Being Human: Ausencia [Hal/Eve, sequel to Lonely Rivers] 3/3

[istne_pieklo]

Title: “Ausencia”
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: NC-17
Timeline: AU!future as shown in episodes 4.01, 4.07, 4.08.
Summary: To save humanity the War Child must die. Eve found a loophole but humanity isn’t as grateful as it should be. Sequel to Lonely Rivers. [Hal/Eve, side Hal/Cutler]
Disclaimer: Being Human belongs to Toby Whithouse and the BBC. Title

Comments

[non_canonical]

Is it wrong of me to say that I was hoping for an unhappy ending to this story? You built up such a beautifully depressing atmosphere, and such a sense of tragedy. (And for once the humans got a chance to kick arse.) I really couldn't have coped with an unfeasibly happy ending. So don't take it the wrong way when I say that you ripped my heart out there! T_T In a good way! <3 Well done for seeing the storyline through to the bitter end.

I'm glad Regus got a fighting chance of escape there. And Fergus went out in a way he'd have been happy with. :)

But Cutler - my god, I think you killed me with the way he faced it all at the end there. Not exactly quiet dignity, because that wouldn't have been his style, but his own version of it, at least. <3

And Eve. Stuck between hating Hal and her fascination with him, but at least coming to accept it. And still never knowing whether her actions actually made a difference. That poor girl never gets a break, in any of her incarnations.

Then there's Hal. Endlessly complicated, endlessly fascinating Hal. You do such a great job of showing all those facets. He had to die. It all felt so inevitable. And when, right near the end, he decided he wanted to live after all, I knew that he was definitely going to die. Because you're just a cruel author like that! ;) But it was still a real kick in the guts to see him coughing up blood at the end. That was the perfect place to end it, btw. <333

P.s. yay for the Mr Snow cameo! XD Even better, Snow showed that he doesn't entirely understand Hal after all. It felt like Hal finally getting some measure of freedom, or escape from him, even if the price was a bit steep.

[istne_pieklo]

Thank you, darling! I was really hoping to rip someone's heart out actually. XDDD The ending was always going to be very peaceful but very tragic. I actually changed it several times (f.ex. one of the versions had Hal and Cutler leaving together after the resistance had taken the palace; it would have been established that Eve's blood was the cure for the plague - I dropped the idea eventually b/c he'd drunk her blood so many times that he couldn't have fallen ill at all if it had any healing properties - but Eve would part ways with him, so when Hal would start coughing up blood, she wouldn't be available) but the very last sentence, in which he quietly discovers he is sick was always going to be there. I just like this idea that both Hal and Eve have seemingly finally made peace with everything including themselves and each other, and then - bang! Everybody dies. XD
I'm pretty sure they will all die. For all we know, even Mr Snow might be sick. XD But Eve might remain. Just because.
I love Regus! I couldn't kill him so maybe he dies offscreen. XDDD (I'm kind, aren't I?) And I wanted Fergus to get a more heroic death for a change. Well, without the betrayal part at least.
Cutler sort of ripped my own heart out. I don't why I love putting a Cutler & Eve scene into every chapter. They're like a brother and a sister who hate each other but are sort of stuck with each other.
I think the more I write Hal, the more I fall in love with him. XD He can be a real nightmare to write, but... Well, it's like that genius quote from Harry Potter: "You're going to suffer but you're going to be happy about it." That describes all of writing in general and writing Hal specifically. XDDD
Ugh, I need to write something happier next time. XD I killed everyone, where do we go from here? XD
I'm so happy you enjoyed this story! <333 It was immensely difficult and nerve-wrecking to write. I'm still rereading it and looking for flaws. >_

[non_canonical]

but the very last sentence, in which he quietly discovers he is sick was always going to be there - The whole of the last scene was just lovely. But that paragraph was just perfect. It's a fine art, knowing when you've said just enough, when to finish, but that was spot on. <3

even Mr Snow might be sick - I think Mr Snow has been *sick* for a very long time! :p I was intrigued by the way you had the disease make people's veins change colour, like Mr Snow's. Maybe he is going to die like the rest of them, or maybe he knows something the others don't. I'm tempted to ask you to write another sequel, but I know you're not a fan of that, and I'm not, really, either. I don't think it's a bad thing to leave a few unanswered questions (Regus, Mr Snow, what happens to Eve), as long as the characters don't just disappear without some sort of acknowledgement or resolution.

I killed everyone, where do we go from here? - Maybe you could write some therapeutic smut. A nice AU where everyone is alive and well, and shagging like rabbits? ;)

[istne_pieklo]

It's a fine art, knowing when you've said just enough, when to finish Oh yes. For me, endings are much harder than beginnings. XD
Yeah, I love unanswered questions. But only if that's the way the ending is planned to be, not if it's a tv-show canceled and not given a proper finale. XD But I love open endings.
LOL))) So the plague has a name))) Snow disease! XD
I actually have 2 ideas to develop for now: a more or less canon-based story featuring ghost!Eve and a cracky, light canon story about Hal and Alex. Don't know which one is going to get written first, but at least I still have ideas... Btw seems like the fic comm has completely died. They still haven't approved my post. :((
How's your fic going? XD

[non_canonical]

Cancelled shows without a proper ending are my idea of hell. But I adore stories that give me just enough resolution without necessarily tying up every single plot thread.

*jumps up and down with excitement* Two story ideas. Excellent stuff! I was starting to worry that the last few remaining people who contribute anything meaningful to this fandom were going to disappear.

It's a shame that the fic comm is apparently dead. But it was pretty much the usual suspects who posted on there anyway, so I'll still get to read the fic.

Don't even mention my fic. I officially never want to write Hal/Tom ever again. I've been working on it for 3 weeks, on and off, and have only written about 4k words. Normally when I struggle this much with a story it means that there's something wrong with the idea, or the structure, and I need to rethink it. Which might be the case here. Or it might just be that I have sod all time for writing it the minute. Between them, work and running seem to be taking all my time and energy at the minute. :(

[istne_pieklo]

Yeah, I'm worried about that too)) But as for me, I don't plan on leaving the fandom any time soon. ;) It's got a bit lonely but it still keeps me sane through all the work stuff.
Of course; besides, there's still AO3, but I just like the idea of a proper fic comm.
LOOOOL, then why did you start writing it in the first place? XD They're such a weird pairing. I can clearly see the chemistry but I have no idea how to turn it into something I could base a fic on. XD I don't know, maybe series 5 will miraculously convert me into a shipper but I doubt it and I'm not even sure I want that. XD
But I know what you mean. I had the same problems with Lonely Rivers (hence 2 months of writing it) and now I seem to have the same problems with that original trio AU I once mentioned.