My Warmth 2014-10-09

[Dave]

"We apologize for the strangeness, but a failed update has caused some problems. We'll be working on it for a while, and hope to be back later today."

[TazManiac]

As of sometime around Noon-ish in the PDT time zone...

We apologize for the strangeness, but a failed update has caused some problems. We'll be working on it for a while, and hope to be back later today.

[TazManiac]

And Dave, stop looking over my shoulder while I post...

[Dave]

And Dave, stop looking over my shoulder while I post...

Over your shoulder?

Why would I bother to do that, when I'm already inside your monitor and CPU?

[illiad]

The difference being your GF's friend is not magically enthralled, and probably either returns the playful flirtation, or at least has no qualm with it.

heh, you see her ***s , you *will* be enthralled... it's all about that bass !!

[LittleOne]

Will we soon be meeting our first deaf male high school character so Atsali can date without worrying so much?

[oldmanmickey]

There has to be some who are immune to the siren song. Otherwise they would rule the waspiverse.

[eee]

There has to be some who are immune to the siren song. Otherwise they would rule the waspiverse.

That depends on the Sirens. They may not WANT to rule the Waspiverse. Atsali may be representative of the species, and it's just the bad apples who have given them their sex predator reputation. Alternatively it may be the other way around, there may be something abnormal about Atsali or her parentage and she may be a very different sort of Siren, intelligent and far thinking enough to rule if she wanted to. Normal Sirens may be - literally - bird brains, too concerned with the moment to do anything long range...

We'll have to encounter another Siren before we can tell.

[My2Cents]

Im'a say general compulsion, because Berdine was totally motionless until Atsali started with the suggestion chain.

A general compulsion means that a Siren can make you do almost anything, even if only for a short time. Given the potential for abuse it is a small wonder they are universally loathed. Sirens would be like the fae, capable of messy you up without warning, but less capable of defending themselves.

[AnotherFairportfan]

Seems to be okay now.

[My2Cents]

There has to be some who are immune to the siren song. Otherwise they would rule the waspiverse.

No, if the duration is short enough (probably anything less than a couple days) you can recover, realize what has happened, and take lethal steps to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Remember, Atsali's parents were killed, probably for that exact reason, though it could have been a general preemptive strike (the only good Siren is a dead Siren). The wonder is that Atsali was allowed to survive, let alone allowed in the school. The MIB is likely involved.

[Dave]

Alternatively it may be the other way around, there may be something abnormal about Atsali or her parentage and she may be a very different sort of Siren, intelligent and far thinking enough to rule if she wanted to. Normal Sirens may be - literally - bird brains, too concerned with the moment to do anything long range...

We'll have to encounter another Siren before we can tell.

Do we know for sure just what her father was? I recall Atsali saying that he's not a Siren, but can't remember whether he was human, or some other variety of paranormal.

[scantrontb]

There has to be some who are immune to the siren song. Otherwise they would rule the waspiverse.

That depends on the Sirens. They may not WANT to rule the Waspiverse. Atsali may be representative of the species, and it's just the bad apples who have given them their sex predator reputation. Alternatively it may be the other way around, there may be something abnormal about Atsali or her parentage and she may be a very different sort of Siren, intelligent and far thinking enough to rule if she wanted to. Normal Sirens may be - literally - bird brains, too concerned with the moment to do anything long range...

We'll have to encounter another Siren before we can tell.

actually... she's ALREADY pointed out that she's not a typical Siren... she said to Katherine within the first few minutes of meeting her that she's NOT a sedentary one, unlike most other sirens... based on that, I'd say that most other sirens are too lazy to want to take over the world, ability or not.
as for Berdine's reaction... I'm still gonna go with the statement i made yesterday... she's gonna be pissed and react badly.

[starkruzr]

Doesn't this *prove* that whatever she's worried about w/r/t herself isn't actually a problem?

[Warrl]

I think she knows exactly what she's capable of.

I would say she knew what she's capable of, but didn't expect it to be quite that easy. She thought she'd have to sing more than one verse.

So why is Berdine pushing the issue? Does she want Sali to make use of her Queen Bee status? Or is she looking for an excuse to do the same thing herself. That there is a boy she wants to approach but doesn't feel right about doing it unless Sali has already.

I wouldn't say she's looking for an excuse. Looking for the courage, more likely.

It's been pretty obvious for a while that these kids may be supernaturals, but they are still teenagers (or younger, in Castela's case). With the full range of uncertainties, ignorances, and stupidities that are typical of such beings.

[DilyV]

Paul posted that he updated another site and it did something to this one... it appears to be back now though...

[AnotherFairportfan]

Doesn't this *prove* that whatever she's worried about w/r/t herself isn't actually a problem?

It's not herself she's worrying about - well, at least not her own possible actions - she's worried about how others might react.

[Prester Fred]

Sirens...may not WANT to rule the Waspiverse.

I can't recall who wrote the song, but it's on the Pyrates Royale album Keep Calm and Seek Revenge:

Said the Siren to the Sailor:
"What makes you think I'd want your sorry ass
washed up here on my beach?
I'm so out of your reach!
Just goes to show there's nothing
Ever comes for free.
You say you've got my number;
It was written on some drunken sailor's
Dank and hairy palm.
You've got it all wrong!
Just goes to show you can't believe
Everything that your read.
We just come to this beach to sing!"

[TazManiac]

And Dave, stop looking over my shoulder while I post...

Over your shoulder?

Why would I bother to do that, when I'm already inside your monitor and CPU?

"All your Base!..."


Atsali continues to display/go through (already) being Mature (by necessity mostly) and Teen-aged *something*.

Experience Gathering?, Toe Stubbing?...

[Catawampus]

Why is Nadette not affected by her song? She is clearly within earshot. Could the eye contact be a part of it as well? If that's so, how did sirens lure sailors with only hearing the song?

Well, ancient Greek and Roman sailors usually did try to keep within sight of land when sailing, so they might have been within sight of sirens as well. And if the sirens were similar in looks to Atsali, then I'd imagine that any unwary sailors would not be adverse to sailing a bit closer to that particular bit of land, song or no song. I expect that the siren song is a bit more complicated than that, however.

[tiny rant]Still. The "Siren-thing" has always p*ssed me off to no end. To me, It's a nasty illustration of men's age-old fear of p*ssy power. As if men are wholly incapable of resisting those evil, lascivious, women.
As if men are totally helpless towards beautiful women, and thusly cannot be held responsible for rotten choices afa women, or their own lives are concerned.

Originally, it was less about the seductive power of women and more about death in general. The sirens were sort of a symbol of the inevitability of mortality, or something along that line. They weren't even evil, more neutral like a force of nature. That's why statues and carvings of sirens were so common in ancient Greek cemeteries (it's worth considering that they were usually portrayed as mourning in those statues, too).

The whole "women are a wicked lure to evilness and sin" aspect was attached to it mainly by the early Christian church. They already had that mindset, of course; the sirens just provided a convenient metaphor, even if they were a pagan story. They were a well-known story in the ancient world, so Christian moralists made use of them to form a common context with the pagans who they were trying to convert.

And yes, I am as guilty as sin, because the woman that's my BFF for 25 years by now (wow...) attracted my attention because she was stunningly beautiful. That was all. I hardly had any interest in who she really was as a person, just her looks. Shameful.

Eh, I don't see that there's anything wrong with that, per se. When you first see a total stranger, it's not as though you can get some sort of a read of their personality and interests and so on (unless you're Tina, in which case: hi, Tina!). All you've got to go on is their physical appearance. Being drawn to notice somebody because of their appearance is basically the way we're made. You have to notice the person before you can get to know them and like them for more than their looks. If you could only see the person as a physical object, though, then you'd have some problems.

So why is Berdine pushing the issue? Does she want Sali to make use of her Queen Bee status? Or is she looking for an excuse to do the same thing herself. That there is a boy she wants to approach but doesn't feel right about doing it unless Sali has already.

I wouldn't say she's looking for an excuse. Looking for the courage, more likely.

Or maybe looking for an excuse not to get into the whole scary "let's try dating a guy" scene. She might be avoiding actively getting a boyfriend by rationalising that she needs to help Atsali find one first. And if Atsali were to find one, then she might decide that she has to concentrate on finding a guy (or girl or critter or whatever) for Nadette as well. And then she might decide that she has to wait until she helps Cricket find one, and then Castela, and then the jumping spider. . .