I don't define "in character" the same way you do, but it's not at all important. I adore tumor!fic and have read it about forty million times. By my definition of "in character" it's not, but there is not just one definition of that term.
When I talk about being "in character," I mean, "being similar to how they were on the show, similar enough that you recognize them, that they walk and talk and fuck and sound like themselves."
There is another definition, which is along the lines of "believable growth, or change that is accounted for in the story." When I talk about fan fiction being "in character," I'm referring to the first definition. That's because *for me*, when I read fan fiction, I prefer to feel like I'm seeing new episodes of the show, not "fiction inspired by the characters and/or plot and/or setting and/or dynamics of the show."
Tumor!fic, to me, is not consistent with the characters as we saw them, and even if the events in the fic could be used to explain that, there has still been enough character growth/change that they don't "feel" like canon Brian and Justin to me anymore.
I still love the story. It still has TONS of the dynamic we all fell in love with, it's extremely well written, and it's loaded with emotional impact.
But it doesn't meet that first definition of "in character" for me.
There is yet another definition of "in character." Justin used it himself in S3, when Brian sacrificed everything to bring down Stockwell and he said it was "so out of character" for Brian. What he meant is, it was an unusual thing for Brian to do.
Many people use that definition of "in character": Would the character plausibly do something? They aren't at all concerned with the tone and rhythm of the way a character walks or talks, nor are they working on having the story "feel" like an episode of the show. They are trying to craft a plot and character development that would be plausible for the character.
All these things are perfectly valid interpretations of "in character." I still feel pretty strongly, and apparently the author agrees, that Brian in Myrna's fic is not "in character." She really did change him.
And there's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't mean the fic sucks or you we can't enjoy it. I certainly do. It's one of the few fics I have on my Kindle, LOL.
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I don't define "in character" the same way you do, but it's not at all important. I adore tumor!fic and have read it about forty million times. By my definition of "in character" it's not, but there is not just one definition of that term.
When I talk about being "in character," I mean, "being similar to how they were on the show, similar enough that you recognize them, that they walk and talk and fuck and sound like themselves."
There is another definition, which is along the lines of "believable growth, or change that is accounted for in the story." When I talk about fan fiction being "in character," I'm referring to the first definition. That's because *for me*, when I read fan fiction, I prefer to feel like I'm seeing new episodes of the show, not "fiction inspired by the characters and/or plot and/or setting and/or dynamics of the show."
Tumor!fic, to me, is not consistent with the characters as we saw them, and even if the events in the fic could be used to explain that, there has still been enough character growth/change that they don't "feel" like canon Brian and Justin to me anymore.
I still love the story. It still has TONS of the dynamic we all fell in love with, it's extremely well written, and it's loaded with emotional impact.
But it doesn't meet that first definition of "in character" for me.
There is yet another definition of "in character." Justin used it himself in S3, when Brian sacrificed everything to bring down Stockwell and he said it was "so out of character" for Brian. What he meant is, it was an unusual thing for Brian to do.
Many people use that definition of "in character": Would the character plausibly do something? They aren't at all concerned with the tone and rhythm of the way a character walks or talks, nor are they working on having the story "feel" like an episode of the show. They are trying to craft a plot and character development that would be plausible for the character.
All these things are perfectly valid interpretations of "in character." I still feel pretty strongly, and apparently the author agrees, that Brian in Myrna's fic is not "in character." She really did change him.
And there's nothing wrong with that. It doesn't mean the fic sucks or you we can't enjoy it. I certainly do. It's one of the few fics I have on my Kindle, LOL.