ooc OOC Deep Science 1x1 with Blitz Boom

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Before I forget again, I did have some ideas as to how Null and Void's marks might change now that they aren't cursed.

I was thinking that each of them would gain a simple white outline of a shape indicating their new sense of self, while still keeping their original marks. For Void I was thinking a heart shape for her caring/nurturing/healing nature, and for Null I was thinking a shield shape.

They would just be outlines, and thin ones at that, so they'd be forgiven for not having noticed that they'd changed. Maybe the outline would grow the more they embraced their new purposes and moved on from the past? So Void's would grow more than Null's.

Just a thought.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

That's an option, aye. I think things need to progress a bit more, but a turn in shape, I could certainly see. Though Void would likely have the outline inside her cutie mark, rather than around it. Showing her nature in taking in others, and shove them love, while still keeping them safe. Y'know, herself, being around the heart. Sorta like this

As for Null, shield works, but probably a cracked one. She's still broken after all, so the cracks could show that well.

Also, speaking of Null, I can only do a tiny few things with the scene in the upper parts atm. The character I am hunting, is related to your Basher, and his doings. So I can only act on setup, and then see what happens. Though I could add in a secondary character, to mix things up a bit... I did set up something, that I could expand upon a little, before schedule. Lemme think about it until tomorrow.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

I did write a couple of pages ago, that the little one would eat words. Didn't think I'd get to mess something up showing it, but now that the opportunity showed itself, who am I to deny?

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom I figured the fox would eat the paper, but the words would be preserved if that makes sense? I mean, it was a note originally.

Anyway, this just complicates things, but doesn't ultimately thwart what I have planned.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

That was my first idea actually. xD But I thought the idea of it slurping up an I like spaghetti was funnier.

As for the letter... Well, you can always try and have it unfold itself. It's still paper. What it eats, could well be *stored*. At least for a time. That could be fun utility later. It eats some secret documents, and then shows it later.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

I'm actually having trouble figuring out what else the other students could ask about. Usually I use them to get at bits of lore I want to reveal or to expound on your characters' questions, but I can't seem to come up with anything here.

I guess I'm just too excited for the upcoming scene with Toupé and Void, so I haven't really planned much for here.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

You can just go that they didn't have more to add, or skim over it. I can imagine they must have had various things, but going "After their questions were all done, they'd need to move on for (insert reason)" would work fine. It's not heavily important details after all.

Also, in case you wonder what the fudge I am doing with the odd kitsune... I've set this up for a long, long time. Won't lead the topic far off things, but it is something I had a want to touch upon, that will move slightly in time. Worry not, it won't be a deus ex machina, that's gonna solve all problems.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Weren't sure if you wanted the changelings to be on specific duties right now, so I just made something up for them to have been doing lately. Also made it clear that it could've been overridden, by a higher authority, if need be, in case you figured it best to have them doing something else.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

I recently got access to Dall-E 3 though my work, and I've had it come up with some concept art. Here's an idea of what Troy looks like, just ignore the shoreline it added in.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Holy manure! O_o That looks bucking epic mate. The details are astounding. These AI programs can really do some banger work sometimes.

Also, what shoreline? I only see sand everywhere.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

I'm super impressed too, seeing it really made me reconsider the sheer size of Troy, in that I thought it was smaller but this image makes me realize that Troy is actually a pretty big city.

It's not perfect, it put buildings in the center ring where the farms were supposed to go and it didn't really capture the marketplace, but other than that I think it is a good representation of the city.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Going on a bus, will finish the rest of the post there.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Got nothing planned for the dinner talk, so... Unless there's something specific, it can move to when Ardee wanna show Void something later. I leave it up to you.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Sounds good.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Okay, I wrestled with this for an hour, and this is the best I could come up with at the end, for the question about Toupé and flying. Do please tell me if it sounds hollow and weird, and I can try and think of something else, but it is meant to be Void asking her calmly and honestly, if in case she had a choice, if she'd have liked to have been able to fly. As in, does she ever wish that she were flying, rather than be stuck at ground level.

It's her way of gauging if she should bring up that she does still have a choice. I just had a hard time writing that down proper I fear.

Also Void is still speaking to her with her usual motherly look and calm voice. I swear, she's two steps away from scooping all the clones up in her hooves, and sniffling *Momma will take care of you."

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Real quick, and not because I have something planned or anything, but...

... How attached are you to the three changelings? Would you be terribly upset if one or two of them died?

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Hmm... That's a tough one honestly. I suppose, Yannit is the only one that's developing as a leader among them, and are more competent. Mongoose is growing slightly, albeit he is never getting away from The Grey, considering how many he's killed and mutilated. Craven... He's there. As it stands, he's mostly settled in as a worker, doing what he can to amend his old ways. Dying for a cause, might be a fitting end to his arc, if I had to pick one of them.

I could have a replacement sorted too, to have there be a trio of changelings remaining if it were. I did originally write one changeling got cold hooves in the end. They might have volunteered since then, and could take the spot.

So yeah... I think Yannit is the only one I'd be really sad about dying, but I could work around the others if it were necessary for things. Though you could also mutilate them if you want. You can survive losing a leg, or having your wings ripped off, but it'd still suck. Seems a fitting thing to happen to Mongoose if it were. A bit of karma, as it were.

I would ask though... Please don't kill Ardee. You seem to go on the edge of sending her into certain death, and I keep worrying that I can't play around it. Even with my wild card running in the background. Seriously, Null won't show her face back in Troy again, if Ardee dies here. The guilt would be too severe.

(edit)

It does make me wonder actually. What kind of damages can a changeling molt fix, if you believe that they do molt?

Edited November 28, 2023 by Blitz Boom

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

9 minutes ago, Blitz Boom said:

I would ask though... Please don't kill Ardee. You seem to go on the edge of sending her into certain death, and I keep worrying that I can't play around it. Even with my wild card running in the background. Seriously, Null won't show her face back in Troy again, if Ardee dies here. The guilt would be too severe.

I'll get this out of the way, tipping my hand a bit to ease your worries: I have no intention for Ardee to die here, or any specific plan for her to die in any near future.

I was going to write out how I initially planned the arc to go, but in writing I discovered a better way to go about it. Null's going to be disappointed, and I think it will be a bit of a letdown from a literary perspective for now, but I think it will pay off well.

Again though, Ardee is not in danger, and I have no intention of killing her off. Of the clones, Elef is the only one who I've even considered might die going forward.

 

20 minutes ago, Blitz Boom said:

So yeah... I think Yannit is the only one I'd be really sad about dying,

I'd agree, I think she was the most fleshed out from the previous arc, the other two serving more as side characters to her story.

I've changed my plans for the arc, so they aren't in danger at the moment, but I think one of the other two will likely die at some point in this arc, though I am not opposed to all of them surviving if the story plays out that way.

 

22 minutes ago, Blitz Boom said:

It does make me wonder actually. What kind of damages can a changeling molt fix, if you believe that they do molt?

In my concept of them, where changelings are magical entities with physical forms (as opposed to ponies who are physical entities with magical abilities) damage to them is either fatal or reparable. That is to say when injured it will either be sufficient to kill them, or they will be able to (eventually) heal from it. The more grievous the injury the longer it will take to heal, for instance losing a leg could take months or years to fully grow back, but so long as they can be treated with magic and gel, and continue to be fed, they should be capable of making a full recovery.

That is limited to physical damage though, they are especially vulnerable to magical ailments, and things that affect their magic can easily prove fatal or cause irreparable damage. For instance, a changeling exposed to antimagic will die. Depending on the severity of the dosage they will either burn alive or actually leave a corpse behind. (As in my canon, a changeling's body is highly flamable, so they are always coated in a magical barrier that shields their body from contact with the air. When they transform, they reset this barrior to take on the new shape/color/texture, and so for a brief moment their body is exposed, hence the fire that accompanies the change. Their outer carapace is numbed to burning so it doesn't hurt them so long as they don't take too long to change. When a changeling dies the magical barrier disappears, allowing the air to burn their bodies to ash, which in and of itself is also flammable, but under more traditional methods. If the changeling is exposed to too much antimagic it will render their bodies innert, meaning they won't burn even without the field.)

I actually went more into detail on this in another RP, explaining the difference between 'traditional' and 'reformed' changelings. Reformed changelings are more like ponies, more physical than magical. I can go more into detail on that later if you're interested, but the short of it is that a reformed changeling would be able to take permanent physical damage, but would not be killed by exposure to antimagic.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

On 2023-11-28 at 10:10 PM, Illiad Easle said:

I'd agree, I think she was the most fleshed out from the previous arc, the other two serving more as side characters to her story.

I've changed my plans for the arc, so they aren't in danger at the moment, but I think one of the other two will likely die at some point in this arc, though I am not opposed to all of them surviving if the story plays out that way.

We'll see how things goes, but I leave it open for you to do so, with either Mongoose or Craven. I think both have room to grow, but if death will occur, it is what it is, and can serve as a growing experience for the survivors.

On 2023-11-28 at 10:10 PM, Illiad Easle said:

In my concept of them, where changelings are magical entities with physical forms (as opposed to ponies who are physical entities with magical abilities) damage to them is either fatal or reparable. That is to say when injured it will either be sufficient to kill them, or they will be able to (eventually) heal from it. The more grievous the injury the longer it will take to heal, for instance losing a leg could take months or years to fully grow back, but so long as they can be treated with magic and gel, and continue to be fed, they should be capable of making a full recovery.

That is limited to physical damage though, they are especially vulnerable to magical ailments, and things that affect their magic can easily prove fatal or cause irreparable damage. For instance, a changeling exposed to antimagic will die. Depending on the severity of the dosage they will either burn alive or actually leave a corpse behind. (As in my canon, a changeling's body is highly flamable, so they are always coated in a magical barrier that shields their body from contact with the air. When they transform, they reset this barrior to take on the new shape/color/texture, and so for a brief moment their body is exposed, hence the fire that accompanies the change. Their outer carapace is numbed to burning so it doesn't hurt them so long as they don't take too long to change. When a changeling dies the magical barrier disappears, allowing the air to burn their bodies to ash, which in and of itself is also flammable, but under more traditional methods. If the changeling is exposed to too much antimagic it will render their bodies innert, meaning they won't burn even without the field.)

I actually went more into detail on this in another RP, explaining the difference between 'traditional' and 'reformed' changelings. Reformed changelings are more like ponies, more physical than magical. I can go more into detail on that later if you're interested, but the short of it is that a reformed changeling would be able to take permanent physical damage, but would not be killed by exposure to antimagic.

Aight, seems more or less how I expected, except the part about regrowing limbs. I'll have to keep that in mind, for some of the injured ones I've shown thus far. I assumed wings were simple enough to have regrow over time at least, since they're thin, membranous things, so they likely take time, but can be gotten back. I also have a reformed one, although she were mentioned for but a brief time, but keeping this in mind regardless sounds like a good plan.  In case she ends up being useful at a later point.

Thought for an injury comes to mind though. You know how sometimes, you have to remove a limb, due to an infection? Changeling gets hit in the leg with some anti magic, severs it instantly, to avoid bursting into flames and dying. A low enough anti-magic dosage, combined with swift action, could make for a reasonable chance of only losing a limb, rather than your life. I'll be keeping that in mind for potential future usage. I like describing various wounds, when it comes to new chars at times.

 

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

On 2023-11-28 at 10:10 PM, Illiad Easle said:

I'd agree, I think she was the most fleshed out from the previous arc, the other two serving more as side characters to her story.

I've changed my plans for the arc, so they aren't in danger at the moment, but I think one of the other two will likely die at some point in this arc, though I am not opposed to all of them surviving if the story plays out that way.

You mentioned Null and Void's cutie marks, relevance, changes etc. back in the day. So I've set it up so that if it a thing you want us to pursue, you can now have the young ponies point out that her flank is blank. If not, there's plenty more to do. Ardee needs her party.

 

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

I wouldn't suggest that they lose their marks then gain new ones, as losing a mark typically, at least in my mind, means that the pony has fully lost their sense of self. That they themselves no longer know who they are. That's why I suggested their new marks would still include the old mark, as for them it isn't so much losing themselves and finding themselves again as it is they are discovering a new aspect to who they are.

Does that make sense? They are your characters so it is ultimately up to you, but I think the mark changing rather than disappearing and reappearing makes more sense and would be less traumatic for those involved.

If Toupé noticed that void lost her mark after she got hers, she might believe that she had stolen it, it that her getting a mark caused void to lose hers.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Yeah, makes sense enough. I must have misremembered then.

I'll keep it in mind for a later time then, when I've had time to think about what might suit them for a change, if it were to happen.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Sorry for missing the Gypsum part. Christmas coming up, my mind's all over the place. I'll try not to forget stuff this time.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

I got no ideas honestly when it comes to Void, until they return from school. Up to you if you want us to continue there with her hanging out with the small ones for now, or wait until Vale shows up.

[Blitz Boom 4,429]

@Illiad Easle

Her PoV seems like a fun idea to go by, let's see where it goes. As for the kitsune, he won't follow. He's not allowed to, and have done his part for the time being. Though you can have The Grey get to him or something, if you so desire. If not, he'll fade into the background, for now.