The Joys and (Growing) Pains of Writing Jacob/Richard
First and foremost, thank you to the wonderful elliotsmelliot for asking me to lead a discussion on the relatively new “cult” pairing of Jacob/Richard. I confess that I was simultaneously both giddy and daunted at the prospect of discussing this ship, because while I personally adore them, the fact remains that not only is there a lack of any established canon to reference when it comes to these two together, but neither is there anything really concrete when it comes to these two apart. But it's exactly that esoteric edge that attracts me to this pairing - the fact that they can fill that need for something ambiguous and vague and visceral just as easily as they can slide into countless back-stories of one's own making. They’re new, they’re fresh, they're versatile, and they’re mysterious - what's not to love?
Yet as with any new pairing, particularly non-canon pairings, they’re not without their growing pains - and in the case of Richard and Jacob, the growing pains are vast and vaired, in the forms of whys and hows and wheres and, perhaps most pressingly, whens. The very ambiguity that makes them so intriguing can also be what frustrates us the most when we read and write them. So how do we go about figuring these mystery men out?
Well, they tell me that it's best to start at the beginning: (and I'm going to go ahead and take this oppostunity to warn y'all that this baby is really freaking LOOOONG, so feel free to skip down to the discussion questions if you don't want to read my excessive commentary - they're set aside under the helpful "Questions" heading ;) )
It all started one evening, sometime in early 2007, when we were all (presumably) watching ‘Lost.’ And whilst innocently enjoying ourselves some interesting Juliet backstory, we met a very pretty man in a very pretty suit:
And I don’t know about the rest of you? But I was totally sold from the get-go.
Richard Alpert: The Grand Vizier
< Like Jafar, But Not Evil.
Ben calls him an "advisor." Personally, I always liked to think of Richard as the mysteriously ageless go-to man with (almost) all of the answers. He undermined Ben's authority when it came to John back in the "you-must-kill-your-father" days. He got to go cavorting with the Supremely Awesome and Powerful (and Reclusive) Entity Known As Jacob (which was like being in the cool kids' club, in case you were wondering. They even had a little cabin club house. That could disappear. So ha - beat that.) He was somehow specially and uniquely equipped to leave the Island at will. He knew where things were, knew how things worked, and had been around long enough to know it all better than anyone else who came strolling in prepared to take over the Island like a bunch of n00bs. Richard was the boss. What he said went, one way or another, and there was never really any need to quibble about that fact, because we knew so little concrete information about the man that we could pretty much twist him to fit whatever conclusions we wanted. And it was good, people. It was so very, very good.
At least, this is how things happened in my head. Richard was the well-intentioned puppet master, suave and calm and collected and bad-freaking-ass, subtle where people like Benjamin were openly sly. In my head.
So I've gotta tell you guys - I began to get a bit miffed when Richard started being left out of the loop, and Locke apparently knew soooo much more than he did, and he seemed to be taking orders from Jacob versus being, I don't know, an all around advisor sort of guy. Maybe it was a subtle shift in tone, maybe it was something bigger - I can't put my finger on it - but there was a distinct point in which Richard was in the Circle of Power one second, and outside of it the next. Like he was in the President's Cabinet, and then boom, he was booted to.... White House Dog Walker (which, granted, is probably a pretty sweet job, but it's not like being in the Cabinet.) And frankly, I liked my Richard on top of things. I liked my Richard to know everything long before just about everyone else. I liked my Richard pretty much calling the shots, even if no one else noticed. I liked the Richard who knew what Jacob wanted done because he was just that important to know such things when no one else was allowed to. I did not so much like my Richard as Jacob's lackey, or John Locke's lackey, or anyone else's. My Richard knew all, damnit, or pretty close to it.
As such, I will be the first to admit that, at least come S4, I was not sold on Jacob as the mysterious “Man Behind The Curtain.” For a long time, I doubted his existence at all, and once I found out I’d be seeing him in the flesh in the S4 finale, I was convinced I wouldn’t like him. Not one bit.
But oh... that man had me at “Want some fish?”
Jacob: The Jesus-Sandal-Wearing-Tapestry-Weaver-Who-Guts-Fish
< Like Penelópē, only without the suitors. And he’s a dude.
While we’ve really only met him the one time in the flesh, Jacob as a character-in-theory has been around almost as long as Richard, in terms of episodes. Ben says that everyone answers to someone, and the leader answers to Jacob, (that Ben, he just knows so much... ) but then, who does Jacob answer to? Anyone? Is he the be-all-end-all, or is he an intercessor in his own right? Either way, it suddenly became a little more okay that Richard was doing Jacob's bidding, because the man seemed to have an actual plan, and moreover, a point, which is more than you can say about 97% of those Losties (I mean, blowing up a hydrogen bomb? Really?) He made Richard immortal, which implies that he values his presence on some level. And Richard was pretty dang insistent on the rules of visiting Jacob when fake!Locke got his panties in a twist and decided to hike out to the Statue, which implies some genuine level of loyalty and/or affection between them (because if someone really hated their boss, for example, I don't know that they'd be very sad if someone came in wanting to give them a stern talking to). So they get along! Maybe Richard likes chilling with Jacob and helping him out here and there. Which, if anyone here's ever jumped on the insta-pairing train before, is more than enough to base a ship's potential on. Thing is, Richard/Jacob isn't just your every day, run-of-the-mill pairing spawned from one measly episode of implied positive interaction. And no, that's not (just) wishful thinking on my part as a fan of them getting it on.
The Richard/Jacob pairing is unique in a number of ways, not merely because it essentially came about from a single episode. Richard and Jacob don't share any hot and sweaty male-bonding scenes with one another. We don't get a shirtless Jacob wrestling Richard to the ground for a mango, or a gutted fish or anything. They don't even speak to each other, really; don't gaze into one another's eyes in any way that we can interpret, however wishfully, to be filled with lust or longing. They're perhaps the quintessential hypothetical relationship, their association based mostly on passing comments like "Jacob wants this" and "Jacob made me this way" and "Dude, you should totes not go into the statue where Jacob is!" and even "If you waited, Jacob would eventually come to you." (Because that one definitely has the potential for some innuendo, especially as it's followed by Richard's passionate protest of Ben accompanying fake!Locke to see Jacob - definitely some protectiveness/possessiveness going on right there...) Regardless, the fact is that Richard and Jacob may be pretty awesome, pretty easy on the eyes, and pretty complex on their own, but together, we mostly just have theory. So what gives this 'ship any substantial weight? Any basis at all on which to establish itself?
The Philosophy and Mythology
A good part of what seems to make this insta-pairing work in fandom are the rich possibilities it lends itself to in terms of backstory, particularly in terms of how those possibilities tie in with the thematic elements that the show already employs. Immortality, interconnection, destiny, "divine" intervention, miraculous happenings - they all not only spark our imaginations, but draw parallels to some of the great mythologies and philosophies that Lost has used over the years to add the kind of depth to its storylines that ultimately keeps us coming back for more, even when the show pisses us off to no end with its bull *cough*lovequadrilateral*cough*.
Philosophically, we've got two main themes that the pairing seems to lend itself to:
The Enlightenment
Obviously, John Locke is Lost's biggest shout-out to the Enlightenment, yo. And John Locke was notoriously convinced that human nature was definitively characterized by reason and tolerance - that people were basically good, even when we sucked alot. This seems to be the argument that Jacob makes in his conversation with his NEMESIS in the opening scenes of "The Incident:"
NEMESIS: Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
Jacob: You are wrong.
NEMESIS: Am I?They come, fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same.
Jacob: It only ends once, anything that happens before that, it's just progress.
Is Richard the type of person, in some way, shape, or form, that would be able to help Jacob prove his point? Is that why he keeps Richard around? We see generally that Richard is a helpful kind of guy. He saves little Ben, looks out for Eloise and her bun-in-the-oven, helps John prove himself in the beginning of his role as a leader - it's at least plausible that he could prove that human beings are basically okay. Or was this the intention, and did it fail? Is that why there's still conflict? Is Richard a "fallen" example of human goodness, for one reason or another?
One last point on that: if we go ahead and assume that NEMESIS and SMOKE MONSTER and LOCKELGANGER are all in cahoots with one another in some fashion, it's ironic, symbolically, that NEMESIS, who seems notoriously Hobbesian with his lie/cheat/steal/fight/corrupt/EVIL view of humankind, might manifest as the character named John Locke. Is that a coincidence, a plot device, or are they trying to tell us something about the argument Jacob was making, and as such, the nature of Jacob overall? What is Jacob's ultimate motive? And what does that motive have to do with any existing relationship he might have with Richard?
Baba Ram Dass
The character of Richard Alpert is named for the real life spiritual teacher who later took the name Ram Dass after converting to Hinduism. In the late 1960's, Dr. Alpert traveled to India, walked from temple to temple, and eventually found his guru, who gave him the name Ram Dass, which translates to 'servant of God.' Let's speculate from this - say Jacob is the 'God' figure, and Richard the 'servant'; or else, Richard the student, the seeker, and Jacob the guru. Does that have any significance for their relationship as we see it? As we tend to portray it?
On a slightly different note, Ram Dass has always been very open about his bisexuality, which leads me to ask - do we generally address Richard's sexuality as fluid, or otherwise? Personally, I've written him with both sexes, and I find myself comfortable with that in the fic world; to quote the real-world man himself: "[it] isn't gay, and it's not not-gay, and it's not anything-it's just awareness." I tend to think our fictional Richard Alpert would feel similarly, but with fiction, and non-canon slash in particular, it's always interesting to see how different people interpret the same character's preferences.
Sidenote - Alpert also founded an organization dedicated to spiritual awareness known as the Hanuman Foundation - sound vaguely familiar?
Similarly in mythology, a pair of themes has emerged as dominant:
Egyptian
Not least because of that ever-loving statue (okay, so Nestor Carbonell’s gorgeous eyelashes didn’t help, either), Egyptian mythology has emerged as a trend in reference to both Richard and Jacob in particular.
The statue, as we now know, depicts Taweret, the Egyptian goddess of birth, rebirth and the northern sky. She holds the ankh, a hieroglyphic meaning eternal life. Jacob lives inside of her. But the ankh is sometimes discussed as over-interpreted, and is said to have primarily referenced the necessity of the Nile to the survival of the region in ancient times. How much weight do any of these descriptions lend to the Richard/Jacob dynamic? Is Jacob the source of eternal life, which he has bestowed upon Richard? Is he the key to survival in some way, directly or indirectly? What does the goddess of rebirth signify in terms of Jacob being killed at the end of the season finale? And hypothetically, how closely is Richard's immortality tied to Jacob? Pretending for a moment that Jacob is dead!dead come S6, would Richard then age and die as a result? Does that potentiality, if it exists, add a level of obligation ot any relationships between them?
Biblical
One of the most consistent themes that I’ve come across (and used myself, for that matter - it's a personal favorite) in Richard/Jacob stories is that of Biblical references and metaphors. Jacob as a divine figure, interfering and creating circumstances as he does, and most relevantly, bestowing eternal life upon Richard, seems plausible enough, and opens up a vast array of gorgeous literary devices and language for our use. I've personally gone so far as to have them quote scripture to each other. From the story of Lazarus to the Passion itself, the promise of immortality, of life from death, inspires some gorgeous imagery in comparing the stories, and allows us to borrow implicatively the gravity of biblical tradition, a solemnity that seems to fit these world-weary, time worn characters well.
The element of immortality seems to often fall under this heading, as well - miraculous as it appears - and therefore brings up a few essential questions concerning our fair pairing. Is Jacob human? Divine? Demon? A little bit of all three? (*points to aforementioned NEMESIS/Jacob dialogue* because apparently, human beings are enough of a "them" to be considered separate in nature from Jacob, no?) And Richard, having been constitutionally altered by Jacob in some way as to now be immortal - what does that make him? It seems that the idea of two immortals amidst a bunch of mere mortal fleshlings lends itself to a romance, traditionally speaking - they would understand each other, would be able to whether the years together, etc. etc. and so forth. After all, the pairing that lives forever, stays together. Forever. Talk about never being able to avoid your ex...
Questions/Comments/Concerns
And now, to really get this party started (after talking/typing your ears/eyes off) I'll throw out about a million more questions, in hopes that maybe you’ll find a few of them that spark your interest ;)
1. First and foremost, do you buy the Richard/Jacob dynamic? For two characters that have pretty much shared zilch screen time, there seems to be a good deal of interest in their potential as a pairing, but is it all talk and no action? Or did you feel it from the first time Richard claimed Jacob wanted one thing or another? Did you ship the pairing before the S4 finale, or was that the clincher? Is there anyone who liked the ‘ship before “The Incident,” but now isn’t so fond of the idea?
2. Stemming from the previous question, does one character make or break the pairing for you? Are you willing to offer Richard your innocence (yes, please), but think Jacob’s just a manipulative ass? Do you dig on Jacob, but think Richard’s become a pushover since Lockelganger came into the picture and started ordering him around? Do you tolerate one for the other? Has your love for one character evolved into love for the other by association?
3. How do you generally view the Richard/Jacob relationship? Do either one of them play a more dominant/controlling role than the other? Is that a static thing, or is it flexible in your book? Does your interpretation coincide or challenge the apparent canon of Jacob as being “in control”? Is it a master-and-servant type set up, à la Depeche Mode? Do they share a more symbiotic relationship? Are they codependent? One in the know, the other in the dark? Are they both just as clueless as anyone else, but have that whole not-dying bit on their side to make them seem like they know what they’re doing?
4. How do you prefer to handle (or to see handled) Richard’s age/immortality? Is Richard from the ancient world? Did he sail on over on the Black Rock? Has your perspective on just how old Richard actually is changed over time, and if so, why? And perhaps most importantly - Richard says that he “is the way he is” because of Jacob. The question is - why would Jacob make Richard immortal? To prove a point? To serve a purpose? To perpetuate a romance? Did Jacob do it preemptively, or was Richard's life threatened, and Jacob acted out of love, desperation, the fear of loneliness? Did Jacob orchestrate their meeting? Have they been together since they met? Got together later? Do they fall in and out of a relationship over time? Keep each other warm at night on passing whims throughout the years?
5. Similarly, how do you feel about the sexual aspect of that relationship? Are Jacob and Richard primarily companions, cohorts, lovers, friends with benefits, love ‘em and leave ‘em kinda guys? Are they together out of lack of other options (because dude, the Island isn’t exactly teeming with sexual partners), convenience (both of them being immortal would have to have its benefits) genuine romance? Are they exclusive, do they dabble (because the Richard/Alex ‘ship is pretty significant, from what I understand, the Jacob/NEMESIS pairing is just plain hot rawr, and I personally would dig on some Richard/Jacob/just about anyone up in here, myself ) Do you prefer to address their sexual relationship (if you think they have one) directly or indirectly? Do you avoid it altogether?
6. What makes (or for that matter, kills) a fic about Richard and/or Jacob for you? Are there cliches you hate, metaphors that never fail to make you swoon?
7. If there’s one reason in your eyes that Richard and Jacob are meant for each other, what is it? Why?
Yet as with any new pairing, particularly non-canon pairings, they’re not without their growing pains - and in the case of Richard and Jacob, the growing pains are vast and vaired, in the forms of whys and hows and wheres and, perhaps most pressingly, whens. The very ambiguity that makes them so intriguing can also be what frustrates us the most when we read and write them. So how do we go about figuring these mystery men out?
Well, they tell me that it's best to start at the beginning: (and I'm going to go ahead and take this oppostunity to warn y'all that this baby is really freaking LOOOONG, so feel free to skip down to the discussion questions if you don't want to read my excessive commentary - they're set aside under the helpful "Questions" heading ;) )
It all started one evening, sometime in early 2007, when we were all (presumably) watching ‘Lost.’ And whilst innocently enjoying ourselves some interesting Juliet backstory, we met a very pretty man in a very pretty suit:
And I don’t know about the rest of you? But I was totally sold from the get-go.
Richard Alpert: The Grand Vizier
< Like Jafar, But Not Evil.
Ben calls him an "advisor." Personally, I always liked to think of Richard as the mysteriously ageless go-to man with (almost) all of the answers. He undermined Ben's authority when it came to John back in the "you-must-kill-your-father" days. He got to go cavorting with the Supremely Awesome and Powerful (and Reclusive) Entity Known As Jacob (which was like being in the cool kids' club, in case you were wondering. They even had a little cabin club house. That could disappear. So ha - beat that.) He was somehow specially and uniquely equipped to leave the Island at will. He knew where things were, knew how things worked, and had been around long enough to know it all better than anyone else who came strolling in prepared to take over the Island like a bunch of n00bs. Richard was the boss. What he said went, one way or another, and there was never really any need to quibble about that fact, because we knew so little concrete information about the man that we could pretty much twist him to fit whatever conclusions we wanted. And it was good, people. It was so very, very good.
At least, this is how things happened in my head. Richard was the well-intentioned puppet master, suave and calm and collected and bad-freaking-ass, subtle where people like Benjamin were openly sly. In my head.
So I've gotta tell you guys - I began to get a bit miffed when Richard started being left out of the loop, and Locke apparently knew soooo much more than he did, and he seemed to be taking orders from Jacob versus being, I don't know, an all around advisor sort of guy. Maybe it was a subtle shift in tone, maybe it was something bigger - I can't put my finger on it - but there was a distinct point in which Richard was in the Circle of Power one second, and outside of it the next. Like he was in the President's Cabinet, and then boom, he was booted to.... White House Dog Walker (which, granted, is probably a pretty sweet job, but it's not like being in the Cabinet.) And frankly, I liked my Richard on top of things. I liked my Richard to know everything long before just about everyone else. I liked my Richard pretty much calling the shots, even if no one else noticed. I liked the Richard who knew what Jacob wanted done because he was just that important to know such things when no one else was allowed to. I did not so much like my Richard as Jacob's lackey, or John Locke's lackey, or anyone else's. My Richard knew all, damnit, or pretty close to it.
As such, I will be the first to admit that, at least come S4, I was not sold on Jacob as the mysterious “Man Behind The Curtain.” For a long time, I doubted his existence at all, and once I found out I’d be seeing him in the flesh in the S4 finale, I was convinced I wouldn’t like him. Not one bit.
But oh... that man had me at “Want some fish?”
Jacob: The Jesus-Sandal-Wearing-Tapestry-Weaver-Who-Guts-Fish
< Like Penelópē, only without the suitors. And he’s a dude.
While we’ve really only met him the one time in the flesh, Jacob as a character-in-theory has been around almost as long as Richard, in terms of episodes. Ben says that everyone answers to someone, and the leader answers to Jacob, (that Ben, he just knows so much... ) but then, who does Jacob answer to? Anyone? Is he the be-all-end-all, or is he an intercessor in his own right? Either way, it suddenly became a little more okay that Richard was doing Jacob's bidding, because the man seemed to have an actual plan, and moreover, a point, which is more than you can say about 97% of those Losties (I mean, blowing up a hydrogen bomb? Really?) He made Richard immortal, which implies that he values his presence on some level. And Richard was pretty dang insistent on the rules of visiting Jacob when fake!Locke got his panties in a twist and decided to hike out to the Statue, which implies some genuine level of loyalty and/or affection between them (because if someone really hated their boss, for example, I don't know that they'd be very sad if someone came in wanting to give them a stern talking to). So they get along! Maybe Richard likes chilling with Jacob and helping him out here and there. Which, if anyone here's ever jumped on the insta-pairing train before, is more than enough to base a ship's potential on. Thing is, Richard/Jacob isn't just your every day, run-of-the-mill pairing spawned from one measly episode of implied positive interaction. And no, that's not (just) wishful thinking on my part as a fan of them getting it on.
The Richard/Jacob pairing is unique in a number of ways, not merely because it essentially came about from a single episode. Richard and Jacob don't share any hot and sweaty male-bonding scenes with one another. We don't get a shirtless Jacob wrestling Richard to the ground for a mango, or a gutted fish or anything. They don't even speak to each other, really; don't gaze into one another's eyes in any way that we can interpret, however wishfully, to be filled with lust or longing. They're perhaps the quintessential hypothetical relationship, their association based mostly on passing comments like "Jacob wants this" and "Jacob made me this way" and "Dude, you should totes not go into the statue where Jacob is!" and even "If you waited, Jacob would eventually come to you." (Because that one definitely has the potential for some innuendo, especially as it's followed by Richard's passionate protest of Ben accompanying fake!Locke to see Jacob - definitely some protectiveness/possessiveness going on right there...) Regardless, the fact is that Richard and Jacob may be pretty awesome, pretty easy on the eyes, and pretty complex on their own, but together, we mostly just have theory. So what gives this 'ship any substantial weight? Any basis at all on which to establish itself?
The Philosophy and Mythology
A good part of what seems to make this insta-pairing work in fandom are the rich possibilities it lends itself to in terms of backstory, particularly in terms of how those possibilities tie in with the thematic elements that the show already employs. Immortality, interconnection, destiny, "divine" intervention, miraculous happenings - they all not only spark our imaginations, but draw parallels to some of the great mythologies and philosophies that Lost has used over the years to add the kind of depth to its storylines that ultimately keeps us coming back for more, even when the show pisses us off to no end with its bull *cough*lovequadrilateral*cough*.
Philosophically, we've got two main themes that the pairing seems to lend itself to:
The Enlightenment
Obviously, John Locke is Lost's biggest shout-out to the Enlightenment, yo. And John Locke was notoriously convinced that human nature was definitively characterized by reason and tolerance - that people were basically good, even when we sucked alot. This seems to be the argument that Jacob makes in his conversation with his NEMESIS in the opening scenes of "The Incident:"
NEMESIS: Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
Jacob: You are wrong.
NEMESIS: Am I?They come, fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same.
Jacob: It only ends once, anything that happens before that, it's just progress.
Is Richard the type of person, in some way, shape, or form, that would be able to help Jacob prove his point? Is that why he keeps Richard around? We see generally that Richard is a helpful kind of guy. He saves little Ben, looks out for Eloise and her bun-in-the-oven, helps John prove himself in the beginning of his role as a leader - it's at least plausible that he could prove that human beings are basically okay. Or was this the intention, and did it fail? Is that why there's still conflict? Is Richard a "fallen" example of human goodness, for one reason or another?
One last point on that: if we go ahead and assume that NEMESIS and SMOKE MONSTER and LOCKELGANGER are all in cahoots with one another in some fashion, it's ironic, symbolically, that NEMESIS, who seems notoriously Hobbesian with his lie/cheat/steal/fight/corrupt/EVIL view of humankind, might manifest as the character named John Locke. Is that a coincidence, a plot device, or are they trying to tell us something about the argument Jacob was making, and as such, the nature of Jacob overall? What is Jacob's ultimate motive? And what does that motive have to do with any existing relationship he might have with Richard?
Baba Ram Dass
The character of Richard Alpert is named for the real life spiritual teacher who later took the name Ram Dass after converting to Hinduism. In the late 1960's, Dr. Alpert traveled to India, walked from temple to temple, and eventually found his guru, who gave him the name Ram Dass, which translates to 'servant of God.' Let's speculate from this - say Jacob is the 'God' figure, and Richard the 'servant'; or else, Richard the student, the seeker, and Jacob the guru. Does that have any significance for their relationship as we see it? As we tend to portray it?
On a slightly different note, Ram Dass has always been very open about his bisexuality, which leads me to ask - do we generally address Richard's sexuality as fluid, or otherwise? Personally, I've written him with both sexes, and I find myself comfortable with that in the fic world; to quote the real-world man himself: "[it] isn't gay, and it's not not-gay, and it's not anything-it's just awareness." I tend to think our fictional Richard Alpert would feel similarly, but with fiction, and non-canon slash in particular, it's always interesting to see how different people interpret the same character's preferences.
Sidenote - Alpert also founded an organization dedicated to spiritual awareness known as the Hanuman Foundation - sound vaguely familiar?
Similarly in mythology, a pair of themes has emerged as dominant:
Egyptian
Not least because of that ever-loving statue (okay, so Nestor Carbonell’s gorgeous eyelashes didn’t help, either), Egyptian mythology has emerged as a trend in reference to both Richard and Jacob in particular.
The statue, as we now know, depicts Taweret, the Egyptian goddess of birth, rebirth and the northern sky. She holds the ankh, a hieroglyphic meaning eternal life. Jacob lives inside of her. But the ankh is sometimes discussed as over-interpreted, and is said to have primarily referenced the necessity of the Nile to the survival of the region in ancient times. How much weight do any of these descriptions lend to the Richard/Jacob dynamic? Is Jacob the source of eternal life, which he has bestowed upon Richard? Is he the key to survival in some way, directly or indirectly? What does the goddess of rebirth signify in terms of Jacob being killed at the end of the season finale? And hypothetically, how closely is Richard's immortality tied to Jacob? Pretending for a moment that Jacob is dead!dead come S6, would Richard then age and die as a result? Does that potentiality, if it exists, add a level of obligation ot any relationships between them?
Biblical
One of the most consistent themes that I’ve come across (and used myself, for that matter - it's a personal favorite) in Richard/Jacob stories is that of Biblical references and metaphors. Jacob as a divine figure, interfering and creating circumstances as he does, and most relevantly, bestowing eternal life upon Richard, seems plausible enough, and opens up a vast array of gorgeous literary devices and language for our use. I've personally gone so far as to have them quote scripture to each other. From the story of Lazarus to the Passion itself, the promise of immortality, of life from death, inspires some gorgeous imagery in comparing the stories, and allows us to borrow implicatively the gravity of biblical tradition, a solemnity that seems to fit these world-weary, time worn characters well.
The element of immortality seems to often fall under this heading, as well - miraculous as it appears - and therefore brings up a few essential questions concerning our fair pairing. Is Jacob human? Divine? Demon? A little bit of all three? (*points to aforementioned NEMESIS/Jacob dialogue* because apparently, human beings are enough of a "them" to be considered separate in nature from Jacob, no?) And Richard, having been constitutionally altered by Jacob in some way as to now be immortal - what does that make him? It seems that the idea of two immortals amidst a bunch of mere mortal fleshlings lends itself to a romance, traditionally speaking - they would understand each other, would be able to whether the years together, etc. etc. and so forth. After all, the pairing that lives forever, stays together. Forever. Talk about never being able to avoid your ex...
Questions/Comments/Concerns
And now, to really get this party started (after talking/typing your ears/eyes off) I'll throw out about a million more questions, in hopes that maybe you’ll find a few of them that spark your interest ;)
1. First and foremost, do you buy the Richard/Jacob dynamic? For two characters that have pretty much shared zilch screen time, there seems to be a good deal of interest in their potential as a pairing, but is it all talk and no action? Or did you feel it from the first time Richard claimed Jacob wanted one thing or another? Did you ship the pairing before the S4 finale, or was that the clincher? Is there anyone who liked the ‘ship before “The Incident,” but now isn’t so fond of the idea?
2. Stemming from the previous question, does one character make or break the pairing for you? Are you willing to offer Richard your innocence (yes, please), but think Jacob’s just a manipulative ass? Do you dig on Jacob, but think Richard’s become a pushover since Lockelganger came into the picture and started ordering him around? Do you tolerate one for the other? Has your love for one character evolved into love for the other by association?
3. How do you generally view the Richard/Jacob relationship? Do either one of them play a more dominant/controlling role than the other? Is that a static thing, or is it flexible in your book? Does your interpretation coincide or challenge the apparent canon of Jacob as being “in control”? Is it a master-and-servant type set up, à la Depeche Mode? Do they share a more symbiotic relationship? Are they codependent? One in the know, the other in the dark? Are they both just as clueless as anyone else, but have that whole not-dying bit on their side to make them seem like they know what they’re doing?
4. How do you prefer to handle (or to see handled) Richard’s age/immortality? Is Richard from the ancient world? Did he sail on over on the Black Rock? Has your perspective on just how old Richard actually is changed over time, and if so, why? And perhaps most importantly - Richard says that he “is the way he is” because of Jacob. The question is - why would Jacob make Richard immortal? To prove a point? To serve a purpose? To perpetuate a romance? Did Jacob do it preemptively, or was Richard's life threatened, and Jacob acted out of love, desperation, the fear of loneliness? Did Jacob orchestrate their meeting? Have they been together since they met? Got together later? Do they fall in and out of a relationship over time? Keep each other warm at night on passing whims throughout the years?
5. Similarly, how do you feel about the sexual aspect of that relationship? Are Jacob and Richard primarily companions, cohorts, lovers, friends with benefits, love ‘em and leave ‘em kinda guys? Are they together out of lack of other options (because dude, the Island isn’t exactly teeming with sexual partners), convenience (both of them being immortal would have to have its benefits) genuine romance? Are they exclusive, do they dabble (because the Richard/Alex ‘ship is pretty significant, from what I understand, the Jacob/NEMESIS pairing is just plain hot rawr, and I personally would dig on some Richard/Jacob/just about anyone up in here, myself ) Do you prefer to address their sexual relationship (if you think they have one) directly or indirectly? Do you avoid it altogether?
6. What makes (or for that matter, kills) a fic about Richard and/or Jacob for you? Are there cliches you hate, metaphors that never fail to make you swoon?
7. If there’s one reason in your eyes that Richard and Jacob are meant for each other, what is it? Why?