Glad to know that my own self-editorial needle is in the green zone. Don't feel bad about typing that. It's helping me to better pinpoint why certain things feel off to me.
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[RFC][SI][Multi-Xover]Being You is Suffering
[RFC][SI][Multi-Xover]Being You is Suffering
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[RFC][SI][Multi-Xover]Being You is Suffering
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Okay, as promised!
Now arriving at Jurai! Please remember to take your towels with you or you will be fed to the Bug Blatter Beast of Traal The next morning I learned that Jurai is a waterworld. Mostly. There were a few rocky islands, but they were covered with trees, every one of them of Tsunami's descent... not the 'Royal' trees, but the massive, towering variety had held cities and towns within their boughs, and all at nearly stratospheric altitudes where the air was kept breathable only by the trees themselves. But while breathable, it was still very cold, dry air. No wonder the Juraians all wore such heavily layered robes. The tallest of the these trees was Tenju - the capitol of Jurai and the home of the Imperial Palace. It had its own spaceport, which was where we docked the Hinase. Unfortunately for me, it was winter here on Jurai. Fortunately, I had access to my entire wardrobe. So, I went out in style wearing black wool trousers, my favorite cable-knit sweater, a gray trench coat, and a beige, woolen longshoreman's cap with ear protectors. Yuki wore a mock-turtleneck with her jacket and wool skirt, and some light-pink stockings. Everyone else wore the usual. They were all used to the cold, living up on the mountain. The only reason I wasn't was because I am bred for warm weather. I could only acclimate so much. We exited Hinase and walked over the gangplank and onto an open-air platform that I immediately labeled as a pier in my mind - large, flat, open, and has ships moored to it. Pier. And waiting for us was none other than the Emperor, as well as his two wives. While Misaki all but tackled her two daughters, Funaho approached us with a smile, and to my surprise she opened up her arms for me. Smiling back, I gave my adoptive mother a firm hug. "I'm so glad you're safe, my son," she whispered. "You and me both," I whispered back. Funaho and I let go, pausing just long enough to smile at each other, before she then turned to Minagi and Yuki. "Welcome to Jurai, everyone. I'm glad we're all here together now so we can meet in person at last." "It is a great privilege to be welcomed in your home, honorable mother," said Yuki formally as she bowed deeply to Funaho. "Please, take good care of me." Funaho smiled. "Don't worry, Yuki-chan. You are welcome here not only as Garrick's fiance, but as one of my former countrymen. I honestly look forward to getting to know you." Funaho then turned to Minagi, smiling. “Minagi, it's good to see you again as well.” Minagi smiled back and bowed politely. “It's good to be here, your Highness.” Funaho then turned to give Yume a curious look. “Miss Yume,” she said cordially. “Is there something I should know about? You seem to be standing unusually close to my son.” Yume all but glared at Funaho. “He isn't off-limits for courting now, is he?” Funaho gave Yume a wry grin. “Not to my knowledge – that is more for Garrick himself to decide.” “Good,” said Yume with a smug grin. At this, Funaho did lean over and spoke softly. “Although, it would be advisable to comport yourself in a manner that doesn't ruffle too many feathers. His adoption alone is going to stir things up as it is.” Yume looked around Funaho to the Emperor. He only gave a flinty stare right back at her. She then looked back to Funaho giving her a smile, but we all knew the true feelings hidden behind that smile. “Right,” said Yume with a nervous smile. “There shouldn't be any trouble at all.” “That's wonderful to know, Yume,” Funaho replied. "Sooo~oooo, are you Garrick?" I turned and almost started. Misaki Masaki was hovering right at my shoulder giving me a speculative look. "Ah. Hello Lady Misaki. Nice to meet you-GHRK!" At that point, Misaki wrapped me in a bone-crushing hug to rival the ones I gave the girls on a regular basis. So, with a smile I returned the hug in full force. "OOo~wwwweeeEEE!" squeaked Misaki. She then let me go, then turned to Funaho. "Okay, you were right about this one Big Sister. He actually gets it. He's a keeper~!" "So, you really think so, Misaki?" said Azusa suddenly, bringing all attention onto him as he approached. "Garrick Grimm. In person." The Emperor gave me a long and searching look. "When Sasami said we should adopt you, I thought she was simply letting her feelings get ahead of her again. But then Seto took a personal interest... and found you worthy. After that, Funaho decides she needs to see you for herself. And she comes back to tell me about this sad and lost child. And then there is all the stories... How you shrug off your close brushes with death, how fast you learn things, how you bested Yakage and became his student, and how you fight like a cheating bastard and punish your enemies..." "Minaho has yet to hear from me about her choice of words," Funaho said suddenly, a glower on her face somehow conveying that the scar I gave her would not be sufficient. Azusa grunted noncommittally. "Indeed. You are fortunate that she drew against you first, young man, or else there would have been serious repercussions. Regardless, I am thankful that you spared her life. Despite her abrasive personality, my Granddaughter is an asset to the Empire. I only wish that her Father had her sense of responsibility." "I merely desired to teach her a lesson she will not soon forget. If I am to be apart of your household, your Majesty, then I must establish myself as a man to be reckoned with." "Indeed," Azusa replied in a low tone. "Though I wonder why you did not take more direct action. It does not seem like you to remain in the shadows." "I do as I must for Tenchi's sake. I already know what it means to take charge. Tenchi does not. I remained aside as much as possible and urged Tenchi toward the limelight so he may gain greater confidence in his capabilities. Would you not say, your Majesty, that Tenchi has acquitted himself rather well?" "I would," said the Emperor flatly. "Except that it is as you said: you had to push him there." "All young fledglings need to be pushed out the nest before they learn to fly. I myself was no different when I was younger." "So I see," Azusa intoned. "Then in that case, I believe you do deserve credit, Tenchi. It should go without saying that it takes courage to open your wings to catch the wind for the first time. And you flew rather well on your first time. It is regrettable that things were interrupted by the likes of Dr. Clay, but even that taken into account you did very well." Azusa then scowled. "Try not to screw up too badly in the future." Tenchi smiled nervously as Asuza turned to address me directly. "Garrick Grimm of Earth: a Second Generation Tree of the Royal Line has called upon you to be bonded to it. As is the nature of our trees, you do not have the option to refuse. Given your history, Funaho Masaki Jurai has petitioned the Royal Council to sponsor your adoption into House Masaki and therefore become your legal mother in name. As head of said council, I have given the matter much thought and I have decided to permit your adoption. "Be warned, Earth Man, that your position in the household will be one that has certain duties and responsibilities entailed, including, but not limited to, military service, holding a political office, and marriage for the sake of furthering the political agenda of the Empire. "Do you accept, Garrick Grimm of Earth?" I bowed my head. "I do, your Majesty." "So be it. The bonding ceremony shall be in three days time. Take that time to prepare yourself." But as he turned away, he subtly added, "Make me proud to call you my son." "As you will... father." I turned to Funaho and saw that she had an absolutely pleased smile on her face. Misaki, on the other hand, was beaming and her joy would not be contained. "EEEEEEE!" she squealed as she suddenly glomped me once more. "I'msohappyforyou-welcometothefamily!" I laughed softly and hugged Misaki back while everyone smiled at us. "I'm glad to be here." After that, we were shown to our quarters and told to take the rest of the day to settle in. Sasami forcibly pulled Yuki and Yume away, saying that under no uncertain terms that they would be spending her first night on Jurai in her personal suite. I was pretty sure that the Juraian equivalent of doujinshi manga would be involved at some point. Of course, Yume protested, but Yuki was quick to cut her off. “C'mon Yume-chan!” wheedled the Earth-girl. “How often do you get to pretend to be twelve again?” And with that, Yume reluctantly allowed herself to be hauled off by the princess and the schoolgirl. Of course, everyone else wanted to be with Tenchi, and that was an entirely different kettle of fish right there. Minagi and I on the other hand... she and I simply retired to our guest quarters, and immediately began to screw like rabbits trying to repopulate the world after the apocalypse. Hey, she was the one that started it. Afterward, Minagi and I found the shared baths for family members. Of course, she and I went in under the full expectation that we would be interrupted. However, we'd already had our fun, so as far as we were concerned it was a non-issue. Minagi sighed as she slipped into the water with me. "This has been such a nice day so far." "Yeah," I agreed. "But it'll be even nicer to get the guided tour later on. I'm pretty sure this is going to become home for me, so I need to get to know it." "Yes," said Minagi as she leaned against me. "But for now, this is nice." At that point we heard a group of feminine voices approaching. I looked to Minagi and she smiled, nodding her head. With that, I took a breath and called out, "HOOIII! Male in the bath! Don't come in unless you feel like sharing!" A pause and then another voice came out as a figure approached. "Do my ears deceive me? My darling grandson in the shared bath?" And then Seto Kamiki Jurai appeared through the mists, clad in nothing more than a bath towel. "Oh this is wonderful!" she said with an absolutely pleased look on her face. "Girls, you can come out now. It's just Garrick. The one I've been telling you about." "Really? Garrick Grimm?" said another voice as a tall, buxom, green haired woman with sharp features appeared. "HIM!?" screeched a familiar voice and Minaho Masaki came charging to the fore, her face going red in anger. "The one that give Auntie Minaho that scar!? Oh this I must see!" said yet another. An elegant platinum haired woman appeared wearing the smile of the cat that ate the canary. "Really? That Garrick Grimm?" said one more. A young woman with Japanese features and dark hair appeared - her hair seemed to have a slightly blue-ish tint to it. "Good evening everyone," I said hospitably. "It's nice to see you again, Grandmother." Seto smiled back at me. "Likewise, Grandson." "So are you just going to ignore me after what happened between us!?" snarled Minaho. "Honestly, I'd rather not ignore you, Minaho. I regret what happened between us, but that was mostly your fault for insulting me." Silence. "You told Seto I was cute," growled Minaho. "She hounded me for weeks because she thought we would be good together." "You know, big sister, you really should have just joined the Galaxy Army like I did," said the one with the Japanese appearance. "Big sister?" I parroted. "But... I thought... You're not Kiyone though!" The girl giggled. "Well, at least you're not mistaking Tennyo here for her mother. I'm Achika, the youngest of Yosho's three daughters." I felt my eyes bug out. Achika Masaki Jurai!? But she was never part of the main Tenchi Muyo continuity! Not even in the Mangas - the one time she did appear was a side-continuity story! "Waituhminute!" I cried out in surprise. "Yosho had three daughters!? Not two!?" "Why do I feel left out here?" said the green haired woman. "Of course he had three daughters! I should know - I gave birth to all three of them!" I blinked and looked at the woman a little more carefully. "Ah. Then you must be Airi. My apologies for not recognizing you right away." "Oh? What does that mean?" I looked to Seto. "They don't know yet?" "Only that you have come across dimensions." "I see. Ladies... you may want to get settled in first. What I have to say can be a little unsettling." The ladies all got settled in and I dropped the entire bomb-load on them - what sort of world I came from, how I got here, Washu's theories on Transfictionality, and how their story is a series of anime and manga in my home world. About the only things I didn't tell them were potentially sensitive information about their future and the fact that I was, in essence, an infantile proto-god - didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, after all. No need for delusions of grandeur here. "So... you know all our secrets!?" said Minaho with a look of pure horror. "Not all of them," I soothed, somewhat annoyed myself. "Your personal lives I know little about. You have to understand that Tenchi and the girls back at the Masaki Estate on Earth were the main characters. Though Kiriko and Seina get their own series later on, Tenchi and his group remain the most popular back in my home time-line. The main reason I know as much about you ladies as I do is simply because you show up in Tenchi's life in one way or another. Although you, Minaho, only made a cameo appearance, I did see a lot more of you during Seina's adventures because you were always with Grandmother." "And that's why you warned my daughter with Sun Tzu," said Airi as she began passing around some sake. "Know your enemy, know yourself indeed." I nodded in agreement as I accepted one of the small bottles for myself and Minagi, offering it to her first. She accepted, poured herself a cup, and sipped demurely. "That's part of why I apologized in the first place, Minaho. I did have an unfair advantage in knowing how you'd react once I'd seen you'd become hostile towards me." Minaho grunted. "Fine, I get it. I shook a bush and instead of getting a quail I got a honey badger, and then I began to antagonize it. Got it. Won't ever happen again." Achika then giggled. "My my! Is big sister tsundere for Gar-kun?" "I AM NOT!" snapped Minaho in outrage. "Coulda fooled me," I mumbled as I poured my own glass of sake and took sip. Minaho slid a deadly look in my direction. "...Are you mocking me again, Mr. Grimm?" "You make it too damn easy,” I replied flat-out. “Besides, you should honestly calm down. You're not presenting yourself very well. Even worse: it's a well known fact that love and hate are just flip-sides of the same coin. Quit giving them so much ammunition, dammit." Seto chuckled heartily as the others made scandalized noises while Minaho fumed impotently. "Sweet Tsunami's Fruits!" cried out Achika in gobsmacked amusement. She then looked to Minagi. "Is he always like this!?" Minagi smiled. "Only when someone is annoying him. You should have seen it when he and I first met. I couldn't tell if he was coming or going." "I heard about it from Yosho," said Airi with a smile. "He got her so wound up she tried killing him." All the others looked at Minagi in askance. Minagi blushed. "Well... I was under programming at the time..." "Hmm..." said Tennyo thoughtfully. "I wonder if that means that Minaho will fall for Garrick next since she tried to kill him?" "SHUT UP!" snarled Minaho. Tennyo and Achika then looked to each other and smiled. "Ho boy," I muttered under my breath. Suddenly, the two women grabbed Minaho by her arms. "You know, big sister," said Achika coyly, "it's really unhealthy for you to let your stress accumulate the way you have been lately." "Oh yes," agreed Tennyo. "You really should relieve that stress. And what better way than with a strong, handsome, and virile man like Garrick here?" Minaho was horrified as the two began to try and foist her onto me. Seto and Airi laughed uproariously. I sighed and shook my head as I moved towards the struggling trio - Minaho was too focused on fending them off that she didn't notice me coming until I had scooped her up in a bridal carry, causing her to freeze up and squeak adorably. I gave Tennyo and Achika my best REALLY? look. "That's enough you two," I said as I brought Minaho to my side of the bath and set her between Minagi and I. "Welcome to the Dark Side. We have sense and snarkability here." The others laughed as Minaho tried to process what the hell just happened. Minagi offered her our bottle of sake. Minaho took it without thinking at first, and then suddenly drank down the entire thing. "Okay," she said as her cheeks began to flush. "Why in the cursed depths did you do that? I probably could have killed you just now." I sighed as I stretched out in the bath and leaned back to let myself float. "Debatable," I stated flatly. "With all the monomolecular reinforcements in my body it would be quite a feat. Though you could probably give me some spectacular deep-tissue bruises. Minaho, even though you are annoying me, I have to admit that I still find you attractive." "HEEEHHH!?" cried out Minaho as she shot out of the water to give me a startled look. "Shush, he's not done yet," said Minagi as she pulled her back down into the water. "You a beautiful woman, Minaho, but the most important thing about you that I like is that you have a lot of passion. Passion is good because when I marry a woman, I want it to be because she burns for me. Just like Minagi and Yuki do." "Well sorry to disappoint you, but I just don't like you." “That's fine. Regardless, I just wanted to get you out of reach of your lecherous little sister and niece." There was a scandalized gasp from Achika. "Did he just..." "Why yes," said Tennyo with a grin. "Yes he did." Achika then broke out into a peal of laughter. "Oh wow. I have never met a guy who had the guts to put me down like that, ever! Keep it up and I might fall in love with that sassy mouth of yours." "Oh, so it's just my mouth she likes," I grumbled. Minagi giggled. "At least it isn't for the other things you can do with your mouth," she said with a saucy wink. She may have been a lot more demure than her sister, but Minagi was definitely every bit as carnal as Ryoko. "Did I really need to know that?" said Minaho faintly with the expression of a person that desperately wants to 'un-see' what they have just seen.. "Yes, you did," said Minagi primly. "He's also excellent with his hands. Why, just earlier today he was running his finger along my -ulp-..." Minagi looked at me in askance as to why I had suddenly reached past Minaho's rather startled face to cover her mouth all the sudden. In answer, I turned to the other side of the bath. "Tennyo, Achika? You two may wanna take care of those nosebleeds before they contaminate the bath water." At their shocked expressions and frantic reactions, Seto started laughing so hard that she had to grasp at the edge of the bath, else she'd slip and drown. Minagi began shaking her head ruefully once I removed my hand. "There you go, Gar-kun. I can never tell if your coming or going once you get like this. And I was your unwitting accomplice. Again!" I smiled over at Minagi. "You just have a profound sense of naivety," I told her. "Really, it's adorable on you. Besides, you kinda caught me by surprise there, too." "Okay, you guys got us good there," said Achika once she'd staunched her bleed. "Unwitting accomplice or not. Tennyo and I will play nice now." "We will?" asked Tennyo innocently. "What a shame." "We can't have a battle of wits here in the bath, Ten-chan. He's just proven himself a worthy adversary... and a dangerous one, too - Grandmother would have made us scrub the bath if we got any blood in the water." Tennyo's eyes widened at the sudden realization. She then turned to Seto, who replied with a look of evil intent. Devil Princesss of Jurai indeed. "Good point," Tennyo replied. She then sighed and said, "All joking aside, I personally feel it's only fair to tell you, Garrick: Seto has told us, that is Achika, Minaho, and myself, to consider ourselves marriage candidates for you, and that we should actively pursue you." "Ahh," I replied. "Honesty. I appreciate that. I really do. So many misunderstandings in life can be averted if people were more straightforward with each other. You, miss Tennyo, have earned some merits in your column. "On that note, I'd like to ask the three of you a serious question: how do you all feel about that?"Achika and Tennyo shot a look at Seto, who simply sighed and gave a rather Gallic shrug. They then look to each other and Tennyo decided to go first. "Really, I'd say that I'm probably the most eligible. I've finished my commission with the Galaxy Police and I was planning on taking some vacation time back on Earth before seeing if Grandma Seto or Grandfather had something for me to do - probably take up command of a flotilla or two. As for how I feel about it..." Tennyo shrugged. "I've known for a while now that I'd probably be asked to consider marriage with someone the Family wants closer ties to. I'm glad that Grandma Seto is trying to set me up with someone like you, though. I mean, you're definitely smart, you have some interesting skills, you're good with children, you tend to avoid fights but when you can't you definitely fight to win, and evidently you're also great in the sack. You don't seem like a bad choice at all, but I'd still like to see what you're really like." I smiled at Tennyo. "I'm honestly glad to hear that you're willing to give this a try, Tennyo. Whether things work out between us or not, I hope that we at least become good friends." Tennyo smiled back. "I don't think that will be a problem." She then turned to Achika. "You're turn." Achika sighed. "Well, I'm a little tied up with my own commission in the Galaxy Army right now, but I'm pretty sure Grandma Seto and Grandma Airi will pull some strings to make sure I have some... free time." For the first time, Achika was starting to look a little disgruntled. "I love what I do right now. I get to beat up bad guys and date hot guys. No worries about obligations to the Royal Family. Hell, I'm going by a monicker right now so I don't have to deal with the stigma of being a princess. Ugh. But anyhow... since it's you... Well, it might be okay for a while since it's you. I mean, you're a pretty interesting guy. You've had it real tough, but you bounced back and got stronger. Grandma Seto also let me see recordings of what happened over on Yatsuka. That was pretty damn good stuff there - you practically bled them dry and at the final confrontation you had them so psyched out they ran with their tails between their legs! Any guy that pulls something like that and makes it look easy has got my interest." I chuckled at that. "Well, things tend to get a little boring back on the homestead after I got Ayeka and Ryoko to see eye-to-eye on things... but I do have some fun projects. Besides, I could use another super-powered highly trained combatant to help me sharpen my skills. If you'll come along, that is." Achika raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?" I thumbed over at Minagi. "Her dad exploded my heart. You should feel more sorry for Washu – she's the one that has to patch me back together after one of my mishaps. It's become a running gag over there." Achika snickered. "Okay, you are officially fun. Count me in." With that, all our eyes turned expectantly to Minaho. Minaho sighed. "I'm only going because Grandmother Funaho, as head of House Masaki, has ordered me to do so that I may gain an appreciation for the part of my heritage I've been neglecting."Minagi gently nudged Minaho in the ribs. Minaho glared at her, but Minagi never wavered, simply giving her a Mona Lisa smile. "Oh fine!" Minaho declared in exasperation. "He is attractive. Tsunami's sake, he should have been a damn underwear model. Instead, he fixes relationships, makes swords, fights armies, and even helps birth babies! What else does he do!? Walk on water!?" I winced at that, but then thought about it for a second. "You know, that might be fun to do just so I can fuck with people's heads. By the way, how do you know about that?" "Primer to Earth Cultures," stated Minaho flatly. "Required reading for all members of the Royal Family thanks to the Emperor." "Natch," I quipped. "Anyhow, whether I like it or not, I guess I have to go. Just don't you dare start walking on water or else, sacrilege or not, I will kill you." "By all means, you're welcome to try," I said glibly. "A season back home just isn't complete until someone, intentionally or not, makes an attempt on my life." Minaho blinked. "Is he being serious?" Minagi hummed thoughtfully as she cast her eyes upwards, as though a list of events hung in the air over her head. "Let's see, when he first got here Ryoko accidentally broke his neck, and then a little bit later Mihoshi accidentally shattered about half his ribs. About there, Washu and Garrick decided to enhance his durability. So that's why with the monomolecular reinforcements in his body. Then there was that assassination attempt by a country on Earth called Iran. And then I showed up and..." Minagi then blushed. "Well, you know. And then my creator, Yakagi, exploded his heart... Also there was the guy that tried to kidnap Yuki. And then there was you, Minaho, and then Yume and her minions and then that freak, Dr. Clay..." Minagi paused then gave me a look. "You've been busier than usual. You should be good for about a year now." "My my," purred Seto. "It seems my dear grandson is a magnet for trouble!" I snorted at that. "Grandmother, even before I got here, Murphy's Law loved me like a red headed step-child." Seto tilted her head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't get the reference." "Ah, sorry. Two pop-cultural references in one. The first part being Murphy's Law, a set of adages coined by one Doctor Murphy who worked for the army of the USA. Basically, it states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. "As for the red-headed step-child bit, that has to do with a racial slur against the Irish people back on Earth - they are known for a strong genetic predisposition for the most outrageously fiery red hair you can imagine. A red-headed step-child implied that a woman had an illegitimate child by an Irishman before she got married, and back when racism was more widespread on Earth the Irish weren't looked upon kindly. Such children were usually harshly beaten for even perceived slights by their step-fathers. "So, combine Murphy's Law and 'red-headed step-child' as I do, and what do you get?" Achika giggled. "Someone the universe seems to hate." Airi laughed. "I have to admit. That's a pretty colorful way to describe it." Minaho just gave me an astounded look, then shook her head. "You know what, I give up. The universe hates you, and that's good enough for me. I think that from now on I'll just sit back and enjoy the show." Sorry I explained the joke, but it felt right especially considering there's a new generation out there that doesn't know the meaning of Murphy's Law or what's so bad about being a Red Headed Step-Child. Anyhow, I hope this scene was good for some laughs. I certainly had a blast writing it. 
I'd always thought it was just about the myth that a red headed child would be possessed by the devil, myself. Isn't red hair recessive like blond, anyway?
-- "Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows Quote:ClassicDrogn wrote:O_O; Never heard of that one before! And yes, it is a recessive, but it crops up fairly frequently enough amongst the Irish that back in the bad old days it was a mark of Irish parentage. Heck, I have a bit of Irish somewhere on both side of my family and I get these flaming-red whiskers mixed with with the rest of the dark-chestnut colored ones. (People mistake my hair for black, but it's really dark-chestnut. You just don't notice until the sunlight hits it.)
As a constructive distraction from the main production, I've started working on a sort of detailed rundown of all the main characters from Garrick's perspective. Think of it as a sort journal kept by Garrick. While the story itself has all the blow-by-blows, the journal has in depth essays about each of the characters, and all in Garrick's own voice.
I'm making this out of response to Dartz at one point saying that while he found this interesting, he was at a handicap not knowing much about Tenchi Muyo at all. It will not only include the basic character bios and pictures of said characters, but also Garrick's own thoughts about them as people. Another reason is due to information I've gleaned from reading the (rough) translations of the Shin Tenchi Muyo novels. Unfortunately, they don't cover as much information as I'd hoped they would. I think I'll have to go hunting for scanslations of Kajishima-sensei's doujins as he has a tendency of writing them simply to explain the background. Even so, I'm probably going to have to just go with some educated guesses. One revelation that I had from the light novels is that Ryoko actually had quite a bit of leeway under Kagato's control. In fact, it seems that whenever he had nothing for her to do, he just let her do whatever! This would really explain a lot about her attitude, and I'm going to have to go back and tweak a few things because of it. (On that note, I still believe that when they say she had a 'poor sense of taste' they meant in the sense that a Redneck has a 'blissful lack of sophistication' and therefore couldn't appreciate gourmet food like others do.)
Well, Ryoko is not exactly the kind of girl you makes you think "master of subtlety," it's true. She's got a big, bold personality, dresses in bold colors, and liking bold flavors would fit right in with that. Mr. Texan should make her some real southwestern spicy stuff sometime, not the baby food us Yankees call hot.
-- "Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows  Quote:ClassicDrogn wrote:And you know, Sasami would want to get in on that action -- the cooking side, I mean. I can just see her next to Garrick taking notes on all the ingredients for a rub, asking him for clarification on the interactions between flavors, and then diving in, with sleeves rolled up, into the cooking. -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak.
Eh. Never been a fan of the 'All heat and no flavor' camp. Shit drives me bonkers. On the other hand, most people in my family, my mother included (which is strange because she's the one that grew up on tex-mex cooking), feel that I'm a little screwy for spiking my arroz con pollo with some Frank's Red Hot.
EDIT: Sorry, Bob! Didn't see your post there... Think ya ninja'd me. "Sasami-chan, the name of the game when dealing with brisket is 'tender and savory'. Brisket being a red meat, of course you'd cook it nice and slow, but for the best results you cook it as slow as you can get away with. My grandfather would let his go for about four days in his barbeque pit. Now, for the rub I'll let you go ahead and figure out what you want - you're a smart girl when it comes to that. That said, though, I'll give you the general idea of what we're going for. Typically we'd make a rub using celery salt, paprika, garlic salt, and just a bit of fresh-ground pepper for a kick."
Sorry, double post I know, but this deserves it's own post.
See, I used the wayback machine and lucked out in finding a translated copy of the 101 Tenchi Muyo Facts. Now, bear in mind that this was written way back when only the first Tenchi Muyo OVA had been released, so some of the questions are kinda redundant. However, there are still quite a few little tidbits in there that are quite useful to know. (Example: the marks on Funaho's and Misaki's foreheads are makeup. The one on Sasami's... isn't. Also, you can tell the boys from the girls on Jurai by their ponytails - girls always have two, boys only have one.) Here, have a link! http://web.archive.org/web/20071005103 ... FACTS.html Quote:Black Aeronaut wrote:Well, most people do not realize that in the 1820's-1860's, the Irish were considered no better than Negroes. Especially in the deep south. "Irish and Niggers Keep Off The Grass" was a common sign. I learned of it when I was stationed at Wright-Patt AFB in the 80's. Interesting that none of the current generation is aware of that saying.Quote:ClassicDrogn wrote:O_O; Never heard of that one before! __________________ Into terror!, Into valour! Charge ahead! No! Never turn Yes, it's into the fire we fly And the devil will burn! - Scarlett Pimpernell
Yikes, culd you maybe trim the seperator line on your sig, Ordnance11? It makes the whole page want me to scroll back and forth.
-- "Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
Okay, while I'm still trying to work stuff out for the next few segments, I thought I'd go ahead and reveal what the next step is gonna be.
Pain. My whole body ached. I didn't want to open my eyes, but I knew I had to. I had no idea what had happened and I needed to assess my situation. Slowly, I cracked them open. To my relief, the light outside was bright, but no more painful than normal. I squinted, groaning from the pain of flexing my facial muscles – even those were sore, dammit! Within seconds, though, my eyes began to adapt and I was able to start taking in the details. I was in some sort of room... it was like an old hospital. I slowly turned my head to the side and saw a day-lit window with a cast-iron radiator under the sill. An armoire sat against near the corner and there was a door right in front of the bed. Next to me was another bed, empty, and just past that was an open door leading to a hallway beyond. The bed was an old looking sort – all porcelain-coated metal and in a plain white color. In fact, everything in the room was white. Why wouldn't it be? In hospitals, like most ordnance bunkers, everything is white so you can better see the contaminants when they appear. So I had been receiving medical care. Which meant that I was under someone's care. I felt around a bit, shifting my arms and legs, even though they burned from soreness. I was not restrained, which is a very good sign. I noticed that my left arm felt particularly pained. I looked down and grimaced as I saw an IV line taped to my wrist, the thick needle embedded deeply into my arm. I hate these things with a pink and purple passion, but I knew better than to mess with it. On the other hand, though, that didn't mean I couldn't get someone to see about pulling it out for me. I looked around some more and saw a night stand by my side with what looked like an old AM radio... and a silver bell with a black handle, standing upright on the nightsand. I groped for it clumsily, almost knocked it over, but I got my hand around the handle just before I could push it over the edge and then gave it a shake. The clear, ringing tone was a bit louder than I expected, but I knew this to be a welcome thing. I heard a gasp at the door and automatically turned to the sound. All I caught was the blurring of blue hair as it disappeared down the hall. Was it just my imagination or did I hear hoof-beats? Probably just the acoustics. Whatever had happened, I hoped that answers were waiting for me. I was already starting to feel anxious. I know that Dr. Clay had attacked, but I somehow felt that he was unsuccessful. Even so, I was worried for my ladies and my adoptive family. The clip-clopping sound got my attention and I turned to the door, anxiously waiting... A small, white equine figure entered the room. It had a white coat and a pink mane. PINK!? And even stranger was it was wearing an old-fashioned nurse's cap. It then made some sort of sound... it was talking to me! It was very strange and fluid sounding, almost like the elvish language from Tolkein's Lord of the Rings series. And then I saw the mark on the equine's flank – a red cross with small, pink hearts at the corners, pointing inwards. Nurse Redheart. My Little Pony. I had crossed dimensional boundaries once more. So, the part I'm trying to figure out here... Where the heck do I have Garrick show up in the timeline? Well, ultimately I would love for him to go on a knock-down drag-out fight with Tirac - first, before he reaches full power, and then again when he is depowered... Garrick will kill Tirac, because screw the whole banishment to Tartarus thing - this time Tirac is going to stay gone. Slayed God-like Beings Counter: 1
...so, wait. Is this Tenchi/Macross/MLP, or Tenchi/MLP/.../Macross? I lost track of what the actual plan was, except insofar as there was a Macross stop someplace along the line.
Points given for language barrier, for getting the slightly old-timey feel of MLP right, and for going with logic over panic. Points suspended (well, held in escrow) for what, precisely, the language barrier is. Why go with Quenyak (or is it Saddldarin?), anyway? Thematic reasons, or practical? I don't know what sort of language would suit an MLPony's facial structure best, but I doubt it's Elvishlike. On the other hand, a fluid, soothing language would fit the Equestrian mindset better. Not sure whether it works or not, anyway. My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours. I've been writing a bit.
I'm not going for any particular language - Tolkein I am certainly not! I simply wanted to convey a sense of 'sounds like language-x'. Like you said, I rather thought it fit their mindset. Although if a linguist on the board does want to chip in their two cents I would certainly welcome their input. I know that there is at least one or two, I just forget who they are off the top of my head.
As for panic-vs-logic... Well, there's gonna be an even trade between the two. Garrick is gonna have a bit of a fit... Ah, what the hell. I'll just show you. I had crossed dimensional boundaries once more... and the reason for my anxiety fell into place as I felt myself consumed by an all-powerful sense of sorrow and emptiness. I tried to hold it back, but it was impossible. My breath caught in my throat and I held the outcry back, letting it out only as a faint, high-pitch wheeze as my eyes teared up against my will. Dimly, I heard worried and distraught sounding noises from Redheart and I felt her hooves gently probing at my face the way a mother tries to comfort a weeping child. The expression was clear here: Oh my goodness! What's wrong!? Can you tell me where it hurts!? I had to check my C-Space. I needed to know that was working still! Oh dear sweet Tsunami please tell me I still had Katherine!!! I made a frantic shucking motion over my left arm. Get this IV out of me, NOW! Nurse Redheart got the message and I heard her call out to someone, followed by a series of receding hoof-beats. While I waited, Redheart tried to reassure and comfort me. I was so sorely tempted to just grab her and wrap her up in my arms. Oh Goddess, why!? Why do I lose everything like this!? A frantic set of approaching hoof-beats came, followed by what sounded like a collision with the unoccupied hospital bed. A few excited imprecations later, Redheart was by my side once more and said something to me. I think it was something along the lines of bracing myself. Carefully, she removed the medical tape. The stinging pull on my skin didn't hold a candle to the pain in my heart, though. Then the gentle pressure at the puncture site, followed by the dull ache of the needle being removed. Quickly and deftly a bandage was tied around it. Redheart then made a probing, comforting sound. There now, is that better? Gently, I pushed her aside as I pulled up my blanket to wipe my tears away. She didn't struggle and allowed me my movement as I brought my C-pod into view. Placement doesn't really matter, as long as I don't hurt anyone or anything, I thought as I hurriedly entered a set of relative coordinates and bearings. I struck the execute key, and just like that, the most welcome sight in all of Equestria appeared at my bedside. I almost broke out into fresh tears, even as Redheart and whoever else was present whinnied in shock. Sorry, Redheart. I have to do this. I then keyed the emergency escape and I was sucked, feet first, out of the hospital bed, taking the blanket with me. Just like that, they were gone... or rather I was. The sudden movement was replaced by the familiar feeling of low gravity as I drifted to the common area of my C-Space. As my feet touched the floor, gravity gently increased, pulling me down to the ground in a boneless heap. Garrick! Please hurry! “katherine,” I groaned as I painfully levered myself up. We must complete the bond, Garrick! “I'm coming, sweetheart” I wheezed as I began to limp to the stairs and pull my way up. “I'm coming baby girl.” Katherine said no more as I limped my way down the hall to my Garden Room. She knew I was doing everything I could to get there, and she wasn't going to rush me needlessly. As I pushed my way past the door into the garden, the scents of wood, earth, and sweet flower fragrance filled my sinuses and I stumbled towards my beloved tree, collapsing almost right on top of her. “katherine,” I whispered sorrowfully. “i'm so sorry...” A single leaf dropped from the little sapling, the edge of the leaf glinting oddly in the light as it did so. I looked where it landed and saw that the edges of the leaf had a coating of crystallized sap. You can use it to prick your finger, Garrick. Make the pact and our bond will be complete. You need me and I need you. I nodded my head and picked up the razor-sharp little leaf, and then harshly nicked the index finger of my left hand, causing it to bleed freely. I then grasped Katherine's tiny trunk gently, yet firmly, making sure my wounded fingertip had solid contact. The words then came into my mind, and I spoke them out loud. “I, Garrick Grimm, just as the First Emperor did on the First Day, hear your voice, Katherine of the Second Generation of Tsunami-no-Ki, progenitor of all trees of Jurai. I swear to care for you in all my days, until I am no longer able to. In return, I accept your gifts of power and long life. And now, I shall seal this pact with my own life force. Accept this blood sacrifice, Katherine, and forever be at my side.” As with Bizen did with Yuki, Katherine now extended thin, vine-like tendrils around my left wrist, wrapping them around my C-Pod's wristband and framing the bezel screen. I, Katherine of the Second Generation of Tsunami-no-ki, do accept your blood sacrifice. I grant you this Master Key to me so you may effectively command me and my power wherever you may be. And through my Water of Life, I shall grant you long life and youth until the day you die. Go, my bondmate, and partake of the water now. But know that this is your baptism and you shall be forever changed. I then went to the pool of crystal clear water that surrounded my tree's planter, and without hesitation I dipped my hands deeply into the water and brought the sparkling treasure to my lips. I have never tasted water that was so good. The cool liquid swam down my throat leaving a path of refreshment all the way to the bottom. That didn't last long, though. Not even a second later, that cool feeling turned to a burning that expanded from my guts to my limbs and all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes. I wanted to cry out, but I would not let myself. To do so would sully the memory of my beautiful little Yuki as I held her close to me, comforting her as she endured the very same fire as it burned through her veins. I don't know how long it took. Minutes, hours, days... it didn't really matter. All that did matter was that it eventually subsided. I dared to put my hand in the water and take another sip... once more there was that blissful, wondrous sense of refreshment, but no burning came of it. Afterward, I simply laid there, basking in the warmth of the artificial sunlight and the cool of the earth beneath me. There was something else, as well. A sort of gentle and steady hum... Katherine. I'm here, Gar-kun. Whenever you need me, no matter where you are. I will always be there for you. You won't be alone. It was like a kick to the gut and the tears came once more. “But... my family... Katherine, they're gone!” I pretty much lost it there, breaking down into wracking sobs. It was was worse than my arrival at the Masaki residence. It was that and my mother's funeral all in one. There was a sound next to me. Something purple, with a sorrowfully sympathetic expression. There was a bright glow, and then a deep and dreamless sleep. Yep. That would be Twilight Sparkle there. Katherine overrode the security so she can get in - she's a smart cookie and knows that they intend him no harm. The language barrier probably won't last very long, at least not between Garrick and Twilight. Katherine will probably figure out how to use Twilight's talents with magic to her advantage and give Twi fluency in English and Japanese (both languages have certain expressions that simply don't translate over too well - and Japanese for REASONS!!!). HOWEVER... Garrick will insist that Twilight not teach anyone else the languages... at least until he's fluent enough in Equestrian to hold up a conversation. Even so, he'll probably need help now and then for those 'what is word?' moments. Oh, and Garrick's accent and grammar is gonna be really rough... Whenever he is speaking Equestrian it will be like the equivalent of a Russian speaking bad English, but steadily improving over time. It'll be pretty funny for bits like this: "Filly. Sun Queen keep standing army of armored Unicorn. You cry about two sword I have? Methink you not know meaning of word dangerous. You want learn?" As for the plan thus far.... 1. Tenchi Muyo 2. MLP:FiM 3. Macross 4. ??? 5. Strike Witches 6. ??? 7. ??? 8. ??? 9. ??? 10. ??? 11. ??? 12. ??? 13. ??? 14. ??? 15. ??? 16. ??? 17. ??? 18. ??? 19. ??? 20. ??? 21. ??? 22. ??? 23. ??? 24. ??? 25. ??? 26. ??? 27. ??? 28. ??? 29. ??? 30. ??? Believe me, we got a long ways to go here. Some of these steps are gonna be long ones. Some of them are gonna be short. There will be sizable time-skips on the longer ones. There will be supplementary stories along the way. And finally, YES I AM INTENTIONALLY BEING TIGHT-LIPPED ABOUT WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT! It's so much fun being an evil author and keeping you guys in suspense.
Some nice moments there, and as much of a deathworld as Equestria is the general population is still very nice. Twi would be super-interested to hear about other worlds and such as well, I'm sure, and between her and Katherine, and Washuu and Tsunami on the other end, they'll probably have some way to send messages at least when interdimensional "weather" conditions are favorable.
-- "Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
Agreed. I'd offer more commentary on the timeframe bit, but I stopped watching MLP after season 2.
Also, do you really have 30 different stops planned, or just most of them? My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours. I've been writing a bit. Quote:ClassicDrogn wrote:I'm glad you guys feel so. I never really thought of Equestria as a deathworld... I figured that only really applied to the Everfree Forest. And yes, the correspondence between Twilight and Washuu is gonna be something to behold. I'm planning on going the tried and true route of Humans being something of a legendary species that is all but unknown in Equestria, wiped out during Discord's reign and permitted to fall into fable and then obscurity by Celestia... because really, why be reminded of something so painful? Garrick showing up... Celestia will keep it relatively quiet - something isolated to Ponyville until herself, the other Princesses, and the Element Bearers all determine that he's safe. (This, of course, is a relative thing.) The primary conflict is going to be Garrick's unwillingness to be befriended by anyone. He'll be cordial enough in his dealings, but for the most part he'll be solitary as he tries not to form social bonds. And what will make it all the more frustrating for Twilight and her friends is that he is going to be very polite and rational about it. He explains his POV well enough that they understand exactly what he means - that even though he really, REALLY wants to get to know everyone, he doesn't want to suffer heartbreak again by having to leave people he's come to love behind once more. This will make for some heart-rending friendship letters for Twilight to write as she struggles to get through to Garrick. Eventually, though, adventures happen for reasons and butterflies, and over the course of it all, Garrick winds up reluctantly opening up to the others. One character I would like to have as a reoccurring character would be Lyra. I've been looking at HiE fics over at FiMFiction.net, and I've noticed that most HiE fics will either feature her as a main character... or hardly feature her at all. I'd like to strike a happy middle Also, everyone seems to love a good redemption of Trixy, so I'll throw my own twist on it in there. Oh, and Garrick will teach the little school foals about basic technology. Electricity, electromagnets, radio, quartz crystal clocks, internal combustion, gas turbines, etc. Garrick will usher in the age of Art Deco and Diesel Punk. In the years after Garrick leaves, Equestria experiences a sort of technomagical industrial revolution, and power plants, pumping stations, and rail terminals are all erected in a magnificent Art Deco style. Celestia and Luna couldn't be happier - Garrick unwittingly gives them what was probably Humanity's greatest strength - the unrelenting drive to go beyond. In short, Garrick finds that he likes being a teacher and will pursue such occupations in the future where possible. Quote:Bluemage wrote:Pretty much. I'm still playing around with it a bit. I'm not willing to say which ones I'm still fickle on just yet. And some of these worlds... Well, to say that Garrick is going to 'butterfly' them is far too generous. More like 'explode a nuke in the eye of the temporal hurricane'. Strike Witches will be one such example.
Hurray for Art Deco! I always have liked that style, in most interpretations at least. I'd hope Equestria as a magical civilization could manage something cleaner than fossil fuels for power, though.
-- "Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
Same here. Yay for Art Deco.
As far as the fuel situation, I'm not sure what you're thinking Equestria has available to use, CD. Unicorn magic doesn't really seem to do much with 'enchantments', per se; all its effects tend to be either instant, instant at the point the spell finally goes through (for those that take some dramatic groans of effort to get done), or last as long as the unicorns in question focus on it. Makes it sort of hard to do the 'enchant the generator to spin continuously' trick. Now, pegasi... that's a different story. There are a number of ways to break (or at least bend) things with weather manipulation, the long-term one being solar power (with predictable levels of sun and scheduled clouds). Lightning collectors, maybe? Some sort of system that uses rain on command? There's potential there, even if I'm not seeing it this early in the morning. As for earth ponies... treadmills. That's all I've got. Also, props for a lack of friendship. You don't see 'trying not to get to care about people' done very often in fanfic. Pity, that- it can be very effective when done well. I'm seriously looking forward to those friendship letters... and hoping- PRAYING- you don't do any shipping/harem-enlarging while there. My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours. I've been writing a bit.
Biodiesel is pretty clean. So is ethanol. Clean enough that if they know the risks going and and know to manage them, then they should be able to manage their carbon footprints fairly effectively. Can you imagine a steam locomotive made with modern boiler technology and fired with biodiesel?
Also, I'm pretty sure that a magitech method for producing both in vast quantities from waste biomatter (ie, corn husks, stalks, etc) can be figured out. Oh, and Garrick teaches them about hydroponics. Why? Imagine pegasi growing crops in the clouds. EDIT: Oh, hai there Bluemage! Ah, no. No real expanding of the harem here. Though the departure is gonna hurt a bit. It's more or less what Garrick was afraid of - tearful goodbyes and laments over friends lost. Although I'm working on an idea... Katherine leaving seeds behind that wind up sprouting... and since they're her seeds she can maintain a line of communication between them all, and potentially serve as guides for future dimensional travel.  Black Aeronaut Wrote:The primary conflict is going to be Garrick's unwillingness to be befriended by anyone. He'll be cordial enough in his dealings, but for the most part he'll be solitary as he tries not to form social bonds.But... but Friendship is Magic! Don't you want magic, Garrick? Black Aeronaut Wrote:Although I'm working on an idea... Katherine leaving seeds behind that wind up sprouting... and since they're her seeds she can maintain a line of communication between them all, and potentially serve as guides for future dimensional travel.Good idea for later, but isn't Katherine still a sapling right now? Can she produce seeds? -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012 
Hm. Okay, you're going to want a lot of liquid consonants and clear vowels. I had been working on an "Equestrian" for another project, but that one went closer to "Make horse sounds musical, if you can."
Some sample sentences of that: (aeiou are Italian/Japanese, h is always pronounced, r is rolled/trilled/flapped, and v and f are pronounced with the lips, no teeth.) I lihro hepu-za vo. /ee LEEH-rro HAY-poo-za vo/ 1p.s like/enjoy Apple-acc prsnt. "I like apples." It's got a bit of a complicated pronoun scheme, with inclusive and exclusive plurals, and a "royal" register that tends to imply strong or intimate feeling, mainly due to Celestia's use of it over the last thousand years compared to the old Unicorn royalty. Additionally, "hi'in" is supposed to sound like a "joyful" whinny, with the apostrophe indicating a glottal stop: what the hyphen in "uh-oh" sounds like. Soi, didua hi'in i-za vo-vis. /SO-ee, DEE-dwa HEE-een EE-za VO-vees./ Yes(friendly) 2p.s.royal make.proud 1p.s-acc prsnt-fut. "Of course you're making me proud, my little pony/my faithful student." ''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.'' -- James Nicoll Quote:robkelk wrote:*Snrk!* In all seriousness, Garrick will desperately want to make friends, but he's holding back for previously stated reasons.Quote:Black Aeronaut wrote:But... but Friendship is Magic! Don't you want magic, Garrick? Quote:robkelk wrote:... A most cogent point. Oh well. Celestia is pretty much a Goddess anyhow. I'll think of something.Quote:Black Aeronaut wrote:Good idea for later, but isn't Katherine still a sapling right now? Can she produce seeds? ...Oh, and just imagine her reaction when she finds that Garrick is a slightly more than mortal? I'd imagine at some point when no one else is around (except maybe Luna) she'll glomp him and start blubbering about how terrible it is spending thousands of years with others whose lives are so brief and what a joy it is she found him. Quote:Foxboy wrote:Whoah. Yeah, you see, I'm no linguist at all. I could never have come up with even half of that. Would you like to help me out on the Equestrian Language until Garrick is fluent? Pretty sure you'll wind up working out a lot of the kinks and expanding the vocabulary by a wide margin.
...one thing I'd like to see is Garrick having problems speaking Equestrian. Like, he can get most of it, but his mouth/throat can't quite make some of the sounds.
Worst case, he has to sort-of-approximate some of the sounds- or substitute others- leading to new people having to learn to interpret his dialect. Sort of a bad speech impediment. Best case, one heck of an accent. My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours. I've been writing a bit.
Pretty much what I had in mind with him coming across to them like a Russian with a bad accent does with us.
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