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A couple of Biggles promptfics
I had a long plane flight yesterday (holiday travel) and decided to try to clear out a little more of my Tumblr prompt backlog before the end of the year.
1. Friendly fire: Algy and EvS
200 wds - Also on Tumblr
Prompt: Algy & EvS friendly fire incident?
"I didn't shoot you on purpose, you know," Algy muttered, as he bound a bandage from their medical kit around von Stalhein's upper arm. He didn't want to feel guilty about this, and the fact that he did was deeply annoying.
"I am aware of that." The subject of Algy's ministrations glanced sideways at him. Though he retained his habitual lack of expression, von Stalhein looked pinched and grey. "For one thing, if you had, I expect you would have aimed higher, and to the left."
In other words, his head. Algy scowled at him. "I'm not -- that is -- Look, however I feel about you, I wouldn't do that. Biggles would kill me, and I'd deserve it ---wait. Did you just make a joke?"
The only answer was a twitch of the thin lips, bringing a touch of expression to the austere, rather pale face.
"A terrible, terrible joke," Algy grumbled as he tied off the bandage. "This is an awful time for you to spontaneously find out that you have a sense of humor."
But he felt his own lips twitch, too.
2. Drug that mimics death - Erich & Biggles
700 wds - Also on Tumblr.
Prompt: Either EvS or Biggles is dosed with a drug that gives the appearance of death while the victim still remains aware of their surroundings and has to helplessly listen as the other grieves and confesses how they really feel, unable to do anything until the drug wears off
It was an odd feeling, languid, like being underwater. Sounds came to Erich faintly, seemingly filtered through a muffling fog. But he was aware that he was propped up on something softer and less cold than the ground.
"Biggles ..." The voice came from somewhat far away. He knew that voice. Lacey. It was strangely soft. "Biggles, we have to go. You need to leave him."
"I shall not." This voice was closer, just above him. He would know it anywhere, but not with that odd choked note in it. "We'll -- we'll take him with us. We can find room."
"Biggles, there's no time, they'll catch up with us at any moment, and there's Ginger's leg to consider." Still with that strange, soft note. Erich wondered vaguely what they were talking about. His thoughts seemed sluggish and disconnected.
"I know. You and Bertie will help Ginger. Go on ahead. I'll come behind --" Bigglesworth seemed to pause a moment. "-- and carry him. If I am late to the rendezvous, go on without me."
Lacey huffed out an inexplicable frustrated sound. "Right. Bertie, could you give Ginger a hand? You two, go on ahead to the machine. I'm going to lend a hand here."
The softer thing beneath Erich's head shifted abruptly, and then everything became very confused. His eyes seemed to be closed, or else it was very dark. Breathing was difficult too. He was aware of jolting movement, the confusion of feeling his body moving different ways in space without his control, unable to quite understand what was happening to him.
He kept drifting, but fought to keep from slipping into the darkness trying to claim him. He had a strong sense that he shouldn't, that it was important somehow not to let go just yet.
Once, he was jarred out of his semi-conscious state by a painful jolt, and Bigglesworth saying sharply, with a raw note in his voice, "Careful!"
"It's not like he can feel -- yes, all right, you're right, I'm sorry." Lacey again.
Something had happened, Erich thought hazily ... to one of them? He felt strangely sorry for that, though he couldn't say why he should. But although they were on opposite sides, had always been on opposite sides, he hoped it hadn't been something he had done that had put that raw note in Bigglesworth's voice.
He lost some more time, and then there was a vibration under him that he knew. An aeroplane ... of course. He once more found his head resting on something oddly warm and yielding.
"We'll find out who to return the ... the body to," Bigglesworth said, just above him. "It's the right thing." He was hard to hear over the growing noise of the engine, but Erich strained to hear anyway.
Through the noise and the juddering motion of the machine, the only constant remained the softness upon which he seemed to be resting, to the extent that he could feel anything. He was aware of something brushing his face, startlingly warm. He didn't realize it was someone's hand until the fingers spread out against his cheek, as if to cup it.
"I'm sorry," Bigglesworth said. His voice was quiet, and Erich was dimly surprised that he could make it out; things seemed a little clearer now. "If I'd been a little faster -- but it doesn't matter now. None of it does. I would have liked it to have been different, between us. I wished it to be."
The hand slipped down to rest against Erich's throat, fingers so warm they seemed almost to burn. By now Erich was sure that he must be dreaming, so he simply relaxed into it, and found that he was able to turn his head a little, just a slight shift, turning his face into what turned out to be Bigglesworth's flight jacket.
There was a sharp intake of breath.
"Algy!" Bigglesworth said. His hand curled around Erich's throat, fingers pressing in a way that was suddenly uncomfortable. "Algy -- come here! I think he's breathing."
Whatever Lacey said was lost in a rushing in his ears that spun down to silence, as Erich finally lost his grip on consciousness and fell away into the dark.
***
This one stops where it stops, but if anyone wants to run with it from there (or do your own take on it!) you'd be more than welcome ...
1. Friendly fire: Algy and EvS
200 wds - Also on Tumblr
Prompt: Algy & EvS friendly fire incident?
"I didn't shoot you on purpose, you know," Algy muttered, as he bound a bandage from their medical kit around von Stalhein's upper arm. He didn't want to feel guilty about this, and the fact that he did was deeply annoying.
"I am aware of that." The subject of Algy's ministrations glanced sideways at him. Though he retained his habitual lack of expression, von Stalhein looked pinched and grey. "For one thing, if you had, I expect you would have aimed higher, and to the left."
In other words, his head. Algy scowled at him. "I'm not -- that is -- Look, however I feel about you, I wouldn't do that. Biggles would kill me, and I'd deserve it ---wait. Did you just make a joke?"
The only answer was a twitch of the thin lips, bringing a touch of expression to the austere, rather pale face.
"A terrible, terrible joke," Algy grumbled as he tied off the bandage. "This is an awful time for you to spontaneously find out that you have a sense of humor."
But he felt his own lips twitch, too.
2. Drug that mimics death - Erich & Biggles
700 wds - Also on Tumblr.
Prompt: Either EvS or Biggles is dosed with a drug that gives the appearance of death while the victim still remains aware of their surroundings and has to helplessly listen as the other grieves and confesses how they really feel, unable to do anything until the drug wears off
It was an odd feeling, languid, like being underwater. Sounds came to Erich faintly, seemingly filtered through a muffling fog. But he was aware that he was propped up on something softer and less cold than the ground.
"Biggles ..." The voice came from somewhat far away. He knew that voice. Lacey. It was strangely soft. "Biggles, we have to go. You need to leave him."
"I shall not." This voice was closer, just above him. He would know it anywhere, but not with that odd choked note in it. "We'll -- we'll take him with us. We can find room."
"Biggles, there's no time, they'll catch up with us at any moment, and there's Ginger's leg to consider." Still with that strange, soft note. Erich wondered vaguely what they were talking about. His thoughts seemed sluggish and disconnected.
"I know. You and Bertie will help Ginger. Go on ahead. I'll come behind --" Bigglesworth seemed to pause a moment. "-- and carry him. If I am late to the rendezvous, go on without me."
Lacey huffed out an inexplicable frustrated sound. "Right. Bertie, could you give Ginger a hand? You two, go on ahead to the machine. I'm going to lend a hand here."
The softer thing beneath Erich's head shifted abruptly, and then everything became very confused. His eyes seemed to be closed, or else it was very dark. Breathing was difficult too. He was aware of jolting movement, the confusion of feeling his body moving different ways in space without his control, unable to quite understand what was happening to him.
He kept drifting, but fought to keep from slipping into the darkness trying to claim him. He had a strong sense that he shouldn't, that it was important somehow not to let go just yet.
Once, he was jarred out of his semi-conscious state by a painful jolt, and Bigglesworth saying sharply, with a raw note in his voice, "Careful!"
"It's not like he can feel -- yes, all right, you're right, I'm sorry." Lacey again.
Something had happened, Erich thought hazily ... to one of them? He felt strangely sorry for that, though he couldn't say why he should. But although they were on opposite sides, had always been on opposite sides, he hoped it hadn't been something he had done that had put that raw note in Bigglesworth's voice.
He lost some more time, and then there was a vibration under him that he knew. An aeroplane ... of course. He once more found his head resting on something oddly warm and yielding.
"We'll find out who to return the ... the body to," Bigglesworth said, just above him. "It's the right thing." He was hard to hear over the growing noise of the engine, but Erich strained to hear anyway.
Through the noise and the juddering motion of the machine, the only constant remained the softness upon which he seemed to be resting, to the extent that he could feel anything. He was aware of something brushing his face, startlingly warm. He didn't realize it was someone's hand until the fingers spread out against his cheek, as if to cup it.
"I'm sorry," Bigglesworth said. His voice was quiet, and Erich was dimly surprised that he could make it out; things seemed a little clearer now. "If I'd been a little faster -- but it doesn't matter now. None of it does. I would have liked it to have been different, between us. I wished it to be."
The hand slipped down to rest against Erich's throat, fingers so warm they seemed almost to burn. By now Erich was sure that he must be dreaming, so he simply relaxed into it, and found that he was able to turn his head a little, just a slight shift, turning his face into what turned out to be Bigglesworth's flight jacket.
There was a sharp intake of breath.
"Algy!" Bigglesworth said. His hand curled around Erich's throat, fingers pressing in a way that was suddenly uncomfortable. "Algy -- come here! I think he's breathing."
Whatever Lacey said was lost in a rushing in his ears that spun down to silence, as Erich finally lost his grip on consciousness and fell away into the dark.
***
This one stops where it stops, but if anyone wants to run with it from there (or do your own take on it!) you'd be more than welcome ...
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