DPP: Sine qua non

[anamarya.livejournal.com]

So, after yesterday's digression into the idea of Professor!pilots let’s try to get back on track with what I had outlined initially.
On Monday’s discussion about AUs a lot of you said that one type of stories that you like are the ones that start from canon and diverge from there, changing just some stuff. My question for today is:

What is the scene/action/dialogue from canon that you can’t live without in a story?


The one thing that has to be there. And no, I don’t speak about the total awesomeness of our pilots because that’s a given. I’m referring more like to a bit of conversation, a look, a specific kiss/hug/action – even a fight.
Example (just for disambiguation) : Every time that a long story that is not completely AU skips the brig scene altogether I feel like I’m missing something. I can live with all sorts of variations but without it?

p.s. Feel free to use pictures as examples. and don't forget to go and check the new com.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

What is the scene/action/dialogue from canon that you can’t live without in a story?

For me it is the line about "upsetting the applecart". It is not really the saying itself but the meaning behind it, which I believe to be quintessential for K/L relationship. Thus, I do not like stories, in which either Kara or Lee are obsessed/madly in love with the other one but are absolutely certain that he/she does not feel the same way and only sees him/her as a fellow viper jock or a friend. It is fine if the story is completely AU or if it describes early days of Lee and Kara's relationship prior to the mini but if set after the attacks I consider this behavior a bit OOC.

I think it is clearly stated in canon that they are both pretty well aware of the intense MUTUAL connection between them but have some kind of a silent agreement to not to act on the feelings mostly because of fear, guilt and because it is simply too much. In UBEX, Kara was scared and insecure but she did not ask: 'Are you sure you love me?", she asked "Are you sure I'm what you want?" Because throughout the show the pilots showed that they care deeply for each other but neither of them is 100% sure whether a standard romantic relationship between them is what they want (I won't go into "why" here).

They both try to be first and foremost friends to each other and (to a degree) "support" (i.e. accept without acting like jealous assholes) the other one's relationships even if they hate it: Lee "supported" Kara/Zak and early Kara/Sam, while Kara "supported" Lee/Dee in season 2 and after TAB. Deep down Lee knows that what Kara feels for him is deeper, stronger and much more intense than what she felt/feel for Zak or Sam, but in spite of that she chose to be with them rather than him. Lee knows he has the power to "upset her applecart" or maybe even ruin her relationship with any other guy whenever he choses to do so but it still will likely NOT get him Kara and will more likely lead to ruining their friendship. He has her heart but he cannot get her hand. Vice versa, Kara knows very well that Lee's feelings for her are of a completely different category to what he feels for Dee or any other girl, and she could have interjected and "upset his applecart', if she wanted. But she does not know whether she really wants a relationship with him, she does not know whether he really wants a relationship with her (he never said such until UB) and she does not want to ruin what they already have, because no matter in what form, she needs him by her side.

Sorry for being so wordy. I just wanted to say that I find fics where Lee or Kara are either hopelessly unaware of the other ones feelings or totally insecure a bit OOC.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

I love this comment. Love love love it to pieces. Wish I had time to discuss in earnest but for now I'll just say: great insight. : )

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

I think the analysis is spot on here, and frankly something i'd never considered in such a cohesive way. Nice catch. I would only add that I think they each have a great deal of insecurities that do undermine their ability to trust that if they reach out, the other wold reciprocate. For Kara, I'd chalk it up to lack of self worth (thanks to mom) and for Lee, a fear of abandonment (thanks to dad, zak's death, etc.) So in that way, you could still have a plausible interpretation of one doubting the other's feelings/response on some level. Does that make any sense?

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you. It absolutely makes sense and I totally agree with you. Most of their "knowledge" about the other ones feelings are just gut feelings (or subconscious feelings) rather then them being 100% certain about what the other one wants or feels.

There are so many Kara/Lee porny fics that are set out throughout the whole show (in nearly any episode) and the funny thing is that they almost never feel completely OOC. Yeah, we know that they did not actually have sex at those times, but it is not difficult to imagine that if one of them did come on to the other one (and that is easy to imagine too) the other one would not turn the offer down. The fact that the sex would either ended up being aborted if one of them managed to get to their senses and realized what they were doing before the hormones took over (like in Scar) or resulted in a complete disaster the morning after (like UB) is however another matter.

[winegums.livejournal.com]

i>I think it is clearly stated in canon that they are both pretty well aware of the intense MUTUAL connection between them but have some kind of a silent agreement to not to act on the feelings mostly because of fear, guilt and because it is simply too much.

YES. You have it right on the nose, there - pilots are very well aware that there is something between them, and that it's mutual. It's often strongly implied, like in KLG1 and several times after that, I don't think the problem with them is ever a lack of awareness that they have feelings for each other, it's more in the vein of occasional denial/not knowing what to do. Well put :)