A Wolf Dreams of the Sea

Third Annual Summer Rumble at calendarsquares

2015-08-13T02:24:22Z

It's time again for the Summer Rumble at calendarsquares! The last two were a blast and I'm certain this year's will be as well.

Sign ups are open now, round 1 icons are due 8/21/15.

A-Z Multifandom Drabbling Meme!

2015-08-09T16:13:30Z

In an attempt to learn to drabble I present:

The Great A-Z Multifandom Drabbling Meme!

Yoinked from isha_libran.
Originally started here on my personal journal.

This is how it works:

1. Pick a letter.
2. Pick a prompt that starts with that letter (ex. K is for Keyhole)
3. Pick a fandom, a character/pairing and a rating. Or if you want to leave it up to me, that works, too. =)

Leave them in a comment and I'll write a 100 word drabble for you.

And here is a list of my fandoms that I'm willing to try this with:
Axis Powers Hetalia (anime only)
Babylon 5
Chuck
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Firefly
Fullmetal Alchemist (anime and manga)
Gundam 00
Gyakuten Saiban
Hellsing (anime and manga)
Karneval
Kingdom Hearts
Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service
Kyou Kara Maou
Once Upon a Time
Petshop of Horrors (original and Tokyo)
Princess Tutu
Saiunkoku Monogatari (anime only)
Tales of the Abyss
Tales of Graces
Torchwood
xxxHolic

A is for
B is for
C is for Choices
D is for
E is for
F is for
G is for
H is for
I is for Indisciplined
J is for
K is for
L is for
M is for Monkeys and Marriage
N is for
O is for
P is for Penguin
Q is for
R is for
S is for
T is for
U is for
V is for
W is for
X is for
Y is for
Z is for

M is for Monkeys
Kingdom Hearts, for foleyartist1

“QUAAA!”

The squawk startled Sora and Goofy as Donald landed hard on his feathered rump.

“Stupid monkeys' stupid bananas.” Donald grumbled, picking himself up as he glared at the offending banana peel.

“I dunno,” Goofy chuckled. “They seem pretty smart to me.”

“You would think that.” Donald shot the dog-man a menacing look while straightening his ruffled tail feathers.

“They're like little people... but with fur,” Goofy continued, oblivious to the magician's rising temper.

“Real monkeys are pretty cute,” Sora interrupted, “when they're not throwing stuff at you.” His expression darkened. “But these guys are Heartless, they aren't monkeys anymore.”

P is for Penguin
Firefly, for isha_libran

“I’ve found our next job,” Wash announced.

Mal’s eyebrow quirked upwards, “An’ what might that be?”

“Penguins.” He smiled brightly.

Mal stared at his pilot. “Penguins?”

Wash nodded. “Flightless birds. Look like they’re wearing tuxedoes.”

“I know what they are,” Mal grumbled, “I’m asking why I should put them on my ship.”

“Because they’re cute?” Wash looked hopeful. Zoe rolled her eyes at him, “Try because they’re paying us a lot of money and we needed the deposit to repair the engine. I already signed the contract on the job,” she said handing Mal the contract and the remaining money.

M is for Marriage
Kyou Kara Maou! (Gwendal/Anissina), for isha_libran

“Would marrying me really be so terrible?”

“You can be so arrogant!” she spat. “This isn't about you.”

“You're wrong, Anissina. This is only about you and I. Right now I don't care about what 'every woman in Shin Makouku' wants from her life. I just need to know if you want to be with me or if I've been wasting my time waiting for you.”

He expected her to storm out of his office, so the open handed slap took him by surprise. He smiled, catching her hand in his own and resting his stinging cheek against her palm.

Things Unsought

2015-08-09T16:02:14Z

Title: Things Unsought
Characters: Integra Hellsing, Seras Victoria
Word Count: 1,066
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers for volume 2, set just before the Wild Geese arrive.
Summary: Sometimes what you need comes from an unexpected source and self analysis leads to the oddest places.
Notes: Originally posted in my personal journal on August 4, 2007.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, events, and settings are property of Kohta Hirano and various publishers. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Seras paused before the office door, uncertain if it was actually a good idea to interrupt Integral while she was working. Remembering the concern in Walter’s eyes when she’d spoken with him earlier that night, Sears inhaled deeply and knocked on the door. The response was slow in coming and carried none of the irritation Integral usually expressed when her work was disturbed.

Closing the door softly behind her, Seras crossed the room to stand before the desk. Integral continued to write and Seras allowed her eyes to wander, taking a quick inventory of the desk. Instead of the usual stacks of books and files the surface was nearly empty. A sheaf of paper headed with the Hellsing crest lay on the right, accompanied b a stack of blank envelopes. On the left sat a smaller stack of envelopes that had been addressed and sealed. Near the letter Integral was currently writing lay a list of names and addressed. Some of the names had been crossed off, but many remained.

Allowing her curiosity to get the better of her, Seras stepped closer to the desk in order to read the list. The names of the dead. Seras sighed, no wonder Walter was concerned. It seemed that Integral had taken Sir Irons’ words for truth, accepting his accusation that she should have planned for the possibility of an attack upon Hellsing itself. Her expression in the seconds before she took the gun from Sir Irons had reminded Seras just how young her commander really was. Apparently Integral felt that informing each soldier’s family of his death was her responsibility as well.

Integral set down her pen and placed the letter aside to dry before turning her attention to Seras. “It’s late, what do you need?” She sounded more exhausted than annoyed by the interruption.

“Need?” Seras blinked. “No, sir. I’m fine. Or rather I’m as well as can be expected, given the circumstances.” She shifted from foot to foot, trying to determine the best way to explain her intrusion. “Actually, I came to see how you were doing.”

Integral’s eyes narrowed, “Walter put you up to this, didn’t he?”

“He’s worried about you and I don’t blame him.” She paused, trying to soften her tone, “You look terrible, sir.”

“I fail to see how this is your concern, Officer Victoria.”

Seras squared her shoulders and moved a pace closer to the desk, forcing the other woman to look upward to maintain eye contact. “In the four days since the Valentine brothers’ attack you’ve left most of your meals untouched and have barely slept. You’ve spent most of your time in the library searching for information on Millennium or in here working on those letters.” Seras paused to draw a breath she did not need. “People can’t live like that.”

“This from the vampire who refuses to drink blood.” One corner of her mouth twitched in what might have been a smirk, but the expression disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Seras felt her back stiffen, but forced her voice to remain calm, “That is entirely different from your refusal to come to terms with what happened here.”

A surge of anger brought Integral to her feet. “What would you have me do, Seras?” she snarled. “How do you expect me to ‘come to terms’ with the fact that I murdered eighty-six of my men?”

Seras closed her eyes and drew in a calming breath before meeting Integral’s gaze. “You did not murder them.”

“But --”

“No.” She leaned forward, fists resting on Integral’s desk, gauging her commander’s response as she continued, “Those men died fighting for something they believed in. Orders or no orders, the wouldn’t have stayed to defend the mansion if that wasn’t a sacrifice they were willing to make.”

Integral sighed, shaking her head as she turned away from her desk. “I’m still responsible.”

“Why?” Seras’ frustration leaked into her voice. “You didn’t order the attack on the mansion. You didn’t create that army of ghouls. How can you possibly think you’re responsible for this?”

“I was their commander. They trusted me; believed I would not spend their lives without good cause. Instead, I allowed them to be butchered like cattle on our own grounds.” She rested her forehead against the window, fingertips tracing the grain of the wooden sill. “I failed. Completely.”

Seras felt Integral tense as she laid her hand lightly on the other woman’s shoulder. “No.” Integral turned to look at her, confusion and suspicion warred in her eyes as Seras continued, “You saved me.”

Sure of her commander’s attention, Seras pulled away before continuing, “When the Hellsing soldiers started rising a ghouls my only thought was ‘It’s happened again’.”

She closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts. “I felt so helpless. Watching them shamble toward me I was frozen, knowing there was nothing I could do. But as they started to claw at me something inside me woke up. Mind still frozen, I could only watch as my body tore through the ghouls my comrades had become. It was frightening at first because I didn’t want to believe myself capable of that kind of destruction. But the longer I watched, the more entranced I became. My world narrowed until nothing was left but the joy of destruction for its own sake. I can’t remember ever feeling like that before the night in Badrick. That time I nearly died before I came back to myself.”

Seras raised her eyes to hold Integral’s gaze. “You risked yourself to call me back from that madness. For that alone I would follow you.”

Integral’s eyes widened slightly at that admission before she was able to bring her expression back under her control. “What are you getting at?”

Noting the apprehension in her commander’s voice Sears considered her words before replying. “Until recently I had no idea that the creatures the Hellsing Organization was founded to combat even existed. Now I am one. As it stands, I am bound to you as an extension of my Master’s services to the Hellsings. I would serve you of my own will.”

Seras stood as still as possible, waiting for Integral’s response. As the silence lengthened Seras began to wonder if she has made a serious error in her offer. Then the other woman’s mouth curved into a small, calculating smile.

“What terms do you propose, Police Girl?”

Watching You Watching Me

2015-08-09T15:27:08Z

Title: Watching You Watching Me
Characters/Pairing: Gwendal/Yozak
Word Count: 392
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 52: Ultimate Pairing Challenge and posted here on April 1, 2010. Voted People's Choice.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

"When the circling and striking are done and I land, let me come back to your hand."
~"Hunter", Heather Dale

Yozak stretched out in the grass, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun on his skin. He treasured these rare days when he had nothing to do but enjoy being alive. And rarer still were the days, like today, when his lover could be convinced to abandon his work for an afternoon.

Gwendal lay in the grass beside him, head pillowed on his folded coat. He stared intently into the sky, eyes flickering as they followed something above the trees.

"Whatcha starin' at?" Yozak asked, rolling over to lay his head on Gwendal's shoulder in the hopes of seeing whatever had captured the other man's attention for himself.

"Hunting bird," he replied, shifting his right arm around Yozak's shoulder to point at the bird circling in the distance.

Yozak watched the bird soar and dive for a moment before turning his gaze back to the other man's face. "An' what's so fascinating about that bird?"

Gwendal hesitated, eyes flickering to meet Yozak's gaze before returning to the sky. "It reminds me of you," he said softly.

Yozak stared at the bird again, trying to see the similarity. After a few minutes he sighed, bringing a hand up to rub at tired eyes. "I'm not seein' it."

Gwendal's arm tightened around his shoulders. "Sending you off on a mission is like releasing a hunting bird, I'm never sure if you'll come back."

Yozak snorted. "You know I'll always come back to you, no matter where I'm sent."

"I know you'll come back if you can." Yozak felt the warmth of the other man's breath as he sighed. "You're only mortal. I always worry that you won't return, even if you want to. And there's nothing I can do but wait."

Yozak expected Gwendal to still be watching the bird when he turned to see Gwendal's expression so he was startled to find the other man watching him instead. Yozak closed his eyes as Gwendal's fingers traced a line from his temple to his jaw.

"Even if there was someone to match your skill that I could send in you place I wouldn't be able to keep you close and safe," Gwendal murmured. "I doubt you'd allow yourself to be kept. There's too much wildness in your heart for that."

Yozak smiled at his lover's explanation. Gwendal's heart was all the home he needed.

Advice

2015-08-09T15:19:05Z

Title: Advice
Characters: Gwendal, Yuuri(/Wolfram)
Word Count: 281
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 51: Dating and posted here on March 1, 2010
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Gwendal glared at the stack of reports Yuuri had deposited on the table. "I am not doing those for you."

The youth busied himself with laying out his inkwell and pen before replying, "These aren't what I need your help with, I just thought I could finish them while we talked." He pulled the first page on the stack toward himself and quickly read over it before signing his name with a flourish.

"What does Wolfram like?"

Gwendal stared at the king, feeling unprepared for this line of questioning. "What do you mean, 'what does he like'?"

"Well, he does so much for me and I want to do something nice for him, but when I tried to think of something we could do I realized I wasn't sure if the things I came up with were things Wolfram would enjoy." Yuuri blushed slightly, "I was hoping you could give me some advice since you know him much better than I do."

"And what sort of things have you come up with?"

"At first I thought about going to see a play, but I don't really know much about plays here and it didn't seem personal enough. Then I thought about going riding, just the two of us, but we do that pretty often so it needs to be more than that. So I got the idea of taking a picnic and finding a nice spot to enjoy an afternoon together, but saying it makes it sound silly." He sighed, "I'm just not sure if Wolfram would like that sort of thing."

Gwendal smiled, "I don't think it sounds silly. And Wolfram will enjoy having you to himself for an afternoon."

We've had Better Days

2015-08-09T15:10:11Z

Title: We've Had Better Days
Characters/Pairings: Gwendal, Gunter, Celi
Word Count: Aprox. 630
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 48: Ultimate Sequence Challenge and posted here on November 30, 2009
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Introductions

The afternoon sunlight streaming through the library windows felt good against the tight muscles of his shoulders and Gwendal shrugged out of his jacket to better appreciate the warmth. Of the libraries and reading rooms throughout Covenant Castle this one was among the least used, which made it a perfect place to study, read, or simply think in peace. Even Wolfram left him relatively undisturbed here.

“Gwendal?” his mother's high, clear voice rang through the library. He sighed, so much for a quiet afternoon. “By the window, Mother,” he replied, quickly jotting down an idea while he waited for her.

As she made her way toward him, Gwendal tried not to stare too openly at the man who followed in her wake. He was beautiful; slender and graceful with long purple hair so pale it might have been silver.

“Gwendal, I’d like you to meet Gunter von Christ. Gunter, this is my eldest son Gwendal von Walde.” As the two men shook hands, Celi launched into a recitation of the academic and martial honors Gunter had been awarded. “And he’s not very much older than you, Gwendal,” she concluded, “so I do hope the two of you will become good friends.” Celi tugged Gunter closer to the desk, as though her son’s impression of the man would improve with proximity.

“That’s all well and good, Mother, but don’t you think he’s a bit young for you?”

The color drained from Gunter’s face and his mouth worked franticly as though he wanted to protest. Celi could only laugh. “I invited him here to tutor Conrart and Wolfram, not to be my lover.” Gunter managed a strangled squeak before he passed out. Gwendal sighed, “You might have mentioned that fact sooner.” He carried the unconscious man to a sofa, “If that was too much of a shock for him, do you really think he’ll be able to handle my brothers?”

Haircut

Gunter sighed sadly, stroking one of the undamaged sections of his hair. He glanced at the scissors Gwendal was holding and his shoulders slumped a bit more.

Gwendal grimaced as he studied the singed mess Wolfram had made of Gunter’s hair. “I’m sorry, it’s going to be really short.” Gunter looked up at him, purple eyes wide and a little watery. “How short?” Gwendal laid the side of his hand along the top of the other man’s shoulder blades. Gunter let out a small whimper.

Gwendal seated himself on the stool behind Gunter and tried to decided where he should start. He clipped away a small section of burnt hair and Gunter flinched. Gwendal sighed. “This will be much easier for me if you can hold still.”

“Sorry,” Gunter mumbled, “I’m just not comfortable having my hair cut.”

Gwendal rolled his eyes but did his best to be reassuring, “Try to relax a little. I know what I’m doing here.” The other man only nodded in response and Gwendal carefully resumed trimming away the damaged hair.

After twenty minutes spent alternating between trimming Gunter's hair and soothing his nerves Gwendal declared himself finished. He stood and stretched, working out the tension that had built up in his shoulders.

Gunter remained on the stool, perfectly still. Gwendal frowned and pulled him up to stand before the mirror. “Open your eyes, I promise it looks alright.” After a moment of hesitation Gunter slowly opened one eye and then the other. He ran his fingers slowly over the hair that fell near his face.

“Thank you.”

Gwendal shrugged. “Don't worry about it. I'm used to cleaning up my brothers' messes.”

Gunter shook his head, “That's not what I meant. Thank you for not saying you told me so, after I ignored your warnings about Wolfram not having control of his maryoku.”

A smile ghosted across Gwendal's face. “I rather though the experience spoke for itself.”

Moon Gazing

2015-08-09T15:05:10Z

Title: Moon Gazing
Characters: Yuuri
Rating: G
Word Count: 128
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 46: Fall/Autumn and posted here on September 27, 2009. Voted second runner-up.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

It continued to amaze Yuuri that as different as Shin Makouku was from Earth some things were exactly the same. The peculiar crisp flavor of the air that heralded the arrival of fall was one such thing.

As he stood at the window enjoying the unexpected reminder of home his eyes came to rest on the moon, faint but nearly full against the morning sky. He smiled, remembering the fuss his mother made each autumn preparing moon cakes and sake and making sure their family would have a perfect spot to view the harvest moon.

Yuuri sighed. Although time progressed differently on Earth than it did in Shin Makouku, there was a very real possibility that he would not be home in time for this year's moon viewing.

To Love is to Hate

2015-08-09T14:58:00Z

Title: To Love is to Hate
Characters: Gwendal, Wolfram, Conrart
Word Count: 723
Rating: PG
Warnings: Angst
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 45: Gwendal and posted here on September 27, 2009. Voted People's Choice.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Gwendal walked with his youngest brother through the castle grounds. At twenty-five Wolfram was still delighted by the multitude of colorful flowers filling the gardens, so their path meandered among the flowerbeds as the little boy scampered from one bright specimen to the next. Gwendal cherished the afternoons he could spend outside with his brother. Although training Wolfram to use and control his maryoku required a great deal of energy and focus it was far less exhausting than attending meetings and official functions and trying to navigate the intricacies of court politics.

Slowly they made their way to a little visited corner of the castle grounds that bore a closer resemblance to a battlefield than a walled garden. Amidst the broken earth and scorched walls stood a stone fountain filled with clear water. As Gwendal settled Wolfram on the wide rim of the fountain, he reminded himself to thank the gardeners for maintaining only the fountain here. He hoped that seeing the garden's ruined state week after week would impress on Wolfram the consequences of the power he possessed.

Wolfram removed his jacket and rolled his shirtsleeves up to his his elbows and waited expectantly as Gwendal did the same. “We'll work on your accuracy today,” Gwendal announced and Wolfram wrinkled his nose in irritation. “Not the most fun...” Gwendal agreed.

“...but the most necessary,” Wolfram continued. “Accuracy leads to control and power, but power alone brings only destruction.” The blonde looked up, waiting for his brother's reaction.

“Just so, Wolf,” Gwendal smiled at the boy. He knew the boy was only repeating the words, but hoped the repetition would eventually help his brother understand.

Gwendal moved away from his brother and knelt on an unbroken patch of ground between the fountain and the gate. He laid his hands on the earth in front of him. “Ready?” Wolfram nodded and Gwendal began to create. Simple targets at first, then more complex configurations of rings and targets. From time to time he would substitute the shape of a rabbit for one of the targets, testing Wolfram to ensure he saw his targets before attacking.

He was so absorbed in the cycle of generation and destruction that he didn't notice the soft sound behind him. He did notice the size of the fireball Wolfram was creating and the fury in his eyes. Gwendal didn't have to look to know Conrart was behind him.

He turned anyway, raising a wall between them as he shouted “Run!”

Wolfram's fireball slammed into the wall and dissipated in a shower of sparks. Gwendal turned back to see a second fireball growing in his brother's hand. “Wolfram, no. Let it go.” With a flick of his wrist the boy send the fireball hurtling into the wall and Gwendal felt his wall shudder at the impact.

A third fireball began to gather in the boy's hand, but it didn't have the cohesion of the previous two. “Brother?” Wolfram's voice shook.

“Relax, Wolf. Focus.” The boy shook his head, eyes wide and fearful as tendrils of fire snaked out toward his arm.

Gwendal pushed at the ground before him and a wave of earth washed over Wolfram, carrying him backward into the fountain. He heard the fireball hiss and fade as it hit the water.

Allowing the wall behind him to crumble, Gwendal hurried to the fountain and pulled a floundering Wolfram from the now muddy water. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the water from the boy's face, pushing his bangs away from his face so they wouldn't drip water back into his eyes. Wolfram shivered in the afternoon breeze and Gwendal wrapped his coat around his brother to keep him warm.

He knelt beside the boy. “Why did you do it, Wolf?” The blonde looked at the ground beside his feet. Gwendal put a finger under the boy's chin to bring his gaze up. “Why did you attack our brother?”

The boy chewed at his lip. “He's not our brother, he's a human. Uncle said the humans are bad and we need to kill them. Is uncle wrong?”

Gwendal stared at his brother a moment before replying. “Conrart is our brother. Our mother is his mother too. Never say he's not our brother.”

Unresolved

2015-08-09T14:46:24Z

Title: Unresolved
Characters: Gunter, Conrart
Word Cont: 252
Rating: PG-ish
Any Warnings: Spoilers for the Dai Shimaron arc (through the beginning of Season 2)
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 44: Participant Prompts - "Gunter, Conrad: trust" and posted here on September 13, 2009. Voted third runner-up.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

It took nearly two days after the Maou's departure for Earth before Gunter was able to find Conrart alone in the library.

The younger man did not look up from his book as Gunter approached. He stopped beside Conrart's chair. “You owe your brother an apology.”

Conrart rolled his eyes but didn't look up from his book. “What does Wolfram say I've done now?”

Gunter glared down at him. “Your elder brother. The one who offered his life as an apology for your treason.”

“Hnnh.” Conrart turned the page, offering no further response.

Gunter pulled the book from his hands. “Is that all you have to say?”

Conrart glared at him, but didn't reach for the book. “What Gwendal choses to do is hardly my responsibility. And, unlike some people, I think my brother would tell me directly if he didn't like something I'd done.” He stood up, the motion bringing him well into the other man's personal space. “So what is it you really want to say to me?”

Gunter resisted the impulse to step back, but only barely. “His majesty may have been quick to forgive you, and your brother may be willing to overlook what you did, but I'm not convinced. You turned your sword against his majesty when you were sworn to protect him. Don't think I'll trust you not to do it again.” He turned away and stalked out of the library, Conrart's book still clutched in his hand.

The Power of Suggestion

2015-08-09T14:31:37Z

Title: The Power of Suggestion
Characters: Wolfram, Shouri, Gwendal
Word Count: 298
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 44: Participant prompts - "Jello" & "Wolfram, Shouri: Tease" and posted here on September 13, 2009
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Wolfram stared in horror at the bowl Shouri thumped down on the table in front of him, the contents of which were red, clear, and distinctly wiggly. “What is this?” he asked, eyes not leaving the bowl.

“Jello.” Shouri dropped and identical bowl on the table in front of Gwendal before sitting down with his own snack. “Just eat it. It's good.”

“It's moving!” Wolfram grumbled. He poked the Jello gingerly with his spoon but pulled it back quickly as the Jello began quivering more violently.

“Of course it's moving. Jello's no good once it gets too stiff.” Shouri slurped a chunk from his spoon and licked his lips in satisfaction. Wolfram grimaced at the display and turned to his brother hoping Gwendal would make the argument that food did not move when it was ready to be eaten without sounding like a petulant child.

“Try it, Wolf. It's quite good.” Gwendal was clearly enjoying the Jello, though he didn't make the spectacle of it that Shouri did.

Wolfram gave his brother a skeptical look before returning his attention to the nearly still Jello before him. As his spoon neared the bowl, the Jello gave a violent wiggle and the color drained from Wolfram's face. “I think I should lie down for a bit,” he said excusing himself from the table.

Gwendal waited until he heard the door to Yuuri's room close before looking at Shouri. “That was mean.”

Shouri shrugged, unconcerned. “But also funny.”

Gwendal chuckled. “It was indeed. The last shake was particularly well timed.” He reached across the table for Wolfram's uneaten bowl of Jello. “I don't think he'll be back for this. Do you want half?”

Shouri grinned and held out his bowl.

Civil War

2015-08-09T14:21:15Z

Title: Civil War
Characters: Gwendal, Yozak
Word Count: 558
Rating: PG-ish
Warnings: none
Timeline: set during episode 9
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 37: Word Prompt: War, Luck, Forgiveness and posted here on May 24, 2009. Voted People's Choice.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Gwendal gazed down on the soldiers preparing to ride against Stoffel von Spitzberg. Mother wouldn’t like it, but with her abroad and the maou in captivity, war was the only option left. No good would come of leaving the boy king in Stoffel’s care.

Shaking his head, he went back to the large table where the map of Spitzberg was laid out. The battle plan they had formed earlier was sound, but a fight with Stoffel meant having Raven as their opponent so he wanted to be sure nothing had been overlooked.

A quiet knock at the door pulled Gwendal’s attention from the plans. A maid entered, carrying a tray of food. He nodded his thanks, gesturing to an empty spot on the table where she could leave the food before turning back to the map. A moment later he glanced back, the maid was still standing next to the table.

He looked up and met Yozak’s expectant gaze. “Alright, you’ve made your point. Mission approved.” Yozak grinned and relaxed his posture, leaning against the table as Gwendal spread a small map of Stoffel’s castle over the larger map he’d been studying.

“The kitchen gardens are here, kitchens and laundry here.” He traced a route on the map, “Servants’ quarters, barracks, armory, and main hall. Stoffel probably has His Majesty confined in one of the guest suites on this corridor.” He glanced up at Yozak who nodded for him to continue. “The main library is here and Stoffel’s reading room here. He keeps these rooms for his own use. Raven’s office is here. Avoid it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he knows all the staff on sight.”

“So what’s not on the map?” Yozak asked leaning over Gwendal’s shoulder for a better view.

“If I’m remembering correctly, there’s a passage that runs from near the barracks to this corridor south of Stoffel’s quarters. Servants’ corridors to the main hall and guest hall should start here, near the central kitchen. There are also passages leading from the main library to Stoffel’s reading room and Raven’s office.” He rubbed his temple, “I used to know more, but it’s been too long.”

“It’s enough for me to get started.” Yozak squeezed Gwendal’s shoulder. “Don’t worry so much. I’ll have His Majesty free by the time the army reaches Spitzberg. Luck rides with me,” he grinned.

Gwendal only managed a small smile in return. “Luck is fickle. I’ll trust your skill instead.” He pushed aside the castle map. “If conditions at the castle are unmanageable, join us here. If it comes to war, I’ll need you to protect Conrart.”

Yozak’s expression soured. “Conrart can take care of himself in a fight.”

“And with you at his back, he’ll return alive,” Gwendal agreed. “Gunter has agreed to protect Wolfram, I need your word that Conrart will come back alive as well. Mother will be angry enough I went to war with her brother. She won’t forgive me if her sons don’t return.”

Yozak sighed. “If it comes to war Conrart will survive, you have my word.”

Gwendal’s smile was grim. “The army rides at first light. You’ll be ready to ride before that?”

“I’ve a few preparations left, then I’ll ride.” Yozak paused by the door. “A request, my Lord?” Gwendal nodded. “Remember that Lady Cheri has three sons she’ll want returned alive.”

Quiet Time

2015-08-09T14:11:09Z

Title: Quiet Time
Characters: Shouri, Gwendal
Word Count: 236
Rating: G
Warnings: nope
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 33: Word Prompt - sleeping and posted here on March 29, 2009
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Shouri was annoyed to find the visitors from Shin-Makouku still in the house when he returned from class. His irritation rose as he noticed the door to his room was slightly open, meaning his mother had probably cleaned despite his repeated protests that he could do it himself. Resigning himself to spending the evening putting everything back where it belonged Shouri pushed the door open and stopped. He had been prepared to find his room reorganized in any number of ways, none of them had included Gwendal asleep at his desk.

Shouri dropped his books noisily by the desk, but Gwendal continued to sleep soundly. So much for ‘accidentally’ waking the man. Sighing he reached out and shook the older man’s shoulder lightly.

Gwendal rubbed his eyes, and then looked at Shouri without really seeing him. “If you need to sleep use the bed,” Shori grumbled. “I need to get to my computer.” Gwendal nodded, mumbling what could have been either agreement or apology before crossing the room. Shouri was certain the other man was fast asleep the instant he lay down.

When Jennifer called them to dinner an hour later, Gwendal was still sleeping soundly. Shouri paused by the bed to wake the other man. Gwendal lay on his side, one arm curled around the pillow. Shouri had never seen him look so content and decided to leave him be. Dinner would keep until later.

The Quality of Light

2015-08-09T13:47:57Z

Title: The Quality of Light
Characters: Conrad, Yuuri, Murata, Wolfram
Word Count: 399
Rating: PGish
Warnings: none
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 31: Word Prompt – “Firelight, Sunlight, Moonlight” and posted here on March 1, 2009. Selected as Mod's Choice.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Conrad smiled as he watched the king hurrying across the courtyard followed closely by the great sage. From the way Yuuri kept glancing over his shoulder as he fumbled the gate open it was clear the boy was avoiding something, though Murata’s indulgent smile suggested it wasn’t anything too important. As the two friends disappeared through the gate Conrad was left alone with his thoughts.

It continued to amaze him that the two most important men in Shin Makouku had been friends on Earth. It was a fortunate thing. When Yuuri became too concerned with trying to fulfill every expectation people had of the maou, Murata was there to remind him that he had friends to rely on and that he didn’t have to solve everything alone. And when Murata retreated too far into the memories of the sage, Yuuri was there to bring his friend back to the surface. Murata responded to Yuuri’s friendship like a flower turning its face to the sun.

And for the people of Shin Makouku Yuuri was the sun. His ideas and stubborn refusal to believe the worst of others had brought an era of peace and prosperity to the country unlike any time in recent memory. The friendship and respect he offered to everyone he met was almost always returned in kind.

From time to time, Conrad allowed himself to believe that mapping Susana Julia’s soul to the sun when he carried it to Earth had been a factor in shaping the person Yuuri had become. If that was the case, then it was also true that Rodriguez had cast Murata as the moon to Yuuri’s sun. Quietly watching and reflecting Yuuri’s ideas back to him, Murata was the perfect compliment to Yuuri’s headstrong optimism.

A door slammed and Conrad’s thoughts were interrupted by Wolfram’s strident demand that Yuuri show himself immediately and return to his dance lesson. Calling down to his half-brother, Conrad pointed to the garden gate Yuuri had gone through moments before. Wolfram glared at him, but nodded his thanks before disappearing through the gate himself.

Conrad frowned slightly, watching the gate as though he could still see Wolfram’s progress. Wolfram was very much like the fire he wielded, all noise and snapping anger. He chased after Yuuri like a fire trying to outshine the sun and Conrad wondered how long it would be before that fire consumed itself.

New Year's Promise

2015-08-09T13:35:44Z

Title: New Year’s Promise
Word Count: 701
Characters: Gwendal, Wolfram, Conrart
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Timeline: set way pre-series
Note: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 27: Winter holdiay/festival and posted here on January 4, 2009. Voted second runner-up.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Gwendal sighed and marked his place in the book he was reading then joined Wolfram at the window. The little boy stared at the gate a moment longer before tipping his head back to look up at his brother. “He’s not here yet,” Wolfram said petulantly.

“He’ll come. Conrart wouldn’t miss this.”

“He’d better get here soon,” Wolfram muttered quietly as he resumed watching the gate. Gwendal watched the gate too, hoping to see his middle brother return.

After a few moments Gwendal forced himself to turn away from the window. “We should rest now, if we’re going to greet the dawn.” Wolfram’s expression soured, “I don’t need a nap.”

“Well, I do,” Gwendal smiled at his brother and Wolfram smiled back, turning away from the window and lifting his arms to be carried. Gwendal swung his brother up and Wolfram wrapped his arms around Gwendal’s neck.

“Read to me,” Wolfram demanded.

“What do you want to hear?” Gwendal stood near the bookshelf and Wolfram stretched his hand out to a well read book of fairy tales. “This one.”

Gwendal carried his brother and the book to the couch and started reading. Only a few pages into the first story Wolfram began snoring softly and Gwendal set the book aside.

He woke to strong afternoon sunlight and the sound of his mother’s voice. She smiled at him as she lifted a sleepy Wolfram to her shoulder. “Conrart?” he asked. Her smile faltered as she shook her head. Gwendal squeezed his mother’s shoulder, “He’ll be here. Conrart keeps his promises.” She smiled up at him, happy for his reassurance, before taking Wolfram to prepare him for that evening’s ball.

Gwendal spent another moment at the window, willing his absent brother to ride through the gate. “You’d better be here,” he growled before turning away.

As a rule, Gwendal disliked balls. Too many people laughing and chattering about nothing very loudly. He normally tried to dance as little as possible, preferring to find a comfortable place to observe from the sidelines. He disliked that the traditions surrounding the New Year’s Ball required the Maou’s entire family to participate actively in the ball and the dawn ceremony that followed to mark the passing of the old year.

Gwendal tried to focus on his dance partners and what they were saying, but he found his eyes wandering to the clock with increasing frequency as the hour grew later and wondering what could be keeping Conrart from his promise.

“You’re not paying me any attention,” a husky voice breathed across his ear. Gwendal blinked dragging his focus back to the face of his partner. “My apologies, Lord von Christ. I’m afraid I’m rather preoccupied.” The taller man smiled softly at him, “How many times must I ask you to call me by name?” Gwendal could feel the blush heating his face and he dropped his gaze. “I’ll try to remember.”

Almost an hour later Gwendal heard the clatter of horses' hooves on the paving stones outside the ballroom’s open windows. Gwendal hastily excused himself to his dance partner and hurried to the glass door. He smiled as Conrart barreled out of the darkness and wrapped his arms around his ribcage. The boy looked up at him with bright eyes, “Am I late?”

“You made it!” Wolfram cried wrapping his arms around Conrart’s waist. He stepped back quickly, “Go wash, you smell like wet horse.” Conrart laughed and headed into the castle with Wolfram trailing after him.

Gwendal turned his attention back to the darkness, “You might as well come inside too.” Dan Hiri stepped into the light spilling from the ballroom windows holding the reins of both horses. He stared at the oldest demon prince and Gwendal stared back. “Mother will be pleased to see you,” he said taking the reins from him. The human smiled his thanks and entered the ballroom. Gwendal called to the nearest guard, “Take these horses down to the stables and see that they’re properly cared for.” Gwendal remained outside for a moment breathing the cool night air before returning to the ball.

Conrart was home again. The three brothers would stand together in the first light of the New Year.

Author’s note: I’m not sure how Gunter got there, he just showed up -_-;;

I Saw You

2015-08-09T13:25:36Z

Title: I Saw You
Characters/Pairings: Gwendal, Yozak
Word Count: 241
Rating: G
Warning: mild spoilers for episode 47
Notes: Originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 24: Provided Title and posted here on November 23, 2008. Voted first runner-up.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

“You don’t have to stay here, you know.”

Yozak glanced up from the armor he was polishing. “Are you implying that I should leave, Your Excellency?” His tone was pleasant, but the challenge was plain in his eyes.

Gwendal’s frown deepened. “No. I just don’t understand why you chose to stay.” Yozak shrugged and turned his gaze back to the armor.

Gwendal paced restlessly in the confines of the small armory as he continued, “The war is over. The other soldiers from your battalion have returned home. Conrart is in some other world and only Shinou knows when he’ll return.” He stopped to stare at Yozak, “What is there to keep you here?”

Yozak looked up at the older man, a slight smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “You’re asking the wrong question. Instead of asking why I would stay, consider why I came here in the first place.”

One of Gwendal’s eyebrows ticked upwards but he held his tongue, waiting for the other man to continue.

“I remember very clearly the first time you came to the village. I’d never seen such honest outrage from a full-blood that half-bloods were treated differently. And you didn’t stop at outrage, you’ve actually worked to make this country one where people like me can live without being afraid of everyone around us.”

Yozak smiled, “I could go back to the village but farming’s never suited me. I’ll be more useful here.”

A Game of Words

2015-08-09T13:19:10Z

Title: A Game of Words
Characters: Gwendal, Yozak
Word Count: 275
Rating: G
Warnings: nope
Timeline: set after Conrad leaves for Earth
Notes: originally written for kkm_challenge's Round 18: Backstory and posted here on August 31, 2008.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or recognizable elements of Kyou Kara Maou. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made.

Gwendal returned from the Great One’s temple leading his brother’s horse.

When he reached the stable he dismissed the groom who hurried over to take Conrad’s horse, preferring to care for the animal himself. After both horses were cleaned and fed Gwendal lingered with Conrad’s horse, asking him the questions he’d been unable to ask his brother about the things he’d seen in the war. He rested his forehead against the horse’s neck, “Conrad will come back, I promise.” Gwendal pulled his greatcoat back on and turned to leave the stables.

“Your Excellency should be more careful about where he has serious conversations with animals who can’t talk.” Gwendal glared at the young woman who emerged from a stall near where he stood. “Never know who might be listening or what rumors they might spread,” she smiled at him, but it was bitter and left her blue eyes cold and challenging. She tucked an errant lock of flame-red hair back under her riding scarf, “You’d have been better off asking me.”

Gwendal stepped closer to the woman, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Had I asked you, would your answer have been true, Yozak, or would I be wasting my time on more of the same drivel that was in the officers’ reports?”

Yozak stepped back to meet Gwendal’s gaze. “For you? The truth, because you’re willing to act on it.”

Gwendal nodded. “Then come to my office when you’ve changed.”

Yozak smirked, “Don’t want people gettin’ the wrong idea, eh?”

The corner of Gwendal’s mouth twitched, “Precisely. Though I may have a practical use for your other talents in the future.”

anime20in20 Round 54 Saiunkoku Monogatari

2014-08-31T04:57:48Z

10 themes
clothing	floating	guess who?	on the road	orange

paint the town	speech bubble	tree	two	young

5 category \|3 levels\|
c.1	c.2	c.3	c.4	c.5

5 artist's choice
ac.1	ac.2	ac.3	ac.4	ac.5

Resources:
Floating - texture by blueymcphluey
Paint the Town & Speech Bubble - textures by lookslikerain

calendarsquares Summer Rumble

2014-08-08T23:44:31Z

There's just a little time left to sign up for the Summer Rumble at calendarsquares. Sign-ups close tomorrow (8/9) along with submissions for Round 1: Hear No Lies.

SIGN UP

Last year's rumble was a lot of fun and this year's challenges are shaping up to produce some great icons.

anime20in20 Round 49 - Summer Wars

2013-12-11T05:08:34Z

10 themes
angelical	dreams	eyes	faceless	joy

colouring	landscape	time	texture	final scene

5 category \|favorite character\|
c.1	c.2	c.3	c.4	c.5

5 artist's choice
ac.1	ac.2	ac.3	ac.4	ac.5

Notes:
Texture: texture by wolfbane_icons
Artist's Choice: the avatars used by the main characters in Oz

If you'd like to use any of these icons, please credit mobiuswolf or wolf_tides
Comments are great, they let me know what people like.
Constructive criticism helps me improve.

Resources: here.

clamp_icontest's week 409 - Battle of the Sexes

2013-11-30T03:54:11Z

BATTLE OF THE SEXES (FEMALE)
original image	original image	original image	original image	original image

(table code by anime20in20)

anime20in20 Round 48 - general

2013-11-22T05:23:46Z

10 themes
blur	chibi	grateful	half body	kawaii

sky	sweetly broken	sun	vertical stripes	yellow

5 category \|light texture\|
c.1	c.2	c.3	c.4	c.5

5 artist's choice
ac.1	ac.2	ac.3	ac.4	ac.5

Notes:
Chibi: texture by airockz69
Sun: both Kerberos and Spinal are associated with the sun
Vertical Stripe: texture by shalowater
Light Texture: all textures by mercury90.deviantart.com

If you'd like to use any of these icons, please credit mobiuswolf or wolf_tides
Comments are great, they let me know what people like.
Constructive criticism helps me improve.

Resources: here.

14 icons - X/1999 & La Corda d'Oro

2013-11-07T06:01:47Z

MUSIC RECS
album title	group name	song lyrics	song title

Album: Two Suns
Band: The Pretty Reckless
Lyrics: Good Behavior
Song Title: Call out the Beast

negative space	noise	stock image	unusual crop	punctuation

joy	fall	circle	name	food

Notes:
Negative Space: texture by lookslikerain
Stock Image: image from freefoto.com

If you'd like to use any of these icons, please credit mobiuswolf or wolf_tides
Comments are great, they let me know what people like.
Constructive criticism helps me improve.

Resources: here, if you'd like to know what texture was used on a particular icon, just ask

clamp_icontest's week 406 - The Elements of Harmony

2013-10-12T02:55:45Z

Element of Harmony
generosity	honesty	kindness

laughter	loyalty	magic

(table code by anime20in20)

anime20in20 Round 45 - general

2013-10-06T03:47:53Z

10 themes
border	four people	lyrics	mysterious	not human

unusual crop	stock image	palace	paper texture	vintage

5 category \|complementary colors\|
c.1	c.2	c.3	c.4	c.5

5 artist's choice
ac.1	ac.2	ac.3	ac.4	ac.5

Notes:
Border: Haibane Renmei
Four People: Fullmetal Alchemist
Lyrics: Princess Tutu, lyrics from "Jezebel" by Iron & Wine
Mysterious: Texhnolyze
Not Human: Cowboy Bebop
Unusual Crop and AC set: From Eroica with Love
Stock Image: Uta no Prince-sama
Palace: Kyou Kara Maoh!
Paper Texture: La Corda D'Oro
Vintage: The Drops of God, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with this theme so I chose a wine reference ^^;;
Category Set: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de
Stock images for Border & Stock Images from freefoto.com
Textures by cdg, offbeat_upbeat, & starlit_designs

If you'd like to use any of these icons, please credit mobiuswolf or wolf_tides
Comments are great, they let me know what people like.
Constructive criticism helps me improve.

Resources: here.

clamp_icontest's week 404 - Lost & Found

2013-09-14T00:14:33Z

shoes	coat	gloves	hat	scarf

If you'd like to use any of these icons, please credit mobiuswolf or wolf_tides
Comments are great, they let me know what people like.
Constructive criticism helps me improve.

Resources: here.