Nicely done! I think my favorite thing about this story is how Andrew went from annoying two-dimensional ubergeek to a real person with real emotions and real feelings in Giles' eyes without much interaction from him at all. "And the Watcher watches." :)
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. There's a lot about Andrew that - if you stop and think about it - makes him quite a tragic figure. One desperately seeking the approval of others to gain validation, as he's so insecure and uncertain in himself. (And if I'd been tricked into murdering my best friend, I don't think I'd trust my own judgement, either ...)
And I think, on some levels, he and Giles are remarkably alike - the more I thought about it, the more parallels I found - and I realised that, if Giles was put in a postion where he had time to think about it, he'd start to find them too.
I think LittleOtter hits on the thing that interests me about this: the journey is entirely in Giles's head. Andrew does nothing notable other than be himself in a quiet way, but Giles brings himself to reconsider him completely over the course of a whiskey bottle and some regrettable rum. He won't go back on his mentoring decision on the morning, though he might go back on that rum before he's done.
This insisted on being very much Giles' piece, even if Andrew was both the cause and the consequence of his introspections ... and I think it's as much about self discovery (or rediscovery, perhaps) as it is about a shift in perspectives and understanding.
This went in a different way to my expectations - somehow, Andrew is always funny in my head. But it's a very satisfying piece, giving Andrew and Giles some real depth. Also my personal bugbear about the post-Chosen Council needing some admin support is woven in, which makes me happy!
It turned out to be very different from my initial expectations, too - but I was pleased with the way it developed.
You can't possibly run an effective organisation without decent admin support, especially if there is money involved, resources to manage, and logistics to address. The new Council would need staff - and I can't see the new slayers volunteering for those kind of jobs!
So glad to see you doing another story, and a mighty fine one. This is one of my favorite drunken Giles stories ever. I still am amazed by your command of language and how you use it to illustrate the story but not overpower it. The description of the snowy hell that is the midwest in winter is spot on. And the comedic parts were subtle and great..."you good lorded!" I had a nice laugh at that one. The way Giles slowly was able, with alcohol allowing greater insight and release of confessions, to evaluate Andrew in a different way made me sort of appreciate him as well. I will stop gushing now but thanks again for a great read. Hope you finished your studies. I believe I read you were finishing up your phD. If so I will be hoping for more of your fics.
It was a similar snowy hell here in England just before Christmas, so I could empathise. :-)
The thesis is up to 65,000 words, with another 15,000 (roughly) to go - with luck, it will be done before the summer, and I can get back to some less academic and more creative writing. (I probably shouldn't have taken the time to do this, but once the idea blossomed, it was easier to write it out than have it keep distracting me!)
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And I think, on some levels, he and Giles are remarkably alike - the more I thought about it, the more parallels I found - and I realised that, if Giles was put in a postion where he had time to think about it, he'd start to find them too.
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This insisted on being very much Giles' piece, even if Andrew was both the cause and the consequence of his introspections ... and I think it's as much about self discovery (or rediscovery, perhaps) as it is about a shift in perspectives and understanding.
Reply
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You can't possibly run an effective organisation without decent admin support, especially if there is money involved, resources to manage, and logistics to address. The new Council would need staff - and I can't see the new slayers volunteering for those kind of jobs!
Reply
Reply
The thesis is up to 65,000 words, with another 15,000 (roughly) to go - with luck, it will be done before the summer, and I can get back to some less academic and more creative writing. (I probably shouldn't have taken the time to do this, but once the idea blossomed, it was easier to write it out than have it keep distracting me!)
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