beccaelizabeth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beccaelizabeth) wrote2007-01-20 02:51 pm
beccaelizabeth) wrote2007-01-20 02:51 pm
Entry tags:
Highlander bunny, in Norwich
So, today's bunny is for Highlander.
... yeah, somewhat of a surprise.
But anyways, today's bunny is, how to out Immortals.
Because it's not as easy as it sounds. I mean, I wrote an article for Fortean Times with a whole bunch of TCBOO incidents in the news, and they re-edited it to look like I was saying Immortals are real, and yet? Still nobody believes it.
So what would it take?
I used to wander around Norwich looking at it all as a backdrop to Quickenings.
... yes, I am deeply, deeply strange.
But there's two places I very seriously want to make go boom with lightning, in an entirely artistic we'll clean it up before morning way.
The art place at the UEA, which is all glass and steel and would look *awesome*
And Norwich Railway Station, which is much more brick and stone, but has this lovely bit of path through the car park that has alternating lamp posts and stone balls. Every time I'm up there I can just see it in my head, a duel between two Immortals in that space right there, lovely frame for them, and then the lightning.
Thing is, there's some serious CCTV coverage in both places.
So... there's part the first. Quickening on TV.
Quickenings have the handy habit of knocking out security systems, but it only has to not-work once.
There's also the Forum in Norwich, which I don't reckon I've been around or looked at really, but it looks nifty and Quickening friendly in pictures.
It also houses the local TV stations.
Any Immortal getting in a fight there would have to be a complete idiot, an exhibitionist, and suicidal.
This does not mean it cannot happen.
Thing is though, I have in my head a picture, and I don't quite see how to get there from here. The picture is Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, giving a press conference outside the Forum, or possibly hijacking someone else's. And he gives the speech from the opening credits, only when he gets as far as "I am not alone" there's a bit of a Spartacus moment and suddenly the crowd turns out to be full of Immortals and they're all outing themselves.
It's very cool, in my head.
I just can't see how to get there from here.
Thousands of years of secrecy... Why would they give that up?
In my head it somehow involves Methos being the first Immortal to be outed, and being dragged away by Men In Black. Is just... would a press conference really help at that point?
*sigh*
half a bunny. bunny with no feet. Poor unfinished bunny.
... that's kind of gross.
Still, better than a headless bunny.
... Okay, how about... They've captured Methos, and they want to disappear him for tests, so some government dude comes out to explain that, while he looks human, he in fact is not, so normal human rights do not apply.
... at that point joining him in the non-human category could look really stupid. Or, possibly, heroic. That whole arrest him = arrest all of us bit.
And Duncan actually has a proveable record as a war hero, once you accept the idea of him being Immortal.
And he's probably not the only one.
So they'd all be standing up saying that writing off Methos means writing off all these people who saved the world a lot.
... but then there's Richie and Amanda and, er, that guy who did baseball and got done for murder, and they're not so very with the claims to be heroic.
... Maybe the government dudes shot Methos somewhere public. And the cameras prove he was defending himself, and it all gets to be a Whole Huge Thing. But then they roll him out to prove he isn't dead. But then it somehow inconveniently turns up that he in fact was. Or, maybe, he dies on camera right then? And gets up again. And it would be a whole Thing.
... I don't know. I still don't think it quite holds together.
Bunnies. What can you do?
On pondering, I have a bit of a motive:
There are many reasons to kill somebody. 'To keep a secret' is not a good one.
So, if someone was killing for that reason... what would our Heroes do?
Because there's two ways to stop that being an issue. Kill the killer... which might not be possible if we're talking an entire organisation. Or... tell the secret.
Nothing to protect, then.
So now the bunny has Methos visiting an art historian who has a trunk full of finds pulled out of the rubble of an old pub currently being demolished in Norwich. That puts them in the right building. Methos of course has bits of paper proving he has some relevant expertise, maybe in linguistics. Say the trunk was opened upside down, and the oldest things are what they find first. Sumerian clay tablets. Egyptian papyrus. And Methos, of course, can read them. So we get flashbacks, which as far as the art historian is concerned are just stories he's translating, but which the viewer gets as flashbacks. And gradually, along with the newbie, the viewer gets to figure out it isn't just him identifying with the historical figures in the texts - he really *is* that guy. Find out at the top of the trunk, with the daguerotypes (sp?).
Why would Methos tell the truth? Maybe the art historian is hot. Or maybe he's trying to recruit a new Watcher. Either way, hell of a lot easier than trying to cover up a find that's already been photographed and in the newspapers and such.
Unfortunately, there's other Immortals who can read whatever got in the papers, and one of them thinks that killing to keep the secret is of the good. This leads to tragic stabbing outside the building, and big Quickening.
It doesn't lead to all Immortals being outed. But it does give Methos a chance to state his attitude about cover ups. Spin good, stabbing bad. He really really means it, in the sharp edges way.
So *then* something else has to happen that puts the secret at risk... the police investigation. Methos can't/doesn't get to the artefacts to hide them, including the photos. And he was found standing over two dead bodies. There's going to be one hell of an investigation.
So if someone wants to cover up? They'd have to get rid of police.
Lots of people going to object to that idea.
... I think this bunny has more of the necessary parts now. Yup.
... yeah, somewhat of a surprise.
But anyways, today's bunny is, how to out Immortals.
Because it's not as easy as it sounds. I mean, I wrote an article for Fortean Times with a whole bunch of TCBOO incidents in the news, and they re-edited it to look like I was saying Immortals are real, and yet? Still nobody believes it.
So what would it take?
I used to wander around Norwich looking at it all as a backdrop to Quickenings.
... yes, I am deeply, deeply strange.
But there's two places I very seriously want to make go boom with lightning, in an entirely artistic we'll clean it up before morning way.
The art place at the UEA, which is all glass and steel and would look *awesome*
And Norwich Railway Station, which is much more brick and stone, but has this lovely bit of path through the car park that has alternating lamp posts and stone balls. Every time I'm up there I can just see it in my head, a duel between two Immortals in that space right there, lovely frame for them, and then the lightning.
Thing is, there's some serious CCTV coverage in both places.
So... there's part the first. Quickening on TV.
Quickenings have the handy habit of knocking out security systems, but it only has to not-work once.
There's also the Forum in Norwich, which I don't reckon I've been around or looked at really, but it looks nifty and Quickening friendly in pictures.
It also houses the local TV stations.
Any Immortal getting in a fight there would have to be a complete idiot, an exhibitionist, and suicidal.
This does not mean it cannot happen.
Thing is though, I have in my head a picture, and I don't quite see how to get there from here. The picture is Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, giving a press conference outside the Forum, or possibly hijacking someone else's. And he gives the speech from the opening credits, only when he gets as far as "I am not alone" there's a bit of a Spartacus moment and suddenly the crowd turns out to be full of Immortals and they're all outing themselves.
It's very cool, in my head.
I just can't see how to get there from here.
Thousands of years of secrecy... Why would they give that up?
In my head it somehow involves Methos being the first Immortal to be outed, and being dragged away by Men In Black. Is just... would a press conference really help at that point?
*sigh*
half a bunny. bunny with no feet. Poor unfinished bunny.
... that's kind of gross.
Still, better than a headless bunny.
... Okay, how about... They've captured Methos, and they want to disappear him for tests, so some government dude comes out to explain that, while he looks human, he in fact is not, so normal human rights do not apply.
... at that point joining him in the non-human category could look really stupid. Or, possibly, heroic. That whole arrest him = arrest all of us bit.
And Duncan actually has a proveable record as a war hero, once you accept the idea of him being Immortal.
And he's probably not the only one.
So they'd all be standing up saying that writing off Methos means writing off all these people who saved the world a lot.
... but then there's Richie and Amanda and, er, that guy who did baseball and got done for murder, and they're not so very with the claims to be heroic.
... Maybe the government dudes shot Methos somewhere public. And the cameras prove he was defending himself, and it all gets to be a Whole Huge Thing. But then they roll him out to prove he isn't dead. But then it somehow inconveniently turns up that he in fact was. Or, maybe, he dies on camera right then? And gets up again. And it would be a whole Thing.
... I don't know. I still don't think it quite holds together.
Bunnies. What can you do?
On pondering, I have a bit of a motive:
There are many reasons to kill somebody. 'To keep a secret' is not a good one.
So, if someone was killing for that reason... what would our Heroes do?
Because there's two ways to stop that being an issue. Kill the killer... which might not be possible if we're talking an entire organisation. Or... tell the secret.
Nothing to protect, then.
So now the bunny has Methos visiting an art historian who has a trunk full of finds pulled out of the rubble of an old pub currently being demolished in Norwich. That puts them in the right building. Methos of course has bits of paper proving he has some relevant expertise, maybe in linguistics. Say the trunk was opened upside down, and the oldest things are what they find first. Sumerian clay tablets. Egyptian papyrus. And Methos, of course, can read them. So we get flashbacks, which as far as the art historian is concerned are just stories he's translating, but which the viewer gets as flashbacks. And gradually, along with the newbie, the viewer gets to figure out it isn't just him identifying with the historical figures in the texts - he really *is* that guy. Find out at the top of the trunk, with the daguerotypes (sp?).
Why would Methos tell the truth? Maybe the art historian is hot. Or maybe he's trying to recruit a new Watcher. Either way, hell of a lot easier than trying to cover up a find that's already been photographed and in the newspapers and such.
Unfortunately, there's other Immortals who can read whatever got in the papers, and one of them thinks that killing to keep the secret is of the good. This leads to tragic stabbing outside the building, and big Quickening.
It doesn't lead to all Immortals being outed. But it does give Methos a chance to state his attitude about cover ups. Spin good, stabbing bad. He really really means it, in the sharp edges way.
So *then* something else has to happen that puts the secret at risk... the police investigation. Methos can't/doesn't get to the artefacts to hide them, including the photos. And he was found standing over two dead bodies. There's going to be one hell of an investigation.
So if someone wants to cover up? They'd have to get rid of police.
Lots of people going to object to that idea.
... I think this bunny has more of the necessary parts now. Yup.