I am a hostage to my imagination, or, ‘My Two Houses’
I just can’t let this go. I have other things to do, but it’s a brainworm I just can’t expunge. So – why on earth am I bothering to write this? The last time it was this bad, it was the start of Hegemon; 50,000 words and a mini, 23-page TRO later, I finally got back to work on my original project. I’m hoping to short-circuit the urge to put something down with the bare minimum to put it to rest and move on, but – naturally – it needs a bit of back-story.
There I was, this is no [fecal matter] (bonus point; what John Ringo book is that from?), doing mindless yard work after re-reading a bit of ‘This was easier on tabletop’, and it struck me – what would Melissa and John discuss? Arts? Politics? …Game of Thrones? How to use propaganda to give the Federated Commonwealth the needed inertia to last instead canon events? Why not? So Smith would suggest Melissa use her ‘soft power’ to encourage development of.. Cultural things, to encourage a bond between the two states. But what? Well, how about duplicating the enthusiasm for ‘Game of Thrones’, that Smith had on his iPad?
A bit of brainstorming and digging up every plot hook exploited by 20th century pop culture later, the smash F-C vid hit ‘My Two Houses’ was born. A bit of ‘Cheaper by the dozen’, ‘Malcom In The Middle’, ‘Look Who’s Talking’ (‘Smith’ loved the ‘PUT ME BACK!’-line, even if the rest of the movie sucked, and suggested it be used as the advertising spot to drum up interest.), ‘Young Sheldon’, ‘The Cosby Show’, and the rest of whatever stunt or gag caught his jaded eye, as a child of Steiner/Davion parents grows up trying to reconcile the attitudes of his parents and older siblings.
In the interests of getting this monkey off my back, I have provided a list of episodes.
1.Episode 1: ‘PUT MEE BAA-CK!’
Walt brings the kids with him to the hospital as Stella is giving birth to their first child when a Courier arrives, bringing legal documents informing him as the direct descendant of (Planetary Noble, whatever the rank is), ruler of an abandoned world in the old Terran Hegemony, the Archon-Designate and First Prince have selected it for resettlement. Stella tells his she wants a Post-nup to protect her and their son’s legitimate financial interest in his inheritance.
*Amusing cutscene of his father, an old reactionary who disavowed his son dying of a heart attack when informed he was now a Planetary Duke and in possession of assets worth Billions to F-C corporate interests…
2.Episode 2: ‘Whatchu doin’, Bobby?’
Now nobles and completely unprepared for interacting with their noble peers, a young John/Justin (Hey, they were popular names after the 4th SW!) watches his older brothers try and become part of the ‘in’ crowd and tries to imitate them until Walt and Stella have to intervene and set some ground rules for the young nobles.
3.Episode 3: ‘You put your left foot in-’
Heinrich is informed he’s being sent to military school to become a MechWarrior and finds out his parents have bought him a refurbished Clint. John/Justin decides to become a secretary after his parent’s secretary salvages a disastrous situation singlehandedly.
4.Episode 4: ‘Your OTHER Left, dumbkopf!’
(Ok, chortling and giggling almost over. Maybe now I can get back to rewriting the Extra-Light Mech rules.)
