they're (mostly) not patronizing him about it, but genuinely attracted to him. Like sister, like brother. The desperate need to be bashed in the brains with a cluehammer.
"Yes Danny...there are girls out there that are attracted to skinny, androgynous men. You don't have to be Beefcake Supreme to attract women."
Someone just needs to point Danny at Bravo and get him to understand that men like that attract morons like Pucelle. Or have him watch T-bird for an afternoon as a parallel to how stupid he's being.
Hopefully that would get the point across. He's even being told to join Wondercute and go after Misty and Lindsay. Only one of which is a ditz (and I'm not saying which!). Danny has so many options, he just has to accept that he's so kyooooot.
- JG
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Bonus points if you're empathic.
- Katssun
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Kettlekorn wrote: It's not that simple. Imagine that you find being fat revolting. You weren't fat before, but you get a mutation that makes you fat no matter how hard you work out and diet. People point out that there are people who like fat people. This is good to know, but doesn't eliminate the self revulsion. In fact, people liking you because of the hated trait can make it more painful, since they keep bringing it up and don't like you for the "right" reasons, etc.
But it isn't that particular problem, not like the GSD kids. It's the same issue Kayda has, thinking she won't ever make friends. Danny thinks he won't get girls because he hadn't already and if he spends half the time as one, he'll never get one.
But he's just being irrational like his sister. He had girls that liked him in South Dakota. As far as we can tell, more of his friends were girls before and after Kayda manifested. Lisa was apparently his friend since first grade. The other girls in Kayda 9 are similar.
Danny went from that awkward summer before high school lanky muscular physique build to "bishonen hot." The fuzzing is just a side effect that the girls like to tease him with. This is what he isn't getting. He isn't manly exemplar, oiled muscles farmhand beefcake, he's East and West Coast cities hawt.
Kayda and Whateley are the problem. Kayda has been trying to sell off his gender swaps as not a problem, saying the school is a bisexual and lesbian haven (it is), or that he might end up with a boyfriend too. That's the problem. He is absolutely not comfortable with that possibility. He doesn't like being female, but he has begun to accept it when he is. Same with being seen as cute. But Danny is conflating all those things when they're separate.
Kayda ruined his expectations by having many girlfriends, not to mention all the way, before Danny even had an official girlfriend. The needed acceptance is that it isn't that unusual to not have a girlfriend before high school, and that being farmland beefcake isn't the only type of attractive male look.
Venus Inc would be better advice than Wondercute. Tansy has been helping him already anyway. He's just safer from bullies attacking him in Wondercute.
- Valentine
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JG wrote: There's a reason Diamondback finds naga-body fetishists creepy.
Bonus points if you're empathic.
"You're pretty." The assessment of a fearless six year old, was probably one of the first punctures in her self view.
Don't Drick and Drive.
- JG
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- peter
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Valentine wrote:
JG wrote: There's a reason Diamondback finds naga-body fetishists creepy.
Bonus points if you're empathic.
"You're pretty." The assessment of a fearless six year old, was probably one of the first punctures in her self view.
She's just lucky " en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Musume " Wasn't a thing while she was at school.
- Malady
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E. E. Nalley wrote:
Hardric wrote: Just a little question... Is it too much to hope that Coyote gets a little taste of point blank annihilation?
Well, as he himself would say, "...I am Coyote and I have walked the spirit realms since the world was new and The Foreigner laid down Creation. Do battle with me at your peril!"
Well, I was gonna guess that the Foreigner is something from Japan, given that Japan was separate from the Five Fold, and also not American/Greek... Instead of something from outside the universe, but, this is hinting that it's something like the Judeo-Christian God...
*shrugs*
- DanZilla
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Malady wrote:
E. E. Nalley wrote:
Hardric wrote: Just a little question... Is it too much to hope that Coyote gets a little taste of point blank annihilation?
Well, as he himself would say, "...I am Coyote and I have walked the spirit realms since the world was new and The Foreigner laid down Creation. Do battle with me at your peril!"
Well, I was gonna guess that the Foreigner is something from Japan, given that Japan was separate from the Five Fold, and also not American/Greek... Instead of something from outside the universe, but, this is hinting that it's something like the Judeo-Christian God...
*shrugs*
IIRC the New Olympians were the first ones to refer to The Foreigner in the Whateley stories... and yeah, He's the one that came along and messed-up the worship of whole bunches of pre-Him gods.
- Katssun
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Hail Eris?!DanZilla wrote: IIRC the New Olympians were the first ones to refer to The Foreigner in the Whateley stories... and yeah, He's the one that came along and messed-up the worship of whole bunches of pre-Him gods.
...
Actually...I would *pay* to see an Eris-Paladin/Avatar ruin the day of the New Olympians.
It's Murphy...isn't it?!!
- Kettlekorn
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- Malady
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Kettlekorn wrote: Originally I was thinking the Foreigner referred to the Star Stalker, back when it was only the Olympians referring to them, but yeah, now it's starting to sound more like they're a creator type.
The JC God isn't even supposed to be male, it's just that English has no gender-neutral?
Japanese Myth has Izanagi... Ymir is the Norse creator-ish of Midgard... But we already had a Ymir ... Some Chinese Creation Myth might work? Options, options...
- elrodw
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um....
wait ...
Minor posting error for the story. Our beloved Kristin will fix it shortly.
Guess I better shut up before I give away anything

Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- E. E. Nalley
-

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- mhalpern
-
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- Arcanist Lupus
-
Well. When he was signing up for philosophies, Coyote clearly choose "Go big or go home!" I do hope that we get to see/hear Kayda explaining that little group therapy season to Debra.
I kind of wish that this had made it off the queue before Please Turn Out the Lights. I mean, it was pretty inevitable that Kayda chose the way she did, but knowing the future drained a little bit of extra tension.
Man! Everybody's just lining up to fall on their swords today!
Did you jump to Danny's POV in the lodge?
Emphasis mine.Most of our members were present, and the faculty - to no-one's surprise - had pushed Mr. Two Knives into being our faculty co-advisor with Mr. Lodgeman, both of who were present. Also, Mrs. Donner, the tribal council representative from the Medawihla tribe, was present. In the spring, she had displayed great enthusiasm for our activities, and I, for one, welcomed her advice when I needed it.
"Kayda's brother?" Stormwolf asked with a cocked eyebrow?
"Yeah," I said glumly under my breath. "Lucky me!"
"Lucky you," Slapshot retorted with a grin. "Your sister did all the paperwork to get you registered, so you don't have to!"
I tilted my head to the side, turning toward Slapshot, and rolling my eyes at him, which only caused him to chuckle.
Danny sat, and a lithe, dark-haired brunette with skin as dark as Kayda stood. "I'm Lynn," she said softly. "Lynn West."
"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- Katssun
-
Big smiles all around reading this chapter. See, Kayda? You do have friends. Lots!
Tansy's embarrassing fantasies...

Coyote sure is a jerk though. Kayda gets softly betrayed again, finds out the whole truth. He tricked her into getting exactly what he wanted, while shaming everyone else, including Wakan Tanka. I know that's his way, but he showed Kayda an alternative, and used her own good nature against her to confirm that she liked being a mediator and a healer so far, hardships aside. Kayda knows Lanie is happy with Wyatt, she knows she hate to see Debra hurt in any permanent way, that what she has with Lanie as a girl is what she always wanted, etc.
And Coyote still won. He got his leader of The People...
And then, she immediately goes and mediates between her two friends! Forgiving Tansy, returning the favor, and then getting Lanie to forgive Tansy as well. Proving he was right all along!
Hate to love him, love to hate him...

Paramount and Hartford laying it all out on the table felt a little heavy handed though. I suppose they had to, because they messed the three girls up pretty badly, and their meddling backfired what naturally was going to fall into place one way or another. In retrospect, it is a nice parallel to Mrs. Horton and Carson admitting to meddling with Lanie and Kayda, nearly undoing what Tansy had fixed on her own.
Wait a minute...
Has this arc been conveying that adults need to know when to back off and let teenage girls figure out their own problems, because interference is inevitable worse? Hmm?
- Dreamer
-
Below is a stream of conscious commentary I type up as I read the story. There will details from the story included in it. If you have not read the story yet and don't wish to have details of it spoiled, read no further.
Kayda 10-There's No Place Like Poe part 5 comments
Ah, good, Coyote can mislead or confuse but can't directly lie, good limitation for him to have. All those promises and Kayda has very strong confidence everything is going to be alright. That was some kiss. Not needing glasses and she is Lanie but also Laneth in a weird way too.
Bwahahaha, just hearing her say that. Mrs. Horton shows up but too late, no longer a slave to her, and it is Laneth talking, this just got more complicated. Nice reference to Dune with The sleeper has awakened!"Ah don't know if that was incest or masturbation, but she's one hell of a kisser!"
Yikes, staring down Mrs. Carson, yeah, I would prefer the firing squad right then. Reading them the riot act about dealing with Coyote and not coming to Mrs. Horton with Laneth. Saying that Laneth might have lied to them, okay, I see why Mrs. Carson is so upset, the spirit realm is a lot more dangerous than they have been treating it. Aww man, a few more trips with Mrs. Carson.
Oh crap, Coyote took them all on a 'field trip'. Grecian robes in the white and gold of her Lady Astarte costume, wasn't excepting that for Mrs. Carson's look in the dream realm. Okay, I've never seen Carson that angry before, Coyote really ticked her off. They are in Coyote's dream space, I don't care what he says, I don't trust him. What does he mean it is a lie that Kayda is Ptesanwi.
What the what! Brandon should have manifested as an exemplar and gadgeteer and gone to Whateley as Akicita, Lakota for warrior. Revealing that the Ptesanwi was to be Brandon's daughter, that is just cruel, Coyote. Wakan Tanka came back a full generation before her time by altering Brandon's manifestation, oh boy. Lanie was supposed to be Brandon's wife! Wakan Tanka has much to answer for. Brandon would have still saved Debra's life as well. And Wakan Tanka coming back early woke The Bastard early as well, that is a great betrayal to all life on Earth imo.
Whoa, didn't think anyone would talk to Coyote that way, that Mrs. Carson lives through doing it is a miracle. Mrs. Carson and Coyote matching wits some day, I hope he isn't behind the disappearance of all those people in Gen 2. Undo everything done to Brandon, or forgive Wakan Tanka and embrace the deceit and try to unite the People herself. Hard choice to make, the fear of the devil and his deals indeed. Coyote, you are a cruel entity to do this, the devil himself wouldn't put forth more cruel choices.
Not matter if Debra loses her leg, that is twisted. Thinking if she doesn't choose to be Brandon and be with Lanie it will ruin their relationship, Kayda needs someone to reassure her already. Not let her know her future, yet you told her that future already about how if she was Brandon Lanie would be her wife and mother to her child! And Kayda finally understands how dangerous spirits can be.
Laneth finally speaks and makes some sense out of this whole mess, saying she chose Debra and that is where her heart lies. Kayda thinking clearly now, giving it all up for a big what-if, Coyote tried to force her hand and I wonder if he failed or not. Not wishing to subject a daughter to what she has been through, selfless and brave at the same time to take it all on. The truth not caring about their feelings, Coyote shows just how alien spirits can be. Mrs. Carson going to tell the truth to Lanie about everything now, oh boy.
What the, wanting to skin Carson alive after all this but Tansy as well, what was revealed. Laneth angry and Lanie crying, this is bad. An awful betrayal involving Tansy, Mrs. Carson and Lifeline, don't tell me Carson know what Tansy did to Lifeline. And angry at Ms. Hartford, this goes deeper than I suspected. Never trust Carson again, used Lanie to settle an old score with Freya and that was a lie, plus Carson let Tansy do that to Lifeline and screw up any chance she had of reconciling with her.
Ah, figured out Hartford recruited Tansy and wanted to recruit her so had her ruin any chance of reconciling with Lifeline, she thinks Carson would have stopped it if she really cared about her, this is a complicated mess. Hating them all and wishing she hadn't come there, ouch, she is where Kayda was at before. Oh boy, Kayda thinking if she had been Brandon she would know how to make the hurt stop and thinking none of this would have happened. Oh boy, relationship ruined with Tansy now, hope Lanie gets better before this is all over.
Combination to Lanie's room for Kayda, never thought it would get this bad for her. And now Kayda has to talk to Tansy, this is going to be painful. Tansy upset by all this as well, while Kayda is upset at her. Tansy thinking she could never make up for what she did, never planned for anything that happened between her and Lanie. And confusing the Syndicate sponsors wanted Tansy to recruit Kayda too, oh boy. Ouch, Tansy is like how Kayda felt the other day, not good.
Hugging Tansy and she starts crying as she clings to Kayda, poor kid. Hopefully Kayda can get through to Lanie and help her realize she has changed since that happened. Thinking she is asleep, only for Lanie to wake and ask her to not go, ouch. At least she trust Kayda enough to comfort her and hopefully turn things around soon. Seeing Lanie in pain like this, worse when the strong ones break.
And Lanie in that much pain that she reaches out to her soul sister and kisses her like that, any more heat and I'm afraid the sheets will catch fire.
Emotionally numb except for gratitude towards Kayda for sticking by her on such a difficult night. And Lanie says she doesn't need to stay "Ah forgive you" to Mrs. Horton but will for Mrs. Horton's sake. Pretending not to see Kayda in Lanie's bed, this is why Mrs. Horton is one of my favorite characters and adults in the Whateley Academy universe. A trustee wishes to speak with Lanie and Kayda, wonder who is it.
Okay, the handsome, well-dressed man is one thing, but Ms. Hartford with a contrite expression, that is something I thought we would never see. Thanks for the continued surprises. And Tansy is there as well, eyes puffy from crying. Talking to a Prime Minister and has to go for this meeting, who is this man, Lord Paramount and using his powers to prevent them from recognizing him, whoa. All, interesting spell to keep most people from recognizing him since he is on campus grounds a lot. Always wondered about looking at the portrait, now we know why.
Revealing he and Hartford are both part of the same Committee, didn't expect him to come out and just say it. And revealing the big truth about Whateley, as long as it is equal opportunity for all sides, and student's choice, a lot of stuff coming out in this story. Revealing all these things, how Hartford didn't start recruiting Tansy until May 12th, to clean up this mess I guess nothing can be left secret.
Healing from Band-Aids and seeing into his mind changed her for the better. Aware of the Atlantean League's plans and fully approves, Hartford just changed the whole game by giving Lanie those things. The Committee united under one purpose even those not part of the Syndicate, which they are only using as a resource from the sound of it. Nice goals for SMI2LE [can't figure out how to do that 2]. And they want to recruit Lanie and Kayda to the Committee, not the Syndicate. Whoa.
And Hartford has a point, Margaret Finson was acting very unstable ever since Lanie got bound to Grizzly. Lifeline only getting the treatment she needs due to what happened at the combat finale, didn't expect that. Terrified of GSD sufferers due to a rager incident, if Dr. Bellows is encouraged then there is hope for Maggie to get better. Having Tansy act as the Hartford to Lanie's Mrs. Carson, not sure how to feel about that one. At least Lord Paramount actually wishes to restore the friendship between the three of them. And Hartford telling Lanie if she needs someone to hate, hate her. She really cares about Tansy to do that.
Kayda having to be peace-keeper between Lanie and Tansy as they try to work things out, this is going to be a long and hard job. Hawaiian style yes, mushrooms I will never understand how others can stand them, I can literally taste the dirt and rubbery texture in them. Tansy wishing Kayda to use some shaman magic to show Lanie she is telling the truth, ah, Kayda can't and won't do it because it is considered very, very evil.
Mustang knowing all of Tansy's secret, great idea Kayda! Tansy would give up Mustang if it would convince Lanie, her friendship means that much, Lanie is the first true friend she has ever had. Eh, I consider repairing their relationship a small price to pay for the cleaning staff being upset about some herbs in the carpet. Bwahaha, nice touch with the Lurch from Addams Family bit. Thankfully Lanie didn't summon and bind Mustang, so he doesn't get to tell us the fantasies Tansy has about other girls.
Whoa, those are some fantasies about Kayda and Lanie which Tansy has. A fantasy about Marla with jello and whipped cream, oh boy. Poor Tansy, they are her friends and will never let her hear the end of this. Loves Lanie like that, that is deep. Cried herself to sleep at night, fearing she is unworthy of Lanie's love. Living with those thoughts for months, yikes, surprised she isn't in worse shape. Brought tears to my eyes to see Lanie forgive Tansy, even kissing her so Tansy knows what she said is true.
Ooo, I would sign up for that if I could. Buying the company to suppress an advance in space transportation, not about hating mutants, about control, that is so many kinds of wrong. Yeah, several movies have show what happens when an elite few treat the rest of humanity poorly, doubt it would go any better in reality if a life extending treatment came out and they try to keep it to themselves."It's really very simple," she began to explain. "It's about some powerful people smacking down an elitist, globalist hegemony that wants to control the world's population while increasing their wealth and power."
And Lanie and Tansy have very good points, frightening what an elite few can do with their wealth and influence."So the Syndicate....?" "Are useful idiots, to borrow a phrase," Tansy chuckled
A sim scenario for The Nations, never trust anything that seems too easy when Gunny is involved. Stella in wolf form moving around, Kayda messing with the little band using Tatanka, nice misdirection and use of abilities. Attacking to cause confusion from an opponent they didn't see a moment before, Kayda has learned from her past lessons and mistakes. Counting coup instead of killing them, wonder how Gunny will try to grade that, when it is a legitimate tactic of The People.
Not fighting with honor, they are asking to be ended, though I suspect Gunny took control of the sim and is forcing them to fight based on his mindset and not the People's. Sleep spell to knock the warrior out, Kayda won't play Gunny's game. Slapshot ticked after Hardsell goes down, and things just hit the fan. Firing on a sacred white buffalo, attacking after coup has been counted, doesn't feel like fighting an enemy tribe at this point.
Sim staff didn't program them based on Native American traditions, just on how they thinks warriors should act, ugh. They and Gunn need to learn about Native American traditions before they programs any more sims for them. Still have a lot to learn but has improvement, Gunny is training them to survive but sometimes he is too harsh imo. Ouch, a team paper documenting Native American battle tactics and customs, so the simulator team can program the scenarios correctly.
'Pet' contractors and extremely drawn-out schedules, the BIA has no honor. Very nice lodge, glad to see it got built so fast thanks to Whateley's very rapid and efficient construction methods. Mr. Two-Knives co-advisor with Mr. Lodgeman, they are going to learn a lot from those two. Mrs. Donner too, glad to see her return. Oh boy, Slapshot doesn't know how annoyed Danny is right now. Lynn West, full-blooded Iroquois, nice to see new members joining them.
Christina Lewis aka Khrysalis, interesting power, plus family history. Wendigo, an Algonquin, learning to be a shaman, took the codename because someone called him it as an insult and made it his own. Evan, Cherokee, a mangler who has to stay with Ms. Grimes so he doesn't interact too much with other manglers, poor kid. Bill Henderson aka Thud, a bigoted idiot who hangs out with Dump Truck and won't join because Danny is there.
Kayda didn't know about Wihinape tearing up Dump Truck, oh boy. Lupine knows about Wihinape being a female spirit, Paige Donner seems interested in Danny now, and Kayda has to confirm Danny isn't a were, just a shifter with a cat spirit, which disappoints Paige. Vulpine is one quarter Chinook, a shifter and mage from a family of mostly mages.
Kayda trying to have elections and Wind Runner says their bylaws state spring elections. I thought she wanted to be chief, ah, saw how much work Kayda had to do to get the BIA grant and setting up class credits and doesn't want the job anymore. Mule doesn't want it either, darn, Kayda is being made to remain the current Chief until spring elections. Even Danny knows she wants the job, just doesn't want to admit it.
Keeping all the same officers, plus Hardsell has worked with the local tribe and agreed they can have a few hunts to practice their skills, nice surprise. Wind Runner and Jo Donner drifting towards Danny, poor kid can't catch a break. Adam talking about his other forms being female, oh boy, just what Danny doesn't need, a guy interested in his female self. Winder Runner, Doli, getting a drink for Danny and the other girls tease her about trying to rob the cradle. This is just the start of the school year, poor Danny is in for a lot over his first year at Whateley.
Oh boy, Lanie and Kayda together and some freshman idiots show up to make trouble. Threatening to beat them up if they are lesbians, these guys are in need a hard lesson. Dump Truck running his mouth off again, he never learns. Caitlin showing up and telling the idiots to apologize, along with Sandra showing up as well, these guys have dug themselves a very deep hole. Razorback as well and Jericho, doing the old 'blind' bit to stumble into them and knock a guy down with an invention in his cane.
Anomaly and Deimos show up as well, as Lanie explains what happened to Kayda. Love the security guards turning their backs on this and letting it happen, knowing these idiots earned what is coming to them. Nice to see those idiots getting the beat down they deserve and even Mule joining in to shield Lanie. And Wyatt shows up manifesting the Kodiak, these guys didn't step into an ants' nest, they woke a sleeping dragon and it is angry with them.
Ooo, Dump Truck and that other freshman are real idiots to not leave when given the option. Sandra tells about how Wyatt went 10 rounds with Champion as a freshman and neither were holding back, if that doesn't get them to back down they win the Darwin Awards hands down. Well, they don't win the Darwin Award this time. You don't mess with someone who has a lot of friends ready to defend her from bigoted idiots, they are lucky to not be paying an extended visit to Doyle after this. Security marching out the Outcasts, doubt the punishment will be much, not that they care. I could see them risking expulsion to defend a friend.
Kayda going to Beck Library [almost thought it was Lanie, forgot Kayda was a junior thanks to dealing with the system]. Helping out Billie with math for cookies, Billie skimming a few of the cookies which are payment for tutoring off the top, hehehe.
No matter how powerful you are, you still fear mom being angry or upset with you.The blue-haired girl slowly smiled. "Maybe," she said innocently. "If someone promises that they'd never, ever tell Mom!"
Kayda playing along with Billie, who is Hector Schmedley, is that a reference to something I doubt get. Oh boy, hope Kayda doesn't learn a spell that she doesn't know is considered evil. Apache Battlecraft and the Shaman, why do I have a very bad feeling about this. A restricted section only for advanced magic-track students, uh oh. Listening in on them like that, this is very bad. Hekate's Master! Planning to egg Kayda on to darker spells, including egging on some threats to Danny to motivate her. Things just got a lot worse if his plan works. Trying to corrupt her to have a new apprentice, right now it is a tie between him and the Bastard for who I hate the most right now.
Thank You for story comments appreciated and help me know me they are being read and liked.

- E. E. Nalley
-
Katssun wrote: Hardsell discussing the benefits of enrollment? Okay, I laughed, but then I definitely groaned. Worse, I don't know which author to blame!
I didn't do it. Nobody saw me do it. Nobody can prove a thing!
Katssun wrote: And Coyote still won. He got his leader of The People...
And there in lies Mrs. Carsons warnings about spirits, You can never know what they're REALLY after.
Katssun wrote: Paramount and Hartford laying it all out on the table felt a little heavy handed though. I suppose they had to, because they messed the three girls up pretty badly, and their meddling backfired what naturally was going to fall into place one way or another. In retrospect, it is a nice parallel to Mrs. Horton and Carson admitting to meddling with Lanie and Kayda, nearly undoing what Tansy had fixed on her own.
Indeed, and there is a time for the carrot, as well as the stick.
Katssun wrote: Wait a minute...
Has this arc been conveying that adults need to know when to back off and let teenage girls figure out their own problems, because interference is inevitable worse? Hmm?
Hhhhhmmmmmmmm, could be...!
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- elrodw
-

Hardsell - the Nations. Um, I MIGHT have written that. Perhaps. Maybe. Maybe not.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Valentine
-
Just so someone can go "Cats and dogs living together. Mass hysteria!"
Well Coyote thinks he's getting what he wants, but I am guessing that what he ends up with isn't quite what he expects.
I wonder if Danny hung around with Hank and Mule more, that would keep the girls away. How many times a day does Danny take BMA?
Lanie and Kayda "rescued" by the Outcasts, Mule, Saladin and Kodiak with nary a Posie in sight, OK Noms is a Posie. I put rescued in quotes, because Lanie/Laneth/Grizzly would probably eat them for lunch, and the first to touch Kayda would likely die gored by a Bison with a hatchet buried in his crotch.
Oddly enough others that might have jumped to their defense might not have been so restrained. Megs and Stronghold, or TNT and the Furies, or Wondercute, or Jobe and the Drow, or Paul.
Don't Drick and Drive.
- mhalpern
-
I mean I noticed this before but it wasn't so definitive.
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- Malady
-
"If you find yourself caught between two unpleasant choices," the princess had said, "then there's probably a third, better one the other party doesn't want you to pick."
I was thinking that Soul Split, like how Circuit Breaker had it... But no. *sigh*
...
Evan's keeping Clover out of Grimes's office 'cause they can't be together... Evan + Clover Ship...
Christina Lewis... Khrysalis... RealNameAsAnAlias?? *shrugs*
Hegemon-stuff... It's soo black-and-white, I'm wondering where the lies are... Why does the Hegemon want control? Unless they're all sociopaths or something... Megalomanics? *shrugs*
Lord Paramount! The picture! ... So, everyone has to see the picture every year? I thought it was only the froshes...
[...]
Lanie raised her chin defiantly. "''We'' didn't break off a piece of mah soul!"
"That may be, but it's generally considered ill-advised for children to conduct surgeries just because they saw a doctor on TV!" Mrs. Carson countered hotly.
[...]
The tone of Coyote(')s voice became smug. "Husband! Meet your wife!"
[...]
Kayda
If we were going to be in this conference room until we got things resolved, then I was resigned to going to bed quite hungry - in two days' time.
- Hardric
-
Katssun wrote: Coyote sure is a jerk though. Kayda gets softly betrayed again, finds out the whole truth. He tricked her into getting exactly what he wanted, while shaming everyone else, including Wakan Tanka. I know that's his way, but he showed Kayda an alternative, and used her own good nature against her to confirm that she liked being a mediator and a healer so far, hardships aside. Kayda knows Lanie is happy with Wyatt, she knows she hate to see Debra hurt in any permanent way, that what she has with Lanie as a girl is what she always wanted, etc.
And Coyote still won. He got his leader of The People...
Eye twitching. This ugly little ducking dirty bag of fleas just spat some 'Sure, have a perfect life, you just have to throw all the pain down on your child to do so.' deal, and it has the nerve of playing paragon of truth and virtue? Suuuuuper. Dead.
Hardsell discussing the benefits of enrollment? Okay, I laughed, but then I definitely groaned. Worse, I don't know which author to blame!
Paramount and Hartford laying it all out on the table felt a little heavy handed though. I suppose they had to, because they messed the three girls up pretty badly, and their meddling backfired what naturally was going to fall into place one way or another. In retrospect, it is a nice parallel to Mrs. Horton and Carson admitting to meddling with Lanie and Kayda, nearly undoing what Tansy had fixed on her own.
Wait a minute...
Has this arc been conveying that adults need to know when to back off and let teenage girls figure out their own problems, because interference is inevitable worse? Hmm?
Wow, I'm watching Hartford in action, and for once, I'm not feeling hatred for her. Heck I could actually respect here there, especially after clearly accepting the heat like this for the fallout with Tansy (and I find mhalpern's theory about her opposing Ayla to change her view on authority and the world seductive and credible). And I second that hard the 'just ducking comes clean' and 'ducking communicate' moral you sighted there. Lanie would have joined something like this willingly after all, and there is a point about the People having no future if changes aren't made (and of course, kicks in the Goodkind anthill are never a waste). Why manipulate your way in when you know the 'cards on the table' approach can win? The painting ruse is also a neat trick.
Big smiles all around reading this chapter. See, Kayda? You do have friends. Lots!
Tansy's embarrassing fantasies...
Both fun and entertaining moments, nothing more to say here. Heck, Ironknife even looks frequentable now.
But speaking of the sims and magic... How good of an idea would it be to say to Gunny: "Sorry, I'm working on my magic as much as I can, but I just can't try for direct offensive with the powers I specialize in. Given the way M. Lodgeman describes it, suicide would be a better option."?
Aaand... There is him.Or rather it. And now I'm even more afraid for Kayda. Although I guess last part of this story will let us know how bad things could go on this front.
Oh, is Wily E. free now? *gets a COMP out* I've got a team of demons to train for some godslaying in endgame SMT, and he juuust looks like a perfect target.
- elrodw
-
1) Khrysallis is a bit/background character defined and placed as repayment for someone who did a huge favor for us writers. I thought it would be nice recognition of how much we appreciate all the volunteers who help with stuff that lets us write instead of doing character research. So, if you think Khrysallis is interesting, you can thank Malady for the inspiration. And no, I am NOT going to reveal the favor, lest you all line up doing favors and begging with big sad puppy-dog eyes for placing one of your characters as a background character.
2) Haven't heard from Jarjaross or the others who think I've been so mean to Kayda. I promised that the self-doubting angsty-stuff would end in part 4, and I think I met that. I mean, the whole Coyote thing was pretty extreme, and I think ANY character would have been freaked out by that situation, but it wasn't the "sorry this" and "forgive me that" and "I'm not worthy!" that I had to agree was running on a bit. So - I wanted to know if those types of readers think it's better, because that's my intention. (I can pick on someone else, like perhaps Danny!)

Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- null0trooper
-
elrodw wrote: 2) Haven't heard from Jarjaross or the others who think I've been so mean to Kayda. I promised that the self-doubting angsty-stuff would end in part 4, and I think I met that. I mean, the whole Coyote thing was pretty extreme, and I think ANY character would have been freaked out by that situation, but it wasn't the "sorry this" and "forgive me that" and "I'm not worthy!" that I had to agree was running on a bit.
I think Coyote was piling it on a bit high for Wakan Tanka's "Put me in, Coach!" play. The Bastard already had begun moving against The People well before the events of "Ill Winds" and "Buffalo Gal Won't You Come Out Tonight". Unhce and the rest could have slept a few years more.
elrodw wrote: So - I wanted to know if those types of readers think it's better, because that's my intention. (I can pick on someone else, like perhaps Danny!)
Speaking of cougars, it was nice to see cameos appearances from the Donners

The thing about spirits being far more alien than they appear, or vice versa, is something that I'd hope the regular mystic arts program covers in some detail. Kayda and Mrs. Carson may know some of Coyote's stories but they don't know all of them! Even "smaller" spirits like Igniarli have their own points of view and can be very dangerous if either party makes too many bad assumptions.
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- Arcanist Lupus
-
yes, this is a definite improvement. Hard choices are much preferred as causes of drama.elrodw wrote:
2) Haven't heard from Jarjaross or the others who think I've been so mean to Kayda. I promised that the self-doubting angsty-stuff would end in part 4, and I think I met that. I mean, the whole Coyote thing was pretty extreme, and I think ANY character would have been freaked out by that situation, but it wasn't the "sorry this" and "forgive me that" and "I'm not worthy!" that I had to agree was running on a bit. So - I wanted to know if those types of readers think it's better, because that's my intention. (I can pick on someone else, like perhaps Danny!)
"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- E. E. Nalley
-
null0trooper wrote: I think Coyote was piling it on a bit high for Wakan Tanka's "Put me in, Coach!" play.
Well, sometimes it's easy to over sell things when you're preforming for an audience. Just ask Kirstin about opening night jitters...

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- Yolandria
-
Thank goodness...Knowing he was giving handies in the back room for screen time would have broke my little heart.And no, I am NOT going to reveal the favor





Mistress of the shelter for lost and redeemable Woobies!
- Katssun
-
Wind Runner finally got her revenge on Kayda...primary liaison with the BIA at home and at school!
- lighttech
-
I am catching up on WA year 2/2007 and this sideline bully that pops up "Dump Truck" that attacks Danny?
is that the same old 'Truck' we are used too from 'TNT' fame? or a new '"Truck" by another name is still a bully?
Part of the WA Drow clan/ collective
Author of Vantier and Shadowsblade on Bigcloset
- E. E. Nalley
-
lighttech wrote: is that the same old 'Truck' we are used too from 'TNT' fame? or a new '"Truck" by another name is still a bully?
Dump Truck is a Freshman, who hangs with two other Freshmen who call themselves the Bad Boyz.
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- lighttech
-
but with my fan fic and other authors I write with and you guys now adding stuff like mad---I got lost---and no bread crumbs to follow, as I ate the cake!
Part of the WA Drow clan/ collective
Author of Vantier and Shadowsblade on Bigcloset
- elrodw
-
Well, we'll see if we do better on part 6 when it gets released.
And I had huge fun with Tansy's fantasies

Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- null0trooper
-
elrodw wrote: EE and I always try to put in little cultural gems - and nobody noticed, or has called attention to, the one that I thought EVERYONE would get.
Counting coup in the sim? I think everyone focused on Gunny not knowing about that.
Or the longhouse covered in birchbark (suited to the NH location, not strictly Iroquois)?
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- annachie
-
Yolandria wrote:
Thank goodness...Knowing he was giving handies in the back room for screen time would have broke my little heart.And no, I am NOT going to reveal the favor
But Mal deserves it. He's always busy doing something to make every one's lives better.
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Pretty sure I know what it was, and how much work it actually entailed.
A lot.
- Yolandria
-

Mistress of the shelter for lost and redeemable Woobies!
- elrodw
-
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- mhalpern
-
What this? "Ah don't know if that was incest or masturbation, but she's one hell of a kisser!"elrodw wrote: Nobody noticed the little exchange between Kayda and Laneth/Lanie?
Isn't that a reference to an old time travel scifi piece I forget the title, but the time traveler becomes their own parents
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- elrodw
-
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- null0trooper
-
elrodw wrote: Nope, not the one.
"She is lucky to have a friend like you."
I chuckled. "No, I'm the lucky one."
She's lucky
I'm lucky
The
Probably not what you had in mind.
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- Phoenix Spiritus
-
mhalpern wrote:
What this? "Ah don't know if that was incest or masturbation, but she's one hell of a kisser!"elrodw wrote: Nobody noticed the little exchange between Kayda and Laneth/Lanie?
Isn't that a reference to an old time travel scifi piece I forget the title, but the time traveler becomes their own parents
I know at least two of them, but I think the one you mean is the one they made into a movie, Predestination.
- Arcanist Lupus
-
"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- elrodw
-
Two paragraphs. 5 words of dialog.
Eventually, someone will figure it out.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Arcanist Lupus
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Laneth looked up at me, her eyes misting as well. For some reason that I'd never understand, I tilted forward, to where her lips were lifting toward mine, and we met in a kiss, the likes of which I'd never experienced as a boy before. My decision wavered back and forth as I melted in her arms, savoring the feel of her lips against mine, her body pressed against me. Breaking the kiss I looked into her green eyes and whispered, "I love you."
She grinned and winked at me, and in the thick accent whispered back, "I know."
You also have a Princess Bride quote thrown in a little earlier, but that one is acknowledged as a quote in story.
"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- Katssun
-
Honestly, I feel like the more obvious the pop culture reference is, the less likely we are to actually comment about it.
It's like we're commenting for each others' benefit on the less overt ones, in case one would normally miss the reference.
- E. E. Nalley
-
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- Astrodragon
-
I love watching their innocent little faces smiling happily as they trip gaily down the garden path, before finding the pit with the rusty spikes.
- Dreamer
-
Below is a stream of conscious commentary I type up as I read the story. There will details from the story included in it. If you have not read the story yet and don't wish to have details of it spoiled, read no further.
Kayda 10: There's No Place Like Poe part 6 comments
Oh boy, Lanie that upset with Carson over the betrayal. Too strong-willed women facing off like this, if emotions could be given form, there would an inferno at that moment. Died at 27, ouch, even defending those you love that is too young. And Lanie is out and this isn't going to be an easy conversation by far. Good reason to let Hartford recruit the idiots into the Syndicate, can't imagine the damage they would do left to their own devices. And wanting Lanie on the Committee as a moderating influence.
Lanie wants to trust Carson again, Laneth in a threating tone that if Carson betrays them again though. Even without Carson, Laneth would have awoken in Lanie in time, yikes. Lanie reminding her of herself, dang. Got too close to Lanie and Kayda, caused trouble because of it, yet she had the best of intentions. History about the Picts from a Pict banshee, if only we could have such a thing in our world.
A double layer of what she used in her armor for the passenger compartment of Baby Girl, Lanie is making Baby Girl even more of a tank. Nice to see Lanie and Kayda working together. Secret holdout compartments in her car, I would do it, always good to have hidden holdouts. Elaine Bond, nice James Bond reference and cute nickname too. Whoa, those tires, already marketed to law enforcement and security, awesome.
Nice reference to Six Million Dollar Man."We can make it better than it was before, we have the technology. Better, faster, stronger?" I laughed.
Transparent aluminum, reference to Star Trek, these two together is fun to read. Patent everything they make, Ayla is right, squeeze every ounce of profit out of your creations as possible. And Tansy teasing them about finding engine machining exciting, lol.
Bwahahahahaha."Back, you flaxen-haired temptress!" I held up my fingers in the shape of a cross. "Back! Schoolwork must be done!"
Another Native American trying to badger Carson into something involving Kayda, ugh. Mr. Nesbitt and he was the 5th request that week involving Kayda, no wonder she is frustrated. All school assembly to make an announcement, hopefully this gets through to everyone and lets Carson focus on more important matters.
Team Kimba there and Kayda saying she didn't do anything, oh brother. 15 students not present and double-detention for it, next time they will listen. Request to build a shrine, temple, alter, or other worship or adoration space for Kayda or Wakan Tanka, no wonder she is upset. Oooo, New Olympians, Fey, and Chou as well, not good. And the hammer went down, whoa unto anyone who dares to defy her. All those people wanting shrines, good grief.
Kayda and her team facing that kind of scenario, realistic but brutal to deal with. Unknown threat [threats] to the students, never good when the threat is unknown. Targeting a school to get at the kids of a senator opposed to groups like them, sounds real to me. At least they have floor plans and details on the staff of the school, something to go on instead of going in completely blind. Never discount something as a threat, a major gas pipeline even if not a threat to the school could be set off as a distraction. Yikes, that many variables, headache inducing.
Cloud deck that high, woods too thick, so many directions the attack could come from, including sources inside the school. Planning and tactics, all this they are doing and still Everhart is probably going to chew them out on what they do wrong. Flier coming in low through the woods, dang. Plus a police-breaching vehicle coming in fast, things just hit the fan.
Heavy weapons on the ones in the van, plus a speedster in their ranks. Smoke bombs to force them outside, this leveling of planning is dangerous. Everything that could have happened, did, including 'delivery cooks' being part of the part. Ouch, Kayda down thanks to a rocket launcher, at least the kids are unharmed. And the gym was hit, it is like the only way to save anyone is to evacuate them immediately before the attack could start. Taken out by another rocket launcher shot, ouch.
Against the Grunts including a new guy and Whisper, ouch. Every team gets this sim or something like it, yikes. Only Team Phoenix and the Outcasts have marginally won this scenario, each badly torn up though, dang. Evacuate the kids through the drainage tunnels, clever. So the only way to win this is to do the above to get the kids out, brutal. That is some advanced planning and tactics, why the Grunts are one of the toughest teams at Whateley.
Speedster who was showboating and Addy learned how to use her speedster power, no wonder the other Grunts are upset at him. Lessons from Mule, with those they will improve a lot. Accounted for a lot more than most teams the Grunts face, good to hear. And nice to see an older, more experienced student like Mule taking an interest in helping younger students out.
Danny upset about something, Coyote told him about Kayda's decision and he is upset, oh brother. Thinking Kayda is selfish to stay this way instead of going back to being Brandon, so upset he is going to blab everything out in the open, that is selfish. Ugh, thinks that is the reason, doesn't think of anyone but himself. And he is calling Kayda selfish and only thinking of herself. Can't believe he called Kayda that and said she isn't his sister. Nikki and Ayla overheard everything, just great. This is very bad, Coyote stirred up more trouble once again.
Ah, the dangerous, near deadly, trip from Kayda's perspective. And how Carson got them to agree to a sorcerer's contract to return if something happens to Carson. How scary all the prep for the trip was, almost as scary as what happens in the other dimension itself.
Ooo, reminds Kayda of the bad spirit plane where she fought Unhcegila's first son. Seeing that monstrosity for the first time, going to need therapy after this trip. 15 feet tall and all those details, imagine a GM in an RPG sending this thing after your party. Seeing how Kayda was paralyzed from her perspective is interesting. Nauseating scream, plus finding out it can launch those claws as missiles, yup, still say I would rather face a dragon than this thing.
Seeing Carson that badly hurt and thinking you are in way over your heads, this trip definitely showed them the dangers of messing with extra-dimensional spaces and spirits. Figuring out how to hurt something is one thing, how to put it down for good when it regenerates that quickly is another. What caused her to step between the creature and Lanie, that is unusual.
"Ah'm runnin' out of arrows that go boom!"
Variable vanes and heat-seeking detectors on her arrows, good idea. Bug-monkeys, if it weren't for these things the fight might have been a little easier. Nice attack by Kayda and exploding shells from a .45 by Lanie, wonder what kind of power those have. Explosive rounds as effective as Ping-Pong balls against an elephant, said it before, say it again, that demon is a nightmare.
The main demon is spawning the bug-monkeys! Things so bad that Carson aborts the trip and tells them to get back to Whateley, only to be disobeyed. Hearing Donna's voice, Carson heading in to rescue her while the others continue the desperate battle. Not giving a damn about the wizard's pact, only about helping Carson out, these two can be too stubborn for their own good sometimes.
And the singularity grenade has a 20 yard radius, brutal, wish it could have taken the demon out. Donna chained to that table, still painful to read. The reunion of Donna and Liz, tear inducing. Learned a few tricks from watching Molly and Jadis use spell slips and cards, good thing to learn. A spell to move as fast as Addy, very handy. Rescuing Donna and getting out there, the fight seemed shorter than it actually was, yet longer in some ways because of how brutal it was.
Back and not finding Caitlin waiting for them, no one around, confused why there are no students around, going to be a shock to find out how long they were gone. A shot to counteract the poison, good thing that is all it took for them. And I didn't note this last time, left behind the pocket A-bomb for the demon as a 'gift', hopefully it is gone now. Finding out about the time dilation, guess having experienced it in the other direction they understand it easily. And pinky swear not to tell anyone about what they learned about Donna.
Going to Mrs. Horton's office to discuss something, teasing about Kayda being the troublesome little sister. There to talk with Danny and he has been drinking bourbon, oh boy. 'Shine, got something from 'Shine, he is lucky he isn't in Doyle for alcohol poisoning. Danny still ragging on Kayda about preferring to be a lesbian over a guy, ugh. And Lanie puts it into perspective, just hope Danny's head is clear enough to accept it.
Mrs. Horton and Lanie trying to point out all the good things in Danny's life because of him having Wihinape. Dang, Lanie is blunt and from how Danny reacts, he has gotten laid since he changed. And having to show that Kayda did think of Danny when she made her decision. And they get through to Danny, even understands why he is getting detention. Not ratting out 'Shine and Danny thinking about the girls who make-out with him and more, kid has got it good despite the taunting. Sounds like 'Shine is fun to hang out with at least. And worse headaches than the ones he had adjusting to Wihinape, yikes!
Picnic lunch overlooking a lake, nice. Laurie actually brought up the question of what is going on between Kayda, Lanie, and Tansy, wondering who would breach that subject. Had to bring up car talk with Kayda, never do that with a gearhead, they can ramble on about it for a while. 3 patents filed with Ayla's help, very nice. And Addy thinking her little sister is too young to have a boyfriend, how naïve.
All those desired shapes for magic charms, yet best if in the form of their spirit guides, interesting. Short dream walk to find out what their spirit guide and explain what it means, wonder who has which spirit animal guide. Evvie has a cougar spirit guide, characteristics of the cougar-loyalty, leadership, courage, sense of responsibility, awareness and foresight, very interesting.
Laurie has a hummingbird spirit guide, sense of energy and vitality that many of the animal spirits lack, affectionate, and can be very playful, plus a healer. Alicia's a dragonfly, being flighty and carefree joyous and light-hearted; strong imaginations and high aspirations. Adalie's a gazelle, quick, graceful, and aware of her surroundings, the last something Addy needs to learn to do better.
Vasiliy's a badger, courage, tenacity, confidence in his fighting, and aggressiveness, but lack focus. Naomi's an otter, and she got Ptan no less, playful and friendly, helpful, and try to live with joy, sharing, and loves the young like her. Yeah, I can see Naomi being good with kids. Adrian's a goose, very reliable, prudent, and vigilant, steadfast and loyal. Make an excellent parent someday, that is a shock.
Darn, couldn't get Ayla to join in on meeting his animal spirit guide. That is a lot of charms to make, good thing she got so many of those copper spikes off the Mishibijiw. Interesting on what each person's charms will have. 5 minutes from a charm and recharged each day, still a great holdout. And have the charms attract essence, extremely good idea.
Oh crud, Kigatilik that close to Whateley, practically on their doorstep, plus senses Kayda and Mr. Lodgeman. And he senses a familiar evil, from the sounds of it the Bastard, as it is from before the Sundering. Even sensing a 3rd shaman, a barrier made by shaman magic halts him. But only for a moment, tearing a hole through it and making his way towards the shamans, things just got extremely bad.
Having Ratatoskr show up instead of Zica, wonder what is up. Awww, doesn't trust her because she resembles Jormungandr based on which version of the legend you listen to. Spirits that nervous due to snake nature and human nature around Diamondback. She is there to learn and they listen when she says so. Zica reminds her of Aquerna, which he takes as a compliment. Ah, greater lessons in store for Aquerna but when she is grown up, for now let her be a child and have fun.
Razorback joining in and yikes, self-loathing can become Calibans, that is scary. And Sandra can see greyspace bubbles around Kayda. A lot of interesting details about the different levels of the Astral and more on spirits. Awww, Diamondback not wanting to drop more shit into Kayda's lap, girl has a heart bigger than her whole body. Razorback is a goofy boy, that is an understatement.
An Alpha-Stalker, Razor's spirit is much more major than previously suspected. Of the Center Court, Pack-Stalkers created to hunt things that do not belong in this world, Alpha-Stalker created to strike down things lesser creatures couldn't handle, dang. And interrupted by the roar of Kigatilik, brutal fight incoming.
Lodgeman trying to hold this monster off on his own, he is nuts! And they won't leave, Kigatilik is a monster snowman. Razorback and Diamondback fighting Kigatilik, knocking him off balance already. Whoa, did Sandra just summon Fury to come help them? Getting beat up and still having the Shaman-Killer on the ropes, Outcasts are some of the most effective fighters in a real fight on campus from what we've seen.
Whoa, that much magic flowing into Diamondback. Tearing apart Kigatilik like that, scary to see when they cut loose. He is still moving and slams Razorback! What just blasted Kigatilik, Jericho shows up in his armor saving Lodgeman at the last moment. And Caitlin as well, this monster is facing his worst nightmare. Lodgeman helping out Razorback while giving Sandra essence to use fire magic on the monster snowman. And a massive fireball from Sandra takes the monster out, Caitlin and Jericho unharmed as they are fireproof in their own way. Brutal but fast fight, glad to see that monster down.
HM watching Kayda at Beck Library, working to slowly corrupt her with dark magic, ugh. Pushing others to bully Danny just to get Kayda to give into temptation. Hope someone notices before she gets too far.
Darn, Kigatilik not gone for good, in a dark corner of the spirit plane recovering. Plotting on how to defeat the others if Sandra isn't with them, great, a clever plotter and planner who learns from his mistakes. And he has such a weapon he didn't use, very bad. Has to subsume a shaman to have a channel back into the corporeal world, very not good. What if he uses the 3rd shaman on campus, how would they stop him without harming the other shaman?
A rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish, a lot of secrets revealed including the connection between Kayda and Lanie, tough choices made, and past pains healed. Could hardly imagine some of the secrets which would be revealed or even more questions to ask. Can't wait to read more tales of Kayda, Lanie, and the rest, hope when Kigatilik shows up again no one dies, especially that 3rd shaman he sensed.
Thank You for story comments appreciated and help me know me they are being read and liked.

- Iwasforger03
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I am a Sexy Shoeless God of War - So suck it CP!
Dice/Hollow#1
Dice/HollowDiscuss
- Malady
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Danny's been getting laid, with who? Amaile's my guess??
Aquerna's got a powerful spirit! That travelled real far? Or she's got a shard of that spirit? What's her Av rating? ... Could it be measured wrong, with her spirit making their test inaccurate?
Kglitik, however that's spelt, how long's recouperation gonna take?? If he kills too many shamans, he's gonna have a problem recovering.
- Arcanist Lupus
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"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- DanZilla
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Iwasforger03 wrote: I think somebody forgot to include a "read more" tag because it's taking up the entire page.
I checked it a while back and it was in place and it still is... and I loaded the page a few different ways and don't have an issue... is it still happening that way for you?
- Phoenix Spiritus
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DanZilla wrote:
Iwasforger03 wrote: I think somebody forgot to include a "read more" tag because it's taking up the entire page.
I checked it a while back and it was in place and it still is... and I loaded the page a few different ways and don't have an issue... is it still happening that way for you?
Sorry, fixed it and forgot to note I did.
- Katssun
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Can't wait to see Danny's meltdown from his perspective.
- null0trooper
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"I've had a few ... unusual requests, five this week alone," Mrs. Carson began bluntly. "Now while Whateley respects your freedom of religion, no-one, and I repeat, NO-ONE, is going to build any form of shrine, temple, altar, or any other worship or adoration space devoted to any other student or student's spirit, NO MATTER WHOSE SPIRIT THAT STUDENT MIGHT CARRY!"
Picking and choosing which deities, or others, that students are allowed to openly worship on the basis of some student claiming to be an avatar of one of the now-forbidden deities is NOT respect for religious freedom.
Mifruzli smiled benignly, folding his hands underneath the sleeves of his volumous robe, “As I said before, this excellent school’s charter does not permit the expulsion of a student on the basis of religious or political views.
Has the Charter been changed recently?
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- Dreamer
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There is a big difference between religious freedom and all the students who worship another student or student's spirit asking to be allowed to build a shrine, etc. to them. Those request are taking up a lot of Mrs. Carson's time which she needs to actually do her job. Plus if everyone who made such a request got a shrine, etc., they would clutter the campus and be no room for anything else.null0trooper wrote:
"I've had a few ... unusual requests, five this week alone," Mrs. Carson began bluntly. "Now while Whateley respects your freedom of religion, no-one, and I repeat, NO-ONE, is going to build any form of shrine, temple, altar, or any other worship or adoration space devoted to any other student or student's spirit, NO MATTER WHOSE SPIRIT THAT STUDENT MIGHT CARRY!"
Picking and choosing which deities, or others, that students are allowed to openly worship on the basis of some student claiming to be an avatar of one of the now-forbidden deities is NOT respect for religious freedom.
Mifruzli smiled benignly, folding his hands underneath the sleeves of his volumous robe, “As I said before, this excellent school’s charter does not permit the expulsion of a student on the basis of religious or political views.
Has the Charter been changed recently?
They can worship how they please, but asking to be able to build a shrine on school property is another thing. They can't expel you for religious or political views, but repeatedly badgering the Headmistress of the school for permission to build a shrine, etc. to someone or their spirit is interfering with the operations of the school.
Thank You for story comments appreciated and help me know me they are being read and liked.

- Katssun
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- null0trooper
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Katssun wrote: They are still able to build private shrines to other students in secret spaces in the tunnels, in their wardrobes, or other hidey holes, it just can't be a public one.
The ban announced was on all such shrines, regardless of location or size, public or private.
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- elrodw
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Katssun wrote: I was surprised to see so much of the detail in the battle from Blast from the Past repeated. It didn't seem like there was much difference in the perspective. I was expecting something from a more emotional perspective from Kayda considering the horror she and Lanie stepped into, similar to the way Kayda sorta runs on autopilot from her perspective of Galatea Debutante.
Can't wait to see Danny's meltdown from his perspective.
This was written before I realized I should write Blast as a standalone story. Then THAT got highly modified in writing, so I had to come back here and rewrite this section, so yes, there is considerable overlap. The way it looks to the author, Blast has more Carson / Langley Paulson POV and observations which Kayda doesn't have, and this one has quite a bit more detail from the girls' POV. Identical? no. Overlap? yes.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Arcanist Lupus
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"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- Valentine
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Kayda is two Shaman.
Bluejay is three Shaman?
I wonder when Kigatilik will realize that he has bitten off a bit more than he can chew if he is just going to try to brute force his Shaman killing.
I'm guessing Danny has slept with one of the older bi Poe girls or Superchick, or other older girl that follows him around.
'Shine's been mentioned a few times, but we have to yet to actually see him around. I hope someone is making sure he is getting to his classes. (I wonder if Imp has spread it around that his hootch will get Regens drunk)
I liked the spirit animal scene, two bad Ayla didn't accept. There should be no doubt his Spirit Animal would be a beaver.
Don't Drick and Drive.
- Hardric
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An Kayda could be getting out of the funk zone, but well, the fun is just escalating up for her. Escalation never stops. How much popcorn will we need for the fireworks?
- Katssun
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He never lies, but he intentionally causes confusion and anguish for The People so that they make the right choices and understand.
He revealed how Kayda was betrayed by her own spirits because of impatience, showing her what could have been. But Kayda makes the correct decision, knowing she's still very close to Lanie, though a different type of love, Lanie is no less happy with Wyatt and Kayda with Debra, and In becoming Kayda and not staying Brandon who fathers the Ptesanwi, saved Debra more completely, prevented her would-have-been daughter from going through all the same suffering, and has already saved so many lives by what she went through. As a healer, as a counselor. Did things turn out perfect? No. Would Brandon have had as much sway in his hometown as The Warrior, and not as The Healer? Maybe not. Mutant hatred still would have happened, he still would have gotten nearly beaten to death when he manifested, the tribes still probably would have retaliated, and so on.
So now...Coyote tells Danny. What does this accomplish? Danny gets super angry at his sister. He blames her. He already has been. Danny already had issues accepting what he's become. We're not sure what happens outside of Kayda's perspective yet, but we do see how it is resolved. Lanie gets him to understand that he's really more popular than ever. He has girlfriends. Plural. He gets harassed, sure. But he's got Rosalyn and Angel as friends, and who knows who has approached him for more intimate connections, in both forms.
...Probably Rosalyn.
Coyote drives Danny to the brink so that he can grow to accept who he is, what he is, what his spirit brings him and the potential he might reach. Coyote's intentions are ultimately for the good of his people. He's just a dick about how he does it, because those he torments find the answer themselves through that angry dialogue. But they're the one's answering, he's not telling them what to believe.
- mhalpern
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Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- Astrodragon
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mhalpern wrote: I would have liked to see what animal guide Ayla would have gotten...
Given Alya's connection with money, it would obviously have been a gold-fish...
I love watching their innocent little faces smiling happily as they trip gaily down the garden path, before finding the pit with the rusty spikes.
- E. E. Nalley
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Astrodragon wrote:
mhalpern wrote: I would have liked to see what animal guide Ayla would have gotten...
Given Alya's connection with money, it would obviously have been a gold-fish...
Ba-dum Tish! Thank you! We'll be here all week! Try the veal!
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- elrodw
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Katssun wrote: Coyote is exactly the type of person to tell Danny the exact truth of what he offered Kayda, because that's the way he operates.
He never lies, but he intentionally causes confusion and anguish for The People so that they make the right choices and understand.
He revealed how Kayda was betrayed by her own spirits because of impatience, showing her what could have been. But Kayda makes the correct decision, knowing she's still very close to Lanie, though a different type of love, Lanie is no less happy with Wyatt and Kayda with Debra, and In becoming Kayda and not staying Brandon who fathers the Ptesanwi, saved Debra more completely, prevented her would-have-been daughter from going through all the same suffering, and has already saved so many lives by what she went through. As a healer, as a counselor. Did things turn out perfect? No. Would Brandon have had as much sway in his hometown as The Warrior, and not as The Healer? Maybe not. Mutant hatred still would have happened, he still would have gotten nearly beaten to death when he manifested, the tribes still probably would have retaliated, and so on.
So now...Coyote tells Danny. What does this accomplish? Danny gets super angry at his sister. He blames her. He already has been. Danny already had issues accepting what he's become. We're not sure what happens outside of Kayda's perspective yet, but we do see how it is resolved. Lanie gets him to understand that he's really more popular than ever. He has girlfriends. Plural. He gets harassed, sure. But he's got Rosalyn and Angel as friends, and who knows who has approached him for more intimate connections, in both forms.
...Probably Rosalyn.
Coyote drives Danny to the brink so that he can grow to accept who he is, what he is, what his spirit brings him and the potential he might reach. Coyote's intentions are ultimately for the good of his people. He's just a dick about how he does it, because those he torments find the answer themselves through that angry dialogue. But they're the one's answering, he's not telling them what to believe.
That's ONE possible interpretation of why Coyote did what he did. And it's a very good extrapolation of data into a cogent, thoughtful theory.
It's possible that another one has Kayda as the target, not Danny, and the lesson is also quite important for her to digest in her role as Ptesanwi.
I will leave it as an exercise for the students to guess which and what the ultimate lesson might be.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- mhalpern
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I don't know, with all the money he spends on gadgets and how well equipped his utility belt is, are you sure it isn't a Bat?Astrodragon wrote:
mhalpern wrote: I would have liked to see what animal guide Ayla would have gotten...
Given Alya's connection with money, it would obviously have been a gold-fish...
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- JG
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more seriously Raven, specifically the sun-stealer aspect of Raven
- mhalpern
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The tropical fruit transporting aspect of them.
Someone has to ask the question....
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- NeoMagus
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mhalpern wrote: Swallow
The tropical fruit transporting aspect of them.
Someone has to ask the question....
But that particular swallow is unladen. If it's not carrying anything, how can it be Ayla's spirit guide?
... . . -.- / .--- ..- ... - .. -.-. . .-.-.- / .-.. --- ...- . / -- . .-. -.-. -.-- .-.-.- / .-- .- .-.. -.- / .... ..- -- -... .-.. -.-- / .-- .. - .... / -.-- --- ..- .-. / --. --- -.. .-.-.-
- mittfh
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Meanwhile, courtesy of the Outcasts, Kigatelik's out of the picture for the time being - we know Kayda's still around by 2011 (and likely 2016), so either it hasn't resurfaced by then or it's been sent packing again (presumably with less disastrous results than Uncheglia's spawn); while TWFKAH's Master has decided to play a long game with Kayda and dark magic - so it's likely we'll have further teaser scenes in the next few tales, with Danny being placed in mortal peril far later in the academic year or even later. On the other hand, with Danny repairing his relationship with his sister, affection towards Tansy and having a signficiant proportion of the female population of Whateley looking out for him (not least of which is WonderCute [1]), it's going to take some planning to separate him from the rest of the student body and prevent them trying to rescue him. Aside: we've seen interactions between Danny and Tansy plus Danny and Kayda - so far, he hasn't had much interaction with the other member of the trio - Lainie. (Stupid idea: imagine if it turns out Lainie's resistant to his charms, but Laneth isn't).
Of course, now that Kigaletik's out of the picture, it's going to be several years before Uncheglia's spawn come onto the picture, and TWFKAH's Master is playing the long game, there's the question of the next threat. There are two mentioned in previous Kayda tales that could potentially pose a threat to campus in the not-too-distant future - namely TWFKAH and Freya, who, separately, are each planning a return to campus to exact revenge. Heh, maybe TWFKAH will catch up with her former Master and "show" him what she's been learning since leaving campus...
(Hopefully, at some point she'll choose a new name for herself, so we can avoid having to do a Voldemort-style indirect reference to her!)
[1] Who, of course, have already had the hostage rescue sim from hell vesus the Grunts (albeit a slightly different scenario)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
- Kristin Darken
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How do I know? I've a non-standard guide myself. Spend any time with new age shamans and you'd wonder how Wolf, Bear, and Raven ever have time to eat they're guiding and teaching so many young seekers of wisdom. Mostly, I can tell how much ego is at the table when I share that I'm guided by Opossum. Not that I haven't studied with others... Horse, Wolf, and I'm .... negotiating with Raven... but Opossum and I work together really well.
Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
- Ametros
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I feel that this coming winter for Whateley is going to be preternaturally cold in general, with a severe blizzard heralding Kigatilik's strike.
I might just throw a fit if events unfold without Lodgeman informing Kayda that an infamous shaman-hunting spirit was breaking into Whateley grounds.

On a final note, given a certain reference in this part, I have no doubt that an alternate universe story would be named "ElrodW's Life of Brandon".
Seriously, thank you for your time and effort. It is appreciated.
- Hardric
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Katssun wrote: Coyote is exactly the type of person to tell Danny the exact truth of what he offered Kayda, because that's the way he operates.
He never lies, but he intentionally causes confusion and anguish for The People so that they make the right choices and understand.
He revealed how Kayda was betrayed by her own spirits because of impatience, showing her what could have been. But Kayda makes the correct decision, knowing she's still very close to Lanie, though a different type of love, Lanie is no less happy with Wyatt and Kayda with Debra, and In becoming Kayda and not staying Brandon who fathers the Ptesanwi, saved Debra more completely, prevented her would-have-been daughter from going through all the same suffering, and has already saved so many lives by what she went through. As a healer, as a counselor. Did things turn out perfect? No. Would Brandon have had as much sway in his hometown as The Warrior, and not as The Healer? Maybe not. Mutant hatred still would have happened, he still would have gotten nearly beaten to death when he manifested, the tribes still probably would have retaliated, and so on.
So now...Coyote tells Danny. What does this accomplish? Danny gets super angry at his sister. He blames her. He already has been. Danny already had issues accepting what he's become. We're not sure what happens outside of Kayda's perspective yet, but we do see how it is resolved. Lanie gets him to understand that he's really more popular than ever. He has girlfriends. Plural. He gets harassed, sure. But he's got Rosalyn and Angel as friends, and who knows who has approached him for more intimate connections, in both forms.
...Probably Rosalyn.
Coyote drives Danny to the brink so that he can grow to accept who he is, what he is, what his spirit brings him and the potential he might reach. Coyote's intentions are ultimately for the good of his people. He's just a dick about how he does it, because those he torments find the answer themselves through that angry dialogue. But they're the one's answering, he's not telling them what to believe.
And once again my hatred for a character makes me unsee the 'positive' aspects of the dickery, so brainfart. Gut-level, I hate this way of solving matters, despite the obvious successes an how much I like seeing characters overcoming these challenges and their issues (digression: when I read Wondercute's defeat in the finals, I thought Gunny screwed up, not because he was force-feeding them a needed dose of reality, something he usually does with maestria, but because I thnk at some level, he forgot that even in sims, you don't control or even know all factors, like in Real Life. And frankly, the desperate damage control seen in Veni, Vidi, Cute isn't really the mark of a success for me.). I hated the 'I'm above your rules, maggots, and do as I please and rub your nose with it' and Karma Houdini tropes seen in antagonists like Don Buffoono, The Wicked Bitch of the Great North, Old Tansy and so many others before their so sweet fall (and rarely redemption), I won't like them on this astral bag of fleas, even if the goals are nobler... ish. Sorry, I needed this out of the system.
- Amy_Amethyst
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Ametros wrote: I feel that this coming winter for Whateley is going to be preternaturally cold in general, with a severe blizzard heralding Kigatilik's strike.
*attempts to resist the obvious comment ... fails*
Winter is coming.
A stranger is just a friend that you haven't met yet.
- Arcanist Lupus
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The extra lesson about heading off incomplete information before it becomes rumor, and driving Danny's suppressed issues to the surface are just bonuses, but Coyote isn't the type to take any action with only a single goal.
"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- Valentine
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Amy_Amethyst wrote:
Ametros wrote: I feel that this coming winter for Whateley is going to be preternaturally cold in general, with a severe blizzard heralding Kigatilik's strike.
*attempts to resist the obvious comment ... fails*
Winter is coming.
Winter is already there.
Don't Drick and Drive.
- mittfh
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Ametros wrote: I might just throw a fit if events unfold without Lodgeman informing Kayda that an infamous shaman-hunting spirit was breaking into Whateley grounds.
Not quite - the location's described as East of Whateley Academy, near the Medawihla Reservation. Given the number of people attuned to non-corporeal planes at Whateley, had it reached campus, it would have been noticed as soon as it crossed the boundary wall (assuming it could cross the wards - it's possible it could have been spotted beforehand, depending on how far the sensor array extends beyond the boundaries and what forms of detection the monitoring uses [EM spectrum, e.g. light (visible / IR / UV), sound (audible / infrasound / ultrasound), radio; magnetic | ground or air]) - but whether that would give enough time to assemble a suitable reaction force before it reached whichever building Kayda would have been in at the time (never mind anyone else unfortunate enough to be considered a suitable apéritif) is another matter entirely...
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
- null0trooper
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mittfh wrote: while TWFKAH's Master has decided to play a long game with Kayda and dark magic - so it's likely we'll have further teaser scenes in the next few tales, with Danny being placed in mortal peril far later in the academic year or even later. On the other hand, with Danny repairing his relationship with his sister, affection towards Tansy and having a signficiant proportion of the female population of Whateley looking out for him (not least of which is WonderCute [1]), it's going to take some planning to separate him from the rest of the student body and prevent them trying to rescue him.
Odd that Coyote would pick now as a good time to jump up and down on Danny's insecurities, and remind Kayda that she still has family members to look out for, maybe even more than just one "tribe" to look for.
As far as totem spirits go, and wolf's popularity, the modern wolf, dog, and coyote diverged from a common Eurasian ancestor at roughly the time modern H. sapiens entered its range. At some point you can't tell the stories of one without the other.
Throw in a measure of mischief, and that could put Coyote pretty high on the Western and Northern Courts' *hit lists. Then again, he's outlived them both - maybe that's something for reborn Sidhe and Wakan Tanka to keep in mind?
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- annachie
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mhalpern wrote: I would have liked to see what animal guide Ayla would have gotten...
Not likely to find out though.
Dianne's decision to make and we haven't heard from her in a while as far as we poor plebs know.
- OtherEric
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annachie wrote: Dianne's decision to make and we haven't heard from her in a while as far as we poor plebs know.
I can verify she hasn't been in touch with the Canon Cabal (TINCC) as a group, at least.
- elrodw
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OtherEric wrote:
annachie wrote: Dianne's decision to make and we haven't heard from her in a while as far as we poor plebs know.
I can verify she hasn't been in touch with the Canon Cabal (TINCC) as a group, at least.
I can state that I haven't heard anything from Diane since she approved me using Ayla in Wine, Women, and Ayla, and having him pair up with Adalie.
Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Kristin Darken
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Fate guard you and grant you a Light to brighten your Way.
- E. E. Nalley
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I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
- annachie
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E. E. Nalley wrote: Joe and I even hosted her in Atlanta once. She does not reply to my emails either. I think she's done with us.
I suppose we could live with her being done, if she'd hand over her chatacters.

- Valentine
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annachie wrote:
E. E. Nalley wrote: Joe and I even hosted her in Atlanta once. She does not reply to my emails either. I think she's done with us.
I suppose we could live with her being done, if she'd hand over her chatacters.
Or say one way or another.
Don't Drick and Drive.
- mhalpern
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There are still too many major plot threads that need to be answered especially with Nimbus back in the picture, hopefully one day soon she will at least give the green light, before there is too much retcon needed to work around her characters (not just Ayla)annachie wrote:
E. E. Nalley wrote: Joe and I even hosted her in Atlanta once. She does not reply to my emails either. I think she's done with us.
I suppose we could live with her being done, if she'd hand over her chatacters.
One way or another certain things HAVE to be addressed, before it is impossible to address them in a way that makes sense, David Goodkind for instance timeline wise it has to be addressed Gen 1 soon, Nimbus gets stuff done technical difficulties may delay him to a point, but it would be out of character for no progress to be made for too long, and with how much Ayla and Paul keep in touch, it would be impossible for it not to effect the other story lines
There's another big one that has to happen at some point in Gen 1, but time placement is less of an issue and that's what has been killing Circe's apprentices.
Heck there already has been some retcon, we know that Ayla 90% has to survive to gen 2, as there is a car company with his first 2 initials and its heavily implied he's around
Any Bad Ideas I have and microscene OC character stories are freely adoptable.
- Dpragan
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Topic Author

I get an odd feeling that a spell (that might be dark) might be revealed to Lodgeman or Carter while fighting against the Shaman Killer and she will be questioned about where she got it. Before she uses it against any bullies after Danny.
dpragan.deviantart.com/art/Ayla-The-Wall...eet-Wizard-163548127
In the end reality is only consensual! It means that Al Gore is causing "Global Warming" by his rhetoric alone! Fortunately, there are enough Global Warming "Deniers" still about to keep him from boiling the planet.
=^+^=
- Malady
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... Thinking of [C] now...
- null0trooper
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Malady wrote: I've only got 1 question. How is that a fire elemental??
Lightning/electricity is usually ascribed to air, but fire's also good at moving electrons around - just using a different set of targets in the gas phase.
From DPRagan's page:
Or as Bek D Corvin States it's a Fire (Fiance Insurance Real-Estate) Elemental
Arson's a reasonable way of making money off real estate, so yeah ...
Forum-posted ideas are freely adoptable.
WhatIF Stories: Buy the Book
Discussion Thread
- Dpragan
-
Topic Author
I seem to remember that she had to pause in her stories because she was leaving others behind, so her Muse focused on other stories. I talk to her a lot on TtHM (Granted it usually about her current stories)
But I can't be certain,
In the end reality is only consensual! It means that Al Gore is causing "Global Warming" by his rhetoric alone! Fortunately, there are enough Global Warming "Deniers" still about to keep him from boiling the planet.
=^+^=
- Astrodragon
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Kristin Darken wrote:
How do I know? I've a non-standard guide myself. Spend any time with new age shamans and you'd wonder how Wolf, Bear, and Raven ever have time to eat they're guiding and teaching so many young seekers of wisdom. Mostly, I can tell how much ego is at the table when I share that I'm guided by Opossum. Not that I haven't studied with others... Horse, Wolf, and I'm .... negotiating with Raven... but Opossum and I work together really well.
Tsk.Wolf, Bear and raven are obviously operating franchises...

I love watching their innocent little faces smiling happily as they trip gaily down the garden path, before finding the pit with the rusty spikes.
- elrodw
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Astrodragon wrote:
Kristin Darken wrote: How do I know? I've a non-standard guide myself.
Tsk.Wolf, Bear and raven are obviously operating franchises...
And what kind of spirit guide would a Brit have? Perhaps a hedgehog? If he's sentient, is he, by chance, named Spiny Norman?

Never give up, Never surrender! Captain Peter Quincy Taggert
- Astrodragon
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elrodw wrote:
Astrodragon wrote:
Kristin Darken wrote: How do I know? I've a non-standard guide myself.
Tsk.Wolf, Bear and raven are obviously operating franchises...
And what kind of spirit guide would a Brit have? Perhaps a hedgehog? If he's sentient, is he, by chance, named Spiny Norman?
Don't mess with Spiney Norman

And hedgehogs are cool.
And if your Welsh, you can have a Dragon

I love watching their innocent little faces smiling happily as they trip gaily down the garden path, before finding the pit with the rusty spikes.
- reno
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Astrodragon wrote:
elrodw wrote:
Astrodragon wrote:
Kristin Darken wrote: How do I know? I've a non-standard guide myself.
Tsk.Wolf, Bear and raven are obviously operating franchises...
And what kind of spirit guide would a Brit have? Perhaps a hedgehog? If he's sentient, is he, by chance, named Spiny Norman?
Don't mess with Spiney Norman
And hedgehogs are cool.
And if your Welsh, you can have a Dragon
I thought all welsh got a sheep automatically


- bergy
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elrodw wrote:
Astrodragon wrote:
Kristin Darken wrote: How do I know? I've a non-standard guide myself.
Tsk.Wolf, Bear and raven are obviously operating franchises...
And what kind of spirit guide would a Brit have? Perhaps a hedgehog? If he's sentient, is he, by chance, named Spiny Norman?
That's obvious: a dormouse.
- Arcanist Lupus
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My dear little dormouse?
His eyes are small,
But his tail is e-nor-mouse.
I sometimes call him Terrible John,
'Cos his tail goes on -
And on -
And on.
And I sometimes call him Terrible Jack,
'Cos his tail goes on to the end of his back.
And I sometimes call him Terrible James,
'Cos he says he likes me calling him names...
But I think I shall call him Jim,
'Cos I am fond of him.
(A.A. Milne)
"Shared pain is lessened; shared joy, increased — thus do we refute entropy." - Spider Robinson
- Dpragan
-
Topic Author

In the end reality is only consensual! It means that Al Gore is causing "Global Warming" by his rhetoric alone! Fortunately, there are enough Global Warming "Deniers" still about to keep him from boiling the planet.
=^+^=
- Phoenix Spiritus
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reno wrote: I thought all welsh got a sheep automatically
![]()
Only if they leave the Lambs to the New Zealanders
- Ametros
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Phoenix Spiritus wrote:
reno wrote: I thought all welsh got a sheep automatically
![]()
Only if they leave the Lambs to the New Zealanders
Mmmm... Lamb.

Seriously, thank you for your time and effort. It is appreciated.
- mittfh
-

(Sadly, in our universe, Plesiosaurs are thought to have died out 66 million years ago, while a certain narrow strip of water was only formed about 10,000 years ago, so maybe not...)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
- Yolandria
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As long as he gets his tree- fiddy!
Mistress of the shelter for lost and redeemable Woobies!
- Malady
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- Valentine
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Malady wrote: Wait... This was the story that mentioned 3 shaman-ishes right? No one's mentioned that Wendigo's a Shaman, as said in Part 5... Making the 3 shamans, if I've got things right, as Kayda, Lodgemen, and Wendigo?
There are several Students training to become Shamans, none are finished with training. Kayda cheated to become the Shaman she is, and Mr. Lodgeman is a Shaman. It's more probable that one of the Weres is third Shaman.
Don't Drick and Drive.