i hope you smile

apparently I'm bored XD

2010-04-24T03:32:36Z

So in the last week, I've:

¤ Spent way too much time breeding way too many Feebas.
¤ Joined the 10_titles challenge (subj: Tormod :D!) so I can get back into writing.
¤ Applied to play Tormod at aprigen, because I want to join an RPG and that one looks like a lot of fun. No word back yet on whether I've been accepted, but I just posted the application last night, so I'm not too worried. There aren't any Fire Emblem characters there right now, but maybe some others will show up eventually.
¤ Spent around two hours completely re-arranging my PC boxes on HeartGold, to alphabetical order. =_=;
¤ And now I'm thinking about re-arranging my bedroom...

And now I'm so bored that I've decided to write all this down. =.= Feel free to ignore. xD

Journal Layouts and Shipping Wars

2010-04-23T00:19:42Z

I dunno if you guys have noticed, but I seem to be changing my journal layout a lot lately. I just can't really find one I like a lot, so it'll probably change several more times soon. Just a fair warning.

Also, I read THIS the other day, and think that everyone else should read it, too. It's specifically relating to the Pokémon fandom, but the principle applies everywhere. And after reading happybutter's most recent entry, I feel like I needed to link to it here, though I really think the people that need to read it most won't even see it unfortunately. I'm gonna try to put it in as many places as possible so many people can see it. I didn't write it, but I agree with every word in it.

The apathy has faded, unfortunately. My emotions have been on over-drive today. It sucks. ♥ to my really sweet co-worker who has been helping me out with this a lot lately and listening when I need it. I know you'll never read this, but I appreciate it. :)

retail may not be the best job for me...

2010-04-18T02:52:09Z

I've been working retail for almost two years now... and while I've known for awhile that I'm not much of a people person, it hasn't been too bad, other than a few upsets here and there.

But today? Today I just wanted to punch someone.

First off: It's NASCAR weekend, and we're right up the highway from the race track, so we get all the drunk post-race rednecks, and the annoying OMGHURRYUPTHERACEISGONNASTARTSOOOOOOOON pre-race jerks. Bad weekend to begin with.

But then... it just got worse from there.

We had a celebrity guy in today signing autographs and stuff, which would've been cool, except for the amount of entitled-ness he showed. He had a two-hour slot from 11-1 to sign autographs. TWO HOURS. That's it. ...And he needed a break 45 minutes in. SERIOUSLY? I stand in one place at the register for longer than that pretty much every day. Ugh. Plus he was set up right inside the doors, which is the worst possible place because it's usually heavily congested anyway, without all his fangirls.

And then it didn't help when I was ringing up a jerky customer. He was paying with a credit card, and it's company policy to check IDs if the card isn't signed on the back. His wasn't, so I asked for his ID. He hands it over, I checked it, all pretty standard.

But the way my mind works, I see the names as more like mental pictures - like if the ID and the card have the same letters in the same order and it looks the same, then it matches, but half the time I honestly don't even know what the name is. Sounds weird, I know, but that's how my mind works. Well, the guy obviously thought I didn't do a good job of checking his ID, so he takes his license back and covers up his name on the card and asks me what his name is. I pause, cause I honestly hadn't paid any attention to the actual name, just that it used the letters E, R and Y. So I guess "Jeremy". His name was "Terry". Okay, what's the big deal? So I mention that my mind kinda works funny, and that's when he becomes an asshole.

His response? "Women don't have minds."

....WHAT? I just... WTF? When is that ever acceptable?

I hate people. I didn't say another word to him for the rest of the transaction. I'm sorry, but that's just rude and disrespectful and UGH.

I wanted to come over the counter and slap him silly. He would've deserved it.

...On a happier note: I'm working on hatching Feebas eggs on HG. I'm way more excited about this than I should be. xD

liiiiiiiiiife, randomness and video games

2010-04-17T03:42:53Z

So I beat Blaine and Blue yesterday! :D I now have all 16 badges, and all that's left to do is fill my pokédex and defeat Red at Mt. Silver. *is excited* ♥ Johto!

I'm actually kind of surprised I haven't got a call from my stalker in a few days. I'm feeling a little lonely. xD

It's Race Weekend (Woohoo, NASCAR! ....Not) here in Texas... -_-; I'm ready for it to be Monday now. Except not, because Monday's gonna suck majorly. I'm gonna be reclusive all week, at least IRL, so I'll probably be around here a lot.

I wanna join an RPG here on LJ, but I don't know what character to play. I could join pokedressing with my HG player character, but I dunno yet. We shall see. Actually, I kind of want to play Tormod somewhere.

I wish I had taken the time to make his outfit for Akon this year. It would be epically awesome. Maybe next year. And I can get my little sis to be Soren. XD

Edit: also, I need more Tormod icons. xD

memes for juuuuuu~

2010-04-15T06:25:02Z

Firstly (yes I did combine two memes here, why do you ask? :p):

Give me a fandom and I will tell you my:
Favorite Character
Least Favorite Character
Character With the Best Hair
Character With the Best Eyes
Character With the Best Smile
Character I'd Most Want to Kiss
Character I'd Make Lunch For
Character I'd Go Singing in the Rain With
Character I'd Go Shopping With
Character I'd Go Dancing With
Character I'd Take Over the World With
Character I Most Want to See More Of
OTP
Runner-Up
Honorable Mention(s)
Crack Pairing(s)
Ship everyone else seems to like that I don't
Least Favorite Pairing

Secondly:

First, write down the names of 12 characters. Then read and answer the questions. You can't look at the questions (or click on the cut) until you write down the 12 characters you're going to use.

one. Brock (Pokémon)
two. Eliwood (Fire Emblem 7)
three. Gary (Pokémon)
four. Sheik (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
five. Sothe (Fire Emblem: 9/10)
six. Link (Legend of Zelda)
seven. Ike (Fire Emblem: 9/10)
eight. James (Pokémon)
nine. Ash (Pokémon)
ten. Ranulf (Fire Emblem: 9/10)
eleven. Hector (Fire Emblem 7)
twelve. Tormod (Fire Emblem: 9/10)

1. Have you ever read a Six/Eleven fic? Do you want to?

Six: Link; Eleven: Hector

I can honestly say I've never read this. Do I want to? Well... it might be interesting. Not saying it would be my favorite pairing in the world, but might be interesting nonetheless.

2. Do you think Four is hot? How hot?

Four: Sheik

Of all the characters to apply this question to... Well, I think of his as a guy, but even then all I know about him is that he's got blond hair, red eyes and has a thing for bandages.

3. What would happen if Twelve got Eight pregnant?

Twelve: Tormod; Eight: James

...Oh dear lord. I can just imagine Tormod's face. o.O; Everybody would freak out because that's unnatural and how do those two even know each other anyway and why are they having sex? xD

4. Can you rec any fic(s) about Nine?

Nine: Ash

I'm sure I could if I took the time to go through all the fics I've read, but honestly none pop out right now.

5. Would Two and Six make a good couple?

Two: Eliwood; Six: Link

They wouldn't be a bad couple, really. Weird, but not bad. They're both very nice people, though honestly it might be a pretty boring relationship, cause neither one of them are very... chatty or anything. Eliwood moreso than Link.

6. Five/Nine or Five/Ten? Why?

Five: Sothe; Nine: Ash; Ten: Ranulf

Sothe/Ranulf. Because it would be hilariously ironic, though that might just be in my weird mind. (Because of the comment Micaiah made about Sothe being the father of Ike's children, and in my mind, Ike and Ranulf absolutely 100% belong together... and then there's the whole I was stamped as Sothe, with Ike and Ranulf as my parents thing. xD)

7. What would happen if Seven walked in on Two and Twelve having sex?

Seven: Ike; Two: Eliwood; Twelve: Tormod

He would probably turn around and walk right back out without making a comment. And wouldn't tell anybody, ever. Except maybe Ranulf, if he dragged it out of him. And then Ranulf would spread the rumor all over their camp.

Also it would kind of weird me out if Eliwood and Tormod were having sex because Tormod anywhere near Eliwood makes me think of Roy, and it makes me think Tormod and Roy could be long-lost brothers or something (because everybody with red hair is related)... and then there's a whole new level of incestuous squick there. xD I have an over-active imagination.

8. Make up a summary for a Three/Ten fic.

Three: Gary; Ten: Ranulf

Thrown into a world where some humans seem to have animal-like qualities, Gary Oak has to figure out how he got there and if there's any way to get back home, with the help of a snarky cat-like man. But when it comes time to go back home, will he want to leave?

Or something. Yeah. I suck at summaries. Though now I kinda want to read this. xD

9. Is there any such thing as One/Eight fluff?

One: Brock; Eight: James

I'm sure there is. They're from the same fandom. Brock has horrible luck with women, and James is kind of fabulous from time to time, if you get my drift, so I'm sure it exists. I haven't read any, but I do think it might be kind of cute.

10. Suggest a title for a Seven/Twelve hurt/comfort fic.

Seven: Ike; Twelve: Tormod

I honestly have no idea. I suck at making up titles.

11. What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted Four to deflower One?

Four: Sheik; One: Brock

Inter-dimensional travel. Also, a major WTF factor there.

12. Does anyone on your friends list read Seven slash?

Seven: Ike

I don't know if anyone particularly reads it, but there are people who don't mind it. Unless you count the fact that I've got a FE yaoi community being watched on my friends list?

13. Does anyone on your friends list read Three het?

Three: Gary

I have no idea.

14. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw Eleven?

Eleven: Hector

*shrug* Ya got me. If I had any drawing skills whatsoever, I'd draw him. I've started to write him a little in the past.

15. Would anyone on your friends list read Two/Four/Five?

Two: Eliwood; Four: Sheik; Five: Sothe

Maybe? I don't know. I wouldn't blame them if they didn't. xD

16. What might Ten scream at a moment of great passion?

Ten: Ranulf

Something witty, I'm sure. xD;

17. If you wrote a songfic about Eight, which song would you choose?

Eight: James

I'm so tempted to put "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" by Aerosmith, so I think I'll leave it at that. Actually... that would make a good music video. ^-^;

18. If you wrote a One/Six/Twelve fic, what would the warnings be?

One: Brock; Six: Link; Twelve: Tormod

Yaoi. Threesome. Underage. WTF-factor. ~~Interesting use of special tunics/pokéballs/magic books.~~

19. What might be a good pick-up line for Two to use on Ten?

Two: Eliwood; Ten: Ranulf

I can't really see Eliwood using a pick-up line on anyone. Ranulf on the other hand... well. He'd do it jokingly, but yeah. He would so do it. At least to break the ice or something.

20. When was the last time you read a fic about Five?

Five: Sothe

It's been awhile, honestly. There wasn't much around last time I went looking, so I'm giving it some time before I go looking again. I have read a couple really cute ones though. :D

21. What is Six's super-secret kink?

Six: Link

You know he secretly uses those fire-proof/underwater tunics for special reasons. xD;

22. Would Eleven shag Nine? Drunk or sober?

Eleven: Hector; Nine: Ash

Probably not. At all. Ever. Cause Ash is pretty much young enough to be his son or something, depending on which game you pull Hector from.

23. If Three and Seven get together, who tops?

Three: Gary; Seven: Ike

Ike. Gary would probably fight him on it for awhile, cause he wouldn't give up dominance that easily, but in the end Ike's bigger and stronger than him, so he wins. xD;

24. "One and Nine are in a happy relationship until Nine suddenly runs off with Four. One, broken-hearted, has a hot one-night stand with Eleven and a brief unhappy affair with Twelve, then follows the wise advice of Five and finds true love with Three." What title would you give this fic? Name three people on your friends list who might read it. Name one person who should write it.

One: Brock; Nine: Ash; Four: Sheik; Eleven: Hector; Twelve: Tormod; Five: Sothe; Three: Gary

Brock and Gary, huh? Weird. Not something I really wanna think about, tbh. I don't know that I want to give this a title, actually, cause I've already said I suck at titles. And nobody should write this. Ever. Even if it would be crack funny. I don't think anyone would read it, either.

25. How would you feel if Seven/Eight was canon?

Seven: Ike; Eight: James

Completely weirded out, since they've never even met before.

umbreoooooon

2010-04-13T02:11:13Z

♥♥♥♥♥

Oh! Oh! Oh! Guess what I got last night?

I was so excited! <3

(I also caught Raikou, Suicune, Entei, and Latias, but eh, that's just chucking masterballs at them. Not nearly as rewarding as Eevee evolving because he loves me. <3)

Icon Meme~

2010-04-11T06:31:20Z

...that I totally stole from rise_kujikawa. :O

ONE; how do you feel right now?

TWO; what's your favorite pastime?

plotting chaos and destruction~

THREE; do you consider yourself a strange person?

...possibly.

FOUR; what's your main fandom?

For this week, anyway. Knowing me, it'll change again soon. XP

FIVE; otp?

Can't have just one~! xD

SIX; how do you describe yourself?

At least recently.

SEVEN; what's your favorite icon to use besides your default?

EIGHT; do you have an icon of your future husband/wife?

NINE; do you have a WTF icon?

TEN; how do you feel towards love?

About like that, actually.

ELEVEN; saddest icon?

TWELVE; happiest icon?

I've actually got this labeled as 'happy'. Go figure.

THIRTEEN; crackiest icon?

dsjciejkdsjflkdjfdskf;kladj yes!

2010-04-02T23:44:28Z

I beat the Pokémon League on HeartGold today! Woohoo!

Yeah, okay, so I've done this several times before on previous games, but there's just something so... satisfying about beating the Champion on a new game. xD My team is amazing and awesome, so it wasn't really that difficult ~~except for that stupid Dragonite using Thunder on my Lapras, and that stupid Crobat spamming Double Team~~ but there were times when I wanted to throw the DS at the wall.

Trainer: Ollie


Typhlosion Lux Level 46	Ampharos Flip Level 46	Togetic Red Level 45	Espeon Loki Level 46	Lapras Zane Level 47	Lucario Silver Level 48

I ended up trading over a Silver/Riolu from my Pearl game (which had first been traded over from my sister's Diamond game, lol) and trained him up today, got him to evolving, then to where he would learn Dragon Pulse, and by that time all my other pokemon were ready to go in. I'm so glad I do, too. He's amazing. <33

Also, my stalker is still calling me about once a day. He saw me leaving the Dragon's Den and called to tell me so. Then I missed a call from him earlier while I was in Victory Road, but I'm sure he was gonna comment on the fact that I was in Victory Road.

Now... onto the Kanto half of the game! xD

Pokemon ramblings... :D

2010-03-28T19:20:32Z

Okay, so I got HeartGold the day it came out... anyone else out there a pokémon fan? If so, did you get the new game? Feel free to squee here about anything about the game if you feel so inclined. xD

So anyway, I'm playing through (and absolutely loving it cause I got Gold/Silver/Crystal back when they came out, and Johto is my favorite generation), and it's been awesome. My team is pretty spectacular, though there have been a couple of times when I was ready to scream (and did, actually, when Chuck totally creamed me the first time through... and that's when I decided to forego Butterfree for psychic purposes and let Eevee evolve into Espeon like it wanted - but not before it learned Bite). I went through and healed Ampharos and played around in the new Safari Zone (which I'm loving) a few times, then I was training around Ecruteak and I get this phone call from one of the random trainers I gave my phone number to. His name is Irwin, and he's a juggler.

So anyway, the phone call? He was saying that he heard that Ollie (the name of my player character) had gotten medicine and healed the Ampharos at the lighthouse, and that it would be really nice if when he's sick Ollie would take care of him like that.

Yeah.

My first thought? "That's... a little creepy, actually." And then for some reason, it struck me as really cute in a stalkerish way. And for some weird reason, I decided to call Irwin back. That conversation? "I'm so glad you called. I was just about to call you too! I guess we must be a good match!" o.O; So it seems to me that Irwin has a crush on the player character lol. And for some weird reason I find it kind of adorable.

And so I played around with the phone for a while, calling Irwin over and over to see if I could get a different call out of him. I came up with these:

"How are you? What are you doing? Where are you? How many Badges do you have now? How much money have you saved? How's your mom? Have you got lots of Pokémon? Is it going to be sunny tomorrow? Arrgh, there's so much I want to chat about! This is going nowhere!"

...and...

"Hearing about your escapades rocks my soul! It sure does!"

So then I realized that over the course of the game so far, I've developed a personality for my character (sweet and mild-mannered, though very oblivious and a little naive) and that I kind of ship them together. xD That's a first for me in terms of the video games. I've had ships in the anime before, a few different ones, but this just amuses me.

Anyway, so I've started planning a back-story for both Ollie and Irwin, and thinking through how they would've met, since the game doesn't really give you anything to go on, other than Ollie happened to be in his line of sight, which happens 500-trillion times with that many different people throughout the course of the game.

Enough about that though. Any weird/funny/cute/anything stories or pokémon related things you guys wanna say? xD

another fandom meme

2010-03-13T18:43:07Z

Got my fandoms from gin_gen. Leave a comment about... I dunno... how about chocolate? Yeah, chocolate and I'll give you fandoms. :)

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

01. The first character I fell in love with: Link, of course. ♥
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Impa. She is so made of win!
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Zelda, I guess. I mean, she's alright, but I just don't see her as that awesome. In fact, she kinda annoys me.
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Ruto! She amuses the heck outta me!
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: I don't think there is one here.
06. The character I would shag any time: male!Sheik, without a doubt. XD
07. The character I'd want to be like: Impa, probably. She's the guardian of the princess, she trained Zelda/Sheik, and she pretty much just rocks.
08. The character I'd slap: Navi, though that's more of when I'm playing the game than when I'm thinking in terms of fandom. xD
09. A pairing that I love: Sheik/Link
10. A pairing that I hate: Link/Zelda, but not because of my dislike for the character. They don't have too much interaction in the game, not including her time as Sheik, and they didn't really seem to have that much chemistry.
11. My five favorite characters: Sheik, Link, Impa, Ruto, Malon
12. My five least favorite characters: Navi, Saria, Ganondorf, Zelda, Darunia (let me just say that I don't really 'hate' any of these characters; I'm just mostly indifferent toward them, though they get on my nerves sometimes)
13. Which character I am most like: I don't even know. Impa, maybe? With a hint of Malon. xD
14. My deep, dark fandom secret: Okay, yeah, this is kinda nerdy, even for me. With all the time I've spent in and out of this fandom, I've managed to completely (in my head, and in MS Word) rewrite the second part of the storyline so that male!Sheik does actually exist separately from Zelda, and it makes sense and still follows canon (up til the point where Zelda says she was Sheik the entire time, but I'm disregarding that). Of course, since I 'figured' all this out, I've noticed that other people seem to have done the same thing, so it doesn't seem like it's anything new or different, but yeah.

Kingdom Hearts

01. The first character I fell in love with: Roxas.
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Xigbar. The first time I played through 2, I didn't really care about him, he was just another boss-fight, but when I actually paid a lot of attention to the characters, I realized just how awesome he is.
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Zexion. Can't stand him, he drives me nuts. Or Namine for that matter.
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Marluxia, maybe, though I don't think everyone else 'hates' him. He just doesn't seem to get a lot of love.
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Namine. I liked her at first, but the more I see of her, the more she gets on my nerves.
06. The character I would shag any time: Leon!
07. The character I'd want to be like: Demyx or Sora. They're both carefree and loveable.
08. The character I'd slap: DiZ
09. A pairing that I love: Axel/Roxas
10. A pairing that I hate: Roxas/Namine
11. My five favorite characters: Axel, Roxas, Riku, Sora, Demyx
12. My five least favorite characters: Zexion, Namine, Xemnas, DiZ, Vexen
13. Which character I am most like: Riku, probably. His fight over his darkside kind of feels like stuff I've gone through, though not literally.
14. My deep, dark fandom secret: I haven't actually played the first game or Chain of Memories. I've seen bits and pieces of them, and watched all the videos for both, but I've never sat down and played them.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn

01. The first character I fell in love with: Ranulf ♥ ♥ ♥
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Boyd. He kind of annoyed me at first, but I really do love him.
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Soren. He just really annoys me.
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: I honestly have no idea. Who does everyone hate in PoR/RD? xD
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Naesala. I really liked him in PoR, but not so much in RD.
06. The character I would shag any time: Geoffrey! Or possibly PoR!Ike, he's just too muscly for me in RD.
07. The character I'd want to be like: Tormod, all bubbly and energetic and free-spirited. He's fun loving and ambitious and just all around great.
08. The character I'd slap: Izuka. I think this is pretty self-explanatory.
09. A pairing that I love: Ike/Ranulf! ♥ also, Sothe/Tormod
10. A pairing that I hate: Sothe/Micaiah, they just seem too much like brother/sister to me.
11. My five favorite characters: Ike, Ranulf, Sothe, Tormod, Zelgius
12. My five least favorite characters: Izuka, Lekain, Valtome, Tanas, Nolan (he just bores me)
13. Which character I am most like: Sothe, apparently. I don't disagree with this. xD
14. My deep, dark fandom secret: I don't think I really have one? Well, other than the fact that I absolutely refuse to get Ike & Soren's A-support up. And that I tried really, really hard to get Ike to A support with Sothe the last time I played RD.

I haven't giggled like this in a long time.

2010-03-09T05:08:05Z

So, I know you guys aren't really interested in Smallville, but just in case, thought I'd post this. It made me giggle uncontrollably for a minute. xD It's spoilerish for the rest of Season 9, so yeah, warning you now.

Small Talk

a couple of little things...

2010-03-08T04:07:45Z

Firstly, if anyone is interested, I wrote some Smallville drabbles. They're posted here.

Secondly, and most importantly: I'm changing my username. So, instead of "nobodys_heart" I'll be under "phoenixcries". Just so ya know.

Oh, and thirdly: I stole this from gin_gen.

Comment with a pairing and I'll tell you:

1. When I started shipping them
2. What I think their challenge is
3. What makes me happy about them
4. What makes me sad about them
5. What moment I wish had never happened
6. Who I'd be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other
7. My happily ever after for them.

My pairings list is here.

May I offer you a fic-meme as a peace offering for being gone so long?

2009-10-21T01:47:56Z

It's been forever since I've been around. I know that. Sorry!

First things first: Happy Birthday gin_gen! I know I'm like four days late - sorry I missed it!

Secondly: I'm trying to make more time for LJ... but RL is getting in the way. I've been working way too much here lately - though it's not really anyone's fault because a lady that works at our Customer Service counter has been out for about a month now since her husband passed away, so they've been a little short-handed and needed me up there (good thing me and another guy are training for it!) But yesterday I actually took the computer part of the training, which is the offical part, meaning I can now work the cs desk without someone constantly logging me in on their number. So yeah, makes things so much simpler. But I'm getting like 37 hours this week (and max is 40, and I only get one day off - today), which is lower than I was expecting since I ended up leaving work early yesterday after training finished. It's been fun though - if not exhausting. ♥

Thirdly: A meme.

Post a little weensy excerpt from as many random works-in-progress as you can find lying around. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.

Apologies, though, in advance. Some of them are not so weensy. And the first set is Kingdom Hearts, which I've found I have a TON of WIPs for. =.=; And there's only a few Fire Emblem ones. Maybe it's because I'm more comfortable writing KH characters?

Anyway, on with the fics!

#1 – My Epic!Fic [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas; Genre: Romance/Humor/Angst/AU - yes all of those, but not angst in this snippet]

If ever someone asks about how two so incredibly different people such as Roxas and Axel could make such a wonderful couple, Demyx tends to jump into a long story of how it’s really all thanks to him that they’re together in the first place. If it hadn’t been for him, he says, they never would’ve met. (At this point, Roxas usually cuts in and reminds him that, yes, they would have, because they worked together, remember? And besides, Axel is Naminé’s brother; they had, in fact, met quite a few times. He shuts up when Demyx changes his wording and says they never would’ve become friends were it not for him. There is probably some truth to that statement; he and Axel had nothing in common at the time, or so they thought, other than having Demyx as one of their best friends and being pretty close to Naminé.)

Axel, on the other hand, likes to regale everyone with a tale of destiny and love at first sight. He tells the story as if it’s some cliché, medieval romance novel – princess is trapped by evil villain, prince saves princess, and they live happily ever after. He makes it sound like some big adventure that they had to survive in order to be together, when, really, it wasn’t more than any other person could handle.

Roxas – who is none too happy to be compared to a weakling princess – just rolls his eyes and reluctantly admits that it was a mixture of both that brought him and Axel together. He acknowledges, dryly (though both Axel and Demyx know he’s ‘just teasing, honest’), that a series of weird coincidences led to their meeting, the first of which either being that they were both pretty much Naminé’s brothers, both were friends with the oddball named Demyx or that they both happened to have a job at McDuck’s Ice Cream Parlor.

Really, it all started with a birthday party, Naminé’s, for which they both happened to be present.

---(#)---

#2 – Seven Deadly Sins: Gluttony [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas; Genre: Friendship with a hint of Romance]
((I feel like I should point out that I wrote this in like 2007 - back before I even knew 358/2 Days was going to exist. The new game had no bearing on this fic whatsoever.))

They had a routine, a tradition of sorts. After each other their not-so-few and far between missions (as long as they were both there) they would portal to Twilight Town and pick up some ice cream on their way to the clock tower, where they would sit for awhile – sometimes in silence, sometimes they would fill the silence with small talk – and wind down before heading back to headquarters.

It was during one of those “outings” that Axel decided he would get the answer out of Roxas, no matter what it took. He knew he would annoy his friend in the process, but he refused to let that stop him. After all, he had a peace offering (and it wasn’t like he was going to eat it).

---(#)---

#3 – Axel/Sora [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Sora, one-sided Axel/Roxas and Riku/Sora; Genre: Angst/AUish]

Fate, I’ve decided, is an insufferable bitch. I searched my entire life for just one thing, and when I finally found it, it was so far out of my reach that I couldn’t have it even if I got on my knees and begged for the rest of my miserable existence.

Not that I’m willing to beg anybody for anything in the first place, but that’s beside the point entirely.

The point is, I’ve wasted my life. Or, at least, it feels that way to me. Naminé tells me I’m just being a drama queen, as usual.

Not that completely understands what I’m going through – nobody really could, or so I thought until I met him – but she’s pretty good at putting herself in other peoples’ shoes, so I guess I should take her word for it. And anyway, I’ve talked to her about it enough that she could probably recite it back to me.

---(#)---

#4 – Axel’s “Little Brother” [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas; Genre: Friendship/Romance/Humor/Angst/AU]

Axel was pretty much a constant figure around our house from the time he and his mother moved in next door (he and Demyx were both ten; I was eight). He and my brother became best friends in less than the hour it took to finish the welcome-to-the-neighborhood dinner my mom fixed for them, and, as much as it probably killed Demyx to be seen with his ‘uncool baby brother’, Axel often included me in their games. Every time I ask him why, he just says he thought I was cute and he didn’t have a little brother of his own.

So, for the next eight years or so, I was unofficially his little brother (also something that annoyed Demyx at first; he stopped caring about that after awhile). I acted the part, too.

The first time I failed a test, I went crying to Axel. He reassured me that just because I’d failed that, that my parents wouldn’t kill me, and I wouldn’t continue to fail every other test afterward. He even helped me study just to make sure.

Every time my friend Hayner and I fought in middle school (whether it was just a verbal fight or an all-out fist fight), I vented to Axel, while he sat there and promised that our friendship could survive yet another blowout.

When I was too scared to tell my parents I’m gay, I came out to Axel first. He assured me that I’m not a freak, my parents wouldn’t hate me for it, Demyx wouldn’t hate me for it, and he definitely didn’t hate me for it, and he wasn’t all that surprised anyway – I was a bit too much of a drama queen to be completely straight. He gave me the courage to tell my family, and wisely advised me not to tell Hayner just yet. He wanted to be there as my backup in case Hayner’s narrow mind and temper got the better of him (it did, by the way, but we’ve got it worked now, since I promised him it isn’t contagious).

Then, a few days after my sixteenth birthday, things changed in a big way.

---(#)---

#5 – Vamp!Fic [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Zexion/Demyx; Genre: Dark/Supernatural/AU]

He was a creature of the night – or, as some would say, a creature of nightmares – though there was nobody currently living who could attest to exactly what kind of creature. His thrill was in the hunt, his lust, the kill. His bloodlust was not something that would ever be completely sated; it was as much a part of him as his keen eyesight.

Their kind – the humans – was something that both fascinated and sickened him, a mix of curiosity at how they responded to the world around them and disgust that they considered themselves so superior to every other creature that they had stopped believing in their existence even. Werewolves, dragons, vampires; those were all creatures of legend, of myth, to them. Little did those ignorant humans know, those creatures were working to eradicate them, to erase them completely from the world in revenge for erasing them from their memories.

But that wasn’t why Zexion did what he did. He found joy, a sick pleasure, from messing with them, earning their trust and stabbing in the back, taking their very life from them. That was his game, and nothing any of those pathetic humans did or said or thought would change that, not even those like him.

It was easy enough to gain his trust; Zexion only had to disguise himself as somebody his age that was interested in having a friend. The whole situation just proved that old saying that you catch more flies with honey. Demyx, the fly in this case, had taken pity on poor, friendless Zexion, and invited him to ‘hang out or get coffee or something’. Zexion, considering his plan an immediate success, had agreed, despite his reluctance to socialize.

As annoying as Demyx had turned out to be, Zexion had considered making his death swift and painless right there in the coffee shop, if only to save himself the headache of listening to his endless chatter for another moment. He had restrained himself, though, had reminded himself just how much fun it would be to show this one just how “grateful” he was for the friendship.

---(#)---

#6 – Truth or Dare [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Riku; Genre: Humor/AU]

Really, it was just a game. It was never supposed to go this far. This should never have happened to begin with. Roxas was quite the manipulative little bastard when he wanted to be.

It started with a game, like I said. The manipulative little bastard and I were hanging out with Riku and Sora in his dorm after class one day when Sora oh-so-innocently suggested that we play a game - and not just any game. No, he wanted to play Truth or Dare of all things. Why he wanted to play that high-school-girl slumber-party game, I wasn't sure (yes, wasn't, because now I have a feeling he planned this all along - maybe Roxas isn't the only manipulative little bastard; maybe they were in on it together). I chalked it up to him being Sora and grudgingly agreed to go along with it when Riku and Roxas got in on it too.

At first, it was the typical ‘do embarrassing shit to prove you have balls’ dares and ‘ask stupid questions you already know the answer to truths. It wasn't until Roxas complained that he was getting bored that things started getting… personal. First, Sora had to give Roxas a hickey (courtesy of Riku, and boy was Sora's face red after that - poor little straight boy), then Riku revealed that he hadn't been laid in over three months (which has to have been a record for him) because he was too chicken shit to take a dare from Roxas after that. And then I got involved. When it got back around to Sora, he used that information against his supposed best friend and dared Riku to give me a blowjob. Right there in the middle of the room, in front of both him and Roxas. Never knew the poor little straight boy had a voyeurism kink.

---(#)---

#9 – Memory Lane [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas; Genre: Romance/Angst/AU]

Remember the day we first met right here under this tree? You were sitting here looking at the sky; I was too busy talking to Dem to notice your bag and tripped over it. I called you an idiot for leaving your bag sitting where people could trip over it, you called me a clumsy jackass. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but for me, it was love at first sight. I remember looking right into your eyes and losing my breath. You called me a freak for staring at you, but you’ve never really looked into your own eyes, have you? They’re one of your most beautiful features.
Not that I don’t think all of you is absolutely gorgeous, of course. You still take my breath away every time I see you. I fall in love with you all over again every morning when I wake up beside you.

So, thank you for leaving your bag there for me to trip over. Turned out to be one of the few times my clumsiness has paid off.

By now you’re probably wondering where I am; don’t worry, you’ll find me. I want to take you on a trip down memory lane with me first. I know we both need this.

---(#)---

#10 – Big Brother’s Boyfriend [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Demyx, Axel/Roxas; Genre: Romance/Angst/AU]

If it weren’t for the loud thud of his messenger bag falling to the floor, nobody would’ve heard Roxas when he came in from class. There were no tell-tale signs of a moody young man coming home from a long day of lectures: no slamming door, no dramatic sighs, no cursing certain professors’ existences; just that one sound that could possibly have been a million other things.

But no, Demyx knew that specific sound, that particular bag hitting that particular spot on the living room floor, with that particular weight behind it. After all, he’d heard it four days a week for the last two years. So, of course, Demyx knew his little brother was home. Whether or not that was a good thing had yet to be discovered, because Demyx had news.

“Roxy!” he greeted in his overly-cheerful, bubbly way that only Roxas’ best friend, Sora, could possibly compete with. Making his way out of the small kitchen, he all but ran to meet the young man. “Welcome home!”

Roxas blinked, almost stunned at the way Demyx embraced him in an awkward manner that completely gave away there was something he was hiding. “What’s going on?”

---(#)---

#11 – Roxy’s Mystery Guy [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Demyx, Axel/Roxas, Sora/Riku; Genre: Romance/Angst/AU]

“You have to meet him, Roxas! he’s absolutely perfect!” Demyx gushed for the umpteenth time that week. He had been pushing and pushing for me to meet his boyfriend while I was in town, and so far, I’d denied him every single time. I wanted to spend time with my friends, not their significant others – friends who were significant others excluded, of course, like with Sora and Riku.

“Perfect, huh?” I echoed sardonically. “What exactly is so perfect about him?”

I really should’ve known better than to ask that particular question; it opened a floodgate. “Before you really get to know him, he’s kind of an ass, and he comes off as the cockiest person in the world. Once you get past all his defenses, though, he’s sweet and romantic and just perfect. And he’s sarcastic, but not overly sarcastic like you. He’s got the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen, and a great body, though he is a little on the thin side.” He paused for a breath, and smiled a smile that told me he was, in fact, truly happy with this guy. “I think I might love him.”

I gave him a sincere smile in return. “Good for you, Demyx. I’m really happy for you.” Then I added, in a teasing tone, “’Kind of an ass’ and ‘sarcastic’ – are you sure I haven’t converted you to my type?”

Demyx laughed. “Well, I wondered about that too at first. I swear, when I first met him I had no intention of being anything more than friends, and I kept thinking ‘hey, I need to set this guy up with Roxas’… but, as you can see, that didn’t happen.”

“Obviously. Hey, next time you find someone you want to set me up with, do it! Seriously, there aren’t that many interesting guys on the island.”

“They’re only uninteresting because you’re still stuck on that mystery guy.” I sighed; he always seemed to find a way to bring that up. “Any luck with that?”

“I haven’t found him yet, Dem. But I’m going to.”

“Yeah, you always say that. What happens when, after all these years, you do find him? What if he isn’t still in love with you? What if he’s with somebody else? What if he does still love you, and you realize that you don’t love him anymore?”

I let out another deep sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I know those are possibilities, Demyx. I do. But I have to know – I need closure. I can’t move on completely until I know that’s behind me. I don’t even remember his name, Demyx. I hear his voice in my dreams every night, I see his face every time I close my eyes, but I can’t even remember his goddamn name!”

---(#)---

#12 – First Love [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Leon/Roxas, Axel/Roxas; Genre: Romance/Angst/AU]

“You still love him,” was the first thing Leon said; it definitely wasn’t a question. The finality in Leon’s voice meant he’d didn’t need answers.

Roxas sighed, tried to come up with something to say, failed, and left it at, “Yeah. But I love you, too.”

Leon smiled a little at Roxas’s attempt to make things right. “It isn’t the same, and you know it. He was your first love, Rox. Hell, he was even your first kiss. I can’t compete with that.”

“It isn’t a competition, Leon,” Roxas argued. “Axel and I are in the past. Yeah, I still care about him, a part of me always will, but I’m with you now.”

“Is it really in the past?” He put his hands on Roxas’s shoulders. “The way you smile when he makes you laugh, the light in your eyes when he looks at you… Roxas, that’s what is happening between you two right now. Ever since he walked back into your life, all of us have seen the way the two of you click. It’s like it hasn’t been six years since you last saw him, since you guys broke up.”

---(#)---

#13 – Rox and Ven go to College [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): None, at least in what I've written, don't remember what the pairings were going to be, but I can almost guarantee Axel/Roxas; Genre: Humor]

“Ugh! Could you move any slower, Rox? We might not get to our dorm by Christmas at this rate!”

Roxas sighed, used to getting this kind of abuse from Ven. After all, he’d had eighteen years to perfect the art of making everything Roxas’s fault. “Well, I’d be moving faster that a snail’s pace if someone hadn’t forced me to carry all the heavy stuff. Mom and Dad aren’t around, Ven. You’re gonna have to start taking care of your own crap.”

Ven just rolled his eyes, taking another bag out of the trunk of their shared car. “That’s all your crap, bro. My bags aren’t full of junk I’ll never use.”

“Like what? A toothbrush? Deodorant?”

“Haha, very funny. Why aren’t you majoring in comedy again? Oh right; because your jokes suck.”

Roxas grinned and flipped him off. “They may suck but at least nobody actually gets hurt from them. Your idea of a good laugh is throwing someone out of a tree.”

“It was one time! And Hayner was perfectly fine! He didn’t even have to go to the hospital!”

“Well, then obviously you didn’t do a very good job.”

---(#)---

#14 – All Sora’s Fault [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Riku/Sora, Demyx/Naminé, Axel/Demyx, Axel/Roxas; Genre: Romance/Humor/AU]

Sora Abney – my best friend (since the third grade) and blood brother (in the sense that when we were stupid little kids, we both pricked our fingers until they bled and then shook hands) – is, without doubt, and evil, evil demon sent to me by whatever deity I managed to piss off in a past life with the single goal of making sure I’m miserable. If I didn’t know this for a fact by the time we graduated high school (after two car accidents, more embarrassing moments than I can count on both hands and feet, and one absolutely dreadful Halloween party that will never be brought up again), I had solid proof that summer in between our Freshman and Sophomore years of college.

You see, he and his darling boyfriend, Riku, went back to the islands (Destiny Islands, to be precise; the islands we grew up on) for the summer, had the time of their lives, and brought part of the islands back to Twilight Town with them: my sister (who was finishing her last two years of college at UTT), her boyfriend (who was moving into an apartment with her), and his ex-boyfriend (who was looking for a new job, and moving into an apartment down the street from the one I shared with Sora).

And that’s who this whole fiasco centers on: my sister’s boyfriend’s ex. Well, okay, and myself. And Sora, really, because without him, we would never have known each other even existed.

(That may be a lie, actually; there are enough people connecting us that we might’ve met eventually, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as… interesting as when we did meet).

---

“You should’ve come with us, Rox! The beach is so nice – much nicer than Twilight Beach. The sun is brighter, the water is wetter-“

Roxas grimaced . “Wetter? That’s the best you could come up with, Sora? And I told you, if I want to go to the beach, I have absolutely no complaints with the one five minutes away.”

“Well, don’t you even want to spend time with your family?”

“And what? Get a lecture on how I should’ve found someone and settled down by now ‘cause I’m not getting any younger? No thanks, think I’ll pass.” He turned on the kitchen faucet and piled the small stack of dirty dishes into the sink, intent on getting the mess out of the way before it got too be too large.

“How do you know they would’ve said that? Just because they have every other time you’ve come home… Okay, I see your point. Are you – washing dishes? Rox, what have I told you about working during the summer?”

Roxas rolled his eyes, having heard that one before. “I still haven’t managed to figure out how to make the dishes wash themselves yet, Sora, so yes, I am washing them. If you’ve got a better solution that doesn’t involve letting them sit for weeks, I’d be glad to hear it.”

“We could hire a maid.”

“And where would we get the money for that?” He resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at the phone receiver, because, after all, Sora couldn’t see him.

“Well, one of us could start dealing drugs on the street, and the other could become a prostitute. I’ve voting you go for prostitution ‘cause you’re prettier, and Riku wouldn’t like it if I did.”

That time, Roxas did roll his eyes. “Why didn’t I think of that? There’s the solution to all my money problems – prostitution! Never mind all the problems that come with it. And you – yeah, you’d make a great dealer. All cute and innocent, nobody would suspect you!”

“It was a joke Roxas, you don’t have to go all sarcastic on me.”

---(#)---

#15 – Hate!sex [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas; Genre: Humor/Romance/AU]

“So I heard you hate a date last night,” was Demyx’s greeting as soon as Axel came in from work.

Axel gave him a ‘what are you talking about?’ look and replied with, “No, I was with Roxas. I told you I would be.”

Demyx grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “I know. Your date.”

“What? No – we’re not – we’ve been through this – what? Roxas didn’t say something about us dating, did he? Because we aren’t; and I don’t want him to get the wrong impression. It’s just sex. We decided from the beginning that we were just gonna have casual sex.”

“Yeah, you know, it’s funny. You two hated each other before – and I dunno about you, but I don’t really just have ‘casual sex’ with someone I hate. Makes things a little weird.” He paused to let that sink in a bit, then continued. “No, Roxas didn’t say anything about you two dating. In fact, he denied it too. He, too, has subscribed to the ‘just sex’ theory. But tell me, Axel dear. What exactly did you do on the last date you had with – whoever it was you were dating last?”

---(#)---

#16 – another going off to college fic [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas; Genre: Angst/Romance/AU]

The shuffle of rubber sneaker soles against gravel was the only noise surrounding them aside from their own breathing before Roxas broke their silence with, “Axel, we look like idiots.” In a lower voice, and possibly to himself more than to his partner, he added, “I don’t know why I let you drag me out here.”

Axel snorted and rolled his eyes, though Roxas couldn’t see the latter reaction with only one dim street lamp and the full moon for light. “Why do you care? We’ve looked like idiots in front of each other thousands of times, and we’re alone here.”

“Somebody could see us, you know. We’re in a public place, anybody could walk by.”

“Roxas, it’s two o’clock in the morning. Nobody is going to walk by, and even if someone did, they would care that a couple of over-grown kids are playing in the park. Come on, live a little. It won’t hurt you.”

With you, that’s always a possibility though, Roxas didn’t say. He knew better than to argue with Axel over this. The fact of the matter was, despite all of his protests, Roxas had let Axel drag him along. There was something about the look in Axel’s eyes when he’d shown up at Roxas’s window at one-thirty in the morning and asked him to hang out that made it impossible for Roxas to say no. Sure, he had used every argument against it that he could think of (“What if my parents get up and notice I’m gone?” “We could get in serious trouble for being out this late! Isn’t there a legal curfew or something?” “Can’t this wait until morning?”), but Axel had an answer for each of them (“Rox, it’s past one a.m., why would your parents wake up now?” “The legal curfew is for people under the age of sixteen. You’re eighteen.” “It is morning.”) and they both knew Roxas would end up agreeing anyway.

So, instead of being asleep like the nice, agreeable, rule-abiding young adults they weren’t, they soon found themselves on the playground of a park not so far away from Roxas’s house. Axel had automatically gravitated toward the swings while Roxas perched himself on top of the monkey bars, watching his friend with an expression of mixed amusement and disbelief; there were times when Roxas wondered if Axel’s inner child wasn’t over the age of six.

“You know, you’re pretty boring just sitting up there staring at me,” Axel teased suddenly, breaking through Roxas’s thoughts.

Roxas grinned in return, not rising to the bait. He was more or less used to Axel’s jabs. “You’ve known me for, what, six years? You should know by now that I’m a boring person by nature.”

With a low hum of agreement, Axel said, “I do know that. I also know that you can be a lot of fun when you want to.”

“Exactly. When I want to. And I don’t want to now. I’d rather sit here and be boring, if you don’t mind.”

Axel sighed a little too deeply for Roxas’s comfort. “You’re going off to college soon. Are you going to be boring there? Are you going to stay in your dorm and study all the time, make perfect grades but have no friends? Is that what you want, Roxas?”

And suddenly it hit Roxas just what this middle-of-the-night trip to the park was all about: Axel was worried about what would happen when Roxas went off to college in Hollow Bastion. They hadn’t talked about it since before Roxas graduated – the importance had paled in comparison to them just spending their last couple of months together enjoying each other’s presence.

With a small, sad smile, Roxas hopped down from his perch, walking over to sit in the swing next to Axel. “Well, that was kind of the plan, yeah,” he answered, not completely joking. “I mean, I’ve got plenty of friends here, why would I want to replace them?”

Stopping his swing, Axel gave him a frown. “I don’t know about your other friends, but I want you to have fun. Making new friends doesn’t mean you’re replacing your other ones.”

“Well, grades come first, then you guys here in Twilight Town. If I have time for anything after that, then I’ll think about making friends, okay?”

---(#)---

#17 – Roxas’s Redhead Fixation [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Roxas/Kairi, Axel/Roxas; Genre: Humor/Romance/AU]

Roxas had a thing for redheads. Everybody has a type – Riku tended to go for big eyes and pretty smiles, Sora preferred ‘charmingly sexy’ over ‘adorably cute’, Kairi liked lean bodies with a little muscle, especially when there’s a tan to them, and Naminé went for the quirky ones – there’s nothing wrong with that. But if Roxas had the choice of a whole roomful of people, he’d go for a redhead.

(And most times, Roxas did pretty much have the choice. He could go from kid-brother or childhood-friend cute to new-guy-in-town mysterious to wow-how-did-I-not-notice-him-before sexy at the drop of a hat, it seemed. Even Sora himself had grown a little bit of a crush on Roxas back in the day. The point is, Roxas could turn heads.)

Sora had known about his fixation on redheads for awhile – ever since he had a crush on that girl (Ariel, if Sora remembered correctly) back in middle school and all he could talk about was her very pretty, long, red hair. And Sora had a pretty good idea that it’s that same fixation that first made Roxas notice his current girlfriend (and Sora’s long-time friend), Kairi.

How those two had managed to stay together for over two years, Sora hadn’t quite figured out, though. They were both stubborn, headstrong individuals, who seemed like they would clash more often than not. What they both needed was someone who wouldn’t mind giving in every now and then; Sora would have thought neither one of them would be willing to do that for the other.

But last, they had – from the beginning of the summer between sophomore and junior year right up until the beginning of their first year of college. And, Sora reflected, it might have been more of a curse than a blessing (at least for him, who would have to deal with any problems later) that they ended up in the same college.

Destiny Island University: the university of choice for over ten thousand students, and the place of mental (and possibly physical) torture for one Sora McKensie for the next four years. (At least, he hoped it was only four years. He might’ve even hoped for less than that, but over the course of time, he’d become slightly more of a realist than an optimist. Four years was the lucky end of the bargain.)

Having spent the last two months of summer in Radiant Garden with Riku and Naminé (who would be starting at RGU and Hollow Bastian School of Fine Arts respectively), Sora had hoped that by the time he met up with Roxas and Kairi, they would have realized they were very wrong for each other. They hadn’t.

On his way up the the residence halls to find his dorm, he saw them sitting under a tree together, Kairi smiling at Roxas as he cracked a joke, his arm around her, their sides and thighs nearly touching. To the untrained eye, they looked like a cozy, happy couple. Sora, though, knew that those two inches of space between them might well have been two miles and Kairi’s smile could’ve frozen lava without even trying. Try as he might, he couldn’t decide whether their impending break-up would be a good thing for all three of the involved parties (Sora included himself in this because he was usually mediator-of-choice for the pair) or a disastrous event incomparable to any other break-up in the history of Destiny Islands University.

---(#)---

#18 – "Stigma" [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas, Cloud/Leon, Sora/Riku if I remember correctly; Genre: Romance/Angst/AU]

The drive home seemed longer than it ever had before and yet went by incredibly fast at the same time. Roxas didn’t know if he wanted to get home and talk to Leon more if he wanted more time to process what had just happened.

The only time stigmata reacted was when touched by another of their kind. But Axel wasn’t… was he? No, he couldn’t be. If his intense hatred for their kind was anything to go by- there was no possible way he was one of them.

It would only make sense if he didn’t know he was one. But… how could you not know? Surely, you would see the mark at some point… or somebody else would and point it out to you.

At any rate, by the time Sora pulled into the driveway, Roxas had even more questions than he had begun with. Unfortunately, most of those questions could only be answered by Axel himself. He wasn’t looking forward to the conversation he knew had to happen there.

---(#)---

#19 – Oops. [Fandom: Kingdom Hearts; Pairing(s): Axel/Roxas, Sora/Riku; Genre: Humor/Romance/AU]

It had all started as a joke – an ill-conceived plot to get his parents off his back about finding a wife and settling down; he hadn’t meant for it to get so far out of hand that his parents were now setting him up with every eligible bachelor they could find that might possibly swing his way.

Okay, so he had known from the beginning that lying about his sexuality wasn’t really the smartest idea he’d ever had, but he was desperate. He had tried the whole ‘I’m not ready to settle down’ route, but that lead to the inevitable ‘you’re not getting any younger’ discussion – he was twenty-one years old, for crying out loud! It wasn’t like he was going on eighty – and the ‘I haven’t found the right girl yet’ attempt was combated with ‘are you even trying?’

As far as he could see, it had been his only option at the time. He had been hoping, vaguely, that it would freak his parents out enough that they would want to keep their distance for a little while.

Then again, what with his older brother being gay and all, he now realizes he should’ve expected this from the beginning.

It had been pretty easy, at first, to reject the men his parents picked out. The first guy had been one of his father’s acquaintances, Leon, a man Roxas had known since he was born – so he was immediately out of the question. (Quite honestly, Roxas realizes he should’ve been a little less shocked to find out Leon was gay. The guy wore leather every freaking day. And, really? No, Roxas hadn’t missed the occasional glace Leon gave his father’s ass, in fact.)

The next few had been quite a bit less shocking (though a bit more earth-shatteringly weird) than the first – a creepy, blonde man whose appearance practically screamed child molester, a tall man with long, silver hair whom Roxas figured would probably make the perfect vampire, were they real, and his high-school gym teacher, Cid Highwind. Roxas had promptly turned all of them down at first glance.

Number five was Riku. Riku Jasper. As in, Sora’s not-boyfriend, Riku.

…Actually, straight-as-a-ruler factor aside, if it weren’t for the whole ‘Sora’ piece of the equation, he might’ve given Riku a chance, but as it were, no. Just, no.

And then there had been Seifer Almasy. Even if Seifer wasn’t a total asshole (in Roxas’s honest opinion), he was pretty sure there was something going on between him and Olette. Or Hayner. Possibly both.

#20 – Siesta [Fandom: Fire Emblem 9/10; Pairing(s): Sothe/Tormod; Genre: Friendship/Romance/AU]

Sothe’s room had been too quiet for too long, Micaiah decided. Sothe and Tormod in the same room for longer than a few minutes always meant there was some noise, though usually it was arguing. While she knew they’d never actually kill each other, there was that tiny fear in the back of her mind that something had gone terribly wrong. All kinds of horrifying scenarios raced through her mind as she made her way to Sothe’s door.

When she finally pushed it open, she was almost more surprised at the scene before her: there on the bed, they were laying curled up together, Tormod using Sothe’s chest as a pillow, his arm wrapped quite possessively around her brother’s waist, the book they were supposed to be reading laying open, forgotten on the floor. She grinned and left the room, resolving to tease them about it when they woke up.

---(#)---

#21 – Interrupted! [Fandom: Fire Emblem 9/10; Pairing(s): Sothe/Tormod, Micaiah/Pelleas; Genre: Friendship/Romance/AU]

Their lips connected almost as immediately as they were in a more private room. Sothe bent slightly over as Tormod raised himself so they could meet each other halfway, easing the strain of the height difference. Neither kept track of how long the kiss lasted but both were breathless when they pulled away.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a week now,” Sothe said matter-of-factly.

Tormod laughed quietly. “I can tell. You’ve been staring at me all afternoon.”

“Next time you go camping, I’m going.”

“I asked you this time,” the red-head replied with a confused frown. “You didn’t want to go.”

“It’s not that I want to go camping,” was the pointed answer; it took Tormod less than five seconds to catch the implication.

“You’re addicted to kissing me.”

“I’m addicted to you.” And then they were kissing again, lips moving against lips, hands grabbing onto shoulders and backs to keep themselves upright. It was a very short time later when they were interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

Pulling away hurriedly, both boys flushed under the scrutiny of four pairs of eyes. Muarim appeared to be the most shocked of the four, his eyebrows attempting to disappear into his hairline. Vika smirked a little, but didn’t seem otherwise phased; Micaiah, on the other hand, looked absolutely smug. Pelleas was looking at the ceiling, trying to erase the image of his girlfriend’s brother with his tongue down another guy’s throat from his mind.

“Oh, hey guys.” Tormod greeted, hiding his embarrassment well behind a mask of nonchalance.

---(#)---

#22 – Mommy Issues [Fandom: Fire Emblem 9/10; Pairing(s): Sothe/Tormod; Genre: Friendship/Romance/AU]

The soft sigh that escaped Tormod’s lips was the first sound he had made in nearly two hours, Sothe noted glumly. Between the storm raging outside, keeping him indoors for three days straight, and the problems with his mother, Tormod hadn’t been himself lately; it was starting to depress Sothe. Crossing the room, he sat on the couch and pulled Tormod fully against himself. “I love you. No matter what you decide, Muarim, Vika and I will support you one-hundred percent.”

Tormod’s lips twitched into the first smile Sothe had seen out of him in days. “I love you, too.”

((For anyone who happens to be wondering - the three FE pieces are set in the same alternate universe, and are connected, but they're pieces of a whole. Three separate one-shots, that, had I motivation to work on them, were actually going to be much more than three one-shots.))

So there ya go! Anyone who actually read through any of that, I'd like any input or thoughts you guys have on them. It's interesting to see what people think of what's been going on in my head fanfic-wise these past couple years. =D

let's talk about pairings...

2009-07-24T04:56:43Z

...because, let's face it, without them, fandom wouldn't get very far, would it?

My Top 5 6 Fandoms as of Right Now
Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken [Blazing Sword]
Fire Emblem: Seima no Kouseki [Sacred Stones]
Fire Emblem: Souen no Kiseki [Path of Radiance] / Akatsuki no Megami [Radiant Dawn]
Kingdom Hearts
Harry Potter
Smallville

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Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken [Blazing Sword]

Favorites:

• Hector/Eliwood. Best friends, or something more? From the moment we first met Hector in Eliwood's story, I fell in love with his character. He's funny and brash and implusive, and seems to enjoy a good argument with anyone who'll humor him. Eliwood is calm and quieter, but still enjoys arguing with Hector. They've apparently known each other for about ten years, according to their support conversations, and it shows in the way they talk to each other. They known each other like the backs of their own hands and know just how much the other can handle both in and out of battle. I like that they seem to understand each other better than anybody else in the game.

• Matthew/Guy This relationship is a little bit more difficult to pin down quite why I like it. They're not really friends by any stretch of the imagination, at least not at first. Guy can't even barely stand Matthew, and they're not a pair I could see hanging out much if it weren't for the fact that Matthew saved Guy's life and now insists that Guy owes him for it. But, alas, they Guy isn't so lucky; he's stuck with Matthew until the favors are over and done with. I think by the time they get to their A support, Guy has a little bit of respect for Matthew - not for his cowardice, of course, but for the fact that Matthew has taught him a few things about life and not quitting no matter how hard it gets. Matthew, I think at first, sees Guy as kind of annoying and way too stubborn, but it the end he finds it endearing and maybe a little bit cute. Guy is like a breath of fresh air for him, and a distraction from the death of Leila.

• Rath/Wil I think this one is my favorite of all FE7 pairings, possibly just because I love Wil to death, most especially when he's talking to Rath. Rath is reserved and quiet and focused and Wil is exactly the opposite of that. Rath calms Wil down without trying to stifle his social nature, and Wil brings out a more peaceful/happy side of Rath. They're definitely the type I could see cuddling in front of a fire, no matter who happens to be standing around watching them, because Rath wouldn't care what they think and Wil wouldn't notice. Rath could probably scare someone who doesn't like them together off with just a look, and Wil would be the one to smooth things over later because he doesn't want anyone to be upset if he can help it. They work really well together.

Other Pairings I Like:

Eliwood/Fiora
Hector/Farina
Hector/Lyn
Kent/Fiora
Kent/Sain
Legault/Heath
Lowen/Rebecca
Lyn/Florina
Raven/Lucius
Raven/Wil

Dislikes:

• Eliwood/Ninian I'll be honest and say that my biggest reason for disliking this pairing is because I just don't like Ninian. She has that "Damsel in Distress" aura, and that kind of annoys me. I think if we're gonna pick out a wife for Eliwood, it should be Fiora (because, in the event that Hector and Eliwood are split up, Hector belongs with Lyn).

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Fire Emblem: Seima no Kouseki [Sacred Stones]

Favorites:

• Ephraim/Innes Friendly rivals -- sort of. Innes is always competing with Ephraim on something and I'm sure part of Ephraim is just humoring Innes by agree to the competitions, but another part of him enjoys it, because, after all, he's a teenage boy that likes a little friendly fight. Innes respects Ephraim in a way that he doesn't most people. They seem to have known each other for quite awhile and while I wouldn't call them friends, exactly, they don't necessarily dislike each other either.

• Seth/Eirika My reason for liking this one is mostly just because I like the whole "Princess and Her Loyal Knight" cliché, and the fact that they're really cute together. I like that Eirika willingly leans on him for support, but still manages to be strong in her own way. Plus, Seth loves Eirika and would do anything to protect her, even at the cost of his own life.

Other Pairings I Like:

Artur/Lute
Ephraim/Eirika
Ephraim/Kyle
Ephraim/L'Arachel
Ephraim/Lyon
Ephraim/Tana
Eirika/Tana
Eirika/Innes
Gerik/Marisa
Gerik/Saleh
Gilliam/Syrene
Kyle/Forde
Joshua/Natasha

Dislikes:

Currently None [that I can think of]

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Fire Emblem: Souen no Kiseki / Akatsuki no Megami [Path of Radiance / Radiant Dawn]

Favorites:

• Sothe/Tormod A loud-mouth sage and a quiet thief: proof that opposites attract. To be honest, I didn't pay these two much attention in PoR, because I couldn't keep them alive, so I left them with the rest of the useless people in the party, meaning no supports for them. But as soon as Tormod entered the arena in Radiant Dawn, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was my favorite character in the game. He's loud and stubborn and there's just something about him that endears me to him. As for Sothe, I love the way he just sort of rolls his eyes at Tormod's antics, tries maybe a little to understand him, then moves on like he's used to dealing with the idiocy. Sothe doesn't seem to trust many people, but Tormod is one of the few he does, and though Tormod probably won't admit it aloud, he looks up to Sothe ~~(literally)~~ and cares a great deal about his opinion. They have a good chemistry together that I don't really see with Sothe and Micaiah.

• Ike/Ranulf I think I've shipped these two since.... well, pretty much since their first conversation in PoR, and it only grew stronger after that little incident in the port town where the townspeople started attacking Ranulf when they found out he's laguz. ~~And am I the only one that read Ranulf as sounding a little bit jealous when he interrupted Ike and Elincia's "romantic" evening?~~ Ranulf's cheery attitude and teasing nature tend to lighten the mood and keep Ike from losing himself completely in the war, and Ike's stubborn will and moderate amount of patience keep him from wanting to throttle Ranulf on the spot. They make a good team on the battlefield and they're good friends outside of it.

Other Pairings I Like:

Boyd/Mia
Boyd/Mist
Boyd/Titania
Edward/Leonardo
Geoffrey/Elincia
Geoffrey/Kieran
Kieran/Oscar
Naesala/Leanne
Nailah/Rafiel
Rhys/Mia
Rolf/Mist
Shinon/Gatrie
Stefan/Soren
Tibarn/Reyson

Dislikes:

• Ike/Soren *killed by every FE fangirl out there* Seriously though, I can't stand Soren. He drives me completely insane. I think he's terrible for Ike. However, I can see the pairing. I'm not completely blind. Soren pretty much devotes himself to Ike, and Ike vows to protect him and takes him with him on their own journey after RD. Yeah, I can see where the pairing comes from. Doesn't mean I like it.

• Micaiah/Sothe Unlike Ike/Soren, I don't passionately hate this pairing, I just pretty much don't care about it. Sothe referred to Micaiah as his sister in PoR, and I can definitely see that side of their relationship. Ignoring the fact that they can get married at the end of RD (because, of the four times I've played through, I haven't got their support up; and never mind that this last time, I wanted to get Ike and Sothe up for the lulz), I see very little evidence of their relationship being anything other than sibling-like love. This pairing just doesn't do it for me.

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Kingdom Hearts

Favorites:

• Axel/Roxas Okay, before I get yelled at about them being heartless Nobodies, I know. Okay? Clear? I realize they don't have hearts. That doesn't keep them from being all friendly and so painfully obviously in love. Or at least obsession. At least on Axel's part. I mean, come on, Axel sacrificed himself to protect Sora because Sora is Roxas. And Roxas made him feel like he had a heart. And we know Roxas does actually have a heart because he's Sora's Nobody and all. Besides, with how apathetic Roxas comes off, he needs someone as passionate and (dare I say it? Yes, I do) fiery as Axel to keep him from losing any humanity he might've had. And Axel needs Roxas to keep him from doing something too impulsive and stupid.

Other Pairings I Like:

Axel/Demyx
Cloud/Leon
Cloud/Tifa
Demyx/Naminé
Demyx/Roxas
Marluxia/Larxene
Riku/Sora
Sora/Kairi
Xemnas/Saïx
Xigbar/Demyx

Dislikes:

• Roxas/Naminé As weird as it is that I like Sora/Kairi and not this one, it's true. Roxas is quiet and pensive, Naminé is quiet and pensive. To be honest, this pairing bores me. Or puts me to sleep. Or both.

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Harry Potter

Favorites:

• Sirius/Remus This is one of the first pairings I ever shipped, and my very first male/male pairing, so it holds a very special place in my heart. They've got that best friends vibe going for them. They work really well together; Remus is calm and thinks things through, but still manages to have fun, and Sirius is outgoing and impulsive and brings out the playful side of Remus.

• Albus Severus/Scorpius Yes, I realize not much is said about them in the epilogue, so we don't really get that good of a grip on their personalities, but something about these two just draws me to them. They're pretty much a blank slate to work with, but there are still a few rules in place with them so they aren't completely OCs in under-developed characters' bodies. The thing I don't like about this pairing is the tendency to pair their fathers together too. I've never jumped on the Harry/Draco bandwagon, and I don't intend to start now. There's something a little weird to me about dating your father's lover's son. I like the idea though that they can bring their families together in a completely non-sexual way. Maybe with their help, the Malfoys and Weasleys can attempt to get along.

• Draco/Ron Admittedly, this started out as a crack pairing for me. I wanted to read something with Draco in a slash pairing (that wasn't Harry/Draco, obviously), and for some odd reason, I thought of this, so I searched it out. And I wasn't disappointed. They became an instant favorite of mine, and I think under the right circumstances, they could work out. And even if they don't even like each other as friends, there's always the hate!sex potential.

Other Pairings I Like:

Dean/Seamus
James (II)/Teddy
Neville/Ginny
Neville/Luna
Ron/Hermione

Dislikes:

• Harry/Draco And once again, I have a disliked pairing that goes against mainstream fandom; surprise, surprise. I really don't like these two together at all (except for exactly one fic that I was talked into reading because I wanted my cousin to read a Ron/Draco fic). I don't particularly care for Harry, for one. He's whiny and annoying and very moody, and I don't like that. Plus, he just has this tendency to be right about everything, especially when he's blaming something on Draco (Heir of Slytherin obviously excluded), and it ticks me off like no other.

• Severus/Lily I didn't like the addition of this in Deathly Hallows. I thought it read like fanfiction, and there wasn't much of a point to it. Couldn't she have just left it at "Snape hates Harry because he also hated his father, cause his father was a jerk to him in school" instead of "Snape hates Harry because he reminds him of his father, who stole Lily away from him and was a jerk to him in school"?

• Remus/Tonks This pairing came out of nowhere it seemed like. I wasn't expecting Tonks to love Remus, I wasn't expecting them to get married and I definitely wasn't expecting them to have a kid together. I'm not complaining about the last bit out of the sheer fact that I think, given the chance, I'd really like Teddy cause I don't dislike either of his parents... I just don't like them together.

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Smallville

Favorites:

• Oliver/Clark Setting aside the obvious hotness angle, I absolutely adore these two, both separately and together. They push each other when they need to, and support each other in just the right ways. They have different views on how things should be accomplished, but they know that in the end they have to work together and respect each other. They fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but at the end of the day, they're still friends. They know each others' secrets and have covered for each other when that secret was in danger of being exposed. (Plus there have been multiple times when they've just sort of... stared at each other for several seconds too long.)

• Oliver/Lois The snark-fest of the century, right there! Between Oliver's zinging wit and Lois's stubbornness, they're the kind of couple that made you want to both laugh and cry at the same time. Even their more touching moments have an underlying comedic effect, and their funny scenes have that touch of romance. I was sold from their very first scene together, when Lois thinks he's a courier.

• Clark/Lois Aside from this being their destiny... SV Lois and Clark are absolutely perfect for each other. She's bossy and pushy but still very much cares about him, and gives him chance after chance after chance when he screws up. He tries so hard to make her happy and proud, and still protect her.

• Jimmy/Chloe Okay, so I know these two had their rough spots (*cough*Davis*cough*), but he still loved her despite everything. Maybe they rushed into the marriage; that's definitely a possibility. But you get to see this couple from the puppy love stage all the way through to the 'til death do us part' stage (yeah, you can stab me for that one). So she's kind of short-tempered with him, and he's very paranoid that Clark is gonna steal her away - they still managed to work around that. They're a very realistic couple, in my opinion. They're not perfect, they have their differences, their arguments, but it's what makes them special.

Other Pairings I Like:

AC/Lois
AC/Victor
Bart/Chloe
Chloe/Oliver
Lionel/Martha

Dislikes:

• Lex/Clark I just can't seem to get into it. Maybe it's because I hate Lex with a fiery passion? :p

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*This list is in no way complete. I'm sure I'll add more as I go along and continue with fandom. Plus, I know I'm forgetting some of them. XD;