oh shit, more drabbles

[whynot]

1. Would the 'missing scene' meme work if I drabbled a missing scene from one of YOUR fics? Or if YOU drabbled a missing scene from one of mine? Or is that too much.

2. OMG 'HUSTLE', WAY TO GO HAVING A WHIMSICAL BOLLYWOOD SONG-AND-DANCE SCENE AND ANGEL COULBY IN ONE EPISODE. I'M STILL PICKING BITS OF BRAIN OFF THE COUCH FROM WHEN MY HEAD EXPLODED FROM WONDERFUL. OMG.

3. What is with this LJ apocalypse I've been hearing rumours about (again). Whatev. But, since I've been meaning to do this anyway, I started an insanejournal here as a form of alternate fic repository. I should def move the older ones, 'cos I don't have the files for those anymore.

4. The awesome lazaefair has organized the crack-addled mess that is me and Bedlam's pevencestuous grifters commentfic AU (...we haven't thought of a title, okay) into chronological order, and it can be found on themusingstream. *glomps her* (Do people still use 'glomp' anymore?) At this point we've had cameos from Ocean's 11, Numb3rs (just a teeny one), and Merlin. And Boondock Saints, though the McManus brothers haven't officially showed up. ...Shit, I misplaced my shame gland again.

5. More drabbles:

Merlin has seen things change over a thousand years and the Pevensies, in their own way, have too. It's not that they're living in the wrong era necessarily, but that they have internalized transience. Even their own bodies aren't the right shape. "It is a strange way to achieve eternal youth," Susan would say, "and at such a strange price."

Edmund tells him, "The only thing that's been constant across the worlds is my family, and even then, it's not the same." And Merlin finds himself envying them this, because Merlin doesn't even have that. He sees Lucy's unwavering faith and misses Gwen, and Susan's beauty and quiet anger reminds him of Morgana. Peter is so much like Arthur during the last brittle days of Camelot that Merlin aches with the absence of him, the proximity of an imperfect copy making it worse.

But, Merlin has been reminded of his friends by all and sundry for a thousand years now, and this is no different. His body may stay the same, epochs may erase themselves, but Merlin's memory grows and grows until he is unsure which are true memories, and which which are only memories of memories, thoughts of thoughts.

+

The feel of cold gunmetal as they recite the Lord's Prayer, and then the kickback and the feel of warm gunmetal. And Murphy discovering he's forgotten to bring pennies.

"Pennies are fucking useless!" he protests.

"No, not anymore, we need pennies now!" says Connor.

"All right, so do YOU have any pennies?"

Connor quickly checks his wallet.

"Well?" Murphy demands.

"Fuck off."

They both look at the consiglieri they've just dispatched, the cream carpeting around his head bright crimson, giving the impression of a halo. "Maybe," Murphy ventures, "he's got some."

He does.

The following were originally posted here for the (still ongoing?) 'missing scene' meme, and have been spruced up for an actual post.

- from this room has many windows (Narnia, Susan/Peter/Edmund), for lettersandliars

She is swallowing the last of her sobs, reining herself in like she is used to. Her shoulders still shake, and she hides her eyes. "My decisions are mine alone," she says. "I'm not a child."

"Neither am I," Edmund replies through gritted teeth. "You're one of the few people who know that, and you're trying not to be. But you can't undo things. You can't turn back time."

"I am trying to move time forward!" she protests.

"Are you going to erase what made you who you are?" he snaps.

"What am I, Edmund?" she demands, and gestures at herself. A starched cotton dress and runs in her stockings. Lipstick that she fancied made her smile bright and alluring, now awkward against the redness of her face. "Look at me! What am I? What was I? Who will I be?"

"A queen," Edmund replies simply, "and my sister."


- from A Guide to Modern Living (Gossip/Boondock Saints, Travis/Connor), for lux__aeterna

Travis would never peg Connor for a religious type, but he lights the candles and crosses himself in a mindless familiar way. Okay, so maybe 'mindless' is not the word. The prayers flow from Connor's lips in the half-muttered, half-mouthed manner of those who have internalized them. Travis hasn't been to church since elementary school, and he apes Connor clumsily and watches him out of the corner of his eye.

Connor puts a dollar in the collection box as they leave.

"What were you praying for?" Travis asks. "Unless, you know, it's private or something."

He smiles. "It's not like birthday wishes. It won't not come true if I tell you."

"Okay," travis says slowly. "So?"

"So what?"

"What were you praying for!"

Connor says, "I was praying for the dead."

"The dead?" Travis raises his eyebrow. "The dead are dead, man. I think the living can use some prayers, though."

"I'll pray for whoever I fucking want to," says Connor. "And all the living will die too, someday."

"I'm planning on living forever," Travis shrugs.

Connor takes out a pack of cigarettes, taps them out and offers Travis one. "You live forever in heaven."

"Yeah." Travis lights up his cigarette. "But... that means you live forever in hell too, right?"

"Aye," Connor replies, and lights up his own. "Hell too."


- from The Left Hand of Heaven (Narnia, Edmund & Peter), for bedlamsbard

Lucy grins at him with a rabbit in each hand. "What? Do women never go hunting anymore these days?"

Tirian gathers himself and tries to reset his face so as not look so surprised. "I would never thought a queen... That is to say, your skill is a bow is... most unprecedented."

Her smile becomes a little sad at this. She says, "You should have seen my sister."


- from Just Lie Back and Think of Camelot (Merlin, Arthur/Merlin), for half of mumblemutter

"Did Gaius get his mugwort?" asks Arthur.

Merlin looks up from dressing him. "What?"

"Gaius," repeats Arthur. "Did he get his mugwort?"

"Mugwort?" Then something snaps into place. "Oh! The-- yes." Merlin grins brightly. "Bundles of it."

Arthur nods. "What does mugwort do anyway?"

"It, er. Balances the humors of the body, and also induces abortions."

He raises an eyebrow. "Abortions?"

"The cook sometimes uses mugwort to season the goose," Merlin adds hopefully.

"So which is it?" asks Arthur. "Is Gaius inducing an abortion or are we having goose for lunch today?"

Merlin's mouth opens and doesn't close, and emits this sound: "Ahh..."

"Where does it grow?" Arthur demands.

"In the fields just beyond Camelot."

"What does it look like?" he asks, quickfire.

"Pointy leaves with sort of whitish blooms," Merlin blurts out, just as fast.

"And," says Arthur, "did he get his yarrow?"

"Oh yes," Merlin replies, nodding. "Of course."

"A-ha!" Arthur crows. "Got you!"

Merlin's eyes widen. "What? Me?"

"It was hyssop, not yarrow! You said hyssop last night!"

"I did?" Merlin squeaks, then clears his throat. "Of course I did. That's what i meant to say."

Arthur jabs Merlin's chest with his finger. "You liar."

"I'm not lying," Merlin protests. "Why would I lie?"

"To get out of doing this." And takes Merlin's face in his hands, and kisses him.