Yagyuu. Oh, Yagyuu (Alice! Alice! Who the fuck is Alice?)

[pez]

Well that was fucking difficult. And it's not just the cheesy plot.

I've asked Unni about it, and agree with her when she says that fandom puts more evil in Yagyuu than Yagyuu might actually have within him - or, we like him evil. I reread the manga bits, then read the fanbooks, and somehow the two don't really match up. Then I got the horrible feeling that I didn't know who the fuck Yagyuu really is.

So in the end, I made Yagyuu someone who does things because he needs it done (to forget), despite knowing the consequences (being cruel to the niou). He put himself before others (probably typical of an upper class), he was competitive and was willing to take on challenges (living with Niou in the slums, going to travel with him - although that didn't happen in the end)... and I don't remember what I was going to say. Someone, come poke my brain and make it work.

Comments

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

No, I know what you mean about the thing with Yagyuu being... difficult. I don't think I really know who he is either when it comes right down to it; I really don't find it so easy to write from his viewpoint as Niou's mostly. He's really... mismatched between most of the different versions of tenipuri canon, I think. Thinking more, I'm not sure where on earth I would draw the line between 'OOC' and 'not really in line with how I've got used to looking at him'. Reading the story I didn't find myself thinking "wow, this is so OOC" or anything - actually, I barely felt able to think about the characterisation until after the event because the story did just kind of drag me along with it come hell and high water. Thinking about it after I felt more uncertain than anything; I wasn't sure if it was right or wrong. I feel like I need to go and do my own re-reading... I'm not even sure it'll help. *g* I felt a bit of the same uncertainty about Niou but to a lesser degree, and I think I'd have better odds of picking that one apart if I really did try, whereas Yagyuu...

Yanagi, on the other hand, gave me no difficulty. You understand him a lot better than I do anyway I think. :D

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

the story did just kind of drag me along

The story.............. >> it really felt terrible when writing it, but uh, tarudoru-ed my way through it seems to have worked out somehow. Still, Viking Cheese. Or is one of those fics where I am the only one who thinks there's a problem?

AND. orz Niou. He throws curve balls. Sometimes he wants snuggles (sleeping on Yagyuu's lap, sometimes he wants to lie or put up a front (eating atobe's heart, lying about having a previous human companion (who is dead)) and I went "MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND" and he went "WELL I'M CHANGING MY MIND ALL THE TIME AND SOMETIMES I CAN'T HELP WANTING SNUGGLES OK?" and I went "FUCK THIS, I'LL JUST WRITE YOU LIKE THAT THEN. >("

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

A lot of things feel terrible when you're writing them. See: my Rikkai Exchange fic. But, your story? It was presented in an interesting way, and for me at least there was something really compelling about it.

Yeah. I don't think that's such a problem, though. He does what he likes. That's... pretty Niou. Whatever he feels like... *g*

OH HAY WE'RE DOING THAT COMMUNICATING IN COMMENTS WHEN WE'RE IN THE SAME ROOM THING. But then again I'm even more crap at putting this stuff in words out loud.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

YES, WE ARE.

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS YOU FOUND WITH THE STORY ANYWAY?

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Yagyuu, as discussed. I just don't know what I feel about him, which is pretty weird. In characterisation terms, I'm just thrown, and the off-balance-ness isn't necessarily a bad thing but it is so. odd. I'm still prodding at it in my mind. I'm not sure if I enjoy this piece more as a work of fiction or a work of fanfiction. I mean, as regards the former I know it damn well works for me. As regards the second my brain is spinning a bit.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Ah...

He's a man on a mission, driven by grief. Other than that, I haven't got a damn clue myself. The whole fic has been a case of "here's the situation, now show me what you'd do" and he sort of reacted that way. But yeah, just who the fuck is Yagyuu? It's a pretty fshkjfhskafs feeling, after fangirling him for so long and have written fics about him, then suddenly I realised I know fuck-all about him really. orz

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

GODDAMN YOU YAGYUU.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

PUT YAGYUU AND SANADA IN A ROOM.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

YAGYUU AND SANADA: *ACT ALL SERIOUS AND PROPER AT EACH OTHER*
YAGYUU AND SANADA: ...
YAGYUU AND SANADA: ...
YAGYUU AND SANADA: ...
YAGYUU: ...puri~?

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling they'd both breathe an audible sigh of relief if Renji walks into the room. Suddenly there'd be PROPER CONVERSATIONS.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

Seriously. Ohgod. Yagyuu. What is your personality??? I MEAN WHEN WE DETACH YOU FROM NIOU 'CAUSE OMG YOU SHOULD NOT BE TOTALLY DEFINED BY HIM, IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT EVEN IF YOU TWO ARE CRAZY OBSESSIVE FREAKS.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Put him in a room with Jackal, Akaya or Niou and I can see what they'd do/talk about. Put him with anyone else and I can't figure it out, even if it's his own teammates. THAT'S HOW MUCH WE KNOW ABOUT HIM. NOTHING. NOTHING AT ALL.

It's really sad that we don't know how to not let him be defined by Niou. I blame canon, but...

It's almost like trying to imagine Yagyuu without his glasses. Or walking around without socks. CANNOT. IMAGINE.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

My brain is broken now. D:

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Don't worry. He doesn't actually have feet.

Or eyes.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

When they switch he borrows Niou's...? D:

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Niou: *hits the side of his head with the heel of his palm. Out pops the eyes*

Yagyuu: You know, I never get tired of watching you do that.

Niou: It hurts, you know.

[giving-ground.livejournal.com]

aldgkj;akljg;lkagj crossover of DOOM.

Yagyuu: *pervs on Kirihara*

DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM