Mar 2014 Archive, part c

Thanks for asking these questions. I'm new here and I need to know these things too. Saves me some trouble asking everyone myself.

1/ There's no actual formal way of claiming a badfic - if you write a mission about it, it's yours, whatever you have or haven't done. That said, if it's on the Unclaimed list, moving it to Claimed will stop anyone else trying to do the same mission (question, people: does anyone actually use the Unclaimed list? I don't think I ever have). You don't need to post here about it, though - 'claiming' is only important in that it means you've chosen something to write a mission for; it has no inherent value.

2/ Not fanfiction.net! Seriously, they have a habit of taking missions down. Google Docs are popular right now for hosting the actual text, though of course they don't make for memorable site addresses. Livejournal is always an option, and (for example) sjostenppc.livejournal.com is easy to remember. You can also make your own website - I use Webs.com, Neshomeh prefers Tripod for some unearthly reason.

It basically depends what you want. If you're happy for your missions to only be reachable via the Wiki, post them in Google Docs. If you prefer to have your own website, either all for the PPC or just in part, make one - and then link to the missions in Google Docs anyway. ;)

3/ Most of them use TekTek Dream Avatar. It's quite versatile, and the 'bold, flat colours' aesthetic makes it easy to edit in the image software of your choice if you need to make tweaks.

hS

I'll read it. No problem. However, that will be all I am able to do for now. I won't be able to review for a while. Got a lot of stuff going on.

Alright at the moment, been hit with a ton of coursework and working up to the end of year exams that will appear after Easter, but getting through most of it reasonably comfortably. I'm currently reading The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham, it's a good book once you get past the first chapter or two which dump you into the world with little information. Also working on my original piece of fiction, which I've now decided to split into fourteen short stories of around 5-6k each ending with a 10-15k longer story before going back to do the prequel. Going around revamping a couple of the characters and renaming a couple more so that their alias actually have something to do with their super power like the rest of the main cast. And reworking the second pair of Agents I'll be using, so hopefully I'll have their profiles ready soon (not that I'm going to use them for a while though).
Madly happy after the weekend cos Chelsea smashed Arsenal 6-0 in football, practically securing our place at the top of the Premiership.

That's about it, to be fair.

Storme Hawk

Not to great at the moment. Thats why I haven't been on much. My mom and dad just sat my siblings and I down, and my dad told us that he's been addicted to painkillers for five years now, and it came as a huge shock. He's getting help, but I'm feeling betrayed, and a little lost. He's been lying to us, and it's not a good feeling. I love him, and just want to help, but I don't know how.He's never let his addiciton affect us, which is why we never guessed. He's the best father anyone could ask for, and thats why this is so hard. But writing is helping a lot, as usual, so thats nice. I'm actully looking for a new novel, so if anyone has any suggestions, please tell me:)
PS-Sorry fro any typos, I'm using a phone keyboard
PPS-Sorry for the emotional rant. I hate to dump my problems on y'all, I just haven;t been able to talk to anyone.

Well, I am moping about how Spring Break is almost over, reading Buso Renkin and Fullmetal Alchemist, and trying to wrap my head around how to write my first Interlude and Mission. Any ideas?

On another note entirely, I have no idea whatsoever what 'The Disappearance of Ember Crow' is. Is it good?

I'm on spring break right now and so far have had a friend spend the last two days at my house. Activities included climbing a fallen tree that extended over a creek and nearly falling in, exploring a drainage tunnel under the neighborhood lake, shooting trees with slingshots, and wrecking stuff and getting wrecked in Monopoly.

And then the same friend will be coming over Thursday, and then Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be spent at Louisville Wizard World Con! And I'm gonna get to meet Matt Smith! *squeal*

Also I've been working on both the next mission with World-Jumper and a Harry Potter fanfic that I've had to take a break from because I was starting to freak myself out.

As a freshman in high school, I still have the liberty to procrastinate on my homework, so I do. Meanwhile, I'm reading The Elenium (Sparhawk, killing people is not always the best course of action. Listen to Sephrenia.) and working on a Welcome to Night Vale/Dresden Files crossover fic, the writing of which is far too much fun.

-Aila

I've been flip flopping between reading different things, including the PPC TOS.

I've been slowly building up my characters for the PPC.

Just finished reading The Pendragon Adventure, (it took me forever to track down books 9 and 10) read Judgement at Proteus, the last of Timothy Zahn's Quadrail series, during January, I'm re-reading Mort (It's a discworld book,) and I'm attempting to watch all of Code Lyoko in order.

I'm writing a detective novel - well, mostly pulling it up in word and looking at it, but this week that's going to change because I'm on spring break.

Other than that, I just do school stuff, like thesis draft corrections, homework, etc. And I've got to start applying for jobs, because I graduate college in May. 0.0

The past couple of weeks have been dull and stressful at the same time, due to ongoing problems with the plumbing. Most of my spare time has been spent hanging around for the plumber! Luckily it nearly all seems to be almost sorted by now.

I've just started reading Jack Vance's Lyonesse books (still on the first one) and am also forcing myself to read a few badfics to be prepared in case I ever decide to ask for permission.

IRL, I'm job hunting, so, y'know, that's fun. On the writing side of things, I just finished a ~25K story for the Gabriel Big Bang over on LJ, and am now just awaiting the artwork that goes with it. Also, I'm vaguely working on an original story (it's still in the planning stages) set in an urban fantasy universe where magical beings and creatures live side-by-side with humans. I think it's going to focus on a centaur living in the big city, but I'm still working out the ideas/world-building for that.

IRL, I've had a stressful week at the army due to a variety of reasons. Having been sick for the whole prior week, I had to get back into the loop; I had to do so while doing double shifts because my partner was sick, and had to start moving things that ground to a halt while I wasn't there. It was also my grandfather's Yahrzeit yesterday.

As to reading, I'm reading a book by John le Carré as well as a book about military theory in the 20th century.
Writing-wise, my latest mission is in the beta-ing stage.

I'm in the soul-sucking period of my life known as the Job Search. 'Nuff said.

In other news, I recently published another two chapters of my Pokemon/Bakugan crossover on FFN, and my beta should be starting to look at the next chapter sometime soon.

I'm also betaing a fic for another Boarder, and I'd better get it back to her sometime soon.

College, mostly. I have two exams coming up next week--Japanese 1202 and US History--so I need to study for those. (And yet I sit here typing. Fail.)

I just finished Terrier by Tamora Pierce and am rereading The Two Towers. (I borrowed the books from my grandma a few months ago. Gotta make sure I catch everything before I give them back.)

Tell me about The Disappearance of Ember Crow, it sounds really cool. :)

In RL I have tons of kid drama. My oldest just turned 14, but my 12 year old is the one that gives me all the teenage nonsense. Then I've also got a 5 year old who has some special health concerns that aren't that serious, but keep us at doctor's offices and therapists, and requires daily medication (I really suck at at keeping schedules, so that's difficult for me.)

But, things have settled down the last six weeks or so, so overall I am doing pretty good in RL.

I'm planning on trying yet again to grow a bit of a garden this year. I can kill mums, and have failed at the garden thing...four...maybe five years running, so not entirely promising, but I haven't given it up yet! Someday I'll harvest something!

PPC-wise, I am working with Caddy to get some things finished. Between co-writes and individual things, there are eight PPC interludes or missions in varying states of completion in my Gdocs files.

Otherwise, I recently finished a 39k fanfic for Haven, and I am working on another, smaller fic for it.

I am also working on an original fiction novel that involves refugee faeries, human (faery) trafficking, a malfunctioning medieval spell, a Beauty and the Beast type plot, and true love saving the day. And it's set in the extremely likely (sarcasm) location of modern day Arkansas (obviously with magical elements added to it). I should stop now. I'm still in that excited stage where I could ramble on and on about it. :P

For reading, other than National Geographic and Game Informer magazines, and fanfic, I am reading a series of books "The New Church's Teaching Series" about Episcopalian beliefs and practices.

IRL, I'm starting to wind out my Master's degree, so there's that. And lemme tell you, that's a lot of work, especially when it comes to organizing a graduate recital.

As for writing, I've got a lot going on. I have a PPC mission in the works (it'll likely be the first Hunger Games mission to see the light of day here), I've got the snarkings in the Library of the Damned, and then I recently started a fic that's meant to be a deconstruction of a particular subgenre of ME fanfiction that has somehow gotten to spawn a rewrite of a fanfic of a plagiarism of a fanfic. (Loooooooooong story.)

I'm almost done with my current mission. I'm hoping to have it ready for beta reading before I have to go into high gear for a local gaming convention; I'm running several games, including one demo for a RPG setting that won't be hitting the stores until August. The author customized the magic system a bit, so I want to be certain I have clear "cheat sheets" available for the players.

Tearing apart my Shinrone gown and trying to get it to fit better has been put on the back burner. A group of us are talking about a trip to the KC RenFest this fall, and I'd like to go in costume. But there's plenty of time for that, since the faire doesn't start until Labor Day.

I've got several books in progress. I was reading "Rum Across The Border" (a history book on the Prohibition era) at breakfast this morning. I've also recently gotten hooked on the Ciaphas Cain novels for the Warhammer 40K setting, and picked up four of them in e-format to read at work.

I'm focusing on finishing all the mini pages on the wiki. I'm also trying to get through certain sections of the older Pokémon games to get some of the Pokémon that require trades, since they're shutting down the online trade services for the older ones on May 20.

After that's settled, I'll get back to saving hard copies of every scrap of PPC writing I can find. I've been working on this for over a year now (what with my off time being what it is). I've pretty much put my own mission writing on the back burner until everything else is backed up, although I do have one already-finished mission I'll be releasing once I reach the Es in the mini project.

For reading right now, I have two books going during work shifts, depending on whether I need a book that fits in my lunch box or not. For when I need it inside, I bring The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop by Edmund Morgan. (It's non-fiction, but hey, it was free.) For days I can have the book sitting out, I'm reading The Dark Tower VII by Stephen King.

I've got three projects on at the minute.

1) My second PPC mission, concerning Luna's murder by a hack for ZOMGDRAMA

2) An actual fic; more specifically, an attempt to write a Rational!slashfic for a fandom I'm barely part of. It's a birthday present, and I'm perennially skint. As an aside, is anyone here familiar with Attack On Titan?

3) A column for my local magazine about a spoof art critic. I've actually considered having an art historian character in the PPC as part of the support staff. It'd be interesting to see a small man with too-clean shoes running an art gallery in some of the disused RCs.

not too long ago on this very Board. World-Jumper, in the context of misunderstanding a post from hS meant to be humourous, spells out the differences.

But to summarize, Pippa's Ghost is off. The difference beween "alright" and "all right" is in the usage:

When referring to someone's well-being or to say that something is acceptable, use alright:

"Are you alright?"

Q: "How did you do on the test?"
A: "I did alright."

Otherwise, use all right:
"Those cans were all right there! I don't know where they could be now?"

(Speaking to a group of people:) "Your opinions are all right, in their own way, but each one of you has missed a crucial point."

In British usage, it's "all right" if you're using it as an adjective, but "alright" for using it as an adverb.

Or at least it was until a few decades ago. Nowadays the trend is towards using the American-style "all right" for all situations.

Glad to see we both like Redwall. Here's a bucket of popcorn (to munch as you read or throw at Sues), a pair of 1950-something 3D glasses (they detect plotholes/Sue-stuff, don't ask me how), and a human-sized replica of Matthias' sword. Good luck!

Can't remember the last time I greeted a newbie... I know I have something for you here just hang on... Ah! Found it! A Nova-class starship! Complete with crew!

The Emperor Protects!

Have some shiny nacelle paint, trekkie child! And a Tribble plushie! And a blue cupcake!

But that's no reason not to start again! Hello, greetings, and bienvenue!

Know that you are not alone in ex-badficcery. Almost everyone goes through such a phase, and pretty much everyone looks back at their old days, flinches, and says "No, your phase was nothing compared to mine." I am no different. I keep the original handwritten copy of my first fanfiction partially to remind myself that even when I think something is a great idea in my modern phase, it can always use more thought and development, because when I first wrote that... thing, I thought it was both coherent and hilarious, and in part because I may eventually mission it in the future, if I can manage to type it all into the computer without giving up on absolutely everything.

For your present, you get an Aslan action figure! Realistic articulation! Actual quotes from both books and movies! Real neck-chopping action!
What? He's voiced by Liam Neeson.

I like to give people pets like this, but I figured that, as a Redwall fan, this one would be doubly appropriate. Have a roaring mouse with an urple bow around its neck!

So I see Star Trek, LotR, Narnia, and Doctor Who as fandoms, but not Harry Potter... Hmm.

*rummages in book closet* *thrusts a bundle at you*

Here you go! Your own copy of the Harry Potter septology!

And welcome aBoard!

Nice to meet you! Please accept my gifts of a potato cannon, a basket of Russet potatoes, and an Official Fanfiction of Doctor Who sweatshirt.

Hi, have some fudge!

Hello and greetings!

I give to you now a lined Infinite Notebook, featuring urple covers and wilver binding. Avert your eyes!

Welcome!

-Aila

Hey Snowy,
Welcome to our Noble Ranks.

As a welcome I have a dilithium lightsaber for you.
Use it in good health!

What a fine introduction, you've made for yourself! Have a tiny black hole, a papaya and an amazing idea so you have one in reserve, if you're ever low.

Welcome to the PPC! We love newbies there, so take your shoes off, leave your sanity at the door, and come on in!

As a welcome gift, I present to you the music of one Harrison Birtwistle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ8cucdjhZk

Wow...that was quite a story. Well, welcome to the PPC! You've already explained how you got here, you obviously have read the Original Series, and you've explained your fandoms, so one last question: Have you read the PPC Consitution?

As you might know already, it is PPC tradition to give virtual gifts to newbies. So...have a snowglobe with a replica of your favorite fictional locale inside!

I hope that you enjoy the craziness that is the PPC!

You can still spork it. That's to say, a dramatic reading, a MST, a complete ripping-apart-of-the-story like Kippur's Eragon sporkings.

I'm tempted to do it. Anyone got a pdf?

I mean, I'm not going to claim I know anything about Sabrina the Teenage Witch(though judging by Iximaz's comment below, she is not very likable), but the very presence of a crossover between two unrelated works does not necessarily mean that said crossover will be bad. It all depends on the execution. If Sabrina's magic drastically overpowers anything Voyager is capable of, then it's Sueish at worst and renders the Star Trek elements unnecessary at best. If she does nothing while on the Voyager, she's inconsequential and doesn't need to be in the story. But there are plenty of ways a story could be executed that wouldn't involve either of those two options. Just saying "Look! A crossover! These shows have nothing to do with each other!" doesn't tell anyone anything. What is the story about? What happens in it? Do you know?

I would very much like to read that, now. I liked watching Sabrina when I was younger.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

Oh gods... This is a piece of Sabrina the Teenage B**ch canon? Kill me now...

WHYYYYYYYYY D:

The way you put it makes it seem like a Suefi...il one clicks on the link. Unless there's a reason to make me believe that the work you are actually talking about is nonetheless badfic (think: Twilight), I see no reason to balk at the fact that any particular story is out of the PPC's jurisdiction.

The PPC is almost as old as I am *stares in awe*

I'll try to go forth and be awesome, though currently I have a wonderful case of writer's block on my mission.
We'll see how it goes.

*gives brownie*

Happy PPC Anniversary, everybody! Have some nms & nms from my actually monstrous stash. It seems that whenever I end up writing some, nobody takes any. Humph.

But anyways, who brought the cake?

This time back then I think I might've just stepped off the plane from China onto the US.

Wow.

Lots of turning points here.

... Wow. I was nine in 2001.

I'd celebrate with some music, but I'm having a hard time finding anything that isn't cliched by this point...

And was that really yesterday? Heh... I was asleep when the thread was started.

But that is kind of mind-blowing when you think about it, how Jay and Acacia changed so many of our lives. This is definitely a date to mark on the calendar.

I celebrated this over on Tumblr, but I can't believe I forgot to check in here!

. . . he's spent the last three days in bed with the black death. I'm pretty sure that's what it is, anyway. He's not even reading (I offered to phone an ambulance, but he said no . . .).

However, I will remind him that he should celebrate today. He probably won't throw a pillow at my head. Maybe.

...on TA 3019, May 5th, the One Ring was seized by Gollum and he fell with it into the Cracks of Doom. Sauron's power was gone forevermore and he could never again take physical form or interact with the world.

The Emperor Protects!

Honestly, I'm not sure I've said this, ever, or maybe only once, but I love this community so very very much. Everyone here is just the epitome of wonderful, and I just, well... I guess I just wanted to thank you all, and to thank Jay and Acacia, and to thank all those who came before and are no longer here for making this place the wonderful place it is. And oh, look, I'm crying. Why am I crying? *hugs you all*

Much love,
Aila

Behind the the seat upon the right floated, sable upon white, a great arrowhead directed skyward; upon the left was a banner, argent on black, a naked sword glinting in preparation for battle; but behind the highest throne in the midst of all a great standard was spread in the breeze, and there a white tree flowered upon a sable field beneath a shining crown and seven glittering stars.

(Mostly) taken from the chapter in The Return of the King entitled "The Field of Cormallen."

Surely a day for celebration! Praise to J.R.R. Tolkien and many other authors for gifting us with worlds to play in, and to the mighty Jay and Acacia for beginning the tradition of defending these worlds!

Indeed, let us look closer look at the stories that started it all.

This week, in honor of the 13th anniversary of the PPC: TOS, I will begin my review series of the Stories of the PPC. I want to practice reviewing, so what better way to do so then reviewing PPC work over time? I will not tie myself down to a schedule, as my own schedual is all too hectic right now, and I guarantee I would break it before it had time to get established. However, I feel I can say that a review of the first mission ever will be out some time this week. I will post directly onto the Board, and then copy what I put there on my wiki journal. After that, I will try to review every mission or story in relation to when it was released. The wiki is going to be a valuable resource indeed.

Let the celebrations begin.

Frodo and Sam, Jay and Acacia, and everyone else out there being awesome. {= )

~Neshomeh

...I think Tamora Pierce does the best at creating 'unlikable' heroines. Almost inevitably her female characters actually feel like real people, even when set against the fantastic worlds they exist in. I first ran across her when I was ten and I picked up a copy of Alanna: the First Adventure at the library. Her writing has stayed with me to this day, and I'm eager to read Battle Magic, the newest of her Circle books (once my sister-in-law gets done with it, that is). Her female characters range from bad-ass lady knights to noblewomen with the ability to manipulate thread magic. It's awesome, and I love every minute of it.

These are good points. I'll have to keep them in mind.

This writer makes some good points. Oftentimes female characters are portrayed unrealistically to make us like them, and I don't believe that should ever be done, because it does give young girls an idea of being a woman that is completely inaccurate and unattainable. Like the "Barbie mentality," though that's more in the physical appearance.

However, I do disagree on a few points, first and foremost her list of characters that she classifies and "likable" and "unlikable."

Take Elizabeth Bennet. When I first read Pride and Prejudice I immediately felt a connection with her, not as a character but as a person. The defining flaw that made her a real person, I think, was her willingness to say exactly what she thought. Yeah, she dressed right, she spoke with a certain level of decorum. But go back and read the chapter where Darcy proposes to her for the first time and you can see exactly what she'll say when she's angry. Also bear in mind that this is regency England; a lot of things that people said to each other then were far more scathing than they sound to our 21st Century minds. Passive aggressiveness was, I think, more subtle back then. Elizabeth was by no means the perfect little Miss Perfect this writer defines her "likable" characters as. Some would argue that by realizing that she actually likes Darcy and ultimately agreeing to marry him she lost this ability to say what she likes. But I don't believe so. For one thing, she said what she liked to Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine with no thought for the possible consequences. And if you observe the passive aggressiveness in her interactions with Wickham after he married Lydia (which Wickham was undoubtedly aware of, he wasn't stupid), she was still loaded and dangerous. For another, if memory serves Darcy said he fell for her "for the liveliness of your mind." He could clearly still see it in her to the end. I really don't think Elizabeth is a good example of the "likable" characters.

My other big issue is Susan Pevensie. She's defined as "unlikable." I never noticed a particular temper burst from her, or her thinking back that anything she did was wrong. Of course, she looks a bit shabby compared to Lucy, and she renounced Narnia in the end, but these are just the things that make her a real person instead of a cardboard cutout or (fates forbid) a Mary Sue. I always related to her a lot, but liked her at the same time. She stood up as a role model for me in the three books she featured prominently in. And, as Sevenswans pointed out, she's trying to be a replacement mother for her younger siblings. That's a lot of pressure, and when you think about it, she held up admirably. Take into consideration also that if you only read The Horse and His Boy she's the epitome of the "likable" characters that were mentioned earlier.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the author of this essay seems to be generalizing: Either a character is "likable" or "unlikeable" (which is a bit of an oxymoron anyway since the author clearly likes the "unlikable" characters, as characters, anyway). Everyone, including well-written characters, have both likable and unlikable traits, and whether or not a person ultimately likes them is a matter of personal preference, a bit like choosing cake flavors. An entire person can't be "likable" or "unlikable." In real life, I know a couple of girls who I've decided I ultimately don't really like. But they're nice, outgoing people who are always ready to talk about anything I want to. Why don't I like them? They fangirl obsessively and inappropriately (according to my subjective views of "appropriate"), are somewhat judgmental, and won't watch or read anything that was made before '97, thinking I'm silly for doing so. I don't hang out with them if I can help it because these traits grate on my nerves. They still have likable traits. They can't be unceremoniously shoved into the "unlikable" bin.

Stepping back a bit further into real life, I would like to briefly touch on the whole premise here. The author doesn't want characters in books and movies to paint an unrealistic picture of life for girls, and as I said before, I agree with that. But she seems to have this idea that more restraint and general happiness is expected from women than men. As a preemptive disclaimer, I don't think women should be expected to apologize for things that aren't their fault or any of that. But women are expected to be more calm, caring, and forgiving, which are all good traits. I do have one question: Why is she fighting to allow females to lower themselves from this level of grace and forgiveness to that maintained (or accepted) by the male portion of the world? Wouldn't society in general be improved if we instead expected men to rise to the same standard women are held to? Wouldn't we all be happier? And yes, perhaps the standard should be lowered. It is unrealistic; we're only human after all. But to borrow a quote from one Gene Roddenberry: "Humans are at their best when they are stretching for new horizons, new frontiers."

(That doesn't excuse writing characters who are unrealistically "likable." She was definitely right there.)

Well, there's my blurb with an opinion I haven't ever seen anyone else express. I hope you don't fault me for it. There is quite a lot of valuable truth in this essay you linked, but I felt I had to point out a couple of mistakes. I also may be misinterpreting the original intent of the essay, so I apologize if I am. So... yeah... have a nice day everyone!

... What I'm getting out of this article is that fandoms often dislike heroines who fall somewhere between Black Widow (displays few emotions, kills lots of stuff,) and someone like, say, Jane Bennett, who is squeakily, shinily nice to everyone and has pretty much no self-direction whatsoever. Male characters are in general cut more slack, even if their behavior isn't realisitic for their situation.

Interesting, though, that the author defines "likable" as such a lukewarm accomplishment - note that conforming to feminine stereotypes won't actively achieve anything for you, under this definition, just supposedly protect you from other people's disappointment and rejection.

Speaking of individual characters:

Elizabeth Bennett: okay, I'll give that she conforms to the standards of her society, but she's the heroine because, unlike her older sister Jane, she does actually deploy her snark against people and defy some expectations. Jo March, likewise, was written during her time intentionally to cast off feminine stereotypes.

Meg Murray's not a great example in the works of L'Engle for the type of heroine the author describes, except maybe in later books which focus on her daughter Polly, when Meg has dedicated her life to raising her many children. Vicky Austen or Meg's mother, Katharine Murray, are better examples: Katharine is a sort of domestic goddess, who is depicted as 100% selfless, and able to easily make groundbreaking forward strides in biology while cooking for her husband and children over a bunsen burner in her lab. Vicky is a poet who clashes with her far more ambitious younger sister and who is relied upon to be the stable caretaker and secondary mother for the younger siblings, and the emotional anchor for her elder brother, who spends most of her adolescence making his life, or her parents' lives, easier. Her reward is not to achieve literary eminence, but to be married off to her first high school sweetheart, despite the number of times she gets mixed up in the weirdness of time and causality in the L'Engle universe. Unlike Meg or Polly, she does not take an active role in shaping her destiny or that of her family: her choices are all about domesticity, supporting her friends and siblings, and which of her love interests will make a more suitable husband.

Matilda also isn't a great example of "likeability" in the context of this essay: the proper one would be Miss Honey, who lives a life of demure poverty because she can't stand up to her aunt. Matilda, on the other hand, has resorted to petty revenges to get back at her neglectful parents - any demureness on her part is mostly a facade.

I'd still say that the four above are, on a sliding scale, more traditionally feminine or at least compliant than the other heroines mentioned, and that they do exist on or near the unrealistic line drawn in the sand for society's expectations of women. I also think it's interesting that most of the heroines who are allowed to be difficult are comparatively young:

Amy March, the youngest of the Marches, spent most of Little Women having her behavior corrected until she became demure and ladylike enough to win the approval of their rich elderly relation (and eventually Laurie, though I won't get into that.)

Mary from The Secret Garden was "civilized," through becoming a devoted supporter of her male friend and learning to conform.

Lyra did not become a conformist as such, despite having a love interest and the implication that young love determines the shape of your soul, which is one of the main reasons I like her so much. She matured without becoming demure or ladylike: she learned to pick her battles so that she could fight them all the harder.

Susan surprises me that she's in this category, but then I remembered that Susan is set up to fail throughout the Chronicles of Narnia. Despite the fact that she superficially conforms to society's expectations of a young woman and that she plays the mother role throughout the Narnia books, she's always going to come second to Lucy's incorruptible pure pureness, and it's mostly because she is stepping up to fill the role of their absent parents in earlier books and attempting to carve out an identity of her own in the real world in later books. Jill Poole might be a little more straightforward of an example: she deals with plenty of her own selfish decisions, but she and Eustace are equals in their books, and she's shown as trying very hard to stand up for herself in the midst of a rather awful school in the beginning of The Silver Chair.

Hermione also changes and gets transformed into a more socially conforming girl in later books (book four's beautiful all along moment comes to mind,) but she actually gains moral complexity along the way too. Like the Murray women, she's a complicated example because she represents the female intellectual.

Hang on. I'm going to go write an essay on this now.

May it be telling that all the heroines I recognize (Mary, Lyra, Susan, Hermione, Katniss and Scarlett) are listed under "unlikable", and I like most of them? Except Scarlett; I hate Scarlett, but at least she isn’t boring. If I ever knew a "likable" heroine, she was apparently forgettable.

HG

I have my OTPs, which are ones that I either think are sort of canon or could have been canon, and my challenge pairings, which is everything else.
For my OTPs I like having them in character, or as much in character as they could be, considering them being together would drastically change the canon in any way ( ie. John/Sherlock being together at the beginning of Series three). I also like vamplock/winglock/[insert spn thing here!lock] AUs, but only if both characters are of the type, or at the very least they are on equal footing.
The 'challenge' pairings are everything else, ones that will definitely never be canon but are fun to write. A great example would be Tim McGee/Tony DiNozzo, or Kirk/Spock/McCoy. I like these to be as in character as possible.
I don't really like Omegaverse type fics, but that is mostly because of the fact that it is often used as an excuse to write dub-con (which personally isn't my cup of tea for various reasons), but I've found one or two good ones.
I also have a massive soft spot for soulmate AUs...

Across multiple fictions, you will find many characters with too similar goals, or characteristics, or even desires. Having them interact, whether competing, cooperating, or even discussing it excites me. Them ending up in bed is just one way to climax the fanfic, so to speak.

I'm not really into romantic stuff, but some of the books I've read have had romantic subplots that fit in very nicely--not wedged in sideways, but growing naturally from who the characters are, and how they interact with each other. In these stories, romance is one of many things going on, and it serves a purpose in the plot, to show the reader more about who they are. Sometimes it creates complications when someone can't keep their wits about them because they're too in love; sometimes it means that the romantic relationship gets tangled up in the career or the quest and makes things more difficult. Sometimes it makes things easier because people who are in love can support each other and back each other up, just like close friends or siblings would.

I don't like stories that focus entirely on the relationship, as though that's the only thing going on in the characters' lives, like everything but the couple is either an antagonist trying to break them up, or else no more than scenery. That's ridiculous and unrealistic and, even without any particularly bad writing, is very likely to cause me to find something else to read. Romance in a living, changing environment, where it's only one of many things going on, though--that can be pretty cool.

Deranged plots and ships that make no sense and are often impossible due to space and time getting in the way but you don't care because it's SO DAMN GOOD AND/OR HILARIOUS.

What can I say? Crack's an addictive substance, kids. Someone should make it illegal. =]

I like fics where the characters stay in-character.

Fangirling warning

Right now I am really liking Duke/Nathan shipfics in Haven. They have this weirdly intense relationship in canon. They spend most of their time saying they hate each other and intentionally saying things to jab at the other's insecurities. But then, when one of them is hurt or in trouble, they drop everything and run to help.

In one early episode, Duke was dying of rapid aging, and Nathan (who is definitely the angrier party) had this entirely different tone of voice (gentle) and all these familiar little mannerisms and touches to comfort and help Duke through the day. (The touching is significant, because Nathan literally cannot feel touch, temperature, or pain, so touching is a very conscious thing for him. He doesn't touch people or allow them to touch him very often). And then there are these looks--especially from Duke--when he thinks no one is going to see them that are just pining. The UST between them is intense.

They have yet to reveal more than a few extremely sketchy details of their life together before the show started, but one thing they did say is they've known each other since they were 5, so they have 30 years of history to explore (and I am standing firm in my headcanon that they have at least slept together, and probably dated at some point), and I've about fallen in love with fics that cover that history. Even though I know whatever their history together, and at some point it had to have been good to give them that level of intensity of emotion, you just don't get that intense with people you don't care about, it obviously ended very badly, given their starting point in the show.

End of fangirling

Well, basically I love any fic in any genre and any fandom I read that covers backstory, it's just that those two obviously have so much backstory--both in time and significance.

I also like a good AU that shows people in a different life, but still being themselves. There is one about Clint Barton and Phil Coulson where Clint never left the circus, Phil never joined SHIELD and they still met and ended up together. Or one in that alpha/beta/omega dynamic--which I don't normally like, but this fic actually called it on all the horror that it would cause when applied to real people. Anyway, it was a Supernatural Cas/Dean fic with that alpha/beta/omega dynamic as the horror in the world instead of the demons and monsters that are the horror in the show. All the characters were absolutely spot-on in-character. All of the messed up family dynamics and history was there. It was not a nice fic, but it was very true to the show.

I like slice of life fics, fics where one party is comforting the other or they are both comforting each other, fics where they have to deal with unusual or unexpected circumstances, and fics about characters after they are done saving the world or whatever it is they do.

Okay. Now that I think about it, I read a lot of melancholy, depressing, violent, and sad stories. Stories that explore the limits of human endurance and the extremes of emotions and psychological resilience. I do like stories to end with hope though. I'm not sure what all that says about me. :P

Or pseudo-canon pairings, such as Sam/Jack from Stargate SG-1 (I have a particular weakness for this one). I say pseudo because it was obvious they liked each other, though they never got together.

I greatly enjoy stories that show on any level just how much a couple really love each other, canon or not. This often involves conflict to some degree, but I've seen a few good fics where they're just hanging out in the break room or nearest environmental equivalent.

And you can almost always get me with a story where one party gets in deep trouble and the other has to go and save them, although this particular story occurs as often in a friendship situation as a romantic one. Either's cool with me, as long as there's drama and adventure.

As for the fan goo, I love a story with a well-done Faramir/Éowyn element so much I could just cry. Except I don't, but I could. It doesn't even have to be the main point of the story, as long as it's there.

Fluff is always good for me.
Although, stories where there is a conflict (even minor ones) are also good, since it makes the couples more realistic. Not to mention the endings can make me turn into fan goo.

... and characters who make it work despite being kind of weird, which is probably why I stray into Holmes/Watson, Spirk, and Aziraphale/Crowley territory.

(Actually, I just love Good Omens, and I freaking love Crowley, probably because he just all-around sucks at being evil, not that Aziraphale is much more effective, given that it took both of them over a decade to figure out that they'd had their eye on the wrong kid...)

The best ship fics, in my opinion, go on to explore exactly what the consequences of said ship are, especially when those consequences are negative. I remember one fic that shipped Rarity and Pinkie Pie, and then went on to consider what this meant in regard to Rarity's career, as well as her realistically showing what her emotions about the whole relationship would be in the first place.

Fluff. I'm overly fond of fluffy oneshots (for established canon pairings, mostly, because I don't spend the fic going 'wait, what?'). The best ones obviously stay in character and aren't overly sappy. Actually, in one of my most favorite shipfics, the pair never interacted at all.

It was absolutely hilarious: It started off with Tonks filling out papers in the auror's office and a fellow female started asking her if she had any plans for the evening. Tonks had guard duty for the Order that night, but she obviously couldn't say that, so she said she had a date. Of course, her colleague immediately wanted to know more, and Tonks inadvertently began describing Remus when her colleague started asking for details. When the colleague wanders off to finish her own work, Tonks gets back to her papers and signs it- and then she realizes she signed it Nymphadora Lupin.

Fluff for couples who have a tragic ending make me ridiculously happy before I remember what happens to them and I promptly burst into tears. If a shipfic can make me do that, it's good to me. :3

I'm the biggest derp when you show me fics where Sherlock and John or Kirk and Spock are soulmates bound by red strings of fate or matching words on their fingers or TiMERs that hit zero together. It's the cutest thing. My interpretation of soulmate is just someone who, after they enter your life, change it for the better in some way that you can't imagine life without them, and that can be seen through a platonic or romantic light.

Oh, and Pacific Rim AUs where the pairing pilots a jaeger together. Because once again, mental soulmates.

While I am adverse to most fan pairings, the ones I do like are ones where the characters' tastes and personalities harmonize well.

Let's take the popular Rarity/Fancy Pants pairing for example. Both love high-class gatherings and fashions. Fancy Pants likes Rarity a lot, and his opinion her doesn't change after he finds out that she is from the small town of Ponyville. Rarity enjoys his company not only because he likes her, but also because while Jet Set and Upper Crust may sneer at the other Mane Five, Fancy Pants is a gentlecolt and treats her friends with respect. He doesn't car what class another pony is, and that makes Rarity like him all the more.
They are also foils for each other. She is very dramatic and excitable while Fancy Pants is cool, calm and collected. For me that is an ideal pairing.

What's that mean?

Unless I just have a very poor memory right now?

Meh. Whatever- let's have a party anyway!

Since I forgot the first time. Also have an X-men jacket and Nightcrawler plush

Have a nice pack of nm&nm's!

I geuss Ill just leave again if dont want me around ;-; sorry

I'm on the east coast, and am in school. The next con near me is Boston anime, where I will be Miku.
As my school is awesome and we did "Dress up as our favorite singers day" on Friday, my costume is already done.

...been melting lately, actually. Unfortunately, I'm fairly sure that Louisville is located in the other land of ice and snow, that is, the US, and so I can't really get there easily.

Have fun, though! Wizard World, hm? What sort of wizards show up there?

~DF

I live halfway across the world in a patch of desert lots of people think is very important for some weird reason.

It's too far away for me. But I am going to Otafest in Calgary (Yaya Han is going to be there squee!). Sorry, I think your pretty cool and it might be nice to meet the other boarders in public

Wow. I'm not familiar with the Rani, but… wow.

I was wondering if we would get the Rani during Twelve's upcoming season. I suppose this means it's time for the second Rani.

The currently non-canon agent heard yowling and yelling coming for behind a strange black door. She shook her head, but kept walking. Just another day at HQ

My current non-agent is caught full in the face by the kitten. He pulls the nervous wreck of an adorable cat off of his face, and sets it gently on the floor. Then he presses one of the numerous Buttons of Doom on his console, and summons…

Kibbles! The Amazing Anti-Gravity Cat!

Kibbles is an ordinary grumpy cat, who, in the series of Buttered Cat experiments, ended up being able to float. She is very bad tempered, and will happily claw any person she can get to. Since she floats at head-level, watch out!

Fortunately for the next poster, Kibbles only floats at the speed of several dozen inches a minute. You have plenty of time to get out of the way.

Sigma catches the kitten carefully and cuddles it. "Awww, poor kitty!" she croons, then fixes a laser-eyed glare at the agent who started throwing kittens.

Meanwhile, the mini-Mogget riding on Sigma's shoulder (a dark grey tabby called abhorsen), twitches her tail disapprovingly and stands up.

Sigma turns her head to the mini and smiles. "Good idea, abhorsen! Fire at will!"

With a yowl, abhorsen launches herself at the offending agent, claws unsheathed to take venegeance in the name of all that is kitten!

Coolla yelps as she's hit and shot down by a kitten bigger than she is.

The kitten then proceeds to pick her up and carry her away.

"I'm not a mouse! Good kitty, let me down... Someone please help me!"

My far-from-canon agent pulls a kitten out of a convenient plothole (because no one has mentioned where all these kittens are coming from) and places it on her head. Then, she acquires a second kitten and throws it at y2k890's unnamed non-canon agent.

Not allergic to adorableness, but I've got a kitten on my head. Which is awesome.

"What is the big bad unnamed agent doing to you? I should have them charged for animal cruelty!" She paused. "Unless you're a Cute Animal Friend. Are you a Cute Animal Friend?"

"Cute Animal Friends do not deserve such treatment, either," Eledhwen points out. She reaches out to stroke the kitten lightly by the scruff.

Christianne grins. "Can we keep it?"

Eledhwen frowns. "No."

FZZZAM!

"Notary, what was that noise?"

"Thank Rassilon you've come! Wobbles, you saw the whole thing, right? The agent threw an object at me and I was obliged to defend myself from it by blasting it to atoms-"

"Oh, Notary, you - you shot a kitten?"

"Is that what it was? Hm. Why do our colleagues throw animals at people? Well, other animals, the only exclusion being myself and any other Time Lords in residence."

"No! No, we are not doing that dance! You shot a kitten!"

"Mrowww."

"... What was that?"

"Iunno - oh. Huh. Um, Notary, I... I don't know how to say this but... I think this kitten is staserproof."

"I see. I shall requisition further small arms for more in-depth testing-"

"Nuh-uh! I'mma name you Doctor Fuzzleton! You're gonna be on TV with all the boys and girls, aren't you, Doctor Fuzzleton? Whozza good lickle theoretical physicist den. Izzums? Izzums?"

"I despair of you and your entire species, clown woman."

Or more accurately...
Apollo ducked, a smile on his face as he did so, for behind him, stood Kelly. Undeterred by the incoming kitten, she let loose an animal-projectile of her own, a high pitched "Hello" could be heard from it as it flew towards the non-canon agent.

Ari yelped as a kitten hit her full in the chest. "Wow, ok." She stumbled backwards, biting back a yelp as her leg gave out under her. "Augh..." She glared ineffectively at the kitten, who had dug claws into her (thankfully thick) clothes.

Rina gathers up all the kittens that fly her way and cuddles them.

"Don't worry, sweeties! I won't throw you!"

She holds a kitten to her chest and glares at the unnamed agent.

;P

Lilly cackled as she temporarily made herself unsolid, the kitten going right through her and straight into Annie.
Annie hissed at Lilly, but scooped up the yowling creature and starting cooing at it, much to her partner's amusement.

Your cat scratch me! Come here you annoying cat, the wrath of Dark Lord Aakmal is not easily tempered by your inexhaustible cuteness!

Agent!Des isn't allergic to adorableness. He is, however, allergic to cats. So he sneezes. And curses. "Have you lost your mind?"