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Jun. 20th, 2005 05:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaI particularly liked ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fivil's `Studies of God', which is an H/D Muggle AU where, um, Harry is a Finnish Theology student. Heee!
I think what it comes down to, for me, isn't whether the characters are even really 'IC' as far as I can tell, but whether they feel like real people, and on top of this, real people I like (not the same as 'find likable in general') and can empathize with the emotions of. Like, I've read Lucius-fic where he's portrayed as hurting and human-- and that's all I need, that hook. When someone's hurt or suffering or uncertain, it's the perfect window into their most vulnerable self, the self I'm most likely to like. I think my early reading of lots of angsty!Draco fics has completely warped me in this regard. I mean, snarky!Draco is all well and good, but it's his suffering that endears him to me on the deeper level. And, hahah, Harry's probably the one who makes him suffer the most, outside his father perhaps. So perhaps this is the real reason I dislike cool-as-ice!Draco as much as I do-- he doesn't need my sympathy, so he doesn't get it.
Too often I read something that somehow manages to take away some vital element of what I really liked about a character, and even if it's 'IC', maybe, I just don't care anymore, and then I resent them on top of that. Like, for instance, cheating!Harry. It could be the best story in the world, and if Harry cheats, a part of me will always hate it with a passion, probably because it makes Harry into the bad-guy in a way I can't forgive or empathize with. Or if Harry admires Draco for being so cool-- that just drives me insane, though some people (...Maya.... and also Maya... and pretty much only Maya) have done it believably. It probably helps that I myself adore UL!Draco, so Harry's allowed to. He's not allowed to if I don't, however, and that's that. Possibly I just like H/D through Draco's eyes more, 'cause you get the obsession and denial and resentment and all that yummy stuff (mmm Zahra's early H/D... and Silvia's), whereas Harry is completely clueless and making him omg-so-gay for Draco makes my tummy hurt most times. Possibly I identify with Harry too much on this. Malfoy is a slimeball!! Damnit! (Well, then he changes his mind, but.)
Like, if Harry likes or admires Draco near the starting point in any way (or vice versa... the idea of Draco liking Harry just sort of makes me shudder), I just lose all interest. In a way I can't imagine retaining it, even. That's probably what's wrong with a lot of friendship pairings-- if there's not the overriding conflict, that sense of dysfunction or doubt or whatever, it's just... hard to care.
It's odd. Often enough it's to do with the emotional range of the story, I think-- and I'm aware that, for instance, it's because I'm so addicted to my idea Draco's obsessive fixating aspects that I'm totally annoyed and dejected by any Draco who's too in control of his emotions, no matter how well-written. Though sometimes I suspect I like Draco 70% for his Harry obsession, or something, and 30% 'cause he's cute/snarky/resilient. Bottom line, if he's too together I just don't like him anymore; then again, I don't like any character that seems overly admirable or cool/sexy most of the time, unless they're obnoxious about it. Or they're on TV and I get carried away with the actor having that irresistible chemistry that makes me into a squealing fangirl.
The story I linked to isn't really about Draco, anyway-- or even about Harry. I just really like it anyway, 'cause it captures something interesting about relationships, I think, the way one can overthink things, ignore what's right in front of you, be the thing you're fighting against. Except it's not all that heavy or in your face or anything. Plus I have a thing for stories that take place in the North. Maybe it's the fairy-tales in my blood.
I can't decide if I'm hard or easy to please, sometimes. I suspect it's both.
I wonder if this makes it sound like I'm an angst-whore or what have you, always after people's darkest most vulnerable spots. Of course this makes me think of all the angst that doesn't work for me, either 'cause it's overly melodramatic or contrived or it feels like a soap-opera set-up (all, 'woe is me! why have the gods forsaken me!'-- oh god, please stop). Like, I don't want a fic to make me cry or curse fate or anything-- I usually hate cursing fate, anyway. Frustrating business. I just want to feel it's -real-. Whatever that means.
fivil's `Studies of God', which is an H/D Muggle AU where, um, Harry is a Finnish Theology student. Heee!I think what it comes down to, for me, isn't whether the characters are even really 'IC' as far as I can tell, but whether they feel like real people, and on top of this, real people I like (not the same as 'find likable in general') and can empathize with the emotions of. Like, I've read Lucius-fic where he's portrayed as hurting and human-- and that's all I need, that hook. When someone's hurt or suffering or uncertain, it's the perfect window into their most vulnerable self, the self I'm most likely to like. I think my early reading of lots of angsty!Draco fics has completely warped me in this regard. I mean, snarky!Draco is all well and good, but it's his suffering that endears him to me on the deeper level. And, hahah, Harry's probably the one who makes him suffer the most, outside his father perhaps. So perhaps this is the real reason I dislike cool-as-ice!Draco as much as I do-- he doesn't need my sympathy, so he doesn't get it.
Too often I read something that somehow manages to take away some vital element of what I really liked about a character, and even if it's 'IC', maybe, I just don't care anymore, and then I resent them on top of that. Like, for instance, cheating!Harry. It could be the best story in the world, and if Harry cheats, a part of me will always hate it with a passion, probably because it makes Harry into the bad-guy in a way I can't forgive or empathize with. Or if Harry admires Draco for being so cool-- that just drives me insane, though some people (...Maya.... and also Maya... and pretty much only Maya) have done it believably. It probably helps that I myself adore UL!Draco, so Harry's allowed to. He's not allowed to if I don't, however, and that's that. Possibly I just like H/D through Draco's eyes more, 'cause you get the obsession and denial and resentment and all that yummy stuff (mmm Zahra's early H/D... and Silvia's), whereas Harry is completely clueless and making him omg-so-gay for Draco makes my tummy hurt most times. Possibly I identify with Harry too much on this. Malfoy is a slimeball!! Damnit! (Well, then he changes his mind, but.)
Like, if Harry likes or admires Draco near the starting point in any way (or vice versa... the idea of Draco liking Harry just sort of makes me shudder), I just lose all interest. In a way I can't imagine retaining it, even. That's probably what's wrong with a lot of friendship pairings-- if there's not the overriding conflict, that sense of dysfunction or doubt or whatever, it's just... hard to care.
It's odd. Often enough it's to do with the emotional range of the story, I think-- and I'm aware that, for instance, it's because I'm so addicted to my idea Draco's obsessive fixating aspects that I'm totally annoyed and dejected by any Draco who's too in control of his emotions, no matter how well-written. Though sometimes I suspect I like Draco 70% for his Harry obsession, or something, and 30% 'cause he's cute/snarky/resilient. Bottom line, if he's too together I just don't like him anymore; then again, I don't like any character that seems overly admirable or cool/sexy most of the time, unless they're obnoxious about it. Or they're on TV and I get carried away with the actor having that irresistible chemistry that makes me into a squealing fangirl.
The story I linked to isn't really about Draco, anyway-- or even about Harry. I just really like it anyway, 'cause it captures something interesting about relationships, I think, the way one can overthink things, ignore what's right in front of you, be the thing you're fighting against. Except it's not all that heavy or in your face or anything. Plus I have a thing for stories that take place in the North. Maybe it's the fairy-tales in my blood.
I can't decide if I'm hard or easy to please, sometimes. I suspect it's both.
I wonder if this makes it sound like I'm an angst-whore or what have you, always after people's darkest most vulnerable spots. Of course this makes me think of all the angst that doesn't work for me, either 'cause it's overly melodramatic or contrived or it feels like a soap-opera set-up (all, 'woe is me! why have the gods forsaken me!'-- oh god, please stop). Like, I don't want a fic to make me cry or curse fate or anything-- I usually hate cursing fate, anyway. Frustrating business. I just want to feel it's -real-. Whatever that means.
