Drabble request meme

[ptahrrific]

I have been promising way too many things to people lately, so I probably should not be doing this...but eisen posted the meme, and I had to hear her meta about Witch Hunter Robin, so now I'm locked in. Whoops.

The first ten people to comment in this post get to request that I write a drabble of any pairing/character of their choosing. In return, they have to post this in their journal, regardless of their ability level. Some other equivalent gift, like icons or mini-fanmixes or quickie meta, would make sense for people who don't write fic themselves. (Or if the writing doesn't come...)

You may get drabbles, or you may get chibis/sketches, depending on What I Feel Like. Or I can do meta-on-demand, if there's a question you're dying to hear me pontificate on.

Just to mix things up, I'll throw in one limit: you can ask for any fandom except fake news. (Some suggestions: Hellsing; Doctor Who; Sailor Moon; Good Omens; Jeeves & Wooster; Red Dwarf; Madeline; Read Or Die; Waldo/Carmen Sandiego; anything Dr. Seuss. But anything I've written/drawn/fangirled is fair game.)

1. erie_potter - ficlet, the Master at Aziraphale's bookshop
2. bliumchik
3. aybara_max - ficlet, Neil Gaiman meets Morpheus
4. holly_cullen - art, Chuck and Geoffrey
5. bigkwell
6. sarcasticsra - art, Crowley, Aziraphale, Alan Shore
7. Anonymous - art, Leon, D, Pip, Deadpool
8. aybara_max again - The Boy in Silver Shoes
9. kribban
10. w_thit

Comments

This thing is meta as all get out. (References to canon character death.)

[ptahrrific]

His dreams are strange and creeping, full of undersea caverns and the roots of mountains and fields of flowers made of ice.

It's the armchairs that throw him.

I don't usually do this, says the figure across from him, looking deeply uncomfortable. But my sister was...insistent.

This could be either of two sisters (well, three — but one is unlikely, or at least he hopes so, although if nothing else it would make an interesting story).

When Dream stands up and begins to climb the flight of stairs, he tries to follow, only to find the steps extending endlessly under his feat. "Hey!" he calls, somewhat testily, towards the top landing. "Do you mind?"

You can't just walk straight in, chastises Dream. You know how these things work.


*


He crosses the river without looking back, snares the jackrabbit and slices it open, breaks the golden egg in its stomach, and trades the needle for a magic bean.

There are, it turns out, only nine dancing princesses. He thinks vaguely that he ought to remember that.

When he reaches the gate, it feels like he's supposed to begin the conversation, so he opens with the witty gem: "Sorry about killing you."

It was only a story, says Dream, with the kind of stillness that somehow gave the impression of being a shrug. Besides, you got the idea from Doctor Who in the first place.



*



The library is huge and ancient and modern and he can smell the stories in the air, feel their infinity on his skin, and he knows, if he hadn't known before, hadn't known it in his bones since the day he was born, that this is where he wants to go when he dies.

"I'm not dead now, am I?" he says hopefully.

I hope not, says Dream, with what is either total seriousness or the world's most perfect deadpan. I wouldn't want to make you late for the appointment.



*



He's sitting in one of the comfortable chairs with 668: Neighbor of the Beast when a young girl leans over his shoulder. "He's one of mine!" she says excitedly, pointing to one of the names along the top of the page. "Or he used to be. Or maybe he was supposed to be, but he got eaten by an alligator first. I forget."

He looks at her (or tries to) for a few bemused seconds, then says, "One day my son swapped me for two goldfish."

She breaks into the most delighted grin he's ever seen, then turns to one of the aisles and yells, "Matthew! This one makes sense!"



*




He leaves a long, half-asleep message on Terry's machine before collapsing back onto his pillow.

"Only nine princesses?" he repeats when Terry calls him back, and the other man says "Well, you seemed very insistent about it."

"Was there anything else?" he presses, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Nothing coherent."

"I don't even remember calling."

"Well, maybe it'll come back to you," says Terry philosophically. "Good thing it was your dream and not mine, eh?"

Neil laughs, mostly because there doesn't seem to be anything else to do; but the laugh comes out green and mauve and shiny, and for some reason he spends the whole rest of the day forgetting not to feel okay.

Re: This thing is meta as all get out. (References to canon character death.)

[aybara_max]

Sorry the delayed reply, I read this right away in my email (where the rainbow text did show up, unlike here?) but have been off the computer for most of the last week.

In short, SQUEEEEEEE ♥ !

You had me at the roots of mountains and fields of flowers made of ice.
<3 And then of course, the text formatting of Dream's speech :DDD

the kind of stillness that somehow gave the impression of being a shrug. absolutely perfect characterization of Dream (and HEE Doctor Who reference).

*shivers* oh I love the description of the library, and also brushing up against the concept of heaven, or where people imagine/would like to go when they die (especially nice after re-reading the bit about Stephen waking up in "Rivendell". I think there is part of me that still expects to wake up in Aslan's Country one day)

*earsplitting silly grin* Oh, Delirium ♥ Also He looks at her (or tries to) fabulous!

*thunderous applause* fantastic ending, especially the laugh!

Thank you so much, this was utterly lovely :o)

Re: This thing is meta as all get out. (References to canon character death.)

[ptahrrific]

Oh, Dreamwidth and your wacky inconsistent text-formatting. (It's the only complaint I've ever had...)

"The Nature of the Infection" was one of those essays that just sort of had me nodding the whole way through, so I couldn't resist the Doctor Who connection!

My personal concept of heaven always involved me having my own planet to play with XD To build up from the beginning, Narnia-style. But I would definitely not say no to infinite time and infinite books.

So glad you liked - it was my pleasure :D

Re: This thing is meta as all get out. (References to canon character death.)

[aybara_max]

You know, my concept of heaven may very well be you having your own planet to build up from the beginning just to see what you would do with it ^_^

Re: This thing is meta as all get out. (References to canon character death.)

[ptahrrific]

...Do you know, that was basically my personal image of heaven back in elementary school. (God complex, what God complex? XD)