The whole damn world is country.
Sep. 4th, 2003 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hackthis_archiveI am currently marinating in an enormous sulk (the cold drugs aren’t helping); I think I will have Seth join me. This is for anybody else who’s also having a rather craptastic day, and for T-Bird, cos she rocks.
The OC
Interesting Times
Red
Seth has a tremendously overdeveloped imagination. It’s what happens to children who spend too much time by themselves, jumping off their bed with towels tied around their necks like capes. It’s either that or they, these latchkey kids, turn into mini-Magnetos and Lex Luthors, and that’s not funny.
Okay, not that funny.
All the same, Seth can pretend anything under the right circumstances. Being with Ryan is always the right circumstance, and when Seth closes his eyes they’re not at the hospital any more. No more sitting side by side, complexions pallid under the influence of bad coffee and yellowing lights, with thigh pressed against thigh in nothing but the camaraderie of having erred together.
No, if Seth tries really hard, he can pretend that the bright light seeping under his eyelids is, in fact, the sunlight pouring through the windows of the guesthouse. He and Ryan are lying on their backs, and the sun is rising over the east side of the house. Pretty soon Seth will have to creep back into the house and pretend to emerge from his own room, but for right now, he’s laying next to Ryan, listening to the evenness of Ryan’s breathing as he sleeps.
If Seth tries really really hard, he can pretend that this is what it will be like in the morning when he wakes up. Except that someone clears their throat, and Seth’s eyes snap open.
Ryan’s there. But so is Marissa.
Welcome to the OC, bitch.
Yellow
The lights are out in the house when they pull into the driveway, and Seth almost hesitates to get out the car. The lack of mothers loitering on the doorstep or dads telling him to be really quiet when he comes in mean one of two things: either Seth seriously missed curfew and is grounded into infinity, or they’ve gone to sleep to reserve their wrath for the morning, and he is grounded into infinity.
All the suspense is killing him. Right.
Seth isn’t even going to pretend like he’s not in serious trouble. The Range Rover alone is going to cost him the next run of every comic book he collects, and that’s saying a lot about his comic books.
He slides his hands into his pockets because his body feels especially accident prone and lanky, and his feet are like taffy as he plods around the side of the house, following Ryan mindlessly. It’s easier to sneak into his room from the kitchen anyway, and please don’t let the Spanish Inquisition be hiding out in the kitchen. At least Seth’s smart enough to be suspecting them.
He’s so caught up in imagining their interrogation tactics that he runs right into Ryan’s back when he stops abruptly. What is it? Mutants? Parole Officers? His mom in her mud mask? It turns out to be something far less ominous: the door to the pool house, and Seth blinks when Ryan ruffles his hair before going his own way for the night.
That’s a first.
Green
A sliding door should always click shut when it’s closed.
Seth has only been told this about five million times in his life because if the door’s not shut then the air conditioning is wasted, and the world will turn into a polar ice cap, blahblahblah. Whatever. That’s not the point. The point is that the door didn’t click shut behind Ryan, and Seth is still standing in the grass with his hands in his pockets waiting for the world to start or stop or do something so he can get off.
All Seth has to do is reach out and shut the door behind Ryan. That’s the right thing to do. Except that Seth always does the right thing, and it’s never gotten him anywhere. Okay, doing the wrong thing hasn’t gotten him much further, actually it might have put him in reverse, but grounded is grounded regardless.
The thing is, Seth doesn’t know what will happen if he follows Ryan into the guesthouse. Ryan might be getting undressed; he might all ready be undressed. He could tell Seth to leave; he may not care at all. He could invite Seth to get in bed with him. Hell, he might even snore, which would suck like something that really sucks. And isn't that an interesting idea. Sucking. Right.
Seth will never know if he doesn’t try.
He can dream and conjecture and surmise, but there will be no substitute for stepping into the guesthouse and seeing Ryan splayed out shirtless on his bed. It would be easy for Seth to go to his room, jerk off, fall asleep, and chalk the whole thing up to another lost opportunity, but that’s all he’s ever done.
It’s time for a change.
Seth’s imagination is a great thing, but it’s no substitute for living his life, no matter how things turn out in the end. That must be what Anna meant when she told him to have confidence.
He wonders what Ryan will say. He might as well find out.
-end-
Notes: For the record, “May you live in interesting times,” is not a Chinese proverb. It’s just been attributed that way. Also, happy birthday![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mozzystarz. Sho nuff, welcome to the OC, biotch!
The OC
Interesting Times
Red
Seth has a tremendously overdeveloped imagination. It’s what happens to children who spend too much time by themselves, jumping off their bed with towels tied around their necks like capes. It’s either that or they, these latchkey kids, turn into mini-Magnetos and Lex Luthors, and that’s not funny.
Okay, not that funny.
All the same, Seth can pretend anything under the right circumstances. Being with Ryan is always the right circumstance, and when Seth closes his eyes they’re not at the hospital any more. No more sitting side by side, complexions pallid under the influence of bad coffee and yellowing lights, with thigh pressed against thigh in nothing but the camaraderie of having erred together.
No, if Seth tries really hard, he can pretend that the bright light seeping under his eyelids is, in fact, the sunlight pouring through the windows of the guesthouse. He and Ryan are lying on their backs, and the sun is rising over the east side of the house. Pretty soon Seth will have to creep back into the house and pretend to emerge from his own room, but for right now, he’s laying next to Ryan, listening to the evenness of Ryan’s breathing as he sleeps.
If Seth tries really really hard, he can pretend that this is what it will be like in the morning when he wakes up. Except that someone clears their throat, and Seth’s eyes snap open.
Ryan’s there. But so is Marissa.
Welcome to the OC, bitch.
Yellow
The lights are out in the house when they pull into the driveway, and Seth almost hesitates to get out the car. The lack of mothers loitering on the doorstep or dads telling him to be really quiet when he comes in mean one of two things: either Seth seriously missed curfew and is grounded into infinity, or they’ve gone to sleep to reserve their wrath for the morning, and he is grounded into infinity.
All the suspense is killing him. Right.
Seth isn’t even going to pretend like he’s not in serious trouble. The Range Rover alone is going to cost him the next run of every comic book he collects, and that’s saying a lot about his comic books.
He slides his hands into his pockets because his body feels especially accident prone and lanky, and his feet are like taffy as he plods around the side of the house, following Ryan mindlessly. It’s easier to sneak into his room from the kitchen anyway, and please don’t let the Spanish Inquisition be hiding out in the kitchen. At least Seth’s smart enough to be suspecting them.
He’s so caught up in imagining their interrogation tactics that he runs right into Ryan’s back when he stops abruptly. What is it? Mutants? Parole Officers? His mom in her mud mask? It turns out to be something far less ominous: the door to the pool house, and Seth blinks when Ryan ruffles his hair before going his own way for the night.
That’s a first.
Green
A sliding door should always click shut when it’s closed.
Seth has only been told this about five million times in his life because if the door’s not shut then the air conditioning is wasted, and the world will turn into a polar ice cap, blahblahblah. Whatever. That’s not the point. The point is that the door didn’t click shut behind Ryan, and Seth is still standing in the grass with his hands in his pockets waiting for the world to start or stop or do something so he can get off.
All Seth has to do is reach out and shut the door behind Ryan. That’s the right thing to do. Except that Seth always does the right thing, and it’s never gotten him anywhere. Okay, doing the wrong thing hasn’t gotten him much further, actually it might have put him in reverse, but grounded is grounded regardless.
The thing is, Seth doesn’t know what will happen if he follows Ryan into the guesthouse. Ryan might be getting undressed; he might all ready be undressed. He could tell Seth to leave; he may not care at all. He could invite Seth to get in bed with him. Hell, he might even snore, which would suck like something that really sucks. And isn't that an interesting idea. Sucking. Right.
Seth will never know if he doesn’t try.
He can dream and conjecture and surmise, but there will be no substitute for stepping into the guesthouse and seeing Ryan splayed out shirtless on his bed. It would be easy for Seth to go to his room, jerk off, fall asleep, and chalk the whole thing up to another lost opportunity, but that’s all he’s ever done.
It’s time for a change.
Seth’s imagination is a great thing, but it’s no substitute for living his life, no matter how things turn out in the end. That must be what Anna meant when she told him to have confidence.
He wonders what Ryan will say. He might as well find out.
-end-
Notes: For the record, “May you live in interesting times,” is not a Chinese proverb. It’s just been attributed that way. Also, happy birthday
mozzystarz. Sho nuff, welcome to the OC, biotch!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 05:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 05:37 pm (UTC)This was good, probably as per usual.
(I've yet to read the rest of your OC ficlets, but am looking forward to it. Actually, will probably do that now.)
(*&
no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 05:41 pm (UTC)As for the story, go Seth! Seize the fish and all that. I especially like the structure here. And this:
Except that Seth always does the right thing, and it’s never gotten him anywhere. Okay, doing the wrong thing hasn’t gotten him much further, actually it might have put him in reverse, but grounded is grounded regardless.
Hee. So Seth. And so true. What does he have to lose?
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 06:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 06:03 pm (UTC)No one suspects the Spanish Inquistion
Date: 2003-09-04 08:31 pm (UTC)Ha -so good. Thank you kindly
no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 10:09 pm (UTC)*loves*
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:52 pm (UTC)*loves*
*loves back*
no subject
Date: 2003-09-04 10:40 pm (UTC)you captured seth so real i mean i saw him in front of my eyes. i love it.
cough*sequel*cough...
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:54 pm (UTC)*laughs* you and me both. i'm glad you enjoyed it.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 12:48 am (UTC)I could read your Seth forever and there always seems to be one line in your fics that jumps out at me and I just know and I think "yeah. that's it, right there." and for this fic, it's this one: Hell, he might even snore, which would suck like something that really sucks. And isn't that an interesting idea. Sucking. Right.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:55 pm (UTC)I could read your Seth forever and there always seems to be one line in your fics that jumps out at me and I just know and I think "yeah. that's it, right there." and for this fic, it's this one: Hell, he might even snore, which would suck like something that really sucks. And isn't that an interesting idea. Sucking. Right.
I turn out a lot, whether or not it's quality I will totally leave up to your discretion. I'm glad you enjoyed this though, I adore Seth. I think he's the best thing since sliced bread and strawberry jam.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 05:30 am (UTC)hee. as usual, this is wonderful. i love seth and his crazy, hyperactive mind.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 10:06 am (UTC)Great story, as usual.
And good use of the phrase "Welcome to the OC, bitch."
Very nice.
no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 12:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-05 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-06 09:52 am (UTC)Pretty, pretty fic. You *so* nail Seth's character in each one of these. I'm wallowing in the goodness, but I should probably stop the catchup for now, or I'll never have enough confidence to finish the one I'm writing for Caro. Cause you? Kick my ass six ways to Sunday.
*adores you and sends chocolate*
no subject
Date: 2003-09-08 08:54 am (UTC)That story was the dog's bollocks, which is a damn fine thing and not to be confused with the dog's dinner which is v v bad. Just saying. *loves*
no subject
Date: 2003-09-07 07:13 pm (UTC)Okay, I like this a lot. You really seem to get Seth, which should come as no surprise to me at all. Considering you have quite the knack for making me believe.
Also, the one benefit to the fact that I'm only commenting however many days after you posted this is the fact that today you hopefully still don't have a cold *g*
no subject
Date: 2003-09-08 08:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-08 03:22 pm (UTC)but I assure you I have been keeping an eye on the daily hell that is your job.
I love my job! It completes me! Yeah right, how about you? You having a grand old time work-wise?
Also, the OC? Come and play, you know you want to. DL those episodes!
I have the first three on video from the lovely
And dude, I *have* written OC fic *BG* Well, it hardly counts as fic but the morning after I watched the first two episodes needed to write something, mostly to exorcise the desire to write more, tbh.
But how can I resist that shit? It's trashy and hot which has got my name written all over it, even on the dirty parts *eg*