a csi:ny question

[bedlamsbard]

So do we have a rough estimate on how old Danny is? Early thirties-ish, somewhere 'round there? And do we know when he joined the NYPD and the crime lab?

Because if we don't, I can totally, like, make it all up. Which, okay, AU anyway, but it'd be nice to have a couple guidelines, so he doesn't end up being anymore super Danny than he already is.

Comments

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Well, you can estimate, I think... he graduated uni at 22, I would assume, then police academy and the like, so he probably started at CSI at 24 or 25, right? And for some reason, I think he's been working there since before 9/11... I don't know if that's canon or speculation, though, but, if so, that would make him at least 30 or 31 (since we know that CSI runs on real-time, from last week's Vegas ep).

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Well, we also know he was a regular beat cop (or a regular detective) before he joined CSU -- I forget when, but we had a throwaway line somewhere regarding his working...crap, what was it? Robberies at the mall, or something? And I think we can make a fair assumption he was at the crime lab for at least a year or two before the first season -- maybe three at the most. But we know he played (was it minor-league?) baseball right out of high school for a while, too, so maybe...okay, that part I'm dropping for this particular AU, and I can probably push his age a little ahead.

Sorry, thinking out loud (or at least on-screen).

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're totally right. Crap, there's so many little HINTS about Danny's past, but nothing definite... an officialy bio would be really awesome.

Also, OMG HELLO AWESOME episode tonight. Watching CSI:NY while in NY is the coolest thing ever.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

But boring! It's so much more fun to have the random hints and make it up from there, at least from a fic writer's POV. It's how you can have, like, fifteen million different backgrounds for the same character in any given fandom and still have them ALL BE RIGHT, which is pretty awesome. I mean, technically speaking? The AU I'm trying to find this stuff out for and am going to write as soon as I have a plot (either that or I'm just going to write scenes from all over the place, you know, whatever -- sorry, I'm kinda hyper right now)? Technically, not an AU, because the only thing that's changed is the backstory part, unless of course I drop the baseball story, and since it's backstory...it's not canon, just yet.

I mean, it's not like canon has specifically said Danny wasn't in the Air Force before he joined the NYPD, it's just very unlikely.

HURRAH SHOW.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

The idea of Danny in the airforce just made me freak out a wee bit, because wow, that'd be pretty hot (and would explain the dogtags he wears, though my friend thinks they're Mac's :D).

I like having details to work from, because I don't like writing a fic only to have whatever backstory I came up with blown out of the water... it just happened with a Heroes fic of mine, and it's kinda frustrating!

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

The idea of Danny in the Air Force is hot. And then vaguely depressing, because USAF!Danny left because he was shot down and had his eyes injured, so he can't see movement (or, um, something) -- he can't fly anymore. Which is why he missed the shot in "On the Job" -- he really, truly can't track movement. And wears glasses now. And he has a degree in chemistry from the Air Force Academy and kind of wishes Mac had been in the Army or the Navy so he could razz him about going to boot camp at a higher elevation and -- yeah, that'd be pretty hot.

I was jossed! Like, the Bardverse? Yeah. So now I just deliberately go AU all over the place.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Ngh. I told this idea to my friend, and she gave me this weird look, but I was like "no, no, think about it, it's Danny. In the Air Force. And it's awesome." Alas, still got a weird look, though, but I like the idea, and it explains the dogtags in a way that's much more realistic than Mac having given Danny his.

I've only ever written a handfull of AUs, but there's a CSI: Miami one that I really want to write right now...

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I don't think it's very likely, for various reasons, but I think I do want to play with it in fic, because it's a very, very slight change in backstory, but it should do some interesting things to Danny's attitude. I just don't know what to write, specifically, because it's one of those stories that doesn't depend on revolving around its own case (like the orchestra!Flack one, which really, I will write one of these days. Non-math genius Flack was totally a lib arts major). The only thing I can think of doing is rewriting an actual ep, and I can't think which one would be affected the most by the USAF backstory.

Er, that's probably more detail than you needed to know.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

No, I agree that it's very unlikely (Danny's utter lack of discipline as an example).

Non-math genius Flack was totally a lib arts major

All the cool kids are ;)

Wasn't there an ep where a Marine was killed in Central Park? Could that be re-written to be an AF person? *shrug*

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

No, I agree that it's very unlikely (Danny's utter lack of discipline as an example).

Which is, of course, one of the tiny things that would change in the AU. I have the feeling that Danny probably joined the NYPD right out of the Air Force, either that or right out of the college the government for him to go to (I'm working on the assumption that Danny either joined right out of high school or went to the Air Force Academy. Which one it is depends what the Internet tells me, and the Internet is failing me right now. I am, however, highly amused by the mental picure of Danny going to AF class reunions), so one of the images I have is of Mac interviewing Danny for the position he's got now and Danny calling him "sir" every other word, or, like, something.

All the cool kids are ;)

But see, then he had to leave Oberlin to come back to NY because his dad was sick, and he ended up getting a degree in something totally not music because he had to transfer schools, and then he joined the NYPD because his dad wanted him to and he thought Papa Flack was dying, and then Papa Flack didn't die and our Flack reluctantly gave up his dreams. Then a decade later or so, there's a horrible music with the New York Symphony or something, and Flack runs into his old college buddies! And everyone is shocked! (You can tell I really, really want to write this story, can't you?)

Wasn't there an ep where a Marine was killed in Central Park? Could that be re-written to be an AF person? *shrug*

Yes, but I like the character development it gives for Mac. I guess...there are a couple eps where it would bring out little character things...maybe I will structure it around a original mystery after all. I think I'm seeing how I could do that (with Danny flying!).

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

You can tell I really, really want to write this story, can't you?

Oh, I couldn't tell! :D. I totally can't see Flack as a musician, though I can see him in other art areas (like visual arts, or theatre!). But I like the idea of him shocking everyone who thinks he's just another homicide dick, and them realizing that wait!! he's more than just a pretty face!

The idea of Danny as disciplined and taking orders is... well, it makes my brain want to explode.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

I think Flack would actually make a really, really good violinist, though. I just -- mental image of him as, like, this really good, really hardworking music student, who, okay isn't the Mozart of his generation, but he really loves it, and so he works at it and he gets good at it. (I know a lot of musicians. Which, uh, you probably could have guessed.) That? I can see. (Have you ever read the SGA orchestra AU? Because, well, yeah. And I totally want to write a jazz band AU -- stop me now. Seriously. I don't have this kind of time on my hands.)

He'd probably be better at it than John Sheppard. *nods* But he'd be a better Air Force officer than he would be a Marine. (and I'm sure the mental image of that would make Mac's brain explode.)

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

I just can't see it... I think if I read it, I'd love it, because I adore AUs, but right now, the idea of Flack as a violinist is just really foreign and strange. But I can definitely see him totally in love with something, and working to become as good as he possibly can at it, dedicating every spare moment, because he's that kind of guy. (and no, I haven't read that AU... but I did just read an AU where the SGA people work at an aquarium, and that worked out really well, so I'm willing to read anything!)

Does that mean that the thing with his shoulder never happened? The incident that stopped him from playing baseball? (or omg, am I mixing canon and fanon? that totally happened, right?!). Haha, poor Mac.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

...I'll have to write it sometime. AFTER I finish writing the Beauty and the Beast rewrite (which, no, I'm not casting the CSI:NY characters in B&tB, because that just broke my brain). I know a guy -- well, okay, I know a lot of guys like this -- who are, like, the last people in the universe you'd expect to play instruments, but this guy in particular is kind of like a teenage Flack -- little bit of a jock, lots bit smart, one of the most amazing musicians you'll ever meet (the guy is a senior this year, and he applied to nine colleges. as a violin performance major. CHRIST JESUS the insanity there. he keeps missing school because he's flying around the country auditioning).

Let me dig up the SGA AU: String Theory, A Concerto for Violin in D Minor (http://toft-froggy.livejournal.com/190025.html), by toft_froggy. One of these days I will get around to posting my improbably SGA fic recs.

*purses lips* I don't think it did. Because, obviously, he never would have been playing minor league baseball if he was in the Air Force (yeah, it's canon, although I think it was his wrist, not his shoulder. I don't remember the ep).

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw your post about the B&tB re-write :D. I am highly entertained.

I never really knew any of the band kids when I was in high school... like, I knew some of them through other people, but only the marching band kids, not the orchestra kids at all, so my mental image of them is the super-smart, really geeky stereotype, which I think is why it's difficult for me to apply Flack in that setting. Doesn't mean I don't want to read it, though!

Sweet, SGA fic. I'm tempted to print this off to read during my Shakespeare class today.

What about Tanglewood, then?

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

I hate writing romance, though, so this should be a good experience. Hurrah for rewriting fairy tales!

See, I know all the band kids. All the band kids. And a lot of the orchestra kids (my school doesn't have an orchestra program, but we do have a strings program run through CWU, and I'm a part of the youth orchestra, which is as good or better than any high school orchestra). And a lot of the choir kids. Music types come in all shapes and sizes. (I also know a couple of music majors up at the college, from orchestra or private lessons or camp.)

String Theory always makes me want to go practice. A lot. IT IS THAT GOOD.

*purses lips* Probably happened, although to a lesser degree. Or a stronger one, maybe that was why Danny wanted to get the hell out of dodge in the first place.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

I like music. I like listening to it. But I couldn't tell you anything about notes or tone or whatever TO SAVE MY LIFE. I had to learn music for a class once... I think I got a 26% on the test. Seriously, I just can't connect to it outside of my iPod. But I read fics like String Theory, where music plays a central or main part, and really enjoy them!

I can see Tanglewood as being the thing that drove Danny into the AF, but could that past still come back to haunt him?

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

I've got thirteen years of musical experience, three band classes, three sets of private lessons for three different instruments, orchestra, and pep/marching band, so...yeah. Music? Basically has taken over my life. I'm happier if I don't think about how much musical stuff I do.

Yes. Definitely. He'd probably deal with it better, though. Although now I'm thinking, in the first Tanglewood ep, when Mac goes off on the tangent about joining the USMC to be a part of something, what Danny's reply to that would be. "Yeah, I know how that is," or...what? Because I don't think his reasons for joing the USAF are the same as Mac's.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

I don't even own a radio... o.O. I have my little iPod shuffle and whatever I download offline in the way of Rock or Pop, and that's my musical limit. I can listen to classical music on occassion, but only a select few pieces really get to me.

Maybe his reason for joining is something a lot more simple? He was part of Tanglewood, he wanted out, and knew his family wouldn't support him through university... so he did the whole see-the-world/pay-for-college thing, and found he really enjoyed being a part of a team like that, and the freedom of flying?

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Amazing Grace always makes me cry. *nods firmly* I own a lot of movie soundtracks, and then I practically grew up on classical, although I really prefer more contemporary, like Aaron Copland, and then, like, exotica (Middle-Eastern music, the like). I listen to a lot of pop and country, too (yes. I am a country fan). And some jazz -- I don't really like listening to it so much, but I like playing it.

I'm thinking it's something like that, although if he did that, then he probably didn't go to the Academy, or he went AFROTC. The Internet? Is so not helping me with the information on training thing.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Despite being from Texas, I really dislike country on the whole. But, like, I can totally listen to Tchaikovsky for HOURS. Good stuff.

Has Wikipedia failed you? I've found that ANYTHING can be found on Wiki...

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

But...COUNTRY! Okay, so I come from a town where "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" is taken literally, but still...yeah, I'll be quiet now.

Tchaikovsky's okay. Classical really doesn't do all that much for me, I'll take the neo-classical, contemporary stuff, or the movie soundtracks, anyday.

I just really haven't been looking too hard. *sneaky eyes*

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

My sister is the hick in our family, not me. I know about three country songs, and none of them involve tractors. One of them is "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy", though, so that probably counts as double.

Movie OSTs I can totally do. Mmh, good stuff in those. I have about a dozen, because I do homework to them and listen to them while driving.

Wikipedia is GODS GIFT TO MANKIND.

[bedlamsbard.livejournal.com]

Ha, I know that one. They play it at, like, every school dance. We should replace the fight song with it.

I need to get around to spending money on them and get the Mummy and the Mummy Returns soundtracks, and Pirates 2. *sigh*

I KNOW.

[limmenel.livejournal.com]

Man, I'd actually have gone to my school's football games if that'd been our fight song. Actually, I never DID go to a school game, so maybe it WAS our song, and I just didn't know it. Ah, four years of ignorant bliss.

I usually download them, or copy my friend's CDs. I'm so illegal like that... o.O