Challenge Responses Unsubmitted
If I *was* going to join Firsttweak and submit an entry to the under-300-word challenge, prompt "Bell", this is what I'd probably contribute. But I won't for rather silly reasons. If I can't post it here, where can I post it? :-P Plus, this gives me an excuse to try out my Sango icon.
Anyway, genre is romance/humor, wordcount is 300.
"New moon nights used to be InuYasha’s least favorite time of the month.
More recently, circumstances had changed. Now he traveled with a group of warriors, all willing to defend him during his time of weakness. Even so, his anxiety was ingrained by the force of habit; InuYasha might never sleep comfortably as a human, but his vigils were no longer solitary.
Kagome would often willingly share new moon insomnia. As time passed and the pair became more than friends, the solitude and darkness allowed them to shed inhibitions and explore what ‘more than friends’ could mean. A kiss on the hand was a small step, and a peck on the cheek came naturally a month later. Unfortunately, their first foray into proper kissing was halted in its tracks by the law of nature causing Shippo to investigate at inopportune moments.
“Is he asleep yet?” Kagome whispered shortly after the kit had returned to bed.
The dark shape beside her shrugged; she couldn’t see his face, but she knew he was blushing.
“I guess there’s no reason we can’t try again tomorrow”, she offered wryly.
“You’ll need to sleep, to make up for tonight. And Shippo’s…getting older.” InuYasha muttered.
“What’s that mean?”
“He’s kitsune. He can mask his scent, and move quietly enough I can’t hear him.”
“Ouch. We could go to my house…” But even the possibility of her mother walking in on them had her blushing, too.
The next day Kagome returned through the well, bringing back a gift for Shippo. A “good luck charm”: a bell that had once belonged to Buyo. Its piercing chime ensured he would wear it; the kit gloried in loud noises.
InuYasha found himself counting the days till the next new moon, which was rapidly becoming his favorite night of the month. "
I'm very aware of a number of problems with this. For one, totally implausible. Shippo would only wear the bell when it suited him, not all the time. For another, the excuses for confining make-out sessions to new moon nights were totally spurious. I just liked the full-circle aspect of the first and last sentences. I also liked making a point of InuYasha/Kagome first kiss not immediately leading to sex, like it does in so many fanfics. And once again, if I can't post it here, where can I post it?
Anyway, genre is romance/humor, wordcount is 300.
"New moon nights used to be InuYasha’s least favorite time of the month.
More recently, circumstances had changed. Now he traveled with a group of warriors, all willing to defend him during his time of weakness. Even so, his anxiety was ingrained by the force of habit; InuYasha might never sleep comfortably as a human, but his vigils were no longer solitary.
Kagome would often willingly share new moon insomnia. As time passed and the pair became more than friends, the solitude and darkness allowed them to shed inhibitions and explore what ‘more than friends’ could mean. A kiss on the hand was a small step, and a peck on the cheek came naturally a month later. Unfortunately, their first foray into proper kissing was halted in its tracks by the law of nature causing Shippo to investigate at inopportune moments.
“Is he asleep yet?” Kagome whispered shortly after the kit had returned to bed.
The dark shape beside her shrugged; she couldn’t see his face, but she knew he was blushing.
“I guess there’s no reason we can’t try again tomorrow”, she offered wryly.
“You’ll need to sleep, to make up for tonight. And Shippo’s…getting older.” InuYasha muttered.
“What’s that mean?”
“He’s kitsune. He can mask his scent, and move quietly enough I can’t hear him.”
“Ouch. We could go to my house…” But even the possibility of her mother walking in on them had her blushing, too.
The next day Kagome returned through the well, bringing back a gift for Shippo. A “good luck charm”: a bell that had once belonged to Buyo. Its piercing chime ensured he would wear it; the kit gloried in loud noises.
InuYasha found himself counting the days till the next new moon, which was rapidly becoming his favorite night of the month. "
I'm very aware of a number of problems with this. For one, totally implausible. Shippo would only wear the bell when it suited him, not all the time. For another, the excuses for confining make-out sessions to new moon nights were totally spurious. I just liked the full-circle aspect of the first and last sentences. I also liked making a point of InuYasha/Kagome first kiss not immediately leading to sex, like it does in so many fanfics. And once again, if I can't post it here, where can I post it?