{"id":869,"date":"2021-11-08T21:10:06","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T03:10:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?p=869"},"modified":"2021-11-08T21:10:06","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T03:10:06","slug":"revisiting-episode-5-bunnies-in-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/revisiting-episode-5-bunnies-in-black\/","title":{"rendered":"Revisiting Episode 5: Bunnies in Black"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Here come the Bunnies in Black… they won’t let you remember…”<\/em><\/p>\n

This week we’re reposting and reminiscing on our first all-girl mission and female-centered episode, “Bunnies in Black”<\/strong><\/a>!\u00a0 Episode 5 was a chance for our Carter Girls to shine — but don’t worry, all five of the Boys are in it, too.\u00a0 Tell us more, Dee!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Somehow, in our quest to create a \u201cSpies and Secret Agents\u201d AU about the Backstreet Boys, we ended up creating some really loveable characters who stood on their own. So of course they needed their own mission to kick ass and take names! As you know, we\u2019re all firmly on \u201cTeam Dark,\u201d so the original idea for this episode involved a sex traffic ring, a serious problem in Las Vegas. But, as much as we\u2019re Team Dark, 00Carter<\/em> is not that kind of story. Sure, it has its dark moments, which you\u2019ll see in our newer episodes, but at its heart, it\u2019s really light-hearted. And what better to parody than pop culture of the early aughts like Playboy Bunnies and the Girls Next Door? We\u2019ve taken you all into a time warp by reviving this, really.<\/p>\n

So, once this episode became a silly romp through the Playboy Mansion, it clearly needed some 00Carter<\/em> weird. And with all the gadgets and tech in the story, SciFi seemed like a natural leap. Plus, HimTak is so close to Area51 anyway, it just makes sense that they would eventually get involved with aliens. And, as an added bonus, it lets us do one of my favorite story-writing techniques, which is handwaving. Although, you wouldn\u2019t know it from the way the aliens were written, they\u2019re pretty fleshed out overall. And we get a fun parody of other 90s\/00s staples: the X-Files and Men in Black.<\/p>\n

In our editing, we added a little bit more of what Pearl and Red were up to in the mansion; while we know them fairly well as characters, this is the first chance to see them on a mission in real time and they\u2019re an integral part of it. Readers already have somewhat of a feel for how Diamond operates. And then we get the treat of Emerald\u2019s first \u201con screen\u201d mission. We are so blessed that she joined the cast. That scene in the Mansion never fails to make me laugh! We hope you enjoy the ongoing antics of 00Carter<\/em> and HimTak!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While the zany ideas help move the plot along, the heart of 00Carter is its characters. Let\u2019s talk about them. Who\u2019s the best character, Backstreet Boy or otherwise?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong><\/span> It\u2019s no secret I adore Dr. Rough! I love how we took some of his real life quirks and possible insecurities and turned him into this twitchy-eyed supervillain with a Napoleon complex and a love of cute animals. Sure, he\u2019s a walking cliche that fits a lot of the villain tropes, but imagining Howie, of all people, in that role is hilarious. He will probably always be my favorite character in this story.<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> Cheesy as it sounds, Nick. Like I Love that he’s this goofball but there’s also layers. He cares deeply about everyone at HimTak and despite appearances his mission. There’s even part of him that cares about Drums despite everything because he blames himself. His randomness with music is a joy and I love writing him whether it’s introspective or being silly.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/span><\/strong> Those are both great choices! We have so many great characters, it\u2019s hard to choose! Nick, Dr. Rough, Brian, K, Jay (can\u2019t not love the Boys), Emerald, Red, Pearl, Diamond, Drums\u2026 At this point, I\u2019ve named just about everyone, lol. I\u2019m always Team Lancy because I get so much joy from a scene any time he pops up, but I already mentioned that. Really, I think my favorite thing about these characters is how many of them were there at the story\u2019s inception and remained huge parts of the narrative, but also how much we welcomed mass creativity to inspire the story. Like, I mentioned in Episode Two\u2019s blog that Grasshopper is one of my favorite characters any time he pops up (which isn\u2019t as often as it should be), but we didn\u2019t even create him! He was a contest entry.<\/p>\n

If I remember correctly (which isn\u2019t saying much), we\u2019d exhausted all our character possibilities by the end of Episode One and needed some more to round out the cast, so we did two contests. One to create Agents 004 and 005, who didn\u2019t appear in Episode One, and one to create more Carter Girls, because of course we needed a plethora of them. Grasshopper and Emerald were the winners for the Agent contest and they are a delight! Opal was also an entry for the Carter Girl contest.<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/span><\/strong> Wow, I forgot that! But you\u2019re right. I was wondering why we made up a different name for him (Wilson Smithers) instead of just making him AU Chuck Norris.<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> Grasshopper is so underused yet so delightfully random.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Real talk on 00Carter\u2019s Angels (also known as The Carter Girls)\u2026 What\u2019s his relationship really like with all of them?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> Pearl is forever the one he can’t have but their relationship is rather close. When I imagined her, she started with Nick and Drums, and they went through basic training together. And I always figured that was because at first her path was to be an agent till she started pointing out all the security flaws and so she ended up going a different way. But they have some similarities that gives them a balance. They confide in each other, they prank each other, it’s just a really solid bond between the two. And while he’ll always flirt with Pearl, his immaturity keeps it from happening. He knows she’ll always be there for him though and he’s one of the few who actually knows the true Pearl behind her many walls. Wow. I just said a lot lol.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/strong><\/span> Hey, you\u2019ve been carefully crafting Pearl since the beginning. Of course you have a detailed answer for this. I\u2019ve always enjoyed the close and teasing relationship they share. Could be family, could be more, you know?<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I\u2019ve always thought Nick and Diamond could have a very nice open relationship if they were both just a tiny bit more mature, lol. In a lot of ways, they\u2019re fairly similar in their interpersonal relationships: craving an intimate (sexually, emotionally, whatever) connection, but not wanting to drag anyone into their life full-time for other reasons. I\u2019m about to delve into vague vagueness territory here, but you\u2019ve gotta figure everyone at HimTak ended up there for a reason. The secret agent lifestyle is not for everyone!<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong><\/span> Yes, I could see Nick and Diamond having an open relationship, but Nick would really have to work on his jealousy issues. I think he would have a bigger problem with that than Diamond, who doesn\u2019t seem to mind him flirting with other women.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/span><\/strong> You\u2019re right, in any relationship, Nick & Diamond, Nick & Pearl, Nick & Red, Nick & Canadian Intelligence Agents, Nick & random cops, Nick & other girls we haven\u2019t mentioned yet, Nick & Lancy\u2026 Nick needs to work on his jealousy issues!<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> Yeah I think Nick and Diamond could really be something if they could handle a real relationship but they can’t. It makes for an interesting dynamic. Nick’s definitely got jealousy issues he needs to work on. Hell in Catch Her he freaks out at Jay just joking about the idea of Pearl and K lol.<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/span><\/strong> We\u2019ve always portrayed Nick as a ladies man but haven\u2019t really shown him having intimate relationships with many other women. I\u2019ve always assumed he has slept with Red Jewel, since she was the first \u201cCarter Girl\u201d we conceived, but I can\u2019t remember us ever really showing that in the story. They\u2019re more \u201cfriends with benefits\u201d who occasionally flirt with each other than soulmates.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/span><\/strong> Wasn\u2019t that in the Christmas episode? Surely that\u2019s canon to 00Carter<\/em>! But you\u2019re totally right, there hasn\u2019t been much Nick & Red interaction since Episode One. Something we need to rectify as we go!<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/span><\/strong> Oh yeah, you\u2019re right! I do consider the Christmas episode canon, but already forgot about that scene LOL.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/span><\/strong> lmfao! A decade will do that to you.<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> I do think we need to rectify that with Red. Pearl we sort of are in the ending scene I have in mind for our episode in progress. And yeah we need to throw in the occasional romp for Nick in future missions lol. Also I’d like to try to start tossing in scenes of the girls around each other if possible. Show their bond too, you know?<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/span><\/strong> That was the goal with this all-girl episode, but we haven\u2019t had a mission with all of them since. That\u2019s definitely something to consider for future episodes.<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> And it definitely achieved its goal so I think we just need a sprinkling of scenes lol. I want all the things!<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/strong><\/span> So, is Emerald a Carter Girl or not?<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong><\/span> We tend to lump her into \u201cThe Carter Girls\u201d because she\u2019s a girl in 00Carter<\/em>, but she would definitely not consider herself a Carter Girl because she can\u2019t stand Nick. She is more of a Jay girl who would probably also jump into bed with Brian if she ever got the chance. I guess that makes her an A-Rok girl!<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> Emerald is definitely a Jay girl. With a dash of Brian.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/span><\/strong> Jay and Brian (Opal would probably say otherwise) need girls too, so it\u2019s nice to have that balance. Plus, I think it\u2019s an unwritten story rule that not everyone can love your main character, even if they are Nick Carter, lol. Next big question, does this mean that Lancy is a \u201cCarter Girl\u201d?<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/strong><\/span> Depends on who you ask lol. Lancy would say yes, Nick would say NO.<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/span><\/strong> My thoughts exactly!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So in what seemed like a semi-realistic \u201cSpies and Secret Agents\u201d AU, why aliens? What do they add to the story? What are the pros and cons of opening the can of worms that is the existence of extraterrestrial life?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong><\/span> Why aliens? Because they sounded more fun and interesting than the sex trafficking ring our original Carter Girls episode idea was based on. I don\u2019t remember who came up with the alien plot, but I do remember us getting stuck while trying to start this episode the first time around and revising the entire storyline. Going from sex slaves to Playbunny Bunnies was a logical progression, and the introduction of the aliens allowed us to do more parodies, which we enjoy. The Men in Black<\/em> thing was fun and a nice homage to our source for the names Agent K and Agent Jay.<\/p>\n

The downside to including aliens is that it\u2019s a huge topic that\u2019s hard to wrap our heads around, let alone wrap up in one episode. We plan to continue the alien arc in future episodes, but didn\u2019t want the entire story to turn into a sci-fi about extraterrestrials.<\/p>\n

Dee:<\/strong><\/span> No kidding. \u201cAliens\u201d as a plot is a huge can of worms! From the planning to the various storylines they could encompass to the random devices our characters could get their hands on\u2026 That\u2019s probably what Pearl cares about more than anything else, lol! I\u2019m glad we made the decision to ease the alien plots in and out of the story, that way we have time to focus on other things, like Disney, pirates, diseases, the Olympics, and book thieves! lol!<\/p>\n

Rose:<\/span><\/strong> Cause Aliens are great! It definitely sets up a lot that might someday pay off but in drips and drabs. Pearl still hasn’t forgiven the FBI for stealing all the tech lmao. But I think the diversity in plot is what makes 00Carter<\/em> fun so I’m glad we didn’t overdose on aliens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Here come the Bunnies in Black… they won’t let you remember…” This week we’re reposting and reminiscing on our first all-girl mission and female-centered episode, “Bunnies in Black”!\u00a0 Episode 5 was a chance for our Carter Girls to shine — but don’t worry, all five of the Boys are in\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-updates"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5xaHX-e1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":870,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869\/revisions\/870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}