The Association Meme, Round One
Feb. 25th, 2009 11:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kraitPrepare for wordiness!
So, the Association Meme: you comment and I give you a list of stuff I associate you with; you post in detail about them in your journal.
ROUND ONE: from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
inksheddings
1.) Seme!Ritsuka
2.) Harry Potter
3.) Snaky icons
4.) Fic recs
5.) Kio!
1. Seme!Ritsuka
If I ever did the Unpopular Fandom Opinions meme, this would be on it. (Unpopular Fandom Opinion #2: Soubi is not a masochist. But we'll save that for another meme.) I find so much Loveless fic terribly hard to read because it strains my credulity over the power dynamics of this relationship. This is the 21st century, fangirls; can we please let go of the tired old "taller = top!" trope? Height does not determine sexual preference.
In my personal headcanon, yes, Ritsuka does -- sometimes -- bottom. He's curious, and he has a sense of fair play; of course he's going to want to try it, especially since Soubi seems to enjoy it so much. I could even see Soubi manipulating (or thinking he's manipulating) Ritsuka into doing it this way sometimes, if we're talking about a point far enough down the road where they've tried it at least once and he knows Ritsuka doesn't hate it.
But honestly -- Soubi masterfully taking control of the sexual interactions in order to bugger Ritsuka blind? From a man who, while obviously manipulative when it suits him, is genuinely attached to and pretty darn protective of Ritsuka? I really can't see it. Especially if we're talking about a Soubi who's un-brainwashed enough to really have a relationship of equals, considering that his first sexual experience was pretty much textbook abuse by an older authority figure. Soubi as the initiator who sweeps along an objecting or overpowered Ritsuka? I mean, are we even talking about the same characters? The one who begs Ritsuka -- tied up to a chair, about as helpless as a kid can be -- to run away and take Soubi with him because he's afraid, to the point of weeping? The Ritsuka who lays bound hands on his head and tells him they're going to stand their ground?
This is a theme that' comes up again, most tensely in Vol. 8 where Soubi attempts to defend Ritsuka from Seimei ("don't let Ritsuka suffer"/"Don't make Ritsuka afraid"), but can't even defend himself (he smashes the window at Seimei's command), while Ritsuka -- confused, hurt, and shocked by Seimei's reappearance -- is the one who nonetheless manages to sort through Seimei's lies and declare that he's never going to be anyone's possession. Ritsuka, at 12, has realised something about the nature of love that Soubi still doesn't know: love doesn't mean signing over your soul and will. It's a lesson I hope he'll end up teaching Soubi.
2. Harry Potter
Ah, my second (third?) major fandom! I wasn't really hooked on the series until the third book, but by the end of it? I had fallen SO. HARD. Severus, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Pettigrew... they were interesting to me in a way that Harry et al weren't. Maybe it's their age (twentysomething versus twelve), maybe it's the mystery (it's all in the past, so there's so much we'll never know), but the older generation captures me in a way that, aside from a strong fondness for Hermione, the "current" and next generations didn't.
Especially Snape. Where do I even start? He's an unattractive, ill-tempered mental fifteen-year-old in a high-risk, no-reward job (I meant the spying, not teaching -- though given the rate at which Neville blows things up, teaching ought to count, too) that he voluntarily took on as some kind of penance for his prior teenage stupidity (never mind that he still acts like a teenager when angry), and who then, out of some sense of debt, added to that burden the thankless task of looking after the son of his worst enemy.
Despite these things, which would vault just about any other character into the "hero" category automatically, Snape remains a hotly debated character. Even his creator doesn't seem to value him -- reportedly, she once replied to an interview question with, "Snape, in love? It would be horrible." (This was before the revelations about Lily came out; decide for yourself if she was speaking from experience or distaste.)
And Snape does have a whole boatload of negative traits. He's short-tempered, a verbal bully toward people (students) who have no defence against him, holds Harry's appearance against him without ever bothering to learn his history or personality, bitter, holds grudges even unto the next generation, and even his initial "redemption" was on wholly selfish grounds: Dumbledore exclaims, "you disgust me" when Severus admits that he's changed sides only to save Lily's life, not James's.
Snape is in many ways an uncomfortable character to love, because it's his less than flattering traits I identify with. His desperate desire for dignity and status that he himself destroys when angry even when other people aren't destroying it for him; his various humiliations at the hands of people who ought to know better; his verbal viciousness and the way he lives by "attack before you can be hurt". He's human, in a way that even the more ordinary characters are not, and I love him for that as much as for his heroism and unsung good qualities.
3. Snaky icons
I like reptiles, particularly snakes. I always have, but since I also identify strongly with Slytherin House, it's also a useful fandom tie-in. (The reason I amfer_de_lance is because this started as a HP fandom journal, and I wanted something that could be HP-related without being fandom exclusive.)
I drew two of my snake icons myself, and am insanely proud of them. I have also drawn a few banners/journal decorations that I've always meant to put up, and been to lazy to figure out how. I don't picture myself changing names again anytime soon, even though the fer-de-lance doesn't have any particular significance to me aside from being a venomous snake with a name that can be handily turned into names/nicknames (FDL, Lance).
I do own a snake, though I didn't at the time I created this journal; it's only reinforced my opinions of how awesome they are. :D
If I were to rename myself, I think I'd choose "Copperhead" -- I really think they're the most beautiful venomous snake I've ever seen, and even their name is pretty: Agkistrodon contortrix. "Contortrix" would make a great pen name, too...
4. Fic recs
Someone associates me with fic recs? My life is complete!
Seriously. I have so much guilt over what feels like my failure to rec things in a timely, intelligible, prompt and useful manner. Especially now that the HP fandom seems to have... slowed its pace to a crawl.
I believe in recs that have at least a smidge of plot summary and some key as to why the fic in question is being recced -- I have seen many a rec list that was simply a bunch of links, which gives me absolutely no idea why I should like (or dislike) the stories... it's only marginally more useful than an archive. So I've tried to say at least a sentence about why I like the things I rec, and sometimes what I don't like.
The latter is actually a very touchy point for me. I'm always a little afraid to make "qualified recs" -- I don't even usually rec WIP fics! It seems strange to say, "You should read this; I liked parts of it." On the other hand, it seems dishonest, or at least less useful, not to mention caveats I have with regard to the story; after all, obviously I liked it enough to overcome them, or I wouldn't be reccing it, and readers presumably would be interested in knowing what (I see as) the story's weaknesses.
Something for me to work on, perhaps, in future recs.
5. Kio!
He deserves the exclamation point! :D Much as I adore Soubi, and Ritsuka, and Soubi-plus-Ritsuka, and Yuiko, I think I have rarely loved a character so much as I love Kaido Kio. He's just... He's not only a wonderful person, he's a wonderful character.
As a person, I can't help but love him: he's funny, he's individualistic, he's stubborn enough to get through Soubi's guard and loyal enough to stay there even though he must have a sense of being in way over his head (he has no idea why Soubi comes back with/from Seimei bloodied and wounded, but he doesn't disappear from Soubi's life). He's an artist, and insanely cute when he's excited, and seems like the perfect image of a well-balanced adult: he smokes, yet hasn't given up a 'childish' love of candy. He's fiercely protective of Soubi when he first meets Ritsuka, but upon evidence that Ritsuka is nothing like Seimei in personality is thrilled that he can like Ritsuka and immediately starts calling him Rit-chan. He pokes fun at Soubi and calls him a "pervert", but doesn't seem to mean it; it's guy-talk for "geez, Sou-chan, your hobbies are so embarassing." :D
As a character, Kio is the reader's anchor. He's the guy in the position the reader starts in: unaware of the characters' backstories or the magical side of their lives, trying to figure things out from the little clues dropped every now and then by the characters. He's living a normal life -- an apartment, school, social ties -- in the midst of characters whose lives are huge dramatic piles of angst.
Yuiko and Yayoi are, to a lesser extent, the same way, but it's hindered by their age (I'm assuming most readers of Loveless are older than 12); their issues and problems are, while normal, not exactly parallel to those of adults (I wish my biggest concern was my height!); they inhabit a smaller world than the reader can comfortably fit in, though they make great anchors for the characters, and good foils against which the problems of Ritsuka's life show up even more clearly.
But Kio is uniquely positioned to be both close to Soubi and very distant -- he's comfortable rummaging through Soubi's stuff and looking at his photos, and has managed to penetrate the real emotions behind Soubi's paintings, yet he's a pacifist and knows nothing at all of the spell-battle world or the bleaker depths of Soubi's headspace. He's Soubi's weak point, as witnessed by his kidnapping in Vol. 8... but, in a way, he's also Soubi's strong point: Ritsuka is impressed and pleased at the way Soubi singlemindedly determines to rescue Kio.
I don't actually have a personal canon regarding whether they've slept together, are lovers, or Kio's unrequitedly pining. Soubi cheerfully says in Vol. 7 that he (Soubi) "has lots of girls", and Kio says they don't count as friends, so if they do have something going on, it's occasional or at least not exclusive.
Egad, I'm long-winded. :D
So, the Association Meme: you comment and I give you a list of stuff I associate you with; you post in detail about them in your journal.
ROUND ONE: from
inksheddings1.) Seme!Ritsuka
2.) Harry Potter
3.) Snaky icons
4.) Fic recs
5.) Kio!
1. Seme!Ritsuka
If I ever did the Unpopular Fandom Opinions meme, this would be on it. (Unpopular Fandom Opinion #2: Soubi is not a masochist. But we'll save that for another meme.) I find so much Loveless fic terribly hard to read because it strains my credulity over the power dynamics of this relationship. This is the 21st century, fangirls; can we please let go of the tired old "taller = top!" trope? Height does not determine sexual preference.
In my personal headcanon, yes, Ritsuka does -- sometimes -- bottom. He's curious, and he has a sense of fair play; of course he's going to want to try it, especially since Soubi seems to enjoy it so much. I could even see Soubi manipulating (or thinking he's manipulating) Ritsuka into doing it this way sometimes, if we're talking about a point far enough down the road where they've tried it at least once and he knows Ritsuka doesn't hate it.
But honestly -- Soubi masterfully taking control of the sexual interactions in order to bugger Ritsuka blind? From a man who, while obviously manipulative when it suits him, is genuinely attached to and pretty darn protective of Ritsuka? I really can't see it. Especially if we're talking about a Soubi who's un-brainwashed enough to really have a relationship of equals, considering that his first sexual experience was pretty much textbook abuse by an older authority figure. Soubi as the initiator who sweeps along an objecting or overpowered Ritsuka? I mean, are we even talking about the same characters? The one who begs Ritsuka -- tied up to a chair, about as helpless as a kid can be -- to run away and take Soubi with him because he's afraid, to the point of weeping? The Ritsuka who lays bound hands on his head and tells him they're going to stand their ground?
This is a theme that' comes up again, most tensely in Vol. 8 where Soubi attempts to defend Ritsuka from Seimei ("don't let Ritsuka suffer"/"Don't make Ritsuka afraid"), but can't even defend himself (he smashes the window at Seimei's command), while Ritsuka -- confused, hurt, and shocked by Seimei's reappearance -- is the one who nonetheless manages to sort through Seimei's lies and declare that he's never going to be anyone's possession. Ritsuka, at 12, has realised something about the nature of love that Soubi still doesn't know: love doesn't mean signing over your soul and will. It's a lesson I hope he'll end up teaching Soubi.
2. Harry Potter
Ah, my second (third?) major fandom! I wasn't really hooked on the series until the third book, but by the end of it? I had fallen SO. HARD. Severus, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, Pettigrew... they were interesting to me in a way that Harry et al weren't. Maybe it's their age (twentysomething versus twelve), maybe it's the mystery (it's all in the past, so there's so much we'll never know), but the older generation captures me in a way that, aside from a strong fondness for Hermione, the "current" and next generations didn't.
Especially Snape. Where do I even start? He's an unattractive, ill-tempered mental fifteen-year-old in a high-risk, no-reward job (I meant the spying, not teaching -- though given the rate at which Neville blows things up, teaching ought to count, too) that he voluntarily took on as some kind of penance for his prior teenage stupidity (never mind that he still acts like a teenager when angry), and who then, out of some sense of debt, added to that burden the thankless task of looking after the son of his worst enemy.
Despite these things, which would vault just about any other character into the "hero" category automatically, Snape remains a hotly debated character. Even his creator doesn't seem to value him -- reportedly, she once replied to an interview question with, "Snape, in love? It would be horrible." (This was before the revelations about Lily came out; decide for yourself if she was speaking from experience or distaste.)
And Snape does have a whole boatload of negative traits. He's short-tempered, a verbal bully toward people (students) who have no defence against him, holds Harry's appearance against him without ever bothering to learn his history or personality, bitter, holds grudges even unto the next generation, and even his initial "redemption" was on wholly selfish grounds: Dumbledore exclaims, "you disgust me" when Severus admits that he's changed sides only to save Lily's life, not James's.
Snape is in many ways an uncomfortable character to love, because it's his less than flattering traits I identify with. His desperate desire for dignity and status that he himself destroys when angry even when other people aren't destroying it for him; his various humiliations at the hands of people who ought to know better; his verbal viciousness and the way he lives by "attack before you can be hurt". He's human, in a way that even the more ordinary characters are not, and I love him for that as much as for his heroism and unsung good qualities.
3. Snaky icons
I like reptiles, particularly snakes. I always have, but since I also identify strongly with Slytherin House, it's also a useful fandom tie-in. (The reason I am
fer_de_lance is because this started as a HP fandom journal, and I wanted something that could be HP-related without being fandom exclusive.)I drew two of my snake icons myself, and am insanely proud of them. I have also drawn a few banners/journal decorations that I've always meant to put up, and been to lazy to figure out how. I don't picture myself changing names again anytime soon, even though the fer-de-lance doesn't have any particular significance to me aside from being a venomous snake with a name that can be handily turned into names/nicknames (FDL, Lance).
I do own a snake, though I didn't at the time I created this journal; it's only reinforced my opinions of how awesome they are. :D
If I were to rename myself, I think I'd choose "Copperhead" -- I really think they're the most beautiful venomous snake I've ever seen, and even their name is pretty: Agkistrodon contortrix. "Contortrix" would make a great pen name, too...
4. Fic recs
Someone associates me with fic recs? My life is complete!
Seriously. I have so much guilt over what feels like my failure to rec things in a timely, intelligible, prompt and useful manner. Especially now that the HP fandom seems to have... slowed its pace to a crawl.
I believe in recs that have at least a smidge of plot summary and some key as to why the fic in question is being recced -- I have seen many a rec list that was simply a bunch of links, which gives me absolutely no idea why I should like (or dislike) the stories... it's only marginally more useful than an archive. So I've tried to say at least a sentence about why I like the things I rec, and sometimes what I don't like.
The latter is actually a very touchy point for me. I'm always a little afraid to make "qualified recs" -- I don't even usually rec WIP fics! It seems strange to say, "You should read this; I liked parts of it." On the other hand, it seems dishonest, or at least less useful, not to mention caveats I have with regard to the story; after all, obviously I liked it enough to overcome them, or I wouldn't be reccing it, and readers presumably would be interested in knowing what (I see as) the story's weaknesses.
Something for me to work on, perhaps, in future recs.
5. Kio!
He deserves the exclamation point! :D Much as I adore Soubi, and Ritsuka, and Soubi-plus-Ritsuka, and Yuiko, I think I have rarely loved a character so much as I love Kaido Kio. He's just... He's not only a wonderful person, he's a wonderful character.
As a person, I can't help but love him: he's funny, he's individualistic, he's stubborn enough to get through Soubi's guard and loyal enough to stay there even though he must have a sense of being in way over his head (he has no idea why Soubi comes back with/from Seimei bloodied and wounded, but he doesn't disappear from Soubi's life). He's an artist, and insanely cute when he's excited, and seems like the perfect image of a well-balanced adult: he smokes, yet hasn't given up a 'childish' love of candy. He's fiercely protective of Soubi when he first meets Ritsuka, but upon evidence that Ritsuka is nothing like Seimei in personality is thrilled that he can like Ritsuka and immediately starts calling him Rit-chan. He pokes fun at Soubi and calls him a "pervert", but doesn't seem to mean it; it's guy-talk for "geez, Sou-chan, your hobbies are so embarassing." :D
As a character, Kio is the reader's anchor. He's the guy in the position the reader starts in: unaware of the characters' backstories or the magical side of their lives, trying to figure things out from the little clues dropped every now and then by the characters. He's living a normal life -- an apartment, school, social ties -- in the midst of characters whose lives are huge dramatic piles of angst.
Yuiko and Yayoi are, to a lesser extent, the same way, but it's hindered by their age (I'm assuming most readers of Loveless are older than 12); their issues and problems are, while normal, not exactly parallel to those of adults (I wish my biggest concern was my height!); they inhabit a smaller world than the reader can comfortably fit in, though they make great anchors for the characters, and good foils against which the problems of Ritsuka's life show up even more clearly.
But Kio is uniquely positioned to be both close to Soubi and very distant -- he's comfortable rummaging through Soubi's stuff and looking at his photos, and has managed to penetrate the real emotions behind Soubi's paintings, yet he's a pacifist and knows nothing at all of the spell-battle world or the bleaker depths of Soubi's headspace. He's Soubi's weak point, as witnessed by his kidnapping in Vol. 8... but, in a way, he's also Soubi's strong point: Ritsuka is impressed and pleased at the way Soubi singlemindedly determines to rescue Kio.
I don't actually have a personal canon regarding whether they've slept together, are lovers, or Kio's unrequitedly pining. Soubi cheerfully says in Vol. 7 that he (Soubi) "has lots of girls", and Kio says they don't count as friends, so if they do have something going on, it's occasional or at least not exclusive.
Egad, I'm long-winded. :D
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Date: 2009-02-27 05:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 05:53 am (UTC)Those were so much fun to answer! I just kept thinking of more and more stuff to add as I started typing, until the Kio question is practically an essay. (Obviously, my subconsious does a LOT of thinking about Kio when I am otherwise occupide, and had all this piled up just waiting to be dumped on me.) :D