More Bingo!
Vanilla #11. Walk in the Woods
with Hot Fudge, Chopped Nuts and Double Malt
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : N/A - modern AU
Word Count : 608
Malt Prompt : Bingo - Kairn + use a dare + walk in the woods + on my knees + destruction
Malt Prompt : Truth or Dare - from Matthew - Sethan & Kairn in modern day America
It started as a rumble. A soft hum that swiftly grew to a roar that shook the cold, grey pavement beneath their feet. Kairn cast the rows of empty steel carriages a nervous glance, not a clue at all what he expected of them, but most certain there was little one could put past such sinister metal beasts.
The smooth, stoney ground gave a lurch and one of the vehicles emitted a series of earsplitting beeps. Kairn staggered a few paces, one foot colliding with the heel of the other, until he pitched forward and planted both palms against one of the cars’ brightly colored snouts.
“Sethan?” He looked back to his friend, found the man unshaken by the quake, strolling down the center of the broad, grey aisle, a familiar, distant look to his eyes. Kairn bit back a curse. Forget the cars, this was her doing.
“Sethan?” No response as he strode past. The earth heaved again and Kairn clutched at the hood of the car, hands groping and sliding over the smooth metal as he fought to keep his feet. “Sethan!”
The whole lot shook, with a deep, rending crunch. Synthetic horns blared all about, and passersby shrieked, their arms flailing, belongings flying, as cracks erupted in the pavement. Sharp lines laced their way through the smooth, flat grey, etched like so many veins, sinking, tearing, the ground bucking and rising between them.
Shafts of green burst forth from the trenches, speeding for the open sky. Twisting, writhing, unfolding their way into being, trunks of ancient proportions overtook the tar and metal landscape. Massive roots wound their way over the vehicles, snapping their hollow, metal shells without regard to the pathetic protests of their wailing sirens. The people scrambled this way and that, hurriedly dodging the thrashing whips of branch and root, bags and parcels discarded, cars surrendered, in a frantic flight for life.
“Sethan!” Kairn called again, as the ground beneath him split and he tumbled to his knees, still clutching the cold, metal frame as it slipped into the divide.
Sethan walked on, jaw set, eyes vacant, as a swath of green sprang up behind him. The ground splintered into countless fragments, from which tiny tendrils of fresh grass rolled. While the crowd scattered and cried, and the branches groaned and creaked overhead, and the horns bleated and died, Kairn pressed his forehead to the great, rubber wheel and uttered a prayer he was quite sure fell on deaf ears. As if in mocking response, the pavement beneath his knees shattered with a burst of clover.
He lifted his head, forced himself from his knees. “Sethan, please!” he called to the slow marching figure, the last left beside himself.
Sethan paused. He turned slowly around. Brows knit over cold, blue eyes, as they settled on Kairn. Kairn froze, breath caught in his throat, not sure if it was man or god staring at him and at a loss as to what to say to either. Sethan blinked, once, twice, slowly shook his head. He craned his neck to peer up into the branches and blinked some more.
“Is… is she done?” said Kairn.
The corner of Sethan’s lips gave a twist, his face slid into its familiar grin, and Kairn let out a breath. “Yes,” said Sethan, reaching out to finger a low hanging leaf. “Yes, I think she is.”
Kairn edged away from the remains of the car he had clung to, cautiously eyeing his friend and the tangled mass of green and grey all about them. “So… now what?”
Sethan shrugged, the grin widening. “A little stroll in the woods, perhaps?”
with Hot Fudge, Chopped Nuts and Double Malt
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : N/A - modern AU
Word Count : 608
Malt Prompt : Bingo - Kairn + use a dare + walk in the woods + on my knees + destruction
Malt Prompt : Truth or Dare - from Matthew - Sethan & Kairn in modern day America
It started as a rumble. A soft hum that swiftly grew to a roar that shook the cold, grey pavement beneath their feet. Kairn cast the rows of empty steel carriages a nervous glance, not a clue at all what he expected of them, but most certain there was little one could put past such sinister metal beasts.
The smooth, stoney ground gave a lurch and one of the vehicles emitted a series of earsplitting beeps. Kairn staggered a few paces, one foot colliding with the heel of the other, until he pitched forward and planted both palms against one of the cars’ brightly colored snouts.
“Sethan?” He looked back to his friend, found the man unshaken by the quake, strolling down the center of the broad, grey aisle, a familiar, distant look to his eyes. Kairn bit back a curse. Forget the cars, this was her doing.
“Sethan?” No response as he strode past. The earth heaved again and Kairn clutched at the hood of the car, hands groping and sliding over the smooth metal as he fought to keep his feet. “Sethan!”
The whole lot shook, with a deep, rending crunch. Synthetic horns blared all about, and passersby shrieked, their arms flailing, belongings flying, as cracks erupted in the pavement. Sharp lines laced their way through the smooth, flat grey, etched like so many veins, sinking, tearing, the ground bucking and rising between them.
Shafts of green burst forth from the trenches, speeding for the open sky. Twisting, writhing, unfolding their way into being, trunks of ancient proportions overtook the tar and metal landscape. Massive roots wound their way over the vehicles, snapping their hollow, metal shells without regard to the pathetic protests of their wailing sirens. The people scrambled this way and that, hurriedly dodging the thrashing whips of branch and root, bags and parcels discarded, cars surrendered, in a frantic flight for life.
“Sethan!” Kairn called again, as the ground beneath him split and he tumbled to his knees, still clutching the cold, metal frame as it slipped into the divide.
Sethan walked on, jaw set, eyes vacant, as a swath of green sprang up behind him. The ground splintered into countless fragments, from which tiny tendrils of fresh grass rolled. While the crowd scattered and cried, and the branches groaned and creaked overhead, and the horns bleated and died, Kairn pressed his forehead to the great, rubber wheel and uttered a prayer he was quite sure fell on deaf ears. As if in mocking response, the pavement beneath his knees shattered with a burst of clover.
He lifted his head, forced himself from his knees. “Sethan, please!” he called to the slow marching figure, the last left beside himself.
Sethan paused. He turned slowly around. Brows knit over cold, blue eyes, as they settled on Kairn. Kairn froze, breath caught in his throat, not sure if it was man or god staring at him and at a loss as to what to say to either. Sethan blinked, once, twice, slowly shook his head. He craned his neck to peer up into the branches and blinked some more.
“Is… is she done?” said Kairn.
The corner of Sethan’s lips gave a twist, his face slid into its familiar grin, and Kairn let out a breath. “Yes,” said Sethan, reaching out to finger a low hanging leaf. “Yes, I think she is.”
Kairn edged away from the remains of the car he had clung to, cautiously eyeing his friend and the tangled mass of green and grey all about them. “So… now what?”
Sethan shrugged, the grin widening. “A little stroll in the woods, perhaps?”