So that's over! I hope you weren't expecting a happy ending. (When did you see it coming? How did the tie to cannon at the end work for you?) I wanted to write
BOO! at this point like a ghost because it's Halloween, but then I worried you might interpret that as what a critic says when she expects a more
Good triumphs over Evil, smooches for everyone ending, and I'm really not in a mood to receive those.
To those on Team Edmund, I'm sorry. On the bright side at least he's rescued from damnation. To those on Team Henry, ditto. To those on Team Frankie, I'm very, very sorry.
When I posted Mansfield Gothic I had no inkling of this story. If I had to do it over again, there are a few concepts I would have introduced in ManGo and a few other changes I'd make to prevent some inconsistencies. But as long as you don't scrutinize too closely, I think both stories are entertaining although not in a romantic, HEA sort of way. (I think you have used adjectives like “horrible” which I'll interpret as complimentary from a gothic POV.)
How did you like Edmund as a bad guy? I really liked him in that role because (a) I didn't need to make a new character although he is significantly changed and (b) it's one more layer of complexity in Frankie’s relationship with Henry and (c) it's so contrary to my opinion of cannon Edmund. There are many reasons why Edmund doesn't work for me as a main romantic hero (*cough* cousin *cough*) but I think I can see him now as a potential villain. (You know the type… no longer content to stay in the Friend Zone, tired of watching his older brother and other guys (and his sisters) get whatever they want while he has to be the model of prudence and self-restraint. Oh, he could be wicked.)
And when I handed this story to Nikita for peer review, I had no idea of this year's Halloween theme, but I am awarding myself full marks for luck. The ending is not meant to be an exact copy of cannon but a sad and twisted tie back to it. I had thought about Frankie going through a series of tortures and, with each cycle, the demons would take more from her -- her abilities to fight back, her memories of why she was tortured and who she was protecting -- until she was just this sad, scared, pathetic creature which basically took the thrill out of it, so then they dumped her in “Mansfield” where they could visit her and torment her when they were bored or grumpy. But I felt that long and winding ending needed details which I didn't want to write, and I think the end-state does the job. But still, full marks for the JAOctGoHoNo-themed memory loss. FULL MARKS.
I had wanted to include a scene of the morning after at Everingham but that was impossible given the narrator. However, you are free to imagine it if you need a downer.
And one more thanks to Nikita for the peer review, and to everyone who commented on my story. It feels really good to read your replies and that you like what I’ve posted.
