HowtoLaughOutLoud

Let's MOVE

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:59:37 GMT

I'm moving to a different account for clean-up. I'll post link after I get everything organized there. ;]

Writer's Block: All About My Mother

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:07:50 GMT

Who is your favorite mother (the character, not the actress) from television or the movies?

Oh...wow. Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter is just an amazing mom - she'd have to be if you had seven children... I want a sweater for Christmas! x]

Happy Mother's Day!

Writer's Block: What's the Plan?

Sat, 02 May 2009 22:34:11 GMT

Do you like to plan everything out or do you prefer to be spontaneous?

View 502 Answers

I'm spontaneous in everything, especially uploading. x]

My Damsel Breathes Fire - Chapter 4

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:10:46 GMT

My Damsel Breathes Fire
By Misster Cackles

Staging Noah
Chapter 4

: / / / / :

Lavi first awoke a few hours later from a quite click of a door, body automatically aware of unfamiliar surroundings, but too tired and hazy to actually care about them; the thick, warm comforters were pulled over his shoulders tightly and, trying to forget exactly why he was treated with such luxury, rolled over onto his side and fell back asleep, a deep unwelcoming guilt settling in his stomach. The weight gave him horrid nightmares of betraying his Innocence and becoming a Fallen. As a Fallen, in his twisted dream, his skin was gray and he wore silver lined armor and helmet that covered his face, controlled by Tyki Mikk to hunt and kill his friends. When he destroyed the Order, Lenalee’s face was the most vivid in his dream with the look of horror etched into every line of it as he slowly strangled her to death with his bare hands…

And it felt incredible and elating.

The prefect orb shape of the Innocence’s core’s particles rippled and sparked briefly as a common housefly skimmed against the edge of the orb of fragments and combusted instantly. A low pitch grumble emitted from the remains of the anti-akuma weapon, sounding inconspicuously like the roar of the blazing snake. He gasped deeply in his sleep when the dream Lenalee became limp in his hold and inhaled some of the dust that was Innocence.

One bleary emerald eye opened slowly, not finding his peace in sleep.

: / / / / :

As she was heading to the banquet hall, Rhode Kamelot tensed suddenly from the faint stirrings of her Noah. Amused as to why it was reacting to the sense of Innocence, Rhode walked with a swing to the nearby grand staircase that directed to the second floor bedrooms and laid a hand on the stairwell, peering curiously up at the darkness of the second level of the Kamelot manor. She had no doubt that it was from the Bookman Lavi whom the servants were laying to rest, but whatever caused the Innocence to spark to life was gone just as quick as it came, and her Noah settled.

Tyki messed up again, Rhode thought. She thought quick to decide what to do; it might be possible that Lavi’s Innocence might end up like Lenalee Li’s, but highly impossible seeing how the two Innocence were destroyed in two very different ways: Lenalee Li’s Innocence broken down from over extrusion, Lavi’s by the Noah’s power itself. It was exceedingly tempting to let it pass to see how it unfolded, but Rhode’s lips quirked a smile of deviousness, lifting her foot to step on the bottom stair.

“Where’s your mother, Rhode?”

For interrupting her fun, Tyki could deal with his own problems. It was too tempting to not do, anyway.

The voice made her halt, a frown replacing the grin as she was caught going to the Bookman’s room. She sighed and brought her foot back on ground level, turning to meet her firm uncle’s face. He didn’t seem all too pleased with her mischief, and judging how he appeared unconcern, Rhode guessed he hadn’t felt Lavi’s Innocence. It wasn’t that surprising; her Noah was stronger than his in true form and could pick up the sense of the enemy’s weapon ten miles away. Rhode Kamelot wasn’t the first child of Noah for nothing, mind you.

Rhode huffed and crossed her arms, “Mother went to lie down for a while and asked for Clyde to wake her up when you both arrived. Where’s Father?” She asked in return, having been outside in the snow-covered courtyard with Russell, the Kamelot’s large, white dog, when the head maid came and fetched her to wash up for supper and change into a nicer dress since they had company. Rhode, confused and almost upset that her father or uncle would bring someone during their own family time, asked who the guest was, but the maid did not know, but that didn’t matter: Upon entering the house, gossip was all over the corridors between the servants of the ill and improper state of the new redhead arrival.

Redhead…

The young Kamelot girl could only guess one person with red hair that her father Cyril and uncle Tyki would disrupt their time for, even if unintentional: The Bookman Junior Lavi. Well, Rhode reconsidered and tilted her head slightly, previous Junior. A warped smile came upon her lips; previous Junior, but the last Bookman.

Tyki smiled at his niece, features smoothing to something more relaxed, “You father’s taking over Clyde’s job, apparently, but for a good cause.” He offered his arm, but Rhode ignored it and walked past him towards the dining hall, tossing a cheeky grin over her shoulder.

“You want to know a little about the last remaining Bookman before Mother starts asking questions?” Rhode asked, finally fisting her hand on the side of her uncle’s formal jacket, making Tyki frown with displeasure; he was sure it was going to crease. He sighed.

“Tricia is a good woman and doesn’t ask questions, but it’d be better if she wasn’t suspicious, especially when the Bookman’s not going to act pleased around us…” Tyki trailed and gave Rhode a surprised look. Rhode grinned up him, knowing he finally caught on to what she had said.

“How’d you do it? It took me a couple of weeks to get the Bookmen I had been assigned to; certainly your mother wouldn’t allow you to cross seas without your father to reach the ones in America.” Tyki stated suspiciously, having a very good idea on how she completed her task. And just as he had thought, she replied with: “Lulu finished last night.”

Tyki snorted and rolled his eyes, “Of course. Was it the usual bribery of making Lulu believe she’ll be at least a little more important to the Duke, even though he’ll be congratulating you yet knowing she did the work?” He turned them around a corner and continued to guide his niece and himself to the dining hall. He knew how his niece worked, and knew she didn’t work clean and fought dirtier.

A giggle came from the girl almost too innocently, “What makes you think that, Tyki?” Sometimes Tyki was fearful of his own niece, but it wasn’t without reason, obviously. She exhaled long, and immediately the air changed into something business.

“What is it you’d like to know about him?” Rhode asked. “His heart and mind’s been in me only once, but that doesn’t make him all the easier to read, Tyki; you’re the one who’s got to make small talk with him to make it appear normal.”

Tyki smiled, understanding, “Well, let’s start with his current alias.”

Rhode gave her uncle a side glance, “You really must not know anything on him if you don’t even know that much, Tyki, but he goes by Lavi, his forty-ninth name.”

“Well said, my dear,” he said sarcastically. As they neared the dining room, two servants on either side of the tall door opened a door each for them, bowing as they walked past. Tyki nodded his head for them to be at ease, but Rhode acted as if she didn’t see them, like always. He smirked slightly, silently shaking his head to his niece for being, well, like his niece. Two butlers pulled their chairs and asked if they would like a beverage to wait for the master and mistress; Tyki politely declined and Rhode wanted cider.

Tyki thought silently for the moment while Cyril and Tricia were still missing; Lavi, eh? It sounded exotic like his. Tyki idly wondered how shocked or angry, or perhaps un-amused the Bookman would be when he would call him by his name, something he made very clear that he didn’t want him doing. Tyki glanced at Rhode, another question forming.

“How young is he?”

Rhode didn’t even look at him when saying, “Too young for anything you might want to do.” While she buffed her fingernails on her dress front, Tyki deadpanned as he was certain that for any servant within hearing range raised their eyebrows. She flashed her violet eyes to his dark brown ones, and rolled them. “I was only joking, Tyki. He’s somewhere around nineteen, no older, I’m positive.”

The Noah of Pleasure gave a surprised sound and a low chuckle, “That’s quite a lot of names for such a short span of time.” Rhode only nodded in agreement. A butler came in with Rhode’s drink and set it down before her, bowing on the way out. “Just how long has he been apart of the Bookman Order?”

The twelve-year-old took a sip of the heated apple drink and rested the cup back on the table, tilting it on its edge and let go. Luckily, it didn’t spill over and fell back evenly. She made a small frown when it didn’t do anything destructive and leaned back into her chair, responding with a whisper, “Since around the time my human body was born, maybe a little longer. He’s been with the other organization for about two or three years-”

Just then the banquet hall doors opened and Rhode immediately fastened her mouth shut on the subject and Tyki stood from his chair as Cyril and Tricia entered the room. Cyril was taking his wife’s hand in his and guiding her to the right side of his chair, across from Tyki. Rhode was seated next to her mother. Tyki sat down after his brother, showing proper formal manners in front of the mistress of the Kamelot manor.

After a minute of Cyril tasting and testing the red wine, the chefs brought out the prepared dinner (a leafy fruit salad; a roasted swine, complete with an apple in mouth; with a various number of different vegetables and fruits and dressings and rolls) and served the family. Rhode had a steady eye on the last cart of food, the dessert cart that seemed almost over filling with cakes, puddings, pies, and other pastries and creams that was set aside for later. Her mother scolded her lightly and told her to eat what was in front of her then she could have what she desired.

Tyki took a sip of the sweet yet bitter wine and started conversation, “How have you been Tricia? I passed by Rowel earlier this evening and I told him you were feeling better, so I hope I’m not wrong.”

Tricia swallowed dryly on fresh baked bread and took a drink of the glass of water, clearing her throat before she replied with, “I do feel healthier, thank you for asking, Tyki. Doctor Knox has been doing his part, but there have been days where I’m…off, for lack of better word, and the medication doesn’t work as well. So as of recent, however, I’ll need to be dressing more warmly if I am to show our new company any courtesy.” She gave a slight smile at her husband’s brother, and an extra quirk for the last statement that Tyki had a hard time reading; Tricia may be humble, sickly, and very well-mannered woman, but there was something else about her that made Tyki stay on his toes.

Tyki gave a smile back, staging helplessness point blank, “I apologize for bringing a guest on such short notice, my dear, but he was a good friend of mine when I was visiting Ireland and offered me housing when all lodgings were filled. When I saw him on the street, I tried to find him a nice bed and breakfast, but their offices had closed. It was also very unfortunate that he was ill from the weather, as well.”

Cyril decided to act with it, his acting skills not as great as Tyki’s but still convincing, “What is he doing in Portugal? That’s quite a trip to take. Can he speak our language?”

The darker man nodded, “He was coming for his grandfather’s funeral, but he was too late for it, he said.” He took another drink of the wine, “He’s been taught well; it would surprise me if he didn’t know Portuguese.”

Tricia bought the performance from the double-life tricksters and gave a gloomy sigh, “I’m sad to hear that… Well, is there something else here that he could spend time doing before leaving?” And that was when the two men knew that they had won her consent (not that it was a hard thing to do, but Lavi would still be in the manor even if she didn’t approve of it). Tyki smiled gratefully at the kind woman.

“Thank you, Lady Tricia,” Tyki said as if it were the best news he’s heard of all week, “And I’m pretty sure he could find something to do in your wonderful home. Actually…” he trailed, going into thought. His original plan was to limit the Bookman’s wandering and freedom (such as restricted from using the phone lines and going outside), but he really did not want a miserable person on his hands or Tricia may think it will be her doing. Perhaps, when he recovered from his cold, Tyki could have a servant show the Bookman to the Kamelot’s private library. That would be a way to keep a natural librarian busy.

“He could play with me sometimes,” Rhode spoke up for the first time on the topic, suggesting, though sounding more demanding. “Or help me with homework; he seems really smart.” Tricia looked at her daughter with a raised, skeptical brow and Tyki sighed at his niece’s mistake; she wasn’t supposed to know of him yet.

“When have you met him, dear?”

Rhode bit on the tip of her spoon before answering, “Uncle Tyki’s told me a lot of his stories of when he’d been in other countries. This guy sounds kind of familiar, I think… Isn’t he the young traveling scholar from Ireland?”

God, Rhode was cunning, Tyki thought and he exhaled deeply. Next to him, he heard Cyril do the same. The darker Portuguese smiled wide and nodded, “That’s correct, Rhode; I’m glad you remembered.”

Tricia flushed slightly for taking her daughter for granted, “I’m sorry, dear, I didn’t realize, but don’t you think as a scholar he might be more than a little busy to help you? Give him at least a few days before you ask anything of him.” She blinked and faced the men, “Sorry, but what is his name? It could be counted as unsuitable to speak to him without knowing his name.”

“You can call me Lavi, good madam.”

Three pairs of eyes turned immediately to the new voice while Rhode grinned to into her soup, having long sensed his arrival at the door when she said that he could help her do school work so the Bookman would know what his background would be while staying with them. Lavi could work out the rest.

Tyki stared openly with a sudden unease that Lavi would expose the three of them, and he saw the same minuscule expression on his brother’s face as he narrowed his eyes warningly at the redhead. It wasn’t as though Cyril couldn’t make Tricia forget, but as a family man, he despised using his Noah talents on his loved ones. Yet after Lavi bowed respectfully after introducing himself, he glanced to the three Noahs…

And he smiled kindly with an almost genuine smile.

He looked back at Tricia, “I’m sorry for intruding, madam, but I truly appreciate any hospitality you give.” Tyki settled back slightly; it seems that the Bookman would keep his promise and corporate with them.

Tricia waved off his apology, “No need to be sorry, Sir Lavi; I find it in right that Lord Tyki thought it wise to bring you here.” She smiled warmly; delight was in her eyes for this new guest and it was radiant: Tyki saw Lavi visibly relax in her presence.

Lavi chuckled politely, “It was lucky that he showed up when he did.” While Tyki was mentally rolling his eyes, she nodded in agreement and offered him the chair next to Tyki, across from Rhode. With near hesitancy, he accepted, slightly limping, and it was then that Tyki noticed Lavi’s change in attire. He wore a white dress shirt and deep crimson necktie underneath a pine green vest that matched the darkest color in the Bookman’s lone eye, with solid black dress pants and polished dark brown shoes. From the vest’s pocket hung a familiar gold chain that latched across his front to the shoulder button. Lavi’s appearance was complete when his shocking colored hair was lightly gelled back so it didn’t seem as unruly.

In other words: beside him, instead of his once enemy Exorcist Bookman that had identity issues, sat a well-bred, bilingual scholar from Ireland. If a little pale, though.

The lady Kamelot gasped, “You’re limping! Are you alright? We can have someone take a look at it…” Lavi silenced her with a shake of his head, still smiling lightly.

“I only had a bad turn out with the streets. I was too deep in thought to realize that I was walking over ice. Definitely nothing to worry about, good madam,” he lied smoothly.

“You didn’t rest for long, are you feeling that much better…Lavi?” Tyki asked, playing the stage as he had done when he met up with the Bookman. He hinted an emphasis to his name, wondering if he would do anything as he thought he might do.

Lavi stopped the waiter from serving him any alcohol and asked for warm cider instead before answering Tyki, “Ah, some, yes; I just couldn’t sleep well.” Not even a frown, Tyki thought, sulking.

“Hey!” Rhode said, “After dinner, would you like to play with me, Lavi? We could play History Lesson.” Tyki and Cyril raised a brow at the choice of game, and Lavi paused while cutting his pork. But Tricia put a hand on her arm, shaking her head firmly.

“He needs some more rest, dear,” she said, “Sir Lavi has traveled a long ways…”

“No, that’s alright, madam,” Lavi interrupted again, grinning at Rhode as he talked, “If I feel up to it, I will. I wonder what she could teach me.” He chuckled some, and Cyril huffed out a smile that was hidden behind his wine glass; he was finally seeing, that even though Lavi would make him feel suspicious, the boy would not start any trouble. The older brother glanced to the younger one with a thoughtful gaze, noticing the side glances he was giving the Bookman, and an ugly question surfaced from the back of his mind: could he trust his brother enough to not tempt the boy into fighting? Already Tyki tried to make a jab at him while they were pretending to be acquaintances, and arguing would just upset his wife. He would need to speak to Tyki later on the subject.

It would be a lie to say the rest of dinner was silent and uneventful, and a certain Noah made sure of it. Rhode began to finally munch down on her desired sweets of all sorts, some that looked familiar to the Bookman and others that seem to have strange, purple, pasty fillings. Tricia had a small slice of spicy gingerbread cake in front of her while Cyril and Tyki both fancied themselves to a dark pudding. Lavi also asked for a slice of gingerbread cake, and damn did these chefs know how to cook. Probably as well as Jerry!

He almost tensed once again and pretended not to take notice of the Noah of Pleasure’s secret glimpses at him; he knew what that Tyki Mikk was doing, trying to unnerve him, add mocking his earlier statement that evening about him not wanting him to know his alias. Blasphemy, he growled in his head, he would not drop to Mikk’s standards.

But still, five times in the past six minutes was unnerving!

With a small idea in his head, Lavi took it to action when the next time Tyki looked at him discreetly. A green eye matched him and looked at him right back, and he could tell Tyki was shocked. In fact, feeling satisfied, Lavi smirked at the Noah in disguise. He raised his lone brow and appeared curious, taking the performance into his hands.

“Is there something wrong?” Lavi asked innocently enough, “You keep looking at me as if you have something to say.” He turned to face the darker Portuguese man, drawing attention from the three Kamelots to them. Since he was facing towards Tyki, Lavi could very well see a smile playing on Cyril’s mouth, either it was one of mirth or one of approval, the redhead didn’t know.

Tyki swallowed quickly and Lavi could see the gears turning behind his eyes as he thought of a hasty lie, then he nodded, acting as if he was closely examining his face and even leaned in to keep up his performing. Lavi felt his cheeks heat with such near proximity. He was embarrassed that the Noah had taken back control.

“I’m sorry, Lavi, for startling you,” Tyki said smoothly, and slowly reached up and gently took a hold of the younger’s chin who was frozen stiff from the touch, not knowing what to do to stay in character. “But I couldn’t tell if you were really all that pale; hmm, you even have an unhealthy glow to your face.”

He raised his other hand and asked, “If I may…?” He teethed off its glove with leisure motion, and softly laid his finger tips on the boy’s cheek, rotating in small circles before the palm went flat against the blind side of his face. Tyki’s hand felt nearly as long as his head was, but Lavi jolted, yet the fingers gripped a little tighter to hold him still. His green eye widened, staring back at the dark colored irises that flashed with something, making his chest was starting to heat up and constrict with their closeness, and he wanted to pull back, but…

And as quick as things seemed to happen in this country lately, the air around them suddenly changed into something more calming and content and Lavi jerked his head from the tender grip and whipped around to stare at the cause. Rhode was looking at them both with a deep frown on her face, and beside her, Tricia’s body lazed limply from being in Rhode’s dream realm. Her eyes had changed from their violet hue to the Noah gold, and her hair seemed wilder than before, if only a little; there was no gray skin, though. Cyril heaved a sigh, all source of smile gone.

“Now if we could all behave, children?” Cyril commanded tersely to the Bookman and his younger brother. Seriously, they were old enough to know better. He looked at his adopted daughter, mentioning to Tricia, “What is she seeing?” He was visibly trying to control his anger; it was bad enough that Rhode had to use her ability on her mother, but sometimes his brother played with his rivals too much.

Rhode nibbled at another spoonful of dessert and smirked wickedly at the two across the table, amused with the night’s events, “Something that was more censored than that; too bad it’s only foreplay,” she said under her breath to no one. She glimpsed at the dream her mother was having in her head and repeated the words spoken in it, “Tyki is asking if he feels unwell. No touching.”

Cyril nodded and told Rhode how he wanted the dream to play out and let her do the rest, “Have the Bookman say he may be left weak from a traveling cold. Let them leave the table and Tyki guide him back to his room. And as for you two…” He glared at the real Tyki and Lavi again, and the redhead gulped. It didn’t help that the man next to him was sweating underneath the brow, either.

“I want you both in the library, immediately. I will be there after supper, and after I’ve had a chance to release some anger. Understood?” Tyki nodded in response and stood, walking out of the banquet hall, doors pulled open with his approach (the servants in the room were in the same dream as Tricia) without another word. Lavi, sensing that Cyril may be extremely dangerous when angered, followed the Noah of Pleasure’s actions with hobbling haste and fell in behind his step. His right cheek tingled where Tyki had touched him and the coils in his chest only lessened slightly; he chose to ignore those feelings, placing them under the category as anger. It explained the heat, at least.

When they twisted around many corners and entered different halls he didn’t recall seeing on his way to the banquet hall, the silence was too thick for Lavi to handle any more, especially in the dimly lighted, smaller corridor by gas lamps where Lavi could feel Tyki’s presence everywhere. Lavi began to say anything to start conversation, but before he had time to say anymore, Tyki didn’t even pause in step to turn on him, shoving him up against the wall with a pointing finger that shook at the redhead’s face, like a man scolding his dog. The dark eyes were narrowed almost angrily at him.

And for some reason, the look on Tyki’s face and the waving of his finger made Lavi’s rage overflow; he dare shake his finger at him when he was the one that started the shit in the dining room?! Tyki was telling him harshly to listen, eyes flickering between colors, but Lavi growled furiously, stomping a foot forward. He didn’t care if this guy was a Noah or not, but he wasn’t about to be scolded for something he didn’t start, Godammit! Tyki blinked in surprise at the retorting rage.

Lavi cursed in many languages, “This is your fault, Noah,” he seethed. He raised a hand and waved his own damn finger at the Portuguese’s face, “You had to start something in there! I wasn’t so perfectly fine with lying for you fucking Noahs while I stayed here in exchange for my safety and Innocence, but I was doing it, was I not, Mikk?! I could have been giving you shit, exposing your Noah selves to that woman in there. She might not have believed me, but it would give you bad face to her, right? Don’t you dare put the blame on me, Noah!” Lavi hissed out hot breath, collecting thought.

“I didn’t need to be here. You could have completely ignored me at that diner, earlier. You could have been on your way while I went on my own. You didn’t have to destroy Nyoibo!” In irate despair, he threw his hands in the air, “Why did you even bring me here if you were going to make me miserable, Noah?” Lavi half shouted, half asked.

After the anger started to flood from his face and his eyes became a normal human color again, Tyki hummed with near curiosity, stepping a little away, and after a moment he answered with, “But I did, did I not? Then you were an Exorcist, and I am a Noah; what would you have done if our situations were switched? I as the ill Noah on the street, and you as an Exorcist, able to kill me without trouble what would you have done?”

Lavi frowned, “I would have killed you without fucking with your head, making you wonder if you were going to die or not, or be left with other enemies.” The older man smiled with a small snort.

“Then the only difference is that I let you live after I disposed of the thing that may harm me. Would you really not have tried to exorcise my Noah like Walker tried to have done to make me harmless as well?” The Bookman stuttered, averting his face.

“If…if I was able to exorcise, I would have, but I’m…I wasn’t synchronized enough with my Innocence to do so,” the redhead muttered. Tyki didn’t say anything, and when Lavi took a peek at him, he appeared to be in deep thought, dazing off as he looked at him. The darker man finally slowly opened his mouth, a smile appearing on his lips full force, and he changed topic.

“And what makes you believe that my intentions were to make you unhappy, Bookman? Pardon if it’s my entertainment making you, ah, miserable, but all I was going to say was I going to need you to listen to me if you want to live by the end of the night. I’m sorry if I seemed more put off than I thought; I have a lot on my mind, and I don’t generally like to be on my brother’s bad side.” Lavi nodded and swallowed a little forcefully, remembering the look of irritated displeasure on Cyril.

There was a sound coming from the entrance of the corridor which became louder and echoing footsteps. Tyki’s posture automatically straightened and Lavi masked his nervousness and annoyance, making a mental note to talk to the Noah later on the subject of the real reason why he was here. It was a maid carrying a basket piled of linens, and she paid no mind to them, but Tyki fell back into routine of the normal human, Lord Tyki Mikk, and not monstrous Noah of Pleasure.

Tyki hummed and waved a hand in front of them, “Shall we continue, Lavi?” He stepped towards the direction he gestured to, waiting for the Bookman to fall into step beside him, and then they went on to the library in silence.

The maid faltered her pace to the master baths, studying the hanging gas lamps with a baffled stare: The once dimly lit hallway was now brightly blazing.

“Who turned up the fire…?”

: / / / / :

“Oh my God, it’s so huge!”

When Tyki had turned on the small table light and illuminated the room, Lavi had been taken back by the number of books that the family of Noahs owned. Sure, by first glance at the titles, he was pretty sure he’s read most of them, but still… The library itself was more like a small public one, but this was remarkable for personal reasons! As a Bookman, he was impressed, and surrounded by the number of them, Lavi felt like he was back at his old room from the first Black Order’s Headquarters. Save for the clutter of newspaper that was obviously missing from the floor. Lavi rounded up to the first bookcase near him and started picking at the titles and judging the literature.

Tyki smirked at the exclamation, but when he turned to the younger, he wasn’t there. He blinked in surprise when he caught movement from the corner of his eye and there Lavi was, picking out a few books already. He allowed himself a soft chuckle, giving the Bookman a strange look at his actions: at least he was right when he thought of the idea earlier. He came up behind the unexpectedly changed attitude Bookman stealthily, his face hovering over the redhead’s shoulder on his blind side. Before saying anything, Tyki watched as the slim fingers skimmed over translated English volumes that Tyki hadn’t bother to read yet. Even from this proximity, the Bookman didn’t seem to sense him yet and even started to mumble to himself occasionally in multi languages as his fingers ran up and down countless spines; the Portuguese man guessed Lavi was hardly aware of the change.

He sounded entrancing and he wondered how this boy of such a younger age than he could speak so many tongues so fluently. Tyki was able to understand only the Portuguese, English, Spanish, German, and French words coming from his mouth, and recognized the sounds of Romanian, Arabic, Hungarian, and Italian but could not read into them fully. He was sure that there were even a few tongues in there that he hadn’t even heard of. Tyki wanted to hear more, but now wasn’t the time. He drew back slowly and carefully to not aware Lavi of his presence.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Librarian?” He asked, and Lavi jumped, his hand brushing against the covers as he spun around. Tyki noted that when he was turning, Lavi turned from his left side, and Tyki wondered if that was because it would be faster to see behind him. The older man stepped back, suddenly finding that he was too close when the boy’s nose came almost to his chin.

Lavi noticed this, and raised a brow, “You’re strange, Noah; first you get in my space at dinner just to irritate me, but when we’re like this you’re wary? I don’t get you.” Tyki laughed sharply, not full of any normal malice, but just a bit of amusement there.

“You’re one to talk, dear Librarian.” He tilted his head, “If you being here make you believe that you’re being ill-treated, why do you not just leave?” The response was without hesitation, lone emerald eye showing nothing.

“Wasn’t I promised answers, Noah? Why else do you think I would be here?”

Tyki gave a light smile and shrug, half joking when he said, “Because you do not know when the next ship to your Order is?”

Lavi side stepped the question, that part true as well, and studied the Noah and took from what he knew so far about him. Tyki Mikk didn’t lie, and when he did it’s not counted because he’s only stretching the truth, or not giving the whole truth. Lavi had only fallen for it before because he was so paranoid with the Crow and being left with them, and not to mention Tyki liked to mess with people at the same. So, Lavi guessed, if he, Tyki, and Cyril were going to talk in a while, Tyki would be sure not to give out all the details right at the beginning.

He decided one thing right then; if he had ceased to be an Exorcist (the thought pained him to think of it and he winced from displeasure), then the Black Order wouldn’t need him anymore. It wasn’t as though he wouldn’t enjoy being in the Black Order, but he was a front line man and didn’t want to be caught up with only the sidelines with Finders. Without Innocence, he was just as that Noah in his head had said: He was only a Bookman and would record the hidden history of the world. Lavi decided that he would stay with the Noahs as long as necessary.

Lavi hummed, “Is there a phone here? I need to make a call to the Bookman’s Order to get the right supplies and books that I might need while I’m here.” He glanced around the room, seeing one attached to the wall near the light that the Noah had turned on. He made to go to it, but Tyki caught at his arm.

The Noah of Pleasure appeared to be taken back at the request and stuttered only slightly, “W-wait, Librarian, I do find it wise to see what my brother says before taking action. He might not want you here that long at all.” Lavi stayed silent for a few moments, thinking it over; it never occurred to him that the Noah wouldn’t want to use him to find secrets of the Black Order if he took residence in the Kamelot’s manor for a while.

“Alright, then may it be possible to contact the Black Order and tell them I won’t be returning?” He rather not say goodbye in person… Not while Lenalee was there.

A flash of his dreaming earlier (her beautiful, gasping face) made him grit his teeth and avert his eyes for a second before coming back to the here and now. He would learn sooner or later on how to get rid of these emotions that resurfaced after so many years to become the Bookman Gramps would be proud to see.

Tyki took a long time in answering, but then made a very hesitant nod, slowly uncurling his fingers from the previous Exorcist’s wrist. His dark eyes were wide and uncertain, making Lavi feel on edge. Would Cyril really be so angry for letting him use the phone? And why would it be alright to contact the Noahs enemy instead of his own Bookman’s Order? Lavi found it peculiar, but didn’t read too much into it; he’s already known that this Noah was a strange one.

Lavi limped and swerved around Tyki, mindful of how his eyes were following him, and leaned on the wall. He picked up the receiver and cradled it with his shoulder and ear while he dialed the number on the base.

Brrring. Brrring. Brri-

“Reever.”

Reever was seriously not the person he wanted to talk to, probably one of the last. Lavi straightened his composure and coughed into his fist to clear his throat.

“This is Lavi, is Komui there?”

There was the sound of drilling in the background, and he figured Reever picked up the phone from the science department. “Ah! Lavi! Komui was just about to contact Bookman’s golem when he saw that he’d left it behind; he needs to talk to him urgently. Is he there? Could you put him on?” Lavi gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the painful tightening in his chest. There was a lump in his throat. This was almost too much to take… Shit.

“I-I need to speak to Komui, now, Reever. Bookman is… Bookman’s…he…” Lavi swallowed thickly as he heard the line go silent from Reever’s end, and even though he’d been able to keep his distress to himself since he’d known his teacher had passed, he couldn’t help the tears that slipped from his eye now. His shoulders shook and with the anguish he felt hot embarrassment, knowing Tyki was watching him and seeing this.

“He… Gramps’ died…” He choked out, and his fist clenched and twitched, like getting ready to strike something.

Silence, then...

“I’m sorry, Lavi. I’ll transfer your call.” What more was there that he could say, Lavi thought, and he sniffed and dried his tears quickly. That was enough, he could pull through it. There was a moment’s wait.

“Komui. Lavi?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” His voice was a little dry and low.

“Listen, Lavi,” Komui said seriously and getting straight to the point, “You might be in danger.” Lavi almost laughed bitterly: he was standing in the same room as a Noah and threw himself in Portugal to fend off some Crows. His sub-consciousness wanted danger. To humor him, Lavi asked:

“What do you mean?”

“…We received a letter from you Bookman’s Order late last night that was sent half a month ago to all Bookmen everywhere.” Komui said. Lavi perked with interest; it was rare that the Bookman’s Order would contact all its members at once. He heard the older man sigh through the phone and that recently familiar becoming feeling of dread settled in his gut once again that night.

“Komui… What did it say?” There was no immediate response, so Lavi asked louder, “What did the Bookman’s Order have to say, Komui!” There was a quick in drawn of breath behind him and Lavi glanced back to Tyki who was staring at him with wide alarmed eyes. Perplexed, the solo green eye held their unblinking stare, unsure as to why he automatically thought that what ever Komui had to say about the Bookman’s Order was related with the Noahs.

“Lavi… The Bookman’s Order has been destroyed,” The Chinese man said softly, “If Bookman is dead, then that would make you the last Bookman, Lavi.”

Lavi didn’t say anything at all for a couple moments and he rocked shakily on his heels with a negative hum. His heart was beating anxiously with in its cage and his chest felt tighter with each pound of blood through his ears. What was going lately? Why were the Bookmen such targets; the Innocence from his teacher and him he could understand, but those Bookmen not even knowing what akuma were?

“No w-way, Komui,” Lavi said unevenly with an unsteady laugh, “There are thousands of people in that Order. They can’t all be gone. What about the headquarters from over seas?”

“There are numerous of eye witnesses from over seas that have reported seeing an adult female flee from the scene of the murders, and… Lavi, the reports fits the Noah Lulu Bell’s description right down to the long, braided ponytail and crosses on her forehead.” There was another pause where Lavi forgot to breathe, especially when Komui continued, “And with the attacks here in the East, two people have been identified: A young girl and older man depicted as Rhode Kamelot and Tyki Mikk.”

Komui was saying something else, but Lavi didn’t hear any of it, a low static filling his ears. With his single eye still on the Noah, wide and disbelieving, he could easily see the confirmation written in that sadistic grin that was spreading on the older man’s face as he guessed what the phone conversation was about. The last Bookman swallowed thickly and inhaled deeply and shakily, not taking his eye off the Noah.

“T-thank you for telling me, Komui, but I’ve got to go now.”

“W-wait, Lavi! You could at least come back home to Headquarters, right? Lenalee’s worrying—”

Stone cold toned and Lavi interrupted and replied quickly before hanging the phone back on its hook, “As a Bookman I do not have a home, nor do I have comrades. I see no reason as to why I have to go back to your Black Order when I have nothing more to do with it. The Bookmen no longer have Innocence in their possession. Thank you for your time, Komui Li.”

There was a clank when the phone was dropped back on the base and nothing else. The green eye didn’t steer away from the Noah, now once again edgy in his presence even though promised not to be harmed. Just as the Noahs had said earlier that evening: he wasn’t suppose to have allies nor enemies, but that didn’t mean if an evil wanted to make the Bookmen a foe that they would still regard them as nothing. But why was the Noah hunting Bookmen? Why not just stick with those who have Innocence?

Tyki took a step towards him and Lavi tensed, preparing himself to fight with his bare fists if he had to.

“Why did you Noahs kill the Bookmen?” Lavi raised his voice. Tyki came closer and raised his arms, shrugging with a smirk.

He laughed shortly, “Because it was essential, my dear Librarian.” Tyki halted a few feet in front of the Bookman and said with a serious face, “Only those who knew the truth about it were allowed to live because they were needed for recording purposes. It would have been hard to take a Bookman who didn’t understand anything about this war and brought him into the middle of it only to be shown a new side entirely.”

Lavi squinted at his choice of word when using ‘side’ and asked slowly, mostly to himself, “When you mean say ‘new side,’ are you speaking about… No… But if Central was even afraid to let General Cross know, much less the Order, then that must mean whatever it is, is in the Earl’s favor.” His eye averted downward in deep thought, but the Noah didn’t let him think too long on it.

Tyki narrowed his eyes slightly, “What are you mumbling about, Librarian?”

The Bookman jerked his head up again, green eye annoyed, “One…no…” He studied the Noah quietly for a full five seconds, “Two questions, Noah.” When Tyki nodded his head hesitantly at his outward behavior (not as though his consent mattered to Lavi anyway), Lavi asked first, “Why didn’t you all at least let those across the Atlantic live? What were the chances of them coming over seas to butt into whatever event was happening here?”

Tyki snorted, “Too high of a chance. If those who didn’t know what’s been happening from at least being in this war, then they were useless and would have gotten in the way. What the Millennium Earl is planning is going world wide, lad. We don’t need any stragglers.”

Lavi nodded in acknowledgement, storing away the information as soon as it left the other’s mouth. Then he asked without wait, “This isn’t my second question, but what is he planning?”

Again, there was silence until the Noah of Pleasure hummed with thought, smirking wider. He laughed once more and brushed the left group of bangs over his ear as he resumed stalking closer to Lavi. “Well, you see, lovely Librarian that question is actually what’s keeping you alive this very moment, but not in so that you have to know what the Earl is doing precisely. You see, all you have to know is the jest of it and what it might lead to.” Tyki had gotten Lavi to back up to the wall behind him and reached up to grab the boy’s chin with his fingers as he had done earlier during dinner.

Staring into the single green eye, Tyki asked firmly, “Librarian, have you honestly ever heard of the other side of the war?”

: / / / / :

Writer's Block: Fearsome

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 03:19:14 GMT

The boogeyman, global thermonuclear war, being forced to eat broccoli—there's a lot to be afraid of when you're a kid. What was your biggest childhood fear?

View 501 Answers

As strange as this might be, I was afraid to fall asleep because I was so afraid of my nightmares when I had them. Of course, I'd end up falling asleep anyway xDx

Uh... I got over it...about three years ago.

My Damsel Breathes Fire - Chapter 3

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:48:02 GMT

My Damsel Breathes Fire
By Misster Cackles

: / / / / :

Lavi tensed as the Noah couldn’t control his laughter. What was so funny about it? He just announced to the entire street that Tyki was a Noah, even the Crow members! Lavi gasped silently, realizing. He whipped around, disbelieving, as he searched the tops of buildings. All clear. The sound of his enemy slowing his laughter to a small chuckle made him turn around, prepared yet berating himself mentally on how he could let his guard fall like that just because Tyki Mikk said he was being watched and had to pretend. The newly appointed Bookman demanded an explanation how he knew Crow was in Portugal.

“You’re so paranoid, my lovely Librarian.” Tyki stated with a mean grin, advancing towards Lavi in measured steps. Lavi glowered, stepping and limping away that matched Tyki’s. “That’s very unbecoming for a man.” The Noah’s eyes flashed between the yellows, his rich, darkened skin turning darker to the recognizable Noah feature. The air seemed to swirl around Tyki, and Lavi could distinctly feel the air getting chillier despite it already being winter, but it was more than that: his chest became heavier and his insides were deathly cold. Remembering the last form he saw Tyki in, Lavi almost shook with fright but willed himself to grab Nyoibo, teeth bared and single green eye murderous. Yet with this fierce out front towards his enemy, he still felt twenty times smaller against Tyki knowing that this Noah had already cracked his hard-to-brake Innocence once before.

Tyki only grinned at the Exorcist Bookman, feeling the Noah urges within him to just kill the boy instead of toying with him. He opened his mouth, “It’s unbecoming because it shows weakness and emotion.” He smirked even more when he saw Lavi twitch. “You’ll be an awful Librarian if you show anything, right?”

Lavi gritted his teeth, growling, “I’ll worry about that on my own; you just worry about your dying wish! Now tell me how you knew the Crow were here! Tell me if Bookman was with them!” He could have sworn that he saw a shadow flicker from Tyki’s body, and in response he invocated his Innocence and it grew three times larger.

“Oh, they were here, alright, lovely Librarian,” Tyki mused tauntingly, waving his free hand idly. “Came in, destroyed the akuma, and killed your Bookman teacher.” He laughed shortly, “All on this same street, too. Look on over there, at that alley; I’m pretty sure that is where they stashed his body…” The Noah pointed a gray hand to a passage that was close, but sighed in an obvious staged way, hand falling, “But some people came in earlier in the day and called the police. He’s probably six feet under by now.”

“The Crow, you bastard!” Lavi hollered, “Where are they!”

Tyki shrugged easily before his eyes became wide, irises contracting into horizontal slits again, “Dead. I killed them.” As Lavi gaped, Tyki raised his hand straight in the air with his fingers outstretched. He suddenly gripped into a fist, and a second later the nearest gas street lamp’s glass box shattered, the flame flickering out from an unfelt wind. Lavi was shaken and stepped back, wondering if he’d be fast enough to flee on Nyoibo, but Tyki was advancing fast towards him and, with Tyki, the shadows were surrounding darker around them. A breeze circled and shifted the darkness around Tyki, and Lavi saw a black, ridged tentacle form from the Noah and come straight for him at a too-fast of speed. Shit, he wouldn’t be able to dodge it, so he lifted Nyoibo in front of him in hopes of being able to block Tyki’s attack.

Footsteps crunched in the snow and became louder, approaching the scene, and Lavi whipped his head around to demand that the people run away. A sound escaped from his throat, but died off as he looked into the face of another Tyki.

“Little brother! There you are!”

Immediately the air felt warmer now that the shadows had retreated and the wind stopped swirling. The tentacle had dissolved into the nothingness it came from, and the Noah of Pleasure turned into the average Tyki Mikk once more, golden eyes taking longer to turn to their native dark brown color. Tyki smiled at the approaching man that Lavi now saw more clearly without Tyki’s dark aura surrounding them. He was just about the same height as Tyki, a little taller perhaps by age, but now with the light he could see that he looked almost nothing like Tyki: He was Portuguese, yes, with the same body build Tyki had, and his hair was just as long, but that’s where the similarities ended.

“Good evening, Cyril,” Tyki said with a cherry tone, genuine, that made Lavi feel edgy about this new man; surely he saw Tyki? There was no denying that a bloody tentacle hadn’t come from him. Lavi felt more sickening weight drop in his stomach as he heard what Tyki said next:

“You took care of any witnesses?” They greeted each other warmly, like family, but Tyki pushed Cyril at arms length away as he tried to plant a kiss on his brother’s cheek. This closeness reminded Lavi of Rhode when she sees Allen, so the same horrid weight became a thought: Cyril was a Noah.

“But of course, Brother!” Cyril’s voice was disturbingly light and cheerful, as though even talking about babies dying wouldn’t ruin his spirits. A firm look came over his face, however, and Lavi was shocked at the slight scolding he was now giving Tyki.

“If I wasn’t in sight to know it happening, I wouldn’t have been able to make people turn away in time. Please do not draw anymore attention to yourself; it was hard enough trying to explain why your skin had suddenly changed color overnight. I wouldn’t like to add eye color, or your Noah’s form to the list.” Cyril gave one glance to Lavi for the first time, eyes widening in surprise by his presence. A slow smirk came over his face.

“Even if it is to take care of some…pests.” Tyki gave a low chuckle and waved a hand to Lavi, facing him as he spoke. Lavi glared and readied Nyoibo.

“Cyril, this is Bookman. Bookman, this is my brother Cyril whom I was telling you about.” Tyki couldn’t help the smirk that came over his lips as Cyril’s eyes went wide again.

“Bookman? Is he…”

“Ah, I should say…newly-appointed Bookman.” Tyki interrupted Cyril’s question hastily, making Lavi feel out of a loop. Especially when they begun talking about him as if he weren’t there to begin with.

“Oh, I see, but could he also know?”

“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter; he’s also an Exorcist.”

“But they’re no fun when they’re injured! You can obviously tell he’s sick, and…why’s he favoring his leg?”

Tyki gave another low chuckle and Lavi could only wish his angriest glare could set fire to people. “He slipped on ice and twisted the ankle.”

The new Noah mock slapped Tyki on the arm, a playful glint in his dark, slanted eyes, “Surely you had the speed to catch him before he hit ground, brother; and here I thought you were a gentleman.” He huffed and smirked slyly, “So it’s only your face and manners that attract the crowd. What would you do if they found out how rude you are alone?”

Tyki ignored the question, almost torn on what to do with the Bookman: he wasn’t joking when he told Rowel he was invited to the Kamelot’s manor, but if he killed the redhead now he’d most definitely stain his suit with the boy’s blood, even if he used Tease; they weren’t exactly clean all the time. A thought of taking the Bookman along with him made itself known a couple of times, yet the boy’s Innocence would be troublesome to deal with later, especially if Tricia was to wake with her daughter smashed into a pulp. Not that Rhode would allow herself to be caught off guard even in sleep, mind you.

Then there was the idea that Cyril caused since he hadn’t even thought of it when he set eyes on the Bookman earlier tonight: What if – if being a giant leap of hope – what if the Bookman did know? He hadn’t been the previous Bookman’s successor for no reason, right? Wasn’t that why the Crow members had been following the Bookman? Then, if Tyki slipped by this chance, who knows when next time he would have his chance alone with Bookman again; even their crossings by the port had been purely coincidence: Tyki went to meet Cyril and heard an argument, and the more he approached, the more he felt the twinges of Innocence nearby. He’d taken Bookman’s invatation for a stroll just to fuck with his head, having witnessed his teacher’s death early afternoon.

Lavi watched Tyki for a full two minutes in silence and decided he did not like that deep thoughtful look on his face. The Noah was staring right at him unblinkingly and he could be staring at a wall for the expressionless face he was wearing. Finally Tyki opened his mouth, eyes still dazedly seeing nothing, and asked slowly to his brother, “Do you think Tricia would be upset if I brought a dinner guest?”

Cyril, who had been waiting for a response from his younger half-brother on what to do with the Bookman Exorcist, was certainly not expecting that, but answered anyway, “She’ll be delighted; it’s hardly that you bring a guest over, and she’s always had no problem with the people you bring.” Cyril’s voice caught, catching the jest on what Tyki was planning. He tilted his head and gave Lavi a good run-over before snorting softly.

“He’ll need a formal jacket and you’ll have to do something with that; I don’t want you to even accidently change in my home for being near Innocence. I would very not rather have to use my ability on my own wife, thank you.”

Tyki nodded once, coming from his thoughts, and smiling, “Of course, brother, but I’ll need you to keep heads turned; he may cause a lot of racket.” He stepped forward making the Bookman tense and step back further. Lavi winced, momentarily forgetting about the swelling ankle when he put his weight on his right foot. He drew back his arms when Tyki outstretched a hand towards him.

“I might let you live for a while longer if you hand over your Innocence, lad,” Tyki said with a wicked smirk and he continued to advance on Lavi until the redhead was up against a brick wall of a building. Lavi visibly shuddered when his wet shirt connected with the cold brick and inwardly groaned when he felt a tickle in the back of his throat.

“No fucking way, bastard; I rather go up against the fucking Crows than hand over my Innocence!” Lavi snarled. He raised Nyoibo above his head and swung it down with a resounding crack against the street. A glowing red fire seal appeared as he cried out, “Gouka Kijin: Ki Ban!” The monstrous fire snake grew out from the seal, and Lavi sighed with the warmth that filled the street and let his Innocence’s power do its job, but from across the fire he saw Tyki’s smirk grow even wider. As soon as the snake reached above the buildings, Cyril hissed in anger.

“Little brother, you’re taking things too far!” He turned and faced the redhead, a glint passing through his eyes.

All of a sudden everything was in a haze and his body acted on the soft spoken orders in his head. Lavi was being told to stop his attack, so he commanded his Innocence to go no further, but when ordered to diminish the fire monster he questioned the voice in return, confused as to why his mind was giving strange commands. Wasn’t he in danger? There were two Noahs before him so he was definitely in trouble, and one of them was going to destroy his Innocence. He ignored the order and tried to shake out the voice.

Then the still soft voices easily haggled with him to do as told, asking if he would rather be killed than give in to the simple requests. It was promising warmth, food, and rest as long as he did as told. After a moment, Lavi commanded Nyoibo to cancel its attack, his hunger and ever-warming cheeks giving a little emphasis by growling and tingling. But…what of the Noah…? Lavi scrunched his eye together tightly, feeling unsure about this voice in his head.

This next step is very important and you may feel very reluctant to follow through, but you’ve done very well so far.

Lavi nodded hesitantly, but when it said for him to drop his Innocence on the ground, he was more than reluctant; he right out refused! He would not let the Noahs have their way. Whatever this Noah’s ability was, he needed to break free. Godammit, why didn’t he escape when he was able to, when they were talking? Lavi inwardly snorted and knew the answer right away. It was his curious nature: how did Tyki know the Crow were here…why Tyki was able to stop them all when they were able to take a General…where was Bookman’s Innocence now…what do these Noah know that he doesn’t…

He vaguely heard the two of them talking, but it sounded far off, like him being in a dream. He tried to get back into feeling awake and alert again, but it was hard enough to even form thought and a lot easier to follow instructions, yet he knew that he should never give up Nyoibo less he wanted to be a dead man; without it he stood no chance against the two of them. Not that he had better numbers against just one…

As a Bookman you’re not suppose to have allies nor enemies. If you promise to cooperate with us, we can promise you in return that we won’t harm you as a Bookman. You have questions that we can answer; you’re curious, aren’t you, to know the answers? Just surrender your Innocence and you’ll be fine.

The Bookman Exorcist swallowed hard. It was obvious that any other option was to die with the Innocence. Fuck, Lavi could just imagine Gramps turning over in his grave because he had been such an idiot! Bookman had warned him not to come to Portugal still if for a different reason. He took a moment to reply by thought.

I-is there nothing else?

Unless you wish to give us names of your comrades on the field came the quick response.

Lavi didn’t even dare to think of his friends’ faces or location just then, but that wasn’t an option for Lavi: he would not turn out like Suman Dark.

You might not be able to live as an Exorcist, but you’ll forever remain a Bookman. Why are you holding on to something that is only a second title to you, and something that you had no choice to live as?

Shut up! You wouldn’t understand! My Innocence…Nyoibo…it’s something no one else can have. It’s the only thing apart of me that’s real and certain, and I would rather you kill me before you lay your hands on it!

There was more murmuring as the Noahs conversed with themselves but he still couldn’t grasp on to what was being said. It was quiet for a long while before the newer Noah spoke to him again.

Would you rather die before we destroy your Innocence?

So it’s not possible that you let me go now and kill me another day entirely?

And where would you go, Bookman? You wouldn’t be able to make it out of Portugal if you used your Innocence to escape. If you rested in the country with your Innocence, it would be our job as Noahs, enemy to Exorcists, to kill you and destroy your Innocence. You both will be nonexistent before the end of this night if you choose to remain an Exorcist.

Lavi sighed; he tried looking and thinking through possible outcomes, but there seriously wasn’t any loopholes where he could save his Innocence, Nyoibo. He couldn’t believe he was about to give into the likes of fucking Noahs. He swallowed again, heart thudding angrily with his decision. He pleaded silently for his Innocence to forgive him.

Hey. Are you listening?

Of course; have you made up your mind?

Can’t you tell for yourself what I’ve decided? But…I don’t want to see it… Is there someway-

Consider it done, Bookman. A very wise choice.

And then there was nothing else.

: / / / / :

“Little brother, you’re taking things too far!” Tyki glanced at Cyril with a look. So what if he liked to toy with the Exorcists before they died? It was quite a sport for him and amusing to watch them struggle when he could simply snap them without a sweat. If he liked to toy, then his older brother was the opposite and got straight to the point when serious. The glint that was apart of Cyril’s Noah ability flashed through his brother’s eyes as soon as he made eye contact with the Bookman, then he watched the Bookman slump against the wall, blackening eye half open and glassy. On his forehead, underneath his red hair, there glowed a purple pentacle.

There was at most two minutes of silence before Cyril asked softly, “Can you hear me?” The Bookman nodded in return and Cyril smiled arrogantly. “Good. Now, if you would please, stop your attack. Innocent civilians might see and get harmed. This is reasonable, yes?” Bookman nodded again, but all his responses were slow as Cyril’s commands were soft. They didn’t break eye contact, or Cyril’s connection might sever along with it. Tyki watched the boy slide into a more comfortable position on the ground, despite sitting in the slushy snow, and muttered something under his breath.

Tyki glanced at the Innocence-created power that was dancing in the sky, waiting for Bookman’s orders to attack, but instead it withdrew and circled around the Bookman almost protectively. The fire set Bookman’s skin aglow, and the fire shimmered in his lone, complete black eye. Tyki vaguely wondered for what reason the other eye was covered.

“Great, thank you.” Cyril said, rocking on his heels, arms behind his back. “Because we’re surrounded by many buildings that are still made of wood and the fire of your Innocence might cause severe damage, may you kindly deactivate your Innocence?” Tyki had been expecting a slow compliance, like all of the other victims that had fallen to his brother’s power, but the Bookman tilted his head to the side in a confused manner. His lips had thinned into a frown, and his brow knitted at the center in thought.

“I…can’t. My Inno..cence is…the only th..ing keeping me…safe from you…Noahs… Why cancel…if I..m in danger…? Why can..cel if…Nyoibo is…going to be des..troyed?” Bookman shook his head dazedly, trying to break the connection; the star dimmed some, but held true its hold. Cyril hummed beside him, also perplexed by the late teen’s behavior; the last victim had been so easy: before the meeting, he’d told the other Minister to shoot at him during the signing, and he’d done just that with no questions asked. Why was this one refusing?

“Is it so hard to deactivate your Innocence when the other option is to be killed?” Tyki raised a brow at his brother, seeing that he was loosing his patients with the Exorcist Bookman. Well, he had told Tricia that he would be in early tonight and Cyril wasn’t one to back down from his word; they were already fifteen minutes late. Cyril sighed and began over, “If you cancel out your attack and do as told, I swear to reward you with warm housing, food, and long rest for the night. You have been so compliant, why stop now?”

As if sensing the trickery, the fire snake turned towards them and hissed, flames spiting from its open mouth. Tyki felt little twinges in his gut, urging him to take action and kill the other that held the Innocence firmly in his hands, but just as his eyes began to flicker, so did the flames and at once the snake was distinguished into smoke followed by a small grumble from the Bookman’s stomach. Tyki’s eyes lied back on dark brown and he smiled lightly at the sound.

The Noah of Pleasure’s smile disappeared as quickly as it came when Bookman scrunched his eye tightly together, still confused by why he was following Cyril’s instructions. This time, instead of dimming, the pentacle flickered, threatening to release the Bookman. He glanced again at his brother, but Cyril was more alarmed by the teen’s action than he. When the Bookman reopened the eye, it was still glazed over, but less than before, and there was an outline of the iris in the blackness. There was a sense of alertness behind them. Cyril gushed out a relieved breath when the pentacle flickered back on and held. Tyki’s breath soon came as well after Cyril made sure he had the Bookman’s attention on him again.

“This next step is very important and you may feel very reluctant to follow through, but you’ve done very well so far.” The teen nodded hesitantly, but when Cyril told him to drop his Innocence on the ground, he was more than reluctant; he right out refused, becoming more difficult to persuade.

“Wha…? No…!” Bookman was noticeably trying to break through, his brow furrowing upwards and a tight frown over his lips. He would not let them have their way, would he? Bookman sighed heavily, frustrated before saying to no one under his breath, “…dammit…why didn..t I go when…I cou..ld?” As if to answer his own question, he snorted softly and continued to mumble to himself. Tyki raised a brow and looked to Cyril to see if this was normal behavior, but his look said it wasn’t.

“How…did you…know the Cr..ow were here…why…you…able to stop them…all wh..en they…killed a Gen..eral…where’s…Bookman’s Inn..ocence…what do you know…that I don’t…?”

Tyki wasn’t able to stop the question from leaving his mouth, “They killed one of their own Generals? Are they really that cautious of information leaking to the Exorcists? I wonder which General they killed for us…”

Cyril raised a hand above his mouth that made his words muffled, eyes never leaving the black one yet, “They probably are; they want to be the victors, correct? It’d be easier to leave out parts of the story than giving the full truth, who knows if most of their organization might be uncertain about fighting for their cause if they were told.”

The Noah of Pleasure hummed and wondered aloud, “I doubt he’s even heard of ‘the other side of the war’ if they’re so tight lipped.”

His brother shrugged and lowered his mouth, “As a Bookman you’re not suppose to have allies nor enemies. If you promise to cooperate with us, we can promise you in return that we won’t harm you as a Bookman. You have questions that we can answer; you’re curious, aren’t you, to know the answers? Just surrender your Innocence and you’ll be fine.”

Tyki watched as the Bookman Exorcist swallowed hard. Even Tyki saw there was no other option was to live with the Innocence. He took a moment to reply, the barely noticeable green in the black eye saddened.

“I-is th..ere nothing else…?”

“Unless you wish to give us names of your comrades on the field,” the quick, loud response came from Tyki. The Bookman jerked his head to the side, where Tyki was, but continued to stare unblinkingly at Cyril, a small look of fear overcoming his features. Tyki suddenly became curious as to why he was so desperate for his Innocence when it wasn’t even his first priority.

So he asked loudly, “You might not be able to live as an Exorcist, but you’ll forever remain a Bookman. Why are you holding on to something that is only a second title to you, and something that you had no choice to live as?”

When Bookman whipped his head fully around to glare at Tyki, he had thought that the connection might have been wrecked especially when he was able to clearly see that the black was fading from his eye, but the star glowed without wavering, and yet he answered without any slowness or hesitation.

“Shut up!” Bookman shouted, “You wouldn’t understand! My Innocence…Nyoibo…it’s something no one else can have. It’s the only thing apart of me that’s real and certain, and I would rather you kill me before you lay your hands on it!”

Cyril came up beside him, but Tyki spoke to his brother before he opened his mouth, “Has this kind of link happened before? I wouldn’t think so, seeing the looks you’re making.”

“He’s a…extraordinary lad, I’ll give him that,” Cyril answered and he paused, thinking. “Would you rather kill him now to take his Innocence? Tricia is probably worried by now.”

Tyki didn’t answer at first, studying the Bookman. Indeed the Bookman was extraordinary, and he’d surprised him first by walking towards him that evening to keep ‘safe.’ Could he really be that much afraid of his own organization? He hadn’t felt obligated to kill him at the beginning because it was only his job currently to attack the Bookmen and not their apprentices, plus he was honestly busy with family business that for once didn’t just include his Noah family. Yet, then his Noah reacted to the Innocence being so close, walking with him, talking with him… It was almost too much to bear.

Half lidded, glassy green eye watched him unseeingly, and a far fetched thought came to mind: what if the Bookman was alliances with the Heart? Would he be able to draw the Exorcist is he used the Bookman to his will? Tyki narrowed his eyes in contemplation; these were not thoughts of the Noah within him, but Tyki was allowed to be interested in his prey once and a while, correct? Like Allen Walker, the first enemy to draw out his true Noah, this Bookman brought forth his craving for information. Perhaps he could lead Tyki to the Heart and they could put an end to this foolish war.

Then the Noah of Pleasure asked gently, “Would you rather die before we destroy your Innocence?”

The Bookman made a distraught, half-hearted smirk, “So it’s not possible that you let me go now and kill me another day entirely?”

Tyki almost smiled back, “And where would you go, Bookman?” He asked. “You wouldn’t be able to make it out of Portugal if you used your Innocence to escape. If you rested in the country with your Innocence, it would be our job as Noahs, enemy to Exorcists, to kill you and destroy your Innocence. You both will be nonexistent before the end of this night if you choose to remain an Exorcist.”

Bookman sighed, and stayed silent for a good long while, fingers unconsciously curling tighter around the handle of the hammer-shaped Innocence. He looked desperate, but Tyki knew they had not given any chances for the Bookman to keep his Innocence. He gave one last shuddering sigh.

“Hey... Are you listening?” The Noahs noted that the redhead’s voice was cracking around the edges and his eye seemed glossier than before.

Tyki answered back softly, “Of course; have you made up your mind?” He asked even though it was obvious on what he was going to do, and the Bookman seemed to think so, too as he lightly snorted without any spunk behind it.

“Can’t you tell for yourself what I’ve decided?” He hesitated, lowering his Innocence-filled hand to the ground slowly, “But…I don’t want to see it… Is there someway…”

Tyki understood and nodded to the unseeing teen, “Consider it done, Bookman; A very wise choice.” He turned to his brother who’d been following their conversation and took this as his cue to put the Bookman to sleep, and he commanded it in that word. The green eye closed, the neon purple pentacle disappeared, and his head fell to his chest with unconsciousness. A silver line of wet traveled from under his eye patch to his chin and dropped onto his uniform.

“Will he remember this so we won’t have to explain what happened to his Innocence later, Cyril?” Tyki asked as he stepped forward to uncurl Bookman’s fingers from the hammer. There was an electrical shock as his fingers brushed against the Innocence and he felt a twist in his gut, but he gritted his teeth and grabbed a hold of the Innocence by the base of the head. A purple charged light cut through the air and sounded like muffled thunder as his began to destroy the Innocence, outside in.

“He will,” Cyril said loudly over the noise, then made a reconsidering noise, “Well, he should, but I don’t know what to expect from him. He’s certainly different; I don’t know if it was because that was the first Bookman I’ve put under the act, or because he’s unusually strong...”

Tyki gave a sharp laugh, “Strong? Not really. For a Bookman, the lad was quite strong…” There was a small explosion between his fingers as the Innocence turned into dust, and fell onto the ground at the Bookman’s hand, the cross that had been perched from the top of the hammer clenched in his fist. Just one more squeeze shall do it.

He shook his hand over the Bookman’s head and the sparkling particles from the Innocence’s core dusted over him.

“Though not any longer.”

Writer's Block: Clothing Options

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:14:48 GMT

When it comes to clothes, would you rather be comfortable or fashionable?

View 501 Answers

Ne, why not both? Jeans, loose/warm-yet-name brand, light cotton jacket, designed sneakers.
But mind you, I don't wear anything name brand =P

My Damsel Breathes Fire - Chapter 2

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:49:18 GMT

My Damsel Breathes Fire
By Misster Cackles

: / / / / :

Ten months earlier ~

The Earl smiled at Tyki and tossed him a card.

With ease, the Portuguese gambling Noah leaned up in his chair and set his hand on the table top just as the card slid under it. Tyki set his other arm on the table, propped on its elbow so he could lean on it, obviously bored with how slow the process on rebuilding the egg was. The Earl and Lulu Bell (only because she kissed ass) insisted that they needed more akuma even though there were thousands already scattered around the world. No egg meant no akuma, no akuma meant no new akuma, no new akuma meant few Exorcists on the field, and with few Exorcists on the field meant that Tyki or Rhode couldn't have much fun.

Tyki flipped the card over in his hand and was greeted with the low, morning:

"Delete... Deleeete... Deeeleeete..." Another name card. With nothing else better to do, Tyki let his bright eyes scan the names written on the walls behind the Keeper of the List Cage.

Moments later, Tyki looked up at the Earl who was seated across the circular table from him with surprise while the ghoulish man just smiled back. Unable to keep the question to himself, Tyki asked:

"...Why Bookmen?"

: / / / / :

One month later (nine months earlier) ~

Lavi entered and scanned the cafeteria, expecting to see the large stack of empty bowls that indicated that Allen was there for breakfast, yet the stacks of bowls were missing and alas, so was Allen. Lavi didn't even frown, not too concerned that Allen hadn't shown up for breakfast; it was still what Allen called an ungodly hour, even long after the time Yu wakes up. Bunny ears perked and sent his eyes searching again for his long-time best friend, knowing he should probably be down here by now, slurping his soba. The bunny ears deflated as he shuffled with a sigh to the kitchen counter; Yu wasn't around, either...

"Oi! Jerry!" Lavi called into the steaming kitchen, leaning as far as he could in. Now December, the days were terribly cold in Europe; stove heaters were just installed into the entire Order member's room by November, but everyone wore heavy shawls and many layers of clothing when roaming the stone-cold corridors. The cafeteria was very warm, thanks to the constant fire going on for cooking. It looked to be a harsh winter, but Lavi was sure if everyone bundled up and slept with extra quilts, they'd make it.

The flamboyant Indian man came to greet him, cheerful as ever and wearing the same no-sleeved shirt as always. The redhead muttered under his breath, rather envious for the chef who kept warm all day.

"Why good morning, darlin' bunny! What can I make for you today, sweet cheeks?" Jerry pulled out a notepad and pencil from his waist apron, posing for his order. Lavi considered and glanced over to the food that was prepared on the long open counter but didn't see anything he felt like eating. He shrugged.

"Can you just get me a tall mug of hot chocolate?"

Jerry smiled and pocketed the paper and pencil, "Sure thing, Hun; wait one moment!"

"Make that two, please, Jerry! And a coffee for Komui, please!" The head chef looked back, and smiled brighter at the name of his best friend. He nodded and went to work.

Lavi looked over his left shoulder, raising a hand to Lenalee in greeting, lips lifting. "Hey." She covered her mouth and gave a yawn in return, which squeaked a little at the end. Lavi noted her appearance was more ruffled and she had outlines of circles under her eyes.

“You alright?”

Lenalee blinked at him, "Hu? Of course; a little tired, but fine: Allen, Kanda and Marie left on a mission earlier this morning, around three," - Lavi made an 'oh' sound; that was the reason he wasn't seeing them - "and I wanted to see them off." Jerry came back with the drinks and set them on the counter, leaving immediately now that it was starting at the time that the scientists came in from their all-nighters to consume abnormal amounts of coffee themselves.

The redhead fixed Lenalee with a questionable look, and asked seriously, "Did you even go to bed last night, Lenalee?" She hesitantly shook her head with a sheepish smile, a light blush coming on her cheeks, and said Johnny wanted to inspect the crystal anklets some more to see if he could get anymore data on the new Innocence form. Lavi sighed, pushing a mug towards her.

"Drink your sweet then head to bed; I'll get you up in a couple of hours, and I'll go on and take the coffee to Komui." Lavi said, and before she could even being her protest, he took the last two mugs in both hands. He gave her a wide grin and they shared good-byes, Lavi watching her sip her mug as she head off to the Exorcists dorms, a small sigh leaving his mouth in a somewhat longing way. The Bookman Junior turned the opposite direction.

Lenalee didn’t bother to hide her attraction for Allen, yet was oblivious to Lavi’s attraction towards her as Allen was about hers. She seemed even more determined to get Allen to notice her in a romantic way when Kanda had come forward and demanded the for the moyashi to go out with him; Lenalee started to pull her skirt higher around her waist while at home enough that it showed parts of her thighs and hovering around the science departments where Allen usually popped up to get his Innocence examined. Lavi was just surprised that Kanda hadn’t said anything on it yet, the possessive bastard he was; surely he’s noticed her attempts.

On the way to the stairs that lead to Komui’s office, Johnny and Reever passed him and they exchanged greetings, and Lavi hurried to tell Johnny not to keep Lenalee up so long next time when he wanted to see her Innocence. Reever coughed and continued ahead to the cafeteria while Johnny stopped in his tracks, giving a perplexed look up at the Bookman.

“What? Lenalee didn’t come to see me at all last night,” Johnny said, “She came in and pulled Reever out for a while, however.” Johnny leaned in close, putting a hand by his mouth and gestured to the science department head officer by pointing. “It’s rather obvious, but Komui’s still clueless, which is good; I wouldn’t want to know what he’ll do to Reever when he finds out, though.”

Lavi blinked in surprise. Reever and Lenalee? Well, now that he thought of it, it made much more sense as to why Kanda hadn’t told her off yet; even though friends Kanda wouldn’t hesitate to prove what was his. Lenalee wearing her skirt higher just in the Order and hanging about the science departments… She wasn’t doing it for Allen, but for Reever. Lavi sighed to himself and wondered how he could have missed such important details as a Bookman’s apprentice.

Probably because you never wanted to know that she was seeing someone else.

The redhead grinned at his geeky science friend, nodding, hiding his pained wince and laughed an awkward laugh and hoped Johnny didn’t notice. “Let’s hope it won’t be soon!” Let’s hope Komui keeps closer tabs on his sister.

Johnny laughed with him before they, too, said their goodbyes and parted ways, Lavi feeling a heavy weight on his chest, which he ignored and sighed instead. Lenalee was still clueless about his affections towards her, but it was something Lavi would have to deal with since he wasn’t supposed to be in relationships because he was the Bookman’s apprentice. He scoffed at himself.

Bzzt.

Lavi shifted his one green eye to a messenger golem that came for him and nodded for the transmission to be received. It followed him as he continued through the corridor.

“Lavi.” Ah, Bookman.

“What is it?” Lavi replied.

“I need for you to do me a favor.”

“Eh? What for, Gramps?”

“Don’t ask questions, you stupid apprentice!” He heard a long exhale from the other side before his teacher spoke up again, sounding softer, almost regretful. “I need you to go to Portugal; some Finders are claiming to have spotted a couple level threes by the port surrounding a government building and are coming back to base.”

Lavi raised a lone eyebrow, glancing at the golem, “I’m at the Asian Branch right now, so it may take me a while because I’ll have to go through the Ark to get to France and fly down to Portugal, but what are akuma so strong doing circling a, a government building, you say? And you’re expecting me to fight on my own against level threes?” He made an incredulous sound, bringing his slightly cooled drink to his lips and took a noisy sip.

“You’ll have back-up.”

“Who? Miranda, Chaoji, and Krory are out on missions.”

“Then drag Miss Lenalee out to go bird-watching with you.”

Widening noticeably, the emerald eye darted to the golem, and he was shocked so much from what Bookman said he stopped walking and almost dropped the mugs. Hurriedly, he cleared his throat, taking another noisy drink from the hot chocolate to cover in his small silence. Crow were watching the Bookman as they spoke; bird meant Crow, but they only said it in presence of a member to confuse it as ‘akuma’, even more so lately since Bookman told him to be extra cautious around central members. Bookman had said ‘bird-watching’ because he knew that central would probably not do anything in front of the oblivious.

Lavi laughed quietly out loud, staging. “Lenalee is resting for a while and I’m doing something, but the bird situation can’t wait, can it? Can’t wait for Lenalee to wake-up?”

“…I’m afraid not, Lavi.”

Suddenly, Lavi asked, “Where you at, Gramps? I received a call from that group of Finders, the group that had Didi with them, that went missing in France not so long ago earlier this morning. I could deliver the good news to you in person and help out with the birds?” He just needed to make sure that he wasn’t alone, please let him not be alone.

“…”

“Gramps?” Lavi’s heart thudded uncomfortably.

“Tell me what they had to say,” the reply came, and Lavi felt as though there was a lump keeping him from speaking and his mouth was dry, but he swallowed despite himself.

“T-they said that Allen, Yu and Marie got to France all right, and that they’ll be returning home soon.” Lavi swallowed harder, the chocolate aftertaste leaving behind something bitter.

“There are no group of Finders, are there? You’re there now, aren’t you? Tell me where you are.” He said softly.

“…I’m in Portugal, headed to the port; if you can’t go now, then that’s probably best,” the Bookman replied. “It’s also probably best if you don’t worry about finding out what General Marian Cross said -”

The shattering splash never registered to him as his arms slacked and fell to his sides, letting go of the cups. Lavi’s eye was as wide as ever, face pale, mouth open and a great anxiety overcame him. Screw with the codes, he had to know! With speed, he grabbed the golem from the air, gripping it hard until his knuckles turned white and the pointed edges of the golem punctured the first layer of skin.

“Dammit, Gramps!” Lavi shouted for all that it was worth at the golem, not realizing or probably not even caring that all that was coming from the golem now was the static meaning that the transmission had ended. He willed himself to think that Bookman would be able to hear him even though. “Who’s there with you now? Which one of central’s dogs is there now! Who is it, dammit!?”

He flung the golem away from him and took off running the direction he came from, leaving the mess behind on the floor. He needed to get to Portugal quick! A hope that maybe his teacher could defeat the Crow members seemed all too tempting to believe in. Lavi ran as fast he ever had before to the science department, not sparring word to Bak or Johnny as he entered the Ark, momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness and consumed by warmth that was only in the Ark, and found shortcuts through the empty streets to the door that opened the branch in France.

“Bonjour, Lavi!” The Branch Chief Renee called to him, waving from her work station. Lavi ignored her, mindset.

Lavi didn’t waste any time with stopping for anyone, or excusing himself when he bumped into a few people; he had to hurry! He didn’t even want to think what it would be like if he was too late… It was snowing outside, and Lavi hadn’t even thought to put on his winter cloak was he started for France, but he wouldn’t let it matter even though he was in Strasbourg, almost the French and German border, and will have to travel over five hundred miles to Lisbon. He pulled Nyoibo from its holster and readied it.

“Grow, grow, grow, and grow!”

: / / / / :

Needless to say, Lavi was frozen to the handle of the shape-shifting hammer by the time he touched ground at the port in Lisbon, the beginnings of night settling. When his feet touched ground, he stumbled and fell forward, shivering and sneezing up a storm. It was snowing here, too, and Lavi was only the slightest bit concerned at the warmth coming from his cheeks and the dizziness he felt when he sharply turned to search for his teacher immediately. Shit…

World swirling before his eye, he fell on all fours in the snow, cold right hand gripping tight of his Innocence, retching up the nothing he ate that day.

“What on Earth… Hey!”

Lavi’s foggy brain slowly registered that someone was talking to him; much less in a different language than English. Portuguese, they were speaking. Lavi rolled his lone eye sourly; of course most people from Portugal spoke Portuguese. He turned over on his rear to get a good look at the man who called to him, his left eye squinting at the silhouette in the bright doorway to what appeared to be a diner.

Lavi coughed out the acidic aftertaste, sluggishly standing to meet the man who beckoned him closer. Lavi shuffled forward enough to where he could feel the warmth coming from the inside, but no further even though tempted by the small protesting growls that came from his empty stomach; he was here for important business!

“Do you speak English?” Lavi asked breathlessly. The man, as Lavi could see better in the closer distance, was large and rough; dark, sleeked hair and rich skin though with a thick, rough and knotted beard, like a fisherman’s. With an apron around his middle, the Bookman-in-training could tell he probably worked inside the diner by the splattered mess on it.

The man nodded, affirming it with, “I do.” His accent was thick, and he gestured behind him again, inside. “Come inside, sir! Surely you’ll become feverish; worst winter yet they says! Worst they seen in a decade! Look it; your face already seems to get its chill! If you’re not ill already, then you’ll be so in a mo.”

Lavi declined, “I’m looking for someone, an…an old man! About this tall,” he moved a hand to his chest to where Bookman’s hair would come to, “and he was traveling with others; I don’t know how many, but probably two or more? Cloaked people?” The diner worker stroked his tangled beard thoughtfully, and after a moment he started to nod.

“Yea’... Yea’, I’ve seen a group like them around here.” He appeared to be trying to remember something, “An older guy came in earlier this morning, didn’t order anything, but seemed nervous as heck, poor man. He came in to use the phone, wanted to make a call to his grandson. I say it’s wrong to listen in on someone, but this man was talking strangely about our government building. Do you…?” Lavi interrupted quickly.

“Which way did he go, do you know?” Nimble fingers reached out and grabbed the larger man by the shoulders, and the other recoiled in what seemed to be pain, covering his ears, knees shaking.

“What the heck is that?” The redhead just realized that he was still holding on to his Innocence when he touched the man and that the man would reject to it because he wasn’t compatible to any of it. Lavi grimaced at his forgetfulness.

“I apologize,” he hurried and stuffed Nyoibo back in its holster, “but I need to know anything and everything about what happened to that man and the others he was with! Please, anything!”

The man shrugged helplessly, unable to give Lavi anymore information.

“NO!” Lavi cried out, punching right near the man’s face, on the side of the door.

The Portuguese worker became angry, “Look here, sir; you either go or I’ll be forced…” He drifted, looking past Lavi at new comer footsteps, eyes widening with what appeared disbelief and joy all in one. He cleared his throat, and all anger had vanished from his face as he called out to the person behind Lavi in sweetening Portuguese.

“Ah! Good day, Lord Tyki Mikk! Coming in for warm broth?”

If Lavi had been frozen to his hammer when he reached Portugal, it was nothing as he felt now. Slowly he turned to meet the other, left eye wide with the same disbelief, yet fear for being alone while left to fight a Noah. Would Tyki do such a thing as to attack him in the streets where anyone could witness it?

Tyki didn’t even spare him a glance as he returned the diner worker’s greeting, lifting his top hat to tip it while the other was used to point his gentleman’s cane down the street. “Sorry, Rowel, not tonight. Good madam Tricia invited me to dinner this evening after I head on to pick up Cyril from the office. Apparently Rhode…” Lavi stiffened even further, knowing now that Tyki did notice him and was making an emphasis that there were more Noah in Portugal with him,“…was being too impatient to wait for her father to come home.”

The man, Rowel it seemed, grinned, “Oh yeah? How is the good lady Tricia? Is she feeling any better; its cold this year ain’t it? Like I was telling this one here…” he motioned to Lavi while on the inside he was begging to disappear. He saw Tyki flash dark eyes toward him, a small smirk playing on the Noah’s lips as though knowing what he was thinking. “…Coldest winter in a decade!”

“She’s perfectly fine at the moment, I assure you.” Tyki hummed, tilting his head, “I was pretty sure that it was in two decades ago?” Rowel blushed in embarrassment, easily affected by anything Tyki said to him obviously because of Tyki’s higher social title. Lavi could see that the Noah was fighting to keep his friendly smile from growing to something smug.

“A-ah, that…that’s right!” There was a sudden clatter from inside the diner and Rowel flushed beat red and excused himself from the conversation in a hurry, wishing both gentlemen a good night. The door closed and the only illumination came from the gas street lamp. They were alone on the street, and Lavi’s hand inched ever-so carefully to Nyoibo. In public or not, Lavi wouldn’t take any chances at all.

Tyki hummed again, this time out of slight annoyance, and turned from Lavi but didn’t continue walking to where he had gestured to earlier with the cane. “What are you doing, boy; I have no business with you this evening. Go inside and have Rowel fix you a bowl of broth, on my tab.” He then gave a side long glance to the Bookman, dark eyes hard and serious. Then he said, barely a whisper:

“As far as they know, I am human and only know of the name.” Any noise in the night was unexpectedly ten times more audible because he felt as though he couldn’t breathe for a good long moment. Lavi could hear the soft static in the air of snow falling, the tops of buildings creak from either cold or age…or possibly from someone standing on them.

Panic clutched at him from the inside out and was about to show on his face until Tyki gave him a cold, blank glare. Like the kind he gave Allen when they were fighting before turning into that stronger Noah. It plainly told him to get a hold of himself before he made it obvious and got them caught.

Lavi forced himself to stay calm, thinking quick on what to do despite his fogged mind: Fighting an every-man-for-himself battle was pointless on his part, even if it might help destroy a Noah in the process. Yet, if Judgment hadn’t even killed Tyki in his ultra-powered form, he didn’t know what use one or two Crow members had on the Noah; Lavi had already figured this because it didn’t appear that Cross had even put up a struggle against the mysterious person from Central, and the killer had won by default: Cross already knowing he had said too much and knew he was to be hunted, and Innocence couldn’t (or wouldn’t) harm humans majorly.

If he ran away, probably did as Tyki said and went back to the diner, he’d be a sitting duck. Lavi felt deep within himself that he came too late for his master and that he was already long gone, so that left Lavi as the new target in stuck in Portugal as long as they didn’t know Tyki was the embodiment of Noah’s Pleasure. If he tried to go back to France now, he surely would die on the way, by the weather or an assassination. Feeling his fever was catching on fast, Lavi suspected that it would take a full two days at least to think as sharp as before, not to mention he was suffering from hunger pains. This solution, however, was an absolute no way; he could not let the Noah go free.

Then there was the last easy-to-see option, yet that was a no brainer. Turning himself in to the same ones who killed Bookman was an easy answer: No. Fucking. Way.

The redhead gave a helpless expression to Nyoibo, wondering if he did a trick to avoid Crow the Innocence would turn on him. He shivered violently at a sharp breeze and counted his limited blessings before inhaling a shaky breath and made a hardly believable grin, having to trust in the only facts that he knew: He had to survive, and Tyki didn’t want to be caught, leading Lavi to believe (of course with doubt) that Tyki was unsure about the Crow’s power.

Life was so risky sometimes.

“Ah! You said you’re going to see R-Rhode?” He wouldn’t lie and say talking to and about a Noah was strange on the tongue, especially if he was to talk civil, but Lavi still walked cautiously to the undercover Noah, standing a good meter away in fear that his Innocence may react vice versa as Noah to Innocence; Neither didn’t even though Tyki’s eyes widen just the slightest bit, watching Lavi suspiciously. He couldn’t help from grimacing when he stood one step closer so they at least staged to be on friendly terms with each other.

It made Lavi sick that he had to hide with a Noah to keep out of the hands of the people who were suppose to be on his side, and killed his teacher; A Bookman, for fuck’s sake! Those who only observed and recorded their surroundings! This thought sparked renewed anger within him and he forced himself to stay focus and prayed to any god who was listening that Tyki would play along. He added a glare for good measure, though thinking it didn’t do any good when he saw that Tyki’s eyes filled with sly mirth, understanding the situation the Bookman Exorcist was placed in.

“Why, yes I am.” Thank you god above! Lavi couldn’t hold back the small exhale of relief and waved his hand easily to the road before them for Tyki to lead the way and he did, snow either crunching or sloshing beneath their feet as they went. Lavi tried to be mindful of the ice underneath stiff looking snow as he continued at a slower pace behind him, able to keep a watchful eye on the Noah incase he did do something sneaky. He kept senses out for the rooftops, as well, wary of the steady creaks and pops that seemed to follow them. If Tyki was alert as Lavi was, he didn’t show it; he looked totally relaxed, shoulders loose and posture slacked, and Lavi saw the puffs of warm air escaping from him and saw that his breathing was normal (Lavi had just noticed his own was rapid and tried to control it, but he was shivering too much to keep it even). Was he really so confident in his disguise?

Lavi glared holes into the elder man’s back and finally Tyki glanced over his shoulder, a smile on his face that looked amazingly genuine which Lavi gave him unwilling credit for being a great actor. Lavi wouldn’t admit it to anyone that it helped ease his nerves a little and he was able to at least lax his face into the mask again and give a more believable grin in return.

“Is she expecting to see you?” Tyki asked casually, and Lavi felt almost sick again, tightening angry, repulsive coils in his stomach, for allowing himself to become so comfortable in a Noah’s presence, even if it wasn’t much at all. Shouldn’t he be choosing the lesser of two evils? Inwardly, Lavi snorted as he questioned himself if he would rather be dead than alive. There was another noise from somewhere above and Lavi hastened a step unnoticeably.

Lavi made a negative noise in reply to Tyki’s chatter, yet hummed in thought to make their act more believable. “Well, yes, actually. It’s my fault, I mean. She was supposed to meet me this afternoon at that diner, but I had only just arrived.”

Tyki nodded, “Is there a message you wish to tell her?” Lavi faltered in his steps before coming to a complete stop. He knew it would be too good to be true: the Noah had tricked him and was now going to worm his way out from the Exorcist and leave him for the Crow to keep them occupied while he made a run for it. Sneaky fucking Noah! Tyki noticed that he stopped, and looked around, feigning curiousness down to the dot. In the Portuguese’s eyes, Lavi could still see the mirth in them. Fuck him, he was toying with him!

“Is something the matter, my dear boy?”

Lavi nodded hard, trying to keep the slightly frightened look from his stage mask. He didn’t want to come off as pleading to his Innocence, remembering what had happened when Suman begged for Tyki to spare him. He did, however, allowed his anger to come through, appearing ticked at the other. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to like to deliver the message to her myself?”

Tyki didn’t reply, but his smile grew into a sadistic smirk. Lavi swallowed uncomfortably, mouth opening to form the one word, “…P-please.” The word tasted foul when asking the Noah. Lavi blamed that he suffered to the Noah’s will because he was feverish and wasn’t in his right mind, and didn’t really want to be left to fend off Crow on his own. He sneezed for good measure, shivering. The redhead pulled the scarf tighter around his neck and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Tyki appeared surprised, laughing lightly, “Well, of course! What were you expecting me to do? Tell her your possibly private message on my own? No, no; I’m sure you could do that on your own.” Sneaky fucking bastard of a Noah! He wanted him to think that he was going to drop him off and wanted to hear him beg! Damn him! Lavi flushed with angry embarrassment.

“Yet, would you mind if we stop by the minister building, kind boy? I do need to see my brother,” Tyki said as though he cared as to what Lavi would mind. “From there we can take a carriage to his manor.”

Lavi, still rather angry with himself, only scoffed at the other’s politeness, sighing heavy with exhaustion, “Yeah, sure.” He would have to be on the look out for those akuma Bookman told him about this morning, weighing his odds against a couple of level threes. Lavi decided to use his time wisely to know as much about the Noah as possible for recording purposes.

“Is this what you do in your spare time? Look spiffy and put commoners down to size?” Lavi asked with heavy sarcasm. Okay, so maybe he was going to get his shots in before he ran out of chances. Beside him, Tyki huffed indignantly, but grinned cockily.

“No, that’s what I do for fun in my spare time, dear boy,” Tyki said. “I work with Cyril part-time at Lisbon Hall, or I help Rhode in her homework when I absolutely have nothing better to do. Other than that, I sign papers for the military that need Cyril’s approval on which countries to attack.” He laughed shortly, “Of course, I signed all of them!” Lavi raised the lone eyebrow, almost slipping on a sheet of ice. He carefully avoided from doing damage to himself, and sneezed hard.

Something clicked, and Lavi slowly stopped waking to gape at the elder man. Minister Kamelot. Signing ceremony. Shooting… “I read the papers, a couple months ago…” He trailed. Tyki once again paused to look back, a mix between a smile of wicked knowing and brows arched in question.

“Yes?”

“…I-I thought of it odd how the man who practically begged for the allegiance with Portugal suddenly ends up committing homicide after working so hard to get the signing.”

Tyki kept quiet for a full five seconds, only a grin etching into his features. Then he said in an odd tone, his eyes going wide and his irises turning into horizontal slits, “People do strange things to start wars. It doesn’t surprise me.” Lavi took a shaky step back, and Tyki blinked, face blank as though nothing had changed. His smile was sadistic, however.

Lavi’s throat was dry and he suddenly felt like he was standing next to a time bomb. Commanding for his numb feet to move, he carefully slid around Tyki, seeing the Minister building further on down the road, but not too far. Tyki followed closely and Lavi asked another question, ignoring any topics that had to deal with war.

“…I-I s this Cyril guy your real brother? Or is he like…distant family?” ‘Distant family’ being emphasized just in case Tyki was staging about having a brother, too, ‘cause it didn’t seem too likely that Tyki happened to have a brother who just so happened to be Minister of a country.

Tyki sped up his pace only a little to where they were side by side and neared closer to the Exorcist, stumbling almost unnoticeably. He gave a short laugh and took a glimpse of the younger one.

“Cyril Kamelot is my older brother, that’s right.”

Lavi made a confused noise, tilting his head, “Surely your entire given name isn’t Tyki Mikk.” And Tyki barked with laughter making Lavi fume at being mocked.

“By god, Mr. Eye Patch! I thought you to be smarter than that given your occupation as a learner! Come on, think about it; it’s not that hard.”

As soon as Tyki finished his taunt, Lavi did realize how it was, “So, Mikk’s your family name… Then, it’s Cyril! He’s either your half or step brother, isn’t he?” The older gave a nod.

“Correct; literally he’s my half-brother. Of course same mother, but…” He trailed, looking the slightest bit troubled.

Yet by now Lavi was curious as to how Noahs had real families outside of their war. Sure, he’s seen that Tyki had once been a miner and had human friends, too, but he didn’t even once think about if any of the Noahs were related outside from the Noah family itself.

“But?”

Tyki shook his head, “No, it’s not my story to say. If you don’t value your life so much, perhaps you could ask him yourself.” Lavi didn’t reply.

The next few moments were served only in silence, Lavi drifting as far away as possible from the Noah without seeming to be obviously awkward in each other’s presence. Now not so nervous, Lavi was able to notice differences in Tyki that he hadn’t before since the last time they’ve met. Probably namely his longer hair, darker eyes, and the actual rich Portuguese skin rather than the grey of Noahs or the pale skin from the train way back when.

The smartest thing that came from his mouth was, “You look different.” Tyki looked down at him with a queer look before a light grin stretched over his lips when he saw Lavi’s face turn redder from embarrassment than the cold. He faced forward again.

“Rhode wanted me to grow it out; if it’s my hair you’re talking about, Mr. Eye Patch.” He laughed politely, “Sometimes it can be a hassle, but she won’t let me cut it!” Then Tyki laughed real this time, something warm as his breath came out in steam in the cold air, ending with low chuckles. “My niece is spoilt most of the times by my brother and can be a real handful, but she quite the interesting character.” Emerald eye widen.

“She’s your niece? I thought No-”

“Oh! That’s great,” Tyki said in a cheerful manner, interrupting Lavi on purpose before he could even finish his aloud thinking. “Cyril’s out waiting, already! Follow me, dear Eye Patch.” Lavi sped up to match the Noah’s pace, having slowed down a little from being cold and tired, still separated a little more than two feet, and scoffed at the nickname.

“Don’t call me that,” he complained with a hint of malice in his voice for remembering that he was indeed in the presence of an enemy. Tyki called him ‘Mr. Eye Patch’ when they met for the first time in Edo. Tyki regarded him easily, giving him an amused side glance.

“What is your name, dear boy? Rhode never gave me the pleasure of telling.” Tyki asked and stepped in front of him, leaning over a little to meet him eye for eye. Lavi noticed something immediately when he did this: most people, aside from those from the Order, were awkward when talking to him face-to-face because they didn’t know which eye to look at, wither to be polite and switch from one to the other despite the eye patch, or ignore eye contact completely. Lavi noticed Tyki acted like his friends at the Order and looked in his good eye and only that eye.

Lavi shifted his weight in the snow and looked downwards to Tyki’s footprints. If he had to guess, he’d say ten or eleven inches.

“I don’t want someone like you to call me by my name, alias or not. If you must address me, call me Bookman.” Lavi answered in low tones; he knew already that he was going to have to take the name of ‘Bookman’ instead of ‘Bookman Junior’ if his teacher was truly dead. He waited a few moments for Tyki to turn and get back on track, but he still hadn’t moved even after a minute. Curious, he looked up again, gasping automatically at his close proximity. Lavi stumbled backwards, hands coming out of their pockets, alarmed, and almost reached for Nyoibo if Tyki hadn’t gripped at the wrist first.

Memories of Timcampy’s saved images of Allen’s Innocence being destroyed came to mind automatically, and Lavi could barely feel the spark, that intense charge, of Noah’s power being so close to his hammer-shaped Innocence. His pulse was erratic as he literally saw the change in color of Tyki’s eyes, even though a quick flash, it was still noticeable. Could Tyki feel that electrical charge, too? Would being so close to his Innocence cause him to change into his Noah form? Lavi was still with fright; would a Noah really be lesser of two evils?

It was the longest silence Lavi could say he ever lived through, and he watched Tyki slowly swallow and open his mouth, eyes unreadable. He replied in the same low tone, “I wonder just how many names you’ve used… How many of your other selves do you remember? How many of them are still there, right underneath that thin surface of skin?”

Lavi gaped at the Noah of Pleasure, unsure how he felt about what he asked. His heart was still rapid, and, finally coming from paralyses, he tugged hard, wrenching his hand from Tyki’s grasp.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, you bastard!” Lavi whispered harshly, teeth clenched. “Don’t ask questions like that when you’re pretending to be human!” He snorted some, “In fact, don’t ask questions like that at all! No – don’t even ask questions!” Lavi stomped a step backwards, and ended up slipping on ice, feeling a twist happen in his ankle. Lavi cursed aloud and screwed his eyes shut tight, falling on his rear ungracefully. The redhead sighed tiredly, exhaustion from flying over countries in the freezing December taking its toll. He allowed himself to slump back, lying fully in the snowy street. Already Lavi felt some of the slush seep through his shirt and shivered violently.

Tyki hovered over him, appearing startled, though that emotion looked genuine, “What, pray tell, are you doing, dear Librarian?”

Lavi regarded him with a half-dazed eye, his face flushed more than ever with his new cold; he was trapped, and was only delaying the inevitable: there would be no way that Tyki would let him live if they had managed shake off the Crow members. The green eye closed slowly, and reopened just as slow, yet only now appeared empty. He was a true Bookman, now, and so he must act like one; showing emotions could be used against him, and they served no purpose when in war.

Lavi rolled over and onto his knees and shakily stood, favoring his right leg. Tyki stepped back and watched him, amusement lacing throughout his features. The Bookman drew in air and said loudly, “I don’t know if your being here was consequential, Noah, but I don’t feel stupid enough to fight off you or any of them fucking Crow members in the end!”

Tyki’s eyes widen with disbelief, colors flashing from chocolate brown to the molten gold, and stayed on the Noah color.

Then, he laughed.

My Damsel Breathes Fire - chapter 1

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:43:55 GMT

My Damsel Breathes Fire
By Misster Cackles

: / / / / :

'"I dislike it because it's beautiful. Because it's a bug, nobody would think of catching it. I hate how it let's itself get caught easily. Having its body pierced with pins, becoming a specimen... I dislike this too."

"...Is that the butterfly's fault?"'
- Soubi and Kio, Loveless; Toys Master Chapter 1; page 5-6

: / / / / :

"You're helping me out," Tyki observed, staring at his cloaked rabbit in amazement. He stood slowly from the cell's worn bed, not removing his eyes from the last Bookman, and steadily went to him as though he was about to change his mind any second. Even though months back the Noah would have jumped at the chance for his escape while killing Lavi, the precious Exorcist he tricked into loving him, he wanted to be certain the red-head was in his right mind.

"They will execute you once they find out," Tyki went on, searching for the reaction he was waiting for. The ashen skinned man stood before him, bending his knees to look at the face underneath the hood; his emerald eye was closed, teeth at his bottom lip. So he was unsure. Tyki sighed quietly and straightened up.

"Rhode and I killed the rest of the Bookmen, and I stayed back and watched your teacher die at your own organization’s hands. I killed members of the Order. I've tried to kill your friends, and I almost succeeded," the Noah said, raising his hand and resting it on Lavi's shoulder until he chose not to touch it, and it sank through the clothes and skin, muscle and bone. His other hand came up to sweep the hood off the rabbit's head so he could clearly see any reactions. Only Lavi's eye squinted tighter and he bit harder on his lip, making it irritated red. Tyki guessed his fist were clenched inside those long sleeves. Tyki tried once more, the hand inside the Bookman's chest coming to rest right beside Lavi's rapidly beating heart, and leaned forward to the other's ear.

"I've tried to kill you, Lovely."

To Tyki's surprise, Lavi's heart started to calm down. In fact Tyki saw he was relaxing all over; his green eye was opening and his pained lips were forming a light smile. His shoulders didn't seem so stiff any more, and Lavi shuffled closer to the Noah to where his head easily rested on the elder’s collar bone. While he held his hand very still, curious and confused as to why the last Bookman chose to lay on him of all people, Tyki's other arm came around the waist of the usually hyperactive bunny and pulled him closer. As much as his Noah side protested against the Exorcist on him, he couldn't bring himself to push him away; Lavi was so warm after being in the cold holding cell alone, and he wasn't so sure he could push him away. Tyki sided that thought as he heard the younger exhale before speaking.

"Cen-central won't find out, because I... I think I will have died by then," Lavi began, finally speaking to the man he hated yet loved at the same for the first time that night. Tyki stared at the Bookman Exorcist, bewildered. Lavi swallowed and continued, "I also thank you, Tyki, for telling me about the other side of the war, or else I probably wouldn't have been able to do this..."

The Noah opened his mouth to speak but no words formed, so he closed it, and tried again, "Do you know...?" He trailed thoughtfully. Lavi nodded into his chest slowly, and took in another suddering breath.

"D-Didn't you say that before things turned nasty, you'd turn my heart to dust? W-would you still do it?" He spoke softly, referring to the conversation they had on the night he had fallen in love with this Noah of Pleasure, but gave a frustrated sigh when he felt Tyki's hand swiftly pull out of his chest. He could feel the other's shocked and amazed stare, but couldn't bring himself to look at him in the eye. Lavi lifted his arms and clutched the front of Tyki's white dress shirt.

It was silent for a few minutes and none of them moved the air thick with tension until Tyki's free arm came around Lavi's shoulders and embraced him tightly. Lavi let out a sigh of relief that he hadn't know he was holding.

"Why would you want me to, my dear?" Tyki asked, his tone no longer taunting and reminding his love of the horrid things that had happened, but soothing and gentle. Lavi let out a lighter smile than before, bittersweet.

"Because, Tyki, it would be able to end the war."

He felt the Noah of Pleasure stiffen slightly, a soft in take of breath, "You...?" As if to answer his own unasked question, Tyki pushed the other away enough so his hand could go back into Lavi and straight to his heart, but he didn't stop there. He inched forward little by little and gave a small gasp as there was a small, familiar electrical charge on his fingers inside the middle of Lavi's heart. The feeling of Innocence. Lavi had the Heart.

Lavi gathered his courage to meet the Noah he cared for in the eye and wasn't surprised to find bright eyes transfixed on him with mixed emotions. Mixed thoughts on what he should do now that he had found the Heart. Tyki's elegant brows furrowed together in inner turmoil and Lavi smiled lightly at him, lips thin and the lone eyebrow rose as though saying "whatever happens happens." Lavi understood their situation. So, he pushed himself on his tip toes to give Tyki a soft kiss on his lips, then, unable to stop himself by overwhelming emotion, muttered against the darker lips.

"Before you take the Innocence... For what it's worth, I... I think I've fallen in love with you..."

Tyki pressed back and whispered, "And I as well..."

Summary: "Tyki's allows himself to be caught and the last Bookman becomes his supervisor. Lavi needs the Noah to tell him about the other side of the war before Central's next target after Tyki is him. Given the chance, would you save your enemy?"

Action/Romance/Drama

Writer's Block: True Crime

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:59:41 GMT

Today is the anniversary of the death of Elizabeth Short, also known as the Black Dahlia. What real-life murder story are you most fascinated by?

View 500 Answers

Jack.
The Ripper.

Writer's Block: Morning Decisions

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:18:36 GMT

The eternal breakfast dilemma: Sweet or savory?

View 500 Answers

-blinks- Why not both? Fruit.

Writer's Block: Found Objects

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:57:59 GMT

As the old saying goes, one person's trash is another person's treasure. What's the best thing—chairs, roller skates, old electronics—you've ever found that someone else had thrown away?

View 501 Answers

Oh, wow. Hmm...

A journal.

First outlook on the 09

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:53:15 GMT

As the lights on the television from Time Square went off and the cheers sounded throughout the room, I knew that this year was to be different from the last, from 2008, and I can't help but to anticipate for those changes.

I looked around the living room, and the first person I saw in the year of 2009 was my uncle; he was laughing and happier than I have ever seen him in my time in Kentucky for the Holiday vacation. He kissed his wife, and carried his daughter. My uncle looked like the king of the world right then; he had a house, a loving family, and even though my family's not the richest of families around, he found his wealth in what he had already. My uncle has series of health problems, mainly his back and muscles, and I hadn't known until earlier in my vacation was he constantly in pain. And there he was, genuinely smiling like there was no tomorrow.

Only a couple nights ago, probably on the second of January, I found my father. I was only three when my parents divorced and my father left to Indiana; at the age of nine, my mother, sister, and I moved to Nevada. I've hardly heard from him, and only know vaguely of how he's been throughout the years. My mother had called me that night from across the country, and she gave me good news and bad news. My father was safe, but in jail. He's been in jail, from what I know, most of the time I've been alive from drug abuse. He's quit from pot, and crack, but on while on probation, he was caught unclean during a test with Methamphetamine. I'm only glad to know he's alive.

When coming home on the plane earlier this morning around three o'clock, I was drawing a picture, and the person next to me, a man around his mid twenties, woke up to use the lavatory. Me being on the aisle seat, he asked me polietly to move, and I did. I packed up my drawing and allowed him to pass. When he came back and settled down again, we made light conversation. How he slept, and why I wasn't sleeping. Of course, probably only being polite, the man asked me if he could see the project I was working on. I was a little hesitant at first, since I was drawing a picture that most likely would offend the man (a male/male relationship drawing), but showed it to him anyways. Literally, he said "what the fuck" amongst other things. Then, for the rest of the plane ride, we had an interesting homosexual rights debate, quoting the Bible and putting our own thoughts into it. I believe I may have loosened him up some?

Oh my God, her eyes. When meeting my best friend at the school today to walk with her to my grandparent's house for Internet usage, I couldn't believe I was looking into her eyes again. Of course it had only been sixteen plus days that I hadn't seen her, but for a moment, I felt like crying; an ugly question coming into mind: What if my plane had crashed on the way home? I, she, her boyfriend, and partly my boyfriend all know that I care for her very deeply, deeply enough where it is that I am over stepping my boundries, but I can't help it. Her eyes, multi-colored and magnetic and warm, are all I can think of if I'm frightened, or depressed, panicked, or feeling solitary, and it's only she who knows more things about my life nowadays than my mother.

I logged onto LiveJournal for the first time this year. Its been nine weeks since I've updated my journal, and probably another nine weeks until I upload it again after this entry. I feel like a stranger upon looking at my commuinties, and I do not dare to go onto my friend's only account where I maintain a community and to show up and have nothing to make for my absence. As on here; My last updates seem so long ago that I'm a new found reader to my own stories as I re-read them. Honestly I do not remember as to what's suppose to happen next, or what I was aiming for in any of them aside from love and smut; Would Jounouchi be anything but a victim to his father or Kaiba in my fandom? I'm not to sure on how to answer that or where to being, but I'm not saying that I'm loosing my heart in the Puppyshipping fandom.

I'm sure you've probably heard a lot of this in the past seven or so days; Happy New Year.

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:10:07 GMT

Origin of Symmetry
By Misster Cackles
Rating: M
Warnings: Yaoi, rape, abuse, darkfic

_______________________________________

Chapter Three - Citizen Erased
_______________________________________
Break me in,
Teach us to cheat
And to lie, cover up
What shouldn't be shared?

Kaiba gasped when a blur of raven black tackled him hard, knocking the wind out of his chest. "M-Mokuba!" He choked and inhaled sharply, "What's wrong?" It wasn't like the boy to come in here in the middle of night, not even from nightmares. He patted his younger brother's back awkwardly, trying to get Mokuba to let up so he could breathe. Kaiba stopped moving when he heard a sob, feeling wetness on his bare chest when his brother shifted his position to where his cheek laid on his front.
"Mokuba, are you hurt...?" He asked worriedly, concerned that something might have happened to his brother; ha, it was only his little brother who he truely worried about, not that scoundrel. Never that scoundrel...
Why that scoundrel?
That only made Mokuba cry harder, it seemed, and he wailed out: "Big brother! Yuugis just called; he said that Jounouchi is at the hospital!"
Kaiba sat up in a quick, forcing Mokuba to crumble to his knees beside the bed. Mokuba mewled to him, confused, but Kaiba stood and stomped right out of the room, down the hall to where he last seen Jounouchi and the doctor. He wrenched open the door, but no one was there. The bed had been nicely made as though no disturbance had been there, yet on the nightstand, a white sheet of paper folded and proped stood, a black fountain pen layed next to it. On the front, in neat scrawl, Master Kaiba read.
Scowling that Watase had specificly defied his orders, Kaiba marched to the bed table and snatched the letter.Master Kaiba,
At the end of my examination, Jounouchi had woken up. He did not like the fact that he was here and left when I was about to get you and had back turned, my apologizes. I'm on my way to find him, if you get find this note before I return.
On a more urgent note, Master Kaiba, I will advise that you call the police; someone has done something terrible to Jounouchi. There were--... the note had been scribbled throughly after that enough to leave a black spot on the back of it.--O.Watase
Kaiba crunched the note in his fist. It was pretty obvious what had happened; Watase never knew that Jounouchi and he fought with fists so would never had suspected that the flea bag would run once he figured out where he was after he gathered his senses. Watase must have chased him down and brought him back, but Jounouchi wouldn't have stood being in the same house as Kaiba. He never accepted help from him before, and Kaiba knew he wouldn't start then if he could help it.
Yet why did he come here?
Kaiba glanced at the pointed edges sticking out from his fist. Apparently Jounouchi had read the note Watase left for him and crossed somethings out that he didn't want Kaiba knowing, but why not black out the entire paragraph? If Jounouchi didn't want anyone's help, he wouldn't have left the bit about calling the police visible. Kaiba inwardly groaned, long fingers running through his hair; he wanted to have a talk with that mutt as soon as possible. Now that Jounouchi seemed to have his head on straight enough to run from his manor and call Motou from the hospital, Kaiba found this a good opportunity to get his answers while knowing that the dog won't be able to bite back hard.
"Seto?" Mokuba was at the bedroom door. It was just about this time that Kaiba finally realized the time of night by the clock on the bedside table. It was nearing three in the morning - Jesus Christ, he'd only slept for two hours. He metally rolled his eyes; he was going to need coffee. Lots of coffee.
"Go back to bed, Mokuba," Kaiba turned around and passed his younger brother on the way back to his room to change clothes, "I'll head to vet to check on the stray."
Through his concern, Mokuba smiled sleepily, believing his brother would take care of the situation; he would go visit Jounouchi in the more godly hours of the morning, anyway, if he was still emitted there. He went back to his room, wishing his older brother a good night again, and saying he'd see him later at the office, before he left out the front doors - white gravity-defing trench coat in his wake and on to the Harley, and zooming down the street.
There were some things that still forward themselves in Kaiba's thought process; that dream for one he had earlier. Kaiba didn't know anytihng that went on in Jounouchi's home life other than the mutt lived with his father while his sister with their mother, but what he heard the mutt appologize for in his dream caused...spectulation on the elder Jounouchi. There were shaky rumors about the dog's father - some that said that he commited suicide after his wife left him died and that's why Jounouchi was paying the bills himself, others said that he was in the military and had been called out and that was why Jounouchi recieved special privlages from the school like being able to skip out on some days because the teachers sucked up to his father - but Kaiba never payed attentioned to those far fetched rumors (Jounouchi was too young to live on his own, and would have been richer if his father worked in the military).
Another concerning - not concerning - intriguging (hell if he be actually be concerned for the mutt just yet) matter was that Jounouchi was reluctantly asking help from him. "...Someone has done something terrible to Jounouchi. There were..." There were... There were, what? Kaiba knew Watase had found something on Jounouchi's body to go as far as to calling the police. More scars? No, they had already found about ninty scars, cuts and bruises and Watase hadn't advised to call the police then. Kaiba thought for a moment, eyes widening with a sudden struck idea, then narrowed with realization. It couldn't possibly...! But what other choices were there left?
Kaiba sped through a yellow traffic light with determination before it turned red; he didn't want to be held down by red lights now.
In a matter of minutes, he was at Domino Hospital, barging through the doors and demanding to see Watase. A woman at the reception's desk directed him to the third floor where Kaiba was greeted with the unwelcoming sight of the Geek Freaks. The cheerleading bear appeared to be asleep (thank god; like he needed to hear her stupid vows at this ungodly hour without any caffine), but Motou and Fish-head whats-his-name were still awake and had seen him come in. Motou stood from his waiting seat to greet him, but fish freak was glaring at him with wariness, as if daring him to start something about the dog.
"Kaiba!" Motou whispered and offered a tight smile. He was dressed in plain light blue pajamas that looked about big enough to fit Mokuba that Kaiba rose a cool eyebrow at the sight him. The brunette didn't return the expression, looking past him to the other hard set brunette who slowly stood from his chair. Kaiba noted that the fish freak was dressed in day clothes, as though more prepared for this situation, then Kaiba's attention shifted back to the starfish shrimp.
"Doctor Osaki Watase," Kaiba said, getting straight to the point, "Have you seen him? He came in with the dog, I'm presuming."
Whats-his-name stepped forward once more, saying softly in case of waking the dancing bear, "Yeah, I've seen him." Kaiba just noticed that the fish freak had almost the same thick accent as the dog did, though pronouncing 'him' with more H than Jounouchi would have. Fish man jerked his head to the door they were waiting outside of, and said: "He's wants to talk with you."
"You, too, Honda, since you've known Jounouchi the longest; you would know more of his family's medical history than I," Motou reminded, though Kaiba had no doubt that fish freak had forgotten that judging by his steely look towards him, blue and brown eyes clashing. Kaiba could tell that fish fin was edging for a fight if he said something about Jounouchi. Fish fin turned and started towards the patient's room, not bothering to tell Kaiba to follow as he would have done so anyway.
The young genius CEO could also see from studying body language that the fish man knew something about Jounouchi that he was unwilling to share with him.
.
All the truth unwinding
Scraping away
At my mind
Please stop asking me to describe him

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:20:09 GMT

THIS CHAPTER HASN'T BEEN EDITED YET!

____________________________________
Chapter Three
____________________________________
Joey breathed shallowly, his fist raised ready to knock, but his brain just wouldn't give the command. There were so many worries going through his head, mostly about not being able to support his daughter. He sucked in a sharp breath as he remembered her smiling this morning. Oh, Serenity... He couldn't let her down and move back in with his father, nor would he constantly put his responsibility of Serenity on Mai every day until he found work.
Well. This was it, he thought.
Whatever it was...
Hesitantly, he knocked softly then brought his fist down harder twice, more confident now. He could do this. He had to do this. And Joseph Andrew Wheeler backed down from nothing. He pushed his fears to the back of his mind; no was not the time. Especially when a low male voice on the other side answered harshly:
"Enter! As for you..." There was a sound of a sob and a chair scraping the floor
Joey sucked in a breath and slowly opened the door, peering around the corner and slightly startled to see it so dark. Even the curtains were closed, and the only light in the room came from the green shade light on the desk. From entering on the right side of what appeared to be another office, Joey stumbled in and glanced to the chair of the lit desk. No one was there, but a quick open of light from his left side and a low buzz of noise that entered the room caught him off guard. The door slammed shut behind a crying woman, and Joey was beginning to feel unnerved; that had to been one of the applying women...
...she wasn't crying in tears of joy, either.
"Shut the damn door!" The man at the door that lead into the grand hall snarled and stomped over to the desk and sat in the chair. Joey stuttered and hurried to close the hidden hall door easily at once. By the way, that little bit of confidence Joey had gathered up earlier was all but slowly slipping away. He stood awkwardly by a bookcase, looking anywhere but the main office enterance or the man himself.
"Are you going to stand there like a fool? Sit down, already! Or is this job not so important to you, now?" Joey immediately rushed to the chair opposite of the shadowed-hidden man. Of course this job was important, it was the last thing he had to count on! He would not take Serenity back to his father's house!
The man leaned forward onto the desk, almost bored, but there was a deep scowl on his face, like it was pernament. The sudden light on icy blue eyes made Joey freeze with a chilled shudder and made him feel as though he was being scanned from the soul. The other male had brunette hair and pale features, his lips pulled back in a tight, pernament frown. He wore a white business suit with a light blue dress shirt underneath and a blue tie that matched his eyes. Joey swallowed; those eyes looked ready to kill, and he wasn't even saying a thing until he leaned back in his chair, hiding his face in the shadows again.
"I am Seto Kaiba," the other drawled, as though it had been rehearsed; it probably was. Obviously, by last names, he was related to the teenager in the other room. "I am the Master of the Kaiba Manor and President of Kaiba Corporation."
"Ah, I'm Joey, er, Joseph Whe-"
"I know who you are," Kaiba cut in chipedly. "I was the one who was calling your name for the past five minutes."
Joey stumbled. "Oh, erm, sorry 'bout that. I had to take my daughter-"
"I," the other cut in again, almost like a sneer this time. Joey watched the sillouette sit a little straighter. "...don't care about excuses. You could have been taking your dying mother to the vet, and gotten held up to get a rabies shot, but it the excuse still wouldn't matter because you were late, mutt." Joey stared at the offending male blankly, his brain having trouble processing that the guy in front of him called his mother and himself an animal instead of people.
Fuck.
No.
Joey flared up almost automatically, fists shaking and eyes narrowed in anger, "Look! So I was five minutes late! It's not going to kill you to wait on some-"
"I'd advise that you bite your yapping tongue if you want to continue this so-called interview any longer, mutt," Kaiba's amused voice interrupted, "but since you're obviously new to the leash and collar, I'll be the one commanding 'speak'. Got it, dog?"
Joey said nothing and kept glowering darkly at the man hidden by shadows.
The Master of the manor reached forward and shuffled around folders before laying one slightly thick manila folder on top and opening it. Apparently, it was Joey's own folder as he saw the paper clipped picture. What kind of things would it say in it, because that obviously wasn't his job application.
"This is your personal background." Kaiba said, as though reading Joey's mind. "Everything about you from date of birth to last court trial is in here."
"I already discussed my reason of trial with-"
"I did not say speak, mutt." He rolled his chair closer to the desk where he stayed in the light, and his blue eyes narrowed dangerously and uncaring at Joey. Joey stumbled and closed his mouth which had been opening and closing like a gaping fish.
"I am very aware that my brother might have been over the issue with you, but I want to ask different questions concerning earlier court apperances, Mr. Wheeler," Kaiba gave Joey a long, studying glare.
Joey squeaked, "E-earlier?" The only earlier one he had...
"How long have you been playing father to your adoptive daughter Sereinty Lee May "Candy" Wheeler?" he asked, the same look plastered over to replace the frown. Apparently, Joey must have shown a look on his face something akin to rage, because Kaiba immediately raised a hand and said slowly: "I'm not an animal person, mutt, and will not take kind to rabid animals; why don't you go off and find a new master before I throw you out." Joey swallowed back a biting retort, wondering what in the hell Serenity had to do if he got this job or not, but if his personal life was to be made as the discussion, then he rather not have the job; no matter how open he was with his friends, he wasn't prepared to give a life story. He narrowed his amber eyes at the business man as he stood.
He leaned forward and swung his hardest punch at the brunette man. It landed squarely at the jaw and knocked Kaiba back. Joey stood away and gave the stuttering man a nonchalant look.
"I've known her all her six years of life," Joey said with an even tone, not rasing it. "Her mother was a prostitute, and I was only fourteen at the time when I took care of her. Her mother died on my bed after giving birth to Serenity." He took in a shallow breath, "I understand I hid her from the government until I was legal and finished school, but I wouldn't not give up that kid even if my job depended on it. If you're thinking that I might be some perverted man that takes in little girls, I must bid you a good day, Mister Kaiba, for I do not like to be judged like that." Joey blinked.
"Nor do I take kindly to being refered to as a dog; I'll find better work else where."
And with that, Joey stalked out the room, quietly closing the door behind him as he left, feeling both highly proud and rather stupid of himself.
"I am so sorry, Serenity..." Joey whispered to himself as he started up the truck and rode to Mai's house. He felt like crying when he saw Serenity minutes later, and gave her a big hug as he walked into his generous friend's house; he couldn't look his daughter in the eye. He set the auburn haired girl on her feet again, patting her head and asked her to go draw him a pretty picture. Serenity giggled at her father and asked him what he wanted her to draw. Joey smiled brokenly.
"A picture that has you and me in it, with lots of flowers. Put Aunt Mai in there, too, while you're at it, hon."
"Yessa!" And she ran off to find the pencil and papers.
"Mai?" Joey called around, voice craking. He turned around to the hall that led deeper into the house and found her leaning against the wall, a tight, sad smile on her face, and Joey just fell to his knees and lost it. With Mai holding him to her comfortingly, he just broke down and lost it all. "W-we'r-re g-go-ing b-back...!" Joey sobbed...
Fate can be so cruel sometimes..

<<Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>
Not even the Yuugiou characters that might appear.
Seto Kaiba x Joey Wheeler
Expecting M...? Shonen-ai, probably yaoi, AU

About some updates, yo!

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:24:40 GMT

Happy Halloween, first of all! Make sure you don't come to my door, or you might get a 3 Mustketeers with razor blades hidden in them. Or just some really nasty Harry Potter Jelly Beans, like boogie or vomit. Stay away, kiddies! >=D

Next - I'm sorta back on this account again; my friend's only//D.Gray-Man is staying on a hold like this was (but not for long because over there I'm directing a community). If you want to take a look at it, it's inward_laughter .

Chapter three of Work in Progress should be coming in soon after I edit it.
Chapter seven of Remember My Love is on hold; major writers block on that story - like I know what to write, but don't know how to put it.
Chapter three of Origin of Symmetry is in the works; finally placed some attention to it and got myself out of block.

A new story is coming out soon, called Desert Dreams; my latest Puppyshipping video is about it; you can check out the summary by clicking here.
And another story is coming soon, as well: Konnichiwa, Watashi wa Joey desu. LimeRocker already knows a bit about this plot >=D
But it's changed! xD

Hello everyone, and later, yo!

OH NOSES!!!

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:34:08 GMT

Want to know why I haven't been on lately?
Well.......

The Internet's down at my place. Seriously. It has been for three weeks now.

Ugh.

It's still down as I type; I'm over at my grandparent's (I hardly try to come over here).

I'll post again when internet's back D:

Writer's Block: You and A Fictional Character of Your Choice

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:12:16 GMT

If you were stranded on an island with a fictional character, who would it be and why?

Submitted By mesnyder_92

View 500 Answers

-squees and dances- I would chooooossse....... Jounouchi Katsuya // Joey Wheeler from Yuugiou // Yu-Gi-Oh! :D Seriously, even though people think he's moronic, he's actually very strong and selfless (even though his selfless actions might not be understood until sometime later). He'd be a cool guy to learn about and hang around 24/7 :D

And, no.... I wouldn't ravish him....:

...He's gay :D

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:44:07 GMT

Remember My Love
By Misster Cackles
Rating: M
Warnings: Yaoi, profanity, sexual content, abuse, character death, religious hints
Pairings: Kaiba Seto x Jounouchi Katsuya
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and a few OCs

Chapter Six – Memento

Mokuba jiggled the key inside the hole and pushed open the door. Only a crack, and already there was a dog's long wet muzzle to great him. Béni took a couple of sniffs of him as he came in, then barked and wagged his tail excitedly, standing on his hind legs to lick him on the face. Béni knew who he was and that made Mokuba grin wide.

"Hey there, boy; how've you been?" Mokuba asked, scratching behind the golden retriever's ear. The dog leaned into the touch in response, licking his wrist in favor. "Good boy, now, can you show me to Katsuya's room?" As though hearing his master's name, Mokuba watched the dog walk in a circle, whimper twice and lay flat on his stomach, looking up at Mokuba with puppy eyes.

"He's fine, and he'll get better soon." Mokuba looked around. The average living from an average man, nothing spectacular even though for a man's home, the place was nicely furnished, colors matched, and it was clean. There was even a hanging plant by the window. Getting back to his duty, Mokuba saw in the far corner a staircase; if he was Katsuya, he wanted to be sleeping on the top floor. Béni followed his every step to the stairs and up, racing in front of him to head into Katsuya's bedroom.

Katsuya's bedroom was a lot like downstairs; clean, colors, and spacey furnished. The chest of drawers was next to the door and something silver on top caught his eye in the morning sun. Seto's silver cross to Katsuya. He made a grab for it before he suddenly tensed up.

What. The. Hell.

Mokuba didn't know what it was, but all of a sudden he felt a shiver run up his spine, and not in a good way either. His gray eyes swept around the room and found nothing out of place, then glanced to Béni. The dog had his ears perked, looking at Mokuba with the same big eyes. He made a small growl, but it turned into a light whimper before turning his head to the large, floor to ceiling window. Mokuba followed where the dog was looking.

Nothing.

Nothing was there besides the cars and houses across the street. A woman and a baby stroller continued down the walk, and a bird in the tree next to the house dove for the ground. Mokuba let out a breath of relief he hadn't known he was holding and gave a low laugh which turned into something loud.

"Damn, I don't know what that was but it was cool; like something from a horror game, ne?" He grabbed the cross by its silver chain and clicked his tongue for Béni to follow him out. Outside, Béni looked at the bird under the tree and gave another small whine.

The bird was dead.

In the house across the street...

"God fucking dammit, Donovano!" Aizaki hollered and hit the club of his gun across the other's skull, knocking him over. "I told you not to shoot at him! If we kill Kaiba's brother, we'd be dead at the end of this, too! All we want is Jounouchi's son." Aizaki gave a thoughtful glance to his partner then to the house across the street. "You do realize you could have come to me if you wanted to know where Jounouchi lived, right? You didn't have to go after Howard."

"OWW FUCKING DAMMIT, AIZAKI!" Donovano roared, rubbing his dark bald head where the other struck him. Aizaki looked unaffected and merely crossed his arms, while easily lowering himself to the floor to sit. He glowered at the calm man and threw down his gun, reaching into his pocket for the pack of smokes. "Fucking asshole," the black man mumbled around the cigarette and lit it, "Fucking fuck face. Fuck. Fucker. Fuck..." Blink, and his face changed from angry to relaxed in a split second.

"Ah? The doctor in Hana Plaza? Well." He inhaled slowly, held his breath and let out the smoke, "He was fucking with what was mine. Almost quite literally." Another puff of smoke escaped his lips and he rummaged into the gear bag next to him, pulled out a manila folder and slid it over the floor to Aizaki. "It also gave me a chance it pick up that fuck's file."

"Mary's not yours; she's my wife." Aizaki set down his gun and picked up the file in exchange. He opened it and read the name: "Jounouchi's?" His curious became a full front grin, "Good thinking, Donovano. You got a mind, after all." He began to skim over it, finding some paragraphs interesting more than others.

The partner pointed his cigarette at the scarf-wearing English man, "Hey, I got brains. You don't have brains, British man. I'm smarter than you, Aizaki. Hehe." The other just rolled his eyes at his partner's rambling and continued reading. Sure, he knew his partner was fucked in the head, but he knew how to work with him easily. Donovano knew how to trigger his victims by the emotions on their faces, even more so at the emotion in their eyes, but that meant he was intimidated and got flustered by people who showed no emotion. Easy, but a big weakness on his count if he were to loose his partner that way. So far he had a total of six different partners, including Donovano and the five he killed.

God, what an awful habit he had.

He flipped the page, and his brown eyes continued scanning until he gave a small chuckle.

Immediately, Donovano was interested: "What? What's it say?"

Aizaki lowered the folder, wiping his eyes of emotion, but keeping the wicked grin on his lips, and pointed at the paper, "Jounouchi talks to his dead sister. Every Monday." He broke out into a fit of laughter. Donovano joined him, even rolling on the floor, holding his stomach. He dropped his cigarette near his crotch and started yelping, before making sure that the cherry hadn't fallen off and burned through his clothes.

"Fuck! What a fucking nutcase!"

Like you're one to talk. Aizaki calmed himself and finished the paragraph, "Apparently he's suffering from PTSD (that's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, by the way)-"

"I know what it is, asshole."

"-but refuses to admit it." The scarf-wearing man started listing, "Jounouchi told Howard that Kawai taught him sign language, advised him to cut his hair, got him to start reading books-"

"Fuck, what a nerd." A cloud of smoke.

Brown eyes glared sharply at the crazy man, "Would you allow me to continue?" Donovano tensed at his stare and nodded dumbly, blinking rapidly. Aizaki gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes and looked back to the paper, "And apparently he also has large intakes of caffeine daily. Hm, odd that he didn't say anything about him learning English. Sound like anyone we know, Donovano?" He raised a brow at the black man across from him.

"Shit. I know a lot of people who like coffee," he answered, propping his upper body on an arm. "Hell, I like coffee. Not the beans, they smell funny and too strong. I like it brewed and I take it black. And not decaf, ei-"

"Oh, shut your fucking mouth already." Aizaki snapped, and closed the file, tossing it back to the other. Donovano blinked twice, sucking around the butt and inhaling. "It sounds like Kaiba, you twit. Jounouchi couldn't remember being with Kaiba so he went to the next thing that could give him comfort and his PTSD came back. Kaiba taught him sign language and English. Kaiba cut his hair. Kaiba reads a lot. Kaiba drinks coffee almost constantly. You see now, moron?" He huffed and laid on his back, "And it's you fucking fault that we're still doing this."

"Hu? How's it my fault, you Briton fucker? And I'm not a moron!" Donovano retorted angrily, the cigarette's smoke releasing from his nostrils like a pissed bull in cartoons. He finished off the last drag and put out the butt on the wooden floor.

"You were the one who had to tell Kaiba that we were still going after Jounouchi; I had suggested that we might have had a new target so Kaiba would get off Jounouchi's ass." Aizaki groaned, and palmed his forehead, "I've wasted ten years of my life for fifteen billion Yen, and when we finally find the man you just had to reassure him that, yes, we were still looking for him!"

Donovano raised his hands in defense, scooting a little a ways from his partner's yelling, "How would I know that the rich fuck would be still protecting that little fucker? I read their high school profiles; they fought like hell all the time."

The English man took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. "Kawai went to the younger Kaiba. Kaiba found out what Jounouchi-san was doing to his son. Then Kaiba seemed to make it his duty to look after Jounouchi." He smirked lightly, "And I believe Kaiba is also in love with Jounouchi."

Donovano grimaced, "Ew, man. That's just fucking gross, don't tell me that shit."

Aizaki rolled his head sideways slowly, "What's that matter with homosexuals? I was bisexual in high school, before I met Mary." The black man wrinkled his nose.

"I don't give a shit about that stuff. Sure, girl on girl stuff gets me off, but a guy liking another guy? That's kinda sick." Aizaki rolled his eyes and looked at the ceiling again.

"Whatever." He blinked, "Where's Mary, by the way? You haven't been hurting her anymore, have you?"

"You mean the kitty cat? Hehe, she would purr nicely, don'tcha think?" Donovano blinked, "She's probably at home, waitin' for the kid. And you, what about the kid?" He avoided the question about hurting her.

"Tracey? Ah, she's fine. I haven't seen her in a while. She's grown so much since the last time I've seen her." With his eyes, he traced patterns with his eyes on the bubble ceiling, thinking what to do next. Aizaki sat up and pulled his cellular phone from his inner jacket pocket, pushing the speed-dial button to call his second boss. "Be quiet, Donovano. I'm making a very important phone call to Kaiba." Donovano looked over, curious. While the ring tone was going off, he reached for his gun and held it tightly, pointing it at the floor before it was time to actually set it off.

"Kaiba." The voice answered. Aizaki started panting as though he had been running.

"Oh my God, Kaiba, sir!" he whispered hurriedly, "They've got Donovano, they've got Donovano! They knew he was a spy and I think they're about to kill him!"

"Fuck, are you serious, Aizaki?" Kaiba sounded slightly panicked, "Where are you?"

"I just got away, I got them off my back when I climbed a building - oh my God, they've got a gun!" While he was talking, he pointed the his hand gun at Donovano.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing with that?" Donovano stood on his knees and backed up.

"Oh God, sir! They're counting down for him to tell them who he's working for," Aizaki was panting hard and sounded near to tears about what to do next, "Oh god, oh God, oh God -" Aizaki smiled kindly at Donovano before pulling the trigger.

Aizaki shot him. Donovano, before his crazy brain could actually realize he'd been shot, gave his ex-partner a short laugh until he gurgled blood out of his mouth. He fell over. Dead.

"Oh God sir! They just shot him, oh my God, oh my God! Oh my God, they're going to find me! They're going to come after me, oh God! They know what I look like! They will know who I am, oh God I'm not safe! Oh God, I'm going to die!" In high school, he was the best actor in Drama class.

"Fuck!" He heard Kaiba say over the line. Aizaki could imagine him pacing the room sweating, the thought made him smile. "Dammit, get out of there now, Aizaki!"

"Y-yes sir!" Aizaki stood, gathered his stuff and walked calmly out of the door, passing the bloody dead bodies who had own this house. He went to the car parked right in front of the front walk and opened the back door for the gasoline containers. He closed the doors and cradled the phone with his ear and shoulder. "I-I he-heard them s-saying s-something con-concern-ning Ka-Katsuya... Th-they killed his th-therapist, and," he crossed the street to Katsuya's house, looking both ways for cars, "w-will be pl-l-anning to b-burn his house d-down to-tommor-row eve-evening." He added a real sounding sob for his performance.

"God dammit, pull yourself together, Aizaki! Look," Kaiba said, "I got to go. Katsuya's here at my mansion, and Osaki just came. Once you're in the clear, call back and tell me where you are so my driver can pick you up. I want to talk privately with you."

"B-but, my wife and kid, sir?"

"They can be brought over, too - just get out of there! And, Aizaki..."

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't get killed."

Aizaki almost smiled at that. How sweet for Kaiba to pretend he didn't care. "Y-yes sir!" He set the red containers on the browning grass and shut off the cell phone, stuffing it back in his pocket. He picked the gasoline up again and walked towards Katsuya's house to torch it to the ground. Mokuba hadn't locked it, so it was an easy win for his part. First thing, first, though... He needed to find himself a memento that Jounouchi would notice immediately. His eyes roamed the room, and he even traveled through different parts of the house.

His brown eyes glinted with satisfaction when they landed on a framed picture. Aizaki smashed the glass and pulled out the photo, which was rather burned on the sides and there were creases along the middle. But what was on it was more important: a group picture of teens. The most distinguishable in the group was the pale blonde male, Jounouchi, next to a brunette and a short boy. Kawai was with two other females; another blonde and a short-haired brunette. A trio of Egyptians and a lot of other odd looking characters bypassed Aizaki's eye until he caught sight of the young Kaiba brother. If he was there, then so was the older one, and- a-ha. There he was, in the back, over the first brunette's shoulder.

Looking very intently at the back of Jounouchi's head.

This would do nicely.

"I can't believe you! How could you have taken advantage of me like that? I don't want to see you! I want go back to the hospital, now!" he spelt angrily, trying to keep his tears hidden.

Katsuya's eyes snapped open, automatically blurred to his surroundings, more so with the sleep still in his eyes. He yawn, arched backwards to stretch, and slowly sat up, still unaware of the different colored quilt on top of him. He expected to see Béni stretched out at the bottom of the bed, but he wasn't on...his... Katsuya clenched his honey brown eyes closed for a moment, thinking of the crème and green plaid bed spread that he had picked out two summers ago. His bed was not blue. Eye kept shut, he reached over blindly to his bedside table, searching for his glasses and found that he could not almost reach it. What the hell? He always kept his bed table right up close to his bed. Katsuya was able to feel for his glasses and put them on, re-opening his eyes and wishing that the blue spread would be gone.

He frowned deeply; nope still there. One thing was certain, however: he was not at his home. Katsuya glanced around the large bedroom, having a sense of déja-vu wash over him. Hm... Right. He was looking to his right, staring at a chest of drawers. The blonde man didn't turn his head just yet, trying to figure out if he could beat that weird feeling if he knew what next he'd be seeing. Chest of drawers...bedroom door? No, that was his bedroom.

Amber eyes narrowed when a word offered itself in his thoughts, spinning his head to the next furniture piece. Desk. The desk was a rich cherry, the red contrasting with the blue, a few sheets of paper cluttering the top of it and tilted towards the bed slightly. Just as Katsuya thought; he stared dumbly at it for a moment, another item coming to mind after the desk. Katsuya had a feeling that after the desk, a lamp would be in the corner. Katsuya kept his eyes on the cherry desk, trying something new: he tried to picture exactly what the lamp looked like. It would be tall...and silver... The blonde brought his hand up to rub at his temple; his head was hurting, but he decided to ignore the pain and keep trying. Jounouchi Katsuya never gave up.

Tall and silver, and the...glass shade would open at the top.

Katsuya spun his head around again, and surely enough there was a lamp in the corner. Tall. Silver. The glass shade was opened at the top. All hints pointed to one thing to the blonde man; he's been in this room before. Already, without too much thought on it, he could remember what was to come after the lamp - mirror would be in front of him, bedroom door would be across from the lamp, and the wardrobe was located opposite from the chest of drawers. Katsuya immediately picked up on the pattern: the furniture were placed in alphabetical order: Bed, bedside table, chest of drawers, desk, lamp, mirror, wardrobe. He's been on this bed before, he suddenly realized, not just in this room, but on this very bed!

A sharp in take of breath, doubling over while clutching his head, Katsuya had forgotten memories played back.

He stood next to the attractive male, chewing on his lips nervously as he slowly spelt out his feelings. The intensity of the other's lips on his made his knees weak and shake, the hot tongue sweeping over his lips, asking for entrance which he anxiously gave. Cool blue quilt beneath him, hot hands sliding over his already burning body, moaning softly at the feel of the tongue crossing over his collarbone. He clenched his teeth tightly, tugging at the chestnut hair as gently as he could, as he felt the moistened finger prepare him, noticing it didn't really hurt as much as it made him feel...awkward. About to loose himself with ecstasy, he reached his arms around the other's neck and pulled him down for a kiss, each thrust hitting the bundle of nerves straight on, exploding at the same moment he looked into the darkened blue eyes with pleasured whimpers and moans.

Heavily breathing from the erotic flashback, Katsuya returned to present times, rubbing his chest where his heart had been racing from a familiar feeling. Ok-kay... That one had been totally unexpected. He tried to replace those returned memories with something else for the moment, but nothing was working, even when he remembered he had to get to the high school. Eh...could e-mail the secretary that he was ill? Yeah, that'll do, but that hadn't removed his current mind set. Uh, uh... Not hearing from his friends in a while! No, that hadn't helped. What did he have for dinner last night! He had... Amber eyes blinked.

Right, then; he remembered his problem: How in the hell had he got there? Shit, what day was it even?

The jiggling door handle made Katsuya forget everything for a moment to turn his wary attention to the person about to enter the room. A aging man entered the room, what appeared to be a medical bag in hand, seeming quite startled that Katsuya was sitting up in bed; he made a very quick glance outside the door, and it was as though his head vibrated side-ways like speedy shakes. Katsuya turned to the door again in time to see someone dodge behind the panel.

"Who's out there?" Katsuya spelt to the doctor, feeling perturb at the other person's behavior. If the doctor didn't give him a proper answer, he could always go and see for himself who's in the hall. The medical man laid down his supplies on the desk and smiled warmly at the blonde.

"A maid, that's all." He opened the medicine bag, pulling out a roll of gauze and a stepethscope. "I told her if you were awake, I would not need help to change the bandages."

The blonde blinked, "Bandages?" He spelt quickly, "What bandages?" The doctor looked at him curiously while hanging the heart-listening device over his neck, reaching in his bag for more items.

"On your leg. I had to stitch it, so you better stay in bed if you want to walk again. Surely you remember what happened on Monday, right?"

Katsuya blinked, looking over on to the bed side table where he had found his glasses. His own silver cross wasn't there. Must have been at home. He grabbed his earring with a slow moving hand, unhooked the clasp and latched it back together on his ear. He relaxed a bit - Katsuya could believe it was a maid. "Yes, I remember." Graveyard, Seto, accident, the window catching on his ankle. Yeah, pretty hard to forget that. The blonde peered more closely to the doctor; he looked familiar, like the one he'd seen in his flashback when he was visiting Shizuka, only not as gray on top. "I think I remember you, as well. How long ago would it have been? Eleven, twelve years?"

The doctor smiled big, nodding. He turned to the desk and retrieved a pen and notepad and sat down in the chair next to the bed after gathering the gauze and medical items on top of the notepad. "Yes, it has. I'm Doctor Osaki, if you don't remember, but I'm glad it's coming back to you gradually, Master Katsuya. Do you remember where you were the last time I checked you?"

Katsuya looked around the room again, mentally seeing the young brunette at the corner, hovering with sharp eyes. "The Kaiba Mansion... I was on a bed, you were in front of me, and Seto was next to the wall. I think I was in this room here, right?" He pointed behind the desk. The elder man smiled again and jotted down some notes.

"That's right." He set all the stuff on the floor except the notepad and pen on the floor and said: "I'm going to ask a few more ques-" Katsuya blinked.

"What day is it?"

"Well, it's Wednesday, Master Katsuya. Ten in the morning, in fact."

He'd been out for two days. Katsuya winced, "Please don't call me that. I don't pay you, and I don't live here. You can just call me Jou."

Doctor Osaki seemed to weigh this, but then said: "Sure, I'll call you Jou, but only when Master Seto isn't around."

"What, is that like a household rule for the staff?" he asked. The elder nodded.

"It is, but no one here minds it; Master Seto is very generous to his staff that'd they'd even call him Buddha if he wished it! He pays me well so I can even participate in my own private studies - medical equipment might have been cheaper from North America, but I can't keep traveling over there all year."

Katsuya closed his mouth; surely they weren't talking about the same Kaiba Seto here, right? "Wow, really? He sounds different from when I knew him in school."

"Well, he softened up when you were here. You followed him around like a pupp... Oh, um." Doctor Osaki acted like a fish out of water for a minute, before flushing red in embarrassment. He looked down and fiddled with the cap of the pen before realizing it was a twist top. "I'm sorry Master Katsuya; I tend to forget my place sometimes. I heard Master Seto say it so often that it was the first metaphor that came to mind, I need to learn to think before I speak - a bad habit of mine, really. O-oh, I, I should really get to work, shouldn't I? W-well, where did I put that notebook..." he mumbled the last part to himself. The notepad was on his lap still. "I, uhm, got to get those medical questions n-now, Jou. I'll be just a minute then I can let you rest. Oh, er..."

A hand laid on top of the doctor's, and the doctor immediately tensed, looking slowly to Katsuya's face only to find him smiling big.

"It's fine, really. I've heard it from Seto so many times that I've learned to let it slip. Besides," Katsuya winked at him, pointing to himself before spelling out: "I like the term puppy more than the regular inu." Even though he didn't really enjoy it at all, it was easier to lie the little lie than handle a fumbling doctor. That might not effect him well when he had to work on his injured leg. What he was more listening to, however, was the little slip on what happened during the time he was supposed to be in the hospital. He knew, of course, that all hints showed that Seto had taken care of him some time after the fire. Could it be because of Seto that he couldn't remember much after he he'd been released from the hospital, like how he couldn't remember Seto taking him in? Perhaps he could make him slip up again...?

"Now, if you would please lift the covers and try moving you toes." Katsuya nodded and dragged his legs (not as easy as he thought it would be) out from under the comforter and let them hang from the side of the bed, making him sit up fully in the process. He tried to do as the doctor said, but only his left foot's toes wriggled. The right foot's toes barely twitched and Katsuya gave a hiss of pain.

"Oh dear, I think you might have pulled a few muscles in that foot, and by that swelling, I'd say you probably sprained it pretty bad, too; by the way Master Seto took care of it, I don't think it would be by infection. He would have know to take you to the hospital, then." Katsuya averted his eyes, knowing full well that Seto wouldn't have because he told him not to. Osaki gripped the heel and brought it on to his knee so he could examine it better. Gingerly, he rubbed his fingers along the ankle, where the large wound from the broken window had caused. His other hand came up and examined the inner part of his ankle, and Katsuya hissed again when the elder man's thumb made a quick jab at the swelling.

"AH! W'at ta hell!?" Katsuya cried out, yanking his foot back and sat cross-legged, bruised foot being soothed. Katsuya registered the fact that he had talked but let it slid, used to the random workings of his voice box. Doctor Osaki, however, looked at him like he had just sprouted another foot from the wound.

"You can talk, now? Why sign-"

Katsuya sighed, and rose his arms. "It happens. I've been able to do it before, then it just goes as it comes."

Osaki readied the notepad again, writing while he talked, "When was the last time this has happened?" He looked back at Katsuya.

"Two weeks ago." Blink, "Wait, no. I had talked this Monday..."

"Have you tried to talk since then?"

"No. I don't like to try."

Doctor Osaki gave a harsh blow through the lips and waved him off, "That's not what Master Seto told me."

Katsuya blinked; could this be another slip up, or something recently since he came here two days ago? "Oh, what did he say, then?"

"He said-"

"I said," Katsuya's head flung around so fast it was surpising that he didn't get whiplash. Seto was there at the door, leaning at the frame, arms crossed. Katsuya noted, as the tall brunette slauntered over to them, that he looked a little tense. Seto stood behind Osaki and continued, a small smirk playing at the edges of his lips, "that Katsuya was one of the most annoying-"

"Excuse you!"

"-lowliest-"

"I make a decent living, thank you very much, you rich-"

"-loud mouthed-"

"Hello, can't talk here!"

"-angry little mutt of the litter."

Katsuya glowered at him darkly, about to spell something before Seto cut in with a: "But that was why I said 'was.'" He almost smiled at the blonde when he appeared to be taken back, and Seto put a hand on Osaki's shoulder. "I want to talk to Katsuya alone now. Mokuba has his arms full setting up a space for the dog; could you go help him?"

"C-Certainly, Master Seto! Ne, Master Katsuya, keep exercise those vocals; they aren't gone forever, and don't stop trying." He stood, turned to Seto and made a short bow and as he left the room, making sure to set his notepad on the desk with his things as he passed by. Seto took the now-vacant chair and looked at Katsuya expectantly. Katsuya, fidgeting, bit his lip and adverted his gaze to the covers, and tried to overcome the blush that crept on his cheeks as he remembered this scene from his flashback. Which, unfortunately, came to the front of his mind again; he failed on keeping the blush hidden by this point.

"What-"

"Don't sign."

"Why-"

"You did just hear the doctor, didn't you?"

"I-"

"Come on, speak, mutt!"

Katsuya glared at him, "Don't-"

"A dog who doesn't follow his master's -"

"GOD DAMMIT! I'M NOT A DOG!" Katsuya hollered, fist shaking in rage. Seto smirked victoriously.

"Good boy. Now, shouldn't you repent for your sins?"

"D-DAMMIT!" Katsuya barked hoarsely, "W-won' you...jus'...go away!?" he wearily gave him a glance, trying to ignore the soreness in his throat. "F-for wh't...'ough?"

Seto didn't look effected; in fact he crossed one knee over the other and folded his arms across his chest, almost like how he had done the night before. "You said 'God', didn't you? Shouldn't you be rushing to some alter and pray that he doesn't strike you dead where you stand?"

Katsuya rose an eyebrow; it was bluntly obvious that Seto was Atheist with the bit of sneering he added when he was talking. "I-I..." He looked around, and as though Seto understood, stood and walked around to the chest of drawers where a silver jug of water and a couple of tall glasses had been set out by one of the maids. He poured two glasses of water and went to sit back down again, handing Katsuya one of the two. He set the other one the bedside table for Katsuya to drink later. As his thanks, the blonde gulped it down almost greedily, and gasped and left about a third in the glass. Katsuya tried again: "I-I w-would...'pose s-so."

Seto raised his own eyebrows, "Why would you suppose? You looked into the religion, hadn't you?"

Katsuya gave a small grin, "'At's j-jus'...it: I...looked...in'o...it."

Curious, Seto continued. "What made you look into it, then?"

"T-ta...c-c-cross s-sym-mbol."

"Why?"

"It...was 'round m-my...neck w'en I w-woke...at t-ta hosp-pital. 'At s-sil-lver...one. I w-want-ed ta...kn-know...w'at i-it...m-means."

Without even thinking, Seto said, "It's a memento." He sighed, and reached into his pocket. He fisted the cross between his fingers and held out the silver necklace. Katsuya looked wide eyed at the cross before extending his arm to take the item. As Seto dropped it in his hand, he leaned forward to twist his wrist around and entwine their fingers together, the cross in between their palms. Shocked and nervous with the flashback still in mind, amber eyes met the cooling blue.

Seto slowly stood again, keeping their hands together, and placed a knee on the bed and sunk down to sit on it, one foot still on the floor. Katsuya couldn't really think to move, too shocked by their linked hands; from this close, the blonde could see the brunette swallow.

"Do you remember what the memento was for?" Seto asked, whispering. Katsuya shook his head no, and a wounded look flashed briefly in those blue eyes. He lightly cleared his throat, "Well. Yes, that was to be expected. I had gone visiting you in the hospital, and you seemed a little upset that the person in bed next to you was getting gifts, so I purchased you this necklace."

"A...me-men-to...is to re-remember...an...event. W-why...ca-call it...'at, 'en?"

Flash.

Dazzling lights strung decoratively around the mansion. The young pre-teen even more so excited during the holiday as the days drew near to Christmas. The tree ever growing packed with presents from the three of them to each other as each day passed. The click of the tongue and the playful swat to the nose when he had been caught trying to peek in a bag. Snow had fallen the night before, and in the morning, on Christmas, the ground was covered in it, the two of them drinking hot chocolate and coffee on the front step while they watched the kid play. He leaned in closer and snuggled into the brunette's side, loving the way the other's arm came around his waist to pull him even closer. He opened the box, and was startled by the pure gold chain and cross that shined at him, yet feeling silly and awful at having getting practically the same thing. The warm bubbling feeling when his blue-eyed guardian said he loved the silver cross was almost too much, and he blushed, looking fondly of the gold cross hanging from his neck to avoid eye contact with the other. Mokuba had long since gone to bed, and he buried against the brunette for the second time that day. On his way to his bedroom, he was surprised, but blushed and smiled with glee, when the other kissed his forehead. Green and white had caught his eye, and he looked up and flushed red almost immediately. Seto leaned in slowly, giving Katsuya time to understand what he was about to do, and kissed him gently on the lips. After a few seconds, Katsuya's arms wrapped around Seto's neck and he kissed him back. When he broke apart, he took back the silver necklace, and took off the gold, giving it to Seto and wearing the silver. They had only gotten them because the colors reminded them of the other. Seto's silver cross with sapphire jewel would be around Katsuya's neck, and Katsuya's gold cross with ruby jewel would be around Seto's.

Gasp, pant, pant.

Seto was straddling over him looking worriedly, almost exactly like he'd done back in Barnes & Noble. Obviously, Katsuya had fallen backwards on the bed, kind of pulling Seto along with him- er, on top...of...him. Katsuya didn't move, nor did he push Seto away. Amber eyes blinked at the brunette's neck.

"W'ere's...ta g-gold...c-cross?" Katsuya asked quietly, eyes moving back to the blue ones, searching. Unblinking, Seto steadied all his weight on his left arm, the hand that had held the blonde's, and dug into the collar of his turtleneck, pulling out the cross pendent by the gold chain. Free from the confinement, it dangled shamelessly above the blonde's chin. Katsuya slowly took the chain in hand and lift it over the other's head, replacing it with its silver replica. In return, Katsuya lifted his head a centimeter off the bed to put the gold cross around his neck. He didn't even bother straightening it since he was going to take it off again, anyways. Seto's breathing was almost unnoticeably faster and his eyes widen a bit when he realized Katsuya's game plan.

"I-I bel-lieve i-it...w-was a...me-men-to..." Katsuya said softly, still unsure about what to do. He was extremely nervous and his heart pounded in his chest uncomfortably; he wasn't even too sure if he liked Seto or, hell, if he even liked men in general; all he had to go by was memories that happened twelve years ago. So, fisting the black turtleneck at the brunette's shoulder, he lowered him carefully. "T-ta our...f-first...kiss." His eyes closed as he reached up that two more inches to lay his lips against Seto's, quite aware that Seto almost came down on him like he had a craving. Katsuya got the feeling in his mind of the other's lips on his and couldn't help but smile contently when his mind gave him thumbs up and said that, yes; this was right.

And fantastic.

And amazing.

And was very, very...nice.

And who ever that was at the door could kindly fuck off.

"Whoops! I'm very sorry to intrude!" A man's voice cut of their quick session all too quickly. Seto and Katsuya gasped apart, and the blonde looked around Seto's shoulder to glare at the brown eyed, scarf-wearing, dark haired man in the doorway. Those brown eyes blinked in surprise, "You must be Katsuya! I'm Colin Aizaki."

Katsuya tried to act natural and smile back, but his instincts told him to hide underneath Seto.

He did not like the look in those eyes...

<<Previous Chapter | Next Chapter>>

lalala

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:06:08 GMT

Stolen from: lady_saber

For each of your fandoms, name

1. A character you absolutely worship
2. A character you like
3. A character you could give or take
4. A character you don't really care for
5. A character you'd like to spork

D.Gray-Man:
1. A character you absolutely worship - Lavi//Tyki Mikk
2. A character you like - Allen Walker//Kanda Yuu//Rhode Kamelot//Cyril Kamelot//Komui Li//Earl//Miranda Lotto//Noise Marie//Froi Tiedoll//Cross Marian//Krory//Daisya Barry
3. A character you could give or take - Link//Lulu Bell//Lenalee Li//Bookman//Sakoro Winters//Klaud Nine//Chaoji//The 14th//Mana Walker
4. A character you don't really care for - Skinn Bolic//Crows;Most-Central Members
5. A character you'd like to spork - Malcolm//The one who suppossedly killed Cross//Level 4

Fullmetal Alchemist:
1. A character you absolutely worship - Greed//Roy Mustang
2. A character you like - Edward Elric//Alphonse Elric//Riza//Jean//Kain
3. A character you could give or take - Envy//Lust//Scar//
4. A character you don't really care for - Gluttony//Sloth
5. A character you'd like to spork - Dante//Pride

Yuugiou:
1. A character you absolutely worship - Jounouchi Katsuya:||:GOD OF ALL CHARACTERS IN EVERY FANDOM... :D
2. A character you like - Kaiba Mokuba//Kaiba Seto//Mutou Yuugi//Pharaoh Atemu;Yami
3. A character you could give or take - Honda Hiroto//Otogi Ryuuji//Kaiba Noa//Kujaku Mai
4. A character you don't really care for - Amelda//Mazaki Anzu//Ishtar Malik//Rishid//Pegasus//Dartz
5. A character you'd like to spork - Kaiba Gozaburo//Insector Haga//Priest Akhenaden//Jounouchi's father:||:Have you read the manga?

Naruto:
1. A character you absolutely worship - None, really.
2. A character you like - Uzumaki Naruto//Hatake Kakashi//Uchiha Itachi//Rock Lee//Jiraya//Tsunade//Yamanaka Ino//Nara Shikamaru//Inuzaka Kiba//Deidara//[[Obi]]Tobi:||:from before we found out he was Madara.
3. A character you could give or take - Haruno Sakura//Uchiha Sasuke//Hyuuga Neji//Hyuuga Hinata:||:People give her too much credit....
4. A character you don't really care for - TenTen//Uchiha Madara//Pein//Kabuto
5. A character you'd like to spork - Orochimaru//Karin//Konoha Elders

Death Note:
1. A character you absolutely worship - L...and B:||:Match made in hell :D
2. A character you like - Yagami Raito//Shido//Rem
3. A character you could give or take - Aizawa//Mello//Quillish Wammy
4. A character you don't really care for - Amanye Misa//Near
5. A character you'd like to spork - Kira//Misora Naomi:||:I never liked her, and I'm glad she died. :[[

Doctor Who:
1. A character you absolutely worship - Why, the Doctor of course! :D
2. A character you like - Rose Tyler//Jack Harkness//The Master//Donna Noble
3. A character you could give or take - Mickey//Sara Jane Smith//Jacklyn Tyler
4. A character you don't really care for - Martha Jones
5. A character you'd like to spork - Daleks//That new Doctor:||:He seriously ruined their chance....

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:07:27 GMT

Origin of Symmetry
By Misster Cackles
Rating: M
Warnings: Yaoi, rape, abuse, darkfic

Chapter Two - Screenager

Who's so phoney and always surrounded?
Stop your screaming, no one can hear
All the scars on your skin: "Post no bills"

Who you were
Was so beautiful
Remember who, who you where

Kaiba watched the medical doctor from the window seat, pinching the bridge of his nose while the other arm crossed over his chest, disguising his shakiness with fatigue. It wasn't that difficult as he was tired of the doctor's inquiries when he had absolutely no idea what the young, fitful sleeping, blonde man's medical history was. Kaiba had given out a few of his own questions, mainly concerning around the blonde's sudden collapse; was he drunk? Taking drugs? Kaiba doubted the latter completely; Jounouchi was always a strong-holding participant against controlling substances. Kaiba since knew the teen was when Jounouchi's grandparents died of snorting and injecting heroin more than frequently, as shown on the police medical report. Yet when the house was being emptied by officials it was televised, recorded, and taped as some sort of drug documentary for schools, including Domino High.

Approximately over one million yen's worth of bagged illegal drugs were found buried in dozens of coffee canisters under the crushed grains. If the police weren't so perplexed by the amount of coffee, they would have went to the streets to find the grandparent's buyer. Needless to say, Jounouchi had been the center of attention for quite sometime and had received a lot of bullshit; accused being a druggie or an underground drug lord. The other Geek Freaks, as Kaiba called Motou and his little triad of trouble-hunting mischief’s, were given rude cat calls during school hours for even hanging around Jounouchi, a few thinking that the dog persuaded Fish-head Honda to snort on weekends. With the rumors and talk flying around, even among the teachers, a K9 squad was advised to check lockers. Unsurprising to Kaiba, the dog and his freakish friends were clean.

"I believe he's exhausted, that is all." The doctor hesitated a moment, "But...I will need to do a more through examination, for more scars below the waist, Master Kaiba." Asking him why, the doctor turned back to the feverish blonde, and leaned over the spindly body, to the side that Kaiba could see clearly. Kaiba noted unconsciously that he could see a few ribs sticking out as the gloved fingers ran down the pale side, pointing out a particular long, slightly jagged raw skin.

"That is a recent one which will unfortunately scar, and..." the doctor pulled down the loose draw string pants down Jounouchi's hip. Even the hip bone stuck out more than it should have been, but that lost Kaiba's interest for the moment as he couldn't help but stare at the continuation of the new forming scar. Even with the pants pulled low on his hip, it still went on pass the pants, but appeared to curve to his underside. What in the world would do that? Kaiba had to quickly erased the thought; using would would implied that he might care. So, what could have done that?

"Well. As you can see it continues,"

"Obviously," Kaiba sneered, once more pinching the bridge of his nose. He shuddered lightly; the doctor had counted for seven minutes the scars on his torso, front and back and came up with the unhealthy number of sixty-seven. Worried, he started counting the bruises and minor cuts and came to twenty-four. Even though he'd been in league with Hirutani during middle school, Jounouchi had long since hung up his gang days; and remembering that information made Kaiba highly doubt the fact that those bruises and cuts, and very many of those scars (since he'd been fist fighting with Jounouchi occasionally, the blonde was a slick target; sometimes it was hard to land a hit) were from the good old days.

"Do what you need, Watase," Kaiba said, standing and drawing the window's curtains behind him, "I, on the other hand, need to start shutting down. I'm sure you know the way out, and..." he paused, stopping at the door to face the middle aged doctor, waiting for Watase's attention.

"Call me if there are any concerning matters dealing with the mu-Jounouchi." Kaiba turned away immediately to open the door and slam it on his way out, not bothering for the medical man's response; he would have done it even if he hadn't mentioned it.

Outside in the long corridor, right outside the guest bedroom door, Kaiba furrowed his brows and glared at the wood panel floors. Whatever he was feeling, whatever had made him call the mutt by his name, and whatever made his head and chest pound like a drum when the mutt closed his burned out eye an hour and half earlier, he blamed it on fatigue. It was understandable; the inadequate sleep he'd been receiving all week, even his little brother had warned him lightly on the subject.

Even so, he couldn't help the sudden throb in his chest when he thought something might be seriously wrong with his pet. Kaiba's long fingered hand overlapped his chest, where his heart was, before realizing what he was thinking was absolutely foolish and moronic, and really un-Kaiba like. He narrowed his blue eyes further, when he noticed he had let his mask slip for that moment when he was genuinely worried for Jounouchi. The brunette scoffed and walked swiftly and straight back to his room to catch on the few hours of sleep he would manage to catch before work...

...But not even sleep had saved him from the image of the pained expression on Jounouchi's face each time he opened his mouth.

"I'm..." Jounouchi whispered, choking on his words a little. Kaiba's unconsciousness urged him on; You're? You're what?

"I'm s-sorry..." the vulnerable hot tempered teen would say, burned out eyes filling with hot unshed tears. The dream Kaiba would frown, curious as to what he was sorry about; Why?

"I-I'm...s-sorry fo-or the...f-fights I pu-ull. I-I'm sor-ry for u-using y-you...as an ou-outlet." Kaiba would smirk; That's quite fine, mutt; I use you for the same.

But Jounouchi would continue hoarsely, whispering, almost sobbing, on as if Kaiba hadn't said anything back: "S-s-sorry f-for c-coming he-here... I-I'm s-sorry I c-caus-sed...tr-trouble for y-you..." Kaiba would frown even deeper now because Jounouchi would be furiously wiping at the tears; Why are you crying?

"I-I'm s-s-sorry f-for be-being e-emotional, an' l-loud, an' w-wor-rthless-s. I-I'm...very s-sorry y-you have t-to see m-me like th-this, w-weak an' th-the sc-scars..." The brunette unconsciously shook his head as if to disagree with the usual happy-go blonde. He was very interested at where the scars came from since he had already ruled out gangs; Where are the scars from, Jounouchi?

He kept listing his apologies, "...I-I'm ve-very s-sorry, but I-I don't wa-want y-you to f-find ou-out, and..." Jounouchi shuffled where he stood, before slowly bending down and giving Kaiba a small kiss on the temple.

"I-I am so v-very s-sorry f-for f-falling in l-love w-with you, K-Kai-Kaiba S-Seto."

Blue eyes snapped open and Kaiba turned over look behind his shoulder, and he gave a very large gasp.

Hide from the mirror, the cracks and the memories
Hide from your family, they won't know you now
For all the holes in our soul host no thrills

Who you were
Was so beautiful
Memories who, who you where

Writer's Block: Six-Word Story

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:40:51 GMT

Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” He is believed to have called it his greatest literary work ever. Can you write a story in six words?

Submitted By femspectre

View 505 Answers

Remember my love; forget me tomorrow

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:25:10 GMT

Origin of Symmetry
By Misster Cackles
Rating: M
Warnings: Yaoi, rape, abuse, sexual content, darkfic
Disclaimer: I do not own MUSE, the lyrics, or even the Yuugiou characters that might appear.

Chapter One: Bliss

Everything about you is how I wanna be
Your freedom comes naturally
Everything about you resonates happiness
Now I won't settle for less

The doorbell echoed throughout the entire mansion, another quickly following the first. Kaiba, who was in his office working, glanced at the time on the computer screen before furrowing his eyebrows together in thought. It was too late for reporters (not to mention he set a restriction order around his house a couple months back), and the gate guard would have used the intercom if he saw someone that didn't look familiar. So, who would be out this hour of the night? Kaiba's immediate thoughts said it might be business associate; there had been some arguing in the meeting today, but they had settled things, and going behind the board's back and going to the president secretly was against the code. They knew what would happen if they broke violations, so Kaiba ruled out that idea.

The doorbell rang again, four times now. Kaiba stood from his chair and went to the window, pulling back the curtain, but it didn't do any good; it was too dark out to see clearly who it was on the porch. They were swaying a bit, hunched over, and appeared to be having troubling standing.

"Seto?" A tired croak came from the door, and Kaiba whipped his head around to his little brother. He was dressed in his overly large night shirt, a bear in one arm while his other fist rubbed at his eyes. "There's someone at the door..." Kaiba gave a small smile of reassurance at Mokuba. Kaiba found it cute (as much as Kaiba could feel 'cute'), albeit odd, how Mokuba's attitude could change from tricky, manipulative vice president of Kaiba Corporation to innocent little kid with a stuffed animal at the end of the day.

"Yes. I know," Kaiba said softly, and moved from the window, guiding Mokuba by the shoulder back to the direction of his room, "I was just about to go on down. Head off to bed, it's late."

"'Night, big...brother..." Mokuba yawned and shuffled on down hall.

Kaiba watched him close the door before walking quick, long strides down the stairs. This had better be good reason to be coming this late at night and wake his little brother, Kaiba thought irritated, fixing his cuff before opening the door to tell off the person on the other side. Right when the door was opened a crack, it flew open with weight of the person that had apparently been leaning against it. Kaiba, surprised by the suddenness, stepped back quickly and hardly registered the fact that it was Jounouchi Katsuya lying on his floor, unconscious and bruised. His usually smiling, carefree expression that Kaiba envied most was wiped clean in exchange of pain and fear.

He wasn't even sure that it was Jounouchi since he's never even seen him in such a state, but it was and that's what scared Kaiba the most: Jounouchi's face had cuts and bruises on it and dry tear streaks through a thin layer of dirt. His lips were swollen and bloody, and his left eye reminded Kaiba of a panda. His hair was dirty, not the usual gold thread it looked as before, and stuck out in odd places. It took Kaiba a moment to realize that he wasn't wearing a shirt and his bare back in full view to the brunette boy; scars were visible even in the bad lighting, some like Xs, then others like burn scars.

Then the broken body on the floor began to move, turning his head up a little towards him, opening his good eye if only a little, squinting at his face to make it out in the dark. Or perhaps he was fighting against the blurriness. The amber eye shone through the darkness of the room, staring right in Kaiba's own blue eyes, but the fire of determination Kaiba secretly loved to see was gone and left behind something empty. The busted lips parted and he took in a rattling breath.

"I-I'm..." His sentence wasn't even complete before his voice faded, and his eye closed again.

For the first time in years, Kaiba Seto stuttered.

"M-mutt?"

Everything about you pains my envying
Your soul can't hate anything
Everything about you is so easy to love
They're watching you from above

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:29:28 GMT

Rating: T
Warnings: Shonen-ai, probably yaoi, AU
Pairings: Seto Kaiba x Joey Wheeler
Disclaimer: Not even the Yuugiou characters that might appear.

Chapter Two

Upon entering the mansion, the entrance hall was split by the center grand staircase; one side for women, the other for men, but most of the chairs on the women side seemed to be having taken from the men's. Probably the most Joey's seen more women were at the mall. The men that filled the remaining twenty percent of the seats made a large circle in the right corner, separating themselves from the opposite sex completely. Walking slowly across the shiny tile towards the male side, Joey pulled up an empty chair and sat a good distance from the male circle. Joey looked around the grand hall, amazed how big it was; he'd never been in a mansion before.

The floor was almost like mirrors with not a scuff mark on them, and the walls were ivory marble, large plants on onyx marble stands wrapped the room until it reached in front of the staircase where instead of a red carpet leading up, it was a sapphire blue. A large chandelier huge about twenty feet above them, bouncing off the mirror tiles and making the grand hall brighter. The first and second floor were built awkwardly, Joey noticed, only two doors on each side of the marble staircase. Only two rooms on the first floor. He figured that one of them had to be the kitchen, the other an office where the interviews were being held. Joey tilted his head; unless they were to go upstairs...?

What really got annoying quickly was the low buzzing echoing in the practically bare hall; everyone was mumbling, glancing around mainly at the men's side of the room as though searching for someone. A few people glanced over him, seeing a new face, and then finally Joey watched an elderly man wandered from the other males to come to him. Had he done something wrong? Up close, however, when the 'elderly man' stood before him, he saw that it was not an old man, but some guy around his age with a long white mane.

"Are you Wheeler?" He asked lazily, almost nastily, hands on hips in irritation. Joey became defensive for his tone.

"Yeah, what of it?" Joey retorted lamely.

"They're calling people in backwards, Blondie," the white haired man glared, "You were the second one called. Now high tail it in there!" He threw his arm to the right hand door. By the way he was moving made the stranger's hair bounce in a peculiar way, the two fringes swaying on top like rabbit ears. Joey almost chuckled if he hadn't been saved by an impatient voice.

"This is the last warning for Wheeler, Joseph," an intercom system from somewhere above him announced above him from speakers. Amber eyes widen behind glasses and he rushed out of his seat, cheeks heated with embarrassment.

"Hey, uh, thanks man!" Joey called over his shoulder before racing to the door, watching where the stranger lead to. The man shrugged and went back to the circle, sitting next to another white-haired person who was lightly scolding him before turning to two spiky red heads whom seemed to be in a deep discussion. Seeing as he was no longer paid attention to, Joey pushed open the large door and stepped in, closing it behind him. He counted back from three, took a deep breath, and turned around to face his hopefully-future-employer. He was met with big gray eyes studying him intently.

"Tardiness is not accepted, Mr. Wheeler, especially when working with the Kaibas. When arriving for work, be at least twenty minutes early."

The blonde could only stand there a moment, staring at the...teenager behind the office desk. Taking a step forward, he cleared his throat, re-adjusting his glasses, "Um, are we suppose to wait for your father...?" He really did not appear older than fifteen. The kid's long black hair was tied up high and he was holding a manila folder. Joey took a quick sweep around what appeared to be a small library. Bookcases wrapped around the room, each shelf stuffed. He was trying to find some hidden door that might revile an adult.

The boy grinned, having a hard time withholding a snigger. "My step father's dead, Mr. Wheeler."

Heat flared on his cheeks again, "Oh, er, sorry. Mother then?" Geez, if he was to screw up with the boss's kid, he could already kiss this job goodbye. He had to at least try not to be stupid; he had to do this for Serenity. The younger coughed and immediately Joey had a feeling he had said the wrong thing again. He mentally groaned, but Mokuba went on as nothing had happened, nodding to the seat in front of his desk. Joey took it.

"I'm Mokuba Kaiba, Mr. Wheeler. I am to be one of your employers if I see that you are fit to take this position."

Joey blanched, "You're going to interview me? You're just a kid, though! Aren't you supposed to be in school on Mondays?"

The teen, Mokuba, right out laughed, "The judge agreed with me that if I'm able to be the Vice President of the largest company in America, then I shouldn't have to be enrolled in school." The blonde's jaw came loose.

"No way... You're a VP?" Well, how could he have known? The squirt wasn't even wearing a business suit; jeans, yellow vest, and blue shirt. Mokuba nodded curtly once, and cleared his throat.

"Please try to overlook my age, Mr. Wheeler." Mokuba said business like, "I'm sure I could out smart you any day." Joey almost snorted; kid genius? No doubt he could! Mokuba opened the folder, scanning it briefly before closing it again. "The most concerning matter I wish to converse with you before I hand you over is the reason why you were fired from your last job, at the commercial construction." Joey stiffened.

"Kaiba Corporation is in league with the Build'em Company, we're good partners in fact. When ever we need to build a new Kaiba Tower or theme park, that company is right on speed dial. They give great pay to their employees; having read your file you made twelve thousand dollars in a year with them and you happened to be one of their best workers; could you tell me why you were let go?" Mokuba asked, hands folded over the folder

Joey leaned back in the seat, rubbing his palms over his forehead. Of course he had to explain why he was dropped off at his last job. He closed his eyes tightly together, mumbling out incoherently.

"What was that, Mr. Wheeler?"

"Sexual harassment..." Joey said louder, treading his fingers through his hair nervously. He opened his eyes to the teen and was suprised that he didn't look at all shocked, but...understanding? Mokuba even nodded in an understanding way!

"Court record said that you pleaded innocent, that you never laid a hand on your boss, and that she had tried to coax you into sleeping with her. In defense, she told the court that it was you who her coaxed her, even saying that you would except a lower wage if she agreed." Mokuba said. The blonde man gave a sound of acknowledgement, like a grunt, before leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees, hands still in hair.

"That's right." There went his chance. His employer would be worried or not if he could work around the female staff.

There was a moment's silence when Mokuba spoke up again, a smile on his face, "Well, I see no problem in your background that won't allow you to work here." He opened a draw and put Joey's file in there. Joey's head snapped up - what the...

"Excuse me?" Mokuba stared at him quizzically.

"I like your background, that's all. I think you could work here quite well."

Joey sputtered, "But... What about t-the sexual harassment charges?"

The teenager tilted his head, "Do you think I was wrong in my decision? Or did you actually come on to your previous boss?"

"N-No! I didn't! I just want to know why you're overlooking that..."

"Because I know your story is true."

Joey tilted his head now. "How do you know?"

Mokuba grinned, "As I said before, Kaiba Corp and Build'em are good partners. As good partners, we should know the president personally, and we do. Believe me when I say Kisara has men following her everywhere, and if she finds one she likes she'll pluck him. If he doesn't show interest in her request, she'll charge against them wrongly. That's what she does when she feels insulted. Please try not to take it offensively, Mr. Wheeler."

Joey raised a brow, "Well, that puts me in a kind of awkward place..." He shook his head and gave a low chuckle; it was all kind of funny once the real reason was reviled. He blinked, "So, just wondering, how do you go about checking if the people are the right staff?"

Mokuba grinned almost wickedly and stood, nodding to Joey in a way to tell him to follow him, leading him to the left where a door was. Mokuba opened the door for the blonde, "See that door?" Joey peered down the very short and narrow hall (probably as long as the staircase outside the room) to a loan oak door. "Just head on down there."

Joey didn't like the looks of that hall, or the tone to the kid's voice, "What's in there?" Joey asked skeptically, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the cat grinning kid.

"I told you I was going to hand you over once I was finished talking with you."

He glanced back down the hall, and asked slowly, "Over to what, exactly...?"

Mokuba dodged the question and gave one of his own, "May I ask, if not too personal, Mr. Wheeler, why you backed down from Ms Kisara's offer?" Joey stared at the kid with uneasy honey eyes, brain working quick. He didn't like how that cattish grin was mixed with knowing, the gray eyes full of hope and mischief.

Joey breathed deep, "She wasn't my type." There: Simple. Easy. Quick. Avoidant. Mokuba nodded, that particular glint still there, and gave a small shove on Joey's back into the hall.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine; just please, please remember to knock first." Mokuba sounded encouraging, "And if you survive, I'll be happy to be the first to say welcome to the Kaiba Mansion, Mr. Wheeler." He shut the door in on him, leaving Joey in the dimly lit narrow corridor silently thanking that he wasn't claustrophobic. About seven steps in front of him, a knock, and he'll know exactly what he'd have to survive...

"I'm not an animal person, mutt; why don't you go off and find a new master."

Joey doesn't know what to make of his new employer.

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concerning chapter 5 in RML

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:26:14 GMT

I absolutely hate it, not the whole thing, but the Rebecca-is-a-slut, part. So, I'm planning a major edit to lay off their wedding as easy as I can without making her all whorish. I still want to keep the clues of the Millennium Items, because there needs to be a least a little good news in this angst story, right?