First day alone for writing. The next four or five days were a blur of writing and working, working and writing. Lots of fevered, mad dash kind of writing. Tomorrow's post is the big one. Today's is the super stressed one.
11/27/13
1:04 pm
With mere days left to write, Raeven sat down, panicked and bewildered. Tomorrow was empty day, surely she could a good 8,000 words in, but that was really her last shot at a marathon. Then there would be working, and more working, and with a closing shift on the 30th, not even a chance for a bang it all out mad rush til midnight. Still, it had been fun, and she had gotten started a project she probably would have talked about but never touched otherwise.
December was coming. There could be editing. She was almost done.
There was so much left to do Rain didn't know where to start. It was Tuesday, a whole school week to deal with, and whole 2 school years to fill before she could catch up with where she'd initially started with Haven. There was a bad guy to meet, and thwart, there was Morgana (Moira?) to meet, and evade. There were Kaleans to meet and be aligned with, and whole subplot of “She has to kill Morgana and take her death, but enough person to hold it and maybe give it to Rook because she didn't want it-
Things were going better when she didn't know the end. But still, not there yet. Years and years to go before that happened. Honestly, Rook would probably move to have her start a family, build ties to this world before they even thought about taking out the Moriagan. After all, it was his ties to Adair that led him to defect in the first place.
It made Rain dizzy to hold all these thoughts in her head. Thoughts that weren't hers. It was sort of flattering that Raeven had chosen her to the window into this world, but it made her head hurt.
Perhaps it was time for a dream.
Nope, can't dream with week because Myles shut her down, trying to hide her from Rook. Too late, Rook found her. Maybe a scene with Rook and Jon?
No, I think walking down the street. That seems to be the only thought that'll stay in my head.
–
JJ knew he'd messed up. He'd let the [ELEMENTAL] out of the bottle, and now he had to catch it, before Alonso found out. Man, if Al found out, he'd be pissed. Not as pissed as he'd be if he caught JJ calling him Big Al again, but he was freakin out, and it was hard to keep straight. But “Al” wasn't a dignified enough name for a [WHATEVER SUPE HE IS HERE – VAMP, SHIFTER? NEWLY TURNED – DEAL WITH A DEMON?] That life was over now, they'd moved up in the world.
And now JJ had lost the elemental they'd summoned.
[DEAL WITH “THE BIG BAD” JJ AND AL ARE CRONIES]
He'd tracked it as best he could, following the signs of power surges here and there, but it would be impossible to find unless he could bind it to an object with it's name again. Then he'd just put the object in the bottle, take it home, and let Alonso fix it. A mis-bound elemental was better than no elemental, right?
Why had he let the damned thing out anyways?
Dark. So dark. Won't you let us have a little light?
Ah, right. That's what it was. The little critter had been yammering at him all day. Al had told him to guard the bottle while he slept, cause binding the thing had worn him out, and he needed to catch a few Z's before they went back to the [NEST/DEN/PLACE] tonight to show [LORD BADDYBUTT]. But that'd getting 'em initiated for sure. Then they'd be part of the big dogs, part of the powers that ran this joint, and no one would call em small time crooks again. No jail could hold 'em, no punks could dis 'em, it'd be smooth sailing from there on out. They'd be in.
But the little lighting bug had yammered and yammered and JJ couldn't take it anymore. He turned on the light, wincing as Al rolled over in his sleep, but didn't wake. JJ let out a sign of relief and went back to his chair, resting his own eyes.
Dark! Still dark in here! Too dark!
The thing was still bellyaching, and JJ kicked the box it was sitting on without thinking. The bottle wavered, but didn't fall. JJ scooped the thing up anyways and cradled it to his chest.
Give us light, give us light! Let the light in!
He peered at the tiny figure in the blue glass bottle, jumping and sparking as it “spoke”. He knew the buzzing noises it made weren't proper words, but the impression got through to him anyways.
It made sense, little lightening bug being all scared of the dark, but it had been the only bottle they could find in the alley out back that wasn't broken somewhere. Still, JJ was pretty sure he could scratch away some of the colored coating, and maybe shut the thing up.
Apparently he'd scratched too far.
The little thing whizzed to life, streaking out of the crack in the glass with a bang, shattering the neck. JJ ran out the door after it, not stopping to see if the sound had woken Al or not.
Al just snored and rolled over.
So now, here JJ was, following the flashed of light and busted bulbs that meant the creature was trying to find some shape to hold it, so power source to feed on. But since the sky was a perfect, clear blue, the only source of lightening was the electricity than ran though all human homes.
-
Rain was walking down the street from the dance studio to her high school, having gotten up earlier enough to catch the student yoga class this morning. It was rare, and even rarer that her mother had been home and awake enough to drive her, since she didn't want to have to take her bike home after class. It was supposed to rain later, but this morning was clear and bright and beautiful and she was in high spirits.
–
He almost had it. He could see it swirling around in the street light a few lights down. He started the incantation to bind it, as best as he could remember it. He'd worry about climbing up the street pole and stealing the light bulb from it later.
–
She could feel the tug of the words, knew they'd put her back in that awful dark place. She whizzed around, looking for something that could hold her that they couldn't bind. Must be living, must have its own name. She found a bright mind the people below and dove the weak spot in its aura.
–
Rain reeled as it hit her full force, million miles a minute. Something buzzed around in her skull, but she'd been spending time with her ifrit, and she knew how not to fall out completely now. She took a page from Zig's book and imagined a set of reigns for this thing, putting herself in a mental saddle and holding on for dear life. She managed to lean the up against the telephone pole so she could catch her breath and figure out what to do. Call her mom, beg off sick? But she had been fine this morning when she'd asked for a ride to class – ooh, maybe pulled muscle? Surely she could manage the short walk back to the studio and wait for her there-
Big arms grabbed her and a hand was over her mouth. She lost what little hold she'd had on the thing inside her, and it buzzed to life, sending sparks out of every place that was being hold. The man cursed and let go, and Rain and the thing were both in agreement when they bolted, running as far and as fast as they could.
She was able to pull it together enough to guide them to the coffee shop, and once she'd formed clearly enough in her mind the idea of SAFE, the energy had yielded to her directions and let her take them to the Early Bird.
Nanae took one look at her and ushered her behind the counter to the backrooms. It was early, the shop was full, and the last thing they needed was a big scene.
JJ made note of which shop she'd gone in, and dialed Al.
“We've got a problem Alonso. I fucked up.”
“Yeah, who's surprised,” his gruff voice mumbled from the other end. “You lose my lightening?”
“Yup,” JJ answered, eyes locked on the shop for anyone coming in and out.
“Where are you at, I'll come and bail you out. Like always.”
–
1:41 pm 40 mins 1472 words
2:33pm trying to write before its time for work
“What happened?”
Rain was sitting in the same room under the Early Bird she'd awoken in that first day. She didn't feel as leaden as she had before, nor did she feel like she was missing much time.
Nanae was by her side, smoothing the hair away from her face.
“When you came in, you looked half-mad, so I rushed you down here, because that had helped last time. But your powers aren't roiling like they did before, they're sleeping inside you. And,” she added, looking back up the stairs, “something else was too.”
Rain nodded, sitting up. She felt much better this time than she had last time.
“I had something hit me on my way to school. I don't know what it was, but someone grabbed me, and we shocked him, and we ran.”
“Ah, lightening elemental then.” She smoothed down the front of her apron and sat back on her heels, settling in. “When you crossed the barrier down into our sithen, something caught in our ward, and it's still rattling around up there now. I didn't take the time to get a good look at it, and Asha is busy with the shop- Oh, I should get back to her! Are you feeling well enough to come upstairs?”
Rain nodded and reached out a hand for help standing.
“C'mon cara, let's get you some tea and I'll call Meliki.”
-
Rain could feel the elemental call out to her as they passed back up into the shop, but it couldn't reach her. She ignored it and followed Nanae out into the shop, where she sat Rain down on one of the stools at the pick up counter.
“You just set right there and we'll get you some tea, cara. Asha, when you get a chance will you call Meliki for me? We could use a hand with the storm coming in this afternoon.”
It wasn't particularly subtle, Nanae's tone was far too anxious, but at least she didn't give anything blatantly away. Rain itched to be turned around, to not have her back to the shop, but if Nanae sat her here, here she'd stay.
“We'll take care of you dearie, no worries. You just drink this tea and you'll be right as Rain.”
She made a face at her own joke, giving a small giggle, then moved off to cover the spot Asha had vacated.
Meliki was not surprised to have been needed. Her castings into the spirit world had yielded big results so far, so big, none of them had actually arrived yet, just began to rumble in the deep. She would likely hear from them in three days time, if she had to guess.
She ascended from the downstairs sithen, having taken a short cut between the spaces she called her own. She didn't like to connect them quite that much, she'd love for Bei to be able to hive off and set up on her own, or Ciera, if Bei was too caught up in her lover, but desperate times. Asha wasn't prone to go to pieces, so if she was calling, Meliki was needed.
She felt the lightening in their warding, struggling to get out, and she reached up and touched it where it lay trapped within her web. Forming a grounding root from her and to the earth below, she asked the creature its business.
It's tale of being summoned and bound and fleeing and Rain told her more than any of the girls could have been able to, so she gave it a name and sent it to the earth, asking it to come again if she called. Spark said it would, and fled to the ground quickly once released.
-
She found the girl sitting at the counter, a mug of tea pressed into her hand by Nanae. Quite the little mother she was turning out to be. Might hive on her own, some day, though Meliki really doubted she had the temperament to be out on her own.
“Greetings, child. How goes it with you this day?”
She sat down in a stool next to Rain, more than filling it, but staying somehow perched on it just fine. Nanae passed her a tea as well, then went back to the register to show Asha how to properly arrange tickets and things for the umpteenth time. It was clearly busy work.
“I think I'm a menace to myself,” Rain answered glumly.
Meliki laughed, a great rumbling sound and patted Rain on the back.
“No worries child. We all have our moments like that, when we are out of our depths. I have cast about for answers for you, and they should be soon in coming. Be patient, child, and we will sort this all out.”
–
2:53p 20 mins 810 words
last night at work
Just 500 more words. All she had to do was bang out 500 more words, and she'd be at the 8k left mark. She felt pretty good about being able to hit that tomorrow- if not that exactly then damned close. Close enough to finish, for sure. She'd like to go back and fill in the filler, but if it didn't happen, it didn't happen. She'd already put in more than enough in the rest of the Haven-verse
to feel good about any padding she had to do to get back into the groove. And it wasn't much, really. Surely less than what she was lacking now. So she'd fake it when she had to, because really, it was her story after all.
to feel good about any padding she had to do to get back into the groove. And it wasn't much, really. Surely less than what she was lacking now. So she'd fake it when she had to, because really, it was her story after all.
“You’ve got to let her do this at her own pace, Rook.”
He turned away from Jon, arms crossed over his chest. Rook knew he was right, but he just wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
“She’s got to want this life, or she’ll never stand against Moira’s death.”
“I know!” he snapped, spinning around. “I know how much is at stake, ok? Just back off!”
He stormed toward the door, not knowing where he was going, but knowing he was going to hit something if he didn’t move.
“So hit me,” Jon said, reading his emotions off the taste of them in the air.
Rook’s shoulders slumped and he stopped when he got to the door, hand resting on the polished wood. “That won’t help anything. If anything, it’ll prove they’ve always been right.”
He was quiet for long enough that someone else would have thought he wouldn’t speak again, but Jon had known him too long for that.
“I just can’t stand all this waiting. What good is reality shattering power if you have to pick your battles and retreat all the time?”
He turned around and leaned against the door, sliding down it to hug his knees. “Will I ever stop being this Jon? Will I ever get over the need to press a tactical advantage, to destroy my enemies so thoroughly that they can’t possibly touch me again?”
He raised his face, wide green eyes looking lost and oh so young. Jon let out a long breath and tucked his own arms across his chest.
“I don’t know, carid. I’ve never been an avatar of death. You tell me.”
Rook threw back his head and laughed and laughed and laughed.
–
No comments:
Post a Comment