I am a writer, writer of fictons || L•O•S•E•R•S•D•A•Y

Entranceway AU fic - Untitled [Part One]

2009-07-21T04:23:10Z

Title: Untitled. Shut up, I haven't decided yet.
Author: Koji Imate
Rating: Will get up to PG-13 in later parts
Series: Harry Potter - entranceway AU.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K.R. does, and I don't claim this to be canon for the game or for the series.
Summary: James returns from Wonderland only to discover that he is the only one of his friends who remembers their journey and the future they vowed to change. Knowing this, he takes it upon himself to change things, hopefully for the better. But there are reasons wizards are warned against tampering with time....

When James Potter pulled his hand away from the closet, he realized with a start that he was no longer where he had been just a moment before. The red tapestries of their makeshift dorm had been replaced by pale blue walls (walls that had always been blue, as long as James could remember). The shower could be heard running, and it was unbearably hot.

He was home. It had been nearly a year, and he'd finally come back.

" Sirius? Sirius!" Had he returned as well? Or was the shower running with no one in it? Had he been left behind?

" Hold on, I'm hurrying already!" His voice was muffled from the sound of the water pouring down. " It's only been what, forty-five minutes?"

" It's been far longer than that," James said, hurrying to the bathroom door. " More like months!"

Sirius laughed, " I'd be a wrinkled old man, if that were the case!"

" Wait, so you don't remember?" James said. The realization forced his voice to shake. " You don't remember the mansion? Or the books?" James pounded on the door to try and grab his attention. " What about Kaylee? And River? Terra?" Surely mention of the girls would snag him. It had to. Or maybe…”How about Harry?”

" What are you going on about?" The water shut off abruptly, and James said nothing as he waited for Sirius to finish. Finally, the door opened, and Sirius appeared with a towel around his waist and a grin both on his face and in his voice.

" I leave you alone for less than an hour and you go mad with loneliness!" he said. " And take that pout off your face. You can have your damn turn now."

James did not. " How...that makes no sense that you'd forget and I wouldn't! It's absurd!"

" You're absurd," Sirius said, doubling back for his clothes.

" You really don't remember?" James asked. " The books that told our futures?" Those damned books that had caused them both so much grief in that year, he had to remember them.

" The heat's obviously gotten to you," Sirius said. "Go, and take twice as long as I did."

He gave James a friendly shove, and shut him in the bathroom, leaving him there as he went to go get properly dressed. For a moment, James did nothing, baffled by not only his return, but Sirius' amnesia. He couldn’t have really forgotten about it, could he?

He turned, to the grand mirror above the sink, and froze when he thought he saw a flicker of a smirk on his reflection's face. There were no towels large enough to cover it completely. He briefly entertained the thought of smashing the mirror, but then Sirius might really begin to think him mad. Instead, he turned the shower on as hot as it would go, fogging the glass so that anyone on the other side would have only a clouded view. He then sank down to the cold tile floor and watched the steam rise, trying to rationalize what had just happened.

~

For about a week, James did not let it go. He spent a great amount of time trying to explain the existence of these books to Sirius, who was having none of it. James even owled Remus about the matter, hoping that perhaps he would remember their adventures in Wonderland, but he only received a letter expressing sincere concern for his mental health in return.

Two weeks later, James and Sirius' letters from Hogwarts arrived. James‘ letter was thick, and when he dumped it onto the table, a shining Head Boy‘s badge glimmered up at him. His parents and Sirius both congratulated him warmly, and James was forced to go through the motions of surprise, though in truth it had only earned an eyebrow raise from James. Somehow, being crowned Head Boy had seemed like one of the most impossible aspects of the books. He had tried, once again, to confide this knowledge in Sirius and Remus, to tell them that he knew about his position of Head Boy well beforehand, but both of them doubted him yet again. Soon, James stopped trying entirely, for fear of being sent to St. Mungo's or something equally horrible.

When September First came, James hugged his parents tighter than he ever had. If he was right, it would likely be the last time he ever saw them. They did not understand his sudden bundle of nerves, or that he wanted to cry when his father ruffled his hair and told him he'd do just fine as Head Boy. His hand was frail. His face was wrinkled. For the first time in his life, James could really see how old his father was.

James made sure to get a good look as the train pulled away. He bit his lip and felt his stomach sink as his parents' waving figures moved further and further away, knowing it would be the last time he saw them. Sadly, he could not have that moment alone and he would not cry. He would not cry. He couldn't even have the distraction of being with his friends. Instead, he had a carriage alone with Lily Evans, for she had predictably made Head Girl.

" There's obviously something wrong with this school if you've been made Head Boy, Potter," she said, refusing to look at him. " It takes the prestige away from the position entirely, if it's merely a popularity contest."

James didn't reply. He was looking out the window still, watching the colors outside blur together violently. Then, for the first time in months, he felt a spark of hope that lifted his head.

" Lily?" he asked, ignoring her complaints entirely. " ...Have you heard of Wonderland?"

" Wonderland?" she asked, staring peculiarly at him. " ...You mean, the book Alice in Wonderland? From the muggle world?"

" Right, that," he said. " With Alice, and the Queen of Hearts, and the Mad Hatter and all of them. Wonderland!"

" ...What about it?" Lily asked.

He glanced to the side. His question was hard to phrase, without making himself sound like a loon. But he remembered it all so clearly: the enchanted notes they had passed, the Order she started, and even the flowery phoenix she had cast into the sky. He remembered casting fireworks off the roof for Christmas, in not merely red and green but her red and green. Along with that, he remembered a lot of things he wished he didn't, but there were fond memories as well. There were important memories.

" ...Is it real?" he asked her.

His entire being seemed to depend on her answer, and there was an entirely odd seriousness about him that unnerved Lily. She gently bit her lip and looked away.

" It's just a story, you idiot," she told him off. " It's fiction, obviously. I don't suppose you spent your summer trying to fall down a rabbit hole or cram your huge head through a looking-glass?"

That last bit of hope was abruptly snuffed out, and James sank, a bit. He laughed though, just a little.

" No...not quite," he said, mentally pushing it as far away from himself as he could. " I spent the summer missing you, of course!"

It sounded half-hearted though, even to his own ears. James got up then, saying something a little too quickly about being half-starved, and left the carriage. He did not notice Lily peek her head out the door and watch him, as he walked down the hall with a little too much purpose. He was already mentally making plans for the future, now that he knew for certain that he was in this alone.

Love is a Stupid Word || Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles

2008-01-31T02:38:53Z

• Due to the recent closure (and deletion) of 30_smiles, my unfinished challenge will be posted here. Most of these stories are very old as well; this is for my own reference. •

Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Title: Love is A Stupid Word
Author/Artist: Koji Imate
Theme(s): (include the # number and full theme) 21) Creating common memories with me; Do I know you?
Pairing/Characters: Fai D. Flowright, Kurogane
Rating: PG
Disclaimer/claimer (if needed): None of these characters belong to me; they belong to the ever-amazing CLAMP.
Summary (if needed): Once again, Kurogane finds himself in another world, but this time he's been separated from the others. In a strange land of bright lights and cotton candy, he finds an alternate version of Fai and they have a short conversation on love, loss, and everything that falls in between.

The wind in the strange new world was light and airy, brimming with the scent of cotton candy and fried dough. Children's laughter lingered in the air and neon lights shined brighter than the stars. Lovers walked hand in hand, basking in the moonlight without a care in the world. What sort of troubles could anyone have on such a peaceful night in Damour?

These light-hearted festivities only served to sour Kurogane's mood. Syaoran had only just caught another of Sakura's feathers when that damn white manjyu decided to whisk them away, without even a moment's notice. Somewhere along the line he had gotten himself separated from the others and now he was stuck alone in a strange place where the lights were far too bright. To make matters worse, the last world they had been in was something reminiscent of ancient China, and this world was filled with lace and frills. Kurogane was getting some odd stares in his long red robe.

Everything was gibberish when he had first arrived, meaning that the manjyu was no where nearby. He thought for a moment that maybe he had been sent a bit too far back or too far ahead in time by mistake. It was certainly possible; it had happened once before, when he and Fai had to wait around six months for Syaoran and Sakura to show up. Kurogane grumbled at the thought of being trapped in the strange festival for an extended period of time. The entire place made his head hurt.

The carnival itself appeared no different from a typical festival from his home world at first. But then Kurogane spotted the roaring metal monsters that these insane people were riding. They sounded like they were being sent to their deaths the way they were screaming. Almost everyone was beaming when the machines released them however, which puzzled Kurogane.

With no money, no change of clothes, and nothing to do, Kurogane found himself wandering around the festival. In his boredom, he discovered that the place he was in was known simply as Carnaval Damour, or simply "Damour" as many of the patrons were calling it, and that it was located on a long pier. Everyone's words had suddenly become understandable, so the manjyu couldn't have been far and surely the others were with it.

He had meant to go looking for them right away, but somehow, his feet had led him to the edge of the pier, where one could see miles and miles of ocean that stretched like a blanket over the new world. All logic said that he should have gone looking for his companions, but just a moment couldn't hurt. After all, it had been a long time since they had visited a world that even had an easily accessible ocean. Gazing at it made him homesick for his own world, where if he traveled far enough in any direction it wouldn't be long at all before he ran into water.

" The sea is beautiful, isn't it? Especially at night like this..."

Kurogane jumped at the sound. After all of the training he had been through, he should have noticed someone sneaking up on him, but he hadn't sensed a thing. When he looked over he saw Fai beside him with his arms draped on the ledge and his head resting on top of them, staring out with a wistful smile at the ocean. He had secured a set of Damour clothing somehow, wearing a black jacket that revealed the white lacy cuffs of the shirt beneath it, matching trousers and shoes, and a white ascot.

Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "And where the hell have you been?" he asked.

Fai glanced up at him with wide, bewildered eyes. Then he smiled. " I think you have the wrong person," he said. "I don't believe we've met before."

Kurogane opened his mouth to shout at Fai and his stupidity, but then he paused, realizing that it really wasn't Fai. It must have been the Fai that resided in Damour, and not the one he was traveling with. This one had an odd accent that he couldn't quite place and whenever he looked at Kurogane, there was no sign of recognition at all.

" My mistake," Kurogane said, regarding him carefully. " It hasn't been one of my better days."

" I can see that," the look-alike said, throwing an impish grin his way. “ You look like you lost a bet.”

“ Shut up,” Kurogane growled. “ At least I’m not the one in the girly lace!”

This only made the double laugh. “ Everyone dresses this way,” he said. “ You really must not be from around here.”

“ Yeah,” Kurogane said. “ That’s one way to put it.”

“ You’re awfully brave coming out here looking like that,” Damour’s Fai said.

“ Would you shut up about my clothes already?” Kurogane snapped.

Damour’s Fai simply laughed and laughed. “You’re funny,” he said when Kurogane gave him an odd look. “ And you’re fun to tease.”

“ Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Kurogane said.

“ Mm...not really,” he said as a gust of ocean breeze blew through his hair. “ It’s more like a thank-you. I haven’t laughed so hard in weeks.”

It was eerie how similar this man was to the Fai that Kurogane was familiar with. Obviously they were identical physically, but their personalities were also closely resembled one another. They both wore the same worn-out smile on their face as though nothing could ever hurt them. They both tried to fool the world, but Kurogane knew better. He could see through them as though they were made of glass.

" My love through himself over this wall," Damour's Fai said with a sigh, patting the ledge with his hand and staring into the water. "His funeral was two weeks ago."

Kurogane felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and he turned his head to the unfamiliar man beside him, not saying a word. His wide eyes spoke everything he wanted to say, but Damour's Fai was deaf to it.

" Sometimes it's hard to believe he's gone," he said, trying to remain cheerful. " Sometimes, I wonder if I just wasn't good enough for him. I couldn't keep him happy."

He didn't continue. He was too entranced by the waves, allowing memories to wash over him, each one crashing harder and louder than the last.

" Why are you telling me this?" Kurogane asked. He could no longer mistake the two Fais. One was secretive and sly, a very suspicious person all around. He was a person who always insisted on bearing the burden of his troubles alone, never letting anyone see anything but the cheerful dunce. Kurogane hated him for that. The other, the one Kurogane had only just met, was perfectly content with sharing his troubles with any stranger who walked by.

" Mm... I don't know," Damour's Fai smiled. " Maybe it's because I know I'll never see you again."

" You don't know that," Kurogane said.

" You're right, I don't." Damour's Fai smiled at him. " Are you going to come back to haunt me, Mr. Wizard?"

He laughed and tugged on Kurogane's robes, completely unaware that there was a magical version of himself running around the park in a similar outfit. Kurogane could feel his blood boiling.

" I am not a wizard," he snarled, pulling his robe away from Fai's snickering double.

" But you look like one," Damour's Fai said. " Unless maybe you're a spaceman?"

" Do I look like an alien to you?" Kurogane growled, resisting the urge to toss him over the ledge into the dark waters below.

Instead of giving him a proper answer, Damour's Fai giggled and said, " You know, I think Ashura would have liked you, Mr. Wizard."

Kurogane ignored the insult. That one name had caught him completely off guard. Ashura. Just that man's name alone had caused his Fai a world of pain. It rang in Kurogane's ears, just as it must have rung in Fai's each time he had that haunted look in his eyes.

" Ashura?"

Damour's Fai nodded. "Yes. He was my boyfriend," he laughed softly. " I was always overly romantic I...I always thought he was my soul mate."

He went on about how handsome and strong Ashura was, and Kurogane gripped the ledge so hard that he thought it would shatter into a thousand wooden shards. And odd mixture of jealousy, disgust, and malice surged through his veins.

" Shut up," he said. " He couldn't have been as wonderful as you say he was."

" What makes you say that?" Damour's Fai pouted, angry that he would disrespect the dead in such a way.

" Because anyone who loved you that much would have never left you to suffer like this," Kurogane said. " If he had loved you as much as you say he did, he would have done all that he could have to keep you from hurting. He would still be here to protect you."

Kurogane knew that those words would hurt Damour's Fai before they were even out of his mouth, but he didn't regret saying them at all. He wanted to vault over the ledge, take his sword, and slice Ashura's corpse into mere slivers of the bastard he was. It seemed that no matter what world he was in, Ashura would always irritate Kurogane.

At first the Fai of Damour didn't dare to speak. He had never seen Ashura in a negative light, but now that the thought was planted in his mind it would never leave. He looked at Kurogane, wondering who this mysterious stranger was. Who was this man, who somehow knew him better than anyone?

" Well, do you have someone then?" he asked, prodding Kurogane in the side. " Someone that you love more than anything?"

" Who cares?" Kurogane said, avoiding his eyes.

" I care," Damour's Fai said with a mock pout. " Please?"

Kurogane was silent. He looked away from Carnaval Damour, away from the lights, the sounds, and everything that the alternate Fai knew. There was something hypnotic about the pitch-black ocean.

" He's an idiot," Kurogane said. " He's a bumbling idiot who doesn't give a damn about anything. Someone could stab him to death and he wouldn't care at all. He would just laugh his ass off."

Kurogane went on. " And his smile doesn't reach his eyes. I don't understand him at all, but for some reason I want to know everything about him. More than anything though, I want to protect him."

Finally allowing their eyes to meet, Kurogane said, " He really resembles you, come to think of it."

" That's not very nice of you," Damour's Fai said.

" So says the guy who called me a spaceman," Kurogane grumbled.

" Well, it is mean," Damour's Fai pointed out. " You called your love an idiot and then said that I was like him."

" You know what I mean!" Kurogane snapped. " You look like him, that's all."

Damour's Fai ran a hand through his fine blond hair, as though he was trying to imagine how there could be anyone who looked a whole lot like him in the strange place that Kurogane must have come from.

" You and him are both way too romantic too," Kurogane said, " Using fluffy words like 'lovers' and 'soul mates'. Those are the kinds of things that he would say."

" Being romantic isn't so bad," Damour's Fai said. " You should try it sometime."

" I'd rather stab myself," Kurogane growled. " Love is a stupid word anyway."

Damour's Fai laughed, and off in the distance a bell chimed all across Carnaval Damour, piercing every patron's very soul. Even Kurogane glanced up at the beautiful sound, coming from a bell tower he had only vaguely noticed before. The bell rang only nine times, but as it rang, the entire park went silent. Once ringing stopped, all of the happy noise slowly grew from muffled whispers into the loud laughter and chatter that had occupied the park before.

" Ah, I'm sorry," Damour's Fai said, bowing away from Kurogane. " I have to get going now. It's nine o'clock and there's someone I'm supposed to meet."

" Who?" Kurogane asked.

" One of my friends decided I've been too miserable so they set me up on a blind date with someone they know." Damour's Fai said. " I think his name was Kurowan or Kurochi or something like that. I can't really remember."

Instinctively, Kurogane twitched. " It's Kurogane," he muttered under his breath.

" What was that?"

" Nothing."

With nothing but a wave goodbye, Fai's double was gone. The entire encounter left Kurogane seething. His Fai would be much easier to figure out if he would just spill his problems out the way Damour's Fai had. Then there was Ashura, whose name alone infuriated Kurogane. He could feel the intense fear radiate from Fai's very bones at the mention of that man's name. It was just as he had said to the duplicate; Fai was someone he wanted to protect. It didn't need to be labeled with a silly word like love. So when he finally found the damn mage, donned in blue robes much like his own, Kurogane did not wrap his arms around Fai and proclaim his love. Instead, he shouted loud enough for all of Carnaval Damour to hear.

" Where the hell have you been?"

Crash || Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles

2008-01-31T02:10:38Z

• Due to the recent closure (and deletion) of 30_smiles, my unfinished challenge will be posted here. Most of these stories are very old as well; this is for my own reference. •

Fandom: Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
Title: Crash
Author/Artist: Koji Imate
Theme(s): 7) Flashdance; What a feeling!
Pairing/Characters: Fai D. Flowright/Kurogane
Rating: PG-13 for drugs.
Disclaimer/claimer: Fai and Kurogane do not belong to me, they belong to CLAMP
Summary: While investigating a new world for clues to where Sakura’s feather could be, Kurogane and Fai find themselves in a strange night club. They get seperated, and someone slips Fai a potentially dangerous drink.

The club was dark, and strobe lights flashed on and off so fast that Kurogane thought he might be sick, right there on the dance floor. Peering around, he noticed that he was the only one who didn't seem to be enjoying himself. Everyone was dancing (albeit, some were a little too close to each other for Kurogane's comfort and some people had wandered hands that Kurogane had to smack away) and having a good time.

Kurogane might have been having a slightly better time if he hadn't lost that stupid mage in the crowd. The more Kurogane thought about it, the more he realized that many of the people in the club greatly resembled Fai. It was a world full of people with hazy, sleepy eyes and dreamy smiles; people who moved like absinthe as it was pouring into their glasses, sloshing from side to side. It would certainly explain quite a bit if the mage had come from an eccentric world like the on they had just fallen into. Clubs like that one littered the streets, and some of them advertised things that made Kurogane embarrassed to be traveling with teens as innocent as the boy and his princess.

That left Kurogane and Fai as the only ones legally able to investigate the area, but that stupid mage had already gone and gotten himself lost. Kurogane lacked the patience to search for him in the sea of bodies on the dance floor, so he forced his way through to one of the walls. The only reason any of them still had their heads attached was because they were forced to turn around and bring his sword back to the motel room when the bouncer refused to let Kurogane in the club with it.

Kurogane clutched his head. The beats echoed off of the walls, ricocheting like bullets to the brain. He watched as the crowd swayed like waves in a storm, waiting for a familiar blond head to pop up out of the current. If that stupid white meat bun hadn't said there was a feather in that would, he would have demanded insisted that they leave. He sighed, remembering that he was stuck there.

" Kuro-puu~"

Before Kurogane could even turn around, Fai had latched his arms around Kurogane and was nuzzling his head into his shirt.

" Wha-What the hell are you doing?" Kurogane asked, prying Fai off of him and shaking him by the shoulders.

" Kuro-puu feels nice..." Fai trailed off, slumping lazily to one side.

Kurogane frowned. The mage was strange, but he was acting ever stranger than usual. Somewhere, Fai had found the strange, glowing, rainbow sticks that everyone in the club seemed to have, and hung them around his neck, along with a few candy necklaces. Then Kurogane noticed the cup in Fai's hand.

" What have you been drinking?" Kurogane asked, gritting his teeth.

Fai giggled like a girl and shoved the plastic cup in his face. " Why? You want some, Kuro-wan?" Some of the clear liquid spilled out from the quick movement, and Fai watched in fascination as it slid down his long, thin arm.

Kurogane couldn't say he knew much about drugs. He knew of them of course. Comrades had lost themselves to opium pipes in his home world, but he had never tried it himself. It suddenly clicked though, that Fai and all of the patrons of that strange world had to be on some kind of mind-altering substance to be acting the way they were. It could not have simply been alcohol.

" Who gave you this?" Kurogane asked, snatching the cup away.

Fai shrugged, bringing his hand to his mouth so he could suck on some blue candy on a ring. He seemed to be watching the strobe lights.

" Are you even listening to me?" Kurogane shouted over the noise.

Apparently he wasn't, because Fai began to wobble a little more, swaying to the beat. It eventually turned into something that Kurogane supposed could have been called dancing.

" I love this song, Kuro-rin~!" Fai said, as though each note wrapped around him, caressing him and tugging him along with the beat.

" It's the exact same song that has been playing all night," Kurogane said bitterly.

Fai stuck out his tongue at Kurogane and kept dancing. Soon though, he was up against Kurogane, dancing a little too close, pressing himself against him.

" Come on, Kuro-pii," Fai said, his eyes unfocused. " Dance with me!"

" Hell no!"

" Aw, but Kuro-chi..."

Fai flinched as Kurogane grabbed the candy necklaces and yanked them off. He pulled so hard that it left a mark on Fai's neck. The candy seemed to fall forever, leaving colorful trails of light behind them, and the sound of the sweet sugar crashing against the floor broke the world.

Kurogane was saying something, but his words were all jumbled and mixed up and confused, but he was yelling and making the world even louder. The lights that had once been so magical were flashing on and off and on and off and on and off again, and the beats were terrifyingly loud. It no longer sounded like sweet, serenading melodies, but just noise, too much noise. Fai covered his ears, but the sounds passed through his hands. He sank to his knees, clutching his head to try and make the world stop spinning so fast.

Then Kurogane shook him by the shoulders, shouting again and Fai cried out for him to stop, but he couldn't even hear himself over the noise. Something else was making him shake from head to toe. A cold wind had blown in.

Kurogane immediately stopped shaking Fai when the mage started screaming his head off, but he refused to let him go, even though Fai kept trying to pull away. He was shivering, even though the room was very warm.

" Can you hear me?" Kurogane shouted. " Fai!"

Fai, who had been screaming bloody murder only moments before, had gone deathly silent. Then he slumped forward, muscling his way out of Kurogane's grasp and burying his face in his shirt.

" Kuro-pon," he said, his voice quivering like a frightened child's. " I...I want to go home. Can we go home now? I want to leave."

Fai's eyes were shut tight and he was still shaking. Every single nerve in Fai's body tingled when Kurogane put a reassuring hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

"Well it's about damn time," Kurogane sighed.

He hoisted Fai up to his feet by the collar and Fai felt himself continuing to rise. He clung to Kurogane's arm so that he wouldn't crash down to the earth. Fai didn't want to crash.

Kurogane found himself tugging Fai along as he shoved his was through the crowd. Fai seemed sort of lost and confused, as though he had just gone blind and was trapped in a terrifying world of darkness. It was a little disturbing to see him unintentionally unstable. He was usually a little bizarre, but it was usually an act and Kurogane knew it. Fai's behavior under the influence was proof of that.

Outside the world was a bit calmer. Lights still flashed, but they were neon advertisements for other hells like the one they had just exited. There were faint traces of the music lingering, soft and low. Fai seemed to have calmed down a bit since the noise was gone, but he still seemed on edge. He tugged on Kurogane's arm.

" Let's go," he whispered.

Kurogane nodded and led him along, past the many nightclubs and bars, most of which had logos involving a feather in some way. Truthfully, it was the only lead that Kurogane and Fai had found the entire night. Not that it mattered at that point. What mattered was getting Fai away from those strange clubs.

Fai did not really pay attention to where they were until they stopped and Fai realized that they weren't at the motel.

" Where are we?" Fai asked, his eyes wide with fear.

" It's just a park." Kurogane gave Fai a strange look. There was even a playground that would have been swarmed with children if it hadn't been well past midnight. Kurogane had been surprised to find a calm place in the middle of the city, but he supposed that even partygoers needed a place for their children to play.

After a moment or so, Fai seemed to realize that they weren't leaving. When he asked why, Kurogane grunted.

" Because you're not going back as messed up as you are," he said." Find a bench or something and lay your ass down until you feel sober. Otherwise the kid and his princess will be worried about you. That stupid meat bun too."

Fai nodded, but he stayed put, still unaware of the world around him. Showing little to no compassion, Kurogane roughly picked him up and laid him on a cold bench. This seemed to slow the world down just a bit, and instead of feeling lost in a storm, Fai felt like he was floating on his back in a calm sea, and it was soothing. The branches hung low, almost in Fai's face, but when he went to brush them away, his hands touched nothing. Fai placed a hand over his eyes and let out a hollow laugh.

" Damn," he said. " What have I done to myself this time?"

" That's a good question," Kurogane said from his seat on the ground beside the bench. " What the hell was that you drank?"

Fai was silent for so long that Kurogane wondered if he had relapsed, but just as Kurogane began to speak, Fai said it.

" What?"

" They called it hanemizu, I think," Fai said. " They said that it helped you forget your troubles, and that it was an elixir for the soul."

" So you drank it without knowing what it really was, just because someone put it in your hand?" Kurogane glared.

" Basically," Fai said, unmoving. He was feeling a bit better, but he still felt like the world would crumble if he moved even an inch.

"...Why?" Drinking unmarked drinks from strangers was something that always led to death in Kurogane's world. It was something that only and idiot would have done, or someone who had a suicidal streak.

" I don't know," Fai said with an empty chuckle. " I guess...I wanted to see if it worked."

Kurogane had never once asked if Fai had seen war. He knew, from the first battle he ever saw Fai fight, for war never really leaves a person. It remains in the darkest shadows of a person's soul, occasionally reflecting in their eyes. Kurogane knew almost nothing but that death and destruction, but it was clear that Fai was no stranger to war himself.

This also made is clear that Fai took the cup, knowing that it could very well have killed him. Fai drew it to his lips, knowing that he might fall to the floor seconds later. He knew and yet he drank anyway.

" Did it?" Kurogane asked.

" Hm..." Fai paused. Then he laughed. " No, it seems I still remember them, Kuro-rin."

" Idiot." Kurogane had no respect for people that could not respect their own lives.

Shutting his eyes, Kurogane tried to picture it. Only seconds after the cup had left his lips, Fai was writhing on the floor with his hand covering his mouth. Above him figures laughed and laughed as Fai grew paler and paler. Weakly, Fai pulled his hand away and found that it was stained with blood. As he coughed, the world began to spin around and around and around and Kurogane decided he'd had enough of that.

" Don't do stupid things like that," he said. " Or I'll kill you myself."

He would never admit that the thought of Fai's death sent shivers down his spine, for multiple unspoken reasons. For reasons that even Kurogane was unsure of, he wanted Fai to live, and if anyone were to kill him, Kurogane would slice them into a thousand pieces and drop one in each world they went to afterwards, and Syaoran and Sakura would certainly think he was insane and that white meat bun would certainly refuse to carry the severed body parts. It would be better for everyone if Fai lived.

" Wah," Fai mock-pouted. " Kuro-wan is scary."

" I'm not playing." Kurogane said. " I mean it. Believe it or not, there are people that value your life, even if you don't."

Fai grew quiet again.

" Do you?"

Kurogane didn't answer.

" Kuro-pon, do you?"

" Don't ask stupid questions." Kurogane said. " Are you feeling any better?" He stood up and looked down at Fai, looming over him.

" How long have we been here?" Fai asked groggily, as though he had just awoken from a deep sleep.

"At least a couple of hours," Kurogane said, really wanting to leave. " Maybe three."

" Three hours?" Fai said, " That can't be right...didn't we just leave that club a few minutes ago?"

" No, we didn't." Kurogane glanced up at the sky. " The sun will be up in a few hours.

Fai pried his hand away from his face, happy to find that the trees had stopped swaying to an unheard beat. When he went to sit up though, his body kept going. Fai would have fallen on the cold, hard ground if Kurogane hadn't caught him.

" I guess I'm not completely better yet," Fai laughed nervously. " I...I still feel kind of funny..."

" You're better than you were though," Kurogane said, sounding a tiny bit relieved.

With that, Kurogane slung Fai over his shoulder like a sack and marched off to their motel.

" You had too much to drink, that's all," he said, reciting Fai's lie for him. " Damn lightweight. Try not to throw up on me."

" I won't Kuro-pin..." Fai yawned. " But try not to drop me, ne? That hurt in Outo..."

Kurogane grumbled a reply, but it was lost to Fai's ears. All of a sudden, Fai became a lead weight on his shoulder. Kurogane turned to yell, but he stopped mid-breath when he saw that Fai had fallen asleep.

" Stupid mage," he said, starting his feet again. " Why the hell do I have to care about you so much?"

But Fai couldn't answer. He just swung limply from side to side, lost in dreams. Kurogane gripped him just a little tighter and smiled while the rest of the world was asleep and unable to snicker. Fai would always be safe, so long as Kurogane was around. Certain of this fact, Kurogane carried him back to the motel, not minding the closeness for a change, but come sunrise none of it would have happened, because Kurogane intended to never speak of that night again. Somehow, he thought Fai would be happy to keep his mouth shut for once.

Rhythm || Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles

2008-01-31T02:06:41Z

Just Like Romeo And Juliet? || Princess Tutu

2007-12-27T05:20:12Z

Title: Just Like Romeo And Juliet?
Fandom: Princess Tutu
Author: Shh! princesstutu Secret Santa!
For lanerose. Merry Christmas!
Summary: Ahiru muses on her relationship with Fakir, or lack there of, after being prodded by her friends. Set somewhere in the middle of the second season of Tutu.
Note: Sorry it's so late! And sorry I couldn't make you the layout you asked for. I'm horrid with making anything but banners. 3: So I incorporated the theme of the image you asked for into the fic! I hope you like it! ♥

~♥~

Sometimes, Ahiru really didn't understand how her friends thought. Lilie was easy enough she supposed, a sweetheart with a sadistic streak. Pique too, she guessed; she was tough but soft enough to be sensitive to love and things like that. Even so, Ahiru didn't quite understand where their perceptions of her love life came from. They had always supported her in her quest for Mytho's heart, though her friends had a slightly different idea of what that meant exactly. Pique had Fakir after all and it was just hopeless enough for Lilie to approve.

Ahiru wasn't sure when exactly, but somewhere along the way, the two of them became convinced she was head over heels for Fakir. Fakir, of all people! The two had even conspired to send her not-so-sweet lover a note declaring her feelings, feelings that didn't exist. At least, Ahiru was pretty sure they didn't exist. Maybe.

Ahiru had to admit though, that Fakir was a handsome boy, and that thinking about it caused her face to flush bright red.

Even so, just thinking about it sounded silly to her. They were hardly Romeo and Juliet after all. Perhaps if Romeo had a smart mouth and a forced glare, and if Juliet constantly tripped over her own feet, then perhaps it would more closely resemble them. They were hardly the type to be secret lovers. They were hardly the type to be lovers at all.

Though, if Ahiru sat and thought about it, Beauty and the Beast more closely resembled the two of them. There was the Beast, who acted all tough on the outside when he was actually a pretty good guy and just too hard on himself, and then there was Beauty, Belle, who was beautiful and caring and graceful...

...Well, maybe that wasn't the best way to think of it. Ahiru was just a duck after all, and Duck and The Beast sounded more silly than anything, like a tragic headline on a newspaper or a dish at Ebine's restaurant. It certainly didn't sound like a romance; not one bit.

There were fleeting moments though, when Ahiru wondered what it might be like to have a fairytale like that, instead of one of Drosselmeyer's stories. What was it like to live in a story that already came with a happy ending? Maybe Fakir wouldn't be so grumpy all of the time. Mytho would have his heart, and Rue would be Rue and Kraehe would be gone. All of their dreams would come true in the ending, and life would be wonderful and no one would have to wonder if they would win in the end.

Maybe in a story like that, she could be Fakir's Juliet, and they could live happily ever after in love and harmony, but really Ahiru was just a duck, and it would never be that simple or easy.

So Ahiru would laugh and shake her head when her friends tried to pry her love life from her lips, looking for a confession of her devotion to a certain grump they knew. What did they know about it anyway? There was no way Fakir could ever like a duck-life girl, especially her of all people.

She had no answer when Pique and Lilie asked about the blush across her face. She simply covered her mouth and ran off, muffling a small quack.

[Creative Writing] "Found" Poem

2006-05-16T03:16:02Z

Composed entirely of other people's song lyrics. I'm still making the bibliogrpahy, so Google if you really wanna know where they came from. =3

Open all the doors and let you out into the world
They crumbled you straight to your knees
You're still breathing and you don't know why
You'll be better off this way
Doesn't it bring you down?
So far away from everyone
It becomes a different place
Where time begins to fade
There was nothing that could make it easy on you
It was never supposed to be like this
And sooner or later it's over
Life is never kind
I've been feeling sorry for myself
Since you never come clean, I mean
Lay all you want on me
Or maybe I'm not able
I believe this is killing me
Pull me out from inside
Happiness, security are words we only borrowed
It's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
it's in everything I ever write
Lonely written words for company
This is your song

Creative Writing Assignment --- Nonsensical Poem [Typed out just as it was handed it]

2006-02-22T19:32:45Z

The King of Nebanos
The tertening young king of Nebanos,
Was spreched across his throne of gold,
Quite borate, with not a thing at all to do.
He'd whashed the prisoners,
The miserful maids were cooking his dinner,
And not one creature was nearby to knimmel to the floor.
Oh how the king was borate!
He thondered and thondered,
Yet not one plorbid idea came to mind.
All of a sudden,
With a twisked grin he descended.
He crossed the floor quickly,
His robe flowing with each hurce step,
Until he reached the balcony,
Where the greinbow city Nebanos was sprawled before him.
A primmering toy all for the king.
With that same twisked grin,
The king reached raside,
To where he kept a precious evoy.
With the slingshot loaded,
He pulled the band back,
And let out a nefistic laugh,
As he plocked down the townspeople,
One by one.

Nebanos: The setting of this story is actually taken from a novel I started. It is derived from a phrase I heard once, "Never knows best." That phrase stuck out in my mind and eventually it became the inspiration for the city of Nebanos (or "Never knows.") The word "best" simply didn't fit.

tertening: A mixture of the words "terrible" and "frightening", both of which accurately describe the young king.

spreched: A combination of the words "stretched" and "sprawled". It's the word to describe one who lounging around, taking up the entire length of his throne.

borate: A mixture of the words "bored" and "irate." It is the word for being furious about the fact that one is bored.

whashed: A combination of the words "whipped" and "thrashed." It is a vicious word used to describe how the young king tortured his prisoners. It wasn't a simple whipping; he beat these poor people until they were whithering on the ground wishing they were dead. The way I imagine it, it is whipping someone with a whip that has barbed wire sewn in. It is a truely terrible thing.

miserful: A mixture of the words "miserable" and "beautiful." This word is used to described something that is both miserable and beautiful at the same time. It is an elegant or lovely thing in anguish.

knommel: A combination of the words "knock" and "pummel." It's a word similar in meaning to "whashed."

thondered: A mixture of the words "thought" and "pondered." It sounds like the word "thundered," so it has a darker connotation than either of the words that make it up.

plorbid: A combination of the words "pleasant" and "morbid." These are the thoughts of a sadistic person.

twisked: A mixture of the words "twisted" and "wicked." Neither of the words seemd to fit just right, so I combined them.

hurce: A combination of the words "hurried" and "force." The word is used to describe someone stomping around very fast.

greinbow: A mixture of "grey" and "rainbow." It's a greyscale rainbow.

primmering: A combination of "pretty" and "shimmering." It's a word for something that is beautiful only because it sparkles or shines.

raside: A mixture of "right" and "side." It is something to a person's right.
evoy: A combination of the words "evil" and "toy." It is a plaything used for malicious purposes.

nefistic: A mixture of the words "nefarious" and "sadistic." It is the perfect word to describe a villain's laugh when he is torturing someone.

plocked: A combination of the words "ploink" (which isn't really a word, but a sound effect) and "knocked." It's to know someone over with a "ploink"-like sound effect.

This poem might seem a bit disturbing. I admit it, it is, especially since the king is a child. I don't believe many children are quite that sadistic. I'm sure the could be taken a number of different ways, with all sorts of metaphorical meanings, but really it is about that young king, who grows up to be a character from a novel I've been working on. I had difficulty writing this poem, but that is really just because I'm not much of a poet. I'm more talented at writing stories than poetry. I like that I used nonsense words in this poem, since it is a story about a child. It makes it seem even more like a story about a child, because "fake" or "silly" words are being used to describe him and his actions, words that he might even think of himself. Young children tend to make up words this way, and it's sort of whimsical in a way. In order to write it, I just sat down and began writing, which is the way most pieces of writing start out. I inserted silly nonscensical words in as I went along, and once I was finished, I went back and created the etymological listing of words. This helped me pick out words that didn't quite make sense with the rest of the poem.

Grade: A+