Sally Manton wrote:

Neil wrote to Betty: <Because I agree with just about everything you say in that character, so either you're not really a CJ after all, or <shudder> maybe I am...>

It gets worse, Neil ... far worse. *I* agree with Betty as well.

<evil cackling>

Actually <grin> I was almost inspired to have a go at that little Vila/Blake scribble meself,

Heh. In fact, *my* first thought was "No, no. How would *I* write it?" And I considered doing it, too, but decided I didn't have the energy at the time. :)

but when I got to Vila saying "Look, if he does think he has to kill himself, who am I to argue? Gave up arguing with him long ago, doesn't do any good. Anyway, what I want to say is, he's going to kill himself, you don't care - and why should you, not your problem any more, not mine either - but if he does, shouldn't I get his share of Orac?"

Then decided not ...

:) (It's good Vila voice, though. I've *always* liked your Vila-voice.)

One of the things that occured to me (and which I have filed in my brain for future fanfic-writing inspiration) is that if one wants *Vila* to say something of Serious Emotional Import (particularly when it's about somebody else), a possible good way to do it is to have him couch it in a sort-of joking manner, or disguised as typical insulting-each-other banter. I don't think it'd work well for this specific example, because Avon going out and getting himself killed is probably a little *too* serious. But I now have stuck in my head the idea of Vila telling Avon "You know what your problem is?" and then proceeding to do the "amateur psychoanalysis" thing in as fivolous and insulting a manner as possible, so he can always deny he meant anything at all by it if Avon gets upset. But Avon *won't* get upset, because he's not being forced to take it seriously in public...

Sometimes, as a writer, it really frustrates me that these people won't just come out and *talk* to each other. It'd make them much easier to write. But then, they wouldn't be nearly as interesting as characters, and I probably wouldn't be *interested* in writing about them.