fic rating question

[kennahijja]

Just a teensy question for those who have read The Dark Side of Reason *points a bit further down*. R or NC-17? Because I'm not sure whether to try and submit it to FA if it's too high-rated - the poor guys are swamped with fic like nobody's business, and I'd hate to foist a rating decision on them at the moment...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE AMAZING GINA/gmth!
(does June look like a veritable f-list birthday month or what?)

Comments

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

The phrase 'dribble of white' might kill it for FA? The rest seems fine. It's bleak, but then so was 'Stop All the Clocks'.

Thanks for giving me an excuse to read it again. :) :) :)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

*smile*
I'll see if I can part with that bit ;).

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

I think what I like about it is that it is so devoid of hope. I really like stories like that.

I posted a drabble recently which people found - fair enough! - somewhat obscure. I like the idea enough that I may try to amplify it. Remus, of course. This is it:

Understanding

They say your whole life flashes before you when you drown.

In the last moments of identity, he watches the door scrape open. There should be a stag standing there, or a dog, or a rat. Instead there’s a sallow head, fringed by greasy black hair.

In a heartbeat, Remus sees the whole escapade laid bare before him. No point being angry. They’ll kill him for this in the morning. Why waste time on anger?

And, as terror dawns on the pockmarked face, Remus finally understands what it means to be less than human.

Oh, Sirius, he thinks. And leaps.

--

It is a bit brief, but I was trying to reach that feeling of resignation - where understanding meets forgiveness and nothing matters any more, and you just give up. Like the moment where a drowning person opens their mouth and begins to breathe water. No hope at all. I think your story has some of that, and I think it's still very rare in fanfic. I love it.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! The emotion comes out so extremely vividly in it - sadness, whistfulness even, and absolutely no hope at all. Like a self-condemnation... a kind of death more cutting than the real thing. *sighs*
I admire the way you can capture such a wealth of meaning in one short drabble!

[chthonya]

The phrase 'dribble of white' might kill it for FA?

My thoughts exactly. The 'obscene wet sound' could also possibly be seen as TMI. Otherwise I think R is a fair rating. At least, I certainly hope it is!)

[djin7.livejournal.com]

I'd call it an "R". For violence and death themes. Very little sexual references. The worst part was the *offhand* mention of the way Ron died. *nods* Even Harry's rape seemed quieter. If that makes any sense?

*g*

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Yep :). I found that the worst part too :).

My useful comment

[annephoenix.livejournal.com]

*drool*

Re: My useful comment

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

*offers tissue*
(your vote seems to bear out, doesn't it?)

[riibu.livejournal.com]

(does June look like a veritable f-list birthday month or what?)

That was just my thoughts when I went through my friends page a moment ago. Birthday greetings everywhere, and for so many persons today! :) Btw, I was a bit disappointed JKR didn't choose Summer Solstice as Dumbledore's birthday, which would have been appropriate IMHO.

Sorry that I can't help you with The Dark Side of Reason, still haven't read it...

[gmth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :-) *hugs*

[the-dark-twin.livejournal.com]

I seem to be in disagreement with the majority of your commenters so far, but I was going to say that if anything is NC-17, it's The Dark Side of Reason.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

*snickers*
Very subjectively, I'd agree, but then I went on a smut check spree when trying to rate the last chapter of 'Monsters', and there *are* quite a few rather... racy fics rated R out there (well, I use FA as a searching ground, because there people actually check those things). But now even my vague understanding of borderline cases is just gone...

[the-dark-twin.livejournal.com]

But now even my vague understanding of borderline cases is just gone...

It's so dangerous, isn't it? I wanted to go on a cleaning spree on my HD the other day, trying to look at some of the stuff there through the eyes of an objective person that's neither into HP nor into smut, but I stopped very quickly - the only realistic result would probably have been a heart attack. *g*

Will you tell us whether the FA guys will accept DSoR or not? It would just be interesting to know where they really draw the line...