On my mind

[extemporally]

H'lo, all. I am sitting in Starbucks writing another university application essay right now -- or, oh no, I'm posting! -- and I'm listening to some Christmas carols. The last one ended with "what are you doing, what are you doing", which I am not sure is very Christmassy, but I enjoyed it anyway. Peace reigns on earth, for despite not being very productive I feel rather happy and contented right now. I would like some baked goods, but since I'm going to make those tomorrow anyway it shall be worth the wait. Brownies!

Suddenly I am looking forward to Christmas -- I haven't done my Christmas cards (brace yourselves for one in January, flist!), or bought any presents, or done much, but I feel quite happy. Yesterday my best friend came over and we watched the first three episodes of Life on Mars (Liz White, be mine), and looked at the job advertisements in the classifieds -- for the last couple of weeks there has been an ad that goes: "Japanese company requires 3 private detectives with own bicycle". Now what is up with that?? If it's still there in January my best friend and I, we'll go for it. Despite not having any detective experience at all. You need a hand-held camcorder too, I think.

Right now I would like to read fic about -- hmm, I wanted to say "boring adventures", but I don't think that quite covers it, incidents and adventures anecdotal in nature, the kind that becomes impossibly rambly with each recount and ends with the speaker breaking down in a kind of defeated "you had to be there, okay". Bicycles riding off into twilight, perhaps. Or the discovery of some unexpected artifact from the 70s, which must be returned to its original owner. I would also like to read a ficlet about Brendon cupping a fat bird, plump with feathers, very gently, in his outstretched palms. Or The Like staying in a guesthouse (a guesthouse, not a hotel, damnit) with flowery wallpaper that isn't hideous at all, or maybe a ballet AU. Things which are not beautiful and gritty, but beautiful anyway. I don't know if any of this makes sense, but I am feeling extremely self-indulgent today. I'll look at egelantier's reclist for drawn_to later tonight, maybe.

Right now I think I will type out the essay I just wrote by hand (I concentrate better when writing things out longhand), and edit it. If anyone would be willing to look at some of the essays I've written and help me out there, I would be most grateful.

Comments

[stealstheashes.livejournal.com]

Brendon cupping a bird in his hands left me trying to imagine a Secret Garden AU. I mean, with that, clearly Brendon would be Dickon, but normally I'd probably make that Jon, and then I guess Ryan and Spencer would be Colin and Mary possibly in that order though not necessarily.

Staying in a guesthouse makes me imagine only supposed to be there for a night and then getting snowed in and stuck there.

[extemporally.livejournal.com]

Ooh, or maybe Brendon could be Martha -- who brings Spencer his porridge every day! I like him as a cheerful housemaid who doesn't know how to speak subserviently, even though I like him cupping birds in his hands even MORE. Hmm. *ponders*

GETTING SNOWED IN, argh. Can there be lots of cuddling for warmth? And making of Earl Grey tea?

[extemporally.livejournal.com]

Gosh, yes. Chicks and a cottage and being hungry and looking at the great house on the horizon!

THIS MENTAL IMAGE AMUSES ME VERY MUCH.

[stealstheashes.livejournal.com]

lol I WAS THINKING THAT AS I WALKED TO THE BUS THIS MORNING! It'd be an au, so Martha-- Brendon could totes be more involved in the garden than he was in the book!

YES. And also doing things by candle/firelight when the electricity goes out. And having to shovel the walk which leads to impromptu snowball fights and shenanigans and Z pinning someone down in the snow because they're TOTALLY cheating before they go in to make hot cocoa on the tiny kerosene camp stove the guesthouse happens to have and arguing over marshmallow rationing and tossing them for each other to catch with their mouths.

[extemporally.livejournal.com]

Yes! And telling Spencer to dress himself, jeez, doesn't Spencer know how to do anything? Amazing! Also, roasted eggs. I always wondered what those were, when they were mentioned in the Secret Garden! Spencer's like, "You just put the egg in the oven... don't you?"

Brendon: CLEARLY WE MUST TEACH THIS BOY HOW TO COOK.

Gosh, I feel like there are two stories about winter in here: one's the guesthouse one (which, marshmallow rations \o/), where they shovel the snow and do errands for the owners (who are an elderly couple) only are really faily about that and keep getting distracted, and the other one, where Tennessee lives alone in a cabin in the woods and is a happy, if lonely hermit, until one day in winter when she goes out to get some wood when she finds a girl facedown in the snow -- not dead, but very weak and barely conscious.

"What's you name?" she asks, hefting the girl inside.

The girl's lashes flutter and her eyes begin to close. (No, no, Tennesse thinks desperately.) "Z," she says, and Tenn tries to defrost Z as much and as soon as possible.

[stealstheashes.livejournal.com]

lol Brendon in the kitchen :D I bet he sings and throws things together and it's very entertaining if not very neat.

I WANT BOTH STORIES. -LOL SELFISH

The first would have SNOW ANGELS. Or at least I bet it would. And the second...

It involves wrestling Z around the cabin as carefully as she can while stripping her of her wet clothes. Z puts up a token protest, but somehow Tennessee manages to get her out of them and into some of her own clothes before bundling her into bed and crawling in after her, hoping that the body heat will help. Tennessee isn't used to being around anyone as much as she's around Z, if that's really the girl's name. She isn't used to being touched that much, even if it doesn't mean anything at all.

Tennessee calls the hospital soon as the phone starts working; it's the first time she's thankful for the emergency phone her family had insisted upon, so that she could check in every so often. She was hoping that they'd send someone up, in a helicopter or something, and she tells herself it's just so Z can get better care. The storm's still too much, even then, and apparently there's another one expected not long after it's due to let up, so a doctor checks up on what she's done and gives her instructions for every possibility.

It's strange, talking on the phone, and her voice sounds unreasonably loud to her own ears; she's used to muttering to herself. Still, when she hangs up, everything seems too quiet and even though Z's still asleep, Tennessee puts on some music to distract herself from Z's shallow breaths and her pale face.

OR YOU COULD TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

[extemporally.livejournal.com]

And it tastes delicious! Probably he wiggles his ass when he cooks, but then again, when doesn't Brendon. <3

Of course it would have snow angels! And all the most absolutely cliched things about winter, and Z would wear a black scarf, and Tennessee would wear a tie-dyed one (is it possible to tie-dye wool? I don't think so! But whatever) and tease her about her colourlessness and throw the ends of her own colourful scarf on Z's head.

AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

Tennessee makes soup, and she wakes Z up to drink it. Z acquiesces quietly, and later the questions come, from Tenn: who are you? where do you come from? do you need to contact your family members? before eventually gathering that she'd been involved in a one-person hiking trip inspired by Into the Wild and had gotten lost, or run out of rations, or all three, and had tripped and fallen.

"I always intended to return," Z says earnestly. "I just lost my way, that's all."

Tenn's not quite sure if she should believe this strange girl with cold skin (here she hurries to get yet another blanket) and bright eyes, but she says nothing. When she calls the hospital again and describes Z's condition they say all is well and that she should be ok, so Z stays put, because outside the snow is piling in. (Tennessee doesn't think about the fact that Z will be right here, intruding on her self-imposed hermitude, until a thaw happens.)

Z gets stronger slowly, and progresses even to doing tiny errands around the house for Tennessee. It's nice. Tennessee'd forgotten how much she likes human company, even though most days she could go without it, how nice to know that she hasn't lost her voice yet, how nice to speak absently and have someone reply, how nice to have someone else in the house with her.

The days soon settle into a rhythm. Z's like a cat -- she doesn't sleep many hours at one go, but naps intermittently. This is good for Tennessee because the cabin is quiet most of the day and punctuated only by the sound of Z's breathing. And when Tennessee crawls into bed, she might wake up to breakfast that Z's clearly been awake for a while, to prepare.

One day, when Z's sleeping, Tennessee puts some Kate Bush on and dances thoughtfully and silently and carefully around the cluttered room, her hair whirling around the place.

When she looks over at the bed she finds Z sitting up in bed, her eyes wide and fingers clutching the bedspread, light from the fire flickering in her eyes. Tennessee coughs.

"Sorry, did I --" she clears her throat. "Did I wake you?"

(Oh god, I really really need some Like icons.)

[stealstheashes.livejournal.com]

You could probably make a plain scarf and then tie-dye it. DAMN IT, NOW I WANT TO TEST THIS :(

:DDD AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS?

(I need MORE. lol only grabbed the one, but I know famine_ghost made a bunch.)