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31_days2009-08-14 05:41 pm
cofmanynames.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2009-08-14 05:41 pm
[August 14] [Original] Past, Present, Future Imperfect
Title: Past, Present, Future Imperfect
Day / Theme: August 14 -- will you catch me if I'm falling?
Rating: PG13
Series: Original (Fire and Water, For the Love of Words)
Characters: Seven, Ciríchen, Twenty-Eight and/or Cristian
Summary: Seven at various points in time. Concerning trust, and identity -- so basically two of those themes I love to pieces.
Notes: I may have just reread Watchmen and that may have impacted the style of narration a bit. Just a bit. Spoilertastic for FLW.
Past: She met him for the first time, getting more used to the awkwardness of a new partner and division every change. He didn’t have the kind of face most pinks and oranges did, the mix of optimism and fear. Nor did he look like a veteran, boredom and familiarity covering interest. She knew the look he had from what she looked like if she wasn’t paying attention: flat, empty, almost dead but for the eyes.
There was something wrong in his eyes as well, although at least they looked alive: an edge of very specific panic and, she thought – reading people to the point where it was almost telepathy was still something she could do; there were so many to practice on – a creeping sort of happy, almost drugged complacence, and disgust at it. Or maybe she was getting old and there wasn’t anything wrong with him at all.
For a long time he would ask if he could trust her, with that hunted and guilty cast to his eyes again, almost randomly, and not say anything afterwards. Then he stopped asking, and she supposed he’d decided she had been telling the truth.
After that, he spoke.
Present: There’s a sharp edge of memory that comes up. Maybe it’s the eyes, maybe it’s the tone of voice as Thirteen – the only one she can’t read well, it’s frustrating – asks urgently if she will keep a secret. (The answer is yes, by default. Who would she tell?)
And, later, it turns out to be rather a lot of secrets. Eventually she’ll tell Thirteen some things – not her own truths, but valuable enough – as if to repay.
Future: She will hope, of course, that what Thirteen had told her is wrong. Thirteen may be seeing another universe and not know the difference; they do that sometimes.
Or Thirteen could be lying, could be faking, something, anything if not for the name...
And so she will give him the benefit of the doubt and he will take it, so to speak, but only to metaphorically haul her forward and off balance.
As she will lie there with air seeping out of and blood leaking into her lungs, she will think about the fact that she could curse him, then, dying. Her kind are mortal, which has certain uses. But it will not seem too important to her, not any more, and he will already be leaving if the person she knew is not gone, if the person she trusted was ever there in the first place.
Day / Theme: August 14 -- will you catch me if I'm falling?
Rating: PG13
Series: Original (Fire and Water, For the Love of Words)
Characters: Seven, Ciríchen, Twenty-Eight and/or Cristian
Summary: Seven at various points in time. Concerning trust, and identity -- so basically two of those themes I love to pieces.
Notes: I may have just reread Watchmen and that may have impacted the style of narration a bit. Just a bit. Spoilertastic for FLW.
Past: She met him for the first time, getting more used to the awkwardness of a new partner and division every change. He didn’t have the kind of face most pinks and oranges did, the mix of optimism and fear. Nor did he look like a veteran, boredom and familiarity covering interest. She knew the look he had from what she looked like if she wasn’t paying attention: flat, empty, almost dead but for the eyes.
There was something wrong in his eyes as well, although at least they looked alive: an edge of very specific panic and, she thought – reading people to the point where it was almost telepathy was still something she could do; there were so many to practice on – a creeping sort of happy, almost drugged complacence, and disgust at it. Or maybe she was getting old and there wasn’t anything wrong with him at all.
For a long time he would ask if he could trust her, with that hunted and guilty cast to his eyes again, almost randomly, and not say anything afterwards. Then he stopped asking, and she supposed he’d decided she had been telling the truth.
After that, he spoke.
Present: There’s a sharp edge of memory that comes up. Maybe it’s the eyes, maybe it’s the tone of voice as Thirteen – the only one she can’t read well, it’s frustrating – asks urgently if she will keep a secret. (The answer is yes, by default. Who would she tell?)
And, later, it turns out to be rather a lot of secrets. Eventually she’ll tell Thirteen some things – not her own truths, but valuable enough – as if to repay.
Future: She will hope, of course, that what Thirteen had told her is wrong. Thirteen may be seeing another universe and not know the difference; they do that sometimes.
Or Thirteen could be lying, could be faking, something, anything if not for the name...
And so she will give him the benefit of the doubt and he will take it, so to speak, but only to metaphorically haul her forward and off balance.
As she will lie there with air seeping out of and blood leaking into her lungs, she will think about the fact that she could curse him, then, dying. Her kind are mortal, which has certain uses. But it will not seem too important to her, not any more, and he will already be leaving if the person she knew is not gone, if the person she trusted was ever there in the first place.