Fic speculation.... titles and the resulting ideas.

Sometimes when I see a fanfiction with a particular title or summary, I instantly envision the story in my mind: how I'd write it, what it would be about, the character arcs and the subtle themes and everything fun in between. Often when I actually read the fic I'm disappointed because it's not the idealized version in my brain, or it's totally different, or it's bad, or it's pretty good but I just wish they'd tweak one thing or the other. It's a bit like seeing fic prompts.

Sometimes I browse The Pit or LJ comms and just imagine what the story would be, and don't read the actual fic at all. I got an instant vibe from this Naruto fic, for example:

The Ronin and the Queen
Summary: Hatake Kakashi had entered through that door many times in his long gone past. It was the same door he quietly left through six years before. It was the same door where he made his peace with all his choices and walked away. kakasaku.


I haven't read the fic and haven't the slightest idea what it's about. But I'll tell you what the fic in my head is about.

In my head, the title "The Ronin and the Queen" is about a love story set fifteen years in Konoha's future. Haruno Sakura reigns as the Hokage, a position she's held with steel and courage for four years without the interruption of war or recession. She's thirty-one, not a girl by any standards, and she's the first kage the Haruno family has ever produced. People whisper that she learned at the right arm of Tsunade, that the legendary Nine Tails was her first lover, that she's going to be the Hokage for decades because her skill at medical jutsu is so advanced she simply can't be killed.

It is a bit of exaggeration, sure, but the Hokage appreciates theater and understands the value of a vaulted reputation. She's in the height of her power, her village is still healing fifteen years after The Decimation, and she's speculating on ways to improve the music culture of Konoha, because she likes music, dammit, and she feels very strongly that it could be a therapeutic tool for disillusioned and emotionally withdrawn shinobi. She's considering forcing all of the current ANBU members to take up an instrument, and if one or two of them are so overcome by the joy of music that they gain a new respect for human life then she'd rather not have them on her assassination squad anyway.

But her days of prosperity and peace can't last forever, because a civil war is brewing in Grass Country that threatens to destabilize the balance of power between all the nations within a thousand mile radius. Her village is short on warriors but strong in knowledge and skill, tools they will need to survive the first world war their land has ever faced. And that means she needs to summon the ninja who has been on sabbatical in that corner of the world for four years. A man who requested a leave of absence the very day she took office, for reasons he refused to explain and she declined to demand. What had taken place in the last four years of Copy Nin Kakashi's life was a mystery to Sakura, but war was coming and it was time to call her soldiers home.

She just doesn't expect that he'll arrive on her doorstep with his entire forgotten clan--all two hundred and thirty-two of them. And their children. And their weapons. And their pets and screaming babies and wholly new methods for killing people.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," he says. "I brought you a souvenir."

"Who are they?"

"Eh, just people I met along the way. The Hatake clan and some of our cousins."

"This looks like half the shinobi of the Hidden Creek Village."

"Hmmm, it does, doesn't it? Funny coincidence. You should send a messenger and see if they woke up missing anything this morning."

On we go!

I didn't tear up until the Navy chorus sang the national anthem, and they were only Clinton-in-the-media tears that never left the twinkle of my eye, but it was a moving ceremony all around. Great speech with plenty of romantic prose.

At first I thought Obama blanked on the oath because he was momentarily overwhelmed (who wouldn't be?) but the news anchors at ABC said it was because the Chief Justice switched the traditional word order of that clause. Even so, Obama jumped a little early on the first line. I can't begin to imagine how nervous, excited, or unreal he must have felt at that moment. It was certainly amazing from my end.

I was listening to the innaugural poem (pretty!), and the one persistent thought in my head was the memory of a poem I wrote for a class using the inclusive royal "we", and how thoroughly my grad student Intro to Poetry Writing instructor chewed me out for using it, as a device that's pompous and distant. Well, this lady did it! For Obama! So take that, stupid man I can't remember from college.

As arafel said, thanks for the part about restoring science to its rightful place (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for that sentiment) and also for the shout-out to nonbelievers. Atheism represent!

If I heard the news folks right, they said the distance the crowd covered between the monuments was two miles. Two miles of people.

I'm trying to make fudge while I watch. It's so slooooooooooow.

Has anyone else who's watched the news today felt: "Wow, this is just like The West Wing! But better."

I wonder if finally we've gotten our liberal, erudite, charming reformer after all.

I get your white bird and new shirt, a flag pit and song
upbeat with a queue sheet and we all can sing along.
But what will you remember once this chorus is gone?
I make you this promise: That if it's meant to be,
what you deal don't matter, I will be your legacy.
And I might die trying but at least I'll die free.

So rock me Obama til I can't complain
Rock me Obama with your middle name
Ooh, Obama rock me