NPF, I Call On You To Help Me Settle An Argument!

[Lumenskir]

If you were to run into someone who was human, but came from an alternate universe, you would be justified in calling that person an extraterrestrial alien, correct?

I mean, they might come from a (let's say identical, except for being in a different universe) 'Earth', but it sure aint your Earth.

[Flarecobra]

Extraterrestral, yes.

Alien, no.

It's like if you met a human that was born on another planet, moon, or in space. You're still the same species, but just from different places.

[akaSM]

Well, people call foreigners aliens too so, I think both are correct. Then again, I think using the word "alien" like that is a derogatory term so, it would be correct but not exactly polite.

[Bells]

Wikipedia to the rescue!

"Extraterrestrial life (from the Latin words: extra ("beyond", or "not of") and? terrestris ("of or belonging to Earth")) is defined as life that does not originate from Earth. Also referred to as alien life, or simply aliens, these hypothetical forms of life range from simple bacteria-like organisms to beings far more advanced than humans."

So, Even if it's Human in form and composition, if it does not Originate from our Eart, it's to be considered an Alien Being.

[POS Industries]

Wikipedia to the rescue!

"Extraterrestrial life (from the Latin words: extra ("beyond", or "not of") and? terrestris ("of or belonging to Earth")) is defined as life that does not originate from Earth. Also referred to as alien life, or simply aliens, these hypothetical forms of life range from simple bacteria-like organisms to beings far more advanced than humans."

So, Even if it's Human in form and composition, if it does not Originate from our Eart, it's to be considered an Alien Being.
I would argue, however, that the defining characteristic of being extraterrestrial would be merely not being from Earth. What universe this Earth belongs to is of no consequence. Therefore, any being born on Earth, regardless of what universe that particular Earth is in, cannot be an extraterrestrial by the very definition of the word.

I would submit that the person in question is, in fact, an alien, as he or she is still foreign to this particular universe, but not technically extraterrestrial in nature.

EDIT: Also goddammit Lumen why is this in media? To general with thee!

[Archbio]

Alterterrestrial? Transterrestrial?

Edit: I've got it!

Paraterrestrial.

Para- being derived from the ancient greek for "beside."

[POS Industries]

Alterterrestrial? Transterrestrial?
Paraterrestrial might be the most apt descriptor.

[Archbio]

Groddammit.

[POS Industries]

You were just one minute too slow!

[Archbio]

I think it only confirms that paraterrestrial is the best possible word for it.

[POS Industries]

Oh totally. We're really on to something here.

[Amake]

Ultraterrestrial! Okay, that's more if they come from a specifically higher dimension. I endorse paraterrestrial.

[greed]

Heteroterrestrial. Different Earth.

[Premmy]

Yes, call it that, convince the Republicans it's "Hetero Earth" everyone wins

[Magus]

Just call them extradimensional and have done with it. If they're from another dimension they're either evil or way too good, so also kill them.

[synkr0nized]

Yeah, I'd go with extra-dimensional alien and not worry about whether or not different Earths count or don't count when considering "extraterrestrial".

Otherwise, I would likely be fine calling that person, assuming I knew for sure said person was from another dimension, an extraterrestrial alien.

[Lumenskir]

Also goddammit Lumen why is this in media? To general with thee!
Well, it sort of started when my friends and I were trying to come up with another alien to sub in for Alien v. Predator, and I thought I'd be clever by submitting a fictional human and claiming it was an alien from an alternate universe, but it just started this whole thing. I figured since it had its roots in pop culture Media made sense or something?

Anyways, I won that argument, but now we're on to something more pressing: Everyone is in unanimous agreement that direwolf puppies are much better to receive as pets than dragon babies, correct?

[Krylo]

...Dragons can fly and breath fire. Direwolves are just big wolves. How could they ever be better than dragons?

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Well, it sort of started when my friends and I were trying to come up with another alien to sub in for Alien v. Predator, and I thought I'd be clever by submitting a fictional human and claiming it was an alien from an alternate universe, but it just started this whole thing. I figured since it had its roots in pop culture Media made sense or something?

Anyways, I won that argument, but now we're on to something more pressing: Everyone is in unanimous agreement that direwolf puppies are much better to receive as pets than dragon babies, correct?

Dragons are better. Period.

They can fly, breath fire/lasers, are mystic in nature, and make awesome guards.

/Argument

[Lumenskir]

Debate is over what you'd like as a better pet, not which is the better siege weapon.

Evidence A:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GM0Gj3-7pVQ/TawncaAwviI/AAAAAAAABiE/0j6VpvJEtHQ/s1600/The+best+part+of+last+night%2526%25238217%253Bs+Ga me+of+Thrones2.jpg

[Krylo]

But... why would I not want a siege weapon as a pet?

I already have normal dogs. They are good pets. Better pets than a direwolf would be by far, considering wolf temperments and direwolves being that x10.

So your choice is between dangerous fuck you pet that has no other uses besides eventually mauling your face off, and dangerous fuck you pet that, depending on mythology, might be intelligent enough to not maul your face off AND is a siege weapon.

How is direwolf even comparable? Even if the dragon can be expected to eventually murder me, at least I got to ride around a fucking dragon in the interim.

[Loyal]

On the other hand, dragons are expensive to maintain. You need a lot more food to feed a dragon, and they'll be demanding a treasure hoard at some point. Not to mention massive lodgings.

On top of that, there's not much point in having a siege weapon as a pet unless you've got someplace you'd like to siege, at which point you might as well take your treasure hoard and hire an army.

[Krylo]

On the other hand, dragons are expensive to maintain. You need a lot more food to feed a dragon, and they'll be demanding a treasure hoard at some point. Not to mention massive lodgings.You have a dragon.

None of this would be difficult to get.

[akaSM]

You have a dragon.

None of this would be difficult to get.

Exactly

"where will I get all those things from?"

From the same place you got the dragon.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Debate is over what you'd like as a better pet, not which is the better siege weapon.

My Rebuttal (http://jwohland.deviantart.com/art/Baby-Dragon-Tabasco-160802554)

[Krylo]

And really the siege weapon thing is just added icing.

Pet dragons are totally rideable, and if you would take a large angry wolf over the chance to soar through the skies on the back of a giant fire breathing lizard, you, sir, are insane.

[Nique]

How did the alternate earth come to be? Is it like an ever present thing like in Sliders where there's always a bajillion different universes, or is it more like the current Dr. McNinja arc where every alteration to the past results in an alternate timeline (see also: Back to the Future Part II)?

If it's the former, I'd say extraterrestrial. If the latter, they'd be human or terrestrial since we all came from the same place.

[Lumenskir]

But... why would I not want a siege weapon as a pet?
Because the only people that have need of siege weapons are generals during medieval war and sociopathic kleptomaniacs who need to pillage. I am neither.
So your choice is between dangerous fuck you pet that has no other uses besides eventually mauling your face off, and dangerous fuck you pet that, depending on mythology, might be intelligent enough to not maul your face off AND is a siege weapon.
In Game of Thrones mythology, direwolves will protect you from danger, even if they aren't even in the same room when the danger starts, and then immediately cuddle up to you and sleep.

And really, there are way more mythologies where dragons are either feral beasts intent on burninating everything in sight or super-smart and above humans, rather than actually domesticated. Neither would make good pets (although if you have control of the super-smart ones I guess that counts as slavery of a sentient being?).
Pet dragons are totally rideable, and if you would take a large angry wolf over the chance to soar through the skies on the back of a giant fire breathing lizard, you, sir, are insane.
Do you have fire coursing through your veins? Or maybe scales to keep the cold out (I assume that scales do this?)? Because otherwise, it gets cold up there when you fly, so enjoy adding a permanent North Face jacket expenditure to your budget.
My Rebuttal
EVIDENCE 2 (aka "The Argument Winner"):
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs40/f/2009/052/7/e/7e42a52bb76bd3a0fa070624de0e6191.jpg
How did the alternate earth come to be? Is it like an ever present thing like in Sliders where there's always a bajillion different universes, or is it more like the current Dr. McNinja arc where every alteration to the past results in an alternate timeline (see also: Back to the Future Part II)?
Why you gotta make it all nerdy?

[Krylo]

Your 'evidence' is pointless, because they are no cuter than the puppies of real dogs I can go to the pound and get.

If I'm going to get a mythological pet why should I get one whose primary selling feature is no different than a non-mythological pet I can get at any time I want?

[Julford Hajime]

ADOWABLE PUPPIES
Why do those puppies have cutie marks?

[Magus]

Those direwolves only make better pets because they happen to be the pets of skinchangers, people who can actually "jump" inside the direwolf and control it. Basically they become like familiars.

If one could control a dragon the same way they would be better pets. It is only because Dany hasn't figured out yet how to control them that her pet dragons do...well you can guess what dragons do when people don't control them.

In the case of not being able to control them telephathically, a direwolf would have a better chance of being controllable or at least less dangerous on the scale of dangerous fantasy beasts.

So I would say that all things considered they are better "pets", but not cooler than dragons.

[Lumenskir]

So I would say that all things considered they are better "pets", but not cooler than dragons.
But my point is that having a dragon as a pet is basically only 'cool' if you have no morality (hence you would have no scruples when it came to burning things/people down) and a healthy supply of winter gear (if you wanted to 'comfortably' ride it).

[Krylo]

In the case of not being able to control them telephathically, a direwolf would have a better chance of being controllable or at least less dangerous on the scale of dangerous fantasy beasts.
Depends on the mythology really.

Direwolves are always (telepathic control aside) giant wolves who want to murder everyone. Dragons are often either well mannered or intelligent, or both.

Having an intelligent pet dragon would be more like having a child that happens to be in dragon form, so long as you took care of it in an ethical non-assholey way. Which would be a lot of responsibility, but pretty cool in its own right, I guess.

Having a well mannered/tameable pet dragon means you get to ride around on a scaley monster through the air (and for the record, it's only going to get much worse than needing a winter coat if you decide to fly really high, as opposed to just skimming sky scraper heights).

Having a dumb/feral/untameable dragon means you die.

Having a direwolf without psychic powers means you die.

At the point where you are treating a dangerous creature like this as a pet I'd argue it doesn't matter which is MORE dangerous. Either one is going to kill you in seconds if it gets the drop on you, and as you are treating them like a pet, they WILL get the drop on you.

And in the feral case, either way they are untameable. You can't really train or tame real world wolves, and real world wolves are a lot friendlier than dire wolves. So there's no 'dire wolves would be easier to tame' because they're both at basically impossible to tame.

But my point is that having a dragon as a pet is basically only 'cool' if you have no morality (hence you would have no scruples when it came to burning things/people down) and a healthy supply of winter gear (if you wanted to 'comfortably' ride it).

Non-psychopathic use of a dragon pet: Riding it. Showing it off because hey that's a thing that is pretty awesome. Other stuff depending on mythology (philosophical debates? playing video games? watching it get a degree from a respected university?)

Non-psychopathic use of a dire wolf: Nothing that you can't get out of a golden retriever.

[akaSM]

Does http://i425.photobucket.com/albums/pp337/midnight_abigal/Twilight/New%20Moon/New_Moon_-_Wolfpack_and_Jacob_poste.jpg mean dragons won?

Maybe not but, can wolves win now?

[Kyanbu The Legend]

In the eyes of millions of teenage school girls. Wolves still win.

In the eyes of everything else. Dragon's just won by a galaxy wide lead.

[rpgdemon]

Dragon's the obvious answer.

[Magus]

What if they are demon wolves with bat wings?

[Kyanbu The Legend]

What if they are demon wolves with bat wings?

Dragons still win with sear size and raw power. Not to mention tough skin and razor sharp claws.

[rpgdemon]

Not to mention, you're making an attempt to strengthen Dire Wolves as choosable over Dragons by just lifting things from Dragons and giving them to them.