monday.

[sunfright]

An introduction to the story I want to write after X-mas...

Very tentative working title is "Symbolically" which is probably more to my benefit than to the story's and will without a doubt get changed as we go. No idea what it might end up being called, though.

Introductions to the MC I did for RP, but which describe her pretty well go like this:

If she were a heroine in a novel, it would be a symbolist work depicting the coming of age of two different girls, bosom buddies, that once believed in the same story of guardian angels, but as they grew older, only one retained the belief, while the other outgrew it - and resultantly, they outgrew each other. In the end, however, the girl who held on to the faith was visited by her guardian angel who would guide her onwards into a life of true happiness.

And -

Madeleine lost her parents when she was six years old, moving in with her aunt, an extremely stern and pious woman but also rather eccentric, in a Parisian townhouse where she would continue to live until she turned 20. Next door lived another girl, the same age, Marie-Louise Léandre, who would become Madeleine's bosom buddy and closest confidante. As they grew up together, building a whole imaginary world around Madeleine's aunt's stories of guardian angels in which they each had their own, Madeleine Jophiel - the feminine-presenting angel of beauty and Marie-Louise, Adriel. Madeleine fantasized about sharing her whole life with Marie-Louise, living with her in a house somewhere in peace and being protected by God. However, as they became young adults, Marie-Louise began taking an interest in the men they were introduced to at the balls they attended and one day, she confessed that she no longer truly believed in the childish notion of guardian angels, but had recently got engaged and would marry within a year, moving away from Paris. Madeleine's world shattered. As she despaired, however, her guardian angel visited her and told her that her road from here led to the convent at Sacre Coeur. She was to become a nun and in that firm and eternal sisterhood where no one ever married any mortal man, she would finally be happy.

Since my claim will be nine prompts (center square formation), I'll have the following nine prompts, one for each of my planned nine chapters: BEAUTIFUL / ABANDONMENT / TOUCH / SACRIFICE / SONG INSPIRED (WILD CARD) / FIRE / WATER / EPISTOLARY / VIVID.

So far, my outline for the fic goes something like this. It's very rough and I only know some of the main events, detailed symbolism and such not even touched upon, but here it is:

CHAPTER I: (Beautiful) How their friendship looked before; her thoughts on Marie-Louise, their shared angelic landscapes.
CHAPTER II: (Song Inspired - Chaminade’s Arabesque no. 1) Growing up, debuting, being friends among other people; the difference between that and their private lives.
CHAPTER III: (Abandonment) Marie-Louise reveals that she has gotten engaged and will be marrying within a year, moving to her fiancé’s country house far from Paris. Madeleine’s world shatters.
CHAPTER IV: (Sacrifice) Madeleine comes to terms with Marie-Louise’s choice and what it means in relation to their friendship; that it never meant the same to her that it did to Madeleine. Many moments alone in contemplation.
CHAPTER V: (Epistolary) Reflection upon a particular moment once in which they touched and Madeleine knew her feelings for Marie-Louise. A memory, written in a letter that will never be sent.
CHAPTER VI: (Fire) She begins seeing her angels in the fire (symbolizing passion) and embraces their presence in her world.
CHAPTER VII: (Water) She, then, begins seeing her angels in the water that quenches passion and embraces their presence there as well.
CHAPTER VIII: (Touch) Madeleine begins feeling gentle, angelic touches to her hair, cheeks and shoulders as she works through her daily life, comforting her and soothing her worries and her pain. A contrast to Marie-Louise’s touch that gave nothing but heartache.
CHAPTER IX: (Vivid) Finally, one day, Madeleine sees her guardian angel Jophiel vividly before her and the angel tells her what she must do from here on out. Become a nun and find firm, unbreakable friendship among her sisters in the faith.

That's the idea. Now I just need to do a lot of angelology research and general historical research (the fic takes place between 1904-1905, nearing the end of the French Belle Époque), read a fuck-ton of Vivien and get cracking.

Though, first and foremost, I probably need to get X-mas over with, so I don't have to deal with quite so much stress. That would be the best place to start.