Any of you mythology buffs will likely see a flaw in this chapter. I think Atropos is actually supposed to be the oldest Fate, but I've made her the youngest. As I see it, my story has given her a pretty boring job compared to her sisters. Whereas, in my story, Lachesis and Clotho have demanding jobs that require continuous adjustments, the only thing Atropos has to do is cut threads and, in this story, there aren't many threads to be cut! So, in order to give Atropos a purpose, I've tried to give her the most dramatic, excitable personality of the three. You'll see more of this later. Having given her this nature, it makes her seem younger to me, compared to her no-nonsense sisters. Plus, it seems pretty typical for older sisters to stick the youngest with the lamest job. So for the purposes of this story, Atropos is the youngest. I feel OK about this misrepresentation since I've used a few others already and no one's complained. For example, traditionally, Lachesis doesn't use a loom and doesn't weave threads (she only measures them) and Clotho doesn't use a spinning wheel (she uses a spindle) and doesn't spin yarn with colours.
I never remember to mention this... until today: I don't own these characters. I don't own the basic plot. But none of you thought I did, right? The only things I own are the way the story is worded in rhymes, and the extra scenes that didn't appear on the show. Yadda, yadda.
Now on with the chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you think.
2.22c
Olympus, meanwhile, was quite unaware
What mortals were up to on earth way down there.
The hearing went on as on Fates discussed.
For Lorelai's heart, they quibbled and fussed.
Both Clotho's opinion and that of Atropos
Drew a quite a large crowd, as Gods grew to focus.
The cases they'd heard, both Chris's and Luke's,
Were solemn when stated and met no rebukes.
Exhibits were tendered (all named A through P)
Which detailed their interests, their goals, history,
Their heart-warming thoughts (first Luke's and then Chris's),
Imagined and actual touches and kisses.
Those traits that good Lorelai thought were the best
And features of each which made her impressed
Were weighed against traits which conflicts did find
When their traits with Lorelai's each were combined.
Atropos then sought to deal final blow
By submitting facts under Exhibit O.
To all the Gods present, this Fate explained how
Something would change near nine months from now.
A murmur went up throughout all who'd gathered.
Some Gods were surprised, some Goddesses shattered.
Lachesis called out to regain some order,
But found she, herself, the news was a snorter!
Each Fate swayed the Gods and conjured up sparks
By tugging their heartstrings with closing remarks.
Their cases were equally strong, through fine speech,
And each Goddess there saw virtue in each.
While Clotho felt good about her own case,
She thought that her sister, perhaps, won the race.
She thought that Atropos the victory stole
With final exhibit, her Ace in the hole.
Lachesis did listen and solemnly judge
Then made her decision and deigned not to budge.
Then nodded Lachesis and took hold of threads.
She held her own verdict, but over their heads.
And then did Lachesis make haste to her work
While all others present did look 'round berserk.
"But which is the man with whom she will be?"
Lachesis replied, "My Sisters, you'll see!"
The Gods and the Goddesses, all 'cept Lachesis,
Did grumble and groan that she'd remained speechless.
The throng from the room Lachesis then steered.
And, after a moment, the courtroom was cleared.
Now Clotho, with sister Atropos, did share
A look of exhaustion, a look of despair.
Then listlessly Clotho, while wearing a frown,
Shrugged both her shoulders and then she looked down.
She sought out good Lorelai, pondering plot,
But sight of that Gilmore was not all she got!
And seeing a scene, she had an attack!
Right there in Stars Hollow, that Jess had come back!
She gasped. "Look there Attie! Just look at the scene
Of Rory and Jess so close on the green!
Lachesis come quickly! Something's gone wrong!"
Lachesis dropped skeins and hurried along.
"My Gods! Jess is there and look where he stands!
There in Stars Hollow, upon the Inn's lands!"
"But how did he get there? His thread was all tied.
How left he the city?" then Clotho replied.
"The way that he got there is not the concern.
The way we can fix this is what we must learn!
Come look at her eyes. They sparkle with glee!
This Jess's return could disastrous be!"
Since Rory had seen him, she quickly went over
Across the green grass and pretty new clover.
From Heaven above, the La-la-la's rang,
As blissfully ignorant seraphim sang.
The Fates rued the sound. Wished singing would cease.
To deal with this matter they needed some peace.
But what could they do since Rory had seen
The boy that she loved had arrived on the scene?
Then questioned the girl why Jess had drawn near.
"What-" struggled Rory, "Why are you here?"
The Fates had a sinking suspicion they knew
What he'd have a mind to suddenly do.
Said Clotho to others, "I'll lighten the red
Of fibres I've spun within Jess's thread!
The change to his palette should make him more meek.
Advances t'ward Rory he'll less likely seek!"
Then Clotho abruptly did turn to her right,
So blind to her sisters in all of her fright,
And beeline she made straight into the track
Of sister Atropos, with kind of a smack!
Then tumbled the Sisters down, onto the floor,
And grumbling something became their rapport.
"Ow!" did Atropos cry out and then grieve.
Lachesis her sisters, from floor, set to heave.
The Fates scrambled 'round to right their collision,
Lachesis's hand a handy provision,
While, down there on earth, Jess said he'd moved back
And, with proclamation, brought all back on track.
Lachesis shrieked, "What? But how could this be?"
To each of her sisters she made inquiry,
"Did you know of this? Did you see it coming?"
She placed hand on heart, incessantly drumming.
But Rory just stared at the boy's earnest features.
He seemed the most sweet of all the earth's creatures.
And though Rory's tongue was tied in a tie
She managed to murmur to Jess, "But... what... why?"
The meaning for this she needed to know
Since surely her fantasies couldn't be so!
But, in Jess's eyes, a warmness did brew
When said he so simply, "I just wanted to."
Then all Rory's wants came into her head
And more into motives she suddenly read.
The daydreams she'd had, throughout the long week
Now grappled supremely to mind's forefront seek!
His gaze took a hold and warmed her throughout
And suddenly Rory felt, without a doubt,
That Jess had returned, as she had hoped dear,
So he could, to her, be that much more near.
To curb his red fibres did Clotho still push,
While awkwardly moving and rubbing her tush.
Lachesis, however, had looked down and said,
With fear in her heart, "It's too late for red!"
"Some silver!" did panicked Lachesis then cry.
So, to this new task, did Clotho comply.
"The silver distracts. We need some right now!
We need some distraction! We need it! And how!"
"Quick!" shrieked Atropos, while desperately viewing
(And secretly gleeful at all that was brewing).
So Clotho, her cupboards, then opened and closed
But finding the silver some obstacles posed.
But finally silver her searching produced
And spun she some silver to distraction boost.
Her sister Lachesis took Clotho's new work
And shiny new ribbons she twisted, berserk.
She fashioned some bright and flashy new strings
And, tethered on ends, some dangly things.
She dangled the ribbons, both this way and that.
As though she were playing with two little cats.
In front of the mortals, threads tempted like carrots,
Yet silver, it seemed, was missing some merits.
Of shiny distractions they witnessed no trace,
As Rory imagined a stolen embrace.
Some passions now coursed through all Rory's veins
And, in her new vigour, she'd thrown off her reins
To take some quick steps, despite all the harms,
And wrap 'round her Jess with both of her arms.
And having done this, her lips would now press
Upon the two lips of startled young Jess.
But, once he caught on, returned he the favour
As their first true kiss he started to savour.
The Sisters cried out all synchronously:
Poor Clotho yelled, "No! This just cannot be!"
"Oh No!," wailed Lachesis. "We found him too late!"
Atropos, cheered, "Yes! Took Rory the bait!"
The Sisters, to youngest, then turned with a shock.
Atropos, in shame, their gazes did block.
"'My Gods!' was my meaning," Atropos corrected.
In her pretty eyes was restraint now reflected.
Lachesis raised brow at youngest of sisters
But speaking her mind would result in tongue twisters.
So, shaking her head, to Clotho she sung,
"I wish we'd had time to hamper his tongue!
"It's too late for silver. The kissing's occurred."
Then Clotho rubbed temples and sadly concurred.
"So what do we do?" Lachesis did moan.
Atropos watched on as Clotho did groan.
In Heaven-on-Earth, the kiss did persist
As Rory's advances did Jess not resist.
His hankering hands dared wrap then around
As his love for her began to abound.
As elder Fates spoke, solutions were weighed
And spoke they of how their two were dismayed
That she had forgotten to think of her Dean.
By Clotho an option was suddenly seen.
And swift to her skein, in hope, Clotho flew
To add to it fibres of vibrant true blue
So Rory would think and then realize
She shouldn't be kissing this one of her guys.
So, though Jess's arms wrapped 'round her so right
And though his warm lips awakened delight,
The meaning of actions now came into sight
And Rory pulled from him with all of her might.
The Sisters' insistence young Rory then heard
And then she bid Jess to not say a word.
And then 'cross the grass, from him, the girl trotted.
A course to her mother the Fates, for her, plotted.
Since Jess hadn't stayed where he had been put,
Their previous plans were rendered kaput.
Since Rory, they'd found, was often more pliable,
A new plan, for her, might be more reliable.
So, though running mates had secured the support
Of Chilton's school band, their duo fell short.
Opponents, in votes, they hadn't surmounted.
But Fates had a plan that the votes be recounted.
So, quick as can be, the Fates rigged the race
So Paris and Rory would soon leave this place
And spend summer months in Washington town
So Rory's new passions could soon simmer down.
Seemed Rory's new yellow had, just now, kicked in
And thoughts of her love now coursed deep within.
For Rory, Lachesis laid out a campaign
To hamper her tongue and those passions restrain.
"And what of poor Jess, while sitting at home?"
Atropos then asked, her heart in maelstrom.
"Pursuing this course, you must both foresee
When Rory won't call, then hurt he will be!"
"His passions, arisen, we'll set out to quell.
We must calm him down, distract him as well.
We'll fashion some silver to get him to write
And stories he crafts will be his delight."
Lachesis sat down in front of her loom
And quickly, her work, the Fate did resume.
And once all the threads were set in the plan,
The work she'd done prior she started to scan.
She looked to the night when things first went wrong.
The weave showed that Jess did, in City, belong.
To send Jess to Liz and put the plot right,
Lachesis had worked late into that night.
Lachesis remembered her frantic re-weaving
And rubbed at her temples, no headache relieving.
Now somewhere in fabric a rogue thread did wrap
Perhaps far too tightly, perhaps with a gap.
Lachesis searched closely for error and groaned.
Not seeing her blunder, she suddenly moaned,
"I don't know what happened or how threads were mired!
But that settles it! I can't work when I'm tired!"
Wow. Over 40 visits to Chapter 15 and not one single review for it. Seriously? No one thought the last chapter was interesting in any way at all? Why do people read it if it isn't interesting?
Now, having said all that, I did get an amazing review for Chapter 10 from a wonderful anonymous reader. Thank you so much, anonymous reader! You have restored my faith in the world!
Since the "pretty pleases" don't seem to be doing anything, maybe a friendly guilt trip will.
I spent 12 hours in 2 days, ignoring the people who care about me, so that I could finish 2.22b and 2.22c. That's not including the many uncounted hours I've worked on these chapters since I started them over 5 months ago. I spent a further 6 hours yesterday plugging along at other chapters coming up.
A review only takes 5 minutes. Just sayin'.
Oh well, at least I'm enjoying the process lately. At least I'm pleasing myself. It's marvellous having time off work so that I can dedicate so much time to a silly, pointless hobby.
If you thought this chapter was in any way interesting, or noteworthy, or stupid, or good, or anything, please drop me a line. Especially let me know if the action is moving along too slowly. I've been trying to write segues between sections, but if the segues aren't necessary, then maybe I can cut corners there so that I can just finish this silly project already!