Feed your head....
Oct. 29th, 2004 07:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
geovikiI don't have a whole lot to say. Friday night? Check. Red wine? Check. Pink Floyd? Check.
Hey, we had a kegger at work for the first time in 26 years of living memory. I went merely to see who would actually show up on a Friday at 4:30, and ended up in a political discussion wherein we all assumed we were on the same page. Government employees? A hotbed of Democratic sympathizers....If you're not, what the hell are you doing working here?
I've already voted. Our state/county/region has made absentee balloting the way to go. I spread out the news sections, the obligatory position papers, and knocked off my civic duty on my lunch hour. One little stamp later, it's done and dusted. Go Colorado!
Tonight's Mini-rant: so what's the deal with blood tasting like copper, huh? I mean, come on! We're not Vulcans, for crying out loud. Blood is laced with iron, for those of you unaware of your periodic table. Hemo = iron. Not copper. But I suppose you think the coppery taste of blood sounds more poetic than the ferrous taste of blood. Get over it.
[ETA: I had to look it up after I professed this, and yes: whole blood contains about 500 times more iron than copper (by weight) This seems to be exclusive of the iron bound in hemoglobin. Blood has as much lead and tin (the tinny taste of blood...) as copper; it has more magnesium and zinc, and its sulphur content is 10,000 times that of copper (his blood tasted of the pit-fires of hell...) See how much you learn on LJ! < /science lesson > ]
Next week's rant: you kiss me hard enough to make me bleed, I'm gonna smack you into next Tuesday! Kwitcher biting.
An ATBT sequel cookie. Some of you - um, two of you - are avoiding spoilers for this, but for the rest of you:
Cookie for Delicate Sound of Thunder (the title du jour)
Delicate Sound of Thunder
Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Draco stopped cold in the doorway when he noticed Redmund's unexpected visitors. He recognized neither of the two men sitting at the table with his solicitor. But he knew their type.
“Mr. Malfoy,” Redmund said, and Draco heard the cloaked uneasiness in his voice. “These gentlemen arrived a few minutes ago and insisted on speaking with you. I found it impossible to refuse their request.”
That told Draco everything he needed to know. Almost no-one had the clout necessary to trump Redmund's prestige and worm their way into a meeting with one of his clients, especially with no warning. Aurors. And not just any aurors. Redmund had just made clear he had nothing to do with the visit, didn't approve it, but lacked any authority to stop it. And moreover was deeply offended by that lack.
“My name is Jerald Carr,” one of the men said, in an offhand manner that told everyone in the room that Jerald Carr was definitely not his name. “And this is Ted Macumber.” No hands were offered to Draco after that clipped introduction.
They didn't add A.W. L., but Draco took that as a given. The acronym stood for the purposely benign Aurors - West London, but everyone in the wizarding world knew them as Aurors Without Limits.
Fuck.
He didn't bother answering. He could feel his heart hammer in his chest as he deliberately strolled around the conference table to take the empty chair beside Redmund, easing down into the fine leather with a pretended confidence he didn't feel. He noticed that Redmund had consciously foregone refreshments – no tea or coffee, not even a glass of water that might give an impression that the visitors were at all welcome.
“Are we going to play at good Auror - bad Auror, then?” he asked, with hollow civility.
“We don't intent to play at all, Mr. Malfoy," Carr replied in the same polite tone. Carr – or not-Carr – was an overweight, slovenly-looking man of middle-aged appearance and middle-class style. He looked as though he'd been trying to get by for too long on far too little sleep. His partner, not-Macumber, looked a good twenty years younger: tall, underfed, and overeager. Neither one of them would have merited a second look on the street, which he supposed was probably the point. Here in Redmund’s private conference room, with its lush, expensive carpet, its highly polished, expensive furnishings, and its sleek, expensive ambiance, they seemed to fade into near-insignificance. And Draco knew for certain he’d be making a huge mistake if he believed that.
"We have a few things to discuss about some issues you have with the Ministry,” Carr began.
"Things that could help you," Macumber added. Draco thought that statement easily outranked I won't come in your mouth as the most worthless assurance of all time.
He turned to gage Redmund's reaction to their opening salvo. Carr seemed to anticipate Draco's questions by telling him, "Mr. Redmund is here with the understanding that he isn't allowed to speak. As a rule, we don't let outsiders intervene, but he positively refused to leave you alone with us and insisted on staying." He gave a brief, phony smile. "If I were you I'd hang on to him– usually the lawyers we come across are happy to make themselves scarce when we show up."
Macumber nodded, and Draco was left with the grim impression that the aurors thought they'd already made the first concession – which he would be paying for shortly. Still, depending on how the conversation went, he might not regret having even a voiceless Redmund at his side.
There was an uneasy pause, but, with Slytherin caution, he refused to be the first to break the silence, a practice he’d perfected during dozens of post-war sessions with aurors exactly like these two. Carr finally spoke up. "I take it the settlement over your inheritance hasn’t been resolved as quickly as you might have hoped for."
At these words, Draco felt a chill in the room he hadn't been aware of. Until that instant, he'd blamed the delay on typical bureaucratic fucked-up-ness. He hadn't considered a more threatening reason. He had definitely grown too complacent since the war.
“We're here to help expedite things,” Macumber said, watching him. He seemed to have a fixation for things.
It seemed to be Draco's turn for the obvious prompt. “In exchange for—”
Carr leaned forward with renewed interest. “I think you remember Rabastan Lestrange?”
On hearing that name, a sudden wave of nausea gripped Draco, making it nearly impossible to remain expressionless. “No,” he answered, and didn't dare say more without betraying his shock.
Carr was frowning at him like a disappointed parent faced with a stubborn child. “Funny, but I find that hard to believe. Seeing that you're related.”
Hey, we had a kegger at work for the first time in 26 years of living memory. I went merely to see who would actually show up on a Friday at 4:30, and ended up in a political discussion wherein we all assumed we were on the same page. Government employees? A hotbed of Democratic sympathizers....If you're not, what the hell are you doing working here?
I've already voted. Our state/county/region has made absentee balloting the way to go. I spread out the news sections, the obligatory position papers, and knocked off my civic duty on my lunch hour. One little stamp later, it's done and dusted. Go Colorado!
Tonight's Mini-rant: so what's the deal with blood tasting like copper, huh? I mean, come on! We're not Vulcans, for crying out loud. Blood is laced with iron, for those of you unaware of your periodic table. Hemo = iron. Not copper. But I suppose you think the coppery taste of blood sounds more poetic than the ferrous taste of blood. Get over it.
[ETA: I had to look it up after I professed this, and yes: whole blood contains about 500 times more iron than copper (by weight) This seems to be exclusive of the iron bound in hemoglobin. Blood has as much lead and tin (the tinny taste of blood...) as copper; it has more magnesium and zinc, and its sulphur content is 10,000 times that of copper (his blood tasted of the pit-fires of hell...) See how much you learn on LJ! < /science lesson > ]
Next week's rant: you kiss me hard enough to make me bleed, I'm gonna smack you into next Tuesday! Kwitcher biting.
An ATBT sequel cookie. Some of you - um, two of you - are avoiding spoilers for this, but for the rest of you:
Cookie for Delicate Sound of Thunder (the title du jour)
Hot ashes for trees? Hot air for a cool breeze? Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange a walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
Draco stopped cold in the doorway when he noticed Redmund's unexpected visitors. He recognized neither of the two men sitting at the table with his solicitor. But he knew their type.
“Mr. Malfoy,” Redmund said, and Draco heard the cloaked uneasiness in his voice. “These gentlemen arrived a few minutes ago and insisted on speaking with you. I found it impossible to refuse their request.”
That told Draco everything he needed to know. Almost no-one had the clout necessary to trump Redmund's prestige and worm their way into a meeting with one of his clients, especially with no warning. Aurors. And not just any aurors. Redmund had just made clear he had nothing to do with the visit, didn't approve it, but lacked any authority to stop it. And moreover was deeply offended by that lack.
“My name is Jerald Carr,” one of the men said, in an offhand manner that told everyone in the room that Jerald Carr was definitely not his name. “And this is Ted Macumber.” No hands were offered to Draco after that clipped introduction.
They didn't add A.W. L., but Draco took that as a given. The acronym stood for the purposely benign Aurors - West London, but everyone in the wizarding world knew them as Aurors Without Limits.
Fuck.
He didn't bother answering. He could feel his heart hammer in his chest as he deliberately strolled around the conference table to take the empty chair beside Redmund, easing down into the fine leather with a pretended confidence he didn't feel. He noticed that Redmund had consciously foregone refreshments – no tea or coffee, not even a glass of water that might give an impression that the visitors were at all welcome.
“Are we going to play at good Auror - bad Auror, then?” he asked, with hollow civility.
“We don't intent to play at all, Mr. Malfoy," Carr replied in the same polite tone. Carr – or not-Carr – was an overweight, slovenly-looking man of middle-aged appearance and middle-class style. He looked as though he'd been trying to get by for too long on far too little sleep. His partner, not-Macumber, looked a good twenty years younger: tall, underfed, and overeager. Neither one of them would have merited a second look on the street, which he supposed was probably the point. Here in Redmund’s private conference room, with its lush, expensive carpet, its highly polished, expensive furnishings, and its sleek, expensive ambiance, they seemed to fade into near-insignificance. And Draco knew for certain he’d be making a huge mistake if he believed that.
"We have a few things to discuss about some issues you have with the Ministry,” Carr began.
"Things that could help you," Macumber added. Draco thought that statement easily outranked I won't come in your mouth as the most worthless assurance of all time.
He turned to gage Redmund's reaction to their opening salvo. Carr seemed to anticipate Draco's questions by telling him, "Mr. Redmund is here with the understanding that he isn't allowed to speak. As a rule, we don't let outsiders intervene, but he positively refused to leave you alone with us and insisted on staying." He gave a brief, phony smile. "If I were you I'd hang on to him– usually the lawyers we come across are happy to make themselves scarce when we show up."
Macumber nodded, and Draco was left with the grim impression that the aurors thought they'd already made the first concession – which he would be paying for shortly. Still, depending on how the conversation went, he might not regret having even a voiceless Redmund at his side.
There was an uneasy pause, but, with Slytherin caution, he refused to be the first to break the silence, a practice he’d perfected during dozens of post-war sessions with aurors exactly like these two. Carr finally spoke up. "I take it the settlement over your inheritance hasn’t been resolved as quickly as you might have hoped for."
At these words, Draco felt a chill in the room he hadn't been aware of. Until that instant, he'd blamed the delay on typical bureaucratic fucked-up-ness. He hadn't considered a more threatening reason. He had definitely grown too complacent since the war.
“We're here to help expedite things,” Macumber said, watching him. He seemed to have a fixation for things.
It seemed to be Draco's turn for the obvious prompt. “In exchange for—”
Carr leaned forward with renewed interest. “I think you remember Rabastan Lestrange?”
On hearing that name, a sudden wave of nausea gripped Draco, making it nearly impossible to remain expressionless. “No,” he answered, and didn't dare say more without betraying his shock.
Carr was frowning at him like a disappointed parent faced with a stubborn child. “Funny, but I find that hard to believe. Seeing that you're related.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 06:46 pm (UTC)*munches*
*dances with anticipation*
Seriously though? You're really very good at building tension. Even though there's a part of my brain that's watching how you do it, there's a much larger part that's biting its nails and meanwhile, my stomach is tying itself in knots. Over a meeting in a lawyer's office!
Damn you're good :D
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 02:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 06:53 pm (UTC)Here in Redmund’s private conference room, with its lush, expensive carpet, its highly polished, expensive furnishings, and its sleek, expensive ambiance, they seemed to fade into near-insignificance. And Draco knew for certain he’d be making a huge mistake if he believed that.
At these words, Draco felt a chill in the room he hadn't been aware of. Until that instant, he'd blamed the delay on typical bureaucratic fucked-up-ness. He hadn't considered a more threatening reason.
[*wibble*]
i so love your draco. you make him so canon and so interesting. tell me we are going to get more snape too. [*bats eyes*]
thanks for the yummy cookie [*adores*]
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 02:51 pm (UTC)I got an awful lot done on it this weekend - I'd say it's 2/3ds written. 20K words. I'm glad you like Draco, becasue as you've probably guessed, I do too!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 07:22 pm (UTC)You know you've got me hooked now, don't you? :\
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 02:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 07:46 pm (UTC)and Next week's rant: you kiss me hard enough to make me bleed, I'm gonna smack you into next Tuesday! ROTFL.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 03:06 pm (UTC)Thank you so much!
I've been reading more than my share of those (literally) bloody kisses lately. I've been at the practice for over 30 years and I can't think of ever being kissed like that. Yuck!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 08:06 pm (UTC)Anyway, my only nitpick is it's Lestrange, not LeStrange. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 10:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 09:18 pm (UTC)okay, so I might still be in my chair. but i feel that makes my point.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-29 10:48 pm (UTC)And *squee* over the lovely new bits. The come in your mouth line made me giggle and yet the wryness of it was so Draco. Can't wait for the rest!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 02:58 pm (UTC)My well-considered conclusion: it's iron we're tasting. Yum, yum. I do think the copper perpetrates itself throughout fanfic. More accurate would be "the metallic taste of blood".
See, you noticed that the "come in your mouth" line is actually more sophisticated than it seems on the surface - because Draco is comparing it to another promise lightly-made. It's adult cynicism. Yeah.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 03:55 pm (UTC)I'm old enough, and if I remember correctly you are too, to remember the original Star Trek. Wasn't Spock's blood supposed to be based on copper not iron?
Ha!
Okay, I'm immensely amused by that for some reason. Maybe because Spock/Kirk is supposed to have started the whole slash phenomenon. I know in the 80s and 90's if you got slash fanfic, you got it at cons or from somebody who knew somebody. Before the days of the online craze. *nostalgic*
I love Draco's cynicism. One of the things I like about your fic in general is that although Draco has changed, he hasn't changed to the point he's not recognizable.
no subject
Date: 2004-10-30 02:59 pm (UTC)i was going to nitpick your spelling of gage/gauge but i have a dictionary next to my computer and it tells me that gage is an acceptable variant spelling. so i won't.
re: the coppery taste of blood. could it be that people have just been historically more familiar with the taste of copper due to the prevalence of copper cooking pots?
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 03:02 pm (UTC)I blame Kirk/Spock slash from 20 years of fanfic! Spock's coppery blood and so on.... Let's face it, it does sound kind of cool.
I've always spelled this kind of gage this way, and the device the other way. I've never thought of it beyond that, so I'll try to figure out which is a better choice. Maybe the guage is more commonly British? Don't know. But I always appreciate beta-ing in all forms, so never hesitate to tell me what you notice.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-17 07:56 pm (UTC)BTW, were you listening to WYWH when you wrote this, or did that quotation simply fit? If not, what album were you listening to? I've been fixated by Animals, whilst in the office. That is undoubtedly fitting.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-17 08:23 pm (UTC)I'm not sure what it says about where I am in writing, but this scene is exciting me - I have it completed, but I love to go back and rework the tension. And I have 2 sex scenes to put in that just don't move me at all at the moment. Bring on that dialogue, yeah!
no subject
Date: 2004-11-18 07:06 am (UTC)The scene should be exciting to you. It seems like something of a major inflection point in the story, it's full of conflict and it requires a subtle and deft hand to write. What's not exciting about that? We can't get off on disgustingly pervy murder porn all the time, yeah?