Dermot«I can answer some questions.»
Dermot«Dermot is me!» ::grin:: «Really though, Dermot reflects the part of myself I want to foster and improve upon; my better, stronger, wiser, more charitable, more independent half. I portray myself as a fox demi-human because it is how I’ve seen myself since I was a child. I am human (even as a demi-human), but this is the face I would prefer to have. Truthfully, I wouldn’t mind living in a human world more like the Breath of Fire series (or some aspects of Xenogears and Chrono Cross), where people of normal human appearance live alongside and even marry people of demi-human appearance, and they all consider each other equal and definitively human, regardless of their face.»
Dermot«Dermot is a name I’ve liked a lot since I was little, so I adopted it as my pseudonym; it is an anglicization of Goidelic Diarmad, Diarmaid or Diarmuid (depending on the language and dialect), which means
Dermot, a.k.a. Gilgamesh«Ahh, you’ve done your homework! It’s my technical and academic pen name. Sure, I like visitors, but I don’t like a stampede and I want to keep this forest pristine and unspoilt. But yes, I was Gilgamesh of the gnuboy project, and I am still Gilgamesh at English Wikipedia. It hasn’t been the best kept secret, so I might as well not deny it here. But whereas Gilgamesh is my more public and high-volume pen name, I as Dermot live a quieter life. I don’t generally link back here when I write as Gilgamesh.»
Hammer«You can’t be my bro everywhere? Sorry, bro.»
Gilgamesh«S’okay. I just don’t like too much personal attention if I can help it.»
Hammer«Awww, bro... If you like, I take over for you working with Laguna on the gnuboy project.»
Gilgamesh::grin:: «Laguna isn’t fond of you, Hammer.»
Hammer«!? Why not?»
Dermot«Because I have a prescription of 20/400, and my myopia is still getting worse. Without these lenses, I’m pretty blind. Besides, glasses look nice and are honestly no trouble. Contact lenses, on the other hand, are trouble.» ::takes off glasses and cleans lenses::
Hammer«Nothing wrong with glasses, bro.»
Dermot«Nope.» ::puts glasses back on::
Hammer«But why do you wear frames like that? I could craft you a pair that balances on your nose the way mine do.»
Dermot«That’s a generous offer, but I’m content with these frames. They’re very comfortable.»
Hammer«Whatever you say, bro.»
Dermot«A jūjin contact, Sippo Abasiri. Give him a visit?» ::smile::
Dermot«Sorry, no... I can only sequence a MIDI if the passion of the music captures my mind. To free my mind, I must sequence it away. Once I know the music intimately, my mind is freed, and I can move on.»
Dermot«Sure. I arrange music to MIDI, so I only own the MIDI data—not the song, unless clearly indicated. But be truthful—do not credit yourself where credit does not exist. You may alter the MIDI data and take credit for the alterations, but then you should preserve my credit for the base sequence. You should also not claim that your alterations are the next version of my data, as only I can revise my own data version numbers for posting to archives.»
Dermot«I can only make a game map if I a usable game data editor that will allow me to take screenshots. The maps for Final Fantasy V were an exception, but I was highly motivated to make those maps.»
Dermot«Sure. As with MIDI data, I only arrange game map image files. Once again, do not claim credit where credit does not exist.»
Dermot«Sure. I actually cannibalized it from a Russian website I stumbled over once. The script was so useful and extensible that I adapted it for my own needs.»
Dermot«It depends. The answer 90% of the time is probably yes. If you have doubt, ask me.»
Dermot«They are me three favorite colors.
| Emerald green is the color of watered leaves. |
| Xocoatl brown is the color of healthy soil. |
| Rain grey is the color of overcast skies. |
Hammer«Yeah, bro, why? The keep is so out of our way. Why not live in a settlement like the rest of us? It’d be cool to visit you more often.»
Dermot«Because I love it here... This...cool...wet...green cloud forest is where my heart lies. I do love the company of friends, but I am not partial to the noise and pollution of cities. Fortunately, my home is just off the road, and it’s not a difficult walk from there.»
Brad«Hammer, Dermot can live wherever he wants. I for one don’t mind the trip. Besides, years of cross-country travel has kept me in good shape. Speaking of which, I’ve never heard Rico complain.»
Hammer::smile:: «No, he never complains at all. Back in D-Block he used to be such a high-and-mighty recluse, but nowadays he loves to visit friends. He loves this beautiful forest, and he loves seeing it with me. And I love seeing it with him too. ...Sorry, bro.»
Dermot::chuckle:: «S’okay, Hammer. Honestly, this forest is as much a gift for my friends as it is my home. I am glad you love it here, because that’s always been my wish. And you’re welcome any time.»
Brad«You’re just not in the best shape, Hammer.»
Hammer«Heh, don’t I know it. The Champ has incredible strength and stamina, but I’ve always been weak and scrawny. There was a time when that made me jealous, but not now. Ricardo’s...a great guy, who likes me the way I am, and makes me feel so much more at ease with myself. So, there’s never a time I don’t enjoy travels with him by my side. And...when I get tired, he sits me on his shoulders.» ::wry chuckle::
Dermot::laugh::
Brad«That high up, ‘uh?»
Hammer«I was wrong, bro...it’s great you live here. Don’t leave this place.»
Dermot«I hope I never have to.»
Hammer«Hey! I am not fictional.»
Dermot«It’s alright, Hammer.»
Dermot«They are characters from different stories (mostly RPGs) that I relate well to. Brad Evans is from WILD ARMS 2ND IGNITION. ZOAH is from Chrono Cross. Shitan Uzuki and Hammer are from Xenogears. Scias is from Breath of Fire IV.»
Hammer«
Dermot«—Shh. Don’t spoil it.»
Dermot::laugh:: «You have very keen intuition. Yes, it is true as you say—my outrigger has never sailed anywhere else, as I am quite gay. However, I’m also a very clean person, so it’s largely irrelevant. (Yeah, right.)»
Dermot«You’d like to know that, wouldn’t you. Unfortunately, I can’t randomly give out my real name. I wish I could, but I can’t. No further comment. (I hate living in the Jello Belt.)»
Dermot«Everyone keeps asking me that question... To be honest, just one—polished Hawaiian English, with a bias for International English terminology (such as
Dermot«Well, the short answer is yes. You can link to my site without asking me; it is
Dermot«I reserve the right to have links to my site removed, though in practice I’ve almost never done this.»
Dermot«It means that not only do I link to a site, but that same site links back to me. I consider a link to be mutual if and only if my links page links to a site, and either that site’s links page links back to me, or to my LiveJournal blog, or that site includes a link to its own LiveJournal blog that includes my LJ on its Friends list. So, even if I only link to your LJ, I will consider you a mutual link if you add my LJ to your Friends list, because my LJ links back to this site, and vice versa.»
Dermot«In truth, many of them are good friends of mine, even with the occasional first-language barrier. Also, having been born in Hawai‘i and being raised out on the islands where Japanese influence is everywhere, I find myself relating to Japanese arts and expression far more than to the arts and culture of North America or Europe. To me, Japanese arts are not exotic, but familiar and nostalgic, making me feel right at home even as a gaikokujin. You may appreciate the websites too—just be polite and courteous to their patrons, and respect their ground rules. And sometimes, attempting to communicate even in broken (yet comprehensible) Japanese can flatter more than standard English, because it shows you want to make a better effort to communicate.»
Dermot«From experience, I would say that kemono and furry are both forms of the less specific anthropomorphism, but the two genres have very different cultural ideals and communities. Both have a rich Internet presence with prominent artists who are well renowned within their fields, but most of the similarities end there. Furry is mostly derived from the funny animal used in Western drawings and animation for decades, and is manifested on the Internet largely in a fandom that emphasizes adult maturity, animal personality and a degree of sensuality. Kemono, on the other hand, is largely based on anthropomorphic traditions that have been part of Japanese culture since antiquity, and are presented on the Internet and in story with a much more human emotion and human personality than furry. For example, while it may be common in furry to see a picture of a feral wolfman in a forest, in kemono one would be more likely to see anthros dressed in street clothes, watching TV, relaxing at hotsprings, walking the city, etc. The differences are largely cultural and based on the ideals of the specific subculture involved. Kemono is found chiefly in Japan, but also can occasionally be encountered in places where Japanese cultural influence has been heavy, such as former possessions (e.g. Taiwan), Japanese diaspora communities (e.g. Hawai‘i), and among Western appreciators who imprint the influences onto their own designs. In turn, some kemono artists (particularly those with more foreign friends and contacts) have borrowed aspects of the furry genre, fusing both kemono and furry together into something new and different.»
Hammer«You, Scias, Rico and I are kemono people, right, bro?»
Dermot«That’s exactly right, Hammer. In Japanese, a kemono person is called a jūjin, but I prefer the more egalitarian term demi-human. I’m a fox, Scias is a dog, you’re a rat, and Rico is... ...Come to think of it, what race is Rico? He looks vaguely raccoon-like or panda-like, but I’ve never seen a raccoon or panda with green skin and saffron hair.»
Hammer«The Champ says he’s raccoon. He jokes that his colors are because his father is inbred.»
Dermot::laugh:: «I doubt that would be the reason.»