This is what happens when I work a 10-hour shift - I manage to miss an update! Well, having finally had a chance to read through it:
What an Arthur thing to do, setting aside his own natural emotional and mental responses to everything that's happened to him in the interests of practicality - cleaning and gathering up all the illicit little bits and pieces, making sure Eames and he are able to make a 'clean sneak' - setting it all aside again and again every time it tries to force itself back to the forefront, letting Eames take control of the 'people' portion of the situation, and it's just so obvious that they're both exhausted.
"It's going to be a madhouse once we leave this room," Arthur said. "And it's not going to end until we're in two different places. Say goodbye to me now."
I love these little bits of dialogue - you have a real strength in your writing in being able to establish such human, flawed, true characters without needing to explicitly state things about them. That's a skill that really marks the divide between mediocre writers and good ones, and it's obviously something that comes naturally to you. Did I mention that you are my fandom canon? Because you really have set a benchmark here with your writing by which I judge other stories.
I wonder, though, will Eames and Arthur ever really have a conversation about all of these
Eames's smile turned a little knowing; Arthur had seen that look many times and still didn't know what it meant. "I hear you, Arthur," he said.
little exchanges they've had over the years? I'm honestly still not even sure if I'd want them to or not.
I love the way you incorporated Baba Yaga into the story, especially here in this chapter, and I love love loved the interaction between Arthur and Eames and Eames' medic comrade. "Who even says that anymore?" had me laughing out loud because I'd just thought the exact same thing.
Loved Michelle's line to Eames about figs and olives, and her 'whatever's continue to be endearing. Love that Eartha and Frank managed to find Arthur and bring him delicious bagels and coffee - they really are an adorable, sneaky little couple, startling the wits out of poor Arthur. Although I loved the farewells the boys had with Eartha and Frank and Helen and David and Michelle, I have to say I'll really miss these characters when the story is over.
If we do end up getting an epilogue where Arthur and Eames finally get to have a real vacation, would it be asking too much for some little snippets where Eartha and Frank finally get their I-am-in-the-last-quarter-of-my-life-and-want-to-spend-it-quietly-with-the-person-I-love vacation? And of course Helen and David and Michelle off somewhere being a touristy but still off-handedly badass sort of family, but obviously much closer than when we were originally introduced to them?
PS Eames engraving Arthur's silly little pocket-watch = <3 <3 <3 <3 all over my eyes.
no subject
What an Arthur thing to do, setting aside his own natural emotional and mental responses to everything that's happened to him in the interests of practicality - cleaning and gathering up all the illicit little bits and pieces, making sure Eames and he are able to make a 'clean sneak' - setting it all aside again and again every time it tries to force itself back to the forefront, letting Eames take control of the 'people' portion of the situation, and it's just so obvious that they're both exhausted.
"It's going to be a madhouse once we leave this room," Arthur said. "And it's not going to end until we're in two different places. Say goodbye to me now."
I love these little bits of dialogue - you have a real strength in your writing in being able to establish such human, flawed, true characters without needing to explicitly state things about them. That's a skill that really marks the divide between mediocre writers and good ones, and it's obviously something that comes naturally to you. Did I mention that you are my fandom canon? Because you really have set a benchmark here with your writing by which I judge other stories.
I wonder, though, will Eames and Arthur ever really have a conversation about all of these
Eames's smile turned a little knowing; Arthur had seen that look many times and still didn't know what it meant. "I hear you, Arthur," he said.
little exchanges they've had over the years? I'm honestly still not even sure if I'd want them to or not.
I love the way you incorporated Baba Yaga into the story, especially here in this chapter, and I love love loved the interaction between Arthur and Eames and Eames' medic comrade. "Who even says that anymore?" had me laughing out loud because I'd just thought the exact same thing.
Loved Michelle's line to Eames about figs and olives, and her 'whatever's continue to be endearing. Love that Eartha and Frank managed to find Arthur and bring him delicious bagels and coffee - they really are an adorable, sneaky little couple, startling the wits out of poor Arthur. Although I loved the farewells the boys had with Eartha and Frank and Helen and David and Michelle, I have to say I'll really miss these characters when the story is over.
If we do end up getting an epilogue where Arthur and Eames finally get to have a real vacation, would it be asking too much for some little snippets where Eartha and Frank finally get their I-am-in-the-last-quarter-of-my-life-and-want-to-spend-it-quietly-with-the-person-I-love vacation? And of course Helen and David and Michelle off somewhere being a touristy but still off-handedly badass sort of family, but obviously much closer than when we were originally introduced to them?
PS Eames engraving Arthur's silly little pocket-watch = <3 <3 <3 <3 all over my eyes.