Poetry: Jeeves & the Violet: Gen

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Title: Jeeves & the Violet
Rating: Gen
Length: 500
Notes: Fusion; Violet Hunter (COPP)/Reginald Jeeves (Jeeves & Wooster)
Poetic Form: Quintilla (x 16)
Author’s Note: A Valentine for debriswoman. It also happily fit with the month’s prompt. For anyone who doesn’t know, I am doing Valentine ficlets for anyone who wants one using phrases from my box of conversation lozenges as prompts. If you’d like to play, let me know in the comments.


Miss Violet Hunter, head of school,
had many codes but just one rule.
She shepherded her lambs with care,
attended matters miniscule,
but never, ever cut her hair.

One day, a tiny tempest swirled
into Miss Hunter’s ordered world.
Before the school, a carriage crashed,
and from its bow, a lord was hurled.
The teachers screamed. The pupils dashed.

Miss Hunter followed in their wake,
concerned life, limb might be at stake.
From carriage wrecked and scene disturbed
emerged one jolly, muddy rake
and gent’s own gent most unperturbed.

“What ho, what ho!” the rake exclaimed.
“Old Yaxley’s Lord, though Bertie named.”
He smoothed his hair. He brushed his sleeves.
“Don’t fret. Just bent. Nothing maimed.
And this, you see, is my man Jeeves.”

“This time machine’s bit rummy, no?
To make the thingagummy go
is nothing like my two-seater.
Just hang on tight, cry, ‘Mummy! Whoa!’
Then, ‘What, ho!’ on quick repeater.”

Some girls a-titter, some agog.
most teachers staring, in a fog
Miss Hunter solemnly took charge,
invited rake and gent’s stuffed frog
to school. ‘Not types to be at large.’

Miss Hunter thought. The rake’s odd charm
did much to gallantly disarm
with jaunty step and curious tongue
the fears and doubts of miss and marm.
And very soon, heads, hearts were won.

Miss Hunter herself much preferred
a company much less absurd,
so whilst the valet tended clothes
Miss Vi stood by, chatted, observed
‘There’s quite a lot this man Jeeves knows.’

The lord was forced to wear, meantime,
Nick’s robe from Christmas pantomime,
not having garb for gents about.
He feasted, frolicked, looked sublime.
and even passed term prizes out!

Miss Hunter showed Jeeves ‘round the grounds.
Affection grew by leaps and bounds,
exchange of wisdoms practical
whilst ol’ St. Nick taught ‘hare and hounds’
and whatzits most didactical.

A picnic followed, then some songs
‘Minnie Moocher’ in flutes and gongs.
Then master bid their steed set right.
“One must return where one belongs.”
A sad-eyed Jeeves said, “Yes, sir. Quite.”

Miss Hunter watched Jeeves fix the coach
and felt, for once, the need to broach
her murky past ‘mongst copper trees.
The tale was told without reproach,
but brought the valet to his knees.

“Les mots justes, I’m compelled to say,
vous êtes une femme formidable.”
Miss Hunter blushed. He took her hand.
“I wish—" he said. Said she, “Don’t stay.
He’d miss you more. I understand.”

At guests’ farewell, all were waving,
brimmed with ways of misbehaving
“Home, Jeeves! No horses shall you spare!”
Stiff nods ‘twas all hearts dared braving
ere coach became a puff of air.

The days were long, with vexation
Then there he was! With elation,
he smiled, then bowed, bid, “May I stay?”
then offering curt explanation:
“He took up the banjolele.”

Like hands inside well-tailored gloves,
like pairs of clever turtle doves,
they fit and met with much success.
And now each night Miss Hunter loves
that her long hair is deftly pressed.

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, very sweet!

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Debriswoman asked for 'a romance for one of the Violets' and the lozenge was 'MISS YOU.' I think that once Violet Hunter moved on from the Copper Beeches, she'd have as big a competency kink as you do :) So I tried to think of a pairing and this was the one that seemed to fit (time-travel notwithstanding).

[debriswoman]

This is utterly brilliant!
Such a great combination and deft rhyming.
Thank you so much:-)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I think that Violet's competency kink would rival our friend Hobbit's and the most competent beau I could think of was Jeeves! And I do like the idea of Bertie running around a girls' school making an ass of himself in a Father Christmas robe while Jeeves falls in love.

Also, I tried to see if with the quintilla the rhyme scene had to be the same for each stanza or just the same pattern. I couldn't manage the former with 16 stanzas so I hope it's the latter and I didn't see any metre prescribed. But a Wise Poet once told me that style shouldn't prevail over substance, so I shan't worry too much :)

[debriswoman]

Week significantly brightened:-)
Just read it again:-)

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Yea! :)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

This is an inspired crossover, and an inspired pairing ^___^


Favourite lines:

Well, all of those first two stanzas ^___^

And then:

From carriage wrecked and scene disturbed
emerged one jolly, muddy rake
and gent’s own gent most unperturbed.

He feasted, frolicked, looked sublime.
and even passed term prizes out! [I love that detail ^_^]

Miss Hunter showed Jeeves ‘round the grounds.
Affection grew by leaps and bounds,
exchange of wisdoms practical
whilst ol’ St. Nick taught ‘hare and hounds’
and whatzits most didactical.

“I wish—" he said. Said she, “Don’t stay.
He’d miss you more. I understand.”

he smiled, then bowed, bid, “May I stay?”
then offering curt explanation:
“He took up the banjolele.”

And now each night Miss Hunter loves
that her long hair is deftly pressed.

But it's all wonderful - great choice of rhyming words.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I did like the image of Bertie stuck wearing Father Christmas robes while his suit dried. And a lot of Jeeves and Wooster bits like Woosterism and the banjolele and "Minnie the Moocher" (from the TV show). And that Jeeves uses his superb ironing skills on Violet's Rapunzelesque hair is kind of a sweet image too. Thank you, thank you. Working on yours right now if I can stay awake *yawn*

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Oh my freaking Christ this is ADORABLE. Oh yes, if anyone besides Holmes was a worthy match for Miss Violet Hunter it's Jeeves.

And you had me at "gent's stuffed frog."

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Yes, the prompt was a romance with one of the Violets and I couldn't think of anyone that was competent enough in ACD canon for Miss Hunter, so I had to go a bit afield. I love Wodehouse's language. I think Jeeves was smitten at first sight, too.

[ennui-enigma.livejournal.com]

You did a lovely job fusing these two fandoms. It makes me want to brush up on my Jeeves and Wooster. It's been a while. Delightful rhyme and pace to your stanzas. A very fitting valentine for the lovely debriswoman.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

I love Bertie. He's so fun. And the language is so ripe. I picked out a few favourites, but really there are tons. Thank you! Yes, she wanted a romance with the one of the Violets and given how much she's done with the epic style story telling, I knew what I had to do. I just couldn't find anyone in ACD canon competent enough (to suit me) for Violet Hunter.

[ennui-enigma.livejournal.com]

I agree. The language is very ripe. There are so many Violets too in ACD canon. Perhaps Doyle had a fascination with both the flower, colour, and perchance, some love crush *shrug*. Jeeves is certainly a competent suitor.