Aurora Borealis

To preserve my privacy, I am friends-locking most of this journal and locking/scrubbing personal information from my other social media accounts. I hate to do this, since in the past, a good number of my friends came from random commenters/mutual fandom fans dropping by... but the world is a cruel place, and I have to keep myself safe.

Thank you for offering to create a fanwork for me! This is my first time participating in Chocolate Box, so I'm eager to see what you come up with :) Please know that whatever it is, I'll be excited to receive your gift. My likes, dislikes, and prompts are just here to give you ideas. Feel free to go in another direction if the muse inspires you! The only thing I ask is that you respect my DNWs:

Do Not Wants: Excessive gore, Body horror, Character bashing, AUs that change the setting (canon divergence is fine), A/B/O universe, Genderswap of a M/M slash pairing (unpaired characters are fine), Kidfic, Mpreg, Extreme kinks (scat, vomit, golden showers, etc), Female objectification, Explicit misogyny or sexual abuse of women (if it has to happen, make it off-screen and ensure the perpetrator is punished).

( General Likes and Dislikes )
( Callan )
( Raffles )
( Hellsing )
( Mass Effect )

Thank you for writing a fic for me! Yuletide is an exciting time of year, and I'm grateful to all the fans who produce content for our small fandoms. Please know that whatever you decide to write, I'll be excited to receive your gift. My likes, dislikes, and prompts are just here to give you ideas. Feel free to go in another direction if the muse inspires you! The only thing I ask is that you respect my DNWs:

Do Not Wants: Excessive gore, Body horror, Character bashing, AUs that change the setting (canon divergence is fine), A/B/O universe, Genderswap of a M/M slash pairing (unpaired characters are fine), Kidfic, Mpreg, Extreme kinks (scat, vomit, golden showers, etc), Female objectification, Explicit misogyny or sexual abuse of women (if it has to happen, make it off-screen and ensure the perpetrator is punished).

( General Likes and Dislikes )
( Callan )
( Raffles )
( Colditz )

Allow me to introduce you to a new fandom of mine - Callan, a British TV series from 1967-72 starring Edward Woodward (The Equalizer, The Wicker Man) in the title role. Callan is a Cold War spy drama in the tradition of Len Deighton's The Ipcress File and John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Its world is dark and bleak, its characters morally ambiguous, and its stories often end on a downbeat turn. (The first episode of the series is called "The Good Ones Are All Dead"). James Bond this is not; in fact, Callan was conceived as the antithesis to Bond-style escapism. It depicts the seedy side of espionage with its criminal associates and cynical bureaucracy, beneath which agents toil like pawns on a chessboard, as likely to be killed by friend as foe.

So why do I recommend this series? Well, if you're like me, you're partial to darkness and angst ;) But even if that's not your usual cup of tea, I suggest you check out Callan on the strength of its acting alone. Woodward does a masterful job of portraying the morally conflicted assassin, David Callan, both frightening in his anger and heartbreakingly vulnerable in his grief. He is joined by Anthony Valentine (Colditz, Raffles) with whom he shares crackling on-screen chemistry, and Russell Hunter (The Gaffer), a skilled character actor who practically inhabits his role. This top-notch talent is supported by a top-notch script. The plots are complex and clever, featuring lies, subterfuge, and misdirection - all the classic spy storylines - that demand close attention from the audience. Sharp dialogue takes the place of action in most parts, shining the spotlight on character interaction. Many scenes read as if they'd come from a superb stage play.

Finally, for the slash fans, there's a ton of wonderful subtext surrounding the two handsome leads, Callan and Meres, as well as several canonically gay/bisexual side characters.

In conclusion, you'll enjoy Callan if

• You relish historically-based spy dramas with complex plots.


• You like morally ambiguous and conflicted main characters.


• You are a sucker for tragedy, angst, and every deathfic trope.


• You appreciate good-looking men in three-piece suits.

On the other hand, this series may not be for you if

• You prefer slick "James Bond" action, adventure, and romance.


• You need a protagonist that you can always root for.


• You want modern cinematography and video quality.


• You are bothered by some degree of sexism and wish to see a diverse cast.

In the following sections, I provide a detailed description of the setting and characters. Interested readers may watch the entire show on my Youtube playlist, or just check out the recommended episodes below. (Due to the age of the series, some episodes from seasons 1-2 are missing from the BBC archives. I have posted all that are commercially available).

( Overview )
( Main Characters )
( Supporting Characters )
( Recommended Episodes )
( External Links )

Seasons 1-4 + Pilot

Language: English
Runtime: 60 minutes
Network: ITV1 (UK)
Cast: Edward Woodward (David Callan), Russell Hunter (Lonely), Lisa Langdon (Elizabeth March), Anthony Valentine (Toby Meres), William Squire (Hunter), Patrick Mower (James Cross), Geoffrey Chater (Mr. Bishop), Clifford Rose (Dr. Snell)
Links: (IMDB) (TVDB) (Wiki)
Synopsis: David Callan is only good at two things - killing people and collecting model soldiers. He works for a secret intelligence agency called the Section, which specializes in disposing of people through blackmail, frame-ups, and very often death. Callan becomes a liability to his superiors because he cares too much, but while the Section tries to get rid of him, it also needs his expertise and ruthlessness in the field.
Download: mega [dot] nz [slash] #F!neJh3KRI
Decryption Key: EtoshJkVlXvbQg4qNzZydg
Encoding Info: MediaInfo
Note: I ripped and encoded all the episodes released on commercial DVD. Seasons 1-2 come from Callan: The Monochrome Years, except for the pilot and S01E01, which are the new transfers in Callan: This Man Alone. Seasons 3-4 come from the North American releases, Callan: Set 1 and Callan: Set 2, respectively. Edward Woodward's commentary in S04E05 and S04E11 are included as separate audio tracks. The rest of the episodes unfortunately have been lost to time, i.e., they do not exist in the BBC archives. However, the scripts are provided on the documentary DVD, and I have uploaded them here along with other goodies. (Fans should check out the Red File pdf for Callan's backstory).

Edit: Ugh, so apparently, my North American DVDs have some glitches in them. Not sure if it's a problem with my disc or the original transfer. To be safe, I've ordered Callan: The Color Years and will re-rip seasons 3-4. Hold off on downloading them for now.

Thanks to Raffles, I discovered the beauty of Anthony Valentine and fell down the rabbit hole of old British TV shows. One such show I've been watching is Callan, a gritty Cold War spy drama from the 60's, starring Edward Woodward as the eponymous character, David Callan, and Anthony as Toby Meres, a baby-faced agent with a sadistic streak and an eye for pretty boy trainees.

( Sexy Guns under the Cut! )

Season 1, Pilot + Episodes 1-13

Language: English
Runtime: 60 minutes
Network: ITV1 (UK)
Cast: Anthony Valentine (A.J. Raffles), Christopher Strauli (Bunny Manders), Victor Carin/James Maxwell (Inspector Mackenzie)
Links: (IMDB) (TVDB) (Wiki)
Synopsis: Most people know A.J. Raffles only as a gentleman of leisure and top-rated cricketer, but he is also “The Amateur Cracksman”, an expert jewel thief. Alternately aided and hindered by his old friend, Bunny Manders, Raffles cuts a dashing swath across Edwardian England, helping himself to the baubles of the rich and opulent.
Download: mega [dot] nz [slash] #F!rfIGmKLb
Decryption key: v1tmQwjTRXU3RL1OGHgFtA
Encoding Info: MediaInfo
Note: I ripped and encoded these personally from my copy of the Raffles: Complete Collection R1 DVDs (2010). Please only share via links to my Dreamwidth. As a fan, I also purchased the R2 DVDs solely for the subtitles, but haven’t had time to edit and sync them yet. I will add them to this post once that process is complete.

“I’ll be father and mother to you.”

That's my favorite line from the Les Miserables (2012) movie. Valjean has just saved little Cosette from a lifetime of abuse by the Thenardiers. As they walk away from the wretched couple, he gives her a beautiful doll - the first she's held - and Cosette asks him with a sweetly innocent smile whether he'll be like a papa to her. That's when Valjean sings the above line.

Notice how Hugh Jackman emphasizes "mother." I have no doubt this is a deliberate choice. Cosette asks Valjean to be a father to her, and Valjean replies he'll do one better: he'll be a mother as well. It's a major shift in his character, and one of the key themes in Victor Hugo's classic. Up till this point, Valjean's main identity was a mayor and factory boss in Montreuil-sur-mer. He was a compassionate one to be sure, but ultimately a man who sat at the top of a privileged hierarchy, disconnected from the lives of his subordinates. This mirrors the role of fathers in his society.

Back in those days (and many places today), a good father’s duty was simply to be a financial provider and protector of his family. He made money, he dealt with threats, and in return, his wife and children were to show him obedience whether or not he actually enriched their lives. There was no expectation of nurturing, sensitivity, emotional support, heart-to-heart communication, or engagement in the daily work of raising a healthy, happy child. Fathers were supposed to be invulnerable, and they maintained this facade by keeping their distance. For Valjean to be a father in this cultural context is similar to his role as the capitalist boss: he’s a benevolent patriarch in a position of power who provides materially for his children/workers, but doesn’t care about them personally.

Now, for Valjean to be a mother is a different story. Hugo depicts the archetypal mother, Fantine, as a heroic figure, her unconditional love for Cosette a sublime and noble quality, which stands out against the cold indifference of society. She sacrifices everything for her child and is rewarded in the end with God’s grace. This motherly love is held up as an ideal. To be clear, by "motherly" I don’t mean a female and the child she birthed (Mme. Thenardier is a poor role model despite being a biological parent), but the genuine holistic love displayed by both men and women in the brick. It's a love that is strikingly vulnerable: Bishop Myriel risked being robbed or worse by sheltering Valjean, Enjolras lost his life in a failed revolution to improve the lot of his fellow man. Neither asked anything in return. Valjean promising to be a mother to Cosette is a promise to strive for this kind of love, the kind that is tender, compassionate, and most of all, human in a way that is unexpected - and indeed unusual - for men even today.

So I was reading stonecarapace's excellent Breaking Through fic, which features female Valjean and Javert meeting in Montreuil-sur-mer, and it got me thinking: how would their character arcs differ if they were born women? Valjean would retain her immense (almost supernatural) strength as in the brick, which would give her some advantages in her sexist society, but she would be sent to a women's prison, not a bagne for breaking the law. And would Javert even be able to join the police force? It's doubtful historically, but if we're going to suspend disbelief for this thought experiment, I can see her going from a guard in a women's prison to an officer under the patronage of M. Chabouillet. She would likely be sent on undercover missions in which a policeman would be too conspicuous, such as spying in a nunnery, an all-girl's school, or restricted parts of a brothel. So there'd be a reason for a man like M. Chabouillet to keep her around on the force.

Anyway, I think I can tell a very interesting feminist story with genderswapped Valjean and Javert. It would contrast Valjean's feminist values of nurturing and compassion with Javert's patriarchal values as the father's daughter, supporting the patriarchy against other women.

( Specific Scene Ideas )

I'm unsure what other major scenes matter after this. I can see Gorbeau House being interesting with the rape threat to Valjean, and also with Javert taking down a dangerous gang, something her colleagues doubted she could do as a woman.

The big change would come at the barricades. What would be clever thematically is to have it mirror the Punish me M. le maire scene, except with Javert crossdressed as a man and Valjean as herself. This shows how Javert, who starts out womanly, eventually must hide herself completely beneath the identity of a man, symbolizing her allegiance to the patriarchy, while Valjean goes in the opposite direction: from taking on male privilege as M. Madeleine to becoming a motherly, nurturing figure to Cosette. But I'm not sure how to make this work in the context of the barricades, since the brick has women standing by Les Amis, while the musical has Eponine crossdressing as a man to sneak in. Which is it?

I'm also stuck on Javert's revelation: I originally conceived this as male Valjean showing her that no, criminals aren't all rapists, just like male authority figures can't all be trusted (implying that M. Chabouillet sexually exploited Javert). But I'm not sure what to do here with a female Valjean. In that case, it's an identity crisis, where Javert must realize she's been in the wrong all along by aligning with patriarchal figures, while Valjean lived authentically. Perhaps Javert expects Valjean to kill her because that's the cowardly thing to do? And Javert has always looked down on "those other women" as weak and cowardly? However, Valjean lets her go free, and in so doing, shows her that the feminist value of forgiveness is a source of strength. I still don't know how this would lead to her derailment though.

I wrote a long entry about ACR and fucking Firefox ate it, so here I am posting everything again.

( Overall, I Feel Disappointed... )

In summary, the game's not bad, it just didn't live up to my expectations. The enjoyable moments were few and far between, while a lot of other elements got tacked on with no real plot purpose. I do have to say that I loved Ezio the minstrel, though. That was by far my favorite mission XD. I can only hope Ubisoft releases a skin~ so I can run around tra-la-laing to annoy the populace.