Hi no Tori
By
Quatorz
God spank it! Here it is again – another one of those annoying stories that makes me recant a previously made decree. In this case, now I have to let everyone know that, despite claiming to have stopped doing so, I do actually read an odd post-FiN piece every now and then.
So, I lied. Sue me! Better yet, make me the president of the US of A. That seems to be one of the prerequisites these days. But I’m not going down that road now. I am going to tell you about "Hi no Tori", and why you should read it.
Yes, it is a post-FiN piece written in (who knew?) screenplay form. I don’t like screenplay format. It doesn’t allow for all the maudlin language and elaborate scene setting I’m so fond of. It tends to be bare and to the point, antitheses to everything fan fiction stands for. I also do not like the post-FiN theme (despite this being the third such work I am recommending). I do not. It’s too damn depressing, even with the happy ending involved.
Which brings me to the first of many really *good* things about this story. YES, heavens above, it has a happy-ending, in observation of that grand American tradition. Unlike Temora’s "Once and Future Journey", and Mary Morgan’s "Turning the Wheel", our heroines are reunited in this piece.
The other thing is, despite my misgivings about the style of writing this story is anything but bare and underdeveloped. After reading it, I actually can’t see it being written in any other than screenplay format. Exquisitely crafted, characterizations and plot are just wonderful. It reads like a really, really good (and uncensored) Xena episode, rousing fight scenes and stargazing included.
Depth of feeling explored feels true and emotions are almost palatable in the vivid way they are presented to us. Wonderful. Did I mention this one has a happy ending? And, yeah, so some of the twists and turns of the plot are slightly "out there", but had we wanted realism, would we have watched Xena? (This is a rhetorical question, please don’t email me with answers). In the end, the only grumbly point I have to make is – why did Quatorz have to take Gabrielle’s tattoo away? I liked that tattoo. I mean, maybe Xena wanted to be able to acquaint herself with the tattoo. In detail. Sigh. I guess I’ll have to deal.
So – this is your assignment for today. Go write Quatorz (since I’m sure you already read this story, after all, it was one of the winners at the Royal Academy of Bards challenge), and tell her she absolutely *must* write more. Non-negotiable. Must.