qiancheng109 - Fic - "Settled"
Title: Settled
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Rating: G
Characters: Sophie Devereaux
Date Written: 23-24 December 2013
Word Count: 1280
Written for: leveragexchange 2013
Recipient: qiancheng109
Summary: Dear God, I've never been happier than living as Sophie
Spoilers: The first two seasons are totally up for grabs.
Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Website: ShatterStorm Productions - Frisked & Conquered
Link to: http://f-n-c.shatterstorm.net/
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…
Author’s Disclaimer: "Leverage," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Dean Devlin, Electric Entertainment, and Turner Network Television (TNT). This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Leverage," TNT, or any representatives of the actors.
Author’s Notes: This ended up going a little differently from what I'd initially planned, but I really like where it went. I adore writing character development and/or character study pieces, especially when the character fascinates me to no end. And Sophie Devereaux certainly fits that bill. I hope my recipient likes the riff I took off of her prompt about a wedding.
Dedication: My muses, as usual…
Beta: shatterpath is the master at last minute beta jobs. Any remaining errors are entirely my fault.
"Settled"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
The dress is absolutely stunning: Vera Wang, a pink so pale as to look only slightly off-white. Well, unless you're extremely up close and personal or see it next to the varying pink hues in the bouquet. That was a deliberate choice. No sense in any false advertising of virginity, right?
Look at him, standing there in his perfect black tuxedo with the dove grey vest and the pink and pale grey striped tie. He's so very earnest right now. And is that--? Are those tears in his eyes? They are! There are honest to God tears in his eyes, and his grip is painfully tight. I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves a bruise or two. Marring such perfect skin should be a crime punishable by-- Well, I suppose death is a bit harsh, but some severe torture comes to mind as doable.
"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance?"
It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to take time away from Nate and the team to find myself. After having to fake my death as I did, I just wanted to get away for a while. No, I needed to get away for a while. Needed to get out of my head and out of the Sophie Devereaux mindset. I've been playing her, living as her, for far too long. That's the kind of thing that can be either an asset or a liability for a grifter, depending on the person and the persona.
I'd like to think that I'm one of the best, so I can handle such a long term personality shift. And yet, I was the one targeted and killed by Marcus and his band of misfit toys. Well, all right, Marcus didn't try to have me killed. That was all thanks to Chaos, the little twerp. Clearly he was mistreated as a child to harbor such malice against another person. I certainly never had such permanent results in mind when doing any of the hundreds of jobs I've done over the years. No, I must be nearly into the thousands of jobs now. Right?
"My dear? I need an answer. Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husb--"
Blinking in surprise, I stare at the minister with trepidation, mouth dry at the very need for the question to be asked. He begins to ask again, but I don't wait for him to finish before I bolt for the beautiful mahogany doors. Once outside, I run until I'm hidden within the grove of oak trees that surround the church and its attendant parking lot. Leaning against one of the more ancient denizens, I try to calm my breathing and my racing mind.
What in the hell is wrong with me? I just ruined a perfectly lovely wedding. Oh, I do hope that they don't hate me for it. Then again, they don't even know me, so I suppose it doesn't matter, does it? I just hate the idea of anyone's special day being ruined, by accident or design. It isn't fair, is it?
I can barely hear the church doors opening again, followed by the faint strains of the recessional music. Clearly she found her voice, didn't she? And chose what everyone in that church wanted to happen today. I suppose even I wanted it to happen. Isn't that why I wandered into the church in the first place?
No, it's actually not. Well, not entirely, at least. I was taking a walk through this charming little village for something to do. I've been doing that a lot lately. Travel until I decide to stop, then spend a couple of days exploring my surroundings in an attempt to find some sort of peace with the world, and with myself. For the most part, it hasn't gotten me very far. Then again, when I have to stay within communications range because everyone but Nate's been trying to get advice from me, despite sending Tara along to help them, I suppose I can't truly do what I need to do. It's been trying, to say the least. I sometimes wonder if this is what it's like to be a mother.
But I digress…
When I passed the church on my walk today, I paused because my name was on the announcement board. Okay, not Sophie Devereaux, because that would be really weird, don't you think? I certainly hope there's no one else with my name out there. No, it was my real name. The name my parents gave me when I was born. The name that never quite fit me. I don't remember a single time in my life when I felt comfortable in my skin while wearing that name. That's why I adore grifting. Well, one of the reasons. I can put on whatever name and personality that I want. If it fits like a glove, I'll keep it and use it more than once. If it feels like I've been shoehorned into a pump that's three sizes too small, I'll never touch it again. There have been many that were rejected for not fitting right.
And then there's Sophie Devereaux. Dear God, I've never been happier than living as Sophie. Yes, there have been other personas I've used, but always layered on top of Sophie. My parents should have named me Sophie. My mother said it was her grandmother's name. She was an actress, highly sought after in the theatre in her hometown. She wanted to name me after this dynamic woman, give me a legacy to live up to. My father vetoed that idea, and so I was named after his great-grandmother, thrice removed. When I was in grade seven, already trying to find a better name-skin to live in, I did a great deal of genealogical research into my family.
Sophie was born out of that research. I'm still not entirely certain where I came up with Devereaux, though that surname didn't come into play until I was out of school and traveling Europe. No one understood why I wanted to be called Sophie. My father tried to beat it out of me, but it never worked. His punishments only proved that I felt more alive, more like myself when I called myself Sophie.
The faint strains of "Congratulations" and "Good luck" and "Enjoy your new life" waft over to me on the warm spring breeze. It only takes a moment to see that the newlyweds have been stowed away in the back of their limousine, ready to begin that new life together that they just promised each other in the church.
Watching the limousine pull away down the lane, I smile and whisper, "Congratulations, Agatha. May James further settle you into your name-skin than I ever was."
As the car turns the corner and heads off to whatever honeymoon plans James and Agatha have, or wherever they need to go for their reception, I feel a sense of calm settle over me. I've been going about this all wrong. Marcus and Chaos can't take Sophie Devereaux away from me, not without my permission.
Next stop in my journey? My hometown. It's time to truly get myself settled in my name-skin, but first I need to reconcile a few things with Agatha.
Don't worry, world. Sophie Devereaux will be on her comeback tour soon enough. I know you can't live without me.
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Email: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Rating: G
Characters: Sophie Devereaux
Date Written: 23-24 December 2013
Word Count: 1280
Written for: leveragexchange 2013
Recipient: qiancheng109
Summary: Dear God, I've never been happier than living as Sophie
Spoilers: The first two seasons are totally up for grabs.
Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Website: ShatterStorm Productions - Frisked & Conquered
Link to: http://f-n-c.shatterstorm.net/
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…
Author’s Disclaimer: "Leverage," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Dean Devlin, Electric Entertainment, and Turner Network Television (TNT). This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Leverage," TNT, or any representatives of the actors.
Author’s Notes: This ended up going a little differently from what I'd initially planned, but I really like where it went. I adore writing character development and/or character study pieces, especially when the character fascinates me to no end. And Sophie Devereaux certainly fits that bill. I hope my recipient likes the riff I took off of her prompt about a wedding.
Dedication: My muses, as usual…
Beta: shatterpath is the master at last minute beta jobs. Any remaining errors are entirely my fault.
"Settled"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter
The dress is absolutely stunning: Vera Wang, a pink so pale as to look only slightly off-white. Well, unless you're extremely up close and personal or see it next to the varying pink hues in the bouquet. That was a deliberate choice. No sense in any false advertising of virginity, right?
Look at him, standing there in his perfect black tuxedo with the dove grey vest and the pink and pale grey striped tie. He's so very earnest right now. And is that--? Are those tears in his eyes? They are! There are honest to God tears in his eyes, and his grip is painfully tight. I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves a bruise or two. Marring such perfect skin should be a crime punishable by-- Well, I suppose death is a bit harsh, but some severe torture comes to mind as doable.
"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance?"
It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was supposed to take time away from Nate and the team to find myself. After having to fake my death as I did, I just wanted to get away for a while. No, I needed to get away for a while. Needed to get out of my head and out of the Sophie Devereaux mindset. I've been playing her, living as her, for far too long. That's the kind of thing that can be either an asset or a liability for a grifter, depending on the person and the persona.
I'd like to think that I'm one of the best, so I can handle such a long term personality shift. And yet, I was the one targeted and killed by Marcus and his band of misfit toys. Well, all right, Marcus didn't try to have me killed. That was all thanks to Chaos, the little twerp. Clearly he was mistreated as a child to harbor such malice against another person. I certainly never had such permanent results in mind when doing any of the hundreds of jobs I've done over the years. No, I must be nearly into the thousands of jobs now. Right?
"My dear? I need an answer. Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husb--"
Blinking in surprise, I stare at the minister with trepidation, mouth dry at the very need for the question to be asked. He begins to ask again, but I don't wait for him to finish before I bolt for the beautiful mahogany doors. Once outside, I run until I'm hidden within the grove of oak trees that surround the church and its attendant parking lot. Leaning against one of the more ancient denizens, I try to calm my breathing and my racing mind.
What in the hell is wrong with me? I just ruined a perfectly lovely wedding. Oh, I do hope that they don't hate me for it. Then again, they don't even know me, so I suppose it doesn't matter, does it? I just hate the idea of anyone's special day being ruined, by accident or design. It isn't fair, is it?
I can barely hear the church doors opening again, followed by the faint strains of the recessional music. Clearly she found her voice, didn't she? And chose what everyone in that church wanted to happen today. I suppose even I wanted it to happen. Isn't that why I wandered into the church in the first place?
No, it's actually not. Well, not entirely, at least. I was taking a walk through this charming little village for something to do. I've been doing that a lot lately. Travel until I decide to stop, then spend a couple of days exploring my surroundings in an attempt to find some sort of peace with the world, and with myself. For the most part, it hasn't gotten me very far. Then again, when I have to stay within communications range because everyone but Nate's been trying to get advice from me, despite sending Tara along to help them, I suppose I can't truly do what I need to do. It's been trying, to say the least. I sometimes wonder if this is what it's like to be a mother.
But I digress…
When I passed the church on my walk today, I paused because my name was on the announcement board. Okay, not Sophie Devereaux, because that would be really weird, don't you think? I certainly hope there's no one else with my name out there. No, it was my real name. The name my parents gave me when I was born. The name that never quite fit me. I don't remember a single time in my life when I felt comfortable in my skin while wearing that name. That's why I adore grifting. Well, one of the reasons. I can put on whatever name and personality that I want. If it fits like a glove, I'll keep it and use it more than once. If it feels like I've been shoehorned into a pump that's three sizes too small, I'll never touch it again. There have been many that were rejected for not fitting right.
And then there's Sophie Devereaux. Dear God, I've never been happier than living as Sophie. Yes, there have been other personas I've used, but always layered on top of Sophie. My parents should have named me Sophie. My mother said it was her grandmother's name. She was an actress, highly sought after in the theatre in her hometown. She wanted to name me after this dynamic woman, give me a legacy to live up to. My father vetoed that idea, and so I was named after his great-grandmother, thrice removed. When I was in grade seven, already trying to find a better name-skin to live in, I did a great deal of genealogical research into my family.
Sophie was born out of that research. I'm still not entirely certain where I came up with Devereaux, though that surname didn't come into play until I was out of school and traveling Europe. No one understood why I wanted to be called Sophie. My father tried to beat it out of me, but it never worked. His punishments only proved that I felt more alive, more like myself when I called myself Sophie.
The faint strains of "Congratulations" and "Good luck" and "Enjoy your new life" waft over to me on the warm spring breeze. It only takes a moment to see that the newlyweds have been stowed away in the back of their limousine, ready to begin that new life together that they just promised each other in the church.
Watching the limousine pull away down the lane, I smile and whisper, "Congratulations, Agatha. May James further settle you into your name-skin than I ever was."
As the car turns the corner and heads off to whatever honeymoon plans James and Agatha have, or wherever they need to go for their reception, I feel a sense of calm settle over me. I've been going about this all wrong. Marcus and Chaos can't take Sophie Devereaux away from me, not without my permission.
Next stop in my journey? My hometown. It's time to truly get myself settled in my name-skin, but first I need to reconcile a few things with Agatha.
Don't worry, world. Sophie Devereaux will be on her comeback tour soon enough. I know you can't live without me.