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schizoauthoressTitle: Adventus I: Match and the Musical Mystery
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Fortress!verse AU -- mostly Superboy v3 and references to Superboy and the Ravers v1 #5
Warnings: mild language, holiday fluff
Prompt/Fill: "Caroling" from the Christmas Advent Prompts list.
Note: "The Times" means the Times Supermarket, a chain headquartered in Honolulu. There are 25 stores spread throughout the islands.
Word Count: 855
Summary: Match is being stalked!
Word of the Day: guff, noun:
1. Empty or foolish talk; nonsense.
2. Insolent talk.
Timeline Note: Superboy's first birthday is shown in "Superboy v3 Annual #2" (1995). The Christmas shown in "Superboy and the Ravers #5" (1997) is assumed to be his second Christmas, because I think the Metropolis Kid debuted in the summertime? I'm not 100% certain.
Soon after the events of Ravers #6, Superboy is kidnapped by the Agenda (Superboy v3 #34-36) and Match is created. So Match's first Christmas takes place before his first birthday -- timelinewise, he was likely created some time in January.
Adventus I: Match and the Musical Mystery
It began on December first. The thought was completely illogical, Match knew this, but he still could not shake the impression that he was being followed by a song.
Since Superboy had brought him to live in Hawaii, Match had become a common sight for the people on the island. He stood out, even just visually speaking -- skin stubbornly remaining several shades paler than any of the tanned denizens, let alone the brown-skinned Asians and Native Hawaiians; his uniform almost entirely featureless black in contrast to the bright colors that made up most wardrobes on the island -- but what made most people notice him was how he'd use his powers. No matter how often Superboy reminded him that not everyone would take kindly to his TTK, Match instinctively reached out with that first when he saw people in trouble.
Today, for example, when he'd noticed a young man get sucked under by a riptide, he'd flown out over the ocean and plunged a collection of invisible arms and hands into the water, quickly locating the man and pulling him into the air. The man had been spluttering and panicking, until Match spoke to him. "Don't worry, sir. I'm one of the Superboys and you're not in danger anymore."
In general, people responded well to information being relayed in a calm voice. Match had flown his rescuee back to the beach and confirmed that the man had not inhaled seawater during the ordeal. And that's when he heard it.
"What a bright time, it's the right time," piped out of a boombox speaker, sounding slightly tinny, "to rock the night away! Jingle bell time, it's a swell time... to go riding in a one-horse sleigh!"
At the time, he had not really noticed it. He'd been busy making sure the man was okay, and then he'd flown off to continue his morning patrol of the island's beaches.
****
The song had been playing from a nearby residence when he dove down out of the sky to apply TTK brakes to a child's tricycle. "...bushels of fun. Now the jingle hop has begun! Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock..."
The little girl shrieked when the big truck passed by, scarily close to her front tire. Match reeled her back from the intersection by drawing his TTK in. "You must pay attention to what's happening around you," he informed her.
The girl hopped off her tricycle and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Thank you for saving me, Superboy!"
"You're welcome," Match replied, as politeness required. He patted her shoulder. "Please promise that you will be careful from now on."
"I promise!"
He hoped that she would remember her promise. He stayed to watch her turn her tricycle around and ride back to her home, then took flight again.
****
Twice could be coincidence, but three times? Match followed Superboy into The Times, making a face as he focused on what was playing over the intercom system. "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!"
"What is that face?" Superboy asked, poking at Match's forehead with a tendril of TTK. Match waved a hand as if to banish the TTK, though it really did nothing. "I thought you liked running errands for Dub. What happened to 'I feel useful'?"
"I am being stalked," Match informed his progenitor solemnly. "Auditorially."
Superboy's look of confusion was familiar. "What the hell did you do, that some accountant is following you?"
"No." Match jabbed a finger toward the ceiling, and the speaker above them. "That sound. It has been everywhere."
Superboy looked at Match's hand, then up to the speaker, which was still transmitting the same song. "Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet. Jingle around the clock! Mix and a-mingle in the jingling beat..."
He started to laugh. Match scowled. Superboy laughed harder.
Match knew that it was time to pull out the one phrase guaranteed to get him a straight answer from Superboy. "But I don't understand."
Superboy held up a finger, silently asking for 'one moment' to collect himself. Once he'd calmed, he swatted at Match with the grocery list that Dubbilex had given them. "You're not being stalked, you drama queen. Welcome to the Christmas season, clone o' mine. You're going to be hearing the same set of songs repeatedly over the next twenty-five days."
Match thought that over. He knew about Christmas, and he had a vague idea that there was a collection of songs regarding the holiday. But why would people want to play those same songs repeatedly, nearly four weeks before the holiday in question?
"People are strange," Match concluded aloud.
"Tell me about it." Superboy wound a bit of TTK around Match's wrist and tugged lightly. "Now come on. Dubbilex only asks us to get shrimp when he's going to make his coconut shrimp special, and I for one do not want to keep him waiting."
Match smiled softly and let Superboy pull him along toward the seafood section. It was oddly relaxing to be towed by TTK. "Agreed."
*~*~*~*
Author: D.L.SchizoAuthoress
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Fortress!verse AU -- mostly Superboy v3 and references to Superboy and the Ravers v1 #5
Warnings: mild language, holiday fluff
Prompt/Fill: "Caroling" from the Christmas Advent Prompts list.
Note: "The Times" means the Times Supermarket, a chain headquartered in Honolulu. There are 25 stores spread throughout the islands.
Word Count: 855
Summary: Match is being stalked!
Word of the Day: guff, noun:
1. Empty or foolish talk; nonsense.
2. Insolent talk.
Timeline Note: Superboy's first birthday is shown in "Superboy v3 Annual #2" (1995). The Christmas shown in "Superboy and the Ravers #5" (1997) is assumed to be his second Christmas, because I think the Metropolis Kid debuted in the summertime? I'm not 100% certain.
Soon after the events of Ravers #6, Superboy is kidnapped by the Agenda (Superboy v3 #34-36) and Match is created. So Match's first Christmas takes place before his first birthday -- timelinewise, he was likely created some time in January.
Adventus I: Match and the Musical Mystery
It began on December first. The thought was completely illogical, Match knew this, but he still could not shake the impression that he was being followed by a song.
Since Superboy had brought him to live in Hawaii, Match had become a common sight for the people on the island. He stood out, even just visually speaking -- skin stubbornly remaining several shades paler than any of the tanned denizens, let alone the brown-skinned Asians and Native Hawaiians; his uniform almost entirely featureless black in contrast to the bright colors that made up most wardrobes on the island -- but what made most people notice him was how he'd use his powers. No matter how often Superboy reminded him that not everyone would take kindly to his TTK, Match instinctively reached out with that first when he saw people in trouble.
Today, for example, when he'd noticed a young man get sucked under by a riptide, he'd flown out over the ocean and plunged a collection of invisible arms and hands into the water, quickly locating the man and pulling him into the air. The man had been spluttering and panicking, until Match spoke to him. "Don't worry, sir. I'm one of the Superboys and you're not in danger anymore."
In general, people responded well to information being relayed in a calm voice. Match had flown his rescuee back to the beach and confirmed that the man had not inhaled seawater during the ordeal. And that's when he heard it.
"What a bright time, it's the right time," piped out of a boombox speaker, sounding slightly tinny, "to rock the night away! Jingle bell time, it's a swell time... to go riding in a one-horse sleigh!"
At the time, he had not really noticed it. He'd been busy making sure the man was okay, and then he'd flown off to continue his morning patrol of the island's beaches.
****
The song had been playing from a nearby residence when he dove down out of the sky to apply TTK brakes to a child's tricycle. "...bushels of fun. Now the jingle hop has begun! Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock..."
The little girl shrieked when the big truck passed by, scarily close to her front tire. Match reeled her back from the intersection by drawing his TTK in. "You must pay attention to what's happening around you," he informed her.
The girl hopped off her tricycle and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Thank you for saving me, Superboy!"
"You're welcome," Match replied, as politeness required. He patted her shoulder. "Please promise that you will be careful from now on."
"I promise!"
He hoped that she would remember her promise. He stayed to watch her turn her tricycle around and ride back to her home, then took flight again.
****
Twice could be coincidence, but three times? Match followed Superboy into The Times, making a face as he focused on what was playing over the intercom system. "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!"
"What is that face?" Superboy asked, poking at Match's forehead with a tendril of TTK. Match waved a hand as if to banish the TTK, though it really did nothing. "I thought you liked running errands for Dub. What happened to 'I feel useful'?"
"I am being stalked," Match informed his progenitor solemnly. "Auditorially."
Superboy's look of confusion was familiar. "What the hell did you do, that some accountant is following you?"
"No." Match jabbed a finger toward the ceiling, and the speaker above them. "That sound. It has been everywhere."
Superboy looked at Match's hand, then up to the speaker, which was still transmitting the same song. "Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet. Jingle around the clock! Mix and a-mingle in the jingling beat..."
He started to laugh. Match scowled. Superboy laughed harder.
Match knew that it was time to pull out the one phrase guaranteed to get him a straight answer from Superboy. "But I don't understand."
Superboy held up a finger, silently asking for 'one moment' to collect himself. Once he'd calmed, he swatted at Match with the grocery list that Dubbilex had given them. "You're not being stalked, you drama queen. Welcome to the Christmas season, clone o' mine. You're going to be hearing the same set of songs repeatedly over the next twenty-five days."
Match thought that over. He knew about Christmas, and he had a vague idea that there was a collection of songs regarding the holiday. But why would people want to play those same songs repeatedly, nearly four weeks before the holiday in question?
"People are strange," Match concluded aloud.
"Tell me about it." Superboy wound a bit of TTK around Match's wrist and tugged lightly. "Now come on. Dubbilex only asks us to get shrimp when he's going to make his coconut shrimp special, and I for one do not want to keep him waiting."
Match smiled softly and let Superboy pull him along toward the seafood section. It was oddly relaxing to be towed by TTK. "Agreed."
*~*~*~*