New Fic: The Pleasant Disguise of Illusion
WHEE! Well, I must admit I'm in a brilliantly good mood. It's Sprink Break, I've been writing SO much lately, and everything's going great! Not to mention that I got that packet about the summer program... Ahh, even more writing! I swear, I think I'm obsessed. *grin* (and proud of it, too!) Oh well, no matter. It's really expensive, but it would look really good on a scholarship. (Strange... that word seems to be popping up more and more lately...) I REALLY want to go, so we'll just have to see. As long as that damn band camp doesn't interfere... *grumble* I don't know when it starts.
Oh, anyway! Back to stories. I posted the first part of "In and Out of Uniform" today. I'm REALLY hoping for some reviews. *crosses fingers* >.< please, please, please, please, please, please... It's only the first chapter, so who knows how it'll be received? "Addiction"-- which might be my most popular story-- didn't get a review until like two weeks after I posted it. And then it took two more weeks before I got another one! Heh. Hopefully, though, this story will meet with success. And speaking of stories... I've been working on a story lately, and so far I'm REALLY proud of it. *beam* Gah, it's AWESOME. Eh... sort of. Anyway, the point is I like it, and I wanted to post some of the first chapter here just to see if maybe anybody might maybe see it and like it. Who knows? Anyway, here goes! "The Pleasant Disguise of Illusion" by ILB:
Jounouchi held the slim piece of paper in his hands, a frown marring his usually good-natured face. He crumpled it in his fist angrily and threw it down. “I’m not going.”
Yugi and Honda exchanged worried looks. Even though their friend had denied it for years, even though he’d laugh in their faces whenever such a “ridiculous” thing was suggested, they were close enough to him to know how he really felt.
And he loved her.
“I don’t see why it’s any of our business anyway,” Jounouchi continued, starting to pace restlessly. “We’re not even close to her, so why the hell should we be concerned with her stupid affairs?”
“You don’t have to go, of course,” Yugi said kindly, understanding well (-that sounds weird...-) his friend’s distress.
“It’s totally up to you, actually,” Honda said, “But if you really don’t have any feelings for her anymore, I think that you should go. It might not be our business, and we might not be too close to her, but we’re some of the only friends she has.” He shrugged. “Shizuka and I are going, and I know Anzu’s going, too.” He looked at Yugi.
The other young man nodded. “I’m sorry if it upsets you, Jounouchi,” he said, “but if she cared enough to invite us, then I think that we should do her the honor of attending. It won’t be so bad, right?”
Jounouchi shook his head and muttered sarcastically, “Right. It’s just her engagement party. Hell, it won’t be bad at all.”
“Buck up,” Honda said, straightening up from his place on the couch. He clapped Jounouchi on the back. “You’ll be fine dude; it probably won’t last more than two hours anyway. And after the initial congratulations- which can be given in a group as opposed to individually- all you have to do is mingle; you don’t even have to talk to her.”
“Maybe,” Jounouchi said at last, conceding to his friends’ persuasive efforts. “Maybe. If I don’t have anything else to do, I guess I can put in an appearance.”
He sighed to himself. He didn’t trust himself around her. After not seeing her for so long, he had no idea what his reaction would be. She would be beautiful of course, and her fianceé would be handsome, debonair, and dashing, and Jounouchi would feel like a fool, an ignorant, uncultured fool, and realize once again that Mai deserved so much more than he could ever give her.
“I have to go,” he told the others, glancing at his watch. “Work starts soon and I don’t want to be late. I’ll talk to you later.” The other two waved, and with a quick flash of a smile, Jounouchi headed off.
(Line)
The guests were arriving. Mai sighed and stared out at the milling crowd of people. The place was decorated beautifully; it was simple, with soft light and creamy, white finery, but it was perfectly elegant. Gabe- the wealthy, handsome man she was marrying- had had it arranged for her; he could afford just about everything in the world, and never hesitated to give it to her. But it felt so superficial. Mai hadn’t even wanted something extravagant. It made her embarrassed as hell to be around all those people wishing her “good luck” and “congratulations”.
She smoothed out her skirt again, and tossed her thick blonde hair over her shoulder. Just because she actually was nervous didn’t mean she had to look it. She put on a big, fake smile, and headed over to the nearest group of well-wishers, ready to flaunt the huge rock on her left hand.
They all ooh’ed and ahh’ed over it, and after engaging in a frivolous conversation for about five minutes, she was more than relieved when her fiancée pulled her away.
She had met Gabe Valentine a year previously, on a duelists’ cruise where she was once again playing tables. He had been attentive and generous, and after one evening inordinately flirtatious. There hadn’t been too much interest (apart from the initial, superficial attraction to his wealth and rather boyish good looks) on her part, but after a late-night liason in his first-class cabin, her opinion drastically changed. He was an incredible lover, and slowly they started an on-again off-again relationship. Mai didn’t love him; she didn’t delude herself or Gabe into thinking that she did. She wasn’t the firmest believer in love in the first place, and all she really wanted was security. He gave her that; and even if she didn’t love him, he was a good man. If she had him, she would never have to worry about being... lonely.
Gabe gently directed her to a table, chivalrously pulled out a chair for her. “Are you alright Mai?” he asked kindly, almost laughing at her dazed expression. “You look a little... lost. Having a good time?”
She shook her head. “Not particularly, but I think that I’ll manage. It won’t last long, right?”
He nodded and kissed her hair. “Of course, sweetness. Would you like a glass of champagne?” She nodded absently, and soon said glass was thrust into her hand. “I have to mingle, so I can’t just stay here with you.” He straightened up, and adjusted his dark brown blazer. “Do try and enjoy yourself a little, alright?”
He gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, and then caught an old friend’s eye, and walked over with a wave.
***YAH! Yup, that's it. This is part of the first chapter; I have a little more written, but I haven't really progressed much further because I've been editing the socks off of this part. I've almost gotten it perfect. *beam* It's obviously a Jounouchi/Mai story (summary's on my ff profile), but I don't know what shipping that would by. Anyway, I'm really enjoying writing this story so I just thought I'd share with the world.
bye bye bye
ILB
Oh, anyway! Back to stories. I posted the first part of "In and Out of Uniform" today. I'm REALLY hoping for some reviews. *crosses fingers* >.< please, please, please, please, please, please... It's only the first chapter, so who knows how it'll be received? "Addiction"-- which might be my most popular story-- didn't get a review until like two weeks after I posted it. And then it took two more weeks before I got another one! Heh. Hopefully, though, this story will meet with success. And speaking of stories... I've been working on a story lately, and so far I'm REALLY proud of it. *beam* Gah, it's AWESOME. Eh... sort of. Anyway, the point is I like it, and I wanted to post some of the first chapter here just to see if maybe anybody might maybe see it and like it. Who knows? Anyway, here goes! "The Pleasant Disguise of Illusion" by ILB:
Jounouchi held the slim piece of paper in his hands, a frown marring his usually good-natured face. He crumpled it in his fist angrily and threw it down. “I’m not going.”
Yugi and Honda exchanged worried looks. Even though their friend had denied it for years, even though he’d laugh in their faces whenever such a “ridiculous” thing was suggested, they were close enough to him to know how he really felt.
And he loved her.
“I don’t see why it’s any of our business anyway,” Jounouchi continued, starting to pace restlessly. “We’re not even close to her, so why the hell should we be concerned with her stupid affairs?”
“You don’t have to go, of course,” Yugi said kindly, understanding well (-that sounds weird...-) his friend’s distress.
“It’s totally up to you, actually,” Honda said, “But if you really don’t have any feelings for her anymore, I think that you should go. It might not be our business, and we might not be too close to her, but we’re some of the only friends she has.” He shrugged. “Shizuka and I are going, and I know Anzu’s going, too.” He looked at Yugi.
The other young man nodded. “I’m sorry if it upsets you, Jounouchi,” he said, “but if she cared enough to invite us, then I think that we should do her the honor of attending. It won’t be so bad, right?”
Jounouchi shook his head and muttered sarcastically, “Right. It’s just her engagement party. Hell, it won’t be bad at all.”
“Buck up,” Honda said, straightening up from his place on the couch. He clapped Jounouchi on the back. “You’ll be fine dude; it probably won’t last more than two hours anyway. And after the initial congratulations- which can be given in a group as opposed to individually- all you have to do is mingle; you don’t even have to talk to her.”
“Maybe,” Jounouchi said at last, conceding to his friends’ persuasive efforts. “Maybe. If I don’t have anything else to do, I guess I can put in an appearance.”
He sighed to himself. He didn’t trust himself around her. After not seeing her for so long, he had no idea what his reaction would be. She would be beautiful of course, and her fianceé would be handsome, debonair, and dashing, and Jounouchi would feel like a fool, an ignorant, uncultured fool, and realize once again that Mai deserved so much more than he could ever give her.
“I have to go,” he told the others, glancing at his watch. “Work starts soon and I don’t want to be late. I’ll talk to you later.” The other two waved, and with a quick flash of a smile, Jounouchi headed off.
(Line)
The guests were arriving. Mai sighed and stared out at the milling crowd of people. The place was decorated beautifully; it was simple, with soft light and creamy, white finery, but it was perfectly elegant. Gabe- the wealthy, handsome man she was marrying- had had it arranged for her; he could afford just about everything in the world, and never hesitated to give it to her. But it felt so superficial. Mai hadn’t even wanted something extravagant. It made her embarrassed as hell to be around all those people wishing her “good luck” and “congratulations”.
She smoothed out her skirt again, and tossed her thick blonde hair over her shoulder. Just because she actually was nervous didn’t mean she had to look it. She put on a big, fake smile, and headed over to the nearest group of well-wishers, ready to flaunt the huge rock on her left hand.
They all ooh’ed and ahh’ed over it, and after engaging in a frivolous conversation for about five minutes, she was more than relieved when her fiancée pulled her away.
She had met Gabe Valentine a year previously, on a duelists’ cruise where she was once again playing tables. He had been attentive and generous, and after one evening inordinately flirtatious. There hadn’t been too much interest (apart from the initial, superficial attraction to his wealth and rather boyish good looks) on her part, but after a late-night liason in his first-class cabin, her opinion drastically changed. He was an incredible lover, and slowly they started an on-again off-again relationship. Mai didn’t love him; she didn’t delude herself or Gabe into thinking that she did. She wasn’t the firmest believer in love in the first place, and all she really wanted was security. He gave her that; and even if she didn’t love him, he was a good man. If she had him, she would never have to worry about being... lonely.
Gabe gently directed her to a table, chivalrously pulled out a chair for her. “Are you alright Mai?” he asked kindly, almost laughing at her dazed expression. “You look a little... lost. Having a good time?”
She shook her head. “Not particularly, but I think that I’ll manage. It won’t last long, right?”
He nodded and kissed her hair. “Of course, sweetness. Would you like a glass of champagne?” She nodded absently, and soon said glass was thrust into her hand. “I have to mingle, so I can’t just stay here with you.” He straightened up, and adjusted his dark brown blazer. “Do try and enjoy yourself a little, alright?”
He gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, and then caught an old friend’s eye, and walked over with a wave.
***YAH! Yup, that's it. This is part of the first chapter; I have a little more written, but I haven't really progressed much further because I've been editing the socks off of this part. I've almost gotten it perfect. *beam* It's obviously a Jounouchi/Mai story (summary's on my ff profile), but I don't know what shipping that would by. Anyway, I'm really enjoying writing this story so I just thought I'd share with the world.
bye bye bye
ILB