blink and you'll miss it (1a/?)
anonymous
August 14 2010, 04:41:19 UTC
This turned out different from what the OP asked for, I think, so I apologize in advance for any dissatisfaction that results, and hope the OP will forgive me. At the same time, though, I preferred this story to the one I was planning, so…thank you for providing the prompt, at least. <3
Trigger Warnings: The following fill will include, but not be limited to: non-con, headcanon for Nations and psychological trauma, dissociation, exploring self-injury disorder/cutting and its relationship to sexual abuse, Your Mileage May Vary characterization, and examination of Nationhood and the noncon/revenge dynamic.
All right. Here we go.
In Paris, in a cluster of suburbs within driving distance of the Élysée Palace, there is a street where the houses stand close, like baby birds huddling together for warmth on a cool summer morning. Tourists admire the vibrant colors and architecture; at night, the streets fill with the soft glow from inside as families wind down from a long day
( ... )
blink and you'll miss it (3d/?)
anonymous
August 22 2010, 19:45:58 UTC
I’ll give you this, then, Francis promises, to both this Alfred in front of him and the abused, violated Alfred that hangs as a ghost-image behind Francis’s eyes. I’ll give you this if it’s what it takes to make you happy.“We should go back in, Francis, we’ve got work to
( ... )
blink and you'll miss it (3e/?)
anonymous
August 22 2010, 19:46:59 UTC
He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to remember, his fingernails digging into his skin. But his memory is as black and timeless as the back of his eyelids. It won’t respond to the way his muscles tense and strain; it won’t show him his arms as he pressed the blade to his skin and made the first slice -
Francis opens his eyes, taking a deep breath, letting it out, repeating the pattern. “I’m fine,” he says to the bedspread. “I’ll be all right.” He straightens his back and pulls his sleeves back up and over his shoulders. “I won’t let it happen again.”
The words don’t ease the niggling, flute-song doubt that flutters in the shadows of his mind as he goes to his suitcase to find a clean shirt. ___
blink and you'll miss it (chapter 3 notes)
anonymous
August 22 2010, 19:48:26 UTC
Notes:
- Comfit byaldi is a modern rendition of the ratatouille dish made from eggplants. It was used in the Pixar film Ratatouille, which broke France’s record for the biggest animated film debut. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confit_byaldi)
- The Musical Offering was a piece composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in honor of Prussia’s Frederick the Great. It was notable for including what are known today as “riddle canons,” where players were given a single line of notes and a line in Latin above it for the players to read and figure out as they played. You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQWsOG7IJA0&feature=search . (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Musical_Offering... )
Re: blink and you'll miss it (chapter 3 notes)
anonymous
August 23 2010, 02:28:04 UTC
Alfred is adorable. I want to sqeeze him.
Sucks to be Francis though. Poor dude never thought he'd get triggered by a fanmade comic. I'll admit, I was biting my lip thinking something would go really wrong during the sex scene, but it seemed to turn out okay, so this chapter seemed like a bit of an improvement for him, but he's probably got a lot to work through now.
Yeah, Francis has a lot of issues that he needs to figure out here. I think in this fic, what happened to him led to a lot of problems that shaped how he deals with relationships in the present day - for example, he has no problems with loving others, but letting himself be loved is a different story.
Yeah, their relationship is a bit...complicated, to put it simply, and the fact that Francis isn't open about his own problems isn't helping. It's understandable - but it's making things difficult, and it's going to come back later for lots of butt-biting fun. D:
Re: blink and you'll miss it (3e/?)
anonymous
August 23 2010, 08:10:42 UTC
Intense. I came very close to not clicking on this, because often times the meta fills aren't so good, you know? But it's done really well, and I'm glad I did. Following!
I'm so thankful that you decided to give me a chance, anon! I'm also glad that you thought it was well-done - I think that when meta is done well, it gives writers a chance to analyze and play with a lot of stuff you see in fanfic.
Thank you! I do try to do as much research as I can on subjects like these so that they don't end up being a plot device to get two people together via healing!sex. Because it's not that simple, least of all here.
Re: blink and you'll miss it (3e/?)
anonymous
December 3 2010, 23:54:58 UTC
Wow, I'm really enjoying this fill so far. It's fascinating from a psychological point of view... I've spent far too much time academically and personally researching and trying to understand trauma and self-harm, so this fic hits me on all sorts of fulfilling levels. I hope you're still writing, because I'm looking forward to the next part!
Re: blink and you'll miss it (3d/?)
anonymous
August 23 2010, 21:19:46 UTC
Ohhh your Alfred is cute beyond words !!
And I find your fic so interesting !
Moreover, the way you describe your Francis (denying his own sufferings) is reminding me of a paper (from one student of the London School of Economics, this is not from an historian but this may still be interesting) I read recently. It was about how China and France were dealing with the humiliation of the occupation during WWII : "Although humiliation shapes the foreign policies of France and China, each country has managed the experience in a different manner: while China manipulates the past injuries to rally the population and justify an expansionist foreign policy, France has denied its own humiliation, hiding it from the public while pursuing a ‘politique de grandeur’ "
Writernon....
anonymous
August 24 2010, 00:20:14 UTC
...did not know that! Wow, I - I was actually just basing it off of my own weird headcanon-canon-history casserole. Thank you for sharing that, and thank you for your comments!
Re: blink and you'll miss it (3d/?)
anonymous
August 24 2010, 03:13:32 UTC
/diff anon
That's really interesting, thank you for sharing! However, it's hard for me to imagine China's expansionist foreign policy as a result of past injuries (esp. occupation during WWII). Expansionism is not really something new in history of China. I can't see France hiding its humiliation from the public either, but then it stems from my impression about the French in general than any historical fact.
Western views on those countries are still different from those of eastern nations I guess /from an Asian country which is influenced by (and suffered from) both China and France.
Also, sorry dear Author!anon for my rambling in the middle of your story
Trigger Warnings: The following fill will include, but not be limited to: non-con, headcanon for Nations and psychological trauma, dissociation, exploring self-injury disorder/cutting and its relationship to sexual abuse, Your Mileage May Vary characterization, and examination of Nationhood and the noncon/revenge dynamic.
All right. Here we go.
In Paris, in a cluster of suburbs within driving distance of the Élysée Palace, there is a street where the houses stand close, like baby birds huddling together for warmth on a cool summer morning. Tourists admire the vibrant colors and architecture; at night, the streets fill with the soft glow from inside as families wind down from a long day ( ... )
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Francis opens his eyes, taking a deep breath, letting it out, repeating the pattern. “I’m fine,” he says to the bedspread. “I’ll be all right.” He straightens his back and pulls his sleeves back up and over his shoulders. “I won’t let it happen again.”
The words don’t ease the niggling, flute-song doubt that flutters in the shadows of his mind as he goes to his suitcase to find a clean shirt.
___
Reply
- Comfit byaldi is a modern rendition of the ratatouille dish made from eggplants. It was used in the Pixar film Ratatouille, which broke France’s record for the biggest animated film debut. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confit_byaldi)
- The Musical Offering was a piece composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in honor of Prussia’s Frederick the Great. It was notable for including what are known today as “riddle canons,” where players were given a single line of notes and a line in Latin above it for the players to read and figure out as they played. You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQWsOG7IJA0&feature=search . (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Musical_Offering... )
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Sucks to be Francis though. Poor dude never thought he'd get triggered by a fanmade comic. I'll admit, I was biting my lip thinking something would go really wrong during the sex scene, but it seemed to turn out okay, so this chapter seemed like a bit of an improvement for him, but he's probably got a lot to work through now.
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Thank you very much for your comment!
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Thank you for your comment!
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Thank you for reading!
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I hope to see you again in the next chapter! <3
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And I find your fic so interesting !
Moreover, the way you describe your Francis (denying his own sufferings) is reminding me of a paper (from one student of the London School of Economics, this is not from an historian but this may still be interesting) I read recently. It was about how China and France were dealing with the humiliation of the occupation during WWII : "Although humiliation shapes the foreign policies of France and China, each country has managed the experience in a different manner: while China manipulates the past injuries to rally the population and justify an expansionist foreign policy, France has denied its own humiliation, hiding it from the public while pursuing a ‘politique de grandeur’ "
.... waiting for the update !!!
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Reply
That's really interesting, thank you for sharing! However, it's hard for me to imagine China's expansionist foreign policy as a result of past injuries (esp. occupation during WWII). Expansionism is not really something new in history of China. I can't see France hiding its humiliation from the public either, but then it stems from my impression about the French in general than any historical fact.
Western views on those countries are still different from those of eastern nations I guess /from an Asian country which is influenced by (and suffered from) both China and France.
Also, sorry dear Author!anon for my rambling in the middle of your story
Reply
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