Sep 2018 Archive, part b

  • Interesting things thread by Tomash on 2018-09-12 08:11:00 UTC Link to this

    To try and get some discussion going, I figured I'd start a thread for folks to post something(s) they've run into recently they thought was interesting because other folks might find them neat too.

    In my case, I've been at a local conference for the last day or so. One of the more sharable interesting talks was about Helena, which is a system that will automatically generate a web scraping program from a user clicking around in a browser to demonstrate how to get one of the things they're trying to scrape. I was surprised this was a feasible thing, and I'm tempted to see how well it would scrape the Board

    I also ran into a Wikipedia page on dry water, which has a cool name and also appears to be a good way to store certain explosives and maybe CO2.

    - Tomash

    • Leftover Soup! by Thoth on 2018-09-23 23:01:00 UTC Link to this

      Tailsteak, creator of 1/0, has made another webcomic! It's called Leftover Soup, and you should totally read it.

      WARNING: Leftover Soup contains some adult content, frank discussions of sex, and an awful lot of extreme philosophical and political positions (Tailsteak loves to have his characters get into interesting arguments).

      • More Stuff! Namely, Ahriman by Thoth on 2018-09-24 22:36:00 UTC Link to this

        The Ahriman Trilogy is what I've been reading of late. I am halfway-ish to the end of the final book, and... jeez.

        Okay, for 40k fans, it is, IMHO, better than A Thousand Sons. That should be enough.

        ...For the rest of you, do you like morally ambiguous characters? Villain protagonists who are sympathetic enough that you can't decide if they're anti-heroes? Homestuck-esque temporal shenanigans? Grim darkness in the far future? Pretty good writing? If so, it's definitely worth reading.

        • I'll second this! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-24 23:22:00 UTC Link to this

          Also, there are lots of other characters who are morally ambiguous but very sympathetic and might make you cry, because this is 40k and we cannot have nice things, only varying degrees of tragedy.

          There's this one guy, Ignis, who's written as kind of a psychopath savant. He does not understand other people's feelings, nor does he appear to share many of them himself, but he tries. He is extremely good with numbers, though. He groks the arcane geometry and arithmetic of the universe and uses it to pull off crazy schemes with precision down to the fine decimal points. Also, he has a robot bodyguard who only speaks binaric, so we never understand what he says, but he appears to have more emotions than Ignis. I love them both, and their interactions with the other characters.

          ~Neshomeh

          • Ooh, Ignis! by Thoth on 2018-09-25 00:14:00 UTC Link to this

            Yeah, he's great. So's... Oh man. Too many great castmembers to choose from.

            I can, however, point to the two quotes that, more than anything else, define the books. "We are falling, and light is but a memory," and, "if the path to salvation lies through the halls of purgatory than so be it!"

            That should give you an idea of what you're getting into.

    • Human sexuality is always fascinating. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-21 05:12:00 UTC Link to this

      I just finished reading a book called Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá that takes a fresh, challenging look at what they call the "standard narrative" of human sexual evolution. It pretty thoroughly demolishes the idea that humans are and always have been all monogamy, all the time, and does it in a fun, snarky tone that I think PPCers will appreciate. For all the hilarious wordplay, though, it appears to be extensively researched, and for me it has addressed questions and doubts that have bugged me for quite some time. Turns out I'm not crazy, it's just that modern Western society makes no sense! Yay?

      ~Neshomeh

      • Just one question: is it claiming that monogamy is bad? (nm) by 61516 on 2018-09-22 01:42:00 UTC Link to this
        • Nope. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-22 02:16:00 UTC Link to this

          Some people seem to manage it, and that certainly makes things easier in our society. As with any consensual act between adults, if it works for you, that's cool.

          But for many, it doesn't, and there is compelling evidence that it's because we've spent most of our existence as a species in egalitarian forager bands in which hoarding anything to yourself (such as food or an individual's attention) or infringing on another person's autonomy would be detrimental to the group and thus the height of antisocial behavior. Everything changed with the advent of agriculture (which seems to have been a terrible thing for our physical and psychological health). But the point isn't that one way or another is good or bad, just that it's fallacious to claim that only one is natural and right when there is copious evidence to the contrary. {= )

          I'd go on, but I'm posting from my phone, so more details I found interesting will have to wait.

          ~Neshomeh

          • The comment about egalitarian forager bands... by 61516 on 2018-09-22 02:40:00 UTC Link to this

            ... seems dangerously close to Rousseau's 'noble savage.'

            • Also nope. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-22 16:28:00 UTC Link to this

              They discuss Rosseau, and are very diligent about explaining that they aren't claiming anything of the sort. Egalitarian here means that sharing is mandatory and nobody is allowed a big head, on pain of punishment and exile from the group. Again, it isn't about one way being better or more right or good than any other. Just the opposite: one way is NOT more right or good or better, and certainly not more natural. Nature, including human nature, is freaky.

              ~Neshomeh

              • Ok, I have one more thought. by 61516 on 2018-09-23 00:59:00 UTC Link to this

                Whenever I hear about communal property in hunter-gatherer societies, I think about, say, skinning a deer, then getting up partway through to pee, leaving the one good flint knife behind, and then coming back to see that the clan jerk's walked off with it.

                • You say that like it's a problem. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-23 16:03:00 UTC Link to this

                  I question the assumptions inherent in this thought. First, you assume a concept of property. Suppose instead that there is no more concept of possessing a knife than there would be of possessing a cloud.

                  Second, you assume there's only one good version of a highly useful if not vital tool that isn't so difficult to make more of. But even supposing that were the case, the knife does not belong to you. If you leave a shared thing lying around and walk away from it, that's a pretty clear signal that you are done using it. Why shouldn't someone else pick it up, especially if there's still an important job to do that you left unfinished? Acting as though you're the only one allowed to use the very important tool would make YOU the jerk, not the other person.

                  ~Neshomeh

                  • Maybe I am the jerk in this scenario... by 61516 on 2018-09-23 16:45:00 UTC Link to this

                    ... but that still supports my point. This system seems like it would lead to a lot of arguments about who needs what more, who last had certain things, and what people are allowed to do with what.

                    In short, I'm very cynical.

                    • True, no group gets along perfectly all the time. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-23 17:21:00 UTC Link to this

                      But in a small group where everyone knows everyone else (about 150 being the maximum number of relationships the average individual can keep track of), and can follow what's necessary from day to day, I don't think it would be as difficult as you imagine.

                      Plus, if there is tension, the idea here is that individuals might literally kiss and make up like bonobos do instead of harboring resentment, getting violent, and causing further stress and disruption. Ensuring that everyone's needs are met so that everyone can function is how the entire group benefits most. If you can't get along, and cause more discord than harmony, you run the risk of being expelled. That's a powerful incentive for every individual to make sure they're not always the jerk, and for the group to punish anyone who steps out of line before it gets that bad. And then make up with them with lots of cuddles. Harmony = good group function = survival. {= )

                      That's not so different to how we manage ourselves here and now on the Board, if you think about it. Sometimes we argue, rarely we encounter someone so disruptive they just have to go, and always we renew bonds with each other by playing games, writing together, and basically being attentive to each other. The more attentive and engaged you are with other people, the more respect and status you accumulate. That, I would suggest, is why interaction is such an important criterion for Permission.

                      ~Neshomeh

                      • The takeaway message here... by Huinesoron on 2018-09-24 09:40:00 UTC Link to this

                        ... is that humans in Luxury's native Shipverse are clearly descended from bonobos.*

                        (*All right, 'the common ancestor of humans and bonobos split off from the chimpanzee lineage', nitpicker.)

                        Which provokes a large number of interesting thoughts that the Department of Analytical Science will have to look into, but most pertinently the fact that Lux looks just like everyone else suggests that something drives 'humans' in every multiverse to look the same. Given that Suvians are a separate species, I'm going to guess it's them: they manipulate humans to look like them, so they can have something hot(t) to molest.

                        (Also, some years back I came across the delightful term 'monkeysphere' to describe that 150 relationships figure, and I thought you'd like to have it. ^_^)

                        hS

                        • I'm trying to crack Andalites, actually. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-24 22:02:00 UTC Link to this

                          Because, y'know, I write one, and he's sort of maybe in the process of discovering his sexuality. Also there was that whole thing with him in the Badfic Game. And it's an interesting thought experiment!

                          Beware: I'm thinking way too hard about sexuality in an alien species from a YA series. Continue at your own risk.

                          So. Andalites. Sex. How do they? Assuming mammalian reproductive anatomy, because it's easier and there's no canon information to the contrary (why would there be?), we do know certain things that provide clues, such as the fact that they used to live in herds, but after finding out crowding together in big cities was a bad idea, they tore those down and went (back?) to living in family scoops, with just one nuclear family unit per scoop, IIRC. They appear to be monogamous, which fits with the pattern of living in nuclear family units rather than in large social groups. We know they're rigidly hierarchical, though that could be more cultural than biological. We know there is some fairly significant male-female sexual dimorphism, with the males being larger and stronger, and sporting impressive weaponry that can only be for defense or for male competition, since they're grazers. The latter is my bet; it fits with everything else, and I don't recall what they had in the way of natural predators, though I'm pretty sure there was something.

                          I can guess that, as a former prey species, copulation would likely be brief and to the point. With competition between males determining exclusive access to a particular female, there would be no need for a ton of sperm to compete with other males' sperm, therefore no need for large gonads (they could very well be internal; no one ever comments one way or the other, AFAIK) or a fancy penis, or for more copulation than is necessary to conceive. Andalites are not as social and don't congregate like we apes do, so no socio-sexual behavior.

                          We know they can and do work together in groups, though, for military purposes and probably others. They have friends. They can empathize with others, even others not of their own species. Maybe this is easier for juveniles than adults, an echo of something like a bachelor herd with a bunch of young bucks running around together until they break off to mate? At adulthood, their rigid social structure likely functions to keep things running smoothly between individuals who would otherwise prefer to have their own space. They're given a psychological territory to occupy rather than a physical one.

                          We never meet very many female Andalites, do we? Hard to say much about their fertility, whether or not they have a heat cycle, or anything like that. I think it would fit that they would have one, though, and would only be receptive to sex while fertile. If you're strictly monogamous and only mate to reproduce, that's all you need. Andalites ritualize everything, too, and I think that would fit in well with sex being for babies, not for fun. (That doesn't rule out other expressions of affection between cycles, though; palm-kissing and whatnot.)

                          Anybody want to wander down this crazy fan-theory rabbit hole with me? Who remembers things that I don't to expand or poke holes in my ideas? {= D

                          ~Neshomeh

                          • The Ellimist Chronicles confirms some of your thought by doctorlit on 2018-09-25 13:26:00 UTC Link to this

                            s. At least, by my reading.

                            After the Ellimist has turned himself into an Andalite and married a female:

                            Tree came to me and made the hand-words for "child."

                            Which I read as Tree wanting to have a baby, so she just kind of . . . walks up and asks for one? Sort of feels like it supports your heat cycle idea, too, though it's not confirmation.

                            We do get confirmation of Andalites being prey animals. Later that same scene:

                            "Then why have another child? If not the disease, then the monsters, or a famine. Why have another child?"

                            "Disease take one," Tree admitted. Then, with growing defiance, "Monster take one. Famine take one. More children, some live."

                            I also found a description for one of those unnamed predators:

                            It walked on six legs, each as thick as a tree trunk, a knuckling walk. It had a low-slung head that swung from side as it walked. The beast was armored with clunky, leatherish plates all down its back.

                            [ . . . ]

                            Then the beast began to move and I reciprocated their emotion. I would never have believed something so big could move so fast.

                            [ . . . ]

                            The first of my "brothers" reached the monster. The beast killed two effortlessly. It paused to eat, to rip the two martyrs apart and swallow them, all but ignoring the brave stabs of their fellows.

                            Sorry, but I keep finding more relevant quotes here. When the Ellimist first reaches the surface of the Andalite world, and the locals fail to recognize him:

                            Their reaction to me was instantaneous. They charged me at top speed, surrounded me, and twisted around awkwardly to aim their pointed tail blades at me.

                            No indication is given of the sexes of those specific Andalites, but at least it shows they were willing to use their blades on other Andalites. I'd say fighting over territory is at least in the cards, if not fighting for mating rights.

                            —doctorlit has hopefully been a little helpful

                            • "Married" is interesting. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-25 15:32:00 UTC Link to this

                              I went looking through Seerowpedia a bit last night, and it seems Aldrea "married" Dak Hamee, too. Sex at Dawn has a whole discussion about anthropologists confusingly using the word "marriage" to describe a whole host of arrangements that may or may not actually resemble the Western concept of "til death do us part" and all that, so I wonder about this. I mean, we're talking about a bunch of aliens. What if it doesn't mean what we think it does?

                              I actually do think it probably means exactly what we think it does, though, both due to how relationships are presented in-universe and the fact that it's probably just how the authors see the world and it might not occur to them to introduce that much complication to matters that don't much pertain to the overall plot of a YA series. Also, I recalled that the Ellimist meddled with Andalite evolution, and might well have modeled them after himself.

                              I was thinking, any herd animal I can think of tends to be a polygynous harem, with a top male holding a territory and several females. Either that or the females and juveniles hang together and males roam around by themselves or in small groups. Dolphins are like that, and being somewhat social, cooperative, highly intelligent but pre-linguistic (as far as we can determine), they might be a decent model for early Andalites. Dolphins are FAR from monogamous, though, and highly sexual. (One criticism I have of the book is that the authors don't seem to know this, so miss out on describing another mammal apart from the great apes that behaves this way.)

                              So, my money's on the Ellimist tinkering with their social evolution and nudging them down the path of strict monogamy, which seems to be how the Ketrans did things. At one point the Ellimist married (there's that word again) one of the other survivors from his world, right?

                              Ooh, interesting point from my wiki-walk, though: There is a confirmed gay Andalite couple, Gafinilan and Mertil from book 40, "The Other." It's Word of God (or co-god?), not in the text, but still, that puts an interesting twist on things. I haven't read that book, and I don't know if they were meant to be a couple before getting stuck on Earth together, but I wonder if Mertil losing his tail-blade—in essence being emasculated, being in the position of a female who can't defend herself as well with her small blade—has anything to do with it.

                              I quail somewhat to think of how Andalite society, as terribly rigid as it is, might treat homosexual individuals. Either there's a place demarcated for them in the structure of things, or as with the vecols, it's just bad news. {= (

                              ~Neshomeh

                              • Went through the opening of Ellimist last night. by doctorlit on 2018-09-29 13:32:00 UTC Link to this

                                No time to sit down and read it, but I didn't see any mention of him "marrying" Aguella. There is one sequence where they're flying together, and Aguella starts shedding "mones" (pheromones, I assume) to attract him, but there's no sign of a formal ceremony or anything.

                                "Marriage" is used directly with the Andalite woman later, though. Literally the whole paragraph is, "I married." Since the entire Chronicles is framed as the Ellimist telling a human character his life story, it's possible he's using an English term there for ease of understanding. Or that he picked up the term itself, or a translation of it, from one of the many cultures he encountered over the millennia, but didn't use it during the Ket portion of the story because it hadn't been a meaningful term to him during that point in his life.

                                I didn't specifically remember the plot of The Other offhand, but for some reason when you named it, some part of my brain went, "Is that the one with the bees?" And sure enough, when I pulled #40 off the shelf, there's Marco turning into a bee. Funny what our brain decides to catalog for decades, isn't it?

                                Anyway, glancing through that book, it looks like Gafinilan and Mertil had attended the, um. Andalite training academy? Together. And when Ax, being prejudiced, asks why Gafinilan is willing to trade a healthy Andalite for a "cripple," Gafinilan replies:

                                For me . . . it is not about traitorous action to my world. For me, it is personal. It is about friendship.

                                If that word-of-god homosexuality was intended from the time of writing, rather than just an after-the-fact decision, then the above "friendship" may have been code for getting the true extent of the relationship across in a YA series in the 90s without calling down the ire of the homophobes.

                                —doctorlit apologizes for tardy reply, it's been a tiring week

                          • I mean, not to be crude, but... by Scapegrace on 2018-09-25 11:40:00 UTC Link to this

                            Is "poke holes" really the phrasing you wanna use here?

                            • Scape! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-25 15:06:00 UTC Link to this

                              Since you're here—not to nag, but did you get my e-mail a couple weeks ago? I sent it to h heath one nine nine two, at the hot address. Was that the right one?

                              And... yes, I rather think it is. {= 3

                              ~Neshomeh

                              • Just replying to that now. =] (nm) by Scapegrace on 2018-09-26 08:47:00 UTC Link to this
                          • ...*Jaw drops.* by Thoth on 2018-09-24 22:32:00 UTC Link to this

                            Uuhh... no, I don't know enough to have any criticisms... Just... kinda in awe of your total overanalysis here?

                            Not SURPRISED, mind, because it's you, but in awe.

                      • I wonder what this would mean for me. by 61516 on 2018-09-23 18:25:00 UTC Link to this

                        Given that I'm attracted to strife like a neodymium magnet to a CD full of credit card data, I might have had to pull an Ötzi the iceman, and wander off into the mountains alone to hunt bears.

                        Explanation of Ötzi:

                        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96tzi

      • But since when has Modern Western Society ever made sense? by S.M.F. on 2018-09-21 18:19:00 UTC Link to this

        ;)

        (Anyway, how would you recommend picking up this book?)

      • Any particularly cool points in it you liked? by Larfen J. Stocke, esq. on 2018-09-21 07:27:00 UTC Link to this

        Highlights or such, ay?

        It does sound an interesting book, though. That kinda stuff is always super interesting.

        • It's hard to know where to begin! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-23 16:34:00 UTC Link to this

          Learning a little about modern-day forager societies and other cultures with different sexual mores is pretty cool. Seems as though, when female sexuality is not restricted or controlled by the males and everyone's autonomy is respected, everyone is happier. Go figure.

          Possible reasons for things like women generally making more noise than men.

          Female orgasm chemically favoring the sperm of the male who managed it.

          Why the penis is shaped the way it is. (But not why people keep insisting it's unappealing, which I don't get.)

          The thorough dismantling of the assumptions made about ancient people by depressed men living in crowded, disease-ridden post-industrial European cities with more imagination than data to work with. We're all influenced by cultural bias, but at least we have more hard evidence now. As long as we don't keep throwing out the bits that don't conform to the current political narrative, whatever it happens to be.

          Particularly, if we are inclined by nature to violence, which the authors doubt very much, we're at least equally inclined by nature to peaceful cooperation. Pushing one narrative over the other is extremely dubious. Who benefits? Who suffers?

          Much respect for Darwin, who got some things wrong but tried hard to increase everyone's knowledge had the grace to admit he didn't know everything.

          Not very much discussion of homosexuality, but only because if sex is not strictly about reproduction, but rather functions as a social lubricant, if you will, then it makes perfect sense and needs no further explanation. QED.

          Much more that isn't rising immediately to mind!

          ~Neshomeh

    • Well... by OpinionedAngel on 2018-09-15 16:10:00 UTC Link to this

      If you folks superheroes, I found this site fairly recently - http://textsfromsuperheroes.com

      It's basically text messages between comic book characters (and others) and is absolutely hilarious. Give it a look, you might be surprised.

    • Los Vigilantes Oscuros! by Larfen J. Stocke, esq. on 2018-09-12 10:51:00 UTC Link to this

      Or the Dark Watchers, who are a relatively obscure group of cryptids/folklore, contained within California - specifically the Santa Lucia Mountains.
      They're pretty spooky.

      Huge, featureless shadow figures, sometimes adorned with wide-brimmed hats and walking sticks and cloaks, seen motionlessly watching travellers and hikers through the mountain from higher peaks and so on. At least one of them has been the shadow of a horse standing, which is real bloody creepy, in a weird fairy tale kinda way. So you'll have hikers look up at a higher up ridge, in the daytime, and see an 11 foot or so shadow-man, silently watching them. In a few cases, people have felt the sensation of being intently stared at. When they take their eyes off them, then, they vanish!

      There's one case where someone and their friends were out, stargazing, in their car, and the Watchers supposedly surrounded the car and were staring in at them. They drove right out of there, of course, driving right through the fellas.

      They never seem to really do much but stare creepily - they don't even create that kind of, sense of uncanny, unnecessary fear that a few of these kinds of cryptids tend to cause (like shadow people, or the Ben Macdhui Grey Man.) There's been theories that these are all cases of Brocken spectres, in which a person's shadow is reflected off the mist on a mountain - this theory has been posited for the Macdhui Grey Man, too. Infrasound has also been suggested, but that's a pretty bad theory, if I'll be honest, considering that it's only a very small per centage of people affected by infrasound, and it's never enough to cause full hallucinations or so on.

      Also notably is that, while it is claimed that the local Chumash people have folktales regarding these fellas, er, they don't, really. It's clear that there is folklore of them in the area, as references to them appear in literature from the place - famously 'Flight' by John Steinbeck and a poem from Robinson Jeffers. Some of these older sorts of folkloric references describe them less as giant shadowguys and more like fairy-like little people. P'raps the folklore stems back from immigrants who brought in fairy stories that got evolved and such, ay?

      Anyways they're cool and spooky and are probably nothing. But they're cool and spooky! I'd like to see Hellboy get beaten up by one or so forth.


      Also, mate, the other name for dry water - 'empty water' is even cooler.

  • HQ story: Courtyard Life by Huinesoron on 2018-09-12 09:54:00 UTC Link to this

    Over the past couple of years, I've been playing about a bit with the Miss Cam Courtyard, home to Alice the telepathic horse and her herd. I've dropped off a pack of mini-wolves there, and in general have repeatedly made the place larger and more complex.

    I decided that meant it was time for the residents of the Courtyard to get their own story, and here it is:

    Courtyard Life

    (While Kaitlyn and Selene do not appear, this is technically a Driftwood side-story. You shouldn't need to have read the missions to get it, though.)

    hS

    • Not much to say that hasnÂ’t been said already. I liked it. by Iximaz on 2018-09-20 12:57:00 UTC Link to this

      The mini pack and the povs are a favorite, as always. :)

      snrf.

    • Re: story by doctorlit on 2018-09-13 04:55:00 UTC Link to this

      Ooooh maaan I loved this! I love more of HQ, and I love you giving voice to characters who are usually just background. Alice in particular: it's great seeing her have a chance to really be the mearh that she is, rather than just being clustered in with the other horses.

      I love the language system you use for both the wolves and horses. They respectively make excellent use of canine and equine body language, and I especially love the detail that the horses can only naturally express themselves in present tense, since an herbivorous prey animal generally lives moment-to-moment.

      I still haven't read any Discworld because I am a terrible person with no free time, but I rather feel like I know pretty much all I need to know of them from your portrayal of their culture. Great seeing them get a home of their own in HQ, all these years after Kippur first "recruited" them. I love that they've essentially fashioned themselves into a security department of sorts, possibly without even realizing the official ones exist?

      Poor Blue. Blue deserves a visit from some friends, hS!

      I find the idea of a cemetery in HQ rather sweet, actually. It would be a quieter place to visit a loved one's resting place than having to walk through crowds at New Caledonia.

      Heh. What a finale, after going through all that mystery, just to have a mimed performance with only one word of dialogue. I love it! Very PPC.

      I have one question, about this line:
      Renegade PPCers? Ispace? The EPC? The Quill?
      Since the first three are all fandom-based enemies, I assume the Quill is as well? I don't think I've heard of them before, though. Where is that from?

      —doctorlit, the Book Shook Man

    • I said I wanted more... by Thoth on 2018-09-12 19:37:00 UTC Link to this

      And I wasn't disappointed.

      More of General POV, that is. He is the best.

      Or is it a she? It? They? I dunno. The creature of ambiguous gender is the best.

    • Heehee. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-12 17:14:00 UTC Link to this

      That was fun. ^_^ So, now it's to be a four-way truce between the horses, the wolves, the Feegle, and the povs?

      (And, darnit, now I'm mad I didn't get around to writing my story that would've given Delroch a new name and him and Alice offspring of their own...)

      ~Neshomeh

    • /stifles squees/ by S.M.F. on 2018-09-12 17:12:00 UTC Link to this

      A nuanced language, indeed!

      And the reasonable leaders continue to be reasonable, much to the relief of all involved.

      Also, horse language doesn't normally have a past-tense, if I understand that part right? Interesting...

      And the reveal made me laugh. XD

      THESE REVEALS, THEY ARE LIKE OGRES... They come in LAYERS.

      What Cats were Blue running from, again?

      Lastly: I want a SNRF- I mean, a POV!

    • Just a short, sweet story about life outside missions. by Scapegrace on 2018-09-12 11:09:00 UTC Link to this

      In other words, my favourite kind of PPC writing. =]

      Not much else to say on that score. It was interesting to see the different points of view and different narrators - none of them human - and the writing was light and well-made. It's a quite simple story, and I enjoyed it very much.

      Also, I love that my abiding contribution to this mad shared universe can be summed up in a single word:-

      Snrf.

  • Introducing myself by A train wreck on 2018-09-13 00:50:00 UTC Link to this

    Hey, I'm...not sure what screen name I want to use yet. I'd like to join the PPC! I was introduced to it by a friend, and I'm pondering ideas for my agent. What's the next step I should take? Thanks!

    • Belated welcome but by Ozzielot on 2018-09-18 17:15:00 UTC Link to this

      Have a cupcake!

    • Re: Introducing myself by Jacob175 on 2018-09-18 04:20:00 UTC Link to this

      Hiya, fellow new person. Have a good time here!

    • Hello newbie. by Hardric on 2018-09-15 23:10:00 UTC Link to this

      You can have this pot of black-hole coffee. Enjoy it.

    • Welcome aboard! by OpinionedAngel on 2018-09-15 16:05:00 UTC Link to this

      Here, have some chocolate and enjoy your stay!

    • Welcome aBoard! by SkarmorySilver on 2018-09-15 03:10:00 UTC Link to this

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

    • HEY Y'ALL MEET MY IRL FRIEND :V by twistedwindowpane on 2018-09-15 00:43:00 UTC Link to this

      SHE'S PRETTY COOL AND WRITES ORIGINAL STUFF AND IS AN UNDERTALE MEMELORD :V

      (Alright, my newbie gift for you is a full cosplay costume for Helga from Lichtspeer. Because yes.)

      -Twistey

    • Greetings! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-13 18:43:00 UTC Link to this

      Here, have a bumper sticker!



      Sounds like we have some fandoms in common. Excellent. ^^

      May I ask who introduced you to the PPC?

      As for next steps, if you haven't read the Constitution and the Original Series yet, start there—they're pretty much the only required reading around here. After that, if you're looking for more spin-offs to read, I have <a href="https://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/User:Neshomeh/Spin-off      Recs">a handy rec list right here, and since you're a Pern fan, you may wish to check out the few Pern missions we've got. (Full disclosure, this is sort of self-plugging since I co-wrote "Brown DragonRider of Pern" and wrote "Harry Potter and the Dragonriders of Pern" and they're the best ones but oh well. Pern! {= D )

      Also, feel free to jump into the Badfic Game (you don't have to write anything; the reviews are half the fun!) or anything else happening on the Board that looks interesting.

      Welcome!

      ~Neshomeh

    • Hello! by Snowblaze on 2018-09-13 07:12:00 UTC Link to this

      Welcome to the PPC! Have an uninflated Generic Balloon.

    • Hello! by 61516 on 2018-09-13 01:31:00 UTC Link to this

      Have a half-kilo of lembas bread. I would recommend deciding on a user name and saying what books/movies/etc. you're interested in, then just get posting.

      • Alright! by Four Moons Watching on 2018-09-13 01:36:00 UTC Link to this

        Changed to an actual screen name (I'm using my Discord name). I'm interested in Harry Potter, Pern, Firefly, LotR (a little, I know a bunch of the lore and very little else), Undertale, Homestuck, roleplaying games, and probably some other things I'm forgetting.

        • Dai Stiho! by S.M.F. on 2018-09-13 02:08:00 UTC Link to this

          /hands you some chocolate bark - specific kind is up to you!/

          Have any badfics to share? Or goodfics, even!

        • Ok, you're in. (nm) by 61516 on 2018-09-13 01:44:00 UTC Link to this
  • Hello! by Aeon on 2018-09-13 01:18:00 UTC Link to this

    Hello! I recently joined the Discord. I'm AstraSupra on FANDOM wiki. I've read a good amount of missions, but I really need to finish TOS. I don't really participate in fandom beyond talking to friends I RP with, so I'll list some of the things I like. I like Pokémon, Mario, Smash Bros., Fire Emblem, SPORE (video game), Crimson Skies (video game), Minecraft, The Familiars book series, City of Ember books, and the How To Train Your Dragon movies. I'm also partially familar with Harry Potter, Golden Sun, and a little bit of WoW, The Unwanteds first book, and Splatoon. (WoW and Splatoon were due to RP friends, which is also how I got into Fire Emblem.) I absolutely love playing video games, especially Pokémon Black, though I have been playing Mario Kart lately. I've replayed Pokemon Black five times. (My favourite Pokémon is Reshiram.) I also like to draw, roleplay, and read about genetics, epigenetics, evolution, and various other sciences.

    I go by xe/xir or they/them pronouns. I lived in Canada for awhile, so you may see me mix American and British English spellings, and please let me know if I do. I slso have vision loss which leads to a lot of typoes, as a heads up, so I generally try to reread and fix typoes before and after posting.

    • Re: Hello! by Jacob175 on 2018-09-18 04:20:00 UTC Link to this

      Hi there, fellow new person. Hope you have a good time here!

    • Hi! by Ozzielot on 2018-09-16 00:51:00 UTC Link to this

      Welcome to the PPC! Have a cupcake!

    • Hello newbie. by Hardric on 2018-09-15 23:10:00 UTC Link to this

      Allow me to offer you a bag of black-hole chocolates.

    • Welcome aboard! by OpinionedAngel on 2018-09-15 16:04:00 UTC Link to this

      Here, have some chocolate and enjoy your stay!

    • Welcome aBoard! by SkarmorySilver on 2018-09-15 03:11:00 UTC Link to this

      Aside from one of my own shed feathers, have a decorative replica of the Falchion, a redstone block, a working Golden Snitch, and a Toothless plushie!

    • Hey Aeon! by twistedwindowpane on 2018-09-15 00:51:00 UTC Link to this

      Here's an item from every fandom we at least partially share (Minecraft, How to Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter, Unwanteds)! Welcome to the PPC!

      -Twistey

    • Welcome to the madhouse! by eatpraylove on 2018-09-14 14:21:00 UTC Link to this

      *high-fives you* I share most of your fandoms, so I can tell we're gonna get along swimmingly. Have some popcorn and a pack of mechanical pencils! (.7mm lead, if you care about that) Enjoy your stay!

      • Booo. .5mm all the way! (nm) by Neshomeh on 2018-09-14 15:24:00 UTC Link to this
        • You fool, .7mm is the only true answer! (nm) by 61516 on 2018-09-15 03:50:00 UTC Link to this
    • Welcome! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-13 18:48:00 UTC Link to this

      Have a bumper sticker:



      I figure that one fits your interest in genetics. Sort of. ^_~ What's new and fascinating on that front? I'm interested in those things myself, but not good at keeping up.

      What missions have you read? Which are your favorites so far?

      ~Neshomeh

      • Re: Welcome! by Aeon on 2018-09-14 05:18:00 UTC Link to this

        Sorry for the late answer!

        I havebeen hearing talk of utilising CRISPR to treat genetic diseases, and a clinical trial for doing just that for Usher's Syndrome Tupe II recently left the preliminary phase.

        Regarding missions, I've read a lot of those involving series I like - I went through the Killed Badfic sections. I'm not sure which us my favourite - there were so many that were fun to read! I will say I loved how legolas by laura was killed, though.

        • In that case, I presume you know of by S.M.F. on 2018-09-14 18:31:00 UTC Link to this

          this video. ;)

          (It's very catchy.)

        • Ooh, CRISPR. by Neshomeh on 2018-09-14 15:29:00 UTC Link to this

          No worries, there's no time limit. Well, sort of—threads drop off the front page as newer ones push them down, and then they're basically dead—but you're fine. {= )

          I don't know about Usher's Syndrome; I'll have to look that up. From what I've heard about CRISPR, though, it's a great tool, and I'm glad it's getting a real shot.

          Ahh, good ol' "legolas by laura." A classic. ^_^

          ~Neshomeh

        • Re: Welcome! by Anonymous on 2018-09-14 06:03:00 UTC Link to this

          *Usher's Syndrome Type 2

          Sorry about that typo.

    • Greetings, newbie! by Snowblaze on 2018-09-13 07:14:00 UTC Link to this

      Have a pack of cards which may have some magical properties. Or, then again, they may not. I’m... pretty sure they won’t kill you.

      • Re: Greetings, newbie! by Aeon on 2018-09-13 07:33:00 UTC Link to this

        *takes cards* Thanks for the greetings! ...that makes me wonder what these do.

        • I've decided... by Snowblaze on 2018-09-13 13:58:00 UTC Link to this

          that they're Exploding Snap cards. If you're partially familiar with Harry Potter, you may not know what they are (to be honest, the clue's in the name) so have a handy link: http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Exploding_Snap

          And be careful!

    • Dai Stiho! :D by S.M.F. on 2018-09-13 02:11:00 UTC Link to this

      A pleasure to meet you. /hands over some chocolate bark - specifics are your choice!/

      Have you looked at the Constitution, as well? Feel free to comment about on the Board. :>

      • Re: Dai Stiho! :D by Aeon on 2018-09-13 02:29:00 UTC Link to this

        Nice to meet you as well! Yep, I've given the Constitution a look! And thank you for the chocolates.

        I'm actually not sure what else to comment on yet, oops. ^^;

    • Greetings and salutations! by 61516 on 2018-09-13 01:26:00 UTC Link to this

      Have a suit of very used and slightly holy Imperial Guard flak armor, guaranteed to last you your entire career! (Average lifespan of deployed Imperial Guardsman: 15 hours)

      • Re: Greetings and salutations! by Aeon on 2018-09-13 01:30:00 UTC Link to this

        Thanks! Oh dear, that's pretty fast.

        • The 41st millennium isn't a fun time to live. (nm) by 61516 on 2018-09-13 01:33:00 UTC Link to this
          • I think I can guess at why, if it's to do with war.... (nm) by Aeon on 2018-09-13 01:35:00 UTC Link to this
  • P-P-P-Prompt Time! by Novastorme on 2018-09-17 18:19:00 UTC Link to this

    Hey guys, yes another two weeks have gone by and so it's time for another round of prompts to come and try to catch your attention. Thanks to Ix for the idea for one of these prompts.

    Prompt 1: One of your characters goes to a Conference/Convention

    Prompt 2: One of your character tries a food they've never had before

    Prompt 1 could be quit interesting I think, maybe go for a conference they're forced to attend in HQ, or a Convention in World One dedicated to their home 'verse they sneak into? Or anything else really. Just go wild!

    Novastorme

    • A less-than-prompt response. by Aegis on 2018-09-21 19:39:00 UTC Link to this

      So this definitely qualifies as a response to prompt the first, in some possibly non-canon but definitely far-in-the-future time, where the Detective has a Long-Awaited Meeting.

      • Not much of a review. by Hieronymus Graubart on 2018-10-04 16:11:00 UTC Link to this

        I finally read this, and I became a bit confused, because there’s a continuity problem:

        Before he talked to the child, the Detective stepped into an annex of the waiting room, so I supposed he found the boy in this annex.

        But then, he’d taken three steps toward the waiting room annex... Huh? Wasn’t he already there? When did he leave again?

        And after turning on the spot and talking to the boy again, the Detective turned around and was returning back toward his seat in the waiting room, leaving the kid delightedly poking new, random shapes into the neon plastic pins in an excited frenzy.

        I guess, when you wrote three steps toward the waiting room annex, the Detective actually attempted to leave the waiting room annex on his way back to his seat.


        Also, there’s a word missing in ... had something his hands that might have been an Etch-a-Sketch ..., and "your" should be "you" in It was a good play, but usually you’re more successful if your don’t start celebrating until after your mark’s out of earshot.

        And I noticed some pronoun confusion on the first page (referring to the Detective by "he" when the last male person mentioned was the boy).

        Don’t get this wrong; I liked the story, especially how the Detective appears to be alien but not inhuman.

        HG

    • Prompt One by Snowblaze on 2018-09-18 13:46:00 UTC Link to this

      Note: this prompt features a much younger Tiger than any of the previous ones, for plot-related reasons.

      “Ah!” said Tiger’s father, Francis Moon. “Henry! I was hoping to speak to you! How’s your research into the southern giants going?”

      “Very well, thank you,” Henry responded, turning around to face Francis. “And who are these? Are they your children? They’ve grown so much since I last saw them!”

      Tiger and Holly did their best to look polite and respectful and not cringe when Henry ruffled their hair. But after ten minutes of this, it was starting to become a struggle.

      At first, when Francis had told them he was taking them to this elite scientific conference, he’s thought it would be exciting hearing about all the latest breakthroughs. It certainly wasn’t: it was like the most tedious lesson ever, a family reunion and one of Francis’s worst tests rolled into one.

      In other words, it was mind-numbingly boring.

      “Yes,” said Francis, “these are Tiger and Holly. Tell me, what progress have you made with the… payments?”

      Henry glanced meaningfully at the children. Francis, taking the hint, said: “Tiger, Holly, would you mind just sitting over there for a moment? I need to speak to Henry for a bit.”

      Tiger and Holly walked over to the chairs that had been indicated.

      “Let’s make some mischief,” whispered Holly, smiling a little. “These boring old professors need a good shock!”

      “What’s the plan?” replied Tiger, who was so bored he would have done anything as a distraction.

      Holly pulled a small enamelled box out of her pocket and lifted the lid to reveal a white powder.

      “Isn’t that the thing Dad taught us about… what does it do again? Oh yes… hair-growing powder?”

      Holly nodded. “I stole it from Dad’s desk. Let’s stick it in everyone’s food and drink!”

      “Okay,” said Tiger. “I’ll do the drink, you can do the food. You go first.”

      Holly nodded a second time, stood up and walked off.

      Tiger watched as she sprinkled the powder onto the surface of some fruit and came swiftly back. She handed the box to him.

      Cautiously, Tiger stood up and began making his way over to the table which contained the wine, having tucked the box safely into his pocket so no-one saw it.

      When he reached the table, an unfamiliar old man asked him: “Having a drink, are you?”

      “No,” said Tiger, “it’s illegal.”

      The old man chuckled a little to himself and said “Of course the son of Francis Moon would never break the law!” Then he wandered off, leaving Tiger feeling as if he’d missed a joke.

      Tiger sprinkled the powder, a little at a time, into each goblet. As he did so, he could see the effects of Holly’s fruit already beginning: many people’s hair was growing incredibly quickly.

      “What are you up to, Tiger?” It was Francis.

      Tiger jumped, and dropped the box. White powder spilled out onto the neatly carpeted floor.

      Francis glanced at the box and the powder, then at Henry, whose hair was already down to his shoulders, and Tiger could practically see him drawing a conclusion.

      He was in massive trouble.

      • That was nice by Tomash on 2018-09-30 09:02:00 UTC Link to this

        I'm overall liking how this set of stories is coming along.

        I don't have much in the way of a detailed review, unfortunately, but I figured it was at least a good idea to let you know someone had read this.

        - Tomash

        • ThatÂ’s fine. Glad you liked it! (nm) by Snowblaze on 2018-09-30 09:29:00 UTC Link to this
    • Flashback? Flashback. by Iximaz on 2018-09-18 11:35:00 UTC Link to this

      "Are you sure about this?" Zeb asked as Rina set a bowl of soup in front of him. "I mean, I watched you make this. It's basically just water. And the meat is cooked. I don't mean any offense," he added quickly. "But human food just doesn't seem very... filling. Or healthy."

      Rina blew her bangs out of her eyes and sat in front of him. "It's zuppa toscana," she said. "Cream and kale and potatoes and spicy sausage. Seriously, you'll like it if you enjoyed those fire flakes."

      Zeb hesitantly picked up his spoon in a very clumsy grip. Rina picked up her own, turning her hand slightly so he could see how she did it. Zeb quickly readjusted and dug in.

      It took him a few tries to figure out how to scoop up a generous spoonful without spilling anything back into the bowl, but then he lifted it to his mouth for a taste. His eyes widened and he set his spoon aside, picking up the bowl and tipping its contents into his mouth.

      Rina watched him gulp down the soup with a huge grin. "Enjoy that, did you?" she asked when he finally set the bowl down, smacking his lips.

      "Immensely," Zeb said, sniffing around as he looked back at the pot. "Can I have some more?"

      • Overall, cute Rina and Zeb scene by Tomash on 2018-09-30 09:04:00 UTC Link to this

        One complaint I have is that it's not really clear whether Zeb is Luxray-shaped or human-shaped during this, since it seems like the text supports both possibilities.

        - Tomash

  • 15th(!!) Boardiversary, with Anniversary Fic. by Huinesoron on 2018-09-19 12:11:00 UTC Link to this

    Avast, shipmates! September 19th be Talk Like A Pirate Day, and that means - since I be long ago forgettin' me actual date of joining - that it be me Official Boardiversary!

    Fifteen long years I've been on the good ship PPC, keepin' her steady against me own tendency to rock the boat, and in that time I be creatin' quite a few characters. Aye, quite a few... and every single one o' them be in this story.

    Talk Like 15 Pirates

    A glorious romp through HQ this be, wi' familiar faces on every corner. It be takin' a couple of months work, but after a final burst of writin' this very mornin' (I found a handful of extra characters who be needin' to show up) it be finally finished on schedule!

    I hope that ye enjoy it, and ask ye kindly that ye review if ye feel like doin' such.

    Yo ho, me hearties!

    hS

    PS: I be sayin' that 'every character' o' mine be in there, but... be that true? A challenge I give ye: if ye bring me the name o' someone I be missin' out, then not only will I put them in an' give ye credit; I'll be rewardin' ye with a sketch o' the character ye be findin'. ~hS

    • Happy 15th Boardaversary! (and a couple thoughts) by Tomash on 2018-09-25 07:34:00 UTC Link to this

      In general, thanks for all you've done for the PPC, both when it comes to the community and to the universe!

      I didn't read this story super-thoroughly. That being said, I liked i. The bit with the opinion from Legal near the beginning and the whole Backup Board business stuck out as particularly PPC-like things, along with the ghosts (who apparently can have kids, who knew?).

      I wasn't expecting this to all be a side effect of timeline shenanigans. It was a neat twist.

      Writing wise, I'm liking that, even though this story was really dialogue-heavy, it didn't collapse into a bunch of people standing still and talking. I'll also say that the minimal setting info we get from the chapter titles gives a good enough sense of where things are taking place (or at least enough to let me form mental images).

      - Tomash, who's somehow clawed his way out from under a pile of things that needed doing

      • Thanks! by Huinesoron on 2018-09-25 15:10:00 UTC Link to this

        I'm actually not sure whether Blue & Immy can have kids - Arthur Telton originally (and so far only) appears in an alternate timeline, in which they were still alive. But I like him, so I'm giving him a potential way in.

        I'm glad you enjoyed the story; I put a lot of work into it, so it's good to know it paid off. :)

        hS

    • Happy Boardiversary! by Hellga on 2018-09-24 04:48:00 UTC Link to this

      That's an impressive amount of time (and an impressive cast of characters you have accumulated over the years!).

    • Happy Boardaversary, hS! by twistedwindowpane on 2018-09-23 01:08:00 UTC Link to this

      Well, I guess I shouldn't be worried about the number of agent ideas I have, since you have at least 15 characters. Here's to another year of your guidance on the Board!

      -Twistey

      • Quiiiiite a few more than 15, yes. by Huinesoron on 2018-09-24 09:42:00 UTC Link to this

        There's a running tally in the fic, which comes highly recommended by... me. ^_^

        hS

    • Re: story by doctorlit on 2018-09-22 05:18:00 UTC Link to this

      Yeah, so this was incredible. I think it's the most outright fun PPC story I've read. (aka, the most fun ever.) It really shows off the history that you've contributed to the setting after all these years.

      The stories that especially stuck with me were:

      Sprout Headquarters. Specifically the fact that the HQ-raised kids were so unfamiliar with dogs that they thought of them like we think of dragons or faeries. It made me laugh out loud as I read it on my cell phone—fortunately, the zoo was already closed at that point, so no people heard me, and the animals already know me don't judge. It's hard to think of the mindsets of characters in HQ, so this was a clever and funny detail about the kids brought up in the Nursery.

      Musee des Univers Perdus. I love the idea of the Librarian and the Musee team working together. Maybe more someday? I also liked seeing how quickly Lorelei jumps to Dr. Cornelius's "rescue," despite his generally thoughtless attitude towards her.

      Jared's RC. Just for the sudden, out-of-tone creepiness of Ether's future-knowing. I love not only the awkwardness this gives Jared, but also how easily the children roll right past it.

      Minecraft Word World. A glorious Mexican standoff, to be sure, but I'm also legitimately touched we're bringing Peter back home and getting him some help.

      The Fountain of Bleepka. Oh, you beautiful man, you. I thought the gag was that they would never appear on screen together, but they have, and it's beautiful, everything I could have dreamed of, and it makes me so, so happy to hear Rosalind and Aella going head-to-head with each other. I want this war to continue.

      Elsewhere. I know the Ghost's interest in future timelines was already pretty clear, but it's cool to see how careful it is about the details of the future. It also makes sense with how wonky HQ time is; with so many characters popping in from the future, why not use the known data about their timelines to try to bring about the most stable future possible.

      I never really gave much thought to Talk like a Pirate Day, but knowing it's one of your earliest PPC memories makes this story especially cool.

      Also, just for the record, I am very much looking forward to more of the Ispace Wars, and all the other unpublished stories you've hinted at!

      —doctorlit is looking forward to reading the sequel in hS's year 30

      • Thank you! :D by Huinesoron on 2018-09-24 11:35:00 UTC Link to this

        A lot of the things you've commented on pretty much told themselves in the midst of the story. Ether's prophecy, in particular, happened because I needed to avoid dumping all the future names into part 15 - but along the way it gave one of my more-neglected characters a bit more to work with, for if I ever need him again.

        Thank you for your excellent review. ^_^ I can promise that there will, someday, be a conclusion to the Ispace Wars; I just need to, uh, finish writing all the chapters for it...

        hS

    • Congrats by Jacob175 on 2018-09-22 05:16:00 UTC Link to this

      Wow, 15 years? Good for you for managing to find a community you can hang out with for so long.

    • Awesome! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-21 04:48:00 UTC Link to this

      This was so much fun, I read the whole thing in one go yesterday morning, even though I had instead been planning to work on my scheme to save the Zombie Villagers up in the frozen north of my current Minecraft seed, and now I have to wait until next week to venture into the Nether in search of Blazes, because I'm out of town for a wedding over the weekend.

      This is just so PPC. A "Talk Like a Pirate" epidemic spreading rampantly through HQ and PPC-affiliated folks is so silly and so great I think I actually prefer to ignore the explanation. Or, perhaps the Ghost(s) in the Machine were specifically manipulating people directly connected to the future they're concerned about, but much of the rest of HQ happily went along with it because of course they did, it's the PPC. What do you expect in a world where memetics and comedy are natural physical forces? ^^

      I was amused that even "missing" Agent Cold got a mention. I don't think much of my chances of finding a character you didn't remember, but... Actually, just as I was about to post, I wondered, was <a href="https://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/D%C3%BAros      Black">Dúros Black in there?

      ~Neshomeh also has been around about 15 years and has no idea exactly when she joined, but reckons by the Glorious 25th of May and is therefore more senior than hS, so nyah!

      • Y'know, I'm actually going to give you Dúros Black. by Huinesoron on 2018-09-21 10:49:00 UTC Link to this

        I considered him early on (he would've been in with Architeuthis and Kyaris), but decided instead to de-adopt him; I've only used him a couple of times, and the DIA has moved on a lot since then. But, since I didn't actually edit the Wiki to reflect that, your find is valid.



        Dúros Black and Irvine, DIA

        (A recreation of the original Artemis Black & Irvine image, part of which is used as Black's pic on the Wiki.)

        As for ignoring the explanation... which one? Dafydd thinks it's the Universal Translators, Peter says it's him, the Ghosts say they were responsible (or do they?), the Weeds say it came from outside HQ, and multiple people think it's an excess of rhum. Much like the Joker, the best backstory is one that's not fixed in stone. ^^

        (I mean, my assumption is that Dafydd was right, and the Ghosts corrupted the Universal Translator software. But how does that account for Ramwe, whose speech isn't translated?

        Thanks for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed it. ^        ^

        hS

        • Yay! by Neshomeh on 2018-09-23 15:20:00 UTC Link to this

          But I'll have to try to find someone you actually forgot, too, just because. If anyone can meet this challenge, it should be me. {= D

          Re. explanation... good point! I remember thinking there were a few inconsistencies with what I thought was the actual cause, but didn't have time to get beyond that. So, yes, good. I retract the criticism. ^_^

          And I was wondering whether Dafydd turned his translator off or on when he touched it the first time. I mean, he was hearing piratical talk before and after (I think), so...?

          ~Neshomeh

          • Happy hunting. :D by Huinesoron on 2018-09-24 09:41:00 UTC Link to this

            I'd give you some pointers, but, y'know, I already included all the characters I could think of.

            Yep, Dafydd turned his UT off and then on again. He's not terribly fluent in the Malij language, but as an elf he's pretty good at picking them up. With the UT off, Furimem's response sounded perfectly normal.

            hS

    • Happy Boardiversary! The story was pretty fun yo read, as we (nm by Aeon on 2018-09-21 00:28:00 UTC Link to this
      • Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. :) (nm) by Huinesoron on 2018-09-21 10:49:00 UTC Link to this
      • *to (I'm sorry about that typo.) (nm) by Aeon on 2018-09-21 00:29:00 UTC Link to this
    • I should mention... by Huinesoron on 2018-09-20 13:47:00 UTC Link to this

      ... that despite the 'every single character' nature of Talk Like 15 Pirates, it's not written on the assumption that you'll remember who any of them are. It's perfectly fine to go into this only knowing a couple of my agents, or even none of them whatsoever.

      hS

    • A very happy Boardiversay to ye, Dread Pirate hS! (nm) by AC on 2018-09-20 04:37:00 UTC Link to this
    • Happy Boardiversary! (nm) by son_of_heaven176 on 2018-09-20 03:58:00 UTC Link to this
    • Though, I did spot one thing... by S.M.F. on 2018-09-19 23:59:00 UTC Link to this

      "Starwind drummed her fingers on the table, then stood abruptly as Râmwê through Huinesoron off and made another lunge for the scissors."

      Should be 'threw'. =P

      • Ta. Fixed. (nm) by Huinesoron on 2018-09-20 09:23:00 UTC Link to this
    • Since I'm not attempting the challenge - HAPPY BOARDIVERSARY by S.M.F. on 2018-09-19 23:48:00 UTC Link to this

      Also, what would happen if this 'rhum' got passed around at the next PPC Convention?~

      And the courtyard's previous story sets its segment here up perfectly.

      (Bonus YW talk: 'walking shadow' makes me think of Pluto/Aidoneus.)

      • Thank you! by Huinesoron on 2018-09-20 09:22:00 UTC Link to this

        Rhum actually specifically makes you talk (and act) like Captain Jack Sparrow... which frankly wouldn't be an unexpected sight at a Gathering anyway. ^_^ "But why are the Sues always gone, mate?"

        I had a rush job to finish the Courtyard Life piece, because I knew I needed Big Wee Billy for this one, and didn't want to spoil the reminder that there's a Feegle clan in HQ. Actually, the same applies to the last Driftwood mission - I got it finished because I needed the povs. Sometimes deadlines actually work!

        (I actually really like DD's Pluto. I know he's (probably?) not the Roman god, but he pulls off the 'dark without being evil' aspect that I always look for in Pluto/Hades. I put him right up there with the Dresden Files incarnation.)

        hS

        • (And since we're on that subject, now...) by S.M.F. on 2018-09-20 12:52:00 UTC Link to this

          What's your speculation on what going to happen in Book 11? =P

    • Glory be unto you! (nm) by 61516 on 2018-09-19 23:23:00 UTC Link to this
    • Happy Boardiversary to ye! (nm) by Maxewell on 2018-09-19 17:35:00 UTC Link to this
    • I be wishing ye a Happy Boardiversary! (nm) by Snowblaze on 2018-09-19 14:39:00 UTC Link to this
    • *cakefetti* by Iximaz on 2018-09-19 13:00:00 UTC Link to this

      Arr, happy Boardiversary, matey! Four years I been sailing these waters, an’ we all have the greatest respect for ye and yer very, very large cast o’characters.

      Here’s to another fifteen years! Fetch the rum, lads, and hoist anchor!

This software is licensed under the GNU Affero GPL version 3 or later. Source code is located at Github