More memes, w/ Kairos 30 Days meme: 4 comic books
Continuing on with the memes:
Kairos 30 Days Meme: Four favorite comic books
4. Nimona -- the newest addition to this list (it displaces one to Honorable Mention). I didn't OMGlove it, but it was a really cute story with characters all of whom I liked a lot, funny lines, and art such that I really noticed the way it enhanced t story, which is quite unusual for me (I am not a story-in-pictures kind of person).
3. Saga -- I feel like I'm cheating by listing this here, because I've read not even half of what's currently out (the first 3 volumes). But I picked up volume 3, and was instantly hooked, even while being puzzled by who all these people were, and why some of them had TV screens on their heads. But the characters really felt like characters, and there was so much plot! and history! and awesomely unexplained background worldbuilding, and the art was beautiful. Also, I'm not ashamed t admit that Marko being HOT was part of the (heh) draw. But mostly, as soon as I started reading, I loved the Marko/Alana story -- the way they were both flawed in different ways, the way they clearly loved each other both when it came to big things and small, how real and grounded their relationship was, especially as new parents (I don't think I've seen a better depiction of new parents anywhere), their family relationships beyond each other, and plus people bridging a cultural divide is a big narrative kink of mine. So, yeah, Saga is pretty much about Marko and Alana and their family for me, although I've also been impressed with everything I've read so far with Sophie. Anyway, I'm definitely planning to continue reading this one, even though I know it falters for many people at some point. But I would not be surprised if it cntinued to rise up this list as I keep reading more.
2. Sandman -- this was the first graphic novel I picked up, and it took much convincing (or, more fairly, lots of references to the mythology of it, and icons with panels, mostly from _grayswandir_>. And it was Gaiman, whom I already knew and trusted as an author. Sandman is still a mixed bag for me. Some of the art is, frankly, hideous. The more superhero-y early volumes are a miss for me. I strongly dislike Dream (sorry, Morpheus fans! I find him kind of comically emo and also kind of a jerk). But I really like a lot of the other Endless -- kind Death, beautifully surrealist Delirium, Destruction, who is very much the type of secondary character I like, and aloof, enigmatic Desire -- my life is very much richer for having absorbed their mythology. There are other bits I like, too: Gaiman's Lucifer (except for the terrible art), his Loki (although I like him more in American Gods and Norse Mythology, where there's no art to get in the way), Gilbert, Hob, and pretty much all of The Kindly Ones and a lot of Brief Lives, and while I wouldn't call things like "24 Hours" and the Corinthian favorites, they have certainly stuck with me. I started with Season of Mists (v2), and read with a fair bit of skipping around, based on what my library had on hand. It's such a vast and impressive mosaic, and it did convince me that graphic novels culd tell stories I was interested in.
1. Watchmen -- OK, yes, I totally concede there's a reason fanboys go nuts over this one. I was skeptical, but when the movie was coming out, my thing for never watching adaptations before reading the real thing asserted itself, and I read the book. And while I don't like graphic novels and don't care about superheroes, it was a really, really good book. I don't actually like any of its characters, but I like what, cohesively, it has to say about the genre, and in general, and I do find Ozymandias in particular a very interesting character. I waffled for a long time over whether Sandman or Watchmen should be my #1 (Sandwatch?); there are parts of Sandman that speak to me more, but in 12 volumes, that's not as impressive. And I'm just super-impressed by the compactness of Watchmen. Comics always strike me as weirdly paced, too slow and too short, but Watchmen is so incredibly compact -- it tells a complete and fairly complex story with multiple characters in just 12 issues/450 pages. And it also did something no other GN has done to date: I tend to absorb comics on a pretty shallow level, I find, not engage with them as deeply. I think I just don't absorb the full impact of the story in this medium, which is why I'm not a great fan of it. But Watchmen made me really think about the story, the implications and the plausability of the damn squid, instead of just skimming over the words and enjoying the background art when it's pretty. So, that's why it ultimately gets the #1 spot.
Honorable Mentions -- I'm not sure why I have some in this category, but there were a fair few that were worth remarking on (there are so few I've read, when I manage to make it past the first cuple of pages, that's already an achievement), but didn't quite rise to the level of the others:
- Maus -- this was the first, and for years only, graphic novel that I read. It was for a class (on dystopias), and yes, it's kind of an amazing achievement. But also... OK, it's a book about the Holocaust, which is a subject that moves me with relative ease (it's affected my greatgrandparents' generation very directly), and it's populated with mice, which I'm also very easy for, and yet I found myself more moved by An American Tail. But it's kind of an amazing endeavor.
- The Wicked + The Divine -- this is the problem with comic books -- you start reading them, and they're great, but they can go downhill very easily, it seems. I really, really enjoyed the first two volumes. The characters (Cassandra!), the art, the allusions both pop-cultural and mythological, the sense of overarching mystery and worldbuilding. And then volume 3 came and, like, WTF was that? I quit right after, because I just didn't trust the series anymore.
- Pride of Baghdad -- I was really impressed by how the lions really felt like lions -- not a human family that happened to look like lions. The art is really lovely! And the story turned ut to be so sad! Which I should have figured out, since the book said it was based on a true story. But I wasn't expecting it to end like that, and ouch. :(
- Gunnerkrigg Court -- so, this is the one Nimona knocked out. I forget at what point I became aware of it, but I do know that I stayed up way too late mainlining the webcomic until I ran out of pages. It's another one with cool characters and intricate mythology (although the mix of science and magic doesn't work for me as well as in my real favorites). I really enjoy the alchemical geekery, too, starting with the protagonist being named Antimony (her mother's name, btw, is another word for antimony, in a different language). And I really liked Kat! But the reason I felt OK having Nimona bump this is that after that first rush, I just never got around to going back to catch up, or bothered to set up a feed, or anything. It was just a fling, although one I remember quite fondly.
**
The rest of the Character Roulette meme (for now):
1. Cordelia Chase (BtVS)
2. Morrolan e'Drien (Dragaera)
3. Sherlock Holmes (BBC's Sherlock)
4. Azula (AtLA)
5. Elliot Schafer (In Othe Lands)
6. Vlad Taltos (Dragaera)
7. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
8. James Hathaway (Inspector Lewis)
9. Ivan Vorpatril (Vorkosigan Saga)
10. Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5)
11. Thomas Raith (Dresden Files)
12. Peter Grant (Rivers of London)
13. James T. Kirk (AOS)
14. Shuos Mikodez (Hexarchate/Machineries of Empire)
15. Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
46) What subject would 3 (Sherlock) teach if he/she was a teacher/professor?
Forensics, I suppose. And he would be a terrifying professor, regularly reducing his students to tears and then wondering what happpened, annoyed at all the random drama.
47) What is the worst crime 14 (Mikodez) has ever committed?
I mean, objectively speaking, probably betraying and killing his fellow hexarchs. But that's not the part he feels guilty about.
48) 4 (Azula) has lost 10 (Ivanova)’s pet/child/aged parent/prized orchid collection/... while minding them. How does 4 react? Panic? Find 10 to confess? Try to get one (or more) of the other characters to help them search? Did one of the other characters abduct/steal our missing person/item?
Ivanova has no children, pets, or aged parents... but I suppose she could have a prized orchid collection somewhere. Or at least some prized coffee plants. Azula would make an absolutely awful anything-important-sitter -- like Sherlock, she just doesn't care at all. Nor would she panic or feel any guilt if whatever it was was lost, or try to recover it. Probably what happened was, one of the other characters realized Azula was going to let the orchids/coffee wither and die through her lack of care, and confiscated them to keep them safe. My guess is this was either Hermione or Hathaway, because they're the most responsible types.
49) 8 and 11 (Hathaway and Thomas) run a country together - what state is the country in, and how is it run?
Of all the people on the list, these two are the ones stuck running a country? OK... Well, Thomas makes an absolutely charming figurehead president, adored by the public for the bright shiny smile that disguises his indifference to policy. Hathaway is the put-upon and overworked prime minister/VP-type-person, who'd probably drink himself into an ulcer within a month. So, not great.
50) 5, 6, and 2 (Elliot, Vlad, and Morrolan) get snowed in while at a cabin in the mountains. They have one twin bed, two blankets, a few bottles of water, and a little bit of beef jerky. Who gets what? Who suffers the most while they wait out the storm?
:P
Elliot certainly *complains* the most, whatever the level of suffering. Vlad wants to wring his neck, but let's say Morrolan is feeling charitable for some reason and stops him. Until they establish that Morrolan is a kind of elf, and Elliot, ever eager for a cultural exchange, starts asking him about blushing elven gentlemen who aren't allowed to fight and enjoy embroidery, at which point Morrolan wants to wring his neck/feed him to Blackwand, and Vlad stops him, because this is quality entertainment, watching Morrolan contemplate the kind of Elven society that Eliott is talking about.
Anyway, as to the actual question, because Elliot is such a drama queen, the other two let him have the bed, both blankets (Vlad and Morrolan just huddle in their cloaks, and also try to keep Loiosh and Rocza warm), and the water. The beef jerky Vlad feeds to the jhereg, because that's not enough to keep a person full anyway. And hopefully Morrolan can materialize some food with sorcery, even if it's not particularly tasty food.
51) 13 (Kirk) has to marry either 14 (Mikodez), 1 (Cordy), or 4 (Azula). Which do they choose?
Definitely Cordelia. They've come up before as a potential couple, and I think they'd be quite a fun one. I could see Kirk finding Azula interesting, too, but not for marrying, and Mikodez is definitely not his type.
52) What does 15 (Zoe) get 9 (Ivan) for their birthday?
Something practical but high quality and classy-looking -- a fancy holster or something like that.
53) Who would make better roommates: 10 and 3 (Ivanova and Sherlock), or 12 and 7 (Peter and Hermione)?
Sherlock is nobody's best roommate, OK. And it wouldn't go any better with Ivanova than with Zoe. Peter and Hermione, on the other hand, would actually be OK. Hermione would keep things neat, which Peter would appreciate it, and each would appreciate being kept informed about the other's nerdy discoveries.
54) 7 and 8 (Hermione and Hathaway) are writing a book together. What genre/form is it, and will they be able to finish the project without killing each other?
About magical-mundane cooperation, if we're continuing on from the previous question? The history of magic in England and its relationship with the church? Definitely something non-fictional. And yes, they can get along fine -- they are both hard-working perfectionists and would irritate each other a lot less than most other people trying to work with them.
55) 5 and 14 (Elliot and Mikodez) are trapped in a book. What book is it, and how do they get out? Do they want to get out?
It's Thud!. Not my favorite Discworld, but Elliot would be at his best (and also happiest) getting to know the cultures of the Dwarves (different kinds of Dwarves, even!) and the trolls, and helping (oh so helpfully!) with the treaty of Koom Valley. Meanwhile, Mikodez ferrets all over Ankh-Morpork, sampling the most sugar-rich of CMOT Dibbler's questionable delicacies. Vetinari notices him right away, and wonders whether he ought to have him locked up next to Leonard or train him as a possible successor (which would actually work out pretty well, I think!)
I think Elliot would be happy to stay indefinitely to explore Discworld, but only if Luke and Serene were with him. Mikodez, I think, would have a lot of fun running around the city, but would feel it his duty to return to the Hexarchate. And Mikodez would probably succeed in badgering and Elliot into browbeating Ponder Stibbons into figuring out a way to make them travel back to the(ir) real world/their own dimensions/wherever they'd come from.
56) 11, 15, 4, and 6 (Thomas, Zoe, Azula, and Vlad) are teachers at Hogwarts. What do they teach, and what Houses are they in?
The problem is that at least two of these are SO clearly Slytherins that I can't see them in any other house -- Vlad (who is ambitious, ruthless, and feels loyalty only to a small set of people he cares about personally) and Azula (who, well, is about as Slytherin as you can get without having planted a giant snake in the plumbing). The only way I see to resolve this conflict is to have Vlad as the Head of Slytherin and Azula as the former head of slytherin and current Headmistress (yes, this is a scary thought, but it's a scary combination of characters to begin with, what can I do). Then Zoe can be Gryffindor, and Thomas can be Hufflepuff I guess?
Vlad teaches potions; it seems the most like the Eastern witchcraft he practices. Zoe... probably Defense Against the Dark Arts? It's got to be something hands on and relatively martial, ooh, or flying -- she'd probably be good at that, too. I definitely think Azula either teaches (if Zoe is doing Madame Hooch's role) or taught DADA before she became headmistress, because I don't think she'd enjoy any other discipline. And Thomas can have something elegant, like Charms.
57) Pick one of the following for each of the listed pairings: Partners/Couple/Siblings/Kill eachother/Heterosexual life partners --
3 and 12 (Sherlock and Peter), 1 and 2 (Cordy and Morrolan), 10 and 13 (Ivanova and Kirk), 9 and 7 (Ivan and Hermione), 14 and 4 (Mikodez and Azula).
Sherlock and Peter for (professional) partners, because it would be HI-larious, and also fit the genre of each decently well.
Ivanova and Kirk for heterosexual life partners, maybe? In the sense that Kirk needs a sensible second-in-comman who will follow him around and keep him out of trouble while not taking any of his shit, and Ivanova is good at that sort of thing, and would also roll her eyes at his exploits most amusingly.
Ivan and Hermione as siblings? I can see Hermione as either an intense older sister, who Ivan sees no point of even trying to compete with, or an intense younger sister, whom he is resigned to being upstaged by. She bosses him around either way.
Which I guess leaves Cordelia and Morrolan as a couple... It's not a love match or anything, but she would definitely enjoy living in a fancy floating castle with a built-in permanent party. And Morrolan would find her ornamental and be amused by her, which I think is all he would really look for in a lover, along with someone who would leave him alone to do his thing, which Cordelia would, if she had the castle and the party.
And Azula and Mikodez can scheme against each other and try to kill each other. Not sure either of them would succeed, but they'd both have fun trying.
58) 3 (Sherlock), 1 (Cordy), 10 (Susan) & 9 (Ivan) end up living together. Who is the most irritating? Who never does dishes? Who have an 'accidental' one-night-stand?
This meme keeps picking Sherlock for all the roommate questions, which is just not sporting. If it was anyone else, Cordy would probably be the most irritating, but with Sherlock in the picture, well, you know, at least Cordy won't leave severed heads in the fridge, or bullet holes in the wall.
In the beginning, the only person who ever does dishes is Susan, but then she guilts Ivan into it, too, and manipulates Cordelia into doing some share of the chores as well, probably by abducting her favorite outfits and holding them hostage in her room until Cordy does something useful around the house. Of course, no force on earth (or in space) can turn Sherlock into a considerate roommate, so no-one even tries.
Accidental one-night stand is Ivan and either Cordy or Susan. Actually, probably Cordy *and* Susan at different times. Actually, I could see Ivan/Cordelia becoming more of a sporadic FWB type thing, but Ivan/Susan would definitely be an accidental one-night stand, probably involving rather a lot of vodka, and things would be a bit awkward between them for a while.
59) If 12 (Peter) 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?
I'm going to guess a piece of scientific equipment, to indulge his curiosity. Maybe a tunneling electron microscope? Possibly he can figure out how magic works on the molecular level that way.
60) What was 11 (Thomas)'s most embarrassing moment?
I honestly don't think he has one of those. Thomas is not easily embarrassed. :)
61) 6 (Vlad)’s Fairy Godmother turns up and immediately starts upgrading 6’s life. How does 6 react? Do they even want FG’s help? And how do 6’s peers react to the changes?
Hilariously, he kind of already has one of those in Verra (or possibly even two, since there's also Sethra, although she works in more indirect ways), although upgrading his life is not what they're interested in really. But, well, Sethra did get him rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful, so there's that.
But, anyway, Vlad would hate the idea of having a Fairy Godmother mucking about in his life, and try to get rid of her... possibly by direct means, if just telling her to fuck off doesn't work.
Assuming a stereotypical fairy godmother, she would probably decide that Vlad needed to go into the East and turn out to be a long-lost heir to some kingdom there, but Vlad's had enough of traipsing about the East, thank you very much, it's just as full of assholes as Adrilankha, but at least Adrilankha is his city, and a number of those assholes are his assholes, so, really, no thanks, not to mention that he's been willing to risk rather a lot and go to great length to stay in Adrilankha lately. And his friends would definitely be of the same opinion.
62) 15 (Zoe) and 13 (Kirk) meet on a blind date. Is the attraction instant or is it going to be a very awkward night?
Zoe finds him smarmily charming, but that's a turn-off more than anything, even though she does concede he's a good-looking guy. Kirk would flirt regardless, but he does find Zoe both gorgeous and someone he instantly respects, although he isn't very good at getting that across through the flirting. So the night is a bit awkward -- Kirk is carrying most of the conversation, with Zoe responding with occasional short phrases but mostly with skeptically raised eyebrows. But then something exciting happens -- some kind of crisis that they have to work together to defuse -- and Zoe can see that, despite his "why yes, I'm awesome" airs, Kirk does actually know what he's doing, and seems to care about people, which makes her thaw towards him a bit. He still doesn't get lucky, but she might agree to a second date.
63) 2 (Morrolan) and 5 (Elliot) are nabbed by a super secret organization, secretly run by 8 (Hathaway). What is the purpose of 8's organization and what does he want with 2 and 5?
Uhh. Hathaway doesn't really strike me as a secret chessmaster type, but I suppose if he were, he would be working for an organization enforcing interdimensional laws or something like that? Morrolan's usefulness to him would probably be along the lines of facilitating said interdimensional travel (via Verra's window) and Elliot would be a very good person to run a spy network (intedimensional or otherwise), what with his growing group of pen-pals. I could see Elliot being willing to cooperate with a secret organization if he agreed with its goals. But Morrolan would definitely not respond well to being kidnapped, for whatever cause. (Vlad can come rescue him and mock him for being caught in that situation again.)
64) Which of all the other characters would 15 (Zoe) trust with a secret?
Ivanova, for sure. I feel like those two would generally understand each other very well, have compatible personalities, and therefore be willing to trust in each other's discretion.
65) 1 (Cordy) has lost their ability to communicate in the main language needed to cope with their daily life. Does 4 (Azula) have the needed skills and patience to teach help them regain the basics? Would 12 (Peter) be better suited?
Nooo, Azula definitely does not have the patience, and furthermore would really not care to help. Peter is not the most patient person either, but at least he would try -- I think looking at how he coped/try to help with Lesley's sudden disabilities shows that he would (at least for a person he cared about, but still, it's a start).
It's not entirely clear to me what sort of loss we are talking about here. Like, if Cordelia were struck mute but could still communicate in writing, I'm sure she would be very frustrated, but less impacted than if it was something like sudden-onset aphasia which made it impossible for her to communicate in any form. But I do think the reaction/helpfulness of the other characters would be the same regardless.
66) 14 (Mikodez) and 6 (Vlad) 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?
Since they get to pick, I think they would collectively opt for another high-magic universe on the list (because, let's face it, the Hexarchate is basically a high magic universe, despite the sci-fi trappings). That means the Four Kingdoms of AtLA (magic users liing in the open, but magic itself is fairly limited by type) or Harry Potter (Statute of Secrecy, which would be kind of annoying -- but it's not like either of them is not used to living with secrets, but magic which is much more versatile and closer to what they're used to). Also, HP has the equivalent of teleportation/variable layout, which would be tough to give up, I bet. (I did also consider the two urban fantasy universes, Dresden Files and Rivers of London, but IDK, I feel like they require too much interaction with Muggles to appeal as much.) So let's say they go for Harry Potter. Plus there's the comfort of HP also sorting people into houses/factions -- while that's theoretically just for school, clearly those sorts of diisions tend to linger long after people graduate.
Anyway, so I'm assuming Vlad and Mikodez end up in HP's magical Britain in Harry's time (since that's the part we know the most about). I'm sure Mikodez would poke around enough to meet grown-up Hermione, who is, what, working in the Department of Mysteries or something? He is very much the kind of person the Ministry can use (OK, so he would booby-trap his office and terrorize his underlings, but he is a really clever administrator and not actively evil; there is a dearth of those in HP-verse). Mikodez is delighted when he discovers Zonko's and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
Vlad, meanwhile, would probably lurk around a bit and find a way into the world of Knockturn Alley, make some contacts there, and continue operating in this magical underworld as he did in his own. probably with less killing of people (there is no artistry to "Avada Kedavra") but I'm sure he'd find his niche. And stay as far away as possible from Hermione and her law-abiding/enforcing friends.
67) 10, 8, and 9 (Hathaway, Ivan, Susan) 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 all HP characters of different Houses... I guess have fun deciding which House would be funnier for them all to be in.)
Without the constraint of all of them being in the same house, I'd put Susan in Gryffindor, Hathaway in Ravenclaw, and Ivan in Hufflepuff (it's not that he's not clever or brave, he is, he just would prefer to have a low-key good time with other like-minded individuals, and if that means he's overlooked as a result, all the better, frankly). But since they all have to be in one house... well, I suppose Gryffindor is the best fit. I feel like both Susan and Ivan would be bored in Ravenclaw, and Ivanova's contrary nature would chafe at Hufflepuff. And the Hat seems to like putting people in Gryffindor who could do well in other houses, anyhow. :P
Hathaway would make for a somewhat Percy-ish Gryffindor, and would probably be prefect. He excells at all the academic subjects, including the ones other students tend to dismiss, like Divination. He's also athletic, though ("Attaway Hathaway"), so he probably would play Quidditch, too. Not sure what position, though -- Chaser? He seems a bit too lanky to be a good Seeker... He's probably a Muggleborn, or a half-blood who grew up away from the magical world.
Susan would definitely be a Beater. She'd get into fights with Slytherins pretty regularly, but be a good student otherwise. McGonagall would give her quite a lot of detentions, but secretly she'd be one of Minerva's favorites. Susan wants to be an Auror when she graduates, and takes a fairly intensive class load to make that happen. Hmm, she probably also has a dark secret (along the lines of her telepath gene in B5) -- maybe she's a werewolf?
Ivan would skate through his academics with the minimum effort possible to maintain good grades, and otherwise keep a low profile. (He's definitely from one of the oldest, proudest lines, like House Black, lots of notoroiety in past generations, and so trying to keep his head down.)
I don't see the three of them hanging out outside of class(/Quidditch practice for James and Susan), so I don't know that there would be much in the way of joint hijinks. Probably just hijinks involving Susan beating up Slytherins, and also hijinks happening to Ivan very much against his will, like people trying to dose him up with love potion or something.
68) 8, 6, and 9 (Hathaway, Vlad, and Ivan) confess to each other the worst thing they have ever done. What is it? How do they react?
I agree with sysann that Hathaway feels it's definitely the events he confessed to Lewis in "Life Born of Fire" -- i.e. the way he treated Will when Will came out to him and then later asked him if heaven was possible for him when he was in a gay relationship. I do think the others would agree it's a very shitty thing to do to one's friend (but also have a harder time understanding why that's even a question; same-sex relationships don't seem to have any taboo in Dragaera -- or at least Vlad doesn't seem to find them weird -- and even backwards Barrayar has progressed to the point where it's less of a big deal).
I'm not sure what Vlad thinks is the worst thing he's done... He has gotten better about resorting to violence, but doesn't seem to feel guilty about his past actions. I mean, if he were trying to pick the objectively worst thing, IDK, maybe the assassination at Greenaere? (since it's likely that a lot of other people he's killed were in the Organization as well and thus had their hands dirty) Oh, actually, I think I do know! The scene in Jhereg where he's threatening the sorceress who put the anti-revivification spell on Morrolan. He definitely seems to feel very uncomfortable about that, since the sorceress is just doing her job and he gets rather nasty. And, yes, if Vlad actually went so far as to admit this, both Hathaway and Ivan would be suitably horrified (but even more horrified by Vlad attitude towards killing people in cold blood for money).
Ivan, I suspect, feels bad about the whole thing where he accidentally got various Vor bachelors hounding Ekaterin, given the way that all turned out, with Gregor having to get involved. It's not necessarily such a terrible thing in the grand scheme, but he did it for such a petty reason. Here I think the other two, especially Vlad, would roll their eyes at Ian a bit, because that's pretty small potatoes compared to the guilty conscience they are carrying.
69) Which of your characters would be more likely to end up in bed with 3 (Sherlock)? And with 11 (Thomas)?
LOL, none of them and any of them, respectively? Maaaybe Azula for Sherlock -- I ship it a little bit after the previous questions, or at least see it as marginally more likely than any of the others. And let's say Cordelia for Thomas -- she wouldn't even try to resist a good-looking guy like that.
70) 1 (Cordy)'s gotten together with 2 (Morrolan). What was their first time like; and is that jealousy 15 (Zoe) is feeling?
Nope, not jealousy, just surprise, if she's feeling anything at all, because she doesn't understand what the two could possibly see in each other.
As for what their first time is like -- well, Morrolan can be charming and dashing when he wants to be, so let's assume he did in this case, and Cordelia can be easily swept along by a charming and dashing duke, no? Also, I'm guessing rather a lot of wine is involved, since Morrolan seems to enjoy plying people with booze.
71) 14, 10, 13, and 4 (Mikodez, Ivanova, Kirk, and Azula) are stranded on a hospitable but uninhabited planet. What is their situation a year later?
If the Enterprise, some Star Furies from B5, or a moth sent by Zehun don't come rescue them before that, I'm not really sure. They are all resourceful people, but the three sci-fi folks are used to their tech, so it kind of depends on how they ended up there and what they have in their possession. A crashed space ship? They're probably fine. Nothing but rocks and lianas from the planet? More of a problem. The biggest problem, though, is going to be getting along.
I think what happens is, once it becomes clear that the others aren't planning to fall in line and defer to her, Azula runs off and sets up camp on her own. With firebending, she probably has enough skills to survive for a year, if not exactly comfortable. And while they can't stand her, I feel like the others would periodically go check on her and maybe leave her supplies, because they are all in this together after all.
The other three manage to cooperate. Ivanova and Kirk share guard duty and go hunting. Mikodez surprises them by taking to gardening with relish and manages to grow some edible things. He also keeps coming up with games for them all to play to stave off boredom. Along those line, Kirk suggests that what if nobody ever find them -- they should work on survival of the species, but Ivanova shoots him down (and suggests he go pitch this to Azula, if he's so inclined).
72) 7, 12, and 5 (Hermione, Peter, and Elliot) are at the same high school. Are they in the same clique? Are they even friends? Do they hate each other? Would one of them ask another to prom?
Oh, this is actually a hilarious grouping of people. All the idealistic nerds together! Hermione and Elliot would absolutely be part of the same clique (the know-it-alls XD) -- consisting of the two of them, since they've driven away everyone else. I don't see Peter joining them, because Peter's nerdery is less militant, and it sounds like high school Peter was less academically focused and also more easily overlooked. But he's probably aware of Hermione and Elliot and has complicated feelings about the way they behave.
And I could totally see Hermione and Elliot going to the prom together. Elliot probably spends the whole time complaining about other people and they run away from the music to talk about changing the world, but they still go.
73) What kind of a pet would 6 (Vlad) have?
You mean besides the two jhereg he already has? It better be something big, or Loiosh and Rocza would eat it :P (But in a mundane AU where there's no such thing as a witch's familiar, I could totally see Vlad owning a too-smart-for-his-own (and definitely also Vlad's) -good talking parrot, who plays practical jokes on Vlad and all his friends, and bites anyone who gets too close, and still calls him "boss".)
74) Due to some plot device, 10 and 11 (Susan and Thomas) end up in charge of a baby they're supposed to be jointly responsible for. How do they manage?
OK, probably? I think Thomas has probably been around babies, since he has younger siblings, and Ivanova probably hasn't been, but she's generally unflappable. As long as it's for a short time, they handle it fine. Definitely don't see either of them wanting to be saddled raising a random baby, though.
75) 9 and 13 (Ivan and Kirk) are dating. How did they meet? What's their relationship like?
The Enterprise went through a wormhole and ended up in the Vorkosiverse, touching down on Barrayar. When the Vor ladies kept acting scandalized when Kirk hit on them, he switched to the guys, and Ivan was one of the few who found it amusing rather than an insult to his honor. They discovered they could have fun together, and are continuing in a sort of freinds-with-benefits fashion. (Lady Alys does not approve, but also realizes Kirk will get bored and move on, and is just waiting for that to happen.)
76) 4 (Azula)'s memoirs are found by 1 (Cordelia). What does 1 think of the memoir?
"You go, girl!" pretty much ;)
77) What's 2 (Morrolan)'s favourite drink?
Wine. Although he's also partial to Fenarian brandy, it would appear.
78) Who would win in a fight between 7 and 8 (Hermione and Hathaway)?
Physical fight? Hathaway. He's much bigger and in decent enough shape, it seems, despite the constant smoking. No holds barred fight? Hermione, because magic.
79) What is your OTP for 15 (Zoe)?
Wash, duh.
80) What is your *least* favourite thing about 3 (Sherlock)?
He really is an absolute dick to people who care about him.
81) 12 (Peter) and 13 (Mikodez) want to spend a day together. Can they agree on an activity?
No, they probably cannot. I mean, it's pretty clear canonically that Mikodez has ADHD or something similar, and I suspect Peter has undiagnosed ADHD as well, so they would probably jump from shiny fun activity to shiny fun activity forevr. But of course Peter would want to see on of the moths (spaceships!) and ask a million questions about how everyting works (which Mikodez probably wouldn't be able to answer, because he doesn't really care about that). But I bet they'd have a good time anyway.
82) 5 (Elliot) meets someone (partially?) responsible for their creation. (Book characters meet their author, tv/movie characters their actor...) Do they have complaints? Pointers? Does their author/actor/... fear them? (Bonus with tv characters - Try the same if they met the actor of someone else’s character from their canon.)
It's Elliot, of course he has complaints! First of all, what's with the crappy childhood, author? Second, why was he not informed earlier and much more clearly that Luke would, indeed, like to choose him? And what's this nonsense about technology not working in the Borderlands -- what a cliche and furthermore inconvenient authorial choice! And furthermore, SRB needs to invent more species for him to get to know, stat, he's running out.
83) All the odd numbers make up the crew of a spaceship - how does that go down? (Cordelia, Sherlock, Elliot, Hermione, Ivan, Thomas, Kirk, and Zoe)
Well, Kirk is obviously captain (I mean, anybody else would hae to fight him for it, and no-one would). Sherlock is the annoying erudite (and probably alien) science officer. Zoe is second-in-command. Elliot wants to do communications/be in charge of any diplomatic encounters. Ivan would be good in charge of logistics -- resupply and such; maybe navigation also, if that's a separate role? Someone's going to need to fly this thing, and also they need an engineer at minimum and a medical officer. Hermione can probably figure out how to deal with the mechanical side of things if she has manuals and some training, and Thomas would probably blithely volunteer to pilot, because how hard can it be? Cordelia just occupies the bridge in a purely decorative capacity and gets in everybody's way. It's not that she is not capable of contributing, it's that she doesn't see why she'd have to.
84) You are going to watch Toy Story 3, Iron Man 2, and Eclipse. Who would take with you to each one?
If it was Iron Man 1 or 3, I'd take Peter, because I think he'd be the one to enjoy the franchise the most, BUT since it's Iron Man 2, with the terrible Russian and Russian accent, I'm totally taking Susan, and we are going to be facepalming together the whole time.
Toy Story 3 -- Elliot, maybe? I feel like he probably missed out on a lot of childhood fun things and would enjoy watching a movie targeted at kids that's smart enough for adults, and would outwardly scoff but actually appreciate the poignant message.
Eclipse (which I have not seen) -- Cordelia, maybe? She'd enjoy laughing at it, since she knows vampires are nothing like the sparkly nonsense in this movie. Or Vlad! For the pleasure of him later explaining Twilight vampires to Sethra. XP
85) Would 2 (Morrolan) rather eat 12 (Peter)’s, 14 (Mikodez), or 10 (Ivanova)'s cooking?
Definitely not Mikodez's, because if he ever sets out to cook, I bet it's "throw a bunch of stuff together on a whim and see what happens" kind of cooking -- it's not like he'd have to eat the results if he didn't like them. Ivanova's cooking is probably serviceable but a bit bland -- lots of potatoes, maybe beets, not a lot of spices. Peter, I'm sure, didn't leave the house without knowing how to cook. When cooking for himself, I bet he makes the food too spicy for most people, but if he knew he were cooking for company, would go with something milder. So I'm guessing Morrolan would find Peter's cooking the most interesting.
86) 4 and 8 (Azula and Hathaway) are arrested. What are they in for? Do they go quietly? And will 6 (Vlad) be willing to bail them out?
Azula was committing some actual crime -- probably trying to set someone on fire for angering her in some trivila way -- and Hathaway was trying to stop her, but lost his warrant card in the struggle, so when the local constabulary arrived, they thought they were both brawling and arrested them for disturbing the peace. Vlad could not care less and would not be interested in bailing them out, no. Actually, he'd find it pretty funny that a cop got in trouble with the law.
87) The odds were hired to shoot a movie with the evens as their cast. Among the odds, who fulfils which behind the scenes tasks? Among the evens, who plays the leads? Who’s supporting? Who just has a minor background part? What’s it about? Does it get any Oscar Nominations?
Odds: Cordelia, Sherlock, Elliot, Hermione, Ivan, Thomas, Kirk, Zoe
Evens: Morrolan, Azula, Vlad, Hathaway, Susan, Peter, Mikodez
Honestly, they'd all probably be better off if the roles (heh) were reversed -- Kirk and Cordelia are going to be PISSED that they're not the ones acting for the audience, and it's a crime to stick Thomas behind a camera rather than in front of it, frankly. But we'll play it as it lays.
Elliot is going to be the scirpt-writer. Cordelia and Thomas can be in charge of wardrobe and make-up. Sherlock can cook up special effects/pyrotechnics he'd probably enjoy that. Kirk can be the director, because that way he'll get to be in charge. Ivan as casting director, maybe? He's got a good feel for people. Zoe can do location scouting. And maybe Hermione to do PR?
Elliot is going to write a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure, except one where the quest problem is solved by reaching a mutually agreeable compromise with the antagonist (who has his own reasons for what he's doing), women get to be just as heroic as men, but true love still triumphs. Because Elliot has a type, Susan is cast as the heroic female lead (she is more than OK with this). Peter is cast as the male lead, and Mikodez as the best friend/comic relief (this is turning out to be a nicely diverse movie, too, I guess). Hathaway is the enigmatic but well-meaning figure who recruits them for the quest. Their adventure has them thwarted by Vlad (although later it turns out he was motivated by historical centuries of well-justified distrust against the culture Our Heroes represent, and is not actually a Bad Guy, just someone whose trust has to be won). Ultimately Our Heroes face what, in a different fantasy moview would be the Evil King and Queen (played by Morrolan and Azula). Here, though, they're not so much Evil as did not realize that their interests could be met a different way. Peter's impassioned speech -- as well as a change of heart from their henchman Vlad (after he was rescued by Susan from a trap of his own which backfired on him) have them willing to sign a treaty with Our Heroes, and all live happily ever after. Although nothing is resolved by fighting, there's still some impressive physical feats by Susan, but they're of the man-vs-nature variety.
Mikodez gets way into it (turns out he's a method actor). Vlad gets a lot of the best lines, and then ad libs some more, to Elliot's grudging approval. Azula is a total diva, despite having a relatively small role.
It doesn't get any Oscar nominations (fantasy films seldom do), but maybe it becomes a cult classic?
88) Everyone on your list has been invited to an old, remote mansion for a long weekend. There are occasional flickering lights, creaky floors and atmospheric drafts. The rooms look like they’ve only recently been reopened to be slept in. And the whole place is... creepy. Does anyone opt to share a room? A bed? Who sits together at dinner? And who chooses to have drinks in the library? Despite the setting, nobody gets maimed or murdered. Does that disappoint any of the guests?
The lack of murders for sure disappoints Sherlock. What's the point of being trapped in a creepy mansion all weekend when he doesn't even have anything to investigate? How rude!
Hathaway was kind of expecting a murder, too -- it seems like the sort of place that would have a recent murder lead to traces of a cold case -- but is relieved when nothing terrible happens.
Hermione, Elliot, and Peter form a posse that goes ghost-hunting. (Peter picks up a lot of weird vestigia, but they don't see any actual ghosts, much to Elliot's disappointment especially -- how cool would it be to talk to a ghost?! They would probably have all sorts of cool historical perspective.) Despite the lack of ghosts, they discover they enjoy hanging out together, and sit together at dinner, too. And also late into the night, geeking out about magic. In this conversation they are eventually joined by Morrolan and Vlad, although Vlad, in particular, is rolling his eyes at the "kids'" shiny naivite.
Mikodez is delighted by the prospect of a weekend at an old creepy mansion. Surely this must be some kind of live action game? When no gamemaster materializes, Mikodez assumes the role, and teaches everyone to play bluffing-type party games like Mafia/Werewolf (you know Shuos have a ton of games like this, and break them out at every opportunity). Sherlock and Azula keep winning these, and somehow Ivan always ends up as the one who is falsely accused/executed (but he's used to this sort of thing and doesn't even take it personally).
Cordelia is very demonstative about how creepy she finds this creepy place, and how she is in immediate need of reassurance from somebody Strong and Brave. Ivan immediately volunteers, but actually she's making eyes at Thomas and Kirk. Both Kirk and Ivan gallantly offer to keep her company in her room, and when an offer from Thomas isn't forthcoming, she picks one of them (and the other for the following night, because why not).
Susan and Zoe sit down next to each other at dinner the first night and discover they have a lot in common, so continue to hang out together the rest of the weekend. They might even opt to share a room. Not that they're scared of ghosts or worried about the other guests, but this way they can keep talking without disturbing the other guests -- and share a drink without having to invite anyone else to join in.
This entry was originally posted at https://hamsterwoman.dreamwidth.org/1058314.html. Comment wherever you prefer (I prefer LJ).
Kairos 30 Days Meme: Four favorite comic books
4. Nimona -- the newest addition to this list (it displaces one to Honorable Mention). I didn't OMGlove it, but it was a really cute story with characters all of whom I liked a lot, funny lines, and art such that I really noticed the way it enhanced t story, which is quite unusual for me (I am not a story-in-pictures kind of person).
3. Saga -- I feel like I'm cheating by listing this here, because I've read not even half of what's currently out (the first 3 volumes). But I picked up volume 3, and was instantly hooked, even while being puzzled by who all these people were, and why some of them had TV screens on their heads. But the characters really felt like characters, and there was so much plot! and history! and awesomely unexplained background worldbuilding, and the art was beautiful. Also, I'm not ashamed t admit that Marko being HOT was part of the (heh) draw. But mostly, as soon as I started reading, I loved the Marko/Alana story -- the way they were both flawed in different ways, the way they clearly loved each other both when it came to big things and small, how real and grounded their relationship was, especially as new parents (I don't think I've seen a better depiction of new parents anywhere), their family relationships beyond each other, and plus people bridging a cultural divide is a big narrative kink of mine. So, yeah, Saga is pretty much about Marko and Alana and their family for me, although I've also been impressed with everything I've read so far with Sophie. Anyway, I'm definitely planning to continue reading this one, even though I know it falters for many people at some point. But I would not be surprised if it cntinued to rise up this list as I keep reading more.
2. Sandman -- this was the first graphic novel I picked up, and it took much convincing (or, more fairly, lots of references to the mythology of it, and icons with panels, mostly from _grayswandir_>. And it was Gaiman, whom I already knew and trusted as an author. Sandman is still a mixed bag for me. Some of the art is, frankly, hideous. The more superhero-y early volumes are a miss for me. I strongly dislike Dream (sorry, Morpheus fans! I find him kind of comically emo and also kind of a jerk). But I really like a lot of the other Endless -- kind Death, beautifully surrealist Delirium, Destruction, who is very much the type of secondary character I like, and aloof, enigmatic Desire -- my life is very much richer for having absorbed their mythology. There are other bits I like, too: Gaiman's Lucifer (except for the terrible art), his Loki (although I like him more in American Gods and Norse Mythology, where there's no art to get in the way), Gilbert, Hob, and pretty much all of The Kindly Ones and a lot of Brief Lives, and while I wouldn't call things like "24 Hours" and the Corinthian favorites, they have certainly stuck with me. I started with Season of Mists (v2), and read with a fair bit of skipping around, based on what my library had on hand. It's such a vast and impressive mosaic, and it did convince me that graphic novels culd tell stories I was interested in.
1. Watchmen -- OK, yes, I totally concede there's a reason fanboys go nuts over this one. I was skeptical, but when the movie was coming out, my thing for never watching adaptations before reading the real thing asserted itself, and I read the book. And while I don't like graphic novels and don't care about superheroes, it was a really, really good book. I don't actually like any of its characters, but I like what, cohesively, it has to say about the genre, and in general, and I do find Ozymandias in particular a very interesting character. I waffled for a long time over whether Sandman or Watchmen should be my #1 (Sandwatch?); there are parts of Sandman that speak to me more, but in 12 volumes, that's not as impressive. And I'm just super-impressed by the compactness of Watchmen. Comics always strike me as weirdly paced, too slow and too short, but Watchmen is so incredibly compact -- it tells a complete and fairly complex story with multiple characters in just 12 issues/450 pages. And it also did something no other GN has done to date: I tend to absorb comics on a pretty shallow level, I find, not engage with them as deeply. I think I just don't absorb the full impact of the story in this medium, which is why I'm not a great fan of it. But Watchmen made me really think about the story, the implications and the plausability of the damn squid, instead of just skimming over the words and enjoying the background art when it's pretty. So, that's why it ultimately gets the #1 spot.
Honorable Mentions -- I'm not sure why I have some in this category, but there were a fair few that were worth remarking on (there are so few I've read, when I manage to make it past the first cuple of pages, that's already an achievement), but didn't quite rise to the level of the others:
- Maus -- this was the first, and for years only, graphic novel that I read. It was for a class (on dystopias), and yes, it's kind of an amazing achievement. But also... OK, it's a book about the Holocaust, which is a subject that moves me with relative ease (it's affected my greatgrandparents' generation very directly), and it's populated with mice, which I'm also very easy for, and yet I found myself more moved by An American Tail. But it's kind of an amazing endeavor.
- The Wicked + The Divine -- this is the problem with comic books -- you start reading them, and they're great, but they can go downhill very easily, it seems. I really, really enjoyed the first two volumes. The characters (Cassandra!), the art, the allusions both pop-cultural and mythological, the sense of overarching mystery and worldbuilding. And then volume 3 came and, like, WTF was that? I quit right after, because I just didn't trust the series anymore.
- Pride of Baghdad -- I was really impressed by how the lions really felt like lions -- not a human family that happened to look like lions. The art is really lovely! And the story turned ut to be so sad! Which I should have figured out, since the book said it was based on a true story. But I wasn't expecting it to end like that, and ouch. :(
- Gunnerkrigg Court -- so, this is the one Nimona knocked out. I forget at what point I became aware of it, but I do know that I stayed up way too late mainlining the webcomic until I ran out of pages. It's another one with cool characters and intricate mythology (although the mix of science and magic doesn't work for me as well as in my real favorites). I really enjoy the alchemical geekery, too, starting with the protagonist being named Antimony (her mother's name, btw, is another word for antimony, in a different language). And I really liked Kat! But the reason I felt OK having Nimona bump this is that after that first rush, I just never got around to going back to catch up, or bothered to set up a feed, or anything. It was just a fling, although one I remember quite fondly.
**
The rest of the Character Roulette meme (for now):
1. Cordelia Chase (BtVS)
2. Morrolan e'Drien (Dragaera)
3. Sherlock Holmes (BBC's Sherlock)
4. Azula (AtLA)
5. Elliot Schafer (In Othe Lands)
6. Vlad Taltos (Dragaera)
7. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
8. James Hathaway (Inspector Lewis)
9. Ivan Vorpatril (Vorkosigan Saga)
10. Susan Ivanova (Babylon 5)
11. Thomas Raith (Dresden Files)
12. Peter Grant (Rivers of London)
13. James T. Kirk (AOS)
14. Shuos Mikodez (Hexarchate/Machineries of Empire)
15. Zoe Washburne (Firefly)
46) What subject would 3 (Sherlock) teach if he/she was a teacher/professor?
Forensics, I suppose. And he would be a terrifying professor, regularly reducing his students to tears and then wondering what happpened, annoyed at all the random drama.
47) What is the worst crime 14 (Mikodez) has ever committed?
I mean, objectively speaking, probably betraying and killing his fellow hexarchs. But that's not the part he feels guilty about.
48) 4 (Azula) has lost 10 (Ivanova)’s pet/child/aged parent/prized orchid collection/... while minding them. How does 4 react? Panic? Find 10 to confess? Try to get one (or more) of the other characters to help them search? Did one of the other characters abduct/steal our missing person/item?
Ivanova has no children, pets, or aged parents... but I suppose she could have a prized orchid collection somewhere. Or at least some prized coffee plants. Azula would make an absolutely awful anything-important-sitter -- like Sherlock, she just doesn't care at all. Nor would she panic or feel any guilt if whatever it was was lost, or try to recover it. Probably what happened was, one of the other characters realized Azula was going to let the orchids/coffee wither and die through her lack of care, and confiscated them to keep them safe. My guess is this was either Hermione or Hathaway, because they're the most responsible types.
49) 8 and 11 (Hathaway and Thomas) run a country together - what state is the country in, and how is it run?
Of all the people on the list, these two are the ones stuck running a country? OK... Well, Thomas makes an absolutely charming figurehead president, adored by the public for the bright shiny smile that disguises his indifference to policy. Hathaway is the put-upon and overworked prime minister/VP-type-person, who'd probably drink himself into an ulcer within a month. So, not great.
50) 5, 6, and 2 (Elliot, Vlad, and Morrolan) get snowed in while at a cabin in the mountains. They have one twin bed, two blankets, a few bottles of water, and a little bit of beef jerky. Who gets what? Who suffers the most while they wait out the storm?
:P
Elliot certainly *complains* the most, whatever the level of suffering. Vlad wants to wring his neck, but let's say Morrolan is feeling charitable for some reason and stops him. Until they establish that Morrolan is a kind of elf, and Elliot, ever eager for a cultural exchange, starts asking him about blushing elven gentlemen who aren't allowed to fight and enjoy embroidery, at which point Morrolan wants to wring his neck/feed him to Blackwand, and Vlad stops him, because this is quality entertainment, watching Morrolan contemplate the kind of Elven society that Eliott is talking about.
Anyway, as to the actual question, because Elliot is such a drama queen, the other two let him have the bed, both blankets (Vlad and Morrolan just huddle in their cloaks, and also try to keep Loiosh and Rocza warm), and the water. The beef jerky Vlad feeds to the jhereg, because that's not enough to keep a person full anyway. And hopefully Morrolan can materialize some food with sorcery, even if it's not particularly tasty food.
51) 13 (Kirk) has to marry either 14 (Mikodez), 1 (Cordy), or 4 (Azula). Which do they choose?
Definitely Cordelia. They've come up before as a potential couple, and I think they'd be quite a fun one. I could see Kirk finding Azula interesting, too, but not for marrying, and Mikodez is definitely not his type.
52) What does 15 (Zoe) get 9 (Ivan) for their birthday?
Something practical but high quality and classy-looking -- a fancy holster or something like that.
53) Who would make better roommates: 10 and 3 (Ivanova and Sherlock), or 12 and 7 (Peter and Hermione)?
Sherlock is nobody's best roommate, OK. And it wouldn't go any better with Ivanova than with Zoe. Peter and Hermione, on the other hand, would actually be OK. Hermione would keep things neat, which Peter would appreciate it, and each would appreciate being kept informed about the other's nerdy discoveries.
54) 7 and 8 (Hermione and Hathaway) are writing a book together. What genre/form is it, and will they be able to finish the project without killing each other?
About magical-mundane cooperation, if we're continuing on from the previous question? The history of magic in England and its relationship with the church? Definitely something non-fictional. And yes, they can get along fine -- they are both hard-working perfectionists and would irritate each other a lot less than most other people trying to work with them.
55) 5 and 14 (Elliot and Mikodez) are trapped in a book. What book is it, and how do they get out? Do they want to get out?
It's Thud!. Not my favorite Discworld, but Elliot would be at his best (and also happiest) getting to know the cultures of the Dwarves (different kinds of Dwarves, even!) and the trolls, and helping (oh so helpfully!) with the treaty of Koom Valley. Meanwhile, Mikodez ferrets all over Ankh-Morpork, sampling the most sugar-rich of CMOT Dibbler's questionable delicacies. Vetinari notices him right away, and wonders whether he ought to have him locked up next to Leonard or train him as a possible successor (which would actually work out pretty well, I think!)
I think Elliot would be happy to stay indefinitely to explore Discworld, but only if Luke and Serene were with him. Mikodez, I think, would have a lot of fun running around the city, but would feel it his duty to return to the Hexarchate. And Mikodez would probably succeed in badgering and Elliot into browbeating Ponder Stibbons into figuring out a way to make them travel back to the(ir) real world/their own dimensions/wherever they'd come from.
56) 11, 15, 4, and 6 (Thomas, Zoe, Azula, and Vlad) are teachers at Hogwarts. What do they teach, and what Houses are they in?
The problem is that at least two of these are SO clearly Slytherins that I can't see them in any other house -- Vlad (who is ambitious, ruthless, and feels loyalty only to a small set of people he cares about personally) and Azula (who, well, is about as Slytherin as you can get without having planted a giant snake in the plumbing). The only way I see to resolve this conflict is to have Vlad as the Head of Slytherin and Azula as the former head of slytherin and current Headmistress (yes, this is a scary thought, but it's a scary combination of characters to begin with, what can I do). Then Zoe can be Gryffindor, and Thomas can be Hufflepuff I guess?
Vlad teaches potions; it seems the most like the Eastern witchcraft he practices. Zoe... probably Defense Against the Dark Arts? It's got to be something hands on and relatively martial, ooh, or flying -- she'd probably be good at that, too. I definitely think Azula either teaches (if Zoe is doing Madame Hooch's role) or taught DADA before she became headmistress, because I don't think she'd enjoy any other discipline. And Thomas can have something elegant, like Charms.
57) Pick one of the following for each of the listed pairings: Partners/Couple/Siblings/Kill eachother/Heterosexual life partners --
3 and 12 (Sherlock and Peter), 1 and 2 (Cordy and Morrolan), 10 and 13 (Ivanova and Kirk), 9 and 7 (Ivan and Hermione), 14 and 4 (Mikodez and Azula).
Sherlock and Peter for (professional) partners, because it would be HI-larious, and also fit the genre of each decently well.
Ivanova and Kirk for heterosexual life partners, maybe? In the sense that Kirk needs a sensible second-in-comman who will follow him around and keep him out of trouble while not taking any of his shit, and Ivanova is good at that sort of thing, and would also roll her eyes at his exploits most amusingly.
Ivan and Hermione as siblings? I can see Hermione as either an intense older sister, who Ivan sees no point of even trying to compete with, or an intense younger sister, whom he is resigned to being upstaged by. She bosses him around either way.
Which I guess leaves Cordelia and Morrolan as a couple... It's not a love match or anything, but she would definitely enjoy living in a fancy floating castle with a built-in permanent party. And Morrolan would find her ornamental and be amused by her, which I think is all he would really look for in a lover, along with someone who would leave him alone to do his thing, which Cordelia would, if she had the castle and the party.
And Azula and Mikodez can scheme against each other and try to kill each other. Not sure either of them would succeed, but they'd both have fun trying.
58) 3 (Sherlock), 1 (Cordy), 10 (Susan) & 9 (Ivan) end up living together. Who is the most irritating? Who never does dishes? Who have an 'accidental' one-night-stand?
This meme keeps picking Sherlock for all the roommate questions, which is just not sporting. If it was anyone else, Cordy would probably be the most irritating, but with Sherlock in the picture, well, you know, at least Cordy won't leave severed heads in the fridge, or bullet holes in the wall.
In the beginning, the only person who ever does dishes is Susan, but then she guilts Ivan into it, too, and manipulates Cordelia into doing some share of the chores as well, probably by abducting her favorite outfits and holding them hostage in her room until Cordy does something useful around the house. Of course, no force on earth (or in space) can turn Sherlock into a considerate roommate, so no-one even tries.
Accidental one-night stand is Ivan and either Cordy or Susan. Actually, probably Cordy *and* Susan at different times. Actually, I could see Ivan/Cordelia becoming more of a sporadic FWB type thing, but Ivan/Susan would definitely be an accidental one-night stand, probably involving rather a lot of vodka, and things would be a bit awkward between them for a while.
59) If 12 (Peter) 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?
I'm going to guess a piece of scientific equipment, to indulge his curiosity. Maybe a tunneling electron microscope? Possibly he can figure out how magic works on the molecular level that way.
60) What was 11 (Thomas)'s most embarrassing moment?
I honestly don't think he has one of those. Thomas is not easily embarrassed. :)
61) 6 (Vlad)’s Fairy Godmother turns up and immediately starts upgrading 6’s life. How does 6 react? Do they even want FG’s help? And how do 6’s peers react to the changes?
Hilariously, he kind of already has one of those in Verra (or possibly even two, since there's also Sethra, although she works in more indirect ways), although upgrading his life is not what they're interested in really. But, well, Sethra did get him rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful, so there's that.
But, anyway, Vlad would hate the idea of having a Fairy Godmother mucking about in his life, and try to get rid of her... possibly by direct means, if just telling her to fuck off doesn't work.
Assuming a stereotypical fairy godmother, she would probably decide that Vlad needed to go into the East and turn out to be a long-lost heir to some kingdom there, but Vlad's had enough of traipsing about the East, thank you very much, it's just as full of assholes as Adrilankha, but at least Adrilankha is his city, and a number of those assholes are his assholes, so, really, no thanks, not to mention that he's been willing to risk rather a lot and go to great length to stay in Adrilankha lately. And his friends would definitely be of the same opinion.
62) 15 (Zoe) and 13 (Kirk) meet on a blind date. Is the attraction instant or is it going to be a very awkward night?
Zoe finds him smarmily charming, but that's a turn-off more than anything, even though she does concede he's a good-looking guy. Kirk would flirt regardless, but he does find Zoe both gorgeous and someone he instantly respects, although he isn't very good at getting that across through the flirting. So the night is a bit awkward -- Kirk is carrying most of the conversation, with Zoe responding with occasional short phrases but mostly with skeptically raised eyebrows. But then something exciting happens -- some kind of crisis that they have to work together to defuse -- and Zoe can see that, despite his "why yes, I'm awesome" airs, Kirk does actually know what he's doing, and seems to care about people, which makes her thaw towards him a bit. He still doesn't get lucky, but she might agree to a second date.
63) 2 (Morrolan) and 5 (Elliot) are nabbed by a super secret organization, secretly run by 8 (Hathaway). What is the purpose of 8's organization and what does he want with 2 and 5?
Uhh. Hathaway doesn't really strike me as a secret chessmaster type, but I suppose if he were, he would be working for an organization enforcing interdimensional laws or something like that? Morrolan's usefulness to him would probably be along the lines of facilitating said interdimensional travel (via Verra's window) and Elliot would be a very good person to run a spy network (intedimensional or otherwise), what with his growing group of pen-pals. I could see Elliot being willing to cooperate with a secret organization if he agreed with its goals. But Morrolan would definitely not respond well to being kidnapped, for whatever cause. (Vlad can come rescue him and mock him for being caught in that situation again.)
64) Which of all the other characters would 15 (Zoe) trust with a secret?
Ivanova, for sure. I feel like those two would generally understand each other very well, have compatible personalities, and therefore be willing to trust in each other's discretion.
65) 1 (Cordy) has lost their ability to communicate in the main language needed to cope with their daily life. Does 4 (Azula) have the needed skills and patience to teach help them regain the basics? Would 12 (Peter) be better suited?
Nooo, Azula definitely does not have the patience, and furthermore would really not care to help. Peter is not the most patient person either, but at least he would try -- I think looking at how he coped/try to help with Lesley's sudden disabilities shows that he would (at least for a person he cared about, but still, it's a start).
It's not entirely clear to me what sort of loss we are talking about here. Like, if Cordelia were struck mute but could still communicate in writing, I'm sure she would be very frustrated, but less impacted than if it was something like sudden-onset aphasia which made it impossible for her to communicate in any form. But I do think the reaction/helpfulness of the other characters would be the same regardless.
66) 14 (Mikodez) and 6 (Vlad) 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?
Since they get to pick, I think they would collectively opt for another high-magic universe on the list (because, let's face it, the Hexarchate is basically a high magic universe, despite the sci-fi trappings). That means the Four Kingdoms of AtLA (magic users liing in the open, but magic itself is fairly limited by type) or Harry Potter (Statute of Secrecy, which would be kind of annoying -- but it's not like either of them is not used to living with secrets, but magic which is much more versatile and closer to what they're used to). Also, HP has the equivalent of teleportation/variable layout, which would be tough to give up, I bet. (I did also consider the two urban fantasy universes, Dresden Files and Rivers of London, but IDK, I feel like they require too much interaction with Muggles to appeal as much.) So let's say they go for Harry Potter. Plus there's the comfort of HP also sorting people into houses/factions -- while that's theoretically just for school, clearly those sorts of diisions tend to linger long after people graduate.
Anyway, so I'm assuming Vlad and Mikodez end up in HP's magical Britain in Harry's time (since that's the part we know the most about). I'm sure Mikodez would poke around enough to meet grown-up Hermione, who is, what, working in the Department of Mysteries or something? He is very much the kind of person the Ministry can use (OK, so he would booby-trap his office and terrorize his underlings, but he is a really clever administrator and not actively evil; there is a dearth of those in HP-verse). Mikodez is delighted when he discovers Zonko's and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
Vlad, meanwhile, would probably lurk around a bit and find a way into the world of Knockturn Alley, make some contacts there, and continue operating in this magical underworld as he did in his own. probably with less killing of people (there is no artistry to "Avada Kedavra") but I'm sure he'd find his niche. And stay as far away as possible from Hermione and her law-abiding/enforcing friends.
67) 10, 8, and 9 (Hathaway, Ivan, Susan) 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 all HP characters of different Houses... I guess have fun deciding which House would be funnier for them all to be in.)
Without the constraint of all of them being in the same house, I'd put Susan in Gryffindor, Hathaway in Ravenclaw, and Ivan in Hufflepuff (it's not that he's not clever or brave, he is, he just would prefer to have a low-key good time with other like-minded individuals, and if that means he's overlooked as a result, all the better, frankly). But since they all have to be in one house... well, I suppose Gryffindor is the best fit. I feel like both Susan and Ivan would be bored in Ravenclaw, and Ivanova's contrary nature would chafe at Hufflepuff. And the Hat seems to like putting people in Gryffindor who could do well in other houses, anyhow. :P
Hathaway would make for a somewhat Percy-ish Gryffindor, and would probably be prefect. He excells at all the academic subjects, including the ones other students tend to dismiss, like Divination. He's also athletic, though ("Attaway Hathaway"), so he probably would play Quidditch, too. Not sure what position, though -- Chaser? He seems a bit too lanky to be a good Seeker... He's probably a Muggleborn, or a half-blood who grew up away from the magical world.
Susan would definitely be a Beater. She'd get into fights with Slytherins pretty regularly, but be a good student otherwise. McGonagall would give her quite a lot of detentions, but secretly she'd be one of Minerva's favorites. Susan wants to be an Auror when she graduates, and takes a fairly intensive class load to make that happen. Hmm, she probably also has a dark secret (along the lines of her telepath gene in B5) -- maybe she's a werewolf?
Ivan would skate through his academics with the minimum effort possible to maintain good grades, and otherwise keep a low profile. (He's definitely from one of the oldest, proudest lines, like House Black, lots of notoroiety in past generations, and so trying to keep his head down.)
I don't see the three of them hanging out outside of class(/Quidditch practice for James and Susan), so I don't know that there would be much in the way of joint hijinks. Probably just hijinks involving Susan beating up Slytherins, and also hijinks happening to Ivan very much against his will, like people trying to dose him up with love potion or something.
68) 8, 6, and 9 (Hathaway, Vlad, and Ivan) confess to each other the worst thing they have ever done. What is it? How do they react?
I agree with sysann that Hathaway feels it's definitely the events he confessed to Lewis in "Life Born of Fire" -- i.e. the way he treated Will when Will came out to him and then later asked him if heaven was possible for him when he was in a gay relationship. I do think the others would agree it's a very shitty thing to do to one's friend (but also have a harder time understanding why that's even a question; same-sex relationships don't seem to have any taboo in Dragaera -- or at least Vlad doesn't seem to find them weird -- and even backwards Barrayar has progressed to the point where it's less of a big deal).
I'm not sure what Vlad thinks is the worst thing he's done... He has gotten better about resorting to violence, but doesn't seem to feel guilty about his past actions. I mean, if he were trying to pick the objectively worst thing, IDK, maybe the assassination at Greenaere? (since it's likely that a lot of other people he's killed were in the Organization as well and thus had their hands dirty) Oh, actually, I think I do know! The scene in Jhereg where he's threatening the sorceress who put the anti-revivification spell on Morrolan. He definitely seems to feel very uncomfortable about that, since the sorceress is just doing her job and he gets rather nasty. And, yes, if Vlad actually went so far as to admit this, both Hathaway and Ivan would be suitably horrified (but even more horrified by Vlad attitude towards killing people in cold blood for money).
Ivan, I suspect, feels bad about the whole thing where he accidentally got various Vor bachelors hounding Ekaterin, given the way that all turned out, with Gregor having to get involved. It's not necessarily such a terrible thing in the grand scheme, but he did it for such a petty reason. Here I think the other two, especially Vlad, would roll their eyes at Ian a bit, because that's pretty small potatoes compared to the guilty conscience they are carrying.
69) Which of your characters would be more likely to end up in bed with 3 (Sherlock)? And with 11 (Thomas)?
LOL, none of them and any of them, respectively? Maaaybe Azula for Sherlock -- I ship it a little bit after the previous questions, or at least see it as marginally more likely than any of the others. And let's say Cordelia for Thomas -- she wouldn't even try to resist a good-looking guy like that.
70) 1 (Cordy)'s gotten together with 2 (Morrolan). What was their first time like; and is that jealousy 15 (Zoe) is feeling?
Nope, not jealousy, just surprise, if she's feeling anything at all, because she doesn't understand what the two could possibly see in each other.
As for what their first time is like -- well, Morrolan can be charming and dashing when he wants to be, so let's assume he did in this case, and Cordelia can be easily swept along by a charming and dashing duke, no? Also, I'm guessing rather a lot of wine is involved, since Morrolan seems to enjoy plying people with booze.
71) 14, 10, 13, and 4 (Mikodez, Ivanova, Kirk, and Azula) are stranded on a hospitable but uninhabited planet. What is their situation a year later?
If the Enterprise, some Star Furies from B5, or a moth sent by Zehun don't come rescue them before that, I'm not really sure. They are all resourceful people, but the three sci-fi folks are used to their tech, so it kind of depends on how they ended up there and what they have in their possession. A crashed space ship? They're probably fine. Nothing but rocks and lianas from the planet? More of a problem. The biggest problem, though, is going to be getting along.
I think what happens is, once it becomes clear that the others aren't planning to fall in line and defer to her, Azula runs off and sets up camp on her own. With firebending, she probably has enough skills to survive for a year, if not exactly comfortable. And while they can't stand her, I feel like the others would periodically go check on her and maybe leave her supplies, because they are all in this together after all.
The other three manage to cooperate. Ivanova and Kirk share guard duty and go hunting. Mikodez surprises them by taking to gardening with relish and manages to grow some edible things. He also keeps coming up with games for them all to play to stave off boredom. Along those line, Kirk suggests that what if nobody ever find them -- they should work on survival of the species, but Ivanova shoots him down (and suggests he go pitch this to Azula, if he's so inclined).
72) 7, 12, and 5 (Hermione, Peter, and Elliot) are at the same high school. Are they in the same clique? Are they even friends? Do they hate each other? Would one of them ask another to prom?
Oh, this is actually a hilarious grouping of people. All the idealistic nerds together! Hermione and Elliot would absolutely be part of the same clique (the know-it-alls XD) -- consisting of the two of them, since they've driven away everyone else. I don't see Peter joining them, because Peter's nerdery is less militant, and it sounds like high school Peter was less academically focused and also more easily overlooked. But he's probably aware of Hermione and Elliot and has complicated feelings about the way they behave.
And I could totally see Hermione and Elliot going to the prom together. Elliot probably spends the whole time complaining about other people and they run away from the music to talk about changing the world, but they still go.
73) What kind of a pet would 6 (Vlad) have?
You mean besides the two jhereg he already has? It better be something big, or Loiosh and Rocza would eat it :P (But in a mundane AU where there's no such thing as a witch's familiar, I could totally see Vlad owning a too-smart-for-his-own (and definitely also Vlad's) -good talking parrot, who plays practical jokes on Vlad and all his friends, and bites anyone who gets too close, and still calls him "boss".)
74) Due to some plot device, 10 and 11 (Susan and Thomas) end up in charge of a baby they're supposed to be jointly responsible for. How do they manage?
OK, probably? I think Thomas has probably been around babies, since he has younger siblings, and Ivanova probably hasn't been, but she's generally unflappable. As long as it's for a short time, they handle it fine. Definitely don't see either of them wanting to be saddled raising a random baby, though.
75) 9 and 13 (Ivan and Kirk) are dating. How did they meet? What's their relationship like?
The Enterprise went through a wormhole and ended up in the Vorkosiverse, touching down on Barrayar. When the Vor ladies kept acting scandalized when Kirk hit on them, he switched to the guys, and Ivan was one of the few who found it amusing rather than an insult to his honor. They discovered they could have fun together, and are continuing in a sort of freinds-with-benefits fashion. (Lady Alys does not approve, but also realizes Kirk will get bored and move on, and is just waiting for that to happen.)
76) 4 (Azula)'s memoirs are found by 1 (Cordelia). What does 1 think of the memoir?
"You go, girl!" pretty much ;)
77) What's 2 (Morrolan)'s favourite drink?
Wine. Although he's also partial to Fenarian brandy, it would appear.
78) Who would win in a fight between 7 and 8 (Hermione and Hathaway)?
Physical fight? Hathaway. He's much bigger and in decent enough shape, it seems, despite the constant smoking. No holds barred fight? Hermione, because magic.
79) What is your OTP for 15 (Zoe)?
Wash, duh.
80) What is your *least* favourite thing about 3 (Sherlock)?
He really is an absolute dick to people who care about him.
81) 12 (Peter) and 13 (Mikodez) want to spend a day together. Can they agree on an activity?
No, they probably cannot. I mean, it's pretty clear canonically that Mikodez has ADHD or something similar, and I suspect Peter has undiagnosed ADHD as well, so they would probably jump from shiny fun activity to shiny fun activity forevr. But of course Peter would want to see on of the moths (spaceships!) and ask a million questions about how everyting works (which Mikodez probably wouldn't be able to answer, because he doesn't really care about that). But I bet they'd have a good time anyway.
82) 5 (Elliot) meets someone (partially?) responsible for their creation. (Book characters meet their author, tv/movie characters their actor...) Do they have complaints? Pointers? Does their author/actor/... fear them? (Bonus with tv characters - Try the same if they met the actor of someone else’s character from their canon.)
It's Elliot, of course he has complaints! First of all, what's with the crappy childhood, author? Second, why was he not informed earlier and much more clearly that Luke would, indeed, like to choose him? And what's this nonsense about technology not working in the Borderlands -- what a cliche and furthermore inconvenient authorial choice! And furthermore, SRB needs to invent more species for him to get to know, stat, he's running out.
83) All the odd numbers make up the crew of a spaceship - how does that go down? (Cordelia, Sherlock, Elliot, Hermione, Ivan, Thomas, Kirk, and Zoe)
Well, Kirk is obviously captain (I mean, anybody else would hae to fight him for it, and no-one would). Sherlock is the annoying erudite (and probably alien) science officer. Zoe is second-in-command. Elliot wants to do communications/be in charge of any diplomatic encounters. Ivan would be good in charge of logistics -- resupply and such; maybe navigation also, if that's a separate role? Someone's going to need to fly this thing, and also they need an engineer at minimum and a medical officer. Hermione can probably figure out how to deal with the mechanical side of things if she has manuals and some training, and Thomas would probably blithely volunteer to pilot, because how hard can it be? Cordelia just occupies the bridge in a purely decorative capacity and gets in everybody's way. It's not that she is not capable of contributing, it's that she doesn't see why she'd have to.
84) You are going to watch Toy Story 3, Iron Man 2, and Eclipse. Who would take with you to each one?
If it was Iron Man 1 or 3, I'd take Peter, because I think he'd be the one to enjoy the franchise the most, BUT since it's Iron Man 2, with the terrible Russian and Russian accent, I'm totally taking Susan, and we are going to be facepalming together the whole time.
Toy Story 3 -- Elliot, maybe? I feel like he probably missed out on a lot of childhood fun things and would enjoy watching a movie targeted at kids that's smart enough for adults, and would outwardly scoff but actually appreciate the poignant message.
Eclipse (which I have not seen) -- Cordelia, maybe? She'd enjoy laughing at it, since she knows vampires are nothing like the sparkly nonsense in this movie. Or Vlad! For the pleasure of him later explaining Twilight vampires to Sethra. XP
85) Would 2 (Morrolan) rather eat 12 (Peter)’s, 14 (Mikodez), or 10 (Ivanova)'s cooking?
Definitely not Mikodez's, because if he ever sets out to cook, I bet it's "throw a bunch of stuff together on a whim and see what happens" kind of cooking -- it's not like he'd have to eat the results if he didn't like them. Ivanova's cooking is probably serviceable but a bit bland -- lots of potatoes, maybe beets, not a lot of spices. Peter, I'm sure, didn't leave the house without knowing how to cook. When cooking for himself, I bet he makes the food too spicy for most people, but if he knew he were cooking for company, would go with something milder. So I'm guessing Morrolan would find Peter's cooking the most interesting.
86) 4 and 8 (Azula and Hathaway) are arrested. What are they in for? Do they go quietly? And will 6 (Vlad) be willing to bail them out?
Azula was committing some actual crime -- probably trying to set someone on fire for angering her in some trivila way -- and Hathaway was trying to stop her, but lost his warrant card in the struggle, so when the local constabulary arrived, they thought they were both brawling and arrested them for disturbing the peace. Vlad could not care less and would not be interested in bailing them out, no. Actually, he'd find it pretty funny that a cop got in trouble with the law.
87) The odds were hired to shoot a movie with the evens as their cast. Among the odds, who fulfils which behind the scenes tasks? Among the evens, who plays the leads? Who’s supporting? Who just has a minor background part? What’s it about? Does it get any Oscar Nominations?
Odds: Cordelia, Sherlock, Elliot, Hermione, Ivan, Thomas, Kirk, Zoe
Evens: Morrolan, Azula, Vlad, Hathaway, Susan, Peter, Mikodez
Honestly, they'd all probably be better off if the roles (heh) were reversed -- Kirk and Cordelia are going to be PISSED that they're not the ones acting for the audience, and it's a crime to stick Thomas behind a camera rather than in front of it, frankly. But we'll play it as it lays.
Elliot is going to be the scirpt-writer. Cordelia and Thomas can be in charge of wardrobe and make-up. Sherlock can cook up special effects/pyrotechnics he'd probably enjoy that. Kirk can be the director, because that way he'll get to be in charge. Ivan as casting director, maybe? He's got a good feel for people. Zoe can do location scouting. And maybe Hermione to do PR?
Elliot is going to write a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure, except one where the quest problem is solved by reaching a mutually agreeable compromise with the antagonist (who has his own reasons for what he's doing), women get to be just as heroic as men, but true love still triumphs. Because Elliot has a type, Susan is cast as the heroic female lead (she is more than OK with this). Peter is cast as the male lead, and Mikodez as the best friend/comic relief (this is turning out to be a nicely diverse movie, too, I guess). Hathaway is the enigmatic but well-meaning figure who recruits them for the quest. Their adventure has them thwarted by Vlad (although later it turns out he was motivated by historical centuries of well-justified distrust against the culture Our Heroes represent, and is not actually a Bad Guy, just someone whose trust has to be won). Ultimately Our Heroes face what, in a different fantasy moview would be the Evil King and Queen (played by Morrolan and Azula). Here, though, they're not so much Evil as did not realize that their interests could be met a different way. Peter's impassioned speech -- as well as a change of heart from their henchman Vlad (after he was rescued by Susan from a trap of his own which backfired on him) have them willing to sign a treaty with Our Heroes, and all live happily ever after. Although nothing is resolved by fighting, there's still some impressive physical feats by Susan, but they're of the man-vs-nature variety.
Mikodez gets way into it (turns out he's a method actor). Vlad gets a lot of the best lines, and then ad libs some more, to Elliot's grudging approval. Azula is a total diva, despite having a relatively small role.
It doesn't get any Oscar nominations (fantasy films seldom do), but maybe it becomes a cult classic?
88) Everyone on your list has been invited to an old, remote mansion for a long weekend. There are occasional flickering lights, creaky floors and atmospheric drafts. The rooms look like they’ve only recently been reopened to be slept in. And the whole place is... creepy. Does anyone opt to share a room? A bed? Who sits together at dinner? And who chooses to have drinks in the library? Despite the setting, nobody gets maimed or murdered. Does that disappoint any of the guests?
The lack of murders for sure disappoints Sherlock. What's the point of being trapped in a creepy mansion all weekend when he doesn't even have anything to investigate? How rude!
Hathaway was kind of expecting a murder, too -- it seems like the sort of place that would have a recent murder lead to traces of a cold case -- but is relieved when nothing terrible happens.
Hermione, Elliot, and Peter form a posse that goes ghost-hunting. (Peter picks up a lot of weird vestigia, but they don't see any actual ghosts, much to Elliot's disappointment especially -- how cool would it be to talk to a ghost?! They would probably have all sorts of cool historical perspective.) Despite the lack of ghosts, they discover they enjoy hanging out together, and sit together at dinner, too. And also late into the night, geeking out about magic. In this conversation they are eventually joined by Morrolan and Vlad, although Vlad, in particular, is rolling his eyes at the "kids'" shiny naivite.
Mikodez is delighted by the prospect of a weekend at an old creepy mansion. Surely this must be some kind of live action game? When no gamemaster materializes, Mikodez assumes the role, and teaches everyone to play bluffing-type party games like Mafia/Werewolf (you know Shuos have a ton of games like this, and break them out at every opportunity). Sherlock and Azula keep winning these, and somehow Ivan always ends up as the one who is falsely accused/executed (but he's used to this sort of thing and doesn't even take it personally).
Cordelia is very demonstative about how creepy she finds this creepy place, and how she is in immediate need of reassurance from somebody Strong and Brave. Ivan immediately volunteers, but actually she's making eyes at Thomas and Kirk. Both Kirk and Ivan gallantly offer to keep her company in her room, and when an offer from Thomas isn't forthcoming, she picks one of them (and the other for the following night, because why not).
Susan and Zoe sit down next to each other at dinner the first night and discover they have a lot in common, so continue to hang out together the rest of the weekend. They might even opt to share a room. Not that they're scared of ghosts or worried about the other guests, but this way they can keep talking without disturbing the other guests -- and share a drink without having to invite anyone else to join in.
This entry was originally posted at https://hamsterwoman.dreamwidth.org/1058314.html. Comment wherever you prefer (I prefer LJ).