Fic Rec: The Price of a Favor (Babylon 5)
Fandom: abylon 5
Author: Beatrice_Otter
Rating: T (for some implications of adult concepts; no sex or language or violence)
Length: 1922 words
Do you need to know the fandom to appreciate this: A bit, sort of. It would help to know who the Centauri are. Beyond that, you're probably fine.
Link http://archiveofourown.org/works/607911
I'm a Babylon 5 fan from way back. My family and I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation avidly, and after TNG ended, we picked up watching Babylon 5. It came on late, so my father used to stay up to tape it (on a VCR!) and then tell us ridiculous lies about what had happened before we got the chance to watch it ourselves. Back then, my favorite characters were Sheridan and Delenn, and especially Ivanova. Now, I think G'kar and Londo stand the test of time the best. But there are a wealth of other characters and other stories on the show- one of the benefits of having a show about a floating crossroads in space.
This story is about a character who appeared only once: Timov, Londo Mollari's wife. Timov and Londo are not a love story. They are at best a story about the way that a man who is losing himself can admire a woman who, despite everything, remains true to who she is. But this story is not about them.
This story is about what it was like to be on Centauri Prime during all the political upheaval- the rise and murder of an insane emperor- that we see on the show. Londo was at the center of that storm. This story, though, is about the consequences for those at home. This is, in particular, about the way women endure under that kind of cruelty and madness. It is about the quiet bravery and terrible choices that they are capable of. It's also full of thoughtful detail about Timov, and her history, and about what it means to be Centauri.
I woud have loved to see more of Timov in the show, but Beatrice Otter absolutely does her justice here.
Excerpt:
Then Alevna appeared on her doorstep early one morning, heavily veiled, with only a granddaughter in tow-no retinue, no bodyguards, nothing. Timov had her shown in to her parlor and looked her up and down. "This is a surprise," she said, for it was. The two of them had grown up together; their parents had been allies at Court. They'd been friends as children, but after Timov had told one of Alevna's suitors exactly what she thought of him-an unprincipled snake who should have been strangled at birth like in the old stories-that had come to an abrupt end. The two hadn't spoken since.
"Timov, my dear," Alevna said, "you know how I always adored you, and I have long regretted that my family-"
"Yes, yes, I understand." Timov gestured for her and the child to take a seat on the sturdy, elegant couch behind her. "Given the time of day and the getup you're wearing, I assume you need something and would rather no-one knew you were here. Get on with it! The quicker our business is concluded, the less likely you are to be missed."
Author: Beatrice_Otter
Rating: T (for some implications of adult concepts; no sex or language or violence)
Length: 1922 words
Do you need to know the fandom to appreciate this: A bit, sort of. It would help to know who the Centauri are. Beyond that, you're probably fine.
Link http://archiveofourown.org/works/607911
I'm a Babylon 5 fan from way back. My family and I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation avidly, and after TNG ended, we picked up watching Babylon 5. It came on late, so my father used to stay up to tape it (on a VCR!) and then tell us ridiculous lies about what had happened before we got the chance to watch it ourselves. Back then, my favorite characters were Sheridan and Delenn, and especially Ivanova. Now, I think G'kar and Londo stand the test of time the best. But there are a wealth of other characters and other stories on the show- one of the benefits of having a show about a floating crossroads in space.
This story is about a character who appeared only once: Timov, Londo Mollari's wife. Timov and Londo are not a love story. They are at best a story about the way that a man who is losing himself can admire a woman who, despite everything, remains true to who she is. But this story is not about them.
This story is about what it was like to be on Centauri Prime during all the political upheaval- the rise and murder of an insane emperor- that we see on the show. Londo was at the center of that storm. This story, though, is about the consequences for those at home. This is, in particular, about the way women endure under that kind of cruelty and madness. It is about the quiet bravery and terrible choices that they are capable of. It's also full of thoughtful detail about Timov, and her history, and about what it means to be Centauri.
I woud have loved to see more of Timov in the show, but Beatrice Otter absolutely does her justice here.
Excerpt:
Then Alevna appeared on her doorstep early one morning, heavily veiled, with only a granddaughter in tow-no retinue, no bodyguards, nothing. Timov had her shown in to her parlor and looked her up and down. "This is a surprise," she said, for it was. The two of them had grown up together; their parents had been allies at Court. They'd been friends as children, but after Timov had told one of Alevna's suitors exactly what she thought of him-an unprincipled snake who should have been strangled at birth like in the old stories-that had come to an abrupt end. The two hadn't spoken since.
"Timov, my dear," Alevna said, "you know how I always adored you, and I have long regretted that my family-"
"Yes, yes, I understand." Timov gestured for her and the child to take a seat on the sturdy, elegant couch behind her. "Given the time of day and the getup you're wearing, I assume you need something and would rather no-one knew you were here. Get on with it! The quicker our business is concluded, the less likely you are to be missed."