!!!! AVATAR. WTF. also, writing meta!

[lassarina]

So spreadnparanoia invited me over tonight for food and more of Avatar: the Last Airbender. We are now at the end of Season 2. I AM DEAD. What. what!!!!!! ZUKO. and my ship. and Zuko. and my ship, damn it. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

and Season 3 is not out on DVD. I AM SO FULL OF ANGST.

okay. flailing aside, I was commenting on some stuff to mad_rex tonight and it

Comments

[venefica_aura]

I like conflict, but it can be balanced out by actual people that really do get along. Like drakonlily and I discuss about Cecil/Rosa, the "boringness" with people isn't that they are inherently boring, it's just their forms of conflict are less obvious. But she writes a fantastic Rosa that is a little out of the norm interpretation.

The "EPIC LOVE STORY OF BILL AND BOB" is when people forget that no one is simply MEANT to be with another and that without at least an external conflict, the wubbie dubbies of people are in fact boring. I kind of love the stories where the people that are assumed to have it all together; be it because they are married, or otherwise shown to be together have their demons brought out. Take for instance, Cid/Edea. You can have cute and messed up in the same story, and it can be awesome. Cecil/Rosa, same thing. The Paladin and the Lady are assumed to have it be happily ever after, but can you imagine the pressures their relationship must have? (it doesn't hurt they're probably my favorite hero/heroine combination, I won't lie) Or hell, Cid/Shera, which is like FF7's favorite "well, it happens, just cause" couple.

And lord, don't even get me started on my alternate stuff. My favorite femmeslash in the likes of Tifa/Elena. Think about that.

I guess the point is, while thwarted or otherwise imperfect love generates conflict by existing, any relationship has conflict. It's just how you handle it that keeps it from being nauseating.

And it's also why resolution IS resolution, not a story. But it can still happen. There's also a reason that actual stories have many genres like tragedy, comedy, etc... a lot of these can center around a relationship and still be those genres. The main difference? How it resolves.

~Cendri

[lassarina]

Mmmmm, Cid/Edea and Tifa/Elena. Now we're talking. :D

I think a lot of my problems with the 'issue' ships I listed is that I also just can't get into the characters' heads. (The exception is Yuna. I like her just fine when Tidus isn't around.) Maybe it's just that I don't like them enough to put those kinds of issues in front of them and see what happens?

[venefica_aura]

Prolly. Doesn't make them less fraught with problems (main reason I don't write Cloud/Tifa unless they're like, in their fifties is there are too many issues, and I like Tifa better than that. XD)

Then again, I've been going through a phase of twisting the obvious just a little. Like in Tidus's defense, his basic purpose in the game was to make sure Yuna could say 'no'. Half the reason I ended up loving FFX so much is you spent most of the game, as the main character, being emotionally manipulated; it was kind of oddly awesome.

I think a lot of the problem is that other people just want to write happy fuzzies, so it scares you off (I mean, how many fuzzy Zack/Aeris fics do you need?). Or they write overblown angst (which is what can scare me off, I mean, Vincent/Lucrecia, Lulu/Chappu in fic, anyone?). Love isn't inherently pain, but if you're writing a story, something has to be difficult. Otherwise, it's not a story.

That, or you just like epic levels of angst. XD Which is fine. And I don't usually get into the canon relations much (because seriously, sometimes it feels like, "well let's just pair these two off!" or even the fanon popular ones, same deal *cough*Vincent/Yuffie WTF?*cough*). I tend to use them as a background (I like writing about Yuna, after Tidus, and not having him come back because I felt it was a cop-out, but it doesn't mean suddenly she stops thinking about him or mentioning him).

Anyway, that was babble. XD

~Cendri

[lassarina]

I mean, yeah, I do like epic levels of angst (my favourite character is Kain, there's just no getting around that one!) but I think it's interesting that you name Lulu/Chappu as overblown angst. One of the pieces I'm halfway through is "Sea Breezes," which is basically them in childhood and the early stages of their relationship, and will probably end the day that she's informed of his death or shortly thereafter. For the purposes of that one story, I'm less interested in her reaction to his death than in her reaction to his life.

also, oh god, Vincent/Yuffie why. What IS the fandom obsession with pedophile!Vincent? I mean, Vincent/Shelke is even WORSE.

[venefica_aura]

There seems to be a pederast (at least) thing in FF7. I mean, my favorite Random Complication Character is Veld from Before Crisis, and most of the time he's doing his way younger protege (Tseng) in fic. Then again, I tend to find mentor/student kind of ew. Wrong power scheme!

Oh, and not saying YOU would write it overblown, but just that's the fandom tendency. Then again, one dies, you're going to get sort of angsty stuff. There's thwarted love and then there's dwelling, which is why Vin/Lu drives me BATTY (unless it's written like the psychosis it is, because it is). XD I'm more interested in Lulu/Rikku anyway... come on, I can't have been the ONLY one that noticed Rikku practically fell all over herself around Lulu. It was cute.

~Cendri

[lassarina]

Have you read auronlu's "Lulu Sutra"? It's on FicWad under the author ID Helluin, if nothing else. Tasty, tasty Lulu/Rikku.

I think the only character that I write (now) as infinitely dwelling is Kain, mostly because...it's kind of the point of his character. Though ideally by halfway through Every Light, there will be less dwelling and more doing.

FF7/Complication fandom in general just kind of frightens me. I mostly keep the FF7 Pit of Voles feed to be able to report things against the rules. Actually, that's why I have MOST of the pit of voles feeds.

[venefica_aura]

Oh yes. That one was fun.

Ha, I almost want to dare you to write an in-character Kain where he has an epiphany and just deals with it all quickly. I'd be amused. XD

Narc! I kid.

~Cendri

[lassarina]

*giggles* Even if I wanted to, Kain-muse would have none of it. he's currently deciding whether 2000 words is sufficient for this prompt, or he'd like to triple that.