Oh, this was just wonderful, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time reading it, leaning into the screen as much as possible. I love your Paris, it's a character in the story as much as Londo and G'Kar and Vir are, and the air of grubby tourism mixed with churches and brothels and fairy tales works just right.
In most of them, he was posing side-to-side with a soft-faced woman, dressed human-style except for the traditional shaved Centauri scalp – a woman whom G’Kar had never seen or spoken to before this day, but had liked on sight.
Oh, I'm almost sorry we don't get to see more of her, because you capture her so well in just one sentence. Of course, anyone smart enough to want Vir is awesome in my book. :)
It was Vir who broke the moment, darting forward in a quick maneuver of his own to pull the still-frozen figure into an impetuous hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” G’Kar heard him whisper, prompting the other man to return the embrace, gingerly at first, then patting Vir’s back with increasing conviction, as if finally having made up his mind that all of this was, indeed, real.
I'm SO happy to have Vir in this! I love his love for Paris--it simultaneously makes me love him and the city more. :) And oh, man, sticking to G'Kar's POV made lines like this just unbearably sad, as we watch him struggling to understand what we understand well and Londo understands all too well...
“I must say, I believe you look …” He frowned. Better? More focused? At peace? None of those seemed true – in fact, dark circles around the man’s eyes hinted at the opposite – and yet there was something different about him, the barely concealed anguish G’Kar had seen that last time replaced by something far more subtle, something very much like stubborn resolve, overlaid perhaps with a hint of – anger?
I loved this passage because it's what mitigates all the sadness around it. It's true, it's not that Londo is happy or at peace at all, but this all serves a purpose and is Londo's choice, he's not just a victim here at all. That's a huge part of what I love about him, and you capture it very well from G'Kar's limited POV.
The glass froze mid-gulp. “Well. That is…” A long beat. “Let us just say that – physical assault on the Emperor is not a charge taken lightly.” Voice turning flat as he stared, with renewed interest, at the opposite wall. “And the Emperor himself has no say in any of it.”
Ouch. Poor Londo, you can see that he started on this story to make G'Kar laugh and had forgotten where it went...
The scene on and after the Metro where G'Kar has to buy a drink were so painful and well-written, how G'Kar wants to shrug off Londo's reaction but knows at a deeper level this is serious...
“These humans – they are strange creatures, are they not? Giving their cathedrals names they should give their brothels, and their brothels names that – well, that shouldn’t be given to anything, if you ask me.” But there was no disdain in his tone; if anything, he seemed wistful.
That seems like such a Londo sort of line, I adore his observations about human culture on the show and this fits right in.
But you know, G’Kar, what is funny? In these stories, it is always the palace that is painted like paradise, and the world around it something to escape from. It seems no one has ever stopped to think – it might be the other way around.
*wibbles* Using Cinderella fits Paris so well, and the inversion of the story is just perfect. You know, I just realized there are echoes of Roman Holiday here as well...
And the ending I loved a lot because part of me always wants SO MUCH for G'Kar and Vir to have more of an inkling of what is going on, so I love how you held that possibility out. And there was just enough sexiness (I especially liked the hints that there had been some in the past as well, that G'Kar was trying so hard not to think about)...somehow Londo's hand on the small of G'Kar's back almost undid me, it was so tender and sad.
In short (as if!), this was just perfect, just the right mix of humor and sadness and that smidge of resolve to keep it from being just a long dark road. I love it, thannk you so much!
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In most of them, he was posing side-to-side with a soft-faced woman, dressed human-style except for the traditional shaved Centauri scalp – a woman whom G’Kar had never seen or spoken to before this day, but had liked on sight.
Oh, I'm almost sorry we don't get to see more of her, because you capture her so well in just one sentence. Of course, anyone smart enough to want Vir is awesome in my book. :)
It was Vir who broke the moment, darting forward in a quick maneuver of his own to pull the still-frozen figure into an impetuous hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” G’Kar heard him whisper, prompting the other man to return the embrace, gingerly at first, then patting Vir’s back with increasing conviction, as if finally having made up his mind that all of this was, indeed, real.
I'm SO happy to have Vir in this! I love his love for Paris--it simultaneously makes me love him and the city more. :) And oh, man, sticking to G'Kar's POV made lines like this just unbearably sad, as we watch him struggling to understand what we understand well and Londo understands all too well...
“I must say, I believe you look …” He frowned. Better? More focused? At peace? None of those seemed true – in fact, dark circles around the man’s eyes hinted at the opposite – and yet there was something different about him, the barely concealed anguish G’Kar had seen that last time replaced by something far more subtle, something very much like stubborn resolve, overlaid perhaps with a hint of – anger?
I loved this passage because it's what mitigates all the sadness around it. It's true, it's not that Londo is happy or at peace at all, but this all serves a purpose and is Londo's choice, he's not just a victim here at all. That's a huge part of what I love about him, and you capture it very well from G'Kar's limited POV.
The glass froze mid-gulp. “Well. That is…” A long beat. “Let us just say that – physical assault on the Emperor is not a charge taken lightly.” Voice turning flat as he stared, with renewed interest, at the opposite wall. “And the Emperor himself has no say in any of it.”
Ouch. Poor Londo, you can see that he started on this story to make G'Kar laugh and had forgotten where it went...
The scene on and after the Metro where G'Kar has to buy a drink were so painful and well-written, how G'Kar wants to shrug off Londo's reaction but knows at a deeper level this is serious...
“These humans – they are strange creatures, are they not? Giving their cathedrals names they should give their brothels, and their brothels names that – well, that shouldn’t be given to anything, if you ask me.” But there was no disdain in his tone; if anything, he seemed wistful.
That seems like such a Londo sort of line, I adore his observations about human culture on the show and this fits right in.
But you know, G’Kar, what is funny? In these stories, it is always the palace that is painted like paradise, and the world around it something to escape from. It seems no one has ever stopped to think – it might be the other way around.
*wibbles* Using Cinderella fits Paris so well, and the inversion of the story is just perfect. You know, I just realized there are echoes of Roman Holiday here as well...
And the ending I loved a lot because part of me always wants SO MUCH for G'Kar and Vir to have more of an inkling of what is going on, so I love how you held that possibility out. And there was just enough sexiness (I especially liked the hints that there had been some in the past as well, that G'Kar was trying so hard not to think about)...somehow Londo's hand on the small of G'Kar's back almost undid me, it was so tender and sad.
In short (as if!), this was just perfect, just the right mix of humor and sadness and that smidge of resolve to keep it from being just a long dark road. I love it, thannk you so much!