OMG, Lil... this is stunning. Completely, heartbreakingly, so painfully gorgeous. I've read it three times now and I'm honestly floored. There is so much perfect imagery and precise, merciless insight into Roman's character here that it totally CUTS ME. And makes me love it.
The way you use the ice is incredible! Every image, every line is just perfect. I adore the initial description of how ragged and abused it looks, and then the paragraph about how Roman craves the imperfection and something to rage against even while recognising that's not who he is... that's so RIGHT that I can't even express it. Argh.
I love love love how Roman sees himself here. I love that he's aware that he's not just a poor little used victim; that he was complicit in what happened, and that he knows how bad Deniz is for him. Because to me, that is so much of why the later story of this pairing is still so very compelling - that there's this incredibly strong, passionate thing between them and neither can really deny it but neither of them knows how to handle it, and it's not by any means good for them. And you've nailed that so well here.
This passage just kills me:
What they had together—what they'd had together—it was powerful and terrifying. He didn't know if that would ever change; his connection to Deniz felt like it was etched into his bones, gnawing with its tiny teeth the marks that would stay with him forever. But then there was the truth: that Deniz was like the spring ice, its brilliant sparkle enticing and deadly. It was tempting but it was not true.
OMG yes. The way you set up the ice as the one thing that's Roman's alone earlier in that childhood glimpse (which was also so, so lovely), the one thing that's his and reliable and true, and now along comes Deniz and inserts himself even into that and makes it something that's anything but true... that, right there, is such a crystal-clear and apt metaphor for their entire relationship that it made my jaw drop.
I think I find this even more powerful just having rewatched the episode in question last night. It's actually one of my favourites (because I love a good painful, angst mess!), and both Schön and this are such beautiful companion pieces to it. Gods, I am so in awe of your writing right now. Your imagery is so hauntingly lovely and your words chosen with such meticulous care that I can't even pick things out of the whole to quote because I, just, the whole thing is my favourite, you know? And did I mention OW???
no subject
*goes about finding herself some gorram speech*
OMG, Lil... this is stunning. Completely, heartbreakingly, so painfully gorgeous. I've read it three times now and I'm honestly floored. There is so much perfect imagery and precise, merciless insight into Roman's character here that it totally CUTS ME. And makes me love it.
The way you use the ice is incredible! Every image, every line is just perfect. I adore the initial description of how ragged and abused it looks, and then the paragraph about how Roman craves the imperfection and something to rage against even while recognising that's not who he is... that's so RIGHT that I can't even express it. Argh.
I love love love how Roman sees himself here. I love that he's aware that he's not just a poor little used victim; that he was complicit in what happened, and that he knows how bad Deniz is for him. Because to me, that is so much of why the later story of this pairing is still so very compelling - that there's this incredibly strong, passionate thing between them and neither can really deny it but neither of them knows how to handle it, and it's not by any means good for them. And you've nailed that so well here.
This passage just kills me:
What they had together—what they'd had together—it was powerful and terrifying. He didn't know if that would ever change; his connection to Deniz felt like it was etched into his bones, gnawing with its tiny teeth the marks that would stay with him forever. But then there was the truth: that Deniz was like the spring ice, its brilliant sparkle enticing and deadly. It was tempting but it was not true.
OMG yes. The way you set up the ice as the one thing that's Roman's alone earlier in that childhood glimpse (which was also so, so lovely), the one thing that's his and reliable and true, and now along comes Deniz and inserts himself even into that and makes it something that's anything but true... that, right there, is such a crystal-clear and apt metaphor for their entire relationship that it made my jaw drop.
I think I find this even more powerful just having rewatched the episode in question last night. It's actually one of my favourites (because I love a good painful, angst mess!), and both Schön and this are such beautiful companion pieces to it. Gods, I am so in awe of your writing right now. Your imagery is so hauntingly lovely and your words chosen with such meticulous care that I can't even pick things out of the whole to quote because I, just, the whole thing is my favourite, you know? And did I mention OW???
*stares, mesmerised*