Luna Questions? Ask Them Here!

[Lord Styphon]

Getting back to location and political-type questions that have occured to me, why are both the Westbrooks and the Bruckenstein Embassy in New York? Mrs. Westbrook is the British Ambassador to the United States, not the United Nations. As such, and since Nobel High is apparently not a boarding school, it would be more reasonable for the family to either be in Washington, or for Elizabeth to be stuck back in England and out of her parents' hair. (I know I'd want her out of mine.)

Bruckenstein's embassy being there might make a bit more sense; since Bruckenstein is a rogue nation, the U.S. might not have diplomatic relations, and the embassy is Bruckenstein's permanent mission to the U.N., but that's a bit different from an embassy. In such a situation, though, the good Count Heinrich would be persona non grata in the U.S.

Also, how did the lovable absolute monarchy that is Bruckenstein avoid the angry and vengeful gaze of Stalin and the Red Army?

Moving from THERE, in volume two, Bruckenstein and Count von Brucken began to remind me fairly strongly of Pottsylvania and Fearless Leader, respectively. Is this coincidental?

How much of Mr. Dreyfuss' background can we expect to have revealed in upcoming volumes? That's starting to attract my attention, too. (I could see him being an ex-Ranger or something.)

And, finally, do the Kajiwaras have a history of high blood pressure?

EDIT: One more I thought of. Why doesn't Luna know Arabic?

[Zerodaimu]

Also, how did the lovable absolute monarchy that is Bruckenstein avoid the angry and vengeful gaze of Stalin and the Red Army?

It could be assumed it was established after The fall of Russia... It was said in v2 it was very small (like luxemburg small) so it could be something bought from like germany or something.

[Ryokosha]

Also, how did the lovable absolute monarchy that is Bruckenstein avoid the angry and vengeful gaze of Stalin and the Red Army?

It's possible it did not. Remember Stalin did not rename (for the most part) the countries he took over he merely considered them part of the Soviet Union, much like Hawaii was Hawaii before it was a State.

Difference here is of course as Zerofiles.EXE mentioned, after the fall of the Soviet Union in the late 1980's, it might have become it's own country once again with a basic system of government still remembered and culture still in place from the pre-USSR days making it easy to suddenly re-emerge on the scene.

The size too could have helped, being as small as it was it mgith be assumed Stalin just said it's now part of the Soviet Union and never bothered to force the government in existance out of existance so long as they "worshipped him" and since they obviously couldn't mount an army large enough to challenge the size of the "Red Army" they weren't a threat to his power, which even being the paranoid he was he might have realized.

[Lord Styphon]

While I can see the country being annexed by the Soviet Union, or otherwise incorporated into its sphere of influence, then to emerge and cause problems anew after the collapse of the USSR (examples of all of these situations exist), that still leaves one critical factor: the monarchy aspect. A monarchy wouldn't have been permitted at all inside the Soviet Union itself (a "Bruckenstein Soviet Socialist Republic", perhaps). Monarchies in countries that fell under Soviet influence (specifically, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary) were also removed in various manners.

Monarchies didn't last when the Soviets were in a position to remove them and impose governments of their choosing.

If Bruckenstein was a republic of some kind, this would be a moot point. Being a monarchy threw it out of sync, though.

[Ryokosha]

True but it might have survived by simply changing a few titles around. A Count becomes a Governor or some such thing, and as long as he or she was sure to blow low enough that Stalin could axe their neck if he wanted no one might have looked too closely that five days ago that Governor was a Count since that Governor is now "loyal" to the USSR.

The Soviets also could have faced a trouble similar to what they did with Yugoslavia. They were, Yugoslavia able, to a point, to resist some of Stalin's demands by being aided by the West in an economic sense.

Another possibility it it was so small it was overlooked, I mean why waste your armies by first trying to take over an anthill when in such battles you could lose some of that army, and your are more interested in the mountains around that anthill?

[Zerodaimu]

Liz' gets emotionally smacked in v2, don't worry.

[Nunzio DeFilippis]

I hear you work for kim possible before this, so I was wondering if you got the ideal of writing AAL from that series.

We did work on Kim Possible. We sold the show two story ideas, but didn't write the actual episodes.

It wasn't a direct inspiration. But we loved the show - it's why we asked our agent to get us work there. So we definitely wanted to try something in the same arena.

Luna will have a bit more seriousness in it, and will develop the characters more than Kim Possible did. KP had to return to the same status quo at the end of every episode, and only in the final movie were any of the relationships allowed to progress.

Getting back to location and political-type questions that have occured to me, why are both the Westbrooks and the Bruckenstein Embassy in New York? Mrs. Westbrook is the British Ambassador to the United States, not the United Nations. As such, and since Nobel High is apparently not a boarding school, it would be more reasonable for the family to either be in Washington, or for Elizabeth to be stuck back in England and out of her parents' hair. (I know I'd want her out of mine.)

She's at Nobel, because it's the best school for her. The best and the brightest, and the children of the best and the brightest, go there. (As do the children of the security guards. Go figure.)

The official embassies are in DC, but the Consulate-Generals are in NY. They function as embassies, and both England and Bruckenstein have such facilities in NY to facilitate their dealings with the UN.

The U.S does have relations with Bruckenstein, but they're strained.

Also, how did the lovable absolute monarchy that is Bruckenstein avoid the angry and vengeful gaze of Stalin and the Red Army?

Like many a dictatorship, Bruckenstein was a US ally in the Cold War, and became an enemy when the cold war ended. By the time the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, things were going downhill for the US and Bruckenstein. Luna's whole life, they were enemies. But they were allies until just before she was born.

Moving from THERE, in volume two, Bruckenstein and Count von Brucken began to remind me fairly strongly of Pottsylvania and Fearless Leader, respectively. Is this coincidental?

Not really, except we do draw on the tone from time to time. As I said, this is not a Cold War enemy.

How much of Mr. Dreyfuss' background can we expect to have revealed in upcoming volumes? That's starting to attract my attention, too. (I could see him being an ex-Ranger or something.)

Expect a lot more of Mr. Dreyfus. He'll be a big player in the story.

And, finally, do the Kajiwaras have a history of high blood pressure?

You'd think so, huh?

Why doesn't Luna know Arabic?

Because the agency she works for, like most of the US intelligence agencies, did not accurately forsee the significance of linguistic knowledge and intel on the arab world. But she'll be learning Arabic and Farsi when her assignment shifts away from Bruckenstein.

Will Jonah's story of his life previous to going to Nobel High be explained? And as to why he acts so... well, Jonah? lol

Yep. More on Jonah's history will be revealed. It will unfold over the course of many volumes, as Luna learns it.

Luna has been raised in an enviorment that is not normal and currently is not normal. Are there going to be going to be some slice of life stories? Where Luna has some difficulty dealing with what is normal or are some scenes going to appear in stories that slowly show glimpses of her unnatural life to her "normal" friends?

I thought that's what we were doing.

We've already shown her over-reaction to social situations, her literal reads on put downs (her bad shoes) and common phrases (oldest trick in the book).

She's not normal, and she's been thrown in the deep end of the normal pool - high school.

Expect many things to throw her for a loop. The most common result will be her over-reacting.

Yeah I have alot of questions. Will Elizabeth ever get smacked or something? She makes me mad, she's just like a girl at my school who breaks the dress codes to look 'good', she thinks she's the best and deserves the best and.. Bleh! Or... Or at least something should lower that pride of hers WAAAAAY down!

Her pride takes a hit in Volume 2. But she's getting some revenge in Volume 3.

Here's a set of question, Shiei-sama...

As these are story questions, perhaps I can answer them. Shiei has had an influence on the direction of the story, and she's seen the general road-map of where we're going, but Christina and I are the ones writing it, so we know the details.

Will there be a room for a true nemesis in the story. No! Not Von Brucken. So far he's been nothing but a comical villain. More stupid than dangerous. And all his past acquaintances reflect more of the same (well maybe not that lady teacher Luna fights in the last pages of volume 1) stupidity.

Von Brucken is a real nemesis. He is comical, but he is dangerous. His plans have very dangerous effects, even if he's doing it to fulfill his buffoonish pride.

His minions will always be the ones who are more dangerous than he is. Warren certainly was. And Tromperie may be a mad scientist, but his treatment of Ohlinger is downright evil.

Do we expect to see some action from Control or Dr. Andy in the following volumes? I certainly would like to see them get more involved and smacking down a few of Von Brucken's soldiers in a few pages.

Dr. Andy's not much of a fighter. But expect to see how good a fighter and how determined an enemy Control can be in Volume 3.

Do we get to see side stories of the supporting characters as well? Like how was Elizabeth and Franchesca were like before Luna came? Does Ollie never had a girlfriend before? He is quite the looker you know so I doubt he never had a relationship before.

Oliver's never had a girlfriend. He's cute, to be sure, but he's also a bit awkward and very clumsy when around girls.

Oliver's going to have someone chasing him soon enough, so you'll see him as something other than pining over Luna.

Elizabeth and Francesca's friendship will be explored in later volumes.

[Keyotoyume]

Okay I have another question! Will we ever get to see Francesa's Parents?