ooc Salem University OOC (Open)

[Duality 10,739]

6 hours ago, Denim&Venom said:

And why no mention of Miko being in the first class? Well if you look at the RP, there never was any reason to. When would it have been relevant? Few have had their pasts elaborated on. Thought now would be a good time since Miko hasn't had her past cannonized yet.

Though I see little point if the long lifespan wasn't approved of. I even had ideas on how Miko's history and by extension, that of the school, could be elaborated upon by flashbacks. 

How old is she really? Well the idea is late 40s, early 50s. Doesn't sound like a whole lot but for someone who handles things through physicallity rather than magic, that's pretty old. Most bodies begin to break down in their late 30s. Most of the students would probably out power and outpace her if she still wasn't in her prime.

Wait, Miko is about the same age as Duality? That'll be a fun dynamic to roleplay if the storyline skews that way. 

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

1 minute ago, Duality said:

Wait, Miko is about the same age as Duality? That'll be a fun dynamic to roleplay if the storyline skews that way. 

Wasn't the school launched in like 1988? I mean if the age thing is approved, then I can already tell you that devil may care tank driver Doctor Miko is a saint compared to student Miko. Student Miko was a nightmare to deal with. Student Miko made some enemies of faculty and student alike. Student Miko was probably the second biggest headache of Gabe Lanzels career. 

I also imagine that the experimental magical institute of Salem of then was probably a different beast to Salem now. 

[Duality 10,739]

Just now, Denim&Venom said:

Wasn't the school launched in like 1988? I mean if the age thing is approved, then I can already tell you that devil may care tank driver Doctor Miko is a saint compared to student Miko. Student Miko was a nightmare to deal with. Student Miko made some enemies of faculty and student alike. Student Miko was probably the second biggest headache of Gabe Lanzels career.

Eh, sometime like that. It hasn't been fixed to a date but Duality was mid-twenties then and she's mid-to-late-fifties now. The age thing is fine; it was just the level-upping and high racial bonuses that were iffy to me.

5 minutes ago, Denim&Venom said:

I also imagine that the experimental magical institute of Salem of then was probably a different beast to Salem now. 

I imagine that you're underestimating the experimental magical institute of Salem now. Just because Duality's section of it is mostly orderly and calm definitely shouldn't be taken to mean that the rest of it is. The University has a very large budget for highly shielded walls, after all. 

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

3 minutes ago, Duality said:

Eh, sometime like that. It hasn't been fixed to a date but Duality was mid-twenties then and she's mid-to-late-fifties now. The age thing is fine; it was just the level-upping and high racial bonuses that were iffy to me.

I imagine that you're underestimating the experimental magical institute of Salem now. Just because Duality's section of it is mostly orderly and calm definitely shouldn't be taken to mean that the rest of it is. The University has a very large budget for highly shielded walls, after all. 

I just wanted a reason for the age thing. That long lives were something earned, rather than a species wide buff. But it's a moot point. 

 

So it would've been radically different back then. I'm guessing with the possibility of so many magical misfits under one roof, the governments of the world would've tried to run a tight ship. Part prep school, part military school. Everyone wears uniforms. Everyone got mountains of text books. Everyone got lockers. Students might have had to stay on campus until more magical portals were built. Y'know stereotypical oppressive school environment. 

Just the type of thing Miko would look to overthrow. 

[Duality 10,739]

1 minute ago, Denim&Venom said:

So it would've been radically different back then. I'm guessing with the possibility of so many magical misfits under one roof, the governments of the world would've tried to run a tight ship. Part prep school, part military school. Everyone wears uniforms. Everyone got mountains of text books. Everyone got lockers. Students might have had to stay on campus until more magical portals were built. Y'know stereotypical oppressive school environment. 

Just the type of thing Miko would look to overthrow. 

Eesh, maybe not that bad. They were looking to get people from a vast array of cultures to join the school, which means a British Empire sort of school system wouldn't have been anywhere near desirable - any mage with a choice would be put off by the place. 'The governments of the world' include a whole lot more countries than Britain's Victorian-era landholdings, and Lazel does have a legacy as an intensely charismatic educational entrepreneur. Plus, of course, the governments of the world putting mages into a military-style school strikes me as exceptionally poor politics if said governments were trying to avoid a mage uprising. Tighter security and more governmental watchfulness than the present day, certainly, but in terms of curriculum it would probably have been significantly influenced by tried-and-true master-student magical traditions. At that point they most likely wouldn't even have had enough students for large classes, so the entire classroom atmosphere would naturally have lent itself to one-on-one teaching techniques.

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

2 minutes ago, Duality said:

Eesh, maybe not that bad. They were looking to get people from a vast array of cultures to join the school, which means a British Empire sort of school system wouldn't have been anywhere near desirable - any mage with a choice would be put off by the place. 'The governments of the world' include a whole lot more countries than Britain's Victorian-era landholdings, and Lazel does have a legacy as an intensely charismatic educational entrepreneur. Plus, of course, the governments of the world putting mages into a military-style school strikes me as exceptionally poor politics if said governments were trying to avoid a mage uprising. Tighter security and more governmental watchfulness than the present day, certainly, but in terms of curriculum it would probably have been significantly influenced by tried-and-true master-student magical traditions. At that point they most likely wouldn't even have had enough students for large classes, so the entire classroom atmosphere would naturally have lent itself to one-on-one teaching techniques.

I dunno. Victorian era Britain did rule more of earths surface than surface exists on the moon. But then again this is also an alternate history timeline, so that might be more believable. 

Does make Miko's anti-authoritarian attitudes and disdain for the school a bit tricky though. Difficult to be an overconfident and ambitious tyrant in training if Salem is an efficient school with understanding teachers. 

[Duality 10,739]

7 hours ago, Denim&Venom said:

Does make Miko's anti-authoritarian attitudes and disdain for the school a bit tricky though. Difficult to be an overconfident and ambitious tyrant in training if Salem is an efficient school with understanding teachers. 

Yes, that's the dilemma I've been thinking about. On the one hand, Gabe was made legend for being a fabulously open-minded principal, but on the other, Miko has been made legend for being a fabulously rebellious student. If she was really that anarchistic as a student, it would probably have been necessary for the school to bureaucratically incinerate several of her more collaterally damaging campaigns, so the authority-grudge could have come from that.

However, it seems to be true from what I've seen that those committed to extreme causes find it repulsive when others simply accept their stances, since it's quite easy to be committed to radical things for the sake of their radicalness more than any intrinsic superiority over the status quo. It's the sort of peculiar elitist mentality that leads to the hipster movement with their active avoidance of the mainstream and the 'meme economy' in which memes that become normified/mainstream are disdainfully shunned in favour of the dank, the deep-fried and the downright dadaist. After all, what's the point of being an anarchist in school if your teachers respond enthusiastically and start to theme their homework assignments on the topic? Surely they'd only react so placidly if you hadn't taken your stances to a far enough extreme.

Edited April 27, 2019 by Duality

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

1 hour ago, Duality said:

Yes, that's the dilemma I've been thinking about. On the one hand, Gabe was made legend for being a fabulously open-minded principal, but on the other, Miko has been made legend for being a fabulously rebellious student. If she was really that anarchistic as a student, it would probably have been necessary for the school to bureaucratically incinerate several of her more collaterally damaging campaigns, so the authority-grudge could have come from that.

However, it seems to be true from what I've seen that those committed to extreme causes find it repulsive when others simply accept their stances, since it's quite easy to be committed to radical things for the sake of their radicalness more than any intrinsic superiority over the status quo. It's the sort of peculiar elitist mentality that leads to the hipster movement with their active avoidance of the mainstream and the 'meme economy' in which memes that become normified/mainstream are disdainfully shunned in favour of the dank, the deep-fried and the downright dadaist. After all, what's the point of being an anarchist in school if your teachers respond enthusiastically and start to theme their homework assignments on the topic? Surely they'd only react so placidly if you hadn't taken your stances to a far enough extreme.

It wasn't just a down with the system mentality. She would be 18 by the time she joined Salem. By then thanks to her freak genius, she'd been put through the academic ringer. High school graduate at 12. College graduate by 18 with two degrees, just to get her overbearing family off her back. Someone somewhere was always telling her what to do and who to be. Think Miles form the Spider-verse movie.

And just when she thinks she's jumped through enough hoops to get to an independent life, Salem steps in. 

That and she doesn't exactly see all these Harry Potter knockoffs and their psudo-scientific methods as qualified to boss her around. 

In short: Salem was the straw that broke the camels back and Miko never saw anyone there as qualified to give her any kind of orders. 

[Duality 10,739]

@dragon4111

Passion's away for a few days, so to avoid holding you up he asked me to let you know that Ley isn't going anywhere with Ghalan - if you want to put up another post to move on with your character Ley will pretty much just be sitting on her bench as he walks away or something.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

@dragon4111 if I'm not mistaken @Denim&Venom did not give Dru Detention. The character gave the two people who left the class Detention.

[dragon4111 914]

@Buck Testa

I see whoops missread that..

[Buck Testa 5,505]

@dragon4111 I'm also not sure what You're character is doing? Is he interrupting @Denim&Venom 's class? Is there a reason? 

[dragon4111 914]

@Buck Testa

That seems to be where the action is.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

5 minutes ago, dragon4111 said:

@Buck Testa

That seems to be where the action is.

But is there a reason for his character to be interrupting the class like that? He's a Janitor, it really doesn't make sense for him to waltz into the middle of class and try to take control away from the teacher.

[Duality 10,739]

@dragon4111

Ghalan doesn't always have to be where the action is, you know. He's sticking his foot in an awful lot of cowpats that don't belong to him, and he might well be better served by having a few solo posts - reminiscing on that military past of his, perhaps.

[Passion 3,484]

Aight sorry for my absence but to let you know I haven't been doing jack s*** on forums either from staff perspective

I was on my holidays and, coincidentally, while I was planning to take a few days off from the forums and work life alltogether, my severe issues with internet access helped me accomplish that. Plus, had other real life issues to take care off so just put MLPF in the corner for some time and pushed it away noting to get back to it once I straighten a few things out.

 

I should be returning to RP soon.

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

@Duality I see things have slowed a bit. So I'm thinking while everypony gets their affairs sorted, I have professor Angel meet with principal particle about concerns regarding Ruby being in Miko's class. Good opportunity to elaborate on Miko's history/ hostile relationship with the school. Heck, maybe even RP some flashback scenes. 

[Duality 10,739]

21 hours ago, Denim&Venom said:

@Duality I see things have slowed a bit. So I'm thinking while everypony gets their affairs sorted, I have professor Angel meet with principal particle about concerns regarding Ruby being in Miko's class. Good opportunity to elaborate on Miko's history/ hostile relationship with the school. Heck, maybe even RP some flashback scenes. 

I'd be down for that. This 'Principal Particle' business is an unexpected promotion, though, I must say. 

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

21 minutes ago, Duality said:

I'd be down for that. This 'Principal Particle' business is an unexpected promotion, though, I must say. 

She's not the principal? Then who's running this show?

[Passion 3,484]

Change of plans again guys.

My mom had a car accident and she is currently in hospital, conscious. But no idea if she suffered any spine injuries as she had issues with it but now complains more than usual about it.

I need to get my car in working condition this instant and provide it home so she can drive. So once again I have hands full of unplanned work.

[dragon4111 914]

@Passion

Hope she's alright.

[Duality 10,739]

22 hours ago, Denim&Venom said:

She's not the principal? Then who's running this show?

Lilith Plowse, who's admittedly probably not going to be returning to the scene since Arid_Blitz bowed out. Duality's the dean of hydromancy.

12 hours ago, Passion said:

Change of plans again guys.

My mom had a car accident and she is currently in hospital, conscious. But no idea if she suffered any spine injuries as she had issues with it but now complains more than usual about it.

I need to get my car in working condition this instant and provide it home so she can drive. So once again I have hands full of unplanned work.

Aw, man. I hope things work out okay for you and her. 

[Denim&Venöm 18,689]

10 hours ago, Duality said:

Lilith Plowse, who's admittedly probably not going to be returning to the scene since Arid_Blitz bowed out. Duality's the dean of hydromancy.

So I guess either the Dean gets reconned into being a principal/ vice principal or we come up with a new authority figure to fill the role. Cause who else is Prof. Angel gonna see? 

[reader8363 1,281]

I'm going to have to take Sorxir out of the rp, I just can't play her that well

[Buck Testa 5,505]

2 hours ago, reader8363 said:

I'm going to have to take Sorxir out of the rp, I just can't play her that well

Do you want to make a new character?