I'm stunned and delighted at how very perfect you have both of their voices--of course G'Kar's, though I'm impressed by how different he sounds with Lyta than with Londo, how you capture late-series G'Kar and his careful wisdom so well:
The river will always carve a path into the rock; the hard part is to allow it.
But also I wouldn't have even said Lyta had such a clear voice, and yet you have it exactly, her sort of pained directness and plainness, like she doesn't allow herself any leeway in her speaking:
"I've had those kinds of revelations, G'Kar. Trust me. I'm not looking for more."
I so loved the comparison of Kosh and Londo and the similarities in their relationships--complicated and dark and ambivalent. And the image of her training to block out pain--and the horror that awakes in G'Kar--was so very resonant for both of them. I'm so impressed at how you show them understanding each other while not being at all the same, the hard-won bond between them that is empathy more than sympathy. Wonderful story, I really loved
I was starting to worry no one at all was reading this story, but then you came by and left this gorgeous and heartwarming comment -- thank you so much! Did I ever tell you I want to marry all of your comments and have their babies? They're always so thoughtful and beautifully phrased, and you have a way of making the kind of observations about phrasing or characterization that I could never ever come up with myself, such as how Lyta "doesn't allow herself any leeway in her speaking", which is perfectly poetic and rings perfectly true. Somehow reading your thoughts on a story makes me see the story through different eyes as well, which in turn makes the story feel that much more precious to me. Does that make any sense at all
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I wanted a post-canon Lyta who had grown and learned since she left Babylon 5, but still chose death regardless, without glorifying it but knowing it was the only way for herYessss, that was just the feel I got from it, that the story moved Lyta from what could be taken as a reckless, self-destructive act to a considered, conscious decision. It filled a definite gap in the canon--one I didn't even know I wanted, to be honest. That's the best kind of fic, IMHO
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Thanks so much for the encouragement - you're a sweetheart. *hugs* I don't usually get so bothered by this stuff; I realize I'm writing in a small corner of a small fandom, and knowing that people like you and maspalio are reading and enjoying what I write, is generally all that I need to feel good about my stories. Only this time it had been a while since I'd last produced something meaningful, and I think I hadn't quite readjusted my expectations to the "tiny fandom is tiny" thing, you know? That, and I still haven't heard back from the person I wrote the story for, which has me a little worried. Sorry for exposing you to a rant that really had nothing to do with you; I won't make a habit out of it, I promise. :)
How are you these days? I seem to recall that November tends to be a very busy period for you, work-wise - hope you're doing okay.
This is incredible and you haven't lost an ounce of your talent, in case you were worried. The characters are spot on and G'Kar has taken on talking like he's still writing his book. Which is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Highly quotable :
Happiness and sorrow aren't mutually exclusive
Lyta is very good as well. And there's action ! Well, a little bit of it, but I was genuinely excited when Lyta's cover slipped, and G'Kar was hit, and then -woah. It's a harsh scene, and it conveys real emotions. As much as I love character studies and dialogues, a little unexpected action (especially with unexpected results) always makes my day.
Not trying to be nice, here : this is the best Lyta and G'Kar fic I have read.
Thanks so much, I'm thrilled you enjoyed this! And very happy that you felt I hit the right note with late-series G'Kar's voice. The thing I fretted about most was capturing his lyricism without having him sound like a charicature of himself; it's a thin line between the two, and I wasn't sure I'd nailed it. I don't think I've ever gone so deeply into G'Kar's POV before, either. By the time I was halfway into the story, I almost felt like I was channeling him instead of writing about him. *g* Writing Lyta was harder than I expected, especially since we're supposed to see her as G'Kar sees her, which meant every explanation I wanted to give about her motivations had to be filtered through the lens of G'Kar's thoughts first. Also, late-series Lyta isn't exactly painted very subtly in canon, is she
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Comments 9
The river will always carve a path into the rock; the hard part is to allow it.
But also I wouldn't have even said Lyta had such a clear voice, and yet you have it exactly, her sort of pained directness and plainness, like she doesn't allow herself any leeway in her speaking:
"I've had those kinds of revelations, G'Kar. Trust me. I'm not looking for more."
I so loved the comparison of Kosh and Londo and the similarities in their relationships--complicated and dark and ambivalent. And the image of her training to block out pain--and the horror that awakes in G'Kar--was so very resonant for both of them. I'm so impressed at how you show them understanding each other while not being at all the same, the hard-won bond between them that is empathy more than sympathy. Wonderful story, I really loved
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How are you these days? I seem to recall that November tends to be a very busy period for you, work-wise - hope you're doing okay.
Reply
Happiness and sorrow aren't mutually exclusive
Lyta is very good as well. And there's action ! Well, a little bit of it, but I was genuinely excited when Lyta's cover slipped, and G'Kar was hit, and then -woah. It's a harsh scene, and it conveys real emotions. As much as I love character studies and dialogues, a little unexpected action (especially with unexpected results) always makes my day.
Not trying to be nice, here : this is the best Lyta and G'Kar fic I have read.
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