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Run the Doldrums by crowgirl13 (Mature)
Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: mostly gen with some Bob/Mikey and background Frank/Gerard
Length: 16,460 words
Author on LJ/DW:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crowgirl13 / ![[personal profile]](https://dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crowgirl13
Author on AO3:![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/232260-5709239/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Teigh
Why this must be read: In the aftermath of the Desolation Row riot Bob is stuck alone in prison, not knowing if the rest of his band is even alive.
This story's a wonderful take on the Desolation Row and Killjoys universes. It's also a fantastic character study and the way it manages to wed the post-apocalyptic world of the Killjoys with the supernatural is wonderful. I love the way it gives us a Bob that is at once human and Other. The way he sinks into his wolf nature during the time in the desert is fascinating. I also love how vivid the writing is. It makes it very easy to immerse yourself in this universe - in the touch and scent and sound of it.
Excerpt from the story:
When he finds a familiar road the next afternoon, Bob's wary. Following it will definitely help shake his pursuers; Dracs, for some reason, have always avoided Route Guano. He is well aware, however, that there's more than Dracs to watch out for out here and a road is risky. Particularly for someone walking and wearing a Bli/nd uniform. The lengthening shadows offer equal measures of protection and danger. He conceals his gear and goes four-legged to scout out the road.
But he finds he can't stay on the asphalt - it feels wrong under his paws. He also is constantly looking back over his shoulder, scanning the area, because it feels like he's being watched. And not by a single pair of eyes; it feels more like a silent, staring crowd. The sensation fades when he retreats to the berm, but being near the road still makes his skin crawl.
He has a feeling that it will just get worse at night. After an afternoon of jumping at shadows, Bob doesn't want to see what worse looks like. Besides, he's had about as much worse as he can possibly stomach for a while. He shifts and grabs his gear, heading back in the wilderness.
'Roads never marked on maps,' Bob thinks as he moves as fast as possible away from Route Guano.
That night Bob dreams of ghosts, with long fingers and wide, hungry mouths.
~~~
Despite the fact that their secret headquarters are located deep in the zones and that endless drought has the zones reverting back to desert, Bli/nd has shit-all for decent desert gear. The grunts' uniforms are uncomfortable in the heat and relentless sun, and offer poor camouflage, though they aren't as obvious as a Draculoid's white suit against the sand. In any event, he hasn't seen anyone wearing Bli/nd's monochrome - aside from himself - for days. Bob is pretty confident that he's lost any pursuers. Of course, now he's lost in the desert too, which sucks. After turning his back on Route Guano, he's been unable to find any familiar landmarks. At least he has some survival skills, rusty as they are, to draw on.
This isn't the first time Bob's had to lay low in the desert. The pack gatherings had moved out here, back before he and his mom had arrived in the City, and when he could risk the runs, he'd spend full moons out in the dunes. But now he's far from known territory. He can't seem to stop following the trail of destruction, evidence of the continuing battle between the zonerunner gangs, City refugees and Bli/nd, It's as if he's been sensitized to the damage created by Bli/nd.
Run the Doldrums (on AO3) or here (on DW) or here (on LJ)
Pairing: mostly gen with some Bob/Mikey and background Frank/Gerard
Length: 16,460 words
Author on LJ/DW:
crowgirl13 / crowgirl13Author on AO3:
Why this must be read: In the aftermath of the Desolation Row riot Bob is stuck alone in prison, not knowing if the rest of his band is even alive.
This story's a wonderful take on the Desolation Row and Killjoys universes. It's also a fantastic character study and the way it manages to wed the post-apocalyptic world of the Killjoys with the supernatural is wonderful. I love the way it gives us a Bob that is at once human and Other. The way he sinks into his wolf nature during the time in the desert is fascinating. I also love how vivid the writing is. It makes it very easy to immerse yourself in this universe - in the touch and scent and sound of it.
Excerpt from the story:
When he finds a familiar road the next afternoon, Bob's wary. Following it will definitely help shake his pursuers; Dracs, for some reason, have always avoided Route Guano. He is well aware, however, that there's more than Dracs to watch out for out here and a road is risky. Particularly for someone walking and wearing a Bli/nd uniform. The lengthening shadows offer equal measures of protection and danger. He conceals his gear and goes four-legged to scout out the road.
But he finds he can't stay on the asphalt - it feels wrong under his paws. He also is constantly looking back over his shoulder, scanning the area, because it feels like he's being watched. And not by a single pair of eyes; it feels more like a silent, staring crowd. The sensation fades when he retreats to the berm, but being near the road still makes his skin crawl.
He has a feeling that it will just get worse at night. After an afternoon of jumping at shadows, Bob doesn't want to see what worse looks like. Besides, he's had about as much worse as he can possibly stomach for a while. He shifts and grabs his gear, heading back in the wilderness.
'Roads never marked on maps,' Bob thinks as he moves as fast as possible away from Route Guano.
That night Bob dreams of ghosts, with long fingers and wide, hungry mouths.
~~~
Despite the fact that their secret headquarters are located deep in the zones and that endless drought has the zones reverting back to desert, Bli/nd has shit-all for decent desert gear. The grunts' uniforms are uncomfortable in the heat and relentless sun, and offer poor camouflage, though they aren't as obvious as a Draculoid's white suit against the sand. In any event, he hasn't seen anyone wearing Bli/nd's monochrome - aside from himself - for days. Bob is pretty confident that he's lost any pursuers. Of course, now he's lost in the desert too, which sucks. After turning his back on Route Guano, he's been unable to find any familiar landmarks. At least he has some survival skills, rusty as they are, to draw on.
This isn't the first time Bob's had to lay low in the desert. The pack gatherings had moved out here, back before he and his mom had arrived in the City, and when he could risk the runs, he'd spend full moons out in the dunes. But now he's far from known territory. He can't seem to stop following the trail of destruction, evidence of the continuing battle between the zonerunner gangs, City refugees and Bli/nd, It's as if he's been sensitized to the damage created by Bli/nd.
Run the Doldrums (on AO3) or here (on DW) or here (on LJ)