Dec 2016 Archive, part c

Make yourself at home. Hope you enjoy yourself in our cozy little corner of the 'net.

Here, take this Replica Holocron and a +1 Sturdy Boot as newbie gifts. Don't boot too many people with it.

One more thing, since I see Harry Potter in your listed fandoms, (along with Star Wars, high five!) which House do you call your own? I'm guessing Gryffindor. Am I right?

Please have a bag of black-hole chocolates. I recommend reading more of the spinoffs of course, and wish you welcome to this madhouse. May your stay be long and wonderful.

I'm a newbie too. Newbie buddies! I have a gift all picked out for you. It'll help you make decisions in some cases, help (or hinder) you doing damage in others. Ahem:

You have obtained a D-3. It has FOUR SIDES, not three; it is named a D-3 because unlike all other dice in its set, it has THREE NUMBERS ON EVERY FACE, one in each corner; when rolled, the number PROPERLY FACED TO BE READ (WHICH IS THE ONE AT THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID ON THE SIDE FACING YOU) is the number you have rolled. The D-3 is shaped like a PYRAMID.

Cheers,
Calliope

Another Convenient Egg&Bacon McMuffin!

I'm guessing you like LotR,but what other canons do you know well and/or like?

Here's some popcorn to eat while you read the Original Series and other important stuff on the top of the page. If you've already read the original series, you can throw it at annoying Sues. ;)

My name's Larfen.

Welcome, welcome, welcome! We have great people, here, and they're all infinitely funnier than I am, so no worries. You'll have a great time!
I got introduced by TvTropes, too, actually. A lot of us have, in fact. Good for publicity, I suppose.

My gift upon you is: a piece of rusty, dirt-encrusted scrap metal!
It's funnier than I am.
Look at it, a small piece chipped off! Hahaha!

Welcome!

Welcome aBoard! Have one of my own shed feathers and a complimentary kit of Spikes!

Hello and how do you do? Welcome to the PPC!

For your newbie gift, I give you a Welcome Doormat! It changes colors when you step on it, so be sure to warn anyone who may set foot on it as it can be rather startling...

Welcome to the board! Enjoy your stay!

Hello, and welcome aBoard! For your newbie gift, take this plate of freshly-made SPaGhetti!

So, you've obviously read some of Huinesoron's missions, but have you also read the Original Series? And while you're here, if you have any questions, make sure to check the Wiki; if you have any questions, just look here before asking. We like it when newbies do the research. ;)

Also, a few questions: fandoms, and preferred pronouns?

Hope you like it here!

If you need mother beta, my email is besseykat19@gmail.com

You still have my email, right?

I happen to love beta-ing. I will happily beta for you, Mattman!

This map will show you exactly where to go!

"Well 'tis better than spending this season alone again." He said to himself. "And whilst home does still call, I know my friends can look after it for a few days more." He got up from where he had been sitting, the book he had previously been studying fell to the floor, now forgotten. Storme headed inside, motioning for the messenger to wait for a minute as he decided how to dictate his response. Walking to his own writing desk, Storme moved through his house, mumbling as he went. Grabbing a fresh sheet of parchment and a quill, Storme began to write his response.

-C

It shall be a pleasure to come and attend your feast. I must, however, inform you that I may be slightly late due to other plans that are currently in place.

-Storme of Hauk

Storme nodded, it looked OK, and he could not see any obvious mistakes with it. Happy the ink had dried, he folded the letter up, put it in an envelope and sealed it. Looking down at the seal he frowned. It was on an old relic of his, from when he had still called himself Auran the Blazing, and its insignia was different from the one he used now. He sighed, it was done now and not a lot could change it. Finding some silver coins, he made his way out and handed both the coins and the letter to the messenger, quickly bidding him a good and quick journey.

Heading back inside once again Storme began to write up more letters, hoping his birds could carry them safely to his friends back home. He would visit them after this was all said and done. He smiled, sometimes wishing he could go back to those times where things were much simpler, but then he would think of what he had done since and realise that, perhaps, some things are just meant to be.

Stockins commented intelligently, holding up the letter.

'Waurgh,' He added to his essay, holding the letter up further, observing it against the light.

'Gwaaurgh!' He continued, eyes widening.

'Could I please have my letter back?' Lord Reedy asked, drawing himself up and brushing his (very fancy and expensive) coat.

'Gwghaaaaurgh!' Stockins exclaimed, turning around and walking off. The clattering of his equipment rose and dipped like a really bad orchestra.

'Um. Can I have it back, now?' Lord Reedy said, slowly approaching.
Go on a walk alone, he had told himself. Get away from the crowd, he had told himself. Be yourself, he had told himself.

'Please?' He stepped closer, feeling a dreadful, choking warmth rising in his face and neck.

'Glarlrgalrgh!' The short merchant argued, walking off, staring into the letter.

His knees wobbled. A weight pressed against his neck. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and looked at his hand. It was small, thin, and weak, gleaming with oily sweat.
'Can we be reasonable?' He babbled.

The merchant spun around. His eyes were practically swirling with madness.
''Course, 'course. I'm a proper businessman, of course. I'm being stupid, pardon.' The merchant thought he was saying.

'Hrrnghrrrng.' Is what came out. He clattered and tinkled, pulling something out of a pocket.

Lord Reedy squeaked, as a silvery object flew out of the merchant's hand, clinking against the cobbled ground.
He looked up, watching pathetically as the merchant continued down the path, muttering and babbling.
He caught a few words, like 'payment,' 'business,' 'letter,' and, most frequently: 'feast.'

((I'm probably available. Er. Probably. I might not be, but I can't imagine why.
And, hey, he might not be nobility - but he's a proper businessman, you know!))

looked up from sweeping last week's moldy rushes off the floor to notice a pair of well-dressed women enter, stamping their boots and complaining loudly of the weather. She could tell from their livery that they were the servants of someone of rank, but the heraldry was unfamiliar to her. They ordered hot drinks -- "don't care what kind, so long as they're steaming" -- and sat down at a table near the window, far from the other customers (a family of new arrivals, poking with bemusement at their complimentary "Newbie Pastries").

When their mugs of Hot Stuff arrived, they fell silent, drinking as voraciously as possible without burning the roofs off their mouths. Once they were warmed somewhat, they began to speak again, this time in whispers.

Catherine swept herself a meandering path which made a figure-eight around two tables, passed the piano, and gradually, entirely by accident, made its way to right behind the pillar nearest the classily-garbed strangers, where she found that the rushes were stuck to the floor with a glob of something rather nasty, forcing her to remain there for several minutes.

". . .stupid Christmas party. . ." she heard one of the fancily-attired women mutter. Catherine loved parties. She leaned a little closer.

". . .new knights. . . think they're all that and a bag of. . ." her swankily-clad associate commiserated. A new knight? Was their faith in the cause pure? Did they sally forth and return shrouded in a haze of righteously-spilled Marizu blood? Were they meritous, brave, and true? Were they -- her heart thudded -- handsome? (She mentally slapped herself. She had a girlfriend out there, somewhere. Farming in Vidya Gaym, or perhaps traveling Weab. . .)

". . .ugh, all the way. . .in this weather. . ." Catherine strained to hear. From whence had these strangers come, in clothes of such fine make? There-- there it was! She could swear the second woman had said: Tumblar.

How far was that? She had counted herself lucky to find lodging anywhere in Plort, but perhaps another journey was in order. Perhaps, for such a big party, the knight would consider hiring some extra help.

". . .on earth. . .serving girl. . ." Catherine managed not to jump. With utmost nonchalance, she continued her circuit of the room.

((OOC: Might crash the party, if that's okay. I don't think I have any other plans for that day.

And yes, I believe this is Catherine's first appearance? I think I've mentioned her before, though, and I have a backstory for her if you want it. It needs serious editing, but I can do that pretty quickly now that finals are just about over.))

--Key

"I am known to the noble knights of Plort?" he murmured. "I had not thought any of them knew my name..." He sat down and reread the missive. Should he? It might be helpful to get to know the knights, especially as he one day desired to join their ranks, and he had heard they were all fine folk, but to be so bold? Perhaps the message had been sent to the wrong person. But he did wish to go, and there must be some way he could exit gracefully if it had arrived at the wrong destination. He looked about his workroom, and his eyes lit on his spectacles, Michael, and he recalled an idea he had toyed with concerning them. He smiled. It would take some planning, yes, and it would be difficult to acquire the materials and assemble them in such a short time frame, but if he could manage it, it would be quite rewarding. But first, to reply, and find an appropriate pseudonym. The young man considered for a moment, then was struck with a burst of inspiration. Yes, that would do quite well. He found a piece of parchment and a pen, and wrote out his acceptance.

Sir Cipher,

I offer my congratulations on receiving your heraldry. I most humbly accept your gracious invitation. If it does not trouble you greatly, I shall attempt to arrive before the sun sets upon the day of the feast. I am greatly anticipating this joyous occasion.

Sincerely, Granz.

Alexander returned to his door, and was surprised once more, for the messenger had waited to receive his reply. He turned over his message, then quickly hurried back inside to fetch more parchment, ink, and a slab of wood before setting out to search for supplies. It might be best to be able to see the materials he would be able to work with as he planned.

I look forward to the day of revelry.

There is nothing that requires my immediate attention now, anyway.

-Signed, Baron Thanasius Ampelius, etc

Dearest Cipher,

It is with my pleasure that I accept your invitation. However, I must also provide a caveat that I will be busy with hunting for most of the season, given that I must provide for all of my creatures in these trying times. I therefore may not be able to stay for very long, but I will try to make my time worthwhile regardless.

Take care, and I hope to see you at the party!

Sincerely yours,
Skaer'morys the Silver

(OOC: In other words, the house rules will make my participation difficult, which is a given, but I'll still try to join you guys whenever I can!)

Dear Sir:

Allow me to offer my sincerest congratulations on your new heraldry. I accept your invitation with pleasure, and look forward to hearing from you and my fellow knights.

-Dame eatpraylove

Wiping sweat off of his brow, he greeted the messenger. He took the note a wrote the following in reply:

Noble Lord Cipher,

I trust this reply made it to you in good time. I will be leaving the day after sending this note. I do reside close, so I expect to make it to you within the day.

-Sir Matthias Snow

I am interested in learning how everything here does... so you can expect me to at least try to be there! I have something to attend later in the evening, so I may have to bow out early, but I will do my best to make an appearance.

Birthday birthday birthday birthday birthday birthday birthday!

My gift upon you is: the time.
1:03 PM.
Happy birthday!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
MAY ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE
HOPE NOBODY MAKES YOU BLUE
AND YOUR CAKE DOESN'T EXPLODE IN GOO!

*blows noisemakers*

I thought for sure someone would get to this while I was asleep, but it seems not.

*cracks knuckles*

Do I know you? I'd like to think so. You've been around for a while, you've contributed to the community, and you're quite active in Discord as well. Green light.

Do I like your characters? I should say so. They've been a blast to roleplay with, I like how unique they are, they've got some plot hooks in their backstories hinting at character development down the road, and from what I've sen in both RPs and in your prompts, they're likeable as well. Green light.

Can you write (technical)? No questions here, you get a green light. I did notice some SPaG errors in the bios and prompts, but they were minor enough that they didn't detract from anything and I'd have to go back and look to find specific examples. I doubt it'll be a problem when you write missions.

Can you write a good story? Well, your prompts made me guffaw when I was high out of my mind, and when I took another look at them today, they still made me giggle. Especially the "mug of sugar (with a few spoonfuls of tea.)." You did have a bit of a tendency to use the same gag of repeating a few lines with slight variations (example below), so I'd watch out for using that too much.

He glanced at her.
Maz immediately shifted her view forward.
He grunted vaguely, and looked away.
Maz looked at him, again.
He glanced at her.
Maz immediately shifted her view forward.
He grunted vaguely, and looked away.
Maz looked at him, again.

Can you choose a good badfic? Well, I don't know Cowboy Bebop, but I took a quick look and oh dear Rowling my eyes hurt. I don't envy you on that one, and I'm inclined to take your word about how bad the rest of it is. Green light.

*looks up from checklist* Huh, looks like that's it, then.

*takes out sword and touches it to your shoulders* It is my pleasure to announce the newest knight of Plort, Jan 'Lawfen' Stockins!

I don't feel like I can take a proper look because I'm all addled on sleep meds at the moment, but I'd like to put in my two cents. I've seen Maz and Yocherry interact a lot in the Rudi's RP on the Discord channel and I really enjoy getting to pair up with them; they're a cool duo as far as I'm concerned.

Best of luck to you, Larf!

This magical shovel digs up revisions to the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Laws! You might want to get these to Kuroko Smith.

Welcome, KR! I only just joined - I can say from personal experience over the last four days that you have nothing to fear as far as shunning and hate goes. Now, for your Newbie Gift:

Have a full set of dice! All of your favourite shapes: d3/4 (none of us can agree on that one's name, but it's the pyramidal one), d6, d8, two d10s, d12, and the all-important d20. Have fun making decisions with these! (Or killing monsters. That's a function too.)

Welcome to the PPC! For your newbie gift, have an infinite stack of paper, along with this infinite pencil, for all your sketching needs!

Welcome! Enjoy your stay!

I love that site and it's an entertaining read and great place to find stuff to confuse and give laughs to my friends.

Why, thank you!
I pride myself on it.

Funnily enough, the PPC was the first forum I joined, too! What a wondrous welcome to internet communities, oy?
Also, I dunno what you mean by 'faux' Filipino, but I've got a but of real Filipino knocking around my veins, so we've got that, too!
You speak any Tagalog, or some such?
I don't!

My gift upon you is: a comically oversized fork. So you can both eat yourself, and drive rage through the blood of nearby chopstick users!

Welcome!

Aside from one of my own shed feathers, have a living replica tiny Suu! Perfect for slimy snuggles, waste disposal, and cleaning up your hardwood floor!

I'll gladly adopt you as my Little Sib; my username is clickable, so talk to me whenever.

Good to hear you've done all the required reading. Here's a strawberry tart!

I remember seeing you on Discord, and some of your edits. Happy to learn you finally jumped onBoard. Let's celebrate this with a pot of black-hole coffee.

Hello, and welcome aBoard! For your newbie gift, take this plate of freshly-made SPaGhetti!

Glad to see you've finally decided to stop lurking and join us—we saw you on the Discord channel before and had no idea who you were, and frankly you made a few of us nervous! :P Glad to see that nervousness was unfounded, and that you finally decided to say hi.

Also glad to see you've done the recommended reading! As for possible other PPC stuff for you to read... have a list of my favorites!

Hope you like it here and decide to stick around. :)

I do think that Maslab would make a pretty good mod, from what I've seen of him in the last few days, especially in terms of being a mediator and defusing arguments. But PoorCynic's got a point here, and I think it would be good for you to gain some more experience with the PPC channel first.

Also to be honest,I myself don't know how to get into discord. I want to join it but I really don't know how.

...I am not currently in favor of your becoming one of the Discord mods. Not immediately, anyway. I would prefer to see you go through some sort of acclimation period; to get more properly acquainted with chat regulars as well as the general atmosphere. This is not the same beast as the old IRC. Time changes everything, even if only in little ways.

Give it a month or two. Then I might be more inclined to say okay.

He's already helped defuse some arguments over the last few days.

Also, glad to see you're finally rejoining us on the Board. :)

Who are you, exactly?

I think it's all excellent :D

The stories are sweet to touching to funny; I could really, seriously see shades of Maglor in...I think it was the one Kaitlyn wrote; and they were overall just very enjoyable to read. As for Tengwablocks, I'm impressed you put so much Quenya together (how long did it take you?) and I think the story is adorable. I'd totally read more. (I also think that if you made one for a widely spoken language it might sell, assuming a different language version could keep the charm of the Quenya one...just a thought.)

Anyway. This was all great fun to read. Thanks for sharing it with us!

~DF

On page 6 (where Tinco meets Silma and Ore at the multiple rivers), the black Tengwablock has what looks like a dotless right-side-up question mark on his head. But on the next page, its "question mark" is upside down. Was that a drawing error, or does that have something to do with the way that letter works in Quenya?

Also, comparing the English with the Quenya, it seems that vowels are notated as a series of dots above the consonants. Would I be correct to surmising that the Quenya writing system is an abjad, i.e., that Quenya is consonants-only and the vowels are optional, like in Hebrew or Arabic?

--SOH176, whose mastery of languages clearly does not extend to the various Elvish languages

I'm a bit busy at the moment, but I can't wait to read the new stuff!

(Also, the children's book is adorable... I might have to use it in the future. The very, very far future.)

Welcome to the PPC Board! For your newbie gift, have this guitar! It can magically calm dragons when a lullaby is played on it.

Welcome to the PPC! Enjoy your stay!

Here's a Ravenclaw scarf, some seed cakes, and a copy of your favorite in-universe book from Elder Scrolls! Also, if you haven't already read the Original Series and Constitution, I strongly advise you to do so.

Tell me, my friend, which one was your favourite?
Was it Squirrelrim, perhaps? Where the gameplay involved eating everything in sight, to build up fat to survive the cold?
Squirrelblivion? I wasn't too fond of that, and all the acorns looked too blurry.
Or how about Squirrelwind?
Or maybe you like the classics? Elder Squirrels Squirena? Squirrelfall?

Well, I know exactly what gift to give you! I bestow upon you: a squirrel-sized mallet. For breaking open those acorns, without munting your teeth! Yeah!

Welcome, mate. The legion of sarcastic ponces who don't ultimately add all that much gladly welcomes you in!

Aside from one of my own shed feathers and a complimentary kit of Spikes, have a working Golden Snitch with a Pokeball engraving and a replica One Ring that totally doesn't make you invisible!

Please have a bag of black-hole chocolates to celebrate. Guess you know all the basics by now, so welcome to the madhouse.

I have been giving the honor of presenting you with your Discord Invite!

https://discord.gg/0zL6OvKrsM4gca0Z

Welcome! Pull up a beanbag and make yourself comfortable. (Word of advise, avoid the wall rug. It's made of a skunk...'s butt)

Now, I should have something for you somewhere... Hold on... Oh!



I need to make more Infinite Pizza for the future, but I hope a barrel of Industrial Sprinkles is okay for now.

Hello, and welcome aBoard! For your newbie gift, take this plate of freshly-made SPaGhetti!

We've been waiting for you to show up ever since Calli mentioned you would be. Mind if I call you Lore?

Glad to have you with us at last!

I'm so proud of you! So, since I joined before you, I'd love to have the honor of giving you your first Newbie Gift!

Have a full set of dice! All of your favourite shapes: d3, d6, d8, two d10s, d12, and the all-important d20. Have fun making decisions with these! (Or killing monsters. That's a function too.)

You DID need another d10, didn;t you?

I think I'm most proud of the cowrite we did with James Shields. I got to explore my characters a little bit, something my solo missions tend to lack, and now I have some ideas for Violet's gemsona that I could explore if I do a Steven Universe fic in the future. Plus, I find cowrites more fun than writing a mission solo in general.

As far as my favorite mission ever? If I had to choose, I'd say Sergio Turbo's Blank Sprite, for the same reasons he said it was his favorite.

1°), Wrong Start. Yeah, I had some problems with it, but that was my first one, and I was rather proud of finally writing my onw PPC missons. Closely behind is He Burns.

2°) Well, since you cheat by asking us only one mission out of all the ones here we like, allow me to cheat back by giving the whole Rose Potter series. RinArin is still my favorite agent, and this mission is just one big cornerstore in her and Zeb's story.

1) Ein Fröhliche Weihnachten mit Doktor Trollenfisch und Gabrielle! (Link.)

I'm a comedian. This is not blowing my own horn - I do standup, and have done on and off for years, and I'm pretty good at it. Fröhliche Weihnachten is just about the funniest thing I've ever written, at least in part because I bounced off of Iximaz so well. This is the mission wherein I took on a Legendary Badfic by accident, and rather than make it all about how infamously bad it is, it's mostly about the Doktor und Gabrielle and building their character through sharing a very, very stupid fic. I reckon that's a good way to do it.

2) ... I plead the Fifth. (Link not here.)

It's really hard for me to pick a favourite from the stuff I've read. Anything from Driftwood, Derik and Gall's missions, mid-period JulyFlame... it's all excellent stuff, and frankly I don't want to pick a favourite. What I love most about the PPC is that it's all shared; the individual missions all serve to build a massive, sprawling world-and-mirror-of-worlds that enhances every subsequent mission after it. This is a wonderful setting in which to write, and I'm proud and honoured to be a part of it. =]

Those of you who haven't published anything yet, or haven't gotten Permission, are still free to answer Question 2. This is a question about your favorite mission you've ever read, after all!

1. Well, my least favorite of my three is "The Adventure of the Misplaced Musical Miscreant". I didn't really get to work with the canon much, as the badfic pretty much forced me to focus on the OCs. It came out all right, for what it is, but I'll have to come back to the Holmesverse someday and do a proper mission. My other two missions come a lot closer to the kind of mission I really like, exploring the canon world outside the parameters of the fic.
   
   2. Honestly, I've never really thought about a single favorite mission. There are too many, and too much variety of style and cleverness between them. I don't think I can really answer this. Sorry!

I think my best mission is Of Course I Still Love You. My favourite mission of all time is Sue be Nimble, Sue be Fast, the PPC’s coming to kick your – by Insanegrrl.

I'm not sure it qualifies as it's not exactly a mission and it's still ongoing, but I'd say Blank Sprite. Why? Because I've come up with something very complex on meta level, and turns out I'm actually making it work.

On normal missions, it's a draw between Legendary Illogic (cowritten with Firemagic), because we found a way to hoist an extremely powerful Sue with her own petards (and we had fun deliberately keeping every charge to see if it could reach record chargelist lenght. IT DID... and ended up being an hassle to read as a result), and An Overabundance of Turbochargers and Cherry Flowers, because... well, I've missioned an old shame of mine. Makes me feel much better about Avalon: Last Rebel having ever esisted, especially since I got a second chance to write the characters from it RIGHT by recruiting them.

Favourite mission by somebody else?... But I like ALL OF THEM! Ahem, let's see. I think it might be All Through With This Niceness and Negotiation Stuff, by Desdendelle, Firemagic and Maslab, because of the sheer determination the Boarders and their Agents needed to get through that terrible trainwreck, and how the Agents used every single bit of their skills to get it done. You can feel how desperate their stuggle is. Well done, guys. Well done.

1) My own writings suck. Bad. I'm not proud of any of it. The closest runner is Hip and Hop's first mission - "Lady and the Tramp: Jurassic Edition". As for co-writes, I've only done one with eatpraylove - "Canon's Bane" - and one interlude cameo with Ixi so... that's it.

2) Oh that's also easy... The absolute favourite is the Holy Grail of Appropriately Ironic Assassinations - "He Was Practically Asking For It" by our one and only Ixi of the Mazes.

1. I'd have to say my favorite mission to write was "What's Latin for You Suck?" with Neshomeh. Partly because I was still an ickle newbie and kinda hero-worshipped her at the time and was all "Woo I'm working with Nesh!" and mostly because I think it turned out supremely well. *finishes tooting own horn*
   
   2. Is it any surprise I'm gonna mention Nesh for this one as well? "The Dark Side", cowritten with Phobos, is hands-down my favorite mission, though "Harry Potter and the Dragonriders of Pern" is a close second.

I don't know if it'll work out for me, though, given my work schedule. Plus, I was thinking of running a Pathfinder game, and I don't know if I'd have time for multiple games.

...plays havoc with my poor easily confused brain. Executive dysfunction, ain't it fun. (No, it ain't.)

If we were to have something more sequential and less parallel-threading, I'd be happy to join, but not with the format on the Other Board. Sorry.

This sounds like a lot of fun, but I don't have a lot of time during the week.

I could almost certainly spare some time on the weekend, tough.

I can't promise anything due to the house rules and such, but I've already gotten a few ideas for if and when I get to participate, since Voyd has been discussing this game with me as well. Not telling what yet, though, that'll ruin the surprise. ;)

So good to see you!

As you can see, we are glad to have you back. ;)

Welcome back, for however long it may last! :)

Here are black-hole coffee and chocolates, pick your choice of treat. Hope this return will last.

Welcome back!

Though that's rather hypocritical of me, since I'm a lurker most of the time now. >_>

(If I had something to say, it would go here)

WELCOME BAAAAACK! *TOSSES SPIKES*

I mean, I know we've been talking via IM, but still

*TOSSES MORE SPIKES* EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

*tacklehugs*

How's it goin' my man!?

Welcome back! No matter how temporary! Have Cute Bunny!

"Are you all right, my lady?" asked Miguel from her shoulder. "I can feel how nervous you are."

"I'm fine. I'm just not really one for parties," she said. "I came because Cipher was invaluable help when I visited Lotor, and I really need to get out more."

Miguel hmm'd. "Would hearing one of the minstrels or bards help your mood? I heard a rumor Ser Read was booked to perform here..."

eatpraylove smiled. She'd kept up regular correspondence with the knight, and considered him one of her closest friends in Plort. However, she had not yet heard him perform. "I do believe it would. What would I do without you, Miguel?"

"Stay holed up in your manor all day excepting quests, if you don't mind my saying so."

They both laughed, and joined the crowd in front of the nearest bard.

He smiled a bit to himself. The mask really did help him feel less self-conscious, and it was well worth the effort he had spent making it in such a limited time frame. He looked about, and decided he would wander through the game stations to see if there was anything that caught his eye, or, perhaps, somebody interesting to talk to.

Well written! That was probably one of the cutest things I've ever read.

That's just so sweet.

Now I Have A Macine Gun. Ho Ho Ho. Best Christmas Movie indeed.

Also, did I start a trend for retired Agents to be still on quick call or something?

That aside, I really liked the little details like that fact they're married by then and the falling snow charm (Don't let Corolla learn about it, or she'll try to find a way to cast it over the entirety of DoSAT).

A very pleasant Christmas read!

It's approaching 11:59 PM on the 25th, so allow me a last-minute "Merry Christmas" for good measure.

Mayhaps a bit late given that Christmas is already upon us, but I don't stop singing Christmas songs 'til March, so what the heck. Post your favorite Christmas songs! Covers, parodies, original songs, particularly Holiday-ish soundtracks, happy, sad, heartfelt, cheeky, whatever you like. If nothing else, it's good filk material for next year.

Here's my contribution:

Steampunk Holiday
Walkers in a Winter Wonderland
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Dustbowl

Oh, and sorry about the thread hijack, Voyd. Wasn't sure if this should be its own thread or not, so I just put it here.

Happy Chrasmas!

My grown-up wardrobe continues to expand! Also I have more Farscape music! ^_^

Phobos got some much-needed socks (not only does he wear holes in them, the cat steals them right out of the drawer and chews on them, too) and a whole boatload of geeky shirts. We are swimming in shirts over here, guys.

Now all I want is to hopefully finish this frelling FMA x HP mission!

~Neshomeh

I now have soft pajamas!

...since I was told the latter also begins today?

I got a bunch of socks, a couple of geek T-shirts (Mega Man, Mario, Kirby, Star Wars), Monster Hunter: Generations, Kirby: Planet Robobot, Amazon gift codes for Wyrd Sisters, Pyramids, and one of the Pathfinder books, fleece-lined pants, and $35 of iTunes gift cards (GEMINI SYNDROME YAY).

Merr Crismas



Src: http://kaijusamurai.deviantart.com/art/Merr-Chrismas-652901291

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

I got bad news: globalization still didn’t eat my job; workload is rather increasing again. In the bigger picture, that’s actually good news, but I won’t have as much time for doing PPC stuff as I had hoped for.

HG, lost in the Forest of Kar’eer again

*Collapses into food coma*

Black-hole stuff for all of those who want to try it.

It's well past sundown where I am, so it's very official.

To celebrate, I finally finished a holiday filk! I know the thread's over, but I really want to show this to people. I put time into it and actually had to ask Real Life friends for help. This year’s encouragement to write about what agents actually do during the holidays immediately made me think of an old classic which has been a family staple since I was very young. I refer, of course, to Tom Lehrer’s "(I’m Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica”. Concrit is always welcome, of course, but I’d like to request you listen to the original before claiming my rhymes are dodgy :P
***
I’m spending Hanukkah in Tolkien's Arda,
Lighting candles as I fangirl at Bilbo!
I spent Shavuot Sue-slaying in Gringotts.
Not much fun, I’m glad I’m done fighting that schmo.

These HQ winters, I can’t endure ‘em,
So every year I pack my gear and come out here for Purim!
Rosh Hashana, I spent working in Ravka,
And Yom Kippur in the Klingon Empire,

But in December, there’s just one place to go!
I’ll grab my friends in Bree a-
Nd we will light our chanukiyah;
Like a baby in its cradle,
I’ll be playing with my dreidel;
Here’s to Jay -- and Macabeus!
Boy, if they could only see us
Spending Hannukah
In Tolkien’s Arda, with Bilbo!
***
--Key hopes you enjoyed reading this as much as she enjoyed writing it and also hopes that you understand why it took her so long to find rhymes.

P.S. A disclaimer: Arda, the character of Bilbo Baggins, and the town of Bree are the creation of J.R.R. Tolkien; the bank Gringotts is that of J.K. Rowling; Ravka belongs to Leigh Bardugo although it’s basically just magic!Russia; the Klingon Empire was created by Gene Roddenberry and I think currently belongs to Viacom? Zarking corporations; it’s Roddenberry’s and his crew’s. And of course: Jay and Acacia created HQ, Jay, and the whole glorious Protectors of the Plot Continuum; Tom Lehrer wrote “(I’m Spending) Hannukah In Santa Monica” -- and, sorry, I love him, but he can keep this piece of ridiculousness.

May all who died this year rest in peace...

Mother and daughter passing within one day of one another. May they both find peace.

There is no emotion; there is peace.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity.
There is no death; there is the Force.

hS

Dammit, 2016, you couldn't just pass quietly, could you? No, you just had to have the last word, didn't you?

Ugh. I am sad and grumpy. }= (

~Neshomeh

She who was open with her struggles and refused to be silent about them.

You were a princess, a general, an activist, and so much more, but now you've passed. Drowned in Moonlight, strangled by your own bra. May the Force be with you, Princess. We'll miss you.

... you, 2016. ... you, ... you, ... you, ... you, ...YOU...YOU...YOU...YOU ... YOU!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Okay... I'm a bit better now... Seriously though, why!?

But no, 2016 is really cursed.

I really liked The Mob Song, but they were all fabulous. :3

Your voice came out very strongly at "It's time to follow me!" Well done with overlapping your voice later on in that song. And it's always good to hear you sing in your native tongue. I don't understand it at all, but it sounds appealing to the ear nevertheless. :) Good job buddy!

Got any Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin inspired works? If not, I'll stop by and see if there's anything else that strikes my fancy.

I'm willing to offer in trade:

• Fallout 3 weaponry (1 .32 pistol, 3 hunting rifles, 1 sniper rifle, 2 laser pistols, 1 shishkebab). Items are offered in current condition only.
  
• Magical repair or enhancement of physical objects. I can't make your computer run faster, but I can make the wires sturdier.
  
• Crystallized mana (approx. one crystal per 5 volumes). Probably not of much use unless you're a magus, though.

As soon as I can convince my husband that yes, this is worth selling the skeleton for (I seriously have no idea WHY this urple skeleton has been in our RC for years), then he'll take it.

I'm going to regret this so much. Valon loves pu

A WHOLE BUNCH OF BOOKS FELL ON MY HEAD, I ONLY HAVE MY SHELF TO BLAME

...case in point, he just hijacked my keyboard.

Oh, and one insult and we learn how my venom interacts with Time Lord biology. I have no idea what'll happen, it'll be a learning experience for all involved.

Memes aside, I liked the original World One Ratchet & Clank series, and I'm curious to see what the pony version is all about.

Not to mention I might play a joke on Sergio. I want to see his face when he finds ponies in his Playstation... though I'd have to mess with its firmware first? I wonder how different Playstation 2 and HayStation 2 firmwares are.

For payment, I have some Bleepka bottles stashed away, or if you prefer I can give you CorollaPoints for trying out my new prototypes! Or calling in airstikes. Who needs DoGA when I've got a FB-22? I never get to play with it enough.

[Well, she got carried away. But she's Corolla, after all.]

Tell me, how long has it been since you released a mission report to the public? I'm surprised at you, really—one would think that, with your love of paperwork, we'd be seeing these more frequently from you.

-A

((In other words: AAAAAAA! I can't wait! I'll be there with bells on!))

but eventually I found the time to read this. It's good to see that Wobbles and the Notary can do friendly banter, and that there's more to the Notary than appears on the surface.

There's one tiny error:
"Yes," said the Notary, in an quiet voice.
Should be "a".

HG

Overall very enjoyable mission! My one major point of critique is that I thought the agents' efforts to explain things to Luna went on a bit too long, and I'm particularly not sure why they kept at it after they got her to fix Garou Hound Dog. (All of his dialogue was very funny, btw!) My mental dialogue with the story for that bit kinda went "Right, she can't help. So neuralyze her. ... Yes, so neuralyze her. ... Wait, is this actually going somewhere? No? Okay, then neuralyze her. ... Neuralyze her already. ... Finally!"

I also wasn't sure initially about things getting so dark with the wraith—the split nostril is kinda gross, and did Wobbles really have to hit her that hard, in the face?—but that all worked for me in the end, what with the character development for the Notary. Here's three cheers for Wobbles at the end, and Jenni is of course standing by to be the her that believes in the Notary even if the Notary can't believe in herself. {= )

(She's also wondering if maybe Lolus' shell was a little too small or he didn't get enough air at hatching or something. Who eats a kazoo?)

I also liked Luna helping out on the mission. Well, I say helping out... going along and being only mildly befuddled might be more accurate? Which is a feat, don't get me wrong. Anyway, I liked it. Luna is cool. ^_^

Nitpick: I think there are one or two thous (subject) that should be thees (object). "We would have thou thee explain," for sure; possibly "I demand that thou thee release Our sister," too, but I'm not certain about that one. It feels equally awkward both ways, and I'm going on instinct more than actual knowledge of sentence construction.

... I feel like there was a joke or something specific I wanted to point out that I liked, but I paused to have food between reading and reviewing, and there are Magic videos in the background, and I can't remember. {= / I'll be sure to let you know if I do!

~Neshomeh

I do recall you, at some point, mentioning that the idea of the PPC was for a focus on the characters - sort've making stories about them, around the missions. You've done an awesome job at it, seriously. I love how you used that wraith, and that final big important bit relating to the Notary that I won't spoil because it's very good is. Er. Very good. The delivery of that flashback, mate. That delivery.
I dunno, your characters are remarkably relatable (or likable, or whatever, at least), especially for what they, technically speaking, are, and, that's certainly a point in your favour, oy? What we ought to be doing, especially in a setting as outlandish as the PPC.

Your handling of Luna, too, was bloody great. It's pretty rare that we get such an insight into how the canons feel during badfic and, even though I'm not at all aware of her character, or anything at all ever about MLP, I did feel genuinely sorry/horrified for her.

Er. Criticisms?
Well, I suppose that one bit, near the start, where they were sort've panicked, trying to escape that first person segment, ended oddly. It built up suspense well, and was a great way of establishing who's familiar with the continua, and whatnot. The build-up was well done, I just feel that the final escape - 'the RA beeped a few times and allowed them to portal to relative safety' is written a bit too vague, y'know? I feel like with that sort of event - the end of all the build-up - ought to be more punchy, y'know? More gritty and specific, as opposed to vague, and such.
But, you know. That's essentially nitpicking, at this point.

You have also taught me what pronking is, for which I am very glad.

This may well have been the best way to round out the year - didn't spot anything amiss, either.

Huzzah to hunting badfic, huzzah to character development, and huzzah to ALL THE FEELS!

Thank you for writing, Scapegrace, and may 2017 see you well. :>

And it's nice to see the Notary being less abrasive than usual.

I also liked a lot Princess Luna being sort-of-deputied around - getting oblivious canons involved with the Duty is alays refreshing since they're, well, completely oblivious to that the heck is happening.

The best part was the last one, though. Not spoilering it.

Get on the Discord and join us if you're up for it. =]