Current mood:	artistic
Current music:	Bad (live) - u2

ficlet: Beguile Thy Melancholy; meme: the bitter sting of tears
for siryn99: Beguile Thy Melancholy | LotR | Éowyn, book, melancholy | 428 words.

Beguile Thy Melancholy

Éowyn wandered the library, wrinkling her nose at the dust her passage disturbed.

Books were scarce among the Rohirrim, and all the contents of the King’s library -- her brother’s library, she reminded herself with a small shake -- would have fit in Faramir’s small study in Ithilien.

But here in this dimly lit marble hall lived knowledge older than her people, knowledge handed down from the First Age, through the Men of Númenor, whom everyone said her husband resembled mightily.

She missed him.

He had gone to Dol Amroth to attend his uncle, and her time was too near for her to risk the journey, yet not so near that he was afraid he would miss it should he go.

But she was lonely without him, and unused to spending all her time indoors. She had given up riding in her fifth month, far later than the Healers had wished, because her balance was not what it had been.

Now she spent her days in the garden, or here, in the library.

So much knowledge here, so much to read and learn; she sometimes felt like the unlettered barbarian many women of the court said she was when they whispered behind their hands about her.

Everything was different here, and though she was inured to women’s gossip, having had a surfeit of it at Edoras, she was conscious of her every move as she had never been at home, not even while under the watchful eye of Gríma Wormtongue.

She knew they compared her to Finduilas, Faramir's mother, who had been beloved, and to the Queen, whose Elvish grace and beauty Éowyn felt she could never match.

She was winning people over slowly, with her strength and kindness; Faramir's love for her shone like a beacon, and as they loved him, they grew to love her.

This child would be dearly beloved, not only by his parents (and Éowyn felt her heart swell every time he kicked beneath it), but by all the people of Gondor and Rohan, by dwarves and Elves, by hobbits far away in their Shire.

Éowyn was content, her life more full of love and peace than she had ever expected. And she loved losing herself in the books and scrolls of the library, learning of the world when it was new.

But when the rain rolled in off the sea, and the lanterns cast distended shadows in the dim halls of the library, Éowyn wished for the rolling grasslands of home, the sun on her face and the wind in her hair.

end

Title is a little twist on a line from Titus Andronicus: Come and take choice of all my library, / And so beguile thy sorrow.

All comments welcome.

***

The crying meme thing:

1. What scene in which movie is guaranteed to make you cry?

All of It's A Wonderful Life. *snerk*

Boromir's death in FotR. Most of RotK.

I cry at almost everything.

2. What scene in which television show makes you tear up no matter how many times you've seen it?

Becoming 2. "Close your eyes."
Also, Passion, when Willow and Buffy get the phone call. When s1-3 Willow cries, I cry.

And Anya's speech in The Body about Joyce never having scrambled eggs again.

The West Wing used to regularly reduce me to tears, because of how good it was - The Crackpots and These Women. In Excelsis Deo. Noel. SGTE, SGTJ. Two Cathedrals.

Edited to add: Crosetti! How could I forget Crosetti? "No honor guard." "That silly man and his silly cookies." "We don't go wholesale on our friends, Frank!" Meldrick breaking down in Bolander's arms. And then ending, with Frank on the steps... *sniffle*

3. Is there any famous tear jerker of a scene that leaves you cold? Or worse, makes you laugh?

Buffy's death in The Gift, I guess. I was too busy being angry at the cop out, and I knew she was coming back. Oh! The Angel episode I Will Remember You. What a crock of shit. Show me some respect before you try to make me cry.

4. Do you cry when a character on screen cries, or is it something else that gets the tears flowing?

I need emotional resonance or investment in the characters. "You'd rather be with someone you hate, than be with me." Gah. *weeps*

Coming from anyone but Willow, coming from Willow two seasons later, it wouldn't have made me cry. But then and there. *sniffles*

5. One fic that makes you cry -- and we may as well stipulate right now: "Grace Realized" makes *everyone* cry. Pick another one. :P

Um, I don't even know that fic.

Two for two fandoms:

XMM:
Safety in Numbers by Elizabeth (uhmidont). Yes. Still.
Save the Last Dance for Me by darkstar. One of the few stories I've ever read where murder/suicide is actually the happiest ending possible. It can't end any other way, and oh god. *whimpers* I can't even talk about it.

HP:
A Thousand Cranes by _hannelore - oh, Neville.
Promised Eternity by setissma. Remus. *sniff*

Man, I was useless for about an hour (each) after reading these. I mean, I'm getting a little sniffly just thinking about them now.

***

Lastly, I did manage to find some old movie star photos and make some very basic icons, which at some point, I will probably start using.

. .

. .

. .

And these two are from bonibaru:
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I think I will be uploading that Vivian Leigh one shortly. Because that look is just The Look. You know the one. The Look of Death. The Look of "I Will Make You ALL Pay for This."

*G*

If anyone else wants to use any of the first nine, just leave me a comment. I don't really mind.