Nice to get some more details of the differences out. Rupert thinking that Riley was worth 10 Xanders? Rupert thinking that Watchers need to come from the right bloodline? It makes me shudder just thinking about a world like that.
Are you going on the divergence alternate universe theory, or something less specific than that? What I mean is, some stories I've read posit that an alternate universe is created every time a decision is made. Other ones don't point to a specific event as the trigger, often making it more environmental (like the presence of magic). If this is an alternate universe with a specific trigger, I'd love to figure out what it is. Based on Rupert's comment about Watchers' bloodlines, I'd have to guess it was something that happened to Giles pre-Sunnydale to turn him into more of a pillock. Obviously post-Eyghon, though.
(There's a great SF short story that I can't remember the name of right now, told from the point of view of a cop investigating a rash of unexplained suicides. Scientists had just discovered the presence of alternate realities, and I think they had even come up with a way to visit them. The reason he finally discovers for the rash of suicides? Once everyone realizes that every decision they make doesn't really matter, because they make the other decision in another reality, their decisions start to come a lot less...predictable. Because, hey, when the passing thought goes through your mind about what it would feel like to fall off of a skyscraper, why not try it? After all, you'll choose not to in a different reality, so no real harm, right? The story ends with the cop doing just that.)
Anyway, I'm glad I decided to refresh before leaving LJ. What a treat to get another chapter of WHMD! Keep up the great work, Liz.
I love the other options for "pillock" presented by the LJ spell checker: Pollock, pollack, hillock, Pollocks, Bullock, bullock, pluck, pillow.
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Are you going on the divergence alternate universe theory, or something less specific than that? What I mean is, some stories I've read posit that an alternate universe is created every time a decision is made. Other ones don't point to a specific event as the trigger, often making it more environmental (like the presence of magic). If this is an alternate universe with a specific trigger, I'd love to figure out what it is. Based on Rupert's comment about Watchers' bloodlines, I'd have to guess it was something that happened to Giles pre-Sunnydale to turn him into more of a pillock. Obviously post-Eyghon, though.
(There's a great SF short story that I can't remember the name of right now, told from the point of view of a cop investigating a rash of unexplained suicides. Scientists had just discovered the presence of alternate realities, and I think they had even come up with a way to visit them. The reason he finally discovers for the rash of suicides? Once everyone realizes that every decision they make doesn't really matter, because they make the other decision in another reality, their decisions start to come a lot less...predictable. Because, hey, when the passing thought goes through your mind about what it would feel like to fall off of a skyscraper, why not try it? After all, you'll choose not to in a different reality, so no real harm, right? The story ends with the cop doing just that.)
Anyway, I'm glad I decided to refresh before leaving LJ. What a treat to get another chapter of WHMD! Keep up the great work, Liz.
I love the other options for "pillock" presented by the LJ spell checker: Pollock, pollack, hillock, Pollocks, Bullock, bullock, pluck, pillow.