I've been meaning to write a post about this for ages. With the stuff I watch or read, I keep finding parent & child relationships where they're not actually related (or at least, don't have that direct relationship) fascinating. I've got a perfectly normal family going on, so there's no psychological reason like that, I just like it.

melliyna asked:
1. In your fandom(s), what are your favourite parent/child relationships? (biological or non biological parents and children) Why?
so I thought I'd answer here, rather than in a comment.
Read more...

I started this last week but had problems with Q4, which I've finally finished. So Q3 is a bit out of date, but still.

1) Total number of books owned?

I had a count of the ones I had here and it came to 96. I have rather a lot more books and space for books at home so it's certainly a few hundred. I need a house with a spare room just for the books. In all fairness, I come from a house with shelves everywhere, most of them full of books. We have a room called the library, with, unsurprinsgly, rather a lot of books.

2) The last book I bought?

I bought a load from amazon: The Science of Discworld III, The Science of Hitchhiker's, Secrets of the Jedi (latest Jedi Apprentice/Jedi Quest book), Star Trek: Titan (which looked interesting) and Una's new book. Although one of those will be my birthday present from one of my friends.

3) The last book I read?

The last book I finished was Shard of Honour by Lois McMaster Bujold, which I really enjoyed. I've reserved some more of her books from my library. I also read bits of the latest Angel guide and I'm now reading The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C Clarke.

4) 5 books that mean a lot to me?

Alice in Wonderland. It was my favourite book as a child, and still is now. I remember having debates with dad over the difference between saying what you mean and meaning what you say, and other similar word games. I also have a distant memory of reading out The Walrus and the Carpenter for a Brownie badge.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I have so many different versions of it that must count for something. It's something else me and dad have in common - I lend him all my related books etc. I went to Australia and my cousins could quote me bits of it. I've made friends through ZZ9.

And I suppose Lord of the Rings for similar reasons. I've met people through it and wrote fanfic in it. I even used it (sort of) on my CV.

The Importance of Being Earnest. Which is more of a play than a book but I have it in book form. I remember when I was younger my mum used to go round the house saying 'in a handbag?' but in a funny accent - there had been a version on the TV, I think, and that was what she was copying. But for a while that was the standard expression in our house for expressing surprise.

Little Women. Not so much the three that came after because I got less interested in the sisters once they grew up and their children grew up. I liked Jo and Beth - Jo because she was the sort of person I wanted to be and Beth for the same reason, just more unlikely. And they had interesting lives. Their ideas for games probably influenced mine and my sister's, I think.

And poor Obi-Wan! But I foresee plenty of angsty fan fic from it, with [censored] in as well, which I'm really looking forward to.

Yay at Blogger! We'll see how long it lasts though. I'm up to 650meg for my CD of mp3s. A few of those need re-downloading though. I'm running out of things I can think of to download (although there are some things I want that I'm not quite so desperate for, so maybe a second CD at some point). Can't listen to Bohemian Rhapsody without thinking of the dirty version though - at least the bits I can remember. Have completely failed to make it to bed before 12.30 any night this week. And I have to get up at 9 tomorrow morning.

My books have arrived! Only took a week. So I've been reading the latest Jedi Quest book. It's nice to get back to TPM after I've been reading practically nothing but LOTR. Can't help feeling I should write some Obi-Wan & Ani stuff. It's interesting looking at the two of them together. Obi-Wan's trying to be more like Qui-Gon, but is actually more like Anakin. So it's kind of a case of 'do as I say, not as I do'. But Obi-Wan/Anakin slash? Ugh! And ew! Despite the fact they're closer in age, I'm happier with Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan. Not that I see their relationship like that, but I think it easier to deal with slash when the two characters already love each other.

I can just about cope with Elladan/Elrohir, as nasty as that is. But sometimes Aragorn/Arwen can squick me if I think about it too much - they both think of Elrond as their father, that's just weird. Have worked out how to use Scorpius/Braca in the unnamed-Farscape-epic. In fact, I think it'll solve some of my plotting problems. Should maybe start writing them down. I was thinking about the number of pairings in it, and as well as the aforementioned S/B, there's John/Aeryn and Crichton/Chiana. Also Chiana/D'Argo and Chiana/various Peacekeepers I suspect. That gives me an idea - Crichton/Peacekeeper red-shirt. Must go and read now.

I now have two new stories up at ff.net: I Can't Do This, which is a Star Wars TPM one I wrote a few years ago and found abandoned; and Dropping Eaves, which I've got finished before the challenge deadline, yay! And I wrote 2000 words tonight and downloaded a load more mp3s. I was nice to Haldir for a change, Isildur wasn't.

I noticed last night it was a full moon, so I thought that must mean something. According to my calendar it's Purim, which I have no idea what that is. Suggests apples for me for some reason, I don't know why. Probably has nothing to do with apples. But what it also means, and this is much more important, is that it's a month till Passover. First night is the Wednesday before Easter. Yay! Looking forward to nice food and a long weekend. And getting the spyware off my computer so it'll hopefully mean it won't spend ages thinking about nothing.

Finished Rendezvous with Rama - now I need to re-read the other ones, if I can just get hold of them. Have discovered loads of interesting stuff in LOTR Appendices though about the kings of men, so will have to read that, I think. I really want to watch The Bill but I need to save it till about 50mins before I want to go to bed so I can go to bed to watch it and be warm and warm my bed up at the same time.

Need a spell checker on Blogger! Not enough to pay for it though.

I really have nothing to write, my life is that boring. I now have a white thing (not going to even attempt to spell the Korean name) for Tae Kwon Do (where thing is trousers and jacket and belt). And I've washed it so its slightly less smelly. I've still not managed to post about The Bill on the forum. I've reached the point where I really have nothing to say. I've also reached the point I never thought I'd get to - I don't really mind if I miss it. When I tape it and don't get round to watching it things will be much worse. I did write a few bits about various people's fics at Henneth Annun though. Not terrifically constructive mind you. Wrote another fic that came to me in the night. Not good.

I've realised since seeing The Two Towers again that Aragorn's a really interesting character. And can I find fic about him as Estel? Well, a bit. Not much though. I saw a meme a while ago about first and last lines written in fic, so I did the 7 vaguely finished ones I could dredge up:

A Rainbow in the Dark (Star Wars TPM)
First - Obi-Wan Kenobi stood by the ship, waiting.
Last - Then, when he heard her voice in his head saying "Luke Skywalker", he knew what he must do and headed towards Tatooine.

A Child of the Jedi (Star Wars TPM)
First - Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't really feel like reading any of his lessons.
Last - I won't fail you, Master was the unspoken comment that passed between them.

Life, Love and Consequences (Star Wars TPM)
First - I'm not sure what I should be feeling any more.
Last - I just don't know whether I will succeed.

Confessions (Star Wars TPM)
First - "Anakin Skywalker progressing well, he is?"
Last - "Thank you, Master."

Trainspotting (the original) (Quantum Leap)
First - As Sam Beckett's senses returned after his leap in, the first thing that hit him was the smell.
Last - And he leaped.

Untitled (Stargate)
Frst - O'Neill screamed.
Last - I have never been able to decide.

Dropping Eaves (LOTR)
First - Samwise Gamgee slowly made his way around Bag End.
Last - Sam turned around to show his father, but of Gandalf there was no sign.

From that I can conclude that the first two are shite (I keep them around to remind me how much I've improved). There are different styles for different fandoms though, which is a good thing. I've written more based on TPM than anything else. Perhaps when I've finished the FOTR DVD I ought to go through the TPM one to get me back into it. AOTC never managed it, but then pretty much the only thing I'm interested in is Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Two of them are first-person. I can tell Life is angsty from those two sentences! Only Confessions starts with a person talking and also ends that way to. That fic is pretty much purely a conversation though. When Farscape's finished I should watch some older stuff and try and do some of the epic. And the older post-DMD one too. Will have to watch some Zhaan stuff for that I think.