From Where We Stand

[elliotsmelliot]

Title: From Where We Stand
Characters: Jin, Bernard, Sayid, ensemble
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: Lost is not mine. This is what it would look like if it were.
Spoilers: None for season 4.
A/N: Thanks to

Comments

[janie_tangerine]

Uhm, okay, since I don't know what I should start with, I guess I'll go with sections? ;) though, first of all, great idea the one of having POVs of the three who stood at the camp.

Jin: really great insight into his character and very plausible speculations. In a situation like that (and Jin, you forget when you don't practice..) I could really see him being lost like you portrayed him, one could completely sense his helplessness. And his love for Sun just shone through it all.

ETA: I love that Desmond is the only one he can't understand. I don't know why but when I read it I started smiling.

Bernard: I think it may be my favorite by slightest. Apart from the fact that his colleague has really some guts performing operations while listening to La Traviata because I personally become an emotional mess whenever I hear it and that I love the song you chose for him to work on (and that I actually jumped saying 'Boone'! at the mention of the young man's voice on the radio), that piece was just blowing. Everything just fell into place,

[elliotsmelliot]

This started out as a post-defending the camp vignette and then each character decided to take it much further. As someone who has struggled to hang on to a second language, I could completely relate to Jin's problems. (Oh, I had to throw in the Desmond detail because I do know English-speakers who have trouble with the Scottish accent. Even I struggled a bit with accents when I was the UK this summer and my mum is Irish!)

Bernard's section came the fastest to me and his breakdown in the parking lot was the second time I ever got weepy over my own writing. My dentist always has classical music on and hates it when his assistants turn to the easy listening. I've been listening to some selections from La Traviata lately and you're right, it might not be the best to perform surgey under unless you are made of steel!

Sayid - I still think I could do better with him but that will just encourage me to try again.

Thanks so much for the detailed feedback. It always helpful to know what stood out for you.

[slybrunette]

I love the multiple POVs, especially from three characters I have never had the guts to take on. That gets you instant brownie points. And is it sad that the mere mention of Buffalo makes me smile (my hometown, which I miss too much)? Probably.

Sam helping Sayid...well everyone helping him to a degree. And I love this:

“Thank you for coming. I heard your testimony was, shall we say, illuminating.”

“I just threw all their crap back at them, for what good it did. It helped that the Aussies had a precedent for not liking me. I think they only let me back in the country with hopes you would torture me again.”

Excellent story hun!

[elliotsmelliot]

Thank you. I was really worried about this story because the characters were so intimidating, especially Jin and Sayid. I nearly cut Sayid's conversation with Sawyer because I worried it slowed down the story but I'm glad you thought it was worth keeping. Thanks for the great comments.

[bachlava]

I think I've already told you how much I love this whole thing, and in particular your Jin perspective. That so rarely gets explored (understandably; he's a tough nut to crack for viewers who aren't very familiar with Korean language and culture), but you do such a great job of it here. It's believable on the levels of character, personal history, canon and extrapolation, and cultural situation... wow. And Bernard: it's so easy to forget his existence (because canon often does), but this is a superb sympathetic portrait of a sweet, kind, affable, good-natured, and fundamentally weak-willed man. His grief, in particular, is very well observed, as is Rose's willingness to accept her own death for the sake of others

[elliotsmelliot]

I really appreciated you previewing this fic. I found it a huge help because I was worried about the whole thing but especially the Sayid section and terrorism plot. Having someone I trust look it over was a big help. I still think I can do better with Sayid which only inspires to try him again.

And it was so nice of you to comment after already sending me your beta thoughts. It's great to know which details stood out for you. All the men handle stress in different ways so I am pleased you found their reaction to their individual and shared crises realistic.

Thanks for being such a great friend.

[elliotsmelliot]

Aw, thank you. Writing it reminded me of Ebb and Flow too, the whole world creation thing, but it was harder since I was much less familiar with these characters. Of course, now that I've spent more time with them, I'm falling a little bit in love with Jin too, Bernard makes me cry and I just want to hold Sayid. I'm glad it left you wanting more, maybe I will have to do something about that in the future!

Thank you so much for your kind words.

[gottalovev]

wow, just wow. there is so much great insight on the 3 of them in this, it was fascinating. and I got to say that those 3 characters intimidate me so much, I am in awe at how you captured their voices.

the last line is perfect, btw. and it could be used for the three of them in a way.

♥

[elliotsmelliot]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I made a New Year's resolution to write for new characters. I don't know why I attempted three at once but I'm so happy you liked it. It would be nice to apply that last line to all three characters and everyone else too. Thanks for reading and reviewing.