Subject: SC: Opinions Are Like Bellybuttons Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001 10:46:03 -0500 (EST) From: "Trisha L. Sebastian" SC: Opinions Are Like Bellybuttons By Trisha L. Sebastian [Once again, this is what happens when I beta your work, and like it enough to write a story about it. This is concerning the next story in the Alchemy arc, which has almost been completed. ALL of the characters here belong to Marvel but were reinterpreted by Dandelion. All rights are reserved, no MSTs, etc., ask before archiving, etc. and so forth. This is the third in my "Opinions" series of Subreality Caf fics.] "It's not fair, I say!" Brett slammed down her mug of cider on the table and everyone could hear it crack, both the table and the mug. "When's the last time we've even SEEN her? A month? A year?" The rest of the characters gathered in the cafe nodded their agreement. Remy played with her hair and murmured, "You think you're the only one bothered by it? She said she got something planned for me, and she's putting me through all this angst and I don't even have a clue what it might be about." Lorna and Magnus sat on opposite sides of the table, giving each other yearning looks, but feeling very uncomfortable about it. Lorna sighed, pushing a lock of green hair out of her eyes. "I hear she's bringing in another version of us into that arc, too. Maybe they'll get some nookie before we do." Magnus blushed, but leaned forward. "Perhaps we should be happy that she hasn't needed us for any scenes lately. You all see what Belladonna's going through after her last session." As one, the fictives sitting at the table turned to see the growing pile of empty glasses sitting next to the Assassin's Guildmistress. There were the corpses of half a dozen well meaning Remys littering the ground underneath. Even as they watched, some other poor writer's Remy came up, trying to charm her into a better mood. The shrieking girlish cry made every man in the cafe wince, and turn around again. "There is a bright side to this," Lee piped up. "She could be just trying to get her frustrations out on them before she returns to us." She looked at each of the occupants of the table with a look of hope on her face. "Right?" Magnus murmured, Lorna took another sip of her drink, Brett bent the pewter mug back into shape, and Remy lit up another cigarette. None of them would meet her eyes. "Right. We'll never be written again." "'s not that bad," a whiskey-slurred voice interrupted them. "Being written means y' gotta stop drinkin'." "Oh fuck off, Pete," Brett said. "You didn't stop drinking even when she was writing you. And where in the world have you two been? You were supposed to meet us here hours ago." Pete looked at the Remy who was standing next to him, and Remy looked back. As one, they shuffled their feet and murmured, "Greece." "Greece?" They nodded, and dropped down into some extra chairs, spaced several feet apart. Remy passed a cigarette to his alternate and smirked. "You taking notes from all those slash versions of us?" Remy accepted the cigarette, but not before giving his alternate a baleful glare. "It's not that." He shuddered. "It will NEVER be that. For one thing, I'm not gay. And the second is Pete's not my type." Pete gave his own death-inducing glare. "Oh, very funny Remy." Brett coughed, looking at the two of them. "You gonna tell us what you're been up to?" Pete and Remy exchanged a look again. "No." Brett threw up her hands in disgust. "So we don't know what's going on with you, we don't know what's going on with us it's enough to make you want to take up permanent residence in Shantytown." Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me, but you're Brett, right? From the 'Companion Picture' series?" Brett straightened up in her seat. "Yes, that's me." "Got a message from your writer. She's going to be late and sends her regards. She's busy with some other things right now." From the way Belladonna had disappeared so abruptly from her table, Brett knew what was keeping her. She waved the messenger aside. "It's okay." Brett sighed. "C'mon. Let's finish our drinks, then go see HER. We've got a lot to talk about." Everyone at the table, save the drunk(er) Pete and Remy nodded. They slammed their drinks down and exited the caf. Pete turned to Remy. "Think they're gonna make it there?" Remy looked at his watch. "Naw." Pete nodded. "'s good with me." They picked up their drinks and saluted. "To not being written." THE END Notes: All of the characters here mentioned are from fics written by Dandelion. Brett (Rogue's REAL NAME), Remy, Magnus and Lorna are from "A Companion Picture". The other Remy and Pete are from "Love Affairs are Horrible" and "Destination Central". Belladonna's from the next story in the Alchemy Arc, title unrevealed. She is not paying me to plug her fic, but I would like to mention that she's very generous when it comes to buying rounds at the pub. Addendum: Once I finished typing this in her computer, she showed me the next part in ACP. Trisha L. Sebastian tls@thekeep.org http://www.thekeep.org/~tls/spotlight.htm You must not come lightly to the blank page. ---Stephen King