geri_chan | 30-Day Fanfic Writing Meme, Day 4

4. Do you have a "muse" character, that speaks to you more than others, or that tries to push their way in, even when the fic isn't about them? Who are they, and why did that character became your muse?

Hmm, I guess originally Snape was my muse--I love both Snape and Lupin, and I write from both their POVs in my Snupin fics, but somehow it usually feels more comfortable to write from Snape's POV. Which is a bit odd, since my personality is probably closer to Lupin's than Snape's, but go figure. I can't say that he pushes his way into fics that aren't about him, though.

Onozuka probably comes closest to filling that "pushy muse" role. In fact, he and Kikuchi have kind of pushed Snupin and Petshop to the side, because I find that I have a driving need to tell his (and Kikuchi's) story, and I feel like I can't really stop until I at least get to the point where he fully commits to being with Kikuchi (he's most of the way there, but not quite) and reconciles with his family (nowhere near there yet). Oh, and of course this is all going to be entangled with a storyline where Onozuka, Kikuchi, Miyasaka, and Katou are all working on one of Mochimune's films, so I have a feeling this is going to be another epic-length fic along the lines of Unmasked.

And he does have a tendency to push his way into other fics. In fact, it's hard to believe since Kikuchi/Onozuka is now my OTP, but having Onozuka flirt with Kikuchi in Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2) was almost an afterthought! But looking back, I wrote in the afterword: Btw, originally it was going to be Asano who wanted to use Kikuchi for "practice," but it seemed out of character for him. I could picture him being calculating and wanting to have sex with a man to gain enough experience to seduce Iwaki later, but he wouldn't lose control enough to let Iwaki's name slip out in bed unless he was drunk, and again, I didn't think he would let his guard down enough to get drunk with Kikuchi. However, it would be in character for Miyasaka to get drunk and do something impulsive, so it wound up being him instead, which worked out better and allowed me to involve Onozuka, too.

Actually, when I first read the manga chapters involving Onozuka and Miyasaka, I was toying with the idea of shipping them together, but Ono and Kikuchi clicked together so well that soon I couldn't imagine pairing them off with anyone else. So you could say that he not only pushed his way into the fic, but pushed himself into a pairing and started off an entire series about himself--you can't get much more pushy than that! ^_^

He also pushed his way into a few fics that weren't really about him. I can't say that I was actively trying to keep him out, but somehow I find myself writing about him even when the main focus is on someone else. Valentine's Day Surprise was supposed to be a little holiday ficlet for Iwaki and Katou, but Onozuka had to show up and not only make some snarky comments, but save the day when Katou's attempt to make Valentine's Day chocolate for Iwaki failed. He also showed up obliquely in Substitute, my Asano/Urushizaki fic--Urushizaki mentions Onozuka as a possible paparazzi target, and he and Asano joke about Onozuka's princely reputation by dubbing him "the Ice Prince." He also makes a cameo in another Iwaki/Katou fic, Birthday Surprise, where he makes a few typically affectionate but cutting remarks to Katou.

In fact, out of the 29 Haru fics I've written, I think there are only two where there is no mention of Onozuka: Kentucky Fried Christmas and Dreams. So yes, I guess I have to say that Onozuka is my muse! *smooches him*

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