"Mortal Splendour" by amilyn (R, Pairing/s), for leela_cat

[amilyn]

Title: Mortal Splendour
Author: Amilyn
Beta-Reader: sure_i_am and batdina
Recipient: Leela_Cat
Prompt: Every vampire's blood is filled with memories. One partner's blood holds a memory that takes the other by surprise. Another century, another city -- starting all over again is easier when you find a friend (new or old). "I long, as does every human being, to be at home

Comments

"You are very confident of yourself." / "Of course. If I am not, who will be?"

[brightknightie]

I love FK's historical excursions!

Here, you make a very fine symphony of historical sounds -- shod hooves clattering, coach wheels rattling, fires crackling, shoes clicking, taverns competing, skirts rustling, and more -- to enliven the background and round the perceived world. It's a sense too often neglected, with much information to offer. I admire the sounds collected in "Mortal Splendour."

>"But when were women's shoes ever practical?"

This introductory element made me smile. Many elements of fashion help identify time and place, but impracticality springs eternal. ~grin~

Reserving the identity of the narrating "she" for so long at the beginning is an intriguing choice. I fell into my own trap of presuming Janette to be the leading female vampire of most any historical flashback, and so misled myself until Erica's revelation by dialogue.

>"And among their kind...there were far too many who took themselves too seriously. There were just as many who relished the control and cruelty power made available. Neither of these

Re: "You are very confident of yourself." / "Of course. If I am not, who will be?"

[amilyn]

I know you love the historicals, and hoped you'd enjoy this one

Re: "You are very confident of yourself." / "Of course. If I am not, who will be?"

[brightknightie]

>"I also didn't have anyone in mind for the 1665 victim, though in my head, he is a vampire and male...but now I'm thinking it was the vampire who brought Erica across. :-)"

And there you create something else we would all have enjoyed, but which Erica's self-destruction cheated us of: a conversation between her and Nick about taking the most extreme action to free oneself of someone who thinks he owns you (and presumably in both cases advocates a bathe-in-flesh-and-blood vampirism, rather than any version of a moral existence). Had Nick somehow bumped into her in Toronto and managed to head off her suicide, perhaps he would have confided about Lacroix, and...

(Which reminds me that I have still not completed the flashbacks for the story I wrote for Havoc for Fandom Stocking this January, in which Janette intervenes to save Erica. I meant to add flashbacks to make it truly complete before posting it to fkfic-l and archiving it; how has it been seven months already? Ah, well.)

Thank you again for all your work.

[amilyn]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and felt the characters were in character!

[amilyn]

Awww...that is sweet of you to say!

[greerwatson]

Your mention of gas street lighting pushes the first encounter of Nick and Erica rather later than I had imagined; but, of course, we were never told exactly when the flashback in "Last Act" took place. I love your description of fashionable shoes-and yes, I noted the comparison between clothes in the two periods, both shoes and skirts.

I also noted the parallels between the scenes in the two periods: both open after a visit to the theatre; in both Erica meets a fellow theatre-goer; in both she finishes the night in the other vampire's rooms. (Of course, her liaison with Nick appears to have lasted rather longer than the few days with Janette.)

One cannot help but compare the Erica of your story, in both periods, with the woman who decided she had lived eternity for long enough, and stayed out to see the sun rise. A sad end, I think, for one who clearly loved life so. But you clearly show how-unlike Janette, who values human culture for what she takes from it-Erica valued humanity for its own sake.

[amilyn]

The encounter we saw of Nick and Erica is so fuzzy in terms of time period, and when I did my research on gas lights, the FK Timeline, and history...I figured it was close enough for horseshoes...or fanfic.

I'm glad the fashion notes worked well both on their own and as hints to the time periods.

I'm SO SO glad that the Erica of then effectively reflects the Erica we'd see sit out to watch the sun rise, and that you liked the difference between Janette and Erica's view of humanity. Thank you for your comments!

[pj1228]

I enjoyed this. Your story captures both questions left open by "Last Act": how Nick and Erica met and how Janette and Erica met. The way Nick and Erica find out they have a mutual acquaintance is fun. And I always love a dashing Nicholas! :)

[amilyn]

Thank you! I enjoy mischievous Nick as well, and I'm so glad it fits into canon for you with Erica and Nick as well as Erica and Janette's meetings. I was aiming for fun and am SO glad it worked for you!

[leela_cat]

*beams*... you wrote for me! I have seen this. There's been no time to sneak in a reading at work. But I wanted you know that I saw it and am not purposefully ignoring it. ♥

[amilyn]

Oh, how dear of you! (And, yes, this is why I was stalking your home and phone...) But I never would have thought you were ignoring it; you have work and a life and Shabbat. Speaking of, good Shabbat!

*hugs* I hope you like. See you on the flip side.

[leela_cat]

Not quite the flip side. It's still a couple of hours from Shabbat, and I've read this story. And, yay, you snagged two of my prompts to write.

You've brought light and life to this corner of the Forever Knight story that is merely hinted at by canon. Erica feels more solid and grounded, simply because there's more to her life than Nick and an ending in obscurity.

I liked that the POV character wasn't identified at first; I had fun trying to decide whether it was Janette or Erica, and consequently whether the "rogue" was Nick or Erica. There were so many possibilities tumbling out of either choice.

And this line: This Nicholas, though, mischief and humour still danced in his eyes. She needed more of that than she could summon in herself.

The irony is almost painful. It unfolds centuries before our eyes, reminding us of what happened for each of them to that mischief and joy.

Thank you so much for this story. I love it.

[amilyn]

Wow...you were zippy!

Your prompts just...merged all together for me. I'm SO glad that this worked and Erica felt strong to you.

I enjoyed leaving the POV character open at first. It just...felt right. I'm THRILLED that you liked the descriptions and the pieces of what would become what we saw.

I'm SO thrilled this works for you and that you love it. YAY!!! *hugs*