Temporal paradoxes

[spatz]

It's always terribly disconcerting to find that favorite fictional characters are younger than you.

For instance, Elizabeth Bennett was 20 in Pride and Prejudice. Miles Vorkosigan was 23 in Brothers in Arms when he managed to talk his clone out of 17 years of assassin training (bless his heart). Veronica Mars was 16/17 when her best friend was murdered, Aang is 12 and expected to save the world in less than a year with almost no training, Smallville's Clark Kent started out as a 14 year-old who just found out he was a super-powered alien, reboot Jim Kirk is barely 25 and captain of a starship with hundreds of people in his care, Buffy was 16 and knew she was going to die, Harry Potter willingly sacrifices himself at 17.

When you're a teenager, all this seems quite natural and fun, and it's often not unbelievable as an adult, but it takes on certain wistful, heartbreaking aspect when you're 22 and comparing life stories.

Comments

[jaydeyn-sitari.livejournal.com]

Blimey. That is a bit scary when you think about it. o.0

Aang is 12!? I really have to actually watch that show.

:)
Jaydeyn

[thespatz.livejournal.com]

Well, technically he's 112. *g* But, yeah, biologically/mentally 12, poor sweetheart.

It's an AWESOME show, though, you should totally watch it! When I started, I marathoned the first two seasons in two days, and third season couldn't come fast enough. It's really rewarding in terms of story arcs and character development, with tons of fun banter and gorgeous animation and clever action sequences and awesome ladies along the way. All the characters are amazing, and if you don't fall hard in love with Zuko I will eat my keyboard.

[jaydeyn-sitari.livejournal.com]

Heh, well it's on the After My Thesis Is In list!!

:D
Jaydeyn

[book-of-calm.livejournal.com]

When I first loved Gundam Wing (and a few other anime shows), the characters were just slightly older than I was. It is getting stranger and stranger to see the ages of characters I like, given my fondness for YA novels. There was a bit in a book I read recently where a thirteen-year-old was super embarrassed to still be a virgin. Being a highly trained secret government agent does not trump being thirteen! What is this? Seriously.

Sometimes I think that I'm too old to save the world now. Twenty-three is over the hill, right? And I probably have better self-preservation instincts than a lot of teenagers. :P

[thespatz.livejournal.com]

So, just a minor delay, then? ;)

[thespatz.livejournal.com]

And I probably have better self-preservation instincts than a lot of teenagers.

*shakes head sadly* You'll never make a good hero if you're sensible and stuff. It's in the handbook.

[book-of-calm.livejournal.com]

It's not that I don't do incredibly stupid and potentially harmful things a few times a week, it's that I don't do them on purpose.

Plus, I've never been able to make up my mind on what song to play during my inevitable training montage. Dealbreaker!

[jaydeyn-sitari.livejournal.com]

30th October. OMG TWO MONTHS! *panics and writes, writes, writes*

:)
Jaydeyn

[thespatz.livejournal.com]

I am so, so sorry. I had many friends who wrote theses this spring, and I offer you any support I can give in your time of insanity.

[thespatz.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. That makes you a good potential sidekick, though! How are your wisecracking skills? Are you a devoted friend and/or do you have homoerotic tension with anyone?

I never could figure that one out, either. But that's why there's a music department!