Explaining myself

[cornerofmadness]

Not sure where the pick 5 titles meme got started. Evil Little Dog told me so I’m not sure where it’s gakked from originally (and what a stupid word. I swore I wouldn’t use idiotic online talk in my journal. What is that even supposed to mean?). Anyhow, since I am lousy at naming stories, I found this to an interesting thread. It was hard to chose just five.

Hyperion’s Son - An obvious choice since a lot of people asked about it. Guess, we’re not as up on our Greek Myth as we used to be. Hyperion was a Titan and his name means to go before the son. This is one of the few titles I had before I started a story (I usually name them last. Heck I’d post them as untitled #56 if I could). It’s a title with layers. I felt Connor, one of the three main protagonists in the this fit the name Hyperion since unlike his father he could go before the sun. It’s what Angel wanted for him. And the hotel played such a large role in the series. It deserved recognition for being the home that it was, not to mention I was furious when it was abandoned for the sterility of Wolfram and Hart.
Touch of Grey - This story had dozens of names, none that really fit. I was only minutes away from sending it to the Warm Champagne challenge that it was written for, with a far less appropriate title that I’ve already forgotten. I was writing it right up to the challenge deadline since I came in on it late. I had the Grateful Dead playing in the background and there was Touch of Grey. I thought ‘wow, how fitting.’ The main protagonists, Faith, Spike, Connor, Holtz and Angel are all by their actions and nature in the grey zones, bordering on black. Connor couldn’t see in greys, to him it was all black and white and trying to see into the grey nearly destroyed him. I thought the title really touched the heart of this story.
Psychedelic Butterfly - For most of the time I was writing this, it was only known as Lowri’s Challenge since she was the one to issue it, the first challenge I had ever written in the Jossverse. It’s set in the funky 70's back when Ripper and Ethan and their friends were doing bad magic and good drugs hence the psychedelia. The butterfly is a symbol of change. In this story, under Ethan’s spell, Spike becomes a woman, much to his horror and Dru’s exasperation. Spike is the butterfly.
Jocasta Revisited. - I began this story before Rain of Fire. Sometimes ME telegraphs their plot twists with neon. This was one of them. Odd as it was, I thought Connor and Cordy had some chemistry and everyone was insisting on the show (and in fandom) that Cordy was Connor’s mom. I was never really sure why. She changed a few diapers and then left in the middle of everything to be with Groo. As if Connor would have known this. The only mother figure in his adult life was Fred, really (or big sister if you prefer). Still, the Jocasta imagery was readily available long before Angelus’ babbling about it (funny stuff. Too bad Connor didn’t get it) so I borrowed her name for this. The sequel Oedipus Wrecked remains sadly unfinished but someday...
Like Stone -  helps me name many of my stories. Out of all the titles she’s handed me I like this one the best. It’s yet another of my Connor future fics spawned out of my hatred for how ME dumped him. In this, Connor and Angel haven’t spoken for nearly 20 years. Connor absolutely refuses to do it as punishment for erasing him from everyone’s memory like he never existed. It lasts until Dawn draws him back into the family by getting Connor, the detective, involved in a cold murder case. Another WIP that I desperately want to finish (see, quit signing up for ficathons), Connor is still steadfast, like stone, in his cold treatment of Angel.

Comments

[aaronlisa.livejournal.com]

Heck I’d post them as untitled #56 if I could -- And so would I.

I hate naming my fics. I think the only title I have ever been completely 100% happy with was The Squareroot of Pi and the God-King.

oh and Cordy as Connor's mom... I can't give you episodes names, etc, but I just got that vibe from the series too. But it is something that can go either way, because even some of the Angel novelizations have either seen her as a mom or just as Angel's friend with limited attachment to Connor. (personally I think the real mom of Connor is Lorne.. now perhaps that's the lack of sleep talking but think about Lorne was pretty much with Connor all the time during the third season.)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we were supposed to get the mom vibe since they were trying (and in my case failing miserably) to make us believe in C/A as a couple. Angel would have wanted her to be mom. I can see why Angel and the others would see her as Connor's mom. What got me was that they thought Connor should have known that. He was raised to think Justine was to be his mom.

BUt your statement about Lorne, that had me rolling. Thank you. I needed the laugh. And you're right. He was the one who did most of the work.

[aaronlisa.livejournal.com]

Hey I am glad I made you laugh ;)


But I think you're right about Justine being more his mom than Cordy ever was. I did like the idea of C/A together and got really annoyed how something always happened to prevent it. I would rather they never had that tension between them if they weren't going to do anything about it.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I on the other hand hated the idea of C/A more so because Angel knew it couldn't be possible with anyone so why risk it. Not to mention that the constant meddling of Lorne and Fred to put them together was annoying but I had quit watching long before that. I was that irritated by S3

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

Im unconvinced they were trying to set Cordelia up as the mother in season 3, as if they were they did such a piss poor job of it, she babysitted him once and buggered off as soon as Groo showed up without giving the baby a second thought, and really why should she? He wasnt her kid, she wasnt upset when he was kidnapped cause the baby was gone, only that Angel's baby was gone and therefore Angel was upset

The mother thing from ME seemed to be a bit of a season 4 retcon when they knew they had to hide Carpenter's preganancy, and gosh, wouldnt Oedipus Rex be fun? Despite their total failure to set her up as a mother figure in season 3, cause yea, Lorne cared for the baby more, both in terms of physically taking care of and being emotionally attached to, and Fred was the main care provider for teenage Connor.

I also dont really accept cause Angel was romantically interested in her, that makes her a mother figure, Ive never considered any of my parents partners to be another parental figure, they're their partners, nothing to do with me.

So, um, yes, that's my unasked for 2 cents on that subject. :)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Thanks for adding it. And I agree. I think that you're pretty much right. I feel the same way. To me they really failed to make a case for her being his mom and as I've said many times, even if they HAD done it well, Connor would never have known it unless we're to believe Gunn/Fred told Connor all about it. I just can't imagine with everything going on that they would.