Shipping IX: Wait, Nine? You Guys Work Fast...

[Reinholdt]

Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known...

Falling White, Part IV

The story so far.

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Prologue & Part the First
Part the First & a half (formerly Part the Third)
Part the Second
Part the Third

Featuring (so far): RHL, CKG, Vespe, Dirk Kris, Reinholdt, Cycoris

Spoiler

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And so up the stairs the moppet went, her hungers, both physical and curiosity based, driving her; up and around, twenty seven steps brought her to a small landing she had not seen from the ground. She took a moment to look around while her mind wandered.

Twenty seven steps is 3 sets of 3 by 3. A good omen according to the village wise. But the halfway point is 13 whether you're coming or going; and 13 is an ill-aspected number, being an ... oh what was that weird word Koorli used? Integration? Anyway, it had something to do with an ill-aspect of 4 by nature of its break. Ill fortune before resolution?

She shook her head vigorously to try and draw her thoughts back to her more immediate concerns. This place seemed to cause her mind to wander in strange patterns, ones she was highly unaccustomed to. And perhaps a small part of her admitted she might be better off if she'd paid more attention the the elders' lore, or even Rejnholdt's outlandish stories.

"Focus," she muttered to herself. She looked once more around, pushing the web of unusual musings aside for the moment.
A door, here, with a lower lintel than those she'd passed through. She reached toward it, and the two halves parted at the middle as they swung silently inward, into the space beyond. A long hallway, hung with pale flickering sparkles that lit the area but again cast no shadows. At the far end, a larger, grander set of doors was set, to either side of which stood a figure, tall and terrible, with sweeping angled faces half-concealed by a sort of armor utterly unlike the leather or even the mail shirts of the winged lancers. It seemed designed of straps that gave the appearance of metal, but held the same hue as the strange blue-white walls and floors around her. Even at this distance, they seemed to radiant a palpable aura of menace.

"The kitchens are unlikely to be guarded by such things, at any rate," she muttered under her breath, as she turned about and stepped back out to the grand stair. It was only then that the incongruity struck her - she'd seen no ceiling from below as she gazed upward. How then, could there be a floor beyond this door, could there be anything but a yawning gap and a drop to the hard cold floor below? This place grew stranger with each discovery.

Up another flight of the grand staircase, another 27 steps. She became aware of the cold again, realized it had never truly subsided - yet her body did not shiver; her fingers did not slip again through needling pain into numbness. This time, the grand double doors were to her left, set into the exterior wall of the tower; she opened them and a blast of frigid air swept in and howled as it ran down the length of the staircase, setting all she could feel to a strange tense thrumming that seemed to echo oddly deep inside her. Stepping out, she could see now, beyond the forest canopy huge mountains; in every direction that was not blocked by the tower itself, they loomed, like a ring or band that trammelled in the forest even as it lent the whole of the vista a wondrous majesty. She looked up to the sky, and was struck by a sudden fit of vertigo; toppling, rolling, coming nearly to the edge before her sense of balance reasserted itself. Far above, the sky was white as the ground far below; the frost dreams of earlier coming back in full force, for she could explain not what she saw, yet it remained there in all its impossibility; far above, the dome of white, and there, suspended, inverted, there was another forest, another tower, one that descended as this one rose. There was some sort of distortion where the two met, a watery occlusion she could not get her eyes to eliminate, no matter how she squinted or tried to refocus. Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet, wobbling as she crossed the threshold back into the tower; pushing the door shut; whereupon the ghastly ... yet strangely musical ... howling did immediately cessate.

She could only hope the racket wouldn't get her into deeper troubles yet.

Swear to me never to tell
The secret you know of the angel in hell!

Poor Rabbit. The strange place is forcing her thoughts into being a narrating tool to explain the symbolism. What a horrid fate.

Now I'm curious about these outlandish stories of mine though. Wonder if I've stumbled here by accident myself. Guess we might find out many, many parts later. Or forget by then.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Go now! Go now, and leave me!

Ahem. Anyways, very interesting. I think this may very well have been the first dialogue Rabbit's had, and she's gone and talked to herself.
Its all going crazy already.
Very, very pretty visualizations, though, if atleast a little creepy.

[mangosta71]

Silly Rabbit fails at math. In a set of 27, the median (halfway point) is the 14th value. Or did you mean that there are 13 on each side of the median?

You have a way of turning something that should be so boring as "all white everywhere" into something extremely compelling. Not to mention the building anticipation as we all wonder what trouble she'll get into next.

[RabbitHoleLost]

So, here it is. The "long awaited" Star Wars Drabble series.
Interestingly, I didn't decide to do a drabble series because of Miss Koorli's lovely Falling, but because my current favorite Fanfiction writer, Forthright, does all of her fanfiction series in drabbles and oneshots that seem unconnected, but kind of are
(Yes, those are totally Kagome/Sesshomaru fanfictions. DON'T JUDGE ME :: runs and hides::)

Infact, what's likely is that I'll be using the prompts she uses for her fanfiction, except, you know, I'll be using it here in shipping >>

Diacaustic

Unfeasible
Featuring: Twobit, DD, Eleventhhour

Spoiler

Show

Stars faded in and out of the large front visor, giving the odd appearance that the burning balls of light were moving, as opposed to the large, old ship.
Silence pervaded, and it made Twobit uneasy. Everything about this "recollection" mission made him uneasy, though he'd never mention it to his companion, DD. The blue Wookie was skittish enough on these trips without the space-pirate's typically-accurate gut feelings giving him reason.
And the rumors of this haul made it more than worth it.
"I think we're getting close, Twoobs."
Twobi pushed from his table, the gravitational chair swiveling closer to the navigational computer, soft beeps and bright green lines issuing forth. A pale finger pointed out a pulsing neon dot, smack dab in the crossing of a line.
"Yup. The wreckage of The Laniard should be ahead of us just a few kays."
"Whaddya expect we'll find there?"
Tousling his golden hair, Twobi sat back, laughing.
"It was a transporter coming from Mandalore. The only things Mandalore export are Mandalorian iron and death. Lets hope its iron, yeah?"
"Twobi, I've found the wreckage. There isn't much left."
As the outside negative space opened up on the screen, the rogue let loose a deep whistle. Nothing was left. Scrap metal barely larger than his hand floated in space, reflecting the far-off light of a distant star.
"...Wait." There. That was...
"Is that...?"
"Yes." Bending past DD, Twobi typed frantically into the holographic input board, and a large, metal arm extended out from the ship, past useless shards of metal, clasping tightly around the small freight capsule.
"Bingo." His heart pounded in his chest, reverberating into his head, shaking his body, trembling in his fingers. His knees wobbled as he ran down the ramp, followed by the nervous Wookie.
The locking mechanism was quickly detected and disengaged, and the freight capsule opened, slowly, lurchingly, with loud creaks of protest.
Twobi felt the anticipation rise in his throat, tasted it as it danced along his tongue. This Mandalorian Iron, this beskar, it could save him.
"Twoobs, I don't think this is it..."
Indeed, before him was not the promised, priceless iron, but, infact, a young woman, wrapped in worn earthy brown robes and tusseled silver hair, cat ears peeking out from under a hood.
"Dammit."

[Reinholdt]

I can totally see DD as a wookie. Awesomeness.

[randman22222]

So, here it is. The "long awaited" Star Wars Drabble series.
Interestingly, I didn't decide to do a drabble series because of Miss Koorli's lovely Falling, but because my current favorite Fanfiction writer, Forthright, does all of her fanfiction series in drabbles and oneshots that seem unconnected, but kind of are
(Yes, those are totally Kagome/Sesshomaru fanfictions. DON'T JUDGE ME :: runs and hides::)

Infact, what's likely is that I'll be using the prompts she uses for her fanfiction, except, you know, I'll be using it here in shipping >>

Diacaustic

Unfeasible
Featuring: Twobit, DD, Eleventhhour

Spoiler

Show

Stars faded in and out of the large front visor, giving the odd appearance that the burning balls of light were moving, as opposed to the large, old ship.
Silence pervaded, and it made Twobit uneasy. Everything about this "recollection" mission made him uneasy, though he'd never mention it to his companion, DD. The blue Wookie was skittish enough on these trips without the space-pirate's typically-accurate gut feelings giving him reason.
And the rumors of this haul made it more than worth it.
"I think we're getting close, Twoobs."
Twobi pushed from his table, the gravitational chair swiveling closer to the navigational computer, soft beeps and bright green lines issuing forth. A pale finger pointed out a pulsing neon dot, smack dab in the crossing of a line.
"Yup. The wreckage of The Laniard should be ahead of us just a few kays."
"Whaddya expect we'll find there?"
Tousling his golden hair, Twobi sat back, laughing.
"It was a transporter coming from Mandalore. The only things Mandalore export are Mandalorian iron and death. Lets hope its iron, yeah?"
"Twobi, I've found the wreckage. There isn't much left."
As the outside negative space opened up on the screen, the rogue let loose a deep whistle. Nothing was left. Scrap metal barely larger than his hand floated in space, reflecting the far-off light of a distant star.
"...Wait." There. That was...
"Is that...?"
"Yes." Bending past DD, Twobi typed frantically into the holographic input board, and a large, metal arm extended out from the ship, past useless shards of metal, clasping tightly around the small freight capsule.
"Bingo." His heart pounded in his chest, reverberating into his head, shaking his body, trembling in his fingers. His knees wobbled as he ran down the ramp, followed by the nervous Wookie.
The locking mechanism was quickly detected and disengaged, and the freight capsule opened, slowly, lurchingly, with loud creaks of protest.
Twobi felt the anticipation rise in his throat, tasted it as it danced along his tongue. This Mandalorian Iron, this beskar, it could save him.
"Twoobs, I don't think this is it..."
Indeed, before him was not the promised, priceless iron, but, infact, a young woman, wrapped in worn earthy brown robes and tusseled silver hair, cat ears peeking out from under a hood.
"Dammit."

This... is gonna be amusing, I think.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Bitter, An Aside to the Ship Inc/Scourge Inc Universe and an Adventure in Foe Yay
Ninja Chocobo/Rabbit

Spoiler

Show

She had been devouring those chocolates for the better part of an hour, unwrapping each piece slowly, thin fingers moving deftly with the savoring of that which was yet to come.
And the dark brown would hit her lips, her tongue swirling around the edge, encouraging the sweet to melt there in her mouth.
"Eyuck." Ninja Chocobo muttered, turning his eyes away from the sight.
Rabbit stopped her lavishing of the treat, biting down, chewing, swallowing, her eyes narrowed in barely contained abhorrence. The suspicions that Curly had purposely selected her for guard duty over the building while NC had been selected for the same job at the rival company across the street had been growing steadily all afternoon.
It was no secret that the two were bitter rivals, perhaps the most venemous of nemeses in the land of Playground, and the tension between their two organizations ("You damn ABR's stole our company!") had only managed to increase the debilitating hatred.
"Did you say something worth saying, or shall I go on attempting to be blissfully unaware of your presence?"
"That's dark chocolate, isn't it?"
Rabbit simply nodded, though her visage became no less stoney, not a single line in her forehead relaxing.
"Then you've no taste. Atleast, not any good taste." Hazel eyes flashed with a sudden visible chagrin, and NC found himself smugly satisfied. Word around town had been that, recently, Rabbit had shrugged her fiery temper in favor of a chilly nature, prone to shrugging everything off and away from her, like rain repelling off glass.
It was quickly replaced by a smile, almost sweet, had Ninja Chocobo been so easily fooled by the girl's ways.
"Dark chocolate is good for you. High in antioxidants, nearly eight times as much as strawberries, which means its a very effective combative to heart disease."
"And its gross." Rabbit frowned, taking a few slow steps off of Scourge Inc's lawn, and onto the edge of the street. Her opponent watched her cautiously, eyebrow's perking.
"It lowers blood cholesterol."
"So do dried peas, and you don't see me eating those,do you?" She was taking measured steps, closer and closer, while he argued, a small piece of chocolate still in hand.
"Dark chocolate has high levels of serotonin. Its an anti-depressant." He wondered if she thought she was fooling him, with her jabs of dark chocolate wisdom, as she slowly encroached upon the territory of her company's rival.
He knew, though. And he was watching. The moment she stepped onto that lanscaped grass...
"The flavor is too awful to be worth it."
And she stopped, right at the cement blocking which separated his area from her, a large white slash, a small barrier which denoted an invisible wall.
"Why are you so miserable?"
The question surprised him, and he blinked, taking his own step closer. Now, it was only that half foot of cement sidewalk between them, and his glare met her hard eyes with a palpable tension.
"Dark chocolate is disgusting and bitter and I can't fathom how anyone could like it."
"Like you."
"Exac-"
He didn't really understand what happened next. He knew Rabbit was suddenly breaking through that imaginary wall, reaching for him, and he knew, suddenly, the taste of bitter dark chocolate invaded his mouth in a wet, hot kiss.
Strange lips were pressed against his, a firm hand wrapped around around his neck, pulling him harshly down.
And then it was gone, and Rabbit was skipping back across the street to Scourge Inc.
"I really like dark chocolate. It stimulates the endorphins often released when one falls in love."
"I'm charging you for assault."

[Helgraf]

Silly Rabbit fails at math. In a set of 27, the median (halfway point) is the 14th value. Or did you mean that there are 13 on each side of the median?

Yes yes. From the midpoint, you must travel 13 unlucky steps in either direction. Narration fault for posting at 4:30 in the morning..

You have a way of turning something that should be so boring as "all white everywhere" into something extremely compelling. Not to mention the building anticipation as we all wonder what trouble she'll get into next.

That, I'll admit, has been a challenge. I'm glad it's working.

Go now! Go now, and leave me!

Ahem. Anyways, very interesting. I think this may very well have been the first dialogue Rabbit's had, and she's gone and talked to herself.
Its all going crazy already.
Very, very pretty visualizations, though, if atleast a little creepy.

Track down this murderer he must be found

Technically she spoke a few lines in the last installment, though the way they were presented I realize it may have come across as 'thinking'. To be fair, she fell off a cliff - she might well be suffering from a concussion, frostbite, hypothermia (and hallucinations) and several other things that she only knows through snippets of lore from parents, village elders and the baba as "frost madness".

Also, it's unclear how much of her rambling is self-induced, and how much might be an aftereffect of her location.

[Thufir]

Bitter, An Aside to the Ship Inc/Scourge Inc Universe and an Adventure in Foe Yay
Ninja Chocobo/Rabbit

Spoiler

Show

She had been devouring those chocolates for the better part of an hour, unwrapping each piece slowly, thin fingers moving deftly with the savoring of that which was yet to come.
And the dark brown would hit her lips, her tongue swirling around the edge, encouraging the sweet to melt there in her mouth.
"Eyuck." Ninja Chocobo muttered, turning his eyes away from the sight.
Rabbit stopped her lavishing of the treat, biting down, chewing, swallowing, her eyes narrowed in barely contained abhorrence. The suspicions that Curly had purposely selected her for guard duty over the building while NC had been selected for the same job at the rival company across the street had been growing steadily all afternoon.
It was no secret that the two were bitter rivals, perhaps the most venemous of nemeses in the land of Playground, and the tension between their two organizations ("You damn ABR's stole our company!") had only managed to increase the debilitating hatred.
"Did you say something worth saying, or shall I go on attempting to be blissfully unaware of your presence?"
"That's dark chocolate, isn't it?"
Rabbit simply nodded, though her visage became no less stoney, not a single line in her forehead relaxing.
"Then you've no taste. Atleast, not any good taste." Hazel eyes flashed with a sudden visible chagrin, and NC found himself smugly satisfied. Word around town had been that, recently, Rabbit had shrugged her fiery temper in favor of a chilly nature, prone to shrugging everything off and away from her, like rain repelling off glass.
It was quickly replaced by a smile, almost sweet, had Ninja Chocobo been so easily fooled by the girl's ways.
"Dark chocolate is good for you. High in antioxidants, nearly eight times as much as strawberries, which means its a very effective combative to heart disease."
"And its gross." Rabbit frowned, taking a few slow steps off of Scourge Inc's lawn, and onto the edge of the street. Her opponent watched her cautiously, eyebrow's perking.
"It lowers blood cholesterol."
"So do dried peas, and you don't see me eating those,do you?" She was taking measured steps, closer and closer, while he argued, a small piece of chocolate still in hand.
"Dark chocolate has high levels of serotonin. Its an anti-depressant." He wondered if she thought she was fooling him, with her jabs of dark chocolate wisdom, as she slowly encroached upon the territory of her company's rival.
He knew, though. And he was watching. The moment she stepped onto that lanscaped grass...
"The flavor is too awful to be worth it."
And she stopped, right at the cement blocking which separated his area from her, a large white slash, a small barrier which denoted an invisible wall.
"Why are you so miserable?"
The question surprised him, and he blinked, taking his own step closer. Now, it was only that half foot of cement sidewalk between them, and his glare met her hard eyes with a palpable tension.
"Dark chocolate is disgusting and bitter and I can't fathom how anyone could like it."
"Like you."
"Exac-"
He didn't really understand what happened next. He knew Rabbit was suddenly breaking through that imaginary wall, reaching for him, and he knew, suddenly, the taste of bitter dark chocolate invaded his mouth in a wet, hot kiss.
Strange lips were pressed against his, a firm hand wrapped around around his neck, pulling him harshly down.
And then it was gone, and Rabbit was skipping back across the street to Scourge Inc.
"I really like dark chocolate. It stimulates the endorphins often released when one falls in love."
"I'm charging you for assault."

Awww... Also kind of cruel. And funny.
And... our buildings are opposite each other now? *Makes a note.*

[Ninja Chocobo]

Bitter, An Aside to the Ship Inc/Scourge Inc Universe and an Adventure in Foe Yay
Ninja Chocobo/Rabbit

About time! And why do you get to be purple?
Nicely done. I enjoyed reading it.

[RabbitHoleLost]

About time! And why do you get to be purple?
Nicely done. I enjoyed reading it.

I get to be purple because its my official shipping color. And because it pleases me to keep the things that please you from you
. @Thufir: I say they're across the street, but I think I just used creatice license, cause it worked. And of course its cruel. I couldn't very well be kind to that boy. And this is my first post ever made from my phone :O

[Reinholdt]

Bitter, An Aside to the Ship Inc/Scourge Inc Universe and an Adventure in Foe Yay
Ninja Chocobo/Rabbit

Spoiler

Show

She had been devouring those chocolates for the better part of an hour, unwrapping each piece slowly, thin fingers moving deftly with the savoring of that which was yet to come.
And the dark brown would hit her lips, her tongue swirling around the edge, encouraging the sweet to melt there in her mouth.
"Eyuck." Ninja Chocobo muttered, turning his eyes away from the sight.
Rabbit stopped her lavishing of the treat, biting down, chewing, swallowing, her eyes narrowed in barely contained abhorrence. The suspicions that Curly had purposely selected her for guard duty over the building while NC had been selected for the same job at the rival company across the street had been growing steadily all afternoon.
It was no secret that the two were bitter rivals, perhaps the most venemous of nemeses in the land of Playground, and the tension between their two organizations ("You damn ABR's stole our company!") had only managed to increase the debilitating hatred.
"Did you say something worth saying, or shall I go on attempting to be blissfully unaware of your presence?"
"That's dark chocolate, isn't it?"
Rabbit simply nodded, though her visage became no less stoney, not a single line in her forehead relaxing.
"Then you've no taste. Atleast, not any good taste." Hazel eyes flashed with a sudden visible chagrin, and NC found himself smugly satisfied. Word around town had been that, recently, Rabbit had shrugged her fiery temper in favor of a chilly nature, prone to shrugging everything off and away from her, like rain repelling off glass.
It was quickly replaced by a smile, almost sweet, had Ninja Chocobo been so easily fooled by the girl's ways.
"Dark chocolate is good for you. High in antioxidants, nearly eight times as much as strawberries, which means its a very effective combative to heart disease."
"And its gross." Rabbit frowned, taking a few slow steps off of Scourge Inc's lawn, and onto the edge of the street. Her opponent watched her cautiously, eyebrow's perking.
"It lowers blood cholesterol."
"So do dried peas, and you don't see me eating those,do you?" She was taking measured steps, closer and closer, while he argued, a small piece of chocolate still in hand.
"Dark chocolate has high levels of serotonin. Its an anti-depressant." He wondered if she thought she was fooling him, with her jabs of dark chocolate wisdom, as she slowly encroached upon the territory of her company's rival.
He knew, though. And he was watching. The moment she stepped onto that lanscaped grass...
"The flavor is too awful to be worth it."
And she stopped, right at the cement blocking which separated his area from her, a large white slash, a small barrier which denoted an invisible wall.
"Why are you so miserable?"
The question surprised him, and he blinked, taking his own step closer. Now, it was only that half foot of cement sidewalk between them, and his glare met her hard eyes with a palpable tension.
"Dark chocolate is disgusting and bitter and I can't fathom how anyone could like it."
"Like you."
"Exac-"
He didn't really understand what happened next. He knew Rabbit was suddenly breaking through that imaginary wall, reaching for him, and he knew, suddenly, the taste of bitter dark chocolate invaded his mouth in a wet, hot kiss.
Strange lips were pressed against his, a firm hand wrapped around around his neck, pulling him harshly down.
And then it was gone, and Rabbit was skipping back across the street to Scourge Inc.
"I really like dark chocolate. It stimulates the endorphins often released when one falls in love."
"I'm charging you for assault."

Masquerade… Hide your face, so the world will never find you...

That was cute AND informative.
...
I might have to actually try dark chocolate now. It's been a long time since I last touched the stuff. Maybe it isn't as bad tasting as I remember. Maybe...

[RabbitHoleLost]

Masquerade… Hide your face, so the world will never find you...

That was cute AND informative.
...
I might have to actually try dark chocolate now. It's been a long time since I last touched the stuff. Maybe it isn't as bad tasting as I remember. Maybe...

No, you won't.
Scaredy cat.

[CurlyKitGirl]

So, here it is. The "long awaited" Star Wars Drabble series.
Interestingly, I didn't decide to do a drabble series because of Miss Koorli's lovely Falling, but because my current favorite Fanfiction writer, Forthright, does all of her fanfiction series in drabbles and oneshots that seem unconnected, but kind of are
(Yes, those are totally Kagome/Sesshomaru fanfictions. DON'T JUDGE ME :: runs and hides::)

Infact, what's likely is that I'll be using the prompts she uses for her fanfiction, except, you know, I'll be using it here in shipping >>

>.>
<.<
Totally got the idea of Falling Definitions from reading Forthright's fics ages ago - particularly Impeccable and Imperceptible.
Even though I can't stand that pairing normally.

*flees!*

. . .

*flees back in*
Great story by the way, I look forward to the rest.

*re-flees!*

[Reinholdt]

No, you won't.
Scaredy cat.

Grrr...
Now I have to. Just watch me. I'll do it.
Soon as I can find some for free that is.
>>
Probably.
<<

[CurlyKitGirl]

So it took a few days longer than I expected to write, again, this went off in a completely weird direction. Not entirely unexpected, but I was still startled.
I blame the people involved!

And now I present a fic promised for just under a year:

Helgraf/Mangosta
Helene

Spoiler

Show

Light spilled across the floor with carefully watched anticipation; neither the watcher nor the sleeper moved as they awaited the magic moment.
Outside the window a web of branches floated in an idling zephyr and a small robin sang confidently, hidden out of sight, but everywhere in its joyful song.
The hours passed from morning through the cool heat of a winter's noontide, to the pale gold of a chill afternoon untouched by scarring clouds.
A few short minutes before the perfect moment, a sibilant murmur broke the wait. "I do hope the antici . . . pation isn't too much for you my sweet 'elene?"
"What is waiting if the purest moment awaits you at the end? All things impatient are cursed fools, leaning out over the brightness and staring until the blindness rips their heart's secrets from them." The gentle Mediterranean voice snapped and crackled into a laugh that dimmed her eye's beauty.
Mangosta joined her in the laugh, though the hesitancy caused discord in the gleeful sound.
"What but less than a score of hours compared to centuries? Millennia? Eternity writhing in the fiery pits of the inferno for my crimes?
"What but the sheen of light slowly dragging its way across the land when I have seen the darkness of the eyes of none?"
Helene turned her face slightly to look properly at Mangosta, her eyes of velvet suddenly achingly harsh, all indolence discarded. "Hush 'elene, the play is not for another six weeks and you are wonderful, no need to practice now. Just relax and wait with me."
Helene smirked and resumed her position. "Indeed, I'll relax shall I?" Her smooth sweeping curves and indolent pose began to wilt, the devil taking residence in her eyes and smile as Mangosta lunged for her, "Don't loose shape yet my wonderful muse!"
"Ah, then how can she relax as you bid her do?"
"Well, be but a captive a little while longer, as you've said: 'What but less than a score of hours?' We’re nearly done my light; this’ll be the last time we do this.” Helene nodded, this would be the last time she assumed the required position. The last time she obeyed him fully.
The robin was silent and the branched web ever thickened.
The air thickened and Helene remained ever motionless, even as Mangosta shivered in eagerness, less than a dozen minutes to go; the canvas and the room before him were near to identical. Mirror-perfect as only true art could describe.
“Many have attempted to paint me,” she spoke as the paintbrush launched an assault on the pure remains of the canvas.
”And none have yet managed to capture you.”
“None have yet managed to finish the image; oh yes, I exist on the canvas, but I am not there am I?
“Throughout my years, eternally sinning for being the chosen of one blessed by a demon who bribed her way into success. As the First and Second Wives – I have met them, writhing in joy in the ravening hunger of the flames of the pits – have sinned, as have I.
“And if the gods are truly demons; for all they do is twist us and play us, then we are their enemies. And that means to be human – mortal – is to be a god. Because we were innocent until they spoke to us, played with us, filled us to the brim with searing demon-passions that were never meant to be.
“We were perfect.
“And now we are not.” As she spoke she looked not at Mangosta whose painting had slowed and inevitably stopped as he listened to Helene’s flat tirade. And all the while her profile was as placid and reflective as a becalmed sea under the noonday sun. It was blinding. “To be a god, and then for a demon to bring me low, through the designs of another god – it hurts.” Smiling lips split in manic . . . fear? hatred? delight? The words were ripped from his lips, ”And now?”
“I am an angel.
“I am a Dominion of the Second Sphere, though I have six wings. I am of the Zabaniah, or at least, I aid in their duties. What else is Helene to do? The First and Second Wives are also of the Zabaniah, though they know it not. Only because I slipped between the rankings and precedents have I knowledge of my own being.”
”You lie.” He glanced at the painting. Ruined. Those three thick white streaks where he had been too shocked by what she said to pay attention to his brush.
He sighed minutely as he began packing away, if only the colours hadn’t run into the white he could have at least tried to paint over it or something, but the rest of the painting was bleeding into the white and making pinks, blues, beryls, pale jades and greys. Bloody paints had the indecency to run, time to switch to a new brand.
Another canvas ruined.
Fantastic.
”Look, my sweet ‘elene, You know I love you dearly, but if you were on meds you should have told me. Did you forget to fill your prescription? It’s okay. We’ll just take you to your parents house and we can start anew when you feel better.” Best to think she was fixable. Couldn’t think anything else, teetering on the cusp of knowing too much was dangerous. Razor blades of truth nipped at his skin, daring him to slice deeper and feel the exquisite pain that was destroying a world and perceiving the new, true one.
It was too dangerous.
”Come now ‘elene. Let’s get you dressed. Don’t worry about the painting, the paints ruined it, not you.” Helene stood up, neither modest nor shamed in her nudity. She wasn’t even confident in it. She just . . . wore it.
As if it were clothing.
With a sudden burning slice across his breast he knew with absolute certainty that that was how people had looked in the Garden.
Then he saw that she was too dark. Not innocent any more, not she.
His mind froze, and he bustled about on automatic, too desperate to forget his seeing that he came too close to Helene.
With the swaying undulance of a stalking tigress she approached, eyes of gold and solemnity in her gait and expression. “How can a once-god redeem oneself?
“We cannot take vengeance on the demons, for they are immortal and more powerful than we. Many of the angels are trapped in their own minds, deluded, deformed by their crooked thoughts.
“A god then.
“I must find a proper, true god and take them. Make them writhe in flames of pain and pleasure and take them to the very limits of what they can withstand. And then they will breathe the life’s breath and I can take it; drink greedily at that sweet liquor as I do of all others, and this time I shall find true sustenance, not that dead, weak thing I have found from other gods.
“I would like to think I have found that life’s liquor in you.
“There is something about you, you don’t want to see it; your inspiration is not divine. You are. Your inspiration is something else. Demon? No. If it were I would not wish to tease you into feeling everything, taste everything; the salt of you, the breath of you, the sweetness of your life as I draw it into myself and find myself redeemed.
“Helene as long as I have been, I find myself wishing for another name. No more curses, memories of long-dead husbands and men, wives and sisters.
“I wish for a new canvas and a new life.
“You will give it to me.”
Lies, lies, ‘tis all lies. Has to be. It wasn’t real, but it made so much sense. Demons are gods, gods are humans and angels are demons.
I am a god?
“Yes, yes you are.” He backed into the wall, but Helene followed, a predatory succubus, an angelic one. So perfect. He couldn’t stop staring at the twin silvery scars on her hips. What would they feel like? Soft vellum? Not silk, no, maybe satin or velvet rubbed the wrong way. And what about the rest of her? Laughter trickled out into the light.
Have I been speaking out loud? She only smiled.
“Come my god. Let me worship you.”
”’elene?”
“Penelope . . . “ she whispered as he felt the first licks of pleasant pain.

@Helgraf: your writing is so amazing I can't think of anything in particular to write about this one. You take something as bland as that suggestion from a million pages back and make something almost Escher-like in architecture and completely Fey.

@Rabbit1@: As already said, I loved it and I can't wait to see where this takes us.

@Rabbit2: *giggles* Rabbit, you tease. Nice to see Shipping/Scourge Inc. pop back up, it was delightful and giggleworth. Even if you do like dark chocolate.

[mangosta71]

So it took a few days longer than I expected to write, again, this went off in a completely weird direction. Not entirely unexpected, but I was still startled.
I blame the people involved!

And now I present a fic promised for just under a year:

Helgraf/Mangosta
Helene

Spoiler

Show

Light spilled across the floor with carefully watched anticipation; neither the watcher nor the sleeper moved as they awaited the magic moment.
Outside the window a web of branches floated in an idling zephyr and a small robin sang confidently, hidden out of sight, but everywhere in its joyful song.
The hours passed from morning through the cool heat of a winter's noontide, to the pale gold of a chill afternoon untouched by scarring clouds.
A few short minutes before the perfect moment, a sibilant murmur broke the wait. [color=yellow-green]"I do hope the antici . . . pation isn't too much for you my sweet 'elene?"[/color]
"What is waiting if the purest moment awaits you at the end? All things impatient are cursed fools, leaning out over the brightness and staring until the blindness rips their heart's secrets from them." The gentle Mediterranean voice snapped and crackled into a laugh that dimmed her eyes beauty.
Mangosta joined her in the laugh, though the hesitancy caused discord in the gleeful sound.
"What but less than a score of hours compared to centuries? Millennia? Eternity writhing in the fiery pits of the inferno for my crimes?
"What but the sheen of light slowly dragging its way across the land when I have seen the darkness of the eyes of none?"
Helene turned her face slightly to look properly at Mangosta, her eyes of velvet suddenly achingly harsh, all indolence discarded. "Hush 'elene, the play is not for another six weeks and you are wonderful, no need to practice now. Just relax and wait with me."
Helene smirked and resumed her position. "Indeed, I'll relax shall I?" Her smooth sweeping curves and indolent pose began to wilt, the devil taking residence in her eyes and smile as Mangosta lunged for her, "Don't loose shape yet my wonderful muse!"
"Ah, then how can she relax as you bid her do?"
"Well, be but a captive a little while longer, as you've said: 'What but less than a score of hours?' We’re nearly done my light; this’ll be the last time we do this.” Helene nodded, this would be the last time she assumed the required position. The last time she obeyed him fully.
The robin was silent and the branched web ever thickened.
The air thickened and Helene remained ever motionless, even as Mangosta shivered in eagerness, less than a dozen minutes to go; the canvas and the room before him were near to identical. Mirror-perfect as only true art could describe.
“Many have attempted to paint me,” she spoke as the paintbrush launched an assault on the pure remains of the canvas.
”And none have yet managed to capture you.”
“None have yet managed to finish the image; oh yes, I exist on the canvas, but I am not there am I?
“Throughout my years, eternally sinning for being the chosen of one blessed by a demon who bribed her way into success. As the First and Second Wives – I have met them, writhing in joy in the ravening hunger of the flames of the pits – have sinned, as have I.
“And if the gods are truly demons; for all they do is twist us and play us, then we are their enemies. And that means to be human – mortal – is to be a god. Because we were innocent until they spoke to us, played with us, filled us to the brim with searing demon-passions that were never meant to be.
“We were perfect.
“And now we are not.” As she spoke she looked not at Mangosta whose painting had slowed and inevitably stopped as he listened to Helene’s flat tirade. And all the while her profile was as placid and reflective as a becalmed sea under the noonday sun. It was blinding. “Too be a god, and then for a demon to bring me low, through the designs of another god – it hurts.” Smiling lips split in manic . . . fear? hatred? delight? The words were ripped from his lips, ”And now?”
“I am an angel.
“I am a Dominion of the Second Sphere, though I have six wings. I am of the Zabaniah, or at least, I aid in their duties. What else is Helene to do? The First and Second Wives are also of the Zabaniah, though they know it not. Only because I slipped between the rankings and precedents have I knowledge of my own being.”
”You lie.” He glanced at the painting. Ruined. Those three thick white streaks where he had been too shocked by what she said to pay attention to his brush.
He sighed minutely as he began packing away, if only the colours hadn’t run into the white he could have at least tried to paint over it or something, but the rest of the painting was bleeding into the white and making pinks, blues, beryls, pale jades and greys. Bloody paints had the indecency to run, time to switch to a new brand.
Another canvas ruined.
Fantastic.
”Look, my sweet ‘elene, You know I love you dearly, but if you were on meds you should have told me. Did you forget to fill your prescription? It’s okay. We’ll just take you to your parents house and we can start anew when you feel better.” Best to think she was fixable. Couldn’t think anything else, teetering on the cusp of knowing too much was dangerous. Razor blades of truth nipped at his skin, daring him to slice deeper and feel the exquisite pain that was destroying a world and perceiving the new, true one.
It was too dangerous.
”Come now ‘elene. Let’s get you dressed. Don’t worry about the painting, the paints ruined it, not you.” Helene stood up, neither modest nor shamed in her nudity. She wasn’t even confident in it. She just . . . wore it.
As if it were clothing.
With a sudden burning slice across his breast he knew with absolute certainty that that was how people had looked in the Garden.
Then he saw that she was too dark. Not innocent any more, not she.
His mind froze, and he bustled about on automatic, too desperate to forget his seeing that he came too close to Helene.
With the swaying undulance of a stalking tigress she approached, eyes of gold and solemnity in her gait and expression. “How can a once-god redeem oneself?
“We cannot take vengeance on the demons, for they are immortal and more powerful than we. Many of the angels are trapped in their own minds, deluded, deformed by their crooked thoughts.
“A god then.
“I must find a proper, true god and take them. Make them writhe in flames of pain and pleasure and take them to the very limits of what they can withstand. And then they will breathe the life’s breath and I can take it; drink greedily at that sweet liquor as I do of all others, and this time I shall find true sustenance, not that dead, weak thing I have found from other gods.
“I would like to think I have found that life’s liquor in you.
“There is something about you, you don’t want to see it; your inspiration is not divine. You are. Your inspiration is something else. Demon? No. If it were I would not wish to tease you into feeling everything, taste everything; the salt of you, the breath of you, the sweetness of your life as I draw it into myself and find myself redeemed.
“Helene as long as I have been, I find myself wishing for another name. No more curses, memories of long-dead husbands and men, wives and sisters.
“I wish for a new canvas and a new life.
“You will give it to me.”
Lies, lies, ‘tis all lies. Has to be. It wasn’t real, but it made so much sense. Demons are gods, gods are humans and angels are demons.
I am a god?
“Yes, yes you are.” He backed into the wall, but Helene followed, a predatory succubus, an angelic one. So perfect. He couldn’t stop staring at the twin silvery scars on her hips. What would they feel like? Soft vellum? Not silk, no, maybe satin or velvet rubbed the wrong way. And what about the rest of her? Laughter trickled out into the light.
Have I been speaking out loud? She only smiled.
“Come my god. Let me worship you.”
”’elene?”
“Penelope . . . “ she whispered as he felt the first licks of pleasant pain.

Meep.

[Reinholdt]

Hahaha!! I've never seen Mangosta so... subdued before.
Worth every bit just to see that Curly.
And every bit as thankful it wasn't me there.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Curly: Yes, well, Sess/Kag is my OTP at the moment. Well, actually, I pretty much ship Kagome around with everyone, because I like her lots. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Older Shippo, Kouga...
Mmmm.
But Sess/Kag is my favorite, and Forthright only managed to fan the fires.
FemmeHelgraf is an interesting reversal. Where, so often, we see Graf/Helgraf/Renfield as a victim, completely submissive and bending, FemmeGraf is dominant and assertive. Manipulative.
Hrm.

[RabbitHoleLost]

Diacaustic
Unfeasible

Down At the Heel
Twobit, DD, Eleventh Hour

Spoiler

Show

"We can't just toss her out into space!"
"Well, what do you suggest, DD? You want us to have to explain why we were frolicking in the outer reaches of the Outer Rim? 'Cause last I checked, scavenging attacked Republic ships gets you put away for life!"
The wookie became silent, his shaggy shoulders sagging.
"Look, bud, we'll refill her oxygen supply and shove her back out, put a distress beacon on her, and a Republic ship will come and save her within the hour, I bet you, and we'll be long gone and out of the way. Its a win-win."
"I...guess."
It wasn't long before the two were hefting an emergency pod to the dock, DD carrying the berobed catgirl in his arms.
"So, she'll be safe, right?"
Twobi nodded, blonde hair falling into his eyes and he gave a soft, reassuring smile to his friend.
"Now just put her into the pod, and-"
"Uh, Twobi..."
"Don't interrupt. Put her into the pod and-"
"No, really, I think-"
The rogue had turned on his heels, ready to continue his dictation, but he was suddenly aware of the blinding green lightsaber at the thick, furred neck of his companion, held in the slender hands of the catgirl.
"Kriff."

[Reinholdt]

You'd think he'd hear the hum. Or whatever that sound is.
I can't wait to see what horrible, awful, and megalomaniac good and lawful things the jedi makes them do.

[Lix Lorn]

Pfft. XD
Being shipped by Curly is an honour that makes people run for the hills, isn't it? XD

[Silverraptor]

Pfft. XD
Being shipped by Curly is an honour that makes people run for the hills, isn't it? XD

I would assume so, yes.

[Dirk Kris]

Luvaloteva starring Brandi/Gryffon

Spoiler

Show

Brandi lay with her head in Gryffon's lap as the TV rambled on, talking to itself, really. Gryffon's thick fingers ran through her hair, massaging the scalp, soothing her head from the day's worries. He hummed quietly as he did, knowing the sound of his voice and the music would help to smooth the creases of concern from her brow. Brandi sighed deeply, yawned - and Gryf smiled, knowing it was working. The routine was something they had grown used to - Brandi getting worked up about something, Gryffon using his lips and voice and hands to calm her until she fell asleep in his arms. It happened more and more now. Of course, long-distance relationships would do that, particularly to someone so affectionate as Brandi.

Gryffon smiled again and leaned down to brush his ears against Brandi's ear, chuckling quietly when he saw a chill of pleasure run through her body. "I love you."

Brandi, eyes closed, smiled back. "Not good enough." Before Gryffon could do more than start to sputter, Brandi cracked open one green eye, then the other. Her smile transformed into a smirk at the twist of emotions on Gryf's face. "How's the song go? 'Those three words are said too much - or not enough.' I want something unique for us - we need a word better than love. It doesn't do it justice."

Realizing he'd been holding his breath, Gryf exhaled, the color starting to return to his face. He ran his hands through her hair again. "Well then, love, what do you suggest?"

Brandi shrugged. "I dunno. I figure between the two of us we can come up with something. Something that only we would know what we were talking about."

Gryffon stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth, the way he did when he was concentrating on something. Brandi watched with a soft, affectionate smile. "Do you want to replace the word, or the whole phrase?" Brandi shrugged again, turning her eyes to the television again.

Gryffon thought for a time, his hands working on Brandi's scalp of their own accord, their motions practiced and fluid. His mind worked around his knowledge of languages, vocabulary, significance...and then he had it. Beaming a smile, he looked down at Brandi to tell her...and saw that she had drifted off to sleep in his arms. Chuckling again, he gently scooped her closer to him and stood, adjusting her weight to carry her to bed.

As he took off her shoes and socks and gathered her long hair into a ponytail so it wouldn't get into her face as she slept, Brandi muttered something incoherent. Leaning over to her ear, Gryf kissed her neck and whispered the new word to her. "Luvaloteva. It means I love you a lot forever. 'Night."

[Lix Lorn]

D'awwwwwwwwwww. Nice song ref too. (Goes to listen)

[RabbitHoleLost]

Pfft. XD
Being shipped by Curly is an honour that makes people run for the hills, isn't it? XD

Well, Curly was the first shipper.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Rabbit, wonderfull! Looking forward to more!

Pfft. XD
Being shipped by Curly is an honour that makes people run for the hills, isn't it? XD

Maybe new people.

The rest of us when shipped by Koorly, just join the konga line.

[Lix Lorn]

I'm a new person. WooOW.

[Reinholdt]

@ Dirk - Wow. That's a... uh... crazy internet word. Leet 5pe@k FTW?

@ Lix - I generally consider it a great honor to be shipped by anyone.

[mangosta71]

@ Lix - I generally consider it a great honor to be shipped by anyone.

Except me. I have a weird tendency to do horrible things to Rein every time I ship him. I blame Rein for having a personality that leads to victimization.

Anyhoo, now that I've had time to recover, Helene was wonderful. I think that's the first time our Mistress has used me as one of her characters. Reading through there, I could almost believe that she thinks I have some redeeming qualities.