rocky road #30, some rainbow sprinkles
no one has the guts to shut us out
Universe: Smart Enough to Recognize a Bad Idea (in-progress alternate history); going on at the same time as the main story with side characters
Flavor(s): Rocky Road #30, "left in the dark"
Extra(s): Rainbow Sprinkles (only contains mentions of main characters)
Wordcount: 1538
Rating: PG
Summary: There was supposed to be a USO party. Instead, there's a quiet moment. That turns into a loud moment, stolen lanters, and, finally, a soda.
Notes: I wasn't going to write this. Also, it ends really, really abruptly because it stopped cooperating with me but I didn't want to scrap it. As a result I'm quite unfond of the result. Alas.
The power's out.
The power's out and Grace knows she should go back inside, because just because the fighting's calmed down doesn't mean it always will be, there might be more shooting and more bombs, and it's nighttime so there's even more likely to be flyovers and more bombs - Grace knows she should go back inside, but it's dark everywhere, anyway, and she has a candle, and it's pretty out.
She can see the Missouri River. They're right by it, after all; staying by the water is the safest place to put the non-combatants. To put the women, is really what that means, but the USO has others who aren't women in it too - and she's near her father's medical tent, and that matters a lot to her.
And she's near Claribel's brother. She knows William writes to Claribel himself but she likes to be able to keep tabs on him. She doesn't like that she's still with Susan; oh, she and Susan have been best friends their entire lives, sure, but Susan's vapidity has started getting more and more on her nerves. She's all about landing a man, and nothing about actually helping people. Her idea of morale boosting is taking off her shirt.
They're there to help.
One of the people who needs help is Claribel's brother. Grace can tell that - that's why she followed him out into the yard. Crickets chirp. Lightning bugs flash. It's warm. It would be beautiful, if it weren't war-torn.
(Everything is ruined. She hates it.)
William hears her heels click on the walkway, turns around. Confusion in his eyes. He doesn't know her. She isn't surprised.
There's blood leaking from the bandage on his face. She wants to fix it. He won't let her, and she knows it. She's not a doctor.
(Not yet, her father says to her whenever she points out that she's not a doctor. Or maybe she'd be a better nurse, he suggests, a real nurse who does more than wipe brows and hold hands, and she would be happily either, but never sees that day coming.)
"Hi," she says, nervous. Why would she be nervous, though? They've known each other their whole lives -
"Hey, Grace." William smiles, and he does actually know her, and she's relieved. "Come to stare out into space and pretend the world isn't ending?"
"The world isn't ending."
She's not sure she believes it, though. Isn't everything ragged and broken? Hadn't this been beautiful land once? Really beautiful, without all the holes?
"Of course it is." He looks grave. Grace feels a little scared. If William Keene can be certain that the world is ending, and he's the most clever person she's ever met (although she won't deny that she and Claribel both rather rival him, or at least come close) maybe it's true. "I desperately wanted a cherry soda float and I'm not getting one because there's no power and the party's off. The world's ending."
Unable to help herself, Grace laughs. "You're right," she says, deadpan. "It must be."
"Good to see a real friend again," William says. "Someone from home. Who isn't either doing stitches on my head," and Grace shakes her head, screwing up her nose, "and who isn't Susan."
"I'm sure my father was doing his best to help you -"
"Oh, I don't blame him in the slightest."
"And as for Susan, I'm not sure what to say. She's always been a little vain and a little bit focused on landing herself a husband, but she just keeps getting worse. So sexual."
"Loosen up, Grace." William was, without a doubt, laughing at her. "A little sexuality is okay in a place like this. What else are you going to do? She's got nice breasts, anyway -"
Grace stared. "William Clarence Keene, I cannot believe you just -"
"Acted like a soldier? Sorry," and he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, "but I'm a soldier. Not just your best friend's dorky twin."
William's never been dorky. Refined, but not dorky. He never played football, so the whole school didn't love him, but he's always been bold and outgoing enough. He fit just right with their group of friends, anyway. As the world hardened, they all changed, again, just enough to fit. But they seemed to still fit together. Claribel was trying in university, even if she was miserable, and William was this strong soldier, and Grace did everything she could.
It's been six months since they've all seen one another, but three weeks ago Grace and Susan and William ended up together, in the same area, and then William cut his head and Grace's father told her about it. She and Susan tried to come to see him, but it didn't work out. They'd hoped he'd be at the party.
The poor party, blacked out as it was.
"No, it's just, it's Susan, she's our friend, you can't say things like that!" Grace finds herself laughing again. It's okay to laugh. It's a night off - there is no war, just an unfortunate power outage.
William, in disagreement, insists that he can verbally appreciate the breasts of any woman not his mother or sister. Grace laughs again. William is laughing too. Their laughter gathers a small crowd - other men come up, and William introduces them to Grace: "This is Claribel's best friend. Remember I told you about my sister?"
The pretty one? No, the only one.
(Grace points out that wasn't very nice. William ignores her.)
The one in university? Yeah, that's her.
(Grace thinks that's minimizing it.)
The one who doesn't want to be in university when all of us could be? is asked but ignored, because William knows the asker really doesn't want to be in university at all. He doesn't either, to be honest: he wants to be right where he is. So does Grace.
Unfortunately, Claribel wants to be there too, and so that's why when a camera comes out he holds up a picture of her between himself and Grace.
They sit outside and talk and laugh about their families and silly things and how much of a drag university would be for about a half hour when Grace admits, "I'm also the doctor's daughter."
"I thought you looked like him!" one of the men says louder than the chorus of ohs. Grace wonders if this fellow is drunk; wonders how many of them got to the alcohol before everything inside was dark.
"Wait," says William, suddenly. "The medical tent."
The chorus of ohs turns into a chorus of what about it?s.
"There's lanterns!"
Grace is the first one to catch on, though barely, and the group of soldiers and the one girl, muddy skirts and all, jump up. She's the one with the key to the lock on the door; they're all counting on her, and it's still around her neck, and she gets in and they've swiped six huge lanterns on rolling bases before anyone's noticed.
There's lots of giggling, lots of shoving and lots of shushing one another as the group of unruly army boys and the one girl attempt to push the lanterns back to the USO hall without anyone noticing. Of course it fails, but that's no trouble. The group simply grows larger. Everyone wanted a party, after all.
"Grace!" Susan squawks as she sees them, and Grace wants to ignore her, because she's got her top more than halfway open, but half the boys all yell shh! and for once ignore the fact that her top is half open, so Susan joins in too, and Grace will deal with being annoyed with her later.
Getting the lanterns in the back door is easier than it should be.
Remembering how to make them light is harder. By then, the rebel thieves have attracted everyone; the room might be pitch black but they're loud. Everyone who had still been in there trying to hold still and hope for the lights to come back on, for the past half hour, is all trying to move at once. Stubbed toes and bruised knees and tumbling and falling follow, and there's so much laughing, and Grace finds herself truly happy, again.
Nothing is ruined.
Everything's just fine.
Her father appears him, she can barely see him in the light of the moon, and she's worried about what might happen, but all he does is crack a smile and say "Good thinking, Gracie."
"William," she corrects.
"Well, Private Keene," her father says, "I always knew I liked you. Ever since you were, say, two? Here, let me put on some lights."
The music still isn't working, but a few of the boys begin to sing as soon as the lanterns are lighted. Lit. Whichever. Grace doesn't know, isn't sure she cares, because people are having fun. Others join in the singing. Others dance.
William insists she dance with him. She tries to say no, but her father and Susan and several of his friends all goad them on. She's not a very good dancer, but he makes up for it; she knows he and Claribel took lessons.
The power comes back, eventually, suddenly, and the room is bathed with as much light as a million hanging strung-up Christmas lights can bring. What's important, though, is that soon the freezer will work again.
Which means William can get his cherry soda float, and finally, he wipes the blood from his brow.
Universe: Smart Enough to Recognize a Bad Idea (in-progress alternate history); going on at the same time as the main story with side characters
Flavor(s): Rocky Road #30, "left in the dark"
Extra(s): Rainbow Sprinkles (only contains mentions of main characters)
Wordcount: 1538
Rating: PG
Summary: There was supposed to be a USO party. Instead, there's a quiet moment. That turns into a loud moment, stolen lanters, and, finally, a soda.
Notes: I wasn't going to write this. Also, it ends really, really abruptly because it stopped cooperating with me but I didn't want to scrap it. As a result I'm quite unfond of the result. Alas.
The power's out.
The power's out and Grace knows she should go back inside, because just because the fighting's calmed down doesn't mean it always will be, there might be more shooting and more bombs, and it's nighttime so there's even more likely to be flyovers and more bombs - Grace knows she should go back inside, but it's dark everywhere, anyway, and she has a candle, and it's pretty out.
She can see the Missouri River. They're right by it, after all; staying by the water is the safest place to put the non-combatants. To put the women, is really what that means, but the USO has others who aren't women in it too - and she's near her father's medical tent, and that matters a lot to her.
And she's near Claribel's brother. She knows William writes to Claribel himself but she likes to be able to keep tabs on him. She doesn't like that she's still with Susan; oh, she and Susan have been best friends their entire lives, sure, but Susan's vapidity has started getting more and more on her nerves. She's all about landing a man, and nothing about actually helping people. Her idea of morale boosting is taking off her shirt.
They're there to help.
One of the people who needs help is Claribel's brother. Grace can tell that - that's why she followed him out into the yard. Crickets chirp. Lightning bugs flash. It's warm. It would be beautiful, if it weren't war-torn.
(Everything is ruined. She hates it.)
William hears her heels click on the walkway, turns around. Confusion in his eyes. He doesn't know her. She isn't surprised.
There's blood leaking from the bandage on his face. She wants to fix it. He won't let her, and she knows it. She's not a doctor.
(Not yet, her father says to her whenever she points out that she's not a doctor. Or maybe she'd be a better nurse, he suggests, a real nurse who does more than wipe brows and hold hands, and she would be happily either, but never sees that day coming.)
"Hi," she says, nervous. Why would she be nervous, though? They've known each other their whole lives -
"Hey, Grace." William smiles, and he does actually know her, and she's relieved. "Come to stare out into space and pretend the world isn't ending?"
"The world isn't ending."
She's not sure she believes it, though. Isn't everything ragged and broken? Hadn't this been beautiful land once? Really beautiful, without all the holes?
"Of course it is." He looks grave. Grace feels a little scared. If William Keene can be certain that the world is ending, and he's the most clever person she's ever met (although she won't deny that she and Claribel both rather rival him, or at least come close) maybe it's true. "I desperately wanted a cherry soda float and I'm not getting one because there's no power and the party's off. The world's ending."
Unable to help herself, Grace laughs. "You're right," she says, deadpan. "It must be."
"Good to see a real friend again," William says. "Someone from home. Who isn't either doing stitches on my head," and Grace shakes her head, screwing up her nose, "and who isn't Susan."
"I'm sure my father was doing his best to help you -"
"Oh, I don't blame him in the slightest."
"And as for Susan, I'm not sure what to say. She's always been a little vain and a little bit focused on landing herself a husband, but she just keeps getting worse. So sexual."
"Loosen up, Grace." William was, without a doubt, laughing at her. "A little sexuality is okay in a place like this. What else are you going to do? She's got nice breasts, anyway -"
Grace stared. "William Clarence Keene, I cannot believe you just -"
"Acted like a soldier? Sorry," and he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck, "but I'm a soldier. Not just your best friend's dorky twin."
William's never been dorky. Refined, but not dorky. He never played football, so the whole school didn't love him, but he's always been bold and outgoing enough. He fit just right with their group of friends, anyway. As the world hardened, they all changed, again, just enough to fit. But they seemed to still fit together. Claribel was trying in university, even if she was miserable, and William was this strong soldier, and Grace did everything she could.
It's been six months since they've all seen one another, but three weeks ago Grace and Susan and William ended up together, in the same area, and then William cut his head and Grace's father told her about it. She and Susan tried to come to see him, but it didn't work out. They'd hoped he'd be at the party.
The poor party, blacked out as it was.
"No, it's just, it's Susan, she's our friend, you can't say things like that!" Grace finds herself laughing again. It's okay to laugh. It's a night off - there is no war, just an unfortunate power outage.
William, in disagreement, insists that he can verbally appreciate the breasts of any woman not his mother or sister. Grace laughs again. William is laughing too. Their laughter gathers a small crowd - other men come up, and William introduces them to Grace: "This is Claribel's best friend. Remember I told you about my sister?"
The pretty one? No, the only one.
(Grace points out that wasn't very nice. William ignores her.)
The one in university? Yeah, that's her.
(Grace thinks that's minimizing it.)
The one who doesn't want to be in university when all of us could be? is asked but ignored, because William knows the asker really doesn't want to be in university at all. He doesn't either, to be honest: he wants to be right where he is. So does Grace.
Unfortunately, Claribel wants to be there too, and so that's why when a camera comes out he holds up a picture of her between himself and Grace.
They sit outside and talk and laugh about their families and silly things and how much of a drag university would be for about a half hour when Grace admits, "I'm also the doctor's daughter."
"I thought you looked like him!" one of the men says louder than the chorus of ohs. Grace wonders if this fellow is drunk; wonders how many of them got to the alcohol before everything inside was dark.
"Wait," says William, suddenly. "The medical tent."
The chorus of ohs turns into a chorus of what about it?s.
"There's lanterns!"
Grace is the first one to catch on, though barely, and the group of soldiers and the one girl, muddy skirts and all, jump up. She's the one with the key to the lock on the door; they're all counting on her, and it's still around her neck, and she gets in and they've swiped six huge lanterns on rolling bases before anyone's noticed.
There's lots of giggling, lots of shoving and lots of shushing one another as the group of unruly army boys and the one girl attempt to push the lanterns back to the USO hall without anyone noticing. Of course it fails, but that's no trouble. The group simply grows larger. Everyone wanted a party, after all.
"Grace!" Susan squawks as she sees them, and Grace wants to ignore her, because she's got her top more than halfway open, but half the boys all yell shh! and for once ignore the fact that her top is half open, so Susan joins in too, and Grace will deal with being annoyed with her later.
Getting the lanterns in the back door is easier than it should be.
Remembering how to make them light is harder. By then, the rebel thieves have attracted everyone; the room might be pitch black but they're loud. Everyone who had still been in there trying to hold still and hope for the lights to come back on, for the past half hour, is all trying to move at once. Stubbed toes and bruised knees and tumbling and falling follow, and there's so much laughing, and Grace finds herself truly happy, again.
Nothing is ruined.
Everything's just fine.
Her father appears him, she can barely see him in the light of the moon, and she's worried about what might happen, but all he does is crack a smile and say "Good thinking, Gracie."
"William," she corrects.
"Well, Private Keene," her father says, "I always knew I liked you. Ever since you were, say, two? Here, let me put on some lights."
The music still isn't working, but a few of the boys begin to sing as soon as the lanterns are lighted. Lit. Whichever. Grace doesn't know, isn't sure she cares, because people are having fun. Others join in the singing. Others dance.
William insists she dance with him. She tries to say no, but her father and Susan and several of his friends all goad them on. She's not a very good dancer, but he makes up for it; she knows he and Claribel took lessons.
The power comes back, eventually, suddenly, and the room is bathed with as much light as a million hanging strung-up Christmas lights can bring. What's important, though, is that soon the freezer will work again.
Which means William can get his cherry soda float, and finally, he wipes the blood from his brow.