rthstewart | An anniversary of sorts and I must be missing something

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An anniversary of sorts and I must be missing something

So, on March 19, 2009, Rthstewart opened an account on fanfiction.net. TWO years -- the cotton (traditional) and china (modern) anniversary. I always get all mushy and nostalgic on anniversaries and milestones (TQSiT is getting near one AHHHHHHH!!!). I've been talking to myself a lot in the car about the upcoming two year mark as I listen to the Doctor Who Season 5 soundtrack. (Fortunately my colleague no longer requires lifts to the office so I'm alone with me, myself, and I). I am pushing hard to get chapter 9 up on March 22, which would be two years from when I first started posting TSG. Scary much? I'm scared. And scarred.

AW 9 is coming slowly at about 5,000 words so far. It will be a shorter chapter and as I mentioned earlier, it is entirely letters, such as the following:

From:
Eustace Scrubb
Experiment House
Eyton upon the Weald Moors
Telford
Shropshire

To:
Edmund Pevensie
Blackpool Forest School
Tilehurst
Reading
Berkshire

Dear Edmund:
You called it. I knew it would be awful returning, and it is. My old gang expected me to be back with Them and their old ways. Anyone not an utter rotter wanted nothing to do with me. When I tried to behave properly, the decent folk thought I was a spy and got even more suspicious. I keep telling myself what you said, that it’s the work of weeks and months, and by my actions I shall be judged.

Which led to the rabbit. Carter and some of his gang had cornered the poor thing behind the gym and were throwing rocks at it. It wasn’t a Talking Rabbit, of course, but rabbits aren’t very far from Rats (though rabbits are not rodents like rats, they are lagomorphs due to the teeth and other anatomical features) and even if it had been a hedgehog or a snake, the thing should not have been tortured and frightened to death by schoolboys. etc.

YES! Carter and the Rabbit and Eustace keeping the secret under torture!!! And then he writes to Edmund about it!

Which brings me to the help me F List readers. I've got a long list of letters going back and forth between the characters, some canon, some OCs. I know that invariably someone has some awesome idea where I smack my hand against my forehead and say, "Why didn't I think of that?"

So, given where we are and where things are going, what are some of the letters you would expect to see or want to see? Anyone? Who? What?

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Happy anniversary!

I'd sorta like to see something official-ish about Susan and/or Edmund from one of the various military folks they're involved with to HQ or someone else in the chain who has No Idea, Really about these Pevensies/Caspians.

Congratulations on surviving two years in the Narnia fandom!

...but rabbits aren't very far from Rats (though rabbits are not rodents like rats...

Now, when I saw this, I immediately thought of Rat and Crow. Given how the Pevensies didn't share Susan's adventures with Eustace, does he even know how fond of Rats and Crows his cousins are? (Jalur maligning the Crows during his guard duty [temporary!] comes to mind from TPG.)

As for letters, I think whatever you have planned out will be good. I'm curious though -- will there be any letters from the poetic Lord Peridan?

I'll throw in for something from Polly to Lucy (or Lucy to Polly), if it wasn't planned already. I do love Lucy's very earnest and determined campaign to right wrongs, and you hint at lots of Polly's experiences around the world and I've love to see her advice to Lucy about getting things done in the "real" world. However, I'm sure everything that turns up will be lovely!

Love this. Just love it. My brain is too dead to think of anything.

I assure you that TSG and Maenads remain among the best Narnia stories I've ever read. Keep it up!

-pie

Wow! Happy anniversary! Sooo many words, and not too much scarring (I hope). I had also wondered about Peridan/Tebbitt, though I also thought it might be a bit too unconventional a relationship for letters (however unofficial) through official channels. And are Peter and Richard in contact? Or any Pevensie and Asim? At any rate, it all sounds great.

(oh, and I'd be sooo happy if you did get something on 22 Mar. Being a day later here, I can run around singing 'Happy Birthday to Me'. Then again, I might do it whenever you end up posting anyway : )

It's been that long? WOAH, doesn't feel like it :)

Congrats!! :D Letter wise, I'd like some that Lucy writes to her Narnian friends (maybe Aiden?) while back in Spare Oom, but this is purely because I imagine her as doing that, at least until she comes back for the final time :)

Perhaps something between Edmund and Tom, now that Edmund isn't around so much, but is classmate with Jack?

Happy anniversary!

Along the lines of Eustace's letter, I'd love to see an excerpt of a letter from Jill to someone back home, her mother or a friend, something like, "And I don't know what to make of Scrubb at all these days, he was such a rotter before, always sucking up to Them, and now he's even enduring torture, for something as simple as a stupid little rabbit, not even another person. It's very peculiar." Or something like that.

Happy two-year anniversary! The Narnia fandom has been much richer since you started writing in it.

I agree with a lot of the others: Some featuring the older Friends of Narnia, and what has happened to Richard? And Mary, and Asim to somebody else. And I also thought of Tebbitt/Susan but wondered if they'd even be able to write. And I didn't think of it, but I absolutely adore the idea of Lucy writing to Narnians. I just like Lucy's voice anyway because she's both contemplative and active. Also, the Pevensies to each other because they are so close.

Seriously, how are you going to fit all these in?? :-P

Hmm. I was thinking letters between Lucy and Polly, possibly talking about all the other public figures Lucy is going to send letters to. I think Mary and Eustace might be interested in exchanging correspondance- they really hit it off and I'm sure Eustace is interested in educating himself a bit more thoroughly than the Experiment House is doing, and would welcome the intellectual vigor of writing to Mary. Maybe Mary and Asim as well... it seems like their paths have been taking them in somewhat separate directions lately, and they may want to check on each other. I'm sure that Tom is including a few notes to Edmund asking him about his thoughts on books in his letters to Jack, and Edmund is probably failing to keep his notes back limited to the corner of Jack's page.

Also something potentially interesting might be examples of letters sent while the Pevensies were in Narnia, to contrast with the types of letters and the writing style they're using now. You've shown that letters can be a lot of things- used to simply tell something, or to communicate something deeper inside of a story, so it could be interesting to show the progression of letter-writing styles, to some degree.

Congratulations on writing this for two years! :D

I love the idea of letters telling the story (have you read Freedom and Necessity, by Stephen Brust and Emma Bull? Brilliant work!). Unabashed first person delivery, yum!

What letters would I like to see? If Richard is going downhill as fast as he thinks he is, I would like him to write a 'goodbye' letter to Mary, while he's still mostly coherent. 'To be opened when I'm gone' sort of thing. I'd like to read something between Mary Anning Russell and Peter, as I feel there's an embryonic relationship there, something waiting to happen.

I'd like to read Banker Morgan's Christmas letter home, when her baby is around 5 years old and she must continually justify her decision to remain in Narnia (although I appreciate that it wouldn't exactly be connected with the plot of TSG, I just love Banker Morgan). I'd like to read some correspondence between Polly and Lucy, as mentioned above - those two are certainly humming along on the same wavelength. I'd really like to read something between Lucy and Asim, even before they meet (more teasing, poor Asim!). I'd like to read a letter between Mr. Pevensie and Mrs. Pevensie (not sure in which direction, how much of a cad is he?).

Like Katharhino, I'm not sure if Tebbitt and Susan would be able to write. Is their relationship that articulate? Or would it only be a practical note? Hard to say. I really enjoyed the AU of their middle-aged selves meeting in the north, and that's not a relationship which puts itself down on paper. Ever, I should think. Even if it's AU, it's rubbing off on my view of TSG Susan (sorry!).

Thank you for asking for suggestions, you audacious woman! ;)

I would love to see Asim's Letter of Recommendation for Peter or perhaps one The Colonel writes to start Susan's file.

Doctor Dolly

PS I'm awfully sorry that writing these wonderful fanfics has also resulted in scarring. Lots of appreciation and spiritual Vit E oil to you, with the intention of softening those jagged edges.

I have been meaning to comment on all of your stories (I've been reading from the beginning and I love all of them) but I've been made of fail. That being said, somewhere along the way you might want to include something about Lucy and Polly at the Caxton Hall Rally. There was so much build up about Lucy going, whether or not Lucy ought to go, and since it was not covered in the last chapter it really does feel like a bit of a loose end.

I think I'd rather like some letters between As Yet Unnamed Pevensie Mother (Something with Rose maybe? Rosemarie, Rosalie, something like that?) and the various children after they get to school, I'd also like to see Susan and Eustace getting to know each other and of course, letters from Asim to anyone. Mary and Eustace writing each other, perhaps?

~LotL

(My comment is terribly long, so I have to post it in parts, sorry.)

I probably am of the worst kind of reader : I can like a fanfiction very, very, very much, but the author won't know because I won't take the time to write a review. The funny thing is that I often write that review in my head, with complete sentences and sometimes even paragraph, putting in words exactly what I would like to tell the writer, what I particularly loved in their story, or my point of view on a thing or another, etc. But only rarely will I actually write it. I do feel slightly guilty about it, but well... that's me, and my laziness, or whatever it is that makes it so hard for me to take a little of my time for such a simple thing.

And so, I didn't review "The Stone Gryphon" when I read it two-three weeks ago. And oh, did I devour this story (discovered completely by luck, I might add ! I stumbled on it on Google, while searching for something Narnia-related but still completely different. It was "The Queen Susan in Tashbaan", wich I began to read out of curiosity, and then I realised that there was a first part I needed to know about to understand everything and then... I fell down the Rabbit Hole. Very fast, very completely and very happily :-) I am a bookworm. I think I read the majority of your work in less than a week, save one or two little things. I guess I can blame you for some sleepless nights ^^ ). Anyway... I loved it. And I didn’t review. But then I discovered your Journal, and I read some of the reviews, and your responses, and I realised that maybe you needed all the boost your readers could give you. And so, I decided that I would take the time, as much as necessary, to tell you all the things I wrote in my head while reading your work. I’m sorry, it’s going to be a long speech, considering that I’m basically reviewing all your stories in one post... and I have a lot to say !

First of all, congratulation for making me believe in an adult Narnia. Based on Lewis’ books, it was quite difficult to imagine the characters as anything other than chaste and pure, so to speak. And I found very, very few fictions picturing the Pevensies in relationships that I could believe in, let alone like. Actually, come to think of it, yours may very well be the only ones. Your vision of Narnia, of the court of Cair Paravel, of the characters, canon or not, of their life back in England, is incredible. It is very unique, and extraodinary built. There is a real depth to it. Your characters are psychologically coherent to the last tic. And the Animals ! You are probably the only one who did NOT humanize the Talking Beast. And this is just brillant. The way you describe it, the way you make them think and act, it makes it clear that they are animals. Talking and intelligent ones, yes, but still animals. I think Jalur is my favorite. Actually, scratch that. I KNOW Jalur is my favorite ! Particularly in “It’s the thought that counts”, chapter one. I mean, honestly ! “He carefully applied pressure and it squeaked.” I almost died. Of laughter. This image is just excellent !

I must say I am quite amazed with the amount of research I can feel behind the story. Particularly in Natural Science and in History. I have a passion for History, and “The Stone Gryphon” brings me a real pleasure when I am reading it, because it is so accurate, and I am actually learning a lot about World War Two! Also, you describe very exactly the every day life in a country at war, with the restrictions, and the military movements, and the devastation in Liverpool, and a lot of those little and big things betraying a severe conflict. It makes you realise how much things you take for granted are... well, not. Chocolate, for instance. Asim’s reaction to the chocolate bars is particularly significant.
And you convey just as well the mentality of this time, especially with Digory, poor man, surrounded as he is by people whose sensibility is quite different from his ! xD
As for Natural Science, well, your tour of the Museum, and as I said your description of the Animal’s point of view are proof enough. And all of that historically accurate, too ! So yes, I am amazed. Just amazed.

I love your Pevensies. In Narnia as well as in England, or America, for Susan. They are complex, strong characters, and you adding little things here and there makes them all the more real - such as Edmund’s allergy, or Lucy’s favorite pastime of climbing trees.

Speaking of Edmund. Harold and Morgan ? How can I convey just how much I enjoy this (to say the least) original relationship ! I mean, this thing about the contract ? SO brilliant xD This is pure genius, and the both of them are just perfect ! I don’t know how your mind works, and I’m pretty sure I don’t even want to know, but the results are magnificent. And this Jalur’s input : “Oh, just be done with it and tell her to call you 'Harold.” I could have died right there and I would have been happy. I am glad I was alone when I read that. Anyone would have thought me crazy considering how often and heartily I laughed all across “By Royal Decree” and “Harold and Morgan : Not a Romance”.

I very much like Mary and Richard, but from all the England-non-canon-character, Asim is my favorite. And I very much love how you deal with the religious issue. I am catholic, a firm believer in God, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. But I deeply respect the others religions, and I really appreciate how Asim receives visions from God, and can see those who are touched by Him. Not the same religion, but the same God. I love the idea.
And I like how the Pevensies can still feel Aslan in England. I never would have thought of it that way. Same with Lucy talking to the deads. I can’t wait to see where you are going with her, by the way. And I’m waiting for her encounter with Asim with a growing impatience.

About “The Maenad of the Maquis” : I am French. As such, I have to tell you I really appreciate your tribute to our “terroir”, our cheese and butter, and France in general. Ironically, I don’t like wine much, but it is still something I am proud of as French ^^ (Also, my name is Marie. Not that I am anything like a Maenad, God knows ! Nor do I want to be. But still. It makes the story even more good, somehow.) I learned a thing or two about the Resistance, too. I didn’t know about this business with the bad wine with fancy labels. And I can’t tell you how GREAT this is to finally, finally !, find a english fanfiction with CORRECT french included ! I read others fics where the author wanted to include some french language for a reason or another, and it is quite often tragic, at best. The original sentence as well as the traduction. But your french is excellent, the traduction is correct, and it is just one more detail who adds so much to the story. I had first noticed in “The Queen Susan in Tashbaan”, and it was a really good surprise.

What else ? Ah well, that’s all I can think about at the moment. And I’m beginning to re-read your fics while writing this, so it is not really helping xD

So, to sum it up : I love it, all of it. I read every thing you have on FF.net, save for “Under Cover”, I am not much in Eustace and Jill, right now, so maybe later. And I am currently digging through your LiveJournal for every One-Shot I can find. I just love it. The stories, the characters, the details, the consistency, the researches, everything is so rich it is a real joy to explore again and again. Your Narnia has nothing to do with the one I imagined from the books, but that is the great thing with fanfictions : you can discover a totally new point of view, an almost completely new world, and it is so enjoyable.

At last I achieve this awfully long "review” with a simple plea: more. Please, please, please, give me more ! :-)

I also apologise for all the mistakes that are bound to be there in this mess, as I said, I am not English, nor from anywhere where it is the first spoken language, and as much as I pride myself with a good english, I know that I still have a way to go until I can really pay tribute to Shakespeare language.

So :
- Thank you so much
- Please, more !
- Good luck with the continuation

Awwww, happy anniversary! I am so so so incredibly glad that you opened up that account :D

As to letters I would want to see...I feel like I would love to see Susan and Polly and Susan and the Professor and Lucy and the Professor writing each other.

...is there any chance Tebbitt might write Susan? *hopeful*

Yaaaayyyyy, Rth!!

I echo Marie's long paean above. Thank you so much for writing this adult Narnia! It's such a pleasure to read, and so satisfying to meet these people as well-rounded adults.

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Epistolic bliss!

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Happy Anniversary!