The Sartain Literary Review

Art Wench: So.... yes or no? C'mon... you know you wanna.... >=) Everybody's doing it... It'll make you feel good...

Cindy: I'd rather not get into what would make me feel good in a public forum, thanks. :> (Er... Mark in a corset would be a nice start, tho.) Yes, of course, yes yes yes! *lights a cigarette*

Art Wench: O_O .....Oh my.... there's no need to get that excited.

Mark: *haughty look* That's not necessarily true. After all, I am one of the critics. >=)

Art Wench: *rolling eyes* Right. Okay, submitted for your reading pleasure - we have the latest issue of the Sartain Literary Review. I tried to talk Mark into wearing a corset during the review, just for you, Cindy, but for some strange reason he totally objected to that idea. ^_^ Oh well... We are currently reviewing "Children of the Rain", by Cindy Rosenthal. Enjoy!

Davy: *turning towards Mark* Okay, what's the story with people wanting to see you in women's underwear? First Tess, now Cindy. Do I even want to know what that's all about?

Mark: No. You don't. =\ *ahem*

Davy: *shrug* Works for me.

Mark: I can hear you thinking. Stop it. >=(

Davy: I was just wondering if this was a drunken thing. And if there are pictures. And the blackmail possibilities. I'm sure this involves Aerael in some way. If it does, I'll find out sooner or later. He'll tell Io, Io will tell me, I'll call the gossip columnists -

Mark: And then I will snap your scrawny little neck.

Davy: You're not allowed. ^_^ So what are you planning to do for me to keep me quiet?

Mark: Excuse me? Did I just miss something? Keep you quiet about what?

Davy: I have no idea - but it's gotta be good. You have this look on your face like you bit into a tinfoil sandwich or something.

Mark: >=( I most certainly do not! And what's gotten into you? I swear, ever since you finally got laid you've been acting like a little shit!

Davy: *blush* Hey, that has absolutely nothing to do with it!

Mark: Oh really? I find that hard to believe. Does the Fluffy One have you all convinced that you're The Man now?

Davy: *mildly* I don't know, you tell me. Has Aerael made you his bitch yet?

Mark: *standing up* All right, that's it! I can't work under these conditions! *starts to storm away, and pauses and gives the art wench a suspicious look* What are you drawing?

Art Wench: *trying unsuccessfully to hide doodles* Who, me? Nothing. Hey!!!

Mark: *snatching pics* What the hell??

Art Wench: Um... ah... well, they're um... designs.

Mark: *raising brow* I am aware of that. I was just wondering why your designs bear a remarkable resemblance to me.

Art Wench: Well, I thought that everyone might like a 11.5 inch Markkastanen Sartain fashion doll, with removable wings. I figure I get so many requests for you wearing this or that, that if I just made you into a dolly, everyone could dress you any way they want, and I could move on to other things.

Mark: ...........

Art Wench: Hey, it was just an idea. Jeez...

Mark: *gestures and drawings go up in flame* Can we get on with the review now? I've had it up to here *gesture* with the both of you.

Art Wench: >=( We love you too, Mark. And I swear, if you burn another one of my drawings, I'll give you donkey ears and buck teeth. Now go, scurry, do your thing.

Mark: *deep sigh* Very well. Children of the Rain... a veritable visual treat.

Davy: And yet, there's a certain simplicity, a lack of wordiness, that makes it simply flow...

Mark: Not to mention, the twins have marvelous fashion sense. *smirk*

Davy: Uh, right, there's that. Structurally, it seems as if this story could be used as a set up for something bigger, there's a sense that there's so many stories nested in this one...

Mark: And yet, it also stands alone very easily.

Davy: There's also the idea of cities being personified, of being born, of maturing, and then, the decline.

Mark: What I find interesting is that Miss Rosenthal uses the rain to tie this all together... when the rain ends, so does the city, hence the twins, Ry and Pix. I'm intrigued by the concept of the sun bringing about their destruction. Are we meant to take this in a literal sense?

Davy: Yeah, that is kinda weird, huh? Is it literal weather? Or is it a more symbolic thing, a passing of seasons or cycles?

Mark: Yes, that makes a huge difference, doesn't it? If it's merely a symbolic statement, than it could be any large city - it could be London, Rome, anything. If it's a literal statement, then we're venturing into the land of sci-fi or fantasy possibly. An alien world that is always hidden beneath clouds, or a city of the undead. *sigh* I don't really care for vampire stories.

Davy: That sounds kinda silly, coming from another vampire.

Mark: *lip curling* Don't start with me, boy. My tastes are my own, and I don't have to defend or justify them to the likes of you or anyone else.

Davy: Hey, I was only saying -

Mark: Well then don't say, okay? I don't want to hear another word coming from your direction. You irritate me.

Davy: *crossing his arms* Fine.

*there's a moment of silence, and then an increasingly mischievous look creeps across Davy's face. Finally, he can resist no longer.*

Davy: *looks at Mark* WORD! *leaps out of his chair, starts running*

Mark: *starting out of his own chair with a snarl* That's it, you little smart ass!

Art Wench: One moment, Mark, if you please.

Mark: Yes?

Art Wench: The closing?

Mark: Ah... Of course. You have just been subjected to another edition of the Sartain Literary Review. I'm Markkastanen Sartain (as if you didn't know!), and that Chaos-damned idiot that just ran for his life was the soon-to-be-rendered-unrecognizable Adavidarian Sartain, and this concludes our show. Good night. *vanishes*