[FICATHON] Burnt Offering, for faithhopetricks

[lareinenoire]

Title: Burnt Offering
Author: absinthe_shadow
Play: Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV
Recipient: faithhopetricks
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Richard/Henry, Richard/Aumerle (with references to Richard/Anne and Henry/Mary).
Warnings: Angst and some ickiness.
Rating: R
Summary: February 1413, July 1399: Henry and Aumerle. And, of course, Richard.

Comments

[assimbya]

I love, love, love the way they both see Richard. There are these wonderful, evocative, tactile descriptions that manage to characterize both the viewer and viewed splendidly. The way the first two pieces fit together was fascinating, and each gave a new depth and dimension to the other. The final sentence, as well, was a perfect finish.

[speak_me_fair]

There are so many little fantastic, half-thrown away lines here that I was almost dizzy with it, tiny little hooks that keep drawing the reader in and making them see other facets all at once.

This combination of things here was just the right sort of painful:

'Richard is slightly flushed; he has prayed for their preservation, but he is not praying now.

It is some days since Henry last saw his son. His son, almost a whore - the keen little pain of thinking so, and he never shirks it - reminds him far too much.

Later, his son begins to rebuild Shene.'

Just ow, all round.

And the scene with Aumerle was just heaven - but then I am terribly prejudiced when it comes to scenes with Aumerle...

The last line, of course, is perfect.

[gileonnen]

This was such a chilling, gorgeous piece--I've been trying to get at what it means when the body of the king still contains and signifies kingship, even in attitudes of submission (like death, or lovemaking, or prayer), but I think you've done it better than I ever could. As assimbya said, this is such a tactile story, so delicately and inescapably corporeal--and I love the way that idea of touch is inflected differently for Richard, Henry, and Hal. And I adore how Aumerle works within the story, as the subject permitted to touch majesty but also as the lover and the friend and the partisan ...

... and you know, I'm just babbling now. This was excellent.