Strangetown, HWC extras: The Summerdreams

[strangetomato]

I've had these images for a while now, with the intention of writing this little piece, so here it is. I'm also testing out semagic as I post this. I may as well be productive while testing it, right?








"So, what? You've no time for glamour anymore?"

"I feel more comfortable this way. I'm tired of everything being so flamboyant and ridiculous."

"Am I ridiculous to you now? Am I embarrassing?" He reached up and stroked the feather in his hat. "Is it the hat? Is the hat too much? It's my favourite one. Hermia made it for me, you know."

"No, the hat's lovely, Puck. Hermia is a skillful milliner."

"Is it this professor fellow that's coming to visit? Vidcund Curious, you said? Are you trying to appear a certain way to him? You seem like you're trying to hide your heritage from this man."

"Well, I've invited him here, haven't I? He'll see all of you. I told him that we're a unique sort of people. To expect the unexpected."




"So, what have you told him, little sister? That we're merely nonconformists?"

"Something like that."

Puck let out a derisive laugh. "Lies will get you nowhere."

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"You know what's true."




"It's not like we practise it. It doesn't even work here. We do things with herbalism and such, but that doesn't make us any different from anyone else."

"You can't even say it, can you?" He leaned over to her. "Mag-ic. M. A. G. I. C. Magic. It's not a difficult word."

"Do you really believe in that?"

"Of course."

"I've always took those stories like any other fairytale: with a grain of salt."

"Well, maybe they're all true. All I know is that our mother was the Queen of Faerie and our father was her King."

"All I know is that they live in Veronaville, in the here and now, and they're just the same as anyone else."

"Well, have it as you like it, sister," he said, standing up. "I suppose both versions are probably true."




Bottom lifted herself from the chair, and turned to kiss her brother. "It's good to see you again, Puck. How are the wedding plans coming, by the way?"

"Brilliantly. It's going to be a wonderful party."

"Have Titania and Oberon tried to talk you out of marrying so young yet?"

"Only every other day."

"Well they did eventually get married... or sort of. It's not like they changed their ways, and why should they? They've never had any problems before, and I'm sure they'd be bored if it were any less than perfectly open."

"Well, they have rings now."

"Yes. Maybe that's the only difference."

"You don't marry so thing will be different, Bottom. You marry so things will stay the same." He tipped his hat at her.






Verdict: Semagic is pretty easy to use, and convenient too. I'll probably stick with it, I think. Thanks for the suggestion, aledstrange!

Oh, and a tip o' the hat to Neil Gaiman. I'm borrowing pretty heavily from him here. Bottom and Puck have a bit of a Nuala and Cluracan thing going on.

Comments

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

heeee

I tend to run behind with many stories, but doesn't mean I don't like them. If that were the case I simply wouldn't mention, neither read it at all. Why would I? O_o

I simply spare you the details of my current R/L timing, but being realistic, your posts are long, highly complex and they involve a lot of details of a lot of characters at once, which is not bad, pls, it what makes your story what it is, but I just like reading at my own pace and hate leaving any chapter of any story half way thru, so when I say I honestly rather wait and read them calmly is because I honestly do. :)

(Pretending I like things I don't is not really my style, jsyk. I actually think is a very questionable way to act. When I don't like something, it pretty much gets ignored, unless it bothers me on a personal level, of course, but that's another story, obviously not in case now)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I hope I didn't come off the wrong way here (what is it with me and doing that, anyway? o_O). I don't mean to imply that I think this is the case with you, but you know if it was then that's okay too.

I agree with you completely. I try to be polite about it, but I like to be honest. I usually just stick to the things that catch my eye and I do like, or have been following for a while. Sim stories can add up, especially when you're writing one too (and, to be honest, I'd rather focus on creating than consuming with this hobby - I don't have unlimited time to devote to it, and less than I used to).

I'm most guilty of checking things out and then not commenting, though, because I hate to leave half-assed comments and I can be slow to put my thoughts together (and then I forget to come back to it). I can be a bit of a lurker.

[aledstrange.livejournal.com]

Funny, somehow I ended up thinking about reading and commenting too, O_0 how do readers and writers feel about it?
(could be a interesting topic for simstorytellers rofl)

I think completely the opposite, tho(as w/ many things for the looks lol), not only I read a lot of different stories and probably spend more time on that than with my own game, but also I can totally appreciate a small comment, coz it means someone is reading the story and likes it enough to stop a minute and post a reply, even if it only to say "hey nice job". I personally don't need neither expect anymore, but unfortunately I worry others may not feel the same way, and end up taking a honestly well indented comment on a bad way, just for not being elaborated enough.

Same thing with late comments. I personally find it extremely encouraging when someone makes a comment on a story weeks or even months later (for example a few days ago I got a very short, anon. comment in one my stories, three months after the last update, but it totally made me wish to start writing on it again <3), but if I'm the one late with the comment, then I always worry the writer may take it as lack of interest. :/

(and hey, the coming-off-the-wrong-way award its all mine, don't try to steal it XD its probably my best internet skill atm ROFL!!)

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. I feel just as happy to get a short comment or one that comes much later. I should try to remember that and do the "Hey, I like this." comments more often myself. I sometimes worry about the way I'll come off too (or worry that I won't be able to keep up with commenting, and then they'll wonder why I stopped), but people would appreciate ocassional comments of any length.

(Well, if you insist, but I've been involved in some pretty glorious e-fights that started out as well-intentioned questions on my side. :P)