Fic: Connections (S&S Prompt fic)
Wait, I said I was going to post fic, didn't I? Here's one I made earlier... (Um, two weeks ago, I don't know. I hoard fic on Word or something.)
Title: Connections
Author: lost_spook
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1045
Characters/Pairings: Silver, Copper
Warnings Pre-canon, 1600s (but it doesn’t make much difference down a mine shaft)
Summary: An assignment’s gone badly wrong and now Silver is missing.
(Prompt 5: copper & silver - Confession in desperate situation & Timeloops)
***
Copper can see very little around him in this darkness; he has only a candle and sometimes it seems to throw more shadow than it does light. He is in a mine that was abandoned by the humans centuries ago. The tunnel he’s in is uneven and there are unexpected pools of water to watch out for, not to mention the rockfalls that have blocked other passages in years gone by. Nevertheless he walks a sure line, barely having to glance at his path. It is, after all, a place that feels more natural than most to him.
What he isn’t sure of, what he fears he might miss, and why he raises the candle about him is something else again. Copper searches on, though he tells himself he cannot even be certain that Silver is here.
… And that’s a lie, part of the game they play. He knows Silver is here, and now is not the time for that pretence.
Copper walks on and then, just before another dead end, he sees what he’s looking for. Silver is leaning back against the rock wall with his eyes closed, but he doesn’t move as Copper reaches him, doesn’t acknowledge his presence in any way.
“Silver,” says Copper, standing beside him. Silver still fails to react, so Copper gives a brief grimace, realising that he needs to try harder - and Copper usually aims to avoid contact with Silver. Silver never needs much encouragement, that’s what Copper thinks. Silver, it’s Copper.
The silence is unnerving, so he continues aloud: “Quartz returned without you. Without Bronze.”
Copper sighs; he’ll have to do more. He puts a hand to Silver’s shoulder and shakes him and when that’s no use, he moves the hand to Silver’s head and hopes he hasn’t arrived too late.
Silver is barely here at all, overwhelmed by something… Copper frowns and concentrates. This isn’t his area of expertise. It’s a sensation of terror, a voice repeating itself in his mind, the words going round and round. Bronze’s voice, reporting her findings but then disintegrating into pain and fear and finally silence before the cycle starts again.
Copper draws back and considers his next move. It’s a time loop, but not one that is present here. The echo of it is in Silver’s head in an ever-tightening circle that will shortly close in on his mind with a snap of finality, if Copper doesn’t break it.
I’m not surprised. He shakes Silver again. I’ve told you before. Be more objective, more careful. Be precise about your findings. You didn’t stop to examine the situation more fully before you walked into it, did you?
Silver twitches.
If you won’t listen to me, what else do you expect? Next time -
“Look before you leap,” says Silver and opens his eyes. “Only you, Copper, would try to lecture someone out of - out of -” He pauses and looks away to the side.
Copper faces him. “But Bronze? That was not a trick?”
“No,” Silver says and sags back against the rock. “Not a trick. She had found a book, an old illuminated volume - she thought something was hiding in the lettering, or even the dyes. She was right - it stole out and took her. I couldn’t reach her. There was a time loop -”
Copper knows where this is heading; he’s known all along or he would not have come. He looks at Silver; he doesn’t have to say it. He doesn’t have to voice the painful accusation.
“Yes,” says Silver and then shrugs. “Well, unless you believe there’s an…” He pauses and glances at the other and pulls a brief, wry face. “… An alternative explanation.”
Slowly, Copper smiles and Silver gives a short laugh in return. The fact that they are both here is an unspoken if unwilling confession of trust between them: Silver hiding where only Copper would know to look, and Copper coming in search of him. He never had any doubt in his mind about Silver, not in that respect.
“Quartz,” Silver says, and there’s a bitter twist to his mouth. Copper’s close enough to share the sudden wave of sadness that follows that admission.
Copper nods. She implied that you…
I suppose she would.
“Could you be mistaken?”
“No,” says Silver, aloud this time and on seeing Copper raise his eyebrow, he grimaces at him. “No. In theory, it could have been the entity - but, no. It was a trap. Quartz led us there and that time loop was her work. I couldn’t mistake that.”
“You should have…” Copper pauses, not entirely sure what would have been better, but not this running away, he thinks.
“I don’t know why yet. And I could hardly ask her, not then, not alone.”
Copper nods again. He considers that aspect of it: they don’t know why Quartz betrayed them. It’s possible she’s been tricked herself, or coerced, or possessed.
“Yes,” murmurs Silver, who had liked them both, Quartz and Bronze. Well, Copper’s always told Silver that sentiment isn’t useful, so he ignores Silver’s passing emotion; he dismisses the idea that he might share it.
Copper straightens himself. “In that case, I can see only one course of action. You can’t be trusted on your own, Silver. They said you destroyed that book without instructions - you’re a specialist, not an operator. I’ve told you before about your carelessness in that respect. You’ll be under my supervision from now on. Again.”
“Now, wait, Copper -” Silver raises his head in sudden indignation and the sense of sadness has fallen away into the shadows behind him.
“Until I decide you’ve learned your lesson,” Copper finishes. “Now, let’s leave and find Quartz.”
“A little sympathy wouldn’t go amiss,” says Silver. “Sometimes I don’t know why I like you at all.”
Copper looks over at him. He is amused, as Silver probably suspects, but he hopes it’s hidden deep enough for the other not to be sure. “There you are again. Liking is irrelevant.”
“And I don’t know how you exist with that attitude. But -”
Copper pauses, on the point of walking away.
Silver straightens himself, moves from the rock wall at last and gives Copper a brief smile. “Well. Perhaps some things are more important.”
***
Title: Connections
Author: lost_spook
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 1045
Characters/Pairings: Silver, Copper
Warnings Pre-canon, 1600s (but it doesn’t make much difference down a mine shaft)
Summary: An assignment’s gone badly wrong and now Silver is missing.
(Prompt 5: copper & silver - Confession in desperate situation & Timeloops)
***
Copper can see very little around him in this darkness; he has only a candle and sometimes it seems to throw more shadow than it does light. He is in a mine that was abandoned by the humans centuries ago. The tunnel he’s in is uneven and there are unexpected pools of water to watch out for, not to mention the rockfalls that have blocked other passages in years gone by. Nevertheless he walks a sure line, barely having to glance at his path. It is, after all, a place that feels more natural than most to him.
What he isn’t sure of, what he fears he might miss, and why he raises the candle about him is something else again. Copper searches on, though he tells himself he cannot even be certain that Silver is here.
… And that’s a lie, part of the game they play. He knows Silver is here, and now is not the time for that pretence.
Copper walks on and then, just before another dead end, he sees what he’s looking for. Silver is leaning back against the rock wall with his eyes closed, but he doesn’t move as Copper reaches him, doesn’t acknowledge his presence in any way.
“Silver,” says Copper, standing beside him. Silver still fails to react, so Copper gives a brief grimace, realising that he needs to try harder - and Copper usually aims to avoid contact with Silver. Silver never needs much encouragement, that’s what Copper thinks. Silver, it’s Copper.
The silence is unnerving, so he continues aloud: “Quartz returned without you. Without Bronze.”
Copper sighs; he’ll have to do more. He puts a hand to Silver’s shoulder and shakes him and when that’s no use, he moves the hand to Silver’s head and hopes he hasn’t arrived too late.
Silver is barely here at all, overwhelmed by something… Copper frowns and concentrates. This isn’t his area of expertise. It’s a sensation of terror, a voice repeating itself in his mind, the words going round and round. Bronze’s voice, reporting her findings but then disintegrating into pain and fear and finally silence before the cycle starts again.
Copper draws back and considers his next move. It’s a time loop, but not one that is present here. The echo of it is in Silver’s head in an ever-tightening circle that will shortly close in on his mind with a snap of finality, if Copper doesn’t break it.
I’m not surprised. He shakes Silver again. I’ve told you before. Be more objective, more careful. Be precise about your findings. You didn’t stop to examine the situation more fully before you walked into it, did you?
Silver twitches.
If you won’t listen to me, what else do you expect? Next time -
“Look before you leap,” says Silver and opens his eyes. “Only you, Copper, would try to lecture someone out of - out of -” He pauses and looks away to the side.
Copper faces him. “But Bronze? That was not a trick?”
“No,” Silver says and sags back against the rock. “Not a trick. She had found a book, an old illuminated volume - she thought something was hiding in the lettering, or even the dyes. She was right - it stole out and took her. I couldn’t reach her. There was a time loop -”
Copper knows where this is heading; he’s known all along or he would not have come. He looks at Silver; he doesn’t have to say it. He doesn’t have to voice the painful accusation.
“Yes,” says Silver and then shrugs. “Well, unless you believe there’s an…” He pauses and glances at the other and pulls a brief, wry face. “… An alternative explanation.”
Slowly, Copper smiles and Silver gives a short laugh in return. The fact that they are both here is an unspoken if unwilling confession of trust between them: Silver hiding where only Copper would know to look, and Copper coming in search of him. He never had any doubt in his mind about Silver, not in that respect.
“Quartz,” Silver says, and there’s a bitter twist to his mouth. Copper’s close enough to share the sudden wave of sadness that follows that admission.
Copper nods. She implied that you…
I suppose she would.
“Could you be mistaken?”
“No,” says Silver, aloud this time and on seeing Copper raise his eyebrow, he grimaces at him. “No. In theory, it could have been the entity - but, no. It was a trap. Quartz led us there and that time loop was her work. I couldn’t mistake that.”
“You should have…” Copper pauses, not entirely sure what would have been better, but not this running away, he thinks.
“I don’t know why yet. And I could hardly ask her, not then, not alone.”
Copper nods again. He considers that aspect of it: they don’t know why Quartz betrayed them. It’s possible she’s been tricked herself, or coerced, or possessed.
“Yes,” murmurs Silver, who had liked them both, Quartz and Bronze. Well, Copper’s always told Silver that sentiment isn’t useful, so he ignores Silver’s passing emotion; he dismisses the idea that he might share it.
Copper straightens himself. “In that case, I can see only one course of action. You can’t be trusted on your own, Silver. They said you destroyed that book without instructions - you’re a specialist, not an operator. I’ve told you before about your carelessness in that respect. You’ll be under my supervision from now on. Again.”
“Now, wait, Copper -” Silver raises his head in sudden indignation and the sense of sadness has fallen away into the shadows behind him.
“Until I decide you’ve learned your lesson,” Copper finishes. “Now, let’s leave and find Quartz.”
“A little sympathy wouldn’t go amiss,” says Silver. “Sometimes I don’t know why I like you at all.”
Copper looks over at him. He is amused, as Silver probably suspects, but he hopes it’s hidden deep enough for the other not to be sure. “There you are again. Liking is irrelevant.”
“And I don’t know how you exist with that attitude. But -”
Copper pauses, on the point of walking away.
Silver straightens himself, moves from the rock wall at last and gives Copper a brief smile. “Well. Perhaps some things are more important.”
***