drabble round-up
I'm not done filling requests, but I figured I'd put together a cohesive post of what I've written so far on the subject of rain.
1. Marvel, Kitty Pryde/Victor Creed, flood (caused by rain)
"This isn't funny!" Kitty snaps, clutching the tarp closer around her and glaring up at Victor's shaggy, dripping hair. Nonetheless, Victor continues to laugh, full and mocking. He shakes drops of water at her when he laughs. Kitty flinches away and shivers.
"Way I see it," Victor drawls, "it's hilarious. Kitty hates water."
"I hate being cold." Kitty turns her face into the warm, only slightly damp fabric of her sleeves. "I hate having to deal with the wet and the cold and you!"
Victor has stopped laughing by now, and his mouth slides into a crooked, sly smile. "That so?"
"Yes!" says Kitty, but she hesitates, and that says it all, doesn't it?
2. Holic, Doumeki & Watanuki, the first rainstorm with Watanuki as shop owner.
The rain on the porch roof booms like drums, like a chorus of invisible dancers stomping across the painted wood -- although for all Shizuka knows, there could be just that. There's probably a girl with bright red hair lurking about, swinging her umbrella to and fro and frowning down from on high.
"Don't bother going home," mutters Watanuki from the doorway. His hair is tousled, his robe rumpled, and looking for all as if he just woke up (he did). He raised a cup of tea to his lips and looks out at the storm. "The rain is only going to get worse."
"Was that an invitation?" Shizuka feels his lips curve up into a smile. It's become easier to do. As Watanuki grew into his temper, Shizuka has lost the awkwardness that kept him stiff and stolid. Watanuki still looks floored, though, when Shizuka smiles.
Watanuki just rolls his eyes, keeping them averted for a moment and then looking back at him, as if remembering belatedly that it's all right to look now. He doesn't have to pretend animosity or indifference. He's allowed to smile, too.
3. Merlin, any character, unseasonable storm in Camelot.
It was bright and sunny yesterday, hot even. There's no trace of that lovely weather now, though, as rain lashes the castle walls and soaks the floor around Morgana's window.
Morgana herself sprawls on the bed and breathes in the scent of the sky. It's thrilling to live in the tower when it storms, where she can smell the elements and taste them, feel the lightning on the rare occasions it strikes. There is power in the air around her, not the creeping taint of sorcery or the frightening weight of the visions that wake her up in the night, but simple nature. It's a force beyond any mortal ken. Next to it, she feels human, and alive.
She breathes in, deep, and then exhales warm into her hands. Outside, the storm rumbles companionably.
4. Havemercy, any Dragon Corps character, 'getting caught in a storm while flying'
Proudmouth never balks, even when lightning sizzles by from cloud to cloud, even when the slightest error could mean Adamo's death and her demise. She flies true and evades the white-hot bolts with ease, and Adamo wraps his arms around her slick metal neck to hold on.
Water drips down Adamo's face, and he shakes drops from his nose and eyelids. "Attagirl," he calls over the wind and the thunder. "Come on, darlin', we'll be home soon."
"Soon is a matter of opinion," Proudmouth replies, but she strains ahead all the quicker, and grins into the storm with the same wild insanity as her rider.
5. Supernatural, Dean/Castiel, wet wings, six words/line
two miles off of the highway
he stops the car to breathe
all around water falls in torrents
and it sounds like the end.
he only screams in his head.
and then the angel lands nearby
weighed down with rainfall and down.
he takes a staggering step forward
goes down on a shaking knee
and that's when Dean starts running.
6. Tokyo Babylon, Subaru/Seishirou, umbrella
The umbrella is pink. Subaru blinks at it a few times before realising it must have been Hokuto's and resigning himself to another of her attempts as matchmaking. He doesn't bother correcting her anymore, in regards to Seishirou's intentions and his own opinion on the matter. For one thing, he has grown to enjoy the outings in a strange, masochistic sort of way.
"Thank you for coming to pick me up, Seishirou-san," he says, and smiles at him, feeling his usual shyness at Seishirou's kind face.
"I'm afraid our plans will have to change," Seishirou says, smiling back, sounding apologetic. "I was going to take you through the park and bring a picnic, but I don't believe the weather's going to let us do that."
"I don't mind," Subaru replies quickly. Too quickly, maybe. He winces. "If we get wet, it's all right. I like the rain."
Seishirou eyes him, oddly, like Subaru said something confusing and he's trying to interpret. Like he was expecting a different answer.
"In that case," he says finally, extending his arm for Subaru to take, "a picnic in the park it is."
"I have sandwiches!" calls Hokuto from the kitchen.
7. Tsubasa, Kurogane/Fai, puddle jumping
"If the kids can do it, so can you!" Fai lands gracefully on one foot in the middle of the biggest puddle yet, looking unreasonably pleased with himself. Kurogane scowls at him. It's not that he objects to walking through puddles. It's the frolicking he's got a problem with.
The mage executes another practiced leap, soaking Mokona in the process, and Kurogane has to contain a laugh as the white thing lands on its tail in soggy surprise. Fai winks at him like he knows, and suddenly it's not just teasing. It's a challenge.
Kurogane takes a few good steps back, then charges forward, slamming both feet into Fai's puddle and sending a great splash of puddle into Fai's coat and hair and pants. Fai mirrors Mokona and falls backward, into the puddle, with a surprised 'oof'.
Then, unfortunately, Fai recovers and grins up at him. Though it's not such a bad thing. Fai has a nice enough smile when he's not driving Kurogane crazy, which is rare enough. "Didn't think you had it in you, Kuro-tan," he says in a voice that could almost be described as proud.
"I'm full of surprises," Kurogane mutters, and takes Fai's hand to pull him up.
8. Marvel, Jean Grey, enjoying the rain
She remembers Phoenix, the heart of the storm. She especially remembers during thunderstorms, when rain hits the walls so hard she wonders if they will break this time. But they never do, and Jean only pretends she's out there in the lightning and the wind. Once upon a time she could master them all. But that is Ororo's purview. Jean is content to listen.
She pulls Scott back to bed on rainy mornings, tempts him with a kiss, climbs on top of him in case he gets any funny ideas about leaving. She pities him his red world on days like these, and so she closes his eyes and kisses them shut and he smiles like the sun, like rainbows.
9. Supernatural, Wee!chesters, thunderstorms
On Sam's seventh birthday it rains hard, and it thunders, and they're somewhere in Florida and Sam just learned about hurricanes in class. Natural disasters terrify him in a way that Dad and the dark don't, and he sits underneath his quilt in the hotel room and shakes while the window panes rattle.
Lightning strikes out in the parking lot, right next to the place where Dad was parked last time he stopped by. Sam can't help it; he lets out an embarrassingly high-pitched whimper, and pulls the covers tighter around him, closer over his head.
Dean's there a moment later, a sudden weight on the edge of the mattress. "It's just a storm, Sammy," he says, and wraps an arm across Sam's shoulders. Sam shudders again and helpless hot tears pool at the bottom of his eyes. "Nothing to worry about. Just a storm."
Sam leans into his brother and lets him peel the blankets from his head. "It's okay," Dean says. "It's okay."
10. Supernatural, John Winchester & Wee!chesters, the first time Sammy tags along on a hunt is when it's raining, six words/line
branches creak like footsteps down halls
and Sammy remembers every horror movie
Dean didn't remember to turn off.
Dad says quiet so he's quiet
and he clutches his gun tight.
at eleven, he's old enough now
for this kind of saltnburn job.
Hold it right now says Dad
and Sammy freezes like winter water
one hand clenched in Dean's jacket
it's something they won't mention later.
11. RPF, smokexscribbles, being tired of rain
Smoke glares out the window. She's actually really proud of this glare. It took her a long time to develop it, but she had to do something while the rain was irritating her, and now she has perfected her I-hate-the-rain-more-than-bad-internet glare and was using it ferociously upon the downpour outside.
Unfortunately, it did just about what one would expect: absolutely nothing. Thunder rolled outside, mockingly.
12. Havemercy; Rook & Thom, "he used to fly above the storms"
Sometimes Rook sits outside during storms, on the highest ledge he can find, and no words about lightning and possible death from Thom on the ground can do anything to bring him back. Rook might even spend the whole night up there, staring above to the sky like if he can only just scare it he'll be able to fly again.
"This is shit," Rook snaps, sometimes. "Didn't use to have to to deal with the fucking rain."
Thom remembers Rook-that-was, who never came down at all, and hates that sometimes he's glad Rook doesn't have a dragon anymore.
13. original, Evan/Julian, Julian knows a trick he can only do in the rain
"You haven't seen this one before," Julian urges, pushing Evan out the door in front of him. "It's a good one. I can't do it if it's not raining, though."
Evan probably rolls his eyes. It seems like what Even would do. But it doesn't stop Evan from stepping over the doorstep and into the rain. Before they get to the gate his springy yellow hair has been weighed down over his eyes, and he pushes it away impatiently. Julian's never seen anything more beautiful.
(and did he just call Evan beautiful? He really has got it bad.)
Julian stops them at the gate with a hand on Evan's wrist, and reaches the other into Evan's coat pocket. He draws out two folded paper doves, bright yellow and soft lavender, and then pulls another one (green) from behind his own ear. He tosses them into the air, juggles them in one hand and then both, and Evan watches wide-eyed as they remain perfectly dry.
"What is that?" he asks, reaching a hand halfway between them like he's asking permission for something. Julian wishes he knew what, so he could grant it.
"Dancing between the raindrops," Julian says instead, and smiles as earnestly as he can, in case it will help. He catches the paper doves in one hand and stows them in his pocket, and with the other takes Evan's cold fingers and hold them so they will warm.
14. Star Trek XI, Kirk & McCoy, training in the rain
They run the kind of routines Jim hopes to God he'll never have to run, all mud and body counts and time limits and desperation. Halfway down the hill he slips in the mud and falls down a steep bit, into a tree. He sees stars for a moment, before Bones is there, pulling him up sharply, holding up three fingers with concern all over his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just go!"
They make it to the end not first but not last either, and Jim's not feeling too well and his head hurts like a bitch, but Bones wraps an arm around his waist to keep him standing up, so that's okay.
15. Marvel, Matt Murdock, the sound of rain
He can't hear properly when it rains -- it's like static, all around him. Everything blurs a little spiking up toward him with each raindrop that hits hard, and he wonders sometimes why he's out here, waiting, when his bad is warm and has Milla in it, when his office is quiet and has Foggy in it, when anywhere could be better than a rooftop or an alley or a fire escape in the rain.
But then he remembers that's why he's out here in the first place. So no one else has to be. So that it's safe for Milla and Foggy and everyone else in Hell's Kitchen to be warm and quiet and out of the rain.
So he stays out, listens to the rain dropping fast his ears, striking his suit, hitting the ground. And he deals with it.
16. Supernatural, Dean, eye of the tiger, puddles.
"It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight!" sings Dean, loudly so that Sam can't pretend he doesn't hear. Sam sighs and pretends not to hear anyway, because hell if he's going to tell his brother the dead man to shut up. "Rising up to the challenge of our rivals!"
Then there's a slipping sound and a splash, and Sam whips around to see Dean lying belly-down in a puddle. He's completely soaked, arms out in front of him covered in mud, and he's got mud all over his face, too.
"Wrong direction," Sam says, and doesn't bother hiding his laughter. "Up is that way, and I think your rival won that round."
"Fuck you," mutters Dean.
17. RPF, Pirateverse Smoke/Iambic, stormy seas
The boat lurches with every wave, every too-strong gust of wind, and Smoke holds onto the bookshelf as her belongings fall off of it and roll or slide around the cabin. A silver candlestick hits her foot and she curses, too irritated to make it creative.
The chess box hits the ground, and suddenly the floor is covered in black and white figures, which roll beneath the bed (thankfully bolted to the floor and the wall) and out of sight. Smoke curses again. It'll be hell getting them all back in the box.
At least she's not the captain in the hold, though. It could always be worse. He probably spilt his tea all down his front, so he's probably cold and headachey and sore from sitting on the floor and hitting the wall whenever the ship lurches.
Somehow, though, that doesn't make Smoke feel any better.
18. original, new 'verse, afraid of thunderstorms
"You're not afraid of thunder, are you?" Nate sticks his head in from behind the door, and he's briefly blinded by a flash of lightning through the window. Jenny flinches, and then glares at him like the storm is his fault.
"I'm not afraid of anything," she says, and folds her arms underneath the comforter. "Especially not a stupid storm. Go away!"
Jenny, for all her six years, is a commanding force. It's the family line showing in her, the magic in her blood. Common folk like Nate most often cannot help but feel intimidated by the presence of such magic. The effect is somewhat dampened, however, by the blankets wrapped around Jenny until she looks like a blob of pale, cotton little girl.
Nate sighs and eases the rest of himself into the room. "You parents wanted me to make sure you're all right," he says. It's not actually a lie. "This storm is pretty bad, I think."
"It's stupid," Jenny corrects him. "Just some stupid fight. That's all they do anymore."
In any other situation, Nate would make a scornful comment about sorcerers and their predilection for violence and shows of ego. But Jenny isn't his equal, Jenny's a blueblood. He can't say that kind of thing to her and expect to keep his job.
"It'll be over soon," he says instead.
Jenny looks at him with all the sullen solemnity she can muster. "Go get me some water," she orders. That's the closest Nate's going to get to an answer.
1. Marvel, Kitty Pryde/Victor Creed, flood (caused by rain)
"This isn't funny!" Kitty snaps, clutching the tarp closer around her and glaring up at Victor's shaggy, dripping hair. Nonetheless, Victor continues to laugh, full and mocking. He shakes drops of water at her when he laughs. Kitty flinches away and shivers.
"Way I see it," Victor drawls, "it's hilarious. Kitty hates water."
"I hate being cold." Kitty turns her face into the warm, only slightly damp fabric of her sleeves. "I hate having to deal with the wet and the cold and you!"
Victor has stopped laughing by now, and his mouth slides into a crooked, sly smile. "That so?"
"Yes!" says Kitty, but she hesitates, and that says it all, doesn't it?
2. Holic, Doumeki & Watanuki, the first rainstorm with Watanuki as shop owner.
The rain on the porch roof booms like drums, like a chorus of invisible dancers stomping across the painted wood -- although for all Shizuka knows, there could be just that. There's probably a girl with bright red hair lurking about, swinging her umbrella to and fro and frowning down from on high.
"Don't bother going home," mutters Watanuki from the doorway. His hair is tousled, his robe rumpled, and looking for all as if he just woke up (he did). He raised a cup of tea to his lips and looks out at the storm. "The rain is only going to get worse."
"Was that an invitation?" Shizuka feels his lips curve up into a smile. It's become easier to do. As Watanuki grew into his temper, Shizuka has lost the awkwardness that kept him stiff and stolid. Watanuki still looks floored, though, when Shizuka smiles.
Watanuki just rolls his eyes, keeping them averted for a moment and then looking back at him, as if remembering belatedly that it's all right to look now. He doesn't have to pretend animosity or indifference. He's allowed to smile, too.
3. Merlin, any character, unseasonable storm in Camelot.
It was bright and sunny yesterday, hot even. There's no trace of that lovely weather now, though, as rain lashes the castle walls and soaks the floor around Morgana's window.
Morgana herself sprawls on the bed and breathes in the scent of the sky. It's thrilling to live in the tower when it storms, where she can smell the elements and taste them, feel the lightning on the rare occasions it strikes. There is power in the air around her, not the creeping taint of sorcery or the frightening weight of the visions that wake her up in the night, but simple nature. It's a force beyond any mortal ken. Next to it, she feels human, and alive.
She breathes in, deep, and then exhales warm into her hands. Outside, the storm rumbles companionably.
4. Havemercy, any Dragon Corps character, 'getting caught in a storm while flying'
Proudmouth never balks, even when lightning sizzles by from cloud to cloud, even when the slightest error could mean Adamo's death and her demise. She flies true and evades the white-hot bolts with ease, and Adamo wraps his arms around her slick metal neck to hold on.
Water drips down Adamo's face, and he shakes drops from his nose and eyelids. "Attagirl," he calls over the wind and the thunder. "Come on, darlin', we'll be home soon."
"Soon is a matter of opinion," Proudmouth replies, but she strains ahead all the quicker, and grins into the storm with the same wild insanity as her rider.
5. Supernatural, Dean/Castiel, wet wings, six words/line
two miles off of the highway
he stops the car to breathe
all around water falls in torrents
and it sounds like the end.
he only screams in his head.
and then the angel lands nearby
weighed down with rainfall and down.
he takes a staggering step forward
goes down on a shaking knee
and that's when Dean starts running.
6. Tokyo Babylon, Subaru/Seishirou, umbrella
The umbrella is pink. Subaru blinks at it a few times before realising it must have been Hokuto's and resigning himself to another of her attempts as matchmaking. He doesn't bother correcting her anymore, in regards to Seishirou's intentions and his own opinion on the matter. For one thing, he has grown to enjoy the outings in a strange, masochistic sort of way.
"Thank you for coming to pick me up, Seishirou-san," he says, and smiles at him, feeling his usual shyness at Seishirou's kind face.
"I'm afraid our plans will have to change," Seishirou says, smiling back, sounding apologetic. "I was going to take you through the park and bring a picnic, but I don't believe the weather's going to let us do that."
"I don't mind," Subaru replies quickly. Too quickly, maybe. He winces. "If we get wet, it's all right. I like the rain."
Seishirou eyes him, oddly, like Subaru said something confusing and he's trying to interpret. Like he was expecting a different answer.
"In that case," he says finally, extending his arm for Subaru to take, "a picnic in the park it is."
"I have sandwiches!" calls Hokuto from the kitchen.
7. Tsubasa, Kurogane/Fai, puddle jumping
"If the kids can do it, so can you!" Fai lands gracefully on one foot in the middle of the biggest puddle yet, looking unreasonably pleased with himself. Kurogane scowls at him. It's not that he objects to walking through puddles. It's the frolicking he's got a problem with.
The mage executes another practiced leap, soaking Mokona in the process, and Kurogane has to contain a laugh as the white thing lands on its tail in soggy surprise. Fai winks at him like he knows, and suddenly it's not just teasing. It's a challenge.
Kurogane takes a few good steps back, then charges forward, slamming both feet into Fai's puddle and sending a great splash of puddle into Fai's coat and hair and pants. Fai mirrors Mokona and falls backward, into the puddle, with a surprised 'oof'.
Then, unfortunately, Fai recovers and grins up at him. Though it's not such a bad thing. Fai has a nice enough smile when he's not driving Kurogane crazy, which is rare enough. "Didn't think you had it in you, Kuro-tan," he says in a voice that could almost be described as proud.
"I'm full of surprises," Kurogane mutters, and takes Fai's hand to pull him up.
8. Marvel, Jean Grey, enjoying the rain
She remembers Phoenix, the heart of the storm. She especially remembers during thunderstorms, when rain hits the walls so hard she wonders if they will break this time. But they never do, and Jean only pretends she's out there in the lightning and the wind. Once upon a time she could master them all. But that is Ororo's purview. Jean is content to listen.
She pulls Scott back to bed on rainy mornings, tempts him with a kiss, climbs on top of him in case he gets any funny ideas about leaving. She pities him his red world on days like these, and so she closes his eyes and kisses them shut and he smiles like the sun, like rainbows.
9. Supernatural, Wee!chesters, thunderstorms
On Sam's seventh birthday it rains hard, and it thunders, and they're somewhere in Florida and Sam just learned about hurricanes in class. Natural disasters terrify him in a way that Dad and the dark don't, and he sits underneath his quilt in the hotel room and shakes while the window panes rattle.
Lightning strikes out in the parking lot, right next to the place where Dad was parked last time he stopped by. Sam can't help it; he lets out an embarrassingly high-pitched whimper, and pulls the covers tighter around him, closer over his head.
Dean's there a moment later, a sudden weight on the edge of the mattress. "It's just a storm, Sammy," he says, and wraps an arm across Sam's shoulders. Sam shudders again and helpless hot tears pool at the bottom of his eyes. "Nothing to worry about. Just a storm."
Sam leans into his brother and lets him peel the blankets from his head. "It's okay," Dean says. "It's okay."
10. Supernatural, John Winchester & Wee!chesters, the first time Sammy tags along on a hunt is when it's raining, six words/line
branches creak like footsteps down halls
and Sammy remembers every horror movie
Dean didn't remember to turn off.
Dad says quiet so he's quiet
and he clutches his gun tight.
at eleven, he's old enough now
for this kind of saltnburn job.
Hold it right now says Dad
and Sammy freezes like winter water
one hand clenched in Dean's jacket
it's something they won't mention later.
11. RPF, smokexscribbles, being tired of rain
Smoke glares out the window. She's actually really proud of this glare. It took her a long time to develop it, but she had to do something while the rain was irritating her, and now she has perfected her I-hate-the-rain-more-than-bad-internet glare and was using it ferociously upon the downpour outside.
Unfortunately, it did just about what one would expect: absolutely nothing. Thunder rolled outside, mockingly.
12. Havemercy; Rook & Thom, "he used to fly above the storms"
Sometimes Rook sits outside during storms, on the highest ledge he can find, and no words about lightning and possible death from Thom on the ground can do anything to bring him back. Rook might even spend the whole night up there, staring above to the sky like if he can only just scare it he'll be able to fly again.
"This is shit," Rook snaps, sometimes. "Didn't use to have to to deal with the fucking rain."
Thom remembers Rook-that-was, who never came down at all, and hates that sometimes he's glad Rook doesn't have a dragon anymore.
13. original, Evan/Julian, Julian knows a trick he can only do in the rain
"You haven't seen this one before," Julian urges, pushing Evan out the door in front of him. "It's a good one. I can't do it if it's not raining, though."
Evan probably rolls his eyes. It seems like what Even would do. But it doesn't stop Evan from stepping over the doorstep and into the rain. Before they get to the gate his springy yellow hair has been weighed down over his eyes, and he pushes it away impatiently. Julian's never seen anything more beautiful.
(and did he just call Evan beautiful? He really has got it bad.)
Julian stops them at the gate with a hand on Evan's wrist, and reaches the other into Evan's coat pocket. He draws out two folded paper doves, bright yellow and soft lavender, and then pulls another one (green) from behind his own ear. He tosses them into the air, juggles them in one hand and then both, and Evan watches wide-eyed as they remain perfectly dry.
"What is that?" he asks, reaching a hand halfway between them like he's asking permission for something. Julian wishes he knew what, so he could grant it.
"Dancing between the raindrops," Julian says instead, and smiles as earnestly as he can, in case it will help. He catches the paper doves in one hand and stows them in his pocket, and with the other takes Evan's cold fingers and hold them so they will warm.
14. Star Trek XI, Kirk & McCoy, training in the rain
They run the kind of routines Jim hopes to God he'll never have to run, all mud and body counts and time limits and desperation. Halfway down the hill he slips in the mud and falls down a steep bit, into a tree. He sees stars for a moment, before Bones is there, pulling him up sharply, holding up three fingers with concern all over his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just go!"
They make it to the end not first but not last either, and Jim's not feeling too well and his head hurts like a bitch, but Bones wraps an arm around his waist to keep him standing up, so that's okay.
15. Marvel, Matt Murdock, the sound of rain
He can't hear properly when it rains -- it's like static, all around him. Everything blurs a little spiking up toward him with each raindrop that hits hard, and he wonders sometimes why he's out here, waiting, when his bad is warm and has Milla in it, when his office is quiet and has Foggy in it, when anywhere could be better than a rooftop or an alley or a fire escape in the rain.
But then he remembers that's why he's out here in the first place. So no one else has to be. So that it's safe for Milla and Foggy and everyone else in Hell's Kitchen to be warm and quiet and out of the rain.
So he stays out, listens to the rain dropping fast his ears, striking his suit, hitting the ground. And he deals with it.
16. Supernatural, Dean, eye of the tiger, puddles.
"It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight!" sings Dean, loudly so that Sam can't pretend he doesn't hear. Sam sighs and pretends not to hear anyway, because hell if he's going to tell his brother the dead man to shut up. "Rising up to the challenge of our rivals!"
Then there's a slipping sound and a splash, and Sam whips around to see Dean lying belly-down in a puddle. He's completely soaked, arms out in front of him covered in mud, and he's got mud all over his face, too.
"Wrong direction," Sam says, and doesn't bother hiding his laughter. "Up is that way, and I think your rival won that round."
"Fuck you," mutters Dean.
17. RPF, Pirateverse Smoke/Iambic, stormy seas
The boat lurches with every wave, every too-strong gust of wind, and Smoke holds onto the bookshelf as her belongings fall off of it and roll or slide around the cabin. A silver candlestick hits her foot and she curses, too irritated to make it creative.
The chess box hits the ground, and suddenly the floor is covered in black and white figures, which roll beneath the bed (thankfully bolted to the floor and the wall) and out of sight. Smoke curses again. It'll be hell getting them all back in the box.
At least she's not the captain in the hold, though. It could always be worse. He probably spilt his tea all down his front, so he's probably cold and headachey and sore from sitting on the floor and hitting the wall whenever the ship lurches.
Somehow, though, that doesn't make Smoke feel any better.
18. original, new 'verse, afraid of thunderstorms
"You're not afraid of thunder, are you?" Nate sticks his head in from behind the door, and he's briefly blinded by a flash of lightning through the window. Jenny flinches, and then glares at him like the storm is his fault.
"I'm not afraid of anything," she says, and folds her arms underneath the comforter. "Especially not a stupid storm. Go away!"
Jenny, for all her six years, is a commanding force. It's the family line showing in her, the magic in her blood. Common folk like Nate most often cannot help but feel intimidated by the presence of such magic. The effect is somewhat dampened, however, by the blankets wrapped around Jenny until she looks like a blob of pale, cotton little girl.
Nate sighs and eases the rest of himself into the room. "You parents wanted me to make sure you're all right," he says. It's not actually a lie. "This storm is pretty bad, I think."
"It's stupid," Jenny corrects him. "Just some stupid fight. That's all they do anymore."
In any other situation, Nate would make a scornful comment about sorcerers and their predilection for violence and shows of ego. But Jenny isn't his equal, Jenny's a blueblood. He can't say that kind of thing to her and expect to keep his job.
"It'll be over soon," he says instead.
Jenny looks at him with all the sullen solemnity she can muster. "Go get me some water," she orders. That's the closest Nate's going to get to an answer.