Harold, Morgan, Chapter 9, a nod to Anastigmat, and dread visuals

[rthstewart]

So, in preparation for another trip to the oral surgeon, I posted the conclusion to the Two Hearts Chapter of Harold and Morgan, here.  And yes, we get the Director's point of view -- a strange place to be, certainly.  And Happy Birthday to therck !!!

anastigmatfic 's pic fic contribution to Morgan and Harold gets some backstory, with more to come.

I realized that my visuals, such as they are, for the banking districts of Narrowhaven were strongly influenced by my time in Siena, Italy and the contrade of that gorgeous city.

Contrada Capitana dell'Onda (the contrada of the Wave)



Contrada della Selva (the contrada of the Forest)


An intersection in Siena where Onda and Aquila (the Eagle) meet



Thanks also to the new readers who have joined on.  I so appreciate knowing I'm not toiling alone.

I suppose I should say something about the portrayal of the Director.  It's complex and not something I've done before.  I've tried to capture a Type A dominant, arrogant, confident man, father, and successful businessman who is watching his adult daughter with a much younger upstart swain/seducer whom he believes his inferior in every sense and yet Linch must look to that younger man to protect his children in ways he cannot.  That's not something Linch is going to accept easily and it's not a pretty process to see the anger, conflict and hypocrisy.  He is a highly controlling personality (and yes, he would do lots of mansplain) who really has had the floor give way beneath him and during a very stressful time. 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you.
I really like this chapter, all three parts of it.
Anxious Director Meryl in the presence of her King; "How might Meryl serve?", "Please" after second thought – it must have made Edmund suspicious.
Note about a gap in Bankers’ Code – small thing, but really meaningful.
I like that when Morgan is not around, Maeve turns from villain to normal human being.
I’m somehow not surprised that your mental image of the city of Bankers is based on Italian town... Thank you for description.
Peridan is sweet. I will gladly meet him again. And it’s true that he resembles „American Peridan” much.
Director Linch – poor man, so out of his element. Not knowing what to do must be really difficult for him – more than for somebody else as he is completely unaccustomed to such a situation. And that sudden understanding of what „King” means – clearly the whole idea is beyond the world normaly surrounding him. No surprise that – as it caught him off guard – it bowled him over.

As to what you and Indil where talking about – you shouldn’t worry about making Pevensie children too idealistic monarchs. Unlike those of our world (?) they were really chosen by the God. So it is not your fault, but Lewis’.
All that talking about barbarism, also about ways of treating Morgan – but what will Director Linch say when Calormen attacks North because of a woman? And one point more – it is easy to accuse others of barbarism when oneself lives in a safe world.
I was wandering that maybe few sharp changes on Lone Islands wouldn’t be so out of line. Islanders are practical and realistic people. Given choice „adapt or die” they would adapt without making too many objections. Maybe they need a bit firm hand?

Best,
Krystyna

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Krystyna! I've spend the weekend writing Pierce and Maeve, 2,500 words of it -- so I am officially insane, writing romance fic for OCs where there is barely even a mention of a canon character. Pathetic, but I'm enjoying playing with the Banker mentality. The Bankers and Lone Islanders have lived alone and isolated and regulating themselves for a long time and this is going to be a significant change for them.

Writing Linch was enormously fun. You raise interesting points about what is to happen with Rabadash's invasion. Something being set up here to provide a more rational backstory for that -- that Rabadash is under pressure to retain his succession to Tisroc. There are other scheming factions that outright oppose him and others that are more subtle about it. He's not stupid and not totally irrational. But, Susan makes a fool of him, which he cannot afford -- his pride takes a SEVERE beating, and off camera in Horse and His Boy, you can just imagine some oily advisors who really support other factions saying JUST THE WORSE things possible to really enrage him. If you look at the possibility that there are others in the background, unseen, trying hard to and succeeding in manipulating him. say factions that bitterly oppose any alliance with the North, it is easy to see how the whole mess could come about. They make sure Rabadash is shown to his worse possible advantage, drive the Narnian Queen away and then when Rabadash might try to retain some dignity or show some restraint, they undermine him, too.

Ahem. Done now! thanks again!