Comments | mariagoner: FFXII Fic: 20 Reasons Why It’s Impossible To Get Over the Queen of Dalmasca (Ashe/Vaan, Cast)

mariagoner

FFXII Fic: 20 Reasons Why It’s Impossible To Get Over the Queen of Dalmasca (Ashe/Vaan, Cast)

Jan 19, 2008 03:25

I'm hopelessly behind on everything but I've a good excuse-- I'm stuck firmly in the land of romantic doldrums. As of 7 o'clock tomorrow evening, I'm parting from my husband for a little over two months. And perhaps that's why I'm sleepless at 3:30 in the morning, putting this strange and melancholy little fic up ( Read more... )

ffxii, fic, ashexvaan

Comments 36

First comment = mine. Muhahahaha. akishira January 19 2008, 10:29:30 UTC

Heartbreaker, hearttaker, heartmaker. You never do disappoint, do you? *chuckle*

Read it, loved it. I'm actually quite fond of this sort of running-yet-pointified style, truth be told, and you're a master at it (Larsa's secret truths come to mind). Though they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, there certainly comes a point in any distance relationship where it either forges unbreakable or shatters entirely... and to know that a distance is forever unbridgable... well. Let's stop before I talk myself to tears.

Very minor nitpick, only because I'm being totally untactful as usual:

"And that was then when you realized that she could cross oceans of sand and kill gods with her bare hands and still not let go of what hurt you."

Might that have been

"And that was then when you realized that she could cross oceans of sand and kill gods with her bare hands and still not let go of what hurt her."

?

<3
Aki

Re: Oh My God... mariagoner January 22 2008, 10:57:03 UTC

::blush:: You are exceedingly kind, given that I sort of thought this was... erm. Not really one of my better efforts, since I find it difficult to write both Vaan and Ashe, let alone the two of them together. But I figured disappointed love is an interesting enough topic that I couldn't completely blunder up a fic based around it-- and I'm glad that seems to have turned out to be true!

And you're not being untactful at all by pointing out my mistake! Trust me, I'm always open to criticism and that was quite a blunder. I'm fixing it even as I type. ;)

I'm actually quite fond of this sort of running-yet-pointified style, truth be told, and you're a master at it (Larsa's secret truths come to mind).

And I hope you don't mind me asking but... what do you mean by "running-yet-pointified style" of writing? As in... mostly flowing but with odd breaks in the narrative to describe out certain details? Or something else altogether?

Re: Oh My God... akishira January 24 2008, 13:08:48 UTC

Running-pointified refers to the way you use numerals to part the narrative into sections, yet the narrative remains a constant flow from beginning to end. <3

Re: Oh My God... mariagoner January 24 2008, 23:27:59 UTC

Aaaah, now I see. I rely on that style waaaay too often to prop up my weak story outlines. ::blush::

Oh My God... quastar January 19 2008, 12:40:02 UTC

I felt a stab in my heart reading this. Not only that I actually emotionally in Vaan's position while going through all these 20 reasons, it reminded me of my own personal break-up... and true enough, it's the most difficult thing in the world to get over the first woman you ever really loved.

This is the saddest story of yours I have ever read. And one of the most beautiful ever. I might be bias because of my Vaan fetishness that seems to be the sole reason that I truly madly deeply in love with this fanfic, but still it is wonderfully presented - and because you rarely use Vaan in your writings, this is unique and something refreshing in its own way.

And funny enough, how I can actually relate myself to this - I was 21 years old as well when she abandoned me for another guy, supposedly without me knowing the truth, but the walls have ears after all. Still, it hurts to know but not knowing what to do...

Well, sorry for rambling about my personal self here. :P

Re: Oh My God... mariagoner January 22 2008, 11:02:52 UTC

Ahaha, darling, I had an idea that the fact that this fic was Vaan-centric would delight you! I had no idea it would touch upon past disappointments, however... but I guess anyone who's had romantic doldrums can sympathize at least a little with this fic.

And you're completely right-- I really don't write Vaan enough! I wrote a three part story through his eyes called Of Pirates and Plottings-- if you look under the 'fic' tag of my LJ, you'll find it eventually. And of course, he shows up in multi-part fics like Every Language (where he has a pretty damn touching death scene, I think.) And I started but never finished writing a Vaan/Balthier story. So... yeah, he's someone I neglect all too often in fic.

But-- you fabulous thing, you-- happy birthday! And trust me, as a present for you, he'll be making more appearances on my LJ soon. ;)

Re: Oh My God... quastar January 22 2008, 11:26:48 UTC

Thanks for the birthday wish! Yeah, I'm getting older now, it has been 2 years since the break-up tragedy and I guess I have probably move on with my life by now (indirectly implying my age :P oh the price of getting old).

Don't worry to much about the appearances of Vaan, the stories that you have now are enough as my birthday presents for years and years to come :D But Vaan/Balthier, that's something interesting... *evil grin*

I look forward to it! :)

Re: Oh My God... mariagoner January 23 2008, 04:36:58 UTC

Then you and I are the same age, if I've done my math right! XD

And hee, I don't much write Vaan so-- if all goes well-- this should be a hell of a lot of fun...

cygna_hime January 19 2008, 14:20:12 UTC

This is so very very shiny. I don't have a long screed thought out, sadly, but I really love Vaan's voice here, one part still that Lowtown kid, one part pirate, one part romantic hero. ♥ I know why Ashe would have had to give him up, but I wouldn't know how she could want to.

mariagoner January 22 2008, 11:53:12 UTC

Yay! It's always nice to see you in my LJ again-- hopefully you're not moving away from the FFXII fandom after all? ::puppy dog eyes you like WHOA now::

And sadly enough, I don't think Ashe ever felt nearly as much for Vaan as he did for her. She did love him, of course, but it wasn't the sort of overwhelmingly powerful love he felt for her-- it was tempered very much by her circumstances, whereas Vaan is very much the love-conquers-all type. But a pirate and a queen? You just know in the end it'd never work out. ::sigh::

lady_venn January 19 2008, 15:15:31 UTC

A few things:

-20 is so amazingly true on several levels.
-I could so see Ashe doing this to Vaan someday.
-The latter is so adorable, and yet so painfully naive.

Excellent, heartbreaking piece, dear.

mariagoner January 22 2008, 11:58:53 UTC

You just know Ashe would smash poor Vaan's heart to pieces if they ever actually hooked up, don't you? He's the type that thinks that love can overcome all boundaries while she... well, once she ditches the whole warrior queen image, I can see Ashe settling down as being terrifying pragmatic, can't you?

And thank you for the thoughtful commentary, as always! ♥

kilraaj January 19 2008, 15:51:59 UTC

12 is definitely my favorite, it seems just like Ashe to know she'll accept but still take the time to make sure Vaan knows where he stands. XD

13--the second sentence says "it's enough"--did you mean "not enough"?

mariagoner January 22 2008, 12:01:15 UTC

I know I really should write Ashe as a crazy, crazy woman all the time-- for one, sometimes it verges on being rather OOC, if nothing else! But Ashe/Madness is my true Ashe OTP and I find it very hard to abandon it now. XD

And d'oh! You're perfectly right. I really should have given it one last look-over before I put the fic up. XD