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| Oboe-Wan 2007-08-12 ch 1,  | abuseYour opening disclaimer, to start with, is darling. Drat and blast indeed. I like very much that you avoid the sort of sit-com-y cliche of the woman in labor yelling blame in the general direction of her husband. I mean, granted I've never had any babies myself, nor, youngest child that I am, been around during the birth of any, but... that did always strike me as a slightly unresasonable response? To recall Arianllyn's much later words to Taliesin - it IS sort of a joint effort, isn't it? "As his son slid into the world looking mildly surprised..." Oh, Adaon. You would. Seconds old, and he's already in character! Taliesin's reminiscences about his youthful romances are intriguing. I can't help wondering if you had anyone specific in mind. The only people we know of that I can think of who suit the description "more independent, powerful, or adept at magic than most..." might be Regat (and we know that wouldn't work out from Angharad's story - a princess of the House of Llyr would be required to marry an enchanter, not a bard), or, um, well... Achren, but that's frankly distressing. I very much like the idea of pre-Cerys Taliesin "talking himself out of feeling wistful". I'm not sure why, but that turn of phrase struck me with particular resonance. It acknowledges the existence of his feelings of loneliness and longing, but it deftly gets across that he certainly isn't wallowing in them - that he would rather be alone than with a woman he didn't love. I am also impressed by the way you manage to give us a nice quick summary of "Taliesin in Love" in such as way as to make those of us who have read the story still interested in your sparkling prose - and probably those who haven't just wanting more details. Nicely done. Also, I was particularly pleased with the extra little glimpses of Cerys's original declaration of regard. I am nosy about these things. I continue to be impressed by her courage in matters of romance! And as before, I love that Taliesin is so confident in his own abilities that he doesn't feel threatened by Cerys's talent, as many of the other bards seem to. Musicians can tend to be a bit um... competitive, and it's always nice to see the convergence of talent and the ability to appreciate the skills of others. Radish indeed! I wonder if even that sounds pretty in Welsh... The exchange between Cerys and Taliesin here at the end is so sweet and lovely - and it's all positively heartbreaking, knowing... Beautiful, as always. |
| Elouise82 2006-09-27 ch 1, | abuseThis is such a charming glimpse into the lighter side of Adaon's life, as well as Taliesin's. Cerys is a marvelously-drawn character, a true Alexender-ian heroine! The grace with which she handled her pain, the humor she exhibited only a short while after labor, and then the look into her earlier life, as a bard--she is very complex, and very real. As I'm coming to expect from your stories, excellently written, and very captivating! |