Lights Out and Shoot Up The Station 3 of ?
Title: Lights Out and Shoot Up The Station 3 of ?
Pairing or Characters: Ram/Ruby, Salene/May, Jack/Ellie
Word Count: 1,475
Rating: PG-13, warnings of problem plumbing, and awkward social gatherings.
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. A few comments might be nice, I won't stop writing without them lol...
Ruby's morning started the way it usually did, being rudely awaken by a lump thudding down on the mattress next to her.
"I was trying to sleep." She frowned, opening one eye.
"Hhhump." Came a grunted reply.
Tangled in the warmth of so many bed sheets, she twists awkwardly to stare at the form lying next to her.
Occasionally, no to be honest, more than occasionally, Ruby finds herself wondering how exactly she ended up being married to Ram.
It was one of those gradual things, like a cold sore or a deadly virus, that you don't really notice sneaking up on you until one day its either staring back at you in the mirror from your top lip, or you've gone and died.
Ruby is well aware that most people assume she either married him for the power, or that she'd gone completely mad after being dumped for Ebony.
Neither of these things are true.
For a start Ram doesn't actually have any power, he's never had any, not since she's known him, at least. He's never been able to scrabble back into the position he'd once held over the Technos.
He's even, along with Ebony denied a vote in any official island business.
But that's alright, because on their side of the island, outside of the Mallrats' beach huts, in New Liberty, they sort of do what they want anyway.
Slade's always mayor without election, Ebony's usually casually abusing someone, her Saloon enjoys maximum occupancy every night, and Ram delights in tormenting the Mallrats with electricity cuts, which never seem to effect New Liberty.
And secondly, Ruby had regrettably experienced the emotion of being dumped before.
It was her love of reading that had began Ruby's slow metamorphosis from viewing Ram as a murderous war criminal, into something a little more human.
One day he'd just given her a book, and not just any book, her favourite book The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley. At the time she hadn't been sure where he'd managed to find it, since they'd all just washed up on a completely deserted, and more importantly book-less island, but there it had been, and it still sat on one of her many shelves.
Ruby had read it as if it had been the first time, and when she'd finished Ram had asked her to tell him what it had been about.
All that virtual reality, and lateral thinking had clearly rotted away his imagination.
So she had, pausing every now and then for one of his questions, never entirely certain that Ram would fully understand the moral at the heart of the story.
When things had reached their lowest ebb on the island, no shelter, entertainment, little food and water, Amber had approached Ruby and asked if she would read to the group.
Night after night, the small group had huddled around a roaring fire, and listened to the adventures of Tom and Ellie and the faeries Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Bedonebyasyoudid, Ruby was still convinced it had gone a long way to break up the boredom, and save what little sanity had remained.
And then there had been Lottie.
Always somewhat overly maternal, Ruby had begun to hear the slow tick of her biological clock from her late teens onwards. Mothering was something she enjoyed, and she regarded Lottie as her adopted daughter from the second week she'd arrived in Liberty.
So it had helped that Lottie had rather rebelled against the trend and actually liked Ram.
The three of them fell in together, and Ram had ended up helping her look after the little girl.
So those had been the rather rocky, unsubstantial foundations that have led Ruby to being unceremoniously awoken at 6 o'clock in the morning, every morning for the last fifteen years.
"Problems, with IslandNet, again?" She enquires, smiling slightly as Ram raises up one tired thumb in response.
He's not very good at naming things, when their son was born Ruby been half afraid Ram would want to call him...Ram II, this time it's personal...
In the end she chose Theo.
Playing her trump card of having been in labour with their child for over thirty-six hours.
An experience, which had been enough for Ruby to decide never to repeat it, again.
"Have you ever thought of maybe, just switching it off and on again?"
Even in the gloom of the early morning light, Ruby catches sight of a flash of Ram's eyeball.
"You're perverse." He mumbles against the fabric of his pillow.
She chortles, before adding. "Take you're boots off the bed."
"None of my other wives every treated me like this." Ram complains.
"You should be thankful, I've never tried to kill you." Ruby reluctantly slips out from under the sheets, finding her dressing gown on the back of a nearby chair, she pulls the fabric over her shoulders.
She makes her way into the en suite bathroom, complete with often on-the-blink plumbing, she smiles again at the sound of the bed springs creaking, followed by dull thuds as Ram takes off his boots.
Pushing back the shower curtain, Ruby tugs at the handle on the side of a frighteningly large metal water tank which is meant to release the water, and something she has often considered painting white to fit in with the general colour scheme in the rest of the small tiled room.
Over her head the pipes rumble, hiss, clank, and sound as if they've finally reached the end of their short life.
Cold water cascades across her palm, and after ten minutes of waiting with frozen, and wet fingers the water remains cold.
"Ram!" Riotously indignant Ruby storms back into the bedroom, announcing. "The waters not working!"
"Get Jack to look at it."
No, Ruby definitely didn't marry Ram for the power.
"And then Ruby just came up to me, and asked me to ask you to, fix their shower! I mean, who does she think she is? And why couldn't see ask you herself, it's not as if you do anything all day."
Jack is too busy chasing a slab of pineapple across his plate with his fork to really engage with anything Ellie is saying.
"Jack, are you even listening to me?"
He catches that, and replies a little too curtly. "Yes!"
"You probably should fix it though, since Ram is my boss."
He gives up on the pineapple, letting his fork come rest across his plate.
"I do, do things." Jack observes.
"More cider, anyone?" Salene asks awkwardly, reaching across the small square table for the half empty bottle.
May catches her gaze, fixing her with a mischievous grin.
"I'd love some, Sal." Her grin spreads as she offers up her mug for a refill.
"I think you've had enough." Salene warns her partner.
May doesn't respond verbally, unseen she simply rests her bare feet on Salene's lap, knowing how the simple act will annoy her lover.
"You've definitely had enough." Salene adds, wishing she was still young enough to get away with sticking out her tongue.
The four of them are sat in the small space that acts as Salene and May's living room/kitchen, which is decorated with a fake floral garland of fairy lights, and a tatty looking sheepskin rug, the wooden walls of the cosy hut covered in various children's crayon and pencil drawings from the pairs classes at the school.
Over the years it's become a sort of tradition that Salene, Jack, Ellie and May will meet up on what they estimate is a Thursday night, and have dinner.
Salene cooks, because she's the only one who really can with any sort of skill.
"Like what?" Ellie enquires, sounding amused by the idea.
"There goes desert." May observes, licking the back of her spoon.
"May." Salene feels the situation getting away from her fast.
Jack fails to answer, so May does it for him with a knowing smirk.
"Oh, Jack's got another project on the go at the moment."
Jack's head shoots up, and Salene feels the weight of his betrayed stare, now he knows she's told her girlfriend about Solange.
She wants to apologies suddenly, but honestly she wishes he'd never chosen her to tell.
Thankfully Ellie seems to miss the arched meaning in May's comment, and she simply frowns.
"Shall I put on the IslandNet?" At this point Salene would gladly open a vein at the table if she thought it would break the tension, it's almost as if she's being suffocated.
"Oh yes, my bulletin should be on about now." Ellie responds gleefully, having never got over the rush that comes with being broadcast to so many.
"What's it about today?" May quizzes, her voice full of hidden barbs.
"The Tribal Gathering." Ellie answers.
"Slow news day, huh?" May chuckles softly, resting her chin against the palm of her hand.
Pairing or Characters: Ram/Ruby, Salene/May, Jack/Ellie
Word Count: 1,475
Rating: PG-13, warnings of problem plumbing, and awkward social gatherings.
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. A few comments might be nice, I won't stop writing without them lol...
Ruby's morning started the way it usually did, being rudely awaken by a lump thudding down on the mattress next to her.
"I was trying to sleep." She frowned, opening one eye.
"Hhhump." Came a grunted reply.
Tangled in the warmth of so many bed sheets, she twists awkwardly to stare at the form lying next to her.
Occasionally, no to be honest, more than occasionally, Ruby finds herself wondering how exactly she ended up being married to Ram.
It was one of those gradual things, like a cold sore or a deadly virus, that you don't really notice sneaking up on you until one day its either staring back at you in the mirror from your top lip, or you've gone and died.
Ruby is well aware that most people assume she either married him for the power, or that she'd gone completely mad after being dumped for Ebony.
Neither of these things are true.
For a start Ram doesn't actually have any power, he's never had any, not since she's known him, at least. He's never been able to scrabble back into the position he'd once held over the Technos.
He's even, along with Ebony denied a vote in any official island business.
But that's alright, because on their side of the island, outside of the Mallrats' beach huts, in New Liberty, they sort of do what they want anyway.
Slade's always mayor without election, Ebony's usually casually abusing someone, her Saloon enjoys maximum occupancy every night, and Ram delights in tormenting the Mallrats with electricity cuts, which never seem to effect New Liberty.
And secondly, Ruby had regrettably experienced the emotion of being dumped before.
It was her love of reading that had began Ruby's slow metamorphosis from viewing Ram as a murderous war criminal, into something a little more human.
One day he'd just given her a book, and not just any book, her favourite book The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley. At the time she hadn't been sure where he'd managed to find it, since they'd all just washed up on a completely deserted, and more importantly book-less island, but there it had been, and it still sat on one of her many shelves.
Ruby had read it as if it had been the first time, and when she'd finished Ram had asked her to tell him what it had been about.
All that virtual reality, and lateral thinking had clearly rotted away his imagination.
So she had, pausing every now and then for one of his questions, never entirely certain that Ram would fully understand the moral at the heart of the story.
When things had reached their lowest ebb on the island, no shelter, entertainment, little food and water, Amber had approached Ruby and asked if she would read to the group.
Night after night, the small group had huddled around a roaring fire, and listened to the adventures of Tom and Ellie and the faeries Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Bedonebyasyoudid, Ruby was still convinced it had gone a long way to break up the boredom, and save what little sanity had remained.
And then there had been Lottie.
Always somewhat overly maternal, Ruby had begun to hear the slow tick of her biological clock from her late teens onwards. Mothering was something she enjoyed, and she regarded Lottie as her adopted daughter from the second week she'd arrived in Liberty.
So it had helped that Lottie had rather rebelled against the trend and actually liked Ram.
The three of them fell in together, and Ram had ended up helping her look after the little girl.
So those had been the rather rocky, unsubstantial foundations that have led Ruby to being unceremoniously awoken at 6 o'clock in the morning, every morning for the last fifteen years.
"Problems, with IslandNet, again?" She enquires, smiling slightly as Ram raises up one tired thumb in response.
He's not very good at naming things, when their son was born Ruby been half afraid Ram would want to call him...Ram II, this time it's personal...
In the end she chose Theo.
Playing her trump card of having been in labour with their child for over thirty-six hours.
An experience, which had been enough for Ruby to decide never to repeat it, again.
"Have you ever thought of maybe, just switching it off and on again?"
Even in the gloom of the early morning light, Ruby catches sight of a flash of Ram's eyeball.
"You're perverse." He mumbles against the fabric of his pillow.
She chortles, before adding. "Take you're boots off the bed."
"None of my other wives every treated me like this." Ram complains.
"You should be thankful, I've never tried to kill you." Ruby reluctantly slips out from under the sheets, finding her dressing gown on the back of a nearby chair, she pulls the fabric over her shoulders.
She makes her way into the en suite bathroom, complete with often on-the-blink plumbing, she smiles again at the sound of the bed springs creaking, followed by dull thuds as Ram takes off his boots.
Pushing back the shower curtain, Ruby tugs at the handle on the side of a frighteningly large metal water tank which is meant to release the water, and something she has often considered painting white to fit in with the general colour scheme in the rest of the small tiled room.
Over her head the pipes rumble, hiss, clank, and sound as if they've finally reached the end of their short life.
Cold water cascades across her palm, and after ten minutes of waiting with frozen, and wet fingers the water remains cold.
"Ram!" Riotously indignant Ruby storms back into the bedroom, announcing. "The waters not working!"
"Get Jack to look at it."
No, Ruby definitely didn't marry Ram for the power.
"And then Ruby just came up to me, and asked me to ask you to, fix their shower! I mean, who does she think she is? And why couldn't see ask you herself, it's not as if you do anything all day."
Jack is too busy chasing a slab of pineapple across his plate with his fork to really engage with anything Ellie is saying.
"Jack, are you even listening to me?"
He catches that, and replies a little too curtly. "Yes!"
"You probably should fix it though, since Ram is my boss."
He gives up on the pineapple, letting his fork come rest across his plate.
"I do, do things." Jack observes.
"More cider, anyone?" Salene asks awkwardly, reaching across the small square table for the half empty bottle.
May catches her gaze, fixing her with a mischievous grin.
"I'd love some, Sal." Her grin spreads as she offers up her mug for a refill.
"I think you've had enough." Salene warns her partner.
May doesn't respond verbally, unseen she simply rests her bare feet on Salene's lap, knowing how the simple act will annoy her lover.
"You've definitely had enough." Salene adds, wishing she was still young enough to get away with sticking out her tongue.
The four of them are sat in the small space that acts as Salene and May's living room/kitchen, which is decorated with a fake floral garland of fairy lights, and a tatty looking sheepskin rug, the wooden walls of the cosy hut covered in various children's crayon and pencil drawings from the pairs classes at the school.
Over the years it's become a sort of tradition that Salene, Jack, Ellie and May will meet up on what they estimate is a Thursday night, and have dinner.
Salene cooks, because she's the only one who really can with any sort of skill.
"Like what?" Ellie enquires, sounding amused by the idea.
"There goes desert." May observes, licking the back of her spoon.
"May." Salene feels the situation getting away from her fast.
Jack fails to answer, so May does it for him with a knowing smirk.
"Oh, Jack's got another project on the go at the moment."
Jack's head shoots up, and Salene feels the weight of his betrayed stare, now he knows she's told her girlfriend about Solange.
She wants to apologies suddenly, but honestly she wishes he'd never chosen her to tell.
Thankfully Ellie seems to miss the arched meaning in May's comment, and she simply frowns.
"Shall I put on the IslandNet?" At this point Salene would gladly open a vein at the table if she thought it would break the tension, it's almost as if she's being suffocated.
"Oh yes, my bulletin should be on about now." Ellie responds gleefully, having never got over the rush that comes with being broadcast to so many.
"What's it about today?" May quizzes, her voice full of hidden barbs.
"The Tribal Gathering." Ellie answers.
"Slow news day, huh?" May chuckles softly, resting her chin against the palm of her hand.