!important! : thoughts which might save the world

[extemporally]

Yesterday I was talking to nova33 about why she loves Johnny/Evan, and there was this exchange:

unlurkster: yessss. I approve of this.
OH OH
you know what?? I would like for this to be, like, an actually fake war
where they're just-kidding-no-really, and when they meet to hook up they have teasing hatesex that isn't really hatesex, only sometimes the boundaries between what they meant and didn't mean are
nova33: Yes!
OR
unlurkster: kind of blurred to even themselves
nova33: It really is just a weird sort of sexual tension. Like...they don't really like each other - so they're not terribly fond when they actually do get together - but all the shit they say to the press is just an extended form of pigtail-pulling.
So when they see each other it's genuine anger - "You implied I was gay!" "You said I was untalented!" - but it's all sort of a game.
Yes????
unlurkster: oh mannnn yes! it's just a lot of weirdness crackling between them, sexually, and they don't know what they mean and what they don't mean
YES YES YES. let's have a BRAIN TWIN HI-FIVE, c'mon

And right there I guess is the kind of Johnny/Evan dynamic that's my favourite, the codependency and the frustration and the need. I mean, I can buy a whole bunch of different readings of their relationship (and so can Johnny & Evan! look at how spectacularly retconned their rivalry is!), but this I think is the definitive one that punches me in the gut and makes me believe, before I remember that Johnny/Stéphane is my OTP (tin-fucking-hat, you guys). I don't know, I find this the most exciting part of entering a fandom, getting to know who the hell these people are and who you ship and why you ship them ("they're pretty" is still a reason, fyi), and also basically thinking about it a whole bunch and also having really intense conversations about it, um.

So, anyway! Why do you ship what you ship, dudes? COME TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS.

Comments

[nova33.livejournal.com]

Okay, so...I haven't seen the show yet? Which makes me a BAD FAN, I know! But have some chatfic about them looking after each other, since I don't think I'll ever actually write this fic:

One morning Evan wakes up later than usual and Johnny's waiting for him in the kitchen, drumming his fingers on the table. When Evan goes into the kitchen to make himself some tea, Johnny's tone is sharp. "What time did you actually get to sleep last night?"

Evan sighs and sets the water on to boil. "I'm not sure." He stares at the kettle instead of looking at Johnny, but Johnny is already moving to stand next to him. Evan doesn't have to turn around to know that Johnny's hands are on his hips.

"Bullshit you're not sure," Johnny says, and he sounds pissed, but his voice cracks a little when he adds, "Don't lie."

Evan scrubs a hand over his face, smoothing his hair out of his eyes. He turns around and leans against the counter. "I think maybe it was three or so?" Johnny just looks at him, and Evan mumbles, "3:56."

"God, why won't you just sleep?" Johnny says, and shuts off the whistling kettle.

"I couldn't," Evan responds. "I had to-" He turns and pours the water into his mug.

"You had to what?" Johnny asks, and the tenderness that was beginning to show in his voice is gone. "What was so important that you had to forfeit sleep on one of the only nights you've had off in the past month?"

"I had to get that routine right," Evan says, and he's talking more to the steam rising from his mug than to Johnny, but the kitchen's too quiet.

"You-" Johnny starts, exasperated, and then he slides a hand onto Evan's neck, warm and gentle. "Evan."

"I just didn't do it well enough, on the show. The judges -"

"Screw the judges! It's fucking reality TV, everything is manufactured to be a certain way, to create drama. It's not real!" Johnny squeezes his hand lightly, but he knows immediately it was the wrong thing to say as Evan stiffens. He's clenching the mug so hard that his fingers are turning white.

"I just wanted to do it to the best of my ability," he says stiffly, and he's using his media voice, and Johnny hates it.

"You have a concussion, and a broken toe, and you're exhausted," Johnny says, and Evan breaks out of his grip and walks to the table.

"I had to get it right." Evan's sitting down now, but he still looks shaky, like he's going to slump over the table at any moment. "I couldn't sleep until I'd gotten it right. I kept thinking about it, lying in bed. All the things that I could fix."

"You should have woken me up," Johnny says, sitting down.

Evan shakes his head. "I don't think there was anything you could have done. I just needed to fix it." Johnny looks like he wants to say something else, but instead leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. "How long have you been up?" Evan asks, and Johnny holds up six fingers. "What did you have for breakfast?" There's a pause, and when Johnny opens his eyes Evan is looking at him intently. "Did you even have breakfast?"

"I wasn't hungry," Johnny replies, and Evan actually slams his hand down on the table, making Johnny jump.

"You have to fucking eat, Johnny."

"I just wasn't hungry!"

"You have to maintain your fitness, but you need energy. You know that."

"I eat," Johnny responds. "I made you dinner last night, didn't I?"

"Yeah, and most of what was on your plate ended up in the trash, even though you poked and prodded at it for forty minutes," Evan responds, and Johnny looks away. "I'm not blind, Johnny. I'm not an idiot, either."

"We're not talking about me," Johnny says. "We're talking about you."

"Not anymore."

"That discussion was not over."

[melonsplash.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only fan who hasn't seen BGJW yet! And now I see from your profile that you're in Australia like me, which would explain it. I haven't figured out how I'm going to watch it yet... :/

And this is a very interesting discussion you're all having, and I love how you guys can put into words what the rest of us are thinking.

[nova33.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I have got to change my profile - I am actually no longer in Australia (I just moved back in January) but yeah, I'm sure there's somewhere we can download the episodes? I'm just not sure where. (Where in Australia are you, if you don't mind me asking?)

I'm glad you're finding it interesting! I tend to feel like I just ramble a lot? But basically my brain has been totally taken over by figure skating at the moment, so.

[melonsplash.livejournal.com]

I don't know where either (we can download the eps, I mean, not where I live. I know that :P).

Augh, tell me about it. I mean, I enjoy it, except when I'm trying to have a life as well. :P

[melonsplash.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I was going to PM you so we could discuss Aust., but I think we have to be LJ-friends to do that. Were you in Australia long?

[nova33.livejournal.com]

Responding to both comments here - I was in Australia for four and a half years, so yes? I guess that's a while.

I'm sure I have links for the episodes somewhere, because the internet is obliging, most of the time. I'll see if I can find them.

Oh man, I love this stupid fandom, but because I'm not in school at the moment, I just sit at home refreshing kink meme threads and watching figure skating programs for hours on end. I'm thinking that's not exactly healthy.

We could be friends? And then the PMing could happen! If you'd like, that is.

[melonsplash.livejournal.com]

Yes - soon we will both be enlightened to whatever the heck everyone's talking about on BGJW (I think I've only seen the foot massager scene so far :P).

Oh man, I love this stupid fandom, but because I'm not in school at the moment, I just sit at home refreshing kink meme threads and watching figure skating programs for hours on end. I'm thinking that's not exactly healthy.
Omg, are you me?

Sure thing. I'm Melon, by the way.

[nova33.livejournal.com]

That's the only scene I've seen, too! So many times.

Ahahaha, possibly? Seriously, I spent all of last weekend watching old routines. I fully blame _skating, and a RL friend of mine who is so, so pleased that soemone else is into skating. (Though she is baffled that it is me, of all people.)

Nice to meet you! (as it were) I'm Elena. *waves*