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Quarantine, Day Eighteen - Entry Four


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#1 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 03 April 2006 - 05:02 AM

Notebrains:

1. Classy videogame logic rocks! And so do Sam & Max references. Hey, if people (You know who you are :? ) can make Monkey Island references, well, I should be allowed to hit other LucasArts adventure games.

2. Also, a Serenity reference... just... just 'cause it's cool. Just 'cause. :twisted:

3. So... friends, even really good friends, argue every now and again... and when they do, it's usually not pretty. Whoops.

4. Language warning. A few instances of swearing.

5. I would also like to thank Frank Miller and All-Star Batman & Robin for giving us the wonderful phrase: "I'm the goddamn Batman." Gotta love it. Pure, unadulterated crack. :roll:

-----

The cabinets behind the cash register had been smashed open. Most of the hardware stored in there, things like small handguns and boxes of shotgun shells, had already been looted. There wasn’t much else left except empty cartons and discarded packing material. Too bad bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts weren’t very useful against zombies. We’d have been sitting pretty, then.

I pocketed a few sheets of the bubbly. Why? Because my life is an adventure game, and everyone knows that the first rule of adventure gaming is “Pick up everything you can, and never throw anything away.” Those of you in the club know the deal: you just toss stuff in your inventory, and even if you never use it again, at least you can reassure yourself that it’s there… waiting for you to haul it out of your jacket and use it to solve some cleverly contrived puzzle in a totally nonsensical manner. You know, like picking up a rabbit by its neck, dunking its head in stagnant water and then jamming the poor thing’s face into a fuse box. Now that is some classy videogame logic.

Anyway, at the very least, if I ever got bored, I could make neat noises popping all the little bubbles with my fingers. Little things like that make me happy.

I pitched a few large chunks of battered Styrofoam over my shoulder and kept digging through the boxes sprawled out in front of me, but I was starting to lose hope. “I’m not finding a whole lot, Jeff. This place looks to be cleaned out pretty good.”

He called back from the other side of the room where he was using a pocket knife to slice the tape off a bunch of cardboard boxes. Unfortunately, more often than not, the contents proved to be of little use. Wasn’t a lot you could do with a couple of hundred advertising fliers printed on neon green paper. “Not much here, either,” he grumbled. “There’s a couple of crates in the storeroom that we haven’t checked yet. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“My luck’s been kinda on a downswing lately.”

A snort. “So much for that fabled Irish fortune.”

“Yeah, I traded my birthright for a good bottle of whiskey a few years back. Wish I hadn’t. I haven’t been ‘lucky’ in a long time, if you know what I mean.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “Hard not to. You’re not exactly the most subtle of people.”

“At least I didn’t use the ‘Kaylee line.’”

“Uh huh.” He looked up from his searching and tossed me a knowing wink. “Only one problem with that, though. Your hands don’t run on batteries.”

I really wish I knew where he picked up that smug grin of his. I’m pretty sure he hadn’t learned it from watching me, but I suppose it was possible. But wherever he’d learned that little trick, he knew how to use it to devastating effect. Smug little bastard. I flipped him off… not… angrily… but I did flip him off. “Oh, you’re real funny.”

He shrugged, but didn’t look apologetic in the least. Honestly, part of me was proud – the way a schoolteacher would be proud of her star pupil. But another part of me wanted to smack him upside the head for being so damn good at pushing my buttons.

Yes, folks. I’m a hypocrite. You got a problem with that?!

Heh heh.

Kidding.



A little.

“What’d you expect? Don’t spend a couple of years hanging around someone like you without picking up a few tricks of the trade.” His voice trailed off, abruptly, and he threw himself back into his work. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, but it wasn’t too difficult to figure out that he was working up the nerve to bring up an… uncomfortable topic. He pocketed a pistol magazine and turned to face me, his expression having gone all serious. “So… Coll… about what happened earlier with the… well… you know.” He scratched the back of his neck and stared at the ground, trying very hard not to be too… forward… I guess you could say, about the whole thing. “You said you didn’t really want to talk about it, and I get that, but I just thought you-”

Well, he thought wrong.

I held up a hand to forestall the rest of what he had planned to say. “I’m gonna stop you right there, Jeff. See, when I said I didn’t want to talk about it… well, I didn’t want to talk about it. And I still don’t.” At this point, I wasn’t… mad at him or anything, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear this topic was off limits… for the time being, at least.

“I understand that, but… it happened, and you can’t just ignore it-”

“Oh, you damn well better believe I can.”

“Then you shouldn’t.”

Excuse me?

Ok. Now I was getting a little… irked. I glared at him, staring him right in the eye, waiting for him to flinch. “Really? And why the hell not, Jeff? Huh? Why the hell not?”

“Well, it’s just-“

“Just what? Just… unhealthy?” I’d started snarling at him, and, honestly, at the time, I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly, there I was, gritting my teeth and wanting very much to… I don’t know… hit him, or something. “Oh, no, I died, now I have to talk about my feelings. Bullshit. I don’t have to do a damn thing.”

He sighed. While I’m sure my reaction frustrated him, he’d had some… experience with my outbursts of temper and usually knew how to keep his head, even though I’d lost mine. “Why are you so angry at me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I told you that I don’t want to talk about it. Drop the subject.”

“But-“

“I’m sorry, was there anything about the phrase ‘Drop it’ that you didn’t understand, or am I just talking too fast for you? Drop. The. Subject. Dumbass.”

And that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Truthfully? In retrospect? I’m surprised he didn’t just haul off and pop me in the mouth. If the situations had been reversed, well… I probably would have… but then again, I’m notoriously ill-tempered – i.e. Irish.

He glared at me, his eyes narrowed down, and his brow creased. In all the years we’d known each other, I’d only seen him really mad a handful of times… and most of those times, it was me who’d somehow managed to get him that royally pissed off. A… dubious badge of honor, I guess. Anyway, point was, I’d grown pretty familiar with that “You really need to shut the hell up. Right now,” look of his, and every time I’d been on the receiving end of it, it always ended up with me feeling pretty lousy. Now was no exception.

I should have apologized for snapping at him… for being so cross with him. He was angry, and I was feeling like a heel… with good reason – I won’t deny that. Problem was, I was also a little annoyed myself, and that meant I was torn on what to do for a while. Long enough, apparently, for whatever chance I’d had to try and apologize, to come and go before I could say a word. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, and got this in return:

“Fine, Coll. Fuck you, too, and have a nice day.”

I deserved that.

I deserved worse, actually, but like I said, I wasn’t feeling very personable. Plus, in situations like these, I tended to develop a strong aversion to just sucking up my pride and saying I was sorry. So, instead, like a total bitch, I baited him. “What?”

The noise I got as a response was definitely some sort of scoffing. “You heard me. I just thought that talking about it would help, but all right, you’re not going for it. Fine. So you wanna be a bitch, you be a bitch. But that doesn’t mean I gotta stand here and watch you do it. I’ve got better things to do than deal with cranky Irish women.” He made some kind of shooing motion with his hands, indicating that I should probably just leave and let him get back to what he was doing.

Now I wanted to leave. We were both pretty fed up with each other, and me going my way while he went his was a good idea… but you have to understand – there are procedures for this kind of thing – procedures that simply need to be followed, regardless of circumstance. I balled my hands into fists, planted them on my hips, and hit Jeff with my very best “I’m the goddamn Batman” glower. “Well, fine! I’m leaving!”

He didn’t even look up. “All right! You do that!”

Damn it. Waste of a perfectly good glower.

“I’m gonna!”

“Good!”

“Here I go!”

“Whatever!”

So, I made for the door – leading off with the full-blown, drama queen heel-spin. I even made with the “storming out in an enormous huff,” which was kinda hard since I didn’t exactly fit the “soap opera queen-bitch” type. But if I do say so myself (and I do,) I think I pulled off a pretty decent impression.

But just as I’d gotten back out into the main corridor, and was trying to figure out where I should head next, I heard Jeff yell something at me from inside.

“You smarten up, you know where to find me!”

“Oh, yeah, like -that’s- going to happen!” I fired back.



Oh… damn it. Ugh.

I hate you, brain. I hate you so much.


#2 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 03 April 2006 - 07:50 AM

1. Classy videogame logic rocks! And so do Sam & Max references. Hey, if people (You know who you are :? ) can make Monkey Island references, well, I should be allowed to hit other LucasArts adventure games.


Go for it, Sam and Max rocks! ;) I haven’t been able to find places where to insert that insanity, but I’ll keep trying… ;)

Btw, do you follow the new Sam&Max online comic at the Telltale Games? It’s pretty cool!

2. Also, a Serenity reference... just... just 'cause it's cool. Just 'cause. ;)


Yes it is… but see, I don’t think that Serenity has quite reached the cult status of the more renowned classics. It might get there… ;)

I pocketed a few sheets of the bubbly. Why? Because my life is an adventure game, and everyone knows that the first rule of adventure gaming is “Pick up everything you can, and never throw anything away.” Those of you in the club know the deal: you just toss stuff in your inventory, and even if you never use it again, at least you can reassure yourself that it’s there… waiting for you to haul it out of your jacket and use it to solve some cleverly contrived puzzle in a totally nonsensical manner. You know, like picking up a rabbit by its neck, dunking its head in stagnant water and then jamming the poor thing’s face into a fuse box. Now that is some classy videogame logic.


Yeah, but it’s Max. ;) He just shrugs it off and looks totally nonplussed about the whole thing. ;)

“At least I didn’t use the ‘Kaylee line.’”


“Uh huh.” He looked up from his searching and tossed me a knowing wink. “Only one problem with that, though. Your hands don’t run on batteries.”


I couldn’t remember what was the Serenity reference here, so I had to look it up, and I guess this is the one.

Kaylee: Goin' on a year now, ain't nothing 'twixt my nethers weren't run on batteries.

Well, I can imagine there would be a long line of fellows wanting to help her with that problem. ;)

He shrugged, but didn’t look apologetic in the least. Honestly, part of me was proud – the way a schoolteacher would be proud of her star pupil. But another part of me wanted to smack him upside the head for being so damn good at pushing my buttons.


I can understand that, I mean, she was pretty upset from recalling her past relationship just now, and that’s really not a good time to push anyone’s buttons.

“So… Coll… about what happened earlier with the… well… you know.” He scratched the back of his neck and stared at the ground, trying very hard not to be too… forward… I guess you could say, about the whole thing. “You said you didn’t really want to talk about it, and I get that, but I just thought you-”


Well, he thought wrong.


Yeah… I mean, it’s generally not a good idea to infuriate people with your wiseass jokes and then switch to another very serious and private topic.

Ok. Now I was getting a little… irked. I glared at him, staring him right in the eye, waiting for him to flinch. “Really? And why the hell not, Jeff? Huh? Why the hell not?”


Well, there are good times to prod someone and there are bad times for that. This constitutes a very bad time. ;)

“Just what? Just… unhealthy?” I’d started snarling at him, and, honestly, at the time, I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly, there I was, gritting my teeth and wanting very much to… I don’t know… hit him, or something. “Oh, no, I died, now I have to talk about my feelings. Bullshit. I don’t have to do a damn thing.”


You probably should, but this isn’t a great moment for that, obviously.

“I’m sorry, was there anything about the phrase ‘Drop it’ that you didn’t understand, or am I just talking too fast for you? Drop. The. Subject. Dumbass.”


Ouch. ;)

He glared at me, his eyes narrowed down, and his brow creased. In all the years we’d known each other, I’d only seen him really mad a handful of times… and most of those times, it was me who’d somehow managed to get him that royally pissed off. A… dubious badge of honor, I guess. Anyway, point was, I’d grown pretty familiar with that “You really need to shut the hell up. Right now,” look of his, and every time I’d been on the receiving end of it, it always ended up with me feeling pretty lousy. Now was no exception.


Oh, I don’t know, the guy isn’t entirely blameless that the situation escalated like this.

“Fine, Coll. Fuck you, too, and have a nice day.”


I deserved that.


Sorry, but I don’t think so. The way I see it, he’s being more of an ass about all this than she is.

The noise I got as a response was definitely some sort of scoffing. “You heard me. I just thought that talking about it would help, but all right, you’re not going for it. Fine. So you wanna be a bitch, you be a bitch. But that doesn’t mean I gotta stand here and watch you do it. I’ve got better things to do than deal with cranky Irish women.” He made some kind of shooing motion with his hands, indicating that I should probably just leave and let him get back to what he was doing.


Prick. Now he’s acting all annoyed because she refused to talk to him about it, when he really should have learned to let go after the fifth or sixth time she made sure she doesn’t want to talk about it. :twisted:

He didn’t even look up. “All right! You do that!”


Damn it. Waste of a perfectly good glower.


Awww… ;)

“You smarten up, you know where to find me!”


“Oh, yeah, like -that’s- going to happen!” I fired back.


:roll: But we like you as you are, Coll! :)

Oh… damn it. Ugh.


I hate you, brain. I hate you so much.


:) I don’t think this whole deal was her fault, far from it. Hopefully she can find some nicer traveling companion. Maybe go back to that adorable doctor back in the hospital? :D

#3 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 03 April 2006 - 08:08 AM

3. So... friends, even really good friends, argue every now and again... and when they do, it's usually not pretty. Whoops.


You can't fault people for being human. Well, some can I suppose.

4. Language warning. A few instances of swearing.


Only a few? Colleen's supposed to have Irish blood. I think she's letting the side down.

The cabinets behind the cash register had been smashed open. Most of the hardware stored in there, things like small handguns and boxes of shotgun shells, had already been looted. There wasn’t much else left except empty cartons and discarded packing material. Too bad bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts weren’t very useful against zombies. We’d have been sitting pretty, then.


You see, if the A-Team were there they'll have built some kind of armored vehicle out of all that.

I pocketed a few sheets of the bubbly. Why? Because my life is an adventure game, and everyone knows that the first rule of adventure gaming is “Pick up everything you can, and never throw anything away.”


That rule doesn't just apply in games. Not for me anyway. I've still got two Commodore Amigas. They might be useful, someday.

Anyway, at the very least, if I ever got bored, I could make neat noises popping all the little bubbles with my fingers. Little things like that make me happy.


That stuff is rather addictive.

“My luck’s been kinda on a downswing lately.”

A snort. “So much for that fabled Irish fortune.”


Ah, the English stole that from us as well, the feckin'arseholes... more drink!

Yes, folks. I’m a hypocrite. You got a problem with that?!


Well, she's not necessarily a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who doesn't practice what they preach. Possibly, she's just a little inconsistent. I think most people are to varying degrees.

I held up a hand to forestall the rest of what he had planned to say. “I’m gonna stop you right there, Jeff. See, when I said I didn’t want to talk about it… well, I didn’t want to talk about it. And I still don’t.” At this point, I wasn’t… mad at him or anything, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear this topic was off limits… for the time being, at least.

“I understand that, but… it happened, and you can’t just ignore it-”


Edwin: Yes she can. She needs to bury it deep inside and never annoy anyone with it ever again.

Imoen: You can't keep things buried forever. You've gotta deal with them sooner or later.

Edwin: Speak for yourself... there is absolutely nothing in my past which will ever come back to haunt. At least if it did, it would only be to do my bidding.

“Just what? Just… unhealthy?” I’d started snarling at him, and, honestly, at the time, I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly, there I was, gritting my teeth and wanting very much to… I don’t know… hit him, or something. “Oh, no, I died, now I have to talk about my feelings. Bullshit. I don’t have to do a damn thing.”


Aerie: It is unhealthy. W-what you don't want to happen is to let things fester inside you... until eventually you become so anxious and obsessed that it occupies your every waking moment.

Imoen: Yeah... and Aerie's had all sorts of bad stuff happen to her. I mean, she was shot, kidnapped, locked up for years, abused... had her limbs cut off while she was still conscious...

Aerie: Er... y-yes... but we've heard enough about that.

Imoen: But the worst thing is being cut off from her home. She had a family and now she's no way of knowing if they're even alive or dead... I mean thats probably worse than actually seeing them killed in some ways...

Aerie: I-if you don't shut up, I will strangle you.

And that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Truthfully? In retrospect? I’m surprised he didn’t just haul off and pop me in the mouth. If the situations had been reversed, well… I probably would have… but then again, I’m notoriously ill-tempered – i.e. Irish.


Yeah, there's a myth in some places that Irish people are supposed to be laid back. It's all bollocks.

I should have apologized for snapping at him… for being so cross with him. He was angry, and I was feeling like a heel… with good reason – I won’t deny that. Problem was, I was also a little annoyed myself, and that meant I was torn on what to do for a while. Long enough, apparently, for whatever chance I’d had to try and apologize, to come and go before I could say a word. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, and got this in return:

“Fine, Coll. Fuck you, too, and have a nice day.”

I deserved that.


Well... I don't know if she deserved that, exactly. But you can't expect humans to not behave like human beings. I'm sure it will all blow over eventually and cooler heads will prevail.

Now I wanted to leave. We were both pretty fed up with each other, and me going my way while he went his was a good idea… but you have to understand – there are procedures for this kind of thing – procedures that simply need to be followed, regardless of circumstance. I balled my hands into fists, planted them on my hips, and hit Jeff with my very best “I’m the goddamn Batman” glower. “Well, fine! I’m leaving!”


I think you need the mask for it to really work. Being at least somewhat heavily built probably helps a bit too.

“I’m gonna!”

“Good!”

“Here I go!”

“Whatever!”


Garth: Well go then.

Wayne: I'm gone.

Oh… damn it. Ugh.

I hate you, brain. I hate you so much.


You should punish it by drinking more.

#4 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 12:12 AM

I haven’t been able to find places where to insert that insanity, but I’ll keep trying…


:twisted: It just needs to happen... for one, I've been dying to find a place for:

Raven: "I'm... concerned about this Conroy Bumpus character..."

Harlequin: "Don't worry, Lynn... we'll wipe the floor with his cheap toupee."

:?

Btw, do you follow the new Sam&Max online comic at the Telltale Games? It’s pretty cool!


I've seen a couple of the panels, yes, but the last time I checked was a while ago. Don't know how much more Purcell has put up since then. I'm eagerly awaiting the game, though. I mean, LucasArts had even gotten the voice cast to do trailer promo work, and so I thought we'd actually get to see another game out of them... but then again, LucasArts has stopped making adventure games, it seems... last one I can remember is Monkey Island IV. Such a shame since they used to be so good at it. Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, Monkey Island, Sam & Max... The Dig and the Maniac Mansion games are good, too, so I've heard, even though I've never played those.

Yes it is… but see, I don’t think that Serenity has quite reached the cult status of the more renowned classics. It might get there…


Well, as it is, Firefly itself holds "cult favorite" status. What strikes me as odd, actually, is the number of people -I- know that like it. Like, for example, the number of people on this board who are familiar with it... but I imagine a huge part of that is simply that a lot of our tastes run in similar directions, hence the somewhat disproportionately large number of folks here who are familiar with and like the show.

But my point is, it's already at cult status. I seriously doubt it'll ever become very mainstream... but that's the problem with plenty of good stuff. Everyone's heard of freakin' Star Trek Voyager (What a load of garbage), but Babylon 5? Duhhh... what's that?

Grrrrrrrrr.

He just shrugs it off and looks totally nonplussed about the whole thing.


Well... yes. :roll:

Still, the first time I tried that in the game, I just was kinda guessing at a solution to the puzzle... and when I figured it out, it totally had the proper effect. I was rolling on the floor laughing my butt off. ;)

Kaylee: Goin' on a year now, ain't nothing 'twixt my nethers weren't run on batteries.

Well, I can imagine there would be a long line of fellows wanting to help her with that problem.


CN: "Are any of those guys my gynecologist? No? Then they're outta luck. Sorry, boys."

I can understand that, I mean, she was pretty upset from recalling her past relationship just now, and that’s really not a good time to push anyone’s buttons.


Mmmm... the Brenna thing is a very sore subject. I promise, it'll be explained later on down the line. But, yes, given how bad it was, it'd make anyone touchy.

Yeah… I mean, it’s generally not a good idea to infuriate people with your wiseass jokes and then switch to another very serious and private topic.


You... you do realize that this is what Colleen herself does on a regular basis, right? It just so happens that the tables are turning on -her- at this point...

You realize that, right? ;)

You probably should, but this isn’t a great moment for that, obviously.


No, it's not... but the way Jefferson is looking at it, he doesn't know how badly off she is... whether she's just barely hanging on and really needs to talk about it before she falls apart entirely, or she's capable of handling it, and just needs time. Dying and coming back from that isn't an experience a lot of people go through... and I think Jeff might be realizing that this is something very serious while Colleen might be too emotional to understand that at this point. Whatever the case, he's worried about her and just has no clue how bad things are... because of that, he's forced to pry a little... which, unfortunately, is something that Colleen resents heavily at this point.

Oh, I don’t know, the guy isn’t entirely blameless that the situation escalated like this.


JG: "No, I'm not. I'll give you that. It's not all her fault for getting upset. But it's not all my fault, either. I pushed her because I wanted to know what was going on with her... because she wouldn't tell me otherwise. Should I have backed off and let her handle it? Maybe. But I know her. She's not the type to always talk about what's bothering her. Sometimes she can vent, and sometimes she won't... and if there's anything that should require some high-intensity venting, this would be it."

Sorry, but I don’t think so. The way I see it, he’s being more of an ass about all this than she is.


I certainly won't say he's not being an ass, but she is, too. If I came across you lying in a ditch by the side of the road, bleeding to death, and I said, "Hey, pal, I think you're bleeding to death... do you want some help?" If you said "No, get lost... I don't want your help..." what should I do, then? Do I walk away and say "Well, I respect his decision... he doesn't want my help, I'm not gonna force it on him," or do I say "Dude, you may not want my help, but you may die if I don't give it to you, so tough luck, you're getting it."

Granted, the situations aren't exactly similar, but they are similar enough. As far as Jefferson is concerned, Colleen might just be in way over her head... and maybe she's so deep in trouble she doesn't even know it yet. Colleen may not -want- Jeff's help at this point, but he gets the feeling she needs it, hence why he's pushing her so hard about it.

Prick. Now he’s acting all annoyed because she refused to talk to him about it, when he really should have learned to let go after the fifth or sixth time she made sure she doesn’t want to talk about it.


Again, let's go back to my analogy. If, after the fifth time I said to the bleeding-to-death-you, you just went off and said "You know what, Alpha? Shut the hell up. Just piss off, you jackass." If you did that, and meant it, wouldn't I have any right to be pissed off? I was just trying to help you because I was convinced you needed it... and you told me to go to hell... would I be completely wrong in getting angry with you for being ungrateful?

Now this is not to say that I don't understand the opposing view... the view that says that if a person says they don't want help, that we should respect that decision... but to be perfectly honest, I believe that there can be times when someone is so messed up that they can't accept help, even if they should be getting it... and maybe it's nosy or even a little self-righteous to get in their face and tell them they need help, but I think it needs to happen sometimes.

It's why I do agree with the general principle of, say, friends staging interventions for other friends who might be alocholics or drug addicts. I think it's this same principle that Jeff is adhering to, here. No, Colleen doesn't want his help... but does she not want it because she can handle herself, or does she not want it because she's screwed up in the head and doesn't know how to accept it at this point? If it's the former, then yes, him pushing makes him seem like a nosy bastard. But if it's the latter, him NOT pushing makes him a bad friend, if you ask me. And if you ask him, he'd say the same. So he's taking the hit on this one. He's going to put himself out there to try and help his good friend, even if she spites him for it... and he'll take that hit, with a bit of grumbling and annoyance, but he's still her friend, by God, and if that's what he needs to do, that's what he needs to do.

So, obviously, I don't think he's a prick at all. ;)

But we like you as you are, Coll!


Oh, I like her, too... but even I know that she screws up big time in a lot of cases.

I don’t think this whole deal was her fault, far from it. Hopefully she can find some nicer traveling companion. Maybe go back to that adorable doctor back in the hospital?


1. Kari's not going anywhere.

2. VH and I were discussing this this morning, actually. We're both kinda curious as to why you had no problems when Tommy did something similar when talking to Inara, and you didn't jump on him, but you jumped on Jeff.

We've come to the conclusion that you just don't like Jeff. For whatever reason. ;)

#5 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 12:21 AM

You can't fault people for being human. Well, some can I suppose.


Well, these two don't fault the other for being human. It's an... inconvenience at times, but even so... :?

Only a few? Colleen's supposed to have Irish blood. I think she's letting the side down.


Well, she was born in this country... maybe that helped cool her temper a little bit. ;)

You see, if the A-Team were there they'll have built some kind of armored vehicle out of all that.


CN: "That would be awesome. Just go driving right through the side wall of a warehouse, 50 cal machine guns blasting all over the place... and, of course, nobody would get hurt, even though we'd shoot a bunch of zombie-driven jeeps chasing us, and they'd flip in the air and stuff... but still, nobody would get hurt..." ;)

I've still got two Commodore Amigas. They might be useful, someday.


Man. I gave away my Commodore 64 years ago.

That stuff is rather addictive.


Isn't it? My Mom likes doing that... she'll just take bubble wrap and pop it for no real reason whatsoever.

Ah, the English stole that from us as well, the feckin'arseholes... more drink!


(Snicker)

Edwin: Yes she can. She needs to bury it deep inside and never annoy anyone with it ever again.

Imoen: You can't keep things buried forever. You've gotta deal with them sooner or later.

Edwin: Speak for yourself... there is absolutely nothing in my past which will ever come back to haunt. At least if it did, it would only be to do my bidding.


Peter Griffin: "The best thing to do is just ignore it... like we do with the squid..."

:twisted:

Imoen: But the worst thing is being cut off from her home. She had a family and now she's no way of knowing if they're even alive or dead... I mean thats probably worse than actually seeing them killed in some ways...

Aerie: I-if you don't shut up, I will strangle you.


;)

Raven: "Not helping, there, Immy."

Harlequin: "Seriously. Just not helping."

Yeah, there's a myth in some places that Irish people are supposed to be laid back. It's all bollocks.


This tied in with the myth that says they're all supposed to be happy and warm and outgoing, too? :roll:

Well... I don't know if she deserved that, exactly. But you can't expect humans to not behave like human beings. I'm sure it will all blow over eventually and cooler heads will prevail.


Yep. Their tempers are both really short right now. It's not a permanent thing.

I think you need the mask for it to really work. Being at least somewhat heavily built probably helps a bit too.


CN: "Well, I can't help it that I'm not over 6 feet tall and my parents weren't murdered in front of me by some two-bit criminal." (Shakes head) "I love my Batman, but I wouldn't exactly want to -be- him. I can't handle that much angst. Though the occasional boot-knocking with Selina Kyle... that I'd be all over..."

You should punish it by drinking more.


Alas, booze is in critically short supply. Whoops.

#6 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 04:43 AM

But my point is, it's already at cult status. I seriously doubt it'll ever become very mainstream... but that's the problem with plenty of good stuff. Everyone's heard of freakin' Star Trek Voyager (What a load of garbage), but Babylon 5? Duhhh... what's that?


Grrrrrrrrr.


Well, I'm actually watching B5 right now (god bless the torrent network), and am, as you can easily imagine, completely hooked. ;)

Yeah… I mean, it’s generally not a good idea to infuriate people with your wiseass jokes and then switch to another very serious and private topic.


You... you do realize that this is what Colleen herself does on a regular basis, right? It just so happens that the tables are turning on -her- at this point...


Yeah, but I mean, she didn't try to dig into Jeff's private life at any stage, did she? It's a bit different than being completely immature and mildly insane when you want to discuss serious zombie issues and plans how to stay alive. I mean, there is a little difference in there...

2. VH and I were discussing this this morning, actually. We're both kinda curious as to why you had no problems when Tommy did something similar when talking to Inara, and you didn't jump on him, but you jumped on Jeff.


Heh, hard to say, the reason is probably in the details. I may or may not be reading this right, but there seem to be some subtle hints of attraction between Tommy and Inara, and when that's the case, then as a reader I no longer am so intent to find whose fault the row is, but rather then just be upset and sorry for both of those involved.

And we know Jeff definitely isn't attracted to Colleen. God forbid. :?

We've come to the conclusion that you just don't like Jeff. For whatever reason. ;)


Yeah, he irritates me a bit, though not too bad. I mean, the hell, he's been stealing Colleen's limelights! I expected that when you introduced a new character, you'd give us a straight man for Coll's insanity to rebound off, but nooooo, you give us someone who beats Colleen at her own game! And that... that's just not fair! ;) I mean, I feel sorry for the girl, Jeff's been making her look bad in comparison (granted, not a difficult thing to do! :roll:) ever since he got on the team... and that just sucks for her. So I guess I just sympathize way more with Coll. :twisted:

#7 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 05:31 AM

Well, I'm actually watching B5 right now (god bless the torrent network), and am, as you can easily imagine, completely hooked.


Excellent! It's an incredible show. How far into it are you?

Yeah, but I mean, she didn't try to dig into Jeff's private life at any stage, did she? It's a bit different than being completely immature and mildly insane when you want to discuss serious zombie issues and plans how to stay alive. I mean, there is a little difference in there...


There is some difference there, but I'm not sure the distinction is of any importance. Yes, her dying is something of a personal and "private" issue, but in situations like this that are so extreme, I honestly think the standard thinking that a lot of people have on when it's all right to pry and when it's not just goes right out the window with something like this.

It would be different if he were prying into her personal life and trying to get info on, say, her break-up with Brenna. That would be personal, and while he might want her to discuss it, if she wasn't comfortable with that, well, he'd have to deal with it. But there is a huge difference in degree here between those kinds of situations. If your best friend died and was returned to life, and was telling you "No, I'm ok, I don't want to talk about it..." would you believe them? Would you take their word at face value and just say "All right?" I couldn't. This is something really big... and for whatever reason, she's trivializing it. But while he can accept her trivializing their trying to stay alive (even though it frustrates him,) he will not allow her to marginalize this whole being dead thing. He just won't. And he's angry at her for, what he perceives, is her trying to blow the whole thing off as nothing important.

Heh, hard to say, the reason is probably in the details. I may or may not be reading this right, but there seem to be some subtle hints of attraction between Tommy and Inara, and when that's the case, then as a reader I no longer am so intent to find whose fault the row is, but rather then just be upset and sorry for both of those involved.

And we know Jeff definitely isn't attracted to Colleen. God forbid.


Well, ok, but I guess that just doesn't make much sense to me. I mean, you're basically penalizing the guy because SHE is gay. That's hardly fair. :?

So there's no hope of them ever being a "couple." So what? They're still best friends (this fight of theirs won't change that), and isn't it saddening to see best friends at each other's throats like this? It is for me. (Shrug)

Anyway, I still think that what it boils down to is that Jeff is convinced she's in trouble... and she either does not believe that, or is actively trying -not- to believe it. Either way, she's hardly doing herself a favor acting the way she's acting. Jeff wants to help her, because she's his friend, and that's what friends do for each other. He'd like to think that if the situations were reversed, she'd do anything and everything in her power to help him out. So he's pissed because, as I said, before, it'd be like if she were lying in a ditch dying, he tried to help, and she spit in his face. That's a pretty ungrateful attitude.

Granted, though, he's not doing what he's doing because he wants her to be thankful. But it's still annoying when you go out on a limb to help someone you care about, and they just throw your offer back in your face. That's pretty rude.

Yeah, he irritates me a bit, though not too bad. I mean, the hell, he's been stealing Colleen's limelights! I expected that when you introduced a new character, you'd give us a straight man for Coll's insanity to rebound off, but nooooo, you give us someone who beats Colleen at her own game! And that... that's just not fair!


I think there have been plenty of instances where he's been stuck being the straight guy... there have been plenty of times where he's been stuck trying to keep her grounded. But that doesn't necessarily mean that he can't occasionally beat her at her own game. Especially when she's a little off her game. After all, she did just DIE, you know... that'll throw off even the best snarkers. That'll mess up even someone at Colleen's level. But aside from that, Jeff's no slouch at it, either. It's more a difference of perception and approach. Colleen likes mouthing off. Jeff usually does it to make a point. He's very controlled with his snark, whereas Coll just pours it on thick.

In this case, though, she's been off her game, but not only that, Jeff has had the benefit of being right. This isn't to say that he'll always win their sparring matches. Certainly not. But at this point, he's in a better position than she is, and she's not going to be at her best. It's expected that he'll score a couple of points on her.

and that just sucks for her. So I guess I just sympathize way more with Coll.


Well, sure it sucks for her... but lots of things suck for her. Like the fact that she DIED. (You have to remember that, dude. :twisted: ) But you also have to bear in mind that he's not giving her a hard time to be mean to her... he's giving her a hard time because the banter is just a normal part of their relationship, and in addition to that, there are simply times when he needs to push her buttons a little in order to get her to stop acting like a complete child. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And then, of course, there's the fact that Colleen's not perfect, and she's gonna get nailed every now and again. Jeff, being her closest friend, and also a fair hand with the snark makes a good choice for that. Again, that's not to say he'll always win or that she'll never get a chance to even the score.

#8 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 06:47 AM

Well, I'm actually watching B5 right now (god bless the torrent network), and am, as you can easily imagine, completely hooked.


Excellent! It's an incredible show. How far into it are you?


Start of the second season, just got over the shock that they replaced Sinclair with this Sheridan fellow. :?

It would be different if he were prying into her personal life and trying to get info on, say, her break-up with Brenna. That would be personal, and while he might want her to discuss it, if she wasn't comfortable with that, well, he'd have to deal with it.



Ey? I thought it *was* all about that Brenna thing. *scratches head* Huh. Don’t know why I figured that. ;)

Well, ok, but I guess that just doesn't make much sense to me. I mean, you're basically penalizing the guy because SHE is gay. That's hardly fair. :twisted:


I don’t want or have to be fair. :roll:

So there's no hope of them ever being a "couple." So what?


Nothing at all. I can’t see them being a couple, it would probably disturb me to no end. I’m just saying that for me there’s a different perspective because of that.

Well, sure it sucks for her... but lots of things suck for her. Like the fact that she DIED. (You have to remember that, dude. ;) )


It had become a bit of a hazy distant memory for me, I’m afraid. Like I said, the Brenna issue of the last chapter was the most current one, and I thought that was what still plagued Coll, hence Jeff was inquiring about that. Now, if this is all about the oh crap I died issue, then yeah, I agree with what you said, then it looks different.

#9 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 01:28 PM

Start of the second season, just got over the shock that they replaced Sinclair with this Sheridan fellow.


;) Yeah, that throws everyone off. You'll get used to it. And while Sinclair may not be commander of the station anymore, that's not to say you'll never see him again... so don't worry about that one.

Ey? I thought it *was* all about that Brenna thing. *scratches head* Huh. Don’t know why I figured that.


I don't know, either, because Colleen quite clearly states the following:

“Just what? Just… unhealthy?” I’d started snarling at him, and, honestly, at the time, I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly, there I was, gritting my teeth and wanting very much to… I don’t know… hit him, or something. “Oh, no, I died, now I have to talk about my feelings. Bullshit. I don’t have to do a damn thing.”


If he were just trying to pry into the circumstances surrounding her bad break-up, then I agree that he wouldn't exactly have a leg to stand on in this argument. But like I said, the rather... unusual nature of what happened to her kinda throws most established "conventions" right out the window.

Anyway, just as another point, Jeff doesn't need to pry into the whole Brenna thing. He knows about it. That relationship of Colleen's went south anywhere from a year to two years ago. (She actually mentions how long ago it was in something that's already been posted. I just don't remember the exact number.) Jeff got the full scoop on the problem back then, and he didn't have to ask for an explanation of what happened, she willingly told him.

I don’t want or have to be fair.


:twisted: Well, maybe not, but I try to be... ;)

:?

Nothing at all. I can’t see them being a couple, it would probably disturb me to no end. I’m just saying that for me there’s a different perspective because of that.


Hmmm... ok, I understand this to an extent. You see some kind of mutual attraction that may lead to something more between TK and ID... while you know from the get-go that nothing of that sort will ever happen between CN and JG, for obvious reasons. So your expectations from each pair of characters are different. I understand that... but, again, I don't think it's fair. ;)

It just seems that poor Jefferson is getting the short end of the stick here, not because of anything he did, but because he's not a possible match for Colleen, so who gives a damn about him? And I know you said you don't have to be fair, but... well... I'll assume you were mostly kidding about that. ;)

And if not, I'm gonna hit you.

;)

Seriously, though... like I said, I understand the different expectations, and I suppose there's nothing I can do about that, but that being said, it still seems to me as if he's being considered a throwaway character since he's not a romantic interest, and because of that, you see no reason to concentrate on any positive qualities he may have, but instead, focus on all his faults.

Again, your call, but I like the guy. ;)

It had become a bit of a hazy distant memory for me, I’m afraid.


I know... part of the problem of my relatively slow posting rate. I'll try and pick up the pace in the future so that this kinda thing doesn't happen as much. I understand how that works. It's like reading a book in bits and pieces and constantly having to flip several pages back because you forgot what happened before. I hate having to do that. :roll:

#10 Guest_VigaHrolf_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 02:47 PM

1. Classy videogame logic rocks! And so do Sam & Max references. Hey, if people (You know who you are :twisted: ) can make Monkey Island references, well, I should be allowed to hit other LucasArts adventure games.


While I've never really played the LucasArts games, I've gotten into enough fun with the ol King's Quests and they did some funny ass things too, that is before it got all stupid.

2. Also, a Serenity reference... just... just 'cause it's cool. Just 'cause. ;)


Serenity/Firefly roxors. ;)

3. So... friends, even really good friends, argue every now and again... and when they do, it's usually not pretty. Whoops.


No, it's usually quite messy.

5. I would also like to thank Frank Miller and All-Star Batman & Robin for giving us the wonderful phrase: "I'm the goddamn Batman." Gotta love it. Pure, unadulterated crack. ;)


What are you, stupid? Are you retarted? I'm the goddamned Batman!

The cabinets behind the cash register had been smashed open. Most of the hardware stored in there, things like small handguns and boxes of shotgun shells, had already been looted. There wasn’t much else left except empty cartons and discarded packing material. Too bad bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts weren’t very useful against zombies. We’d have been sitting pretty, then.


ID: "Other than as distractions, no, not really. But they're great for stress relief."

ID: *pulls out some bubble wrap and starts popping bubbles* *smiles* "Much better."

I pocketed a few sheets of the bubbly. Why? Because my life is an adventure game, and everyone knows that the first rule of adventure gaming is “Pick up everything you can, and never throw anything away.” Those of you in the club know the deal: you just toss stuff in your inventory, and even if you never use it again, at least you can reassure yourself that it’s there… waiting for you to haul it out of your jacket and use it to solve some cleverly contrived puzzle in a totally nonsensical manner. You know, like picking up a rabbit by its neck, dunking its head in stagnant water and then jamming the poor thing’s face into a fuse box. Now that is some classy videogame logic.


That's an interesting piece of logic... :?

But yeah, ye ol' never drop anything as it might just be useful thing. ;)

Anyway, at the very least, if I ever got bored, I could make neat noises popping all the little bubbles with my fingers. Little things like that make me happy.


Simple pleasures for simple minds (not meant in that insulting way :roll: )

I pitched a few large chunks of battered Styrofoam over my shoulder and kept digging through the boxes sprawled out in front of me, but I was starting to lose hope. “I’m not finding a whole lot, Jeff. This place looks to be cleaned out pretty good.”


ID: "You have to know where to look. Like in the back or any 'loose' panels in the floor, ceilings or walls where the owner might have stashed private stock. What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

“My luck’s been kinda on a downswing lately.”


ID: "I think anyone stuck in this zombie infested city could safely make that statement."

GT: "Hey, I may be here, but I'm gettin' lucky."

ID: *rolls eyes*

A snort. “So much for that fabled Irish fortune.”


Considering the long and glorious history of the Irish people, I'd say anyone who thinks the Irish are lucky needs a quick kick to the brainpan.

“Yeah, I traded my birthright for a good bottle of whiskey a few years back. Wish I hadn’t. I haven’t been ‘lucky’ in a long time, if you know what I mean.”


Nudge nudge, wink wink, ya know what I mean? Ya know what I mean? ;)

He rolled his eyes at me. “Hard not to. You’re not exactly the most subtle of people.”


ID: "About as subtle as aerial bombing."

“At least I didn’t use the ‘Kaylee line.’”

“Uh huh.” He looked up from his searching and tossed me a knowing wink. “Only one problem with that, though. Your hands don’t run on batteries.”


Oh. Oh. Oh ho ho ho.

In the words of 'That 70's Show': BURN!!

Score one for the Jeffers! Zing!

I really wish I knew where he picked up that smug grin of his. I’m pretty sure he hadn’t learned it from watching me, but I suppose it was possible. But wherever he’d learned that little trick, he knew how to use it to devastating effect. Smug little bastard. I flipped him off… not… angrily… but I did flip him off. “Oh, you’re real funny.”


Inara: *grins* "That was a nice shot there. Very elegant."

Tommy: "I think another quote might work: "You sank my battleship!'"

He shrugged, but didn’t look apologetic in the least. Honestly, part of me was proud – the way a schoolteacher would be proud of her star pupil. But another part of me wanted to smack him upside the head for being so damn good at pushing my buttons.


Inara: "And now the student is the master!"

Yes, folks. I’m a hypocrite. You got a problem with that?!


Tommy: "Is there a place I can file a form to register my problem?"

“What’d you expect? Don’t spend a couple of years hanging around someone like you without picking up a few tricks of the trade.” His voice trailed off, abruptly, and he threw himself back into his work. He didn’t say anything for a few moments, but it wasn’t too difficult to figure out that he was working up the nerve to bring up an… uncomfortable topic. He pocketed a pistol magazine and turned to face me, his expression having gone all serious. “So… Coll… about what happened earlier with the… well… you know.” He scratched the back of his neck and stared at the ground, trying very hard not to be too… forward… I guess you could say, about the whole thing. “You said you didn’t really want to talk about it, and I get that, but I just thought you-”


And Jeff ventures out onto the the thin ice....

I held up a hand to forestall the rest of what he had planned to say. “I’m gonna stop you right there, Jeff. See, when I said I didn’t want to talk about it… well, I didn’t want to talk about it. And I still don’t.” At this point, I wasn’t… mad at him or anything, I just wanted to make it perfectly clear this topic was off limits… for the time being, at least.


Tommy: "Considering we're talking about death and resurrection, which, if you believe the Bible, has only happened twice, then well... this is a heavy topic. Oh, and for the record, I'm not putting Colleen in the same category as the two previous ones. As frankly, I don't want to think about Colleen and divine providence in the same thought. Other than to thank God I don't have to deal with her." *grins*

“I understand that, but… it happened, and you can’t just ignore it-”

“Oh, you damn well better believe I can.”


Ostrich, meet the hole in the ground. ;)

Ok. Now I was getting a little… irked. I glared at him, staring him right in the eye, waiting for him to flinch. “Really? And why the hell not, Jeff? Huh? Why the hell not?”


Danger: Reactor Critical.

Nalia: "Captain, reactor levels are off the scale! We may have a runaway reaction in progress."

Bran: "Can you do anything to stop it?"

Nalia: "I... I don't know!"

Imoen: "Quick, take of your clothes! That'll distract her!"

Nalia: *shoots Immy a glare*

Bran: *ducks*

Imoen: "What? It might work."

Nalia: "Then you do it."

Imoen: "Oh hell no. It's cold."

Nalia: *rolls eyes*

“Just what? Just… unhealthy?” I’d started snarling at him, and, honestly, at the time, I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly, there I was, gritting my teeth and wanting very much to… I don’t know… hit him, or something. “Oh, no, I died, now I have to talk about my feelings. Bullshit. I don’t have to do a damn thing.”


Bran: "Not having died, but having come awful close and losing important parts of me in the process, I'd say that you're going to have to do it eventually. Either that or you can start drinking and womanizing to cover all your pain and end up like Tyrion there."

Tyrion: "What? I've never died or any crap like that."

Bran: "True, but if she turned into you, at least she'd have an excuse for it."

Tyrion: "Ha ha. Funny."

He sighed. While I’m sure my reaction frustrated him, he’d had some… experience with my outbursts of temper and usually knew how to keep his head, even though I’d lost mine. “Why are you so angry at me?”


Nalia: "Look's like he's trying to scram the reactor!"

“Why wouldn’t I be? I told you that I don’t want to talk about it. Drop the subject.”

“But-“

“I’m sorry, was there anything about the phrase ‘Drop it’ that you didn’t understand, or am I just talking too fast for you? Drop. The. Subject. Dumbass.”


Nalia: "Scram failed. Core breach in process."

And that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Truthfully? In retrospect? I’m surprised he didn’t just haul off and pop me in the mouth. If the situations had been reversed, well… I probably would have… but then again, I’m notoriously ill-tempered – i.e. Irish.


Inara: "Some people can control their temper, even when sorely provoked."

He glared at me, his eyes narrowed down, and his brow creased. In all the years we’d known each other, I’d only seen him really mad a handful of times… and most of those times, it was me who’d somehow managed to get him that royally pissed off. A… dubious badge of honor, I guess. Anyway, point was, I’d grown pretty familiar with that “You really need to shut the hell up. Right now,” look of his, and every time I’d been on the receiving end of it, it always ended up with me feeling pretty lousy. Now was no exception.

I should have apologized for snapping at him… for being so cross with him. He was angry, and I was feeling like a heel… with good reason – I won’t deny that. Problem was, I was also a little annoyed myself, and that meant I was torn on what to do for a while. Long enough, apparently, for whatever chance I’d had to try and apologize, to come and go before I could say a word. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, and got this in return:


It's amazing how you can get to this point...so angry and so proud that you just can't back down. Step back for a second and just... let it slide. So much pain and suffering could be avoided... too bad we're usually too bloody human. ;)

“Fine, Coll. Fuck you, too, and have a nice day.”


Man there have been times I wish I could have said that to clients. ;)

I deserved that.

I deserved worse, actually, but like I said, I wasn’t feeling very personable. Plus, in situations like these, I tended to develop a strong aversion to just sucking up my pride and saying I was sorry. So, instead, like a total bitch, I baited him. “What?”


See above. ;)

The noise I got as a response was definitely some sort of scoffing. “You heard me. I just thought that talking about it would help, but all right, you’re not going for it. Fine. So you wanna be a bitch, you be a bitch. But that doesn’t mean I gotta stand here and watch you do it. I’ve got better things to do than deal with cranky Irish women.” He made some kind of shooing motion with his hands, indicating that I should probably just leave and let him get back to what he was doing.


Yeowch.

Inara: "The Irish. A cranky lot."

Tommy: "You've obviously never seen an angry Greek woman."

Inara: "Worse than that?"

Tommy: "You have no idea. My theory is that Alexander conquered the world just because of cranky Greek women. He just needed some space."

Inara: "Well, if Alexander was Colin Farrell, then I can understand why the women would be cranky."

Tommy: *rolls eyes*

Now I wanted to leave. We were both pretty fed up with each other, and me going my way while he went his was a good idea… but you have to understand – there are procedures for this kind of thing – procedures that simply need to be followed, regardless of circumstance. I balled my hands into fists, planted them on my hips, and hit Jeff with my very best “I’m the goddamn Batman” glower. “Well, fine! I’m leaving!”


Inara: *snigger* "Wow. That's almost as intimidating as the Taco Bell chihuahua. Almost."

Damn it. Waste of a perfectly good glower.


Inara: "It is annoying when men don't react to those properly."

So, I made for the door – leading off with the full-blown, drama queen heel-spin. I even made with the “storming out in an enormous huff,” which was kinda hard since I didn’t exactly fit the “soap opera queen-bitch” type. But if I do say so myself (and I do,) I think I pulled off a pretty decent impression.


Inara: "Well, at least the q..."

Tommy: "No throwing fuel on the fire. Someone will have to put it out."

“Oh, yeah, like -that’s- going to happen!” I fired back.


Inara: "Not bloody likely."

I hate you, brain. I hate you so much.[/i]


Great final line. ;)

----

Other stuff:

Sheridan rocks. Anyone disputing this will have to deal with Ivonova. And she'll rip your lungs out. :)

As to the whole Jefferson/Colleen dynamic, I don't think it is necessary for a romantic pairing to occur for a good story. Some people aren't compatible, some aren't ready for a relationship, and sometimes they aren't even attracted to each other. Or, sometimes they're nearly family, which is the case here. :)

As to the serialized nature of our storytelling, that can be a major flaw... I've felt it myself. Because you can't easily remember stuff, things are missing things are years in the past, etc. But I suppose posting it all at once would take far too long to get it done.

Oh well.

Good stuff Alpha.

VH

#11 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 04:26 PM

While I've never really played the LucasArts games, I've gotten into enough fun with the ol King's Quests and they did some funny ass things too, that is before it got all stupid.


Yeah, but LucasArts adventure games are just GOOD! I mean, I know you got a lot on your plate now... my mistake for swaying you on GalCiv 2 and Half Life... which you need to finish, by the way. :roll: But Sam & Max and the Monkey Islands and Grim Fandango are just really terrific games and well worth the time, even now.

What are you, stupid? Are you retarted? I'm the goddamned Batman!


It's just "goddamn" not "goddamned"... ;)

ID: *pulls out some bubble wrap and starts popping bubbles* *smiles* "Much better."


CN: (Does the same) "Seriously. Packing material my ass... this stuff was made for stress relief. Who needs those silly squishy toys? It's all about the bubble wrap."

That's an interesting piece of logic...


Colleen does have logic circuits, they just tend to short or be otherwise unreliable. ;)

Simple pleasures for simple minds (not meant in that insulting way)


Well, if it were ID saying it, it -would- be in that insulting way... ;)

ID: "You have to know where to look. Like in the back or any 'loose' panels in the floor, ceilings or walls where the owner might have stashed private stock. What? Why are you looking at me like that?"


CN: (Blinks) "I guess it's because we always knew you were the type to, say, keep a handgun taped behind the headboard of your bed, but it's another to actually see you prove the theory right in front of us."

ID: "I think anyone stuck in this zombie infested city could safely make that statement."

GT: "Hey, I may be here, but I'm gettin' lucky."

ID: *rolls eyes*


;)

Considering the long and glorious history of the Irish people, I'd say anyone who thinks the Irish are lucky needs a quick kick to the brainpan.


But... but what about four-leaf clovers? ;)

Inara: *grins* "That was a nice shot there. Very elegant."

Tommy: "I think another quote might work: "You sank my battleship!'"


CN: "And my aircraft carrier... and my cruiser... and a handful of destroyers..." (Grumbles)

Inara: "And now the student is the master!"


CN: "Umm... um..." ;) "Nyah!"

Tommy: "Is there a place I can file a form to register my problem?"


CN: (Head-desk) "The line starts over there." (Abruptly looks up and grins evilly) "But I'll need to see five points of identification, and some proof of residence, first..."

Tommy: "Considering we're talking about death and resurrection, which, if you believe the Bible, has only happened twice, then well... this is a heavy topic. Oh, and for the record, I'm not putting Colleen in the same category as the two previous ones. As frankly, I don't want to think about Colleen and divine providence in the same thought. Other than to thank God I don't have to deal with her." *grins*


CN: (Blinks) "Uh. Yeah. Um. I'm not God or any immediate relative of His."

Danger: Reactor Critical.

Nalia: "Captain, reactor levels are off the scale! We may have a runaway reaction in progress."

Bran: "Can you do anything to stop it?"

Nalia: "I... I don't know!"

Imoen: "Quick, take of your clothes! That'll distract her!"

Nalia: *shoots Immy a glare*

Bran: *ducks*

Imoen: "What? It might work."

Nalia: "Then you do it."

Imoen: "Oh hell no. It's cold."

Nalia: *rolls eyes*


Well, you figure that Colleen and Imoen are closer in terms of looks, but Colleen and Nalia share the same voice. :?

That's a little weird. ;)

Inara: "Some people can control their temper, even when sorely provoked."


CN: (Plinks a spitball off ID's forehead) "You were saying?" (Beams innocently)

It's amazing how you can get to this point...so angry and so proud that you just can't back down. Step back for a second and just... let it slide. So much pain and suffering could be avoided... too bad we're usually too bloody human.


That's basically it in a nutshell. Colleen's not a bad person, even though Inara would strongly argue otherwise. ;) But she is a little stubborn, and a little prideful at times, and very headstrong. She knows she's put her foot in her mouth, and she knows (Even at the time she's doing the completely opposite) that she should apologize, but she just can't bring herself to do it. She's imperfect that way.

Man there have been times I wish I could have said that to clients.


There are times when I want to say this to everyone. Just everyone I meet. While driving, while in the office... just... anyone. ;) But I have a lousy temper.

Inara: "Well, if Alexander was Colin Farrell, then I can understand why the women would be cranky."

Tommy: *rolls eyes*


CN: (Shrug) "Yeah, I just don't see what all the fuss about that guy is about..."

Inara: *snigger* "Wow. That's almost as intimidating as the Taco Bell chihuahua. Almost."


CN: "Sorry. Can't help it that I don't have the whole Troll Berserker look going. I leave that to you." ;)

Inara: "Not bloody likely."


CN: :twisted:

#12 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 04 April 2006 - 06:58 PM

:roll: Yeah, that throws everyone off. You'll get used to it. And while Sinclair may not be commander of the station anymore, that's not to say you'll never see him again... so don't worry about that one.


Yeah, well, I’m not too concerned, at least we still have Ivanova. And G’Kar. G’Kar is way cool. As for Ivanova… repeat after me: Ivanova is God. ;)

“Just what? Just… unhealthy?” I’d started snarling at him, and, honestly, at the time, I didn’t even realize it. Suddenly, there I was, gritting my teeth and wanting very much to… I don’t know… hit him, or something. “Oh, no, I died, now I have to talk about my feelings. Bullshit. I don’t have to do a damn thing.”


;) That’s why speed reading/commenting at work isn’t the greatest idea ever. ;)

Seriously, I was thinking all along that they were talking about the Brenna thing, and when I came upon this paragraph, I was sorta ‘Huh, well, I’m not sure how the fact that she died is relevant to that!’ and it didn’t even occur to me that they were talking about the ‘dying’ itself. :twisted:

Seriously, though... like I said, I understand the different expectations, and I suppose there's nothing I can do about that, but that being said, it still seems to me as if he's being considered a throwaway character since he's not a romantic interest, and because of that, you see no reason to concentrate on any positive qualities he may have, but instead, focus on all his faults.


Nah, that’s not it all. I want to see him getting out of this alive and reunited with his hogtied fiancé. ;)

It’s hard to explain, I dunno… it just seems to me that sometimes he goes a bit too hard on Coll in his teasing (I know, I know, she normally likes it that way, sure, I can see that)… but, I mean, he knows she underwent a bit of a traumatic experience, so… I dunno, the whole switch from the snarking to turning the old sympathetic ear and expecting that Coll would just lay all her problems out on the table? I suppose it could have been just a human mistake on his part, total mistiming, but… I sort of expected him to know Coll well enough to realize when it’s bad time. ;)

I know... part of the problem of my relatively slow posting rate. I'll try and pick up the pace in the future so that this kinda thing doesn't happen as much.


Well, I am a bit scatterbrained at the moment, myself. Normally I remember these details. Speaking of slow posting rate, we could do with an update of Omegas. Just so we don’t forget what’s going on in that story. ;)

- - -

As to the whole Jefferson/Colleen dynamic, I don't think it is necessary for a romantic pairing to occur for a good story. Some people aren't compatible, some aren't ready for a relationship, and sometimes they aren't even attracted to each other. Or, sometimes they're nearly family, which is the case here. ;)


Btw, just so that we are clear, I never hoped or wanted that Jeff/Coll might become a couple. :? Eeek. Scary thought. I was just trying to make a point that as an observer, I am more upset with an altercation between a (potential) romantic couple, and less so between a couple of friends.

#13 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 05 April 2006 - 05:04 PM

Yeah, well, I’m not too concerned, at least we still have Ivanova. And G’Kar. G’Kar is way cool. As for Ivanova… repeat after me: Ivanova is God.


Ivanova is the height of awesome. I love her. Great character. As for G'kar... the funny thing is, Londo and G'kar pissed me off at first. Couldn't stand them. Their constant bickering got on my nerves. But by the end of the series, they were two of my favorite characters in the entire show. I just loved how they changed so much, and being there for all of that... well... that's what a television series should be.

That’s why speed reading/commenting at work isn’t the greatest idea ever.


Too true. Then you end up sending legal documents to the wrong damn person. Whoops. ;)

Seriously, I was thinking all along that they were talking about the Brenna thing, and when I came upon this paragraph, I was sorta ‘Huh, well, I’m not sure how the fact that she died is relevant to that!’ and it didn’t even occur to me that they were talking about the ‘dying’ itself.


(Nods) Ah. Well... you know... kinda an important thing to be paying attention to. ;)

Nah, that’s not it all. I want to see him getting out of this alive and reunited with his hogtied fiancé.


JG: "No argument there. Hope she's not missing me too much."

CN: "I'm sure she's found some really hot Army Sergeant to mess around with for the time being."

JG: (Snorts) "Thanks, Coll. Way to cheer me up."

CN: (Nudges him with her hip and grins) "Idiot."

JG: (Smirks in return) "Loser."

It’s hard to explain, I dunno… it just seems to me that sometimes he goes a bit too hard on Coll in his teasing (I know, I know, she normally likes it that way, sure, I can see that)… but, I mean, he knows she underwent a bit of a traumatic experience, so… I dunno, the whole switch from the snarking to turning the old sympathetic ear and expecting that Coll would just lay all her problems out on the table? I suppose it could have been just a human mistake on his part, total mistiming, but… I sort of expected him to know Coll well enough to realize when it’s bad time.


Well, part of the reason why they're being snarky with each other is because that's just how they normally are, like you said... the thing is, Jeff does know she's been through a lot. And he probably figures that she's going to be feeling the need to connect with something familiar... hence the teasing snark. But at the same time, he realizes that what's going on with her is very important, and he's afraid she won't be able to last much longer without someone to talk to about it. So he snarks to try and at least get her into a comfort zone... and then he drops the hammer. It doesn't work, but it's not the most awful of strategies, in my opinion.

Well, I am a bit scatterbrained at the moment, myself.


It happens. I haven't been able to think straight in weeks, it seems. (Sigh)

Speaking of slow posting rate, we could do with an update of Omegas. Just so we don’t forget what’s going on in that story.


Heh. I really should. It's just that I haven't worked on it in a long time, and I don't want to dig into the buffer, even though I really should. ;)

This is what I get for having like three serials running concurrently. Yeesh. Kinda why I didn't want to make Quarantine into one... but you know Colleen...

CN: "I like the attention!" (Smiles cutely)

(Sigh) Yeah. That. ;)

#14 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 05 April 2006 - 07:54 PM

Yeah, well, I’m not too concerned, at least we still have Ivanova. And G’Kar. G’Kar is way cool. As for Ivanova… repeat after me: Ivanova is God.


Ivanova is the height of awesome. I love her. Great character.


Oh, absolutely. She has some of the awesomest lines. And a pretty awesome body as well. ;) Funny though, I know a lot of Russians personally, and her character doesn't ring very Russian at all, despite the intention. It's not a problem, but... just found it interesting.

As for G'kar... the funny thing is, Londo and G'kar pissed me off at first. Couldn't stand them. Their constant bickering got on my nerves. But by the end of the series, they were two of my favorite characters in the entire show.


Well, Londo sure has to do a lot to redeem himself in my eyes. I hate his kind, willing to go over corpses for personal fame, wealth and glory. But perhaps he'll learn.

G'Kar I liked from the very start. He was just so cute when his evil schemes backfired and left him fuming. ;) But I like how he's changing in the Season 2.

Anyway, so far I could rank my favorites like this:

Likes:
1. Ivanova
2. G'Kar
3. Garibaldi/Delenn (I find Delenn far more interesting in the Season 2, after her transformation)

Least liked:
1. Londo
2. Thalia (looks a bit ditzy blonde, plus, I don't really like telepaths)
3. Dr.Franklin (a little bland at times)

#15 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 05 April 2006 - 08:54 PM

Oh, absolutely. She has some of the awesomest lines. And a pretty awesome body as well.


Really? That's the funny thing... I actually don't find Claudia Christian all that attractive... at least not physically. I mean, I love the character, but I wouldn't exactly call Ivanova... hot... I don't know... it's a weird thing...

Funny though, I know a lot of Russians personally, and her character doesn't ring very Russian at all, despite the intention. It's not a problem, but... just found it interesting.


(Shrug) Wouldn't know... but I do love her various lines regarding her heritage.

Susan: "Amazing. All my life, I fought against Imperialism. Now I -am- the expanding Russian frontier."

Franklin: "But with very nice borders."

;)

G'Kar I liked from the very start. He was just so cute when his evil schemes backfired and left him fuming.


I forget exactly where and when, or even who says it... but I think it's Na'Toth... she should be showing up this season if she hasn't been seen already. She's G'Kar's aide, kinda like Vir is Londo's and Lennier is Delenn's.

Anyway, it has something to do with walking into G'Kar's quarters and finding him surrounded by human women... and the line is something like "Ambassador G'Kar, it is not my place to speculate how anyone gets into your bed..." I'm probably misquoting it, but you get the idea. ;)

Likes:
1. Ivanova
2. G'Kar
3. Garibaldi/Delenn (I find Delenn far more interesting in the Season 2, after her transformation)


I've never been a big fan of Delenn. Not to say I dislike her, just that she's not one of my favorites. She has some seriously good moments, but that's about it. I like Sheridan better, but he does suffer from kinda the same problem with me... he's got some really great moments, but I just don't like him as much as I like others.

G'Kar is great, and like I said, becomes one of my favorites. And I've always liked Garibaldi... ;)

Least liked:
1. Londo
2. Thalia (looks a bit ditzy blonde, plus, I don't really like telepaths)
3. Dr.Franklin (a little bland at times)


I think you'll change your mind on #1... ;)

I think Talia is kinda boring, myself. Just don't much care for her... ditto for Lyta Alexander... you did watch the pilot episode first, right? So you should know who Lyta and the previous doctor (Whose name escapes at the moment.)

As for Franklin, he's bland. No, really... I think he's bland, too. I don't know what it is, but they do a fair number of episodes that focus on him and give him a lot of screentime, but I just never really got attached to his character. (Shrug)

#16 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 06 April 2006 - 05:45 AM

Oh, absolutely. She has some of the awesomest lines. And a pretty awesome body as well.


Really? That's the funny thing... I actually don't find Claudia Christian all that attractive... at least not physically. I mean, I love the character, but I wouldn't exactly call Ivanova... hot... I don't know... it's a weird thing...


Well, she's definitely my type. Not the kind of aggressive sex appeal that hits you like an anvil dropped on the head, but she has this sort of quiet, subtle thing going on. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's that uniform thing? Or that yummy gorgeous white shirt? ;)

I forget exactly where and when, or even who says it... but I think it's Na'Toth... she should be showing up this season if she hasn't been seen already. She's G'Kar's aide, kinda like Vir is Londo's and Lennier is Delenn's.


Anyway, it has something to do with walking into G'Kar's quarters and finding him surrounded by human women... and the line is something like "Ambassador G'Kar, it is not my place to speculate how anyone gets into your bed..." I'm probably misquoting it, but you get the idea. ;)


Na'Toth was in the series pretty much from beginning - I took immediate notice of her when she beat that Dilgar woman completely senseless. Na'Toth is also very cool. The Narns as a race are just so much fun. ;)

I've never been a big fan of Delenn. Not to say I dislike her, just that she's not one of my favorites. She has some seriously good moments, but that's about it. I like Sheridan better, but he does suffer from kinda the same problem with me... he's got some really great moments, but I just don't like him as much as I like others.


I didn't much care for Delenn in Season 1. As far as I'm concerned, all that Minbari deep philosophy talking was just a load of pointless crap. ;) Didn't make them seem all that 'wise' in my eyes. But she's much more interesting now with her change to half-human. It's quite funny, actually. ;)

Least liked:
1. Londo
2. Thalia (looks a bit ditzy blonde, plus, I don't really like telepaths)
3. Dr.Franklin (a little bland at times)


I think you'll change your mind on #1... ;)


Well, that ought to be some really good writing/acting, if they can achieve that. To be fair, of all the races, I dislike the Centauri most - I mean, they're just... like the inbred aristocracy back in the previous centuries on Earth.

I think Talia is kinda boring, myself. Just don't much care for her...


She is blonde, whom almost everyone falls for, who has horrible tragedies happening to her, who gets to suffer and cry a lot... umm, boring? Hell yes.

I read somewhere that there supposedly are hints in the series that Ivanova has some sort of attraction towards Talia. The hell? ;) Maybe I haven't gotten that far in the series to see where it comes up, but damned if I can see that, it just makes no sense to me.

ditto for Lyta Alexander... you did watch the pilot episode first, right? So you should know who Lyta and the previous doctor (Whose name escapes at the moment.)


Haven't seen the pilot, no, and this Lyta hasn't shown up in the Season 2 yet.

#17 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 06 April 2006 - 01:18 PM

Well, she's definitely my type. Not the kind of aggressive sex appeal that hits you like an anvil dropped on the head, but she has this sort of quiet, subtle thing going on.


I guess that's kinda what I mean... there is definitely something about her that I find attractive... but it's so subtle I kinda can't figure out what it is. ;)

Na'Toth was in the series pretty much from beginning - I took immediate notice of her when she beat that Dilgar woman completely senseless. Na'Toth is also very cool. The Narns as a race are just so much fun.


As a race, they're interesting enough, but, really, it's just G'Kar that really stands out in my mind. You see him now, and he's got all these petty schemes that never really pan out. He just seems like this dorky, kinda hapless character... but by the end of the series... my God. You'll be amazed. I think it's in this season where he makes this small, little speech, and I swear to you, that was the moment, when I was watching the series for the very first time, that was the moment I knew he was going to be a great character.

For the record, it's in the episode titled "The Long, Twilight Struggle." You'll know it when you see it. ;)

Didn't make them seem all that 'wise' in my eyes. But she's much more interesting now with her change to half-human. It's quite funny, actually.


I felt the same way you did, at first. Just seemed as if they were spouting off some kinda semi-mystical BS. But there'll be more of it, and it might just surprise you after a while. Personally, I think there are some interesting examples of it even in this season.

Like this one: "Then I will tell you a great secret, Captain. Perhaps the greatest of all time. The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this station and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves. We are star stuff. We are the Universe made manifest, trying to figure itself out. As we have both learned, sometimes the Universe requires a change of perspective."

Now, yeah, you could just scoff and brush that off as garbage... but... I kinda think it's an interesting idea, myself... and you'll find that Delenn does like her "philosophical" stuff. ;)

To be fair, of all the races, I dislike the Centauri most - I mean, they're just... like the inbred aristocracy back in the previous centuries on Earth.


As the friend of mine who got me to start watching the series in the first place told me whenever something came up in the storyline that either annoyed me or freaked me out a little,

"Just wait and see."

You gotta trust us on this, dude. Trust that JMS, the cast, the crew... trust that the know what they're doing... because they do. ;)

She is blonde, whom almost everyone falls for, who has horrible tragedies happening to her, who gets to suffer and cry a lot... umm, boring? Hell yes.


Meh. :)

She does get a couple of side plots that are marginally interesting, but she never really became a popular character with the B5 fanbase in general, so you're probably "safe" in not liking her too much. ;) Though there is a part at some point where... well, you may still not like her, but you may at least feel some manner of sympathy towards her... but that won't be for a while.

Maybe I haven't gotten that far in the series to see where it comes up, but damned if I can see that, it just makes no sense to me.


Again, just wait and see. I could tell you, but it's better if you watch it yourself. (Though it's hard for me to resist throwing out the spoilers. I love this show. ;) )

Haven't seen the pilot, no, and this Lyta hasn't shown up in the Season 2 yet.


Ok. Well, some minor spoilers:

I think what happened is that the pilot episode was never aired as the first episode of the series. Instead, the pilot episode, which was basically long enough to be a movie, was held back, and then, after the show had been running for a while, it was aired on TV as a "made for TV" movie.

Regardless, the pilot was a prequel of sorts to the actual series. So in the pilot episode, you see some characters that were apparently there before the "current" (i.e. the characters on the show) were on the station.

So Sinclair was still commander, and Garibaldi, and the ambassadors were around, but there were three major casting differences that stuck out in my mind. Ivanova wasn't there. Her slot was filled by someone named Laurel Takashima. Franklin wasn't there, either. B5's Chief Medical Officer was someone named Dr. Benjamin Kyle if I remember correctly. And Talia wasn't the station's commercial telepath. That was Lyta Alexander. Takashima is never heard from again, after the pilot/movie, Ben Kyle is mentioned a few times, and Lyta actually comes back in like the fourth, maybe even as early as the third, season. As for why they all went away in the first place, well... heh heh... I'm not telling you -that-. ;)




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