who wants a drabble?
Sep. 22nd, 2009 01:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xparrotThe past few weeks I was back visiting my parents and old friends; had a fantastic time, but now vacation's over and I've returned to Seattle to find a job. Oh joy! Meanwhile ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gnine has abandoned me and is setting off to London for grad school today. But I get the brother - hah! (right now we're alternating watching Futurama with Red Dwarf, which is somewhat brain-breaking (if not up to the Twin Peaks/Kodocha standard gnine and I set a few years back.) It's quite satisfying to finally see all of Futurama, and being one of the deprived who was never exposed to Red Dwarf at an early age, I am proud to report that I can now warble the theme song in the shower. I also flatly deny any allegations that I have been secretly googling for Lister/Rimmer because that would be WRONG and I would never do such a thing. Never. Nope.)
But that's neither here nor there. What is here is that I haven't written hardly a word in going on a month, and desperately need to get back in the writing saddle. So, for a limited time, it's open-drabble season - give me a fandom/characters/pairing (whichever, and it can be any series I know, whether or not I've fic'ed for it) and a prompt (single word, quote, sentence, whatever) and I will attempt to produce a drabble, ficlet, or other arrangement of words with a vague semblance of fic.
ETA: Until I say otherwise, requests are still open! No guarantees, but give it a go and I'll see what I can do...
gnine has abandoned me and is setting off to London for grad school today. But I get the brother - hah! (right now we're alternating watching Futurama with Red Dwarf, which is somewhat brain-breaking (if not up to the Twin Peaks/Kodocha standard gnine and I set a few years back.) It's quite satisfying to finally see all of Futurama, and being one of the deprived who was never exposed to Red Dwarf at an early age, I am proud to report that I can now warble the theme song in the shower. I also flatly deny any allegations that I have been secretly googling for Lister/Rimmer because that would be WRONG and I would never do such a thing. Never. Nope.)But that's neither here nor there. What is here is that I haven't written hardly a word in going on a month, and desperately need to get back in the writing saddle. So, for a limited time, it's open-drabble season - give me a fandom/characters/pairing (whichever, and it can be any series I know, whether or not I've fic'ed for it) and a prompt (single word, quote, sentence, whatever) and I will attempt to produce a drabble, ficlet, or other arrangement of words with a vague semblance of fic.
ETA: Until I say otherwise, requests are still open! No guarantees, but give it a go and I'll see what I can do...
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-23 02:55 am (UTC)Not that I'd take advantage of you... because I'd never. Y'know, if it catches your fancy. Fluffily. XD
consider my fancy caught!
Date: 2009-09-25 06:00 am (UTC)The best part about being flashed in the eyes by a THRUSH photon ray (insofar as one can look on the bright side while temporarily blinded) is that Napoleon can't read mission reports himself. But a CEA's work is never done, so for the forty-eight hours he must keep the light-blocking mask bandaged over his eyes, Illya reads them to him.
The reports are the usual fare: Agent Harris, ID#2901, captured by THRUSH Gibraltar at 1730, 9/22, retrieved with microdot plans for satellite-jamming lunar radar dish by Agent Santos, ID#3791, 9/23. But it's not the words or the information; it's Illya's voice as he reads them, low and calm, his deep smooth tone textured by his accent. More British than Russian these days, especially when he reads, crisp consonants and Oxford vowels, sure and evenly pronounced.
Napoleon doesn't like not being able to see, the helplessness of it, not knowing precisely where he is, or anyone else. But now, if he leans back in his chair and shuts his eyes behind the mask, he can pretend that he's only resting his eyelids for a moment; in his mind's eye he can picture Illya perfectly, sitting on the chair across from him, hideous black glasses on his nose, blue eyes intent on the file before him. He can hear in the ease of Illya's voice that he's relaxed; he'll have one leg up, toe of his shoe balanced on the edge of Napoleon's desk, knee supporting his elbow as he holds the file in one hand, his other hand at his side, restless fingers playing with a pen, or maybe a paperclip, if there were a loose one about.
Illya finishes the report, puts it down with a rustle of paper and asks, "Shall we continue?"
He's been reading for a couple hours now, and his throat sounds a little dry. "No, let's call it quits. Don't want to wear out your voice," Napoleon says, sitting up.
"Are you sure? I don't mind," Illya says. "We've only got a few more to go. We could finish them tonight. Unless you've got other plans?"
"None to speak of," Napoleon says. "Not much point in a date if I can't even see the lovely girl I'm with, is there?"
"I suppose not," Illya agrees, and Napoleon doesn't need to see his face to hear the edge of his slight sardonic smile, to know the exact way his lips are curving around the words. Just as he doesn't need to see Illya to know that if he reached out his left hand now, he's close enough to brush Illya's sleeve.
"All right, then, let's finish them," Napoleon says. "I'll buy you a glass of wine to soothe your throat, afterwards."
"Make it a bottle," Illya says, and starts on the next report.
Re: consider my fancy caught!
Date: 2009-09-25 08:49 am (UTC)I know! I freakin' love this picture of him. I think I have 7 caps of that moment, just to capture every nuance. ♥
(And your prompt reminds me that I haven't listened to any of the McCallum-read books on tape. Bet they're very nice...)
They're fantastic. I haven't listened to them all, yet, but I particularly recommend him reading Lovecraft. Marvellous.
Also, your layout is so pretty! 0_0
___________
As for the fic! It's wonderful! Perfect! ^_^
Love Napoleon's familiarity with the reader, picturing Illya perfectly based on how he sounds. And you're damn straight it's a bottle, not a glass! XD Mmm, and I wonder from Illya's sardonic smile whether he'll have to demonstrate how much fun you can have on a date, and after one, even without recourse to the sense of sight... ♥
It's really beautiful. Poor bandaged-up, blind Napoleon. You'd really think he'd be allowed to work from home, like that!
Thank you for this! ♥ You really must repost/relink so lots of people read it. ^_^
Re: consider my fancy caught!
Date: 2009-09-25 10:51 am (UTC)So glad you liked the ficlet, too! I take much pleasure in describing Illya, I must admit...almost as much as Napoleon takes in thinking about it!
Planning to do a link round-up tomorrow, hopefully after I've done a couple more...
Re: consider my fancy caught!
Date: 2009-09-25 01:14 pm (UTC)Once again, awesome ficlet. ^_^
Re: consider my fancy caught!
Date: 2009-09-26 05:10 am (UTC)And you must must must listen to the audiobooks! Your lines about his voice are spot-on; I could listen to him talk all day.
Re: consider my fancy caught!
Date: 2009-09-26 06:56 pm (UTC)