Author Topic: Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)  (Read 18764 times)

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Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« on: January 04, 2005, 09:47:47 pm »
Watching me out of the corner of her eye, she smiles. "Are you going to sit there all night, or are you going to help me learn these new lines?"

"You have to do scales first, you know, or you'll throw your voice out," I remind her, leaning back in my chair. "That's one of the reasons you're filling in for Maria in the first place."

She flops down at the desk in a most unladylike way, with her legs spread to the sides. I look away out of gentlemanly respect, even though her dress falls to her ankles. Even in an elegant gown, with the finest jewelry to come out of Albrook in years, she is still the General who lead us to victory. "Fine, fine." She clears her throat, starting her scales.

Even the most casual observer cannot overlook how much she has improved since her first performance. I watched from the rafters then, and wondered why Maria had been allowed on with what surely was a sore throat. Looking back on it now, I cannot help but smile. The commanding voice has since been honed, and now rivals any diva with a lifetime of training.

I tend to lose myself in thoughts if I'm not careful. When I turn back around, she is before me, a stage knife drawn dramatically. "Setzer, are you going to help me or not?"

Adopting the tone of the scene she sets, I widen my eyes and cower back. "Great Maria, do not harm one who only wishes to hear your siren song!"

She laughs, and it sounds like an aria onto itself. "Now, when you call me Maria, do you mean the gal I'm filling in for or the character I'm supposed to be playing?"

"Either or," I smirk.

She bats me with the sheet music, giggling. "You're so awful."

"Oh, I know," I say seriously.

Sitting back at her vanity, she takes out the sheet music for the new production. She's rehearsed it backwards and forwards, each scene in every order she could think of, attacking it like a military strategist. She thinks of every concievable thing that could go wrong, and possible solutions for each problem. She's thought of how to cover everything from hitting a bad note to fending off Ultros while remaining in character.

Taking a sip from her water, she begins again. I've listened to this piece so many times, I'd wager I could double any role in the production. If my voice were better, that is.

The very thought of myself out there, in full period costume with stage makeup pancaked on me, makes me start snickering. But she's used to that too, and keeps singing without missing a note.

Her current focus is on the scene where Maria first meets Prince Ralse, long before she is taken by him. He has very few lines here, considering how much he sings in the rest of the opera, and the majority of lines concern the state of Maria's garden, for some reason. My theory is that it's supposed to be about her virginity, so I start chuckling again until I realise it's my turn.

My voice is passable, but nothing compared to Celes'. It lacks power and tone, and I'm fairly certain that I'm unintentionally off-key. But Ralse's reply is brief, and she picks up the next line without fail.

She sings with more passion than I ever saw in Maria--the other singer, that is. But where Maria comes from a pampered Jidoor background, Celes has truly lived. She's been there in the thick of things, and gone through things that even the other Returners could not imagine.

The experiences of her life shine through in her song. I've told her more than once that her story would make for excellent theatre, but she just shakes her head.

Perhaps I'll write one for her, though, just to see how she likes it. A simple thing, worked on during the days going from place to place. Short, maybe just a scene or two.

The lights flicker--the dress rehersal is about to begin. And my role is over, at least for the time being.

She looks up, leaving the room without so much as a 'see you later'. But I don't mind, it's the way she does things.

Watching her from the wings, I smile. My warrior maiden, my ballgown Brunhilda, turns and smiles back at me.

And that is enough for now.

Offline RemSaverem

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2005, 01:11:35 pm »
i love that you printed this fic, honey :)

for those who don't know, blackjack was/is also one of our fanfic panelists, and is whom i aspire to have co-helm the beta station next year!
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2005, 01:23:07 pm »
Oh...erm...betaing? I'll have to think about that. But thank you so much!

Offline RemSaverem

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2005, 02:50:19 pm »
oh! :oops: i didn't mean that you would have responsibilities to actually beta for anyone. simply that i had aspired to have you basically help coordinate how the beta station was run. you did an admirable job last year, bringing so many fics, organizing them by fandom, keeping up a jovial and encouraging atmosphere, etc. :)
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2005, 05:31:22 pm »
I could do that, but since my grasp on gramattical stuff (and, as you can see, spelling) is less than stellar, I don't think I'd be the best person to actually beta people's stuff.

Offline RemSaverem

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2005, 12:10:03 am »
no problem :)
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2005, 12:17:30 am »
Thanks for understanding. I mean, it's one thing when I have a spell checker, but...

Offline RemSaverem

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2005, 01:23:08 pm »
*giggles* actually, I am very much *not* a fan of spell-checkers. They routinely assume that a neologism of mine or of a fandom's, or a proper noun, is some mundane word that they recognize, and alter them inappropriately!

more power to you, BJ, for recognizing your stengths and your lesser-strengths!

oh btw! i thought of you last night; in the mercury, i saw something about ....opera karaoke!
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2005, 02:43:30 pm »
Alter them? Mine just gives suggestions and it's up to me to change them.

And ooooh, where was this?

Offline RemSaverem

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2005, 11:06:34 pm »
i'm annoyed by those versions that actually assume they know what word i mean, and change it on the screen while i'm typing. likewise, they assume that i want "i" capitalized (i tend to write in all lower-case); tend to form an outline layout regardless of whether or not that's what i want; etc. i hate it!

i don't recall; check the mercury.

love you! tonight's thought of you was due to watching vh-1's "i love the 90s", in which they featured early themesongs for pokemon!
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2005, 11:48:30 pm »
Ooh, interesting.

Yeah, I don't like the auto checkers either, but I do like the ones where you can pick what to change and it just suggests stuff.

Offline Dustin

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2005, 10:36:45 pm »
Aside from a few slight typos, I didn't see anything wrong with it.

The story was good, though, having a knowledge of FFVI would probably help me understand it better.

One small thing I wanna point out, though this might sound nit-picky, is the spelling of "Theatre". I'm sure you mean't to use the word "Theater". "Theater" is the spelling commonly used for plays, and theater for said plays. "Theatre" is the term used for such things as Movie theaters.

"Theatre" is live action actors, "Theater" is movie cinemas.

Again, I don't want to sound nit-picky or anything, its just that I got a bit confused reading that part of the fic.

Aside from that, there was only one other typo I spotted (realise is spelled realize), it was perfect grammar, which made it easy to read, even for someone like me, who has no knowledge of FFVI.

It was, overall, a very enjoyable read. :D

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2005, 01:36:50 pm »
Theatre and realise are both acceptable spellings. Given the character in question, I just thought he'd spell it these ways.

Offline Dustin

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2005, 09:41:42 pm »
Quote from: "BlackjackGabbiani"
Theatre and realise are both acceptable spellings.

I've never heard "realise" as acceptable, but, I know Theatre is (even though it would still be technically used in the wrong context).

But, it's your fic, its your choice.

Still a good read, regardless.

Offline BlackjackGabbiani

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2005, 10:06:40 pm »
Thanks!

Offline RemSaverem

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Ballgown Brunhilda (FFVI fic, Best Game-Based Fic '04)
« Reply #15 on: January 25, 2005, 06:23:04 pm »
in my experience, "theatre" and "realise" are british spellings. anyone?
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).