storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2010-01-04 02:56 am
storypaint) wrote2010-01-04 02:56 am
[Professor Layton] Odd Professors (fem!Layton/Claire)
Title: Odd Professors
Fandom: Professor Layton
Length: 915 words
Prompt: Professor Layton (Anon) Fan Meme: Claire/Layton. Only. . .Layton is genderbent.
Pairing: fem!Layton/Claire established
Other: PG for sexual implications.
Excerpt: Somehow, Claire was Hendel Layton's best friend, and closest confidant. They lived together in a small house not far from the university, with their ward and an excitable little girl who called herself Layton's apprentice, as if that weren't more ridiculous.
They were the two strangest people on the university staff, no question. A tenured female professor was unheard of in those days, but no one could deny the immense talent of Hendel Layton, though many tried from envy. It had been Hendel who solved the puzzle of the nearby ancient Roman settlement, Hendel who was constantly in the papers over this success or that. Some even whispered that the acquisition of Hendel's ward was due to her immense skills with puzzles, though no one quite knew what solution would result in a child.
The other, even less acceptable, professor was named Claire, and she would hardly let anyone call her by her last name, even students. She taught Chemistry and was always hovering on the edge of trouble for exploding something in her independent research. While Hendel was polite, and very good at her job, Claire was bright and cheerful, informal and innovative-- many things, in short, that women were not supposed to be.
And yet, somehow, she was Hendel Layton's best friend, and closest confidant. They lived together in a small house not far from the university, with their ward and an excitable little girl who called herself Layton's apprentice, as if that weren't more ridiculous.
Some of the more envious academics spoke darkly of the things that they were sure went on in that house, unguided by any men, because Florin was too young to be the man of the household and doubtlessly influenced by his strange mothers. Because even the educated can behave like savages, there were whispers of witchery and brainwashing and the like.
The truth was quite a bit more domestic.
*
Hendel was always the first to rise in all the household, even beating Lucy in her youthful enthusiasm. She took the time while the house was silent to do puzzles or sometimes housework, waking the children when breakfast was ready. Emerging from her morning shower, she combed her hair into a neat bun and put on her top hat. The hat was one of her most distinctive features; many students caught up with her on campus simply by looking around for its tall shape. It had been a gift from Claire when she'd landed her current position. It had taken Claire much longer to achieve the same goal, not due to inferiority, but simply because she wouldn't play the academics game.
Hendel had always thought it better to simply cooperate, as much as possible, and to pursue diversions only when necessary. She still didn't quite understand her reputation as an unusual woman. She did the things that she was called upon to do, whether those things were teaching classes, or solving puzzles, or taking in someone else's children.
And she loved these things, which made her good at them. She leaned against the kitchen sink, filling the kettle for tea, and hummed a little. Suddenly there were hands around her waist and someone nuzzling at her neck, and she gasped a little, but of course it was only Claire, still bed-rumpled but smiling.
"Good morning," Claire mumbled, kissing Hendel beneath the ear, and Hendel blushed. It wasn't that Claire's affection was new or unfamiliar to her, but something about it still amazed her, that there was someone who loved her as a husband would. Really, Hendel thought, Claire was better than a husband because she loved Hendel for the person that she was, not for the lady that others wanted her to be. Hendel was happy to be a lady, of course-- she was always trying to teach Lucy how to be proper-- but she knew she had some unladylike traits, like her determination, and her ability to fence. She was teaching Lucy these things too, because she believed that women should be able to have them.
"Good morning," Hendel answered, as Claire lifted the brim of Hendel's hat and kissed her brow.
"The children," Hendel said, after a swift intake of breath. Claire giggled mischievously.
"They're still in bed, of course. You know, we don't have to be at school for a few hours yet. You could come back and lay down with me."
"Or I could make the coffee," Hendel pointed out, in what she considered to be a reasonable tone, as Claire's hands dipped down and unfastened a few of the buttons on Hendel's shirt. Claire's fingers skimmed over Hendel's skin. After a moment, deliberately, the professor smiled, removed her hat, and placed it on Claire's head, cocking it sideways. She knew it would make Claire smile and Claire did.
"It is the duty of a lady," Claire said, mimicking Hendel's voice, "to take her lady back to bed and woo her thoroughly."
"Oh, is it?" Hendel answered, allowing Claire to take her hand and pull. She laced their fingers as she followed her to the bedroom.
"One duty I certainly cannot neglect," Claire said cheerfully, setting the hat on the bedside table. They did not rise from their bed again until it was time to wake Florin and Lucy, faces flushed with exertion but in quite good spirit.
They would come home that night, and one or the other would cook, and the children would talk about their days, and they would do puzzles together, just like any other night. It might have been unusual, from the outside, but they were happy, the four of them, and that was more than enough.
Fandom: Professor Layton
Length: 915 words
Prompt: Professor Layton (Anon) Fan Meme: Claire/Layton. Only. . .Layton is genderbent.
Pairing: fem!Layton/Claire established
Other: PG for sexual implications.
Excerpt: Somehow, Claire was Hendel Layton's best friend, and closest confidant. They lived together in a small house not far from the university, with their ward and an excitable little girl who called herself Layton's apprentice, as if that weren't more ridiculous.
They were the two strangest people on the university staff, no question. A tenured female professor was unheard of in those days, but no one could deny the immense talent of Hendel Layton, though many tried from envy. It had been Hendel who solved the puzzle of the nearby ancient Roman settlement, Hendel who was constantly in the papers over this success or that. Some even whispered that the acquisition of Hendel's ward was due to her immense skills with puzzles, though no one quite knew what solution would result in a child.
The other, even less acceptable, professor was named Claire, and she would hardly let anyone call her by her last name, even students. She taught Chemistry and was always hovering on the edge of trouble for exploding something in her independent research. While Hendel was polite, and very good at her job, Claire was bright and cheerful, informal and innovative-- many things, in short, that women were not supposed to be.
And yet, somehow, she was Hendel Layton's best friend, and closest confidant. They lived together in a small house not far from the university, with their ward and an excitable little girl who called herself Layton's apprentice, as if that weren't more ridiculous.
Some of the more envious academics spoke darkly of the things that they were sure went on in that house, unguided by any men, because Florin was too young to be the man of the household and doubtlessly influenced by his strange mothers. Because even the educated can behave like savages, there were whispers of witchery and brainwashing and the like.
The truth was quite a bit more domestic.
*
Hendel was always the first to rise in all the household, even beating Lucy in her youthful enthusiasm. She took the time while the house was silent to do puzzles or sometimes housework, waking the children when breakfast was ready. Emerging from her morning shower, she combed her hair into a neat bun and put on her top hat. The hat was one of her most distinctive features; many students caught up with her on campus simply by looking around for its tall shape. It had been a gift from Claire when she'd landed her current position. It had taken Claire much longer to achieve the same goal, not due to inferiority, but simply because she wouldn't play the academics game.
Hendel had always thought it better to simply cooperate, as much as possible, and to pursue diversions only when necessary. She still didn't quite understand her reputation as an unusual woman. She did the things that she was called upon to do, whether those things were teaching classes, or solving puzzles, or taking in someone else's children.
And she loved these things, which made her good at them. She leaned against the kitchen sink, filling the kettle for tea, and hummed a little. Suddenly there were hands around her waist and someone nuzzling at her neck, and she gasped a little, but of course it was only Claire, still bed-rumpled but smiling.
"Good morning," Claire mumbled, kissing Hendel beneath the ear, and Hendel blushed. It wasn't that Claire's affection was new or unfamiliar to her, but something about it still amazed her, that there was someone who loved her as a husband would. Really, Hendel thought, Claire was better than a husband because she loved Hendel for the person that she was, not for the lady that others wanted her to be. Hendel was happy to be a lady, of course-- she was always trying to teach Lucy how to be proper-- but she knew she had some unladylike traits, like her determination, and her ability to fence. She was teaching Lucy these things too, because she believed that women should be able to have them.
"Good morning," Hendel answered, as Claire lifted the brim of Hendel's hat and kissed her brow.
"The children," Hendel said, after a swift intake of breath. Claire giggled mischievously.
"They're still in bed, of course. You know, we don't have to be at school for a few hours yet. You could come back and lay down with me."
"Or I could make the coffee," Hendel pointed out, in what she considered to be a reasonable tone, as Claire's hands dipped down and unfastened a few of the buttons on Hendel's shirt. Claire's fingers skimmed over Hendel's skin. After a moment, deliberately, the professor smiled, removed her hat, and placed it on Claire's head, cocking it sideways. She knew it would make Claire smile and Claire did.
"It is the duty of a lady," Claire said, mimicking Hendel's voice, "to take her lady back to bed and woo her thoroughly."
"Oh, is it?" Hendel answered, allowing Claire to take her hand and pull. She laced their fingers as she followed her to the bedroom.
"One duty I certainly cannot neglect," Claire said cheerfully, setting the hat on the bedside table. They did not rise from their bed again until it was time to wake Florin and Lucy, faces flushed with exertion but in quite good spirit.
They would come home that night, and one or the other would cook, and the children would talk about their days, and they would do puzzles together, just like any other night. It might have been unusual, from the outside, but they were happy, the four of them, and that was more than enough.