curious question about the YW pairings

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

I've just finished Wizards At War and loved the book. I've been reading the series on and off over the last five years, getting A Wizard Alone, Wizard's Holiday and Wizards At War in the last couple of months, although I started reading So You Want To Be A Wizard back in 2003.

Diane brings up the pairing issue quite subtly compared with other writers writing about adolescent main characters.

In WaW, she addressed the relationship between Dairine and Roshaun as 'something there, but not quite yet' - with the acknowledgement that they're both immature and have some emotional growing up to do before they're anywhere near ready for a relationship. However, the connection is quite clearly there and was addressed by both him, her, and his parents - along with the various nudges and winks by Carmela and the way Nita noticed Dairine's interactions with Roshaun differing from Dairine's usual attitude.

The pairing that most interests me is actually Kit/Nita. Diane has mentioned the issue several times, usually from Nita's POV regarding boys, growing up, the way her relationship with Kit is viewed by her parents (at first) and their peers at school, plus her looking up the manual's comments on wizardly partnerships.

I know that Nita's attraction to Ronan is more obviously played upon in the series, but I'm also wondering about the Kit/Nita setup, the fact that they're wizarding partners, and that the books are always about them and their friendship, with hints that there might be more.

I guess I also came across a number of cues in WaW. Kit was almost always watching Nita and consulting with her - which, granted, is what he always does. Only this had more of a 'personal' aspect to it: he had a fairly frank discussion with Nita about Ronan, while he and Ronan shared some sympathy over 'Callahan women'. But at the end, he also commented on how she was hugging everyone but him (after which Nita gives him a really hard hug), and when he meets up with the sheepdog in the final chapter of the book, it's implied that Nita's the person waiting for him at the corner. (That's what I gained from it, anyway.)

I notice that a lot of people like Nita/Ronan or Nita/LonePower on this community. I guess I was just wondering if there are any Kit/Nita fans out there and how they view the friendship/relationship/partnership between our two main protagonists.

Comments

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I am a huge Nita/Kit 'shipper and believe they are destined to grow up and get married and have cute trilingual wizardly babies and fight the LP together lots. :D Since you ask.

On the other hand, I didn't feel that W@W was really that 'shippy N/K wise. Because the books really are about their friendship, and I would hate to see that downplayed in any way. Kit looks to Nita, and vice versa, because they're best friends - not because they're attracted to one another (although they so are. Short skirt in Dilemma, anyone?). And to some extent that's a reason I don't think we'll ever see Nita/Kit in canon, because it would almost devalue the really wonderful friendship they have, you know?

it's implied that Nita's the person waiting for him at the corner.

Definitely. *hearts the babies*

Mind you, I also adore to read Nita/LP.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was that overtly shippy myself, but I felt the cues pointed a little more in that direction than, say, any of the other books.

And I agree that the books are completely about their friendship and wizardly partnership (plus, I think they're a little young to be getting into the whole 'true love forever' mentality - a huge issue I have with the way a lot of HP fans view romance).

I was just wondering if there were other Kit/Nita fans.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

:) As you can see, there are plenty! :D

[paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com]

... Cute trilingual wizardly babies for the WIN.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

*snicker* hm, someone should write that...

[paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I keep having to remind myself "chosen, not born, chosen, not born..."

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

But genetically influenced.

Wizardry comes to Nita's family through her father's side of the family, remember!

[paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com]

I do remember. But - what would a baby's Oath be?

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

babies taking Oaths! *temporarily dead of squee & cute*

Okay, so maybe actual baby wizards would be frightening. BUT babies speaking Speech to their parents! & then all growing up to be wizards! It could happen! The Concordance says there are wizarding families!

Plus, Nita's family has "considerable talent in [their] line." Good genes!

[paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com]

Oh, God. Actual baby wizards would be terrifying. But worse - what if one (or all!) of their kids WASN'T? The only non-wizard in a family of wizarding geniuses? ACK. But interesting...

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I want you to know that I actually had a moment of "OMG POOR NITA & KIT'S NONWIZARDING KID" and became highly distressed on their behalf. The poor thing!

[fantwurm.livejournal.com]

Even if the kids aren't wizards, they could end up like Mella, fluent in the speech in a wizarding household. That would make for a few books in itself.

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

Totally. Especially as 'Mela has proven herself to be a fantastic addition to the cast, don't you think? I love seeing people who are aware of wizardry but not wizards, and there are supposed to be lots of species off-earth who understand the Speech without being wizardly necessarily.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

I guess I was more thinking of the potentiality for their kids to become wizards.

[paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. Their kids would definitely be wizards eventually. But baby wizards are more fun to think about.

[moggymania.livejournal.com]

I'll be in the minority. ;) I much prefer the friendship of Nita/Kit as a mature relationship form in itself far over any of the more overtly teenage-raging-hormone stuff that's been developing between other character pairs. That's likely because I never found the gawk-and-grope thing appealing even when I was a teen -- I always did like the idea more of falling in love with a best friend, and having whatever went beyond that (like sexualized affection) kept to oneself.

I keep getting Ronan and Roshaun mixed up because of the faint similarity in their names...hey, I'll vote for them being a couple instead. Makes more sense than some of the pairings I've heard people come up with. ;o)

I *really* can't see the appeal of pairing anyone with the Lone Power, though...that earns a WTF in my book. I'm not in favor of the whole "good woman redeems a bad boy type" or "bad boy corrupts the inexperienced woman" motif, though. Way too retro-sexist for my tastes. :)

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, another not-fan of the Lone Power. I really don't see the attraction of pairing him (or her) up with any of the wizards. (Other than the fact that he's good looking, which is part of his name and who he is, after all: "Fairest and fallen.")

Then again, I don't get the hate-sex thing in my more adult fandoms, either.

One thing that gives me a dash of hope for Kit/Nita is that in 'The Wizard's Dilemma' and 'A Wizard Alone', we discovered that Nita's parents were friends for ages before they started going out, and got married. To some degree, I think that's very apt for Kit and Nita themselves - the friendship first, then romance (possibly).

I'm happy with them as friends for sure, either way. I just...like the idea of them growing into a romantic couple - when they're a few years older, of course - and how it might happen.

[oop-ack-chee.livejournal.com]

I write Nita/LP more to explore the relationships between enemies than anything. I think it's very intriguing the way they can interact almost peacefully; the way that Nita understands the Lone Power and even sympathizes with him on some level, and the way he thinks he understands her but, in the way of "higher beings" everywhere, doesn't truly understand the complexities of the creature that he helped to create. They can talk to each other, understand each other's motives, but in the end they're still enemies because they have to be.

Anyway, that's my two cents as to the Nita/LP thing. =3

[expositionary.livejournal.com]

I keep getting Ronan and Roshaun mixed up because of the faint similarity in their names...hey, I'll vote for them being a couple instead.

*falls over dead from laughing*

I don't see the appeal of LP pairings, either. I've never been much of a fan of the love/hate relationship. I suppose I could read it, but only if it was done incredibly vaguely & lyrically; I suppose I see the Lone Power more as a "force" than as a "person", anyhow, so it would be bizarre reading about him in a pairing.

[cassandraraven.livejournal.com]

I really love the Kit/Nita relationship, romantic or not - but I think there are definitely hints toward their potential romantically. I think Diane said something along the lines of she didn't see them that way, yet, though. I'd love to see the Kit/Nita friendship gradually growing into something more in canon. Even if it doesn't quite get resolved in canon, it would be nice to show them on that path, anyway.

[dawnfirenight.livejournal.com]

I've always been a Nita/Kit shipper, ever since The Wizard's Dilemma (mostly because before that, I was too young to have an interest in shipping characters). I really think they'd make a wonderful couple.

However, like others have said, I want it to happen gradually - a development from best friendship into something more.

[nikolche.livejournal.com]

Nita/Kit is my favourite possibly-canon-eventually pairing. It's that whole "best friends who get it WAY after everyone else has" deal that gets my sappy romantic self all worked up.

That said...I really hope DD doesn't do the teen romance deal. There's no need for it, Nita and Kit are great they way they are. Just keep them alive for now, they can do the whole relationship thing when they get older.

Y'know, unless by some amazing off chance DD decides to write Ronan/Kit into canon. Because that would just be awesome.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_rednovember/]

Nita/Kit was my first ship in this fandom and probably OTP although I dabble in a LOT of other ships because I like keeping an open mind.

I didn't notice so much the shippyness (if any) in WaW but you do make a good argument there. Then again, I read it quite awhile ago so perhaps I'll pick it up again and see what I missed.

They are adorable. XD

[adiva_calandia]

I am so conflicted about who to ship Nita with. *grin* Mostly, I have trouble seeing Nita with anyone. She's just too busy saving the world to have time for a real relationship.

Thus, I second (or possibly third or fourth) the people who want DD to hold off on any Nita/Kit. I like them as best friends. Romance has too much potential to get in the way of their working relationship. I mean, while it might add the extra motivation needed to save your partner, you don't want to go rushing through a wizardry so you can go snog. ;)

For some reason, though, I like Nita/Ronan a lot better. Maybe I just like Ronan as a potential boyfriend better than I like Kit.

[expositionary.livejournal.com]

For the longest time, I saw Nita/Kit in exacly the same way I've always seen Harry/Hermione -- they're just friends, dammit!. But then I re-read, and started thinking about it, and read fic, and was converted.

And to some extent that's a reason I don't think we'll ever see Nita/Kit in canon, because it would almost devalue the really wonderful friendship they have, you know?

This is actually something labellementeuse mentioned, but this is how it is for me, I think: part of why I love Nita/Kit so is because it's all in the subtext and the stuff that's unsaid. It's like reading every little interaction and thinking, oh, it's not written, but there's more to it than you think!

Again, though, even if Nita/Kit ever became canon, I think that their friendship is more important than anything else they might have.

And this is completely unrelated, but I'm not a big fan of Nita/Ronan at all. :(

[senri.livejournal.com]

I admit to being one of those people who occasionally pairs up people with the Lone Power. XD Mostly for the reasons oop_ack_chee gave, and because I love the sort of unwilling sympathy Nita sometimes seems to have for him.

I admit I'm less partial to Nita/Kit - I really love their friendship and don't want to touch it. In a way, though, partly... it bothers me how so much of the Nita/Kit romance in fanfiction is the be-all and end-all of the story, you know? There's no bigger adventure, it's just... hearts and rainbows and flowers and long walks on the beach and stuff. =/ I don't know. It's just, I think I would mind it less if it were a sort of natural outgrowth of another adventure, not the entire focus of the story.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

I haven't read much...or, really, any YW fanfic. Which is probably why I haven't developed an antipathy for the Kit/Nita pairing.

[senri.livejournal.com]

Sorry! x_X Somewhere along the line there I just got the idea you were discussing fanfiction pairings as well. Anyway, yeah, I think that's part of where my indifference for N/K came about: there was already a ton of fic about them, and none of it really stood out to me.

[seldearslj.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I didn't really make it clear I was talking about the canon rather than the fanfic.

[paxluvfelicitas.livejournal.com]

I am a complete and utter Nita/Kit sap, and have been since DW at least, if not SYWTBAW. I DON'T think that romance devalues the friendship that they have, because (at least from Nita's side) there's always been that hint of yes-he's-my-best-friend-but-let's-not-restrict-ourselves-to-that-hm? And Kit's been showing signs of receeding cluelessness as well; The Skirt and the uncapitalized-yet-still-awesome defense of Nita's honor are definitely not indicators of "just friends." So. I ship. I understand if people don't though; there are precious few fictionalized boy/girl best friends that don't turn romanitc somehow, and if you like that, it's understandable that you'd want the preserve it.

As for WAW - I don't think any of YW is ONLY shippy; the plot is always paramount, unlike in certain other young wizards series. *coffcoffHPHBPcoffcoff* But YW did definitely offer certain hints about Nita/Kit, if you wanted to see them. The looking, the extra-hard hug, the running to meet the unspecified person - all very touching, and great affirmations of the friendship. But you can NOT tell me that the "Callahan women" comment and Carmela's aside to Nita about being "hung up on" Kit are "friends-only." IMHO, Duane's up to something... Anyway. My take on WAW.

[fantwurm.livejournal.com]

Well, personally, I'm not sure I really want Nita and Kit to be romantic. I think it's fine having a friend and wizarding partner without being romantic. There's been no mention of Tom and Carl being romantic, though it's possible. That actually might be interesting.

[nessataleweaver.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. I think N/K was really my first OTP - although I didn't start actively shipping anyone until way after I first started reading the series.

TWD is the closest to actively 'shipping' them, but there's a ton of subtle hints in WaW, especially - like when Kit's all miserable talking to Nita about her kiss with Ronan. That's not a boy being uncomfortable talking to a girl about romance, that's Kit being uncomfortable talking about Nita's romantic life. And in WaW, when Nita's about to pull a kamikaze wizardry in the Crossings, her last thought is of Kit, not her Dad or Dairine or even if her Mom will be expecting her in Timeheart.

To be honest, I think the early story of Harry and Betty Callahan was told the way it did as a shout-out to how Nita and Kit will end up - whether we get to see it or not. I don't see a Nita/Kit romance for at least several years book-time - which could mean another 20 years in the (so-called) real world. And I'm fine with that, because their friendship itself is very satisfactory. I think Carmela's comment about Nita being hung up on Kit, and even Betty's comment to Harry (TWD) 'you don't have to worry about Kit' are indications that most people in the books think they'll end up together as well. (who thinks that Dairine and Carmela are running a betting pool?)

To be honest, I think Kit and Nita are already in love, but are both hiding from the fact until they're ready for it. For these two, it's going to have to be all or nothing - forsaking all others for life, or never being more than the friends they are now - which is no small thing, may I add.

As for fanfic? I've experienced some (read: tons!) of frustration there, myself, for much of the reasons given above. I think we'll have to wait a few more years for the bulk of the fandom to grow up a bit and improve their writing for the really good stuff. I myself, would love to see a fic with a normal YW-style plot, with a Nita/Kit romance running through it like a silver thread in a tapestry, along with dealing with some of the inevitable troubles of workplace romances. *sigh* I may need to write this myself. I'm no Diane Duane, but I'm better than about 90% of the stuff in ff.net.

Has anyone tried the myriad worlds LJ? The writing's a bit more mature over there.

[parapraxes.livejournal.com]

I'm probably a bit late here since I just found this community.
With that said..usually (with the exception of HP) I'm a fan of the bickering/opposites attract couple but not with these two. One of the aspects of their friendship that really attracts me to the possiblity of them falling in love is how much they care for each other. Especially in WAW (which is freshest in my mind at the moment) the concern they have for each other is most evident. Kit expresses his overwhelming relief when Nita reappears at the cave and Nita's "last thoughts" are of Kit. They clearly care a lot about each other in a deeply mature way that I think has a great potential to grow into something more.

So to answer your question, I'm Kit/Nita fan!