#the original version actually had Sora upright

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WIP Challenge

Tagged by: @summertime-children

Tagging: @astrologista, @atsushishelteredinmoonlitjasmine, @benditlikegumby, @cryptoriawebb, @ibmiller, @iceperialprincess, and @otherwise-uncolonized

Challenge: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

I'll also do what deta did and post comments + short fragments.  (Be warned it'll be very long though, and most of these are actually Pokémon fics since I was a much more prolific writer when I was younger, and that was the fandom I wrote mainly for.)  I also won't be including "Heroes and Thieves" on here (or any DC/superhero stuff really since I’ve essentially “done” everything I had planned for now), as *technically* it is all already completed in draft form, and I'd like to keep things a surprise for whenever I do end up posting~

Hero and Seek

“Well, we’re all together now, so let’s have some fun, all right?  Don’t worry, it’s really simple.  One person is the ‘demon’, and the others have to hide from him.” “Eh?  A ‘demon’?  But that’s scary!” Three pairs of eyes turned up to her in fear.  Those eyes, which screamed and streamed the stark color of blood the first time she saw them – not just from tears, but from the ‘monster’ they believed dwelled deep within.  She thought for a moment, then removed her scarf. “How about this then?  Whoever’s the ‘hero’ has to find and rescue the others.  It’s a very important Blindfold Brigade mission!”

I’ll start with the one Kagepro fic I did attempt at least, which I described previously here, but is basically about Ayano + the Meka Trio playing “Hide and Seek” for the first time.  (I actually had it originally titled as that but just came up with this new version on the spot lol I’m so clever~)  For some reason I’ve always been hesitant about reading/writing Kagefic, but I actually got a fair bit farther in this than I thought, so perhaps I should try to finish it someday... Princes and Frogs

“K-Koizumi-senpai… Um… Please go out with me!” Itsuki stared down at the tiny underclassman, watching a rose mantle spread slowly over her cheeks as she gazed back with shy, but determined hope in her bespectacled eyes.  The older boy could make out his own handsome face reflected off the lens, a virtual image embellished by sparkling hearts and stars.  With dim satisfaction and relief, Itsuki ensured that his bright, patient smile betrayed no hint of the weary sigh that whispered behind it.

This is an intro excerpt of the first chapter I planned to write for an ItsuHaru fic from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which I only ever posted the prologue for.  ItsuHaru was my first obsessive OTP, and I still think about returning to this story someday (especially since I have now proven to myself I *can* finish a full chapter fic if I put my mind to it), but it’s been so long I feel like I’d need to refresh my memory of the whole series/am still holding out hope for a Season 3 to motivate me again. *shot*

Fall to Pieces

As Itsuki stared at Yuki’s vacant visage, his resentment kept building.  His hands clenched, rigidly gripping the edge of the table.  Somehow, it just didn’t seem fair.  That she could so easily ignore the madness fate had dealt them, never reveal any signs of suffering or bitterness towards her situation, and yet always, always wear the same damn expression on her face. How could she possibly stand it? He can’t stand it. (any more)

An ItsuYuki one-shot, where Itsuki basically blows up at her from pent-up frustration over having to wear a mask all the time and his hidden feelings for Haruhi.  The two start to form a connection over their respective “unrequited loves”/understanding of each other’s pain, and one thing leads to another...  Like “Heroes and Thieves”, this is in fact technically “complete”, since I actually used the leftover steam from the former towards finishing at least one thing I started a long time ago - although I’m still not sure I’m totally satisfied with it/kinda want to wait to figure out what I’m doing with my other ItsuHaru fics before I publish it by itself.  (Incidentally the working title comes from an Avril Lavigne song lol.)

Little White Lies

“Perhaps the best thing for the princess would have been to fall in love.  But how a princess who had no gravity could fall into anything is a difficulty--perhaps the difficulty.” -George MacDonald, The Light Princess - Haruhi Suzumiya was walking on air. Itsuki could tell by the way she glided into the clubroom, sailing like a paper airplane – or a balloon with an inflated ego to match.

...Yeah that’s as far as I got with this.  This was meant to be a “White Day” story, which is Japan’s “answer holiday” to Valentine’s Day, where guys reciprocate by giving gifts to the girls who gave them chocolates.  I always wondered how the boys actually responded in-universe, and I imagine Itsuki secretly stressing out a lot about taking care to not upstage Kyon, but at the same time wanting to sincerely express his genuine appreciation and feelings towards Haruhi - whatever they may be.  In the end, he settles on a copy of “The Light Princess” by George MacDonald, which I highly recommend reading since it reminds me so much of this pair, and in general is such a fun and snappy “tongue-in-cheek” take on the fairytale genre. Sora in Wonderland

But wait- this one was a bit different from all its brothers and sisters.  For one thing, it was wearing a fancy waistcoat with pockets- and sleeves that were far too long for it.  As soon as it passed by her head, it stopped and slowly turned its head around to stare directly at her with its huge circular yellow eyes.  Sora stared vacantly back for a full five seconds before the information registered in her brain and she suddenly yelled, “Hey!”, and sat bolt upright.  The Heartless panicked upon hearing her voice and fled at top speed across the white sands, headed towards an opening in the rocks; Sora jumped down off her perch and immediately chased after it, no longer caring about the heat.  The Heartless hastily disappeared inside the cave, and Sora soon followed after, determined to catch the freaky little thing and ask it some questions, like what it was doing on the island at this time, and where on earth did it get a waistcoat.

OKAY SO I TOTALLY FORGOT THIS WAS A THING but apparently I tried to write a Kingdom Hearts parody of “Alice in Wonderland” lmao.  I’ve never actually played the games (aside from half of CoM), but it was probably inspired by a crossover art my friend drew? ^^; Also Sora is a girl in this bc that’s my headcanon and I’m sticking to it. XP *shot* Note: The following fics are all Pokémon-related so I’ll just be listing them in roughly chronological order (from most recent to ancient, although they’re all pretty old at this point). Stranger

The elder slowly rose to his feet, gazing at the boy, the champion, the stranger.  “In all this time, why didn’t you come back?  You could have seen for yourself how she was.” Lance wanted to yell something defiant, like a child.  But he wasn’t a child.  Children were forgiven for their mistakes.  And he didn’t want to be forgiven. The professor’s ancient hand came to rest on the boy’s shoulder.  “It’s the way this town works.  We don’t talk about things that happen outside our own world.  Maybe it was too long ago – too late for you to understand.” Lance didn’t say anything. “At least talk to Delia.  She’s been wanting to see you.” “Sorry.  It’s too late.” “You’re a bastard.” “I know.”

So this looks to be among the last things I’d written before taking a long break from fanfiction circa... 2007, jeeze.  Over 10 years, huh.  But, I think it speaks a certain amount of maturity that it’s the piece I liked most upon rediscovering.  It’s based on an idea I once had that Lance was (unknowingly) Gary Oak’s father, and he was friends/rivals with Ash’s father, who originally won the title of Champion but relinquished it so he could be with his “wife” and kid (or rather, then-pregnant teenage girlfriend).  *Something* happened though (I forget what I had in mind) and he ended up dying, leaving Lance bitter and depressed so he refused to return to Pallet Town because of too many painful memories.  (Though he *cough* “comforted” their other female childhood friend for one night of drunken grief before he left. ;()  What I like most about it honestly is the parallels bw Lance’s relationship with Ash’s dad and their sons’, and that amidst all the angst I enjoyed portraying the earnest energy and optimism of Ketchum(?) senior (”like father like son” after all).  I was definitely inspired by Mitsuki’s father in Full Moon wo Sagashite/Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist by making him a total “dork dad” who’d brag about his (illegitimate) family on national TV during the championship tournament lol.

Ihavenoidea

Either way, I get the feeling this really wasn’t what I had in mind when I made my decision to quit training.  I mean that in an intuitive sort of way.  Like, sometimes I feel as if I’m not meant to be here, like my life should have ended up differently someplace else.  Perhaps this is just one of those weird inconsistencies I told you about.  Perhaps not.  Even after all that’s happened to me recently, I still can’t really be sure about it.

...No seriously, I have no idea where I was going with this.  As far as I can tell it’s written from the POV of Gary Oak, whom I’ve always had a lot of... “complicated” feelings towards.  It probably has something to do with another concept I’ll discuss next, although for some reason it sounds like I was going for some sort of AU? *shrug* By contrast to the above, it reads like a whiny teenager complaining about his life - which makes me cringe but is probably an accurate portrayal of who I was at the time. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ This one was actually dated a little after the previous, so my best guess is it was some kind of vent rant where I would “give up” writing/creating and “childish” ideals for a while, as I was wont to do - but I still always come back to it somehow... RainbowMolly

Molly stepped out from the car and onto the dusty road, her heart beating wildly.  She could hardly believe she was actually here, of all places. The ride had been long and mind-numbing with anticipation, and now that they’d finally arrived at the destination, it all felt somewhat surreal to her. A small bear clambered out from the vehicle, joining her as she stopped to take in the rustic view that met her bright blue eyes.  She smiled and picked up her Teddiursa, cuddling its warm, fuzzy body close to her own. Her gaze traveled down the road which stretched in both directions, houses lining up against its margins. She followed it with her eyes towards a hill in the distance, on top of which sat what looked like a quaint little farmhouse with a windmill, turning in the summer breeze.  She breathed in the country air, catching whiff of a faint salt smell from an ocean in the distance. So this was Pallet Town.

...Why I didn’t actually name the file “Chasing Rainbows” - which was the title I had planned for this - I don’t know.  This dates back to an old idea I had where I believed Molly Hale from the third Pokémon movie was secretly the true “God” of the Pokémon world - in the sense that the entire universe was an unknowing fantasy of her own creation, similar to Haruhi Suzumiya (ok fine this was totally a crossover/rip-off of the same concept so sue me OTL).  In a place where children never seem to grow up and can go on grand fantastical adventures forever, Gary always struck me as an anomaly who willingly *chose* to forego such a life to pursue more “adult” interests by becoming a researcher.  So I saw him as filling the role of “Kyon” - the cynical narrator who was destined to ground “God” and bring her back down to earth, but at the same time be won over by her innocence and charm and learn to appreciate “kids’ stuff” again.  However, the Legendaries were actually aware of the power Molly holds, and so saw Gary as a threat to their very being - as by “waking” the dreamer and having her face reality meant erasing their kinds’ entire existence.  As the “apocalypse” nearly occurred in the third film, Mew and Celebi took on human disguises (in the form of May and Max respectively) to investigate Ash, who was able to calm Molly and “save” the world by “perpetuating” the delusion (and whom Molly totally has a crush on btw *shot*).  So it’s a bit of a love triangle lol, with Mew and Celebi (*cough* an alien and a time traveler, get it? *shot*) acting as mediators/interference.  (Although Mew might’ve secretly shipped Gary and Molly herself. ;O)

Betrayal

And these blades, these damned scythes that attached themselves to my arms when I was born, a curse upon me since birth, though it had not been apparent up until now.  They were covered with blood, the vital crimson liquid that flows through our bodies, now dripping down the steel surface in a webbed pattern, drops beginning to splatter the pure, emerald grass below.  The arm felt heavy and weak as I tried to lift it, as if it did not belong to me, but that was only a wishful thought.  I gazed calmly at it, inspecting the intricate designs the flow of the substance had created, as if it were an abstract piece of artwork. Tentatively, a pink tongue rolled out and caught a small droplet of it just before it fell from the sharp edge, just to convince myself that it was real.  The semi-sweet, metallic taste confirmed this.  I had indeed taken these men’s lives, just as I had taken hers.

So I remember this was written from the POV of a Scyther who seemingly went on a murderous rampage.  I only know that I wanted to give him an “Edward Scissorhands”-like story, since the idea of having such sharp objects attached to one’s limbs so that one could never directly “touch” another without being a danger is pretty tragic.  I suspect “her” was someone (a human?) he cared about but killed by accident, and after that he was only seen as a symbol of power/treated as a tool to incite fear before eventually rebelling against his “master”... Roses

“If you love someone, you should give them something that’s yours. That shows how much you care for them.” In the darkness, I pictured his smiling face, explaining to me as he wrapped a present for his girlfriend. His blue eyes were shining with a sort of spirit unfamiliar to me; I guessed, a feeling of love.

Another “dark” take on a Pokémon’s biology (I really liked writing explorations of those back then lol), this time of Roselia.  The idea was that a Roselia was so in love with her trainer that she would do anything for him - including allow him to cut off her arms so he could give them to his girlfriend.  I actually ended up turning it into a poem at one point:

Love is like a rose they say, And affection leads to grief they warned. For in the end love betrays, Its Beauty maimed by a poisoned thorn. You gave me pure water with a smile. Your cheerful face became my sun. I offered up my blood to you, And in return demanded none. Chop off my wrists, and tie them together. I’ll gladly bleed myself to death. In order to give you that which I hold most dear. My dear, my dear, Won’t you accept this bouquet? You take it, smiling warily. A blush creeps onto your face. And in those eyes I can see A garden of roses stretched out, Composing a wondrous place. Then you bound my hands in lace, And brought them to the girl next door. You presented them to her with grace. … My blood continued to pour.

Fanfic

She smiled at me, although something about her expression indicated something wasn't quite right.  I watched as she glanced over towards the west, her gaze lingering momentarily on the setting sun.  The glowing, orange sphere was slowly sinking behind the distant mountains, peaks cloaked in a pale, lavender haze illuminated by flickering beams of gold and scarlet cast across the horizon.

More accurately, I found this buried in a “catch-all” file where I had several (mostly finished) fics saved.  This was meant to be from the POV of an Eevee who had just evolved - supposedly into an Espeon due to happiness and bond with her trainer, which is what both wanted.  However, since it took place at sunset, she didn’t realize she had become an Umbreon instead, and her trainer ended up abandoning her for it. ;( It was a warm

Children’s shrieks and laughter echoed across the park as they flocked towards each other, and soon were chasing one another round the playground, weaving in and out between the swings as they partook in an innocent game of Tag.  One child was It; she was trying desperately to catch one of her friends so that they would take over the job instead.  Then it would be her turn to run away, for none of them wished to play the loathsome role of It.  Or was it because they feared being tainted by the person’s touch?  It must have been one of the two, for while she would struggle to reach them, catch hold of them, they would only flee, thoroughly enjoying the fact that they were vexing her.  Twice she nearly caught one.  Her fingertips were almost within reach of one of the other girls’ dresses, whose russet tresses were flowing wildly from the rush of movement and shining with golden highlights as the rays of the sun struck individual strands.  The target shrieked and shook her head, whisking her skirt free in time to escape capture, laughing with glee at the sight of the girl left behind, miserable and alone. 

Yeah I totally just went with the default beginning of the first sentence lol.  I guess this comes full circle with the first Kagepro fic I mentioned (although I’m not even sure I was aware back then that the Japanese version of the game literally called “It” a “demon”, which is even more fitting).  I believe this was part of a Pokémon series I was writing involving a creepy little girl and Mewtwo who would bring about the end of the world or something like that, but generally I guess I was just going for a “Catcher in the Rye” feel. *shrug* Golden Lights

The pale, rosy fingers of dawn were filtering in through the Granite Cave entrance, basking a small area near the opening in pinkish illumination.  Just out of reach of its expanse sat little Mika, huddled in the gloom of the shadows, watching the light creep steadily towards her as the glowing ball of fire rose slowly towards the East.  She knew about the Light that came from Outside.  There were plenty other small apertures broken into the cavern walls and ceiling that allowed some thin streams of gold brilliance to trickle through.  She had always done well to avoid them.  The brightness was like poison to her skin.  But they weren’t the Lights she’d had described to her by the old Crobat that always resided now deeper within the underground chambers, dozing now, most likely.  He wouldn’t awaken until night came round, and she did not wish to rouse him and perhaps disturb him from a pleasant dream.  She was very wise about things like that, being the young child that she was.  Still, she would have liked to hear a story to comfort her just then.

Last one I could find, about a Sableye who, like Icarus, literally “flew too close to the sun”.  In this interpretation I imagined that Sableye were creatures who could not stand sunlight at all, as it would cause their skin to burn.  But Mika (pronounced like “Mica”) always dreamed of going outside to see the “Light” anyway.  She was eventually tempted by Mew to leave the cavern under her angelic PROTECTion and step into the Light, who was acting as Ho-Oh’s messenger to “recruit” souls to “live eternal as an element of Ho-Oh’s Guarding Flame“, as the PROTECT faded and a “holy fire” began to spread.  I guess I was going for a Biblical/”Rapture”-esque reference.  (...Man I sure was obsessed with the endtimes as a kid. *shot*)

[portalcryptid-moved]

I Do Adore

Summary: When Mezou happens to hear someone in the music room, he makes the mistake of staying to listen... This just might be the best mistake of his life (Inspired by and features the song "I Do Adore" by Mindy Gledhill)

You can also read this on AO3!

“She knows this feeling all too well. She feels her heart begin to swell. Handsome stranger, you have- heck!”

Mezou was only half paying attention, at first he mistook the music for something someone was listening to on their phone until he heard the sound of a sour note and the innocent cursing... And the fact that he’s right next to the music room. Wow, Mezou, observational skills are super on the mark today!

He pokes his head into the doorway the room to find none other than Hisakawa, sitting on a stool with his back turned to him. In front of him was a device attached to a laptop, presumably a microphone based on the guitar in the smaller boy’s hands.

Now, Mezou knew that the first year could play; he and Jirou bonded over the love for music, once Mezou was even able to stay while they played together. He doesn’t even remember what he had come to Jirou’s room for that day anymore, all he could think of was music. The sweet voice that resonated with the sounds of a guitar played by almost expert hands stuck in his head for at least a week.

He wouldn’t say that he fell for the boy’s music; it’s ridiculous to claim such a thing, almost as ridiculous as “love at first sight.” Both things based on such frivolous notions... But it helped him fall for everything else.

Gold eyes that lit up in every sense of the word. An endearing shyness that made his voice as soft as the rest of him and made him seem smaller than he really was. The way his hands moved when he talked, or when they flapped out of overflowing joy. His love and devotion for his friends and family. His unwavering kindness.

... God, no wonder some of the others figured it out so fast, he’s fucking gone for this boy.

In the time that Mezou took to lose himself in his thoughts before coming back to reality, the subject of those thoughts had started the song back up. He was able to hold the song for a little while longer before he just stops and lets out another “curse.” To Mezou, it sounded fine, but then again maybe he’s missing something. He was never one to pay too much attention to music... Maybe until now. Regardless, he chooses this moment to stop watching like a creep and actually talk to this boy.

“Hey,” he greets simply as he softly knocks on the doorframe.

Even with the gentle approach, though, Hisakawa still yelps and practically jolts out of his skin. He nearly falls off the stool grasping frantically at the guitar, narrowly avoiding it hitting the floor. He scrambles to keep himself from falling onto the floor for an almost comical amount of time until he finally gets the stool and himself upright. His body is stiff as he looks back at Mezou, guitar clutched closely to his chest and face beginning to get redder by the second.

He stares for a few moments of awkward silence before he gives a small wave.“... Hi, Shouji.”

Mezou takes this opportunity to step inside, the other’s face almost seeming to get redder as he approaches. He must be imagining things. “Is everything alright? You seem to be having trouble.”

“Oh, you heard that?” The younger boy laughs nervously, one hand releasing his guitar to run his hands through the back of his head, where his hair is shaved down. He seems to be debating whether he wants to tell Mezou, which was understandable. Whatever he’s doing isn’t any of his business in the first place. He’s about to say this when Hisakawa continues, “it’s just... I-I can’t seem to get this song right... I don’t know why, though, I’ve been practicing this song all week and I was- I was doing really good yesterday... It’s just been a really, really off day, I guess... First I couldn’t find my pencil so I had to borrow Sora’s, but then I found it in my pocket an hour later so I had to give- I had to give it back to her... Then my dad mentioned during lunch that Cabbage has been acting weird, which is normal with him, though he really is just a good cat like all the others and I don’t understand why people say he’s weird... But Dad said that he’s been acting more weird, so- so I’m a little concerned, but I bet he just...” He shakes his head. “S-Sorry, I’m rambling! Ah, the point is that I’ve been stuck on this song... But- But it’s okay, really! I’ll just keep practicing!”

Logically, Mezou has no reason to stay at this point. He should wish him luck and leave him be. He’s an accomplished guitarist and has a lovely voice, he’ll get through it... But it’s unherolike to just leave him hanging. Mezou may not be musically inclined, but he’s got to have some kind of advice to give, or at least some support... He has a very good reason to stay that totally doesn’t involve his gay crush. Being supportive is what friends do. Totally heterosexual and platonic.

“... Well,” he begins, “you could play a song you already know? Just to take a break from whichever one you’re doing right now? Maybe that’ll help? Although, I don’t really have any advice for the cat issue. Your dad's on his own.”

Haru lets out a short laugh, and the fluffy mass of hair on the top of his head almost seems to bounce at the slightest movement. “I think I’ll try it!” He pauses a moment, biting his lip in hesitancy before speaking again. “Could you, uh... Maybe stay and listen? So I have a second opinion?”

“Uh... Sure, I’d love to.” Mezou moves back and sits on the couch nearby, watching as Haru looks around and picks a guitar pick off the ground, dropped from the scare earlier.

He adjusts his hold on the guitar with a nervous little smile and runs the pick over the strings, a little melody ringing through the air. He's quiet for a moment more before his face, particularly his eyes, lights up and adjusts his seating on the stool before he begins to play.. The melody carries on for a moment before the boy starts to sing.

“Everything you do it sends me/ Higher than the moon with every twinkle in your eye/ You strike a match that lights my heart on fire...”

Mezou’s never heard this song before, nor the other song Haru had been trying to play... But to be completely honest, he wouldn’t mind it if his version is the only version he’s ever going to hear. Somehow, he doubts that the original can top this

... Nevermind, this isn’t heterosexual in the slightest... Nor is it platonic. At least, not on Mezou’s end. Though the flushed cheeks and shy smile on the first year’s face as he played let him pretend that it was mutual.

Before long, the song was finished, and Hisakawa lowers the guitar to drink from a water bottle nearby. He still seems rather meek and nervous, drinking more from the bottle than Mezou thought someone his size could take at one time. Maybe he’s nervous about performing in front of someone? He had done so with Jirou, but then again that was with someone... Whatever, it’s fine.

With an unseen encouraging smile, Mezou claps for the other in congratulations. “You did really good. I’m very impressed.”

The flush deepened on the other’s face. “Tha-Thank you!”

“Sure, it’s the truth, after all. Now do you think-”

“I like you, Mezou!”

... Wait, what?

Mezou was taken by surprise at the proclamation, his face starting to burn as he process what was just blurted out to him. Did he hear that right? His quiet, awkward pining wasn’t a waste of time for once?

Hisakawa’s eyes grew to become the size of dinner plates. His posture became stiff while the grip on his guitar tightened and he held it in front of his chest. He averted his eyes and began to babble again, “I... I’m- I’m sorry, I just... I just used your n- your first name, didn’t I? An- And that came out nowhere, didn’t it? I just- I just- I wasn’t trying to make this weird or anything, I- I- I-”

Mezou could tell that he was starting to get worked up, so he approached slowly, addressing him clearly but not too loud or harsh so he doesn't scare him. “His- Haruki- Haruki, hold on a second. Listen to me.” The other stops rambling, but he takes a moment to look at Mezou. He only looks him in the eyes for a second, but that’s not uncommon. The larger of the two takes a deep breath to steady himself. He didn’t think he’d be able to do this yet, but it wouldn’t be fair not to admit this now. “... Haru, I have to come clean. I like you too. Like... In the not straight way.”

This earns a small, shy laugh out of him. He pushes some brown locks out of his reddening face. He doesn’t say anything, instead biting his lip and looking at the ground as if trying to consider something... Maybe what to say, it seems like the right situation for that.

It’s now or never, Mezou decides as he continues, “... If... If it’s okay with you, Haru... I’d like to be able to be called your boyfriend... If you’ll have me, of course-”

He’s cut off once more by the smaller boy tackling him- well, sort of. Mezou doesn’t really stumble, but there’s a weight being thrown at him. He looks down to find that the weight was a whole ass boy wrapping his arms around his neck.

There’s his answer, he supposes, wrapping all six of his arms around the shy little thing that decided to steal his heart.

Who knew that accidentally spying on someone would get you a cute boyfriend?