|
written by Ashley @ casualvillain.com --------- chapter 1 ------------------------ Woo! That was the summation of about a week of sitting around and staring at the walls, trying to piece together a plausible history for Sydney. While there's a lotta weirdness to it, a lot of stuff that is nothing but personal preference on my part, I like to believe that it ain't a bad interpretation. Shall I rant? I believe I shall. In Vagrant Story, Sydney had a certain... bearing/look/style, that set him apart from everyone else. I can't imagine him having been raised like a normal person, especially as the son of a wealthy politician, and then turning suddenly into this freaky prophet character. It seemed to me that he was singled out early on in his life. The fact that his inner self manifests as a little boy to both Ashley and Merlose, seems really *really* significant. That particular time of his life, when he was that little boy who looked so much like his brother Joshua, was some big turning point. I decided it was when he split away from the Duke. That little flashback of him as a kid in the chapel hugging Bardorba only adds to the theory. Valk, the Barracks, and all that magick-learning stuff just popped into my head one day. I think I mighta been in the shower or something. Weird. I like to think that Sydney was a little more human than he ever showed. He had a lot of power but he was also rather uncertain about things. He manipulated other people, played with their hearts, but seldom cast an eye towards his own. Because he was abandoned by Bardorba, he's a little cold to people but at the same time he has the ability to really empathise with others. I mean, look at how much he helps Ashley out, and the things he's trying to do with his cult. He gets what's going on with the world and the people in it. So really, Sydney is this amazing conundrum which I think matches the Rood-bearer that he is perfectly. Dark and light, man. Contact point for the former but still possessor of the latter. He has the integrity to control the Dark and help his father but the ambition and craving for justice (and maybe just the touch of viciousness) needed to do something purposeful with it. Plus, he has that certain naivete, that 'little boy' quality to him (it really evinces itself in his last scene with Ashley ;_; He just seemed so shocked and vulnerable), while at the same time being the most knowledgeable, mature character in the game. Of course the naivete doesn't blanket his *every* aspect. There's the matter of his pants... but still, any wonder why I like him so much? ^_^ Crikey, this is gonna turn into one big Sydney fangirl essay if I keep it up. Ah, it's so easy to gush... Other VS aspects pertaining to the fic: The physics of the Dark. Okay, I think of the Dark like Chi. I'm not going to get into a big lecture on Chi, balance, Daoism, and all that, but I relate Dark to the yin aspect of chi. Thus, evil though it is in nature, it's a necessary thing. 'Kay? 'Kay. Sydney has the loose characteristics of a Bodhisattava though, ne? Hee hee. I'm sure I'll wind up expanding on the Dark more later on. I love to lecture. Even about weird-ass stuff like this. Locale: Seems like the Greylands are sorta more related to France while the rest of Valendia, including Valnain (which is mentioned in the game, I DID NOT make it up) is more British in nature. You can tell that just from the dialogue. The scenery, names, and of course Lea Monde, are quite french in nature though. Maybe Lea Monde and the Graylands were part of another country that split up or was conquered by Valendia some time in the past? Man, you could go nuts speculating with the clues they give you. This game is a frickin' fic writer's gem. ANYWAY, I'm just rambling now. Go read the next chapter or something :D Or better yet, email me ^^ --------- chapter 2 ------------------------ Mmm. Yet another cheery chapter. Sydney seems to be getting an awful lotta air-time. Probably because at this point he's the most interesting to write about. Plus, well, he's Sydney and has some issues to work through. *shrugs* The next chapter's gonna play out a lot like this one, but lean more towards events with Ashley and the Cardinal-- Ooh... the Cardinal... *ominous thunder* -- at the Duke's funeral with Merlose and co. tossed in to the mix. Anyone recognize Hadley? ^_~ I'm rather fond of this chapter... sticking Grissom in was grand fun (I love Gris :D He'll be in the fic a lot more later on... albeit as a dead guy...) and writing Sydney and the Duke's little conversation was fun too. I dig their relationship. Same with Sydney and Hardin's. Hell, character interaction with everyone in VS is just amazingly fun. Anyway, I'm desperate as always for feedback. Please email me. Please? With tofu on top? --------- chapter 3 ------------------------ *incoherent scream* This took too long to write for it to sound so bad >_< My muse has not only been on vacation these last three months but she scraped out the insides of my skull before she left and took anything akin to creativity I had, with her. *sigh* I don't care. However long it takes, I'm going to get this bugger written. I can't abandon a fic. They haunt me. Anyway, I know everything seems disjointed and nonsensical at this point but it isn't only bad writing that's accomplished this, it's also somewhat intentional. Everything'll come together by the end, trust me. And Murkoph is cool. Get used to him. *flees* |