Challenge 01 - Character Resolutions - Tarlan
10 resolutions in FOUR ficlets:
1. Primeval - James Lester (68 words) - ONE resolution
His resolution to treat the ARC team with a modicum of respect disintegrated within the first few days of the New Year. Of course that made James even more irritable though he singled out Temple for the worst of his sarcasm. After all, if Connor had kept that flying dino-lizard under control then James would not have needed to wipe dino-lizard poop off his prized Christmas card from the Queen.
END
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2. Eureka - Jack Carter/Nathan Stark (230 words) - TWO resolutions
How hard could it be to make and keep one single resolution? Zoe had set him the challenge and Jack had thought he was being so clever choosing something he knew would be so simple: to say something nice to the first person he met each day - face-to-face was Zoe's demand. He broke that resolution on DAY THREE after a frantic call to Global Dynamics from Fargo.
"What the Hell, Stark!" he yelped as he was tackled to the ground by Nathan the moment he crossed the threshold. "Get off me!"
"Shut up, Carter."
"No. You shut up."
The strong hand clamping over his lips ended any more protests and Jack's eyes widened when he realized why he would be better off doing exactly as Nathan said, and shut up.
It took the powerful sedative from Taggart's tranquilizer gun two excruciatingly long minutes to take effect on the man sized chicken with sharp teeth and wicked claws. Having Nathan lying on top of him the whole time showed Jack it wasn't just Allison who could get a rise out of him in close contact, and from Nathan's smirk, the bastard knew it too.
"I see my New Year's resolution is shaping up nicely," Nathan murmured, breath hot in Jack's ear, and Jack groaned, and it was not only because he had lost his New Year's resolution bet with Zoe.
END
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3. Stargate Atlantis - John/Rodney (277 words) - TWO resolutions
"I'm making a New Year's resolution to be a better person."
John looked up from his comic and stared hard at Rodney in consternation. He put the comic aside and sat up on the edge of the bed facing Rodney.
"Why?"
"Jennifer says-"
John held up a finger and all those years of training in the field worked because Rodney shut up immediately. Or maybe he realized the stupidity of what he was about to say.
"You don't need to change, Rodney. You're fine as you are."
"But Jennifer-."
"No. If Jennifer doesn't like you as you are then maybe Jennifer's not the right person for you. You'll just have to keep looking."
Rodney slumped into a chair next to the bed. "I'm 38 years old. Even Jeannie says I'll never find anyone who likes me the way I am."
"Jeannie's wrong."
Rodney turned a little beliigerent. "Oh, then name one person."
"Me."
Rodney scoffed, jabbing a finger towards John. "You... You don't count."
John couldn't help feeling a little hurt but outwardly stayed calm. "And why not?"
"Because... because you're you. You're... You're perfect."
John leaned forward and grabbed Rodney's flailing hands, struggling to let the next words come out. "I-I like you, Rodney."
Rodney stilled, confusion clouding his blue eyes. He looked down at their joined hands and back up at John, studying him with a laser intensity that shot a small thrill up John's spine. Rodney gasped softly as he got his Eureka moment. He lunged forward and kissed John, and after a stunned moment John kissed him back, fulfilling the New Year's resolution he had set every year since meeting Rodney McKay.
END
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4. The Magnificent Seven (TV) - Chris/Vin (848 words) - FIVE resolutions (past and present).
Christmas had not been a joyful occasion for Chris following the death of Sarah and Adam. He would grab a bottle of whisky and drown himself in it to numb away the season, growling at anyone who tried to intervene. It started to change after he teamed up with the other six men in this small frontier town, slowly pulled from his self-imposed exile to join in with the festivities even if he did just sit at the edge and watch for the most part. This year was different. His resolution each new year had been to find out why Sarah and Adam had to die in such a terrible way. He finally had the answer and with it came a new resolution this year to track down Ella Gaines and see justice meted out for Sarah and Adam.
He winced at the constant reminder of Ella. Even though the bullet wound had healed it still ached a little and likely always would.
"You okay, Cowboy?" Vin asked as he sank down on the bench beside Chris.
Chris gave Vin a wry smile and edged the bottle towards Vin before taking another sip of whisky.
"Ms. Travis looks pretty tonight."
Chris gave a noncommittal response. She was beautiful and attracting the eye of more than a few men, some of whom had wives looking on enviously but Chris had long since dismissed any thoughts of paying her amorous intention. Since learning of Ella's insanity he had no inclination towards any of the women who might have once drawn his attention. Maybe it was the whisky loosening his tongue for a change but Chris felt more talkative than usual.
"Made any New Year resolutions?" Chris asked Vin.
"Same one I make every year... to clear my name."
"Going to be harder with Eli Joe dead."
"Heard he bragged about it to some of the men he ran with." Vin shifted. "Figured I might head out in the Spring. Hunt them down before some other bounty hunter takes them in dead rather'n alive."
Chris thought about it for a moment, about how quickly he had given up the peace keeping of this town for a horse ranch and a life with Ella before it all went up in flames. It was all just an illusion though, grasping for something he had once had with Sarah only to learn it was Ella that had taken all of that away from him in the first place. It wouldn't be so easy to go back to that life after Sarah and now Ella. Yet he wasn't sure he had a place here in the town any longer. The town was different now. It had already grown half as much again and with the railroad reaching them by this time next year it would grow bigger still. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a peacekeeper in a busy town with all its hustle and bustle. Since the day they met Vin had been his mainstay, his anchor, and he remembered a half-made promise made to Vin several years back.
"Made a resolution to hunt down Ella, bring her to justice one way or another." He glanced across at Vin. "No reason why I can't make another to help you clear your name at the same time."
Vin smiled, blue eyes crinkling up. "I was figuring the same 'bout me helping you track down Ella Gaines."
Chris reached out, clasping each other's forearm as they sealed their pact. Later than night they rode out to Chris's rebuilt shack to get away from the noisy New Year's celebrations that would go on into the night so they could seal a different pact that had nothing to do with anyone other than them and the feelings they shared for each other.
In the Spring, once the winter snows had mostly melted away, they saddled up, not surprised when the others elected to stay, having found a home and love in the growing town. J.D. had married Casey just a few days earlier and Nathan had similar plans to marry Rain, and would be leaving to join her and her people now there was a trained doctor in the town. Josiah, now re-ordained as a preacher, had finished his rebuild of the church and he had his congregation, while Ezra was now a respectable businessman after his mother signed over the saloon to him. Buck had left over a month earlier to join Louisa Perkins, with Chris hoping she would be the woman who tamed the Ladies' Man, and he had returned for J.D.'s wedding happy and content.
"I'll tend to your land so you'll always have a home to come back to," J.D. stated, and Chris knew he meant it and would keep that promise.
He nodded his gratitude, and with a glance towards Vin, they nudged their horses onward. They had resolutions to keep and once all the dust had settled they knew they would return to the friends they had made in his small town.
END
1. Primeval - James Lester (68 words) - ONE resolution
His resolution to treat the ARC team with a modicum of respect disintegrated within the first few days of the New Year. Of course that made James even more irritable though he singled out Temple for the worst of his sarcasm. After all, if Connor had kept that flying dino-lizard under control then James would not have needed to wipe dino-lizard poop off his prized Christmas card from the Queen.
END
----------
2. Eureka - Jack Carter/Nathan Stark (230 words) - TWO resolutions
How hard could it be to make and keep one single resolution? Zoe had set him the challenge and Jack had thought he was being so clever choosing something he knew would be so simple: to say something nice to the first person he met each day - face-to-face was Zoe's demand. He broke that resolution on DAY THREE after a frantic call to Global Dynamics from Fargo.
"What the Hell, Stark!" he yelped as he was tackled to the ground by Nathan the moment he crossed the threshold. "Get off me!"
"Shut up, Carter."
"No. You shut up."
The strong hand clamping over his lips ended any more protests and Jack's eyes widened when he realized why he would be better off doing exactly as Nathan said, and shut up.
It took the powerful sedative from Taggart's tranquilizer gun two excruciatingly long minutes to take effect on the man sized chicken with sharp teeth and wicked claws. Having Nathan lying on top of him the whole time showed Jack it wasn't just Allison who could get a rise out of him in close contact, and from Nathan's smirk, the bastard knew it too.
"I see my New Year's resolution is shaping up nicely," Nathan murmured, breath hot in Jack's ear, and Jack groaned, and it was not only because he had lost his New Year's resolution bet with Zoe.
END
----------
3. Stargate Atlantis - John/Rodney (277 words) - TWO resolutions
"I'm making a New Year's resolution to be a better person."
John looked up from his comic and stared hard at Rodney in consternation. He put the comic aside and sat up on the edge of the bed facing Rodney.
"Why?"
"Jennifer says-"
John held up a finger and all those years of training in the field worked because Rodney shut up immediately. Or maybe he realized the stupidity of what he was about to say.
"You don't need to change, Rodney. You're fine as you are."
"But Jennifer-."
"No. If Jennifer doesn't like you as you are then maybe Jennifer's not the right person for you. You'll just have to keep looking."
Rodney slumped into a chair next to the bed. "I'm 38 years old. Even Jeannie says I'll never find anyone who likes me the way I am."
"Jeannie's wrong."
Rodney turned a little beliigerent. "Oh, then name one person."
"Me."
Rodney scoffed, jabbing a finger towards John. "You... You don't count."
John couldn't help feeling a little hurt but outwardly stayed calm. "And why not?"
"Because... because you're you. You're... You're perfect."
John leaned forward and grabbed Rodney's flailing hands, struggling to let the next words come out. "I-I like you, Rodney."
Rodney stilled, confusion clouding his blue eyes. He looked down at their joined hands and back up at John, studying him with a laser intensity that shot a small thrill up John's spine. Rodney gasped softly as he got his Eureka moment. He lunged forward and kissed John, and after a stunned moment John kissed him back, fulfilling the New Year's resolution he had set every year since meeting Rodney McKay.
END
----------
4. The Magnificent Seven (TV) - Chris/Vin (848 words) - FIVE resolutions (past and present).
Christmas had not been a joyful occasion for Chris following the death of Sarah and Adam. He would grab a bottle of whisky and drown himself in it to numb away the season, growling at anyone who tried to intervene. It started to change after he teamed up with the other six men in this small frontier town, slowly pulled from his self-imposed exile to join in with the festivities even if he did just sit at the edge and watch for the most part. This year was different. His resolution each new year had been to find out why Sarah and Adam had to die in such a terrible way. He finally had the answer and with it came a new resolution this year to track down Ella Gaines and see justice meted out for Sarah and Adam.
He winced at the constant reminder of Ella. Even though the bullet wound had healed it still ached a little and likely always would.
"You okay, Cowboy?" Vin asked as he sank down on the bench beside Chris.
Chris gave Vin a wry smile and edged the bottle towards Vin before taking another sip of whisky.
"Ms. Travis looks pretty tonight."
Chris gave a noncommittal response. She was beautiful and attracting the eye of more than a few men, some of whom had wives looking on enviously but Chris had long since dismissed any thoughts of paying her amorous intention. Since learning of Ella's insanity he had no inclination towards any of the women who might have once drawn his attention. Maybe it was the whisky loosening his tongue for a change but Chris felt more talkative than usual.
"Made any New Year resolutions?" Chris asked Vin.
"Same one I make every year... to clear my name."
"Going to be harder with Eli Joe dead."
"Heard he bragged about it to some of the men he ran with." Vin shifted. "Figured I might head out in the Spring. Hunt them down before some other bounty hunter takes them in dead rather'n alive."
Chris thought about it for a moment, about how quickly he had given up the peace keeping of this town for a horse ranch and a life with Ella before it all went up in flames. It was all just an illusion though, grasping for something he had once had with Sarah only to learn it was Ella that had taken all of that away from him in the first place. It wouldn't be so easy to go back to that life after Sarah and now Ella. Yet he wasn't sure he had a place here in the town any longer. The town was different now. It had already grown half as much again and with the railroad reaching them by this time next year it would grow bigger still. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a peacekeeper in a busy town with all its hustle and bustle. Since the day they met Vin had been his mainstay, his anchor, and he remembered a half-made promise made to Vin several years back.
"Made a resolution to hunt down Ella, bring her to justice one way or another." He glanced across at Vin. "No reason why I can't make another to help you clear your name at the same time."
Vin smiled, blue eyes crinkling up. "I was figuring the same 'bout me helping you track down Ella Gaines."
Chris reached out, clasping each other's forearm as they sealed their pact. Later than night they rode out to Chris's rebuilt shack to get away from the noisy New Year's celebrations that would go on into the night so they could seal a different pact that had nothing to do with anyone other than them and the feelings they shared for each other.
In the Spring, once the winter snows had mostly melted away, they saddled up, not surprised when the others elected to stay, having found a home and love in the growing town. J.D. had married Casey just a few days earlier and Nathan had similar plans to marry Rain, and would be leaving to join her and her people now there was a trained doctor in the town. Josiah, now re-ordained as a preacher, had finished his rebuild of the church and he had his congregation, while Ezra was now a respectable businessman after his mother signed over the saloon to him. Buck had left over a month earlier to join Louisa Perkins, with Chris hoping she would be the woman who tamed the Ladies' Man, and he had returned for J.D.'s wedding happy and content.
"I'll tend to your land so you'll always have a home to come back to," J.D. stated, and Chris knew he meant it and would keep that promise.
He nodded his gratitude, and with a glance towards Vin, they nudged their horses onward. They had resolutions to keep and once all the dust had settled they knew they would return to the friends they had made in his small town.
END