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[[folder:My (unpublished) works]]
!![[DarthWiki/UnpublishedWorks Things I'm working on]] (or [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder thinking about working on]])[[note]]in order of how much I've been working on them lately (but not everything is on this list)[[/note]]:
* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It covers the events of the games, as well as what happens in the days/months/years before ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''.
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: An UrbanFantasy about {{A Boy And His| X}}… {{Druid}}.
* ''Homestay'' (placeholder title): About [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
* ''Qualia'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
[[/folder]]
!![[DarthWiki/UnpublishedWorks Things I'm working on]] (or [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder thinking about working on]])[[note]]in order of how much I've been working on them lately (but not everything is on this list)[[/note]]:
* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It covers the events of the games, as well as what happens in the days/months/years before ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''.
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: An UrbanFantasy about {{A Boy And His| X}}… {{Druid}}.
* ''Homestay'' (placeholder title): About [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
* ''Qualia'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
[[/folder]]
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[[folder:My (unpublished) works]]
!![[DarthWiki/UnpublishedWorks Things I'm working on]] (or [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder thinking about working on]])[[note]]in order of how much I've been working on them lately (but not everything is on this list)[[/note]]:
* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It covers the events of the games, as well as what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''.
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: An UrbanFantasy about {{ABoyAndHis|X}}… {{Druid}}.
* ''Homestay'' (tentative title): A story set in Itabashi, Japan, about [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
[[/folder]]
* ''Qualia'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
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My final argument is a matter of my own personal opinion: I think the puzzles in the co-op campaign are way more awesome than the ones in the singleplayer campaign. When I finished singleplayer, I felt some measure of disappointment in the puzzles. I can't put my finger on it, but they just lacked a certain something. The co-op campaign 100% rectified this — not only was I not disappointed, I was blown away. I don't know if this is merely because co-operative gameplay by its very nature allows for more interesting and complex puzzle design, or if the puzzle design was also just plain ''better'', but either way the result is the same: I think co-op is a cut above singleplayer puzzle-wise. If you end up feeling the same way, you'll be glad you played co-op last. If you ''don't'' end up feeling the same way...I apologize for misleading you.
to:
My final argument is a matter of my own personal opinion: I think the puzzles in the co-op campaign are way more awesome than the ones in the singleplayer campaign. When I finished singleplayer, I felt some measure of disappointment in the puzzles. I can't put my finger on it, but they just lacked a certain something. The co-op campaign 100% rectified this — not only was I not disappointed, I was blown away. I don't know if this is merely because co-operative gameplay by its very nature allows for more interesting and complex puzzle design, or if the puzzle design was also just plain ''better'', but either way the result is the same: I think co-op is a cut above singleplayer puzzle-wise. If you end up feeling the same way, you'll be glad you played co-op last. If you ''don't'' end up feeling the same way... I apologize for misleading you.
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''Decay'' was even worse. Aside from having a limited release[[labelnote:*]](Playstation 2 only, though an unofficial PC port was created...''seven years later'' — by which time it had become beyond irrelevant, as every other game in the franchise so far aside from ''Portal 2'' had been released in the meantime, so the story had moved way past the point where anyone had any reason to care what had happened to two scientists whose story was barely even relevant back when ''Half-Life'' was the whole story)[[/labelnote]], it was dull and tedious. The only new elements it introduced were a new character[[labelnote:*]]Not counting our new protagonists.[[/labelnote]] (Dr. Keller), a ''very'' short mission that you play as two vortigaunts (which you need an A grade on all missions to access and is hardly a huge selling point in the first place), and co-operative gameplay (which was poorly executed). The overly puzzle-oriented gameplay and ill-conceived co-op make ''Decay'' unexciting compared to its predecessors, and thus serves to bog down rather than enhance it. This in combination with the repetitive elements of "[[spoiler:something about a satellite]]" and "[[spoiler:resetting the thing]]" makes it clear that Gearbox has [[JumpingTheShark gone one game too far]]. ''Decay'' was a game that covered no new ground because ''there was no new ground to cover'' — or if there was, Gearbox didn't even come close to finding it. ''Decay'' was the very definition of superfluous.
to:
''Decay'' was even worse. Aside from having a limited release[[labelnote:*]](Playstation 2 only, though an unofficial PC port was created... ''seven years later'' — by which time it had become beyond irrelevant, as every other game in the franchise so far aside from ''Portal 2'' had been released in the meantime, so the story had moved way past the point where anyone had any reason to care what had happened to two scientists whose story was barely even relevant back when ''Half-Life'' was the whole story)[[/labelnote]], it was dull and tedious. The only new elements it introduced were a new character[[labelnote:*]]Not counting our new protagonists.[[/labelnote]] (Dr. Keller), a ''very'' short mission that you play as two vortigaunts (which you need an A grade on all missions to access and is hardly a huge selling point in the first place), and co-operative gameplay (which was poorly executed). The overly puzzle-oriented gameplay and ill-conceived co-op make ''Decay'' unexciting compared to its predecessors, and thus serves to bog down rather than enhance it. This in combination with the repetitive elements of "[[spoiler:something about a satellite]]" and "[[spoiler:resetting the thing]]" makes it clear that Gearbox has [[JumpingTheShark gone one game too far]]. ''Decay'' was a game that covered no new ground because ''there was no new ground to cover'' — or if there was, Gearbox didn't even come close to finding it. ''Decay'' was the very definition of superfluous.
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So. There it is. I guess you could say it's my ''Half-Life'' version of Machete Order. Wait, no, that's too presumptuous. Well, in any case, I'll call it...Crowbar Order. It's not as catchy, but at least that way if anyone ever wants to criticize it, they can say that it's an appropriate name because I'm "crowbarring" [-(i.e. shoehorning)-] games into places they shouldn't go. :D
to:
So. There it is. I guess you could say it's my ''Half-Life'' version of Machete Order. Wait, no, that's too presumptuous. Well, in any case, I'll call it... Crowbar Order. It's not as catchy, but at least that way if anyone ever wants to criticize it, they can say that it's an appropriate name because I'm "crowbarring" [-(i.e. shoehorning)-] games into places they shouldn't go. :D
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If you actually read all that...I applaud you. I don't think I would have. Yeesh. Maybe I'm not the only one here with too much time on my hands. ;)
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If you actually read all that... I applaud you. I don't think I would have. Yeesh. Maybe I'm not the only one here with too much time on my hands. ;)
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* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
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[[/folder]]
to:
* ''Qualia'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
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[[folder:A Treatise on Half-Life Play Order]]
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[[folder:A Treatise on Half-Life Play Order]]Order '''(WARNING: REALLY LONG)''']]
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[[folder:Tropes that I think describe me]]
* {{Adorkable}}: More so when I was younger. I'd hesitate to call myself particularly "adorable" at this stage in my life. Maybe next year.
* AmbiguousDisorder: My mom used to think I had UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome. No counsellor I've talked to thinks that's the case, but I can see why she'd think that. I have now been formally diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: People have been asking about my ethnic background more often than I would consider strictly normal since I entered my teens.
* AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder: Quite literally, as it turns out I actually have attention deficit disorder.
* BrilliantButLazy: Definitely lazy. I'm not really the best one to judge the "brilliant" part, but I was known for getting good grades in school, and I've always been [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway a very good speller]].
** Turns out the dichotomy is due to having attention deficit disorder; the assessment that led to this diagnosis confirmed both high cognitive ability and lack of motivation.
* BuffySpeak: Why I'm better at writing than speaking.
* UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}: This is where I live.
* ForeignCultureFetish: For Japan. But minus the "uncritical" admiration — I don't only love the TheThemeParkVersion. I'm aware of its flaws. There are plenty of things I don't like about Japan. There are things I ''hate'' about Japan. [[WartsAndAll But I love it anyway.]]
* FriendlessBackground: At some points in my life.
* MostFanficWritersAreGirls: …Hi.
* MotorMouth
* NotAMorningPerson
* OlderThanTheyLook: I'm often mistaken as being 2 to 4 years younger than I am. Sometimes more than that. I'm hoping this will continue into my 30s.
* {{Otaku}}
* ProudToBeAGeek
* SerialTweaker: I am so, so bad for this. If you've ever looked at a page history and happened to see my name appearing several times in a row... I apologize. And yes, I use the preview function. It only helps marginally.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: I have never learned the art of brevity. It takes me three lines to say what most people can say in half a line. I still haven't quite figured out how.
* SesquipedalianSmith: My given name is somewhat rare and three syllables long, but my surname is a variant of one of ''the'' most common surnames in North America[[labelnote:*]]Interestingly, according to [[http://names.whitepages.com WhitePages Names]], quite a few of the most common surnames in North America are some of the ones that most commonly accompany my given name (at least in the United States); and ''all'' the surnames on the list are Anglo-Saxon. Seems Anglo-Saxon people really like my name.[[/labelnote]]. I feel pretty blessed in the names department — I like my first, middle and last names individually, I like how my first and last names sound together, I like how all three sound together, and I like the contrast between my exotic-ish first name and my common, Anglo-Saxon surname. Plus, while my first name is not yet common enough that I've met many people with it, it's ''just'' common enough that you'd still have a fair chance of finding it on products with names on them, like pens, keychains, [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmT7JDzPN_eWLGPldwk44GA birthday song playlists]], etc.
* UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}: Where I was born.
* SugarWiki/TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLife
* TVTropesWillRuinYourLife
[[/folder]]
* {{Adorkable}}: More so when I was younger. I'd hesitate to call myself particularly "adorable" at this stage in my life. Maybe next year.
* AmbiguousDisorder: My mom used to think I had UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome. No counsellor I've talked to thinks that's the case, but I can see why she'd think that. I have now been formally diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: People have been asking about my ethnic background more often than I would consider strictly normal since I entered my teens.
* AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder: Quite literally, as it turns out I actually have attention deficit disorder.
* BrilliantButLazy: Definitely lazy. I'm not really the best one to judge the "brilliant" part, but I was known for getting good grades in school, and I've always been [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway a very good speller]].
** Turns out the dichotomy is due to having attention deficit disorder; the assessment that led to this diagnosis confirmed both high cognitive ability and lack of motivation.
* BuffySpeak: Why I'm better at writing than speaking.
* UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}: This is where I live.
* ForeignCultureFetish: For Japan. But minus the "uncritical" admiration — I don't only love the TheThemeParkVersion. I'm aware of its flaws. There are plenty of things I don't like about Japan. There are things I ''hate'' about Japan. [[WartsAndAll But I love it anyway.]]
* FriendlessBackground: At some points in my life.
* MostFanficWritersAreGirls: …Hi.
* MotorMouth
* NotAMorningPerson
* OlderThanTheyLook: I'm often mistaken as being 2 to 4 years younger than I am. Sometimes more than that. I'm hoping this will continue into my 30s.
* {{Otaku}}
* ProudToBeAGeek
* SerialTweaker: I am so, so bad for this. If you've ever looked at a page history and happened to see my name appearing several times in a row... I apologize. And yes, I use the preview function. It only helps marginally.
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: I have never learned the art of brevity. It takes me three lines to say what most people can say in half a line. I still haven't quite figured out how.
* SesquipedalianSmith: My given name is somewhat rare and three syllables long, but my surname is a variant of one of ''the'' most common surnames in North America[[labelnote:*]]Interestingly, according to [[http://names.whitepages.com WhitePages Names]], quite a few of the most common surnames in North America are some of the ones that most commonly accompany my given name (at least in the United States); and ''all'' the surnames on the list are Anglo-Saxon. Seems Anglo-Saxon people really like my name.[[/labelnote]]. I feel pretty blessed in the names department — I like my first, middle and last names individually, I like how my first and last names sound together, I like how all three sound together, and I like the contrast between my exotic-ish first name and my common, Anglo-Saxon surname. Plus, while my first name is not yet common enough that I've met many people with it, it's ''just'' common enough that you'd still have a fair chance of finding it on products with names on them, like pens, keychains, [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmT7JDzPN_eWLGPldwk44GA birthday song playlists]], etc.
* UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}: Where I was born.
* SugarWiki/TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLife
* TVTropesWillRuinYourLife
[[/folder]]
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* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It covers the events of the games, but my focus is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
** Intended medium: Webcomic
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: 19-year-old [[PunnyName Miles North]] comes home from a Halloween party to find a mysterious young man staring intently at his house. The next night, Miles is attacked by a spirit, and is rescued by the mysterious stranger from the night before. Neil won't say where he came from, but it quickly becomes clear that this is his first contact with normal human civilization, and Miles suspects that he's an alien. Neil soon reveals that he's actually a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid druid]] recently released from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Otherworld Otherworld]], and in order to avoid being taken back there, he has to complete [[TheQuest a quest]]. But first he has to find his [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vates vates]].
** Intended medium: Webcomic and/or animated series
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to take her out of there and see what he can do for her.
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
* ''Homestay'': A story set in Itabashi, Japan, about [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes that are present in a lot of my works]]
* AuthorAppeal: I can't resist having these somewhere in a work, even if it's just an Easter egg, a bilingual bonus, or an obscure ShoutOut.
* AuthorAvatar: Many of my stories were begun ten or more years ago, before I realized this was a bad idea. I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to downplay it in most of my stories. Currently the worst offender is ''Homestay'', whose protagonist is like me not only in appearance but in personal interests (though not in personality). The others are not like me in personality at all — only in appearance (and even this I've changed enough that I don't consider them to really resemble me anymore).
* BilingualBonus: Such fun!
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay'' and ''World Line''.
* GoodParents: Almost all the parents in my stories. Many of my main characters have enough problems as it is without also having bad parents — so unless their parents are a source of conflict in the plot or a subplot, they will probably be good parents (sometimes unrealistically so). I think I have some kind of unwritten rule, like Law of Conservation of Angst, or something.
* HappilyMarried: Almost all my married couples. See GoodParents above.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''World Line'' is a particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} example.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're often meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe explanation.
* SeinfeldianConversation: What other kind is there? ;)
* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: I exploit the hell out of this whenever the opportunity presents itself, because there's endless potential for hilarity or misunderstandings.
* ShownTheirWork: I try, anyway. Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Usually averted, one obvious exception being ''World Line'' (but even that averts it, just not as much as my other works).
* WritersCannotDoMath: I try to avert this like the plague. I'm not good at math, but I'm good at internet and calculator.
[[/folder]]
!!Works I've been introduced to via TV Tropes:
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom''
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' (I think)
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' (I think)
* ''Manga/FrankenFran''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]'' (via another comic)
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' (I think)
* ''Manga/SakuraGari''
* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent''
* ''Webcomic/{{Superego}}''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' (I think)
!!My [[SugarWiki/FavoriteTrope favourite tropes]][[note]](I like to see them played straight or played with)[[/note]]:
* ArmorPiercingQuestion
* ArmorPiercingResponse
* {{Realism}}
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
* ShownTheirWork
* SliceOfLife
!!My [[PetPeeveTrope pet peeve tropes]][[note]](not necessarily [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] for me, and sometimes I actually like them, but I can't help but respect a work that averts them, and I try to avert them myself)[[/note]]:
* AIIsACrapshoot
* AlienNonInterferenceClause
* AnimeAccentAbsence
* CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel
* CreatingLifeIsBad
* EvilBrit
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim
* MeanBrit
* {{Mukokuseki}}
* PhenotypeStereotype
* SmallStepsHero
* ThereAreNoTherapists
* TranslationConvention
* WritersCannotDoMath
!!My favourite {{creators}} (not exhaustive):
!!!{{Literature}}
* Creator/EdgarAllanPoe
* Creator/IsaacAsimov
* Creator/JKRowling
[[folder:Music]]
!!!Western
* Music/{{Adele}}
* Music/AvrilLavigne
* Music/BarenakedLadies
* Music/TheBlackEyedPeas
* Music/EdithPiaf
* Fefe Dobson
* The Glitch Mob
* [[Music/NoDoubt Gwen Stefani]]
* Creator/JesperKyd
* Joel Nielsen (creator of the ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' soundtrack)
* Music/KatyPerry
* Kelly Bailey (creator of the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' soundtracks)
* Music/KellyClarkson
* Keny Arkana
* KT Tunstall
* Lady Sovereign
* Music/{{Lights}}
* Music/LindseyStirling
* Music/{{Metric}}
* Music/{{Nickelback}}
* Porcelain and the Tramps
* Music/{{Shakira}}
* Music/TransSiberianOrchestra
* Music/WalkOffTheEarth
!!!East Asian
* Music/AliProject
* Music/KanonWakeshima
* Creator/MaayaSakamoto
* Music/MaximumTheHormone
* [[Music/HelloProject Morning Musume]]
* Music/{{Perfume}}
[[/folder]]
!!!VideoGames
* Creator/EllenMcLain
* Creator/ValveSoftware
!!!WebOriginal
* WebVideo/BirgirPall
* LetsPlay/ChristopherOdd
* WebVideo/GameGrumps
* [[LetsPlay/{{Mangaminx}} Minx]]
* LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}}
* WebVideo/MysteryGuitarMan
!!My favourite {{works}} (not exhaustive):
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Films]]
* ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''
* ''[[Film/{{Amelie}} Amélie]]''
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}''
* ''Film/TheBestExoticMarigoldHotel''
* ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow''
* ''Film/DoloresClaiborne''
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''
* ''Film/FreedomWriters''
* ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''
* ''Film/HomeAlone'' and first sequel
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''
* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid''
* ''Film/TheMatrix''
* ''Film/NationalTreasure'' and sequel
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and sequels
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' and first sequel
* ''Film/SnowCake''
* ''Film/{{Super 8}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' trilogy
* ''Literature/TheGirlIn6E''
* The ''HarryPotter'' series
* ''Literature/IRobot''
* ''Literature/{{Nightfall}}''
* ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''
* ''Literature/QAndA''
* ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand''
* ''Literature/WorldWarZ''
* ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BreakingBad''
* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
* ''Series/{{Friends}}''
* ''Series/GameOfThrones''
* ''[[Series/AirCrashInvestigation Mayday]]''
* ''Series/UntoldStoriesOfTheER''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Machinima]]
* ''Chell's Mind''
* ''Machinima/ClearSkies''
* ''Machinima/FreemansMind''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Manga and Anime]]
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' (anime sub or dub)
* ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/ChuunibyouDemoKoiGaShitai'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/DeathNote'' (manga and anime dub)
* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' (manga)
* ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/KnightsOfSidonia'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/ReZero'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/SagradaReset'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/SkipBeat'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (manga)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'' and sequel
* ''{{Hamlet}}''
* ''Theatre/OedipusRex''
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Valentine Shirley Valentine]]''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''
* ''VideoGame/{{Antichamber}}''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI Assassin's Creed]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed II]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock}}''
* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite''
* ''VideoGame/BlackMesa''
* ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}''
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve''
* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor''
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' series and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series
* ''VideoGame/{{Limbo}}''
* ''VideoGame/MarbleBlastGold''
* ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''
* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics (and Machinomics)]]
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics''
* ''Webcomic/TheFoxSister''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/LifeWithLamarr''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]''
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
* ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum''
* ''Webcomic/ThePhoenixRequiem''
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''
* ''Webcomic/RomanticallyApocalyptic''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul''
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WebAnimation and WebVideo]]
* ''WebAnimation/ASDFMovie''
* ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged''
* ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries''
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''
* ''WebAnimation/SaladFingers''
[[/folder]]
----
** Intended medium: Webcomic
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: 19-year-old [[PunnyName Miles North]] comes home from a Halloween party to find a mysterious young man staring intently at his house. The next night, Miles is attacked by a spirit, and is rescued by the mysterious stranger from the night before. Neil won't say where he came from, but it quickly becomes clear that this is his first contact with normal human civilization, and Miles suspects that he's an alien. Neil soon reveals that he's actually a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid druid]] recently released from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Otherworld Otherworld]], and in order to avoid being taken back there, he has to complete [[TheQuest a quest]]. But first he has to find his [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vates vates]].
** Intended medium: Webcomic and/or animated series
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to take her out of there and see what he can do for her.
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
* ''Homestay'': A story set in Itabashi, Japan, about [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes that are present in a lot of my works]]
* AuthorAppeal: I can't resist having these somewhere in a work, even if it's just an Easter egg, a bilingual bonus, or an obscure ShoutOut.
* AuthorAvatar: Many of my stories were begun ten or more years ago, before I realized this was a bad idea. I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to downplay it in most of my stories. Currently the worst offender is ''Homestay'', whose protagonist is like me not only in appearance but in personal interests (though not in personality). The others are not like me in personality at all — only in appearance (and even this I've changed enough that I don't consider them to really resemble me anymore).
* BilingualBonus: Such fun!
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay'' and ''World Line''.
* GoodParents: Almost all the parents in my stories. Many of my main characters have enough problems as it is without also having bad parents — so unless their parents are a source of conflict in the plot or a subplot, they will probably be good parents (sometimes unrealistically so). I think I have some kind of unwritten rule, like Law of Conservation of Angst, or something.
* HappilyMarried: Almost all my married couples. See GoodParents above.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''World Line'' is a particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} example.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're often meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe explanation.
* SeinfeldianConversation: What other kind is there? ;)
* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: I exploit the hell out of this whenever the opportunity presents itself, because there's endless potential for hilarity or misunderstandings.
* ShownTheirWork: I try, anyway. Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Usually averted, one obvious exception being ''World Line'' (but even that averts it, just not as much as my other works).
* WritersCannotDoMath: I try to avert this like the plague. I'm not good at math, but I'm good at internet and calculator.
[[/folder]]
!!Works I've been introduced to via TV Tropes:
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom''
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' (I think)
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' (I think)
* ''Manga/FrankenFran''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]'' (via another comic)
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' (I think)
* ''Manga/SakuraGari''
* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent''
* ''Webcomic/{{Superego}}''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' (I think)
!!My [[SugarWiki/FavoriteTrope favourite tropes]][[note]](I like to see them played straight or played with)[[/note]]:
* ArmorPiercingQuestion
* ArmorPiercingResponse
* {{Realism}}
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
* ShownTheirWork
* SliceOfLife
!!My [[PetPeeveTrope pet peeve tropes]][[note]](not necessarily [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] for me, and sometimes I actually like them, but I can't help but respect a work that averts them, and I try to avert them myself)[[/note]]:
* AIIsACrapshoot
* AlienNonInterferenceClause
* AnimeAccentAbsence
* CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel
* CreatingLifeIsBad
* EvilBrit
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim
* MeanBrit
* {{Mukokuseki}}
* PhenotypeStereotype
* SmallStepsHero
* ThereAreNoTherapists
* TranslationConvention
* WritersCannotDoMath
!!My favourite {{creators}} (not exhaustive):
!!!{{Literature}}
* Creator/EdgarAllanPoe
* Creator/IsaacAsimov
* Creator/JKRowling
[[folder:Music]]
!!!Western
* Music/{{Adele}}
* Music/AvrilLavigne
* Music/BarenakedLadies
* Music/TheBlackEyedPeas
* Music/EdithPiaf
* Fefe Dobson
* The Glitch Mob
* [[Music/NoDoubt Gwen Stefani]]
* Creator/JesperKyd
* Joel Nielsen (creator of the ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' soundtrack)
* Music/KatyPerry
* Kelly Bailey (creator of the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' soundtracks)
* Music/KellyClarkson
* Keny Arkana
* KT Tunstall
* Lady Sovereign
* Music/{{Lights}}
* Music/LindseyStirling
* Music/{{Metric}}
* Music/{{Nickelback}}
* Porcelain and the Tramps
* Music/{{Shakira}}
* Music/TransSiberianOrchestra
* Music/WalkOffTheEarth
!!!East Asian
* Music/AliProject
* Music/KanonWakeshima
* Creator/MaayaSakamoto
* Music/MaximumTheHormone
* [[Music/HelloProject Morning Musume]]
* Music/{{Perfume}}
[[/folder]]
!!!VideoGames
* Creator/EllenMcLain
* Creator/ValveSoftware
!!!WebOriginal
* WebVideo/BirgirPall
* LetsPlay/ChristopherOdd
* WebVideo/GameGrumps
* [[LetsPlay/{{Mangaminx}} Minx]]
* LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}}
* WebVideo/MysteryGuitarMan
!!My favourite {{works}} (not exhaustive):
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Films]]
* ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''
* ''[[Film/{{Amelie}} Amélie]]''
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}''
* ''Film/TheBestExoticMarigoldHotel''
* ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow''
* ''Film/DoloresClaiborne''
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''
* ''Film/FreedomWriters''
* ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''
* ''Film/HomeAlone'' and first sequel
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''
* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid''
* ''Film/TheMatrix''
* ''Film/NationalTreasure'' and sequel
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and sequels
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' and first sequel
* ''Film/SnowCake''
* ''Film/{{Super 8}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' trilogy
* ''Literature/TheGirlIn6E''
* The ''HarryPotter'' series
* ''Literature/IRobot''
* ''Literature/{{Nightfall}}''
* ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''
* ''Literature/QAndA''
* ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand''
* ''Literature/WorldWarZ''
* ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BreakingBad''
* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
* ''Series/{{Friends}}''
* ''Series/GameOfThrones''
* ''[[Series/AirCrashInvestigation Mayday]]''
* ''Series/UntoldStoriesOfTheER''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Machinima]]
* ''Chell's Mind''
* ''Machinima/ClearSkies''
* ''Machinima/FreemansMind''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Manga and Anime]]
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' (anime sub or dub)
* ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/ChuunibyouDemoKoiGaShitai'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/DeathNote'' (manga and anime dub)
* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' (manga)
* ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/KnightsOfSidonia'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/ReZero'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/SagradaReset'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/SkipBeat'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (manga)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'' and sequel
* ''{{Hamlet}}''
* ''Theatre/OedipusRex''
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Valentine Shirley Valentine]]''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''
* ''VideoGame/{{Antichamber}}''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI Assassin's Creed]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed II]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock}}''
* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite''
* ''VideoGame/BlackMesa''
* ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}''
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve''
* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor''
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' series and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series
* ''VideoGame/{{Limbo}}''
* ''VideoGame/MarbleBlastGold''
* ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''
* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics (and Machinomics)]]
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics''
* ''Webcomic/TheFoxSister''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/LifeWithLamarr''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]''
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
* ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum''
* ''Webcomic/ThePhoenixRequiem''
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''
* ''Webcomic/RomanticallyApocalyptic''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul''
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WebAnimation and WebVideo]]
* ''WebAnimation/ASDFMovie''
* ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged''
* ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries''
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''
* ''WebAnimation/SaladFingers''
[[/folder]]
----
to:
* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It covers the events of the games, but my focus is on as well as what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
** Intended medium: Webcomic
Two''.
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]:19-year-old [[PunnyName Miles North]] comes home from a Halloween party to find a mysterious young man staring intently at his house. The next night, Miles is attacked by a spirit, and is rescued by the mysterious stranger from the night before. Neil won't say where he came from, but it quickly becomes clear that this is his first contact with normal human civilization, and Miles suspects that he's an alien. Neil soon reveals that he's actually a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid druid]] recently released from the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Otherworld Otherworld]], and in order to avoid being taken back there, he has to complete [[TheQuest a quest]]. But first he has to find his [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vates vates]].
** Intended medium: Webcomic and/or animated series
An UrbanFantasy about {{ABoyAndHis|X}}… {{Druid}}.
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLifeUrbanFantasy. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he UrbanFantasy about an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who finds a [[WildChild girl]] in a [[EldritchLocation castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very very]] [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to take her out of there and see what he can do for her.
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
strange]] [[GeniusLoci castle]].
*''Homestay'': ''Homestay'' (tentative title): A story set in Itabashi, Japan, about [[AuthorAvatar a Canadian girl who is obsessed with Japan]] and goes there on a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homestay homestay]].
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes that are present in a lot of my works]]
* AuthorAppeal: I can't resist having these somewhere in a work, even if it's just an Easter egg, a bilingual bonus, or an obscure ShoutOut.
* AuthorAvatar: Many of my stories were begun ten or more years ago, before I realized this was a bad idea. I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to downplay it in most of my stories. Currently the worst offender is ''Homestay'', whose protagonist is like me not only in appearance but in personal interests (though not in personality). The others are not like me in personality at all — only in appearance (and even this I've changed enough that I don't consider them to really resemble me anymore).
* BilingualBonus: Such fun!
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay'' and ''World Line''.
* GoodParents: Almost all the parents in my stories. Many of my main characters have enough problems as it is without also having bad parents — so unless their parents are a source of conflict in the plot or a subplot, they will probably be good parents (sometimes unrealistically so). I think I have some kind of unwritten rule, like Law of Conservation of Angst, or something.
* HappilyMarried: Almost all my married couples. See GoodParents above.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''World Line'' is a particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} example.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're often meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe explanation.
* SeinfeldianConversation: What other kind is there? ;)
* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: I exploit the hell out of this whenever the opportunity presents itself, because there's endless potential for hilarity or misunderstandings.
* ShownTheirWork: I try, anyway. Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Usually averted, one obvious exception being ''World Line'' (but even that averts it, just not as much as my other works).
* WritersCannotDoMath: I try to avert this like the plague. I'm not good at math, but I'm good at internet and calculator.
[[/folder]]
!!Works I've been introduced to via TV Tropes:
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom''
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' (I think)
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' (I think)
* ''Manga/FrankenFran''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]'' (via another comic)
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' (I think)
* ''Manga/SakuraGari''
* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent''
* ''Webcomic/{{Superego}}''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' (I think)
!!My [[SugarWiki/FavoriteTrope favourite tropes]][[note]](I like to see them played straight or played with)[[/note]]:
* ArmorPiercingQuestion
* ArmorPiercingResponse
* {{Realism}}
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
* ShownTheirWork
* SliceOfLife
!!My [[PetPeeveTrope pet peeve tropes]][[note]](not necessarily [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] for me, and sometimes I actually like them, but I can't help but respect a work that averts them, and I try to avert them myself)[[/note]]:
* AIIsACrapshoot
* AlienNonInterferenceClause
* AnimeAccentAbsence
* CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel
* CreatingLifeIsBad
* EvilBrit
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim
* MeanBrit
* {{Mukokuseki}}
* PhenotypeStereotype
* SmallStepsHero
* ThereAreNoTherapists
* TranslationConvention
* WritersCannotDoMath
!!My favourite {{creators}} (not exhaustive):
!!!{{Literature}}
* Creator/EdgarAllanPoe
* Creator/IsaacAsimov
* Creator/JKRowling
[[folder:Music]]
!!!Western
* Music/{{Adele}}
* Music/AvrilLavigne
* Music/BarenakedLadies
* Music/TheBlackEyedPeas
* Music/EdithPiaf
* Fefe Dobson
* The Glitch Mob
* [[Music/NoDoubt Gwen Stefani]]
* Creator/JesperKyd
* Joel Nielsen (creator of the ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' soundtrack)
* Music/KatyPerry
* Kelly Bailey (creator of the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' soundtracks)
* Music/KellyClarkson
* Keny Arkana
* KT Tunstall
* Lady Sovereign
* Music/{{Lights}}
* Music/LindseyStirling
* Music/{{Metric}}
* Music/{{Nickelback}}
* Porcelain and the Tramps
* Music/{{Shakira}}
* Music/TransSiberianOrchestra
* Music/WalkOffTheEarth
!!!East Asian
* Music/AliProject
* Music/KanonWakeshima
* Creator/MaayaSakamoto
* Music/MaximumTheHormone
* [[Music/HelloProject Morning Musume]]
* Music/{{Perfume}}
[[/folder]]
!!!VideoGames
* Creator/EllenMcLain
* Creator/ValveSoftware
!!!WebOriginal
* WebVideo/BirgirPall
* LetsPlay/ChristopherOdd
* WebVideo/GameGrumps
* [[LetsPlay/{{Mangaminx}} Minx]]
* LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}}
* WebVideo/MysteryGuitarMan
!!My favourite {{works}} (not exhaustive):
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Films]]
* ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''
* ''[[Film/{{Amelie}} Amélie]]''
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}''
* ''Film/TheBestExoticMarigoldHotel''
* ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow''
* ''Film/DoloresClaiborne''
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''
* ''Film/FreedomWriters''
* ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''
* ''Film/HomeAlone'' and first sequel
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''
* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid''
* ''Film/TheMatrix''
* ''Film/NationalTreasure'' and sequel
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and sequels
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' and first sequel
* ''Film/SnowCake''
* ''Film/{{Super 8}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' trilogy
* ''Literature/TheGirlIn6E''
* The ''HarryPotter'' series
* ''Literature/IRobot''
* ''Literature/{{Nightfall}}''
* ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''
* ''Literature/QAndA''
* ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand''
* ''Literature/WorldWarZ''
* ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BreakingBad''
* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
* ''Series/{{Friends}}''
* ''Series/GameOfThrones''
* ''[[Series/AirCrashInvestigation Mayday]]''
* ''Series/UntoldStoriesOfTheER''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Machinima]]
* ''Chell's Mind''
* ''Machinima/ClearSkies''
* ''Machinima/FreemansMind''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Manga and Anime]]
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' (anime sub or dub)
* ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/ChuunibyouDemoKoiGaShitai'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/DeathNote'' (manga and anime dub)
* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' (manga)
* ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/KnightsOfSidonia'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/ReZero'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/SagradaReset'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/SkipBeat'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (manga)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'' and sequel
* ''{{Hamlet}}''
* ''Theatre/OedipusRex''
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Valentine Shirley Valentine]]''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''
* ''VideoGame/{{Antichamber}}''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI Assassin's Creed]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed II]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock}}''
* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite''
* ''VideoGame/BlackMesa''
* ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}''
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve''
* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor''
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' series and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series
* ''VideoGame/{{Limbo}}''
* ''VideoGame/MarbleBlastGold''
* ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''
* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics (and Machinomics)]]
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics''
* ''Webcomic/TheFoxSister''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/LifeWithLamarr''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]''
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
* ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum''
* ''Webcomic/ThePhoenixRequiem''
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''
* ''Webcomic/RomanticallyApocalyptic''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul''
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WebAnimation and WebVideo]]
* ''WebAnimation/ASDFMovie''
* ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged''
* ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries''
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''
* ''WebAnimation/SaladFingers''
[[/folder]]
----[[/folder]]
** Intended medium: Webcomic
* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]:
** Intended medium: Webcomic and/or animated series
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife
** Intended medium: Manga/anime
*
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes that are present in a lot of my works]]
* AuthorAppeal: I can't resist having these somewhere in a work, even if it's just an Easter egg, a bilingual bonus, or an obscure ShoutOut.
* AuthorAvatar: Many of my stories were begun ten or more years ago, before I realized this was a bad idea. I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to downplay it in most of my stories. Currently the worst offender is ''Homestay'', whose protagonist is like me not only in appearance but in personal interests (though not in personality). The others are not like me in personality at all — only in appearance (and even this I've changed enough that I don't consider them to really resemble me anymore).
* BilingualBonus: Such fun!
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay'' and ''World Line''.
* GoodParents: Almost all the parents in my stories. Many of my main characters have enough problems as it is without also having bad parents — so unless their parents are a source of conflict in the plot or a subplot, they will probably be good parents (sometimes unrealistically so). I think I have some kind of unwritten rule, like Law of Conservation of Angst, or something.
* HappilyMarried: Almost all my married couples. See GoodParents above.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''World Line'' is a particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} example.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're often meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe explanation.
* SeinfeldianConversation: What other kind is there? ;)
* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: I exploit the hell out of this whenever the opportunity presents itself, because there's endless potential for hilarity or misunderstandings.
* ShownTheirWork: I try, anyway. Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Usually averted, one obvious exception being ''World Line'' (but even that averts it, just not as much as my other works).
* WritersCannotDoMath: I try to avert this like the plague. I'm not good at math, but I'm good at internet and calculator.
[[/folder]]
!!Works I've been introduced to via TV Tropes:
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom''
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' (I think)
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' (I think)
* ''Manga/FrankenFran''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]'' (via another comic)
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' (I think)
* ''Manga/SakuraGari''
* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent''
* ''Webcomic/{{Superego}}''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul'' (I think)
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}'' (I think)
!!My [[SugarWiki/FavoriteTrope favourite tropes]][[note]](I like to see them played straight or played with)[[/note]]:
* ArmorPiercingQuestion
* ArmorPiercingResponse
* {{Realism}}
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
* ShownTheirWork
* SliceOfLife
!!My [[PetPeeveTrope pet peeve tropes]][[note]](not necessarily [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] for me, and sometimes I actually like them, but I can't help but respect a work that averts them, and I try to avert them myself)[[/note]]:
* AIIsACrapshoot
* AlienNonInterferenceClause
* AnimeAccentAbsence
* CosmeticallyAdvancedPrequel
* CreatingLifeIsBad
* EvilBrit
* IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim
* MeanBrit
* {{Mukokuseki}}
* PhenotypeStereotype
* SmallStepsHero
* ThereAreNoTherapists
* TranslationConvention
* WritersCannotDoMath
!!My favourite {{creators}} (not exhaustive):
!!!{{Literature}}
* Creator/EdgarAllanPoe
* Creator/IsaacAsimov
* Creator/JKRowling
[[folder:Music]]
!!!Western
* Music/{{Adele}}
* Music/AvrilLavigne
* Music/BarenakedLadies
* Music/TheBlackEyedPeas
* Music/EdithPiaf
* Fefe Dobson
* The Glitch Mob
* [[Music/NoDoubt Gwen Stefani]]
* Creator/JesperKyd
* Joel Nielsen (creator of the ''VideoGame/BlackMesa'' soundtrack)
* Music/KatyPerry
* Kelly Bailey (creator of the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' soundtracks)
* Music/KellyClarkson
* Keny Arkana
* KT Tunstall
* Lady Sovereign
* Music/{{Lights}}
* Music/LindseyStirling
* Music/{{Metric}}
* Music/{{Nickelback}}
* Porcelain and the Tramps
* Music/{{Shakira}}
* Music/TransSiberianOrchestra
* Music/WalkOffTheEarth
!!!East Asian
* Music/AliProject
* Music/KanonWakeshima
* Creator/MaayaSakamoto
* Music/MaximumTheHormone
* [[Music/HelloProject Morning Musume]]
* Music/{{Perfume}}
[[/folder]]
!!!VideoGames
* Creator/EllenMcLain
* Creator/ValveSoftware
!!!WebOriginal
* WebVideo/BirgirPall
* LetsPlay/ChristopherOdd
* WebVideo/GameGrumps
* [[LetsPlay/{{Mangaminx}} Minx]]
* LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}}
* WebVideo/MysteryGuitarMan
!!My favourite {{works}} (not exhaustive):
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Films]]
* ''Film/TwoThousandTwelve''
* ''[[Film/{{Amelie}} Amélie]]''
* ''Film/{{Avatar}}''
* ''Film/TheBestExoticMarigoldHotel''
* ''Film/TheDayAfterTomorrow''
* ''Film/DoloresClaiborne''
* ''Film/{{Exam}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo''
* ''Film/FreedomWriters''
* ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''
* ''Film/HomeAlone'' and first sequel
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime''
* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid''
* ''Film/TheMatrix''
* ''Film/NationalTreasure'' and sequel
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' and sequels
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' and first sequel
* ''Film/SnowCake''
* ''Film/{{Super 8}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/{{Foundation}}'' trilogy
* ''Literature/TheGirlIn6E''
* The ''HarryPotter'' series
* ''Literature/IRobot''
* ''Literature/{{Nightfall}}''
* ''Literature/PrideAndPrejudice''
* ''Literature/QAndA''
* ''Literature/StrangerInAStrangeLand''
* ''Literature/WorldWarZ''
* ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BreakingBad''
* ''Series/CriminalMinds''
* ''Series/{{Friends}}''
* ''Series/GameOfThrones''
* ''[[Series/AirCrashInvestigation Mayday]]''
* ''Series/UntoldStoriesOfTheER''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Machinima]]
* ''Chell's Mind''
* ''Machinima/ClearSkies''
* ''Machinima/FreemansMind''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Manga and Anime]]
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'' (anime sub or dub)
* ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/ChuunibyouDemoKoiGaShitai'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/DailyLivesOfHighSchoolBoys'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/DeathNote'' (manga and anime dub)
* ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/FateZero'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' (manga)
* ''Manga/KimiNiTodoke'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/KnightsOfSidonia'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' (manga)
* ''Manga/{{Nichijou}}'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/ReZero'' (anime sub)
* ''LightNovel/SagradaReset'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/SkipBeat'' (manga)
* ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'' (anime sub)
* ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (manga)
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theater]]
* ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'' and sequel
* ''{{Hamlet}}''
* ''Theatre/OedipusRex''
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Valentine Shirley Valentine]]''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''
* ''VideoGame/{{Antichamber}}''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI Assassin's Creed]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed II]]''
* ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''
* ''VideoGame/{{BioShock}}''
* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite''
* ''VideoGame/BlackMesa''
* ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}''
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve''
* ''VideoGame/DungeonsOfDredmor''
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' series and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series
* ''VideoGame/{{Limbo}}''
* ''VideoGame/MarbleBlastGold''
* ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge''
* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics (and Machinomics)]]
* ''Webcomic/BlankIt''
* ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}''
* ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness''
* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics''
* ''Webcomic/TheFoxSister''
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
* ''Webcomic/{{Inhuman}}''
* ''Webcomic/LifeWithLamarr''
* ''[[http://northwindcomic.com Northwind]]''
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''
* ''Webcomic/PoppyOPossum''
* ''Webcomic/ThePhoenixRequiem''
* ''Webcomic/{{Prequel}}''
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent''
* ''Webcomic/RomanticallyApocalyptic''
* ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul''
* ''Webcomic/{{xkcd}}''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WebAnimation and WebVideo]]
* ''WebAnimation/ASDFMovie''
* ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged''
* ''WebVideo/TheLizzieBennetDiaries''
* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''
* ''WebAnimation/SaladFingers''
[[/folder]]
----
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I have a [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7aJW20PPjkG9KAZrzbA5A YouTube channel]]. Things I've uploaded to it (that don't suck):
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I have a [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7aJW20PPjkG9KAZrzbA5A YouTube channel]]. Things I've uploaded to it (that don't suck):
are worth mentioning):
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* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJti_JfaHF-w7l3SsQOvAlILo80Dyh0ez Let's Read: The Eye of Argon]]. I read the infamously bad ''Literature/TheEyeOfArgon'', pronouncing the misspellings and mispunctuations. (In progress.)
to:
* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJti_JfaHF-w7l3SsQOvAlILo80Dyh0ez Let's Read: The Eye of Argon]]. Argon]], in which I read the infamously bad ''Literature/TheEyeOfArgon'', pronouncing the misspellings and mispunctuations. (In progress.)
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to:
* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJti_JfaHF-w7l3SsQOvAlILo80Dyh0ez Let's Read: The Eye of Argon]]. I read the infamously bad ''Literature/TheEyeOfArgon'', pronouncing the misspellings and mispunctuations. (In progress.)
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* BetterThanItSounds: A lot of the stories I'm working on. At least I ''hope so''.
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* UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}: My hoooooome.
* DisappearedDad
* DisappearedDad
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* UsefulNotes/{{Canada}}: My hoooooome.
* DisappearedDadThis is where I live.
* DisappearedDad
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** A less pronounced fetish for many European countries, like France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Portugal, etc.
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* OlderThanTheyLook: I'm often mistaken as being 2 to 4 years younger than I am. Sometimes more than that. I take it as a compliment.
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* OlderThanTheyLook: I'm often mistaken as being 2 to 4 years younger than I am. Sometimes more than that. I take it as a compliment.I'm hoping this will continue into my 30s.
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* ParentWithNewParamour
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* SerialTweaker: I am so, so bad for this. If you've ever looked at a page history and happened to see my name appearing several times in a row...I apologize. And yes, I use the preview function. It only helps marginally.
to:
* SerialTweaker: I am so, so bad for this. If you've ever looked at a page history and happened to see my name appearing several times in a row... I apologize. And yes, I use the preview function. It only helps marginally.
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* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have families and backstories. And so on. My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
to:
* ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in covers the sense that part of it is just a retelling events of the canon games, but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have families and backstories. And so on. My my focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, project, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
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* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy set in the city where I grew up. The premise bears an uncanny resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider "The Outsider"]] (much to my irritation when I found out), and therefore might also bring ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' to mind. However, it was actually inspired by an episode of ''Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase''[[labelnote:*]](I've never watched the show in full, but I once saw the first or second episode. I came up with the idea over the next couple of days).[[/labelnote]]. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to take her out of there and see what he can do for her.
to:
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy set in the city where I grew up. The premise bears an uncanny resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider "The Outsider"]] (much to my irritation when I found out), and therefore might also bring ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' to mind. However, it was actually inspired by an episode of ''Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase''[[labelnote:*]](I've never watched the show in full, but I once saw the first or second episode. I came up with the idea over the next couple of days).[[/labelnote]].UrbanFantasy. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to take her out of there and see what he can do for her.
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I have a [[https://www.youtube.com/user/VannahWilson YouTube channel]]. Things I've uploaded to it (that don't suck):
to:
I have a [[https://www.youtube.com/user/VannahWilson com/channel/UCa7aJW20PPjkG9KAZrzbA5A YouTube channel]]. Things I've uploaded to it (that don't suck):
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* ''DarthWiki/HalfLifeWorldLine'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have families and backstories. And so on. My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
to:
* ''DarthWiki/HalfLifeWorldLine'': ''Half-Life: World Line'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have families and backstories. And so on. My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
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* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: 19-year-old [[PunnyName Miles North]] comes home from a Halloween party to find a mysterious young man staring intently at his house. The next night, Miles is attacked by a supernatural creature, and is rescued by the mysterious stranger from the night before. Neil won't say where he came from or how he knows magic, but it quickly becomes clear that this is his first contact with normal human civilization, and Miles suspects that he's an alien. Neil soon reveals that in order to avoid being taken back home (something he doesn't want despite missing his family), he has to complete [[TheQuest a quest]], and the most practical way to become powerful enough is to become a HunterOfMonsters. Miles ends up helping him out. Cue {{Fire Forged Friend|s}}ship.
** AbusiveParents: Mr. North has actively abused Miles physically and emotionally since he was little, while Mrs. North has enabled him by never taking action or speaking out.
*** Neil eventually reveals that his family was abusive as well; though he doesn't go into details.
** AfraidOfBlood: Miles has a strong blood phobia.
** TheAlcoholic: Mr. North, [[spoiler:and Miles]].
** AlcoholicParent: Mr. North, at least since Miles was in middle school.
** AllTakeAndNoGive: The Norths took advantage of Miles's sense of duty and desperation for approval/affection to get him to do things for them.
** TheAtoner: Miles, after [[spoiler:his father's heart attack]], which he feels responsible for causing.
*** [[spoiler:The Norths, particularly Mr. North, after eventually having a HeelRealization]].
** AttractiveBentGender: Neil is already attractive, but also fairly androgynous, so he can pass for an attractive woman pretty easily even without shapeshifting.
** BackgroundMagicField: Magic in ''Sans Souci'' falls more or less into the ''Force Magic'' category (though it can manifest as other types, too), so magic exists in the world as a field.
** BadassLongcoat: Neil is fond of these.
** BadMoodAsAnExcuse: Often used as an excuse by Miles's father and girlfriends alike. Though to be fair, Miles can be guilty of this himself.
** BashBrothers
** BerserkButton: The only times Neil becomes visibly angry are when someone significantly harms Miles.
** BigEater:
*** Miles. [[spoiler:It's one of many ways that his unconscious craving for blood sublimates into more mundane addictions; and as a vampire he can't become overweight]].
*** Downplayed with Neil, who has a great appreciation for food, rarely turns it down, and often eats large portions. Though he usually eats in healthy amounts overall, he admits that he would eat "all the time" if he didn't have to worry about the weight gain or health effects.
** BlessedWithSuck: On the whole, [[spoiler:Miles's vampire powers]] have only ever caused him problems:
*** [[spoiler:His charisma allows him to form relationships easily, but this same power tends to repel close friends, so he's spent his whole life making lots of friends and girlfriends, only to lose them later on.]]
*** His HealingFactor makes it impossible for him to do any permanent non-lethal damage to himself, but [[spoiler:it meant that a lot of injuries he was dealt by his father — or himself — healed too quickly for anyone to notice, and that he could still function quite well even after a drinking binge, causing his alcoholism to fly under the radar for years because it didn't affect his grades or his job]].
*** Having [[StrongerThanTheyLook surprising strength for his size]] got him into trouble [[spoiler:at school, when he'd get into fights and end up hurting his opponent a lot worse than he intended]].
*** His [[spoiler:sensitivity to sunlight has made him highly susceptible to sunburns and heatstroke his whole life, which limits how much time he can spend outdoors on bright summer days]].
*** Most of his other powers are too weak to be of any use, [[spoiler:unless he risks losing his humanity by drinking blood]].
** BiTheWay: Miles is bisexual, though he prefers women and is heteroromantic.
*** Also Chase, who his sister Denise says "can swing any way he wants to."
** BlueCollarWarlock: Any mage who isn't entrenched in some kind of sect is probably a mostly-ordinary person who happens to be capable of magic, and might moonlight in some kind of magic-related activity but probably has a regular day job.
** CannotConveySarcasm: To the uninitiated, Neil's [[TheStoic stoic]] demeanour makes his FlatJoy moments sound like {{Deadpan Snark|er}}ing, and his impassive facial expression look like a disapproving BlankStare. In fact, he rarely uses actual sarcasm or snark, partly for this reason (but mostly because being insincere or unkind is against his nature).
** CaptainObvious: Neil's literal-mindedness and desire to be precise sometimes leads him to over-explain or engage in DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. Though this tendency diminishes over time, sometimes he does it on purpose just for fun.
** TheComicallySerious: Neil rarely changes his tone of voice or facial expression, regardless of what he's saying or the emotions behind it; and his body language is usually minimal or nonexistent. Which leads to many instances of FlatJoy, DullSurprise, ThatMakesMeFeelAngry, StunnedSilence, BluntYes, and ColdHam; or perfectly flat, CreepyMonotone deliveries of reactions that normally involve a lot of emotion and expressiveness, such as CutenessOverload or CuddleBug. He also develops a sense of humour that actually exploits his stolid disposition; it mostly involves pretending to take [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder rhetorical questions]] and [[SarcasmBlind sarcasm]] literally and seriously. (Since this is something he genuinely has trouble with sometimes, his poker face makes it hard to tell when he's doing it on purpose.)
** CrossoverCosmology: ''Sans Souci'' falls somewhere between AMythologyIsTrue and AllMythsAreTrue. Many of the gods described in various human mythologies and religions exist, but many others don't. Human myths and mythologies are generally at least accurate enough that you can tell what they're ''supposed'' to refer to, but almost all are riddled with inaccuracies, and some myths or even entire mythologies and religions have no basis at all.
** CripplingOverspecialization: Any type of creature that a human can become without necessarily coming from a magic background — such as a vampire, werewolf, or ghost — is likely to suffer from this, as they don't have the knowledge or the network to expand their skills beyond what already comes with the territory.
*** This tends to be the downfall of vampires in particular, for several reasons. By drinking blood, vampires "level up" and gain further abilities, and the kinds of abilities vampires get are usually AwesomeButImpractical and/or CoolButInefficient. Those who don't come from a magic background are awed by these abilities, and probably have no one to measure their power against, so they tend to think that they must be at the top of the food chain. They don't realize how restricted or impractical their abilities are, and may not even know that they ''can'' learn other things (let alone how to do so), or even that other kinds of magic ''exist'', and are shocked when they're practically annihilated by a perfectly average opponent, or find themselves up against powers they've never seen before. Even vampires that really are as strong as they think, don't realize that for all their raw power, their abilities are simply too narrow in scope to serve them well in most fights.
*** This is far less of a problem with vampires who ''do'' come from a magic background, and thus have the foundation necessary to maximize their potential and learn other things. But because vampires in general have strong tendencies to be power-hungry and foolhardy, and these tendencies become stronger as they do, even these vampires can fall into the trap of focusing too much on gaining raw power and not enough on expanding their range of abilities.
** DeityOfHumanOrigin: One of the three main types of gods (the others being {{Tulpa}} and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
** DesperatelyCravesAffection: Miles.
** DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Mr. North's drinking and abusive behaviour worsened after his heart attack due to depression and anger, while he and the rest of the family used his condition (congestive heart failure) to excuse his behaviour.
** DomesticAbuse: Miles has had more than one abusive girlfriend.
** DotingGrandparent: Miles's paternal grandmother, who gave him the affection and approval he'd always wanted from his family, encouraged him to take up the violin, and paid for his violin and lessons until she died when he was 15.
** {{Doublethink}}: Years of emotional abuse and failed friendships and relationships have left Miles harbouring many sets of conflicting ideas. He knows the people in his life who've abused him were wrong to treat him as they did, yet also feels he must have done something to deserve it or is just fundamentally flawed. He knows [[spoiler:his father's heart attack]] wasn't his fault, yet feels massive guilt over it, and delays leaving home partly because of it. He was worried about his father after his heart attack, but part of him wished he would have died. He knows that [[spoiler:his drinking]] makes him NotSoDifferent from his father, yet rejects the idea that it is a problem or that [[spoiler:he is an alcoholic]]. Et cetera.
** DrivenToSuicide:
*** Miles has tried to kill himself several times.
*** [[spoiler:Mr. North]] tries to kill himself out of guilt for [[spoiler:relapsing, his past abuse of Miles, and the recent realization that Miles himself has become an alcoholic due to said abuse]]. [[spoiler:Luckily, [[BungledSuicide he survives]], and is [[HappilyFailedSuicide glad of it]] once he sees his family again]].
** {{Druid}}: Neil is one, and has some abilities associated with the trope, such as [[TheEmpath animal empathy]] and VoluntaryShapeshifting. He's not a NatureHero, however.
** TheEmpath: Neil has an affinity with animals, which means that they can "speak" to him, and vice versa. This doesn't manifest as SpeaksFluentAnimal; it just means that he can sense an animal's feelings, desires, intentions, and thoughts (if they want him to), and vice versa. It doesn't work on humans — not because HumansAreSpecial, but because the purpose of an affinity is to bridge the gap between species that can't communicate with each other, so it won't activate between members of the same species, as it's assumed (and generally true) that they can communicate already (or at least find a way to).
** ExtremeLibido: Miles.
** FamilyOfChoice: Neil and Miles are this for each other, as both had abusive and neglectful families that they are now estranged from ([[spoiler:though Miles reconciles with his later]]). This also extends somewhat to Marisa, who is a widowed single parent; and to Chase and Denise, who have each other but are somewhat estranged from their parents.
** FantasyKitchenSink
** FormulaicMagic: Many magic powers or spells reflect mathematical formulas, and may require an understanding of said formula in order to use. For instance, there are types of spells that rely on the properties of geometric shapes, and knowing the mathematical properties of the shape you're using can make it easier to create an effective one.
** FriendlessBackground: Miles makes friends easily but can't seem to keep them.
*** More literal with Neil, who until meeting Miles had never had any friends in his life, since he'd never met anyone outside his family (who can't be considered "friends" by any stretch).
** FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: Miles's immediate family are uniquely terrible to him; Miles likewise has an unusually hard time keeping his cool with them.
** FunctionalAddict: [[spoiler:Miles, mostly.]]
** FunctionalMagic: ''Sans Souci'' depicts magic as Force Magic. Rule Magic (such as RitualMagic, FormulaicMagic, or GeometricMagic), [[AlchemyIsMagic alchemy]], and Device Magic are also depicted, but they are all variants of Force Magic somewhere down the line.
** GivingTheSwordToANoob: When Neil first acquires [[spoiler:Freagarthach]], he hasn't the slightest idea how to wield a sword.
** {{Glamour}}: Because [[spoiler:he is a vampire]], [[spoiler:Miles unknowingly]] has a supernatural charisma that functions in some ways like a glamour, causing people to immediately notice him, trust him, and like him. This is why [[spoiler:he can make friends and pick up women easily]]. However, it comes with a caveat that [[spoiler:it works best on strangers, it wears off the longer and better someone knows him, and can even start to have the opposite effect on people who know him well. This is part of why he can't seem to maintain friendships or romantic relationships, and part of why his family hated him.]]
*** The above, however, is not actually called a glamour in ''Sans Souci''; it is often called "charisma". In ''Sans Souci'', the type of magic called "glamour" in the story basically means molding magic energy into the form of something else (usually a physical object), with its specific physical properties depending on the creator's specifications. For instance, you could glamour a coat, but while you could make a coat that has all the properties of a real coat, you could also make an intangible coat, or a coat that can be felt but is still pervious to air or heat, or an invisible coat, or an invisible ''and'' intangible coat that still keeps you warm (which is basically a heat charm). Glamours are easy to use and require relatively little energy to create, so they are extremely versatile but can also be very powerful depending on how they're applied. In fact, any magic in ''Sans Souci'' that creates something out of thin air without literally creating persistent physical matter (e.g. magic missile), or turns something into something else without literally rearranging its particles (e.g. illusions) is a glamour, which means that a large portion of the magic seen in ''Sans Souci'' is glamour. (This is not only because most mages aren't powerful enough to have much in the way of non-glamour magic, but because glamour is the ultimate SwissArmySuperpower, is SimpleYetAwesome, and tends to reward WeakButSkilled {{Guile Hero}}es. Plus you can still have all the VisualEffectsOfAwesome you want. Pretty much its only drawbacks are that it has NoOntologicalInertia — which can be a strength depending on the situation — and that anything impressive is DifficultButAwesome compared to most spells.)
** TheGodsMustBeLazy: The gods don't do much anymore, partly because BeingGodIsHard, partly because they've all agreed to maintain the {{Masquerade}}, partly because there are so many that if they started getting involved they'd all step on each other's toes, and partly because most of them genuinely don't care that much. Usually, if a god's doing something noticeable, it's for personal gain.
** GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Tulpa gods do. Primordial gods don't. For [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Deities Of Human Origin]], it varies from one god to another.
** GrandparentalObliviousness: Mr. North accused his mother of this as an excuse to limit the time Miles could spend alone with her. Unfortunately, this started to gain some truth when she started going senile, though by that time she was in a nursing home anyway.
** GreenThumb: Neil can create plant life out of nothing.
** HairTriggerTemper: Mr. North, usually toward Miles.
*** Miles can have one; he tries to suppress it, but isn't always successful.
** HealingFactor: Neil can heal relatively fast because he has so much magic energy. He also doesn't need to sleep, for the same reason.
*** [[spoiler:Miles unknowingly]] has this ability, because of [[spoiler:being a vampire]]. Though it's slower than it could be because of his [[spoiler:blood virginity]], it is no less powerful: ''Any'' injury or malady that doesn't kill him first will eventually heal completely, leaving not so much as a scar. [[spoiler:This is part of why his injuries from physical abuse and self-harm often went unnoticed, and is also the reason why Miles has managed to sleep with dozens of women, often unprotected, without contracting a single STD. It's also the reason why Miles has no trouble with heavy exertion despite smoking heavily, why he can hold his liquor far beyond what should be possible, why his hangovers are mild even after a drinking binge, and why he doesn't seem to have any physical dependence on alcohol aside from the initial hangover, despite his drinking patterns]].
** HearingVoices:
*** Chase, a schizophrenic, sometimes has auditory hallucinations, though medication has made them infrequent and usually manageable.
*** Miles has had a few episodes of hearing voices — rather worrisome since he ''doesn't'' have schizophrenia.
** HeroicAmbidexterity: Neil is ambidextrous; though he [[TheSouthpaw seems to favour his left hand]] if forced to act on reflex.
** HolyBurnsEvil:
*** Played with for changelings. They are not evil as a group, but those who've been in the Otherworld long enough are weak against Christian trappings because the ''aos sí'' hate Christianity.
*** Averted with vampires, demons, and other creatures that are typically depicted as weak to holy symbols. In ''Sans Souci'', they generally don't have such a weakness, but changelings having it may be where that idea came from.
** HotBlooded: Miles, in comparison with Neil.
** IJustWantToHaveFriends: Miles.
** InsaneForgiveness:
*** Neil is often a ridiculously forgiving and understanding person. Often, he doesn't feel that there's anything to forgive in the first place, since he is not easy to anger and almost impossible to offend.
*** Miles can be overly forgiving to some, such as his siblings or his girlfriends.
** InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: Neil likes feminine clothes. Miles likes cooking and knitting.
** IronicFear: [[spoiler:Miles's blood phobia seems to be this, considering he's a vampire; but in fact this is exactly ''why'' he has a blood phobia. When he was too young to understand what he was feeling, the desire he felt at the sight or smell of blood would have been confusing and frightening for him, and may even have been mistaken for fear; over time, conditioning reinforced this fear response to the point of a full-blown phobia.]]
** KickingAssInAllHerFinery: Neil, occasionally, depending on how he's dressed when danger strikes.
** {{Kuudere}}: Neil is a Type 1 ("Always In Control"). He's quiet and levelheaded regardless of how he's feeling. He tends to come across as apathetic or cold to people who don't know him, but his default mood is "content", and [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry he'll tell you how he's feeling]] if you ask him.
** LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Miles.
** LoveMartyr:
*** Miles has been in abusive and/or codependent relationships where he took on this role. It didn't work.
*** Neil is a non-romantic LoveMartyr for Miles, who for all his good intentions and caring nature is also a very flawed and troubled person who doesn't always treat Neil well. In fact, for a long time their friendship is codependent; though Neil does genuinely want to help Miles, he often unwittingly enables his maladaptive behaviours by simply shielding him from the consequences instead of encouraging him to change the behaviour, and he centers his life around rescuing Miles from his problems. However, this is partly due to simple ignorance of the best way to help. The relationship becomes healthier as time goes on, and Neil does later recognize that he enjoyed being "the hero" a bit too much, and did not always act in Miles's best interest partly for that reason. Regardless, overall the relationship is helpful for Miles, even at peak codependency, partly because unconditional love and a constant companion was something he genuinely needed, and knowing that he has someone who will always be there for him actually does a lot in itself to improve his emotional health.
** {{Magibabble}}
** MagicalGesture: Most spells that create projectiles or affect specific targets will be accompanied by a gesture ranging from a wave or pass of a hand to FullContactMagic. Gestures aren't strictly necessary to any kind of magic in theory, but in practice they make the spell easier to visualize and therefore cast effectively. For some spells and charms (such as basic glamours), enough practice can obviate the need for gestures; but most mages aren't (and probably never will be) powerful enough to ''never'' have to use them for anything.
** {{Masquerade}}: Imposed by the gods, because BeingGodIsHard and TheGodsMustBeLazy, and more people having access to magic makes more work for them. The Masquerade doesn't usually involve such countermeasures as LaserGuidedAmnesia or KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade; individual cases of BrokenMasquerade usually aren't an issue. Just don't do anything that risks TheUnmasquedWorld and you'll probably be fine. This generally creates SafetyInMuggles, but not always.
** MasterActor: Surprisingly, Neil. Being immune to embarrassment and highly observant makes him capable of adopting any kind of persona regardless of how much it differs from his own personality, as well as imitating people with a high degree of accuracy.
** MasterOfIllusion: Neil and Miles often use glamours to create disguises and other illusions.
** MoodSwinger: Being highly sensitive means Miles's mood can change wildly and quickly with very little stimulus.
** MultipleChoiceChosen: [[spoiler:Scenario 1. Neil isn't the only person who is technically eligible to become the Soldier of the North. At the very least, Carrie and Davis are eligible as well; and if any of these three have any children, they'll also be eligible. However, Neil was definitely the first eligible person to be born, and is the only one who has spent enough time in the Otherworld to be able to complete the SecretTest that would actually grant him TheChosenOne status.]]
** MundaneUtility: Neil uses his GreenThumb to create produce and cut down the grocery bill.
** MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:The entire family starts feeling this way about their treatment of Miles several months after he leaves, starting with Carrie and eventually trickling down to Davis, Mrs. North, and then finally Mr. North, who ends up hit the worst.]]
** NayTheist: Many gods exist, but there is no need, and rarely any good reason, to worship any of them, so most people don't (though many pay lip service). Neil knows about every god that exists, but does not worship any of them, not even the fey who gave him his druid powers.
** TheNeedless: Neil [[TheSleepless doesn't need to sleep]], because he has an unusually high amount of raw magic energy. (If he is weakened enough, or if he is deprived of magic energy for long enough, he will need to sleep like any normal person.) He can also reduce his need for food and water if necessary.
** NervesOfSteel: Contrary to his stoic demeanour, Neil usually has normal emotions of normal intensity, including fear. They just don't affect his behaviour or judgement.
** NeverGetsDrunk: Miles is often surprisingly lucid and alert even when he's technically shit-faced. [[spoiler:Type 3, as his vampiric HealingFactor means alcohol has less effect on him, ''and'' has allowed him to build up an impossibly high tolerance]].
** NobleMaleRoguishMale: Neil and Miles. Downplayed.
** NotSoDifferent: Miles shares his father's love of literature and music. And knitting, as it turns out. And ultimately, his father's abusive behaviour partly stems from the same kinds of emotional problems and lack of coping skills that Miles suffers from. Underneath the animosity, they actually have a lot in common, [[spoiler:which helps them forge a genuine relationship after they reconcile]].
*** [[spoiler:Miles is an alcoholic, like his father; though a far higher-functioning one.]]
** OccultDetective: Miles and Neil engage in some ParanormalInvestigation.
** OffTheWagon: [[spoiler:After he realizes that Miles is also an alcoholic, and that his abuse towards him triggered this, Mr. North's guilt starts to take its toll and affect his progress, and he relapses a few weeks later]].
** OnlySaneMan: Zig-zagged with Miles. He is the only one to acknowledge there's a problem with his father's drinking or anything else his family does, he shares the burden of taking care of the family financially and physically, and he strives to treat them with decency and respect — and in the case of his siblings, even affection — when none of them do the same for him. On the other hand, he has a very impulsive and sensitive nature, which often leads him to make poor decisions or mistreat people he cares about; and due to his abusive upbringing, he has a GuiltComplex, crippling trust and self-esteem issues, and spends a lot of his free time self-medicating in various maladaptive ways.
** ParentalNeglect: Miles's parents. Mostly towards him (semi-deliberately), but in many regards towards the twins as well (semi-inadvertently).
** PersonOfMassDestruction: By the time he finishes his quest, Neil is more than powerful enough to be this, though he never uses that much power.
** PowersAsPrograms: Most magic (that humans can use) is basically a form of "glamour", which in ''Sans Souci'' means molding magic energy into the form you want to use. Usually the glamour is determined by the human on an as-needed basis, which in ''Sans Souci'' is called a "charm" to distinguish it from a "spell". A spell may or may not be a glamour, and has a (more or less) fixed form (loosely following rule 1 of VancianMagic). Spells are akin to magic "programs" that the user can invoke whenever they want to; and just like running a computer program (e.g. using a spell-check feature) takes less energy and effort than performing the task manually (e.g. painstakingly proofreading a document yourself), casting a spell is easier than creating a glamour that has the same effect. In fact, a spell often allows the user to perform a task that they could never do without the spell. For example, Neil has an espionage spell that can create a number of invisible and intangible "eyes" (they also detect sound, and can be made to detect smell) and place them anywhere that Neil has seen before (if he has a relative idea of its location). He could create a simple version of this with his own power, but with his spell he could theoretically create hundreds of eyes and place them all over a city within a matter of seconds or minutes, which is something he could never hope to achieve without using the spell. Neil compares the difference between spells and charms to the difference between ready-made products and custom-made products: Ready-made products (spells) can be grabbed off a shelf without any hassle, but might not fit your needs perfectly; whereas custom-made products (charms) can be made to your exact specifications, but take more effort. The analogy isn't perfect, as many spells require far more energy to cast than it would take to create a glamour that has the same effect, but usually the effect is far too difficult or complex for the user to accomplish on their own despite taking little actual energy. In fact, it's often ''because'' the effect is so complex that the spell has a high energy cost as compensation. Complexity is the defining factor: Glamours have a very low energy cost, but require effort or concentration that is usually proportional to their complexity. Spells take most of the effort and concentration out of the equation, at the price of a high energy cost.
** PrettyBoy: Neil.
** {{Protectorate}}: No one seems to trigger Neil's protective instincts like Miles does. The reverse is partly true, though Miles also sees his siblings and to some extent his whole family as Protectorates.
** PsychicPowers: Neil has a lot of spells and innate abilities that involve sensing things. Applications include PsychicRadar, AuraVision (but only for {{Power Level}}s), TheEmpath (towards non-human animals), etc.
** TheQuest: Neil has one that he needs to complete in order to ensure his family can't take him back home.
** RandomlyGifted: This is how Neil explains Miles having the ability to use magic despite not having any kind of family background in it. This is a thing that does actually happen, and there's no telling how common it might be, since most such people would never find out about their ability anyway.
** ReallyGetsAround: Miles.
** RealMenWearPink: Miles is a good cook and likes knitting and crafting. Neil likes to wear feminine clothing.
** RecoveredAddict: [[spoiler:Mr. North after his HeelRealization; and later Miles as well]].
** TheRedMage: In ''Sans Souci'', all magic is fundamentally the same and only differs in its areas of application and required skill set; there is no such thing as MutuallyExclusiveMagic. Certain magical creatures have some innate abilities and natural areas of strength, as well as {{Necessary Drawback}}s or other limitations on what kinds of magic they can use or master; and certain creatures have abilities that are unique to them; but aside from that, most people with enough magic power can learn whatever kinds of magic they choose to. A person might have more natural talent or affinity for some kinds of magic than others, and some kinds of magic require more power than others, or are harder to learn or use than others; but there is no need to choose any type over another, and there is no theoretical limit to what combination or number of types you can learn or master. There is rarely any benefit to [[CripplingOverspecialization specializing]], as you are very likely to get curb-stomped by someone who is your equal in that type of magic as well as three others. This tends to be the AchillesHeel of vampires, who usually focus on "levelling up" and gaining power in an upwards direction (i.e. making the abilities they have more powerful and/or gaining more of the same kinds of abilities), while rarely bothering to expand their abilities in a lateral direction.
** RedOniBlueOni: Miles and Neil, respectively.
** ReligionIsMagic: Sort of. Humans ultimately have the gods to thank for having any reliable access to magic, but the gods didn't create magic or its rules, and humans don't need to believe in any god or follow any religion in order to use magic. There are some cases where following specific gods can grant you unique or uniquely strong abilities, but this is a needlessly difficult and unreliable way to become powerful, given the gods' caprice, and the difficulty of getting a god to notice or acknowledge you to begin with. More often than not, it's the god that chooses you, not the other way around (e.g. druids and vates are changelings who were granted their powers by the fey).
** RequiredSecondaryPowers: If Neil shapeshifts into an animal for the purpose of behaving like that animal, any species- or breed-typical behaviours come naturally to him. After all, a {{kuudere}} Golden Retriever would be kind of off-putting.
** RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: It takes some practice before Neil can tell when someone's asking a rhetorical question, until which point he takes them at face value and answers them literally. Sometimes, even when he realizes it's a rhetorical question, he pretends to take it literally just for his own amusement.
** SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Zig-zagged, as Miles and Neil are both InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, but in different ways. Neil is a lot more androgynous than Miles, and likes to wear feminine clothing (though not exclusively). On the other hand, Miles is a lot more emotionally expressive and histrionic, and he likes cooking, knitting, crafting, and playing musical instruments.
** ShapeshifterBaggage: Like most shapeshifters, Neil can change his form to something bigger or smaller regardless of mass difference.
** ShapeshifterModeLock: Neil can't shapeshift without magic stamina, so if his stamina drops to zero (which can happen if he [[WeaksauceWeakness gets burned]]), he is mode-locked into his ShapeshifterDefaultForm.
** ShapeshiftingSeducer: Neil sometimes uses his powers to carry out TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction (though the target isn't always a schlub).
** ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy: Miles's magic isn't as powerful as Neil's, so his fighting style is mostly short-range magic or non-magical melee. Neil on the other hand is a bit of a SquishyWizard, so he tends to prefer long-range or indirect attacks.
** SilkHidingSteel: This describes Neil to a T.
** TheSleepless: Because he has so much magic energy, Neil ''can'' sleep, but usually doesn't have to.
** TheSouthpaw:
*** Neil is [[HeroicAmbidexterity ambidextrous]], but when acting reflexively he seems to favour his left hand.
*** Mrs. North is left-handed.
** StepfordSmiler: Miles fluctuates between all three types.
** TheStoic: Neil is a polite one. While he mostly has a normal subjective emotional range, he rarely shows much emotional expression (to the point that he has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduced_affect_display#Blunted_and_flat_affect blunted or even flat affect]]) — in contrast to Miles, who is more reactive and hot-blooded. Even Neil's NotSoStoic moments are pretty subdued.
** StraightGay: Denise doesn't exactly scream lesbian.
** StreetMusician: As a teenager, Miles used to busk with his violin.
** StrongFamilyResemblance:
*** [[spoiler:Downplayed: As deliberate foreshadowing, Neil shares several physical traits with the Norths, while Miles shares almost none. Miles's hair is jet black, while the rest of the Norths have hair colours ranging from dirty blonde to dark brown, and Neil has light golden brown hair. Miles has cream-coloured skin, while the rest of the Norths have peach-coloured skin, as does Neil. Mrs. North is left-handed, as is Neil; and Mr. North has green eyes, as does Neil. Miles never freckles despite his pale skin, while Mrs. North and Davis both have freckles[[labelnote:*]]Mrs. North has permanent freckles, and Davis freckles after sun exposure.[[/labelnote]], and Neil gains freckles with sun exposure.]]
*** [[spoiler:Miles looks like basically a male version of Shannon Bell, hinting at their relatedness. Justified as it turns out that he's not merely related to her, but is actually her OppositeSexClone.]]
** SuicidalPacifism: While he doesn't always succeed in upholding this principle, Miles is strongly opposed to using violence or fear to get what he wants, refusing to hurt others even in self-defense. (But sometimes [[RageBreakingPoint he snaps]].) He'll use violence to defend others however, which is part of why he's willing to fight supernatural enemies.
** SwordAndSorcerer: Miles and Neil can both use magic and both tend to use it in fights. However, Miles isn't as magically powerful or experienced as Neil, so he often uses magic and physical attacks alternately or in tandem. He is a StoneWall who can't do much damage against a magical opponent because of limited power, a limited skillset, and limited range. Neil on the other hand has used magic nearly his whole life and has almost no other skills, and thus is a bit of a SquishyWizard / GlassCannon. He isn't physically tough, but he can protect himself (and Miles) quite handily, and can deal a lot of damage at a variety of ranges. The gap between them closes as the story goes on, with Miles becoming more magically skilled and powerful, and Neil becomes physically stronger and gains more fighting skills. Though Miles is always the physically tougher of the two, and they always have different strengths both physically and magically, by a certain point in the story they are both [[KungFuWizard Kung-Fu Wizards]] / {{Magic Knight}}s.
** ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: If Neil is angry, sad, excited, or pretty much any emotion other than "neutral", often the only indication is him saying so.
** TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: How magic works in this universe.
** {{Transgender}}: Neil identifies as genderless, and doesn't actually understand the concept of gender identity at all.
** TranquilFury: The first time Neil is shown to be angry, his voice remains calm and level (albeit tense), he speaks politely even to the person he's angry with, and his entirely sincere (yet calmly delivered) threat to [[ColdHam break all of her limbs]] is the only hint that he's not merely annoyed.
** TroubledAbuser: Miles's parents found him to be a very difficult and unlikable child (for many reasons, some of which make sense and some of which don't), so by the time he was kindergarten age, they were both depressed and emotionally drained, their marriage was on the rocks, and they both seriously regretted having a child at all. This, and their tendency to take their stress out on Miles, made them feel like horrible parents/people, which only aggravated the situation and caused an endless feedback loop.
*** Averted with Neil's family, who were simply psychopaths.
** TrueCompanions: Miles and Neil.
** {{Tulpa}}: One of the three main types of gods (the others being DeityOfHumanOrigin and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
** TheUnfavourite: Miles to his family.
** VoluntaryShapeshifter: Neil can shapeshift into any [[{{Humanshifting}} human form]] or any [[{{Animorphism}} animal]] that has a brain (including non-existent animals and PartialTransformation, as long as the resulting form's physiology is compatible with life). This includes changing his [[SexShifter sex]], [[VoiceChangeling voice]], and [[{{Sizeshifter}} size]]. He can also shapeshift whatever clothes he's wearing into different clothes (or no clothes at all), but can't morph clothes for himself if he isn't wearing any, so TechnicallyNakedShapeshifter and ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing don't apply.
** WeakenedByTheLight: [[spoiler:Miles is extremely susceptible to heat stroke if he spends much time in the sun — though only in weather that is at least somewhat hot and has enough UV penetration, since syncretic vampires' weaknesses and abilities have adapted in order to maintain the {{Masquerade}} in modern urban society.]]
** WeaksauceWeakness:
*** Neil has two: 1) Heat. If he sustains a thermal burn, his magic stamina temporarily drops to zero, which prevents him from using most magic, including shapeshifting; and his stamina doesn't fully replenish until the burn heals. If his core body temperature rises to the level of fever/hyperthermia, his magic energy drops to zero until his body temperature returns to the normal range. And worst of all, he can't use magic to (directly) protect himself from heat. Which means he can be almost completely magically disabled just by catching the flu, and antipyretic medication would be his only recourse. However, he can still protect himself from heat by ordinary physical means, and ''other'' people can use magic to protect him from heat. 2) [[HolyBurnsEvil Christian paraphernalia]] weakens him.
*** Miles has a crippling [[AfraidOfBlood blood]] [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes phobia]]. He is also so [[spoiler:WeakenedByTheLight]] that he is in real danger of [[spoiler:heat stroke whenever he goes on a trip to the beach]]. And, much like with Neil's weakness to heat, [[spoiler:Miles can't be protected from sunlight by magical means; but unlike Neil, he can't even be protected by ''other people's'' magic]].
*** A more mundane example: Within a few months of arriving, Neil almost died of complications from ''chickenpox'' because his immune system was so weak from [[spoiler:being raised in the Otherworld from infancy and thus never exposed to any infections]]. Fortunately he survived, and the infection (as well as the passive immunization treatment he received) bolstered his immune system to normal strength.
** WellDoneSonGuy: Miles is like this with his whole family, doing so much for them out of sheer desperation for their attention, affection, and approval, as well as to atone for what he perceives as his own shortcomings and misdeeds that have "earned" his family's ire and mistreatment.
** WholesomeCrossdresser: Neil doesn't distinguish between men's and women's clothing, and wears women's clothing fairly often, though in public he usually shapeshifts into a woman when doing so, to avoid drawing negative attention. Later on, he only shapeshifts if he thinks he looks better that way.
** WillNotTellALie: Neil believes in being honest and forthcoming with people, and doesn't like to deceive people unless there is no viable alternative. On the one hand, this makes it easy for Miles to trust him. On the other hand, it makes him all the more suspicious on the rare occasion that Neil is cagey or deceptive about something.
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy set in the city where I grew up. The premise bears an uncanny resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider "The Outsider"]] (much to my irritation when I found out), and therefore might also bring ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' to mind. However, it was actually inspired by an episode of ''Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase''[[labelnote:*]](I've never watched the show in full, but I once saw the first or second episode. I came up with the idea over the next couple of days).[[/labelnote]]. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation big, black castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to [[BatmanInMyBasement take her home]] and see what he can do for her. This is my favourite story so far, as it doesn't suffer from many of the weaknesses of my earlier ones.
to:
** AbusiveParents: Mr. North has actively abused Miles physically and emotionally since he was little, while Mrs. North has enabled him by never taking action or speaking out.
*** Neil eventually reveals that his family was abusive as well; though he doesn't go into details.
** AfraidOfBlood: Miles has a strong blood phobia.
** TheAlcoholic: Mr. North, [[spoiler:and Miles]].
** AlcoholicParent: Mr. North, at least since Miles was in middle school.
** AllTakeAndNoGive: The Norths took advantage of Miles's sense of duty and desperation for approval/affection to get him to do things for them.
** TheAtoner: Miles, after [[spoiler:his father's heart attack]], which he feels responsible for causing.
*** [[spoiler:The Norths, particularly Mr. North, after eventually having a HeelRealization]].
** AttractiveBentGender: Neil is already attractive, but also fairly androgynous, so he can pass for an attractive woman pretty easily even without shapeshifting.
** BackgroundMagicField: Magic in ''Sans Souci'' falls more or less into the ''Force Magic'' category (though it can manifest as other types, too), so magic exists in the world as a field.
** BadassLongcoat: Neil is fond of these.
** BadMoodAsAnExcuse: Often used as an excuse by Miles's father and girlfriends alike. Though to be fair, Miles can be guilty of this himself.
** BashBrothers
** BerserkButton: The only times Neil becomes visibly angry are when someone significantly harms Miles.
** BigEater:
*** Miles. [[spoiler:It's one of many ways that his unconscious craving for blood sublimates into more mundane addictions; and as a vampire he can't become overweight]].
*** Downplayed with Neil, who has a great appreciation for food, rarely turns it down, and often eats large portions. Though he usually eats in healthy amounts overall, he admits that he would eat "all the time" if he didn't have to worry about the weight gain or health effects.
** BlessedWithSuck: On the whole, [[spoiler:Miles's vampire powers]] have only ever caused him problems:
*** [[spoiler:His charisma allows him to form relationships easily, but this same power tends to repel close friends, so
*** His HealingFactor makes it impossible for him to do any permanent non-lethal damage to himself, but [[spoiler:it meant that a lot of injuries he was dealt by his father — or himself — healed too quickly for anyone to notice, and that he could still function quite well even after a drinking binge, causing his alcoholism to fly under the radar for years because it didn't affect his grades or his job]].
*** Having [[StrongerThanTheyLook surprising strength for his size]] got him into trouble [[spoiler:at school, when he'd get into fights and end up hurting his opponent a lot worse than he intended]].
*** His [[spoiler:sensitivity to sunlight has made him highly susceptible to sunburns and heatstroke his whole life, which limits how much time he can spend outdoors on bright summer days]].
*** Most of his other powers are too weak to be of any use, [[spoiler:unless he risks losing his humanity by drinking blood]].
** BiTheWay: Miles is bisexual, though he prefers women and is heteroromantic.
*** Also Chase, who his sister Denise says "can swing any way he wants to."
** BlueCollarWarlock: Any mage who isn't entrenched in some kind of sect is probably a mostly-ordinary person who happens to be capable of magic, and might moonlight in some kind of magic-related activity but probably has a regular day job.
** CannotConveySarcasm: To the uninitiated, Neil's [[TheStoic stoic]] demeanour makes his FlatJoy moments sound like {{Deadpan Snark|er}}ing, and his impassive facial expression look like a disapproving BlankStare. In fact, he rarely uses actual sarcasm or snark, partly for this reason (but mostly because being insincere or unkind is against his nature).
** CaptainObvious: Neil's literal-mindedness and desire to be precise sometimes leads him to over-explain or engage in DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. Though this tendency diminishes over time, sometimes he does it on purpose just for fun.
** TheComicallySerious: Neil rarely changes his tone of voice or facial expression, regardless of what he's saying or the emotions behind it; and his body language is usually minimal or nonexistent. Which leads to many instances of FlatJoy, DullSurprise, ThatMakesMeFeelAngry, StunnedSilence, BluntYes, and ColdHam; or perfectly flat, CreepyMonotone deliveries of reactions that normally involve a lot of emotion and expressiveness, such as CutenessOverload or CuddleBug. He also develops a sense of humour that
** CrossoverCosmology: ''Sans Souci'' falls somewhere between AMythologyIsTrue and AllMythsAreTrue. Many of the gods described in various human mythologies and religions exist, but many others don't. Human myths and mythologies are generally at least accurate enough that you can tell what they're ''supposed'' to refer to, but almost all are riddled with inaccuracies, and some myths or even entire mythologies and religions have no basis at all.
** CripplingOverspecialization: Any type of creature that
*** This tends to be the downfall of vampires in particular, for several reasons. By drinking blood, vampires "level up" and gain further abilities, and the kinds of abilities vampires get are usually AwesomeButImpractical and/or CoolButInefficient. Those who don't come from a magic background are awed by these abilities, and probably have no one to measure their power against, so they tend to think that they must be at the top of the food chain. They don't realize how restricted or impractical their abilities are, and may not even know that they ''can'' learn other things (let alone how to do so), or even that other kinds of magic ''exist'', and are shocked when they're practically annihilated by a perfectly average opponent, or find themselves up against powers they've never seen before. Even vampires that really are as strong as they think, don't realize that for all their raw power, their abilities are simply too narrow in scope to serve them well in most fights.
*** This is far less of a problem with vampires who ''do'' come from a magic background, and thus have the foundation necessary to maximize their potential and learn other things. But because vampires in general have strong tendencies to be power-hungry and foolhardy, and these tendencies become stronger as they do, even these vampires can fall into the trap of focusing too much on gaining raw power and not enough on expanding their range of abilities.
** DeityOfHumanOrigin: One of the three main types of gods (the others being {{Tulpa}} and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
** DesperatelyCravesAffection: Miles.
** DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Mr. North's drinking and abusive behaviour worsened after his heart attack due to depression and anger, while he and the rest of the family used his condition (congestive heart failure) to excuse his behaviour.
** DomesticAbuse: Miles has had more than one abusive girlfriend.
** DotingGrandparent: Miles's paternal grandmother, who gave him the affection and approval he'd always wanted from his family, encouraged him to take up the violin, and paid for his violin and lessons until she died when he was 15.
** {{Doublethink}}: Years of emotional abuse and failed friendships and relationships have left Miles harbouring many sets of conflicting ideas. He knows the people in his life who've abused him were wrong to treat him as they did, yet also feels he must have done something to deserve it or is just fundamentally flawed. He knows [[spoiler:his father's heart attack]] wasn't his fault, yet feels massive guilt over it, and delays leaving home partly because of it. He was worried about his father after his heart attack, but part of him wished he would have died. He knows that [[spoiler:his drinking]] makes him NotSoDifferent from his father, yet rejects the idea that it is a problem or that [[spoiler:he is an alcoholic]]. Et cetera.
** DrivenToSuicide:
*** Miles has tried to kill himself several times.
*** [[spoiler:Mr. North]] tries to kill himself out of guilt for [[spoiler:relapsing, his past abuse of Miles, and the recent realization that Miles himself has become an alcoholic due to said abuse]]. [[spoiler:Luckily, [[BungledSuicide he survives]], and is [[HappilyFailedSuicide glad of it]] once he sees his family again]].
** {{Druid}}: Neil is one, and has some abilities associated with the trope, such as [[TheEmpath animal empathy]] and VoluntaryShapeshifting. He's not a NatureHero, however.
** TheEmpath: Neil has an affinity with animals, which means that they can "speak" to him, and vice versa. This doesn't manifest as SpeaksFluentAnimal; it just means that he can sense an animal's feelings, desires, intentions, and thoughts (if they want him to), and vice versa. It doesn't work on humans — not because HumansAreSpecial, but because the purpose of an affinity is to bridge the gap between species that can't communicate with each other, so it won't activate between members of the same species, as it's assumed (and generally true) that they can communicate already (or at least find a way to).
** ExtremeLibido: Miles.
** FamilyOfChoice: Neil and Miles are this for each other, as both had abusive and neglectful families that they are now estranged from ([[spoiler:though Miles reconciles with his later]]). This also extends somewhat to Marisa, who is a widowed single parent; and to Chase and Denise, who have each other but are somewhat estranged from their parents.
** FantasyKitchenSink
** FormulaicMagic: Many magic powers or spells reflect mathematical formulas, and may require an understanding of said formula in order to use. For instance, there are types of spells that rely on the properties of geometric shapes, and knowing the mathematical properties of the shape you're using can make it easier to create an effective one.
** FriendlessBackground: Miles makes friends easily but can't seem to keep them.
*** More literal with Neil, who until meeting Miles had never had any friends in his life, since he'd never met anyone outside his family (who can't be considered "friends" by any stretch).
** FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: Miles's immediate family are uniquely terrible to him; Miles likewise has an unusually hard time keeping his cool with them.
** FunctionalAddict: [[spoiler:Miles, mostly.]]
** FunctionalMagic: ''Sans Souci'' depicts magic as Force Magic. Rule Magic (such as RitualMagic, FormulaicMagic, or GeometricMagic), [[AlchemyIsMagic alchemy]], and Device Magic are also depicted, but they are all variants of Force Magic somewhere down the line.
** GivingTheSwordToANoob: When Neil first acquires [[spoiler:Freagarthach]], he hasn't the slightest idea how to wield a sword.
** {{Glamour}}: Because [[spoiler:he is a vampire]], [[spoiler:Miles unknowingly]] has a supernatural charisma that functions in some ways like a glamour, causing people to immediately notice him, trust him, and like him. This is why [[spoiler:he can make friends and pick up women easily]]. However, it comes with a caveat that [[spoiler:it works best on strangers, it wears off the longer and better someone knows him, and can even start to have the opposite effect on people who know him well. This is part of why he can't seem to maintain friendships or romantic relationships, and part of why his family hated him.]]
*** The above, however, is not actually called a glamour in ''Sans Souci''; it is often called "charisma". In ''Sans Souci'', the type of magic called "glamour" in the story basically means molding magic energy into the form of something else (usually a physical object), with its specific physical properties depending on the creator's specifications. For instance, you could glamour a coat, but while you could make a coat that has all the properties of a real coat, you could also make an intangible coat, or a coat that can be felt but is still pervious to air or heat, or an invisible coat, or an invisible ''and'' intangible coat that still keeps you warm (which is basically a heat charm). Glamours are easy to use and require relatively little energy to create, so they are extremely versatile but can also be very powerful depending on how they're applied. In fact, any magic in ''Sans Souci'' that creates something out of thin air without literally creating persistent physical matter (e.g. magic missile), or turns something into something else without literally rearranging its particles (e.g. illusions) is a glamour, which means that a large portion of the magic seen in ''Sans Souci'' is glamour. (This is not only because most mages aren't powerful enough to have much in the way of non-glamour magic, but because glamour is the ultimate SwissArmySuperpower, is SimpleYetAwesome, and tends to reward WeakButSkilled {{Guile Hero}}es. Plus you can still have all the VisualEffectsOfAwesome you want. Pretty much its only drawbacks are that it has NoOntologicalInertia — which can be a strength depending on the situation — and that anything impressive is DifficultButAwesome compared to most spells.)
** TheGodsMustBeLazy: The gods don't do much anymore, partly because BeingGodIsHard, partly because they've all agreed to maintain the {{Masquerade}}, partly because there are so many that if they started getting involved they'd all step on each other's toes, and partly because most of them genuinely don't care that much. Usually, if a god's doing something noticeable, it's for personal gain.
** GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Tulpa gods do. Primordial gods don't. For [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Deities Of Human Origin]], it varies from one god to another.
** GrandparentalObliviousness: Mr. North accused his mother of this as an excuse to limit the time Miles could spend alone with her. Unfortunately, this started to gain some truth when she started going senile, though by that time she was in a nursing home anyway.
** GreenThumb: Neil can create plant life out of nothing.
** HairTriggerTemper: Mr. North, usually toward Miles.
*** Miles can have one; he tries to suppress it, but isn't always successful.
** HealingFactor: Neil can heal relatively fast because he has so much magic energy. He also doesn't need to sleep, for the same reason.
*** [[spoiler:Miles unknowingly]] has this ability, because of [[spoiler:being a vampire]]. Though it's slower than it could be because of his [[spoiler:blood virginity]], it is no less powerful: ''Any'' injury or malady that doesn't kill him first will eventually heal completely, leaving not so much as a scar. [[spoiler:This is part of why his injuries from physical abuse and self-harm often went unnoticed, and is also the reason why Miles has managed to sleep with dozens of women, often unprotected, without contracting a single STD. It's also the reason why Miles has no trouble with heavy exertion despite smoking heavily, why he can hold his liquor far beyond what should be possible, why his hangovers are mild even after a drinking binge, and why he doesn't seem to have any physical dependence on alcohol aside from the initial hangover, despite his drinking patterns]].
** HearingVoices:
*** Chase, a schizophrenic, sometimes has auditory hallucinations, though medication has made them infrequent and usually manageable.
*** Miles has had a few episodes of hearing voices — rather worrisome since he ''doesn't'' have schizophrenia.
** HeroicAmbidexterity: Neil is ambidextrous; though he [[TheSouthpaw seems to favour his left hand]] if forced to act on reflex.
** HolyBurnsEvil:
*** Played with for changelings. They are not evil as a group, but those who've been in the Otherworld long enough are weak against Christian trappings because the ''aos sí'' hate Christianity.
*** Averted with vampires, demons, and other creatures that are typically depicted as weak to holy symbols. In ''Sans Souci'', they generally don't have such a weakness, but changelings having it may be where that idea came from.
** HotBlooded: Miles, in comparison with Neil.
** IJustWantToHaveFriends: Miles.
** InsaneForgiveness:
*** Neil is often a ridiculously forgiving and understanding person. Often, he doesn't feel that there's anything to forgive in the first place, since he is not easy to anger and almost impossible to offend.
*** Miles can be overly forgiving to some, such as his siblings or his girlfriends.
** InTouchWithHisFeminineSide: Neil likes feminine clothes. Miles likes cooking and knitting.
** IronicFear: [[spoiler:Miles's blood phobia seems to be this, considering he's a vampire; but in fact this is exactly ''why'' he has a blood phobia. When he was too young to understand what he was feeling, the desire he felt at the sight or smell of blood would have been confusing and frightening for him, and may even have been mistaken for fear; over time, conditioning reinforced this fear response to the point of a full-blown phobia.]]
** KickingAssInAllHerFinery: Neil, occasionally, depending on how he's dressed when danger strikes.
** {{Kuudere}}: Neil is a Type 1 ("Always In Control"). He's quiet and levelheaded regardless of how he's feeling. He tends to come across as apathetic or cold to people who don't know him, but his default mood is "content", and [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry he'll tell you how he's feeling]] if you ask him.
** LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Miles.
** LoveMartyr:
*** Miles has been in abusive and/or codependent relationships where he took on this role. It didn't work.
*** Neil is a non-romantic LoveMartyr for Miles, who for all his good intentions and caring nature is also a very flawed and troubled person who doesn't always treat Neil well. In fact, for a long time their friendship is codependent; though Neil does genuinely want to help Miles, he often unwittingly enables his maladaptive behaviours by simply shielding him from the consequences instead of encouraging him to change the behaviour, and he centers his life around rescuing Miles from his problems. However, this is partly due to simple ignorance of the best way to help. The relationship becomes healthier as time goes on, and Neil does later recognize that he enjoyed being "the hero" a bit too much, and did not always act in Miles's best interest partly for that reason. Regardless, overall the relationship is helpful for Miles, even at peak codependency, partly because unconditional love and a constant companion was something he genuinely needed, and knowing that he has someone who will always be there for him actually does a lot in itself to improve his emotional health.
** {{Magibabble}}
** MagicalGesture: Most spells that create projectiles or affect specific targets will be accompanied by a gesture ranging from a wave or pass of a hand to FullContactMagic. Gestures aren't strictly necessary to any kind of magic in theory, but in practice they make the spell easier to visualize and therefore cast effectively. For some spells and charms (such as basic glamours), enough practice can obviate the need for gestures; but most mages aren't (and probably never will be) powerful enough to ''never'' have to use them for anything.
** {{Masquerade}}: Imposed by the gods, because BeingGodIsHard and TheGodsMustBeLazy, and more people having access to magic makes more work for them. The Masquerade doesn't usually involve such countermeasures as LaserGuidedAmnesia or KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade; individual cases of BrokenMasquerade usually aren't an issue. Just don't do anything that risks TheUnmasquedWorld and you'll probably be fine. This generally creates SafetyInMuggles, but not always.
** MasterActor: Surprisingly, Neil. Being immune to embarrassment and highly observant makes him capable of adopting any kind of persona regardless of how much it differs from his own personality, as well as imitating people with a high degree of accuracy.
** MasterOfIllusion: Neil and Miles often use glamours to create disguises and other illusions.
** MoodSwinger: Being highly sensitive means Miles's mood can change wildly and quickly with very little stimulus.
** MultipleChoiceChosen: [[spoiler:Scenario 1. Neil isn't the only person who is technically eligible to become the Soldier of the North. At the very least, Carrie and Davis are eligible as well; and if any of these three have any children, they'll also be eligible. However, Neil was definitely the first eligible person to be born, and is the only one who has spent enough time in the Otherworld to be able to complete the SecretTest that would actually grant him TheChosenOne status.]]
** MundaneUtility: Neil uses his GreenThumb to create produce and cut down the grocery bill.
** MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:The entire family starts feeling this way about their treatment of Miles several months after he leaves, starting with Carrie and eventually trickling down to Davis, Mrs. North, and then finally Mr. North, who ends up hit the worst.]]
** NayTheist: Many gods exist, but there is no need, and rarely any good reason, to worship any of them, so most people don't (though many pay lip service). Neil knows about every god that exists, but does not worship any of them, not even the fey who gave him his druid powers.
** TheNeedless: Neil [[TheSleepless doesn't need to sleep]], because he has an unusually high amount of raw magic energy. (If he is weakened enough, or if he is deprived of magic energy for long enough, he will need to sleep like any normal person.) He can also reduce his need for food and water if necessary.
** NervesOfSteel: Contrary to his stoic demeanour, Neil usually has normal emotions of normal intensity, including fear. They just don't affect his behaviour or judgement.
** NeverGetsDrunk: Miles is often surprisingly lucid and alert even when he's technically shit-faced. [[spoiler:Type 3, as his vampiric HealingFactor means alcohol has less effect on him, ''and'' has allowed him to build up an impossibly high tolerance]].
** NobleMaleRoguishMale: Neil and Miles. Downplayed.
** NotSoDifferent: Miles shares his father's love of literature and music. And knitting, as it turns out. And ultimately, his father's abusive behaviour partly stems from the same kinds of emotional problems and lack of coping skills that Miles suffers from. Underneath the animosity, they actually have a lot in common, [[spoiler:which helps them forge a genuine relationship after they reconcile]].
*** [[spoiler:Miles is an alcoholic, like his father; though a far higher-functioning one.]]
** OccultDetective: Miles and Neil engage in some ParanormalInvestigation.
** OffTheWagon: [[spoiler:After he realizes that Miles is also an alcoholic, and that his abuse towards him triggered this, Mr. North's guilt starts to take its toll and affect his progress, and he relapses a few weeks later]].
** OnlySaneMan: Zig-zagged with Miles. He is the only one to acknowledge there's a problem with his father's drinking or anything else his family does, he shares the burden of taking care of the family financially and physically, and he strives to treat them with decency and respect — and in the case of his siblings, even affection — when none of them do the same for him. On the other hand, he has a very impulsive and sensitive nature, which often leads him to make poor decisions or mistreat people he cares about; and due to his abusive upbringing, he has a GuiltComplex, crippling trust and self-esteem issues, and spends a lot of his free time self-medicating in various maladaptive ways.
** ParentalNeglect: Miles's parents. Mostly towards him (semi-deliberately), but in many regards towards the twins as well (semi-inadvertently).
** PersonOfMassDestruction: By the time he finishes his quest, Neil is more than powerful enough to be this, though he never uses that much power.
** PowersAsPrograms: Most magic (that humans can use) is basically a form of "glamour", which in ''Sans Souci'' means molding magic energy into the form you want to use. Usually the glamour is determined by the human on an as-needed basis, which in ''Sans Souci'' is called a "charm" to distinguish it from a "spell". A spell may or may not be a glamour, and has a (more or less) fixed form (loosely following rule 1 of VancianMagic). Spells are akin to magic "programs" that the user can invoke whenever they want to; and just like running a computer program (e.g. using a spell-check feature) takes less energy and effort than performing the task manually (e.g. painstakingly proofreading a document yourself), casting a spell is easier than creating a glamour that has the same effect. In fact, a spell often allows the user to perform a task that they could never do without the spell. For example, Neil has an espionage spell that can create a number of invisible and intangible "eyes" (they also detect sound, and can be made to detect smell) and place them anywhere that Neil has seen before (if he has a relative idea of its location). He could create a simple version of this with his own power, but with his spell he could theoretically create hundreds of eyes and place them all over a city within a matter of seconds or minutes, which is something he could never hope to achieve without using the spell. Neil compares the difference between spells and charms to the difference between ready-made products and custom-made products: Ready-made products (spells) can be grabbed off a shelf without any hassle, but might not fit your needs perfectly; whereas custom-made products (charms) can be made to your exact specifications, but take more effort. The analogy isn't perfect, as many spells require far more energy to cast than it would take to create a glamour that has the same effect, but usually the effect is far too difficult or complex for the user to accomplish on their own despite taking little actual energy. In fact, it's often ''because'' the effect is so complex that the spell has a high energy cost as compensation. Complexity is the defining factor: Glamours have a very low energy cost, but require effort or concentration that is usually proportional to their complexity. Spells take most of the effort and concentration out of the equation, at the price of a high energy cost.
** PrettyBoy: Neil.
** {{Protectorate}}: No one seems to trigger Neil's protective instincts like Miles does. The reverse is partly true, though Miles also sees his siblings and to some extent his whole family as Protectorates.
** PsychicPowers: Neil has a lot of spells and innate abilities that involve sensing things. Applications include PsychicRadar, AuraVision (but only for {{Power Level}}s), TheEmpath (towards non-human animals), etc.
** TheQuest: Neil has one that he needs to complete in order to ensure his family can't take him back home.
** RandomlyGifted: This is how Neil explains Miles having the ability to use magic despite not having any kind of family background in it. This is a thing that does actually happen, and there's no telling how common it might be, since most such people would never find out about their ability anyway.
** ReallyGetsAround: Miles.
** RealMenWearPink: Miles is a good cook and likes knitting and crafting. Neil likes to wear feminine clothing.
** RecoveredAddict: [[spoiler:Mr. North after his HeelRealization; and later Miles as well]].
** TheRedMage: In ''Sans Souci'', all magic is fundamentally the same and only differs in its areas of application and required skill set; there is no such thing as MutuallyExclusiveMagic. Certain magical creatures have some innate abilities and natural areas of strength, as well as {{Necessary Drawback}}s or other limitations on what kinds of magic they can use or master; and certain creatures have abilities that are unique to them; but aside from that, most people with enough magic power can learn whatever kinds of magic they choose to. A person might have more natural talent or affinity for some kinds of magic than others, and some kinds of magic require more power than others, or are harder to learn or use than others; but there is no need to choose any type over another, and there is no theoretical limit to what combination or number of types you can learn or master. There is rarely any benefit to [[CripplingOverspecialization specializing]], as you are very likely to get curb-stomped by someone who is your equal in that type of magic as well as three others. This tends to be the AchillesHeel of vampires, who usually focus on "levelling up" and gaining power in an upwards direction (i.e. making the abilities they have more powerful and/or gaining more of the same kinds of abilities), while rarely bothering to expand their abilities in a lateral direction.
** RedOniBlueOni: Miles and Neil, respectively.
** ReligionIsMagic: Sort of. Humans ultimately have the gods to thank for having any reliable access to magic, but the gods didn't create magic or its rules, and humans don't need to believe in any god or follow any religion in order to use magic. There are some cases where following specific gods can grant you unique or uniquely strong abilities, but this is a needlessly difficult and unreliable way to become powerful, given the gods' caprice, and the difficulty of getting a god to notice or acknowledge you to begin with. More often than not, it's the god that chooses you, not the other way around (e.g. druids and vates are changelings who were granted their powers by the fey).
** RequiredSecondaryPowers: If Neil shapeshifts into an animal for the purpose of behaving like that animal, any species- or breed-typical behaviours come naturally to him. After all, a {{kuudere}} Golden Retriever would be kind of off-putting.
** RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: It takes some practice before Neil can tell when someone's asking a rhetorical question, until which point he takes them at face value and answers them literally. Sometimes, even when he realizes it's a rhetorical question, he pretends to take it literally just for his own amusement.
** SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Zig-zagged, as Miles and Neil are both InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, but in different ways. Neil is a lot more androgynous than Miles, and likes to wear feminine clothing (though not exclusively). On the other hand, Miles is a lot more emotionally expressive and histrionic, and he likes cooking, knitting, crafting, and playing musical instruments.
** ShapeshifterBaggage: Like most shapeshifters, Neil can change his form to something bigger or smaller regardless of mass difference.
** ShapeshifterModeLock: Neil can't shapeshift without magic stamina, so if his stamina drops to zero (which can happen if he [[WeaksauceWeakness gets burned]]), he is mode-locked into his ShapeshifterDefaultForm.
** ShapeshiftingSeducer: Neil sometimes uses his powers to carry out TheSchlubPubSeductionDeduction (though the target isn't always a schlub).
** ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy: Miles's magic isn't as powerful as Neil's, so his fighting style is mostly short-range magic or non-magical melee. Neil on the other hand is a bit of a SquishyWizard, so he tends to prefer long-range or indirect attacks.
** SilkHidingSteel: This describes Neil to a T.
** TheSleepless: Because he has so much magic energy, Neil ''can'' sleep, but usually doesn't have to.
** TheSouthpaw:
*** Neil is [[HeroicAmbidexterity ambidextrous]], but when acting reflexively he seems to favour his left hand.
*** Mrs. North is left-handed.
** StepfordSmiler: Miles fluctuates between all three types.
** TheStoic: Neil is a polite one. While he mostly has a normal subjective emotional range, he rarely shows much emotional expression (to the point that he has
** StraightGay: Denise doesn't exactly scream lesbian.
** StreetMusician: As a teenager, Miles used to busk with his violin.
** StrongFamilyResemblance:
*** [[spoiler:Downplayed: As deliberate foreshadowing, Neil shares several physical traits with the Norths, while Miles shares almost none. Miles's hair is jet black, while the rest of the Norths have hair colours ranging
*** [[spoiler:Miles looks like basically a male version of Shannon Bell, hinting at their relatedness. Justified as it turns out that he's not merely related to her, but is actually her OppositeSexClone.]]
** SuicidalPacifism: While he doesn't always succeed in upholding this principle, Miles is strongly opposed to using violence or fear to get what he wants, refusing to hurt others even in self-defense. (But sometimes [[RageBreakingPoint he snaps]].) He'll use violence to defend others however, which is part of why he's willing to fight supernatural enemies.
** SwordAndSorcerer: Miles and Neil can both use magic and both tend to use it in fights. However, Miles isn't as magically powerful or experienced as Neil, so he often uses magic and physical attacks alternately or in tandem. He is a StoneWall who can't do much damage against a magical opponent because of limited power, a limited skillset, and limited range. Neil on the other hand has used magic nearly his whole life and has almost no other skills, and thus is a bit of a SquishyWizard / GlassCannon. He isn't physically tough, but he can protect himself (and Miles) quite handily, and can deal a lot of damage at a variety of ranges. The gap between them closes as the story goes on, with Miles becoming more magically skilled and powerful, and Neil becomes physically stronger and gains more fighting skills. Though Miles is always the physically tougher of the two, and they always have different strengths both physically and magically, by a certain point in the story they are both [[KungFuWizard Kung-Fu Wizards]] / {{Magic Knight}}s.
** ThatMakesMeFeelAngry: If Neil is angry, sad, excited, or pretty much any emotion other than "neutral", often the only indication is him saying so.
** TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: How magic works in this universe.
** {{Transgender}}: Neil identifies as genderless, and doesn't actually understand the concept of gender identity at all.
** TranquilFury: The first time Neil is shown to be angry, his voice remains calm and level (albeit tense), he speaks politely even to the person he's angry with, and his entirely sincere (yet calmly delivered) threat to [[ColdHam break all of her limbs]] is the only hint that he's not merely annoyed.
** TroubledAbuser: Miles's parents found him to be a very difficult and unlikable child (for many reasons, some of which make sense and some of which don't), so by the time he was kindergarten age, they were both depressed and emotionally drained, their marriage was on the rocks, and they both seriously regretted having a child at all. This, and their tendency to take their stress out on Miles, made them feel like horrible parents/people, which only aggravated the situation and caused an endless feedback loop.
*** Averted with Neil's family, who were simply psychopaths.
** TrueCompanions: Miles and Neil.
** {{Tulpa}}: One of the three main types of gods (the others being DeityOfHumanOrigin and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
** TheUnfavourite: Miles to his family.
** VoluntaryShapeshifter: Neil can shapeshift into any [[{{Humanshifting}} human form]] or any [[{{Animorphism}} animal]] that has a brain (including non-existent animals and PartialTransformation, as long as the resulting form's physiology is compatible with life). This includes changing his [[SexShifter sex]], [[VoiceChangeling voice]], and [[{{Sizeshifter}} size]]. He can also shapeshift whatever clothes he's wearing into different clothes (or no clothes at all), but can't morph clothes for himself if he isn't wearing any, so TechnicallyNakedShapeshifter and ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing don't apply.
** WeakenedByTheLight: [[spoiler:Miles is extremely susceptible to heat stroke if he spends much time in the sun — though only in weather that is at least somewhat hot and has enough UV penetration, since syncretic vampires' weaknesses and abilities have adapted
** WeaksauceWeakness:
*** Neil has two: 1) Heat. If he sustains a thermal burn, his magic stamina temporarily drops to zero, which prevents him from using most magic, including shapeshifting; and his stamina doesn't fully replenish until the burn heals. If his core body temperature rises to the level of fever/hyperthermia, his magic energy drops to zero until his body temperature returns to the normal range. And worst of all, he can't use magic to (directly) protect himself from heat. Which means he can be almost completely magically disabled just by catching the flu, and antipyretic medication would be his only recourse. However, he can still protect himself from heat by ordinary physical means, and ''other'' people can use magic to protect him from heat. 2) [[HolyBurnsEvil Christian paraphernalia]] weakens him.
*** Miles has a crippling [[AfraidOfBlood blood]] [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes phobia]]. He is also so [[spoiler:WeakenedByTheLight]] that he is in real danger of [[spoiler:heat stroke whenever he goes on a trip to the beach]]. And, much like with Neil's weakness to heat, [[spoiler:Miles can't be protected from sunlight by magical means; but unlike Neil, he can't even be protected by ''other people's'' magic]].
*** A more mundane example: Within a few months of arriving, Neil almost died of complications from ''chickenpox'' because his immune system was so weak from [[spoiler:being raised in the Otherworld from infancy and thus never exposed to any infections]]. Fortunately he survived, and the infection (as well as the passive immunization treatment he received) bolstered his immune system to normal strength.
** WellDoneSonGuy: Miles is like this with his whole family, doing so much for them out of sheer desperation for their attention, affection, and approval, as well as to atone for what he perceives as his own shortcomings and misdeeds that have "earned" his family's ire and mistreatment.
** WholesomeCrossdresser: Neil doesn't distinguish between men's and women's clothing, and wears women's clothing fairly often, though in public he usually shapeshifts into a woman when doing so, to
** WillNotTellALie: Neil believes in
** Intended medium: Webcomic and/or animated series
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy set in the city where I grew up. The premise bears an uncanny resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider "The Outsider"]] (much to my irritation when I found out), and therefore might also bring ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' to mind. However, it was actually inspired by an episode of ''Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase''[[labelnote:*]](I've never watched the show in full, but I once saw the first or second episode. I came up with the idea over the next couple of days).[[/labelnote]]. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation
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** Tropes:
*** BadDreams: The heroine has {{Flashback Nightmare}}s all the time.
*** BatmanInMyBasement: The protagonist lives alone and the heroine doesn't need to SaveTheWorld or anything like that; but taking care of her without people knowing is essentially just as difficult, since it's a full-time job (at first), meaning he can't have people over and can't go out, which is suspicious in itself.
*** BiggerOnTheInside: The Castle can be this if it wants to, due to being an EldritchLocation and a MobileMaze.
*** ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: See InvisibleToNormals below.
*** ChildrenRaiseYou: The protagonist basically ends up "raising" the heroine, and while he's actually pretty good at it, it's still insanely difficult and he learns a lot from it.
*** ClosedCircle: For anyone other than the heroine, the Castle has a big wide open door at the front, and many wide open windows. For the heroine, these were not possible to exit from, and [[MobileMaze often just plain weren't there]]. It was literally impossible for her to leave.
*** CuteAndPsycho: The heroine is this at first, for obvious reasons. Over time she becomes less psycho and more cute.
*** EldritchLocation: The Castle.
*** FakeKillScare: The Castle does this a lot.
*** FirstTimeInTheSun: The heroine has this experience, except it's at the beginning of the story rather than the end.
*** GeniusLoci: The Castle.
*** GoMadFromTheIsolation: One of the many ways in which being raised by a GeniusLoci has scarred the heroine.
*** InvisibleToNormals: The Castle is normally invisible and intangible to all people except: The one who made the castle, the one who operates the castle, and the one who is imprisoned in the castle. [[ByTheEyesOfTheBlind "Normal" people can perceive it upon fulfilling a certain condition]], which I will not disclose because it's a spoiler.
*** LightningBruiser: Being raised inside a MobileMaze that often chased/attacked her with [[EldritchAbomination horrible creatures]] and machines, has made the heroine very fast and strong (for her age, gender, and size), and able to physically withstand a lot of abuse (whether she can withstand it mentally depends on her state of mind at the time). This usually isn't very relevant, except for two occasions when she runs away, and one occasion where she punches the protagonist hard enough in the head that he is briefly knocked out and suffers a concussion.
*** {{Magitek}}: The Castle has a lot of it.
*** MindRape: One of many ways the Castle used to torture the heroine.
*** MobileMaze: The Castle can become this if it wants to, just to screw with the heroine.
*** MysteriousWaif: The heroine.
*** OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Sort of. The protagonist just finished high school.
*** PrimalFear: The Castle preys on these.
*** PsychologicalTormentZone: The Castle is designed to be this.
*** WildChild: The heroine, so much.
*** BadDreams: The heroine has {{Flashback Nightmare}}s all the time.
*** BatmanInMyBasement: The protagonist lives alone and the heroine doesn't need to SaveTheWorld or anything like that; but taking care of her without people knowing is essentially just as difficult, since it's a full-time job (at first), meaning he can't have people over and can't go out, which is suspicious in itself.
*** BiggerOnTheInside: The Castle can be this if it wants to, due to being an EldritchLocation and a MobileMaze.
*** ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: See InvisibleToNormals below.
*** ChildrenRaiseYou: The protagonist basically ends up "raising" the heroine, and while he's actually pretty good at it, it's still insanely difficult and he learns a lot from it.
*** ClosedCircle: For anyone other than the heroine, the Castle has a big wide open door at the front, and many wide open windows. For the heroine, these were not possible to exit from, and [[MobileMaze often just plain weren't there]]. It was literally impossible for her to leave.
*** CuteAndPsycho: The heroine is this at first, for obvious reasons. Over time she becomes less psycho and more cute.
*** EldritchLocation: The Castle.
*** FakeKillScare: The Castle does this a lot.
*** FirstTimeInTheSun: The heroine has this experience, except it's at the beginning of the story rather than the end.
*** GeniusLoci: The Castle.
*** GoMadFromTheIsolation: One of the many ways in which being raised by a GeniusLoci has scarred the heroine.
*** InvisibleToNormals: The Castle is normally invisible and intangible to all people except: The one who made the castle, the one who operates the castle, and the one who is imprisoned in the castle. [[ByTheEyesOfTheBlind "Normal" people can perceive it upon fulfilling a certain condition]], which I will not disclose because it's a spoiler.
*** LightningBruiser: Being raised inside a MobileMaze that often chased/attacked her with [[EldritchAbomination horrible creatures]] and machines, has made the heroine very fast and strong (for her age, gender, and size), and able to physically withstand a lot of abuse (whether she can withstand it mentally depends on her state of mind at the time). This usually isn't very relevant, except for two occasions when she runs away, and one occasion where she punches the protagonist hard enough in the head that he is briefly knocked out and suffers a concussion.
*** {{Magitek}}: The Castle has a lot of it.
*** MindRape: One of many ways the Castle used to torture the heroine.
*** MobileMaze: The Castle can become this if it wants to, just to screw with the heroine.
*** MysteriousWaif: The heroine.
*** OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Sort of. The protagonist just finished high school.
*** PrimalFear: The Castle preys on these.
*** PsychologicalTormentZone: The Castle is designed to be this.
*** WildChild: The heroine, so much.
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* ''Zarmina's World'': A ScienceFiction story about aliens who come to Earth from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581_g Gliese 581 g]], an extrasolar planet which may or may not exist in real life, and which is currently considered the most likely candidate for alien life. One of the scientists who discovered it nicknamed it [[TitleDrop "Zarmina's World"]] (often shortened to "Zarmina").
** Intended medium: Novel
* ''[=SarA.I.=] Project'': A ScienceFiction story about an artificially intelligent android named Sarai Chino (知能・再来 ''Chino Sarai'').
* ''Plaything'': A [[{{Surrealism}} surrealist]] story about a children's blanket on a quest to find her family after they accidentally move away without her. Despite the premise, it's actually intended for young adults. It is very serious and sometimes dark, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids and deals with themes not at all suitable for children]] (such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, abandonment, child abuse, death, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental illness). BetterThanItSounds.
** Intended medium: Novel
* ''Str.Rh.P.w/P.B.'': A [[{{Surrealism}} surrealist]] ConstructedWorld with...''interesting'' physics. Just as an example: How much an object weighs depends on whether the person holding it owns it or not, and the "percent ownership" you have of an object depends on how long you've been holding it for, etc. I actually have written an equation that explains it all. And since you can't own a sentient being, scientists don't need to have philosophical debates about whether their latest and greatest AI is sentient or not — they just have to put it on a scale and see whether it changes weight after somebody holds it for long enough. Another example: Information is physical matter, kind of like air or light, that floats around in the atmosphere and can be absorbed by osmosis. That is to say, if you have a higher concentration of info in your brain than there is in the atmosphere, info will leave your brain, and vice versa. For this reason, people have to wear protective membranes that prevent info from leaving or entering the brain when they don't want it to. Of course, this makes learning things very complicated. It also makes privacy complicated. [[FridgeLogic And communication. I actually only just realized that...]] [--Maybe I should change it to "data"...--] Anyway, if you're not wearing your protective membrane and you wander into an area with a really, ''really'' low concentration of information, that's really dangerous — information will start leaving your brain at an alarming rate, causing you to lose consciousness. Unless someone finds you, you're going to lie there with all the info leaking out of your brain until you die. I love to create these crazy laws of physics and explore the implications of them.
** Intended medium: Novel
* ''[=SarA.I.=] Project'': A ScienceFiction story about an artificially intelligent android named Sarai Chino (知能・再来 ''Chino Sarai'').
* ''Plaything'': A [[{{Surrealism}} surrealist]] story about a children's blanket on a quest to find her family after they accidentally move away without her. Despite the premise, it's actually intended for young adults. It is very serious and sometimes dark, [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids and deals with themes not at all suitable for children]] (such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, abandonment, child abuse, death, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental illness). BetterThanItSounds.
** Intended medium: Novel
* ''Str.Rh.P.w/P.B.'': A [[{{Surrealism}} surrealist]] ConstructedWorld with...''interesting'' physics. Just as an example: How much an object weighs depends on whether the person holding it owns it or not, and the "percent ownership" you have of an object depends on how long you've been holding it for, etc. I actually have written an equation that explains it all. And since you can't own a sentient being, scientists don't need to have philosophical debates about whether their latest and greatest AI is sentient or not — they just have to put it on a scale and see whether it changes weight after somebody holds it for long enough. Another example: Information is physical matter, kind of like air or light, that floats around in the atmosphere and can be absorbed by osmosis. That is to say, if you have a higher concentration of info in your brain than there is in the atmosphere, info will leave your brain, and vice versa. For this reason, people have to wear protective membranes that prevent info from leaving or entering the brain when they don't want it to. Of course, this makes learning things very complicated. It also makes privacy complicated. [[FridgeLogic And communication. I actually only just realized that...]] [--Maybe I should change it to "data"...--] Anyway, if you're not wearing your protective membrane and you wander into an area with a really, ''really'' low concentration of information, that's really dangerous — information will start leaving your brain at an alarming rate, causing you to lose consciousness. Unless someone finds you, you're going to lie there with all the info leaking out of your brain until you die. I love to create these crazy laws of physics and explore the implications of them.
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* AuthorAvatar: Many of my stories were begun four or more years ago, before I realized this was a bad idea. I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to downplay it in most of my stories. Currently the worst offender is ''Homestay'', whose protagonist is like me not only in appearance but in personal interests (though not in personality — she's a lot nicer, clumsier, and more sociable/lovable than I am). The others are not like me in personality at all — only in appearance (and even this I've changed enough that I don't consider them to really resemble me anymore). Interestingly, ''Qualia'', my favourite story, is so far the only one where the protagonist is a) male, and b) not like me at all. Hmm...
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* AuthorAvatar: Many of my stories were begun four ten or more years ago, before I realized this was a bad idea. I've tried, with varying degrees of success, to downplay it in most of my stories. Currently the worst offender is ''Homestay'', whose protagonist is like me not only in appearance but in personal interests (though not in personality — she's a lot nicer, clumsier, and more sociable/lovable than I am).personality). The others are not like me in personality at all — only in appearance (and even this I've changed enough that I don't consider them to really resemble me anymore). Interestingly, ''Qualia'', my favourite story, is so far the only one where the protagonist is a) male, and b) not like me at all. Hmm...
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* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted, especially in ''Qualia''. (It's about a young adult taking care of a feral teenage girl — what do you expect???)
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* ShoutOut: How my AuthorAppeal tendencies usually manifest themselves.
* ShownTheirWork: Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details.
%%* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
* ShownTheirWork: Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details.
%%* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
to:
%%* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
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* WritersCannotDoMath: I avert this like the plague. I'm not good at math, but I'm good at internet and calculator.
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* WritersCannotDoMath: I try to avert this like the plague. I'm not good at math, but I'm good at internet and calculator.
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* ''[[Series/AirCrashInvestigation Mayday]]''
* ''Series/UntoldStoriesOfTheER''
* ''Series/UntoldStoriesOfTheER''
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* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' (manga)
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* ''LightNovel/SagradaReset'' (anime sub)
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# I put ''Portal'' between the ''Half-Life'' series and the ''Half-Life 2'' series for two reasons. The first is that chronologically, ''Portal'' takes place at least a few weeks after ''Half-Life''. Because of this, playing it after the ''Half-Life'' series, rather than waiting until after the ''Half-Life 2'' series, will give greater relevancy and context to GLaDOS's allusions to the Black Mesa Incident and Combine occupation[[labelnote:*]]The lines aren't spoilers, but they're tagged for the sake of people who want to keep everything a surprise: [[spoiler:"Things have ''changed'' since the last time you left the building. What's going on out there will make you ''wish'' you were back in here. I have an infinite capacity for knowledge, and even ''I'm'' not sure what's going on outside. All I know is, I'm the only thing standing between us, and ''them''." "Maybe you'll find someone else to help you. Maybe Black Mesa. THAT WAS A JOKE. HAHA. FAT CHANCE."]][[/labelnote]]. The second reason is that breaking up the ''Half-Life'' series and ''Half-Life 2'' series with a completely puzzle-based game in an entirely different setting will a) give the player another breather, and b) give the player a sense of time passing and other things occurring between the ''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' series — which is good, since ''Half-Life 2'' takes place about 20 years later.
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# I put ''Portal'' between the ''Half-Life'' series and the ''Half-Life 2'' series for two reasons. The first is that chronologically, ''Portal'' takes place at least a few weeks after ''Half-Life''. Because of this, playing it after the ''Half-Life'' series, rather than waiting until after the ''Half-Life 2'' series, will give greater relevancy and context to GLaDOS's [=GLaDOS=]'s allusions to the Black Mesa Incident and Combine occupation[[labelnote:*]]The lines aren't spoilers, but they're tagged for the sake of people who want to keep everything a surprise: [[spoiler:"Things have ''changed'' since the last time you left the building. What's going on out there will make you ''wish'' you were back in here. I have an infinite capacity for knowledge, and even ''I'm'' not sure what's going on outside. All I know is, I'm the only thing standing between us, and ''them''." "Maybe you'll find someone else to help you. Maybe Black Mesa. THAT WAS A JOKE. HAHA. FAT CHANCE."]][[/labelnote]]. The second reason is that breaking up the ''Half-Life'' series and ''Half-Life 2'' series with a completely puzzle-based game in an entirely different setting will a) give the player another breather, and b) give the player a sense of time passing and other things occurring between the ''Half-Life'' and ''Half-Life 2'' series — which is good, since ''Half-Life 2'' takes place about 20 years later.
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* TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLife
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* TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLifeSugarWiki/TVTropesWillEnhanceYourLife
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!![[UnpublishedWorks Things I'm working on]] (or [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder thinking about working on]])[[note]]in order of how much I've been working on them lately (but not everything is on this list)[[/note]]:
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* ''BlankIt''
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* ''BlankIt''''Webcomic/BlankIt''
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* ''DinosaurComics'' (I think)
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* ''DinosaurComics'' ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' (I think)
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* ''FrankenFran''
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* ''FrankenFran''''Manga/FrankenFran''
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* ''QuestionableContent'' (I think)
* ''SakuraGari''
* ''SakuraGari''
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* ''QuestionableContent'' ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' (I think)
*''SakuraGari''''Manga/SakuraGari''
*
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* ''ThreePanelSoul'' (I think)
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* ''ThreePanelSoul'' ''Webcomic/ThreePanelSoul'' (I think)
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!!My [[FavoriteTrope favourite tropes]][[note]](I like to see them played straight or played with)[[/note]]:
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!!My [[FavoriteTrope [[SugarWiki/FavoriteTrope favourite tropes]][[note]](I like to see them played straight or played with)[[/note]]:
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* ''[[Literature/TheAlchemist The Alchemist]]''
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Scudder All The Flowers Are Dying]]''
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Scudder All The Flowers Are Dying]]''
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* ''{{Chobits}}'' (manga)
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* ''{{Chobits}}'' ''Manga/{{Chobits}}'' (manga)
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* ''AVeryPotterMusical'' and sequel
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* ''AVeryPotterMusical'' ''Theatre/AVeryPotterMusical'' and sequel
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* ''OedipusRex''
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* ''OedipusRex''''Theatre/OedipusRex''
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* ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'' series and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series
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* ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'' ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' series and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series
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* ''{{Goblins}}''
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* ''{{Goblins}}''''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''
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* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy set in the city where I grew up. The premise bears an uncanny resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider "The Outsider"]] (much to my chagrin when I found out), and therefore might also bring ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' to mind. However, it was actually inspired by an episode of ''Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase''[[labelnote:*]](I've never watched the show, but in 2006 I went to a Halloween-themed "Anime Night" at a comic store in my city, and they showed the first or second episode of it. I came up with the idea over the next couple of days).[[/labelnote]]. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation big, black castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to [[BatmanInMyBasement take her home]] and see what he can do for her. This is my favourite story so far, as it doesn't suffer from many of the weaknesses of my earlier ones.
to:
* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia Qualia]]'': A SliceOfLife UrbanFantasy set in the city where I grew up. The premise bears an uncanny resemblance to H. P. Lovecraft's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outsider "The Outsider"]] (much to my chagrin irritation when I found out), and therefore might also bring ''[[AmnesiaTheDarkDescent Amnesia]]'' to mind. However, it was actually inspired by an episode of ''Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase''[[labelnote:*]](I've never watched the show, show in full, but in 2006 I went to a Halloween-themed "Anime Night" at a comic store in my city, and they showed once saw the first or second episode of it.episode. I came up with the idea over the next couple of days).[[/labelnote]]. The [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent protagonist]] is hiking in the woods when he finds a [[EldritchLocation big, black castle]]. He thinks he's hallucinating until he finds a teenage girl inside — a [[WildChild feral child]] who was [[GeniusLoci raised by the castle]] in a very [[PsychologicalTormentZone abusive]], [[MindRape terrifying]] way. The protagonist decides to [[BatmanInMyBasement take her home]] and see what he can do for her. This is my favourite story so far, as it doesn't suffer from many of the weaknesses of my earlier ones.
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** ShapeshifterModeLock: Neil can't shapeshift without magic stamina, so if his stamina drops to zero (which can happen if he has a [[WeaksauceWeakness fever]]), he is mode-locked into his ShapeshifterDefaultForm.
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** ShapeshifterModeLock: Neil can't shapeshift without magic stamina, so if his stamina drops to zero (which can happen if he has a [[WeaksauceWeakness fever]]), gets burned]]), he is mode-locked into his ShapeshifterDefaultForm.
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** VoluntaryShapeshifter: Neil can shapeshift into any [[Humanshifting human form]] or any [[Animorphism animal]] that has a brain (including non-existent animals and PartialTransformation, as long as the resulting form's physiology is compatible with life). This includes changing his [[SexShifter sex]], [[VoiceChangeling voice]], and [[Sizeshifter size]]. He can also shapeshift whatever clothes he's wearing into different clothes (or no clothes at all), but can't morph clothes for himself if he isn't wearing any, so TechnicallyNakedShapeshifter and ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing don't apply.
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** VoluntaryShapeshifter: Neil can shapeshift into any [[Humanshifting [[{{Humanshifting}} human form]] or any [[Animorphism [[{{Animorphism}} animal]] that has a brain (including non-existent animals and PartialTransformation, as long as the resulting form's physiology is compatible with life). This includes changing his [[SexShifter sex]], [[VoiceChangeling voice]], and [[Sizeshifter [[{{Sizeshifter}} size]]. He can also shapeshift whatever clothes he's wearing into different clothes (or no clothes at all), but can't morph clothes for himself if he isn't wearing any, so TechnicallyNakedShapeshifter and ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing don't apply.
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** {{Transsexual}}: Neil identifies as genderless, and doesn't actually understand the concept of gender identity at all.
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** {{Transsexual}}: {{Transgender}}: Neil identifies as genderless, and doesn't actually understand the concept of gender identity at all.
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* ''DarthWiki/HalfLifeWorldLine'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Now Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have family members (both dead and alive) and backstories. [[AscendedExtra Extras have been ascended.]] Chell has a last name. And so on. My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'', and what happens after ''Episode Two'' (and what happens after "the end" — since it won't really be the end until ALL the Combine forces are gone, which will probably take years). Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
** Intended medium: Webcomic, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking film/live-action television]].
** Intended medium: Webcomic, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking film/live-action television]].
to:
* ''DarthWiki/HalfLifeWorldLine'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Now Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have family members (both dead families and alive) and backstories. [[AscendedExtra Extras have been ascended.]] Chell has a last name.backstories. And so on. My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'', ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', and what happens after ''Episode Two'' (and what happens after "the end" — since it won't really be the end until ALL the Combine forces are gone, which will probably take years).Two''. Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
** Intended medium:Webcomic, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking film/live-action television]].
Webcomic
** Intended medium:
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** Intended medium: Novel, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking film]]
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** Intended medium: Novel, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wishful_thinking film]]Novel
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** Intended medium: Novel.
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** Intended medium: Novel.Novel
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* BilingualBonus: Such fun! These are especially prevalent in a ScienceFantasy story I haven't listed here.
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay'' and the Innsbruck arc of ''World Line''.
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay'' and the Innsbruck arc of ''World Line''.
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* BilingualBonus: Such fun! These are especially prevalent in a ScienceFantasy story I haven't listed here.
fun!
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay''and the Innsbruck arc of and ''World Line''.
* BilingualDialogue: Most of my stories have at least one instance of this, since there's almost always a character who speaks another language. Particularly prevalent in ''Homestay''
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* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''World Line'' and my unlisted science fantasy story are particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} examples.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe explanation.
* NominalImportance: Averted. Everyone gets a name. In my ''HalfLife'' fan fiction, almost everyone even gets a ''middle'' name (interestingly, this is the only story where I've really bothered with middle names yet — I guess because I have a lot of my work cut out for me, so adding extraneous details is "fun" rather than "work").
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe explanation.
* NominalImportance: Averted. Everyone gets a name. In my ''HalfLife'' fan fiction, almost everyone even gets a ''middle'' name (interestingly, this is the only story where I've really bothered with middle names yet — I guess because I have a lot of my work cut out for me, so adding extraneous details is "fun" rather than "work").
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* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: ''World Line'' and my unlisted science fantasy story are is a particularly JustForFun/{{egregious}} examples.
example.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're often meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universeexplanation.
* NominalImportance: Averted. Everyone gets a name. In my ''HalfLife'' fan fiction, almost everyone even gets a ''middle'' name (interestingly, this is the only story where I've really bothered with middle names yet — I guess because I have a lot of my work cut out for me, so adding extraneous details is "fun" rather than "work").explanation.
* MeaningfulName: I love these. Some are rather more clever/subtle than others. The obvious ones are usually lampshaded, since they're often meant to be a joke. Some of them have an in-universe
* NominalImportance: Averted. Everyone gets a name. In my ''HalfLife'' fan fiction, almost everyone even gets a ''middle'' name (interestingly, this is the only story where I've really bothered with middle names yet — I guess because I have a lot of my work cut out for me, so adding extraneous details is "fun" rather than "work").
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* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: I exploit the hell out of this whenever the opportunity presents itself, because there's endless potential for hilarity.
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* SeparatedByACommonLanguage: I exploit the hell out of this whenever the opportunity presents itself, because there's endless potential for hilarity.hilarity or misunderstandings.
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* ShownTheirWork: I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details. I guess I'm a show-off at heart because I can't help but insert evidence of my hard work into the stories somehow. XD
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
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* ShownTheirWork: Most of my stories take place in some version of the real world, and I like everything to look and feel authentic, so I do a lot of research for my stories, even for relatively minor details. I guess I'm a show-off at heart because I can't help but insert evidence of my hard work into the stories somehow. XD
*details.
%%* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
*
%%* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: I tend to be quite idealistic in my fiction. If someone needs therapy, they will probably get it, and they'll probably continue to get it until they no longer need it — and if they need it again, they'll get it again. If someone has a mental illness, they will recover. If someone is dying, they will probably survive unless its an invariably fatal disease. (I can't stand killing major characters unless there's a good reason.) RousseauWasRight. If there is an item around that could really, really help the characters, they will find it. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Authority figures are reasonable]]. [[BenevolentBoss Bosses are benevolent]]. [[GoodParents Parents know what they're doing]]. [[HappilyMarried Couples are happy]]. If an innocent/good person stands trial, they'll be acquitted, and if a guilty/bad person stands trial, they'll be convicted, and their punishment will be proportionate to their crime. However, I try not to let idealism get in the way of realistic conflict — just because a character gets therapy doesn't mean it will be ''easy'', and just because it works doesn't mean it will work ''right away'', or that there won't be setbacks. (You should see Doug Rattmann's recovery from his first schizophrenic psychotic episode in ''World Line''.) The destination may be ideal, but the journey often isn't. People still have to [[EarnYourHappyEnding Earn Their Happy Endings]]. And I don't shy away from cynicism when it's AMillionIsAStatistic, which it often is in ''World Line''. (I consider writing ''World Line'' to be a good exercise in cynicism, due to the constraints the ''HalfLife'' franchise places on idealism by its very nature.)
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* ''DarthWiki/HalfLifeWorldLine'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Now Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have family members (both dead and alive) and detailed backstories. [[AscendedExtra Extras have been ascended.]] And Chell has a last name. (And most of the characters even have middle names!) My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'', and what happens after ''Episode Two'' (and what happens after "the end" — since it won't really be the end until ALL the Combine forces are gone, which will probably take years). Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]] (though many of the latter aren't really characters, but simply by-products of the main characters' backstories). Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that I haven't really worked on my favourite story, ''Qualia'', in a while.
to:
* ''DarthWiki/HalfLifeWorldLine'': A ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' franchise[[note]]i.e. the ''VideoGame/HalfLife''/''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' universe[[/note]] fan fiction. It fits into several categories, depending on which "arc" you're looking at: FixFic, ElsewhereFic, Adaptation, Continuation, etc. The genres are OriginalFlavor (in the sense that part of it is just a retelling of the canon but with more {{Realism}} and extra dialogue), SomethingCompletelyDifferent (in the sense of "taking an idea or concept in the series proper and averting, subverting, inverting or just plain fucking with it"), and Romance. The style is EarnYourHappyEnding. Now Gordon and Chell both talk (I never have understood why so many fan fic authors feel the need to keep Gordon and Chell silent by having them be somehow incapable of speech). Characters have family members (both dead and alive) and detailed backstories. [[AscendedExtra Extras have been ascended.]] And Chell has a last name. (And most of the characters even have middle names!) And so on. My focus right now is on what happens in the days/months/years before ''HalfLife'', what happens between ''HalfLife'' ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}'', and what happens after ''Episode Two'' (and what happens after "the end" — since it won't really be the end until ALL the Combine forces are gone, which will probably take years). Therefore there are a ''lot'' of [[AscendedExtra ascended extras]] and [[OriginalCharacter original characters]] (though many of the latter aren't really characters, but simply by-products of the main characters' backstories). characters]]. Writing this is a ''lot'' of fun — so much that I haven't really worked on it displaced ''Qualia'' as my main project and favourite story, ''Qualia'', in a while.and currently competes with ''Sans Souci'' for "story I work on the most".
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* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: 19-year-old [[PunnyName Miles North]] comes home from a party one night to find a mysterious young man staring intently at his house. The next night, Miles is attacked by a supernatural creature, and almost immediately rescued by the mysterious stranger from the night before. Neil won't say where he came from or how he knows magic, but it quickly becomes clear that this is his first contact with normal human civilization, and Miles suspects that he's an alien. Neil soon reveals that in order to avoid being taken back home (something he doesn't want despite missing his family), he has to complete [[TheQuest a quest]], and the most practical way to become powerful enough is to become a HunterOfMonsters. Miles ends up helping him out. Cue {{Fire Forged Friend|s}}ship.
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* ''Sans Souci''[[labelnote:*]]"Carefree"[[/labelnote]]: 19-year-old [[PunnyName Miles North]] comes home from a Halloween party one night to find a mysterious young man staring intently at his house. The next night, Miles is attacked by a supernatural creature, and almost immediately is rescued by the mysterious stranger from the night before. Neil won't say where he came from or how he knows magic, but it quickly becomes clear that this is his first contact with normal human civilization, and Miles suspects that he's an alien. Neil soon reveals that in order to avoid being taken back home (something he doesn't want despite missing his family), he has to complete [[TheQuest a quest]], and the most practical way to become powerful enough is to become a HunterOfMonsters. Miles ends up helping him out. Cue {{Fire Forged Friend|s}}ship.
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** AlcoholicParent: Mr. North, at least since Miles was in middle school. His drinking worsened after his heart attack, which left him unable to work, angry, and depressed. [[spoiler:When Miles was 15, his father claimed that he started drinking because it was the only way he could stand to be around Miles.]]
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** AlcoholicParent: Mr. North, at least since Miles was in middle school. His drinking worsened after his heart attack, which left him unable to work, angry, and depressed. [[spoiler:When Miles was 15, his father claimed that he started drinking because it was the only way he could stand to be around Miles.]]
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*** [[spoiler:The Norths, particularly Mr. North, after having a HeelRealization]].
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*** [[spoiler:The Norths, particularly Mr. North, after eventually having a HeelRealization]].
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** BadMoodAsAnExcuse: Often used as an excuse by Miles's father and girlfriends alike.
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** BadMoodAsAnExcuse: Often used as an excuse by Miles's father and girlfriends alike. Though to be fair, Miles can be guilty of this himself.
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*** Downplayed with Neil, who has a great appreciation for food, rarely turns it down, and often eats large portions. Though he usually eats in healthy amounts overall, he admits that he would eat "all the time" if he didn't have to worry about the weight gain or health effects. (Then again, his magic energy can increase his metabolism to some extent when necessary, so he can already eat more than the average person without gaining weight.) He also binge-eats if he's drunk enough for his will power and prudence to evaporate.
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*** Downplayed with Neil, who has a great appreciation for food, rarely turns it down, and often eats large portions. Though he usually eats in healthy amounts overall, he admits that he would eat "all the time" if he didn't have to worry about the weight gain or health effects. (Then again, his magic energy can increase his metabolism to some extent when necessary, so he can already eat more than the average person without gaining weight.) He also binge-eats if he's drunk enough for his will power and prudence to evaporate.
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*** His HealingFactor makes it impossible for him to do any permanent non-lethal damage to himself, but [[spoiler:it meant that a lot of injuries he was dealt by his father healed too quickly for anyone to notice, and that he could still function quite well even after a drinking binge, causing his alcoholism to fly under the radar for years because it didn't affect his grades or his job]].
to:
*** His HealingFactor makes it impossible for him to do any permanent non-lethal damage to himself, but [[spoiler:it meant that a lot of injuries he was dealt by his father — or himself — healed too quickly for anyone to notice, and that he could still function quite well even after a drinking binge, causing his alcoholism to fly under the radar for years because it didn't affect his grades or his job]].
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*** His [[spoiler:sensitivity to sunlight has made him highly susceptible to sunburns and heatstroke his whole life, which limits how much time he can spend outdoors on summer days, which upsets him to no end because he loves the outdoors]].
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*** His [[spoiler:sensitivity to sunlight has made him highly susceptible to sunburns and heatstroke his whole life, which limits how much time he can spend outdoors on bright summer days, which upsets him to no end because he loves the outdoors]].days]].
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** BlueCollarWarlock: Any mage who isn't entrenched in some kind of sect is probably a mostly-ordinary person who happens to be capable of magic, and might do things related to that on the side.
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** BlueCollarWarlock: Any mage who isn't entrenched in some kind of sect is probably a mostly-ordinary person who happens to be capable of magic, and might do things related to that on the side.moonlight in some kind of magic-related activity but probably has a regular day job.
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** CaptainObvious: Neil's literal-mindedness and desire to be precise sometimes leads him to over-explain or engage in DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. Though this tendency diminishes over time, sometimes he does it on purpose just to be funny.
** TheComicallySerious: Neil rarely changes his tone of voice or facial expression when he's speaking, regardless of what he's saying or the emotions behind it; and his body language is usually minimal or nonexistent. Which leads to many instances of FlatJoy, DullSurprise, ThatMakesMeFeelAngry, StunnedSilence, BluntYes, and ColdHam; or perfectly flat, CreepyMonotone deliveries of reactions that normally involve a lot of emotion and expressiveness, such as CutenessOverload or CuddleBug. He also develops a sense of humour that actually exploits his stolid disposition; it mostly involves pretending to take [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder rhetorical questions]] and [[SarcasmBlind sarcasm]] literally and seriously. (Since this is something he genuinely has trouble with sometimes, his poker face makes it hard to tell when he's doing it on purpose.)
** TheComicallySerious: Neil rarely changes his tone of voice or facial expression when he's speaking, regardless of what he's saying or the emotions behind it; and his body language is usually minimal or nonexistent. Which leads to many instances of FlatJoy, DullSurprise, ThatMakesMeFeelAngry, StunnedSilence, BluntYes, and ColdHam; or perfectly flat, CreepyMonotone deliveries of reactions that normally involve a lot of emotion and expressiveness, such as CutenessOverload or CuddleBug. He also develops a sense of humour that actually exploits his stolid disposition; it mostly involves pretending to take [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder rhetorical questions]] and [[SarcasmBlind sarcasm]] literally and seriously. (Since this is something he genuinely has trouble with sometimes, his poker face makes it hard to tell when he's doing it on purpose.)
to:
** CaptainObvious: Neil's literal-mindedness and desire to be precise sometimes leads him to over-explain or engage in DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. Though this tendency diminishes over time, sometimes he does it on purpose just to be funny.
for fun.
** TheComicallySerious: Neil rarely changes his tone of voice or facialexpression when he's speaking, expression, regardless of what he's saying or the emotions behind it; and his body language is usually minimal or nonexistent. Which leads to many instances of FlatJoy, DullSurprise, ThatMakesMeFeelAngry, StunnedSilence, BluntYes, and ColdHam; or perfectly flat, CreepyMonotone deliveries of reactions that normally involve a lot of emotion and expressiveness, such as CutenessOverload or CuddleBug. He also develops a sense of humour that actually exploits his stolid disposition; it mostly involves pretending to take [[RhetoricalQuestionBlunder rhetorical questions]] and [[SarcasmBlind sarcasm]] literally and seriously. (Since this is something he genuinely has trouble with sometimes, his poker face makes it hard to tell when he's doing it on purpose.)
** TheComicallySerious: Neil rarely changes his tone of voice or facial
Changed line(s) 220,222 (click to see context) from:
*** This tends to be the downfall of vampires in particular, for several reasons. By drinking blood, vampires "level up" and gain further abilities, and the kinds of abilities vampires get are usually AwesomeButImpractical and/or CoolButInefficient. Those who don't come from a magic background are awed by these abilities, and probably have no one to measure their power against, so they tend to think that they are extremely powerful. They don't realize how restricted or impractical their abilities are, and may not even know that they ''can'' learn other things (let alone how to do so), or even that other kinds of magic ''exist'', and are shocked when they're practically annihilated by a perfectly average opponent, or find themselves up against powers they've never seen before. Even vampires that really are as strong as they think, don't realize that for all their raw power, their abilities are simply too narrow in scope to serve them well in most fights.
*** This is far less of a problem with vampires who ''do'' come from a magic background, and thus have the foundation necessary to maximize their potential and learn other things. But because vampires in general have strong tendencies to be power-hungry and foolhardy, and these tendencies become stronger as they do, even these vampires can fall into the trap of focusing too much on gaining raw power and not enough on expanding their range.
** DeityOfHumanOrigin: One of the three types of gods (the others being {{Tulpa}} and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
*** This is far less of a problem with vampires who ''do'' come from a magic background, and thus have the foundation necessary to maximize their potential and learn other things. But because vampires in general have strong tendencies to be power-hungry and foolhardy, and these tendencies become stronger as they do, even these vampires can fall into the trap of focusing too much on gaining raw power and not enough on expanding their range.
** DeityOfHumanOrigin: One of the three types of gods (the others being {{Tulpa}} and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
to:
*** This tends to be the downfall of vampires in particular, for several reasons. By drinking blood, vampires "level up" and gain further abilities, and the kinds of abilities vampires get are usually AwesomeButImpractical and/or CoolButInefficient. Those who don't come from a magic background are awed by these abilities, and probably have no one to measure their power against, so they tend to think that they are extremely powerful.must be at the top of the food chain. They don't realize how restricted or impractical their abilities are, and may not even know that they ''can'' learn other things (let alone how to do so), or even that other kinds of magic ''exist'', and are shocked when they're practically annihilated by a perfectly average opponent, or find themselves up against powers they've never seen before. Even vampires that really are as strong as they think, don't realize that for all their raw power, their abilities are simply too narrow in scope to serve them well in most fights.
*** This is far less of a problem with vampires who ''do'' come from a magic background, and thus have the foundation necessary to maximize their potential and learn other things. But because vampires in general have strong tendencies to be power-hungry and foolhardy, and these tendencies become stronger as they do, even these vampires can fall into the trap of focusing too much on gaining raw power and not enough on expanding theirrange.
range of abilities.
** DeityOfHumanOrigin: One of the three main types of gods (the others being {{Tulpa}} and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
*** This is far less of a problem with vampires who ''do'' come from a magic background, and thus have the foundation necessary to maximize their potential and learn other things. But because vampires in general have strong tendencies to be power-hungry and foolhardy, and these tendencies become stronger as they do, even these vampires can fall into the trap of focusing too much on gaining raw power and not enough on expanding their
** DeityOfHumanOrigin: One of the three main types of gods (the others being {{Tulpa}} and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
Changed line(s) 224 (click to see context) from:
** DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Mr. North's drinking and abuse worsened after his heart attack due to depression and anger, while he and the rest of the family used his condition (congestive heart failure) to excuse his behaviour.
to:
** DisabilityAsAnExcuseForJerkassery: Mr. North's drinking and abuse abusive behaviour worsened after his heart attack due to depression and anger, while he and the rest of the family used his condition (congestive heart failure) to excuse his behaviour.
Deleted line(s) 226 (click to see context) :
** DontMakeMeDestroyYou: [[spoiler:During the fey's war, Neil begs Miles not to oppose them, because if he poses too much of a threat he will be forced to either kill him or watch the fey kill him.]]
Changed line(s) 228 (click to see context) from:
** {{Doublethink}}: Years of emotional abuse and failed friendships and relationships have left Miles harbouring many sets of conflicting ideas. He knows the people in his life who've abused him were wrong to treat him as they did, yet also feels he must have done something to deserve it or is just fundamentally flawed. He knows [[spoiler:his father's heart attack]] wasn't his fault, yet feels massive guilt over it, and continues living with his family partly because of it. He was worried about his father after his heart attack, but part of him wished he would have died. He knows that [[spoiler:his drinking]] makes him NotSoDifferent from his father, yet rejects the idea that it is a problem or that [[spoiler:he is an alcoholic]]. Et cetera.
to:
** {{Doublethink}}: Years of emotional abuse and failed friendships and relationships have left Miles harbouring many sets of conflicting ideas. He knows the people in his life who've abused him were wrong to treat him as they did, yet also feels he must have done something to deserve it or is just fundamentally flawed. He knows [[spoiler:his father's heart attack]] wasn't his fault, yet feels massive guilt over it, and continues living with his family delays leaving home partly because of it. He was worried about his father after his heart attack, but part of him wished he would have died. He knows that [[spoiler:his drinking]] makes him NotSoDifferent from his father, yet rejects the idea that it is a problem or that [[spoiler:he is an alcoholic]]. Et cetera.
Changed line(s) 237,240 (click to see context) from:
** FormulaicMagic: Many magic powers or spells reflect mathematical formulas, and may require an understanding of said formula in order to use. For instance, there are types of spells that rely on the properties of geometric shapes, such as an arbelos (usually a Pappus chain or a Steiner chain), and knowing the mathematical properties of the shape you're using can make it easier to create an effective one.
** FriendlessBackground: Prior to meeting Neil, Miles's only friend was Mrs. Bell. Miles makes friends easily but can't seem to keep them. When the story begins, Mrs. Bell is the only friend he's ''ever made'' that is ''still'' his friend.
*** More literal with Neil, who until meeting Miles had never had any friends before at all, since he'd never met anyone outside his family (who can't be considered "friends" by any stretch).
** FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: Miles's family are uniquely terrible to him; Miles likewise has an unusually hard time keeping his cool with them.
** FriendlessBackground: Prior to meeting Neil, Miles's only friend was Mrs. Bell. Miles makes friends easily but can't seem to keep them. When the story begins, Mrs. Bell is the only friend he's ''ever made'' that is ''still'' his friend.
*** More literal with Neil, who until meeting Miles had never had any friends before at all, since he'd never met anyone outside his family (who can't be considered "friends" by any stretch).
** FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: Miles's family are uniquely terrible to him; Miles likewise has an unusually hard time keeping his cool with them.
to:
** FormulaicMagic: Many magic powers or spells reflect mathematical formulas, and may require an understanding of said formula in order to use. For instance, there are types of spells that rely on the properties of geometric shapes, such as an arbelos (usually a Pappus chain or a Steiner chain), and knowing the mathematical properties of the shape you're using can make it easier to create an effective one.
** FriendlessBackground:Prior to meeting Neil, Miles's only friend was Mrs. Bell. Miles makes friends easily but can't seem to keep them. When the story begins, Mrs. Bell is the only friend he's ''ever made'' that is ''still'' his friend.
them.
*** More literal with Neil, who until meeting Miles had never had any friendsbefore at all, in his life, since he'd never met anyone outside his family (who can't be considered "friends" by any stretch).
** FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: Miles's immediate family are uniquely terrible to him; Miles likewise has an unusually hard time keeping his cool with them.
** FriendlessBackground:
*** More literal with Neil, who until meeting Miles had never had any friends
** FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent: Miles's immediate family are uniquely terrible to him; Miles likewise has an unusually hard time keeping his cool with them.
Changed line(s) 247,248 (click to see context) from:
** GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Tulpa gods do. Primordial gods don't. For [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Deities Of Human Origin]], it varies from god to god.
** GrandparentalObliviousness: Mr. North accused his mother of this as an excuse to limit the time Miles could spend alone with her, because God forbid someone treat him like a human being. Unfortunately, this started to gain some truth when she started going senile, though by that time she was in a nursing home anyway.
** GrandparentalObliviousness: Mr. North accused his mother of this as an excuse to limit the time Miles could spend alone with her, because God forbid someone treat him like a human being. Unfortunately, this started to gain some truth when she started going senile, though by that time she was in a nursing home anyway.
to:
** GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Tulpa gods do. Primordial gods don't. For [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Deities Of Human Origin]], it varies from one god to god.
another.
** GrandparentalObliviousness: Mr. North accused his mother of this as an excuse to limit the time Miles could spend alone withher, because God forbid someone treat him like a human being.her. Unfortunately, this started to gain some truth when she started going senile, though by that time she was in a nursing home anyway.
** GrandparentalObliviousness: Mr. North accused his mother of this as an excuse to limit the time Miles could spend alone with
Changed line(s) 269 (click to see context) from:
** {{Kuudere}}: Neil is a Type 1 ("Always In Control"). He's quiet and levelheaded regardless of how he's feeling; but he rarely comes across as apathetic or cold, and his default mood is "content". His mood is usually clear from the vibes he gives off, and if it's not clear, [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry he'll tell you how he's feeling]] if you ask him.
to:
** {{Kuudere}}: Neil is a Type 1 ("Always In Control"). He's quiet and levelheaded regardless of how he's feeling; but he rarely comes feeling. He tends to come across as apathetic or cold, and cold to people who don't know him, but his default mood is "content". His mood is usually clear from the vibes he gives off, "content", and if it's not clear, [[ThatMakesMeFeelAngry he'll tell you how he's feeling]] if you ask him.
Changed line(s) 283 (click to see context) from:
** NayTheist: Many gods exist, but there is no need, and rarely any good reason, to worship any of them, so most people don't (though many pay lip service). Neil knows about every god that exists, but does not worship any of them, not even the fey who gave him his status.
to:
** NayTheist: Many gods exist, but there is no need, and rarely any good reason, to worship any of them, so most people don't (though many pay lip service). Neil knows about every god that exists, but does not worship any of them, not even the fey who gave him his status.druid powers.
Changed line(s) 291,292 (click to see context) from:
** OffTheWagon: [[spoiler:After he realizes that Miles is also an alcoholic, and that the abuse triggered this, Mr. North's guilt starts to take its toll and affect his progress, and he relapses a few weeks later]].
** OnlySaneMan: Zig-zagged with Miles. He is the only one to acknowledge there's a problem with his father's drinking or anything else his family does, he shares the burden of taking care of the family financially and physically, and he strives to treat them with decency and respect — and in the case of his siblings, even affection — when none of them do the same for him. On the other hand, he has a very impulsive and sensitive nature, which often leads him to make poor decisions or mistreat people he cares about; and due to his abusive upbringing and environment, he has a GuiltComplex, crippling trust and self-esteem issues, and spends a lot of his free time self-medicating with various maladaptive behaviours.
** OnlySaneMan: Zig-zagged with Miles. He is the only one to acknowledge there's a problem with his father's drinking or anything else his family does, he shares the burden of taking care of the family financially and physically, and he strives to treat them with decency and respect — and in the case of his siblings, even affection — when none of them do the same for him. On the other hand, he has a very impulsive and sensitive nature, which often leads him to make poor decisions or mistreat people he cares about; and due to his abusive upbringing and environment, he has a GuiltComplex, crippling trust and self-esteem issues, and spends a lot of his free time self-medicating with various maladaptive behaviours.
to:
** OffTheWagon: [[spoiler:After he realizes that Miles is also an alcoholic, and that the his abuse towards him triggered this, Mr. North's guilt starts to take its toll and affect his progress, and he relapses a few weeks later]].
** OnlySaneMan: Zig-zagged with Miles. He is the only one to acknowledge there's a problem with his father's drinking or anything else his family does, he shares the burden of taking care of the family financially and physically, and he strives to treat them with decency and respect — and in the case of his siblings, even affection — when none of them do the same for him. On the other hand, he has a very impulsive and sensitive nature, which often leads him to make poor decisions or mistreat people he cares about; and due to his abusiveupbringing and environment, upbringing, he has a GuiltComplex, crippling trust and self-esteem issues, and spends a lot of his free time self-medicating with in various maladaptive behaviours.ways.
** OnlySaneMan: Zig-zagged with Miles. He is the only one to acknowledge there's a problem with his father's drinking or anything else his family does, he shares the burden of taking care of the family financially and physically, and he strives to treat them with decency and respect — and in the case of his siblings, even affection — when none of them do the same for him. On the other hand, he has a very impulsive and sensitive nature, which often leads him to make poor decisions or mistreat people he cares about; and due to his abusive
Changed line(s) 294,295 (click to see context) from:
** PersonOfMassDestruction: By the time he finishes his quest, Neil is more than powerful enough to be this, though he never uses that much power. [[spoiler:After he finishes the quest, he is forced by the fey to ''become'' a Person of Mass Destruction.]]
** PowersAsPrograms: Most magic (that humans can use) is basically a form of {{glamour}}, which in ''Sans Souci'' means molding magic energy into the form you want to use. Usually the glamour is determined by the human on an as-needed basis, which in ''Sans Souci'' is called an "enchantment" to distinguish it from a "spell". A spell is a glamour that has a (more or less) fixed form (loosely following rule 1 of VancianMagic). Spells are akin to magic "programs" that the user can invoke whenever they want to; and just like running a computer program (e.g. using a spell-check feature) takes less energy and effort than performing the task manually (e.g. painstakingly proofreading a document yourself), casting a spell is easier than creating a glamour that has the same effect. In fact, a spell often allows the user to perform a task that they could never do without the spell. For example, Neil has an espionage spell that can create a number of invisible and intangible "eyes" (they also detect sound, and can be made to detect smell) and place them anywhere that Neil has seen before (if he has a relative idea of its location). He could create a simple version of this with his own power, but with his spell he could theoretically create hundreds of eyes and place them all over a city within a matter of seconds or minutes, which is something he could never hope to achieve without using the spell. Neil compares the difference between spells and charms to the difference between ready-made products and custom-made products: Ready-made products (spells) can be grabbed off a shelf without any hassle, but might not fit your needs perfectly; whereas custom-made products (charms) can be made to your exact specifications, but take more effort. The analogy isn't perfect, as many spells require far more energy to cast than it would take to create a glamour that has the same effect, but usually the effect is far too difficult or complex for the user to accomplish on their own despite taking little actual energy. In fact, it's often ''because'' the effect is so complex that the spell has a high energy cost as compensation. Complexity is the defining factor: Glamours have a very low energy cost, but require effort or concentration that is usually proportional to their complexity. Spells take most of the effort and concentration out of the equation, at the price of a high energy cost.
** PowersAsPrograms: Most magic (that humans can use) is basically a form of {{glamour}}, which in ''Sans Souci'' means molding magic energy into the form you want to use. Usually the glamour is determined by the human on an as-needed basis, which in ''Sans Souci'' is called an "enchantment" to distinguish it from a "spell". A spell is a glamour that has a (more or less) fixed form (loosely following rule 1 of VancianMagic). Spells are akin to magic "programs" that the user can invoke whenever they want to; and just like running a computer program (e.g. using a spell-check feature) takes less energy and effort than performing the task manually (e.g. painstakingly proofreading a document yourself), casting a spell is easier than creating a glamour that has the same effect. In fact, a spell often allows the user to perform a task that they could never do without the spell. For example, Neil has an espionage spell that can create a number of invisible and intangible "eyes" (they also detect sound, and can be made to detect smell) and place them anywhere that Neil has seen before (if he has a relative idea of its location). He could create a simple version of this with his own power, but with his spell he could theoretically create hundreds of eyes and place them all over a city within a matter of seconds or minutes, which is something he could never hope to achieve without using the spell. Neil compares the difference between spells and charms to the difference between ready-made products and custom-made products: Ready-made products (spells) can be grabbed off a shelf without any hassle, but might not fit your needs perfectly; whereas custom-made products (charms) can be made to your exact specifications, but take more effort. The analogy isn't perfect, as many spells require far more energy to cast than it would take to create a glamour that has the same effect, but usually the effect is far too difficult or complex for the user to accomplish on their own despite taking little actual energy. In fact, it's often ''because'' the effect is so complex that the spell has a high energy cost as compensation. Complexity is the defining factor: Glamours have a very low energy cost, but require effort or concentration that is usually proportional to their complexity. Spells take most of the effort and concentration out of the equation, at the price of a high energy cost.
to:
** PersonOfMassDestruction: By the time he finishes his quest, Neil is more than powerful enough to be this, though he never uses that much power. [[spoiler:After he finishes the quest, he is forced by the fey to ''become'' a Person of Mass Destruction.]]
power.
** PowersAsPrograms: Most magic (that humans can use) is basically a form of{{glamour}}, "glamour", which in ''Sans Souci'' means molding magic energy into the form you want to use. Usually the glamour is determined by the human on an as-needed basis, which in ''Sans Souci'' is called an "enchantment" a "charm" to distinguish it from a "spell". A spell is may or may not be a glamour that glamour, and has a (more or less) fixed form (loosely following rule 1 of VancianMagic). Spells are akin to magic "programs" that the user can invoke whenever they want to; and just like running a computer program (e.g. using a spell-check feature) takes less energy and effort than performing the task manually (e.g. painstakingly proofreading a document yourself), casting a spell is easier than creating a glamour that has the same effect. In fact, a spell often allows the user to perform a task that they could never do without the spell. For example, Neil has an espionage spell that can create a number of invisible and intangible "eyes" (they also detect sound, and can be made to detect smell) and place them anywhere that Neil has seen before (if he has a relative idea of its location). He could create a simple version of this with his own power, but with his spell he could theoretically create hundreds of eyes and place them all over a city within a matter of seconds or minutes, which is something he could never hope to achieve without using the spell. Neil compares the difference between spells and charms to the difference between ready-made products and custom-made products: Ready-made products (spells) can be grabbed off a shelf without any hassle, but might not fit your needs perfectly; whereas custom-made products (charms) can be made to your exact specifications, but take more effort. The analogy isn't perfect, as many spells require far more energy to cast than it would take to create a glamour that has the same effect, but usually the effect is far too difficult or complex for the user to accomplish on their own despite taking little actual energy. In fact, it's often ''because'' the effect is so complex that the spell has a high energy cost as compensation. Complexity is the defining factor: Glamours have a very low energy cost, but require effort or concentration that is usually proportional to their complexity. Spells take most of the effort and concentration out of the equation, at the price of a high energy cost.
** PowersAsPrograms: Most magic (that humans can use) is basically a form of
Changed line(s) 297,298 (click to see context) from:
** {{Protectorate}}: No one seems to trigger Neil's protective instincts like Miles does. The reverse is partly true, though Miles also sees his siblings and to some extent his whole family as Protectorates. [[spoiler:Ultimately Neil views Miles's family as Protectorates too, partly as an extension of protecting Miles, and partly because they're his biological family.]]
** PsychicPowers: Neil has a lot of spells and innate abilities that involve sensing things. Applications include PsychicRadar, AuraVision (but only for {{Power Level}}s), TheEmpath (towards non-human animals),
** PsychicPowers: Neil has a lot of spells and innate abilities that involve sensing things. Applications include PsychicRadar, AuraVision (but only for {{Power Level}}s), TheEmpath (towards non-human animals),
to:
** {{Protectorate}}: No one seems to trigger Neil's protective instincts like Miles does. The reverse is partly true, though Miles also sees his siblings and to some extent his whole family as Protectorates. [[spoiler:Ultimately Neil views Miles's family as Protectorates too, partly as an extension of protecting Miles, and partly because they're his biological family.]]
Protectorates.
** PsychicPowers: Neil has a lot of spells and innate abilities that involve sensing things. Applications include PsychicRadar, AuraVision (but only for {{Power Level}}s), TheEmpath (towards non-human animals), etc.
** PsychicPowers: Neil has a lot of spells and innate abilities that involve sensing things. Applications include PsychicRadar, AuraVision (but only for {{Power Level}}s), TheEmpath (towards non-human animals), etc.
Changed line(s) 304 (click to see context) from:
** TheRedMage: In ''Sans Souci'', all magic is fundamentally the same and only differs in its areas of application and required skill set; there is no such thing as MutuallyExclusiveMagic. Certain magical creatures have some innate abilities and natural areas of strength, as well as {{Necessary Drawback}}s or other limitations on what kinds of magic they can use or master; and certain creatures have abilities that are unique to them; but most people with enough magic power can learn whatever kinds of magic they choose to. A person might have more natural talent or affinity for some kinds of magic than others, and some kinds of magic require more power than others, or are harder to learn or use than others; but there is no need to choose any type over another, and there is no theoretical limit to what combination or number of types you can learn or master. There is rarely any benefit to [[CripplingOverspecialization specializing]], as you are very likely to get curb-stomped by someone who is your equal in that type of magic as well as three others. This tends to be the AchillesHeel of vampires, who usually focus on "levelling up" and gaining power in an upwards direction (i.e. making the abilities they have more powerful and/or gaining more of the same kinds of abilities), while rarely bothering to expand their abilities in a lateral direction.
to:
** TheRedMage: In ''Sans Souci'', all magic is fundamentally the same and only differs in its areas of application and required skill set; there is no such thing as MutuallyExclusiveMagic. Certain magical creatures have some innate abilities and natural areas of strength, as well as {{Necessary Drawback}}s or other limitations on what kinds of magic they can use or master; and certain creatures have abilities that are unique to them; but aside from that, most people with enough magic power can learn whatever kinds of magic they choose to. A person might have more natural talent or affinity for some kinds of magic than others, and some kinds of magic require more power than others, or are harder to learn or use than others; but there is no need to choose any type over another, and there is no theoretical limit to what combination or number of types you can learn or master. There is rarely any benefit to [[CripplingOverspecialization specializing]], as you are very likely to get curb-stomped by someone who is your equal in that type of magic as well as three others. This tends to be the AchillesHeel of vampires, who usually focus on "levelling up" and gaining power in an upwards direction (i.e. making the abilities they have more powerful and/or gaining more of the same kinds of abilities), while rarely bothering to expand their abilities in a lateral direction.
Changed line(s) 306 (click to see context) from:
** ReligionIsMagic: Sort of. Humans ultimately have the gods to thank for having any reliable access to magic, but the gods didn't create magic or its rules, and humans don't need to believe in any god or follow any religion in order to use magic. There are some cases where following specific gods can grant you unique or uniquely strong abilities, but this is a needlessly difficult and unreliable way to become powerful, given the gods' caprice and the difficulty of getting a god to notice or acknowledge you to begin with. More often than not it's the god that chooses you, not the other way around (e.g. druids and vates are changelings who were granted their powers by the fey).
to:
** ReligionIsMagic: Sort of. Humans ultimately have the gods to thank for having any reliable access to magic, but the gods didn't create magic or its rules, and humans don't need to believe in any god or follow any religion in order to use magic. There are some cases where following specific gods can grant you unique or uniquely strong abilities, but this is a needlessly difficult and unreliable way to become powerful, given the gods' caprice caprice, and the difficulty of getting a god to notice or acknowledge you to begin with. More often than not not, it's the god that chooses you, not the other way around (e.g. druids and vates are changelings who were granted their powers by the fey).
Changed line(s) 308,310 (click to see context) from:
** RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: It takes some practice before Neil can tell when someone's asking a rhetorical question, until which point he takes them at face value and answers them literally. Sometimes, even when he realizes it's a rhetorical question, he pretends to take it literally just to be funny.
** SadisticChoice: How Neil is [[spoiler:ForcedIntoEvil by the fey.]] Either he complies and [[spoiler:becomes the Soldier of the North to help them reclaim Ireland]], possibly having to kill innocent people in order to make that happen; or seven people he cares about die, including Miles's family ([[spoiler:which would be enough on its own, but they also happen to be Neil's biological family]]).
** SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Zig-zagged, as Miles and Neil are both InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, but in different ways. Neil is a lot more androgynous than Miles, likes to wear feminine clothing (though not exclusively), and his interests lean a bit towards "metrosexual". On the other hand, Miles is a lot more emotionally expressive and histrionic, and he likes cooking, knitting, crafting, and playing musical instruments.
** SadisticChoice: How Neil is [[spoiler:ForcedIntoEvil by the fey.]] Either he complies and [[spoiler:becomes the Soldier of the North to help them reclaim Ireland]], possibly having to kill innocent people in order to make that happen; or seven people he cares about die, including Miles's family ([[spoiler:which would be enough on its own, but they also happen to be Neil's biological family]]).
** SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Zig-zagged, as Miles and Neil are both InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, but in different ways. Neil is a lot more androgynous than Miles, likes to wear feminine clothing (though not exclusively), and his interests lean a bit towards "metrosexual". On the other hand, Miles is a lot more emotionally expressive and histrionic, and he likes cooking, knitting, crafting, and playing musical instruments.
to:
** RhetoricalQuestionBlunder: It takes some practice before Neil can tell when someone's asking a rhetorical question, until which point he takes them at face value and answers them literally. Sometimes, even when he realizes it's a rhetorical question, he pretends to take it literally just to be funny.
** SadisticChoice: How Neil is [[spoiler:ForcedIntoEvil by the fey.]] Either he complies and [[spoiler:becomes the Soldier of the North to help them reclaim Ireland]], possibly having to kill innocent people in order to make that happen; or seven people he cares about die, including Miles's family ([[spoiler:which would be enough on its own, but they also happen to be Neil's biological family]]).
for his own amusement.
** SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Zig-zagged, as Miles and Neil are both InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, but in different ways. Neil is a lot more androgynous than Miles, and likes to wear feminine clothing (though notexclusively), and his interests lean a bit towards "metrosexual".exclusively). On the other hand, Miles is a lot more emotionally expressive and histrionic, and he likes cooking, knitting, crafting, and playing musical instruments.
** SadisticChoice: How Neil is [[spoiler:ForcedIntoEvil by the fey.]] Either he complies and [[spoiler:becomes the Soldier of the North to help them reclaim Ireland]], possibly having to kill innocent people in order to make that happen; or seven people he cares about die, including Miles's family ([[spoiler:which would be enough on its own, but they also happen to be Neil's biological family]]).
** SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Zig-zagged, as Miles and Neil are both InTouchWithHisFeminineSide, but in different ways. Neil is a lot more androgynous than Miles, and likes to wear feminine clothing (though not
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** ShapeshifterModeLock: Neil can't shapeshift without magic stamina, so if his stamina drops to zero (which can happen if he has a [[WeaksauceWeakness fever]]), he is mode-locked. (This doesn't lock him into whatever form he might've been using, but locks him out of any form aside from his ShapeshifterDefaultForm.)
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** ShapeshifterModeLock: Neil can't shapeshift without magic stamina, so if his stamina drops to zero (which can happen if he has a [[WeaksauceWeakness fever]]), he is mode-locked. (This doesn't lock him mode-locked into whatever form he might've been using, but locks him out of any form aside from his ShapeshifterDefaultForm.)
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** ShootTheDog: [[spoiler:Neil does the fey's bidding not only because he's being blackmailed, but because if he didn't do it, they'd find someone else, who would either suffer just as badly as he will, or cause greater suffering to others than he will.]]
** ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy: Miles' magic isn't as powerful as Neil's, so his fighting style is mostly short-range magic or non-magical melee. Neil on the other hand is a bit of a SquishyWizard, so he tends to prefer long-range or indirect attacks.
** ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy: Miles' magic isn't as powerful as Neil's, so his fighting style is mostly short-range magic or non-magical melee. Neil on the other hand is a bit of a SquishyWizard, so he tends to prefer long-range or indirect attacks.
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** StreetMusician: As a teenager, Miles used to busk in the park with his violin.
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** StreetMusician: As a teenager, Miles used to busk in the park with his violin.
Changed line(s) 326 (click to see context) from:
*** [[spoiler:Downplayed: As deliberate foreshadowing, Neil shares several physical traits with the Norths, while Miles shares almost none. Miles's hair is jet black, while the rest of the Norths have hair colours ranging from dirty blonde to dark brown, and Neil has light golden brown hair. Miles has pale skin, while the rest of the Norths have peach-coloured skin, as does Neil. Mrs. North is left-handed, as is Neil; and Mr. North has green eyes, as does Neil. Miles never freckles despite his pale skin, while Mrs. North and Davis both have freckles[[labelnote:*]]Mrs. North has permanent freckles, and Davis freckles after sun exposure.[[/labelnote]], and Neil gains freckles with sun exposure.]]
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*** [[spoiler:Downplayed: As deliberate foreshadowing, Neil shares several physical traits with the Norths, while Miles shares almost none. Miles's hair is jet black, while the rest of the Norths have hair colours ranging from dirty blonde to dark brown, and Neil has light golden brown hair. Miles has pale cream-coloured skin, while the rest of the Norths have peach-coloured skin, as does Neil. Mrs. North is left-handed, as is Neil; and Mr. North has green eyes, as does Neil. Miles never freckles despite his pale skin, while Mrs. North and Davis both have freckles[[labelnote:*]]Mrs. North has permanent freckles, and Davis freckles after sun exposure.[[/labelnote]], and Neil gains freckles with sun exposure.]]
Changed line(s) 329 (click to see context) from:
** SwordAndSorcerer: Miles and Neil can both use magic and both tend to use it in fights. However, Miles isn't as magically powerful or experienced as Neil, so he often uses magic and physical attacks alternately or in tandem. He is a StoneWall who can't do much damage against a magical opponent because of limited power, a limited skillset, and limited range. Neil on the other hand has used magic nearly his whole life and has almost no other skills, and thus is a bit of a SquishyWizard / GlassCannon. He isn't physically tough, but he can protect himself (and Miles) quite handily, and can deal a lot of damage at a variety of ranges. The gap between them closes as the story goes on, with Miles becoming more magically skilled and powerful (his power eventually [[spoiler:surpassing Neil's after he starts drinking blood and tapping into his vampiric abilities]]), and Neil becomes physically stronger and gains more fighting skills. Though Miles is always the physically tougher of the two, and they always have different strengths both physically and magically, by a certain point in the story they are both [[KungFuWizard Kung-Fu Wizards]] / {{Magic Knight}}s.
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** SwordAndSorcerer: Miles and Neil can both use magic and both tend to use it in fights. However, Miles isn't as magically powerful or experienced as Neil, so he often uses magic and physical attacks alternately or in tandem. He is a StoneWall who can't do much damage against a magical opponent because of limited power, a limited skillset, and limited range. Neil on the other hand has used magic nearly his whole life and has almost no other skills, and thus is a bit of a SquishyWizard / GlassCannon. He isn't physically tough, but he can protect himself (and Miles) quite handily, and can deal a lot of damage at a variety of ranges. The gap between them closes as the story goes on, with Miles becoming more magically skilled and powerful (his power eventually [[spoiler:surpassing Neil's after he starts drinking blood and tapping into his vampiric abilities]]), powerful, and Neil becomes physically stronger and gains more fighting skills. Though Miles is always the physically tougher of the two, and they always have different strengths both physically and magically, by a certain point in the story they are both [[KungFuWizard Kung-Fu Wizards]] / {{Magic Knight}}s.
Changed line(s) 334 (click to see context) from:
** TroubledAbuser: Miles's parents found him to be a very difficult and unlikable child (for many reasons, some of which are justified and some of which aren't), so by the time he was kindergarten age, they were both depressed and emotionally drained, their marriage was on the rocks, and they both seriously regretted having a child at all. This, and their tendency to take their stress out on Miles, made them feel like horrible parents/people, which only aggravated the situation and caused an endless feedback loop.
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** TroubledAbuser: Miles's parents found him to be a very difficult and unlikable child (for many reasons, some of which are justified make sense and some of which aren't), don't), so by the time he was kindergarten age, they were both depressed and emotionally drained, their marriage was on the rocks, and they both seriously regretted having a child at all. This, and their tendency to take their stress out on Miles, made them feel like horrible parents/people, which only aggravated the situation and caused an endless feedback loop.
Changed line(s) 337 (click to see context) from:
** {{Tulpa}}: One of the three types of gods (the others being DeityOfHumanOrigin and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
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** {{Tulpa}}: One of the three main types of gods (the others being DeityOfHumanOrigin and [[SentientCosmicForce primordial]]).
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** UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Neil ends up as one for the fey, since TheQuest turns out to be a HiddenPurposeTest whose true purpose was to test him/train him for his role as the Soldier of the North.]]
Changed line(s) 341 (click to see context) from:
** WeakenedByTheLight: [[spoiler:Miles is extremely susceptible to heat stroke if he spends much time in the sun — though only in weather that is at least somewhat hot, since cosmopolitan vampires' weaknesses and abilities have adapted in order to maintain the {{Masquerade}} in modern urban society.]]
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** WeakenedByTheLight: [[spoiler:Miles is extremely susceptible to heat stroke if he spends much time in the sun — though only in weather that is at least somewhat hot, hot and has enough UV penetration, since cosmopolitan syncretic vampires' weaknesses and abilities have adapted in order to maintain the {{Masquerade}} in modern urban society.]]
Changed line(s) 345 (click to see context) from:
*** A more mundane example: Within a few months of arriving, Neil almost died of complications from ''chickenpox'' because his immune system was so weak from [[spoiler:being raised in the Otherworld from infancy and thus never exposed to any infections]]. Fortunately he survived, and the episode (as well as the passive immunization treatment he received) bolstered his immune system to normal strength.
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*** A more mundane example: Within a few months of arriving, Neil almost died of complications from ''chickenpox'' because his immune system was so weak from [[spoiler:being raised in the Otherworld from infancy and thus never exposed to any infections]]. Fortunately he survived, and the episode infection (as well as the passive immunization treatment he received) bolstered his immune system to normal strength.
Changed line(s) 347,349 (click to see context) from:
** WholesomeCrossdresser: Neil doesn't distinguish between men's and women's clothing, and wears women's clothing fairly often, though in public he usually shapeshifts into a woman when doing so, to avoid drawing negative attention. Later on, he only shapeshifts himself if he thinks he looks better that way.
** WillNotTellALie: Neil believes in being honest and forthcoming with people, and doesn't like to deceive people unless there is no viable alternative. On the one hand, this makes it easy for Miles to trust him. On the other hand, it makes him all the more suspicious on the rare occasion that Neil is cagey about something.
** WillNotTellALie: Neil believes in being honest and forthcoming with people, and doesn't like to deceive people unless there is no viable alternative. On the one hand, this makes it easy for Miles to trust him. On the other hand, it makes him all the more suspicious on the rare occasion that Neil is cagey about something.
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** WholesomeCrossdresser: Neil doesn't distinguish between men's and women's clothing, and wears women's clothing fairly often, though in public he usually shapeshifts into a woman when doing so, to avoid drawing negative attention. Later on, he only shapeshifts himself if he thinks he looks better that way.
** WillNotTellALie: Neil believes in being honest and forthcoming with people, and doesn't like to deceive people unless there is no viable alternative. On the one hand, this makes it easy for Miles to trust him. On the other hand, it makes him all the more suspicious on the rare occasion that Neil is cagey or deceptive about something.
** WillNotTellALie: Neil believes in being honest and forthcoming with people, and doesn't like to deceive people unless there is no viable alternative. On the one hand, this makes it easy for Miles to trust him. On the other hand, it makes him all the more suspicious on the rare occasion that Neil is cagey or deceptive about something.
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* ArmorPiercingQuestion
* ArmorPiercingResponse
* ArmorPiercingResponse
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech
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* Alien Non-Interference Clause
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* Alien Non-Interference ClauseAlienNonInterferenceClause
