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crack_van2012-07-01 10:51 pm
laurie-ky.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2012-07-01 10:51 pm
Entry tags:
The Land of Tears by Enigmaticblues. (Teen)
I'm back for my second round as a crack van reccer. I've got the keys, snacks, full tank of gas, Sentinel podfic on my Ipod, so let's do this road trip.
Laurie
Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: None (Gen) Characters:Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg
Length: 6,600 words
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
enigmaticblues
Artist on LJ:beth
Author's website: Her page on AO3
Why this must be read:
Summary: After a tough case, Jim knows they need to get away.
“I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.
It is such a secret place, the land of tears.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Written for the Sentinel Reverse Bang in 2012, Enigmaticblues took Beth's art, a lovely and peaceful beach scene with Jim and Blair caught in an intense moment, and lets us see Jim and Blair during a vulnerable time, the aftermath of a traumatic police case. Jim's been hurt, but it's Blair who needs to heal.
I liked the pace of the story, the sense that things between Jim and Blair need to unfold in their own time. There's guilt to deal with and physical injuries, there's a sense of the potential future they can have with each other if they'll reach for it.
***
Jim has always loved the ocean—not when he’s surrounded by deep water, maybe, but he’s surfed since he was a kid, and he loves standing on the shore, smelling brine and feeling the waves lick at his feet. The susurration acts as white noise, and makes for a more restful night.
At least, it would, except the pain meds are starting to fuck with his sleep. It’s not unexpected, but it means that Jim has a legitimate reason to refuse the pills. Well, a reason that Blair will accept, anyway, which amounts to the same thing.
With a sigh, Jim rolls out of bed, careful not to put too much weight on his bad knee immediately. When he’s sure his leg will hold him, Jim grabs the dime store novel from his bedside table and limps down the hall towards the sitting room, feeling the cool, smooth wood under his feet. He sinks down into the overstuffed cushions of the couch with a sigh, facing the ocean through the French doors.
The moonlight is bright enough for him to read by, but Jim lays the paperback on his chest, focusing on the way the light reflects off the water, and the sound of the waves.
He’s so focused on the view outside that he doesn’t immediately recognize the sounds of distress from Blair’s room. When the sound of Blair’s panicked heartbeat finally alerts him, Jim immediately knows that Blair is in the middle of a full-blown nightmare.
Jim is halfway off the couch before he thinks better of trying to wake Blair, who has been touchy lately. Normally, Jim wouldn’t hesitate to go to his partner, but Blair has been shying away from any discussion of how he’s dealing with their latest case.
Jim had always hoped that Blair wouldn’t have to kill anybody, but it’s part of the job, and he’d figured that if Blair did have to shoot someone, Blair would come to him.
Except that Blair hasn’t come to him, and Jim doesn’t know why.
When Blair’s bedroom door opens, Jim pushes himself off the couch. “Blair?”
“Jim? What are you doing up?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” he explains briefly. “You know how those meds mess me up.”
Jim can see Blair nod in the dim light. “Guess you’ll have to cut back.”
“The pain isn’t too bad now anyway,” Jim lies, half-expecting Blair to call him on it.
“That’s good,” Blair says vaguely. “So, you’re okay?”
Jim frowns. “Yeah. It’s just insomnia. Nothing new. You okay? You want to talk about it?”
He can hear Blair’s heartbeat pick up speed again. “No. Why?”
“It was a nightmare, wasn’t it?” Jim asks.
“I guess,” Blair replies vaguely, gesturing to the bathroom. “Mostly I had to piss.”
Jim doesn’t buy it for a second, but he’s disinclined to press the issue right now—not when it’s the middle of the night, and at the beginning of their vacation. He hopes Blair will open up by the end of the week, but if Blair doesn’t, Jim will press for answers if their time grows short.
The Land of Tears (2012 Sentinel Reverse Bang website)
Laurie
Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: None (Gen) Characters:Jim Ellison/Blair Sandburg
Length: 6,600 words
Author on LJ:
enigmaticbluesArtist on LJ:
bethAuthor's website: Her page on AO3
Why this must be read:
Summary: After a tough case, Jim knows they need to get away.
“I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more.
It is such a secret place, the land of tears.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Written for the Sentinel Reverse Bang in 2012, Enigmaticblues took Beth's art, a lovely and peaceful beach scene with Jim and Blair caught in an intense moment, and lets us see Jim and Blair during a vulnerable time, the aftermath of a traumatic police case. Jim's been hurt, but it's Blair who needs to heal.
I liked the pace of the story, the sense that things between Jim and Blair need to unfold in their own time. There's guilt to deal with and physical injuries, there's a sense of the potential future they can have with each other if they'll reach for it.
***
Jim has always loved the ocean—not when he’s surrounded by deep water, maybe, but he’s surfed since he was a kid, and he loves standing on the shore, smelling brine and feeling the waves lick at his feet. The susurration acts as white noise, and makes for a more restful night.
At least, it would, except the pain meds are starting to fuck with his sleep. It’s not unexpected, but it means that Jim has a legitimate reason to refuse the pills. Well, a reason that Blair will accept, anyway, which amounts to the same thing.
With a sigh, Jim rolls out of bed, careful not to put too much weight on his bad knee immediately. When he’s sure his leg will hold him, Jim grabs the dime store novel from his bedside table and limps down the hall towards the sitting room, feeling the cool, smooth wood under his feet. He sinks down into the overstuffed cushions of the couch with a sigh, facing the ocean through the French doors.
The moonlight is bright enough for him to read by, but Jim lays the paperback on his chest, focusing on the way the light reflects off the water, and the sound of the waves.
He’s so focused on the view outside that he doesn’t immediately recognize the sounds of distress from Blair’s room. When the sound of Blair’s panicked heartbeat finally alerts him, Jim immediately knows that Blair is in the middle of a full-blown nightmare.
Jim is halfway off the couch before he thinks better of trying to wake Blair, who has been touchy lately. Normally, Jim wouldn’t hesitate to go to his partner, but Blair has been shying away from any discussion of how he’s dealing with their latest case.
Jim had always hoped that Blair wouldn’t have to kill anybody, but it’s part of the job, and he’d figured that if Blair did have to shoot someone, Blair would come to him.
Except that Blair hasn’t come to him, and Jim doesn’t know why.
When Blair’s bedroom door opens, Jim pushes himself off the couch. “Blair?”
“Jim? What are you doing up?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” he explains briefly. “You know how those meds mess me up.”
Jim can see Blair nod in the dim light. “Guess you’ll have to cut back.”
“The pain isn’t too bad now anyway,” Jim lies, half-expecting Blair to call him on it.
“That’s good,” Blair says vaguely. “So, you’re okay?”
Jim frowns. “Yeah. It’s just insomnia. Nothing new. You okay? You want to talk about it?”
He can hear Blair’s heartbeat pick up speed again. “No. Why?”
“It was a nightmare, wasn’t it?” Jim asks.
“I guess,” Blair replies vaguely, gesturing to the bathroom. “Mostly I had to piss.”
Jim doesn’t buy it for a second, but he’s disinclined to press the issue right now—not when it’s the middle of the night, and at the beginning of their vacation. He hopes Blair will open up by the end of the week, but if Blair doesn’t, Jim will press for answers if their time grows short.
The Land of Tears (2012 Sentinel Reverse Bang website)
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Laurie
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Laurie
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Laurie