Nico's Journal

Goodbye, Michael Keating

2026-05-21T22:54:34Z

I'm very glad I flew halfway round the world to the Star One con (report here) and met him, along with lots of B7 fans I'd only talked to online. I had afternoon tea and dinner with him (and others), and he was so friendly; such a genuinely lovely person.

He made Vila into a funny, lovable, relatable character who made me want to write for him when I'd never considered fanfic before. Without him, Blake's 7 would have been just another series I watched once.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 21

2026-05-21T09:55:50Z

Day 21: Favourite fanon/headcanon

I might be wrong, but to me those are two different things: fanon is popular among fans, and headcanon is mine.

Fanon

I'm pretty much happy to accept anything in a fic that doesn't contradict canon. Popular ones I've encountered:

Avon is delicate and allergic to lots of things, and has insomnia
Avon has back problems (from a mention in Horizon)
Avon likes ice cream (based on Gambit?) - also my headcanon
Avon is a gourmet and connoisseur - another one I've adopted
Blake likes nature and the outdoors (he didn't seem to in TWB; maybe something he'd forgotten)
Vila sleeps with the light on (maybe based on his "Ah, don't leave me here, at least leave me a torch. I don't like the dark. I like to see what I'm scared of." in The Keeper)
Vila is vegetarian (as he says in Killer) - also my headcanon

I don't like "Avon is telepathic or empathic", despite it being popular, because to me, he's the least likely to be.

Headcanon which isn't also fanon

I'm not that consistent, but these I've used a few times.

Blake played rugby at school and uni (Belhangria?) and likes real ale
Vila is vegetarian and likes cheesy toast and hot curries, as does Gan (Avon loathes them)
Vila is empathic (senses danger, affects the teleport when unwilling to go, Cally receives his strong feelings and pain)
Vila is resistant to drugs and possibly alcohol (readjustment doesn't stick, he sobers up immediately in Gambit when he finds himself in the chair)
Avon does not like large bodies of water (due to bullying in the school swimming pool as a nerdy kid)
Cally has strange tastes in food, liking weird flavour combos, and has a surprisingly large appetite

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 20

2026-05-20T10:14:09Z

Day 20: Favourite outfits

Blake: all of his are very him: lots of jerkins and earthy colours, so Robin Hood - probably the goose-turd-green huge sleeves.

Jenna: the dark blue dress and the maroon and grey leather bodysuit (see icon).

Vila: the patchwork tunic, the cream-trimmed brown suede (though the sleeves were weirdly bulky at the shoulders) and anything yellow or cream because warm colours suit him. An honourable mention to his skin-tight Killer trousers.

Gan: he has some interesting and cool outfits - his Shadow one, I think.

Avon: also hard to pick one because he has so many wonderful and sometimes bizarre outfits with fan names: the sailor boy, the demented dentist, the red lobster suit, the silver alpha (which I call the baked beta). Then of course there's his S4 Maximum Studs era.

Cally: the smart military-style light-and-dark-blue trouser suit.

Dayna: the green batwing dress.

Tarrant: the dark-red quilted and star-studded outfit.

Nothing from S4 because apart from Avon the Beserker, it's all depressing Dorian grey. I missed the colours of the Liberator clothes.

All the original questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 19

2026-05-19T10:27:07Z

~~Day 19: Favourite Scorpio moment~~

Day 19: Worst outfits

Feel free to use my alternative if you prefer it.

In order from the worst down:

The unwieldy vinyl and Michelin-man outfits in Killer, much as I love the episode. I'm with Vila who said, "What d'you call this, then?" when told to put on a cape. The Q-base personnel must have been sweating like pigs and seriously pissed off with all the stiffness and creaking.

Vila's yellow rubber shoulder monstrosities in Pressure Point. You're going to infiltrate a high-security area, and you wear hi-vis, Vila? Did you lose a bet with Avon?

Avon's outfit with the weird unflattering shoulder pads in Death-Watch.

All that boring Dorian grey in S4 on everyone but Avon, of course. I really missed the more varied and colourful Liberator clothes.

All the original questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 18

2026-05-18T11:04:24Z

~~Day 18: Favourite Liberator moment~~
Day 18: Ideas that should have been used more

Feel free to use my alternative if you prefer it.

The treasure room
Avon said, "Do you know how much is in there? Millions. Millions. And this is just a sample. There must be almost as much wealth in that single room as there is in the entire Federation banking system."
They could have funded planetary revolutions with that vast wealth but the only time I can remember it being used was to tempt Largo with two gems.

The Clonemasters and their clones
Fully sentient humans could be grown in five hours. There could have been so many possibilities: clones of the rebels used for public trial; clones of Servalan, Travis, and other high command as decoys; cloned armies (a la Star Wars)...

Androids
The Avalon one was relatively simple, but Vinni was much more sophisticated and regarded itself as human. There are lots of possibilities there, as with the clones.

I'm sure there are more I haven't thought of.

[Edit] And yes, there was a major one which julesjones rightly posted: Cally's telepathy which could have been a major asset for the crew.

All the original questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 17

2026-05-17T10:08:03Z

Day 17: Two characters you wanted to get together that never did

I suppose this means romance or sex, in which case my answer is "nope, none of them".

If it's an encounter or a meeting, then I'd like to see Jenna take Tarrant down a peg or two. She so could.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 16

2026-05-16T10:14:28Z

Day 16: Best use of a hoary old trope

It seems that every SF series must have an arena episode, and B7's one is Duel. It's pretty good as arena eps go - we have Jenna and Blake up a tree with vampire bats, Travis with pointy sticks, and there's the intriguing introduction of mutoids, though I wish they had explored them further in later eps.

B7 also has a courtroom ep of sorts, with Trial, though with very little actual courtroom, to my relief - yeah, not a fan - though I'm not sure if the spit planet is an improvement.

I can't answer most of the remaining questions, so I'll see if I can come up with some alternate ones.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 15

2026-05-15T09:15:50Z

Day 15: Character who didn’t get enough screen time

Gan, of course! In Breakdown, the so-called 'Gan' episode, he only got nine lines. We should have seen more of his quiet strength and goodness. Though I know some people think he was a violent person controlled only by his limiter - and there's a case for that - I see him as a salt-of-the-earth type.

Jenna also should have got more screen time and away missions. It made sense to leave the pilot on board, but she deserved more action, as she showed in Bounty.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 14

2026-05-14T10:20:04Z

Day 14: Character you relate to the most

There are two for different reasons.

Avon (in S1 and S2) for being introverted, independent, resentful at being ordered around, contemptuous of sheer stupidity (I channel his snark about our local and national government), and a geek somewhat lacking in social skills. Not that I'd want to know him.

Vila for being anxious and sensibly scared. Seriously, I'd have been terrified; he's much braver than I am because he can function despite the fear. I also enjoy wordplay and board games. To me, Vila does react to that life in a much more believable way than the others, and I would want to know him.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 13

2026-05-13T10:16:54Z

Day 13: Favourite guest character

I'll pick three: Bellfriar and Gambrill from Killer for being interesting, fully realised characters whose reactions to and acceptance of Blake showed that there are many good people in the Federation, and Jarriere from Gambit for sheer charm, eccentricity, and his complete ease with Servalan.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 12

2026-05-12T07:39:39Z

Day 12: Favourite villain

I'd say Servalan, but she outstayed her welcome in S4; I got heartily sick of her.

So it's Travis, and I've grown to like both versions. He was a little more complex in S2, especially Gambit.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 11

2026-05-11T10:09:15Z

Day 11: Best SFX / most woeful use of SFX

I'm not sure about the best, but I now have the S1 and S2 Blu-rays, and I'm really liking the new optional special effects. They're not obviously in-your-face new, just a lot better and seamlessly added, e.g. planets with atmospheres, more realistic starfields, and the shots of Space Command in particular were impressive, with pursuit ships on patrol.

The worst for me has always been the painted backdrop when Blake teleported to the asteroid in Voice From the Past - so amateurish, and also unnecessary as he could have just appeared in the building. I'm looking forward to seeing what they've done with that (despite mummified Travis) when I get to S2.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 10

2026-05-10T11:03:41Z

Day 10: Least favourite episode

Again, I can't just pick one, so I'll go by season.

S1: The Web is pretty dire with the Decimas and the head in a jar.
S2: Voice From the Past has mummy Travis with a googly eye, and Le Grand; need I say more?
S3: Harvest of Kairos and Moloch because of the appalling misogyny.
S4: Power because of the same woman-hating writer and Animals for many reasons including Justin and the creepy age difference with Dayna.

Did you think I'd pick Orbit or Blake? They're not among my favourites because of the storyline, but they're well written, Orbit in particular - I do enjoy the Avon and Vila team working so well together for the last time before the shuttle sabotage.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 9

2026-05-10T01:34:14Z

I forgot to post last night again, so it's the 10th here already.

Day 9: Least favourite season

Definitely season 4. There's no real coherence or aim (until Pylene-50, which provides a small arc), Avon is unbalanced (and Paul Darrow's performance OTT), most writers unfamiliar with B7, having maybe watched an episode or two (according to Michael Keating who disliked the season), and in the case of one writer, appallingly sexist. Plus, there is far too much Sleer; I got sick of the sight of her.

Perhaps they should have renamed it Avon's Failed Heists and called it a spin-off.

Ironically, the icon is from a sexist-bastard-written S4 ep.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 8

2026-05-08T10:18:12Z

Day 8: Favourite romance

I am not a romance person (being aromantic) so I don't have one. I've only noticed a few, and none of them grabs me.

Jenna/Blake - probably one-sided, or it's friendship, and I do much prefer the whole friendship thing. As people may have noticed. ;) Besides, Blake puts his cause well before people.

Avon/Servalan - there's a twisted attraction there on both sides. Avon knows it's not going anywhere, and though he's attracted by wealth and power, he's right - he wouldn't live long.

Vila/Kerril - too short to be a romance, and Kerril's playing a part to get Vila to come over all protective. He made the right decision not to stay on that planet: the pioneer life wouldn't exactly suit him, and Kerril would probably drop her act and be as contemptuous as she first was.

Servalan/Tarrant - also a short fling, and I'm glad the crew expressed their opinion of it.

Did I miss any? I'm pretty oblivious in RL.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 7

2026-05-07T10:02:57Z

Day 7: Favourite friendship

I suppose the one that is most obvious in canon is Vila and Gan, which I do like a lot, but Avon and Vila is my favourite one - their interaction and dialogue is just so much fun to listen to and to write. I can see it in S1 and S2: they seem at ease with each other and talk together more than with other people, and they work well as a team. Looking at body language, they often stand close together, touching surprisingly often.

Sadly, there's not much later, though there are glimpses, e.g. in Rumours of Death, Assassin, and Orbit (quite a lot in that, before the shuttle sabotage).

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 6

2026-05-06T10:08:37Z

Day 6: Least favourite male character

If I have to pick from the regulars, then Tarrant for his bullying, though he did improve. Also, S4 Avon had to be in the running. [ducks for cover]

If it's from the whole series, then Jarvik, no contest.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 5

2026-05-05T10:39:14Z

Day 5: Favourite male character

You know the answer to this one: Vila of course!

My favourites in other series have usually been aliens or androids (Spock, Data, Vir, G'Kar, Garak, pretty much the whole cast of Farscape), so Vila seemed to be an outlier, but it occurred to me recently that I go for characters who don't fit the norm, like Sheldon Cooper, Wash and Kaylee from Firefly, and Jett Reno. If they're male, then they're not typically so.

Vila stands out in Blake's 7 for being nervous, often openly scared, kind, non-violent, and very funny with it, someone who defies the B7 universe by being himself. He's also the only character who drove me to write for him, because he deserved a lot better than he got.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 4

2026-05-04T11:26:32Z

Day 4: Least favourite female character

If they mean the regulars, then I don't have one. If I can choose from all characters, then Sara and Piri AKA Cancer equally. I know they were bad people - and there were others like Alta Morag who were - but these two were so annoying, they made me want to slap them silly for their awful helpless-female crying acts. I'm glad that Soolin did the honours for Piri.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 3

2026-05-03T23:18:09Z

I forgot to post last night, so it's now the 4th here.

Day 3: Favourite female character

It's hard to pick a favourite as they're all good in their different ways. Jenna is sensible, pragmatic, and tough; Dayna lively and determined, and Soolin cool and logical - like Avon should have been in season 4. But I'll pick Cally as she was so wonderfully fierce at the start and her telepathy fascinated me. It's such a pity that they softened her down into the crew nurse; she would have given them an awesome tactical advantage that was hardly used.

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 2

2026-05-02T09:10:48Z

Day 2: Favourite episode

This one's harder, but I'll go for Killer. It has excellent Avon and Vila, two of my favourite guest characters (Bellfriar and Gambrill), a good plot with no holes (looking at you, Mission to Destiny, to mention an otherwise excellent one) and the first time I saw it, I went cold all over at the ending.

Anyone else have one?

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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30 Days of Blake's 7 - day 1

2026-05-01T11:07:15Z

This was on Tumblr, and as it's the first of May, why not have a go?

Day 1: Favourite season

Seasons 1 and 2. I can't pick because like them both, and both have flaws like The Web in S1 and Blake's obsession with destroying Central Control with enormous collateral damage in S2. To me they're classic B7 as Blake is still there for a start, and there's still hope that they'll make a difference.

If you're a fan, what do you think?

All the questions are on Tumblr.

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Tropes are dope

2026-05-01T01:49:38Z

That's the name of a challenge on Discord where they listed six tropes. I did two of them, both fairly short.

There was one bed: Estranged Bedfellows

Coffee shop (not an AU): Espressions of Friendship

The second one could be a sequel, or not.

See the collection for other tropey fics.

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Back in the game again!

2026-04-02T02:01:51Z

In the last couple of months, I've found B7 fans in various places and have started writing again. I've got my mojo back and have lots of ideas. I'm going to have fun before the reboot which might drive me out of the fandom, who knows.

This week I just finished a pairing challenge where you nominate 4 characters and get 6 pairings with prompts. If there's a B7 fan here who isn't the one of the two or three I know about, I did these:

A Sense of Aesthetics - Vila asks Gan to go to the [choice] because...
Empty -Avon & Blake with the title "Empty"
Low Expectations - Vila & Blake: "I don't know." "Let's find out together."
Aquaphobia - Avon & Gan: last minute
Stuck Here - Vila & Avon: "Stuck in the middle with you."
A Question of Glory - Blake & Gan: glory

All six are collected here.

There's an 8-character challenge later in the year which means 28 combinations, but I'll only do the ones I fancy.

Also, Unconventional Courtship is back and this year I finally found a summary I want to write (I have actually looked previous years in case).

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Questions, questions!

2025-03-29T01:12:01Z

10. It’s International Bagpipe Day! Are you a fan of bagpipe music?
Luckily I enjoy it, because this part of the country was settled by Scots, and there are at least two pipe bands at every occasion. Twice a band turned up at a restaurant during our meal, which was deafening; al fresco bagpipes are definitely better. Soon we'll have the Good Friday sunset bagpipes on Lookout Point, which is a lovely occasion, there above the sea. They finish with Amazing Grace as the sun goes down behind the mountains.

11. Have you ever won a prize for something?
Several at high school, all academic and mostly in the form of books, plus second prize in a piano competition. Since then, I can't think of much.

12. Do you save all the spare buttons that you often find on shirts and other garments?
I do, in a small box. I've almost never had to use a spare, but I've raided the collection for new knits.

14. International Day of Action for Rivers – a day to ensure rivers are clean and available to all. Are there any rivers or streams near where you live?
Yes, one that runs through the gardens below us, through the town, and out to sea. This day is defo not celebrated in this country under our right-wing government who only care about the rich and the (also rich) polluting dairy farmers. >:(

22. Today is Gryffindor Pride Day – are you familiar with the Hogwarts houses? Did you have 'houses' when you were at school?
Yes, I'm Ravenclaw. At primary school I was in Blue house, and at two different high schools in Wilson (not named after the same person as they were in different towns, so very weird), and in the last high school, Stanford. As they only competed in sport, I had no input to house marks. Feh.

25. When you were at school, what games did you play during break/recess with your friends?
You might not know them, but hopscotch, French skipping, four-square, and padder-tennis. None at high school.

28. In 1944, the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren sprained her ankle and began writing down the stories she had made up for her daughter. These turned into the novel "Pippi Longstocking". Have you read it?
Two or three times - love them and the eccentric Pippi. Greg's red electric car is called Pippi Longrange. :D (My white one is Liberator or Libby; see icon.)

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