Lord Yellowtail's Writing Room

As part of the writing challenge I set myself for November 2015 (more on that later), I decided to actually run with the deranged plot bunny I got that inspired this entry on how one might take X-Men: Evolution Rogue and Nightcrawler seriously as a crack-pairing (derangement described previously, here). It's all a matter of timing, really. I'm going to say it's a tribute to all those poor, cried-out-in-terror-and-were-suddenly-jossed-as-no-one-has-been-jossed-before Luke/Leia shippers who were OTP'ing them before Return of the Jedi hit theatres. This is like that, but without the blood relationship to foul things up most traumatically.

In a sign that I will very likely be that crazy uncle who has a lot of fun with your kids but whom you can't trust them with overnight lest they end up accidentally enrolled in clown-assassin school (in Norway), I not only came up with a story fitting this plot bunny, but have a whole series exploring this universe taking shape in my head. Also, I blame senmut for being vaguely encouraging when I posted about this before. As the Joker once said, "madness, as you know, is like gravity. All it takes is a little ... push." I'm not gonna pretend this isn't mad-crazy crackfic, even if I can't help writing it seriously.

(In all sincerity, senmut, thank you for encouraging me to write this. It's the first fic I've finished in at least a year, and I actually am having a lot of fun in this weird little universe.)

I'm going to link to the series page on AO3 given that the story summary doesn't really make a lot of sense without the series summary to explain how we got here. Enjoy. :)

AU Series Summary: When Not Distracted by Kittens and Rubies

An AU wherein Kurt gives up his crush on Kitty much sooner, and is drawn to Rogue instead. She appreciates that he's not completely oblivious to her own feelings, and the two recluses stumble around each other with all the shared flustered, fumbling lack of social experience they can muster.

Somehow they meet in the middle, and by the time they find out they were supposed to be related, it’s far too late…for Mystique’s plans, at least.

Inspired by Luke and Leia’s attraction in Empire Strikes Back, and the classic question of what might have happened if they never knew the truth and there was no Han.

Title: A Touch Unexpected (1340 words)
Fandom: X-Men: Evolution (Season 1 AU)
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)/Rogue
Characters: Kurt Wagner, Rogue, Scott Summers, Toad
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence; Alternate Universe; Crack; Crack Treated Seriously; Mystique's Timing is Really Terrible When it Comes to Being Honest With Her Children

Quoting senmut  from her MemeTime entry:

You know that meme that goes around sometimes where you post your five favorite kinks and then five favorite couples, and it's like a wish into the universe to see if anybody will write it for you? Let's make it a little more interactive.

Comment here if you want to play, and I will give you 3-6 couples that I associate with you, and you make an entry in your journal talking about those couples and fics that you wish the universe would write for you.

So, this seems like it should be pretty fun. Comment if you would like to play.

In the meantime, Asp gave me the following:

1. Rogue/Remy
2. Robin/Secret
3. Anakin/Padme

So, let's go do that. These are turning out a bit long, so I'm gonna divide them up into 3 separate posts.

Rogue/Remy
I'm probably going to disappoint Asp a bit here, but I honestly don't have a lot to say about any present incarnation of this ship. It only works for me in certain versions of the X-Men canon. In others, one or both characters are different enough that the chemistry that draws me to them—particularly the juxtaposition of his extreme intellect, bravery, and deep emotional connection with those in the X-Men he considers his friends and family, all covered up by a veneer of devil-may-care bravado and a show of emotional distance that would fool those who don't know him well; and her outward Type A southern belle, action girl, courageous and kind and gentle outer-shell around a battered, wounded, and deeply, crushingly lonely soul. In universes where they're written this way, they put on acts for the world around them, and some of the only people they can't fool are each other (and Logan, but going into that would disrupt the flow of my over-thought ramblings here). They understand and accept the other for everything they are, and love them for it, warts and all. It's only refusal to fully accept their own selves that stalls their relationship. You can't be in love with someone else when you really don't love yourself—not if you want a healthy relationship, at any rate.

All the fun of their banter and the adorableness of their actual relationship aside, they're a pairing that, to properly work, demands that each participant become a stronger person and consciously fight their personality flaws to be together. It's an explicit element of their relationship, when it's usually just implied in other similar relationships. That's somewhat unique, and so it appeals to me a great deal. X-Men: The Animated Series showed me this version of them and got me hooked. The problem is, not every version of them has this dynamic. X-Men: Evolution Rogue and Remy don't feel like what I described above at all. This version of Remy is a much less sympathetic, layered character and comes off more as a grudginingly enjoyable antihero than a loveable rogue to the people around him, with a tenancy to manipulate Rogue's feelings to his advantage when it's fairly obvious nothing will happen between them, if for no other reason than he doesn't sincerely want her. X-Men:TAS Remy was completely devoted to his Rogue, in his own special way. In Evolution, Rogue still has plenty of problems with interpersonal relationships and isolation, but considerable time and energy is given to developing her confidante/heterosexual life partner relationship with her brother, Kurt Wagner. Their relationship is deep and nuanced and complicated and they rely on each other in a way they don't rely on anyone else, in a completely platonic love sort of way.

Having such a well-developed loving sibling relationship in this context is rather refreshing, but it means that there's no hole in Rogue's heart and relationship with those around her that Gambit would usually be the on to fill.

So, the fic I would write and read with them would be anything in the vein of the characterization and sort of relationship they had in X-Men: The Animated Series. At this stage in my life, well into adulthood and still single, long drawn-out will-they-won't-they and Idiot Ball driven relationship obstacles and love triangles for The Dramas don't appeal to me, so I'd not write or want to read any of that. So much Rogue/Gambit material is devoted to getting them together that I want to see them actually be together.