Fic Update: "Sleep of the Just"
Apr. 8th, 2010 06:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mark_asphodel Back in... uh... October? I posted the prologue for a three-part FE8 story featuring Innes. I had the plot sketched out, the chapter breaks set, and the final scene written (something I always do with multi-part 'fic to keep me going). But the essential bloody vagueness of Magvel caused me to stall out. I was comfortable enough with Innes, or at least my take on him, but I wasn't comfortable in his world.
So, here it is April of 2010, and I finally get around to Chapter One. It's mostly what I intended to write from the first, but the central conflict between Innes and Ephraim is kept in the background this chapter. The political issues that drive Chapter Two are shoved in the corner, too-- this chapter is basically Innes getting his psyche and his life together after the war.
Anyway, the conceit of the story is that Innes, after committing himself to dueling for Eirika's hand, realizes he doesn't love her, that she doesn't love him, and he needs an honorable way out. The only honorable course, in this case, is losing the duel... which he does. But public defeat at Ephraim's hands isn't something Innes can live with easily, even if the loss was intentional. So Innes goes through a mental process of remaking himself-- not as a rival to Ephraim, but as more of an opposite. Let Ephraim be the beloved hero of the continent-- Innes fashions himself into the Spider King, the man from the shadows who gets things done. And things run smoothly enough, for a while....
Innes, though the protagonist and a character I really like, has some terribly non-heroic qualities in this. He's a calculating schemer, gets a certain kick out of toying with people, is basically devoid of shame because he thinks his actions are just, and is just as coldblooded in his personal life as he is at the negotiating table. But he's doing right by his country and by Magvel as a whole, so having a bastard son by one of his knights is really a non-issue to him and to most everyone else. I view Magvel as very much a post-medieval state, so I'm making free use of High Renaissance mores here. It's just not a big deal to anyone, other than perhaps some bishops in Rausten, if the King of Frelia keeps a mistress. He can keep twelve of them if he likes, as long as the nation is stable!
I don't warn for pairings unless they're canon-busters or something that could squick people. For this 'fic, I decided to make considerable use of the FE8 possibilities. So we have Ephraim/Tana (bleah, but it made sense in terms of the plot), an initial Innes/Eirika that goes nowhere, plus some Seth/Eirika/Saleh (!) and Vanessa/Innes/L'Arachel. Yay.
All in all, Innes is a refreshing change from Marth and friends. I just can't DO some things with Archanea.
So, here it is April of 2010, and I finally get around to Chapter One. It's mostly what I intended to write from the first, but the central conflict between Innes and Ephraim is kept in the background this chapter. The political issues that drive Chapter Two are shoved in the corner, too-- this chapter is basically Innes getting his psyche and his life together after the war.
Anyway, the conceit of the story is that Innes, after committing himself to dueling for Eirika's hand, realizes he doesn't love her, that she doesn't love him, and he needs an honorable way out. The only honorable course, in this case, is losing the duel... which he does. But public defeat at Ephraim's hands isn't something Innes can live with easily, even if the loss was intentional. So Innes goes through a mental process of remaking himself-- not as a rival to Ephraim, but as more of an opposite. Let Ephraim be the beloved hero of the continent-- Innes fashions himself into the Spider King, the man from the shadows who gets things done. And things run smoothly enough, for a while....
Innes, though the protagonist and a character I really like, has some terribly non-heroic qualities in this. He's a calculating schemer, gets a certain kick out of toying with people, is basically devoid of shame because he thinks his actions are just, and is just as coldblooded in his personal life as he is at the negotiating table. But he's doing right by his country and by Magvel as a whole, so having a bastard son by one of his knights is really a non-issue to him and to most everyone else. I view Magvel as very much a post-medieval state, so I'm making free use of High Renaissance mores here. It's just not a big deal to anyone, other than perhaps some bishops in Rausten, if the King of Frelia keeps a mistress. He can keep twelve of them if he likes, as long as the nation is stable!
I don't warn for pairings unless they're canon-busters or something that could squick people. For this 'fic, I decided to make considerable use of the FE8 possibilities. So we have Ephraim/Tana (bleah, but it made sense in terms of the plot), an initial Innes/Eirika that goes nowhere, plus some Seth/Eirika/Saleh (!) and Vanessa/Innes/L'Arachel. Yay.
All in all, Innes is a refreshing change from Marth and friends. I just can't DO some things with Archanea.
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no subject
Date: 2010-04-09 12:21 am (UTC)This intrigues me. One of the reasons that I like FE8 – indeed, why I prefer the entire GBA 'trilogy' – is its openness to pairings, particularly considering all of its Supports. I look forward to seeing where you go with this, and, of course, I will add it to my (long) list of things to read.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-10 02:18 am (UTC)Indeed.
One of the reasons that I like FE8 – indeed, why I prefer the entire GBA 'trilogy' – is its openness to pairings, particularly considering all of its Supports
Mm, my mileage varies. I just can't get myself worked up over the FE7 'ships, but the FE8 possibilities are fluid and engaging, IMO. Characterization is the one thing FE8 really has going for it.
Anyway, this will be going to some places readers don't expect, I think. :)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-09 04:38 am (UTC)Love also the way you handle Innes -> Eirika, which is one of the few pairings I'm a little more iffy about. His admiration for her is clear and it's displayed in a much more believable context than I usually see it.
Dunno if I have much else to say about the fic just yet (aside from I adore Innes and love it whenever anyone writes him as the scheming bastard he is instead of butchering his characterization or maligning him as a dumb jerk...)
no subject
Date: 2010-04-09 10:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-11 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-10 02:30 am (UTC)(Magvel has always been the universe where I could imagine almost ALL the pairings being canon without much contradiction
Yeah, really. I completely agree on that one. Instead of each pairing being a dead-end to the others, they have the potential to flow and merge and branch off again.
His admiration for her is clear and it's displayed in a much more believable context than I usually see it.
Thank you. He does love her, I think... just not enough to marry her. Or maybe it's that he loves her enough to respect that it's not going to work, whereas with L'Arachel he goes, "Okay, whatever, I can deal with it."
But clearly the sex is good with L'Arachel.aside from I adore Innes and love it whenever anyone writes him as the scheming bastard he is instead of butchering his characterization or maligning him as a dumb jerk
Yeah, Butchered!Innes is one of my back-button squicks now. Does he have the potential to do some very bad things in the same of his particular vision of good? Oh, yes. That doesn't mean he's the bad guy from Central Casting. He has some core values and standards and boundaries. But it's so much easier to cheap-shot him... sigh.