Head and Hands

ONE (o1) REPORT MEMO: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

2011-12-18T00:28:31Z

THE DISTRESSINGLY AUTHENTIC FACTS OF LIFE
A SCRUPULOUSLY RESEARCHED ESSAY OF MODERATE PROPORTIONS BY KIM ROSS

For the purposes of those to whom this is addressed,
consider the following hazards listed to be of a generally random nature where not specified.

Hazard One: the arrival
➥ New arrivals will commonly appear all in a similar fashion, and may be injured.
➥ New arrivals may be from alternate places on your own timeline. The may not be aware of your existence, or may know things about the future that you do not know.
➥ They may not retain memories of any past time spent on Sacrosanct. Therefore,
➥ You should never assume that people you have known in the past will remember you.
➥ If they show signs of not remembering something they should have, repeat the following phrase:

"What is the last thing you remember?"
➥It is possible that they have recently died.

Hazard Two: dying
➥ The teleporter system registers the life signs of anyone who uses it, which is everyone.
➥ If your life signs cease while on the Station, the teleporter will generate a copy of the teleportation pattern it last held.
➥ Because the teleporters can only make a "backup" copy of a person when they are used, revived persons will only possess the memories and items they had with them when they last used the teleporter. Therefore,
➥ If you find yourself suddenly missing time, presume that you have died.

Hazard Three: alteration of memory (non-death)
➥ The teleporter system is not very stable
➥ Current results suggest that some people actually come from later in timelines than they perceive themselves to have come.
➥ Because of teleporter errors, people may disappear for days, weeks, or months when using the teleporters.
➥ The teleporter system frequently adds to or takes away data from a given person's makeup, while they are in transfer. Therefore,
➥ Alterations against your will may be made.
➥ Because of teleporter errors, people you know may have claimed to have gone home, spent time there, and then returned. They will report not possessing memories of Sacrosanct while at home.

It is important to stress that these reports are probably untrue.

➥ Because of teleporter errors, people may gain temporal structure and perceive it as time passing. This is normal.
➥ Use caution when making use of the teleporter system. Keep a journal and leave it in a place you would know to look, even without prior knowledge.

Hazard Four: alteration of form
➥ It is possible that you may suddenly find yourself in a different species' body, a different gender, or one of numerous other problematic developments.

DON'T PANIC

➥ Stay calm and contact the network.
➥ Continue using the teleporters as normal.
➥ Do not murder ~~people~~ ~~creatures~~ anything recklessly.
➥ Be understanding if otherwise sensible people act with hostility towards you.
➥ Don't panic. It's probably temporary.

Hazard Five: seasonal issues
➥ Although short-term visits to alternate dimensions do not often offer significant insight about the culture of the environment, long stays have proven that for some ridiculous reason Sacrosanct has been shown to follow a rough pattern of Western (American) holidays.
➥ Holidays are not to be trusted
➥ Strange and frightening events are clustered around holidays
➥ Choose your battle wisely— holiday spirit may be enforced
➥ Do not eat or drink provided holiday foods
➥ Ever.
➥ In general, avoid celebrating holidays as much as possible. BE AWARE.

Hazard Six: authority & other residents
➥ Arbitrary authority figures are not to be trusted
➥ Arbitrary authority figures are not to be provoked
➥ Other residents are not to be trusted
➥ Other residents are not to be provoked
➥ Don't do anything stupid
➥ People will be likely to fight amongst each other, get themselves killed, refuse to listen to reason, provoke authority or try to claim authority. Do not be surprised.
➥ The above actions do not typically last longer than a couple of weeks.
➥ Be careful to control the spread of information. Make as many copies of whatever you know as you can, and spread them over as wide a number of points as you can.
➥ Make allies. Support them.
➥ No vengeance.
➥ NO. VENGEANCE.

We are all trapped here together.
We can either choose to coexist or destroy ourselves and each other, according to our individual natures.

Which is why I'm building a bunker.

Deconstructing Madness: A page-by-page evaluation of the setting and references of Dresden Codak

2011-04-17T23:36:23Z

Because fuck, it's confusing in here.

Each thread replying to this entry will deal with a particular strip, beginning with the first-published appearance of Kimiko Ross and progressing from there, excluding ones in which she does not appear. This is to save my sanity.

Before we begin, let us make a few things quite clear:
This will all likely make no sense. I'm doing my best to be coherent, but I'm only human.
This will all likely make no sense. The subject matter is insane.
I will make mistakes. I am not perfect.
I will make factual errors. I am willing to fix these as they are pointed out to me, as I can.

Got it? Excellent.

The rules of this exchange are a bit hazy to me, but I'll be doing my best to identify the following in each page/strip/whatever:
Physical Location
Persistent Details (things that are noticed or mentioned upon by those other than Kim herself)
Supernatural Shenanigans
Potential "dream sequences" or other illusory elements
Things that make no damn sense and are never mentioned again
Death Count

According to Aaron Diaz, the author of the series:

" As for which strips are “real,” for all intents and purposes they all literally happened. I wouldn’t overthink it. "

This is Word of God, but we'll still be disregarding the last part. Overthinking it is what this is for.

App: Singularity

2010-09-25T20:29:24Z

Player Information ;
Your Nickname: Mica
OOC Journal: mica_silverwind
Under 18? no
AIM: failmica

Characters Played at Singularity:
EDI | thatisajoke
Jiji (Kiki's Delivery Service) | blackcatjiji
Major Motoko Kusanagi | standaloneshell
Marjorie Pots | inkstolen

Character Information ;
Name: Kimiko Sarai Ross (Kusanagi)
Name of Canon: Dresden Codak
Canon/AU/Other Game CR: ms_elegante on the journal autodidacticone
Reference:
Dresden Codak: http://dresdencodak.com/
Dresden Codak on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Codak
Kimiko's In-character Twitter: http://twitter.com/KimikoRoss
Dresden Codak on TVtropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DresdenCodak
Canon Point: Post-Hob (with obvious add-in from the previous game)

Setting:
( Due to the nature of the canon, it is all but impossible to summarize any kind of setting in one short paragraph, or even several. The setting of Dresden Codak is a confusing, convoluted mess. This is done on purpose.

As a result, what follows is a short-hand summary of the setting; a brief and mostly unhelpful explanation. For a more comprehensive and complete long-form setting section, which I have written, please click here. )

"As for which strips are “real,” for all intents and purposes they all literally happened. I wouldn’t overthink it."
— Aaron Diaz, Author, Dresden Codak

Originally focusing on one-of strips with very little continuity, Dresden Codak's serial storylines take place in a weird alternate version of our own reality where Robotics genius Kaito Kusanagi has revolutionized a large portion of the world with his science fiction-made-fact inventions. Kimiko’s world appears at first bent to not be terribly different from our own. This is, of course, with the exception that it seems to experience extensive interaction with various mostly-harmless religious mythologies, sentient animals, robots, and cyborgs. She lives in a world that is populated primarily with normal people, who live uninteresting normal lives. The actual state of the world is left very vague, except that it partially operates on increasingly obscure and geeky references. If you haven't got a tab open for wikipedia, you might want to go ahead and get one.

The general state of things seems to represent a mid-nineties state of the world, with very little presented contextual clues or information. It is also possible that a race of tiny humans exist and interact with normal humans on (pardon the pun) their own level. In a world driven by science, philosophy and the combined forces of ADD and Wikipedia, nailing down the setting to a particular genre, style, or even translatable location is difficult. Compare it to, for example, xkcd in that the setting is basically similar to the real world but with various bizarre differences all related to philosophical and scientific in-jokes.

It's the kind of world where the rule of cool overrides simple logic, where idioms such as "turning in his grave" can be considered scientific fact and interesting psychological thought-experiments actually happen. For example, there is a point at which the central character, Kim, is literally employed at a dream job— wherein she is paid for working in her sleep, doing whatever menial task her subconscious thinks up. At the end of the week the check shows up in the mail, and not the dream mail, the actual mail. There's a scene in which Kim's Jungian Shadow-half runs off without her and does things normal girls do, like talking to boys, much to Kim's horror. She's used to a startling amount of impressionist logic in her daily life, and finds almost every twist of impossibility something to be taken in stride. Also she overwrites her junk DNA for flash storage, thus proving her proclivity to produce affronts to nature on a regular basis.

"They reduced my life's work to that of a glorified mother. I didn't take it well."

The most recent relevant canon for Kimiko details her encounter with a group of Time Colonists and the immediate aftermath, titled "Hob." While Kimiko states that the relevant Time Colonists are almost certainly from an alternate future, it is left ambiguous as to whether or not this is actually the case— a similar future to the one presented is referenced in an earlier strip. At any rate, during the Hob arc, a great deal of backstory is revealed to both the reader and to Kimiko, in the form of her memories about childhood and her mother, and her future/alternate self's memories about things that have yet to happen. These include things like Kim's career as a cyberneticist and visionary taking off, the world tuning into the virtual-reality preserves to such a degree that they stop procreating in the real world, and Kimiko's own future role as custodian, mediator, and de facto face of the technology that keeps the world running.

Personality: Autodidactic robo-girl, Kim Ross is a neurotic mess of hormones, self-determination, and genius-level nonsense. Prone to stuffishness and poor grooming, she rambles on to anyone who will listen in an extended monologue of her slightly wacky scientific theories, going off on tangents like a coffee-powered Doctor Who clone. When a bee gets into her house, she is so embarrassed by her terror that she shuts it in a room and then literally boards up the room for the remainder of the bee's natural life-span. When she accidentally misinterprets a barista's chatter as a science joke and laughs, she fakes a seizure to get out of the resulting minor embarrassment. When she forgets the combination to her locker, she switches High Schools rather than face the humiliation of admitting her absentmindedness to the proper authorities. She has set glee clubs on fire (possibly not on accident) and adores robots to a degree that borders on the maniacal. Kim is, in many ways, a mess.

Sub-militarily Atheistic, Kim's morals are at best imbalanced and more related to a subjective sort of arrogance than typical notions of justice or fairness. If she had any kind of faith, it would be an unshakable faith in the Technological Singularity's oncoming salvation of humanity— she's an avid Transhumanist. She takes the long view of things, seeing eternity as the balancing point rather than short-term gain in any major conflict. While her time on the Elegante has taught her to be less of a shrinking violet in the face of boys and new friendships, she still reacts to most normal social interactions with all the grace and elegance of someone hiding in a bathroom stall from a curious T-Rex. OH SHIT IT'S A CUTE BOY. GET IN THE VAN. GET IN THE VAN!

She loves science with a power bordering on the obsessive nature of Dr. Frankenstein, and has dedicated her life to the that love, much to her social detriment. She believes that she can and will do whatever she wants, if only she wants it hard enough, and is willing to back up that faith with actions, if not preparation (there's that arrogance again).

Kim has daddy issues, rather a lot of them. More or less abandoned by her father at a young age, she was strung along for years with the promise of a distant and poorly-shared paternal love that never really materialized. Kaito Kusanagi was a man married to his work, and Kim was one of many things that fell by the wayside. As a result, she has a fierce independent streak, and refuses to ask for or accept help unless she is genuinely incapable of doing something that she literally cannot continue without doing. Otherwise, the name of the games is denial, knee-jerk self-ablution and pig-headed, jury-rigged workarounds that are not strictly necessary.

Abilities and Weaknesses: Kimmi’s left arm and legs are only slightly more powerful than her previous fleshly limbs were, a fact that is not obvious as she is not stronger than a girl her size should be. As a result her physical strength and speed have managed to edge into "average" rather than "you are a nerd, made of noodles." She possesses genius intellect, and is likely to revise her own prosthesis design at odd intervals.

- Overwrites her junk DNA for flash storage, producing affronts to nature on a regular basis.
- Likely to make friends with evil robots.
- Is genre savvy
- Has a healthy and completely rational respect for flying insects that possess venomous stings
- Has very few limitations when it comes to Science and doing the impossible

Beyond that, a fairly normal young woman, physically speaking. On to weaknesses:

Most of Kimiko’s weaknesses are of the social variety; she has a crippling terror of embarrassment, and has been known to avoid whole sections of town on the assumption that an incidental humiliation might be remembered for eternity.

- Likely to hide under desks when anything resembling a normal friendship comes along.
- Universally negative interactions with birds
- Intensely neurotic, nearly OCD, to an occasionally crippling degree.
- Can no longer swim with any decent skill: her legs are too heavy, since their replacement.
- Irrationally terrified of bees.
- Has very few self-limiting factors or self-preservation instincts when it comes to Science and doing the impossible

Inventory: A knapsack of essential emergency maintenance supplies, complete with change of clothes, palm pilot, laptop, Elegante Communicator (a small device, much like a blackberry) One squashy PB&J sandwich, a zip-loc baggie full of sushi, instant coffee mix, and writing supplies. Her robotic hand contains the tiny mechanized equivalent of a swiss army knife.

Appearance: Tall, thin, and finally growing into her breasts, Kim is extremely prone to poor grooming. She has yet to realize that women tend to wear makeup, shampoo their hair on a daily basis, or trim it so that it does not look like a girl!mullet. Both of her legs end mid-thigh, replaced from there downward with the robotic equivalent of the original parts. Her left arm has been replaced, in much the same fashion, beginning somewhat lower than the shoulder, along with her left eye, and all for the same reason. Her limbs are thoroughly robotic, making no secret of her cyborg nature, though she usually makes a point of covering them when she can, to hide them.

Kim dresses conservatively, not because she's modest but because she is neurotic. People give her weird looks or stare at her in the street because of her cyborg parts, so she takes great pains to cover and hide her prosthesis— a trend that has not changed after exposure to the multiverse at large. She isn't ashamed of them, but it's just not in her to be so public. Hide, hide hide away, is the motto here. In private, she's a great deal less likely to be psychotically layered, often going all but naked, and frequently highly immodest when ensconced in the much over-heated and dim techno-lairs that she prefers to call home.

Age: 23

OC/AU Justification ;
If AU, How is Your Version Different From Canon, and How Will That Come Across?
Technically Kim is AU, due to her time on the Elegante, but she hasn't really changed dramatically. She's made a few friends, and lost a few, but the core of her being and personality remains unchanged. However, there are some notable experiences and knowledge, however flawed said knowledge may be in the world of Singularity, anyways. (Kim certainly thinks it's all true, or as true as anything gets with her.)

AU Setting:
Characters are trapped on a boat, which is a spooky jamjar, and everyone is traveling towards a mysterious place known as 'The Golden Shore.' The Captain of the ship is either completely insane, or might as well be. His crew is not much better. Everything is surrealism, on the ship, right down to the fact that the sushi bar is run by bears, that there is an entire deck that is a huge field of flowers, and another that is a submerged cave system.

For more information please feel free to check out the ms_elegante FAQ page by clicking here

AU Summary of Events:
Having arrived on the Elegante, Kim proceeded to confirm a few facts about the world around her, being mostly that she'd been kidnapped, that there was no way out, maniacal/crazy mysterious figure in charge, ect, and proceeded to apply the powers of science to the jamjar world around her.

Upon discovering the various vagaries of the ship upon which she was dropped, Kim studied everything with equal enthusiasm, not the least of all, the revolving door of Decepticons, since the Autobots wouldn't let her help their medic repair them. She picked up quite a bit about Cybertronian biology in this time, which would seem helpful but ended up just being some of her more favorite learning times, since none of her patients actually hung around to get into the major plots much.

Making friends with various normal-folks OCs, Kim eventually fell in with the near-suicidal group of adventurous souls that were attempting to find out the controls and workings of the ship's innards, which was inevitable, really. Managing not to be killed by her philosophy-biffle Godric, she was instead killed by Ridley (Metroid Villain) and befriended (and was killed again by) her new philosophy-biffle Vincent Valentine. Vampires and dragons, who knew?

Eventually; shit got real.

As it turns out, Kim had a stupidly central role in the ending of the MS_Elegante. Having (obtusely) invited one of the worst enemies of the ship's captain into the squishy, vulnerable heart of the ship, it surprised no one when said enemy screwed everyone over in such a way that the ship began falling apart.

Whoops.

Then, after a suitably epic fight against the onslaught of a sentient-species-eating gray-goo-scenario, the Captain killed himself and the passengers had to find out how to drive the ship. After several experimental attempts, Kim was the one who figured out the method. And then she promptly drove the ship directly into an inter-dimensional warp. And then into an iceburg. And then the ship sank.

Whoops!

So that's Kim's life on the boat: friends that die, friends that kill her, and a general acceptance of the entire ordeal of this multiverse business. She believes her home world is destroyed, that the end of the world has already happened, and is pretty blah on the concept of someone killing her again. Again! Actually, she's not having too bad of a time, despite her complaints. Life's an adventure, and Kim goes forth into it for glorious science!

If OC, Did You Run Your Character Through a Mary-Sue Litmus Test?
And What Did You Score?

Samples ;

Log Sample:

Kim's state room was dim at the best of times, but now it was truly dark. The only light came from the small constellation of computer lights, charging cords and coffee-maker alarms, little red and green-yellow eyes peering like a forest of nocturnal creatures from beneath workbenches and clinging to walls. The windows, long since heavily curtained, cast a slim and faded glow in one corner, but it was slight and unobtrusive when compared to the stripe of white from under the door.

The brightest light in the room was Kimiko herself, sprawled over the bed in a loose tee and baggy pants with the all-green light from the cord embedded in her spinal plug casting wane shadows over her body. Her prosthetic eye compensated for the dimness easily— she was reading.

And waiting for the knock on the door. Waiting, tense and obsessively, like waiting for the killer in a slasher film. Ohgod— now!

Now!

No....now!

...

Maybe it was safe, after all. Maybe she should just relax, and read, and all but fall off the bed when the knock came unexpectedly?! Slowly, trying to preserve a dignity that she had never really posessed, Kim picked herself up, slowly disconnected herself from the wall and breathed. Just breathe, Ross, you can do this. It's only Zeke, remember? She opened the door.

"Hi," and for once, it really was only Zeke.

Network Sample:
Video | Open

[The video shows a rather unkempt, greasy-haired young woman, squinting at her wearable as if it had personally insulted her. She frowns a little more deeply, then looks up and away, as if checking her position against a map. The chemical showers leading from the junkyard are clearly visible behind her.]

Those r...Someone told me I should post one of these. [She pauses, glancing briefly sideways to gather herself. Oh geez, people. New people, and talking to them. This has never been her favorite thing.] Introductions. Uh...Hi.

Kim Ross. I'm...new. I'd like some information.

[There is a brief pause. Kim gestures sarcastically, in the method familiar to all teenage girls.]

No, don't tell me; we've all been kidnapped from alternate dimensions and now we're trapped here with no known route of escape while someone of questionable sanity rules over us. I know.

I have different questions.