Post by Kit on Mar 21, 2010 7:22:52 GMT 10
Title: Speechless
Rating: PG-13
Length: 700
Round: 3/A
Competitor: Alanna
Summary: Alanna makes a speech. Possibly two of them. The sequel, rather obviously, to Speeches. One more part to come.
Standing up was strange. Too strange. Somehow, her insides had sneaked up and now showed through her skin, but it was thoughts she might be bleeding.
Other words touching them, toying with them, almost stroking them: he look in Neal’s eyes, whilst everyone else laughed at something to do with punching Quinden—as he said she was more his best friend now than she had been at ten. (“Friendship to those unrelated to me had been rather difficult up until then, for no reason whatsoever. I, of course, was entirely lovable. A taste issue, most likely.”) – More laughs there, but Neal had held her eyes and nodded, and she bled all over him.
Alanna, on the table, grinning. “Now you have me up here, there isn’t much to say. Neal has told me stories, but I think I’d only sanitize them, and I don’t think that’s the point.”
Alanna, on the table, crooked and soft. “I heard about the hazing. About what you, Kel, and the motley rest of you did—about the hazing. I wasn’t sure whether to cheer or feel uncomfortable, a relic of an older time. In the end, I did both, because both feelings were true ones. And your Lady Knight is the sort who will make you, make the rest of the world, feel uncomfortable sometimes, because she is brave enough to do so.” A nod to Neal. Merric’s rueful, “Here, here!” Blank looks and reaches for more wine.
Alanna’s eyes on Kel’s face, brief and full of unreadable things, before another aside to the crowd, another gruff use of awkward-skill. “And if any of you end up being stuffed shirts over it, you’ll be hunted down. By me. For my satisfication, since Kel’s more than capable of keeping hers. I’m getting old, now. And bored. Fractious, even. You’ve been warned.”
“Never, Mistress-mine.” (Dear Neal.) “You’re as fresh as hellsbane on a spring afternoon.”
Kel, making a first stand. A gush of thoughts, dizziness. From the table, Alanna was taller. Proper, legend tall, without needing clothes to match. “Please,” she said. “Both of you. Shut up.”
“Very soon, Lady Knight.” Alanna’s eyes on her face.
“I’ve heard all the stories. Seen the edges of some of them. Made a few ventures and impressions of my own.” (You, bless you, are real.—thoughts, memories. Kel blushed. Even if it were just in her head, she blushed.) “But, if I end up talking to you in ten years, when some of you come together to celebrate surviving that long...” a toast to that, echoes all around. “I will have a better speech,” said Alanna. “Full of details. You lot have lived with your friend; I have only just met mine.”
Kel swayed.
“So.” Her voice on the boys, harsh and cheerful and wicked. Her eyes on Kel’s face, grave and questioning, even though all the improbable colour and the younger woman’s suddenly blurred, trembling sight.
I’m not sure I like wine. A clear thought, there for anyone to read. I wish I could remember this.
“So,” said the Lioness. “Give me ten years to learn every bit, every detail, and let us do our best to become less legendary to each other and then put me on a table and let me talk for hours. Goddess bless you, Lady Knight.”
Cheers, and then Alanna was at the edge, laying her hands in Kel’s.
“No, don’t—I don’t think I—“
“—yes,” said Alanna. “You can.” And the small woman was in Kel’s arms—a warm, jolting flash of brief, full of bones and hair ticking the back of Kel’s hand and leather digging into her hip—before being set down. She still kept a grip on Kel’s forearms.
“I think, now you’re Knighted, I’m allowed to invoke the Goddess in your presence without cries of, ‘Witch!” Alanna’s smile was crooked again. “I didn’t witch you, did I?”
“I might have dropped you!” Somehow, that was all Kel found she could say.
“That,” said the Lioness, withdrawing slightly and grinning, “Would have been a story.”
She pushed, slightly, at the space between Kel’s collarbones and the start of her breasts, and Kel sat back down.
Rating: PG-13
Length: 700
Round: 3/A
Competitor: Alanna
Summary: Alanna makes a speech. Possibly two of them. The sequel, rather obviously, to Speeches. One more part to come.
Standing up was strange. Too strange. Somehow, her insides had sneaked up and now showed through her skin, but it was thoughts she might be bleeding.
Other words touching them, toying with them, almost stroking them: he look in Neal’s eyes, whilst everyone else laughed at something to do with punching Quinden—as he said she was more his best friend now than she had been at ten. (“Friendship to those unrelated to me had been rather difficult up until then, for no reason whatsoever. I, of course, was entirely lovable. A taste issue, most likely.”) – More laughs there, but Neal had held her eyes and nodded, and she bled all over him.
Alanna, on the table, grinning. “Now you have me up here, there isn’t much to say. Neal has told me stories, but I think I’d only sanitize them, and I don’t think that’s the point.”
Alanna, on the table, crooked and soft. “I heard about the hazing. About what you, Kel, and the motley rest of you did—about the hazing. I wasn’t sure whether to cheer or feel uncomfortable, a relic of an older time. In the end, I did both, because both feelings were true ones. And your Lady Knight is the sort who will make you, make the rest of the world, feel uncomfortable sometimes, because she is brave enough to do so.” A nod to Neal. Merric’s rueful, “Here, here!” Blank looks and reaches for more wine.
Alanna’s eyes on Kel’s face, brief and full of unreadable things, before another aside to the crowd, another gruff use of awkward-skill. “And if any of you end up being stuffed shirts over it, you’ll be hunted down. By me. For my satisfication, since Kel’s more than capable of keeping hers. I’m getting old, now. And bored. Fractious, even. You’ve been warned.”
“Never, Mistress-mine.” (Dear Neal.) “You’re as fresh as hellsbane on a spring afternoon.”
Kel, making a first stand. A gush of thoughts, dizziness. From the table, Alanna was taller. Proper, legend tall, without needing clothes to match. “Please,” she said. “Both of you. Shut up.”
“Very soon, Lady Knight.” Alanna’s eyes on her face.
“I’ve heard all the stories. Seen the edges of some of them. Made a few ventures and impressions of my own.” (You, bless you, are real.—thoughts, memories. Kel blushed. Even if it were just in her head, she blushed.) “But, if I end up talking to you in ten years, when some of you come together to celebrate surviving that long...” a toast to that, echoes all around. “I will have a better speech,” said Alanna. “Full of details. You lot have lived with your friend; I have only just met mine.”
Kel swayed.
“So.” Her voice on the boys, harsh and cheerful and wicked. Her eyes on Kel’s face, grave and questioning, even though all the improbable colour and the younger woman’s suddenly blurred, trembling sight.
I’m not sure I like wine. A clear thought, there for anyone to read. I wish I could remember this.
“So,” said the Lioness. “Give me ten years to learn every bit, every detail, and let us do our best to become less legendary to each other and then put me on a table and let me talk for hours. Goddess bless you, Lady Knight.”
Cheers, and then Alanna was at the edge, laying her hands in Kel’s.
“No, don’t—I don’t think I—“
“—yes,” said Alanna. “You can.” And the small woman was in Kel’s arms—a warm, jolting flash of brief, full of bones and hair ticking the back of Kel’s hand and leather digging into her hip—before being set down. She still kept a grip on Kel’s forearms.
“I think, now you’re Knighted, I’m allowed to invoke the Goddess in your presence without cries of, ‘Witch!” Alanna’s smile was crooked again. “I didn’t witch you, did I?”
“I might have dropped you!” Somehow, that was all Kel found she could say.
“That,” said the Lioness, withdrawing slightly and grinning, “Would have been a story.”
She pushed, slightly, at the space between Kel’s collarbones and the start of her breasts, and Kel sat back down.
', and that I can't wait for the last instalment!
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!