Just Prompts: Fairy Tales (9/26 -- 10/9)

[clockwork_doc]

What’s your favorite Fairy Tale? Why?

Anyone who knows me knows I take a very dim view of faeries and the like these days. They’re NOT how they’re portrayed in most of these stories. If a Fae takes a liking to you, what you want to do is run. Not that it’ll help. . . .

Of course, given that I’m stuck in an alternate reality, perhaps I’m being unfair. Anyone want to give me examples of more pleasant, Disney-like Fae?

(And if you must know, as a child I was fond of “Sleeping Beauty.” I always wondered if someone could really sleep a hundred years without aging. Makes me wonder now if some Fae tried it)

Comments

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Most definitely. I enjoyed hearing Marty tell me about his music. But yes, overlap is good. I suppose it helps I'm a bit of an audiophile myself.

Generally the classic authors of the genre. My favorite is Jules Verne. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is what inspired me to become a scientist in the first place.

Heh, I know. I'm sure there's some around here.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Hah, yeah, I guess its hard to hear about something that you have no interest in. I'd be bored to tears by someone trying to go over tax code.

I loved 20,000 Leagues! For a while, I wanted to be a marine biologist and find the kracken. Around the World in 80 Days was wonderful as well. So vivid!

We could put up ads. 'Got the literary background and tastes of predigested cheese? Have we got some stories for you!'

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Exactly! I remember Lucy used to go on about social castes sometimes, and I could barely stand it.

Oh, yes! Amazing writer. I once tried to replicate the trip in Journey to the Center of the Earth when I was 12. Unfortunately, I chose to dig in my mother's vegetable garden, so I only just broke through the topsoil before she caught me. I caught hell for that, let me tell you.

Haha, yes. Maybe we could promise free sandwiches for reading our stories.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

What is there to say about them, beyond that they exist and can be exceedingly subtle but important in some societies?

Ha! I think I tried digging a hole to China in the woods once. I hit clay after a few days and a few feet, but I found some nice old coke bottles, the sort of swirly kind. It was all very thrilling.

Shucks, for a free sandwich I'd sit and listen to art analysis.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

According to Lucy, quite a lot. Honestly, I gave up listening after a point.

Heh, I see. At least you got more out of it than me. I got a huge lecture and a month's grounding. And I had to help fix up the garden. Not a fun time.

Same here, really. The lure of free food is very strong.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

The soft sciences always seem so talky.

Oh, gosh, having to fill in the hole you went to the trouble of digging? Awful. There's nothing quite as awful as being made to undo your work.

If I ever have need of an army, I think I'll just make cookies. People will agree to almost anything for a cookie.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I much prefer the hard sciences. More action there.

Yes, I know. Especially under the direction of your very angry mother. Mom was quite scary when she wanted to be.

You sound like Gladys. She believes cookies and other baked goods can solve almost any problem. (Not that I'm complaining.)

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

And much clearer cause and effect. Social science is so squishy.

Angry Moms are a force of nature. A scary, scary force of nature. Mine still makes me cringe when I swear, even if she's two states away.

And food does solve a lot of problems. It reinforces the social bonds and - we've already had this conversation. But it's so important, socially. And also for not starving.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I know. Machines and the like are just easier to understand than people.

Great Scott, I know! My mother was generally a very sweet and loving person, but when she got angry -- well, she even scared my father, and that was hard to do even under the best circumstances.

Heh, never really thought about it like that. I've always focused on the "not starving" aspects of eating. Very much the kind of man who lives on sandwiches and coffee when he's busy.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Machines, rocks - really, any mechanical system is automatically going to be simpler than a person.

My Dad is sort of placid and fun - he's awful at discipline and stuff. Mom could turn on a dime from sweet little lady to raging ball of angry matron. It was very scary growing up.

I need to teach you how to cook.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

For the most part, yeah. Wonder what that says

It was scary growing up for me too, but for different reasons. My father -- well, I generally call him Elias now, so make of that what you will.

I actually do know how to cook some meals. I just -- when you're busy with something, food is often not a priority.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. Its sad when things turn out like that.

That's the virtue of cooking in bulk. That's what I've done - you sit down on the weekend and you make a great big batch of something, say, spaghetti and marinara. Freeze it in individual portions. Then, when you're ready to eat, you customize it so you're not eating the same thing over and over. A little bit of sausage, some chopped olives, basil, things like that. Food is customizable.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I know. I had good times with him, don't get me wrong, but -- when I hit my teen years, our interests diverged dramatically. Not fun.

Ahh, yes. I always meant to do that, but I never thought of it in time. I was so used to cooking for just myself, it rarely occurred to me to make more than just what I needed for the day. Emily (my sister) occasionally did that for me. She was one heck of a cook.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I mostly puzzle my parents, I think. Everyone else turned out pretty normal and went into sort of helping fields - teaching, nursing, one cop, construction, things like that, and very outgoing. I emerged shy and kind of socially awkward, and went straight for science. Or Science! (someday)

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I definitely puzzled mine. They had one extremely normal daughter, and me. And I too went straight for Science! After I read Jules Verne, anwyay. Mom was all right with that, but Elias. . . . Well, he hated scientists, so we clashed horribly until --

Honestly, I don't think he was entirely sane
He threatened

I ended up leaving the house at 17. Elias disowned me, but my sister transferred what she felt my share of the inheritence should have been to me upon their deaths.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Good lord. I can't imagine rejecting a friend like that - let alone someone as important as a son.

I'm glad your sister was so nice.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

That was Elias for you.

Yeah, me too. Emily's great. I really miss her here.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I wish I could show my family this place. But I don't think they'd understand, and I think they'd be afraid of me after.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

That's too bad. I'm sorry.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

There are worse things to bear. :D I shouldn't complain. Besides - at least I am here. I'm much happier now that I've found this place!

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

Very true. And yeah, finding the Nexus was good for me too. It's nice to have someplace to go when Chicago gets too crazy.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, your version of Chicago sounds spectacularly strange to me.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

It is. We've got angels and demons and all sorts of supernatural people. Though it's technically not my Chicago -- I fell through a Rift in time and space into it. Yes, we have those too.

[metody-green.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I've got this theory that the Nexus is where various universes are linked, and it attatches usually at Earth, USA, 2008 - that's when and where quite a few people are. I wonder if you've got the Chicago version of the join. I haven't seen so many angels and demons in the Nexus.

Or I could be full of it.

[clockwork-doc.livejournal.com]

I don't know. The angels and demons seem to be natural to this world -- they're human subspecies, change when they're 16. It could explain the Rift, maybe. People from all sorts of different universes fall through it into Chicago (and other places in this world, possibly. I don't know.) I wouldn't be surprised if a significant number of the population in this city now is displaced wanderers.