a peek into their minds December 7, 2007

“I would much rather be playing my flute than playing this game of War and Swords.”

- Faltri

“My heritage demands that I shave my hair short and learn the magicks of my people. But… if I could, I would grow my hair as long as the sun lives, and study the Histories and the Stories in Kelke.”

- Qicethi Nin

“I do not have a mind like my father, power-hungry and thirsting for battle. If the choice were mine, I would fly across the land with nothing but Featherbane and my sword at my side. But when your father is the Second Head of the Council of Jinriid, you have duties that you cannot defy.”

- Vernr’cu Setsa

“I do not mind the fighting, for it is my blood. Nor do I mind the travel, for that is also within me. What I do mind is what my mother does, back at the Council. She barters and bids our people and our lands, all to please that bitch Llyll. I cannot stand either of their twisted ways.”

- Murean Bis

“You think me suited to be a man of the Goddess? I have no such desires. My faith is as thin as a whore’s silk robe. I only came to be in this damned position because of my father. When your old man is the Head Priest of the Temple, you don’t get a choice. I would much rather be out there in the sun and the heat, sweating in a fierce battle with other soldiers of the city.”

- Gevdre Moonhide

“I seem to be the only one suited to my position in this group. A druid and woodsman from the Western Forests, fond of the animals I train, even getting the rare enjoyment out of the old ways of healing. Something must be wrong with me!”

- Monyet

“Though she loved and lived for the desert, for the sun, the heat, and the dry yellow sand that went on forever, she yearned for something else as well. Once, when it had not been overrun with Briask’uon and Kelke lackeys, her mother and father had taken her up the to the Plateau, across the Greenlands there and to the sea. Not the Chisa Bay, but the real sea, the Southern Ocean, where the breeze was sweet and the water warm and clear and gentle. She was young, and she relished in the air that was much too different from the desert. There, the air was hot and thick, sweltering even, making it hard to breathe if you ran for even just a little bit. Here, it was light and playful, breezy once in a while but only enough to please you and never frustrate, and the breaths came slow and clean. Here, she could run freely for as long as she wanted, and run she did, across the sandy beach and through the tall grass, her long hair flowing freely behind her. Here, she had no worries.”

- A tale of Cor’unu’nath Bellakohv

ocean & sand November 14, 2007

Once upon a time in a faraway land
Lived a Prince and a Princess of Ocean and Sand

The Prince of the Ocean was strong, kind and bright
And the Princess of Sand loved him with all of her might

She thought he felt the same, for sure there was no other
But little did she know, the Prince’s heart belonged to another

Every night from her window, in the deep evening sky
The Princess wished for his love with tears in her eyes

One night, her beloved called her out to the sea
To tell her something – she knew what it must be

“The time has come!” She thought with hope and glee
And rushed to meet him at half-past three

She arrived with her eyes sparkling like a jewel
And waited patiently like a lovesick fool

The Prince smiled at her, and said “It is here!
I am finally engaged to my true love, my dear!”

And then the Princess saw, standing right by her love
A small mousy girl who moved like a dove

Heartbroken, she smiled as the Prince hugged the girl
And choked up a bit as she watched it unfurl

True love was apparent in the young couple’s eyes
The Princess saw it herself – she had been so unwise

As the two flew away, the Princess fell to the ground
Alone in the world, tears spilled out by the pound

This terrible moment, so heart wrenching and cruel
How could she have believed? She felt like a fool

And so, to the Princess, the truth was now in full view
When you wish upon a star, your dreams don’t come true

afternoon “tea” November 1, 2007

A lovely afternoon meeting starring Captain Hitsugaya Toushirou, Vice-Captain Matsumoto Rangiku and a personal character, Zanka Mayuko. Also featuring a surprise guest!

Oh no. 

“Hey!!  Tocchan, wait up!”

Not again.

“Tocchaaa~n, where have you been lately?”

Why?  Why, why, why, why, why?

“Tocchan, I was just on my way to visit you!  I’ve missed you so!  And Rangiku-san too.  Let’s go drink!!”

WHY?  “Zanka-san, I’m underage.”

“Puh!  I told you to call me Mayuko.   Now come on, let’s go!!”

I never get any rest around here.

“Rangiku-saa—n!”

“Oo~h, if it isn’t Mayu-chan!!   It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

They’re so loud.

“Sure has!  Are you up to anything right now?”

“Nope, nothing at all!  Why, what’s up?”

What about those reports I asked you to do three hours ago?

“Well, I was just thinking, you know…”

“You want to drink, huh!?  I was just thinking that myself, actually!”

“Is that so!  Great beauties think alike after all!”

“Ahahahahaha!”

That’s not right.  That’s not right at all.

“Come on, Tocchan, sit with us!”

“No.  Unlike you slackers, I have work to do.”

“Whaaa~t, slackers?!  C’mon, Captain, don’t be such a loser.”

What?!  Loser?!

“Excuse me?!”

“She’s right, Tocchan.  C’mere, just try a bit, we won’t tell.”

When did they pull that out?!

“Oh, just forget him, Mayu-chan.  He’s boring.  Here, try this stuff, I just got it the other day!”

B-boring…

“Wowee!  That sure packs a punch!  I can already feel it gettin’ to me!”

“Can’t you?  I love this brand!  It’s such a rare find but when I do get a hold of it I go crazy!”

You go crazy all the time, are you kidding me?

“Toccha~n, come on, just have a little taste~”

“W-what the heck!  Get off of me, Mayuko!”

“Nn~ you called me Mayuko!  Oh, you’re so adorable, Tocchan, just marry me already~”

Are you serious?!  You’re already this drunk?!

“No wa~y Mayu-chan, he’s going to marry me first, aren’t you Cap’n?”

“What?!  Not you too, Matsumoto!  Come on, I have stuff to do!  Get off!”

“Here, here, drink this, Tocchan…”

“Wh-hol-garhhhhh!”

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!

“That’s it, good boy!” 

“Wow, you should see how red-faced you are, Cap’n!”

“I…what, what the hell do you two think you’re doing!  I—woah…”

“Aww shucks, don’t tell me you’ve never drank before Tocchan!  Ooh, don’t fall now…”

Did time slow down?  What’s going on?

“Oh!  Rangiku-san!  Mayuko-san!  What are you guys doing?”

Oh…that’s…

“Hinamori-chan!  Better look out, we’re doing illegal things in here.”

“Illegal?  What do you mean?”

H-Hina…HINAMORI?!

“Hinamori… don’t… quick, get out of here before they get you too…”

“Hitsugaya-kun!  You’re here too?  Oh, your face is all red, do you have a fever?  Oh no, don’t fall over…Rangiku-san, Mayuko-san, why are you laughing?”

“Oh, you know, Rangiku-san…”

“Yes, I know, Mayu-chan.  What would happen if they were both tipsy?”

“Tipsy?  What?  Hitsugaya-kun, have you been drinking?”

I’m going to kill them…I swear it…

“No, he hasn’t at all… Come here a second Hinamori-chan, he’s fine right there on the floor…”

Oh no, I have to stop those idiots. 

“Hinamorihhghhh… don’t……let……unghh…”

“I promise he’s fine, here, just drink this.”

“What?  But this smells like…”

“It’s fine, just drink it!  Don’t you trust your fellow vice-captain?”

“Well…okay…”

[Several hours later…]

“Oh, look.  They’ve both passed out.  When did that happen?”

“Oh, five or six hours ago I think.  I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Captain’s gonna kill us when he gets up, you know that right?”

“Well…we’ll just have to not be here when that happens!  But first, I think we need a picture of this most adorable moment.”

“I agree.  They’re just so cute together.  Just thinking about the day when he’ll confess gets my heart all aflutter!”

“I know!  Let’s make sure to follow him and record it when that time comes.  In the meantime, let’s just take sneaky pictures of them curled up together asleep so we can blackmail him later.”

fingertips July 31, 2007

“Sometimes I feel it burning, that deeper primal yearning…I feel it burn, burn, burning…”

Something stirred outside her window. Her pale white curtains fluttered innocently, as a warm summer breeze floated inside. She slept on unawares.

Then, there he was, at the foot of her bed, and she was awake, sitting straight up and staring into his deep green eyes fearfully.

“Evenin’, dear,” he said quietly, a small smile upon his face. She swallowed nervously.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice shaking a little. He sat down at the edge of her bed.

“Just visiting, is all.” He rubbed his hand over the sheets, smoothing them out. “Aren’t you pleased to see me?”

She did not reply, only watched as he slid his legs onto her bed and inched a little closer to her. Her heart hammered in her chest painfully.

“This is a dream, isn’t it,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. His smile grew a little more as he repositioned himself over her body, his face barely a foot away from hers.

“You’re so clever,” he purred, tracing a finger along her cheekbone. “It’s how I like to visit my very dearest friends when they’re too far away.”

She shuddered a bit at his touch, making him smile once more. He leaned forward a bit, pushing her back to lie down on the bed. Hovering inches above her, he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You know, I could take you this very instant,” he whispered. “And no one would ever know.”

He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck very gently, going down along the collarbone. For a fraction of a second, she wondered what he could have meant by that, but the thought was gone with each brush of his lips against her skin. She bit her lower lip fiercely against any sound that might have wanted to escape.

As he pulled back to look into her face once more, she fought very hard to not reach up and grab his head to pull it down towards hers in a fit of passion. All thoughts of who he was and what he had done had been whisked away the moment he touched her.

He studied her carefully, the small smile from before gone. A small line of confusion was etched into his features.

“Are you not frightened by my actions, my dear?” he questioned, looking into her eyes. “Disgusted and disturbed?” She felt her willpower break as she stared back, and made a move to wrap her arms around him. She found she could do no such thing.

The small smile returned. “Ah, yes… there is a binding spell placed upon you. I had almost forgotten.” He laughed a little.

“No means of escape for you, dear. Not from this dream. Or perhaps I should call it a nightmare…”

He again focused in on her eyes, but there was no longer a trace of fear in them. Something else was there now. Something he had not expected in the least.

His glance slid down a bit to her lips. He suddenly became keenly aware of her legs beneath his, under her thin sheets, the rhythmic up and down of her chest only an inch or two below him, and her soft pink lips parted slightly, as if waiting for something.

And he felt like he was that something, as he felt himself being uncontrollably pulled closer to her face. He could focus on nothing else, just her and those lips, less than a centimeter away.

In that moment, the spell was broken, and she made the connection herself, kissing him with a mad heat. He responded instantly, not a thought spared for what it might mean. Her arms snaked around his small waist and pulled him closer as he ran his own hand through her short hair.

It seemed to be years and years before they finally broke apart. When they had, as they both panted for breath, a hesitant fear crept slowly into the boy’s eyes. And before she could say a word to him, everything went black, and she was lying alone in her bed.

training. July 23, 2007

“Ah, Captain Ukitake, to what do we owe this lovely visit?” rang out a sweet female voice across the lawn.

“Oh, Captain Unohana, you flatter me,” a man replied, laughing merrily. “I merely came to check up on an old favorite officer of mine.”

“Ah, is that so?” asked Unohana, fluttering her lashes. “Well, let me point you in the right direction, Captain.”

Mayuko did not hear this conversation between the two captains. She was too busy yelling at one of her students about a new defensive move to pay attention to people so far away.

“NEMURA!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? YOU SWING THE SWORD LIKE THIS, LIKE THIS!” she bellowed, brandishing her own zanpakutou. A small, dark-haired shinigami cowered beneath her, the sword in his hands shaking violently from fear. “WHAT ARE YOU, AN IDIOT? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I SHOWN YOU THIS MOVE?!”

Another young boy, blond, tall and handsome, stepped up to them nervously. “M-m-m-Mayuko-san… d-d-don’t you think you’re being a-a bit… harsh?” he stammered. Mayuko turned slowly on the spot to face him.

“Excuse me? Too harsh, Fujiya? Too harsh?” She glared at him, though her anger had subsided a bit for a moment. “Do you think an enemy would be so forgiving? Would they pause in their attack to correct you in your stance or swing? NO. THEY WOULD NOT.”

A short brown-haired girl snuck up behind Mayuko and dragged Nemura away, who had quickly become a sniffling and shaking mess. Mayuko, her anger easily rekindled, continued to yell at Fujiya. He somehow seemed a lot smaller than normal when she was yelling.

“Ah, the same as ever, isn’t she Captain Unohana?” said Ukitake. The two had just arrived.

“She’s very energetic,” replied Unohana, her tinkling laughter filling the air. “It’s so very kind of her to do this, and she does it so well.”

“Yes, what was it she was doing again? Training, or something of the like?”

Unohana smiled. “A bit. Not a month into joining our squad, she came running to me, frustrated and yelling. ‘These wimpy healers need to learn how to defend themselves properly!’ she said. ‘And I’m just the one to do it!’ She was so convinced of herself that I couldn’t resist.”

Ukitake watched Mayuko push her pupils back into formation, smiling gently. “She really is the same as always…”

Unohana did not reply, instead choosing to look at Ukitake very carefully. She had suspected for a long time, the signs being glaringly obvious every time the two interacted. But ever since Mayuko had transferred, she had doubted. Perhaps something had happened. Perhaps one was rejected by the other. Perhaps there really was nothing there at all.

But seeing Ukitake watch the hot-headed officer made her think otherwise.

“Captain Ukitake…” she began, but was interrupted by Mayuko’s loud voice echoing across the field once more.

“No, no, NO! Can’t you guys get this right?! This move is so important defensively!” she cried out, frustrated. “Hanatarou, get up here!”

A small shinigami with drooping eyes stumbled up to where Mayuko stood.

“Y-yes, Mayuko-san?” he stammered. She slammed a hand on his shoulder in a move of reassurance, causing his knees to buckle.

“Everyone, Hanatarou here is the only one who can perform this move decently. He’s going to demonstrate to you all how to do it properly.” Hanatarou’s eyes widened in shock.

“B-but Mayuko-san—” he began.

“Shove it, Hanatarou! I told you to quit calling me ‘san’, didn’t I? Now get over there!” The boy shuffled over to where she pointed and turned around expectantly. Mayuko grinned at his obedience and called out to the audience. “Watch closely, everyone! Hanatarou, draw your zanpakutou!”

He did as commanded, his face growing serious as he readjusted his stance. Mayuko drew her own sword, and they stood for a few moments watching each other intently. Then, Mayuko dashed towards her opponent. In a complex flurry of movement, Hanatarou parried her with quick precision, and pushed her back with ease. Mayuko smiled at him as the rest of the students erupted with applause and cheering, and he turned a bright, shining red.

Mayuko called out to the crowd over the noise. “There, see? It can be done! Now get back into your pairs and keep practicing!” The small group, fueled by Hanatarou’s success, seemed eager to keep working. She turned to the blushing Shinigami next to her.

“Thanks, Hanatarou. That was really good,” she said smiling. Hanatarou rubbed the back of his head self-consciously.

“No, it wasn’t that great…”

Mayuko laughed at his embarrassment and turned to look off to the side, where a tall, male shinigami was leaning against a building, watching them with a grin. She waved a hand at Hanatarou and made her way over to the brown-haired man, smiling more broadly than before.

Unohana glanced carefully from Ukitake to the girl and boy across the way from them. Ukitake’s face was unreadable as the boy pushed the girl’s hair behind one of her ears, the both of them laughing. Frowning, Unohana attempted to restart the conversation from before.

“Captain Ukitake, do you—”

“Well, I believe I have some reports collecting dust on my desk, so I better get to those.” interrupted Ukitake cheerfully. “It was lovely seeing you Captain Unohana. If you’re ever free, please do stop by for some tea.” He smiled at her genially.

“I—what?” said Unohana, startled. “…Well, yes, I…I most certainly will.” She frowned again. “Please do take care, Captain Ukitake.”

He waved and walked off, his white captain’s coat blowing gently in the wind. Unohana watched him until he was gone, and when she turned back to the trainees she saw Mayuko staring in her direction, her mouth hanging wide open.