Worst. Realization. Ever.

[dira]

I just had a truly horrifying realization about the Aral/Jole in progress. No, truly horrifying. Like for a split second I was like "Oh God I can't write this pairing anymore even if their love is totally (218 words of) canon." (Yes, I counted.)

(I got over it, but honest to God, don't click the cut tag unless you think you could also get over it. It's pretty horrible, and I want someone to still read the fic when I'm done writing it.)



...I just realized that, if The Vorkosigan Saga were The West Wing, then I am writing Jed Bartlet/Charlie Young.

THERE IS NO EMOTICON FOR THAT MUCH DO NOT WANT. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE BLINK TAG.

D:

(THAT WAS PRETTY EASY ACTUALLY. IT'S JUST "BLINK".)

D:
D:
D:

I mean, Aral/Jole isn't really the same as Jed/Charlie. THERE ARE MANY WAYS IT'S NOT THE SAME. Cordelia is cooler than even Sorkin-era Abbey, for one thing, I am pretty sure, although on the other hand Abbey does not have a reputation for killing people who threaten her family. Um.

I AM SURE THERE ARE WAYS IT IS DIFFERENT THAT DO NOT MAKE IT WORSE. PROBABLY. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THEY ARE IF YOU THINK OF ANY.

But they really love each other and he's really not taking advantage and god dammit, Aral deserves a boyfriend, and, um, twenty-eight thousand words of talking, and I swear it all works out okay? Oh God.

/o\

Comments

[twistedchick]

It is not the same. It was very clear, generationally speaking, that Jed and Charlie were different generations because that's the way our society works; however, in Barrayar, I get the sense that once someone is an adult he is the same generation as all adults, so to speak. This may be because there's such a line drawn between military school and after military school, or it may be because of the length of life on Barrayar (which is less than on Beta, and different than on other planets).

So go ahead and write the story that we've all been waiting for (please!)

[dira]

Oooh, that's true. Yes. Let's go with that, that is definitely a meaningful part of what's going on.

And, ahaaha, I am 20,000 words into the damn thing, I am not quitting now.

[ellen_fremedon]

One, it is really not the same thing at all.

Two, HOW MUCH DO I WANT THE STORY WHERE ABBEY BRINGS JED A SEVERED HEAD IN A BAG? Not as much as I want your Aral/Jole, but still A HELL OF A LOT.

(Whose head really doesn't matter. Trying to figure out who Bothari is in this scenario is making my head spin, though.)

[dira]

Yeah--I was talking out the analogy with fox, somewhat opaquely, I imagine, as she hasn't read the books. We wound up drafting Leo as Tonton even though he doesn't really fit, and to get a Bothari you also have to, uh, give Jed a military history and make Abbey a Russian spy who defected to marry him? Or, well, you have to reach back decades into Abbey's past, anyway, or give her a very weird few years at the start of Jed's presidency. I guess logically Bothari would be a much, much crazier version of Ron Butterfield, or some other Secret Service agent.

Logically, mind you, Abbey would have to be bringing Jed the head of whoever took Zoey.


Happily, other people have now convinced me that there really are totally meaningful cultural differences and it's not the same at all. \o/

[spatz]

It feels more Jed/Josh to me, but what do I know. Jole doesn't feel quite as naive as Charlie, I suppose.

[dira]

Yeah, I mean--granted that parts of my characterization of Jole are specifically based on "what kind of twenty-five-year-old would he have to be for Aral to be willing to sleep with him"--well, he is. He's established himself as an adult with an incredibly promising career before he comes into Aral's orbit, and he has the self-possession that goes with that.

[springwoof]

never having seen (nor caring about) West Wing, this doesn't resonate at all. If you're concerned about the age difference, or power differential, that should be resolved within the bounds of the story, no? If these two characters can overcome those challenges to come together, then they can (with Cordelia's help, of course).

[dira]

Well, yes. I've long since come to terms with the Aral/Jole itself; it was just the analogy that temporarily paralyzed me with horror.

[rossetti]

lolololololollolololololol

[dira]

I got better. *g*

[wired]

Nnnno. I mean, yes, jobwise, but Charlie is a lot younger than Jole. Jole is battle-hardened in many ways that Charlie couldn't be. More like Jed and some Secret Service guy.

[dira]

Technically, I guess, it's sort of like Jed and that Marine Josh gets to do riflery drill outside the door, as long as that Marine happens to be a decorated combat vet...

So, yeah, no. But thanks for the reassurance. :)

[edithmorningstar]

I haven't really watched West Wing - so this can in no way scare me off. :D

[dira]

There you go, then! :)