futurology | UN: turnabout

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UN: turnabout

[This is dumb. Nobody's going to buy this. But I guess I can at least propose it and see if anybody comes up with anything better.]

Hey, uh. So I heard about the whole prison thing. And I know we're probably not the most popular people in town at this point thanks to some of the stunts we've pulled lately. So... look, the thing is, we need to get the truth out there. As long as people are just hating each other and think we're a bunch of lunatics, we're not going to get them to the table, so to speak. And the King's definitely not going to help us, and ALASTAIR isn't either. So, well...

Okay, just hear me out a bit. So I've been thinking about some of what people have talked about on the network, about music and stuff. And, well, I think I have an idea of what might at least give everybody SOME sort of common ground to push through the walls:

We need a song.

Okay, yeah, I know, it sounds cheesy. But I don't mean something that can immediately change hearts and minds by listening to it once like you see on television -- er, for people who don't have that, it's a box that plays pictures and stuff we have back home. It's complicated. But I think we may be able to utilize a song to good effect.

What I'm proposing for our musical folks is that they write an earworm.

[Okay, probably should explain that one too, huh...]

Er, how to explain... It's not really a worm. More like... well, have you ever had those moments where you get a song stuck in your head, and you're either really digging it, or it's driving you nuts? And either way, you talk about it, and someone else has the exact same experience, and so on? It's a huge far shot, since I don't know if there's a common taste in music, but I think we should make a song and start sort of spreading it subtly. A few hummed bars here, a bard on a corner there. I'm sure a lot of people really want something to take their minds off things, so a really catchy song might help. Then other people will start humming it, or singing it, and then maybe if each side starts to hum it, and have similar feelings towards it...

I don't know. It probably sounds stupid. But it's all I've got right now.

[Although...]

Actually, while I'm at it... there's got to be other things we can start to spread as well. Stuff to start shaking peoples' certainty about each side. Rumors. I'm pretty sure I know at least ONE guy who's good at that.

...A-anyway! Thanks for your time. I, uh... eh heh.

[He looks really embarrassed.]

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[Fairly dazed--Ban looked to his jewel from the interior of a goblin's inn, seated at his own little table. He was nearly face-down on the table, bottles of ale falling off when he lifted himself up.]

You... wanna write a song... to distract people...?

[Sloppily, he lifted himself up, reaching for a bottle he swore had something left in it--]

About what?

Uh, not distract so much. More like create a common ground. Of sorts. It doesn't matter what it's about, although if we can sneak in a message about not judging books by their covers, that might help. Maybe.

That's all good, but...

[Ban looked a little confused, as if he lacked the faculties to cope with Phoenix's message.

In truth, he did. Ban was a bit too selfish-minded to really let that one sink in.]

It'd meter up horribly in a sooong.

[If you ignore the probably hundreds of other examples of that sort of song, then sure, I guess.]

It doesn't HAVE to be. Just has to be catchy enough to get into peoples' heads.

[Cheek resting against the table, Ban mumbled out something encouraging--or, so he hoped.]

You look dopey enough to think a' somethin' nice for folks to sing... Course, it's goooooootta be catchy~. Maybe somethin' people'll sing in a baaaar?

[D-dopey?!]

I... was thinking more of leaving it to the people who actually DO write music.

AHHHHHH? That's uninspired~!

[Ban slammed one hand down on the table, shaking it.]

You'll have to pay to get somebody to write it good!

[Does this guy work for the RIAA or something?]

I think you should have a LITTLE more faith in our group than THAT.

[Bleary eyes fixed on Phoenix--]

I've got faith in 'em~. I trust 'em to be sticks in the mud.

[Something tells me his definition of "sticks in mud" means "anybody who does anything pro bono.]

I think I'll wait and see what gets put out before putting out any payment. Not like I could afford much anyway.

Well, it's a rather strange and innovative suggestion, though, hardly stupid. It's one way to encourage camaraderie -- after all, nations have anthems and holidays have their own songs.

That's what I'm thinking. Even if they can't look at each other without imagining some sort of brute, a song can at least work its way past those defenses. And something tells me we're going to NEED to start developing that peace soon. The window is already narrowing.

Your sentiment is shared and you're certainly not alone in that concern. I've contented myself with the local native children in this village... I don't know what affect that may have with the adults, though, at least, children are more understanding.

[ And a little too impressionable. ]

It's still a start, isn't it? We could do more things to connect with them, such as that. I think our previous acts haven't helped any, mine included.

Yeah. And we definitely need to get the people on our side, especially if we want this situation to be resolved with the best possible ending.

Which, incidentally, I'm increasingly thinking includes insuring the king is removed.

We ought to tread lightly with that sort of sentiment, expressing that we want to remove a monarch. No doubt that he could do more to help his people and, quite frankly, what he's done so far to incarcerate some of us for our actions borders on being tyrannical? It's all they know, we would be seen as instigators if we aren't careful.

I don't know, it's just...

[He purses his lips.]

I can't shake it. There's something about that guy. Why is he so willing to let goblins take the blame for anything? Why isn't he trying to pursue the matters around town more actively? Maybe it's just a weird sense of unease, but I get the feeling that having him in power isn't going to help with reunification.

No, it won't help ease tensions between humans and goblins. It's silly, isn't it? There's not much difference between us and them. It's not a weird feeling, your perception is sharp.

[ It reminds her a little of the Queen of Hearts and the White Queen. While Wonderland is her imagination and completely fictional, it would be like storming Queensland, all over again. It's a shame that the gyrphon and his friends aren't real.

She could use that right now. ]

We'll find a way to help the people of the Chantes, don't despair.

Yeah. We'll try to help all of them. Even if the King thinks half the population isn't worth it.

I will not be an easy task, though, if we start simple and nonviolently, just as your suggestion, maybe we will be headed in the right direction.

[ She gives him a soft smile. He seems like a man with good intentions and she can appreciate that. ]

Maybe. Somebody has to do something, after all. And if the King won't, we will.

We will, little by little; we're still learning how to approach it the best way possible.

Ooh, that's exactly what I hoped would happen! A really really good and catchy song that'll help everyone get along!

It should sound really fun and 80s. Those are the earwormiest!

[Lord, what am I inflicting upon this world?]

Do you think you could work with some of the other artists in coming up with something? We'll need people to start subtly spreading it through each side, too.

I'll see what I can do! You know, I can draw a pretty mean poster too. Would that help?

[Does he think I'm planning a concert or something?]

Er, maybe not yet. We need the song to be subtle. If we try to do something to draw both sides in immediately, it's not going to work. It needs to get spread subtly. Like, uh... a virus? Or something like that.

Ohh okay, now I get what you mean. Like viral marketing! I can roll with that.

So do you think you can whip something up?

Sure, I'll whip something up! [he makes finger guns.]

Whip it good!

[I'm not sure how I feel about the possibility of unleashing Devo onto an unsuspecting world.]

Er, yeah. You do that.

[At least it's not the kind of whipping that comes with bad Karma.]

Great! I'll keep you updated, Mister... um... Turnabout!

[Nico really wishes she'd ever taken real music lessons. There's no Maki to rely on here to write the music, or even Umi for most of the lyrics work.]

I think my music is starting to catch on with the...human side of things. [Having a side that's not the human side of things is still weird. And by "starting to catch on" she means, like, a couple dozen actual fans and some more people who like it well enough. She's working on it!] But when I talked to some of the goblins before everything went really bad, and they weren't really interested. I think they were trying to find a polite way to say it was "too human." And then after all that's happened, I don't exactly have a chance to ask them what they mean by that, so I don't think it's going to get picked up by them anytime soon.

[She may have...not really seen a point in asking at the time. Whoops.]

It's not exactly easy to spread music like that without recordings of some kind. It's a lot easier when people can hear the songs over and over like that.

"Too human?"

[Hmmm...]

What if I asked around, listened to what kind of music the goblins like? They seem to be pretty comfortable with me at this point.

Well... [She thinks about it, before somewhat reluctantly admitting:] I'm not really a composer, so I don't know how much I make something that sounds like what they like. And even if I started using some songs that the goblins are used to, I don't know how much they would appreciate it.

[It's possible they could see it as a human trying to steal their culture or something, but these kinds of cultural relationships are way over her head.]

Maybe you could work with somebody else? Like a collaborative effort. They write the tune, you write the lyrics or something?

Well...I have written the lyrics for some of our songs before.... [like the one about trying to decide on what snacks to buy when hanging out with friends or the one all about how great she is.] If you find someone who knows how to compose music, I could give it a try.

I'll ask around. I mean, with as many people here, there's gotta be someone, right?

[Though I do wonder what sort of lyrics she writes...]

Edited 2015-12-30 05:46 (UTC)

[You might be better off not knowing, Nick.]

I tried asking around our group [via a really long post] when I first arrived, and I didn't hear back from anyone. I guess it's not really in the usual skill set of most of the people working with ALASTAIR. I know there are some bards of some kind around here, though I haven't talked to them much. They don't seem to appreciate competition.

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UN: turnabout

Video;

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video;

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Video | Username: tigermillionaire

Re: Video | Username: tigermillionaire

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UN: NICO☆NICO☆SMILE

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oh hi i'm bad at tagging

no worries, I disappeared for like two weeks

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