A Metaguard Christmas Carol

[Scarab]

So there was this conversation on the chatroom. I believe it started with Replica wanting to Metaguardify a christmas carol, and the enxt thing you know we’re all plotting a Metaguard Inspired version of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Because it would be hilarious.

I’m blaming Replica, personally, he started it, and then we all just sort of jumped on the bandwagon. Anyway yeah, seeing Mister A needed some Christmas cheer we figured he was perfectly suited to the role. BlackWolfe has pretty much had the role of writing the thing thrust upon him, with input from everyone else. Doubtful we'll get it done by Xmas but hey, it’ll be a fun way to celebrate the world not ending right?

To clarify. Blackwolfe is currently writing a basic script/short story that will be turned into an audio drama. It will, as is only natural of a TV tropes based story, be quite self referential, and parody-filled with a lot of lampshade handing.

Several Metaguards have been selected already to play themselves. These roles are listed in the list of selected characters below.

Many, many other character roles are still open and available. At a slightly later date, we will be holding auditions for who gets these roles. The script will then be tuned specifically to the personality of each Metaguard picked. (For example, if you’re picked to play the in-story equivalent of the little boy Scrooge yells at from the window at the end of the original A Christmas Carol, then your role in that scene will be profiled around YOU. you won’t have to pretend to be a small boy.) In the end, this is about US and MR. ADMINISTRATOR, not about Ebenezer Scrooge.

The dropbox link for the discussion which spawned this is here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/87357455/A%20C ... ation.docx

All those who want to get involved, be mentioned, or contribute ideas hop into this thread.

This is also the place to say if you are NOT okay with being invovled in any way. Because you know, we're not gonna force you or anything.

We have a cast list so far

Ebenezer Scrooge: Mr. Administrator
Tiny Tim: Eli
Jacob Marley: An instantation
Charity collector: Fast Eddie
Bob Cratchett: Adell
Other Cratchetts: Metaguards. Not sure which yet.
Christmas Past: AverageJoe
Christmas Present: Gurt
Christmas Yet to Come: Morgan La Fey

The CHAT ROOM for discussing this is here: http://www.neatchat.com/?id=448786a1a57 ... 427635e469

[BlackWolfe]

I'm really looking forward to what we come up with on this.

Edit: PM to Fast Eddie has been sent. Fingers crossed!

Hey, we over at The Wall Will Fall are coming up on the home stretch, and in a conversation, the concept of an ARG-related A Christmas Carol came up. For the most part, this will just involve players in the game, but as we're all tropers, it occurred to me that it would be great if you appeared as a minor character in the story.

So, I am requesting your permission to use your name in a silly little story. You would play the role of the man asking Scrooge (in this case, Mr. Administrator) for donations for needy orphans (in this case, tropes).

Details can be found here.

Okay.

[Scarab]

Fast Eddie wrote:
Okay.

Wow, for the guy who created TV tropes he's very sussinct I bet he writes ALL the laconics ^_^

[BlackWolfe]

Fast Eddie wrote:
Okay.

Wow, for the guy who created TV tropes he's very sussinct I bet he writes ALL the laconics ^_^

ALL THE LACONIC ENTRIES.

I told him I'd link him to the finished product. He said "Groovy."

[Scarab]

Important info edited into the opening post.

[S_o_S]

I am so very in if I can be.

[JackAlsworth]

Seconding S_o_S's sentiments. If there's a place for me, I want it.

[The Wild West Pyro]

Young Scrooge reading a book ( Don Quixote, Part One, the Windmill Scene then the Sheep fighting)

[The Wild West Pyro]

I'm really looking forward to what we come up with on this.

Edit: PM to Fast Eddie has been sent. Fingers crossed!

Hey, we over at The Wall Will Fall are coming up on the home stretch, and in a conversation, the concept of an ARG-related A Christmas Carol came up. For the most part, this will just involve players in the game, but as we're all tropers, it occurred to me that it would be great if you appeared as a minor character in the story.

So, I am requesting your permission to use your name in a silly little story. You would play the role of the man asking Scrooge (in this case, Mr. Administrator) for donations for needy orphans (in this case, tropes).

Details can be found here.

Okay.

Add him on my Berserk Button please. He hates me, I swear.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

OOH! OOH! Can I be Morgan? And/or me?

...I'll take any part you throw at me, honestly. I just REALLY want to be a part of an amateur dramatic production. I'll do ANYTHING.

[BlackWolfe]

So, this is where the idea is going at this time.

Christmas Past has yet to be decided.

Christmas Present shall be a celebration of the defeat of Cthulhu (we're assuming best case scenario, here).

And Christmas Yet to Come...

Scarab [I know right?]
sooo just a brainstorming session here

Scarab [I know right?]
what exactly would be the moment at which mister a realised his actions had doomed the reality he was in fact, trying to save?

Scarab [I know right?]
there's have to be some point... for scrooge it was only staring into his grave it really hit him

BlackWolfe
Hm. I was thinking about that.

BlackWolfe
I know we wanted there to be a complete wasteland post-apocalyptic future.

BlackWolfe
BUT

BlackWolfe
I think what we need is for a world without Mister Administrator to function smooth as silk.

BlackWolfe
Have Meta-guards reporting in to "The Administrator" and he finds out it's not him.

Scarab [I know right?]
hmmm

Scarab [I know right?]
could we have both?

Scarab [I know right?]
somehow?

BlackWolfe
Mmmm...

Scarab [I know right?]
one reality is cracked and broken, the other isn;t

BlackWolfe
M.

Scarab [I know right?]
you remember how we were almost split?#

Scarab [I know right?]
between the cabal and mister a?

BlackWolfe
How about this.

BlackWolfe
Reality is fine and dandy.

BlackWolfe
Fiction is broken.

Scarab [I know right?]
...how would you visualise that?

Scarab [I know right?]
*is itnrigued*

*** You are now known as Mr. Narrator.

Mr. Narrator
The cloaked figure led Mr. Administrator along The Wall.

Mr. Narrator
"WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME? THIS IS WASTING TIME."

Scarab
...*listens*

Mr. Narrator
The figure shook its head dismissively, beckoning him further. Ahead he saw the Hole.

Mr. Narrator
"THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE," he said. "THE HOLE WAS CLOSED."

Mr. Narrator
The figure pointed. There, beside the Hole, was The Checkpoint. Heavily armed Guardians stood watch. A figure approached from the other side.

Mr. Narrator
[some fictional character charges the Hole, is gunned down mercilessly]

Mr. Narrator
[Guardian]: Redacted another one, Admin.

Mr. Narrator
(etc. etc.)

*** You are now known as BlackWolfe.

BlackWolfe
Just absolutely brutal against fictionals.

Scarab
...nice

Scarab
very very nice

Scarab
they're trying to escape fiction

BlackWolfe
In addition to the Checkpoint, there could be Guardians actively policing fictions, enforcing the Status Quo even though it doesn't need enforcement within a story. Just a completely unnecessary Police State.

Scarab
I got confused sorry

BlackWolfe
S'okay.

Scarab
but yes, I think thats really effective

Scarab
and after all the comedy I presume the script will have...this could be a nice wham moment

Scarab
and what of the metaguards themselves? how does each one fair?

Scarab
do we ALL side with this?

BlackWolfe
Hell no.

BlackWolfe
HELL no.

BlackWolfe
Annnnnd.

Scarab
...a resistance, then

BlackWolfe
Mm-hmm.

Scarab
and suddenly we know how eli got killed

BlackWolfe
And Eli is a casualty in the resiste--YES.

BlackWolfe
And that (among other things) provides the impetus for Mr. A to mend his wicked ways.

BlackWolfe
We're still hashing it out, but now we've opened up the possibility of anyone and everyone being in this as either resistance or oppressors.

Scarab
so basically, the fourth wall is ferociously policed, the metaguards mostly didn't side with the instantations (because it was mister a's actions that caused the breakdown in communciation) and those that survive are a kind of resistance, campaigning for the protectiomn of fiction.

Scarab
the real world is msotly okay

BlackWolfe
We're having a schism in the Guardians between those who want to treat fictives as people and those who brutally subjugate them to prevent damage to the fourth wall. Guardians crossing the fourth wall to make sure everyone stays in their stories, punishing anyone they think might break for it....

Sicon112
I stillkinda like the idea of me being every background character I can possibly be and offscreen teleporting everywhere.

Scarab
yeah sicon is basically powering all this

Scarab
hoenstly if I placed him anywhere it'd be in the resistance (sorry if that ruins your image sicon )

BlackWolfe
Sicon is the new Administrator?

Scarab
....oh

S_o_S
YES.

Guyshane

Wow thats one bleak christmas

BlackWolfe
Or what Scarab said.

Scarab
oh, yes

Scarab
damn it see now I like what YOU said

Scarab
LET THE MAN HIMSELF CHOOSE, SICON!

Scarab
PASS THY JUDGEMENT

Sicon112
Hmmmm

S_o_S
*wonders if he could ship this somehow*

S_o_S
*shot*

S_o_S
*a lot*

BlackWolfe
Sicon!Administrator x Mr. A OTP

BlackWolfe
FoeYay

Sicon112
Your demise will be slow and mind shatteringly horrifying.

Scarab
You know...we say reality is fine, and msotly I think that should be so... but... soemthing force controllig ficiton like that WOULD impact reality. Maybe bad stuff happens to people like, say the crazy teacher who was ranting about ficitonal... aned then peoplelike Brad or the therapist would be ;'silenced' hwoever possible, so reality would have an air of policing about it too, because you can't effect one without effecting the other

Scarab
sooo yeah reality's msotly okay, but there's this sense of wrongness

S_o_S
Man Of A Thousand Voices?

Scarab
almost like...political correctness gone mad, maybe

Sicon112
If it is possible, I could just take a bunch of minor rolls, plus maybe some narration. Then you can make it so I do physically impossible offscreen teleportation to play all of my parts. Plus, if confronted about the fact that I seem to be everywhere, I will ignore it and go on as normal, acting different every time. Lulz ensue as no one has any clue what is up with me. Then, at the end, it is all just as planned.

OOH! OOH! Can I be Morgan? And/or me?

...I'll take any part you throw at me, honestly. I just REALLY want to be a part of an amateur dramatic production. I'll do ANYTHING.

As you can see, a whole boatload of parts are now up for grabs, including the MetaGuards as Ourselves.

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

I'd like to participate!

[Guyshane]

I'd like to participate!

Welcome to the cast

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

I brought this up in the chat, but I think it should be mentioned here as well:

It would TOTALLY make sense if the premise of the bad future is that Deanna's plan to kill Mr A and take over his job WORKED. And the Big Bad would be, y'know, Deanna.

Come on, how perfect is that?

And I hereby announce my intention to audition for Deanna.

[BlackWolfe]

It would TOTALLY make sense if the premise of the bad future is that Deanna's plan to kill Mr A and take over his job WORKED. And the Big Bad would be, y'know, Deanna.

That sounds like a plan, but Mr. A must be abe to avoid this future by embracing the Non-Denominational Winter Holiday(tm) Spirit.

And I hereby announce my intention to audition for Deanna.

[Qara-Xuan Zenith]

That sounds like a plan, but Mr. A must be abe to avoid this future by embracing the Non-Denominational Winter Holiday(tm) Spirit.

Well, back when Deanna was going around announcing her Evil Plan, a bunch of us complained to A that he didn't seem to be responding to our concerns about the threat, because Poor Communication Kills...

Anyway, him getting better communication skills would totally work as the way to avoid this bad future, assuming it had actually been possible.

Just, you know, throwing this out there. ^_^

[BlackWolfe]

I see what you're saying. Here's my take.

Mutiny involving a majority of Metaguards. Mr. A, lacking in human compassion for obvious reasons, fails to prevent it. His epiphany at the end of the story enables him to reach out to us Metaguards and prevent our (as-yet-undecided) Big Bad from winning over any followers.

Speaking of which, earlier I posited an Instantiation as Jacob Marley.

How about a resistance member sent back?

[The Wild West Pyro]

I see what you're saying. Here's my take.

Mutiny involving a majority of Metaguards. Mr. A, lacking in human compassion for obvious reasons, fails to prevent it. His epiphany at the end of the story enables him to reach out to us Metaguards and prevent our (as-yet-undecided) Big Bad from winning over any followers.

Speaking of which, earlier I posited an Instantiation as Jacob Marley.

How about a resistance member sent back?

The mutiny is that he slashed our salary in order to save more money, and we form a union and go on strike.

[Genndy Oda C.O.G.]

We have a salary?

[The Wild West Pyro]

We have a salary?

Metaguards should be paid

[BlackWolfe]

We have a salary?

....

....

I think we have a winner.

"IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT METAGUARD SALARIES ARE TOO GREAT A DRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES. YOU WILL INFORM THE OTHERS THAT THEIR SALARIES HAVE BEEN CUT."

"We have a salary?"

"I SAID NOTHING."

[The Wild West Pyro]

We have a salary?

....

....

I think we have a winner.

"IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT METAGUARD SALARIES ARE TOO GREAT A DRAIN ON OUR RESOURCES. YOU WILL INFORM THE OTHERS THAT THEIR SALARIES HAVE BEEN CUT."

"We have a salary?"

"I SAID NOTHING."

But you said something, Mr. A. REPEAT IT NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW. NOWWWW. SO I CAN HEAR.

[BlackWolfe]

It looks like Deanna as the Big Bad is winning over some support in the chat.

And here is where we encounter a problem. If we're going to use this, it's very important that I be pointed at the information in question. (Remember, I wasn't here then.) Because if this is what we're doing, this is our Christmas Past -- for all that it's not last year at Christmas time.

[narrativedilettante]

I'd love to get involved with this somehow. At the moment I don't have time to do more than poke my head in and say "This seems cool!" So, at the moment that's all I'll do.

[The Wild West Pyro]

Young Scrooge reading a book ( Don Quixote, Part One, the Windmill Scene then the Sheep fighting)

PLEASE?