ff.net is food for thought!

The fanfic is Mentalguru's "Connections", and I was the reader who made that suggestion, actually. I agree with you in that this is the first fic I've seen in which there is a believable and interesting relationship(not romantic at this point)between an older Mary and Randall, in the Human World. Mary is 17, and is a very intelligent, creative, determined and level-headed young woman, a far cry from the way most fanfic writers have depicted her as a teen(severely emo, Goth, self-mutilating, drug-addicted, abused, etc.). In a year, she will be a legal adult, and she's part of a secret organization of humans, mostly young people, who have taken it upon themselves to assist monsters stuck in the Human World, for whatever reason, and are up against some dark and secretive movement to convince the populace that monsters are evil and must be destroyed. I'll discuss this in greater detail when I get home; I've got to leave for work(school teacher), and have no computer access at work. Hopefully, the weather will permit me to get online for awhile once I'm home, since this is a topic I'd love to discuss.

pitbulllady

Pitbulllady - Great! Yes, I recognized your username and I knew you were the reviewer who had left that comment. Can't wait to read your discussion. I'm at work also but computer use for personal reasons is prohibited (shame on me), so I will contribute properly to the discussion as soon as I get home.

Have you actually READ the fanfic, Sean? Mary's character in this story is hardly concerned with what others think of her. She is not your stereotypical teen, concerned with fads and trends and being popular. She's well-liked, but that is because she's intelligent, level-headed and resourceful. She is very mature for her 17 years, and is part of a growing organized movement, analogous to the "Underground Railroad" of the pre-Civil War years, to help banished monsters in the Human World, and to try to gather public acceptance of monsters as our equals, as people in their own right, no matter how they look.

Mary's and Randall's personalities mesh perfectly, whether this was intended by the writer or not. She is calm, unfazed by most things, level-headed and has this uncanny ability to "defuse" Randall's temper. In those respects, she perfectly offsets his weaknesses. On the other hand, she is similar to him-smart, creative, determined, resourceful and brave-they're like "Ying" and "Yang", a perfect compliment to each other.

At the point in the story where the last chapter ends, Mary does not remember Randall, other than through subconscious memory. She does not remember Sulley, either, having moved from her house where he first knew her when she was four. Randall DOES remember her, though, and has realized that this young woman is that little kid he used to scare...and whom he very nearly used as a "Guinea pig" to test the Scream Extractor on. That is part of what makes this story so good-Randall is increasingly overwhelmed with guilt that his actions 15 years previous could have, intentionally or not, wound up killing the very individual who has saved him, nursed him back to health, and is still protecting him, and most of all, treats him like a PERSON and a friend, probably for the first time he's been treated like that in his entire life. It's obvious that they are becoming close friends and confidants, although there is sure to be conflict when Mary does finally find out who Randall is. I guess just how much conflict will depend on how close they've gotten by that point, and whether she finds out from HIM, or some other way, and realizes that he's known who she was all along and just didn't tell her. This story is set in the future, so who knows just what society will dictate is or is not acceptable by that point, and it's very much analogous to the race relations between different groups of humans in our world not so many decades ago, as there is a group who is trying to help monsters in our world, while another, more sinister group, tries to portray monsters as evil creatures who are out to do us harm and who must be stopped at all costs. There is a strong hint that both Randall and Mary will have to stick together to face danger from that latter group later on, and I can definitely see the potential for them to grow closer through that. Meanwhile, Sulley, back in the Monster World, is also overcome with guilt over what HE did to Randall, and wants to find out once and for all what Randall's ultimate fate really was, as well as obsessed with finding Mary, so it seems that at some point, his path will once again cross theirs. I'm really intrigued by the thought of him finally locating both of them...and discovering that his erstwhile rival and the little girl that he'd tried to "save" from said rival have met once again, and now have forged a very deep and unbreakable bond with one another, and yes, such a bond CAN happen, maybe not for just anybody, but as this fanfic was written, the chemistry between Randall and Mary was simply perfect.

pitbulllady

Note that I will eventually get to reading it someday...though currently I'm mostly swapped with three coming-up specials, a single project, and...well...the usual stuff ^_^;

And by what I mean in my post was just a...generalization of thoughts on a relationship between the two...

What do you mean "real world readers"?///
Oh you...changed it...I guess you did so it didn't appear insult-ish...well alright I think I get what you were saying now ^_^

I happen to be an avid reader at the M.I. section and had reviewed at least once to every piece on there Though unfortunately I had other matters to attend to so my reading was distracted.

Well complete understanding won't happen unfortunately, seeing as how humans were the first to cast the stone in turning away a hand Monsters gave to them so many years ago...

I felt to at least say something on a new member's first new thread instead of nothing

Well true, but that's what I was saying in general. The question was about a Mary/Randall relationship right?

Actually to show good grace, I paused my work and took a look at the first chapter and reviewed...quite impressed actually at MG's work...surprised at myself I didn't look at that first chapter...*coughs* Ahem anyway...I'll look on the chapters when I can and would give a better opinion as I go along.

Though I DO have a grudge against Sullivan's actions, I truely think he IS the kind to feel guilty for his actions. We may see some of that for Randall at the end there since, as MG showed in the story and others have, myself included, that when the topic of Boo comes up, Ran ain't far behind.
*looks up* Ran's told me that he knows Sullivan's probably guilty...but early on he added that's not enough...*shrugs* but that was years ago really...

Actually that's a good scenario RD ^_^ What I caught in the story is that, despite having parents of his own, Sullivan is reminded, thanks to his "friend", that he doesn't yet have a family of his own, and that he considered Boo a sort of daughter. And that he lost him well...is a loss.
*looks up* Actually imagined a part of Randall devilously reminding Sullivan of that fact. And if he became sort of Boo's protector, that would make things more interesting. Boo being protected by the one Sullivan had thought was trying to hurt her...and Boo would trust Randall more than Sullivan. And it's kind of a non-lethal revenge on Randall's part that Sullivan lost the relationship with her in turn for him.
Oh yes, quite a switcharoo really...
Whoa be careful about the idioit comment ^0^ Thankful Ran doesn't comment on the board much this past year ^0^ You know I asked him what he thought 15 years would be like out in the human world and...he was actually shocked 0_0 "15 years? I...wouldn't have been able to survive that long...". *nods* And in all honesty I can't see SULLIVAN being CEO for that long 0_o