I'm a Sucker for Love Triangles (and Squares and Pentagons and...)
Or maybe I'm just projecting some deep polygamist desires I have within me. I don't think so, though.
But let me give you an example of what I mean. Take Merlin. I liked the show a lot from the moment Arthur showed up on screen. I loved the show when I fully realized the wonderful coupling of Arthur and Merlin (specifically, that was series one, episode 2, probably less than five minutes in.) I adore the show now and for many reasons that just kept on piling up. Not the least of them is the budding romance between Arthur and Gwen.
I've always been a King Arthur fan. I've always loved considering King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, but also (more recently) Guinevere's relationship with Lancelot. (Camelot, anyway?) So when Lancelot appeared in the first series of Merlin, and he and Gwen had their MOMENTS (awwww), I was ecstatic. But I still love Gwen with Arthur. And I love Merlin with Arthur. And I love imagining their emotions as they try to deal with these attractions.
For example: Say that Arthur and Merlin are very attracted to one another. Arthur, however, also finds himself attracted to Gwen. At this point, Merlin and Arthur may have a thing or it could all be just unresolved sexual tension, take your pick. And Arthur feels a bit guilty that he likes Gwen, and Merlin doesn't want him to act on it, but he does. Now, Merlin can either be left by the wayside, or he accepts that Arthur loves Gwen, but still likes/loves/desires him, too, and so they might still be physical or it could be this quiet platonic thing. And then throw Lancelot into the mix and you have Gwen feeling like Arthur, Arthur feeling like Merlin (but also understanding that HE JUST DID THIS, TOO), and Merlin can't say he isn't really unhappy (except that it makes Arthur not-so-happy.) But consider that Gwen might also know about Merlin and Arthur, and she accepts that, too. And it's this whole unspoken thing that is very awkward when it's brought up, but there you have it. Fact of life, accepted, even if it isn't talked about.
Alright, so that might be a little eeeehhh... to some people, and I don't think I explained it all that well, but there's my attempt.
I think early manifestations of this can be seen in my appreciation of Rurouni Kenshin. Kenshin, of course, ends up with Kaoru, but ten years earlier, he had this quiet but passionate love with Tomoe. I LOVE that he first loved Tomoe. I love that he probably still does to some degree (or so I imagine.) The last episode (or first episode of the third?) of the second series that was an anime-only story? With the lilies? I took that as he still thought of Tomoe, even if that wasn't yet developed in the manga or whatever. (No clue where the manga was at this point. I just know that the anime never returned to the manga storyline, since it had caught up, made a bunch of filler, and then decided to just end for whatever reason.)
I consider it part of "mature romance." How is this different than young romance or just romance? Mature romance is between individuals who either a) have had relationships before, b) concentrate on mutual respect and understanding rather than impulsive passion, c) may also be in love other individuals or have sexual (but not wholly romantic) relationships with others and there is a level of understanding between some of the parties (not necessarily all) or d) any other reason I may choose to come up with at a later time, but cannot think of now (or, basically, any specific romance I decide to consider mature). So, where young romance or just plain romance may be lustful, impulsive, passionate, and emotions generally run high at all times, mature romance, while it can also have impulsive, passionate, and high emotion elements, focuses on, well, more maturity. More on understanding, acceptance, etc.
Another example from a different series: In the new Minder series (I WISH THAT WAS STILL OIG ON!), there was Archie, who is a middle-aged shady businessman in the process of a divorce. He still cares for his wife on some level, even though they drive each other up the wall. (I believe he was resisting the divorce as much as possible, and not just for financial reasons.) Then you have the young man working for him, Jamie. As one of a slashy mind, I could see some sort of physical relationship brewing between them, if not romantic. And because Archie still loves his wife, but has this undefined relationship with Jamie, and they both know that, and they accept it, and things are kind of left in limbo, and there's an unspoken moment (in my head) when the divorce finally goes through between them. But there is no whining or screaming or anything. It's just how it IS.
Maybe that's one of the reasons I like the Vintner's Luck so much. Sobran's attraction to Xas is sometimes addressed (some is-he-gay stuff), but it largely isn't. It just IS. I think the best moment to define what I've been talking about is when Aurora and Xas pass each other (one leaving Sobran's bed, the other heading to it.) Juxtapose that with one of the scenes with Sobran and his LARGE family (his wife, a number of kids, some still young, and their spouses and their kids...) and THAT is what I'm talking about. Celeste (his wife), of course, provides conflict, because she ISN'T a willing participant in this polygamy that centers around Sobran. She doesn't know about Xas, of course, but she suspects Aurora and HATES her. And gets her own petty revenge, which Sobran doens't directly address (at least not until years have passed after that.) But the rest of it! The stairs moment! I adore it! And I can't tell you why!
Why am I going on about this? This fanvideo, actually. I feel that the song (which I've heard before) when put to Merlin captures a lot of what I like in the Merlin/Arthur/Gwen dynamic.
So why I have tried to explain myself to you, I cannot fully express why I feel this way. I really don't know. There's just something about it that deeply satisfies me. Or maybe it doesn't fully, and I like that prompting for more. I don't know. I can't tell you. At least not yet.
And so, my work in the future might have elements of this. My 2008 Nanovel certainly did.
I have an essay to finish now. Toodles.
But let me give you an example of what I mean. Take Merlin. I liked the show a lot from the moment Arthur showed up on screen. I loved the show when I fully realized the wonderful coupling of Arthur and Merlin (specifically, that was series one, episode 2, probably less than five minutes in.) I adore the show now and for many reasons that just kept on piling up. Not the least of them is the budding romance between Arthur and Gwen.
I've always been a King Arthur fan. I've always loved considering King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, but also (more recently) Guinevere's relationship with Lancelot. (Camelot, anyway?) So when Lancelot appeared in the first series of Merlin, and he and Gwen had their MOMENTS (awwww), I was ecstatic. But I still love Gwen with Arthur. And I love Merlin with Arthur. And I love imagining their emotions as they try to deal with these attractions.
For example: Say that Arthur and Merlin are very attracted to one another. Arthur, however, also finds himself attracted to Gwen. At this point, Merlin and Arthur may have a thing or it could all be just unresolved sexual tension, take your pick. And Arthur feels a bit guilty that he likes Gwen, and Merlin doesn't want him to act on it, but he does. Now, Merlin can either be left by the wayside, or he accepts that Arthur loves Gwen, but still likes/loves/desires him, too, and so they might still be physical or it could be this quiet platonic thing. And then throw Lancelot into the mix and you have Gwen feeling like Arthur, Arthur feeling like Merlin (but also understanding that HE JUST DID THIS, TOO), and Merlin can't say he isn't really unhappy (except that it makes Arthur not-so-happy.) But consider that Gwen might also know about Merlin and Arthur, and she accepts that, too. And it's this whole unspoken thing that is very awkward when it's brought up, but there you have it. Fact of life, accepted, even if it isn't talked about.
Alright, so that might be a little eeeehhh... to some people, and I don't think I explained it all that well, but there's my attempt.
I think early manifestations of this can be seen in my appreciation of Rurouni Kenshin. Kenshin, of course, ends up with Kaoru, but ten years earlier, he had this quiet but passionate love with Tomoe. I LOVE that he first loved Tomoe. I love that he probably still does to some degree (or so I imagine.) The last episode (or first episode of the third?) of the second series that was an anime-only story? With the lilies? I took that as he still thought of Tomoe, even if that wasn't yet developed in the manga or whatever. (No clue where the manga was at this point. I just know that the anime never returned to the manga storyline, since it had caught up, made a bunch of filler, and then decided to just end for whatever reason.)
I consider it part of "mature romance." How is this different than young romance or just romance? Mature romance is between individuals who either a) have had relationships before, b) concentrate on mutual respect and understanding rather than impulsive passion, c) may also be in love other individuals or have sexual (but not wholly romantic) relationships with others and there is a level of understanding between some of the parties (not necessarily all) or d) any other reason I may choose to come up with at a later time, but cannot think of now (or, basically, any specific romance I decide to consider mature). So, where young romance or just plain romance may be lustful, impulsive, passionate, and emotions generally run high at all times, mature romance, while it can also have impulsive, passionate, and high emotion elements, focuses on, well, more maturity. More on understanding, acceptance, etc.
Another example from a different series: In the new Minder series (I WISH THAT WAS STILL OIG ON!), there was Archie, who is a middle-aged shady businessman in the process of a divorce. He still cares for his wife on some level, even though they drive each other up the wall. (I believe he was resisting the divorce as much as possible, and not just for financial reasons.) Then you have the young man working for him, Jamie. As one of a slashy mind, I could see some sort of physical relationship brewing between them, if not romantic. And because Archie still loves his wife, but has this undefined relationship with Jamie, and they both know that, and they accept it, and things are kind of left in limbo, and there's an unspoken moment (in my head) when the divorce finally goes through between them. But there is no whining or screaming or anything. It's just how it IS.
Maybe that's one of the reasons I like the Vintner's Luck so much. Sobran's attraction to Xas is sometimes addressed (some is-he-gay stuff), but it largely isn't. It just IS. I think the best moment to define what I've been talking about is when Aurora and Xas pass each other (one leaving Sobran's bed, the other heading to it.) Juxtapose that with one of the scenes with Sobran and his LARGE family (his wife, a number of kids, some still young, and their spouses and their kids...) and THAT is what I'm talking about. Celeste (his wife), of course, provides conflict, because she ISN'T a willing participant in this polygamy that centers around Sobran. She doesn't know about Xas, of course, but she suspects Aurora and HATES her. And gets her own petty revenge, which Sobran doens't directly address (at least not until years have passed after that.) But the rest of it! The stairs moment! I adore it! And I can't tell you why!
Why am I going on about this? This fanvideo, actually. I feel that the song (which I've heard before) when put to Merlin captures a lot of what I like in the Merlin/Arthur/Gwen dynamic.
So why I have tried to explain myself to you, I cannot fully express why I feel this way. I really don't know. There's just something about it that deeply satisfies me. Or maybe it doesn't fully, and I like that prompting for more. I don't know. I can't tell you. At least not yet.
And so, my work in the future might have elements of this. My 2008 Nanovel certainly did.
I have an essay to finish now. Toodles.