lunabee34 | Entries tagged with meta: firefly

executrix asked me: What do you think would have happened in Firefly S3?

I think that season 3 and subsequent seasons of Firefly would have explored the Hands of Blue guys in more and creepier detail. We definitively learn what was done to River and why in Serenity, but the HoB are not explained in the movie nor is the exact role the Blue Sun Corp plays in experimenting on River. It's been awhile since I saw the movie so y'all correct me, but the gov takes River, right? I've always thought a whole mess of people with competing agendas were involved in that project. I think we'd have probably eventually met other people who'd been experimented on. I also think we'd have seen a whole lot more of the Reavers and explored various lore about them leading up to the final season about Miranda.

I think that Zoe and Wash would have decided to have a baby but I think Joss probably would have chickened out and made one or the other of them unable to have kids (prob Zoe due to a war wound).

I think we would have learned something about Book's past even if it just led to more questions. IDK what I think his back story is. I think it would be interesting if he was some sort of former military but that seems too easy. I don't know what he could be beyond the obvious. I keep trying to think of possibilities but they ultimately don't make much logical sense. I like the idea of him a political figure, for example, but he can't have been anyone too high profile or he'd be recognized. I also like to think that he went into the ministry as a young adult, possibly for his own protection--the son of someone important? IDK

I know they revealed that Inara is supposed to be dying so I guess we would have learned more about that. I know that there has to be something more than meets the eye to her, a reason for a Companion to be gadding about the raggedy edge, but I don't know if I like terminal illness being the big secret. If she is sick I want her to stay sick with no magical cures although it's difficult for me to imagine what kind of illness can thumb its nose at Cortex medicine.

I think we would have seen more of the same from our remaining crew. I think the Simon/Kaylee UST would have dragged on for quite awhile without resolution. I think Mal would have changed very little; he's the most static character on the show. And I think Jayne would continue to provide comic relief and moments of surprising pathos.

What do y'all think?

Crossposts: http://lunabee34.livejournal.com/390962.html

I need HP icons. Rec me your favorites that are shareable, pretty please. *bats eyelashes*

Harry Potter

Night-Blooming Heartsease by Julad. Snape/Neville This fic begins just after PoA and imagines a war-torn Potterverse. Although the version of Snape in this story is not my own personal version of the character, I think that the Snape here is very plausible and convincing. The dialogue sparkles and Neville is just glorious. The fic is very touching (there was crying) but never maudlin. This is not very explicitly sexual. In fact, it's not really about the sex at all. It's much more about characterization and motivation, which is why I think it's such a success.

Lustre by Julad and Calico. Harry/Draco I have to admit that I don't get this pairing yet, so my enjoyment of this fic doesn't stem from the ship. What is really nice about this piece is the insight into Draco's character and the way his family operates. The sort of Old World arrangement of marriages and gifting, etc, is really fascinating. The house dynamics of Slytherin are really great here too--dark, seductive, sinister, everyone using sex as a tool. Finally, the descriptions of the snake in this fic are so beautiful, so exquisitely wrought that I wish I could see the snake in real life.

The Night Watchers by

teaspoon14 Harry/Ron/Hermione Harry's still having terrible dreams and Ron and Hermione comfort him. This short piece is a very, very tender first time piece that gives each layer of the sandwich equal time (which is important to me because I don't like reading threesomes where one member seems utterly extraneous). The best word for this is sweet.

BtVS

Diamond by Polly Burns. While in jail, Andrew explains his relationship with Warren to Jonathon.

Meta

Watson Was a Woman? by Rex Stout. This essay explores the gender of Sherlock Holmes's sidekick.

Firefly: Dr. Simon Tam This essay is

executrix's meditation on the character of Simon Tam.

Other

Rough Diamond by

lyrstzha This is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast that is such a joy to read. It is slightly dark and has all those wonderful turns of phrases and images that I've come to expect from Lyr as a matter of course. It's also told with the wink-wink-at-the-audience narrator that I so enjoy.

I was idly thinking today how much better so many things I enjoy would be if I were in charge of them--the radio for instance. 92.1 would NEVER, EVER play the Red Hot Chilli Peppers or Britney Spears and those girls who evidently can't read well enough to get the weather update out without major backtracking would so get the axe.

So, in that spirit, I ask you: if you could change one canon moment (and only one!) in each of your fandoms, what would it be? This could be something monumental that would have far-reaching implications, like saving a character from death, or could be something as simple, as "please don't let Simon wear the blue corset of doom in the BDM."

Here are mine:

1. BtVS: This is a toughie. There's lotsa stuff I'd change about this show, but I think if I could only change one thing, I'd change Spike's attempted rape scene. That has always seemed OOC for him for me. I've seen plenty good fanfic writers explain it plausibly and even tried my own hand at it before, but it just reads off to me everytime I watch it.

2. Ats: Again, ack!!!! So many things to fix. Lorne doesn't shoot Lindsey. I don't care if Lindsey dies or not, but Lorne should not be the agent of his death.

3. Firefly: The entire series is about how Simon and River are ~~family~~ crew and everyone coming to terms with that. So when Mal tells Simon that he and River aren't crew in the BDM, it's like negating everything that comes before. I *hated* that.

4. Star Trek TOS: Please, please, please don't let Spock sing. Pretty much ever.

5. Star Trek TNG: When you are giving birth, Deanna Troi, do not look like you're having an orgasm. If it was that fun, I'd be doing it again. All the time, every day.

6. Star Trek DS9: I would not let Jadzia die. *shakes fist at Rick Berman* One more season to go, dude. You coulda worked with a girl.

So, what would you guys change?

Lots of great fun on my last post about fic bunnies. So far we've got some pretty interesting Dawn and Glory meta going on, not to mention the long lost connection between BtVS and The Golden Girls. Also, pretty much everybody seems to be lamenting the lack of awesome Trek fic.

20 Things You Didn't Know About Saffron by

hopefulnebula Written in list form, this is a very engaging look at what has formed the inimitable YoSaffBridge.

Little Red Riding Simon and the Big Bad Jayne by

lyrstzha This is so wonderfully silly. Read! Read!

Detente,

janissa11's followup to the wonderful "Tussle." Last time it hurt. This time it doesn’t, but he hurts anyway, wishes Jayne would thump him a couple of times just to make the overcoat match the underdrawers.

Also, I have questions prompted by

mosca's recent post on the Firefly fandom and what she perceives as her place in it.

How do you guys feel about the fandoms you are currently involved with? Is fandom just one never-ending love affair for you? Are you really dissatisfied? Stuff you really wish was different? Happy as a lark? In other words, how do you read the litmus test on the current state of your fandoms?

I think I am in a rather unique position in that my fannish experience has been pretty much wholeheartedly positive. I've been met with kindness and overwhelming generosity at every turn. I've managed to avoid wank and kerfluffleage, although Lord knows I'm surprised as hell at that given

club_joss. I wish I was able to turn out more fic as I write like a turtle if at all, and I wish my Buffy/Faith piece had gotten more feedback, but that's it (almost forgot more participation in

club_joss; that might even be my primary wish). Other than that, I am utterly happy in fandom. I feel like I've been accepted and that I have a contribution to make. What about you guys?

Is Simon ever given an age canonically (or in the Visual Companion to Serenity or something like that)? I would estimate that he's between 10-12 years older than River.

Look Look Look at the pretty icon

executrix made. It's shareable.

Firefly fic recs

Inara fic: Prologue by

femmenerd Canonical pairings. I think this first chapter is really interesting. It has a nice rhythm and Inara's observations seem right for her character. I'm interested to see where this goes.

Jayne/Wash by

thunder_nari Adult. Very nice Wash voice and very hot ficlet. I think I have a thing for knives.

Slow Burn by

rinalin Simon and Zoe. Very touching look at post-Serenity characters. I wouldn't call this a shippy fic; it is, however, about connection.

Catching Snowflakes on her Tongue by

wisdomeagle Simon and River as children. This is very beautifully done. It's as if River is some kind of immutable force that Simon must contain or appease.

A Vice of Mercy by

executrix I continue to be amazed of Exec's work, and this is no exception. A very well done backstory for Book.

PotC

Of Swords and Flowers by

hermionesviolin The character of Anamaria explored. I don't even remember her from the movie, but Hermione has given her a rich background. This is such a lovely read.

I got Christmas cards! First

executrix sent me the loveliest package with books and paper dolls for Emma. And then I got cards today from

kitty_poker1 and

sweet_exile! Yay!

I got spam today from an online "school" that said I could earn my Ph.D. in two weeks. *is seriously tempted* LOL

Random Firefly thought Simon is always the debunker, stripping the mystery out of everything. It's not an alien monster; it's a cow fetus! Space isn't magical and full of wonder; it's freaking scary and all those stars? Fire. Big, big fire. Simon gets to experience very few moments of wonder and awe. In what could arguably be seen as the most miraculous moment of the show, Jonah's birth, it's River that's caught up in the mystery.

I'm not putting this Firefly rec under a cut, 'cause I want all you lovelies to see it that may have missed it when it was posted months ago.

Bao Bei by

tabaqui Simon needs help breaking River out of the Academy. Short Xover with the Buffyverse. Simon fiddled nervously with his cuffs - with the smudged glass of questionable alcohol that he'd barely sipped at. Waiting, and he hated waiting. Waiting for two gorram years, and he was about to crack to pieces. *I'll just sit here and go feng and when these - these mercenaries get here they'll probably steal all my money and sell me to the highest bidder...or just slit my throat...* He picked up the glass and took a swig - grimaced and swallowed and wished he hadn't as his stomach roiled uneasily in him.

( Firefly recs )

As a result of a convo I've been having in

fanthropology's WTF Wed., I've been thinking about domestic!River. River is psychic, mentally damaged through surgery and drugs, and neither of those things changes at the end of StM. She appears to gain some relief once the truth is known about Miranda, but that knowledge hardly repairs her amygdala or "cures" her in a traditional sense. While she might be more stable after StM, I believe that she would continue to experience episodes of disorientation, etc, like we saw her experience during the series.

I've been seeing some fic recently with River becoming a wife (usually to Jayne) and sometimes a mother. I think that River would be unable to bear the experience of being pregnant. I don't think she would be able to separate herself psychically from the baby she carries. I think that would be an overwhelming and horrible experience. Thoughts?

We're also having a great convo about Dawn, her sexuality, and the similiarities between her and April (Warren's lovebot) in

club_joss as a result of

hermionesviolin's fic. Some really interesting ideas that I've not considered before. It makes me wanna write Dawn!fic. Wheeeeeeeeee! Check it out.

I hope these posts aren't getting tedious for everyone. I prefer to use lj to keep track of fics I've read, enjoyed, and may want to read again. I don't like using the AOL bookmarks and I find lj mems easier to navigate than, say, creating a Word doc or something.

So.....

( BtVS/Ats recs )

( Random fic links, including Winnie the Pooh slash )

( Firefly meta )

( Firefly fic recs )

Also lookit here: http://www.homoerotimuseum.net/map.html Homoerotic Art Museum. I'm thinking iconage, yo!!!!!!

I'm writing a Firefly fic, and I need some help inventing a name for a drug. This is an assassin's drug that kills relatively quickly and breaks down in the body very rapidly so as to be virtually undetectable. I got out my PDR, but it's not helping. I've tried making up names, and they either sound ridiculous or I realize I've written something that amounts to triple alcohol sulfur salt. Which sounds gross, but not lethal.

Any suggestions on a name for this killer chem? I'll send a CD of some of my favorite music to the winner and virtual kisses to anyone who plays. *bats eyelashes*

Also, check out

ironfic. It's a challenge comm that could be quite interesting if it gets off the ground.

lisatheobscure and I are making the sets for our Firefly action figure flick tonight, and I need to find some pictures of the inside of Inara's shuttle and the inside of Jayne's bunk. Multiple angles would be great. As far as Jayne's bunk goes, I really need to know what the blanket he has over the weapons wall beside his bed looks like. I'm going fabric shopping and I wanna get something close-ish. I don't actually own the DVDs yet (and neither does Lisa) so I can't just go watch them to see. If you guys could point me to some pictures, I'll love you forever. And make Jayne and Mal be extra dirty in the movie!!!!

I've been thinking about issues of faith and belief in the Jossverse lately, and this is what happens when Lorraine thinks too much. LOL This is still kinda vague and all over the place, but I'd love to hear you guys' takes on faith in these shows.

( SPOILERS FOR THE BDM AND FOR BOTH SERIES )

And lookit my pretty new icon!

jjjean65 made it for me. *twirls her around the room*

angstslashhope posted this Resource for Firefly Fanfic Writing . It's got everything from the known worlds of the Alliance to a diagram of Serenity to places to look for Mandarin translations.

I saw Serenity today. My thoughts:

( BIG DAMN SPOILERS )

executrix posted HERE about, among other things, whether people who have more than one fandom choose them for complementarity or diversity. The only two fandoms I'm heavily involved with are BtVS/Ats and FF (and only because "That Seventies Show" doesn't exist as a fic-oriented fandom *mourns the ForHyde*), and I think in a lot of ways, FF is The Buffyverse In Space.

Joss definitely reuses character templates. Wash is Xander; Simon is a lot like Wesley; River is some combination of Fred and Dru; Kaylee is Fred; Jayne is Spike; Mal is everything I think Joss wished Angel could have been and didn't quite become. [This is not to say that there's a one-to-one correlation between the characters; for example, although they are similar, Wash and Xander are different enough that they are distinct characters.]

Joss also revisits story arcs from the Buffyverse. Can nobody have a good birthday?!?

What interests me in the similarity between these two shows is the problem is created for me as a fic writer. Because many of the characters are so similar, I find that it's really tempting to, say, just dress Wash up in Xander pants and neglect the nuanced treatment his character deserves. Does anybody else have this experience or does the similarity between the shows actually help you as a fic writer?

Here are some great Firefly meta conversations going on at the moment:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/executrix/204742.html Do people choose more than one fandom for complimentary or diversifying reasons? Also commentary on the relationships of the show

http://www.livejournal.com/users/executrix/204466.html?view=1179058#t1179058 Inara's character, Kaylee's character, prostitution, Christianity, and sex

http://www.livejournal.com/users/inlovewithnight/396300.html?style=mine Feminist philosophical theory and Inara's character [I haven't had a chance to read this one myself yet]

I'm attempting to prepare as complete and current a bibliography on critical works written about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series, and Firefly as I can. This is what I've got so far. Anybody have anything to add? Thanks in advance.

( Whedonverse Bibliography )

I'm cross posting this to

fanthropology.

Okay, here's the thing. I've been fangirling Firefly like there's no tomorrow. I saw the series on its first run in 2002, but that's the year my daughter was born, and between the high-risk pregnancy and the premie birth, I just didn't remember a lot of it. A few weeks ago, I borrowed the DVD from a friend and began rewatching episodes. Some I watched as many as 7 times as various friends and family members expressed interest in the series.

I have loved much television (hello Much See TV senior year!!!!!!!), but I don't think anything has ever EVER ever EVER come so close to fucking perfection as this series. (I'm so sorry BtVS and Ats; I promise to put out extra special tonight, but it's true. I'm in love (kayrumption) with another gal all together.) You know how all TV shows have that sucky, or at least awkward first season? Not so, Firefly. The series is magic from ep one. And I LOVe LOVE LOVE all the characters!!!!!! There's no magical alcoholic Willow to scoff at; no InsanoBuffy to wanna smack; no WTF Connor is sticking it where's it? to deal with. Just 9 people who are beautiful and beautifully fucked up.

Tonight,

lisatheobscure and I had the final disk to watch. We watched the first ep and it was awesome. We watched "Heart of Gold" and it was amazing. And then "Objects in Space." I sat there watching, and I thought, "There's thirty minutes left." And then there were twenty and then ten, and then...........it was over.

I don't think I can express ....... English language how you fail me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sad and I'm pissed off and I want more and I can't wait for the movie, but once it gets here, it'll just be over again. I am honestly emotionally distraught and it's not the period that's gonna start any second. Nuh uh. It's Zoe and Wash and not knowing if they get that baby they want so much, and Kaylee and how fucking damn SHINY she is and how dumb Simon is for not just kissing her. Right on the mouth. She'd taste like strawberries and grease and freedom. And Book and his damn Alliance connection that noboby can get her head around. And Inara and her stupid leaving. HE WAS ABOUT TO SAY HE LOVED YOU, YOU FUCKING NITWIT. And Mal. Mal and his honor. Mal and his angsty, sexy, angsty, champion, tattoo, doing the right thing, guh, OMFG, boy talks in a Southern accent, do ya wanna see my gun, Mal. I don't think I can.....yeah. I know it's just a show, but damn.