FIC: Inevitable 31: Talking Spaces

[mhalachai]

Hey look, an Inevitable update.

Inevitable 31: Talking Spaces is up!

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

Please, all comments are welcome. This is the performance anxiety chapter. No guns, no wands, and surprisingly few answers. But Dumbledore does have a certain question for Anita...

Comments

[cissasghost.livejournal.com]

I like it, and I'm so exhausted I could die, and I will try to make more detailed and coherent commentary tomorrow. ;)

-Sonya

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Hee. I'll talk to you tomorrow :)

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

So has Dumbledore decided to ask Anita to come to Hogwarts yet? Or will he let Anita think that she's made this decision on her own? And is it just me, or does he scare her the same way Jean-Claude scared her at first (and still can)?

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes: This is lovely, by the way. In its own way, I'm reminded of HBP's infamous Chapter Two, with Snape turning back every single one of Bellatrix's verbal assaults. Except that Dumbledore knows how to make it look like he's giving ground when he's really not.

Nice touch, having Richard being strong enough to stand up to Dumbledore. Two teachers and two badasses -- they have things in common!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Except that Dumbledore knows how to make it look like he's giving ground when he's really not.

And he almost got away with it, but that JC knew this technique and was whispering in Anita's mind. Since JC is about 300 years older than Dumbledore, it's all for the best.

Richard and Dumbledore really are alike: Both used to instructing those younger and less forceful than themselves; both at heart good people, who have had to become more wary and "practical" by their circimstances; and, I suspect, secretly wishing that they didn't have to be a part of their fights.

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

and, I suspect, secretly wishing that they didn't have to be a part of their fights.

Yup. I suspect that Richard's main motivation for being king of the local pack is that he doesn't trust any of the other alpha wolves to run it as ethically -- by his standards, which are high even for humans. As for Albus, he would have allowed himself to be named Minister of Magic decades ago, but he rightly percieved that the MoM was both too hidebound for him to act freely, and too infested with Death Eaters to be trustworthy. (Plus, he is and always will be A Born Teacher, just like Richard.)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

So has Dumbledore decided to ask Anita to come to Hogwarts yet?

You assume too much, my dear. Who's to say that Dumbledore even wants Anita there?

And is it just me, or does he scare her the same way Jean-Claude scared her at first (and still can)?

You are bound and determined to have this Anita/Ablus thing, aren't you? Anyway, both JC and Dumbledore are hiding things from Anita to keep her from bolting, but their goals are different. JC just wanted Anita's body and her soul; Dumbledore knows she can help him in the war with Voldie. K, I should stop now before I ruin the ending.

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

You assume too much, my dear. Who's to say that Dumbledore even wants Anita there?

Oh, a drabble you did a few months ago that was part of the Inevitable canon.... heheheheh...

You are bound and determined to have this Anita/Ablus thing, aren't you?

I solemnly swear that my mind was not in the gutter when I typed that! Seriously: I was thinking of how, when Anita first meets JC, she's still ruled by her hatred/fear of vampires, and how she's always very, very conscious of JC's power and the fact that he's so much older than her, with all that this implies in terms of knowledge, power and cunning. (Besides, my own drabble aside, I really can't see her doing the nasty with a man with such horrid fashion sense as Albus. Well, maybe if he shaved off the beard, took a century off his age, and started wearing Armani...)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Oh, a drabble you did a few months ago that was part of the Inevitable canon.... heheheheh...

Operative phrase in all that: want.

And I'm just teasing about the Anita/Albus thing. Plus, I don't think that Albus himself would want to get involved with a succubus.

[emeraldswan.livejournal.com]

Very briefly, 'cause it's one am and I've got a class at eight, I loved this. Wonderful, wonderful chapter. Have I told you how much I appreciate the fact that your characters are in-character? I do. I really, really do.

Hope all is well in your part of the world.

Smiles, Emmy

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And of course the characters are in charater.... you mean there is fanfic in which the characters are OOC? *innocent look*

Hope your 8am class went well :)

[watcher457.livejournal.com]

so you're going to have the next chapter for us tomorrow, right? right?!?!?!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Um, no. But soon. It's easier to write now that this chapter is done!

[watcher457.livejournal.com]

very, very soon. :D seriously, it was good, and i can't wait to see what happens with harry and the pack. something weird is going on.

[beren-writes.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. I think you have the edginess of Anita down perfectly, and the way she interacts with Dumbledore is great. I so like the way that Anita has taken responsibilty for teaching Harry to survive. Now if only she can convince him that living through the conflict is a good idea. The way the other characters are reacting is superb as well; they feel like they are real. I liked very much the way you used Jason.

The way you introduced several ideas using the conversation was great as well. I am intrigued by the whole vampire grandfather angle and its effect on lycanthropy. Masterfully written - thank you so much for sharing.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks! This had to be the exposition chapter, it was unavoidable, but I think it worked in the conversation context.

Anita's desparation in clinging to life, no matter what she says about accepting that she won't live past 30, is exactly what Harry needs. Dumbledore knows that whatever happens, Voldemort and Harry will have a showdown. He knows, too, that what Harry really needs is not a reason to win, but a reason to survive.

Plus, much Jason love.

I am intrigued by the whole vampire grandfather angle and its effect on lycanthropy.

I need to introduce serveral red herrings throughout the story, as well as non-red herrings (blue herrings?) Such is one case.

[lishel_fracrium.livejournal.com]

*squeals* *does a happy dance* You updated! Thank you so much! wow this is so good. I love how everyone is in character. And I love the fact that I'm wary of your Dumbledore. Usually I love the old man but this one makes me wonder. You still haven't answered the question of whether or not Harry will go to hogwarts? Again thankyou, I really enjoy this story and look forward to more soon. right? *grin*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've always thought that Dumbledore was to be watched. He's known about Horcruxes for how long, for example, and only tells Harry about them in book 6? For example.

More soon. Not today soon, but soon :D

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

Then again, if Canonical Dumbledore was sensible and told Harry everything right off the bat (not to mention given him both Occlumency and Legilimency training from Day One -- and done it himself, not fobbed it off on Snape as a team-building exercise), there'd probably only be about three or four books and JKR would only be worth one hundred million dollars instead of $1.5 billion or whatever it is now. ;-)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Like if Harry and Anita had levelled with each other in chapter 3, then Inevitable would have been 10 chapters long? Uh huh.

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

It's the journey, not the destination. ;-)

[lishel_fracrium.livejournal.com]

*bg* Yay! looking forward to it! thank you.

[catherinecookmn.livejournal.com]

But Dumbledore does have a certain question for Anita...

"Is it true that Muggle women like to do it standing up?"

(Okay, okay, I'm going now...)

[penyn-1600.livejournal.com]

yes!!!

[amdsmrnitesdrm.livejournal.com]

Been waiting for an Inevitable update for a long time, and wasn't disappointed. Really enjoyed it. I think Harry and Anita both deserve a nice, fluffy chapter, though. :-D

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

There might be time for a fluffy chapter soon.... after the next little bit of angst. Mmm, angst.

[houses7177.livejournal.com]

Fantastic icon! Great text choice and you know I love old Tom.

[deepfishy.livejournal.com]

I think I've found an appropriate mood icon - if by "tacos", I mean "mhalachai fic update". In other words, SQUEE!

A chapter which is all talk, and still interesting. Ya gotta wonder how Dumbledore/his American sources found out so much about Anita.

And I guess the fact that they watch the vampire hunters means they know about Edward. Know of him, anyway.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Ya gotta wonder how Dumbledore/his American sources found out so much about Anita.

One also has to wonder how scared those American sources were getting as this upstart necromancer gets more and more powerful.

I'm glad you found the exposition chapter so entertaining. All that hard work paid off :D

PS I love your icon.