Hope is the Thing With Feathers

[attiandherfics]

This is a story about Toby. And CJ and Josh, but really, it is about Toby. It is about flawed humans and the desire to both love and be loved. It is for searching of some meaning in a grey nothingness. It is of two Jews and a Catholic, whatever that means. It is of surviving, of not living, and finally, of dying. This is Toby's story, don't be

Comments

[raedbard]

Oh god. This is beautiful, sweetie. It really is. It's harrowing.

God ... thematically it's wonderful - all about fathers and children, from different perspectives, all exquisitely drawn and all as horrible (in the sense of experiencing their horror at death and separation and grief) as each other. All absolutely heart-rending. Josh's sections ... ohmygod. I think he would make such a great dad and to have this ... oh. It's just too awful. *cuddlesjosh*

I love Toby in his Walden-esque retreat and I love Josh on the plane - it's an archetype, I suppose, but you bring it to life really really well. And I love the horror when you realise what's going to happen to him and how it seems like awful poetic justice. And that English is a now-dead language. That gives me shivers, you have no idea.

And Toby and the little girl. *falls to pieces* Maybe it's because I'm trying to write Molly and Toby right now, but that hurts. A lot.

I love Josh dying proud. I really do. Because he would, and I'm so proud of him.

Standing, waiting for the

[thecolourclear]

Oh, I'm so glad you like it. I was worried. I'm always worried. But if you like it, then I'm ok. Or at least better.

And I love the horror when you realise what's going to happen to him and how it seems like awful poetic justice.
Poor Josh. That part was based on the episode where the President of Kuhndu comes and Bartlet mentions that he's begging with everything he's got, holding the country together with his own two hands. And all Josh has to beg with, because he's not the President, is the memory of his dead son.

I love Josh dying proud. I really do. Because he would, and I'm so proud of him.
Contrast that with Toby, who thinks there is no dignity, no honour, no pride, in dying, no matter how you do it. And then he goes and dies alone. Man.

That is a beautiful line. And there's symbolism in it I'm too stupid to decode right now, but I know it's there. I'm not sure about symbolism, but when you hear them both, they're both ... soul moving. Music, for Josh has always been important, since the death of his sister, since Roslyn

[173miss_t]

Toby, CJ, Josh..... hmm...

Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I've never read one of those fics. Because frankly I didn't know who/what they were about, etc... I think, however, I may have finally figured it out... Is it fanfics of The West Wing?

[thecolourclear]

Yes! Yes it is!
Er, they are. Er, whatever.

[173miss_t]

I got it WITHOUT reading the lj-cut link (they can't actually be seen in my colour code, an error I've never fixed) just from the names...

Hmm... I like Matthew Santos.... :o)

Here via Raedbard

[melliyna]

See this, this is what I was trying to do with mine - make a lovely, multi narrative piece that comes together so well. And it's so beautifully and poetically written too - I can just picture everything so wonderfully.

And Josh, *cuddles Josh* who is so brave and wonderful it hurts and CJ, who is so terrified (and it is terrifying to see her so helpless). Actually, when I think of a lot of this piece, I think of the WWI poets, particularly Wilfrid Owen - you paint the bravery, horror and hopelessness of the situation so wonderfully.

Re: Here via Raedbard

[thecolourclear]

Hi! I may need to go read yours ... do you have a link?

I know! Josh makes me so sad! And it occurs to me that I never threw anything in about CJ's daughter and Danny, but it would have just taken so much away, now that I think about it.

But thank you! ::snuggles::

Re: Here via Raedbard

[melliyna]

It's here, if you do want to take a look