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[asaqueenshould]

As I believe we should all be more capable of thinking clearly now, I'd like to pose a couple of questions that have been on my mind for a while.

First is the matter of language barriers - or rather, the complete lack of them. Quite aside from meeting an American who admitted to no knowledge of Japanese (and my English certainly isn't good enough to fill in the gaps), I've had perfectly comprehensible conversations with people who aren't from Earth at all. Is it more likely that something about this world is translating for us on an individual basis, or somehow taught us all a common language without us noticing? Either way, can the translation effect be chalked up to Chroma, or is something else at play?

My second question circles back to Chroma itself, building off its local importance as both currency and energy source. We've been told that the locals see Chroma as the solution to their clean-energy woes (if only breaking oil dependency were this simple...). Our hosts believe that higher rates of Chroma generation will permit faster development of their technological capabilities, possibly including a means to return us to our worlds of origin.

How, exactly, do they intend to sustain that technological capability if all of us return to our homes?

I'll grant that that's a rather large assumption; there's a very real chance that this world is preferable to where some of us came from. However, a substantial majority of us refusing to stay here, once the means is in place, could still decimate Chroma production to the point where little to nothing that we help them make can be powered. That could potentially impact the ability to return everyone who wants to leave. If nothing else, it's something those of us who intend to get hands-on with the local technology should keep in mind.

Comments

[asaqueenshould]

Different cultures developed their own ideas on how to best express what was happening around them. Sometimes a geographic area will include several languages with common features, but not always, and time can bring about as many changes as location.

Meanwhile, this makes me yet another person who doesn't know what you mean by 'bending,' other than it's clearly a technical term of some sort from the way you used it.

I wouldn't say caution is unnecessary, it's true, but diplomacy isn't off the table yet, and will likely ease the path going forward. Pondering the long-term ramifications of the situation will make it more likely we reach a mutually beneficial end than one where one side or another feels at a complete disadvantage.

[bloodisthicker]

When you put it like that, I’m almost kind of surprised things didn’t play out that way in my world, as well.Where I’m from, there are basically four different national identities... although, even within those identities there are divisions. Each is associated with one of the four elements, and some people are born with the ability to control the element their people are associated with, which is what we call bending. I’m a waterbender, for example, which should be reasonably self-explanatory.

Of course, even if you can’t bend, there’s still the cultural and philosophical differences, too. It’s kind of interesting that we didn’t drift apart even more before the invention of technologies that make long distance travel and communication easier than they were in the past. Granted, there’s a figure who can use all four elements known as the Avatar who might’ve facilitated things, but it does kind of depend on the Avatar.

And yes, I agree. Honestly, even if I was the only person who could produce the Chroma they needed from my world, I wouldn’t really mind traveling back and forth as long as it was of my own will and I could have some control over my schedule.

[asaqueenshould]

I'm not surprised that cultures within cultures would be a common point in multiple worlds, language barrier or no.

Only four elements? Water, earth, fire... I suppose wind would be the most likely fourth, as the fifth I'm familiar with is deliberately nebulous, and wood or metal from the Chinese traditions could overlap with the others, depending on the approach. Still, exerting any amount of influence over any of those does sound quite impressive from where I'm sitting. It would make for quite the strategic wrinkle if an opponent didn't know to expect it.

[bloodisthicker]

Air, but yes, you’re right there. It’s interesting that there’s some overlap with traditions in your world, though. We actually do have bending that can affect metal and plants, but they’re connected to another type of bending. Metalbending is a subset of earthbending, and I’ve heard of some waterbenders who could manipulate plant life by using true water strored in them. They generally tend to require special training, though, and I think there might be a hereditary component to metalbending since not every earthbender can metalbend even if they master the required forms.

[asaqueenshould]

Just as well, really. The prospect of someone holding that kind of control over an element associated with thought and creativity is... sobering at best. [Especially after Ren's explanation of the cause of the bone-skyscrapers problem she witnessed just before arriving here.]

I believe some Western traditions use earth, air, fire and water as base elements; those I'm more familiar with consider four an unlucky number, so we don't stop there. There's also chemical elements - the smallest possible building blocks that make up the world - but there are rather more than four of those, and water is a combination of two of them.

[bloodisthicker]

Oh, there is one person who can achieve almost complete control over every element, but only under specific circumstances. Even then, they need to put actual work into using the elements under normal circumstances, so it’s rare that we’ve ever have to deal with someone who’s basically a god.

And ah, yes, that makes sense. Science has progressed to the point where we can distinguish between atomic elements and the four spiritual elements, so I do understand where you’re coming from there.

[asaqueenshould]

[Thank god for that, really.]

Now I'm wondering whether Chroma would be considered closer to a chemical or spiritual element.

[bloodisthicker]

I’m no expert on spiritual matters, but I feel like it strikes me as being a bit more on that end of things than the chemical end. At least, that’s what it reminds me of, anyway.