Sep 2010 Archive, part b

I don't think there's any one answer to these, but since it's a FicPsych question, here's my take:

FicPsych would certainly try to rehabilitate an agent who's that far gone, and they do have a very secret, very removed from the beaten path inpatient facility. They would certainly keep a close watch on anyone likely to be dangerous. However, given limited personnel, that number would have to be very small, restricted to only those most desperately in need of their particular brand of care. They are very good at what they do, though, and since they have loads of experience with agents who've lost it, I'd say their chances of rehabilitating most people are pretty good. And if you think it would make an entertaining story, I'd love to see you write it. {= )

As for the second question, again, whatever seems like it would be the most entertaining is probably fine. I don't think there's any precedent for that sort of scenario, and even if there were, it would depend on the circumstances in the fic. That said, simply banishing anything that was summoned ought to do the trick.

~Neshomeh

1. Yes, they'd stay in Medical or FicPsych, depending on their particular needs. Most of the time, agents who go nuts tend to be psychotic rather than just garden-variety traumatized or depressed, probably because the badfic has been re-writing their brains. While it has some things in common with schizophrenia or some kinds of bipolar mania, this condition is not the same thing as either one of those real-world diagnoses. World One doesn't have the facilities to treat badfic-related disorders; the only such facilities are located at HQ (and possibly some other metafictional continua). To have any chance of recovering, insane agents would have to stay at HQ.
   
   2. Depends. The first possibility is that Bloody Mary or the Slender Man would simply be an OC with that name, and dealt with like any other OC. The second possibility is that they would be dealing with the real Bloody Mary. There seem to be characters who have an existence beyond a single continuum of the multiverse. Only a very few are known. Among them are Lady Contrivance and Lord Implausibility, Sekhmet and Imhotep from Egyptian mythology (encountered by Suicide and Ithalond in the HPverse), and all omnipotent beings. These have all been known to pop in and out of the continua at will, entering badfic without portal technology. Notably, Sekhmet and Imhotep are both (non-omnipotent) deities who are part of World One mythology. Bloody Mary would be similar--as an urban legend, she is part of modern mythology. So in this case the agents would be dealing with the real Bloody Mary. Not being omnipotent (if she were, badfic would force character replacement rather than OOC), she'd be forced to go along with it until someone did a few exorcisms or cast a few Avada Kedavras... at which point, watch out.

1) I think they'd almost certainly be kept in FicPsych until they can be treated and restored to health or, the rules of time and aging permitting, they die. Maybe they'd be sent to a mental health care ward in the Real World, if possible (non-Humans certainly wouldn't go unnoticed), but I'd think they'd be kept in FicPsych because, presumably, with all the advanced technology, magic, and plotholes available, there's a much better chance of treating them there than elsewhere. I certainly don't think they'd be left to wander HQ; even PPC agents aren't so callous as to ignore a (potentially - scratch that - definitely dangerous) loony who's wandering around. IF they're found (and don't get lost in the plotholes of HQ corridors), that is.
However, I don't know if this question has ever been raised before, so don't take my word as final. Let's see what others say.

2) I'm not sure. Not being a specific character, there would be no way to measure a folk character for OOCness - and actually, in a Potterverse fic, something like that is more likely to be allowed than not, given the nature of their magic. Artifican urban legends, however, might be something you can treat more like a standard continuum. Still, what isn't written down in prose isn't a Word World, so chances are you'd have a mess on your hands regardless. Personally, I'd just avoid taking on badfics with those kinds of random elements.

1) I would say any of those. Depends on your liking - like so many things ;-) Seeing as the Flowers are not much concerned with the well-being of the agents they wouldn't take any particular action as long as you stay away from flamethrowers and such ;-)

2) You could just exorcise it away I guess (in the Bloody Mary case) or it would disappear as soon as the continuum fixes itself. I don't see any reason, why artificial urban legends would be any different.
There is one more idea - take them to the Supernatural continuum and let the Winchester brothers take care of them ;-)

Have a sonic screwdriver and a bag of jelly babies, please use responsibly!

Have a box of assorted chocolates.

Welcome to the PPC Posting Board! Here, have some chocolate, and enjoy your stay!

Or to have my blessings, or- whatever that means.

Have some Skör bars. I would give you a little plastique for your agents but my stash is running out fast. Remind me later, and I'll get something awesome to make up for it.

And, if you were wondering, everyone gets tall ships and plovers, and plovers are a cute kind of bird.

Was your name taken from Shakespeare? I love Midsummer Night's dream. The version with Christian Bale and the mudfight was hilarious. Who knew Puck could still be Puck half-bald?
Anyways, you'll soon notice that a good deal of important stuff, once dealt with, will dissolve into a lot of nattering on. Which just happens to be what I'm doing.

Have a pineapple. Even if you don't plan on venturing into badfic any time soon, it's still good for self-defense. And sustenance. Almost forgot about that. Enjoy your stay!

Have a panda that eats, shoots and leaves! I'm sure he will fit in quite nicely with you. :D

Have a pet cat. You may name her whatever you wish.

Have a gun. Always useful, with those Sues.

Have a Peregrine Falcon. Don't feed it any Sue or CAF meat. Ordinary fish would do.

Fair winds!

Now you can throw a BBQ party.

Glad to see I'm no longer the newest of the new :)

Here, have a weapon of your choice and some sushi. One for killing Sues, the other one for personal enjoyment, although their purposes probably shouldn't be mixed up.

This will teach me to check the board for newbie posts when there's someone I don't recognize in the channel.

Hallo, Prospero, nice to meet you, here's a leash-and-harness set that's flame-retardant and approximately brain-sized. :D Hope I didn't scare you.

Here, have an organic, gluten-free, low-glycemic Mocha Cupcake! They're delicious! and don't taste like they're any of the above. Well, except for the Mocha Cupcake thing... *hands you one*

Also, please, take a Pidgin. They work as an emergency Universal Translator (Though they do tend to translate everything to Fanbrat, so use with care), and can be bribed to carry messages (Again, only in Fanbrat, so only use when absolutely necessary...).

Well met, rookie! Please enjoy this bucket of distractingly shiny objects as a welcoming gift.

Welcome to the Board. I hereby grant you the standard Newbie Welcome basket and your very own Frying Pan of DOOM^tm. Use it wisely.

Have an assortment of pointy things including, but not limited to, shortswords, anime hair, caltrops and pencils.

You may have any phaser or disruptor you can balance on your nose.

*does Vulcan salute, then hands you a bag of pebbles and a Random Shiny Object* Glad to have you here, o nitpicky one. :D

Welcome, new friend! have a magical storm in a a bottle. You can shake it up all you like; just don't open it!

Welcome to the Board! Please deposit ypur sanity in the provided receptacle. *indicates bucket marked "Warg Fodder"* Also, here's an apple.

Hello! Have a seventeen foot long, multicolored, wool, knit scarf (curly wig not included), and a bag of jelly babies.

Watch the turtle. Hail the turtle. Worship the turtle. Beware the turtle.

Also, beware of completely pointless and random things that happen around here fairly constantly.

Here for your benefit are what we have generally come to refer to as The PPC Links; a collection of articles and other useful URLs that we politely ask every newbie to read, as they really do contain Useful Information. In relative order of sensible-reading-ness, they are:

* The Original PPC Series, which we assume you've already read.
* The List of Killed Badfic, which will direct you to a large number of non-Original PPC Missions.

The Board:
* The Board Constitution
* The FAQ: For the Board

The Wiki:
* We have our very own PPC Wiki
* The very-important-to-read-before-requesting-Permission Permission article
* Our Guide To The PPC
* The Mission Writing Guide
* The Slash-Sporking Guide
* The FAQ: For Newbies.
When you are ready to edit the wiki, make sure to read Neshomeh's excellent editing tutorial.

And finally, but very usefully,
* The List of Everything PPC


Nice to meet you!

Greetings, newbie! Welcome to the PPC community! Just be careful around here, because you may never know what may lurk around here (no offence to anybody). Anyway, just get yourself acquainted around here, so we may get to know you better, and who knows? If your interest in writing PPC missions has fully bloomed until then, then you may or may not need to spend more time here before it's time for permission!

Anyway, we hope that you enjoy your visit here!

You may be blinded if you're not careful, so don't point it at yourself or any living thing. This sucker can blast a hole through solid rock!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5985801/1/bDiscovery_b>

And as for linking, I'll tell you exactly what Miah told me.

Replace the [] with in the following:

[a href="your url here"] your text here [/a]

Like this:

[a href="http://miah-arthur.livejournal.com/"] Shameless plugging of my PPC stuff [/a]

... but Card Captor Sakura is not my thing. So if you want typo help and that sort of thing, see my beta contact info, but if not... sorry. Also check the beta pool in the wiki and send out a few messages to the most fitting ones.

Since Narrativium is the substance of story, anyone in a story is already exposed to it. If they're the main character, like a PPC agent, there's naturally more of it about them than (for instance) a bit character. This is why the Laws of Narrative already affect agents as they do.

As for good stories vs. bad, I would say that good stories have high concentrations of Narrativium, whereas bad stories have only diffuse amounts. In other words, they don't hold together well.

~Neshomeh

but I just want to say that this is definitely something I'd like to see! The writing sample is really funny, and your duo cracks me up. A little-girl/zombie team-up. Think of the comic possibilities! XD

Now that your agents are good to go, just get prepared for what your agents may find (whenever harmless, deadly, or just annoying little things that's usually encountered in badfics) during their missions in killing those same badfics, okay?

I already knew you could write, and I like your agents. {= ) This is the first time I've seen anyone make practical use of New Caledonia since it started existing. Kudos.

So, if Jenka is not a zombie anymore, but still a stitched-together dead thing, that makes him a flesh golem, right?

Only one thing: you don't have to capitalize every PPC-related term. Console, agent, and response center are all just fine in lowercase unless they're part of a title at the time. (Flowers just get capitalized to distinguish them from the non-sentient kind.) {= )

Go forth and write!

~Neshomeh

P.S. On an entirely unrelated note, were you planning to get back to our thread at St. Dymphna's? Or, as an alternative, what about making up for lost time and hashing out some plot via chat or e-mail when you get a chance? I feel like that thread was dragging anyway, but there is much potential for shenanigans and whatnot otherwise, and I'd hate to let it slide completely.

They seem like a fun pair and I look forward to their first mission.

That overconfidence thing you said in the mission is something I have said for a long time. I saw a study once (sorry no link), that talked about those programs and pointed out that often times the kids that scored the highest on the tests were the biggest troublemakers, rule breakers, and lowest achievers. They often failed at everything, but were totally happy about themselves while they were doing it.

Self-confidence of the healthy kind does not come from being told you're doing great when your not. I've always believed it comes from knowing that you are competent. People look at me funny over this sometimes, but my kids (age 9 & 10) know how to run all the major appliances in the house, how to take care of their own things, how to cook several basic meals, and how to take care of several other types of things. They know they can do these things. They do not feel helpless to meet their own needs, and they don't get to feel that sense of entitlement that I am their maid. If they decide they want to learn something like cooking or sewing or whittling, then I will help them with it, teach them how, give them room to make their mistakes, and then give them pointers on how to continue to improve.

They might not score the absolute highest on the self-confidence tests, but they have a more realistic confidence.

I completely agree about the self-confidence thing. I myself have gotten bad scores on tests before due to overconfidence and optimism. Kids are taught nowadays "do your best," which is laudable, but it needs to be followed by, "make your best better."

About the confidence programs, that is. That statistic is probably related to the rampant sense of entitlement among us, too. Do you have a link to anything about that? Was there a study of some sort?

As for the story... yeah, wow. How wrong can you get? O.o Nicely done! I like that Frankie was let be at the end, and the justification for it was funny. {= )

~Neshomeh

Although I might mess up your name(s) every now and then.

Neshomeh and myself got together with Tungsten Monk and her brother, who we named Isotope. This is the report of that gathering. Link

Looking over these again, I think I'll claim the Wicked fic. The Jesus Christ Superstar one has been added to the Unclaimed Badfic page.

... but I'm not a slash fan, so I'm probably not the best choice to PPC a slash mission. I'd charge for things I shouldn't. Damn.

And yeah, it's sad, isn't it, how little fanfic there is for some fandoms? There are some books and TV shows for which I almost wish there were rabid fangirls and Sues for, just because that would mean a corresponding increase in the percentage that is goodfic. *sigh*

I'm sorry, but I find that your agents are woefully lacking in endearing qualities. And in personality. Marks strikes me as nothing but a highly unstable individual, liable to go flamethrower-crazy at any moment, and Travis seems, well, a non-entity. I simply couldn't find any depth in there.

Oh, and on a side note, your writing sample contains several punctuation and capitalization errors.

I meant the "extensive" part. Nine days is not extensive.

Again, the issue is good taste and your agents not being in it. Actual psychological problems are not funny--especially if you intend to use them as an excuse for bad behavior, which is incredibly not okay. I recognize the desire to do something different, but you have to find a way that doesn't fly in the face of our sensibilities.

I suggest that you go read the wiki article on insanity very carefully, then re-read the Guide to the PPC, the Original Series, and a few more series, paying special attention to the application of the word "insanity" and how various aspects of the organization, such as FicPsych and the armory, are treated.

~Neshomeh

What kind of Kingdom Hearts AU Badfic did you decide to do a mission on, anyway?

Email here: keyoflit@yahoo.com

(Or just link the Google Doc.)

Robots invading a city...now that's something that you don't see everyday.
(I've only read the implies on this thread to understand this RP. Because of this, that's really all I know of this RP)

Excuse the newbie, but, what is this Invasion you speak of?

There may very well be a...

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!

Is Cacoethes Caedendi. Which, unfortunately, never got past a couple of pages. It is listed on the Complete List of PPC Fiction, for future reference. (And don't ask what it means, because I have no idea.)

I would love to see someone take this idea and run further with it. I think illustrating the crazy manifestations of bad writing would be awesome. ^_^ I wouldn't try to PPC stand-alone art pieces, though, at least not regularly. It's hard to imagine a situation in which those could rack up enough charges to be killable.

~Neshomeh

One was already mentioned below, a comic with pictures of legos rather than drawings, by huinesoron. It can be found here

And there was the start of a manga. Which I'm not sure got beyond the first two or three pages. Don't remember who did that.

I do recall seeing the beginnings of a mission in actual comic form, drawings and everything, but it was never finished to the best of my knowledge and I have no idea who it was. ^^; So it's less than helpful, but at least you know it happened, yeah? I'll keep an eye out for it and let you know if I spot it again. I'm pretty sure it was on LJ.

I think it was done once a few years ago. Done with legos, actually....

I don't think there's anything specifically banning it. My only concern with the whole fanart thing is that there's really not much to go by in a single piece of fanart. I think it might have to be with a whole collection thereof, if it were? Like if some has an OC that they insist on putting into their art over and over again. The thing springing to mind here is the Uncanon little sister to the main character of my favorite books, that this one girl insists on putting into her art.

But yeah. I don't think there's anything stopping you from giving it a try?

That is a really nice DIC mission. It was very neat and tidy! Will Sedri be in DIC for a while now? That seems to be a very under served Department, in general, so it will be nice to be seeing missions in it.

...meh, I know you won't disappoint.

Susan/Legolas, the nerve!

I like this. Your agents are both just edgy enough around each other to make it interesting. And I adored that last line. Damn consoles...

And this fic. Jeeze. Honestly, what is it with Suethors and their belief that sex leads to love, instead of the other way around? I'm glad you killed it, I really am.

I like this pair. It seems to me that most of their problems stem from a failure in communication, which is always a good way to inject some tension into a relationship.

Keep it up and I look forward to their next mission.

-Phobos

Welcome to the ranks of the Untanglers! You lucked out--my boys have never had a mission go that smoothly. ^_~ I guess it helps that there was a minimum of the completely nonsensical, and that both agents knew what they were doing. Still, that definitely needed to be sorted out. There are some things that you just can't get away with in Tolkienverse, or Narnia, for that matter. The blasphemy against Eru really clinched it for me. {= P

I look forward to more of this partnership. It's kind of like two notes that are a little too close together to harmonize, creating tension. I enjoyed it.

~Neshomeh

It was a nice change in pace from all the Sue slaughter (not like Sue-slaughter's a bad thing, mind you).

Looks like Sedri (The character) might get use to tidy missions like this one.

But when I did a co-write with Trojie, she opened our mission with a Nursery narrative and it included a nameless agent who was chaperoning trainee Marsha. You can see that here, if you like.

Trojie and Pads had a lot of interaction with the Nursery anyway, given that they have at least three kids there. Trojie'd be the one to ask.

I've rarely featured the Nursery in my pieces, and where I have I've not gone into much detail. I've always assumed that there are a lot of Nursery staff, given the number of Agents who are having children, adopting rescued children they find on missions, or leaving there as a result of MPregs or similar. I've also just taken it as granted that the staff there (other than those already named) can be created and named by anybody who needs to feature one for whatever reason.

Basically, if you want a Nursery staff member, you're free to make one yourself, even if just for a single cameo. Hope that helps.

... by 2018 Elanor Wentway is working there, but I don't think she started until at least '13. That story does firmly place the Nursery into the Operations Department, which means it's under the Nightshade. In the Alternate Universe Shades of Black and Red (about halfway through that chapter) the Nursery takes small children on picnics Outside - but like I say, AU as heck.

So: not a lot of useful information. Nursery claims that children move up in class based on understanding, not age (and it's worth noting that Elisabeth is only about five at the time under discussion, so clearly there's more than just that level and nearly-Agent), but that's still eight years in the future.

hS

...then I took charge for a while and right now, I haven't the faintest clue who's in charge of it 100%. XD Quite possibly it's still me, unless someone else stole control of the Nursery while I was lurking about.

Agent Shinra used to work in the Nursery, but according to her own canon, she transfers into Intelligence. I don't think there is any particular character in charge of the smaller kids currently. Were it pre-transfer it would have been her. She's well equipped to handle the younger kids, especially the ones under 5.

As is, I suggest either using one of the agents in the list that could possibly take care of the kid, or making up a caretaker yourself.

Sorry I couldn't have been more help.

~Keily

(I have very good strange ears)

1/ Like July said, both and other stuff.

2/ Completely non-PPC-related. I can't even remember mentioning it. As Steve's bio implies, they were part of World War IV in an unpublished 'verse. Essentially a multi-national assault team which turned into a multi-national army which turned into the world government. They also had psychics. :P

hS

1) Both and other stuff.
2) That is a Huinesoron question, you'll need to see if he peeks and answers.
3) That isn't a question.

That was beautifully written, like the ones before it. ^_^ Gave me quite a turn when Unger was under the influence, but that's OK. :) Great job!

Miah, this mission was just amazing! I was actually, legitimately scared at the end, when Unger was getting possessed, and Kelok couldn't figure out what the Sue wraith was! It was just such an intense scene...I don't know, it was just really different and cool and imaginitive!
/end fanboy rant

Why is Holmes so frequently portrayed in such a weak and submissive manner? He really shouldn't be that much smaller and lighter than Watson. I just don't get it...

Out of curiosity, why did you have "erg" manifest as a little elephant?

Sorry, the fic was so ... er, you know- I stopped reading. But I hear the death was terrific. So congrats.

Abuse = love. How about that. Seems all my long-cherished notions about tenderness and caring were hopelessly wrong. Thank you for enlightening me, FAN-OF-FIC-GIRL64. I'll be sure to send you a cursed piece of ancient Innsmouth jewelry pretty, glittery trinket to express my gratitude.

Okay, now that that's off my chest...

Do you have any idea, Miah, just how funny your missions are? I particularly admire your literal interpretations. I mean, seriously, 'random furniture manifestation'? 'Intensions'? You're killing me over here.

The ending sequence, with the Author-wr... I mean, Author-phantom slug, however, was just plain disturbing. How sick can you get, imagining that there's one of those living pieces of snot in a man's leg? That's gross, pure and simple. (I love the way your mind works.)

That whole slug thing reminds me of Robert Heinlein's SF-novel, 'The Puppet Masters', in which sluglike creatures from outer space attached themselves to people's backs and mind-controlled them. Hmmm... Now I want to read the complete version of the novel, and I only have the abridged edition. Darn.

I liked the slug idea, might use it myself if the right fic shows up.

I need to catch up on your missions. This was very creative, I thought, and a pleasant read.

The small snippets of the fic I saw were a bit terrifying. I think you dealt with it quite well.

And I shall go archive binge when I have free time and need less sleep. :)

Good mission (Man, what's with the shippers, anyway? I have a feeling that Sherlock and Watson won't have sex or do similar lovey-dovey crap to each other anytime soon, if ever. I mean, can't they do their fic without derailing the two like this?). I've wondered though...what had inspired you with the sue-creature in the body?

Nice. I still don't know the fandom, but even I can see how ridiculous that was. I like your phantom-in-the-leg; it was yuckuy, I'll admit, but creative.

(Also, YAY for the use of a Capillary Towel! :D)

...hilarious.
What was that I didn't even.
I'm going to have to go watch some memetic remix videos now.

Is it weird that the main thing that bothers me about chapter 3 is the fact that he silences Hedwig? It just makes the owl rape even worse. D:

And the de-testicling was kind of funny, if absurd. Ron willingly makes himself a eunuch so he can bugger a bird?

OH MY GOD HE KILLED HERMIONE! YOU BASTARD!

...exploding owl what

(I was laughing for like five minutes because of that. Good thing my roommate isn't here, she'd ask why and I would never be able to tell her.)

I can't decide if this is serious or just a troll. Poe's Law at work again, I suppose.

I thought I had immunized myself to this sort of thing. I have not.

Going to go cry for humanity now, kbye.

When are people going to learn that bestiality is disgusting and creepy? First that Hagrid/Hedwig badfic...and now this! Eew...

I am beginning to think that Jay's annoying habit of 'selective deafness'* and questions are really a brain defense mechanism. (Ie see question above and don't think about Hedwig- too late).



*Or Acacia's, my memory is fuzzy on that.

that isn't by the same author who wrote that Hagrid/Hedwig...thing I reported on a couple of weeks ago.

*cringe*

...now I think about it, it may not count as badfic, just...squicky parody.
I don't know. I honestly don't know.
Any ideas?

A) Well done.
B) More snark, please?
C) I might take you up on that offer.

A simple, straightforward mission to introduce Orion to the concept.

I assume Lee can't detect Ian while he's in HQ because he's not disturbing canon there? And that's why they're not just teleporting straight there?

Was it pure luck that you found a Sue named Amelia. or did you search for one? Either way that was pretty cool.

Again, nice mission.

You sure you wanna let this specimen near the internet though? ‘ts a dangerous place.

But remember to continue training him. Keep him equipped with an Official Sue-Warding-Off Jumper/Playpen/Pacifier at all times.

(okay I admit I just made that up but that would be AWESOME)

Congratulations!

Oh frabjous day, this indeed bodes well. I certainly hope the PPC lasts long enough for the little dude to helm the second generation of agents!

He's got the beginnings of a devilish grin :-)

congratulations on your magnificent lineage!

As adorable as they come, and with parents like that, the baby is sure to be something equally fearsome.

Cute! Cute! Cute! I want to cuddle him!

kjABdKSHVDAJSGVdJGASF--SO ADORABLE!

Conrgats, guys! Your baby is just so cute!

It's a baby! What's your name, you adorable little baby boy? *tickles*

He's so cute!

I'm so tempted to say 'Kawaii' just now!

What a cutie! And yes, he does look promising.

The future is safe. Whew...

He's beautiful, guys; really, really lovely. Congratulations.

Now, as for these laboratory tests... don't let the Nursery find out, mmkay? Methinks it could turn nasty. ;)

Seriously, congratulations, and thanks very much for sharing with us! :D


(And yes, for those who haven't seen Wicked, that was a deliberate misspelling in the subject line.)

Does he look like his daddywaddykins? Yes he does! Only I expected funny eyes. Or teensy-weensy little hoofikins. Or a widdle tail...

Wait... wrong fandom... my bad.

He's adorable! What a head of hair. I hope he's letting you sleep a bit at night, and that he is a healthy happy little guy (he certainly looks healthy and happy).

Okay, okay, I could go on for pages with the whole host of standard baby questions, but I'll restrain myself, and settle for a hearty congratulations.

Awwww... congradulations! (hands out chocolate cigars)

Congratulations with the baby, you two! Hope that he grows up to be a fine agent. If he does, I hope you two plan to teach him the basics of the PPC, then.

I predict the coming years will be filled with more stress, and more joy, than you can imagine.

Good luck with your agent-to-be.

I am happy that you're still sharing some of your time with us, and now your entirely-too-adorable baby, too! I just couldn't say anything before, 'cause you guys hadn't yet and it wasn't for me to say. But now you have, and it's all very happy and hug-worthy. ^_^

This method you have discovered, may I inquire, may it be attempted by others? Phobos (formerly known as Barid) and I are not yet in a favorable economic position, but someday we will be, and we would be much interested in testing your method to see if the results recur. For science and the future of the PPC, you know. *nodnod* Of course, if you're thinking of a patent, perhaps we could enter into some sort of negotiations.

I suppose there's always "just winging it," but that isn't very scientific. >.>

~Neshomeh

Must remain rational... must not devolve into baby-talk...
Awww, who's a good little agent, then? Who's a fantastic little guy?

*demented squee* He's utterly cute. Congrats again and good luck! *brain melts at sheer adorability*

He's cute :)

He's so adorable. *grin*

The first pic seems to show a spark of insanity. He'll be perfect!

Congratulations, you guys. He is adorable and fantastic and I wish you the best of luck.

Adorable photos... melting cynical facade... must look away... but can't... NOOOOO!

D'aww.

Congratulations to both of you! He looks adorable!

Such adorableness, and such potential anti-Sue dangerousness!

Best wishes to the three of you!

He's beautiful! And soon to be dangerous, I'm sure.

The future's bright indeed, and much love and patience, as I'm sure you'll need it to you both.

I've got a pretty good grasp of the A:TLA universe and I work well with deadlines. I prefer .doc or .docx files to work with, if that's possible. Google Docs is also good. My email address is reillybf@msn dot com.

In one of my missions a (minor) canon character was narrating, and we used a crash dummy just like for any other mission. We exorcised it, and it turned back into a rubber cube. Pretty straightforward.

As for mimicry, I'd say that're more or less the case - in a first person fic, there is no physical manifestation of the character in question because it's supposed to be the reader, so the dummy gives it that physical anchor instead of letting the agents be forced into it. I'm not sure what would happen with a POV change, but it could probably be as simple as the dummy's plastic skin turning into proper flesh for a minute, and then flipping back.

...Was that any help? I feel like I've missed your actual question and explained what you already know.

Please tell me that the authors are only trolls (Especially the first author, because s/he named the mary sue after him/herself). Otherwise, I want to break something.

are not meant to be used like that! My eyes! The goggles do nothing!

Look at this messed up tense/utter cliché:

"She wakes up to a bright light shining in her eyes and a warm voice
comforting her."

You know what?
You know WHAT?!

*need something to smash*

If I hadn't promised myself not to do an assassination for my first mission...

I've MST'ed it a few years ago.

Picards illumination

There was too much stupid in it for a mission. Then an MST works better.

I won't stake any claims just yet (I'm trying to cut back on vicious murders, you see), but if they're on the Unclaimed Bafic list next time I'm looking, I'll take one.

After I read the badfic, all I can say is...double youu tee eff.
(Tries not to get into a rant over that fic.)
Like I've mentioned earlier, I hate badfics that try to do that to WWII, one of the most horrible events that happened in the world, and try to set it up for wet dreams like that. (That goes to other terrifying events as well).

Anyway, good mission you did here, and I hope that I get to read more of these AU missions from you and possibly others. The future AU badfics just reek of bile fasination to me.

Danny's reaction to Cornelius asking about their relationship was great.

"I'm here to give your body a good time, manly style."

That is one the greatest badfic lines I've ever seen. I also got a kick out of taking all the weapons. Danny really does know her well enough to make someone like Cornelius think they were together.

There is something I was wondering about Cornelius. Will he eventually face rampancy, or does being in the PPC protect him?

Most enjoyable. ^_^ I wholeheartedly hate high school AUs too *stares at a particularly bad LoTR one* and this AU made me cringe. Handled better, it might have worked, but... *shudder*

The weapons-removal scene before Laura went off to exorcise Demyx made me laugh. Just another day at the office, huh...

Thanks to doctorlit for the beta.

Um, yar!

This was a nice view on getting a new partner. People tend to mostly skip the bit about losing the old partner.I can see how that would make someone extremely cranky, but Cara seemed to be handling it pretty well.

Mirriam is interesting in a naive sort of way. They should work out as a good agent pair. Thanks for sharing.

Since we're joining in . . . I'm twenty-two. I guess at the age I started *reading* the PPC I was high school aged. And then I disappeared for years before returning. Anyway . . .

It would be most unsettling if we were indeed all high schoolers or teen squealers. No offense to high schoolers. I am one.

Oh, by the way... HAPPY BIRTHDAY LABURNUM! Chocolate all around!

So in some ways, I'm an old dame of the Board. In others, I'm a youngster. *dramatic sigh* Ever the middle child . . .

For what it's worth, age is even harder to determine on boards like this; an attention to grammar, spelling, and story construction can create a maturity of communication that doesn't always correspond with the age we associate with said maturity. I remember being a fourteen-year-old roleplayer back on a dinky little Tripod site, having guys assume I was in my twenties. It's amazing what the ability to communicate will do for ya. :D

There used to be a couple more boarders (gundamkiwi, Rez, nscangal and eris86) who were all approximately the same age as me (give or take a year), but alas we haven't heard from any of them for a while.

Elcalion, delurking after his return from holiday in NZ.

I lurked around for a good while when I first found this place at 14. Wow, I feel relatively young now.

My birthday's 3 October. You're not the only one who thought the makeup of the PPC was younger than it apparently is.

Regards,
Lleu

Okay, so I've only just found the PPC - and this board - but I'm 33. Not the oldest, judging by the replies, but apparently well over the median age.

Whereas Meip, my little sister, and partner here, is 20.

To clarify, I rarely ever feel old; PPC chat was one of the first times it's happened! (Well, once in a while at work, too. Working with adolescents will do that.)

It's just /weird/. For the longest time I was the youngest in my social group. Nowadays there's occasionally someone younger than me in any given group! I'm /aging/, it's craziness. :D

I'll be 25 on November 23rd, for the record. (Ooooh, 1/4th century!)

Frankly, I consider myself one of the younger ones.

Twenty-four is notnotnotnotnotnotnotnotnotnotnot old. Not. I may not have stressed that enough, but I can say I tried very hard. However, I think that as someone of average height may be compelled to think themselves short among people who just happen to be taller, someone who is not old may think otherwise when among a younger crowd. Perspective is funny like that.

Am I telling you to spend time with those older than yourself? Your choice. I think I was just catching on to the reassuring thing. Maybe I actually made sense. =D

I'll turn seventeen on November...

I'm turning 19 on the 30th. I could have sworn that there were only a handful of people around here who were younger than me, but it seems like I was mistaken.

Physically, anyway. If we're talking mental self-perception, then it's gonna be a lot harder nailing down a specific number.

Next Friday.
Not!old PPCer is not!old.

In my case, it's because I joined when I was 18 and then never left. I'm either immature, stubborn, or loyal, or maybe some combination. Though mainly I'm just not done writing about my agents yet. *g*

At some point we thought sixteen to eighteen was the average age, so that may have gone up a bit--partly because of hangers-on like me, no doubt. But also, that seems to be the age when many people begin to grow out of Suethorism, so it's a good age for joining up here. That's my theory, anyway.

~Neshomeh

I feel old having a two in the tens column...

Seems to be a popular age.

ANd I'm quite surprised too. I thought I was one of the youngest here. (Well, somehow I still am. But not so much as I believed.)

I don't feel twenty-seven... weird...

I, too, am twenty-four. That means if you were old, I would be old too. That would not be an acceptable situation. Last time I checked, I still had a good seventy-five years or so of reading left!

I'm just glad we've got this cleared up.

Not counting my brief stay in '05-ish, I came to the Board at sixteen or so, since it was Spring '08 when I came back. Wouldn't say 24's old, no, but who'm I to talk? At eighteen I feel like I'm pushing eighty, heh.

I'll be twenty-one next month. (Old enough to drink, if only I hadn't left the US for a country where drinking age is eighteen! And if only I drank! Alas.) I was thirteen when I joined the Board, and it was mostly late-teenagers then. But I think the average age has gone up somewhat.

As for twenty-four, no, twenty-four's definitely not old. You're just fine.

. . . twenty-five on the other hand is practically ancient. It's half of fifty. It's a quarter of a century. It's basically just old.

Incidentally, Huinesoron will be twenty-five in January. :P

I'm 14, and you're not old. I thought most PPCers were a lot older than me. Now I don't know.

We do have a higher density of younger people in the chat, that's true. When I joined, it was mostly twenty-somethings, with the occasional Real Life Adult of thirties or, in one case, fifties. As for me, I'm twenty.

I happen to be 19 years old, but that doesn't stop me from acting like a stupid kid.

._.

You're not old. I'm about the same as you are, and Pads - who just left - is older. So's Trojie, who's technically still here. The average age is under twenty, I think, or just at. I can't remember where July's survey results are, but at the time it was taken, our oldest member was thirty-two, I think, and nineteen different people were aged twenty or above. So don't worry :)

I turned 22 last month, and I still feel young... then again, I joined the PPC when I was 19, and this place keeps you young. :D

I turn 21 on Jan 15th. *offers chocolate* You're not old at all.

I'm actually more excited about getting a new picture on my driver's license than being able to drink. *shrugs*

I frequently feel old in chat, but then I think I may be the second oldest current/active member. I just turned thirty-one, but I think my actual age has less to do with feeling old there than the fact that I have a lot less internet experience than a lot of the younger users. Sometimes in chat I get flashes of how my Granny must feel when confronted with such hi-tech objects as universal remotes and programmable DVRs. Plus, I started kids rather early (I have three boys ranging in age from 10 1/2 to 2), so I am at a lot different stage of life than most here seem to be, which also makes me feel old.

I'm kind of glad that I'm not the only one that feels like that sometimes. All that said, I believe the survey July did earlier this year put the average age at almost twenty-one. I don't remember if it mentioned the mode age.

Come on now, twenty-four, old? Honey, your life's hardly even begun yet.