Snowflake 2k25 (XI)

[queenslayerbee]

Challenge #11

In your own space, share your love for a trope, cliché, kink, motif, or theme. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

When it comes to character relationships, I pay a lot of attention to First Meetings. 

I'm not one for slow burns. I know, I know. They're a deeply beloved trope in fandom, and I've heard all the reasons why. But I have rarely met one that works for me (I've liked pairings *described* as slowurn that I'd never classify as such, but that's another thing). They're simply... too placid. The more intense a dynamic is, the better. Because that means they'll move mountains or, in this case, the narrative, along. And more often than not, this is decided on the very first scene, or the very first scene of a pairing alone together. 

These first meetings don't have to be Good to pack a punch, which is why The Meet Ugly might be my favourite trope in existence. What matters is that they change things around. There's a before and and after. I'd personally find the idea of meeting someone changing me so much terrifying, but it sure works in a story!

I've talked pairing, but I mean platonic dynamics as well. Memorable first meetings carry the narrative on their backs. If two characters don't need to be convinced into caring for one another (or hating the other so much it circles back around), then there's no pussyfooting around and we can get into the interesting things right away.

It's why Love At First Sight works so well, even if we all knowwwwwww things don't really work like that (must we always bring reality into it smh). You believe Romeo and Juliet do All of That Shit because they are In Love. The real story can get started while someone else is on a will-they-won't-they that barely makes me believe they like each other (I just can't believe they'd do *nothing* if it mattered to them that much!). 

And the chemistry!! When two characters instantly click, the entire scene is alight with it in all the best ways. I wouldn't trade that for anything. These guys don't wander; the romantic pairings often kiss and fuck quickly; sexual harmony is usually a big part of their appeal (EVEN when they don't have sex, or they only get to have it one. Sometimes, especially if they only get to have it once LOL).

So, yeah. Intense First Meeting. Meet Ugly. Love At First Sight. They work. They're marvelous narrative devices. I'll take them all.  

Comments

[phantasmalpoison]

Yes, you're so right, an intense first meeting can be everything. If there's immediate chemistry, and/or drama, it leaves you longing for them to meet again, and to see every way that meeting this person affects them.

[queenslayerbee]

Exactly! A good first meeting really sets the tone and will leave the audience wanting more.

[florianschild]

Wow, very interesting thoughts about slow-burn! You've prompted me to think that maybe it's not slow-burn that I like per say, but that I like when a story is well plotted enough to keep the tension in a relationship for a long time. But I really don't like slow burn just for the sake of it, or when characters are just bad at communicating!

[queenslayerbee]

I have liked and even loved dynamics that get labelled as slow burns but that I don't quite read like that. Meet Uglies are good examples for it because they often involve the characters greatly disliking each other for a while lol, but that doesn't mean they aren't important and influential to each other from the very beginning, iykwim.

And I think it's more than doable to keep the tension in a dynamic even if physical attraction is openly admitted/something is actually done about it early on. There's a reason why I love exes ships, for example.

Añaldkfjasfl yeah. Some types of miscommunication can be genuinely well done, but especially in fic it's... not. And I can have more sympathy for it if the characters involved are younger, but sometimes it's with grown adults who are at the very least somewhat emotionally competent in canon! Where they show no problems pursuing relationships they want! So it's hard for me to buy that whatever fanon romance is involved actually matters to them (wouldn't they do something about it?).

[kaanbaltla]

"The more intense a dynamic is, the better. Because that means they'll move mountains or, in this case, the narrative, along." OMG, THISSSSSSSS! I'm also not a fan of slowburns, I prefer them to be exploding flames by the very start.

I want to steal this list, because I'm just here saying "+10000 to this" out loud. (I need Meet-Ugly to be a canon tag on AO3 so, so bad.)

[queenslayerbee]

I prefer them to be exploding flames by the very start. SAME. One time I saw it described as a "quick ignite" and I dig that term LOL. One of my favourite dynamics is two characters actually having sex very, very early on in their relationship, and that complicating things immensely, for example. Maybe it's just me, but I need to believe the people involved are *interested* in each other!

Meet Ugly NEEDS to be a tag. I'd check it out for my faves whenever possible lol.

[svgurl]

First meetings are so great! Reading your post made me realize the part I get the most excited in AUs and different first meetings is the way the main duo meets for the first time and how that interaction goes, and it really does shape the rest of the story. And I get what you mean about slow burns. I like it in theory but I tend to be picky about execution.

[queenslayerbee]

Different first meetings AUs can be quite fun, yeah! Though sometimes the first meeting in canon is so so good I don't want to change a thing xD

[cajeck]

Interesting! I've had a long history with slow burns in my own fics, but I've loved a good intense "instant attraction" fic now and again. Actually, the latest original story I'm working on is something like that, but with a little spin on it. Sort of. (I'm still working out the details.)

This was an interesting read, and it gave me something to chew over. Thanks for sharing! :D

[queenslayerbee]

Ironically one of the WIPs I'm juggling rn (though a few others take priority) would involve a "slower" relationship progression (the character(s) are not at a point where they'll just jump into things lol), but even then, knowing myself... it'll probably won't be a "slow burn" in any traditional sense lol.

I'm glad you found it interesting!