CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE*

[seventhe]

Fandom: taking back Valentine's Day since 2008!

So last year bottle_of_shine had a Kissing Battle. The last edition is here (EDITED TO ADD: this is the old battle, not the current one!). It was a lot of fun and might be known around FF-fandom circles as the best Meme ever**.

Pretty much everyone I know is stressed about something, too, so this round of the Kiss Meme Battle honestly couldn't have better timing. (I love you guys) This round is about feeling good, it's about love, and it's also about seeing who can write the most kissy drabbles and ficlets in one week!

Final Fantasy Kissing Battle: Valentine's Edition!***
Happening right here in this very entry

This portion of the rules I borrow from Nay, because she explained it well.

Requirements:
  - Kissing. Of any sort, even if it happens to be platonic. Otherwise known as: gen kisses are okay!
  - Put the fandom and pairing in the header of comments with kiss fic! SERIOUSLY. This makes it 300% easier for people to browse (and for me to compile).
Limitations: above the belt (this isn't about porn) and Final Fantasy only (crossovers are cool).

There are many ways to play! Write kisses and post them as comments. Make a list of requests and hope someone will fill them. Write other people's requests and hope they do the same back. (Requests can be filled more than once.) Find other good kisses and squee! EDIT - You can request anonymously, if you want!

This is about love and feeling good and that kind of stuff so people who are stupid about it will get my steel-toes in their ass. WITH LOVE ♥ ♥ ♥

I'm thinking about a week for this, so whoever writes the most kisses in that time wins!

GO TO IT, GUYS.
Let the Kissing Battle begin!
Feel free to pimp and invite people! THERE'S LOVE FOR EVERYONE.


*Don't lie to me. You hate it, you know you hate it, and you love to hate it. You love to complain about how stupid of a holiday it is. Single, committed, married, playing the field, porn star, straight, gay, bi, curious, into donkeys - we all have a hate-on for Valentine's Day, and we all compete with each other over the size of our Valentine's-Day-hating cock. I've had it. ENOUGH. THE HATE STOPS HERE! FILL THE WORLD WITH MOTHER FUCKING LOVE, YOU FUCKING COCK BITCHES.

**it might also not. I may have made that part up.

***the name of this color is "Dark Hard Magenta." HAHAHA. HARD. i am such a loser. Also, I hope it's as annoying on YOUR screen as it is on MINE.

---

REQUESTS
Updated: ~1:00pm 02-18-08

♥ Each *asterisk* represents one kiss already written for that request. It certainly does not mean you can't write another - it's really for people who are trying to make sure everyone gets their fair share of the kisses.
It's only based off of kisses with labeled comment headers. If you forgot to label your kiss, reply to it with a comment WITH THE PAIRING IN THE HEADER and I'll try to update you.
♥ Newest requests are at the bottom of each list, labeled with a heart. ("New" simply means "the most recent people I've added".)

Again, if you don't want your name on your request, feel free to comment anonymously.

FFI
Garland/Sara*, Arylon/Elf Prince, Jim/Kope, Light Warrior/Anyone - ovo_lexa

FFII
Paul/Leila, Maria/Guy - ovo_lexa

FFIII
Ingus/Sara* - kristinmachina
Dorga/Unne - ovo_lexa
♥ Arc/Alus, Cid/Mrs. Cid - rosehiptea

FFIV
Cecil/Rosa*, Cecil & young Rydia* - venefica_aura
Edge/Kain - katmillia
Rosa/Rydia, Edge/Kain/Rydia - first_seventhe
Edge/Rydia*, Kain/Rydia*, Kain/Valvalicia/Golbez/Rosa (any comb.)* - lassarina
Edward/Anna** - ovo_lexa
Rosa/Edge**, Rosa/Palom*, Anna (as Rosa)/Edward*, Rosa/Sylph - salarta
Porom/Edward, Porom/Anyone* - shiny_glor_chan
Rydia/Asura*, Kain/Rosa, Kain/Cecil, Edward/young!Rydia, Palom/Porom* - eerian_sadow
Cecil/Kain/Rosa - wakka_luver
♥ Yang/anyone** - fanaticalone

FFV
Syldra & Faris* - ovo_lexa
Reina/Faris* - salarta

FFVI
Setzer/Celes* - astrangerenters
Maduin/Madeline* - deadshrimpblues
Terra/Anyone*, Locke/Celes - first_seventhe
Celes/Leo* - aesriella
Locke/Celes, Leo/Celes* - lassarina
Terra/Celes/Kefka - salarta
Sabin/Cyan* - jianna
♥ Cyan/Terra - rosehiptea

FFVII and assorted
Tseng/Elena - irish_ais
Tifa/Elena*, Reno/Aeris*, Lucrecia/Ifalna** - venefica_aura
Veld/Ifalna*, Veld/Lucrecia, Vincent/Ifalna* - astralavator
Cid/Shera**, Rude/Elena*, Tifa/Barret*, Chocobo Joe/Esther, Ilfalna/Elmyra* - deadshrimpblues
Tifa/Barret, Tifa/Rude, Yuffie/Reno - first_seventhe
Vincent/Tifa* - rhianna_aurora
Vincent/Cloud* - kristinmachina
Cid/Vincent, Cloud/Zack, Cloud/Sephiroth, Sephiroth/Zack, Zack/Aeris, Reno/Rude, Rufus/Reno - jameva
Zack/Aeris, Reno/Rude, Tseng/Elena - lassarina
Tifa/Scarlet - salarta
Tifa/Vincent, Tifa/Veld*, Tifa/Tseng, Tifa/Reno, Tifa/Sephiroth - is_bel
Vincent/Elena*, Aeris/Elena*, Reeve/Tifa, Anna/Veld* - tijuana_pirate
Vincent/Cloud*, (AC) Marlene & Denzel - solitaryjane
Any combo: Cloud, Reno, Zack, Sephiroth, Rufus, Angeal, Genesis - jenovas_boy
Tifa/Vincent - sarasa_cat
Cid/Loz, Cait Sith/Red XIII*, Aerith/Cait Sith* - wakka_luver
Cloud/Tifa, Loz/Tifa, Yuffie/Vincent, Yuffie/Cloud* - anime_angel_ash
♥ Cloud/Barret*/a> - firefly99
♥ Zack/Tifa, Zack/Cloud, Rude/Tifa - fiorieart
♥ Reno/Rude/Elena* - fanaticalone

FFVIII
Squall/Rinoa*, Seifer/Zell, Seifer/Quistis, Seifer/Xu, Seifer/Fujin, Irvine/Selphie*, Cid/Edea** - irish_ais
Seifer/Squall, Rinoa/Ellone*, Fujin/Xu*, Cid/Edea* - venefica_aura
Squall/Ellone* - katmillia
Squall/Quistis*, Irvine/Quistis* - astrangerenters
Selphie/Seifer*, Irvine/His Hat** - achenar
Quistis/Zell*, Seifer/Zell, Quistis/Laguna*, Selphie/Seifer, Irvine/Anyone* - first_seventhe
Irvine/Rinoa** - rhianna_aurora
Seifer/Zell, Irvine/Squall* - dior_anghel
Quistis/Xu*, Xu/Nida, Quistis & Angelo***, Quistis/Bobo/Zell - aesriella
Quistis/Shiva* - aesriella
Seifer/Zell, Irvine/Selphie - jameva
Seifer/Irvine!*, Seifer/Squall - lassarina
Seifer/Ma Dincht*, Seifer/Raijin*, Seifer/Xu*, Seifer/Fujin, Selphie/Edea, Xu/Martine, Xu/Zell, Zell/Fujin, Zell/Irvine*, Zell/Chocobo - siva630
Edea/Quistis - salarta
Quistis/Irvine* - solitaryjane
Quistis/Squall - owlmoose
Seifer/Zell - not_cynical
Edea/Laguna* - mrsteninch
Squall/Rinoa, Seifer/Zell, Xu/Martine*, Irvine/Seifer - bottle_of_shine
Ultimecia/Anyone*, Ifrit/Shiva* - wakka_luver
Selphie/Irvine, Zell/Library Girl*, Seifer/Xu*, Seifer/Rinoa*, Raine/Laguna - anime_angel_ash
♥ Quistis/Odin*, Zell/Quistis, Squall/Zell*, Squall/Nida, Seifer/Nida, Cid/Dr. Kadowaki* - fiorieart
♥ Zell/Selphie/Irvine* - fanaticalone

FFIX
Beatrix/Steiner, Beatrix/Garnet* - aesriella
Kuja/Zidane, Zidane/Garnet - jameva
Freya/Amarant, x7 - siva630
Garnet/Beatrix - salarta
Steiner/Beatrix, Freya/Fratley, Vivi/anybody - owlmoose
Zidane/Garnet, Eiko/Vivi* - anime_angel_ash
♥ Freya/Zidane* - fanaticalone

FFX/X-2
Lulu/Rikku, Tidus/Rikku, Yuna/Auron or Yuna & Auron* - venefica_aura
Auron/Rikku**, Baralai/Gippal, Yuna/Baralai* - katmillia
Wakka/Rikku*, Lulu/Rikku*, Yuna/Anyone* - first_seventhe
Gippal/Baralai - dior_anghel
Lulu/Chappu - aesriella
Auron/Jecht*, Lulu/Auron - jameva
Lulu/Auron*, Nooj/Paine - lassarina
Yuna/Kimahri, Rikku/Wakka*, Wakka/Lulu, Wakka/Yuna - siva630
Lulu/Doll, Lulu/Leblanc, Elma/Lucil - salarta
Kimahri/Rikku, Braska & young Yuna, young Yuna / young Auron - eerian_sadow
Lulu/Luzzu, Yuna/Isaaru, Buddy/Anybody*, Paine/Nooj! - owlmoose
Auron/Braska, Auron/Jecht, Tidus/Yuna, Baralai/Gippal*, Paine/Nooj*, BARALAI/ISAARU - not_cynical
Auron/Belgemine, Shelinda/A Chocobo - mrsteninch
Auron/Braska, Dona/Bartello*, Baralai/Gippal*, Shinra/Pacce, Buddy/Brother, Yuna/Beclem* - bottle_of_shine
Braska/Jecht* - jianna
Kimahri/Moogle - wakka_luver
Gippal/Yuna, Paine/Rikku, Nooj/Lucil, Beclem/Elma, Isaaru/Belgemine* - pink_rapid
Tidua/Yuna, Wakka/Lulu, Nooj/Lucil, LeBlanc/Gippal, Paine/Baralai, Braska/Yuna's mother*, Jecht/Tidus' mother* - anime_angel_ash
♥ Lulu/Wakka/Luzzu - fanaticalone
♥ Wakka/Tidus - rosehiptea

FFXII
Basch/Ashe* - katmillia
Balthier/Ashe**, Drace/Gabranth - astrangerenters
Penelo/Larsa/Vaan - achenar
Vaan/Ashe - astralavator
Balthier/Vaan*, Balthier/Fran - kristinmachina
Fran/Balthier - aesriella
Balthier/Fran, Balthier/Basch*, Basch/Vossler* - jameva
Balthier/Ashe*, Gabranth/Drace*, Gabranth/Ffamran**, Vayne/Ashe* - lassarina
Larsa/Penelo**, Vayne/Drace**, Fran/Vaan* - mariagoner
Balthier/Vaan, Balthier/Basch, Ashe/Al-Cid* - not_cynical
Basch/Ashe, Basch & Noah*, Noah/Penelo**, Ffamran/Fran* - aorin107
Fran/Penelo - mrsteninch
Drace/Gabranth*, Penelo/Basch**, Venat/Dr.Cid - sarasa_cat
Reks/Penelo* - mariagoner
Ondore/Drace, Balthier/Penelo, Basch/Fran, OLD DALAN/HOOKAH* - pink_rapid
Al-Cid/Ashe, Vaan/Ashe, Larsa/Penelo - anime_angel_ash
♥ Vayne/Larsa, Vayne/Gabranth, Zargabaath/Zecht, Gabranth/Zecht - manic_intent

Revenant Wings
Lluyd/Filo, Penelo/Velis, Fran/Mydia - kristinmachina
llyud/Filo, Kytes/Filo*, Llyud/Penelo/Vaan, Kytes/Filo/Llyud - shiny_glor_chan

Crossover
Reno/Rydia****, Quistis/Rydia, Squall/Cloud - katmillia
Basch/Celes* - astrangerenters
Quistis/Rydia** - first_seventhe
Ferris/Setzer, Edgar/Ashe* - kristinmachina
Auron/Celes, Ashe/Celes, Zack/Rydia - lassarina
Rosa/Edea*, Rosa/Kefka - salarta
Ultros/Balthier!!* - sarasa_cat
Faris/Leila* - shiny_glor_chan
♥ Balthier/Mustadio, Balthier/Zalbaag, Balthier/Cidolfus Orlandeau - manic_intent
♥ Rude/Fujin - fanaticalone

---

HONORABLE MENTION FANDOMS THAT ARE NOT FINAL FANTASY BUT YOU MIGHT KNOW THEM ANYWAY
Sir Hilldo / Kitty Kitty by hilldo

---

REQUESTS FOR CHARACTER/INANIMATE OBJECT
I am not going to be able to keep track of all of these, so feel free to just respond to the entry with any kisses these prompts might inspire!

Already requested:
   - Irvine/Hat (all over the place)
   - Lulu/Doll

New
   - Sabin/His Too Sweet Fists Of Fury
   - FF7 Cid/Pack of Cigarettes
   - FF7 Cid/The Highwind
   - Wakka/Blitzball
   - Reno/Nightstick
   - Kadaj/Jenova bits
   - Cloud/Cell Phone
   - Cloud/Fenrir
   - Squall/Triple Triad Cards
   - Shinra/CommSphere
   - Leblanc/Nooj's Glasses(/other parts)
   - Balthier/The Strahl
   - Yuffie/Materia
   - Rikku/Auron's Sake Jug
   - Seifer/Quistis/Quistis' Whip




.

Comments

FFX-2 Nooj/Baralai

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

The Meyvn and the Praetor

The leaders of the two warring factions had agreed to meet. To that end, an elaborate tent had been set up in the Calm Lands to accommodate the Meyvn and the Praetor.

The two carefully managed to arrive at the meeting place at the exact same time so that neither would have the psychological advantage. Since it would be inappropriate for the participants at a peace conference to bear arms, the only weapons which the two men would have would be their brains and their words.

“I trust you are well, Meyvn Nooj.” The extravagantly robed Praetor bowed formally.

“I am well and pleased to see that you are in such good health.” Nooj who had always made a point of not bowing to any man or deity stood as straight as he could with his mismatched body.

Baralai settled into one of the two chairs pulled up near the large table in the room. “I think we are expected to settle all our differences here today. Where shall we start?”

“I suppose we might as well begin with our opposing ideas on the importance of religion in governance. That seems to be as central as anything.” Nooj lowered himself carefully into the other chair.

“Now that’s one of the many places you’re wrong. Bevelle is not so much of a religious center any longer. We’ve become more of a secular inspirational body these days. That’s what’s drawing so many young people to us.” Baralai tried not to look smug.

“I remind you we’re the Youth League and you still hold the old religious title.”

“Notwithstanding your organization’s name, we’re getting more of the young every day and my title is nothing but a graceful bow to those virtuous parts of the past.”

Nooj barked a harsh laugh. “So you say. I catch a whiff of the old regime under the fresh facade you’ve erected. Oh well, there will always be those who will be seduced by pageantry and theatrics. All we have to offer is the rigid discipline of scholarship and hard work. That and the knowledge that we are doing something important for the future. No uniforms, no drama, no worship of the past.”

“No drama? You think I’ve not heard about those all female corps who fantasize about the romantically maimed hero of their...”

“What’re you talking about, priest? I can see you’ve not lost that skill at spying you learned in your days as an apprentice cleric.”

“I’m no priest and you know it. You used to call me a failed priest and you can’t have it both ways.”

Nooj sneered. “You think like a priest and you dress like one. You still expect your followers to do this?” He reached out and seized the end of the long, narrow stole Baralai wore draped over his shoulders. With a mocking gesture, he kissed it.

The Praetor angrily snatched the cloth from the machina fingers. “You never change. There’s no give in you. This was an error and I should have known it.” He assembled his tattered dignity around him and marched out of the tent, leaving the grimly victorious Nooj behind him, watching him go.

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

...a crack pairing hit me, so I must see if someone will write it.

Crossover
Faris(FFV)/Leila(FFII)

...pirate chicks for the win...? XD!

FFII/FFV: Leila/Faris

[kristinmachina.livejournal.com]

(Pirate chicks FTW!)

Something about the young pirate captain excited Leila. He was mysterious, confident, and had a certain...quality about him that she just could not put her finger on.

“Your ship against mine, lass?” Faris challenged the pirate queen.

“You’re on!” Leila accepted, and the two ships raced across the ocean.

The wind was strong, and Leila’s ship was making good pace, but Faris’ ship seemed to be moving at an unusual speed.

Leila bellowed at her crew to speed up, but it was all for naught. Faris’ ship met Leila’s at the other port, a half-hour apart.

“How in the hell...?” Leila was stunned.

“I believe you owe me, lass,” Faris spoke with a twinkle in his eye.

Leila crossed her arms in protest. Faris was handsome, in a rather pretty way, but to do this in front of her crew was humiliating. Still, a bet was a bet, and Faris planted a long, wet one on Leila, to the hoots and hollers of both crews.

Faris was quite a good kisser, Leila thought to herself. Strong, but soft.

“Nice lips,” Leila whispered. “Almost like kissing a woman. Not that I’d know what that’s like, of course!”

Faris smirked, knowingly. Poor Leila, she thought to herself, if only she knew.

FFVII: Yuffie/Materia.

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

Lord Godo Kitsaragi was very nearly at his wit's end. His household had been blessed with a healthy baby girl, and for that he was grateful, very grateful indeed. The proper sacrifices had been made to Da-Chao, celebratory rounds of sake had been bought in the Turtle's Paradise, and the date had been declared a Wutainese holiday by royal decree. Well-wishes and prayers poured like grain into Godo's proud ears.

What wasn't going as planned was the infernal racket his daughter had begun to produce from her tiny lungs. What a pair she had! Lord Godo would have been prouder than a peacock, if he hadn't already been busy wishing he had taken life as a mountain monk instead.

His wife needed bed rest, and couldn't be expected to take care of the squalling creature. That left Lord Godo, and he knew about as much about infants as he did the internal workings of a Mako Reactor. He tried everything - funny faces that galled his royal dignity, rocking the creche, humming a Wutainese lullaby his own dear mother the Empress had sung to him - but nothing worked. The cacophony continued. Lord Godo gave serious consideration to offering his firstborn up to Leviathan, then decided his wife might be slightly displeased and opted for a Sleep spell instead.

The effects of magic on young children were unknown. It didn't seem to do any long-term damage, but physicians cautioned against its use, worrying that even beneficial spells could do irreparable damage to developing bodies and minds. Of course, Lord Godo had never read these studies; he felt remarkably clever for thinking up such a brilliant solution to his problem. With perhaps more of a flourish than the occasion demanded, he dug into his robes, produced a Sleep materia, and held it over the crib, preparing to chant the ancient words that would send his red-faced demon into slumberland.

The crying suddenly stopped.

Oh blessed quiet! Lord Godo savoured it like a fine wine for a few moments, then realized he hadn't yet cast the spell. Did it matter, really? If the child would hush her lamentations without magical intervention, so much the better for him. He lowered the green materia, relieved.

The crying began again, louder this time.

Wutai's glorious leader was not above throwing what some liked to call a 'hissy fit' himself. He bit his lip until he could taste blood. Why was he doing this, anyway? Why in the name of Leviathan, Da-Chao, and the Planet had he given all his servants, nursemaid included, the night off in celebration? With a sigh he lifted the materia again, muttering uncouth oaths under his breath.

Once again, the crying stopped.

This time Lord Godo's brow pursed in confusion. He thought long and hard for a moment. Materia goes up, baby stops crying. Materia goes down, baby squalls like a scalded dragon. Something very strange was going on here, very strange indeed.

He made a motion with his hand, as if to take the materia away again. The child shrieked. Quick as a Cactuar he raised it back aloft. Silence. Wonderful, wonderful silence.

Hmm.

Others would have condemned what Lord Godo did next. They were not emperors, though, and could hardly have been expected to have his divine insight and wisdom.

Like many a parent before and since, Lord Godo gave his daughter what she wanted. Into the chubby, grasping fingers of the newborn princess went the Sleep materia. The orb was promptly raised to her lips. Contented suckling sounds filled the room. Her eyelids drooped, and peace reigned over the House of Kisaragi once more.

Her father fell back onto his mat, poured himself a cup of sake, and, with the ability to think restored, once again began considering abdicating to take a life of celibacy somewhere far, far away.

Re: FFVII: Yuffie/Materia.

[kristinmachina.livejournal.com]

Explains a lot, doesn't it? *LOL*
Too cute!

FFVIII: Seifer/Quistis/Quistis' Whip

[kristinmachina.livejournal.com]

(this is astrangerenters fault)

“Long time, no see, instructor!” Seifer said cooly to Quistis, the last word dripping with sarcasm.

“Seifer, come to your senses!” Quistis begged him. “Edea is dangerous! She’ll destroy you!”

“I’m living my dream,” Seifer challenged her, “and I won’t have you stand in my way!”

“I don’t want to fight you, but I will if it means it’ll stop you from making a big mistake,” Quistis said, unrolling her whip.

“Well, then, I guess this is good-bye, instructor,” Seifer turned around and pushed his behind out towards her. “Would you like to give me a farewell kiss?”

With a sharp crack, Seifer jumped, howling in pain.

“Kiss that, Almasy!” Quistis snapped, holding her whip, as Seifer rubbed his sore behind.

Re: FFVIII: Seifer/Quistis/Quistis' Whip

[astrangerenters.livejournal.com]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PERFECT!

(And your icon is sending me into giggle fits)

FFXII (RW): Balthier/Strahl

[kristinmachina.livejournal.com]

Riding on the Gabaldia was nice, but for Balthier, there was nothing like the Strahl.

Not that Tomaj and company did not work hard to make Feolthanos’ old ship as comfortable as possible. The Sky Saloon was quite impressive. Even Penelo’s cooking was more enjoyable and edible by the day.

Still, he was a mere guest on the ship, and Vaan (who knew?) was its captain. It humbled the gunslinger, not to be behind the controls. He missed his own wings.

For a brief moment, he had thought he lost his wings forever. When Balthier and Fran finally returned to Heaven’s Exile, to find the Strahl safe and sound, it was like he was home at last.

He planted a kiss on the ship’s cold steel, and vowed never to let anyone, or anything, part them again.

Re: FFXII (RW): Balthier/Strahl

[astrangerenters.livejournal.com]

Adorable. You forgot to have Fran in the background laughing at him, but this was just lovely :)

FFVII: Cid/Highwind

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

When it came time to give the Highwind her nose artwork - a momentous occasion indeed - Captain Highwind locked himself inside his office with a carton of Gabbianis, half a pint of bourbon, and a tattered, leather-bound sketchpad. There he remained for the next five hours, blinds tightly drawn. Smoke curled out from under the door like Ifrit was holding parlay within. For all the huddled engineers outside knew, he was, for that matter.

Eventually the Captain kicked open the door, resplendent in cigarette ash and a healthy miasma of alcohol fumes. In his hands he held a sheaf of drawing papers and a photograph. When he handed the sketches to his team, some of them tittered. A few looked downright shocked.

One of the newer kids, a serious-faced lad from Kalm, was the first to ask.

"Erm ... Captain? I don't mean to, uh, question your decision, but this looks an awful lot like Engineer Sher--"

"It's Lady Luck. Now shut the hell up and get to work, son, b'fore I kick your scrawny ass."

And work they did. When the painting was finished, days and weeks and cartons later, Captain Highwind once again got very, very drunk. On a dare he clambered up the scaffolding to give his winking sky-harlot a kiss. Afterwards he fell off and broke his leg in three places, but the taste of wax and cold metal on his lips made it all worth it.

He never did admit why she looked so much like one of his engineers.

Re: FFVII: Cid/Highwind

[katmillia.livejournal.com]

I spit out juice when I got to the part about him breaking his leg in three places. LOLZ.

FFVII, Tifa centric with bits of yaoi, have. fun.

[solitaryjane.livejournal.com]

It was not because of the vase.

Although technically it was because the vase was there, on the wrong side of the table and filled with the wrong kind of flowers, that Tifa had scolded Marlene for being careless. A fairly important customer had come to talk to Tifa about the bar, and the seemingly trivial mistake was escalated because the due customer just happened to be severely allergic to the due flowers.

They didn't find that out until their guest began to wheeze and break into hives and an emergency vehicle had to be summoned.

Marlene couldn't have known beforehand. The flowers were nice and pretty and smelled wonderful. But Tifa sent her to her room regardless, along with Denzel in a separate one and didn't call either one down for lunch. Tifa herself spent most of the remaining afternoon trying to think of ways to patch up that didn't require cops and money and too extensive apologies.

It gave her plenty of excuses to not speak with the other two adults in the house. She didn't even have to look at them in the face. She didn't need to remember that earlier that morning Vincent had kissed Cloud - a brief, chaste, and decisive one - and she had witnessed the whole thing from her doorway. It wasn't intentional and they didn't see her; Vincent was too busy trying not to blush while Cloud was too busy trying to act shocked. Tifa just took a step back inside her room and quietly closed the door.

The rest of the day followed suit with sirens and agendas and two wrongly accused and angry children. And someone's heart withered while someone else's was offered on the palm of their hands.

It was not because of the vase. But Tifa wanted to smash it anyway.

~~~

A/N: Sorry, I don't know where this came from. I meant to write a happy fic, and, um, well. I guess this counts as a dirty move in the battle. :-(

Re: FFVII, Tifa centric with bits of yaoi, have. fun.

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

It's alright. I wrote Barret/dead wifey-o, you can get as depressing as you want.

FFX Kimahri/?

[kunstarniki.livejournal.com]

The Beast and Who?

The woman had not realized how different it would feel to kiss a Ronso. She had anticipated the touch of soft fur against her lips but there was so much more that she had not thought about.

The difference in height had been solved by her standing on a stool but they both had to be careful to keep their heads tilted at just the right angle lest his broken horn cut a gash in her forehead. Happily there was no problem with bashing noses, principally because Kimahri’s nose was nearly flat against his face and posed no impediment.

What had surprised her most, and she should have foreseen it, was the utter strangeness of his lipless mouth with the total separation of the flesh beneath his broad nose. What looked quite normal to her accustomed eyes felt so different to her sensitive skin.

When she had coaxed his mouth to open, the size and shape of his teeth, especially the fangs, came as a sudden surprise which almost made her draw back. Nothing reminded her more acutely of the feral nature of the male she embraced, not even the guttural growls emerging from deep in his throat.

His tongue was another shock. She had never seen it clearly, so the length and flexibility of that organ was not only unique, it was profoundly exciting. His breath was hot and caressing. She could feel herself sinking, melting into the broad chest and then ... none of the strangeness mattered. She was safe, sheltered in the strong arms of this man and was content.

FFVIII: Selphie/TRAINZ

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

The authorities had never seen anything like it. At first no-one paid the rumours any heed, believing them to have about as much basis in fact as Jumbo Cactuar sightings or claims of alien abduction out in Winhill. Then a local police officer caught sight of her one day, scuttling between switching stations like a wild thing.

"Tiny girl, couldn't have been much older than four or five," he said, shaking his head slowly. "Stark naked she was, huggin' one of those big engines and kissin' it like her own mother."

That changed things. Shortly afterwards the authorities came in the night, watching and waiting until a train pulled into the yard. The girl followed soon after, crooning softly to herself as she slunk along on all fours. With incredulous eyes they saw how she petted the cars, talking to them in a language no-one present could decipher.

When she was finally captured, the child whistled and clawed and hooted like a steam engine. The Timber authorities did their best to civilize her, gave her a bright yellow dress not even the city's poor had wanted, and shipped her off to an orphanage, hoping someone else would have better luck with the pitiful thing.

Re: FFVIII: Selphie/TRAINZ

[achenar.livejournal.com]

*SNRK* That's the best Selphie metabackgroundcrack in the entire world. Seriously. XD

I has a request

[heybitchmove.livejournal.com]

Currently whoring myself out for any one of these:

FFIV
Cecil/Kain/Rosa

FFVII
Cid/Loz (I know, I know: "WTF Ryu?!")
Cait Sith/RedXIII
Aerith/Cait Sith

FFVIII
Ultimecia/Anyone or anything
Ifrit/Shiva (MAKE IT WORK)

FFX
Kimahri/Moogle

Pretty prease?

FFVII: Cait Sith/Aeris

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

They stared at each other from across the gondola. The silence was palpable, punctuated only by the groan of the guidewire and, faintly, the sound of far-off calliope music.

It was Cait's fault, really. What the hell had he been thinkin', knocking on Aeris's hotel door like that? He was a mechanical cat, and she was a beautiful lady. Deep down in his cybernetic heart, Cait had known it wouldn't work out, but still, he was nothing if not stubborn. Why she had actually agreed to his hemming, hawing request, well, that was one mystery not even Cait Sith's fortunes could give the answer to.

She was bein' so nice to him as well, so patient. Other folks had pointed and whispered when they walked by on their stroll, but Aeris never seemed to take him anything but seriously. Cait wanted to tell her how much he appreciated it - bein' a toy cat, you didn't get much respect in the world - but for once he didn't have the words.

He sputtered, made a few false starts, and finally blurted out the first thing that came into his head.

"Y--You smell really darned nice, y'know that, lady?"

The tinkling laughter of his companion made Cait feel a little better about sounding so dumb. When she kissed him on the top of his furry head, he ceased to worry at all and promptly burst a spring in happiness.

FFVI: Terra/Celes

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

"Celes?" Terra's voice was shaky, wavering on the verge of tears. "I don't like that crown thing he's got in his hands. What if he finds us? I'm scared. I don't want it."

And all Celes could do was kiss her forehead and huddle closer, clutching at the other child's hand so tight her knuckles went pale.

Two little girls in a lilac bush. The Devil is just outside, and he's getting closer by the moment.

Re: FFVI: Terra/Celes

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

lask;ldjkal;dkal;sdk

you are totally winning today.

[mariagoner.livejournal.com]

And also, I know this might be me being greedy but, um...

FFXII:
Reks/Penelo

Because their young love is omgsopotentiallyheartbreaking!

a bit of sun ('cause I ♥ you, Maria)

[the]

Pink says: Why am I so laaaame?

It was her fault and she knew it. She wandered into the wrong part of Lowtown (some would argue there was no right part of Lowtown, but she knew better). She wanted to get him something special for his birthday, something he hadn’t seen before. After listening to the underground word, she found out about a little cart in the west catacombs. By then it was so close to his birthday that she said nothing, just threw on a cloak, grabbed her satchel, and went off in search.

The stories were true. The stand was small, but the rings and bracelets lain on its surface shone like stars. It was like someone had taken a bit of sun and hidden it all the way down here. She bought the only thing she could afford – a silver ring, with a blue stone on it that reminded her of twilight – and left.

Getting there hadn’t been a problem, but coming back was. Apparently, everyone knew if you visited the sun shop – which meant everyone knew you had money. She wasn’t far from home when she was cornered by three seedy looking men with eyes for her coin purse. It was pure luck Reks was down there, trading information between Old Dalan and Migelo, and came to her aid. Penelo could only handle one of the thieves and Reks took out the other two – not without injury, though.

“I’m sorry,” she told him later, pressing a wet cloth to his bloodied hand. “I should’ve been more careful.”

“They shouldn’t have attacked you,” he said kindly, wincing when the cloth padded a cut earned from the skirmish. “What were you doing down there, anyway?”

Penelo smiled grimly, cleaning the knife wound. “It’s your birthday tomorrow, so…”

He sighed. “You didn’t have to do that. You know I don’t like it when people buy me things.”

“You’ll like this,” she told him, thinking, And I can’t exactly return it.

“Penelo…”

“I know.” She draped the cloth over the bucket’s rim and looked guiltily at his hand. “I just thought you deserved something nice.”

He lifted his hand from her knee, cradling her cheek in his bruised palm. She looked at him with wet eyelashes, searched his grey eyes.

“I have something nice,” he said, and smiled.

She couldn’t help it; her lips tugged into a foolish grin and she put her hands over his, placing a light kiss to his palm. “Me too.”

Bandwagon. I'm gonna jump on it.

[the]

<33 Glad I found this - being late to a party is better than missing it entirely! Let's riddle this place with obscure pairings!

FFX/-2:

Gippal/Yuna
Paine/Rikku
Nooj/Lucil
Beclem/Elma
Isaaru/Belgemine

FFXII:

Ondore/Drace (yes really)
Balthier/Penelo
Basch/Fran
OLD DALAN/HOOKAH (i would love you forever)

♥ I'll do my part too!

FF12: Old Dalan/Hookah (I'm in so much trouble)

[astrangerenters.livejournal.com]

The provenance of the following is still under intense debate. Most have decided to attribute the account to the late Marquis Halim Ondore IV (649-720 OV) although it does not seem to match the usual scope of His Excellency’s other memoirs and accounts of the era. What excerpts remain to us are vague and the gaps are unfortunate. The Dorstonian Historical Guild refuses to attribute the following to their former Marquis, but the piece remains canon in Dalmascan lore. The controversy continues.

Chapter CXVIII: Of Smoke and Sages

…streets of the Royal City of Rabanastre, a man of unknown origin. Well-respected and loved by commoner and gentry alike, the man Dalan was…(text missing). In the time of the Archadian occupation…(text missing)…assistance to (smudged) Ratsbane. The young man spoke well of the elderly Dalan and his (smudged)…true motives in doubt since the war’s depravities led this older gentleman to partake often of (text missing)…many recalled his reddened eyes and cravings for sweet (smudged). It has been said that Ratsbane himself sought to (text missing) with the man’s (smudged) but Dalan’s beloved pipe was (text missing).

…old man Dalan so loved his (smudged) that he even had a pet name for it as one would have a pet name for one’s lover…(text missing)…commanding Knights of the Order to swear by the (smudged) and kiss it like the hand of Her Royal (smudged)…

The remainder of the chapter is lost to the tides of history. We can only hope that someday the true story will come to light.
-The Publishers

You know what sev? You know what?

[salarta.livejournal.com]

You're missing the most important character/inanimate object pairing of all time: ZELL/HOT DOGS

ZELL/HOT DOG

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

Oh fuck me in the ASS, how did I forget that one. Okay.

Paen to a Pork Product
(By Zell Dincht)

Your skin, your buns, your chewy bits,
Hunks of gristle, fat, and snout;
Some folks find you unappealin',
You just make me wanna shout!
One day soon you'll clog my windpipe,
One day soon this dance will end;
Until that time, brush my sweet lips,
Lover, teacher, food, and friend.

SOME MORE REQUESTS Y/Y?

[anime-angel-ash.livejournal.com]

OMG I hope I'm not too late to make requests! *prays*

FFVII
Cloud/Tifa
Loz/Tifa
Yuffie/Vincent
Yuffie/Cloud

FFVIII
Selphie/Irvine
Zell/Library Girl
Seifer/Xu (BECAUSE SOMEONE WROTE ONE THAT WAS AMAZING AND I NEEEEED SOME MORE!)
Seifer/Rinoa
Raine/Laguna

FFIX
Zidane/Garnet
Eiko/Vivi

FFX/X-2
Tidus/Yuna
Wakka/Lulu
Nooj/Lucil
LaBlanc/Gippal (Because I saw this a million years ago, and it begs to be done again)
Paine/Baralai
Braska/Yuna's mother
Jecht/Tidus' mother

FFXII
Al-Cid/Ashe
Vaan/Ashe
Larsa/Penelo

...That list is ridiculously long. Hopefully someone will find SOMETHING that they like in there.

FFVIII: SEIFER/XU (OR I CANNOT RESIST THIS PAIRING IT IS LIKE CRACK. SWEET SWEET CRACK.)

[irish-ais.livejournal.com]

The first thing that Xu does when Seifer walks through the front gates of Balamb Garden is punch him in the face. It doesn't matter that he hasn't been back since the war ended, nearly six months ago, and it certainly doesn't matter that he's completely unarmed; she hits him, hard, his head snapping to the right with the force of the blow.

Well, she's certainly not let up on the strength training while he's been gone.

"You asshole!" she screams, seizing him by the lapels of his tattered coat and shaking him like he's a dog. "You unbelievable, impossible, selfish, egotistical bastard!"

He endures it--hell, he deserves it, but when she starts yelling at him in a language that he doesn't know, Seifer's had enough. He cuts off her verbal assault in the only way that's guaranteed to work, kissing her thoroughly until her hold's barely relaxed on his coat.

"It's nice to see you, too," he says, when she finally breaks away, and Xu hits him again.

And that, he definitely deserves.

FFVI: Sabin/Cyan - Accidents

[jianna.livejournal.com]

I JUST FILLED MY OWN REQUEST APPARENTLY, LIKE A BIG LAME-O.
Self-indulgence wheeeeeee.

For Sabin and Cyan, everything that happened was an accident. Sabin accidentally fell off the raft, accidentally ended up in Doma, and the first time they kissed, that was an accident too.

-----

Sabin tripped on the door frame and he and Cyan both had to take several stumbling steps in order to save themselves from falling. Recovering from several bashings of his elbows against the wall, Cyan found himself trapped tightly between the cold stone wall behind him and Sabin's warm body in front of him, both men shaking with laughter. Sabin leaned heavily against Cyan, his head nestling where Cyan’s neck and shoulder met. It had been a long time since either of them had come into any contact with alcohol, and while Cyan had learned his limits long ago, Sabin, much younger and having lived in seclusion for many years, had not. It hadn’t helped anything having Edgar there to tease his brother into accepting the next refill. And the next. And the next after that. By now he was giddy and red in the face, though not so far gone as to be ill. And so, one only tipsy and the other definitively drunk, they had no choice but to depend on the wall for support.

“I think that… thou art… crushing me,” Cyan said, his breath short from laughing, halfheartedly pushing against Sabin’s chest.

“I love it when you say ‘Thou,’” he said, lifting up his head to face Cyan. “Thou…” he said again, overemphasizing the “oh” sound and dragging it out. He moved closer and closer to Cyan as the syllable gradually faded, and when it had faded to silence he was pressing his lips against Cyan's. Cyan tensed, his hands tightening to grip the front of Sabin’s shirt. Sabin pulled back after a brief moment of contact, but their faces remained only inches apart and time seemed to freeze completely. Sabin's arms were on either side of Cyan's shoulders, elbows bent. Neither man moved and their wine-tinged breath mingled between them.

One of Cyan’s hands moved slowly up to the base of Sabin’s neck, thumb resting on the corner of his jaw, while the other relaxed and pressed flat against Sabin’s chest. But it was absurd. Cyan was tipsy, Sabin was quite drunk and so much younger. It was preposterous. If this ended now, it could be forgotten as a testament to the follies of celebratory drinking. Every possible reason to stop ran through Cyan’s mind, and he hesitated, but couldn’t bring himself to move away. He hadn’t thought he could feel anything like this again, not after the unspeakable events of two years ago; the destruction of his world, followed by the destruction of everyone else’s worlds as well. There had been so much sorrow and he had spent so long in despair, so to feel this joy and the thrill of simply connecting with another person again… It meant more to Cyan than words could possibly express.

He closed the distance between them, and even though it was most definitely preposterous, it was also somehow simply right.

Re: FFVI: Sabin/Cyan - Accidents

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

HEE! Filling your own request is awesome. I had just noticed no one had written it yet and was thinking about it... then I foudn it in my inbox! <3

[fireholly.livejournal.com]

FINAL FANTASY VII

CLOUD/BARRET

JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT ACTIVELY IN THE FANDOM ANY MORE DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T SPONGE OFF IT LIKE THE ADULT SON WHO KEEPS MAKING OUT WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND ON YOUR COUCH AND EATING YOUR FOOD AND HE JUST WON'T LEAVE

FFVII: CLOUD/BARRET

[kristinmachina.livejournal.com]

(no caplocks, but it still can't be ignored.)

Poor little punk, Barret thought to himself. Cloud was barely conscious, sitting in a wheelchair, his head flopping around like a rag doll. Whatever happened to him in the Lifestream nearly killed him. No one had ever been exposed to that much Mako, and survived.

Barret had hope for Cloud. The scrawny SOLDIER had a 'tude, but he was tough. The mere fact that he was still alive was a small miracle, and a testiment to the strength of the young man.

Barret wrapped his big, intact arm around Cloud's neck, as if in a headlock, and gave him a quick peck on his yellow chocobo-like head.

"You had better live, or Tifa will kick your punk ass, you hear?" Barret muttered to Cloud before he took off, leaving Cloud and Tifa behind. There were still monsters to chase.

FFX: Rikku/Sake Bottle/AURON THREE-WAY

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

Strange smacking sounds had been emerging from behind the camp for most of the night. When Auron awoke to find his sake jug missing, he understood why.

He sighed, rubbed his temples between thumb and forefinger, and ventured out into the darkness beyond the firelight.

She was leaning against a tree, completely oblivious to her surroundings. If Auron had been a fiend, he could have devoured her within seconds, providing he had nothing against pickles. As he watched she raised the jug to her lips - barely; her arm trembled with the effort - and took another healthy swig.

"Rikku."

"Huh? .... Oh heeeeeeey Aurouch!" Considering the jar weighed almost as much as she did, Auron was mildly impressed she wasn't in an alcohol-induced coma by this point. "I guess yer lookin' for this, huh? It tastes nasty at first, but then! ... Wow, I'm drunk. Bet I can still spell success! Ess ... Yew ... Kay ... "

Auron didn't bat an eyelash. He helped Rikku to her feet, caught her when she started to keel over into the bushes, and, gently but firmly, pried the sake jug out of her grasp. Still holding her up with his good arm, he began to work his way back towards camp.

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee! My feet aren't even touchin' the ground, look!" That much, at least, was true; the tips of Rikku's toes were barely skimming the earth. "Oh man, am I gonna have oneadem ... whaddaaya call them ... hangover thingies in the morning, Auron?"

"You may indeed. Pray my remedies work."

Rikku pondered this with drunken gravity for a few moments, then smiled up at him. "Y'know, Auron ... yer kinda cute when I'm drunk. You're not such a bad guy ... at all. When I'm drunk, anyways."

And with that, Rikku leaned over and kissed Auron right on one scarred cheek. Auron fought back the urge to smile and kept moving forward. The little cully. He was growing grudgingly fond of her, despite everything.

Then she threw up all over his shoes.

Re: FFX: Rikku/Sake Bottle/AURON THREE-WAY

[katmillia.livejournal.com]

This was 500 forms of win that cannot be described. I LOVE YOU SO HARD. WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE FRIENDS. Y/Y

Requests (a million years late)

[fiorieart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so ridiculously late, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway...

FFVII

Zack/Tifa
Zack/Cloud
Rude/Tifa

FFVIII

Quistis/Odin
Zell/Quistis
Squall/Zell
Squall/Nida
Seifer/Nida
Cid/Dr. Kadowaki

FFVIII: Squall/Zell

[kristinmachina.livejournal.com]

"All you gotta do," Zell tried to explain to Squall, "is kiss her. Like this..." Zell leaned in to demonstrate but...

"I am NOT kissing you, Dincht!" Squall pulled back.

"Oh come on!" Zell threw up his hands. "We're not really kissing. It's just practice."

"Uh-huh," Squall said with skepticism. "I really don't think I need practice with this."

"Oh really?" Zell crossed his arms. "How many girls have you kissed?"

"That's not...that's none of your business!" Squall's face turned red.

"Seriously?" Zell asked again.

Squall sighed. "Okay, none. Still, not important!"

"Well, you don't wanna be all cold-fish when you lay it on Rinoa," Zell insisted. "Just pretend I'm her, and I'll judge."

Squall looked carefully around the room. He thought he locked the door. He grunted. "Okay, okay. But no funny business!" Squall warned.

Squall thought he locked the door. Unfortunately, he was wrong, and Irvine walked in to see two of his friends in a lip-lock. Squall and Zell pushed away from each other in a blink, both their faces red.

"Shit," Irvine spat into the air. "Okay, Xu! I owe you fifty gold."

Requests!

[manic-intent.livejournal.com]

FFXII:
Vayne x Larsa
Vayne x Gabranth
Zargabaath x Zecht
Gabranth x Zecht

FFXII x Tactics:
Balthier x Mustadio
Balthier x Zalbaag
Balthier x Cidolfus Orlandeau (haha!)

FFX-2: Leblanc/Nooj's... parts. Sort of

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

"You think the Boss has lost it?" The goon standing behind the door leaned forward and hissed into the ear of his counterpart, so as not to be overheard.

The guard in the doorway glanced over his shoulder, then shook his head. "Whatever makes her happy, right? Don't question it. Not where she can hear anyway. Or she might get mad."

"Yeah." The first goon shuddered. "And we all know what happens when the boss gets mad."

But Leblanc either hadn't heard or didn't care; her complete attention was focused on the object of all her desires. She sank down to the edge of the bed with a sigh of contentment. "Isn't he magnificent?"

The third goon in the room, a young woman who had joined the Syndicate only a few days ago, threw a helpless glance toward the men in the door, looking for some clue as to the proper reaction. The door guard nodded frantically; the girl relaxed, and decided to answer with the truth. "Oh yes, Boss. I've never seen anything quite like him."

Leblanc sighed again, then rose to her feet and, taking three steps forward, flung herself at the bronze sculpture and planted a kiss on its cheek. "It's just like my Noojie-Woojie. And you'll see. The real thing will be here soon enough. He'll never be able to resist."

Re: FFX-2: Leblanc/Nooj's... parts. Sort of

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

HA! HAHAHA! I love it!

FFX-2: Gippal/Nooj's parts (because we all know what the *real* OTP is....)

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

(Sorry, after writing that other one, I just had to do it.)

Gippal straightened up from the leg and blinked against the desert sun. "One of the gears is stripped. I'll just replace it and you'll be good as new."

"So to speak," Nooj muttered.

"Yeah, okay, fine." Gippal flashed Nooj a grin. "Better than new." Pointedly ignoring Nooj's derisive snort, he plopped down on the dune next to the bag of parts he had snagged from the supply tent this morning when Nooj had first complained about the creaking. After a few minutes of sorting through the pile of gears, cables, and ball bearings, Gippal let out a cry of triumph. "Aha! There you are." He pulled out the gear with a flourish, then kissed it. "I wasn't sure I had one of those in here." He stood up and turned around; Nooj was staring at him, eyebrows raised. "What?"

Nooj lifted his eyes skyward and shook his head. "Never mind." He lay back on the dune and did his best to put the image out of his mind as Gippal fell to his repair work.

Re: FFX-2: Gippal/Nooj's parts (because we all know what the *real* OTP is....)

[solitaryjane.livejournal.com]

XD

Oh Gippal. I forgot how cute he is. (Haven't played X-2 in over two years, but am picking it up again because of this kissing battle.)

Nooj still kinda creeps me out though, just because he's all machina-heavy and his hair looks like it has a life of its own.

But I like this story!

FFVII: Reno/Rude/Elena

[deadshrimpblues.livejournal.com]

It was a little-known fact that Turks, in addition to being accomplished assassins, arms dealers, and assholes, were also fairly competent magicians. Set a bottle of Gongaga Gutrot in front of one and it would vanish in the blink of an eye. Give it to three of them, and the speed at which the stuff disappeared became downright supernatural.

The Blue Note was Rude's favourite place to go for a drink in Junon. Since it had been his turn to pick on this particular trip, that was were they were. The place was packed, excluding the area around the Turk table; people practically tripped over their own feet trying to give the three a wide berth. Not that the occupants of said table noticed - they had arrived at 7, and both the big and little hands on the big neon wall-clock were now angling towards 12. Several empty flasks of various sizes had appeared during that time; it looked like they were building a fort in the centre of the booth with them.

A frightened-looking waiter brought another full bottle, left it on the table, and scuttled back into the crowd like a frazzled cockroach. Elena was the first to break the cap on this one; she tipped the booze back with a flourish that set her comrades to cheering. Several patrons glanced back at the trio and edged further away.

The bottle was passed to Reno. He took a drink, slopped half of it down the front of his suit (the Turks were on a first-name basis with their dry cleaners; they got rid of every kind of stain, didn't ask questions, and were tipped handily for the discretion), and handed it to Rude. Rude was much neater about his imbibing, but still managed to finish off half of it in one long, quiet pull.

Reno wiped his mouth on his sleeve, ran a hand through his hair, and leered cheerfully at Elena.

"Hey, 'Lena," he slurred, trying desperately to focus both eyes on her face, "if we're all drinkin' from th' same bottles, does that mean me n' Rude just indirec'ly kissed you?"

Elena pondered this, rubbing her chin in a drunken mockery of thoughtfulness.

"Nahhhhhh. I think it means you n' Rude just did, though! Or maybe ... maybe all three of us are makin' out!!"

The thought tickled her so much she nearly fell out of her chair, cackling hysterically. Her comrades joined in, but it was an alarmed kind of laughter that soon petered out into a strained silence.

Rude was the first to break the pause. He coughed, cleared his throat, and spoke with perfect enunciation.

“... Time to go home, then?”

The screeching of three individual chairs being hastily pushed back was all the answer needed.

[eerian_sadow]

sev, honey, i wrote the kain/edge for katy up there.

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

FFIII: Arc/Alus, Cid/Mrs. Cid

FFVI: Cyan/Terra

FFX: Wakka/Tidus

FFVI: Cyan/Terra

[ovo-lexa.livejournal.com]

Fair Warning: i think i may have totally botched Cyan's accent, but i can't seem to get it to work right. D:

Also, perhaps one too many ellipses. >_>

Awkward Moments

Everyone spent the night before differently. Cyan had intended to spend it in meditation – in solitude – as he often did.

The night had other plans.

“May I join you?”

The thief had taught her well, he thought, that she managed to seek him out without his permission. Then again... it seemed to him that there was a third person in the tall grass that surrounded them both, but the moment he noticed, the presence was gone.

Terra didn’t appear to notice. Taken aback with his reticence, she merely sat beside him, demure.

“I was... hoping, I guess, that maybe you would...” she shrunk under his steady gaze, blushing furiously. “I wanted to know...”

She smoothed the wrinkles of her skirt, and finally met his eyes. “Would you teach me how to fight?”

“Mayhap it is a brash assumption, milady,” observation might have been a better word, but far less polite, “But do you not already know?”

“I suppose, sometimes....” She shook her head violently, and buried her gaze in the earth. “No. I don’t... feel, that I do. Not like... not like I...”

Her abrupt silence allowed him a moment to feel the full weight of what she asked. His heart skipped joyfully at the prospect of taking on another student, but it was more than that; his students – dead, or dishonored – were gone, his people were gone, and the tradition ages old was in danger of ending with him. He felt, more than ever, the isolation that he never before acknowledged.

Cyan felt alone.

Beside him, Terra scrambled to her feet. “I’m sorry if I bothered you.”

“Lady Terra.” He stood after her, wanting her to understand, but he couldn’t find the words. “To understand... fighting,” the crassness of the word burned his tongue, “as I do, a man must first be no less dedicated to the enlightenment that comes with mastering many other arts than he is with a sword. He must be disciplined, devoted, for his entire life...” Her eyes were shining with wonder, making it all the more difficult to say. All he had to do was turn her down. All he had to do was...

“If you do feel that devotion, then I... would be...” All he had to do was to crush her hopes. “...all too glad to teach thee my art.”

She blinked, flinching as if she didn’t fully believe him. She was right not to – even he didn’t believe him. “You mean that?”

Is this what you want? He asked inward, steeling himself for the answer. “Aye.”

Although he expected her to take to his decision, he most certainly did not expect her to throw herself at him and wrap her arms around his neck. Her lips brushed against his cheek, or so he thought – it may have been the shock; the whole display was certainly out of line for a...

Squire.

Certainly the word he was looking for, but not the one he wanted to use.

Shaking off the ambivalent feeling, he glanced about quickly to ensure that they were still alone before briefly returning the embrace and using the hold to gently pull her away.

“Meet with me in the morning,” he told her. “We shall discuss it then.”

As she took her leave, bounding off radiantly, he tried to trust in his heart; it told him, unequivocally, that he had done the right thing. Tonight, he felt a trace of vigor creeping back into his bones.

Tomorrow, he would curse his misleading heart, for the world was rent to shreds.