Heyloo:
This isn't another instalment by the way. I want to explain a few things about the characters in this fanfic. A couple of people have expressed confusion as to motivations etc, and I just want everyone to understand.
I guess the characters aren't identical to the original ones, and what you make of that is up to you. I recognise the fact that some of them may be acting a little ooc, but this is down to how I see these characters in my own head. To me, AGATB and RB are almost fairytales – not just in the story, but in some of the characters too. So this is just to put across how I see the characters.
Gemma – Gemma is confused, lonely and racked with guilt. In one sense, she wants to be the perfect and dutiful daughter, pleasing Tom and the rest of her family, and she wants this because she is almost seduced by the idea of a safe and predictable life. However, in her heart, she knows she will never be happy with this, and this knowledge pains her too. However, as well as wanting to make her family proud, Gemma also has to cope with her developing sexuality and her friendship pressures. In this, she resonates strongly with modern day teens. There is also the problem of Kartik (although he wouldn't be a problem with me :D). She is in love with him, and in my head, she is meant to be with him, but that doesn't mean that the path to love is smooth. She feels shame and guilt when she has been with him or thought of him, because of the way she has been brought up to view 'people like him', and, of course, the way society functioned at that time. But when she is with him, she realises that she doesn't give one about everyone else. So it's complicated.
Felicity – Felicity is the most fascinating character to me, mainly because no one can understand why she behaves the way she does. She has so many different levels. The one I'm going to explain first is her whole blatant flirting with you know who (no, not Voldermort, although that would certainly be interesting).
What you have to know is that, in this fanfic, Felicity was still molested by her father when she was younger. She feels extraordinary guilt about this, and her way of dealing with it has been to basically become a nympho. I know this might sound insensitive, but there it is. Felicity, as so many girls do in this day and age, find comfort and perhaps even security in sex. She knows that they don't really love her, but that's not what it's really about. She's punishing herself for something that isn't her fault.
In the last chapter, Fee has to deal with a lot of crap. Her best friend is being married off to some letch and she can do nothing about it. And it scares her. And she sees Gemma, who is not as beautiful as her, and, in her eyes, not as seductive, in love, and loved by, someone who does not respect her (Fee). This is screwing her up. She tries to regain a bit of power by trying to seduce him, but she knows that it will never work. It's a kind of suicide, and this type of social behaviour is very difficult for most people (including me) to understand. It's almost like self-harm. Everyone in the story thinks that Fee has the easiest time of it – Ann is poor, Pippa has to get married, and Gemma is in love with someone she can never be with – and has lost her mother and sister. Fee doesn't seem to have any problems compared to them, but she just keeps them hidden under the surface. Felicity needs to feel as though someone wants her, and she thinks she has truly found this is Gemma, but then Gemma falls in love, and Fee feels rejected once more. SO, in doing this, Fee is trying to hurt Gemma, hurt herself, and, I guess hurt Kartik. It's her way of saying that she doesn't want to be the only one who gets hurt. In some way, Fee is in love with Gemma (just not in a sexual way – at least, not yet). She feels she has found someone that she can finally trust. But then Gemma seems to have more important things to worry about, like stealing off with Kartik in the middle of a game of Hide and Seek. In some ways, Gemma is being quite insensitive, but she never deserves what Felicity puts her through in the lake.
I can't explain Felicity in words, which probably makes this whole business redundant, but I've tried anyway. She is the most secret character, even though she seems out on the surface. There's a lot more to Felicity, and I really want to explore her. Not, however, in the same way that I want to explore
Kartik – Kartik is a strange character to me, because sometimes I'll have days when I'll seen him as really shallow and two dimensional, and then I'll feel guilty and want to lock myself away in a room with him (and APOLOGISE – using my mouth and his tongue :D). Kartik loves Gemma, but he kinda hates her too. He doesn't understand how she can love him one minute and be ashamed of him the next, and this is why he pushes her away and then comes running back again. He is confused. (Gosh, wasn't that enlightening?) He hates the fact that he is a gypsy, and then he hates the fact that it is an issue between them. In his heart (of hearts) he knows that the way she sees the world isn't her fault, but he has no one else to blame, so go figure.
Kartik is passionate and a very sexual character. He sometimes uses sexual intimidation to get Gemma to do as he wants (in the earlier chapters), but this gives way to the actual love that he begins to feel towards her. But he also feels as though he is taking advantage. Which leave him in between the boulder and the rigid area (d'ya see what I did there?). Anyway, Kartik is a man, and, as much as we would all like him to be perfect, he can be seduced. He doesn't like Felicity – he thinks she is desperate – but he admires her body all the same, and her very suggestive nakedness (as if nakedness can never be suggestive – at least, when Felicity's involved) causes a certain ahem.
Sorry – getting carried away but Kartik's ahem.
Anyway, Kartik loves Gemma – Felicity loves Gemma – Kartik hates Felicity – Felicity wants lots of lovely sex with Kartik – Gemma wants to swim.
That's about it.