Wapsi Square Forum

http://wapsisquare.com/comic/stop-that/

Ouch, right in my feels! I've been there many times too!

I'd say that someone whose face is a blank mask floating in front of what looks like something-i-don't-wanna-see-bigtime is a good person to discuss feeling like vs being a fake with...

I can't tell if the "Valerie" tag refers to Miss Mask or to one of the kids. My first thought was that Miss Mask is Cori's Doubt demon, but perhaps not...

Well Joshua wasn't tagged so I assume Valerie is the teacher with the mask floating in front of her "face".

the teachers that didnt believe they could teach were the ones i learned the most from

Well, I think we might finally know what the ShyGuys from Super Mario Bros might be hiding behind their masks (I certainly hope not).

Does anybody know if Ms. Valeria is based on any particular paranormal creature?

I've been doing my job for twenty years, and I still feel like that sometimes . . .

Gyrrakavian wrote:Well, I think we might finally know what the ShyGuys from Super Mario Bros might be hiding behind their masks (I certainly hope not).

Does anybody know if Ms. Valeria is based on any particular paranormal creature?

If it wasn't for apparently being named, I'd wonder if she was Cori's demon Doubt.

--FreeFlier

Ya know, Brent the quarter-orc from Daughter of the Lilies, who i mentioned in a post in the General Discussion section, has exactly the same sort of self-doubt issues - but he has an excuse - he's ridden by a demon ... oh, wait.

This is WS. Cori might well have a demon, too.

Also - have we had any indication that the kids attending Gryphon School come by portal, rather than by conventional means, before?

And just where is Gryphon, physically that is?

AnotherFairportfan wrote:Also - have we had any indication that the kids attending Gryphon School come by portal, rather than by conventional means, before?

And just where is Gryphon, physically that is?

I had always just assumed that it was in Minneapolis. That the set up was something similar to what we have here for the rural town schools. The ones that live in easy walking distance walk, the rest ride buses. With a world wide teleportational system the commute would be negligible.

oldmanmickey wrote:

AnotherFairportfan wrote:Also - have we had any indication that the kids attending Gryphon School come by portal, rather than by conventional means, before?

And just where is Gryphon, physically that is?

I had always just assumed that it was in Minneapolis. That the set up was something similar to what we have here for the rural town schools. The ones that live in easy walking distance walk, the rest ride buses. With a world wide teleportational system the commute would be negligible.

Both Cricket and the ursamorphs had previously gone to other schools before transferring to Gryphon. To me, this suggests that, even in a world where instant long-range travel is possible, paranormal schools tend to be somewhat local. Of course, that could just mean that it's local as in being in the same state, not necessarily the same town.

Catawampus wrote:Both Cricket and the ursamorphs had previously gone to other schools before transferring to Gryphon. To me, this suggests that, even in a world where instant long-range travel is possible, paranormal schools tend to be somewhat local. Of course, that could just mean that it's local as in being in the same state, not necessarily the same town.

It may be a matter of environmental security. One of the down-sides of teleportation (and other forms of fast long-distance transportation) is that it's easy to bring "hitchhikers" along with you - plant seeds, insects, and (for the water-borne) sea- and water-weeds and algae and mussels and crabs. These can raise hell in the destination environment (think milfoil in Lake Calhoun, rock snot, zebra mussels, Scotch broom, purple loosestrife, etc.). Preventing this (and protecting local ecologies) requires careful attention to cleaning.

The further the ursamorphs and other furred paras teleport to school each day, the more time they would have to spend combing burs out of their fur before and after school. The aquatic paras might have to go through the piscine equivalent of sheep-dip. At some point, "staying local" in the same eco-environment turns out to be a big time-saver.

Portal students could be in the 50-400 mile range from a regional school. That distance wouldn't pose a great environmental issue (in most cases).
Another thought... I daily transport parents who load themselves and the wee ones into the cab to go to schools and pre-schools less than a mile away... the portal is much more secure than other modes of travel.
We've also seen a suggestion that other para schools exist... there's gotta be another competitive flight team out there.

AmriloJim wrote:Portal students could be in the 50-400 mile range from a regional school. That distance wouldn't pose a great environmental issue (in most cases).
Another thought... I daily transport parents who load themselves and the wee ones into the cab to go to schools and pre-schools less than a mile away... the portal is much more secure than other modes of travel.
We've also seen a suggestion that other para schools exist... there's gotta be another competitive flight team out there.

Having cheerleaders also supports this.

--FreeFlier

I'm remembering Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky, with its Ramsbotham Gates, where the protagonist attends high school somewhere in the eastern half of the country, as i recall, and livves in a house overlooking the Grand Canyon...

AnotherFairportfan wrote:I'm remembering Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky, with its Ramsbotham Gates, where the protagonist attends high school somewhere in the eastern half of the country, as i recall, and livves in a house overlooking the Grand Canyon...

I don't want to think about how jetlagged you'd get just going to school every day . . .

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote:

AnotherFairportfan wrote:I'm remembering Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky, with its Ramsbotham Gates, where the protagonist attends high school somewhere in the eastern half of the country, as i recall, and livves in a house overlooking the Grand Canyon...

I don't want to think about how jetlagged you'd get just going to school every day . . .

--FreeFlier

Since it takes 'seconds' to get home, surely no big effect??? Its the hours on the plane that does it??

illiad wrote:

FreeFlier wrote:

AnotherFairportfan wrote:I'm remembering Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky, with its Ramsbotham Gates, where the protagonist attends high school somewhere in the eastern half of the country, as i recall, and livves in a house overlooking the Grand Canyon...

I don't want to think about how jetlagged you'd get just going to school every day . . .

--FreeFlier

Since it takes 'seconds' to get home, surely no big effect??? Its the hours on the plane that does it??

So long as you don't try to live on two separate time zones.

AnotherFairportfan wrote:I'm remembering Heinlein's Tunnel in the Sky, with its Ramsbotham Gates, where the protagonist attends high school somewhere in the eastern half of the country, as i recall, and livves in a house overlooking the Grand Canyon...

FreeFlier wrote:I don't want to think about how jetlagged you'd get just going to school every day . . .

illiad wrote:Since it takes 'seconds' to get home, surely no big effect??? Its the hours on the plane that does it??

AnotherFairportfan wrote:So long as you don't try to live on two separate time zones.

Jetlag is because your body clock doesn't agree with local time as defined by the sun. And for most people, the effects are worst going east, and less going west.

Slower means of transport don't do it as much because your body has longer to adapt.

And actually, if you spent longer on the plane, jet lag would be reduced . . . and if you stay within the same timezone, the effects are reduced.

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote:Slower means of transport don't do it as much because your body has longer to adapt.

And actually, if you spent longer on the plane, jet lag would be reduced . . .

True... but other traumatic effects such as dehydration and neonatophobia become worse.