History WebOriginal / ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum

* PunchClockHero: Being a PPC agent is a job, though agents generally aren't paid much post-Reorganisation (before which [[GoldenAge they were paid very well and got frequent holidays]], but at the cost of being ruled by the BigBad and his SecretPolice) and don't do it for the money. On the plus side, there isn't very much you ''need'' to pay for in HQ anyway.

The agents of the PPC work in pairs, as they are often fans of the canons they delve into and need help with staying objective on missions. Alternately, they work in pairs because their bosses (a group of [[PlantAliens sentient flora from another planet]]) specifically try to create {{Odd Couple}}s, which is supposed to improve mission performance. They are equipped for their tasks with a camouflage generator that hides them from canon characters and an electronic device that determines a character's status in the narrative and how much they've been distorted by the badfic. Proper job training for the agents is minimal at best, and the sizes of their paychecks and the state of their equipment is likewise marginal.

The group has [[http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Guide_to_the_PPC a wiki]] with a helpful guide for newbies. Its Posting Board (where most conversation is done) is [[https://www.plotprotectors.org/ here]] while TheOriginalSeries and some of the early spinoffs can be found [[https://plotprotectors.neocities.org/TOS/ here]]. All PPC fiction can be found[[https://ppc.fandom.com/wiki/The_Complete_List_of_PPC_Fiction here]], and it has [[https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Protectors%20of%20the%20Plot%20Continuum/works its own tag]] on [[ArchiveOfOurOwn AO3]]. They also have [[Fanfic/ThingsIAmNotAllowedToDoAtThePPC a list of things the agents aren't allowed to do]].

Ideally it strives to be a community of writers and fanfiction lovers first, not bullies. Within the community it is heavily frowned upon to take a pot-shot at a fanfiction writer -- it is ''unarguably'' poor fanfiction that is the subject of their ire, not the people who produce it. Naturally, the effectiveness of this is heavily subjective.

The group has [[http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Guide_to_the_PPC a wiki]] with a helpful guide for newbies. Its Posting Board (where most conversation is done) is [[https://www.plotprotectors.org/ here]] while TheOriginalSeries and some of the early spinoffs can be found [[https://plotprotectors.neocities.org/TOS/ here]]. They also have [[Fanfic/ThingsIAmNotAllowedToDoAtThePPC a list of things the agents aren't allowed to do]].

%%* HurtingHero: In ''spades'', usually through the trauma of all the weird stuff they get put through.

It is a community of writers and fanfiction lovers first, not bullies. Within the community it is heavily frowned upon to take a pot-shot at a fanfiction writer -- it is ''unarguably'' poor fanfiction that is the subject of their ire, not the people who produce it.

* ArtificialLimbs: Technician Narcolepsy of Testing and Application (a division of [=DoSAT=]) has artificial eyes and a computer in his brain. Other examples include Agent Suicide (11% replacement parts, can be considered a cyborg) and Agent Ally (artificial eye and arm).

* {{Deconstruction}}: For all the tropes on here, for the most part, the PPC is nearly entirely meant to be taken as a formulaic deconstruction of fanfiction and prose in general, up and to including the Ironic Overpower and the fact that much of the PPC verse is powered by the physics of narrative and that that missions take place in Word Worlds and is meant to follow the RuleOfFunny.

* HasTwoMommies: Many ex-Sue children, and some Mpreg kids, are adopted by Agents, and a few of them are same-sex couples or two people of the same sex who raise the child platonically.

* FloralThemeNaming: Three of Dafydd and Constance's children are named after the plants the latter grows.

* ShoutOutThemeNaming: The quartet of agents featured in the "Four Demonly Kings" spin-off all have surnames derived from ''Literature/TheGoldenDemon'', while their first names are taken from Japanese folklore. Agent Kaguya's parents also have their first names referencing [[Literature/TheTaleOfTheBambooCutter the same folk tale]] he's named after.

** Discussed in one mission, where an agent wants to kill an [[FunnyAnimal anthropomorphic cat]] villainess by [[ADateWithRosiePalms masturbating]] (in reference to the meme "God kills a kitten every time you masturbate"), but his partner vetoes the idea.

* NotGoodWithPeople: Some agents aren't very good with people. Agent Tasmin is a good example of this.

** Herr Wozzeck's missions.
** [=SkarmorySilver=]'s as well. The mission during which he sporked [[Fanfic/RiseOfTheGaleforces a badfic of his own creation]] clocked in at a mind-boggling ''87 pages.'' In '''single space.'''

** While most characters from The Original Series ended up [[PutOnABus permanently retired]], [[LongBusTrip particularly insane]], [[KilledOffForReal dead]], or in [[FateWorseThanDeath upper administration]], [[AnythingThatMoves Agent Lux]] will show up -- [[DepravedBisexual and molest]] -- nearly every spin-off.

** [[XtremeKoolLetterz Agent X]], [[AnythingThatMoves Luxury]], [[DeathSeeker Suicide]], [[RaptorAttack Velociripper]], the Marquis de Sod, etc.

* AnythingThatMoves: Agent Luxury is open to propositioning just about anyone, to the extent that the group's wiki states that her Lust Object(s) are "all sentient beings". Her [[EveryoneHasStandards only actual no-no]] appears to be children, as she [[BerserkButton displayed actual anger for the first time ever]] during a poorly-handled scene of child sexual abuse.

%%* ExactWords:
%%** Word Worlds do this when badfic gives improbable descriptions.

It is a community of writers and fanfiction lovers first, not bullies. Within the community it is heavily frowned upon to take a pot-shot at a fanfiction writer - it is ''unarguably'' poor fanfiction that is the subject of their ire, not the people who produce it.

The setting is an organization of the same name as the group, whose purpose is to tamper with fanfiction in order to bring it closer to the {{canon}} of the original work. The agents who work at the PPC are tasked with resolving the consequences of fanfic writers not thinking things through, regardless of the form they manifest in. However, the organization began with Mary Sue assassinations, and is most well-known for this. {{Possession Sue}}s, Bad Slash victims, and other OOC characters are exorcised back to their {{canon}} selves, but in earlier stories they could usually be fixed by simply removing {{Original Character}}s. Especially lucky or non-disruptive {{Original Character}}s may get recruited into the organization - for those who defend the canons must have a dash of the extraordinary in them.

* StumblingInTheNewForm: Whenever agents disguise themselves as ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'' style ponies, they struggle to walk on all fours and hold things in their hooves. And if they disguise themselves as a ''flying'' pony, they'll usually have trouble flying in the right direction as well.

* AnyLastWords: In the mission "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/16644677 In Other News, Water Is Wet]]", the villainous [[GodModeSue God-Mode Stu]] Titus asks [[BloodKnight Agent Chakkik]], whom he horribly crippled when the latter tried to take him on in single combat, if he has any last words. Chakkik responds by quoting, "[...][[Literature/MobyDick for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee...]]" followed by a SpitefulSpit. Titus prepares to kill him and the GaryStu protagonist anyway, but [[spoiler:what he doesn't know is that Chakkik has become part of a BadassAndChildDuo, and the child in question was requesting the assistance of ''Davy Jones himself'' at the time. Suffice it to say, she is ''not happy'' when she finds out what Titus did, and at [[SummonBiggerFish her command, the Kraken]] [[TotalPartyKill devours Titus, the protagonist Stu, and every single one of the villain's remaining crew members besides]]]].

%%* AttemptedRape: Many, many fics which get sporked. Laburnum narrowly escaped when a mission went wrong, and [[Fanfic/OfWarlordsAndPleasures Molly's father]] tried to molest her while possessed.

* ClusterFBomb: When Falchion reads off the charge list to the "heroic" GaryStu on his first mission, he's so mad at him that he practically spews out the F-word every five seconds.

* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: Nearly any Agent when upset or angry enough with {{Mary Sue}}s and their authors. Usually happens with their Lust Object in apparent dire straits. This especially applies to new Agents and those just somewhat, just ''somewhat'' upset with the Flowers.

** Often, especially {{squick}}-laden bits of fics aren't quoted directly. The most extreme example is probably from [[Fanfic/OfWarlordsAndPleasures the Cluny Fic]], where the agents spend most of the truly disgusting scenes screaming, throwing up, banging their heads against walls, and drinking as much alcohol as possible without going into any more detail about what's happening than that it involves a spear.

%%* HilarityEnsues: Nearly any mission where one Agent says, essentially, "I have an idea!" ends this way.

** The No-Drool videos. All we know is that they're made up of some of the most FetishRetardant scenes possible, designed to stop agents from lusting. Thankfully, apart from a few throwaway sentences, we don't know what these scenes are.

* TheScottishTrope: Both on the Posting Board and in the context of the missions, agents and writers avoid invoking the names of particularly horrifying badfics, either by censoring the name ("C*l*br**n") or just avoiding it ("[[Fanfic/OfWarlordsAndPleasures That Series]]").

** And in an example involving actual sea life, this is how [[KidHero Lapis]] saves [[BloodKnight Chakkik]] from [[https://docs.google.com/document/d/12nFPwjpdFbfdkMyBi42BZW72uUii3wUbnRNGkIeeMak/edit a near-fatal encounter]] with a literal, villainous [[GodModeSue God-Mode Stu]]. '''''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill "RELEASE]] [[PreAssKickingOneLiner THE]] [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean KRAKEN!!!"]]'''''

* UndyingLoyalty: Agent Momoka has this attitude toward Agent Kaguya due to her characterization's being inspired by the [[samurai]] archetype.

** Agent Kaguya is normally a sweet, pleasant NiceGuy, but during missions he's angry and irritable.

* LampshadeHanging: Near constant. One agent has been known to pull out and wave a ''literal'' lampsahde.

%%* GiftedlyBad: The writers of some of the fics sporked.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Agent Tawaki is a [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins werepenguin]] [[Franchise/StarTrek Borg]] who gets turned into a [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lord]].

* AnythingThatMoves: Agent Lux. [[{{Subversion}} Although]] she's also sworn off men since breaking up with Agent Sean. [[DoubleSubversion Except]] she's not too good at keeping a focus on that. [[ZigZaggingTrope And]] [[YouDoNotWantToKnow no one wants to know]] her stance on [[InterspeciesRomance nonhuman males]], [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction after her reaction to nonhuman females]]. [[ILoveTheDead Or what she does with the corpses she occasionally collects.]] Her [[EveryoneHasStandards only actual no-no]] appears to be children, as she [[BerserkButton displayed actual anger for the first time ever]] during a poorly-handled scene of child sexual abuse.

Somewhere in your favorite fandom, your most beloved characters and plot elements are being ruined right now. Everything that makes [[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Captain Jack Sparrow]] funny is being dropped for the sake of bad romance. [[Literature/HarryPotter Snape]] suddenly washes his hair, grows angel wings and yet no one bats an eye. [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia The four Pevensie siblings]] are [[BrotherSisterIncest having sex with each other]], as spelling and grammar are murdered wholesale describing that brand new sports car that [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Legolas]] somehow owns.

You cry out in horror as to what has happened to the series that you know and love... but the Protectors of the Plot Continuum are on the case!

Established in the early 2000s, the Protectors of the Plot Continuum (often referred to as The PPC) was originally a single saga of adventures but has since grown into both a whole expanded universe as well as an open community dedicated to preserving canon in fandom, promoting good writing, supporting critical thinking and analysis in fanwork, and above all, having fun. Modern PPC material is released by many different authors and for many different fandoms. Because of the wide variety of PPC authors, the style of writing as well as personal tastes in the story run a gamut from literary-oriented criticism, to madcap zany fun, to downright raunchy humor.

Installments in the Protectors of the Plot Continuum canon can be considered {{metafic}}tional SharedUniverse FanFic-WebOriginal crossbreeds. It's a thoroughly tongue-in-cheek[[note]]barring certain more serious stories or spinoffs, which still have elements of the usual sense of humour[[/note]] narrative about an organisation of the same name whose purpose it is to tamper with fanfiction in order to bring it closer to the {{canon}} of the original work. Various departments kill Mary Sues, exorcise characters in Bad Slash stories, retrieve characters from bad [=AUs=], untangle continuums in poorly-written crossovers, and do just about everything else that can be thought of. However, the organisation began with Sue assassinations, and is certainly most well-known for that.

{{Possession Sue}}s, Bad Slash victims, and other OOC characters are exorcised back to their {{canon}} selves, but in the early stories, they could usually be fixed by simply removing {{Original Character}}s. Especially lucky or non-disruptive {{Original Character}}s may get recruited into the organisation - for those who defend the canons must have a dash of the extraordinary in them.

The Protectors go in pairs, as they are often fans of the canon and need help to stay objective, and also because their bosses (a group of [[PlantAliens alien flowers and plants]] - [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext which does make sense according to the writers of the Protectors' adventures]]) specifically aim to create {{Odd Couple}}s, which is supposed to improve mission performance. They are equipped for their tasks with a camouflage generator that hides them from canon characters (though not fan-created ones), the electronic ranged equivalent of a Mary Sue Litmus Test, and a device that measures how much canon characters have been distorted by the badfic in question.

There is also quite a bit of workplace humour (the headquarters is surreal, mostly due to being created by the aforementioned PlantAliens), and explication of what sort of SociopathicHero a person has to be to do this necessary work. The [[RuleOfFunny Narrative Laws of Comedy]] (and others, such as the [[TemptingFate Ironic Overpower]]) all but govern life in HQ, enforced by the Legal department.

It's a setting where electronics tend to [[MadeOfExplodium blow up at the first excuse]] or [[InstantAIJustAddWater develop sentience if not properly maintained]], ''everything'' [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum Runs On Nonsensoleum]] and literal {{Plot Hole}}s, the Ironic Overpower will strike down anyone that [[TemptingFate tempts fate]], and {{pun}}s are [[IncrediblyLamePun unavoidable]]. Training is inconsistent at best, ranging from TrainingFromHell to [[SinkOrSwimMentor being given useless directions and surviving the first mission]], equipment and pay can be charitably described as [[ChekhovsArmoury exactly]] [[WithThisHerring minimal]]. Agents cause intentionally [[DeathByIrony ironic deaths]], Sue Soufflé is [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts Made From Real Sues]], and almost everyone wakes up the night after a party asking WhatDidIDoLastNight [[LampshadeHanging Expect lampshades]]. [[LampshadeWearing Both types]].

Unsurprisingly, the original series was inspired by Creator/TerryPratchett and his works.

[[TheWikiRule Has]] a [[http://ppc.wikia.com/wiki/Guide_to_the_PPC wiki]] with a helpful guide for newbies. Its Posting Board (where most conversation is done) is [[https://www.plotprotectors.org/ here]] while TheOriginalSeries and some of the early spinoffs can be found [[https://plotprotectors.neocities.org/TOS/ here]]. There is also a private Discord. To write PPC fic, one must obtain [[https://ppc.fandom.com/wiki/Permission Permission]]. The FanFic/OfficialFanfictionUniversity (and its spinoffs) share a multiverse with the PPC.

The ''Fanfic/AntiClicheAndMarySueEliminationSociety'' is a rather similar, but distinct, organisation with its own canon and way of doing things. It is also far more dramatic for the most part. In general, the PPC can be said to have [[GenrePopularizer popularized]] the MarySueHunter concept.