Nevermore (PT, Mytho/Rue)

[dark_therapy]

Title: Nevermore
Fandom: Princess Tutu
Pairing: Mytho/Rue
Summary: Kraehe searches for her Prince, and finds all her demons waiting for her. This is how we love.
Rating: PG-13
Warning[s]: Raven!Mytho, twisted love, and some sinister and suggestive implications. Dark and nasty.
Disclaimer: I don't own Princess Tutu or the characters. Ikuko Itoh does. ^_^

Comments

[insaneladybug]

Oh wow. This is incredibly chilling, horrifying, and yes, dark

(Part 1)

[dark_therapy]

Wow! Thank you for such an amazing and indepth review! They're always such treats to read, and I'm thrilled to know this story left such an impression on you.

I really like the opening with Rue looking all over for Mytho and introspecting, and then occasionally delving into flashbacks that will be so relevant later on. Writing the flashbacks in present tense is a really interesting change of pace, too!

I'm not quite sure why, but writing the flashbacks in the present-tense was a very quick and instinctive decision. As well as differentiating from the regular narration, I just wanted to make her past, her feelings, and the people she used to be (the child, the amnesiac living a lie) as immediate and real as I could. I'm happy to know you liked it! ^_^

All of Rue's emotions are so gripping and feel so real: her trust in her father's words, her worry and horror over Mytho changing (coupled with her longing for him to change into someone who will love only her--the happy ending she believes in and looks for), and how she became afraid

Re: (Part 1)

[insaneladybug]

I definitely got the "immediate" vibe from the flashbacks. It was a very good decision!

I was never quite sure whether Rue actually did move in with Mytho, but she certainly was over there a lot. I always wondered how she managed to do that, especially since in episodes 19 and 23 she was in the hall and opened the door to Mytho's room, rather than just teleporting inside it. You'd think someone would have caught her breaking the rules and being in the boys' dorm so much. Unless they only didn't because Drosselmeyer didn't want them to, LOL.

Yeah, I guess maybe the part with Raetsel could have been cut, but I'm glad it stayed! I liked the added elements it brought in.

I would like to see more fics about the pre-series childhood era. It would be very interesting!

Re: (Part 1)

[dark_therapy]

I guess I've always thought that she practically moved in with him at that point, though not in any official sense. As you said, she certainly spent a great deal of time there, and at all kinds of strange hours. And I think it's implied that she wasn't not sleeping in her own dorm room at that point too. But I never thought before about how exactly she got to Mytho's room without being noticed before! XD Maybe she teleported to just outside the room? Or was sneaky enough (and has enough magic) to avoid being noticed? Or maybe she was too admired for any fellow-student to report her? *ponders*

Drosselmeyer willed it = the answer to EVERY plot hole! XD

I'm glad you enjoyed the Raetsel passages! I'd really, really love to write some fics about the childhood era sometime. I find it such an intriguing period in series canon, and feel sad that there isn't more written about it. There's just so much to explore and a lot of character development to play with, and ideas are always knocking around my head

Re: (Part 1)

[insaneladybug]

I wondered if she could have teleported to just outside the room, or even have been so sneaky as to get in without being seen, but I never considered that maybe she was seen and the students just didn't want to tattle on her. Intriguing.

LOL. That should be an icon.

Oh yes, I would like to read more on Fakir and Rue as well. It's always a complete trainwreck when they're in the same room together. But anything on the childhood era would be a lot of fun to read. One of these days, maybe I'll write a fic all about Fakir and Autor's childhood meetings that I've mentioned several times in fics.

Re: (Part 1)

[dark_therapy]

I tend to assume that she teleported to just outside the room too, but the idea of the students knowing brings up so many possibilities, doesn't it?

There should be more Drosselmeyer icons in general, imho! XD

It'd be great to see more about Fakir and Rue; either their past or their post-series relationship (I always thought it was a shame that the show didn't have time to cover any kind of reconciliation between them). They've got so much bad history that it'd be great to read more about their childhood or them getting over the tensions between them after the series (assuming that they can meet again, that is).

And yes, I'd love to read about Fakir and Autor's childhood! You should definitely write that one! It would be great to read. :)

Re: (Part 1)

[insaneladybug]

Indeed! Very many possibilities.

I always wondered if Fakir and Rue could manage to get over their problems or if they would always hate each other. LOL. It would be interesting to explore. I know LunaSphere wrote them coming to at least tolerate each other.

I've been wondering if I could get it written! ^^ So far all I have is a few snippets of dialogue in flashbacks of other fics.

Re: (Part 1)

[dark_therapy]

Yeah, it would be interesting to explore. Their devotion to Duck and Mytho would probably bring Rue and Fakir closer in time, though I can't imagine them ever being close or affectionate with each other, but instead forming a quiet mutual respect. ^_^

Re: (Part 1)

[insaneladybug]

Yeah, that sounds about right.

(Part 2)

[dark_therapy]

Your Raven Mytho is absolutely perfect. You have such a grasp on his character and on how to make him so twisted, yet still clinging to the last threads of his old self.

Thank you, thank you! The last time I wrote Raven!Mytho was over a year ago, for my 50 sentences, and I enjoyed it waaaay too much. XD I'd always meant to write something longer and creepier involving Raven!Mytho since then, and it's an amazing relief to feel that I did well. I really appreciate that!

Mytho commenting on Rue thinking she could tear out a human heart is really interesting. I have wondered if in the end she could have really gone through with it, even though she certainly didn't seem to have any problem with doing it to Femio or thinking of Mytho doing it to someone.I think as far as the girls go, Rue was far too focused on the end result and so didn't seem to think of the sacrifices as living beings. Though she did look very unhappy and torn when he started pursuing Raetsel, which was another reason why I was interested in mentioning her. And as for

Re: (Part 2)

[insaneladybug]

I would love to see you write more about Raven Mytho in the future!

I agree on how Rue thought of the sacrifices. I was never sure whether she truly hated Femio or not, though; I kind of wondered if she was mostly envious of how confident he was in himself and how much he loved himself, because of how unworthy Rue felt about herself and how much she likely hated herself at times.

You definitely should find more ways to fit in raven folklore! That would be awesome.

Yes, the way you wrote the ending was far more chilling than any other way it could have been.

Okay! ^^

Re: (Part 2)

[dark_therapy]

Yaaaaay icon! ^_^

I'd love to write more about RavenMytho too! And of course more Raven folklore as well. I'd especially love to use the Valravn legend, considering all the transformations and heart-eating that takes place in those stories. It fits beautifully. *_

Re: (Part 2)

[insaneladybug]

**hugs icon.** amanechan made it for me. ^^ I previously tried to make a version myself, but it's not nearly as pretty.

Oh wow. I remember reading about the Valravens in the past, when I was researching things about the mythology in those countries. That would definitely make for a dark and fascinating Tutu fic!

**nods.** I don't know what she says in the English dub. In the Japanese she says, "You have an almost blinding pride. It's enough to make me hate you. You're wonderful." And it's the last part that really confused and fascinated me, as if she liked those traits in him as well as hated them.

^___^ I love the discussions too. I'm always wanting to talk about Tutu, but it seems like most of the time, the conversations with people never proceed very far. XD;

(Right now I'm working on a shorter Autor and Ahiru drabble set I've been planning for a while, which focuses this time on their thoughts during the scenes they're actually together in during the show. So far, there's no spoken dialogue. LOL. I may leave it like that as an

Re: (Part 2)

[dark_therapy]

Yeah, it'd be great to use the Valravn myth at some point. It gives so many ideas, and be great material for a dark fanfic! *_*

Let's see, it's been a while since I watched the series in either English or Japanese (I totally confess to loving the dub, though - it's sooo rare to see an anime dub of that quality!), I think in the English dub, she says, "What splendid confidence. What blinding pride. Enough to make me hate you." And then, in a taunting tone: "You're quite wonderful." It's pretty much the same, but her tone is definitely more dangerous and mocking here. It's so interesting to consider, though!

I feel the same about the discussions! I'm loving them. :D My situation is much the same: I'm still crazy about the series, and would some more indepth conversations about it.

And I know I'm a bit late to the party as far as your new Autor/Duck friendship 'fic goes, but I'm very glad you felt inspired to write it. It was a great idea. ^_^

Re: (Part 2)

[insaneladybug]

Ahh, interesting! Yeah, I don't think she sounded taunting in the Japanese.

(I confess that while I think Rue was generally spot-on, I don't care for a lot of the other character interpretations in the dub. XD; Autor in particular; he sounded so much more ... well, snotty, in English.

I'm glad you like it! ^^ I'm really happy with how it came out.

Re: (Part 2)

[dark_therapy]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, because while I agree that some of the voices were off (or inferior to the Japanese VAs), I actually really liked snotty!Autor. Maybe because I really enjoy the first ep in which he plays a big role, and how he's such a jerk. XD

I suppose it's all down to character interpretation, and which traits we (and the VAs and dub director) think are more important to emphasize, but I thought Autor's Dub VA really showed the "intelligence without wisdom" syndrome that Autor initially suffers from, then softened him a lot later with Rue and in the finale, so that his gradual change really came across...but this is a discussion for a whole other topic! We could create pages and pages if we kept chatting about it here, I think. ;)