Title: Interlude: In Which Sunfall Strives to Be a Mary Sue
Rating:
K+
Warnings for:
Sunfall being a goofball. Mild cursing. Possible TMI. And this not being a story at all, which probably breaks rules but…meh. And not being short, either, though that's not entirely my fault since the test itself is long…
Date:
2.5 minutes ago.


Yeah, the ol' Mary Sue Litmus Test, Transformers flavor, originally created by MCat many moons ago. Of course, there's a Sunfallian twist here. The girl can't be normal if she tries. Then again, it's not like she tries to be normal. Anyway, this is for those of you who might be suspecting that Sunfall is, in fact, a Dreaded Mary Sue™…

I. All About Sue

Is your character named after yourself or your screen name? (+1)
Sunfall: My name is much better than her screen name.
Nightwind: You do realize that I stole your name from a character in a Star Trek novel from the 80s, yes?
Sunfall: Which is precisely why it's better. You stole your name from a horse...

Is your character described as beautiful? (+1)
Nightwind: Well, she is pretty. But it's not my fault! It's Sludge's fault. Damn artists…
Sunfall: So what? Points!
Nightwind: Sunfall, the object of this test is to avoid getting points.
Sunfall: *snorts disdainfully* Screw that! I totally wanna be the worst Mary Sue ever to curse Transformers fanficdom!
Nightwind: Oh, marvelous…

"Unusually" or "astonishingly" beautiful? (+2)
Nightwind: No.
Sunfall: Can we ask Prowl for a second opinion?
Nightwind: Absolutely not.

The most beautiful Transformer who's ever lived? (+3)
Nightwind: Riiiiiight…

Do the other characters feel intimidated or threatened by her beauty? (+1)
Sunfall: Sunstreaker's threatened by the fact that our names share an initial syllable! Does that count?
Nightwind: No. And he's not "threatened." Just greatly insulted.

Are her optics an unusual color? (+1)
Sunfall: *pouts* Plain old blue.

Do they change color according to her mood? (+1)
Sunfall: Now that would be nifty! I'm gonna go have a talk with Wheeljack about it…
Nightwind: Not until we finish the test.
Sunfall: *sigh* Fine.

Does she have long, flowing hair? (+2)Do you describe it on the first page of the story? (+2)
Do you describe it more than once? (+3)

Sunfall: *sigh* I used to have long hair, but I kept it in a braid… And how do Transformers have hair, anyhow? This is an unfair set of questions. It's unattainable points.
Nightwind: You…haven't looked at fanart on deviantArt, have you?
Sunfall: No. Should I?
Nightwind: Just…forget I said anything. Please.

Is she a recolored and/or "feminized" version of a canon character? (+1)
Sunfall: Kinda makes you wonder what a "feminized" Prowl would look like, doesn't it? I mean, he's already all curvy and stuff…
Nightwind: Maybe it makes you wonder that…

Is she a Seeker? (+1)
Sunfall: Good God, no! Me, fly? I get nosebleeds while climbing ladders. Well, I used to, anyway.

Do you spend more than two consecutive paragraphs describing her physical appearance? (+1)
Do you begin the story with her description? (+1)

Sunfall: You know, I don't think I've ever had my physical appearance described at all. *glares at Nightwind*
Nightwind: That's because I really haven't a clue what you look like, m'dear, other than your color scheme.

Do you make it a point to mention that she's as tall, or taller, than the average male? (+1)
Sunfall: I'm short, actually. You ever seen a Mazda Miata? We're not exactly talking about a land yacht here, y'know…

Does the story begin with something like, "Hi there! I'm (character name) and this is my story..." etc.? (+10)
Sunfall: If it did, I'd kill her. Even though that's a lotta points…

Does she have wings on her shoulders? (+1)
Does she have wings on her butt? (-20 and you're excused from the rest of the test.)

Sunfall: No wings anywhere…but now I kinda want some on my butt.
Nightwind: But then you'd lose 20 points.
Sunfall: …OK, nevermind.

Does she have more than one alt-mode? (+1)
More than two? (+2)
More than three? (+3)

Sunfall: God, I can barely handle the one…

Is her robot mode surprisingly lacking in the "kibble" that would logically be necessary to transform into all these things (because then she wouldn't be as purty)? (+2)
Sunfall: I am one with my kibble, thank you. Om.

Does she transform via "magic" or some advanced and/or alien technology? (+2)
Sunfall: I transform via Magic Pixie Dust! *tosses glitter*
Nightwind: Stop watching Revenge of the Fallen, 'Fall.
Sunfall: *grumbling* OK, OK...

Is one of her alt-modes an animal with wings? (+1)
An animal that doesn't typically have wings (like a cat)? (+2)

Sunfall: What is this obsession with wings?
Nightwind: You'd have to ask the fanfic writers, hon.
Sunfall: Okay…So, fanfic writers! Tell me. What is this obsession with wings? Seriously, I wanna know!

Any fantasy-type creature (dragon, unicorn, griffin, etc.)? (+2)
Sunfall: I don't get this one, either.

Is one of her alt-modes organic or partly organic (if she's G1)? (+2)
Sunfall: Half of my brain is organic…sorta…That count?
Nightwind: No.
Sunfall: Bummer.

Does her name contain one or more of the following:

Star/Sun/Sky? (+1)
Sunfall: Yes! I get a point.

Fire/Flame? (+1)
Night/Day/Dawn/Shadow? (+1)
Black/Silver? (+1)
Cat/Wolf/Raptor/Dragon? (+1)
Dark/Blood/Death/Blade? (+1)

Sunfall: Why didn't you name me "Sunblood"? That would've been fun.
Nightwind: Because that's a stupid, nonsensical name, maybe?
Sunfall: What, and like "Blot" isn't a stupid, nonsensical name?
Nightwind: The property owner is allowed to be stupid and nonsensical, Sunfall.
Sunfall: Well, that's…stupid.

Any variation of Optimus, Ultra, Mega, Galva, etc. (Includes Prime and -tron suffixes)? (+2)
Sunfall: "Suntron?" "Megafall?" Nope, not doin' it for me…

A deliberately misspelled word, like Fyre or Darke? (+2)
An inexplicable capital letter in the middle of the name? (+2)
Does she have a two-part name composed entirely of the previous, like "FyreBlade NightDragyn"? (+20, and come on.)

Sunfall: *giggles madly*

Does her full name include a "the," followed by some supposedly cool-sounding descriptive, like, "DeathWolf the Soul-Flayer"? (+2)
Sunfall: *giggles even more madly* Yes! Sunfall the Horribly Inept!

Is her name a completely made-up word like nothing any canon TF has ever had, just because you thought it sounded cool? (+3)
Sunfall: Really, my name is Hskfogidih! Seriously! Well, OK maybe not. Unfortunately, Nightwind's just not that creative.

Is her name a painfully blatant feminization of a canon name, like "Starscreamia" or "Lady Optimus"? (+10)
Sunfall: Nor is Nightwind that uncreative.

Have you used the same name for a non-TF character in another universe? (+1)
Two or more other universes? (+2)

Sunfall: God, I hope I don't exist anywhere else…

Is it because she's actually the same character and has the ability to travel between dimensions and alter her appearance to suit each one, or some such? (+10, and sigh.)
Sunfall: Hey, that'd be a neat trick… Oh, Wheeljack!
Nightwind: Get back here.

Does she have any of the following abilities:

Telepathy? (+1)
More powerful than Soundwave's? (+2)

Sunfall: A better question is: Why would anyone want to be a telepath? Seriously.

Teleportation? (+1)
More powerful than Skywarp's? (+2)

Sunfall: Nah.

Super-speed? (+1)
Faster than Blurr's? (+2)

Sunfall: Only when high… No, I'm kidding.

Unusually keen senses? (Sight, hearing, smell, etc.) (+1 for each.)
Sunfall: Other than perfect pitch? Nope.

Telekenesis? (+2)
Sunfall: *spends an hour fruitlessly trying to bend a spoon with her mind* Apparently not. *tries bending her mind with the spoon instead*

"Magical" powers, often vaguely defined or whatever the situation calls for (including magical healing of self or others)? (+2)
Sunfall: I have a magical ability to attract enemy fire. Other than that…no.

Time-travel under her own power? (+2)
Sunfall: Why would I want to?

Control of the weather or other natural elements? (+2)
Sunfall: I'm not an X-man, 'K?

The ability to communicate with animals? (+2)
Sunfall: I leave that to Beachcomber. Wacko tree-hugging hippie…

Precognition or a "sixth sense" regarding imminent danger (including precognitive dreams or visions)? (+2)
Sunfall: Unfortunately, I don't have any clue about danger until…Well, see my answer about my "magical" abilities.

Any ability which no canon TF has ever been shown to have? (+3)
Sunfall: Besides my "magical" ability? Oh, wait. Optimus Prime seems to have that one, too, so…Never mind.

ALL of the above? (+100 points and kindly never write anything again.)

Is she:
A brilliant scientist and/or inventor? (+1)
So brilliant that she effortlessly solves problems that Wheeljack, Ratchet, and/or Perceptor couldn't? (+2)

Sunfall: I leave that to my brother the ultra-brain…

Is she a phenomenally skilled martial artist? (+1)
In Metallikato? (+2)
In some hitherto-unknown Cybertronian martial art that you just made up? (+3)
Is she the only female ever to be trained in this art? (+1)

Sunfall: "Phenomenally skilled?" Nah. "Skilled enough?" After lots of practice, yes. Does this mean I get points?
Nightwind: I don't think so, no. Has to be "phenomenal" skills.
Sunfall: Well, poo.

Is she an incredible sharpshooter? (+1)
At any distance? (+1)
With any weapon? (+1)

Sunfall: I worked my ass off for that rating, thankyouverymuch.
Nightwind: And for all your hard work, you get a point.
Sunfall: Really? Cool!

If you've made Tech Specs for her:

Are they all sevens and/or eights? (+1)
Nines and/or tens? (+2)
Higher than tens? (+5)

Sunfall: Tech…specs…? The hell?
Nightwind: Never mind…

Does she have a beautiful singing voice? (+1)
Sunfall: I have perfect pitch courtesy of my squishy half, but I'm not really into singing. Except in the shower, like everyone else in the universe. Even Prowl. …He's gonna kill me for saying that…
Nightwind: But you like to live dangerously and all.
Sunfall: Well, not really. It's just that I've got that damned magical ability, you see…

Does she play a musical instrument? (+1)
Sunfall: Yes! More points for meeeeee!
Nightwind: o_O 'K Blitzwing…

Is it the flute? (+20)
Sunfall: It is far eviller than a flute.

Is it the bagpipes? (-20)
Sunfall: But not that evil.
Nightwind: Y'know, I'd debate that…
Sunfall: Shut up, cellist.

Is she extremely fond of a particular Earth musical group, TV show, movie, etc.? (+1)
Sunfall: Do long-dead composers count?
Nightwind: I'm gonna say yes.
Sunfall: Yes!
Nightwind: On the other hand, you were human, so it'd make sense for you to like Earth stuff like that.
Sunfall: Too late! Already gave me the point! No takebacks!
Nightwind: Whatever…

That just happens to be YOUR favorite musical group, TV show, movie, etc.? (+2)
Sunfall: …?
Nightwind: *sigh* Yes.
Sunfall: *pumps fist* Yes!

Is she so obsessed with a particular rock band that she named herself after it? (+10) ;)
Sunfall: Well, last I checked my name wasn't "Beethoven," so, no. :p
Nightwind: Beethoven wasn't a "rock band," silly.
Sunfall: Oh, whatever!

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II. We Are Family

Is your character the daughter of a canon character? (+1)
Is it Starscream? (+1)
Is it Megatron? (+2)
Is it Optimus Prime? (+3)
That your character does not originally know about? (+1)
Because your character's mother hid her away to "protect" her from something? (+2)

Sunfall: Alas, no to all of the above.

Is your character the sister of a canon character? (+1)
Is it Optimus Prime? (+1)
Is it Megatron? (+2)
Is it Starscream? (+3)

Sunfall: But yes to this one! *dances* OK, so Chip's not a Transformer, but still…

Does she have a twin of the same gender? (+1)
Of the opposite gender? (+2)
Do they communicate telepathically? (+3)

Sunfall: No. And what's with the obsession with telepathy, too, dear fanfic writers?

Is she the product of a tragically doomed romance between an Autobot and a Decepticon? (+1)
Sunfall: That would be fun but…no.

Was she adopted? (+1)
Was she found in a basket on a doorstep in the driving rain, with a mysterious note pinned to her blankie? (Sorry.)

Sunfall: No and no. But I do like blankies!

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III. Origin of the Species

Was your character on board the Ark or the Nemesis? (+1)
Sunfall: I ain't that old!

Is she part-alien or part- any other non-TF creature? (+1)
Sunfall: Sort of?
Nightwind: I think it means non-human, dear.
Sunfall: Drat.

Is she a non-Cybertronian mechanoid who joined the TFs for whatever reason? (+1)
Is she a human who was turned into a TF? (+2)

Sunfall: w00t! TWO POINTS!
Nightwind: *sigh*

No beating about the bush: is she you turned into a TF? (+3)
Sunfall: Well? Verdict, o creator of mine?
Nightwind: *shuffles feet* Well, sorta… I mean, there're aspects that we share. And you're certainly wish fulfillment, so…Oh, hell, have the points.
Sunfall: Sweeeeeet! :D THREE POINTS!

Do you secretly believe that this is really going to happen some day? (+5)
Seriously, though? (+10)

Nightwind: OK, I'm delusional, all right? I admit it. But I'm not that delusional…

Is she an alien (organic) who was turned into a TF? (+1)
Sunfall: Well, humans are alien to the Transformers…
Nightwind: That's not what it means, 'Fall.
Sunfall: *pouts*
Nightwind: Hey, be happy I let you have the points for being me, all right?
Sunfall: All right, all right… *pouts some more anyway*

Is she a fantasy-type creature (elf, mermaid, dragon, unicorn, etc.) who was turned into a TF? (+2)
Is she a canon character from a non-TF universe who was brought into this universe and turned into a TF? (+3)

Sunfall: That's just weird.

For any of the above: does she become a TF:

Because she was badly injured by/because of a TF and this was the only way they could save her life? (+1)
Nightwind: Hmmmmm…
Sunfall: *bounces* I say yes.
Nightwind: Of course you say yes! But you weren't hurt by or because of Prowl or any other Transformer. Prowl was just there.
Sunfall: But…points…
Nightwind: Fine, you want the point? Take it.
Sunfall: Yes! All your points are belonging to me!

Because she wanted to Join In the Fight Against Evil? (+1)
Because Megatron (or Galvatron or whoever) had the idea to turn humans into Decepticons and use them against the Autobots? (+1)
Because she was in love with a TF and this was the only way they could be together? (+2)
Due to a Convenient Unexplained Phenomenon (a dimensional portal, an energy bolt from space, etc.)? (+2)
For Mysterious Reasons of Her Own? (+2)
Because she wanted revenge on an annoying ex-boyfriend? (-100 points and please send me the story.)

Sunfall: I kinda like the boyfriend idea…
Nightwind: Sunfall, you never had a boyfriend when you were human.
Sunfall: 'Cuz they didn't measure up. Like, literally.
Nightwind: *exasperated sigh*

Is she a member of a hitherto-unknown "third race" that fled Cybertron during the Great War? (+2)
Is she royalty of any kind? (+2)
That she does not originally know about? (+3)

Sunfall: "Princess Sunfall" kinda has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Nightwind: Don't push your luck, not-princess.

Is she a member of a non-allied mercenary group that Plays By Their Own Rules and Answers To No One? (+3)
Is she the leader? (+1)
Is this group made up of stunningly beautiful and incredibly dangerous femmebots? (+1)
Are they Feared and Respected Throughout the Galaxy? (+1)
Do they have their own spaceship? (+1)

Sunfall: No to all of these…but I want my own spaceship.
Nightwind: Sunfall, you won't fly, but you want a spaceship?
Sunfall: Sure.
Nightwind: Why?
Sunfall: 'Cuz.
Nightwind: You're whacked.
Sunfall: Of course! I was hatched in your brain, after all...

Or did your character presumably come about in a perfectly ordinary way, because you don't feel her origins are worth going on about? (-30 and thank you, thank you, thank you.)
Sunfall: HAH! Ain't nothin' ordinary 'bout me! Other than being one big ordinary cliché, of course.
Nightwind: Yay. :|

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IV. All You Need Is Love

Does your character fall in love with a canon character? (+1)
Is it Optimus Prime? (+1)
Is it Megatron? (+2)
Is it Starscream? (+3)

Sunfall: Yay, more points! Hey, why couldn't you have me fall in love with Starscream instead of Prowl? Then I could have had four points.
Nightwind: Because even I am not that unoriginal.

Does she fall in love with someone from an opposing faction? (+1)
From a different continuity? (i.e. an Autobot and a Maximal)? (+2)
From an opposing faction AND a different continuity? (i.e. an Autobot and a Vehicon)? (+3)

Sunfall: *blinks* How do you fall in love with someone from a different universe thingy?
Nightwind: Because if you were a real Mary Sue, you'd have those awesome universe/dimension-crossing abilities, remember?
Sunfall: Oh, right! Forgot about that…

Did they fall in love within days of meeting each other? (+1)
Sunfall: I was seven, and human, when I met Prowl, fer cryin' out loud!

Did they fall in love At First Sight or The Moment Their Eyes Met? (+2)
Sunfall: That would have been creepy, particularly on Prowl's part…
Nightwind: Maybe he's a closet pedophile…
Sunfall: Watch it, you.

Do they defy anyone's direct orders to be together? (+1)
Does one of them defect from their faction so they can be together? (+1)
Do they BOTH defect from their factions so they can be together? (+2)

Sunfall: You and your not having me fall in love with Starscream thing! *mournful sigh*
Nightwind: Poor Puff has enough on his plate, at the moment. He doesn't need kooky half-ex-humans plaguing him, too.

Do canon characters fight (or otherwise compete) for her affections? (+1)
Sunfall: *imagines, then starts giggling madly again*

Does she "reform" a thought-to-be-irredeemably-evil character through The Power of Her Love? (+100 and pass me the Pepto-Bismol.)
Sunfall: Hey, Starscream! Get your pretty flyboy butt over here! I need to start your reformation!
Starscream: Leave me the hell out of this!
Sunfall: Spoilsport...

Does your character have sex with the object of her affections? (+1)
More than once? (+2)

Sunfall: Y'know those are mighty personal questions…
Nightwind: And no, dear, you don't get those points…yet.
Sunfall: *wibbles* But soon?
Nightwind: Only if you're really, really good. And maybe not even then.
Sunfall: *pouts*

That you describe in point-by-point detail? (+1)
For more than two consecutive pages? (+3)
Is it a life-altering experience for her? (+1)
For him? (+1)
Do one or both of them cry afterwards because it was so beautiful? (+1)
Did you cry afterwards because it was so beautiful? (+2)

Sunfall: I'm crying just thinking about how beautiful and life-altering it will be! Does that count?
Nightwind: No.
Sunfall: Rats.

Do they get married? (+1)
Do you describe the wedding ceremony? (+1)
For more than two consecutive pages? (+2)
Including giving the name of every single character who was invited? (+3)
Is the wedding attended by members of opposing factions, because they decided to set aside their differences in order to share in the joy of this wondrous event? (+20)

Sunfall: Hey, make sure you invite Starscream to my wedding, 'Wind... I want those 20 points in the future.
Nightwind: Transformers don't get married, 'Fall. Plus, to get those points, Starscream would have to attend the wedding, not just be invited to it.
Sunfall: *shrugs* Blackmail him, then. I know you've got dirt on him.
Nightwind: *grins evilly* True…
Starscream: What part of "Leave me the hell out of this" do you two not understand?

Does this wedding ceremony bear an astonishing similarity to a late 20th/early 21st century American middle-class Christian wedding, complete with vows, veil, and bouquet, despite the fact that this is far from the only type of wedding ceremony that exists (or has ever existed) on Earth, so to expect giant robots from outer space to use this exact same ritual is PATENTLY ABSURD?!?!?! (Sorry.) (+50)
Sunfall: Oooooh, I have it all planned now! Tell me honestly, 'Wind: Does this gigantic poofy white dress make me look fat?
Nightwind: *rolls eyes* Oh, God…

Do they have a child together? (+1)
More than one? (+2)
More than two? (+3)
More than three? (+4)
Are any of them twins? (+5)
With telepathic powers? (+6)

Sunfall: Do I get 1,000 points for having 100 kids? Oh, Prowl, dearest, darling-est love of my life…
Nightwind: Stop that, you!

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V. It's a Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad World

Is your character an orphan? (+1)Were her parents killed in an attack by the opposing faction? (+1)In an attack by pirates, mercenaries, an alien invasion, or anything other than a canon TF faction? (+2)Did this attack destroy her entire city or colony? (+2)Her entire world? (+3)As a result of this attack, was she Left Alone To Fend For Herself In a Cruel Uncaring Universe? (+1)Was she Forced To Do Terrible Things To Survive? (+1)
That she deeply regretted doing, because deep down inside she was still a good and kind individual? (+1)

At any point in your character's history:

Was she kidnapped? (+1)
Was she sexually assaulted? (+2)
By more than one individual? (+3)
By a canon character? (+100 points and shame on you.)
Was she forced into slavery? (+2)
Was it sexual in nature? (+5)
Was she captured by the opposing faction or other evil persons? (+1)
Was she tortured? (+1)
Was her mind forcibly read by a telepath or some kind of evil brain-scanning device? (+1)
Was her mind altered in any way (false memories implanted, brainwashed into betraying her faction, etc.)? (+1)
Did she swear revenge on a particular group or faction as a result of Her Tragic Experience (whatever it was)? (+1)
Did she swear revenge on a particular individual? (+1)
Did she change her name, upgrade her body configuration, or otherwise alter herself in any way because of it? (+2)

At any point in her history, does she change factions? (Going from Neutral to a named faction, or vice-versa, counts.) (+1)
Does she change factions more than once? (+2)
More than twice? (+3)
Do the other characters get so sick of her faction-swapping that they finally just haul off and shoot her? (-50)

Is she insane, or suspected of being insane? (+1)
Does she experience flashbacks or other mental lapses? (+1)
Does she suffer from a pathological phobia of clowns? (-20)

Sunfall: *sigh* You know, this whole section makes me very afraid of fanfic writers. Thank God I'm an OC that no one else will write about! And it makes me very sad, too. Mostly because none of it applies to me, which means I get no points! :(
Nightwind: I dunno, 'Fall. I think the fact that you want to be a Mary Sue might qualify you for certified insanity…
Sunfall: *brightens* Really? Aw, but that's only one lousy stinking point… :p

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VI. Don't Fear the Reaper

Does your character die? (+1)
Sunfall: Yes! I did! BWAH!
Nightwind: Half of you did.
Sunfall: Still counts!
Nightwind: Fine, but you only get half a point.

Does she sacrifice herself to save the object of her affections? (+2)
To save her entire faction? (+3)
To save Cybertron and/or Earth? (+4)
To save the galaxy? (+5)
To save the entire universe/multiverse/space-time continuum? (+10)
Does she repair a time paradox by dying? (+2)
Does she cause one? (+2)
Is her death witnessed by five or more canon characters? (+1)
Do any of them cry? (+1)
Does anyone shout "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" at any point? (number of O's and exclamation points may vary.) (+2)

Sunfall: Prowl doesn't do that sort of thing. But if he did do that sort of thing, I bet he would have… So, points?
Nightwind: I think you're stretching it just a bit much, 'Fall.

Does she make a speech before she dies? (+1)
Is it more than two paragraphs long? (+2)
More than two pages long? (+3)
Does she sing "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" in a loud, bellowing voice? (-10)

Sunfall: I sing "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina" in the shower. Does that count?
Nightwind: It only counts if you did it while dying, 'Fall. And even if singing it in the shower did count, you'd be getting points taken away.
Sunfall: Oh! Forget I said anything then.

Do you describe her funeral? (+1)
Is it awfully similar to an Earth-type funeral? (See the question about weddings.) (+2)

Sunfall: You did! You so did! And it was Earth-type, too!
Nightwind: You were human then! Of course you'd have an Earth-type funeral, dingbat!
Sunfall: It's still points for me! BWAH!

Do the attendees make moving speeches about how wonderful she was and what a difference she made in their lives? (+3)
Are these speeches more than two paragraphs long? (+4)
More than two pages long? (+5)
Does anyone break down and cry in the middle of their speech? (+5)
Did you cry while you were writing it? (+5)

Nightwind: I'm not that sappy.
Sunfall: Prowl is, though.
Nightwind: Surprisingly true…although he doesn't cry, of course.
Sunfall: Only because he can't! Trust me, he was crying on the inside.
Nightwind: Sorry, sport. Doesn't count.
Sunfall: :(

During the funeral, does she come lurching out of her coffin as a hideously decomposed cannibal zombie and massacre everybody in sight? (-20) (Well, I'd like to see that.)
Sunfall: Alas, the zombieness came later…
Nightwind: You're not a zombie, 'Fall. Just a freak. And, again, you'd be getting points taken off.
Sunfall: *shuts up*

Did she leave a will or any kind of last message? (+1)
Does it begin with an "If you're reading this/seeing this, it means I'm dead" sort of thing? (+1)
Does everyone think she died, but she actually didn't? (+3)
Does she actually die, but somehow come back to life at the end of the story? (+4)

Sunfall: Hmmmmmm…
Nightwind: Sunfall…
Sunfall: Think about it! Claire's family other than Chip thinks she's dead. And she did die but came back to life…sort of.
Nightwind: Hmmm…How 'bout we compromise? I'll give you the 3 points for people thinking you're dead, but not the 4 points because you didn't come back to life as the climax of the story and all, which is what the question really means.
Sunfall: *sigh* Fine. Guess I have to take what I can get…

Will she come back to life in a subsequent story? (+3)
In which you blatantly contradict and/or ignore the events of the current one? (+20)
Does someone else sacrifice him- or herself to restore your character to life? (+2)
Does the object of her affections bring her back to life solely through the Power of Their Love? (+50 and you're determined to kill me, aren't you?)

Sunfall: That was all Chip and Wheeljack's doing. Do they love me enough to count for those 50 points?
Nightwind: Not by a long shot, dearest. Plus, there was technology involved, not Love Power. Plus, neither of them is the object of your affection. Especially not Chip because that would be creepy.
Sunfall: Well, it was worth a try…

Does she die and get resurrected more than once? (+2)
More than twice? (+3)
More than Optimus Prime? (Never mind, that's not possible.)

Sunfall: Once was enough, thank you.

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VII. And, In the End...

Have you written (or are you planning to write) more than one story centered around this character? (+1)
More than two? (+2)
More than three? (+3)

Sunfall: Wait, does that mean that I get 6 points because you've written more than three stories about me, or only 3 points?
Nightwind: You only get 3 points.
Sunfall: Boo.

Do you ONLY write stories centered around this character? (+10)
Nightwind: *scowls* Lately it sure seems that way…but no, not really.
Sunfall: Guess I'll just have to barge into your brain more often, then.
Nightwind: Please don't.
Sunfall: *snickers* MWAHAHAHAHAHAH! *coughing fit*

Have you altered the canon in any way to favor her (i.e., changed the plot of an episode, re-written the Movie so a character doesn't die, etc.)? (+1)
Nightwind: '86 movie? What '86 movie?
Sunfall: Yay, another point!

Has she appeared in more than one continuity? (G1, BW, etc.) (+1)
More than two? (+2)
More than three? (+3)
As soon as you hear of a new TF continuity coming out, do you immediately start thinking of how you can involve your character in it? (+5)

Sunfall: She only writes in one continuity, but if she ever decides to branch out and broaden her horizons, I'll be knocking on her neurons just to get these points…
Nightwind: You know, this test has created a monster…

Do you get cheesed off when readers don't adore and worship your character? (+3)
Do you resent the suggestion that stories based around your fanchars are not as interesting to other people as they are to you? (+5)

Nightwind: Well, I don't think she's very interesting myself, sooo…
Sunfall: You are such a liar!
Nightwind: Well, fine, but even if everyone hated you with a livid, undying passion, I wouldn't give a flip.
Sunfall: *beaming* 'Cuz you'd love me anyway!
Nightwind: *sigh*

And finally, while taking this test, did you feel periodic stings of recognition, flashes of annoyance, a temptation to say, "So what's wrong with THAT?" or "You're making fun of ME, aren't you?!" etc. etc. etc.? (+1 for each time this happens.)
Nightwind: HAH! Are you kidding? When I've got her gunning for Mary Sue status?

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Scoring:

A negative number: What are you still taking this test for? Go write!

0 to 15: Ehh, it's pretty hard to avoid everything on this list. Don't worry about it.

16 to 30: A few Mary Sue tendencies creeping in. Might want to re-think a few things so people don't start making fun of you.

31 to 45: Definite Sue-ishness. Do some honest self-criticism and see if you can't make the character more interesting.

46 to 60: Warning! Mary Sue in progress! Re-think this character immediately and don't write another fic about her till you do!

61 or higher: Please remain where you are. An actual competent writer will be along shortly to take away your computer and/or break your fingers. Thank you.

Sunfall: *counts* So that's....25.5 points. Woooo! Once I have sex at least twice with Prowl, then marry him in a sugary white fairy-tale wedding complete with blubbering Decepticon guests in attendance, and then have four sets of telepathic twin kids with him, I'll be there, baby! I'll be the WORST MARY SUE EVERRRRRRR! MWAHAHAHAHAH! *coughing fit*
Nightwind: *smacks forehead* God help me. God help us all…
Prowl: *blink, blink* Four sets of twins…? *passes out*
Sunfall: Oops.


After Note: And now, the most important part of this "chapter!" To answer the question, seriously, of whether or not Sunfall is a Mary Sue: Sort of. She is really more of a general self-insert, which actually isn't entirely the same as a Mary Sue. Mary Sues are usually self-inserts, but they're a specific kind of self-insert with specific qualities, and at the moment Sunfall isn't that specific. She does have some Mary Sue qualities, as the test above shows, and she will likely gain more such qualities as time goes on. But she's not quite there yet.

Here's the thing, though, for those of you who are reading these stories about her but who might not have clued in on this yet: I'm not trying to avoid various romantic fanfic stereotypes/clichés with her at all. I'm actually actively embracing them, but I'm trying to do so in a well-written way that still keeps the character generally likeable and interesting and what-have-you (I say "generally" because you can never please absolutely everyone.) and that keeps the other characters in character as well. So, her entire storyline is an ongoing experiment, I guess you could say; I am trying to create a self-insert/Mary Sue that doesn't make readers who generally like romance-y stuff want to take sharp objects to their eyeballs. Only time will tell whether I succeed or fail. You'll just have to tell me when/if she crosses any lines that you personally can't stomach, I guess. That's the only way I'm going to know if I'm succeeding or failing in my little experiment. So, don't be afraid to be honest about that; you're not gonna hurt my wittle feewings. Promise.