Minisinoo ([info]minisinoo) wrote in [info]lgbtfest,
@ 2008-05-05 15:05:00
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Entry tags:fandom: twilight

Twilight: "Beauty, Shining in Company with the Celestial Forms" by Minisinoo
Title: Beauty, Shining in Company with the Celestial Forms
Author: Minisinoo
Summary: When Edward rebelled against Carlisle's way of life in 1927, what changed his mind and sent him back in 1931? With a side-serving of White Sox-Cubs rivalry, Camels, Plato and mobsters. c. 13,300 words
Fandom: Twilight
Pairing/characters: Edward Cullen, Teddy Wells (OMC)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Twilight and all subsidiaries belong to Stephenie Meyer and her publishers.
Prompt: A past homoerotic experience or questioning of [Edward's] sexuality.
Warning: This is an historical, so I've done my best to let attitudes reflect the era, including casual anti-Semitism, not just hostility towards gays. I do not, of course, approve of either. Likewise, smoking figures prominently, but I'm not advocating it as a good habit to acquire.
Author's Notes: Although I've disregarded info given in some of Meyer's interviews, nothing here contradicts directly anything we're told in the books. Historical notes at the end. MANY thanks to [info]britchick5000 and [info]silly_bella for looking through this for historical accuracy and canon consistency. Any and all errors remaining are mine; don't blame them. [info]onomatopoetry did the lovely title image below.

NOTE: Due to the length, I've cut this into 3 sections and archived offsite. Click on the image below to take you to the story, and a link at the bottom of the last section will return you here. :-)

Beauty title image

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[info]obfuscate3
2008-05-05 09:37 pm UTC (link)
One of the most gorgeously written Twilight fics ever. Excellently researched (the Mob-era Chicago made the historian in me swoon) and all of the characters are voiced fantastically well. I'm not sure how to praise this more except to say that I found no fault and everything to admire in it. I want to know this Edward; he's not the sticky-sweet lover of Meyer's books but a real person, complete with imperfections and a rather idealistic viewpoint. I love how Theodore complements him, showing us what Edward might have been had he lived past seventeen. I think this is a fuller portrayal of love, one that Meyer never gives us: love that blurs the line between a love of admiration and a love of desire.

For me, the most moving moment occurred at the very end. Edward considers Theodore most beautiful on his deathbed. It gives a new and poignant facet to why he doesn't want Bella to become a vampire.

I'll say it again: it's gorgeous, and I wish there was more historic Twilight fic out there written like this.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 12:03 am UTC (link)
*blush, blush*

Thank you so much. That's extremely kind!

I think this is a fuller portrayal of love, one that Meyer never gives us: love that blurs the line between a love of admiration and a love of desire.

That's really what I was after. That love can combine both, and not lessen either. Even if they didn't actually consummate the affair in full, I didn't want to leave OUT desire, or suggest that they "rose above" it, or any of that Platonic nonsense. In the end, a large part of why they don't consummate it is that Edward (true to form as he is later in Twilight) is afraid he'll kill Teddy.

And yes exactly, on this: It gives a new and poignant facet to why he doesn't want Bella to become a vampire. In fact, that's in the notes on the main page, but I didn't put it here because I wasn't sure how many readers there would be familiar with all the details. (G)

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[info]the_rainbow_jen
2008-05-05 09:51 pm UTC (link)
Oh, Min.

This is truly beautiful, and likely one of the best things you've ever written, IMHO. Not just for the accuracy, but the the way in which pathos has a beauty all its own the way you write it. Its not angsty, its just so emotionally deep and profound, and frankly, gives me hope, which is saying a lot, because I'm not one to believe in the trappings of love, either in fanfic or real life, but this.... this makes me believe again that there is an enduring bond, not just a feeling, but a true connection apart from emotion and hormones that can tie people more thoroughly than a bond of flesh and blood.

Now I'm going to go have a cry. Really, thank you.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-05 11:54 pm UTC (link)
Oh, thank you. And YES, yes, I was so hoping that it would be hopeful. As that's really what it's about. Despite the fact Teddy dies, it's of old age, and he and Edward maintain their tie throughout his life, even if it's not "perfect." But so little in life is "perfect." I suppose, in a way, this is almost an "anti-Twilight" story, oddly enough. There is no "happily ever after" (literally), but I wanted it to be real, and powerful, and hopeful, and about love, but not some purified kind. Real love in all it's aspects.

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[info]eumelkeks
2008-05-05 10:41 pm UTC (link)
Admittedly, I was sceptical about the premise of the fic. You, however, convinced me with your beautiful story. Sharp and strong, like love indeed. I'm also impressed by the amount of research that must have gone into this fic. Really great story!

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-05 11:49 pm UTC (link)
(G) I love it when I can take a curious, or dubious, premise and make it feel believable, so thank you! The research was fun. But then, I am also a historian in RL -- just not of this period. I do the ancient Greeks. So the Plato, at least, was easy. ha.

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[info]magnetic_pole
2008-05-05 11:18 pm UTC (link)
I don't know the source material, I'm afraid, but I read this because I'm interested in historical fic, and I enjoyed the voice you brought to this era. Well done! M.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-05 11:44 pm UTC (link)
Thank you! And yeah, this can *almost* be read without knowing the source, beyond the fact he's a vampire. Knowing more makes some things clearer, but I wanted it to stand alone as best I could make it..

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[info]rotaryphones
2008-05-06 12:09 am UTC (link)
Wonderful story, just beautifully written. Why bother reading Twilight when I have your version of it? ;) Your flawed Edward, and his close, loving relationship with Teddy were so easy to buy into. In fact, Edward's uncommon unquestioning acceptance of Teddy's sexuality really says more about his character and their relationship than anything else. The story seems to teeter on tragedy the whole way, and although it does make me sad that Teddy never finds his 'mister,' I'm glad you ended it on such a positive, hopeful note. (I also laughed at your Bella-on-a-pedestal-jab, since all I know about the series is what you've written and complained about.)

On a side note, have you read E. M. Forster's Maurice? It's a novel about a homosexual man in England just before WWI, and remarkable for the fact that that's when Forster began writing it. But I mention it because Plato also plays an important role there, as does the question of "pure" love vs. lust.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 12:17 am UTC (link)
Ha, I should probably admit that Maurice was inspiration for this. I haven't read it in years, so it's not a direct parallel, but I read it, gosh, 15 years ago now? BEAUTIFUL story, really beautiful. There are a couple of other really lovely gay lit stories that this owes some inspiration to. (G) It's why, when I saw the prompt, I had to take it. I didn't want it to be TOO close, so I'm glad I hadn't read any of them in a while (and deliberately refrained from rereading), but I wanted to hit that note that Forrester hit ... even if I can't hope to be as good as he was!

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[info]rotaryphones
2008-05-06 12:34 am UTC (link)
Oh yay, I was right! :) I think your story definitely has a similar feel to Maurice, and I like it even better that both your characters are actually able to move beyond Plato. Because Teddy's little letter about Edward being his salvation from sin could have come straight from Clive's hand. I'm glad that Teddy, unlike Clive, eventually comes to terms with himself...although how fortuitous that Edward took him to San Fransisco!

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 12:40 am UTC (link)
Ha, yes. The West Coast was still the "frontier" back then. My mother's sister and her husband moved out to L.A. just following WW II, and there was this sense about it that was very "new beginnings." But yes, SF was chosen QUITE deliberately (G)

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[info]ataralas
2008-05-06 02:11 am UTC (link)
I know nothing about Twilight. But I love your writing, and you have not let me down here. The details about Chicago felt right, the plotting was excellent, and your characterization is, as always, superb.

Also, I love the myriad of little details: Plato, Dickinson, baseball. (Though, James Montgomery is the famed hymnodist...minor, but then again, I'm a hymn geek.)

Anyway. Fantastic on every level.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 02:18 am UTC (link)
Oooo, really? On the Hymnist? I'll fix it. I had a bit of a tough time finding the "Charles Wesley" of the Episcopalians, as the denomination change was sorta last minute, and I didn't want to lose the line about Edward playing. Isaac Watts, of course, is well known. But thanks for the heads-up!

And I'm glad you enjoyed it otherwise. :-)

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[info]ataralas
2008-05-06 03:03 am UTC (link)
I mean, the Wesleys were well represented in the 1916 Episcopal Hymnal, but you're right that Watts and Montgomery were far more well known in Episcopalian circles. Possibly also due to their freakishly prolific nature. Watts, in particular, has some 265 hymns to his name, not including all of his settings of the Psalms, another 150-250. (I have a nifty little pocket collection of his Psalms and Hymns, printed in 1812.)

I'm just glad the passage of time has weeded out most of that and left us only the really good ones.

But now I'm just geeking out because I can.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 03:18 am UTC (link)
Geeking out is fine. I love history. :-)

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[info]andreaeducator
2008-05-06 02:39 am UTC (link)
Beautiful Mini! I'll admit I was just a tad wary about an Edward that wasn't completely in love with Bella....I now see that worry was unfounded. I should have known that if anyone could pull this off it'd be you.

You did a lovely job making it work...and I wish I could find prettier words to tell you that, but I can't. That's it....you made it work. It read seamlessly and I actually find this bit of edwards past a bit more believable than Stephenie's. I always found it hard to believe that Edward could go 100 years without any physical human affection without some kind of reason. I can believe that he found himself in love with a friend and was unable to find someone to replace him until Bella. The only thing I think I'd have liked to have seen more of would be Teddy's thoughts heard by Edward when they first meet again. You did a nice job of explaining away why the thoughts weren't there...I just think it would have been interesting to hear a bit of Teddy's internal reaction to seeing Edward once more.

Again, wonderful job! I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that the Twilight Fandom is anxiously awaiting more from you!

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 02:47 am UTC (link)
Thank you! And that's an interesting suggestion, on hearing Teddy's thoughts. I actually had more of them in an earlier version of this, but cut them for reasons of pacing and purpose. At the end, it's really more Edward's realization than Teddy's that mattered, but I find it interesting that you were thinking that, given the earlier version. (G)

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[info]minerva_one
2008-05-06 02:46 am UTC (link)
This was a brilliant and beautiful piece of writing. You kept my attention throughout, and there wasn't a bit of it that seemed far-fetched or out of character.

It was a touching view into the complicated relationships that keep us tied to one another, framed by the well-researched attention to detail within the story.

But again, it was heart-warming and beautiful. Thank you for posting this!

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-06 02:48 am UTC (link)
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed, and that it didn't feel OOC or beyond belief. :-)

(And that's a lovely Edward drawing in your icon, btw.)

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[info]minerva_one
2008-05-06 02:52 am UTC (link)
lol Thank you! I snagged the line work from the Japanese novel scans, and did some coloring on Photoshop. It's like crayons, but for grown-ups! ;)

And no, your fic didn't feel OOC at all! It was refreshing, actually.

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[info]clcb58
2008-05-06 11:59 pm UTC (link)
::sigh:: The historical detail was so worth the effort. It adds such depth and richness to the story. As always, you did a beautiful job conveying complex emotions without making them cliche. And you never shy away from the hard truths.

And the best line in the whole story? "Twilight was approaching." (Was the "pun" intended?) You're my idol. :P

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 12:24 am UTC (link)
*snerk* Yes, that pun was absolutely intended. Glad you caught it. (G) I love little stuff like that. Ha.

And thank you. I'm glad this worked. It was a challenge, honestly, and I enjoyed taking it on, even if it's not a very big fandom, relatively. (And this is not a story likely to be widely well-received in the heart of the fandom itself, which I also knew going in.)

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[info]nakki
2008-05-07 12:46 am UTC (link)
Oh the twilight pun :D I was like "she so didn't, did she?" Then I saw it mentioned in the comments :D

This was a wonderful break from my Patroclus/Achilles research paper and has given me IDEAS! (specifically from your footnotes on plato).

I thought this was epically beautiful. I loved the passing of time and the feel of old Chicago. I loved seeing something of Edward beyond the bella-besotted boy we get in Twilight. His relationship with Teddy was so much more real than that Meyers develops in the books. Oh fanfiction, how you ruin my appreciation for canon authors.

I'm sorry, end of term, jumped up on caffeine, insanity. This was lovely and I'm to brain dead to find a prettier way to say that :)

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 12:50 am UTC (link)
Oh the twilight pun :D I was like "she so didn't, did she?" Then I saw it mentioned in the comments...

Yes, indeed I did. Ha. But the fact I could make you wonder means it worked as slipped in there. (G)

Btw, on the terminology used in The Phaedrus, I'd direct you to the work of David M. Halperin, for your research paper. There's also a full chapter on the two in Somewhere I Have Never Travelled (author's name embarrassingly escaping me at present, but you want to read that chapter). Last, be sure to check out Jonathan Shay's Achilles in Vietnam. And there, I've probably just COMPLICATED it all for you. LOL! (quietly takes off historian's hat...)

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[info]nakki
2008-05-07 12:55 am UTC (link)
Awesome! More references, even possible complicating references, are always welcome! I will add those to the list for the attack on the library in a couple hours! Thanks :)

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 01:08 am UTC (link)
Okay, I went and pulled a couple of references for you, to be more specific:

Halperin, D. M. (1986) "Plato and Erotic Reciprocity." Classical Antiquity 5: 60-80.

That is the article that influenced my own reading of this text.

Van Nortwick, T. (1992) Somewhere I Have Never Travelled: The Second Self and the Hero's Journey in Ancient Epic. Oxford.

Achilles in Vietnam is easier to find. You may have to request the Halperin article. (It's an article, not a book. Also, it is VERY very much a classicists discussion, so language nit-picking is important to it. Not easy to read, but v. important. If your library doesn't have that journal (and they probably won't), try JSTOR, and ask your reference librarian to help you.

You might also want to look at:
Barrett, D. S. (1981) "The Friendship of Achilles and Patroklos." Classical Bulletin 57: 87-92.


Edited at 2008-05-07 01:08 am UTC

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[info]nakki
2008-05-07 01:29 am UTC (link)
Yeah, MIT humanities library is made of suck, as everything you've directed me to the online system claims not to have *sigh* thank goodness for Harvard down the street, though I'll double check with our librarians first. Thanks so much :D

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 01:32 am UTC (link)
I find it ... terribly funny that MIT doesn't have that article by Halperin considering he taught there. (Well, I think he did.)

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[info]nakki
2008-05-07 01:38 am UTC (link)
omg, he is listed as an MIT affiliate!! Well, hopefully it's just a glitch on the online listings, 'cause other wise our humanities department is worse off than I thought!

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 01:39 am UTC (link)
Well, Harvard will have it ALL, so just go there.

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[info]greyskygirl
2008-05-07 12:47 am UTC (link)
Confession: I ship Edward/Bella. And yet that preference doesn't take anything away from the beauty of what you've done here. The writing's fantastic, and the historical detail is so lush that I just got pulled into the story immediately. But then your writing tends to do that - a definite gift.

I found it utterly believable and poignant and hopeful, all at once. Really lovely stuff.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 12:52 am UTC (link)
*blush* Thank you! And this story doesn't rule out Edward/Bella in the future at all. So it's possible to read it whoever one prefers Edward with. :-)

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[info]nagi_schwarz
2008-05-07 07:02 am UTC (link)
That was beautiful, and I loved the history as well. (I'm pretty lame at writing history, but I love reading it.) Also, I love Plato. And you made Edward - wow. I loved him, and I really didn't like him all that much in the books. He was himself from the books, but he was so much more as well, and you crafted him wonderfully. Also, I liked Teddy. Thank you very much for sharing. I thought it was fitting, that Edward loved a soldier.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-07 07:29 pm UTC (link)
I think the problem with Edward in the books is that he's only seen from Bella's point of view, and I think he's actually more interesting than she lets him be. (G) So I wanted him to act in character, but here you see him from inside (and from Teddy's POV). Teddy loves him, but isn't in awe of him. Ha. That was fun to write.

I thought it was fitting, that Edward loved a soldier.

Yes. :-) I'd hoped so.

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[info]slightlymore
2008-05-10 01:51 am UTC (link)
Oh my God, I think I cried on and off from the very beginning. That was absolutely beautiful and tragic. I loved it. Thank you for sharing.

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[info]minisinoo
2008-05-10 04:55 am UTC (link)
And thank you for reading! I'm delighted that you enjoyed it. :-)

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[info]st_aurafina
2008-10-23 06:31 am UTC (link)
I hadn't read Twilight when you posted this, but I bookmarked it for when I had. This is gorgeous - so lavish and thoughtful and mature. I love Edward's many transitions from human to finally being at peace with Carlisle's way of life, and the tension between him and Carlisle once Esme has come into their family. His friendship with Teddy is delightfully complex, I love how death changed both their perspectives on the way society views sexuality and what it means to them.

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!

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[info]minisinoo
2008-10-23 01:49 pm UTC (link)
Thank you! I'm really glad you liked it. This one was ... I won't say "fun" to write, but I was pleased with it, when I was done. It gave me a chance to explore some things, and work with a more poetic style than I usually employ.

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Amazing!
[info]rennaise
2008-11-28 02:54 am UTC (link)
Minisinoo, I got an LJ account just to comment on this story.
This is one of the best fan fictions I've ever read in any fandom. (I haven't actually been a part of a fandom in years, but somehow I got hooked on Twilight (!) and have found Twi-fandom). What I've read has been pretty hit-and-miss--mostly miss--but this was brilliant!

This piece is evocative, touching, smart, tender, painful and never raises Edward to vamp-godhood (which seems to happen in a lot of the fanfic I've read). I loved the reasons Edward left Carlisle and Esme, and what sent him back. That's honesty. That's what makes a character live! It got me "right here!" *thumps heart*

Thhhankx for ruining me for other Twific writers. *grumble*

I plan on reading the rest of yours, but I'm going to have to pace myself; there isn't enough! I've never read HP fanfic (like I said, I haven't had time for any fanfic in years) but I may read yours just to have some more of your writing!

Mille fois merci!
Rennaise

PS I'm such a NOOB, I have no idea how to credit the icon I'm using. So, here's the site I got it from. http://inthe-redshirt.livejournal.com/3912.html
Is that what to do?





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Re: Amazing!
[info]minisinoo
2008-11-28 09:41 pm UTC (link)
Wow, I'm flattered! Thank you!

On the icon, when you upload the icon, you'll see a line that allows you to give it a keyword, then another entry line that says "comments." Usually "credit" just means putting the name of the icon creator in the "comments" -- in this case "inthe_redshirt". Hope that helps, and welcome to LJ!

(There is a comm just for Twilight fic: [info]twilight_fics.)

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