5 Things Meme-of the Ficlet Variety

[scribble_myname]

This entry is part 44 of 51 in the series 365 Challenge
Gacked from penknife:

You post a topic, list, category, whatever, in comments. (examples: "Five SG-1 Mission Reports That Were Less Than Entirely Truthful", or "Five Times Bruce Banner Lost His Toothbrush," or "Five Ways Nikola Tesla Failed to Take Over the World"). I'll answer with a list of

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Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [1/2]

[scribble_myname]

End of the first quiet summer before everything went out of the frying pan, and it was a good time to gather, all together again for a little while at least, and hold a new bundle of life in their arms, laughing and kissing her and passing her back and forth while the new parents could hardly keep the light of love out of their eyes. Pure unmitigated joy was rare among the teams, but this was a moment joy did not have to share with sorrow or captivity-the first child born to them after the Thorn Rebellion was done and over with, the first child with neither threat nor fear hanging over her pretty, down-soft head

Re: Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [2/2]

[scribble_myname]

Rett caught in his breath, knowing how loaded that sideways question really was.

“That’s because you’re not general purpose,” Rachelle retorted.

Ashen looked troubled, a fleeting surprised flinch in her gaze. It took a great deal to hurt her, and Rachelle exhaled regret. The two of them got along solely because of their taste in books and their own shut-down ways of coping with the hand they’d been dealt by the Department, but there was respect there and Rachelle hadn’t meant to undermine it.

Rett glanced between Ashen and Rachelle, then excused himself. He did understand and Rachelle couldn’t exactly blame him for making an exit.

Rachelle took another scalding sip of coffee. Most people didn’t understand her team relationships, but they eventually got what they were at least and that, for some reason, they worked for Rachelle and those she was close to

Re: Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [2/2]

[thecatisacritic]

Okay, first... If you referred to Storm as Rett before, I missed it. It took me a bit to realize who he was.

Minor typo: I’ve a feeling she’s going to be as stubborn as their parents.”

Should be her, yes?

I don't know that I should say this, but I want to know more of the animosity between Justus and Red Wolf. I know you mentioned it before, but this just made me more curious about it.

Am also a bit curious about where Shift is as this is going on.

I like the images of him holding the baby and her holding it, and also the parallel between her and Justus and Whisper/Red Wolf. That is such a great moment.

Re: Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [2/2]

[scribble_myname]

On Storm, mentioned in Wake and Thrive and Dream the Dance. I tend to opt for the names the POV character calls them, which is hard sometimes to maintain continuity.

Thanks for catching that typo!

She likes it! She likes it! :throws confetti:

As for Shift, she is present but not really there for Justus, so hauling her in brings in a whopper amount of complications I didn't want to get into. They've a three-way dynamic (not threesome, mind) that would have been tough to balance.

Will have to find a ficlet to show off why those two don't get along, though it's hinted at in what Justus always says about it.

I like the images of him holding the baby and her holding it, and also the parallel between her and Justus and Whisper/Red Wolf. That is such a great moment.

This. I have succeeded. :grins:

Re: Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [2/2]

[thecatisacritic]

Ah. It's been a while since them. I'd forgotten that one and could only remember Storm, not Rett. You might include a reference list of all teams with each member and their real name/handle (or the main one, I guess) to help people like me with apparently short memories kept them straight.

You're welcome.

:)

I thought she had to be there, and I guess her omission even as someone noticed on the other side of the room made me wonder why she'd snub the party or they wouldn't invite her.

So... Red forgot whatever it was that caused the rift and therefore doesn't know what it was that Justus took offense to? Is that what forgetfulness is its own absolution means?

Well, Rachelle said it: when they're there, how can you not love babies? And the family unit image is beautiful...

Re: Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [2/2]

[scribble_myname]

Shift showed up with daughter. That was too much baggage to go through in the ficlet.

Actually, it's more tied to Justus' understanding of EXACTLY what they used to be. They were close friends with the same set of morals. Red Wolf forgot. Justus didn't. To Justus, Red Wolf's amnesia is its own form of absolution.

As for how they word their not-get-alongness now... I'll save that for the fic. :grins:

Re: Kingdoms & Thorn: 22.02 Without a Reason [2/2]

[thecatisacritic]

Right. That's for another ficlet or longer piece.

It would, in some senses, be easier to have done what they had to do without knowing how wrong it was or at least without it going against principles they used to feel strongly about.

Okay.

Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [1/?]

[scribble_myname]

Despite sharing a single underground military facility, the four teams stationed twelve miles south of Kishet rarely interacted. Team members from different teams might meet up through medical or greet each other in passing from the airfield, but otherwise, they had separate living and training facilities and interaction was discouraged. Leaders had more reasons than most to run into each other

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [2/?]

[scribble_myname]

Justus found her on the mats, running the series of stretches and katas and maneuvers that turned into strangleholds and broken limbs on a battlefield. Hand to hand combat was one area in which the teams particularly excelled

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [3/4]

[scribble_myname]

Red Wolf was professional. The more Shift dealt with him, the more it became obvious that he was exactly like she was, in that he had never known anything different. She hadn’t really expected Justus’ reaction the first time her top four were assigned with Team Eight’s top four for an operation

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [4/4]

[scribble_myname]

Shift watched the interplay between the two throughout the mission. It was not so pronounced if one wasn’t looking for it, but she was

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [4/4]

[thecatisacritic]

If I am allowed one complaint... I was hoping for a bit from Justus himself, that moment where he sees Red and remembers.

I feel... sorry for Justus, since he remembers. That would have to be difficult, remembering what he was and feeling like he could never go back to it, blaming himself for choosing to live instead of dying for his principles.

What does a fourth do? Shift asks Justus and he knows, but I don't.

I don't know if I should, but I really liked when Shift told Justus he'd rebuild his life after this, where she basically gave him no choice but to do it.

One minor thing: is everyone present in the meeting when they're planning? Because you said Shift's top five and Wolf's top three, so when Maker, the fourth talks... Is that wrong or is everyone there?

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [4/4]

[scribble_myname]

I edited the wrong one. It was supposed to be both their top four. Grrr! And there were like four other typos I fixed in the .doc after I posted this. LJ disallows editing comments that have replies. Thanks for catching that. It's the top four of both teams: Wolf, Whisper, Storm, Maker and Shift, Kilter, Sear, Justus.

I will write that scene from Justus' perspective. You can keep an eye out for it. I was kinda surprised when the whole thing came out from Shift.

Will have to work in a snippet on the fourth aspect. Didn't quite realize I'd dropped that ball. It's a hard one to one-liner, so I'll get it back to you after I mull it a little bit.

I don't know if I should, but I really liked when Shift told Justus he'd rebuild his life after this, where she basically gave him no choice but to do it.
I don't know if I should like it either, but this is the Shift that makes it hard for those who are really close to her to hate her. She's all in when it comes to protecting and caring for her own. It's why she fascinates me, why I find myself

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [4/4]

[thecatisacritic]

Ah, okay. Yeah, I hate the way you can't edit them after the reply. It's so annoying.

Cool. I look forward to seeing that.

I know you've referenced it before, the fourth aspect and the other ranks as well, but I don't think there was much detail on fourths or I forgot, possibly, but I'd welcome more clarification there. I almost always do, makes me feel like such an idiot needing it all spelled out.

Yeah. Those kinds of characters can be strangely fascinating. I just realized I was writing someone with similar aspects (not Zi this time) and went, "Oh. Oops."

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [4/4]

[scribble_myname]

Don't know if you got the alerts, but I did get the fourth note edited in there. It's not good enough-I'd need to write a ficlet focusing on a fourth being a fourth-but for a one-liner it's as close as I'm going to get.

Re: Forgetfulness Is Its Own Absolution [4/4]

[thecatisacritic]

It needs a full ficlet, but that helps some. Thanks.