Hello me hearties!
'Tis the season of hot chocolate and snow! And holiday fic silliness! Yay!
This little piece was inspired by excellent fun I had last year, while reading Teacuphuman's stuff (on AO3); especially "Christmas in Gotham Harbour" and "Holiday in Handcuffs". She is also the writer who made the most convincing "Warrior" story I ever read "Through the Darkness"; and it was a crossover too, and I never read crossovers but this one was THE SHIT. (Srsly, go read it if you haven't yet) So eloquent of me, I know… Suffice to say it left me wordless. Then she got this fantastic study of Barsad and Bane in "Close Shave". And like a ton more...
But I'm off topic. Those stories are the best, and I thoroughly relished waiting for new chapters, especially of those christmasy goodness, to come out. But they're so gay. I mean it's fine, I quite like it, what's there not to enjoy when you get two insanely charismatic characters together? However, I think we wouldn't be amiss to get some more of the (hopefully) similar, but with a little twist.
So, below you'll find the first entry in our little het advent calendar. I hope you'll enjoy!
If you can get your hands on any of the brews mentioned below, do tell how you liked them. :D
oOo
Very special thanks to:
ThreeDamnDots, as always, for enduring everything she has to endure.
Magnificent07 of AO3, for help with figuring out intricacies of Yoopanese culture. ;)
E of AO3, for guidance in a lot of things, and some very inspiring insight.
1
oOo
Wall Between Us
oOo
Reclamation IPA
Ore Docks Brewing Company
Clear gold onslaught of reality, tamed by budding possibilities.
oOo
The bedpost thunked on the wall, like a metronome, accentuating each and every moan and gasp of the bed's occupants. Their moans and pants mingled in the air, travelling unobstructed through the November night.
"Oh yeah baby, just like that, show me how you want me!" The man praised, a loud slap echoing right after he finished.
"Ai, Papi! Harder!"
The slap returned, followed by another and then one more, ever louder shrieks of delight from the woman an incessant backdrop to it all.
Spencer groaned into the pillow she held over her head. Earplugs were not an option since they left her ears sore and head aching, so she was reduced to trying to block out the noise her neighbours made with just her hands and duck feathers. To no use.
It was ridiculous, and doubly so since she knew no one on the block was Latino. So, to add insult to injury, she had to endure not just regular sex, but a poor roleplay, night after night. Going to ask the neighbours to keep it down was not an option; it was not their fault the walls were too thin, plus Spencer would never make anyone hold back during lovemaking. That would leave a terrible scar, difficult to erase. Certainly more inconvenient, if the healing was made solo.
Since she moved to her grandma's apartment, God rest her soul, Spencer was reminded perpetually of what her Nana used to say. You either don't notice you have neighbors or you want to kill them. Now she knew what the old coot meant. And why did Spencer get the apartment, when her brother was specifically assigned a retro car and an extensive collection of still-nature paintings. It all stayed where it was, filling Spencer's spare room and taking the extra parking space she had to pay for, since Brad had no interest in either, but now Spencer knew what was the real thought behind a suspiciously generous last will. She was never granny's favourite. And now it showed. In a town where vast majority of housing was single-family homes, her Nana had to switch in her later years to a modern block of flats. Sure, it was smaller than her old home and had an elevator, but since she hardly ever moved out of the apartment, Spencer just knew it was a tactical decision. To spite her. Everybody in the family knew that she loved the old house on Rock Street. So what if the hospital was only five minutes away from the new flat? Or that she had a great view of the Lighthouse and Lake Superior? That was nothing compared to the ambience and history of a family home.
Everyone thought she would just sell it all and go back to her tiny apartment in Chicago. But Spencer had always been determined. No one believed she could live off of writing, and not only she did, but her books were considered one of the best in her little niche. And she branched out into broader waters with quite a success too.
She would find a way out of this madness.
With a decisive huff she got up and trotted in fluffy slippers to the kitchen. On the other side of the house. It wasn't a retreat, only a tactical rearranging of her position, she assured herself, opening the cabinet to get the mug for tea. Clock on the oven blinked, so she turned on her phone to regulate it. 01:34. She noticed an email from her editor.
While the water was boiling she read through the message and compiled a short reply, already dreading the talking to she'd get in return. No one was happy with her relocation out of Chicago, least of all her publishing house. But she got them results, finishing a thriller in record time, jumping out of the cozy familiarity of children's books into a surprisingly refreshing place of decay, death and fear.
Now, all she had to do was maintain her bestseller status, and everything would be all right… If only she could write at all, or at least something that wasn't a murderous psychopath's fantasy.
The kettle whistled and almost drowned out the sound of her phone ringing a happy tune.
Spencer frowned, flicked the stove off and picked up.
"Marquette City Morgue, can I take your order please?"
"Eww, Kitty Cat, that's just gross."
"It's the middle of the night."
"And you just replied to my email, so I know you're not asleep, so your argument is invalid."
Spencer sighed hearing the slight purr in her caller's voice.
"Sure. What do you want to discuss now?"
"The usual, how's writing going, are you happy with the graphics for Billie, why did you run away…"
"I didn't run away, I just moved to broaden my horizons."
"You mean narrow."
"I'll have you know I talked with more people since I moved here, than for a whole year while I was back in Chicago."
"So, you got a boyfriend yet?"
"I'm working on it," she mumbled, stirring in honey into her earl grey. She really wasn't, but that was only her problem, no one else's.
"Acclaimed children's book writer moves out to the province to find love! I can see the headlines already." Her agent giggled in the receiver.
"Well, she did find love, living just next door. Love has a habit of engaging in obnoxiously loud intercourse, as it turns out. Daily. Honestly, I don't know where those people find the strength and will."
"Hey, don't blame them for not suffering a dry spell that could rival California's need for water."
"Very funny," she snickered. It was true, but then again, only her problem. Maybe she should branch out into erotica…
Selina didn't let her steep in idle musings, barking out a short chuckle.
"You love me, that's why there isn't anyone else in your life."
"You wish."
"You know you do."
"Yeah, maybe I do and maybe I don't. Might need a little somethin' to jug my memory." She smiled at the sound of her friend's giggle, but then sighed. "What I know is I can't write another 'Billie the Crocodile' with those two keeping up their shenanigans night after night. Honestly, I don't remember when I got a decent night's sleep two times in a row."
"So how come you finished 'Void Conquered' so fast?"
"I was pretty frustrated, so that helped tremendously with all those emo feelings, general darkness and gruesome details of violent deaths."
"Oh, scary," her agent giggled again.
"I'm serious Selina, I can't work on Billie in these conditions."
"Hire someone to soundproof the room."
Spencer fell into an astonished silence.
"You didn't think of that did you, Kitty Cat?"
"I was too preoccupied with inventing new ways of torturing noisy people. I'm starting to develop plot for the new one. 'Absorbed in Silence' would be the working title, I think. And it could be a continuation of Void, if I only..."
"Be sure to write it all down. I think I heard something about a good construction crew near you, let me check with Aunt G."
"Sure. Back to work then."
"Bull, girl. Enjoy your night though."
R&R, comments sustain me!
