Drabbles: Coldfire (G to soft R, slash)

[winter]

I should have known better than to offer drabbles to a fic-starved fandom with so many plotbunniers on my f-list, really :) In order of appearance, for alighiera, alice_montrose, fuumasfrog and trobadora.

WORKAROUNDS

Ever since Mount Shaitan, Gerald had been learning to appreciate the simple pleasures in life. For example, at the moment he was lying sprawled across Damien’s broad chest, idly toying with the ex-priest’s shirt and watching the dazed look in Damien’s eyes. Even the cramped quarters only meant that he had an excuse to climb just that close, and Damien had to put an arm around his waist.

Presently, Damien blinked, his eyes turning clearer. “Are we on a ship-“

Gerald leaned in and kissed Damien again until the other man’s eyes were glazed over once more, the guarded question turning into a drawn-out moan before it could be fully phrased.

If he had known getting Damien to enjoy ship travel would be that easy, he would have tried this method ages ago.

-FIN-



SO THE WORLD WILL NEVER FIND YOU

Damien sighed as he pushed through the crowd, taking another drink from a flask of liquor someone had pressed into his hand. At least in the black mask and cloak, even if he did make a fool of himself at the Jaggonath carnival, no-one would be able to tell him apart from every other guy dressed up as a vampire. And a few real vampires, he had no doubt.

He wondered what Gerald would wear. The adept had been reticent about his plans, only setting the meeting place on the outskirts of the city-

Near Karril’s temple, he realised as a woman flung herself into his arms. She was wearing a version of a First Landing uniform, though he was sure the real colonists never had ones that tight.

She kissed him on the mouth. “Praise Karril,” she whispered. “A man is waiting for you, two alleys down. An... urgent matter.”

She laughed shrilly, and as she flung her neck back he saw the imprint of teeth. Not quite Gerald’s type, he thought, too strong, but then he wasn’t Gerald’s usual type either.

He stumbled through the throng of people, found the alley, leaned against a door that opened to rapidly for him to do anything but fall through it to the floor.

A chapel of the Church, he realised as he looked around blearily. Closed down temporarily, with a pagan festival roaring through the streets. Yet there were candles burning, and a fresh cloth on the altar.

Something – someone – moving, and he raised his head as he struggled to his feet.

Layers of silk obscuring limbs and body, so that he could no longer recall their past or present look. A broad collar of beaten gold with a pattern of flames. Dark hair instead of light brown, but oh, never mistaken, and now he remembered too clearly.

“I remember you felt particularly strongly about that dream.” Even the old mocking cadences were back in Tarrant’s voice. “You will enjoy this better than you would have the masquerade.”

Strong hands pushed Damien against the altar before he could think of fear, revulsion, desire, sacrilege.

“Don’t worry,” the man who had been the Hunter whispered in his ear as clothes were quickly, deftly pushed aside. “I won’t let you think.”

-FIN-




PETTY ANNOYANCES

Damien moved his wrists experimentally. The cuffs were far snugger than it should be possible for something lined with fur.

“Gerald, this is vulking ridiculous,” he muttered.

The former Hunter shook his head as he surveyed his handiwork. “You have a habit of tearing buttons off my shirts. I’m running out of outfits, and the shops here are not up to my standards. Therefore, you’ll be chained until I undress myself.”

“Only until then?” Damien asked hopefully.

Gerald’s smile was sweetness itself as he ran a hand down Damien’s bare chest. “Perhaps a few minutes longer than that.”

-FIN-




PROOF OF FAITH

The bracelet was tarnished silver, a streak of near-black on the red velvet lining the box set on the street stall. Gerald’s fingers closed in on it without hesitation. Damien raised his eyebrows, but remained silent as Gerald ruthlessly argued down the price.

He got his answer when they left the street fair and Gerald tenderly wiped the grime and tarnish off a fragile piece of glass. Underneath it was the face of a clock, too small to ever house the appropriate mechanism.

“A watch used to be an important theological analogy, Vryce. As the watch with its complexity proves the existence of a watchmaker, so the world proves the existence of its creator.”

Under Gerald’s touch, a tiny screw turned without resistance.

Tick.

-FIN-

Comments

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Nothing quite as odd as walking into the living room and being greeted by a Welsh, a Carolina and a east-coast of Scotland accent :)

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Sounds like something out of a sitcom :>

BTW, I just bought what I think will be my test-drive fabric for the Herbert plushie. I still need to hunt down the final fabrics (a thin just-this-side-of-flesh-tone fleece for the skin and blue silk for the shirt would be ideal), and to make up my mind about whether I want movie!golden hair or Warsaw!silver, but I think this project is now "go".

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

BWAHAHA! Herbert plushie yay! :D

Also, scene:


Nibbling on his thumbnail, Herbert’s eyes were round with innocence. “We had a poetry reading,” he said, fluttering wickedly long golden lashes. “Young William has quite a tongue for it.”

Von Krolock said nothing in response, merely arching a brow, though not without a touch of amusement.

His lips twitching, Herbert tried to maintain a straight face, but it faltered and his grin broke across his features, his eyes dancing. “I think it suffices to say that the dear boy appreciates Byron all the more thanks to my lesson,” he said, then bit his lower lip, his expression impish.

“Is that so?”

Herbert tangled his fingers together in front of his chest in a parody of demureness, his smile far from innocent. “Well, he didn’t say he wouldn’t visit again,” he said. “I would say that was positive.”

“And no doubt, you will continue his education?”

Despite the mirth in his father’s eyes, Herbert nodded gravely. “If I must, I will tie him down and teach him everything I know,” he said. “After all, it is my duty to teach those less fortunate than myself.”

Von Krolock chuckled. “That poor boy,” he murmured.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Aww, Herbie's so proud of himself :D

I assume I can expect the entire file to hit my mailbox soon?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Just doing a quick read-through, then it's en route :D

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Coolness. I've a bit of a busy evening, but since it's all stuff to do in my room, I should be able to multitask :)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to resist the impulse to jump to human-Angel stuff and finish the chained!Herbie chapter. But gah! I want to do the Angelus chapters as well, just because of the sheer amusement value.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

I think jumping around might be a bad thing at the moment - you might lose track of things and end up not writing the intervening chapters. On the other hand, short prequels are always fine :)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

The sooner the prequels are out of the way, the better, but honestly, I'm all kinds of intrigued by human Angel now :D (Oh and his hair has changed - you know when he's found by Whistler in New York? When it's hanging around cheek-bone length? About that length. Definitely not sticking up ;))

But Herbert is arguing that he's been shackled quite long enough thank you very much...

You know, this Italian Christine's voice is really very pretty.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Oi! Before you get to human Angel, you need to get through:

- unchaining Herbert
- Faith trying to keep a straight face after meeting VK post-talk with Spike
- I assume everybody-shouting scene is cancelled because of everyone being mature and/or pwned by VK?
- Sarah and Alfred
- injured!Dawn (including vampire hunters dying in messy ways and the VK-Herbert fluff you promised)

And that's the minimal plan. Ideally I'd love to see VK's first post-hiatus ball too, though on the other hand it'd be the perfect occasion for Dru&co to appear and confront human!Angel...

You can use human!Angel to motivate you to get through all this :>

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Herbert's unchaining is in progress ;)

I'm actually a bit... uncertain how the Sarah and Alfred thing will go from here on in, because I really can't get a grip on Sarah. Probably, as soon as I try to write her, she'll move in and take charge, but til then, I'm undecided about where the girls'll take it. Either Dawn'll get pwned, or she'll be nice about it then pwn VK later or... gah, there are many options wherein Sarah and Dawn get on like a house on fire and VK retreats to the library, wondering what he's started.

Also, er... Faith leering at VK will be bad. So, so bad! *winces* He's eyeing her with far too much interest and Dawn's sitting there, observing "Sweetie, do you really want to try and deal with two freakish mortal girls? I mean, really?" (at which, he glazes over and gets a rather... dopey grin on his face)

Methinks the post-hiatus ball will be Dawn's birthday do, so Angel won't be around for that one. She turns 20 a month or two after they hit the castle, as I recall working out somewhere, so the big do will be for her 21st, when everyone is settled back into the house.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

I'm closer and closer to the opinion that Sarah and Dawn will get along like a house on fire. The Sarah in my head is charmingly straightforward and more than a little manipulative. Kind of like Cordelia, really.

Re: Faith, VK should realise that's one lady who will never learn or want to learn manners :> That should cool him off quickly enough...

Herbert's unchaining is in progress

*pokes*

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Finishing off the Illyria/Vittorio scene first, because I don't like leaving a scene half-finished :)

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Pah. You said unchaining was in progress :P

Any snipplets will be appreciated. Had to pause for a family quarrel, but am a quarter of the way done with the prequel already. BTW, does it have a title?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Unchaining technically is, sorta... kinda. Dawn's on her way.


And scene for the immortal and demon:

“In this festering cesspool,” Illyria’s voice was a monotone. “I do not believe better is a choice. I have seen people fight for this emotion, this love, and many of them do not deserve all they have. Why should you deserve or not deserve? If you want it, then you keep it. If not, then you destroy it.” Her expression was distasteful. “It is such a weakness, emotion.”

Vittorio looked up at her, sudden revelation on his face. “It is,” he said softly, “But it is what makes us strong as well. It is what makes us stand, what makes us fight when we know we should lie down and give up.”

“Folly,” Illyria maintained.

“Perhaps,” he agreed. “But it can be so much more as well.” He curled his hand, a swirl of light spiralling above his fingertips, his eyes apparently reading something in the flare of light that the demon could not see. “It can be everything you need.”

Blue eyes gazed at him. “You revel in this humanity,” she observed.

“I do,” Brown eyes met hers. “Thank you.”

“Your gratitude has no cause.”

Vittorio smiled for the first time in days. “Oh, it has, nobile Illyria,” he murmured, rising from his seat and bowing deeply to her. “Your presence and wisdom have been most illuminating and I thank you.”

The demon blinked at him. “You are... welcome?” it offered.

That only made Vittorio smile more.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Goodie :) I assume Vitto's back in gear and well and truly kicked? It came out great, subtle enough, and yet all the right points driven home.

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

He was doing the mojo to see where Buffy is and plans to pounce on her, lavish her with affection and whisk her off somewhere without warning ;D

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

I think Dawn might appreciate that ;)

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Scowling at the canopy, Herbert tugged at the right cuff again.

It was pointless, a futile gesture, he knew. After all, these were his own toys and chains and if he didn’t know they were in good condition, enough to secure the most energetic lover, then what kind of owner would he have been.

No one had been able to break out of them, not in a hundred years, not even his dear treacherous William when he came prepared with a lock-pick and his remarkably flexible little body.

He had to admit, however, that William had come close with some clever acrobatics and a balancing act that had him somehow dangling from the canopy by his knees, the lock-pick in his mouth.

Alas that his ankles and arms were all bound, ensuring he could barely even wriggle without the cuffs pulling tightly.

Sighing dramatically, he glared at the drapes, plotting bloody and wicked revenge on his dear, devoted and wretched boy.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Oh dear. I can almost see the steam rising from Herbert's ears here :D

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

The squeal of the hinges alerted him to a presence, the scent of which certainly wasn’t William. No doubt, his lover had intended to leave him, as promised, until he had recovered.

Perhaps it was for his own good, but without some gesture of affection or at least a lascivious sexual act to keep him going, he feared he would remain quite furious at William for some time.

“Oh... my... God...”

With a muffled groan, Herbert looked towards the open door. “What do you want, cherie?” he sighed.

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

:D

Dawn didn't pick up on the chains innuendo, did she?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

She suspected, but now, since she's here, she's more delighted by the fact she can have her revenge on him for what he did to her when she was sick :D

Re: *is evil*

[winter]

Spike won't hear the end of this for weeks, will he?

Re: *is evil*

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

From either of them :D

Herbert is fuming (although William will make it up to him in all kinds of nice and lascivious ways) and Dawn is grinning and laughing at his death threats :D