Yotabanashi no Sekai

Icons #2

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 21:25:46 GMT

Found some Naruto icons! They're from old to...really old. That's how long ago I did them. Some of them make me cringe when I look at them now, but I'd still like to keep track of what I've done. If only to remind myself to never do it again!

I remember doing a lot of icons a year ago, I just don't remember where they went after that. Will continue to search.

1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16.
17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24.
25.

Hashirigaki #29

Sat, 23 Dec 2006 00:28:49 GMT

Heh. I found a Rurouni Kenshin drabble too! Written a long time ago for rk_challenge challenge #7, luck theme. Won 3rd place, though I misplaced the banner I was given. ^_^;

Title: Trusting Luck
Fandom: Rurouni Kenshin
Rating: PG
Genre: general
Pairing(s): none
Word Count: 730
Summary: Trusting luck really isn't a wise thing to do.

"C'mon!"

Fists clenched, Sanosuke watched with intense narrowed gaze as the dice rolled and rolled. Leaning forward as they came to a stop, he held his breath and strained his vision to see the results which turned out to be-

"Damn!"

"Too bad, Sano." Sympathetic words were followed by a friendly squeeze of the shoulder. "Maybe next time."

Other voices around him conveyed the same sentiment. And while Sanosuke appreciated the gesture, it still didn't change the fact that he had lost. Mournfully, he watched all the money that had once been his being raked away.

"Close," he muttered. "I was so close."

"That's how the dice fall sometimes," someone said. "You can always try again."

"Nah. That wiped me out. Unless..."

"Uh-uh. No more borrowing until you pay me back for the last time. And the time before that."

"Aww, come on. Be a pal. Just a little? Anyone?"

"No way!" someone else cried. "We've got our own gambling habits to support - we can't support yours too. And you already owe all of us something."

"Che," Sano snorted. "Fine then. Guess I'll take my leave."

"You can always come back, you know. After you get your hands on a little more money!"

Hands in pockets he stalked out with a glower on his face. As he walked down the street, he paid little attention to the bodies that scrambled away in the face of his obvious bad mood. He was too entrenched in his thoughts to notice.

"I was on a winning streak too," he was muttering beneath his breath. "If that last throw had taken, I could have paid all those whiners back. Could have thrown me at least a yen or something. Geez. Stingy gripers."

If he just had another starting stash, he could do it again. Only next time, he'd take luck and win all the way and show all those money-grubbing gamblers how a real man did it.

If he just had a few yen...

Suddenly, an idea struck him and a grin creased his face. Down the street he moved, whistling as he walked.

oOoOo

Friends did friends a good turn. That's how friendship worked in his book. If one was in trouble, the other helped him out and vice versa. And so it was that Sanosuke sought help from friends.

He just didn't tell them they were helping him.

And if everything went right, they would never know.

The plan was simple. All he had to do was sneak into the dojo, borrow a little money from the stash he knew Kaoru kept, return to the gambling games and let luck do him what was owed, and then replace what he'd taken with his new earnings before anyone was the wiser!

The plan was foolproof.

Or so he thought.

He knew the entry gates would be locked but he hadn't expected a climb over them to be quite so difficult. Now his pants had a split at the seam and he was covered in scratches from a nosedive into the bushes, not to mention bruised shins from knocking into the washtub Kenshin used for washing laundry and had left out. And every creak of the floorboards as he crept along in the dark had his heart practically leaping to his throat.

Who knew borrowing money was so stressful?

But persistance paid off as he felt around in the dark for the loose floorboard and, finding it, lifted it up. Though he bit back a curse as he dipped his hand down and caught it on the ragged edge of wood and earned a painful splinter in the process, he curled his grip around a familiar bag that clinked when he touched it and he grinned.

Success!

Then an ominous snick was heard, right before the cold edge of metal froze his throat.

Crap!

With a sword at his throat, Sanosuke couldn't move as the sounds of movement whispered around him. But light from a flickering lamp soon lifted the darkness and Sanosuke suddenly found several familiar faces staring him with varying degrees of shock and anger. It was the bokken wielding woman that had his attention, though, as her angry blue eyes narrowed at the little incriminating bag still clutched in his hand. And when her tiny furious figure began stalking forward, Sanosuke could only gulp.

His luck had just run out.

Hashirigaki #26 - #28

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:27:01 GMT

Aha! I knew I had more Slayers drabbles floating around out there somewhere. I dug these up from slayerscontest - the first 3 entries for the 15 themes rounds...though I don't know if I'll ever get around to completing the other 12. =/

Title: Never Know
Fandom: Slayers
Rating: PG
Genre: general
Pairings/Characters: Lina, Gourry - no pairing.
Warnings: some cussing
Word Count: 784
Summary: No one stole from Lina Inverse. No one.

Lina Inverse wouldn't stand for thieving - unless she was the one doing it, of course! She was famous - or infamous depending on who was asked - for her temper and her low tolerance of having that which she considered hers stolen. The brave - or stupid - fool who even thought of attempting such a thing should be prepared to lay his or her very life upon the line.

Because Lina Inverse wouldn't be likely to let that fool live.

And it was such a poor fool that she chased.

Those who saw her coming and caught the crazed gleam in her eye were quick to give her wide berth. Those unfortunate enough to not see her and get out of her way were bumped and bowled over, a chorus of yelps filling the air in her mad dash down the street, kicking dust up as she ran with another trailing behind her in his best efforts to keep up.

"Hey, Lina? Don't you think-"

"No! I lost him! Gourry, did you see where he went?"

"Ducked left into the alley, I think. But-"

"Quick! Let's go!"

"Heeeeeey!" he exlaimed when she suddenly disappeared. "Wait for me!"

He dashed after her, then stopped short - but just barely - of crashing right into her. Observing the rigid cast of her shoulders and the way she stood with hands on hips, he scratched his head and sighed. There was nothing to do now but step back and try to avoid being hit by the blood shed.

Lina Inverse had cornered the thieving culprit.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh."

The slow and strangely chilling cackling was enough to raise hair. Wisely, for safety's sake, Gourry kept his mouth shut and took a couple steps back from the source.

Then he took a few more.

"I've got you now, you evil thief," that voice was saying with psychotic glee, "and now you're going to pay. Oh, yes, you are. No one, NO ONE steals from Lina Inverse and gets away with it! I'll teach you the pain and misery that comes from messing with me - you'll be lucky if there's enough of you left to scrape off the ground and bury you once I get through with you! Even a Fireball won't revenge this wrong!"

Gourry's eyes widened in horror as her talismans began to glow an ominous red. Surely she couldn't mean-!

"Uh, Lina, don't you think that's-?"

"Shut up, Gourry. Unless you want to be my next target!"

Gourry gulped, and fell silent. Eyes squeezing tightly shut, he held his breath and began to pray. Feverently.

"Now, prepare yourself, you thief! Your bad karma has led up to this moment and your evil deeds to be punished. I'm your judge and your punishment will be - Hey! I'm not finished with you yet! Get back here, you-"

CRAAAAASH!!!

At the noise, Gourry cracked an eye open, relieved to find he was still alive and the town not decimated by an amplified Dragon Slave. With a sigh he strode over to where she'd fallen against a wooden fence, empty boxes scattered around and on her, rubbing a growing bump on her head where she must have hit it and cursing up a blue streak.

"That damn-! If this stupid fence hadn't been here, I could have caught him! I would have fried him to a burnt crisp! I would have- Gourry..."

The sudden change in tone and the tears in suddenly too big eyes had him looking back at her in alarm.

"Gourry...I didn't get my cherry!" she practically wailed. "It's the best part of dessert and I was saving it for last but that- that-"

"Now, Lina," he said uncomfortably, "we can buy more at the market."

"But it's not the same! It's the principle of the matter!"

And then she was off cursing and ranting again. Gourry just scratched the back of his neck and let her, knowing it was best to let her temper cool...before she ended up destroying another city and got them chased out again in the process!

In the distance a dark spot caught his attention. There, sitting on the roof of a house with whiskers twitching in a way that Gourry could have sworn was a smirk was Lina's cherry thief. As her ranting continued to fill the air with her anger, Gourry quickly averted his eyes from the subject in question and wisely decided not to foreclose the whereabouts of the thief's current location.

That squirrel would never know just how lucky it was.

Title: Battle of the Sexes
Fandom: Slayers
Rating: PG-13
Genre: general
Pairings/Characters: implied Lina x Gourry
Warnings: slight suggestive themes
Word Count: 326
Summary: It's a battle that just can't be won. Ever.

"Harder, Gourry, harder!"

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes! I need it harder!"

"I don't know..."

"Just do it!"

"But...are you sure you really want this?"

"Oh, God, Gourry! Please just stop stalling. You have no idea how frustrating it is and I don't know how much more of it I can take!"

"Sorry. It's just that it's taking so long and-"

"Don't apologize - just do it! Now, I know you don't have much experience with this so I think I may know just a little more about this than you do, so just do what I tell you to do and we'll be fine."

"But, Lina - won't that hurt?"

"Read my lips - I. Don't. Care! At this point, I just want to get this over and done with before we're both old and gray. Now do as I say - do it harder!"

"Still-"

"GOURRY!"

"Okay, fine. But-"

"OUCH!"

"I told you so. The fit's too tight."

"Ngh!"

"Uh, are you okay?"

"I'll...be fine. Just give me a minute...to catch my breath."

"Do you want me to...?"

"No, absolutely not. We've come this far - there's no way in Hell that I'm backing off now!"

"Lina..."

"What now?"

"Maybe you should loose a little weight or-"

WHAP!

"Ow! Why'd you hit me?"

"Because you're being an ass. That's no comment to make to a girl at a time like this!"

"But, Lina...if you're in this much pain I really think you should-"

"No! That's the dress I'm going to wear and I'm not picking another one out! Amelia wanted me to wear it for her wedding and that's what I'm going to do - even if I have to kill myself in this damned corset just so I can fit in it! Now, one more time. Let's see if I can finally fit in that damned dress this time."

Gourry just sighed and proceeded to do as she said.

Struggle as he might, in a million years, he would never ever understand women.

Title: In Want of Something
Fandom: Slayers
Rating: PG
Genre: humor
Characters: Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zelgadis
Word Count: 419
Summary: The end result isn't always what one hopes it to be.

Zelgadis looked.

Then he stared.

And then he erupted!

"What the-! I don't believe this!"

"What is it, Zel-chan?"

He glared viciously at Lina and gestured, indicating for her to check it out herself. He was beyond words at this point and turned his back on them all as the trio rushed to check the contents of the box he'd found and opened. And the commotion that proceeded to ensue behind him went pretty much as he had expected it would.

"PANCAKES!!!"

"Wow, Lina-san. Those ancients had strange ideas about treasure."

"Don't know about that, Amelia. Looks like a gooood and tasty idea to me."

"Ack! Gourry, save some for me! Outta the way!"

"Uh, guys? Do you know how old those are? Maybe you shouldn't-"

CRASH!

"Uh, nevermind."

Zelgadis didn't even bother to look back at the commotion, not wanting to get caught up and pulled into their psychotic craziness. After all the booby traps they'd gone through to find the treasure rumored to be the secret source of an ancient civilization's foundations that he thought might finally be a cure for his body, it turned out to be pancakes of all things!

Old pancakes.

Pancakes that probably shouldn't be eaten.

Feeling extremely bad-tempered, a mood not helped by the fact he was sticky and covered in slime from the giant slugs that they'd fought in this underground hellhole, he just wanted to forget the whole sorry mess. It was unfortunate, but the loud voices coming from behind him made it impossible to ignore.

"GOURRY! Look what you did - you knocked them all on the floor and now they're all dirty!"

"Does that mean you don't want any?"

"Are you nuts? The floor's covered with slug slime. The pancakes are on the floor. Therefore the pancakes are covered in- ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"

"Mmfgh?"

"Ah, Lina-san! Gourry-san's actually eating them!"

"I can see that, Amelia! Gourry, hurry and spit it out right now! That can't be-"

"Brrghk!"

"-very healthy."

"Ewwww! Lina-san, Gourry-san is- Gourry-san is-"

"Being very sick. Don't look, Amelia, or else you might-"

"Brrghk!"

"-feel sick too. Geez, why do I even bother?"

Zelgadis rolled his eyes heavenwards and fought to tamp down on his lurching stomach at the sickening sounds of wretching going on behind him. As an awful ensuing stench reached him, the source of which he didn't care to contemplate for too long, Zelgadis made a solemn resolution to himself.

He needed to get new friends.

Icons #1

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 20:51:18 GMT

So, since I haven't been drabbling very much, I've decided to turn my drabble journal into a drabble/icon journal. Since I don't icon very much either. Put two things I don't do very much together equals...still not very much. But it's easier for me to keep track of things so - why not?

Anyway, brought over icons I posted a little while ago in my main journal over here. More to come at a later date but for now, once again:

Bleach - 3
Fushigi Yuugi - 6
Haru Toki - 9
Kiddy Grade - 8
Mythical Detective Loki - 1
Naruto - 1
One Piece - 5
Rayearth - 1
Rurouni Kenshin - 4
Slayers - 2
Vampire Princess Miyu - 4
Yu Yu Hakusho - 1

BLEACH
1.2.3.

FUSHIGI YUUGI
4.5.6.7.8.9.

HARUKANARU TOKI NO NAKA DE
10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.

KIDDY GRADE
19.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.

MYTHICAL DETECTIVE LOKI
27.

NARUTO
28.

ONE PIECE
29.30.31.32.33.

RAYEARTH
34.

RUROUNI KENSHIN
35.36.37.38.

SLAYERS
39.40.

VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU
41.42.43.44.

YU YU HAKUSHO
45.

Please credit if you use any of them. Thanks! ^-^

Hashirigaki #25

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 20:15:20 GMT

Title: Just Like Flying
Fandom: Slayers
Genre: Drama
Pairing: Lina/Gourry
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 548
Warning: Introspection, character death.
Summary: What was love to her, anyway?

What was love?

How far would she go to be with the one that she cared about?

Those were questions that everyone had a different answer for and, in the end, each person had to come up with their own. Unfortunately, those were answers that Lina still didn't didn't feel she had. Or, at least, none that she tended to agree with no matter what state of mind her mood swung into, which tended to be often and myriad.

When she was happy, she thought love was a wonderful thing. When she wasn't, she thought love was...well, something a lot less than that.

Her mother used to say that love was about compromise, something that Lina always found hard to do. Her childhood friends that she played with before leaving home for a life of adventuring had dreamt of girly dreams of romance and handsome princes on white horses rescuing them from danger, but Lina had always preferred to do her own saving. And her sister used to say...not much about it other than to order her to never confuse love and romance.

So, then, what was romance?

Was it being warmly embraced and suddenly filled with love and the sensation of flying? Was it like the romantic dreams of girls, the fairytales, the stories? Was it having a love so strong that the prince would sacrifice himself for the sake of his princess, or the other way around? Was it sweet kisses in the moonlight or a gift of flowers given for no other reason other than to see the other person smile? Was it missing that person's presence by her side so much when it was empty or seeing that person's figure whenever she closed her eyes?

If it was, then she'd had all that.

All of it - including the sacrifice.

And now she was alone again.

She looked up and the vision of a starry sky blurred. Perhaps a foggy haze was rolling in because she wasn't crying, that wasn't her style. Crocodile tears, maybe, but not real ones.

No, not her.

She was strong. She wasn't raised to run away, to turn back from a course she was set on. She would not be afraid.

Shaking her head, she stopped lying about and got to her feet. Cupping her hands, she rose them above her head and arched her back, enjoying the sensation as her body stretched. Feeling better, her lips quirked in a tiny smile as she tilted her head backwards to stare up at the starry canopy above her.

Nature all around her with the moon and stars watching over her like heaven's eyes, she felt like the only human on earth. It was a peaceful solitude that encompassed her as the grass crunched beneath her footsteps and the wind caressed her cheeks while the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze echoed after her like the rushing of a thousand birds flapping their wings.

Still staring up at the sky, she stopped when the grass did. Taking a breath of the crips sweetness of night air, she let it out with a sigh. She readied herself, bending her knees slightly at the edge of the cliff, and then she leapt

And, for a moment, she flew.

Written for slayerscontest 'Romance' theme one-shot.

Hashirigaki #24

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 20:11:51 GMT

Title: In An Instant
Fandom: Slayers
Genre: General
Pairing: none
Rating: PG
Word Count: 138
Summary: The consequences of not paying attention.

CRACK!

"Hey, Lina. This toy isn't very good. I barely touched it and the arm broke off!"

"What was that, Gourry? I thought I told you not to bother me while I'm reading. Wha-" The instant she broke of from the tome she was studing and caught sight of what Gourry held in his hands, rage suffused her features as she leapt up. "GOURRY!"

WHACK!

"Ow! My head! Lina, what was that for?"

"What was that for? What was that for?" Fire in her eyes, Lina angrily shook the broken pieces before him. "What did you think you were doing?! I told you this was a super-rare limited editon ancient Zanga figurine that I was going to sell for a ton of money!"

"Huh?" Gourry scratched his head. "What's a figurine? I thought it was just a toy."

The night echoed long with a painfully agonized scream.

Written for slayerscontest 'Toy' theme drabble.

Hashirigaki #23

Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:29:27 GMT

Title: The Laughing Game
Fandom: Slayers
Rating: PG / K+
Genre: general
Character: Xellos
Word count: 278
Summary: Everyone deserves a chance at being top dog - even a Mazoku.

Xellos was screaming.

Malus was laughing.

The Mazoku was enjoying seeing the Trickster Priest brought so low and, feeling peckish, he sent another tentacle stabbing through the supine form and relished in the fresh bout of shrieks that filled the air. Sweet music to his ears it was and put him in such a good mood that he laughed again, the sound echoing eerily off the walls of the dark cavern.

Malus had always watched jealously from the shadows, despising Xellos for his immense powers, his station elevated so far above most others of their race, and the favoritism bestowed upon him by the Mazoku Lord, Beastmaster Zelas. But now the tables had turned. Xellos was brought low, fallen into his trap, and now he was the one lying at Malus's feet like a beaten dog.

Malus was top dog now.

And he loved every moment of it.

"Well, I think it's time to end this game."

The words were spoken cheerfully. Malus only had time to blink and then, suddenly, he found himself flat on the ground and Xellos standing over him.

"Wha-?!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Xellos wagged a finger at him. "You didn't seriously think it was going to be that easy, did you?"

"You've been playing me?" Malus growled.

"Don't think of it like that. Consider it a special service. A Mazoku should have his dearest wish granted, after all, if only for a moment. Especially before he dies."

Malus's eyes widened in horrified realization.

"Now," Xellos smiled pleasantly, "shall we begin?"

This time, it was the screams of Malus that rang in the air.

And the laughter of Xellos that echoed in the dark.

Written for slayerscontest "Laughter" theme drabble.

Hashirigaki #22

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 22:39:01 GMT

Title: Fault
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: R / M
Genre: angst/drama
Pairings: Sesspapa/Izayoi/Sess
Squicks: Sexual situations
Word count: 500
Summary: It wasn’t her fault – it was his.

It wasn't her fault - it was his.

Yes, Izayoi thought, it was the fault of he who had swept into her simple life so long ago and dazzled eyes that had never seen such beauty and stoked such passion in her innocent heart. He who had caused her to throw away all that she was for him. He who had brought her into a world she never should have touched, a world where she was despised as much as he was revered.

Then he died.

And left her alone.

Left her a wife without a husband, a despised queen to a kingdom she could not rule. Left her mother to a fatherless child she could not protect, nor even completely understand.

Left her body burning for a mate no longer there.

It was his fault.

And his as well.

He who looked so much like he who came before him. He whose gaze held none of the same warmth or affection. He whose mere appearance was a reminding ache that never fled. He who derived enjoyment from her pain.

He who took advantage of her grief.

And her needs.

Even now, she could not meet his golden gaze, knowing that were she to see cold instead of warmth it would break the fragile illusion she could never bring herself to break. So she stood before him and trembled, eyes cast down as the dim light of candles flickered in the darkness.

Not a word was spoken, not a step did she move as clawed hands slipped layers of kimono off, one by one. Magenta stripes on pale flesh moved through dim lighting with unhurried ease until it was done and color lay pooled at their feet.

Deep inside, Izayoi cursed her weakness, a gaping emptiness that never seemed to be filled left behind by he who was gone. And she cursed he who was here and exploited it for his own ends, whatever they may be.

She cursed.

But made no protest.

Not a word did she murmur as he drew her down, as his hands slid over her, as his body covered hers as the one before him had. Their shadows flicked on the walls as they moved and merged, as hushed whimpers and muffled moans broke the silence of their confines.

Then she made a mistake.

She looked up and was ensnared in the trap of cold gold gaze that held no love, that stripped her of the remaining shreds of illusions to which she clung. What agony to know the horrible sin that was done, how low she was brought, even as tainted passion broke as illusion shattered and still she quaked and trembled around him, felt him tremble in kind as his body emptied into hers.

And when it was over, without even a simple word to her, silently as a ghost he slipped away as if he had never been. And alone once again, Izayoi wept.

It wasn't her fault - it wasn't.

It never was.

Written for dark_inu 'Stripped Bare' challenge.

Hashirigaki #21

Tue, 14 Jun 2005 16:07:18 GMT

Title: At It Again
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: G / K
Genre: Humor
Word count: 52
Summary: A battle takes place and only one can win.

Somewhere in modern day Tokyo, a battle was taking place.

Scritch, scritch, scritch...

Taptaptaptaptap...

Scritch, scritch, scritch...

Taptaptaptaptap...

Scritch, scritch, scritch...

Taptaptapt-

"Inuyasha - SIT!"

THUD!

"Grrr. Kagome, you -"

"Sit, sit, SIT!"

THUD, THUD, THHUUUD!

For a moment, all was silent. And then pencil was picked up and -

Scritch, scritch, scritch...

Now Kagome could concentrate on her studying without Inuyasha's annoying finger-tapping.

Written for iyfic_contest 'Pet Peeve' theme.

Hashirigaki #20

Tue, 14 Jun 2005 16:01:55 GMT

Title: From the Heart
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: G / K
Genre: angst
Word count: 352
Summary: Even the darkest of emotions can fuel a wish made from the heart.

She tried to be a good person. Someone who did was was right as best as she could. Someone that tried not to meddle too much in the lives of those she cared about, knowing that she hated it when others meddled in hers. She tried to be optimistic as much as possible, just as her mother had been and taught her to be. But no matter how good she tried to be, how positive and free of the negative -

She couldn't.

Because she hated.

Hated it.

How often had she stared at it? How often, when those she loved were asleep, under the cover of night had she gazed at it with hateful glare while free from prying eyes?

Hate was a terrible emotion. It devoured, consumed, grew even when it was unwanted. So many times had she heard this from loved ones, told to stay away from its pitfalls when she was a little child growing up amongst sunshine and laughter and hardly any understanding at all as to what those words had meant.

But she was older now and now she knew. And deep in her heart she knew it to be true and knew she wished none at all for the taint of its touch.

She had it, nonetheless.

She couldn't help it.

She stared at it and grieved and hated. For the life that might have been if it had never intruded upon the relative peacefulness of her existence. For the worries that should never have been that were now never far from her heart. For wondering if there would ever come a time when the vicious cycle of hope and hopelessness ended happily. For dreading every night that she stared at it and feared that the fervent wish she made from the bottom of her heart would one day not come true.

She stared at the well - bridge between present and past, this way of life and another - and she hated.

And wished.

And wondered.

Would her wish to see her daughter again come true once more?

Written for iyfic_challenge 'Wish' oneshot theme.

Hashirigaki #19

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 03:28:40 GMT

Title: One Certain Thing
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG / K+
Pairing: N/A
Genre: general
Squicks: implied charcter death and other things
Word count: 258
Summary: In ponderings at water's edge, only one thing is certain.

She stands at the edge of the pond and ponders, staring at her reflection and thinking of all the meanings and uses that water could be.

Life.

And death.

Ebb.

And flow.

A treasure for a thirsty man, the downfall of a drowning man. Reflection for those that sought to meditate and soothe troubled spirits, escape for those that sought the release of life.

It is the last on her mind as she steps closer to the edge. Water laps at the vibrant silk of kimono, darkening the material as she steps further in.

"Mama! Mama! Where are you?"

A child's cry - high-pitched and terrified - halts her. In the distance she can see a small flash of white and red darting around in frantic search and knows, if she were closer, she would see fear and tears in golden eyes that mirror those of a beloved presence now forever lost to their lives. And she wavers, on the edge of choice, caught between images of golden eyes of the past and those of the present and future.

"Mama!" The terrifed cry comes again. "Where are you?"

And so her choice is made.

“Inuyasha!” she cries out and makes her presence known. “I’m here!”

Slowly, she turns away from the pond. With a tired sigh, sadness in her smile and ache in her gaze, she makes her way towards her child, each step carrying further away from the pond and a resolution that still wavers.

Only one thing is certain.

Today will not be the day that she dies.

Written for iyfic_challenge week #18 Water drabble.

Hashirigaki #18

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 03:25:28 GMT

Title: Whispering Wind
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG / K+
Genre: General
Squicks: implied character death
Word count: 275
Summary: In the still of the night, she thinks of another and the answer to a question that she does not know.

In the dark of the night it crept upon her, an unfamiliar emotion slipping through cracks in the quiet solitude while in the black velvet sky stars shimmered and twinkled, mocking with silent laughter. Bound to the earth by shackles she could not break, she thought of another.

Whispers in a heart that was not there echoed in the hollowness. A soul that was empty trembled with an unnamed something. In this world, the heart and soul of those who lived were entwined, always reaching for something in the distance, a yearned goal, a passionate desire.

The heart and soul of those who lived…

She had neither.

She had neither and yet…

And yet…

Deep within a yawning cavern of empty nothingness, hidden echoes reverberated within the void of hollow walls. A faint sound that would either fade into dying silence or continue to echo, louder and louder as resonance found its way out from deep confines.

Surrounded by dark, she looked into her mirror and her reflection alone stared back at her with empty eyes, providing no answer to the ephemeral question that had arisen with the other's demise. In the dark of the night it crept upon her, an unfamiliar emotion slipping through cracks in the quiet solitude, the name of it elusive, something just out of reach from her grasp.

And the stars continued to shimmer with laughter, the eye of the moon looked down upon her…the silent night watched her and knew what she did not, the answer to what she could not name.

The wind whispered over her, free in the night.

And envy crept upon her.

Written for iyfic_contest week #15 Kanna/Kagura drabble.

Hashirigaki #17

Mon, 30 May 2005 20:29:44 GMT

Title: Dancing On Rainbows
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG-13 / T
Pairing: N/A
Genre: Drama/Tragedy
Squicks: mention of character death
Word count: 299
Summary: She would keep her promise. For him.

Tip, tip, tip she went tiptoeing across the wild garden on dancing toes. Radiant flowers in vivid colors brushed against her with golden pollen as she danced with her beloved in her arms. Round and round she twirled with him across a carpet of living rainbows, each step releasing rapturous floral scent that perfumed the air.

It smelled like him.

He always smelled of flowers, and flowers always made her think of him. With him she danced and, in her heart, she laughed with silent joy for he liked the quiet and she had forbade herself to speak.

She had promised him so.

A broken promise.

The present wavered and, for one moment, she was thrust back into the long ago past. A promise of silence broken in unbidden scream and enemy's advance. Looming features in darkest shade pushed back by a flash of pale moonlight and clash of swords. An endless fight of sparking power and anguished cries, a fallen lord and the roll of heads and falling bodies.

Crimson darkening a purple moon.

A stare of sightless gold.

Moonlight strands streaming over her arms gone slippery in crimson red, like the child she had been she'd taken what was left and ran while she could. She had wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to shriek of her loss but -

She had promised to be silent.

She would keep her promise and silent she would be.

Content, the nightmare faded away and her beautiful dream remained, flourishing in the sun. Happiness was in her arms in a world where only the two of them forever danced together in silent joy. And across a carpet of rainbows she continued to twirl, silverspun strands swirling in the air as she danced with her beloved cradled in her arms.

Written for week #17 Promise drabble for iyfic_challenge

Hashirigaki #16

Mon, 30 May 2005 20:22:58 GMT

Title: What’s Given To Dark
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG-13 / K+
Genre: Horror/Tragedy
Squicks: possible character deaths (depends on how it’s read)
Word count: 247
Summary: Either way, something would be lost. But which something would it be?

Either way, something would be lost.

Figures lay fallen, scattered across the ground in unmoving loll. Darkness hung up high, blending with the cloudless night casting its pall. And darkness hissed in sibilant tones, belying amusement lacing in poisonous weave.

"Time is running out. Now, which shall it be?"

In its grasp, darkness held two in tainted embrace bound from lips to toe in malevolent wrappings. And above those malevolent wrappings glinted twin gazes, one gleaming in the night with a calm almost cold and the other shimmering with unshed tears and silent plea.

"Choose… Which shall be freed?"

Time was the enemy and a broken warrior stood alone. And, as body groaned in pain and blood ran into the earth beneath unshod feet, heart ached with the choice that had yet to be made. Unable to bear the heavy weight of those that gazed, gold eyes closed and through bleeding cracked lips whispered a singe name.

"The choice has been made. So shall it be."

Malevolent wrappings did as bade, cracking bones and hardened clay before releasing and letting fall free. The one fell like a broken doll from darkened heights into desperate arms waiting below while the darkness left the agonies of the betrayer and betrayed behind as it stole up into the sky with its prize, cradled in tender grasp. And darkness left its tainting trail, echoing in the night with hissing laughter and staining words.

"Enjoy your choice, Inuyasha. I know I will..."

Written for week #14 Betrayal theme for iyfic_contest

Hashirigaki #15

Tue, 24 May 2005 16:57:04 GMT

Title: An Honest Man
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: G / K
Pairing: Miroku/Sango, Kagome/Inuyasha
Genre: Romance/Humor
Word Count: 296
Summary: Miroku liked to think of himself as an honest man. And just how does an honest man go about arranging some quality time with the object of his affections?

Miroku liked to think of himself as an honest man. And, being an honest man, he could admit to himself that he was deeply hurt by the disbelief and distrust - not to mention accompanying stinging slap - plainly displayed across the pretty features of his fellow comrade and resisting object of his affections.

"But, Sango-sama, it's the truth! It was Kagome-sama's request." He rubbed his aching cheek. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"And you, Houshi-sama, didn't have to grope me!"

"Perhaps not. But Kagome-sama truly did ask-"

"For you to get me alone so just she could spend some time with Inuyasha? Hah!" She crossed her arms and glared. "Try another one, Houshi-sama."

"But, Sango-sama, Kagome-sama really-"

"Miroku-sama!"

- was calling him right now.

"Miroku-sama," said person spoke breathlessly as she jogged up to them. She glanced over her shoulder where, in the distance, a certain hanyou was bickering with a certain kitsune. Keeping her voice low, she whispered, "Did you ask her yet?"

"Kagome-chan, so what Houshi-sama said was true?"

"Uh…" She blinked. Then she blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Er, yeah. Is it okay with you?"

"Well, of course. Since it's a request from you." Looking suddenly downcast and uncomfortable herself, she turned her back on them. "And...I think I owe you an apology, Houshi-sama."

"Uh, that sounds private. I should leave the two of you alone to work it out. See you later, Miroku-sama, Sango-sama."

With the taijiya’s back to them, she turned to a certain monk and mouthed with a glare, You owe me one. Then she disappeared and left the two alone, just the way he wanted things to be. He smiled.

Yes, Miroku was an honest man.

Just sometimes…more honest to some than he was to others.

Written for the iyfic_challenge Week #16 Miroku drabble theme.

Hashirigaki #14

Sat, 21 May 2005 23:02:51 GMT

Title: Circle of Choices
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG
Pairings: none
Squicks: character death, nothing graphic
Word count: 1,090
Summary: Two voices to every choice, the greatest difficulty lies in listening to the right one.

When he was in his younger years, a choice was given presented with a fatherly touch on the shoulder and an expression of hope. A new addition into the family that was not…that was the choice he was given.

Faced with indecision, one voice whispered urges to do the right and ignore the path he had longest trod, to accept and bring happiness to others that sought it. But the other shrieked curses that echoed in his mind foretelling of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line were he to venture down a path that went against the true blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept the intrusion that should not be, an abomination that was female and human, and his decision was to –

Not.

He turned his back on the woman and walked away.

His choice was made and he did not regret it.

Years later, another was choice presented with a child’s cry, new and just born. That choice filled the air with its unmistakable presence and a young form swaddled in cloths filled his vision.

Indecision was faced once more as one voice whispered urges to do the right and ignore the path he had longest trod, to accept and bring happiness to others that sought it. But the other screamed in dire shrieks that echoed in his mind foretelling of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line were he to venture down a path that went against the blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept the newest intrusion, an abomination that should not be that was male and half-human, and his choice was to –

Not.

He turned his back on the newly born and walked away.

His choice was made and he did not regret it.

Time moved again and with it came the death of one that brought once more new choices to be made. It was, after all, with the passing of life that into his hands fell an abandoned kingdom and the remnants of unclaimed family left behind.

As it was before, one voice whispered urges to do the right and ignore the path of old beliefs that he had longest trod, to take responsibility for both and bring happiness to others that sought it. But the other murmured darkly and foretold of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line was he to venture down a path that went against the blood of his kind. One death, two choices and it was his decision whether to accept either and his decision was to –

Not. Partially.

The kingdom he took, the family he turned his back on and walked away.

His choice was made and he did not regret it.

Time continued to move and decades passed, battles were fought, and battles were lost. It was, however, in the wake of one battle lost that left him broken and bleeding that another choice bloomed in its stead with the encounter of a smile devoid of familiar dread. But time was unkind and the smile died with the taint of wolves and the path of choices was once more laid upon his mind.

One voice murmured softly of newly awakened urges to heed his own wants now uncertain, to bring happiness to others that sought it and perhaps one day bring his own as well. But the other muttered darkly and foretold of the pain and mayhem that lay at the end of the line was he to venture down an unknown path that went against the blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept a smile, an abomination that should not be between human and his kind, and his choice was to –

Accept. Partially.

Though the meaning he inwardly gave to that acceptance was different from what it was, he met those voices partway, and his mind rested easier for the falsity as he restored the smile and walked away…and the smile walked with him. His choice was made and he –

Did not know if he regretted it.

Now, before him was a choice once again and the weight of it tottered precariously in the wind. A spider lay dead in the distance and those remaining amongst the living cast him pleading looks and desperate pleas from faces that hovered between enemy and would-be friend. They were faces he did not wish to know, but were familiar nonetheless, and those faces were clustered around the fallen memory from a choice made long ago in a past he had wished to forget. And that choice had come full circle, the consequences of acknowledgement greater than any of those that had been present before, and it was his decision on whether to close that circle finally for all time or to allow it to open into a new path whose ending destination could not be foreseen.

One voice spoke of awakened urges still unfurling to heed an aching need hesitantly acknowledged, to bring happiness to others that sought it and perhaps take the first steps down a path to bring his own as well. But the other spoke darkly in a voice just as loud and foretold of the pain and troubles and difficulties that lay at the end of the line were he to venture down an unknown path that went against the blood of his kind. It was his decision whether to accept and extend a benevolent hand, an abomination that should not be between him and half of his kind, and his choice was to –

Not know.

He was caught in the cusp, heavy was the weight of decision to define all that would come after with no turning back. With pleas in his ears and indecision in his veins and time escaping with the moments spent in his thoughts, he drew a sword wrapped in legacy and slashed at the air. And the air parted and hissed with half-certain desires and unbalanced choice but -

He was too late.

Time moved on, trembling hopes turned to ashes, and the dead did not rise. What might have been would now never be. What would and had yet to be might be decades passing spent looking back at what might have been.

But that would be then.

This was the now.

And cries of grief rose and echoed around him and the choice he had not made.

Written for Week #13, Angels/Devils oneshot for iyfic_challenge.

Hashirigaki #13

Tue, 17 May 2005 01:04:54 GMT

Title: Until That Day
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: G/K
Pairing: None
Genre: General
Word Count: 299
Summary: Times change, and so can the definition of just what home can mean.

The pale moon hung overhead and stars dotted the sky. Wind blew through the trees and the leaves rustled in its wake. Insects buzzed with a low hum and noises whispered in the dark with the movements of the nocturnal creatures that made the night their home.

But all made way for the figure walking amongst them.

She didn't belong.

Blades of grass bent beneath her feet as she trod a familiar path and then rose up again once her weight was gone as if it had never been. And in the distance, beyond the last stand of trees, was a familiar sight - sheltered walls and glowing warmth that bespoke of hearth and home.

There was a time when that had been her home.

People had bowed as she walked past, bestowed upon her gifts, and looked at her with reverence and warm smiles. Then that time passed and her body was given to fire and her ashes given another home. And then time changed again and now...now were she to trod down amongst that same cluster of sheltered walls and glowing hearths as she had once before, she knew she would be greeted with fearful looks and hateful curses bereft of once familiar smiles.

There was a time when that had been her home.

But that time was no longer.

Now home was a vessel of clay and stolen souls that had no place except wherever the path of vengeance guided her. And one day home would crack and crumble to dust, returning to earth as was meant to be and she...

She looked forward to that day. She looked forward to that day with the trembling hope that when it came...

Perhaps then she would finally return to where she was meant to be.

Home.

Written for the week #15 Home Drabble Theme for iyfic_challenge.

Hashirigaki #12

Tue, 17 May 2005 00:59:22 GMT

Title: What's Not Forgotten
Fandom: Inuyasha
Rating: PG-13/T
Pairing: None
Genre: General
Word Count: 366
Summary: In the shade of spring, she can’t help but dream of the past.

She yawned.

Body weary from a hard day’s work and a new shard found, she listened to familiar voices around her. Familiar voices bickered in the background in a familiar pattern, a buzzing drone that made her droop as she blearily blinked. She was tired and, as those familiar voices continued to bicker, she found a spot beneath a shady tree and stretched out lazily. She yawned again and enjoyed the comforting coolness of her grassy bed.

Then she slept.

And then she dreamed.

She dreamed in flashes of little memories, snippets of her younger days cast in sunlit rays. She dreamed of faces that were with her still, and faces that no longer were. She dreamed of children laughing in the sun and rolling in the grass and dancing in the rain. She dreamed of adults that smiled and cuddled and held her close in loving embrace.

She dreamed of growing older and learning.

Of blood and fighting.

Of fire and smoke and screams.

Of the barrenness emptiness left after the fall.

And then she dreamed of spring returning and restoring it all.

She dreamed of growing older still and learning still.

Of more blood and fighting.

Of gnashing teeth and cracking bones.

Of people dying and barren winter casting its pall.

And then she dreamed of spring returning and restoring it all.

She dreamed in flashes of little memories, snippets of her younger days cast in sunlit rays. She dreamed of faces that were with her still, and faces that no longer were. She dreamed of children laughing in the sun and rolling in the grass and dancing in the rain. She dreamed of adults that smiled and cuddled and held her close in loving embrace.

She dreamed –

“Kirara!”

And then she woke.

“Kirara! We’re leaving!”

She blinked. She mewled. And then she stretched and yawned. Ears flicked as the cry of a familiar voice came once more and she left her shade and padded through the waving grass back to her humans again. She lived in the present, it was all she had, and left dreams of the scattered past behind her forgotten.

It was spring and the cycle was starting over again.

Written for the week #8 Springtime of Youth Oneshot Theme for iyfic_challenge.

Hashirigaki #11

Mon, 02 May 2005 21:27:25 GMT

Title: Just In Case
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: General/Humor
Pairing(s): N/A
Disclaimer: How many times must this be done?
Rating: PG
Word Count: 264
Summary: Can outside help gain a man his heart’s desire? Hmm…. Good question.

He dangled the tiny bit of red charm and studied it. He cocked his head one way, then he cocked his head the other. He looked at it from the front, he looked at it from the back. He even looked at it from the sides. Still…

He just couldn't see how its magic worked.

It was supposed to bring good luck to its holder - good luck towards the heart's fondest desire. It would be wonderful if it were true, and he dearly hoped it was, but still -

How could he tell if it worked?

He stared at the little red object in his hand. He stared at his heart’s desire. Then he stared at the little red object again.

With a sigh, he supposed there was only one way to tell. Gearing up his courage, he approached his heart’s desire and proceeded to do the only thing he could think of.

Rub, rub, rub…

Proof was immediate.

SLAP!

“Houshi-sama!”

The angry cry was accompanied by an even angrier glare before his heart’s desire stormed away, leaving him with a newly aching cheek.

Well, he had his answer - the charm didn't work!

He wondered if he could get a refund from the charm seller by claiming a defective product. What good was the charm if it did nothing to bring him his heart's desire?

Then again, maybe it was due to wishful hormones and an overactive imagination but -

Had her slap seemed just a tad…lighter than usual?

Hmm…

Perhaps he would hold onto the tiny charm a little bit longer.

Just in case.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Written for the week 14 "Lucky" drabble challenge at iyfic_challenge. Third place - yay! I have to note these things otherwise I'm going to lose track.

Hmm, but it seems ff.net is screwing up my formatting when uploading drabbled. So I'll be mirroring drabbles here again so I can remember what they should look like. *sigh* And it's been so long since I last posted to this. I was beginning to think I couldn't write anything short anymore. ;D

Hashirigaki #10

Fri, 04 Feb 2005 02:00:57 GMT

Title: Always
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Angst
Pairing(s): You'll see...
Disclaimer: What do you think?
Rating: PG
Summary: He didn't care...what did any of it matter? The one he loved was dead.

The bark was rough against his back, the night indifferent to his lonely form. The sky was dark, the wind was cold, the land was barren, and the trees were bare. And he-

He didn't care.

Why should he? What did any of it matter?

The one he loved was dead.

His back slid down, clothes scratching against the rough tree bark. Down, down, down he slid until he was no longer standing but crouching on the frozen earth. He sat and stared unseeing at the night, thinking of nothing.

Then a chill breeze blew. And he knew.

It was coming closer.

It was familiar, bringing to mind myriad encounters in the past and perhaps even those to come in the future. He knew it well. The scent of clay and bones and other dark things that he could not name.

"Kikyou..."

And then she was there. Red and white and flowing black silk framing cold eyes of darkest brown - she drew closer and, with her, the scent of death and decay.

He didn't care.

Why should he? What did any of it matter?

The one he loved was dead.

Yes, the one he loved was dead.

And he would always come to her.

Always...

~ owari ~

Been a while since I did one of these. I was feeling a bit morbid and it's plain to all who see what the result of that was!

Well, anyway, I hardly think I need to comment about who the characters were in this little drabble, right? =p

Hashirigaki #9

Sat, 03 Jul 2004 03:44:06 GMT

Title: Naivete
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Angst
Pairing(s): none
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah and so on...
Rating: G
Summary: Ponderings over the Shikon no Tama.

Coveted the greatest.

Protected the hardest.

Treasured the most.

In all my years of living, I have learned that it's the rarest objects in life that inspire such feelings in other beings, causes them to behave in the most wonderful, as well as most despicable, ways possible. It's amazing, fascinating, the manner in which a single object can bring about such opposite reactions in different people.

Like the Shikon no Tama.

A blessing and a curse, it is.

Though, in my opinion, it's more of the latter than the former. Only a curse could cause danger and evil to follow in my wake so frequently, chasing me like a never ending nightmare that has no end but a death-ridden one.

Many lives have I seen fall because of one pretty jewel.

It's ridiculous how such a tiny object could cause so much trouble, turn even the most supposedly intelligent of beings into a power hungry idiot. I often stared at it, wondered why it could create such turmoil in a relatively placid world gone crazy with greed over it.

Why, why, why?

I don't really need an answer. I like to think that what little education I managed to absorb, despite missing so many classes in my attempts to save the world from everlasting doom, provided me with some measure of logic.

In my head, I know the reason they covet it.

Power.

Or, at least, the promise of it.

It's elusive; the temptation of power that the Shikon no Tama offers is a joke, a horribly cruel one that has managed to entrap more than one human or other beings in its grip. Because even when the promise is grasped...

It's always fleeting.

To obtain it...is to lose it...

And more...

Those who have obtained the power of the Shikon no Tama, wielded it, have done so for the briefest of moments...

Just before they lost their lives.

If I hadn't been partly responsible for the trouble it caused, I would have washed my hands of the whole mess. But it was my fault that it was shattered, scattered, the many pieces wreaking more havoc than they might have if it had been whole.

And because of that, I couldn't walk away.

Or run away.

Ah, the heartaches that have crossed my path because of it...

It's funny but I can almost look back at it all with a sense of wistful nostalgia.

Almost.

But not quite.

After all, it's not over yet. And perhaps it never will be. As long as the Shikon no Tama exists, there will always be those that seek it, hunt it and anyone else that possesses it. And that’s why...

I can't let it go.

I was naive to ever think that I might be able to.

~ owari ~

I wrote this a long time ago. So long ago that I found it when I was sifting through some old stuff that I couldn't remember writing and certainly didn't remember writing this particular piece. I think I'd meant this piece to be a prologue into something but as to what, I can't remember anymore. It's all so vague.

And now I look at this and I cringe.

What was I thinking when I wrote this? *scratches head* I can't remember that either.

Forgetfulness comes with age. I'm getting old. =p

Hashirigaki #8

Sun, 27 Jun 2004 21:24:51 GMT

Title: Shades of Gold
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing(s): Kagome/? (hint: think white hair and gold eyes)
Disclaimer: Aww, not again!
Rating: PG-13 (implied sexual situations)
Summary: What's in a dream when you're with someone who loves you?

Eyes the color of burnished gold…

Hair tinted in shades of spun moonlight…

In her dreams, he touched her with light caresses that made her body bloom and she wept in joy at the feel of him. He kissed her and she reveled in his tantalizing taste, even as she returned it in desperation for more and ached to give all of herself to him.

She desired him – his taste, his touch.

She craved…

“Kagome?”

At the soft whisper of her name, she turned in the circle of his embracing arms. She gazed at him, taking in his amber eyes and pale hair and the loving expression with which he gazed back.

There was an unspoken question that lay in his eyes. And she knew him well, answered him in kind with silent assent.

With her consent, he shifted, moved.

He tasted her.

He touched her.

He was loving, gentle, and all that any woman could ever hope to have and long for. She was lucky to have him, she knew, and through it all, she felt –

This was wrong.

Even as she responded, returned caress for caress, kiss for kiss, the feeling pressed upon her, always at the back of her mind. The one in her arms, the one she gave herself to –

This one was not the one of her dreams.

His hair was not quite the right shade of pale…

His eyes were not quite the right shade of molten gold…

But here, even should she think of another, there was no one else but him and her in this place where they’d long ago made their home. Choices had been made and chances irreversibly lost and she was no longer free to journey on another path.

And so she accepted, took in the one in her arms and gave all she had to give.

But she still dreamed…

~ owari ~

Yes, another moment of angsty bad writing. One of these days, perhaps it will stop.

*sigh* I can only dream...

Hashirigaki #7

Sun, 30 May 2004 22:06:39 GMT

Title: Shadows of the Heart
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Angst/Drama - kinda dark
Pairing(s): Kagura/Naraku
Disclaimer: Don't own it, have no rights to it and never will. Though maybe one day wishful thinking will be kind. =p
Rating: R (just to be safe)
Summary: Just exactly what emotions may seethe within a heart that is not there?

He was her creator.

Her master, her father, her mother, her family...he was her everthing for without him, she would never have been. He was her all and all that she was, she owed to him.

She owed him everything.

And she despised him.

She hated him above all others.

One day she would be free of him.

One day.

But that day was not today.

"Kagura..."

A warm touch, a hot feeling flowing from inside out in tingling rush; it was addictive and she craved it even as she despised it and all it stood for. It was a symbol; she was a symbol...of his power, his evil.

His slave.

To disobey him, she could not. To break free, she could not. And perhaps the worst part of all, the biggest blow to the heart that lay in his hands, was that there were some moments whe she felt...

That she didn't want to escape at all.

"Kagura...come."

He held out a hand, palm up. His beauty was dark, his presence all encompassing as he waited, confident, knowing that she would not refuse, could not refuse -

Did not want to refuse.

She did not.

She went to him, stood before him, the wind goddess chained to the dark god that had born her into existance.

Sliding silk whispered through the blackness and pooled at her feet, leaving her nude, standing in pale perfection but for the scar that spread across the milky white skin of her back. For a moment she stood, straight and proud, until she dropped down beside him, obeying his silent command that needed no words so often had this dance in the dark occurred that was a familiar patterened that needed no direction.

And in the cloaking darkness two merged, in body if not spirit, and the shadows echoed with the sounds they made.

This, too, was a familiar dance.

It was a union that meant nothing, and yet something as well.

When it was over, he turned away and she knew it for the dismissal it was. Though he could not see even if he had cared to look, her expression was kept empty of expression as she departed as she had come.

Desiring him.

Loving him.

Hating him.

~ owari ~

Weird, wasn't it? I don't know what I was on when I wrote this. Probably since most of what writing I've been doing lately has lots of humor, I need to write something darker in response. Does that make sense?

Ah, well. Who cares if it does?

*scampers off*

Hashirigaki #6

Sun, 02 May 2004 22:01:58 GMT

Title: In the Dark
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Angst/Romance
Pairing(s): Inuyasha/Kagome + implied others
Disclaimer: Doesn't everyone know about these by now?
Rating: PG
Summary: Happiness is wonderful for some, even while it causes pain for others.

They watched silently from the shadows.

Wishful...

Desirous...

Envious.

Concealed by the darkness of night, hidden in the shadows of the forest, they were invisible to the the two figures situated side by side in the small grassy clearing illuminated by the light streaming from the dim half moon suspended above. It highlighted them as if shining its approval down upon the obvious emotions that flowed between them, feelings so strong that they radiated outwards and beyond, unknowingly touching those that watched them from the dark.

Those feelings were beautiful...

Warmth and light...

Happiness and peace...

Loving...

Horrible.

To the two watchers, the tableau was a painful reminder mocking them with what once was and what might have been. A chance that was had, chance that was lost, a chance that was longed for...

A chance forever now beyond reach.

The sight of the two - leaning against one another, hands entwined, soft kisses exchanged, the joy each took in the other...they were like an arrow through the heart, sharp and piercing. They whispered and teased with hazy promises of an ephemeral dream, a possible future, of paths not taken that should have been...

Of feelings not realized until too late.

And now was much, much too late.

The figures moved, deepening the intense attention that had never left them since they had arrived. They watched as one, pale hair turned silver by the moonlight, rose and stood tall, strength radiating in his lean form as he reached out with clawed hand with an offer that was clear.

"Kagome," was all he said.

Just a word, a name, spoken softly in tone so low it was almost a whisper. Such a small thing, but it made her smile, illuminating her features with emotions that all who bore witness to it could plainly see. Unhesitatingly, she reached out in an easy motion that bespoke familiarity and trust.

And love.

"Thank you, Inuyasha."

Her voice was just as soft, mirroring his, vibrating with the intensity of her emotions as he pulled her up and into his arms. The embrace was brief, but no less intense than all else that lay between them. Into one another's eyes they gazed, silent messages passing between them that only they knew. And in unspoken assent, they drew away in a motion that was perfect in its harmony, separating farther apart yet still so near.

Hand in hand, they walked in tandem into the future that they had made, promised to each other. They walked back to the home that they had built together and left the clearing and its shadows behind.

And in the shadows, a miko sighed...

And golden eyes of a Taiyoukai glinted with regret...

~ owari ~

Well, I wrote canon. I feel so cheapened by that. *laughs* But the weirdness of an implied Sess/Kagome/Inuyasha/Kikyou square made it not so bad.

Poor Sess and Kikyou...so lonely. Now all they need to do is to hook up with each other and everyone will live happily ever after!

Hashirigaki #5

Sat, 24 Apr 2004 05:07:09 GMT

Note: Izayoi is Inuyasha's mother.

Title: Empty Echoes
Fandom: Inuyasha
Genre: Angst/Drama
Pairing(s): Sesshoumaru/Izayoi
Disclaimer: Bleh, must I do this again?
Rating: R/NC-17, dark smuttiness lightly touched with sadism (don't say I didn't warn you...)
Summary: Lessons to be learned must sometimes be experienced first, even if those lessons aren't the right ones to learn. Post-death of Inutaisho.

To surpass is to win.

Words from the father, the son took to heart. The last vestiges of wisdom he had inherited along with the title he was not ready to carry, but had to nonetheless.

Now they were his, a legacy left behind to fill the void created by the absence of greatness from their lands, their homes, and their lives. All now seeming a garish parody of what once was, the mere semblance of times past under the hand of a great ruler now in the hands of a youth that was less. But that great ruler was no more and the ashes left behind were as fulfilling as the silence that echoed through empty corridors with the passage of his son.

And those echoes were nearly as empty as his soul.

The darkness parted before him, shadows shying away from his eerie paleness and the glittering of eyes that shone like frozen gold pools through the blackness. A simple touch, and shoji parted with sibilant whisper at his command, revealing the suffocating dimness of the confinement that lay beyond…and the one who lay within it.

At the barest sounds of his entrance, the other moved, a subtle motion, a sliding whisper of silk on silk, a hushed sigh that breathed through the indistinct interior of the room, cast in a low pulsing glow given off by the dying light of a burning flame. Faint shadows flickered across the walls as a quiet slide of shoji encased the two in concealing obscurity.

He went to her, and she welcomed him.

Emotionless gold glinted in the dark, made silent demand that the other answered easily though no words broke the stillness. None were needed in this familiar dance that was as the fading of a new spring, encounters as numerous as the petals falling from flowering blooms as the seasons changed - and such was the heart of these.

Fleeting.

Brief.

Momentary satisfaction that would fade into nothingness and leave only a hollow emptiness behind at the remembrance.

And a cycle that would one day be repeated again.

She rose and layers fell away, pooled around her, baring flesh tinted a sickly yellow glow in the dim lighting of the room. She reached for him and he did not resist.

Thus, the lessons began.

She slid around him, clung, drew him down to her. And he, one who realized the worth in taking advantage, allowed it. She who had occupied more time in his father’s company since her entrance into their lives, now he allowed her to teach him what she had learned and that he had not.

He followed her lead. He touched where she wanted to be touched, tasted where she wanted to be tasted, bit where she wanted to be bit.

And he bled her where she wanted to be bled.

Nails scoured and left shallow rows that welled only to leave trailing dribbles of red streaking across paler flesh. Gold gaze bored into another and saw the burning of unfaltering lust that blazed higher than any pain.

She bled, and she smiled.

She sighed, and arched against him, a rolling undulation that pressed flesh against flesh and lodged him where she wanted him to be. Hardness kissed soft wetness, another rolling movement of hips against hips and he was sucked in as a low moan whispered through the dark and across slick hot skin.

“Inutaisho-sama…”

It spurred him on. His movements became faster; she approved, panting turned harsher, long limbs wrapped around and trapped him in. Her expression glazed with dark emotions that rippled with every pull and push of locked flesh and she made her pleasure known with every groan and every sigh. And as she gazed into golden pools suspended above her, she reached up, smoothed soft palm over skin stretched taut over striped cheek.

She looked with something more than lust.

She saw and also did not see.

“Inutaisho-sama…”

A jerk, another sharp thrust that plumbed deeper than all those before. She stiffened, screamed the name of her beloved as her expression twisted in lust and love that husband had surely returned with emotion that blazed just as bright. And the one who took her saw all of this, even as his body shuddered convulsively and emptied within her.

He saw.

And he felt nothing.

Father, I've won...

~ owari ~

Hmm, is this borderline incest? *ponders* Oh, well.

Must thank ash_gray_sky whose writing jumpstarted me into producing this. Otherwise, it might have just sat in my head and molded. Eheh, of course some people may think it would have been better left that way.

Too bad. I did it and now everyone's gonna have to live with it. =p