Girl Genius fic: Fate in a Bottle

16 Mar 2019 07:40 pm
jennickels: (gg: gil/tarvek)

When Gil left for university, he knew it would be filled with wondrous new experiences. He just never thought he'd be trapped in a room with a dozen students, Tarvek Sturmvoraus, and a mysterious bottle on the floor.

2,164 words | [PG-13]


“Okay, mes cheris,” Colette said, clapping her hands, “everyone take a seat in a circle—it’s time to play a game.” She went around the room, closing the curtains and tossing pillows onto the floor.

The other students giggled and got comfortable. Gil just stood there, confused. Across the room, Tarvek looked equally baffled.

“Come on, boys, don’t be shy.”

Colette’s words were soft and friendly, but there was an edge of an order to them, and no one argued with the Master’s daughter. Gil dutifully plopped down on a pillow. Tarvek took a little more convincing by the hushed but tense conversation he had with Colette. Eventually, he sat, too. Colette always got her way. He definitely didn’t look happy about it, though. Or maybe it was just Gil he was unhappy with because he hadn’t stopped glaring across the circle since he entered the room a few minutes after Gil.

Gil swallowed hard and turned his attention to the game, trying to suss out the rules before they started. The group of about twenty students, equal numbers of boys and girls, gathered in the circle on their pillows. An empty glass bottle sat in the center of the circle. Gil couldn’t guess what it was for.

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Girl Genius fic: Uncalled For Actions (1/?)

14 Jan 2019 03:34 pm
jennickels: (gg: fish)
Here's the first post of my sentences experiment which ended up being all in one story. I'm posting a compilation of the first seven days of sentences. So far, it's going well.

When Gilgamesh Holzfäller is fourteen, he’s taken on as an apprentice to Baron Wulfenbach as part of a program to produce the next generation of leaders in the Empire–a group that will hopefully get along (although most see this as wishful thinking on the Baron’s part).

He’s learned a lot over the months of shadowing the Baron, but nothing has prepared him for his most challenging assignment: confronting the skeletons in his closet.

Part 1

“I’m telling you,” Gil said through clenched teeth, “this is a really bad idea.”

The Baron regarded him over the edge of the newspaper he read with a withering stare. “Please sit down, you’re agitating the Jägers.”

Across the room, a couple of Jäger guards snickered to each other. Gil glared then crossed his arms, staring out the porthole–pointedly not sitting. The Baron went back to reading his paper with a rustling flourish, the Jägers continued to giggle and Gil pouted as Sturmhalten grew large on the horizon.

~*~

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[ Part 2 ]
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Six Sentences on Sunday

9 Dec 2018 01:32 pm
jennickels: (a: 6 sentences)

~*~Each Sunday, post six sentences from a writing project — published, in progress, for your cat — whatever.~*~

His father waited for him in the docking bay as they approached. Gil watched from the window while various assistants tried to get his attention with their reports. His father ignored them as if he found nothing more important than his returning son. At least Gil wanted to believe that, but the absolute blank stare on his face gave Gil pause. The trepidation grew as he disembarked and his father still showed no sign of emotion. He wasn’t sure why he expected anything more.
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Girl Genius fanfic: Wax in the Frosting

18 Nov 2018 12:17 am
jennickels: (gg: gil)

It's been nearly a year since time stopped, freezing his friends in the town below, but Gil doesn't even know what day it is. Luckily, Bangladesh Dupree has his back and a cake. Written for day seven of Girl Genius Week 2018 (better late than never).
980 words | [PG]


Gil jerked away from his desk, nearly knocking his coffee onto the papers he’d been reading as Bangladesh Dupree deposited a cake in front of him. It listed to one side some and the creamy frosting was smeared on one corner where it looked like she’d helped herself to a taste. Oddest of all, twenty-three tiny, colorful candles stuck out of the top at various intervals with no discernible pattern.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a cake,” she said, plopping down in a chair across from him.

“I can see that. Why?”

She cocked her head. “What do you mean ‘why?’ It’s your birthday.”

Gil frowned. “Is it?” He had no idea what day it was. He pushed things around on his desk, looking for the calendar.

“Trust me,” Bang said with a laugh. She pulled a lighter from some hidden pocket and flipped it opened, eyes intent on the little flame.

His birthday? Already? The year had gone by so fast, and yet, dragged for eternity. Time, he’d learned, was funny that way.

“Well,” Bang said after a moment.

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Girl Genius fanfic: Sacrifices Better Left Undone

10 Oct 2018 12:15 am
jennickels: (gg: fish)

The machine is finished. It works just as Agatha predicted. But not everything goes according to plan. Now Gil has to make a difficult decision. Too bad Tarvek is thinking the same thing. Written for Day three of Girl Genius Week 2018.
1100 words | [PG]


Gil stumbled back as their creation came to life. It chugged and whistled while it gained momentum, gears spinning and parts clanking in a growing cacophony.

“Is it supposed to do that?” Tarvek shouted over the noise, his voice shriller than usual.

“I-” Gil joined Tarvek a few feet from the machine. “I have no idea.” The contraption vibrated violently, raining dust and debris from the ceiling as the tremors grew. Gil feared it might tear itself apart and take half the castle with it. What have we even done?

Tarvek said something Gil couldn’t hear—alarm etched all over his face. Gil shook his head in confusion.

Then it all stopped. The silence was deafening. They exchanged worrying looks before Gil inched forward.

“What are you doing?” Tarvek screeched, grabbing at Gil’s arm.

“Something’s-”

The rest of his statement was lost to the boom of an explosion. The blast threw them across the room. Gil skid along the rough, stone floor, landing in a heap with Tarvek. He groaned as they untangled battered limbs.

“You did it!” Tarvek grinned, adjusting his glasses.

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Girl Genius fanfic: Blast From the Past

9 Oct 2018 12:11 am
jennickels: (gg: gil/tarvek)

Tarvek is settling into another semester of university when he runs into someone from his past he thought he never wanted to see again. Now he's not quite sure. Written for Day 2 of Girl Genius Week 2018 on tumblr.
841 words | [PG]


Tarvek slid into a seat in the back corner of his favorite cafe near the university campus. The position gave him a view of the entire cafe and street beyond the large front window, leaving no avenue for ambitious assassins to sneak up on him. He’d spent the time between semesters stuck in Sturmhalten playing politics. His father thought it necessary for Tarvek to stay visible to keep the Fifty Families in line. The only think politicking ever did for Tarvek was raise his blood pressure and paranoia.

Sipping his espresso, Tarvek leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh then opened the morning paper with a flick of his wrist. He’d barely finished with the headlines—Student Saves Three in University Lab Explosion—when the door slammed open with a cheer from a crowd gathered outside. He frowned, trying to focus on the front page, but the crowd grew more enthused by the second. Finally, they tumbled into the cafe while other patrons scrambled out of the way lest they get crushed in the chaos.

Someone bumped into his table sloshing espresso over the newspaper. Terrific. Tarvek blotted the coffee with his napkin, but the ink was already running. Not how he wanted to start his return to school after an intolerably boring and aggravating holiday. The mob continued to grow and chant, crowding into the small cafe. Tarvek peered through the throngs to whoever was commanding the center of attention.

“Excusez moi, mademoiselle,” he said as the waitress squeezed past. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

She let out a huff, ruffling her bangs. “Big celebration.”

“I can see that. But why here? Why now?” He couldn’t avoid the irritation in his voice.

She tapped Tarvek’s soggy paper. “Some kid ran into a burning building. Big hero.”

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Girl Genius fanfic: Quit Pretending

8 Oct 2018 12:08 am
jennickels: (gg: gil/tarvek)

 

Set sometime after Mechanicsburg is freed as everyone settles into life at Castle Heterodyne. Agatha thinks she knows how to fix Gil and Tarvek's relationship. She's usually right.

(This story was originally written in 2018 and has been updated for composition and clarity in 2020.)

1,065 words | [PG-13]


“That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!”

Gil stumbled to a stop as Agatha swung around to face him and Tarvek. They shared uneasy glances at the slight Sparkiness in her tone. “Wha-” he started to say, but she cut him off.

“The arguing and bickering. Can’t you two do anything without fighting?”

Another exchange of looks. Gil couldn’t even remember what they were fighting about moments ago, but he knew they’d been doing it. They fought over everything and anything and nothing. He wasn’t even sure why anymore.

“We’re not-” Tarvek protested, but Agatha put a hand up to stop him.

“Enough. I don’t want to hear it. I want you to fix it.”

They looked at each other, neither wanting to ask the question. Agatha sighed dramatically. “You’re both ridiculous, you know that. This isn’t as difficult as you’re making it out to be.”

Gil was so confused. “Making what difficult?”

Agatha rolled her eyes. “Getting along. Being around each other. You try so hard to irritate each other instead of being friends. You spend all your time pretending to hate each other—always pushing the other aw—when it’s obviously not what you want.”

“It’s not?”

The Spark flashed in her eyes again. Uh-oh. “No. And since you two are stubborn idiots, it looks like I’m going to have to fix everything like I always do.”

She wrenched each by the arm so they were facing each other then took a step back, expectantly. Gil stared at an equally baffled Tarvek.

“Agatha,” Tarvek said, slowly, “are you feeling ill?”

“I told you, I’m going to fix this constant fighting thing.”

“How?”

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Girl Genius fanfic: The Distance Between Us

24 Sep 2018 11:51 pm
jennickels: (Default)



Gil has spent the last three years of his life fighting to save his friends, and now it's over. They won. It's time to settle down and enjoy the victory. Except nothing is ever that easy for Gil. Just when he was finding peace, Tarvek and Agatha throw him a curve ball. And it hurts.
1003 words | [PG]


“I need space.”

Gil blinked at Agatha, not sure he heard her correctly. “Space? What does that mean?”

Agatha took a deep breath the way Gil’s father always did when he was coming to the end of his rope. “Gil, ever since we got back from England you’ve been-” She paused, apparently searching for the correct word. “Needy.”

“Needy?”

“I was going to say ‘clingy.’” said Tarvek, “but ‘needy’ works, too.”

“You’re so intense all of the time. Like you’re dialed up to twelve and the knob has broken off.”

Gil frowned at her. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s just a lot sometimes.”

“A lot?” Gil was aware he was repeating everything, but it was taking all his resources to process what she was saying.

Tarvek joined Agatha in front of him, linking their hands together. A united front. “It can be overwhelming,” he added.

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Girl Genius fanfic: The Beginning of Again

12 Sep 2018 11:43 pm
jennickels: (Default)

Eight-year-old Gil Holzfäller has made a few mistakes in his short, miserable life but none as far-reaching as getting his best friend expelled from his life.
1021 words | [G]


“Where are we going?” Gil asked the Baron. His little legs struggled to keep pace with the giant of a man next to him. His father. The thought baffled and terrified him in equal parts.

The Baron remained silent for several long seconds before finally answering. He sounded tired. “Your new quarters.”

Gil clutched his bag—filled with his few worldly possessions—tighter to his chest and tried to look around without looking like he was looking around. He had no idea where they were, and that said a lot considering how much of Castle Wulfenbach he’d explored over the years. There were few doors in the empty corridor and those weren’t marked in any way. How did the Baron even know where they were going?

They took several more turns leaving Gil to wonder if he was purposefully being led in circles so he’d be lost. He wasn’t sure if that’s something the Baron would do. It was something the other boys in the school would do. It’s how Gil got to be so good at getting around the ship. Necessity is the mother of invention, von Pinn had told him. Or in this case, a good sense of direction.

“Gilgamesh,” the Baron said sternly, “do keep up.”

Gil jumped at the sound of his voice and hurried to catch up. “Am I being punished?” he asked after a moment.

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