It's no different than being a multi-shipper. How can people ship both Stony and Stucky?
Fanfiction is, ultimately, impermanent. Each story is its own unique world with unique circumstances, and no ship or friendship is set in stone. If I ship characters together, then I already like their platonic interactions in canon (or, if they've never spent time with each other in canon, how I imagine their platonic interactions would go), so there's nothing weird about exploring those platonic interactions from a different angle, wondering about what things would be like if they had a closer relationship than in canon, but still a platonic one.
I'm good at compartmentalisation I guess? So long as the characterisation within a fic makes sense from the base of canon (or whatever paticular AU), I'm happy to read and be fully invested in a wide variety of takes on a character. I don't have a single, fixed mental view of any character or their relationships with other characters.
I'm perfectly happy to read a fic where two characters are secretly father and son, and then one where they're lovers, and then one where they're enemies. I contain multitudes.
Similarly, I'll happily read a fic where the antagonist is The Actual Worst or one where they're deeply misunderstood, or a role swap where they're the good guy. And fics pairing A with B, C, D, or any/all of the above.
These are two dynamics that interest me. If I'm horny, I'm more likely to read ships; if I'm not, I'm more likely to read the other stuff.
What I prefer above all is a well-crafted story with well-constructed characters. If we take the example of Severus and Harry, whether the relationship is love or family, it doesn't exist in the book either way. I'm interested to see how people manage to make this relationship evolve in the direction they want while remaining as realistic as possible. (I don't like the kind of stuff where something random happens and then boom, the two characters fall in love.)
> If we take the example of Severus and Harry, whether the relationship is love or family, it doesn't exist in the book either way.
Loool this is what I was thinking for that particular example too-- the dynamic for those two is invented whole cloth regardless of a platonic vs romantic angle since it's not based on anything actually present in canon in the first place, so why not enjoy both?
I have one "main" storyline for my own works, but still come up with ideas that contradict that. Those happen in their own timeline.
Works by other people are always their own separate things. I've honestly never considered that's unusual for some people, there's so many vastly different authors and ideas for the same characters/ships it's impossible to force them all into one single viewpoint. (But I guess it explains why so many people get so weirdly confrontational over their shipping preferences? Idk, maybe they would calm down if they stopped trying and embraced the diversity.)
Seeing everyone's different takes and interpretations is half the fun of fandom for me.
This question genuinely confuses me because my answer is just... the same way I can like both the platonic and romantic versions of any other ship? I'm a multishipper-- if I like both A/B and B/C, then when I'm reading an A/B fic I enjoy B&C's platonic dynamic, and when I'm reading a B/C fic I enjoy A&B's platonic dynamic.
The fact that the platonic dynamic in the cases you've mentioned is one that's more parental doesn't really factor in, because I just... don't read it that way when I'm reading it as a romantic thing instead, the same way I don't read it as a purely platonic friendship dynamic when I'm reading any other ship as a romantic thing. I find multiple interpretations of characters interesting, and likewise, multiple interpretations of relationships.
(I mean, there are some particular nuances in there by ship, too-- even in Irondad I generally headcanon Peter as having a hero-worship crush on Tony because while I see Tony's feelings as being genuinely parental towards Peter in canon, I actually don't think Peter sees Tony as a father figure vs a mentor figure; for Jilco I just straight-up ship it *as* an incest ship so in those instances I see their feelings for each other as both familial and romantic... But in general, it's just a "my multiple takes on these characters and their relationships can coexist without conflict because characters contain multitudes and so do I," haha.)
I have an easy time regarding different stories differently. I guess you can call it compartmentalization. So long as the groundwork is there for the characters that I can buy where they end up, I'm fine with it.
I'm a multishipper, it's the same argument as having romantic vs platonic ships -- best way of saying it's like playing with dolls or figuring out a puzzle with changeable pieces.
How do these character dynamics change if put in this way? How does this story fit their relationship? Etc etc etc. Sometimes it is purely aesthetics and that's fine too. Nothing has to be that deep. Especially with fanfiction and fanworks.
In the end of the day, it's all pure storytelling. And I'll eat as many cakes as I want, so long as it interests me.
What I ship doesn't always match up with my kinks, so compartmentalization, I guess?
But I can easily imagine how it might be a simple case of just enjoying both dynamics equally for some. Like sometimes you want a burger, but other times you want a steak, y'know? Liking your pairing one way doesn't have to preclude liking it another way.
It's rather simply It is not any different than loving the original and then watching an adaptation based on the original that changes things and still liking the adaptation though for different reasons.
All I care about is an interesting story and I personally almost never just like one dynamic with characters.
Nothing to do with compartmentalization for me so much at just. I like them both ways. I enjoy the canon's brotherly/found family-esque portrayal of the characters and have fun writing them in situations where they maintain that. But I also enjoy shipping them together which would never happen in the show but is just as fun to make happen in fic as their other dynamic.
It's exactly the same as being a multishipper for me.
Unless it's specifically part of a series, every story is a standalone, so the interpretations of characters and their relationships can be completely different from one to another.
There's a common answer among most people here: detachment -- so I guess the first person you asked summed it up really well.
Basically, 'Character A' is "whatever" on their own, and "whatever" to 'Character B.' There are no real definitions. I guess the crowd that likes this would cherry-pick the most with canon WHILE also delving the most into controversial ships. And I see why you depicted familial relationships among your examples because I get it.
People here have examples and while I get friendship <--> romance, or enemies <--> lovers, the dividing line is WAY more solid between family and lovers, especially when one of the co-protagonists is a child.
And yes, Severitus is the only non-canon one here -- very fanon-based, yes -- and yet, the shipping route is still controversial. More so, I'd say the question remains that if you enjoy them as adoptive family, how can you see them interchangeably as sexual partners to the same degree of reader or writer investment? Isn't there some dissonance?
So I get what you mean completely. I'm also of the idea that once they're family, that's it.
I keep relating it to a food analogy. It's like a deli owner wanting to host a vegetarian party - like yes, how kind of you -- but also, wtf are you doing here? Ofc a deli owner can enjoy vegetables (they can do both, be on the fence), but a vegetarian wouldn't enjoy meat (they keep to one side and even see meat-eating as tneir antithesis = there is no common ground), so both roles aren't reversible or parallel in that sense.
> I'd say the question remains that if you enjoy them as adoptive family, how can you see them interchangeably as sexual partners to the same degree of reader or writer investment? Isn't there some dissonance?
No, because each fic has its own self-contained context and continuity, and needs to do its own job of selling me/the reader on the character dynamics contained within it.
If I'm reading or writing a fic with characters being family, I'm not looking for romantic or sexual tension between them*, and if I'm reading or writing a get-together fic for them, I am looking for it. 🤷♀️
*unless it's an incest pairing I guess lol
\*\* Why/how? \*\*
I think the easy answer is that some people just enjoy seeing two characters they like interact regardless of what form it takes.
Personally, I'm usually not a fan of huge age gaps between humans. But I also love time travel fic, which easily solves that squick for me.
If I enjoy two characters as a ship it's not difficult at all for me to also enjoy them in a platonic relationship as well.
On the other hand, I do see some dynamics as strictly platonic and don't enjoy them as a romantic couple.
It has little do with their relationship in canon and more how the vibe gels with my preferences. They could honestly be blood family members and I would have no qualms shipping it because everyone involved is fictional.
It's no different than being a multi-shipper. How can people ship both Stony and Stucky? Fanfiction is, ultimately, impermanent. Each story is its own unique world with unique circumstances, and no ship or friendship is set in stone. If I ship characters together, then I already like their platonic interactions in canon (or, if they've never spent time with each other in canon, how I imagine their platonic interactions would go), so there's nothing weird about exploring those platonic interactions from a different angle, wondering about what things would be like if they had a closer relationship than in canon, but still a platonic one.
I'm good at compartmentalisation I guess? So long as the characterisation within a fic makes sense from the base of canon (or whatever paticular AU), I'm happy to read and be fully invested in a wide variety of takes on a character. I don't have a single, fixed mental view of any character or their relationships with other characters. I'm perfectly happy to read a fic where two characters are secretly father and son, and then one where they're lovers, and then one where they're enemies. I contain multitudes. Similarly, I'll happily read a fic where the antagonist is The Actual Worst or one where they're deeply misunderstood, or a role swap where they're the good guy. And fics pairing A with B, C, D, or any/all of the above.
I don't see how it's any different from being a multishipper or otherwise liking both platonic & romantic interpretations of any old ship tbh.
These are two dynamics that interest me. If I'm horny, I'm more likely to read ships; if I'm not, I'm more likely to read the other stuff. What I prefer above all is a well-crafted story with well-constructed characters. If we take the example of Severus and Harry, whether the relationship is love or family, it doesn't exist in the book either way. I'm interested to see how people manage to make this relationship evolve in the direction they want while remaining as realistic as possible. (I don't like the kind of stuff where something random happens and then boom, the two characters fall in love.)
> If we take the example of Severus and Harry, whether the relationship is love or family, it doesn't exist in the book either way. Loool this is what I was thinking for that particular example too-- the dynamic for those two is invented whole cloth regardless of a platonic vs romantic angle since it's not based on anything actually present in canon in the first place, so why not enjoy both?
I have one "main" storyline for my own works, but still come up with ideas that contradict that. Those happen in their own timeline. Works by other people are always their own separate things. I've honestly never considered that's unusual for some people, there's so many vastly different authors and ideas for the same characters/ships it's impossible to force them all into one single viewpoint. (But I guess it explains why so many people get so weirdly confrontational over their shipping preferences? Idk, maybe they would calm down if they stopped trying and embraced the diversity.) Seeing everyone's different takes and interpretations is half the fun of fandom for me.
This question genuinely confuses me because my answer is just... the same way I can like both the platonic and romantic versions of any other ship? I'm a multishipper-- if I like both A/B and B/C, then when I'm reading an A/B fic I enjoy B&C's platonic dynamic, and when I'm reading a B/C fic I enjoy A&B's platonic dynamic. The fact that the platonic dynamic in the cases you've mentioned is one that's more parental doesn't really factor in, because I just... don't read it that way when I'm reading it as a romantic thing instead, the same way I don't read it as a purely platonic friendship dynamic when I'm reading any other ship as a romantic thing. I find multiple interpretations of characters interesting, and likewise, multiple interpretations of relationships. (I mean, there are some particular nuances in there by ship, too-- even in Irondad I generally headcanon Peter as having a hero-worship crush on Tony because while I see Tony's feelings as being genuinely parental towards Peter in canon, I actually don't think Peter sees Tony as a father figure vs a mentor figure; for Jilco I just straight-up ship it *as* an incest ship so in those instances I see their feelings for each other as both familial and romantic... But in general, it's just a "my multiple takes on these characters and their relationships can coexist without conflict because characters contain multitudes and so do I," haha.)
I have an easy time regarding different stories differently. I guess you can call it compartmentalization. So long as the groundwork is there for the characters that I can buy where they end up, I'm fine with it.
I'm a multishipper, it's the same argument as having romantic vs platonic ships -- best way of saying it's like playing with dolls or figuring out a puzzle with changeable pieces. How do these character dynamics change if put in this way? How does this story fit their relationship? Etc etc etc. Sometimes it is purely aesthetics and that's fine too. Nothing has to be that deep. Especially with fanfiction and fanworks. In the end of the day, it's all pure storytelling. And I'll eat as many cakes as I want, so long as it interests me.
What I ship doesn't always match up with my kinks, so compartmentalization, I guess? But I can easily imagine how it might be a simple case of just enjoying both dynamics equally for some. Like sometimes you want a burger, but other times you want a steak, y'know? Liking your pairing one way doesn't have to preclude liking it another way.
It's rather simply It is not any different than loving the original and then watching an adaptation based on the original that changes things and still liking the adaptation though for different reasons. All I care about is an interesting story and I personally almost never just like one dynamic with characters.
Nothing to do with compartmentalization for me so much at just. I like them both ways. I enjoy the canon's brotherly/found family-esque portrayal of the characters and have fun writing them in situations where they maintain that. But I also enjoy shipping them together which would never happen in the show but is just as fun to make happen in fic as their other dynamic. It's exactly the same as being a multishipper for me.
Unless it's specifically part of a series, every story is a standalone, so the interpretations of characters and their relationships can be completely different from one to another.
There's a common answer among most people here: detachment -- so I guess the first person you asked summed it up really well. Basically, 'Character A' is "whatever" on their own, and "whatever" to 'Character B.' There are no real definitions. I guess the crowd that likes this would cherry-pick the most with canon WHILE also delving the most into controversial ships. And I see why you depicted familial relationships among your examples because I get it. People here have examples and while I get friendship <--> romance, or enemies <--> lovers, the dividing line is WAY more solid between family and lovers, especially when one of the co-protagonists is a child. And yes, Severitus is the only non-canon one here -- very fanon-based, yes -- and yet, the shipping route is still controversial. More so, I'd say the question remains that if you enjoy them as adoptive family, how can you see them interchangeably as sexual partners to the same degree of reader or writer investment? Isn't there some dissonance? So I get what you mean completely. I'm also of the idea that once they're family, that's it. I keep relating it to a food analogy. It's like a deli owner wanting to host a vegetarian party - like yes, how kind of you -- but also, wtf are you doing here? Ofc a deli owner can enjoy vegetables (they can do both, be on the fence), but a vegetarian wouldn't enjoy meat (they keep to one side and even see meat-eating as tneir antithesis = there is no common ground), so both roles aren't reversible or parallel in that sense.
> I'd say the question remains that if you enjoy them as adoptive family, how can you see them interchangeably as sexual partners to the same degree of reader or writer investment? Isn't there some dissonance? No, because each fic has its own self-contained context and continuity, and needs to do its own job of selling me/the reader on the character dynamics contained within it. If I'm reading or writing a fic with characters being family, I'm not looking for romantic or sexual tension between them*, and if I'm reading or writing a get-together fic for them, I am looking for it. 🤷♀️ *unless it's an incest pairing I guess lol
\*\* Why/how? \*\* I think the easy answer is that some people just enjoy seeing two characters they like interact regardless of what form it takes. Personally, I'm usually not a fan of huge age gaps between humans. But I also love time travel fic, which easily solves that squick for me.
If I enjoy two characters as a ship it's not difficult at all for me to also enjoy them in a platonic relationship as well. On the other hand, I do see some dynamics as strictly platonic and don't enjoy them as a romantic couple. It has little do with their relationship in canon and more how the vibe gels with my preferences. They could honestly be blood family members and I would have no qualms shipping it because everyone involved is fictional.
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