FK: "Informed Consent" (PG) by Brightknightie for PJ1228

[brightknightie]

Title: "Informed Consent"
Fandom: Forever Knight
Author: brightknightie (Amy R.)
Recipient: pj1228
Beta Readers: Batdina and Skieswideopen; Cheerleader: Hearts_blood
Prompt: Nick/Janette "no restraints"
Lyrics: "Do the walls come down when you think of me / Do your eyes grow dim / Do the walls come down when you think of me / Do you let me in?"
Classifications: PG, ~2.5K words
Characters:

Comments

[pj1228]

Ooooh, you got to write for me again! :)

I enjoyed this story very much. The way you interpreted the prompt was very intriguing. I had something different in mind when I submitted the prompt, but I absolutely love the way you used it.

I like the humorous entrée ("How long did you lean on my buzzer before I woke up?") and the multiple layers of symbolism are very fascinating (the feathers, hair and paper, the medieval tale of the birds, the reading from the Bible). I was quite sure from the beginning that the hair would represent Lacroix before Nick figured it out.

I love this observation: "You hang over our feast like an ill-favored gargoyle, Nicolas".

The final scene is a nice reversal of Nick and Janette's first encounter. Very fitting to herald a new beginning for them without Lacroix's restraints.

Thank you very much for this delightful tale. I enjoyed it immensely and I hope it wasn't as exhausting for you as the last time.

[brightknightie]

You're very kind. Thank you! I appreciate your reading and your generous commenting.

I'm afraid that "Informed Consent" suffered by my computer crash the weekend before the due date, and also by my participation in overlapping ficathons (Rarewomen and Oldschoolfic). I have learned lessons about both backing-up and over-committing. (And, I must admit, I was taken aback when I received the assignment. As you and I have discussed, our views could hardly be farther apart. I must remember to allow for such additional challenges when playing exchange games.) In any case. I hope to re-write and improve it before taking it to fkfic-l or the AO3.

>"I had something different in mind when I submitted the prompt..."

Yes, I guessed that; I'm sorry. I supposed that you were seeking something more akin to a fulfillment of the "Crazy Love" exchange, in which Nick insists that he must control himself, and Janette counters that he need not with her. I'm afraid that's outside my scope. I spent much of the ficathon trying to generate a story

[pj1228]

>I'm afraid that "Informed Consent" suffered by my computer crash the weekend before the due date<

That must have been a nightmare, especially so shortly before the due date. I find the story complete as it is, but if you decide to edit, I'll be happy to read that version as well.

>And, I must admit, I was taken aback when I received the assignment<

I can imagine that was your worst nightmare came true, given the doubts you mentioned before participating in case this would happen. LOL. I'm glad though that one of the prompts clicked and this story evolved.

>Yes, I guessed that; I'm sorry. I supposed that you were seeking something more akin to a fulfillment of the "Crazy Love" exchange

That's quite all right. As I said, I'm delighted by the way you interpreted the prompt. It was very well done.

[larah33]

Once again, you bring this show to life for me. I love the way you incorporate the flashbacks as in the show, and your stories are always thoughtful, deep, and meaningful. Well done and thanks for playing again! ^_^

[brightknightie]

Thank you! I appreciate your reading and commenting, especially as your familiarity with Forever Knight is limited.

Thank you also for managing the game!

[amilyn]

This is LOVELY. I like the imagery and the feathers and the idea of peace coming. Excellent work, as always.

[brightknightie]

Thank you! You are generous, and it's so reassuring to hear that the story concept won through.

(I'm afraid that "Informed Consent" suffered from my computer crash the weekend before the due date, and also from my overlapping participation in two ficathons. Batdina, beta-reading, said that the story was fine given the timing and constraints, but that it has potential to be more and better. I'll rewrite and expand before taking it to fkfic-l or the AO3 if I can figure out how to make it all it ought to be. If you happen to have insights on that score that you might like to share, please let me know! If not, that's fine, too, no problem at all! I'm just opening the door... ~grin~)

Again, thank you for reading!

[brightknightie]

Thank you! I appreciate your reading, and your kind evaluation. I'm glad that the dialogue echoes connected.

All honor to "Partners of the Month" for revealing just how fuzzy and cranky Nick can be when woken unexpectedly early. :-)

[foxy11814]

I really enjoyed reading this! The riddle was very intriguing and Nick's thoughts on how to interpret his gift was very amusing. It's almost symbolic, I think, of how he approaches life. He's so unsure of what to think and do, what's right and what's wrong. I like that he figured it out before Janette had to tell him. I'm sure she would not have let him live it down. I'll be the first to admit, I usually cringe at fics where they play on the scenario of Lacroix being dead (yes, even ones that were set during season one) and how that affects Nick and Janette, but I didn't mind as much with this one, so that's saying something! LOL Again, great fic!!!

[brightknightie]

Thank you for reading, and thank you for replying! I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it.

>"...but I didn't mind as much with this one, so that's saying something!"

I appreciate that. :-) Perhaps this being a "missing scene" inside the boundaries of "False Witness" -- where Janette learns what happened in DK2 -- makes it less of a challenge to your preference on that score.