FFXII Fic: Caliber of Consequences, Chapter 1: Penelo (Larsa/Penelo, Basch; Co-Author: Moontear)

[mariagoner]

I know I’ve been away for quite a spell, carousing and grousing about town with my special guest and neglecting my very gracious f-list… but I do hope you’ll all forgive me for that soon enough. I’ve spent much of my time either accompanying that special guest to tedious dinner parties or tearing my hair out while trying to do special projects. In

Comments

[intradependency]

....such a tease! You, you, not Penelo!

And this - not every pirating lass could count the Fran (as well as the man-whore she ran around with) as a mentor when starting out as a fresh-faced teenager. - made me very happy. :)

Any specific feedback you're after? This Pene strikes me as being quite a lot older than any other version you've written - almost like a mature, debauched, proud-of-it mid-30s. Very pirate-ish tho.

[mariagoner]

Before I say anything else-- thank you so much for reviewing! I'm not sure if it's because this starting chapter is genuinely uninteresting or if it's because of the time of the year but the volume of reviews we've gotten for this has been... a little dispiriting. So thank you very, very much for encouraging us to write more. ♥

Seriously, I like Balthier as well but... in a fight, who'd you be more afraid of? The metrosexual in tight leather pants and a puffy shirt? Or the 8 foot tall amazon warrior woman with teeth that can open a beer can from a few yards away? ;)

And ooh, feedback! Feedback is always so, so much fun. XD This Penelo was an interesting gamble for both Moontear and I to write so... I guess most of my questions are about her.

a) Does she seem like a logical extension of Penelo from the game, after a few years of hard living? Or at least, the Penelo from (say) Knots?
b) Can you see how she's changed just from the way she's interacted with Basch?
c) Can you ever forgive her for not convincing her 'Uncle' to pull off

[intradependency]

Eh, it's the time of year. There's been a significant drop in fic numbers as well. Interesting how things ebb and flow online. And as long as you and moontear are having fun

[intradependency]

Oh, yes, complete sense. :) I think there'll be so much fun with that basch-perception vs reality vs penelo-perception vs larsa-perception. Hmm. Layers and layers of pretending and performance!

[mariagoner]

Penelo's a born performer, Larsa was trained as one by his brother practically since he could toddle and Basch learned many things about masks from his brother and his dead lover.

This is going to be fun, yes.

[mariagoner]

Oddly, I rather feel as though (at least in the FFXII fandom), the number of fic being posted has held fairly stead. I'm not sure if this is because we're a small fandom and thus don't produce much fic anyway... but the same probably can't be said for other, larger fandoms.

And feedback! Yes! Thank you for giving this during such a number-crunch of a time period, dearest. And I need to sending you an email about our sekrit project. Oh god, it sucks we missed out on the April 4th deadline, however. But ah well... it'll be fun no matter what the date. ;)

a) Heh... it's true, this Penelo has far more of a rough edge than most of the others I tended to write. She's rather like every femme fatale that ever strolled across a noir screen... only with the ability to do her own dirty work. And I love love love what you have to say about Penelo going out of her way to establish herself as one tough cookie. I'd imagine (at least from Fran's demeanor) that the traditional work ethic of twice-as-hard-for-half-the-credit prevails as much among

[vieralynn]

Sorry to thread hijack but I now feel compelled to *cough* innocently find ways for Basch to have his clothing stolen in most fic I write from now on. ;)

[intradependency]

...there's certain threads that just repeat with some characters.
- Vincent's gotta have his shirt ripped off in anything I write of him.
- Basch has to get wet and naked. Proudly or humiliatingly.
- Balthier has to fall off his chair. Or fall over.

We really do like humbling/humiliating our men, don't we? ;)

[vieralynn]

Hehehe.

I just like getting Basch wet and naked. I swear he asks for it. And if he asks for it, it isn't humbling or humiliating him, is it? Really? XD

[vieralynn]

I'm bouncing in on this thus because ... yes, it is an interesting take on Penelo and an interesting set of questions you asked

[mariagoner]

Oooh, thanks for the heads-up on Basch's last name. It just... gah. It always trips me up, damn it.

And that note on Penelo's gradual evolution-- her still developing evolution-- into a proper Lady Sky Pirate of Fran's magnitude really intrigues me. Frankly, I think both Moontear and I really thought of her more as someone who had already evolved into being as suave as Balthier was back when we first met him in the canon game. (She's around his age finally, after all. Or at least the age he's willing to give!)

But this...

She's older and more experienced but there is something still very young about her. She isn't as smooth as she will eventually need to become. I'm thinking of all of her slips of almost saying "Uncle Basch" and there is something that feels helter-skelter about her actions rather than entirely confident. But she's a quick thinker and she knows she can charm her way into or out of situations. It is very believable.This is an intriguing idea that I think both Moontear and I can build on well... the fact that she's

[vieralynn]

Basch's last name == bane of my fic writing existence.

I love the idea you just put forth: that Penelo isn't yet the woman she wants to be. Yes, comparing Penelo in this fic to Balthier in game is interesting and very applicable. At age 22ish, both had been on the run as sky pirates; Penelo is clearly notorious as you & moontear have written her, just like notorious Balthier 6ish years prior; both are experienced enough yet young enough to be gritty and cocky. :DDDD