Azula? Uh-oh.

Crazy Little Thought... by NotHimAgain on 2013-09-21 21:33:00 UTC Reply

I thought of this a while ago. A pair of agents coming home from a mission discover that they inadvertently brought Pinkie Pie home with them. Wary of the consequences, one agent brings in Princess Azula or one of the Nazgul to help hunt her down and return her to Equestria. This, of course, backfires spectacularly. The agent tries to bring in someone even ˆmoreˆ powerful, and it happens over and over again, until HQ is caught in a multi-canon crossfire.
Of course, there are many ways that this could be done better. But that's what I have right now.

I agree with Techno-Dann and PoorCynic by hermione of vulcan on 2013-09-23 21:25:00 UTC Reply

But I think this would make a really awesome badfic game story.
Yeah, no. by PoorCynic on 2013-09-23 18:11:00 UTC Reply

I'm going to have to agree with Techno-Dann here (albeit in a somewhat more vehement fashion). This does not strike me as being a good idea, in large part because it doesn't make sense considering the structure of the PPC and what the PPC does.

If a canon were to get loose in HQ, then the Department of External Security would likely step in and take down (in a non-lethal sense, of course) the renegade character. If not them, then there are hypothetically hundreds of well-trained agents who could deal with the situation as well. Bringing in more dangerous canons in an attempt to capture the rogue would be phenomenally ridiculous considering all that.

Even with that taken into consideration, I have to ask: why Azula? Why a Nazgul? Why two nigh-uncontrollable villains? If you were to bring another canon in, why not an individual who is an accomplished hunter/trapper? Someone like Mustrum Ridcully (Discworld) or Sir Hammerlock (Borderlands 2). Not only are they good at what they do, they're also relatively benign -- especially in comparison to the unhinged Azula or the Ring-bound Nazgul.

Finally, PPC stories -- and HQ stories in particular -- are not about canons. They're about our agents, and how they live and work and react to badfic. This idea seems to be focused on the antics of the canonical characters and this ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny. Where do the agents fit into that picture, besides as the well-meaning dolts who cause the problem in the first place?

I don't mean to sound like I'm being mean or spiteful, I'm just trying to explain why your idea doesn't fit in regards to what the PPC is all about. I apologize if I seem overly brusque in my explanation.

Thanks for Criticisms! by NotHimAgain on 2013-09-28 16:47:00 UTC Reply

Like I said, this is a very rudimentary idea. I've been gradually fleshing it out, and playing around with the idea of writing it. If I did truly intend to write it, I would have a lot more points written out when I made the original post.

In answer to your DES point, Pinkie Pie is not only an unpredictable cloudcuckoolander with a party cannon, but she also possesses something called a "Pinkie Sense" and has displayed a stereotypical cartoon character ability to show up and disappear randomly. This would not make it easy to catch her, although I admit it would be a little easier to just throw a party.

In answer to the nigh-uncontrolable villain point, the agent I was thinking of would not be, in the common vernacular, a "genius." The thought process would go something like this: Hmm, I must hunt down Pinkie Pie. Hunt. Hunt. Hunt... Hey, the Nazgul can hunt, can't they?

With regard to the final point, this story is not meant to be about the antics of the canons. It is meant to focus on the agents, who are attempting to stop those antics, get the canons home, or at least slow them down enough for security to arrive.

Thank you again for pointing these very good points out. I hope this answers your concerns satisfactorily.
Re: Yeah, no. by AdmiralSakai on 2013-09-24 02:57:00 UTC Reply

I could see it working somewhat under different sircumstances. Instead of hunting for canons with other canons, I'm thinking of some kind of "leak" where canons are coming in from somewhere by accident. Maybe the more powerful ones are more likely to break through for some reason?

But I do agree- while a good writer could no doubt make it work, the idea is somewhat tangential to what the PPC actually does.

Not only that... by Outhra on 2013-09-24 05:00:00 UTC Reply

But I'm not sure what the leap in logic would be between the examples given. What is it about Azula that would make her a prime Pinkie Pie hunter? Even more so for the Nazgul, who don't really seem equipped for tracking something outside the scope of their Ring-based abilities any more than a normal person would be. And good luck trying to keep its fell-beast steed under control outside of Sauron's range.

The basic idea you mentioned for creatures leaking through into HQ is actually something I've been trying to work with for the DMFF. No canon character response teams, because that would be counter-productive at best, but there would be DMFF agents responsible for containing the infestation and sending the interlopers back. I'm not done with even the planning stages of that possibility yet, though, for the dual reasons of no Permission and a lack of good creatures to feature that wouldn't just act out the same scenario over and over.

Individual canon characters breaking through, though, I don't think so. Like PoorCynic said, we don't want antics of canons eclipsing the PPC characters.

Hm... by Techno-Dann on 2013-09-23 07:21:00 UTC Reply

Responding to a loose canon in HQ by loosing more canons really doesn't seem like a good idea. It's sort of contrary to what we do?

(And double or triply so on the bad-idea-o-meter for Azula or a Nazgul - that kind of power/scary really shouldn't be let loose on HQ.)
Azula? Uh-oh. by Karen DuLay on 2013-09-22 18:11:00 UTC Reply

That'd be kind of funny to see, considering her latest character development in the comics.
Or maybe Gimili. by KittyEden on 2013-09-22 12:26:00 UTC Reply

Because he seems to resist the Sues and PPC tech. He'd be curious, right?

You know... by NotHimAgain on 2013-09-22 19:51:00 UTC Reply

I rather think he would.
Mini spotted! by Desdendelle on 2013-09-22 16:44:00 UTC Reply

Someone send Gimili the mini-Balrog to OFUM, please.

Oops? (nm) (nm) by Kitty Eden on 2013-09-23 02:20:00 UTC Reply

Ooh! NM & NM's! by son_of_heaven176 on 2013-09-23 04:45:00 UTC Reply

I haven't ever tried these before! *munches*

I'll call Boba Fett and Wolf O'Donnell. by DemonFiren on 2013-09-21 21:38:00 UTC Reply

It's Massive Multiplayer Crossover Time (tm)!