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100promptsTitle: 'Keeping Score'
Fandom: Original
Character/Pairing: Original
Rating: G
Summary: She shrugged. "That isn't so bad."
Notes: Fic = Mine. Characters = Also Mine. Crossposted toficlets.
"Final tally, before the rooster crows," Arlen announced.
Doris sighed--or, lacking breath, pretended to sigh. "What a tradition," she muttered, "keeping score of all of the mortals we've frightened on Halloween."
Arlen smiled. "Better to scare than to be scared, as when we were among the living."
"Perhaps. Where shall we start?"
"That chap, Blore, just after sundown," her haunting companion decided. "I did a wonderful job with him. I even had him pleading for mercy, by the time I was done with him."
"Oh, don't be a fool," she scolded him. "That was the simplest thing in the world. The cowardice of a guilty conscience. Blore drowned his wife in the pond behind his house, rather than grant her a costly divorce. Naturally a set of damp footprints in their bedroom would cause a stir."
"That said," Arlen reminded her confidently, "the man did become so frightened that he went stark raving mad." At that, he looked a trifle guilty. "Pity about that, really; I hadn't meant to take matters that far. Still, it could have been worse; I shouldn't care to have a suicide on my conscience. Twenty points."
"I give it fifteen," Doris replied with pretended scorn. "It's my turn now, if I'm not mistaken. That young couple who moved into the lovely structure on the low hill at the edge of town. They're on the brink of vacating, now that the servants have all given notice." She pondered for a moment. "It wouldn't take very much to drive the couple out, completely."
Arlen frowned at her. "Now, now! You've met your quota for the night, Doris. Going back for a second helping would be cheating.
"Oh, very well, Arlen," she conceded with some reluctance. "All the same, I think I did quite well. Thirty points to me."
"Yes, but their twin toddlers took a shine to you," Arlen reminded her. "Minus five points."
She shrugged. "That isn't so bad."
"Each."
"Oh, dear."
Fandom: Original
Character/Pairing: Original
Rating: G
Summary: She shrugged. "That isn't so bad."
Notes: Fic = Mine. Characters = Also Mine. Crossposted to
ficlets."Final tally, before the rooster crows," Arlen announced.
Doris sighed--or, lacking breath, pretended to sigh. "What a tradition," she muttered, "keeping score of all of the mortals we've frightened on Halloween."
Arlen smiled. "Better to scare than to be scared, as when we were among the living."
"Perhaps. Where shall we start?"
"That chap, Blore, just after sundown," her haunting companion decided. "I did a wonderful job with him. I even had him pleading for mercy, by the time I was done with him."
"Oh, don't be a fool," she scolded him. "That was the simplest thing in the world. The cowardice of a guilty conscience. Blore drowned his wife in the pond behind his house, rather than grant her a costly divorce. Naturally a set of damp footprints in their bedroom would cause a stir."
"That said," Arlen reminded her confidently, "the man did become so frightened that he went stark raving mad." At that, he looked a trifle guilty. "Pity about that, really; I hadn't meant to take matters that far. Still, it could have been worse; I shouldn't care to have a suicide on my conscience. Twenty points."
"I give it fifteen," Doris replied with pretended scorn. "It's my turn now, if I'm not mistaken. That young couple who moved into the lovely structure on the low hill at the edge of town. They're on the brink of vacating, now that the servants have all given notice." She pondered for a moment. "It wouldn't take very much to drive the couple out, completely."
Arlen frowned at her. "Now, now! You've met your quota for the night, Doris. Going back for a second helping would be cheating.
"Oh, very well, Arlen," she conceded with some reluctance. "All the same, I think I did quite well. Thirty points to me."
"Yes, but their twin toddlers took a shine to you," Arlen reminded her. "Minus five points."
She shrugged. "That isn't so bad."
"Each."
"Oh, dear."
