(Untitled)

[_unhurt_]

things i do not understand about miles vorkosigan part 1.

dude. when bel thorne hits on you? you say yes. and also please! and also can we do it right here?

*apparently i have developed some Feelings about bel thorne*

Comments

[ifreet]

Right? RIGHT?

It's proof that Miles is made of poor decisions and stubbornness, but SERIOUSLY.

[ifreet]

/she said affectionately.

[_unhurt_]

totally right! i do not follow his decision making process here at all. i mean, all else aside - thorne would seem to have a bit of a competence kink, and given how competent they are themself - well. i just - miles/bel would be like some sort of amazing competence cubed scenario! (though, okay, possibly not in bed. *pets miles*)

[ifreet]

(eventually? Miles demonstrates a pretty steep learning curve. But no, the first time would be a trainwreck to end all trainwrecks.)

[sansets]

YES THIS. &Bel;

(Also, I just really fucking HATE how Bjold writes those scenes - I'm not making up that there is more than one, am I? - because it feels too much like Miles is proclaiming at the top of his lungs "I AM STRAIGHT! STRAIGHT DAMN IT! DO YOU HEAR ME? I AM THE MOST HETEROSEXUAL MAN TO BE HETEROSEXUAL!!" and it comes off as wildly ... not even homophobic, more like transphobic about genderqueer sexuality, if that makes any sense? I mean, I think that Miles has really bad taste to turn down Bel, because COME THE FUCK ON, SLEEPING WITH HIR WOULD BE HOT, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! But I mostly just have meta problems with those scenes, because while I KNOW that every person has the right to turn down whoever they want for reasons of not being turned on by them, something about the way it was framed just REALLY rubbed me the wrong way.)

[_unhurt_]

yeah, i think the framing is vastly more dubious than just miles' reaction - he does have Issues, and from a character perspective i would totally buy that his subconsciousness was doing those ALL CAPS (even if he wasn't prepared to acknowledge it). it's not an authorial choice i support though - and there is also some stuff where when bel hits on women they 'emphasise their masculine traits' which makes me pull a face. many faces. oh books, and you are so great in so many other ways!

[sansets]

and there is also some stuff where when bel hits on women they 'emphasise their masculine traits' which makes me pull a face. many faces.

OH GOD, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT. I remembered that when Bel was hitting on Miles, zie (I'M SORRY, I CAN'T CALL BEL IT. I JUST FUCKING CAN'T) was described as "being more womanly" or what the fuck ever, but I HAD TOTALLY FORGOT THAT BJOLD DID IT FOR EVERYONE. Ack. I don't quite understand how she actually DOES get some things really right (Aral's sexual orientation toward soliders! Pretty much EVERYTHING about Betan citizens opinions about sexuality!) and then gets Bel SO VERY WRONG much of the time. (Have you gotten to ... I think it it's Diplomatic Immunity, where Bel gets married. I actually REALLY like the portrayal of their relationship, so I think that Bjold actually has heard some of the criticism and gets it now, but hot DAMN did she not when she first started writing this series.)

[_unhurt_]

not that far yet (and eek, spoiiilers!) (which one can't reasonably complain about given how long the books have been published!)

i have slightly shifting opinions on the "it" thing which is to do with the scifi setting, and the fact that while of course fictional beings don't exist in a vacuum* separate from the society that the writer is part of, i'm a bit uncomfortable with working on the assumption that betan hermaphrodites are the same thing as real trans people or real intersex people or real genderqueer people (and so on depending on the variousness of an individuals identity) - i feel like that might be, uh, at least as offensive in its own way? this is not based on a well-thought-out consideration, though, and is possibly entirely wrong headed.

it is odd, because one thing i really like about the books is that they are very clear that people, however constituted or born or enhanced/altered afterwards (by their choice or as slaves on jackson's whole), are always and forever people and that people matter, and designating

[shihadchick]

right?? Why would you not hit that, Miles?? Sigh.

[_unhurt_]

puzzling boy!

ooh, there must be fic, right?