Koneko's Writing Journal

summerwrite Story B: the lost princess and the fantasia theory summary/outline

2008-05-03T23:20:29Z

Short Summary Tease: Finding a princess shouldn’t be too hard when you work together, but when you realize you can create your fantasies... Nothing is as easy as it seems.

Detailed Summary Tease Old Version: Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, there was a very young princess. The princess was kind and good, and her people equally as good. THe world was perfect for a time. Unfortunately, there was one young man, one of the chief scholars, who desired to make the world even more perfect. Foolishly, he decided that to make the ultimate perfection--he needed the ultimate imperfection. Following that logic, he created a monster. However, he could not control his creation. The world unprepared for such a situation, descended into chaos. In the aftermath, the princess was lost.

For many years, a group of six subjects sought to recover their princess...this is their story.

Detailed Summary Tease New Version: (inspired between Kingdom Hearts and the RPG worldrefugees2) Once upon a time, there was a well-meaning scholar who wanted to make the world a better place...To do it, he decided to create a monster. Unfortunately, he couldn't control the monster and his world descended into chaos. Well...his well-meaning mistake did kind-of make the world a better place. He accidentally put into effect the Fantasia theory that all worlds are created because someone dreamed them up. But...there was one problem, in the chaos the princess was lost...Now a group of six very different adventurers set out to locate their princess...and learn a bit about themselves with their newfound gift for creation.

history lesson - secrets

2008-05-03T23:11:30Z

343 words

Sasame sighed one afternoon, returning to that fated ruined church and sitting on the lectern, just watching the shadows roll by with his notebook in hand with the postcards from “Shrine Maiden” and “SC.” It felt wrong to be taking them, but at the same time there was the intense desire to help, somehow. He didn’t know where to start though. There was not much information generally speaking about the people who lived in that mansion. Though from every indication, at least two of them were in lots of emotional pain.

It seemed they had moved recently, but that was all. He felt like he needed a history lesson. Once again, there seemed to be secrets and it bothered him.

A voice from the door of the church rang out, “This place could use some work, but it’s a great location.”

Sasame got down from the lectern and stood up. The blonde woman at the door chuckled, “Oh, sorry for disturbing you, sir.”

“It’s Sasame.” He said with a smile, “And it’s no trouble at all. There’s…a lot of memories here. It would…be nice if you were to open it again. I could tell a story about how this place got destroyed. It was in effect a colleague’s fault. I came by here to think…I work for the radio downtown as an advice talkshow host and…recent submissions have been unhappy.”

“Hmmm… Sounds like people we know.” Came from the same direction as the woman and a young-ish man with raven hair appeared from the shadows.

“They wouldn’t happen to be a shrine maiden and a guy with the initials ‘SC,’ would they?”

“They might be.”

Sasame sighed, “It’s the first time in ten years that we’ve had a significant change in leafe, natural life energy around here. I’d like to help them both. Is…there something special about their situation? I kind…of…would like to know them. SC sounds…a lot like I was once. Though from what I can understand of his implications, my motives were…a bit more skewed toward the darker side of things.”

Pretear-CV fic outline/summary teases

2008-05-03T23:06:00Z

Short Summary Tease: After Soma and Mina move to Awayuki Town, the Leafe Knights realize there’s a slight problem involving the newcomers. A few disconcerting postcards later, Sasame investigates the issue.

Longer Summary Tease: (crossover Pretear & Castlevania videogame series, post series) A few years after the end of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and several years after the end of Pretear, Soma moved to Awayuki Town. As they go about their daily business, the Leafe Knights begin to notice how, in spite of the peace, there still seems to be some major Leafe issues with the newcomers. Sasame in particular takes it upon himself to investigate when he receives some pretty deep postcards in response to the flyer he puts on a post near that side of town.

Prologue
-Soma’s Arrival to Awayuki Town
-Sasame’s Notice & Research

Research Results
-Watching the Clock – Soma’s first postcard

Research again – who lives there?

A time to talk – the knights side

A duller form of chaos
-Soma/Dracula’s interrelationship

I’m worried about you
-Mina’s first postcard

A History Lesson – secrets
-Arikado/Julius/Yoko visit

An offer to talk
-A search for comfort in all the wrong places

I can’t fight anymore

If you want to be honest, I was like you once

We’ll fight too

Closet Skeletons
-Mina & Mathias talk about Elisabetha & Lisa
-Mathias & Soma’s worries re: Mina

Lose some to gain some
-cliché drama chapters!

Renovations and Revelations

Wedding Plans

pretear - cv multichapter prologue

2008-05-03T22:53:22Z

Prologue word count: 258

A long time had passed in Awayuki Town. Technology had improved greatly and many businesses were expanding. It was a successful and peaceful time for the Leafe Knights, who guarded the city. However, Sasame and the other knights noted one small problem every time they went to the outskirts of town on the opposite side from the Awayuki Manor. The leafe decreased significantly near what seemed to be a rather quaint three-family house with a beautifully attended front and back yard.

It had been a few years, since the last misadventure in Dracula’s Castle and Mina had chosen to move with Soma to Awayuki Town when Arikado and Yoko had suggested that Soma get away for a while.

Occasionally, there were still what Arikado and Julius had decided to call flickers. Moments where Soma would embody Mathias—the older Dracula, and occasionally lose surface consciousness or change in very slight ways, but Dracula would be considerably mellow, controlled by something. The noticeable difference between the two being how reactive the voiced inflections were—where Soma tended to respond passively, Mathias would get defensive.

Mina guessed that the mellowing might be due to the talisman she’d given Soma, though she found it odd that the sapphire gem in the center hadn’t been strong enough to completely eradicate that aspect of Soma’s soul like books she’d found had said it would. Perhaps that was something in and of itself, but she didn’t think it was necessary to investigate, since Soma seemed safe, if a bit quiet on the whole situation.

summerwrite day 3 story A: pretear - cv crossover

2008-05-03T21:36:58Z

Author's note: 459 words; this is...closer to the end than the beginning. And I reaaaaaaally suck at characterization (especially dialogue) in this section but this was at 10 in the morning written in the 15 minutes while i was waiting for the shower to warm up and then a little bit in the afternoon.

Sasame smiled when Yoko showed him the repaired church. “It’s… beautiful.”
Yoko was extremely pleased with the praise Sasame gave over the church being reworked. Sasame walked around, carefully looking at every item in the small church from the repaired lectern to the stained glass windows and the old organ. He ran his hand over the keys playing a chord, feeling the reverberations of the leafe at the sound. “We’ll have weddings in town again. It’ll be nice.”
Some time later, they returned to the house. Sasame stopped on the porch overlooking the garden because he heard Soma’s voice. “Mina, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time….” Sasame turned to the directions the voices were coming from and waved to Yoko. The two of them could see Soma and Mina on the path in the center of the garden. Sasame smiled as he saw Soma go down on one knee, presenting the box he was holding behind his back, “Mina, will you marry me?”
“Hai…hai… I mean yes, I will marry you.”
Soma stood up, slipping the ring on Mina’s finger and then pulling her close for a kiss. Sasame looked away, to see Yoko smiling broadly.
Sasame heard the two young people speak again.
“We should tell the others.”
“Soma, two of them are watching us. I wouldn’t be surprised if Arikado was watching through the window.” Sasame chuckled as Mina waved at them, pulling Soma with her toward them.
When the two lovers were on the porch, Sasame gave a curt bow, “Congratulations, you two.”
Yoko smiled, “I can get you in contact with someone to arrange the marriage starting next week.”
Soma nodded, “…Time to tell Arikado.” Arikado came in from the kitchen as they entered the house, when he saw Yoko’s grin, he smiled, then saw the ring on Mina’s hand. “So, it’s no longer a joke. You should call Hammer and Julius this week, Soma. Tell them the good news.” Soma blushed, nodding. He stopped shortly by the bar and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses, before leading Mina upstairs, smiling much more broadly than Sasame had seen him look in weeks.

Sasame smiled, slipping the earband off his ear as he heard the door shut upstairs. “Let them celebrate tonight. Those two have come a very long way.” He went over to the bar, pouring three glasses of wine for the group.

Genya chuckled, “Soma went through hell and back for Mina twice. Then she offered him something special on the second journey and I ended up being delivery boy. It saved his life, buying me just enough time to stop him from a foolish mistake.”

Yoko laughed, “It’s been a long time coming and we all knew it.”

125prompts prompt table to be used during summerwrite

2008-05-03T20:22:14Z

Major Goal: 123 in 123 days

001.	abandonment	002.	affection	003.	ambiguous	004.	blanket	005.	breathe
006.	chunk	007.	clarion	008.	complication	009.	contemplation	010.	control
011.	copper	012.	corpus	013.	cramming	014.	crash	015.	creak
016.	crossroads	017.	daisy	018.	darkling	019.	dastardly	020.	deception
021.	deep	022.	delirium	023.	direction	024.	dodge	025.	dove
026.	downfall	027.	dream	028.	dry	029.	duckling	030.	dysfunctional
031.	echoes	032.	effervescent	033.	elegance	034.	elemental	035.	ennui
036.	evaluation	037.	evolution	038.	expendable	039.	expostulate	040.	exquisite
041.	fade	042.	false	043.	fate	044.	fermata	045.	fetch
046.	firm	047.	fizzy	048.	flame	049.	flight	050.	flower
051.	footsteps	052.	forsake	053.	fortitude	054.	game	055.	gestate
056.	handle	057.	harlequin	058.	harrier	059.	hat	060.	helmet
061.	hollow	062.	ice	063.	ignite	064.	illusion	065.	imprisonment
066.	incarnate	067.	intact	068.	intrigue	069.	isolation	070.	jelly
071.	journey	072.	justice	073.	knick-knack	074.	knock	075.	kindle
076.	kinship	077.	languish	078.	larrikin	079.	majestic	080.	manacles
081.	memories	082.	mercurial	083.	metamorphosis	084.	meticulous	085.	misguided
086.	monde	087.	nightmares	088.	oracle	089.	paintings	090.	patient
091.	pawn	092.	perseverance	093.	perception	094.	pillow	095.	portal
096.	practice	097.	prints	098.	promiscuous	099.	quaint	100.	quest
101.	quintessential	102.	regret	103.	rejuvenate	104.	relinquish	105.	renaissance
106.	requiem	107.	resonate	108.	resurrection	109.	revelation	110.	rivalry
111.	scream	112.	security	113.	slice	114.	sly	115.	smarmy
116.	smelt	117.	solitude	118.	spiral	119.	starflower	120.	stitch
121.	suffocate	122.	summoning	123.	sweet	124.	swish	125.	tenor
126.	tension	127.	third	128.	tick-tock	129.	toss	130.	traitor
131.	transcendence	132.	trite	133.	tube	134.	twilight	135.	ubiquitous
136.	unaccountable	137.	usurp	138.	vault	139.	venerable	140.	wanderlust
141.	wisdom	142.	xenophobia	143.	xerox	144.	x-ray	145.	youth
146.	zephyr	147.	zero	148.	zombie	149.	zone	150.	911

summerwrite May 2 : Story A: Pretear/Castlevania crossover

2008-05-03T04:45:26Z

Author's note: 129 words; and I have no idea where the fuck this goes in the timeline...but it's tempting me to work in the angst and drama chapter set i wrote like 2 or 3 weeks ago that i wasn't sure was going to be incorporated.

Sasame sat at the table. “Soma needs you I think, Mina. He’s in the library.”

Mina nodded, heading down the hall. “Soma?” she called from the doorway. When she got no reply, she entered the room. She found him laying on one of the old velour couches, holding an old portrait album on his knees. His hands traced a very old picture. She looked down at the picture caption Elisabetha Cronqvist. “…Mathias?” He raised his head slightly and she could see the dulled loneliness in the red eyes that looked back at her.

She looked down at the picture, “You miss Elizabetha? You do know you can cry now. No one’s holding you back from it.”

“I lost the ability to do that long ago.” came the stiff reply.

summerwrite Archive Post

2008-05-02T23:54:24Z

Post Contents

About the Author

ladybrighid3333, Emmy.
I'm a 20-year-old living in the Boston area. I am the oldest of 4 children...and probably the most 'out-there' in terms of belief and self-presentation online. (For example, much of how I describe myself is honestly every teenager's stereotype. I joke around with online friends and say i'm the "real life Mary Sue--only I don't have the perfect life.") I am currently majoring in Information Technology with a minor in East Asian Studies at Simmons College. If you want to know more about me personally, feel free to check out my central journal's profile(though I will be honest...that thing's NOT dial-up friendly) and if you'd like, add me there.

I'm a huge supporter of fandom and online roleplaying games and I've been on livejournal since February 2004. I work as a Quality Assurance[QA] Volunteer for Organization for Transformative Works(OTW) and make cosplay jewelry and props on the side.

Writingwise, I've been participating in NaNoWriMo since 2005(never won) and was one of the assistants to the founders of the newer NaNoEdMo group(again never won). I also participated in ScriptFrenzy in 2007(again didn't win).

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About SummerWrite

Summerwrite(summerwrite) is a NaNoWriMo-like challenge that asks for 150,000 words in 4 months from May 1 12:00:00am through August 31 11:59:59 pm. Like NaNoWriMo, the work must be pre-edit, though you can continue a previous work(just add on 150,000 new words.)

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SummerWrite Stats

...i seem to have lost words somewhere on my table here unless i keep adding wrong....:/ will just catch up and make the difference in adding later........might be one of my stupid "oops i deleted the equivalent of 100 words and saved" error again. -__-;

Word Count Per Day
Day #	Actual Date	Story 1 Wordcount	Story 2 Wordcount	Overall Daily Wordcount
1	May 1	0	0	0
2	May 2	129	0	129
3	May 3	459	0	459
4	May 4	0	0	0
5	May 5	0	0	0
6	May 6	0	0	0
7	May 7	0	0	0
8	May 8	236	0	236
9	May 9	294	0	294
10	May 10	60	0	60
11	May 11	254	0	254
12	May 12	0	0	0
13	May 13	276	0	276
14	May 14	1026	0	1026
15	May 15	454	0	454
16	May 16	0	0	0
17	May 17	0	0	0
18	May 18	131	0	131
19	May 19	0	0	0
20	May 20	0	1726	1726
21	May 21	0	0	0
22	May 22	0	0	0
23	May 23	0	0	0
24	May 24	0	0	0
25	May 25	0	228	228
26	May 26	0	0	0
27	May 27	0	0	0
28	May 28	0	0	0
29	May 29	0	0	0
30	May 30	0	0	0
31	May 31	0	0	0
32	June 1	0	0	0
33	June 2	0	0	0
34	June 3	0	0	0
35	June 4	0	0	0
36	June 5	0	0	0

prompts used from 125prompts overall.
Prompt No.	Word	Meaning	StoryLink
---	---	---	---

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Group Stats

Group 3 Fanfic
community: summer_fen
leader: candy__chan
members: apresmoi, blueniverse, candy__chan, catw00man, drewschic, fairness, gamera, hyphen_power, jacyevans, jenkinrocket, jupiter_star, ladybrighid3333, lissachicka, pyro_monkey17, rangersteph, selphish, zippitgood
Game Group Total Word Count: 40,024 WORDS
Game Word Count Day 1: 10,008 WORDS (9)
Game Word Count Day 2: 6,538 WORDS (6)
Game Word Count Day 3: 6,796 WORDS (6)
Game Word Count Day 4: 7,902 WORDS (5)
Game Word Count Day 5: 8,780 WORDS (6)

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My Stories

Story 1

Story 2

Title: Born into Light with a Curling Shadow: Some Things are Better Left Unsaid
Fandoms: Pretear & Castlevania
Total Word Count: 2033 words archived
Summerwrite Word Count: 3499 words

TOC

Title: Living Dreams and Precious Illusions
Fandoms: Kingdom Hearts & worldrefugees2
Total Word Count: 0 words archived
Summerwrite Word Count: 1954 words

TOC

story 1 excerpts written before summerwrite

story 2 excerpts written before summerwrite

Summary tease & Rough Outline(not counted in total word count)
Prologue
Working Through This
A History Lesson in Secrets
I Can't Fight Anymore

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Summary Teases & Outline(not counted toward total word count; no longer a valid summary)

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Story 1 summerwrite excerpts

Story 2 summerwrite excerpts

May 2
May 3: Renovations and Realizations

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Inspirations/Resources

Disclaimer for Story 1: I do not own Pretear or Castlevania. Pretear belongs to Junichi Satou, Kaori Naruse, ADV Manga, ADV Films, Odex, Geneon, and Kadokawa Shoten. Castlevania series belongs to Konami.

Disclaimer for Story 2: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Fantasia, Loveless, Naruto, YuGiOh! or worldrefugees2. Kingdom Hearts series belongs to Square(SquareEnix), Disney Interactive, Shinji Hashimoto, and Tetsuya Nomura. Fantasia is a modification of Fantastica a world in the book The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, which is referenced a lot. Disney is owned by Walt Disney. YuGiOh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Banzai,Comics House, Toei Animation, Studio Gallop. Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha, Shonen Jump, Viz, Studio Pierrot, Aniplex, Manga Entertainment. Loveless belongs to Yun Kouga, Ichijinsha, Monthly Comic Zero Sum, TokyoPop, Yuu Kou, J.C. Staff, ABC, TV Asashi and Media Blasters.Aeslyn Barakuro is a Naruto OC who belongs to a friend Matt(cloak_of_white). worldrefugees2 is the sequel of a nonprofit LiveJournal roleplaying game series called World Refugees created by lewdness which features real people self-inserted into Kingdom Hearts and Disney worlds.

Inspiration for Story 1:
"The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things that seem timeless when they are in your head to no more than living size when they are brought out. " - Stephen King
"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones." - Stephen King
"...Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." - Stephen King
“Time takes it all whether you want it to or not, time takes it all. Time bares it away, and in the end there is only darkness. Sometimes we find others in that darkness, and sometimes we lose them there again.” - Stephen King
"Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." - Saint Augustine
"Love is when you look into someones eyes,and see everything you need." - Kristen Kappel
"The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration." - Pearl S. Buck

Inspiration for Story 2:
songbird9's posts, and logs
"It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost." - Stephen King
"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones." - Stephen King
"Each life makes its own imitation of immortality." - Stephen King
“...Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win.” - Stephen King
“Time takes it all whether you want it to or not, time takes it all. Time bares it away, and in the end there is only darkness. Sometimes we find others in that darkness, and sometimes we lose them there again.” - Stephen King
"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." - Ernest Hemingway
“Moderation is the center wherein all philosophies, both human and divine, meet.” - Benjamin Disraeli

Listening To:

Quotes that keep me writing:
"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say." - Anaïs Nin
"Every writer I know has trouble writing." - Joseph Heller
"The first draft of anything is shit." - Ernest Hemingway

Resources
General:
Writertopia Word Meters
125prompts: prompt table

Story 1:
Accursed Fate by DezoPenguin - thanks to the wiki included below, i'm using this as 'canon' to make up for the lack of solid background for Mathias/Elisabetha's story
The Castlevania Dungeon
Castlevania Wiki
Matt's Soma (notquitedracula) & Yui's Mina (owns_soma)
Aria of Sorrow Game Script
Dawn of Sorrow Game Script
cv_fanfic for portrayals of the other characters as needed
Animeartbooks.net:Castlevania Artbooks Image gallery

Story 2:
songbird9's posts, and logs

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last updated June 6 11:21 AM EDT

kittys_writings @ 2008-04-04T13:52:00

2008-04-04T17:55:44Z

Title: I Can't Fight Anymore
Author: ladybrighid3333
Rating: PG-13 for implications
Fandoms: Pretear/Castlevania Sorrow arc crossover
Word Count: 452 words
Warnings: Zomg angst, also possibly implied suicidal ideation.
Notes: inspired by Missy Higgins’s song "Hold Me Tight"(lyrics)

Soma sighed again as Mina watched him from across the room. Lately he'd gotten much quieter. It didn’t look like he was sleeping well either. His face was always set into a persistent frown.

He sighed, standing up and handing Mina a small scrap of paper before leaving, the door banging behind him.

Unrolling the paper, she stared.

I love you... forgive me.

She stared. A little part of her was shocked at it. It hurt... Though she had to admit that it brought back plenty of other times Soma had chosen little ways to hurt her.

Was he giving up? The small sheet of paper was similar to others he'd been giving to her recently.

She tossed aside the paper and chased after him.

In the middle of the town square, she found him...and Sasame.

Both of them were wielding swords, though Sasame was leaning at a very odd angle with his sword crossed on the bottom-inside of Soma's.

"Soma!"

She stared at them both as Sasame kept his sword crossed with Soma's. "Tell her, Soma."

Sasame's voice was gentle but firm. It reminded Mina of her grandpa's voice when he'd taught Soma how to use a sword.

Soma's sword dropped to the ground with a clatter and she watched him turn. His eyes flickered to red before returning to blue. "I'm...I'm still Dracula." He looked away, refusing to meet her eyes.

She nodded, walking over and carefully turning his face toward hers so that she could see his eyes and know he heard her, "I know, Soma. And I believe in you."

When the eyes settled to red, Dracula cast an appraising gaze over her and she had to keep staring to prevent herself from shaking. She wouldn't say she wasn't scared of Dracula. That would be stupid. Dracula frowned before shrugging slightly, "Take care of him. Love made me lose faith in everything. Don't let him lose himself, like I did."

"I'll keep him safe." Dracula's smile widened revealing neat fangs before he faded back leaving her with a worn-out and blue-eyed Soma.

She wrapped her arms around Soma and he fell apart, "I don't want to fight anymore, Mina."

"You don't have to, Soma. Let us fight for you now. Let me fight now.”

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'm not going down without a fight. I'm not helpless, Soma. Plus, we have plenty of friends to save us, if we just ask."

She looked up over Soma's shoulder, "Right, Sasame?"

Sasame nodded, "That's a part of duty. Again, if you ever want someone to talk to Soma, listening is my specialty. Don't make another foolish mistake. There are people here who would do anything for you."

kittys_writings @ 2008-02-27T21:34:00

2008-02-28T03:47:52Z

Title: Working Through This
Author: Emmy, ladybrighid3333
Fandom(s): Pretear & Castlevania Sorrow arc
Challenge: 50episodes, Table 2, Prompt 50: Watching the Clock
Claim: Sasame from Pretear
Rating: G
Word Count: 392 words
Summary: [Crossover AU] A very interesting postcard triggers some not so happy memories for Sasame.
Warnings: emotional issues and triggers, angst, spoilers for Pretear and some subtext spoilers from the Sorrow arc of the Castlevania series.
Author's Note: An episode from a speculative epistolary crossover I'm thinking of writing...Mostly because Soma and Sasame have all too much in common and the Pretear universe's time period is super vague, so a crossover is eligible. x-posted to 50episodes, emmys_writings, kittys_writings and ladybrighid333

Another day at work. Sasame glanced from the clock to the start of his broadcast package. Time seemed to be ticking away all too slowly. He wanted to go home and talk with Takako, but recordings had to be done first.

He flipped the three postcards he had to cover for the show he was recording for the sixth time. The first two were the usual whimpering whines that he usually comforted involving relationship issues, the last while it dealt with the same usual topics surprised him every time he read it.

I have always struggled with the fact that I don't think when I'm thinking of her. I want to protect her. I don't want her to get hurt. She's my best friend.

I'm not fully good. I share my soul with a monster. I've made mistakes along those lines. I want to talk to her, but I don't want to ruin our friendship.

SC

Sasame stared at the words on the paper, holding back the sense of inescapable loneliness that came with it. It was almost as if someone had gotten into his own head. He had the same feelings over certain things that had happened in the past...The self-doubt was there and the second-guessing. Also the "this makes me a bad person doesn't it?" underlying theme. And the "I know what i want, but i can't do it" issue. The friendship versus love issue... The writer who had sent in the postcard seemed to have touched upon everything the Knight had had to work through alone. While he'd been through it already, the memories were still very fresh in his mind in spite of being forgiven.

He loved Takako. He'd loved her when he'd met her. He'd loved her while she adored Hayate. He'd loved her while they chased her to seal her away. He'd loved her when she was sealed away like a statue. He'd loved her through her days of being a villain and he'd actually turned into a monster FOR her. He'd never expected Mawata to forgive him for breaking her heart in such a outright manner. he'd never expected Hayate to forgive him for breaking the Leafe Knight's unspoken Code of Honor by betraying them all.

He glanced at the clock again before forcing himself to start working on his speech notes for the recordings.

random muse babblings on the lunar eclipse edited slightly

2008-02-21T05:58:37Z

I'm guessing this is Matt's Aeslyn being blendy and channeled through my Betony muse, given the writing sounds like Betony, but a good portion of the concepts all seem to indicate some ninja.

My hands are frozen, but I'm so happy. There's something amazing about watching a lunar eclipse and a deep midnight blue sky while the trees reach up to heaven. Dark vines against a dark sky, it sends shivers down my spine. It's eerie. It would be even prettier if we didn't have city lights, but it's not bad. The sense of being one with the world is really present here. After a long painful day like today, it's especially redeeming. When human company fails, nature's company remains. There's a balance in this small camp, this residence campus. It's a home, but even more its like an oaisis of a village. A small piece of calm in an otherwise noisy, busy urban center. There's the sense of being earthmelded, feeling as if I could just melt into the ground and breathe with the earth. It's a powerful sense of completion, not submission tonight. A time for going back and making things right. Renewal. Another moment like this won't happen for a while.

There's beauty in the darkness and the smallest light. It's worth every second of freezing my hands off.

Non-Kink Fic Request Post

2008-02-21T01:59:55Z

I'm taking fic requests.

I primarily write the following fanfic genres:
Gen
Epistolary stories
fluffy romance
and Angst

My current active fandoms are (in no particular order):
Loveless
Pretear
Princess Tutu
Phoenix Wright
Castlevania: Sorrow Series
YuGiOh! --primarily Bakura-centric fic
PaixaoRPG (any retelling of rp canon you'd like)
PaixaoCRACK (any retelling of rp crack you'd like as long as i have a log of it)

kittys_writings @ 2008-02-14T19:41:00

2008-02-15T00:49:35Z

Title: Happily Ever After
Author: Emmy, ladybrighid3333
Beta: n/a
Fandom: Castlevania: Sorrow Arc
Playlist: Different Now But Still The Same
Song: George - "Breathe in Now"
Claim: Soma/Mina
Wordcount: 283
Characters: Soma/Mina, mentions of Arikado, Hammer, and Co.
Notes:a cliche fic inspired by a fic a friend wrote for another fandom, an rp thread, George's "Breathe in Now", and lots of thought. Also a V-Day gift for Matt & Yui~ x-posted to kittys_writings, cv_fanfic, 30randomkisses(Prompt 30 Den), mix_n_make, and emmys_writings

Soma stood by the window, the light of the sunset was gone now, making his shadow disappear into the shadow of the window curtains. Soma looked down at the ring on his finger, frowning as he mentally traced the labyrinth of the celtic knots on the band. He hadn't expected things to follow through this fast. He also hadn't expected the victorious and cheerful clapping and whistling from Hammer and Arikado and the rest the day he'd given Mina an engagement ring. Everything had changed, and yet everything had stayed the same. He was still with his childhood friend. That was what made him smile, finally.

Mina managed a small secretive smile at her own ring before looking over at Soma, watching the frown on her boyfriend's face melt into the familiar smile she was used to. Things were official now between them, much to the amusement of Yoko, Arikado, Julius and Hammer. It seemed as if they really had known when Soma had survived hell a second time.

"Soma?"

He glanced over at her, "Mm?"

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Just grateful for having you."

"Me too. I'm glad you're okay."

Soma's smile brightened as he walked over to sit down next to her on the loveseat. Slipping his hand in hers as they sat together in the den, things just felt right again. In her presence, it really didn't matter what had changed and what hadn't. It made him happy just to be with Mina. "You've always been there for me. You've helped me. Thank you." He smiled, shifting slightly, pulling Mina into a gentle kiss. When they drew apart, the two of them were both blushing and smiling.

"I love you."

paixaocrack: What's Wrong With You?

2008-01-29T23:52:25Z

Title: What's Wrong With You?
Author: ladybrighid3333
Fandom: paixaocrack crossover(Castlevania Sorrow Arc and Prétear)
Disclaimer: I don't own the sentienthouse(sentienthouse), Hayate from Prétear or Soma Cruz from Castlevania Sorrow Arc
Rating: G
Word Count: 353 words
Setting: paixaocrack: Evening sometime post-Truth Potion
Summary: Hayate & Soma discuss Mina and Hayate gets a bit philosophical. :o

Hayate and Soma stood on the penthouse garden of the hotel overlooking the city as the painted smiling sun set and the mystically painted moon rose. The azure-eyed wind knight was at the point where he was sick of the reincarnate Dracula staring at the wall in the lobby incapable of saying anything truly worthwhile when in company.

“You’re Soma and Dracula. We established that months ago. I don’t see how you can stay stuck on something so trivial. She doesn’t seem to care about it, why do you linger on that fact?”

“…You weren’t there....” The white-haired young man’s eyes broke away from the knight’s gaze and turned to look over the city.

“No, I wasn’t. If you don’t tell me why you hesitate, it’s not going to help matters. I’m trying to help.” Hayate stared out over the city, following the other's gaze. I wish Sasame was here...He’d know what to do…He’s good at this. I’ve never been good at reading people or talking like this.

“I learned everything in the Master’s Chamber at Dracula’s Castle...His power is in my soul. But, an evil spirit came into me the whole while I was at the castle, knowing I was the one who would be Dracula. I…It changed me when I learned everything. I talked to her…She was scared of me.”

The Wind Knight gave Soma a nod of both encouragement and acknowledgement, “And?”

“I…” Soma paused, looking more toward his feet, “I asked her if she’d still like me if I changed. She said she might not…and repeatedly said she was scared of the look in my eyes.”

Hayate gave a small smile to Soma, “Everyone is scared when something familiar changes. We don’t want to give up on the memories of that past perfection. The times when we didn’t know things.”

Soma was quiet and the knight continued, “However, I think you’ve both grown from that point in time. She still hasn’t left you yet, has she? That says something about the kind of girl she is, Soma."

"But…"

"There shouldn’t be a ‘but’ in it, Soma. You both deserve to be happy. She does make you happy, doesn’t she?"

kittys_writings @ 2008-01-27T16:09:00

2008-01-27T21:09:58Z

Title: The Gift Exchange
To: sylphid for soeur_system/gardenofmaidens Secret Santa
Author: Rosa Ausbloom en Bouton(ladybrighid3333)
Disclaimer: I don't own Marimite. :(
Rating: G(oddly enough, I managed to make a Sei fic G-rating! How odd is that?)
Pairing: Sei/Shimako with a small mention of Sei/Yumi
Summary: Sei forgets all about Christmas presents, but gives one of the best gifts of all to Shimako.
Notes: uh, this is my first time writing Sei/Shimako? ^_^ I like firsts.
x-posted to talesoflillian and gardenofmaidens

Shimako sat in the meeting room with a silver-wrapped package tied in a blue bow. Looking around at the other Roses, she was glad she wasn't the only one waiting for a member of the Yamayuriaki to show up. Eventually, a tousled-looking Sei ran into the room with Yumi close behind. Yumi's cheeks were rosy. Shimako was both unsurprised and a little jealous. She held out her gift to her Oneesama as soon as she was seated. Sei opened the package and stared at the tin of homemade goodies, suddenly realizing what was going on.

She made a big show of digging through her school bag for a non-existent Christmas present. Looking up she said, "Crap. I left it in the dorm..." Taking Shimako's hand, she dragged her out of the meeting room.

Soon as they were outside, Shimako could only realize one thing--they were heading the wrong way.

"Oneesama! We're going to wrong way."

Sei shook her head, "Just trust me."

Letting go of Rosa Gigantea en Bouton's hand, she began to stray from the neatly shoveled path. "Follow... And watch your step. It's a bit slippery."

Sei smiled, stopping in the middle of a bunch of trees. "Look around at all this. I found it this morning..."

The icicles hung from the trees and the bench nearby was coated in frost.

Shimako smiled, looking at all the amazing designs in the snow. Sei grinned, the trees had been untouched, although the ground was now covered in tracks from three different people.

"I had Yumi come with me this morning to see this. I wanted a second opinion about whether or not you'd like this."

Shimako grinned, "It's perfect. Thank you!"

Sei smiled, "You're welcome."

Sei walked closer to her bouton with a gentle smile and embraced her. "Merry Christmas, Shimako-chan."

Temptation Fruit

2008-01-04T04:13:10Z

ELH Summer2002, inspired by The Golden Compass series by Philip Pullman

Temptation Fruit
The Temptation--
Mother-Eve,
That fruit you ate--
The deep-read fruit--
Father-Adam,
Heart-shaped--
Was it not?

Not really an Apple,
But something more--
A Feeling -- A Wish--
Forever to be --
Forever Knowing --
Together--at last,
And Forever more

To know the Feeling,
The Desire
To feel the Other's Heart
Within your Own
A silent understanding

The little serpent--
That Dark creature--
Devil's Temptation presents
This beautiful Gift
A lifetime together
However, short, it may be

Disobedience--
A Key, a Knife
A little notch--
One small Bite
All it took
For Both to fall

Next time--
A new outcome
Forever to stay
Apart, but still One
Past Knowledge
Future Understanding
Merge as One
A new Republic -- made and begun--

A new beginning
Once again
Heart-wrenching Distress
A sweet Awakening
Deep within
The World anew
Without a Fault

kittys_writings @ 2008-01-03T22:29:00

2008-01-04T03:29:22Z

Title: Merry Christmas Morn
Author: ladybrighid3333
Fandom: paixaocrack, Naruto, YuGiOh, Castlevania, FMA
Characters: Bakura, Aeslyn, Zetsu, Deidara, Naruto, Tobi, Soma, Mina, and a mention of Nina
Summary: Christmas morning in the crack hotel! :o
Rating: G
Warnings: has the starting tracings of sugary fluff :D
Word Count: 280 words
Author's Note: This is what happens when I have too many muses and not enough time to write a full story. XD You get a scene clip! Happy Holidays, Matt, Infy, Mel, Yui, and Hati.

Bakura woke to find a little girl curled up beside him on his usual chair in the corner of the hotel lobby. He smiled down at the little rose minja he'd adopted as a little sister when she'd come back to the house a few months back.

He glanced around the room. Zetsu was sitting on the floor, wrapped up in strings of colored lights and popcorn surrounded by boxes upon boxes of presents. (So Deidara HAD convinced the plantlike nin to be the Christmas tree somehow.) Deidara and Naruto were beside Zetsu, laughing--both wearing Santa hats and Deidara wearing a remodeled Akatsuki cloak--a deep forest green with little red miniature sleighs in place of clouds.

Tobi was fast asleep on the floor, twisted at a very odd angle-- though not all that unusual for a puppet-- and Deidara had apparently replaced the puppet-ninja's mask with a red and white one. (Bakura thought it resembled a peppermint in amusement.)

Soma and Mina sat on the couch by the fireplace--Soma was all dressed up in red and white. Rather obviously Soma was playing Santa for Nina and the other kids. Mina was wearing her usual miko attire, and had a sprig of holly tucked in her hair clip.

Looking around the room, the white-haired artist noticed the mistletoe. He laughed, it would certainly make walking a dance.

After doublechecking to make sure there was no mistletoe over his and Aes's head, he turned to wake his "little sister."

With a wide grin, the white-haired boy smiled at her as she awoke, "Merry Christmas, Aes."

For Bakura, this was the best present he could have gotten. Thank you, House.

kittys_writings @ 2007-12-28T17:57:00

2007-12-28T22:58:55Z

Title: Moving Day
Author: ladybrighid3333
Word Count: 702 words
Rating: PG
Characters: Hayate, Bakura
Fandom: Pretear, paixaocrack, Naruto, YuGiOh!
Summary: The backstory to the doll Bakura gave Aeslyn for Christmas, and some of the backstory for the shift from Red Rose Mansion to the hotel in the crack-timeline.

"What are you doing?" Bakura stared at Hayate holding the full well-worn travel bag from the labyrinth as he packed as much as he could from what had been older!Aes and Zetsu's stash of herbs, tea and rose wine from the area near the bar into another pack.

Hayate gave a half-hearted smile at the white-haired boy, "Zetsu announced we're moving. There's too many bad memories here after the labyrinth. He's already taken the little ones to the hotel the ninjas bought out. I said I'd bring anyone who remained behind to the correct place, after I finished packing what looked useful." Bakura poked around in the corner, finding a bag with lots of fabric and under it, a rather depressed seeming doll with a blank glass-eyed stare, a noose tied around its neck. Blinking back tears, the white-haired boy tucked the fabric bag into his journal's bag and carefully untied the noose, cuddling the sad doll in his arms like a baby.

Hayate frowned, recognizing the doll with a gray-ish kimono immediately as Bakura untied the rope around its neck. Why the hell hadn't he noticed that in the corner? "You miss the Aes we knew, don't you?"

Bakura gave a slight nod, "I want to promise the Aes we have now that it won't happen again. Never."

Hayate shook his head, "You shouldn't make promises we can't keep. Aeslyn had...been through a lot, Bakura. Our current Aes probably went through something similar."

Bakura shook his head, "The Aes we have now is...different and not just because she's younger. Even the Voice recognizes her as different. I can't tell you how or why, but she is."

Hayate nodded, "What do you plan on doing with the doll?"

Bakura smiled, "I'm going to make the doll happy...eventually, it'll be a doll for her. A symbol of the family she has with us....That's what she needs. A family."

Hayate smiled down, at the white-haired boy. "A family? You sure?"

Bakura nodded, "Those nightmares the first few nights after the labyrinth? Something in them triggered the voice to something too...He pulled a memory of his own from her cries and gave me a nightmare of his own a few days later..." Bakura trailed off, looking down at the doll and then changing the subject, "What did Zetsu tell you about Aes?"

Hayate sighed, "Come on, I'll tell you as we walk."

Hayate sighed, as they walked, giving Bakura the shorter version of the explanation Zetsu had given him of the older!Aes's crazed end.

"Aeslyn, murdered her village at the age of ten. Zetsu found her the only one alive, surrounded by roses, dead vines and bodies. The villagers voices are inside her. The fear and rage of many generations. For a small girl, she'd been through a lot at ten."

Bakura sighed, "If I understand what happened with the voice in the nightmare he passed to me, his experience was in reverse. He witnessed the murder of his village, Kul Elna."

Hayate sighed, "I wish there didn't have to be so much violence in our worlds. Someday. For now, we live with what we have."

Bakura nodded, "Some day. For now, we make do with what we can. We change things. We think of..the present."

Hayate nodded, "Now really, What do you plan on doing with the doll?"

Bakura smiled, "First, I'm going to give it a bath. Then I'm going to repaint its face. Then I'll give it new clothes. Then I'm just going to take care of it for a while, just like I did for our Aes... The doll itself is well-loved. I think it just needs a new face--a new view of life. I'll give it to Aes when I think she's ready for it."

Hayate nodded to Bakura, looking down at him. "And here we are. Go on, run to find your own room. I'll meet you back down in the lobby."

Hayate watched as Bakura ran off at his instruction, still hugging the doll. Hayate knew the doll would get a better life under Bakura's care, just like anything else would. Bakura cared so much about keeping others safe, at risk of his own happiness.

The End.

Even if you're not around, You're still in my life tonight

2007-10-30T22:09:59Z

Title: Pumpkin Carving and Memories
Author: ladybrighid3333
Fandom: paixaocrack crossover(Naruto, Naruto OC, Prétear, YuGiOh)
Disclaimer: I don't own the sentienthouse(sentienthouse), Hayate from Prétear, Bakura Ryou from YuGiOh!, Zetsu and Deidara from Naruto, or Aeslyn(rose_minja).
Rating: PG—small dose of angst, mini dose of humor, and a lot of thought
Word Count: 475 words
Setting: paixaocrack: Post-crack-hell labyrinth, back at the Surface-House
Summary: Bakura and Hayate talk about the reasons for jack-o-lanterns while making a memorial to a certain someone.
Inspiration: "Even if you're not around,
You're still in my life tonight"
-Tremolo, "I Believe (Love is the Greatest Revenge)"
Challenge: tweetyiscool29's Lyrical Lit Challenge 2007,
"When it gets cold,
And it feels like the end
There's no place to go"
-Avril Lavigne, "Keep Holding On"

Hayate watched as Bakura tackled gutting the pumpkin so that they could make a jack-o-lantern. "Why are we doing this?"

Bakura smiled as he continued pulling out the insides of the pumpkin, "Because when you put a candle inside, it lights the way so that the spirits of loved ones can come home. It shows that you remember them."

Hayate nodded, looking over at the couch, where Zetsu was cuddled up with Deidara, "I hope Zetsu isn't going to be mad that we're mutilating a plant in memory of his niece."

Bakura paused, as he finished pulling out the last of the mess from the inside of the pumpkin, meeting Hayate's glance before looking down at the sheet of paper on the table in front of them that had the profiled outline of a singular rose not quite in bloom, surrounded by cupped leaves or vines. "I think he'll let it go for once, given the circumstances."

Hayate nodded, closing his eyes. That whole labyrinth had been a walk through hell. That level, one of the worst, in spite of the shortness of the path. It made him cold, thinking back on it. He did regret the fact that he probably could have saved her, if he'd climbed the vines earlier…. If it hadn't been such a fast, intense battle, if there had just been a little more time…. If he'd thought to interrupt Hidan's ritual.....It made him feel like he had been pushed up against the wall and held there, incapable of doing anything except watching. Though now that it was over, he'd been able to at least partially forgive himself for his 'failure.'

Hearing Aeslyn's story had given him a bit of a pause—he'd asked Zetsu about it after they'd gotten out of the labyrinth. It seemed like what had happened had been a long time coming, as unfortunate as that was. The young rose minja had been through a lot at a very young age, though that didn't seem unusual given the vague stories he’d heard from all the ninjas he'd met so far in the city. Lost in the thoughts, the knight was only brought back when the pumpkin was pressed into his hands.

Bakura sighed, watching Hayate lose himself after his nod, flipping the pumpkin onto its side and sketching the outlined rose and vines with a permanent marker. When he'd finished, he pressed the pumpkin into Hayate's hands, who took the knife and carefully carved the pattern.

When they were finished, Bakura sat it on the table by the window with the other jack-o-lanterns. Hayate carefully placed the tealight candle and rested the lid on top, watching as it cast its own creepy light on the wall, the dancing flame making the vines seem to dance.

He looked down at Bakura, "I think she’d be pleased with us."

RPG character sketch/future post maybe?: Hayate from paixaorpg

2007-01-24T03:13:33Z

Hayate ran toward Himeno. He knew she'd probably react with a punch that he was starting to find a...tradition, in some sense of the word.

Allowing one's self to be quite literally knocked off one's feet for a romantic interest is a rather unorthodox method of professing one's affection for someone else, but Hayate did know he probably couldn't get his act together easily enough to express it otherwise. And besides the point, anything was well worth knowing she was safe.

He slowed when he saw the pink flipped hair amid the sea of blondes--Tulip Head, the Pretear he had found on his own. The wind swept the glittering packed dirt and cobblestone road lined in leafe-less flowers, trees and grass. "Himeno!"

As he neared the Pretear, he didn't quite smile, but instead said, "I'm glad you are safe."

YGO Fanfiction: Forever Yours: Angst

2006-09-27T17:46:39Z

Forever Yours

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, Anna and Anaka owned by Kendra Yuy, or “To Where You Are” sung by Josh Groban.

Dedication: To nataku_savur, who still sticks by me, even if I do keep killing off or injuring her favorite character. She’s one of the best, no matter how much she denies it. And to those who have loved and lost. And to those who still search, hope, and dream for love to come. Brightest blessings to you all.

Summary: Seto Kaiba deathfic-songfic. ONE SHOT Anna thinks about her husband's death and something happens. She learns that even though someone is gone forever their love still remains where one can find it.

Rating: T

Notes: OOC-ness (out-of-character-ness) is my forte. Anna’s eyes change color. Usually from a grayish blue, to dark blue, to a dark blue-green, then to an almost ocean-green. They are naturally blue. They will usually change if (a) she doesn’t feel well, (b) she’s really tired, or (c) there are other reasons that would take too long to list here. Yami is Yami Yugi.

###story border#### ::Location/Date/Time change (and I don’t mean Daylight Savings Time)::

(translation or A/Ns) /thoughts and Anna to Anaka mindlink/ //Anaka to Anna mindlink// ~lyrics~

::Kaiba Mansion, Domino City, Japan/November 27, 2022/Night (about nine or ten o’clock)::

Anna sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through the pages of the family Bible. She sighed. This Bible had not been used much. It had sat as a decoration and a record of events. There were so many things she had wanted to tell Seto. And so many things she had wanted to teach him, but it was too late now. He was gone and he wasn’t coming back. She flipped to the section of the Bible with the family records in it. She looked down at the date, or more so, at the year: 2011. /Eleven years./ “Eleven years…” she whispered to herself, “We were married only eleven years… To some people, that isn’t very long. To me, it was a lifetime. It’s hard to let go of someone you love. I can’t seem to say good-bye. I know he’s gone. I know he won’t come back. But there’s this longing inside of me. I’d wait forever for him to return. It’s like another long business trip. Like the one over the summer where he went to Paris and then to America before he came home. I expect him back any day now. I’m never going to forget him. I love him too much to forget. He just couldn’t see how much. He was blind and unwilling. He could only trust himself. But I was blind, too. If I had known what was going on, he might still be here today. It wouldn’t have happened.” She put the Bible down behind her, beginning a little mental debate with herself, listing all the things he had to live for and the things she had learned he had died for. /He had me, Mokuba, a thriving business, friends…All beneficial things. Then, on the downside, he had an abusive stepfather that he murdered, a perfectionist nature, a lack of patience and self-control, and a lust for money and power./

Anna stood up and looked out the window as she turned on her CD player to a song that fit her mood. The piano music was soft enough to fit the evening as she thought about everything, but the lyrics fit her longing thoughts for her deceased husband. Josh Groban had been her favorite singer since high school and his strong vocal gave voice to her memories and thoughts about her husband’s lingering spirit.

~Who can say for certain

Maybe you’re still here

I feel you all around me

Your memory’s so clear~

“If I still can’t figure out why, at least I do know that he’s with me in spirit. I can feel that much.” She fingered her curly raven hair as she began to unpin and unbraid the French Cascading Crown Anaka had made in her hair. She smiled, laughing a little as she remembered Yugi jokingly calling her Rapunzel because her hair was so long. “My hair is long, but that’s my preference. It looks better long, even if I do complain.”

She thought she heard Seto’s voice. She shook her head. “I know he’s dead. The carpet in the study is a testimony to his death. I can’t bear to think of the study anymore…” She gave a mental wince as her eyes closed and she saw the scene she had witnessed of her husband’s suicide all over again. “We were young. And learning and he decides spontaneously that he’s a failure. It wasn’t true. Everyone tried desperately to beat it in his head that he was a good person overall. He was already blind. The doctors said it could have been a battle with depression for many years…But still, I love him. He’s mine and he always will be.”

~Deep in the stillness

I can hear you speak

You’re still an inspiration

Can it be

That you are mine

Forever love

And you are watching over me from up above~

She thought she heard her husband’s voice again and heard movement behind her. She spun around. “Oh, it’s you.”

Anaka stood in the doorway, “Are you all right, my light? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You do know you’ve been talking to yourself?”

She laughed, “Yes, Anaka. I do know that I’ve been talking to myself. That way I don’t have to worry about you interrupting my thoughts.”

She went back to her thoughts, mentally this time. /I wish…/

//What do you wish, hikari?//

/I wish I could see him once more…/ Anna looked up slowly, getting out of the dazed state of mind-speech with her yami.

Anaka smiled at her, “Maybe you can. He’s in your heart, and in your head. And he could come in dreams if you believe he can.”

Anna looked away, “It’s not the same.”

~Fly me up to where you are

Beyond the distant star

I wish upon tonight

To see you smile

If only for awhile

To know you’re there

A breath away’s not far

To where you are~

Anna went back to the bed and picked up the Bible, carefully carrying it to its place on the bookshelf.

Anaka smiled, “Goodnight, my light. You should get to bed soon, too.” Anaka opened the door to her room across the hall.

::Later::

Anna sat up in bed, thinking and waiting as she saw the moonlight seem to sparkle oddly on the floor. Sort of like one would expect pixie dust from Peter Pan to look like. For a moment, she thought she saw a pair of black wings outlined in silver. She blinked. The wings were still there.

“An…angel?”

The black-winged creature turned and gave her a curt nod. “Do you forget me already, Anna?”

Familiar short brown hair, cold blue eyes, and a suave smile looked her over with a calculating glance, willing her to remember. The way the angel held himself was tight and graceful and rather businesslike. She spoke hesitantly as countless memories flooded over her, “Seto?”

“The very same, my Grace.”

She smiled to herself. Grace had been Seto’s nickname for her when he was being nice. She shook her head. This had to be a dream. He couldn’t come back. Angels didn’t just visit people on a whim. “But, it’s impossible!”

Seto smiled, his deep ocean-blue eyes laughing at her the way they used to. “Anything is possible when you believe it.”

She looked down, away from her beloved angel, “Then why didn’t you realize that about life?”

The angel slid to the floor, his wings folding gently against his back so he could sit against the edge of the bed. “I did not see that until it was too late…I’m sorry…”

~Are you gently sleeping

Here inside my dream

And isn’t faith believing

All power can’t be seen

As my heart holds you

Just one beat away

I cherish all you gave me everyday

’Cause you are mine

Forever love

Watching me from up above~

Anna smiled, brushing hair out of her face, “I’ll forgive you. But why? Mokuba and I were lonely without you.”

Seto frowned, “My life was a living hell. I didn’t care anymore. I wanted to get out. I didn’t think of anyone else. I know I’m selfish…”

Anna’s emerald eyes filled with tears, “I loved you. I still do. You know that, don’t you?”

Seto nodded again. “I said I was sorry… And that I didn’t think. I didn’t mean to hurt you… I didn’t mean to do that at all…”

Anna closed her eyes, slowly opening them again. /I thought angels had white wings. His are black and silver./

Her angel stood up slowly, turning to her. “You’re wondering about the wings, aren’t you?”

She nodded, “Yeah… You read my mind.”

He laughed, “I read your eyes, actually. The way we used to read your poker face.”

She blushed. Everyone always read her eyes to figure out her real thoughts when they knew her well. As her friend, Karen, put it, ‘Your eyes are a lot like windows. They show the world you see.’ She frowned, looking at her angel. “Why are your wings black and silver anyway?”

He smiled, “Black wings for a not-so-perfect angel. An Angel of the Night, to be exact. And contrary to common belief, we aren’t fallen angels. I’m not a demon. The title just means I have more shadow qualities than your typical angel and that I am one of the few guardians that preside over change in its more dramatic forms. The silver lining represents that we are spirits of luck and chance and that we hold the silver lining on the seemingly hopeless battles of life.”

~And I believe

That angels breathe

And that love will live on and never leave~

Anna looked at the clock, yawning. It was getting late. It was almost eleven-thirty. Anaka had gone to bed at about ten.

Seto smiled, following her gaze. “Goodnight, love. I’ll be watching you. You should get to bed soon.” He kissed her goodnight and faded back into the moonlight the way he had come.

::Next Day::

Anna woke up to the typical early morning bustle of the KaibaCorp Mansion-Offices. Anaka was already in the corner of the room, working on the blue and gold wall hanging on the loom. KaibaCorp was finally opening its doors to businesswomen instead just having women as maidservants and the employees’ wives. Mokuba had decided that KaibaCorp needed educated women to have roles in the development of new virtual reality games he wanted to create. Mokuba had extended the doors to American women, in particular. This was a very different approach in comparison to the other big businesses that were beginning to welcome women in Domino City. Anna looked at the sunny city street for a moment before going back to her thoughts about KaibaCorp. Seto had always been the conservative type about women and the business world. Everyone knows the traditional view is that men are the ones who make money and women make the home. She had taught Seto a bit about women being both independent and motherly figures. The tapestry they were making was beautiful. The blue was Seto’s color. A memorial, in a way. The gold was the new light shining through the windows as they opened doors and windows to the rest of the world as the young Kaiba family continued changing KaibaCorp to a family-friendly environment. (A/N: Before Seto and Mokuba became the two head officers of KaibaCorp, it was a military base and training camp. That’s why I say ‘family-friendly.’) Anaka believed the tapestry would add color to the dull decorations of the den. Anna smiled to herself. The den had been bare since their high school years because it tended to be the site of pillow fights between Yugi, Seto, Yami, and Mokuba.

Anaka looked up from her work on the loom. “Good morning, Anna. Sleep well?”

Anna nodded, “Yeah… I had the strangest dream. Seto came to me as an angel…”

“See, I told you he could come in your dreams if you believed he could.”

Anna smiled as she began to make the bed. She saw a glitter in one of the folds of the blanket. She pulled out the sparkly object. A black and silver feather… /Or maybe, it wasn’t a dream at all…/

Anaka saw her holding up the feather to the sun. “Where’d you get that feather? It’s pretty.”

Anna smiled secretly to herself, her blue-gray eyes revealing a little glimmer of faith and satisfaction. “Just a friend who’s watching over me always…” She went to the bookshelf and pulled out her scrapbook. Opening to the page with her white rose from her high school formal, she tucked the feather beside it.

“Thank you and God bless you, Seto,” she whispered softly.

~Fly me up to where you are

Beyond the distant star

I wish upon tonight

To see you smile

If only for awhile

To know you’re there

A breath away’s not far

To where you are

I know you’re there

A breath away’s not far

To where you are~

########################### Owari#######################################

Daughters of Mother Earth

2006-09-25T05:23:52Z

Daughters of Mother Earth
By Koneko
Me: Well, this is certainly a turning point…I’m doing an original work! *laughs* An accomplishment, I must say! *looking at the page amount* I guess I can’t help writing too much! Next year, however, I shall have a real epic in 3 sections w/ a cute partner who may carry on my evil habits after I’ve graduated. Some people will get my joke about the title. In addition, I have to thank some people. Especially my Moonlight and Magick group friends, who have been kind enough to allow me to make my bonfire scene based off their Ostara bonfire format. *hugs sylvermagic, a.k.a. ladydruantia, the group leader*
Before I begin, I’ll identify the characters as it’s a little unclear as many of them have several names they go by: one everyday name, one magickal name and a nickname.
Cleopatra: aka Rabiah and Cleo, she is one of Diana’s friends and she worships the Egyptian gods and goddesses in her heritage as an Egyptian Wicca.
Diana: aka Myst, she is a Druid and she is rather sensitive about what she believes in.
Vivienne: aka Viv and Lucia, she is an eclectic pagan and she combines a few different beliefs
Kali: a Catholic girl who is friends with Cleopatra, Diana and Vivienne
Catrina: one of Diana’s cousins, who is married and taught Diana about Druidry, she is Diana’s teacher and friend.
Gwen: Gwen is a very open student in Diana’s English and Gym class. Her mother’s a nurse and her father’s a vet and she knows a lot of remedies from her mother.
Ms. Clark: Diana, Cleo, Kali and Gwen’s English teacher
Sterling: Catrina’s husband, he is also a Druid and teaches Diana, he plays a flute made of elder wood, one of many sacred trees

“The goddess…is a brilliant being. One who can love man and forgive his mistakes.”— Vice in Terra by Soome Lee

“Be merciful, just as also your father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” —Jesus in The Gospel According to Luke 6:36-37
*********************************88
::Sunday, March 14, 2004::
~Cleopatra POV~
If there is one thing I do not like about school, it has to be the teasing. Diana, Vivienne and I are eclectic pagans. Diana focuses mostly on Druidry. Vivienne has a mix of many different religions, greater than I can count or name and I lean more toward Egyptian Wicca. We are friends and have formed a group of pagan sisters so we can enjoy the holidays together. We refuse to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which is this Wednesday, just because we are pagan. Those who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day are celebrating the fact that he drove the snakes off the shores of Ireland. We all know there are no snakes in Ireland. The “snakes” is a Christian reference to pagans. So thus, it is telling us that he drove the PAGANS off the shores of Ireland. Few pagans escaped alive. So that’s why we protest St. Patrick’s Day. We are all going to being wearing some kind of Anti-Saint Patrick’s Day objects with our uniforms. I’m wearing my snake armlet around my wrist. Vivienne is going to be wearing her black headband and bracelet and choker set, and Diana said she was going to wear her green stone pendant with the black snake engraving, which I find a laugh because it is virtually mocking the holiday itself. The necklace puts the emphasis on the snake due to the stone’s shape and such. Diana got it as a souvenir from the same shop Vivienne got her Native American drum. (A/N: No offense to the Irish, the Christian, or anyone else who celebrates St. Pat’s, but this is TRUE. That’s why we have St. Patrick’s Day at all. Just because St. Patrick happened to end many of the pagan activities in Ireland. And wearing black or some kind of snake or serpent is considered Anti-St. Patrick’s Day.)
We are occasionally bombarded with “Convert-Everyone-To-Christianity” syndrome at school. It’s not that I hate Christianity. Kali is Catholic and she’s one of my close friends. I just don’t like the idea that so many people still believe that witches are evil, green, cackle and always wear black robes. And that those believers in that nonsense think of pagans as terrible people. We are ordinary people. We don’t fly brooms, though we love to pretend to do that. The broom is just a cleanser and a reminder of fertility. We cannot get away with everything with a touch of magic and the wave of a wand. We cannot make someone fall in love with us. We are not better. We are all about choices. We try to do what is right based on the circumstances and the consequences. We have an ethics code, but it is always up for personal interpretation. There are always choices and we are also very open about almost anything. Though, of course, each of us have our own individual preferences.
Ostara’s coming up soon…I wonder if we’ll have a bonfire. It’ll be fun if we do! And if we do have a bonfire that means Diana’s cousin Catrina will come.
::Monday, March 15, 2004::
~Diana POV~
Our teacher was recapping last weeks’ classes so we’d be prepared for the test on The Crucible once we finished acting it out. Usually there are a few snickers about witches and pagans and how we have a few in our class, myself included. But today the snickering and snide remarks took their toll on me. I had explained the difference between that time period witchcraft and modern Wicca. And it pained me when someone said, ‘Of course she knows. She’s one of them.’ And then when we volunteered for parts, people kept saying I volunteered for the accused. I wanted to cry…I just focused on following along with the class, but not looking at our actresses. I remember Kali asking me why I hadn’t made friends right away during freshman year. I remember how I had explained my religious dilemma and how I’m always afraid how people will look at me. I’m very sensitive about stuff like that. I’m more of a teacher’s pet than anything else. I get good grades, pay attention and respect the teacher.
The only way I had met Cleo, Kali and Vivienne was that one day I had been upset after a class that I hadn’t done so well in and I had recited one of the first chants I had learned from Catrina when I had been stressed over some test in eighth grade. It’s very calming and has a good strengthening rhythm. Cleo had heard me and quietly picked up on the words, reciting them back to me and she fell into the rhythm of the chant. I don’t know why, but I immediately connected to these three girls. Kali had been a bit upset when I told them about my religion. She said she wouldn’t be able to invite me over because her parents don’t approve, though she said religion didn’t matter to her. I shrugged and told her it was okay. Cleo and Viv were happy because they had interests in religions similar to mine. I was pleased to have people who wouldn’t scold me for my beliefs. And Vivienne and Kali introduced me to their theology teacher, who is friends with a Wiccan. I remember Vivienne asking me the difference between Wicca and Druidry and how I had explained that Wicca is closed and Druidry is open. Druidry stretches a vast area, while Wicca is more personal. I didn’t mind the confusion. All newcomers have this confusion. I had it too.
~Cleopatra POV~
After English class, Diana looked really upset. As we got to the library, I handed her my scarab amulet. Kali and I both helped her collapse into one of the reading chairs in the center-front alcove. She closed her eyes as she sat back in the chair. I could feel her distress. She gently pressed the scarab to her heart the way I had taught her. The hieroglyphs for beetle, which is pronounced kheper also means “to exist.” So wearing the scarab means that your continued existence is assumed. My belief is that in giving the dead heart scarabs, we remind ourselves that they exist in another world.
::Tuesday, March 16, 2004::
~Vivienne POV~
Diana wasn’t in today. At lunch, I called her house and her mom said she was sick and sleeping. Later, I checked her journal during my free. She wrote:

Evilness abounds…disaster ensues March 16, 2004 12:00pm
I know my friends are probably fussing that I’m not at school. After all, our English class was so horrible and burned us yesterday. I wasn’t feeling well this morning and I asked my mom if I could stay home. I slept all day. I hate English now. I don’t want to read about the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible. I don’t want them to taunt me and claim that I should be Tituba or Elizabeth Proctor just because I’m a pagan. It’s awful that some of my classmates could say such things about what I believe in. Not all pagans are evil and mean. And I understand that the Trials and the Burning Times happened, but still it’s not true that we’re terrible people. We didn’t deserve that. No one deserves to die for what they believe in, though we still call it martyrdom. I still don’t think it’s necessary. And it’s bad to flaunt religion by saying we killed all your people. Even if it is indirectly. *sad* It makes me upset. They really don’t understand. They don’t know who I am…I hate that…I need to be recognized. We need to be recognized…I had an awful feeling that something bad was going to happen and it did. I’m so upset. All I can do is sleep or sing sad songs, which is pretty depressing. I can’t think happy because I get all upset…

Well, I’m going back to bed. Perhaps Orlando Bloom or Johnny Depp will visit me as I sleep…I can only hope…

Later,
Myst

Mood: depressed
Music: Breaking of the Fellowship—Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring soundtrack

I was sad that Diana wasn’t happy. It’s awful that she has to be so uptight about what we believe… I just wish that a few of our classmates didn’t take us the wrong way and think we’re bad because of what we believe in. It’s true that it’s not fair. We deserve the same respect we give them. That’s in the Bible too, isn’t it?
::Wednesday, March 17, 2004::
Before English, I started shaking. I was a little dizzy too. I felt sick and I wanted to lie down. I told Kali and because we were in our English classroom, she went to the wall and consulted the nurse’s schedule; she was busy for the rest of the day.
Ms. Clark saw me miserably try to focus on my work as class began. She asked me if I was okay and I explained about how I wasn’t feeling well and that the nurse was busy for the rest of the day and that I didn’t want to go home. She gave me permission to put my head down on my desk and rest. Gwen overheard me say I was dizzy and smiled gently at me.
“Ms. Clark? May I go to the ladies’ room?” Gwen said quietly.
Ms. Clark looked up, “Yes, you may. And before you come back, please get Diana something to drink. Wait a minute. I’ll give you a note in case a teacher asks.”
Gwen left with the note. She came back shortly, holding a bottle of water from one of the machines and a wet paper towel. She knelt down so she could look in my eyes.
“Diana, this might help you feel better. Look up for a minute, take this from me, and put it at the back of your neck and then rest. You won’t feel so dizzy by the end of class. I’ll hold onto your water.”
I nodded, doing as she had asked and closing my eyes as I put my head down. The girls could update me on what was going on if I really had to know. At the end of class, I did feel a little better. I was still shaky, but not so dizzy.
Gwen smiled, giving me the water she had gotten, “I’ll accompany you guys at your free. The library, right?”
I nodded, tucking the bottle of water into my backpack, after taking a sip. This year’s schedule was a little weird. The whole of our English class had lunch early. Either third or fourth. Since our English class met fifth, at our usual lunch hour. And for some reason, they didn’t want to drop. Don’t ask me why the schedule was like that.
Gwen smiled at Kali, Cleopatra and I, “What do you have after your free, Diana?”
I frowned, “Theo. Then we have gym.”
Gwen smiled, “Can you survive the rest of the day?”
I nodded slowly, “I can try.”
Gwen nodded, “I’ll partner with you in gym if you want.”
I nodded, “That would be good.”
I rested for most of the free. Gwen did her best to keep the other girls quiet. I really couldn’t wait until school was over. This was going to be a long day.
Gwen was studying me, “Diana, are you nervous? Or scared?”
I looked up, “Yes…Nervous and sad. I don’t like English class anymore. No one cares about my beliefs…They all mock me…It’s not nice and it’s not fair…”
Gwen looked at me, “Do you want to have a day where you teach the class about modern paganism? And how it isn’t the same as perceived witchcraft?”
I nodded, “I’d love that, but I don’t know if anyone would approve.”
Gwen hugged me, “I’ll ask the school president if we could have an Alternative Religions Awareness Day or something in the spring. When the trees and flowers are in full bloom and the grass is nice and green. I’d love to see how you work your rituals. It would be amazing, I think. Ms. Andrews says Wiccan rituals are beautiful.”
I smiled, “I’m not Wiccan. The three of us, Vivienne, Cleopatra and I, are all eclectic pagans. We mix our beliefs. Vivienne combines a bunch of religions. Cleopatra prefers the Egyptian magick in her heritage. And I prefer the Druid path. We’re all different, but together, we make an interesting bunch. I’d love to be able to do an open circle here. Though for a start I’d probably have to start small. It would be wonderful for people to understand how our rituals really work and how much belief is necessary to our path. Though we still have some who are us in name only, just like the Christians.”
Gwen nodded, “Well, now I have a suggestion for the school and for Stu-Co, so we’ll see what happens.”
I grinned, “Well, the bell’s gonna ring. Let’s get ready to go.” I sighed grabbing my bookbag and carrying it on the trek to Theology. I hoped we wouldn’t have a St. Pat’s Day speech. I hate today. I managed to survive all my classes and gym.
Afterward, Gwen smiled, “You look much better, Diana.”
I nodded, “I can’t thank you enough for helping me.”
Gwen smiled, “You’re a good kid. Just don’t mind what the others think. You're still you no matter what they say and think."
::Saturday, March 20, 2004, Evening::
~Diana POV~
I smiled, gathering the girls together to head off to the clearing. The clearing is a good walking distance from my house. Not too far, not too close. It’s in the middle of a wood and it’s virtually untouched. And I know no one’s claimed it for a national park yet, so we can have our bonfires there. Catrina told me she’d be there.
Vivienne, Cleopatra and I had been making Ostara eggs. It’s fun to do. Of course, Kali had said she wished she could join us for the egg coloring. It’s just like Easter eggs. And we have the exact same symbols between Ostara and Easter: eggs, bunnies, resurrection, growth, chicks, and ducks.
Catrina was at the clearing when we arrived. Sterling was playing a high scale on his flute. Catrina smiled, looking at the sky. The stars were coming out. “It is time to start the bonfire. Who will help me find dry wood to make the fire?” Catrina began walking into the wood. I laughed as Vivienne rushed in singing at the top of her lungs.
Cleopatra and I went in together, singing Vivienne’s favorite song, “We can rise with the fires of freedom, Truth is a fire that burns our chains, And we can stop the fires of destruction, Healing is a fire running through our veins.”
Sterling waved us off and sat in the clearing, continuing to play his wooden flute. When we finished gathering, Catrina began to build up the fire and then lit it. We danced around the fire singing, “Fire fire fire: Kindle our spirits higher, In thy flame, naught remains but fire fire fire.” I grinned as Vivienne laughed and sat down next to her Native American drum. She smiled closing her eyes and letting her hands drum a beat. I recognized the sound of a calling. Catrina nodded, summoning the powers as Vivienne’s drumming became a very low. I smiled as Vivienne’s drumming quickly picked up and then changed slowly descending into the humming-like noise that Cleo often called earth silence. Vivienne’s drumming silenced and I looked at Sterling. He began to play the tune I needed for my song, “Mother Earth, hear me calling, I’m your daughter you’re my home, Sister Moon, hear me calling, In the night we’re not alone. Father Sun, hear me calling, Let your strong light shine in me, All my ancestors stand by me, Teach my spirit to be free.”
Cleopatra grinned, “So, who is joining us on this lovely evening? And what do you bring for the circle?” She paused, “I’m Rabiah, the child born in the springtime. I bring youth, and growth, the possibility of change.” She turned toward me.
I smiled, “I am Myst, I bring a hunger to learn and the courage to continue being what I am meant to be.”
Vivienne thought for a few minutes before adding her voice, “I am Lucia. I bring passion—the fire of life. I bring the will to grow in strength and the faith that shows I am willing to follow my inner light.”
Catrina looked up, “I am Catrina. I bring the courage to grow. I bring a pure spirit and the understanding and patience necessary for a teacher.”
Sterling smiled, “I am Sterling. I bring the silver sound that will begin to awaken the trees. The sound of the wood that brings growth and change.”
Catrina smiled, "Growth and Change are big themes tonight. There's a song about that too." She paused and then began to sing, "Tower of change, growth and pain, butterfly lessons one in the same, Spiritual growth I have to gain, The wild within I shall not tame. I am. Grounded firm, flying free, teaching, learning, always a balance always being the best I can be, under the moon, sing and dance. I am."
Vivienne beamed, "Oh, I've got a song!"
I nodded, "Go on. Sing.”
Viv smiled, "Ancient Mother, I hear you calling, Ancient Mother I hear your song, Ancient Mother, I seek your wisdom. Ancient Mother, I feel your arms."
Catrina took hold of Sterling's hand and began to dance, chanting, "Mother is alive, Magick is afoot!" I laughed, grabbing onto the girls' hands and joining the chain. We chanted, blending our voices into one sound. The single phrase repeated for several turns of the circle, until we slowed our movements a little. Catrina laughed, continuing into another Goddess chant, "We are the flow, We are the ebb, She is the weaver, We are the Web."
Cleopatra continued this second Goddess chant, "Lady weave your Circle tight, Spin a Web of glowing light, Earth, and Air, and Fire and Water, Bind us to Her."
Catrina grinned, letting go of our hands and letting us ground. We smiled, and I signed 'Thank you' in Sign Language. She nodded.
I smiled, she was going to let me do the thanks offerings. It’s not often that she lets me do it. "To commune with you is the highest energy of which I am capable of giving. Daily I bathe in the light of your wisdom and grace I am continuously receiving. Thou O Mother, are a shield for me, even in my ignorance when I couldn't clearly see, Lost like a child in the woods, You came and sustained me, like a Mother most surely should, You kissed my lips and dried my cheeks as though I were your only child to love, Mother I can only strive to always be involved with gaining your divine wisdom, So that one day I am worthy to receive your hidden gifts from above." I paused and then continued, "I am thankful for all my friends, for my family, and for nature."
Vivienne grinned, "I am thankful for friends, family and just the pure nature of existence."
Cleo laughed at Viv's thanks offering, then said, "I am thankful for the beautiful gifts nature gives us now. The rain, the sunny skies, the flowers budding, the trees."
Catrina smiled, "I am thankful for everyone who decided to join us this evening. I am thankful for my family and for the gifts I have received from the Lord and the Lady."
Sterling smiled, "There's so much to be thankful for, so I'll just say I'm thankful for everything!"
Sterling grinned, and began to sing, "Why are there so many songs about rainbows And what's on the other side? Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, And rainbows have nothing to hid. So we've been told and some choose to believe it I know they're wrong, wait and see. Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, The lovers, the dreamers, and me. Who said that every wish would be heard and answered When wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it, And look what it's done so far. What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing And what do we think we might see? Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, The lovers ,the dreamers, and me. All of us under its spell, We know that it's probably magic……Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices? I've heard them calling my name….Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? The voice might be one and the same I've heard it too many times to ignore it It's something that I'm s'posed to be…Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, The lovers, the dreamers and me. Laa, da daa dee da daa daaa, La laa la la laa dee daa doo…"
Catrina smiled, "Now we ask for blessings. If you are in need, ask now for your thoughts to be answered and Your dreams to be realized." She paused and then continued, "We beseech you Mother to give to us your knowledge and wisdom to guide us in our time of need." She paused once more and then started again, "Ask for blessings now if you are in need."
Cleo and Vivienne asked for blessings on their families and friends.
I looked at the ground, "For me, I'm struggling with everything right now. I need comfort, protection and guidance." I saw Catrina look at me, a bit of concern showing through. Sterling was also looking at me. I sat down, feeling a little lost. Catrina sent the powers back to their places in nature and then we closed the circle. Catrina and Sterling both walked over to me as Viv and Cleo went off to ground and have a snack from the basket Catrina had brought.
Catrina smiled, "What's wrong, dear?"
I frowned, "No one understands our beliefs at school. I'm just really afraid."
Sterling smiled, "Answer these questions for me, Myst. Do you know who you are? Is this what you want to believe in? And do you know right from wrong?"
I looked up, "They're all yes."
Sterling grinned, "Exactly. If this is what you want to be, that's all that matters. Not what people think of you."
Catrina smiled, "I know it's hard at your age to do that. To think about what you want. I've been through it. Sterling has too. Later in life, you'll learn that you get to decide who you are. You'll understand. Just don't worry. And if they bother you, do you remember the small phrase I taught you at Christmas when your grandmother was talking about how some people like us are?"
"That little calming chant?"
"Yes, use it. It will help keep you from feeling their hatred as strongly. But still, if you submit to them honestly and let them make their decision about you, you will gain more than they will."
I grinned, "Thanks, Catrina and Sterling." I hugged them both.
~Diana POV~
I guess it's right what we say. Life is all circles. We've fallen down and we've gotten back up again and now we're celebrating our growth. Perhaps we'll fall again. Who knows? Falling is the best lesson. Life is all about continuing in the midst of trouble. Getting up and trying again when you've been pushed down countless times. Even if Gwen does bring about the Alternative Religions Awareness Day thing she wants, I'm just going to keep strong and eventually, I'll overcome their prejudiced remarks and be stronger than them. They won't affect me so much. As Gwen said and Catrina and Sterling repeated, "You're still you no matter what they say and think." It's true. I'm still me. I won't change much on the inside over time.

********************************************************************
Sources
1) Scarab hieroglyph pronunciation and meaning: Ancient Egyptian Magick by Bob Brier
2) Bonfire Stuff provided by ladydruantia: “Fire gathering call” by ladydruantia; “Fires of Freedom Song” by Starhawk; “Fire Fire Fire” by Pomegranate Rose; “Hear Me Calling” Author Unknown; “I am” 3rd stanza contributed by Whispering Willow http://www.angelfire.com/music4/thegoddess/chant.html; Alteration of “Goddess is Alive” Author Unknown; “Mother Goddess” Contributed by Phoenix http://www.angelfire.com/music4/thegoddess/chant.html; “The Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie; “Blessings unto us all” by ladydruantia
3) Bonfire stuff provided by patsguurl: “Roll call” by patsguurl
4) Bonfire stuff provided by rowanwatersprite: “Ancient Mother” by Unknown Author
5) Bonfire stuff provided by jmoote: “The Weaver” by Unknown Author; “Goddess Chant” by Unknown Author

To the Guild Fairie Queen, Becki

2006-09-25T05:22:10Z

To the Guild Faerie Queen, Becki:
Dark to light
Cycles again
Light to dark
Start again

Seed to grain
Bud to bloom
Nighttime
Daytime

Nature cycles
And we grow
We live
WE learn
We know

Each bonfire
Has its meanings
Each omen
Gives us a likely future

We grow
We change
We understand
We try

Together
In our special group
We help
We hope
We live
We grow

The Day We Became the Coconut Legion

2006-09-25T05:21:18Z

Disclaimer: All references to Neopia are (c) 2004 Neopets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used With Permission; All reference to the events in the Neopets' Moonlight and Magick Guild are (c) November 23 2004 in Moonlight and Magick Guild, used with and without permission by a fellow member.

The Day We Became the Coconut Legion
By Vivian/Koneko aka Neopets user dragonmistress356/moonlit_woods_magick

Once upon a time, something very strange happened in the land of Neopia. A group of council and elders from the Moonlight and Magick Guild started to change their fonts to orange, talk about coconuts or "cocnuts", change their avvies to Pirate themes, and worship a lady who had joined the council a few months back for organizational purposes. This lady was called Rowan. Rowan was deemed The Mistress of the Great and Mystical Coconut.

No one knew why it happened. Some said Rowan had teamed up with the Evil Villians of Neopia in a plot to take over the guild and then the world. Some said it was a Neopets glitch. Some said it was just a way to be outrageous and silly.

I don't know why it happened either. I refused to conform to the "coconut-ty ness" but I did have the strange urge to sing my friend's parody of "We're Off to See the Wizard" and "I"ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" which is called "We're Off to See the Coconuts."
The End

Theology 3: KoG Experience

2006-09-25T05:20:10Z

due 10 February 2005
1)Tell a story from your own experience that describes the Kingdom of God and explain why it does describe the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God is still a vague experience for me, but as I grow in my beliefs, I can carefully begin to distinguish the Kingdom and its current role in my life. The Kingdom of God is not a place, but a network of friends like a spider web, connected by barely visible thread. I began to recognize the Kingdom of God in my life over the past few years through my own web of friends.

I have had many controversies with old friends and my new friends have often solved them by reminding me that I cannot satisfy everyone’s needs. My newer friends are my friends who are currently sophomores. When I started my sophomore year, I was struggling because I was going through some tough times with a few friends who were having personal and family problems. I cared about these girls, but they worried me. After awhile, life improved and I met some more friends among the freshwomen. One of them, whom I am a still friend with, helped me realize that I needed to take care of myself first before anyone else. This was shortly after I had a disagreement with one of my friends over a personal issue that I was trying to resolve with myself, but was very shy about talking over with my other friends. It complicated friendships for a while and I isolated myself from them. I know I can still trust this girl to give me a hug when I ask and I know I care about her a lot. During my time alone, thinking, the girl was the only one who understood what I really needed, even if I did not say it aloud. She understood that I wanted someone who would just sit and listen or just sit down and watch over me while I cried and tried to understand what I wanted. I am still very grateful to her for saying that she did not care about my differences as long as I knew she would be my friend. Every once and awhile, I’ll go through a similar issue and I just remember that she said she cared about me.

In my opinion, this shows the Kingdom of God because it is a revelation of unconditional love that God showed me through another person. I have difficulty with understanding that concept under divinity, so God began by showing me the concept from a friend. Jesus understood the “Kingdom as…communal in nature…”(Zanzig 132). This view of the Kingdom of God is also a view that was revealed to me through my friend. The parable of the Good Samaritan is what I often relate my friendship to. My friends and I care for each other, while others often walk past without paying attention or by giving the wrong information and help. However, the line that I think reflects most what I wish to reveal is when the scholar who has answers Jesus’ question on which is the neighbor to the victim by saying, “‘The one who treated him with mercy’”(Lk 10: 37). The line says that all people who help our neighbors whether they believe in one thing or another. Those who are neighbors will be honored and acknowledged within the community of God. The Kingdom of God for me is a community of friendship. My friendships have strengthened who I am and how I see the world around me.