#happy john and delenn season

[themostpowerfulmagicofall]

I wish I had time to do a whole comic

[queer-geordie-nerd]

I’ll be honest - I’ve never felt less in the Christmas spirit in my life. I’ll be glad when it’s over. The weight of expectation of this season is so insincere - plaster a smile on, everyone’s happy. I’m generally a pretty positive person and most of the time, I feel it. Lately though, I’ve felt emotionally exhausted, tense, like a string ready to snap. I’ve tried to keep my positive face on, but this morning I had a bit of a meltdown. I’m usually the strong one for everyone else so I’m saying this because it’s okay to not be okay all of the time. I know I’ll bounce back, I usually do. I have a lot to be thankful for and I’m grateful for everything in my life but the last few years have been challenging, to say the least, but I’m still trucking, just perhaps a tad more cynical and realist than I was a few years ago. I’m a bit sad I’m not much of an idealist anymore but it’s tough to maintain in a world like this.

One thing that has really helped me though - I'm on my third watch of Babylon 5 in six months and pretty much the sole reason for that is Delenn. Her compassion, wisdom and fire has been a balm to my soul. She's pretty much my favourite character ever and it just makes me happy to see her beautiful face on my screen. Her relationship with John, seeing how much they adore each other, how they are each other's light and strength in the darkness, helps me find the optimism in life at the moment.

[jenniferstolzer]

Babylon 5 Rewatch Season 2 Episode 19 Divided Loyalties

Another turning point episode of the show. Ivanova finally challenges her own prejudice against telepaths by letting Talia crash in her apartment while Talia’s own is being fumigated (that classic chestnut) while at the same time Lyta returns to the station to inform Sheridan and the command staff all that the Psi Corps have planted a mole in their midst. 

Things I liked about Divided Loyalties

1, Lyta is back! In my first watchthrough of the show, I grew way more attached to Lyta than I did to Talia. Behind the scenes, Lyta was supposed to be the station’s commercial telepath the whole time, but scheduling was a problem when it came to start the show and Andrea stepped in to fill the void. As a result Talia was playing catchup from the beginning, trying to fit into the shoes that Lyta already filled by touching Kosh’s mind. The unfortunate thing is that now that she’s finally built her character to match the stat level of the rest of the party she’s going to leave. Bummer. But we get some cute flirting between her and Susan and was sincerely good to see them getting along and laughing together. Their story was leading to this point, and its good to see both of them relax and have a genuine connection with other people. This is where they were supposed to end their journey I assume, but the ending had to speed up because of the casting change. Again. Bummer. But I’m glad we did get to see it! in a show so full of drama, soft moments of peace and connection add humanity and bring us closer to the characters and their struggles.

2, Similarly, the flirtyness of Sheridan and Delenn continues to be adorable. The scene with the newspaper terminal is particularly notable because it explains something about the world as well as the two characters both separate and as a couple. The Zen garden is also cute because it shows the two of them being casual and low key. Delenn is not afraid to admit she doesn’t know certain words in the English language and enjoys watching John flounder and grin as she tries to conjugate the word “butt.” Very cute. Good to see them smile.

3, Susan’s reveal to Sheridan that shes a latent telepath. An iconic scene fabulously acted by Claudia Christian. I can feel the fear and self-loathing as she confesses a secret she’s kept so closely guarded deep in my soul. (Although Susan, breaking into the captain’s quarters is not a good way to prove you’re not the plant.) It’s also interesting that Susan has a coming-out story in the same episode that her relationship with Talia is finally allowed to exist on screen... as tamely as it is.

Things i liked less about Divided Loyalties

1, I know there were outside circumstances in the form of losing and gaining actresses, but that Susan and Talia’s relationship is killed the minute it exists is still weak. And don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we have something. Something is better than nothing, but man does Susan get the short string in love. Every relationship she dares start ends tragically and this one also destroyed Talia’s humanity. This all hurts in a high-drama kinda way which I don’t have to like to respect, but what I sincerely do not like about this is that Replacement!Talia implies that the whole relationship was a shame orchestrated to get Talia closer to the command staff. This is stupid and dumb, because if that was the goal the whole time, Garibaldi was turning into a cartoon wolf over Talia just last season, she could have had access to the entire security suite if she wanted to, but she didn’t because this element was pulled out of fat air to justify her exit from the station. I know no one asked, but if it were up to me I could fix this by leaving everything the same, and having the sleeper personality just dormant in her head the whole time. Have her gain trust and reputation on the station as her normal charming self, and when it’s time for the psicorps to begin spying they would give her the code, destroy her mind, and replace her with the loyal personality to THEN begin the infiltration. That way Talia’s behavior before this episode remains sincere instead of retroactively throwing every thought and action she has under the bus. Its not like her spying led to anything. Did the alternate personality tell the psicorps about the underground railroad? Not that I recall. I’ll keep an eye out to see if it happens but to my memory it stops here.

2, I’m happy to see Lyta, but her scenes in the office are the most expositiony of exposition couches. She stands stage center and tells everyone what’s going on instead of it being revealed in more artful ways. This was done for time, because building it into the previous episodes was not an option, so I’m not really yelling at the ep, its just disappointing that things come to this when at the mercy of television production. 

More thoughts I took down while viewing

Lyta shows up and we have to recap the pilot episode, which I dind’t actually watch in my first go-through, so it was appreciated... then she delivers one of the greatest pre-commercial stings ever. “ONE OF YOU IS A TRAITOR AND I CAN PROVE IT!”

The Zen Garden has an office building behind it. Never saw that before. Also HOLY CRAP ITS A MALE ABBAI

Scene:

Sheridan: “You know how Ivanova is about letting any telepath near her.”

Garibaldi: ”Ah well, she’ll get over it”

//scene transitions to Susan and Talia in their bathrobes

BLACK MUSTACHE COP WHAT IS YOUR NAME? I’m naming you Tony.

Oh no RIP Tony!

Lol Cowrin comes in. “You’re doing a very good job” Zack didn’t even get a “You’re doing a good job” lol I wonder if Sheridan is using this opportunity to give some employee reviews. “Hi, thanks for coming.” Lyta “he’s clean” Sheridan “Ok good, I’ve gotten a report.”

Why did Talia2.0 say “My good and dear friend Susan” like she was Centauri? Was that on purpose.

Kosh would sing Lyta to sleep from a distance. She came back for a hit of his true self. It’s the adoration that compelled the Minbari.

on to 20! The beginning of the end of Season 2

[ylizam]

dear creator: femslashex 2k20 edition

Hi, Hello, Hey. First of all–thank you! This is my standard you offered to write one of my fandoms, so thank you for being awesome opening spiel, full of generals likes and dislikes, I’m sure you know the drill. I’ll make sure the fandom specific stuff is up by the time assignments go out. (That said, if you already have an idea about how you want to write about the fandom/pairing we match on—wow, I’m jealous! tell me your secrets!—just skip over the fandom stuff and go forth with your bad self.) 

Things I like include, but are in no way limited to: fun with POV, fun with linear vs. non-linear storytelling, fun with tone, fun with writing. I really dig character studies, stories that really get into what makes a character tick (and something porny that can get at that is wonderful too), and I like relationships that are hard and prickly and worth fighting for. I like happy endings that don’t feel tacked on or forced. I like doubt, and hope, and theology; I like actors, and directors, and I like the random deity. I like fairy tales. I like (love) romance tropes. Forced to share a bed, marriages of convenience, fake dating, friends-to-lovers, idiots-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers: it’s all like unto catnip. I like interesting turns of phrase, I like the perfect line, I like any story written just for me. If you have any questions about my taste (or lack thereof), feel free to ask @summervillen​ who probably knows my fannish tastes better than I do.

DNWs: noncon, necrophilia, pedophilia, incest, animal harm or death, child harm or death, pregnancy fic, A/B/O. Things that I would prefer you not include—especially gratuitously; there are obviously ways to engage with problematic actions/thoughts/etc. in fiction, but there’s such a fine line there—are as follows: non-character driven racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-semitism, etc. etc. etc. I’d prefer no high school AUs. I also have a pretty big embarrassment squick. And while I'm mostly interested in these characters in the worlds in which we meet them, if you really have an AU (non high school division) you want to write I'm there. Just, you know, grounded in the characters and their relationships and all that fun stuff. That's basically it.

Babylon 5 Delenn/Susan Ivanova I just ship them post-canon so hard. Later in life chances at love are sort of a thing of mine, and add to that two of my favorite characters ever, well, it’s like this pairing is made for me. That said, if you can find a way to write them during canon (maybe John doesn’t return from Z'ha'dum, maybe Delenn and John just never get together at all, maybe you can think of something I can’t) I’d love that too. Delenn/Shaal Mayan I’d love a story about them that’s really Minbari–that understands that neither of them is human. Something set when they were young and just figuring themselves out (and first love is rarely forever but it feels like it must be) or something set when Mayan visits Babylon 5 in season one or, heck, something set after the series ends. (I have a thing for writing on skin, so if you can find a way to fit that in more power to you.)

Last Tango in Halifax Gillian Greenwood/Caroline McKenzie-Dawson Oh gosh I have so many feelings about Gillian and Caroline and their relationship. How it’s grown, changed, and now they’re at a point where they see each other all the time and talk about basically everything and it’s all so beautiful. And, I mean, come on, they both have the best chemistry with the other; it’s just a fact. So what if they get drunk and kiss (or shag or something in between)? Or just deal with things like adults (I’m sure you could convince me that’s possible)? (She wasn’t part of the tagset, but I also liked what little we saw of Olga, both how she interacted with Caroline and how she befriended Gillian when they both showed up late to the play, so if you want to go the threesome route–whether it’s a V or a triad or whatever confusing mess of emotions you prefer–I’m there.) (P.S. I haven’t seen the most recent season, but I’m spoiled and have seen all the gifs and screencaps so include or don’t as you see fit.)

Lucifer Linda Martin/Mazikeen

Their relationship on the show is a thing of delight and wonder, so basically I want that but also MORE. Maze fighting people to protect Linda! Linda, well, trying to fight people but mostly realizing that Maze loves it and is good at it so. Maze panicking again about Linda eventually dying, but also MORE SO because now they’ve been fucking and also having weird candlelight dinners and um is this romantic this might be. (Whether Amenadiel is involved (romantically with either or both, as an active parent but no longer romantically, etc.) or off doing something else stage left and never mentioned is up to you, but please no bashing, killing off somehow, etc.) Feel free to include hijinks with the rest of the gang, but I’d prefer no focus on any police work. 

 The Old Guard (Movie) Andy/Quynh

Note: I haven’t read the comics, so this is strictly a movie request (I know they’re separate fandoms and listed thusly, but I just wanted to be clear). I’d love anything about them, in all honesty. Something in the past: a first time (they kissed, they said “I love you,” they refused to say “I love you,” they had sex, etc.), a fifth time, a mission gone wrong. Or something in the present/future: angst and fractured trust and fighting on opposite sides until they’re suddenly not. All too mortal Andy. Immortal Quynh. The options are basically endless. I also love everyone on the team, so feel free to include them however you see fit. 

Star Trek: Classic Timeline

First of all, I don’t know book canon, so include it, don’t include, whatever floats your proverbial boat. Second of all, I am more than happy with “this character lives” stories here. Obviously. Third of all, please no bashing of any other characters (even that one).

Beverly Crusher/Laris

So I came out of Picard with an undying devotion to Laris and a burning curiosity about what the heck Bev is up to these days. So tell me more about both of them. Is there’s a longstanding affair, often at a distance? Did they start out prickly and reserved, wary? How are Jean-Luc and Zhaban involved? (I am happy with whatever you decide on the Jean-Luc and Zhaban front, other than gratuitous death or bashing of either. Feel free to have them off having their own adventures and don’t mention them if you prefer not to involve them.) Is Beverly’s French as terrible as Jean-Luc’s? 

Kimara Cretak/Kira Nerys

Feel free to have Kimara escape/live/etc. I’d especially love something that recognizes that neither of them is human; play around with what we know of their cultures, about how those cultures might clash or unexpectedly mesh, how that can affect a relationship both positively and negatively. I’m always interested in Nerys’s faith and religious beliefs, and how that interacts with Romulan culture would be very much something I enjoy. 

K'Ehlyer/Deanna Troi

K’Ehlyer deserved better, and who is better than Deanna? I posit no one. This is another pairing where I’d love something about the fact that they’re not fully human and the implications thereof. (Feel free to include Alexander or not, as you choose. Ditto Thaddeus and Kestra. I’d prefer they not be a focal point though.) Whether you set it during TNG or Picard or in between, I’ll be equally happy (or an alternate version of reality works too! those are just the time references I can think of right now!). (Please note that I very much also ship Deanna and Will, so please, please, please don’t bash him or kill him off for no reason or have Deanna cheating on him or whatever. I’d much rather you don’t mention him at all if you don’t want him in the fic.) 

The Untamed Jiang Yanli/Wen Qing

Is part of this my desire to have two of my favorite characters pushed together? Yes. Is it also part of my desire to have them actually live? Absolutely. (Which is to say: I’d love a “Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing live” AU here. Or at least live longer than they make it in canon?) I’d also be fine with modern AUs here, but I’d prefer cultivation be in there somewhere even if it’s set in the present (or the 1980s or basically any time period). Maybe there’s a political partnership of convenience situation! Maybe something shifts in canon and Jiang Yanli helps the Qishan Wens out and things happen and trust grows and they fall in love! Maybe they have a secret fling! Honestly, it’s all good. 

[acrazyobsession]

Babylon 5 - 2x01

“Points of Departure”

Happy New Year, everyone! I am so excited to get back into this show and see what season 2 brings.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER 😍 [finally] as Captain John Sheridan

“Agamemnon" That is quite the mouthful

Sinclair is being permanently reassigned….knew that was coming. But it is of course interesting that he is being reassigned to the Minbari homeworld (as the first Earth Ambassador allowed permanent residency). It is no surprise that he was specifically asked for though we still don’t really know why he is so important.

[New opening monologue] Babylon 5 is 5 miles long with 250,000 humans and aliens. WOW

[credit sequence at the beginning] What a way to completely ruin the mystery surrounding Delenn and what she will become! That is why I avoid episode summaries and I hate “Coming up next week on…” snippets and episode trailers. They just give too much away!!!

There is some controversy surrounding Capt. Sheridan?? Always interesting. It seems he is called “Star Killer” having destroyed a Minbari ship. Which is why the Minbari might not be too happy with the choice. Yeah…some of them are not happy. Also because they did not have any say in Sinclair’s replacement.

It seems Delenn is helping the prophecy along by what she is doing.

I don’t know what the order of rank is for the Earth Alliance. It threw me at first when Sheridan was introduced as a Captain, because I am so used to Air Force rankings with Stargate and Captain is pretty low. But it seems they are following something similar to the Navy (along with the Coast Guard being the only ones with Commanders). Commander Sinclair being highest ranked on B5 and Lieutenant Commander Ivanova his second in command. It would only make sense for Captain Sheridan to be higher rank than Ivanova, which in the Navy, a Captain is one rank above Commander.

Sinclair and Ivanova as she gives him the tour:

S - “On the way in, I read the station reports, trying to catch up on everything. What's our status?” I - “Chief of security is in critical condition in Medlab. He thinks there's a conspiracy concerning the president's death. Ambassador G'Kar has mysteriously vanished. We still don't know what Ambassador Kosh looks like inside his encounter suit. And Ambassador Delenn is in a cocoon.” S - “A cocoon? As in a moth or a butterfly?” I - “Yes, sir. About yea high.” S - “Interesting place you have here.” I - “Yes, sir.”

I definitely have a girl crush on Ivanova.

Another great couple of lines between Ivanova and Sheridan:

I - "Which brings me to something I've been wanting to ask you. It's kind of awkward.” S - “You haven't worried about being diplomatic before. Don't disappoint me by starting now.”

It does seem that Ivanova is very comfortable with Sheridan. Opening up about her concerns at the choice of Sheridan and feelings regarding the President’s death. I was surprised she sat on the stool but even more surprised that she moved and sat on the chair. Much more informal that she was with Sinclair.

Sheridan is much more confrontational than Sinclair.

AND WE FINALLY LEARN THE SECRET - While they were interrogating Sinclair they discovered that Minbari souls are being reborn in human bodies. So to prevent their souls from being destroyed, they surrendered. Very interesting. But apparently there is more to the prophecy that Lennier did not tell them.

Lennier: “About the great enemy that is returning and the prophecy that the two sides of our spirit must unite against the Darkness or be destroyed. They say it will take both of our races to stop the Darkness. I'm told that the Earthers will discover all of this soon enough on their own. I hope they are right. Because if we are wrong no one will survive our mistake.”

So, Delenn’s transformation has something to do with that? We shall see.

A good balance of action and humor! I liked this episode probably the best so far. It just felt much more dynamic and interesting - very well acted.

[pellucidthings]

Because this is the hardest question ever, right back atcha: 5 fics you wish existed but will never write.

As we have said, I think your brain finds this harder than mine does! I always have quite a list of such fics… And as we can tell, I love a good canon divergence AU, but also that sort of thing is so not in my wheelhouse as a writer. (Though…stay tuned, maybe.)

1. The Hecate gives up her magic post-s2 AU. There have been a few attempts at this, but they’ve all either been pretty short or are unfinished wips. I want the looooooong, slow developing, character study version. Hicsqueak endgame, no deus ex machina where she gets her magic back after all. Who is Hecate Hardbroom without her magic? This is the story I most want in life right now, but also not a story I feel particularly inspired to write myself.

2. The Babylon 5 AU where Talia is not a secret sleeper agent. It’s pretty clear, I think, that the original plan was for Talia to stick around, and a lot of what becomes Lyta’s plot in seasons 3-4 would instead have been Talia’s. And we also know that JMS wanted to do more with Susan/Talia. But then Andrea Thompson left the show, and all we had left were the broken dreams of all the Susan/Talia shippers. I would LOVE for someone to write this version of the show. What changes if Talia stays? What doesn’t? 

3. Also in Babylon 5 AUs, the story where John stays dead at Z’ha’dum and Susan and Delenn save the world their own damned selves. AU from 4.01. Again, what changes? What stays the same?

4. For Blake, the story Mei Lin deserves. I haaaaaaaaaate the Mei Lin storyline in s4 because the show is so utterly unfair to Mei Lin. Here’s this character (the show’s ONLY character of color to appear in more than one episode omfg) whose sole purpose in the emotional arc of the show is to get in the way of the ship. It’s horrible. I very nearly hard quit the show over this. And the story I deeply would love to have the capacity to write is Mei Lin’s story. What have the past 17 years been like for her? What does this whole thing look like from her pov? (Incidentally, also super here for your version of the story Mei Lin deserves.)

5. For SG-1, the Janet Fraiser/Cam Mitchell story of my heart. Possibly I’m the only person who wants this and therefore the only person who would write it. And I imagine I never will because that ship sailed years and years ago. But oh, I would have loved the two of them together if Janet hadn’t died left the SGC to go work somewhere else while remaining happy and healthy. 

Ask me my top 5/10 of anything!

[traveller19]

AU of my AU...after everybody moves happily ever after back to Minbar, Delenn, who of course all animals love, opens a rescue for orphaned and homeless gokkae.  During niall gokkae (little gokkae) season, all the Rangers take rotating shifts getting up in the middle of the night to bottle feed every couple of hours.  Every room in the Sheridan/ra’ Mir house is full of furry creatures curled up on every surface, but they are all meticulously loved and cared for, and they all make little “gokk gokk” noises which is like their version of a purr whenever Delenn comes to pet them or feed them.  They are all made to behave by the one Earth cat that they own (that John promised her way back on Babylon 5), who keeps everyone in line.  John thinks there are a few too many but puts up with it all because it makes Delenn happy.  Lennier has been known to come over and fall asleep beneath a floofy pile of friendly creatures.

[ao3feed-babylon5]

by Texbard

This story is set in the world of Babylon 5, at the end of its final season and soon after the death of the Human, John Sheridan, former Captain of Babylon 5, and former President of the Interstellar Alliance. It is the year 2281 and Susan Ivanova has just resigned as General of the Earth Force, and accepted a commission as "Ranger One," the leader of The Rangers, from Delenn, former member of the Minbari Grey Council, current President of the Interstellar Alliance, and Sheridan's widow. The Rangers were first known as the Anla'Shok, an interplanetary class of warriors established 1,000 years ago by the Minbari in preparation for the great Shadow War prophesized by their leader, Valen (also known as Jeffrey Sinclair, but I won't explain that here, as it isn't relevant to this story).

Words: 8147, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Babylon 5

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F

Characters: Susan Ivanova, Talia Winters, Delenn (Babylon 5), John Sheridan (mentioned), Kosh (mentioned), Marcus Cole (mentioned), Jason Ironheart (mentioned), Alfred Bester (mentioned), Michael Garibaldi (mentioned), Valen (mentioned)

Relationships: Susan Ivanova/Talia Winters

Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending

from AO3 works tagged 'Babylon 5' http://ift.tt/2nMvM6N

[therighthandofvengeance]

[ylizam]

femslash exchange creator letter [currently a placeholder, soon to be real]

Hi, Hello, Hey. First of all–thank you! This is my standard you offered to write one of my fandoms, so you’re obviously a perfect paragon of humanity and all that jazz opening spiel, full of generals likes and dislikes, I’m sure you know the drill. I’ll make sure the fandom specific stuff is up by the time assignments go out. (That said, if you already have an idea about how you want to write about the fandom we match on—wow, I’m jealous! tell me your secrets!—just skip over the fandom stuff and go forth with your bad self.)

Things I like include, but are in no way limited to: fun with POV, fun with linear vs. non-linear storytelling, fun with tone, fun with writing. I really dig character studies, stories that really get into what makes a character tick (and something porny that can get at that is wonderful too), and I like relationships that are hard and prickly and worth fighting for. I like happy endings that don’t feel tacked on or forced. I like doubt, and hope, and theology; I like actors, and directors, and I like the random deity. I like fairy tales. I like (love) romance tropes. Forced to share a bed, marriages of convenience, fake dating, friends-to-lovers, idiots-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers: it’s all like unto catnip. I like interesting turns of phrase, I like the perfect line, I like any story written just for me. If you have any questions about my taste (or lack thereof), feel free to ask @summervillen​ who probably knows my fannish tastes better than I do.

Things that I would prefer you not include—especially gratuitously; there are obviously ways to engage with problematic actions/thoughts/etc. in fiction, but there’s such a fine line there—are as follows: noncon, necrophilia, pedophilia, incest, non-character driven racism/sexism/[all]isms. I also have a pretty big embarrassment squick. A/B/O doesn’t do anything for me. And I’m not really interested in AUs for any of these fandoms: canon divergence is fine, but not-related-to-canon alternate universes really aren’t my preference here.

Babylon 5 Delenn/Susan Ivanova I just ship them post-canon so hard. Later in life chances at love are sort of a thing of mine, and add to that two of my favorite characters ever, well, it’s like this pairing is made for me. That said, if you can find a way to write them during canon (maybe John doesn’t return from Z'ha'dum, maybe Delenn and John just never get together at all, maybe you can think of something I can’t) I’d love that too. Delenn/Shaal Mayan I’d love a story about them that’s really Minbari–that understands that neither of them is human. Something set when they were young and just figuring themselves out (and first love is rarely forever but it feels like it must be) or something set when Mayan visits Babylon 5 in season one or, heck, something set after the series ends. (I have a thing for writing on skin, so if you can find a way to fit that in more power to you.)

ER Jeanie Boulet/Kerry Weaver Elizabeth Corday/Kerry Weaver

Oh, the women of ER, how I love them. While I don’t want a never a medical professional AU, I’m fine with playing loose with canon events for these. (That said, I love that Jeanie can be HIV+ and fall in love, have sex, be happy, so while you don’t have to go deep on that I’d rather you didn’t change it.) I love the idea of post-series Jeanie/Kerry, but would also love something that takes place earlier (does Kerry realizing she’s attracted to Jeanie make her admit she’s a lesbian? do arguments over staffing lead to heated makeouts in the break room?). As for Elizabeth/Kerry, just think of all the sparks. All. Of. Them. I’m not a huge Mark fan, so I’d rather he not be front and center, but I’m fine with you including him as part of Elizabeth’s past if you want to go that route. I’m also fine with ignore canon relationships all together. Go wild, basically. 

Doctor Who Donna Noble/Thirteenth Doctor Donna Noble/River Song

Donna. Deserved. Better. Which is to say: ignore what happened to her, fix what happened to her, however you want to go about it, but make it better. I mean, imagine a world where Donna just shows up and has fun times with whatever Doctor is Doctoring at the time, and when it’s Thirteen they have to pretend to be married for some reason or other and, oh, kissing feels good! Or maybe River meets her during one of those times, and they spend so much time rolling their eyes about the Doctor that they end up in bed! (Or, um, feel free to go a threesome route with Thirteen, Donna, and River. If you want.) I just really do not want a story that is all about how much Donna loses or that ends with her without her memories again or any of that—if you fix it but keep what happened as story-canon, go ahead and have her deal with the fallout if if you want, but I can’t really cope with that being the (eventual or in-story) ending. 

Star Trek: Classic Timeline Beverly Crusher/Vash Kimara Cretak/Kira Nerys

First of all, I don’t know book canon, so include it, don’t include, whatever floats your proverbial boat. Second of all, I am more than happy with “this character lives” stories here. Which is to say, feel free to have Cretak escape/live/etc. Feel free to ignore anything that happens to Bev or Vash or Nerys. I basically think there should be reams and reams of fic about both of these pairings, and yet there is not. For Kira/Cretak I’d especially love something that recognizes that neither of them is human; play around with what we know of their cultures, about how those cultures might clash or unexpectedly mesh, how that can affect a relationship both positively and negatively. And just have fun with Beverly and Vash (and feel free to bring Picard in if you want, either as a friend or a third romantic partner or whatever). And of course I love the crews of the Enterprise and Deep Space Nine, so their reactions and relationships with everyone involved are more than welcome additions (although, again, not necessary).

Game of Thrones Brienne of Tarth/Sansa Stark

Look, the show did everyone dirty. The show did their relationship dirty. The show did writing dirty. Feel free to fix things, either by using the canon ending as a jumping board—maybe it turns out that an all-seeing-knowing-etc. being doesn’t make for a good king and revolt happens! maybe Bran and Sansa meet up for some sort of political thing or another and Brienne’s there as Lord Commander and things happen!—or by going AU (in the for want of a sense, not the everyone’s in space sense). Oh, and this is definitely a pairing where I would dig service kink if you are interested in writing such a thing. Look, it’s right there. 

This is also the only pairing I requested a vid for; I’d love anything that builds on their relationship, maybe plays around with service and fealty and honor and the way different women fight. (I’m sorry; my ability to write about vidding is limited, but know that I’d love anything. I love all sorts of music. I love all sorts of vids.)

[jenniferstolzer]

Babylon 5 rewatch Episode 2.01 Points of Deptarture

Season 2 starts with the arrival of Captain John Sheridan. It’s some first day on the job. His past IMMEDIATELY comes to haunt him. Also Garibaldi is in a coma and Delenn is in a cocoon.

I keep saying this is when the show starts getting good -- I realize that it’s not quite yet b/c Bruce Boxleitner still has to find his feet. It doesn’t help that the script for this episode is a little iffy. It’s leaning super hard into getting us to understand his qualification, significance, and personality as much as they can wedge it in. Generally I like Sheridan better than Sinclair because I identify more closely with him and his big bro command style. Bruce has a lot of charisma -- stretched thin on this script but evident even in the next episode -- and I’m happy to have him back even if I do miss Sinclair. I did my best to love him in this runthrough as much as I could in the time allotted me. 

Things I liked about Points of Departure

1, It accomplished a lot in a small amount of time. 

2, Sheridan establishes his overblown but delightful obsession with citrus. It’s important to note that later he shares that his father grew oranges so he loves them but he loves them in the same way that I love mac and cheese. They’re delicious, a comfort food, and a nostalgic bit of the present that uses all senses to remind you of home. 

Things I liked less about Points of Departure

1, While it’s great that Ivanova is shown as acting captain in the six days since the end of the first seasons, she’s largely relegated to cabbage head in this episode. She has a past with Sheridan so they don’t have to develop a rapport on camera (convenient, but good b/c they literally have no time for that in this ep) but spends most the ep following him around asking him to explain his decisions and idiosyncrasies. She could be replaced with someone wearing a sandwich board that says “Yes, go on”

2, I understand why Sinclair’s absence needed to be explained, and why he himself couldn’t be there to do it, but it was still super constipated how it was forced out in the first five minutes. 

3, Sheridan is SUPER IMPORTANT and the Minbari SUPER DONT LIKE HIM you guys. Its SUPER CLEAR now, right?  There’s good points of that as well -- he’s the opposite of Sinclair in every way except his brunette white guy looks and his monogram and that allows him to be unique. 

I’m looking forward to getting back in the groove. Onward!