Love. What about it? You know, to this date (currently Nov. 26,
1998), I don't think I've written a fic where love really mattered?
Nothing where 'love conquers all' or anything like that, even on
the occasions where love might have come into the picture. In
'Ryoko's Choice' Ryoko decided it did not matter whether or not she
loved Tenchi, or whether he loved her, because what she had to do
was more important than that question. 
    That says something about me, I think. Love, by itself,
untempered with respect or trust, no, I do not want that. In Zen's
'Bitter End' Ranma and Akane loved each other, right? Look what
happened there (and before you tell me that was merely a story and
not real, I suggest you look around-- it happens, it is real). Is
love worth it if all it does is make you miserable? Not to me. I
want contentment, happiness, joy, more than I want love, and if
love keeping me from them then I would not want it. 
    What I am saying, I suppose, is that love is not necessarily
the greatest thing, that it does not make the world go 'round, that
it does not always conquer all. I am providing you with an
alternate viewpoint to the one where the hero forsakes the world to
rescue the damsel in distress. I find nothing noble in that-- I
find it extremely, and possibly dangerously, selfish.
	Stories which incorporate the idea this view do exist, and not
just by me. They are, however, outnumbered by the ones who hold
that love can overcome any obstacle. Even more rare are the ones
where love does not overcome, but the story does not end unhappily.
Again, these stories exist, and I am not the only one who has
written one. I am not arguing that, I freely admit it. Can you
write such a story though? I can, I have proven as much in the past.
To be fair, I suppose, I should write one where love does conquer
all and everything works out because of it, but I'm not sure if I
can. I just cannot fathom that, cannot comprehend what I perceive
as such selfishness being a good thing. Too utilitarian, I guess.
I can try though. Shall we make a deal then, you and I? Will you
write for my challenge if I write what I am challenging against?

In a day or two I should have mine done, I believe.

Matthew "Maybeso" Lewis is:
InDefinitelyso on IRC
See him on FFIRC [bachman.newberry.edu fanfic]
Sojiro_Seta on Kawaiimuck
	maybeso@ican.net
Playing the fool in a foolish world
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Remember, you run a gantlet and wear a gauntlet.
			-useless trivia for the .sig
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