Fantastic Omake, and you have the best timing, dropping it as I was starting my just downloaded Elden Ring, forcing me to postpone that.
Purge the unclear grammatic.
Drive out the Ignorance of missing "A's!"
For with the Purity of Soul, Humanity shall ever be free of missing "He's."
And in the "Memories" of Old Gods, we shall live eternal.
And let not the revisionists disdain the past of those who sought refuge within the nation of free'd bodies and free'd minds.
(There was the whole thing about Lars going on a crazy adventure (that was put into a movie triology) involving arabia, vietnam, and a hot-air balloon before arriving at Guangchou.)
Anyways, Choose:
[] +6 to any Social Roll
[] +8 to Praise Sex Workers - For their contribution to the nation's foreign cash reserves.
[] You know what? Double the LGBTQ+ Knowledge.
(Have better chemical and surgical practices for transitioners, more in-depth knowledge about the mental states, insight into suicide statistics, etc.)
I'll deal with the grammar tomorrow, gonna get some ZZZ's for now.
Also,
[X] +6 to any Social Roll
Leaning towards some generalist rolls instead of anything too specific. We can probs modify a social roll for something similar to the other two choices anyways.
Fair enough, I didn't remember when the incident was.
Side note. I'm going to bet that the US has project Walkure. My evidence? The Lockheed CL-1201. They were already looking into stuff like this, thus if surviving notes of the project exist the U.S probably snagged them, and even if they don't have the notes there exists the possibility of them stumbling onto the same tech or having stumbled onto the same tech already.
Despite all the memes and jokes, I'll have you know that Guangchou has a rich history, with vibrant tales and folklore, deep and interesting myths and a wellspring of plays, songs, and art to draw upon.
It's not just porn.
However, put me into jeans and call me mister if I'm ever asked what the fuck those are, but they exist.
need help coming up with stories, both old and new?
Like the idea of a serpant that changes gender each time they shedding their skin in ancient mythology on the island.
Maybe intertwined with the story of a dragon prince from under the sea?
Part of me fantasizes about simply deploying civilian Iron Tiger variants. Then when the world notices we just put on our most innocent look, tilt our heads slightly to the side, and say, "What? Don't you guys use mechs too?"
Despite all the memes and jokes, I'll have you know that Guangchou has a rich history, with vibrant tales and folklore, deep and interesting myths and a wellspring of plays, songs, and art to draw upon.
It's not just porn.
However, put me into jeans and call me mister if I'm ever asked what the fuck those are, but they exist.
Part of me fantasizes about simply deploying civilian Iron Tiger variants. Then when the world notices we just put on our most innocent look, tilt our heads slightly to the side, and say, "What? Don't you guys use mechs too?"
I've done my part. I've already written ONE creation myth. Even had gods and a volcano and shit. 😏
The Secret Affair of Earth and Sky. It's referenced.
@HeroCooky added some bits at the end about Lars's (now locally publicized) adventures around the world, all in service to Guangchou and her people. Also, Lars is now a veteran wetwork agent.
Lemme know if I need to adjust it more or change stuff again.
Well, if they're priced like healthcare procedures, each gets charged for a group session with the appropriate modifiers. Discounts, honestly, like it's some kind of commodity or something. These are our valued citizens whose service is treasured. Discounts. Ugh, even the word is disgusting.
Yeah, I'm mostly riding the joke, because nothing screws you like healthcare billing, but sex-worker-billing might be able to get close.
Twisted words, Twisted Intentions, but I still wish upon the stars
TW: Transphobia
"so, for this next story, what you must first understand is that dragons are a sacred creature. I understand that in your culture, dragons are often villains, and harbingers of great destruction, but in Asia, they are a symbol of good luck, and the heaven's favor. Think of them more like western angels"
Hsu Liu had been telling stories the whole evening. All the soldiers were enjoying themselves, and the english speaking host had only helped things along, with her accessible stories and grand evocative gestures. And yet, she was still missing that key response that she was here for. She knew that she was here for a specific reason, and that Taiwan had expectations of her. And yet, things were not going to plan. She composed herself, and continued with what she hoped would be a final attempt to get the correct reaction out of the american soldiers. She gave a small smile, and continued, "A dragon is an animal of the heavens"
"but in the sea, we are closest to the dark evils that lie in the depths of the earth. In the seas, hiding in the great depths, are the children of the evil goddess. Starved of the light of the heavens, only deformed things lie there."
A shush seemed to sweep over the hall, as all awaited Hsu to continue.
"Of course, our story does not start with the evils of the deep, or the dragons of the heavens, but instead with a girl, Peng Ying, caring for her ailing father while living on Guangchou. He was a fisherman, but for the past few years, he had been fighting with an illness that had kept him from his work.
Being an honorable daughter, she took care of her father, and even tried her hand at fishing. And yet she could never make enough money to pay for the local doctor to come look at her father.
Until one night, Peng Ying made a silent plea to the sky for things to be better. And right afterwards, a star fell into the ocean. Peng Ying immediately went out to sea, and dived in, attempting to find the star and sell it. She believed that this might finally be the way to save her father.
Instead, she found a small injured ... dragon, without wings or limbs. Rather like a snake. It laid helpless in its damaged armor"
Hsu seemed to give a conspiratorial glance at all the attendees, as if this was supposed to yield some great insight. But no one present understood what snakes meant in eastern mythology. Or perhaps, they misunderstood her intent.
"This snake told Ping Ying that it was weak and injured from its descent from the heavens, and that it needed her help. It even promised to help heal her father if she followed the dragon's instructions.
So from that day forth, Peng Ying made sure to feed the dragon part of the rations she normally set aside for her father, and for a full week, she tried to nurse the dragon to health. but that eel- I mean snake, did not grow in size. "
No seemed to notice Hsu's slip, or they just didn't react, but Hsu continued on, pretending it never happened.
"At last, Peng Ying asked what else she needed to do to help the snake, and it replied that there was a greedy spring spirit on the island, that was sapping his spirit. He asked her to play a prank on the sea spirit, and to take an old rotten egg and drop it in the highest, and most pure spring in Guangchou.
However, the snake commented on how Peng Ying was not ready for such a journey yet, and that she needed armor. And so the snake touched her chest, and transformed it into a scaly flat mass. Peng Ying could feel the weight, and the snake explained that this armor would protect her from the mountain's wrath.
Peng Ying did as she was told, foregoing even attending her father for a day in order to climb the volcano and get to the spring. But when she dropped the most rotten egg she could find, the whole mountain seemed to shudder, and within moments, the spring started spewing forth corruption and vile. Ping Ying fled to overwhelming stench of rotten eggs, and went directly back to the snake, asking about what she had done.
The snake, now in an effeminate dress with lipstick painted on, explained it away as a small, temporary curse, and then continued with its next favor. It asked Peng Ying to ascend to the peak, and give black coral to the mountain god. The snake explained that the volcano needed to eat all the coral around the island, but that the spring spirit had been stopping it before. Now the dragon needed to empower itself, in order to help the dragon.
It explained that the forest atop the mountain would try and stop her, and so that she would need to cut her hair short to avoid being caught. And so the snake once again touched her, and hair hair started falling off, until just an inch remained on the top of her head.
And so Peng Ying, now prepared, ascended the volcano, with the blackest, dirtiest piece of coral she could find. She ascended to the lip of the caldera, where the mountain smoked and ailed and cried out for help. And she plunged in the piece of coral. the mountain screamed and yelled but all it produced was more black coral, and large swathes of black smoke.
Peng Ying, once again frightened by the reaction of the mountain, went back to the snake. And when she asked, the snake easily replied that pain must always be a part of the healing process."
Hsu could tell she had the crowd's attention. That they were all awaiting how this finally resolved. And so, after a brief pause, she continued
"And so Peng Ying asked for her final task, but the snake replied that she should spend a day at home. And so Peng Ying returned home.
After she arrived, her father met with her and explained that he had finally settled out a marriage proposal between her and one of the sons of another fisherman. Her father told her that she should be prepared to marry the day after next.
Peng was terrified, and come the next day, she immediately returned to the snake. She asked the snake how she could be happy with this marriage, and that now that she helped the dragon, she deserved a much larger reward.
The snake, now in regal attire, agreed, replying that she certainly had been a great help to him, and that she deserved to marry a prince. She deserved more than what she could get in this hovel, and that now that he was recovered, he would certainly take her to the heavens with him. She just needed to finish one final task.
The snake asked Peng to make a vow to abandon her home and her father, and that then she would be able to return with him to his home, and enjoy her reward. And so Peng Ying cursed out her father, swearing by blood oath that she had never known him.
Immediately, she was transformed into a hideous beast as the eel laughed. He explained that he had never been a dragon, and that he had always been tricking her. It laughed at how it transformed her, and promised that now the whole island would get to experience such things now that IT WAS HIS! Peng was immediately dragged down to the depths of the ocean, and the final thing she saw was the snake reaching out to the former home she had doomed with her greed.
Immediately, the island rocked as the eel took control, now that the island's gods (the spring spirit, and the volcano goddess) were dead. The eel even added a 'tail' to the island, which is why the Guangchou almost reaches and infects Taiwan today.
And now a snake claims its a dragon, and the heavens weep. Now we know the celestial consequences for falling for any such lie.
Hsu took a bow to ... some polite clapping. As she looked around, she could tell that only a few soldiers had liked the ending, and that even the few who did, were only really engaged because they were extremely drunk. It hurt her pride that she couldn't sell a nationally acclaimed (Across all of Taiwan/China) story here, but she knew she had the rest of the evening.
She remembered quite distinctly how the government agent had explained that reinforcing the loyalty of the american soldiers to Taiwan was an utmost priority, and how they needed to be reminded of what a treacherous place Guangchou was really like.
Hsu calmed herself, and prepared to continue again. She had all night to spread all sorts of stories. She would get the necessary reaction with one of her other stories. She continued again, with something new...
...
Petty Officer Ethane Crawfordson had thought he would enjoy the translated myths from their guide, but he couldn't help feeling all of it was a bit mean-spirited, and that the stories felt ... artificial, or designed? He knew he was missing every other word the Guangchou prostitute had been saying when she had been describing some myths, but all of her stories felt magical, and honest ... and kind. This had felt like some of the commercials back at home, selling another piece of crap you didn't need by implying you were a piece of crap without it.
He sat of a concrete pier in port and it all felt so very empty. No, he felt like his soul was being choked out by all the smog in the air, or that his body was walking through a swamp that kept sapping his free will. Everything felt so wrong these days. He couldn't help but remember the quiet nights he had spent with Hu Meixiu, where she had just passed the time telling stories, or singing or playing some stupid game. He remembered those few quiet moments where she became the only person that let him cry and weep at the world. He remembered... and he couldn't stop remembering.
He wanted to go back...
And a falling star quietly passed by and listened....
So I imagine that Guangchou myths have migrated over to Taiwan for a long time... but after the KMT fled to Taiwan, they probably tried to put a stop to those myths, and demonize Guangchou. And part of that effort was to twist some of the myths so that they demonized Guanchou, instead of praising its values.
And now, Taiwan is recycling those old efforts and altered myths to help propagandize the Americans about Guangchou. Its not going well though.
so changes are:
- father was lame, not sick; he could work on his own and Peng Ying kind of forced himself into working alongside his father. His father did not appreciate this
- The doctor was never a plot point in the original
- Peng Ying's name is not given in the original version.
- Peng Ying explicitly asked the heavens how to be happy
- the snake/eel is actually a shapeshifting dragon from the heavens, the altered version kind of forgot about the fallen star
- The Dragon's shapeshifting is a bigger deal in the original. The entire first week of recovery, the Dragon had a different costume each time Peng visited
- The first task was to remove the smell from the local spring, by removing a rotten egg. It was explained further that this would be a problem next year, but that he could help stem the problem for now
- the volcanic task was similar, except she was asking the volcano to help make more coral; it was originally a way to explain the local coral reef
- there was never supposed to be any third task. The dragon just let Peng go home
- The marriage proposal was initially introduced at the beginning of the story, and he didn't know why he felt dread
- This reintroduction to his home was supposed to be a moment where the father kicked Peng out because the father's plans to get rich from the male family's dowry was ruined; this was supposed to be part of the big climax of the story, where Peng has to choose between his own happiness, and serving his father in a joyless role for the rest of their life
- The Dragon's first (rejected) and last task was not a vow against his father, but instead for Peng to sacrifice his name (and this is also why a name isn't given in the original story; the only name we mortals would know is the one he abandoned)
- The theme of family vs personal happiness was in the original work, with a very different conclusion about what was important though
- Peng Ying's original reward was just supposed to be some wisdom about how to live a happier life. At least, that is what he thought.
- Yes, the dragon helped with the transformation.
- Yes, they were always supposed to marry at the end
- The added land to guangchou was in the original fable, with the land being given as a dowry from the dragon prince
She remembered quite distinctly how the government agent had explained that reinforcing the loyalty of the american soldiers to Taiwan was an utmost priority, and how they needed to be reminded of what a treacherous place Guangchou was really like.
Hsu calmed herself, and prepared to continue again. She had all night to spread all sorts of stories. She would get the necessary reaction with one of her other stories. She continued again, with something new...
Petty Officer Ethane Crawfordson had thought he would enjoy the translated myths from their guide, but he couldn't help feeling all of it was a bit mean-spirited, and that the stories felt ... artificial, or designed? He knew he was missing every other word the Guangchou prostitute had been saying when she had been describing some myths, but all of her stories felt magical, and honest ... and kind. This had felt like some of the commercials back at home, selling another piece of crap you didn't need by implying you were a piece of crap without it.
Yup, Taiwan is extremely concerned by all the chatter their picking up from the sailors about preferring to stay in Guangchou, and no matter what they do, the americans still don't like them! Its terrible!
Last turn, we had a medical student exchange with Cuba, and trading canned goods with Vietnam, and other relevant foreign options. These are all things that I think we would get a unique advantage on making deals now, since we just had this Iwo Jima situation where we would've been reaching out anyways. I think we might want to plan around the idea that next turn we start either building up industry, or reach out internationally, or doing both at the same time, and I think the political actions bonus will be more helpful there
[X] +4 to Political Actions
Um @Anon500 In the story proper Peng Ying is a girl and in some of the points in the AN the context was also for a woman but in the AN you make Peng Ying a guy. Is this a mistake or on purpose?
Um @Anon500 In the story proper Peng Ying is a girl and in some of the points in the AN the context was also for a woman but in the AN you make Peng Ying a guy. Is this a mistake or on purpose?
TL;DR: In the distant neoliberal space hell future, Hollywood Planet has revolted and risen up as an anarcho--council-communist 'state'. The cops, executives, and all those really shitty middle managers have been relocated to (if I recall correctly) a repurposed luxury resort community on Tartarus island. There they've just been... vibing impotently while all their needs are being met.
Like, the plan is to rehabilitate them, but the tropical luxury gulag memes have stuck.
TL;DR: In the distant neoliberal space hell future, Hollywood Planet has revolted and risen ups as a anarcho--council-communist 'state'. The cops, executives, and all those really shitty middle managers have been relocated to (if I recall correctly) a repurposed luxury resort community on Tartarus island. There they've just been... vibing impotently while all their needs are being met.
Like, the plan is to rehabilitate them, but the tropical luxury gulag memes have stuck.
The camps are for political prisoners, not social ones. The Institute has better things to do than attempt to make shitty fucked-up japanese hentai reality.
The camps are for political prisoners, not social ones. The Institute has better things to do than attempt to make shitty fucked-up japanese hentai reality.
Oh it's not gonna be a sex prison. More like some psychological utopia type social experiment. Definitely not gonna be canon though if I ever get the time to work on it. It'll be too fucked up and crazy to be canon. 👀 As for why the Institute might be remotely interested, sexuality is way more than just, well, sex, after all. Lotsa psychological and mental stuff involved too.
Thought, what if the reason why the German Laufpanzer's electronics were so durable is because they were based on a nokia phone that somehow time traveled, and the people working on the project just assumed that all computers would need to be that durable to be useful? Mostly posting this idea because it amuses me rather than being at all realistic.
Side note, I feel like Nintendo might end up using Guangchou iron tiger electronics in their stuff, because it fits with their ideal of making their game consoles able to stand up to loads of abuse. Of course this is only if tensions between us and japan get low enough for Nintendo to be able to actually buy Guangchou iron tiger electronics.
The nice thing about having 80s electronics in the 70s, is that we can make factories to export electronics that are just ahead of the state of the art but not so much that it's worth reverse engineering instead of doing your own research.
And because we know what the next generation of chips will entail, we can lay out our production facilities to easily upgrade when the time comes.
The nice thing about having 80s electronics in the 70s, is that we can make factories to export electronics that are just ahead of the state of the art but not so much that it's worth reverse engineering instead of doing your own research.
And because we know what the next generation of chips will entail, we can lay out our production facilities to easily upgrade when the time comes.
The only problem I can see with that is that, if I remember correctly, Iron Tiger based chips are ridiculously durable, so we'd probably want to figure out how to make weaker chips to export.
Also, as a side note, it'd be kind of amusing to see if I can make an omake and use the reward to roll and see how well America's Ace combat boss program went in this timeline.
The only problem I can see with that is that, if I remember correctly, Iron Tiger based chips are ridiculously durable, so we'd probably want to figure out how to make weaker chips to export.
Also, as a side note, it'd be kind of amusing to see if I can make an omake and use the reward to roll and see how well America's Ace combat boss program went in this timeline.
Thought, what if the reason why the German Laufpanzer's electronics were so durable is because they were based on a nokia phone that somehow time traveled, and the people working on the project just assumed that all computers would need to be that durable to be useful? Mostly posting this idea because it amuses me rather than being at all realistic.
Side note, I feel like Nintendo might end up using Guangchou iron tiger electronics in their stuff, because it fits with their ideal of making their game consoles able to stand up to loads of abuse. Of course this is only if tensions between us and japan get low enough for Nintendo to be able to actually buy Guangchou iron tiger electronics.
The secret of Nokia destructivity lies in it's casing. So, we could do one better by combining the method with the insanely durable electronics to make the durability even more insane!
