in the light of dying stars for liafic

[liafic]

Title: in the light of dying stars
Recipient: liafic
Rating: pg-13
Warnings: non-canon pairings, if you squint a lil bit
Summary: Duo watches history, and Relena, unfold.
Author: grandlarseny

Comments

[elleavantemm]

This is really beautifully written. I love that it's through Duo's perspective that we see the way that Relena is sort of falling apart, and just the examination of Relena's character in relation to her perpetual status as a symbol rather than a person.

[elleavantemm]

Thank you so much! This was my first time writing Duo as the primary character, so I'm glad it didn't come off too clumsy! I first watched the series when I was teenager, so at the time I never questioned the constant assertion of Relena as a symbol- it was so apparent that some characters even expressly admitted to it. As I got older, and thought back on it, I realized it was actually an incredibly unfair situation, and robbed Relena's character of the agency to present herself as she'd like to be seen instead of what people wanted to see (though it can be argued that she actually was the one who cultivated this image). Since she's arguably one of the strongest females in the series (both through personal impression and canon admission) I thought this was a rather odd choice for the series creators, and I wanted to give Relena the chance to protest! I also wanted to explore the genuine burdens that kind of expectation can place on an individual. In any case, I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and I'm glad you approved of my choices- if

[liafic]

Thank you so much for writing such a crazy awesome fic! ♥

The first time I read this, there were certain lines that resonated very powerfully for no explicable reason, like Back then, if he had known what tree he had been barking up the day he found her in a party dress with a gun to her head, he'd have spared his bullets and let Heero and Relena sort themselves out. Even as early on as that, they only had eyes for each other. I mean, OH GOD. So perfect.

Then I read it again, and I fell in love with the details. Your characterisation of Duo as someone watching from the sidelines was done very well, I felt. Through him, you gave such a unique perspective on each character-and I really liked the way that his feelings for Relena were ambiguous in that his comments on her appearance, or on the necessarily obsessive nature of his job, could have indicated a romantic interest or just things that an observant person would notice.

I know I'll definitely be thinking about this fic for a while. =)

[liafic]

Ah ha! You caught my pairing trolling! hahaha. It's true, I have a little corner in my heart for 2xR, so of course I had to flirt with the concept. I'm so glad you liked it- There's a few parts that upon obsessive re-reading (why do I always do this AFTER it's posted instead of before?) I'd like to re-work, but I'm thrilled you enjoyed it despite it's shortcomings. I do consider Duo the most interested of all the pilots in personal choices and individual motivations- considering he's their "communications engineer" I suppose it's part of his character's make-up. :) I'm glad you enjoyed my 1xR bits- I've loved this pairing for thirteen years, and I don't think I'll ever stop. It was a pleasure to write your prompt, and I couldn't ask for a nicer recipient! Thanks again for reading :)

[lil_1337]

This is a really interesting look at Relena and her relationship with Heero. I love fics written from an outside view and this shows us quite a bit as a result.

[lil_1337]

Thank you very much for your response! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I agree, sometimes it takes an outside observer to reveal the most interesting things ;)

[okaasan59]

I think this is one of the best post-series Relena portrayals I've read. I love the insights we get from Duo's POV and the hope at the end that she and Heero might figure things out.