SPEC: Language Lessons
LdyDisney
:)
Anyway, here is a Valentine's Day spec for you... Hope you enjoy!
This is an amatuer effort and not for profit. The characters & rights belong
to Anne Rice & her publishers.
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Language Lessons
Feb. 2000
By Lisa
My warmest evening greetings to you, Santino, as well as anyone else that may
be reading this account. I wanted to chronicle the events surrounding my
recent "secret admirer". I know that these modern times have been difficult
for you, my friend, and I hope that my tale might ease your spirit and maybe
even bring hope into your immortal heart.
I, like you, was also battling loneliness and boredom. Finding a reason to
awaken each night was becoming difficult for me. After centuries on this
earth, it was hard to find any mystery in the world around me. I caught myself
doing the same things night after night. What is the mortal saying? Variety
is the spice of life? Well, my friend, I was a woman without variety and I was
suffocating in the monotony of it all. That is until one night in February
when I found an anonymous gift at my door.
I remember that first night with such clarity! The water was cold when I felt
it run over the sides of the vase and onto my fingertips. I should have been
watching it fill, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the flowers. I had found
them on my doorstep when I awoke that night with a card that read:
There is a language, little known,
Lovers claim it as their own.
It's symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature's wondrous hand;
and in their silent beauty speak,
Of life and joy, to those who seek.
For love divine and sunny hours,
In the language of the flowers.
- Anonymous
I poured a small amount of the water into the sink, and quickly placed the
flowers inside of the vase. They were so beautiful, almost happy little bursts
of color with bright yellow centers. I had seen these flowers when I was
traveling the through the West coast of America, but I couldn't recall their
name. They looked like hundreds of small daisies... The gift did lighten my
spirits, but it was the card that intrigued me.
My anonymous gift giver had challenged me with the verse... Over the millennia
I have lived, I have mastered many languages, but the language of the flowers?
For the first time in years, Santino, a challenge was laid before me, a mystery
for me to solve!
I placed the vase in the center of my table and hurried out the door. I was
much too excited to bother myself with feeding, and went on my way to the
library. After a brief mental coaxing of the guard, he let me inside of the
building and locked the door behind me to assure that I would not be disturbed.
Within a few moments, I was searching through the botanic encyclopedia for the
name of the flowers I had received. I learned that my anonymous friend had
left me a few Aster flowers. They did, in fact, most likely come from
California where most of the small flowers are grown. Asters... But why?
What did they mean? The note had mentioned the 'language" of the flowers...
I wandered the aisles of books until I found a small leather bound book without
any of the library's markings on it's binding. I drew it from the shelf to
find the title was "The Language of the Flowers"! Oh Santino, I wish I could
describe how alive I felt at that moment! The delicious feeling of purpose
washed over me for the first time in years...
I carried the book back to my reading table and quickly began thumbing through
the old pages in search of Aster flowers. A smile crept across my lips when I
discovered that an Aster flower was a symbol of love. Who would go to the
trouble of going to California to bring me flowers as a symbol of love and then
leave them secretly at my door? Of course I thought for a moment of my Marius,
but then I knew it couldn't be him. Marius had never been overly sentimental,
and never with flowers. But if not him, then who?
The following night, I rushed from my resting place as soon as the sun began to
set, intent on catching sight of my admirer. To my surprise, I found that a
new different flower was already laying on my doorstep. No immortal could have
left this so quickly, the sun still hadn't set completely! You know as well as
I, Santino, that most of our kind cannot rise until all rays of the sun are
darkened... So the mystery continued.
I brought the new yellow flower inside, instantly recognizing it as a single
Daffodil. Another card was attached that read simply:
Daffodils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty.
- Shakespeare, The Winter's Tale
The scent of the flower took me back to my mortal home. I remember walking
through the marketplace in Rome as a girl. The smell of Daffodils would fill
the air. In those days, it was believed that the sap from the flower would
help to heal wounds, so many of the merchants had the bright yellow flowers for
sale in their booths. Ah, but I am losing myself in the fond memories...
Again, I withdrew the book of flowers and quickly looked up the Daffodil. I
felt breathless for a moment when I read the words in the book. The Daffodil
did have a meaning... "the sun always shines when I am with you". Considering
that I have not seen the sun in a millennia, the words held an even deeper
meaning & affection for me. I carefully placed the Daffodil into the vase with
the Asters. The yellow of the Daffodil brought out the tiny yellow centers of
the Asters, making a delightful arrangement that reminded me of the impending
spring. I couldn't help but smile each time my eyes fell upon the vase.
Each evening, my language lessons continued. My vase now contained Amaranth,
symbolizing immortality and undying love; white & red carnations, symbolizing
pure & deep love or "My heart aches for you", and finally a single red rose,
meaning perpetual love. Last night I received Ambrosia blooms with a note
attached which read:
Love is like a river without end.
It flows and changes
only to return again
to the source of it's strength
the heart of it's power
To the one whose love turns a bud into a flower.
I still hadn't caught sight of my admirer and after nearly a week of flowers,
prose and hidden meanings, I also had not deciphered the gift giver's identity.
I opened the book to look up the Ambrosia and I must tell you, Santino, that
all was suddenly clear to me. I felt alive with anticipation and desire. When
would he come to me? Where would me meet? I rushed out of my home to feed and
shop for new clothing, leaving the book open on the table to the Ambrosia
flower symbolizing love returning...
Tonight is a mortal celebration known as Valentine's Day, and tonight I will
meet my admirer. Until now, I had never realized such a day existed. In my
new hunger for knowledge, I found that there are many legends of love
surrounding February 14th. Most of the stories revolve around a priest from my
own land of Rome, Father Valentine. It is said that during Emperor Claudius'
reign, Valentine was secretly marrying Christians after the emperor had
recently banned the practice of marriage. While in prison he would send
messages of love, praying that his friends and family would "remember their
Valentine". He was put to death in 269AD, and has inspired lovers for
centuries.
Tonight I received the seventh and final addition to my bouquet. Tonight I
added the tiny red Viscaria flowers to my vase. I stood back and admired the
beauty that bloomed and lit up the room with it's color. Finally, I found the
Viscaria in my book. The meaning was simple... "Dance with me."
Why do I share these facts with you, my friend? Simply, because until
recently, I had lost my faith in love and romance. Eternal life had become a
monotonous chore until I began to learn this new language...
I know that the loneliness we feel during our endless nights can seem
suffocating, but take heart, Santino. Love is out there... Even for beings
such as we, my friend.
Eternally,
Pandora
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The air was electric as I stepped into the warm dance club. His eyes locked
with mine from across the room, making my knees weak. I watched him weave
through the mortals, never letting his gaze stray from my own.
His strong arms caught my waist and drew me close as his lips met my own in a
hungered kiss. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as his familiar scent
lit the fire of my thirst. Pulling back from the kiss, I lifted my hand,
tenderly caressing his cheek as I whispered, "Marius... It is really you...
Still my love, my Marius..."
He nodded and kissed my ear lightly before replying in a soft whisper.
"Always, my love. No one else will ever own my heart as you do. I love you,
Pandora... Dance with me..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Valentine's Day!!!
Thanks for reading & commenting!
*hugs*
Lisa :)
http://members.xoom.com/LisasLair - Come & visit....
Jennifer Christine
news:20000213050432...@ng-fi1.aol.com...
> Hello all! I know it's been a while, but I hope some of you still
remember me!
> :)
>
> Anyway, here is a Valentine's Day spec for you... Hope you enjoy!
>
> Thanks for reading & commenting!
>
> *hugs*
> Lisa :)
> http://members.xoom.com/LisasLair - Come & visit....
Lisa, I always make time to read your specs!
What can I say? A spec on Marius & Pandora just
melts my heart! It was sooo beautiful & romantic =)
You must have spent quite a bit of time researching the
names of flowers and their meanings.
I also loved the poems that went along with the flowers =)
~ Jennifer~
LdyDisney
>> Happy Valentine's Day!!!
>>
>> Thanks for reading & commenting!
>>
>> *hugs*
>> Lisa :)
>> http://members.xoom.com/LisasLair - Come & visit....
>
>Lisa, I always make time to read your specs!
>What can I say? A spec on Marius & Pandora just
>melts my heart! It was sooo beautiful & romantic =)
>You must have spent quite a bit of time researching the
>names of flowers and their meanings.
>I also loved the poems that went along with the flowers =)
>
> ~ Jennifer~
>
Hi Jennifer!!! *waves*
Thanks SO much for the kind feedback! I spent a few hours on researching and
tying in which flowers would work, so I am SO glad that it came off well! :)
And thanks for the note on the poetry... I took some extra time out to write
some of them for this spec too... (Although the borrowed ones like Shakespeare
I did give credit to the original author... *g*)
You know how I LOVE Pandora & Marius! :-) Thanks again for reading! Glad you
enjoyed it!
Blaze Dreamer
> Lovers claim it as their own.
> It's symbols smile upon the land,
> Wrought by nature's wondrous hand;
> and in their silent beauty speak,
> Of life and joy, to those who seek.
> For love divine and sunny hours,
> In the language of the flowers.
> - Anonymous
Lovely, Lisa. Very lovely. I love to read everyone's specs and yours has always
held my full attention. Where did you find this poem? It's lovely. (Hmm, I do
believe lovely is my word of the day. ::smiles::)
Blaze Dreamer
~*Keeper of ABARs Movie Castings*~
"I project a definite innocence. A lot of that is just the way I grew up." ~
River Phoenix R.I.P. 1970-1993
"Tell me how bad I am. It makes me feel so good." ~ Lestat - QOTD
Vanessa
the poetic language used throughout the spec... so
romantic!
It's wonderful to see ABAR still has room for good
fanfic!
Vanessa
--
Vanessa
Queen O' Darkness
Popess of TURAC
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