Marinette and Adrien (and an overwhelmed Wasp)

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Our little Wasp is a HUGE fan of Adrien Agreste from Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir. So much so that she shut down completely when she met his Cat Noir persona at Holiday Edition this past November. So a smile and standing approximately near Adrien is a huge step up for her.

Seren Plentyn and the Secret of Hokulua Station – Chapter 5

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Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 4.5 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

Chapter 5: Throwing Shade or Illuminating History

The blood drained from Mr. Plentyn’s face. “How… How…” he trailed off.

“It’s the only thing that fits all the facts,” Seren felt ill.

Looking from one to the other, Jan asked, “But how could a sun be alive? How would you even go about making a living sun?”

Hokulua Station was built along the principles of stations just like it that the Children of the Stars had used for near ten thousand years. The stories said that originally the stations were stuck in one small sector of space, taking generations to go from one system to the other. Inter-Galaxy travel was impossible.

Constant war with pirates and other clans had nearly wiped them out. They were, as a people, on the brink of extinction.

A great Techno-Mage changed all that by developing a sustained cold fusion technique that when applied to a solid, barren, planet would create a micro-star. They guarded the secret of creating stars greedily and only rarely sell micro-stars to other clans, rivals, or species.

The micro-stars allowed faster travel, bigger stations, faster computers, and more powerful weapons. The creation changed the Children from a dying clan into one of the most prolific explorers, scientists, and groups in the known universe.

“I don’t know, but I also don’t know how to go about making a stable non-sentient star either.”

“Dad. Do you think this is a special case or do you think all the stars are…” Seren trailed off unable to say the words.

Jan’s eye went wide at the implication that their entire society had been exploiting living creatures as a power source and asked, “What’s different about this station that would allow the star to communicate?”

They all paused and thought about what they knew about the systems. It was Mr. Plentyn who said, “The power couplings!”

Seren caught on and continued with, “They changed how the power from the star is used. Most stations had secondary generators that would convert the power from the star to a stable current. The new power couplings just use the raw energy and store some in case of fluctuations.”

“But not all the systems use this method.” Mr Plentyn tapped furiously at his computer.

Jan shook their head and jumped to the obvious conclusion, “Just the ones we’ve lost control of?”

“Warning: entering Voidspace. Brace yourselves.” The station alert was the mechanical voice of Hoku but sounded smoother than it should.

Jan cursed and closed their eyes. When the ship had settled down, the captain contacted Mr. Pletyn over the coms, “Whatever you did, good job. We have almost all systems back. Can you get Coms up? We need to get in contact with our ships.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

The moment they’d come out of Voidspace, Seren had started to look at what the affected systems were doing. “Dad,” she said “coms aren’t down. They’re in use. I’ve never seen such a large data exchange. All the nodes are in use.”

“Well, that I can fix. Come with me, kids.”

As they walked towards the docking bays, Jan asked, “Where was the signal going?”

Seren smiled, “It seems to be pointed at something close by. From the intensity and spread, I’m guessing a planet or other station.”

“Why are you smiling?”

“If it can talk to someone, then that means we can talk to it.”

“What are you planning?” Jan couldn’t help but smirk, Seren’s excitement was contagious.

“I want to know where that signal is going.”

Mr. Plentyn put them to work. They connected the internal coms to the transmitter on one of the larger transport ships in the docking bay. After they were done, he contacted the captain, “Captain. You don’t have data or coms based mapping, but you have voice.”

They listened to the chatter.

“Echo 2 and 3, go get Alpha four from our… guests? Sir, can we stand down?”

“This is the captain. Give me a full report Echo leader.”

“Yes sir. Nice to hear your voice.” Echo leader told the captain about the ships shaped like stars and the mysterious planet in Voidspace with its own star. How one of the ships saved one of their own and haven’t attacked. They just sat waiting. When he was finished he paused and said, “Wait a second. We have movement. The ships are leaving and taking orbit around the planet.”

“Come home fighters. Looks like we have a mystery to discover on that planet.”

The three of them walked away from the shuttle and sat in a corner of the docking bay. None of the fighters were docked in this bay. It was for transport ships only.

“We need to tell the captain.” Jan said, sounding like the military officer they were determined to be.

“We can’t do that,” Seren sounded sad and worried while still having an edge of excitement in her voice. “The captain would have to tell the Techno-Mage and we’re not sure if he knows.” The Techno-Mages gave up their names and identities when they joined the order. There was one on every station and in every ship. They kept the peace and kept things working, while creating wonders.

They argued between each other for a long while until finally Mr. Plentyn shrugged and said, “Plus this is all conjecture. There’s no way to prove what we’re saying. I need to do some investigating. Give me a day.” His eyes were sad and his head creased with worry. After they both agreed not to tell the captain he got up and left.

As Seren and Jan were walking out of the bay Seren saw a shadow move in a funny way. She turned and followed it to a small civilian transport. It was a short distance jumper that held four people.

They watched as the ship powered up and as the doors closed Seren pulled Jan on board.

Sitting in the pilot’s seat looking like she needed a nap and a bath was Annie.

“Annie what are you doing?” Seren smiled at the other girl.

“I’m going to see what’s on that planet. Want to come?”

Read Next

While you wait for the next chapter, check out the previous serial stories:

Blush: Menstruation Changes Article

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I read this article from Heathline yesterday, and I loved it so much that I’m going to recommend it for today’s post.

It’s all about how menstruation changes throughout a person’s life (and it uses neutral pronouns!).

Image from healthline.com.

If you’re enjoying the Blush blogs, consider learning more with Blush: The Card Game from Renaissance Press.

It’s Just a Joke!

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Hello My Imaginary Friends,

When I was in high school, I wanted to be funny. I looked through the school and public library for books on humour. I thought that there had to be a how-to book on stand-up comedy and jokes. If such a thing existed, I never found it. There are now countless youtube tutorials, psychological texts, and how-to blogs.

“So… if you put funny teeth in your mouth and jump around like an idiot, that is considered funny!”

– Data (Star Trek The Next Generation “The Outrageous Okona”)

Let’s just say I understand where Data was coming from.

The most common way to make people laugh is to surprise them. This could be with a twist pun (How is a doctor like a rock? They’re both Sedimental.), an absurd ending (How is a doctor like a rock? You want neither to get stuck in your shoes.), or a shocking/macabre ending (How is a doctor like a rock? In Alabama, both will kill a pregnant girl.)

These rely on you understanding certain cultural and linguistic markers. If you didn’t know that sediment is often made of rocks and that it sounds like sentimental, or a rock hurts when it’s stuck in your shoe, or that Alabama is trying to pass draconic abortion laws, the jokes would be meaningless.

Dangers of a Joke

Here’s where things get uncomfortable and where I’ve gotten in trouble.

Jokes matter. They are not always frivolous fun. They are often tools used to reinforce and propagate stereotypes.

Stereotype: A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

– Oxford English Dictionary

When you share or make a joke that includes a negative stereotype, you are effectively approving it and introducing it to others.

Let’s be clear here, laughing at these jokes does not make you a bad person. We’ve all laughed at a dumb blonde joke or something like them. Sharing, telling, or otherwise disseminating this joke is the problem.

Often it’s not until you think about the joke and why it’s funny that you realize that it’s portraying someone in a negative way.

Think before you share.

Challenging a joke

This is the part that I haven’t figured out. When I mention the negative effects of jokes or point out the detrimental aspects, I usually get yelled at.

People are extremely defensive of their humour, going to great lengths to defend it and its premise. I once commented, on Facebook, about how horrifying a joke about a grandmother slipping birth control pills in her granddaughter’s food was and I was attacked for not having a sense of humour or understanding what it’s like to be young.

In person, I’ve called out jokes and gotten groans or “come on man, it’s just a joke.” I once almost got into a fist fight over someone using Jew as the punchline for a joke about being thrifty.

Recently, I commented on how I didn’t think a joke was funny because of the stereotype and was treated to a series of history lessons, personal stories about how the stereotype is true, and was then accused of being too sensitive.

I can’t give you a good way of dealing with it. If I find it, I’ll update this post, but for the moment know that people are extremely defensive about their jokes and humour. Be careful not to confront the wrong people in person and be warned it might lose you friends online.

In Conclusion

Think critically about your humour, challenge your own preconceptions, and try to not encourage negative stereotypes.

If you confront people about their humour, be careful.

Remember, the kids of antivaxxers and jokes about Dorian Gray never get old.

Éric

Pike or Lance?

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In one of my favourite Voltron episodes, the Paladins play Monsters and Mana (their version of Dungeons and Dragons) and Lance plays a character called Pike. This costume (by @gilove2dance) is practically screen-accurate. So great!

Teen Detectives

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Hello My Imaginary Friends,

I have loved Teen Detective books and movies since I first read Haunted Island by Joan Lowery Nixon and the BSC Mysteries. Even now I can’t get enough of them.

My wife has introduced me to Trixie Belden and I’ve loved the first few books.

I love the fearless and curious nature of these types of characters. I also love the way their victories are fuelled by their innate sense of right and wrong.

My love for these sorts of characters is a big influence on my writing. (Shocking huh?) From Elizabeth, Hal, Rachel and all the way back to Seren, my favourite characters are smart, curious, and dedicated to what they think is right.

Even in their arrogance and intellect these characters are innately hopeful. Solving a mystery means getting to a conclusion, discovering the truth, and often bringing to justice those responsible. It’s cathartic and wonderful in a world that has so many hopeless feeling situations.

And now for a confession. I’ve never read Nancy Drew. It’s on my list for this year; at the very least I should read the first one and see what I think.

Later Days,

Éric

A Haunted Anniversary

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The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary this August, and they’re inviting all of the living to join them!

Celebrating 50 Years of Retirement Unliving The Haunted Mansion Disneyland. Image from disneyfoodblog.com

Well, all the living that manage to buy a ticket, that is.

There are only two dates for this special celebration: August 7th and 8th (until 4am the next morning).

Tickets are priced at $299 USD per person, and while the wording is vague about what is free and what is not for food, they do specify “a commemorative event memento, […] a guide map, event credential, and unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass® photos taken during the event [are] included with each ticket.”

Don’t want to miss out on a once in a lifetime (or deathtime?) event in Disneyland California? Tickets are available starting tomorrow, May 23, 2019.

If you’re lucky a ghost might even follow you home.

Jen has retired from working as a travel agent. Hope you’ve enjoyed Fandom Travel.

Dear Pegasus – Being a Man

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Dear Baby Pegasus,

As a parent, my goal is to help you be the best version of yourself you can be. That’s the goal, but on a daily basis I’m usually just trying to make sure you and your sister survive with limited trauma.

You’re on your way, two months now before you get here and I’m terrified. I feel like I just got used to having three members of the family. I have no idea what you’ll be like, or how you’ll get along with your sister and it scares me.

I also harbour a strange fear. I’m not sure how to raise a boy. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by girls and when I made friends with boys it almost always ended poorly. I often have no idea what to say or how to act around other males. I can count on one hand the men I’m close to and feel comfortable with.

Gender is a social construct, but with it comes social constructs on behaviour and shared truths. I feel like I missed the “male” seminar and that means in groups of men I often feel like I’m missing something. Some subtext that I just don’t follow.

Yes I’m empathic, yes I’m a writer, and yes I am a man. But those are despite my anxieties, not because of them.

All that to say I have no idea how to raise you to be a good, great, or any sort of a man. Sorry.

What I do know is that I’m going to do my best to raise you as a caring, intelligent, and good person. It means I’m going to try and ask myself if I treat you differently than your sister and if it’s because you’re a boy. I want to make sure you don’t just respect others but have genuine compassion.

No matter what, know that your Mum and I love you and want what’s best for you,

Your Papa