Love that, Deb.

Thanks, all. Everyone in F2F was talking about dumping their families for the holidays, and I took it one step farther.

This week's Sunday100 was "cliches." Dude, I had some fun.

In Which Spike Acquires A Coat

"You can't win."

She circled him, her eyes tracking his face, his hands, his feet. Spike wasn't really bigger than she was; Nikki was strongly built, but in this guise, hungry as a vicious bear, he was faster than usual, and dangerous. One hand on the stake, she desperately tried to maintain her balance on the moving A-train.

"Don't you watch movies?" she taunted. "I'm good, you're evil, baybee. Good always wins."

"Life's not a movie, luv." The lights flickered, the train swayed. "This time, evil wins."

"Bite me," she sneered.

"Fine by me, luv."

And the lights went out.

Grr. Trying to come up with a name for a vengeance demon is quite tricky. The story I'm working on is set post BtVS S7, so I can't use Halfrek or Anyanka. I'm guessing that the best thing to do would be to look for a Nordic/Russian sounding name and tinker with it a bit.

Something with consonants in. Sarek. (No, he was a Vulcan.) Emlekah (what my brother used to call me when I was in a bad mood. My real name, Emma, plus 'little Karen', because Karen was an older girl we knew who shouted at everyone.) Barlok. Bradin.

I like Emlekah. That's a very cool name.

Sorry for not posting my appreciation for the most recent works in here. My computer broke and then I lost internet access for awhile last night. All is well again and I'm still enjoying everything.

I haven't watched anymore than the first two episodes of HLotS yet. Maybe if I've been good and packed a few boxes today I can treat myself to another episode tonight.

Well, I'm glad you liked them. When I read that I was all proud and then it was like "You didn't write them, you idiot. Chill!" If (or I suppose I should be positive and say "when") I write something that more than say, 30 people read, I expect I'll be kind of obnoxious about it.

Am-Chau, could I possibly borrow the name you suggested for my vengeance demon?

Hey, ya'll. I've been doing some short one-shots, trying to get back into the writing groove, and I'd appreciate any comments/grammatical advica you could give me on some of this stuff. I tend to have a blind eye against mistakes for the first month or so after I've written something.

Morning (Smallville)

Lex survives on routine, if only because the world demands it of him. Up at six, office by nine, lunch meeting with any of the current major world powers at half-past noon, manipulative social calls at four, brief dinner at eight-thirty, attendance at annoying yet visible parties at nine-thirty, climb into bed at midnight, have intense and passionate sex with Clark Kent at any available moment in between.

It's a grind, but he loves it. He lives for the moments when he can break from his schedule and slip into a closet like some nervous intern, dropping to his knees or pressing Clark into the wall, raining kisses through panting breath on his forehead. It's not as though there's any real danger, considering his entourage knows him well enough to both avoid and protect the places he and Clark slip into, and anyone stupid enough to walk in would be quickly handed a confidentiality agreement and a pink slip; but the thrill is almost there anyway.

The schedule he is on, that they are both on, makes those small moments that much more special and important because it feels as though they are bucking the system, even if it is one of their own invention. Lex looks at Clark and is silently thrilled that there is one person in the world who understands how this works for them, that it must work for them, and is happy in the carefully maintained rut they are in.