Fic: The Fate Series (1/?)

[clocks.livejournal.com]

Title: The Legendary Squid Monster
Series: Things We Call Fate
Pairing: VM/SB
Author: clocks
Rated: PG - R
Story: Once I believed we could approach this, now I have faith placed in the things you call fate. - Sondre Lerche
Disclaimer: Not true, not true, not true.
Feedback: Will be salivated upon and hoarded dearly, my preciousssssss.
Archive: Rugbytackle, GO, anyone else just ask
Notes: This series is a massive tribute of Couplandesque proportions. The story is rather odd, offbeat and is not in running order, so I hope it'll make sense a bit. Sorry about the length of the story, it'll vary from chapter to chapter.

This story is especially for my dearest, evillest cykie and also dedicated to nessa_t for poking me and getting me back into the swing of things again.

---

"Oh, how did we forget? How could we forget?" - Sondre Lerche

---

I hardly ever talk about you. It doesn't mean that I don't think about you, though. Which I do, when I'm taking out the trash, spreading butter on top of my too-burnt toast, diluting paint with thinner or looking at a menu for Chinese takeout. And a million other things, if I bother to stop and count, but then again I'm too busy thinking about you and taking care of other details that time slips by unnoticed somehow, like a film you've stopped paying attention to and haven't realised it until the ending and then you wonder what the movie was about.

When did our movie end, and why didn't we realise it? When did I start compensating for your absence with photos and paintings and anecdotes shared over coffee with others, but never with you? And my memories are never right, it's always the wrong date or time or person or location. Sometimes I want to call you on speed-dial and ask whether it was Barrie or Mark who drove me to the dentist and nagged me about the chipped tooth, or if it was B.K. or Kiran who had a sister with lupus. My memory always failed me, but you never did.

It's something that I try not to think about, and three Halloweens pass before I realise that I have allowed something to seep out of my life and I'm not sure what it is. This last Halloween, Henry is dressed as Spongebob Squarepants and I attempt to go as his friend Squidward but everyone asks me if I'm going as the legendary squid monster Kraken. Nobody gets it and towards the end I give up and try to go along with what everyone thinks it is, doing an obliging roar for a bunch of curious kids and they run away screaming. Laughing, Henry sorts out his candy and gives me all his Milky Ways. He asks me about you.

"Why?" I ask. He shrugs and says something about not having heard from you in a long time, and I peer into my bag of candy and help myself to some M&Ms. They leave a mess of multi-colored stains on my palm and I think about how you would joke that it looks like one of my paintings, and I think about how you're not here now. I wipe my hand off on one of the tentacles and stare blankly down the street, and Henry sighs.

"Call him, Dad. It's like, been five months since Pasadena."

I don't know what to tell Henry. I can agree just to pacify him, and he'll know it and it'll kill me a little, or I can remain silent and think about five lost months, and it'll kill me even more.

Henry shrugs and continues to talk about wanting to set his science lab on fire, and I listen as I pick at the candy, wondering if somewhere in London, you too are wearing a Kraken costume and eating discoloured M&Ms out of your hand.

Comments

[darknightjess.livejournal.com]

I like your start on this very much. Great job, poor Vig...

[ineedvm.livejournal.com]

This is really great!! I can't wait to read more!!! Poor Vig...he needs his man!

[callmedirk.livejournal.com]

You know, I would so kill (but not literally) to write like you. I've always said that. This is so awesome.

I love how you capture and characterize Viggo, I really do. And I love that description of melting M&Ms looking like a painting. So perfect.

Love it. As always. ;)

[dalehead.livejournal.com]

Aww, poor Vig, go on mate, pick up the phone!

Love this!

[hot-x-bunny.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just wow!

I love the style of writing, so wistful and moving. Can't wait to read more:)

[ex-tarnishe.livejournal.com]

Forgetting for a sec that it's RPS, I bet there's not a person here who hasn't done this. Man, that was good.

I may just go check my phone list and see who I need to call. :)

[nessa-t.livejournal.com]

Beautiful stuff. I loved the underlying sense of sadness in this piece and it is all the more potent because of the fact that Viggo is virtually separated from Sean for so long.

Thank you for the dedication.
<3

PS: Maybe we could go and have a cup of coffee someday. :)

[cykie.livejournal.com]

I just love the way you write! I can't begin to tell you how jealous I am of your talent. Oh and the thought of Viggo in a squid costume is just too amusing for words lol

I can't wait for the next part.

[ariadni.livejournal.com]

That's really beautiful: melancholy and impressive.

[shebit.livejournal.com]

How very sad.

I love that last line, wondering if Sean's doing the same thing, and the idea that Sean completes him - when he can't remember a detail, Sean's there to remind him, the other half of his memory.

[ribby.livejournal.com]

Bittersweet and melancholy, and so full of color... I can't wait to read the next bit. Things *do* get better, right? *grin*

~Kris