Meme and Stuff

[mark_asphodel]

I did not enter fe_contest  this time, even though I liked the prompt.  I had an idea I really liked for "Vanity" involving courtship/marriage between Innes and L'Arachel in a 1930s-ish setting, an evolution of the 'fic I keep wanting to write entitled "A Simple Game of Self-Respect."

When a 'fic title is derived from Elvis Costello's "Two Little Hitlers,"

Comments

[mark_asphodel]

1) I love Innes. Adore him. Am grateful he exists, because his existence secured FE8 a place in my affections.

2) Innes/Vanessa was my initial favorite, because it's cute and sweet and a little disturbing (power imbalance + Vanessa ain't ever gonna be his conscience). But penandpaper71 made a good defense of Innes/Eirika that sold me on it (Eirika as Innes's better half, basically), and Innes/L'Arachel offers all kinds of potential- again, slightly disturbing, 'cause I don't see it as good solid companionate love. Could be good sex, though. Also, Innes/Gerik = smokin'.

3) Non-romantic OTP? Um... well, I think his obsession with Ephraim (which I do not see as sexual attraction) pretty much guarantees that they're forever linked in some fashion-- friends, rivals, enemies, in-laws, all of the above.

4) Unpopular opinion? He's a well-written and severely under-appreciated character who is not a psycho, not a one-dimensional jerkass, and not simply trying to get into Eph's white britches. Also, he will be an excellent king once Hayden rides off into the sunset-- arguably the best of his generation.

5) I wish he showed up earlier in Ephraim's route.

[xirysa]

AGREED SO HARD. Especially #4.

(Though I'd really like to hear this explanation for Eirika as Innes' "better half"--I kind of see it, but at the same time I'm just. "Meh.")

[mark_asphodel]

Well, basically, out of his three marital options, Eirika is the only one capable of really influencing him.

I love Vanessa, but she's his cheerleader. When you're the cheerleader to a smart, ambitious, and complicated man who just so happens to be a head of state in a post-war era... the pitfalls are pretty obvious. Hell, I'm still not convinced he marries her.

As for L'Arachel... well, I think that Mary Sue story Raphi wrote gives a pretty good idea of their relationship. Give L'Arachel some crusade to amuse distract herself, and Innes could probably carpet-bomb Jehanna and get away with it. Oh, L'Arachel might "reform" him in some superficial ways, but is she going to genuinely impact his personality? I doubt it.

But Eirika has the best potential, IMO, for being able to meet Innes head-to-head and have some real influence on him as a man and a ruler. (Granted, their supports throw up a red flag in that direction, but this is taking what we see of them overall in the game.)

[xirysa]

I don't think Innes/Vanessa as a pairing is happy at all. Like, even with my tendency to just warp things to make them super depressing (like I was initially with Eliwood/Fiora, but now I can actually see it working out and it's not totally depressing in Only Human and I hope what I envisioned it being ends up working out and now I'm rambling so) Vanessa doesn't have the type of personality to go along with Innes in a happy marital relationship. Or any type of marital relationship with him, really.

Innes/L'Arachel could work, I guess, just given her "strong" personality, but she's also flighty at the same time. (Then again, every time I think about this pairing, I think of the story where Innes ends up killing Rennac, and... Yeah.)

I just. Don't like the Innes/Eirika supports. At all. So. XD Maybe I'm just being biased, but it does make sense that Eirika has the best potential. Hmm.

Now I need to ponder this. xD

[mark_asphodel]

I don't think Innes/Vanessa as a pairing is happy at all.

I think part of my initial delight with Innes/Vanessa needs some context to be explicable. Some people have a knight/lady thing. I have a Peg Knight/Prince thing. So, context:

Valencia gives us Claire's unrequited crush on Alm. This is played for lulz and can resolve happily for everyone.

Archanea gives us Catria's unrequited love for Marth. This is NOT played for laughs and is NOT resolved happily. (Yes, and Caeda.)

Jugdral provides, among other pairings, Fury's relationship with Levin, which doesn't exactly get a happy ending but at least involves love, marriage, children, and then the bad stuff coming down.

And of course, Elibe offers Roy/Little Peg Sis (whut) and Klein/Middle Peg Sis, plus whichever one of the Peg Sisters you want to pair with Eliwood and/or Hector. YMMV, and I wasn't into Elibe then.

And Magvel gives us Innes/Vanessa (and Ephraim/Tana)-- a case of a little humble pegasus knight who adores her prince waaaaaaay too much, and unlike Claire and Catria, can actually land him! Score! Even if it arguably serves as an example of why these extreme power-balance relationships are not such a good idea...

Then again, every time I think about this pairing, I think of the story where Innes ends up killing Rennac, and...

I've noticed that 'fics where Rennac cuckolds Ephraim tend to end happily, and ones where Innes is involved in any fashion tend not to. This says something about the perception of Ephraim and Innes, IMO.