Gilesficathon!

[kindkit]

Here's my Gilesficathon story. It's . . . odd.

Written for: Wolfling, who requested Ethan, a chessboard, a post-"Chosen" setting, no death or betrayal, and a tone that wasn't too angsty.

Rated R, very slight spoilers for AtS 5.11, "Damage."

Comments

[janedavitt]

Took my breath away as much as the cold did for Giles. Beautiful, insightful and very moving.

I loved this part

Ethan, Giles knows, has an odd sense of pain. 'Not much' could well have added new scars to his collection. Ethan had beautiful skin when he was young, lush and as brown-gold as pale honey. Ruined, now. There were scars everywhere, the last time Giles saw him naked. Raised scarifications forming magical symbols, thin traces of ritual bloodletting, round burn scars on his thighs and chest that have nothing to do with magic. One jagged knife wound from when Randall, possessed by Eyghon, tried to kill him; another, a few weeks younger, from when Giles tried to kill him in a fit of righteous anger.Sorry to quote so much but I couldn't chop it down. The idea of Ethan's scars being a visual history is very compelling somehow. it makes his younger skin seem boring in its featureless perfection

Re:

[kindkit]

The idea of Ethan's scars being a visual history is very compelling somehow. it makes his younger skin seem boring in its featureless perfection.

Well, I do think the change is something Giles regrets in this story, because he's seeing it as symbolic of all the ways Ethan is damaged. But you're right that Ethan's history is more complex and meaningful than Giles imagines it to be--hopefully Giles will come round to your point of view eventually!

Thanks so much--I'm glad you liked this.

Re: Pretty.

[kindkit]

Thank you! I worried that perhaps I beat the metaphor in with a larger mallet than was strictly necessary. So I'm glad to hear it worked for you.

[vylit]

It's not something Giles has wanted to think about: Ethan wasn't doomed, wasn't born with the mark of Cain stamped on his forehead. Believing that would be too simple, too self-serving. Ethan, too, has been caught up in consequences, in the chaos that they made between them.

I love this view of Ethan, the events surrounding the characters, and the beautiful phrasing you use.

*happy sigh*

Re:

[kindkit]

In canon, I think Ethan gets scapegoated a bit--he's bad, he (by implication) led Giles into trouble. So I wanted to think about what Giles' own role in the trouble may have been, and the damage Giles may have done to Ethan.

I'm so glad you liked the story.

[baked_goldfish]

For what it's worth, I love chess, and you've captured it and used its nuances quite well in this. I also love Giles/Ethan, and you did that well, too, but I don't think I actually had to say that.

This is a really wonderfully blended story.

Re:

[kindkit]

Wow. I'm just delighted that this story works for someone who actually knows a bit about chess. Because, you see I had to consult a chess website to find out how the pieces move. But the metaphor fascinated me so much that I couldn't give it up despite my ignorance.

Thanks!

[maybedarkpink]

That was lovely! You really captured the complexities of their relationship very well. Your imagery and word choice were wonderful thorough out. I love the hint of hope at the end. Excellent!

Re:

[kindkit]

Thanks so much.