Ficlet Time Part The Last!
Jul. 7th, 2005 02:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ruLast one! <3
And I'm hoping I characterized Domni right. Hopefully this'll work out okay.
For the stupendous![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shortcakegreen!
"I don't like this."
Meg sat precariously balanced on the bench, her legs curled up against her, her arms on her knees, her head on her arms. Her tail swished in a slow, wary movement as she watched with a rather hawk-like intensity as three figures interacted a short distance away. One was that Guardian that liked hanging out in the nurseries, Evan. Another she easily recognized as her little sister, Nidhi. The third, though unfamiliar in shape, Meg knew was the little sister of the woman sitting next to her, who sat in an almost exact copy of the position Meg was in(sans tail swishing), watching with the same fixated, watchful look.
Domni shifted slightly, getting herself into a more comfortable position. "What don't you like about it? Aside from what a telepath's planning on doing with our sisters' heads."
"Everything."
"That's a little broad." Evan gestured animatedly to the two younger girls, who watched him eagerly. His mouth didn't move, but Meg and Domni knew that he was explaining to them, in detail that couldn't be achieved through gestures alone, how he would establish a telepathic link between the girls, giving them the chance to speak to each other, practically hear each other in each other's minds, and hold what might be considered an almost-normal conversation. Domni straightened out, reaching into her pocket and bringing out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She tapped one out, placing it between her lips before lighting it up and blowing a cloud of smoke up through a hole in the roof. She returned the cigarettes to her pocket as she added, "If you're so against the idea, why is she over there with Luck getting ready for her mind to be given the tin-cans-attached-to-rope treatment?"
Meg snorted, a hint of a wry smile on playing on her face. "'Cause she's crafty. Knows how to be cute in just the right way." She lightly tapped her index finger on one side of her leg. "And she's stubborn. Been after me about this for a while. Wasn't until she said she had someone to do this with that I relented. What about you?"
Domni blew out another smoke cloud thoughtfully. "Stubbornness, yeah. Natalia's persistent. But I guess it wasn't entirely her doing." She paused. "I figured I might be persuaded to give her the chance to really talk to someone. Especially someone she can relate to and would benefit from the link." She focused on Evan. "And out of all the telepaths here, I'd rather have Luck link them up."
"Yeah," Meg said, her eyes narrowing, "Dunno if I'd want someone like Empty doing this. Still," Her tail twitched in its swishing. "I don't like the idea of him doing strange things in her head. Feels like he'll take advantage of her, or something. He'll regret it if he does."
Domni snorted softly. "Somehow, I doubt Luck's the type to do that."
"Maybe," Meg's eyes narrowed, "But you never can tell with types like him. The way he's always so...happy. Like he's hiding something."
"Well, maybe he is," Domni inclined her head towards the trio. "But do you really think they'll let us interfere now?"
Meg let out a disgruntled sigh. "No, I guess not." She shifted slightly, coiling her tail around a leg of the bench, as if to keep herself steady. Or perhaps to restrain herself. "First sign of trouble though, Luck'll know what it feels like to weigh 700 pounds."
"While time's stopped."
Meg spared a moment in her sister-watch to glance over at Domni, giving her what might almost be considered a smile before returning to focusing on the three. Her eyes narrowed again. "Talbot would want words with us though." she growled softly.
"Her problem, not ours."
"Mm," Meg replied, continuing her watch. Evan, at least as far as his gestures suggested and how the girls were acting, appeared to be in the midst of answering the girls' questions, laughing occasionally when they asked too many at once and he had to slow them down. "Looks like they're almost ready."
Domni shook her head. "I doubt it. It seems like they're talking his mind off. It might be a while."
Meg let out a slow breath. "I want to get this over with. I hate waiting."
"Better to wait and make sure they know what they're getting into than for them to rush in and regret it later." Domni said, finishing off her cigarette and smothering it beneath her shoe, "Oh, I meant to tell you...thanks for handling that short down in the hospital. Last thing we needed was to have the equipment in that room dying on us, even if they all are pieces of crap."
Meg grunted and nodded. "No problem. Was waiting for those wires to go anyway. Those were some of the shittiest circuits I've ever seen." Under her breath she added, "Must've been Jackson who fixed them last." She uncoiled her tail from around the bench, bringing it up to curl around her legs. "M'suppose you could call it payment for handling my tail fins. Thanks for that. Dunno what I brushed up against to scratch them like that."
"Maybe one of your coworker's spines or something." Domni joked, "But you shouldn't thank me. It was just a bandage job, and I didn't want Wagner dealing with it when he was already stretched thin."
"Still, stopped 'em from hurting." Meg glanced over at Domni again. "You work a lot with Wagner, don't you?"
"Mostly because no one else will," Domni replied, "and the man needs looking after, too, especially after a long shift that leaves him so worn out he can barely move."
"Funny. Didn't seem like he'd be the type to do that to himself."
"You don't know him like I do." Domni glanced over at the trio again. Evan had taken Nidhi and Natalia's hands in his own, and his eyes were now half-closed. The girls had closed their eyes completely, absorbed in what was now going on in their heads. She tensed, a motion invisible to anyone who wasn't looking for it. "They're doing it."
In an almost synchronized motion, the two elder sisters leaned forward, watching the linkup with an intensity that would have impressed any protective mother. They held their breath for what seemed to be an eternity, watching the three, waiting for anything that might give them an excuse to leap up and come running. Finally, Evan opened his eyes fully, shaking the two girls. He nodded to them, as if saying, "Go ahead, give it a try."
For a moment, Nidhi and Natalia looked at each other, confused. Then finally, Nidhi scrunched her face up, as if trying to scream, or maybe trying to make an impossible leap across a chasm. Natalia's eyes widened, surprised at what she was suddenly 'hearing'. A huge smile broke out on her face, followed quickly by a similar expression on Nidhi. Their squeals of excitement could practically be heard as they gestured animatedly to each other, motions falling over each other, accompanied by giggles. A satisfied smile on his face, Evan looked over at the two elder sisters, giving them a charming smile and a thumbs up.
Meg and Domni sighed in relief, leaning back again at the same time. "I'm almost glad things worked out alright." Meg said, her tail relaxing into a lazy swish.
Domni nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I suspect it means we'll be doing this, and seeing each other, more often." Nidhi and Natalia, apparently sharing a joke, collapsed into fits of laughter.
A smile quirked on the edges of Meg's mouth as she watched the pair. "I won't mind if she wants to stay with us while you're working. You two can come share a meal with us, or something. Save you from the common kitchen."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that was an offer."
Meg's shoulders lowered in a shrug. "Nidhi will enjoy it. Besides, you and Natalia seem to be alright."
Domni lit up a second cigarette, a similar smile playing on her face. "I'll take that as a compliment." The two returned to watching their respective sisters converse with each other, apparently telling secrets for no ears but their own.
And I'm hoping I characterized Domni right. Hopefully this'll work out okay.
For the stupendous
shortcakegreen!"I don't like this."
Meg sat precariously balanced on the bench, her legs curled up against her, her arms on her knees, her head on her arms. Her tail swished in a slow, wary movement as she watched with a rather hawk-like intensity as three figures interacted a short distance away. One was that Guardian that liked hanging out in the nurseries, Evan. Another she easily recognized as her little sister, Nidhi. The third, though unfamiliar in shape, Meg knew was the little sister of the woman sitting next to her, who sat in an almost exact copy of the position Meg was in(sans tail swishing), watching with the same fixated, watchful look.
Domni shifted slightly, getting herself into a more comfortable position. "What don't you like about it? Aside from what a telepath's planning on doing with our sisters' heads."
"Everything."
"That's a little broad." Evan gestured animatedly to the two younger girls, who watched him eagerly. His mouth didn't move, but Meg and Domni knew that he was explaining to them, in detail that couldn't be achieved through gestures alone, how he would establish a telepathic link between the girls, giving them the chance to speak to each other, practically hear each other in each other's minds, and hold what might be considered an almost-normal conversation. Domni straightened out, reaching into her pocket and bringing out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She tapped one out, placing it between her lips before lighting it up and blowing a cloud of smoke up through a hole in the roof. She returned the cigarettes to her pocket as she added, "If you're so against the idea, why is she over there with Luck getting ready for her mind to be given the tin-cans-attached-to-rope treatment?"
Meg snorted, a hint of a wry smile on playing on her face. "'Cause she's crafty. Knows how to be cute in just the right way." She lightly tapped her index finger on one side of her leg. "And she's stubborn. Been after me about this for a while. Wasn't until she said she had someone to do this with that I relented. What about you?"
Domni blew out another smoke cloud thoughtfully. "Stubbornness, yeah. Natalia's persistent. But I guess it wasn't entirely her doing." She paused. "I figured I might be persuaded to give her the chance to really talk to someone. Especially someone she can relate to and would benefit from the link." She focused on Evan. "And out of all the telepaths here, I'd rather have Luck link them up."
"Yeah," Meg said, her eyes narrowing, "Dunno if I'd want someone like Empty doing this. Still," Her tail twitched in its swishing. "I don't like the idea of him doing strange things in her head. Feels like he'll take advantage of her, or something. He'll regret it if he does."
Domni snorted softly. "Somehow, I doubt Luck's the type to do that."
"Maybe," Meg's eyes narrowed, "But you never can tell with types like him. The way he's always so...happy. Like he's hiding something."
"Well, maybe he is," Domni inclined her head towards the trio. "But do you really think they'll let us interfere now?"
Meg let out a disgruntled sigh. "No, I guess not." She shifted slightly, coiling her tail around a leg of the bench, as if to keep herself steady. Or perhaps to restrain herself. "First sign of trouble though, Luck'll know what it feels like to weigh 700 pounds."
"While time's stopped."
Meg spared a moment in her sister-watch to glance over at Domni, giving her what might almost be considered a smile before returning to focusing on the three. Her eyes narrowed again. "Talbot would want words with us though." she growled softly.
"Her problem, not ours."
"Mm," Meg replied, continuing her watch. Evan, at least as far as his gestures suggested and how the girls were acting, appeared to be in the midst of answering the girls' questions, laughing occasionally when they asked too many at once and he had to slow them down. "Looks like they're almost ready."
Domni shook her head. "I doubt it. It seems like they're talking his mind off. It might be a while."
Meg let out a slow breath. "I want to get this over with. I hate waiting."
"Better to wait and make sure they know what they're getting into than for them to rush in and regret it later." Domni said, finishing off her cigarette and smothering it beneath her shoe, "Oh, I meant to tell you...thanks for handling that short down in the hospital. Last thing we needed was to have the equipment in that room dying on us, even if they all are pieces of crap."
Meg grunted and nodded. "No problem. Was waiting for those wires to go anyway. Those were some of the shittiest circuits I've ever seen." Under her breath she added, "Must've been Jackson who fixed them last." She uncoiled her tail from around the bench, bringing it up to curl around her legs. "M'suppose you could call it payment for handling my tail fins. Thanks for that. Dunno what I brushed up against to scratch them like that."
"Maybe one of your coworker's spines or something." Domni joked, "But you shouldn't thank me. It was just a bandage job, and I didn't want Wagner dealing with it when he was already stretched thin."
"Still, stopped 'em from hurting." Meg glanced over at Domni again. "You work a lot with Wagner, don't you?"
"Mostly because no one else will," Domni replied, "and the man needs looking after, too, especially after a long shift that leaves him so worn out he can barely move."
"Funny. Didn't seem like he'd be the type to do that to himself."
"You don't know him like I do." Domni glanced over at the trio again. Evan had taken Nidhi and Natalia's hands in his own, and his eyes were now half-closed. The girls had closed their eyes completely, absorbed in what was now going on in their heads. She tensed, a motion invisible to anyone who wasn't looking for it. "They're doing it."
In an almost synchronized motion, the two elder sisters leaned forward, watching the linkup with an intensity that would have impressed any protective mother. They held their breath for what seemed to be an eternity, watching the three, waiting for anything that might give them an excuse to leap up and come running. Finally, Evan opened his eyes fully, shaking the two girls. He nodded to them, as if saying, "Go ahead, give it a try."
For a moment, Nidhi and Natalia looked at each other, confused. Then finally, Nidhi scrunched her face up, as if trying to scream, or maybe trying to make an impossible leap across a chasm. Natalia's eyes widened, surprised at what she was suddenly 'hearing'. A huge smile broke out on her face, followed quickly by a similar expression on Nidhi. Their squeals of excitement could practically be heard as they gestured animatedly to each other, motions falling over each other, accompanied by giggles. A satisfied smile on his face, Evan looked over at the two elder sisters, giving them a charming smile and a thumbs up.
Meg and Domni sighed in relief, leaning back again at the same time. "I'm almost glad things worked out alright." Meg said, her tail relaxing into a lazy swish.
Domni nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I suspect it means we'll be doing this, and seeing each other, more often." Nidhi and Natalia, apparently sharing a joke, collapsed into fits of laughter.
A smile quirked on the edges of Meg's mouth as she watched the pair. "I won't mind if she wants to stay with us while you're working. You two can come share a meal with us, or something. Save you from the common kitchen."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that was an offer."
Meg's shoulders lowered in a shrug. "Nidhi will enjoy it. Besides, you and Natalia seem to be alright."
Domni lit up a second cigarette, a similar smile playing on her face. "I'll take that as a compliment." The two returned to watching their respective sisters converse with each other, apparently telling secrets for no ears but their own.
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Date: 2005-07-08 09:24 pm (UTC)And if it is a sign that you have a filthy mind, then I might have one too. ^^; I noticed it after I wrote it, I kinda wondered if having a double meaning like that would be bad, but on the other hand, it might be kinda funny, so I left it. ^_^;;;
Oh, and I don't think I've said this, but that icon is incredibly adorable. <3 <3 <3