donutsweeper: (Default)
donutsweeper ([personal profile] donutsweeper) wrote2008-06-09 08:57 pm
Entry tags:

Alphabet Soup

Title: Alphabet Soup
Pairing/Warning/Rating: None, rated G
Word Count: 640
Beta: [profile] smithy161
Summary: Jack discovers that his team has a certain pastime when it comes to tracking his deaths.
Author's Note: A birthday present for the wonderiffic [profile] _medley_, because what's a birthday without a few laughs?

On his way back from changing into clean clothes, Jack was slightly suspicious when he heard something that sounded like giggling from the others.  He stopped mid-stride when Owen called out, “Oi, it counts!  We’re up to ‘M’ now.”

Careful to stay out of sight, Jack continued to listen in as Gwen argued, “No.  It doesn’t count, it has to be alphabetical order.  We agreed.”

“It did follow in alphabetical order, he was lynched!”  Owen sounded very smug.

“No, he was hung.  Again.  That’s a repeat of ‘H’ which means we start again.”  Jack rubbed his neck thinking back on his recent death.  He wondered what exactly it must be that they were arguing about.  Why would it matter if he had been hung or lynched?

“Nope, I looked it up.  Definitely lynched.”  Owen paused and Jack could hear frantic typing.  “See,” Owen was obviously reading off the computer screen now, “it says ‘to put to death, especially by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.’  That’s what happened.”

“Tosh?”  Gwen called out.  “You’re the list keeper here.  What’s your opinion?”

There was a pause before Tosh replied, “He’s right.  So, what should we call it?  Lynched by a lecherous legion?”

Gwen groaned, but it was drowned out by Owen’s laughter.  “That’s bad, Tosh,” she said when Owen had quieted down, “even for you.”

“So, what do we have so far?”  Ianto joined the others, carrying a something that rattled a bit.  Jack assumed it was the afternoon round of coffees. 

“Well,” Tosh began, “are you sure we should be counting that time you and he...”  Jack realized that Ianto must have nodded because then she began reading off a list of his recent deaths. “Autoerotic asphyxiation.”  There was more laughing from both Owen and Gwen at that.  Jack felt himself flush over the thought that Ianto had told the others about that little mishap, but didn’t have a chance to think on it further before the list continued.  “Bludgeoned by a bugle.”

“Oh, now that one was a classic!”  Owen sniggered, only to be hushed by Ianto.

“Are you going to keep interrupting me?”

“Sorry Tosh.”  Owen didn’t sound the least bit contrite.  “Go on.”

“Choked on a chestnut....”

“I thought we were going with ‘cut’ for that one?”  Gwen interrupted.  “That Crespallion nearly cut his head off trying to help.”

“He choked before being cut, but I think either one would work in that case,” Ianto explained, “besides, does it really matter?”

“No.” Jack was pretty sure Gwen shrugged her shoulders as she spoke.  “I suppose not.”

“So, where were we?  Ummm,” Tosh searched her place on the list she was reading from, “discovering defenestration, then there was that extraterrestrial echidna-like thing exsanguinating him, followed by being flattened by a falling fardel.”  All four members of his team snickered at that death.  Jack didn’t know what they found so funny, how was he supposed to have known that such a small cute little thing could have such sharp spines?  And who really expects a twenty eight kilo bundle of futuristic rebar to randomly slip through the rift to land on top of them?  “Garroted by a Gorgon.”  Jack nearly interrupted them then; it wasn’t a Gorgon per se, rather one of the race of creatures on which the Greeks based the myth.  “Then he was hung by the Horda.  Immolated to Isis....”  Okay, now that was taking things a bit too far.   He hadn’t had a choice, either chose to sacrifice himself on the pyre or all of Earth would have been burned.

Jack decided that a good, strong drink was in order.  With a shake of his head,  Jack left them to have their fun and headed back to his office.  Tosh’s voice drifting behind him,  “After that came the time he was jettisoned from that junker...”

[identity profile] chatona.livejournal.com 2008-06-10 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I love angst. I love writing angst and I love reading it. I honestly don't know what it says about my psyche, but reading angst makes me happy more often than not. If it's well written. Unless it's really angsty (and well-written), in which case it might make me cry. But I'll still love every minute of it.

You've pretty much read my angst, though. The soldier!Gibbs story? That's... kind of my version of angst? With added sex thrown in *flails*

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-06-10 03:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I love angst too, I was talking more about death!fics. Yep, I read soldier!Gibbs. *sighs* poor boys

[identity profile] chatona.livejournal.com 2008-06-10 03:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Eep. I don't read death!fic. And I don't write it, either. With one exception, but that was mainly to make a point and also, ages ago.

I don't like dealing with death in real life. Why would I willingly deal with it in fiction?

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-06-10 03:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I've written one story that hinted at suicide after the fade to black, but I've never killed anyone off outright.

I've read a few death!fics by accident, when they weren't labeled. *grrrr*

[identity profile] chatona.livejournal.com 2008-06-10 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I got annoyed at all the "oh my God, my lover died, how can I go on living" stories I found and wrote one where life goes on. Because it does. That's the only death!fic I ever wrote.

I hate that. Especially when the note right after the end reads "I know some people don't want to read death!fic, but I didn't want to give the end away, so I didn't label it"
That just makes me really mad.

And I really love that icon of yours there.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-06-10 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
(I had to go back and look to see what the randomizer chose) It's from odette_river (odette_river) She does a lot of quote ones (like this one). I used to have more of hers, but I'm slowly replacing ones I gakked from people for ones people have made for me or I made myself.

If a fic is labeled "dark themes" and they kill someone off, it's my own fault for reading it, but no warning whatsoever? I hate that. Especially if I'm reading it at work and get all teary eyed