Drabbles, part 1: Downton Abbey

[shimotsuki]

Here is the first set of 'hobbit birthday' drabbles! There were three prompts for Downton Abbey, so I thought I would post them all in a set.

• Downton Abbey: Matthew/Sybil, for roh_wyn (season 1 spoilers only) | 200 words
  
  Values
  "Did you always want to work as a solicitor?" his cousin asked.
  
  Matthew was tired of this.
  
  Tired of all of it.
  
  He hadn’t asked to be plucked away from the comfortable life he had made for himself in Manchester, only to be dropped in the midst of these distant relatives who resented him for something he’d never wanted. He was tired of Cousin Mary’s acid scorn, and Cousin Edith’s calculated flirtation, and Cousin Violet’s patronising sarcasm.
  
  And more than anything else, he was tired of his perfectly respectable profession being made an object of ridicule by people who had never worked a day in their pampered lives.
  
  "Yes," he answered, shortly, wondering how much longer he had to sit here and sip at his tea before he could escape to the relative peace of the cottage.
  
  "I envy that."
  
  Matthew’s head snapped up.
  
  He had expected mockery, but the clear grey eyes were steady and grave.
  
  "You knew what you wanted to do," she said, "and you did it." A wistful smile tugged at her mouth. "I’m still looking for my calling."
  
  Perhaps there was more to Cousin Sybil than he had guessed.
  
  ~ * ~
  
  
• Downton Abbey: Mary, Matthew, Richard, change in plans, for mrstater (season 2 spoilers) | 200 words
  
  Smiles
  He looks so weary, sitting in his wheelchair—so drawn. But who wouldn’t? He’ll never walk again, never have children of his own. It’s no wonder the days are long to him.
  
  He looks up when he hears my footsteps. His whole face breaks into a smile.
  
  I know he only loves me as a cousin now, or perhaps, if he’s generous, as a sister. But—given his injury—that may be the only kind of love he’ll ever give anyone.
  
  And I do make him smile.
  
  It frightens me, how terribly much I long to see that smile. How hollow and empty it leaves my heart, every time, and yet how I would do anything to see it again.
  
  The last thing I want to do is wipe it away.
  
  "Matthew," I say. Quickly. "I’m terribly sorry, but I’ll have to miss our walk today. Sir Richard insists that he simply must have me along when he pops over to Haxby."
  
  And there it goes, the light snuffed right out of those weary eyes.
  
  "Of course," he says. His smile returns, but it’s the wrong one.
  
  Everything is wrong.
  
  But I’ll make him smile again. Tomorrow.
  
  ~*~
  
  
• Downton Abbey: Anna, Mary, invisible barriers, for gilpin25 (season 2 spoilers) | 200 words
  
  Mirror
  "Have you been practicing with the curling iron?"
  
  "Yes, milady." Anna met Lady Mary’s eyes in the mirror as she ran the brush through her hair. "I practice every night, before I go to sleep. I’m getting rather good at it, I think."
  
  She managed not to flush, remembering how John had stared, even though he hadn’t said anything. But she couldn’t help a small, secret smile.
  
  Lady Mary saw it, in the mirror. The dark eyes turned pensive and looked away.
  
  Anna swallowed. It was hard enough waiting for John, but at least she knew he loved her (even when he was pretending otherwise). At least she knew he wanted to marry her as soon as he could. At least his leg kept him home from the war.
  
  Lady Mary had to watch the man she loved give his heart, and the promise of his home, to another woman. She had to wish him well as he returned to the front again and again.
  
  It was not Anna’s place to say anything. But that didn’t stop her from giving the thin shoulders in the silk negligee the gentlest of squeezes after she set the brush down.
  
  ~*~

Comments

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

Now why do I get the feeling that Richard planned this little excursion to coincide with Mary's regularly scheduled perambulation with Matthew? He's such a sneaky creep, even when he doesn't actually appear!

I really love your first person Mary POV! This feels just as she should be even inside her own head. A little more vulnerable than we see, but still very much the epitome of the stiff upper lip. I hurt for her!

All these are really great! I love Sybil surprising Matthew, and that season 1 resentment of how the family have treated him as a member of the middle class; of course Sybil would envy his freedom!

And I love the third drabble, too, with Anna's quiet support, wishing there weren't boundaries between them, and her daydreaming about Bates liking her curled hair. Hopefully he'll buy her a curling iron of her own for Christmas. ;)

You know what this means, don't you? That you'd better write more DA fic!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Now why do I get the feeling that Richard planned this little excursion to coincide with Mary's regularly scheduled perambulation with Matthew?

Five points to House Tyrell, lol. I'm sorry I didn't manage to get Richard onscreen, but I got the idea for the first-person narration, and really wanted to try this scene. I'm so glad you think this works for Mary, though! I made sure to have Michelle Dockery's voice narrating this in my head the whole time. ;)

Thanks for the encouragement. We may all have to write DA fic over the hiatus while we're waiting for the Christmas episode...

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

LOL I totally heard Lady Violet/McGonagall awarding me my House Points. When fandoms collide, much?!

We may all have to write DA fic over the hiatus while we're waiting for the Christmas episode...

That, my dear, is a brilliant idea. I've already got a plot bunny hopping around in case Lavinia falls to the Spanish flu. Except it's not really so much a plot bunny as a drabble which Richard offers his support to Matthew: "Damned shame, old chap, and just when you were feeling all tingly, too. Does that mean Mary and I get the April wedding after all?"

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

LOL for oblivious Richard and tingly Matthew!

At least Matthew still has Bates. Oh, wait, he'll be in jail, won't he. Never mind. ;)

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

At least Matthew still has Bates. Oh, wait, he'll be in jail, won't he. Never mind. ;)

Bwahaha! Can't you just imagine the epic angsty romance fic? "Tingles Between Bars."

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, these are all so great.

I love that Sybil managed to surprise Matthew, mostly just by being herself. I'm now even more disappointed the show didn't at least try Sybil/Matthew for an episode or two. *sigh*

Mary in that second drabble is so heartbreakingly observant. That she'd the light go out in his face and still think Matthew only loved her as a cousin...wow.

I think that last one is my favorite. I love the subtlety of the piece, with Mary learning about Anna's feelings just from her secret smile, and Anna offering what comfort she can at at the end. *sniff* Just lovely!

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

I really miss first-season Sybil, who stuck around long enough in season 2 to bake a cake and take a nursing course, but then mysteriously vanished. *sigh*

My take on Mary this season is that she does assume Matthew has only platonic affection for her -- but I could of course be wrong.

One thing that's interesting to me in watching DA, not coming from a background of either being or employing domestic staff (heh), is trying to keep track of when human feelings lead to people breaking through the invisible barriers of class and station. I'm not even sure if a touch on the shoulder is something that a maid would ever do, but I wanted Anna to give Mary some kind of wordless gesture of support.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

Ooh, very nice times three!

Good to see one Crawley talking to Matthew without a hidden agenda, and Sybil being honest and young and hopeful. Very like her in series one. I do like Matthew seeing Edith's flirtation as 'calculated'; always thought he was having fun with all those church tours!

How observant and vulnerable is Mary inside and yet so easy to imagine her face giving little, if anything, of that away to Matthew. It must kill her to think her feelings are unrequited now, and that it's all her own fault (also Rosamund's and JF's!).

And I love mine, because these two are always sharing great mirror scenes. Anna, as always, is sympathetic to Mary's feelings while rejoicing in her own, and finds a way to show it. Most of all, I like that she calls him John in her head and sees right through his pretending not to love her. :)

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :) I was given a lot of very nice DA inspiration with these prompts.

I may have to go back and watch season 1 again while I'm waiting for the Christmas special, heh. I rather miss that Sybil...

My sense is that the viewers know a bit more about Matthew's feelings for Mary than Mary herself does; I'm thinking she's fairly well in the dark, especially with poor Lavinia in the picture.

Your prompt really deserved more of a ficlet than a drabble, with all that was going through my head about mirrors as metaphors for invisible barriers, and how there's a barrier between Anna and Mary, but also there are barriers around Mary that prevent her from taking as much control of her life as Anna can, even though technically Mary's the one with the "privilege". Thank you for a lovely challenge -- and I haven't ruled out a Tonks and Andromeda moment, either. ;)

I'm quite sure Anna has been calling Bates 'John' in her head ever since he explicitly agreed to it, if not before! And yes, I think Anna knows him well enough to see that a sudden change of heart after they'd been talking of marriage and inns was a lot less likely than him getting some idea in his head that he needed to go all noble prat on her again.

You're probably watching right now, and I am trying not to be jealous, lol. I have to finish my laundry and get dinner going, and then the episode may be ready to fall into my hands. ;)

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

I have to finish my laundry and get dinner going, and then the episode may be ready to fall into my hands. ;)

Not fair to say anything but there is a little scene to tie in with your drabble, which made me smile.

How long is it till Christmas again? ;)