Mugen? I LOVE YOU SO HARD IT HURTS. OH, GOD, THE PAIN, THE PAIN FROM MY LOVE FOR YOU. And Jin is still everyone's bitch, but it just makes me love him even more. Also, Fuu is too cute for words.
Also also, Momo-san to the rescue, once again- and Momo-san/Fuu is still my Champloo OTP.
...Okay, no it isn't, Jin/Shino is still my OTP. (Because he has to have kids! Lots of them! And a dojo! And she has to have an eel stand! And it will be SO CUTE.)
Watching Mugen learn to read made me intensely happy.
Today I tried to think of what I did with my free time before Naruto, and realized I couldn't. *sigh*
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Once in a while
A man comes along
Even his failures were favorite songs
Oh to have made something so unsurpassed
As certain things fall away
So certain things last
A body goes down
In the Mississippi waters
Weighted by a beauty
Afraid of its light
Notify your holy men
Console your sons and daughters
And tell me one more time
What is just
What is right
Chances are good
We spread blasphemous lies
Safe to say nobody knew what was inside
Of course there is grace
And those halos of pain
Maybe he sang what he came here to sing
Chorus
Speed on to the next world
Speed on to the next life
Better I'm sure by far
Orpheus driven
Treasures given
Heal the most broken of hearts
Speed on, speed on, speed on
-Duncan Sheik, "A Body Goes Down"
This was originally a Setzer song, (still is, actually) because drowning is an event I associate with him. Drowning, failure, death, and music are some of my biggest Setzer associations.
This is also a Kakashi song, because I'm still of the opinion that Obito's death broke him on some fundamental level, and after becoming a jounin, he burned out. The lyrics are perhaps overly obscure, but the tone of the song (funeral dirge-like) is something I associate with him. It gets to be a Jiraiya and Sarutobi song to a point as well, because of the first couple of lines; they all have failures that haunt them.
A man comes along
Even his failures were favorite songs
Oh to have made something so unsurpassed
As certain things fall away
So certain things last
A body goes down
In the Mississippi waters
Weighted by a beauty
Afraid of its light
Notify your holy men
Console your sons and daughters
And tell me one more time
What is just
What is right
Chances are good
We spread blasphemous lies
Safe to say nobody knew what was inside
Of course there is grace
And those halos of pain
Maybe he sang what he came here to sing
Chorus
Speed on to the next world
Speed on to the next life
Better I'm sure by far
Orpheus driven
Treasures given
Heal the most broken of hearts
Speed on, speed on, speed on
-Duncan Sheik, "A Body Goes Down"
This was originally a Setzer song, (still is, actually) because drowning is an event I associate with him. Drowning, failure, death, and music are some of my biggest Setzer associations.
This is also a Kakashi song, because I'm still of the opinion that Obito's death broke him on some fundamental level, and after becoming a jounin, he burned out. The lyrics are perhaps overly obscure, but the tone of the song (funeral dirge-like) is something I associate with him. It gets to be a Jiraiya and Sarutobi song to a point as well, because of the first couple of lines; they all have failures that haunt them.
Child Star
[CHILD STAR]
Is there a photo of me on your wall in short short-shorts
Or zipped down jeans?
Do you look up at night and wish you were me, under the spot lights?
Are you visceral viscous?
Do you want to make love to my sweet visage,
And then pretend it's you, it's you
It was always you
[CHILD FAN]
I wrote you a letter to become a member of your fanclub
But all I got in the mail was return to sender
[STAR:]
I'm still a big big star
[FAN:]
No you're not
-Yes I am
-No you're not
-Yes I am
-No you're not.
-You liked my latest film
-No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
[FAN:]
I'm not a fan of yours anymore
[STAR:]
Yes you are
-No I'm not
-Yes you are
-No I'm not
-Yes you are
[FAN:]
But you broke my fragile heart
[STAR:]
No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
[FAN:]
I hate you
[STAR:]
I hate you too
-I hate you
-I hate you too
[FAN:]I hate you
[STAR:]I hate you
(repeats)
-The Unicorns, "Child Star"
This is my ultimate Naruto and Sasuke song, mostly for the picture of Sasuke in short short-shorts on Naruto's wall. *grin* Otherwise, the way it mimics their relationship is kind of eerie (all songs by this group seem to be). My favorite part would be where the star denies breaking the fan's heart.
First of many future music posts that will relate to Naruto in some way, shape, and/or form.
Is there a photo of me on your wall in short short-shorts
Or zipped down jeans?
Do you look up at night and wish you were me, under the spot lights?
Are you visceral viscous?
Do you want to make love to my sweet visage,
And then pretend it's you, it's you
It was always you
[CHILD FAN]
I wrote you a letter to become a member of your fanclub
But all I got in the mail was return to sender
[STAR:]
I'm still a big big star
[FAN:]
No you're not
-Yes I am
-No you're not
-Yes I am
-No you're not.
-You liked my latest film
-No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
[FAN:]
I'm not a fan of yours anymore
[STAR:]
Yes you are
-No I'm not
-Yes you are
-No I'm not
-Yes you are
[FAN:]
But you broke my fragile heart
[STAR:]
No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
-Yes you did
-No I didn't
[FAN:]
I hate you
[STAR:]
I hate you too
-I hate you
-I hate you too
[FAN:]I hate you
[STAR:]I hate you
(repeats)
-The Unicorns, "Child Star"
This is my ultimate Naruto and Sasuke song, mostly for the picture of Sasuke in short short-shorts on Naruto's wall. *grin* Otherwise, the way it mimics their relationship is kind of eerie (all songs by this group seem to be). My favorite part would be where the star denies breaking the fan's heart.
First of many future music posts that will relate to Naruto in some way, shape, and/or form.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
blah blah blah
Hm. New outliney things for the stupid fic.
VII
More or less the same, just minus Sasuke's eyes. And Kabuto survives; Orochimaru gets pwned by the kyuubi, but Kabuto, being the creepy child molester that he is, manages to escape. He goes off to chill with Akatsuki, and spends far too much time poking fun at Itachi, who glares a lot and then sulks because someone finally fucked Sasuke over worse than he did. ("I never could figure out why you left him alive." "He wasn't worth the effort." "You made him cry, though. Was that your goal?" "Your impertinence will only get you killed." "You won't kill me. I made him cry, too. On his knees, sobbing like a child...slaughtering your entire clan was a bit extreme for a few tears, wasn't it?") Tsunade grumbles about a lot of things, but mostly the fact that Naruto had to drag the bloody Sand Three with him, and now she'll never get her office clean again. Then she grumbles about them not killing Sasuke when they had the chance, and Naruto gets kind of pissy. ("Seal his fucking jutsu, then!" "Don't you think he'd rather be dead? What Kabuto did to him was punishment enough, perhaps even too much.") Sasuke goes batshit crazy.
VIII
Angst. Gaara and Naruto get into small arguments that always end in Naruto being sappy. Tsunade replaces Sasuke's eyes, Sasuke goes batshit crazy and tries to rip them out. ("Get it out, get it out, get it out! I can't see, get it out!" "Bastard! Stop it. Stop it! What the fuck are you doing, Sasuke? Eyeballs don't grow on trees, now stop that!" "I CAN'T SEE!" "Maybe if you got your fucking fingers out of your eye, huh?") Gaara walks in on Naruto trying to stop Sasuke from killing himself, and says nothing. The next day, the Sand nins leave. Naruto flips out at Sasuke, and there is much angst. In fact, everyone gets a piece of that angst, and Kakashi gets an excessive internal monologue. Tsunade and Jiraiya take the time to mourn Orochimaru, and to plan to take down Kabuto and Itachi.
IX
Naruto stays in Konoha with Sasuke, who is horribly, horribly confused. ("Why are you still here?" "Don't have anywhere else to be." "Don't you?" "No. I don't.") At some point, Sasuke tackles Naruto and kisses him, and Naruto has to explain carefully, in small sentences, that doing that to someone else's boyfriend totally goes under the heading of Not Cool. Sasuke contemplates this, and succeeds in yanking out one of his eyes. (It was better this way- if your eye offends you, you should tear it out, right? If he couldn't look at Naruto without- without- whatever, then he just wouldn't look at Naruto.) Naruto gets fed up, Tsunade gives him back his hitai-ate, Naruto goes Whee!Ninja. A couple months pass, life as usual aside from the fact that Sasuke? Still not allowed out of the hospital and still not allowed unrestrained unless he's around Naruto, Kakashi, or Tsunade. Jiraiya does some crazy seal stuff on Sasuke to keep his eyes in his head, goddamnit, and to keep his chakra levels steady- and low. Kabuto continues to antagonize Itachi who threatens to feed him to Kisame, who gets offended, as he's actually quite a gentleman- and a vegetarian. Kabuto proves that he can molest people who aren't technically children anymore, too, and Itachi gets the sinking feeling that he probably should have just killed Sasuke when he had the chance. ("You want to put me through three days of pain? Itachi-sama, I am honored. Truly, you are gracious, to help me with my studies. I admit I haven't yet mastered the art of controlling these eyes of mine...and I find them so very fascinating, in theory and in...practice.") (
On a side note, I know I'm not always a big fan of the height rule, but Kabuto/Itachi? (Quick dissertation on character sexuality in Naruto! Orochimaru is a very sexualized villain- he's not as pretty as Itachi, but between the tongue and the way he lusts after the bodies of young men, it's hard to pretend there isn't a sexual overtone to the things he does. The way he dominates Kabuto (or the way Kabuto lets himself be dominated) is another example of this. "I don't trust you with my life, but I trust you enough to use you." Itachi, on the other hand- he's either asexual or very repressed. I don't think there's anything sexual in the way he antagonizes Sasuke; I honestly think he doesn't really give a damn about his little brother. Sasuke was lucky to not be home when Itachi went on a rampage, and by the time he got back, Itachi had killed everyone else and more or less discerned that he was stronger than everyone. He'd already asserted is dominance and superiority over Sasuke just by being his older brother, and killing him would have been unnecessary. I think the vague kinkiness in the scene where he breaks Sasuke's arm is more Sasuke's fault than Itachi's; Sasuke is, from all the other characters' perspectives, a sex-god. Itachi didn't sexualize that encounter, but Sasuke unintentionally did.) Anyway, I think I have a new OTP, and Kabuto totally tops.)
X
Naruto gets nabbed by Itachi during the chuunin exams, Gaara goes and smacks Sasuke upside the head, and both of them go off to "rescue" Naruto, with the help of a few other people. Naruto doesn't really need rescuing, he totally had the situation under control. ("Why the hell are you here!" "You're...not happy to see me?" "Aw, shit, don't give me that look, that's not what I meant! I'm always happy to see you. But why are you here?" "You got kidnapped, remember, moron?" "Shut up, Sasuke-bastard! I'm having a moment with my boyfriend, who I haven't seen in months, thanks to you!" "I didn't ask you to stay! You're the one who didn't have anywhere better to be!" "Who else was supposed to keep you from killing yourself?" "Like you did anything, anyway!" "The fuck? Breaking your arms was something, wasn't it?" "You absolute, complete, utter-" "That's enough, both of you. If you're very quiet and ask very nicely, I might take the sand out of your pants without taking anything else along with it." "Meep." "Urk." "Good boys.") Gaara is surprisingly perceptive, (actually, Kankurou and Temari just prepped him with what to say) Naruto is apologetic, and Sasuke is in denial. A couple of crazed, horny demons manage to sort things out as best they can, and everyone ends up, if not happy, at least mostly...relieved.
XI Gaara and Sasuke snipe at each other, or rather Sasuke snipes and Gaara remains aloof until Sasuke explodes, at which point Naruto lays the smack down, angry kyuubi style, on both of them. At some point, Kabuto gets his head ripped off, and Sasuke may or may not get his eyes back. ("But...they're filthy. They've been in that asshole's eye sockets for months." "Do you want them or not?" "...yeah, sure, I guess.")
VII
More or less the same, just minus Sasuke's eyes. And Kabuto survives; Orochimaru gets pwned by the kyuubi, but Kabuto, being the creepy child molester that he is, manages to escape. He goes off to chill with Akatsuki, and spends far too much time poking fun at Itachi, who glares a lot and then sulks because someone finally fucked Sasuke over worse than he did. ("I never could figure out why you left him alive." "He wasn't worth the effort." "You made him cry, though. Was that your goal?" "Your impertinence will only get you killed." "You won't kill me. I made him cry, too. On his knees, sobbing like a child...slaughtering your entire clan was a bit extreme for a few tears, wasn't it?") Tsunade grumbles about a lot of things, but mostly the fact that Naruto had to drag the bloody Sand Three with him, and now she'll never get her office clean again. Then she grumbles about them not killing Sasuke when they had the chance, and Naruto gets kind of pissy. ("Seal his fucking jutsu, then!" "Don't you think he'd rather be dead? What Kabuto did to him was punishment enough, perhaps even too much.") Sasuke goes batshit crazy.
VIII
Angst. Gaara and Naruto get into small arguments that always end in Naruto being sappy. Tsunade replaces Sasuke's eyes, Sasuke goes batshit crazy and tries to rip them out. ("Get it out, get it out, get it out! I can't see, get it out!" "Bastard! Stop it. Stop it! What the fuck are you doing, Sasuke? Eyeballs don't grow on trees, now stop that!" "I CAN'T SEE!" "Maybe if you got your fucking fingers out of your eye, huh?") Gaara walks in on Naruto trying to stop Sasuke from killing himself, and says nothing. The next day, the Sand nins leave. Naruto flips out at Sasuke, and there is much angst. In fact, everyone gets a piece of that angst, and Kakashi gets an excessive internal monologue. Tsunade and Jiraiya take the time to mourn Orochimaru, and to plan to take down Kabuto and Itachi.
IX
Naruto stays in Konoha with Sasuke, who is horribly, horribly confused. ("Why are you still here?" "Don't have anywhere else to be." "Don't you?" "No. I don't.") At some point, Sasuke tackles Naruto and kisses him, and Naruto has to explain carefully, in small sentences, that doing that to someone else's boyfriend totally goes under the heading of Not Cool. Sasuke contemplates this, and succeeds in yanking out one of his eyes. (It was better this way- if your eye offends you, you should tear it out, right? If he couldn't look at Naruto without- without- whatever, then he just wouldn't look at Naruto.) Naruto gets fed up, Tsunade gives him back his hitai-ate, Naruto goes Whee!Ninja. A couple months pass, life as usual aside from the fact that Sasuke? Still not allowed out of the hospital and still not allowed unrestrained unless he's around Naruto, Kakashi, or Tsunade. Jiraiya does some crazy seal stuff on Sasuke to keep his eyes in his head, goddamnit, and to keep his chakra levels steady- and low. Kabuto continues to antagonize Itachi who threatens to feed him to Kisame, who gets offended, as he's actually quite a gentleman- and a vegetarian. Kabuto proves that he can molest people who aren't technically children anymore, too, and Itachi gets the sinking feeling that he probably should have just killed Sasuke when he had the chance. ("You want to put me through three days of pain? Itachi-sama, I am honored. Truly, you are gracious, to help me with my studies. I admit I haven't yet mastered the art of controlling these eyes of mine...and I find them so very fascinating, in theory and in...practice.") (
On a side note, I know I'm not always a big fan of the height rule, but Kabuto/Itachi? (Quick dissertation on character sexuality in Naruto! Orochimaru is a very sexualized villain- he's not as pretty as Itachi, but between the tongue and the way he lusts after the bodies of young men, it's hard to pretend there isn't a sexual overtone to the things he does. The way he dominates Kabuto (or the way Kabuto lets himself be dominated) is another example of this. "I don't trust you with my life, but I trust you enough to use you." Itachi, on the other hand- he's either asexual or very repressed. I don't think there's anything sexual in the way he antagonizes Sasuke; I honestly think he doesn't really give a damn about his little brother. Sasuke was lucky to not be home when Itachi went on a rampage, and by the time he got back, Itachi had killed everyone else and more or less discerned that he was stronger than everyone. He'd already asserted is dominance and superiority over Sasuke just by being his older brother, and killing him would have been unnecessary. I think the vague kinkiness in the scene where he breaks Sasuke's arm is more Sasuke's fault than Itachi's; Sasuke is, from all the other characters' perspectives, a sex-god. Itachi didn't sexualize that encounter, but Sasuke unintentionally did.) Anyway, I think I have a new OTP, and Kabuto totally tops.)
X
Naruto gets nabbed by Itachi during the chuunin exams, Gaara goes and smacks Sasuke upside the head, and both of them go off to "rescue" Naruto, with the help of a few other people. Naruto doesn't really need rescuing, he totally had the situation under control. ("Why the hell are you here!" "You're...not happy to see me?" "Aw, shit, don't give me that look, that's not what I meant! I'm always happy to see you. But why are you here?" "You got kidnapped, remember, moron?" "Shut up, Sasuke-bastard! I'm having a moment with my boyfriend, who I haven't seen in months, thanks to you!" "I didn't ask you to stay! You're the one who didn't have anywhere better to be!" "Who else was supposed to keep you from killing yourself?" "Like you did anything, anyway!" "The fuck? Breaking your arms was something, wasn't it?" "You absolute, complete, utter-" "That's enough, both of you. If you're very quiet and ask very nicely, I might take the sand out of your pants without taking anything else along with it." "Meep." "Urk." "Good boys.") Gaara is surprisingly perceptive, (actually, Kankurou and Temari just prepped him with what to say) Naruto is apologetic, and Sasuke is in denial. A couple of crazed, horny demons manage to sort things out as best they can, and everyone ends up, if not happy, at least mostly...relieved.
XI Gaara and Sasuke snipe at each other, or rather Sasuke snipes and Gaara remains aloof until Sasuke explodes, at which point Naruto lays the smack down, angry kyuubi style, on both of them. At some point, Kabuto gets his head ripped off, and Sasuke may or may not get his eyes back. ("But...they're filthy. They've been in that asshole's eye sockets for months." "Do you want them or not?" "...yeah, sure, I guess.")
Monday, January 24, 2005
Again, excessive Naruto babble.
I've been poking at Sorrows and Rejoicings a bit, trying to figure out how to end it and how to make Orochimaru seem less like a spazz. It's a bit difficult- I really, really don't want to kill Naruto, but leaving him hanging is just kind of cruel. And if he dies, I can at least give it a quasi-happy ending. New beginnings and shite, you know?
The title may change; the current title is taken from the name of a play by Athol Fugard. I saw it a few years ago at McCarter, when John Glover was playing the central character, who had just died of cancer. I know, I can be subtle when I want to be- I just don't always want to be.
New title will probably be something like "Orpheus Driven," which is even more obscure than my usual fare. It's a lyric from the Duncan Sheik song "A Body Goes Down," which is one of my fandom associative songs already- one of Setzer's theme songs. (Setzer shares a number of theme songs with Kakashi, actually, and Tsunade.) It's a depressing song, and the ending lyrics are "Speed on to the next life, speed on," which I think are kind of appropriate. However, "Sorrows and Rejoicings" fits the story amazingly well, too, even if I'm sort of missing all the "rejoicings" in the story right now.
The stupid threesome fic needs a title; maybe once I have one I'll start writing it. Maybe not. Maybe I'll just make a lot of stupid song posts so I can pretend I'm being vaguely productive.
I like to talk about the things I've written far too much; I should spend more time actually writing. Been a little too busy dwelling on things, of course, and on wanting to angst like a whiny bitch over what a useless excuse for a person I am.
I really, really dislike myself right now. I'm talking serious self loathing, here, and I can't quite muster up the energy to be angry at myself for feeling this way. Not that that ever helps, but...
Fuckit.
The title may change; the current title is taken from the name of a play by Athol Fugard. I saw it a few years ago at McCarter, when John Glover was playing the central character, who had just died of cancer. I know, I can be subtle when I want to be- I just don't always want to be.
New title will probably be something like "Orpheus Driven," which is even more obscure than my usual fare. It's a lyric from the Duncan Sheik song "A Body Goes Down," which is one of my fandom associative songs already- one of Setzer's theme songs. (Setzer shares a number of theme songs with Kakashi, actually, and Tsunade.) It's a depressing song, and the ending lyrics are "Speed on to the next life, speed on," which I think are kind of appropriate. However, "Sorrows and Rejoicings" fits the story amazingly well, too, even if I'm sort of missing all the "rejoicings" in the story right now.
The stupid threesome fic needs a title; maybe once I have one I'll start writing it. Maybe not. Maybe I'll just make a lot of stupid song posts so I can pretend I'm being vaguely productive.
I like to talk about the things I've written far too much; I should spend more time actually writing. Been a little too busy dwelling on things, of course, and on wanting to angst like a whiny bitch over what a useless excuse for a person I am.
I really, really dislike myself right now. I'm talking serious self loathing, here, and I can't quite muster up the energy to be angry at myself for feeling this way. Not that that ever helps, but...
Fuckit.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Crazy Naruto Outline
Okay, so I had a whole long post of fic recs, not that anyone actually reads this unless I point them to it, which I generally don't do since the whole point of having this journal is so that I'm not so self-conscious about posting in it that I stop posting, the way I seem to have with livejournal, but then blogger ate it.
I adore run on sentences.
Anyway. Outline-y things!
I (prologue)
Naruto trains with Jiraiya ("Whadya mean? Look, it's simple. Do you like peeping on this side of the fence, or the other?" "Neither." "What!? Have I taught you nothing?"), Gaara contemplates the nature of grammar and attempts calligraphy (Shukaku insisted on the perfect tense, and he rarely argued; he knew the demon would never appreciate the subtle irony of being stuck forever in a past tense. He, personally, preferred the imperfect, and Mother did, too.), Sasuke...well, nobody really cares what he's doing. Teams 8-10 do not appear.
II Naruto and Jiraiya return (Had it been worth three years of the pervert's stupid jokes and "training sessions" in bath houses? Three years away from home, when it had only just started to feel like home? One look at Jiraiya's stunned face gave him his answer. Was it worth it? Hell yeah- he was so totally gonna be the best Hokage ever.) Tsunade sells him out for the sake of Konoha. ("Give us time." "Sasuke doesn't have time!" "He has more than you will if you stay, god damn it!") Naruto leaves. Naruto sulks. Naruto blows up some trees, feels a little better, and tries to go after Sasuke. Kabuto lays the smackdown, righteous style. ("I kicked your ass before and I'll do it again!" "You haven't grown up at all, have you? The world isn't merciful to people who persist in foolish delusions." "The only one who's gonna need mercy around here is you, asshole!") Naruto sulks some more, and misses his hitai-ate.
III Kankurou gets fed up with his siblings and goes rockclimbing. (It wasn't that he didn't love them, because he did- which he wouldn't admit on pain of death- but they were insane. Not the "Oh, wow, that's crazy!" kind of insane, but the "Have you ever wanted to meet your intestines face-to-face? No? But look at them, they've been dying to say hello for ages!" sort of insane. He didn't really fear for his own life anymore, but when Gaara looked pointedly at Karasu and stated that his imaginary friend could beat up his brother's imaginary friend while the sand played with the puppet's wrapping, Kankurou took that as a signal to grab his weapon and leave.) Naruto isn't sure how he ended up in Wind Country, but what the fuck. Clearly he needs to train more, if that pansy-ass child molesting traitor could still beat him. Kankurou decides that home may be full of crazy people, but he's totally met his surreal quotient for the day now that Uzumaki Naruto is venting at him on top of a cliff. He isn't sure he wants to know why Naruto's life seems to be so full of perverts, anyway. Naruto gets sand in places he never knew he could get sand, and decides the stars are pretty in the desert.
IV General Sandsib cuteness. Naruto gets a job. Gaara goes to investigate, gets Naruto fired. ("Do you even know how to read?" "If you're not fucking buying anything, get the fuck out of my store. And you're not buying any porn, I know you're still too young.") Kankurou and Temari have a chat with Naruto about the proper care and feeding of insomniac badger boys and enlist him as the third official (but first honorary) member of the Society Dedicated to Encouraging Gaara's Humanity. Naruto sulks and yells a lot, particularly at Gaara. Further Sandsib cuteness and Naruto being himself. Kankurou buys lots of porn, Naruto gets his job back, Gaara discovers a heretofore unknown passion for books.
V Blah blah blah, stuff happens, Gaara nearly decapitates Kankurou for teasing him, Temari gets pissed, all three of em get sent off on a mission. Naruto is lonely again. He gets into a screaming match with Gaara when the sandsibs return, tonsil hockey occurs. Naruto shouts some more, tonsil hockey occurs. Property damage occurs. Gaara is confused, Temari and Kankurou have the "If you break our little brother's heart, we break your legs" chat with Naruto. Naruto is confused. ("Will you stop that!" "Stop what?" "Th-that! You know-mph!" "..." "Fuck!" "Really?" "No! I said stop it, damn it! Can we have a civilized conversation where you don't shove your tongue down my throat?" "...do we have to?" "God damn it!")
VI Relationship shite is hammered out, Naruto is still confused, but kind of happy. Excessive amounts of training happens. A few months (years?) pass. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sasuke has officially been labelled an S-level criminal after a bunch of Anbu get sent back in pieces. Word gets out that he defected from Orochimaru and is looking for Itachi. Elsewhere, Kabuto catches up with Sasuke and lays the smackdown, righteous style. (Kabuto: *molestmolest* Sasuke: *expires*) Lots of blood and screaming. Back to the people we care about- the Kazekage is sending the sandsibs on a mission, and Gaara refuses to tell Naruto what it is. Temari insists that Naruto comes along, anyway, and it turns out they're going to take down Orochimaru.
VII Gaara kicks ass. Lots of it. ("Temari, Kankurou. If there's anyone you feel like keeping alive, you have three minutes to get them out. This ends here.") After Kabuto and Orochimaru are finished with him, Sasuke is a few cards short of a full deck, and Gaara breaks him like a twig. Naruto foxes out and eats Orochimaru and Kabuto, then shows up in time to keep Gaara from turning Sasuke into a vegetable. Shikamaru and Team X show up, demanding Sasuke. Sandsibs and Naruto go to Konoha with angst boy. Naruto is still confused, Gaara is posessive, and nobody really cares about Sasuke. Well, maybe Naruto does- but Sasuke's fucking nuts.
VIII Angst. Sex. Fluff. Temari plays go with Shikamaru and wins by default; they can't tell whose pieces are whose when his nose is bleeding all over 'em. Kankurou spends quality time with Iruka, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on in Naruto's head. Newsflash- not even Naruto knows. Kankurou gives up and talks to Hinata and Kiba; Shino considers being posessive but decides it isn't worth the effort. Sasuke is still nuts; if Itachi shows up, Gaara and Naruto rip him to shreds. He probably won't show up. Sasuke calms down enough to manage a rational conversation with Naruto. Naruto sorta-kinda breaks up with Gaara, the sandsibs go home. Naruto stays. Tsunade fumes, Jiraiya is a pervert, so is Kakashi and, surprisingly enough, Iruka. Sasuke tries to be a pervert and fails. Naruto is feeling less confused, but less happy as well.
IX A few months pass. Sasuke is still kinda crazy, but not all the time. Naruto is depressed and not confused at all and decidedly not sleeping with Sasuke. No, really. Seriously, he's not lying. ...Well, if you have any better suggestions for when he starts trying to chew through his wrists, you just let him know, okay? Back at the trenches, the chuunin exam has returned to Konoha. Naruto gets teamed up with Neji and Lee, and yes, he is decidedly ignoring any and all members of Suna who happen to be wandering around. Particularly those three jounin with the veils who keep glaring at him. Forest of death, blah blah blah giant tigers, blah blah, Naruto and Lee create some crazy taijutsu combos together, Naruto continues to ignore Sand. ("Uzumaki-ryuu Rendan!" "...Lee?" "Yes, Neji-kun, my brightly shining eternal rival?" "Was it really necessary to take down those trees, along with those six teams?" "Trees? What do you- oh no! Konoha's pride and joy and namesake! What have I done? The squirrels!" "That's right, Lee. Think of the squirrels. And Naruto? Next time, stay away from my hair.") Meanwhile, Gaara is visiting Sasuke, who is not as batshit as you might think. Certain understandings are reached, and Sasuke admits that, maybe, he's fucked up a few things.
Other stuff happens. Naruto runs into Gaara and remembers that yeah, sure, Sasuke is pretty and all, but Gaara is nice to him. And Gaara makes him happy. And Gaara hasn't slept since he left. Whoops. Cut to raging, hormonal, annoyed demons. Sasuke does something selfless for Naruto's sake, as usual, and, somehow, the story resolves itself. With lots and lots of sex.
The end.
Needs a title, still, and I need to decide if I really want to write it...it's fairly concrete (not solid, just concrete) in my head up to chapter 7; after that, things get a little hazy. It's supposed to eventually be a Gaara/Naruto/Sasuke, but I'm having a hard time fitting Sasuke into the equation. I'll work on it, I guess in my head. Maybe I will write it, if only because I adore the Sand Three...but now I think I need to get Kankurou to stop hitting on Hinata, because he's only going to scare the poor girl.
I love fucked up futurefic. Sasuke's having a hard time fitting into the equation because he's going to get totally fucked over by Kabuto and Orochimaru, who are not actually child molesters. Well, Orochimaru is, but Kabuto's all talk and no action. *shrug* We'll see. Chances are I won't write it, because I'll be too caught up in school to worry about it. La.
I adore run on sentences.
Anyway. Outline-y things!
I (prologue)
Naruto trains with Jiraiya ("Whadya mean? Look, it's simple. Do you like peeping on this side of the fence, or the other?" "Neither." "What!? Have I taught you nothing?"), Gaara contemplates the nature of grammar and attempts calligraphy (Shukaku insisted on the perfect tense, and he rarely argued; he knew the demon would never appreciate the subtle irony of being stuck forever in a past tense. He, personally, preferred the imperfect, and Mother did, too.), Sasuke...well, nobody really cares what he's doing. Teams 8-10 do not appear.
II Naruto and Jiraiya return (Had it been worth three years of the pervert's stupid jokes and "training sessions" in bath houses? Three years away from home, when it had only just started to feel like home? One look at Jiraiya's stunned face gave him his answer. Was it worth it? Hell yeah- he was so totally gonna be the best Hokage ever.) Tsunade sells him out for the sake of Konoha. ("Give us time." "Sasuke doesn't have time!" "He has more than you will if you stay, god damn it!") Naruto leaves. Naruto sulks. Naruto blows up some trees, feels a little better, and tries to go after Sasuke. Kabuto lays the smackdown, righteous style. ("I kicked your ass before and I'll do it again!" "You haven't grown up at all, have you? The world isn't merciful to people who persist in foolish delusions." "The only one who's gonna need mercy around here is you, asshole!") Naruto sulks some more, and misses his hitai-ate.
III Kankurou gets fed up with his siblings and goes rockclimbing. (It wasn't that he didn't love them, because he did- which he wouldn't admit on pain of death- but they were insane. Not the "Oh, wow, that's crazy!" kind of insane, but the "Have you ever wanted to meet your intestines face-to-face? No? But look at them, they've been dying to say hello for ages!" sort of insane. He didn't really fear for his own life anymore, but when Gaara looked pointedly at Karasu and stated that his imaginary friend could beat up his brother's imaginary friend while the sand played with the puppet's wrapping, Kankurou took that as a signal to grab his weapon and leave.) Naruto isn't sure how he ended up in Wind Country, but what the fuck. Clearly he needs to train more, if that pansy-ass child molesting traitor could still beat him. Kankurou decides that home may be full of crazy people, but he's totally met his surreal quotient for the day now that Uzumaki Naruto is venting at him on top of a cliff. He isn't sure he wants to know why Naruto's life seems to be so full of perverts, anyway. Naruto gets sand in places he never knew he could get sand, and decides the stars are pretty in the desert.
IV General Sandsib cuteness. Naruto gets a job. Gaara goes to investigate, gets Naruto fired. ("Do you even know how to read?" "If you're not fucking buying anything, get the fuck out of my store. And you're not buying any porn, I know you're still too young.") Kankurou and Temari have a chat with Naruto about the proper care and feeding of insomniac badger boys and enlist him as the third official (but first honorary) member of the Society Dedicated to Encouraging Gaara's Humanity. Naruto sulks and yells a lot, particularly at Gaara. Further Sandsib cuteness and Naruto being himself. Kankurou buys lots of porn, Naruto gets his job back, Gaara discovers a heretofore unknown passion for books.
V Blah blah blah, stuff happens, Gaara nearly decapitates Kankurou for teasing him, Temari gets pissed, all three of em get sent off on a mission. Naruto is lonely again. He gets into a screaming match with Gaara when the sandsibs return, tonsil hockey occurs. Naruto shouts some more, tonsil hockey occurs. Property damage occurs. Gaara is confused, Temari and Kankurou have the "If you break our little brother's heart, we break your legs" chat with Naruto. Naruto is confused. ("Will you stop that!" "Stop what?" "Th-that! You know-mph!" "..." "Fuck!" "Really?" "No! I said stop it, damn it! Can we have a civilized conversation where you don't shove your tongue down my throat?" "...do we have to?" "God damn it!")
VI Relationship shite is hammered out, Naruto is still confused, but kind of happy. Excessive amounts of training happens. A few months (years?) pass. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Sasuke has officially been labelled an S-level criminal after a bunch of Anbu get sent back in pieces. Word gets out that he defected from Orochimaru and is looking for Itachi. Elsewhere, Kabuto catches up with Sasuke and lays the smackdown, righteous style. (Kabuto: *molestmolest* Sasuke: *expires*) Lots of blood and screaming. Back to the people we care about- the Kazekage is sending the sandsibs on a mission, and Gaara refuses to tell Naruto what it is. Temari insists that Naruto comes along, anyway, and it turns out they're going to take down Orochimaru.
VII Gaara kicks ass. Lots of it. ("Temari, Kankurou. If there's anyone you feel like keeping alive, you have three minutes to get them out. This ends here.") After Kabuto and Orochimaru are finished with him, Sasuke is a few cards short of a full deck, and Gaara breaks him like a twig. Naruto foxes out and eats Orochimaru and Kabuto, then shows up in time to keep Gaara from turning Sasuke into a vegetable. Shikamaru and Team X show up, demanding Sasuke. Sandsibs and Naruto go to Konoha with angst boy. Naruto is still confused, Gaara is posessive, and nobody really cares about Sasuke. Well, maybe Naruto does- but Sasuke's fucking nuts.
VIII Angst. Sex. Fluff. Temari plays go with Shikamaru and wins by default; they can't tell whose pieces are whose when his nose is bleeding all over 'em. Kankurou spends quality time with Iruka, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on in Naruto's head. Newsflash- not even Naruto knows. Kankurou gives up and talks to Hinata and Kiba; Shino considers being posessive but decides it isn't worth the effort. Sasuke is still nuts; if Itachi shows up, Gaara and Naruto rip him to shreds. He probably won't show up. Sasuke calms down enough to manage a rational conversation with Naruto. Naruto sorta-kinda breaks up with Gaara, the sandsibs go home. Naruto stays. Tsunade fumes, Jiraiya is a pervert, so is Kakashi and, surprisingly enough, Iruka. Sasuke tries to be a pervert and fails. Naruto is feeling less confused, but less happy as well.
IX A few months pass. Sasuke is still kinda crazy, but not all the time. Naruto is depressed and not confused at all and decidedly not sleeping with Sasuke. No, really. Seriously, he's not lying. ...Well, if you have any better suggestions for when he starts trying to chew through his wrists, you just let him know, okay? Back at the trenches, the chuunin exam has returned to Konoha. Naruto gets teamed up with Neji and Lee, and yes, he is decidedly ignoring any and all members of Suna who happen to be wandering around. Particularly those three jounin with the veils who keep glaring at him. Forest of death, blah blah blah giant tigers, blah blah, Naruto and Lee create some crazy taijutsu combos together, Naruto continues to ignore Sand. ("Uzumaki-ryuu Rendan!" "...Lee?" "Yes, Neji-kun, my brightly shining eternal rival?" "Was it really necessary to take down those trees, along with those six teams?" "Trees? What do you- oh no! Konoha's pride and joy and namesake! What have I done? The squirrels!" "That's right, Lee. Think of the squirrels. And Naruto? Next time, stay away from my hair.") Meanwhile, Gaara is visiting Sasuke, who is not as batshit as you might think. Certain understandings are reached, and Sasuke admits that, maybe, he's fucked up a few things.
Other stuff happens. Naruto runs into Gaara and remembers that yeah, sure, Sasuke is pretty and all, but Gaara is nice to him. And Gaara makes him happy. And Gaara hasn't slept since he left. Whoops. Cut to raging, hormonal, annoyed demons. Sasuke does something selfless for Naruto's sake, as usual, and, somehow, the story resolves itself. With lots and lots of sex.
The end.
Needs a title, still, and I need to decide if I really want to write it...it's fairly concrete (not solid, just concrete) in my head up to chapter 7; after that, things get a little hazy. It's supposed to eventually be a Gaara/Naruto/Sasuke, but I'm having a hard time fitting Sasuke into the equation. I'll work on it, I guess in my head. Maybe I will write it, if only because I adore the Sand Three...but now I think I need to get Kankurou to stop hitting on Hinata, because he's only going to scare the poor girl.
I love fucked up futurefic. Sasuke's having a hard time fitting into the equation because he's going to get totally fucked over by Kabuto and Orochimaru, who are not actually child molesters. Well, Orochimaru is, but Kabuto's all talk and no action. *shrug* We'll see. Chances are I won't write it, because I'll be too caught up in school to worry about it. La.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Crazy Sand Nins!
Kankurou was on the porch again, sprawled across the steps with a file and an irregular lump of sandstone. His shoulders tensed very slightly under the mesh shirt he wore, but he kept his eyes on the stone in his hand, even when Gaara sat down on the top step.
"Temari wants to know if she should just drag your futon out here." Gaara's voice was rarely anything but cold, and he never smiled unless he was killing something, so Kankurou made a leap of faith and assumed it was a joke.
"Her snoring keeps me awake at night. Might not be a bad idea." Summer made him terse, but not even the heat could keep him from messing with his siblings. The tiny almost-smile Gaara gave him in response was worth the effort of speaking.
The silence slid between them comfortably as Kankurou started on the carving. The steady rasp of the file mingled with the sound of crickets, soothing in its monotony. Gaara watched the gritty dust fly up from the file with the same intensity he used for still-beating hearts and steaming viscera.
"I could do it faster."
His hand slipped at Gaara's soft words, and he cursed as the file took off a patch of skin. "You don't even know what it's going to be." He stuck his bleeding thumb in his mouth before the sight of blood could set off his brother. Things were better now, but that didn't make Gaara any less insane.
"You could tell me. I could help."
The entire situation was surreal. Gaara looked so earnest, it was almost comical. His face wasn't suited for showing emotion- his eyes were too big in their sunken sockets, and every expression was overexaggerated to the point of being grotesque. Kankurou shook his head and hoped he'd stopped bleeding. "I don't offer to help you kill people."
Gaara scoffed, contempt fitting easily over his face like a second skin. "I don't need your help for that."
He nodded and resumed filing. "Exactly."
He liked treading on thin ice with Gaara sometimes. He was normally too much of a coward to invite the possibility of an attack, but the part of him that was an older brother rebelled against that. He was supposed to irritate his little brother. It was Temari's job to be bossy, Gaara's duty to be a spoiled brat (spoiled, homicidal brat), and his obligation to make both his siblings miserable, but not so miserable that they were actually miserable.
He never tried to tell either of them this, because he knew they'd think he was crazy. Pot, kettle, black, but they never kept score properly.
Gaara looked thoughtful; that was sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing. He usually looked thoughtful before coming up with new and disturbing ways to take a body apart from the inside out with his sand, but he'd also looked thoughtful (and rather beaten) the first time he'd said thank you.
"I'm almost done with it, so you can polish it for me once it's finished if you like." The silence had gotten uncomfortable; it really wasn't a good idea to encourage Gaara to think too much. And Gaara never smiled his almost-smile when he'd been left to think.
The silence went back to being comfortable again, with the rasprasp of the file on the sandstone and the soft hsshhh of sand through Gaara's fingers as he played idly and the low chrkchrk of crickets in the darkness.
Temari came and ruined it, of course, her heavy boots clunking hollowly across the porch. She sat down on the top step beside Gaara with a thump and wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Hey." She leaned forward and peered up at the sky. "The stars are pretty tonight."
Kankurou looked up for a moment and shrugged, turning back to his carving.
"Yeah," Gaara said. "They are."
-----
Why? 'Cuz I love the Sand Siblings, and I think Kankurou is hot underneath the silly hat. (Facial markings and a giant puppet? Dude. How can I not adore him?) I also like the idea of him spending his free time carving stones. He does wood, too, when he's got it on hand. Sandstone's easier to find, though, and Gaara's less likely to destroy it.
He's carving a fox for Gaara, actually; had I the attention span to do a multichapter thing (and had I not the tendency to butcher characters beyond recognition) I'd write the crazy Naruto/Gaara/Sasuke thing that's in my head right now. It's silly and involves Naruto working at a bookstore, and Gaara developing a disturbing love for books. I think I may have a secret love for the idea of Kankurou/Sakura, but I'm not sure. It might be Ino instead.
Unfortunately, this involves Naruto yaoi cliche #37, in which Naruto gets sick of being ostracized and runs away from Konoha. Also #583, in which Sasuke gets wrecked on and realizes Naruto is his One True Wuv. *sigh* The whole fandom is easy like a two dollar hooker, you know. Easy like Sin eating pie, and that's damn easy.
I need to stop loving this series, for serious.
"Temari wants to know if she should just drag your futon out here." Gaara's voice was rarely anything but cold, and he never smiled unless he was killing something, so Kankurou made a leap of faith and assumed it was a joke.
"Her snoring keeps me awake at night. Might not be a bad idea." Summer made him terse, but not even the heat could keep him from messing with his siblings. The tiny almost-smile Gaara gave him in response was worth the effort of speaking.
The silence slid between them comfortably as Kankurou started on the carving. The steady rasp of the file mingled with the sound of crickets, soothing in its monotony. Gaara watched the gritty dust fly up from the file with the same intensity he used for still-beating hearts and steaming viscera.
"I could do it faster."
His hand slipped at Gaara's soft words, and he cursed as the file took off a patch of skin. "You don't even know what it's going to be." He stuck his bleeding thumb in his mouth before the sight of blood could set off his brother. Things were better now, but that didn't make Gaara any less insane.
"You could tell me. I could help."
The entire situation was surreal. Gaara looked so earnest, it was almost comical. His face wasn't suited for showing emotion- his eyes were too big in their sunken sockets, and every expression was overexaggerated to the point of being grotesque. Kankurou shook his head and hoped he'd stopped bleeding. "I don't offer to help you kill people."
Gaara scoffed, contempt fitting easily over his face like a second skin. "I don't need your help for that."
He nodded and resumed filing. "Exactly."
He liked treading on thin ice with Gaara sometimes. He was normally too much of a coward to invite the possibility of an attack, but the part of him that was an older brother rebelled against that. He was supposed to irritate his little brother. It was Temari's job to be bossy, Gaara's duty to be a spoiled brat (spoiled, homicidal brat), and his obligation to make both his siblings miserable, but not so miserable that they were actually miserable.
He never tried to tell either of them this, because he knew they'd think he was crazy. Pot, kettle, black, but they never kept score properly.
Gaara looked thoughtful; that was sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing. He usually looked thoughtful before coming up with new and disturbing ways to take a body apart from the inside out with his sand, but he'd also looked thoughtful (and rather beaten) the first time he'd said thank you.
"I'm almost done with it, so you can polish it for me once it's finished if you like." The silence had gotten uncomfortable; it really wasn't a good idea to encourage Gaara to think too much. And Gaara never smiled his almost-smile when he'd been left to think.
The silence went back to being comfortable again, with the rasprasp of the file on the sandstone and the soft hsshhh of sand through Gaara's fingers as he played idly and the low chrkchrk of crickets in the darkness.
Temari came and ruined it, of course, her heavy boots clunking hollowly across the porch. She sat down on the top step beside Gaara with a thump and wrapped her arms around her knees.
"Hey." She leaned forward and peered up at the sky. "The stars are pretty tonight."
Kankurou looked up for a moment and shrugged, turning back to his carving.
"Yeah," Gaara said. "They are."
-----
Why? 'Cuz I love the Sand Siblings, and I think Kankurou is hot underneath the silly hat. (Facial markings and a giant puppet? Dude. How can I not adore him?) I also like the idea of him spending his free time carving stones. He does wood, too, when he's got it on hand. Sandstone's easier to find, though, and Gaara's less likely to destroy it.
He's carving a fox for Gaara, actually; had I the attention span to do a multichapter thing (and had I not the tendency to butcher characters beyond recognition) I'd write the crazy Naruto/Gaara/Sasuke thing that's in my head right now. It's silly and involves Naruto working at a bookstore, and Gaara developing a disturbing love for books. I think I may have a secret love for the idea of Kankurou/Sakura, but I'm not sure. It might be Ino instead.
Unfortunately, this involves Naruto yaoi cliche #37, in which Naruto gets sick of being ostracized and runs away from Konoha. Also #583, in which Sasuke gets wrecked on and realizes Naruto is his One True Wuv. *sigh* The whole fandom is easy like a two dollar hooker, you know. Easy like Sin eating pie, and that's damn easy.
I need to stop loving this series, for serious.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
December Notes part 3
Further wanktasticity!
21 Hilarious. I love Samurai Champloo, and I love Mugen. I love Jin, too, but Mugen's easier to think like, and he has metal plated zori. Episodes 13 and 14 made me love Mugen so hard that I had to write him a drabble because sometimes his life just sucks.
22 Stalker. This started out as just a character study for Vaz so I could get a better idea of him in my head, but then I decided that the story would need an actual plot, and that plot could use stalkers. So I threw in a narrator and bam! I had a useable piece of writing.
23 Happy Birthday. I really, really love future-fics. They're one of my guilty pleasures, but I rarely like the ones that other people write- I just like the concept of them. I also adore Shino and Jin, despite all the sexual tension between Jin and Mugen. This fic would have eventually turned into Fuu preparing for Mugen's birthday and paying him back those hundred dumplings she owes him. It got longer than I wanted it to, however, but the original idea was excessively cute.
I mostly just like the thought of Jin having lots and lots of kids, and all of them would spend most of their free time tormenting Mugen, who hates kids but secretly likes them.
24 Doggy Biscuit. I have now watched Van Helsing far too many times. I have nothing more to say.
25 Happy Holidays. Well, Sonya likes crossovers, and for some reason this worked in my head. I don't actually condone Light/L as a pairing, but it can be silly at times, and silly is good.
26 Eclipse. Stella and Walker are kind of cute together; Walker is, of course, the zombified version of Brenon, and Stella's need for noise is very reminscent of the person he used to be. (I never wanted Solneki and Mordant to end up fucking. Seriously. They were supposed to bitch at each other and throw fruit at each other and shoot people together, but there was never supposed to be anything sexual between them. I blame this on the fact that neither of them are particularly interested in whoring for the dead, and there aren't any other warm bodies around.) It amuses me that zombie-Bren is less asexual than living-Bren; Walker cares about Stella quite a bit, and the way he cares about her is completely different from the way Brenon cared about Theron.
Stella is off her rocker, and this pleases me.
27 The Good Life. This was originally going to be much longer and would involve various intricacies of the Hyuuga clan's marriage traditions and how Hinata thinks she'll eventually end up married to Neji and a member of the branch house. And, being told from Kiba's perspective, it would involve him not knowing which of his teammates he'd rather marry, Hinata or Shino. I may still write the Hinata/Neji, but I actually don't think Hinata needs a love interest, and I kind of prefer her just being married to her team. (We all know I do love my threesomes.)
I love Team 8. If Team 10 is the most balanced team in terms of the way its members work together, then Team 8 is the team with the most focused purpose. Hinata has her Byakugan, Kiba has his nose, and Shino has his bugs; all three of these are useful for either scouting or infiltration. They're the super-stealth information gathering team- and together, they are unstoppable. (It helps that they have Shino, who is essentially a perfect weapon.)
I'll admit to yoinking again, partly from my own stuff and from Askerian, for the Kiba demanding scratches bit, even if it was Naruto demanding scratches in Askerian's fic. (She writes delicious stuff, by the way. And by delicious I mean hawt.)
Writing this made me realize how much I liked Kiba; he's very open and honest, which makes him easier to get a hold of than Shino, and I like the contrast between them. Saa...I just really love Team 8. No particular reason, though I guess it helps that they're less dysfunctional than teams 7 and 9. *is a Team 8 fangirl*
28 Marriage of Convenience. The marriage scene in the Lemony Snickett movie creeped me out because it was so fundamentally wrong on so many levels. I also kept waiting for Klaus to suggest that she marry him instead, and that also creeped me out. Aside from the trauma of the creepiness that inspired it, this was a mostly pointless drabble.
29 Belief in the Sword. The Carlisles have to find out that their adoptive father is related to supernatural beings eventually. It's Carly who finds out first because Dei doesn't relate well to her. She's never really trusted him, and she's always been at least subconsciously aware of Tristan's crush. This piece was mostly crap and wankery, and didn't turn out the way I wanted it to at all. *shrug*
30 Four Eyes/No Eyes. The Demon Ororon is an awesome series, and it's only four volumes so none of you have any excuse for not reading it. I really liked all of the characters, but I felt obligated to write something about Othello and Mitsume because of the eye thing, and because their situation wasn't resolved in the books. I'm also excessively fond of Yotsuba and his alcoholic ways. I have nothing really to say about this piece; it's another one of my favorites, even if it isn't quite right.
There! Wanking done!
21 Hilarious. I love Samurai Champloo, and I love Mugen. I love Jin, too, but Mugen's easier to think like, and he has metal plated zori. Episodes 13 and 14 made me love Mugen so hard that I had to write him a drabble because sometimes his life just sucks.
22 Stalker. This started out as just a character study for Vaz so I could get a better idea of him in my head, but then I decided that the story would need an actual plot, and that plot could use stalkers. So I threw in a narrator and bam! I had a useable piece of writing.
23 Happy Birthday. I really, really love future-fics. They're one of my guilty pleasures, but I rarely like the ones that other people write- I just like the concept of them. I also adore Shino and Jin, despite all the sexual tension between Jin and Mugen. This fic would have eventually turned into Fuu preparing for Mugen's birthday and paying him back those hundred dumplings she owes him. It got longer than I wanted it to, however, but the original idea was excessively cute.
I mostly just like the thought of Jin having lots and lots of kids, and all of them would spend most of their free time tormenting Mugen, who hates kids but secretly likes them.
24 Doggy Biscuit. I have now watched Van Helsing far too many times. I have nothing more to say.
25 Happy Holidays. Well, Sonya likes crossovers, and for some reason this worked in my head. I don't actually condone Light/L as a pairing, but it can be silly at times, and silly is good.
26 Eclipse. Stella and Walker are kind of cute together; Walker is, of course, the zombified version of Brenon, and Stella's need for noise is very reminscent of the person he used to be. (I never wanted Solneki and Mordant to end up fucking. Seriously. They were supposed to bitch at each other and throw fruit at each other and shoot people together, but there was never supposed to be anything sexual between them. I blame this on the fact that neither of them are particularly interested in whoring for the dead, and there aren't any other warm bodies around.) It amuses me that zombie-Bren is less asexual than living-Bren; Walker cares about Stella quite a bit, and the way he cares about her is completely different from the way Brenon cared about Theron.
Stella is off her rocker, and this pleases me.
27 The Good Life. This was originally going to be much longer and would involve various intricacies of the Hyuuga clan's marriage traditions and how Hinata thinks she'll eventually end up married to Neji and a member of the branch house. And, being told from Kiba's perspective, it would involve him not knowing which of his teammates he'd rather marry, Hinata or Shino. I may still write the Hinata/Neji, but I actually don't think Hinata needs a love interest, and I kind of prefer her just being married to her team. (We all know I do love my threesomes.)
I love Team 8. If Team 10 is the most balanced team in terms of the way its members work together, then Team 8 is the team with the most focused purpose. Hinata has her Byakugan, Kiba has his nose, and Shino has his bugs; all three of these are useful for either scouting or infiltration. They're the super-stealth information gathering team- and together, they are unstoppable. (It helps that they have Shino, who is essentially a perfect weapon.)
I'll admit to yoinking again, partly from my own stuff and from Askerian, for the Kiba demanding scratches bit, even if it was Naruto demanding scratches in Askerian's fic. (She writes delicious stuff, by the way. And by delicious I mean hawt.)
Writing this made me realize how much I liked Kiba; he's very open and honest, which makes him easier to get a hold of than Shino, and I like the contrast between them. Saa...I just really love Team 8. No particular reason, though I guess it helps that they're less dysfunctional than teams 7 and 9. *is a Team 8 fangirl*
28 Marriage of Convenience. The marriage scene in the Lemony Snickett movie creeped me out because it was so fundamentally wrong on so many levels. I also kept waiting for Klaus to suggest that she marry him instead, and that also creeped me out. Aside from the trauma of the creepiness that inspired it, this was a mostly pointless drabble.
29 Belief in the Sword. The Carlisles have to find out that their adoptive father is related to supernatural beings eventually. It's Carly who finds out first because Dei doesn't relate well to her. She's never really trusted him, and she's always been at least subconsciously aware of Tristan's crush. This piece was mostly crap and wankery, and didn't turn out the way I wanted it to at all. *shrug*
30 Four Eyes/No Eyes. The Demon Ororon is an awesome series, and it's only four volumes so none of you have any excuse for not reading it. I really liked all of the characters, but I felt obligated to write something about Othello and Mitsume because of the eye thing, and because their situation wasn't resolved in the books. I'm also excessively fond of Yotsuba and his alcoholic ways. I have nothing really to say about this piece; it's another one of my favorites, even if it isn't quite right.
There! Wanking done!
Monday, January 17, 2005
December Notes part 2
Wanktastic! In which I talk about December's Impossible Project, because I don't feel like doing actual writing.
10. Hands. I like sap, particularly when my two favorite characters are involved. Kakashi/Iruka is the pairing that got me into the fandom, so you could say that it's indirectly responsible for the whole mess of December's Impossible Project. This particular piece was written while ignoring the Stupid Girl(tm) in creative writing. I love the idea of Kakashi being incredibly emotionally fragile, because it works so well next to Iruka's emotional stability.
11. Small, Perfect Things. That isn't the actual title; the actual title is probably something even more obscure, like "Raining in Baltimore" or "Seven Thousand Cups of Tea." I don't know. I started writing smut and it exploded on me. Took forever to get the stains off the keyboard.
There's a premise to this thing, and it involves Iruka having migraines and being slightly bipolar as a result of something that I have yet to determine at this point in time. It'll result in Tsunade beating him over the head and medicating him; once the medication kicks in properly, he'll be a functioning human being again, but until that point he's slightly crazy. ("Fuck, you're ticking! I can hear it!") You can't actually see that in what I have written, but if I finish it, it'll be there.
It was the "faceless strangers" line that started this, and the rest just grew out of that. I really love the idea of emotionally fragile Kakashi, though I know I overdid it a bit in the drunken table scene and at the very end. He's fragile and bumbling, not weepy and desperate. (But I like the drunken table scene, no matter how out of character it is.)
The reason this whole story is essentially scrap is because it requires me to find reasons for Iruka to be constantly pissed off at Kakashi, and I can't actually write Kakashi as being that socially inept, not when he actually has a vested interest in having these interactions work out in his favor. (No one reads that much porn because they're getting laid on a regular basis, you know.) I can write Iruka going off the handle fairly easily, but I can't write Kakashi fucking things up that badly.
There are parts that I feel are well done, and parts that I hate, (all of the last scene aside from Iruka's "right angle" speech, whenever Kakashi isn't talking to the table leg, almost all of the Naruto scene...) so I can't quite bring myself to scrap it all and I can't quite bring myself to finish it. Alas. Also, I still can't believe I actually wrote "...unless that was a kunai in his pocket." *black, black shame*
12 Conglomerate. Not much to say- it's another sci-fi story with super powerful shapeshifters with facial markings and dragons that ends up being mostly about sex. Vaz is an asshole with a heart of tiny nanomachines, and he has Shino's last name for a reason. Evidently there's something inspiring about the chips at Blanchard, since there was really no other reason for this entire scene to appear in my head during dinner that day.
13 Rain. Excessively pointless Vagrant Story wankery. I should've written about zombies instead.
14 Scars. I like abusing Dei, and Tristan has a crush on him- something which neither of them really understands (I don't either) but they deal with it by ignoring it most of the time. Teia refers to Shateiel in human form, when she's acting as Dei's secretary. Tristan is creepy when he's being Oedipal; it's also a little sad that the only way Dei will let anyone touch him is when he's unconscious. (He does get over this eventually. I still blame Lyra.)
15 Rejoice. Whee, more Boffo babble. In case the names are unfamiliar: (few people have actually read Boffo, which is for the better- if you search for it, it's still on the web, but I wouldn't recommend reading it at this point. It's old.) Jance is a member of the original cast; Tristan, Carly, and Jim are Dei's adopted children; Shateiel is a friend of Radueriel's and occasionally Dei's secretary; Jehudael is another angel who goes by Juhee or Dale in human form and works for Dei; Judecca is Radueriel's brother and goes by Jude; Len is Radueriel in human form. Dei, Tyler, and Opal are the old main characters, and Jubal is Opal's father. Whee. They like to cause havoc on Christmas Eve, since everyone is over their angst by the time Dei and Lyra get together for good. (Nobody really likes Lyra being there much, but they deal. She technically does belong, being a muse and all.)
16 Dreams. Wake of Wings is a story by one Asprosdrakos, and her crazy necromancer 3/8 dragon character Drake inspired this. My ability to find angst in the least-likely-to-angst characters never ceases to amaze me. *sigh*
17 Loser. Oh no, I need to write something! Good thing it doesn't matter how awful it is! Sasuke's such an idiot, and he's too easy to kill.
18 Burnout. It just so happened that manga chapters 243 and 244 were coming out around this time, and my love for Kakashi increased a thousand fold.
19 Beholder of the Eye. Least favorite title, one of my favorite fics. I was a little miffed when we didn't get to see any more of the aftermath of Obito's death in the manga; Kakashi's backstory fascinates me, and I really do think he spends much of his time in front of the cenotaph talking to the voices in his head. This may be partially the fault of A Murder of One, and absolutely amazing Kakashi/Iruka fic that is a beautiful piece of writing in its own right, nevermind the way the author captures the characters. I wasn't intentionally yoinking from it, even if Devo-sama's Kakashi is very similar to my idea of Kakashi. (It was the last panel in chapter 243 that did it, really- only Obito's eye was crying, and it broke my brain.)
I hate the entire Uchiha clan, and I doubt they'd be particularly forgiving of some upstart brat wandering around with one of their eyes when said brat couldn't even recover the body of the rightful owner of the eye. I still find all of the advanced bloodline clans fascinating, though, which is part of the reason I'm so taken with Kakashi's character- he's drawing on the power of two bloodlines, one of which isn't rightfully his to use. (I'm a horrible geek and have come up with a vague history of the Hatake clan because Kakashi's dad was feckin' awesome.)
This was just a consequences fic that allowed me to explore the way Kakashi thinks and the way the advanced bloodlines operate a little. I may do more crazy!Kakashi backstory stuff later that will involve his father or Yondaime (who is hawt).
20 Wedding Day. Random Boffo shite. The end of the year is a vitally important time in the story, so the fact that Dei and Lyra are getting married on New Year's is all symbolic and shite, and Jance gets to angst a little about the fact that his sister is dead. He also doesn't really like Lyra (not many of them do at the moment, actually) which is why he's going to theme the wedding around his sister. Did I mention that after the end of Boffo, Jance became a fashion designer? *sweatdrop* Yeah. He also doesn't get a love interest and still has expressed no particular desire for one. It's eerie, you know.
Notes to be finished in next entry.
December Notes part 1
In which I talk about the stuff I've written, and by "talk" I actually mean "wank." No, seriously- talking about writing is to actually writing what wanking is to having actual sex.
I think I need to work on my analogies. But I digress.
December's Impossible Project was just another one of those goals I set for myself that I didn't think I'd keep, and I technically didn't reach it, so whee, chalk another one up for my low self esteem. I'm digressing again. On to the notes!
1. Sight. This was just a bit of pointlessness to get the whole mess started; I like Hinata but don't particularly relate to her. Her angst is very easy to get a feel for, however, since she kind of oozes it. It's discreet oozing (unlike Neji's), but it oozes nonetheless. I wasn't really thinking when I wrote this.
2. Homicide. Every time Light and L get into fistfights over things, it's the sexiest thing since sex. Seriously. When Light hits L for suggesting that he's the sort of person who would be capable of being Kira, it's deliciously ironic- and L is right, because Light is the sort of person who would kill to get people out of his way, even if his post-Death Note self is disgustingly vanilla. It would only be a matter of time before Light snapped, and L has forced himself into the most dangerous position of all in that sort of situation. And, okay, mostly I just really, really like the idea of Light loosing his grip on reality and killing people the dirty way.
3. Blindness. Heh. I don't like Neji all that much, and I'm only mostly tolerant of Lee, and I don't particularly think Neji/Lee is a very good pairing. So I can't really say why I wrote this, since it's derivative and pointless and representative of a lot of things that are boring and stultifying about the Naruto fandom. This was one of the many examples of "I need to write something, and thankfully it doesn't matter how bad it is." Did a lot of those, actually.
4. Enough. This one's worse than Blindness in terms of pointless cliche. I needed to write something, and, unfortunately, this was it. I adore Shino, but I don't actually think he angsts.
5. Like the Sun. Sasuke is just too easy to write. If Neji oozes angst, Sasuke gushes it, and the constant hard on he has for Naruto makes him easy like Sin, which is to say, like a cheap hooker. I dislike Sasuke and his endless fountain of angst, but that doesn't mean I won't take advantage of it. (Also, Naruto as a series is too full of overly obvious symbolism and parallelisms; the Sasuke/dark/bad and Naruto/bright/good one is too painfully obvious to not be used.)
6. Sorrows and Rejoicings. This was going to be a quickie, and then Naruto refused to die after the first night. One of the things that I like about the series is how well fleshed out the world is; Kishimoto's explanation of chakra use demanded a fanfic, and this is what happened.
It was interesting to examine Naruto's relationship to the people around him, and to see how they would react to something so completely shattering; Naruto is the last person in the series who should ever be backed into a corner he can't get out of. I was very tempted to extend the second section and do everyone's reaction to Naruto having a terminal disease, but that would have been excessive and overly depressing. (Konohamaru visited him once a week and yelled at him for an hour in the beginning, but Naruto hasn't seen him in a month.) I can see Naruto becoming incredibly jaded and bitter when he gets older, but I imagine he'll grow even more stubborn in relation to certain aspects of his idealism. Unfortunately, the whole story ended up being more about Sasuke than Naruto, as things tend to. (Poor Naruto, doesn't get a break even when he's dying and Sasuke's dead.)
I was getting tired of reading fics where Sasuke got something resembling a happy ending, because he doesn't actually deserve that. He gets points for not killing Naruto, but in the end he loses for leaving in the first place. He's rejected salvation too many times to survive his time with Orochimaru, and I think Jiraiya and Tsunade are right about him. He's an intrinsically flawed character, which I like, (and it's part of that endless fountain of angst that makes him easy to write) but his flaws will get him killed. (I actually really hope that won't be the case, because that would be too depressing for words.)
I think Orochimaru is one of Kishimoto's weaker characters- both he and Itachi are very flimsy compared to most of the others, but Orochimaru's past makes up for his weak motivations. He was lying when he said he could kill Naruto- he sees too much of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sarutobi in him to actually land the killing blow. He's not sentimental, (that's Sasuke's job) but he recognizes the need to leave a legacy for his once-precious people out of simple respect for them.
I'm immensely proud of this story, but I can't for the life of me figure out whether or not it's finished, and if not, how it should be finished. It also needs editing like whoa, but nevermind that.
7. Spirals. Blah blah blah sannin blah blah team 7 blah blah fucking parallels blah blah team Kakashi was cute blah blah all of 'em are dysfunctional blah Tsunade is cool blah blah Yondaime is hawt blah blah blah. (Also: Look at me, I'm vaguely artsy!)
8. Rock the Vote. Did I mention that Shino is one of my favorite characters? And that Kiba is growing on me like a particularly virulent tumor, and Hinata is cute? Consider it mentioned. Kiba's grousing about Shino's leadership skills during the chuunin exam are responsible for this. (Of all the gennin teams, I like 8 best, with 10 coming in very close second.)
9. Hunger. I discovered I had an Ino in my head, and was disturbed in a good way. You could interpret this as G rated threesome fic, and I wouldn't discourage that, as I like Team 10 as a threesome- but they work amazingly well as simple friends. Team 10 is the one most naturally inclined to fit together; Shikamaru and Chouji's friendship, combined with Shikamaru and Ino's battle compatibility make their team the only real functional team. The only problem is the tenuous connection between Ino and Chouji; Ino appeared in my head and told me she was hungry but on a diet, and the rest followed naturally. (This is probably the best piece of writing in the entire lot; it's certainly one of my favorites.)
Next set in next entry.
I think I need to work on my analogies. But I digress.
December's Impossible Project was just another one of those goals I set for myself that I didn't think I'd keep, and I technically didn't reach it, so whee, chalk another one up for my low self esteem. I'm digressing again. On to the notes!
1. Sight. This was just a bit of pointlessness to get the whole mess started; I like Hinata but don't particularly relate to her. Her angst is very easy to get a feel for, however, since she kind of oozes it. It's discreet oozing (unlike Neji's), but it oozes nonetheless. I wasn't really thinking when I wrote this.
2. Homicide. Every time Light and L get into fistfights over things, it's the sexiest thing since sex. Seriously. When Light hits L for suggesting that he's the sort of person who would be capable of being Kira, it's deliciously ironic- and L is right, because Light is the sort of person who would kill to get people out of his way, even if his post-Death Note self is disgustingly vanilla. It would only be a matter of time before Light snapped, and L has forced himself into the most dangerous position of all in that sort of situation. And, okay, mostly I just really, really like the idea of Light loosing his grip on reality and killing people the dirty way.
3. Blindness. Heh. I don't like Neji all that much, and I'm only mostly tolerant of Lee, and I don't particularly think Neji/Lee is a very good pairing. So I can't really say why I wrote this, since it's derivative and pointless and representative of a lot of things that are boring and stultifying about the Naruto fandom. This was one of the many examples of "I need to write something, and thankfully it doesn't matter how bad it is." Did a lot of those, actually.
4. Enough. This one's worse than Blindness in terms of pointless cliche. I needed to write something, and, unfortunately, this was it. I adore Shino, but I don't actually think he angsts.
5. Like the Sun. Sasuke is just too easy to write. If Neji oozes angst, Sasuke gushes it, and the constant hard on he has for Naruto makes him easy like Sin, which is to say, like a cheap hooker. I dislike Sasuke and his endless fountain of angst, but that doesn't mean I won't take advantage of it. (Also, Naruto as a series is too full of overly obvious symbolism and parallelisms; the Sasuke/dark/bad and Naruto/bright/good one is too painfully obvious to not be used.)
6. Sorrows and Rejoicings. This was going to be a quickie, and then Naruto refused to die after the first night. One of the things that I like about the series is how well fleshed out the world is; Kishimoto's explanation of chakra use demanded a fanfic, and this is what happened.
It was interesting to examine Naruto's relationship to the people around him, and to see how they would react to something so completely shattering; Naruto is the last person in the series who should ever be backed into a corner he can't get out of. I was very tempted to extend the second section and do everyone's reaction to Naruto having a terminal disease, but that would have been excessive and overly depressing. (Konohamaru visited him once a week and yelled at him for an hour in the beginning, but Naruto hasn't seen him in a month.) I can see Naruto becoming incredibly jaded and bitter when he gets older, but I imagine he'll grow even more stubborn in relation to certain aspects of his idealism. Unfortunately, the whole story ended up being more about Sasuke than Naruto, as things tend to. (Poor Naruto, doesn't get a break even when he's dying and Sasuke's dead.)
I was getting tired of reading fics where Sasuke got something resembling a happy ending, because he doesn't actually deserve that. He gets points for not killing Naruto, but in the end he loses for leaving in the first place. He's rejected salvation too many times to survive his time with Orochimaru, and I think Jiraiya and Tsunade are right about him. He's an intrinsically flawed character, which I like, (and it's part of that endless fountain of angst that makes him easy to write) but his flaws will get him killed. (I actually really hope that won't be the case, because that would be too depressing for words.)
I think Orochimaru is one of Kishimoto's weaker characters- both he and Itachi are very flimsy compared to most of the others, but Orochimaru's past makes up for his weak motivations. He was lying when he said he could kill Naruto- he sees too much of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Sarutobi in him to actually land the killing blow. He's not sentimental, (that's Sasuke's job) but he recognizes the need to leave a legacy for his once-precious people out of simple respect for them.
I'm immensely proud of this story, but I can't for the life of me figure out whether or not it's finished, and if not, how it should be finished. It also needs editing like whoa, but nevermind that.
7. Spirals. Blah blah blah sannin blah blah team 7 blah blah fucking parallels blah blah team Kakashi was cute blah blah all of 'em are dysfunctional blah Tsunade is cool blah blah Yondaime is hawt blah blah blah. (Also: Look at me, I'm vaguely artsy!)
8. Rock the Vote. Did I mention that Shino is one of my favorite characters? And that Kiba is growing on me like a particularly virulent tumor, and Hinata is cute? Consider it mentioned. Kiba's grousing about Shino's leadership skills during the chuunin exam are responsible for this. (Of all the gennin teams, I like 8 best, with 10 coming in very close second.)
9. Hunger. I discovered I had an Ino in my head, and was disturbed in a good way. You could interpret this as G rated threesome fic, and I wouldn't discourage that, as I like Team 10 as a threesome- but they work amazingly well as simple friends. Team 10 is the one most naturally inclined to fit together; Shikamaru and Chouji's friendship, combined with Shikamaru and Ino's battle compatibility make their team the only real functional team. The only problem is the tenuous connection between Ino and Chouji; Ino appeared in my head and told me she was hungry but on a diet, and the rest followed naturally. (This is probably the best piece of writing in the entire lot; it's certainly one of my favorites.)
Next set in next entry.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
I blame it on my own stupidity that my characters tend to be more violent than snarky. Easier to just have them hit each other than to come up with decent dialogue, you know.
When I finally decided on a plot and characters for Stella Maeroris (bloody zombies), I'd wanted to write a story that wasn't centered around sex. It isn't, surprisingly enough, since both main characters are completely asexual. It doesn't look that way, of course, since the one feels a compulsive need for physical contact and the other can only deal with emotions by obsessing over them.
It's still a story that is, at it's most basic level, about the emotional interaction between two people.
I'm incapable of writing something that has one main character, a single protagonist. This irritates me, because I hate being that transparent, even (or perhaps especially) in my fiction writing.
When I finally decided on a plot and characters for Stella Maeroris (bloody zombies), I'd wanted to write a story that wasn't centered around sex. It isn't, surprisingly enough, since both main characters are completely asexual. It doesn't look that way, of course, since the one feels a compulsive need for physical contact and the other can only deal with emotions by obsessing over them.
It's still a story that is, at it's most basic level, about the emotional interaction between two people.
I'm incapable of writing something that has one main character, a single protagonist. This irritates me, because I hate being that transparent, even (or perhaps especially) in my fiction writing.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Her Majesty's Army
The Slingmen and Aviators were actually worked out nearly two years ago, in March, 2003. Perry and Trent are a bit different now, seeing as they've gone through being main characters in All Directions Go, but there are a number of similarities.
I've decided that the world actually is late nineteenth century England, a bit before the first World War. Unfortunately, I'm not up to date with European history or the Victorian Era, but I think I really want to be able to refer to this story as "Her Majesty's Army," rather than "His Majesty's Army." So that means either sticking it in the Victorian period, or screwing with history. I'm not adverse to the latter, though I know next to nothing about the daughters of Edward VII.
It's not unreasonable to assume that the presence of magic and the interference of Aviators would cause differences in the royal family. That'll probably be the easiest, if I want this to take place in WWI. Don't know if I do yet, though.
So, Trent Rhoswyn and Peregrine Fulbright are stuck together; Virgil may make an appearance as one of Trent's slingmen, but otherwise there will be no references made to ADG. Trent is no longer a crazed, occasionally homicidal merman- he is now a fortyish, grizzled old soldier with one leg who finds the rest of the world kind of irritating. Perry is now a fanatic, but he still talks to birds.
Rogue Aviators are still around, but they won't play that big a role in the story. The way the plot looks so far I ought to be able to finish it reasonably quickly. Trent, in addition to being one of the most decorated slingmen captains in history, is also something of an inventor. He's spent a number of years in retirement, studying the properties of runestone and has been trying to find a way to use it that doesn't require slings. (He lost his leg and his family to the dangers of slinging, and he's desperately afraid of losing anymore limbs and being unable to cast magic.) So, he's been working out a formula for magic bullets and a gun that can mimic the velocity and patterns necessary to get the runestone to react, while increasing the stone's range.
About the slinging; the rune patterns are necessary to activate the stone, but the stone remains activated for only a very small window of time- just enough time for the slingman to still the sling and throw the stone so that it'll go off when it hits. An activated stone that isn't used will go inert in seconds, and become useless; wasting runestone is punishable by a beating.
Her Majesty's Slingmen all use hand slings in combat, but each slingman has a ceremonial staff sling that they are proficient in the use of. Staff slings, however, cannot activate runestones because they are too awkward to form the proper rune patterns. (I just realized that all the slingmen are superb ravers. D'oi.)
The average Second or Third Class Aviator can make between two and five trips between the aether a day before succumbing to exhuastion, and they can carry a cargo of up to one and a half times their own weight easily. A first class or master can theoretically reach between seven and ten trips, and carry up to three times their own weight, depending on their physical fitness. Perry is young, but naturally talented and incredibly devoted; in a few more years, he'll probably advance to first class.
Aviators are not human. They are travellers by nature, but a number of them set up colonies in various places around earth. Those who are colony bound generally do not travel outside the bounds of this reality, but those who choose to exile themselves do. Perry has the ability to leave this reality space, but he's never actually done it before.
No one really knows where the aviators came from, or why they're here; they just are, and the sight of them has become commonplace. They're sociable creatures, and fiercely protective of what they perceive as their home, which partially explains Perry's fanaticism. There are black sheep, of course, and solitary Aviators usually crop up at a fairly large percentage. Solitaries tend to have more control and range to their travelling, so having a Solitary in your family is considered a mark of prestige. The Aviators themselves don't know what causes the wanderlust and misanthropism that characterizes a Solitary, but as children of the clan, their endeavors and desires are respected, and every effort is made to get them out of the colony as soon as possible.
Once they've left, most Solitaries are never seen again. Perry's older sister went Solitary when he was very young and left at the age of ten, a fact that he is inordinately proud of. I think he may run into her later on in the story, but I'm not sure.
So! Perry is assigned to Trent's regiment to transport Trent and his equipment wherever Trent wants to go- and the rest of the regiment, as necessary. This, however, means that Perry is going to be on the front lines, because that's where Slingmen tend to be. Not on the front of the front lines, given that slings have crazy range, but still fairly close. Perry, being the highly strung, neurotic bird person he is, is going to startle, and he's going to pull Trent and possibly one of the other members of the regiment with him to a medieval world full of dragons and dragon slayers.
Enter Nenia (this is a story full of characters that belong elsewhere), a medium sized fire breather who doesn't really want to be slain. Enter also Marco, a dragon slayer whose family is known for slaying dragons and nothing else. He wants to slay a dragon. There's a clear conflict of interest here, and Trent and Perry get caught up in the middle.
That, and Perry can't figure out how to get home.
Shenanigans!
I've decided that the world actually is late nineteenth century England, a bit before the first World War. Unfortunately, I'm not up to date with European history or the Victorian Era, but I think I really want to be able to refer to this story as "Her Majesty's Army," rather than "His Majesty's Army." So that means either sticking it in the Victorian period, or screwing with history. I'm not adverse to the latter, though I know next to nothing about the daughters of Edward VII.
It's not unreasonable to assume that the presence of magic and the interference of Aviators would cause differences in the royal family. That'll probably be the easiest, if I want this to take place in WWI. Don't know if I do yet, though.
So, Trent Rhoswyn and Peregrine Fulbright are stuck together; Virgil may make an appearance as one of Trent's slingmen, but otherwise there will be no references made to ADG. Trent is no longer a crazed, occasionally homicidal merman- he is now a fortyish, grizzled old soldier with one leg who finds the rest of the world kind of irritating. Perry is now a fanatic, but he still talks to birds.
Rogue Aviators are still around, but they won't play that big a role in the story. The way the plot looks so far I ought to be able to finish it reasonably quickly. Trent, in addition to being one of the most decorated slingmen captains in history, is also something of an inventor. He's spent a number of years in retirement, studying the properties of runestone and has been trying to find a way to use it that doesn't require slings. (He lost his leg and his family to the dangers of slinging, and he's desperately afraid of losing anymore limbs and being unable to cast magic.) So, he's been working out a formula for magic bullets and a gun that can mimic the velocity and patterns necessary to get the runestone to react, while increasing the stone's range.
About the slinging; the rune patterns are necessary to activate the stone, but the stone remains activated for only a very small window of time- just enough time for the slingman to still the sling and throw the stone so that it'll go off when it hits. An activated stone that isn't used will go inert in seconds, and become useless; wasting runestone is punishable by a beating.
Her Majesty's Slingmen all use hand slings in combat, but each slingman has a ceremonial staff sling that they are proficient in the use of. Staff slings, however, cannot activate runestones because they are too awkward to form the proper rune patterns. (I just realized that all the slingmen are superb ravers. D'oi.)
The average Second or Third Class Aviator can make between two and five trips between the aether a day before succumbing to exhuastion, and they can carry a cargo of up to one and a half times their own weight easily. A first class or master can theoretically reach between seven and ten trips, and carry up to three times their own weight, depending on their physical fitness. Perry is young, but naturally talented and incredibly devoted; in a few more years, he'll probably advance to first class.
Aviators are not human. They are travellers by nature, but a number of them set up colonies in various places around earth. Those who are colony bound generally do not travel outside the bounds of this reality, but those who choose to exile themselves do. Perry has the ability to leave this reality space, but he's never actually done it before.
No one really knows where the aviators came from, or why they're here; they just are, and the sight of them has become commonplace. They're sociable creatures, and fiercely protective of what they perceive as their home, which partially explains Perry's fanaticism. There are black sheep, of course, and solitary Aviators usually crop up at a fairly large percentage. Solitaries tend to have more control and range to their travelling, so having a Solitary in your family is considered a mark of prestige. The Aviators themselves don't know what causes the wanderlust and misanthropism that characterizes a Solitary, but as children of the clan, their endeavors and desires are respected, and every effort is made to get them out of the colony as soon as possible.
Once they've left, most Solitaries are never seen again. Perry's older sister went Solitary when he was very young and left at the age of ten, a fact that he is inordinately proud of. I think he may run into her later on in the story, but I'm not sure.
So! Perry is assigned to Trent's regiment to transport Trent and his equipment wherever Trent wants to go- and the rest of the regiment, as necessary. This, however, means that Perry is going to be on the front lines, because that's where Slingmen tend to be. Not on the front of the front lines, given that slings have crazy range, but still fairly close. Perry, being the highly strung, neurotic bird person he is, is going to startle, and he's going to pull Trent and possibly one of the other members of the regiment with him to a medieval world full of dragons and dragon slayers.
Enter Nenia (this is a story full of characters that belong elsewhere), a medium sized fire breather who doesn't really want to be slain. Enter also Marco, a dragon slayer whose family is known for slaying dragons and nothing else. He wants to slay a dragon. There's a clear conflict of interest here, and Trent and Perry get caught up in the middle.
That, and Perry can't figure out how to get home.
Shenanigans!
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Happy New Year
Yeah, yeah, it's not quite finished, I'm a day short- but it's late and I want sleep.
Most of this is utterly cliche wankery. I was going for quantity, not quality, remember- but some of them are good, some of them are silly, and a great many of them are mediocre or incomplete. I'm pleased overall with what I have, though. Actual notes on these will follow later, after I've gotten some sleep, I think.
Final count- 14 Naruto, 2 Death Note, 1 Van Helsing, 4 Boffo, 2 Aggregati, 1 Wake of Wings, 2 Samurai Champloo, 1 Stella Maeroris, 1 Series of Unfortunate Events, 1 Demon Ororon. (Chrisy, that's a lot of Naruto.)
Happy December, and a happy new year.
1. Sight
Short Hinata drabble. (90 words)
2. Homicide
L was right all along. (241 words)
3. Blindness
Neji sees less than he thinks. (570)
4. Enough
Short Shino drabble. (76)
5. Like the Sun
Short Sasuke drabble. (144)
6. Sorrows and Rejoicings (INCOMPLETE)
Twenty years later, Naruto's life is not what he expected. (approx. 2000)
7. Spirals
Spirals- each generation is like the last. (880)
8. Rock the Vote
Team Eight on a mission. (310)
9. Hunger
Team Ten is hungry. (282)
10. Hands
Iruka and Kakashi. (repost but slightly edited) (283)
11. Small, Perfect Things (Incomplete with bits of smut- incompleted smut, that is.)
Iruka and Kakashi, and the disasters that make up a relationship. (When I say this is incomplete, I mean it- it's cleaned up a bit, but there is no continuity.) (5730 words)
12. Conglomerate
New universe- dragons and robots and bigotry, oh my! (short version) (1028)
13. Rain
Short Vagrant Story drabble. (213)
14. Scars
Tristan is being oedipal and Dei is bleeding. Again. (Original universe- Boffo) (278 words)
15. Rejoice
Pre-Christmas Boffo silliness; the old crowd takes over the choir loft on Christmas Eve.
16. Dreams
Drake dreams of dragons. (Wake of Wings, badly done (apologies!) for Gina) (118)
17. Loser
Sasuke's an idiot. (84)
18. Burnout
Kakashi's life in a nutshell. (255)
19. Beholder of the Eye
Kakashi, the Uchiha clan, and the aftermath of the mission. (1305)
20. Wedding Day
Jance plans for Dei's wedding and remembers his sister. (Boffo) (296)
21. Hilarious
Samurai Champloo, episode 15. Mugen finds everything hilarious, honest. (117)
22. Stalker
New universe; an observer's account of Aburame Vazani. (767)
23. Happy Birthday (Incomplete)
Samurai Champloo, years later.
24. Doggy Biscuit
Van Helsing drabble- once a wolf, always a wolf. (slight mentions of letter writing, that are entirely Gina's fault.) (430)
25. Happy Holidays
Death Note/A Christmas Carol crossover, for Sonya. Silly and yaoi-tastic. (873)
26. Eclipse
Stella Maeroris, second generation. Stella and Walker at night on a rooftop. (836)
27. The Good Life
Kiba's life is good. Team eight. (150)
28. Marriage of Convenience
A Series of Unfortunate Events, movie style. Violet Baudelaire is getting married. (157)
29. Belief in the Sword
Short, nonsensical Boffo drabble; Dei and Carly and the things you don't tell the kids. (400)
30. Four Eyes/No Eyes
The Demon Ororon; Othello and Mitsume, years later. (350)
Most of this is utterly cliche wankery. I was going for quantity, not quality, remember- but some of them are good, some of them are silly, and a great many of them are mediocre or incomplete. I'm pleased overall with what I have, though. Actual notes on these will follow later, after I've gotten some sleep, I think.
Final count- 14 Naruto, 2 Death Note, 1 Van Helsing, 4 Boffo, 2 Aggregati, 1 Wake of Wings, 2 Samurai Champloo, 1 Stella Maeroris, 1 Series of Unfortunate Events, 1 Demon Ororon. (Chrisy, that's a lot of Naruto.)
Happy December, and a happy new year.
1. Sight
Short Hinata drabble. (90 words)
2. Homicide
L was right all along. (241 words)
3. Blindness
Neji sees less than he thinks. (570)
4. Enough
Short Shino drabble. (76)
5. Like the Sun
Short Sasuke drabble. (144)
6. Sorrows and Rejoicings (INCOMPLETE)
Twenty years later, Naruto's life is not what he expected. (approx. 2000)
7. Spirals
Spirals- each generation is like the last. (880)
8. Rock the Vote
Team Eight on a mission. (310)
9. Hunger
Team Ten is hungry. (282)
10. Hands
Iruka and Kakashi. (repost but slightly edited) (283)
11. Small, Perfect Things (Incomplete with bits of smut- incompleted smut, that is.)
Iruka and Kakashi, and the disasters that make up a relationship. (When I say this is incomplete, I mean it- it's cleaned up a bit, but there is no continuity.) (5730 words)
12. Conglomerate
New universe- dragons and robots and bigotry, oh my! (short version) (1028)
13. Rain
Short Vagrant Story drabble. (213)
14. Scars
Tristan is being oedipal and Dei is bleeding. Again. (Original universe- Boffo) (278 words)
15. Rejoice
Pre-Christmas Boffo silliness; the old crowd takes over the choir loft on Christmas Eve.
16. Dreams
Drake dreams of dragons. (Wake of Wings, badly done (apologies!) for Gina) (118)
17. Loser
Sasuke's an idiot. (84)
18. Burnout
Kakashi's life in a nutshell. (255)
19. Beholder of the Eye
Kakashi, the Uchiha clan, and the aftermath of the mission. (1305)
20. Wedding Day
Jance plans for Dei's wedding and remembers his sister. (Boffo) (296)
21. Hilarious
Samurai Champloo, episode 15. Mugen finds everything hilarious, honest. (117)
22. Stalker
New universe; an observer's account of Aburame Vazani. (767)
23. Happy Birthday (Incomplete)
Samurai Champloo, years later.
24. Doggy Biscuit
Van Helsing drabble- once a wolf, always a wolf. (slight mentions of letter writing, that are entirely Gina's fault.) (430)
25. Happy Holidays
Death Note/A Christmas Carol crossover, for Sonya. Silly and yaoi-tastic. (873)
26. Eclipse
Stella Maeroris, second generation. Stella and Walker at night on a rooftop. (836)
27. The Good Life
Kiba's life is good. Team eight. (150)
28. Marriage of Convenience
A Series of Unfortunate Events, movie style. Violet Baudelaire is getting married. (157)
29. Belief in the Sword
Short, nonsensical Boffo drabble; Dei and Carly and the things you don't tell the kids. (400)
30. Four Eyes/No Eyes
The Demon Ororon; Othello and Mitsume, years later. (350)
Thirty- The Demon Ororon
Quick note- facial markings and he stabs out his own eye and someone else's. How can I not love Othello and Mitsume?
-
Sometimes he sat in front of a mirror and closed his eyes. He couldn't see, but he pretended he could, pretended he could see his left arm reach out and touch the mirror, pretended there were four arms in his field of vision instead of two. But his eyes were closed, all the eyes he had, and he was right handed by necessity, not choice. With both eyes closed, he was blind.
"I've come to kill the Prince Othello." The room full of Seiryu Army officials sniggered quietly as aides scurried off. Mitsume waited, patiently. "Bring me Prince Othello, I have come to kill him."
A slender, dark haired man with an alcoholic swagger approached. "You're a pretty shitty assassin."
He'd spent too many years preparing for this day to be stopped. "I'm not an assassin. Tell him I'm here."
"He knows." Yotsuba took a long, desperate swig from his bottle. "You've come all this way, another day won't mean anything. He'll see you in the morning, at the Grand Stadium. Someone will show you to a room."
Mitsume nodded, and turned to leave.
"My mother was not the most beautiful woman in the world." Yotsuba's voice made him pause. "But I thought she was. Othello loved her more than anything else- more than fighting, more than me- and he smiled when he killed her. He hasn't stopped smiling since."
Mitsume shrugged without turning around. "He gave me a reason to live; I'm here to pay him back in kind."
He was at the door when Yotsuba tried again. "My father doesn't want to kill you."
Mitsume ignored him.
Mitsume ignored the chanting crowds- of course Othello had made this into a spectacle. The Prince of Hell was an expert in creating spectacles. He made a mockery of everything around him simply by existing.
"I'll fight you with both arms this time, I think." Othello laughed, mismatched eyes glittering.
Mitsume unwound the bandages around his forehead, revealing the gaping third eye socket. "You have something of mine. I'm here to take it back." He drew his sword.
Othello drew his sword as well. "I'm glad."
He wasn't smiling.
-
Sometimes he sat in front of a mirror and closed his eyes. He couldn't see, but he pretended he could, pretended he could see his left arm reach out and touch the mirror, pretended there were four arms in his field of vision instead of two. But his eyes were closed, all the eyes he had, and he was right handed by necessity, not choice. With both eyes closed, he was blind.
"I've come to kill the Prince Othello." The room full of Seiryu Army officials sniggered quietly as aides scurried off. Mitsume waited, patiently. "Bring me Prince Othello, I have come to kill him."
A slender, dark haired man with an alcoholic swagger approached. "You're a pretty shitty assassin."
He'd spent too many years preparing for this day to be stopped. "I'm not an assassin. Tell him I'm here."
"He knows." Yotsuba took a long, desperate swig from his bottle. "You've come all this way, another day won't mean anything. He'll see you in the morning, at the Grand Stadium. Someone will show you to a room."
Mitsume nodded, and turned to leave.
"My mother was not the most beautiful woman in the world." Yotsuba's voice made him pause. "But I thought she was. Othello loved her more than anything else- more than fighting, more than me- and he smiled when he killed her. He hasn't stopped smiling since."
Mitsume shrugged without turning around. "He gave me a reason to live; I'm here to pay him back in kind."
He was at the door when Yotsuba tried again. "My father doesn't want to kill you."
Mitsume ignored him.
Mitsume ignored the chanting crowds- of course Othello had made this into a spectacle. The Prince of Hell was an expert in creating spectacles. He made a mockery of everything around him simply by existing.
"I'll fight you with both arms this time, I think." Othello laughed, mismatched eyes glittering.
Mitsume unwound the bandages around his forehead, revealing the gaping third eye socket. "You have something of mine. I'm here to take it back." He drew his sword.
Othello drew his sword as well. "I'm glad."
He wasn't smiling.
Twenty Nine- Birds of a Feather, Second Generation
Quick note- none of these are ever really finished; this scene is taken completely out of context and really needs to be a hell of a lot longer.
-
He was sleeping. Emphasis on the *was*, because he still couldn't sleep well with another presence in the same room, particularly not when that presence was looming. The fucking sword was in his hand before he woke up, and it hummed contentedly against Carly's throat by the time he'd finished opening his eyes.
Oh. Fuck. He was hung over. He'd done something stupid last night, and, it seemed, something stupid this morning, as well.
"Carly..." She squeaked. His arm trembled. The sword giggled. "Take three very slow steps backwards, please."
She moved back and promptly fell on her ass, shaking too hard to stand. He ignored her for a moment and stared at the sword. "Down, boy." Light slid across the blade like water; it was mocking him. "Shut up, bitch, and get out of here. You know when you're not needed or wanted." He had to force his fingers to let go of the hilt; the blade, rather than hit the ground, disappeared.
"Carly?" He remembered absolutely nothing from the past five days. It was nearly Christmas, and this time of year got to him like nothing else. "Carls? You okay?"
She was staring at him, pale and shaking and crying helplessly. Not tears. Please not tears. I hate it when girls cry. "Hey, come on, it's okay..." Like hell it is. Shouldn't have come back last night- none of them know, yet. Tristan suspects, but none of them know. Also, you just tried to slice her head off. This is not okay.
"Would it help if I got Tristan?" Never let it be said that he could not see when he was out of his depth.
She gaped at him. That was good. It meant she wasn't making those little hiccupping sob noises. "C-can he tell me what the fuck you are?"
It hurt less than he'd thought it would. At some point, his shirt had gotten unbuttoned, and she was staring fixedly at the scars. "I can't figure that out myself most of the time."
"What just happened?"
"You startled me. It's...a self-defense mechanism, of sorts. I should have locked the door."
"But what are you?" She looked into his eyes, still pale and trembling. "How- I saw it appear, and then it disappeared..."
"Carly, do you believe in God?" He saw her eyes widen and felt a small amount of relief; there might be hope for him yet. "I swear to you I am no different now than I was a month ago, and I would never, ever hurt you or your brothers. Do you believe in God?"
"Maybe." She was breathing more easily.
"That's a start."
-
He was sleeping. Emphasis on the *was*, because he still couldn't sleep well with another presence in the same room, particularly not when that presence was looming. The fucking sword was in his hand before he woke up, and it hummed contentedly against Carly's throat by the time he'd finished opening his eyes.
Oh. Fuck. He was hung over. He'd done something stupid last night, and, it seemed, something stupid this morning, as well.
"Carly..." She squeaked. His arm trembled. The sword giggled. "Take three very slow steps backwards, please."
She moved back and promptly fell on her ass, shaking too hard to stand. He ignored her for a moment and stared at the sword. "Down, boy." Light slid across the blade like water; it was mocking him. "Shut up, bitch, and get out of here. You know when you're not needed or wanted." He had to force his fingers to let go of the hilt; the blade, rather than hit the ground, disappeared.
"Carly?" He remembered absolutely nothing from the past five days. It was nearly Christmas, and this time of year got to him like nothing else. "Carls? You okay?"
She was staring at him, pale and shaking and crying helplessly. Not tears. Please not tears. I hate it when girls cry. "Hey, come on, it's okay..." Like hell it is. Shouldn't have come back last night- none of them know, yet. Tristan suspects, but none of them know. Also, you just tried to slice her head off. This is not okay.
"Would it help if I got Tristan?" Never let it be said that he could not see when he was out of his depth.
She gaped at him. That was good. It meant she wasn't making those little hiccupping sob noises. "C-can he tell me what the fuck you are?"
It hurt less than he'd thought it would. At some point, his shirt had gotten unbuttoned, and she was staring fixedly at the scars. "I can't figure that out myself most of the time."
"What just happened?"
"You startled me. It's...a self-defense mechanism, of sorts. I should have locked the door."
"But what are you?" She looked into his eyes, still pale and trembling. "How- I saw it appear, and then it disappeared..."
"Carly, do you believe in God?" He saw her eyes widen and felt a small amount of relief; there might be hope for him yet. "I swear to you I am no different now than I was a month ago, and I would never, ever hurt you or your brothers. Do you believe in God?"
"Maybe." She was breathing more easily.
"That's a start."
Twenty Eight- A Series of Unfortunate Events
It is every little girl's secret dream, in her heart of hearts, to grow up into a beautiful young woman and put on a long, lovely white dress and be married to a smiling, handsome young man who will love her and care for her and all of their wonderful, lovely, smiling children.
Violet Baudelaire was not every little girl. If you asked her, she wasn't even particularly little anymore.
No one was asking her, though. The wedding dress was tight, constricting- she couldn't breathe, and her vision was wavering, dimming around the edges. Count Olaf was laughing at her and she couldn't breathe, her brother and sister were gone, and her parents and anyone who cared enough to help her were dead.
Violet Baudelaire never wanted a long, lovely white wedding dress. If she was being honest, she never really wanted the young man, either. She hadn't wanted any of this.
No one ever asked, though.
Violet Baudelaire was not every little girl. If you asked her, she wasn't even particularly little anymore.
No one was asking her, though. The wedding dress was tight, constricting- she couldn't breathe, and her vision was wavering, dimming around the edges. Count Olaf was laughing at her and she couldn't breathe, her brother and sister were gone, and her parents and anyone who cared enough to help her were dead.
Violet Baudelaire never wanted a long, lovely white wedding dress. If she was being honest, she never really wanted the young man, either. She hadn't wanted any of this.
No one ever asked, though.
Twenty Seven- Naruto
"Scratch!" Kiba flopped onto the grass, draping himself across Hinata's lap. She blushed prettily and complied, rubbing behind his ears. "Ahhh...perfect. Hinata-chan, you're an angel." He said it to make her blush again, which she did. It was easy to make Hinata blush, and she didn't mind when he did it.
"Kiba." Shino was probably glaring at him. Kiba didn't really care; Shino was just jealous because he was too shy to put his own head in Hinata's lap. Still, it wasn't fair to leave the other boy out just because Hinata's lap was more comfortable. Kiba whistled, and Akamaru bounded over. The dog panted expectantly up at Shino.
"Scratch," Kiba commanded. Shino shook his head, but Kiba could tell the quiet boy was smiling. Akamaru's tail thumped happily against the grass as his ears were scratched.
If Kiba had a tail, he'd be wagging it, too. Life was good.
"Kiba." Shino was probably glaring at him. Kiba didn't really care; Shino was just jealous because he was too shy to put his own head in Hinata's lap. Still, it wasn't fair to leave the other boy out just because Hinata's lap was more comfortable. Kiba whistled, and Akamaru bounded over. The dog panted expectantly up at Shino.
"Scratch," Kiba commanded. Shino shook his head, but Kiba could tell the quiet boy was smiling. Akamaru's tail thumped happily against the grass as his ears were scratched.
If Kiba had a tail, he'd be wagging it, too. Life was good.
Twenty Six- Stella Maeroris
Quick note that has nothing to do with anything- I adore Mordant and Solneki to bits, but they seriously need to stop having sex on the job. Also, it's a shame Brenon is straight like a pole.
--
It was darker than usual, which meant it had to be night. Possibly an eclipse, but probably night. Walker told himself he was only out to make sure Stella wasn't thinking of defecting. No other reason, of course.
The moon was full. Sometimes the clouds reached so high they fell behind the moon; maybe it was that something was pulling the moon closer to the earth; maybe it was the end of the world, and the sky was falling; maybe it was just a trick of the mind to make up for the darkness.
They were so accustomed to the darkness, though.
"You didn't have to follow me out here- we both know it. Those two warm ones you set on me, the ones with the strange names, they're more than sufficient to keep an eye on me, even if they are alive. They're bright- the angry one, especially. You know that, though, don't you? They're special, I guess, but I am too." Stella never stopped talking. Someone had to be with her at all times, Walker told himself. There was no telling what she'd say or who she'd say it to. Mordant and Solneki had to sleep eventually (usually with each other) and she kept odd hours, so it was only natural that he follow her out onto the roof.
"You're so quiet! And you've done so many horrible things, or so they've said. Prostitutes, chemists, bodyguards- you've torn them apart for the slightest misstep. Our whole world fears you, Walker. You've got the power of death over the dead. The living tell stories about you to frighten their children, and the cold keep an eye open when they sleep to watch for your footsteps." She laughed, and it was a little like hearing the sun rise, if such a thing were possible. "Because we'd see your footsteps before we'd hear them, and no one can see a footstep, so we're all doomed."
She was standing close to the edge with her face tilted upwards to catch the moonlight in her glasses. She moved with surprising confidence for one without eyes. "I can see your footsteps, though. I can't hear them- no one can, except maybe the Voyance himself, but I doubt that- but I can see your footsteps. I can see lots of things. I remind you of someone, don't I?"
Walker frowned. She spoke in circles, dizzying like the way she danced in the moonlight. "How should I know?" He answered her because she was Stella, and maybe she did remind him of something.
"I don't know. I thought, once, about looking into the records to find my old family, but they wouldn't care to see me now. I did look up my death certificate- my family was poor, dirt poor, too poor to afford my reconstitution. I don't know why I exist; I dream everything else, but not that. You could look into the records, couldn't you? To find out who I remind you of?"
He looked away from her endlessly spinning form and stared at the gravel. "No. I don't exist in the records- you are very, very young."
She laughed. "I wonder- how old do you have to be, to not exist? How old...how much have you forgotten, Walker? I wonder, I do."
"I was the first." It was the only thing he knew aside from the darkness.
"I could remember for you, would you like that? I could try, I could...nights like these, all I see are the memories of the long dead, the old living. I can remember everything but my own memories- the air is thick with them, when the silence is this heavy and the moon is this low.
"I can feel the moon, but you aren't surprised."
She stopped spinning and seemed to be staring at him. Walker grabbed her by the shoulders; he'd moved too fast to see, even if she could have. "I was the first. Do you understand what that means?" He never used to talk this much, he is sure of it.
"Ah..." Her voice dropped an octave and a half, and her body went limp in his hands. "The moon was full that night, don't you remember? It had stopped raining, and I laughed because the moon was full and I loved you more than I could stand. I loved you. I didn't know what love was, much less how to love anyone but myself and yet I still loved you.
"The moon was full and you made me laugh and I loved you for it, loved you so much I killed you. Don't you remember?"
She returned to herself slowly and eased into Walker's embrace just as slowly, trembling like something small and living. "I was the first, Stella. All I can remember is pain." He wanted her to know, that was all. He wasn't speaking because he knew she feared the silence as much as he feared her memories. She needed to know.
That was all.
--
It was darker than usual, which meant it had to be night. Possibly an eclipse, but probably night. Walker told himself he was only out to make sure Stella wasn't thinking of defecting. No other reason, of course.
The moon was full. Sometimes the clouds reached so high they fell behind the moon; maybe it was that something was pulling the moon closer to the earth; maybe it was the end of the world, and the sky was falling; maybe it was just a trick of the mind to make up for the darkness.
They were so accustomed to the darkness, though.
"You didn't have to follow me out here- we both know it. Those two warm ones you set on me, the ones with the strange names, they're more than sufficient to keep an eye on me, even if they are alive. They're bright- the angry one, especially. You know that, though, don't you? They're special, I guess, but I am too." Stella never stopped talking. Someone had to be with her at all times, Walker told himself. There was no telling what she'd say or who she'd say it to. Mordant and Solneki had to sleep eventually (usually with each other) and she kept odd hours, so it was only natural that he follow her out onto the roof.
"You're so quiet! And you've done so many horrible things, or so they've said. Prostitutes, chemists, bodyguards- you've torn them apart for the slightest misstep. Our whole world fears you, Walker. You've got the power of death over the dead. The living tell stories about you to frighten their children, and the cold keep an eye open when they sleep to watch for your footsteps." She laughed, and it was a little like hearing the sun rise, if such a thing were possible. "Because we'd see your footsteps before we'd hear them, and no one can see a footstep, so we're all doomed."
She was standing close to the edge with her face tilted upwards to catch the moonlight in her glasses. She moved with surprising confidence for one without eyes. "I can see your footsteps, though. I can't hear them- no one can, except maybe the Voyance himself, but I doubt that- but I can see your footsteps. I can see lots of things. I remind you of someone, don't I?"
Walker frowned. She spoke in circles, dizzying like the way she danced in the moonlight. "How should I know?" He answered her because she was Stella, and maybe she did remind him of something.
"I don't know. I thought, once, about looking into the records to find my old family, but they wouldn't care to see me now. I did look up my death certificate- my family was poor, dirt poor, too poor to afford my reconstitution. I don't know why I exist; I dream everything else, but not that. You could look into the records, couldn't you? To find out who I remind you of?"
He looked away from her endlessly spinning form and stared at the gravel. "No. I don't exist in the records- you are very, very young."
She laughed. "I wonder- how old do you have to be, to not exist? How old...how much have you forgotten, Walker? I wonder, I do."
"I was the first." It was the only thing he knew aside from the darkness.
"I could remember for you, would you like that? I could try, I could...nights like these, all I see are the memories of the long dead, the old living. I can remember everything but my own memories- the air is thick with them, when the silence is this heavy and the moon is this low.
"I can feel the moon, but you aren't surprised."
She stopped spinning and seemed to be staring at him. Walker grabbed her by the shoulders; he'd moved too fast to see, even if she could have. "I was the first. Do you understand what that means?" He never used to talk this much, he is sure of it.
"Ah..." Her voice dropped an octave and a half, and her body went limp in his hands. "The moon was full that night, don't you remember? It had stopped raining, and I laughed because the moon was full and I loved you more than I could stand. I loved you. I didn't know what love was, much less how to love anyone but myself and yet I still loved you.
"The moon was full and you made me laugh and I loved you for it, loved you so much I killed you. Don't you remember?"
She returned to herself slowly and eased into Walker's embrace just as slowly, trembling like something small and living. "I was the first, Stella. All I can remember is pain." He wanted her to know, that was all. He wasn't speaking because he knew she feared the silence as much as he feared her memories. She needed to know.
That was all.
Twenty Five- Death Note
NOTES:
Merry Christmas Sonya! A combination of your love of crossovers and my love of ridiculous cheesiness and implausible yaoi.
It's silly, but Death Note just sort of cries out for this kind of crossover. And, hey, Christmas spirit!
--
Light yawned and rubbed at his eyes; hours of staring at a computer screen were taking their toll. Detective work was so boring when one knew who the killer was- that is, it was so boring when you yourself were the killer in question.
L was still typing industriously away at his computer terminal, occasionally crunching on sugar cubes. The hypnotic noise of the clicking and crunching eventually lulled Light to sleep in his chair.
"Yagami. Hey. Yagami! Wake up." Something clanked near his ear. Damn L and his stupid handcuffs...Light tried to block out the noise with his arms. "Damnit, wake up!"
"What?" He opened his eyes to see...Matsuda? What was Matsuda doing here? And why was he wrapped up in chains? "Matsuda? What's going on?" L appeared to be asleep, as well.
"Er, well...actually, I'm here to warn you." The young policeman looked as confused as Light felt. "Something about changing your ways...Yagami-kun, I didn't mean to disturb your nap, and I'm not really sure why I'm wearing all these chains, but in honor of the season, you should really consider being a better person."
Light's brow furrowed. "Okay. I'll think about it." He put his head down again, and Matsuda disappeared. Weird. Eventually, he fell asleep.
"Yagami Light! Awaken, Yagami Light!" Light jerked awake. L was still asleep in the other chair. There was a man standing over him, a very ghost-like man...
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past, Light-kun. I'm here to show you visions of years past." The ghostly figure looked a lot like that FBI agent he'd killed.
"Christmas? But I'm Japanese. I don't celebrate Christmas."
The ghost sighed, exhasperated. "Well, think of me as the Ghost of Winter Festivals Past, or whatever you people celebrate. Don't ask questions, we're on a schedule here." He pointed at the television screen. "Watch!"
Light watched as a few scenes from his childhood played out on screen- he'd been such a dorky kid, always wrapped up in his studies. And his sister had been so annoying- always following him around. He was glad he'd outgrown his childhood awkwardness. It wouldn't do for a bringer of justice to be lacking in social graces, after all.
The video ended, and the ghost of Raye Penber looked at him sternly. "Keep these things in mind, Light-kun. They're very important."
"If you say so. Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Yeah, whatever. This isn't the last you've heard from my kind..."
Light sighed. He really was tired; he fell asleep again quickly.
"Heehee...wakey-wakey, Light!"
Only one person had that horrible, cackling voice, other than Misa. "Ryuuku? What do you want? It's three in the morning."
The grinning God of Death shook his head and pointed to the screens. "I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present!"
"But I don't celebrate- and you're not-"
"Details, details. I'm going to show you what's happening at this very moment. These things are all your fault, you know. If you hadn't become the person you are, none of this would've happened..."
The tv screens flickered to life, focusing on what looked like it had once been a body, but was now just a decomposing pile of organic matter. Light recoiled from the sight, feeling sick. "What is that?"
"That's the body of that FBI agent's fiance. Right now, it's entering the later stages of decay. You did have her kill herself so her body wouldn't be found, after all."
"That's disgusting!"
"It's your fault! Oh, look, here's Matsuda and your father."
The image switched to a video of a karaoke bar. Light flinched at the sight. Neither his father nor Matsuda could sing very well. "Why are you showing me this? Ryuuku?"
"I told you, I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present. All these things are happening right now, because of things you've done. Keep that in mind, Light-kun...this is a very important lesson that you need to learn." Ryuuku faded away.
Light rubbed at his eyes. This was getting ridiculous. He didn't even celebrate Christmas! He curled up in his chair and fell asleep again.
"Er, excuse me, Yagami-kun."
He woke up yet again. "Rem? What are you doing here?"
"Ghost of Christmas future."
"But-"
She cut him off with a quick motion of her hand, and pointed to the screens. Light's brain fizzled out. The screens showed him...and L.
"This is what will happen if you do not mend your ways." She looked sad. "Misa-san would be terribly disappointed. She isn't at all a fan of yaoi."
Light stared at the screen in mingled horror and fascination. "Rem...can he really do that? With his toes?"
"...This is your last warning." The God of Death faded from view, and the video on screen faded with her.
Light looked over at L thoughtfully. The other boy was curled into his usual monkey like position, clutching a box of sugar cubes. Light tugged on the chain that connected their wrists insistently.
"Hn? Light-kun?"
"L, do you celebrate Christmas?"
L blinked slowly and nibbled on his thumb. "No, not usually. Why do you ask, Light-kun?"
Light grabbed the other boy and frog marched him towards the bedroom. Halfway there, he turned around, grabbed the box of sugar cubes, and marched back.
"Light-kun? What-oh!"
"Merry Christmas, L."
Merry Christmas Sonya! A combination of your love of crossovers and my love of ridiculous cheesiness and implausible yaoi.
It's silly, but Death Note just sort of cries out for this kind of crossover. And, hey, Christmas spirit!
--
Light yawned and rubbed at his eyes; hours of staring at a computer screen were taking their toll. Detective work was so boring when one knew who the killer was- that is, it was so boring when you yourself were the killer in question.
L was still typing industriously away at his computer terminal, occasionally crunching on sugar cubes. The hypnotic noise of the clicking and crunching eventually lulled Light to sleep in his chair.
"Yagami. Hey. Yagami! Wake up." Something clanked near his ear. Damn L and his stupid handcuffs...Light tried to block out the noise with his arms. "Damnit, wake up!"
"What?" He opened his eyes to see...Matsuda? What was Matsuda doing here? And why was he wrapped up in chains? "Matsuda? What's going on?" L appeared to be asleep, as well.
"Er, well...actually, I'm here to warn you." The young policeman looked as confused as Light felt. "Something about changing your ways...Yagami-kun, I didn't mean to disturb your nap, and I'm not really sure why I'm wearing all these chains, but in honor of the season, you should really consider being a better person."
Light's brow furrowed. "Okay. I'll think about it." He put his head down again, and Matsuda disappeared. Weird. Eventually, he fell asleep.
"Yagami Light! Awaken, Yagami Light!" Light jerked awake. L was still asleep in the other chair. There was a man standing over him, a very ghost-like man...
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past, Light-kun. I'm here to show you visions of years past." The ghostly figure looked a lot like that FBI agent he'd killed.
"Christmas? But I'm Japanese. I don't celebrate Christmas."
The ghost sighed, exhasperated. "Well, think of me as the Ghost of Winter Festivals Past, or whatever you people celebrate. Don't ask questions, we're on a schedule here." He pointed at the television screen. "Watch!"
Light watched as a few scenes from his childhood played out on screen- he'd been such a dorky kid, always wrapped up in his studies. And his sister had been so annoying- always following him around. He was glad he'd outgrown his childhood awkwardness. It wouldn't do for a bringer of justice to be lacking in social graces, after all.
The video ended, and the ghost of Raye Penber looked at him sternly. "Keep these things in mind, Light-kun. They're very important."
"If you say so. Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Yeah, whatever. This isn't the last you've heard from my kind..."
Light sighed. He really was tired; he fell asleep again quickly.
"Heehee...wakey-wakey, Light!"
Only one person had that horrible, cackling voice, other than Misa. "Ryuuku? What do you want? It's three in the morning."
The grinning God of Death shook his head and pointed to the screens. "I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present!"
"But I don't celebrate- and you're not-"
"Details, details. I'm going to show you what's happening at this very moment. These things are all your fault, you know. If you hadn't become the person you are, none of this would've happened..."
The tv screens flickered to life, focusing on what looked like it had once been a body, but was now just a decomposing pile of organic matter. Light recoiled from the sight, feeling sick. "What is that?"
"That's the body of that FBI agent's fiance. Right now, it's entering the later stages of decay. You did have her kill herself so her body wouldn't be found, after all."
"That's disgusting!"
"It's your fault! Oh, look, here's Matsuda and your father."
The image switched to a video of a karaoke bar. Light flinched at the sight. Neither his father nor Matsuda could sing very well. "Why are you showing me this? Ryuuku?"
"I told you, I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present. All these things are happening right now, because of things you've done. Keep that in mind, Light-kun...this is a very important lesson that you need to learn." Ryuuku faded away.
Light rubbed at his eyes. This was getting ridiculous. He didn't even celebrate Christmas! He curled up in his chair and fell asleep again.
"Er, excuse me, Yagami-kun."
He woke up yet again. "Rem? What are you doing here?"
"Ghost of Christmas future."
"But-"
She cut him off with a quick motion of her hand, and pointed to the screens. Light's brain fizzled out. The screens showed him...and L.
"This is what will happen if you do not mend your ways." She looked sad. "Misa-san would be terribly disappointed. She isn't at all a fan of yaoi."
Light stared at the screen in mingled horror and fascination. "Rem...can he really do that? With his toes?"
"...This is your last warning." The God of Death faded from view, and the video on screen faded with her.
Light looked over at L thoughtfully. The other boy was curled into his usual monkey like position, clutching a box of sugar cubes. Light tugged on the chain that connected their wrists insistently.
"Hn? Light-kun?"
"L, do you celebrate Christmas?"
L blinked slowly and nibbled on his thumb. "No, not usually. Why do you ask, Light-kun?"
Light grabbed the other boy and frog marched him towards the bedroom. Halfway there, he turned around, grabbed the box of sugar cubes, and marched back.
"Light-kun? What-oh!"
"Merry Christmas, L."
Twenty Four- Van Helsing
"Whew. Ugh. It's raining like the end of the world out there-Van Helsing?" The room they were sharing for the night was dark. Carl shook the water out of his cloak and hung it over a chair as soon as he stubbed his toe against it.
"Over here." Van Helsing's voice floated through the darkness from somewhere in the general vicinity of the window. Carl squinted myopically into the gloom.
"Light a candle or something, man, we can't all see in the dark."
His friend growled in exhasperation, sounding a little more animalistic than usual. A candle flickered into light on the little writing desk. Van Helsing was scribbling furiously with a slightly tattered looking quill.
"Still writing letters? Honestly, Van Helsing, you're like a giddy schoolgirl with a penpal sometimes." He busied himself with removing his boots and cleaning the mud off his person.
Van Helsing barked a quick laugh. "And you would be an expert on schoolgirls how...?" He turned and raised a sardonic eyebrow at the friar.
Carl blushed again. "I- ah- well- uh...stop that!" Van Helsing was laughing with his eyebrows. Carl hated when he did that.
"Don't worry, Carl, I'll keep your little secret from the Cardinal."
"What- but- oh, nevermind." He finished with his boots and moved to read over the monster hunter's shoulder. "Van Helsing, why does it smell like wet dog in here?" It did- it was faint, but there was a definite reek of wet dog in the room.
"Full moon tonight." He dipped his quill in ink and scribbled another line in his tight, spidery script.
"Oh. Well, that explains it, then, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does. If you're going to stand there and read over my shoulder, make yourself useful. Scratch."
Carl sighed but did as he was told. He technically wasn't a werewolf anymore, but the curse hadn't entirely left him; Van Helsing was always a little...canine around the full moon. It was more of an annoyance than anything else; sometimes Carl felt like he had a giant puppy for a partner. A giant puppy with access to dangerous weapons and the skills to use them, of course.
Honestly, if the man had a tail it would be wagging. Carl glared at the nearly illegible letter Van Helsing was writing and continued scratching behind the man's ears. "You spelled "purgatory" wrong."
Van Helsing growled and fixed his mistake. "Shut up and keep scratching."
Carl rolled his eyes. This was not what he signed up for when he joined the Holy Order! "Yes, Van Helsing." He kept scratching.
"Over here." Van Helsing's voice floated through the darkness from somewhere in the general vicinity of the window. Carl squinted myopically into the gloom.
"Light a candle or something, man, we can't all see in the dark."
His friend growled in exhasperation, sounding a little more animalistic than usual. A candle flickered into light on the little writing desk. Van Helsing was scribbling furiously with a slightly tattered looking quill.
"Still writing letters? Honestly, Van Helsing, you're like a giddy schoolgirl with a penpal sometimes." He busied himself with removing his boots and cleaning the mud off his person.
Van Helsing barked a quick laugh. "And you would be an expert on schoolgirls how...?" He turned and raised a sardonic eyebrow at the friar.
Carl blushed again. "I- ah- well- uh...stop that!" Van Helsing was laughing with his eyebrows. Carl hated when he did that.
"Don't worry, Carl, I'll keep your little secret from the Cardinal."
"What- but- oh, nevermind." He finished with his boots and moved to read over the monster hunter's shoulder. "Van Helsing, why does it smell like wet dog in here?" It did- it was faint, but there was a definite reek of wet dog in the room.
"Full moon tonight." He dipped his quill in ink and scribbled another line in his tight, spidery script.
"Oh. Well, that explains it, then, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does. If you're going to stand there and read over my shoulder, make yourself useful. Scratch."
Carl sighed but did as he was told. He technically wasn't a werewolf anymore, but the curse hadn't entirely left him; Van Helsing was always a little...canine around the full moon. It was more of an annoyance than anything else; sometimes Carl felt like he had a giant puppy for a partner. A giant puppy with access to dangerous weapons and the skills to use them, of course.
Honestly, if the man had a tail it would be wagging. Carl glared at the nearly illegible letter Van Helsing was writing and continued scratching behind the man's ears. "You spelled "purgatory" wrong."
Van Helsing growled and fixed his mistake. "Shut up and keep scratching."
Carl rolled his eyes. This was not what he signed up for when he joined the Holy Order! "Yes, Van Helsing." He kept scratching.
Twenty Three- Samurai Champloo
NOTES:
I'm hoping Samurai Champloo has a happy ending, because I like the idea of the three main characters moving somewhere and living in three separate houses, as neighbors, all sappy and happy.
Why? Because episode eleven broke my heart, and Jin needs people to care about who will actually let him care about them. He and Shino belong together, all the sexual tension between Jin and Mugen notwithstanding.
Set this between ten and twenty years after the series; Fuu's gotten vengeance, Shino's free from the temple and married to Jin, Mugen's having a long distance affair with Yatsuhara. The oldest kid is around ten, I think. And, ah...sorry for the fangirl Japanese. *shame*
---
"Out! Get out of here! Go bother Jin- you haven't tried to kill each other in at least a week." Fuu scolded and shooed him out with a broom.
Mugen yelped when the handle cracked against his skull. "Bitch! I'm hungry-"
"And I'm busy! Out!" Fuu pushed him out the door and slammed it shut after him.
Mugen rubbed the back of his head and glared at the door. How was he supposed to get lunch? He sighed. Maybe Shino-san would take pity on his empty stomach, if Jin didn't see him first and try to kill him. It had been nearly a week, after all.
The little town they'd settled into was too cute for words- thankfully, the Yakuza were more than willing to hire an extra man to do odd jobs. A totally peaceful place had nothing for a man like him. He just made sure the organized crime left Fuu and Jin alone, and they were all happy; he had something to do in his spare time, Fuu didn't get kidnapped anymore, and Jin got to threaten to kill him for having no honor all the time.
Shino-san was always grateful, too, and whenever he got too bored with killing things, she'd give him pocket change to watch over the kids.
Speaking of...Mugen dropped into a crouch and swept his leg out and back, knocking the little boy behind him ass over feet. "Oi. Yukimaru."
"Mugen." The little brat had Jin's pout. Mugen glared down at the boy.
"Mugen-san. Show some respect to your elders, Yukimaru-kun." Shino-san bowed in greeting and picked her son up from the dirt with one hand. She carried a bucket in the other. "Ohayo, Mugen-san. I'm sorry he tried to attack you."
"Yo." He tried to peer into the bucket, but Yukimaru's glaring head was in the way. "Are those eel in there?"
"Aa."
"Can I have one?"
She smiled gently. "These are for Fuu-chan. I'm sorry, Mugen-san." She sounded like she actually meant it, too. Mugen sighed.
"Whatever. Where's Jin?"
"At home with the children. Why don't you take Yukimaru-kun with you? I promised Fuu-chan I'd spend the afternoon with her." She smiled so gently he couldn't say no, not even with the little brat glaring daggers at him. That, and she was already halfway down the street by the time he'd registered the fact that she'd just stuck him with the kid.
"Fine, fine. Tell that bitch she'd better feed me dinner while you're there!" he called after her. If she heard him, she gave no sign.
"Don't talk that way in front of mother!" Mugen nimbly dodged a sharp kick to his ankles.
"Oi! Stop that!" He caught the boy in a headlock. "Come on, I'll let Jin deal with you. Little monster..." Yukimaru kicked and screamed as Mugen swung him over one shoulder. "Quit squirming or I drop you on your head!"
Jin was in the back yard of his house, chopping wood. Mugen caught a half-hewn log as it spun off the chopping block towards his head. "You tryin' to kill me?"
Jin glared at him. Like father like son. "Yes."
Mugen dropped Yukimaru and had his sword out just in time to deflect another block of wood. Then Jin had his sword out and they were both at each other's throats.
"Oi! Oi! Mugen's here!" Yukimaru ran into the house, shouting, and came out with his brother and sister. Mugen cursed- he hated remembering not to hurt the children. Shino-san would beat him with her umbrella and never feed him again.
He still thought it was hilarious that Jin had kids. Three of them. They followed their father in a line, like a set of well behaved ducklings, whenever he went into town.
I'm hoping Samurai Champloo has a happy ending, because I like the idea of the three main characters moving somewhere and living in three separate houses, as neighbors, all sappy and happy.
Why? Because episode eleven broke my heart, and Jin needs people to care about who will actually let him care about them. He and Shino belong together, all the sexual tension between Jin and Mugen notwithstanding.
Set this between ten and twenty years after the series; Fuu's gotten vengeance, Shino's free from the temple and married to Jin, Mugen's having a long distance affair with Yatsuhara. The oldest kid is around ten, I think. And, ah...sorry for the fangirl Japanese. *shame*
---
"Out! Get out of here! Go bother Jin- you haven't tried to kill each other in at least a week." Fuu scolded and shooed him out with a broom.
Mugen yelped when the handle cracked against his skull. "Bitch! I'm hungry-"
"And I'm busy! Out!" Fuu pushed him out the door and slammed it shut after him.
Mugen rubbed the back of his head and glared at the door. How was he supposed to get lunch? He sighed. Maybe Shino-san would take pity on his empty stomach, if Jin didn't see him first and try to kill him. It had been nearly a week, after all.
The little town they'd settled into was too cute for words- thankfully, the Yakuza were more than willing to hire an extra man to do odd jobs. A totally peaceful place had nothing for a man like him. He just made sure the organized crime left Fuu and Jin alone, and they were all happy; he had something to do in his spare time, Fuu didn't get kidnapped anymore, and Jin got to threaten to kill him for having no honor all the time.
Shino-san was always grateful, too, and whenever he got too bored with killing things, she'd give him pocket change to watch over the kids.
Speaking of...Mugen dropped into a crouch and swept his leg out and back, knocking the little boy behind him ass over feet. "Oi. Yukimaru."
"Mugen." The little brat had Jin's pout. Mugen glared down at the boy.
"Mugen-san. Show some respect to your elders, Yukimaru-kun." Shino-san bowed in greeting and picked her son up from the dirt with one hand. She carried a bucket in the other. "Ohayo, Mugen-san. I'm sorry he tried to attack you."
"Yo." He tried to peer into the bucket, but Yukimaru's glaring head was in the way. "Are those eel in there?"
"Aa."
"Can I have one?"
She smiled gently. "These are for Fuu-chan. I'm sorry, Mugen-san." She sounded like she actually meant it, too. Mugen sighed.
"Whatever. Where's Jin?"
"At home with the children. Why don't you take Yukimaru-kun with you? I promised Fuu-chan I'd spend the afternoon with her." She smiled so gently he couldn't say no, not even with the little brat glaring daggers at him. That, and she was already halfway down the street by the time he'd registered the fact that she'd just stuck him with the kid.
"Fine, fine. Tell that bitch she'd better feed me dinner while you're there!" he called after her. If she heard him, she gave no sign.
"Don't talk that way in front of mother!" Mugen nimbly dodged a sharp kick to his ankles.
"Oi! Stop that!" He caught the boy in a headlock. "Come on, I'll let Jin deal with you. Little monster..." Yukimaru kicked and screamed as Mugen swung him over one shoulder. "Quit squirming or I drop you on your head!"
Jin was in the back yard of his house, chopping wood. Mugen caught a half-hewn log as it spun off the chopping block towards his head. "You tryin' to kill me?"
Jin glared at him. Like father like son. "Yes."
Mugen dropped Yukimaru and had his sword out just in time to deflect another block of wood. Then Jin had his sword out and they were both at each other's throats.
"Oi! Oi! Mugen's here!" Yukimaru ran into the house, shouting, and came out with his brother and sister. Mugen cursed- he hated remembering not to hurt the children. Shino-san would beat him with her umbrella and never feed him again.
He still thought it was hilarious that Jin had kids. Three of them. They followed their father in a line, like a set of well behaved ducklings, whenever he went into town.
Twenty Two- Aggregati
I do not make a habit of "stalking" my targets, as you so unpleasantly put it. I merely study them. You wanted details- I provide them. For the price you are paying, you are entitled to more details than most.
He has black hair that reaches to the middle of his back; only the Azhdekhai have ever seen it unbound. At his most casual, he holds it back in a tail with a lacquered black and gold clip that was a gift from his Lord. In public, making official appearances as the Seventh's representative, he puts it up into two hundred very small braids and fixes them to his scalp in a tower with gold wire. The resulting effect resembles a sea anemone gone wrong. For classes and wandering around the cities, he usually ties it up into a bun to keep it out of his way. Don't look at me- or him- like that. It's a manly bun. If you saw him, you would have no doubts.
His seal, like all seals, originates between his eyes across the bridge of his nose. Unlike most seals, his extends across his nose and over his cheeks, rather than simply curving over his forehead and down his temples. The origin is shaped like a crown; this pattern is repeated in the center of his forehead and surrounded by stylized wings. The rest of his seal is a symmetrical lotus flower pattern that covers the rest of his face, his neck, shoulders, chest, and back. It tapers down to another crown and pair of wings directly above his navel, where it stops. He has a small lotus flower over each spinal ridge, and wings over his shoulder blades. All of the pattern loci are connected by vines and leaves, and each of the points on his seal is marked by a crown.
Different points are located in different areas of the body, depending on their purpose. His points are located on the bridge of his nose, the center of his forehead, his temples, the corners of his eyes, neck, chest, navel, shoulders, his shoulder blades, and in three places along his spine. The seal is symmetrical, so the third point, which is located on both temples, counts only as one point even though there are two loci.
The eleventh and twelf points are the ones on his chest and navel; they were added after his commissioning by the Azhdekhai. How? Sir, do I look like one of the Azhdekhai to you? I provide details, not Aggregate engineering degrees.
He has absolute control over his seal and can choose to manifest only part of it in a greeting. He can also alter it slightly; he can't completely remove any of the patterns, but he can shift them and turn them different colors. If his control slips, occasionally his loci will turn red anyway. His control very rarely slips.
He is not especially tall or imposing, and at first glance he doesn't seem particularly interesting. At second and third glance, however, you realize that his appearance is as close to a physical ideal as one can get. His build is average, his facial features fairly ordinary- black hair and dark brown eyes, straight nose, even mouth- but they are all placed in such a way as to be nearly perfect. Symmetry is incredibly important.
He is vain, and oftentimes cruel; all life but the Azhdekhai are inferior to him, and he likes to remind the world of this fact. As an Aggregate in the service of the Seventh, he has no peers. His pasttimes include planning wars, playing chess and other games of strategy, and killing things for the pleasure of the Seventh.
To her, there was nothing more pleasing than the sight of her favorite toy dressed only in the blood of his opponent. He occasionally forgets that humans have laws against senseless slaughter; he was not programmed to be polite or kind to humanity. However, to keep peace and to protect her toy from mobs, the Seventh installed a warning program into his eleventh point. If he kills too many people, it will momentarily stop his body functions.
"Too many" is an arbitrary number to the Seventh, and it changes according to her whim while she observes him. It seems to be any number between three and seventy-two. Aburame Vazini, like all Aggregati, is nothing more than an expensive and elaborate toy. He is, perhaps, the most perfectly crafted toy on the planet, but in the end, he is nothing more than a toy.
And toys are so easy to break, sometimes, sir. But that, thankfully, is not my job.
He has black hair that reaches to the middle of his back; only the Azhdekhai have ever seen it unbound. At his most casual, he holds it back in a tail with a lacquered black and gold clip that was a gift from his Lord. In public, making official appearances as the Seventh's representative, he puts it up into two hundred very small braids and fixes them to his scalp in a tower with gold wire. The resulting effect resembles a sea anemone gone wrong. For classes and wandering around the cities, he usually ties it up into a bun to keep it out of his way. Don't look at me- or him- like that. It's a manly bun. If you saw him, you would have no doubts.
His seal, like all seals, originates between his eyes across the bridge of his nose. Unlike most seals, his extends across his nose and over his cheeks, rather than simply curving over his forehead and down his temples. The origin is shaped like a crown; this pattern is repeated in the center of his forehead and surrounded by stylized wings. The rest of his seal is a symmetrical lotus flower pattern that covers the rest of his face, his neck, shoulders, chest, and back. It tapers down to another crown and pair of wings directly above his navel, where it stops. He has a small lotus flower over each spinal ridge, and wings over his shoulder blades. All of the pattern loci are connected by vines and leaves, and each of the points on his seal is marked by a crown.
Different points are located in different areas of the body, depending on their purpose. His points are located on the bridge of his nose, the center of his forehead, his temples, the corners of his eyes, neck, chest, navel, shoulders, his shoulder blades, and in three places along his spine. The seal is symmetrical, so the third point, which is located on both temples, counts only as one point even though there are two loci.
The eleventh and twelf points are the ones on his chest and navel; they were added after his commissioning by the Azhdekhai. How? Sir, do I look like one of the Azhdekhai to you? I provide details, not Aggregate engineering degrees.
He has absolute control over his seal and can choose to manifest only part of it in a greeting. He can also alter it slightly; he can't completely remove any of the patterns, but he can shift them and turn them different colors. If his control slips, occasionally his loci will turn red anyway. His control very rarely slips.
He is not especially tall or imposing, and at first glance he doesn't seem particularly interesting. At second and third glance, however, you realize that his appearance is as close to a physical ideal as one can get. His build is average, his facial features fairly ordinary- black hair and dark brown eyes, straight nose, even mouth- but they are all placed in such a way as to be nearly perfect. Symmetry is incredibly important.
He is vain, and oftentimes cruel; all life but the Azhdekhai are inferior to him, and he likes to remind the world of this fact. As an Aggregate in the service of the Seventh, he has no peers. His pasttimes include planning wars, playing chess and other games of strategy, and killing things for the pleasure of the Seventh.
To her, there was nothing more pleasing than the sight of her favorite toy dressed only in the blood of his opponent. He occasionally forgets that humans have laws against senseless slaughter; he was not programmed to be polite or kind to humanity. However, to keep peace and to protect her toy from mobs, the Seventh installed a warning program into his eleventh point. If he kills too many people, it will momentarily stop his body functions.
"Too many" is an arbitrary number to the Seventh, and it changes according to her whim while she observes him. It seems to be any number between three and seventy-two. Aburame Vazini, like all Aggregati, is nothing more than an expensive and elaborate toy. He is, perhaps, the most perfectly crafted toy on the planet, but in the end, he is nothing more than a toy.
And toys are so easy to break, sometimes, sir. But that, thankfully, is not my job.
Twenty One- Samurai Champloo
Mugen didn't believe in second chances. This didn't eplain the fact that he kept getting them- second chances, third chances, fourth, fifth, sixth chances...somehow, miraculously, he was still alive.
Jin would have said it was because he couldn't die until they had their last rematch; Fuu would've said it was because they hadn't found her Sunflower Samurai yet.
Mugen didn't believe in Buddha or the gods, but he figured somebody must be finding his life hilarious. He coughed up another lungful of seawater and spat it at a mile marker as he hobbled down the road. Betrayed, shot at, set on fire, drowned, and betrayed again. And he was still alive.
Yup. Real fuckin' hilarious.
Jin would have said it was because he couldn't die until they had their last rematch; Fuu would've said it was because they hadn't found her Sunflower Samurai yet.
Mugen didn't believe in Buddha or the gods, but he figured somebody must be finding his life hilarious. He coughed up another lungful of seawater and spat it at a mile marker as he hobbled down the road. Betrayed, shot at, set on fire, drowned, and betrayed again. And he was still alive.
Yup. Real fuckin' hilarious.
Twenty- Birds of a Feather, Second Generation
It was weird seeing Dei surrounded by children. Jance tried to find another adjective, and failed. "Unsettling" didn't even cover it. "Disturbing" wasn't quite right, either. "Weird" worked just perfectly.
They weren't entirely children- teenagers were closer to demons or angels than humans in their ability to get into trouble and cause massive property damage. But the boys were hanging off his arms and shoulders like spawn half their age, while the girl tickled anything within reach. They were laughing, like they were some sort of normal family- and the woman was standing nearby, leaning in whenever she got the chance, still unsure of her place in the tangle of limbs but slowly gaining confidence. She belonged there as much as anything. They were just a normal family, doing normal family things.
Normal looked weird on Dei. He wore it well (Jance had made a business out of having an eye for what people wore well), but he was Dei- he wore everything well if you left it on him long enough.
The woman had come to be measured for a wedding gown, the girl for a bridesmaid's dress. The boys were there to torment their sister, and Dei was along for the ride.
Winter weddings were good, he decided, digging out his tape measure. They were hopeful. New Year's weddings were even better: they were lucky. The last time he'd measured someone for a dress, he'd witnessed the end of the world. The dress had gotten torn to bits- part of him still hadn't forgiven Opal for that.
Lyra hadn't given him any details on the dress; he'd been told to make something appropriately expensive and impressive. A pair of butterfly wings flashed through his mind, and a fall of long, silky white hair. Butterflies in winter? It would be perfect- everything he did was. Lyra wouldn't appreciate it at all- but he would, and it would give him something to smile about.
His sister wouldn't mind, he was sure of it. She'd always been a little vain.
They weren't entirely children- teenagers were closer to demons or angels than humans in their ability to get into trouble and cause massive property damage. But the boys were hanging off his arms and shoulders like spawn half their age, while the girl tickled anything within reach. They were laughing, like they were some sort of normal family- and the woman was standing nearby, leaning in whenever she got the chance, still unsure of her place in the tangle of limbs but slowly gaining confidence. She belonged there as much as anything. They were just a normal family, doing normal family things.
Normal looked weird on Dei. He wore it well (Jance had made a business out of having an eye for what people wore well), but he was Dei- he wore everything well if you left it on him long enough.
The woman had come to be measured for a wedding gown, the girl for a bridesmaid's dress. The boys were there to torment their sister, and Dei was along for the ride.
Winter weddings were good, he decided, digging out his tape measure. They were hopeful. New Year's weddings were even better: they were lucky. The last time he'd measured someone for a dress, he'd witnessed the end of the world. The dress had gotten torn to bits- part of him still hadn't forgiven Opal for that.
Lyra hadn't given him any details on the dress; he'd been told to make something appropriately expensive and impressive. A pair of butterfly wings flashed through his mind, and a fall of long, silky white hair. Butterflies in winter? It would be perfect- everything he did was. Lyra wouldn't appreciate it at all- but he would, and it would give him something to smile about.
His sister wouldn't mind, he was sure of it. She'd always been a little vain.
Nineteen- Naruto
Being stared down by three pairs of fully matured sharingan eyes wasn't something many people survived to tell about; in fact, just one set of them was usually enough to seal your fate. Kakashi had a hard time believing these were Obito's family members. His teammate had been endlessly cheerful, irritatingly so. He'd been a failure as a ninja, too emotional, too cowardly. (Not too cowardly when it counted, though.) (Those who disobey the regulations and let themselves be ruled by emotion are trash.) (Those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash.)
Kakashi ordered the voices in his head to be silent. Showing any sort of weakness before the Uchiha clan heads would mean death.
And Obito would be pissed if he died. (It would serve you right.) (Worse than trash.) (What a waste...)
Shut up! His left eye- Obito's eye- began to water slightly. (Sorry, we're sorry, there's something in our eye.) (There's always something in our eye, such a fucking cry baby, useless excuse for a ninja...) (You forgot our eyedrops, didn't you? You'll have to pick up some more, 'Baa-san on the corner makes the best, she'll give them to you for a discount.) Quiet. They calmed down, for a moment.
The Uchiha stood over him, eyes spinning slowly, lazily. Sensei had said they couldn't do anything; this hearing was simply a formality. Families had to guard their bloodlines, after all, and it was simply unheard of for an Uchiha to simply give something away, much less something so important. They were stingy around normal people.
Take a good look at those eyes, Sensei, and tell me again that they can't do anything. You can't protect us all. (He'll try. He was good to us.) (Not that you deserved it.)
"Hatake Kakashi, you are accused of the murder of your teammate, Uchiha Obito. How do you plead?" The clan head's voice was low, confident, and almost amused. You're not going to survive this, brat.
One of his father's temmates had been an Uchiha. "Not guilty." (We could kill them.)
"Hatake Kakashi, you are accused of the theft of the sharingan eye of your teammate, Uchiha Obito. How do you plead?" The branch-family head was no less confident, but his voice was stern. You thought you could get away with this? Fool.
(We should kill them.) Had he knelt before a tribunal like this, accused of risking the village for his own stupid sentimentalism? "Not guilty." (Kill them for what they did to father.)
"Hatake Kakashi, you are accused of breaking Law Twenty-five, endagering your mission and all of Hidden Leaf because of it. How do you plead?" The second branch head vibrated with barely suppressed rage and scorn. How dare you?
(I think the White Fang was a hero.) His father might have been proud- but his father was dead. "Guilty."
(No matter what they say...I believed in you. No matter what.) It was a shame he couldn't believe in himself.
There was something in his throat. Something in his eye, too, and rocks were falling, too fast to see, landing in his blindspot. His chest ached.
"Tell us how Obito died." Three points in the sharingan, one for the mind, body, and spirit.
"Tell us how you came by his eye." Three points, one for each of the people he'd failed.
"Tell us how you failed your teammates, your sensei, your mission, your home." One for everyone he'd trusted.
"Tell us." Sensei.
"Tell us." Obito.
"Tell us." Rin.
Bile in the back of his throat choked any answers he might have spoken, had he any answers for them. He bit his tongue to hold back a scream.
"You kneel before us, a thief and a murderer, and yet you have the gall to keep your face covered?"
(I am a ninja. Weakness is unacceptable.) (I know I'll always be a loser...) (There's something in my eye.) Whose eye?
"Remove your mask." He could not move. They removed it for him.
They might as well have stripped him naked. Tears poured from Obito's eye. (I didn't mean it! I didn't want to die!) (I couldn't leave her, she was our friend.) (You were our friend!) (I don't deserve to be a jounin. I'm not a ninja at all.)
"Shut up," he whispered, touching the tears. They weren't his- he never cried, not even when he knew no one could see him. "Stop talking to me." This was his fault- all his fault. He would face this alone. (Father died alone.) SHUT UP.
The voices were silent. He ignored Obito's tears and explained, for the seventh time in half as many days, what happened.
The Uchiha were not impressed. "We had heard of you before, Hatake Kakashi. You are called a genius by many- in our opinion, you resemble your father too much."
The spinning wheels of three sets of sharingan held him fixed in place. Otherwise, he would have gone for the throat.
"We cannot order your execution, even if your guilt is clear to us. Konoha cannot afford losing any of its jounin, particularly not after losing one of its valuable healers as well." (See? Sensei was right.) (They'd be better off killing you.)
"Your theft of the sharingan is made tolerable only by the knowledge that you will be unable to master it properly, and it will prove a distraction that will eventually cause your death."
(Even my family thinks I'm a loser.) (That's not true.) (It's not like there aren't dozens of other, better Uchiha to take my place.) Kakashi was starting to regret accepting Obito's gift. Do you want me to remove you with a kunai? (You'd never get all of us.) I could try.
"You will be kept under close supervision while in the village."
"You will be given only low rank missions until your trustworthiness has been proven."
"You will be given one week to decide whether or not you wish to keep Uchiha Obito's eye and all the consequences that accompany it."
"It's your fault they're dead."
He bit his tongue and looked up sharply, not caring if he was being rude. They hadn't actually said that, had they? The three clan heads stood as still, silent and foreboding as statues. "I will abide by your decisions." Abide by the laws and regulations, or you will be nothing but trash. You're a disgrace, worthless, shameful. (We never thought so.) Who are you? (You can see with us.)
"Of course you will."
Red eyes whirled around him, too fast to see.
"Murderer."
"Thief."
"Trash."
Humiliation burned like a knife through the eye. Whose eye?
(He's not!) (We saved him, it wasn't his fault!) (Liars!)
It's okay. It's not worth it. They're right. There was blood in his mouth, where he'd bitten his tongue. (They're not.) (They are.)
At some point, he'd been left alone in the room, and his knees were starting to ache.
(Are we okay?)
No.
His left eye was tearing again. He rubbed at it, wearily, and replaced his mask. Things could be worse. Sensei was still alive, and maybe when the war was over, they could hang out and...eat ramen, or something. Talk about stuff. He wasn't really sure how these things were supposed to go, wasn't used to the ettiquette of mourning. Ninja didn't mourn, didn't feel emotion, didn't cry.
(We did. We're sorry.)
Kakashi stumbled out of the Uchiha complex, forehead protector askew. He felt like he'd been taken apart and not put back together quite right. He'd go home, and sleep, and tomorrow things would be back to normal. He hadn't slept in nearly a week.
On his way home, though, he'd have to get some of those eyedrops. His right eye was itching now, too.
He stopped by the grave marker, instead, and the voices were silent.
Kakashi ordered the voices in his head to be silent. Showing any sort of weakness before the Uchiha clan heads would mean death.
And Obito would be pissed if he died. (It would serve you right.) (Worse than trash.) (What a waste...)
Shut up! His left eye- Obito's eye- began to water slightly. (Sorry, we're sorry, there's something in our eye.) (There's always something in our eye, such a fucking cry baby, useless excuse for a ninja...) (You forgot our eyedrops, didn't you? You'll have to pick up some more, 'Baa-san on the corner makes the best, she'll give them to you for a discount.) Quiet. They calmed down, for a moment.
The Uchiha stood over him, eyes spinning slowly, lazily. Sensei had said they couldn't do anything; this hearing was simply a formality. Families had to guard their bloodlines, after all, and it was simply unheard of for an Uchiha to simply give something away, much less something so important. They were stingy around normal people.
Take a good look at those eyes, Sensei, and tell me again that they can't do anything. You can't protect us all. (He'll try. He was good to us.) (Not that you deserved it.)
"Hatake Kakashi, you are accused of the murder of your teammate, Uchiha Obito. How do you plead?" The clan head's voice was low, confident, and almost amused. You're not going to survive this, brat.
One of his father's temmates had been an Uchiha. "Not guilty." (We could kill them.)
"Hatake Kakashi, you are accused of the theft of the sharingan eye of your teammate, Uchiha Obito. How do you plead?" The branch-family head was no less confident, but his voice was stern. You thought you could get away with this? Fool.
(We should kill them.) Had he knelt before a tribunal like this, accused of risking the village for his own stupid sentimentalism? "Not guilty." (Kill them for what they did to father.)
"Hatake Kakashi, you are accused of breaking Law Twenty-five, endagering your mission and all of Hidden Leaf because of it. How do you plead?" The second branch head vibrated with barely suppressed rage and scorn. How dare you?
(I think the White Fang was a hero.) His father might have been proud- but his father was dead. "Guilty."
(No matter what they say...I believed in you. No matter what.) It was a shame he couldn't believe in himself.
There was something in his throat. Something in his eye, too, and rocks were falling, too fast to see, landing in his blindspot. His chest ached.
"Tell us how Obito died." Three points in the sharingan, one for the mind, body, and spirit.
"Tell us how you came by his eye." Three points, one for each of the people he'd failed.
"Tell us how you failed your teammates, your sensei, your mission, your home." One for everyone he'd trusted.
"Tell us." Sensei.
"Tell us." Obito.
"Tell us." Rin.
Bile in the back of his throat choked any answers he might have spoken, had he any answers for them. He bit his tongue to hold back a scream.
"You kneel before us, a thief and a murderer, and yet you have the gall to keep your face covered?"
(I am a ninja. Weakness is unacceptable.) (I know I'll always be a loser...) (There's something in my eye.) Whose eye?
"Remove your mask." He could not move. They removed it for him.
They might as well have stripped him naked. Tears poured from Obito's eye. (I didn't mean it! I didn't want to die!) (I couldn't leave her, she was our friend.) (You were our friend!) (I don't deserve to be a jounin. I'm not a ninja at all.)
"Shut up," he whispered, touching the tears. They weren't his- he never cried, not even when he knew no one could see him. "Stop talking to me." This was his fault- all his fault. He would face this alone. (Father died alone.) SHUT UP.
The voices were silent. He ignored Obito's tears and explained, for the seventh time in half as many days, what happened.
The Uchiha were not impressed. "We had heard of you before, Hatake Kakashi. You are called a genius by many- in our opinion, you resemble your father too much."
The spinning wheels of three sets of sharingan held him fixed in place. Otherwise, he would have gone for the throat.
"We cannot order your execution, even if your guilt is clear to us. Konoha cannot afford losing any of its jounin, particularly not after losing one of its valuable healers as well." (See? Sensei was right.) (They'd be better off killing you.)
"Your theft of the sharingan is made tolerable only by the knowledge that you will be unable to master it properly, and it will prove a distraction that will eventually cause your death."
(Even my family thinks I'm a loser.) (That's not true.) (It's not like there aren't dozens of other, better Uchiha to take my place.) Kakashi was starting to regret accepting Obito's gift. Do you want me to remove you with a kunai? (You'd never get all of us.) I could try.
"You will be kept under close supervision while in the village."
"You will be given only low rank missions until your trustworthiness has been proven."
"You will be given one week to decide whether or not you wish to keep Uchiha Obito's eye and all the consequences that accompany it."
"It's your fault they're dead."
He bit his tongue and looked up sharply, not caring if he was being rude. They hadn't actually said that, had they? The three clan heads stood as still, silent and foreboding as statues. "I will abide by your decisions." Abide by the laws and regulations, or you will be nothing but trash. You're a disgrace, worthless, shameful. (We never thought so.) Who are you? (You can see with us.)
"Of course you will."
Red eyes whirled around him, too fast to see.
"Murderer."
"Thief."
"Trash."
Humiliation burned like a knife through the eye. Whose eye?
(He's not!) (We saved him, it wasn't his fault!) (Liars!)
It's okay. It's not worth it. They're right. There was blood in his mouth, where he'd bitten his tongue. (They're not.) (They are.)
At some point, he'd been left alone in the room, and his knees were starting to ache.
(Are we okay?)
No.
His left eye was tearing again. He rubbed at it, wearily, and replaced his mask. Things could be worse. Sensei was still alive, and maybe when the war was over, they could hang out and...eat ramen, or something. Talk about stuff. He wasn't really sure how these things were supposed to go, wasn't used to the ettiquette of mourning. Ninja didn't mourn, didn't feel emotion, didn't cry.
(We did. We're sorry.)
Kakashi stumbled out of the Uchiha complex, forehead protector askew. He felt like he'd been taken apart and not put back together quite right. He'd go home, and sleep, and tomorrow things would be back to normal. He hadn't slept in nearly a week.
On his way home, though, he'd have to get some of those eyedrops. His right eye was itching now, too.
He stopped by the grave marker, instead, and the voices were silent.