Disclaimer: Saban, Buena Vista, Showtime, Best Brains, Thames, DiC, Pet Fly Productions, DC Comics, and Mutant Enemy Productions own most of the characters mentioned except Trillian and Razor, but they're all pestering me. And yes, I survived the Satire exam.

Where Sanity Has Lease
by: Amanda Ohlin

"Okay," I muttered under my breath, flipping through my Satire notes as I began to recite out loud. "Pope's major targets in Rape of the Lock...umm...the whole incident with Arabella Farmer that started it, the social milieu that caused it, the almost obscene luxury of 18th century upper class in England...Oh, for the love of God, will you cut that out???"

The last comment was directed towards the two creativity demons fighting on top of my monitor. They were only an inch tall, but Faith and Trillian, Trey's younger sister, weren't exactly fighting quietly. "I'm trying to work here!"

A small winged shape landed smack in the center of my notes. "I thought you do web page stuff at work."

"Not when I have an exam in an hour!" I snapped as Brooklyn smirked. "Now get off my notes so I can cram in peace."

The red gargoyle promptly sat down, spreading out his wings and donning sunglasses he'd pulled out of nowhere. "Not til you tell me when you're gonna get Maddie written into your series."

"When I have time to breathe. You'll just have to be lonely til I get to it." Having said that, I grabbed a pen and swept him off the notebook with it, sending him flying into the wall in a tangle of wings and tail. He'd be fine in a few minutes; creativity demons like that could survive a nuclear explosion.

I turned back to the monitor battle. "Hello? Do you mind?"

"YES!" came the answer from both Slayer and Triforian.

I looked over at Mike Corbett, who was sitting on one of the shelves, watching the commotion. "You mind breaking them up for me?"

He looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. "Get between Faith and Trill? Are you insane?"

"Yes I am. I have an exam today, a paper tomorrow, a play opening tomorrow night, a literary magazine layout that has to be proofed and paid for, and a club table to design for Accepted Students Day." I paused to let that sink in. "Now do it, or you'll really get beaten up in 'New Blood.'"

Mike thought about that for a minute, then started looking around for a weapon. I checked to see if there were any others I had to worry about. Kevin Keene and Xander Harris were fighting with the bobby pins from my bag as swords. But they were both in the same fic, and neither one was skilled enough at fencing to really do any damage. I still decided to check the bag to see if any cash had been stolen. I really don't trust these guys; they came out of my imagination, anyway.

Reaching into my bag, I realized to my horror that my stash of Jelly Bellys was gone. I also noticed the two Tomorrow People hiding behind the printer. "Megabyte, Jade, get out here! What did you do with my sugar stash?"

"What sugar stash?" Megabyte asked through a mouthful of jellybean. The worst kind of creativity demons were the kind that could teleport.

"You know exactly what I mean. Go get it. You're only an inch tall; you can't have eaten all of them yet."

On the cabinet shelf, Mike, Jason, Tina McGee, and Captain Carter were trying to put together a net out of pens, scotch tape, and staples. Rocky and Razor had been helping until they had gotten themselves wrapped up in tape.

"We couldn't have," Jade said, pointing towards the figure trying to blend into the fake wood of the computer desk.

Beth Maza chuckled. "Busted."

I turned to glare at the Barry Allen creativity demon. "She did it," the police chemist said, pointing at his partner.

"Oh, sod off, Barry," Tina retorted.

I was going to snap. "THAT'S IT!" I screamed. "If you all don't stop fighting, eating, making noise or distracting me in the next five seconds, I will dump all your stories no matter what the demand and immerse myself in that 15-page Honors project I still haven't started instead!"

There was a shriek and a gust of wind as suddenly Faith and Trillian were swept off the monitor at blinding speed. Tina threw up her hands in irritation and stormed off after it, muttering something about impulsivity and increased metabolism. Kevin and Xander threw down their bobby pins and dashed off like the IRS was after them.Seeing there was no need for the net, Jason, Mike, and Captain Carter dropped what they were doing and ran off. Rocky managed to free his legs from the tape and stumble for the door with Beth right on his heels, dragging a thoroughly trussed-up Razor behind her. Exchanging looks, Megabyte and Jade teleported out.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes. Alone at last.

From somewhere on the floor, I heard Brooklyn groan. Three creativity demons, in the form of two robots and a guy in a blue jumpsuit, popped up from behind the computer manuals. "That's gotta leave a mark," Mike Nelson observed, wincing as he and Tom Servo peered down at Brooklyn.

Crow turned towards where Cambot would have been. "Nuprin. Little. Yellow. Different."

Or not.

rule

home