[Fic] White Room

Title: White Room
Fandom: Highlander
Characters: Methos, Duncan
Word Count: 600
Rating: PG
Summary: Methos gets Duncan into trouble. Again. (I really need to re-watch these episodes.)

There was a kind of silence to the room that made it hard to speak first. It wasn't threatening or oppressive, or even heavy, but it was the kind of room that was used to silence and speaking into it gave the impression that one was committing a slight faux pas in the social order of things.

Silence was sterile, and everything in here was white and chrome and polished tile, cleaned and neat. All the tools were laid out on their trays, the tables had been scrubbed down, the lights were dimmed to an unoccupied faint light. Everything was in its place in the cabinets or the cupboards, and all the drawers were shut and locked. It was a peaceful place to be. Or it would have been, except for the rhythmic thumping coming from the left. Bare flesh against metal, that's what it sounded like.

And laughter. There was definitely laughter in the room.

It rose and faded a little, quiet except for the fact that it was echoing in the metal that surrounded it. And even if the laughter was muted it carried through the room and possibly would have slid into the hallway if the door was open. The thumping increased for a moment, and the laughter fell quiet. And then there was something very like a groan.

"Duncan?"

Silence. Then more laughter.

"Shut up!"

Even more laughter. Giggling, actually. Breathless giggling and the sounds of something that wasn't a struggle, maybe someone trying to roll over just so he could breathe. The atmosphere in the room roiled between grumpy and giggling.

"Stop laughing." Duncan sighed. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"Oh, you loved it."

The silence was broken not by giggles, now, only by the rhythmic thumping. A foot trying to kick open the door. A fist trying to break the lock.

"Are they back yet?"

Sardonic tones replied. "I think if they were back you'd hear it by the sounds of them screaming."

"Oh, shut up."

It was probably true. No one expected thumping from a morgue drawer. No one except the horror movie fans, maybe. And even the bravest horror movie fanatic would run screaming from a morgue drawer that was thumping with life inside. Perhaps he would run especially fast, with a more acute vision of what might be in there.

"You're supposed to be a corpse, MacLeod…"

"I get it, I get it."

The other man giggled again. There was a shifting sound from inside his cabinet, as though he had discarded thumping out of hand as a bad idea and was attempting to pry out the hinges.

"You could find this a little less funny, you know."

"Oh come on, this is hysterical."

"This is going to get us in big trouble. What happens when someone comes down and finds us here?"

The man sighed. "They'll either think we're ghosts and faint, or they'll glare and ask us what medical school we're from so we can get reported for this stupid prank."

There was a grunt from the other drawer, as if in acknowledgement. "I don't want to know how you know that, do I?"

"I talked to Richie."

Silence, and then the first sounds of reluctant laughter from MacLeod. He remembered that incident, although he didn't think it was how his companion knew the likely responses of medical examiners and morgue attendants.

"It's still your fault, you know." The thumping resumed, the sounds changing. He was starting to get somewhere, finally.

"Oh, how was I supposed to know that was a real bomb?"

Laughter.

[Nano] The Covenant

Title: The Covenant
Fandom: The Covenant
Characters: All
Word Count: 673
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Four have the power. One will stop at nothing to possess it.
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the story, this is not the official novelisation. This is just my version.

Freedom was sliding out of the air quicker than the warmth, and Caleb could feel the plans of everyone around him pressing down on his shoulders like a weight. It was the last hurrah before the last year of high school, a party that he was only going to because his best friend had talked him into it, when he'd rather just stay in and rest before the academic pressure was on. College applications, waiting, early decision, more waiting, trying to figure out who was going to take care of his mother while he was gone. The family caretaker, Gorman, was about as comforting as a headstone. And he thought he was the only one worrying about college, too. It was disheartening.

Pogue was the only one who seemed to notice something was wrong as they stood on the edge of the Marblehead cliffs, hands in their pockets, shoulders hunched against the wind. He gave Caleb a look, then stared back over the edge with a manic grin that said he was thinking about jumping.

Tyler didn't say anything. But when it was just the three of them, Tyler rarely spoke first.

Gravel crunched on the ground behind them; all three boys turned.

"Where the hell have you been?" Tyler sounded a little edgy. "I was going to pick you up."

Reid smiled. It wasn't quite a grin but it was working its way there, casual confidence, the kind Caleb wished his friend didn't have so much of. "Had a thing with the parents. How's the party?"

"Don't know." Pogue looked back down over the edge again, and even if his smile had softened a bit the light in his eyes and the way his fingers danced through the air was as impatient as ever. "Just got here."

Reid went right up to the edge. Caleb took a step forward.

"Guess we'd better drop in and say hi."

It was useless to say anything. Reid was going to do what he wanted when he got in a mood like this, and most of the time what he wanted was to show off. The corona of fire slid outwards from his pupils, scorching his eyes black. He took two steps forward and plunged off the cliffs into the fog.

It was probably a good thing that nobody was watching.

"Shit, yeah…" Tyler grinned, buoyed by Reid's immunity from scolding, turned and spread his arms like some angel figure in a cheap B-movie, pushing off the cliff backwards with his heels.

He should have known better than to try and stop him. He couldn't stop Reid, and Tyler was just as bad if he followed the blonde boy's lead, but he reached out for him anyway. "Tyler…" His hand closed over air. There were times when he could just about strangle those two. Didn't they know what they were doing?

Or, maybe make that three. Pogue was too jittery, too hyperactive to sit still. Caleb felt the hand come down on his shoulder.

"Come on, Caleb." Devil's grin. "It's not like it's going to kill us."

The 'yet' was still audible, hanging in the air as he cast off and plunged down. Caleb stared after them. They were probably down by now, waiting for him. And it would take half an hour if he walked it. Did he trust them on their own? Pogue had more sense than the other two, but that wasn't enough.

It was right there, anyway, humming under his skin, begging to be used. He took a breath, stepped forward.

Felt the power clinging to him, slowing his fall, bringing him down easy if not gently. Like falling on a harness, pulled up just before the point of deadly impact. Boots hitting the ground and kicking up dirt and dust. Balance off just enough that his fingertips brushed the sparse grass as he buckled over and crouched before standing. They were standing in a loose semi-circle, watching him. He didn't say anything, just stepped up by Pogue and followed them in.

[Fic] The Wheel (2/3)

Title: The Wheel (2/3)
Fandom: The Covenant
Characters: Chase
Word Count: 3,600+
Rating: PG
Summary: Chase, now in another school, meets a young witch and learns that his actions have a price that has nothing to do with his power, and everything to do with how the wheel turns.

IV.
He spent the next couple of weeks watching her after that, curious what sort of girl would stand up to him. His reputation in the school was a far cry from the malicious, powerful bastard he probably was to Spenser students by now, but even so he wasn't the sort of person a girl approached. At least, he hadn't thought he'd been.

But now that he was watching her he wondered if she was the sort of girl that a boy would approach, after all. She spoke up in class and the teachers seemed to favor her, but none of the students paid her any attention. When they spoke to her they were polite, distant, and ended the conversation as soon as they could without making it obvious that they were running away. He watched as the flicker of pain crossed her face before she turned away as well.

And that was another remarkable thing. Everything she felt seemed to cross her face as though she didn't need to keep her thoughts or feelings a secret. As though she had nothing to hide. In a high school, especially a boarding school, that was unthinkable. Unheard of. For Chase, it was amazing. It was a buffet of possibilities, each one more delightful than the last, until at the end of two weeks he was practically drooling to approach her, seduce her, and break her. She was so damn easy.

Didn't mean he wasn't going to be careful. Didn't mean he wasn't going to take his time.

( Read more... )

[Fic] Slumber Party (2//)

Title: Slumber Party (2/?)
Fandom: Black Jewels Trilogy, Original
Characters: Surreal SaDiablo, Daemon Sadi, Samael
Word Count: 2,000+
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Sam decided it would be fun to teach Daemon and Surreal a common Earth game. With semi-predictable results.

( Read more... )

(no subject)

Heh. Happy Guy Fawkes, all. Fluffy, I dreamed about you last night. Hope you're surviving the fireworks.

Nano progresses. The important novel progresses at a faster pace than the other two, which is, after all, what's important. Writing progresses, too, which is more than I had expected give that my mood of the past week has been swinging from near-suicidal depression to fits of towering irritation. It's a long story, and involves money issues and me sulking for a week.

The first Pen Bryton novel draft is out and two people have gotten me some notes in the past week. This is a procedure I once likened to a colonoscopy, which amuses me to no end, because it is both necessary and beneficial but also embarrassing, awkward, and quite probably painful. You may substitute your choice of prostate exam, gynecological exam, or what have you for the metaphor. Any which way, it's apt. At least the thing isn't as bad as I feared it was, or not yet. I sent it out to... um. I can't even remember how many beta readers I sent it out to. At least three others that I know of.

The mad marathon of sewing is over, now that Halloween is past. Leaving me with about ten small things to do, most of which involve finishing garments. Some of which involves remaking garments, which. That can definitely wait. I have a vest to make for Pirate John that requires him finding the decorations he wants on it. That may take forever and a data figure. But I think I'm going to try and make my Vash coat before December, or at least before January, and that way I have a big winter coat to wear. I need to get lining for it. And figure out if it will fit me, or how to alter it to make it fit. Decisions, decisions.

Well, I see Iraq is going to explode.

I have an urge to write Shadowrun fanfic since the Shadowrun game I meant to run at street level has died for lack of interest. Which is probably good. The one player who was interested I didn't want to deal with anyway. This also means I have to get my other Shadowrun game back up and running, and that's going to take some messing around, but oh well. Um. Also, pinch hitting for Yuletide. Whee. I am only allowed one pinch-hit until I finish both Yuletide fics. This is a rule imposed by me. Otherwise I'll drive myself crazy.

Yeah, that's about it. Status report from the Jag, just so y'all don't think I completely died. Which I didn't. I'm just shuffling around like some unholy half-dead.

[Word Count]

Last Week's Total Word Count: 13,315

Fics Completed
Library of Winds
Warren Peace - Surround
Pogue Parry - Lace

Big Damn List

Big Damn Table

Theatrical Muse
Antubis - 149, 147
Mystery Pup - 147, 148, 149
Sam - 147

Misc
The Wheel (4, 5, 6)
White Room
Slumber Party

Novels worked:
Pen Bryton 2
Fantasy
Covenant Novelisation

Summary: Not a bad start? Pen's the furthest along, Nano-wise, but I need to keep up this pace which is always the hard part. The other two novels are going slower than fucking molassas in Vermont in December. I'll be lucky to finish the allotted portion in time. Still. At least I'm not that far behind at the moment. I just have to remember to catch up around the few days in November that I'm not likely to get any writing done.

The Week Ahead: Finish and post the rest of the writing prompt meme stories. Definitely. Catch up on TM prompts. App last pup. Nano. Um. I'm not sure what I'm missing, except I'm pretty sure it's something.