Question [G2] The Big Apple Comes With Calimari

DanZilla wrote:

Astrodragon wrote:

Valentine wrote: While rereading Part Uno, there was a first mention of a Gen 1 student. Lady Liberty is no apparently an active hero.

Uh...no??

I don't believe so...

A small mention...

...if you look carefully down in the Bay; you can see Lady Liberty... the statue, of course, not the superheroine.

It's a statue. Nothing to say when it was put up, nothing to say about her being a current active heroine or not.

Astrodragon wrote:

DanZilla wrote:

Astrodragon wrote:

Valentine wrote: While rereading Part Uno, there was a first mention of a Gen 1 student. Lady Liberty is no apparently an active hero.

Uh...no??

I don't believe so...

A small mention...

...if you look carefully down in the Bay; you can see Lady Liberty... the statue, of course, not the superheroine.

It's a statue. Nothing to say when it was put up, nothing to say about her being a current active heroine or not.

Lady Liberty is the nickname for The Statue of Liberty in this instance... which is why the speaker clarifies. The clarification indicates that the people he's talking to MAY mistake that nickname as the title for a Superheroine that he's NOT talking about.

Now, the superheroine may or may not be the same Lady Liberty as we saw in Gen 1 stories. but, enough about all that...

How 'bout them "insert generic sports team that may exist name here"...

Hang on... you mean that big green statue of a woman out in the bay ISN'T a superhero??

No, she isn't a superhero - as any Whovian knows, she's a quantum-locked alien assassin

(Although that episode made no sense whatsoever, even by Whovian standards)

Astrodragon wrote:

DanZilla wrote:

Astrodragon wrote:

Valentine wrote: While rereading Part Uno, there was a first mention of a Gen 1 student. Lady Liberty is no apparently an active hero.

Uh...no??

I don't believe so...

A small mention...

...if you look carefully down in the Bay; you can see Lady Liberty... the statue, of course, not the superheroine.

It's a statue. Nothing to say when it was put up, nothing to say about her being a current active heroine or not.

Lady Liberty is the Statue of Liberty. crystalhall.wikia.com/wiki/Lady_Liberty is Amy Tang Class of 2009, member of the Cape Squad.

OK, let's distill what CAN actually be gleaned from that throwaway phrase:

1. There is, or at least there was until recently, a superheroine called Lady Liberty in the Whateley Universe in 2016.
2. We don't know anything else about her. She may be Amy Tang... or she may be someone else.

Remember, the rules for student codenames are different than the ones for adult codenames. Student codenames are treated as temporary, and not required to be trademark-free or otherwise unique (although the school draws the line at very famous names, such as Spider-Man and Superman). OTOH, there are some Whateley codename restrictions that don't apply to permanent codenames -- for instance, using titles and military ranks such as "Doctor" and "Captain". So many students will change codenames when graduating, for a variety of reasons.

Amy is Class of 2009; if during the two years she still has at Whateley somebody else starts using the "Lady Liberty" moniker outside Whateley, she is SOL and will have to choose another permanent codename.

Astrodragon wrote: Hang on... you mean that big green statue of a woman out in the bay ISN'T a superhero??

"A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles."

Sure sounds superheroic to me.

Sir Lee wrote: OK, let's distill what CAN actually be gleaned from that throwaway phrase:

1. There is, or at least there was until recently, a superheroine called Lady Liberty in the Whateley Universe in 2016.
2. We don't know anything else about her. She may be Amy Tang... or she may be someone else.

Remember, the rules for student codenames are different than the ones for adult codenames. Student codenames are treated as temporary, and not required to be trademark-free or otherwise unique (although the school draws the line at very famous names, such as Spider-Man and Superman). OTOH, there are some Whateley codename restrictions that don't apply to permanent codenames -- for instance, using titles and military ranks such as "Doctor" and "Captain". So many students will change codenames when graduating, for a variety of reasons.

Amy is Class of 2009; if during the two years she still has at Whateley somebody else starts using the "Lady Liberty" moniker outside Whateley, she is SOL and will have to choose another permanent codename.

Except that there is much contradictory evidence about that. For example Stronghold can't use Monolith because it is in use. Wizard is a legacy name that stays at Whateley. Many stories have kids getting their first MID going through to see if names are available.

Stronghold's case is not a problem. Nobody told him he COULDN'T use Monolith, but everybody told him it was a REALLY BAD IDEA to do so, because the name was in use by a supervillain.
Possible outcomes: (a) everybody thinks you are in the supervillain track, and (b) possibly piss off a supervillain.

Are the codenames issued at Whateley registered? After all they are used to create MID's.
The implication in G1 is that if your codename is valid and not taken, you can keep it. Of course, you cant stop a villain callingh themselves anything they want, but at least as far as the official databases go surely it cant be duplicated by someone else?

Dibs on the villain name 'Nobody'. Its out of copyright...

Astrodragon wrote: Are the codenames issued at Whateley registered? After all they are used to create MID's.
The implication in G1 is that if your codename is valid and not taken, you can keep it. Of course, you cant stop a villain callingh themselves anything they want, but at least as far as the official databases go surely it cant be duplicated by someone else?

Dibs on the villain name 'Nobody'. Its out of copyright...

I believe that Sara ate Nobody.

Well, nobody knows for sure, and he isn't talking.

Hmm Outis (well that's the transliteration) would be good too, shows a sense of humor and an appreciation of Homer's epics.

Astrodragon wrote: Are the codenames issued at Whateley registered? After all they are used to create MID's.
The implication in G1 is that if your codename is valid and not taken, you can keep it. Of course, you cant stop a villain callingh themselves anything they want, but at least as far as the official databases go surely it cant be duplicated by someone else?

I believe that there are several different issues here.

First is trademark law. Marvel and DC are known to have registered the trademarks for hundreds and hundreds of character names, and they apparently have been successful in forbidding people from using their trademarked names. Some supers may have chosen to trademark their own codenames, both as a defensive maneuver against trademark trolls, and for business reasons (for instance, licensing deals).

Then there's the the MID database. Apparently it's not a hard rule that your codename has to be unique, but it's at least strongly discouraged to use a codename which is already in use. Names which appear to have gone inactive are fair game, however. Which can cause some minor problems if a retired super reappears -- for instance, there are now two active Swashbucklers, although Swashbuckler II is keeping a low profile.

And then there's the Whateley codenames associated with temporary MIDs. Rules are slightly looser here, in that Whateley will tolerate trademark-unsafe codenames as long as they are not household names. OTOH, they disallow military, academic and nobility titles unless the person is actually entitled to them.

Finally, there is etiquette. I can't recall the source offhand, but I seem to recall that it's considered bad form to just grab a "dormant" codename unless it has been inactive for at least ten years. If you have approval of the former user, though, it's OK.

Finally, there's the matter of villains. They might ignore any of the above rules (hey, they are villains, right? What's the point of being a villain if you have to follow rules?) but it still can have consequences. Like, say, if they get captured, they have not only to face criminal charges but also trademark violation lawsuits. And violating accepted etiquette may make you look like a jerk to other villains.

plus when it comes to Marvel codenames at Whateley, provided the student knows who to ask, it wont phase the trademark hounds provided it isn't a character that they have plans for and their outfit is significantly different from the character....

Phase has authorized licensing a trademark once. As a gift for a teammate and close friend. Of a character not only obscure, but that hasn't been in print for decades. And still there are some caveats to the licensing.

It's really unlikely that he will allow other cases, unless it makes business sense. Which would probably mean, if you want to call yourself Rocket Racer, be prepared to fork over a LOT of money in licensing fees. Power Man is probably priced out of the financial reach of anybody who did not make the "Forbes" billionaires list. Spider-Man? Don't be ridiculous.

all those have a potential future, the throwaway villains however, don't.

It doesn't matter. It's a trademark. You HAVE to defend a trademark, or you risk losing it. So, no, Ayla would NOT be giving licenses left and right to his company's trademarked character names.

Also, Ayla may have a controlling share but he is NOT outright owner of Marvel. Minority owners can and will complain (and possibly sue) if they notice current management is being cavalier with the company's IP.

In fact, it's quite likely that Ayla had to formally pay a licensing fee with his own money to get that licensing to Jade. The clout of having control came at the time to pressure Marvel's lawyers to accept licensing the Shroud trademark at all; but they would still have to show some money entering the company's accounts in order to cover their asses.

To answer this from the other side of the coin, I refer you to the MID entry in the wiki . If you look closely at the example provided you will notice that while it says 'Loophole' that is not how the record is kept.

The 'name' as far as the bureaucrats, and the computers, are concerned on this MID is G285453265 that is by which this records accessed. The number is what's important as far as the MCO and the DPA are concerned.

Damn, every time I see a picture of Loophole, I wish I was 17 and at Whateley AND I had her attention ...
She's a stone-cold fox, IMHO

There was a comment left in another story that seemed to me to be a little condescending toward the Gen 2 authors who worked on "Calamari". The comment noted that EE and Bek 'fleshed out' AJ and Nick so much better in part 1 of Road than was done in Calamari, and also noted that the Gen 2 authors need more practice writing together. I couldn't let that sit; the author of the comment doesn't see the 'behind the curtains' view like the gen 1 and gen 2 authors do.

As both gen 1 and gen 2 author, I'm going to say the reviewer was partially correct, but clueless about the circumstance behind Calamari. After months of trying to figure out how to make our group into a group before they got to Whateley and dispersed throughout various cottages - and Gen 1 did NOT have that problem, in that all were changelings in Poe! So we had to make 9 characters into a team BEFORE they got to Whateley, without some contrived gimmick (e.g. Mrs Potter telling someone, "Please ensure these kids become friends - it's quite important, you know."), which meant some kind of team-building experience that included them all - enough to stick together once they got to Whateley. Otherwise, it's totally unrealistic to expect 9 or 10 kids of various backgrounds and circumstances to come together as a group, especially as they're in 4 or 5 different cottages.

The next major challenge - and I understand why Kristin insisted on this (actually, I agree, but it made things difficult for the team) - is that there were to be no 'startup' origin tales. The characters are complex, some more than others, so without an origin tale, the team was quite restricted in how MUCH of each character they could show. To make it worse, Astro had an integration job of taking bits contributed from a lot of different authors and making them into one coherent whole.

The third point is valid - the team is learning to work together. It's not always easy, but it's getting better. Gen 1 didn't start out as a bed of roses either, but they started with origin tales and had an excuse to have Team Kimba.

If I sound defensive, it's because I am a little bit. The team put in a hell of a lot of work, under constraints which people don't know about and/or haven't written under. Yes, the commenter was accurate about how much more detail went into AJ and Nick - but Bek and EE had only 2 characters, not 9. Yes, it's understood that Bek and EE are more in tune with the entire Whateley Universe and also joint writing. Not going to question that. The Gen 2 team will get there.

Will we see different POV stories and some origins for the more complicated characters? Yes. In fact, Nagrij and I are working on story 3, which will have primarily 2 different POVs, so we will learn more about our characters. It will continue that way through the series, but you're also going to see a lot of 'contributed' bits from other authors when they want to highlight something about or happening to a specific character. We will also see vignettes and shorts that are not tied to the main plot-line but will be side-stories, a bonus if you will - sort of like sprinkles on the ice cream.

So if you want to praise EE's and Bek's work, go ahead; they write excellent material and deserve kudos for it. But in doing so, please don't slam the new Gen 2 authors when you don't understand what's behind the scenes - even indirectly.

There's another factor Elrod left out: that E.E. and Bek could leverage quite a lot more info already known from Gen1. That is, they didn't have to establish what an Animan is, they didn't have to explain Paradise Island or Karedonia (although Bek did take the opportunity to do a small datadump on the later), they didn't have to explain why Toni would be an expert on Ki or why Vanessa would be able to calm down everybody with a word... so they could do more with their writing.

Sir Lee wrote: There's another factor Elrod left out: that E.E. and Bek could leverage quite a lot more info already known from Gen1. That is, they didn't have to establish what an Animan is, they didn't have to explain Paradise Island or Karedonia (although Bek did take the opportunity to do a small datadump on the later), they didn't have to explain why Toni would be an expert on Ki or why Vanessa would be able to calm down everybody with a word... so they could do more with their writing.

This!

Calamari seems to be carrying the weight of setting up the new universe, it has what one? returning Gen 1 character and nearly a dozen new characters it's introducing? Road is nearly the complet oposite, it's cast is nearly totally returning Gen 1 character with only two or three new characters, of course it hit the ground running straight up unlike Calimari that needed to use its first part nearly all for exposition!

Let's at least wait for all parts of both stories to be posted before we start comparing them!

Will the existing (fan fic) origin stories for some of the 2Gen characters in Calimari be migrated to canon?

joreymay wrote: Will the existing (fan fic) origin stories for some of the 2Gen characters in Calimari be migrated to canon?

"Migrated" probably isn't the right word, since they've said already that the stories have had to be changed to fit better into the canon. If the origins stories are posted, they won't be the fan fics, although they may be very similar.

Whether the new, revamped origins will ever be published, that I have no clue about.

YES Most will be significantly _changed_.
I can say at least one origin fic is... well, one chapter of it has about 20 mins of editing (mostly hunting and pecking for certain date info).. the other 5, if the writer in question can salvage a THIRD of the 50ish KW, well... that would be good.


A.

I'm fairly certain that trains to Boston on Amtrak depart from Penn Station New York, not Grand Central (which is central to nothing).

Seriously? Someone in the cabal has a hate-on for Penn Station so much they demanded the trains to Boston be moved to Grand Central?

On with the show, still having some trouble remembering who's who, Though the solo intros for the White Lady and the Bunny help. (Notice though that I still don't know their names.)

I think I'm most interested in the Japanese lady (who sequence of letters forming her name is completely forgotten). I want to know about her burnout.

I find it odd that we will have a Bunny at this year's Whateley, not a gadgeteer but she relies on the kindness of gadgeteers to keep from going deaf/crazy. And there's a standin for Riptide in Victor.

Speaking of whom, how kind of those MCO folks to plant a bug on her. So for a while she was a Bugged Bunny.

Not a lot of excitement in this episode but it flowed well without it.

Till next week.

jmhyp wrote: On with the show, still having some trouble remembering who's who, Though the solo intros for the White Lady and the Bunny help. (Notice though that I still don't know their names.)

I think I'm most interested in the Japanese lady (who sequence of letters forming her name is completely forgotten). I want to know about her burnout.

I find it odd that we will have a Bunny at this year's Whateley, not a gadgeteer but she relies on the kindness of gadgeteers to keep from going deaf/crazy. And there's a standin for Riptide in Victor.

Speaking of whom, how kind of those MCO folks to plant a bug on her. So for a while she was a Bugged Bunny.

Not a lot of excitement in this episode but it flowed well without it.

Till next week.

I am curious as to what 'excitement' you were expecting in this episode that you didn't get?
Because if you're expecting a major fight in every part of every story, you are going to be disappointed.

I fear for Gunny, a gadgeteer or devisor that's a fan of RWBY

mhalpern wrote: I fear for Gunny, a gadgeteer or devisor that's a fan of RWBY

Well, the good news is that Tanya is a brick.
The bad news is she's planning on taking Costume class...

Astrodragon wrote:

mhalpern wrote: I fear for Gunny, a gadgeteer or devisor that's a fan of RWBY

Well, the good news is that Tanya is a brick.
The bad news is she's planning on taking Costume class...

being a brick just means she'll more likely go for Ember Celica or Magnhild, if she was a speedster it'd be Crescent Rose...


Also Ayla Goodkind Vehicles....

Edit And you KNOW what she's going to get Lapin to wear for Halloween

I found it interesting (and not obvious from her intro story) that apparently Hikaru had a serious rejuvenation and memory loss as result of her burnout.

Also, is "Okami" her codename?

Yes, it is.

Also: Islands in the Sun is _not_ her intro story. That... I'm still working on. Which now I appear to have to finish.

All right this is definitely a good story to read all at once. It's OK split up, but with the sheer number of characters it can be a little confusing at times, no fault of anyone, just a problem when you have loads and loads of characters.
Most characters get enough airtime to give us a good idea of what they're capable of, and their basic personality. Personally a few are more clear in my head than others, Tia, Tanya, Laura and Morgana followed by Bianca, Hikaru, Ken and the rest. Don't know why, they just jumped out at me.
But all of them are given enough of a showing that I'm interested in seeing their origins and individual stories.
When read as one piece, the mix of worry, fighting and then calm fits together well. They're school kids, so ending it with the fight could have worked, but fighting isn't the main purpose of story, so having it in the middle to draw them together without being the focus was a good choice.
Since the characters are in different cottages, I'm not sure how strongly they'll stay together as one solid group. But I can easily see them forming strong friendships of two or three, with everyone interconnected, and when things really hit the fan or big important plot happens, they come together to deal with it. This will make it very different from Team Kimba, and more like what we're seeng now in G1, with everyone doing their own stuff but bumping into and connecting with others.
A good start. Now get to work wth the rest, or I'll start cracking the whip!

Domoviye wrote: When read as one piece, the mix of worry, fighting and then calm fits together well. They're school kids, so ending it with the fight could have worked, but fighting isn't the main purpose of story, so having it in the middle to draw them together without being the focus was a good choice.
Since the characters are in different cottages, I'm not sure how strongly they'll stay together as one solid group. But I can easily see them forming strong friendships of two or three, with everyone interconnected, and when things really hit the fan or big important plot happens, they come together to deal with it. This will make it very different from Team Kimba, and more like what we're seeing now in G1, with everyone doing their own stuff but bumping into and connecting with others.
A good start. Now get to work with the rest, or I'll start cracking the whip!

Ah, you understand, Grasshopper.
Yes, because our characters ARE in different cottages, we had to weld them together as a group before they even got to Whateley. We spent MONTHS trying to figure out how to realistically do this, because it's believable that a group of kids who just met, without a unifying event, had no reason to stay as a group once they DID get to their separate cottages. And Calamari is what came out of that messy process.

Thank you.
I spent a lot of time trying to make sure all the characters got 'screen time' so it wasnt just about one of two of them.
Yes, the number of new kids takes getting used to, but its nearly everyone now.

For what it's worth, I liked the story. Astrodragon did a bang up job of telling a coherent story with nearly all of the new characters.

Yes it was a little confusing at first, but that doesn't mean that the tale is in any way a bad one. I read a lot of web fiction these days, and I will always keep coming back to Whately because I enjoy the universe. Yes there are a few stories that I didn't enjoy, but overall, this world is awesome.

To all the authors, May your muses keep the stories flowing.

Wrayth

I always have a tab open with the G2 Announcement, which I can quickly refer to if I need reminding of who's who

You can probably bet that fairly soon after arrival on campus, our group will be summoned to a meeting with Administration and Security to get chewed over regarding the fights - and Laura + Kenshin's photo ops with the Japanese tourists.

However, their approach to evening meal was far more sensible - visiting numerous outlets and grabbing enough food for what would appear to be an 'ordinary' group of teenagers from each, then giving the excess to the volume eaters once away from the takeaway.

I wonder if Erica will join the Intelligence Cadet Corps? Certain relatives of hers would no doubt appreciate her doing so (and could probably pass on some useful tips)...

There's still been no overt action from the group's tail, whoever they are - presumably in the sequel we'll find out more about who they are and exactly what they're up to (something planned at Dunwich, maybe?)

Meanwhile, it comes to something when even the Warrior goddess in your head is trying to encourage you to have some 'me time' and not be a slave of duty (and I'm quite sure her situation wasn't caused by misheard instructions - unlike Frederic [1])

Why does the MCO planting bugs in Tia's earpieces not surprise me in the slightest? After all, back in G1 they were known to use bugs in their on-campus interviews with students - so although the ones dealing with her seem more reasonable than many we met in G1, having ulterior motives (protect her while gaining intelligence on others) is something that unsurprisingly doesn't change.

So now we've got an inkling of the likely destination cottages for most of the group. Morgana may be in Poe, but given the G2 Announcement states "not-quite-controllable fire manifestation", she might be along the tunnel corridor in Hawthorne. We know Kenshin and Hikaru will be in Poe (probably with most - but not all - of the Changelings), and Tanya will be in Whitman (seemingly alone). Over in Road, AJ's likely to be either in Emerson (we haven't had many G1 PoV characters there) or (given his parentage) Melville while Nick may be in Twain but Hawthorne may be more likely.

[1] Astro will probably get the reference - will anyone else?

Kristin Darken wrote: Kenshin will be rooming with Jimmy... and they aren't in Poe. They're just a couple scrappy guys with gold hearts who have a tendency to step into fights to help the underdog. No need to put them in with those crazies.

Awww...Kristin...why'd you have to go and spoil that? I was having fun watching them make incorrect guesses...

I saw no reason for either Kenshin or Hikaru to be in Poe. No suggestion of being either gay or transgendered.

I don't know what I was expecting. Calamari was a lot to take in at once. It didn't take place on campus and I haven't internalized the characters yet. The G2 group has been talking about these characters for years now. You're going to have a different perspective than someone coming in cold on them.

Ask me how I feel about them a year from now when I've seen more of them.

Having not re-read the first two parts, initially I was confused by some names for the first 10 or so minutes, due to the spacing of release. No big issue for me though, as I got it set straight before long.

I admit to being surprised that no more trouble caught the group before they could escape the clutches of New York City, but I guess we'll find out what happened in the park at a later date?

Now that this introduction is done with, I can say I enjoyed the story as a whole. Easily though, my favourite parts are due to aspects of the interactions between the kids.

The first being the tension known to us readers between the changelings, created by the discrepancy between their current identities and their former ones. An example in this final part being Tia acknowledging Tanya's suspicions, but Tanya not yet revealing their shared status. Another being when Tia and Laura were both "projecting" by pointing out the other's apparent attraction to Kenshin in an attempt to stop thinking about their own.

The other aspect is the potential polarity being established, but with the possibility of subversion. Whether all of it is intentional or not, it's great seeing the interactions and perceptions in moments such as Bianca and Victor when he mentions being a runaway and Bianca appears derisive, if only for a moment. Following that with the comment on pragmatism, which might lead to less abrasive interactions. There are a lot of angles between all the characters that leaves me wondering which will become friends, enemies or just ambivalent as things unfold, and that excites me a great deal.

Bravo to you lot, and I look forward to many more stories.

PS: How much fun did you all have (especially Nagrij) knowing what we know now about Lucretia apparently not being a mutant? It certainly didn't even cross my mind, and I don't recall seeing any mere allusion to that possibility.

Ametros wrote: PS: How much fun did you all have (especially Nagrij) knowing what we know now about Lucretia apparently not being a mutant? It certainly didn't even cross my mind, and I don't recall seeing any mere allusion to that possibility.

Every time one of the readers guesses wrong about Tia, I laugh and dance a little jig. Totally serious. I can honestly say I believe many of you are going to flip when you finally figure her out.

Nagrij wrote:

Ametros wrote: PS: How much fun did you all have (especially Nagrij) knowing what we know now about Lucretia apparently not being a mutant? It certainly didn't even cross my mind, and I don't recall seeing any mere allusion to that possibility.

Every time one of the readers guesses wrong about Tia, I laugh and dance a little jig. Totally serious. I can honestly say I believe many of you are going to flip when you finally figure her out.

Hint: He's laughing and doing a little jig right now.

NeoMagus wrote:

Nagrij wrote:

Ametros wrote: PS: How much fun did you all have (especially Nagrij) knowing what we know now about Lucretia apparently not being a mutant? It certainly didn't even cross my mind, and I don't recall seeing any mere allusion to that possibility.

Every time one of the readers guesses wrong about Tia, I laugh and dance a little jig. Totally serious. I can honestly say I believe many of you are going to flip when you finally figure her out.

Hint: He's laughing and doing a little jig right now.

Pfft, please. I'm cackling and doing a full waltz.

I do like it when you authors are enjoying yourselves so. Is there more space to waltz, or are there too many Nebraskan zombies on the dance floor?

Ametros wrote: I do like it when you authors are enjoying yourselves so. Is there more space to waltz, or are there too many Nebraskan zombies on the dance floor?

Plenty of space, just dance with the zombies. They behave themselves, mostly. Some of them don't dance very well, though; two left feet. And no matter how hard I try, they won't put the things down; gluttons.

Nagrij wrote:

Ametros wrote: I do like it when you authors are enjoying yourselves so. Is there more space to waltz, or are there too many Nebraskan zombies on the dance floor?

Plenty of space, just dance with the zombies. They behave themselves, mostly. Some of them don't dance very well, though; two left feet. And no matter how hard I try, they won't put the things down; gluttons.

The problem with the zombies dancing is some of them are quite ripe and if we play anything with a beat that's too fast they tend to boogie themselves apart. Hence the extra left feet.

Yeah, its awkward trying to dance with bits of zombie dropping on your feet.

Which is why I prefer the tactic of sitting there with a smug smile on my face...

Are you expecting to see pirates Mittfh?

Oh me of little impulse control.
I just can't help myself.

I fixed the name thing. The story is filed under "Big Apple ..." now

Continuing the theme, it's likely Erica's substantially better at stealth than these chaps (from the same production, and a great tribute to the late Jon English)...

mittfh wrote: Continuing the theme, it's likely Erica's substantially better at stealth than these chaps (from the same production, and a great tribute to the late Jon English)...

Prefer the movie version with Linda Ronstadt, Kevin Kline, and Angela Lansbury. Kevin Kline is a fabulously funny pirate king IMHO. and you can do a lot more in cinema than you can on a stage.

But yes, Erica is probably stealthier. Hell, for that matter, Jade's approach riding Mule with the Kitty Compact spotlight is probably stealthier than the pirates

Sir Lee wrote: I saw no reason for either Kenshin or Hikaru to be in Poe. No suggestion of being either gay or transgendered.

While it was not the genesis of my interest in transformation/transgendering stories, Ranma 1/2 had a huge influence on me, so I must confess there was a little part of me that would have adored it if Kenshin had turned out to have a gender shifting problem.

Still, I'll keep my fingers crossed. Weirder things have been known to happen at Whateley.

Kristin Darken wrote:

peter wrote: Weirder things have been known to happen at Whateley.

And will. It's the 'easy' ones that we avoid... we prefer the extreme looks of confuzzlement on your faces when you expect the Ranma 1/2 and get something entirely different.

The Spanish Inquisition?

Well, finally got a chance to finish this up. You guys are massive trolls. Chance after chance for chaos and disaster, and nothing happens!


I love Erica's grandparents so much.

Regarding "With Catlike Tread": This is what happens when pirates attempt to be ninjas.

What, ripping cars apart in Boston isnt chaos & disaster?

Nah!... Just controlled mayhem!

John.

The Big Apple Comes With Calamari Part 3 comments
The more I read about Hikaru's duties and obligations, the more I pity the poor girl. Sleazy men and having to dress to impress but be attractive at the same time. Social conventions be dammed, Hikaru needs to be herself. D'oh! Called away after Ms. Dennon put her in charge, and the kids go out despite what happened last time. They are teens but they really should try to use some common sense.

Ms. Dennon is more trusting than I thought, thinking they have learned to stay out of trouble. Sometimes trouble comes looking for you no matter what. Wonder how many of the 'entitled' students Ms. Dennon has had to deal with personally working at Whateley over the years. Hikaru is smarter than other students her age, knowing when not to push her luck or the patience of adults. That bangle of hers is an impressive piece of tech.

If I were Bianca and something happens, I would say I told you so repeatedly until they got annoyed. Ack! Tanya, never say a line like that, you are just asking fate to mess with you. Laura is so nervous about someone else figuring out her big secret, she is dismissing her own observations, instead of trying to talk about it with them. Poor kid, being a changeling who didn't want the gender change is rough.

Kenshin stuck with a bunch of girls out buying things that make him uncomfortable, classic. Laura definitely doesn't wish to seen as needing help if at all possible. And Erica's reaction adds another piece to the belief she is a changeling, calling a former boy a boy scout would be painful. Lots of help from Laura to Bianca, guess due to her status as the heir to the White Lady she never thought about hiding her unusual features or had it suggested before. Plus mirror shades if the contacts don't work out, Morgana is right, most people see them as ordinary nowadays.

Poor Morgana, stuck for what to say to Laura about her own changes when she reveals she has no body hair except on her head. She might want to keep that to herself at school though, other girls or changelings find out and they might get upset at something outside her control.

Smart move to graze and get food from multiple places. Laura is learning to restrain her tongue some, Kenshin definitely knows true Japanese cuisine; ah, so that is why the one time I had Japanese food it tasted too strong to me, never had it before but the sauce nearly overpowered the rest of the ingredients completely. The banter between Morgana and Cally about pizza had me laughing. Poor Tia still living the nightmare of forced vegetarian. I would go nuts without my chicken. And to watch Morgana eating a meat and cheese pizza, the pain.

Steel Falcon is definitely smarter than most comic book heroes, knowing his own limits and sticking within them. Yikes, even if it is your brother involved, others trying to set you up with someone is always awkward. A small, pale white squid in a glass ball, plus nervous about encounters; is this girl another new character?

Ryan is a nice guy, helping out a girl who looks scared to be outdoors in the big city. West Village, now I'm even more curious about who this girl is. A superhero just as noble in his civilian identity, definitely don't see that often enough anymore. Ryan Malcom, you are a good man. Oh god, she is the daughter of the Mighty Squid, now I pity her for having such a yutz for a father. Someone needs to get the poor girl away from her dad, fast. Okay, Ryan is practically a saint, even other superheroes would take advantage of the girl instead of refusing to stoop to that level. How can his brother be so different from Ryan, he is right about people's priorities these days.

Great, Japanese tourists who saw the fight and thought everyone was brave, yet thinking less of Tia and Cally for not fighting. Sometimes it takes more courage not to fight. Taking pictures after what Ms. Dennon told them, that would be foolish. Erica and Cally stating they don't want their pictures taken, while Bianca and Morgana try to find some way to find their identities, as I feel these tourists care more about getting a picture with the heroes than for the kids' safety. And FaceWatch, wonder what kind of site that is?

That is...just pitiful cover for poor Bianca and Morgana. These tourists think Laura is Kenshin's girlfriend!?! They saw them interact during the fight and wrongly assumed a lot of things. Plus they ask if they could take pictures from only Kenshin so far, yet took them of him and Laura anyways, rude much. And Laura has a new reason to be upset, the universe just loves messing with her. And her rant at Kenshin about not being his girlfriend is interrupted, she is going to be frustrated after all this.

More proof of how Gadgeteers are seen as celebrities in Japan. Being admired and adored for her powers certainly turned Laura's mood around quickly. D'oh, Laura should have listened to Tanya and definitely not said what harm is there, she is practically telling the universe "Hit me with your best shot!" And these tourists prove they have no manners whatsoever, pushing Laura and Kenshin together and then placing his arm around her waist like that is beyond rude.

These people are nuts! And that one woman making moon-eyes at Kenshin creeped me out. Laura really doesn't know the dangers of social media and the internet, a little naïve on her part. And Laura suffers fallout already, teasing about how the one woman thought Kenshin was her boyfriend. Poor Laura, due to her transformation not only a changeling but a lesbian as well now. With the way of things for LGBT in the Whateley universe, that could easily turn deadly, especially if it leaked out beyond her new friends somehow.

Wonder what type of bookstore they are going to, modern, old-fashioned, or something out of the ordinary perhaps. Morgana obviously hasn't had much a chance to adjust to her changes yet either. Asterix omnibus, I need to find that comic in English somehow. Ah, Kenshin gained a love of manga from his father, there are a lot of titles there I don't recognize.

The Fourth Reich, always a fun enemy to have in a setting, easy to feel justified in fighting them. Dang, characters made based on Erica's relatives who were superspies back in the day. And still going strong with all the talks of their adventures we have heard snippets of. And time crunch, 30 minutes to get back or Erica and Cally are in trouble. I don't want to imagine the kind of punishment they would get for this after the fight earlier.

Barely aged, are Oma and Opa mutants as well or have something which slows their aging? Bribed the front desk lady to tell if, when, and how they left the hotel and even a bet on how soon they would with her husband. I like her more and more. And lessons on how to properly exit a hotel unseen, guess having ex-superspies/adventurers as grandparents is a blessing and a curse sometimes. Oh boy, tired and have to leave early, plus repack things they took out and their new stuff.

Tia feeling like an underdog compared to the other girls, she needs a boost to her self-esteem. Worrying about things you shouldn't, poor kid. And Bianca having to check things due to who she is, wonder how long before someone ask her what is going on. Having to brush her tail and ears in case of bugs, Tia's plight just gets worse and worse. Is Ibby also known as Blotter? I know if possible I would market that gadget, something to kill or drive away bugs like that would make a killing on the camping supplies market. Bianca never had a roommate before, guess there is another adjustment she will have to make at Whateley. And poor Tia, needing a custom bed just to get comfortable to sleep.

Jimmy being given a tour by Boston PD and dinner. Broggy must either care for Jimmy or sees him as a hard-luck case in need of help. A ferret shaped VI named Tavi, that is priceless. Just for Tavi alone the GridGear is definitely a piece of tech I would love to own.

"Wakey and into the shower by eightsy..."

Bwahahaha, I think Tavi is going to be fun to deal with.

"Tavi, if you pounce me when I'm sleeping, I'm replacing you with a kitten VI."

*holding sides from laughing too hard* Tavi interacting with Jimmy is definitely something more I wish to see.

And I thought I had sensitive hearing, poor Tia needs to second pair of the clips to help her sleep, like earplugs. Oh, to fall asleep as easily as Morgana. Pillow to the face, Tia definitely knows how to stand up for herself when needed. Tanya finally has a chance to ask questions of Tia, curiosity can be a pain to deal with. And the news reports come back to annoy Tia again, hopefully Tanya will hear her side and Tia will have another ally.

Tanya not knowing what to say and frozen, sounds like a normal response to encountering someone and not knowing what may or may not help or hurt them. Wait, Lucas's girlfriend Jamie assumed he cheated on her!?! Did she make a devise to get revenge on him and it is what transformed him into a bunny-girl? Or accelerated his transformation?

At least Tanya admitting is having a hard time finding the right words got Tia to lighten up. Oh brother, Tanya really is just an awkward teenage girl who never had many friends and was raised somewhat isolated from a normal life. Tanya and Tia, friends now and a cute, awkward hug. Tanya may have little experience interacting with other kids her age, but she is wise beyond her years in knowing Tia will open up when she is ready. Locked herself out, guess someone who has never been in a hotel could easily do that. And considerate of her roommate, Tanya has been raised well, if a bit sheltered.

That is Tia's ringtone, no wonder it jolted her fully awake; the thought of hearing that when I'm still half asleep is painful. Gah! It wasn't her ringtone, need to tell Kurenai not to hack others phones just to get them to answer quicker. Hikura is unfortunately being reasonable with waking them so they have enough time to clean up and eat before heading to the train station, no matter how tired they are. 3 hour, 40 minute train ride, fairly short. And finally a short drive to Whateley, seemed a lot longer to get there than it actually was.

Poor Cally, feeling distant from her family due to her mutation and guessing change means she is another changeling. Hopefully things get better between her and her family soon. At least she gets a grandmotherly hug from Oma, knowing she is cared for is important. Make sure you hit them hard enough the first time that they don't get up again, ah I can't wait for Parent's Day so Oma can show up at Whateley. And confirmation her powers have to do with her voice in some way, her codename kind of hints at it. To see her shedding a tear of joy at the love she is being shown, hope her direct family will come around soon.

Reduced need for sleep due to her Ex-2 rating for Tanya would be my guess, considering in Gen 1 Loophole mentioned only needing 5 and half hours sleep after fully manifesting as an Ex-3. And Laura got her bag back! Wait, after how it was snatched, could something have been planted in or on it? Dang, Steel Falcon went out of his way to return her bag, as if we didn't already think he was basically a saint. Bianca and Morgana are right to be worried, although I'm betting Steel Falcon is alumni from Whateley and was on the Cape Squad back in the day, so Whateley knows he can be trusted.

Hikaru definitely is dressed for style desist the early hour. Bianca's training definitely comes in handy, always safe than sorry in these situations. Lapin will do well in Survival or Martial Arts with her skills of observation. Already this group has a lot more cautious members, not that is a bad thing. And everyone knows the minder or person sent to watch over you get the good seat in a vehicle, it is just courtesy. Holographic map, wonder what Hikaru is checking out.

Waffle House, never been to one of those, closest to those is Waffle Shop, if the food is decent at decent prices like there I have to agree with Hikaru. Morgana liking coffee instead of tea, nice character detail. The amount of food between them all could probably feed a small army, still love that the waitress isn't fazed by it.

And now the others know the truth of why Hikaru was put in charge of them. Wonder what Ms. Dennon's decision is about them, just from Hikaru's attitude about it nothing good. The relationship between Hikaru and Kenshin seems almost like an older sister and her annoying little brother who can't seem to stay out of trouble. And Hikaru has very good reasons for not entering the fray yesterday; lethal powers and not dressed for close quarters combat, a bad combination against idiots with no intent to kill. Could have driven the Mighty Squid's minions to start using lethal force themselves.

Hikaru is either lying about her powers or there is a lot more to her than I first suspected or have learned about in the stories so far. Hikaru doesn't wish to discuss her powers, Tanya has the right idea, just eat so they can finish before the train arrives. And the meal was a lot, even with the specials, wonder what the total was for all that. Little liquid assets and no allowance until the tenth, no wonder Hikaru is upset about the meal's cost.

Morgana, never assume things about others, you have no idea what Hikaru is capable of, nor why she held back. Just because she is pretty and dresses well doesn't make her a prissy girl. Oh boy, what is Tia up to and what did she get Hikaru? Just how much did that meal cost to make her face go slightly pale!?! Morgana is being a little too paranoid about Hikaru, I can understand why Kenshin is upset.

D'oh! Black ops agents from the look of it had Laura's purse returned, making look like a local hero returning it. This isn't good, why are they monitoring her? Picture of the group and putting everyone else into the plans, definitely not good.

Tia freaking out and the ear clips aren't working right, oh boy. The ear plugs not working, what could have caused that if they were properly recharged? And the MCO actually gave her them, that is both good and bad, probably has some additional features she doesn't know about. After what happened with Jamie, I can understand Tia's reaction to technical types. A sloppy modification of a piece of existing tech, oh brother, guess that is one of Laura's annoyance buttons.

And Laura working on them is a good thing, she found something that shouldn't be there, MCO is going to be upset at that being removed. Tia isn't going to trust the MCO as much, now that she knows they bugged her and the truth, they weren't helping her so much as helping themselves. And Laura does good, quick work. Can't wait to see more of what she can do in the future.

Bwahahaha! Tanya considers what she ate a few waffles, that is priceless.

"Yeah, but we're very cute locusts, right?"

Ouch, my sides can't take more. Tia is right to be worried, Tanya and Morgana might be the biggest of the trouble magnets among the Gen 2 kids so far. D'oh! Morgana really needs to be taught not to say such things.

I'm curious about Tanya's question as well, is Boston always that active or is something going on? Tire blowout and crash, with a pinned car and innocents trapped inside. With water rushing in, Tanya and Morgana have to act, I knew they were trouble magnets. Either it is drawn to them or they are drawn to it.

Just how chaotic were the events since his manifestation to make Victor this paranoid? And the source of the water appears to be a broken water pipe or even water main under the street, just great. Yikes! The explosion noise was the water pipe or main bursting up from underground, triggering the accident between the van and compact car. Oh boy, afraid of the authorities dragging him off to the point of being afraid to act, Victor has had it rough, hope he doesn't need to act for his own sake.

Fractured water main causing broken road, wonder if it was simply improper maintenance or something else which caused it. At least Morgana is keeping a cool head and thinking things through. And Victor comes through, helping Tanya without making a big show of it, smart, subtle and already noticeable control with his power, he is going to be dangerous after some training. Morgana does her part of the job excellently, while Tanya notices the water's odd behavior. Will they notice Victor or will he get away unnoticed?

H1! idiot trying to cause trouble as they try to sneak away, figures. And the father of the kids comes to their defenses, which the bigot doesn't care they saved kids lives, just that they are mutants. Irrational hatred will always confuse me, simply can't understand it. And the father decks the creep for stating he doesn't care his kids were saved, nice, idiots like that need a hard lesson sometimes to get the point. Plus it gave the perfect opening for Tanya and Morgana to slip away.

Tanya is very observant, more so than I thought earlier, to be in that situation, notice a kid hiding amongst cars and figure out he was moving the water is impressive. DF for DragonsFyre, nice nickname too. Blushing at two pretty girls giving him attention, poor Victor, if he keeps up the heroics he going to get a lot more at Whateley. Tanya still trying to keep her history a secret, guess she is afraid of being judged based on her mother's history. And another person added to the group heading to Whateley, one with eyes you don't normally find in humans.

Control over water, most people underestimate how much water is around them at all times in one form or another, that is a potent power in a creative individual's hands. Drawing out the water from their shoes, plus from Morgana's jeans, lucky guy. Vic is smart, don't anger the girl who can tear through steel with her bare hands. Interesting way to draw out the moisture.

Other kids beside our group heading off to Whateley, makes sense with the increased number of students over the years. Tanya hovering without realizing it, on Yellow and Red days that could be a problem. And more kids with hoodies, definite increase to the number with GSD from Gen 1 that are known. Tanya, don't tease the boy, you know they will be covered up. Tanya, in such a rush, she forgets they can just call their friends to find out where they are. hehehe.

Hehehe, Morgana cracking on Kenshin without him around, poor guy needs to learn English better. Bwahahaha, the banter between them all and Morgana saying Tanya doesn't have in-flight snacks. All those exotic girls around him and Vic doesn't have a clue he has no chance with a fair number of them, poor guy is going to end up embarassing himself. Level 2 hydrokinetic and level 1 telepath, with his creativity and smarts that means he has a lot of potential to unlock. Touch-based power, might be more limited than most but still as Bianca says it can very versatile.

Gylph is a wizard avatar, does that mean she is hosting the spirit of her grandmother somehow? Or was she given the avatar rating for another reason? Morgana's description of Invictus makes her sound like a pro wrestler. Morgana is going to be punished for that Smurfette crack later, unless Laura calms down about it. Vic knows his fair share of details on mutant powers too. Shared a room with a devisor, poor Vic, must have had a lot of nights with little rest. At least Laura can admit to herself sometimes her inventions blow up, otherwise she could be in denial.

Eisenmädel, exemplar with tricks, guess she knows how to keep a secret. Calliope, empath and low-level exemplar, nice. That would suggest projective empath focused through her voice based on earlier thoughts from her. Tia isn't a mutant, transformed by her ex-girlfriend into her current form, ouch. DragonsFyre, mage with benefits, that transformation is definitely a huge benefit.

Almost two months without TV or internet, Vic was living a nightmare for me. Living on the streets as a runaway for that long, what his home life like, what drove him out? Was his family H1!, neighbors, or did something else drive him away? At least Morgana tried to lighten things up, with the look Bianca gave him and what Cally said I thought someone might overreact any second. And Cally is receptive empath, confirmed by her sensing Vic's emotions. Probably both projective and receptive empath, which is powerful imo.

Tia is smart to figure all that out in her head, Vic moved more than his power rating suggest he should be capable of. Pretend less when you are more, great, the compliment from Bianca might make him think she likes him. Ah, Aquaman talk and joking about his effectiveness, bound to come up when someone has water-based powers despite Aquaman not having those. Vic, look it less as emasculating and more as getting to spend time with attractive girls. RWBY, great series, only seen season 1 myself. And after all the mess of the accident they forgot about food, time to storm the cafeteria car!

Ack! Tia teasing Laura about Kenshin and getting teased back, until they have the big changeling meeting at Poe they are going to be in the dark about each other at this rate. At least they realize they are friends, something they need going into Whateley. And Tia's transformation made her attracted to boys, oh bother.

Jimmy, with the aid of Tavi, is on his way to figuring out who the group was involved fighting the Mighty Squid. Oh boy, everyone is blaming everyone else for the whole mess in New York. "Never tell me the odds," And Tavi gives another winner with a Star Wars quote. Awww, he cares about his personal VI. Have Tavi record all the kids he passes and compare them to the hair colors from the video, Jimmy is very resourceful. Tavi trying to push him into going to see the girls, and he can generate a PK shell outward to protect others, impressive power. And Jimmy's deductive reasoning is strong as well, figuring out how the girls and Kenshin were drawn in to 'fight crime'. Though Tavi driving into the wall of the train car makes me believe the little VI will make contact despite what Jimmy told it.

Hikaru calling her friend Kaho back in Japan despite the early hour, ruining her sleeping in for once, though her expressions prove she isn't upset. Must be a good friend. Kaho is right about this, you can't live your life for duty, you have to live it for yourself and do things you want sometimes or you will be miserable. Kaho envies Hikaru's freedom, hope she starts using it while at Whateley instead of doing everything out of duty.

Oh boy, new advances in vehicle technology and road construction have states in the US putting off basic repair work in favor of those, as if roads aren't bad enough as it is in many states. Wish we had hover and AG vehicles ourselves, a nice hover-bike would be perfect. Yikes! The burnout caused by her blessing the new island in Islands in the Sun had a much bigger price than I though, memory problems and things completely forgot she has to relearn.

Wait, did she somehow get younger in the process or is she at school to relearn things despite her age? With Kaho saying she has to figure out how to be a teenager, sounds like a little of both. Kaho teasing her about getting a boyfriend, Hikaru needs to learn how to be a teenager again. Kaho is right, Hikaru seems to just be using her job and duty as excuses to avoid enjoying herself.

Amaterasu agreeing with Kaho about Hikura needing to lighten up and live a little, means Hikaru is taking her role too seriously even for the goddess she is an avatar of. Part of duty is duty to one's self, an important message in this day and age. And hearing the words but not truly listening; Hikaru has a lot to learn and some of it will be the hard way, if Mrs. Carson doesn't like seeing her drive herself so hard she makes herself sick. *sighs* Hikaru only heard about the job to do and not the other message from the goddess, talk about too stubborn for your own good. Tia gave her a small purse with a plush dog inside it, oh that is too priceless.

Aww, Tanya in Whitman with the other girls in Poe or elsewhere, poor girl, I understand how she feels. *smacks forehead* Can't believe Morgana thought Capes was a bunch of vampire wannabes. Morgana teasing Tanya about wearing a color-coordinated cape, they have more self-control than me not to break up in a giggle fit. Costuming class, wonder if the same woman is still teaching it. And Tanya with the goofy heroic pose, bwahaha. Costuming class together, perfect way to coordinate their looks.

And Tanya finishes off the story with a dreaded phrase. It's just a school. What can possibly go wrong? Never, never, never say that when first starting at a new school, now she has jinxed it.

A fun read from start to finish, with a lot of details and personality of each character, including some history on more than a few. Can't wait to read more Gen 2 stories and learn about each and every one of them.

Dreamer wrote: And Tanya finishes off the story with a dreaded phrase. It's just a school. What can possibly go wrong? Never, never, never say that when first starting at a new school, now she has jinxed it.

Just wanted to point out that it was Morgana that said this, not Tanya. She's not THAT bad about tempting fate.

Dreamer, I like reading your summaries.
This one was a lot of fun to collaborate on, with Astro pulling all the pieces together. We are probably going to work more like this on all our main arc stories because of the number of people and bits involved, so expect more insanity and fate-tempting "what could go wrong?" type of comments.

In fairness, Morgana was trying to cheer Tanya up and make her eager to be at Whateley again.
Tempting fate? Moi?

Tempting fate is old hat, honestly, but at least no one has tried to draw The Lady's favour yet.

Regarding which cottage Jimmy and Kenshin get... trick question. They don't get a cottage. They get Thoreau Tent.

mittfh wrote: There's still been no overt action from the group's tail, whoever they are - presumably in the sequel we'll find out more about who they are and exactly what they're up to (something planned at Dunwich, maybe?)

It's the Non-Gender-Specific Persons In Blue, who want to recruit Laura for her technological prowess and superior hue.

Membership in the NGSPIB includes, but is not limited to:
- Blue Man Group
- The Smurfs
- Azure Crush (tm Diane Castle)
- Mikaal Tomas (DC Comics' Starman of the '70s)
- The Na'vi civilization
- Nightcrawler from the X-Men
- Rutian Twi'leks
- A large part of the Kree population
- Shadow Lass from the LSH (in fact, her entire planet)
- Gleek (from Space Ghost)
- Most of Marvel Comics' Atlantean population,
- Mystique
- Ice Maiden
- Dr. Manhattan
- the Nac Mac Feegle
- Andorians
- The Diva Plavalaguna

While not strictly members of the NGSPIB, I wonder when "two by two, hands of blue" will crop up.

Sir Lee wrote: Membership in the NGSPIB includes, but is not limited to:
- Blue Man Group
- The Smurfs
- Azure Crush (tm Diane Castle)
- Mikaal Tomas (DC Comics' Starman of the '70s)
- The Na'vi civilization
- Nightcrawler from the X-Men
- Rutian Twi'leks
- A large part of the Kree population
- Shadow Lass from the LSH (in fact, her entire planet)
- Gleek (from Space Ghost)
- Most of Marvel Comics' Atlantean population,
- Mystique
- Ice Maiden
- Dr. Manhattan
- the Nac Mac Feegle
- Andorians

The Fugates of Kentucky
The St. Louis NHL Team

Of course, Laura isn't really Blue.

She's just Red and Green challenged...

An angry Canadian geriatric with a prominent Possum Lodge button affixed to his hip waders pops up and exclaims: "Direct all challenges to my nephew!", to which a faint, nebbish, nasally reply can barely be heard: "Aaaawwwwww, uncle Red"

*sigh*

I guess it was a joke for Physicists...

Well, anybody who works with computer graphics should get it too; RGB after all.

Getting back to Calimari, I loved the bit with the squiddaughter picking up her dad's pet.

Oh My!!! What has The Mighty Squid wrought now...

I was rereading the story cuase "why not?", and I came to the point where the girls help Laura chosing a codename:

“Hey!” Morgana said excitedly, “Since your skin and hair are blue, you can use a code name like … Azure?”

As a Mass Effect fan I can say Laura would have been setting herself up for a lot of teasing had she chosen that one.

From Part 1 , Hikaru addresses her bangle as:

"Kurani-chibi-chan"

... Is that right? Not "Kurenai-chibi-chan"?

Spelling error.

Malady wrote: From Part 1 , Hikaru addresses her bangle as:

"Kurani-chibi-chan"

... Is that right? Not "Kurenai-chibi-chan"?

MageOhki wrote: Spelling error.

Fixed