amagicbeyond

By now I’ve sailed the sea of Galilee, hiked Nimrod Fortress, and eaten an olive straight from an olive tree. Onward to float in the Dead Sea!

Hope you are all having a lovely time wherever you are.

Note: I’m really glad you requested this! For now, here’s a bit of a drabble I wrote a while back for my Live Prompts event… I will most likely add more later! I also would very much like to write about adult Ty someday soon. :)

“Sisters are stupid,” said Ty one hot day in the middle of July.

“I dunno,” said Michael, dangling his toes in the water, watching the river rushing by. “Yours is all right.”

“Whatddya mean?” said Ty, throwing a stone across the surface of the water, watching it sink before it skipped at all. “It’s her fault we can’t go to the derby! Mom thinks it’s too dangerous for her…”

“But Ree wouldn’t think so,” said Michael, still looking at the river. “She’d come anyway.”

“Yeah,” said Ty thoughtfully. “Hey, you know what? We should do it! We should go!”

“I dunno,” said Michael again, doubtfully. “We’ll get in trouble-”

“Not if Mom doesn’t find out!” said Ty gleefully. “REE!” he bellowed across the water.

His little sister, skipping stones perfectly of course, hollered back. “WHAT?”

“Come on, we’re going to the derby after all!”

Michael followed reluctantly as Ty led the way to his family’s shed, looking around to make sure his mom wasn’t watching through the window. Ree skipped on ahead, red hair bouncing. 

“So we just need our helmets-” Ty was muttering. “And our bikes-”

“Tyson Conner Tripp.”

Ty froze.

Dr. Tripp had come around the corner of the shed, gardening shears in hand. She crossed her arms. 

“Uh oh,” said Ty.

“No,” said Taz.

“No choice!” sang February. “It’s been mandated by the Commander. A special celebration of all of the fabulous women aboard this starship. No boys allowed. Just popcorn, chick flicks, gossip, makeovers – it’s going to be so much fun!”

“I don’t like any of those things,” said Taz. “And who’s idiota idea was this?”

“Mine!” February said proudly. “I told the Commander it would be a great morale booster!”

“I am going to kill Up,” said Taz.

“There’ll be tequila…”

Taz sighed, and February knew she had won.

***

“Truth,” said February.

Taz and Specs eyed each other. “What’s it like to kiss a bug?” Taz said finally, and they both collapsed with laughter.

February looked thoughtful. “Kind of… dry,” she said. “And clicky.”

“Clicky,” repeated Specs.

“Well, you know, the mandibles,” February said defensively. Taz laughed harder. “Fine, it’s your turn,” said February. “What’s it like to kiss a man with a moustache?”

Taz sobered immediately. “I have no idea,” she said airily.

February and Specs crossed their arms. Taz crossed hers back.

“For Lieutenant Taz to know what it is like to have kissed a man with a moustache, it would be reasonable to assume that she would know what it is like to kiss Commander Up,” said Megagirl helpfully, breaking popcorn into pieces and dropping them back into the bowl. “As he is the only male on this ship who has such distinctive facial hair.”

Specs smirked. Taz became intent upon her own popcorn. “He doesn’t always have a moustache,” she mumbled.

“Sorry, what was that?” February said.

Taz was saved by a buzz at the door. Specs looked around. “I thought you said no boys were allowed,” she said.

“Well…” said February. “This one’s an exception. Here by my special invitation.”

The door burst open.

“Hold your applause, please, ladies,” a familiar voice announced. “Your salvation has arrived.”

A look of horror crossed Taz’s face.

***

The women of Starship 15A-2 were unrecognizable by the time Alejandro was done with them, even Megagirl, whose sensory strands had been styled into an elaborate updo (which she complained was affecting her systems, but admitted had a pleased aesthetic effect). He also brought with him all the gossip from the galaxy- the latest Galactic Ball, who ex-Mrs. Dr. Space-Claw was dating now…

“And you?” February said coyly. “Been seeing anyone special lately?”

“Oh well,” Alejandro said, grabbing a handful of Taz’s popcorn. “There might be someone.”

February let out an ear-piercing scream. “Who?”

“Let’s just say he’s in my line of work,” Alejandro said lightly, though a hint of red had come to his ears. “Really exemplary work, though of course he could learn to be even better from me.”

A knock at the door caused them all to turn around. “Who else did you invite?” said Taz.

“No one,” said February.

The knock came again.

***

To be continued…

While Megagirl did not need to indulge in the inefficient human process of eating food to produce energy, she was a fixture at mealtimes in the mess hall aboard Starship 15A-2. She called it research, a part of her ongoing project to understand just what it was that made humans function the way they did. Tootsie called it “trying to fit in.” Either way, she was there each morning, 700 hours sharp.

Today she was frowning. Her crewmates’ behaviour was not following expected patterns at all. February was gigglier than usual. Taz surlier. Specs unusually red-faced. And the men of the starship – Up, Krayonder, Bug – they all seemed a little – subdued.

Only Tootsie attacked his corn flakes with his usual gusto.

“Tootsie,” she hissed, taking her volume down a few degrees. “Is there something I have missed? Some event taking place today? The crew’s behaviour is not consistent with my standard observations.”

“What’s that. Megagirl?” her husband asked loudly. “Ya see, I started listenin’ but then the talk got all technical and I got distracted by yer big beautiful eyes.”

“Optical sensors,” she corrected him softly, but she smiled anyway.

“Anyhoo, I’ve got to see to this leak the Commander found in the holodeck – see you at lunch, darlin’!”

Tootsie gave her a great smacking kiss and took his leave. Megagirl took a moment to collect herself.

“Like, you two are just the cutest, I can’t even – any big plans for today, Megs?”

“I do not understand what is so prominent about today,” said Megagirl. “And please do not call me that.”

February gasped. “You don’t know! Oh, this is a tragedy!”

Megagirl waited.

“It’s Valentine’s Day!”

Megagirl accessed her database. “An ancient human holiday celebrating a saint who died millenia ago? Why should that matter to me?”

“What, no, V-Day’s not about dead people, yuck, Megs, I don’t know where you come up with this stuff. V-Day’s about love… showing how much you love someone by showering them with expensive presents! Like diamonds,” February said loudly, with a significant look in Bug’s direction. Bug gave a weak wave. “Specs already got flowers from a secret admirer. And Taz is cranky because Up didn’t give her anything yet.”

“No,” said Taz quickly. “I just think this holiday is estupido.”

“Does that mean I should expect a gift from Tootsie today?”

February pursed her lips. “I’m not sure if they celebrate Valentine’s Day on Farm Planet. Maybe you should do something romantic for him instead!”

“Romance is not among my accountable skills,” said Megagirl. 

“Oh, but I can help you!” squealed February. “It will give me something to do while I wait for my gift.”

Bug sank a little lower in his seat.

***

To be continued…

It was the worst devastation Taz had seen in years.

An entire planet, tiny, harmless, one of the fledgling colonies the G.L.E.E. had begun in an effort to find a new home for the soon-to-be homeless citizens of a dying Earth. The colonies had been strategically scattered throughout the galaxy in the hopes of making them as difficult to find as possible.

But the robots had found this one.

The Cazadora’s away teams walked the bruised soil slowly, each step further confirming the desperation of the situation. They’d responded to the colony’s distress call as quickly as the starship could get them there, quick enough to chase the robots away. Not quick enough to save the colonists.

Over six hundred people, Taz kept repeating to herself. Six hundred. They were salvaging what they could, what equipment hadn’t been damaged, what food stores were left in the warehouses. Up looked back at her now, a gas mask obliterating half his face. A deep sadness was caught in his eyes, and maybe a little concern.

Of course it reminded her of the losses she’d suffered. But she’d survived them. If only she could believe there were survivors here.

As the thought crossed her mind, Up suddenly raised his hand. The team stopped moving, and now Taz could hear what Up had heard.

Footsteps.

The Rangers raised their zappers, and then a tiny figure emerged from the smoke.

It was a child. A girl, her face blackened, her hair burnt nearly to her scalp. She cupped something in her hands, and hesitated when she saw the soldiers and their guns.

Taz stepped forward instinctively. The girl looked at her with very large eyes. She opened her hands.

“A snowdrop,” she whispered. Still rooted in soil. A single bloom and a child. Two living things in this world of the dead.

“It’s the flower of hope,” said Up.

Taz cupped the girl’s hands with her own. “Yes,” she said, smiling to show the little girl that she didn’t need to be afraid anymore. “Hope.” 

I’ll be spending the next two weeks eating falafel, riding camels and floating in the Dead Sea. I’ve queued up some fics for you, so you don’t forget me while I’m gone… have a wonderful two weeks, everyone!

On this week’s Glee:

• I have serious issues with some of the ideas they put forward about suicide/depression.
• Was there a competition in this episode? I mean really.
• The only storyline dumber than Finn and Rachel getting married is this Sue pregnancy ridiculousness.
• The “Cough Syrup” sequence was terrifying and very effectively done.

Also:

• If Seblaine happens that might be it for me and this show.

liztrade:

Day 15- Your favorite Sherlock fic

This is a weird question for me to answer as I haven’t read the really popular ones that are on fanfiction.net. I’m also pretty picky when it comes to fanfiction, as I want the characters to be written like they are in the original material. 

Right now, at this moment, I’m going to say Death Do Us Part. If Karri writes more, I know that it will be absolutely brilliant.

I love that you chose a fic I’ve barely begun! I am flattered!

I will write it. I will, I will.

• B@MAN.

Bringing my netbook so I can get lots of Tup/Meganoodles/Johnlock/Cosie written on the train.

Have a lovely Sunday, all!

I know it’s been quiet around my blog lately. I’ve been busy stockpiling fics for you to enjoy while I am away in Israel!

Things you can look forward to:

• the end of Stars Passing By
• more of The Ranger and the Doctor
• ALL the requests still in my inbox
• more of that Sherlock fic I haven’t forgotten about???

You guys are going to be so sick of me by the time I get back.