Earthshine
Title: EARTHSHINE
Author: ; Kinwad
Pairing: Brian and Justin (metaphorically)
Rating: PG
Summary: The old moon in the young moon’s arms**
A/Ns: Another cosmic WTF fic based on fact
Comments welcome-if only to say what a bizarre mind I possess!
“Earthshine...floating high in the evening sky.
I see my faint reflection, reflected light in another's sight.
And the moon tells a lover's story.” ©Peart,Lee,Lifeson<
The galaxy was abuzz, a firestorm of cosmic activity the likes of which hadn’t been seen since...well, since the last time.
The stars were practicing their blinking enthusiastically with the celestial version of marching band precision, dazzling the heavens with brilliant flickers of light. Oh, yes, it was going to be a wondrous sight this evening!
“Why are you so dull? Are you feeling all right?” the younger asked in a worried voice.
“You know I don’t like the attention,” grumped the elder.
“But this is special! You know how rare it is to have Jupiter and Venus visit us together. It’s been eons since we’ve seen them and they won’t be back for another forty-four years. You should be very proud they’ve chosen tonight to entertain as a couple. Besides,” the younger grinned, “I like showing off. I’m proud of us...of you.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean we have to flaunt what we have, what we do, for everyone to ogle and take pictures. Why couldn’t they come any other time? Why tonight?”
“Are you embarrassed? Do you honestly think anyone cares? This is 2008, remember. Times have changed.” The younger's countenance was gentle and tinged with a faint glow of humor. “You’ll still be the stud of the galaxy and you’ll always be mine. You’re a part of me. That’ll never change.”
“I’m not embarrassed. I like to put on a show as much as any celestial body, you know that, but there are some activities I prefer to do without being gazed at through telescopes. Christ, even Saturn’s rings are being polished for tonight! And don’t get me started on all the bratty comets who can’t even control their tails! One of them came this close to us!”
“They’re just excited,” the younger explained patiently. “Some of them didn’t even have their tails the last time this happened. Whether you want to accept it or not, we’re going to be a part of this spectacle tonight, so we might as well shine and put on a show of our own. Besides, everyone will be so busy looking at Venus and Jupiter, they won’t even notice us.”
The elder started to frown.
“Don’t do that!”
“What?”
“Frown. You know how awful that looks from every point in the galaxy.”
“Maybe I want to look awful!” the elder whined. “Then the spotlight, no pun intended by the way, can just be on Jupiter and Venus and not us. That’s the way they’d prefer it anyway. You know how they love to be in the limelight, to be the center of attention.”
“Ok, that’s enough!” the younger ordered. “You’re not going to hide all day, sulking, and then give a dull and shadowy performance. You’ve done that in the past.”
The elder offered a weak protest. “Did not! I told you the clouds were in the way that night!”
“Yeah, right! And I’m a shooting star!”
The elder raised one eye. “Hmm, now when it comes to shooting....”
“Will you please stop and put your eye back down! It looks hideous, like we’re deformed or something. If anyone looked up and saw that, it’d create a cosmic incident! Now go get cleaned up. It’s almost time.”
“Yes, dear.” The elder knew it was futile to argue. It always was. He could never deny the younger anything, so universal was his love for him. Their passion was often the sparkle of the cosmos, particularly that one time when their afterglow seemed to last forever. When they shone, there was no one in the heavens who could compete.
“Ok, so how do I look?” the younger asked in a hesitant voice.
“You look great. You always do. You always will,” the elder murmured. “Ready?”
Overflowing with anticipation, the younger gave an animated nod.It was always such a profound event when they did this, one that sent waves of emotion into every crater and crevice, an occurrence that the younger would never take for granted.
This simple act of trust from the elder, a recurring ritual during one of their phases, demonstrated how far they’d come since the beginning of forever. The realization that they were going to be part of the galaxy’s “Show of Shows” tonight only heightened the meaning and the love.
The elder smiled. “Let’s do it, then! You know what to do!” Everything was perfectly aligned and perfectly lit-this was their one moment in time.
With a smile that rivaled their daylight counterpart, the young moon’s arms reached out and pulled the old moon into a sheltered embrace of protection. A faint sigh of contentment escaped from both of them.
“I love you,” the younger whispered.
“Always have, always will,” the elder answered.
“Are the stars out tonight? I don’t know if it’s cloudy or bright,
cause I only have eyes for you.
The moon may be high, but I can't see a thing in the sky
cause I only have eyes for you.
we are, you and me, millions of people can see,
but they all disappear from view cause I only have eyes for you.”
©Budin/Warren
**ASTRONOMICAL FACT:
Tonight, December 1, a very rare celestial event will take place in the night sky as the planets Jupiter and Venus line up close to a crescent moon, making for quite a unique spectacle.
The moon, which is about fifteen percent illuminated, is a setting moon and will move rapidly through the night sky early on, making its descent. Leonardo da Vinci was reportedly the first to recognize another event that will occur this evening involving the moon, called earthshine.
You may be able to see the full globe of the moon, its darkened portion glowing with a bluish-gray hue interposed between the sunlit crescent and not much darker sky. this vision is sometimes called, “the old moon in the young moon’s arms.”
FINI
On December 1st, 2008 10:07 pm (UTC), michele659 commented:
This was so beautiful I feel kind of teary! It fits the two of them perfectly-wonderful description of what would hapen if they were actually celestial beings! The dialogue between them was so funny, also. It also sounded exactly like the way they would talk to each other if they were "moons". I love the idea of the older moon in the younger's arms-sigh! And the younger one telling the older moon not to do that thing with his eye made me laugh!
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On December 2nd, 2008 03:58 am (UTC), kinwad replied:
*g* To say this one was "out there" would be an understatement and i honestly haven't a clue where it came from! I'm so very happy you liked it and thought that the dialogue seemed pretty much in character and was funny. Thank you, my dear, for not only reading this little little oddity, but your very kind comment as well.
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On December 2nd, 2008 02:07 am (UTC), orange_fonts commented:
re: earthshine
Let me see? I feel I have to come up with a comment worthy of your beautiful metaphor. That was heavenly and just divine. It was pure enjoyment reading it. I can truly visualize them as I read and as they converse. Just Brian and Justin being just Brian and Justin, through and through, even in the vastness of the galaxy, thus so lovely. And oh.. I love the title.. EARTHSHINE! I think it is going to be my word for the day :-)
And you are a wunderkind.
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On December 2nd, 2008 04:00 am (UTC), kinwad replied:
Re: earthshine
You're so kind! Needless to say I appreciate your comment and am so very flattered at your compliment. "Earthshine" really is a great word, isn't it? I'm glad you felt the dialogue was in character. *g* Tx so much!
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On December 2nd, 2008 09:09 am (UTC), spike7451 commented:
This was brilliant, it's going into my memories I just loved it!!!!
And this.....Christ, even Saturn’s rings are being polished for tonight! And don’t get me started on all the bratty comets who can’t even control their tails! One of them came this close to us!”
...hysterical. :)
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On December 2nd, 2008 01:02 pm (UTC), kinwad replied:
LOL...Welcome to the bizarro world known as my brain! I'm so glad you liked it, hon! This was was rather "out there" (no pun intended, btw *g*) Thanks so much for your very kind comment (and on all my other fics as well!) I really appreciate it!
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On December 2nd, 2008 01:54 pm (UTC), cutie_patutti65 commented:
This is a beautiful fic! I absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing. :)
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On December 2nd, 2008 08:39 pm (UTC), kinwad replied:
Thanks so very much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, considering how um, "unusual" it was!
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On December 2nd, 2008 07:16 pm (UTC), starlightbj commented:
Frown. You know how awful that looks from every point in the galaxy.”
ROFL.
He could never deny the younger anything, so universal was his love for him. Their passion was often the sparkle of the cosmos, particularly that one time when their afterglow seemed to last forever.
Eeeep. Awww. Beautimous.
I loved this so much. Made me feel a bit teary - especially the last two lines. Awesome idea - and so well executed too. I think I missed the spectacle :( Should have read this yesterday.
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On December 2nd, 2008 08:42 pm (UTC), kinwad replied:
*g* Aw, thank you so much, sweetie! I'm glad you liked it.I really appreciate your feedback. I think, if I have my facts straight, you can see it tonight.
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On December 3rd, 2008 11:19 am (UTC), sunshine63 commented:
first let me tell how much I enjoyed it!! it's so unusual, though so romantic and lovely!
second.... you'll never believe it! monday night, around 5.00pm, I was driving home and the sky was getting dark... all the sudden I saw the moon and it looked sooo strange with those two bright lights on the side... I didn't know anything about Jupiter and Venus, but I took some pics with my cell, as I felt it was worth it saving a memory of that beautiful image... didn't come out all that good (I was driving and couldn't stop), but I'm glad I did it... and now I know!!!!! thank you soooo much for the information :)
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On December 3rd, 2008 03:22 pm (UTC), kinwad replied:
Hee Hee! I'm just a wealth of mindless minutiae! Glad I could help! It really was an amazing sight, wasn't it?
*g* Thanks so much for reading and commenting. I'm so glad you liked it!