Subject: [C&C] Facades - Nabiki being OOC.
From: David Bateson
Date: 9/6/1996, 12:14 AM
To: Fanfiction Mailing List


Changing, redefining and re-interpreting characters is a large part of 
what writing FanFic's is all about.  The problem with doing so in a 
"regular" setting is that you have to make your interpretation fit in with 
the world somehow...  There are a number of techniques for doing this, 
almost as many techniques as there are writers really.

In your story:

Nabiki goes off to a pre-prepared photgraphic hide to take photo's of 
Onna-Ranma in the bath. (OOC charge #1 - I can't see Nabiki bothering to 
set up such a location - it's work, and she does perfectly well without 
it).  Another possible OOC charge here is that Nabiki normally goes 
for... hmm... "daring" or "tastefully(?) erotic" pictures of Onna-Ranma, 
not outright nudes.

Nabiki finds AKane in bath and takes pictures of her instead.  Given that 
Nabiki has built this place and gone there, I have no problems with her 
taking these pictures.  I think it is OOC for a "normal" Nabiki, but your 
Nabiki has already deviated from the normal enough to take the pictures - 
however that she takes themn without hesitation or qualms is... disturbing.

Nabiki rushes off to sell the pictures of Akane to Kunou.  Here is where 
your Nabiki (IMHO) really steps OOC without any good reason or background 
set-up.  It would have worked better (again, IMHO) if Nabiki had hung 
onto the pictures for awhile and then sold them in response to some 
stimuli - a percieved need for cash or as a way of getting back at Akane 
after some fight.  Having her simply rush off to sell them because she 
has them is... questionable.  Whatshisname is quite right later on to 
say that Nabiki has abandonded her morals.

In what follows Nabiki reacts and behaves in a perfectly believeable 
fashion for a "normal" NAbiki, however the emotions shown  strike me as 
jarringly out-of-place in the Nabiki that so blithely spied on her 
sister and then rushed off to sell nude photo's of her to Kunou.  This 
inconsistency in Nabiki's behaviour is the biggest flaw in the story 
since it is never adequately reconciled.  Nabiki should either be far 
more reluctant to sell the photo's *OR* far less upset at them being put 
on public display (If her reaction was "This is going to cause me 
problems" instead of "Poor Akane" her personality would be more 
coherent). 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Major"                     |  "Funny Games, Strange Cartoons, Confusing
David Bateson                   |     Computers and too many Books!  No 
                                |     wonder you're weird."
major@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au     |       - My Sister.
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