oh, wow. I'm still just unbearably relieved that anyone liked that fic, because it was a totally self-indulgent decision to use all the weird canon facts I'd made up for Leightley's crew (Victrix is nicknamed Trixie! Shadwell is nicknamed Shadow, because he is Leightley's shadow (lol terrible pun)! Robbins sews and plays piano! Shadwell likes opera! Leightley used to read Latin to Victrix while she was still in her shell!) and put them in something that gave Laurence a little bit of closure. I'm still not it was the best decision in terms of artistry, because Laurence's isolation is such a key part of his character, but it was a really satisfying thing for me to write.
part of my absurdly extensive personal canon for these characters is that Leightley is not artistic or musical. like, at all. she doesn't get it, she doesn't like it, she doesn't want to. but she loves Shadow and she wants him to be happy, so she puts up with it. then I think I was rereading the very beginning of HMD, where it mentions that Laurence loves opera and was so upset at the realization that he wouldn't have that in his life anymore as an aviator, and I was suddenly hit with this image of him in Australia with Leightley's crew, singing around a piano. I wanted Laurence to fit in more with them. because Robbins and Shadwell are rebels with ~culture~. (also I am ridiculously in love with the idea of Hunt as this tiny mousy guy with no apparent spine who has a gorgeous baritone and a lot more guts than meets the eye.)
I think these paragraphs are a pretty good summation of the two things I was going for throughout the fic, actually. Laurence fits in with Leightley's crew, even though he doesn't recognize it: they're cultured, smart, high-class, and loyal to the point of absurdity. but all Laurence can see is that he's excluded as a perpetual third (or fifth, or seventh) wheel, and he never gets that they (and Tharkay and Granby) keep trying to reach out and bring him in.
Edith is really Laurence's personal tragedy, and I'm glad I thought to include her. She kind of brings him full circle, in a way, along with the music, from the Laurence in the beginning of the series who loves opera and his almost-fiancee to the Laurence now, who loves opera and his dragon and just want someone to love him back.
stylistically, Jesus, you can tell I love semicolons, can't you? I am not ashamed of my love! actually one of the best things about Temeraire fandom is that it's totally within the voice of the writing to use semicolons in both narration and dialogue. grammar geekery!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-11-11 05:48 am (UTC)part of my absurdly extensive personal canon for these characters is that Leightley is not artistic or musical. like, at all. she doesn't get it, she doesn't like it, she doesn't want to. but she loves Shadow and she wants him to be happy, so she puts up with it. then I think I was rereading the very beginning of HMD, where it mentions that Laurence loves opera and was so upset at the realization that he wouldn't have that in his life anymore as an aviator, and I was suddenly hit with this image of him in Australia with Leightley's crew, singing around a piano. I wanted Laurence to fit in more with them. because Robbins and Shadwell are rebels with ~culture~. (also I am ridiculously in love with the idea of Hunt as this tiny mousy guy with no apparent spine who has a gorgeous baritone and a lot more guts than meets the eye.)
I think these paragraphs are a pretty good summation of the two things I was going for throughout the fic, actually. Laurence fits in with Leightley's crew, even though he doesn't recognize it: they're cultured, smart, high-class, and loyal to the point of absurdity. but all Laurence can see is that he's excluded as a perpetual third (or fifth, or seventh) wheel, and he never gets that they (and Tharkay and Granby) keep trying to reach out and bring him in.
Edith is really Laurence's personal tragedy, and I'm glad I thought to include her. She kind of brings him full circle, in a way, along with the music, from the Laurence in the beginning of the series who loves opera and his almost-fiancee to the Laurence now, who loves opera and his dragon and just want someone to love him back.
stylistically, Jesus, you can tell I love semicolons, can't you? I am not ashamed of my love! actually one of the best things about Temeraire fandom is that it's totally within the voice of the writing to use semicolons in both narration and dialogue. grammar geekery!