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I cross a line

“You will find him at Dunkeld; gentle and tractable he wanders up the hills, and through the wood, or sits listening beside the waterfall. You may see him--his hair stuck with wild flowers--his eyes full of untraceable meaning--his voice broken--his person wasted to a shadow. He plucks flowers and weeds, and weaves chaplets of them, or sails yellow leaves and bits of bark on the stream, rejoicing in their safety, or weeping at their wreck.” From The Last Man

“…the poet would take a fleet of paper boats, prepared for him by Mary, to sail in the pond, or he would twist paper up to serve the purpose--it must have been a relaxation from his projects of Reform.” From Mrs. Shelley

I have not read past this portion of The Last Man, but the description of the exiled Earl in his madness reminded me poignantly of Ophelia. The narrator, Lionel, is about to embark on a quest to restore the Earl, who is rumored to be held captive. Lionel was formerly a ruffian restored to goodness by Adrian’s benevolent influence, and there followed an intense friendship between them. Lionel has not seen Adrian for some years.

In addition, the passage reminded me of something I read in Mrs. Shelley. According to the author, the character Adrian was much fashioned after Shelley. I actually find the resemblance smacks one in the head at times.

The story enters my imagination so that I find myself with a clear and ready scene of what I would like to happen when Lionel finds Adrian. My scene is so clear to me that I wonder what it will be like to read what really happens.

I guess this would be yaoi fan fiction of Mary Shelley's The Last Man. I wonder if I am the first person to ever write such a thing.

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