Christmas scraps

When I write my fiction, I have a really speciall way of doing so, as to which Onee-chan can attest. I write a number of lines/a page on one story, then I switch. I write the same number of lines on the next story, then I switch again. Sometimes when starting a new writing pad, I decide a theme or a number of stories to write in it. 22 is the highest number of stories i had going in the same pad. Yes, I'm spacy that way. Christmas Eve, I took five new pads, three small, thin things, and two thick, with 12 tabs in each. One of the 12-tab pads will be dedicated to Onee-chans Final Fantasy love couples, the other to my very own creations, if I have 12 of those, if not, I'll throw in some fanfiction, we'll see.

Ok, so without further ado, the scraps of stories I wrote over Christmas:

****************************

Takashi sat by one of the windows in the little cottage he shared with his husbands. He was caring for his bow and arrows, feeling the knot in his stomach grow larger. Tomorrow was the last hunt before the Burrowing, and this year's last hunt was crucial. All autumn the 15 hunters hadn't felled anything other than small game, not even enough to feed a single household, and far from satisfying the Lots. Unless they felled 5 elks tomorrow, their village would go all winter without meat. Even if they felled 5 elks, the meat would never be enough for them all after they had paid the Lots. A mammoth, Takashi though dreammily. That's what we need. Just a small one, just enough to pay the lots and feed us through the winter.
                 The door opened. Kei and Jun came in. Jun was holding his hands up to his mouth, he was cold. Sweet, gentle Jun, he had all the characteristics of a child bearer. Kei led Jun over to their fireplace.
"Now you stand still here until I've warmed the bed", said Kei sternly.
                 Jun nodded. Kei busied himself with the bed, making room for the heating stones.
"What happened" asked Takashi.
"Your husband got the clever idea to rescue rodents out of ice cold streams", answered Kei, sounding cross.
                  Takashi put away the bow and walked over to Jun, embraced him and took his icy hands.
"Is that true?"
                   Jun shook his head. Kei glared at him as he took the heating stones from the fire.
"It wasn't a rodent", Jun said innocently. "It was a squirrel."
"How silly of me to mistake a squirrel for a rodent."
                  Kei sounded really annoyed. Takashi knew why. Kei was annoyed for the same reason Takashi worried so much for the hunt. Still holding on to Jun's hands with one hand, Takashi let his other hand come to rest on Jun's belly.
"I know you are the kindest, gentlest, most loving being on this earth", he said."But you have to be careful. I don't want you to jeopardize yourself or our litter."
                  Jun sighed and freed himself from his husband. He loved and hated being pregnant. He loved the thought of being a child bearer, that he were to give Kei and Takashi, and their village, pups, but he hated the Lots. Now more than ever.
"We're not going to keep them, are we", he said quietly.
                 Neither Kei nor Takashi answered. They knew that the likelihood of getting to keep a pup was slim to none. A child bearer had, in his or her lifetime, an average of 3 litters of 1-6 pups, although most litters were 2-3 pups. And before they could keep a pup, they had to pay the Lots. 1 to the State, 1 to the Nobility, 1 to the Magistry, 1 to the Clergy and 1 to the grave. Their custom and their curse. Jun walked over to the bed and started to try to undress but his hands were so cold they hurt and he couldn't hold anything. He sobbed. Cautiously, Kei put his arms around Jun.
"Probably not", he said. "I don't know how many pups you're carrying. But next summer, after your body has recovered, we'll hurry and make more pups."

***********************************

"Michael!"

          The four-year-old boy spun around. He waved at his father. 

"Don't disappear on me", the father said.
"Dad", said the child, stomping his little foot. "I want to go on the tour!"
          Michael's father waved his son over, crouched down and hugged him.
"I know", he said. "And I let you. Just be careful so you don't get away from the group, ok?"
          Michael nodded.
"I love you", Michael's father said and kissed him on the cheek. "Have fun."
          Michael ran off towards the kids tour group  One of the guides tool his hand and they followed the other kids and guides through the doors to the vista level.
"He can't be yours, you're way to young."
          The young man who had a son named Michael straightened. A man his own age wearing clothes identifying him as an off-duty marine serving on this new Luna base, stood leaning on the rail by the panorama window.
"He is", came the answer.
            The marine smiled.
"Michael's father is a handsome guy", he said. "Does he have a name?"
"James", Michael's father said hesitantly. "James Shepard. Are you flirting with me?"
"Well", the marine laughed. "If you need to ask I'm obviously not good at it. And, yes."
"You'd flirt with a guy you know have a son? Wouldn't that be a tell-tale sign that guy has a woman in his life?"
            The marine smiled widely.
"I take my chances."
            James Shepard smiled and put on an air of appreciation.
"It's been a while since any guy flirted with me", he said. "Most guys back away quickly when they realize i have a kid."
          The marine shook his head.
"As handsome as you are, I wouldn't care. In fact, I don't."
          James found he enjoyed this. As he had said, he didn't often meet guys who didn't care if he had a son. Even if this was just light flirting, he enjoyed the attention.
"So, marine", he said. "You know my name..."
"Emilio Cortez", the marine said willingly. "I'm stationed here, but I'm off duty. How did you identify me as a marine?"

********************

"Vrook, can I sleep in your tent tonight?"

          Vrook looked up. The question had come from nowhere, even though they were in love with each other, the had not yet taken that step. Issä hadn't shown any such tendencies before. Vrook welcomed it. 

"Of course", he said. "If you wish."

          Issä nodded. He couldn't really explain to himself why he had this rather sudden desire. True, he was in love with this Grey Warden. This tall, handsome, rugged, dark-haired, grey-eyed, rough-mannered yet incredibly kind and noble man. Still... Confused even by his own request, Issä walked into the tent. He sank down and hid his face in his hand . Was he casting Faye's memory and love aside for another man? It had been a year since Faye was killed by those foul creatures, months since since Issä stopped crying, yet now, the grief welled up inside him again. He could not stop the tears.

          Vrook came into the tent only minutes later. Issä was ashamed and he felt a stab of guilt. He tried to hide his tears. 

"It's all right", said Vrook, sitting down beside Issä. "You cry as much as you need." 

"But it's not fair", sobbed Issä. "It's not fair, I'm supposed to be your lover now. Faye is..."

          Issä broke down into sobs, feeling more confused than ever. Vrook stroke his back. 

"I can never take Faye away from you", he said. "He's part of you, and I can never take his place, nor do I want to. You will always love him."

"But I want to love you."

"You do. I can feel it. Keep him in your heart. Remember him. But love me here and now."

          Issä nodded. It felt a little clearer now. 

"I want to sleep close to you tonight", he muttered.

"You will", Vrook promised. "I'll keep you close."

          Issä got himself ready for bed. 

"The others we're meeting", he asked. "Who are they?" 

          Vrook tilted his head thoughtfully. 

"Cri'il and Sylon. They are wardens. Ella is... I'm not sure what Ella is, but she is handy with a blade and she never needed keys to open locks. Col and Anders are mages, and Megan is an archer and historian." 

          Issä crawled down among the blankets and fur.

"I know all that", he said. "I meant what kind of people are they?"

          Vrook thoughtfully folded up his shirt.

"I'm not sure", he said. "Ella is a great, albeit fickle, woman. But she is a friend, a loyal friend. I've known her for 20 years. Col is also a good friend. Likes to hear himself talk. But he has some great stories to tell, so that's ok. Sylon I've only met on a couple of gatherings in Weisshaupt. He has authority enough, seems like an efficient bastard. Megan and Cri'il I've only met the one time, when planning this little excursion. Anders... well, there are rumors about Anders. He won't talk about them. He won't talk at all, as a matter of fact, so I know nothing about him. But he is a good listener and he can show some great bit of magic when necessary."

           Vrook came down among the blankets, found Issä and pulled him close. 

"So", said Issä quietly. "Good men and women, all handy in a tight spot. Where do I fit in?"

          Vrook smiled wryly. 

"You fit in my bed", he said. "But I also hope Col or Anders might be able to help you."

********************

"Tadaima"!

"Okaerinasai, Aito."

          Sora grabbed Aito and kissed him,

"I thought you'd be in bed", said Aito puzzled.

          Sora walked back into the apartment, grabbed his tea cup.

"I was lonely, so I couldn't sleep. Besides, the kiddies are loud." He scowled at the four 8-year-old boys by the media station. They were playing video games. Apparently, Takashiro had been allowed to bring friends over.

"Where is Kana", asked Aito. "And Yuu?

          Sora shrugged.

"Yuu is in the kitchen", he said. "And Kana's not home yet. You don't bother asking for Hanako?"

"Saw her in the park. Talked to Ima's mom."

          Sora sighed deeply and made a sweeping gesture.

"Well, what do I know", he said, quite dramatically. "I'm just a lowly interior designer with a headache."

          He stalked into the bedroom and closed the door. Deflated, Aito sat down in one of the armchairs in the living room.

********************

Mako was walking up the road into town with xie's basket full of early spring herbs. Four months ago, in the dead of winter, xie had come here with xie's husband. This town was where Jaq Salim had grown up and learned his trade, and as Mako had grown up in a school on the countryside, with no parents and no last name,  it was natural that they moved close to Jaq's parents when Mako became Mako dal Salim. During those four months, Mako had learned to be the keeper of xie's home and family, gotten to know the in-lawed family, Jaq had both brothers and sisters, as well as parents, gotten to know the town and its surroundings. The town was very small, it had only one market square and only one market street. but it had 8  inns, one on each road out of town, and all 36 gods and goddesses had places where you could worship them. This was, after all, a market town, a lot of trade came through here. No wonder Jaq and his family were doing good business.

********************

Snow Villiers stood gazing out through the living room window. Caius Ballad was pacing, slowly, between same window and the window in the kitchen, Hope Estheim sat by the living room table, trying to study. Oerba Yun Fang sat in the couch, trying to stay awake. Beside her sat Lightning Ferron, staring at the clock. It was almost four in the morning and they were all waiting. The only ones who were asleep, and thankfully had slept all night, were the girls, 9-year-old Vanille, 7-year-old Serah and 4-year-old Yuel. 

"Shouldn't everyone who actually have a job to go to in the morning get to bed", asked Snow. "You don't have to wait up, you know."

           Fang stretched and yawned.

"You're not the only one who worries, you know", she said. "The way he took of last night..."

          Snow shuddered. Last night, his lover, Caius' brother, Noel had stormed off in a fit of panic-fueled anger. 

*********************

The Shinra Company Headquarters lay like a glittering jewel in an oasis of fountains and greenery in the otherwise drought-stricken Midgaar. This was just about the only part of the city that had water right now, but then, this place was for the elite, and their serfs. 

          One such serf stood watching the lines of people from sector 7 who had come in hopes of being lucky enough to get some of the 74000 liters of water that Shinra Company so graciously bestowed upon the needy. Cloud Strife was not pleased. As a member of Shinras elite force SOLDIER he ached for some real work. It was his fourth day on water watch, and that, to him, was a waste of his talents. He knew he was being punished, but he didn't know what for.

          He felt a sharp tap on his shoulder. 

"What did you do to get pushed down to line guard?"

*********************

Love it, hate it, share it, comment it, whatever...... =)