TV: power-flipping and that cylon I like
So this bsg_epics post about writing what squicks you (member-locked) in combination with deborah_judge's latest post-finale Kara/Leoben story The Two Magicians reminded me of a conclusion I reached a while ago but never mentioned here. (And then I forgot about it. But then I remembered again!)
I am the Cylon Slayer. Er, that is, I neutralize the threat of the Twos. I defang them, you might say. Nearly any story of mine that involves Leoben or any other Two in a romantic relationship includes some way that the power has been flipped; he's not the one in control. It started with that very first fic, Prophecy, in which Kara (on our Earth) knows who/what the sleeper Two is, and Leoben is clueless. Mostly.
My post-finale fics definitely have defanged Twos. Settlement and the other two stories have Mark, a Two who's trying to atone (unsuccessfully, because it's impossible) for what the Cylon have done; this leaves Laine (human) with the agency to act in their relationship.
Want to Remember has a non-defanged Leoben, but he's not near enough to Kara to do any harm. Also, he gets to make out with share projections with Caprica Six, who doesn't need the Twos to be defanged to deal with them. (Even though Leoben couldn't do anything to Kara at this point in the show's chronology, this story still freaked me out to write. I loved it once I finished, but it was so creepy to be in that headspace for weeks.)
Nemesis doesn't fit the pattern, but the Two in it is trying very hard to be human in Jean's eyes, because he has ulterior motives. (He's not very good at that whole being a normal human thing.) That pair doesn't ever move beyond a situational friendship anyway, in spite of Two's intentions.
Possibly related, I have a nice little collection of stories mocking Leoben/Twos. Humor is functionally another effective way to take away some of their power. Like a Bad Fairytale puts a Two in a relationship with Tory Foster, who is quite scary enough to deal with the Two's creepiness. Red Pants makes the Twos wrestle over clothing to impress Kara. (I have some other stories out there of various size and silliness.)
Anyway, yeah. That was my big realization that I had some time ago and forgot about again. I like the Twos under my control. I can root for Twos with others in my fic as long as there's not that big power imbalance in their favor.
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/205405.html. Comment where you wish.
I am the Cylon Slayer. Er, that is, I neutralize the threat of the Twos. I defang them, you might say. Nearly any story of mine that involves Leoben or any other Two in a romantic relationship includes some way that the power has been flipped; he's not the one in control. It started with that very first fic, Prophecy, in which Kara (on our Earth) knows who/what the sleeper Two is, and Leoben is clueless. Mostly.
My post-finale fics definitely have defanged Twos. Settlement and the other two stories have Mark, a Two who's trying to atone (unsuccessfully, because it's impossible) for what the Cylon have done; this leaves Laine (human) with the agency to act in their relationship.
Want to Remember has a non-defanged Leoben, but he's not near enough to Kara to do any harm. Also, he gets to make out with share projections with Caprica Six, who doesn't need the Twos to be defanged to deal with them. (Even though Leoben couldn't do anything to Kara at this point in the show's chronology, this story still freaked me out to write. I loved it once I finished, but it was so creepy to be in that headspace for weeks.)
Nemesis doesn't fit the pattern, but the Two in it is trying very hard to be human in Jean's eyes, because he has ulterior motives. (He's not very good at that whole being a normal human thing.) That pair doesn't ever move beyond a situational friendship anyway, in spite of Two's intentions.
Possibly related, I have a nice little collection of stories mocking Leoben/Twos. Humor is functionally another effective way to take away some of their power. Like a Bad Fairytale puts a Two in a relationship with Tory Foster, who is quite scary enough to deal with the Two's creepiness. Red Pants makes the Twos wrestle over clothing to impress Kara. (I have some other stories out there of various size and silliness.)
Anyway, yeah. That was my big realization that I had some time ago and forgot about again. I like the Twos under my control. I can root for Twos with others in my fic as long as there's not that big power imbalance in their favor.
Posted at Dreamwidth: http://rose-griffes.dreamwidth.org/205405.html. Comment where you wish.