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Date Posted: Friday, June 10, 11:42:54am
Author: sk
Subject: sorry to be so late to class
In reply to: Nell 's message, "Story Chat! Alyssandra's Stories. (r)" on Sunday, June 05, 08:28:30pm

These were some of the first stories I read on Ranma�s website, and I remember at the time being so excited at finding such good work (and in a place where there seemed to be so much of it). I was impressed with the writing, especially with the consistency of the tone. She�s able to move from narration to dialogue easily, recap information we already know about the environment and then extrapolate more ideas from there, keep the thread of the plot unreeling while presenting a believable world -- all of this, and yet the main impression I come away with is much like Nell�s, I�m very glad to have spent time with these characters and their world.

After having read considerably more LFN fiction, I�m still impressed with this work, but it does indeed seem to me to be based early in the fanfic cycle. In part, I think it�s because the author often deals with N�s training years -- I think I�ve noticed that people writing later, after there were more episodes and complications to deal with, tend not to return to that era in the character�s life. But within those stories, I think the portrayal of Madeline and Operations also jive with an earlier interpretation of those characters -- they are stern and secretive, yes, but not quite as malevolent as later interpretations. Alyssandra keeps her Nikita fairly hopeful, even in difficult situations. Kate manages to do this much further along in the series, but not too many other authors focus on this characteristic after the first year or so.

As Nell points out, another kind of �carbon dating� element is Nikita herself -- she is far less worn down and wary here than she often is in later fic (even in stories that are, technically, set early in the series, N tends to be more cynical in work that�s been written later.) I think that another clue comes in those crossover stories, where N insists on pursuing a hobby, this time sculpting in clay rather than bending wire. �N trying to have elements of a normal life� showed up frequently in the first season, but after that we didn�t see much of it (except her continual home remodelling).

One other thing we see here that seems �early� to me is the appearance of what I like to call �Clueless Michael� So often that character is written as omniscient -- knows all, sees all, controls all. Any flaws are usually moral (especially the low sense of self-worth) but he�s hardly ever less that fully competent. But here is a M that doesn�t always know what he�s doing, and certainly doesn�t understand what Nikita is talking about.

from the duck story:

"So, where'd you come from?" she threw in casually, tuning him out as she planned her next attack. These guys were so easy to distract.

"South Africa."

She snorted. Yeah, right. Nice tan. Fine, she could play that game too.

He noted her disbelief, and puzzled over it. His transport plane from South Africa had arrived this morning.

and in the story about the copy of Water Babies, M is a worrywart and N is a bit impatient with it:

"Michael, really, it's not important, I'll be ready for Jerabek.

The comic pieces are great fun -- LFN fic doesn�t often run to humor, so I really appreciate stuff like this:

Their ends are just, except for when they are personal and self-serving, but their means are ruthless, pretty much.

Whatever!

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Replies:

Very interesting comments! -- Alyssandra, Wednesday, June 29, 10:15:08am

I hadn't thought of that -- sk, Wednesday, June 29, 02:59:42pm

Hi, since this was brought up ... -- ranma=>, Thursday, June 30, 04:04:10pm

Well, first - thank you for writing and sharing the stories! -- Nell, Friday, July 01, 09:28:05pm