But Then I Shall Know Even As Also I Am Known (Baccano!/Sandman, Vino/Corinthian)

[puella_nerdii]

This piece is subtitled "Fuck You Creative Writing Seminar," as I think I've broken pretty much all of the unofficial rules for that class here. So I don't want to write mainstream fiction. So take it up with the Corinthian and Vino.

Title: But Then I Shall Know Even As Also I Am Known
Author: puella_nerdii
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence. I am not kidding here

Comments

[mithrigil]

“The American dream,” he says. “You embody it.”

WHAM.

This is me, dead, on the floor and squeaking. Yes. Yes.

Violent--poignant for that. Not a drop of blood used untowardly. Or vitreous humor, as the case may be. The Gaiman shows through (mostly in the paragraph-length alternation) but there's so much you in it, so much of that motion that pervades what you do... Just. Damn..

And then the social commentary just. Yes. It rings so true, disturbing and true, perverse. (Also, HA, to humor him.)

Whoever prompted this has got more and better than she asked for.

[puella_nerdii]

And this is me blushing.

Am glad I managed to acknowledge Gaiman without entirely losing my own voice -- it was a concern of mine, writing this, because he's so distinctive and powerful. And the social commentary. Yeah. I had to, because Claire is what the American dream wishes it could be: capable of anything, able to take on any shape, boundless self-confidence and unshakable egocentrism. (And yes, you caught "to humor." *grin* I REALLY ENJOY BEING PERVERSE.)

You are love. ♥

[triggerbone]

I... Oh god, I approve.

He is a dream. This isn’t. is my favourite line for some reason or other but overall, this is the best-written piece of fanfiction I've read in ages. And two of my beloved series, too! Like Corinthian and Vino would stick to any writing rules, duh.

[puella_nerdii]

I am bright red now. Just so you know. *grin* And yeah, I like that line a lot, and the variations on it that appear, the whole idea of dreams given shape and power over the real world.

You're entirely right, which was one of the reasons this was so fun to write -- the places you can go with these two, seriously. Just.

[byzantienne]

Oh my GOD this Corinthian. I don't know Baccano! but this Corinthian, this is the Corinthian I got fascinated and obsessed with when I first read Sandman, in all of his justified self-knowledge and amorality and hunger. He's terrifying and compelling. His fixations are catching.

AND. the social commentary, the real sense of place and time and the weird psychotic hysteria that is America dreaming of itself, violence and destruction and hope all mixed up. Loved it.

[puella_nerdii]

The Corinthian's always compelled me, too -- admittedly the second incarnation more than the first, partially because the second had such a great dynamic with Matthew. But yes, he knows what he is and what he has to do and he does it -- he and Vino have that in common, and that kind of assertion of will over the world draws me to both of them.

Yeah, the commentary. *grin* Baccano! is set primarily during the early nineteen-thirties in New York City, but Vino's been all over the country, and the Dust Bowl. I couldn't resist the Dust Bowl, because it's the kind of atmosphere that gives birth to dreams like this.

Thanks so much for reading.

[byzantienne]

You're reminding me that it's been far, far too long since I read Sandman. /Matthew/. <3.

But anyway, yes! Willful assertion, and the utter self-assurance that because they wish it, that is how the world is. Scary-compelling.

And the Dust Bowl is such a fantastic setting. Have you watched Carnivale, ever? It's one of the most effective uses of that setting I've seen.

[puella_nerdii]

I adore Matthew. He moves among these towering figures of myth and he's just so grounded and human and real. It's a great contrast, and he's a great character.

I haven't watched Carnivale, though it definitely looks intriguing -- my school library might have it? I don't get HBO, so I miss out on a lot of shows I think look neat but just can't access. And, well, I do like Ron D. Moore. Most of the time. Except when he goes utterly off his nut.

[semiramis]

Love love love love love. Yes. So very, very yes. This amazingly awesome and true to both canons and. and. And there need to be more Sandman/Baccano! crossovers, don't there? I felt like something of American Gods was creeping in on the edges of this, too, which. Well, you take Neil Gaiman and cross it with Baccano and it makes sense that that could be one of the flavors that might emerge in the end, I think, especially with the angle you took with it. Which was awesome. It felt true to both canons, like I said, but it also brought something new to the table--created a new perspective (ahahaha perspective) on both--which is the ideal point of a crossover, I think.

Also, I saw all of Baccano! for the first time a couple of weeks back, and then I reread Doll's House a few days ago, and I was struck with a sudden gleeful desire to see someone turn the Corinthian loose in Baccanoverse. This has hit the spot perfectly :3 although when I started to consider it seriously the first Baccano! character my mind gravitated towards, given the

[puella_nerdii]

Thanks so much! And yes, there really should be more crossovers; I'd love to hear what all the respective immortals have to say to one another. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find American Gods creeping in with this, considering the subject matter, how a lot of this is about the American character and what remains constant and what doesn't. So glad you felt it was true to both canons -- and yes, crossovers should shed new light on both canons and recontextualize them, and I'm glad you think this succeeds in that.

HA no, Czes and the Corinthian really would be fascinating to see together, though if Czes thought Claire was bad...cue evil laughter, is all I'm saying.

[semiramis]

On recontextualizing--particularly, this makes me wonder more about Claire--I don't know if you meant lines like the "American Dream" bit to imply anything strange, but it's got me picturing him pulling a Spider on someone in order to pull off the lucky-orphan-adopted-by-the-mafia thing xD

And, on the other side of the Corinthian--it also makes me wonder exactly what was happening with Gideon in this era. The images of the dust bowl put me in mind of the wasteland we see in The Wake where Fiddler's Green used to be...

hahaha w-well actually um. Haha.

[puella_nerdii]

Heh. You know, I can see Claire doing that! And now you've got me wondering, too -- you're right, the images are similar, and we know he was wandering around for part of this period, and I think the Dust Bowl might physically pain him but that would be so interesting...

*sporfle* CZES IS GOING TO HAVE NIGHTMARES FOR ALL ETERNITY.

[lady_venn]

Hints of American Gods + Baccano! (which just got licensed by Funi, they'd better not mess it up) + Sandman (which I still really need to read at some point, damnit) + the violence being so damn beautiful and perfect and poigniant + the Gaiman-esque style = me in a squeeing puddle on the ground.

Excellent job. :P

[puella_nerdii]

Thank you! And am glad I succeeded in making the violence more than, you know, eye-socket violation. Which it is, but there's more to it than that, or so I hoped when writing it.

(AND YES. READ SANDMAN. IT IS POWERFUL AND WONDERFUL AND A FORMATIVE EXPERIENCE. Or it was for me, anyway.)

[lady_venn]

There is ALWAYS more to it than the eye socket violation. :P

(I've read the series of short stories (literary) that various authors did for it. Should really try and lift the comics off my college friends. xD)

[puella_nerdii]

Break my kekkai, and then rip out my eye,
Then please, just let me die, and say we'll never part!

-- wait wrong canon, but the eyesocket violation is so CLAMP...

(You should! I like the short stories you're talking about, but The Sandman's a comic series for a reason -- the images and how they're arranged add so much to the story, and there are little visual tricks in the canon that I just ADORE, like how Morpheus is always drawn slightly differently depending on who's looking at him. It's great stuff.)