Question time

[selenak]

Because I haven't done this in a while, if ever.

Ask my characters a question. I make you no promises they'll tell the truth, however...

"My characters" for the purpose of this meme meaning characters I've written prominently in fanfiction, from any fandom.

Comments

[likeadeuce]

Having read "Kin" recently via meri's wonderful podfic, I have a question from Uther (and let's say I asked Uther before all the drama happened, when they were young).

Uther, what is it that you most want for your son? What about for Morganna? Do you see any contradiction in these goals?

[selenak]

The time specification is important for the reply, so thanks for giving it

Naturally, what I wish for my son first and foremost is for him to be a great king. This was what he was born for and bitterly did it cost me, which makes it doubly important. I would also wish for his personal happiness, but know from my own experience this often is not reconcilable with the burden of office. Therefore, I must regard this wish as secondary, and to be abandoned if it impedes on the first. My third wish concerns certain shadows of the past. They must remain there. It is not necessary for him to learn of their existence.

As for my beloved ward, the Lady Morgana, she, too, should remain untouched of things that should stay buried literally, but my first wish is for her happiness, and always shall be. Luckily, in her case the qualification I had to invoke for Arthur need not apply. I know that certain busybodies at my court assume I wish to marry my son and my ward, and of course Morgana would make a wonderful queen, but there are... reasons... why this is not a course of action I can pursue.

I do not see a contradiction. Morgana at times is in a dark mood, true, but it seems to me she much resembles her father, and her father was always happiest with those he loved. As Morgana has no reason to doubt the love everyone at Camelot, most of all myself, feels for her, her happiness will always be assured. My son still needs to grow in wisdom and can be rough mannered, but his sense of duty is strong, and he knows the kingdom must always be put first, for both myself and him. There is every reason to believe he will make a good king. Naturally, a good king can benefit from good counsel, and that is rare to find. The knights, while valued brothers in arms, are hardly a king's equal, and anyone below the rank of knight is not even an option. Luckily, there is Morgana. The two of them are really the only equals for each other, and when the time comes and I must leave them, I shall be comforted in the fact they will always have each other. In fact, if I were to put the king second to the father for a moment, which I must not, I would wish this for Arthur as well as Morgana: to be there for each other for the rest of their days.

[likeadeuce]

I like this! Uther doesn't seem to lack for good intentions regarding his children; it's just transforming intentions to reality/ accounting for his offspring having minds of their own that's tricky.

[selenak]

Oh, the love and good intentions on Uther's part were never in question (the show proves several times he'd die for both Arthur and Morgana), but of course given his warped values, talent for reality distortion by always blaming someone else for his mistakes (and crimes) and incredible possessiveness when loving someone, this doesn't mean he's anyone's idea of a good parent. The one (brief) Uther pov story I wrote is, inevitably, Paternity. (Set in s2, directly after an in incident I also use for Kin, when Arthur nearly kills him after finding out about the reason for Ygraine's death from Morgause but ultimately can't go through with it.)

[zahrawithaz.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Which is to say: this is awesome! Painful--I mean, ouch--but perfectly capturing both Uther's unbelievable faith in his children and his complete self-delusion.

There's something particularly telling in the fact that having been more honest with Arthur than Morgana he has a more realistic sense of his son than his daughter, and also a better sense of what he needs, though no idea about how to provide it.

I wonder a little bit too about his frantic need to ensure Morgana's safety--if that has some connection to the subliminal sense that he doesn't know what she needs.

[selenak]

There could be a connection, not that he can ever get out of his self delusion enough to admit it.

Katie McGrath says in one of the s2 audio commentaries - The Witch's Quickening I think - i.e. before Uther's paternity was revealed that she believes he loves Morgana more than Arthur. My take on it is that he loves them both equally, but before the show starts and early on (this changes later in the show) he has an easier time showing it towards Morgana than towards Arthur. For gender reasons (for the male Pendragons to cradle and kiss each other, one of them has to be dying, be in danger of same or has to have tried to kill the other), but also because Arthur is always not just his son but also his heir, whereas Morgana is something of an illicit free gift. But what he never considers, never allows himself to consider is that Morgana from the get go has an insecure emotional background with him. He knows she's his daughter, but she doesn't know whether he is her father Gorlois' friend or enemy or both, her guardian or her father's death or both, her future father in law or not, and so forth, and so never really trusts his affection for her. Wheras Arthur has doubts whether he'll live up to his father's expectations and later doubts start to creep in whether his father's expectations are the right ones to live up to, but he doesn't have that "who am I to you?" problem Morgana has with Uther. His big Uther crisis is related to what Uther did to Ygraine and whether or not that makes Uther's stand on magic and the value system to gave Arthur a complete lie, not "does Uther really love me?"

...I think there's also a tangential connection as to why Arthur is ready to believe that Agrivaine loves him as "all that is left of my sister" whereas Morgana while ready to use Agrivaine never seems to actually trust him. Obvious irony is obvious.

[naraht]

I would like to ask Robert Fraser what he thinks about the relationship between John and Paul. Or John what he thinks of the relationship between Paul and Robert.

[selenak]

John: Well, that's just Paul's idea of being cultured and radical, that is, to prove he's not the bloke sitting at home with dad doing crossword puzzles as the height of excitement anymore. Obviously. As for Groovy Bob, he's not stupid. He gets his very own Beatle to show off as a client. Look, of course he's not boring, as art dealers go, I've done a trip or two with the guy myself, and by trip I mean acid, not sneaking off to Paris to buy bloody Magrittes. As if Paul couldn't have given him a shopping list. I'll tell you what that was, that was Paul being petty because me and George saw through his cowardly square act of refusing to do acid and told him as much. This whole Magritte obsession is just a case in point. I mean, Magritte, really? Trust Paul to go for twee when he does surreal, which is another reason why he's just hanging out with Fraser to spite me, because twee, Captain I Was In Eaton And Fucked Idi Amin is not. God, I hate Magritte. I never see another Magritte in my life, it'll be too soon.

...what do you mean some Japanese bird I haven't met yet is into Magritte?

[naraht]

Trust Paul to go for twee when he does surreal...

Excellent! *applauds*

[selenak]

When trying to create a John Lennon insult, look for something with a kernel of truth and put it in a witty but mean way that also says something about John for making the insult. :)

(Back when I wrote The Treachery of Images, I didn't know that Yoko is also a big Magritte fan and collector, otherwise I would have included it. It adds to my amusement about Paul and Yoko and John having a type.)