So...It's Been a While...
^^ So I've finally reached the point where my posts here have caught up with my ffnet updates. Oh well. It was bound to happen eventually! I'm just so blocked up at the moment...
Anyway, enjoy! I agree that I like the second much better than the first, but I'm not in much of a position to be picky, after the overload that occurred after I finished DTRH...@.@
I’m absolutely drained, and I think it’s starting to show. I was unusually dissatisfied with my work on the past two drabbles, and I sincerely felt like they weren’t up to par-but I also just had to get something out and on the net to keep myself from drowning in this little sinkhole I’ve built for myself. But thank you so much as always for your supportive comments! I always love hearing from you all, and you guys honestly make my day with your sincere and heartfelt comments. Thank you so much! I need you more than ever.
I have, on a much, much, MUCH brighter note, just finished the Aria’s Ink challenge! I am so happy, I could just burst with joy. Its word count officially totals at a whopping 61,000 words over a two-week interval. Needless to say, I have been busting my butt over this story, and while I hardly think that the work I put out is up to the usual standards, it’s something I am incredibly pleased with for my very first challenge and chaptered-story experience. It will be undergoing massive revisions over the next few months, and will definitely be fleshed out and cut down to size, as is deemed necessary. I encourage you all to go check it out at Aria’s Ink-it’s called “Down the Rabbit Hole (And Back Again),” and revolves, as the title implies, around Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. I would also recommend looking at all of the challenge works that have been submitted for this fairytale challenge-there will be some amazing stuff put out there! Drop me a note and definitely, please please please let me know what you think!
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100 Themed Drabbles
Ala Verity
27. Stained Glass
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Drabble Number One (Word Count: 327)
It looked remarkably like him, that was for sure.
She could trace the faint outline of his chiseled jaw, follow the contours of the face she had memorized, even find an uncanny resemblance in the smudges on the glass to his crystal-clear blue eyes.
The quirky smile that always sent delightful shivers down her spine was right there, for her and her alone. Usagi ran a finger lightly across the stain, reveling in the thought that it was almost like touching his face for real. The cool surface of the glass reminded her just how pleasurable it would be, if she got the chance to touch him, just feel his warm skin pressed against hers for even a moment.
There was no denying just how much it looked like him. Or maybe it was wishful thinking…
“Usagi-chan?”
“Hmm?”
“Usagi-chan, you’ve been fingering that empty glass for the past half-hour.” She looked up, startled, to see Motoki peering curiously into her face. He smiled and asked in a teasing voice, “Now tell me, why in the world have you suddenly grown so fond of my glass, hm?”
Usagi could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, and she pushed the glass hastily away from her across the counter. “Nothing,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes on the floor. “Your glass is stained, that’s all.”
She didn’t look up to see Motoki’s bemused glance, with an eyebrow quirked all-too knowingly in her direction. She simply sighed and propped her chin onto her hand, looking wistfully out the arcade window.
The clouds in the bright summer sky, the glass stain, the mud puddle outside of her school gates-everything seemed to tie back to him. She couldn’t escape, no matter how hard she tried. Fate was out to get her, and with a vengeance.
She shrugged, a small smile spreading across her lips as she watched a familiar-looking young man walk into the arcade. Oh well. Couldn’t say she didn’t try.
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Drabble Number Two (Word Count: 456)
There. There it was.
Usagi slammed her milkshake down suddenly on the table, sending chocolate droplets flying every which way.
“Hey, guys!”
Rei wiped a glob from her hair with a scowl. “What do you want, geez, sprinkler system?”
Usagi waved her friend aside airily, accidentally fanning chocolate goo that had dripped all over her hands into their faces. “Oops, sorry! I bet,” she added in a conspiratorial whisper, pressing her finger against the arcade window next to her, “that I could stare at this stain on the glass without moving for the next hour.”
Makoto laughed. “Man, girl, you couldn’t sit still that long if we offered you ten triple-chocolate fudge sundaes for it.”
“And for what purpose exactly,” Ami added with a puzzled frown, “would we want to subject you to that sort of behavior for?”
“To…to see me do it?” Usagi asked with a curiously pleading look at her friend.
Rei raised a skeptical eyebrow at her friend. “And what the world would make you suddenly want to do this? Fallen madly in love with a stain because you can’t get a guy?”
All the girls chortled in unison, leaving Usagi to flush pink, looking utterly crestfallen. She turned to stare at the glass once more with a wistful look, not noticing as Minako’s gaze followed her own. A look of dawning realization crossed the girl’s face.
“Come on guys,” Minako cut in amidst the giggles, standing up abruptly. Her friends, including Usagi, looked around in surprise. “Let’s go.”
“Wh-at?” Rei protested. “But where are we-“
“Anywh-I mean, to…the counter!” Minako began dragging each of the girls up forcefully by the arm (by the hair in a particularly stubborn Rei’s case). Then, aving cheerfully behind her, Minako chirped as she towed her chattel away, “It’s ten sundaes for each of us if you can’t do it! We’ll be back in an hour!”
Usagi could only nod dumbly as she watched her kicking and groaning friends disappear to the other side of the arcade. Then, remembering suddenly that she would only have an hour and that precious time was already ticking by, she turned around quickly and pressed her nose against the glass, right up against the stain.
There it was. The familiar ugly green jacket, nestled comfortably against a bench directly opposite her spot at the window. And sitting next to it, just arrived for his outdoor afternoon read, was none other than Chiba Mamoru.
She sighed longingly, not noticing the furtive glances being sent her way by a certain four girls seated at the counter.
An hour would be no time at all. At least she would have ten chocolate-fudge to drown her sorrows in when the time was up.
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It’s good to be back (from a…week-long hiatus ^^)! I hope you’ll all let me know what you thought!
Much love, Ala Verity
Anyway, enjoy! I agree that I like the second much better than the first, but I'm not in much of a position to be picky, after the overload that occurred after I finished DTRH...@.@
I’m absolutely drained, and I think it’s starting to show. I was unusually dissatisfied with my work on the past two drabbles, and I sincerely felt like they weren’t up to par-but I also just had to get something out and on the net to keep myself from drowning in this little sinkhole I’ve built for myself. But thank you so much as always for your supportive comments! I always love hearing from you all, and you guys honestly make my day with your sincere and heartfelt comments. Thank you so much! I need you more than ever.
I have, on a much, much, MUCH brighter note, just finished the Aria’s Ink challenge! I am so happy, I could just burst with joy. Its word count officially totals at a whopping 61,000 words over a two-week interval. Needless to say, I have been busting my butt over this story, and while I hardly think that the work I put out is up to the usual standards, it’s something I am incredibly pleased with for my very first challenge and chaptered-story experience. It will be undergoing massive revisions over the next few months, and will definitely be fleshed out and cut down to size, as is deemed necessary. I encourage you all to go check it out at Aria’s Ink-it’s called “Down the Rabbit Hole (And Back Again),” and revolves, as the title implies, around Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. I would also recommend looking at all of the challenge works that have been submitted for this fairytale challenge-there will be some amazing stuff put out there! Drop me a note and definitely, please please please let me know what you think!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
100 Themed Drabbles
Ala Verity
27. Stained Glass
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drabble Number One (Word Count: 327)
It looked remarkably like him, that was for sure.
She could trace the faint outline of his chiseled jaw, follow the contours of the face she had memorized, even find an uncanny resemblance in the smudges on the glass to his crystal-clear blue eyes.
The quirky smile that always sent delightful shivers down her spine was right there, for her and her alone. Usagi ran a finger lightly across the stain, reveling in the thought that it was almost like touching his face for real. The cool surface of the glass reminded her just how pleasurable it would be, if she got the chance to touch him, just feel his warm skin pressed against hers for even a moment.
There was no denying just how much it looked like him. Or maybe it was wishful thinking…
“Usagi-chan?”
“Hmm?”
“Usagi-chan, you’ve been fingering that empty glass for the past half-hour.” She looked up, startled, to see Motoki peering curiously into her face. He smiled and asked in a teasing voice, “Now tell me, why in the world have you suddenly grown so fond of my glass, hm?”
Usagi could feel the heat rising to her cheeks, and she pushed the glass hastily away from her across the counter. “Nothing,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes on the floor. “Your glass is stained, that’s all.”
She didn’t look up to see Motoki’s bemused glance, with an eyebrow quirked all-too knowingly in her direction. She simply sighed and propped her chin onto her hand, looking wistfully out the arcade window.
The clouds in the bright summer sky, the glass stain, the mud puddle outside of her school gates-everything seemed to tie back to him. She couldn’t escape, no matter how hard she tried. Fate was out to get her, and with a vengeance.
She shrugged, a small smile spreading across her lips as she watched a familiar-looking young man walk into the arcade. Oh well. Couldn’t say she didn’t try.
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Drabble Number Two (Word Count: 456)
There. There it was.
Usagi slammed her milkshake down suddenly on the table, sending chocolate droplets flying every which way.
“Hey, guys!”
Rei wiped a glob from her hair with a scowl. “What do you want, geez, sprinkler system?”
Usagi waved her friend aside airily, accidentally fanning chocolate goo that had dripped all over her hands into their faces. “Oops, sorry! I bet,” she added in a conspiratorial whisper, pressing her finger against the arcade window next to her, “that I could stare at this stain on the glass without moving for the next hour.”
Makoto laughed. “Man, girl, you couldn’t sit still that long if we offered you ten triple-chocolate fudge sundaes for it.”
“And for what purpose exactly,” Ami added with a puzzled frown, “would we want to subject you to that sort of behavior for?”
“To…to see me do it?” Usagi asked with a curiously pleading look at her friend.
Rei raised a skeptical eyebrow at her friend. “And what the world would make you suddenly want to do this? Fallen madly in love with a stain because you can’t get a guy?”
All the girls chortled in unison, leaving Usagi to flush pink, looking utterly crestfallen. She turned to stare at the glass once more with a wistful look, not noticing as Minako’s gaze followed her own. A look of dawning realization crossed the girl’s face.
“Come on guys,” Minako cut in amidst the giggles, standing up abruptly. Her friends, including Usagi, looked around in surprise. “Let’s go.”
“Wh-at?” Rei protested. “But where are we-“
“Anywh-I mean, to…the counter!” Minako began dragging each of the girls up forcefully by the arm (by the hair in a particularly stubborn Rei’s case). Then, aving cheerfully behind her, Minako chirped as she towed her chattel away, “It’s ten sundaes for each of us if you can’t do it! We’ll be back in an hour!”
Usagi could only nod dumbly as she watched her kicking and groaning friends disappear to the other side of the arcade. Then, remembering suddenly that she would only have an hour and that precious time was already ticking by, she turned around quickly and pressed her nose against the glass, right up against the stain.
There it was. The familiar ugly green jacket, nestled comfortably against a bench directly opposite her spot at the window. And sitting next to it, just arrived for his outdoor afternoon read, was none other than Chiba Mamoru.
She sighed longingly, not noticing the furtive glances being sent her way by a certain four girls seated at the counter.
An hour would be no time at all. At least she would have ten chocolate-fudge to drown her sorrows in when the time was up.
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It’s good to be back (from a…week-long hiatus ^^)! I hope you’ll all let me know what you thought!
Much love, Ala Verity