Fic Update: "By Any Other Name"

[mark_asphodel]

It was one of those days in which I looked at my WIP-pile and said, "Dammit, finish something."

So, here 'tis: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5572950/1/

Well, then, what is it?

It's the love story of George and Minerva, of course. But, ah, I'm supposed to be a canon purist, so where the heck did this come from? Hey, it's post-game 'fic. I have leeway. See, a while back, shimizu_hitomi noted that the dynamic between George and Minerva was one of the better things about the FE1 manga adaptation. I hadn't given much thought to George as a character before; he's not much use in FEDS, and he just struck me as another one of these Archanean ego-trippers (see: Astram). Then I went back and read his scenes in FE3. Nuh-uh-- George is awesome. He's smart. He does things. Useful things. And hey, he has a backstory in the designers' notes (he's kind of a "Levin" figure, as in he's the prototype for an FE character who comes from a noble/royal background and doesn't want to deal with it). And he's allowed to be all these things without ever really signing up for Marth's fanclub, which otherwise tends to be the dividing line between the sheep and the goats. George totally merited some exploration and exposure.

[No, I don't spell it "Jeorge." I'd also use "Niena" for Nyna if I could get away with it.]

And Minerva needed to get out of that convent. Her official character ending is one of the most craptacular in FE, up there with "Canas died in a snowstorm." Anyway, this is another post-war snippet of my "Tales of the Unified Kingdom" series; it actually originated as a spit-take scene in "Wandering Planets," this M-rated thing I wrote to see if I could actually depict Cain/Catria in a positive sense (jury's currently out on that one). As with too many ideas, it ultimately took off on its own.

Also, I have strong (negative) opinions about romance stories elsewhere in FE fandom, and I thought it worthwhile to demonstrate the kind of relationship I find interesting. I don't know how well this succeeds as romance, but it does star actual adults, which IMO is a nice starting point.

Comments

[myaru.livejournal.com]

Her official character ending is one of the most craptacular in FE, up there with "Canas died in a snowstorm."

This is why I decided to pretend I didn't see it. FE3 script? Endings? I know not of what you speak.

You broke my heart with that Canas comment.

Romance is hard to write reasonably. Fandom being what it is, the bad stuff is inevitable, because all people want to see is fluff - or angst. The middle ground - or better, realistic romance - often requires longer, carefully plotted stories that may pay off with patience, but never give that wonderful, immediate thrill that everyone likes so much.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

FE3 script? Endings? I know not of what you speak.

I don't think I'd have been happy if she'd just run away to some foreign land like a considerable chunk of the cast, but I am definitely not happy with canon as given.

You broke my heart with that Canas comment.

Er, was that a spoiler for you? Sorry. I tend to be not very careful with the GBA games, because it seems like I'm the latecomer and "everyone" already knows them. :/

Romance is hard to write reasonably. Fandom being what it is, the bad stuff is inevitable, because all people want to see is fluff - or angst.

Well, romance is hard to even quantify. My spouse and I were on the receiving end of many, many comments like, "You act more like siblings than lovers. This won't work." Well, it bloody well has so far! But apparently we came across to numerous relatives and friends as more creepy than anything.

[This may play into my attitude toward fictional incest. Ephraim/Eirika yay!]

I think I was in X-files fandom when I realized that the popular conception of a romantic life was, in a word, dumb. Seeing 'fic after 'fic wherein Mulder and Scully call each other "Fox" and "Dana" and move into McMansions with all the yuppie accoutrements was just... eye-opening.

[myaru.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd have been happy if she'd just run away to some foreign land

I really thought you were going to nail Nyna with that. XD

Hmm. This opinion is based on Shadow Dragon, but Minerva, despite her apparent soft spots (not finishing her brother off, for instance), does not appear the type to throw away her responsibilities. Her decision to kill Michalis personally proves that to me - she's not afraid to face the consequences of her actions. With that in mind, the only way I can see her ditching the throne is if something serious happened beyond what we see in the FE3 script. But even then - even if returning would start another war or whatever - it seems the result of giving up would be worse for Macedon, and I had the impression she actually cared, unlike her brother.

... blah blah blah.

was that a spoiler for you? Sorry

Not one I care about. XD I probably read his ending at one time or another and just forgot.

Well, romance is hard to even quantify. [...]

I agree, for similar reasons. My experience is/was nothing like the tripe most of fandom calls romance, and my conclusion as to why they write it that way comes down to the elitist assumption that most of these authors have never experienced a serious "romance" or a lasting relationship, and therefore have no idea how to write one. Never mind the build-up. That's asking too much.

Y'know, Ephraim and Eirika are just... that's not sibling love. It's just not.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

With that in mind, the only way I can see her ditching the throne is if something serious happened beyond what we see in the FE3 script.

To be fair, what happened to her in the script was actually pretty bad. Her rule crumbled. Her dead brother-- the one she personally "killed"-- turned up alive and saved her life. Her younger sister went missing. Her brother died again, she had to rescue her sister from having her soul raped and being used as a living human sacrifice, and then had to lie to her sister about the brother being dead. At that point, the idea to withdraw from public life and concentrate on keeping Maria-- her last living relative-- safe makes some sort of sense. She's already demonstrated that she can't govern Macedon effectively, or at least she's created the perception that she can't, which in public life is pretty much the same thing.

But... a convent? Caring for little orphaned children or whatever? Uh...

[writerawakened.livejournal.com]

I have to wonder what NoA has against the name NIna. It worked for Nina from Breath of Fire...

But anyway. I agree that it's the immediacy of fictional romance (and FANfictional romance) that seems to draw people in. Look at that famous tale of those two Italian bozos named Romeo and Giulietta. XDD

Real romance (or, um, so I've gathered) is slow and ponderous. And in many cases, sad to say, uninteresting to people who aren't the two lovers themselves. It's mostly when love goes wrong that third parties get interested (see: Tiger Woods, etc.), viz. by the whole "train wreck" concept. Either that or, like most crummy fanfics tend to do, play up the passionate "love at first sight" shtick (see: R+J) On a somewhat related note, I don't buy the whole "love at first sight" notion. If it truly is "love at first sight" in the literal sense of the phrase, you're basically falling in love with the other person's...looks. Which, call me traditional, seems a little bit shallow. They don't call it "love at first hey-how-are-you-where-do-you-work-what-are-your-interests-how-do-you-view-the-world-what-is-your-personality-let's-go-out-and-see-if-we-have-an-emotional-connection", after all.

Uh, sorry, I rambled. XD;;

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

"Niena" is cool because it reminds me of Nienna the Sorrowful in the Silmarillion, which is appropriate.

Romeo'n'Juliet-- ugh. Yes, a thirteen-year-old girl and her sixteen-year-old boyfriend are the absolute epitome of romantic love. And of course it's better to be a dead thirteen-year-old than to Deal With Life.

I agree that romance is a slow, ponderous, and clumsy dance. I might mention, while I'm plugging my latest 'fic, that its central romance takes three decades to get off the ground. Yup.

[writerawakened.livejournal.com]

I liked the Breath of Fire series :3

I always wonder if it's because of Ye Bard that the style of romance in R+J is so prominent (in the Western world, at least). I mean, it wasn't the first, but Shakespeare's the moldy old fogey we know best, and of his stuff, R+J's the one play people probably remember, sadly enough.

I try to keep a middle ground whenever I write romance: passionate, but grounded. Not to mention that the romantic norms of the time have changed. X_X

I like to see how things like love and obsession can twist people. In fact, I love putting my characters through the proverbial wringer, so I can see what they're really made of >:D

[penandpaper71.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Minerva's ending. It always struck me as a giant cop-out. Like they weren't quite sure what to do with her after they handed the continent to Marth and simply wanted her out of the way (Which strikes me as completely unnecessary anyway. If Marth really needed to rule the entire continent at the end of Book 2, which I suppose goes along with the whole "Prince of Light" thing even if the whole thing leaves me feeling a bit uneasy, there was still plenty more that Minerva could have done for her country outside of the convent then she could hidden away in it). Instead, she abandons her responsibilities and runs away, which... is not like Minerva.

I agree with myaru that Minerva's not the type to simply bail on her responsibilities. If she was then she wouldn't have insisted on being the one to stop her brother or taken a throne that she didn't want in the first place. Whenever her country needed her, Minerva was there, trying her best. So, having her run off at the end strikes me as horribly out of character. "True Leader" Minerva became anything but and I can't deny that I don't like what they did to her character.

... I'll stop now, before this turns into a long, drawn-out rant. I'm sorry. FE3 is a good game, but it did some things that I really don't like to a few of my favorite characters, which makes me cranky.

On a side note, news of a Cain/Catria fic is very relevant to my interests, even if it never comes to anything. ^_^ I'm sorry. I couldn't resist saying something. I'm a very shameless shipper. I'll go away now. I'm sorry to trouble you.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Like they weren't quite sure what to do with her after they handed the continent to Marth and simply wanted her out of the way.

That seems to be it in a nutshell, yeah. Now, why couldn't Minerva simply have stepped down as a claimant to Macedon's throne, sworn fealty to her new overlord, and continued to serve Macedon as a general-- which is something she's actually good at?

I think the idea of the Red Dragonknight giving up the air is just incredibly sad.

FE3 is a good game, but it did some things that I really don't like to a few of my favorite characters, which makes me cranky.

Preach it.

I'm a very shameless shipper. I'll go away now. I'm sorry to trouble you.

Heh. No worries there-- we all want to see our favorite pairings come to life, don't we? It's incredibly disheartening to run a search for Palla/Abel, or Catria/Marth, and come up with my own stuff and not much else.

[penandpaper71.livejournal.com]

That seems to be it in a nutshell, yeah. Now, why couldn't Minerva simply have stepped down as a claimant to Macedon's throne, sworn fealty to her new overlord, and continued to serve Macedon as a general-- which is something she's actually good at?

I think the idea of the Red Dragonknight giving up the air is just incredibly sad.

I agree. Minerva deserved better. :(

Preach it.

Don't encourage me. :P

Heh. No worries there-- we all want to see our favorite pairings come to life, don't we? It's incredibly disheartening to run a search for Palla/Abel, or Catria/Marth, and come up with my own stuff and not much else.

That is quite true.

Personally, I've been trying to write something for them myself, so there would be at least one Cain/Catria fic buried somewhere on FF.net (Which no one would ever read, but at least it would be there), but... I really can't write the characters in this game. Not even a little. I've tried a few times and it usually ends with me deleting what I had in disgust. :( It's all a bit depressing because, while my writing isn't great, I can usually manage something reasonable if I play with the characters long enough so that I can learn them well enough to write them, but I've seen no improvement with my attempts in this fandom (And I've experimented with more then just Cain and Catria, just in case that helped get my feet wet. No luck).

[shimizu-hitomi.livejournal.com]

!!!! <333

Need to sleep, will review tomorrow...

[kanthia.livejournal.com]

Hey...just wanted to let you know that I'm totally not stalking you and PitFTW messaged me today:

I'm so so so very sorry! I did read your fic a very long time ago and memorized the ictalized parts because i thought it was so poetic. When i was writing that, i remembered those words and kept trying to remember where they came from. When i failed to remember, i just wrote the fic and left it at that. As soon as i can get to an actual computer, i will write an author's note. (i am on my phone now) Again, i'm really, REALLY sorry!!!

Basically, her excuse is that she memorized my fic and regurgitated it, basically word-for-word, three years later because it was omg that good. Not that I believe a word that she says, but what can you do -- she's a twelve-year-old on the internet.

Thanks so much for giving me a heads up on this whole ridiculousness. Hopefully it'll all get sorted out in the end...I'm hoping she comes away from this a little red-faced and we both move on with our lives.

I'm not upset, by the way. I found this whole thing sort of hilarious, especially considering the 'caliber' of PitFTW's writing.

THAT BEING SAID, you are straight up awesome. Do you mind if I add you?

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Hey, Kanthia!

Basically, her excuse is that she memorized my fic and regurgitated it, basically word-for-word, three years later because it was omg that good.

Professional plagiarists use that exact same excuse. Sounds like this kid is going to be another Ruth Shalit when she grows up. It's funny, because I do have an extremely good visual memory, and I am constantly afraid of doing just that-- "internalizing" something and regurgitating it years or months later. So when I see someone using that as excuse, I feel really weird about it.

Hopefully it'll all get sorted out in the end...I'm hoping she comes away from this a little red-faced and we both move on with our lives.

Let's hope so. She probably figured that "Despair" was so old (2006, right?) that there was little chance anyone would come around and find her. Bad idea-- there is nowhere to hide on the intarwebz. But, since you've got your closure out of it (and seem to have handled this pretty gracefully), I will not waste any more of my brain activity on the matter.

It also did irk me that she was getting compliments from her own little fanclub because "Jealousy" was so much better than her previous works and hinted at some hidden well of talent. But, eh. Fandom popularity is fleeting, crapfic endures.

THAT BEING SAID, you are straight up awesome. Do you mind if I add you?

Aw, hey. Just doin' my job, as they say. But sure, go ahead! :)