Story [Multifandom] Keepsake Bouquets, Moments to Fondly Recall. For UDC 10.

For UDC 10.
Fandoms: Trek & LOTR.

1. Prelude

The stars were strung across the firmament like a necklace against black velvet.

The Valar burst into song and joyous applause at the wonder spread below them: the beauty that Eru Illuvatar had wrought for the 2 races: Elves and Men.

Unstained, unspoiled, the marvel of ocean and verdant glades and majestic mountains and deep forests created a tapestry of resplendent tranquility.

2.
Bygone

The Guardian of Forever was a portal into many worldscapes, for ages uncounted ripples of change spiraled out from seemingly inconsequential, tiny changes of choice and consequence of actions taken or not.

The Guardian did not have the capacity to judge the merits of one worldscape over another. But somehow, it had the sense of what was right...

When events surrounding the Kelvan disaster occurred, somehow even though events transpired that were devastating, overall, the feel of things was that the Universe was as it should be.

3. Erstwhile

Sherralyn was not one to pick up hobbies and then drop them whimsically. Her sisters teased her that once she took hold of something, she kept at it until it was mastered.

This did not mean, however, that she choked all of the fun out of her pastimes.

She embraced them with enthusiasm and intense pleasure as she mastered one skillset after another.

"All that dribbling the ball from the kitchen to the bedroom is insane!" Gwendolyn groused, half-seriously, wwhile Elspeth laughed.

"It seems to be paying off, Gwen," she said. "Sherra has moved from the midrange floating shot to the far-off 3!"

"And no one can stop it." Sherralyn gleefully informed her siblings. "I can pivot and sidestep around any defense they want to throw at me."

Her sisters chuckled, basking in her satisfaction.

4. Descend

McCoy was not one to descend into doom and gloom for long. His snarky temperament would not permit that...

When he met Jim Kirk, it was like two halves of a jigsaw puzzle falling into place. They snarked and confided in each other. Their rough pasts were things they could commiserate reciprocally upon while at the same time they each had a disposition that brought them from despondence into proactivity to handle situations and confront challenges head on.

McCoy was one whose friendship was not easily won, but once done so, he was loyal to the end.

Jim seemed easygoing, but the depth of his affection and trust were no less to be prized and valued when gained.

McCoy would never, ever admit it, but one friendship which tied he and Jim in a perpetual bond of trust and warmth was that which centered around Spock...


5.

Arise

Moonrise was settling over the Shire.

Bilbo's grand adventure was past... He was glad to be home again, in one piece, but sometimes the nostalgia for adventure would tug, and he would gaze in the reflector glass and think, "You've got to be kidding! Home and hearth, there's nothing like!"

But in the silence of spring's early dawning or in the tingle of autumn's first chill, his heart would return to Rivendell...

 

Great to see LOTR and Star Trek in those drabbles. Esspecially I love the one about the friendship between McCoy and Kirk and cemented by Spock

 

6. Battlefield
Context: Surveying the Ravages of Conflict

~
It was heartwrenching for Galadriel and Elrond to see the devastation of conflict upon the lives of friends and innocents, those who just wanted to live their lives in peace.

"The enemy will not scruple to destroy all that lies in the path towards his goal of ultimate domination," Elrond observed. "Sometimes it feels like an insurmountable challenge to withstand the onslaught and prevent further attacks."

"Yet," Galadriel said solemnly, "What other choice have we? We certainly cannot stand by."

"Absolutely not! It is no small comfort that we can provide succor to those who wish to find a respite."

"And to hold our borders safe and secure, as long as may be." She agreed.

They agreed on a second point: it was more than fortunate that they had Gandalf on their side.
---

7. Opponent
Context: Coping with the Pain of Discovering Your Trusted Ally is Treacherous

~

In hindsight, the fact that Saruman often spoke at cross-purposes to the recommendations and strategies of the others on the Council should have set off alarm bells. Yet, if the members had thought of it at all while it occurred, they doubtless thought it was prudent to voice the opposite side, to speak of and direct attention towards all sides of an issue.
No one had even for a split second entertained the idea that he was deliberately seeking to undermine and forestall their apparently mutual endeavor.
When his true nature and treachery were revealed, there was a sense of understandable shock at being duped but also a deep regret that one who had seemed a friend had proved false.

---

8. Ceasefire
Context: Defining Genuine Peace

~

In the years of peace that Gondor and Rohan enjoyed, there was always a looming sense of it could end at any moment.

Eowyn even so basked in the springtime and autumn seasons, loving to take morning and evening rides on Windfolas.

When peace was restored finally, it was completely different.

Every day was free of threat and every even ordinary delight untainted.
--

9. General
Context: Handling diplomacy

~

It was a delicate balancing act for Nyota in negotiations.

"Working towards a general goal is one thing but you need to be specific on the steps," her instructor, Evina AAllenby had told the class.

"Yes, but what if neither side wants to compromise?" Nyota pressed.

"A stalemate, the dreaded instance of no, you give while I take." Allenby rolled her eyes. "It is then the daunting task of the diplomat to create the situation where compromise appeals to at least one side; then the other will have to capitulate for anything to be accomplished."

Nyota scowled. "It's a wonder anything ever gets done when political types are being obstinate."

---

10. Armor
Context: Working Through Barriers

~

Faramir found Eowyn to be walled off not behind physical armor but emotional walls. She was a fascinating blend of unquestioned courage and surprising vulnerability.

His compassion could have made her even more barricaded, yet thankfully it had the opposite effect.

She unfurled under the sincere warmth of his undemanding sincere overtures of friendship. She welcomed the ease between them where they could speak or be silent. No pressure was ever put upon her to share more of her thoughts and feelings than was comfortable.

And this freedom made it easier to open up and confide.

It was wonderful, she realized, to know and be known and valued as yourself.

It was liberating to slip out of the armor...

 

Love the four LOTR with sharp observations from the characters. And the one with Uhura; great about politics

 

11. undo
Context: The Pearce family mend fences gradually.

---

Randal Pearce regretted nothing more than the pain he had caused his family when he let the strains of work and questioning his life goals draw him away from his family, literally. He and Lorayn had separated, although it was clear that she had not desired to sever their relationship. It had grieved her that he had not confided in her nor made their relationship a priority.

After time apart, thankfully, he came to his senses and with a clear purpose as to what he wanted to do professionally, he set out to become a freelance writer of historical journal articles for the lay person, posting these on the HoloWeb.

Returning to Lorayn then became something he could muster up boldness to attempt.

Her reception, understandably, had been tentative.

They 'started from scratch' to some degree, as he worked over weeks into months to win back her trust.

He could not undo the damage but he could try to heal it.

Audrey was a thornier problem. Her aloofness stun in a way few things could.

A verbal apology was woefully inadequate but he offered one anyway.

Randal expressed his love to Audrey and tried to engage her in shared fun as in former times, as they held many things in common, loving to travel to rustic out of the way places and discover quaint eateries, as well as attend live theater. Gradually, she opened up and was able to share jokes and wry opinions. When he reached out to hug her spontaneously after one such outing, she returned it, a little shyly but sincerely.

----

12. partake
Context: Nyota and her friends

During shore leave, Nyota and her gal pals sometimes took the opportunity to double date or triple date, but sometimes they made plans to pamper themselves with a relaxing day at a salon for facials, pedicures, followed by a leisurely meal at a restaurant highly touted by the locals as having great cuisine and excellent service. Sometimes they enjoyed strolls through botanical gardens and other scenic spots.

"We need to find this world's equivalent of chocolate," Nyota said on one such occasion, "Or their iteration of caramel fudge."

"Oh yes!" Audrey and Christine agreed wholeheartedly.

-----

13. outrun & 14. uphold
Context Jim's inimitable way of handling conflicts

"Romulans are sneaky," Jim observed to Nyota over drinks in the recreation lounge, "Klingons not so. You can outrun the latter. The former, sometimes you never see them coming until it's too late. I'd rather deal with the latter, frankly."

"I agree," Nyota said, taking along sip of her fizzy soda. "I prefer the upfront challenge over that which springs out at you from behind."

"I enjoy outsmarting both kinds of adversaries, you know."

She chuckled. "You're very good at it, like you were born to it."

He sighed ruefully. "Sometimes the pesky Prime Directive gets in my way, though. Upholding it can be a pain in the butt ... when those hidebound higher ups expect you to be a stickler for the strict letter of the dictates when the situation demands flexibility and adaptiveness."

"Mmm-hmm." Nyota winked, "You cannot deny that you like outthinking the brass?"

"I certainly cannot."

----

15. withdraw
Context: Arwen

It was not something that they were prepared for, the loss of Celebrian. For those gifted with endless life, the cessation of life was anathema and almost inconceivable. Added to that was the natural grief that came with losing someone deeply cherished.

Arwen withdrew from her famiy and circle of friends as a consequence, being at that age when a daughter needed her mother's guidance more than that of her father, no matter how intimate they were in most respects.

Elrond respected Arwen's opinion on weighty things and sought her out, and the healing influence of rivendell and Lothlorien soothed her heart, given time.

Thus, it was that when love unlooked for came to Arwen, she was able to embrace it with eagerness.

 

Week Four...

16. Breeze

Nyota basked in the soft breezes of spring and the crisp breezes of autumn. On different worlds, she was observant of the differences and similarities to home. The unfamiliar and similar combined to make the experience quite intriguing and always something to recall with pleasure.

The worlds she enjoyed the most had forested glades and pristine beaches, pockets of unspoiled beauty.

She sought these out either in company of friends or in solitude, enjoying the play of sun or moon/moons on the water.

17. Linger

The bright luminous strains of music lingered in the air as the quartet finished their set and left the stage. It consisted of a keyboard, acoustic guitar, vibraphone, and saxophone.

Ms. Rhiannon Folkes had asked Nyota to join the quartet for the spring concert, and she was not disappointed.

"You're one of the best soloists we've ever had." She told Nyota sincerely. "Have you ever thought of taking up singing professionally?"

Nyota smiled happily. "No, it's just a hobby and thankfully one I'm good enough at that my family and friends don't have to cringe!"

Ms. Folkes chuckled. "Far from it, my dear. I bet they actually clamor for a song!"

18. & 19. Balm & Succor

When Audrey returned from her brief time away, she was more than gratified to learn that Jim had nnot found a new love interest nor also a confidante. She had always been to him, and was soon again, someone he could unburden his conceerns to, share his wry humor with. It was something each of them cherished, the ability to find in the one you loved a genuine best friend.

It was a true saying that when you found such a treasure, your joys were doubled and your sorrows halved.

Such a combination was the foundation of a lifelong partnership of soulmates.

20. Idyll

Nyota's grandparents lived on the lovely island of Martinique. During the years, the family had momentous occasions on that beautiful island spot. They spent leisurely vacations there, Kashore was married on the beach, and their parents renewed their vows there.

The variety of lush flora and exquisite sunsets against the backdrop of a sapphire ocean were the perfect accompaniment to sweet memories.

 

Perfect prompts for the ladies and Ny's grandparents living in a paradise

 

21. Inertia & 22. Temerity

Thankfully, no one could accuse Jim of being hampered by inertia. Temerity was more than likely the descriptor that would accrue but since the outcome of his boldness frequently led to success, there were few who could rightfully complain, and it won no few admirers.

It was due to this fact of leadership style that none who served under or with him could stand an approach which seemed to dawdle, rather preferring something akin to breakneck speed combined with flexible resourceful adaptability.

Nyota took this approach and applied it to her diplomatic stance. Her eloquence and articulate presentation was always combined with a straightforward, cut to the chase attitude.

"It is time to allocate resources to the fairest degree so that all can have access to excellent resources and exports in this sector," She concluded at one such negotiation.

When the participants finally agreed, she mentally rolled her eyes and thought, "About time you stopped playing with your food!"

23. Nuance

Nyota loved the soft subtle nuances of a big band ensemble with strings.

The combination of smooth flowing violins and cellos mixed with the upbeat rhythm of trumpet, saxophone, and clarinet made her want to take to the dance floor.

She coaxed her love to join her with a laughing, tender glance, and he obliged, feigning reluctance. As they moved to the warm beat of timeless standards, none could doubt their mutual pleasure.

24. Prolix

McCoy scowled. "It's bad enough that at these Starfleet functions I have to wear this insufferable get-up, but then I have to endure long-winded speeches!"

"well," Christine replied with a knowing wink, "It's for someone you respect, Admiral Jacobs' retirement."

"Yes, she was one of the more reasonable types," He agreed. "But let's duck out as soon as she finishes her acceptance speech, shall we?"

"You'll get no argument from me." Christine answered. "And let's stop off beforehand for a lobster roll. Then we'll have an excuse not to have to indulge too much in the entrees they supply."

"Great idea." McCoy said. "However, I will make room for dessert on the off-chance they have something like cobbler."

25. Perception

On superficial perception, Gaila was someone with a one-track mind and objective. But her close friends knew there were inner depths to the facets of her personality.

This was borne out when Nyota was anxious over the health of a close family member and Gaila supplied a listening ear and genuine happiness when the relative recovered.

Nyota never felt anything but gratitude to count Gaila amongst her circle of friends; yet, it also spoke to the quality that Nyota possessed, that she could bring out the best in others.

 

Mira had the same observation that I did...

Nyota scowled. "It's a wonder anything ever gets done when political types are being obstinate."

Yes. Yes it is. Hee.

Interesting drabbles. Love 'em.

 

Weeks 1-3
Love the descriptions in these! Especially:

And I love this line:

But Faramir and Eowyn are my favorite!!

 

Thanks all for the reviews. Especially happy to see you @Tarsier

~

26. Flutter

Nyota was not one to become 'twitterpated' over any one, but her heart did flip-flops and fluttered most alarmingly at the first melodic tones of her instructor in Xenolinguistics. She told herself she was being quite foolish and needed to get a grip.

But as time went on, and their unlikely unlooked-for friendship continued, the sensations persisted and intensified.

When she confided in her close friends, Sherralyn and Miranda, they squeed out loud.

"Girl, you've got it bad now!" Miranda grinned.

Nyota blushed and as she parted from them after their chat over hot chocolate and whipping cream, the song "You Go to My Head" just wouldn't quit running through her mind, and she found herself humming these lovely refrain:
"You intoxicate me with your eyes"...

27. Thump!

Dajan's family was glad that he didn't take up the drums, but instead the saxophone. The liquid notes were quite pleasurable even in his early days of practicing scales.

And when he started dating Kashore, he would entertain her with love ballads on the lovely instrument.

She would sigh and think, "This is the ticket."

28. Rumble

The red roadster came whizzing around the corner and into the driveway. A vintage car bought at a great price, with the roof wide opened, and the grand vroom! of the engine alerted Skylar that his Dad had gone and bought a snazzy ride!

"Jim!" Audrey tried to scowl as she surveyed the car. "You never grew out of your love for the really fast, did you?"

"Nope, can't say I have." Jim grinned. "Hop in, sweetheart, and let's take this baby for a spin down PCH."

29. Splash! & 30. Glug!

When the Master Ring of Sauron's sunk with a splash and a glug into the waters and seemed lost, Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf dared breathe a sigh of relief at the respite, although in their quieter moments of reflection, they could not quite let themselves believe it was gone permanently...

Somehow, they felt, it would be 'found' again by someone, and then the danger and peril would experience a resurgence. Yet, until that day arrived, they would enjoy the peace while it lasted knowing how fragile it could prove to be.




Skylar hopped in back with a happy whoop as Audrey slid into the passenger-side with a laugh.

 

politics, music, fast cars all are the essential ingredients for ST
Splash and glug. Perfect for a sneaky ring

 

Week 7.

Setting up a Fellowship presented all kinds of unknowns. Would the disparate parts cohere and become unified in purpose or wuold conflicting loyalties and objectives cause one or another to bring on undesired consequences?

It was a calculated risk. Obtaining the goal of the ultimate defeat of Sauron was worth any hardships along the way.

Boromir obstructed the group's unity with his own misguided ambitions, but it was the loss of Gandalf which threatened to derail all that had coalesced.

The strength and wisdom of Gandalf was not something that could be replaced. He infused the entire endeavor with his courage and steady clear vision of what needed doing.

The Fellowship fragmented and the separate groups dissipated but somehow the end goal was achieved and peace and victory amazingly resulted. It did not hurt in the slightest that one of the miracles that set this in motion was the return of Gandalf/Mithrandir.

 

Great use of the prompts!

 

The essense of the prompts. And Gandalf was the essense to bring Sauron down

 

These are all gorgeously written and beautiful, creative uses of the prompts!

I loved this one, because it's so true. There's nothing like friendships where you can be yourself.

I really liked this one too! The gradual rebuilding of their relationship felt very real.

Oh, girls' days out like this are the best!

Just gorgeous.

I was listening to Springsteen just before I read this and thinking just how much I love the saxophone in the particular song I was listening to. It is indeed a lovely instrument, and I really enjoyed seeing it in this drabble!

Once again, all of these are so beautiful and I've enjoyed reading them! Excellent work.

 

I really do appreciate the reviews!

~~
Week Eight

Depth
Context: Jim and Audrey finalizing adoption of Skylar


Audrey asked Jim: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Positive!" Jim said. "I'm ready and I think we can give Skylar a home and family that he's never truly had."

Audrey smiled with deep affection. She had never thought Jim was shallow or self-centred; there had been a brief time when she wondered how or if they could pick up where they left off after her brief time away.

But patience and trust won out, and their relationship became stronger than ever.

Now, their family was on the brink of growing, and it felt so totally right.

----

Tide
Context: McCoy with patients

McCoy would tend to the injured and sick in the MedWard until the tide of symptoms turned. It was always an emotional and physical vigil with McCoy as he watched over his patients. His relief at their recovery oftener than not came across as snark and teasing, but his bone-deep satisfaction was undeniable.

It was not just a matter of professional pride but he considered his patients his family/friends, and the thought of losing any of them was not to be borne.

This included, though he would die rather than admit it, Spock. And for this, he had Nyota's unwavering gratitude.

She would invariably share his vigil and when it ended, he and she would share a look as if to say: "Don't you start."

----

Squall
Context: Sulu makes a smooth landing

During a mission Sulu had to pilot the shuttlecraft in turbulent atmosphere. He concentrated and checked and double checked the readings and made tweaks to the heading.

They landed soft as a feather on the landing pad.

"Whew!" Chekov teased, and Nyota laughed.

When they contacted the Enterprise confirming their safe arrival, Yolette who was in the Transporter Room, said: "Well done, Sulu!"

There was just the added bit of personal undercurrent of admiration, in which Sulu unabashedly basked.
----

Celerity & Current
The Enterprise was a thing of beauty as it moved through the currents of warp space with alacrity.

Many of the crew enjoyed watching out the wrap-around viewpanes as the multi-colored hues spread out in a lovely panorama that never grew old.

Couples would slip away to enjoy an interlude of privacy against the backdrop. Groups of friends would settle on the long couches and chat over fizzy drinks and crunchy or sweet snacks.
It was a great way to unwind after a mission concluded.

 

Love the visit to Star Trek. Well done.

 

These are all so delightful; I really love the way that you show each character's love for life and how they work to follow their bliss in good times and bad. And the beginning with the kind of bird's-eye cosmic view of both the universes that have mainly featured so far is a really nifty way to introduce the feel and emotions of both "worlds".

The family's enthusiasm for Sherralyn's new hobby is infectious here!

Aww, I really liked this part -- I agree with everyone who said that there is something about the adventures he had that will always have a draw for Bilbo. And not just in a creepy cursed artifact kind of way.

This makes so much sense; everyone trusted Saruman to have their basic best interests at heart even if he disagreed with some specific idea or course of action. But when you find out you were wrong about someone, there is often that "should've known" feeling, which makes things even worse.

And this from a pretty good diplomat herself if I recall correctly! Though I think that honesty and common sense is part of what makes her so good at it, too.

Lovely to see this snapshot of Eowyn and Faramir's relationship; it's one of those that I'm so happy for the characters but wish we got to see more of how it all happened (at least in the films; maybe there's more in the books that I missed!) and you fill in that gap wonderfully with these observations of their developing romance.

I'm glad that even though they were estranged for a time, Audrey and her dad were able to find common ground to build anew.

Now that's what I call a Worthy Quest!

This was a bittersweet but ultimately hopeful look at Arwen in the years before her relationship with Aragorn, and I was really intrigued to hear more about her mother -- that's another of those Middle Earth stories that I know are in the lore somewhere but I never dived deep enough to know the whole story. Anyway, you do a really good job of making the resonance of that loss felt but also the positive experiences that give Arwen the strength to be hopeful and brave in accepting the good things the future has to bring her.

That's one thing that I really adore about most sci fi universes -- you have your city worlds, but also some truly unique wilderness areas (some of which won't even try to make you into supper ). How cool would that be!

Liked how this sets an enchanted mood!

Aww, I like that for these two! That balance and support in all the ups and downs of life is so important and Jim and Audrey have each other's backs in all of it.

This sounds absolutely beautiful, and I really like that Kashore got married there -- what a wonderful memory to have of a beloved place!

Can't argue with results -- well, you can, but not as easily.

It probably takes a lot to annoy her THIS much, too, because she's seen it all before!

That's a really nice insight; some people have the ability to connect with others even if the first impressions on either side are a bit less than ideal.

Aww, this was very fun -- it does sometimes tend to be everyone around that realizes before the one who's actually crushing!

Yay, more musically-inclined romance! Really enjoying how Kashore and Nyota both have an already-existing love for music that adds to the experience of falling in love.

They have definitely earned a bit of rest!

That had to be a main question on everyone's minds starting out, and without the advantage of hindsight there is so much (good and bad) that no one might have predicted for the Fellowship.

Yay, I'm happy for them (and Skylar)!

Sounds like he doesn't mind a bit of admiration, at all.

Again, I am such a sucker for cool scenery! I'm glad that the crew stops to look and enjoy the marvels of their strange-to-us voyage now and then!

 

Yes The star trek characters we love. And the Enterprise beloved by all. Great use of the prompts