Jul 2017 Archive, part c

Shadow of War revealed Shelob.

Shelob is...

Somewhat different now.

That ice fox is adorable. Absolutely adorable.

Also Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator is out, and I like it! Very cute.

To Fandom News: Somebody's out of ideas. But yet, it's cute.

To Silly News: Oh! Oh that's pretty fun!

To Serious News US: No comment.

To Serious News Switzerland: That's an interesting story, and indeed very heartwarming, as you said.

To Not News: Making references to other popular fandoms just because they're popular. Star Wars has fallen.

-Twistey

I like it. I honestly like it. Extremely much. So much that I do not talk to my closest allies often because they go watch rerun of Naruto and Boruto, Bleach, and patiently watch One Piece, while I wonder when Vinland Saga will ever get their anime adaptation.

However, having a 'less gritty somewhat comedy period drama' should be an explored genre. Where's the show of Venetian bankers trying to make that absentee landlord pays his bank dues? What about the daily troubles of trying to run a commedie del arte shows while touring through Europe? What about Buginese 'pirates' trying to escape the clutches of Dutch taxes? Or, some sports, such as a knight trying to win tournaments? We have a movie about that, but come on, it's been a long time.

Oh sweet jesus, that's big.

From left to right:

Huinesoron, Kaitlyn, Matt Cipher, Iximaz, foofooman3, Scapegrace, Geeky Gal, CodeCom, The Irish Samurai, and Novastorme. In the background: a petrified tree that we used as our meeting point.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We all had a great time, and it was... well, I admit I had been terrified out of my mind the night before. I don't go out as myself all that much, and I had horrendous nightmares about being shunned for coming in clothing that reflected my real gender rather than the one I had been assigned at birth. Those fears were totally irrational, but the feeling I got when I realised they were totally unfounded, that I could be me around the people I care about?

It means a lot.

I lack the words to express how much.

Thank you. =]

—Wait, what do you mean we're not having a Pern sing-along? Aw.

Sigh. So sad we couldn't be there this year. Looks like it was a good group! I will look forward to pictures and reports and whatever else comes out of it. ^_^

As for a Midwest US Gathering, there's always Chicago! We are centrally located for all major forms of transportation! {= D

~Neshomeh

Team hS and Team Ix are present by the petrified tree in front of the NHM.

hS

Everyone, please be aware that the Circle line is closed through South Kensington, and the District line too from South Ken to points west. You can still reach the station on the Piccadilly line, and I assume the District from the east? Not positive there.

One hour to go!

hS

I'm still yawning, but I was so excited I couldn't get back to sleep.

My family is very excited and we'll be heading out early today, too—hopefully, my back won't gove me too much trouble. :)

I have only read the first chapter but I have a couple of things to point out. This is purely my opinion and others may say it's not a problem.

First of all, I can't get a grasp of where Kagami got his weapons. You mentioned he was close, but did he run back to where he stored his weapons? Or were they hidden behind the wall he was hiding behind? You left out some details regarding movement and location that makes some portions a bit confusing.

Second,the fight scenes are a bit choppy and reads like a pokemon battle. During the fight, you basically listed what was happening instead of giving a description, it also gave the impression of each persob taking turns performing an action. Unless that is what you are trying to go for, perhaps consider making it more fluid. A fight is a seamless sequence of actions and reactions. Maybe try and combine two actions into the same sentence, actions in a fight are rarely separate. Also some actions can be inferred. For example when Kagami used his spear to hit the bandit, instead of saying "He stabs the bandit with his lance, which is stopped by the bandit’s round shield. The bandit is pushed back, but he calmly swings his mace to Kagami’s face." Perhaps do something like "Kagami thrust at the bandit, the tip glancing off the bandit's raised shield. As the bandit stumbled, he planted his foot and retaliated, swinging his mace up towards Kagami's face. Kagami deflected the blow off his shield and was forced back by the momentum of the blow." The bandit raising his shield to block was implied by the lance hitting a shield. Doing this also combines the strike and block in the same instant instead of two separate moments. The same criticism also applies to the rest of the exposition, although it is less of a problem there. I also fall prey to this mistake, so you aren't alone in having to improve this.

Finally, this is a small problem and it probably won't bother most people. But during the scene where Kagami gets shot, the reaction timeframe is a bit off. Kagami saw the bandit pull back the bowstring, but he barely dodged the arrow. It seems like the arrow teleported or something. Unless it is actually a teleporting arrow, it might be better to change it to seeing the bandit let loose an arrow instead of drawing the bow. That gives a good timeframe to "barely dodge" because any self respecting warrior would start moving as soon as he or she notices a nocked arrow and thus it wouldn't be "barely dodged".

So all in all, the story seems like a list of actions, events, and descriptions, instead of a fluid sequence. There are some location and movement details missing, and perhaps consider the timing of some of the action-reaction pairings then change the writing accordingly.

Welcome to the PPC! Have two cents, so you can put them into discussions when they happen.

- Tomash, who's on mobile and therefore can't sign this

Welcome to our corner of crazy! Have a Cryptography book - I get the feeling you like ciphers and codes, and I do too, so this makes a good change from my usual gift of dice.

Hi there! Welcome to the PPC. For your newbie gift, have a replica of the ressurection stone.

I barely even know what half of this stuff is that you're talking about. But I want to learn. The techiest I am at this current moment is being an amateur ratio operator. Which isn't quite as techy as your techiness. Or at least, you seem to have quite an interest in making your posts secure, and the fact that you know what pretty much everything is doing to make them secure has led me to declare you "techy."

Since you are so techy, my newbie gift to you is a replica of Dr. Quarkblitz's robot from the Spear of Destiny mission packs. This replica functions similar to the replica Portal turret that the crew at Valve built, in that it looks extremely similar to the original, but just makes sounds and does not fire bullets as the original does. It is also programmable via an Arduino board! :D

Now for the less techy part. What fandoms and stuff are you in? What types of things do you like to write? Got any characters you think you want to make into agents? I'm curious to know.

Well, either way, it's nice to meet you, Your Royal Techiness! It's evident that you're going to be a great help to the PPC, even if you don't write a single mission.

-Twistey
----------
"Huh? What's this robot you're talking about?" Glad you asked! http://wolfenstein.wikia.com/wiki/Robot

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I know that I've spoken with some of you on the Discord Chat. Because Discord is a privacy nightmare due to content monetization and data collection, I'll probably be minimizing my presence on the Discord Server. I'm going to post this in case anyone needs something beta read, since this is primarily my way of communicating.

I make extensive use of Ricochet Messenger (https://ricochet.im) to chat with people one-on-one in real time. My Ricochet ID is as follows:

ricochet:2kkwiqmck2opvh36
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Definitely a sweet story! For me, though, the highlight was how you describe the TARDIS's perception of time. The peeks into alternate timelines and the future is really interesting, especially with how matter-of-fact the TARDIS is about their existence. It also makes for an interesting show of how the TARDIS's mind is both similar to ours, and different, because while she can feel bad about the Aviator's team being dead, and missing them, it's also fully aware of the timeline where they weren't ambushed, and regards that timeline's existence as a mere fact. Very creative and original!

—doctorlit is still going to review every posted story from now on, he swears

Such a sweet thing to read...

A TARDIS got a pretty interesting view on hhow things go in the universe... We need more scenes like that. And some way to have her talk someday.

Not really sure what else I could say. It's a good feelings lude, and does feel like the way a sentient time machine could think.

TARDISes are so cute, and I love how you've written yours - she feels like a person without feeling human, if that makes sense.

The only error I could see was "wistful thinking" - I've always heard it as wishful, but I could be wrong. Legitimately every other thing was beautiful.

That being said, this was something I really liked reading. (I'd say "YES YES YES!" but that'd be over the top). A TARDIS's POV is a really fun thing to think about, and I like the whole "multi time stream perspective" thing. It's fun. I'd've maybe liked to see more of that way of looking at the world, but conveying it in text is hard, so I can't blame you. (Also, did I mention that I have A Thing for strange, non-human points of view?)

Also, Elanor is cute.

- Tomash

Perhaps someone else can be more coherent. |D I approve of this on general principle, though!

/Why I rarely review things just before bed... even when I read them then.

I mean, that's a cool power that doesn't get used very often, plus it appeals to literature geeks like us :D

-Twistey
Here's a Superpower Wiki page on that power: http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Vocal_Narration

Can I use superhero names from my writings in this (without giving anyone any details about them)?

1. Name: The Reference
   
   2. Name: American Aardvark
   Catchphrase: "Prepare for a tongue-lashing!"
   
   3. Name: House
   Catchphrase: "Never bet against the House."
   Blurb: When mild-mannered construction worker Justin Davies was in a terrible accident, his coworkers took it upon themselves to rebuild him. With a skin of sturdy brick, bones like steel support-beams, and some rather fashionable gables, he's a real powerhouse in the fight against crime.
   
   -Phobos

The Evil of the Daleks, waaaaay back in the Second Doctor's era. Check out the summaries for Episode 6 onwards, starting (at the end of Episode 5) with this:

Then the three test Daleks with the Human Factor activate; rather than being invincible killing machines, they are childlike and playful, forcing the Doctor into a game of trains with them.

You're right that baseline Daleks will hate the PPC's Daleks and probably jump directly to trying to kill them. So let's not send them on missions that put them in contact with the rest of the species, I guess?

hS

Hopefully some people are still looking at this, because I have a few small things to add.

Firstly, I've got a bunch of great auditions so far, and literally all of them have been wonderful. You guys are so great, I'm almost crying. What are you all doing in a place like this when you could be on Broadway, oh my god.

That being said, I'm planning to close auditions when this thread drops off the Board, so if you haven't sent me yours, either by email or Discord, and you were planning to- or if you can't until sometime in the (hopefully near) future, either do so or tell me when you can get it to me by! I'll extend auditions if need be. :)

Also, some people have contacted me saying that some of the lyrics don't quite fit the original songs, and in some cases they've sent in corrections that make it fit the beat much better. If you've got a correction to make, feel free to do so- it's really super helpful and I appreciate it.

That's all I've got for now- see you guys later!

Where do I send in my audition (i.e., which email)? Do you need another (second) soprano? Do you want audio or video files? I don't know if I can record just audio on my laptop, which is why I'm asking.

It just...might happen on Sunday. I need to cook now, and Sunday is the next time I'm likely to be doing Board related things with some energy and time. I can tell you in advance that I'm interested in singing just about any part (and am happy to pull double duty and be in the agent chorus as well), can sing a sort of untrained soprano range, and know the original versions of about half the songs.

I definitely want to be involved, though! I enjoy singing a lot, and this is exciting :)

~Z

Just tell me what role. If need be, I'll try and provide an audio sample.

Put me in for any parts for which you need someone whose singing voice is reminiscent of six cats fighting in a tool works. =]

...I'm gonna regret this since I can't stand the sound of my own recorded singing voice.

Okay, so. I can sing just about anyone you need me to (exceptions may apply), but I think the Unnamed Yenta-Sue would be my first choice. I'm best at singing lower-pitched, balladesque songs - most Blackmore's Night songs I've heard would be good examples, but I would particularly recommend tracks from the albums Ghost of a Rose, Under a Violet Moon, or a few from The Village Lanterne.

I sent you my best choice of audition material, but it's a few months old. If you want something more recent and without any editing tricks (because part of it is edited), I'd be happy to hop onto voip and sing for you!

Audition sent! I don't have the best audio setup, but I hope it's okay.

~Neshomeh

And thank god I had previously-recorded stuff to use, too, because guess who developed a sore throat overnight? >.>

Like I said, I'm happy being put in anyone's role, but Milano and Annabelle are the ones I'm eyeballing.

I'm excited to see how this goes! Are you planning on compiling a lyrics doc? Because I've only been able to find the broken-up versions in the musical stories.

I want in I want in!

... wait, there's only one male part in the entire thing. Ah, old-school PPC, you make my heart smile... :)

Anyway, I can probably put together an audition for Zit (haha), though I figure there'll be pretty intense competition... I'm happy to just be in the Chorus, though. :)

(By the by, are you just planning a soundtrack CD, or are you doing the narrative portions as well?)

I may be able to dredge up some instrumentals for the Wicked/Les Mis songs, if I can manage to strip the vocals out... it's theoretically possible, but depends on the song. Ve zhall zee.

(And Ek'y has been gone from the PPC for a long time, sad to say.)

hS

I don't have a particularly good voice, but I think I'll send an audition in, and if I don't get a part (or if I do and you still need help) I'm willing to be part of the Agent Ensemble. Also I have a small (small) amount of skill on the ocarina, should you need something that sounds disappointingly like a recorder.

Seriously though, Kitty, thanks for putting this all together! I'm looking forward to hearing the finished production!

-Alleb

After a most satisfying success by Atlus' standards, Persona 5 is having an anime version due for 2018. ^^

Hoping that announcement is a sign of many other things coming from Atlus Like a Persona 5 Crimson...

To Fandom News:
Oh coooooooooooool! Comic Con! I should watch these trailers.

To Silly News:
Good job, whoever wrote the paper, way to use fandom for a good cause! Also, good job to the journal who got the joke. :P

To Serious News:
Huh. That's interesting. Oh, yeah, the Orkney Islands! One of the most sought-after locations for ham radio contacts! A lot of us hams love talking remotely to people in small, obscure places. :)

To Not News:
Huh. That's interesting.

-Twistey

That's absolute genius, that is! I especially liked the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. >:)

More semi-silly news: Man buys what he thinks are two female guinea pigs, ends up with 160 babies. How on earth this happened 'accidentally', I have no idea. :l

In other serious news, I'm sure everyone's already heard about Trump's tweet declaring he was banning transgender people from serving in the military. And that's all I'm going to say on the matter lest I start violating the Constitution with many choice words.

But in more lighthearted, personal trans-related news... I finally got approved for insurance and have a surgery consultation set up for September. Name change hearing comes a few days after that, and hormone consultation is... in just a few days. Meep. ._.

I'm glad you guys finally went after that fic! It feels like that thing has been haunting the Discord for months, now . . .

I actually kind of like that you started the two agent pairs out on bad footing with each other. Co-writes typically just have the agents meet each other, and it's an instant team—and understandably so. But it's good to see a different dynamic once in a while. I also like that you guys also didn't end the story with the two pairs being Perfect Friends From Now On, but left on a bit of awkward note, yet still with an agreement to go out and eat together. I feel like that's a very realistic, slow progression for real people, especially under the circumstances of their initial meeting.

When I first started reading the mission part and realized that the "inner wolf" nonsense was affecting Ix, I frankly got terrified of the possibilities. Granted, not actually being in wolf form meant that Ix lacked any super-strength, but she still posed a threat to Granz's characters. (Or maybe not to Apecian. What is he, anyway?) I'm glad that Charlotte outclassed Ix physically, and that despite the overall somber mood of this mission (which I do feel was appropriate, considering the badfic's "themes"), you guys didn't actually have any injuries befall the agents. I was a bit concerned at Ix's initial exorcism that you had taken an easy out to that conflict, but of course, Randy wound up being harder to eliminate than that, and stuck around to contribute to the final climax, which feels like the right way to have handled the situation.

So overall, I think you guys handled an utterly repulsive fic in the best way possible, and used the resources you had available to the best possible effect to keep the plot moving along. Well done!

Alas, the following line from your mission is not a full sentence:
"Twin wraiths of urple mist that looked something like distorted versions of Lupin’s werewolf form from the movies."

—doctorlit would like to not think about this fic ever again, please ok thanks

I indeed get Twilight flashbacks when I saw some of the passages quoted (Why did I ever read that?).

The mission was also an interesting read, and I like the idea you got of having Ix affected by it like this. Makes for an interesting idea to use for other missions...

I may make another one later though, so keep your eyes peeled.

...but I have responsible stuff to do. Bluhhhhh.

I might pop by later though!

Are you planning to add this to the wiki, or would you mind if I did it?

~Neshomeh, PPC Archivist

It makes me so happy when things like this aren't just left to die. ^_^ It's also comforting to know I'm not the only one with ten-year projects still waiting to be completed, and that people are still excited when they get done, even if they weren't around for the beginning. It's just... nice. {= )

And I enjoyed the report, too! I'm dying to know the details of what's going on that Alec isn't telling us, but since I'm not brave enough to wade through the RP site myself, I guess I'll just have to wait for more from you. I am Jack's captive audience!

~Neshomeh

Hey, there! Just want to say, I was really excited to see you pop up again, and then really excited again when I realized what you were posting! I had read the blurb about Valcentica on your characters' pages on the wiki, and was really curious to see how that situation would play out in story form.

I love that you decided to go (basically) journal style for this. Alec's narrative voice still carries all the attitude and pride of his spoken dialogue, even without Kitty to play off of. The sudden time jump, and then continuum jump, at the end are wonderfully startling, after the "opening data" staying largely irrelevant for the early parts of the story.

I hope we get a bit of follow-up to this, or maybe see Kitty's version of things? It does feel like there's more to learn of this event.

I look forward to seeing your spin-off continue, too!

—doctorlit, loving PPC history getting filled in

I recognized the story within the first few lines, and basically went, "Oh, it's this! Yesss." Because I vaguely remember reading something about it and wishing that more of the story was already out.

And now it is. Lovely.

I'll admit it was slightly confusing to sometimes have reports out of order, but at the same time, it kind of worked stylistically. Over all, I enjoyed it a lot; it was a fun read, and it was good to see Agent!Alec again, though I kind of missed Kitty--their dynamic's always been enjoyable, and though I do understand why her appearances/mentions were fairly minimal, I still missed seeing more of her.

Ah well.

Also, the field reports structure looks *fun*. (Which reminds me, the time skips at the end were pretty amusing.) I kind of want to play with it myself more, if I could find a scenario where it makes sense. Though now I'm just thinking of a mission report by diary entries...

Anyway. Nicely done! That was very fun to read. I'm glad you finished and shared it.

~Zingenmir, who was DawnFire until January

I may have said this already, but I love this.

I mean, creating an ENTIRE NEW CANON probably qualifies as its own level of deliciously wacky. I feel sorry for the Agents...

Okay, more sincerely sorry since they actualy died during it (and resurrected), but still.

I look forward to future missions!

*obligatory glomp and poke* Have a plate of fresh SPaGhetti!

I really liked the mission... thing. Log? I'll call it a log, since that's what it really reminded me. A sort of apocalyptic log detailing things as they spiral out of control. Not bad for a return piece. :)

Think you'll be sticking around?

This was nice! Goes to show my own lack of emotional depth: I assumed the encounter with Randy would have been a lot more hurtful to Ix than Apecian's offhand comments, so I was rather startled when Ix admitted the opposite was true. I'm glad that Charlotte talked Ix into confronting her fears and leaving the RC. I also like that the conversation segued into Muggle combat, and gave Ix an opportunity to show off some of her talents, as we don't get to see her shine much compared to Charlotte. (Or at least, I haven't since I started up reading again.)

One thing stuck out as a possible contradiction to me, though. Early on, Ix said she doesn't, "'want to go out without being a boy.'" But then, when Ix changes her mind about going out, she points to her currently male chest as a reason for staying in. Am I missing something?

And finally:
"'I know I'm not good enough for her,' Ix began, but qualied when both Charlotte and Olivine began protesting."

—doctorlit knows when he tells a qualie, it grows and grows, until it becomes plain as the quanose on his quaface

And I am proud to know my ship is sailing mighty fine!

Oh geez, and now I'm getting kinda sad because [rot13] Ybggvr nqzvggrq gung (ng yrnfg) fbzr cneg bs ure vasnghngvba jvgu Vk vf orpnhfr bs ure oybbq... :/

Okay, thank you Olivine for almost bouncing off of the Fourth Wall. Very nice nod to Rina :D

Okay, Olivine is definitely me. Let others fight, I'll just be over there, providing commentary.

Aaaand the end, which I'm still squeeeeeing over. That was completely and totaly adorable, and I just want more of S.S. Tooth & Claw!

I'm also sorry about the long wait--something must have come up for Delta Juliette, I suppose.

But yes, congratulations! Like I said when I started looking at your permission request, I like your characters (especially Min Ra!) and I look forward now to seeing them in action!

*tosses confetti of the paper-rather-than-almond variety*

~Z (who is female, btw)

Sorry you had to wait so long.

I quite liked both prompts. They have a good amount of humor and do a good job of showing the agents' personalities, and I especially loved the arc about the console from one story to the next. My only lingering question is: how did Effie manage to lose a box of TNT on the wrong side of the room? A precise military-type personage ought to keep better track of such things, I'd think, so a little explanation wouldn't have been amiss. It didn't bother me too much by the end thanks to the payoff with the console, but still, something to be aware of. {= )

I'm happy to see a new DOGA team, and I look forward to seeing them take out the "assains" and burn the bloody mansion in the COS in that fic. Blessings of Kanun and Spelin be upon you!

~Neshomeh