A little late this week...

[calic0cat]

I've been busy helping beta-test the next version of the eFiction script, so I haven't gotten a whole lot of writing done this week. But, I do have something to post. It's just not going to be what anyone's been waiting for. It's the first part of a new GW 1x2 and, while I know more-or-less what's going to happen, it's very much a WIP (though not a very long one - probably 20 pages or less). I'm rating it FRM (R) for now, since I'm not sure how cooperative my lemon muse is going to be, but it may go to an FRAO (NC-17).

This is actually a plot bunny that I've had hanging around for at least a couple of years and, with Halloween coming up, it seemed like a good time to do something with it. It's a fusion with Jayne Castle's (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) Harmony universe ("Bridal Jitters" short story and the After Dark and After Glow books), though I've deliberately chosen to set it in a different city (named according to the established pattern for the world). It's not a Halloween story per se, but there are reasons that it fits a Halloween theme pretty well, which you'll see as things progress (I hope!). For those unfamiliar with the books in question, they're sci fi/fantasy romances. I'll try to work all the relevant background detail into the story as I go, but I don't want to do an info-dump so it may take a few chapters for readers to really figure things out.



Harmony: Counterpoint City, 200 A.C. (After Curtain)

Hearing an all-too-familiar voice, Heero grimaced and broke off his conversation. "Damn it, Barton, I thought you said she'd declined the invitation."

Trowa turned and swept a searching look around the room, frowning as his gaze landed on the woman in question. "She did. Guess she changed her mind. Sorry, Yuy."

"Who are you talking about?" Quatre interjected, following the direction of his spouse's gaze.

"Relena Peacecraft," Heero muttered, retreating to the dubious cover offered by an upright quartz sarcophagus. "Sorry, Quatre, but I won't be staying for the unveiling."

"But, Heero, I really wanted you to see the museum's newest acquisition," Quatre objected. "After all, you're going to be heading up the team that Winner Enterprises is funding to follow up on its discovery..."

Heero just shook his head in silent refusal as he began to cautiously work his way towards the nearest exit. He wasn't about to risk getting cornered by Relena and trapped into playing her escort for the evening. As heir-apparent to Odin Lowe, current boss of the Counterpoint City Ghost-hunter Guild, he couldn't afford to be openly rude to a member of one of the city's most influential families, but he was beginning to think that nothing short of that would make the damn woman understand that he was simply *not interested*. Treating her in a cool, distant manner only made her more determined to 'draw him out', while begging off on the grounds of pressing business simply resulted in her going over his head and getting Odin to officially request that he escort her to various functions all over the city of Counterpoint. It was almost enough to make him consider moving to Cadence or Resonance.

The worst part of the whole thing was that she was actually quite a nice person, someone that he'd be more than happy to count as a friend... *if* she would just give up her ridiculous notion that she would make the perfect wife for the future Guild boss, that is. He had no intention of contracting a one-year Marriage of Convenience with her, let alone a permanent Covenant Marriage.

For one thing, she was the wrong gender to interest him in that regard.

Quatre trailed Heero through the crowd, still trying to persuade him to stay. Distracted by the need to keep a careful eye on Relena, Heero only caught occasional snatches of what Quatre was saying.

"...introduce you to Duo Maxwell, the tangler who discovered the piece and who you'll be working with..."

Finally safely at the exit, Heero interrupted firmly, "Sorry, Quatre, not tonight. Not with *her* here. The team meeting is only two days away; that will be soon enough." Looking over Quatre's shoulder, he addressed Trowa. "You'll be stopping by the Guild tomorrow with the details and the signed contract for the Guild's services?" Trowa nodded. "Until tomorrow, then." Heero inclined his head to Quatre. "Good night."

As he quietly slipped out of the museum and retrieved his Slider from its parking space, he decided that he might as well put his unexpectedly free evening to good use. Since he wasn't going to be meeting Duo Maxwell in person tonight, he would just do a little good old-fashioned research instead. With the Guild's resources at his disposal, he would know everything on Harmony that there was to know about the man before they even met.

***

"Shit." Duo yanked his braid out of the way just in time to avoid getting it caught in the closing door of the Slider. Sliding the key into the ignition, he forced himself to take a couple of deep breaths and settle down. It was time that he could ill afford - he was already running late - but getting in an accident wouldn't get him to the museum any sooner and, with the way his luck was running tonight, that was a real possibility.

Being late wasn't going to make a very good impression on his new employer, though. And he needed this job. Really needed it. Opportunities like being on a major ruins exploration and excavation team sponsored by Winner Enterprises didn't exactly drop in his lap on a daily basis. Hell, he'd *never* had a chance at a job like this one before; most sponsors wouldn't even consider hiring an ephemeral-energy para-resonator who hadn't been accepted into the Society of Para-archaeologists, regardless of how strong his para-rez talent might be.

And the Society of Para-archaeologists would never accept someone who hadn't gone through full, formal university training in archaeology. No matter how good his skills as a tangler might be.

If he *had* somehow managed to scrape up the money to go through the university, the Society still might not have allowed him in. It was known for being a somewhat elitist organization, and an orphaned street kid raised by the Sweepers - a slightly disreputable, loose-knit group of ruin rats - just didn't quite measure up to its usual standards.

Even if he *was* the first person to discover worked dreamstone in the catacombs of Old Counterpoint. Hopefully, the exploration and excavation team would find a lot more in the vicinity of his discovery. Duo could hardly wait for the team's mission to get underway in just a few days.

But first, he needed to get to the museum's unveiling of the dreamstone unguent jars.

With that thought in mind, Duo rezzed the key with a small surge of psi power focussed through his amber necklace. The old Slider reluctantly rumbled to life and he pulled away from the curb, heading for the museum. Hopefully, Quatre Winner would cut him a little slack, in light of the reason for his lateness.

Casting a quick side-glance at the well-wrapped parcel on the seat beside him, Duo grinned. Yeah, that gorgeous little dreamstone box should go a long way towards buying him a little forgiveness. It was proof positive that his previous discovery hadn't been the fluke that some people had claimed it was. That, in choosing to sponsor *his* team, Quatre had made the right choice. And, better yet, that Milliardo "Zechs" Peacecraft, 'honoured' member of the Society for Para-archaeologists and his main competitor in the race to find worked dreamstone artifacts in Old Counterpoint, was looking in all the wrong places.

Duo's grin grew broader. Trumped by the ruin rat. Again.

Zechs was going to be seriously pissed.

***

Comments

[dee-ez-bee.livejournal.com]

Oh Goody! A New Yummy GW story...

And just the kind I love too! A Sci-Fi! Yeah!!

Can hardly wait to see where this goes. It looks way cool and interesting as all get out!

I just Love psi stuff!! *dances around*
(I hope this means extra sensory/para normal, right?)

[sunhawk16.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what this is crossed with, but it's looking darn interesting so far. I like the use of the GW canon pieces... the Sweepers and Relena. And Duo with some sort of psi powers is always good! ^^;

[bleedtoblue.livejournal.com]

What an interesting Au, I love archeology! I especially like the way you work in the canon facts and characters. I'm looking forward to this very much.

[darkmisstical.livejournal.com]

oohh, something new. This looks interesting and juicy...sci-fi yummy. Can't wait for more ^_^

[theotherdigit.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, a new 1x2 AU ^0^! *rubs hands gleefully* Never heard of... Err... Whatever this is crossed with, but the beginning sure sounds interesting *_*.

[mythologian.livejournal.com]

mmm, interesting. I've always like her ideas in the book, but just not her writing style. I toyed with doing fanfic to it myself but I'm a sucky writer so it's nice to see someone else (who's writing I really like) using it ^_^

[merula31]

I'm not familiar with what this is crossed with, but I'm intrigued already! Very fascinating....

*waits for more*

*grin*

[yanagi-wa.livejournal.com]

Oh, Boy. Sci-Fi. I'm not too sure what the crossover is, but the whole thing sounds great. *sits back to wait for next chapter*

[rochan01.livejournal.com]

*blink blink*
I'm thoroughly lost - and thoroughly delighted. It may be a x-over but it's a completely new premise for me and I'm looking forward to your leading us through it :-)

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I really hadn't meant to start posting anything new at the moment, but this plot bunny has been hanging around for literally years, and it suddenly decided to demand its share of attention, to the detriment of anything else that I tried to work on. So, I decided I'd better give in and write it.

I just Love psi stuff!! *dances around*
(I hope this means extra sensory/para normal, right?)


Yep, that's what it means alright! Though it's not exactly the regular run-of-the-mill kind of paranormal...

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I'm actually a little bit surprised that no one is familiar with the Jayne Castle books. Guess I'll have to be extra careful about working in all the pertinent details as I go!

I like the use of the GW canon pieces... the Sweepers and Relena.

I'm planning to work a few more bits and pieces of GW canon into this along the way if at all possible. That's part of the fun of AUs, as far as I'm concerned.

Duo with some sort of psi powers is always good! ^^;

*grins* Yep, so it is! And he's not the only one...

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Well, the archaeology in this is rather distinctly different from the usual kind. After all, they're exploring... Hmm, scratch that. In light of the fact that no one's familiar with the source material, I'll just save the details for the story and make everyone wait to find out exactly what's going on. *smirks* Glad you're enjoying it so far!

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Starting something new while I have so many other things underway wasn't exactly in my plans, but when inspiration strikes, I've learned not to say no. Glad you're enjoying it so far; there should be more soon.

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I really did expect someone to be familiar with the source material but, in a way, having everyone completely in the dark is even better. *grins* Should keep people guessing, at any rate...

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Ah hah! So there is someone who's familiar with the books! I've actually got a plot bunny or three for her Amaryllis/Orchid/Zinnia universe as well, if I ever get around to doing anything with them. I hope you'll enjoy my "take" on this universe...

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

So far, I've only had one person who is familiar with the Castle books. I think, in a way, your Dark Bond fic got this plot bunny stirred up again; I really wasn't expecting it to suddenly become active after gathering dust for the past couple of years. Considering that virtually all of my readers aren't going to know any of the background for the "universe", hopefully I can keep this "intriguing" rather than "confusing"!

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Yep, sci-fi it is. Since virtually no one seems to be familiar with the crossover books, I'm going to have to be extra careful to include enough background info. I'm relying on all you LJ-folks to let me know if things get too confusing, so I can correct any problems that crop up!

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I'm not surprised that this first bit left you thoroughly lost; it's not a very long part, so there's a lot of background info yet to be revealed. If you don't start to figure out what's going on fairly soon, though, be sure to let me know. Crossovers/fusions are always a bit hazardous that way, since most readers won't be familiar with both fandoms involved.

[rochan01.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'd much rather be lost and fascinated than going "ho hum, this is predictable". Predictable can be fine, like any old favorite - and even a well-worn fic premise can be an enjoyable read in a comfortable and soothing way.

But this is like new shiny things. Must have! *grabby hands*

[dee-ez-bee.livejournal.com]

*claps* Yeah! I can remember things... sometimes! Will wonders ever cease?

*dances off, trips, & spins*
(*to make it look like she ment to do it*)

(happier than she should be -
must have a head-ache)

[sharona1x2.livejournal.com]

Add another person to the list of people who don't know the works you're crossing with GW. No matter, this is still an interesting beginning, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. I did get reminded just a little of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was the part about Zechs digging in the wrong places. I'm sure this is going to be a fun fic!

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I did get reminded just a little of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was the part about Zechs digging in the wrong places.

*grins* Gotta have a little conflict to make things interesting...

I'm sure this is going to be a fun fic!

I hope so! I'm glad that the beginning caught your interest, hopefully it will continue to do so.

[mythologian.livejournal.com]

yeah that was one of the things that always stuck with me, she would create these really fasinating worlds but her ability to make a unique plot wasn't as good. Pretty much all of her books were formulaic in the sense that after you read 1 or 2 of a certain setting you could always guess easily what was going to happen in the next one in the same setting, not that that kept me from reading them anyway ^_~

[merula31]

I'm glad my plot bunny kicked yours! I think I'm going to really enjoy this one.

...hopefully I can keep this "intriguing" rather than "confusing"!

I have complete faith in you and I'm really looking forward to more.

I love it!

[(Anonymous)]

I've enjoyed the Jayne Castle stuff and I look forward to seeing what you can do with it. So far, so very, very good. I'd love to see a story in the other set too. Keep up the lovely work!

P.S.
Anything new for Life With Heero/Kindergarten Heero/Ranma Crossover fics? Course just about anything with GW in it is good for me, when it's coming from you.

[drich.livejournal.com]

I'm a Krentz (Castle) fan and I think you've done a great job so far. I wouldn't worry about the lack of familiarity with the borrowed universe. Doling out the gems of information slowly keeps people on the edge of their seats waiting for more.

So, more please? ^_^

DeniseR
(just a lurker)

[dragongirl85.livejournal.com]

Well, seems pretty darn interesting to me. I can't wait until I get to read the whole fic. ^^ Knocking the work you've already posted, I'll be getting my hopes up very high. *grin* Don't disapoint us now (and I hightly doubt you will).

Now, a little flattering to you from me: I've ben reading your fic for a while and I must say that they're brilliant! Missin: Marriage had me hanging and drooling, laughing and cheering and more, and it's one of my favorite 1x2 fics of all time. But the first one I read by you was "Home", another gem of yours if I may add.

I'm new to LJ, so I'm just snooping around, stalking people and put them on my friendlist. Hopefully you wont mind. ^^

Re: I love it!

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying this one! Jayne Castle creates these wonderfully intriguing worlds that are just begging for further exploration. *grin*

As for new parts in the other ongoing stories - hopefully I'll have something ready soon. The Ranma crossover has more finished parts, but I've been looking them over and debating making some more revisions before posting. I may just make a few minor ones, then go ahead and post it. Since I'm posting it here only until it's finished, I can always go back and tweak things a little more if it turns out that I need to explain things more thoroughly for the sake of my readers. That's one of the biggest problems with crossovers - putting in enough information for those unfamiliar with the other series, yet not bogging down the story with extraneous details.

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! Hopefully, I'll have more ready soon(ish), if I can just get my muse to settle down long enough to concentrate on one story for more than five minutes at a time! There's a lot of RL stuff going on right now and it's wreaking havoc with my attention span. :P Nothing bad, just - busy.

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far. There's so much information about this particular universe that still needs to be explained that I think it should keep people wondering for a while yet...

More soon(ish), if all goes well...

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're finding this interesting so far. I'm still hoping to keep it fairly short, but there's quite a bit yet to explain and even more yet to happen.

Thanks for the flattery; I'm glad to hear that you've been enjoying my stories. It's funny how "Mission: Marriage" seems to remain a favourite of so many people, considering that it's one of my first GW fics and so very different from my more recent writing style.

I don't mind people adding me to their friendlist - I just warn that I don't add very many to my own. I figure that I can either spend my time reading LJ or writing, and since I never seem to have enough writing time to begin with, the less LJ browsing I get sucked into, the better.

[dragongirl85.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't mind if it gets long. I like to read good 1x2x1 fictions and your fics are clearly under the "good" category.

Well, I personally think the reason for why people was drawn to "Mission: Marriage" was because it was somewhat unusual, something new and exiting. that's what I thought when I first read it. I was like: Wow... Never seen anything like that before. Neat! :D

Lol, I don't mind. Maybe I one day I'll be one of the lucky ones to make it to your list. that is, if I don't scare the crap out of you first. ^^

[mmariep2.livejournal.com]

i just saw your update for chapter four and decided to check this fic out 'cuase i love your stuff. that said, i can't believe i didn't know about this! i do know who Krentz/Castle is and i love her stuff. i think this x-over is going to be great and so far you've done a wonderful job of integrating the two together.

now i'm off to read the other chapters. :)

[calic0cat.livejournal.com]

You missed the first few parts originally? Well, I'm glad that you finally found out about it. Krentz/Castle writes some fun stuff; she creates such fascinating worlds that it's hard to resist playing in them. Hopefully, I can manage to keep things going now that I've got this story started up again, so that the next part won't take quite so long to be finished.