in which i randomly attack a well-loved trope

This is, surprisingly, non-HP related. No, *really*. This is A Moment of Random Fanfic Bitching.



Okay.

I totally am behind the rentboy-kink thing. I do. Seriously. I'm not a huge fan of it (my only attempt at it went to the most depressing places *ever*) but I do get it. It's kink. It's hot (so I've heard. Not my thing, but I've read some I enjoyed that didn't verge on character assassination).

But God.

This is just--kind of a rule I wish I could set up. For fic that is not supposed to be kink. Because kink-fic is a different animal.

Unless your character canonically has no other possible skills up to and including the ability to use a spatula at McDonalds, maybe most of them *might* choose to not sell their asses (or other sexually-charged body parts) for money. I know, crazy thoughts.

But really--suddenly Random Character X is fired/wife dies/sister dies/mother dies/Dark Lord dies/Lionel dies/world ends/au-where-everyone-is-a-prostitute*/head-injury-so-terrible-they-lose-their-minds and boom, they are offering up asses like it's Christmas and someone gave them a hit of ecstacy to surpass all hits of ecstacy. It's *bizarre*.

*shusu has permanent exception to this rule because she's doing things with her rentboy au that I've never seen done before and also because, to me, she set up a universe where I could see John Sheppard doing this and still be John Sheppard. Also, no humiliation moments that seem so rife in other fic. Also, Jesus, hot.

But other than that--okay, admittedly, I don't get the attraction. Since it's not my kink, I can't go to that mental place very well or easily--frankly, shusu tricked me. I'm fairly certain this is one of the things I Just Don't Get because to me, I cannot imagine anyone taking it up willingly. Totally a me-thing. And it's a me-thing that is totally scraping my nerves raw when I see it, because it always seems to be paired with a fairly high level of humiliation like this is some sort of punishment for the character in question for whatever the author doesn't like about them in canon. Not always, and probably not even most of the time, but it does feel like it sometimes.

Right. Done here.



This has been A Moment of Random Fanfic Bitchery. Please return to your porn writing, plz.

Comments

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*doesn't bother apologising to Jenn for hijacking her LJ for TW purposes*

Oh I definitely see him as a conman. For sure. But I also see him as a control freak. Total alpha dog. And I ship Doctor/Jack, preferring Ten over Nine.

Ah. See, it's that alpha dog/control freak thing that I don't see so much. Don't get me wrong, he plays it that way on TW: completely that way. But it's... well, it's my gut instinct about the character that convinces me otherwise, regardless of actual, y'know, supporting canon.

*laughs*

I adore Jack. Love him so much. He's the only character I consistently actually like/respect on that show. Well, other than Ianto (at times) and Tosh (again, at times).

I have an odd team-love for them all. Okay, my love of Jack on TW wanes a bit when he starts being all Angel-esque and broody, but all in all, he's a fantastically interesting character. As for the others, I adore Ianto. I really do. But then again, he's totally based on my archetype character-crushes, so that's a bit inevitable.

As for the others, I always think that I'm not particularly fond of them, except I am, in this weirdly platonic team-love way. *shrugs* but for me, that's a test of show-love. Once I start actively disliking characters, I know I'll only be in the fandom for a matter of weeks. It's a thing

[joesther.livejournal.com]

Jenn's cool. She'll forgive us. *looks around furtively* Uh... right?

regardless of actual, y'know, supporting canon.

LOL Oh, that's great. But you know, as alpha as he is, JB's said that Jack'll be more laid back, more relaxed in S2, since now he knows what happened to him (re the time vortex, etc) and he can move past that and move on. So I wonder if this'll include some more - general passivity - in other things? Hm. Curious.

I have an odd team-love for them all.

Interestingly phrased. I love the show, and the characters (I'm huge on characters and characterizations. It's my psych background, I think), and the interactions, so I guess, in some way, I have that same team-love. I don't like certain things certain characters have done, so I judge based on that.

Once I start actively disliking characters, I know I'll only be in the fandom for a matter of weeks. It's a thing

I see what you mean. I think, for me, at least at this point, it's more a question of not liking the things the characters have done, and not so much the characters themselves. I've been in fandoms where people have actively hated some of the main characters (best example: Michael in QAF US), and yet they stayed and whined about him, constantly. I figure if you don't like a character and you're staying in the fandom anyway, just shush about them.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Jenn's cool. She'll forgive us. *looks around furtively* Uh... right?

She's too distracted by HP to care, methinks. *g*

But you know, as alpha as he is, JB's said that Jack'll be more laid back, more relaxed in S2, since now he knows what happened to him (re the time vortex, etc) and he can move past that and move on. So I wonder if this'll include some more - general passivity - in other things? Hm. Curious.

Ooh. That'd be nice. I swear, I missed Jack being happy. I know that we got a few scenes of it in TW, but on the whole, Jack was serious and woe-is-me. (I mean, not in an overdone way. But in a way that made me hurt for the character -- and occasionally snicker at the brooding, but mainly sympathise -- and I really love it when Jack's happy. After all, he's always happy to share that happiness around.)

I'm not entirely sure how well the team would fare with Jack being less alpha dog, though. He keeps them all in check, in balance, and I'm not entirely sure how the team would react to a more casual, relaxed Jack.

Mind you, it's TW. I have utter, utter fiath that however they explore it, I'll love it.

I love the show, and the characters (I'm huge on characters and characterizations. It's my psych background, I think), and the interactions, so I guess, in some way, I have that same team-love. I don't like certain things certain characters have done, so I judge based on that.

Ah. See, hmmm. Okay, I get that.

I can understand how all of the characters can be... well, prats, honestly. They can all make bad judgements and very wrong calls, but I like that. Weirdly enough, I have this odd affection for character flaws as well as strengths (I can't quite explain it, but I love seeing *good* characterisation that shows the flaws and stregnths without oversimplifying it. It amuses me, it gives me that swell of love for the character -- it makes me want to see the character happy and settled, makes me root for them, sometimes makes me groan when you can see everything about to fall apart, but it grips me, y'know? Makes me want to keep knowing the character. Want to keep watching the show.)

Um, yeah, I've completely forgotten if I have a point.

Oh, yeah. It's that when I like the characters, I like them with their flaws. If the flaws annoy me personally -- like, as a viewer, as opposed to what would annoy me if I actually knew them -- it turns me off the character and off the show. but maybe that's because it takes good writing to have a character do dumb, stupid things and still be liked by the audience...?

I've been in fandoms where people have actively hated some of the main characters (best example: Michael in QAF US), and yet they stayed and whined about him, constantly. I figure if you don't like a character and you're staying in the fandom anyway, just shush about them.

*nods* Or, alternatively, if you're watching the show and endlessly bitching about it (ie. me watching QAFUS and absolutely *hating* Justin and Brian with a vengence that surprised me), stop watching. There's no need to stick around just to rain on everyone else's parade, y'know?

And now, I'm heading home to turn on the heater and the biggest TV I own, and settle in to watch Countrycide. *g*

[joesther.livejournal.com]

This is a really nice OT convo for me, frankly, 'cause I was totally drowning in HP stuff (and don't get me wrong, I love my HP!), but it's nice to get into a convo about something else, now and then. :)

I missed Jack being happy. I know that we got a few scenes of it in TW, but on the whole, Jack was serious and woe-is-me.

True. Jack was very Angel-ish. Not in a bad way, but I want to see that smile. :D

Weirdly enough, I have this odd affection for character flaws as well as strengths (I can't quite explain it, but I love seeing *good* characterisation that shows the flaws and stregnths without oversimplifying it.

That's probably because you like "human" characters as opposed to robots. I'd dare say we're all like that, to some extent or other, depending on how much we identify with our favorite character(s).

*nods* Or, alternatively, if you're watching the show and endlessly bitching about it (ie. me watching QAFUS and absolutely *hating* Justin and Brian with a vengence that surprised me), stop watching. There's no need to stick around just to rain on everyone else's parade, y'know?

Very good point. But... you hated B/J? *sniffle*

And now, I'm heading home to turn on the heater and the biggest TV I own, and settle in to watch Countrycide. *g*

Have... erm... fun? Considering that episode, I'm not sure how appropriate that is to say. :D And I really, really wonder how they'll butcher edit that one for US TV... Hm.

Nice chatting with you. *waves*