Special Announcement

[lonelysmiles]

Sender: Alastor
To: Everyone
Subject: Special Announcement

Hard to believe that at the end of this month, it will have been two years since this little dream world started pulling us all into it. Quite a marvel, isn't it? I certainly hadn't expected it to last this long!

Now I'd hoped to have a little surprise I'd had planned for Reverein finished by our two-year anniversary, but our rather rude guest a few months ago pushed back several plans!

Back in Hell, I was often-times referred to as "The Radio Demon" due to my powers over the radiowaves. I've been working with Miss Madhuri and her charming husband on perfecting a means of producing radios here in Reverein, but I ask you this: What fun is there in a radio with only one channel? None, that's what!

I've been working with some of the people at the Observatory to develop the technology for others to broadcast without having to rely solely on my powers, and we're ready to begin construction on a brand-new radio station specially designed for Reverein! One of the advantages to a world of magic and imagination: No need to make a radio tower look like hideous scaffolding! Absolutely delightful! Perhaps someday more towers will be built to connect us to Dragon Island or even places farther afield!

The project should be finished next month, so there's plenty of time to get your hands on a radio of your own to hear the inaugural broadcast!

Stay tuned!
~Alastor

Comments

sender: Flowey

[your_best_friend]

Gosh, it's about time this place started getting technological. First electricity, now radios! It's only a matter of time before we're able to recreate the internet!

I own a puzzle shop, but I may look into getting my own radio station set up. Probably.

[lonelysmiles]

Creator forbid either television or the internet arrive here. Particularly if it means we receive that bane upon humanity, social media, here as well.

[your_best_friend]

...Okay, you may have a strong point on social media. I know I've been sick and tired of people abusing emojis and saying uguu after every sentence.

Still. you can't deny how ridiculously easy performing research on the internet is. No need to travel to any ultra specific library in order to pay to rent a book about some obscure subject because no other place has that information.

[lonelysmiles]

I have no idea what "uguu" means nor do I have any desire for you to enlighten me.

I can see the general appeal of such an easy repository for information. My beloved radio did make it easier to get news out much quicker than newspapers, after all. However, I would prefer to use such a repository to narrow down where to find in-depth knowledge on a subject rather than trusting some random space that anyone can modify at any time. During my time, the wise man or woman would use the radio as a source to collect general information and then do research for themselves using more specialized sources if they felt so inclined.

After all, a glut of information can be just as bad if not worse than none to be found whatsoever. For example, one of my companions in Hell attempted to "better connect" with me by looking up New Orleans voodoo online and barely avoided offending several major loa by mixing and matching what she'd found on various conflicting pages.

[your_best_friend]

Oh, no, I'm not just talking about the places online with which anyone can edit. There's lots of things hidden behind random strings of characters. That's why ratted programs and social engineering exist!

Random question, but have you heard of someone named "Loremaster"?

Sender: Anya

[grandduchess_anya]

Wow that’s really great to hear. Radios are a much needed change since we don’t have anything resembling them. Imagine all the possibilities we do with radios from news to music.

[lonelysmiles]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that there's a fellow connoisseur here!

And don't forget radio plays or even storytelling! So many creative endeavors that have been beyond our reach up until now!

[grandduchess_anya]

That sounds like amazing plans for the future. I have some experiences in making plays with my siblings before with me writing up stories and scripts for most of them. Never done radio plays just yet but I would love to do a challenge though.

Alastor getting to geek out...

[lonelysmiles]

There's quite a bit of crossover of writing scripts for theatrical plays and for the radio. The main difference is that most of your stage direction is actually sound direction. For example, instead of the hero swiftly crossing the stage to come face-to-face with the villain, the sounds of his footsteps hurrying along and coming to an abrupt stop can get the same idea across to the listener. It's acting with sound alone.

Jack Foley -- brilliant man! -- was the superstar soundman behind such an art form when moving pictures were making the transition from silent films to talkies using skills he originally honed on the radio. I prefer my beloved radio to picture shows, of course, but I do remember seeing Show Boat and being quite impressed by his work. Little wonder such "sound actors" are still referred to as "Foley artists"!

[grandduchess_anya]

My my. That is a great way to make plays to have a jump into radio much easier. Sound effects does make the action more lively when they’re not on stage. I’m starting to like the idea of how to make them like Mr. Foley did.

Sender: Naoya

[crouching_sin]

I propose that we hold auditions for people who can host a radio show. Maybe the equivalent of a podcast as well? An interview show would be interesting, given the variety of worlds here.

[lonelysmiles]

[It's a good thing you're not around to see him twitch at the word "podcast". Ugh.]

You are aware that the basic format of a podcast comes from radio programming, aren't you? I'd hate to think my literal decades of work as a radio host were implied to imitate the internet's version of it.

[Do not insult his treasured medium by trying to claim it's the other way around. Please.]

And given there's to be multiple stations, I say let anyone who wishes to give it a try the opportunity to do so. Let the listeners decide who they wish to tune into along with what programming they prefer. It's how it was originally done in my day even after the FRC stepped in.

[crouching_sin]

I'm aware. The internet is more common than radio where and when I'm from, so naturally my thoughts went there.

[He'd had radio for longer, but... well. Modern times.]

I suppose. Educational shows, interviews, music... is it easy to get instruments here, by the way? I assume they're expensive...

[lonelysmiles]

Fair enough, I suppose.

[You poor soul. Deprived of quality entertainment for so long.]

Depends on the methodology. People have been able to make instruments here or trade their baubles with that blasted well for those not found here. However, it keeps spitting out mine whenever I attempt to bring my Furby organ in.

[crouching_sin]

... I suppose it's an instrument only a demon could love.

A shame, though. I've learned various instruments in my time. I'm more of a computer programmer nowadays, but I know my way around most instruments.

Sender: Toph (Audio)

[toph_luck]

Uh... yeah, hi. Obvious question here but, What's a radio?

[ There's a pause, then she adds in pre-emptively. ]

And don't send me a picture.

[lonelysmiles]

[Oh, that is an intriguing trick. He's going to try focusing on making his words audible as he writes.]

As if an illustration could get across the wonders of the radio! No, my dear, radio is a communications medium that is purely auditory, allowing listeners to listen to all manner of news and entertainment from quite a distance from its source! Even better, with the news in particular there's none of that corruption of a message passing verbally from mouth to mouth!

Think of it like a much more accessible version of the little trick you just did with the journal but being able to access anything you'd be interested in hearing with a turn of a dial!

[Alastor has no idea you're blind, Toph. Just that you might have an interest in his personal passion: audio-only broadcasting.]

[toph_luck]

I'm sure it wouldn't.

[ Hah, look, as long as she finds herself funny? That's good enough. It's only a shame the eccentricities of his voice are lost in text... along with much of the tone of the writing as it's read back to her in a poor Microsoft Sam-esque voice. ]

Can we talk back? And how far away are you talking here? My hearings pretty good already.

[lonelysmiles]

Miles and miles away, my dear. The radio tower I'll be building will allow you to hear a broadcast from a little beyond one side of the current size of Reverein to a little beyond the other! Adding additional towers would expand that reach even farther out!

As for talking back, it is possible. Most people owned radios that only received audio but there were plenty that could send messages to each other. Of course, I'm a unique case: all that radio equipment is built in for me! Ha ha! But if I was within range, it'd be possible to contact me by placing your hand even on a receiving-only radio and speak my name. It's like talking directly in my ear!

[toph_luck]

Sounds like an easy way to get bothered by people.

But I might listen in, if I'm in range. So long as you're not too boring. [ Nice, mature, nailed it. ] Towers are kindof my thing, so... If you need a hand with that, I'll only ask a favour back later.

Sender: Eustace

[flamekthunder]

Congratulations, I might listen every now and then. I wonder if my earpiece can pick up the frequency.

[lonelysmiles]

It might take some fine-tuning on your end. I have to finagle my frequency to reach you after you offered to let me connect to it.

[At least he hasn't been abusing the privilege by yammering in your ear 24/7?]

[flamekthunder]

[This is why he actually just keeps it somewhere else—]

I can look into it. There seem to be more tech savvy people here so I can get their assistance if needed.

[lonelysmiles]

[Mean.]

I'm sure the team in the Observatory would be happy to assist!

[flamekthunder]

A thought, but I'd be worried they'd try to confiscate it and take it apart.