Old stuffs
Cruising through a forum I'm on (and haven't been active in for a while now ... shame on me, but my muse is hiding somewhere warm, which it's not in Ohio ... yet), and found these. All written at various points last year from random prompts.
Warranty
Rude walked into the office and stopped, staring at Reno's desk. Yes, it was still completely covered, but the paperwork that usually occupied it was stacked up on the floor, making room for ... "What is that, Reno?"
"Coffepot." He nodded, cigarette tucked behind one ear, screwdriver in hand. "Bitch crapped out, I'm gonna fix it."
"The new one?"
Reno nodded. "Wasn't cheap enough to chuck it, and it was kinda nice, so ... " He waved a hand at the parts that were fairly organized to his left.
Rude sighed, leaning against the door frame. "You know they got us one with a warranty this time, right?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wing
Tseng walked out of the President's office, allowing himself a sigh. Things were bad enough already, and now this. "All that planning, right out the window." He headed for Rufus' office, figuring the news should come from him first.
Rude catching him at the elevator was a bit of a surprise. "I'm hearing rumors."
"If it's Rufus being shipped off to Junon, they're true."
"Damn ... What do we do now?"
Tseng shrugged, stepping into the elevator when the door opened. "We're Turks. We wing it."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thrown
Reno peered over the edge of the roof, all the way down to the ground. "Damn, partner! Good throw ... you even missed the balcony." He turned and grinned widely at Rude. "Helluva mess, though."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Exposure
This was absolutely not the kind of exposure Reno knew how to deal with. Attempted blackmail - no problem. Way-too-high body counts - totally workable. Some reporter just happening on an 'accidental' explosion - easy. This ... he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and tried not to fidget while he waited for Rufus to say something ... anything, actually. The blonde had been entirely too quiet for several minutes now.
"You could've saved a lot of trouble, for all involved." Rufus' voice was low, his expression unreadable. "If you'd chosen to speak up the way you usually do when anyone else catches your fancy. Instead, I have to hear it from someone else? It makes me wonder how serious you are."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Which is worse: Hell or nothing?"
Chuck Palahniuk
"I don't understand."
Vincent thought he had the roof to himself, and should've known someone would notice he was there. "What?" He heard the scratch-click of a cigarette lighter, but didn't turn.
"You." A long pause, then a slow exhale before continuing. "No offense, but why are you here?"
He shrugged, watching the city. "This building has the best view."
A soft snort, then a sigh. "Not here here. Why are you still around haunting anyplace when you've got everyone convinced you'd rather crawl back in your coffin and die?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder at Tseng. "Getting tactless in your old age?"
"When it's called for."
"Mm." He turned back to the skyline, thinking how to explain before giving up. "I changed my mind. Given the choice, I'll take Hell over nothing."
Warranty
Rude walked into the office and stopped, staring at Reno's desk. Yes, it was still completely covered, but the paperwork that usually occupied it was stacked up on the floor, making room for ... "What is that, Reno?"
"Coffepot." He nodded, cigarette tucked behind one ear, screwdriver in hand. "Bitch crapped out, I'm gonna fix it."
"The new one?"
Reno nodded. "Wasn't cheap enough to chuck it, and it was kinda nice, so ... " He waved a hand at the parts that were fairly organized to his left.
Rude sighed, leaning against the door frame. "You know they got us one with a warranty this time, right?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Wing
Tseng walked out of the President's office, allowing himself a sigh. Things were bad enough already, and now this. "All that planning, right out the window." He headed for Rufus' office, figuring the news should come from him first.
Rude catching him at the elevator was a bit of a surprise. "I'm hearing rumors."
"If it's Rufus being shipped off to Junon, they're true."
"Damn ... What do we do now?"
Tseng shrugged, stepping into the elevator when the door opened. "We're Turks. We wing it."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thrown
Reno peered over the edge of the roof, all the way down to the ground. "Damn, partner! Good throw ... you even missed the balcony." He turned and grinned widely at Rude. "Helluva mess, though."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Exposure
This was absolutely not the kind of exposure Reno knew how to deal with. Attempted blackmail - no problem. Way-too-high body counts - totally workable. Some reporter just happening on an 'accidental' explosion - easy. This ... he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and tried not to fidget while he waited for Rufus to say something ... anything, actually. The blonde had been entirely too quiet for several minutes now.
"You could've saved a lot of trouble, for all involved." Rufus' voice was low, his expression unreadable. "If you'd chosen to speak up the way you usually do when anyone else catches your fancy. Instead, I have to hear it from someone else? It makes me wonder how serious you are."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Which is worse: Hell or nothing?"
Chuck Palahniuk
"I don't understand."
Vincent thought he had the roof to himself, and should've known someone would notice he was there. "What?" He heard the scratch-click of a cigarette lighter, but didn't turn.
"You." A long pause, then a slow exhale before continuing. "No offense, but why are you here?"
He shrugged, watching the city. "This building has the best view."
A soft snort, then a sigh. "Not here here. Why are you still around haunting anyplace when you've got everyone convinced you'd rather crawl back in your coffin and die?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder at Tseng. "Getting tactless in your old age?"
"When it's called for."
"Mm." He turned back to the skyline, thinking how to explain before giving up. "I changed my mind. Given the choice, I'll take Hell over nothing."