Date: 21 May 2013 14:38 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother', Part 2
Ah, and now we get to the nugget of the interaction.
I like how their small talk isn't sports teams or the weather; it's engineering.
Author's Response:
These three don't have time for irrelevancies like sports and sunshine. ;-)
Really, engineering is Maren's whole world right now as a student, and that's where she and Icheb met, so it's a natural safe space for them to talk. Seven is a wealth of information aside from being Icheb's 'family,' so Maren's definitely hoping to make a good impression.
Date: 21 May 2013 09:09 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother', Part 2
Oh, quite a question. I can't wait to see the answer. :)
Author's Response:
You didn't have to wait long. :) Answer's up.
Date: 21 May 2013 07:13 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother', Part 2
Wow, Seven's apartment is ... Seven. Sparse. Efficient. But the Voyager family picture is precious. I'm glad she has that so prominently displayed. The dynamic between the three is filled with that "meet the parents" awkwardness but boy it warm up when we talk engineering stuff. As you would expect between all three.
And then Seven goes and brings up the Academy hassles and puts poor Maren on the spot. I'm hoping Icheb has a save ready just in case Maren can't come up with something. But I'm thinking Maren might just be brutally honest here and tell Seven what she REALLY thinks about those Academy dicks. I hope she does.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the review, TF!
Date: 21 May 2013 07:07 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother', Part 2
Oh, man. Seven pulls like, no punches. She ends up cutting right through the pleasantries, which is very in character for her. I love how Maren's trying so hard to make a good impression. And Icheb is so clearly in love with her; it's never screamed out, but it's so obvious. I can't wait to see if there's more to come of this.
Author's Response:
Seven tried to be good, she really did. She's just not built for bullshitting. Thanks for the review!
Date: 21 May 2013 03:07 Title: Gifted
A nice look into the mind of a gifted eight-year-old. Sometimes we as adults forget that while they are capable of doing things at a higher intellectual level they are still just kids underneath it all, with the same joys, fears and longings as their peers. I like how you showed that with the anti-grav bouncer - she wanted to make it more fun for her friends; it wasn't about showing off or proving that she was smarter than they were.
Author's Response:
Thanks, LBD!
Date: 21 May 2013 02:59 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
This was a sweet, wee piece. And you captured very well the nervousness of the two of them, the three of them even. My kids are at that age where I'm meeting the people they're dating and I have to admit to *some* nervousness on my part as to how I'll be perceived by the people they bring home, whether they be just friends or something more. This rings so true to life. Great job!
Author's Response:
Best of luck to you with all that. I'm sure I'll be a wreck when my day comes, but I'll try to play it cool. ;-) Thanks so much for the sweet feedback!
Date: 20 May 2013 22:01 Title: Gifted
Ha. The last line is a clincher.
I like though how you capture how perfectly aware a young child can be of how different they are, of the problems surrounding them. They don't have to be prodigies like Maren to feel or understand that. Perhaps her intelligience at least helps her see how her difference can be an asset in the future; alas too many of our children don't appreciate that about their young lives.
A terrific little insight into Maren's youth and shows how different her gift made her life. In many ways, it probably equipped her in more than one way to be able to be with Icheb.
Author's Response:
Thank you, MF! I think Maren does know what it's like to be the outsider and that definitely helped her relate to Icheb (her intellect didn't hurt, either). While their respective backgrounds couldn't be more different, they share a lot of the same personality traits and core values.
Date: 20 May 2013 21:56 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
Eeee. Bad enough to meet the parents but to meet Seven has to be intimidating because no doubt there was lots of 'news' about her when she first arrived on Earth. I'm often wondering most about the likes of Icheb and Seven upon Voyager's return and how they ever find a home and a role in the AQ since Earth isn't really their home. This piece by giving a glimpse through Maren's eyes of Icheb's experience and Seven only makes me wonder all the more.
It strikes me too that Seven is so nervous as well. She's probably fretted in her own way about the role of stepmother or big sister to Icheb and his bringing home a girl is a big step for him and so that makes it important for her too.
And amidst it all, we've got Maren who comes from a big farm family and couldn't be more Earth is Home-like from her life experience. yet somehow she takes a gamble on feeling for a drone from the DQ. She too is about to take a very big step into the unknown by getting involved with an ex-drone.
Would she run out the door there and then if she knew what lay ahead?
Author's Response:
Wonderful insights, MF. Thanks for sharing them.
Would she run out the door there and then if she knew what lay ahead?
Interesting question. I think she would of course be terrified, but her tenaciousness alone wouldn't let her step out that door. She's not a quitter once she sets her mind to something. Also, if she knew what lay ahead, she'd see the wonderful moments alongside the bad and frightening ones. I think that would help her resolve.
Date: 20 May 2013 20:26 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
Meeting the parents, even in the 24th Century it's nervy- not helped I guess when meeting Seven of all people. Quite touching in its style.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Mac!
Date: 20 May 2013 20:24 Title: Gifted
I like how this reads, getting inside the head of a child which is something I can never do. Thanks, Mac! I have a kid this age, which helped give me an ear for the narrative style. He's wicked smart but only busts out with the ten dollar vocabulary words when he's going off about some interest of his or trying to impress someone. When he's speaking from his heart about his fears and dreams, it's usually with the simplicity of a child. So that's what I went for here.
Author's Response:
Date: 20 May 2013 17:09 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
So great! You nailed the child's voice, as well as the bitter sweet idea of leaving school and your friends, and yet not really fitting in. I moved around a lot as a kid, so I definitely get this. Maren is so sweet and clever. As everyone else said, the bit about the playground update was great. Thank you, CS! It's interesting that you relate this to moving around a lot. I imagine you also had some trouble fitting in. Maren lived in the same town her whole childhood and yet never really shed that feeling. She had friends, but none were particularly close. She just wasn't like other people. Adapting the playground equipment was an attempt to connect with the other kids. Her abilities were less scary to them when she used them for fun.
Author's Response:
Date: 20 May 2013 15:27 Title: Gifted
Thinking about getting into Starfleet already, eh?
You captured the life of a gifted child well; they can definitely turn into troublemakers if not channeled and challenged.
Author's Response:
Oh, yes. Maren is nothing if not singleminded about her goals and very, very tenacious.
And yes, yes, yes to the gifted troublemakers. So many people think of gifted kids as dream students. NOT SO. They can be the hardest ones to teach.
Date: 20 May 2013 07:12 Title: Gifted
Oh, this is lovely. I enjoyed a child's view on a half-human classmate; the descriptors ring very true.
Author's Response:
Thank you! I just figure that by the 2360s in the Federation, aliens are so commonplace that it takes something really different to faze or interest a kid who's just grown up with it. Nose ridges and funny hairstyles? Not quite going to do it.
Date: 20 May 2013 07:10 Title: Gifted
Okay. So, baby Maren is like, the best. I love how her voice comes across as so intelligent, and yet so childlike, as well. You really nailed that mix between brilliant child and still-a-child. I love what she did to the playground equipment, I love that she wants to expand her experiences, and I totally love that she knows what she wants in life with Starfleet.
Author's Response:
Haha, "baby Maren." Maybe I should write that, too! Thanks for the compliment on her tone ... I'm a bit of an advocate for gifted kids and served on our local school board's gifted advisory. I was myself a gifted child and now I have a gifted child, so I could relate to this piece on a really core level. It felt really good to give gifted children a voice (however small) through Maren in this piece, and to be able to write her being offered exactly what she needed. I hope all gifted kids will be that fortunate WAY sooner than the 24th century.
Date: 20 May 2013 07:09 Title: Gifted
So gifted and smart, yet not quite the right fit for regular school. Even in the "utopian" 24th century kids still get lost in the system some time and Maren's gifted abilities are taken here as more of an annoyance than anything. I can understand Maren's mom being against it, as she's just a regular old farmgirl herself. You can def hear Maren's simultaneous regret and anticipation at having to switch schools, but her dream of Starfleet is right there to ground her. The playground upgrade is oh so Maren. Well done.
Author's Response:
Thank you, TF! "The system" is truly built for the majority, not the outliers. I imagine that would be true even in the 24th century. Luckily, by then, there are options available for the kids who need something different, and they don't cost a fortune like they do today. Maren's mom always tried to hold her back a bit -- she was worried about what might become of Maren if she raced ahead too far, too fast. And she looked at the future and saw that her youngest daughter, even at a young age was hellbent on leaving the planet ... and knew she'd get there someday. She just wanted to hold on a little tighter for a little longer.
Date: 20 May 2013 02:38 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
Ah, meeting the parents. Always a fun adventure. Neat to see Seven of Nine just as freaked out by it!
Author's Response:
Yeah, nothing beats that situation for sheer awkwardness. Hoping to make a good impression, trying to size each other up. It's even more intense when two parties are part Borg.
Date: 19 May 2013 21:22 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
Aw! So sweet. I loved this little scene, and the title definitely got a LOL :) I look forward to seeing how this progresses and having them told through Maren's voice is a great idea. A great start.
Author's Response:
Thanks, CS!
Date: 19 May 2013 18:16 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
*claps hands*
"You must be Maren."
Author's Response:
:)
Date: 19 May 2013 07:43 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
I love how nervous Maren is. She's so very human, and loveable, and I love how touchingly she feels towards Icheb. I'm absolutely looking forward to seeing more of this, too.
Author's Response:
Thank you, Steff! <3
Date: 19 May 2013 07:39 Title: How I Met Your 'Mother'
Let's go team! Let's go team! I/M FTW.
Ah, a story that is filled with such sweetness and innocence with these two. They're just starting out and things have progressed faster than either would have anticipated. Maren being nervous about meeting Seven is understandable and Icheb taking her to see Seven is a big step.
The two both know this will a little strange at first. The way they arrive and Seven opens the door ... well, I'm interested in seeing how your portray Seven. It seems that she's put some of the Doctor's lessons to practice. I look foward to more.
Author's Response:
Thanks, TF! And thanks for the prompt!
Seven is definitely trying (and yes, The Doctor is a huge help, and may make an appearance or two this week).
The last thing Seven wants to do is make Icheb's assimilation on Earth any more difficult. But she (along with the rest of Voyager's crew) worries about him. She knows that Icheb's social skills and understanding of human culture are scarcely better than her own. At the same time, she does recognize they ARE better than hers, even if only just. So she's walking a tightrope of respecting his newly-reached adulthood and superiority in the social arena while trying her best to look out for him and protect him in a way his parents never did.
Thanks again for the feedback!