[FICATHON] Into this Breathing World, for elviaprose

[lareinenoire]

Title: Into This Breathing World
Author: gileonnen
Play: Richard II, Richard III
Recipient: elviaprose
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Richard II/Richard III, mentions of Richard II/Anne of Bohemia, Richard III/Anne Neville, Richard II/Robert de Vere
Warnings: Dodgy history; dodgy geography; potentially dodgy architecture.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: There's none else by:

Comments

[assimbya]

I cannot believe how wonderful this story was. I could never have imagined such a premise, but it is brilliant, and beautiful, and melancholy, yet, somehow, in its bittersweetness it made me glad, because the thought that the two of them might have had one another, at least, was heartening. There are so many lines and details that made my breath catch in my throat with their beauty that I cannot name them all - it was a wonderful story.

[gileonnen]

Thank elviaprose for the excellent premise--it actually wasn't my first choice among her thoughtful, interesting prompts; I couldn't imagine being equal to this kind of narrative, so I put it off. But the story kept telling itself to me when I was drifting off to sleep, and eventually I simply had to write it down.

[speak_me_fair]

Wow. This is wonderfully, blissfully creepy, and the ending is just the right sort of conclusion. I love that here, it's a reversal of ghosts, and this perception of RIII was a fantastic little twist:

He knows that easy irony, that note of invincible good humour--a thousand death-knells could not disguise it.

(Also, I now have a sneaking love for the phrase 'potentially dodgy architecture'. Hee.)

[gileonnen]

I'm glad that the creepiness came through! Because if you look at it one way, it's a pair of anxious princes meeting across time and forging a meaningful bond ... but if you look at it another way, it's a known sociopath stalking a boy who tries to outwit him.

(I enjoy phrasing that makes you laugh. ^__^)

[elviaprose]

This is complete and utter genius. Goodness...I need to find some coherent way to praise this, but I'm almost at a loss. It's so lyrical and sad and epic, and both Richards are so wonderfully in character through the whole thing. And there are so many sharp, clever turns of phrase, and wonderful juxtapositions of bitterness and beauty. I loved this bit, especially, but the whole story is this good, so I feel almost silly quoting it:

"We will be," Richard answers, with a peculiar smile. "An God smiles upon villains, and brother dreads brother--ay, we will be."

Richard wakes with his hand empty, although his pillow smells of apples on a warm autumn morning.

I've read this story several times now, and will keep rereading, because it's just so beautiful. And that ending! Absolutely perfect and dead-on as a conclusion to the relationship that you've spun for these two. I'll never read "Richard loves Richard" the same way. Thank you so, so much for writing this!

[gileonnen]

I'm so very glad you liked it! You had the absolute best prompts, so thoughtful and full of space for metafictional work; you also gave me plenty of room to tell the kinds of stories that I wanted to tell. I'm glad to have worked with and for you this year.

[shayheyred]

What a fascinating concept, and how beautifully done!

[gileonnen]

Thank you very much. =)

[gileonnen]

I'm glad that it struck you like that--you also wrote a pretty nifty fic this year. ^_~