Inevitable 17

[mhalachai]

Inevitable seventeen: If thine enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat is up.

At TTH
(and if tth is broken:)
At Pomme de Sang
At Skyehawke

as the icon says, *is ded*

This chapter has everything. Angst, action, screaming, magic, conversation, double-takes. Only I decided against the hawt Micah/Richard action. Sorry. (Actually, I'm not.)

I need to eat something.

Comments

[mefeather.livejournal.com]

OMG I so understand your adrenaline rush over writing this. I have the same thing because of reading it. Which is good. Really good. WOW. Great chapter. The ending was a blast. Can't wait to find out whether Harry will change or not :D Anyway, glad you updated tonight and that I was so reluctant to go to my bed so that I had a chance to read it already *grins*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I had a great time writing this. I knew I wanted to end with the munchies, but then Anita and Harry wanted to chat, which stretched the chapter to almost 10,000 words. Quite a busy day :)

Love your JC icon.

[sabriel-0405.livejournal.com]

I think this may have been your best chapter yet. The depth was amazing. I don't think the time was right for a Micah/Richard show down. Soon, maybe, but it will depend on how much being Lupa drains her. I think that Anita doesn't actually have enough energy to be all that she needs to be. Not if those needs converge at once.

This definitely ended my evening on a high note! Thank you!!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Do you mean the showdown between Richard and Micah that we had, or one that might come up? I see this less as a show-down than Micah finally losing it enough to say what he's really thinking to Richard. The problem with a Harry-centric chapter and Micah is that Harry really doesn't know Micah at all, and so he's not sure what the reactions will mean.

More Micah and Richard soon, I promise.

[sabriel-0405.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Not only isn't Harry sure what Micah's reactions mean, but I am not sure that Richard knows either. I don't think that Richard understands Micah on any level. Yes, as we see in ID, he's grateful to Micah on the professional level but on the personal? The amount of jealousy that has to be ripping through both of them has to be huge.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_finn_/]

::blinks at the ending::

Cool =)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[sparrow015.livejournal.com]

This line kept vibrating in my head...

"He already sort of smells like pack," Clay said. "Not completely. But kind of like Anita."

and I'm just wondering if since he sort of smells like pack with a dash of Anita if that scent is overlaying ontop of another scent.

Magic is unpredictable, very unpredictable.

Lupin is a werewolf because he got bit from a werewolf and it was what he saw.

Now, Harry is seeing all these different lycanthrops. And the people he is identifying the most with is Anita and her pack. I'm just wondering if the Harry's wild magic will pick up on that and change the lycan blood that was infected on him.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

:O

I can't say much without giving it away, but I will say that you raise excellent points. In general, I think that Harry had a very unconventional magic than the other wizards. He has, on occasion, done wandless magic even after he received his wand (three or four instances in OotP alone). He's a Parsletongue. He's insanely advanced in some areas of magic, while others are a complete struggle. In short, he's a wild card.

Like some necromancers who shall remain nameless ;P

I will come back to this in.... about 10 chapters when the next full moon hits St. Louis.

[sparrow015.livejournal.com]

Nuuuu! not 10 chapters! ;D

[denitta.livejournal.com]

*Is completely blown away*

Could NOT believe the ending, though I am totally happy with Bellatrix not being with us anymore. That woman was such a bitch! Still can't believe that she took Clay down before she died...*sniff* Clay, we hardly knew ye. But yay Harry for being Johnny on the spot with the magic, despite the pack's intent to protect him from the big bad witch.

I expressed dismay in my review of a previous chapter in that Harry was going to be a wolf and you said, not to be so sure, so I'm also pondering what Harry's magic doth wrought in terms of what shifting he might or might not do.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

*Is completely blown away*

I love it when a plan comes together :)

But yay Harry for being Johnny on the spot with the magic, despite the pack's intent to protect him from the big bad witch.

It's the combined human/wolf desire to protect the young. Harry may not be that young, but he's still only a couple of years older than Richard's students. They assume that Harry's like other teenagers, needing to be protecting.

And now Clay's... well, you know.

so I'm also pondering what Harry's magic doth wrought in terms of what shifting he might or might not do.

I'm saying nothing :P

[denitta.livejournal.com]

I love it when a plan comes together :)

I do so hate being predictable. :D

But urg on the whole protective and not telling things. *pouts* But the idea of at least 10 more chapters makes me happy.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Oh, there's more than 10 more chapters in the wings. I think at least another 20. Yes, I've got a big story planned. There's no way I'll get done before Half-Blood Prince comes out, sadly.

[deepfishy.livejournal.com]

Mmm-mm! A great chapter (finishing on a...tasty...note).
There's so much to love about this chapter - Richard and Micah's argument, Harry and Anita talking (and Harry still trying to come to terms with what makes a person good or evil), the lupanar, the attack...so great!

Favourite moment:
Micah and Richard said, "Yes," at the same time, then glared at each other even harder.
*giggles*

And the news that Inevitable has a long way to go before the conclusion? Priceless :)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

*g* I'm glad you like it.

[winter-noir.livejournal.com]

I found your fic a few days ago and am SO hooked! I adore it, and you for writing it. This chapter was great. And how much do I LOVE that Bellatrix LeStrange got eaten by the pack?! That was just brilliant!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

You're going to make me blush :) Thanks for your kind words. I needed to get Bella out of the way and this was just so.... fitting.

[winter-noir.livejournal.com]

Well, you know, I live to shower affection on the writers of fics I love, that way I can continue to get them to write them and not just drop off the face of the earth for months at a time *shakes fist at those writers*

And it really is great. I had never read an HP/AB fic before I found Beren's and then found yours, and I think both rock my world.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I, too, know of several writers who haven't updated in almost two years but haven't quite given up yet *cough*mirrorofmaybe*cough* Sigh.

I'm glad you're digging the AB/HP fics. They are a pretty neat concept, I have to say.

[winter-noir.livejournal.com]

Damn writiers with attacks of life/procrastion/muse disappearances!

They are a great concept. I like seeing how people resolve the differences in the magic between the two worlds. Though I would love to see some of the pack and pard end up in Harry's world. I'm sure there are fics out there somewhere where they do, I just haven't found them yet.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Oh? Then perhaps I can introduce you to my giganto list of HP/AB crossovers. (http://www.livejournal.com/users/mhalachaiswords/48273.html) There's a couple on there, I think.

I loved that!

[sorceress-death.livejournal.com]

Oh, this has to be my favorite chapter so far. Poor Clay though . . . you had your reasons . . . even if for the fact you simply had no need for him. Hehe

Re: I loved that!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks! As for Clay, better him than Anita, is all I have to say on that subject :)

Am digging your icon.

Re: I loved that!

[sorceress-death.livejournal.com]

Yea, there is a point to that. We can't have her dying can we?

And thanks! I think I like my new icon too. ^^

[houses7177.livejournal.com]

At the risk of sounding Bill and Tedish, whoa. That was most excellent. What perfect pacing, interspersed with great dialogue and believable interactions. The bit between Micah and Richard worked very well, especially seen from Harry's perspective. His chat with Anita was also very touching- a glimpse into two unhappy childhoods. Nicely done.

But the end? That definitely ranks up there in one of the best chapter enders I have ever read, fanfic or original works of fiction. Just the right touch of macabre, the tension and anguish that Harry felt, and yet he forced himself to keep watching. Bravo Harry, way to grow up.

Most excellent, most excellent indeed.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

You know, you so totally made my day. Thanks so much! I've had the ending for this chapter in my head since... about ten days after I began writing. I'm so very pleased that it translated to paper with as much impact as it did in my head.

Harry and Anita are so very much alike, which I think is part of why I am enjoying writing this fic so much. I'll leave how much alike alone for now, for fear of spoiling where I plan to take the story :P

[goddessvicky.livejournal.com]

houses rec'ed this fic for me today and I read all 17 chapters. I even annoyed my boyfriend by hogging the computer for the last 5 hours. (I don't read slow. I just like to take everything in. Plus... I read is twice ::blushes::)

It's amazing. The characters are spot on (One of the things I look for in a fic) and you have an uncanny way of getting into Harry's head. He's still a 17 year old boy with an old soul. He's egotisitcal, but not overly, and he's very much the way JK makes me think he'll be in a few years. I've so been looking for a great AB fic and I think I found it in yours. And trust me, I am eagerly, and patiently, awaiting the next chapter. I'm good at the waiting. And the praise, apparently. You're doing a great job. Awesome. Superb. Magnificent. I'm awe-struck. ::Grin::

I'll stop...

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

*pounces*

I love you so much right now. I just finished catching up with Inevitable (I kinda got busy back when, then got lazy when I saw the speed you'd written it *sheepish*) and I'm going to go all fangirl-y on you right now.

Squee! I love, love, love! I love your unsure Harry, I love the relationship you've built for him with the rest. I love the tension between Harry and the rest after what happened with Anita. I love Anita still sticking for him. I love him and Damien bonding over the warding spell. I love Damien and Harry's relationship! Somehow, despite the distance between their feelings to each other, you've made their relationship very grandfather-grandson-like. It's wonderful. I love the utter formal respect that Harry shows when he's talking to Damien, calling him "sir". I love Micah, as ever. I love your Harry, as I've started to dislike him in the books. But your Harry! You got his insecurities, his vulnerabilities down to a T, yet you've also caught his strength, his humanity. That's what I love about your writing, you always manage to catch their humanity. You always manage to make them real people, as opposed to just characters. This is no different.

Unfortunately, I'm mildly disappointed about the lack of, as you put it, "hawt Micah/Richard action". *grin* No, really. Their tension and snappiness in this chapter was wonderful. Brilliant work. I love Bellatrix, evil Bellatrix. I love Anita's vulnerability. I love her weaknesses, her flaws. But I love that with that weakness you've also shown how much strength, emotionally, she has. She's had to have.

You do realise I'm hooked, don't you? And that I won't fall behind again and will be impatiently waiting for the next chapter? I think this is the point where I go: OMGluvsomuch!!!aewsum!1!!11Laike, ritemoreplsthx!

But even reading/writing that gave me an eyetwitch. So I'll just stop.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

*g* thanks for the glowing review! I am trying really hard on the characterization. These characters are just so facinating and multi-layered and all that, it's hard to do them justice (as for the people who "hate" Anita Blake and write her as the uber-bitch from hell... I don't know. What books are they reading?) I love Anita. She's a pain in the ass with more issues that National Geographic, but she's fundamentally a good person.

I'm rather enjoying the Damian and Harry dynamic, especially with the added glitch of Anita's... problems.

More Richard and Micah later. But no nakedness between those two. Quite frankly, that's the second to last thing that would ever happen in the AB world (first is Antia and Edward getting it on. Ew ew ew.)

More IN this weekend, probably.

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

*snort* Please. Anita's just... confused. I liked her much better in ID, to be truthful, I thought her character was starting to develop really well, as did Nathaniel and Jason's. I love Anita as well. I mean, as much as her harem sounds like a fantasy come true, anyone would have reservations. Especially someone with her background. The fact that she's managed to come through is admirable.

*snicker* I don't know. I think what's more unlikely is Richard/JC. As close as the two have to be in order to share Anita, he's wound up so tight that it's a wonder he doesn't just walk out in the middle. Richard, I mean.

I don't know about Anita and Edward, though. I surprisingly like the sociopathic bastard. There's something about him. The something is probably that Edward called Anita his soulmate, and the fact that she's the only person he would trust with his death. It's romantic in a really twisted way, I think.

And yay! *grin* You're spoiling your fans. Not that I'm complaining.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Considering that the only person more squicked by the idea of Edward/Anita than me is LKH herself, I think it's unlikely :P

And you mean spoil as in treat right, right? I'd hate to spoil the ending where we learn that Anita's actually Snape's sister.

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

Damn. *sigh* There goes the hope. Ah well. Add one more man to the mix and Anita's love life will be over and beyond complicated. And I don't think Edward would share very well. He'd more likely kill every single one of Anita's boyfriends and lovers in their sleep. *grin*

I meant treat. But honey, you almost made my heart stop for a while. You were kidding, weren't you? I mean, I read that ficlet you wrote with Anita and Snape snapping at each other. Which was touching since she stood up for Harry. But... wow. What a mindfuck that would be. For Snape, Anita and Harry. *giggle* That'd be almost as entertaining as Richard realising he liked Micah in a lustful-thoughts kinda way.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am kidding. I so am so kidding it's not funny. Sorry.

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

I kinda thought you were. Because as evil as you are, I don't think you're that evil. Can you imagine Anita's reaction to realising she and Snape were related? *shakes head*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Just... no.

I will tell you a secret. In the first draft of Inevitable, Edward was a squib Malfoy. Then I was all like, OMG too much co-incidence. Leave well enough alone, Mhalachai!

But yeah. No other hidden family secrets in IN. After all, having Harry be a vamp's grandbaby is more than enough.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I think Eddie would be more squicked by how much of a monster Anita's become, actually. We'll see next book.

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

Probably. And I really can't wait for the next book. Do you read the Merry Gentry books? And if you have, have you read the latest one?

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I have, yes. Why do you ask? (I need to reread it, actually)

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

I'm wondering if I'm missing anything, having not read it yet. I need to, and soon. Is it any good?

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I think so. Better than the last one.

[madannekidd.livejournal.com]

Right. Thanks. Might actually buy it sooner rather than later, then.