revdorothyl: missmurchsion made this (BAP)
revdorothyl ([personal profile] revdorothyl) wrote2008-08-18 06:04 pm
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A bad birthday poem for Kes

ANYA AND TARA'S MYSTIC MAMAS DETECTIVE AGENCY AND THE STRANGE CASE OF THE MISSING MEMORIES -- an early birthday poem for [livejournal.com profile] keswindhover, partly inspired by her musings over the possible fanfic futures for Donna Noble

[Note: In this bit of doggerel I’m shamelessly ripping off some of the characterization and plot developments in [livejournal.com profile] missmurchison’s Tara/Anya stories, Resistance is Useless and Sitting on the Dock of eBay, at the end of which Anya is intrigued at the money to be made in criminal investigations and bounty-hunting. In this alternate universe, Anya and Tara had become a couple shortly after the abortive wedding in season 6, and so this poem is set sometime in what would have been season 7, perhaps.]


'Twas stormy, and the night was dark
in Sunnydale, CA,
When Anya and Tara began a lark,
seldom mentioned to this day.

The Magic Box was quiet and still
after a hard day’s capitalism,
while the money nestled safe in its till,
close to the proprietor’s tender bosom.

Suddenly through the shop’s doorway,
a trenchcoated woman flounced.
Her hair was auburn and her eyes intense,
and, “I need a witch,” she announced.

“My name’s Donna Noble, temp extraordinaire,
And I don’t have time for slacking.
Your internet ad led me here to your lair,
to get back the memories I’m lacking.”

Tara winced just a bit as Donna’s problem was named --
her own sore spot, even now –
but her manner was kind as she firmly declaimed,
“There’s no witch here, only—OW!”

“Sorry I pinched you,” Anya told Tara contritely,
“But Miss Noble is not here by chance.
Our detective business is new, so we can’t turn clients down lightly.
And besides, she paid in advance!

“Now, Donna, tell us what you know, how you first came to sense
all those times you forgot you’d forgotten.
Do you suspect a bad spell? Maybe someone who’s too dense
to know what they’ve done to you is rotten?”

Over cookies and tea among the dried herbs and incense,
Donna told of her life ordinary,
How she’d always tuned out the ‘big picture’ events,
all the world-shakers, brilliant or scary.

But just lately, she’d found many months that were gone,
while the world had spun on, all unheeding.
“And there’s worse yet to come,” Donna added, looking wan,
“I could swear I hear a second heart beating!

“I suddenly know things I shouldn’t, all kinds of weird maths
and stories that have yet to be written.
At work, I’m Ms. Fix-it, and at home I chart paths
for stars not visible from Britain!”

“We need to confer,” said Tara (‘the sane one,’
as Donna had thought all along),
“Your case is . . . unusual. A hard-to-explain one,
but I don’t think this will take us too long.”

In the back of the shop, the partners spoke in a hush,
quietly putting the pieces together.
When they’d agreed on a solution, they came back in a rush,
knowing Donna was at the end of her tether.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” said Tara, “We’ve seen this before –
Well, maybe not this exactly, but nearly!
Your aura’s so dazzling, I should have guessed when you came in the door,
but I guess I wasn’t seeing you clearly.”

“You’re not human,” added Anya, “or you weren’t to start.
You’ve joined this existence as a gift.
That’s why your memories don’t match, and you’re growing a spare heart,
All symptoms of a recent reality shift.

“We’ve had several . . . friends who’ve run the same course --
or something quite like it, I assure you!
Whatever you were until lately – whether demon or green, mystical force –
You’re human now, and no one can cure you!”

“What Anya means,” Tara amended, “is that you’re here to do good
-- I can tell that much just from your spirit.
Your older memories may be fake, so you’d blend in where you could
with humanity, but you shouldn’t fear it.

“The memories you make after this, they’re all up to you,
And don’t let anyone dare tell you otherwise!
You could save the world, Donna, by something brilliant you do.
So heed your gramps, and don’t worry, mother-wise.”

Tara’s words were so firm and her eyes seemed so knowing,
that inevitably Donna’s hope gained re-birth.
As she returned home the next day, Donna knew she was going
to enjoy her new life on this strange planet earth.

[identity profile] appomattoxco.livejournal.com 2008-08-18 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Not for me but it made me smile. Thanks.

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-18 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad to hear it! I'm not sure if Kes will be as pleased as you are by my bad verse, but it's the thought that counts, eh?

[identity profile] missmurchison.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 03:24 am (UTC)(link)
You have a gift for healing, and that's what the poem does. Kes will love it!

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! That's just what I wanted to hear (though I think I wounded the rhyme scheme and meter pretty fatally on this particular poem!).

[identity profile] keswindhover.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Aww, you've actually made me feel better about Donna - thank you!

And I am sure she found this immensely reassuring:

“It’s nothing to worry about,” said Tara, “We’ve seen this before –
Well, maybe not this exactly, but nearly!
Your aura’s so dazzling, I should have guessed when you came in the door,
but I guess I wasn’t seeing you clearly.”

“You’re not human,” added Anya, “or you weren’t to start.
You’ve joined this existence as a gift.
That’s why your memories don’t match, and you’re growing a spare heart,
All symptoms of a recent reality shift.


Hee, hee - well summarised.

And now I can imagine Donna striding off to Torchwood and causing absolute chaos, secure in the knowledge that she's a two hearted extra terrestrial with a Mission.

Excellent.

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
*blush* Thank you!

I was originally planning to cast you as the trenchcoat-and-fedora-wearing "Mystery Woman" who sets Anya and Tara a puzzle to unravel, of course, but then I caught up on reading your Dr. Who posts (having finally seen the season finale recently and been traumatized by Donna's fate), and I couldn't resist!

I wish I had gotten a Donna or Dr. Who icon to use with this (I've been lax about looking for more icons, even though I've had room to spare as a paid subscriber for years now), but the B.A.P. one you or Miss M made for me will serve.

Happy, HAPPY Birthday to you!

[identity profile] keswindhover.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I still need a really good Donna icon - I made this one, but it doesn't really work. It needs more attitude.

Thank you again!

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I love "super temp" as a descriptor, though! Are you sharing this one?

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Ta, very much!

This one is better....

[identity profile] keswindhover.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 06:50 pm (UTC)(link)
...but I am still searching.

Re: This one is better....

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Oooh! Did you make that, or is it shareable?

Re: This one is better....

[identity profile] keswindhover.livejournal.com 2008-08-19 07:31 pm (UTC)(link)
This one is by fahrbotdrusilla - also very shareable.

[identity profile] ozma914.livejournal.com 2008-08-21 09:21 am (UTC)(link)
I think it's great! I've done enough rhyming to know how difficult it can be.

[identity profile] revdorothyl.livejournal.com 2008-08-27 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! It's always harder to rhyme well on a short deadline, isn't it? And unfortunately this idea for a gift only occurred to me the day before Kes' birthday, so no time for polishing!

Thanks for reassuring me it's not an insult to Tara, Anya, OR Donna (and I love your Tara icon -- beautiful!).

[identity profile] ozma914.livejournal.com 2008-08-28 05:30 am (UTC)(link)
I usually give myself very long deadlines before I start doing any rhyming! I write a weekly humor column, and tackle something in rhyme maybe once every six months or so. I can do pretty well -- given lots of time to sweat over it!

I got that icon from [livejournal.com profile] lilkittykat_27