Remixed!

[kerravonsen]

I have finished my remixredux story! And it is up! And I can now reveal (except that astrogirl2 has sort of mentioned it already) that my assigned remixee was mistraltoes and I remixed her filk The Ultramarines to produce Resonances (The Out Of The Blue And Into The Black Remix) (and it is also up on my own site, with less formatting problems here.

One of the interesting things is that I did not choose to remix the same work that was chosen by the pinch-hitter, the story "When I was Your Age", even though Mistral thought that that one was the most likely one to be remixed. In fact, it didn't even cross my mind. The Ultramarines was always my first choice, because I really liked the idea of doing an Ultraworld AU (though it has been done before, especially very well in the one-story zine "Trust, Like the Soul"). I knew I didn't have time to explore the "oh dear how am I going to deal with all these strange bodyparts" but that actually wasn't the main thing that appealed to me about the idea. The filk, albeit that it was humourous, gave me a hook to start from, something I hadn't considered: how utterly awful it might be for Cally in this situation. And as I'd been going through some lousy times myself, let us just say it offered me an avenue for self-expression.

The other story I did consider whether I would remix was actually Perspectives, because it offered something which would be easy to change the PoV of. I was hesitating about doing the Ultramarines because I wasn't sure if one could really remix a filk, but I'm glad I did, because I like Cally and Avon more than any of the Buffy characters, really (except maybe Giles, if I'm completely fair...). And it forced me to rewatch a few key episodes like Ultraworld, Killer, and Gambit, which reminded me how snarky and cynical Avon actually is, which is kind of easy to forget when one likes him so much.

So, there, I've written my Ultraworld AU. At probably the right time, considering the number of things that were put into it.

Would I do RemixRedux again? You betcha!

Comments

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Erm... sorry. *sheepish grin*

FWIW, I liked your version better than "Trust, Like the Soul," which, while interesting and not badly written, really left me, well... itching to re-write it my way. :)

[kerravonsen]

Erm... sorry. *sheepish grin*

Well, it wasn't much of a reveal, since it was fairly close to when it went up anyway...

FWIW, I liked your version better than "Trust, Like the Soul," which, while interesting and not badly written, really left me, well... itching to re-write it my way. :)

Thank you!
It's been a while since I've read "Trust, Like The Soul", maybe I'd change my mind if I read it again. The main thing I remember is how I was frustrated by the ending, because they were Doomed. I much prefer not dooming them -- I figure, if I'm going to write an AU, then I might as well go the whole hog and rescue Cally. Though I guess Doomed-Angst is, well, angsty...

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Well, it wasn't much of a reveal, since it was fairly close to when it went up anyway...

And how many people read my LJ, anyway? :) (Well, OK, apparently quite a few, judging by the number of comments on the slash post. I'm still astonished by that.)

The main thing I remember is how I was frustrated by the ending, because they were Doomed.

Personally, I don't mind Doomed. But... Well, my memories of it are very vague, to the point where I recall almost nothing specific about it at all. But what I do remember is feeling like the things the story chose to focus on were not the things I was interested in. I seem to remember wanting to get into the characters' heads farther and get a better sense of what it all really felt like for them, and never quite feeling statisfied that I'd gotten it.

[kerravonsen]

Oh yeah, I know there's a place for Doomed, it can be all ironically angsty... it was just...
I really should just read it again.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

But it was an AU so they might not be doomed. Maybe this time Avon will be more thoughtful and Cally-like when he meets Blake.

[kerravonsen]

I was talking about "Trust, Like the Soul", which really gave the impression that it had been back-to-course, because of the way it ended with hints about Avon getting messages from Blake (as per leading up to Terminal) and implying that things would go exactly as they did in canon -- which made it a very bittersweet Avon/Cally romance, because the reader knows it was Doomed.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I was talking about "Trust, Like the Soul" too. it ends with Avon getting the 'patterns though infinity' message which presumably sends him to Gauda Prime, but things don't have to happen the same way.

Even if it's referring to 'Terminal', the same applies. For example, Avon might not insist on flying through the enzyme cloud.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

For example, Avon might not insist on flying through the enzyme cloud. Nah, he still would. Some things simply don't change with My Darling...

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Am so thrilled! Unhappily have commitments for at least part of the evening (grr), beginning immediately, but will read it as soon as I can. And I should really thank you for being late (though I'm sorry you weren't feeling well), as it means I got two stories instead of one. :-)

Er... does this mean I have a songfic? LOL.

[kerravonsen]

Unhappily have commitments for at least part of the evening (grr), beginning immediately
Well, it is Easter; commitments are strewn around...

Er... does this mean I have a songfic? LOL.

Er, I guess so, technically... filk-fic?

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

This is an excellent story, and having an imprinter makes lots of sense considering the canonical brain-prints. I love how you brought Docholli and the events of 'Killer' in. And Vila and Dayna actually getting on together--awww. I agree; I like AUs to give them some hope for the future; after all, it's open from then on.

Two small typos {because I like to be told about mine):

His eyes blazed in her face. Shouldn't that be 'my face'?

Vila was recruited for this, being the one who had known both Avon and I the longest. 'I' should be 'me'.

[kerravonsen]

This is an excellent story, and having an imprinter makes lots of sense considering the canonical brain-prints.

Thank you!

I'm really pleased about how a whole lot of things came together for this story, because I'd only recently started watching Season 7 of Stargate (which had an episode where people in suspended animation had their personalities stored separately) and also recently read the book "Helm" by Steven Gould, which had this "Imprinter" technology which also stored personalities, so I stole things from that too -- and if I hadn't, then I might not have been able to think of a good way of switching them back (because I didn't want to use the mechanism which had been used in "Trust Like the Soul"). And I didn't want to write an Ultraworld-we-got-switched story without having some way of switching them back. Mind you, to have technically fulfilled the requirement, I could have written a really really depressing story about how Cally got so depressed about the whole thing -- but I didn't want to write such a downer of a story.

And then I thought of a way of having an even greater side-effect of which I am quite fond, so I couldn't resist that...

I love how you brought Docholli and the events of 'Killer' in.

Well, I had to bring 'Killer' in for the ship with the cryosleep stuff -- though on re-viewing the episode, nobody actually stated that there was any cryosleep involved, though Blake mentioned "hibernation pills". On the other hand, I vaguely recall someone on the Lyst saying that Blake's reference to Lord Jeffrey Ashley and the smallpox blankets was in fact incorrect -- which means that if Blake could get one bit of history wrong, he could get another bit wrong, and the hibernation pills hadn't come in until later.
And of course Docholli comes in because of the "brain prints" thing.
I was also pleased to see yesterday when I was watching "Time Squad", a reference not only to cryosleep, but to possible brain damage arising from same, which gives yet another piece of supporting evidence for my extrapolations. (happy smile)

And Vila and Dayna actually getting on together--awww.

There was a scene which I had to drop, which showed how the "Delta Blues" bet came into being; the point was that Vila and Dayna were the only ones left on the ship who were even talking to each other, since Tarrant was trying to keep out of everyone's way, and Avon and Cally were feeling too rotten to talk to anyone. I had to have that rationale because, looking at the episodes around that point, Vila and Dayna really weren't getting on that well.
But I couldn't actually show that in the final version -- but I hope it still hangs together.

I agree; I like AUs to give them some hope for the future; after all, it's open from then on.

Though of course the other independent events may still conspire against them.
I like the idea of them having Docholli as a ship's doctor, though. I like him. I think he's been battered about so much by the constant running, that he would really see the Liberator as a haven, and be happy to change over to being a GP more than a specialist, assuming that he does still have enough background to be able to do that.

Shouldn't that be 'my face'?

Er, yes, I kept on missing first-person/third-person errors.

'I' should be 'me'.

Yes, Betty pointed that out, but I chose to ignore her. With another person tripping over it, I will change it.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Blake's reference to Lord Jeffrey Ashley and the smallpox blankets was in fact incorrect

I think he gets the name or year wrong, I can't remember which. I like that though: people don't remember things perfectly, and history may become distorted over the centuries, so it feels very realistic.

Vila and Dayna were the only ones left on the ship who were even talking to each other, since Tarrant was trying to keep out of everyone's way, and Avon and Cally were feeling too rotten to talk to anyone.

Ah. That makes a lot of sense. It's a pity you didn't manage to work in a reference to that. It was nice to 'see' though. Vila needs a friendm especially in S3 and S4.

There's a zine called 'Delta Blues' which is awfully sad; did you use its title? Though it was more Auron Blues--or am I being thick and there's a music genre called Delta Blues?

[kerravonsen]

It's a pity you didn't manage to work in a reference to that.

Heh, I was having enough difficulty working in a reference to the bet...

or am I being thick and there's a music genre called Delta Blues?

There is. The "Delta" part comes from the Mississipi Delta. You've heard of the Blues, though, surely? "Rhythm and Blues"? Jazz?

Vila needs a friend

I don't think Dayna would be it, though. She still doesn't respect him enough.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

No. I don't think Vila really had one in S3 and S4 although Soolin seemed kinder to him than the others. Poor Vila.

You've heard of the Blues, though, surely?

Of course. Just not Delta ones.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

['I' should be 'me'.]

Yes, Betty pointed that out, but I chose to ignore her. With another person tripping over it, I will change it.

Well, it depends. Is Cally always grammatically correct? Because it's in her voice, so it will follow her speech patterns, not necessarily correct English (even if it does make me shudder - I always have the most terrible debates with myself writing Buffyfic, because those characters use such bad grammer I want to tear out my hair!) My best guess is that Cally would use that wrong construction occasionally.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Well, I've read it now and thoroughly enjoyed it. And left comments on the remixredux site, which I forgot to sign, sorry. :(

One of the interesting things is that I did not choose to remix the same work that was chosen by the pinch-hitter, the story "When I was Your Age", even though Mistral thought that that one was the most likely one to be remixed.

Yes, but at the time I thought that, I was assuming it would *not* be remixed by you. Because I had your story, and because you had gone for a pinch-hitter, and because you'd told me you had a kidnap/rescue to deal with, which I couldn't imagine would fit with something of mine. Well, until about twelve hours before you posted, when I was looking at my Web site stats and saw two direct hits on "The Ultramarines" that came from off-site; then I decided that the person who remixed "When I Was Your Age" must have been your pinch-hitter. But you did fool me until the last minute. :)

[I suppose that I thought "When I Was Your Age" would be remixed because when I looked over which stories I'd posted on my site, *I* would have remixed one of "When I Was Your Age", "Perspectives", or "Jelly Rebellion", just because they seem to have the most obvious approaches available, and "When I Was Your Age" seems to be the most popular of those three.]

The other story I did consider whether I would remix was actually Perspectives, because it offered something which would be easy to change the PoV of. I was hesitating about doing the Ultramarines because I wasn't sure if one could really remix a filk, but I'm glad I did,

Though I was surprised, I was very pleased that you chose "The Ultramarines", because I still consider it one of the best things I've done; I like having some attention lavished on it. ;-) And I don't see why you couldn't remix a filk; I almost remixed one of your poems. Though now I think about it, "The Ultramarines" *isn't* a filk, but an original song, since it's not based on a pre-existing tune. At the time I wrote it, I also gave it its own tune, though I can't recall it 100% any longer. I should really work it out again and write it down, I guess.

Am curious what you would have done with "Perspectives", though. It hasn't really got a POV, but I think of it as an Anya fic.

And it forced me to rewatch a few key episodes like Ultraworld, Killer, and Gambit, which reminded me how snarky and cynical Avon actually is, which is kind of easy to forget when one likes him so much.

??? But snarky and cynical is, you know, the part I like best about him! (Well, I like his sense of honor, his loyalty, and lots of other things, too, but without the snarky and cynical, he wouldn't be nearly as much fun.)

Would I do RemixRedux again? You betcha!

Me, too! Can't wait for next year. :)

[kerravonsen]

Well, I've read it now and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Yay!

And left comments on the remixredux site, which I forgot to sign, sorry. :(

Thanks for letting me know they were from you -- particularly since I read this comment before that email, so I thus knew that that anonymous email was actually from you...

Though I was surprised, I was very pleased that you chose "The Ultramarines", because I still consider it one of the best things I've done; I like having some attention lavished on it.

Good. And it deserves some attention. I remember my beta made a comment that the Epilogue shouldn't work because it's so obviously tacked on, but that the song is so brilliant that the reader doesn't mind... (grin)

I almost remixed one of your poems.

I can't imagine how any of my poems could have been remixed -- none of them are particularly narrative-y, I don't think, unless being a reflection of a particular episode...

Am curious what you would have done with "Perspectives", though. It hasn't really got a POV, but I think of it as an Anya fic.

I'm not sure what I would have done with "Perspectives", except, at the least, turn it from a dialogue-only piece into a fleshed-out story. Nothing really leapt out at me when I was in the "decide which story to remix" phase.

But snarky and cynical is, you know, the part I like best about him!

Oh, yes, but I'd forgotten how snarky and cynical -- I'd mentally toned him down a notch.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Good. And it deserves some attention.

::blush:: You and your beta reader are too kind, thanks.

I can't imagine how any of my poems could have been remixed -- none of them are particularly narrative-y, I don't think, unless being a reflection of a particular episode...

I could have imposed minimal plot events on the structure of 'Friends?' without too much difficulty, just showing Soolin's viewpoint of Rescue and Power, maybe in diary form. That was my initial intention, to the extent that I wrote to the organizer and asked her if remixing a poem would fit the requirements. But then Jarriere started talking to me, and wanting to finish by the deadline, I went down the path of least resistance...

[kerravonsen]

But then Jarriere started talking to me, and wanting to finish by the deadline, I went down the path of least resistance...
(grin)