drabbles: Avatar The Last Airbender, Mag 7, SN, NCIS, Clash of the Titans, SN/NCIS
Title: You’re still just a dream
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Elton John
Warnings: spoilers for end of series
Pairings: none stated
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 365
Point of view: third
Prompt: balance
Zuko believes everyone will simply fall into line as he takes the throne. That a hundred years of subjugation and massacres can be forgotten with the installation of a new regime. Aang and Katara believe it, too. They are so hopeful, and so very young.
Iroh loves his nephew, and the Avatar, and the sweet waterbender. They are full of ideals and promise. In their eyes, the future is a bright place.
Toph cannot see that future, and Sokka never mentions the days ahead. But he does meet Iroh’s eyes as they pass in the hall, two days before Iroh leaves for Ba Sing Se.
“Zuko will need you as the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe rebuild their strength,” Sokka says quietly. “You should stay here.”
Iroh inclines his head. “The leaders will demand recompense, assurances that the Fire Nation never lash out again. The army will be scaled down, payments made.” He glances around at the opulent palace. “Those who profited from war will object most strenuously.” Holding Sokka’s gaze, he leans in to whisper, “The White Lotus will follow Zuko. The Avatar will follow Zuko. The strongest waterbender and the greatest earthbender will follow Zuko.” He leans back, pausing, and then he finishes, “But the nonbenders must follow Zuko, too, if any change will be made and kept.”
Sokka nods. “So long as he keeps the oaths sworn for this grand vision of peace-the nonbenders will follow him, too."
Iroh smiles, claps Sokka on the shoulder, and shuffles down the hall, bumbling uncle mask back in place.
In Ba Sing Se he can form alliances and connections. As a nobleman’s daughter and earthbending master, so can Toph. Katara is the beloved champion of the Water Tribe and Aang the Avatar. They are legends equal to Zuko’s exiled prince turned Fire Lord.
And Sokka, Iroh knows, is the reason that Zuko’s plan will succeed. Without the normal, everyday people, no realm can prosper, and Sokka stands with the legends, showing everyone it can work. He balances the myth with a hefty dose of realism, a peasant become warrior, and Iroh leaves sure in the knowledge that Sokka has everything well in hand.
Title: one of these days
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: future!fic
Pairings: none stated
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 175
Point of view: third
Prompt: job
A dollar a day and a federal pardon-seemed like a good idea at the time. Thirty days and then he could ride out, find a new town, a place to win actual money. Get back to work.
Thirty days, a dollar a day, room and board, the tarnish taken off his name. Simple, quick, and easy.
Three years later, he is still in Four Corners. He has been shot more than once, nearly died, and he’d long since been pardoned. He tried to leave with thousands of dollars, and the cash actually saved his life when he took a bullet for Mary Travis.
And he stays, not for the pay or the town-most of the people, he could take or leave, it doesn’t matter. They are hypocritical and foolish. But his fellow peacekeepers, those men he would die for.
Will die for, he expects, one of these days. He’ll stay until then or until his brothers tire of him and send him away. He expects that one of these days, too.
Title: find a new God
Fandom: Supernatural
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Anne Sexton
Warnings: one-sided wincest
Pairings: OMC/Dean
Rating: R
Wordcount: 205
Point of view: third
Prompt: john
Sometimes, when Sam’s doing whatever he does on the computer and Dean has an itch he needs to scratch, he goes to the closest thing to a roughneck bar whatever speck of dirt town they’re in has, and he makes himself available. It’s dangerous and stupid, but exhilarating, and whatever Sammy might say, fuck him.
Dean doesn’t take the first or second or third who approaches him. It’s gotta be a certain type-taller and broader than him, quarter century older than him, dark hair fading to gray, still in pretty good shape.
And yeah, he knows how that sounds. He doesn’t care. Sometimes, he just needs to feel alive, and the best way to do that is to hurt. He’d seen the look in Dad’s eyes enough times, but Dad never asked, and the one time Dean offered, Dad left for a week, and Dean couldn’t really explain to Sam why.
And tonight, Dean’s found a guy who looks similar to Dad. He hasn’t taken his eyes off Dean all night, and he challenges Dean to pool, and Dean smirks, licking his lips, because Dad left him behind without a word, and this man, he can tell, won’t be gentle at all.
Title: a foretaste of heaven
Fandom: NCIS
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: pre-series
Pairings: none stated
Rating: PG13
Wordcount: 225
Point of view: third
Prompt: teddy bear
The kid cases are the worst. Whatever punishment the perp gets, it never seems to be enough.
An ex-marine kidnaps two kids because their mother turned him down, and there is almost no way the case will end well. Tony’s glad when NCIS shows up because maybe he’ll get reassigned-except, nope, the chief loans him out, so Tony has to play nice while he wants to go on a rampage because… well, a lot of reasons.
Gibbs, the NCIS agent, is an utter bastard and he smirks when Tony’s a smartass right back, which is such a relief. Tony doesn’t censor himself for the whole case, and the kids are found three days after they get taken. The boy, all of seven years old, is dead. The little girl, four and tiny, has a broken arm and blood-stained teddy bear.
Tony’s hands are white around his gun as Gibbs throws the ex-marine into a wall. Gibbs hands the fucker off to Tony and gently gathers the girl up. Her teddy bear falls to the floor, but is kept as evidence.
The kidnapping murderer pleads insanity and that’s Tony’s last case a cop.
A blood-stained teddy bear vanishes from Baltimore, Tony moves to DC, and the kid cases never get easier. He keeps that bear in his closet, wrapped in a dirty cloth, as a reminder.
Title: I must go down to the seas again
Fandom: Clash of the Titans remake
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from John Masefield
Warnings: spoilers for film
Pairings: Perseus/Io
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 210
Point of view: third
Prompt: colossal
i
You will be worshipped, Zeus told him. The man who defeated Hades, who destroyed the kraken. Mortals will adore you, idolize you. You will be a god in their eyes.
I am just a man, he replied, the pegasus at his side, Zeus’ sword in his hand.
Zeus smiled. You are more than a man, my son.
Perseus shook his head. I am just a man, he repeated. The son of a fisherman. I did what I had to do, nothing more.
You still have more to do, Perseus, Zeus said. The slayer of the kraken cannot have a quiet life. You will not be a fisherman anymore.
Io stepped up next to Perseus. I will guide him, Zeus, she said.
Zeus nodded. I will watch over you, Perseus, with pride.
You are a man, Io told Perseus as they watched Zeus return to Olympus. But you are so much more.
Perseus shook his head and took her hand. Come fly with me? he asked.
She kissed him as her reply.
From the sky, sunset over the ocean was beautiful and Zeus watched, keeping an eye on his youngest son. The boy could no longer be a fisherman, no matter what he wanted. The fate of demigods was never so easy.
Title: the place where thou and death shall dwell at ease
Fandom: Supernatural
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Milton
Warnings: spoilers for 5.21
Pairings: none stated
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 295
Point of view: third
“Sit down,” he says. “Share pizza with me.”
Jehovah does, holding out a plate for the slice Death cuts him. “Lying is a sin,” Jehovah states, settling the plate, picking up a fork and knife.
“I am beyond sin,” Death says. “As are you.”
Jehovah nods, taking a small piece of pizza. “This is quite good.”
Death smiles. “Your plan befuddles me, dear. But your knight-he is quite the interesting boy. I could smell his fear, and yet he still dared to meet my gaze, still dared lie to my face."
Jehovah grins, picking up the pizza with his hands and taking a big bite. “He has a good heart, that boy,” Jehovah says after swallowing. “And the plan will make sense in the end, you’ll see.”
Death cuts him another slice. “If you had taken your brat in hand the first time he threw a tantrum, none of this would be necessary now.”
Jehovah shakes his head. “No, my dear,” he corrects gently. “This has been the end from the moment we grew aware.” He changes the pizza to a chocolate dessert. “Hmm, delicious.” Offering some to Death, he continues, “With nothing to kill, you are not Death. You know this.”
Death takes a small bite of the cake. “And you, you are very clever.” He meets Jehovah’s eyes. “I will reap you, at the end of all things.”
Jehovah smiles again. “And that is not for a long time yet.”
Silently they sit and eat until Death says, “It has been ages since someone played a good game of poker with me, Jehovah.”
Jehovah chuckles, clearing the table. “And what will the stakes be this time?”
“Worlds, of course. And a soul or two, here and there,” Death says, dealing the cards.
Title: huddled close beside a log
Fandom: Supernatural/NCIS
Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Allison Krauss
Warnings: preseries for both shows
Pairings: none stated
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 145
Point of view: third
Prompt: foil
“Oh, fuck,” Tony whispered, ducking back behind the stump. “Seriously, what the hell?”
“Dude, shut up,” the far-too-pretty stranger hissed from behind his own stump. “Do you want the fugly to find and eviscerate us? Those claws aren’t just for show, you know.”
“You shut up!” Tony shot back. “This is your fault.”
“My fault?” pretty!stranger demanded. “No, it’s your fault.”
Tony rolled his eyes, but he flinched back when the toothy monster roared. Glancing at the gun in his hand, he looked over at pretty!stranger’s sawed-off shotgun. “Got another one of those?” he asked hopefully.
Pretty!stranger pulled a second shotgun from somewhere, so Tony reholstered his own piece. “Aim for the head or the heart,” pretty!stranger whispered, crawling to Tony’s side. “Kill shots are the only thing that’ll slow it down.”
Tony took a breath; the monster roared again and pretty!stranger said, “Now.”
Title: see you in the future
Fandom: Supernatural
Disclaimer: not my characters
Warnings: spoilers for aired season 5
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 195
Point of view: third
Prompt: study
“Hey, stranger,” Brady says, sinking down into the chair across from Sam.
“Brady!” Sam sits up from his slouch. “You look better.”
Ducking his head, Brady smiles. “Yeah, I’m clean now. Thanks, Sam. You saved my life.”
Sam’s answering smile is shy. “Anyone would’a done the same.”
Brady grabs his hand, grip firm and warm. “No, they wouldn’t’ve, Sam. I can’t ever-you are the best person I know.”
Sam isn’t sure how to reply, so he just squeezes Brady’s hand and holds his gaze. After a moment, Brady lets him go.
“Anyway,” Brady says. “There’s this girl in my art history class and she’s a psych major. I remember some of that bullshit you rambled, tryin’ to keep my attention. I figure, maybe she can help set you straight, you know?”
“Okay,” Sam replies.
Brady smiles again, brilliant and bright, and it’s like the past six months never happened. “She’ll be at Luis’ study group tomorrow night. Her name’s Jessica.” Brady stands, leaning across the table to grip Sam’s shoulder. “I can’t ever pay you back, Sam. I owe you my life.”
Sam watches him go and then looks back at his history text.