Discussion of Gulliver's letters

[NeverSlender]

I'm not entirely sure how much information we can take from them, but his is for discussing Gulliver's letters.

This includes discussion of the actual content of the letters and people who are currently transcribing a letter can post so that only one person is working on one letter at a time, to prevent someone nearly finishing a letter and then finfing it's already been posted.

Great work on the letters guys, that handwriting is a nightmare.

[Dryunya]

I wouldn't say "nightmare", I encountered surprisingly few problems.
I'd say the letters are largely useless - it is more of an extended John's story, as he keeps his tweets brief. There are, however, some details that may pose interest:

1. He got into our world after having blacked out with a sharp pain in his head (but he didn't say he hit something - the ship did). John, similarly, got into a shipwreck.
2. Gulliver estimated the location of his arrival as "roughly thirty-three degrees south and one-hundred degrees East." I know he said "rougly", but if I googled it right (33S, 100E), that's in the ocean. If we stick to the closest shore, that's the western coast of Australia.
3. John is very witty and adaptable.
4. They were introduced to the world and some of the tech by a guy named Michael, who owned a pirate-themed restaurant - he also offered them a job there. (How convenient)
5. It wasn't stated where John got himself a phone (but they did have the money, so maybe he didn't steal it for the hell of it ). He was much better than Gulliver at using it. They both failed to decipher the internet writings, though.
6. John has decided to travel to Japan right out of the blue. I suspect he did do something not exactly legal.
7. They are now at Yedo (Edo). UPD: Oh wait. That's actually Tokyo.

John has recently made a remark about a tall building. This may be of some use.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

I say we learned quite a bit from his letters. They're largely more detailed than Silver's tweets. We've learned how the two of them met, on the same shore in Australia, after wrecking at just about the same time on their respective journeys. Neither know how they got there, but Silver appears less concerned about getting back than Gulliver. Silver also appears more bold about exploring the new world than Gulliver. It's implied that Silver's been stealing things rather than buying them, which would explain why Silver couldn't just get food from vending machines in Japan. We've learned that they managed to get a job simply by being their strange selves. We learned that they've stowed away on the ship heading towards Japan. Silver mentioned asking about a fare in his own tweet on the matter, which we can now assume was just a euphemism. It would also appear that Gulliver has no idea that he had traveled through time and space. He assumes he's still in his own world, and believes that the Japan he is currently in was the same Japan he had visited not too long ago. We have no idea what Silver believes, but he appears not to be too concerned about it.

Silver and Gulliver really are an odd couple. It's amazing how well they've managed to get along.

[Dryunya]

It's implied that Silver's been stealing things rather than buying them

Is it? I suppose that they do have some money after the job, and I don't think Silver is an idiot to get into trouble so quickly. He has proven to be anything but one, and I don't remember him being a kleptomaniac in the book. He may have stolen the phone, though - as I said, its origin is unknown. But I keep saying that tracing a stolen phone is trivial if certain precautions are not taken, and John couldn't possibly know that.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

It's implied that Silver's been stealing things rather than buying them

Is it? I suppose that they do have some money after the job, and I don't think Silver is an idiot to get into trouble so quickly. He has proven to be anything but one, and I don't remember him being a kleptomaniac in the book. He may have stolen the phone, though - as I said, its origin is unknown. But I keep saying that tracing a stolen phone is trivial if certain precautions are not taken, and John couldn't possibly know that.

Silver did get both he and Gulliver some food in Australia before they even got their job, and he did seem to be in a hurry to get away from that area shortly afterwards. Definitely implied that he is willing to steal. Plus, I doubt he'd had enough money to buy a phone when he did. I don't know how much their job pays, but I don't think they were working long enough to even have received their first paycheck.

In any case, he is a pirate in his book, and pirates steal. It's in the definition.

[Dryunya]

Ok, that probably makes sense, but I still don't think Silver would steal stuff just because he can. First it was a matter of survival, and then it was a matter of getting that shiny thingy that shows cat pictures.

he did seem to be in a hurry to get away from that area shortly afterwards

I'm nitpicking again, but they spent at least a week working at the restaurant. Silver certainly had enough time to do something illegal, but I don't think it was petty theft. As I said, he's got to know better.

And one more thing: Pirates don't steal, they rob.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

he did seem to be in a hurry to get away from that area shortly afterwards

I'm nitpicking again, but they spent at least a week working at the restaurant. Silver certainly had enough time to do something illegal, but I don't think it was petty theft. As I said, he's got to know better.

Be careful what you nitpick. I meant that right after he gave Gulliver the 'roll', he started running away from that particular spot (The store where he had stolen the food), not from the town. It would be silly to have to skip town for stealing food from a cart or store.

But he is a pirate, and if he sees something laying around unprotected, I don't think he would hesitate to swipe it. I'm not saying he's robbing banks or anything. Just taking what he needs when he sees the opportunity. I honestly believe that the "rolls" he had given Gulliver was a hot dog he took from a cart when the owner was busy dealing with other customers. The phone could've been left on a park bench accidentally, or had "fallen" out of someone's pocket. Who knows?

[Dryunya]

Be careful what you nitpick. I meant that right after he gave Gulliver the 'roll', he started running away from that particular spot (The store where he had stolen the food), not from the town.

Ok, sorry, I misunderstood.

The phone could've been left on a park bench accidentally, or had "fallen" out of someone's pocket. Who knows?

"I stand by my ridiculous claim." He may have received it from a benefactor, too. We still don't know how Quixote got his one. I know we are to Hand Wave some details (I've already understood that their phones' batteries are made of magic ), but the phones being traceable is pretty much common knowledge, I don't think it can be ignored. Unless the "4th wall bleeding into our world" theory is correct, and the Hand Waving has become an actual reality mechanic. In which case I should probably jump out of the window and see if I'll finally manage to pull off a Three-Point Landing.

[NeverSlender]

One thing in the letters that bothered me was when they washed up in Japan and LJS punched Gulliver. Gull put it down to muscle spasms but what if it was LJS's violent side manifesting itself? He could be in danger if something sets him off.

[Scarab]

One thing in the letters that bothered me was when they washed up in Japan and LJS punched Gulliver. Gull put it down to muscle spasms but what if it was LJS's violent side manifesting itself? He could be in danger if something sets him off.

Well there's not much we can do about it from here, I guess. Just keep an eye on things and hope stuff doesn't go nasty. heck they seem to be sticking together so far and have apparantly developed a degree of camraderie...

[NeverSlender]

One thing in the letters that bothered me was when they washed up in Japan and LJS punched Gulliver. Gull put it down to muscle spasms but what if it was LJS's violent side manifesting itself? He could be in danger if something sets him off.

Well there's not much we can do about it from here, I guess. Just keep an eye on things and hope stuff doesn't go nasty. heck they seem to be sticking together so far and have apparantly developed a degree of camraderie...

Maybe it's wrong not to trust him, but this seems similar to the relationship Silver had with Jim in Treasure Island.

[Sicon112]

Maybe it's wrong not to trust him, but this seems similar to the relationship Silver had with Jim in Treasure Island.

Yea, I'm getting that feeling too. I don't think there is anything to worry about for now.

[NeverSlender]

Maybe it's wrong not to trust him, but this seems similar to the relationship Silver had with Jim in Treasure Island.

Yea, I'm getting that feeling too. I don't think there is anything to worry about for now.

I would start to become much more worried if some form of treasure becomes available.

[Sicon112]

I would start to become much more worried if some form of treasure becomes available.

Well, it probably WILL, so let's just wait and get ready to worry then.

[Scarab]

I would start to become much more worried if some form of treasure becomes available.

Well, it probably WILL, so let's just wait and get ready to worry then.

Well we did consider the possibility that we might have to mock-treasure-map the guys to a certain location if nessecary at some point in the future

[Victin]

I have a question: how many islands have Gulliver visited?

[IslaKariese]

I have a question: how many islands have Gulliver visited?

I believe Lilliput's one, but I never heard the other stories.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

I have a question: how many islands have Gulliver visited?

I don't know, but I own a copy of the book. I'll try to read it sometime soon and get back to you on that.

[Victin]

I have a question: how many islands have Gulliver visited?

I believe Lilliput's one, but I never heard the other stories.

Me either, but I read the TVTropes page a while ago, before everything started. He passed by 4 islands, Lilliput, land of small people, Brobdignac (or something like that), land of giants, another land of immortals or something like that and at last, by a land of intelligent horses and beast-like people, and after that he went crazy. That's all I remember.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

So, it has occurred to me that we haven't attempted to make contact with Gulliver yet. Not a single comment on his blog. Should we remedy this?

My main concern is what we should say to him? He obviously doesn't know he's a fictional character yet, and actually doesn't even know that he's no longer in the world he's used to. He just thinks he's visiting strange islands with different rules just like in his stories. Should we tell him that he's traveled through time and into another dimension? Should we tell him that Silver's a pirate and not the morally upright person he thinks he is? I just don't know.

[Scarab]

So, it has occurred to me that we haven't attempted to make contact with Gulliver yet. Not a single comment on his blog. Should we remedy this?

My main concern is what we should say to him? He obviously doesn't know he's a fictional character yet, and actually doesn't even know that he's no longer in the world he's used to. He just thinks he's visiting strange islands with different rules just like in his stories. Should we tell him that he's traveled through time and into another dimension? Should we tell him that Silver's a pirate and not the morally upright person he thinks he is? I just don't know.

We could just show interest in him: mention the fact that it's nice to see handwritten letters in such a digital world, and ask him all about his adventuers and where he's been. I'm sure he'd happily tell us his stories and we could strike up a dialogue.

[Adell]

So, it has occurred to me that we haven't attempted to make contact with Gulliver yet. Not a single comment on his blog. Should we remedy this?

My main concern is what we should say to him? He obviously doesn't know he's a fictional character yet, and actually doesn't even know that he's no longer in the world he's used to. He just thinks he's visiting strange islands with different rules just like in his stories. Should we tell him that he's traveled through time and into another dimension? Should we tell him that Silver's a pirate and not the morally upright person he thinks he is? I just don't know.

We could just show interest in him: mention the fact that it's nice to see handwritten letters in such a digital world, and ask him all about his adventures and where he's been. I'm sure he'd happily tell us his stories and we could strike up a dialogue.

I'd rather write a comment about how hard they are to read, in an attempt for him to start typing responses for us instead.

[NeverSlender]

So, it has occurred to me that we haven't attempted to make contact with Gulliver yet. Not a single comment on his blog. Should we remedy this?

My main concern is what we should say to him? He obviously doesn't know he's a fictional character yet, and actually doesn't even know that he's no longer in the world he's used to. He just thinks he's visiting strange islands with different rules just like in his stories. Should we tell him that he's traveled through time and into another dimension? Should we tell him that Silver's a pirate and not the morally upright person he thinks he is? I just don't know.

We could just show interest in him: mention the fact that it's nice to see handwritten letters in such a digital world, and ask him all about his adventures and where he's been. I'm sure he'd happily tell us his stories and we could strike up a dialogue.

I'd rather write a comment about how hard they are to read, in an attempt for him to start typing responses for us instead.

It's not that he wants to write, Silver won't let him use the phone.

[Scarab]

It's not that he wants to write, Silver won't let him use the phone.

Well that doesn't seem fair.

Agreed though they are a little tricky to read.

[WackyMeetsPractical]

It's not that he wants to write, Silver won't let him use the phone.

Well that doesn't seem fair.

Agreed though they are a little tricky to read.

To be fair, Gulliver has not been able to get the hang of the phone as quickly as Silver. He may prefer to stay with the handwritten notes. But don't worry, there will always be somebody here willing to translate the notes. I myself have gotten used to his handwriting.

I've decided to send him a little introductory tweet, just to let him know we're here. Basically, I'm just showing interest in his travels, and have even tried implanting the idea of coming to the US. It's probably going to happen eventually anyway, so why not?