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 Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:09 pm
*~::ENDRANCE APPRECIATION WEEK - PHYLLO'S STORYTELLERS OMAKE EVENT!!!::~*
[Omake Writing Contest - Temple of Caeleon Medb] Welcome one and all to the 1ST EVER Endrance Appreciation Week "Phyllo's Storytellers" Omake Event!
The point of this contest is simple...Phyllo, the old guardian of the Temple of Caerleon Medb, has grown tired in his old age of all of the solitude and silence in watching over his temple. He is, after all these ages, beginning to die...and though he can watch the events of the outside world from the inside of his temple, he grows weary and can no longer see as far as much as he once did. It has been years since his last visitor, a proud young warrior from another dimension with the same penchant for legendary artifacts and storytelling as himself. But now he has been left alone once more.
As such, you have been called forward to the dimensional gates of the Lost Temple and asked simply to do one thing...Tell Phyllo a Story! Remind him of the beauty of the world, of the drama and excitement that once filled his days, and entertain him for just a little longer before the curtain falls and the depths of Caerleon Medb are lost to man forever! If you can entertain him properly, you will receive a glorious reward!
So please, do not hesitate...write, and write well! Give an old man one last thrill, one last smile before he passes on from this world... Quote: How does the contest work?Answer: Each RP'er will have the opportunity to write a hilarious, unlikely, or otherwise original scene or dialog using any number of characters from this Guild! In essence, you're writing a one-post story telling of a single incident which may or may not have taken place between characters in the Guild. Players may write one omake scene for every character they control, but do not necessarily have to include their own characters in the omake. [For example, Necro can write 4 scenes because he has 4 characters, but whether or not he uses Faust, Chie, Kusuri, and/or Rose in them is up to him]. And when the contest closes, scenes will be selected for...fantabulous prizes! Quote: What can the scenes be about? Will they be canon scenes?Answer: The scenes can be about anything you like, including any character in the Guild you feel like including. They can be an extended dialog with brief periods of actual action. Scenes should give some provide some insight, new or old, into your character and their personality, interactions, and unique quirks. Basically, the more interesting your scene, the better your chances. Because characters used may not belong to you, however, these will not be considered canon or as having happened in the RP...unless otherwise explicitly agreed upon by myself and the characters' player. Quote: Who can I use for my story?Answer: Anybody in the Guild, or related to your character's history. Though if a character does not yet exist in the Guild, you may need to provide an explanation as to who the new person is you're including in your story. You do NOT have to use your own characters, but you most certainly may. Quote: How long do they have to be?Answer: As long as you like...but the more depth the better. Writing just a few lines probably isn't going to tell me enough to win you a prize...but the length is up to you. The absolute cap is one full Gaia post, and please, do not break the story up into multiple posts. For easy reading, please use paragraphs and try to highlight dialog. I will have to read all these, so make it easier on me, k? Quote: What are these fantabulous prizes?Answer: A variety of things could be up for grabs. Such as an ascended weapon [weapons with special properties], S. Link Bonuses, and the right to have your story considered canon with the Guild's plot! not all prizes will go to one story, and the better the variety and quality of the stories, the better and more bountiful the prizes will be! So hurry on now! This old man can't wait forever to hear your tales! Regale him with something most interesting, and you may just receive a key into the Caeleon Medb Vault for yet another wondrous prize!
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:22 pm
Quote: Excerpt from the sealed archives of the 'Inaba High Incident'JITAKU-SAN (Investigator): This is going on the record. Could you please introduce yourself? SANYON-SAN (Witness): Ah... M-my name is Ichini Sanyon, but my friends call me "Twelve". It's, uh, English. My parents thought it would be a funny name, having numbers like that... J: Well, then, uh... Twelve. Could you describe the incident as best you can remember? We know it sounds ridiculous, but please don't worry. Nobody's going to laugh at you. S: *Ahem* W-well then... Uh, yeah... I... I don't know when it all started to go wrong, sorry. There's this guy at my school, right? His name's Seta. Souji Seta. He's like... I dunno... when he first came to our town, a year ago, he wasn't too special. New kid, sure, but he didn't really talk much. Nice guy, people paid some attention, and then he started to... well... prove himself. Sharp as a needle, he was. Really good at sports, too, and charismatic like you wouldn't believe. J: It was Seta's funeral, right? S: Y-yeah. Well, we all thought he was dead, y'know? And he had more friends than you would think possible; I don't even know how he made time for them all. So it's the middle of his funeral, and everyone's gathered in the big hall. Girls're all crying; he was kind of a lady-killer, see. In a good way. And then this guy gets up on stage; I think he worked for the Government or something. Little older than the rest of us, and he... had Seta's air. Not as much, but you could tell this guy was something special himself, and he reaches down for this microphone. Except it wasn't a microphone. J: It wasn't? S: Well, no. It was dark, y'know? Except for the stage, so the girl pulling it up didn't realize she was handing him something else until it was too late. The guy pulled on it for a few moments, but what he didn't know was that some students had been setting up a prank in the hall. This was before they set up the funeral, you see, and nobody had noticed, and they didn't have time to remove it, but the prank wasn't finished. But he tugs on the cord, and all of these cleverly hidden fireworks explode across the room. Noise everywhere, nobody knew what was going on, we were all blinded by the lights... J: How did the fire start? S: We're not sure, but we think that somebody knocked over the candles when they jumped from the noise. Nobody confessed, anyways, but I don't think they did it on purpose. But the entire paper flower display just goes up in flames, and people are screaming, and stampeding, but the door was shut, and the lock was old, and it got stuck. So people weren't able to get out of the building, 'cuz all the other doors hadn't been unlocked yet, and the teachers were as disoriented as the rest of us, and there's a fire, and more screaming... (Visibly distressed) L-look, I swear, I'm not making this up. J: That's okay, just tell your story. S: (Visibly nervous) I don't know, maybe I was disoriented or something. But there's this humming noise, and suddenly part of the floor drops in, and this... thing just jumps out of the hole, and it's like- (Shakes head violently) No, no, no! I know what I saw, but it just doesn't make any sense! J: What doesn't? Go ahead, just tell me. You're not being accused of anything, and we know you're fine mentally. The doctors already examined you. S: It's like it was holding these rods of light or... something! And it just leaps over the crowd, and the light crashes through the door, and it falls apart. So then the thing, like, points the lights outside, and people are running past it, away from the fire, and that clears out the room, except the fire's still going and they're throwing buckets of water on it to try and get it out now... J: But? S: Well, they were going to symbolically cremate the coffin, right? 'Cuz nobody had his body, so it was really flammable to start with, and the fire just isn't going out... and the thing with the light just ran over, scooping up people as it went. It was like it knew what was going to happen, 'cuz somebody else had pranked the coffin, and it just exploded, and the thing with the lights crashed through the wall with the people still in its hand as the building exploded behind it, and then the clock ticked... J: It was a midnight funeral? S: Y-yeah. They say that's when Seta had vanished, and all of a sudden we're in this weird world, it's all green and dark, and this freaking tower shoots up from the middle of school. And everybody sees what's happening, 'cuz there were these two figures way up in the sky, a thousand times bigger than life, and they're fighting each other. Seta was one of them, and there was this... this dark Seta, and the air trembles every time they clash, and there's other figures up in the air, but nobody can make them out properly. And this goes on for awhile, and the dark Seta pushes the light one and the others back, and back, until the light one pretty much vanishes, and the entire tower looks like it's going to fall apart. A lot of people were running away by then, and then from behind me comes this missile, and this guy, didn't see his face, is riding it up while carrying people, and freaking rides it straight into the dark Seta, and it explodes like a star going nova, and the ones he was carrying slam into the dark Seta themselves, and you could feel the force they were unleashing right to your bones... but it only pushed him back a bit. It seemed to buy the others the time they needed, however, and... J: And what? S: (In a much quieter tone) ...I could feel it inside of me as the light Seta stood up. Everything good in the world. Every bite of food I've ever enjoyed, every bit of every good day, every cute girl's smile... All the happiness I'd ever had, I could remember, and it was the same for everyone. We believed in the light Seta. We didn't know how, or why, but we knew that the dark Seta wasn't going to win. We just... somehow... knew. And then all of Seta's allies sort of gathered around him, and these other shapes appeared around him, and sort of came together. And I only heard him say one thing. J: What was it? S: "Persona". And then... (Shakes head vigorously) I'm sorry. I can't tell you what it looked like... I don't even know if it was possible to see it. It was like every positive trait of humanity granted form, and it just stabbed into the dark Seta with this spear of light, and he screamed this awful noise, like he was trying to drag us into oblivion... but he couldn't touch us, because that Persona thing protected us, and the dark Seta exploded, and the tower vanished, and everybody up there just kinda vanished before we could see any of them. I swear, I'm not making it up! J: I didn't say you were. S: (Visibly agitated; slams hands down on table) They don't talk about it because they think it was a dream, or a hallucination from the smoke from the fire, but IT WAS REAL! J: Sanyon-san, calm down! S: How can I calm down!? I witnessed something completely impossible! (Crying) It was... it was so beautiful... (Collapses to the floor, shaking) You weren't there, you don't know what it was like. But Seta shows up again the next day, and just kinda greets everyone at school, and he's fine, and nobody else talks about it, but the building was still destroyed, you know? And you could see where the thing cut the door. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't a dream! (Sobbing) I don't want to see the darkness in the world anymore, not after I saw the Persona! J: He's lost- yes, he's lost it! Doctors, get him, and somebody shut off that- Recording ends
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 3:16 pm
Quote: "I remember where I lived before I came here to Inaba.. Tatsumi Port Island."
"I remember my previous prison before being forced to move to this one.."
"It was quite nice for a city, kind people, things to do, and the ocean to see."
"I hated that place.. All the noise, the loud and obnoxious people, and that damn ocean.. What's so great about a giant puddle?"
"Life seemed to be going well.. Until.."
"Just when I thought life was done screwing with me.."
"The accident happened."
"Those idiot parents of mine made a stupid mistake."
"It was raining that night and they were on their way back from the movies.. It was dark out so they didn't see the train coming."
"How the hell didn't they see that train coming? Who doesn't see a train for crying out loud.."
"They were killed on impact.. They didn't suffer at least but.. Why did it have to happen on their anniversary?"
"Hmph.. If only they suffered for their mistake and being selfish. Leaving two kids with alone to go to the movies."
".. We didn't find out until a few hours later when the cops arrived. They called up members of our family but.. None of them could take us in. They had families of their own to take care of."
"Those cops coming in was the start of our trouble.. Our entire family was too selfish.. They didn't want to take in two kids who just lost their parents!? How heartless could they be?! It was because of them that.."
"Since no one had the funds to take on more children our things were packed and we were sent to the orphanage. At least we were together."
"They sent us to a godforsaken hellhole.. It was just a prison with the title Orphanage attached to it. ..I had my sister at least until.."
"Some people came in looking for a child to temporarily take under their care.. They saw me but they didn't want to take my brother.. I had no say in the matter then I was taken away from him. No matter how hard I cried they just wouldn't listen."
"Those people.. Those things that call themselves human.. They came and tore my sister away from me. What kind of monster separates siblings!? Didn't they hear her cry?! Didn't they see her tears?! Mine as well!?"
"Sano tried to stop them.."
"I wanted to kill them.."
"But the adults dragged him away and I never saw him again after that."
"Those beasts dragged me away and locked me up in a small room until they were gone.. They treated me like a criminal.. I never saw her again after that. They took my sister.."
"Seven years passed until I saw him again.. But something about him had changed."
"I moved to Inaba after seven years and I saw her.. My little sister. She didn't change one bit."
"It was then I learned he joined the Black Messiah.."
"I was told that she was taken away from me yet again.. By the Investigation Team."
"I.. I want to help him if I can.. People can be given second chances right?"
"I'll spare her from her suffering and end her miserable life. I will not let her be taken from me a third time.."
"Well.. I'm sure he wants the same thing. Thank you for listening but I have to go."
"There. I told you my story so get out of my face!.. I have to go find her before someone else beats me to it."
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:41 pm
Quote: Every Day's Great at your Junes Quote: Just...a...little..bit...farther. the wheel-chair bound girl thought, reaching up as high as she could to try to reach a cup of ramen on the top shelf. Her fingertip managed to get to the very base of the cup, and if she pushed it enough times.....
Letting out a small sigh, the girl slumped back in the chair. Man, ever since she had tried to fight that red demon, and she'd become paralyzed from the waist down....(Or for the sake of convience in this at least) It had just been one thing after another. She honestly wasn't sure what kept her going some days. Her Atma form wasn't immune to the amount of damage she had sustained, and as such, she couldn't really fight either. It was...depressing, to be frank. Should she even bother picking up dinner? Maybe she'd be better off facedown in a ditch...
No, No....She couldn't think like that. She glared up at the cup of Noodles that seemed to taunt her, just out of reach. She would triumph! She would win! She would get those damn noodles!!!
"Excuse me miss, can I help you?" An assuring voice called, causing her to turn and look up at a friendly looking Junes worker. something...(shu)?
"W-well.." she started, as the figure moved over, reaching at the top row of Ramen cups, and turning.
"Which one would you like?" he called with a smile, his hands hovering over the flavors. Something about him seemed to unease her, but....not in a bad way.
"P...pork flavored.." she called, as the worker moved, holding down a few cups to her, with a smile on his face.
"Here you go. Do you need any more?" he called, looking at her with a small light in his figure. Akira shook her head quickly at this, a small flush appearing on her face.
"N-no....thanks." she called, as she started to wheel herself off, hurriedly.
"No, Thank you~~" the figure called, bowing. "Remember, We're always here to help. Every day's great at Your Ju~nes~"Akira went and got her noodles, and could have sworn they tasted a bit better that night. However, this didn't stop her from wondering whom it was who helped her. For the first time in a while, she felt a small bit of joy inside her. The next day, she wheeled herself up to the same area, staring down the cups, and trying to reach them again. She had just been about to tip one of them when a somewhat familiar voice caught her off guard.
"Need some help again?" the worker's voice called out, as she turned.
Of course, her fingertip had been pushing at the cup, so as she did so, the cup decided to fall at the worst time, and bounce off of her head with a small thump. A small chuckle escaped the worker's lips as Akira turned beet red, the boy moving closer to her, and picking up the cup.
"So, chicken today?" he called, kneeling over a bit with a smile, as he
handed the noodles to her.
"Y-yeah.." she called, trying to supress her flush from the small act of embarassment she had endured moments before.
"That's my favorite flavor, ya know?" he called with a grin, as Akira's eyes widened a bit.
"R-really? I mean uh..." she called, before turning away. "Thanks again...ummm..."
"Michieru." the worker called. "Jo(shu) Michieru. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you."
Akira nodded, before wheeling herself off again, and humming a bit to herself. Again, that night the noodles tasted a little better than usual, and she was starting to enjoy life once more. For the next few days, she kept going to Junes, meeting with the friendly worker, as they would talk more and more, slowly sharing names and such, along with idle discussions over ramen.
However, after seeing him for six days in a row, she went to wait for him in the same spot.....and he didn't show up. She sat, pretending to try to get at the Ramen, as if it was some kind of bizzare summoning ritual, but to no avail. Daytime passed, and lunchtime did too. She was getting hungry, but there was no sight of her newfound, (and first) Friend. Sighing, she went to wheel herself back to the elevator as it hit late afternoon, watching as it looked a bit crowded. However, as she moved, the doors were starting to close, and not wanting to wait on the next elevator down, she raised a hand.
"H-Hey, Hold the door!" she called, the people inside the elevator either not hearing her, or not wanting to stall their elevator ride down for a girl in a wheelchair. As such, the doors uncerimoniously closed, right before she could get a proverbial foot in the door. "Dammit.....Dammit.."
Small droplets of water started to fall from her eyes as she hit her hands against the door, the day having been a complete waste. He couldn't really have liked her....He couldn't have wanted to talk to her. It was just an act put on by a worker facade....Because, let's face it, who in their right mind....
"Ah...Just missed the elevator.... Guess we'll have to take the stairs." an astonishingly familiar voice called, causing Akira to quit sobbing, and turn around. There, in casual attire, stood the brown haired one from several days before.
"Mi-Mi-Michieru!" she called a bit, before puffing up a bit. "Wh-where were you? I was waiting all day for you to show up!"
The brown haired worker seemed to sweatdrop a bit at her remark, scratching the back of his head.
"I kinda have days off from this place, believe it or not." he called lightly, provoking a small flush from Akira as she thought. Of course! How could she be so stupid?! Of course he had a day off! They didn't keep people here forever, now did they? She opened her mouth to start out an apology, but the words wouldn't come out. She was just......Moving?!
"H-Hey, where are you taking me?" Akira called, the brown haired one pushing the wheelchair lightly along the store.
"I said we were going to take the stairs, right?" Jo(shu) called with a small smile, "Consider it my apology for making you wait."
Akira blinked a bit, before she started to get flustered.
"Wha-Huh...How do you expect me to go down the stairs?!" she snapped, a bit more venomus than she intended. "In case you didn't notice, I'm in a wheelchair. I can't walk, I can't ride down the stairs! I can't.."
Suddenly, she was stopped. Looking over, she saw the staircase, and almost seemed to glare with a small hatred. It was something she was really missing from when her legs were working, simply walking up the stairs. Now, she couldn't even.....
"Alright, hop aboard." Jo(shu)'s voice called, as he knelt down in front of her, holding his arms back in a sort of piggy-backing motion. "Grab on tight, this is going to be a long ride."
Akira blinked in disbelief again, flushing more as Jo(shu) waited, unsure if he was serious or not. She hesitated, unsure if this was some kind of dream, or if he was going to be playing a horrid prank on her. Watching his hands move back to grab just under her sense of feeling, Akira deeply flushed, before half-lunging onto him to grab him in a sort of choke-hold.
"W-W-What do you think you're doing?!" she called, trying to punish him for grabbing her in a perverted place, even if she couldn't feel it. However, as she gripped him, he didn't seem to be as perterbed as she would have hoped, and merely raised up with her on his back, leaning forward to make it easy on her to find her place.
"Alright, here we go!" Jo(shu) called, starting down the stairwell with Akira holding on for dear Life. Since they had been higher up, they went down several flights of stairs, the brown haired one being a bit winded as they got to the bottom floor, in the lobby.
"Th...there. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Jo(shu) called, as Akira's grip seemed to loosen again, still leaning on him as she sat. Well, it wasn't like she was able to get off of him, but, at the same time, she felt....Strangely happy.
"Yeah, that was....fun." she called with a slightly goofy grin, before realzing something. "But, you do realize we left my Wheelchair back up there, right?"
A small silence filled the area, as the realization hit the two like a ton of bricks. Jo(shu) groaned a bit, as he leaned his head a little to face the paraplegic on his back.
"Do I have to?" he called, as Akira chuckled.
"I'll forgive you for not showing up if you do." she replied, the Senior muttered a small curse to his idiocy, before chuckling himself.
Alright, Alright, but we're taking the elevator back down." he called, turning back around to head up the staircase he just traversed.
"Deal." Akira replied, leaning against him more as they continued their Journey, warm feelings all around.
Every day really is Great at Your Ju~nes. She thought to herself lightly, her eyes closing for a few moments to enjoy the precious bits of happiness life had given her.
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Hopeful Conversationalist
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Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 10:02 pm
Quote: Time had slipped by quick; days and months gone in a breath's time, but she was happy. Her heart was full and light, and her cheeks had a pink glow to them as her fingers deftly worked. The box itself was simple, red to suit the day, and lightly textured; the ribbon her fingers worked to tie into a neat bow was white, the shade of freshly fallen snow. Her lips turned upwards in a small smile as she raised the box up and pressed it lightly to her chest. Green eyes fluttered closed as she leaned on the counter and tried to picture the coming day. Nekama had been planning this for days now, the materials to make the small gift had been purchased early and had been sitting on her desk, expectantly for what felt like ages. A fact that hadn't gone unnoticed by her mother, who had sat her down earlier and made little suggestions to help her only child along. The excitement between the two women had been clear, and a little note of encouragement had been left on the kitchen counter for her to find. Her heart beat sped up a little as she tried to imagine the moment. She knew exactly where to find him, or at least in her imagination she did, in reality he was usually the one who found her. There weren't many people around, most of them had gone off to give their gifts as well and some were probably sneaking kisses behind the building, but the absence of a large crowd suited the situation. She was nervous as she held the present in her hands and approached him, the pink in her cheeks having darkened quite a bit as she gently tapped him on the arm. ”Nekama-chan, good morning!” he would greet her, the happiness in his voice and eyes clear as day and her heart would skip a tiny beat. She'd fallen for him quite hard, her imaginary self's smile widening and a small bow of her head in greeting. Her hands were full, perhaps he would notice the box? Sure enough his amber eyes, the ones she had such a hard time turning her gaze away from, drifted to the package she carried. His cheeks might color a little two, because he would surely know what day it was and well if he hadn't then he would now. Nekama's hands might shake a little as she handed over the gift she'd spent a quite a bit of time and care into crafting, the sounds of others in the hall or even her own inner voice not registering over the quick and rather loud heartbeat in her ears. Her imagination couldn't do him justice she knew that much for sure, but she liked to think his expression would be one to remember for life as he took the box of chocolate from her. She liked to imagine that he would know her exact intentions with the present, that she wouldn't have to pull out her notepad, he would know what was in her heart in that moment. How her skin felt like it was on fire, (her cheeks were probably bright red), and how happy and scared she felt in that moment. Maybe, just maybe there would be a hug in response, and maybe she could slip a soft kiss in – she'd been longing for another one after all. Nekama liked to think the day would be perfect after that, she would have gotten everything she had wanted then and nothing would be able to bring her down. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she pulled herself back into reality. Her cheeks and ears burned as she glanced up at the clock, and her heart was a steady drum beat. The time startled her, she was running late and there was no more time to waste day dreaming. The small mute kept a tight hold on her present as she grabbed her book bag, slipped on her shoes and raced out the door. Reality could greatly differ from fantasy, but just this once she was hoping that her daydream would come true.
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Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 3:47 pm
Quote: Bird Cage
Note: This takes place in a setting where the Devil Kings have a military base
Sidenote: Devil Kings are not the ones that treat Eiko like crap, they kinda ignore her. The Normal Atmas treat her badly. Okay En? D:
Sidesidenote: The way things work with Devil Kings have been altered for omake storyline purposes only. So, things are out of proportion, it's simply a what-if story for crying outloud. uwu
Quote: Type. Type Type. Type type type type type.
Type.
Type Type.
Sigh.
Type. Type type type.
That was the incredibly dull and uneventful life of the Eastern Devil King Secretary, paper work. Paper work, paper work. The words repeated itself again in her head over and over and over again like a chorus of bullies in a playground taunting a poor child. She didn't really mind the amount of break-neck work she had to do for the Devil Kings, but then she saw a video. A glimpse of something she hadn't experienced so long ago.
She... forgot what stepping outside into the real world was like.
She was just doing paperwork on her computer, plain, simple paper work. She forgot the definition of the word 'resilient', and looked it up on the internet. And on the side bar, there was a video. Without really thinking, she clicked it, curiosity welling up inside of her as the video loaded. It was simply a video of a couple-in-love, they were filming themselves goofing around in a park; they laughed, they teased, they hugged.
'Is the camera on? H-hey don't video tape me! I'm... I'm ugly!'
'For the last time, you aren't ugly... well, not that ugly.' He laughed with rich humor, and laughed even more right after his girlfriend aimed a slap right at his face. 'Hey, I am the prettiest thing in the world!' It was like an argument, but it was blatantly obvious that they were only joking around... Eiko closed the browser and went back to her paperwork, forgetting about the word she was looking up. Her fingers moved on their own, as her mind was on other things. There was a strange stirring inside of her... a want.
The next uneventful day at noon, Eiko was quickly running to deliver a few files to Masamune Date's room about some, an Atma in training tripped her in the most disrespectful way possible. Letting out a small gasp, her hands had released the files in her hands as she crashed to the floor, knees painfully taking the impact of her fall. Without thinking, she immediately looked up at the man and bowed her head. "I'm sorry for being in your way!" The man simply shook his head with an amused laugh, but it wasn't a laugh that sounded so nice. "Useless woman..." He walked off, and Eiko was left in sullen silence. Quietly, she gathered the dropped files and rubbed her bruised knee, with a long sigh, she was determined to stay positive no matter who did what to her! Ignoring the jokes passed around as she walked by another Engineered Atma, she finally arrived at Masamune Date's room. Exhaling to keep herself leveled; she knocked on the door. There was a small pause before he heard a voice telling her to come in. With a soft, pale hand she turned the knob of the door and slowly swung it open. .
"Date, I have the files of the enemy." He didn't reply, he seemed to be thinking about something serious.
"So... just a little heads up about..." She trailed off as Masamune Date didn't answer. Sullenly, she stepped out of the room and was about to hurry back to her office, but he heard him call her back to his room.
"Yes?" She couldn't deny that she was a little excited that Date might have something to say to her. "Close the door next time you leave." Eiko didn't let any sign of disappointment show to the leader of the Devil Kings. She closed the door silently. Was she really that... useless? Just a face in the crowd? Biting her lower lip, she turned her head toward a window as eyes felt misty and saw a black crow perched at the edge; she thought it was just her intuition, but she felt as if there was something... special about it.
She walked slowly towards the window and opened it slowly, expecting the crow to fly away with a few 'caw caws.' But it just stayed on the perch, something unusual for a fellow bird to do. Elbows went on the ledge of the windows and her chin rested on her hands as she stared into the eyes of the crow; it seemed to carry... depth. She began to... talk to it. "So Mr. Crow... I bet you can do whatever you'd like..."
It didn't react to the Secretary's words, but she continued to talk to the avian. "I always wonder what it is like to fly in the sky... is it fun? Do you feel... free?" Eiko looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching; and gladly, nobody was. She looked back to the window, and the crow was gone.
Sigh.
She closed the window, and trudged back to her office. She ignored the offensive signs painted on her door and opened it, walking back inside to her computer.
Type. Type Type. Type type type type type.
Type.
Type Type.
Sigh.
Type. Type type type.
She had some packages of strawberry pocky sticks as she continued to work until it was evening, the thought of flying in the sky running through her mind frequently. And for the first time in a while, Eiko had fallen asleep. It only had been 33 hours since she hadn't slept (Usually lasting three-four days before she slept)... but there was just something wrong... or maybe right. As she slept, she was dreaming that she was moving. No... not moving. Flying. Soaring through the clouds doing whatever she wanted! As she sped through the air with the wind rushing against her face. She laughed with delight as she was overwhelmed by the feeling of freedom. it lasted for only a minute before the dream ended, her back straightening up quickly when she realized it was early morning. Looking at the time on the computer, it read 6:00 AM.
The day continued again, she was just doing the paperwork, sometimes a person might enter the room for some files to be looked over, usually the enemy. Any trace of information on them that might help them prepare for battle. But she kept the confidential information well guarded. Ironically, she knew the Devil Kings better than anyone else in the group; the sad part was that nobody knew about her. She didn't have a file about her. She didn't need one. It wasn't mandatory because she was just unimportant compared to the works of the Devil King. How long has she been in the office? She didn't remember, but it was a long time. Continuously taking a drink from her coffee as she worked on someone's file, the time slipped away. Before she knew it, it was noon. Ever since she had seen the video of the couple, she just couldn't see the things around her in a positive way. She was losing the ability to forget about how invisible she was to the Devil Kings, she wasn't feeling her usual optimism and it wasn't getting any better. Before her mind was soaring into the negative zone, there was a small peck on her window. 'What was that? Was that just my imagination?'
She tried to get back to her computer, but then she heard it again. Standing up from her desk, she walked over to the window and grabbed hold of the drapes, spreading them wide to reveal the source of the sound. It was... a crow! She let out a small gasp of delight, the crow that she was talking too came back! Without hesitating, she opened the window so she was able to talk to the crow more better. "Oh Mr. Crow! I never knew you were this smart! Do you have an owner? Does he train you well?" The crow didn't seem to react to her words, but it only looked at Eiko. With a grim sigh, she pulled a chair and sat near the window. "I was just thinking... no. I know I'm stuck here... it's silly, I know. But it's true." With a small laugh, she poked her fingers together and continued talking, "Ever since the Devil Kings assigned me to be a Secretary... I had to sign a contract. I couldn't leave without permission or else they said they would kill me, but whenever I ask if I can leave, they say no, and give me more paper work. If feel.." But her voice broke off, and her next words came out as a whisper. "I feel like I'm in a cage. I'm trying to be the happiest bird in the cage, but now I can't just stay happy anymore..." The bird pecked her hand softly, then flew off leaving Eiko. She felt a little bit better now that she vented her feelings.
And that's how the relationship between Eiko and the crow began. Day by day, the crow came back to Eiko's window, almost as if it was listening to her. And as the days passed by, she told the crow her more personal thoughts and feelings; any thought she had in the day, how she felt, her troubles, her frustrations, her hobbies, her habits, her interests, her love intesrests, and it always watched her, looked at her. It has been two weeks since Eiko had begun talking with the crow, and at noon, she lay sitting at the window waiting for the crow to come, she was feeling depressed for the first time, like she was slowly sinking into a bottomless hole. And as always, the crow came down to Eiko's ledge, as she just sat on her chair. Her hands were tightened, grabbing onto her skirt, and she was looking down. Tears began to fall from her clear eyes as she quietly began to cry.
"I... I... I want to leave. I hate this place, I hate everybody in here! Nobody... loves me, and I want to be in the real world... I want to go to the places I want to go, I want to be the person I want to be!" She took a shaky breath before continuing, "I... want to be happy again..." The crow looked at her for a moment, then flew away, for a minute, it circled the Devil King's base before flying away. Eiko sat without a word for a moment on her chair. She refused to do anymore of her work. She was tired of it. She was no longer going to be used as an object to complete paper work, and so, she stopped her paperwork. She walked over to her desk, taking all of the paper work and swiping it all off of her desk. She sat down at her computer, and rested her head on the desk. She closed her eyes, and went to sleep.
She didn't dream, but a small noise woke her up. It was late at night, she knew for sure. With sore eyes, she took a glance at the time on her computer and saw that it was 12:01 am. It was a miracle, she slept through the dark hour. Suddenly, she remembered that there was a noise that woke her up, and she looked over at her window. It was... the crow. There was a parchment tied to it's leg, and she hurried over to open the window. The crow hopped in, and Eiko immediately untied the piece of paper from the Crow's leg and read it.
She let out a gasp.
It was instructions, instructions on how she was going to escape from the base! She turned it over, and was shocked to find a sketched map of the base, with detailed directions on where to go, what to do, and how to slip from the base... how did this mysterious person know the base so clearly? And then there was that one sentence that she read over and over again to make sure she read right, 'Trust the crow.'
She looked over at the crow, and it looked back at her. "I'm trusting you."
With haste, she prepared her escape. She changed her attire to a simple black T-shirt and grey skirt with black leggings, and packed her bag with a bunch of pocky sticks, a screw driver, and a flashlight a few recording devices.
She opened the door, and stepped out of her office.
Already, she was scared, but she had determination in her soul, she was going to be free! She was going to break away!
At the corner of the hallway there was a guard. With the crow perched on her shoulder, she took one of the recording devices and pressed the play button; as quick as she could, she threw the device at the other end of the hallway. The clattering sound was already enough to get the guard's attention, but then there was a high pitched scream. As planned, the guard had rushed over to the source of the sound, the crow perched off of Eiko and flew in front of her, she exhaled and started sprinting after it. They turned around corners and though hallways, it was a good five minutes before Eiko arrived at the control room. Turning the knob, she cursed.
It was locked!
But then an idea crossed her head, she took a hair pin from her head and bent it, remembering a tutorial on how to pick locks with hairpins. Sticking it in, she turned it and pushed and moved it in the lock carefully before she heard a clicking sound as the door slowly opened. Silently celebrating, she ran into the room and rushed, clicking random buttons before the lights blacked out. Whoops. Well, at least the power was off. And so was the security system
She turned on her flashlight, and ran with the crow through the halls, it helped her hide from guards that were looking for an unseen intruder that caused a black out. And in no time they arrived at the exit. They were almost there! She opened the door, with the power off, the security was also not functioning, so no alarm came off as she exited the building. Things were going good before she saw a security guard see her in the distance. Her heart stopped.
"HEY! GET BACK HERE!"
Eiko immediately turned and began to run into the forest, following the crow that was leading her way. They were almost there! And then there were gunshots. Luckily, somehow she wasn't shot, but it pumped adrenaline into her body. For some reason the crow's way of flight seemed a bit disoriented, but maybe that was because the crow was flying for so much. Now in the trees, the guard lost sight of them and cursed. But the crow kept on flying, Eiko didn't know where it was going. But finally they arrived in a clearing! Eiko turned to the crow to thank it, but then it fell to the floor. "What... what's wrong?"
Nervously, she walked over to the creature, a gentle hand searching it's body for anything unusual. When she felt something wet, she looked at her finger to see what was on the crow's body, and saw crimson. Her heart dropped. The crow... was... shot.
"No... no... no! You can't die!" The crow cawed weakly, and there was a ripping sensation in Eiko's chest. "You were my only friend! You can't leave me... don't die..." Gently, she embraced the crow as if her body would give it life, and a small light emitted from Eiko. She didn't notice it until she felt a change happening. There was a small circle of light appearing under her head... and then six translucent wings spread from Eiko's back, her hair went white as it slowly moved in the breeze of her new power. "Please... wake up..." Wished Eiko to the crow, and then like a wish granted, there was a source of light coming from Eiko's hand. The wound began to close as if time was going backwards. At first she was confused, then realized that there was still some life in the crow. Hope started to rise in her, and her hands holding the crow radiated another soft glow. She felt it's breathing more strongly, and it cawed with more volume. "Everything is going to be okay..." And then as quick as she transformed, she turned back to normal. She no longer felt the power, but she knew it resided deep within her heart. Was she too... an Atma user?
But her thoughts were interrupted when a voice cut the tranquil silence. "I see you saved my dying crow. So I guess you're the one that I helped escape from the base?"
Eiko turned towards the voice and saw a pale teenage boy with white hair, he looked like he was old enough to be in Highschool. "I... told you everything..." The realization dawned upon Eiko as she remembered all of the things she told the crow in her hand. It flew out of her relaxed grip and started flying high in a circle around Accelerator with a second crow, her face was getting a bit red. "... and you helped me escape..." Accelerator didn't reply to Eiko, but only nodded in agreement. And without any warning, Eiko had him in a grateful embrace with a small shriek of delight, Accelarator had awkwardly had his hands at his side as Eiko put her arms around him. As she stepped away from her hug, she looked into Accelerator's eyes without her glasses, revealing her truly beautiful face that looked angelic with her delicate skin.
"I want to know everything about the world!"
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:23 pm
Quote: “Achoo!”
A hand reached to the reddened nose for the umpteenth time during that subway trip, and people were starting to discreetly step aside from the small figure standing at the corner, the goofy smile and apologies that came later not enough to risk themselves getting sick in such a busy time of the year. Still, the brunette didn’t seem to care as she rocked on her heels back and forth eagerly, big chestnut eyes turning back to the window, impatiently waiting to get out of the moving car and to the city. It was early December, and the usually gray and cold city of Oshu was starting to get covered in little bright lights and Christmassy decorations; sparkling trees, red ribbons and mistletoes…and of course, it was time to start looking for presents! A thrilled giggle escaped the girl’s mouth, just imagining that Christmas was just around the corner, a few coughs following immediately after, breaking the melodious laugh. A small uncomfortable frown took over her face at the rasping on her throat just momentarily, before the usual smile returned as the train slowed down to a stop at the station. The girl skipped her way out of the train, rubbing her nose with the back of her sleeve as she paused to admire the sparkling decorations brightening the entire place. “Woaaaaah ! So pretty!”
She loved Christmas. Ever since she was a young girl, she had loved that white, warm holiday. Presents, the smell of pine and apples with cinnamon, decorated trees, the stardust illumination…but most importantly, Christmas was that time when she could see everybody smiling, when people tried their hardest to be good for the season. Families would go outside to play with the snow, couples would hold hands and keep close together to keep away the cold…It was just too beautiful! During the holidays, her brothers would stop pulling at her hair, or stop putting worms in her hair, needing to be good for Santa to come…or more recently, they would stop teasing her about her usual spacing out moments or other…matters, (or at least, that is how the girl wanted to see it). During the holidays, her parents would sound more cheerful than usual (even if it was probably her infecting them of her cheerfulness), and she would give the house that festive feel with a small snowman figurine or red and green ornaments.
A shiver shook her entire body as a small gust of wind blew past her, the breeze getting colder and colder as days passed. The girl rubbed her hands together, bringing her coat closer to her body as she walked by several stores, gaze never leaving the shop window in hopes of getting ideas of what everybody would like as a present. She had some on her mind, like her family and her friends from Track practice (she already had several bags on her hands, having bought plenty of things already)…but there were others, like Kosuke, Denmark and Shikaku…that needed thinking. And well… Sai’s was turning out to be difficult as well. Sure, she had bought so many little trinkets for him before, but this time…she really really wanted something he would like! And- Another sneeze broke her trail of thought, as the tissue found its way to the already irritated skin. “Ugh!”
She didn’t like getting sick. Her nose would always itch, her eyes would always water and her throat would always hurt…Not to mention the uncomfortable feeling of heat that wouldn’t leave her face…and she would need to stay at home for hours…with nothing to do! This time hadn’t been much different, the order to stay on bed for the day not suiting well with her. She had tried everything! Music, movies, small crafts…even trying to make her own bucket of pudding! …But nothing had been enough to keep the girl seated for more than a few hours at best. And it had been during one of her bored minutes rolling under the covers that she had turned to look at her calendar, noticing the date and how little time she had to buy presents! (She had all month, but well…for Suzume a month wasn’t enough). She had pled and promised her brother that she was feeling better…only to win a narrowed gaze and a sigh from her brother’s part. ‘Sheesh Suzu… Fine. But wrap up! And if you end up worse…it wasn’t me who let you out.’
‘Thank you onii chan!’
A gloved hand pressed against the cold glass, small clouded breaths blurring several watches at the other side of the window. A watch? Did he wear a watch? She wasn’t sure she remembered. But… it was an idea. And as such, she noted it inside of her mind before sliding over to the next shop, her face plastered on the glass. Caps, shirts, scarves…They were all very nice, and she could imagine Sai wearing any of them but... if only she could decide! She couldn't even trust that magazine back home! 'Christmas gifts for guys'...really? It said the best gift was to bake cookies...and even if it sounded like fun...the kitchen was banned for her, until she could show she could use the oven without burning anything. So that left her with...sport stuff and other things she knew Sai wasn’t interested in. A small sigh escaped her lips, once again clouding the whole window her forehead was pressed against, and she couldn’t deny the pleasant feeling of the cold glass against her hot skin. “No Suzu! Don’t give up yet! This cold won’t defeat y-“
“Suzume…”
The girl froze with her fist on the air as a cheering gesture to herself at the sound of the overly familiar voice behind her, turning around eagerly to meet with the violet haired young man she would always greet with a big smile; the one who she had grown to care about since that day back at the hospital. He looked at her with his usual stern, intense gaze, but it was impossible not to notice the furrowing of his eyebrows, and the twitching of his lips downwards, almost as if something was bothering him. Still, she didn’t stop to ask, her own excitement moving the silent question behind, leaving it for later. “Sai! Sai! I’m so glad to see you! Tell me, would you prefer-“
Her words died on her throat the moment his hand brushed aside the brown bangs from her forehead, and without words or warnings, his forehead pressed gently against her own in a gesture she knew very well. Then, everything made sense. Did she really look that sick? Well... it was a silly question, given that her nose and cheeks were bright red, and she couldn’t stop sneezing. But…if there was anybody who could see through her silly smiles during these times…it was Sai. And that...in that exact moment, the girl didn’t want him to know about her condition. But…it was already too late for that. Nervous giggles followed just as he pulled back with a heavy sigh, the girl fidgeting slightly with the paper bags she had gotten from several shops, only then lifting her brown eyes to that crimson one, a sheepish smile thrown there as a bonus. She had opened her mouth to justify herself…because really! Christmas shopping was too important to miss!, but he had been faster, stopping her before she could even speak up.
“You shouldn’t be out with a fever. Come on…” he said with a deep voice, a tone that if she didn’t know better could be considered as a cold scolding. Instead, she caught the hidden worry on his voice and expression, like she always did.
“Buuuuuuuut Sai! I haven’t finished buying present!”
Glare.
“… … Alriiiight.” Even so, the smile returned to her lips after a small pout, her mind weighting out her options now. Presents could still wait, and well…spending time with Sai could be consider more fun than hunting out for presents…or staying back at home doing nothing.
Her violet haired companion took a step, stopping almost as if to reconsider, crimson eye landing on her just for a moment. The girl turned to look at him questioningly, just as he stepped back towards her, slipping his scarf off and wrapping it around her neck tightly. He didn’t say anything, just turned back once again, knowing she would follow. And of course she did. Fingers brushed the soft fabric, her cheek nuzzling closer to the scarf…the smile widening on her lips. A small red tint mixed with the already fevered cheeks, as the girl skipped to catch up with him, her hand moving on its own to take his. “Sai...”
Perhaps she hadn't found the perfect present right now...but... "Wouldn't it be great if we could spend Christmas together?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 6:15 am
Quote: En Appreciation Week Omake Contest
[Totally Not-Biased Judging By A Committee of Committed En's!]
6th Place: Bird Cage [by StripedFluffyBunny]
Comments: "There isn't a lot wrong with the story itself, and it's a nice little bit of fantasy. Characterization is important, though, and the miscast Devil Kings rubs me the wrong way even when I try to ignore it. I'd still score this pretty high, but competition is stiff. Good job writing something this entertaining, though, Bun!"
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5th Place: The Inaba High Incident [by Rednal]
Comments:"I got a little bit of a laugh out of this, and it was fairly well done. Not sure whether I was supposed to be laughing or taking it seriously...I presume the former. Either way, on literary merits alone, it surpasses the Flattest Mud Wrestling Match Ever."
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4th Place: A Tale of Two Siblings [by Yokoalchemist]
Comments: "Interesting look at the two varying points of view, how being on different ends of the situation can send them spiraling into the heroine and villain they are now. Still, a lack of description hurts the overall score. Excellent dialogue, though. Interesting way to present the scene."
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3rd Place: What Could Be [by Nekama Speaks]
Comments: "Lovely little bit of fluff that gets the stomach full of nice fuzzy-wuzzies. Gets us ready for Valentine's, too, which...hey...who doesn't love that? Only loses points due to length, but this is a good example of a story that really doesn't need to expand too much further to make its impact. The imagery and the feelings are enough."
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1st Place (Tie): Sick Day Suzu [by Hibarii chan] and Every Day's Great at Your Junes [by Necromonium]
Comments: "It was too hard to choose between these two clever fluff pieces. I like the unorthodox style of an unexplored duo in Shu and Akira, and it's a sweet premise, reminding us all who had forgotten about Shu's part-time job and amicable nature. On the other hand, a great job is done in taking an established duo in Sai and Suzu and working them into a new situation together, exploring their dynamic, and generally extracting more of their undeniable cuteness for the story. Hard to choose a winner, so I'm choosing both. You both win a prize!"
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