TPOTS meepery

[ellenkushner]

A friend writes:

"Well I finished Privilige, and what can I say!?[....] So sweet and touching in so many ways. Do you think Alec planned to lure Richard back through Katherine, or did it just happen to work out that way? I found his motives with Katherine were so completely honorable despite any aura of decadence or cruelty that may surround them. I noticed another coincidence I have with Alec ~ a sister named Janine! "

EK replies:

"I can't believe you have a sister named Janine. That is just too weird.

"I love Alec. Since he doesn't understand himself particularly well, I couldn't begin to tell you why he thought he was sending Katherine to Richard - but since he knows Richard hates teaching and likes to be alone, I very much doubt that it was to sweeten him up and get him back. The fact that it all worked out so well probably astonished him. But I like to give my characters treats from time to time, as they work so very hard for me!"

Comments

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

Did you see buymeaclue's rave review earlier today (or yesterday)? If not, go look.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

Wow. That is very wonderful. I hadn't seen that. Thanks!

[yaoi-in-exile.livejournal.com]

:O! Oooh, how insightful! Yes, that's a thought...not exactly sending Katherine out to Highcombe as a lure for Richard, but maybe as a reminder of Alec himself since he couldn't be out there for so much time, what with duking about in the city and all. (It is nice to have dispensable lackeys to send around. :3) A sort of a nonverbal, "Oh, yes, hi, here's someone who you can't be around without being constantly reminded of me, so don't get all cold and distant, you..."

Mebbe it was even subconscious or he didn't realize it, since Alec is so chaotically confused anyway. But I've always thought, since Alec sees Richard as someone so unique/his own person/someone unlike anyone Alec has ever known (as singularly suggested in a sinisterly steamy Swordspoint scene), and he didn't want Katherine turning out like any of the other simpering noble ladies in the city (bravo, my lord duke), sending her to Richard for some character-building would make sense to him. Richard is pretty affecting, if one hangs around him long enough.

And just the fact that Katherine was learning swords, and of course Richard pwns all steel ever smithed, even with both eyes tied behind his back. (?!) Or, well, otherwise incapacitated. ^^;

[peregrinejohn.livejournal.com]

What intrigues me is that you can have a character do something for which neither (factual author or fictional character) actually know the reason, but which is entirely congruent with the character. There is a complexity in such things that reminds me of chaos theory: the outcome or effect makes perfect sense, but danged if anyone can put their finger exactly on why.