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

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

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

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

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

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%BArosBlack">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!

... 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

"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

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.)

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!