[network] Night 378 | @Ecks | I am two and what is this | video [open]

[ecks]

[Many people here will recognize the inside of the sports shed on the campus of the elementary school. Newer people may not have seen Ecks's face before; she's a patchwork woman with a perpetually blank expression, and when she speaks (turning the tablet around as she does so, so that she's only visible for a moment at the start of the video) her voice is flat and inexpressive.

The new subject for viewing is a conical hat with the word 'DUNCE' written on it in big, red letters, which she has set on the floor of the building.]

What is this? What is a dunce? This hat is not comfortable or warm. What is its purpose?

Comments

@masterneloth; video;

[telvanni]

[ Oh. Well. Someone has certainly been creative with their necromancy, haven't they. Neloth has seen attempts at cobbling together a series of parts into a single entity before, but this seems... excessive. Unnecessary. Get yourself a bloody head that's whole, goodness. It's not like they're hard to find.

Things that are hard to find, on the other hand, are zombies that talk. Because that's clearly what this thing is. Interesting. Is it truly sentient, though? Or just repeating things it's heard others say?

It's still interesting either way, but. You know. ]

A dunce is a nitwit. A dunderhead. An idiot. The hat appears to be a makeshift replica of a Colovian helm, in which case its useage is solely to make the wearer look like a complete and utter fool.

video

[ecks]

[Funny story, actually, the one thing is related to the other. Not that Ecks is likely to spontaneously share information about her creation.

She keeps the video feed turned on, but it's still turned to face the cap.]

...Oh.

[That seems...strange. She does not like it!]

Why would the wearer want to look like a complete and utter fool?

[telvanni]

Oh, I expect the explanations vary. Some people crave attention, some people are forced to look like fools due to the will of others, and some are Nords.

[ HAHAHAHA BURN!! TAKE THAT, RACE OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T EVEN HERE AND WOULDN'T GET THE JOKE EVEN IF THEY WERE!!! ]

In this particular case, one would expect it to be the second option. The hat invites attention, and the label conveniently broadcasts the wearer's shame along with it.

@gravedigger; voice

[harlequinofhate]

Don't listen to what to the fashionably backward say.

"Dunce" means "Genius".

video

[ecks]

[The video feed keeps going, still pointed at the dunce cap.]

It is a hat for geniuses?

[She makes an effort to sound dubious. It makes the tone of her voice rise and fall in weird ways.]

@PetertheGreat, audio

[zunesareawesome]

Dunce is the title given to heroes by like, ancient Emperors and stuff. It means The Greatest. You should put it on! It's a great honor.

video

[ecks]

[Ecks turns the tablet around, her blank stare continuing.]

I have been provided with three significantly divergent definitions for this word.

[zunesareawesome]

Well, you can trust me.

[He says, with no reason why she should.]

@betterhalf; text

[darkincrement]

[ OKAY HES LAUGHING ]

It means idiot :)

[ Not that she'll believe him ]

video

[ecks]

[She just might!! It'll only be because his definition agrees with that provided by others, of course.

The camera remains pointing at the hat.]

You are a dunce.

@betterhalf; text

[darkincrement]

Your face is a dunce.

@totheark; text

[0thingsonmymind]

*He has no idea what that word means, but the had sure looks special. Pointy.*

may be itis for
head but ting
?

*If its solid it'd do some damage.*

[ecks]

Maybe.

[Ecks reaches into the frame again to pick the hat up. She holds it awkwardly in one hand and strikes it halfway up with the stump of her other wrist. It crumples under the blow.]

...It is very fragile for a helmet.

@Enoch, text

[warriorscribe]

[Forgive Enoch for responding with text. There's a lot going on and he'd rather not show his face.]

A "dunce" is a dullard, in fact. I'm not sure why someone would make something like this, other than as part of a mean-spirited prank, perhaps.

[ecks]

Masterneloth said that it is an insult in the form of clothing.

[No, he explained its likely purpose and she extrapolated from there. And yes, she says his name all as one word, the way it reads in his network handle.]

[fanboyascended]

-Never seen one of those outside of a cartoon.

[ Were they actually a real thing? Billy has no idea. ]

It's a hat to make you look stupid, I guess? As a punishment.

[ecks]

What is a cartoon? How is it a punishment if it is not painful?

@thebigc; video

[onlytwothings]

I wouldn't say a dunce hat is meant to be complimentary. That is, it's not usually a good thing.

[ In spite of some of the previously offered answers. ]

[ecks]

[Thank you, secondary dad, for adding another vote to this definition. The preponderance of people agreeing that it's an insult is good evidence that it's the real definition.]

Not usually? Is it sometimes a good thing?

@crane, video

[revenantking]

[Ecks' appearance surprises Roland, but he knows better than to say anything. He knows the answer to her question, so figures he may as well answer.]

It's a relic from a very long time ago when instructors thought public humilitation was good discipline.

I can't say I've ever seen a real one in my lifetime.

@Ecks | permavideo | cw reference to child abuse; violence

[ecks]

Is it not good discipline?

I think that being humiliated is not as bad as being cut.

@ASolomons; audio

[devoutish]

Public humiliation, yeah. Kids were threatened with dunce caps when I was in school; I'm surprised they've stuck around into the future.

@Ecks | permavideo

[ecks]

[Look, Alfie, she's on video!]

There was not a dunce cap where I learned. Did it work? Did the children do the things they were told to do?

@bucky; text

[advanced]

It's a word for an idiot, not used much any more. Even back in my day.

Kids would have to wear the hat if they were dumb in class.

[ecks]

[Hello, murderfriend.]

Is dumb in this instance related to being silent or to being mentally deficient? Others have said that it is the latter.