It's always fun playing with Starwind and Estelnar.

The REAL Multiverse Monitor presents: the Blank Sprite edition by Huinesoron & Sergio Turbo on 2023-10-10 12:26:43 UTC Writing Plug Reply

If you've been on the PPC Board at any time since about 2013, you've probably encountered Sergio's epic stories - first "Blank Sprite", then "The World Without Authors". And if you've been on the Board at any time since about 2006, you've probably run into one or another of the Multiverse Monitors (or possibly several at once).

Now, for the first time, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Blank Sprite Incident, those two have come together to create... one:

The REAL Multiverse Monitor: Blank Sprite edition

We've got badly-handled interviews; we've got biased opinion pieces; we've got quotes taken wildly out of context and photographs of dubious moral status. All this alongside a wealth of cameos from both of our agents. All you ever wanted** from a tabloid newspaper!

**All you ever wanted not guaranteed. This product does affect your statutory rights but we refuse to say how.

re: Monitor by doctorlit on 2023-10-16 01:26:02 UTC Reply

This was such a delight! When I first opened this, I was expecting some articles showing different characters’ reactions to the Blank Sprite incident, but I love that you two worked a whole narrative through the issue! It gets more and more obvious as time goes that the editors not only didn’t bother to do any research beforehand, but that they barely have any clue who Sergio and Nikki even are! And their cluelessness gets even funnier with Corolla revealing at the end, that the incident wasn’t even kept secret in the first place, since she told everyone about it! I love it, and I love how Corolla gets the editors back good in the end!

Other things I lurved:
-I love the phrase, “wouldn’t see the grey light of HQ.” A prefect substitution!
-Starwind characterizing the Flowers as robotic with her “beep boop” impression. Not really accurate, but it still makes a certain amount of sense as a commentary on the moral and emotional differences between humans and the Flowers, especially from a human with a more manic disposition, like Starwind!
-fantastic unplanned coincidence with “What happened with those Agents and the SWAT Team”
-looking forward to learning about the Chocolate Heist!

Sergio, I’m sorry, but I’ve got some nitpicks with this paragraph:
"If that wasn’t enough to prove how much unreliable is this sorry excuse of a tabloid, well not only they tricked Arumi into writing for them, but when she did an honest article pointing out that what they wanted to imply simply had no legs to stand on, they went and rewrote the article to further their agenda! Of course, that couldn’t stand, so I reverted it back to the WIP version with Arumi’s own words and those two idiots’ notes detailing their plains."
-That first sentence will flow more naturally as, “If that wasn’t enough to prove how unreliable this sorry excuse of a tabloid is, well not only did they trick Arumi into writing for them . . .”
-If we’re going to detail the plains, then we’d better detail the islands, swamps, mountains and forests as well, just to make sure the set matches!

—doctorlit had to look up “Jeremy Bearimy”

It's always fun playing with Starwind and Estelnar. by Huinesoron on 2023-10-17 07:57:10 UTC Reply

Because they almost never appear in actual stories, I can just... stick random stuff into their dialogue and not have to justify it. Does Starwind actually think the Flowers are robots who use Ferengi idioms? Who knows! It'll probably never come up again. ^_^

The Great Chocolate Heist of '07 is whispered of in hushed tones, but mostly only when Leto from the General Store is around. Otherwise it's a hilarious story, especially once Mylissa and Pippin joined forces. I don't wanna spoil it, but you can access the Monitor's archives on most PPC consoles that aren't in RCs starting with a 7.

On Corolla: I kind of figured she was working in a second language (I think she originally speaks Japanese), so certain idioms would slip through, especially when stressed. I will correct 'plains' though.

hS

Well, technically Corolla's native language is Mid-Childan, not Japanese by Sergio Turbo on 2023-10-17 18:03:50 UTC Reply

Mid-Childan is rendered on-screen as broken-ish English, though, so it is totally fine for her to sound clunky at times.

It's totally intended! Not just an an excuse to hide the fact that I'm the one being a clunky non-native speaker honest!

Have read and enjoyed. by Neshomeh on 2023-10-14 01:07:37 UTC Reply

Is it just me, or is Starwind getting more manic over time? Is she okay? ^_~

I... should get around to actually reading Blank Sprite at some point. I think I planned on waiting until it was finished, and then life happened and I never did. >.> My apologies.

~Neshomeh

I think I sometimes use her as an outlet. by Huinesoron on 2023-10-17 08:05:28 UTC Reply

Sometimes it's fun just to write complete reckless mania. ^_^ But also, I keep learning or remembering things about her. The "tiny baby" comment comes from Araeph's smiting ceremony, one of the first appearances of Starwind, which establishes that she "shared [Simnal's] protective nature when it came to children". (I really need to make a list of all her appearances at some point... probably after I come up with a better picture for her Wiki page than her Page 3 photo, jeepers cripes Starwind what was going on with you.)

Glad you enjoyed it!

hS

Well, that as a wiki image is ironically fitting. by Sergio Turbo on 2023-10-17 18:09:24 UTC Reply

Starwind, the Multiverse Monitor OG always looking for saucy gossip about other agents (or outright making it up), has as her only recorded image a Page 3. It is amusing.

And could this stand without a companion piece? Of course not! by Sergio Turbo on 2023-10-11 10:48:32 UTC Edited Reply

Well... more like something I just pulled out of a drawer after several years.

The alternate epilogue to Blank Sprite, in which Kathleen turns out to not be so dead anymore.

It got canned since we axed the idea of making a follow-up work, but I believe it is still a fun read - it is full of Corolla being Corolla, Kathleen being Kathleen, and Sergio and Nikki having to deal with them both.

That is almost excessively Corolla. by Huinesoron on 2023-10-18 09:01:14 UTC Reply

Poor Sergio & Nikki wouldn't have known what they got themselves into. Which we knew already, because it's what they are into over in TWWA. ^_^

hS

Well, that is one of her most overdrive-y moments. by Sergio Turbo on 2023-10-19 16:09:44 UTC Reply

This is set right after the end of the Blank Sprite Incident - basically the first "calm" moment aftet Sergio and Nikki became a couple (again). She's in overhappy hyper celebrating mode!