Cadmus Chat

[tinhuvielartanis]

Nothing thrills me more than to discuss Cadmus with falkenna. In many ways she groks Cadmus more than anyone else I know. Perhaps it's because she was introduced to him via my fanfiction Darth Maul, who carries a lot of Cadmus within him, even though Maul is sexualised and Cadmus is not. Or maybe it's because she knows Cadmus' inspirational father so well and can understand what I saw in him when I was first exposed to his terrible brilliance. Whatever it is, falkenna is definitely a primary muse when it comes to writing Cadmus, and she challenges me to explain my motivations when working with him. There's really no way I can repay her for her input, support, and inspiration.

While I was out with Aunt Tudi, falkenna wrote to me about the latest installment of "Sui Generis.".

falkenna:

JUST MY OPINION, as someone asked to comment.

And not a final opinion -- I would need to read it all together in proper order.

 

Somehow, and I can't exactly explain it, it doesn't seem to fit. It's like another story, not about Cadmus.  It undercuts his delicious evil, and also adds a sexual deviance beyond what is shown elsewhere -- so although he's plenty bad enough, why doesn't he become **as bad** as his tormentor?  There is someone more evil than Cadmus-- can this be right??

 

These are just the reasons that come to mind, there may be more to it, because it is an intuitive reaction, and not (I think!!) about the extreme nastiness of the scene. 

 

I think perhaps there may be something about connection.  From his character I see him more as someone who was never touched in anything but the cold infliction of pain.  I really like this part (note cut):

    I remember one night I awoke tied and magickally bound to the earth. Above me stood Nissius, shed of his clothing and holding a dagger. “You are of Tarmian blood, little prince,” he explained. “And you are also of Upir Blood. This means that you should have miraculous healing powers. It’s time to put them to the test.”

Nissius proceeded to cut off my eyelids, my lips, and my ears. He skinned me from right below my neck to just above my genitals.

. . .
I was twelve years old that night and this was my birthday gift from Nissius. The next night, I awoke whole. It was as though I had never been flayed and brutalized, except for the memories that would never leave my waking hours. I sought out my hatred for him, but it wasn’t there. Nothing was there. No hate, no love, no sorrow, no fear. Nothing. I felt pure. I felt invincible to the entire world, except for Nissius. I was still subject to him, but I knew that this too was a transient arrangement. Eventually, I would no longer be in his power. When that day came, Nissius would die.

Obviously more elaboration would then be needed, but I just don't see that as being sexual.  Cadmus's later physical perversions are all about parenthood -- a connection, and an inborn need totally denied.  Except for his parents, his sexual perversions are primarily soul-level, as is fitting for someone who has no reason to be oriented to his body or at home in it.

 

I also like the last paragraph.  And the writing of course is wonderful.

 

Just my tuppence.

Here's what I wrote back to her:

The whole thing with Nissius' sexual molestation of Cadmus ties in with Cadmus' later, more rancid, molestation of Maria/Eve.  His sexual desecration was always a part of him in my mind, but I've never gotten it on "paper" until now.  Also, from my study of childhood victims of years-long molestation, there's a common theme of developing "numbness" and lack of emotion.  They turn off in order to survive.  Some do, anyway.  Others create different personalities.  Others become offenders.  I wanted an outlet in order to give Cadmus emotions later on, which was always part of the plan.  In one of the earlier drafts of The Chalice, Cadmus achieves emotion and goes utterly mad from it.  That's still a possibility in some future story.

 

Nissius, being an apostle of the Black Magus, is, by his very nature, someone who would be prone to pedophilia.  Without ever saying it outright, I've married the Black Magus and the Church.  Given the Church's long history of pedophilia and perversion wrapped in the cloth of the Christ, Nissius' treatment of Cadmus is a natural progression.

 

And, yes, Nissius was more evil than Cadmus during Cadmus' apprenticeship to him.  Cadmus was Tabula Rasa on which Nissius wrote his sinister accounts.  And, of course, the Apostate is more evil than Cadmus.  Cadmus isn't necessarily evil.  I've always seen him as Chaotic Neutral.  To me, there's always something worse than evil, and that's futility, the abyss where the passion of goodness and evil are devoured.  This is where Cadmus dwells.  He's the event horizon into a darker place where both good and evil weep with hopelessness.

 

I hope that explains it a bit better.

 

As a sort of an aside, have you heard that Keith Richards is set to play Jack Sparrow's dad in the third "Pirates" film?  It's poetic justice, considering Johnny Depp based his Captain Jack character on Keith Richards.  This got me to thinking.....  If The Chalice was ever made into a movie, would B be willing to play Cadmus' "father," the Apostate, if not Cadmus himself?  Hee!  My mind....I need a lobotomy.

Comments

[falkenna.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love doing it, dearie.
I think I grok him (perfect word, I'm so glad someone is still using it) for both the reasons you mention, and for reasons of my own -- if you remember the old vignette I discovered and shared with you.
:-)