Iota Set by Anne-Li

by Anne-Li

  • Alpha Set
  • Beta Set
  • Gamma Set
  • Delta Set
  • Epsilon Set
  • Zeta Set
  • Eta Set
  • Theta Set
  • Iota Set
  • Kappa Set
  • Author's disclaimer and notes: I don't own them, I just dream of doing so. Feedback is better than Rhubarb sorbet. Corrections to my language or any other type of comments are welcome. Ask if you want me to archive it anywhere. You may link to this story if you want or to my main page. 1.578 words. Written in January 2013.

    This "theta set" set is not part of the original challenge. They're for Telwoman and she chose the words.

    One or two might at some point become stories, should I feel like it. But should anyone feel inspired to write anything based on any of these, feel invited!

    Betaed by Heather Sparrows, Kadorienne and Telwoman! I thank you!!


    1. Intimate – Earl Gloria had pushed for them to become more intimate lately, but how could they, when just using the man’s first name sent a shiver down Klaus’s spine?

    2. Threnody – Dorian stood stoic, eyes forward and cheeks resolutely not blushing, ignoring the undulating threnody in his ear as James bemoaned each coin lost to the cash machine.

    3. Haphazard – Dorian’s haphazard flirtation with all and sundry is an affront to Klaus’s highly developed sense of order, but when he yells at Dorian to stop this outrageous mating behaviour, Dorian just smiles and calls him jealous.

    4. Incremental – “Of course we will deepen our relationship slowly, my love,” Dorian said with an understanding smile and kissed Klaus gently, all the while thinking, //I’m not stupid - of course I’ll give it to you in careful increments with plenty of time to adjust in between.//

    5. Navigation – Normally Dorian believes Klaus fully capable of absolutely anything he sets his mind to – but each summer when they travel Europe by car he’s reminded of the one thing Klaus constantly fails spectacularly at – navigation.

    6. Kindle – A fire burning on iron will take forever to kindle – but if it catches fire, oh how it burns!

    7. Dauntless – Sometimes Klaus wonders what it is about himself that makes shooting a man in the head so much less daunting than telling Dorian those three little words he knows perfectly well that the man oh so dearly wants to hear.

    8. Orient – Dorian loves to sit in his window at night and star-gaze, but he doesn’t need the stars to orient himself back to bed – Klaus’s slow, even breaths are all the guidance he needs.

    9. Rapscallion – “Really, major, ‘rapscallion’?” Dorian said and shook his head – Klaus must have been going through his thesaurus again to find fresh slurs.

    10. Inheritance – The most valuable heirloom Dorian inherited from his father had been in the Red family for generations, increasing their prosperity and guarding their wealth – they call it ‘James’.

    11. Asinine – "No, for the last time, Klaus, I didn’t comment about your arse, I was calling you an ass, as in asinine, stubborn as a donkey; I’d never say a disparaging word about your lovely arse!"

    12. Nucleus – Lord Gloria was not only the head of his own gang of criminals and the lover of one of NATO’s most feared spy masters, he was also the nucleus of the Rogues’ Gallery – and the combined forces that came to rescue him were a bit more than what the kidnappers had counted on.

    13. Harpoon – It took Klaus years to realise that while, yes, Dorian was utterly worthless with any type of rifle or hand gun, give him a crossbow, a knife, a throwing star, a bloody harpoon – and he was every bit as good a marksman as Klaus himself.

    14 Appetite – The Red appetite for riches and men is legendary, but when Dorian woke up after his and Klaus’s first night together he felt oddly sated.

    15. Synthetic – German is a synthetic language and how can you not love a language that can form words like Kunstschützenkönigsalptraum?

    16. Hayfield – The North Downs are rich in natural resources and each autumn Dorian cords off a hayfield near his castle for a giant August feast – and while everyone else is busy (or at least allows him to think so), he drags Klaus off for some really hot, really hedonistic sex in a haystack.

    17. Otter – “’The otter always swims in only one direction’,” Klaus read through clenched teeth; “Whoever the fuck came up with that bloody stupid identification phrase can consider themselves on otter-watch – in Alaska!”

    18. Threadbare – James's threadbare state is a lure to make people give him more money, effectively hiding the fact that he is already the richest man in the world.

    19. Finality – Klaus never does anything half-heartedly, and when he told Dorian “Yes”, Dorian knew with absolute finality that his wandering days were over.

    20. Apprehensive – Klaus felt a little apprehensive about the whole "sex with a man"-thing – seeing Dorian’s impressive proportions nude for the first time didn’t help matters.

    21. Nom de plume – To find out that G writes gay Harlequin novels under the Nom de plume of Günther Guerst doesn’t surprise Klaus in the least – but to find out that some of G's “heroes” are based on people G knows worries him considerably.

    22. Tolerant – Klaus's considers himself a very tolerant man – it’s just that the rest of the world is so bloody perverted!

    23. Asperity – Dorian is fully aware that Klaus embodies a type of asperity with his harshness of temper, resistance to change and a certain rough edge – but he doesn’t find him the least bit difficult to endure and he wouldn’t want him any other way.

    24. Sensation – After having craved sensation for so many years as a child, as an adult Klaus tended to shy away from even the mildest stimuli since he experienced it so keenly it bordered on pain.

    25. Inconsistency – Some Alphabets are the bricks, others are the mortar, some are even the holes in the wall through which a pistol can be aimed – it’s their very inconsistency that makes for a strong team.

    26. Effervescence – Dorian is the type of person who can incite a collective effervescence by standing quietly in a corner.

    27. Successor – As the master of his craft, Dorian should train a worthy successor – but as the true Prince of Thieves he prefers to steal the Water of Eternal Youth.

    28. Absentee – A spy-master is never so absent that he doesn’t know everything his beloved does by way of bugs and cams.

    29. Burden – Dorian would desperately like to ease the burden weighting Klaus’s shoulders – and little by little; bribe by bribe; threat by threat; theft by theft; blackmail by blackmail, he does.

    30. Outrigger – You are hereby cordially invited to the von dem Eberbach-Red partnership ceremony, to take place on the 14th of February, at the Outrigger Hotel, Waikiki, Hawaii.

    31. Unkempt – Klaus decided that Earl Gloria's unkempt state must be the first sign of the Apocalypse.

    32. Torpor – Dorian was not too proud to take advantage of the state of non-aggressive torpor Klaus entered when presented with ridiculous amounts of high-calibre weapons.

    33. Catatonic – “No, no, don’t mind James, he often goes a bit catatonic when we force him to pay for something.”

    34. Affected – To intimidate a suspect during interrogation, Klaus affected an insane smile – the rest of the time, he affected sanity.

    35. Petulance – Dorian steeled his heart and mercilessly dragged Klaus away from the display booth, ignoring the hint of petulance in his lover’s voice when Klaus grumbled: “But I wanted to try all the other weapons too, Liebling!”

    36. Tousled – The normally so prim and proper major, flushed and tousled after their energetic lovemaking, is among the most earth-shatteringly beautiful things Dorian has ever seen.

    37. Analysis – Careful analysis shows that 9 out of 10 slashers prefer Klaus in whatever position Dorian prefers him in – most of the others prefer him on his knees.

    38. Inclement – Lately, Dorian discerns a thaw in Klaus’s inclement disposition.

    39. Northerner – On his back in the soft snow with the Aurora Borealis painting a green shimmer across the northern sky and Dorian looking down at him with concern, Klaus unexpectedly felt completely at ease.

    40. Jaded – A man less jaded than Klaus to mankind’s tendency to treason might not have expected Dorian to betray him –nor would such a man have felt such a childlike wonder when Dorian never did.

    41. Acrobatic – Dorian had only to insinuate to that two gentlemen over 60 perhaps should leave acrobatic sex to the younger generation for Klaus to take this as a challenge.

    42. Celestial – Dorian would paint Klaus with his Magnum like the Archangel Michael with his sword: an ever-vigilant celestial warrior of terrible wrath – and, sadly, just as chaste.

    43. Kremlin – In January of 1991 Klaus puts in for an unprecedented week of vacation in order to travel to Russia, loiter outside the Kremlin- and gloat.

    44. Status – In some circles to have a law enforcement lover is a status symbol of sorts – and Dorian is highly envied.

    45. Perplexed – Perplexed, Klaus looked at Earl Gloria, who was laughing so hard tears were running down his face, and finally he gave up and grumbled: “I just said the soup tastes like swallowing snowballs; I don’t get what’s so bloody funny!”

    46. Amateur – The young man who broke into Castle Gloria, thinking the wealthy estate easy picking, was met by surprising understanding and a job offer, even if some of his captors tsked at him and called him an amateur.

    47. Responsible – "Major von dem Eberbach, NATO will not be held responsible for starting a war with England just because one of her peers called your boss and requested your hand in marriage!"

    48. Reverent – Despite that they have been together for many years now, some of Klaus’s touches are still reverent – and so are some of Dorian’s.

    49. Overlook – In his feminine clothes and makeup G was the most underestimated of Klaus’s agents; the gun in his shoulder holster of course always seen, but the many strings of garrotte woven into his skirt so easily overlooked.

    50. Wanton – Dorian loved to put that longing, wanton look in Klaus’s eyes – too bad he had to buy so many high-calibre weapons to put it there.

    The End

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