Fic: sad stories told in a language you can't understand

[starrysummer]

title: sad stories told in a language you can't understand
rating: pg-13 (violence)
character: pansy parkinson
length: 3300 words
summary: shadowed beneath her cloak, haunted by a child's last cries or sweltering in the athens summer sun as she looks back over her shoulder, pansy has magic. the world may be swathed in darkness, or it may be

Comments

[oolsock]

Wow. This is intense and makes me feel sorry for Pansy, in spite of what she's done. I love the banality of how she falls in with Voldemort here; it's quietly fascinating.

[oolsock]

Just to be clear, I think that Pansy's reasoning, such as it is, is banal, not your writing!

[starrysummer]

Thank you! :)

(and I figured that was what you meant. ;))

[hibernater]

That, was brilliant. It's like you took some unforgiving philosophy of war- shaped from personal visions and desires alone, and dropped Pansy- with her own set of desires, in the middle of that. One feels like she's a victim more than she is a participant, but only because she's not strong enough to weather the inevitabile falure, and that's a very complicated/dubious kind of morality. On the other hand, which morality isn't?

This entir fic is incredibly complex; you did a wonderful job; one could talk about choices, and causes, and insanity for pages, just based on what you did with Pansy's characterisation. I loved it. Thanks.

[starrysummer]

Thank you so much.

I love getting that sort of reaction out of people, since it's certainly the sort of thing I think of myself. It's so hard for Pansy... she certainly seems very guilty on the surface, I think. Not so much with the trying to rationalize what she has to do - everyone does that, with actions great and small - but with the way she brings this onto herself. But on the other hand, by the time she does that, she's already lost so much of what was her world. It was really interesting writing this, since what she does really isn't forgiveable - understandable, perhaps, but not forgiveable - yet I wanted to write her as somewhat sympathetic. There is something truly pitiable about intending to do right by those you care about and what you believe (skewed as it may be) and then getting in so far over your head in it.

[hibernater]

something truly pitiable about intending to do right by those you care about and what you believe (skewed as it may be) and then getting in so far over your head in it.

Which is what makes this war tragic- there are too many children involved, and they're all convinced they're right. Though what's really interesting is that once they knows the price she's had to pay, there is no guarantee they'd go back and do things differently, if they could. In a way it makes them more culpable, and in a way it's admirable.

Your userinfo says you don't mind being added to a body's flist; I like the way you see the HP universe a lot, so I'm going to friend you, ok?

Also, your LJ name addresses Sansa Stark, and that's awesome.

[starrysummer]

I have such a fondness for characters in the most extreme of scenarios, which I think is one of the reasons I really love writing in this fandom. You're right -- there's so much at stake for so many people who aren't prepared to be thrust into it.

Thank you! And you're definitely welcome to friend me. :)

Speaking of people thrust into things they couldn't handle, hooray for Sansa. Well, at least Sansa post-ACOK. It takes her awhile to grow up and grow on you, I think.

[expositionary]

This is gorgeous, gorgeous writing. There's something quiet in it: the raw bleankess is hidden under delicate sentences and you've woven in morality and Pansy's rationalisation so naturally that it's almost hiding. And the ending, with its echoes from earlier on in the fic; the haunting thoughts about Bellatrix and Draco -- I really have no idea if I'm making any sense, but I do have a word to describe the handling of the narrative: graceful.

I like thinking about and analysing what drove each of the Death Eaters to do what they did, and you've done a wonderful job of that with Pansy, here. I especially like how she's not quite sure of herself, even at the end, how you've gotten into her head, right into all of those second-thoughts and regrets. Thank you so much for writing this. ♥

[starrysummer]

Thank you so much.

I spent a lot of time going back and forth and trying to reconcile the beginning with the end, without making it too obvious where I was going, but going after that little oh! moment when things fall into place. I'm a little bit obsessed with finding threads and weavin them throughout the story, letting those little pieces hold together the narrative.

I love the idea of Pansy as a Death Eater. I'm not quite sure why, but I really like playing with the different situations that could drive someone like her into doing something like this.

Thanks again! ♥

[expositionary]

Oh, I love finding linking story threads. It adds that extra bit of gloss to a fic, for me, the knowledge that the author actually put care into that aspect, and the way it all comes together in the end. So know that it's never wasted. :)

[drusillas_rain]

beautifully done!

[starrysummer]

Thank you!

[gestaltrose]

I like Pansy, I really feel for your Pansy. The reasons behind decisions we make are rarely if ever strait forward and you have Pansy's reasoning, or many little reasons that somehow equal a large one, so well done.

Bravo

Rose

[starrysummer]

Thank you.

I really had a lot of fun (sadistic with fictional characters, aren't I?) putting her into a situation where what she did seemed like, if not the right thing to do, the thing to do.

[gestaltrose]

You did a great job. With your Pansy I can see her deciding that doing somthing, somtimes anything, is better than nothing. Still feel for the little wench.

Rose