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foxysquidalsoJust some collected stories written for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
pw_contest, which is pretty fun! I confess, I'm a prompt addict.
Title:Reveille
Rating: G
Pairings/Characters: Diego/Mia
Spoilers: For the end of T&T.
Warnings: None
Word count: 299
Summary: Maybe the Feys aren't the only ones who can talk to spirits.
Reveille.
It's the same dream again. Not a nightmare, but a voice, it calls him out of the darkness and into the light. This morning, like every other morning, he opens his eyes and doesn't see her face.
She used to worry that he would leave her. Men always left, she said, because of the power the women in her family had. She thought it terrified men on some level. Those women who could become the dead.
"Your family isn't mine," he said. "I'll have you know, my own grandfather used to talk to the dead."
"Did he really?"
"When he was a young man, he loved sleeping in. He wouldn't wake up for anything. My grandmother had to haul him out of bed every morning so he could get to work. After she died, he thought he'd never be able to get up again, but every morning, he did. The very minute he was supposed to. It was because every night, he dreamed that she leaned over and whispered in his ear, Héctor, it's time to wake up."
"I don't know if that's the same as talking to the dead, Diego."
"Maybe not. But the Feys can't be the only family with spiritual power. It could be the Armando Family has a little too."
He believes his grandfather's story. Maybe the Armandos can talk to the dead. No, if anything, it's more like they can listen. He's listening.
He turns toward the light. His window faces east, and through the bars, he sees the sun begin to color the sky.
"Funny," he says aloud. She always liked teasing him. Or maybe it isn't a joke. Maybe she knows he wouldn't come back without her voice calling him: Diego, it's time to wake up.
Title: A Ghost Story
Rating: PG (mentions of death)
Pairings/Characters: Colias, Maya
Warnings: spoilers for AAI, final case (victim details, witness identity, setting)
Word count: 1000
Summary: When Ambassador Palaeno is faced with a supernatural mystery, he remembers hearing about a certain spirit medium.
A Ghost Story.
Sometimes, while sitting at his desk, he'd feel the back of his neck prickle as if someone was watching him, but when he turned around, no one was there. Once, one of his souvenirs fell off the shelf. It was the Grand Canyon snow globe, arguably his favorite. The broken glass and fake snow lay in a bright puddle on the floor, and as Colias gazed down at it woefully, he wondered what had caused it to fall. He wondered the same thing about the bottle of ink he saw wobble and fall over. By the time he reached it, it had spilled all over the stacks of coupons he'd carefully placed beside it.
The coupons were ruined.
A phone rang. Colias hurried across the office to answer it. Only when he reached the desk did he realize that it was his cell phone that was ringing, tucked in his vest pocket. He pulled it out. "Hello! Colias Palaeno, Ambassador of Cohdopia."
"Hello, Colias Palaeno, Ambassador of Cohdopia. This is Maya Fey, of Kurain Village."
It took Colias a moment to place the woman's name. "Yes, you're the one I called! Thank you for getting back to me promptly. I heard wonderful things about you from the Ambassador of Zheng Fa."
"No problem," said Ms. Fey. "Do you have time to talk now? I like to chat with my clients before I set up an appointment."
"Certainly. I have plenty of time." He seated himself at his desk. He would have pressed his hands together in excitement if he wasn't holding a phone in one of them. He'd never spoken to an actual medium before.
"Who's the deceased person in question?" she asked.
"My former secretary, Manny."
"Got it. Manny. What kind of guy was he?"
Colias hesitated. "He was questionable. Morally speaking."
"Could you go into more detail?"
"He was never an easy man to work with, but I thought he was doing a good job as my secretary. As it turned out, he was involved in smuggling, and--other things."
"Other things?"
He wouldn't lie, though it wasn't his favorite subject to discuss. "He killed someone, I'm afraid."
"I see." He heard a note of sadness in her voice. "I'm sorry, I won't be able to help you. I don't channel murderers."
He hastened to reassure her. "Please don't trouble yourself. That does sound like it would be very stressful. I understand." He paused. "But would it be all right if I asked you a question?"
"Of course! Go ahead."
"How do I tell if my embassy is haunted?"
"Haunted? You think you have a haunted embassy? Like a haunted house?"
"It sounds a little silly," Colias admitted.
"It isn't that you want to talk to Manny, but that you think he's haunting you?"
"Yes, that's exactly right! I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in the message I left for you."
"So you're offering me an actual ghost hunting job in an actual possibly haunted embassy?"
"That's right."
"I'll be right there!" she declared.
"You will?" Colias wasn't entirely sure where she was located, but he'd heard a train ride was involved.
"I'll be there--tomorrow," she amended.
"Thank you, Ms. Fey, I'm incredibly grateful for your help."
As promised, she arrived the next day. He'd told his staff to show her up to his office as soon as she arrived, and she burst in with a smile and shook his hand. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Ambassador."
"You as well, Ms. Fey." Colias considered offering her a coupon, but for someone of such importance, free samples would be better. Unfortunately, he didn't have any on hand. He was still considering the matter as she began to stalk around the office: examining every corner, peering into drawers, studying his shelves. She didn't waste time. She reminded him a little of Kay; she was so fearless.
"Tell me, why do you think you're being haunted?" she asked.
It was difficult to explain. "At times I feel like there's someone here with me, but no one is. My things keep falling over. I find myself thinking about Manny a great deal. Sometimes I think he's about to say something--but he never does."
"Interesting." Whatever she'd been looking for, she had either found it or decided she wasn't going to find it. She returned to where he stood waiting. "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
"The good news, please."
"The good news is that there's no ghost. There's nobody else here, just you and me."
That was a relief. Colias sighed. "What's the bad news?" he asked.
"The bad news is that you are being haunted. By your memories. There's nothing I can do about that." She smiled up at him. "You miss Manny. Even though you think you shouldn't. Because of what he did. Right?"
Colias stared at her, then nodded, slowly. He felt something cold wash over him. Wasn't that how ghosts were supposed to make you feel? But it was only his own emotion. Manny was gone. He was really gone.
"I know how you feel," she said. "It'll take time. That's all."
"What about the things falling over?" He was sure that had nothing to do with his memories.
"Well, I didn't want to say anything..." She averted her gaze. "But you should probably reorganize your shelves. There are a lot of things that look like they're about to fall over."
"Oh!" He brought his hands up in surprise, then laughed. A second later, she began laughing, too. They laughed together. "I can be disorganized," he confessed. "Manny used to put everything in order, but now--" He started toward his souvenir shelf.
"Let me help," she offered. Together, they put the souvenirs in order. They were sure to place them far from the edges of the shelves. Souvenirs were memories, too. They had to be treated with care.
Title: Caged Bird
Rating: G
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Vera, Trucy
Warnings: Rather mild spoilers for the end of AJ.
Word count: 300
Summary: Magicians need a little help sometimes--but so do their assistants.
Caged Bird.
"Will you be my lovely assistant?"
Vera glanced up from the sketchbook she was lost in. "Me?"
"No, Mr. Hat." Trucy laughed. "Of course you."
She set her drawing aside. "Yes."
In the center of the room, balanced on four curving legs, stood a gilded birdcage. "Uncle Valant gave this to me. It's a genuine magical antique."
A form clung to the perch inside the cage. It was a bird, but not real: a golden bird with false feathers. Vera leaned in close. "It's pretty."
"Listen," said Trucy.
Vera didn't see her touch the cage, but she must have. The bird tilted its head and sang, a sweet melody, as fair but false as the bird itself. "Is that the trick?" Vera asked.
"No. I need my lovely assistant for that." Trucy handed her a blue cloth, embroidered with suns and moons. "Cover the cage with this. When I give the signal, pull it away."
Trucy had such faith in her. Vera put the cloth over the cage and waited as Trucy waved her wand. The signal was a wink and a grin. When it came, Vera pulled. The cloth fell. The cage door sprang open, and it was a miracle: the bird had come to life. Transformed into a white dove, it fled its cage for freedom.
Vera clapped.
Trucy bowed.
The dove collided gently with the bookshelf, then flew across the room and attempted to alight on a lamp, knocking it over.
"Uh oh," said Trucy. "Daddy said not to try that trick in here. We'd better catch it."
"I'll help," said Vera.
She was the lovely assistant, but it was Trucy who caught the bird and held the trembling animal. "Don't be afraid," Trucy whispered, and the bird fell still, calm and quiet in her gloved hands.
pw_contest, which is pretty fun! I confess, I'm a prompt addict.Title:Reveille
Rating: G
Pairings/Characters: Diego/Mia
Spoilers: For the end of T&T.
Warnings: None
Word count: 299
Summary: Maybe the Feys aren't the only ones who can talk to spirits.
Reveille.
It's the same dream again. Not a nightmare, but a voice, it calls him out of the darkness and into the light. This morning, like every other morning, he opens his eyes and doesn't see her face.
She used to worry that he would leave her. Men always left, she said, because of the power the women in her family had. She thought it terrified men on some level. Those women who could become the dead.
"Your family isn't mine," he said. "I'll have you know, my own grandfather used to talk to the dead."
"Did he really?"
"When he was a young man, he loved sleeping in. He wouldn't wake up for anything. My grandmother had to haul him out of bed every morning so he could get to work. After she died, he thought he'd never be able to get up again, but every morning, he did. The very minute he was supposed to. It was because every night, he dreamed that she leaned over and whispered in his ear, Héctor, it's time to wake up."
"I don't know if that's the same as talking to the dead, Diego."
"Maybe not. But the Feys can't be the only family with spiritual power. It could be the Armando Family has a little too."
He believes his grandfather's story. Maybe the Armandos can talk to the dead. No, if anything, it's more like they can listen. He's listening.
He turns toward the light. His window faces east, and through the bars, he sees the sun begin to color the sky.
"Funny," he says aloud. She always liked teasing him. Or maybe it isn't a joke. Maybe she knows he wouldn't come back without her voice calling him: Diego, it's time to wake up.
Title: A Ghost Story
Rating: PG (mentions of death)
Pairings/Characters: Colias, Maya
Warnings: spoilers for AAI, final case (victim details, witness identity, setting)
Word count: 1000
Summary: When Ambassador Palaeno is faced with a supernatural mystery, he remembers hearing about a certain spirit medium.
A Ghost Story.
Sometimes, while sitting at his desk, he'd feel the back of his neck prickle as if someone was watching him, but when he turned around, no one was there. Once, one of his souvenirs fell off the shelf. It was the Grand Canyon snow globe, arguably his favorite. The broken glass and fake snow lay in a bright puddle on the floor, and as Colias gazed down at it woefully, he wondered what had caused it to fall. He wondered the same thing about the bottle of ink he saw wobble and fall over. By the time he reached it, it had spilled all over the stacks of coupons he'd carefully placed beside it.
The coupons were ruined.
A phone rang. Colias hurried across the office to answer it. Only when he reached the desk did he realize that it was his cell phone that was ringing, tucked in his vest pocket. He pulled it out. "Hello! Colias Palaeno, Ambassador of Cohdopia."
"Hello, Colias Palaeno, Ambassador of Cohdopia. This is Maya Fey, of Kurain Village."
It took Colias a moment to place the woman's name. "Yes, you're the one I called! Thank you for getting back to me promptly. I heard wonderful things about you from the Ambassador of Zheng Fa."
"No problem," said Ms. Fey. "Do you have time to talk now? I like to chat with my clients before I set up an appointment."
"Certainly. I have plenty of time." He seated himself at his desk. He would have pressed his hands together in excitement if he wasn't holding a phone in one of them. He'd never spoken to an actual medium before.
"Who's the deceased person in question?" she asked.
"My former secretary, Manny."
"Got it. Manny. What kind of guy was he?"
Colias hesitated. "He was questionable. Morally speaking."
"Could you go into more detail?"
"He was never an easy man to work with, but I thought he was doing a good job as my secretary. As it turned out, he was involved in smuggling, and--other things."
"Other things?"
He wouldn't lie, though it wasn't his favorite subject to discuss. "He killed someone, I'm afraid."
"I see." He heard a note of sadness in her voice. "I'm sorry, I won't be able to help you. I don't channel murderers."
He hastened to reassure her. "Please don't trouble yourself. That does sound like it would be very stressful. I understand." He paused. "But would it be all right if I asked you a question?"
"Of course! Go ahead."
"How do I tell if my embassy is haunted?"
"Haunted? You think you have a haunted embassy? Like a haunted house?"
"It sounds a little silly," Colias admitted.
"It isn't that you want to talk to Manny, but that you think he's haunting you?"
"Yes, that's exactly right! I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in the message I left for you."
"So you're offering me an actual ghost hunting job in an actual possibly haunted embassy?"
"That's right."
"I'll be right there!" she declared.
"You will?" Colias wasn't entirely sure where she was located, but he'd heard a train ride was involved.
"I'll be there--tomorrow," she amended.
"Thank you, Ms. Fey, I'm incredibly grateful for your help."
As promised, she arrived the next day. He'd told his staff to show her up to his office as soon as she arrived, and she burst in with a smile and shook his hand. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Ambassador."
"You as well, Ms. Fey." Colias considered offering her a coupon, but for someone of such importance, free samples would be better. Unfortunately, he didn't have any on hand. He was still considering the matter as she began to stalk around the office: examining every corner, peering into drawers, studying his shelves. She didn't waste time. She reminded him a little of Kay; she was so fearless.
"Tell me, why do you think you're being haunted?" she asked.
It was difficult to explain. "At times I feel like there's someone here with me, but no one is. My things keep falling over. I find myself thinking about Manny a great deal. Sometimes I think he's about to say something--but he never does."
"Interesting." Whatever she'd been looking for, she had either found it or decided she wasn't going to find it. She returned to where he stood waiting. "I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
"The good news, please."
"The good news is that there's no ghost. There's nobody else here, just you and me."
That was a relief. Colias sighed. "What's the bad news?" he asked.
"The bad news is that you are being haunted. By your memories. There's nothing I can do about that." She smiled up at him. "You miss Manny. Even though you think you shouldn't. Because of what he did. Right?"
Colias stared at her, then nodded, slowly. He felt something cold wash over him. Wasn't that how ghosts were supposed to make you feel? But it was only his own emotion. Manny was gone. He was really gone.
"I know how you feel," she said. "It'll take time. That's all."
"What about the things falling over?" He was sure that had nothing to do with his memories.
"Well, I didn't want to say anything..." She averted her gaze. "But you should probably reorganize your shelves. There are a lot of things that look like they're about to fall over."
"Oh!" He brought his hands up in surprise, then laughed. A second later, she began laughing, too. They laughed together. "I can be disorganized," he confessed. "Manny used to put everything in order, but now--" He started toward his souvenir shelf.
"Let me help," she offered. Together, they put the souvenirs in order. They were sure to place them far from the edges of the shelves. Souvenirs were memories, too. They had to be treated with care.
Title: Caged Bird
Rating: G
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Vera, Trucy
Warnings: Rather mild spoilers for the end of AJ.
Word count: 300
Summary: Magicians need a little help sometimes--but so do their assistants.
Caged Bird.
"Will you be my lovely assistant?"
Vera glanced up from the sketchbook she was lost in. "Me?"
"No, Mr. Hat." Trucy laughed. "Of course you."
She set her drawing aside. "Yes."
In the center of the room, balanced on four curving legs, stood a gilded birdcage. "Uncle Valant gave this to me. It's a genuine magical antique."
A form clung to the perch inside the cage. It was a bird, but not real: a golden bird with false feathers. Vera leaned in close. "It's pretty."
"Listen," said Trucy.
Vera didn't see her touch the cage, but she must have. The bird tilted its head and sang, a sweet melody, as fair but false as the bird itself. "Is that the trick?" Vera asked.
"No. I need my lovely assistant for that." Trucy handed her a blue cloth, embroidered with suns and moons. "Cover the cage with this. When I give the signal, pull it away."
Trucy had such faith in her. Vera put the cloth over the cage and waited as Trucy waved her wand. The signal was a wink and a grin. When it came, Vera pulled. The cloth fell. The cage door sprang open, and it was a miracle: the bird had come to life. Transformed into a white dove, it fled its cage for freedom.
Vera clapped.
Trucy bowed.
The dove collided gently with the bookshelf, then flew across the room and attempted to alight on a lamp, knocking it over.
"Uh oh," said Trucy. "Daddy said not to try that trick in here. We'd better catch it."
"I'll help," said Vera.
She was the lovely assistant, but it was Trucy who caught the bird and held the trembling animal. "Don't be afraid," Trucy whispered, and the bird fell still, calm and quiet in her gloved hands.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-10-26 03:24 am (UTC)1) Dieeegoooo ;________;
2) Mannyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ;____________; <333333
3) And seriously, so cute!
no subject
Date: 2010-11-05 06:58 pm (UTC)And your lovely lists.
You are the best, and my favorite Manny Fanny. ♥ ♥ ♥
no subject
Date: 2010-10-26 04:07 am (UTC)I can never get enough stories. Or enough fun!
Great how that works out. ♥
no subject
Date: 2010-11-05 06:58 pm (UTC)Thank yoooou.