Saturday Banshee
Aug. 14th, 2010 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavandarlizard2I've been working on some commissions lately (not all of us do art or fic for money... ^__~) hoping to get the logjam in my head loosened up some (since yarning is my way of meditating) and this part popped out in the space of a few hours. I like this; it gives me hope of being able to bang out the rest of this whole part before xmas. *snicker*
BFB – Part 103 – Crazy is as Crazy Does
The pizzas arrived with a bonus – Breeze and two men, one young, one not-so-young.
Gisela erupted from her chair and ran to them.
“Matthew! Karl! What are you doing here?!” she cried as she hugged them both.
Breeze stood by, holding the pizza boxes and looking smug. “I called Uncle Karl Sunday morning and told him everything. He said he’d get Matthew and come as soon as possible.”
Gisela drew back to stare at her daughter. “I… I am… speechless… apparently.” She looked up at the man who was very obviously related to her. “I was going to wait until I had everything in order… You know… all those grown-up things. But I’m so glad you’re here! Thank you, Breeze! That was a great idea.” She turned to hug her now-pizza box-less child.
Beren had lifted the pizza boxes from Breeze with a smile and was setting them out on the bar. Michael sauntered up to give his sister a one-armed “manly” hug and whisper something to her. She smirked and swatted him lightly.
Gisela turned to the rest of us – you’ve heard the term “radiant”, I’m sure; well, the woman actually glowed – and began introductions. Of course, Cathy got most of the attention, and she accepted it regally, like the on-the-fast-track-to-matriarch female she was.
Pizza was passed and Karl and Matthew explained their side of things and Beren and I took our respective turns to share our plans for Ctik and for Gisela’s move, whenever that would be.
Breeze took an immediate shine to Inazuma and he ran with it, flirting and sparkling for all he was worth. She hoped he hadn’t seen the mess in her room; he replied gallantly that he’d seen no messes anywhere in the upper floors. Michael muttered that he just hadn’t reached his sister’s room yet. Breeze glared at him, but he was too far away to smack.
Beren’s magical gadgets intrigued Matthew and they were soon deep into a discussion of nesting vs. other-spaces. Karl turned to me to inquire after Ctik and get information on my plans for the vamp.
“I met Ctik a few months after the wedding,” he explained. “When she told me that her new husband had a vampire ancestor living in the family home, I was… well… surprised?” he laughed. “And of course, I immediately had all the usual concerns, so they invited me to visit and meet him.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I was… mmm… somewhat disappointed at first. I expected Bela Lugosi in a cape; I got Keanu Reeves in a tuxedo. Ctik was nothing like I expected; not a dark moment about him. You’d have thought he was any guy off the street, meeting the in-laws and a little uncomfortable in a monkey suit. I liked him immediately. Best of all, from my point of view, he really liked Gi.” He shrugged in the way that meant he was going to say something he wasn’t comfortable with.
We had moved to a sofa in a kind of family room area adjoining the kitchen. Beren, Michael and Matthew were discussing the cellars and Beren was drawing sketches on a pad at one end of the table. Inazuma and Cathy were describing their respective Clans to Gisela and Breeze at the other end. No one was noticing us, but still Karl checked the location of his relatives before continuing.
“I kind of thought of myself as my sister’s guardian back then. I’m younger by five years, but Dad was in a nursing home with a traumatic brain injury and Mom was focused almost exclusively on him, so I figured it was my job to make sure Gi didn’t do any stupid girl stuff.”
From across the room Cathy’s ears twitched our direction and she snorted and grinned a mouthful of sharp teeth at him.
“Human girl stupid stuff, I mean,” he amended quickly. Cathy nodded her acceptance of the definition.
Karl shrugged, more naturally this time. “What can I say? It’s a guy thing, I guess.”
I agreed, thinking of my own guardian.
“Ctik was totally cool, though, and Vivian was just fabulous, so I could report back to Mom that all was well with her baby girl.” He smiled. “Back then, Miles was even a pretty decent guy. I don’t believe greed is genetic, but he sure seemed to begin channeling his father after a few years.” He shook his head in disgust. “I was out in Wyoming by the time his behavior began to get… noticeable. I kept my mouth shut, though. Not my place to interfere in someone else’s marriage. But I sure let Gisela know that if she ever needed help or even to talk, I was there.”
“That’s really all you can do,” I agreed. “People see what they want to see and if you try to force it… Well, that never ends well.” Suddenly I realized why everyone warned me away from matchmaking with Wufei and Trowa. They would either come to it on their own or they wouldn’t, and any meddling on the part of an outsider would only ruin the whole dance. I should have seen that in the beginning.
I shook that thought away and explained my ideas for Ctik’s future and my frustration with the available property. I also grumbled a bit at my time restrictions.
“I only have until Sunday to find someplace for him. I understand why he can’t just stay at the Castle, but it’s still irritating. Trying to set up a suitable household in a few days is just impossible,” I sighed. “I’m not giving up, though.”
“Is there such a thing as a temporary place? Like a hotel for displaced… um… persons?”
“I think the Castle would be it, except that he can’t stay there after Sunday. The School of Wizardry is attached to the Castle and Q is pretty sure that parents would have a collective dairy herd if word got out.” I sighed and took another bite of my pizza.
“He couldn’t hang out at one of the Clans?” He tilted his head toward the table.
“As it was explained to me, he really needs his own territory to be safe. If he’s just visiting somewhere, he might attract the attention of other vamps. They do tend to be territorial, like any large predator.” He blinked at me. “Not that Ctik is a real predator,” I added hastily. “Even Heero says he’s harmless. But you know how people get with unusual things.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I would offer him space with me, but I live in a condo. I doubt he’d be happy with that.”
“I’ll find him a home,” I said firmly, “Even if I have to build it myself.”
BFB – Part 103 – Crazy is as Crazy Does
The pizzas arrived with a bonus – Breeze and two men, one young, one not-so-young.
Gisela erupted from her chair and ran to them.
“Matthew! Karl! What are you doing here?!” she cried as she hugged them both.
Breeze stood by, holding the pizza boxes and looking smug. “I called Uncle Karl Sunday morning and told him everything. He said he’d get Matthew and come as soon as possible.”
Gisela drew back to stare at her daughter. “I… I am… speechless… apparently.” She looked up at the man who was very obviously related to her. “I was going to wait until I had everything in order… You know… all those grown-up things. But I’m so glad you’re here! Thank you, Breeze! That was a great idea.” She turned to hug her now-pizza box-less child.
Beren had lifted the pizza boxes from Breeze with a smile and was setting them out on the bar. Michael sauntered up to give his sister a one-armed “manly” hug and whisper something to her. She smirked and swatted him lightly.
Gisela turned to the rest of us – you’ve heard the term “radiant”, I’m sure; well, the woman actually glowed – and began introductions. Of course, Cathy got most of the attention, and she accepted it regally, like the on-the-fast-track-to-matriarch female she was.
Pizza was passed and Karl and Matthew explained their side of things and Beren and I took our respective turns to share our plans for Ctik and for Gisela’s move, whenever that would be.
Breeze took an immediate shine to Inazuma and he ran with it, flirting and sparkling for all he was worth. She hoped he hadn’t seen the mess in her room; he replied gallantly that he’d seen no messes anywhere in the upper floors. Michael muttered that he just hadn’t reached his sister’s room yet. Breeze glared at him, but he was too far away to smack.
Beren’s magical gadgets intrigued Matthew and they were soon deep into a discussion of nesting vs. other-spaces. Karl turned to me to inquire after Ctik and get information on my plans for the vamp.
“I met Ctik a few months after the wedding,” he explained. “When she told me that her new husband had a vampire ancestor living in the family home, I was… well… surprised?” he laughed. “And of course, I immediately had all the usual concerns, so they invited me to visit and meet him.” He shook his head, chuckling. “I was… mmm… somewhat disappointed at first. I expected Bela Lugosi in a cape; I got Keanu Reeves in a tuxedo. Ctik was nothing like I expected; not a dark moment about him. You’d have thought he was any guy off the street, meeting the in-laws and a little uncomfortable in a monkey suit. I liked him immediately. Best of all, from my point of view, he really liked Gi.” He shrugged in the way that meant he was going to say something he wasn’t comfortable with.
We had moved to a sofa in a kind of family room area adjoining the kitchen. Beren, Michael and Matthew were discussing the cellars and Beren was drawing sketches on a pad at one end of the table. Inazuma and Cathy were describing their respective Clans to Gisela and Breeze at the other end. No one was noticing us, but still Karl checked the location of his relatives before continuing.
“I kind of thought of myself as my sister’s guardian back then. I’m younger by five years, but Dad was in a nursing home with a traumatic brain injury and Mom was focused almost exclusively on him, so I figured it was my job to make sure Gi didn’t do any stupid girl stuff.”
From across the room Cathy’s ears twitched our direction and she snorted and grinned a mouthful of sharp teeth at him.
“Human girl stupid stuff, I mean,” he amended quickly. Cathy nodded her acceptance of the definition.
Karl shrugged, more naturally this time. “What can I say? It’s a guy thing, I guess.”
I agreed, thinking of my own guardian.
“Ctik was totally cool, though, and Vivian was just fabulous, so I could report back to Mom that all was well with her baby girl.” He smiled. “Back then, Miles was even a pretty decent guy. I don’t believe greed is genetic, but he sure seemed to begin channeling his father after a few years.” He shook his head in disgust. “I was out in Wyoming by the time his behavior began to get… noticeable. I kept my mouth shut, though. Not my place to interfere in someone else’s marriage. But I sure let Gisela know that if she ever needed help or even to talk, I was there.”
“That’s really all you can do,” I agreed. “People see what they want to see and if you try to force it… Well, that never ends well.” Suddenly I realized why everyone warned me away from matchmaking with Wufei and Trowa. They would either come to it on their own or they wouldn’t, and any meddling on the part of an outsider would only ruin the whole dance. I should have seen that in the beginning.
I shook that thought away and explained my ideas for Ctik’s future and my frustration with the available property. I also grumbled a bit at my time restrictions.
“I only have until Sunday to find someplace for him. I understand why he can’t just stay at the Castle, but it’s still irritating. Trying to set up a suitable household in a few days is just impossible,” I sighed. “I’m not giving up, though.”
“Is there such a thing as a temporary place? Like a hotel for displaced… um… persons?”
“I think the Castle would be it, except that he can’t stay there after Sunday. The School of Wizardry is attached to the Castle and Q is pretty sure that parents would have a collective dairy herd if word got out.” I sighed and took another bite of my pizza.
“He couldn’t hang out at one of the Clans?” He tilted his head toward the table.
“As it was explained to me, he really needs his own territory to be safe. If he’s just visiting somewhere, he might attract the attention of other vamps. They do tend to be territorial, like any large predator.” He blinked at me. “Not that Ctik is a real predator,” I added hastily. “Even Heero says he’s harmless. But you know how people get with unusual things.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “I would offer him space with me, but I live in a condo. I doubt he’d be happy with that.”
“I’ll find him a home,” I said firmly, “Even if I have to build it myself.”
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no subject
Date: 2010-08-14 10:09 pm (UTC)*crosses fingers that Duo finds the vamp a home*
no subject
Date: 2010-08-15 05:23 am (UTC)Somewhere... over the rainbow... ^____^
no subject
Date: 2010-08-16 01:53 am (UTC)"So, Heero... I started a charity organization while you were out of town...' :D
no subject
Date: 2010-08-16 03:14 pm (UTC)Great, now I'm trying to come up with a word that goes with 'vampires'. I need my thesaurus. ^___^
The story so far.
Date: 2010-08-17 07:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-18 01:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-18 01:54 am (UTC)Re: The story so far.
Date: 2010-08-18 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-18 07:39 am (UTC)