Fic: Demons'll Charm (Swordspoint, R)

[brigdh]

Title: Demons'll Charm
Author: Brigdh
Ratings/Warnings: R for violence, I suppose.
Summary: Alec causes collateral damage.
Notes: Written for the "demons'll charm you with a smile for a while" prompt over at 31_days. 500 words exactly. Crossposted also to _riverside.
Disclaimer: All characters and places belong to Ellen Kushner.

***

Alec was mad. Richard knew that, of course; it was hard to miss, given that much of what he said had only a tenuous connection to reality. There was something wrong with Alec, some dangerous indifference that was obvious in his words and the set of his limbs like the warning colors on a poisonous animal, which made most people avoid him. Richard found it fascinating. He knew now that the scholar was more likely to do harm to himself than to anyone else, but Alec was still different, still something to be handled with caution lest it turn on you without warning.

Currently Alec was drinking all of the wine Richard had bought, having claimed that it would be bad luck to buy his own after chance had brought them to the same tavern. Richard suspected Alec had been looking for him, but didn't mind; Alec was turning languid as he grew drunk, his movements slowing and his accent becoming more pronounced. They didn't touch, but Alec slouched over the table, his fingers curled over the edge of his wineglass- which had been Richard's- dipping into the liquid inside, and watched Richard steadily from under heavy eyelids.

Some new swordsman also sat at their table; he'd wanted advice, but Richard had been paying more attention to Alec, and so afterwards he was never certain if the man had said or done something, or if Alec had simply decided to provoke him.

"Excuse me," Alec said, interrupting the man. "Are you actually unaware that you're not wanted here? Do shut up and go away."

Richard turned, surprised; Alec's voice had been flat and vicious. "What's wrong?"

"Do you enjoy it, all these people who want things from you, their desperate desire for St Vier's favor? It's disgusting." Alec didn't take his eyes off the man. "It won't work. Leave. You're making an idiot of yourself; I can see it, if you can't."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The man lurched angrily to his feet. Alec lifted his chin, his teeth bared in a savage grin; Richard glanced between them and stood. The man stared. "Didn't you hear what he said?"

Richard nodded, drawing his sword. The fight was too fast to be very interesting, but it had been a surprise. Richard wondered if Alec would be angry that he'd stepped in, and in fact when Richard came back to him, he was sitting very straight in his chair, his hands gripping his knees. "You killed him," he said. "I didn't ask you to do that."

"I know." Richard shook his sword to scatter blood from it; he'd need to clean it more thoroughly later.

Alec stared at the body. "You might have taken his side as well as mine."

"No. Then you would be dead, and he would still be here." Richard paused. "Leave it, Alec. Come home with me."

Alec dragged his eyes up to Richard and then laughed, color coming back into his face. "Yes."

***

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

well that's a bloody cruel place to leave it.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Heh. I was going for a 500 word piece, and it had already taken forever to get this much into that length; more would have killed me. Also, I go through phases where I decide I write too much sex and thus stop temporarily. They generally don't last long, at least.

[p-zeitgeist.livejournal.com]

Funny, I thought that was a brilliant place to leave it. Everything's there: you don't need to do the sex scene for a reader to know exactly how it's going to go.

I continue to be just blown away by what you're doing with these guys and their early days together. It's them, but it's you, too: it's not as if you were adding scenes EK didn't happen to write, exactly, but as if you're writing scenes she could have written, with a vision that harmonizes amazingly with hers.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Well, and that would be reason why I didn't feel bad about leaving it at 500 words. *grins*

Wow. Thank you. That's such a compliment, and I'm very pleased to hear it.

[yaoi-in-exile.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, how intriguing. >3 You do Alec extraordinarily well; the snark levels are poisonous. It makes me want to do a voiceover narration: 'And thus began a long and deadly love affair...'

Alec laughing for no good reason is lovely, since he usually doesn't find appropriate humor amusing; what a lovely way to leave off! :3

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thank you. I'm glad you liked it; snark is hard.

[arcanelight.livejournal.com]

I continue to be amazed at how well you write complicated characters and relationships. Very nicely done.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

*grins* Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

They're both so vicious in their own ways. I love how you don't shy from that, but also leave it as subtle as canon does.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The mutual viciousness is so my favorite part; I keep stumbling across reviews which say 'Richard is such a sweetie to put up with Alec's violence', which always makes me go: what? WHAT? How do you miss the part where Richard is also totally insane!

[madcampion.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Hee. I suppose you agree, then?

[madcampion.livejournal.com]

Hell, yes. People who think St. Vier is such a nice man make me puke.

I wouldn't mind seeing this go over 500 words, but only because I want to see the evening unwind in real time, with Alec appropriating the swordsman's drink, and lots more snarky conversation.

Maybe you'd consider publishing your outtakes for us? There is no Word Count in Riverside. And we like it that way.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

It doesn't annoy me so much as confuse me; I really don't get how people don't notice it. It's a quieter sort of madness than Alec's, certainly, but it still seems like you'd just have to not be paying attention at all to miss it.

Heh. Well, there's none at 31_days either, I just like the imposed form of drabbles or other exact word count pieces. It's certainly gratifying that you'd like to see it, but there aren't any outtakes, other than a few different attempts to get the snarkiness right (as Alec is clearly way wittier than I am).

[ranalore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that drives me crazy. Especially when it's accompanied by recounting of how manipulative Alec is. Umm, guys? Richard is hella manipulative. He's just quieter about it.