I am compelled to investigate.

Subject: I am compelled to investigate.
Author: Badger421
Posted on: 2016-04-23 08:55:00 UTC

Let's see if I can do this without breaking the HTML.

Huh. Neato. I wonder how my other usernames look...

This is way too much fun.

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A lurker arises from the deep! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 06:53:00 UTC Reply

...and promptly changes name and pronouns, because that's going to work well.

I am the artist formerly known as Techno-Dann! I used to hang around these parts, then I mostly hung out on the IRC, and then when that went to sleep, got thoroughly distracted by real-life stuff. As some people have noticed, I've been posting very intermittently - I've been lurking of late, and figured I should get back into the community at large.

Unfortunately, real life stuff hasn't included much writing - I've been doing a lot of amateur circus (which is very fun!), and spending a lot of time thinking about my gender identity - which is why I'm not posting as Techno-Dann any more.

I'm trans. This is something that's been building inside of me for a long time now, and a bit more than a year ago, several friends (both online and off) gave me a good hard shove into therapy where I started digging in to it.

As such, I'm leaving old names and pronouns behind. My pronouns are they/them or she/her - any option other than he/him, really. My name, both here and most other places on the interwebs, is Delta Juliette. (email is currently an exception, where I'm still at the same old address.)

My apologies for the confusion this is inevitably going to cause.

-Delta Juliette

In the interest of proving identity, here are some old posts from my blog talking about gender stuff and name changes:

Coming Back, Coming Out

Name change time!

And I will post again on said blog to certify the genuineness of this post and my comments in the dramafest below.

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Welcome back! by Badger421 on 2016-04-23 02:38:00 UTC Reply

A rather late welcome, but a welcome nonetheless!

Congratulations on the life stuff, and I look forward to seeing you around.

Since, as I recall, you are a fellow Washingtonian, (we really need a better name.) have this miniature Lady Washington. How miniature is it? Who knows. Knowing me it probably changes with the phases of the moon.
Hiya, returnbie! by TheShyIon on 2016-04-22 05:24:00 UTC Reply

Nice to see people around! ^_^
Hello returnbie. by Hardric on 2016-04-21 18:00:00 UTC Reply

Have pot of black-hole coffee and a self-updating guidebook of all the deathtraps in the multiverse. If you use it, do not listen to Phobos' advices about it.

Hope you're back for staying.
Welcome back! by Desdendelle on 2016-04-21 17:43:00 UTC Reply

Here, have a cup of Lapsang Souchong and a bag of muffins.
And an official welcome-back! by Neshomeh on 2016-04-21 17:25:00 UTC Reply

I don't know if this is weird to say—please forgive me if it is—but I always thought you looked pretty in Agent Dann's photo, with the flower and the roguish smile and all. It's a way-old photo now, of course, but still.

What I MEAN by that is that I support you and wish you all the best in this new phase of your life. {= )

~Neshomeh

Many thanks! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 06:08:00 UTC Reply

...there might be reasons that that photo is one of a very few of me online. *quiet blush*

And thanks for the support! I will have to get out to Chicagoland at some point.

Welcome back! by PoorCynic on 2016-04-21 16:37:00 UTC Reply

Glad to hear you'll be trying to take a more active role in the community.
Hey! by Caddy-Shack on 2016-04-21 16:11:00 UTC Reply

Welcome back! It's been ages, haha!

Good to hear you're doing well in life, and that you've come to terms with everything. I'm not very versed in that, so I'll try to keep it in mind and not offend.

I remember you mentioning the circus when we last spoke in the IRC... sometime around when the pyramids were going up, I think? :P

Any exciting stories from the big top?

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Good to hear from you! by Phobos on 2016-04-21 16:09:00 UTC Reply

I want to apologize in advance, though. I have a fair bit of mental inertia, and it takes time to fully switch names and pronouns in my head. I will probably screw up at some point, but I will be trying to get it right.

All that said, it is good to have you back. I have thought that you going lurker-mode (or, I feared, just being gone) was a big loss to the community. You're a great person and lovely to have around.

Anyway, I think I read that you are doing aerial circus stuff? That's pretty cool. Do you have a preferred apparatus? Is apparatus even the right term? Circusy stuff is a form of performance that I am not very familiar with, so I'm interested to know more.

-Phobos

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Good to see you too! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 17:12:00 UTC Reply

I still haven't managed to make it out your direction for more than a few hours' layover - I need to fix that.

I am indeed studying the aerial arts! My preferred apparatus is aerial hoop, which I have dubbed the Machine of Many Bruises. For an apparatus that rewards flexibility and graceful movement, it's very unforgiving. (As you would imagine, really, from a twenty-pound steel hula hoop.)

Re: Good to see you too! by Phobos on 2016-04-21 17:42:00 UTC Reply

Absolutely hit us up if you are going to be in the Chicago area. We'd love to see you, buy you some pizza, maybe hit a museum or a play or something. It would be a great time.

I can imagine that would leave bruises. I'm more used to working with a twenty-pound steel hula hoop in the context of welding it to something (I have welded so many things), and I know how big a pain they can be to work with/around. I have seen some pretty interesting routines with those though ( I watch a lot of America's Got Talent). Very cool.

-Phobos

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Welcome back, Juliette! Nice to meet you by Cat-on-the-Keyboard on 2016-04-21 16:07:00 UTC Reply

My gift to you is... Eh, I'm running low on creativity, so I'll just lend you my copy of "Excluded" by Julia Serano. It's special because it contains typos which can be used to decode a long-forgotten message... Telling of a world of which all knowledge has been suppressed. Read at your own risk... Also my copy of "Flatterland" by Ian Stewart. There's nothing special about that one; it's just a fun book.

Hi. I'm Key. Or Cat. Or whatever. I am a cis female who randomly happens to know a lot about transgender issues (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). I'm a newbie. I'm fairly young and have a lot of dumb ideas. I guess you know all that, since you've been lurking.

I like the logic behind your new username. It's elegant and charming.

--Key is excited to meet such a venerable old oldbie

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Greetings! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 16:27:00 UTC Reply

Much as I hate to say it... I strongly disliked Excluded, mostly because of the wonderful things she had to say about the non-binary community (where I stake my identity claim), and people who identify as pan and other inclusive sexualities beyond bi. I am not a fan of how she spent multiple chapters arguing against making or lives subject to political rhetoric, and then immediately accused pan and nb people of claiming their identities with political intent.

...good heavens, it is much too early in the morning for discourse.

Anyways! It is good to meet you, and I will appreciate the gifts in the intent that they were given.

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Yeah, that book has problems by Cat-on-the-Keyboard on 2016-04-22 05:41:00 UTC Reply

I assumed you were mostly in her camp, though, since on your Tumblr you described yourself as "transfeminine," which is her word, and one which has been criticized for being binary.

But anyway, this reminds me that I haven't actually read Excluded in a while. When I first found it, I was 13 and utterly star struck by the fact that anyone was actually discussing specifically bi/pan/etc. issues in any way at all. Also, it made me want to be a writer, for whatever reason. So there's actually a good chance that my primary attachment to this book is more sentimental than it is rational... I'm going to reread it. I haven't in...oh my, probably a year. Eek.

Here, pretend that I just gave you Flatterland. That one isn't problematic. Probably. It's a novel about geometry. There's probably lots of room for awful in there; I'm just not getting it yet. But there's a personification of Mandelbrot's set and a lot of puns, so...actually, that probably makes it inherently awful... I'm starting to realize that real books are a very bad returnbie gift. *shrugs*

--Key

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I am mostly in her camp... by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 06:05:00 UTC Reply

Especially around the idea of oppositional sexism that she wrote in Whipping Girl, and in general in the interests of being supportive of trans people of all stripes.

The community that I run in doesn't criticize "transfeminine" and "transmasculine", so it's probably a regional difference - and I do identify as feminine (some of the time), and I did start in an assigned-male body, so "transfeminine" is a reasonably apt term for me - I guess I don't really see it as being hugely binary? Femininity is a major axis at play in gender, and in my trans journey, so I'm comfortable with it.

But yeah. She's said things that I disagree with, and Excluded contained significantly more of them than Whipping Girl.

On the other hand, Flatterland looks incredible - anything that contains geometry and horrible puns is a solid win in my book.

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Welcome back! by eatpraylove on 2016-04-21 16:02:00 UTC Reply

An amateur circus sounds really cool! Has your group done any shows yet?

Also, thanks for sharing your new identity with us. I'll do what I can to support you. :)

Thanks! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 06:19:00 UTC Reply

Well, yes and no. The school - SANCA - is one of the biggest circus schools in the nation, we've got alums with Cirque du Soleil and various other big-name professional circusses. There are many staff and student shows throughout the year! (And if you're in the Seattle area, I definitely recommend catching one. Shameless plug is shameless, etc.)

However, I haven't performed yet (still working on moves, endurance, and turning a set of moves into a performance), and neither have most of my classmates - still working towards that point.

Welcome back Delta! by Mattman The Comet on 2016-04-21 15:08:00 UTC Reply

Here, have an Equinox, she's a tad like you.

(cough)You wouldn't have a Loki to spare, mate?(cough) (nm) by Matt Cipher on 2016-04-22 15:21:00 UTC Reply
Oooh, Equinox! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 06:17:00 UTC Reply

(I might have a small collection of Warframes already, but Equinox isn't among them yet!)

Another Warframe player? by Desdendelle on 2016-04-22 23:44:00 UTC Reply

If so, yay! *Bashii intensifies* Have a Soprana Banshee!

Indeed! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 23:47:00 UTC Reply

I'm still pretty much a newbie, only mastery rank 3, but it is an amusing game. If we can get servers and times to line up, we definitely should play!

Definitely! by Desdendelle on 2016-04-23 00:30:00 UTC Reply

Especially since the Soprana skin — and the Sonicor Cliona skin — have pretty much tempted me to end my Warframe break. I might actually bother to forma the Sonicor now, too. My IGN is Desdendelle; I'd be glad to help you with anything!

/me is grounded *weeps by Mattman The Comet on 2016-04-23 18:43:00 UTC Reply

But if you want to hit me up with a friend request, my IGN is MattmanTheComet

Hello, returnbie! by Ivy-M-Blue on 2016-04-21 12:28:00 UTC Reply

To help you on your journey, I present you with a towel and a pair of goggles! Also, there's no proper welcoming that doesn't contain chocolate, so here you are.

It is good to meet you, Deta Juliette!

-Vee
Welcome back to the PPC! by Scapegrace on 2016-04-21 11:31:00 UTC Reply

Please accept this finely-crafted NG+ starter Pokémon:-

Iiiiiit's Medicham!

And your starting item is:-

Wax Wings from Enter The Gungeon!

Wax Wings is an interesting and powerful item in the right hands. It's effect is pretty cool; it grants Flying STAB and all the resistances of the Flying type (with none of the weaknesses) and increases the holder's base Speed by 25%. On Medicham, it's basically there for the Speed boost, since Medicham's base speed is fairly average at 80, but it still give a resistance to Bug and an immunity to the common Ground attacking type, which is always nice since Medicham's defences mean it sometimes has trouble switching in. Try an Jolly one with EVs in Attack and Speed, and give it the moves High Jump Kick, Zen Headbutt, Thunder Punch, and Drain Punch for some additional healing. Most importantly, though: have fun. =]

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I think I followed... none of that? by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 06:16:00 UTC Reply

Much as I hate to admit it, I am firmly an old-school pokemaniac - I have played Red and Blue, and am three gyms into Soul Silver, and that's about it.

*huggles Medicham nonetheless *

They are adorable and should play nicely with Bulbasaur and Bayleef!

First of all, welcome! by Matt Cipher on 2016-04-21 10:45:00 UTC Reply

As per tradition, I offer a slice of Infinite Pizza

For the next thing, now you got me question my own self. And I don't intend for it to sound in any way negative! I mean... I do feel like a man, and I never really questioned my gender...though people occasionally tend to address me as "Ms". Instead of gender, it made me question my masculinity :/ Who the heck am I?

Ah yes, the pizza of infinity. by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-22 06:14:00 UTC Reply

Many thanks! ...I hope it still works while cold.

To be serious for a moment, the affirmation that I keep coming back to is that I am the realest version of me I can be, and that moving towards being more authentically myself is a move towards wholeness and completeness, regardless of what the outside world says.

Beyond that, you're a masculine person who presents however he feels like. I know masculine people who look incredible in mini-skirts, and masculine people who get read as women almost all the time - neither of those things change who they are.

(But also - society at large's belief that men must be emotionally stunted action-movie stars at all times is pretty harmful. I recommend ditching that part of "masculinity" and not looking back.)

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I'll glady talk with your about it, if you want. by Matt Cipher on 2016-04-22 15:20:00 UTC Reply

I feel like this will be interesting. And on a more light-hearted side, I would definitely be glad to discuss various pieces of PPC tech with ya! :D

If you ever need a talking buddy, mail me at mattcipher94 with a gmail tag.

Welcome back. by Huinesoron on 2016-04-21 09:40:00 UTC Reply

It'd be good to see you around a bit more, so I hope this 'sticks' (as it were).

hS

Thanks! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 15:03:00 UTC Reply

I do rather like this place, even when drama is happening, and I am thoroughly a fan of Plort. I'm definitely going to make an effort to make this stick.
And your HTML colour is... by Huinesoron on 2016-04-21 15:02:00 UTC Reply

Delta Juliette

DeltaJuliette

Delta

Juliette

... hot pink, red, purple, or turquoise.

Apparently.

hS

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Oooh, those are a pretty set of colors! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 15:05:00 UTC Reply

How did you compute them? I've missed this tradition, and they're either a very lucky draw or not randomly generated.

They're... by Huinesoron on 2016-04-21 15:30:00 UTC Reply

... the colours those words come out as when you shove them into a font tag.

So [font color="Delta Juliette"]like this[/font].

They are calculable - we had a long thread a year or two back delving into exactly how the HTML parsed them. Let me think...

What it's doing is splitting your name into three chunks:

DELTA _JULI ETTE0

Then it's reading the first two characters of each chunk as a hex value, rendering everything other than 0-9a-f as 0:

DE 00 E0

... and that's your RGB value. The tricky part comes when a) your name is too short, or b) your name is too long. Oh, or c) your name would come out as 00 00 00.

(From memory: three letters or less gets split into three and then padded from the front: AA becomes AA0 becomes 0A 0A 0A. On the flip side, if the three chunks are more than 8 characters each, it trims them down to 8 from the left before continuing to trim from the right. And it will always trim all three equally from the left until it finds a valid hex code in one of them. It's all very strange.)

hS, rambling a bit

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Re: They're... by Anonymous on 2016-04-26 03:02:00 UTC Reply

[font color="DCCCV"]Ooooh, nice.[/font].

Fixed that for you: by Huinesoron on 2016-04-26 10:03:00 UTC Reply

Ooooh, nice.

Quite a pretty yellow.

hS

I can't get mine to work. Halp? (nm) by Desdendelle on 2016-04-26 23:58:00 UTC Reply

Here. by Huinesoron on 2016-04-27 09:53:00 UTC Reply

Desdendelle

It's literally just [font color="Desdendelle"]this[/font] with the square brackets replaced by pointy ones.

Your colour is... hmm:

DESD ENDE LLE0
DE EN LL
DE E0 00

Looks about right. Yellow. Desdenellow (sorry).

hS

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Aha! by Desdendelle on 2016-04-27 14:49:00 UTC Reply

So my using "y'ellow" as a greeting is not a coincidence; truly, it is as Amaat wills it!

I am compelled to investigate. by Badger421 on 2016-04-23 08:55:00 UTC Reply

Let's see if I can do this without breaking the HTML.

Huh. Neato. I wonder how my other usernames look...

This is way too much fun.
That was two years ago? 0_0 by TheShyIon on 2016-04-22 05:26:00 UTC Reply

I remember that thread. It doesn't seem like that long.

...somehow, I still feel like a newbie. I have no idea how that works.
Oh! Oh! Lemme test that! by Matt Cipher on 2016-04-21 19:39:00 UTC Reply

Let's see what do we have here

Ooooh, ice-blue! :D

Seems foolish and useless... Must try it! by Hardric on 2016-04-21 20:55:00 UTC Reply

Please be red, please be red.

Teal blue. How do this thing determine the color?

RGB. by Huinesoron on 2016-04-22 09:14:00 UTC Reply

Your name is:

Hardric

hAr Dri C00

0A D0 C0

Which is very nearly pure turquoise. In decimal, it's 10 208 192.

hS

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The lurker rises. by Larfen J. Stocke, esq on 2016-04-21 07:11:00 UTC Reply

It's so great that you're back that I'm completely willing to ignore all the water you've just splashed on to the carpet.

Good on you with all the gender change stuff.
I know bugger all about that kind of thing, but it must be rough. Or, at least, confusing.
I don't know, I've never tried it.

I must ask, by circus do you mean... y'know, big red tent, acrobats, lions and stuff?

Circus! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 07:18:00 UTC Reply

Yes, I literally mean the circus arts of tents, acrobats, and the rest - lions aren't common any more, especially in the Cirque Nouveau movement, but I'm sure we could get some acrobats to wear sufficient amounts of makeup! I'm studying aerial arts at Seattle's School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts. I don't have any recent photos, but I've been assembling the requisite collection of burns and bruises from silks, rope, static trapeze, and aerial hoop.

Whaaaaaaat!* by Larfen J. Stocke, esq on 2016-04-21 07:24:00 UTC Reply

A writer, a circus-er, an engineer, the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.

What aren't you?!

*I actually, literally reacted this way in real life. No exaggeration.

Congratulations, Delta! by doctorlit on 2016-04-21 06:59:00 UTC Reply

Glad to hear we'll be hearing more from you again! Welcome back!

—doctorlit wonders if Agent Dann is now Agent Juliette, too?

Thanks! by Delta Juliette on 2016-04-21 07:05:00 UTC Reply

Re. Agent Dann: I don't think so? He's a copy-paste of me from a very long time ago, well before I was even beginning to think about gender things. For what little authority I have over a character I stopped writing a decade ago, he's probably still guy-identifying, with a fairly androgynous presentation.