OP fic: "Because"

[xparrot]

[Would post this on ff.net, but figured I'd wait until Monday, since they're apparently doing some massive overhaul and I want to see how that goes down first.]

Yes, I still prefer gen OP fic, dammit. But I've had the germ of this for a while now; last night it finally reared its head and bit me, and since I've been a bit blocked in my writing of late, I let it run its course in hopes of jumpstarting my system.

One Piece; Zoro/Nami, but possibly not romance, possibly not what you think. Less a story than simple stream of thought, really.
Rated borderline R[M] for non-explicit sex.

Read "Because" on AO3

Comments

[beckerbell.livejournal.com]

In all honest, in complete as-objective-as-I-can-be, I don't think there's really any sex (or even romantic feelings) going on with the Straw Hat crew, half because it's just not that sort of series and half because I can't imagine that they would do anything that would hurt the others or cause friction in those relationships. I mean, on one hand, I sort of feel like dismissing the whole question of sex takes away from 'realism' in a series, because three-dimensional, fully-realized people do have sex drives and sex does happen. On the other hand, it's One Piece, romance is so far from the point of the series that you'd need a Log Pose just to find--*is shot*

So, if it's going to fit into the series... as much as I love to OTP some of the pairings in the crew, if I'm going to actually believe it's possible, it has to be like this fic, which is why I was so impressed with it. Like, I love the Zoro/Sanji pairing, but I can't imagine that their love of Luffy would ever be diminished (which I loved being mentioned in this story, because Luffy is the heart of their crew) or that they would care any less for the others, that it would somehow be seperate from the whole nakama vibe on the ship. Not necessarily that they might be open about it, but that it would still fit into the grander nakama relationships they have.

Which is why I can see Zoro and Nami both in several pairings, because they have the right mindset. I think Robin falls into the catagory as well. (Hence, I could see it how Robin/Nami or Zoro/Robin could work in a similar vein, possibly.)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about the unrealism of dismissing sex, that they are such fully realized characters that leaving such a central aspect of human relationships out entirely can ring false. But there's so many stories out there with romance arbitrarily inserted just for the sake of having it (sometimes to attract the female demographic, as if that's the only reason we'd ever like a story), female characters cheapened because they're introduced just to be the required love interests, 'love/lust at first sight' used to gloss over relationships rather than actually taking the time to explain and explore them - there's so many stories that abuse romance, that OP is incredibly refreshing to me. Oda-sensei essentially is coming along and saying, look, I can tell an incredible story that includes relationships, and families, and yes, love, and I don't need pairings to do it. That there are enough other interesting elements of human interaction that you can skip the sexual and still have so much to tell.

Which isn't to say I don't understand where fans are coming from, pairing up everyone; they are all such fascinating characters that it's neat to see what happens when you add that element in. And there is so much love among all the crew, often expressed in such, mmm, unusual ways, that one can want to see it expressed differently, or more overtly, in the case of ZoSan, or ZoNa, for that matter. And of course even if none of them are actually having sex canonically, this doesn't mean that they aren't damn sexy chars, and what a shame to waste that...! ^^

But I have to admit that this story, and several of the other pairing stories I've written, are a direct reaction to fanfic and doujinshi that have characterizations that I don't agree with, that didn't work for me but made me start to think, so how could this work? One of the things that gets me the most is when a pairing interferes with the nakamaship, when two chars become each other's 'most important person' at the expense of the others. If any of them has a most important nakama, it's Luffy for all of them - and Luffy himself doesn't play favorites among his crew, I don't think he can. (and I firmly believe that if Luffy were doing it with any of them, he'd be doing it with all of them.)

This is probably why I can see ZoSan pretty easily, because Sanji does play favorites already (even if that's more in theory than practice) so if he's at all in character, Zoro's not going to be his be-all end-all. And Zoro and Nami, I agree with you, have the right mindset, with the balance and control not to let the physical overwhelm them. Robin, too. I really want to write RoNa sometime! not usually into yuri but it's rare I find female chars I like as much as those two. (Also? HOT.) And ever since you mentioned on your lj the idea of Robin/Sanji, it's been playing in the back of my mind...that could be a very interesting dynamic, because Robin is mature enough not to take advantage of him, and she could use a little absolute unconditional adoration. and Sanji desperately needs to get laid...!