bakerstreet | The Other Wordly meme

The Other Wordly meme

The Other-Wordly Meme

Words are magical things; they can have so many lovely connotations and varied histories.
Words have family trees just like people. They are linked to each other.
Some words are full of flavor and color and describe things you never suspected there were words for.
Words are why we're here.

The meme is simple: post a comment with your muse's name and canon in the subject line.
List any preferences you may have ("No Shipping," "No Smut," etc.), if you decide to leave the next step up to responders.
Responders (or original posters, if they so decide), go to the Other-Wordly blog and hit 'Random' until you get a word. Use the word as a prompt to write up an RP scenario. Do this several times, if you like. Mix and match. Have fun with it!
Don't stop with a word, though! Words can often have etymologies that are at odds with their current meanings. Words can shift connotations over time. Let your imagination carry you with the words as its wind.

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Harry's fingers twiddle against the arm of his chair, making soft tapping sounds against the leather. He's called Allison to him to address certain... unsettling incidents he's been made aware of, and of course, she's late.

He growls quietly, nurses the glass of blood at his side. There's a good reason the Old Ones don't take on many recruits, and that's due to the simple fact that their heads might explode otherwise.

Honestly, Allison is pretty sure he should've expected her not to even remotely act like some sort of sycophant or kiss ass like the other vampires around here. Given how horrible she could be to him when she was human and he was still Hal.

So it's not her fault, in her opinion, if she's true to form. Eventually, she'll show up. Thirty, forty minutes late. But here.

She could've just ignored him for an entire day. She's done that before.

Harry doesn't say a word at first, doesn't betray emotion, just motions her to the chair across his desk, where a glass and a half-full carafe of blood are waiting.

Once she's settled in, they can talk. Harry believes in civilized behavior. Most of the time.

Well. She'll just have a seat and down that glass of blood in that order, won't she? After that, a bright smile at him. Why not. "You wanted to talk?"

He smiles back, albeit thinly. "Yes. I'm happy you were able to make our appointment." There's an implied 'finally' in there. Somewhere.

He clasps his hands loosely on the desk in front of him, mulling over his words. Even though he knows precisely what he is going to say, planned it in advance, and had a good hour to rehearse if he'd really wanted to.

"Do you remember what I told you on the day you were recruited?"

Allison didn't really stop smiling. She's expecting...well, she's not really sure what. She doesn't imagine it will be good. "You said a lot of things. Is there something specific you want me to remember?"

Well, ideally, Allison, you'd remember all of it. Harry doesn't like repeating himself. His fingers tighten together, briefly, before relaxing.

"You've been born into a long and prestigious history," he informs her with forced calm. "A society that has learned how to remain unseen for centuries. We've got a system in place that must be preserved. Though we may not agree on everything, we recognize that we all must work together on this. Do you understand?"

"No. Actually. I don't." Ha ha, Harry. Or. Something. "It's a long history, but it's antiquated. So no, I don't understand."

Harry smirks, because she's right. "No, of course you don't. You're young. You haven't yet seen the damage one little slip-up can do. Unfortunately, we have. If humans discovered that vampires actually exist..."

He spreads his hands. "Let's just say that it should never come to that. Ever." And he fixes Allison with a flat stare.

She tilts her head at him, unknowingly mimicing her robotic double. "Do you think that explains anything? 'Let's just say'? It's like doublespeak for when you don't even know what would happen. Today isn't the dark ages. Yet you assume people would act like they are, if they figured out you exist."

A headshake. "Or maybe they ought to. Maybe they ought to know about us so they can fight back. Form a resistance. Maybe some of us would join them." Once a resistance girl, always a resistance girl.

All right, now he just has to laugh, long and hard. It's several moments before he can regain composure, in fact. And when he does, he's actually wiping tears from his eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry. It's just... how can you talk of joining them with their blood still on your lips, Allison? Do you think your beverage of choice has been, what? Volunteered? Donated out of the goodness of their human hearts?" And he leans over the desk toward her, his eyes cruel.

"Do you think they'd want anything to do with you if they knew what you really are?"

"People might. People have. Donated. Wanted to have things to do with me." She watches him, carefully. "Maybe it's just you they wouldn't want to have anything to do with. Hal, I don't think, would have that problem."

For a moment Harry looks as if he might strike her, all the mirth dropped from his face. He dislikes so much of what Allison does, but one of the worst is her continual comparisons to his former self. But after a tense moment he drops back into his chair and stares coldly at her.

"I apologize. I'm not making myself very clear, am I? Every human you contact, I will have killed. Another whisper from you about what you are-- what we are-- and they die. Do you understand?"

Looking that angry is something different than the way he usually looks at her, isn't it? So it makes her curious. "Do I?" She looks at him, watches him. She has no doubt that he'd do just that. "I understand that you're myopic. I understand you'd rather punish me for slighting you than seeing a bigger picture."

He huffs out a small, incredulous laugh. "This has nothing to do with you and me. I believe it's you who are missing the bigger picture. Sooner or later, Allison, you'll have to accept your place in things."

He fixes her with a solemn stare. "And I'd greatly prefer you didn't drag us all down with you in the process."

"I don't believe you." Staring right back at him. "I don't. I think if it weren't about you and me, or Hal and me, you wouldn't even bother."

Harry sighs wearily, in the manner of one who's had to explain this countless times. "In case you've forgotten, and I can't imagine how you might have-- you're my recruit. My responsibility. But believe me when I tell you that what you're doing affects us all."

"Well, Harry, it's not like I had much of a choice there, is it?" It's not like he asked her opinion on the subject of this recruitment.

"And if you had? Would you rather I'd just left you to die?" It's an old argument, one that crops up but can never really be satisfactorily resolved for either of them. Harry can't believe anyone would honestly choose death over eternal life, but Allison might be more of a fool than he bargained for.

"What's done is done, I'm afraid," he sighs again. "The choice I am offering you today is simple: fall in line, or start a war you have absolutely no chance of winning."

"Who says I have to win?" She's never really said that she cares all that much about the other people she's involving in this. Has she? Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. "Maybe I just have to wait you out."

Or Hal.

He peers at her as if she's completely lost her mind.

"Wait... for what, exactly?"

Well, she'll give him the same exact look, then. "Why would I tell you that?"

He smiles slightly. It's a dangerous smile.

"Because the rest of your life depends on it."

Does she care? Apparently a very little bit, anyway. "Wait for him. For Hal? He'll be back eventually, right?"

He hisses under his breath as if he's been stung, but it's exaggerated. False.

"Well, ouch. That's certainly a surprise, isn't it. You prefer the one who can't keep his promises? That weak-willed shell of a man? Sorry to say you may have to wait a very long time."

Harry then adds, nonchalantly, "If he comes back at all."

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rawr DW popups need to die

DW pop ups?

the ones that keep making me ban you by accident >.>

oops!

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