Archiving
A rec- The Broken Circle. Hetalia/American Gods, spoilers for the latter, PG-13.
… I don't really know what to say about this. I found my read-through of American Gods troublesome, and… this has that same air, I think.
Can't remember if I'd not heard of the Turul or simply forgotten. Probably the latter.
…well. Gotta work on this timing stuff. 'n tags, and rewriting and aps and looking at places and all that.
Title: End of Powers
Day/Theme: September 5- burn the length and breadth of sky
Series: Norse mythology
Character/Pairing: Valkyries, the fire giant Surt
Rating: PG
Their doom is brought out in chaos. Prophecy can only be certain about so much- their champions, their leaders, who will destroy and be destroyed- and the rest of them must make do with taking down as many as they can before they themselves die.
(No one who has not taken refuge in Hodmimir’s Forest will survive; but they cannot all take refuge there- would not even think of it. Running is the resort of those who can do nothing else for this world.)
Now that there are no more heroes to be chosen, no more messages to be taken, the Valkyries take up their spears and fight. To not do so would be a disgrace, and their winged mounts offer them some advantage in fighting the giants.
Not enough, though, not when the giant Surt raises his sword and fire flares out in every direction. Mounts scream, and their riders with them.
It is only through great fortune that the last are in any shape to take him with them, ice-enchanted spears through heart and head.
It may have been chaos, but that did not mean that they were to simply lose themselves to it.
Title: -
Rating: PG
Theme: September 6- one puff of breath is never enough
Series: xxxHolic
Characters: Clow, Yuuko
He smells the smoke before she comes into sight, and it does not surprise him that there is already a tray laid out with tea and sweets beside her.
“Yuuko-san,” he greets her, retrieving his own pipe from the depths of one pocket (not quite as easy as it might sound, given what else he is given to carry in his pockets).
She inhales, and blows out a cloud of smoke, which he waves away from him as politely as he can. “Clow,” she says, and, “I had thought that you might be a little later.”
“Delightful as the tea you have is, I must admit that I prefer it warm rather than cold,” Clow says, seating himself- not quite beside her, but perhaps just within reach. If they were to reach out, which he does not particularly expect.
“Possibly for the best,” she replies, with another cloud of smoke. His own joins it a moment later, with a brief flash of colours. “Tea that tastes good when it is cold is remarkably hard to come by, it seems.”
“Thank you for making the effort,” he says, and smiles at her.
“Hm,” she says, and they smoke in peace.
Title: Caught in Silence
Rating: G
Theme: September 8- how to be dead
Series: Chrono Trigger
Character: Crono
It might look like it- especially to her, that cackling menace who doesn’t know what human is any more- but he’s not thick, not a complete fool. He walks into things he shouldn’t, fair enough, but here and now, he can’t- and, well, yes, because he did walk into this, and bring the others with him, but. That just means that he has to do something about it.
And it’s not exactly hard for him to walk up and challenge it- it’s not quite expecting it, he thinks, not after it took them all down the first time. It’s far too easy for it to start tearing him down, though- he can feel it in his bones, isn’t even sure that he’s still hanging together.
It’s very quiet when it stops.
Title: Rent
Day/Theme: September 12- I'll tap into your strengths
Series: Original (Strange and Awkward)
Character/Pairing: Dahy, Xephos
Rating: G
Xephos wears a human form- one with bones, muscles and organs covered by skin-, but at his core he keeps his pure essence, as must they all. The core of someone’s self is usually something that most people find difficult to see, even if they are the kind of person who is given to seeing such things, but Dahy catches sight of Xephos’ every now and again.
It helps, in a way, that Xephos tends to take the form he originally preferred every so often, a form that displays his flames. But another part of it is that, while Xephos has his flames under control, every so often they flare outside of that control.
Dahy doesn’t think that he’s doing anything particularly wrong in using a little of Xephos’ power to augment the wards. If he thinks about it, it’s simply a way of Xephos paying the rent.
Title: Heading Home
Day/Theme: September 16- miss you quite terribly
Series: Seiken Densetsu 3
Character/Pairing: Hawk/Lise
Rating: G
Hawk was glad enough that they were heading back to their respective homes (and that some had already returned- how in the world had the Magic Kingdom turned out such a princess as Angela?), with the world set to rights- well, as right as it could be with the Mana Tree in its current state. Still, it did mean something of an end to their travels, and that… was something he’d grown used to. The company, too, to some extent.
Flammie landed as close to the desert fortress as she dared- their last reception hadn’t been exceptionally friendly, after all- and Lise turned to him. “Well, here we are,” she said.
Hawk nodded. “Sure you can’t stay for a little while?” he asked, flashing her his most charming grin.
Lise shook her head, looking regretful. “I don’t think Flammie likes the desert much,” she said, stroking Flammie’s neck fur. “And I’m afraid I’ve left Rolante for longer than I should have.”
“Well, we all have things that we need to return to,” Hawk said, and turned to a brave grin, something he’d had practice with during the quest. “But if you can think to spare a moment from your worries for a poor thief like me-” Both females snorted at that, and he affected a wounded look. “If you should be able to find the time, I should be honoured to look upon your face once again.” He offered her a rose.
Lise smiled, taking it. “If I find the time, I’ll think about it,” she agreed.
Title: Storm All Night
Day/Theme: September 19- what if the storm ends
Series: Original (Music and Luck)
Character/Pairing: Two sisters
Rating: G
She didn’t entirely like storms, but her sister had invited her up and so she’d come, cloak wrapped around her and hood over her head (but not so far as to obstruct her view). Her sister had promised that she wouldn’t allow the lightning to hurt her- it was far less dangerous to her sister than herself, since her sister came from the lightning and air and she was of things that lightning set alight- but she’d aligned herself with the roof as best she could. No need to give it extra incentive.
Her sister laughed, when she touched down on the roof, lightning crackling in her hair and face and over her skin. “You are a silly thing,” she said, moving to ruffle the younger one’s hair. The younger sister ducked away, and the older laughed again. “I’d never let it scorch you, you know,” she said gently.
The younger one pulled a face. “I don’t want to let it try,” she said, and eyed the lightning crackling over her sister’s skin.
“It doesn’t hurt,” her sister said, touching one forearm gently.
“…and when it goes?” she asked, but without certainty.
Her sister smiled. “I won’t go, if that’s your worry.”
“Who said I was worried about that!?”
Another laugh, and she scooped up the younger sister and carried her downstairs despite her protests.
Title: It Will Be Done
Day/Theme: 29 September- the dead are gentle to us
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Amaterasu, Issun
Rating: G
Their fingers are like ash on her fur, only the faintest of bonds still holding them to a semblance of the shape they wore in life. Issun crouches down in Amaterasu’s fur and lets them and their questing fingers pass over him- Amaterasu may be fine with them touching her, but he’s not her, and he isn’t. He doesn’t know what the touch of the dead could do to a Poncle, and to be honest he doesn’t really want to be the one who finds out.
Their touch lingers on her furs, hairs clinging together (though this is one of those things Issun doesn’t have the opportunity to find out), and Amaterasu shakes herself once the dead have all settled. She doesn’t relax, entirely- that the dead have stayed here so long is clearly a problem- but these were her people in life, and remain so in death, and so she sits and listens, or at least gives them the appearance of paying attention. (Whatever it is, they’ll find some way of dealing with it in any case.) When they have said what they can- the voices of the dead are in some cases diminished- Amaterasu bows her head and rises, turning her head to seek out the source of the problem.
There is so much to do. All she can promise is that that which needs doing will be done.
Title: A Day
Day/Theme: October 1- Today and today also
Series: Kingdom Hearts
Character/Pairing: Roxas, Sora
Rating: G
>He woke up- Roxas woke up, and it was… okay. It was more than okay, if sort of weird at this point- he and Sora weren’t entirely one, probably weren’t going to be for the foreseeable furture given what had happened to each of them, and that… he’d come to terms with it, more or less. Sora not so much, though, which Roxas… sort of minded, because Sora could be downright pig-headed when he really wanted to be (which wasn’t always a bad thing, but when they were arguing…).
He couldn’t have denied that it was something he’d wanted, in a way- though this still wasn’t quite it, wasn’t the same as having his own body- and, well, this was Sora they were talking about.
So if he had a day, then…
He smiled, and got out of bed. Better not waste it.
Title: Statuesque
Day/Theme: October 2- Thus spring begins
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Amaterasu
Rating: G
Stone is as close to the earth in which many of the plants of Nippon grow as she can be and still retain some sort of sense of herself. It’s only truly meant to be a recuperative state, but it’s just as easy to lose her self in stone as earth.
The trick with stone is that it maintains her own shape, and a statue is something that can be recognised (even if given a different name), respected and cared for. So that when she is called back to the world, when she is needed, it doesn’t take so long for the call to reach her as it might.
The world waits, to be given life again.
Title: Tree's Beauty
Day/Theme: October 3- There are no strangers under cherry blossoms
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Mr. Orange, Amaterasu, Issun
Rating: G
“Konohana looks so beautiful, now that she is in bloom again,” Mr Orange says, leaning on his stick for a better look at Konohana. The loss of all her blossoms troubles him, sometimes, but such is the way of things, and it is surely a mark of great fortune that her blossoms have come forth once more for this Moon Festival.
The white wolf whuffs in what he assumes is agreement, tail wagging as she gazes upwards.
“That’s not the only thing that looks great, heh heh!” the little bug accompanying the wolf exclaims, bouncing about. It’s something that he doesn’t want to consider too much, Mr Orange decides, and perhaps the wolf thinks the same way.
It’s entirely possible he could have misunderstood that eye movement, though, and there is the rest of the festival to enjoy.
Title: Cavern Winds
Day/Theme: October 4- So many breezes, but never enough
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: A sprite
Rating: G
It's too easy to be trapped in a place like this. There's plenty of air, and she can feel the wind passing through now and again, but it's not enough- there's never enough- to take her back out where she belongs, back to the freedom of the sky.
It would be less of a problem if she wasn't so weak, she thinks with no small amount of anger- mostly against herself-, if she could drag herself out from this spot and back somewhere where the winds are stronger. The stronger breezes aren't about to come to this dim corner of the mountain's caverns- and if any breezes do come, they're more likely to push her back into this corner than help her out.
She wishes she wasn't so dependent on the wind to get around. It's wonderful when she's outside, and able to move freely, but like this…
She can't stay here forever, though, she knows. She has to get back out, to be where she belongs. If she just stays here, she'll waste away until there's nothing left, just a little wisp of what she once was and then not even that. There are stranger things than her in these mountains, older and stronger and part of the mountain or, if not that, then grown so used to the mountains than they might as well be, and for all she knows, they probably won't take well to her presence here. She's lucky that they haven't noticed her already, she imagines- back home there are plenty of stories about their kind wandering into places like the mountains (and fooling around in forests and over lakes, too, certainly) and getting trapped and ending up in unfortunate situations, which they could just have avoided if they'd been a little more careful.
She'd like to think that she was being careful, that it was entirely the fault of the breeze she was riding that she ended up in such a place- but if she's honest with herself, in her heart she knows that that's not the truth of it.
When she gets back, it's going to be very awkward. She almost doesn't want to, but like hell is she going to stay down here and let whatever it is that lurks in these mountains- goblins, ogres, what have you- eat her. Or whatever it is they do with little sprites like her- use her for a potion? She wouldn't know.
She's not sticking around to find out, either, she tells herself firmly, and twitches her wings. They can take her, she decides, which means all she needs to do is find the breeze that will take her out of here. Not a small task, but that's not something she'll allow to beat her down.
Title: Bells
Day/Theme: October 5- The cat learns a festival dance
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Gekigami, Kabegami, Amaterasu
Rating: G
He can feel himself twitching, just looking up at her. “Kabegami,” he says, with as much controlled anger as he can manage. It’s a little hard to tell, given how high up she is on the wall, but he thinks she sticks her tongue out at him. He scowls- not exactly an unusual expression for him, though, so it has little effect on Kabegami other than her climbing a little bit higher.
The thought of reaching for his bow is very tempting, and he almost does save for the thought that Amaterasu will not be pleased if Kabegami presents with singed fur, and a soft hand on his shoulder.
Amaterasu smiles at him, and while Gekigami is not as close to her now as he might have been once, he still respects her, and admires her skill (perhaps grudgingly at times, but he cannot imagine denying her). Certainly she is better at convincing Kabegami to come down than he is, offering Kabegami bells for her hair. It is not something that he would have thought of, but Amaterasu…
Well, he thinks, watching her step forward to teach Kabegami some of the steps. She is the Mother, after all.
Title: Hand in the Waterfall
Day/Theme: October 6- They say, "Goodbye, goodbye," in a falling mist
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: Harul, Evan, Pierrel
Rating: G
In the waterfall, he sees a hand.
Harul stares at it for a moment, then blinks and rubs at his eyes and looks back. The hand is still there, and he glances at the others, who don’t seem to have noticed. He looks back at the hand, which has actually moved a little this time- it looks a little as though it’s drooping, or the person it belongs to (presuming there is one) is drooping, part of his brain supplies helpfully as the rest of him jerks back.
The hand droops even more, if that’s possible, and Harul feels bad except that there’s some part of him trying to kick him in the head and yelling that hands don’t belong in waterfalls!
He does his best to ignore it, forcing himself to relax a little so that whatever the hand does next won’t come as such a surprise. “What is it that you want?” he asks it, because really, if there’s a hand in a waterfall, it must be in want of something.
The hand doesn’t respond vocally (it’s just a hand, then, Harul decides, though that doesn’t make it any less freaky), but it does turn to wave at him. Somewhat bewildered, Harul waves back, and this seems to be the charm, the hand drawing back into the waterfall, or… somewhere else, maybe. There’re things said about this kind of happenstance, after all…
“Hey, Harul, what’re you looking at?” Evan calls, having noticed (finally! part of Harul thinks, but not for long).
Harul turns, and smiles at his friends. “Oh, nothing,” he says, and splashes water at Pierrel, who squawks indignantly and returns it in kind.
Laughter returns.
Title: Leaking
Day/Theme: October 7- Morning glories make a roof
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Issun, Amaterasu
Rating: G
“Those imps have really got a nerve! Making a roof that leaks on travellers like this!”
Amaterasu looked up, ignoring Issun’s furious rant and accompanying bounces. Her tail wagged, and for a moment there was a roof of cloudy ink.
Then it broke apart.
“Probably too old, or cursed, or something of the sort, furball,” Issun said, looking up at it gloomily. With another look around the house, he added, “Doesn’t look as though there’s anything we can do to clear it up, either- not in this weather! We’d be better off looking for some other shelter.”
Amaterasu huffed a little- probably upset that the roof wasn’t behaving the way it should when she used her techniques, Issun figured- but got up anyway and peered out the doorway. Not that there was much to see with the rain like this, really, but it was clearly also just as leaky anywhere else. They might as well be travelling.
(He did end up with a leaf- handy when it finally fined up and Ammy shook all the water she’d accumulated off.)
… I don't really know what to say about this. I found my read-through of American Gods troublesome, and… this has that same air, I think.
Can't remember if I'd not heard of the Turul or simply forgotten. Probably the latter.
…well. Gotta work on this timing stuff. 'n tags, and rewriting and aps and looking at places and all that.
Title: End of Powers
Day/Theme: September 5- burn the length and breadth of sky
Series: Norse mythology
Character/Pairing: Valkyries, the fire giant Surt
Rating: PG
Their doom is brought out in chaos. Prophecy can only be certain about so much- their champions, their leaders, who will destroy and be destroyed- and the rest of them must make do with taking down as many as they can before they themselves die.
(No one who has not taken refuge in Hodmimir’s Forest will survive; but they cannot all take refuge there- would not even think of it. Running is the resort of those who can do nothing else for this world.)
Now that there are no more heroes to be chosen, no more messages to be taken, the Valkyries take up their spears and fight. To not do so would be a disgrace, and their winged mounts offer them some advantage in fighting the giants.
Not enough, though, not when the giant Surt raises his sword and fire flares out in every direction. Mounts scream, and their riders with them.
It is only through great fortune that the last are in any shape to take him with them, ice-enchanted spears through heart and head.
It may have been chaos, but that did not mean that they were to simply lose themselves to it.
Title: -
Rating: PG
Theme: September 6- one puff of breath is never enough
Series: xxxHolic
Characters: Clow, Yuuko
He smells the smoke before she comes into sight, and it does not surprise him that there is already a tray laid out with tea and sweets beside her.
“Yuuko-san,” he greets her, retrieving his own pipe from the depths of one pocket (not quite as easy as it might sound, given what else he is given to carry in his pockets).
She inhales, and blows out a cloud of smoke, which he waves away from him as politely as he can. “Clow,” she says, and, “I had thought that you might be a little later.”
“Delightful as the tea you have is, I must admit that I prefer it warm rather than cold,” Clow says, seating himself- not quite beside her, but perhaps just within reach. If they were to reach out, which he does not particularly expect.
“Possibly for the best,” she replies, with another cloud of smoke. His own joins it a moment later, with a brief flash of colours. “Tea that tastes good when it is cold is remarkably hard to come by, it seems.”
“Thank you for making the effort,” he says, and smiles at her.
“Hm,” she says, and they smoke in peace.
Title: Caught in Silence
Rating: G
Theme: September 8- how to be dead
Series: Chrono Trigger
Character: Crono
It might look like it- especially to her, that cackling menace who doesn’t know what human is any more- but he’s not thick, not a complete fool. He walks into things he shouldn’t, fair enough, but here and now, he can’t- and, well, yes, because he did walk into this, and bring the others with him, but. That just means that he has to do something about it.
And it’s not exactly hard for him to walk up and challenge it- it’s not quite expecting it, he thinks, not after it took them all down the first time. It’s far too easy for it to start tearing him down, though- he can feel it in his bones, isn’t even sure that he’s still hanging together.
It’s very quiet when it stops.
Title: Rent
Day/Theme: September 12- I'll tap into your strengths
Series: Original (Strange and Awkward)
Character/Pairing: Dahy, Xephos
Rating: G
Xephos wears a human form- one with bones, muscles and organs covered by skin-, but at his core he keeps his pure essence, as must they all. The core of someone’s self is usually something that most people find difficult to see, even if they are the kind of person who is given to seeing such things, but Dahy catches sight of Xephos’ every now and again.
It helps, in a way, that Xephos tends to take the form he originally preferred every so often, a form that displays his flames. But another part of it is that, while Xephos has his flames under control, every so often they flare outside of that control.
Dahy doesn’t think that he’s doing anything particularly wrong in using a little of Xephos’ power to augment the wards. If he thinks about it, it’s simply a way of Xephos paying the rent.
Title: Heading Home
Day/Theme: September 16- miss you quite terribly
Series: Seiken Densetsu 3
Character/Pairing: Hawk/Lise
Rating: G
Hawk was glad enough that they were heading back to their respective homes (and that some had already returned- how in the world had the Magic Kingdom turned out such a princess as Angela?), with the world set to rights- well, as right as it could be with the Mana Tree in its current state. Still, it did mean something of an end to their travels, and that… was something he’d grown used to. The company, too, to some extent.
Flammie landed as close to the desert fortress as she dared- their last reception hadn’t been exceptionally friendly, after all- and Lise turned to him. “Well, here we are,” she said.
Hawk nodded. “Sure you can’t stay for a little while?” he asked, flashing her his most charming grin.
Lise shook her head, looking regretful. “I don’t think Flammie likes the desert much,” she said, stroking Flammie’s neck fur. “And I’m afraid I’ve left Rolante for longer than I should have.”
“Well, we all have things that we need to return to,” Hawk said, and turned to a brave grin, something he’d had practice with during the quest. “But if you can think to spare a moment from your worries for a poor thief like me-” Both females snorted at that, and he affected a wounded look. “If you should be able to find the time, I should be honoured to look upon your face once again.” He offered her a rose.
Lise smiled, taking it. “If I find the time, I’ll think about it,” she agreed.
Title: Storm All Night
Day/Theme: September 19- what if the storm ends
Series: Original (Music and Luck)
Character/Pairing: Two sisters
Rating: G
She didn’t entirely like storms, but her sister had invited her up and so she’d come, cloak wrapped around her and hood over her head (but not so far as to obstruct her view). Her sister had promised that she wouldn’t allow the lightning to hurt her- it was far less dangerous to her sister than herself, since her sister came from the lightning and air and she was of things that lightning set alight- but she’d aligned herself with the roof as best she could. No need to give it extra incentive.
Her sister laughed, when she touched down on the roof, lightning crackling in her hair and face and over her skin. “You are a silly thing,” she said, moving to ruffle the younger one’s hair. The younger sister ducked away, and the older laughed again. “I’d never let it scorch you, you know,” she said gently.
The younger one pulled a face. “I don’t want to let it try,” she said, and eyed the lightning crackling over her sister’s skin.
“It doesn’t hurt,” her sister said, touching one forearm gently.
“…and when it goes?” she asked, but without certainty.
Her sister smiled. “I won’t go, if that’s your worry.”
“Who said I was worried about that!?”
Another laugh, and she scooped up the younger sister and carried her downstairs despite her protests.
Title: It Will Be Done
Day/Theme: 29 September- the dead are gentle to us
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Amaterasu, Issun
Rating: G
Their fingers are like ash on her fur, only the faintest of bonds still holding them to a semblance of the shape they wore in life. Issun crouches down in Amaterasu’s fur and lets them and their questing fingers pass over him- Amaterasu may be fine with them touching her, but he’s not her, and he isn’t. He doesn’t know what the touch of the dead could do to a Poncle, and to be honest he doesn’t really want to be the one who finds out.
Their touch lingers on her furs, hairs clinging together (though this is one of those things Issun doesn’t have the opportunity to find out), and Amaterasu shakes herself once the dead have all settled. She doesn’t relax, entirely- that the dead have stayed here so long is clearly a problem- but these were her people in life, and remain so in death, and so she sits and listens, or at least gives them the appearance of paying attention. (Whatever it is, they’ll find some way of dealing with it in any case.) When they have said what they can- the voices of the dead are in some cases diminished- Amaterasu bows her head and rises, turning her head to seek out the source of the problem.
There is so much to do. All she can promise is that that which needs doing will be done.
Title: A Day
Day/Theme: October 1- Today and today also
Series: Kingdom Hearts
Character/Pairing: Roxas, Sora
Rating: G
>He woke up- Roxas woke up, and it was… okay. It was more than okay, if sort of weird at this point- he and Sora weren’t entirely one, probably weren’t going to be for the foreseeable furture given what had happened to each of them, and that… he’d come to terms with it, more or less. Sora not so much, though, which Roxas… sort of minded, because Sora could be downright pig-headed when he really wanted to be (which wasn’t always a bad thing, but when they were arguing…).
He couldn’t have denied that it was something he’d wanted, in a way- though this still wasn’t quite it, wasn’t the same as having his own body- and, well, this was Sora they were talking about.
So if he had a day, then…
He smiled, and got out of bed. Better not waste it.
Title: Statuesque
Day/Theme: October 2- Thus spring begins
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Amaterasu
Rating: G
Stone is as close to the earth in which many of the plants of Nippon grow as she can be and still retain some sort of sense of herself. It’s only truly meant to be a recuperative state, but it’s just as easy to lose her self in stone as earth.
The trick with stone is that it maintains her own shape, and a statue is something that can be recognised (even if given a different name), respected and cared for. So that when she is called back to the world, when she is needed, it doesn’t take so long for the call to reach her as it might.
The world waits, to be given life again.
Title: Tree's Beauty
Day/Theme: October 3- There are no strangers under cherry blossoms
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Mr. Orange, Amaterasu, Issun
Rating: G
“Konohana looks so beautiful, now that she is in bloom again,” Mr Orange says, leaning on his stick for a better look at Konohana. The loss of all her blossoms troubles him, sometimes, but such is the way of things, and it is surely a mark of great fortune that her blossoms have come forth once more for this Moon Festival.
The white wolf whuffs in what he assumes is agreement, tail wagging as she gazes upwards.
“That’s not the only thing that looks great, heh heh!” the little bug accompanying the wolf exclaims, bouncing about. It’s something that he doesn’t want to consider too much, Mr Orange decides, and perhaps the wolf thinks the same way.
It’s entirely possible he could have misunderstood that eye movement, though, and there is the rest of the festival to enjoy.
Title: Cavern Winds
Day/Theme: October 4- So many breezes, but never enough
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: A sprite
Rating: G
It's too easy to be trapped in a place like this. There's plenty of air, and she can feel the wind passing through now and again, but it's not enough- there's never enough- to take her back out where she belongs, back to the freedom of the sky.
It would be less of a problem if she wasn't so weak, she thinks with no small amount of anger- mostly against herself-, if she could drag herself out from this spot and back somewhere where the winds are stronger. The stronger breezes aren't about to come to this dim corner of the mountain's caverns- and if any breezes do come, they're more likely to push her back into this corner than help her out.
She wishes she wasn't so dependent on the wind to get around. It's wonderful when she's outside, and able to move freely, but like this…
She can't stay here forever, though, she knows. She has to get back out, to be where she belongs. If she just stays here, she'll waste away until there's nothing left, just a little wisp of what she once was and then not even that. There are stranger things than her in these mountains, older and stronger and part of the mountain or, if not that, then grown so used to the mountains than they might as well be, and for all she knows, they probably won't take well to her presence here. She's lucky that they haven't noticed her already, she imagines- back home there are plenty of stories about their kind wandering into places like the mountains (and fooling around in forests and over lakes, too, certainly) and getting trapped and ending up in unfortunate situations, which they could just have avoided if they'd been a little more careful.
She'd like to think that she was being careful, that it was entirely the fault of the breeze she was riding that she ended up in such a place- but if she's honest with herself, in her heart she knows that that's not the truth of it.
When she gets back, it's going to be very awkward. She almost doesn't want to, but like hell is she going to stay down here and let whatever it is that lurks in these mountains- goblins, ogres, what have you- eat her. Or whatever it is they do with little sprites like her- use her for a potion? She wouldn't know.
She's not sticking around to find out, either, she tells herself firmly, and twitches her wings. They can take her, she decides, which means all she needs to do is find the breeze that will take her out of here. Not a small task, but that's not something she'll allow to beat her down.
Title: Bells
Day/Theme: October 5- The cat learns a festival dance
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Gekigami, Kabegami, Amaterasu
Rating: G
He can feel himself twitching, just looking up at her. “Kabegami,” he says, with as much controlled anger as he can manage. It’s a little hard to tell, given how high up she is on the wall, but he thinks she sticks her tongue out at him. He scowls- not exactly an unusual expression for him, though, so it has little effect on Kabegami other than her climbing a little bit higher.
The thought of reaching for his bow is very tempting, and he almost does save for the thought that Amaterasu will not be pleased if Kabegami presents with singed fur, and a soft hand on his shoulder.
Amaterasu smiles at him, and while Gekigami is not as close to her now as he might have been once, he still respects her, and admires her skill (perhaps grudgingly at times, but he cannot imagine denying her). Certainly she is better at convincing Kabegami to come down than he is, offering Kabegami bells for her hair. It is not something that he would have thought of, but Amaterasu…
Well, he thinks, watching her step forward to teach Kabegami some of the steps. She is the Mother, after all.
Title: Hand in the Waterfall
Day/Theme: October 6- They say, "Goodbye, goodbye," in a falling mist
Series: Original
Character/Pairing: Harul, Evan, Pierrel
Rating: G
In the waterfall, he sees a hand.
Harul stares at it for a moment, then blinks and rubs at his eyes and looks back. The hand is still there, and he glances at the others, who don’t seem to have noticed. He looks back at the hand, which has actually moved a little this time- it looks a little as though it’s drooping, or the person it belongs to (presuming there is one) is drooping, part of his brain supplies helpfully as the rest of him jerks back.
The hand droops even more, if that’s possible, and Harul feels bad except that there’s some part of him trying to kick him in the head and yelling that hands don’t belong in waterfalls!
He does his best to ignore it, forcing himself to relax a little so that whatever the hand does next won’t come as such a surprise. “What is it that you want?” he asks it, because really, if there’s a hand in a waterfall, it must be in want of something.
The hand doesn’t respond vocally (it’s just a hand, then, Harul decides, though that doesn’t make it any less freaky), but it does turn to wave at him. Somewhat bewildered, Harul waves back, and this seems to be the charm, the hand drawing back into the waterfall, or… somewhere else, maybe. There’re things said about this kind of happenstance, after all…
“Hey, Harul, what’re you looking at?” Evan calls, having noticed (finally! part of Harul thinks, but not for long).
Harul turns, and smiles at his friends. “Oh, nothing,” he says, and splashes water at Pierrel, who squawks indignantly and returns it in kind.
Laughter returns.
Title: Leaking
Day/Theme: October 7- Morning glories make a roof
Series: Okami
Character/Pairing: Issun, Amaterasu
Rating: G
“Those imps have really got a nerve! Making a roof that leaks on travellers like this!”
Amaterasu looked up, ignoring Issun’s furious rant and accompanying bounces. Her tail wagged, and for a moment there was a roof of cloudy ink.
Then it broke apart.
“Probably too old, or cursed, or something of the sort, furball,” Issun said, looking up at it gloomily. With another look around the house, he added, “Doesn’t look as though there’s anything we can do to clear it up, either- not in this weather! We’d be better off looking for some other shelter.”
Amaterasu huffed a little- probably upset that the roof wasn’t behaving the way it should when she used her techniques, Issun figured- but got up anyway and peered out the doorway. Not that there was much to see with the rain like this, really, but it was clearly also just as leaky anywhere else. They might as well be travelling.
(He did end up with a leaf- handy when it finally fined up and Ammy shook all the water she’d accumulated off.)