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Kids Inc | Secrets, Bonus Scene #1: Temptation
It’s always hard to fit in all of the desired scenes into a story, doubly so when it’s a oneshot. Sometimes things are left on the cutting room floor…and sometimes, pieces of history emerge after the fact. This is one such instance. =)
BONUS SCENE #1: Temptation
Rating: Y / M
Warning: Language, sexual foreplay
Word Count: 4,682
Summary: Two weeks prior to the events in Secrets. Stacy spends the night with Ryan under unexpected circumstances, and learns more about herself and her relationship than she bargained for.
Inspirations: “Halo” © 2008 Evan Bogart, Beyoncé Knowles, Ryan Tedder [Beyoncé] | “Just Can't Get Enough” © 2010 William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson, Joshua Alvarez, Stephen Shadowen, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Julie Frost [The Black Eyed Peas]
Link(s): FF.net |
LJ | DW | AO3
All right, so. Though the original giftfic oneshot was an idea that I was incredibly excited to work with, it was surprisingly hard to actually write. Mostly, this was because I was basically creating a universe from scratch, and trying to write a short story instead of a long one. I enjoy worldbuilding, so trying to truncate it always leaves me feeling a little at loose ends. Quite a bit of the background that I developed for this particular story was left on the cutting room floor, for better or worse, and I’ve never been completely satisfied with the final product. So, after much consideration, I’ve decided to resurrect some of those scenes left behind.
This is probably the more important of the two, because it provides the basis of the original story – including some of the original research I did for the setting. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about writing for this fandom is exploring New York City (or, at least, virtual New York). It’s not a place I could ever live – it’s much too busy for me – but it’s been fun playing location manager from afar. I’ve also had a great excuse to look up all the fabulous schools in NYC, some of which have better websites than others, LOL.
This particular universe has brought us to Columbia, which might as well exist in a different universe from the ‘familiar’ paths of Julliard and central Manhattan that I’ve been treading with my longer work for this fandom. My characters have been equal challenges in this regard; since I decided to make Ryan’s roommate a theater major (at a university not known for its theater department), that meant I had to do a bit of digging. Turns out Columbia’s student theater is actually on the campus of Barnard College…which meant I had to scout a new location for the afterparty the characters are leaving at the beginning of the fic.
When I originally developed this idea, my own college campus was the backdrop, with its mostly-quiet, tree-lined, gravel-paved lanes. I loved the idea of Ryan and Stacy walking along under streetlamps, having a quiet and romantic conversation, etc etc etc…but of course, this doesn’t really apply to NYC, especially not NYC near Broadway :P So I had to switch gears a little, and go looking for a student hangout sufficiently close to Columbia’s undergraduate dorms, one that would let my story make logistical sense. That’s when I happened upon The Heights, with its bonus of hosting rooftop parties, under the lights of Broadway. That’s a pretty cool scene, at least in my mind, and I think it sets up the rest of the story perfectly. NYC is the city that never sleeps, so it would be incredibly easy to lose track of time on a Friday night, thus setting up Stacy’s dilemma with relative ease.
When I was looking at Columbia as the setting for the original story, I went to pretty long lengths for an authentic experience, including choosing dorms for my characters to inhabit, based on their personalities and social circles. According to the Columbia housing website, McBain is the center of the socializing universe, which sounds far more Ryan’s speed than Renee’s (and its one of the few buildings that houses sophomores, which I found surprising), hence. I also looked up the guest/visitor policy, which is, today, as Stacy describes in the story – guests have more leeway in terms of not having to have their host with them at all times, but they are limited in the amount of time they can actually spend on campus. I’m not sure how much of this is post-9/11 and how much of this is large-university-in-large city policy, but either way, it works (and it was different enough from my own experience that I felt the need to look it up).
The description of Ryan’s dorm (room, hallway, bathroom situation) is a mixture of the description given on the website, and my own freshman dorm, which was corridor-style, mixed-sex by floor, where we all shared a lounge and a set of bathrooms. My room was pathetically tiny (a Cracker-jack box of a room, really) and there wasn’t much personal space. Having a ‘system’ would’ve been pretty imperative, if my freshman roommate had any sort of consideration. (Funny how many demons I’ve exorcised in this particular universe…)
I think the tie-system I described here is probably pretty accurate to most college roommates living in dorm-style buildings. I knew plenty of people relegated to the uncomfortable lounge sofas for whatever reason their roommate(s) wanted them out of the room. Unfortunately, my roommate decided she’d have sex in our room whether I was there or not (or whether I was attempting to sleep or not). Suffice to say, I would’ve gladly taken the sofa if I’d been given the choice o.O
One of the things I wanted to do with this piece was contrast how far apart Stacy’s anxiety and worry drive them, with how close they are (literally and figuratively) the next morning. I wanted to do this mainly to have an excuse to write a piece from the ‘female gaze’ perspective. I’ve written a couple of these pieces before (example one | example two), but never outside IY fandom.
Gaze theory is something I find pretty fascinating, and one of those things that becomes really obvious once you’re clued into it. Basically, this theory states that the audience of a particular media (especially TV and film audiences) is forced into the perspective of a heterosexual man, with long, lingering shots of said normative male's desirous objects – including long shots or descriptions of the female form.
This is done all the time on TV (hell, that 'gaze' link goes to TVTRopes!), and Kids Inc was not immune. Amusingly enough, Stacy was often the object of this sort of random, male-gaze-oriented shot (example), especially in her later seasons as she assumed the female lead role on the show. This probably contributed to some of the shippiness in Season 5, and has definitely been the topic of discussion amongst ship-minded fans :D
The idea of a similarly-founded ‘female gaze’ exists, but is not nearly so apparent. It’s something I wanted to play with a little bit here, in describing the morning scene especially ~ kinda flip it on its head a little, and make the male the object of desire/affection. This is a reason why I decided that it would be Ryan who was shedding clothes, for example, instead of Stacy, before things got too carried away. This is a wholly new experience for her, but not him (as we’ll learn in the main fic), and I think writing from her perspective and having the chance to capture all of those thoughts and emotions is infinitely more interesting.
The final scene sets up the main story, as the two set their ill-fated plans into place. I really liked how this turned out, because I think it can be read on its own as a mini-cliffhanger, and yet, that sense of dread and failure is shadowing it as well – you know this isn’t going to end well, no matter what.
I really like the final product, maybe even moreso than the original oneshot. It’s been a lot of fun folding in my own experiences in large European cities with the feel and flavor of NYC, and I feel like I'm getting closer to writing believable and deep intimacy for characters I never thought I'd go there with, LOL. There is one more bonus scene on tap before this universe is complete, but that is a bit more familiar territory – Renee and Stacy having a sisterly conversation :)
The original inspiration song was “Halo” by Beyoncé, a rare feat indeed, considering it's already inspired work on a different series. I usually link songs with stories so strongly that I kinda "use up" whatever good feelings or emotions the song engenders in me, so this was a surprise, indeed =) Secondary to this was the new BEP single, “Just Can't Get Enough.” I hated this song when I first heard it, because, for all it purports to be a song showcasing Fergie's vocal talent, it does pretty much the opposite :-/ I've not been a fan of the latest singles from their new album, because there's so much distortion in the music. Fergie has a beautiful voice, but making her sound childish is doing her no favors. Then, I heard a live version:
And, yeah. I was hooked =) The more I hear this song, the more I love it. Taking a closer listen to the lyrics inspires suddenly romantic feelings, LOL. And, bonus - there are some good examples of the male gaze in the camerawork for this performance...)
BONUS SCENE #1: Temptation
Rating: Y / M
Warning: Language, sexual foreplay
Word Count: 4,682
Summary: Two weeks prior to the events in Secrets. Stacy spends the night with Ryan under unexpected circumstances, and learns more about herself and her relationship than she bargained for.
Inspirations: “Halo” © 2008 Evan Bogart, Beyoncé Knowles, Ryan Tedder [Beyoncé] | “Just Can't Get Enough” © 2010 William Adams, Allan Pineda, Jaime Gomez, Stacy Ferguson, Joshua Alvarez, Stephen Shadowen, Rodney Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels, Julie Frost [The Black Eyed Peas]
Link(s): FF.net |
LJ | DW | AO3All right, so. Though the original giftfic oneshot was an idea that I was incredibly excited to work with, it was surprisingly hard to actually write. Mostly, this was because I was basically creating a universe from scratch, and trying to write a short story instead of a long one. I enjoy worldbuilding, so trying to truncate it always leaves me feeling a little at loose ends. Quite a bit of the background that I developed for this particular story was left on the cutting room floor, for better or worse, and I’ve never been completely satisfied with the final product. So, after much consideration, I’ve decided to resurrect some of those scenes left behind.
This is probably the more important of the two, because it provides the basis of the original story – including some of the original research I did for the setting. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about writing for this fandom is exploring New York City (or, at least, virtual New York). It’s not a place I could ever live – it’s much too busy for me – but it’s been fun playing location manager from afar. I’ve also had a great excuse to look up all the fabulous schools in NYC, some of which have better websites than others, LOL.
This particular universe has brought us to Columbia, which might as well exist in a different universe from the ‘familiar’ paths of Julliard and central Manhattan that I’ve been treading with my longer work for this fandom. My characters have been equal challenges in this regard; since I decided to make Ryan’s roommate a theater major (at a university not known for its theater department), that meant I had to do a bit of digging. Turns out Columbia’s student theater is actually on the campus of Barnard College…which meant I had to scout a new location for the afterparty the characters are leaving at the beginning of the fic.
When I originally developed this idea, my own college campus was the backdrop, with its mostly-quiet, tree-lined, gravel-paved lanes. I loved the idea of Ryan and Stacy walking along under streetlamps, having a quiet and romantic conversation, etc etc etc…but of course, this doesn’t really apply to NYC, especially not NYC near Broadway :P So I had to switch gears a little, and go looking for a student hangout sufficiently close to Columbia’s undergraduate dorms, one that would let my story make logistical sense. That’s when I happened upon The Heights, with its bonus of hosting rooftop parties, under the lights of Broadway. That’s a pretty cool scene, at least in my mind, and I think it sets up the rest of the story perfectly. NYC is the city that never sleeps, so it would be incredibly easy to lose track of time on a Friday night, thus setting up Stacy’s dilemma with relative ease.
When I was looking at Columbia as the setting for the original story, I went to pretty long lengths for an authentic experience, including choosing dorms for my characters to inhabit, based on their personalities and social circles. According to the Columbia housing website, McBain is the center of the socializing universe, which sounds far more Ryan’s speed than Renee’s (and its one of the few buildings that houses sophomores, which I found surprising), hence. I also looked up the guest/visitor policy, which is, today, as Stacy describes in the story – guests have more leeway in terms of not having to have their host with them at all times, but they are limited in the amount of time they can actually spend on campus. I’m not sure how much of this is post-9/11 and how much of this is large-university-in-large city policy, but either way, it works (and it was different enough from my own experience that I felt the need to look it up).
The description of Ryan’s dorm (room, hallway, bathroom situation) is a mixture of the description given on the website, and my own freshman dorm, which was corridor-style, mixed-sex by floor, where we all shared a lounge and a set of bathrooms. My room was pathetically tiny (a Cracker-jack box of a room, really) and there wasn’t much personal space. Having a ‘system’ would’ve been pretty imperative, if my freshman roommate had any sort of consideration. (Funny how many demons I’ve exorcised in this particular universe…)
I think the tie-system I described here is probably pretty accurate to most college roommates living in dorm-style buildings. I knew plenty of people relegated to the uncomfortable lounge sofas for whatever reason their roommate(s) wanted them out of the room. Unfortunately, my roommate decided she’d have sex in our room whether I was there or not (or whether I was attempting to sleep or not). Suffice to say, I would’ve gladly taken the sofa if I’d been given the choice o.O
One of the things I wanted to do with this piece was contrast how far apart Stacy’s anxiety and worry drive them, with how close they are (literally and figuratively) the next morning. I wanted to do this mainly to have an excuse to write a piece from the ‘female gaze’ perspective. I’ve written a couple of these pieces before (example one | example two), but never outside IY fandom.
Gaze theory is something I find pretty fascinating, and one of those things that becomes really obvious once you’re clued into it. Basically, this theory states that the audience of a particular media (especially TV and film audiences) is forced into the perspective of a heterosexual man, with long, lingering shots of said normative male's desirous objects – including long shots or descriptions of the female form.
This is done all the time on TV (hell, that 'gaze' link goes to TVTRopes!), and Kids Inc was not immune. Amusingly enough, Stacy was often the object of this sort of random, male-gaze-oriented shot (example), especially in her later seasons as she assumed the female lead role on the show. This probably contributed to some of the shippiness in Season 5, and has definitely been the topic of discussion amongst ship-minded fans :D
The idea of a similarly-founded ‘female gaze’ exists, but is not nearly so apparent. It’s something I wanted to play with a little bit here, in describing the morning scene especially ~ kinda flip it on its head a little, and make the male the object of desire/affection. This is a reason why I decided that it would be Ryan who was shedding clothes, for example, instead of Stacy, before things got too carried away. This is a wholly new experience for her, but not him (as we’ll learn in the main fic), and I think writing from her perspective and having the chance to capture all of those thoughts and emotions is infinitely more interesting.
The final scene sets up the main story, as the two set their ill-fated plans into place. I really liked how this turned out, because I think it can be read on its own as a mini-cliffhanger, and yet, that sense of dread and failure is shadowing it as well – you know this isn’t going to end well, no matter what.
I really like the final product, maybe even moreso than the original oneshot. It’s been a lot of fun folding in my own experiences in large European cities with the feel and flavor of NYC, and I feel like I'm getting closer to writing believable and deep intimacy for characters I never thought I'd go there with, LOL. There is one more bonus scene on tap before this universe is complete, but that is a bit more familiar territory – Renee and Stacy having a sisterly conversation :)
The original inspiration song was “Halo” by Beyoncé, a rare feat indeed, considering it's already inspired work on a different series. I usually link songs with stories so strongly that I kinda "use up" whatever good feelings or emotions the song engenders in me, so this was a surprise, indeed =) Secondary to this was the new BEP single, “Just Can't Get Enough.” I hated this song when I first heard it, because, for all it purports to be a song showcasing Fergie's vocal talent, it does pretty much the opposite :-/ I've not been a fan of the latest singles from their new album, because there's so much distortion in the music. Fergie has a beautiful voice, but making her sound childish is doing her no favors. Then, I heard a live version:
And, yeah. I was hooked =) The more I hear this song, the more I love it. Taking a closer listen to the lyrics inspires suddenly romantic feelings, LOL. And, bonus - there are some good examples of the male gaze in the camerawork for this performance...)