Shoot the Plotbunny / Ruminations on Grunia

[mark_asphodel]

I have too many ideas and not enough time.

For one... why oh why do I keep coming back to the idea of some Yumina-centric darkfic? I've made at least three halfhearted stabs at it, and the latest one won't leave me alone.

The whole FE3 thing with Yumina and Yubello just haunts me, though. It's not just the abuse, or the way the kids are pawns to everybody, or the way that they lose everything dear to them except one another. That's run of the mill for royal children in Fire Emblem. It's the ending. For one, they're separated. Yumina is handed off to Elice for her education, Yubello is cooped up in Altea under Marth's supervision, and there's not a hint that the twins ever get their country back. The narrative leaves off with Grunia occupied by Marth's handpicked general. Oh, and Marth making a power grab for the entire continent. Or world. It does say "world."

Well, hell's bells, I thought this was supposed to be a happy ending.

I doubt the creators of FE3 intended for that all to be as sinister as it sounds (or maybe they did?). But the set-up is just rife for all kinds of horrible possibilities, especially if one tends to write with any degree of verisimilitude. And Yumina has so much more presence compared with her brother that it's easy to see her chafing at the whole tidy arrangement.

[It also stands out to me because it's one of the few "political" acts in FE3 that makes any kind of sense in real life terms. Yes, absolutely. Split up the kids, confine them to your own power base, teach the girl to want a religious life and make sure the boy never reaches adulthood keep the boy on a short leash. Bravo, Marth. Maybe you won't be a total disaster after all.]

Comments

[myaru.livejournal.com]

This post inspired me to bring the FE3 script up to read. I'm starting to think writing fic for FE1/11 is going to be impossible without doing so, and you always make me want to write fic.

I doubt the creators of FE3 intended for that all to be as sinister as it sounds (or maybe they did?).

It seems to me FE's creators meant for you to think about it; the games do present situations and character histories that encourage player speculation, and some of them, while seemingly innocent, cannot practically become anything but dark or otherwise disturbing stories. Since I'm playing FE7 right now Lucius is the example that comes to mind - to imply he was abused because of his feminine features by one particular man is to bring to mind stories of priests/bishops/etc. subjecting their students to sexual abuse. That scenario is fairly common in the West, where the institution the FE creators seem to have based their church on originated; at least, it doesn't look remotely like a Buddhist or Shinto system.

But how common is that story - the priest, the altar boy - in Japan? Maybe very common because Christianity and Judaism have entered popular culture; maybe not. Can the creators reasonably be expected to know the reference they're making? In FE3's case, I would say yes. Similar decisions were made all the time to keep families in control in Japan. It's universal.

I'm probably generalizing too much up above, sorry.

Anyway, though I don't know the characters yet, the idea sounds interesting. Maybe writing some of it will kick the bunny out of your head. If the rest of us are lucky, you'll write an epic. :D

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to think writing fic for FE1/11 is going to be impossible without doing so

Either that, or knowledge of FE3 taints one's ability to write for FE1/11 ;P
There are continuity issues between the abbreviated remake of FE1 (Book One of FE3) and the expanded remake (FE11). Some are nitpicky, some would technically affect the plot of FE3 Book Two... but not in a huge way. There is, OTOH, a massive characterization issue between FE3 and FE11-- specifically, that the fourteen-year-old Marth of the FE11 Prologue comes across as more mature and competent than his nineteen-year-old self in FE3. Now that plays havoc with my writing. I long for a remake of Book Two, just to see New!Marth dealing with the darker, edgier source material of the sequel.

and you always make me want to write fic.

Whoo! That's great. :D

It seems to me FE's creators meant for you to think about it; the games do present situations and character histories that encourage player speculation, and some of them, while seemingly innocent, cannot practically become anything but dark or otherwise disturbing stories.

Yeah. There is a lot of stuff just tossed out in both FE2 and FE3 that is really awful if you think about it for more than two seconds. It might not be the epic awfulness of FE4 (you're playing that, right?), but it's pretty dark stuff. There is also a lot of incredibly frustrating ambiguity in the early games, and from what I've played of FE7 and FE8, that ambiguity seems to be a trait of the series.

I'm playing FE7 right now Lucius is the example that comes to mind

Also, various implications of rape re: female characters who are held captive in various games.

But how common is that story - the priest, the altar boy - in Japan?

I dunno, but I can think of quite a few other media examples-- the Adolescence of Utena film springs immediately to mind-- wherein pretty orphan boys are "adopted" for very nasty purposes. It might not be altar boys so much as helpless, effeminate boys in general.

In FE3's case, I would say yes. Similar decisions were made all the time to keep families in control in Japan. It's universal.

Well, and it makes sense. On the one hand, FE3 bends over backward to portray Marth as kind, generous, endlessly forgiving, and overall more of a religious figure than a convincing political/military leader. Then at the end of the game, we get the following:

1) World domination. From the way it's phrased ("decides to rule over the world") a deliberate, conscious decision to just grab whatever power hasn't already been handed to him.
2) The whole business with heirs of Grunia-- very realistic and very sensible, but not perhaps very nice. Paternalistic, at best.
3) Marth and Elice apparently neutralize one of the few people who could possibly pose a threat to the new regime (Ellerean the Mage) by setting up a rival Academy of Magic, thus breaking the monopoly that Ellerean's Academy of Khadein has on magical/religious higher education.

Note that #2 and #3 would seem to directly tie into #1. All of this flies by in the game ending, mind you, without cut scenes or context. But nonetheless, that's what game canon says happened. And if that's how Marth decides to kick off his reign... well, I'm impressed. Too bad he wasn't acting like that in the main game!

If the rest of us are lucky, you'll write an epic. :D

Aw, thanks. I told Hitomi a while back-- I don't wanna write an FE War and Peace, exactly, but and FE Day of the Locust would be satisfying.

[penandpaper71.livejournal.com]

You know, I've never put too much thought into the twins situation at the end of FE3 and now I feel rather stupid for not doing so. The whole situation does have a weird feel to it and it does seem like a bit of an odd thing for Marth to do considering his characterization in the game. It makes me wonder... O_o

I actually hope that you end up writing the fic. I'd be interested in reading it. ^_^

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I have so many 'fics in progress that it's hard to say what'll get finished next, but the Yumina one is definitely in the queue.