Angst, Fluff, and Inferno

[scribblemyname]

This entry is part 48 of 51 in the series 365 Challenge

Let's take the third first. Overhauling the story from inferno, aka "Dowse and Bleed," left me feeling drained and exhausted, but it's out to beta and may she not find any more structural issues that need addressing. For that matter, may I not!

On angst: I write a lot of it. I know that. I've been buried it in lately and I feel a desperate need for something light, fluffy, and humorous, so on to point two:

Anyway I need something light and fluffy to clear out some headspace. Anyone want to give me

1. A character or couple
2. A random word or object

And I will write you a drabble: 100 words. No more. That'll keep my headspace break from getting out of hand. :grins:

---

Completed Drabbles

Seven Days

• Lena/Wesley – Unshelved Books
• Lena/Wesley – How Can You Pick?
• Connor + Wesley/Lena – What You Don't Know
• Connor + Wesley – Of Seeds and Men
• Connor + Wesley – Technically Strangers
• Wesley + Connor/Ashelynn – A Matter of Taste
• Lena/Wesley – Just for a Minute
• Lena/Wesley – The Dream Box
• Lena/Wesley – Two
• Angelita + Lena/Wesley – Photographic Evidence
• Connor/Ashelynn – A Long Night
• Connor + Angelita + Lena/Wesley – Lost Cause

Kingdoms and Thorn

• Red Wolf/Whisper – Bedtime
• Rachelle/Justus – Uncivilized
• Red Wolf/Whisper – Bluegrass
• Rachelle/Justus – Breathing Room
• Ashen + Red Wolf/Whisper – I Think She Likes It
• Shift + daughter – Once There Was a Princess
• Sketch/Lightsculpt – Waiting
• Storm + team ensemble – Love, War, and Popcorn
• Rachelle/Justus – Shirt Theft
• Rachelle/Justus – Crashing the Party
• Rachelle/Justus – You're Hired
• Storm + Surge – Pint-Size
• Sketch + Lightsculpt – Sculpting the Minutes
• Red Wolf/Whisper – What Little Girls are Made Of
• Storm + team ensemble + Anya – Wrapped
• Shift + daughter – Birth of Wings
• Sear + team ensemble – Popcorn Thief
• Shift + Kilter + daughter – What's in a Name?
• Ashen + Red Wolf – Defining Relationships
• Sketch/Lightsculpt – Letters from War
• Rachelle/Justus – Protective Measures
• Rachelle + the cat – Ode on the Death of a Favorite Shirt, Torn in the Claws of Sophocles
• Rachelle + team ensemble – The Coming of Sophocles
• Keeper/Brushfire – Remember the Lullaby
• Red Wolf/Whisper – A Quiet Interlude
• Keeper/Brushfire – As Good as a Promise
• Sketch/Lightsculpt – Call It a Night
• Rachelle/Justus + Sophie – This Child

Kingdoms and Thorn/Fire and Water Crossover Fanfic

• Sophocles + Chocolate – Pets of the Unusually Gifted
• Clown Fish + Sophocles – And Then the Deluge

X-Men Movieverse

• Rogue/Remy – Date Night In

X-Men Evoverse

• Rogue/Remy – Where, Oh Where Has My Flatiron Gone?

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Originally published at Liana Mir. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm picking a few people who have angsty backgrounds, but maybe you can find fluff for any or all of them.

1. Rachelle/Justus and coffee.
2. Lena/Wesley and books.
3. Red/Whisper and baby.

I suppose none of those are random words/objects, but... oh, well.

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Uncivilized

[scribblemyname]

The Database spat the dark liquid back into her mug and said with surprising heat, "Uncivilized heathen.”

Justus looked amused. "I'm guessing you like sugar and cream in your coffee."

She gave a withering glare, then ordered, "Up. Up. I've got to teach you how to cook."

"It's coffee," he said exasperated but followed her into the team kitchen. "What's to know?"

She tossed her auburn braid and handed him a bag of coffee. “Shut. Up. You've got two ears and one mouth.”

Justus tried again. “Data—”

“Use it for tasting.” She laughed then.

He found himself chuckling back.

#

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Uncivilized

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

It figures she's a coffee snob. :)

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Uncivilized

[scribblemyname]

Part of what made me love this whole visual is that she hates cooking. But yes, she is a bit of a snob when it comes to coffee. You only take it black if you make an educated decision that you like it black. :grins:

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Uncivilized

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

Lol.

Or you do it because your grandparents blackmail you into taking it black. Well, not really. I still wouldn't do that even though they paid me. :P

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Bedtime

[scribblemyname]

"Alpha," Whisper said, soft laugh in her voice. "Hand over the baby."

Her husband was clearly quite comfortable with little Anya snuggled up against his chest as he read a story the newborn certainly couldn’t understand. He gave Whisper a boyish grin. "We're enjoying ourselves."

"I can see that," Whisper agreed, "but it's past her bedtime." An amused pause. "And yours."

She held out her arms until with a sigh, he sat up and handed Anya over.

"I don't have a bedtime," he said.

“Without enough sleep, you grouse more than she does.”

He hmphed but wisely did not argue.

#

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Bedtime

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

Oh, so cute.

Him and the baby... and her knowing him so well. :)

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Bedtime

[scribblemyname]

They are a cute couple. Who wants to give up a snuggly baby while they're still happy? I do love this little family. Though it doesn't stay little for long.

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Bedtime

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

No one wants to give up a snuggly happy baby.

Ah, so there are more children on the way for them?

Re: Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Bedtime

[scribblemyname]

Let me count them up real quick... :counting: They end up with six kids.

Seven Days Ficlet: Unshelved Books

[scribblemyname]

Unshelved books had overflowed and taken over the entire area behind Lena's counter. "You really don't have to do this," she told Wesley again, a little nervous to have him in her space, even to help.

Wesley just smiled and gathered up a small handful of titles. He squinted at the binding. "Do you sort these by title, author, or topic?"

Lena suddenly realized what she had gotten herself in for. She blushed and admitted sheepishly, "I sort them by favorites."

He blinked. “Oh.” Wesley smiled then and held out a book. “So talk me through it.”

She smiled back.

#

Re: Seven Days Ficlet: Unshelved Books

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

Not a small favor, that one. It's got a lot more meaning than either of them realized at first. :)

Re: Seven Days Ficlet: Unshelved Books

[scribblemyname]

I kind of think of Lena as being with books the way I am with paper: generally overflowing at all times. And she really didn't think about what she was asking. I love the idea of sharing her favorites to get them organized.

Re: Seven Days Ficlet: Unshelved Books

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Papers and disorganization... That is a familiar thing.

It is a good thing for them to share. :)

[scribblemyname]

Thanks for these prompts! They were splendid and sweet and just right. Though it was hard to stay at 100 words!

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I thought about adding more, but... you wanted to keep the headspace clear, lol.

[scribblemyname]

Well, you can. They're short and that's what makes the difference. I'm not allowing them to sprawl! I've missed writing something light and this is delightful.

[thecatisacritic.livejournal.com]

Okay. Feel free to try any of these:

1. Rogue/Remy - Southern comfort
2. Red/Whisper (and maybe baby) - music
3. Rachelle/Justus - shirt theft
4. Wesley/Lena - favorites

I wanted to ask for something for Ashen, but I'm not getting anywhere, same with Storm, but I don't know what to go with either of them or one of the others I don't know as much about like Ricki or Sketch or Sear.

And... this might go too angsty so I hesitate to suggest it, but...

Shift/her daughter and bedtime story

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Bluegrass

[scribblemyname]

“Bluegrass.” Red Wolf stared at the file.

It had taken years before Wolf was willing to deal with knowing who he used to be before his memory loss, but the last thing he had expected was, “I used to play bluegrass?”

“I take it you prefer other genres of music,” Whisper replied, eyes dancing with amusement.

He shook his head at the file—and his wife. There were more important things in there: his birth family, medical records, etc., but he couldn’t help but stop on the idea of actually playing, thus apparently liking… “Bluegrass.”

Whisper just laughed at him.

#

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Breathing Room

[scribblemyname]

A/N: I have to address the point of why she’s wearing them to keep it in character, but I’m having fun letting him tease her anyway. So yeah, logical explanation, but I wanted the fluff. So…

---

“Are you intending on making a habit of this?” Justus asked, indicating his green button-up shirt.

Rachelle had curled up on the couch with the cat—Sophocles—and a book, wearing said shirt. “God forbid,” she retorted, turning the page.

He raised both eyebrows at that. “They’re nice shirts.”

“They’re your shirts.” She scooted over to make room for him on the couch.

“Still wearing them,” he said, pointedly looking at the button-up.

Rachelle shrugged and returned to reading. “I don’t like robes and I need the breathing room.” True enough, but…

He chuckled and scratched behind Sophocles’ ears. “Sure.”

#

[scribblemyname]

On 1. are you talking about the drink or something else?

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: I Think She Likes It

[scribblemyname]

Ashen eyed the gift with deep suspicion. “If you gave me a kitten,” she began warningly.

“Don’t worry,” Whisper hushed her. “We know you’re not Rachelle.”

“Who didn’t even like said kitten,” Red Wolf pointed out.

Whisper protested with a laugh. “She kept him.”

Ashen carefully untied the bow, then stopped before lifting the lid. “Is it alive?”

He rolled his eyes. “You’ll see if you open it.”

She did so and stared at the music box inside. Then she slugged him, missing because he ducked.

“That’s for making me worry.” She turned the key and listened to it play.

#

Seven Days Ficlet: How Can You Pick?

[scribblemyname]

“Favorite song?” Lena asked over her shoulder.

Wesley handed her a book and gave her a lift so she could reach the top shelf of the bookcase. Whatever had possessed her to buy anything this tall? She shook her head at herself. It wasn’t until he set her back down that she realized he hadn’t answered.

“Do you like music?” she asked cautiously.

Wesley hesitated, but then nodded. “My brother plays violin.”

“Your brother plays?” She hadn’t even known he had a brother.

Wesley shrugged with a small, helpless smile. “How can you pick a favorite from a favorite person?”

#

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Once There Was a Princess

[scribblemyname]

A/N: Going to use the temporary name I’ve given Shift’s daughter, but I’m still all in the swithers about what’s it going to end up as.

---

“Mom.”

Shift paused in the doorway, hand still on the switch.

Seven-year-old Anna sat back up in bed. “Can you tell me a story?”

Shift laughed as she turned on the light and came back over. “One that isn’t about the princess going to sleep?”

“A long one,” Anna agreed. “Where the princess stays awake and goes on adventures.”

Shift snuggled Anna under one arm. “You know what? How about you tell me a story.”

Anna hesitated for a moment. “Once upon a time,” she finally said, “there was a princess who got lost, but the queen went after her…”

#

Kingdoms and Thorn Ficlet: Waiting

[scribblemyname]

A/N: Preferred names to be dealt with later if I end up publishing this. Going to go with the handles you know for now.

---

Sketch sat curled up on subway station bench in an attitude of waiting. Every time a train pulled in, she studied intently the faces of the incoming travelers. She lingered on the young men.

She had escaped long before the Rebellion. Would she even recognize Lightsculpt, who had stayed?

But there he was, weary but her Lightsculpt.

She flew off the bench and into his arms almost before he had seen her, and finally, finally it was really him embracing her as she held on with all she had.

“You waited for me,” he murmured wonderingly.

Sketch whispered breathlessly, “Always.”

#