Shar and Prynn

[dispatcher812]

I am currently reading Paths of Disharmany and a reference is made to Shar and Prynn and Shar getting the locket from her. What book did that happen in? I remember the locket but not when it happened.

 

[21Spike65]

I believe it was in the Worlds of Deep Space story, Andor: Paradigm.

 

[Turtletrekker]

^Yup.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Except that I thought it happened the other way round - that she got the locket from him, not him from her.

.

 

[21Spike65]

^Yeah, I think you're right about that. Didn't she send it back to him in Paths of Disharmony?

 

[DS9Continuing]

I thought he gave it to her at the end of Paradigm. Or at least sent it to her - didn't she open it up when she was sunbathing on the beach with Matthias? But by the time of Paths of Disharmony, it was her who had given it to him. I don't think there was any sending back of the shapla - I think it was just a continuity error. Unless I'm completely misremembering.

.

 

[21Spike65]

Nope, she sent it back in Paths of Disharmony. From page 69 (bold is my own addition):

[Shar] turned his attention to the object he now held, and which had been waiting for him upon his arrival earlier this morning.
...It was a shapla, a traditional Andorian betrothal symbol, which he found upon opening to contain a lock of dark hair, its color and texture making it obvious that it could not have come from any Andorian. It had been intertwined with a similar segment of thicker, stark-white hair. Any lingering doubt as to the symbol's meaning was erased by the small paper note he had found tucked inside the locket, with a single word written by his own hand: Someday.

 

[Thrawn]

Meaning no more "someday"? It's over?

I actually read this book, but I can't remember that scene for the life of me.

 

[21Spike65]

It seems to be more of a reminder from Prynn, maybe a question of when "someday" will come. It looks like she entwined some of her own hair with his before sending it back to him, which doesn't really send a "I'm sick of waiting" message. Shar goes on to question why he had never contacted her in all this time, realizes he still has feelings for her and says that "Any concerns that she might not feel the same way seemed to dissolve in the face of the shapla in his hand."

Of course before that goes any farther, an alarm sounds as intruders manage to get into the compound, so that's as much as we get. It all happened in about two pages, so it's not surprising that you don't remember it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

It looks like she entwined some of her own hair with his before sending it back to him

Exactly. Sending it back that way, with Shar's own note, is kinda like "Ditto" in the movie "Ghost". It sounds like someone can't be bothered returning the sentiment with the same intensity, and yet that there is still special meaning in the shorthand for both partners.

 

[DS9Continuing]

Nope, she sent it back in Paths of Disharmony. From page 69 (bold is my own addition):

[Shar] turned his attention to the object he now held, and which had been waiting for him upon his arrival earlier this morning.
...It was a shapla, a traditional Andorian betrothal symbol, which he found upon opening to contain a lock of dark hair, its color and texture making it obvious that it could not have come from any Andorian. It had been intertwined with a similar segment of thicker, stark-white hair. Any lingering doubt as to the symbol's meaning was erased by the small paper note he had found tucked inside the locket, with a single word written by his own hand: Someday.

Ah well, in that case, I completely screwed up my fanfic. I read PoD as saying that Prynn had sent the shapla to him in the first place, and thought that was a continuity error from the Paradigm version but since it came later it superceded the Paradigm version and therefore based my fanfic on the later PoD version. Whereas it turns out in fact the Paradigm version was right all along.

Balls.

.

 

[dispatcher812]

Thanks everyone. With your help I was able to go back and find the passage where Prynn receives it.

 

[Elias Vaughn]

Am I really the only one that thinks that if Prynn were reiterating the sentiment, she would have written the one word in her own handwriting?

I really did read this as she was tired of waiting so she sent him his stuff back, but that's me.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I really did read this as she was tired of waiting so she sent him his stuff back, but that's me.

Pessimist!

She would have separated the hair samples first.