Maaaaaaan, oh MANNNNN, this is such good stuff! It's so tightly-plotted! I went back and reread the last three chapters to make sure I remembered what all was going on, because there's SO MUCH, and I think I should've probably started a few chapters before that, because it's just so beautifully densely woven. lbr, I just need to start over from the beginning and enjoy it again all the way through! :D
Got to heartily second Amethyst Koneko, ahahaha. CLASSIC ELRIC MORAL DILEMMA. I love that you gave Al that moment, though – so often I think most fic writers (and I'm including myself) give Al a bit more liberty to be the counselor and the less-burdened one; I've almost never seen someone investigate Al's feelings about the Stone business so thoroughly and delicately at once. And I can't remember what I commented on last time(s??), but if I've said this before, it bears repeating – I LOVE the way you write Ling! XD He's perfect. :'D Sassy and blunt and chirpy and annoying and WONDERFUL, hahaha.
I actually… love the cliffhanger?? If you'd just had him collapse without Ed getting there, I think I would've been more distressed, lol. I know Roy wouldn't dare die in front of Ed! ;D And I dunno, somehow I never worry about WIP status with you, because I know you're committed to your amazing stories and have them mostly planned and will eventually find the words for those plans. Unlike those of us (again including myself XD) who have a tendency to wander off from a fic and just never come back… >__>''
tl;dr *falls all over you* I absolutely love this and Collared both; you have an incredible gift for pacing and subplot balance, and the way you write emotion – all the things that get suppressed and then flare out in dialogue and then get mulled over and get deeper and more complex over time – is flawlessly suited to these characters and melts into your story lines impeccably. And your dialogue itself is magnificent! And I can't remember whether I've gushed about Yu before, but I just love her; I really didn't expect to, but I dooooooo. Also: the huge, deep, patient, adoring, abiding Roy/Ed love puts stars in my eyes and warmth in my chest every single time. Gorgeous all around. I am so happy rn. :D
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Got to heartily second Amethyst Koneko, ahahaha. CLASSIC ELRIC MORAL DILEMMA. I love that you gave Al that moment, though – so often I think most fic writers (and I'm including myself) give Al a bit more liberty to be the counselor and the less-burdened one; I've almost never seen someone investigate Al's feelings about the Stone business so thoroughly and delicately at once. And I can't remember what I commented on last time(s??), but if I've said this before, it bears repeating – I LOVE the way you write Ling! XD He's perfect. :'D Sassy and blunt and chirpy and annoying and WONDERFUL, hahaha.
I actually… love the cliffhanger?? If you'd just had him collapse without Ed getting there, I think I would've been more distressed, lol. I know Roy wouldn't dare die in front of Ed! ;D And I dunno, somehow I never worry about WIP status with you, because I know you're committed to your amazing stories and have them mostly planned and will eventually find the words for those plans. Unlike those of us (again including myself XD) who have a tendency to wander off from a fic and just never come back… >__>''
tl;dr *falls all over you* I absolutely love this and Collared both; you have an incredible gift for pacing and subplot balance, and the way you write emotion – all the things that get suppressed and then flare out in dialogue and then get mulled over and get deeper and more complex over time – is flawlessly suited to these characters and melts into your story lines impeccably. And your dialogue itself is magnificent! And I can't remember whether I've gushed about Yu before, but I just love her; I really didn't expect to, but I dooooooo. Also: the huge, deep, patient, adoring, abiding Roy/Ed love puts stars in my eyes and warmth in my chest every single time. Gorgeous all around. I am so happy rn. :D