<KP> Nice piñata [her msn avatar].
<Kitty> Thanks. His name is Les. He's a Galagoogoo
<KP> Clearly. Want to do the interview nowish?
<Kitty> Sure, I'm pissed off with trying to move to your darn country
<KP> But it's the land of freedom and democracy and liberty and American Cheese. The power of cheese compells you.
<Kitty> Un huh... this is going to make a Very interesting start to the interview if you include it...
<KP> Mhmm... Who are you, what do you do in real life, outside of the Halo community?
<Kitty> I'm Chloe Brown, 21 and when I find the time, I'm an assistant manager at EB Games. But I'm really an Xbox MVP with Microsoft, co-leader of the Gamerchix program, an Xbox Ambassador, one of the web admins for the PMS Clan Website, a Community Manager for PMS and until very recently, leader of the PMS BRAVO Halo 2 division.
<KP> Holy crap.
<Kitty> Yeah, sleep is an afterthought, or what I do on the bus to work.
<KP> Evidently. So you mentioned PMS and a few roles within it. Can you expand upon those? What exactly do you do in that community?
<Kitty> Where to start... Well, I guess the longest running role I had was within a division. As I mentioned, I recently had to step down from running Bravo, which was a very difficult decision to make, but due to a significant lack of time, it wasn't fair to my divisional girls to retain the title, and not be able to give them my all. We require our Members to achieve between 4 and 8 hours of practice and clan matches in a week, and if, as a leader, you can't be there to participate past your own minimum, I don't think you are in the right role. You and your co-leader, if you have one, have the ultimate responsibilties to lead, be a sholder, be a mother, be a sister, a confidant, mother confessor, whatever it is that the girls need. And a good leader WANTS to spend that kind of time.
<KP> Lame. You should've quit your job.
<Kitty> True, I had a few offers that would have worked out well in that regard, but after almost a year at the helm, and well over a year as a staff member, I thought it was time someone else had the experience. It is not a responsibility taken lightly, and a lot of girls think they can handle it, but when it lands on them, they find differently. It definitely isn't always hugs and kisses. The most draining times are when you have to hand down punishments or the like, and to listen to someone cry their hearts out over live, and not be able to just hug them, it's heartbreaking for you too. I wouldn't change a minute of my time doing it though.
<KP> That sounds a lot heavier than most of the clans I've been in.
<Kitty> To be in an active, competitive division like we have in the Halo divisions is a big commitment. At our most active times, we had a separate division for recruitment, and girls spent a month prior to even being invited into that on the friend lists of the leaders and staff of that division, so that they could really understand what it is that they were getting into.
The competitive divisions are meant as gateways to the next level, which for most of our girls means competitions, be it MLG or otherwise. But that isn't to say that if you don't have time to be a member of a division that you can't still be in the clan. In fact, some of our most hardcore girls can't be members of a division, because of school, or jobs or anything along those lines they are classified into the "Casual" division, but in no way does that mean they aren't members or like I said, hardcore. It's just a recognition that they can't commit to the 4-8 or more hours needed to commit to a division.
PMS was started as a dedicated, competitive clan, whether over live in clanmatches, or through LAN competitions like MLG, CPL or WSVG. We've recently opened the casual side to give a proper home to the community and those members who are taking their breaks from competitive play.
<KP> How did you get involved with PMS in the first place?
<Kitty> Haha, good story. I was contacted over Gamertag Pics of all places, by Sagacious who was looking to start a Canadian division in PMS. She actually had to talk me into joining because I was completely and utterly against it in the first place. I was HORRIBLE at Halo 2 at the time, hated playing as MC, and refused to even TOUCH a BR. I had also gone to an private all-girls school during my middle and high school time, so I was like, "oh no way in HELL am I going through all THAT again..."
But the first time I played wtih her, I got my ass handed to me SO badly, it actually made me mad enough to say, 'ok, if SHE can play that well, so can I.' And so I told her I'd go through the recruitment month, and see what it was like. A little less than a month later, the Canadian division idea was on the floor, and the H2 division had reorged into the Divisions as we currently have them, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie. Delta was added later that year, due to the incredible interest.
<KP> What's your fondest memory in your time with PMS?
<Kitty> There are a number of them, but I think one of the "playtime" ones has to be a time from practice...
I had to put down my controller during the middle of practice, so I told everyone I'd be right back, and my then leader decided she would be evil. She got all the girls to arrainge themselves in a semi-circle alround the corner I'd stuck myself into, and the second they heard me come back, they all threw stickies on me. I managed to take most of them down before I went though!
<KP> What about real life moments where you met up with them?
<Kitty> Nothing can beat those. PAX last year was the first time I got to meet anyone, and since then there have been a number of events that there have been large groups in attendance. E3 by far was the best and biggest. I've always been sad, because I can't make it to the MLGs or any of those competitions because of being up in Canada and the travel costs, so getting to meet whomever I can at events rocks.
There have definitely been surprises.
<KP> Like Bob? Why do you continue to exploit poor Bob?
<Kitty> Ok. I'm going to be evil here.
<KP> Splendid!
<Kitty> It's technically his own fault. He had the...unfortunate pleasure of meeting me at the E3 Bungie party... he shouldn't have been hanging out with Matt... but he was the one who decided that he was going to come play Halo 2 with me... And then had the brilliance to ask me "What does the white button do"?
My job was clear at that point.
<KP> To get him drunk and on youtube.
<Kitty> I love you Bob. Don't sic Don on me, k?
<KP> Of all of the new Halo 3 info that’s broken over the past month, has there been anything that has you particularly excited?
<Kitty> betabetabetabetabetabeta!!!!! Ahem. And new music. I am...yeah. I made a Total ass of myself when I met Marty at E3.
<KP> You're not the first person that's told me that.
<Kitty> Just a Liiiiiiittle on the fangirlish side...
<KP> Most people were way on the tipsy side. On his tab, no less!
<Kitty> Yeah, we got there too late for that... But it was actually at the Media after-party. His fault, he didn't introduce himself right away.
<KP> So you pounced on him instead?
<Kitty> Nope, that was Twin on Frankie. He walked up, started chatting because I was wearing a PMS clan shirt and he recognized the clan's name, and eventually told me. I did the fish-gape thing for about a minute or two... You suck because I didn't get to meet you at either E3 or Pax..
<KP> I was just tooling around E3 and PAX with friends, didn’t end up meeting a whole ton of new people.
<Kitty> Excuses, excuses....we will however reconcile this soon enough though, right? You can give me a tour of the building!
<KP> Hah. I'll give you a tour of the basketball court in the back. And you’ll still need to sign two NDAs.
<Kitty> Ooo! The one Bob broke his ankle on? Sweet!
<KP> Ahhhhhahahaha. Good call. Let’s end on the note of Bob’s misfortune.