Not the Same 2013-12-13

[Dr. Otter]

I just have to pick a nit though. It's one thing for Atsali to be shown wearing the ultra short sexy-skirt and stockings in pinups, but I can't see any self-respecting school of any kind allowing it. It's just not realistic in this setting. Also, given her obvious desire not to stand out because of her breasts, I don't see her wearing something like that. She is obviously very concerned about not appearing slutty because of her siren ancestry (as shown here http://wapsisquare.com/comic/breathing-is-good/), and wearing that just screams slutty and "boys, look at ME!"; exactly what she is so afraid of concerning her breasts. It's just so contradictory. Okay, done with that and shall not be mentioned again.

It's a school uniform (dress code) Atsali had to buy a new on at the mall shop to fit her new frame. Junior high and up at the paranormal school have the kids wearing uniforms.

And if you had read your Student Handbook as instructed, you would have known that.

[Catawampus]

Is this how PE class in American schools generally work, having the students assigned to one particular sport for the duration of the quarter/semester? I thought that it was usually a bit more variety, though since I get all of my school-related information from television shows and movies I might be slightly less than properly informed.

Isn't this supposed to be a school for paranormals? Atsali's having a lot of body image issues for being in a class full of shapeshifters.

Even as a shape-shifter, she's still apparently very limited in her choices of shapes. All of which, according to her, now feature her new features. Heck, being around people who can change anything about their looks on a whim could just end up making it even worse for her. Plus, she's still going to be living in the middle of normal human society (for whatever value of "normal" human society is assigned).

Mr. Meadows is part crocodile (a species that is not commonly found in actual meadows, I'm sure).

From my experience, they're actually rather fond of meadows, so long as the meadow isn't more than a few hundred meters from the water. Especially the Nile crocodiles. They lurk in the tall grass and wait for something tasty to pass by.

And if you had read your Student Handbook as instructed, you would have known that.

People read those?!? What madness is next, people reading the instructions on how to assemble their new furniture?

Makes me wonder what her last name was before the adoption, though - or if she even had one.

Of course she had one! And a middle name, too! Why, her middle and last names were-

[Fairportfan]

Is this how PE class in American schools generally work, having the students assigned to one particular sport for the duration of the quarter/semester? I thought that it was usually a bit more variety, though since I get all of my school-related information from television shows and movies I might be slightly less than properly informed.

It is a little more varied than that - generally there's be a week or so of one activity and then switch to another.

[Fairportfan]

Have i mentioned Atsali's Little Orphan Annie eyes in the first panel yet?

[jeffepp]

After all, Mr. Meadows is part crocodile (a species that is not commonly found in actual meadows, I'm sure).

Canadian Trap Door Gator

http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp11222002.shtml

http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp02132009.shtml

http://gurpswiki.wikidot.com/m:trapdoor-alligator

[Bathorys Daughter]

It's a school uniform (dress code) Atsali had to buy a new on at the mall shop to fit her new frame. Junior high and up at the paranormal school have the kids wearing uniforms.

Thank you for taking the time to answer. My point isn't with the uniform, I understand that, but with the skirt part of it. Other than perhaps at Playboy High would a skirt that short be normal. I guess it's a bit of a sticking point with me because I went to a private school and we had such a uniform. Some of us looked on line at girls wearing other school's uniforms to get ideas for how we might modify/add to ours and still be in regulations. Nowhere did we ever see a skirt that short unless someone hiked theirs up by rolling it up at the waist. We did see some that seemed ridiculously long though. I know it's a small point, but it just seems a tad too far from reality. And yes, I know this whole story is unrealistic, but you usually make some effort to keep certain things within human norms.

[Fairportfan]

Atsali has Very Long Legs.

That said, it is a pretty short skirt; rather in a manga/anime tradition.

[Mark N]

Is this how PE class in American schools generally work, having the students assigned to one particular sport for the duration of the quarter/semester? I thought that it was usually a bit more variety, though since I get all of my school-related information from television shows and movies I might be slightly less than properly informed.

It is a little more varied than that - generally there's be a week or so of one activity and then switch to another.

This is also a private school as opposed to a public school. That also makes a big difference in how classes are assigned and run.

[Catawampus]

When storylines move into some sort of school setting, I sometimes think that I missed out on a lot by not going to school.

Then I remember that every person who I've ever heard talk about high school said how horrible it was, and then I think that it might be best that I missed out on most of that.

[Wapsi]

It's a school uniform (dress code) Atsali had to buy a new on at the mall shop to fit her new frame. Junior high and up at the paranormal school have the kids wearing uniforms.

Thank you for taking the time to answer. My point isn't with the uniform, I understand that, but with the skirt part of it. Other than perhaps at Playboy High would a skirt that short be normal. I guess it's a bit of a sticking point with me because I went to a private school and we had such a uniform. Some of us looked on line at girls wearing other school's uniforms to get ideas for how we might modify/add to ours and still be in regulations. Nowhere did we ever see a skirt that short unless someone hiked theirs up by rolling it up at the waist. We did see some that seemed ridiculously long though. I know it's a small point, but it just seems a tad too far from reality. And yes, I know this whole story is unrealistic, but you usually make some effort to keep certain things within human norms.

I was following suit from Eerie Cuties, and trying to emphasis Atsali's small waist and super long legs. But I understand what you are saying.

[Wdot]

Okay, if this is a Supernatural School, it may not be based in Western tradition, but may have some Japanese influence, thus the Japanese School girl type uniform. While not a big fan of anime (I can name three) this is one of them: Inu Yasha. I really didn't know it was a thing until I saw this particular show. But this is a school uniform that is typical in Japan and yes it's too short, but it's a different culture. These supernaturals have a radically different culture than your typical American (cannibalism comes to mind), even if some happen to reside here. I've been told by some foreigners that American's are too uptight about that sort of thing, I blame it on the fact we were settled by many uptight religious dissenters, like the Puritans. Remember, a certain Gorgon was buck naked in The Library and apparently didn't think it a big deal. Heck, maybe it's an all girl school and it really doesn't matter!

[Mark N]

Okay, if this is a Supernatural School, it may not be based in Western tradition, but may have some Japanese influence, thus the Japanese School girl type uniform. While not a big fan of anime (I can name three) this is one of them: Inu Yasha. I really didn't know it was a thing until I saw this particular show. But this is a school uniform that is typical in Japan and yes it's too short, but it's a different culture. These supernaturals have a radically different culture than your typical American (cannibalism comes to mind), even if some happen to reside here. I've been told by some foreigners that American's are too uptight about that sort of thing, I blame it on the fact we were settled by many uptight religious dissenters, like the Puritans. Remember, a certain Gorgon was buck naked in The Library and apparently didn't think it a big deal. Heck, maybe it's an all girl school and it really doesn't matter!

All good points my friend.

[Fairportfan]

I was following suit from Eerie Cuties, and trying to emphasis Atsali's small waist and super long legs. But I understand what you are saying.

Yep. Anime/manga tradition at one remove.

[Tenjen]

I was much much taller than my peers (and all my seniors) at a very young age, too tall for the school-sold uniforms.

had mine tailored and made. I was better for it too. Given that the material they used for the official uniforms was terrible.

Quite a few of the girls had our siren lass'es problem, (though not as severe). Almost all the girls got their own shirts made, seeing as how the school-made one was made from cheap thin material that failed to hide lady undergarments.

arent our younger years awkward enough without this stuff?

[Opus the Poet]

I had a similar problem in NJROTC with my neck and ties. Military standard sizes only go to 18 collars. I wore a 20 in HS which went to 22 when I started racing cars (helmets and lateral G forces=no visible neck). Add to that that a 18 collar didn't come any smaller than a 50 chest and no taper and my uniforms looked like I shopped at a maternity store before I went to the tailor.

[NOTDilbert]

Okay, if this is a Supernatural School, it may not be based in Western tradition, but may have some Japanese influence, thus the Japanese School girl type uniform.

And the Japanese school traditions are borrowed from the ENGLISH school system at the end of the 19th/start of the 20th century, including the Academy style of school (K through College level in some cases, others starting at grade 1). And uniforms. Both boys and girls obsess over uniforms; there is a system as complex as Heraldry to identify what school and what year a student attends, JUST by the clothes (no logos - that's cheating).

[scantrontb]

there is a system as complex as Heraldry to identify what school and what year a student attends, JUST by the clothes (no logos - that's cheating).

and it doesn't stop at school... i remember back when i was first watching the 60's Godzilla movies, and every time they showed the waterfront scenes where G is crunching thru all the shipyards and stuff, i always thought that it was cheap model making because all the mini's were in only two or three different helmet/coveralls uniforms... HA! shows you how much i knew... when i got in the Navy, my first ship was homeported out of Sasebo, Japan and the workers there were dressed like that... at one time i could have actually told you what company those miniatures were representing as they really did wear those color combinations on their uniforms!...

[Tenjen]

the whole system was derived from the army and other uniform-wearing government services and their hierarchies after all.

Japan's emergency disaster system is amazing. Specially in these earthquake prone zones *draws a big red circle around Japan*. Most of the citizens and the emergency services are very well trained and very organized. The color codes on their helmets and uniforms are just one aspect of it.

But iam derailing.

I keep coming back to see her expression in the first panel. It's like she's shocked nothing has happened yet. But praising your fortune before the day is done is like Monica praising the good weather...

[NOTDilbert]

Well, do you folks know the site Cake Wrecks? http://www.cakewrecks.com/

While I was there, I found the perfect (and perfectly tasteless) cake to get for Atsali to celebrate her, uh, change:

Congratu-boob cake.jpg (33.12 KiB) Viewed 9433 times

Disclaimer: I had to rename the file so I could find it, it had some meaningless non-descriptive name....okay, I feel bad.

[Ladyofthemasque]

I mainly was posting to say thank you for recommending this store. I'm not in Seattle, and I very likely won't ever use them (since even when I was a 38 GG I was able to find properly sized bras in my area), but I do have a friend from college who was an A on one side and a D on the other. She always stuffed her smaller side with a falsie and was very embarassed about it. I think I'll reach out to her now to see if she's still having issues and direct her to that store.

Oh, you don't have to visit this "store"...because it's not a store. They only have the actual facility where the bras and other clothes are made. (In fact, it's above a Hertz Rental store). You *can* visit the place by appointment for an in-person fitting, but when I say they've been fitting people over the phone and the internet for 25+ years, I mean that. They started the company by word-of-mouth, and were fitting people over the phone long before the widespread use of the internet. They ask a lot of good questions about how the bras fit, and are very skilled at interpreting how to remake their bras, etc, into something that's comfortable, supportive, and so forth.

About the only thing I'd say for the A-to-D cup is that she'll probably want to get a modified front-closure style, but they'll know more about how to do that than I do. Your friend has my sympathies on the size differences. (It also makes me wonder if she might be a chimera, which is when you have 2 sets of DNA and certain body parts are one set and certain others are a different set, aka polychromia, if I recall the term correctly. It's what gives some cats (often calicos) their unusual patterns and two different eye colors, and how some people can be born with 2 distinctly different skin tones on different parts of their bodies.)