Dollhouse fic: And Then I Fall Asleep; pg-13
Title: And Then I Fall Asleep
Rating: PG-13 for language
Characters: Adelle Dewitt, Laurence Dominic, a little bit of Topher
Words: 924
Summary: After Mr. Dominic leaves, she’ll go back to Topher’s room and rest.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not ever.
Notes: written for the Sweet Drabblethon-- morgan72uk's prompt, 'trailing clouds of glory'. I had a difficult time with it (overthinking, lol), and I hope Morgan would like it.
Unbeta-ed. Apologies.
When she was eight-years-old, she snuck out of her dormitory and followed the older girls who slipped out to go to the woods. She was curious about what they did when outside and so, she followed them out one night and promptly got lost in the forest. The only reason she was able to get back to her room safely was because the moon was full and illuminated her path. She loved the moon since then.
But now, as she sits on the steps of the back porch, the full moon makes everything seem grayer. And it’s a constant reminder that they should probably find a way to have a continuous source of electricity to make it easier for them at night, and especially when Harding and his men decides to attack the compound during the night.
She’s mentally listing several other deficiencies that they have to address when she hears the door squeak and the feels the floorboards move under her. Somehow, without looking back, she knows who will be cutting short the little time she has for herself.
“Nice view.”
Laurence Dominic sits beside her and she takes a glance at him to acknowledge his company. She doesn’t say anything and stares into the grayness. He’s still angry, still bitter, which makes her wonder why he has decided to sit with her.
“Did you ever think that one day, in your lifetime, that the world would come to this?” he asks after a few minutes of silence. There’s tartness in his tone that wouldn’t bother her too much if she had heard it at a different time of the day, but this time it’s different. She supposes she deserves it, him disregarding her need to be alone.
She doesn’t answer him. He already knows the answer to that. She’s tired and by the time she goes back to Topher’s room, he’ll be having one of his nightmares-something that she’s come to expect every night.
“I remember one of your pitches to new clients, about the world being a safe place and all that shit. How human beings are born into this ideal world and then growing up to a shadowy one? I’ve always wondered how you can sell the technology without actually getting to the actual science of it.”
She clasps her hands together, keeping her arms close to her as she leans on the banister. She closes her eyes,
“People want something that will make their lives easier, better, happier… longer.” She says, “Almost everybody would pay good money to have that kind of technology. You, of all people, should know that.”
She feels his gaze at her. She keeps her eyes closed. His presence is familiar-comforting yet unsettling, but she would rather not see him. She’s used to his anger, his indifference, his jeers, but right now, she’s exhausted. She hopes Mr. Dominic gets to his point soon. She wants a little piece of peace before Topher wakes up screaming once again.
“Humanity’s need for technology coupled with their hubris…” She states, “We were doomed from the very beginning.” Everybody wanted to live in an ideal world and they ended up living in a fucked-up one. Humanity’s crowning glory is creating the technology to wipe away their memories and personalities. It isn’t really surprising that their creation would kill them all. And no, you don’t need to thank her for that.
A soft breeze brushes against her cheeks and she takes in a deep breath.
After Mr. Dominic leaves, she’ll go back to Topher’s room and rest.
She suddenly remembers that there are still a few buildings that need repairing. She knows some of the boys can do it, but then she remembers that there aren’t any planks of wood left (although they have a lot of nails and screws). She doesn’t know where to get the planks of wood, and she wouldn’t suggest that they cannibalize the other buildings for it. But then again, carpentry really isn’t her best suit.
“Adelle?”
Perhaps she can confer with Alpha tomorrow. She distinctly remembers Alpha being assigned an engagement involving woodwork way back when.
She starts to wonder when Mr. Dominic would leave her be. She’s feeling drowsy.
Just… terribly drowsy.
~*~
Still thinking that she’s in the porch, she wakes up with a start, her heart racing, fully expecting to fall down the steps.
Instead, she’s on a mattress. Sunshine beams through the windows.
“Morning.” She hears Topher say.
She looks around and sees him sitting on the floor, a few feet away from where she is, “Sweetheart,” she greets, her confusion palpable. She blinks several times. She can’t remember how she got here. “Did you have any bad dreams last night?”
He shakes his head and slightly twists his lower lip into a pout, “Had a good night.” He replies, “Woke up. Thought you were dead.” He says and crawls towards her before poking her arm, “But Dom said you weren’t.”
“Mr. Dominic?” she asks.
The younger man points towards the door, “Sat there when I woke up.”
“Oh.” She dismisses her immediate thought that Mr. Dominic had carried her here all the way from the back porch (he most probably dragged her) and focuses on her charge, “Do you want to have breakfast, Topher?” she asks, softly.
Topher nods his head and pulls his knees towards his chest and hugs his legs, “I’m hungry.”
A resigned smile escapes her and she stands up, “Okay, darling. Stay here, I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Rating: PG-13 for language
Characters: Adelle Dewitt, Laurence Dominic, a little bit of Topher
Words: 924
Summary: After Mr. Dominic leaves, she’ll go back to Topher’s room and rest.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not ever.
Notes: written for the Sweet Drabblethon-- morgan72uk's prompt, 'trailing clouds of glory'. I had a difficult time with it (overthinking, lol), and I hope Morgan would like it.
Unbeta-ed. Apologies.
When she was eight-years-old, she snuck out of her dormitory and followed the older girls who slipped out to go to the woods. She was curious about what they did when outside and so, she followed them out one night and promptly got lost in the forest. The only reason she was able to get back to her room safely was because the moon was full and illuminated her path. She loved the moon since then.
But now, as she sits on the steps of the back porch, the full moon makes everything seem grayer. And it’s a constant reminder that they should probably find a way to have a continuous source of electricity to make it easier for them at night, and especially when Harding and his men decides to attack the compound during the night.
She’s mentally listing several other deficiencies that they have to address when she hears the door squeak and the feels the floorboards move under her. Somehow, without looking back, she knows who will be cutting short the little time she has for herself.
“Nice view.”
Laurence Dominic sits beside her and she takes a glance at him to acknowledge his company. She doesn’t say anything and stares into the grayness. He’s still angry, still bitter, which makes her wonder why he has decided to sit with her.
“Did you ever think that one day, in your lifetime, that the world would come to this?” he asks after a few minutes of silence. There’s tartness in his tone that wouldn’t bother her too much if she had heard it at a different time of the day, but this time it’s different. She supposes she deserves it, him disregarding her need to be alone.
She doesn’t answer him. He already knows the answer to that. She’s tired and by the time she goes back to Topher’s room, he’ll be having one of his nightmares-something that she’s come to expect every night.
“I remember one of your pitches to new clients, about the world being a safe place and all that shit. How human beings are born into this ideal world and then growing up to a shadowy one? I’ve always wondered how you can sell the technology without actually getting to the actual science of it.”
She clasps her hands together, keeping her arms close to her as she leans on the banister. She closes her eyes,
“People want something that will make their lives easier, better, happier… longer.” She says, “Almost everybody would pay good money to have that kind of technology. You, of all people, should know that.”
She feels his gaze at her. She keeps her eyes closed. His presence is familiar-comforting yet unsettling, but she would rather not see him. She’s used to his anger, his indifference, his jeers, but right now, she’s exhausted. She hopes Mr. Dominic gets to his point soon. She wants a little piece of peace before Topher wakes up screaming once again.
“Humanity’s need for technology coupled with their hubris…” She states, “We were doomed from the very beginning.” Everybody wanted to live in an ideal world and they ended up living in a fucked-up one. Humanity’s crowning glory is creating the technology to wipe away their memories and personalities. It isn’t really surprising that their creation would kill them all. And no, you don’t need to thank her for that.
A soft breeze brushes against her cheeks and she takes in a deep breath.
After Mr. Dominic leaves, she’ll go back to Topher’s room and rest.
She suddenly remembers that there are still a few buildings that need repairing. She knows some of the boys can do it, but then she remembers that there aren’t any planks of wood left (although they have a lot of nails and screws). She doesn’t know where to get the planks of wood, and she wouldn’t suggest that they cannibalize the other buildings for it. But then again, carpentry really isn’t her best suit.
“Adelle?”
Perhaps she can confer with Alpha tomorrow. She distinctly remembers Alpha being assigned an engagement involving woodwork way back when.
She starts to wonder when Mr. Dominic would leave her be. She’s feeling drowsy.
Just… terribly drowsy.
~*~
Still thinking that she’s in the porch, she wakes up with a start, her heart racing, fully expecting to fall down the steps.
Instead, she’s on a mattress. Sunshine beams through the windows.
“Morning.” She hears Topher say.
She looks around and sees him sitting on the floor, a few feet away from where she is, “Sweetheart,” she greets, her confusion palpable. She blinks several times. She can’t remember how she got here. “Did you have any bad dreams last night?”
He shakes his head and slightly twists his lower lip into a pout, “Had a good night.” He replies, “Woke up. Thought you were dead.” He says and crawls towards her before poking her arm, “But Dom said you weren’t.”
“Mr. Dominic?” she asks.
The younger man points towards the door, “Sat there when I woke up.”
“Oh.” She dismisses her immediate thought that Mr. Dominic had carried her here all the way from the back porch (he most probably dragged her) and focuses on her charge, “Do you want to have breakfast, Topher?” she asks, softly.
Topher nods his head and pulls his knees towards his chest and hugs his legs, “I’m hungry.”
A resigned smile escapes her and she stands up, “Okay, darling. Stay here, I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”