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beccaelizabethI was thinking about what 'ships to build into a story
and how I'm so done with young people in a will they won't they mess based on a lot of repeated nothings
and I have decided:
in the emotional calm center of the story, there is this one couple, older, steady, actually good at this. They have been together for longer than some of these characters have been alive, and before that they screwed things up in so many ways they got them out of the way, and they are there and ready with actually good and important relationship advice whenever someone needs them. Whatever else they do for the team, this is what they do for the story: present a working model of love.
And gradually, as you watch more episodes, you realise: they're Professor X and Magneto.
Only not, because we don't own the rights and wow am I not volunteering to untangle that story.
But from my skinny knowledge of movies, the archetype I'm going for, they're both intensely political and they were both on opposite sides of the fight, and only resolving that lets them be together.
But that's so far in the background that from here, decades later, they have this really solid and comfortable relationship that has been through the wars and won.
It'd be great story because with most comfortable supportive partners the story tries to put drama in by messing with the partnership, but the partnership drama here is all in flashback or just stuff the others figure out about them. And there can be big dramatic reveals, and maybe youngers can decide He Betrayed Them when they find about His Dark Past, but this is stuff the olders have sorted out to their own satisfaction. And there's actual meaty issues about what does it take to move on from some past conflict, what does it take to forgive someone, all of that. But you find out their set of answers. Maybe one visited the other in prison for a long time. Hell, maybe they took turns, if neither side of their issue was winning at the time. Either way, they have been there, and done that. And their relationship is central and essential to that, but, still makes a whole lot of story.
I am so tired of stories where the writers only know one trick to keep it interesting and keep writing the break up make up cycle. And I'm tired of such things happening in isolation. Like, humans learn from each other? They get advice? That's a thing humans are good at?
I like when Superman calls his mom, basically. And when his mom and dad seem happy together.
Also I know I wrote it m/m up there but the f/f version would also be good. And surprising.
And River Song and the Doctor make an interesting alternate template. I mean, they have resolved some Stuff, you know? ... but the Doctor is variable enough at this Being a Person thing that it would be hilarious watching attempts at guiding others. Well meaning and fundamentally kind attempts, but with the specifics being, well, very specific.
I am not so sure I'd find this a brilliant idea tomorrow, I'm still ill and tired and grumpy, but I'm like, so many shows make the protagonist the main character by making everyone else... kind of unhelpful? And I want there to be help. Like, okay, there's relationship drama going on with the generation figuring this out for the first time, or the once bitten twice shy generation, who knows, but, there's also someone in the story getting it right. Or it's a boring and monotonous story.
and how I'm so done with young people in a will they won't they mess based on a lot of repeated nothings
and I have decided:
in the emotional calm center of the story, there is this one couple, older, steady, actually good at this. They have been together for longer than some of these characters have been alive, and before that they screwed things up in so many ways they got them out of the way, and they are there and ready with actually good and important relationship advice whenever someone needs them. Whatever else they do for the team, this is what they do for the story: present a working model of love.
And gradually, as you watch more episodes, you realise: they're Professor X and Magneto.
Only not, because we don't own the rights and wow am I not volunteering to untangle that story.
But from my skinny knowledge of movies, the archetype I'm going for, they're both intensely political and they were both on opposite sides of the fight, and only resolving that lets them be together.
But that's so far in the background that from here, decades later, they have this really solid and comfortable relationship that has been through the wars and won.
It'd be great story because with most comfortable supportive partners the story tries to put drama in by messing with the partnership, but the partnership drama here is all in flashback or just stuff the others figure out about them. And there can be big dramatic reveals, and maybe youngers can decide He Betrayed Them when they find about His Dark Past, but this is stuff the olders have sorted out to their own satisfaction. And there's actual meaty issues about what does it take to move on from some past conflict, what does it take to forgive someone, all of that. But you find out their set of answers. Maybe one visited the other in prison for a long time. Hell, maybe they took turns, if neither side of their issue was winning at the time. Either way, they have been there, and done that. And their relationship is central and essential to that, but, still makes a whole lot of story.
I am so tired of stories where the writers only know one trick to keep it interesting and keep writing the break up make up cycle. And I'm tired of such things happening in isolation. Like, humans learn from each other? They get advice? That's a thing humans are good at?
I like when Superman calls his mom, basically. And when his mom and dad seem happy together.
Also I know I wrote it m/m up there but the f/f version would also be good. And surprising.
And River Song and the Doctor make an interesting alternate template. I mean, they have resolved some Stuff, you know? ... but the Doctor is variable enough at this Being a Person thing that it would be hilarious watching attempts at guiding others. Well meaning and fundamentally kind attempts, but with the specifics being, well, very specific.
I am not so sure I'd find this a brilliant idea tomorrow, I'm still ill and tired and grumpy, but I'm like, so many shows make the protagonist the main character by making everyone else... kind of unhelpful? And I want there to be help. Like, okay, there's relationship drama going on with the generation figuring this out for the first time, or the once bitten twice shy generation, who knows, but, there's also someone in the story getting it right. Or it's a boring and monotonous story.
no subject
Date: 2018-12-15 08:08 am (UTC)