You know what? I really love your stories. I already read the prequel to this and it was simply splendid. I'm really excited for the next chapter, so please try not to take too long.
*Squeals and faints dead away* I LOVE IT! Love it love it love it! T'was amazing! It was probably the best chapter ever! I really hope D'Artagnan doesn't forget about needing to see a doctor about those lapses of his! Him and Athos were sweet in this chapter, and so was his scene in the stable with Aramis! Eek! Please write more, this is probably my favourite story in the entire archive! :
YEGADS! This has to be one of the more brilliant stories out there! So so so sorry I didn't review the first chapter, but it's just so hard to stop reading this long enough to actually say something!
It's amazing, fantastic, wonderful, absolutely perfect, and a thousand other synonyms for "Holy cow, I adore this piece of writing"! I looooooove your D'Artagnan! He's so cute when he doesn't remember, but it's so sad as well! I swear you nearly made me cry with your descriptions of how Athos felt!
And, speaking of Athos! Ai, Valar! You've got him so completely in-character, it's bloody marvelous! Even his voice is right! It's like it's actually him talking! And Aramis and Porthos are both done equally well!
Also, may I say that Planchet was highly appreciate! He was just...naw...and the mental image of him and 'Tagnan cooking...*Shriek of delight*
Anyways, I love this story, you're a total artist on this thing, and I honestly hope there are about a hundred million chapters of this lovliness! :
I've probably told you this before... but I'll say it again anyway. You do *so* good with angst and drama because you have a way of writing it so poignant that it goes to the heart of the reader and you never fail to make me shed a few tears either which I really appreciate. I don't know how you do it, but you have a way with words like that. This chapter was definitely worth the wait. I really don't know how to express how much I liked this and why I liked it. I think it's best to leave it at that.
I'm excited that you're writing a prequel, I'm interesting to see where you'll go with that as there were some interesting things mentioned in this chapter. I will say that I liked how Mainard is helping D'Artagnan; I really like his character, and seriously, Athos would be justified to draw and quarter the Spaniard :P The story about D'Artagnan's friend was so sad, but again, poignant. Gosh, I don't know how you do it!
I eagerly await the next installment, but do not rush genius! And I don't think anyone ever thought of sighing over the long chapters. It didn't seem all that long reading it!
You already know my thoughts on this chapter, my dear, but I know how hard you've worked on this and so I'm going to repeat everything I said, and then some.
Aramis was so awesome here-it was nice to see him lose that calmness and reason that's so characteristic of him and really lay into Athos and give him a good tongue-lashing. I also liked how you showed that Aramis was struggling to keep believing that everything would be all right, because at this point it really *isn't* all right and he was right in saying that they couldn't keep ignoring D'Artagnan's memory loss and hoping it would go away. It takes a brave man to stand up to Athos and Aramis is probably one of the few men on the planet that can do so and walk away alive. ;)
The entire middle part of D'Artagnan wondering aimlessly around the city, his growing awareness of being followed, his friends' frantic search for him-all of it was so well written. I'm really glad you added in the brief parts of the 3Ms searching for D'Artagnan; I could almost feel how anxious and woried they were. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I got an honest-to-god shudder when we found out that Lucio had been following D'Artagnan. Thank goodness Mainard was there! The whole scene with him and his family was a nice way to break the tension, and the part when Annabelle hugged D'Artagnan? I don't even have words to say how much I loved that part.
I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I love the way you write Athos. Aramis' description of him is so apt: "... you keep your heart locked up like a murderous felon waiting for the gallows." You do such an amazing job of showing the hidden side of Athos that he never lets anyone see, but also constantly remind us readers that he's a very dangerous man to cross. I got shivers when Athos read Mainard's note and how he was determined to kill the Spaniard. Lucio's a walking dead man!
And of course, I am nearly half-mad at this point with waiting for the prequel to this. I can't imagine what Athos went through at La Rochelle, if this is what he's like after D'Artagnan lost his memory, but is otherwise fine physically. I have a feeling that things are going to get a lot more intense in the next chapters, which I await with baited breath.
You've really outdone yourself, my dear, and it was absolutely worth the wait!
P.S. I hope to have my other story posted soon, as I know you're as anxious for that story as I am for "Lionheart". ;)
How to get started? Well, first: I loved this chapter.
The pain of Athos and its haunting sense of guilt are so intense. You gave him a perfect psychological description! I loved the fight between him and Aramis - the priest was at his best: charming, intelligent and deep- the dialogues were so vivid and real, to make me tremble.
D'Artagnan worries me, poor dear: his symptoms are troubling, and the threat of the mysterious Spaniard is incombing. Strange though that has never spoken to Athos about Miguel before, really.
However the conclusion between them is adorable.
What the hell happened at The Rochelle? I'm dying to know. And of course to read more on this story. It worth all the waiting! My most sincere congratulations.
Ok, happy-attack aside, I did a happy dance when I saw this in my inbox. :)
Oh man, poor D'Artagnan... and poor Athos. To be honest I'm not sure who I feel worse for at the moment. Possibly Athos (and Aramis and Porthos, of course, but Athos seems to be handling it worse than they are), because he CAN remember everything that has been lost now and D'Artagnan can't (which is, of course, the problem in the dirt place).
I loved the part when D'Artagnan went through Aramis' and Porthos' rooms to try and figure out who they are. The fact that Aramis was a bit complicated while Porthos was pretty much an open book was PERFECT. Oh, and the handkerchief bit had me giggling like a crazy person. Love it!
The last bit... Oi... D'Artagnan not remembering how to fight, that's just heaping injury onto insult onto injury. And of course I can only imagine what this is going to do to the poor boy. And again, to Athos. And how will Aramis and Porthos react when they find out?
This is the part when I beg you to please update as soon as possible. There are cookies in it for you if you do. ;)
So I've read this about half a dozen times now and I'm just now able to write something coherent. But firt, I must raise my cup of Irish tea to you about this statement: "…aside from the obvious opportunities for character angst because I frankly just can't help my damn self." My dear, I think there are *many* writers here who would agree with you on that point! I personally love character study/angst because it's such fun to explore the psychology and motives of our boys. ;)
Now to the actual story: I love the role of Mainard in this; it's nice to know that Athos still has friends outside of Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan. It adds depth to his character and you've created and OC that adds to the plot without distracting from the overall story-something that's not easily accomplished.
The scene between Mainard and his son was touching and I loved how you used the French to convey a sense of privacy between them. And Athos' thoughts as he watches Mainard and Leandre were very touching; it gives us insight into how he must be with Raoul.
I think what stood out for me the most in this chapter was how the friendship between the 3Ms was explored through the eyes of a stranger. Not that D'Artagnan's a stranger, of course, but he might as well be due to his memory loss. I smiled at the part where D'Artagnan's snooping in their rooms, trying to regain some sense of the familiar. I suspect that Aramis left his door open on purpose, and of course the mention of the ubiquitous handkerchiefs was awesome.
The idea of D'Artagnan and Planchet making comfort food for our boys, and carrot cake especially, (which I love) made me grin like a fool. I love to cook, and that was a sweet bit of added warmth to this intense story.
Athos is worrying me here! I just want to shake the poor man; if he would just sit down and talk with D'Artagnan it would probably help him recover his memories quicker! This line in particular struck me: "...and when he did eat in his room he didn't take much from the plate that Planchet brought in to him-which led to a very nasty argument between him and Aramis." Ooh boy, I would have loved to been a fly on the wall for that argument! Athos' isolation and self-recrimination are very poignant here; Gosh, the poor man must be near his breaking point. First he nearly slits the boy's throat in the first chapter, and now almost injures him again when they're dueling.
And finally, the fencing scene at the end was alarming, because if D'Artagnan can't even use a sword properly, then he really *is* helpless, in a sense. I can't imagine how Athos must have felt when he realized that D'Artagnan had forgotten how to use a sword, something that's so integral to his character.
You know, I can't help but think that the Spaniard who rammed D'Artagnan's head into the rail (man, did reading that give me shudders), Lucio, is going to make a reappearance. I suppose I shall have to wait and see, however. ;)
In short, this chapter was just as wonderful (if not better) than the first one. I wait with baited breath to see what happens next!
Athos! NO! Come back! Don't leave D'Artagnan...Rats! He did! He just left D'Artagnan standing out in the courtyard! Athos, I know you're feeling all guilty and everything, but come on!
Again, you have written an amazing chapter! I love how you described D'Artagnan's confusion, and how he remembers those little bits and pieces. I cannot wait to see how this all turns out.
I can't express how absolutely amazing this story is. I swear you had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Athos...he and his angsting and blaming himself for everything that goes wrong...He's just so...*sigh* ;P It was so much like him to not speak to anyone for a couple of days; but at least he agreed to the duel... That moment was so sad, how it all felt wrong to d'Art, the poor guy is so lost and that's simply heart-breaking. That part, 'I know I should know these things, you, your faces but I don't-I can't-I want to but damn it all I can't,' was my absolute favourite. And you showed so well how d'Artagnan, even after learning the basic facts about his friends and how he met them, couldn't feel at home because he just didn't know their routine and their day-to-day life anymore; but those small things are what makes home. This came across really really well. But the fact that he could remember Athos' name after hearing Porthos and Aramis, and how Athos was so shocked about it... Amazing moment there. :)
And I just have to mention that d'Artagnan going through their rooms was hilarious; the handkerchiefs... xD
Oh my gosh, this chapter was even better than the last one! I didn't even think that was possible! I though one of the saddest moments was when Athos whispered to Aramis "He didn't remember me," oh that was heart wrenching! I hope he gets all of his memory back!
Porthos and Aramis were hilarious in this chapter! The bits with there rooms was too funny and was so spot on with their characters! I wonder what would have been in Athos' room... I can't say that I'm surprised that his door was locked though! X) not wait until the next chapter is up! I need to see what happens next! This is such an origional idea and the suspense is so... aahhhh! It's so ahhhh. I can't even describe how good this is! Please update as soon as you can because I need to see if he gets his memory back!
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