Independence Day - PG - a drabble

[Lilly]

Well, it's still Indendence Day in part of the country anyway... This little drabble kind of came out of nowhere. And no one is more surprised than me.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Moonlight. They speak to me and inspire me, and sometimes they follow me home. No copyright infringement is ever intended.

Rating: PG.

First published: 7/4/2011



Independence Day


'Til death us do part...

The irony was never lost on me. It was death that joined us, and blood that bound us. It was the second time I enlisted with stars in my eyes. As the fireworks flared and fizzled, as love and hate jockeyed for top spot on the emotional hit parade summer after summer, I was still held captive by that fine red leash. I guess I always knew that it would take a deep cut to sever that tie. And that one of us would end up dead. I just always thought it would be me.

[allegrita]

Oh, Lilly... I love it when Mick speaks to you. This drabble perfectly captures his wry humor, born of a combination of despair and a dogged determination to hang onto the vestiges of his humanity. The years stretch out in these few words; the relationship in all its intensity is laid bare. I love the way you evoke the words Josef said to Beth, and put a quintessentially Mick twist on them. I never really thought about it that way, but now that I've read Mick's words, it all seems so clear. Of course he thought he'd be the one to die. And the burden of having stolen that survival from Coraline is part of the reason he can't let go, for all those years he thinks she's dead. Poor Mick.

[jen]

Lilly

This is fabulous!

Every. Exquisite. Word.

What Alle said. Also, every word there. You have Mick's voice down so perfectly. This short piece seems infused with his heart and unique perspective.

What a perfect example of writing Mick.

Thank you!!!

Jenna

[fairytoes]

This is magnificent Lilly! And sooooo Mick. Thank you for sharing.

[Lilly]

Alle, jen , fairytoes -- thank you, ladies, so much!

As I said, I'm not sure where this came from. I was turning over the phrase "Independence Day" in my head last night and this just started coming together. I'm not sure it ever occurred to me, before this, that Mick might have had this sort of reflection, but he always did have an appreciation for irony. I'm just thrilled you all think it works.

[librarian_7]

Oh, my, this is wonderful. How well you know Mick...I can so easily hear his voice in this.

As always, brava!

Lucky

[PNWgal]

Now, how do you cram so much good into so few words?

It was the second time I enlisted with stars in my eyes.

Poor Mick. The first time he enlisted, he lost Ray and Lilah. The second time around, he lost everything else...but in the end, he gained more than he expected.

I love how this encapsulates Mick's struggle with Coraline and what she made him, the love he can't let go and the hate he can't help but feel.

And that one of us would end up dead. I just always thought it would be me.

And Mick would expect that. I think Mick felt lost from the minute he woke up a vampire and always expected he'd be the one to die, that he'd never be strong enough to break that tie to Coraline. It took Coraline stepping over the line and endangering a child for him to realize how strong he could be.

Wonderful, sweetie!

[Lilly]

Lucky and Pgal -- thank you both!

And that one of us would end up dead. I just always thought it would be me.

And Mick would expect that. I think Mick felt lost from the minute he woke up a vampire and always expected he'd be the one to die, that he'd never be strong enough to break that tie to Coraline. It took Coraline stepping over the line and endangering a child for him to realize how strong he could be.

We know that Mick wanted to die, at first. Even when he came to uneasy terms with what he was, he must have (at times) believed that he deserved to die. In my mind, his and Coraline's relationship had to have always been complicated by the fact that she was his sire. Marriage or not, and passions aside, they were forever tied together by the blood she shared with him. I think he would have seen her as always being "stronger" than he was.

Up until the point of this reflection, I don't think he had even considered his own independence and what it meant -- the only freedom that mattered was that of the little girl.

[MoonShadow]

Lovely! Just lovely.

All the way through this Mick's voice is spot on.
thanks lady!

[darkstarrising]

Beautiful and haunting all at once, Lilly....

It was the second time I enlisted with stars in my eyes.

And neither time did he know what he was getting in for.

The war would end, but his tie to Coraline would always be there.

[Lilly]

Thank you so much, MoonShadow and dsr! I truly appreciate your comments.

[Lilly]

I can't believe it's been 5 years since I posted this. I'm just going to give it a little bump today...

[cassysj]

I don't think I saw this five years ago. Packs a punch in very few words. Mick is really dealing with a lot of emotions here.

[allegrita]

I really, really love this. It's a perfect little piece of Mick, like a voiceover. I can hear him speaking. And I just want to give him a hug.

[librarian_7]

I had forgotten this one. And in a way, that's great--because it was like reading it for the first time. What an emotional gut punch.

Splendid!