>> Some of that is my irritation at Pointer not using Facet's chosen name. <<
Since Pointer is both an outreach volunteer and a decent guy, I suspect that he doesn't know "Bugeye" is the wrong name. The problem is that so many people use it, Facet has all but given up on correcting anyone. He just expects to be mistreated because it happens so often. :(
Soup names can come about in different ways. One is that the person chooses their own, like Facet. But another is description that other people choose and if there's an obvious handle -- like Bugeye -- then it tends to get used. So if he introduces himself, he'll say Facet; but if someone else does, they usually say Bugeye.
Presumably the librarian will introduce him as Facet for once, which will turn heads. It's the equivalent people realizing that they've been mispronouncing an immigrant friend's name for months.
>> It's Bullying Education Week in our cyber school, <<
Go you!
>> and friendly fire ISN'T. :-/ <<
Agreed.
>> Some of that is MY irrational response to compound eyes, especially on spiders, but I won't let an irrational fear dictate my learning. I might not be able to keep my eyes open, or stay in the room, but that's my problem, and Facet should get the respect he deserves. Audio feed is available. ;-) <<
That is very kind of you.
>> Species have been renamed, when it's determined that other characteristics are more important. <<
That's true. So if he turns himself in later, some of the people arguing against Stylus may change their stance.
>> For trying to catch his creatures when containment was broken, I feel he gets a voice in the debate. <<
That's a good point.
I think he panicked when he started to get a real inkling that the situation was worse than expected, and that's why he split instead of staying to render aid. But I also suspect that he called an ambulance for Facet.
>> *SMACK* Bad soups, better double check YOUR cape colors! <<
Heh, yeah. I imagine there are a lot of rude jokes right now about fact that their jumpsuits are black and the capes are colored -- the implication being that the tailor screwed up the order, and it should've been colored jumpsuits with black capes.
Interestingly, the charges are likely to be worse on the Spectrum and possibly Mr. Pernicious than on Stylet himself. T-America tends to make causing harm illegal, rather than having or doing things which are only potentially harmful. You're allowed to have a knife, but not to stab people with it. So making monstrous insects is inadvisable but probably not illegal, whereas setting them on people would be illegal. (Gengineering is another place where efforts to pass laws have often got fought to a standstill, which means it is neither banned nor has controls that might be advisable.) Mostly what he'll get hit with is for running a lab inside city limits that probably does not have all the paperwork it should have, because nobody would approve that kind of zetetics there for exactly this kind of reason.
I do know that nobody worth working with wants to deal with the Spectrum anymore. SPOON won't give them assignments because too many people have called and specified not to send them. I'm not sure if the authorities have actually issued warrants yet; they may still be sorting through the debris and the complicated tangle of PR issues. But it's not something the Spectrum is likely to get off scot-free with this time.
Mr. Pernicious is, of course, already a supervillain and wanted for all sorts of things. This case can take a number and get in line. Since he's just seriously pissed off a bunch of other supervillains, however, he may find it harder to get past this hurdle.
Re: Thank you!
Since Pointer is both an outreach volunteer and a decent guy, I suspect that he doesn't know "Bugeye" is the wrong name. The problem is that so many people use it, Facet has all but given up on correcting anyone. He just expects to be mistreated because it happens so often. :(
Soup names can come about in different ways. One is that the person chooses their own, like Facet. But another is description that other people choose and if there's an obvious handle -- like Bugeye -- then it tends to get used. So if he introduces himself, he'll say Facet; but if someone else does, they usually say Bugeye.
Presumably the librarian will introduce him as Facet for once, which will turn heads. It's the equivalent people realizing that they've been mispronouncing an immigrant friend's name for months.
>> It's Bullying Education Week in our cyber school, <<
Go you!
>> and friendly fire ISN'T. :-/ <<
Agreed.
>> Some of that is MY irrational response to compound eyes, especially on spiders, but I won't let an irrational fear dictate my learning. I might not be able to keep my eyes open, or stay in the room, but that's my problem, and Facet should get the respect he deserves. Audio feed is available. ;-) <<
That is very kind of you.
>> Species have been renamed, when it's determined that other characteristics are more important. <<
That's true. So if he turns himself in later, some of the people arguing against Stylus may change their stance.
>> For trying to catch his creatures when containment was broken, I feel he gets a voice in the debate. <<
That's a good point.
I think he panicked when he started to get a real inkling that the situation was worse than expected, and that's why he split instead of staying to render aid. But I also suspect that he called an ambulance for Facet.
>> *SMACK* Bad soups, better double check YOUR cape colors! <<
Heh, yeah. I imagine there are a lot of rude jokes right now about fact that their jumpsuits are black and the capes are colored -- the implication being that the tailor screwed up the order, and it should've been colored jumpsuits with black capes.
Interestingly, the charges are likely to be worse on the Spectrum and possibly Mr. Pernicious than on Stylet himself. T-America tends to make causing harm illegal, rather than having or doing things which are only potentially harmful. You're allowed to have a knife, but not to stab people with it. So making monstrous insects is inadvisable but probably not illegal, whereas setting them on people would be illegal. (Gengineering is another place where efforts to pass laws have often got fought to a standstill, which means it is neither banned nor has controls that might be advisable.) Mostly what he'll get hit with is for running a lab inside city limits that probably does not have all the paperwork it should have, because nobody would approve that kind of zetetics there for exactly this kind of reason.
I do know that nobody worth working with wants to deal with the Spectrum anymore. SPOON won't give them assignments because too many people have called and specified not to send them. I'm not sure if the authorities have actually issued warrants yet; they may still be sorting through the debris and the complicated tangle of PR issues. But it's not something the Spectrum is likely to get off scot-free with this time.
Mr. Pernicious is, of course, already a supervillain and wanted for all sorts of things. This case can take a number and get in line. Since he's just seriously pissed off a bunch of other supervillains, however, he may find it harder to get past this hurdle.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.