TOSOT - Questions for Future Libby

Question from Gwen: Anyway: Libby Futura, does Shangri Llama have modern technologies and/or capabilities? If it doesn't, how did you deal with your music withdrawal?

Well, Shangri Llama isn't exactly modern compared to all the crazy things I've seen out in space...you know, like ships and superweapons and all that jazz. But it's not exactly Medieval either...we have a TV (powered by one of those water wheels!) and some movies, although they're almost all dubbed Chinese Kung Fu films. 'Sides, the monks don't like me watchin' TV too much. Not that I really put up that much of a fight...once you seen one Chinese martial arts movie, you seen 'em all.

In terms of music, I miss my old pop and rap a lot. Still, the monks are great musicians ('specially the girls!) and they let me put on my own music performances from time to time. They were so much fun! It's kind of cool because I've had to train myself to make whatever kind of music I want to hear. I've even written my own songs!

Anyway, so now you know. If you ever feel like stoppin' by sometime (you know, if I ever get back to Shangri Llama) you should check out one of my performances.

Question from Cindyfan7: How does it feel seeing Aurora in so much pain I mean she is your best friend?

Answer: It really hurts to see Aurora hurtin' so much. There's not much I can do except try to be there for her when she needs someone. I think that she's on the road to recovery, though. I'm still hopin' that this whole mess can end well somehow.

Question from Cami: I'd like to holla at Future Libby. 'Sup girl! When you were w/ the monks, did you ever want to become one yourself, or did you still believe that Sheen would come back? 'Cuz to be honest, before the Jimmy in our universe came paid you a visit, the world must have seemed pretty bleak.

FUTURE LIBBY: Back at ya, girlfriend! Uhhuh...I do admit that life with the monks could be real boring and even horribly constrainin' at times. It was terrible to lie awake at night and think "me an' these monks are the only human beings left on the planet". The only way to cope was to put all those things out of my mind and throw myself into their way of life. If I had spent all my time thinkin' about Retroville or wonderin' what happened to my friends, I woulda gone crazy. So in a sense, I guess I did become a monk. I tried to learn everything they had to teach me, and I kept myself as busy as possible.

Then again, I can't say my time there wasn't enjoyable...I mean, I did have an entire camp full of people ready to get me anythin' I wanted and run to meet my every whim. ;-) But that kind of thing can be grounding, too, if you turn it down. I pride myself on the fact that I did things myself even when other people were offerin' to do it for me. Made me feel more independent, ya know?

All in all, I guess I discovered a different side of myself durin' my years in Shangri Llama...a more patient, understanding side. All this stuff that's happened made me realize that life's not about looks or stuff or fame...but about the people who are close to you. Although a good makeover is definitely a must from time to time!

Question from Pigquet: Do you believe the monks were selfish to completely avoid the war and only care about surviving themselves and being happy when others are suffering, not wanting you to go w/ your friends and help them in the war (again only thinking of you), telling Aurora to calm down and relax after all the good she's done in saving people and the more she knows and has gone through? Pretty much just being pacifist. Did you approve of them talking down to her and making her be patient in an emergency, just because they aren't use to them? And also not caring about other people's pain?

Answer:

FUTURE LIBBY: Well, I suppose from an outsider's perspective, it does seem like the Monks were selfish. But in their defense, it's not like they've got the tech or resources for the war effort. Not to mention that none of us knew the real extent of what was goin' on anyway - like I said, we didn't exactly get a Galactic Enquirer. Even if we did, I don't think they'd go beyond peaceful protest. They're just a bunch o' Sheen-lovin', slightly chubby pacifists. They really believe that it's wrong to fight, other than some occasional martial arts in the name of self-defense.

I didn't know they said any o' that stuff to Aurora. But I'm pretty sure that if Chen-Yu told Aurora to calm down and not fight with her emotions, then he had a good reason. Maybe that advice will save her later on, ya know? They shouldn'ta "talked down to her" like you said - but that's just Chen-Yu. He's so OLD and borin'. Sometimes he forgets that younger people know stuff too.

I guess maybe I'm biased, since they've always been so nice to me - but deep down I really think they mean well. And I'll have plenty of time to talk sense into 'em when I get back and have more time to explain.

Question from Andrea: If you could turn back time would you return to the moment sheen helped you escape and stay?

Question from Rachel: Future Libby, Aurora, and the kids -- When you returned to Earth to discover that the monks of Shangri Llama had survived DJ's destruction, how did you feel? Did it hurt to learn they'd survived just by meditating while all your friends and family were wiped out?

Question from Rachel: After being separated from Sheen for so long, what do you expect your meeting to be like when you finally find him? What have been your hopes and fears through all of this, wondering what Dictator Jimmy has done to him...wondering if Future Sheen is even alive? Also, after being separated from Sheen for so long, what do you expect your meeting to be like when you finally find him? What have been your hopes and fears through all of this, wondering what Dictator Jimmy has done to him...wondering if Future Sheen is even alive?

Question from Sunny: Does it scare you that your best friend is the only one alive to have ever made it out of DJ's ship?

Question from Sunny: What did you think when Cindy started going by her middle name? What do you think of going by YOUR middle name, just to save Mara some trouble? And do you think that facing DJ in the ultimate battle as "Danielle" would take some of the fear-mystique thing away from your side?

Question from Noemi: 1.- U knew Cindy, and now u've seen Aurora...it's she the same to you or she has radically change??? I mean ...do you think there's still some of the old Cindy in Aurora or not?
2.- Do you think that Aurora really hates DJ or is the same stuff that happened when they were at school?

Answer:

FUTURE LIBBY: 1) She's definitely different in a lot of ways. Mostly I get the feelin' that she's a lot more distant. But you can't lose your old self completely. A lot of the old Cindy really is gone, but some her best and worst traits remain, if you know what I mean.
2) Oh, Aurora definitely hates the Dictator. But the old Jimmy still inside him somewhere? I'm not sure.
There are some things about their relationship that are the same. They're each other's motivation, even though they're pitted against one another. They're still a part of each other. Especially on Aurora's side...hunting him down is her cause, her purpose. Back in school, her purpose used to be beating him to prove she was as good as he was. So it's not all that different, is it?

The only difference now is that the stakes are higher. ...Oh yeah, an' he's evil. Don't forget that :-D

Question from Rachel: Future Libby, were you lonely living in Shangri Llama? After all, all your friends and family were far away...or dead :unsure: ...and the monks of Shangri Llama were strangers at first. What was it like adjusting to their culture and traditions? How did you spend your time at first, before you started to really become a part of the place?

Answer:

FUTURE LIBBY: Ya, Shangri Llama was a bit of uh...whaddya call it...culture shock? at first.
But to tell ya the truth, the monks were really comfortin' after everythin' I had just been through. I mean, in a couple of months, I lost my family, my home, and all my friends. I thought my two best friends were dead or abandoned, and I felt like Sheen's fate was all my fault. Surrounded by new people and new faces, it was easier to forget about all of that. For a long time, though, I was really miserable - and incredibly lonely. I remember sittin' up alone at night, looking out the window while the soft breeze fluttered the curtains. Everything felt so empty. I cried a lot, but I pretended to be happy so that the monks wouldn't feel bad. After all, they had taken me in.
After being told day in and day out that things would work out for the best - well, I guess I sort of adopted the monks' sense of optimism. At any rate, thinkin' good thoughts about the future certainly beat out thinkin' sad thoughts about the past. So, I poured my energy into becomin' part of the community. I became friends with the girl monks, and I started takin' lessons with Chen-Yu and a few of the others. I learned to sew, make jewelry, and make a feng-shui garden. I started...how did the monks put it... "cultivatin' my talents".
It wasn't till my first Christmas at Shangri Llama that I really felt like I was part o' the place. None of the monks had ever celebrated it before, so I taught them all of my family's traditions...like decoratin' the tree, wrappin' presents, singin' carols, and makin' cookies. ^_^ At first I missed everyone even more, but slowly I realized that, as long as happy traditions like those were kept alive, all the good stuff in the world wasn't really gone forever. I guess the spirit of the season rekindled my hope a little, as corny as that sounds.
And anyway, I made it my goal to see the good in life from then on. And I think things are finally comin' full circle.

Question from Katy: Do you think that aurora and dj still have feelings for each other?

Answer:

FUTURE LIBBY: Well, it's hard to say... I mean, I guess Aurora probably still has some feelings for the old Jimmy, but it's probably all wrapped up in and confused with his current evil self. How do you love someone who killed your family and did God-knows-what to you while you were his prisoner? You don't. But the fact that it isn't really his fault - you know, bein' controlled by the megalomanium and all - well, it complicates things. From what I can tell, she still feels something, but hates herself for feeling it. She thinks she's weak or somethin' cause she hasn't given up on him yet, but I think it'll help her in the end. Then again, I doubt either of them would see it that way...

Question from Annabellion: to Future Libby: If you could babysit one of these kids (current Jimmy, Cindy, Carl, Sheen, Libby), which one would you babysit?

Answer:

FUTURE LIBBY: This probably sounds self-absorbed, but I kinda wanna babysit the younger me, just so she could help me redecorate my room.

Question from Emily: Why are you less modest in your sense of fashion now than when you were 12?

Answer:

FUTURE LIBBY: Whaddya mean, "less modest"? -totally missing the point-

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