Did No One Get The Memo To Be Nice To Students For The First Week?

[redbrunja]

Aren’t teachers supposed to ease us into college? This quarter was more like starting a race than anything else. “Ready... set.... 100 pages of reading, a daily response and an essay due, stat!”
 
I can’t believe I’ve only been at college a week.

So far, with one exception, my classes seem really cool. My teacher for my Japanese Film and Culture class seem fun, and Cross-Cultural Psych will be very interesting (even if the book is confusing as hell).  My Prospectus class (how to publish a novel) is less fun, because the teacher is kind of wishy-washy and hard at the same time, and keeps assigning personal assignments that are very time-consuming.

I actually think the hardest part about this quarter is going to be scheduling; I have a lot of things that can’t be done until something previous is done, which can be difficult.

For example, on Wednesday evening I watch anime, then I have Swing Club and an exercise class at the Rec center (following by collapsing into bed). Then on Wednesday, I have work, class until 5:00, go the to gym (and then it’s Supernatural night; how am I supposed to delay my weekly Dean fix?).

But somehow I’m supposed to manage to write a response to the anime I watched on Wednesday prior to Friday at 10:00 am.

So, that was probably more than you cared to know about the minutiae of my life.

Also, penknife was discussing compatibility here and refering to The Broccoli Test (from gwyn_r’s lj):

“As legend, and my mind filling in blanks, would tell it, Sandy and C were at the grocery store, on opposite ends of the produce section, and Sandy was trying to tell C to pick up some broccoli without shouting across the store at her. No amount of pantomiming and mouthing of the words could get the point across to C, and Sandy apparently told her (we were all in the midst of Professionals-mania then), "Doyle would have known Bodie wanted him to pick up some broccoli with just a raise of his eyebrow!" or something like that. Hence, Bodie and Doyle would have passed the broccoli test.”

Now, I’ve never felt that passing the Broccoli is is necessary for me to ship a pairing, (hell, half the fun is the tragic misunderstandings) or even for me to think it will work, but it’s interesting to see which couples do this.

Romantically, Brennan and Booth (as long as it doesn’t involve pop culture), Max and Logan (they disagree, but they understand what the other person is thinking), and Veronica and Weevil. Non romantically, Zoe and Mal are the epitome of the Broccoli Test and Dean and Sam have perfected the art of the raised eyebrow.

So, which pairings do you love who communicate with just a glance? Which pairings do you love who wouldn’t communicate with a bullhorn and a dictionary (but still might be happy together someday)?

Also gacked from fannish5:

Name five totally self-indulgent story ideas. (The fanfic you would write if you didn't care if you had an audience and also had no shame.)

1.) That epic Goyjo and Tain fic. I would love to write Goyjo falling for someone just as intimacy -phobic as he is, as well as playing with the idea of a female sanzo (not Tain) because there are two sutra’s wandering around somewhere and historically there were (and still are) monasteries of Buddhist nuns. The challenge to writing this fic would be to write Goyjo and Tain snarking at each other and then manage to make it clear they actually cared about each other without losing the witty, sexual-innuendo-laden banter.

2.) The rest of my HP fic, staring Trillium. It’s another novel length fic that no one (judging by the reaction to “Welcome to The Grey World”) would read. Plus, I started it before I had read any of those Mary-Sue tests on lj, and while I don’t think she’s a Mary Sue because she’s not badly written and doesn’t warp the world she’s in, I don’t want to have to continue to defend her. Also, I don’t have time to write a novel-lengh fic.

3.) The resurrection of the Impala. Because you know it would have taken an act of the devil to get it back to the way it was (Dean’s mad skillz notwithstanding). So, demon kidnaps girl + person she’s supposed to be protecting, kills the latter to get the car back to it’s former glory (even demons need rides sometimes). Later, after various traumas, girl kills demon and escapes in the Impala, which is now housing the spirit of her best friend.

4.) That NC-17 Klaus and Lucrezia-in-Agatha’s-body fic. It would involve lots of bondage, and is-this-actually-consensual sex. It would have Klaus unable to decide what to do with Lucrezia and Gil’s love for Agatha getting twisted up with his need to kill that Mogfish bitch, and Lucrezia doing her best to fuck them both over (in both meanings of the word). I’d write this, but I don’t know if I can torture Gil as much as I’d need to.

5.) Goyjo and Yaone get shanghighed into a gladiatorial game. I’d write this, because I love to see the Sanzo Party and Kougaiji and his team working together trying to rescue their various wayward members. Meanwhile Goyjo and Yaone don’t know help is out there and are trying to escape. It would be a great chance to do some cool fight scenes. However, since I can think of one movie and three books who have done this already, I would feel I was being derivative.

So, what stories would you write if you were a shameless hussy and had lots of feedback guaranteed?

Comments

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

*contiued*

I figure that if Klaus ever realizes that Agatha is in no way like her mother and never going to become the Other, he'll view her as a good influence on Gil -- she builds death rays and doesn't seem inclined to stick the Jagers on knitting duty for another generation. Between her and Gil, they could keep Europe under control when Klaus retires.

Okay, I totally disagree with this. Frankly, I think Klaus would be more comfortable with her being like Lucrezia- he would know how to deal with her. Also, she's really not a good influence on Gil the way Klaus would want.

imho, here's what happened with the history: the Heterodyne Boys kept the world from breaking into bits and pieces by defeating the really bad things out there and then by giving other people tools and machines to help them help themselves. Then, the Boys disappear, Klaus comes back and the world has gone to hell. Klaus, being ruthlessly practical, takes over everywhere he can using force. His hold on Europe is, by definition, tenuous- lots of people are afraid of him, and lots more don't want him to have power over them (the Royal Houses, specifically).

For him to retire, he needs Gil to be just as ruthless as he is- and I don't think Gil has the disregard for human life that his father does. (Can you imagine him torturing someone just to find out how Sparks work? This is the guy who didn't want to break his Heterodyne artifact.)

Agatha has no love for the Baron or his tactics, isn't the type of person to shut up about that to be with Gil, and by virtue of being a Heterodyne, her very existence will cause people to revolt against Klaus (e.g. the students on the airship).

Neither her or Gil are the type of people who would be willing to do what it takes to 'keep Europe under control' and I think the Baron knows that Agatha would/will prevent him from molding his son into a proper Wulfenbach heir.

(I'm working on an essay on the subject. What's your excuse?)

What am I supposed to do, homework? *giggle* I can't wait to read your essay.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Well, Agatha's hero streak combined with what we've seen of the future tells us she'll be going around and helping people. . . but her fondness for death rays and ability to work with the Jagers(not to mention the current scene) indicate she can be ruthless when called for. As a Heterodyne heir, the general public with their love of the stories of her father and uncle will focus only on the good parts, and figure that any damage done was entirely called for. The classic iron fist in a velvet glove.

I read it as Agatha's issues with the Baron being largely personal, and that especially after spending time in the Wastelands, she'd realize that, without him, things would be much worse. And Klaus recognizes the power the stories have; if the son of the 'evil' baron defied his father and ran off with the daughter of Bill Heterodyne, they'd be able to assume control with some ease; some houses would automatically pay their respects because of the good the Heterodyne Boys did for them in the past, others would gladly sign on out of love for the stories and legands. The rest. . . she'd have death rays and Jagers on hand to help convince them. *grin*

And Klaus? He'd finally be able to retire to his lab. The dissecting of brains was a hobby rather than part of his job, anyway.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Agatha's issues with the Baron are definatly personal, but I do think she has some idea of what he means in a larger sense (the whole, "Let's make trouble" scene springs to mind).

While I love Klaus for the whole, 'I'm evil, but at least I'm not anarachy' factor, I think that the world was better when people had more freedom and the Heterodyne Boys were running around.

they'd be able to assume control with some ease; some houses would automatically pay their respects because of the good the Heterodyne Boys did for them in the past, others would gladly sign on out of love for the stories and legands. The rest. . . she'd have death rays and Jagers on hand to help convince them. *grin*

See, to me, that ending would be something I'd love to read in a dark fanfiction, but would hate if they did it in the actual comics. It strikes to close to Agatha going evil for my tastes. (Plus, from what I hear from the Baron, running an empire sucks) I want her and Gil to break up the Wulfenbach empire, and run about Europe as Sparky Knight Errants, saving the day and having a bunch of awesome adventures.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

But that was off of "You'll cause trouble just by existing" -- it was more, "I'm going to go out and live, not be crushed down or controlled", from what I read.

The thing is, when the Heterodyne Boys were running around? It was the first era of peace since the Long War started. It ended when they vanished, and thus clearly didn't work in the long run. Right now, people have freedom -- unless someone directly acts out in a dangerous way (harbouring hive engines, attacking the Spark in the next castle over, plotting against the Baron) they're pretty much free to do as they like. He helps ensure that basic things like roads are maintained, and he's never said a word against the plays that mock or villify him.

Even with simple things like keeping the students on the Castle, there's signs he's working for lasting peace with it -- raise Sparks and Nobles of all the major families together, they're less likely to attack a childhood friend than someone from a rival house they'd never met before.

It's a world where the Spark with the biggest guns rules, and if you divide up Europe, it's unlikely they'd all be content with sticking to their own region. Even England, which seems to be the most politically stable region, is ruled by Albia - 'Her Undying Majesty'. A dynasty can be maintained if the power doesn't need to be handed over.

I still want Agatha and Gil to run around Europe as Sparky Knight Errants, saving the day and having adventures. This doesn't go against my idea. But when they're older, feel like settling down somewhat, and Klaus is ready to retire. . . they could take over.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

it was more, "I'm going to go out and live, not be crushed down or controlled", from what I read.

True, although I got a little bit of 'Baron's going down' vibe as well.

Right now, people have freedom

I'd argue with that statement. I know part of it is my idealist-democracy coming out to play, but it really bothers me that if the Baron does something, or destroys a town there is no one to act as a check and balance for him. Absolute power and all that, and Klaus wasn't that pure in the beginning.

Also, the students were hostages. While I don't doubt good came out of them all being raising together, he nonetheless stole people's children to keep them in line. This is no a man I want to have power over everything. While the Heterodyne solution didn't work then, it doesn't necessarily follow that HeterodyneWulfenback v.2 won't.

Still, unstable Europe and sort-of evil Baron make for a way better story than a peaceful, unified yet independent continent.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

But, prior to now, when has she indicated any intention of directly taking on Klaus? When he thought she was dead, her response was "It's hard to believe it's over", not "Now he'll never suspect my eventual attack!". The Battle Circus was originally designed to take on monsters in the Wastelands, and she trusted him enough that theh original message told everyone to go and warn the Baron about Lucrenzia's invasion of her mind.

How is the average, non-Sparky citizen affected by Klaus' rule? He makes sure the roads are maintained, keeps the nastier Sparks under control, and rarely does anything like destroy a town. Absolute power does not corrupt, but fear of having less than absolute power will set in like rot.

He makes sure they have a proper education, keeps them in the safest place in Europe, and makes sure their parents don't attack each other . . . and releases them when they come of age. 'Kidnapping', 'Mandatory boarding school' -- potayto, potahto. I guess we were raised differently -- my father always felt that a benevolent dictatorship would be ideal. Democracy, in an ideal world, would be best, but neither ours nor the GGverse is ideal. Imagine George W Bush being in control of Europe.

Though, agreed, this does make for a more interesting story.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

'Kidnapping', 'Mandatory boarding school' -- potayto, potahto. I guess we were raised differently -- my father always felt that a benevolent dictatorship would be ideal.

Yeah, I think we just a diffrent beliefs about this- while I can see what you're saying, 'benevolent dictatorship' just seems like an oxymoron to me. I think Klaus is a great, nuanced character, in part because he is doing stuff like maintaing road and such, as well as the kidnapping but I also think his power needs to be broken. Plus, as you said, it's fiction, so what would be ideal would be really boring to read. As much as I say, 'I'd like such and such to happen politically,' it's more fun if the system is screwed up. Makes for better drama.

imagine George W Bush being in control of Europe.

WARN ME BEFORE YOU pUT THE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE IMAGES IN MY HEAD!!! I read that and literally shuddered.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

*nod* I can accept this is just a difference in belief systems and call a truce on this. But right there and right now, Klaus is the best option that Europe has. It's theoretically possible for Agatha to set a better system in place, but it would take a hell of a lot of work and, in the best-case scenerio, might be ready to set into motion around the time Klaus would be retiring, anyway.

Sorry! I just thought it would be a good example of how democracy has its flaws. . . having one person in the ultimate position of power, ruling wisely, who acts in the best interests of all his people and doesn't kill large portions of them, would be effective. The average person hears 'dictator' and associates it with the genocidal types, but that isn't part of the definition. *shrugs it off*

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's totally truce time- I think we're about to start going around in circles and stop saying anything interesting. ^_^

Yep, when the choice is Klaus or ararchy the Baron is definitly the better option. And democray does have it's flaws- I just get twicty about the idea of one person in a position of total power, and I do have a knee-jerk reaction to the word 'dictator'. *shrugs*