27||0|4336|0| 0|0|0|||||Fire Hazards|MuninsFire||20:32:33|12/17/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Dec-17-13 AT 08:35 PM (EST) by Gryphon (admin)]%5Bsmall%5D%5Bfont color%3D%22red%22%5D%26l%3BQuick simplification. It seems neither special characters %28what with the inconsistent-encoding problem%29 nor double quotes work very well in DCF subject lines. --G.%26r%3B%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Fsmall%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C hey%2C new thing%21%0D%0A%0D%0AI was looking forward to finding out why Juniper and Azana had showed up all disheveled%2C and here it is. Good stuff. 1|1|0|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Meagen||05:21:05|12/18/2013|%2Areads%2A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E He was a tall%2C slim young man%2C maybe Azana%27s age%2C maybe a little%0D%0A%3E bit older%2C with similar coloring - a Fire National%2C or a Republican with%0D%0A%3E mostly western ancestors.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2Awonders if that%27s Shinzen again%2A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E He was dressed well%2C but gaudily%2C in a%0D%0A%3E three-piece suit of slightly-too-bright-red and black satin%2C with a%0D%0A%3E brick-red shirt and a bolo tie whose clasp was an enameled medallion%0D%0A%3E with a symbol similar to that on the Fire Nation flag.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2Aabandons that idea%2A%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E He had his hair in a pompadour%2C slicked up with%0D%0A%3E something shiny and smelling powerfully of musk%2C and his easy%2C lazy%0D%0A%3E smile revealed a couple of gold teeth.%0D%0A%0D%0A%2Adouble-takes%2A %0D%0A%0D%0A...Cronus%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E Well-dressed and well-groomed Kaiten might be%2C but Anne%27s%0D%0A%3E street-honed instincts instantly caught a whiff of wrongness about him%2C%0D%0A%3E quite apart from the eye-watering pong of his pomade. %0D%0A%0D%0ACronus what are you even doing here%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E Anne would have instinctively disliked him anyway%2C on the basis%0D%0A%3E of his oily manner%2C his fake smile%2C his central-casting-gangster%0D%0A%3E clothes%2C his intrusive rudeness%2C Azana%27s obvious distaste%2C and the fact%0D%0A%3E that he called women who obviously did not like him %22baby%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t think the management even knows you exist%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E %22That%27s OK%2C baby%2C I%27m not here looking for help with anything%2C%22%0D%0A%3E said Kaiten casually. %22Fact of the matter is%2C I%27m here to help -you.-%22%0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C of course. You%27re here to try to mack on women who want nothing to do with you because you%27re a slimy creep. Why did I even have to ask.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28%5Bb%5DNo seriously note%3A%5B%2Fb%5D Cronus Ampora is a side character in the webcomic Homestuck%2C and is drawn from the same vein of %22loser creep who overdoes hairproduct %28among other things%29%22 as Kaiten here. I have been reading entirely too much Homestuck fanfic that transplant the characters to other settings and my brain was in %22spot the Homestuck character%22 mode%2C that%27s all.%29 3|2|1|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|MuninsFire||12:53:00|12/18/2013|I think it%27s more a case of a %27type%27 than anything else. I%27ve met a couple of that kind of schmuck IRL%2C though none with the %27red%27 motif as of yet%2C nor any with supernatural abilities concerning fire. 6|3|3|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Gryphon||17:49:50|12/18/2013|%3EI think it%27s more a case of a %27type%27 than anything else.%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah%2C Kaiten is initially just supposed to come across as the ANSI standard %22gangster dandy%22 type - like a greaser%2C only Ambiguously Asian in the %5Bi%5DAvatar%5B%2Fi%5D style.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 7|4|6|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|MuninsFire||18:26:29|12/18/2013|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Dec-18-13 AT 06:30 PM (EST)]Z535-compliant gangster labeling %5Blink%3Aimageshack.us%2Fphoto%2Fmy-images%2F9%2Feh5d.png%2F%26%7Chere%5D %3B-p 4|2|1|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Gryphon||14:29:54|12/18/2013|Uh... OK then.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A%28yeah%2C no idea%29%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 2|1|0|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|twipper||12:01:52|12/18/2013|Azana%27s epiphany might be the best description of a limit break I%27ve read. The Authors here could teach the professionals a bit about writing action sequences.%0D%0A%0D%0ABrian%0D%0A 9|2|2|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Proginoskes||12:42:27|12/19/2013|I%27ve been reading a lot of %5Bi%5DExalted%5B%2Fi%5D fiction recently%2C so it struck me more as a kind of Second Breath. No longer a mere firebender%2C Azana is now a Chosen of the Fire Dragon. Of course%2C Exalted doesn%27t fit into UF%27s cosmology at all%2C but the feel of the passage is what I was thinking of. 10|3|9|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Offsides||14:18:04|12/19/2013|This raises the question that first popped into my head when I read this last night%3A When Garnet showed Azana the True Fire%2C did she give her some sort of gift that unlocked her potential%2C and it wasn%27t until she was at the edge of defeat that she found it%2C or did she just show Azana the True Fire%2C but seeing it allowed Azana to have an epiphany that jumped her up to GrandMaster level %28or something like that%29%3F Either way%2C it%27s clear that _something_ unlocked and she was able to tap into it%2C I%27m just curious as to whether Garnet did something directly or indirectly to make it happen.%0D%0A%0D%0AOffsides%0D%0A%0D%0A%26%2391%3B...%26%2393%3B in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.%0D%0A -- David Ben Gurion%0D%0AEPU RCW %23%26pi%3B%0D%0A%23include %3Cstdsig.h%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A 11|4|10|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Gryphon||15:04:24|12/19/2013|%3EThis raises the question that first popped into my head when I read %0D%0A%3Ethis last night%3A When Garnet showed Azana the True Fire%2C did she give %0D%0A%3Eher some sort of gift that unlocked her potential%2C and it wasn%27t until %0D%0A%3Eshe was at the edge of defeat that she found it%2C or did she just show %0D%0A%3EAzana the True Fire%2C but seeing it allowed Azana to have an epiphany %0D%0A%3Ethat jumped her up to GrandMaster level %28or something like that%29%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AMore the latter. If one may belabor a metaphor slightly%2C Garnet didn%27t patch Azana%27s operating system%2C just showed her how you get to a command prompt.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 12|5|11|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|ebony14||15:11:40|12/19/2013|It%27s amazing what you can do with root access.... %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AEbony the Black Dragon%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Life is like an anole. Sometimes it%27s green. Sometimes it%27s brown. But it%27s always a small Caribbean lizard.%22 13|6|12|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Offsides||16:33:06|12/19/2013|It%27s amazing what you can do with a shell%2C if all you normally have is GUI access. Root is a bonus%2C but even without it it%27s still a paradigm shift.%0D%0A%0D%0AThanks for the answer%2C looking forward to learning the rest%21%0D%0A%0D%0AOffsides%0D%0A%0D%0A%26%2391%3B...%26%2393%3B in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.%0D%0A -- David Ben Gurion%0D%0AEPU RCW %23%26pi%3B%0D%0A%23include %3Cstdsig.h%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A 16|5|11|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|VoidRandom||06:02:25|12/21/2013|%3EMore the latter. If one may belabor a metaphor slightly%2C Garnet %0D%0A%3Edidn%27t patch Azana%27s operating system%2C just showed her how you get to %0D%0A%3Ea command prompt. %0D%0A%0D%0AHmmm...Sooooo....could Nall do the same thing%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%22They copied all they could follow%2C but they couldn%27t copy my mind%2C%0D%0AAnd I left %27em sweating and stealing a year and a half behind.%22 17|6|16|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Gryphon||09:10:34|12/21/2013|%3E%3EMore the latter. If one may belabor a metaphor slightly%2C Garnet %0D%0A%3E%3Edidn%27t patch Azana%27s operating system%2C just showed her how you get to %0D%0A%3E%3Ea command prompt. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EHmmm...Sooooo....could Nall do the same thing%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C no%2C because he doesn%27t breathe fire.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Waterbenders do a thing or two with ice%2C true%2C but seeing it done by a dragon isn%27t going to provide them with any kind of primal insight. The dragon%2Ffirebender thing goes back to the origin of firebending. That doesn%27t map to other kinds of bending.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 5|1|0|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Bushido||16:53:16|12/18/2013|%3EGrowling in frustration%2C Karana grabbed him by the breastplate%0D%0A%3Eof his armor and shook him%2C then kept hold of him with one hand and%0D%0A%3Epointed to the hydrant again with the other. %22Valve%21 Metal%21 Bendy-%0D%0A%3Ebendy%21%22 Letting him go%2C she clonked him on top of the helmet. %22NOW%2C%0D%0A%3Eson%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0AThis had me cackling out loud. I can%27t quite place who she%27s channeling there%2C but she%27s doing it quite well. 8|2|5|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Gryphon||22:14:40|12/18/2013|%3E%3EGrowling in frustration%2C Karana grabbed him by the breastplate%0D%0A%3E%3Eof his armor and shook him%2C then kept hold of him with one hand and%0D%0A%3E%3Epointed to the hydrant again with the other. %22Valve%21 Metal%21 Bendy-%0D%0A%3E%3Ebendy%21%22 Letting him go%2C she clonked him on top of the helmet. %22NOW%2C%0D%0A%3E%3Eson%21%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThis had me cackling out loud. I can%27t quite place who she%27s %0D%0A%3Echanneling there%2C but she%27s doing it quite well. %0D%0A%0D%0AThe last bit is a little Ryo Sato-esque%2C but then%2C they probably do know each other.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 14|3|8|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Bushido||01:32:59|12/21/2013|I need to catch up on Avatar%3ATLOK%2C I%27ve only seen a bit of season 1. 15|4|14|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|pjmoyer||01:37:15|12/21/2013|%3EI need to catch up on Avatar%3ATLOK%2C I%27ve only seen a bit of season 1. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C Ryo Sato%27s an original character%2C so not sure how well that%27ll help you. %5E_%5E%3B%0D%0A%0D%0A--- Philip%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%223%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D2 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%0D%0A%5Btr%5D%5Btd width%3D%2265%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie.org%2F%7Eaerianne%2Ffoth.img%2Fgaia_ser_philip_saber.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%0D%0A%5Btd%5D%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000dd%22%5DPhilip J. Moyer%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000aa%22 size%3D-2%5DContributing Writer%2C Editor and Artist %28and Moderator%29 -- Eyrie Productions%2C Unlimited%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230000aa%22 size%3D-2%5DCEO of MTS%2C High Poobah Of Artwork%2C and High Priest Of the Church Of Aerianne -- Magnetic Terrapin Studios%5B%2Ffont%5D%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%22%230044aa%22 size%3D-1%5D%5Bi%5D%22Insert Pithy Comment Here%22%5B%2Fi%5D%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd width%3D%2265%22%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie.org%2F%7Eaerianne%2Ffoth.img%2Fgaia_aeri_coat_sword.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%0D%0A%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%223%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D1 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D 18|1|0|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Mercutio||19:59:13|01/19/2014|%28Standard disclaimer about life just kind of happening to me for the last two months. Seriously%2C screw you The Universe.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAn Etude%21 Hoorays.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ETechnically%0D%0A%3Espeaking%2C it predated Republic City itself%2C having been the core of the%0D%0A%3Ewartime Fire Nation colony chosen by Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko as%0D%0A%3Ethe hub of their bold experiment in nationbuilding - the capital of the%0D%0A%3EUnited Republic of Nations.%0D%0A%0D%0ATangent%3A I like to imagine that in whatever dark place his soul ended up in%2C Sozin considers the existence of the Republic as complete vindication of his whole Fire Man%27s Burden philosophy of international relations and nation-building. Because Sozin was a crazy monster%2C but he at least had a certain kind of vision %28also self-delusion%29 that was sorely lacking in his son and grandson.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EA year ago I was up to my shoulders in trouble %28and usually in filth%29.%0D%0A%3ENobody gave a damn about me except the people who wanted to strip away%0D%0A%3Eeverything that makes me who I am and use my body as a weapon.%0D%0A%0D%0ASecond tangent%3A Man%2C I can%27t wait until the Psi Corps decides to do something arrogant and ill-advised with what must look to them like an underdeveloped planet full of powerful human psions. It%27s going to go hilariously wrong for them.%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I generally assume that anytime the Psi Corps has tried their particular brand of skullduggery in places that aren%27t EA strongholds already%2C such as Jyurai or Braal%2C it has gone completely pear-shaped for them in ways that ended up with dead Psi Cops and embarrassing trials.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Karana is convinced%2C or claims to be convinced%2C that I am%2C%22%0D%0A%3Esaid Azana. She paused to take a sip of tea%2C then went on%2C %22She nearly%0D%0A%3Egot us arrested in Caldera City once%2C for demanding that we be admitted%0D%0A%3Eto the Royal Palace in the middle of the night%2C on the grounds that I%0D%0A%3Ewas %27the rightful Fire Lord%27.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s entirely possible that Azana is related to Zuko but not in any way part of the extended Royal Family%3B Zuko%27s actual lineal descendants are probably well-documented even if some of them ended up down at the heels%2C but they might have kept the existence of his much younger half-sister quiet. I can%27t imagine Ursa wanted to go back to doing the whole Princess thing.%0D%0A%0D%0AOr Karana is wacky in the head. Or both%21%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Some of Zuko%27s detractors claimed he%27d had her killed%2C or%0D%0A%3Ebanished her to some spiritsforsaken corner of the world - because she%0D%0A%3Ewas a threat to his rule%2C or simply an embarrassment to the family.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AI think %27Agni-forsaken%27 might flow better when you have cause for Fire people to deploy this particular phrasing%2C but that%27s just a stylistic preference on my part.%0D%0A%0D%0AI imagine that Azula is a convenient mythological figure for unreconstructed Fire chauvinists. She%27s not Ozai %28nobody is going to want to try and defend or justify Ozai openly%29 but she was one his most effective tools and has that long string of being a conquering hero under her belt before she just up and vanishes after being beaten by a cheap shot.%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%2C she killed the Avatar. Not a lot of people have that on their resume.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EBesides the tie%2C%0D%0A%3Ehe had an ostentatious gold watch chain across his waistcoat and a lot%0D%0A%3Eof gold-rimmed mother-of-pearl buttons%2C and wore what looked like%0D%0A%3Esnakeskin cowboy boots.%0D%0A%0D%0AUgh. Has anyone who %5Bi%5Dwasn%27t%5B%2Fi%5D a giant douchecanoe ever worn snakeskin cowboy boots unironically%3F Because I don%27t think they have. Especially not with a suit.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Oh%2C I%27m sorry%2C I forgot. Only your chunky little pal%0D%0A%3Efrom the South Pole gets to call you that%2C right%3F%22 He spread his hands%0D%0A%3Ein a gesture of mocking surrender %28Anne noticed that his nails were%0D%0A%3Evarnished the same red as his suit%29%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C for a mob torpedo%2C Kaiten looks completely ridiculous. I mean%2C my god man. Develop some fashion sense. His don should be ashamed of himself for letting him leave the house like that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EHe was sharp-%0D%0A%3Efeatured%2C just on the right side of what could be called %22rat-faced%22%2C%0D%0A%3Eand somehow the gauntness of his narrow cheeks seemed a bit unnatural.%0D%0A%3EHis nose didn%27t quite look in proportion to his face%2C like the noses of%0D%0A%3Emummies Anne had seen in books. His eyes were that stereotypical%0D%0A%3Efirebender amber%2C but murky%2C without the sharp clarity of Azana%27s%2C and%0D%0A%3Eone was open ever so slightly wider than the other.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn light of future events%2C I have to say that I very much like this passage right here%2C but I think it could have been better executed without hitting the nail on the head so hard with Anne%27s follow-up.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe way you put that description of Kaiten together%2C it looks on a first pass like he%27s just an ugly thug. People are prepared to believe thugs are ugly%2C it%27s a genre convention and longstanding stereotype.%0D%0A%0D%0AOnly Kaiten isn%27t ugly because he%27s evil. He looks like he does because he has been fucking himself up with Comet. This is the Firebender equivalent of the gaunt-cheeked heroin addict look people get after a couple months of chasing that dragon really hard.%0D%0A%0D%0AYou could have just slipped that in there real quietly%2C which I think might have worked better than having Anne immediately point it out to the reader. Better that we only realize after the fact%2C when the Doctor is telling Korra that Kaiten has been doing this to himself for a long time%2C very intensively%2C and let us have that %27OH%27 moment.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22You will%0D%0A%3Enote at this point that I am not asking you whether I can help you.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYou know%2C they may not share any genetic code%2C but when Azana decides to turn the old Fire Nation %22I am better than you and I know it%22 dial up to eleven%2C the resemblance to Azula does suddenly become... strong.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ESomething in the way she handled her chopsticks%2C%0D%0A%3Eperhaps%2C elegant and precise%2C or the very pointed way in which she%0D%0A%3Ebarely ever looked at him%2C and then never for more than a half-second.%0D%0A%3EIt was the most poetically administered cold shoulder Anne could%0D%0A%3Eremember witnessing.%0D%0A%0D%0ALike that%2C right there. %27Course%2C if Azana were Azula%2C Kaiten would have died right after she said %22Hah%22 and put her cup down. But the resemblance is there.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Or do you -like- seeing us kept down by the%0D%0A%3Edirt merchants and ice babies%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYou know%2C the Fire Nation needs to work on its racial slurs. I mean%2C seriously. This is the best they can do%3F They lack the punch of something like %22troq%22.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22You%27ve gotten away%0D%0A%3Ewith disrespecting the Triad before now because the boss was afraid of%0D%0A%3Ethe old man and the Avatar%2C but that%27s all over now. We don%27t need to%0D%0A%3Eworry about Ito any more. We don%27t have to worry about -anybody- any%0D%0A%3Emore.%22%0D%0A%0D%0AYeah%2C because people who hit on the bright idea of using supercharged firebending to conquer everything in their way have an amazing track record there%2C buddy. Hey%2C I%27ve got an idea. You and your friends should wait a few years and do some hits of Comet while the actual comet is in the sky. I bet that will work great%21%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I know I%27m joking%2C but I wouldn%27t be surprised if there were already firebenders who are actually considering doing this.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThen he pulled the item at the end of his watch chain from%0D%0A%3Ehis waistcoat pocket%2C revealing that it wasn%27t a watch%2C but rather a%0D%0A%3Esmall silver vial.%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C despite my general disrespect for Kaiten%27s whole aesthetic%2C I have to give him some serious style points here%2C because that was pretty cool.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOf all the things she had expected him to do%2C actually%0D%0A%3Estarting a fight in broad daylight in the middle of the Firetown street%0D%0A%3Emarket hadn%27t been on the list. Even the Agni Kai were usually subtler%0D%0A%3Ethan -that.-%0D%0A%0D%0AGiven that the fight is about to kick off%2C I%27d like to take this moment to discuss your portrayal of the criminal element in Republic City. There%27s probably some overthinking involving here.%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m italian-american%2C so I have more than a bit of a passing interest in the subject. And the vibe I%27ve been getting around the Triads so far in Diqiu is... hmm. It%27s hard to describe. It%27s got sort of an %22the mob in the 70s and 80s%22 feel to it. Their time is passing and they just don%27t know it yet%3B law enforcement is beginning to really get wise to their various levels of bullshit%2C and they%27ve hollowed themselves out from the inside and gotten into some drug-running shit that just isn%27t going to pan out the way they think it is%2C and their leadership just isn%27t agile enough to adapt.%0D%0A%0D%0AKaiten in particular strikes me as being the sort of person who would have been one of those interchangeable guys with suits who were always surrounding John Gotti in photographs. Someone who thinks they own the whole city%2C they%27re untouchable%2C respected and wealthy%2C they got women and blow and their boss is a big important man and they%27re important too by association. But everything is about to change real%2C real soon.%0D%0A%0D%0AI dunno. Could just be me.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22We all have to be together for that to work%2C%22 Karana said%0D%0A%3Eseriously. %22Only by all our powers combined can we summon the Avatar.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThe cop blinked. %22Really%3F%22%0D%0A%3E %0D%0A%3EKarana snorted. %22No%2C%22 she said. %22Don%27t be a dope.%22%0D%0A%0D%0ALet%27s be fair to the poor guy%2C that would not even be in the top three craziest metaphysical things surrounding %5Bi%5Dcanonical%5B%2Fi%5D Korra. God knows what UF-Korra has on tap. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AAlso%3A challenge coins are just inherently cool.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%22Yo%21 Beifong%21 Little help here%21%22%0D%0A%0D%0AAhahahahahahahaha.%0D%0A%0D%0AI love that the cops are called Beifongs. That%27s just... oh man%2C it could easily have been overly twee%2C but instead it is awesome.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28with a discreet%0D%0A%3Eboost from Anne%27s TK%2C what little of her mental bandwidth she could%0D%0A%3Espare for it%29%0D%0A%0D%0AMan%2C Anne%27s telekinesis is going to make all the benders completely jealous when they learn about it.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22So wait. You can just... lift anything you want with your mind%3F It doesn%27t matter what it%27s made of%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Pretty much.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22... cheater.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%28I often forget just how powerful Anne is going to be once she figures out how to harness all her talents. I mean%2C yes%2C we got a little taste of that in %5Bi%5DBlades%5B%2Fi%5D. But the woman is just going to be this unstoppable force of nature.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EWhen she let it out%2C%0D%0A%3Eher eyes snapped open%2C clear and bright once more - and the fire that%0D%0A%3Esuddenly wreathed her hands was a clean incandescent blue%2C like the%0D%0A%3Eflame of an acetylene torch.%0D%0A%0D%0AI can honestly say that I didn%27t see this coming.%0D%0A%0D%0AAs always%2C I feel like I ought to have had more to say about the fight scenes%2C but there%27s never really anything in them for me to pry open and discuss. People fought%21 And it was cool%21 So... yeah.%0D%0A%0D%0AI do want to talk about the blue flame a little bit%3B we sort of got into it a bit in the %5Bi%5DAgreement in Principle%5B%2Fi%5D thread but it%27s slightly more relevant here.%0D%0A%0D%0ADepending on how common being able to generate the blue flame in Diqiu is%2C Azana%27s career arc may have just taken a fairly radical turn. If it%27s merely rare but not unheard of%2C it is still a pretty big feather in her cap%3B whoever handles merchandising for the Fire Ferrets will probably be very pleased indeed%2C and of course her achieving that degree of mastery and insight brings honor and respect to Master Ito and her academy. Juniper may have gotten in on the ground floor of someone who might suddenly be %5Bi%5Dvery%5B%2Fi%5D in-demand as a sifu.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf this is a %22literally nobody else has been able to do this since Azula%22 situation%2C though%2C where the blue flame is a one-a-century talent%2C then all that gets dialed up to eleven. Azana may find herself the subject of some rather unpleasant attention from her mothers ultraconservative political faction%2C for example%2C who would really like to have someone who harkens back to the ancien regime in their corner. Katara may ask her cousin to renew his friendship with his old schoolmate to ensure that the exact opposite of that happens. It could cause trouble for her MLB career%2C with opposing teams claiming unfair advantage%2C the bending equivalent of using a corked bat or putting an airbender on the team.%0D%0A%0D%0ASo there%27s that.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis also might have some relevance to what happens if and when Azula tries to return to Diqiu %5Bi%5Das%5B%2Fi%5D Princess Azula%2C as opposed to Sarah Inazuma. It%27s hard to dismiss someone as a crazy person if they can generate a kind of bending that only Azula %28until Azana%29 could do.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnyway. Sorry for taking so long to get to this. I%27ll see about polishing off the Azula mini-stories over the next couple days. Although I%27ve said THAT before...%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 19|2|18|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Gryphon||23:42:50|01/19/2014|%3ESecond tangent%3A Man%2C I can%27t wait until the Psi Corps decides to do %0D%0A%3Esomething arrogant and ill-advised with what must look to them like an %0D%0A%3Eunderdeveloped planet full of powerful human psions. It%27s going to go %0D%0A%3Ehilariously wrong for them. %0D%0A%0D%0AGive them a little credit%3B they generally do enough scouting and research to know ahead of time if a previously unknown population is likely to present a problem. Most of the people who are in actual operational charge of the organization are not %5Bi%5Dmaniacs%5B%2Fi%5D%2C just assholes.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIt%27s entirely possible that Azana is related to Zuko but not in any %0D%0A%3Eway part of the extended Royal Family%0D%0A%0D%0AThat is the most likely scenario%2C yes.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EZuko%27s actual lineal %0D%0A%3Edescendants are probably well-documented even if some of them ended up %0D%0A%3Edown at the heels%2C but they might have kept the existence of his much %0D%0A%3Eyounger half-sister quiet.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter the end of the Hundred Year War%2C I doubt there was any real need to do that. If he had a younger%2C previously unknown half-sibling who was %5Bi%5DOzai%27s%5B%2Fi%5D offspring%2C sure%2C that would be a potential issue%2C but Kiyi %28and any other children Ursa and Noren might%27ve had after we saw them%29 wouldn%27t be anywhere on the succession line anyway. Besides%2C I like to think that Kiyi and Zuko were pretty tight. %3A%29 That%27s not to say the Hira%27a branch of the family couldn%27t be %5Bi%5Dobscure%5B%2Fi%5D - in fact%2C I rather expect it was and is - but they don%27t actually have to have been hidden in some kind of bizarre government coverup. Think of all the obscure cousins and other distant branches any real royal family must have%2C of whom nobody much has ever heard.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI can%27t imagine Ursa wanted to go back to %0D%0A%3Edoing the whole Princess thing. %0D%0A%0D%0ANo%2C no indeed. But there was never any real chance of that happening%2C anyway. One of the relatively few genuine advantages of being an autocrat in a pre-telecommunications world is that if you want your mother left in peace%2C she%27s bloody well going to be.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOr Karana is wacky in the head. Or both%21 %0D%0A%0D%0AI wouldn%27t go so far as %22wacky in the head%22%2C but she %5Bi%5Dwas%5B%2Fi%5D drunk.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E%22Some of Zuko%27s detractors claimed he%27d had her killed%2C or%0D%0A%3E%3Ebanished her to some spiritsforsaken corner of the world - because she%0D%0A%3E%3Ewas a threat to his rule%2C or simply an embarrassment to the family.%22%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI think %27Agni-forsaken%27 might flow better when you have cause for Fire %0D%0A%3Epeople to deploy this particular phrasing%2C but that%27s just a stylistic %0D%0A%3Epreference on my part. %0D%0A%0D%0AAzana is largely agnostic about these matters%3B she might%27ve picked up the habit of referring to the spirits rather than Agni from Karana.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI imagine that Azula is a convenient mythological figure for %0D%0A%3Eunreconstructed Fire chauvinists.%0D%0A%0D%0AI rather doubt there are many of those around any longer%2C at least in the sense %28which I think you%27ve hinted at assuming the presence of several times%29 of people who harbor some kind of realistic desire to see a return to Sozinite ideals and what have you. I mean%2C keep in mind it%27s the year %5Bi%5D291%5B%2Fi%5D. Expecting to find an actual%2C practicing Sozinite in the Diqiu of 291 ASC is like assuming that there are still people in England who are actively scheming to restore the Stuarts to the throne%2C or active hardcore Tory cells in Atlantic Canada plotting to overthrow the upstart Continental Congress and restore the American colonies to the Queen%27s dominions. It rather strains credulity.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAlso%2C she killed the Avatar. Not a lot of people have that on their %0D%0A%3Eresume. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s really not that impressive an accomplishment when you read the not-even-very-fine print about him only having been dead for maybe half an hour.%0D%0A%0D%0A%22You forget%2C we were present at a vast%2C unexplained undersea sponge migration.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%22Ray%2C the sponges migrated about a foot and a half.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EUgh. Has anyone who %5Bi%5Dwasn%27t%5B%2Fi%5D a giant douchecanoe ever worn %0D%0A%3Esnakeskin cowboy boots unironically%3F Because I don%27t think they have. %0D%0A%3EEspecially not with a suit. %0D%0A%0D%0AI wouldn%27t entirely put it past Ryo Sato%2C actually%2C but only if he was actually riding an ostrich horse at the time. And yeah%2C he wouldn%27t wear a suit for that.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3E%22Oh%2C I%27m sorry%2C I forgot. Only your chunky little pal%0D%0A%3E%3Efrom the South Pole gets to call you that%2C right%3F%22 He spread his hands%0D%0A%3E%3Ein a gesture of mocking surrender %28Anne noticed that his nails were%0D%0A%3E%3Evarnished the same red as his suit%29%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EOkay%2C for a mob torpedo%2C Kaiten looks completely ridiculous.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere%27s a definite comic-opera aspect to the dress sense of his echelon in the Agni Kai. The intended aesthetic is not so much Mafia as glam rock.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIn light of future events%2C I have to say that I very much like this %0D%0A%3Epassage right here%2C but I think it could have been better executed %0D%0A%3Ewithout hitting the nail on the head so hard with Anne%27s follow-up. %0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s entirely possible%2C although then it would%27ve been rather hard to convey what she was trying to warn Azana about. Ultimately%2C it seemed better to point up the sharpness of her street instincts than be cagey about what was going on with Kaiten%2C but maybe not.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EYeah%2C because people who hit on the bright idea of using supercharged %0D%0A%3Efirebending to conquer everything in their way have an amazing track %0D%0A%3Erecord there%2C buddy. %0D%0A%0D%0AActually%2C if you look back far enough%2C the track record is about 50-50. I mean%2C it sure as shit worked for Sozin.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Ethe vibe I%27ve been getting around the Triads so %0D%0A%3Efar in Diqiu is... hmm. It%27s hard to describe. It%27s got sort of an %0D%0A%3E%22the mob in the 70s and 80s%22 feel to it. Their time is passing and %0D%0A%3Ethey just don%27t know it yet%0D%0A%0D%0AThere is an element of that%2C particularly with the Agni Kai. They have long been the most thuggish and reactionary - and yet most flamboyant and showmanlike - of the city%27s Triads%2C and so the most likely to sort of bullheadedly refuse to accept that the times%2C they are a-changin%27. There are others whose leaders are at least willing to take chances on new ways of organizing and operating things. Heck%2C there%27s at least one that%27s gone completely legit - in the late third century%2C the Triple Threat operates entirely above the board%2C as a civic organization%2C kind of like the Rotary Club or Kiwanis. %28That occasionally messes with Korra%27s head.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EWhen she let it out%2C%0D%0A%3E%3Eher eyes snapped open%2C clear and bright once more - and the fire that%0D%0A%3E%3Esuddenly wreathed her hands was a clean incandescent blue%2C like the%0D%0A%3E%3Eflame of an acetylene torch.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI can honestly say that I didn%27t see this coming. %0D%0A%0D%0ANeither did Kaiten...%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIf this is a %22literally nobody else has been able to do this since %0D%0A%3EAzula%22 situation%2C though%2C where the blue flame is a one-a-century %0D%0A%3Etalent%2C then all that gets dialed up to eleven.%0D%0A%0D%0ASince the disappearance of Princess Azula%2C one other person has indisputably firebent a blue flame before unimpeachable witnesses%3B but only once%2C and on a very special occasion.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EAzana may find herself %0D%0A%3Ethe subject of some rather unpleasant attention from her mothers %0D%0A%3Eultraconservative political faction%0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m not sure Azera belongs to a %22faction%22%2C as such. Like I said before%2C I find it very difficult to believe that anyone%2C apart from the sort of people who in other circumstances would be standing at bus stations insisting that they are Napoleon%2C seriously wants %28or thinks there is any chance of%29 a return to the pre-Zuko Fire Nation%27s %22the murders will continue until all the survivors love us%22 foreign relations policy. Even %5Bi%5DAzera%5B%2Fi%5D doesn%27t want %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EKatara may ask her cousin to renew his friendship with his old %0D%0A%3Eschoolmate to ensure that the exact opposite of that happens.%0D%0A%0D%0AIf it came to it%2C Katara and Azana are old schoolmates too%3B their careers at Piandao Academy overlapped by a couple of years. So there%27s that pretext to be had if she really required one to keep tabs on her. Anyway%2C I doubt Shinzen and Azana have so lost touch since graduation that %22renewing%22 anything would be required. He doesn%27t live in Republic City%2C but%2C as Azera amply demonstrates quite often%2C there are telephones now. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EIt could %0D%0A%3Ecause trouble for her MLB career%2C with opposing teams claiming unfair %0D%0A%3Eadvantage%2C the bending equivalent of using a corked bat or putting an %0D%0A%3Eairbender on the team. %0D%0A%0D%0AIf she %5Bi%5Dused%5B%2Fi%5D it in competition%2C and its greater intensity provided some clear advantage not otherwise obtainable%2C the other team might have grounds for a protest%2C but otherwise... well%2C this is a sport where they used to%2C and occasionally still do%2C let the %5Bi%5DAvatar%5B%2Fi%5D play%2C so long as she promises to stick to whatever color belt she%27s wearing. The sanctioning body is clearly not that bothered about what extralegal things players %5Bi%5Dmight%5B%2Fi%5D do so long as they %5Bi%5Ddon%27t%5B%2Fi%5D do it. Besides%2C it could be argued that it%27s simply a very advanced form of the art%2C and if you were going to go after her for it%2C you might as well penalize%2C e.g.%2C the winner of this year%27s Future City Historic GP for being a better driver than the others.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 22|3|19|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Mercutio||06:24:49|01/20/2014|%3E%3ESecond tangent%3A Man%2C I can%27t wait until the Psi Corps decides to do %0D%0A%3E%3Esomething arrogant and ill-advised with what must look to them like an %0D%0A%3E%3Eunderdeveloped planet full of powerful human psions. It%27s going to go %0D%0A%3E%3Ehilariously wrong for them. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EGive them a little credit%3B they generally do enough scouting and %0D%0A%3Eresearch to know ahead of time if a previously unknown population is %0D%0A%3Elikely to present a problem. Most of the people who are in actual %0D%0A%3Eoperational charge of the organization are not %5Bi%5Dmaniacs%5B%2Fi%5D%2C just %0D%0A%3Eassholes. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis is true%2C but... well. I%27ll just say in my own mind%2C even when they plan things out competently and think they%27ve got all their bases covered%2C the Psi Corps strikes me very much as a %22sure%2C I can fit %5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D in my mouth%22 organization. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EZuko%27s actual lineal %0D%0A%3E%3Edescendants are probably well-documented even if some of them ended up %0D%0A%3E%3Edown at the heels%2C but they might have kept the existence of his much %0D%0A%3E%3Eyounger half-sister quiet.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EAfter the end of the Hundred Year War%2C I doubt there was any real need %0D%0A%3Eto do that.%0D%0A%0D%0AMmm%2C really%3F I mean... I can see that eventually being the case%2C but one imagines they%27d want to keep them hush-hush for awhile. Zuko%27s early years were... fraught. They were a ton of assassination attempts and I sort of got the impression that the unstated reason the Kyoshi Warriors were imported wasn%27t %5Bi%5Djust%5B%2Fi%5D because they%27re the best they are at what they do%2C but because Zuko literally could not trust his own people. Sort of a Swiss Guard sort of deal. In that sort of a political environment you want to keep the fact that two huge sources of leverage are alive and well and living in an isolated village on the down-low%2C I think.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s not a big deal%2C though%2C really. %0D%0A %0D%0A%3EBesides%2C I like to think that Kiyi and Zuko were pretty tight. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AI would really love to see people in general %28not you guys specifically%2C although I certainly wouldn%27t complain%29 do more with Kiyi. Much like Kori%2C she%27s just absolutely loaded with potential that is curiously unmined so far.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EI can%27t imagine Ursa wanted to go back to %0D%0A%3E%3Edoing the whole Princess thing. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3ENo%2C no indeed. %0D%0A%0D%0AAlthough on reflection%2C maybe %5Bi%5DKiyi%5B%2Fi%5D wanted to do the whole princess deal if she found out that it was a potential option. I wouldn%27t have minded being a princess when I was a kid. %0D%0A%0D%0AOr even now%2C really. Princess%27 get to do all sorts of cool stuff%2C like fly on zeppelins and conquer the Earth Kingdom and have awesome wire fights. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EI imagine that Azula is a convenient mythological figure for %0D%0A%3E%3Eunreconstructed Fire chauvinists.%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EI rather doubt there are many of those around any longer%2C at least in %0D%0A%3Ethe sense %28which I think you%27ve hinted at assuming the presence of %0D%0A%3Eseveral times%29 of people who harbor some kind of realistic desire to %0D%0A%3Esee a return to Sozinite ideals and what have you. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis may be inartful phrasing on my part. %22Unreconstructed%22 implies a lot more than I wanted it to%3B I almost used %22crypto%22 but that particular formulation doesn%27t get a lot of play around here. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat I%27m imagining is sort of a Niall Ferguson%2C apologist-for-empire%2C Zuko-ruined-everything sort of Fire nationalism. People who recognize that they%27re not going to be re-annexing the Republic anytime soon %28and really%2C who would want to%3F All that race-mixing%2C ugh%21%29 but will construct elaborate defenses of the Hundred Year War and write books defending Fire Nation culture as inherently superior to that of the other nations. Probably they also create a lot of %5Bi%5Ddolchstoss%5B%2Fi%5D narratives around Zuko as part of the whole %22the Fire Nation didn%27t lose%2C it merely declined to win%22 thing.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat%27s just me%2C tho.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EI mean%2C keep in %0D%0A%3Emind it%27s the year %5Bi%5D291%5B%2Fi%5D. Expecting to find an actual%2C %0D%0A%3Epracticing Sozinite in the Diqiu of 291 ASC is like assuming that %0D%0A%3Ethere are still people in England who are actively scheming to restore %0D%0A%3Ethe Stuarts to the throne%2C or active hardcore Tory cells in Atlantic %0D%0A%3ECanada plotting to overthrow the upstart Continental Congress and %0D%0A%3Erestore the American colonies to the Queen%27s dominions. It rather %0D%0A%3Estrains credulity. %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C right%2C nothing like that. That would be just silly%2C even for me.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EAlso%2C she killed the Avatar. Not a lot of people have that on their %0D%0A%3E%3Eresume. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIt%27s really not that impressive an accomplishment when you read the %0D%0A%3Enot-even-very-fine print about him only having been dead for maybe %0D%0A%3Ehalf an hour. %0D%0A%0D%0AI recall being very impressed at the time. %3A%29 Seeing it happen on-screen with no warning and no ability to immediately pop in the Season 3 DVDs was... stressful.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EThere%27s a definite comic-opera aspect to the dress sense of his %0D%0A%3Eechelon in the Agni Kai. The intended aesthetic is not so much Mafia %0D%0A%3Eas glam rock. %0D%0A%0D%0ANow I really want to see a big-budget rock opera about mobsters.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EIn light of future events%2C I have to say that I very much like this %0D%0A%3E%3Epassage right here%2C but I think it could have been better executed %0D%0A%3E%3Ewithout hitting the nail on the head so hard with Anne%27s follow-up. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThat%27s entirely possible%2C although then it would%27ve been rather hard %0D%0A%3Eto convey what she was trying to warn Azana about. Ultimately%2C it %0D%0A%3Eseemed better to point up the sharpness of her street instincts than %0D%0A%3Ebe cagey about what was going on with Kaiten%2C but maybe not. %0D%0A%0D%0AIt%27s not a big deal%3B my personal aesthetics usually trend more towards preferring things to be subtle rather than explicit. It%27s personal taste%2C not a value judgment.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EYeah%2C because people who hit on the bright idea of using supercharged %0D%0A%3E%3Efirebending to conquer everything in their way have an amazing track %0D%0A%3E%3Erecord there%2C buddy. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EActually%2C if you look back far enough%2C the track record is about %0D%0A%3E50-50. I mean%2C it sure as shit worked for Sozin. %0D%0A%0D%0AShort term%2C yeah. On the other hand%2C Sozin might not have liked what his ideals did to his country long-term. He might have done it %5Bi%5Danyway%5B%2Fi%5D if he%27d known that eventually it would lead to Zuko and a golden-ish age of stability and prosperity for Diqiu%2C with a strong and advanced Republic based on an alloy of the Fire Nation strengths and those of the other nations%2C because Sozin was all about the ends justifying the means%2C but I sort of imagine that Sozin would regard Azulon and Ozai with deep and abiding contempt. %0D%0A%0D%0AEspecially Ozai%3B Sozin was a monster%2C but he harbored actual %5Bi%5Dbeliefs%5B%2Fi%5D in something greater than himself. Ozai was just a thug who turned Sozin%27s beloved Fire Nation into nothing but a hate engine.%0D%0A%0D%0ATLDR%3B it depends a lot on what your definition of %22worked%22 is. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Ethere%27s at least one that%27s gone completely legit - in the late third %0D%0A%3Ecentury%2C the Triple Threat operates entirely above the board%2C as a %0D%0A%3Ecivic organization%2C kind of like the Rotary Club or Kiwanis. %28That %0D%0A%3Eoccasionally messes with Korra%27s head.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AThat actually makes a ton of sense%2C as the ecumenical gang would of necessity have to be the most practical and tolerant one.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%3EIt could %0D%0A%3E%3Ecause trouble for her MLB career%2C with opposing teams claiming unfair %0D%0A%3E%3Eadvantage%2C the bending equivalent of using a corked bat or putting an %0D%0A%3E%3Eairbender on the team. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EIf she %5Bi%5Dused%5B%2Fi%5D it in competition%2C and its greater intensity %0D%0A%3Eprovided some clear advantage not otherwise obtainable%2C the other team %0D%0A%3Emight have grounds for a protest%2C but otherwise... %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C I%27m not saying it would work%2C but if I were the other franchises%2C I would consider taking hard-line measures to ensure that we didn%27t need to face off against someone who had firebending %2B1 equipped. That%27s the kind of thing you do not wanna do if at all possible. %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 23|4|22|||1||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Peter Eng||18:08:41|01/20/2014|%3E%3E%3EIt could %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Ecause trouble for her MLB career%2C with opposing teams claiming unfair %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eadvantage%2C the bending equivalent of using a corked bat or putting an %0D%0A%3E%3E%3Eairbender on the team. %0D%0A%3E%3E%0D%0A%3E%3EIf she %5Bi%5Dused%5B%2Fi%5D it in competition%2C and its greater intensity %0D%0A%3E%3Eprovided some clear advantage not otherwise obtainable%2C the other team %0D%0A%3E%3Emight have grounds for a protest%2C but otherwise... %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EOh%2C I%27m not saying it would work%2C but if I were the other franchises%2C %0D%0A%3EI would consider taking hard-line measures to ensure that we didn%27t %0D%0A%3Eneed to face off against someone who had firebending %2B1 equipped. %0D%0A%3EThat%27s the kind of thing you do not wanna do if at all possible. %3A%29 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat does the blue flame do%2C anyway%3F Azana%27s use of white-hot flame is apparently at the edge of acceptable in the UF version of the rules. If all the blue flame does is burn hotter%2C it%27s probably not legal for competition.%0D%0A%0D%0APeter Eng%0D%0A--%0D%0AInsert humorous comment here. 27|4|22|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|Zemyla||05:43:56|03/10/2014|%3EThis is true%2C but... well. I%27ll just say in my own mind%2C even when %0D%0A%3Ethey plan things out competently and think they%27ve got all their bases %0D%0A%3Ecovered%2C the Psi Corps strikes me very much as a %22sure%2C I can fit %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5Dthat%5B%2Fi%5D in my mouth%22 organization. %3A%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AAll I want to say is I love that metaphor. I love it so much. 20|2|18|||1||Oh yes%2C also%3A|Gryphon||00:01:43|01/20/2014|%3EI%27ll see about %0D%0A%3Epolishing off the Azula mini-stories over the next couple days. %0D%0A%0D%0AOh good. I endeavor to avoid bearing specific audience reactions in mind as I work%2C much less consciously tailor the material accordingly%2C but I do have to admit I%27ve been curious as to what you%27d make of a few bits of the later ones.%0D%0A%0D%0AFY%28and everybody else%27s%29I%2C there will probably be one more of those%2C though you shouldn%27t wait for it as I have not in fact %5Bi%5Dstarted%5B%2Fi%5D it yet%3B I%27m still kicking it around in the back of my head.%0D%0A%0D%0AOnce it%27s done%2C the whole Azula cycle thus far %28from %5Bi%5DBlue Harvest%5B%2Fi%5D on%29%2C will be collected into an off-Forum omnibus%2C like the one for the first half of DSMP%21 Season 1 - including the Mojave %5Bi%5DHitchhiker%27s Guide%5B%2Fi%5D entry and accompanying casino vignette. Prospective titles include %5Bi%5DDesolation Angel%5B%2Fi%5D %28with apologies to Jack Kerouac%29%2C %5Bi%5DThe Blue Flame Chronicle%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and %5Bi%5DTravels with the Phoenix Queen%5B%2Fi%5D%2C or possibly more than one of them with a colon in there someplace.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 21|3|20|||1||RE%3A Oh yes%2C also%3A|The Traitor||06:00:11|01/20/2014|Can I get a shout for %5Bi%5DThe Crazy World%28s%29 of Sarah Inazuma%5B%2Fi%5D%2C after %5Blink%3Awww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Den1uwIzI3SE%7Cthis guy%5D%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0A%22She%27s old%2C she%27s lame%2C she%27s barren too%2C %2F%2F %22She%27s not worth feed or hay%2C %2F%2F %22But I%27ll give her this%2C%22 - he blew smoke at me - %2F%2F %22She was something in her day.%22 -- Garnet Rogers%2C %5Bi%5DSmall Victory%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFiMFiction.net%3A we might accept blatant porn involving the cast of My Little Pony but as God is my witness we have %5Bi%5Dstandards%5B%2Fi%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5DNo%2C no I can%27t. 24|3|20|||1||RE%3A Oh yes%2C also%3A|Mercutio||19:21:37|01/20/2014|%0D%0A%3EOh good. I endeavor to avoid bearing specific audience reactions in %0D%0A%3Emind as I work%2C much less consciously tailor the material accordingly%2C %0D%0A%3Ebut I do have to admit I%27ve been curious as to what you%27d make of a %0D%0A%3Efew bits of the later ones. %0D%0A%0D%0AYou%27re very kind. I may not get to them tonight %28I kind of wasted a lot of the day both playing and writing about X-COM%29 but I%27ll just let you know that my reaction to much of it is... strong. In a good way. I%27ve read an awful%2C awful lot of fanfiction about Azula and %5Bi%5DNothing That Is Inbetween%5B%2Fi%5D is up there. Honestly%2C parts of it are not what I%27ve come to expect from your house style at %5Bi%5Dall%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and again I mean that in the best possible way.%0D%0A%0D%0A%3EOnce it%27s done%2C the whole Azula cycle thus far %28from %5Bi%5DBlue %0D%0A%3EHarvest%5B%2Fi%5D on%29%2C will be collected into an off-Forum omnibus%2C like the %0D%0A%3Eone for the first half of DSMP%21 Season 1 - including the Mojave %0D%0A%3E%5Bi%5DHitchhiker%27s Guide%5B%2Fi%5D entry and accompanying casino vignette. %0D%0A%3EProspective titles include %5Bi%5DDesolation Angel%5B%2Fi%5D %28with apologies to %0D%0A%3EJack Kerouac%29%2C %5Bi%5DThe Blue Flame Chronicle%5B%2Fi%5D%2C and %5Bi%5DTravels with %0D%0A%3Ethe Phoenix Queen%5B%2Fi%5D%2C or possibly more than one of them with a colon %0D%0A%3Ein there someplace. %0D%0A%0D%0AI%27m actually surprised you got nearly all the way through the thing without some kind of Promethean theft metaphor all up there in the titles.%0D%0A%0D%0A-Merc%0D%0AKeep Rat 26|4|24|||1||RE%3A Oh yes%2C also%3A|Gryphon||20:08:13|01/20/2014|%3EI may not get to them tonight %28I kind of wasted a %0D%0A%3Elot of the day both playing and writing about X-COM%29%0D%0A%0D%0AI... noticed that.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Mod%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0Azgryphon at that email service Google has%0D%0A%5Bi%5DCeterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.%5B%2Fi%5D 25|2|18|||||RE%3A Fire Hazards|juniper||19:31:30|01/20/2014|%3E%3E%28with a discreet%0D%0A%3E%3Eboost from Anne%27s TK%2C what little of her mental bandwidth she could%0D%0A%3E%3Espare for it%29%0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EMan%2C Anne%27s telekinesis is going to make all the benders completely %0D%0A%3Ejealous when they learn about it. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22So wait. You can just... lift anything you want with your mind%3F It %0D%0A%3Edoesn%27t matter what it%27s made of%3F%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22Pretty much.%22 %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%22... cheater.%22 %0D%0A%0D%0A%22I can%27t make it move from the inside though. It%27s like%2C oh%2C moving it around with my hands. Not like how it works when I%27m firebending.%22%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%28I often forget just how powerful Anne is going to be once she figures %0D%0A%3Eout how to harness all her talents. I mean%2C yes%2C we got a little taste %0D%0A%3Eof that in %5Bi%5DBlades%5B%2Fi%5D. But the woman is just going to be this %0D%0A%3Eunstoppable force of nature.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AHeh. She just needs%2C oh%2C two or three dozen decades to master them all. Having lots of talents is awesome%2C except that it makes getting really good at any one of them harder.