Elizabeth Culmer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
edenfalling) wrote2010-04-14 02:19 am
edenfalling) wrote2010-04-14 02:19 am
Entry tags:
[Fic] "Cobweb Maze: Dinner Date" -- original, Ithaca Paranormal
This is a snippet from some point in "Cobweb Maze," an original... well, it's either paranormal romance or urban fantasy. In other words, it is based around a heterosexual love story, but there's a lot of other stuff going on, and Lia Reynard and Takeshi Fitzroy don't fit a lot of paranormal romance relationship stereotypes. (Also, I am never sure quite where the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance is.)
Anyway, this takes place sometime after In the Still of the Night, the snippet I previously posted from this story. Aileen Stearns is the main character from another novel set in this world, wherein she meets a guy named Joey Malinowski and they try to clear a mutual friend from a murder charge. Aileen and Takeshi dated a while ago, but mutually broke it off and became close platonic friends. Kari, who is mentioned in passing in the following snippet, is Hikaru Fitzroy, Takeshi's little sister. (550 words)
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Dinner Date
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"Six o'clock. And I expect candles and romance, as promised," Lia said. She was still laughing when she ended the call.
Takeshi stared at his phone for a long moment before he remembered to flip it shut and plug it back into the charger. Right. Candles and romance. Candles were easy. He had lots of candles; they were useful for meditation and ambiance and occasionally creeping out clients he didn't like but couldn't bring himself to turn down. A romantic dinner, though, required: A) a clean table, which meant he needed to find somewhere to put all his files and books, B) a clean apartment, which meant he needed to remember where Kari had put his vacuum and the bottle of Windex the last time she'd visited and decimated the innocent dust bunny community under his furniture, and C) edible, preferably non-processed food, which meant...
"Oh, hell," Takeshi said, and called Aileen for help.
Two hours later, he was busily poking the vacuum's hose attachment behind his bookcases and didn't hear Aileen ringing the doorbell. Fortunately, he'd never gotten around to asking her to return her key, and she let herself up and in.
Takeshi didn't notice until she unplugged the vacuum cleaner.
"Generally," Aileen said as he spun to find the source of his newest obstacle, "you're supposed to thank your rescuer, not ignore her in favor of mutant dust bunnies and mildew colonies."
She smiled.
Takeshi spread his arms wide, accidentally shoving the vacuum hose into a hanging spider plant. "Aileen! My hero! Mutant dust bunnies shrivel at the sight of your righteous glory. I grovel before you in my unworthiness."
Aileen shut the stairwell door and favored Takeshi with a wry smile. "I thought dramatics were Kari's thing? And save the hyperbole for your girlfriend; you're years too late to impress me." She glanced around his living room, eyes widening at the sudden presence of clear surface area on the coffee table and sofa arms. "Wow. Did you spontaneously develop a new kind of tweak that lets you compress space? Because otherwise, I have no idea where you fit all your junk."
Takeshi felt himself flushing. "It involved several boxes and promising Mrs. Mejia that I'd take care of all the yardwork for the next three weeks," he said. "But anyway, thank you. I don't care if you cook or call a caterer or what, so long as I have something to feed Lia that isn't cheese on toast or frozen fish sticks."
"Not a problem," Aileen reassured him. Then she paused, and frowned, and Takeshi thought he might have a heart attack. "Um. Unless she has any objections to Mexican? I'm taking shameless advantage of Joey's shift break and making him deliver from Sombra, but if Lia's allergic to guacamole or something..."
Takeshi breathed again. "No, no allergies. And... well, if she wanted to make sure she'd enjoy the meal, shouldn't she have told me her preferences?"
Aileen opened the cupboard Takeshi used as a linen closet and began shoving crumpled cloth around. "He can be taught! Yes, if Lia didn't say anything, it's not your fault if she doesn't like the food. Now go plug the vacuum back in and finish molesting your dust bunnies. I'm going to find you a clean tablecloth if it kills me."
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Inspired by the 4/11/10![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
15_minute_ficlets word #28: frantic
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Hmm. Takeshi is awfully cute when he's flustered. And I am very fond of Aileen as well. I wonder if I should try writing one of their novels for NaNo this year...?
Anyway, this takes place sometime after In the Still of the Night, the snippet I previously posted from this story. Aileen Stearns is the main character from another novel set in this world, wherein she meets a guy named Joey Malinowski and they try to clear a mutual friend from a murder charge. Aileen and Takeshi dated a while ago, but mutually broke it off and became close platonic friends. Kari, who is mentioned in passing in the following snippet, is Hikaru Fitzroy, Takeshi's little sister. (550 words)
---------------------------------------------
Dinner Date
---------------------------------------------
"Six o'clock. And I expect candles and romance, as promised," Lia said. She was still laughing when she ended the call.
Takeshi stared at his phone for a long moment before he remembered to flip it shut and plug it back into the charger. Right. Candles and romance. Candles were easy. He had lots of candles; they were useful for meditation and ambiance and occasionally creeping out clients he didn't like but couldn't bring himself to turn down. A romantic dinner, though, required: A) a clean table, which meant he needed to find somewhere to put all his files and books, B) a clean apartment, which meant he needed to remember where Kari had put his vacuum and the bottle of Windex the last time she'd visited and decimated the innocent dust bunny community under his furniture, and C) edible, preferably non-processed food, which meant...
"Oh, hell," Takeshi said, and called Aileen for help.
Two hours later, he was busily poking the vacuum's hose attachment behind his bookcases and didn't hear Aileen ringing the doorbell. Fortunately, he'd never gotten around to asking her to return her key, and she let herself up and in.
Takeshi didn't notice until she unplugged the vacuum cleaner.
"Generally," Aileen said as he spun to find the source of his newest obstacle, "you're supposed to thank your rescuer, not ignore her in favor of mutant dust bunnies and mildew colonies."
She smiled.
Takeshi spread his arms wide, accidentally shoving the vacuum hose into a hanging spider plant. "Aileen! My hero! Mutant dust bunnies shrivel at the sight of your righteous glory. I grovel before you in my unworthiness."
Aileen shut the stairwell door and favored Takeshi with a wry smile. "I thought dramatics were Kari's thing? And save the hyperbole for your girlfriend; you're years too late to impress me." She glanced around his living room, eyes widening at the sudden presence of clear surface area on the coffee table and sofa arms. "Wow. Did you spontaneously develop a new kind of tweak that lets you compress space? Because otherwise, I have no idea where you fit all your junk."
Takeshi felt himself flushing. "It involved several boxes and promising Mrs. Mejia that I'd take care of all the yardwork for the next three weeks," he said. "But anyway, thank you. I don't care if you cook or call a caterer or what, so long as I have something to feed Lia that isn't cheese on toast or frozen fish sticks."
"Not a problem," Aileen reassured him. Then she paused, and frowned, and Takeshi thought he might have a heart attack. "Um. Unless she has any objections to Mexican? I'm taking shameless advantage of Joey's shift break and making him deliver from Sombra, but if Lia's allergic to guacamole or something..."
Takeshi breathed again. "No, no allergies. And... well, if she wanted to make sure she'd enjoy the meal, shouldn't she have told me her preferences?"
Aileen opened the cupboard Takeshi used as a linen closet and began shoving crumpled cloth around. "He can be taught! Yes, if Lia didn't say anything, it's not your fault if she doesn't like the food. Now go plug the vacuum back in and finish molesting your dust bunnies. I'm going to find you a clean tablecloth if it kills me."
---------------------------------------------
Inspired by the 4/11/10
15_minute_ficlets word #28: frantic---------------------------------------------
Hmm. Takeshi is awfully cute when he's flustered. And I am very fond of Aileen as well. I wonder if I should try writing one of their novels for NaNo this year...?