Fanfic: Counting Crows

[silvercheers]

Or "I recently rediscover my love for an old rhyme and inflict it on everyone else by way of drabble series." Dragons are like birds, right? Thanks to my wonderful beta Fireredlily. <3


Counting Crows

*_*_*

One for sorrow

Sometimes things end, and Kurt grieves. Some part of him wants to stay here, on his knees with the solemn slice of stone cracking the ground, but he has a long trek yet in front of him and every second he spends still is one second too many.

So he stands, wipes away his tears with one grimy, dirt-stained hand, and takes a huge, shuddering breath. The Farlands await, and though it’s all he can do to turn away from that blue collar resting in the dust, he has to go. He’ll find that place for the both of them.

*_*_*

Two for joy

The roof! His roof! Oh, god. Bdubs falls back against the nearest solid—whole!—pillar with a hand over his gaping mouth. His roof is back! Fixed! Complete! What? When did…? He’s so excited that he nearly breaks his neck enderpearling onto the planks high above his arena. The wood sounds weird, so he taps it experimentally. Fireproof? Doesn’t Beef own the rest of those?

Bdubs’ communicator buzzes.

Guude: like it? ;)

“You guys…” he murmurs, touched beyond words.

Pyropuncher: pool party time!

Bdubs looks into the ring. “You guys…” They couldn’t just fix the roof and leave, could they.

*_*_*

Three for a girl

The smell of smoke and the glow of fire is what draws MC to Arkas’ theater. Arson is unsettlingly normal, it’s the shock of fiery hair and distinctly female giggling he finds at the scene that’s startling.

“A-Aureylian? You’re the arsonist?”

“Of course not! I’m the chief of Assisted Destruction via Incineration. I was asked to do this.” She waves a card. “I have a permit.”

He stares at her, still suspicious.

“Want to help? …Totally legal, I swear,” she tries with an innocent grin.

MC whips out his flint and steel. “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

*_*_*

Four for a boy

Creation is a sacred thing; especially the creation of life. Carbon or silicon, plasma or copper, brain or CPU, in the long run, what’s the difference? Sentience and empathy are such precious things and there’s nothing to be gained from squandering them with prejudice or a lack of proper respect.

Etho smiles gently beneath his mask as he screws the final piece of plating into place and sets the robot on his charging pad.

After all, what’s the measure of a life?

"Can you hear me, Sethbot?"

Digital eyes flicker on and blink up at him.

"Hello, world. ...Hello, Etho."

*_*_*

Five for silver

Stone is gray. Cobblestone is darker, with pits and veins that make it random and so interesting. Stone brick, with its order and clean lines, brings that streamlined feel until it grows damp with moss and strict propriety becomes something with age and character. Simple accenting colors to bring out the complexity of the design of the buildings.

So it seems drab on paper. So it looks like a pile of rock and dirt in progress. So his muscles burn at the end of the day. Arkas knows the matte gray of stone is far more beautiful than any silver.

*_*_*

Six for gold

It’s… peaceful. So different from the strife and death of the sport before, and yet Aureylian’s nerves have already settled. The adrenaline’s long faded and as odd as it seems, she feels more relaxed than she has in weeks, sprawled on the grass in the middle of a drowsing puppy-pile of Mindcrackers. All of these people were trying (and succeeding) to kill her over the last week, but right now, the sun barely peeking over the horizon to edge the world in gold, her head on someone’s arm and someone else draped over her legs, she’s never felt more content.

*_*_*

Seven for a secret, never to be told

Somewhere under the stars there is an egg. That egg is deep purple, the color of magpie feathers. It shifts and pulses with cold and sometimes it isn’t all there.

Occasionally, there is a person with it. The person comes to replace the faded stone beneath the egg’s rest with new stone, full of empty, nourishing light. They read to it, and smile at it, the excited grin of someone watching the very beginnings of life. They run their hands just above the shell, never touching but letting their fingers run through the chilling, whispering nothingness.

The egg sleeps on.

*_*_*

Eight for a wish

There’s a secret to enchanting. It’s ancient runic magic, there’s always a secret. At least this one’s nice, for Old magic at least.

The trick is to want to help someone so much that it eclipses every other desire. It’s completely other-oriented sacrifice, and that’s a state nearly impossible to achieve. But he can do it. The wish doesn’t need to leave his heart for the magic to hear it.

I want to protect my teammate!

BTC smiles grimly, as best he’s able with his skull, lifting his Sharpness blade from the table. Let them try to get to Pak.

*_*_*

Nine for a kiss

Red. Like anger, pain, a bloody crimson astering scarlet. It fills his vision, painting great, dripping brushstrokes over the trees, slowly boxing in his sight and oh god the sounds. Everywhere his eyes are not, nails-on-chalkboard screeching, glass-shattering screams, lashing hisses, he twists to catch one, letting out his own cry of panic.

There are hands on him, cool and damp, and he punches at one but his arm won’t move. His voice fails on his next shout.

“Shh, just a fever dream, Pyro.”

A feathery brush of lips on his forehead.

“Sleep peacefully. The monsters can’t get you here.”

*_*_*

Ten for a bird that mustn’t be missed

It would be a moment poised at the tip of a needle. The atmosphere is perfect, ethereal contrast between glowing ground and empty space, the glimmer of purple eyes hidden in the stars. But here they all are, squabbling like children.

“I want to kill it!”

“Only my sign is mighty enough to slay the dragon!”

“Fuck your sign!”

“Was that an euphemism? Because I have dibs.”

“Ignoring that, does your sign have projectiles? I thought not.”

“Shut up! Just take the first shot, Guude!”

The bowstring sings against his cheek and the arrow flies into inky blackness.

It begins.

*_*_*

End.

So many tags. O.O I don't usually need so many characters.

Comments

[chemrepnacl]

This was absolutely beautiful :D

[theropod]

That was pretty good :D

[gummy53]

Amazing writing + some of my favorite moments of Mindcrack ever= Perfection. <3

[wildh10l]

I love your writing, not just because it's amazing, but also because it's so original. <3

[silvercheers]

Thanks! It's a new style for me, so I'm glad it turned out.

[silvercheers]

Thanks! :D Drabbles are interesting and kind of difficult. My usual stuff, while not exactly wordy, still isn't concise so it was a new experience.

[silvercheers]

God yes. Bdubs' roof is probably my favorite Mindcrack moment. He's just so HAPPY and THANKFUL. (plus the videos of them rebuilding are hilarious and really cute) Thanks!

[silvercheers]

Wish I could say its the first time I've tried to do this. A few NaNos ago I tried to do a one-shot series with some OCs of mine. It, uh, didn't pan out. I'm glad it worked out this time. :D Thank you!

[kappa77]

This was really interesting and different! I really liked it!

[(Anonymous)]

I am impressed!!!

-Eclipse

[silvercheers]

Thanks! I strive to be unique. :P

[silvercheers]

:D Thank you, glad you like!

[sunsetmondays]

I was so caught up by the nostalgia of the second one that I almost forgot to read the rest. They're wonderful. <3

[silvercheers]

When I first got into Mindcrack I was really surprised to see they had a TvTropes page. That was one of the two moments on the Crowning Moment of Heartwarming page and it so deserved to be there. <3 Thanks!

[mooshlovely]

That was really cool. <3

[silvercheers]

Thanks! <3 Happy you enjoyed.