Story [Multifandom] "how dreaming becomes us" (50 Sentences) Table XXIV: Iron Man, up 7/28!

Deb: Why thank-you, m'dear.

Nat:

I M/M

Why, I do too.

Muse: Moriarty is a lot like Sherlock, it seems.

Two sides of the same coin.

Mettle: Okay, Molly is officially creepy.

Malice: And so is Jim.

They are twistedly delicious!

Mine: . . . gross.

Why thank-you.

Materpiece: Creepy yet cute

That does seem to be the reigning force behind these two.

Thank-you for the wonderful thoughts!


Idri:

MOLLY/MORIARTY!!!!



You know, you need to write a letter to Moffat and Gatiss and tell them they need to make this canon.

Those brilliant minds should come up with it themselves. But oh, the idea of something like this being canon makes my heart do all sorts of fluttering.

It's appropriate and kind of punny how you chose the M table for them.

Isn't it? I started doing an Alice in Wonderland kinda thing - but then half of my sentences had me thinking 'I bet . . .' and then one thing led to another.

5. Mock: Wonderfully creepy/ You know what it reminds me of? The Master and Lucy, in their mocking of the Doctor and his companion.

They totally do!

9. Minion: that has a deliciously creepy echo to Sherlock's own attitude.

The two are so mirrors for each other.

11. Melancholy: That sentence has a whole bunch of interesting tidbits buried in it. I suggest you take it farther.

Curse the plot bunnies of Monty Python proportions.

27. Medusa: IRENE!!!!! Another thing you need to follow up on.



31 Martyr: I like it. Excellent reflection on her part - not so shy and timid now, is she?

She can kick your butt ten different ways from Sunday, and still be home in time for tea.

38. Memento: I see what you did there with the M&Ms.

Trust me - you will never look at them the same way again.

46. Meaning: throw the word "corpse" into what is possibly a romantic situation, and you have all sorts of creepiness. Delightful! I love how closely Molly associates herself with her work; it comes into every aspect of her life.

That was my favorite one of the whole set. I couldn't just have something normally cute and mushy for them.

48. Mine: Woah! I can totally hear his voice there... *shivers*

Thank-you so much for that!! That man's voice is just . . . well, it was a hard voice to capture, and I lamented that to no extent.

Question for you: are you joining me on my year-long quest to never repeat a fandom?

Oh, that game is so on!




As always, thanks to everyone for reading!


~MJ

 

Author's Note: Since something tells me that this will be a project that will unearth many guilty pleasures, I figured that I would start with one near and dear to my heart. How could I not, with all of those wibly-wobly-timey-whimey prompts?

This set is basd on Timeline, the 2003 movie adaptation of the absolutely brilliant novel by Micheal Crichton. (And if you are looking for more thought out science, historical accuracies, and things of that nature, you are better off sticking with the book. ) While you can pick the film apart, at its heart its just a fun romp through everybody's fascination with knights and adventure and the age of chivalry. And as such, it is a proud centerpiece of my DVD collection.

A brief plot, (or a more detailed one here), for those interested is basically this: A cooperation called ITC discovers, by chance, a wormhole leading back to Castleguard France in 1357 when developing teleportation technology. When the company sends back Professor Johnston - an archeologist, and things go wrong, the professor's students Marek and Kate (and son Chris) go back in time in order to bring the professor home. Along the way there is your classic French vs English power struggle, knights in shining armor - and those not so shining, and a good old classic love story - or two, in this case.


As always, thanks to everyone for reading.

---

[b]VI.[/b]


[blockquote][b]?out of my time, for a place in yours?[/b]
February 2011: Table I || Micheal Crichton's ?Timeline?[/blockquote]




[i][b]01. Journey[/i][/b]

?I made my history,? was the simple inscription on the sarcophagus, brittle and ancient with time; but the easy sentimentality of the entwined hands carved into the stone and the last honoring of children's names made Chris take a deep breath, and remember.


[i][b]02. Eccentric[/i][/b]

Perhaps there were better ways of doing so ? but in an age where hands on tactics of unearthing history were dying away to the fast progression of the future, Professor Johnston would take anything he could get; including the too insightful hints from their rather eccentric billionaire investor.


[i][b]03. Array[/i][/b]

The physician looked closer at the X-rays, trying to puzzle out why the man looked like he had been cut up by a clumsy child with scissors, and then glued back together by the same hand ? everything (arteries, nerves, veins, tendons) in the man's body seemed to be jig-sawed together in imperfect lines.


[i][b]04. Abide[/i][/b]

?There's a reason you're still here,? Edward told his son sagely, eyes winking in the half light of the tent at the blush on Chris' face, ?and that reason always seems to include a pretty pair of eyes and a disarming smile.?


[i][b]05. Regenerate[/i][/b]

Kate watched fondly as all of the new students gathered around Marek and his models of Castleguard, the group unconsciously leaning forward in response to the obvious passion the man held for history in his voice - after the last five years, she knew better than most how well he could bring dead stones and stories to life once more.


[i][b]06. Ramble[/i][/b]

Chris' latest attempts at flirting seemed to fall dreadfully short as Kate picked up his welcoming words and ran with them as she spun tales about the objects she was unearthing, so lost to the past she was digging up that she didn't see (or chose not to) the way forward he wished to take with her.


[i][b]07. Pseudo[/i][/b]

It didn't seem possible; the ability to step back into time due to an accident of rich and bored men playing with things past their realm of control ? but if the Professor was trapped back there, then back in time was where they would go.


[i][b]08. Tardy[/i][/b]

The air in 1357 France was sweet and fragrant in a way France in 2003 could never be, the greenery lush in an ancient and untouched way, and ahead the sharp scent of village fires and

 

Jade_eyes: You are such a dear! It's beautiful when you can play with this era of history when writing.

Laurethiel: Bwaha! Your points were priceless and excellent. And too true, as well. Ah, well, it sure was fun to continue the slaughtering here - it felt like I was there writing it, that's for sure.


~MJ

 

Author's Notes: So, after reading Idrelle_Miocovani's "Austen Adventures" over the last few weeks, I picked up my own copy of Jane Austen's works, and I have been quite enraptured rereading them. As a result, the "Sense and Sensibility" sentences just came came rolling. (Because, obviously, that's where my mind would go to for the Avatar set. )

It was an interesting task, trying to capture the spirit of the story within sentences - in some ways, it was even harder than Jane Eyre due to the scope of the cast and the twists and the turns of the multiple plot lines. But in the end, I believe it was worth it. It was enlightening to write, that was for certain.

The title for this was taken from "Weep You No More, Sad Fountains", which is the song Kate Winslet sings in the 1995 version. There are a few other references from that film, but I tried to keep them to a minimum.

---

[b]VII.[/b]


[blockquote][b]?rest now, you sad eyes?[/b]
February 2011: Table II || ?Sense and Sensibility?[/blockquote]



[b][i]01. Earth[/b][/i]

Yes, she was old enough to [i]know better[/i] than frolicking in the rain, but the air tasted like freedom, and the earth felt divine pressed in wet stains against her dress; so much so, that the thrill of the elements just hardly parted for a stab of guilt when Elinor insisted on cleaning her dress for her before the maids could do so (and the scoldings came).


[b][i]02. Air[/b][/i]

Her father's study was still thick with the aroma of leather and candle smoke ? it was a scent she carried with her on her gowns, in the bottom of her trunk, and deep in the whole of her as Norland became yet another ghost to her memories.


[b][i]03. Fire[/b][/i]

They had not enough to afford a fire in the evenings when the weather did not demand it; but Elinor still let her sister burn down a candlestick an evening in order to read her poems aloud, sure that everyone in the room needed to hear the romantic tales as much as her Marianne needed to voice them.


[b][i]04. Water[/b][/i]

When Marianne would ask, she would not be sure how to answer ? the rapport she had built with Edward was something gentle like a stream in the summer, and not the crushing sea swells and rapids that Marianne was convinced should accompany any breathless romance - for how did she explain that Edward did not leave her breathless so much as he simply convinced her that there was a reason to breathe once more?


[b][i]05. Energy[/b][/i]

Barton Cottage was small and quaint, sunk into the hills above the sea, and Marianne could commend the spirit of the place (even though it can never match Norland) for its simply beauty (which, of course, is nothing as compared to Norland); proclaiming that if needed she could convince herself to someday be happy here (but never as happy as she was at Norland ? she would be ashamed of the heart within her if she allowed herself to be.).


[b][i]06. Awaited[/b][/i]

Even though she thought herself silly, Elinor waited for her sister to turn her back in order to pinch her cheeks, and gently pat down her hair ? not that she would ever admit to wanting to present as pretty an image she could for the man she was waiting for.


[b][i]07. Bond[/b][/i]

?When you tell me to love him as my brother, I shall see no fault in him,? Marianne whispered, carefully searching her sister's eyes, an impish smile upon her lips.


[b][i]08. Gifted[/b][/i]

?Was I not wrong when I said that we had a new songbird gracing us with her attentions here at the Park?? Sir John said, his warm and felicitous eyes not blind to the way his old friend had been enthralled by the rather pretty song that had fallen from the lips of one Miss Marianne Dashwood.


[b][i]09. Pursuit[/b][/i]

?What is the good of a chase if the man knows not when to pursue?? Mrs. Jennings chortled, her sharp eyes shrewdly trained on the gathering before her, considering just wher

 

Deb:

The quotes/dialogue you used for some of the sentences had an Austen-esque feel.

The character portraits you used for others -- beautiful, vivid, and very on-the-mark.

Thank-you! I fretted over tackling a classic in this form like nothing else. While it was fun for me, that doesn't always mean the characterizations bleed true.


Your genius with this format is daunting to the rest of us scaliwags with the art form.

I had a permanent blush on my face at this! You are such a dear!

As always, thank-you for being such an encouragement to my writing!



Laurethiel1138:

By Jove, but if I do not feel as though I had just laid down the book, I do not feel a thing.

Thank-you!! That, I believe, is the highest compliment I could recieve for this set.


A splendid glimpse into the emotions of the various characters, my dear. And a very satisfying foray into one of my favourite novels. I swear, sometimes I feel as though Marianne should be my middle name.

A very lovely middle name that would be. I'm glad these resonated so very well with you.


I also have a confession to make: when I watch the movie, in my head I replace Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman by Christian Bale and Gerard Butler, respectively. The former seems to have more of the depth of character Elinor would appreciate in a man, and the latter more of the smoldering feelings which would make us believe Marianne's change of heart.

Oh, be still my ever beating fangirl heart - but please warn a girl before you inspire such . . . lovely mental images in my mind. I daresay I have a new inspiration to fuel my imaginings next time I read the novel.



As always, thank-you to everyone for reading.


~MJ

 

Author's Notes: So, I am once again branching out with these sentences. While I knew that I wanted to do something more somber than the rather romantic prompts for this set; I debated heavily whether not to do it for this story (for I can't call it a fandom for the life of me).

Defiance was a 2008 Holocaust movie based on the true story of the Bielski Otriad - an organisation of Jewish partisans started by the Bielski brothers, who rescued Jews from extermination and fought against the Nazi German occupiers and their collaborators in the vicinity of the Nowogródek forest, in German-occupied Poland (now western Belarus). The Beilski's and the Jews they rescued would hide in the forest from August 1941 all the way until the end of the Nazi occupation in 1944. Due to their efforts, 1,236 Jews walked out alive at the end of the war. Their final camp was so large that it held a hospital, a school, and a nursery.

While the film itself has historical inaccuracies (but what historically based film, doesn't?) it was true to the spirit of the story, and what those people went through. I found it a very moving viewing experience, and actually took a page out of Idri's book, and sat down with my notebook to jot down my impressions while I was watching the film. (And saying that, if I made any grievous errors in names and places, please feel free to tell me so, and I will see that they are changed. )

. . . not that I am worried about putting these up, or anything.

The title for this is based on Henryk Górecki's "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" songs, which is one of the most moving Holocaust compositions I have ever heard - and it was sorely abused on my playlist when I typed these. The second movement, in particular, was played over and over - if anyone was interested in listening along.


So, now that my author's note is longer than my sentences . . . enjoy.

---

[b]VIII.[/b]



[blockquote][b] ?our sorrowful songs, set to staccato beats?[/b]
February 2011: Table III || Defiance[/blockquote]



[i][b]01. Miracle[/i][/b]

In time, their miracle did not come from deliverance or divine intervention ? but from the simply glory of surviving every day until the next; one at a time.


[i][b]03. Dearly[/i][/b]

Over the years, the sight of a dead body would move him less and less; but that first introduction to death was his family (mother and father side by side, face to face forever to stay), and he couldn't seem to stop himself from shaking as his mind replayed the images to him every time he closed his eyes.


[i][b]03. Push[/i][/b]

That first group of survivors saw to the faint formation of an idea, born by necessity; and soon, the name of [i]Bielski[/i] became a whisper to those who had nowhere else to turn to, pushing the idea to reality.


[i][b]04. Between[/i][/b]

Koscik played a go-between with the Germans and the Jews; keeping the former happy and the latter hidden, until his dabbling at both sides got him killed.


[i][b]05. Knowing[/i][/b]

?Only one bullet left,? Zus muttered as he shut the clip of the pistol; his sharp gaze taking in the dead cast of his older brother's eyes, and the droplets of blood staining his coat crimson . . . and he knew.


[i][b]06. Coax[/i][/b]

Dimly, Aron registered his brother trying to shake him out of the grief that had taken him like a shroud; but he could not bring himself to speak for any outside impetus, no matter how hard he tried.


[i][b]07. Unlikely[/i][/b]

?And there was a daughter too, what of her?? Zus whispered his question upon hearing of the massacre of Jews in Horodyszcze; horror something molten within him as what he thought was safest for his small family was suddenly no more.


[i][b]08. Flatter[/i][/b]

?One can grow used to sm

 

Idri:

Oh, I have missed seeing you here!


I had not meant to fall off the edge of the earth

Bah! It tis' life.


I won't be able to leave quite the reply I would want to... but you know that if I could, I would shower every line with praise and exclamation marks.

Aww shucks. You always leave something meaningful with your reviews - and I appreciate that.


Whee, Timeline! You know, I watched this film solely for the purpose of listening to Mr Butler speak...

I'm guilty of that crime as well.


But it did lead me to reading the book, which is consistently better in pretty much all areas, but the film is still a fun, if silly, romp for the big screen.

I did that in the same order ? and those were much my thoughts.


I love how you play with the film/book's concept of time travel in these lines! Plus, each line expands on something seen in the film... which is exactly what I love about this type of challenge. Seizing those moments and forming an idea around them. Great job with these, Mira, they're terrific as always and a lot of fun! Props for using Timeline - that was the last thing I was expecting, actually!

I had to do something timey-whimey for the Doctor Who prompts. Anything else just didn't seem right.

And it was fun expanding on moments of the movie, and playing with the concepts of time travel as a whole ? the format made a perfect vehicle for doing so.


What I love the most is the fresh look to a familiar story your lines have given; plus, they really capture the spirit and the atmosphere of the book. I can picture everything so clearly!

Thank-you! There is such a wonderful atmosphere to be found in Jane Austen's books, even without the content of the stories, and to be able to make that come across well means that I have done my job.


they both feel too "modern" for a period piece, if you take my meaning, and I don't think that either of them would have the right chemistry with Thompson and Winslet. If you did re-cast the lead males with Bale and Butler, re-cast the lead females, too - not entirely sure with who, but there you go. This is all hypothetically speaking, of course! And I only commented on it because casting is currently on my mind for a production of my own and I'm discovering that it's a really hard job...

The do feel very modern. Watching them would be odd, but for mentally imagining while reading I am all over that. Then again, if the female lead was recast (which it would have to, n our what-if setting. ) I think that it could work. It certainly would be an interesting viewing experience.

Casting is a finicky job, that is for sure. I wish you the best of luck with it!


Ay, I know the feeling - and I believe we've had more than one conversation on the topic of "to be or not to be a fandom"

That we have. And they were at the forefront of my mind when I typed that.


There are some films and books that, for whatever reasons, simply do not seem like they should have the word "fandom" placed upon them. I don't know why - maybe it's because the things they deal with are just so close to real life that "fandom" seems too tacky a word to describe it (not to say that "fandoms" are tacky), or their literary legacy is just so great that the term "fandom" doesn't fit.

Exactly! For me, ?fandom? depicts a level of fiction as well. Harry Potter and Star Wars are far out and inventive, and on a large epic scale. Smaller tales, like Defiance, are real stories with a concise plot and tale, and don't lend themselves to the way the definition of ?fandom? feels.

If that makes any sense.


However I am quite glad to see you branching out, madam. These sentences are a wonderful tool for capturing the idea or essence of a piece, and with that tool in hand, it's good to investigate wor

 

Author's Note: Well, the Inception sentences had to come out eventually. And here they now are. After my previous (and rather long) author's rants, I actually have little to say about these. For some odd reason, this "fandom" was trickier to write for than any of my other tables to date, and I think that I twisted a muscle in my imagination more than once making sure that some of the more twisty dream concepts came across clear - but that was half the fun. Hans Zimmer's magnificent soundtrack blasting helped with a few tricky spots more than once, that's all I'm saying.

Many of the moments described below are before and after the events of the film, and my personal fascination of Cobb and Mal's relationship may have made it into more than one sentence, but I am sure you will forgive me.

Enjoy.

---

[b]IX.[/b]



[blockquote] [b]?between the pillars of your dreams?[/b]
March 2011: Table I || Inception[/blockquote]


[b][i]01. Firefly[/b][/i]

Mallorie Miles was sixteen the first time her father took her into a shared dream ? a weightless floating in the night sky, the stars around her like fireflies, pinpricks of light which she could cup in her hands; and with a flash of awe she knew that [i]this[/i] was what she would spend her life exploring.


[b][i]02. Grit[/b][/i]

For Dominic Cobb, the indignity of lowering himself from a Prometheus of dreams and their parameters to common thief (to escape a lie that a dream had created) was something that made him grit his teeth every time he awakened from a job.


[b][i]03. Crew[/b][/i]

He could tease the other man for his taste in suits and fine wines, but there was a central core to every one of his crews, and Arthur was a key part of that nucleus.


[b][i]04. Lure [/b][/i]

In theory, the idea that Saito hired him to achieve was an impossibility ? even in the world of dreams; and yet, it was [i]for[/i] a dream that he set out to do the impossible once more.


[b][i]05. Tenacity[/b][/i]

The inner voice that tried to remember lost strands of dreams upon the waking hour was the same who exposed the false reality of a dream while sleeping ? whether it be in the fibers of a carpet, or a lack of light in the gaze of a dead wife.


[b][i]06. Affinity[/b][/i]

Behind her closed eyes, Ariadne envisioned her world around her as if she was the eternal potter with his mass of clay; and when she opened them the buildings stretched and morphed, creating amazing geometric patterns that raced up to meet the very sky.


[b][i]07. Heist[/b][/i]

?Only [i]you[/i] could go into one heist and walk out hired by the man you were marked to Extract from,? Eames chuckled upon hearing the full story, shaking his head and pouring Cobb another drink.


[b][i]08. Renegade[/b][/i]

?Extraction is one thing,? Arthur hissed as they walked across the hangar, his eyes furious, ?at least there your crew knows the risks and the rewards ? here, there are too many variables, too many things that will go wrong ? all for something that may not even be possible, no matter what you say.?


[b][i]09. Stable[/b][/i]

Physics and the laws of nature held no weight in dreams; debris flew weightless, and water rushed from side to side as around them the dreamscape fell apart from the inside out.


[b][i]10. Poise[/b][/i]

With a liquid sort of elegance to her movements, Mal lifted her pistol, and then the sound of a gunshot filled the air . . . before he awakened.


[b][i]11. Shepard[/b][/i]

?Like that?? Ariadne smirked over her shoulder at her smiling teacher, pride surging through her at the undisguised look of awe that Arthur had on his face as he took in her latest creation.


[b][i]12. Haven[/b][/i]

Normally, his dreams were a haven ? a world where [i]she[/i] was still alive; but as compared to the tormented peace he normally felt with her memory, seeing her walk in for the first time on a shared dream was a rush of cold water to the head ? a first gulped breath that would guar

 

Master_Jay: Thanks so much for the kind words. I am glad to inspire in any way I can.

---

[b]Author's Note[/b]: By Jupiter, I did it, I actually did it . . .

. . . I wrote for Shakespeare. [face_shock][face_worried]

The whole point of these sentences is to branch out - and this is certainly untrod territory for me. It was actually kind of horrifying, knowing that I was playing around with the characters of the best and brightest of English authors, [i]but[/i], it helped a little bit also knowing that I was writing for historical characters as well. This whole time period of Roman history is fascinating, and so it was fun to merge actual facts and figures with Shakespeare's story. Every character was corrupt and self serving to some extent (except maybe poor Brutus) and it was really, really interesting to try and capture such a complicated political movement in the form of sentences. [face_thinking] Here's to hoping that they didn't massacre the play's potency and power - too much, at any rate. ;)

I had the 1953 movie version of [i]Julius Caesar[/i] playing in the background the whole time I wrote these, (Brando's Antony was an endless source of inspiration, lemme tell you. [face_love]), and I took out my dusty copy of "The Ides" by Stephan Dando-Collins for historical facts. I highly recommend the latter to anyone who is interested - even though it is non-fiction, it is an engrossing and fascinating read, and it presents each character in a wonderfully gray cast that weeds out a lot of the black and white presentations from various versions of the tale. :)

And then, after all of that, and as today is the Ides, it only seemed fitting to write these. :p

The title is translated as 'thus always to tyrants', and is commonly given to Marcus Brutus as having uttered it - even though historians at the time never gave evidence to support that. It was most likely added to the tale by later dramatics. [face_thinking]

Enjoy. :)


[hr]


[b]X.[/b]


[blockquote] [b]?Sic Semper Tyrannis?[/b]
March 2011: Table III || Julius Caesar[/blockquote]



[i][b]01. Ancient[/i][/b]

The very thought of the ancient greatness that was the Republic of Rome being held in subjection by a king was an abhorrence that whispered in the minds of the people, even as he which they prided to call Dictator edged closer and closer to the title.


[i][b]02. Dictator[/i][/b]

?What true triumph is brought from Caesar holding in subjection other Romans?? Marellus scathed, Flavius at his side nodding in agreement as they observed the crowds cheer for the defeat of Pompey just as once they had cheered for the victories of him.


[i][b]03. Perpetuity[/i][/b]

In the years since the slaying of Pompey and the various battles won, Caesar had yet to return home ? and the time away had done nothing but fix the image of the man as a God in the people's eyes ? who had not the sight to see him as a mere mortal before them.


[i][b]04. Bondage[/i][/b]

Upon the recently erected statues of Caesar in the Rostra, there had been placed laurel crowns ? bound by white ribbon, the color of Roman royalty ? and upon seeing so, Marellus and Flavius felt a rage burn low in them as they saw a physical portent of Rome's immanent bondage.


[i][b]05. Ambition[/i][/b]

?My name is Caesar, not King,? Caesar assured the crowd upon seeing the way the whole of those gathered frowned at the few men who offered him the title, his brow creased in a troubled way.


[i][b]06. Pulpit[/i][/b]

While the people cheered and rejoiced, several men of the senate looked down on the chaotic festivities that accompanied the triumph, their words hidden and their thoughts just barely daring to judge the one who returned as a conqueror in their midst.


[i][b]07. Deity[/i][/b]

?Already they call him Jupiter Julius,? Cassius scathed, his words resounding low within Brutus, even as he tried to keep straight the lines between honour and duty within himself.


[i][b]08. Column[/i][/b]

?I would die for the idea of Rom

 

Deb: Perfect, that was just what I was going for! And yep, I've got the cosmic colours, and everything.

laurethiel: Oh, the latin was too cool for words. What an awesome language to have learned.

As for the casting, I think that both actors can pull off period roles - but as of late, they have a Hollywood-esque modern feel to them (if that makes any kind of sense. ). Earlier in his career Butler did those roles, but not he's done a slew of ridiculous roles (with a few good ones to stand out) since. And after seeing Bale do Batman and Terminator, it would be funny to see him too in a subdued Austen role. I do think both could pull it off, though - they're good actors. (And those pictures - after my own heart! Especially Phantom, there. That was my first love. )

And the gals - Miranda Otto is perfect! I would enjoy seeing her in that role. And Claire Danes can pull of the wistful romanticism of Marianne quite well. It certainly would be an interesting film to see - I'd buy a ticket.

Thanks for the fun ideas - I have certainly enjoyed the what-if.


Nat: Spot on on all accounts, then - which is very good for me to hear. Thank-you so much!






~MJ

 

Author's Note: So, here we go again with something . . . different.

I've just reread an old favorite of mine, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, due to a wonderful run of nasty thunderstorms heralding spring. (Because, really, who can resist the temptation of such a backdrop? ) And while I was reading, I realized that the content within perfectly fit the Supernatural prompts - so I jotted these down while making my way through the book. (Yep - because that is how my muse works. )

For a little background - the novel, unlike many versions of the tale, is a beautiful and poignant story about human pride and monstrosity, with a thread of ominous warning through it that leaves you with a heavy feeling when you finish the last word. Shelley's prose is probably some of the most lyrical I have ever read, and the scenery of the story is breathtaking - from the high peaks of the Swiss Alps, to the dark moors of Scotland. (Mary Shelley started writing it while on vacation with her soon to be husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, in Geneva, in the company of Lord Byron - and ghost stories were the way to pass the time between them. If that explains a thing or two. ) Along with the style of the writing, and the scenery, the characters themselves are wonderfully presented - I mean, the monster talks by using 'thee' and 'thou' in his speach. Quite different from Boris Karloff's much copied presentation of the character. And the mirror Monster places to Victor makes you wonder who is the real 'creature' in the end.

Basically, all of my rambling comes down to this - If this is one of those novels you have not read yet because of popular representations of the tale - you should read the book. Absent mad lab scenes and mindless mobs with pitch forks, and abounding in thought provoking tales of human trial and error - and the right of man to learn the deep secrets of nature - it is one of the best books I've had the pleasure to read.

I hope I captured a little of that here.

Hopefully.

Enjoy!

---

[b]XI.[/b]


[blockquote] [b]?all ye holy?[/b]
March 2011: Table II || Frankenstein[/blockquote]


[b][i]01. Search[/b][/i]

In his latest letter to his sister, Captain Robert Walton found it most difficult to choose his words, still unbelieving as he was of what his search to the far north had yielded ? the knowledge of the disgusting and truly disquieting deeds those of the human race ? and those not ? were capable of, those very acts having just transpired on the decks of his very ship.


[b][i]02. Brother[/b][/i]

?Brother,? Elizabeth winked at him, and Victor had to hide a blush at the way her voice hugged the tone of his name, too young to understand why her words stole through him so, and just old enough to watch the shape of her mouth as she uttered them.


[b][i]03. Effluent[/b][/i]

The works of Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Magnus ? it was these alchemists of old who shaped his belief and views of the sciences of the future, their words planting seeds in the fertile and genius soil of a young and creative mind.


[b][i]04. Road[/b][/i]

The road to Ingolstadt was long and hard, but when the white steeple of the university town arose in the distance, Victor felt his hope soar as he gazed upon what was to be the fertile playground of his academic mind.


[b][i]05. Auspice[/b][/i]

In Belrive, the storm above them seemed to be a force of divine anger ? the tempestuous power of the lightning that struck the ancient bows of the oak tree violent enough to kill, even as much as it had the potential to grant life to the wide wonderment of his thoughts.


[b][i]06. Stale[/b][/i]

His childhood heroes were nonsense in the eyes of the modern scientific community ? stale and outdated ? and yet, it was with a hunger unparalleled that he trod upon the paths that those before him had already cleared, anxious to unfold the deepest mysteries of nature ? those hiding places that mankind was not to understa

 

Author's Notes: So . . . This set is purely self indulgent on the highest order. The highest order, I tell you.

Erm, does anyone else here remember the highly campy, highly ridiculous, beautifully corny Jim Henson film called Labyrinth? Yep, the one with David Bowie - who proved that Meyer's sugary vampires should leave the sparkling to the Goblin King, and be done with it. Well, this film was one of my favorites growing up - it was the definite a go-to flick for those sick days spent miserable on the couch, and it is still a soft spot for me when it comes to fanfiction. While I've read for this fandom more than I'll admit to (The fine gals and guys at ff.n can handle a sequel like nobody's business. Seriously, the pros could learn a thing or two from these authors.), I just recently realized that I have never put pen to paper for these two.

Now, that seemed like something unforgivable the more I thought about it. And so, here we are. (The P's were chosen as soon as I realized 'peach' was a prompt. )

Unlike a few of my other tables, this one jumps all over the place - many of the sentences are set before the film, and many, many more are set after. Far after. In the end, it was a good way to exorcise all of those random thoughts and ideas I had flying around my mind, which I am grateful for. (Especially that Rumpelstiltskin grouping, I have been trying to flush out that idea for a few years now. )

So, that being said, I once again thank-you for following the twists and turns of my muse. I do hope you enjoy.

---

[b]XII.[/b]


[blockquote][b]?call fondly upon this nightmare?[/b]
March 2011: Table IV || Labyrinth[/blockquote]



[i][b]01. Passing[/i][/b]

Years later, she would pull a red bound book from the attic and feel the familiar taste of magic flood her mouth as she blew dust from the cover, remembering the fantastical world she had braved when still loitering on the cusp of adulthood ? her right words remembered as she battled dangers untold, until she had even a King bowing in supplication before her.


[i][b]02. Piercing[/i][/b]

It was easiest to observe her like this, avian talons strong against the bark of the branch, and the night air a magical thing to his senses as he trained otherworldly gold eyes on the girl child, content to merely watch until the time was right.


[i][b]03. Peel[/i][/b]

?I don't understand why its so hard to peel that girl away from her books ? what's so interesting there, that she doesn't already have here??


[i][b]04. Pair[/i][/b]

Sarah watched her Father and Karen (she could never call the other woman mother, and yet stepmother seemed to hold too many unfair connotations) together, and felt a pang as she missed her own mother, still as tangible as it was the day Linda Williams had first left.


[i][b]05. Practical[/i][/b]

?Just because I am the most logical answer for a babysiter doesn't mean I want to spend every Friday night with you,? Sarah muttered as she bounced Toby in her arms, the child's eyes clear and mischievous as he grinned at her.


[i][b]06. Practice[/i][/b]

Before her, Merlin and the ever constant white owl watched her memorize her lines, clearly unimpressed, and Sarah had to fight back a sigh of frustration at her difficulty in handling the words correctly.


[i][b]07. Path[/i][/b]

?At least Dorothy had her way marked for her,? Sarah lamented bitterly as she took in the russet colored world around her; a fantastical place streaked with autumn, skies stained a perpetual twilight beyond the imposing height of the walls.


[i][b]08. Pale[/i][/b]

Her skin tingled with an ancient awareness of power before the Goblin King, her eyes wide as she took in the whole of him ? delicate but strong fae features, and skin seemingly spun of the moonlight seeping through the window beyond - pale and shadowcast with the glittering whisper of stars teasing her eyes with his every move.


[

 

Nat: Oh, I have so much love for that cheesy 80's movie (and Sarah and Jareth in general. So. Much. Awesomeness. ) - so I was stoked to read your thoughts. Who knows - there may be more of them in the future. They certainly deserve the attention from the muse.

---

[b]Author's Note[/b]: To kick off April (even though we are half way through the month. My, but where did my time go??[face_shock]), I am writing for a fandom that has always been near and dear to my heart. [face_love] Really, after seeing the play again a few weeks ago, it was kind of hard not to. :p And now it seems that while my muse was on vacation, a new specter with sideburns and an awesome hat took over for her - and the sideburns had to be obeyed. [face_mischief]

Yes, here are [i]Les Misérables[/i] sentences. [face_love]

And since I could not capture the epic [i]awesomeness[/i] that was Victor Hugo's masterpiece in only fifty sentences - I bring you an added bonus of a hundred sentences by tackling two tables at the same time. I had to break my 'never repeating a fandom' challenge to do this - but it was worth it in the end. Heck, if I gave every character only one sentence, I still wouldn't cover every character. [face_silly] And a whole table can be done on death scenes alone. [face_devil] Oh, Monsieur Hugo - but why did you delight in killing your characters so? :p

That being said, these are a combination of the book and the musical (I had the TAC playing over and over while writing these. You can watch the whole concert on youtube [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-nhN0XMUE]here[/link] and enjoy the splendor of the dreamcast who will never be matched. Colm Wilkinson was [i]my soul[/i] here, and Philip Quast [i]is[/i] Javert. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. [face_mischief]) ? for I had to include the best of both worlds. I do hope you enjoy my humble offering to one of the best novels ever written, and one of the best musicals ever preformed. [face_love]

The first set is set during Books I and II, the second set is set during Books III, IV, and V - or, ten years later for the musical folks. [face_love]

Once again . . . grammar is slaughtered here in a very wordy and Hugo-esque manner. :p I have no shame in making English teachers cry, it would seem. ;)

[face_hugs]



[hr]



[b]XIII.[/b]

[blockquote][b]?known only to the lowly?[/b]
April 2011: Table IV || Les Misérables[/blockquote]


[i][b]01. Restless[/b][/i]

?[i]Dear Cosette[/i],? the hand of Jean Valjean trembled restlessly as he penned the story of his life ? the story of two men, (one who had spent a lifetime paying for the crime of poverty, and another who held nothing but black and white in his heart as if he were blind Justice herself), their tale told alongside that of those who saw the possibility of a world reborn, and gave their lives for it . . . and the story of a mother who would give anything for a daughter that he now cherished as his own.


[i][b]02. Ravel[/b][/i]

Before prison, he had been poor in body - he left poor in spirit; before prison he had been tired and frail - he left enraged, but strong of limb; before prison he had been hungry, but he left starving ? the light in his eyes was now that of a rabid dog, foaming at the mouth, and harsh with hate for the men who had held his leash in an iron grip.


[i][b]03. Rely[/b][/i]

?God's justice, not man's?? Valjean asked on a bitter chuckle, his eyes challenging as he met the gaze of the Bishop over the gleam of a silver spoon.


[i][b]04. Raiment[/b][/i]

Her fingers trembled as she tied her daughter's bonnet for the last time, her heart tugging wretchedly within her chest as the large blue eyes of her child stared solemnly at her ? holding all of the bright beauty that Fantine herself once possessed before the harsh realities of life and love shrouded her in mourning gray - a widow made by false love and heartache, if not by death's own hand.


[i][b]05. Rove[/b][/i]

Valjean wandered for who knew how