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[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

I don't seem to be able to write anything but drabbles in Pros yet, but I'm trying!

The titles are lyrics from three well-known Clash songs: London Calling, Guns of Brixton, and Rock the Casbah.




London Calling

When the phone rang, he knew.

He tried to will it to stillness. Picked up, unable to bear either sound or silence.

"Bodie."

"Guilty. All counts." Cowley's voice was blank, stripped.

He'd known, he'd expected it, but still Bodie felt reality slide.

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. He forced himself to breathe, and wondered why.

"Damn."

"Aye, damn. Of all my men—better all round if he'd died when he took those bullets."

"Same result in the end, sir."

"How's that?"

"Told him once: corruption's where the worms are. This way just takes a bit longer."


*****


Shot Down on the Pavement

The bastards shoved her out the door and left her to die on the stoop.

I could have told her: people like us are pawns, and when the hard men don't need you any more, you're expendable. I could have spit on her and walked away, let her bleed out like a dog.

Ray wouldn't like that. Even if he never lives to find out.

Her hand's cold. I can feel the nicks and calluses left by her tools. Pulse even weaker than his was.

I can't hold Doyle's hand. I'll hold hers. He'll understand.


******


That Crazy Casbah Sound

It was the sixth bomb that finally broke Doyle's nerve. They'd spent the morning scrambling around London, always behind, always arriving too late for all but the body count. Now he leaned against the Capri, grey, trembling, thousand yard stare fixed on the blood running along the gutter. Bodie, who'd seen worse, though not often, stepped in front of him, grabbing his hair, forcing his head down into the curve of Bodie's neck.

"I can hear it dripping," Doyle mumbled.

Bodie turned, pushing Doyle's head closer until one ear rested directly against his carotid.

"Hear this."

Comments

apologies to archivist

[(Anonymous)]

Sorry, I forgot the trailer. I'm slow at this time of the morning

Title: London Calling, Shot Down on the Pavement, That Crazy Casbah Sound
Author: Verlaine
Slash or Gen: gen
Archive at ProsLib/Circuit: yes, please
Author's Name for Archiving (if different to above):
Disclaimer: mine? hah!
Notes:

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

These are very powerful and gritty drabbles.

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

thank you! glad you enjoyed.

[callistosh65.livejournal.com]

Excellent! The last one especially packs a vivid emotional punch. Great, great imagery. You just carry on drabbling, my dear.*g*

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm hoping that a few of the snips and ideas I'm accumulating will eventually grow up into real stories.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, nononono - I'd like to hear some more about that first one, please! *g*

Very nice, all of them - thank you (though of course, being me, I'm not reading them as "gen", I'm afraid...!) *vbg*

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed them. I have to confess I was thinking slash as I wrote, but it's a little hard to get 10 pages of hot sex into 100 words. *beg*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

They're all good, but I love the last one to tiny bits. :~)

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Grrrrr - and when I said 'good', I meant 'great amazing fantastic'... but the cat I haven't got (don't ask) distracted me before I could go back and edit that 'good' into what I wanted to say, and then I pushed the post button...

They're all fantastic, but I love the last one best.

I'll shut up and crawl away now *g*

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much. (And I would have been perfectly happy with "good" *g*)

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Ooh, these are nice and vivid! Very strong. Mind you, they remind me why I don't much care for the drabble form.... *g* Er, please keep on trying!

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you. I will try harder *g*

[solosundance.livejournal.com]

great use of the song titles, really powerful stuff. I'm more than happy if you go on drabbling y'know, but can't wait to see you expand into the longerererer form *g*

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And I have a bunch of ideas that are waiting to be developed and expanded. But I'm a s-l-o-w writer, and still haven't seen all the eps, so I really need to devote extensive time to research. *g*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Very nice, Verlaine. Man, you have a lot of emotions in those few words. You just keep right on practicing on the drabbles until you're ready. Which is soon, I hope! I have to agree, the last one was so heart-wrenching. Thanks!

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear. I'm working at it. Very pleased the drabbles are working for you.

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

These are perfect, packing so much emotion into so few words. I especially love the last paragraph of Shot Down on the Pavement.

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I watched Discoverd in a Graveyard for the first time the night before, and that scene just blew me away. The drabble practically wrote itself.

[myrebelcat.livejournal.com]

Excellent drabbles!

And Yeats, too! Awesome!

I like the first very much, but on consideration the last is probably my favorite. I just love the mix of affection, care and pure practicality.

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Rebel. Glad you liked.

[crimson-37.livejournal.com]

They each pack a punch, don't they. Thank you.

I love that you rocked the boat in London Calling and would love to read a story that expanded on this. I would hint, but if drabbles are your thing right now, would you be against someone else picking it up?
Shot down on the pavement, was very moving and I loved the insight into Bodie's insight on how Doyle's mind works. Very vivid.
'Casbah' Very for want of a better word - real. I love that you pull out all the stops and go for the throat in your writing. I love this one most. Bodie at his most pratical and emotional, he won't let anything get to Ray for too long. You've put, gen? Me, I'm afraid I couldn't see anything but slash, but that might be my slashers mind. ;P
Thank you, honey, lovely!

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thank so. So pleased you enjoyed.

If anybody feels inspired to pick up the idea in London Calling, feel free. I don't write a lot of unhappy endings - I can manage a harsh drabble because I don't have to supply all the angsty details, but I'm not surre I can carry it through to a longer story.

And, yes, I've got the slashers mind too, but 100 words is too short for all the good stuff *BG*

[hgdoghouse.livejournal.com]

Oh, I really liked 'That Crazy Casbah Sound' and I usually loathe drabbles because of the frustration factor of wanting more, you understand) but this is exactly the length it needs to be and says everything very powerfully.

'Shot Down on the Pavement' - I just love the last paragraph.

[przed.livejournal.com]

These are all very powerful pieces. As much as I'd like to see more (just *what* has happened before London Calling?) the concentrated nature of the drabble makes the emotions stronger. Lovely and harsh and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your writing in Pros.

[empty-mirrors.livejournal.com]

Oh they really hit home. Wonderful stuff, thanks.

[magnifica7.livejournal.com]

So very, very excellent! Again, thank you so much for sharing! :)

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for all the great feedback you've been giving me. I really appreciate you letting me know you've enjoyed my drabbles

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all the lovely fb you've sent for my drabbles. It's much appreciated.