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Scaling Up

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Author's Notes 1
  • Informational
    • I wasn't going to touch upon Taylor's mental state all that much when I started, but as a number of people emphatically complained about it, I decided to put the meat of it into Interlude 2. Depression is something I am familiar with. Suicide, for me, is a touchy subject. I've had friends try and kill themselves.

    After digging through some of Wildbow's WoG moments, I decided to use that. Instead of Danny just going with it, he actually listened to both Alan and his Therapist, and brought Taylor in as well. Thus, she was started on the road to her recovery, only to have the trio do their thing, which is enough to start the whole ball rolling.

    Yes, Taylor has had counseling, and has admitted to contemplating suicide, and had worked through it enough that she is no longer actively seeking to kill herself or spend her life recklessly.

    I decided to threadmark this for ease of access.
     
  • Informational
    • ...Well, that's not quite what I was hoping to be famous for.

    In some ways I think it's something perhaps better ignored by any more than implication, and she'd just gradually become happier and more outspoken over time, but since it did get mentioned it's kinda jarring to have it get skipped over that way.

    Hopefully our whining hasn't affected your plans too much... :(
     
    Kryslin said:
    I've had friends try and kill themselves.
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    Eeep. Does that mean some succeeded (what this phrasing actually means) or just that they made attempts? Which is quite bad enough, and a strong example for why this kind of thing ("and" instead of "to" in this case) being excused because "it's how people say it" doesn't fly with me; having to ask "wait, literally or figuratively?" about important stuff like that is super awkward.
     
    LostArchivist said:
    ...Well, that's not quite what I was hoping to be famous for.

    In some ways I think it's something perhaps better ignored by any more than implication, and she'd just gradually become happier and more outspoken over time, but since it did get mentioned it's kinda jarring to have it get skipped over that way.

    Hopefully our whining hasn't affected your plans too much... :(
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    Most of the ones I'm mentioning have already bailed. If anything, things have been made better, but the one thing I did not like was the tone in which the objection (not criticism) was delivered. That's about the time I added the bit to the Opening Threadmark.

    Czlyydwr Llrngwl said:
    Eeep. Does that mean some succeeded (what this phrasing actually means) or just that they made attempts? Which is quite bad enough, and a strong example for why this kind of thing ("and" instead of "to" in this case) being excused because "it's how people say it" doesn't fly with me; having to ask "wait, literally or figuratively?" about important stuff like that is super awkward.
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    None of the ones in high school succeeded. However, in the pressure cooker that is Navy Nuclear School... 80 of us went in, 28 of us made it out. Of the 52 who didn't make it out, they went on to other ratings (academic wash out), but some guys went home in a box. As did a couple of shipmates.

    Enough depressing stuff.

    Look, it's an obvious distraction! <Runs while everyone is looking>
     
    Kryslin said:
    Most of the ones I'm mentioning have already bailed. If anything, things have been made better, but the one thing I did not like was the tone in which the objection (not criticism) was delivered. That's about the time I added the bit to the Opening Threadmark.



    None of the ones in high school succeeded. However, in the pressure cooker that is Navy Nuclear School... 80 of us went in, 28 of us made it out. Of the 52 who didn't make it out, they went on to other ratings (academic wash out), but some guys went home in a box. As did a couple of shipmates.

    Enough depressing stuff.

    Look, it's an obvious distraction! <Runs while everyone is looking>
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    *Snuggles the OP.*
     
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    The Unveiling!
  • Sidestory
    • Omake: The Unveiling​

    "...and so I would like to present our newest Ward, Naurelin!" Director Piggot gestured up at the sky, where a forty foot long golden dragon appeared seemingly out of nowhere to circle above the gathered crowd before several powerful strokes brought her in to a landing in the large area behind the microphone that had been roped off.

    Director Piggot stepped well to the side and Taylor craned her neck down to the microphone stand, dwarfing it.

    "Hello humans!" she said, and smiled with teeth the size of swords.

    There was shocked silence among the crowd, punctuated only by a few screams and two dozen people fainting.

    "Don't worry, they'll get better," Taylor said with a cheerful tone. "Director Piggot said you would have questions?"

    There was a long moment of delay while the assembled press seemed to remember what they were there for. A smattering of photographic clicks accompanied a woman reporter tentatively raising her hand.

    Taylor swiveled her head to look down at her. "Yes?" she asked.

    The reporter visibly forced down a gulp. "I, uh. Are you uh, are you really a dragon?"

    Taylor made a show of ostentatiously arching her neck around to look at her own body before moving it back to look at the reporter.

    "Yes."

    A susurration of voices broke out as Taylor brought her head around to regard the rest of the crowd, before leaning down to speak into the unnecessary microphone again. "Are there any other questions?"

    An only marginally less nervous male reporter on the opposite side raised his hand. "Why are you joining the Wards?"

    Taylor smiled again, and ignored the several people in the audience who fainted. "I am so glad you asked! Director Piggot explained the terrible problems your city has been having with criminals. Not a young dragon to pass over humans in need, I offered my assistance in exchange for one virgin princess, some treasure for my hoard, and all the criminals who didn't surrender that I could eat. The Director told me about your princess shortage – my sincerest condolences, by the way – and talked me down to just the treasure and the criminals, an offer I was pleased to accept. You do need my help, after all."

    Standing off to the side, Director Piggot choked midway through Taylor's answer and was coughing loudly.

    Taylor swiveled her head to look. "Are you alright, Director?"

    Coughing too hard to speak, Piggot aggressively waved her hands.

    "Oh, right. I wasn't supposed to tell them about eating the ones that don't surrender. Sorry, Director." Taylor looked back at the cameras. "I am supposed to say that I definitely won't be eating any criminals, even the ones who don't surrender."

    Barely able to stand, Piggot began coughing even louder. Taylor looked over at her with concern and then back at the crowd. "Perhaps I should cut this short so we can get the Director some help. After that I am eager to go on my first official patrol and to find someone to eat." Taylor paused for a beat. "I mean something to eat. I am eager to go find something to eat. It was nice talking to all of you, hopefully I can answer more of your questions later."
     
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  • Sidestory
    • Naurelin's normal speaking voice could be heard, easily, for a couple hundred yards.

    Should she decide to get louder... Neighborhoods will start calling out "Fire Drill!" and start evacuating, thinking Lung is about to visit. :)
    (Yes, Blanket is on my reading list. I find it quite amusing. What ideas I'll borrow... who knows?)
     
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    Kryslin said:
    Naurelin's normal speaking voice could be heard, easily, for a couple hundred yards.

    Should she decide to get louder... Neighborhoods will start calling out "Fire Drill!" and start evacuating, thinking Lung is about to visit. :)
    (Yes, Blanket is on my reading list. I find it quite amusing. What ideas I'll borrow... who knows?)
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    It struck me as an especially funny mental image to have the huge dragon leaning down to use the relatively tiny and completely unnecessary microphone just because that's what people were supposed to do.
     
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