To make up for the previous whiny post...
Here's some excerpts of fic that I'm working on. Most/some of you have seen bits of these before, but here's a new scene or two. Something like that.
From the "Sky Pirates AU" I'm working on: I think this'll be the official first scene:
Shizuka didn’t even realize he’d been betrothed to someone he’d never even met until that morning, when his father’s valet deigned to tell him.
“Oh,” the man said, picking out a charcoal-gray suit with a gold-embroidered scarlet silk vest, “You’re to meet Lady Kunogi Himawari. She is of a very good, high standing Noble Family, and it will be a good marriage.”
“Marriage?” Shizuka had barely climbed out of bed.
“Well,” the valet said, laying out a crisp Egyptian cotton shirt, “Your father arranged it last month. You’re out of college now, it’s time for you to make your mark on Society.”
Shizuka knew better than to protest. Saying something like “But I don’t want to get married,” would be not only childish, but also pointless; and the Kunogi’s were a high-standing Noble Family, close to the king. There was no room for refusal.
So he got out of bed, and changed into the formal suit, and ate breakfast even though it felt stale and heavy in his stomach.
“You’re to meet Lady Himawari today,” his father said. “You and two chaperones will pick her up at her family’s home near the palace, and then you’ll drive to their summer home, where her parents are staying. You’ll present yourself as a proper and honorable young man of the Doumeki family.”
“Yes, father.”
“You’ll be an in to their family if they approve of you. We’re close to the king as it is, but we could be closer, and the Kunogis and the Rondarts are good families to marry into. If for some reason this marriage with Kunogi doesn’t work, we’ll see about engaging you to someone in the Rondart family.”
“Yes, father.”
“And for god’s sake, Shizuka, smile at the girl and try not to frighten her.”
Shizuka just nodded. He did smile, when there was something worth smiling about. And this wasn’t something to smile about, as far as he was concerned.
***
This is from my CrossingDimensions!Watanuki fic, which needs some major revising before I can do anything with it. But this is a scene I really want to keep:
“I’ve been getting better.” Doumeki attended to the dishes on the stove, one at a time, and turned to look at Watanuki over his shoulder. “Do you want some miso soup?”
“I…I guess so,” Watanuki said. It was true, he’d never had anything Doumeki had actually cooked. “Why are you making dinner?”
“He has to pay me back,” Yuuko said. Watanuki jumped-she’d spoken right into his ear.
“For what?”
She pouted sternly, a look he was certain only she could pull off. “For care-taking,” she said. “I’ve been nursing him back to health while you’ve been gallivanting around dimensions, having fun.”
“Fun?!” Watanuki screeched. “You call being chased by vampires fun? Being chased by creepy little goblins who want to dye clothing in my blood? You call that fun?”
Behind him was a muttered curse, and a muffled crash of ceramic on tile.
“Of course,” she said. “Ah, I haven’t been chased by animalistic vampires in years…I rather miss it.”
Watanuki stared at her. Yuuko smiled slyly back.
“The sake,” he said at last, “has pickled your brain.”
***
This particular scene isn't new--the whole oneshot is posted several entries down--but I want to spin it into a xxxHolic/CLAMP series of one-shots, largely focused on Yuuko and Watanuki and Yuuko pounding some sense into Watanuki's very thick head.
The Nature of Love
Yuuko was an odd woman. Watanuki didn’t have to know her for very long in order to understand this. She was a drunk, whimsical, odd, annoying, aggravating, a slob, a slave driver, enigmatic for no particular reason, and just generally out to make him miserable by working for her.
So when he stepped into work, shortly after the incident with the two dimension-traveling children, he was surprised to find her dressed and ready to go out.
“Yuuko…san?” he said, confused. She swung her handbag.
“Oh good,” she said. “I was hoping you’d be right on time today.” She turned to the twin girls. “Maru, Moro, we’re going out. Mind the shop, okay?”
“Okay,” they chimed, smiling.
“Come on, Watanuki,” Yuuko said, “we’re going out for coffee.”
***
This isn't new either, but it's the first scene of what little I have for my LD/Holic fic.
Birdcage
Kazahaya supposed he should have noticed something off when Kakei and Saiga both waltzed up to them during the late afternoon, long after they’d been informed of their job that evening, with wide smiles and a strange boy in tow.
“Kudou-kun, Rikuou,” Kakei said sweetly, “this is your new roommate.”
Kazahaya nearly dropped the heavy box of coconut-lime shampoo on his foot. “Our what?”
Saiga laughed and draped an arm over the new boy’s shoulders. “Careful there, Kakei doesn’t want his pretty boys damaged too much.”
Kakei’s smile never left his face. “This is Doumeki Shizuka-kun,” he said. “Doumeki-kun, this is Himura Rikuou-he’s the big tall one-and Kudou Kazahaya-kun.”
The new guy was Kazahaya’s height. He had a flat, expressionless face, dark hair, and a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. He bowed his head a little. “Pleased to meet you.”
“He’ll be sharing your room upstairs,” Kakei said, a sunny smile firmly in place.
“What?” Kazahaya stabilized the box of shampoo on the edge of a shelf. “He’s going to be working here, right? And we don’t have an extra bed!”
Saiga gave him a wide, lecherous grin. “Oh, come on! You and the rent boy can double up for a little while, can’t you?”
“NO!” A horrible thought occurred to him. “He’s not going to help out on the jobs, is he?” Kazahaya could already see the extra money-often less than he liked, since he usually had to split it when he got paid at all-shrinking by a significant third.
“No,” Kakei said. “Doumeki-kun will only be helping here at the store.” He clapped Kazahaya on the shoulder. “This means you get to be his superior, Kudou! You’ll have to set a good example so he’ll be an excellent worker, won’t you?”
“But-but-but-“
“Have fun, Kudou-kun,” Kakei said, and led Saiga away. Kazahaya was fairly sure they were both chuckling.
“Quit stalling,” Rikuou said, looming over him. “Just take him upstairs and show him around.”
“Why don’t you do it, you big jerk? My hands are full, in case you didn’t notice.”
Rikuou rolled his eyes and snatched up the box. “Now they aren’t. Go do it.”
“Why me?”
Rikuou sighed. “Just do it, Kazahaya! The new guy needs to get settled and we have to work tonight. Suck it up and do it.”
“Jerk!” Kazahaya glared at Rikuou’s back, then shook himself and turned to the new guy. “Uh, this way, Doumeki-san.”
Doumeki just nodded, and Kazahaya groaned inwardly. It was just his luck to be stuck with a nearly silent new roommate in addition to the Epitome of Jerkiness that was Rikuou.
***
Hope you liked 'em!
From the "Sky Pirates AU" I'm working on: I think this'll be the official first scene:
Shizuka didn’t even realize he’d been betrothed to someone he’d never even met until that morning, when his father’s valet deigned to tell him.
“Oh,” the man said, picking out a charcoal-gray suit with a gold-embroidered scarlet silk vest, “You’re to meet Lady Kunogi Himawari. She is of a very good, high standing Noble Family, and it will be a good marriage.”
“Marriage?” Shizuka had barely climbed out of bed.
“Well,” the valet said, laying out a crisp Egyptian cotton shirt, “Your father arranged it last month. You’re out of college now, it’s time for you to make your mark on Society.”
Shizuka knew better than to protest. Saying something like “But I don’t want to get married,” would be not only childish, but also pointless; and the Kunogi’s were a high-standing Noble Family, close to the king. There was no room for refusal.
So he got out of bed, and changed into the formal suit, and ate breakfast even though it felt stale and heavy in his stomach.
“You’re to meet Lady Himawari today,” his father said. “You and two chaperones will pick her up at her family’s home near the palace, and then you’ll drive to their summer home, where her parents are staying. You’ll present yourself as a proper and honorable young man of the Doumeki family.”
“Yes, father.”
“You’ll be an in to their family if they approve of you. We’re close to the king as it is, but we could be closer, and the Kunogis and the Rondarts are good families to marry into. If for some reason this marriage with Kunogi doesn’t work, we’ll see about engaging you to someone in the Rondart family.”
“Yes, father.”
“And for god’s sake, Shizuka, smile at the girl and try not to frighten her.”
Shizuka just nodded. He did smile, when there was something worth smiling about. And this wasn’t something to smile about, as far as he was concerned.
***
This is from my CrossingDimensions!Watanuki fic, which needs some major revising before I can do anything with it. But this is a scene I really want to keep:
“I’ve been getting better.” Doumeki attended to the dishes on the stove, one at a time, and turned to look at Watanuki over his shoulder. “Do you want some miso soup?”
“I…I guess so,” Watanuki said. It was true, he’d never had anything Doumeki had actually cooked. “Why are you making dinner?”
“He has to pay me back,” Yuuko said. Watanuki jumped-she’d spoken right into his ear.
“For what?”
She pouted sternly, a look he was certain only she could pull off. “For care-taking,” she said. “I’ve been nursing him back to health while you’ve been gallivanting around dimensions, having fun.”
“Fun?!” Watanuki screeched. “You call being chased by vampires fun? Being chased by creepy little goblins who want to dye clothing in my blood? You call that fun?”
Behind him was a muttered curse, and a muffled crash of ceramic on tile.
“Of course,” she said. “Ah, I haven’t been chased by animalistic vampires in years…I rather miss it.”
Watanuki stared at her. Yuuko smiled slyly back.
“The sake,” he said at last, “has pickled your brain.”
***
This particular scene isn't new--the whole oneshot is posted several entries down--but I want to spin it into a xxxHolic/CLAMP series of one-shots, largely focused on Yuuko and Watanuki and Yuuko pounding some sense into Watanuki's very thick head.
The Nature of Love
Yuuko was an odd woman. Watanuki didn’t have to know her for very long in order to understand this. She was a drunk, whimsical, odd, annoying, aggravating, a slob, a slave driver, enigmatic for no particular reason, and just generally out to make him miserable by working for her.
So when he stepped into work, shortly after the incident with the two dimension-traveling children, he was surprised to find her dressed and ready to go out.
“Yuuko…san?” he said, confused. She swung her handbag.
“Oh good,” she said. “I was hoping you’d be right on time today.” She turned to the twin girls. “Maru, Moro, we’re going out. Mind the shop, okay?”
“Okay,” they chimed, smiling.
“Come on, Watanuki,” Yuuko said, “we’re going out for coffee.”
***
This isn't new either, but it's the first scene of what little I have for my LD/Holic fic.
Birdcage
Kazahaya supposed he should have noticed something off when Kakei and Saiga both waltzed up to them during the late afternoon, long after they’d been informed of their job that evening, with wide smiles and a strange boy in tow.
“Kudou-kun, Rikuou,” Kakei said sweetly, “this is your new roommate.”
Kazahaya nearly dropped the heavy box of coconut-lime shampoo on his foot. “Our what?”
Saiga laughed and draped an arm over the new boy’s shoulders. “Careful there, Kakei doesn’t want his pretty boys damaged too much.”
Kakei’s smile never left his face. “This is Doumeki Shizuka-kun,” he said. “Doumeki-kun, this is Himura Rikuou-he’s the big tall one-and Kudou Kazahaya-kun.”
The new guy was Kazahaya’s height. He had a flat, expressionless face, dark hair, and a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. He bowed his head a little. “Pleased to meet you.”
“He’ll be sharing your room upstairs,” Kakei said, a sunny smile firmly in place.
“What?” Kazahaya stabilized the box of shampoo on the edge of a shelf. “He’s going to be working here, right? And we don’t have an extra bed!”
Saiga gave him a wide, lecherous grin. “Oh, come on! You and the rent boy can double up for a little while, can’t you?”
“NO!” A horrible thought occurred to him. “He’s not going to help out on the jobs, is he?” Kazahaya could already see the extra money-often less than he liked, since he usually had to split it when he got paid at all-shrinking by a significant third.
“No,” Kakei said. “Doumeki-kun will only be helping here at the store.” He clapped Kazahaya on the shoulder. “This means you get to be his superior, Kudou! You’ll have to set a good example so he’ll be an excellent worker, won’t you?”
“But-but-but-“
“Have fun, Kudou-kun,” Kakei said, and led Saiga away. Kazahaya was fairly sure they were both chuckling.
“Quit stalling,” Rikuou said, looming over him. “Just take him upstairs and show him around.”
“Why don’t you do it, you big jerk? My hands are full, in case you didn’t notice.”
Rikuou rolled his eyes and snatched up the box. “Now they aren’t. Go do it.”
“Why me?”
Rikuou sighed. “Just do it, Kazahaya! The new guy needs to get settled and we have to work tonight. Suck it up and do it.”
“Jerk!” Kazahaya glared at Rikuou’s back, then shook himself and turned to the new guy. “Uh, this way, Doumeki-san.”
Doumeki just nodded, and Kazahaya groaned inwardly. It was just his luck to be stuck with a nearly silent new roommate in addition to the Epitome of Jerkiness that was Rikuou.
***
Hope you liked 'em!