under the iron sea

hello shiny; icons

2007-12-17T14:13:03Z

Well, who can possibly resist those two shiny new trailers Squeenix is giving us for Christmas? ;D

[12] Final Fantasy XIII
[14] Final Fantasy Vs. XIII

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~icon table created with 77words's awesome generator

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you take (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend/watch this journal

JKR is awesome

2007-10-20T20:30:12Z

Dumbledore is gay. I am stupidly happy about this. *dork*

ohnoes, moar icons

2007-09-06T15:27:49Z

#01-#16 - Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle (+variations)
#17-#24 - Kyo Kara Maou!
#25/#26 - Lineage II
#27 - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
#28 - Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto
#29 - Whisper of the Heart
#30 - Darker Than Black
#31 - Card Captor Sakura
#32 - Paradise Kiss
#33 - Galaxy Angels

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#03 is taken from this wallpaper by Aqiaqua @ Minitokyo
#27-#33 were entered at animelims
~icon table created with 77words's awesome Generator

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you take (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend/watch this journal

Tsubasa: RC - Brushes

2007-07-07T22:05:16Z

[download me]

30 brushes taken from CLAMP's manga "Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE"

*Mokona included!

.zip file contains:
-30 .psp brushes (PSP8)
-1 .abr file (PS CS)
-30 .png files
(sizes vary from 500x400px to 40x40px)

~credit is nice, comments are better!
~check out my resources

~you can friend/watch this journal

icons, because it's time

2007-06-06T21:26:59Z

[01-15] Amatsuki (manga)
[16-29] Saiyuki (manga, mostly Gaiden)
[31-34] Hand Wich (yaoi manga, work safe)
[36-50] Beauty and the Beast (Disney)
[51-52] Pocahontas (Disney)
[53-55] Cate Blanchett
[56-59] 300

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*icons with a * placed at saiyuki_awards & 300_stillness

*crossposted to amatsuki_manga, saiyuki_icons, saiyuki & disney_icons
*icon table created with 77words's awesome Generator
*thanks and love to: free_manga, radiofreebanri & Dangerous Pleasure for scans

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you take (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend/watch this journal

ohlookiconsagain

2007-04-20T02:41:14Z

*hides*

Well, I have a perfectly good excuse. They're not really icons, you see, they're... bases. Yes, they are. ^__^

I was playing with saturation and coloring and these came out, didn't feel like editing them further, so you can do with them whatever you like.

36 Romeo x Juliet icons/bases

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*icon table created with 77words's awesome Generator
*crossposted to r_x_j [go JOIN]

~comments/suggestions/anything welcome
~check out my resources
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend/watch this journal

iconical, again

2007-04-16T20:35:41Z

18 Kingdom Hearts Final Mix+
14 Romeo x Juliet
20 Howl's Moving Castle

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*icon table created with 77words's awesome Generator
*thanks to dragonicons for the Romeo x Juliet screencaps ♥
*crossposted to kh_icons and r_x_j [go JOIN]

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you take (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend/watch this journal

The Code Geass Screencaps Project of Doom

2007-04-12T14:14:03Z

Episode 1 - Savefile

Episode 2 - Savefile

Episode 3 - Savefile

Episode 4 - Savefile

Episode 5 - Savefile

Episode 6 - Savefile

Episode 7 - Savefile

Episode 8 - Savefile

Episode 9 - Savefile

Episode 10 - Savefile

·No credit needed
·If any of the links is down or you have trouble downloading, drop me a comment
·I'll keep adding links to this post until I'm done with all the episodes
·Thanks for looking~

iCons

2007-03-27T14:01:34Z

32 TRC
24 Ouran
28 Code Geass
14 Random manga

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Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE

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Ouran Koukou Host Club

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Code Geass

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Random manga

Only the Ring Finger Knows, Nana, DNAngel, Fruits Basket

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*crossposted to tsubasarc, code_geass, ouranhostclub
*icon table created with 77words's awesome Generator
*some Tsubasa bases were taken from papermoon_icons

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you take (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend/watch this journal

erendisblack @ 2007-03-15T11:16:00

2007-03-15T14:26:06Z

I'm alive.
This journal wasn't, however. Plenty of reasons; lack of inspiration, other interests, forced hiatus, etc. Fact is, I haven't done anything lj related for 3 months+, except the odd comment here and there. I have kept up with the f-list for about a month now, but mostly I lurked in the shadows.

Old habits die hard.

But!
I've read more manga, watched more anime, fangirled ten thousand different things and I almost feel ready to be somewhat active again. Um, yay? ;D

Guild Wars still owns my soul.

[/end pointless post]

Minekura how I love thee...

2006-11-10T17:22:47Z

42+1 icons from Kazuya Minekura's works
1 header

1-34 Saiyuki
35-38 Stigma
39-43 Wild Adapter (+1 header)

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(it might be a bit big for a header, but I wanted to share it anyway XD)

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you take (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend this journal

muuuuuusic

2006-09-29T19:41:05Z

Ganked from uzumakisama, eons ago:

Open your playlist, pick songs that start with each letter of your username, but the songs have to mean something to you. Don't just pick a song because it starts with a letter in your username. Post the list to your journal, if you want you can explain why the songs are important to you, but it's not required.

((In other words, free music inside XD))

Extreme Ways - Moby
From the movies "The Bourne Identity/Supremacy" - Awesome movies, great soundtrack and Moby; can't ask for much more

Rewrite - Asian Kung Fu Generation
"Fullmetal Alchemist"'s 4th opening and my personal favourite

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
From the movie 'Rocky" which I hate, but I grew up listening to this song because my dad loved the movie XD

Numb - Linkin Park
I don't particularly like Linkin Park, but a few choice songs seem to click with me. I blame it on Noel

(Don't) Give Hate A Chance - Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is an old love of mine, I just have to dance to his songs!

Indiana Jones Theme - John Williams
From the "Indiana Jones" movie series - no explanation needed. I adore Indy

Still Time - Hidenori Tokuyama
"Gensoumaden Saiyuki"'s 2nd opening song and a recent love. Thank you, Lys

Butterflies & Hurricanes - Muse
I can really explain why I like Muse, but this is the song that made me look into them ~~and it spawned a somewhat original fic 2 years ago, that's still one of my favourite projects~~

Little Respect - Wheatus
Oooher, I was still in high school when this cover came out; good memories XD

A Dios Le Pido - Juanes
Same as above, really

Crystal Ball - Keane
Keane, Keane, Keane - I can listen to their albums on repeat for days and not get tired of any of the songs; something about the music & lyrics resonates just right with me

Kyoudai - Ooshima Michiru
Signature music for the Elric brothers in FMA - Ed and Al, how I still love thee

~tagging whoever feels like sharing~

I couldn't help myself

2006-09-25T15:37:20Z

24 KH icons from the new images, yesss.

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First, though...

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
&
NOW GO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS

thank you XD

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Credits & Gratitude
-♥ 77words & ♥

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you took (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend this journal

fandom meltdown

2006-09-24T12:43:09Z

This me, SQUEEing my heart out

That is all.

icons, at long, loooong last

2006-09-06T15:12:12Z

And here's to a change in fandoms! Well, more like an addition to the previous ones. XD

52 Ouran High School Host Club
(anime mostly, with some manga sprinkles)

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***A note on the name choices on #42 & # 43 - I'm aware that I used the nickname and their actual first name, while in the others I used their full name; it was done for er, aesthetic matters only. ^^

16 Saiyuki
(manga, mostly Sanzo & Hakkai - some Gaiden stuff)

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Random
5 Kingdom Hearts (!!)
7 PotC : Dead Man's Chest
8 Death Note
2 Gundam Wing
3 D.N.Angel
4 Fullmetal Alchemist

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The Return of the... erm, nevermind.

2006-08-26T13:31:45Z

I am returneth from 'impromptu LJ holidays' and 'going back to school hellish nightmare'. Hopefully I shall have icons to share with you soon and whatever else I manage to come up with, to make up for the extended absence.

I have obviously missed tons of posts by everyone on my f-list, so... um, apologies? ^^; If you get a reply from me for a post you made 2 weeks ago, don't be surprised!

rikufuu, thanks for the nudge! It was completely unexpected and made me go all o_o for a minute. XD

100x100 stuffs // post of doom

2006-07-12T13:39:33Z

Yes, stuffs. I'm not very articulate today (if ever!). XD

Bases:
130 Kyo Kara Maou!
25 Fullmetal Alchemist (OVAs)
12 Guild Wars (game)

Icons:
12 Bleach (manga)
12 King Kong (movie)
10 Kingdom Hearts
10 Advent Children
08 Fullmetal Alchemist

BASES

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Credits & Gratitude
-Some of the screencaps and images for KKM bases came from HERE and HERE
-♥ 77words & ♥

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you took (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend this journal

As you can probably guess, this will be eventually be crossposted to freakin' everywhere, so, my apologies for the spam.

Claim finished

2006-07-03T14:03:51Z

Three days late. I fail at deadlines. ^^;

Subject: Riku
Song & Artist: Butterflies & Hurricanes by Muse
New Icons: 17
Completed: 26/26
Warnings: Some mild spoilers. Riku overload.

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Thirteen Themes

b&w	ff (disney)	eyes	hands

combo	thirteen	time	non-human

weapon	OTP	trinity	villain

same side

Thirteen Artist's Choice

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13

Notes: I feel like I cheated a bit with the tiny text in some, but I can swear the lyrics are somewhere in the icon, even if you can't read them. XD

community fun

2006-06-18T15:01:27Z

So I joined pickmybest, in a bout of randomness and because it'll be fun to see which icons people prefer against my own favourites. (If you feel inclined to vote here's my entry, but please check the voter's rules first. ^^)

I also posted for the first time to my claim in kh_songset, which incidentally is my first claim/challenge ever! (Here There Be Icons)

And ultimaly, semi_slashable invited me to post at his new comm the_adventurers, in which I shall be ~~spamming~~ posting soon, because the man is TEH awesome. *glomps Riyu*

Moving on, I need to finish watching Lost, but mum's never around/never has time for it, so I'm itching with anticipation here. Think I'll watch it by myself and then rewatch it when she feels like it.

Anatomy and Guild Wars are sucking up all of my free time, both online and offline. I need to be around more!

*bounces off*

Not KH-related? gasp

2006-06-07T19:50:19Z

That's right, non-KH videogame icons. I can't believe it myself.

52 Square icons
-15 FF13
-18 FF12
-04 FF8
-05 FF6
-10 FF5

The Hook: ·

Dedicated to Lys
one of my ~~pimps~~ managers
and a good friend.

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STUFF:

-Most of these were made for FFCompilation, a new FF site with lots of media, info, news and... well, FF-stuffs. XD Go check it out!

-♥ 77words & ♥

-crossposted to hip_vgames & squaresoft_icon

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you took (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend this journal

I'll... eventually, finish writing what fics I still owe, read my f-list and comment on the entries. Eventually. ^^;;

variations of the variations of the...

2006-06-01T13:05:31Z

Lately I've been told that I'm a rabid fangirl, no salvation for me, blah blah, blah. So here's proof that...

..they're right. XD Whatever.

48 Kingdom Hearts Icons (KH1, KH2, KH:COM manga)
Warning: Might contain loads of Riku.

BAIT: ·

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STUFF:

-The last 16 Riku-centered icons were made for 10variations
-My thanks and love to arisubox & dearest for their wonderful brushes and textures.
-♥ 77words & ♥

~credit is nice, comments are better
~check out my resources

~if you can, tell me which ones you took (I'm curious XD)
~DON'T HOTLINK, I BEG YOU
~you can friend this journal

fic: Things that Never Change [Riku/Sora, post KH2]

2006-05-21T15:03:45Z

For: semi_slashable
What: Ficlet
Specs: Anything Riku/Sora
Notes: Post KHII, sappy, random. Hope you like it, Riyu. Think of it as a 'thank you' thingy for all the cool OTP stuff you keep coming up with for the fandom. XD

·§·§·§·

Being a little boy in such a big island is not an easy thing. The place is full of huge things that surprise Sora and make him only a bit afraid. Or very afraid. But he’s a brave boy; he knows there’s much to explore on this place, no matter how big or how scary.

The beach, for example. There was a big storm last night and the sea, that funny moving water, took all kinds of things up to the beach. There’s lots of sand there, but today there’s also seashells, a few bottles, a dead fish, twigs and leaves. Sora takes scientific interest in every item, his pockets are soon bulging all over; mum’s going to get a few surprises.

Sora runs along the shoreline, teasing the incoming waves; those can never catch him, he’s so much faster than the water and takes singular pride in it. Sandaled feet leave soft marks on the sand, but they’re soon washed away.

“You’re gonna get wet,” a disembodied voice says in Sora’s ear. And as soon as the words sink in, Sora takes an involuntary step sideways, trips on a twig and falls with a resounding splash, face first into the arriving wave.

The wave soon retires, however, leaving Sora spluttering and clearing salty water from his eyes. His hair falls like a mop around his face, gently dripping water from the tips. Sora looks up from his place on the wet sand, shielding his eyes with one hand.

Standing a few feet away there’s a boy. He looks very tall to Sora, but he can’t be much older than himself; suddenly Sora feels silly, sitting there with his butt on the sand and soaking wet. Getting swiftly to his feet he snaps angrily at the taller boy.

“You tripped me!” he accuses, small hands curling onto fists, lower lip sticking out and eyes blazing.

The boy with the yellow shirt shakes his head, but he doesn’t deny it. “You tripped on that branch,” he points at the harmless-looking twig that floats lazily on the shallow water.

Sora studies the other with narrowed eyes: should he trust this pale-haired kid with slanted eyes? Or is he another threat this island holds?

However, the boy decides for him. “What’s your name?” He asks, taking a step closer.

Sora tilts back his head, only slightly afraid of the other –after all, he’s not all that taller than himself. “Sora,” he replies; his whole body still in tension.

The other offers a half smile. “Like the sky?”

Sora blinks; there’s something he never thought of. Silly of him. “Yeah, like the sky. What’s your name?” he shoots back.

“Riku,” says the other kid, crossing slender arms over his chest. The way he says his name sounds like a challenge.

“Ri-ku,” Sora tries on the name, unaware he’s doing so. Riku laughs and Sora feels himself relaxing and smiling, involuntarily. Maybe this kid is not so bad after all, he thinks, as he rummages on his pockets for his treasures.

“Wanna see what I found on the beach?”

“Sure.”

“Look, this is a shell. It has a funny name, Thala-something, mum told me. And this other one it had a sticky worm-thing inside, but it was dead, so I poked it out. And this one…” Sora rambles on about his findings and Riku looks at everything with interest, making comments here and there, trusting Sora to tell him about all this cool stuff.

As the years went on, Sora realized that Riku always did that. He threw the younger one off balance, waited for him to regain his confidence and then sat down patiently and heard anything Sora wanted to say. It was the older boy’s way to be friends with him, no matter his own mood, how many times the story had been told, or if he knew all about it beforehand.

Sora sighs now, his back against the tree-trunk, as he watches his friend sprawled lazily on the sand. They are so much older now, they have seen and done so much, few people will believe it if they talk about it. But some things never change; this peace between them will never change, and neither will their need to push each other further. No matter what happens afterwards.

“Riku?” Sora calls and the silver head shifts slightly, sign that he’s heard him. Riku’s arms are drawn up, covering his eyes from the merciless sunlight.

“Hmm?”

“Remember when we met?”

“Yeah, think so.”

“How did you know I was going to trip on that branch?”

“Huh?”

“The branch stuck in the sand, remember? You said—”

“I know what I said.”

“Well… how did you know?”

“I didn’t, Sora. How could I’ve known?”

“So you were just—”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Riku sits up, pushing himself upright with his arms and blinking quickly in the sunlight. Even though he can’t see the other’s face, Sora feels the smirk drawing on Riku’s lips.

“And it was, wasn’t it?”

“What?” Sora frowns.

“A good idea,” Riku’s still facing away from him and Sora wishes he knew what his friend is thinking.

“The best you ever had,” the brunet replies quietly and, this time, Riku turns to look at him. His lips relax, forgoing the smirk; a somewhat puzzled expression crosses Riku’s face.

“Sora…?” Riku gets up and comes to stand before his friend, so Sora’s left staring at the older boy’s knees and shoes.

“Sometimes I just get this feeling,” Sora tries to explain, feeling ridiculous and awkward—how does Riku manage to look cool all the time, anyway?—but resolute, he’s faced bigger things that this, hasn’t he? Yeah, sure, Xemnas was mad, but nothing a Keyblade to the head couldn’t fix… This is different.

Riku sighs and sits down again, cross-legged and right in front of Sora. He’ll wait it out; whatever Sora wants to say, Riku will wait until he’s ready. But Sora seems uncomfortable by their proximity, if that makes any sense.

“It’s like what I felt when I went looking or you, you know? This thing in my head that said things wouldn’t be right until I found you, and when I found you I was supposed to tell you,” say Sora in a rush and he knows, he knows he’s not making any sense.

“Tell me what?” Riku asks, and there’s a hush to his words that should be saved for nighttime under the stars, not be wasted in this blinding sunlight, lost in the crowing of the birds and the swish of the sea. Sora bites his lower lip in frustration, looking away from his best friend’s narrowed eyes and focusing in his long legs, bent and crossed to mimic Sora’s position.

“I don’t know what I need to tell you,” he says at last, “ I just know that I needed to find you and stick with you.” Because you’re the best friend I’ll ever have, because you tease me and fight me and frustrate me, but I want to understand you better and never, ever let go of you, that’s what Sora’s mind adds, silently, because he can’t find the right words yet. But Riku is Riku and he can pull off cool and mature and find the right words, when Sora can’t.

“You know,” he says, smiling and leaning slightly forward, elbows on his knees and head on his hands, “if Kairi hadn’t stopped me that time when we met, I would’ve gone and stayed as I was, fighting from the shadows until you two were safe.” He says it like he’s commenting on the weather and Sora feels just like he did then: like crying and punching him. Still, Riku must be getting somewhere with this…

“If she hadn’t made you see, see me, you would’ve never found me.” Riku’s eyes search for Sora’s and they’re crystal clear, like when they met on this very beach. “I think that would’ve made us unhappy, like we would’ve been if we had never met, or if we had never met Kairi.”

Sora nods, the tugging he feels somewhere in his chest is painful-sweet now, because Riku is saying what he feels, what they both feel apparently and it’s confusing and new, and it’s like they are meeting for the first time all over again.

“So, “ Riku goes on, face inching ever closer to Sora’s, unstoppable, “whatever you need to tell me, don’t worry. There’s plenty of time, because I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re not? Sora breathes, rather than say the words, because their noses are an inch apart and the sea-green eyes of his friend are all he can see, because this is larger than life and warmer than the sand they’re sitting on.

“I’m not. Are you?” Riku’s breath ghosts over Sora’s face and their knees bump against each other, but its doesn’t matter anymore when Riku’s hands brace themselves on Sora’s thighs, finding balance for their awkward position.

“Not without you,” the blue-eyed boy says, in the split second before their lips meet and he forgets what he needed to say, because actions speak louder, anyway. As they get to know each other for the second time, neither of them notice the thin branch and the glistening shells being washed ashore by a gentle sea wave.

·§·§·§·

fic: Stockholm Syndrome [Axel/Roxas - AU]

2006-05-13T02:45:00Z

For: hiza_chan
What: KH2 Ficlet
Specs: AU high school Axel x Roxas
Notes: The prompt she gave me (pretty boys making out against lockers) spawned a very clear mental image that, in turn, spawned this little monster you're about to read.
2.6K+ words

Stockholm Syndrome

In which Axel has a memory fixation, Roxas gets a little angry and I make use of every high school fic cliché available.

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If you had asked him today, how he liked his life, Roxas would have told you that he liked it well enough. True, his parents were quite absent from his life and that had bothered him in the past, high school classes got annoying sometimes and life in general got a bit boring, but all in all he was happy with it. In fact, if given the choice, there was only one thing he would have fixed from his daily life. One slightly irritating thing that made his days less than perfect, even in its infinite insignificance.

“Roxas? Here he comes.” Olette and her warnings only made him more nervous, really. Still, Roxas nodded and planted his feet a bit more firmly on the floor, clutched his backpack a bit more tightly and waited. Sure enough, there came the hand to the middle of his back, followed by the none too gentle push in the general direction of the lockers directly in front of him. Used to it, Roxas didn’t stumble nor got smashed against the cold metal as the hand surely intended, but the shove had only been so aggressive during the first month. Now it wasn’t necessary anymore. The message had been sent and received, loud and clear, just like everyday. Some mornings, like today, the pusher would even spare an extra effort to greet Roxas as he went by.

“Morning, kid! Memorized your schedule yet?”

And when Roxas turned, bypassing Olette’s worried frown, Pence’s sympathetic smile and Hayner’s growling, he immediately located the source of the voice and the shove: a tall redhead that walked amply by, parting the crowd of students as he went and waving a lazy hand in Roxas’ direction. If he strained, Roxas knew he’d even catch the glimpse of a smirk on his nemesis face.

“Good morning to you, too, Axel.”

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Axel was the kind of guy every kid in the neighborhood got warned against by parents and friends: wild hairdos, tattoos, cigarettes and questionable company. He was a trouble magnet, it seemed; though he could be a charmer, when he felt like wiggling out of trouble, too. A sharp wit, quick smirk and some winking were just a few lethal weapons in Axel’s inventory. However –or possibly because of it—girls left and right nursed year-long crushes on him and every guy on a 30 mile radius wanted to stay on his good side, while teachers and most adults just shook their heads and wished he’d calm down.

Roxas had never had much contact with Axel other than the daily shove aside that went by between them, every morning since Axel had started his senior year. The first time it had happened, Roxas had been completely puzzled; what reason could this guy have to randomly lash out to an unknown junior? Later on, he had been angry about it, then confused again, then he had resigned to it. Eventually, Hayner had convinced him he should stand up to this spiky-haired jerk, so Roxas had tried. The results had been definitely strange.

“Don’t do that, will you? What’s your problem?” Had been Roxas’ way of dealing with it, one particularly nasty morning when the shove had been the last thing he needed. He remembered feeling angry enough for a fistfight, if that’s what Axel wanted to go for. But nothing much had happened.

The other students around them had gone eerily silent, a sense of expectancy hanging in the air. Fort he first time since he had started it, Axel had turned around and faced his victim, pinning him to the spot with bright green eyes. Roxas wasn’t that much shorter than the other guy, but he had felt distinctly so, under that intense stare down. It had gone on for the longest time, until Axel had finally spoken.

“Why shouldn’t I, kid? What will you do?” But the tone hadn’t been hostile, nor challenging, merely mocking and a bit bored. Then it had dawned on Roxas that it was a game; Axel was toying with him, looking for a particular response. Well, Roxas refused to play. After that, the younger boy had gone through several phases: more anger, simple annoyance, need of revenge, some angsty moping and recently, his studied passiveness. Hayner still seethed in Roxas’ behalf, Pence and Olette wanted him to go to a teacher, but Roxas was determined to be a good sport about it. Soon he would figure out what response Axel wanted and then he would play back on equal footing.

However, time seemed to be running out. In four months Axel would graduate and the daily shoving would be over. Roxas preferred not to dwell on this too much, as it made him feel a twinge of strange regret, an awkward near-sadness that he didn’t fully comprehend, nor he wanted to.

Now, he allowed himself to be dragged into their first class by a chattering Pence, still lost on Axel-related thoughts and still slightly upset at himself for them.

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His chance to understanding Axel’s behavior, came a month or so later, as Roxas found himself running late for homeroom.

“Dammit, dammit, come on, you stupid thing!” Roxas looked at his watch and cursed some more at his locker’s combination, which had never been user friendly in his opinion. Finally, it clicked open and Roxas started to pull books out and cramming them into his backpack, then he slammed the door shut again and fumbled the lock code, still cursing profusely.

“My, my, still having trouble memorizing your code, kid?”

Roxas froze; if the voice hadn’t been a dead give-away as for whom was standing right behind him, the words certainly were.

“What do you want?” he lashed out, unconcerned that they were virtually alone on the empty hallway. He turned around and tried to zip up his bag, look defiant and act nonchalant all at the same time.

Axel peeled himself from the line of lockers across Roxas’ own and moved closer to the blond boy, heavy footfalls resonating ominously all along the vacant corridor. Roxas swung his backpack over his shoulder and looked up to Axel for the first time. The smirk was firmly in place, lopsided and cruel, and his eyes were narrowed to slits, giving Roxas the impression of an oversized cat closing in on his prey. Still, he felt daring, more so than when he was surrounded by friends.

“If you came for your daily shoving shit, you can wait until lunch break, I’m really late now,” and Roxas made his first mistake, as he tried to duck aside and make his escape. An iron-grip hand closed around Roxas’ much slender left arm, holding him back as he got slammed back on to his locker.

“I can have that now, if I want,” the leering mouth said as Axel braced both his hands on the lockers at each side of Roxas’ face, effectively trapping him and giving him no room to escape as the other leant closer and closer. Roxas then made his second mistake, when he looked up and met Axel’s eyes.

For a moment, nothing happened. Roxas thought he should be feeling afraid, perhaps, but he wasn’t. He thought he should want to move away and get to a classroom as fast as possible, but he didn’t. All he could do—or wanted to do—was to stay exactly where he was and study those dark flecks adorning green, green irises, or muse over the odd, rhomb-shaped tattoos marring Axel’s skin, right under his eyes. But then, before Roxas could even draw his next breath, Axel was moving aside, walking away, all black clothing and red, red hair.

“Get lost, kid.”

“My name is Roxas!” he called to the dark figure’s retreating back, frustrated and angry and so annoyed with himself, he could barely summon his voice.

“I know!” was the unexpected response, accompanied by a chuckle and the loud bang of a door, as Axel disappeared into a classroom.

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Roxas kept that particular episode to himself, even if normally he would have shared it with his three best friends, mostly because he could not make much sense of it, in the same way he could barely make sense of Axel himself. Ever since the incident, however, the daily shoving had stopped to the great shock of everyone.

“Roxas, what did you do?”

“Roxas, that’s so great man!”

“It’s the calm before the storm, Roxas.”

“Never mind, he must’ve gotten bored with it.”

“Finally! I swear, I was thinking of—”

Roxas let his friends carry on about it, because frankly, it was better that way; everyone could make conjectures instead of asking questions he didn’t have answers for. Still, whenever someone mentioned how glad he must be, he felt oddly disillusioned, stupidly inane about it all.

“Maybe you’re a masochist,” his older brother said, half-jokingly, when Roxas finally snapped and told him that he wasn’t throwing a party just because one bully had gotten bored and probably moved on to someone else.

“Don’t get mad, Roxas. I’m sure everyone will forget about it soon enough,” were his brother’s last words of comfort and while Roxas was dubious at first, he was forced to admit that yes, everyone eventually let it go. Never mind that at the very back of Roxas’ mind, a pair of green eyes framed in red, kept taunting him and haunting his every step.

You still don’t get it, kid.

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“Roxas, you said you’d get it! Don’t tell me you forgot!”

“I have it, Olette, I do. Just… not here, okay?”

The graduating ceremony for the senior class was over. Roxas could see his own brother flanked by his two best friends, getting congratulated over and over by family and friends. Olette’s older cousin was graduating, too, and as Roxas and her would be meeting there, he had promised her to return a book she had lent him a few months ago.

“Then where is it?”

“I think it’s in my locker, because it wasn’t at home,” he explained his friend. Olette crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the flattest stare she could muster.

“Well, go get it, then.”

“What, now?”

“Yes, now!”

So he went and retrieved the book, uncomfortable by the vacant and silent feeling the school building gave him, as he walked its darkened hallways. The noises from outside coming through very muffled and faint; the soft click from his locker’s door echoed loudly around him.

“Got that memorized, didn’t you?”

Roxas closed his eyes; the feeling of déjà vu was so overwhelming, he nearly felt like laughing out loud. He turned to face his captor, probably for the last time in his life, and opened his mouth without knowing what he was going to say.

“I saw you out there. Congratulations,” he offered, hating himself for saying something so generic, so irrelevant.

Axel laughed, a harsh sound that Roxas disliked immediately, and raked a hand through his hair, messing it even more. “Bet you thought I wouldn’t graduate in a million years.”

“No, I know you’re smart enough,” Roxas shook his head, book clutched tightly in his right hand; truthfully, he had never considered whether Axel would graduate or not, even if half the school was opinionated about it. He looked up, studying the other guy—without the ceremony robes, he looked just like he always did—and wondering why the heck had he just complimented and congratulated the guy that had bullied him for the entire school year.

“You think I’m smart, huh?” Axel smirked and moved towards the center of the corridor, just as Roxas too started to move away from the wall of lockers, slowly and unconsciously, as if pulled by strings. “What else do you think, Roxas?” the redhead asked in a velvety voice, tilting his head to the side and moving even closer.

Roxas took a deep breath. “ I think you went about this the wrong way,” he said. Suddenly, he had it all figured out, all of it, and he was finally going to play Axel’s game, even if he only had one shot at it. He readied himself for it, ignoring the wild beating of his heart, the sweat on his palms and the way Axel was smiling at him. Not the predatory, cruel smirk, but a simple, open smile that did reach his eyes.

“The wrong way, eh? Well, time to change tact, then,” Roxas heard him say before everything became a blur of touch, smell and taste.

The younger boy was, again, violently shoved on to the lockers behind him, but this time it didn’t matter because he was being kissed so thoroughly, that his brain refused to engage in any other sensory input. Olette’s book clattered to the floor, but it didn’t matter which way it landed, because there were hands on Roxas’ hips and they were kneading at the small of his back, all while Axel’s tongue tried to find every hidden recess on his mouth and test Roxas’ attention span, because it felt like he was being touched everywhere that mattered.

When Roxas’ hands found their way into red, red hair, he knew that the whole of the school building with all the people in it could have melted away, because Roxas’ whole life felt like a prelude to this and this was just the beginning. He felt it when Axel pulled him more firmly against his body and the friction made Roxas gasp aloud, in what sounded more like a moan, but what did it matter, since the ending was so far away he couldn’t really see it. In the haze of inhaling Axel’s scent—hot metal and burnt matches—Roxas knew there’d be a long, long way to go before this could, or would, happen.

Reality settled in, at some point after Roxas’ pants’ button had been undone and some suspicious markings had appeared on the pale skin of Axel’s neck. A door banged shut somewhere else in the school and Roxas became aware of the soreness of his lips, the emptiness of the hallway and the wild, feral look on Axel’s green, green eyes.

“A year from now, where will you be?” Axel’s voice was still the same, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened, and that drawling cadence would haunt Roxas’ dreams for months to come.

“I’ll be here,” Roxas said, honestly, bending to retrieve the forgotten book, his voice sounded strange to his own ears. When he straightened up, Axel had moved away. Much too far away, Roxas’ mind opined, and he looked again cold and dangerous, like a big cat.

“Then we might see each other again, kid,” he said, a hand to his hip and a quick wink before he started to walk away, melting into the shadows of the darkened hall.

“It’s Roxas! You should memorize it.”

If the truly amused laughter that reached Roxas’ ears was really Axel’s, then only the lockers and a blond haired kid were the sole witnesses to it, before another door clanked shut and there was silence again.

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“Here’s the book, Olette.”

“Oh, there you are. I thought—” Olette blinked, looking Roxas up an down, appraisingly. “What happened to you?” she asked, taking in the rumpled clothing and the extra messy hair.

“Axel,” Roxas said, simply. He won’t tell her about the faint ache in the back of his head where it hit the lockers, nor will he tell her about the bruises there are probably forming on his upper arms, or about how he can still feel his lips burning from the other’s touch. Not now at any rate, not yet.

Maybe a year from now…

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The title is mildly inspired by the Muse song (you might want to click that >.>) of the same name and by the actual psychological response. It's nothing quite so bad here, but as I said... inspired. XD

Nitpick away!

me, failing

2006-05-11T15:44:52Z

Finally getting back to people who requested things in the last post... just some 15-day delay? >_< Ah well, at least everyhting's done, just needs polishing and posting. XD

For: uzumakisama
What: Drabble
Specs: KH2!canon Cloud+Leon
Notes: I... tried. I love the pairing, but they ARE darn prickly and difficult to work with. XP 500 words of clumsy writing.

§·§·§

His right arm is still a bit unreliable, is what flashes through his mind as he tests his grip on the handle again, swinging the sword a few times in a dance of parries and blocks. His opponent is imaginary, but he can see him well enough in his mind’s eye as his is a figure he knows very well. He shifts his weight to the left side of his body and swings at the air again; this time is going to be the last time.

“You’re ready,” a steel voice says as Cloud’s blade is met midway by another. Sparks shine briefly between them, as the two men stare at each other over their crossed weapons. Then, Cloud breaks his stance and moves away, silent. The bailey is quite an open place and anyone can walk by, but only Leon seems to be able to sneak up on Cloud.

With the corner of his eye Cloud follows the other man’s movements, as he too lets his gunblade rest easily at his side. There is something elastic to the way Leon moves, an easiness to his steps that can only come naturally. Cloud knows only one other man that has such poise, though Leon carries it off with unconscious grace and is more admirable for it.

“Sora was looking for you,” Leon says, offering further explanation. “I told him you already knew about it.”

“Hn.” If there’s something Cloud doesn’t quite like about Leon, is the scrutinizing look those cool grey eyes are always giving him, as if Leon was trying to him figure out, lay him wide open and see what is he made of. Cloud is not sure if he’s worthy of that kind of attention.

“If you are going to wait—”

“I’ll go find him, I won’t let him get near here.” Cloud can tell Leon’s not used to be interrupted quite like that and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows it’s okay; it’s part of this wordless understanding between them. Maybe he needs to figure some things out about Leon, too, but now it’s not the time and after… well, Cloud’s not sure there will be an after.

Leon nods, leaving his gunblade to rest on the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. “When you’re done, let at least Aerith know where you’re going,” he says, eyes on Cloud’s own, “otherwise Yuffie won’t let it rest.” The tone is as impassive as ever, but Cloud is suddenly very aware of what the other man is silently asking for. Maybe. The piercing grey eyes are steady, reliable and honest; Leon is not looking to control him or manipulate him in any way and that’s what makes him different from—

“I will,” Cloud hears himself say, his grip on the sword handle tightening as he lifts it over his shoulder to go looking for Sora. And if he purposely brushes Leon’s arm as he walks by him, neither of them think any of it.

§·§·§

For: istealboyswings
What: Icons
Specs: Duo, wings, and the color red or violet.
Notes: Your drabble idea turned into a ficlet of sorts, which I'm still writing, so here are icons while I finish that. XD

·
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***I'm a silly thing and forgot to say that the first two Duo icons are from art by the lovely Rem herself and can be ~~fangirled~~ seen here. in its entirety.

Next in line hiza_chan, whose drabble idea also spawned a ficlet-thingy to be posted shortly.

*flees*

infamous meme

2006-04-30T15:12:16Z

Time to try out the meme that keeps popping up on my f-list and bringing me much joy.

Every person on your f-list gets to request a drabble from you. In return, they have to post this in their journal and write a drabble for you. Post all fandoms you're willing to write for.

Your friends can pick a relationship, a story arc, a missing scene, or pretty much anything they want, unless the author has previously mentioned that they will not write it. They comment with what they want, and you write drabbles and post it in your LiveJournal.

But here's a new twist... from me, you can request either a drabble or an icon!

Drabble Fandoms:
-Kingdom Hearts, Fullmetal Alchemist, Gundam Wing, Megami Kouhosei, Hellsing, Final Fantasy VII/Advent Children, Final Fantasy VIII

Icon Fandoms:
-Anything. Yep, if I'm not familiar with the fandom, I'll just ask you to give me a pic and some text and that'll be all.

*wonders if anyone'll reply*

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