I had a feeling this one was yours, yes. ♥ And I am so glad it is all you hoped for, because when I saw the prompt, I kind of knew I had to write it.
And, um. *bluuuush* Gaiman POV is definitely intimidating, because it's Gaiman and I have so much admiration for the man, but the story gained something with the Corinthian narrating that it didn't have when I tried Claire POV, I think. And I'm so glad you think I found a balance with the carnage, because I didn't want to romanticize it, but at the same time I didn't want to squick everyone within a hundred-mile radius. (Or more.)
Claire's immortality is why I fell in love with him, really. He's so unshakably certain about everything, because he knows the world works the way he wants it to, and yeah. He's the Chariot. I like the Chariot a lot.
And you are fabulous too, for giving me something like this to work with. And for other reasons. ♥
I think I'm in the same boat you are -- I can make enough of a sound, reasoned argument in favor of how and why I write that my professors understand what I want to do with fiction, but they don't really support it. It's weird; the theatre department at my school is all about experimentation and playing with form, but the creative writing department is maddeningly traditional. pleh.