H/W snapshot fic

[rivers_bend]

Title: More than a Day
Words: ~450
Rating: G
A/N: I promised skyblue_reverie that I would write some H/W “snapshot fiction” because she didn’t want to have to read Chase/Wilson. So, here it is. Thank you to karaokegal for pointing out that what I mean isn’t always what I’ve said.

The prompts are word association, which is why they are a bit strange.



shadow
House watches out the window for a Wilson-shaped shadow to cross his balcony. It’s been hours since Wilson went into his office and he’ll need some fresh air soon. He missed lunch today and yesterday, making House wonder. Just a little, but enough that he’s been staring out the window for close to an hour. Waiting for the shadow.

puppet
Wilson thinks he’s busy, that he’s getting on with his work of his own volition. House’s petty lashing out has nothing to do with it. There was no final straw sending him to attack the stacks of paperwork that have been building up on his desk. Wilson is his own man. He is not House’s puppet.

master
Some days House can’t stand the way Chase, Cameron and Foreman look at him blankly. He’s happy to play master of ceremonies, but they should be his clowns, not the huddled masses. He’s made the connection between their blank looks and his bad moods, but that’s just how things are. He wishes they’d get over it and continue to throw out diagnostic possibilities despite his snapping at them. He talks into the end of his cane like a microphone to entertain himself.

card
When the first card turns up on his desk, Wilson thinks someone has taken the time to painstakingly mimic House’s handwriting. There’s a cartoon dog on the front with a bandage around his head. Get Well Soon says the text inside. The signature just says, “a friend.” When there are nine more cards in the next two days, Wilson decides that really, only House is that determined.

sharp
House cuts himself on the broken edge of a mug just at the moment Wilson finally comes in to see him. The pain is distracting; a relief, keeping him from showing how scared he’s been that Wilson seemed to be staying away forever. He wants to say, “Where have you been?” or, “Why have you been ignoring me?” or even, “I missed you, damn it.” But he sucks the blood out of his finger and smiles around the edges while Wilson makes some sort if inane comment about whatever song House is listening to. “Do you want Chinese or pizza tonight?” he says instead.

blunt
Wilson doesn’t see any point in pulling his punches, or they will just be back where they started. “I was pissed that you kept carping at me and I needed some time away from it. I want Chinese, I want you to pay, and I want you to apologise. I will however, let you pick the movie.” To Wilson’s immense surprise, House’s smile lights up not only his face, but the whole room.

Comments

[skyblue-reverie.livejournal.com]

OMG, hon, these are wonderful! Totally perfect. I love the way they build on each other, and we can infer the story of what's happening even though it's never explicitly explained. Less is more, and this is a perfect example of that.

Shadow - oooh, nice setup. Puppet - heh, Wilson's denial is so funny.

Oh, and then "master" is wonderful too - that's just exactly how the ducklings would react, and how House would react to their reactions! Hee, talking into his cane like a microphone!

I LOVE House sending jillions of sappy cards to Wilson, but without much written in them. And Wilson at first not believing they're from House. Fantastic.

Sharp - aww, poor House! It's great how you get across his fear and relief without going overboard on the emotional descriptors - this is restrained, and exactly right.

Then blunt - awww! So cute! I love it when House smiles like that, and Wilson's the only one who can evoke it.

Definitely you can call this a highly successful experiment! What a lovely morning surprise! (And yes it's 5 a.m. and I can't sleep anymore because of this stupid cold.)

Thank you, my dear, this was lovely!

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you like it :D even at five am. thank you, and you are welcome

[talia-sparkle.livejournal.com]

I love these one word prompts. I read some on the Lost slash comm and they're just perfect!

[petrichor-fizz.livejournal.com]

Lost slash? Seriously?

[talia-sparkle.livejournal.com]

Yes! There's loads of Lost slash around. It's great fun!

[petrichor-fizz.livejournal.com]

Huh, I didn't anticipate that. How foolish of me.

[kohlrimmedeye.livejournal.com]

And total crack to write, if I may say...

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

They are pretty fun to write if they come to you. You should try some!

[dontkickmycane.livejournal.com]

That was cool! Little snippets to tell just enough to know how the story goes. See, this is where the whole picture/word thing comes in handy. I can picture a small scene for each one. Now if only I had that magical brain hand connexion that would allow you to see them too.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

yes, I want the magical brain connection thing! I'm glad you can see it anyway. and I can hear it so that is almost as good :D

I'm glad the story tells you enough.

[tigertrapped.livejournal.com]

Awm just right! Really sweet and angsty and just lovely.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

[(Anonymous)]

Ooh, I like. Nice to see House missing Wilson and doing something non-destructive about it for a change. And good for Wilson for sticking to his guns. Good job.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Sometimes House does the right thing, and Wilson doesn't cave. Thank you :D

[gaffsie.livejournal.com]

What a bunch of delightful little snippets! Very entertaining. :)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you liked...

[kohlrimmedeye.livejournal.com]

however, I will let you pick the movie. Oh, the romance ;)

Lovely. I love snapshot fics, and the word association thing is teh awesome.

x

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Hey, what can I say, they are romantic guys! ;)

I'm glad the word association thing worked out ok. I was kind of looking at them thinking, "huh. dunno if that will do at all"

thank you for comments

[nightdog-barks.livejournal.com]

These are just wonderful -- such great little fractions that add up to a whole.

I really like them.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

*g*

Thank you so much for commenting, I'm glad you like them!

[fallen-arazil.livejournal.com]

d'awww.

It's like a little bite of fic. A fic aperatif, if you will. I like, and it's so true that House wouldn't no how to deal with the lack of a Wilson. who woudl take his harrassment with patient good humor?

~Djinn

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

the mini quiche of fic? ;)

House without Wilson is impossible to think of.

[no-eden.livejournal.com]

Awesome-ness. :)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank You! :D

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it said everything it needed to say, and that it was able to make for a satisfying ending despite its brevity.

Thank you!

[extrabitter.livejournal.com]

I really like this form, and the tone of the whole piece is nicely evocative. This could have gone off the rails, but it's coherent and fascinating. Nice work! I'm going to rec over at housefic_meta.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Wow! thank you so much! It is good to have not gone off the rails :)

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I've read this six times now, so why haven't I commented yet? Please chalk it up to the awesomeness of this fic. I'm very tired of passive-aggressive Wilson (although it's of course canon), so candor!Wilson pleases me almost as much as he pleases House. A+

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really wasnt' sure cannon!Wilson was going to tolerate being candor!Wilson, but then I remembered the end of HouseVgod and thought he could go there.

I'm glad you liked it. Six times? wow :D

[maineac.livejournal.com]

Pithy and powerful. Nice job.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

the word pithy is painfully underused. Thank you! :)

[saara-zaara.livejournal.com]

Pithy is a good word & its tough to be. Partic liked this "but they should be his clowns, not the huddled masses", that really kind of sums up how House views them.

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I love hearing what lines people like best.

[fauxpocky.livejournal.com]

Hee! The card thing is so cute *g* So are House and Wilson in this *g* Good on Wilson for holding his own for a change. It's like the broken cane thing in the prank war, House wouldn't respect him if he always rolled over. Lovely characterisation, and very sweet.

And using word associations for the prompts? Fantastic idea. The links between the words aren't the same as the links between the pieces, but both sets have a thread of commonality running through them, which works really well.

And I may have to add "snapshot fiction" to my list of styles in which to challenge myself. If I can come up with anything half this good I'll be happy :D

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

It is great fun to write 'snapshot fiction' though it's a challenge indeed when you are used to writing long narrative pieces.

I hadn't even thought about the link between the thread of the words and the thread of the story. Thank you so much for pointing that out! I love thinking about the why of stories working.

Again, thank you!

[silsbee329.livejournal.com]

Loved the word association and how amazingly well you illustrated each one.

One of my many favorite parts: The pain is distracting; a relief, keeping him from showing how scared he’s been that Wilson seemed to be staying away forever.

I'm a sucker for smut, but I love it when they care about each other in this way, too. Very nice. :)

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I do love my smut of course, but just sometimes I love that they are, at the heart of it all, best friends too.

It is really nice to hear that the word association works. Because most people seem to work from prompt tables, and I don't have any. Successful experiments are my favourite kind :D

Fic: Snapshot fic

[rosewillread.livejournal.com]

They're great. The way they add up, but are still separate from one another.

I like the clowns, and the cards and House cutting himself. I also really liked House waiting for Wilson to need air, not going after him.

Re: Fic: Snapshot fic

[rivers-bend.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's always especially good to know that something's working when it's now my usual style :D