Londofic: Rampion (1/1)

[kangeiko]

It's a wee bit late, and for that I apologise. I'd like to thank athena25 and hobsonphile for their considerate edits and kind words of encouragement. Any remaining snaphus are entirely my own pig-headed fault.

Comments

[kakodaimon]

I can't tell you how good, strange and sad this story is.

"How can you even look at me, G'Kar?"

That is a perfect line, and it's been stuck in my head since I read it. Alas. Poor Londo; the window into how it would actually feel to be him, sitting day after day with a creature spiked into his neck, was uncomfortably vivid---in an appropriately fuzzy, dreary way. Perhaps the most frightening thing in your story was the lack of hope. Even G'Kar's comparatively bright beacon of a visit has him slinking in instead of sailing or riding in on a white horse. And even he leaves.

But there is that book.

[kangeiko]

See, I was worried that people would be too squicked by the juxtaposition of Londo and Rapunzel to do anything other than giggle and point. But, yes, if you want to read meaning into it... *g* Seriously, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[kakodaimon]

Well, in this case, being squicked is good. I mean, this is a story that should be uncomfortable and not-quite-right (and it is, in the most deliberate and well-done of ways). But I do readily concede that Londo with his hair down would be a hideous sight indeed. Thank goodness for Centauri hairgel.

[kangeiko]

But I do readily concede that Londo with
his hair down would be a hideous sight indeed. Thank goodness for Centauri
hairgel.

LOL! Well, I wouldn't call it 'hideous', per se, just massively
inappropriate. Like seeing G'Kar barefoot, maybe. I'm actually writing
up a mini-essay on the significance of Centauri hairstyles (because
it's either that or prepare opposition prep, and, quite honestly, I
don't where to start on the latter!) in which I'll follow this up.
Although the idea of Londo with hair down does fill me with a certain
degree of, oh, i don't know, nausea, shall we say, I wouldn't
necessarily attribute it to the actual physical appearance, if you see
what I mean.

Of course, seeing as I'm on my sixth cup of coffee (and it's not even
lunchtime yet) I may just be talking nonsense.

[selenak]

Exquisite and painful. And so intense, partly because of your attention to physical detail like this:

He cannot remember if the lines of age had always threaded their way down G'Kar's cheeks, or if the skin of G'Kar's throat had always been blistered and burned as it disappeared into his armour.

Thank you.

[kangeiko]

Well I'm not going to pretend they're pretty, but, damn, are they appealing nonetheless! On a more serious note, I was actually wondering what the most disconcerting aspect of losing your memory / mental acuity would be, and, for me at lest, it would definitely be forgetting what familiar things look like, or not noticing changes. And if you go from a vibrant, busy world to a stagnant throne room, I imagine that you'd go relatively loopy whether or not you have things poking into your neck.

But, yes, I'm glad you liked it. :)

[selenak]

Who needs pretty if you can get interesting?*g*

And if you go from a vibrant, busy world to a stagnant throne room, I imagine that you'd go relatively loopy whether or not you have things poking into your neck.

Though Londo is very coherent in In the Beginning, even able to charm two children and a lady without consciously trying to, and that's hours before his death. Not that I disagree with you in principle: living in an inner and outer prison (with just one window) as he does must form the mind one way or the other

[kangeiko]

Oh, I'm not saying that he can't be lucid while going loopy - Cartagia
was exceedingly eloquent on occasion, after all.

Who needs pretty if you can get interesting?*g*

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so!