Date: 30 May 2013 07:46 Title: Laundry
The Borg never leave anything nice behind, at least in the beginning. No, it takes work to make what’s left behind after the Borg decent again and Adele, poor soul she is, has little to work with here. She’s broken hearted, a soul missing a key piece, and she’s hurting. She’s hurting badly over every little thing she ever did to her husband but the laundry has become the big thing … and it’s so sad.
She only has a sweater left. Broken, and just hanging on, she only has a smelly old sweater left of her husband. The Borg killed him at least and didn’t assimilate him, as they did other crewmates significant others. It’s a tough thing to live on after your love is gone and this piece really drums up a feeling of sympathy in me with Adele. I don’t like her as a captain (I, alone, bear this burden, lol) but here we see exactly what she was before that. Before she got a little harder, a little tougher, a little more disillusioned with life. I can’t blame her because the Borg did royally screw her life over, but here we see the last part of her that’s still mourning, a part that’s not hardened yet.
Well done.
Date: 14 Mar 2010 11:17 Title: Laundry
For as brief a story as this is, you’ve captured the gut-wrenching, yawning chasm of Adele’s profound loss with perfect clarity. Her husband, her Imzadi, is gone forever, and she’s left with nothing but memories and aching regrets for opportunities lost. I can only imagine how much more potent such a devastating loss of this nature must be for an empath who has grown accustomed to her spouse’s emotional presence, beyond the simple fact of their physical presence.
Very moving and especially well done.
Author's Response:
Great point re: the empathic side of her grief ... I didn't dwell on it much in this piece (though I suppose I could have and it would have lengthened the chapter), but yes, she misses him on a deeper level than someone without Betazoid blood would. There is a gaping hole in her life where a constant, comforting emotional presence used to be. I'm glad you found this story moving. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Date: 12 Mar 2010 22:21 Title: Laundry
Well I'd like to take the credit but when I gave the prompt for laundry I figured some light and fluff [not just the towels! Ha! I'm sooooooo witty!]. However, I hadn't expected something so beautiful and tender. An aching sadness in Adele that speaks of pure and simple human [albeit part Betazoid] emotion. The science fiction, the trek is forgotten in the emotion of her loss and grief. The sci-fi and the trek is back when one considers what is in store for Adele and how much more complicated the Borg are/were going to make her life. A great piece of writing. Fantastic kes.
Author's Response:
Well, you got the fluff with the cookie prompt. So this went the other way. Thanks for the idea, and the comments! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Date: 11 Mar 2010 21:54 Title: Laundry
Awww, this is just really sad. It always is when somebody loses someone they love but you've done such a great job conveying Adele's feelings and loss here.
What a painful coincidence that she's going to see a lot more Borg in her Starfleet career than she ever wanted. Wonder if this will affect her somehow down the line.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading and reviewing, CeJay! Sorry about the downer of a chapter, but I'm glad you at least think I did a good job conveying the emotions around Adele's loss. It's definitely a good thing she had about eighteen years to heal after this experience before her journey to the Delta Quadrant with a Borg XO ... but I think this has already affected her in-story, and will continue to affect her in small ways. It's part of who she is as a woman and as a captain. Again, thanks for the comments!