TBAY: An attempt at cuddles (Meta and MD included)

[Melody <Malady579@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 47881

Before I start, I just want to apologies for writing "critic" every
time when I meant "critique" in my last post.  Some days you know a
word looks wrong, but it passes spell-check, so it *must* be right.

::sigh::  Sorry about that.

So let's start....

-------

"Why? Why, oh why, did I take on the uncertainty of meta-thinking?  I
mean, the word does not even exist," Melody said while kicking a rock
out of her way with more venom than normal.

Eloise watched the rock skip across the ground and said, "Precisely.
MDDT has introduced a very technical-sounding word that simply does
not exist in the dictionary and is not normally used outside a very
limited (and different) field.  It is not helpful.  I do wonder what
newbies who stumble on these conversations think."

"They think precisely what I thought," Melody said scooping up another
rock and throwing it in the field.  "Great, these people are so smart
that they have created their own words.  What have I gotten myself into?"

Eloise glanced over at Melody.  "Do I hear a hint of regret, Melody?"

Melody stopped walking and turned her head back over at Eloise.
"Definitely *not*.  This is all too much fun to regret.  It is
just...eh...tedious at times.  That is all.  I mean, ya'll demand so
much from the MDDT.  And hey, I find that name funny.  My real life
initials are MDT.  Just an amusing fact."

"Thanks for that.  My life is enriched," Eloise said sarcastically but
with a smile.

"So, what were we talking about?" Melody asked picking up another rock
and continued walking.


---"Wait," the TBAY reader called from beyond the screen.  "What is
going on?  You haven't set the scene.  Why are there so many rocks?"

---Typer Melody paused.  "Who needs a setting?  The words are the
important part."

---"I am not reading anymore unless you place TBAY Eloise and TBAY you
in a setting," the TBAY reader threatened.  "My imagination *demands*
a setting."

---Typer Melody shifted her hands over the keyboard and muttered, "Oh
all right.  You want a setting?  Fine.  Here."


Walking down a path quite familiar to all in the bay, Eloise and
Melody were quite in conversation.


---"There the scene is set," Typer Melody quipped back.

---"How terribly boring," the TBAY reader remarked.

---"Give me time.  Patience," Typer Melody said.  "Can I return to the
walk?"

---"Will there be pirates, or big dangerous trees, or accosting
women?" the TBAY reader asked with much hope.

---Typer Melody pierced her eyes through the computer screen to the
TBAY reader's eyes and growled.  "No.  Not this time.  Now will you
please let me continue my story.  I promise it will be about more than
just a walk."

---"It better be," the TBAY reader threatened again.  "Ok.  Continue."

---"Thank you," Typer Melody said while tipping her head. "Now, where
was I?  Oh, yes..."


"Meta-thinking," Eloise stated.  "We were talking about the MDDT using
the word 'meta-thinking' as a red flag.  Now I just learned what a
yellow flag is, and it can be accepted in my point of view, but I
think it is unfair that you three *do* use it as a red flag.  And we
do see it as mutable, because we never know what the definition of
meta-thinking is going to be. Except that it is bound to include
whatever problem we have just articulated."

"Fair enough," Melody said.  "It can be rather frustrating.  Frankly,
I am not completely sure why we don't accept the arguments other than
the fact they can be rather broad and assuming.  Seems meta-thinking
is based on much assumption, but that isn't bad really.

I am sorry if we do seem to mutate the definition of 'meta-thinking'
for our own purpose.  I think we *try* not to, and please know we do
not mean to over use the flag.  Maybe the definition should be
whatever is not considered canon.  But then JKR interviews are in that
grey area.  Why is it that this site *can't* hammer down this
definition?  Is it that every time we do, we over at MD headquarters
add a new patch to it?"

"Yes," Eloise said nodding.  "That is the impression you seem to have
on all of the listees."

"I'm sorry," Melody said gravely.  "Should we change the name of it as
some have suggested?  But that brings on the Shakespeare quotes.  Just
because the name of something changes, does not mean it no longer exists."

A little light came on in Melody's head and she just had to share her
idea.  "Hey.  Maybe we should have a nonpartisan decision maker to
give the *official* HPfGU definition to meta-thinking.  And once this
person has the definition, they are then the keeper of the definition
and one must appeal to them for additions and patches to the said
definition.  How does that sound?  Then MDDT must consult the
'official' definition before using it."

"But who would take on such an important position?" Eloise asked deep
in thought kicking the dirt onthe road.

"Someone we all respect and can explain the word to all levels of
listees.  And this definition should be also included in that 'big
humongous file' set out to newbies.  Then all is on the same page."
Melody said quite proud of herself.  "Could such an event happen?"

Eloise smirked.  "Anything can happen here."

"Ok then," Melody breathed and peered out into the field.

Eloise picked up a rock herself this time and asked, "Did you hear
what Suzanne said?"

"No," Melody said still scanning the field.

"She thought that MAGIC DISHWASHER needs its own list," Eloise said.

Melody frowned.  "You mean banish us?  As if we were off topic or a
theory-that-must-not-be-named?  I mean, I am sorry if MD gets dragged
into the sandbox so much on the site's playground, but we do not mean
to be so bad that we are no longer wanted.  I mean we do label the
post that are MD related with a big 'MD', so why not just avoid those
if you don't like reading them."

"I thought that is what you would say," Eloise commented.

"You know Pippin said something today I think might help with this
dissention against MD," Melody said looking back at Eloise.  "She said
that...

>The MDDT has decided to throw a curtain over theme and structure and
>told us not to pay attention to the little man behind it.  <g> Which
>decision I respect.  They've simply served notice that *they're* not
>willing to discuss or defend MD on those grounds.  That doesn't, or
>shouldn't, mean that the theory isn't open to criticism on a thematic
>or structural level.  But we'll be talking to ourselves. <g>

That is precisely what Pip, Grey, and I feel.  By just looking at the
canon for the theory support, we *are* ignoring 'the little man behind
the curtain.'  And we do want to ignore those that try to point us to
this fact.  You know Pippin is quite smart," Melody smiled, "and she
also hit the nail with the last comment.  The problem is not in
*y'all's* arguments in meta-thinking.  They are actually quite well
done.  MDDT just does not want to discuss or defend MD on those
grounds.  And when we don't, y'all want to know why.  Then we say 'it
is meta-thinking,' and you say 'what the hell is that?  Why should
that matter?' and then we explain and then both sides hit that ball
back and forth and it all leads us here," ended Melody a bit dizzy and
out of breath.

"So can I pose a problem with MDDT and the theory?" Eloise asked
wanting to move on past all this.

"Oh, course you can Eloise.  I will do my best to answer," Melody said
like a good MDDT member.  "But can we sit down a second?"

The two women stopped and stepped off the road to made themselves
comfortable in the field.  Eloise leaned up against an oak tree, but
Melody decided to not risk it and sat indian-style in the field barely
under the shade of the tree so she can have a quick escape.

"Ok then," Eloise smirked at having to raise her voice a bit to reach
Melody.  "I have problems with the (no doubt unintentional)
implication that the MDers' view is more canonical than my point of view."

"Ooo, that wasn't our intention *at all* Eloise.  You are correct on
that bit.  We never meant to give the impression we were "superior" to
others.  We are *not*.  We never mean to attack the listee when we
used that argument.  I mean we don't attack the person just their
critique. <g>

We are just saying that we use just canon in *this* theory.  Whether
or not others do so with their theories, is up to them.  But when one
uses 'just canon', their theory does tend to be more canonical by
default.  We never meant to say this is the only way to travel.
Frankly your point of view must be very canonical if you are still
able to swim with the big boys on this site," smiled Melody picking at
the grass.

"Well then my next problem lies in the fact 'red flags' are being
waved in my face which change every other day causing me to not being
able to hold a discussion where we all do not use words and terms to
mean the same thing," Eloise explained.

Melody looked down at her hands and said, "Well, isn't that why we are
having all these conversations?  To try and bring this definition to a
head.  That is what I am trying to do, because I *hate* the idea that
the MDDT is thought of as not playing fair.  I *know* that is not
true.  We are not so *bent* on being right that we are changing the
rules, as y'all seem to be implying.

You know that is what I have a problem with.  Y'all seem to believe we
at the MDDT will stop at *nothing* to twist the world to fit our view
of it.  And we would even go as far as committing "the unforgivable
deed" of changing the rules in the middle of the game.  Honestly, do
you think our lives so revolve around this theory being true, that we
would even do such a horrible deed?  *That* is what I feel is being
implied.  I mean what is so wrong about us saying that certain
arguments do not contradict MD?  It is as much our opinion as it is
yours to pose it in the first place."

After a bit of a pause, Eloise asked, "So what is meta-thinking then?"

Melody looked up and out at the field.  A small fluff of white caught
her eye, and she stood up to get a better look.  Seeing the fluff jump
up, Melody's eyes widened.

"What do you see?" Eloise asked peering out in the direction Melody was.

"Just a minute..." Melody said watching the fluffy bounce closer and
closer to her.  Melody twitched her mouth wondering if she should fear
this too, being that the bay are can be rather deceptive, but by the
time the thought crossed her mind, the fluffy jumped through the tall
grass and up into her arms.

"It's a bunny," Eloise exclaimed.

"Yeah," Melody smiled cuddling the furball as it licked her face.
"Ah, its ear is torn.  Poor little bunny has gone through the wringer."

"Can I hold it?" Eloise asked.

"Sure.  Here," Melody said while trying to gingerly place the bunny in
Eloise's arms.  The bunny shifted a bit but moved over to Eloise's
arms and twitched it's nose at her.  Eloise pet the bunny and offered
her hand for it to lick her, but...

"Owwww!" cried Eloise and released her arms letting the bunny fall.
"That thing bit me!"

The bunny hit the ground flat on its back, flipped over, and jumped
back in Melody's arms.  Melody, still astonished at what happened,
just stood there and blustered, "Eloise, I'm so sorry.  Bad bunny.  I
bet it thought you had sugar on your hands or something.  Bad, bad bunny."

Eloise sucked on her bleeding finger.  "Good thing I had my rabies
shot," Eloise commented.  "What sort of bunny bites?"

Melody held out the bunny, thus making it kick quite a bit, and peered
at the thing.  "You know this bunny is like meta-thinking.  It is kind
and friendly to me, but somehow when it jumps over to you, it gets
scared and bits.  All I can do is apologies for it.  I never intended
it to bit you.  Maybe this little bunny can help us figure out what
our problems with meta-thinking is in the first place?"

"How so?" asked Eloise still nursing her wound.

"Oh, you will see," Melody said with a sly smile.

Eloise raised her head at the girl and sighed, "Well that is all well
and good, but I need to get home and get this bandaged."

"Ok," Melody said still cradling the bunny, "Think I'll take her home
and show Pip and Grey.  Goodbye Eloise.  Till next time."

"Bye Melody," Eloise called as she returned to the road.  "Nice
chatting with you."

Melody rose up with bunny and went down the road to the safe house.
The bunny was cuddled on its back deep in her arms with its big feet
flapping along to the rhythm on Melody's steps.  Running up to the
back door to the breakfast nook, Melody saw Pip and Sneaky the house
elf in the main living room addressing Christmas cards for all the
citizens of the bay.

"Pip!  Pip!  Looky, looky.  Can I keep it?" Melody called practically
bouncing into the house and into the living room.

Pip and Sneaky looked at each other wondering what Melody dragged in
this time.  Pip turned to see the girl grass-stained and clutching a
big fluffy of fur.  "You know how Grey is with little animals," Pip
said with a furrowed brow.

"But she is so cute.  And she was in the field, covered in mud, and
her ear is torn, and she was all alone," Melody urged pulling the
bunny close to her heart.

"Covered in mud?" Sneaky squeaked with a raised eyebrow [do house elfs
have eye brows?] seeing the pristine white bunny.

Melody frowned at the house elf.  "Ok, I exaggerated *that* part, but
the rest is true.  Can we keep it Pip?" Melody asked turning her eyes
pleading to Pip.  "Here hold her."

Pip outstretched her arms eager to hold the fluff, but Melody paused
in mid-exchange.  "Wait, she bit Eloise."

"Why?" Pip asked surprised.

"Don't know," Melody said plainly.  "We were discussing meta-thinking
and the bunny came up and licked me and then bit her.  I then compared
it to the problems others have with our use of meta-thinking."

"How can a bunny be like meta-thinking because it bits?" Pip asked
crossing back her arms.

Melody thought a moment at what she meant before.  "Well, this bunny
looks gentle and kind.  It even hopped up into my arms.  But when I
let it hop over to Eloise's arms, it bit her.  So the parallel is that
meta-thinking is completely harmless.  It defines well in my arms, but
when I try to pass it over to another's, it seems they are bit and
thus confused.

And also, using meta-thinking is like pulling a white rabbit out of a
hat.  There is more involved behind the scenes than is shown.  Wait,
that works on two levels there for us.  Anyway...I am curious if this
biting is just with me, or is a Safe House anomaly."

"Hmmm," Pip thought.  "Let's see if she bits me," Pip said bravely
extending her arms.

Melody released her grip on the bunny.  The bunny shuffled herself and
jumped over to Pip's arms and started to lick her cheek.

"Seems to like you Mistress Pip," Sneaky smiled.

Pip cooed at the bunny.  "Yes, she does.  Doesn't she?  So then, your
meta-thinking bunny and I must understand each other, and how do you
know it is a 'she' anyway, Mel?"

"Um...I don't.  So I can keep her?" Melody said with much hope.

"Sure," Pip confirmed cradling the bunny.  "But you do know Grey Wolf
is not too fond of bunnies."

"True," Melody said with much weight.  "Is he here?"

Pip thought for a minute.  "Yes, he's in his room.  Been rather quiet
lately, in fact.  Sneaky can you go and fetch him."

"Yes, Mistress," Sneaky said already on her way.

Melody looked at Pip nervous.  A bunny alone Grey would be rather
fierce, but a bunny that is like meta-thinking, Melody shuddered.  The
heavy steps of Grey Wolf was echoing down the west wing stairs of the
Safe House.  Pip opened her arms and let the bunny hop out.  The bunny
hopped behind the couch just as Grey entered the main floor.

Grey came over to the two women.  "You asked for me, ladies?"

Pip and Melody looked at each other and smiled.  Grey found their
silence odd but caught a flash of fur as it entered his peripheral
vision.  The bunny hopped out from behind the couch, crept close to
the wolf, and twitched its nose at him.

Grey just sat there a minute and stared at the creature as if he was
not sure it was real.

For a second, Melody actually thought the two were somewhat getting
along when the bunny stretched out its neck and bit Grey Wolf hard on
the pinky toe of his paw.  In a flash, the wolf was on all fours
tearing after the bunny, who was no slouch when being pursued.  The
rabbit sped back behind the couch and Grey right after it as they tore
around the room.

Pip and Mel wasted no time.  Pip fell on the bunny as she ran by the
chair to try and shield the bunny from Grey.  Melody took a brave leap
and jumped on the wolf's back to wrench him onto the floor away from
the bunny.  Grey fell to the floor and Melody let go soon enough to
land next to him instead of under him.  All parties were left panting
on the floor.

"Can someone please tell me *why* I cannot catch that bunny?" Grey
asked from the flat of his back.

"I've never seen a rabbit move like that," Pip said sitting up with
the bunny in her arms.  "It was like she was on fire.  No one could of
caught her.  Hey Mel, this bunny is like meta-thinking."

"Good thing too," Melody gasped still trying to catch her breath.

Grey sat up, looked at the bunny, and looked at Melody.  "You brought
it here, didn't you?"

"She jumped into my arms.  I could not resist," Melody said with
urging eyes.  Melody got up, walked over to Pip, and held her arms out
for the bunny.  The rabbit hopped out of Pip's arms into Melody's.
"See Grey.  Harmless adorable bunny rabbit.  Now bunny, go tell Grey
you are sorry."

Melody stepped a few steps back over to where Grey was and sat down
next to him with the rabbit in her lap.  The bunny jumped out of her
lap and scooted over to Grey, but this time when she came over to him,
she raised and licked Grey's chin.

"See Grey.  It likes you," Pip smiled.

Grey cuddled up the bunny and attempted to pet the small thing.  "Can
we keep her?" he asked.

"I think we are going to have to now," Pip commented raising herself
into the chair.

"What shall we name her?" Melody asked bouncing with glee on the floor.

The three of them were silent a moment.

Melody smirked.  "Well, we have a small white fluffy bunny.  Who bits
rather fiercely, and races about so that not even a wolf can catch
her.  Hmmm...  Maybe 'meta-thinking' *would* be a good name for her."

Pip and Grey both looked at Melody with exasperated.  "We cannot have
a bunny named *that*," Pip said.

"Why not?" Melody asked.

"Because, then the name will most certainly be shortened to 'Meta' and
a 19th century Swedish lady-of-the-evening was named 'Meta'," Pip
explained.

"Isn't that from a movie?" Melody asked.

"Yeah, Newsies," Pip nodded.

"I doubt many of the listees will get that reference since it is not a
well-known movie," Melody stated.

"Well, *we* do, and that bunny is not going to be called 'Meta'," Pip
said with finality.  "There is always Fang and Fluffy.  Both very
popular with the masses.  And HP related."

"I have a suggestion," Grey piped up still cuddling the bunny.  "There
is a internet comic strip [1] that has a bunny quite like this one.
Its name is Coney.  I think that would fit her quite nicely."

Pip and Mel looked at each other.  "Coney the bunny," they said together.

"Seem quite in order, and a bit odd, so why not," Melody said.

"Well then, if that is settled," Grey said as he deposited Coney into
Melody's arms, "I am off."

Melody and Pip looked at the wolf dumb struck.  "Why this time Wolf?"
Pip asked.

"Well partly because I need to cold tundra again to regain my wolfness
and rest my head, but also because this bunny makes me thirst for the
hunt again.  I mean, I pounced on that thing without remorse.  Can't
do that every morning just because I long for the cold hunting
grounds.  No, I must be off North." Grey said while bustling himself
to be ready to leave.

"But I just got use to you being around again Grey," Melody pouted
following him to the door.

"Ah, Mel.  I will be back," Grey smiled gently.  "I *need* the cold
North right now.  Please, understand.  It is the best."

"And we cannot reach you there, can we?" asked Melody looking teary eyed.

"No, Mel.  But at least you have Coney in my absence.  See one mammal
for another really," Grey rationalized wiping her tear with his furry
paw.

Pip walked up behind the girl and put her arm around her.  "Another
thing you will get use to Mel.  Grey *must* come and go, but he always
comes back even if some might wish he doesn't."

Melody looked up at the wolf.  "Ok.  Go.  Enjoy your cold."

Grey bowed to the two women, and clicked the door open.  With a flurry
of fur, he was off to the north.

"Do be careful Grey," Melody called, "and no killing Coney's parents."



Melody
Who-
(a)would like everyone to know that no animals were hurt in the making
of this TBAY.  Well, Grey was, but he is healing in his tundra.

(b)apologies profusely if she lost *everyone* there with the
bunny/meta-thinking parallel.  It actually runs deeper than on the
surface.

But now, the safe house has a meta-thinking member.
The White Rabbit.  <grin>  Now if only it could talk.  <bigger grin>


[1]Coney the baby rabbit is © 1995-2002 Bill Holbrook. Used with
permission.
You can read about Coney's family at http://www.kevinandkell.com/.