Fic: Green Hornet; Solving for X
Monday, April 25th, 2011 05:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
covenmouseTitle: Solving for X
Fandom: Green Hornet
Verse: Movie
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: language, character death
WC: 450
Summary: Kato thought he had Britt all figured out until a last minute surprise has him reevaluating his old friend.
I like numbers; they’re remarkably solid for a concept. Contrary to popular belief they do change--mostly when other numbers are involved. The reassuring thing about it is that they change in patterns. You can predict them, track them, make magic with them; I do, often.
The other popular belief about numbers is that they don’t apply to human behavior. I call bullshit.
Like numbers, people tend to change because of other people. We modify our behavior based upon who is around us, our location, class, sex, nationality--all variables that work with and against our base personalities in an ever expanding algorithm. Most people you only know long enough to see the short problems. Others, you get to solve for ‘x’.
Your ‘x’ was that you were a dick.
If you were here, you’d pout and tell me that I’m a dick. Well, yeah, I kind of am. I always figured that’s why we got along. Except when we didn’t.
Those were the bad times, though. Despite ourselves we always seemed to have fun. Fun doing things that were admittedly bad ideas. Always seemed to work out, even when I thought it wouldn’t.
Except when it didn’t.
All I wanted was to keep myself alive. It was a small goal, I guess, but it seemed important at the time. When you don’t have anyone but yourself, your world can be rather small. I drifted through life with various groups of friends--gangs--through job after job, boss after boss, until I got to you. You were a dick, but it was a kind of dick I could tolerate. You were noble, underneath your selfishness, and you made me want to be noble, too.
Except when I wasn’t.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry. I like numbers, but I lost track of them when it mattered.
We buried you in that cemetery you liked. You remember it--the one you insisted was haunted. There was an open spot beneath an oak. I thought you’d like it.
Lenore brought the flowers. I put up the headstone. It’s a statue of black beauty, the horse--no one really gets it, except me and Lenore. Not that they should, even if its eyes glow green at night. What? You know you’d love it.
Besides, it was the least I could do.
I got the call a week after. They were probably double checking to make sure they had it right. If the rumors weren’t already there, they are now in force. I can’t read a paper without some speculation, except yours. Lenore’s.
The money went where you wanted it. The kids' programs, the rehab centers, the social rights movements. Me.
You dick.
Fandom: Green Hornet
Verse: Movie
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: language, character death
WC: 450
Summary: Kato thought he had Britt all figured out until a last minute surprise has him reevaluating his old friend.
I like numbers; they’re remarkably solid for a concept. Contrary to popular belief they do change--mostly when other numbers are involved. The reassuring thing about it is that they change in patterns. You can predict them, track them, make magic with them; I do, often.
The other popular belief about numbers is that they don’t apply to human behavior. I call bullshit.
Like numbers, people tend to change because of other people. We modify our behavior based upon who is around us, our location, class, sex, nationality--all variables that work with and against our base personalities in an ever expanding algorithm. Most people you only know long enough to see the short problems. Others, you get to solve for ‘x’.
Your ‘x’ was that you were a dick.
If you were here, you’d pout and tell me that I’m a dick. Well, yeah, I kind of am. I always figured that’s why we got along. Except when we didn’t.
Those were the bad times, though. Despite ourselves we always seemed to have fun. Fun doing things that were admittedly bad ideas. Always seemed to work out, even when I thought it wouldn’t.
Except when it didn’t.
All I wanted was to keep myself alive. It was a small goal, I guess, but it seemed important at the time. When you don’t have anyone but yourself, your world can be rather small. I drifted through life with various groups of friends--gangs--through job after job, boss after boss, until I got to you. You were a dick, but it was a kind of dick I could tolerate. You were noble, underneath your selfishness, and you made me want to be noble, too.
Except when I wasn’t.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry. I like numbers, but I lost track of them when it mattered.
We buried you in that cemetery you liked. You remember it--the one you insisted was haunted. There was an open spot beneath an oak. I thought you’d like it.
Lenore brought the flowers. I put up the headstone. It’s a statue of black beauty, the horse--no one really gets it, except me and Lenore. Not that they should, even if its eyes glow green at night. What? You know you’d love it.
Besides, it was the least I could do.
I got the call a week after. They were probably double checking to make sure they had it right. If the rumors weren’t already there, they are now in force. I can’t read a paper without some speculation, except yours. Lenore’s.
The money went where you wanted it. The kids' programs, the rehab centers, the social rights movements. Me.
You dick.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-26 12:04 am (UTC)You have simultaneously made and ruined my day. And I kind of love and hate you for it. Mostly hate. But in a good way.
I don't know what I expected from this prompt but I don't think I expected it to hurt my heart like it did.
I don't know how you managed to put so much emotion into this short piece but it was beautiful and eloquent and it made me feel all the right and wrong things. It must have been the sad music and the fact that I had to think of Britt dying and Kato being left alone. I mean, sure he has Lenore, but it's not the same.
My heart hurts for Kato and I am so proud of Britt. But as much as this made my heart hurt, it also make me happy. I love the thought of them taking care of each other even after death. Kato buries him in the cemetery he likes. Under an oak tree. The headstone is a black beauty with glowing green eyes. Which is like their own little inside joke. And the fact that Britt left his money to the kids' program and rehab center and the social rights movements. And Kato.
I loved everything about this. The fact at the fact that at the beginning Kato just seems to be stating facts about numbers and math equations to saying sorry to calling him a dick.
It's perfect.
I don't think you'd be able to guess how many times I had to stop writing this comment, how many times I re-read this, how many tissues I used. I probably couldn't guess either.
Thank you for taking this prompt and making it one of my favorite pieces I've ever read in any "fandom".
no subject
Date: 2011-04-26 12:43 am (UTC)I AM SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT. SO SORRY FOR MAKING YOU CRY.
no subject
Date: 2011-04-26 03:21 am (UTC)But it's okay. I completely forgive you. <3
no subject
Date: 2011-04-26 09:09 am (UTC)I totally expected that prompt to produce James Reid fic, but I'm not complaining! This is awesome and hurtful and, you know, everything Vanillatwist said!
(This is me, by the way. You know, me. You know me from Tumblr by another name. :D)
no subject
Date: 2011-04-28 11:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-29 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-29 06:25 pm (UTC)