Re: That's an interesting situation.

A question related to missions by Voyd on 2015-01-26 01:36:00 UTC Reply

How would you go about writing a mission if the in-universe canon expert is incapacitated in some way?

Basically, I have this idea: At the start of a mission, Valon (the canon expert of my team) finds himself on a skyscraper or something and has a full-blown acrophobic panic attack. Since Valon is too terrified to do anything but cling to the nearest structure and gibber like a pack of shoggoths, Kala is left without her guide.

How could Kala deal with this situation? My first guess is "call for help," but since neither of my agents has any contacts in the PPC, I can't think of an in-universe way to justify that.

That's an interesting situation. by SeaTurtle on 2015-01-26 02:39:00 UTC Reply

Maybe you could blindfold Valon and have him hang onto Kala as she moves about and tells him what's going on? If that doesn't jive then I suggest having another canon specialist replace him. If it's the start of the mission, Kala can guide her partner back to the RC (she stays in the fic so that his replacement can portal to her location) where he can send a Department-wide request for backup via ICEP. He doesn't need a contact: a general call will suffice.

Personally, I've always been fond of the idea that the Department of Intelligence sends some of its operatives along with Action Department agents if there is a gap in canon knowledge. It's also like some sort of foreshadowing for hS' post-Sundering PPC where Rangers assist the Paladins during the mission. If you wanna run with that, then go ahead.

Though... by Desdendelle on 2015-01-26 14:54:00 UTC Reply

Wasn't Sundering un-Canonised and turned into an AU a while back?

From a certain point of view. by Huinesoron on 2015-01-26 15:17:00 UTC Reply

The main PPC timeline got pushed away from the original Sundering timeline by the events of the Door to the Future RP, and more directly by the story End of the Beginning: Trousers of Time. So the Sundering (as written) won't happen.

That said, there's nothing to prevent the ideas that sprung up in it recurring. It's entirely possible the whole 'Spies taking an active role in missions' thing was in place before the Sundering, and carried over after; since it may not have been a result of the specific events of that timeline, it could just be the way the PPC is headed.

And heck, in some sense, it is. All these cowrites, no? Agent Huinesoron isn't a Spy, but he is a specialist whose only role is to take on joint missions with non-DOGA agents. It's a fun way to write, though writing a consistent team is also fun.

hS

Senior writer detected. Transmitting feed back request by Voyd on 2015-01-26 18:08:00 UTC Reply

What do you think of the idea? I don't recall ever seeing any truly phobic agents.

I'd probably go with 'call for help'. by Huinesoron on 2015-01-27 08:04:00 UTC Reply

At minimum, Kala can contact her Department Head, who can send for an expert while Valon is taken to FicPsych. Of course, that makes the whole affair nothing more than a sneaky way to introduce a cowrite, but...

As to phobias: well, Agent Huinesoron has a severe PTSD response to balrogs, but that's not quite the same. I can't think of one off the top of my head, either.

hS

Not a phobia per se, but... by Desdendelle on 2015-01-27 09:47:00 UTC Reply

Agent!Desdendelle has a really bad reaction to torture after seeing a Replacement of Fate Testarossa (from Lyrical Nanoha) torture a little child.

Re: That's an interesting situation. by Voyd on 2015-01-26 03:05:00 UTC Reply

Have you seen Valon's other appearances? He's not comfortable being in physical contact with people, especially women (mostly due to his fear of his own sexuality).

And I feel like after being very far away from solid ground, Valon would mostly shut down, with his mouth on autopilot (the stuttering gibberish of the panicked). My backup idea was tape a note to Nuking Manhatten (a mini-Brawler from Prototype) and send him into HQ to get help (Brawlers are fast).

Regardless, a mission with this scenario would necessarily be a collab, because I don't feel like wrestling another character concept out of my brain for just one mission.