Kitty (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} kittyrainbow) wrote,@ 2005-10-06 16:30:00 |
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Wow! Two new AF fics: "The Second Parent" and "The Parting of Friends".
*gasp* What is this? Kitty said she was going off to write fic and she actually did? And it is a fic that centers on the male characters? How is this possible? *world faints*
-----
The Second Parent
It had been sixteen days. The air of the hospital room was so thick with unspoken thoughts that nobody dared to say anything, and the machines were allowed to quietly beep alone.
Angeline had spent the time nervously watching her unconscious husband. Artemis had spent it inspecting the instruments. Juliet had procured a pack of cards from somewhere and played a thousand games of solitaire, sitting cross-legged on a chair at the back. Butler had been watching all of this, but especially Artemis.
He knew his young charge was worried, even if he hid it well. He had also realised that Artemis was not afraid his father wouldn't wake up - no, he trusted Holly's magic. Artemis was worrying about what it would be like when he did. Butler understood; the boy hadn't seen his father in two years.
Artemis shifted in his seat. Butler looked at him, even though he knew he was just restless. But then the boy spoke, pointing at one of the multitude of screens. "Look at that." Three heads swivelled to comply. "He'll wake up soon," proclaimed Artemis, standing up. He went to the door, opened it and called for a nurse. The lines on the screen meant little to Butler but he believed what Artemis had said.
Soon they were ushered from the room and a string of medical professionals squeezed past them into it. Butler only gave each one's face a cursory glance; he was too busy studying that of his young employer. For once he couldn't decipher the boy's expression.
They waited in the corridor for almost a minute, Angeline pacing backwards and forwards, the fingernails of her left hand automatically between her teeth. Artemis merely stared into the distance.
Then there was a nurse at the door: red-haired, eager but intimidated, hands clasped together. "He's asking for you, Mrs Fowl."
Angeline flew to the door in a heartbeat, abandoning the others in her single-minded haste. Artemis watched her go, still wearing the expression that Butler couldn't quite dissect.
They were back to waiting in the oppressive silence. Or not quite silence: there were mutterings from inside the room, and a distant clattering from the other end of the corridor as staff went about their work. But nothing was said between the three figures near the doorway.
As another minute passed, Butler watched a frown creep onto Artemis's face as the boy stared at the floor. Butler carefully laid a hand on his shoulder and the boy looked up. They locked eyes for a moment. Then Butler removed his hand. That had been enough. And yet still nothing had been said out loud.
The next person to speak was Angeline, returning to the door. "Come in, everyone," she said. "He wants to see you." Butler noted that despite how spaced-out she was, there was a glow to her now.
Artemis slowly moved to the door and Angeline stepped back to allow him in. Butler turned to his sister, who was looking up at him, and nodded. He put a hand behind her back and steered her in front of him. Everyone, she'd said. Not just Artemis.
Once inside, Butler hardly moved from the door. His sister took a few steps and halted. Angeline was halfway between the bed and the door, standing off to the side. All of the staff had cleared themselves to the edges of the room. Artemis the Second was frozen in mid-step, almost at the bed when his inertia had failed him. For the brief moment when the whole world seemed to have stopped, Butler studied Artemis Fowl the First. He looked... young again. The way he'd been when Butler had first met him, before business had taken him over. Was that the effect of the magic or of his expression?
"Arty," cried Artemis Sr, breaking the spell. "You're a man now. A young man." He had stretched out his arms to his son.
Suddenly all of the reserve and calculation was forgotten, and Artemis was running to his father. As the boy's cheek pressed into the fabric of his father's shirt, butler could only just see his face. But he could see enough. He'd seen that expression only once before, on that Christmas Day after the longest Christmas Eve, when Artemis had been enveloped into his newly-recovered mother's embrace. Just once, though lord knew he'd watched Artemis carefully, even in those private moments when the two were alone. He'd half hoped, guiltily, to see it then - whatever Madame Ko said.
Butler understood what this expression meant. Artemis had his father again.
-----
I'm not quite sure if this fic works. I'm not sure that it hints strongly enough, even with the title. Then again knowing me I'm probably hitting you all over the head with the subtext. Hmm. Anyway, it's a fic about the male characters, and I like it...
And, as a special bonus, just because I love you all, you also get the wonder that is crap!drabble. Hurrah.
-----
The Parting of Friends
"Perhaps you could blow on that spark occasionally," said Holly. She saw Artemis's fingers close around the coin.
"Yes, perhaps." There was something far-away in his expression.
A small two-seater plane buzzed overhead and Artemis looked up. Butler wasn't distracted. She grinned at him. He actually smiled a little. Then she shielded, gone in the blink of an eye.
Artemis looked back. "Goodbye, Holly," he said to the empty air. She noticed it wasn't the first time he'd used her first name. She found herself involuntarily smiling at this thought, and was suddenly rather glad she couldn't be seen.
-----
As you can see, this is another in the canon-scenes-from-another-perspective series. I'm not entirely sure it works because it kind of tries to be a bit H/A and yet sort of H&A&B at the same time, but anyhoo. Also the title sounds far too Doctor Who, lol.
But, no, I still haven't finished the drunk!Holly fic. XD;
*gasp* What is this? Kitty said she was going off to write fic and she actually did? And it is a fic that centers on the male characters? How is this possible? *world faints*
-----
It had been sixteen days. The air of the hospital room was so thick with unspoken thoughts that nobody dared to say anything, and the machines were allowed to quietly beep alone.
Angeline had spent the time nervously watching her unconscious husband. Artemis had spent it inspecting the instruments. Juliet had procured a pack of cards from somewhere and played a thousand games of solitaire, sitting cross-legged on a chair at the back. Butler had been watching all of this, but especially Artemis.
He knew his young charge was worried, even if he hid it well. He had also realised that Artemis was not afraid his father wouldn't wake up - no, he trusted Holly's magic. Artemis was worrying about what it would be like when he did. Butler understood; the boy hadn't seen his father in two years.
Artemis shifted in his seat. Butler looked at him, even though he knew he was just restless. But then the boy spoke, pointing at one of the multitude of screens. "Look at that." Three heads swivelled to comply. "He'll wake up soon," proclaimed Artemis, standing up. He went to the door, opened it and called for a nurse. The lines on the screen meant little to Butler but he believed what Artemis had said.
Soon they were ushered from the room and a string of medical professionals squeezed past them into it. Butler only gave each one's face a cursory glance; he was too busy studying that of his young employer. For once he couldn't decipher the boy's expression.
They waited in the corridor for almost a minute, Angeline pacing backwards and forwards, the fingernails of her left hand automatically between her teeth. Artemis merely stared into the distance.
Then there was a nurse at the door: red-haired, eager but intimidated, hands clasped together. "He's asking for you, Mrs Fowl."
Angeline flew to the door in a heartbeat, abandoning the others in her single-minded haste. Artemis watched her go, still wearing the expression that Butler couldn't quite dissect.
They were back to waiting in the oppressive silence. Or not quite silence: there were mutterings from inside the room, and a distant clattering from the other end of the corridor as staff went about their work. But nothing was said between the three figures near the doorway.
As another minute passed, Butler watched a frown creep onto Artemis's face as the boy stared at the floor. Butler carefully laid a hand on his shoulder and the boy looked up. They locked eyes for a moment. Then Butler removed his hand. That had been enough. And yet still nothing had been said out loud.
The next person to speak was Angeline, returning to the door. "Come in, everyone," she said. "He wants to see you." Butler noted that despite how spaced-out she was, there was a glow to her now.
Artemis slowly moved to the door and Angeline stepped back to allow him in. Butler turned to his sister, who was looking up at him, and nodded. He put a hand behind her back and steered her in front of him. Everyone, she'd said. Not just Artemis.
Once inside, Butler hardly moved from the door. His sister took a few steps and halted. Angeline was halfway between the bed and the door, standing off to the side. All of the staff had cleared themselves to the edges of the room. Artemis the Second was frozen in mid-step, almost at the bed when his inertia had failed him. For the brief moment when the whole world seemed to have stopped, Butler studied Artemis Fowl the First. He looked... young again. The way he'd been when Butler had first met him, before business had taken him over. Was that the effect of the magic or of his expression?
"Arty," cried Artemis Sr, breaking the spell. "You're a man now. A young man." He had stretched out his arms to his son.
Suddenly all of the reserve and calculation was forgotten, and Artemis was running to his father. As the boy's cheek pressed into the fabric of his father's shirt, butler could only just see his face. But he could see enough. He'd seen that expression only once before, on that Christmas Day after the longest Christmas Eve, when Artemis had been enveloped into his newly-recovered mother's embrace. Just once, though lord knew he'd watched Artemis carefully, even in those private moments when the two were alone. He'd half hoped, guiltily, to see it then - whatever Madame Ko said.
Butler understood what this expression meant. Artemis had his father again.
-----
I'm not quite sure if this fic works. I'm not sure that it hints strongly enough, even with the title. Then again knowing me I'm probably hitting you all over the head with the subtext. Hmm. Anyway, it's a fic about the male characters, and I like it...
And, as a special bonus, just because I love you all, you also get the wonder that is crap!drabble. Hurrah.
-----
"Perhaps you could blow on that spark occasionally," said Holly. She saw Artemis's fingers close around the coin.
"Yes, perhaps." There was something far-away in his expression.
A small two-seater plane buzzed overhead and Artemis looked up. Butler wasn't distracted. She grinned at him. He actually smiled a little. Then she shielded, gone in the blink of an eye.
Artemis looked back. "Goodbye, Holly," he said to the empty air. She noticed it wasn't the first time he'd used her first name. She found herself involuntarily smiling at this thought, and was suddenly rather glad she couldn't be seen.
-----
As you can see, this is another in the canon-scenes-from-another-perspective series. I'm not entirely sure it works because it kind of tries to be a bit H/A and yet sort of H&A&B at the same time, but anyhoo. Also the title sounds far too Doctor Who, lol.
But, no, I still haven't finished the drunk!Holly fic. XD;
