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Post by JTB on Aug 9, 2009 23:02:30 GMT -5
Thanks, ladies. The title of the poem is "The Stars and the Soul" by Henry van Dyke. I'll post Chapter Six tomorrow after school. ;D
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Post by melon head. on Aug 10, 2009 2:37:47 GMT -5
Great! Looking forward to it.
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Post by JTB on Aug 10, 2009 18:40:58 GMT -5
Chapter Six Values
Olaf was back inside now, sitting silently alone at a table off to the side of the auditorium. He stared absently at the doilies spread out on the table. Did that really happen? he thought faintly. Maybe, just maybe, my life isn't as unfortunate as I thought.
Kit Snicket was laughing and giggling over with Beatrice and Persephone and a few other girl students. Inside, though, she was frantically trying to gain control over the situation. She didn't know whether to count her actions as right or wrong. In the end, she decided what happened happened, and there was nothing she or Olaf or anyone could do to reverse it.
They didn't look at each other. They both knew what had happened, and there was no more to be said about it. Kit turned her attention to Beatrice.
Nero, up onstage, was playing continuously, his performance still dazzling the audience. Most were dancing, but there were some who stood in groups talking or eating, but one was moving towards Kit and Beatrice with incredibly speed, fearful determination, a pounding heart, and sweaty palms.
"Beatrice?" came a shaky, timid voice from behind the group of girls. They all turned to see Lemony Snicket standing there in a blue suit, with his wavy black hair messed up due to Jacques' playfulness. He was breathing heavily and he was clenching his hands together. Kit and Persephone parted so Beatrice could see him.
Beatrice looked at him with delight, holding a glass of punch. "Yes?" she asked, smiling.
Lemony looked at his sister Kit, then at one of his good friends Persephone, and finally his eyes rested on his secret crush, Beatrice.
"I," he began, taking a deep breath. "I've decided to tell you that I'm..." He hesitated, the gears in his brain whirring at top speed. He suddenly lost focus, and it all went to pieces. He didn't know what to say or what to do - so he looked at her.
"I've decided to tell you that I think your gown looks lovely," he said at last, ending his sentence with the thought, IDIOT! IDIOT! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, YOU CRAZED BOY?! FIX IT, FIX IT NOW!
Beatrice, however, beamed at him and blushed faintly. "You're adorable," she said. The girls awwwwwwed at him. Kit smiled, but her heart was beating. Lemony's heart was soaring, but for only a mere second; with overwhelming embarassment, panic, and self-loathing, he felt something happening in his pants.
Lemony managed to give her a weak smile, and in his mind he was thinking of dead cats to stop the sensation. During his frantic attempts to prevent him from showing, his mind suddenly snapped to, his brain's gears smoothly started to form an idea, and he smiled genuinely.
"That's not all," he blurted out as she began to say something to Kit. Beatrice was mildly stunned, but amused. Kit froze. Lemony, she thought, closing her eyes. She knew it was coming. Don't do it, brother Snicket. Don't do it -
"I love you," he said without a beat. His words were carried nicely, his voice was smooth and even. His heart thundered, the sensation in his pants had ceased, and he was clinging to every second of silence in preparation for her reaction.
Beatrice was smiling, but it wasn't a smile of adoration - it was of frantic thinking in her mind. She didn't know what to say - the relatively attractive young sixteen year old brother of her best friend had just told her without warning that he loved her.
"I," she began, "I think that's...sweet." She finished with a cute bow of her head, and her milky cheeks blushed.
Lemony paused, and the gears in his head exploded. He'd snapped. The thick air of the auditorium, Nero's frantic music on stage, and the apparently spiked punch inside him made Lemony do something unprecedented: he walked two steps closer to Beatrice, hearing the gasps from all the girls around him (including Kit), and he grabbed her waist. In one fluid motion, he leaned in and kissed her gently on the mouth.
***
At that moment, several things happened: Bertrand's mouth hung agape from the other side of the room; Jerome Squalor and Esme Salinger halted in mid-step upon hearing the gasps from around the room; Jacques' face lit up at the sight of his brother kissing Beatrice Pearson; Nero's face grew red with fury as the crowds turned away from him, and he was forced to stop playing; Frank and Dewey Denouement looked at each other nervously, and then looked at Bertrand beside; Persephone worriedly looked at Bertrand, then Lemony, then Beatrice; and Kit Snicket gasped quietly.
Lemony pulled apart from Beatrice, and he realized he had done many different things: he'd kissed an eighteen year old girl; he'd kissed his sister's best friend; he'd kissed Bertrand Baudelaire's love interest; he'd be either propelled into stardom or expelled from civilization. He didn't collect all those things in his mind at that time, however, except for the first one.
"Lemony," Beatrice said quietly, her gentle finger softly rubbing her mouth, "what was that for?"
"You," he said absently. He'd never been more frightened in his life. "It was saying thank you."
She looked at him, giving him a strange expression. "What ever for?" she asked, clearly confused and a little panicky.
"Thank you," Lemony said, "for being so beautiful."
Beatrice looked at him, deep into his eyes, and smiled softly. But this smile meant something - it meant she recognized his feelings, and they had officially come into play. But her face fell, and she looked past Lemony.
"Bertrand," she said, making Lemony jump. "I didn't know."
Bertrand had walked over to them, the look on his white face one of either confusion or desperation, or perhaps a combination.
"Who are you?" he asked, ignoring Beatrice. He was staring at Lemony in the face, who looked as if he might've collapsed.
"Snicket," he said, "Lemony Snicket."
Bertrand narrowed his eyes, but they popped open after a moment. "Jacques' brother?! Kit's brother?!"
He whirrled around at Jacques, who was standing with two of the Denouements and Jerome a few feet away. Jacques looked like a deer in the headlights - he put his hands up, as if policemen were pointing guns at him.
"I didn't know anything about this," he said quickly. "I promise."
At this point, Olaf had risen from his solitary dwelling place, taking long but slow strides towards the group.
Bertrand turned to look at Kit. "Kit," he said, "what about you?"
Kit shrugged her shoulders defensively. "I didn't either!" She hesitated. "Well, I knew he might've had some feelings for her, but I didn't know anything like this would happen."
"You knew he had feelings for her?!" Bertrand asked, and there was no question as to his emotion - it was rage. "Why didn't you tell him to lay off, or keep away from her?"
"She's not property," Kit said angrily, "she's a girl - a girl you're not even dating, Bertrand Baudelaire. You have no right to accuse anyone."
"I have a right to accuse you for not telling your little pipsqueak brother that she was mine -"
"I'm not property!" shrieked Beatrice, her eyes welling up with angry tears. "I'm not an amount of value that someone can just claim as their own."
"You are valuable, though," said Lemony quietly, but no one heard.
Bertrand's face was contorted with rage. "I don't care! She was my territory tonight - she was of great value to me! She is of great value to me!"
"That's enough," came two voices. They boldly contrasted to one another - one was sharp and accented, and the other was low and wheezy. But both were quiet, stern, and fearsome. They instantly captured the attention of the onlookers and the participants of the drama. All of them - Bertrand, Kit, Lemony, Beatrice, and Jacques and Jerome, along with most everyone watching (which was indeed everyone) - turned to see who had spoken.
Gerard Olaf and Dewey Denouement stood a few feet apart, but both had the same looks burned into their faces.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 10, 2009 19:00:37 GMT -5
OMG.
I absolutely LOVED Lemony in this! He's so sweet and shy and completely unsure of himself in the beginning. I was so glad when he finally took that brave step forward and kissed Beatrice, even though Bertrand was none too happy.
This line really caught my attention - it's brilliantly written, and really underlines the significance in Beatrice's frustration.
AWWWW. ;D
I can't wait to see what sort of roles Olaf and Dewey play in the next scene/chapter.
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Post by melon head. on Aug 12, 2009 5:53:06 GMT -5
Lemony is embarrassingly gorgeous... urgh, if I were Beatrice, I'd be seriously awkwarded out. And who knew Bertrand could be so mean? Am looking forward to the next chapter. Great story telling!
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Post by JTB on Aug 13, 2009 22:53:17 GMT -5
Chapter Seven Virtues
Everyone watched and waited with unbearable silence and anticipation. Dewey's calm, sallow face was tinted red and inclined, his eyes burning with anger.
Olaf's emerald eyes were shining brightly, his brown-gray hair swept back madly over his head. His cheeks were flustered, and his jaw was set.
Bertrand turned to look at them, and suddenly the rage was wiped from his face. His shoulders fell slightly, his posture weakened. His face no longer looked furious; it took on a shamed expression in a matter of minutes.
Bertrand nodded, and turned to Beatrice, who was drying her tears.
"Beatrice," he said softly, "I'm sorry. You're not anyone's property - but you are of incredible value to me."
Beatrice looked up at him, her watery eyes shining. "I understand," she said. She inclined her head towards Kit. Everyone turned to look at her - red-faced, fuming, her own tears beginning to form up.
"Kit," Bertrand said gently, bowing his head. "I apologize - I lost my nerve. I don't know what came over me. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that."
Kit shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "Alright," she said flatly. Bertrand sighed, and turned to Lemony.
"You're not a pipsqueak," he murmured, putting a hand on his shoulder, "and it takes guts to kiss a woman like Beatrice. I didn't mean to jump on you, kid."
Lemony's face regained color and control. He nodded. "Don't worry about it," he mumbled. He was still terrified of Bertrand.
Bertrand turned to see that the entire crowd had been watching the dramatic scene unfold.
"I'll need some air," he said, gingerly pushing through the crowd. He was humiliated by his actions - how could he be so stupid like that?
He was ten paces from the door when a gangly figure blocked his path. Olaf stood confident in front of Bertrand, his head held high and his arms crossed.
"Excuse me, Olaf," said Bertrand quietly. Olaf didn't budge.
"You don't yell at Katherine like that again," growled Olaf. "If you do, you won't have a voice box to do it a third time."
Bertrand looked at him sharply. "Is that so?" he asked.
"Yeah?" came another voice, and Bertrand and Olaf turned to see Dewey Denouement approaching. "Is that so, Olaf?"
Olaf lowered his face, like an animal in a corner. "I care about her," he murmured menacingly. "I care about her in ways you cannot imagine. If only you knew."
Dewey stopped walking towards him, and let his mouth hang slightly open. His blue eyes flamed. "You're not the only one who cares for her, Olaf," he said lowly.
Bertrand looked at them both, and looked back into the now-chattering crowd to see Jerome, Jacques, and Frank approaching.
"Why'd you yell at my sister like that?" Jacques asked Bertrand in more of an annoyed tone. He didn't sound angry, just irritated.
Bertrand looked at him, his eyes pleading. "Jacques," he said, his tone desperate, "my brother, I'm so very sorry. I didn't mean to yell at her like that - I snapped. I was so angry at the moment, it just overtook me."
"Like fire," Olaf said with a smirk.
"Shut up," Jacques and Bertrand both said. Bertrand turned again to Jacques, his hand outstretched. "I'm sorry, Jacques," he said, "for yelling at Kit and Lemony."
Jacques nodded. "I understand," he said quietly.
They now turned to Olaf, who was still standing in front of the doors with his arms crossed. His face bore a tired sneer.
"You're such a hero," he spat, "I'm so thrilled you made up in the end. You'll all live happily ever after. You'll realize, one day, that I am one not to be trifled with."
"Olaf," said Jerome now, stepping up. "I think we've all had enough of you."
"I've not done a thing except stop this bast-ard from yelling at Kit!" Olaf snapped, pointing a long crooked finger at Bertrand.
"I did," said Dewey. "He's not a bast-ard either." Bertrand smiled.
"You're not the only who cares about her, Denouement," said Olaf. He turned to Jacques, his eyes glowing. "Maybe your darling sister will tell you what happened a few minutes ago."
Jacques looked at him, his brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Olaf smirked triumphantly. "The stars shine brightly in her eyes before you're about to kiss her," he said so quietly it was hard to hear over the monotonous roar of the students behind them.
Jacques' face lit up like a struck match. He took a tremendous half-leap forward. Bertrand grabbed him, while Jerome grabbed Dewey from doing the same thing: beating Olaf's sharp, pointed face to a pulp.
"Not now," Bertrand said, Jacques trying to rip free. "Not hear. He'll learn one day."
Olaf smiled snidely. "Will I, oh ye virtuous man? Will I? Maybe you'll wake up one day and realize life isn't about being king of the school."
Bertrand relaxed his grip on Jacques. He was tempted to let loose the hounds on the fox.
"Life isn't about seeing what kind of girl you can get, or how many fires you can stop," Olaf barked out in a roar. "Life is about surviving - surviving people like you. All you mindless animalistic morons, who are convinced you save the world by quieting it down."
Bertrand, Jacques, Jerome, Frank, and Dewey were all staring at Olaf has he ranted. "You are under the sad illusion that quieting the world down will solve all its problems," he said, "but the truth is that it's not how quiet you can get it - it's how loud you can get its people to scream."
At that, Olaf turned with a grand flourish, and as he began to stride out the door, he collapsed into Claude Nero. The latter, so surprised by Olaf's sudden movement, gasped out and fell backwards, landing on his wrist with a sickening crack when he tried to catch himself. He gave out a shocked cry of sudden pain and surprise, while Olaf sneered angrily.
"Fool," he said, and walked over the fallen Nero.
Bertrand and Jacques ran over to him. "Claude," Bertrand said, kneeling down, "are you alright?" Jacques crouched on Nero's other side, tenderly trying to see his wrist.
Nero rolled over slowly, his face contorted in agony, and the two could see that he was terribly injured - his hand was twisted backwards, the bone completely sticking out of the skin. It was already purple with swelling, and his bones were crooked and bare. It was clear to them both that Nero's performance that night - the wonderful, beautiful music that he'd rained down upon the students, the performance that was interrupted by Lemony and Beatrice's sacred kiss - was his last.
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 13, 2009 23:45:55 GMT -5
You know, I think this was the greatest chapter yet. My favorite parts about it are: 1). The comparisons, such as He was tempted to let loose the hounds on the fox. It was absolutely brilliant! 2). The fact that both Olaf and Dewey have eyes for Kit (I know it's been established in the canon, but it's just interesting to see both men confronting each other over it). 3). The way Nero lost his ability to play the violin. OMG. It's such a brilliant, believeable idea, and I could never have thought up anything like that if I tried. Would you mind if I used your idea in one of my fics sometime? I'll be sure to give you credit. Anyway, wonderful chapter, and I must admit that Olaf is beginning to scare me a little with all his ranting. I hate him for being the one responsible for breaking Nero's wrist and not caring. It's so good that Nero has friends who care about him.
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Post by JTB on Aug 14, 2009 5:40:40 GMT -5
Thank you, Emma! ;D And of course you can use the Nero subplot. Perfectly okay with me. And I was in the mood for giving a character some oration spotlight, so I decided to give it to Olaf. I'll post Chapter 8 tonight.
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Post by melon head. on Aug 14, 2009 6:23:26 GMT -5
I love Olaf! He's such a d***head but really interesting because of his poetic ability. And Nero! *Squeaks* So clever. And I love Jacques being a good big brother and confronting Olaf. Lovelovelvoe :3
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 14, 2009 9:10:08 GMT -5
Thank you, Emma! ;D And of course you can use the Nero subplot. Perfectly okay with me. And I was in the mood for giving a character some oration spotlight, so I decided to give it to Olaf. I'll post Chapter 8 tonight. Thank you, JTB! A story idea actually came to me last night after I finished reading your latest chapter, so I'll be getting to that once I have some time and inspiration. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to everyone in chapter eight - though I know the outcome for Nero is going to be bleak.
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Post by Hermes on Aug 16, 2009 14:47:55 GMT -5
This is really exciting - like everyone else, I like the idea of what happened to Nero; and I think Olaf's parting speech is amazing.
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Post by JTB on Aug 16, 2009 16:16:35 GMT -5
Thank you all - I've tried countless times for the past two days to get Chapter 9 done, but I always get interrupted or I have no inspiration. I'll get it done tonight, seeing as I have a new typewriter and I'm thrilled to write anything.
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Post by Jenny on Aug 16, 2009 16:25:53 GMT -5
Typewriter? Love it!
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Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Aug 16, 2009 16:50:38 GMT -5
I know the feeling, JTB: I seem to have writer's block ninety to ninety-five percent of the time. Getting interrupted doesn't help, either - it's my main pet peeve. Grrr.
A new typewriter sounds like a great way to re-capture your inspiration. I don't think I've written on one of those since I was fourteen (though it was a combination typewriter/word processor, so I don't know if it counts completely).
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Post by JTB on Aug 16, 2009 17:01:18 GMT -5
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