LeFox's favorite thought of the day: "A train station is where a
train stops... A bus station is where a bus stops... A gas station is where
a car stops... I have a work station... does that mean...?" -Cap't. Jack,
Montgomery Standard (local newspaper)
Author's Note: Teehee! I've been Veeeerrry busy lately. Writing, typing, schoolwork, homework, Email... and now... my own website! Phew. And the best part is this: I built my website while getting reviews from Twilight's Star. I kept hearing the little musical thing while I was working on the site, and my Inbox automatically popped up. I was getting irritated... and then I read the reviews... TS, I just wanna say that everything you said made me feel SO HAPPY! I blushed. After midnight, and I was blushing over an Email. That's how proud I was. Me happy to be TS's role model... *glomps TS*
TS: ...Isn't this... kinda reversed...? *LeFox melts again* Hehe! *Pokes goo*
Neko Kuroban... BbL was an epic? Hm... too bad the prequel sucked... ah, well. Anyhow. Now that I'm goo, I can't running-glomp you, so... pretend I can. *bubble* And as for your mother making you go out in the fog... ARGH! I hate heavy fog... especially because I live near a lake. Sometimes the fog gets so heavy that I come close to either walking into the lake, or the middle of the street, without even knowing it. Plus, I can't tell when the bus is coming. But now I'm rambling... Either way... uh... Can you please take off the handcuffs? Wait... they fell off when I became goo! *^^* *Neko smirks, putting the LeFox goo in a small jar* HEY! *TS pouts* At least poke some holes in the lid... I gotta breathe... *bubble*
Angel of Death 87, Thank you for remaining loyal... as usual! I had 75 reviews on BbL! *is happy* I'm happy to say that fic turned out much better than I had ever expected, and I hope to do some more stuff of that sort sooner or later. Hey--can I add a link to your website on my links page? Lemme know! Beside the point. You said you'd protect me from handcuffs and torture rooms... well, there weren't any torture rooms... but the handcuff thing worked out quite nicely! And yeah, liking a fic is certainly a good reason to review.
Shadow, CONTINUE YOUR FIIIIC! I need an anti-stress device.
ALEXANDRIA (Hey, it CHANGED!)
It was busy in Alexandria, and yet, it had a strange, almost abondoned sense of laziness. It felt so peculiar to be in a city again, surrounded by all of these people, after being alone with Kuja for so long. And Kuja was jumpy, looking around with obvious stress. He was nervous... Gods, had I been insensitive to bring him to Alexandria after all that had happened...? It hadn't been that long ago since the attack. "Kuja?" I said gently, touching his arm. He startled slightly, then looked at me. "Y-yes?" I smiled in a way I hoped was reassuring, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He tried so hard to be so strong while we were among others... but it was so useless... he was powerless against disapproval. People gave him strange looks, as though they remembered him from that night. Many probably did... after all, they had probably run past him. But no one stopped... not one person stopped to talk to him. He was a shadow... no. No! He wasn't a shadow anymore. He was real... so real. "...Let's... let's go somewhere... I just want to be alone again," I said. He smiled, and I'm certain I saw relief flicker in his violet eyes. That gorgeous angel.
I led him to the steeple on the other side of town. Luckily, the moogles that usually hung around were gone. "Let's go up on the roof," I suggested, and let him climb the ladder first. The sun was setting... I knew it would be gorgeous. And I wanted to share it with him. A full moon... I'd wanted to see him in that light for so long. He sat on the rooftop, facing the sun. His eyes caught the light... and they seemed to glow. His hair looked golden, colored by the dying sun. He looked at me, his expression more amusing than I had ever seen it. "...You're staring again." he whispered. "You look like the finest gold... which is hiding the finest silver ever beheld by human eyes." I said slowly, letting my fool's heart choose my words. He didn't react at first, then he smiled. "I never knew you were a poet, Blase," he said softly. Was he laughing at me? "My heart spoke too boldly." I said, turning away so he wouldn't see my face turn red. He stood, walking over to me. "...Your heart speaks the truth." he replied, looking into my eyes.
"Could... you tell more of your story...? It's quiet here... and we're in Alexandria, after all." I said softly, sitting down with him by my side. He smiled. "Not to mention a romantic atmoshere." he said enticingly. I shook my head... even though that was the first thing in my mind.
=One thing led to another. Queen Brahne wanted the power I promised... and I knew how to supply it. I told her that the village of Dali was starving for money. Their farm wasn't bringing in enough money, the inn wasn't successful, the mayor was a man unable to make decisions... the village was dying. But that wasn't what the Queen saw. She saw the perfect place for a base of operations. Within a month, we had an underground storage area changed into a factory, complete with mist engines. That was my idea, as well as my sources. We couldn't very well go to Lindblum for mist engines... that would have aroused suspicion, and we couldn't afford to have people suspecting Alexandria of commiting crimes. Dali was well paid for their services to us, so they weren't going to turn on us. They made hundreds-thousands-or more Black Mages a day, and transported them to Alexandria in special barrels on a cargo ship. This went on for several months before... well, the play.
A theater troop from Lindblum called Tantalus was to perform "I Want to be Your Canary" for Princess Garnet's sixteenth birthday... and we were to have our own little party. You see, that night, we had planned to draw the Eidolons from Garnet. But nothing went as we had planned. Unknown to us, Tantalus had their own duties... they were to kidnap Garnet and take her to Lindblum. However, even the thieves can sometimes guess incorrectly, and so was the case this time. The Princess had planned to sneak onboard the theater ship and go to Lindblum herself! One of the 'actors' onstage was... was...=
"What? One of the actors was what?" I pressed, and he looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "You remember Zidane, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Good. Then I can continue."
=One of the actors onstage was Zidane. I had been watching the show from a window... technically, I wasn't really interested in the performance. I usually enjoy plays, but with all that rested on such a thin line, I couldn't seem to enjoy it. It took me several moments to recognize him... it was the tail, I think, that finally woke me up. But enough of that... I remember that I cried when I realized who it was. I don't know if they were tears of joy or sorrow... I didn't want him to return to my life! I wanted him to stay in my past... just a name without a face. I wanted the uncertainty of his well-being. That... that was my wish. But he still stood on that stage, announcing his lines with practiced confidence. He didn't have a lead role. It would later occur to me that this had been planned, all along. As I have said, it was Tantalus's plan to abduct Garnet. When Zidane vanished backstage, I broke down. I fell to my knees, begging him to be nothing more than a dream. I begged!
The play continued, but I didn't watch. I went down to the dungeon areas to see the Silver Dragon. She was the only thing I could think of to calm myself down. As always, she embraced me as a mother would welcome a child that has been lost for years... I find it amusing how she thinks of me as her child when I created her. Amuses... not upsets. I needed her in that moment. You can never imagine the emotional shock I went through... I didn't want Zidane back! I wanted him to stay safely in my past...
**The Dragon roared with concern. Kuja stood in the dungeon's entrance, looking... shivery. His feathers were drooping slightly... she knew what this meant... Kuja was upset, facing some inner turmoil. She spread her wings, asking him to come closer. He stepped toward her slowly... so slowly. The silver-haired Genome wrapped his arms around her neck, crying into silky feathers. The Dragon was worried now... her Kuja was crying. He never wept before her... he always tried to be so strong and haughty. She nuzzled the feathers in his hair, reminding him of how precious he was. He smiled into the downy mass, sniffling slightly. It was harder to be weak than it was to be stronger than anyone else... everyone felt sorry for you. "Silver..." he said softly, moving away and petting her wings, "...You're a magnificent creature... one of these days, I'll find a way to show you that..." She snorted softly. She didn't need him to repay her for anything she had done... he had created her. She owed him her own life.**
I made it out of the dungeon just a split second too soon. Zidane and a young girl wearing a white hood ran through the hallway, not taking any heed of Silver. Foolish, but she didn't react. Silver isn't a natural fighter. I'm digressing, though. The girl in the hood was, indeed, Princess Garnet in disguise. And Zidane was chasing her... From there, I must tell you what happened through what I've learned.
Captain Steiner of the Knights of Pluto had been sent to find Garnet, and of course, he found the two of them on top of the tower... not the one he was on, obviously. Just when Zidane had believed she was cornered... she gave him the slip. She used one of the decorative lines to swing onto the theatre ship... and of course, Zidane followed. Steiner pursued them... or at least, tried to. He swung into one of the upper decks... I hear it was a humorous sight. Not that I know... I had gone to bed to ease myself, if that was possible. When I woke up... Garnet was gone. There had been a lot of chaos while I slept... but I had been too deep in my dreams to realize it. Queen Brahne was, to say this as gently as possible, enraged. She had to take out her anger by destroying something... a city.=
I noticed that his story seemed dryer tonight. He didn't seem to be putting much into it... at all. Maybe it was the location. ...Or maybe not. Maybe it was something else...? "...Kuja?" I said softly, tipping his face until he was looking into my eyes. The sun had set long ago, and the moon had risen. Pure and full, as I had expected. His eyes were deeper in the white light. He looked like an angel. "Kuja, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice only barely over a whisper. He leaned forward, resting his face against my shoulder. "...what isn't." he said, letting the cryptic words hang in the air. "...Blase, I can't help but feel like you belong here... with me. Am I only a hopeless storyteller, vocalizing my life and thoughts to you for no cause? ...I feel... lonely... incomplete... I try so hard to be what everyone thinks is right for me... but that isn't who I am. I'm a helpless child... and all I want is someone to understand..." He was crying again... "Kuja..."
He looked up, but didn't reply. I swallowed. I had come up here for this atmosphere... to tell him the truth. Now was the time. Now or never... do or die...
"How do I say this... I love you..."
Author's Note: hmhmhm... There ya go, Neko! Shounen-ai! But will Kuja return the feeling...? Or is Blase headed for heartbreak? Or will this never be decided....?
Okay, that's it! Um, bye! *tries to sneak off*
Kuja: Are you forgetting something? *takes out a box of cards*
LeFox: No.
Kuja: Yes.
LeFox: Fine.
(Three hours into the game)
"Got any Aces?"
"Go fish."
"Not again!"
"Just fish."
"But_"
"No buts. Just fishes."
"Okay." (Draws a card.)
"Got any... I believe it's Kings?"
"????!!"
"Now give me the card..."
"Fine. Got any threes?"
"Go fish."
"Not again!"
"Just fish."
"But_"
"No buts. Just fishes."
"Okay." (Draws a card.)
"Got any... I believe it's fives?"
"????!!"
"Now give me the card..."
"Fine. ...Ya know, Kuja, after another three straight hours of this, we may actually master the game of Go Fish!"
"Yes, I believe that may happen. At the rate we're playing, however... I don't think you have much of a chance of winning."
"Whatever. Got any... Jacks?"
"..."
"What was that, Loser Boy?"
"...Go Fish."
"Dammit."
*Neko K stares at LeFox goo in jar* ...Please poke some holes in the lid!!! *AoD87 and TS jab at the lid with forks* ...What did I do to deserve this...?
TS: I wanna keep the LeFox Goo!
Neko: But I'M the one who captured her.
LeFox: DOES THAT EVEN MATTER!?
Author's Note: Teehee! I've been Veeeerrry busy lately. Writing, typing, schoolwork, homework, Email... and now... my own website! Phew. And the best part is this: I built my website while getting reviews from Twilight's Star. I kept hearing the little musical thing while I was working on the site, and my Inbox automatically popped up. I was getting irritated... and then I read the reviews... TS, I just wanna say that everything you said made me feel SO HAPPY! I blushed. After midnight, and I was blushing over an Email. That's how proud I was. Me happy to be TS's role model... *glomps TS*
TS: ...Isn't this... kinda reversed...? *LeFox melts again* Hehe! *Pokes goo*
Neko Kuroban... BbL was an epic? Hm... too bad the prequel sucked... ah, well. Anyhow. Now that I'm goo, I can't running-glomp you, so... pretend I can. *bubble* And as for your mother making you go out in the fog... ARGH! I hate heavy fog... especially because I live near a lake. Sometimes the fog gets so heavy that I come close to either walking into the lake, or the middle of the street, without even knowing it. Plus, I can't tell when the bus is coming. But now I'm rambling... Either way... uh... Can you please take off the handcuffs? Wait... they fell off when I became goo! *^^* *Neko smirks, putting the LeFox goo in a small jar* HEY! *TS pouts* At least poke some holes in the lid... I gotta breathe... *bubble*
Angel of Death 87, Thank you for remaining loyal... as usual! I had 75 reviews on BbL! *is happy* I'm happy to say that fic turned out much better than I had ever expected, and I hope to do some more stuff of that sort sooner or later. Hey--can I add a link to your website on my links page? Lemme know! Beside the point. You said you'd protect me from handcuffs and torture rooms... well, there weren't any torture rooms... but the handcuff thing worked out quite nicely! And yeah, liking a fic is certainly a good reason to review.
Shadow, CONTINUE YOUR FIIIIC! I need an anti-stress device.
ALEXANDRIA (Hey, it CHANGED!)
It was busy in Alexandria, and yet, it had a strange, almost abondoned sense of laziness. It felt so peculiar to be in a city again, surrounded by all of these people, after being alone with Kuja for so long. And Kuja was jumpy, looking around with obvious stress. He was nervous... Gods, had I been insensitive to bring him to Alexandria after all that had happened...? It hadn't been that long ago since the attack. "Kuja?" I said gently, touching his arm. He startled slightly, then looked at me. "Y-yes?" I smiled in a way I hoped was reassuring, then wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He tried so hard to be so strong while we were among others... but it was so useless... he was powerless against disapproval. People gave him strange looks, as though they remembered him from that night. Many probably did... after all, they had probably run past him. But no one stopped... not one person stopped to talk to him. He was a shadow... no. No! He wasn't a shadow anymore. He was real... so real. "...Let's... let's go somewhere... I just want to be alone again," I said. He smiled, and I'm certain I saw relief flicker in his violet eyes. That gorgeous angel.
I led him to the steeple on the other side of town. Luckily, the moogles that usually hung around were gone. "Let's go up on the roof," I suggested, and let him climb the ladder first. The sun was setting... I knew it would be gorgeous. And I wanted to share it with him. A full moon... I'd wanted to see him in that light for so long. He sat on the rooftop, facing the sun. His eyes caught the light... and they seemed to glow. His hair looked golden, colored by the dying sun. He looked at me, his expression more amusing than I had ever seen it. "...You're staring again." he whispered. "You look like the finest gold... which is hiding the finest silver ever beheld by human eyes." I said slowly, letting my fool's heart choose my words. He didn't react at first, then he smiled. "I never knew you were a poet, Blase," he said softly. Was he laughing at me? "My heart spoke too boldly." I said, turning away so he wouldn't see my face turn red. He stood, walking over to me. "...Your heart speaks the truth." he replied, looking into my eyes.
"Could... you tell more of your story...? It's quiet here... and we're in Alexandria, after all." I said softly, sitting down with him by my side. He smiled. "Not to mention a romantic atmoshere." he said enticingly. I shook my head... even though that was the first thing in my mind.
=One thing led to another. Queen Brahne wanted the power I promised... and I knew how to supply it. I told her that the village of Dali was starving for money. Their farm wasn't bringing in enough money, the inn wasn't successful, the mayor was a man unable to make decisions... the village was dying. But that wasn't what the Queen saw. She saw the perfect place for a base of operations. Within a month, we had an underground storage area changed into a factory, complete with mist engines. That was my idea, as well as my sources. We couldn't very well go to Lindblum for mist engines... that would have aroused suspicion, and we couldn't afford to have people suspecting Alexandria of commiting crimes. Dali was well paid for their services to us, so they weren't going to turn on us. They made hundreds-thousands-or more Black Mages a day, and transported them to Alexandria in special barrels on a cargo ship. This went on for several months before... well, the play.
A theater troop from Lindblum called Tantalus was to perform "I Want to be Your Canary" for Princess Garnet's sixteenth birthday... and we were to have our own little party. You see, that night, we had planned to draw the Eidolons from Garnet. But nothing went as we had planned. Unknown to us, Tantalus had their own duties... they were to kidnap Garnet and take her to Lindblum. However, even the thieves can sometimes guess incorrectly, and so was the case this time. The Princess had planned to sneak onboard the theater ship and go to Lindblum herself! One of the 'actors' onstage was... was...=
"What? One of the actors was what?" I pressed, and he looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "You remember Zidane, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Good. Then I can continue."
=One of the actors onstage was Zidane. I had been watching the show from a window... technically, I wasn't really interested in the performance. I usually enjoy plays, but with all that rested on such a thin line, I couldn't seem to enjoy it. It took me several moments to recognize him... it was the tail, I think, that finally woke me up. But enough of that... I remember that I cried when I realized who it was. I don't know if they were tears of joy or sorrow... I didn't want him to return to my life! I wanted him to stay in my past... just a name without a face. I wanted the uncertainty of his well-being. That... that was my wish. But he still stood on that stage, announcing his lines with practiced confidence. He didn't have a lead role. It would later occur to me that this had been planned, all along. As I have said, it was Tantalus's plan to abduct Garnet. When Zidane vanished backstage, I broke down. I fell to my knees, begging him to be nothing more than a dream. I begged!
The play continued, but I didn't watch. I went down to the dungeon areas to see the Silver Dragon. She was the only thing I could think of to calm myself down. As always, she embraced me as a mother would welcome a child that has been lost for years... I find it amusing how she thinks of me as her child when I created her. Amuses... not upsets. I needed her in that moment. You can never imagine the emotional shock I went through... I didn't want Zidane back! I wanted him to stay safely in my past...
**The Dragon roared with concern. Kuja stood in the dungeon's entrance, looking... shivery. His feathers were drooping slightly... she knew what this meant... Kuja was upset, facing some inner turmoil. She spread her wings, asking him to come closer. He stepped toward her slowly... so slowly. The silver-haired Genome wrapped his arms around her neck, crying into silky feathers. The Dragon was worried now... her Kuja was crying. He never wept before her... he always tried to be so strong and haughty. She nuzzled the feathers in his hair, reminding him of how precious he was. He smiled into the downy mass, sniffling slightly. It was harder to be weak than it was to be stronger than anyone else... everyone felt sorry for you. "Silver..." he said softly, moving away and petting her wings, "...You're a magnificent creature... one of these days, I'll find a way to show you that..." She snorted softly. She didn't need him to repay her for anything she had done... he had created her. She owed him her own life.**
I made it out of the dungeon just a split second too soon. Zidane and a young girl wearing a white hood ran through the hallway, not taking any heed of Silver. Foolish, but she didn't react. Silver isn't a natural fighter. I'm digressing, though. The girl in the hood was, indeed, Princess Garnet in disguise. And Zidane was chasing her... From there, I must tell you what happened through what I've learned.
Captain Steiner of the Knights of Pluto had been sent to find Garnet, and of course, he found the two of them on top of the tower... not the one he was on, obviously. Just when Zidane had believed she was cornered... she gave him the slip. She used one of the decorative lines to swing onto the theatre ship... and of course, Zidane followed. Steiner pursued them... or at least, tried to. He swung into one of the upper decks... I hear it was a humorous sight. Not that I know... I had gone to bed to ease myself, if that was possible. When I woke up... Garnet was gone. There had been a lot of chaos while I slept... but I had been too deep in my dreams to realize it. Queen Brahne was, to say this as gently as possible, enraged. She had to take out her anger by destroying something... a city.=
I noticed that his story seemed dryer tonight. He didn't seem to be putting much into it... at all. Maybe it was the location. ...Or maybe not. Maybe it was something else...? "...Kuja?" I said softly, tipping his face until he was looking into my eyes. The sun had set long ago, and the moon had risen. Pure and full, as I had expected. His eyes were deeper in the white light. He looked like an angel. "Kuja, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice only barely over a whisper. He leaned forward, resting his face against my shoulder. "...what isn't." he said, letting the cryptic words hang in the air. "...Blase, I can't help but feel like you belong here... with me. Am I only a hopeless storyteller, vocalizing my life and thoughts to you for no cause? ...I feel... lonely... incomplete... I try so hard to be what everyone thinks is right for me... but that isn't who I am. I'm a helpless child... and all I want is someone to understand..." He was crying again... "Kuja..."
He looked up, but didn't reply. I swallowed. I had come up here for this atmosphere... to tell him the truth. Now was the time. Now or never... do or die...
"How do I say this... I love you..."
Author's Note: hmhmhm... There ya go, Neko! Shounen-ai! But will Kuja return the feeling...? Or is Blase headed for heartbreak? Or will this never be decided....?
Okay, that's it! Um, bye! *tries to sneak off*
Kuja: Are you forgetting something? *takes out a box of cards*
LeFox: No.
Kuja: Yes.
LeFox: Fine.
(Three hours into the game)
"Got any Aces?"
"Go fish."
"Not again!"
"Just fish."
"But_"
"No buts. Just fishes."
"Okay." (Draws a card.)
"Got any... I believe it's Kings?"
"????!!"
"Now give me the card..."
"Fine. Got any threes?"
"Go fish."
"Not again!"
"Just fish."
"But_"
"No buts. Just fishes."
"Okay." (Draws a card.)
"Got any... I believe it's fives?"
"????!!"
"Now give me the card..."
"Fine. ...Ya know, Kuja, after another three straight hours of this, we may actually master the game of Go Fish!"
"Yes, I believe that may happen. At the rate we're playing, however... I don't think you have much of a chance of winning."
"Whatever. Got any... Jacks?"
"..."
"What was that, Loser Boy?"
"...Go Fish."
"Dammit."
*Neko K stares at LeFox goo in jar* ...Please poke some holes in the lid!!! *AoD87 and TS jab at the lid with forks* ...What did I do to deserve this...?
TS: I wanna keep the LeFox Goo!
Neko: But I'M the one who captured her.
LeFox: DOES THAT EVEN MATTER!?