Snowflake Challenge 2025 #3

[bedes]

Challenge #3

In your own space, talk about a fannish opinion you hold that has changed over time.

Despite describing myself as a fanfic author partially specializing in genfic, I didn't understand the appeal of gen fanworks for a very long time! For me, a self-defined hopeless romantic aromantic, romantic shipping was one of the main appeals of fandom, and I fell into the amatonormative belief that platonic relationships couldn't be as deep as romantic ones.

I believe what really changed this was being super into the Professor Layton fandom. At the time, I was sorting out how I felt about my parents, largely using Luke Triton (the young apprentice to the main character) as a method for that. While doing so, though, it always felt natural for it to conclude with him finding solace in Hershel Layton, who acts as a father-like figure to him throughout the game.

I also later began to unpack my amatonormativity specifically in the LEGO Monkie Kid fandom, thanks to the friendship between the main characters Mei and MK. I discovered I was arospec around this time, and I headcanoned Mei as aromantic too. Viewing Mei and MK as a queerplatonic partnership was a big catalyst to exploring the idea that platonic relationships could be equally as deep and meaningful as romantic ones.

Which, of course, leads me to today! A huge enjoyer of gen works, to the point of purposefully subverting typically-romantic AUs (such as hanahaki) in my fic, for platonic uses. I've basically done a total 180, in other words!

Comments

[wendelah1]

As a person who mostly wrote gen fic (and rarely ships...anyone), I wish more people could see that platonic relationships are as important as romantic ones. And not just in fandom.

[bedes]

Same!! Not just because it sucks for aro people, but just because the world becomes so much more colorful once you realize that each relationship is deeply unique, regardless of the specifics of romantic/platonic/a secret third thing

[stardust_rifle]

"hopeless aromantic" is such a fun turn of phrase- I've definitely known people who are like that!

And I've sort of been going along the same route- there's a gen pairing/partnership that I've been getting super into lately and it's definitely shaken me up from my diseased ship-centric worldview (stolen a tumblr user's term for it)

[bedes]

"Diseased ship-centric worldview" LOL!! I feel like a lot of people end up needing that One Platonic Pairing that scratches their brain the right way to begin to truly appreciate brOTPs! At least, based off what I’ve heard from others, haha

[silversea]

*waves at you* Hello fellow hopeless romantic aromantic!

I'm still a massive romantic shipper, but I also really love my platonic relationships. Fandoms as a whole are very amatonormative, and it can be a bit lonely reading all these intentional or unintentional messages.

Happy to see you subverting typically-romantic AUs, these sound really interesting!

[bedes]

For sure!! I also still love my romantic pairings, but it can feel frustrating to read romantic fic that casually employs amatonormative language and ideas. Most of my fandom friends are either aroace-spec in some way, or is an ally aware of our issues, so stepping out of that bubble can be like a cold bucket of water! Thankfully, I think fandom is getting better with this over time, based on my personal observations.

And thank you!!! The hanahaki fic is still one of my faves!

[silversea]

Do you have a link to the hanahaki fic? I'd love to read it!

[bedes]

I do! AO3, SQWA, Dreamwidth

It's a little old so sorry if it's not the best, haha!

[silversea]

Aww, that was a pretty sweet fic. I liked your take on it, and the flower language was great!

[bedes]

Thank you sm!! :D

[jellyfishlover]

OMG, I wrote almost the opposite of this post for this challenge! XD
It's real interesting to see this from the other side! It's lovely as well how you were able to work through things via fanworks. Yay for self exploration! :D

[bedes]

I know lots of folks who have gone through the opposite pipeline too! And yay for self exploration indeed!

[evandar]

to the point of purposefully subverting typically-romantic AUs (such as hanahaki) in my fic, for platonic uses

Okay, but this sounds fascinating. I love the hanahaki trope (even though I often wish it was more tragic) but I've never seen it used platonically before.

Fanfiction does seem to revolve around romance, which I don't usually mind, but which can feel exhausting at times, especially when it comes with the devaluing of non-romantic relationships.

[bedes]

I LOVE PLATONIC HANAHAKI AND I WISH THERE WERE MORE (EXPLODES)! But ya, it can be tiring, which is partially why I am now a huge proponent of genfic!

[greetingsfrommaars]

oh I like "hopeless romantic aromantic"; I think I'm somewhere in that ballpark too haha. it's cool to hear about your path to where you are! I really love to see platonic subversion of typically-romantic AUs (especially soulmates, for me personally).

also, I saw that you linked your platonic hanahaki AU, and I do have a rec for one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! it's here in case anyone's interested

[bedes]

OOOH thank you for the rec!!! Also yesss I love platonic soulmates and such >v

[catgiri]

the idea of subverting romantic tropes into making them platonic sounds so fun! i see you linked your hanahaki fic in this comment section so i'm sure i'll be checking it out soon!

[bedes]

Thank you!! I hope you'll enjoy it when you do! ^.^

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Self-discovery often leads to improved understanding of literature.

[tsuki_no_bara]

i fully support you subverting romantic au's for platonic purposes. there should be more platonic fic in the world anyway.

[bedes]

Very true!!

[silveradept]

The shipping origins of many fandoms, at least as best as I can tell, is because so many things were refusing to give romantic relationships to people who definitely could have had them. Now that it's not quite so stigmatized, in some places, for both caring and/or romantic relationships to be present without being either the focus or a distraction from the story, there's additional space for having platonic relationships and not having everything have to end up in shipping. I like it, because it widens the amount of stories that we can tell.