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Aug. 30th, 2007 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fangrrl_squeesApparently I have nothing better to do at work today than to dust off old fanfic ideas for one of my very guilty pleasures: the Kaldor City audios...
The below assumes that you're familiar with the plays, as I'm too lazy to provide a who's who on this one.
Bits of KC That Appeal To Me (be honest, luv)
- Paranoia, of course. Especially Uvanov's and how it's so utterly destructive of that which he's trying to protect.
- Cheezy melodrama. Go on, Iago! Chew on that scenery some more!
- What was the story of the previous assistant that "sold Uvanov out"?
- Secrets - which ties in to "paranoia"
- Conflicted loyalty - which ties in to "secrets"
Assume a setting after Death's Head but before Hidden Persuaders.
Just how loyal is Iago to a paycheck and a soft job? Is there anything he wouldn't do for money - and would he do it for another reason, if so, what reason? How hard would the job have to be to force him to leave? Under what circumstances would Iago come to the brink of leaving Uvanov high and dry? And what could pull him back from that brink?
Is Carnell motivated by anything other than Holmes-ian ennui? How does a masterful, unopposed puller-of-human-strings amuse himself? What challenges exist? I believe that Carnell is the sort of person who would deliberately manipulate circumstances to create a situation extremely threatening to himself (or, faling that, others) in order to prove that he can extricate himself from it.
The most dangerous sort of situation for Carnell, as suggested above, would be one which has an unpredictable outcome - which would more likely manifest as so many outcomes of equal likelihood that one cannot be favored over another. Hmm... That would put Carnell on an equal footing with his 'inferiors', which he wouldn't enjoy - except for the fact that he honestly believes he's better than them, and can get himself out of this self-made trouble. Of course, the situation would oscillate out of control. Death's Head proved that people just won't take directions as anticipated - so 'ware of re-treading that ground.
Can there be more to Justina than a (largely) empty-headed secretary? The later stories suggest she's a tool of the Fendahl, but is there anything more to it? Is she aware of being this tool and does she have her own plans in the works?
Blayse is smart enough for Uvanov to want her kept away from him - although he still wants to make use of her, hence sending her to inflitrate the Church of Taren Cappel. Iago, though, is apparently not so smart as to be considered a threat, or with the fact that he has let someone reputed to be smart, vicious and mercenary come (and remain) very close to him. Is he relying on the mercenary loyalty to cash, or is there something else that keeps Uvanov feeling safe? This could be something to explore. Does Uvanov have (or could he have) more than a financial hold on Iago? Obvious option: blackmail.
Meanwhile, what's going on in Blayse's head, as she's been fired from the Corporation, but doesn't yet know that she's going undercover? When did she get on Landerchild's payroll? Was she on it the whole time (I hope so! It would better justify why she slept with Iago - to get close to the boss' rival).
I'd like to use Iago's misogyny against him. So far, one gets the impression that he doesn't like women and resents them for stirring up his libido which, for whatever reason, seems to be the one aspect of his psyche he can't bully into submission, so to speak. He doesn't like women, he doesn't trust them. He probably gets quite pissed off when he can't dominate them (in one way or another). What if he's put into a situation of having to rely on some female (moderately strong, strong enough for his animal hindbrain to consider a threat) and he can't bully her? He would, of course, end up getting some sort of petty revenge, in the epilogue, but it should clearly be a nasty-minded sop to his wounded pride - he'll lose more than he gains.
Carnell manipulates. Iago is tempted to abandon Uvanov. Blayse challenges (and defeats) Iago's ego. Likely that infighting on the board will be the binder (that's boring. Fix that)
Research what in blue blazes the Fendahl this week is because, dammit, Chris Boucher is so fuckin’ in love with that damn thing that he sorta assumes we’ve kept up with his interpretations of it.
I must admit, that my generalized dislike of Boucher's ongoing lurve for the Fendahl is a definite turnoff for me, but if I use the timing as described, above, I can largely avoid all but the most tangental references to it.
***
I give that series far more thought that it deserves. Then again, I was re-watching Cyberwoman on the ol' iPod last night and, oh man, that episode has not improved with time. So I guess I've just got a weakness for shlock. ;)
The below assumes that you're familiar with the plays, as I'm too lazy to provide a who's who on this one.
Bits of KC That Appeal To Me (be honest, luv)
- Paranoia, of course. Especially Uvanov's and how it's so utterly destructive of that which he's trying to protect.
- Cheezy melodrama. Go on, Iago! Chew on that scenery some more!
- What was the story of the previous assistant that "sold Uvanov out"?
- Secrets - which ties in to "paranoia"
- Conflicted loyalty - which ties in to "secrets"
Assume a setting after Death's Head but before Hidden Persuaders.
Just how loyal is Iago to a paycheck and a soft job? Is there anything he wouldn't do for money - and would he do it for another reason, if so, what reason? How hard would the job have to be to force him to leave? Under what circumstances would Iago come to the brink of leaving Uvanov high and dry? And what could pull him back from that brink?
Is Carnell motivated by anything other than Holmes-ian ennui? How does a masterful, unopposed puller-of-human-strings amuse himself? What challenges exist? I believe that Carnell is the sort of person who would deliberately manipulate circumstances to create a situation extremely threatening to himself (or, faling that, others) in order to prove that he can extricate himself from it.
The most dangerous sort of situation for Carnell, as suggested above, would be one which has an unpredictable outcome - which would more likely manifest as so many outcomes of equal likelihood that one cannot be favored over another. Hmm... That would put Carnell on an equal footing with his 'inferiors', which he wouldn't enjoy - except for the fact that he honestly believes he's better than them, and can get himself out of this self-made trouble. Of course, the situation would oscillate out of control. Death's Head proved that people just won't take directions as anticipated - so 'ware of re-treading that ground.
Can there be more to Justina than a (largely) empty-headed secretary? The later stories suggest she's a tool of the Fendahl, but is there anything more to it? Is she aware of being this tool and does she have her own plans in the works?
Blayse is smart enough for Uvanov to want her kept away from him - although he still wants to make use of her, hence sending her to inflitrate the Church of Taren Cappel. Iago, though, is apparently not so smart as to be considered a threat, or with the fact that he has let someone reputed to be smart, vicious and mercenary come (and remain) very close to him. Is he relying on the mercenary loyalty to cash, or is there something else that keeps Uvanov feeling safe? This could be something to explore. Does Uvanov have (or could he have) more than a financial hold on Iago? Obvious option: blackmail.
Meanwhile, what's going on in Blayse's head, as she's been fired from the Corporation, but doesn't yet know that she's going undercover? When did she get on Landerchild's payroll? Was she on it the whole time (I hope so! It would better justify why she slept with Iago - to get close to the boss' rival).
I'd like to use Iago's misogyny against him. So far, one gets the impression that he doesn't like women and resents them for stirring up his libido which, for whatever reason, seems to be the one aspect of his psyche he can't bully into submission, so to speak. He doesn't like women, he doesn't trust them. He probably gets quite pissed off when he can't dominate them (in one way or another). What if he's put into a situation of having to rely on some female (moderately strong, strong enough for his animal hindbrain to consider a threat) and he can't bully her? He would, of course, end up getting some sort of petty revenge, in the epilogue, but it should clearly be a nasty-minded sop to his wounded pride - he'll lose more than he gains.
Carnell manipulates. Iago is tempted to abandon Uvanov. Blayse challenges (and defeats) Iago's ego. Likely that infighting on the board will be the binder (that's boring. Fix that)
Research what in blue blazes the Fendahl this week is because, dammit, Chris Boucher is so fuckin’ in love with that damn thing that he sorta assumes we’ve kept up with his interpretations of it.
I must admit, that my generalized dislike of Boucher's ongoing lurve for the Fendahl is a definite turnoff for me, but if I use the timing as described, above, I can largely avoid all but the most tangental references to it.
***
I give that series far more thought that it deserves. Then again, I was re-watching Cyberwoman on the ol' iPod last night and, oh man, that episode has not improved with time. So I guess I've just got a weakness for shlock. ;)
