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discoveredinaljHopefully I have a wee series of posts for you today, for this shortest day of the year (in the lads' world *g*), little bright Pros lights to keep the dark at bay.
And for everyone in the southern hemisphere - happy longest day of the year, and please have some sparks of Pros to celebrate! *g*
My first post is sharing a story that was sent to me for Pros FandomCards 2016, written especially for the solstice by the lovely Mizelle, who is not on livejournal, but will hopefully see any comments you care to leave her below - I'll pass them all on to her as well, in case she doesn't. *g* It was so kind of her to write a special fic, and I couldn't resist typing up the magic for everyone else to read!
Ordinary Magic
A Tale of the Winter Solstice
by Mizelle
A chill winter wind was blowing, tumbling a crumpled piece of paper and a couple of dried leaves across the sidewalk and into the gutter in front of CI5 headquarters. Bodie shivered in spite of his heavy winter coat, and hurried through the rapidly darkening night toward his Capri. The bare limbs of nearby trees scraped against one another, their noise a coarse counterpart to the cadence of his footsteps.
"Hey, Bodie!" his partner called from where he stood next to his own motor. "D'you have plans for tonight?"
"No, not really," Bodie admitted. "Just some take-out and a sit-down in front of the telly. Why?"
"I thought you might want to come round to mine. I'll make dinner. Have something I want to show you."
"What?" asked Bodie.
"Wait and see," Doyle replied. "It has to be experienced, not explained."
Bodie was intrigued. He and Doyle had only been partnered for about six months, and Doyle seemed a bit reticent about letting him get too close. Bodie, however, found Doyle irresistibly attractive and secretly longed to make their association more intimate... much more intimate. While they had been going out to pubs for the odd pint together after work, this was the first time he had been invited for a meal at Doyle's flat. He was chuffed by the apparent progress.
"Ta, mate," he responded. "What can I bring?"
"A bottle of plonk would be welcome," Doyle answered. "Come by around seven."
Bodie drove off in a pleasantly anticipatory mood, pointing the Capri towards the off-licence nearest his flat. Once there, he splurged on rather pricey wine that he was assured would please the most discriminating palate. He was convinced that Doyle was worth it.
Later that evening, when he entered Doyle's flat, he was surprised to find it lit mainly by the fireplace and candles that were placed in several locations. "Romantic, innit?" he teased.
"Not really," Doyle demurred. "I just like how the candlelight makes everything look. It's a kind of ordinary magic, something you can do with everyday things."
Bodie looked around at the way the shadows seemed deep and soft at the same time, and how anything made of glass drew the light and reflected it, shining like stars brought down to earth. "Yeah," he said. "I see what you mean."
"Besides," Doyle went on, "tonight's the Winter Solstice, a night made for magic."
"Longest night of the year, and shortest day," observed Bodie. "No wonder it got dark so fast when we were leaving headquarters."
"The moon is at Third Quarter, so it's only reflecting half-light," Doyle added.
After dinner, Bodie held his wineglass up to admire how the red wine shone ruby-like before draining it, feeling satisfied and replete. His host had prepared an excellent meal, and the wine had been a fine complement to it. Ordinary magic right enough, he thought.
"What have you got to show me, mate?" asked Bodie, as they stood up from the dining table. "Awfully curious, aren't I?"
Doyle moved to the coat rack and retrieved Bodie's coat and scarf, handing them to him before reaching for his own and beginning to put them on. "You'll want to bundle up," he said. "It's cold and we're heading outside."
Doyle led the way, opening the sliding glass door to the second story balcony overlooking his small, walled garden. Waving Bodie through, he pulled the door closed behind them. The garden was bare of foliage, but not, as Bodie was to discover, of life. Light from a nearby streetlamp caused the branches of the large tree that grew against the far wall to stripe the ground and flagstone walk with shadows. An empty birdbath held a scattering of fallen leaves. The adjacent street was empty of traffic, the wind had died down, and silence enveloped them.
Bodie felt like the two of them were cocooned in a peaceful world all their own. For a few moments, they stood still, wordlessly taking in their surroundings. Then, two dark shapes swooped across the garden and up to join several other flyers darting around the streetlamp.
"Bats," Doyle softly explained. "They catch moths attracted to the light. I made a bat house and hung it up so they'd have a place to roost in the daytime. Very useful creatures, bats."
"I'm not a fan of clothes moths, so I applaud the bats' efforts," Bodie whispered.
A series of sharp, harsh barks broke the calm. "One of the wild poodles of London?" Bodie asked. "Or is it a famous nocturnal roaming corgi?"
"Neither," Doyle grinned. "Watch the gate."
Keeping his eyes on the wide openings in the wooden gate, Bodie saw a flash of scarlet that paused for an instant and then moved on. The last part to disappear was a long, white-tipped tail. "A fox!"
"Yeah. He comes by on his rounds most nights." Doyle stepped closer to Bodie, and touched his arm. "Listen," he said quietly.
They heard a strangely querulous bird call that echoed as if it came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "There," Doyle pointed, still speaking in a low voice. "Look at the hollow in the tree trunk."
Bodie focused intently and was able to make out the large, bright eyes and well camouflaged form of a small owl tucked into what was evidently its nest in the tree. After a few moments, another own answered it, and the pair called back and forth several times. Then, the unseen owl came flying in noiselessly, and perched next to the first one. The newcomer had a mouse dangling limply from its beak.
"They're Little Owls, athene noctua," Doyle murmured. "A pair will often stay together throughout their lives. And guess whose nose is out of joint at having someone else catch a local mouse," he continued, indicating the ground at a corner of the wall. A moggy lurked there, its black coat blending in with the darkness, only the reflection of its eyes giving is position away. Sensing itself observed, it fled, squeezing under the garden gate and vanishing like a wraith.
Doyle turned to face Bodie and smiled at him, wordlessly inviting him to share his pleasure in the night and its inhabitants. Doyle's face, like the garden, like the moon, was partly in light, partly in shadow, and altogether enchanting. Bodie, greatly daring, leaned forward and pressed his chilled lips to Doyle's. To his delight, Doyle responded, putting his arms around him and lifting his face for another kiss. It was, Bodie knew, a clear case of ordinary magic.
~o*o~
Title: Ordinary Magic, a Tale of the Winter Solstice
Author: Mizelle
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit: I forgot to ask, let me check!
Disclaimer: Pros fanfic is written for love not cash, and with all due respect to the original creators.
And for everyone in the southern hemisphere - happy longest day of the year, and please have some sparks of Pros to celebrate! *g*
My first post is sharing a story that was sent to me for Pros FandomCards 2016, written especially for the solstice by the lovely Mizelle, who is not on livejournal, but will hopefully see any comments you care to leave her below - I'll pass them all on to her as well, in case she doesn't. *g* It was so kind of her to write a special fic, and I couldn't resist typing up the magic for everyone else to read!
A Tale of the Winter Solstice
by Mizelle
A chill winter wind was blowing, tumbling a crumpled piece of paper and a couple of dried leaves across the sidewalk and into the gutter in front of CI5 headquarters. Bodie shivered in spite of his heavy winter coat, and hurried through the rapidly darkening night toward his Capri. The bare limbs of nearby trees scraped against one another, their noise a coarse counterpart to the cadence of his footsteps.
"Hey, Bodie!" his partner called from where he stood next to his own motor. "D'you have plans for tonight?"
"No, not really," Bodie admitted. "Just some take-out and a sit-down in front of the telly. Why?"
"I thought you might want to come round to mine. I'll make dinner. Have something I want to show you."
"What?" asked Bodie.
"Wait and see," Doyle replied. "It has to be experienced, not explained."
Bodie was intrigued. He and Doyle had only been partnered for about six months, and Doyle seemed a bit reticent about letting him get too close. Bodie, however, found Doyle irresistibly attractive and secretly longed to make their association more intimate... much more intimate. While they had been going out to pubs for the odd pint together after work, this was the first time he had been invited for a meal at Doyle's flat. He was chuffed by the apparent progress.
"Ta, mate," he responded. "What can I bring?"
"A bottle of plonk would be welcome," Doyle answered. "Come by around seven."
Bodie drove off in a pleasantly anticipatory mood, pointing the Capri towards the off-licence nearest his flat. Once there, he splurged on rather pricey wine that he was assured would please the most discriminating palate. He was convinced that Doyle was worth it.
Later that evening, when he entered Doyle's flat, he was surprised to find it lit mainly by the fireplace and candles that were placed in several locations. "Romantic, innit?" he teased.
"Not really," Doyle demurred. "I just like how the candlelight makes everything look. It's a kind of ordinary magic, something you can do with everyday things."
Bodie looked around at the way the shadows seemed deep and soft at the same time, and how anything made of glass drew the light and reflected it, shining like stars brought down to earth. "Yeah," he said. "I see what you mean."
"Besides," Doyle went on, "tonight's the Winter Solstice, a night made for magic."
"Longest night of the year, and shortest day," observed Bodie. "No wonder it got dark so fast when we were leaving headquarters."
"The moon is at Third Quarter, so it's only reflecting half-light," Doyle added.
After dinner, Bodie held his wineglass up to admire how the red wine shone ruby-like before draining it, feeling satisfied and replete. His host had prepared an excellent meal, and the wine had been a fine complement to it. Ordinary magic right enough, he thought.
"What have you got to show me, mate?" asked Bodie, as they stood up from the dining table. "Awfully curious, aren't I?"
Doyle moved to the coat rack and retrieved Bodie's coat and scarf, handing them to him before reaching for his own and beginning to put them on. "You'll want to bundle up," he said. "It's cold and we're heading outside."
Doyle led the way, opening the sliding glass door to the second story balcony overlooking his small, walled garden. Waving Bodie through, he pulled the door closed behind them. The garden was bare of foliage, but not, as Bodie was to discover, of life. Light from a nearby streetlamp caused the branches of the large tree that grew against the far wall to stripe the ground and flagstone walk with shadows. An empty birdbath held a scattering of fallen leaves. The adjacent street was empty of traffic, the wind had died down, and silence enveloped them.
Bodie felt like the two of them were cocooned in a peaceful world all their own. For a few moments, they stood still, wordlessly taking in their surroundings. Then, two dark shapes swooped across the garden and up to join several other flyers darting around the streetlamp.
"Bats," Doyle softly explained. "They catch moths attracted to the light. I made a bat house and hung it up so they'd have a place to roost in the daytime. Very useful creatures, bats."
"I'm not a fan of clothes moths, so I applaud the bats' efforts," Bodie whispered.
A series of sharp, harsh barks broke the calm. "One of the wild poodles of London?" Bodie asked. "Or is it a famous nocturnal roaming corgi?"
"Neither," Doyle grinned. "Watch the gate."
Keeping his eyes on the wide openings in the wooden gate, Bodie saw a flash of scarlet that paused for an instant and then moved on. The last part to disappear was a long, white-tipped tail. "A fox!"
"Yeah. He comes by on his rounds most nights." Doyle stepped closer to Bodie, and touched his arm. "Listen," he said quietly.
They heard a strangely querulous bird call that echoed as if it came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. "There," Doyle pointed, still speaking in a low voice. "Look at the hollow in the tree trunk."
Bodie focused intently and was able to make out the large, bright eyes and well camouflaged form of a small owl tucked into what was evidently its nest in the tree. After a few moments, another own answered it, and the pair called back and forth several times. Then, the unseen owl came flying in noiselessly, and perched next to the first one. The newcomer had a mouse dangling limply from its beak.
"They're Little Owls, athene noctua," Doyle murmured. "A pair will often stay together throughout their lives. And guess whose nose is out of joint at having someone else catch a local mouse," he continued, indicating the ground at a corner of the wall. A moggy lurked there, its black coat blending in with the darkness, only the reflection of its eyes giving is position away. Sensing itself observed, it fled, squeezing under the garden gate and vanishing like a wraith.
Doyle turned to face Bodie and smiled at him, wordlessly inviting him to share his pleasure in the night and its inhabitants. Doyle's face, like the garden, like the moon, was partly in light, partly in shadow, and altogether enchanting. Bodie, greatly daring, leaned forward and pressed his chilled lips to Doyle's. To his delight, Doyle responded, putting his arms around him and lifting his face for another kiss. It was, Bodie knew, a clear case of ordinary magic.
Title: Ordinary Magic, a Tale of the Winter Solstice
Author: Mizelle
Slash or Gen: Slash
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit: I forgot to ask, let me check!
Disclaimer: Pros fanfic is written for love not cash, and with all due respect to the original creators.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 12:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 12:40 pm (UTC)Thanks for sharing. :-)
no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 01:33 pm (UTC)Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ (https://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=303).
no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 02:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 07:55 pm (UTC)And it is another story than I've got from her as a Christmas gift.
no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 08:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-21 10:49 pm (UTC)Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ (https://www.dreamwidth.org/support/faqbrowse?faqid=303).
no subject
Date: 2016-12-22 01:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-22 07:49 am (UTC)Thank you for sharing it :)
no subject
Date: 2016-12-22 10:05 am (UTC)Thanks for sharing, and kudos to the author!
PS I do hope she puts her stories up on AO3! If not, could you suggest that she opens an account there?
no subject
Date: 2016-12-22 11:37 am (UTC)There are urban owls and foxes right outside the window here too, not to mention cats, mice, dogs and - occasionally - bats and loads of different kinds of diurnal birds too, including parrots! But no Lads, alas :-((((((((
Huge thank-yous to the lovely author, and thank you for passing on the gift to us! And another vote for beautiful fics like this to be on archives as well, if Mizelle would like to ... ???? I do hope so!
no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:11 pm (UTC)Mizelle
no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:55 pm (UTC)Your story is a delight and I hope all the positive comments encourage you to write more! :-)
no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-12-23 09:14 pm (UTC)But you really have a nice way of writing and I think you should write much more. :-)
no subject
Date: 2016-12-31 07:10 pm (UTC)What a gorgeous little story - I love the peaceful atmosphere you've woven around them in their private world. Thank you so much.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-01 01:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-10 12:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-10 12:57 am (UTC)