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lunasarielI've finally upgraded to a Paid account. Woooo! For a long time, the biggest draw was the increased number of icons (the very first item on my to-do list was to fill up those empty slots with as many as I can afford, and possibly more, followed by messing around with My Guests and just generally marveling at this strange new world), although the advanced search function certainly was attractive. What pushed me over the edge, though, was that I went to f-lock this account, and it turned out that Paid users can do it all from one screen, whereas Plus users (which is what I was) had to go entry by entry. And I was not going to individually f-lock 370 entries, so now I am the proud owner of one Paid LiveJournal account! :D :D :D, a thousand times :D.
Summer has now officially kicked off: A is out of school, there are three different kinds of ice cream in the freezer, and my fan is on almost all day. It's actually been (mostly) comparatively cool since I got back; I think the weather took A's graduation ceremony on Friday as the cue to bring on the heat. The ceremony itself wasn't as bad as I feared: it only took a coupe of hours (there were only 80-odd kids in her class), the speeches weren't excruciating, and it was held in the gym, so the sun wasn't a factor. A, being her usual stubborn, "form before function" self, insisted on wearing a long-sleeved purple wool dress (which she does admittedly look very nice in) under her graduation gown, but, surprisingly, didn't boil. They didn't get caps, but they did each get a nice diploma, and A is just generally elated to not only be out of school, but to be done with middle school in general. I remember high school being this huge, mysterious threatening place when I first started, but she's got some good friends, which I recall as being the key to surviving high school, and her, er, idiosyncrasies are nowhere near as bad as they used to be, so I think she'll do okay.
Saturday was our first D&D game in a loooooong time, and it went surprisingly smoothly. Yaaaayyy! I mean, KC and J were both being difficult on purpose to prove how interesting and mysterious they are, but H has obviously been giving group dynamics a lot of thought, and has instituted some extremely useful house rules, such as only her, Chris (whose job it is to look things up when disputes over rules arise), and me (whose job it is to take notes and just generally be in charge of continuity) getting to have laptops out, since they're otherwise a major distraction. Things got a little more tense towards the end, when it got late and tempers started to fray, but overall, it was both productive and fun. H has an amazing eye for traps and puzzles, and really made us earn our XP (which, in this case, actually stands for experience points, not an emoticon). I can see why she insisted that we have a healer along (which she hardly had to do, since I was playing, and I almost never play anything else), because there were a couple of extremely sticky situations where it was actually very touch-and-go for a while. The first time, C and KC had to be reminded of the first rule of gaming: "never split the party" (ok, C was doing his job and being a good tank, soaking up the damage to preserve us squishies, but KC has a horrible habit of just charging into situations headlong), and I subsequently got to stretch my RP muscles by playing a sleep-deprived (as the healer, I had to be awake and treating all the injured players for two days straight), injured, in shock character, and I think I did okay. The second time, we were all both incredibly proud of, and incredibly infuriated at, J. We were all rolling especially poorly that night, and J's character became convinced that a series of free-floating platforms we had to traverse could easily be towed into the form of a stable bridge, even as J himself received very, *very* strong hints from the DM that this would be a catastrophically bad idea. So J refused to meta-game or break character: good for him! J plummeted 60 feet into deep water and required a lengthy and dangerous rescue that almost got KC killed as well: dammit, J! Seriously, it became kind of farcical at a certain point. KC dived in to rescue J, but the platform had landed kind of on top of J, who was stunned, sinking, and drowning. C threw a rope and grappling hook to haul them both up, but A) missed and B) neglected to hold onto the other end. KC lost the rope for a little while, and then started swimming in the wrong direction, as J, still underwater, had drifted off to one side. To top it all off, all the rest of us could do was run along the bank/cliff and yell at them. It was like the Three Stooges, only twice as bad (literally, since there were six of us). But, after several more misadventures of this sort, we reached our objective, finally got some answers, and our party is gelling nicely. So I call the night an overall win.
Lynn Flewelling's latest, Casket of Souls, came out last week, so I've been picking at that intermittently, and it looks like a return to form after the disappointing Shadows Return and The White Road. Chestburster Ex Machina is now firmly out of the story, leaving Our Heroes free to everything I like best about the Nightrunner series: political intrigue, magic espionage, snarky banter, and, if you can believe it, actual nightrunning! I'd honestly love to get Lynn Flewelling's thoughts on Phoria's and Klia's relationship, since I'm not sure whether the fascinating dynamics between the two of them, in addition to Phoria's complexity, is a case of fridge logic, or intentional. I'm only a few chapters in, so I won't say anything more for the moment, except that I'm enjoying the hell out of it, as expected.
I've also finally started the third season of Babylon 5, and although I've only seen the first three episodes, I'm loving it so far! The first episode was especially enjoyable, as it had (almost) everything I love about B5. Lennier was an adorkable awkward eager puppy and a badass. An interesting new character was introduced (BTW, Lennier now has to share the title of Luna's B5 Fandom Crush with Marcus Cole [don't worry, Lennier, Vir, Garibaldi, and Ivanova are still tied for Fandom Favorite]. Cripes, but he's pretty. I'm normally really not a facial hair person, but the accent, the Melting Brown Eyes™, the Papa Wolf instincts, the self-sufficiency, the secrecy, the woobieishness...), and I hope we'll be seeing some more of him sometime soon. Londo at least kind of tries to do the right thing, and is clearly uncomfortable with the wholesale slaughter he unleashed. There's a cool new ship, and the Shadows get their butts kicked. Everybody lives. We get a glimpse of the Psi Corps and what they're up to on Earth. Sheridan is bland, but upstanding, a good leader type. Ivanova gets to blow something up. Now if only Vir could have been quietly courageous and Garibaldi could have been the Team Dad and made me laugh, this would have been my perfect episode. I'm not complaining that it is what it is, though! Seeing the Shadows getting defeated was enough to make the episode for me, and the rest of the stuff, especially the Lennier- and Marcus-related bits, were just icing on the delicious, delicious cake.
The second episode, "Convictions," was a little weaker. It still had plenty of Lennier to the rescue! and Londo being complicated, which I'll never say no to, but it had some holes. Like, what was up with those monks? Since Ivanova has been shown to be religious, and had the most contact with them, I thought there would be a "why do bad things happen to good people"-esque subplot where Brother Theo helps her regain her shaken faith, or, hell, maybe it's the monks' faith that gets shaken, when this random, senseless violence starts taking its toll, but then ended up being pretty much just plot devices, coming and going with little effect other than doing some necessary grunt work. Also, it struck me that the episodes villain, Carlson, is the Sherlock version of Moriarty done wrong. Maybe this is just because I rewatched "The Great Game" with my mom and RG last night, but Andrew Scott struck a perfect balance between campy affectations and irrational screaming. He genuinely struck me as a crazy person whose silly, jokey mask can't entirely cover the bone-deep rage and psychosis that's trying to claw its way out of him. The B5 people seemed to be going for the same thing with Carlson, but I didn't quite believe it. There was too much screaming to allow the hysterical laughter to have any effect at all, and the screaming itself seemed too random: Moriarty would "break character" when his worldview was contradicted or someone didn't follow his plan, but there didn't seem to be any such trigger for Carlson. This may be more realistic, I don't know, but it makes for less effective storytelling.
On the other hand, Londo's subplot, where he was actually deeply touched by Lennier almost sacrificing his own life to save his, I liked a lot. I've already said that I like how morally/psychologically twisty Londo is. In the first episode, he realized that the Shadows were up to no good, and tried to break ties with them, even when he knew it would hurt him politically. Here, he showed remorse, compassion, and gratitude, even going out of his own way to try to bring Lennier out of his coma. Then, in the very next episode, he's back to reveling in the Centauri conquest of the Narn homeworld, and even quasi-sadistically forces the new Narn ambassador to report on the prison camps, work gangs, and mass executions in order to break their spirit, but then turning right around and trying to place the obviously unhappy Vir somewhere he might be able to find peace. This episode, "A Day in the Strife," was very Londo-centric. Sending Vir away is obviously a terrible move, for him as well as in general (I really, really hope the departure isn't permanent and/or we get to see more of him in the future), but I find it fascinating that Londo seemed to make this decision for purely altruistic reasons, and tried to cover it up with his usual callous, self-centered exterior, instead of the other way around. I mean, we can see that he's come to like Vir, and maybe even value him, so while Vir not being around to needle his conscience might be a weight off his mind, I can't see him thinking of Vir's departure as a net positive.
"A Day in the Strife" was a very "go team!" episode, and I tend to like these. The theme definitely seemed to be solidarity and the bonds the B5 crew and personnel have built up over the past few years, which rarely fails to give me warm fuzzies. But, of course, this is B5 we're talking about here, so it's more about partings and how people have wrecked and/or are wrecking their various relationship, but still. Londo sent Vir away out of concern for his well-being and expressed regret that his actions have gotten him shut out of the mass friendship he used to be a part of, the Narn banded together to convince G'Kar to stay on the station, and Garibaldi tried to talk to Dr. Franklin about the latter's abuse of stims. I love Garibaldi when he's looking out for his friends like this, not because it's his job, but because he wants to help. In fact, this lead to something of a realization: Garibaldi, the chief of security, is the closest thing Babylon 5 has to a psychologist. It's always he who notices when someone is depressed, angry, or just acting off, and he always takes it upon himself to try to jolly them out of it. For example, he was the first one (maybe even ahead of Vir, and at worst only second to him) to notice Londo's turn to the dark side, and attempted to talk him out of it by reminding him that he has friends on the station, at least for the moment, and they're willing to look out for him. Garibaldi & Lennier is still my favorite BROTP, but that's only because they're two of my favorite characters. In fact, I wish they got a lot more screentime together, since I think they would play off of each other fantastically, and that little subplot they had going way back in s1 with the motorcycle was the moment I fell in love with both of them.
I have once again committed a meme. This is another über-long one, so I'm posting only the first half here; the rest will appear soonish.
1. Logan/Wolverine (X-Men)
2. Molly Hooper (Sherlock)
3. Londo Mollari (Babylon 5)
4. Cordelia Vorkorsigan (Vorkorsigan Saga)
5. Eli “Patriot” Bradley (Young Avengers)
6. Aliera e’Kieron (Dragaera)
7. Rory Pond (Doctor Who)
8. Lung Tien Lien (Temeraire)
9. Owen Harper (Torchwood)
10. Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)
11. Boromir (Lord of the Rings)
12. Cersei Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)
13. Carrot Ironfoundersson (Discworld)
14. Diana Villiers (Aubrey/Maturin)
15. “Gentleman” Johnny Marcone (Dresden Files)
1) 5 (Eli) and 12 (Cersei) must fix a dinner together. How do they cooperate in the kitchen? What kind of food do they fix, if any at all?
Well, this is going to go well. /sarcasm I don’t think Cersei is a racist per se; at least, she probably wouldn’t try to lord it over Eli for the color of his skin as much as his social class. But he still certainly wouldn’t react well to being told to get on with it and cook something while she kicks back with a glass of wine in another room, far away from the actual work. In fact, he would probably get so pissed off that he would refuse to cook anything, unless the meal is for Kate or his grandparents or someone else he really, really likes. I can actually see Eli being a capable, if not particularly exciting, cook. He probably had to help his grandma out in the kitchen more than once, and she strikes me as the kind of lady who believes that people should be able to take care of themselves, so her grandsons learn to cook and her granddaughters learn to fix the plumbing.
2) 3 (Londo) and 1 (Logan) were caught in bed together by 13 (Carrot) - why were they in bed together, did anything happen and what did they tell 13?
Both Londo and Logan were blind drunk (or so they say, at least), they’re both normally into girls but open to experimentation of all kinds, one thing led to another, and here they are. And, no, nothing happened, but not for the reason one would think: it turns out that human (well, mutant) and Centauri biologies are drastically incompatible, at least where it counts. But by that point, they were both too plastered to find their pants or remember how a door works, so they pretty much just fell asleep where they were. Logan, who woke up first (and without a hangover, the bastard), relates the entire story, complete with dramatic reenactments of key scenes and funny voices, to Carrot, who is in danger of spontaneously combusting from embarrassment.
3) If 14 (Diana) could steal anything – an object, a talent, or trait – from 6 (Aliera), what would it be?
Magic, duh. Also, possibly Pathfinder, if she thought could get away with it.
4) 4 (Cordelia) and 2 (Molly) go on their first date. Where would they go and what would they do?
This is back during Cordelia’s days as a member of the Beta Colony Scientific Survey (or whatever the official name is; I forget), and Molly is a recently-graduated medic or xenobiologist or something, and has been partnered with Cordelia in some sort of mentoring program, where Cordelia helps her learn the lay of the land and integrate with the rest of the scientists. They would probably start out with a tour of the facility, allowing plenty of time for squeeing over all the shiny new tech, and end up having drinks at the watering hole the Survey folks all gather at, where Cordelia introduces her around.
5) What is 15 (Marcone)’s biggest pet peeve?
6) If 8 (Lien) won the lottery for 25 million dollars, what would (s)he do with the money?
Some sort of hedge fund or other long-term investment, I guess. Initially she would just sort of shrug, since it’s not like she’s hurting for money or anything. In fact, the whole concept of a lottery would seem vaguely vulgar and distasteful to her; something any idiot can win if they’re lucky enough. She would approve of the lottery allowing dragons in, though, since this level of integration would be rare outside of China.
7) 10 (Luna) invites 11 (Boromir) and 9 (Owen) to dinner at their home. What happens?
Disaster. Utter, hilarious, disaster. Boromir and Owen are late, since the Lovegoods’ house, while certainly distinctive, is probably magically protected, and Luna probably forgot to take down the various charms and illusions. Once they manage to get in, they’d be greeted by Xenophilius, which is an experience in itself, since Luna is still in the kitchen. Luna’s menu would be…eclectic, especially to people like Owen (who’s used to living on coffee and take-out) and Boromir (who strikes me as the “haunches of meat, flagons of ale” type). She probably has at least heard of a standard formal meal structure, but her approach to it would be distinctive, to say the least. I’m a little afraid to imagine what she would do with soup, so the salad would have some unusual-but-not-unheard of ingredients (dandelion, mint, walnuts) as well as some completely random ones (jasmine, butter, oatmeal), and let’s not even think about the dressing. The main course would be something simple in theory, say, fish, but, of course, something unusual would have to be done with it. Maybe Luna saved all the scales and stuck them back on afterwards, like they used to do with peacocks, and served it on a bed of parsley, with an apricot stuck in its mouth (since an apple wouldn’t fit). Dessert would be a little tamer, such as fruit from the Lovegoods’ garden, or homemade ice cream (albeit in flavors like potato or onion-and-leek).
Of course, this is all assuming that she did the whole thing herself. If her friends got wind of her plan, they would call in Mrs. Weasley, who would doubtless make something delicious. Hell, even the Power Trio could probably whip up something decent between them.
Owen is used to a certain level of everyday weirdness, and would probably take it in stride, although he probably would scan his food before eating to make sure there wasn't anything actually toxic in there. Boromir, on the other hand, I could see getting fairly freaked out. He’s not a huge fan of incomprehensible magic in the first place, and Luna would remind him of Galadriel, but even stranger and more inscrutable.
8) 7 (Rory) has a crush on 15 (Marcone), but is worried how 2 (Molly) will take it.
Of course Molly would take it badly! She would be friends with Rory’s wife Amy, so she would have a problem on those grounds, but would also be fairly sure that Rory is under the influence of some sort of mind-altering substance or spell (knowing Marcone, it’s probably the latter), since Marcone isn’t really
9) What present did 11 (Boromir) give 13 (Carrot) that 13 went "WTF?" about?
A ring, I guess. Rings and loose gems seem to be pretty popular gifts in Middle-earth, but in Ankh-Morpork, rings are either Dread Artifacts of Doom, and thus dealt with only by the wizards, or something one uses to propose. Carrot is nothing if not open-minded, but he would never, ever be unfaithful to Angua, so he would politely and gently, but firmly, tell Boromir that he was incredibly flattered, but already seeing someone, causing much embarrassment on both sides when Boromir figured out what Carrot thought was going on.
And it would be more “what the heck?” than “WTF?”, since, under normal circumstances, Carrot has Views about swearing.
10) 4 (Cordelia), 3 (Londo), and 12 (Cersei) end up living together. Who is the most irritating? Who never does dishes? Who has an 'accidental' one-night-stand?
Londo and Cersei are tied for the most irritating, since they’re both used to getting their way all the time, as well as having people to cook their food, clean up after them, do their laundry, etc. So they would both assume that Cordelia is there to be their maid, pissing her off to no end.
As to who never does the dishes, Cersei, duh. To her, dishes are something that happen to other people; namely servants. Cordelia would cheerfully take her turn, but when it became apparent that she was the only one doing any kind of chores, she would become significantly less cheerful. Londo might actually help out once in a blue moon, if only to ingratiate himself to the others and/or when he wants a favor.
And as for the “accidental” one-night stand, Cersei and Londo again. Not only is Cordelia far too level-headed to fall into bed with either of them, both of them are drastically not her type. Both Cersei and Londo have a history of using sex to solve their problems, though (especially Cersei), and a Centauri-Lannister alliance would be a terrifying sight to behold.
11) 8 (Lien) is sent to assassinate 10 (Luna). Does (s)he succeed?
Hmm…I don’t think so. A twenty-ton albino dragon isn’t exactly inconspicuous, and couldn’t get into Hogwarts if she meant harm to one of the students anyway. I could see her going for poison or something similar, but Luna spends almost every waking moment surrounded by world-class witches and wizards, so they could counteract any poison Lien could throw at them fairly easily. Lien might have more of a chance during the summer holidays or after Luna graduates, but magic still trumps dragon, and Luna would be exactly the sort to become convinced that an evil time-travelling Chinese dragon from the past and another dimension was trying to kill her, and prepare accordingly.
12) 1 (Logan), 5 (Eli), 9 (Owen), and 11 (Boromir) decide to found a colony on a new planet. What are the rules for their colony? Does it last?
Logan pretty much just wanders off on his own, leaving the other three to bicker about rules and morality and all that stuff. Eli tries to impose a strict code of conduct and establish a democracy (with him being in a sort of “first among equals” decision-making position, since he can’t seem to not be in charge), which, assuming this is an aged-up Eli, Boromir is fairly okay with. Owen is annoyed by all the nitpicky rules Eli will have imposed to ensure total social equality (keeping records of communal food, rotating sleeping spaces so nobody monopolizes the best spot, etc.), and eventually gets so fed up that he uses his powerful position as the colony’s doctor to get Eli to lighten things up a bit.
Logan eventually gets bored running around by himself, and works out a deal with the colony where he supplies them with game and knowledge of the surrounding terrain (which he, of course, will have picked up almost immediately) in return for weapons and shelter during unusually bad weather.
13) 12 (Cersei) and 4 (Cordelia) end up locked in a closet together for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture. Do they make out?
Probably not. Cersei only would if she thought that doing so would get her out of the closet faster, or help her in some other way, and Cordelia would be more interested in learning about the unfamiliar Westerosi society, and then possibly having an in-depth discussion on feminism and gender politics, which would intrigue Cersei. So they spend pretty much the entire time talking, and whoever eventually busts them out is a little disappointed that they didn’t walk in on two attractive women making out, but instead discussing how to bring down the patriarchy.
14) 15 (Marcone) is a vampire and 8 (Lien) is a werewolf, and they battle it out. Who wins?
My first instinct is to say Lien, because a centuries-old genius dragon that can also turn into a giant killer wolf is bad news any way you look at it. But Marcone isn’t someone to be trifled with as he is, so vampire!Marcone (who, sadly, I can’t see fitting into any of the Dresdenverse Courts. He’s not sexy enough for the White Court, not eeeeevil or dumb enough for the Black Court, and not bloodthirsty [har!] enough for the Red Court. But I digress), what with the immortality and mind control and whatever other powers he develops, would certainly be able to hold his own. In fact, given his superior resources and familiarity with being the underdog (no pun intended), he might even win.
Of course, this is assuming that they have to fight, because Marcone and Lien would make a hell of a team. But I guess the inherent vampires vs. werewolves enmity can’t be denied…
15) How would 7 (Rory) react to the news that 14 (Diana) was his/her long lost sibling?
Well, first, he’d go have Words with the Doctor about time travel, but it would eventually come out that Diana had been snatched by the Weeping Angels as an infant/child, young enough that Amy wouldn’t have known about her when she re-wrote the universe, so she just kind of got left out of Rory’s history.
After that all got sorted out, he’d actually be a little disappointed/squicked out, since Diana is exactly the kind of powerful, take-charge, occasionally unfaithful femme fatale that he tends to fall for. He would love his new brother-in-law, though, and would cheerfully explain 21st century medicine to him.
16) If 10 (Luna) had to stop being whatever species he/she was and had to spend the rest of eternity as an inanimate object, what object would he/she choose and why?
Probably a painting, although given that it would probably be a Wizarding painting, I’m not sure whether the “inanimate” thing still applies. (This is mostly because of a fairy tale that I used to love, and recently re-read, about a girl that gets stuck in a painting, and every morning her family sees her doing something different; eventually she grows old and dies/disappears from the painting. For some reason, this one always makes me think of Luna.)
17) What was 6 (Aliera)'s most embarrassing moment?
Getting stuck in a staff wasn’t so bad, since it at least happened under exciting circumstances, but having to be toted around and rescued by her cousin and his Easterner buddy probably rankled at least a bit.
18) 13 (Carrot) and 2 (Molly) meet for the first time under very awkward circumstances.
The awkwardness would almost certainly be Sherlock-generated. He probably just blurted out something uncomfortable about Carrot, such as that he’s the true king of Ankh-Morpork, or that he’s dating a werewolf, shortly after making one of those cruel-but-accurate deductions about Molly and her attraction to him. So both Carrot and Molly would be feeling pretty embarrassed, but Molly is used to Sherlock, and once Carrot figures out that everyone pretty much tries to ignore Sherlock when he’s making personal deductions to show off, he relaxes a bit.
19) How would 3 (Londo), 1 (Logan), and 11 (Boromir) react if they were stuck in a bank being robbed?
Londo would probably be hiding under a table, and might even have helped orchestrate the robbery in the first place, although he almost certainly didn’t plan for it to take place while he was actually in the bank. Logan and Boromir, though, would have their various sense of justice/protection seriously offended, and would start a-swingin’ at the poor robbers. Logan isn’t known for being a softie, and Gondor still probably has some fairly medieval laws with regards to robbers and their punishment, so it’s actually even odds as to whether any of them would even survive to be arrested, which, if Londo had indeed set the whole thing up, would suit him just fine.
20) What happens when 12 (Cersei) and 4 (Cordelia) are chosen by an alien race to act as their voice on Earth?
To be honest, they would kind of cancel each other out. Cersei would scheme and connive and try to turn the aliens against her political opponents and ally said aliens with the Lannisters, while Cordelia would be more focused on showcasing all the wonderful scientific advances that humans had made, and trying to wrap her head around the advances/technology of the aliens. Assuming these are some pretty enlightened/canny aliens, they would compare Cersei to Cordelia, and come up with a more or less okay picture of humanity as a whole.
21) 15 (Marcone) and 7 (Rory) fight each other in the ancient gladiator games. Who wins and do they fight to the death?
Rory wins, as long as he still has his centurion programming (this is assuming that they only have ancient Roman weapons, not modern ones, like the guns Marcone is so good with, or magic), which is uniquely suited to the situation. Both would do their best to avoid killing each other, though. Rory has taken the Hippocratic Oath and is a Companion, and so is opposed to blood sports on pretty much every level, and while Marcone would be okay with killing Rory if he had to, he would much prefer not to, as the Doctor is both a powerful ally and a powerful enemy, and killing one of his Companions is sure to make an enemy of him.
22) 5 (Eli) writes their autobiography. What is it called? How truthful is it? And what kind of review does 13 (Carrot) give it?
The title would be either Call Me By the Thunder (from “Steal Away”) or Trouble the Water (from “Wade in the Water”), both lyrics from pre-War or Civil War-era slave spirituals, since his entire motivation is pretty much to fight against the racism that both destroyed his grandfather and created Captain America. It’s, like, 90% truthful, with incidents like him using MGH to stimulate superpowers or him trying to shoot the Scarlet Witch (for, granted, what seemed to be perfectly legitimate reasons at the time) not being glossed over, but gaining an, er, editorial slant.
Carrot gives it a glowing review, of course, and praises his sense of justice and tackling of tough issues, but, towards the end of the review, subtly hints that a little more impartiality might be a good thing.
23) 3 (Londo) and 7 (Rory) meet on a blind date. Is the attraction instant or is it going to be a very awkward night?
Oh, so very, very awkward. Rory has waaaaay too many similarities to Vir for Londo to have any kind of attraction to him, and since Rory’s type seems to be curvy, peppery redheads with an ironclad sense of justice, I can’t see it working for him, either. I foresee a lot of awkward silences and fumbling for stuff to talk about.
24) 10 (Luna) and 15 (Marcone) are nabbed by a super secret organization, secretly run by 2 (Molly). What is the purpose of 2's organization and what does (s)he want with 10 and 15?
Around the end of s1 of Sherlock, a popular theory floating around was that sweet, meek, doormat Molly had been in on the whole “Jim from IT = Moriarty” thing, and was, in fact, the Bonnie to his Clyde. If this had panned out, she would have actually made one hell of a criminal mastermind: she has access to a lot of confidential information, she’s certainly been pushed around enough to make her resentful, and who would suspect cute little Molly, with her hopeless crush on Sherlock and pink Comic Sans blog?
If Molly’s criminal empire deemed it necessary to kidnap Luna and Marcone, they were both getting in the way. Marcone is a business rival, of course, and hangs out with enough good guys to make his allegiances suspect. As for Luna, maybe Molly is ostensibly thinking of teaming up with the Death Eaters, but she knows that they regard her, a Muggle, as scum; both sides are planning to double-cross each other as soon as is convenient, and Luna somehow stumbled upon Molly’s plan. Or maybe Luna now works for the Ministry of Magic, and is working undercover observing Sherlock, and has discovered Molly’s alter ego.
25) 8 (Lien) and 14 (Diana) are called in as consultants on a movie/television series. What's the series about?
A Regency-era period piece, heavy on the battles and espionage! Lien can give a good account of the politics and warfare of the era, while Diana can handle the social and feminist aspects, and maybe contribute to the veracity if/when there’s a spy character. (Wow, this one was perfect!)
26) 3 (Londo), 5 (Eli), and 12 (Cersei) are recruited for a reality TV show competition series. What's the premise of the show and what order are they "voted" out?
I could se a kind of Apprentice-like show where they’re basically tested on their leadership skills and business savvy. (Note: I know absolutely nothing about The Apprentice except that it’s hosted by Donald Trump and sometimes there are celebrities on it).
Eli is voted off first, since he’s charismatic, yes, but he’s used to leading a bunch of teenagers, and is a teenager himself, so his leadership style consists of a combination of really good ideas and basically yelling at and/or berating people until they do what he says.
Cersei is the next to go. She starts off all slick and Machiavellian (her low-cut blouses, miniskirts, and spike heels certainly don’t hurt, either), but eventually her innate crazy starts to show through. She starts making really, really bad snap decisions, being a prima donna, and just basically pissing everybody off. Eventually it’s revealed that her little brother Tyrion was basically giving her cues/making her look good for pretty much the entire season, so she’s voted off, too.
This leaves Londo as the winner, and rightfully so. This is exactly his kind of thing, where cutthroat business is the norm, and sleaze is an asset, not a liability, at least as long as it’s not too terribly obvious.
27) Which of all the other characters would 9 (Owen) trust with a secret?
Either Carrot, Rory, or Boromir. Carrot would certainly never, ever betray a confidence, but I can’t really see Owen being able to get his head around Carrot’s mindset. Owen doesn’t know, or even know of, anyone that upstanding, and his own suspicious nature would tell him that Carrot isn’t as trustworthy as he seems.
Owen and Rory might actually know each other in canon, professionally as well as socially, so there could already be some trust built up there. In addition, Rory is also trustworthy, but of a more insecure (for lack of a better word) type that Owen would better be able to understand/relate to/believe. But they would have a lot of mutual friends, and, depending on the nature of the secret, Rory might very well tell Amy and/or the Doctor, and once it hits the Doctor, it’s anybody’s guess as to how long it’ll stay a secret.
Boromir, oddly enough, I could see Owen liking the most. He’s not as squeaky-clean as Carrot, but Owen would like his blend of chivalrousness, pride, and a kind of cynicism. He would actually like Boromir more because of his struggles with the Ring, not less, since it would prove that Boromir has demons of his own, and knows what it’s like to not be perfect.
28) 6 (Aliera) and 2 (Molly) went out to dinner, where would they go, what would they eat, and what would they do afterwards?
They would probably go to Morrolan’s never-ending party, since it’s free, Aliera could be certain of showing to her best advantage, and Molly wouldn’t be able to say no, especially to someone as, er, decisive as Aliera. They would eat and, more importantly, drink whatever was on offer, which is sure to be expensive and varied.
Considering the frequency with which Morrolan’s parties are interrupted/attacked, what they would do afterwards would probably become something of a non-issue.
29) 10 (Luna) and 7 (Rory) are college roommates. What are their majors? Do they get along, or does one of them not survive to graduate?
Luna is double-majoring in zoology and underwater basket-weaving (she hopes to catch and present some Freshwater Plimpies). Rory is pre-med, of course; if Amy wants a doctor, she’ll damn well get a doctor. After an initial “WTF?” adjustment period, they actually get along rather well. Rory just shrugs and puts up with Luna’s weirdness (hell, the woman he’s in love with went through 11 psychiatrists and still insists that a magical man in a flying blue phone box crash-landed in her garden), and Luna is surprised and gratified to find such a high level of understanding in a Muggle. When they graduate and go their separate ways, Rory actually finds himself missing Luna’s humming and fresh issues of The Quibbler, at least until the Doctor comes along to supply him with his daily dose of weirdness.
30) 12 (Cersei) and 4 (Cordelia) are somehow expelled from their normal fictional universes. They join forces and move into the fictional universe of someone else on your list. Which universe do they choose? Do they encounter this other character? How do the rest of their lives play out in their new home?
I could actually see them choosing Middle-earth. Cersei would see all these poor, honor-bound suckers ripe for the plucking (this is before she meets people like Gandalf and Aragorn), and Cordelia’s experience with Barrayaran politics would at least give her a frame of reference for places like Gondor and Rohan (she would also love to meet the Elves and just hang out in somewhere like Rivendell or Lothlórien). (Note: I’m finding it interesting how often Cersei and Cordelia are thrown together in this meme, considering how they’re pretty much perfect opposites. Just sayin’.)
Yes, they would probably encounter Boromir, since they would probably head for the largest and safest human population center, Minas Tirith. Cersei would spend a few days in the libraries and then set herself up as some sort of long-lost noble lady, which would certainly go over well, considering Gondor’s problem with fading nobility. She’s probably discovered (by Aragorn and/or Faramir) and deported back to Westeros (by Gandalf) once the dust of the War settles, though, since she kind of stands out in a crowd, and Aragorn’s inherent kingliness and Faramir’s incredible knowledge of Gondorian history should be able to catch her out as a fraud sooner or later.
Cordelia is a bit miffed that there are no scientists in Middle-earth, and so ends up at the Houses of Healing, where she’s much more likely to meet Faramir than Boromir, but she’s still got a decent chance. (She probably moves to Ithilien, the new seat of Elven power, after the War, though.)
31) 9 (Owen) and 8 (Lien) get their Hogwarts letters and are sorted into the same House. What House is it, and what hijinks ensue? (If one of them IS a Harry Potter character, I guess you're stuck with that House. ;) If they're BOTH HP characters of different Houses... I guess have fun deciding which House would be funnier for them both to be in.)
Slytherin, definitely. Lien is revengeful, aristocratic, and considers herself better than anyone else around her, and Owen is cold, secretive, and manipulative, but they’re both extremely clever, and always looking out for number one.
Owen is saved from the darker side of Slytherin by hanging out with a very mixed group (the rest of Torchwood would work out to be two Gryffindors [Jack and Gwen], a Hufflepuff [Ianto], and a Ravenclaw [Tosh]), limits himself to unceasing snark, and is mildly alarmed to actually finding himself actually choosing a career of service to others at St. Mungo’s, instead of his original plan of going to (lucrative) work for himself.
Lien is a textbook Slytherin, and follows a textbook Slytherin pattern. She excels in all of her classes and enjoys flaunting her intelligence and good grades, but ends up working for the Death Eaters when Ravenclaw!Temeraire and soGryffindorithurts!Laurence somehow get involved in Yongxing’s death.
32) 2 (Molly) and 11 (Boromir) wake up naked in bed together, not remembering how. What do they assume happened, and what actually happened? Rated PG-13 for brief nudity.
They assume that the obvious happened, made worse by the fact that Molly would have a ginormous fangirl crush on Boromir, who mixes Sherlock’s aloofness and hotness with chivalry and good humor, creating an irresistible cocktail of enticement.
Much to Molly’s disappointment, the obvious did not, in fact, happen. Merry and Pippin spiked the punch at some sort of Middle-earth/London meet’n’greet, and Certain People thought it would be funny to pose them like that for when they woke up.
33) 15 (Marcone), 5 (Eli), and 1 (Logan) wake up with superpowers... as do 3 (Londo), 14 (Diana), and 13 (Carrot). Which group becomes the super-villains, which group become Our Heroes, and come the Epic Showdown, who wins the Final Battle?
Marcone would have Professor X-like powers: lots of telepathy more than a bit of mind control, and even a taste of telekinesis, all of which he gleefully uses in whatever manner he damn well pleases. Eli already has superpowers, of the standard Captain America type, so this question is moot for him (although I am tickled that the superhero made it onto the superhero question). Ditto for Logan (and again with the superheroes!).
Londo would have made a pact with a demon in exchange for whatever powers he could think of, but it would end up being something of a Faustian bargain, as the demon(s) would try to twist him into one of them, and certainly would try to screw with the powers he won from them, so I could see him using them as little as possible, for fear of the consequences. Diana could be a shapeshifter, and using her powers A) for personal gain and B) to screw with her place in society and/or people’s expectations of her. Carrot would basically be superman, with an attitude to match.
Both teams have a huge moral gray area, but oddly enough, I think the first team would be the super-villains, and the second Our Heroes, or at least Our Anti-Heroes. Marcone likes being a crime lord and I can’t see him giving it up anytime soon, and Eli and Logan have shown themselves to be capable of some pretty dark stuff, or at least of falling into a sort of Knight Templar-ish mindset that allows for the slow, creeping slide into villainy. But on the other team, Carrot is to incorruptibly pure to be anything but the most heroic of heroes, Londo at least wants to do the right thing (and would have a hell of an interesting story arc as he fights both his literal and metaphorical demons for control), and Diana isn’t so much bad as a few centuries ahead of her time, and would probably do much better in a more modern, feminist-friendly environment.
I think Our Heroes would win the eventual Epic Showdown. Eli and Logan would think they’re doing the right thing, and so would be open to an inspiring speech from Carrot, and Marcone has enough regrets/burdens in his past to be open to a little emotional manipulation via Diana shapeshifting into various people he regrets hurting (that little girl who got shot, anyone?).
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no subject
Date: 2012-06-13 06:27 am (UTC)Haha, Marcus launched a lot of Estrogen Brigades in his time. If the Minbari are Space Elves, he, despite being a Ranger, is rather Space Faramir :) And not to worry, there will be more of him.
Garibaldi, the chief of security, is the closest thing Babylon 5 has to a psychologist. It's always he who notices when someone is depressed, angry, or just acting off, and he always takes it upon himself to try to jolly them out of it.
You're right! I hadn't really noticed it as a trend -- I obviously noticed it in the individual cases, and his conversation with Franklin is a favorite scene of mine, despite the quietness of it relative to the various CMoAs and CMoF's.
Carrot is just perfect for walking in on people in flagrante delicto or presumably just post. Even if nothing is actually happening/had happened.
Your description of a Luna-cooked meal was hilarious. And, yeah, Boromir would be totally freaked out by it.
and Luna would be exactly the sort to become convinced that an evil time-travelling Chinese dragon from the past and another dimension was trying to kill her, and prepare accordingly
Heh, very true!
and whoever eventually busts them out is a little disappointed that they didn’t walk in on two attractive women making out, but instead discussing how to bring down the patriarchy
Pretty much! I'm not sure if you've gotten into Barrayar at all yet, but boy could Cersei (not to mention, Westeros) benefit from Cordelia's methods of social change! (And, yeah, it was funny how often they ended up together.)
Molly and Carrot's mutual embarrassment-via-Sherlock would make an awesome scene! I totally want to see that now, but even without that, I can visualize it quite readily.
I remember seeing some Molly *is* M/Moriarty speculation, before Jim from IT was revealed as the man, and I would've actually loved that even more :) Your criminal mastermind!Molly AU is, thus, rather awesome! :)
Luna is double-majoring in zoology and underwater basket-weaving (she hopes to catch and present some Freshwater Plimpies).
LOL XD
Ravenclaw!Temeraire and soGryffindorithurts!Laurence
Heh, yes. And Lien is a perfect Slytherin, of course.
Enjoyed the superhero showdown question. I can't see Carrot as anything but a hero either, so he pretty much determines who gets to be what :P
no subject
Date: 2012-06-13 07:13 am (UTC)Your icons never fail to amuse! :) (Also, I forgot that it's possible to see all of someone else's icons. 'Tis a strange new world indeed!)
If the Minbari are Space Elves, he, despite being a Ranger, is rather Space Faramir
The facial hair and "high-minded exile" status led me to intially peg him as Space Aragorn, but now that you mention it, the contemplativeness and melancholy do fit Space Faramir a lot better. And, yes, I'm sure his status as Mr. Fanservice has been appreciated before I came along. ;) He's just, as I think you once said, "my self-indulgent pretty men OTP." Now I just need someone equally attractive to ship him with...*eyes Lennier sidelong*
his conversation with Franklin is a favorite scene of mine, despite the quietness of it relative to the various CMoAs and CMoF's.
Actually, the quietness was one of the reasons I liked this scene so much, and part of why I like Garibaldi in general. He's more than willing to crack a joke, especially at his own expense, to get people like Talia or Ivanova to smile, and he had the whole warriors' respect thing going on wit G'Kar, and was the only human member of the crew to actively try to stop Londo's turn to the dark side, but he knew that Franklin had to be handled straight up, without any screwing around.
I remember seeing some Molly *is* M/Moriarty speculation, before Jim from IT was revealed as the man, and I would've actually loved that even more
Oooh, I remember those. Yeah, Molly Moriarty would have been a sight to behold. They even set it up, what with her being obviously aware of her status as the default butt monkey. Ah, what could have been...
And Lien is a perfect Slytherin, of course.
Indeed! And, as I'm sure she'd point out, she would look gorgeous in silver and green.
I can't see Carrot as anything but a hero either, so he pretty much determines who gets to be what :P
Yup. With most other people, they could become too zealous and edge into Knight Templar territory, or at least be duped into doing a bad thing for a good reason/a good thing for a bad reason, but Carrot seems to be genetically predisposed towards Incorruptible Pure Pureness.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-14 01:26 am (UTC)Heh, I could get behing Marcus/Lennier, actually! :)
Yeah, Garibaldi has a great feel for people and approaches each of them in their own way, I agree. (Why don't I have a Garibaldi icon? :(
no subject
Date: 2012-06-14 06:50 am (UTC)...Crap, now I kinda I ship it!
Why don't I have a Garibaldi icon?
Hope this helps. ;)
If you get this before you leave, hope you have a great trip! (And if it gets to you after, hope you are having/had a great trip.)