Kindred Spirits update!

[linndechir]

I just posted chapter twelve of Kindred Spirits. As I said, it's very short. Also it is hardly beta read at all, since my beta reader is extremely busy. But she assured me that there were no horrible mistakes. I hope she's right, and I apologise if there are any weird sentences and such things. As always, feedback is the easiest way to buy my affection. ;) Here's the link to the chapter .

Also I went to see some computer repair guy today. He told me that my computer probably could be repaired, but it would cost a small fortune, and chances are it will break down again in a couple of months. However, he was able to save my hard drive, and fortunately all my files are still there and in perfect order. I'm so relieved. I've decided to buy a new, big, beautiful computer monitor in order to make using my small laptop a bit more pleasant (it's really no fun watching movies on a 10 inch screen). That will give me some more time to save money and to think about what kind of a new desktop pc I am going to get. Gah, holidays and a new computer ... I'll be broke by the end of the year.

Comments

[droaerion.livejournal.com]

I'll readily admit that I felt more about Zaknafein's death because it was Zaknafein than what it did to Drizzt. No matter the wandering and hopelessness and blah that came afterward. But at the same time, Drizzt's last image of Zak was him fighting for him. Whether it was true, contrived, or, a convenient suicide on a battlefield of pride, didn't really register to Drizzt. Granted, that doesn't excuse practically every plot hole after... and before... the escape from Menzoberranzan, but in the Icewind Dale trilogy, and the Prequel Dark Elf trilogy, he was more consistent on that view. Thus, I tend to think of Drizzt's remembrance of Zaknafein as a bit twofold; on the one hand, there was the harsh trainer that was the embodiment of what it was to be a Drow. Then there was the one that Drizzt "got to know" as a father, who "died for him." Drizzt likes happy memories, so they're what sticks with him more. Heck, I'm sure Drizzt would kneel down to a promising child on the street and have extremely fond memories of Zaknafein when making the kid do the same coin toss... one Zak saw it more akin to eyeing a cattle and pissing off Lolth than Drizzt as a bright future.

You know, I suppose so too, about Entreri, except for the fact that he's seen as one of the most widly known and successful assassins on Faerun. Of course, then I like to point out that he's from Calimsham, and that's just a port on the west side of the world, and there's the humongoids of land to the east... More like, Calimsham to the Evermoors, and thus Silverymoon, with every coastal human town in between, but not further east than the very start of Cormyr, with their own politics. Higher beings that he passed probably knew he was little compared to them, but well... at the same time, that rings wrong. So that's up in the air a bit, until Jarlaxle. Then it get's even more unpredictable.

As for Entreri's sex life... well I'm tempted to agree with you, but I also think that Entreri has such a bucket load of trust issues and that at the lower points of his life, he would probably stick to women. And certainly in the Pasha Palace, he'd only "bed" women, or risk his reputation going sour. Because the choices there would be to stick to women, who people have an image of as a bit lesser (although, that IS Calimport...) or, if it were to even be hinted at that he enjoyed the company of men, it would all become a power play. Artemis needs trust to let himself go, sure, even if it's money. But to be Entreri, it would be expected of him to probably either be in it for the breaking of a masculine individual, thus showing off that his position is not in jeopardy, or have someone so stereotypically "sub" that it would be sickening... practically a woman anyway, would be the view for that. And both are against Entreri's strict code.

But I guess this must've crossed your mind, otherwise you wouldn't have thought to put that his previous relations were mostly well paid, secretive whores to wick off the edge.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

bwahaha, pissing off Lolth, that's such a Zaknafein thing to do. ;) Of course Drizzt kept the memory of a father who died for him, twice even. And while I know that Zaknafein did indeed love Drizzt, it bothers me that Drizzt is ignoring the other, darker side of his father. Now I can understand why he does it, but since we only see Zak through Drizzt's eyes in the later books it feels like RAS himself has forgotten who Zaknafein really was. That's mainly why I don't want him to write a prequel series about zaknafein and jarlaxle. I'm afraid that RAS will write Zak as some sort of older, more bitter Drizzt. And that's simply not who he is. Drizzt has no idea just how much of a drow Zaknafein was. I really want to bring that out in Kindred Spirits.

Hehe, yes, it's easy to forget that Artemis rarely got away from "his" area, the Sword Coast and surroundings. Send the poor guy into one of the real high-level-regions of Faerun and things will look different. That was one of the few things I liked about the Sellswords Trilogy - Artemis and Jarlaxle meeting epic characters who made them look very weak indeed. ;)

That's why I definitely see Artemis as somebody to go to courtisans, because he'd never trust anyone enough to have some sort of relationship, even if it's only for one night. He'd have to separate his sex life COMPLETELY from his professional life, because - like you said - it would be rather damaging to his reputation if his true preferences came out. But if he really doesn't like women, and I don't think he does, he'd rather have no sex at all than sex he doesn't enjoy.
So, yes, all of this crossed my mind, and this was the only version that made any sense to me. I don't know/can't remember if you've read "Coming to Terms" - it's a one-shot I've written about precisely this whole "young, successful and paranoid assassin looking for a safe way to get what he wants"-issue. ;) And it's better than that just sounded. ;)