PROMPT POST PART IV

[cabinpres_fic]

Please see the most recent MOD NOTE

(updated 6 June)

Welcome everybody. How you got here I have no idea but thank you for coming and welcome again, nonetheless . As you may have gathered this is a Fic Prompting Meme dedicated solely to the hilarious and oh-so-addictive BBC Radio 4 sitcom - Cabin Pressure. I'm aiming for this to be pretty anything goes - but in order for everything to run smoothly, there are a few guidelines. Don't worry - they're not too restrictive.

FILLING GUIDELINES

As you probably all know - our meme now has it's very own database created and maintained by the great Enigel. It both catalogues each and every prompt that we post and provides links to fills. You can find it here: Google Spreadsheet

We also have a Pinboard archive which has been put in place by the lovely oxfordtweed in the place of our late Delicious Archive. This Archive contains a list of all the prompts this meme has to offer - you can find it here: Pinboard Archive

This is a great step forward in making our meme just a little more organised (but not too organised of course. This is Cabin Pressure) which is always a good thing.

So in order to make things easier to archive - Please nest your fills.

This can be done by either posting each part as a reply to that part's immediate predecessor, OR by replying each time to Part I OR - well you get the idea :D

It makes it simpler for Enigel and myself to link fills in a clean and clear manner. Following these guildelines will be very much appreciated guys :D

REPROMPTING

Reprompting is allowed but please include the URL of the original prompt when you do so. It will make it infinitely more easy to Archive which would make both Enigel and I very happy :)

As for everything else

1. Be respectful to one another. Disagreements are fine, but not everything disagreeable is trolling. If you suspect someone of trolling, just ignore it. If you cannot respond to a comment without attacking or trolling someone else, keep it to yourself.


2. No bashing prompts. It might not be your cup of tea - but obviously someone wants it enough to go to the effort of requesting it. So just scroll past it.


3. Prompt away as much as you like guys - seriously, go wild - but please try to fill as well.

NEW - If your fill includes a major element that veers from the original prompt (crossovers, established universes, kinks, et cetera), please take a few moments to check with the OP that such additions are welcome. This has caused problems in the past and it only takes a few moments of your time.

4. Please no RPF. I'm not trying to oppress you RPF writers and enthusiasts, I would just really like to avoid any legal problems.


5. When you post a fill (or post a new part of a WIP) please go over to the Filled Prompts Post (if it is complete) or the WIP Post (if there are still more parts to come) and, following each post's guideline's, post a link to this fill or new part.

REALLY IMPORTANT ADDENDUM

According to numerous Child Safety laws it is illegal to provide pornographic material to minors. Seeing that the majority of the stuff we have here is rather adult in nature, this Meme is consequently an 18+ zone. Failing to comply to this rule could result in the Meme getting shut down. So if you're here and you're under 18 please back button now.

+ Please do not post anything regarding minors in a sexual situation. It really doesn't matter how tasteful or crass it is, there are laws that classify that sort of thing as child pornography and as such, I'm afraid we're going to have to go with the attitude that safe is better than sorry.

It really is VERY important that these rules are upheld as the consequences are severe.

Other than that - go crazy guys. Any problems please just message me and I'll try my best to work it out.



Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Prompt Index

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cabin_pressure @ LJ | Cabin Pressure @ AO3 | IRC Chat @ irc.ecnet.org #FittonATC

Comments

FILL: All the Hollows Deep 1/3

[branwyn]

Sorry! If you're getting this twice, it's because I had c&p fail on the first one.


"It is a truth universally acknowledged," mutters Douglas, "that one should never engage in a land war in Asia. One should also avoid making a cargo flight across it in an aeroplane without the precaution of arranging some really excellent in-flight entertainment."

"Not all of us need continuous entertainment," Martin mutters back, just to be contrary. Douglas hasn't got any right to complain. He'd snaffled the crossword, and he's completing it in pen.

"Oh? Quite content to be left to your thoughts, are you?"

"The mind is its own place, and can itself make a Heaven of Hell, or a Hell of Heaven."

A pleasantly warm feeling of smugness suffuses him when Douglas peers at him disbelievingly over the top of his reading glasses. "Milton, Martin? Really?"

"I did a literature GCSE, thank you very much."

"Hmmph." Douglas looks back down at his crossword. Martin represses a sigh and leans back in his chair. Despite his brave words, his best efforts at entertaining himself quietly have only led to staring blankly at the instrument panel while he calculates his finances for the next fortnight, and tries to decide whether he can afford to up his current eBay bid on the 2002 edition of Flight Simulator.

Just then, Arthur enters the cockpit, bearing their coffee.

The moment he crosses the threshold, all the gauges on the instrument panel begin to dip.

Martin freezes. The pilot in him is panicking, but something older than that is making him quiet and still, whispering that none of the warning alarms are going off, that something is wrong here.

A second later, the instruments right themselves, like they've just noticed someone is looking.

Martin glances over at Douglas, who, apparently, hasn't noticed a thing. And Martin knows for certain that his hands haven't been near the controls for the last hour. Martin looks at Arthur, who's finding a safe location to deposit Douglas's coffee, since Douglas can't be arsed to reach out and take it for himself.

Now that Martin is paying attention, he can, without even trying, feel the differences in the air around Arthur. They're in a sealed, pressurized metal tube, but Arthur has brought the smell of ozone with him into the cockpit.

"And for you, Skip," says Arthur, brightly, presenting Martin with his mug.

Martin takes it, unable to keep from narrowing his eyes. Arthur is smiling at him, and his eyes reflect nothing but their usual innocent satisfaction with the world.

But when their fingers brush, it's all Martin can do not to drop the coffee. He yelps. Douglas looks up, eyebrows arched.

"Oh, sorry, Skip, it's hot. Well, obviously it's hot, but maybe I got it too hot. Are you okay?" Arthur takes a step closer, radiating concern.

"I'm fine," says Martin immediately, straightening in his seat. He holds up a hand, palm out, to stop Arthur's advance. "Nothing to worry about. Um, thank you. For the coffee. Would you mind looking for some biscuits?"

"Sure thing, Skip," says Arthur, vanishing.

Martin stares after him for a long moment, finally allowing himself to blink.

"All right, Martin?" says Douglas. "Why are you staring like that? Skipping meals again, are you?"

"Sorry, what?" Martin only has half an ear to listen to Douglas with. He's distracted by the fact that there's a frost etching along the bottom of the wall, closest to where Arthur's feet had been.

"You seem awfully keen on Arthur returning with those biscuits, that's all. You haven't taken your eyes off the door."

What does he have with him? Nothing, really, not even a crucifix. Just his lucky coin. It's not a coin at all, actually, just a small metal disc, but it was solid silver. Martin had promised his Granddad years ago never to leave home without it, so he keeps it in his wallet.

"Douglas." Martin manages to keep his voice calm. Casual is more than he's capable of at the moment. "Did anything about Arthur seem strange to you just now?"

Douglas opens his mouth.

"Stranger than usual, I mean."

Douglas closes his mouth, looking slightly put out. "Can't say I noticed anything," he says. "Why, what do you think is wrong with him?"

The fires of the Pit burn cold and so do those who serve there. "I think he might have taken a chill," says Martin.

"Poor chap," says Douglas, with exaggerated pity.

Martin settles back in his seat and eyes the instrument panel warily. Seconds, then minutes tick past. Arthur doesn't return. Martin presses a hand to his hip pocket, feels the shape of his wallet through fabric, and the indent of the coin through the thin, worn leather beneath.

Is it worth the potential consequences, making sure? Perhaps he should wait until they'd landed. Except they aren't going to land for another eight hours, and in the mean time, Arthur…

Something is very wrong here. There are two worlds, two governing realities with their own distinct rules and natural laws. Martin's got one foot in both of them, and Arthur's not making sense by the standards of either.

"You have control," he tells Douglas, standing abruptly, before he can change his mind.

"Good lord, Martin, I have an apple if you're as hungry as that. The biscuits in the galley are horrid."

"Yes, I know. All the same, Douglas."

Douglas sighs, and puts his crossword down with an aggrieved air. "I have control."

Martin takes a deep breath and steps through the door.


*


That was how it started. With Arthur, of all people.

Well, that's not precisely true. Not if you were being technical.

At the start, there was war in Heaven, and the chaos of the Interregnum, followed by the o'er-teeming of the Pit, after which the Captain of the Host received warrant from the Throne to bestow the Blessing on the sons and daughters of men, to aid in the great conflict with the Adversary.

More recently, there was Martin's granddad, but he died when Martin was seventeen.

Now it's just Martin. There's no one else left. At least, no one who can reach them before GERTI crashes, somewhat ironically, into one of the Sacred Mountains.

Not that Martin thinks that's actually going to happen. It's just a possibility. A worse case scenario, of sorts.

It's best to be prepared.