Weekly Chat and Spectre Prompt Fest

[mi6-cafe-mod.livejournal.com]

It’s that time for the weekly chat again! Today we’ve got a number of exciting changes happening to the weekly chat:

Chat is open ALL WEEK!

Yes, that means that the weekly chat is open until Friday of next week (where I will post a new weekly chat post full of exciting mi6 café updates).
Don’t forget that anon commenting is on so you don’t need an account to join in the fun! If you are using anon comments, if you could put your name/handle in the subject line of the comments that would be fab (just so everyone knows who they are talking to!)

Weekly Recs

It’s time again for you to give your weekly recs! This week we’re looking for your favourite fics you’ve seen over the past week and those fics that fit into the genre of the week!

This week the genre of fic recs we’re looking for is: Alternate Universe. So go rec all those AUs you love and care about so much!

Spectre Prompt Fest!

Spectre is released in the UK on November 6^th, and with it we get lots of 00Q goodness to enjoy! To celebrate the fact that the new movie is only a few months away, we’re celebrating with an MI6 Café prompt bingo table! Every week a new bingo prompt will be revealed on the table for you to write/draw/create anything of your choice for! You can create fanworks for previous prompts as well!

So let’s start with prompt number 1: Exploding Objects

Exploding Objects	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden
Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden
Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden
Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden	Hidden

Tag your prompt fills with #mi6cafeprompt so everyone can share the 00Q love!

This week’s questions

To celebrate the chat being extended to a further week, we’ve got some more questions for you to answer and discuss!

1)      Have you read any of the Bond Books? Do you like them?
2)      What are your views on 00Q/Bond meta?
3)      Is James or Q creative? Do you think they have any hobbies outside their chosen profession?
4)      For fancreators – what is the strangest prompt you’ve been given for a fanwork?
5)      What song best represents 00Q for you? Why is this?

More Questions!
6)      Isthisrubble - what sort of AUs do you like the most? why?
7)      teacass - for those of you who accept prompts what is your favourite kind of prompt to receive? A picture? Only a few words? Or a totally strange and unique idea to play with?
8)      castillon - Question for anyone/everyone: What do you think Q's office leadership style is like? To build on that, how do you think he deals with being 1) relatively young, and 2) managing people who are frequently in high-pressure, sometimes potentially traumatizing situations?

Feel free to add more questions below! 

Comments

Weekly Recs!

[mi6-cafe-mod.livejournal.com]

Post your weekly recs here!

[isthisrubble.livejournal.com]

1) Have you read any of the Bond Books? Do you like them? I've read maybe half the Fleming books and a handful of the non-Fleming ones, and they're really good! My favourite of the Flemings so far is Moonraker, and of the non-Flemings, Solo by William Boyd
2) What are your views on 00Q/Bond meta? I love discussing Bond, how book!Bond and movie!Bond can intertwine, exploring how the Bond universe works... basically, I love all the stuff
3) Is James or Q creative? Do you think they have any hobbies outside their chosen profession? I think Q is, but it's all channeled into his work, and I'm not sure Jmaes is really - I thing they're both so consumed by their work, they don't have time to get too deeply invested in anything else
4) For fancreators – what is the strangest prompt you’ve been given for a fanwork? I don't take prompts, although you see some strange stuff on tumblr
5) What song best represents 00Q for you? Why is this? I physically cannot answer this question, what the hell, I have like 5 Bond fanmixes published or in progress and I can't just choose one song. fine. one crowded hour by augie march, maybe?

[spike-wilbury.livejournal.com]

i know i'm not too terribly active here but how long do we have for the prompts? i can probably write them all at work, haha. And if we do do these prompts, do you want them posted here or on tumblr or both?

1. Yes, I have. I'm on the Gardner series right now and I think they are pretty believable and part of the Bond universe. One of my favorites is Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks.

2. I enjoy it.

3. I think they are both equally creative in their own right. I think James is an excellent cook. I think Q likes to fix cars. It's all a matter of what I feel like or what I think the character would have so they aren't a one dimensional character.

4. I haven't really gotten prompts. I've never asked for them.

5. I have a few. Two that come into mind are:
Will I Ever Make it Home by Ingram Hill and
No Light, No Light by Florence + the Machine

[mi6-cafe-mod.livejournal.com]

Hey! You can fill prompts at your own pace and post them wherever you want to post them! If you want to post on tumblr and place a link in the weekly chat/post them to the comm then you're welcome to! All the prompts will be able to be filled throughout the prompt fest, it's just a new prompt is added every week! :) Does that answer your question? :)

Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

1) I've read Ian Fleming's "The Spy Who Loved Me"! (I found it by coincidence in a used bookstore; a happy day.) I enjoyed it a lot even though it's definitely "a product of its time" re: sexism and racism and stuff. The female protagonist is cool. :D
Definitely looking forward to reading more Bond books for the Bond Book Club!

2) I love Bond meta! There is so much of it out there--I mean, there are published books of Bond meta! I'm looking forward to reading some of the Bond articles I found this weekend in preparation for the book club, and to producing and seeing other people's meta as they encounter Spectre and other Bond texts!

3) I think James and Q both have the ability to think creatively or laterally (Bond in particular).

As for creating things, Q probably enjoys making new designs for the 00s, and I love fics that portray him as a bit of a tinkerer; after the labor and the meetings and the agent-wrangling and the long-term projects, it's probably a relief to be able to accomplish something physical and relatively short-term. Q usually tries to make something useful, but he sometimes doodles designs for silly frivolous novelties that make him happy, and when he has a day off he might even put them into fabrication.
Headcanon that Bond had to learn how to knit for some reason and still keeps up with it because it's something to do with his hands that doesn't involve twitching them toward his gun on those nights when he can't sleep and every shadow looks like a hidden assassin. He makes baby blankets and secretly drops them off for expecting parents at MI6. Everyone assumed they were from Dench!M because she was an old lady and who else would know how to knit? She willingly took the credit. People are starting to give Mallory strange looks now that she's dead and the blankets still keep coming: is it an M thing? Did the previous M just order them from somewhere and the new one's taken up the tradition?

4) I haven't taken any prompts yet! I should, but I always think I would take FOREVER to get one done because sometimes I'm slow as heck, and I guess I feel a little self-conscious because other people's prompt fills tend to be so cool and fun! The pre-Spectre prompts will hopefully help me practice my writing and give me the confidence to ask for some. ^ ^

5) I love isthisrubble's 00Q fanmix playlist, but I don't really have a song that I think best represents them. I'm going to cop out and say the "Skyfall" opening song, because Skyfall is currently the only 00Q movie out there. (Only a few months away from changing that. Then we'll have to tag our Skyfall fics with the "Daniel Craig Bond movies" genre bc they'll technically be Spectre-continuity fics too!)

Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

Great question! Looking forward to reading your prompt fills. :D

Glad and intrigued to hear that the non-Fleming Bond books are good; you and isthisrubble seem to have covered a fair selection of them between you! Maybe we'll see you at the Bond book club in August? We're going to read Casino Royale! (Or the film-watching club, which also starts in August!)

Seconding the idea of James as an excellent cook. (Apparently one of his favorite book-canon dishes to make is scrambled eggs, though, which makes me grin because it is such bachelor food, haha.)

-Castillon

Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

October is Moonraker month! I'm really excited to read it now. ^ ^

It's true, they're both definitely married to their work. What do you think they get up to on vacations? (aka, when they're banished to the No Work Zone.)

I've been slowly making my way down that list of 00Q fanmixes you have on 8tracks (thanks for that!), so I sympathize with your dilemma. I'll have to check out the song you chose!

Castillon

[teacass.livejournal.com]

3) I totally can get behind the idea of James and Q being consumed by their work - after all the nature of their jobs is that they're totally focussed on their work! Do you think they wouldn't get invested in anything else due to time constraints, or just because nothing would be as 'exciting/interesting' as working for mi6?

5) Your fanmixes are amaze :D

[teacass.livejournal.com]

3) I love the idea of James being a cook - do you think he would try out different dishes from around the world? I've never thought of Q as being interested in fixing cars - but it would make sense considering all the cars Q branch create!

5) Florence + the machine has some really stunning songs, she seems to evoke a certain depth in her songs that really resonates with bond and Q for me :)

Re: Castillon

[teacass.livejournal.com]

1) I suppose that any book published in that era will have traces of the time period it was published in incorporated into it - that's one of the best things about fandom that it questions that aspect of the books/films and turns it into something else.

3) Oh my days James knitting baby blankets is the cutest headcannon I've ever heard of! Totally like the idea that Mallory takes up the mantle and accepts responsibility for the knitted blankets :D

I love the idea that Q would tinker with things and doodle designs - maybe his more ingenious and quirky ideas start off as a biro sketch on the back of his morning cup of coffee on the way to work?

4) I wouldn't worry about time to fill prompts - everyone who I've filled prompts for has been extremely patient (even having to wait months for a fill) and really nice - it's one of the best things about the 00q fandom! :)

Re: Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

1) Yeah, I love that fandom is truly transformative! Creation and criticism combined in an amazing way. : )

3) Thanks! And yeah, good job Mallory. All part of being M. :P

The coffee cup idea made me think of Q's brain being so overflowing with ideas that he can't help but scribble things down! It's a different kind of genius than I'm used to thinking about re: Q, who I often picture as more analytical and restrained, with his energy very harnessed and disciplined, and less "I'VE GOT TWENTY-FIVE TRACKS GOING AT ONCE HERE NOW LET'S FIND OUT WHICH ONE GETS PRIORITY IN MY MIND TODAY. COFFEE CUP DESIGN: I CHOOSE YOOUUUUU! FOR THE NEXT TWO MINUTES ANYWAY."

Maybe Q's restraint is hard-learned and everyone who watched him grow up remembers when he used to be this enormous ball of energy as a child before he figured out how to internalize everything.

4) Thank you! You're right, 00Q fandom people are always so respectful!

beaubete

[(Anonymous)]

1) Have you read any of the Bond Books? Do you like them?
I have! I'm still working on them in order; I'm in the middle of Diamonds Are Forever, and I like them a lot. It's fascinating to see the differences between the movies and the books--I think I like the characters a little better in the books? I admit that I probably won't read the non-Fleming books, though I'll never say never.

2) What are your views on 00Q/Bond meta?
I love it! I'm always trying to find unique details about Bond to add to my stories, and the Bond universe is packed full of intricasies I may misunderstand or miss entirely. I love learning more about James Bond and the man Ian Fleming meant him to be.

3) Is James or Q creative? Do you think they have any hobbies outside their chosen profession?
I don't think anyone who's read the books or seen the movies could say they're not creative characters, though they each have a particular kind of cleverness that works mostly toward their careers. I doubt either has hobbies, really, because they keep themselves too busy for that.

4) For fancreators – what is the strangest prompt you’ve been given for a fanwork?
Probably the porn fairy prompt? I loved writing it, but it threw me for a loop at first!
[When You Wish: http://archiveofourown.org/works/826221]

5) What song best represents 00Q for you? Why is this?
Good question! I don't think I have a 00Q song yet, because my idea of who they are together keeps fluctuating. I have a few songs that I think of each of them individually, but nothing's snapped into place for the ship yet.

Re: Castillon

[spike-wilbury.livejournal.com]

I will try to be here when it comes to the book club. Right now work is kinda hectic. [I work nights and one of the other overnighters just quit ;^;] but I'm hoping to be there! :D

and not to toot my own horn, but I have writing here: http://ayrtonwilbury.tumblr.com/tagged/writing

and

http://archiveofourown.org/users/ayrtonwilbury/works

if you wanted to read any of them. :D

[spike-wilbury.livejournal.com]

I totally think James would try out different dishes. Going off on missions, he probably has to to blend in, y'know?

I also think Q works on cars because it's one of those: computers listen to me, therefore cars do too. or something. I also consider Q a huge movie buff as well.

Florence has so many songs that I'm like: ooh...hello 00q nice to see you here.

Re: beaubete

[(Anonymous)]

1 and 2) Would you say that you would never say never again? eh? ehh??? *is terrible and couldn't resist*

Maybe we'll see you for the book club in August! I've only read one Bond book so far, but I enjoyed it, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more and to hearing what people think about all the details that Fleming's book canon has to offer.

4) That porn fairy fic is so funny and genuine feeling; it's great that you were able to bring such a cute and earnest romance out of a prompt you were surprised by!

-Castillon

Re: Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, RL, don't you know that people have fandom stuff to do? :D But yeah, I know work can be hectic, and August is back-to-school time for a lot of people as well. Crossing my fingers that the timing works out for you. ^ ^ Luckily Casino Royale is pretty short for a novel! Just over 100 pages in Google Docs.

Thanks for the links! I actually think it's awesome when writers self-promote. I'll definitely take a look!

-Castillon

Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

Question: What kinds of dishes does James like to cook that Q is like "Er, I'll pass, no offense" when he hears about it, and what kinds does he cook that make Q say things like, "I will be home in time for dinner come hell or high-level bomb threats"?

[isthisrubble.livejournal.com]

florence + the machine have a lot of songs about drowning, which always make me think about vesper and bond's ptsd, unfortunately

Re: Castillon

[isthisrubble.livejournal.com]

"the no work zone" is that the mi6 version of the time out corner?
tbh I think they sleep and read books. they both probably work 6, maybe 7 day weeks and it's an intense job, they need all the quiet time they can get

my bond folder has less mixes in it than it used to because people are deleting theirs, for some reason. it's a pity, because they're all great

[isthisrubble.livejournal.com]

it's probably more the lack of time - if they could, I bet they both would have a quiet, very unlikely to involve explosions hobby for relaxation

[isthisrubble.livejournal.com]

good to hear positive feedback about the gardner books - I often hear people going on about how the post-fleming bonds are terrible, so it's nice to know that someone likes them. I liked devil may care, too, but I haven't read it in a while

Re: Castillon

[isthisrubble.livejournal.com]

I'm loling way to hard at the knitting thing, wow

I think I found all my Bond books at second hand shops - it's a lot easier to get them second hand than new from my experience, and cheaper, of course

Re: Castillon

[spike-wilbury.livejournal.com]

when james is in a pissy mood with Q, he makes a bland English dish that he knows Q won't eat. James also makes Haggis because he knows it just makes Q gag. [but then Q tries it and it becomes a favorite meal]

And since I enjoy pregoldeneye!Alec, Alec introduces James to a variety of Russian foods and James makes his hand with Pelmeni and Kotlety and Q loves it.

Re: Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

Lol at Q learning to like haggis!

*googles pelmeni and kotlety* Ooh. Nice, hearty dishes! The idea of Alec teaching James his recipes is so cute.

Castillon

Re: Castillon

[(Anonymous)]

I think you're right that they're both at work for ages. I love the idea of both of them reading quietly and napping together; awww.

-Castillon