A few weeks ago I wrote a not so
popular diatribe about why I didn't think most of the Shizuo x Izaya
pairings I've read worked. Now, I'd like to talk about the ways
they could without coercion of either character or substantially
changing who they are. In fact, these methods involve
using their most famous traits to bring them together.
After all, it's not like Izaya doesn't stand a hope in hell in
getting Shizuo. Despite the many friendships the bartender has with
women, he's never been known to be interested in a woman beyond
protecting one that may be in distress. He's a very healthy guy. If
he was interested in a woman, he'd find a way to be with one no
matter what was going on in his crazy life. Also, despite many
protestations to the contrary, there are times when he goes after an
otherwise pre-occupied Izaya to chase him around. The interest is not
one sided.
Shizuo's Personal Honor
Despite the violence that surrounds
Shizuo, there are some things that he has managed to hold onto in his
life. Shizuo has a strong personal code of honor. He won't stand for
an unfair fight, and he always protects women and children. Also,
once he has given his word to someone, he will keep it no matter the
cost. I think under the right circumstances that kind of pledge could
even apply to an enemy like Izaya.
Meanwhile, Izaya courts many kinds of battles, but given the kind of life he
leads, it is easy to believe that a battle could come to him that he
isn't anticipating or can't handle on his own. There are certainly
many who might be willing to betray him. Without changing a thing
about Izaya or how Durarara is set up, it is easy to see him running
into a rival that could overwhelm him and leave him completely
vulnerable. The problem is getting past Shizuo's fury at Izaya on any
given day long enough to make him realize or care that he is in an
unfair fight not of his own making. Shizuo's justified fury will be
the biggest obstacle in any pairing of these characters. But there is
a way around it, and it is one of the oldest tropes in fanfiction.
Hurt/Comfort
And when I say hurt, I don't mean the
rape/torture scenarios common in yaoi. In this tried and true
fanfiction trope, the usually strong willed hero or seme gets injured
in accordance to what may happen to their character in an actual
story. If that character is in the military or law enforcement, it's
a bullet or knife wound that takes them down. If they are the outdoor
type, it could be a fall off a cliff or a snakebite that does the
trick. All others may come down with pneumonia. The object is that
this typically nearly unapproachable character is rendered helpless in a believable
way for a while giving the uke a chance to get to know him in a way
that wouldn't normally happen. Meanwhile, the Seme gets to see the
uke in a whole new light as he is being cared for. I used this device
in A Soldier's Choice to give my younger character, Vincent, a
chance to take care of the man who had been his military trainer and
then commanding officer in an intimate way. He had to depend on his
uke in a way he'd never imagined while Vincent got to play the role
of protector for the first time in their personal history. This
leveled the playing field between the two characters and deepened
their relationship.
Shizuo is supernaturally strong, but he
also spends a lot of time injured. The challenge becomes making him
Of course, this does not magically
change them into calm individuals around each other. Even if they
discover they like being in bed together, Izaya and Shizuo would
still find ways to make each other crazy. And then there are the
people of Ikebukuro that inhabit their world. How will Celty or
Shinra or Kyohei or Tom react to this new intimacy between those two?
Often, I use the reaction of those outside of the pair as the main
source of tension for the new lovers. This is how I operate. Once my
pairs are together, that's it. They stay together. The danger comes
from outside of the pairing where the world is trying tear them
apart.
Thus, Hurt/Comfort gets a difficult
couple together long enough to build trust and allow that sexual
tension to build to the point where it must be acted upon. Best of
all, this can happen while keeping the pair in character. I hope more
Yaoi fanfiction writers will give that device a try with this pair. I'm about to put my money where my mouth is and post such a story myself!
Big Book Announcements and Bestsellers
I've been tooting my own horn all over
the net, but I have neglected to share this with my official yaoi
blog! I'm shameful. I am extremely pleased and proud to announce that
Digital Manga's eManga division will be distributing all four of my
Yaoi titles: A Soldier's Choice, A Soldier's Fate and Ensnared
Volumes 1 &2! I was thrilled to open the company's newsletter
http://www.akadot.com/news_letters.php
to find this image:
I'm sure you will recognize one of
those pairs from the banner above. This is a dream come true for me
to be a part of such a company! I hope my lovely readers here will
spread the word and get others to try my work. Here is the link for
the eManga page: https://www.emanga.com/detail?itemid=1187
. From this page, you can find the rest of the books.
Meanwhile, the manga titles my team and
I have localized are doing very well. Our fist book, Again
This would not have happened without
your support. Thank you! Some really hot smut is in the works to tide
you all over between novels!
No comments:
Post a Comment