Hivebent: The Radio Play

[Gensotekei]

Funny you should mention that, since it's one of the major reasons why I want to edit it. No offense to the one who wrote it but the narrator's intervention of the chat, asking Karkat to read it out loud, is quite ham-handed and completely unnecessary. Not only that but changing the chat into a "voice chat" is actually necessary for things like the aG and cC chat, or to be more precise, this joke:

CC: I'm -EXCIT----------------ED!
CC: Pc)(ooooo.
GA: It Looks Like One Of Your Letters Got Away From You
CC: )(a)(a yea)( I really launc)(ed t)(at one.
GA: You Forked An Innocent D Loitering Over There By The Shout Pole Minding Its Own Business
CC: )(-E)(-E!

The listener will not be able to see cC's quirk, so to someone who is not familiar with
the joke beforehand it will make no sense.

Well then dont make the joke so dependent on the text, but still the idea of her like FLYING AROUND IN A VERY SPAZTIC MANNER

FOR EXAMPLE! :V

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cC: I'm ExITEEEEEED!!!!! PCHOOOO.

Kanaya: It looks like you flew off a little on that last part.

cC: Haha yeah, I really launched myself on that one.

Kanaya: You forked an innocent stranger over by the exclaimation point minding their own business.

cC: HE-HE!

I dunno, I'm not a professional at this, but I do know that it can be done within reason XD

[VeggieBLT]

If we're looking for an overseer, may I suggest Von Fawn? She's been in this from the beginning and at least seems to have all her shit together

[Kuraiou]

Whoa hoa hoa. Sorry if my comment caused any frustration! I somehow read over the part about the IRC casting. I am in a way glad that it's not starting since it gave me time to record any auditions at all; I am just of a mind that concrete dates are typically preferable to ambiguous dates, even if there is a decent idea as to when that ambiguous date may lie. I know that it's what's voted on and obviously I am not suggesting that it change at this point (otherwise I would be offering suggestions).

Anyways! Time IS still a-tickin', and management of all kinds needs to be sorted out, ideally before CA and CC are introduced and voices are picked. IT seems like there's still tons of steam left here so I rescind any comments about this "dying out" or whatever; it seems more likely that people will be scrambling after-the-fact to get everything organized! That's why having Official Roles will be so useful and why it's so imperative.

As for script editing, I seem to recall hearing that teams do really well when they're working together in a room, so maybe IRC (freenode or whatever) would be the best idea for that? I would imagine the emphasis would be on splitting the script into episodes and fine-tuning the first few episodes before the timer runs out over cleaning up the whole script, so maybe a section-oriented approach (Gazpacho gets this scene, Nextian gets that scene, etc. etc.). Idunno! Just having a freely editable doc on its own seems a bit crazy.

Although Google Docs itself does have a built-in chat feature...... hrm.

[GeneralIvan]

This may have been answered already but are you guys planning to do this episodically or in it's entirety?

[Von Fawn]

Oh! Hi! :3

Yeah, I can be team leader if nobody else wants to, and thanks for the nod, Veggie! I would definitely assemble a team to work on this—put people in charge of various areas, as it has already kind of been happening. But if you need someone to oversee things, etc, I can definitely do that.

And General, I would imagine that it would episodic—it's too long to do in its entirety. Once the script is finalized and edited, we should go through and divide it into roughly 30 minute episodes (or however long of a time slot we can get) at logical points. Things might need to shift again after that, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

(gosh Fawn stfu stop being so bossy and opinionated)

[Gensotekei]

Just wrote equius superjump and the great robosmooch. And then my computer decided to go to the previous page, thereby ruining all the glorious work I did.

...



EDIT: Ninja'd by fawn lady. Is it alright if I help out with administrative duty for this? I'm figuring that since there won't be anyone out of my damn house for awhile so I can reccord without being self concious, I might as well do the behind the scenes stuff.

[Kuraiou]

This gives me much hope. A person who was volunteered for a team leader that wants to be a team leader and also has plans to organize already? DOUBLE RAINBOW ACROSS THE SKY.

[Metman]

And General, I would imagine that it would episodic—it's too long to do in its entirety.
(gosh Fawn stfu stop being so bossy and opinionated)

I agree with the episodic idea. I dont know if people would want to sit down and listen to something spanning an couple of hours. Also, i endorse you leading these shenanigans, for the qualities that you just mentioned.

[VeggieBLT]

I personally thought episodic production was the plan all along

[Random Encounter]

Okay, time to play devil's advocate. I'm a little concerned that if we start dishing out too many production positions before we finish the casting, that we're going to get producers jumping ship if they don't get a speaking part. Yeah, we need to figure out who we're getting to pull this all together, but we also need to make sure that whoever has a producer role is committed to seeing this through.

Outside help - I'm not against it as long as we set a limit to it. Too many cooks in the kitchen, and all that.

Heavy editing - Let's please get the missing parts in the middle finished and the script in order before we start hacking it to shreds.

Timeline and release - I love ignoring the sound of ticking clocks until they reach the last minute. But seriously, it's probably all going to depend on how we release the show and how many eps we do live. Depending on how long and how often each episode is and how long Hivestuck just ends up being, this could go on for longer then half a year. But if there's enough want for it, then that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Von Fawn]

It was always too long to be one self-contained story and I think episodes were the plan from the start. I was just re-stating what I had always imagined would be the case. And I agree with Random Encounter—we still have no idea how long Hivebent will be and, therefore, how long the radio play will be. It's a little early to start delegating a bunch of positions or start editing, and I wasn't suggesting taking immediate action on that matter. That would be silly.

Are we doing any live eps? It seems difficult to do, given different schedules, lags, potential for mistakes, and the general stubbornness of the internet. I was under the impression that it was going to be a nicely organized series of mp3s that we could play every week for a certain amount of time, releasing each one until it was done. Maybe I missed something earlier.

But we're still getting ahead of ourselves.

The priority right now is in finishing the script, with the parts from the middle that haven't been put together and anything updated on a daily basis. After CA and CC are introduced for real, we can start working on casting, but it seems like it's going to be at LEAST another week until then. So let's continue to focus on getting this thing written, and hit up things one stage at a time.

I do think it is important, however, for someone to take the reins since nextian is overwhelmed with other things and unable to coordinate stuff. I can do that, but if someone else really wants that position, please, speak up. I'm available to be generally opinionated no matter what. X3

And, to restate something that Random Encounter said:

I'm a little concerned that if we start dishing out too many production positions before we finish the casting, that we're going to get producers jumping ship if they don't get a speaking part. Yeah, we need to figure out who we're getting to pull this all together, but we also need to make sure that whoever has a producer role is committed to seeing this through.

And I couldn't agree more. So if you really want to work on this—as in, really really, regardless of whether or not you get to speak in the play, speak up, but we'll hold you to that if you pull out because you don't have any lines. This is a pretty big project, and we need as much dedicated help as possible. However everything turns out, this is a team effort, and it's going to be pretty bitchin'.

So let's focus on finishing the script for now and tackle things as they come along. As usual we're at the mercy of Andrew Hussie, so let's just go along for the ride until we can take the reins ourselves.

[Gazpacho Soup]

So let's focus on finishing the script for now and tackle things as they come along. As usual we're at the mercy of Andrew Hussie, so let's just go along for the ride until we can take the reins ourselves.

I couldn't agree more, you and Random read my mind. In fact I will begin writing now!

[Random Encounter]

Well, some people have previously stated that they want to do at least one live episode for promotion/fun's sake, but that can probably be addressed in time.

[nextian]

I think doing a messy, laggy, live practice run would be a fun promo piece and also a lot of fun for participants.

I fully support Von Fawn spearheading this. I was actually going to nominate you but I hadn't seen you in the thread lately I also agree with basically everything you said. Let's finish this sucker and then worry about flow.

[Random Encounter]

Okay, time for some recent update.

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E NARRATOR: When two individuals find themselves in the flushed quadrant together, they are said to be MATESPRITS. Matespritship is the closest parallel to the human concept of romance trolls have.

DAD: I love the light of Skaia as it shimmers off your luscious lips!

MOM: I love the smell of tobacco as it wafts from your manly nose!

It plays a role in the trolls' reproductive cycle, just as it does for humans.

This is pretty obvious! Not much more needs to be said about this. Moving right along.

When a pair of adversaries delve into the caliginous quadrant, they become each other's KISMESIS. As one of the concupiscent quadrants, it plays a role in procreation as well. There is no particularly good human translation for this concept. The closest would be an especially potent arch-rivalry.

For instance, human players would never be able to adequately diagnose the relationship between the queen and her archagent.

SNOWMAN: Oh, what other chapeau would suit a sniviling underling of your stature? A feathered tiara, perhaps?

JACK NOIR: I swear, someday I'll make you choke on these stupid hats!

SNOWMAN: Watch your mouth. And put on this cathair boa.

E NARRATOR: But troll players could immediately place it as a dead ringer for kismesissitude. They would think we were all pretty stupid for not getting it. And they would be right.

Trolls have a complicated reproductive cycle. It's probably best not to examine it in much detail.

The need to seek out concupiscent partners comes with more urgency than typical reproductive instincts. When the IMPERIAL DRONE comes knocking,

SFX: Banging on the door, opening

E NARRATOR: -you had better be able to supply genetic material to each of his FILIAL PAILS.

TROLL: What is it?

SFX: pails swinging about

IMPERIAL DRONE: It is time. Fill your pails.

TROLL: We-well, heh-heh, if you could believe it, my double-dealing backstabbing Kismesis skipped town for a week! Maybe if you come back another time-

IMPERIAL DRONE: Fill Your Pails!

TROLL: Now look here, I don't want no trouble-

IMPERIAl DRONE: FILL YOUR PAILS! ARRRARGH!

SFX: sounds of a brutal scuffle under narration

E NARRATOR: If you have nothing to offer, he will kill you without hesitation.

IMPERIAL DRONE: Such a shame, to see healthy young trolls have such bad luck in hate. Always brings a tear to my eye. Oh well, next house!

The genetic material - WITHOUT GOING INTO MUCH DETAIL - is a combinative genetic mix from the matesprit and kismesis pairs, respectively. The pails are all offered to the mother grub, who can only receive such precombined material. She then combines all of it into one incestuous slurry, and begins her brooding.

This doesn't mean the initial combination was for naught, however. In the slurry, more dominant genes rise to the fore, while the more recessive find less representation in the brood. Especially strong matesprit and kismesis pairings yield more dominant genetic material. The more powerful the complement or potent the rivalry, the more dominant the genes.

TROLL REPRODUCTION SURE IS WEIRD. We all take a moment to lament how pedestrian the human reproductive system is, and further lament that the phrase "incestuous slurry" is not a feature of common parlance in human civilization.

And then there's this random speculative thing I wrote, which will probably never come into play, but whatever.

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Troll culture glorifies Matesprition, Kismesis, Moiralliance and Auspisticeship in their various art forms as often as humans glorify love. These classics tend to be beautiful as well as brutally painful in nature, and evoke the whole array of romantic emotions such as joy, passion, sadness, pity, hatred, obligation and lethargy. Such perennial classic songs include "Riding the Moirails to your Diamond", "Stuck in the Middle of Two Raving Lunatics" and the epic folk ballad "The Night Horgar and Jiradi Went Black (and Massacred 44 Bystanders Between the Both of Them)", which during successful public performances causes mass riots. Alternian art criticism in all of it's forms is widely accepted as form of assisted suicide, since if the art work doesn't get to you first, the artist eventually will.

[Von Fawn]

Oh, thanks! :3 Sorry I've been lurking more than contributing recently, but I've been following the action!

Well, let's see if anyone else wants to manage (produce, I guess?) this, then let them express their interest as well, but this is something I'd love to do!

Also, Random Encounter, I really hope there's a place for the second one because I LOL'D.

[Solaris]

As I said before I would not mind broadcasting on Skaia Radio weekly or Bi-weekly and Blueberry also volunteered.
I do not really expect to get any speaking roles anyway and I really want to do something after the script is done.
This is awesome.

[crash826]

I WANT TO HELP PLEASE
WHAT CAN I DO

[Kuraiou]

Truthfully, I consider myself more of a writerly-type, and should the need arise for an editor of some sort (to whip those words into shape!) then I will gladly help, but I'd like to hold off on committing myself to anything until casting's been announced because, dangit, I wantsta makes me sum purdy noizes.

[GeneralIvan]

Oh, thanks! :3 Sorry I've been lurking more than contributing recently, but I've been following the action!

Well, let's see if anyone else wants to manage (produce, I guess?) this, then let them express their interest as well, but this is something I'd love to do!

I'd be happy to help as voice director and with mixing.

[Gazpacho Soup]

It is complete, my first writing for the play. Hussie's style is almost completely opposed to my own, so this was a bit tough to tackle. But it appears to be good enough.

To begin. The abominable desecration of temples by a psychic girl...

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Narrator: Let us go, only a little while ago...

Music: Psych0ruins

Narrator: Deep in the dank, cavernous bowels of ALTERNIA lies a massive stone temple. It's creators apparently dedicated it to a quadruped with Amphibian appearance. Around the premise of the structure stand seven columns flagged with a rudimentary capital of a single orb. And dwarfed by all the towering stone stands a little troll girl...Or there would be if she was not floating eight stories off the ground. The ghastly form of the girl glows eerie white. Slowly she raises her hand above her hand and...

SFX: (Stone being sliced)

SFX: (Rocks tumbling to the ground and against over stone)

SFX: (Large stone falling into mud. Something like a loud “PHLUP” or similar)

Narrator: The bug-eyed visage lies desecrated in the filth and mud, I...I am not sure why she did that, really....

Aradia: (Inner Monologue?) There will be a reason, there's a reason for everything...

Narrator: So understanding this let's you be reckless, yes? Whoever you are...

*Visage may not be the proper word here. But alas, I cannot think of the word which word fit...Why does that happen to me so often?

+I am can't decide to included the other sphere connected to a column, and/or the one connected directly to the temple.


...And cC helping keep Alternia clean.

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Narrator: And a little later...Somewhere else entirely...

SFX: (waves)

Narrator: On the pristine, sandy beaches of ALTERNIA lies a discarded bottle of foul, carbonated poison.* A hand, heavy with rings, reaches down to retrieve the aforementioned obstruction.

CC: Some more rubbish from the Land Dwellers. Makes me sick...

Narrator: Whoever you are...

*Poison may or may not be the best way to describe Faygo.

This being more original writing than actual adaption I would appreciate criticism before it goes into the doc. That is if I can figure out where it's supposed to go...

[aestheticGötterdämmerung]

Wow! This place exploded! But yeah, I am definitely ready to write for and edit this thing until it is polished and shiny, but I also definitely don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or let my bad judgment ruin the project. So I think having an IRC room full of editors is a great idea, when the time comes for such things. I don't think we'll need to appoint editors either-- whoever wants to can come in and add their input, and we'll go with the consensus or compromise. Just as long as there's no drama!

I think doing a messy, laggy, live practice run would be a fun promo piece and also a lot of fun for participants.

I really like this idea.

And RandomEncounter, can I just say I really appreciate your writing. Like, a lot. Because I do.

[Gazpacho Soup]

The deed is done. I have created a IRC Channel in the FREENODE server! It is called: <##PumpkinPatchPlayers-Hivebent>! There will currently be NO DISCUSSION on the project until a TOPIC has been decided. But feel free to join and say HI.

[Teleharmonic]

Possibly I just fail at IRC -- this is entirely likely -- but I cannot find this channel.

[kmsumrall]

I'd be happy to help as voice director and with mixing.

Gi as a voice director I think would be a good idea. He's experienced and all that jazz.

Me, I'd be happy doing a voice. If someone wants to put me in another role, that is fine too.