Date: 28 Sep 2013 12:54 Title: Part I
Well I can see why this is an award winning story, Mirror Corry still has hints of his prime verse self and yet he so clearly an creation of the brutal Mirror Universe Terran Empire. The way the get fascinated by the emotionless Scotty, and then start to take losses just to trade with him. Then the whole using him as a bodyguard thing than ends with him being the coward under the table. With a viewpoint of the brutal pub knife battle from under the table.
Then the breaking moment as he thinks about leaving him to die of the poison and then takes him to no questions ask motel. Then his emotional death as Scotty relives trying to break through the wall to save Jenna from George Kirk actions. Living his helplessness with him and been unable to do anything to help.
That last line brought a tear to my eye, a very well crafted opening chapter.
Author's Response: Thank you, Bill. Andy was an exceptionally strong narrator and One Minute sprang pretty much right from head to keys. And yet somehow I didn't know what would happen myself.
Date: 01 Jun 2013 22:16 Title: Part I
Intriguing and incredibly immediate and believable.
I want to get to the rest of this story when I have the time, but did want to drop the first review to the first chapter.
No names - very, very telling, no location, just ... experiences. Hard, painful, ugly, nasty experiences.
You can draw people into a world very quickly. This is a gift.
Date: 31 May 2013 17:41 Title: Part I
Oh Steff! This was so painful to read. No wonder it wrecked you.
These absolutely aren't the guys from Arc of the Wolf...and yet they are. Shadow versions of those men we know and love, but so very messed up. Yet we see elements of those men - Corry's tremendous capacity for love; his care and concern for someone who's become important to him, even if the feelings aren't reciprocated. And Scotty's stand-offishness, taken to the Nth degree.
But that's what makes this so gut-wrenching - are they? The Shadow doesn't show any feeling, any emotion, but why else would he have agreed to Corry's demands - the one minute, the one night, being his bodyguard? And yet, he still maintains distance (he wouldn't allow himself to be comrpomised). The implication here is physical compromise, but I really believe it's emotional compromise. After he lost Jenna it destroyed him; destroyed the man he once was, morphing him into this cold, calculating, emotionless, unsentimental automaton, more for his own emotional stability and sanity than anything else. He would never allow himself to go down that road of caring for someone ever again - be it in the capacity of friend, brother, lover, etc.
And yet, Corry has seen this emotional side The Shadow keeps hidden so well. And Corry is a lover, a protector (at least emotionally if not physically) so where will this take his feelings for The Shadow now? And more importantly, will The Shadow allow it? Powerful, gripping stuff...
Author's Response: The ending hurt so bad that every single piece I wrote after it, about anything in this universe, felt like a knife to the heart. And initially, Scott agreed to the demands because they cost him very little, and Andy was, frankly, a good courier and useful. Nothing more than that. He weighed Andy's measure, and decided he wasn't a threat, but he was useful. The time was just time. So, it was a fair price to pay. Scott turned himself into this for a singular purpose; that's what happens in the Main Arc. It really wasn't Scott clawing that wall, it was the ghost of the boy who died there, screaming for George Kirk to quit, pleading, begging, until he broke. There wasn't any hidden well-spring of warmth in him. Until Andy.
Date: 28 May 2013 00:31 Title: Part I
Wow. Man, I'm calling Corry and Scotty (a safe bet) mirror versions here. And man, Corry here is one really messed up individual. The Mirror universe is a messed up place but Corry’s doing drugs, hanging out with bad people … he’s not the Corry I’ve come to know in the Primeverse. But he’s certainly got one thing in common with his Primeverse counterpart and that when he loves, when he cares, he cares unconditionally.
And for some reason beyond his own comprehension, he cares for this Mirror Scott. This cold, calculating, weapon … this walking tool that will gladly exchange anything for Corry’s services as messenger, that will let Corry have one minute or one night with him (as long as it doesn’t compromise his safety) seems to be the type of person you pity, but don’t really want to deal with in any long term way. But Corry is attracted to him on first sight and he’s got it bad.
He tries every way he knows how to get a rise out of Scott, to get some sort of bearing on what goes on under the expressionless, emotionless mask he wears but Scott is well practiced in making sure no one can get close to him like that.
Then the bar fight happens and what a scene it is. Fast and furious, I loved how Corry fully admits he’s not fighter and just dives under the table. He’s not Scott. Scott owns those guys but gets pricked, just a little, and then that’s when the real fight begins. The fight for Scott to hang onto what he is and not revert back to the emotional hurricane that he was before he became this tool.
The way he loses that battle and reverts back to the ghost of his former self is painful to watch. He claws at the wall, screams, like some sort of tortured animal and Corry just sits there and watches it all. It kills him because he cares and when you care about someone, it hurts to see them hurt, small ways and large ways. This would qualify as a large way and Corry was smart not to try and stop Scott.
Once that’s played out, the pure confusion Corry feels about what he should and how he should do it leaps off the page. He has no clue what to do and I like that. I like Corry here, just trying to keep his head above water and keep Scott alive.
He cares for Scott and he saved him. I’m glad he did but I don’t know if Scott can ever fulfill Corry the way Corry needs him to. What was left of Scott’s humanity is all but gone and only his mangled soul remains. I feel Corry is desperately gonna try and revive Scott’s humanity. His soul. But I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to. It’s going to be a tough task and as I read this I wonder if Corry is going to love Scott despite Scott’s inability to love him back. It looks that way and that kind of love is the toughest kind of all.
[Report This]Date: 22 Mar 2009 03:02 Title: Part I
Sometimes I can be over emotional, but I don´t cry. No, sir. It´s not my way.I always manage to find something silly to distract my thoughts from it. But with this story, I had to surrender and go finding a handkerchief.
::::shrugs:::: I am only human, after all.
Author's Response: That's a high honor you give; thank you.