Babylon 5 fic for Mismatched Tropes Flash

[sholio]

The Mismatched Tropes Flash exchange had author reveals while I was traveling, and I wrote:

Last Minute Save (Vir & Londo, 1600 words)
In which Vir gets drugged and almost kidnapped/intergalactically trafficked, and Londo gets to be a Big Damn Hero.

p.s. Incredibly random Tumblr poll on whether Centauri or Narns have a higher body temperature FOR SCIENCE. (And fic.) If you do not have a Tumblr account, feel free to provide opinions in a comment.

Comments

[brightknightie]

FWIW, for science (ahem), in my not-yet-finished-with-the-series headcanon, the Narn evolved from some kind of reptile, while the Centauri evolved from some kind of bird (though I could be easily convinced to entertain something in the porcupine line instead). This would give the Centauri a higher innate body temperature, and the Narns a higher preferred environmental temperature.

[sholio]

PORCUPINES. (Every non-Centauri on Babylon 5 would have a field day finding out Londo and his people evolved from some small prickly mammal, I'm sure.)

I tend to think of the Narns as having evolved from something that doesn't really track with Earth's animal classes - they seem to have all the general qualities of a mammal except for body hair - but I'm realizing that I've been thinking of them as warmer for no particular reason except just "it feels right" and cooler Narns make a lot of sense with what we see of them on B5 (the heavy clothes in particular that they're almost never seen without, and the reddish light in the quarters could be some kind of heat lamp situation).

[sovay]

p.s. Incredibly random Tumblr poll on whether Centauri or Narns have a higher body temperature FOR SCIENCE. (And fic.) If you do not have a Tumblr account, feel free to provide opinions in a comment.

Marsupials on this planet have generally lower body temperatures than placental mammals of the equivalent niche, which is why some of them bask for thermoregulation, so the Centauri get the higher body temperature vote from me. (And I don't know that Narns actually need to bask for thermoregulation ever since they invented clothes, but G'Kar might still really enjoy somewhere the sun isn't dust-wintered and he doesn't have to be in a torture garden for it tl;dr just give that a man a beach or at least some really nice rocks.)

[sholio]

BASKING NARNS. Somehow I feel as if G'Kar would definitely have basked in the Centauri royal gardens if he could get away with it, if only to scandalize any Centauri who happened to come along. (Probably with Londo standing over him telling him to put some clothes on, for the Great Maker's sake.)

For some reasons I generally tend to think of them as slightly warmer - actually one reason why I ran the poll; there doesn't really seem to be a consensus on it in fic, other than the fact that a number of fanwriters do like the idea of a noticeable Narn-Centauri body temperature difference enough to mention it, but it can go either way in fic. However, I may be getting converted to the cooler Narns camp. It makes sense with all the clothes they wear around Babylon 5, if they are always a bit cold. And a commenter on Tumblr pointed out that chilly Narns may need to snuggle up to available heat sources (and perhaps go somewhat torpid if they get too cold; imagine Londo or anyone else in G'Kar's vicinity having to deal with *that*).

[sovay]

Somehow I feel as if G'Kar would definitely have basked in the Centauri royal gardens if he could get away with it, if only to scandalize any Centauri who happened to come along. (Probably with Londo standing over him telling him to put some clothes on, for the Great Maker's sake.)

YES.

However, I may be getting converted to the cooler Narns camp. It makes sense with all the clothes they wear around Babylon 5, if they are always a bit cold.

Londo describes G'Kar's quarters as "dry, red, depressing," but says nothing about the temperature it's set to.

And a commenter on Tumblr pointed out that chilly Narns may need to snuggle up to available heat sources (and perhaps go somewhat torpid if they get too cold; imagine Londo or anyone else in G'Kar's vicinity having to deal with *that*).

I am and you should write it.

[sholio]

I intended to write torpor and ended up writing adorable basking instead. (Not that either of them would enjoy being called adorable in particular. Well, G'Kar might.)

---

"When you said you were going to sunbathe, I thought you meant with your clothes on!"

"What is the point of that?" G'Kar had not yet stopped stripping off layers of armor and clothing, laying them neatly on an ornate wrought-metal bench. The sun-warmed rocks beside the bench, draped in flowers, looked absolutely delicious to bask upon.

"The point is that we are in public." Londo sputtered when G'Kar shoved the next removed clothing item into his arms. If Londo could stand around offering his opinion, he could make himself useful.

"It's private enough." From a security standpoint, G'Kar found the design of the Centauri imperial gardens perilous, with their many winding paths and small courtyards. But for purposes of incidental privacy, it was quite nice. He supposed this was by design, as they'd passed a number of courtyards in which romantic trysts appeared to be taking place, or clandestine meetings with fully clothed Centauri leaning close and whispering to each other. "Here, put this with the others." He shoved another item into Londo's arms.

Londo dropped them carelessly on top of the rest. "Are you planning to leave anything on at all?"

"The more you complain about it, the more the answer is no."

Londo sat with a huff on the end of the bench, and watched with a look of mingled exasperation and amusement as G'Kar spread his mostly naked body on the rocks. "And what am I supposed to do while you do this?"

"Whatever you like. Read. Look at flowers. Do some paperwork." Oh yes, the rocks were wonderful. G'Kar stretched out, exposing as much of himself as possible to the sun.

"Great Maker, my eyes."

But the complaining faded after that, and when G'Kar cracked an eye open to see what Londo was up to now, he found the Centauri leaning back on the bench with his arms draped over the bench back, face tipped up to the sun and eyes half-closed. G'Kar smiled to himself. It was good for Londo to stop thinking for a little while and simply exist in the moment.

"Take some clothes off," he said, and Londo twitched a little. "Enjoy the sun on your entire body. It's good for you."

"Absolutely not," Londo said out of the corner of his mouth. But he didn't otherwise move.

[sovay]

“The more you complain about it, the more the answer is no.”

Yaaaaaaaaaaaay.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Aw!