Wow. This packs an amazing punch. I think it's going to color my perceptions of the benefit scene now: Jacqueline's smug little "Surprise!", the way Miranda snarls "We are so grateful" through her teeth. ("Quelle surprise," indeed.) It's elegantly cruel and heartbreaking, and the title is so clever on so many levels that I was grinning as soon as I connected it to the prompt.
This is one of those stories that shows how much can be done in relatively few words; sure, you could have made it longer, but the real essence of the story is here and I think any more would have been superfluous. Beautifully done. (And, of course, poor Miranda.)
And I hate to admit it, because I love it when people think I'm smarter than I actually am, but I wasn't trying to be clever when I came up with the title :P Could I ask what you saw in it?
Re: bravasomniesperusFebruary 16 2008, 01:33:25 UTC
LOL! OK: when you say "J et M" out loud, it sounds (loosely) like "je t'aime"; it also reminds me of the Truffaut film "Jules et Jim," which is also about a frustrated love affair (though a love triangle, so not quite the same thing).
Now how did you decide on the title? You've got me all curious!
Haha, oh dear. Unfortunately, the title simple comes from their first initials, partially inspired by a random back story in which Miranda and Jacqueline don't hate each other/are almost friends*, and I wanted to reference their identities non-explicitly, because, like, Miranda's hiding, and somehow their first initials just felt right, so -- yeah. That's it. Sorry to disappoint :P
To speak to your other comment below -- I hadn't intended the younger Jacqueline to be a parallel to Andy, but now that you bring it up -- well, the possibilities are endless!
*Jacqueline isn't as sinister as she appears, and Miranda's a scared, paranoid doofus who's suspicious to the point of almost crippling herself, and I was so in the middle of writing this earlier, until I got stuck, and was distracted by a video game. Damn video games.
Re: bravasomniesperusFebruary 16 2008, 04:37:32 UTC
The initials do feel right! I really like the title.
And again, poor Miranda--all suspicious, and then it turns out she has reason to be. But we know from the film that Jacqueline's as much of a snake as she is, willing to turn on anybody for the main chance. A match made in hell.
btw, I showed the drabble to my beta reader, and she asked me to pass along her compliments as well: "It really captures all the feelings amazingly well."
This is one of those stories that shows how much can be done in relatively few words; sure, you could have made it longer, but the real essence of the story is here and I think any more would have been superfluous. Beautifully done. (And, of course, poor Miranda.)
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And I hate to admit it, because I love it when people think I'm smarter than I actually am, but I wasn't trying to be clever when I came up with the title :P Could I ask what you saw in it?
Reply
Now how did you decide on the title? You've got me all curious!
Reply
To speak to your other comment below -- I hadn't intended the younger Jacqueline to be a parallel to Andy, but now that you bring it up -- well, the possibilities are endless!
*Jacqueline isn't as sinister as she appears, and Miranda's a scared, paranoid doofus who's suspicious to the point of almost crippling herself, and I was so in the middle of writing this earlier, until I got stuck, and was distracted by a video game. Damn video games.
Reply
And again, poor Miranda--all suspicious, and then it turns out she has reason to be. But we know from the film that Jacqueline's as much of a snake as she is, willing to turn on anybody for the main chance. A match made in hell.
btw, I showed the drabble to my beta reader, and she asked me to pass along her compliments as well: "It really captures all the feelings amazingly well."
Reply
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