Forever at the Edge of the City
Title: Forever at the Edge of the City
Fandom: TGWTG
Characters: Linkara, Spoony, Linksano
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Descriptions of violence, character death, and decay, including rats and insects
Summary: They stand at the brink, on the edge. They rise together, they fall together, side by side.
Notes: Can take place any time after “ Dancer in the Dark.” Has nothing to do with anything, I was mostly just practicing writing descriptions.
Something was wrong.
The moment Linkara woke up, he knew something was wrong. He wasn’t in his bed back at his apartment, or curled in Spoony’s arms in the master bedroom at the manor. He was in the manor, he was certain-nowhere else in the city smelled quite so strongly of vampires. But he couldn’t remember any room in the manor having an open ceiling to let the full moon in, or that hadn’t been dusted in what seemed to be years-while they didn’t use every room in the manor regularly, they at least tried to keep everything clean.
He was lying on a bed, and judging from how far he was sunken into it, he had been asleep for a very long time. He sat up, feeling his back pop as he did so. How long had he slept? He glanced around for a clock, but couldn’t see one anywhere.
Linkara shook himself slightly and realized that he, too, was covered in dust. He wiped it away from his eyes and looked for his glasses-there they were, sitting on the bedroom table and so dirt-encrusted he doubted he would ever get them clean. What had happened? Was this some sort of joke?
He grabbed his glasses and looked around for something clean to wipe them off with, but everything in the room was dusty and stained, sun bleached and rain drenched. The wooden furniture was warped and rotting, the sheets on the bed were ragged and moldy, insects crawled over everything, and Linkara had to fight back a scream when he saw a rat poke its nose out from a hole in the wall. Linkara glanced around the floor for his shoes, finally finding them under the bed. They were in no better shape than anything else, but he wasn’t going to cross the room without them. He shook them out quickly, flinching at the number of bugs that fell out of them. What had happened? Where was Spoony? Why had any part of the manor fallen into such decay?
Linkara got up and immediately regretted it as all of his limbs suddenly contracted, the muscles screaming in pain from disuse. He barely managed to catch himself on the rotting bedpost before his legs gave out. It took several minutes for him to steady himself, but he finally managed to move across the room. He had to move slowly in spite of his desire to get out of here as quickly as possible, but he finally reached the door. It took all of his strength to move it on its rusted hinges, but he did so and stepped out in the hall.
It seemed nothing here was in a better state. The pictures on the wall were shredded and warped and barely recognizable. The floor was rotting, and had fallen through in several places; Linkara could see down to the floor below through the holes. He tread carefully, testing each step carefully before putting weight on it. He made his way to the staircase, which was falling apart and clearly dangerous, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to find Spoony and get out of here.
Desperately frightened and lonely now, Linkara called out, “Spoony? Insano? Scarlett? Hello?” There was no answer. Linkara forced back his panic and called again, “Spoony? Spoony!”
Had someone attacked? Killed them all, but not realized that someone else slept in the topmost bedroom? No, Linkara would have woken…wouldn’t he?
Definitely panicked, Linkara reached out through the empathic connection he and Spoony had.
There was a moment of silence in his mind, but then he heard an answer.
Linkara transmitted.
Linkara hurried there, walking carefully to avoid falling through the floor. He glanced out the window as he passed and his stomach turned over.
The city was destroyed. Dilapidated buildings stood crumbling, no one walked past, no cars drove by, no lights shone, and the entire city felt dead. Linkara turned away and continued to the throne room, taking in the ruin around him.
Parts of the ceiling had fallen in, the windows were all shattered, tattered curtains fluttering limply in the breeze. Linkara passed the ballroom, where the chandelier lay in pieces on the floor. He passed the dining room, the long table fallen apart, the candles all melted. Spoony’s office, where the desk had collapsed, leaving mouse-chewed papers everywhere, his easy chair torn apart and so stained and mildewed Linkara hardly recognized it. He had to force down his stomach at the stench of decay mixed with vampires that permeated the air
Finally, he reached the front hall to see all of Spoony’s sand clocks shattered, the dust of dead vampires spread everywhere. Linkara stepped over it as best as he could to reach the throne room, the dark, impenetrable throne room. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, using his full weight to get the hinges to move.
After a good minute, the door had opened enough for Linkara to squeeze through. He didn’t bother to close it, merely turned.
The chairs where the Court usually sat had all fallen over, just as rotted as everything else in the manor. He moved forward toward the end of the hall, where Spoony’s throne stood, seemingly unharmed, and on it sat Spoony, looking down, his dark hair longer than ever, falling over his face, his hands clutching the armrests, his clothes tattered and dirty as though he had been sitting there for years.
“Spoony!” Linkara cried, hurrying toward him. “Spoony, what happened here?”
Spoony looked up and Linkara stopped. The Vampire Lord looked terrible, much worse than usual. His face was white as a sheet, sunken and hollow as though he hadn’t fed in ages. His eyes were dull, staring at Linkara through the sheets of hair, dark circles around them. His lips were cracked and dry, his hands were barely distinguishable from a skeleton’s, the fingernails black with dirt. His fangs were yellowed and if the Slayer didn’t know better, he’d think they were about to fall out. Linkara stared back at him in horror, wondering what could have caused this.
“Spoony?” he asked tentatively.
Spoony stared at him for several minutes before he spoke. “You were asleep,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You were asleep for a very long time…a very, very long time.”
Linkara’s blood turned cold. “How long?” he asked quietly.
“One hundred years,” Spoony answered.
Linkara stared for a long moment before he stepped forward again. “Spoony, what…?”
“Stop!” Spoony cried out. “Don’t come any closer!”
Linkara stopped. “Spoony…”
“Please, Linkara,” he said. “Just stay there…”
“Okay,” Linkara said. “But you have to tell me what’s going on.”
Spoony nodded. “There was…an accident. You were injured badly, too badly for me to heal without turning you. I almost did, but then the Overqueen of the Fae showed up and offered me a deal. She would put you into a deep sleep for one hundred years that would heal your injuries and keep you young as long as I allowed her Court free access to the city. I was desperate…I agreed.” He shook his head. “Never trust a Fae.”
“I know,” Linkara said. “But how did things get like this?”
“It started when Paw threw a fit that I made the deal. He doesn’t like Fae much. He and his pack declared war on the Fae and they all fought…we tried to stop them, but couldn’t. They destroyed a lot of the city and blew a hole in the barrier before the Fae overwhelmed the pack and killed them all. I could hardly go back on the deal-I was afraid they’d just kill you if I did. Besides, the damage was done.
“With the barrier wrecked, it was only a matter of time before something worse happened. Sure enough, about five years after you went under, the Order showed up. We fought as best as we could, but they still killed a good number of our Court. I could have dealt with it, but…one of them killed Insano. And I…I lost control. I had lost you both…I couldn’t take it. So I flew into a rage and killed them all. And I didn’t stop with the ones who came that day. I spent the next twenty years hunting the Slayers down, all across the world, killing every last one of them. I couldn’t stop myself…I was just so angry…
“Once I had wiped them all out, I came back to the city, where the survivors of that battle still were. And for another five years or so, everything ran as smoothly as possible. I ensured it did. I…I’ve become a monster. I wouldn’t tolerate any sort of disobedience. Anyone who spoke against me was put to death immediately. No one was allowed to come into the city. But I wasn’t thinking. I should have realized that with no Slayers, there was no one to keep the vampires in check.
“And they came. They came and we fought. We destroyed the entire city doing so, and most of the remaining Court was killed, but in the end, I stood victorious. By then, it was only me and Snob left. Everyone else was either dead or had fled years before.
“And with everything else gone, it wasn’t long before Snob left as well, seeking something better. He left me here, alone, for the last seventy years. So I came in here, where the sun will never shine, and I’ve waited for you to wake up…I didn’t want to wait…I’ve wanted to end it so many times…but then I thought of how it would be for you to wake up here all alone with nowhere to go…and I realized that Tara had never really wanted to save you. She wanted to leave you alive so that when the time came…there would be someone left.”
Linkara swallowed. “I don’t understand.” He took a step forward. “But I know this much. I am your Consort, and you are my Lord. And no matter what happened, no matter what things are like now…we’re together again.” He took another step forward.
“Stay back!” Spoony shouted.
“Spoony…”
“No! Unless you have a stake ready, don’t come closer!” His eyes were flashing red. “It’s been years since I had a good feeding, Linkara. If you get close enough for me to bite you…I won’t be able to stop. You’ll be dead within the hour and I couldn’t stand to watch you die again.”
Linkara stayed still. “So what do you want me to do?” he asked quietly.
“Like I said,” Spoony answered. “She left you alive so there would be someone here…someone to kill me. Someone to show that bit of mercy.” He got up off the throne and knelt on the floor. “I’ve been waiting for a hundred years for it to just end…so…if you love me, Linkara…kill me now.”
Linkara stared at his Lord for a long moment before he walked forward and knelt in front of Spoony, reaching out and running his hand over his cheek. “Spoony…” he whispered. “I’m so sorry…but…I can’t.”
Spoony turned his head compulsively, his fangs snapping at Linkara’s wrist. Linkara pulled back. Spoony whimpered. “Please, Linkara…”
“No,” Linkara said. “There’s another way. The way you should have taken years ago.” He tilted his head slightly. “Turn me.”
Spoony’s breath caught as he stared at him. “But…”
“It’s the only way. If you turn me, it won’t matter. We’ll stay together. We can leave this place and start again somewhere else. And I’ll never have to leave you again.”
Spoony shook his head. “I can’t. You…you have a place in Heaven…you have a chance to die peacefully.”
Linkara reached out again and put his hands on Spoony’s shoulders. “My place is at your side. It always has been and always will be.” He leaned forward. “Do it.”
Spoony hesitated for a moment before his arms wrapped around Linkara, hugging him tight. “I love you,” he whispered, and then his fangs sank deep into Linkara’s neck.
Linkara moaned and wrapped his arms around Spoony’s shoulders, clinging tightly to him as he fed, drinking the blood down. After several minutes, Linkara saw spots before his eyes, felt his arms weakening, felt himself falling. But before he blacked out, he tasted a sweet, warm liquid in his mouth, trickling down his throat.
It was done. It was just them. And it always would be…
*
“Linkara! Linkara!”
Linkara sat straight up. “What?!” he yelped.
“You were screaming,” Dr. Linksano said. He stood in the doorway…the doorway to his room back in the apartment. Linkara glanced around everything was normal, perfect…there was the time, the sun was just setting. “Do you require assistance?”
“No,” Linkara said, touching the side of his neck to find only a few normal bite marks left in a frenzy several days ago. “No…just a nightmare.” He grabbed his glasses, clear as ever, and found his shoes, durable and whole. “Sorry to bother you.” He straightened up. “And sorry to run out so quick. Have to be in Court tonight.” He grabbed his coat and raced out the door.
He smiled as he ran toward the manor, taking in the city, how vibrant and alive it was, even at night. The neon lights shining through the streets, the homes and buildings standing tall and firm, the people walking past, laughing and talking to each other. Linkara grinned and waved at all of them, ignoring the odd stares he received in return. He reached the manor in record time and burst through the door, immediately running to find Spoony.
He was in his office, his beautiful, functioning office, looking over papers that had just been delivered yesterday. And he was so gorgeous, his hair dark and neat, his eyes bright green, his mouth half-smiling, revealing his shining fangs. He looked up as Linkara entered and raised his eyebrows. “Well, you’re in a chipper mood today,” he commented.
Linkara launched himself over the desk and kissed Spoony hard, not caring that he scattered the papers everywhere. They could be picked up later. Spoony took a moment to process, but then he kissed Linkara back.
“What’s gotten into you?” Spoony asked once they pulled apart.
“Nothing,” Linkara said. “I just wanted to be where I belong.”
Fandom: TGWTG
Characters: Linkara, Spoony, Linksano
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Descriptions of violence, character death, and decay, including rats and insects
Summary: They stand at the brink, on the edge. They rise together, they fall together, side by side.
Notes: Can take place any time after “ Dancer in the Dark.” Has nothing to do with anything, I was mostly just practicing writing descriptions.
Something was wrong.
The moment Linkara woke up, he knew something was wrong. He wasn’t in his bed back at his apartment, or curled in Spoony’s arms in the master bedroom at the manor. He was in the manor, he was certain-nowhere else in the city smelled quite so strongly of vampires. But he couldn’t remember any room in the manor having an open ceiling to let the full moon in, or that hadn’t been dusted in what seemed to be years-while they didn’t use every room in the manor regularly, they at least tried to keep everything clean.
He was lying on a bed, and judging from how far he was sunken into it, he had been asleep for a very long time. He sat up, feeling his back pop as he did so. How long had he slept? He glanced around for a clock, but couldn’t see one anywhere.
Linkara shook himself slightly and realized that he, too, was covered in dust. He wiped it away from his eyes and looked for his glasses-there they were, sitting on the bedroom table and so dirt-encrusted he doubted he would ever get them clean. What had happened? Was this some sort of joke?
He grabbed his glasses and looked around for something clean to wipe them off with, but everything in the room was dusty and stained, sun bleached and rain drenched. The wooden furniture was warped and rotting, the sheets on the bed were ragged and moldy, insects crawled over everything, and Linkara had to fight back a scream when he saw a rat poke its nose out from a hole in the wall. Linkara glanced around the floor for his shoes, finally finding them under the bed. They were in no better shape than anything else, but he wasn’t going to cross the room without them. He shook them out quickly, flinching at the number of bugs that fell out of them. What had happened? Where was Spoony? Why had any part of the manor fallen into such decay?
Linkara got up and immediately regretted it as all of his limbs suddenly contracted, the muscles screaming in pain from disuse. He barely managed to catch himself on the rotting bedpost before his legs gave out. It took several minutes for him to steady himself, but he finally managed to move across the room. He had to move slowly in spite of his desire to get out of here as quickly as possible, but he finally reached the door. It took all of his strength to move it on its rusted hinges, but he did so and stepped out in the hall.
It seemed nothing here was in a better state. The pictures on the wall were shredded and warped and barely recognizable. The floor was rotting, and had fallen through in several places; Linkara could see down to the floor below through the holes. He tread carefully, testing each step carefully before putting weight on it. He made his way to the staircase, which was falling apart and clearly dangerous, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to find Spoony and get out of here.
Desperately frightened and lonely now, Linkara called out, “Spoony? Insano? Scarlett? Hello?” There was no answer. Linkara forced back his panic and called again, “Spoony? Spoony!”
Had someone attacked? Killed them all, but not realized that someone else slept in the topmost bedroom? No, Linkara would have woken…wouldn’t he?
Definitely panicked, Linkara reached out through the empathic connection he and Spoony had.
There was a moment of silence in his mind, but then he heard an answer.
Linkara hurried there, walking carefully to avoid falling through the floor. He glanced out the window as he passed and his stomach turned over.
The city was destroyed. Dilapidated buildings stood crumbling, no one walked past, no cars drove by, no lights shone, and the entire city felt dead. Linkara turned away and continued to the throne room, taking in the ruin around him.
Parts of the ceiling had fallen in, the windows were all shattered, tattered curtains fluttering limply in the breeze. Linkara passed the ballroom, where the chandelier lay in pieces on the floor. He passed the dining room, the long table fallen apart, the candles all melted. Spoony’s office, where the desk had collapsed, leaving mouse-chewed papers everywhere, his easy chair torn apart and so stained and mildewed Linkara hardly recognized it. He had to force down his stomach at the stench of decay mixed with vampires that permeated the air
Finally, he reached the front hall to see all of Spoony’s sand clocks shattered, the dust of dead vampires spread everywhere. Linkara stepped over it as best as he could to reach the throne room, the dark, impenetrable throne room. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, using his full weight to get the hinges to move.
After a good minute, the door had opened enough for Linkara to squeeze through. He didn’t bother to close it, merely turned.
The chairs where the Court usually sat had all fallen over, just as rotted as everything else in the manor. He moved forward toward the end of the hall, where Spoony’s throne stood, seemingly unharmed, and on it sat Spoony, looking down, his dark hair longer than ever, falling over his face, his hands clutching the armrests, his clothes tattered and dirty as though he had been sitting there for years.
“Spoony!” Linkara cried, hurrying toward him. “Spoony, what happened here?”
Spoony looked up and Linkara stopped. The Vampire Lord looked terrible, much worse than usual. His face was white as a sheet, sunken and hollow as though he hadn’t fed in ages. His eyes were dull, staring at Linkara through the sheets of hair, dark circles around them. His lips were cracked and dry, his hands were barely distinguishable from a skeleton’s, the fingernails black with dirt. His fangs were yellowed and if the Slayer didn’t know better, he’d think they were about to fall out. Linkara stared back at him in horror, wondering what could have caused this.
“Spoony?” he asked tentatively.
Spoony stared at him for several minutes before he spoke. “You were asleep,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “You were asleep for a very long time…a very, very long time.”
Linkara’s blood turned cold. “How long?” he asked quietly.
“One hundred years,” Spoony answered.
Linkara stared for a long moment before he stepped forward again. “Spoony, what…?”
“Stop!” Spoony cried out. “Don’t come any closer!”
Linkara stopped. “Spoony…”
“Please, Linkara,” he said. “Just stay there…”
“Okay,” Linkara said. “But you have to tell me what’s going on.”
Spoony nodded. “There was…an accident. You were injured badly, too badly for me to heal without turning you. I almost did, but then the Overqueen of the Fae showed up and offered me a deal. She would put you into a deep sleep for one hundred years that would heal your injuries and keep you young as long as I allowed her Court free access to the city. I was desperate…I agreed.” He shook his head. “Never trust a Fae.”
“I know,” Linkara said. “But how did things get like this?”
“It started when Paw threw a fit that I made the deal. He doesn’t like Fae much. He and his pack declared war on the Fae and they all fought…we tried to stop them, but couldn’t. They destroyed a lot of the city and blew a hole in the barrier before the Fae overwhelmed the pack and killed them all. I could hardly go back on the deal-I was afraid they’d just kill you if I did. Besides, the damage was done.
“With the barrier wrecked, it was only a matter of time before something worse happened. Sure enough, about five years after you went under, the Order showed up. We fought as best as we could, but they still killed a good number of our Court. I could have dealt with it, but…one of them killed Insano. And I…I lost control. I had lost you both…I couldn’t take it. So I flew into a rage and killed them all. And I didn’t stop with the ones who came that day. I spent the next twenty years hunting the Slayers down, all across the world, killing every last one of them. I couldn’t stop myself…I was just so angry…
“Once I had wiped them all out, I came back to the city, where the survivors of that battle still were. And for another five years or so, everything ran as smoothly as possible. I ensured it did. I…I’ve become a monster. I wouldn’t tolerate any sort of disobedience. Anyone who spoke against me was put to death immediately. No one was allowed to come into the city. But I wasn’t thinking. I should have realized that with no Slayers, there was no one to keep the vampires in check.
“And they came. They came and we fought. We destroyed the entire city doing so, and most of the remaining Court was killed, but in the end, I stood victorious. By then, it was only me and Snob left. Everyone else was either dead or had fled years before.
“And with everything else gone, it wasn’t long before Snob left as well, seeking something better. He left me here, alone, for the last seventy years. So I came in here, where the sun will never shine, and I’ve waited for you to wake up…I didn’t want to wait…I’ve wanted to end it so many times…but then I thought of how it would be for you to wake up here all alone with nowhere to go…and I realized that Tara had never really wanted to save you. She wanted to leave you alive so that when the time came…there would be someone left.”
Linkara swallowed. “I don’t understand.” He took a step forward. “But I know this much. I am your Consort, and you are my Lord. And no matter what happened, no matter what things are like now…we’re together again.” He took another step forward.
“Stay back!” Spoony shouted.
“Spoony…”
“No! Unless you have a stake ready, don’t come closer!” His eyes were flashing red. “It’s been years since I had a good feeding, Linkara. If you get close enough for me to bite you…I won’t be able to stop. You’ll be dead within the hour and I couldn’t stand to watch you die again.”
Linkara stayed still. “So what do you want me to do?” he asked quietly.
“Like I said,” Spoony answered. “She left you alive so there would be someone here…someone to kill me. Someone to show that bit of mercy.” He got up off the throne and knelt on the floor. “I’ve been waiting for a hundred years for it to just end…so…if you love me, Linkara…kill me now.”
Linkara stared at his Lord for a long moment before he walked forward and knelt in front of Spoony, reaching out and running his hand over his cheek. “Spoony…” he whispered. “I’m so sorry…but…I can’t.”
Spoony turned his head compulsively, his fangs snapping at Linkara’s wrist. Linkara pulled back. Spoony whimpered. “Please, Linkara…”
“No,” Linkara said. “There’s another way. The way you should have taken years ago.” He tilted his head slightly. “Turn me.”
Spoony’s breath caught as he stared at him. “But…”
“It’s the only way. If you turn me, it won’t matter. We’ll stay together. We can leave this place and start again somewhere else. And I’ll never have to leave you again.”
Spoony shook his head. “I can’t. You…you have a place in Heaven…you have a chance to die peacefully.”
Linkara reached out again and put his hands on Spoony’s shoulders. “My place is at your side. It always has been and always will be.” He leaned forward. “Do it.”
Spoony hesitated for a moment before his arms wrapped around Linkara, hugging him tight. “I love you,” he whispered, and then his fangs sank deep into Linkara’s neck.
Linkara moaned and wrapped his arms around Spoony’s shoulders, clinging tightly to him as he fed, drinking the blood down. After several minutes, Linkara saw spots before his eyes, felt his arms weakening, felt himself falling. But before he blacked out, he tasted a sweet, warm liquid in his mouth, trickling down his throat.
It was done. It was just them. And it always would be…
*
“Linkara! Linkara!”
Linkara sat straight up. “What?!” he yelped.
“You were screaming,” Dr. Linksano said. He stood in the doorway…the doorway to his room back in the apartment. Linkara glanced around everything was normal, perfect…there was the time, the sun was just setting. “Do you require assistance?”
“No,” Linkara said, touching the side of his neck to find only a few normal bite marks left in a frenzy several days ago. “No…just a nightmare.” He grabbed his glasses, clear as ever, and found his shoes, durable and whole. “Sorry to bother you.” He straightened up. “And sorry to run out so quick. Have to be in Court tonight.” He grabbed his coat and raced out the door.
He smiled as he ran toward the manor, taking in the city, how vibrant and alive it was, even at night. The neon lights shining through the streets, the homes and buildings standing tall and firm, the people walking past, laughing and talking to each other. Linkara grinned and waved at all of them, ignoring the odd stares he received in return. He reached the manor in record time and burst through the door, immediately running to find Spoony.
He was in his office, his beautiful, functioning office, looking over papers that had just been delivered yesterday. And he was so gorgeous, his hair dark and neat, his eyes bright green, his mouth half-smiling, revealing his shining fangs. He looked up as Linkara entered and raised his eyebrows. “Well, you’re in a chipper mood today,” he commented.
Linkara launched himself over the desk and kissed Spoony hard, not caring that he scattered the papers everywhere. They could be picked up later. Spoony took a moment to process, but then he kissed Linkara back.
“What’s gotten into you?” Spoony asked once they pulled apart.
“Nothing,” Linkara said. “I just wanted to be where I belong.”