Challenge #1 - Holiday Song Titles
Challenge: #1 - Holiday Song Titles - Though song title became a piece of singing to embrace the spirit of the holiday when times are dark
Title: Mind Games
Author: CrystalNymphetamine
Fandom: Ultimate X-Men, Weapon X arc
Rating: PG
Summary: Love will prevail no matter the odds.
They were losing their minds even if they weren't even close to losing hope. Jean knew that without the others having to tell her. She didn't even really have to scan their thoughts, though she had to try and keep up with where her teammates were and to assure herself that, even with Scott's arms around her, she wasn't alone. They weren't alone in this.
Jean hated that the methods Weapon X was utilizing were actually working. Not the truly physical torture, though for days now Hanks' mind had been lost to her and she shuddered whenever she did get glimpses from him. No it was the more insidious methods they used that had taken their toll on the team. The music that blasted through their cells, constant and ever changing so they could never get into a rhythm, never finding a moments peace in the repetitive nature of it. There was no solace in that music with it's off kilter tempo and eerie renditions of songs one might think they knew and yet weren't willing to focus on enough to sing along. To balance the music and ensure none knew what time it was, what day, the lights came on and off at odd times. Sometimes they would stay on for days on end while others they would come on and off several times in an hour. But those times, either of them, were better than when they'd flicker on and off incessantly until Jean began to worry if any of the team might suffer seizures from the strobelike effect.
When the music shut off, the silence was deafening. So accustomed to the constant noise, the utter lack of it was a painful void that not only made the redhead wince but sent Kurt scurrying up onto the bench beside her, huddling in close at her side as if he could meld with her and hide from it all. Wrapping an arm about his thin form, she silently prayed for Scott to be there with her. Counting the seconds since they'd led him away, she knew it had been nearly three hours. Three hours in which all she could get from his mind was his assurance that he was fine. He was hiding the truth from her and that made Jean worry more. Now the music was gone, the lights were on and it seemed everyone was afraid to move, not a single peep up or down the line of cells.
The sound came low at first, an offbeat rhythm of just percussion. It took Jean a minute to realize that what she'd taken as the return of the music was actually footsteps coming down the hall. A moment later Sabertooth loomed at the glass door to Jean's cell, one arm around Scott's bicep. She wondered why their leader didn't fight, what they were holding over him that kept him still. Then she saw the glistening lines that traced the black sleeves of his uniform and she realized that the animalistic mutant's claws were firmly embedded into the flesh of Scott's arm.
At Sabertooth's signal, the electronic door opened and Scott was shoved in a second with enough force that blood flicked off his claws and spattered around, a drop hitting Kurt and making him jerk as if it had been acid. Scott himself stumbled but refused to go down, catching himself against the far wall and remaining there, his back turned on Sabertooth and the others. Laughter rang in Jean's ears as she rushed to Scott's side, gingerly probing the wounds before he could stop her.
"They'll heal,' he managed from between clenched teeth, turning his head to look at her. He was pale, his mouth set in a hard line and a bruise showing from under the edge of his visor. Yet, as she did every time one of them was led away for more tests, Jean clung to one thing. He was alive.
"You need medical help,' she noted, knowing how lame those words sounded. There would be no help and he was lucky that seemed to be the worst of it. At least physically."Sit down." It was not a request.
"Jeannie, stop a minute and listen to me." Wincing as he took her hand, Scott pulled her closer until her body was nearly nestled against hers. Bowing his head, he nuzzled at the crown of her head, inhaling deeply of her scent and, for a moment, healing mentally though the physical side would have to wait. "I... I saw a calendar while I was waiting and there was talk about it... It's... it's Christmas,' he murmured, the words coming in a hurried breath that stirred her hair. It should have been a joyous proclamation, one that they clung to in joy but it was not to be. Christmas meant they had been here almost two months. Two months of torture. Two months without an end in sight.
The tears came quickly, pouring down her cheeks in a hot rush as she struggled to pull away, trying to hide the pain that lanced through her heart like a knife. They should be at the Mansion, decorating a tree and singing carols. Piotr should be celebrating his first Christmas in America as a free man and Kurt should.... it hit her then he may have never known Christmas at all, so young and a tool of these monsters that held them all.
Taking Scott's hand, Jean pulled him to the bench and dragged him down to sit on one side of her. On the other, Kurt was already curling in close like a kicked puppy and she gladly gathered him to her. "Merry Christmas,' she whispered softly, eyes closing to try and stave off more tears.
The sound of music made her cringe, tensing for the new onslaught of sound. It was a long moment of whispered lyrics before she realized what she was hearing. Scott. Loving, caring, a true leader despite his pain Scott seeking to bring her peace.
"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight..." He let the words trail off and through the visor she knew he was watching her, waiting expectantly. For a long moment all that met his gaze was silence, her eyes closed and one hand lightly stroking Kurt's hair.
"Walking in a winter wonderland." Her voice trembled, rough from the sobs Jean had held back but her eyes opened and she looked at Scott. There were no words needed to express the love she felt for him in that moment. He could see it all in her eyes.
"Gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is a new bird. He sings a love song, as we go along. Walking in a winter wonderland." Singing in harmony, their voices rising as the pair shared a single gaze, the cell around them forgotten as they became lost in one another.
"In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown." A third voice joined in and Jean laughed a little at Bobby's still slightly high voice singing along off key. "He'll say are you married, we'll say no man but you can do the job when you're in town." By then other voices had joined in, even one with a rich Southern accent though her cellmate was quiet as usual. Their voices mingled and rose, soon as loud as the piped in music had once been. And not one of them seemed to care that they were still under observation.
"So, how long before they completely break?"
"Given it's only been three weeks and yet they're solidly convinced that it's now Christmas? I wouldn't, well, even give them until Christmas." Laughter echoed through the room.
"Shoot for Thanksgiving. We might be breaking them but they're breaking what's ours." Though Kurt didn't know the words, he hummed along, smiling at the love between Scott and Jean as they launched into the next carol without a break to even catch their breaths.
Title: Mind Games
Author: CrystalNymphetamine
Fandom: Ultimate X-Men, Weapon X arc
Rating: PG
Summary: Love will prevail no matter the odds.
They were losing their minds even if they weren't even close to losing hope. Jean knew that without the others having to tell her. She didn't even really have to scan their thoughts, though she had to try and keep up with where her teammates were and to assure herself that, even with Scott's arms around her, she wasn't alone. They weren't alone in this.
Jean hated that the methods Weapon X was utilizing were actually working. Not the truly physical torture, though for days now Hanks' mind had been lost to her and she shuddered whenever she did get glimpses from him. No it was the more insidious methods they used that had taken their toll on the team. The music that blasted through their cells, constant and ever changing so they could never get into a rhythm, never finding a moments peace in the repetitive nature of it. There was no solace in that music with it's off kilter tempo and eerie renditions of songs one might think they knew and yet weren't willing to focus on enough to sing along. To balance the music and ensure none knew what time it was, what day, the lights came on and off at odd times. Sometimes they would stay on for days on end while others they would come on and off several times in an hour. But those times, either of them, were better than when they'd flicker on and off incessantly until Jean began to worry if any of the team might suffer seizures from the strobelike effect.
When the music shut off, the silence was deafening. So accustomed to the constant noise, the utter lack of it was a painful void that not only made the redhead wince but sent Kurt scurrying up onto the bench beside her, huddling in close at her side as if he could meld with her and hide from it all. Wrapping an arm about his thin form, she silently prayed for Scott to be there with her. Counting the seconds since they'd led him away, she knew it had been nearly three hours. Three hours in which all she could get from his mind was his assurance that he was fine. He was hiding the truth from her and that made Jean worry more. Now the music was gone, the lights were on and it seemed everyone was afraid to move, not a single peep up or down the line of cells.
The sound came low at first, an offbeat rhythm of just percussion. It took Jean a minute to realize that what she'd taken as the return of the music was actually footsteps coming down the hall. A moment later Sabertooth loomed at the glass door to Jean's cell, one arm around Scott's bicep. She wondered why their leader didn't fight, what they were holding over him that kept him still. Then she saw the glistening lines that traced the black sleeves of his uniform and she realized that the animalistic mutant's claws were firmly embedded into the flesh of Scott's arm.
At Sabertooth's signal, the electronic door opened and Scott was shoved in a second with enough force that blood flicked off his claws and spattered around, a drop hitting Kurt and making him jerk as if it had been acid. Scott himself stumbled but refused to go down, catching himself against the far wall and remaining there, his back turned on Sabertooth and the others. Laughter rang in Jean's ears as she rushed to Scott's side, gingerly probing the wounds before he could stop her.
"They'll heal,' he managed from between clenched teeth, turning his head to look at her. He was pale, his mouth set in a hard line and a bruise showing from under the edge of his visor. Yet, as she did every time one of them was led away for more tests, Jean clung to one thing. He was alive.
"You need medical help,' she noted, knowing how lame those words sounded. There would be no help and he was lucky that seemed to be the worst of it. At least physically."Sit down." It was not a request.
"Jeannie, stop a minute and listen to me." Wincing as he took her hand, Scott pulled her closer until her body was nearly nestled against hers. Bowing his head, he nuzzled at the crown of her head, inhaling deeply of her scent and, for a moment, healing mentally though the physical side would have to wait. "I... I saw a calendar while I was waiting and there was talk about it... It's... it's Christmas,' he murmured, the words coming in a hurried breath that stirred her hair. It should have been a joyous proclamation, one that they clung to in joy but it was not to be. Christmas meant they had been here almost two months. Two months of torture. Two months without an end in sight.
The tears came quickly, pouring down her cheeks in a hot rush as she struggled to pull away, trying to hide the pain that lanced through her heart like a knife. They should be at the Mansion, decorating a tree and singing carols. Piotr should be celebrating his first Christmas in America as a free man and Kurt should.... it hit her then he may have never known Christmas at all, so young and a tool of these monsters that held them all.
Taking Scott's hand, Jean pulled him to the bench and dragged him down to sit on one side of her. On the other, Kurt was already curling in close like a kicked puppy and she gladly gathered him to her. "Merry Christmas,' she whispered softly, eyes closing to try and stave off more tears.
The sound of music made her cringe, tensing for the new onslaught of sound. It was a long moment of whispered lyrics before she realized what she was hearing. Scott. Loving, caring, a true leader despite his pain Scott seeking to bring her peace.
"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight..." He let the words trail off and through the visor she knew he was watching her, waiting expectantly. For a long moment all that met his gaze was silence, her eyes closed and one hand lightly stroking Kurt's hair.
"Walking in a winter wonderland." Her voice trembled, rough from the sobs Jean had held back but her eyes opened and she looked at Scott. There were no words needed to express the love she felt for him in that moment. He could see it all in her eyes.
"Gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is a new bird. He sings a love song, as we go along. Walking in a winter wonderland." Singing in harmony, their voices rising as the pair shared a single gaze, the cell around them forgotten as they became lost in one another.
"In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown." A third voice joined in and Jean laughed a little at Bobby's still slightly high voice singing along off key. "He'll say are you married, we'll say no man but you can do the job when you're in town." By then other voices had joined in, even one with a rich Southern accent though her cellmate was quiet as usual. Their voices mingled and rose, soon as loud as the piped in music had once been. And not one of them seemed to care that they were still under observation.
"So, how long before they completely break?"
"Given it's only been three weeks and yet they're solidly convinced that it's now Christmas? I wouldn't, well, even give them until Christmas." Laughter echoed through the room.
"Shoot for Thanksgiving. We might be breaking them but they're breaking what's ours." Though Kurt didn't know the words, he hummed along, smiling at the love between Scott and Jean as they launched into the next carol without a break to even catch their breaths.