To Nobody's Surprise, I Lose All Restraint When Someone Mentions Final Fantasy VIII.
Here are three more fills for the Three-Sentence Ficathon! None of these are actually three sentences long. I'm bad at this.
One of them is, in fact, over six hundred words long, because I'm really bad at this. I saw a prompt for Irvine/Quistis/Rinoa/Selphie/Squall/Zell and I couldn't stop myself.
Silent Hill 2, James, 66 words. First posted here, in response to the prompt 'I've been to the bottom of every bottle'.
“You waiting for someone?” the bartender asks.
“My...” The word late feels like it’s blocking his throat; he swallows it down. “My wife.”
A part of him feels that, if he drinks enough, he’ll be able to see Mary again. An illusion of her, at least: a dream or hallucination, even if the real Mary is lost to him. And then he’ll be able to apologise.
Death Note, Light/L, 200 words. First posted here, in response to the prompt 'any hero/villain pairing, don't know if you love me or you want me dead'.
“You called my name,” L comments, when Light returns from the shower.
Light was planning to kick L out of his room at the first opportunity. This was a mistake; it’s a risk to get so close to him. But he pauses at that. “What?”
“In bed,” L says. “I wasn’t expecting it. It’s less dignified than you usually prefer to present yourself.”
Light grits his teeth, just for an instant. L is testing him, trying to get under his skin. He won’t rise to it.
“I didn’t say your name,” Light says. “I said Ryuzaki. I don’t know your name.”
L smiles, just a little. “Are you asking me to tell you my name?”
“I’m not asking anything. Keep it to yourself. If you’re so convinced I’m trying to kill you, why would you put yourself in such a vulnerable position?”
“I think you’re interesting,” L says. “And I don’t think you’re willing to dirty your hands in that way.”
Light had thought about it, in the act. There had been a moment he’d put his hands against L’s throat: not pressing down, not yet. L had met his eyes, and they’d stared at each other in silence, for a long few seconds, before Light had taken his hands away.
“You’re interesting too,” Light concedes.
Final Fantasy VIII, everyone/everyone, 650 words. First posted here, in response to the prompt 'Final Fantasy VIII, Irvine/Quistis/Rinoa/Selphie/Squall/Zell, a rare mission for all six of them'.
“I’m gonna go tell Ma we’re shipping out,” Zell says. “You want to come along, talk to Rinoa?”
It still takes effort, sometimes, for Squall to look past practicality to what he actually wants. If Zell is visiting Balamb, he’ll see Rinoa there; she’s staying with Zell’s mother to be close to Balamb Garden. Zell is perfectly capable of telling her that most of SeeD has been assigned to Trabia to help with the rebuilding effort. There’s no need for Squall to be there; it would make sense for him to remain at Garden in case of sudden reassignment.
But he wants to see Rinoa.
He nods.
-
“I’m going too,” Rinoa says, almost before Squall has finished explaining the situation.
“This is a SeeD mission,” Squall points out. “You’re a civilian.”
Rinoa raises her eyebrows. “Then I’m coincidentally going to Trabia to help, as a civilian. I guess I’ll see you there.”
Something like a smile tugs at the corner of Squall’s lips, just a little. “I guess so.”
-
There are barely enough intact dorm rooms at Trabia Garden to house everyone assisting with the rebuilding, and ‘intact’ is a generous word for the room they’ve found themselves in. The missile strike has left a substantial hole in an upper corner, and, even with a tarpaulin tacked over it and the heating running, there’s no escaping the Trabia cold.
It doesn’t help that there are two single beds between the six of them: Squall, Zell, Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine. Technically, the dorm rooms are supposed to be reserved for SeeDs, and, while Irvine’s passed his test now, he’s expected to room with his fellow Galbadians. But none of them were ever going to turn Rinoa or Irvine away. If they’re reported for it, they’ll take it up with Cid when they’re back in Balamb.
There are plenty of extra blankets in the built-in wardrobe; at least this place was prepared for this kind of weather, even if they were expecting a roof to keep it out. Rinoa grabs an armful of bedclothes and starts building a kind of nest in the middle of the floor.
“Hey,” Zell says, “you gotta leave some for the rest of us.”
“If we want to stay warm, we should all sleep together,” Rinoa says.
Zell turns an interesting array of colours in the space of about a second.
“Oh, sounds like fun!” Selphie chirps. “It’ll be like a sleepover!”
Irvine grins. “You know I’m in favour.”
“Don’t-” Zell glares at Irvine, clenching his fists. “Don’t make this weird!”
Rinoa laughs. “It kind of looked like you already thought it was weird.”
“Don’t make this weirder. It’s weird enough.”
“There are still the beds,” Rinoa says. “Two people could have those, if you want to stay out of it.”
Squall hasn’t said anything, but everyone looks at him.
“I guess Squall will want one of those,” Zell says, scratching the back of his neck. “And, uh... Quistis, you’ve been pretty quiet. You want the other bed?”
“If you don’t mind,” Quistis says.
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine.” Zell shifts on his feet. “I mean, we’re just trying to stay warm, right?”
Squall’s never liked other people talking about him as if they know him. But he’s never been one for physical contact, and he finds himself grateful that he doesn’t have to ask to be left out aloud.
-
It’s colder in the night, difficult to sleep. A little brighter than Squall prefers, too; it’s a full moon, and the light is coming through the damaged curtains.
He opens his eyes.
It’s strange; it seems like it should spark some kind of jealousy, seeing how closely Zell and Selphie are tucked against Rinoa, Irvine sleeping against Selphie’s back. But all Squall feels when he sees them is a quiet, unfamiliar warmth.
When Squall looks to Quistis, he catches the glint of the moonlight on her open eyes; perhaps she’s watching them as well.
Squall closes his eyes again.
It does look warmer on the floor. Maybe he’ll try joining them tomorrow night.
The ficathon is still going on, so, for the benefit of anyone who wants to participate, the current prompt post is over here!
One of them is, in fact, over six hundred words long, because I'm really bad at this. I saw a prompt for Irvine/Quistis/Rinoa/Selphie/Squall/Zell and I couldn't stop myself.
Silent Hill 2, James, 66 words. First posted here, in response to the prompt 'I've been to the bottom of every bottle'.
“You waiting for someone?” the bartender asks.
“My...” The word late feels like it’s blocking his throat; he swallows it down. “My wife.”
A part of him feels that, if he drinks enough, he’ll be able to see Mary again. An illusion of her, at least: a dream or hallucination, even if the real Mary is lost to him. And then he’ll be able to apologise.
Death Note, Light/L, 200 words. First posted here, in response to the prompt 'any hero/villain pairing, don't know if you love me or you want me dead'.
“You called my name,” L comments, when Light returns from the shower.
Light was planning to kick L out of his room at the first opportunity. This was a mistake; it’s a risk to get so close to him. But he pauses at that. “What?”
“In bed,” L says. “I wasn’t expecting it. It’s less dignified than you usually prefer to present yourself.”
Light grits his teeth, just for an instant. L is testing him, trying to get under his skin. He won’t rise to it.
“I didn’t say your name,” Light says. “I said Ryuzaki. I don’t know your name.”
L smiles, just a little. “Are you asking me to tell you my name?”
“I’m not asking anything. Keep it to yourself. If you’re so convinced I’m trying to kill you, why would you put yourself in such a vulnerable position?”
“I think you’re interesting,” L says. “And I don’t think you’re willing to dirty your hands in that way.”
Light had thought about it, in the act. There had been a moment he’d put his hands against L’s throat: not pressing down, not yet. L had met his eyes, and they’d stared at each other in silence, for a long few seconds, before Light had taken his hands away.
“You’re interesting too,” Light concedes.
Final Fantasy VIII, everyone/everyone, 650 words. First posted here, in response to the prompt 'Final Fantasy VIII, Irvine/Quistis/Rinoa/Selphie/Squall/Zell, a rare mission for all six of them'.
“I’m gonna go tell Ma we’re shipping out,” Zell says. “You want to come along, talk to Rinoa?”
It still takes effort, sometimes, for Squall to look past practicality to what he actually wants. If Zell is visiting Balamb, he’ll see Rinoa there; she’s staying with Zell’s mother to be close to Balamb Garden. Zell is perfectly capable of telling her that most of SeeD has been assigned to Trabia to help with the rebuilding effort. There’s no need for Squall to be there; it would make sense for him to remain at Garden in case of sudden reassignment.
But he wants to see Rinoa.
He nods.
-
“I’m going too,” Rinoa says, almost before Squall has finished explaining the situation.
“This is a SeeD mission,” Squall points out. “You’re a civilian.”
Rinoa raises her eyebrows. “Then I’m coincidentally going to Trabia to help, as a civilian. I guess I’ll see you there.”
Something like a smile tugs at the corner of Squall’s lips, just a little. “I guess so.”
-
There are barely enough intact dorm rooms at Trabia Garden to house everyone assisting with the rebuilding, and ‘intact’ is a generous word for the room they’ve found themselves in. The missile strike has left a substantial hole in an upper corner, and, even with a tarpaulin tacked over it and the heating running, there’s no escaping the Trabia cold.
It doesn’t help that there are two single beds between the six of them: Squall, Zell, Rinoa, Quistis, Selphie, Irvine. Technically, the dorm rooms are supposed to be reserved for SeeDs, and, while Irvine’s passed his test now, he’s expected to room with his fellow Galbadians. But none of them were ever going to turn Rinoa or Irvine away. If they’re reported for it, they’ll take it up with Cid when they’re back in Balamb.
There are plenty of extra blankets in the built-in wardrobe; at least this place was prepared for this kind of weather, even if they were expecting a roof to keep it out. Rinoa grabs an armful of bedclothes and starts building a kind of nest in the middle of the floor.
“Hey,” Zell says, “you gotta leave some for the rest of us.”
“If we want to stay warm, we should all sleep together,” Rinoa says.
Zell turns an interesting array of colours in the space of about a second.
“Oh, sounds like fun!” Selphie chirps. “It’ll be like a sleepover!”
Irvine grins. “You know I’m in favour.”
“Don’t-” Zell glares at Irvine, clenching his fists. “Don’t make this weird!”
Rinoa laughs. “It kind of looked like you already thought it was weird.”
“Don’t make this weirder. It’s weird enough.”
“There are still the beds,” Rinoa says. “Two people could have those, if you want to stay out of it.”
Squall hasn’t said anything, but everyone looks at him.
“I guess Squall will want one of those,” Zell says, scratching the back of his neck. “And, uh... Quistis, you’ve been pretty quiet. You want the other bed?”
“If you don’t mind,” Quistis says.
“Yeah. Yeah, that’s fine.” Zell shifts on his feet. “I mean, we’re just trying to stay warm, right?”
Squall’s never liked other people talking about him as if they know him. But he’s never been one for physical contact, and he finds himself grateful that he doesn’t have to ask to be left out aloud.
-
It’s colder in the night, difficult to sleep. A little brighter than Squall prefers, too; it’s a full moon, and the light is coming through the damaged curtains.
He opens his eyes.
It’s strange; it seems like it should spark some kind of jealousy, seeing how closely Zell and Selphie are tucked against Rinoa, Irvine sleeping against Selphie’s back. But all Squall feels when he sees them is a quiet, unfamiliar warmth.
When Squall looks to Quistis, he catches the glint of the moonlight on her open eyes; perhaps she’s watching them as well.
Squall closes his eyes again.
It does look warmer on the floor. Maybe he’ll try joining them tomorrow night.
The ficathon is still going on, so, for the benefit of anyone who wants to participate, the current prompt post is over here!