98.5 - got more to give than you've got to prove (broadcast)

[hard_talker]

[the usual Leonard Cohen tune plays for a little while ... and then is interrupted by the crackle and buzz of radio static. a moment later, it's replaced by this album, which Mark lets play underneath as he broadcasts]

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd here it is, Monday night, time for the latest edition of what's goin' down here in questionably beautiful Castle Wonderfuck! I'm sure you all enjoyed the nice little festival we've had the past few days, learned a lot about some pretty badass heroes ... I know I did, even if today ended on a really fucked-up note. Anyone know what the deal with that giant wolf thing was? I saw it outside the window and decided I'd just be a spectator, today ...

And hey, before I get to the meat of this week's food for thought, let's give a nice Monday night welcome to Senri, Edward Elric, Wheatley, Yukiko, Connor, Murphy, and Christina.

Okay, people, we've got some serious business to get down to tonight. It's come to my attention that we ... don't actually have a set system of rules for this place, and people've taken their sweet fucking time deciding on one because of ... I dunno, political bullshit about everyone's worlds being different, and some having magic, and some not, and some being in these really awful wars where some stuff's easier to get away with and ... you know, bla bla bla bullshit city. So yours truly has decided to do you a nice little public service and get the ball rolling. You might not agree with all of 'em, and I might'a missed something, but it's a fuckin' start, which is more than I can say we've had in the year and chump change I've been here. Ladies, gents, and critters, I give you....

The Ten ComMarkments. [told you he'd do it, Maladict. he's got his journal open, too, so that the words are dictated in as he reads them. once they show up, he'll add the proper embellishments]

1. Thou Shalt Not Kill Or Maim Other Residents.
(Your ass will get locked up like Fort Knox. If you don't know what that is, look it up.)
2. Thou Shalt Not Help The First Gens Fuck Shit Up.
(They're assholes. We don't care if you hate the castle as much as they do, just don't fucking take it out on us.)
3. Thou Shalt Not Use Magic To Fuck With People.
(It's right up there with killing and maiming and will also get your ass locked up.)
4. Thou Shalt Not Use The Microwave For Other Than Its Intended Purpose.
(Just because you don't know what you're doing doesn't mean you get to deny people the chance to eat Hot Pockets.)
5. Thou Shalt Not Wreck Shit In Town.
(People who live there work there, you know. How would you like it if someone fucked with your shit?)
6. Thou Shalt Not Harrass The Townspeople.
(Really, what did they ever do to you?)
7. Thou Shalt Not Use Thy Losses As An Excuse To Be A Dickhead.
(If you honestly couldn't help it, we get that, but seriously, people. Don't fake it, either.)
8. Thou Shalt Not Compromise the Safe Zones
(.... But why would you really wanna do it?)
9. Thou Shalt Not Steal.
(Nine times out of ten you can wish it up, anyway, and if you can't? It's probably okay that you don't have it to begin with.)
10. Thou Shalt Not Help Anybody Break The Other ComMarkments.
(It's just not cool. And you could probably get locked up for that, too.)

And there you have it! C'mon, discuss! Let's turn this into somethin' we can all actually use!

Comments

[hard_talker]

If that's the biggest problem you've got? Hey, I can live with changin' the name.

[gunslinger]

Well, there's a reason my brother handled the politics.

[hard_talker]

Haha, yeah? ... Hopefully this'll be at least some good. I mean, we gotta have somethin' we can point to when people try an' tell us there's nothing that says they can't be jackasses.

[gunslinger]

Well the problem isn't really pointing to a list of rules. Yeah it'd help to have everything on paper, but getting people to agree long enough to finalize it is going to take some time.

Especially where it comes to what to actually do with the damn prisoners.

[hard_talker]

Oh, I know that, but the thing is, it seemed like everyone was so daunted by the fact that no one would agree that no one actually made a start of it.

So ... at least now we've got something to build off of. And if I need to do the same thing with punishments, just to get us started? Fuck, I'll do that too. It's bullshit that people only discuss how to handle this sort of important shit after the fact, or right before it.

1/2

[gunslinger]

It's not that. No offense but obviously none of these are new ideas. There's a lot of BS circling the castle, but that sort of thing is nothing new in any world. Trying to get anything done in legislation is hard enough when everybody's from the same country, let alone different worlds.

I'm not saying it's a lost cause, but to get something like this done you're going to have to do more than just offer speeches about incompetence every week.

Not that it's your responsibility, just...your green is showing. [ At least he's nicer about it than Molotov! ] For a legislation like this to actually go through, for instance, we'd need representatives from each party. If there were any, which there aren't. But there are too many worlds to call for a representative from each one, and some we can't even tell for sure if they're different worlds or just different timelines, which brings in the entirely unique issue of which time has the 'better laws'.

And of course you need some people know what they're doing, elected officials, to actually be able to organize this melding pot of opinions into a tolerable document that at least most people can accept as law.

Then there's the factor of what to do about incidents involving folks in the city, since they have their own force and their own laws. Figuring out what applies to them and what applies to us would have to be a collaborative effort not just with the castle residents, but with the city officials.

[gunslinger]

Which isn't even scratching the surface...

Long story short, it's a huge responsibility, and if you have the guts to mouth off about it, then you better be able to back that up with gung-ho action for a long time.

[hard_talker]

[Jesus that's a lot to get hit with. and like anyone with some growing up left to do, his first gut reaction is instant rage. he's trying to do some GOOD here, and the first thing half the people here decide to do is shit all over it? no! FUCK THAT! --

--- but thankfully, it's been a year and change, and he's grown a little in all of that time. so while, yeah, sure, he's still pissed off, he manages to stomp the fire down to a few smaller embers]

Of course I'm gonna fucking back it up. If I couldn't back up what I say, I would've stopped saying anything months ago. But does it really matter if I know jack shit about legislature and politics and different worlds and times? We have enough people here who give a damn that do! Why can't we just -- fucking coordinate for once? Don't people realize that this shit's got to get done, no matter how impossible it looks?!

[at least a year's time has taught him to be angry at the root of the problem, not the person who points it out. progress. it's progress.]

[gunslinger]

Chill out. I wasn't insulting you.

[ JUST INFORMING AND CALLING YOU YOUNG. Which probably is funny enough coming from him... ]

Lots of people are loud about their opinions, but that doesn't always mean they're willing to do something about them if the work's too hard.

[ Especially 'radio host' teenagers... No offense dude. ]

And I think the problem is just how many people actually think it needs to be done, and how many would prefer to go a simpler route. Lots of people don't care about rules and regulations, they just want to get it done and move on.

Others probably feel it isn't worth the effort when there are too many vigilantes to actually regulate, and people are always coming and going, good or bad. We've had a lot of projects dropped because the person working on them went home, or the people they were meant for went home. This is just as much of a problem with prisoners.

[hard_talker]

[none taken. well ... not much, anyway. he's getting better!!!]

Yeah ... like Leroy. That was a shitstorm...

I dunno, I just ... there's gotta be something we can figure out that'll work. Even if it's just the most simple thing, so that we've got a ... what's the word.

... A framework. Then if we're not here, whoever ends up bein' here after us can pick it up where we left off and work with it... build on it, make it bigger...

[gunslinger]

And how would you do that? Leave them cracker crumbs?

[hard_talker]

At least written records. That's how normal generations pass things on - why can't we?

[gunslinger]

It would need to be in a place they know to check... The journals aren't dependable enough for that.

[hard_talker]

Sorta like some kinda time capsule, you mean? ... Might not be a bad idea.

[gunslinger]

Still useless if newbies don't have anyone to tell them where to find it, though. And how are we supposed to ensure the right person does find it?

[hard_talker]

There's gotta be something. I mean, James brought that letter back from Libet, right? That lasted.