InsaneJournal

The Scholar and the Brawler and the Tiny Figure!
Ooooooh, I need to buy these. Look at how cute the Yue Ying is! And the illustration is incredibly good (even if there's a minor error; the bladebow arm is missing her sleeve).

But more importantly, I wanted to (finally!) talk about The Scholar and The Brawler. The Scholar and The Brawler (from this point onward, affectionately referred to as S&B) is a Modern AU!Dynasty Warriors/Shin Sangokumusou fanfic written by the badass Rydain starring the characters of Cao Ren and Lu Meng. The story is, simply put, a romantic one - focusing on a period in time where both Meng & Ren meet, interact, and subsequently become romantically (and exclusively) involved with one another.

People who've interacted with me know my tastes - I'm quite open about the fact that I don't feel a narrative needs alot to be excellent in my mind. The primary factors are engaging, relatable characterization and recognition of progressive politics. If you've got that, then I feel it's a good story. This piece of fiction does that and more in spades. Not only has Rydain completely satisfied the above factors, but she's also shown that she has a clear understanding of her audience, of appropriate narrative structure, and how to allude to an expanded universe while still maintaining a clear focus.

My favourite sentence in the entire 12-part drama is this.

Ren roamed over the lean planes of Meng's torso as his companion explored his burly chest, the slight softness of his belly.

This is enormously fulfilling; this sentence alone. This sentence acknowledges mutual consent. It acknowledges and rightfully glorifies difference in body type. It gives way to a mutual exploration of one another. This is a gentle sentence, but a sentence that's full of conviction - they are genuinely interested in learning about one another, and thus exploring rather than patriarchly conquering one another's bodies.

It's a beautiful passage, and I feel it's an excellent representation of what is so great about this story. This story breaks destructive BL archetypes (coded in a heteronormative manner) by embracing two characters who are more complex than any such archetype and exploring them in a realistic, down-to-earth manner. Furthermore, it breaks Western slash fiction archetypes by embracing both characters desire to learn and genuinely know each other as people; focusing on communication and growth rather than coercion and backhanded manipulation. This story is a hugely progressive change of pace in that not only do the two of them love each other, they choose to be loving to one another. In the politics of love, where we as a culture treat ourselves as completely lacking any choice in whom we love, this is absolutely staggering.

Rydain also demonstrates her understanding of the source material considerably, and with a great deal of subtlety. Many of the minor supporting characters and cameos only show up for a scene or two, but they contribute to the story without feeling shoved in and her interpretations of the characters allude to interesting personalities. Zhen, in her single scene, is shown to be intelligent and perceptive (while still having the patriarchal perception of prize forced upon her). Lu Xun is handled honestly and elegantly, youthful and energetic. Xiahou Yuan & Cao Cao both shine considerably. Xiahou Yuan with his incredibly down-to-earth and practical blue-collar approach to sexuality, and Cao Cao continues to impress with a charm and wit only he has.

But what makes these inclusions especially useful is that they don't overflow with redundancy - it's, for the most part, assumed that these characterizations are similar to the ones in the game series and thusly builds upon them. She organically creates behaviour that is appropriate for the scene, with no excess justification or explanation. It's a clear demonstration that she knows her audience; she knows her audience knows who these people are and that they don't need to be explained, just recognizable. And she does exactly that.

Furthermore? It's a story that involves two men whom are attracted to each other (thus in a homosexual relationship) who have a happy ending. There's no real Gaynst here. There's nervousness and frustration at times, but ultimately we have a story where two incredibly admirable characters manage to be genuinely interested in one another. That's it - there's no catch, no depressing extra ending, nothing. In the cultural climate we have that consistently shows us that anyone of LGBTQI2S status is doomed to a life of oppression and woe, here we have a refreshing alternative that also doesn't feel infantile. This is a story about adults; not a childish love story.

Their development as a couple is in-character and patient, to the benefit of the story. These are both characters whom can comfortably sit and wait; and the pacing reflects this. There's not a rush, but there is an excitement in the tone. A good one. The intrigue and chemistry are disgustingly huge in this. This is not a story that relies on fate or any sort of hammered external force to bring them together. They aren't star-crossed lovers who are destined to meet. They're two human beings who chose to pursue an interest, to maintain respect and care, and to go through with the honest work necessary to a romantic relationship. This is both in-character and culturally meaningful.

It was so nice to read this tale. I had been putting it off for a few months, and when I finally did read it I promptly punched my forehead. What had I been waiting for so long for? Whatever the reason, it was to my detriment. This is the standard for fanfic that deals with BL, slash, or any equivalent - it's in-character, it's engaging, it's fulfilling, and it's politically progressive. For something like this, I couldn't dream of more.

Oh, and because I could...
I designed Yue Ying, if she were a man and coded in a somewhat masculine manner. I'm sharing it because I actually really like it; and I'm hoping to do more with it later. Genderbender pairing with Ma Chao? Possibilities are endless!