November Drabble Challenge, Days 1-17
Nov. 17th, 2017 08:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puss_nd_bootsThese are drabbles written for vkyaoi's November challenge, which is "a drabble a day" based on a list of prompt words. Each drabble is supposed to be about a different character or pairing. Most of them are based on my two main series, The Camera Eye and A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After; links are provided for stories that fall outside of those series.
Word: Rift: (noun) a difference of opinion, belief, or interest that causes a break in friendly relations
Character/Pairing: MiA/Koichi (Mejibray)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 196
Notes: Yes, Koichi really has worn headgear made from stuffed animals.
“It’s not a big deal,” Koichi said. “It’s not like you’re going to embarrass yourself.”
“It’s a HUGE deal!” MiA said. “I’m not wearing it.”
“You’ve worn all my other creations and not said anything!” Koichi said. “How is this different?”
MiA sighed. “Koichi . . . this isn’t just any other industry event. There’s going to be mainstream press there.”
“So my designs are good enough for porn people, but not for the MAINSTREAM? Well, that’s good to know!” Koichi stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.
MiA sighed. How was he to know his refusal to wear this . . . thing would cause such a rift? It was a hat made of stuffed bears. It was ridiculous. But . . . it clearly meant so much to Koichi . . .
He looked at the slammed door. All right, he thought. I’ll bite the bullet. He opened the door, stuck his head in, and said, “Okay. I’ll . . . I’ll wear it.”
Koichi jumped up from the bed where he’d flung himself with a squeal and hugged MiA. And MiA knew he’d made his Good Boyfriend points for the year.
Word: Fragrant: (adjective) sweet-smelling
Character/Pairing: Ruiza (D)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 172
Notes: In the After Ever After series, Ruiza has been named the official perfumier to the Royal House of the Nation of Veekay.
When people asked Ruiza how he’d made his career choice, he didn’t quite know how to put it into words. After all, a perfume chemist wasn’t exactly the most common choice of life paths.
“I think it’s just that I like being around sweet-smelling things,” he said. “I have a very finely tuned nose, and I can easily figure out what kind of scents go together well.”
What was hard to put into words, though, was just how he experienced smells. They were to him as raw vegetables would be to a chef, or a bunch of unorganized musical tones to a musician. His brain seized on the possibilities, mixing and matching and combining, painting pictures of what could be.
It was a symphony of scent. Adjust the musk a little, the result was mysterious and alluring. A bit more floral, and it spoke of sweet innocence. The possibilities were endless.
But how could you put into words that you wanted to paint pictures that could only be appreciated with the nose?
Word: Murmur: (noun) a low, continuous sound
Character/Pairing: Hal/Hiro (Fest Vainqueur)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 170
When you were in the honeymoon phase of a relationship, everything your partner did could seem endearing to you, no matter what the circumstances. Hiro knew he was experiencing this when he found even Hal’s inability to wake up in the morning to be endearing.
The alarm would go off, and his lover would just lie there in the bed and murmur. No real words, just a continuous stream of low vocal sounds. Then he’d reach out with one hand and hit snooze. It would go off, and he’d start murmuring again – this time, louder.
Another hit of the snooze button, and when it went off the third time, the murmurs would start to sound something like coherent words. “Dunwanna . . . dunwannawakeup . . . wanna sleeeep . . .”
Eventually, Hiro would shake the other man and get him to stumble to his feet – but not right away. He wanted to watch the sleepy spectacle – because it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen in his life.
Word: Consanguine: (adjective) related by blood
Character/Pairing: Yo-ka (DIAURA)/Subaru (Royz)
Universe: Heart of the Ocean
Word Count: 172
Notes: Okinawa, where this fic is set, features a large aquarium as part of the Ocean Expo Park.
Yo-ka couldn’t believe it. They were breaking and entering – in an aquarium, yet. But Subaru had managed to get them past the guards and through several locks – whether through luck or some sort of sea creature magic, he didn’t know.
“This is it,” Subaru said. “These are the holding tanks for newly caught animals.” He led the way to a catwalk, over an array of underwater pens.
“How do you know about all this?” Yo-ka said.
“This is a fairly common thing among my people,” Subaru said. “The aquarium workers don’t know the difference between selkies and normal seals – and we get captured quite frequently.” He searched around for the right pen number, and when he found it, he paused, his hand on the switch.
“I wouldn’t do something like this under normal circumstances,” he said. “But for a family member, it’s worth it.” He threw the switch, and the end of the pen swung open.
“You’re free, Uncle,” Subaru said. “Swim back to the open sea, as fast as you can.”
Word: Haze: (noun) vagueness or obscurity, as of the mind or perception
Character/Pairing: Jin (SCREW)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 200
Notes: The After-After Party is a wild bash, usually featuring numerous drunken hookups, held after the porn industry’s JAVA Awards in this ficverse.
The only bad thing about the After-After Party was waking up the next day not quite knowing what happened. Your mind was a total haze filled with half-remembered fragments of the night before, and you weren’t quite sure what was real or unreal – and the killer hangover wasn’t making things any better.
Such was Jin’s state right now. He woke up on the couch, still in the clothes he wore last night, his head pounding like a taiko drum, with a vague memory of kissing . . . someone. Wait, was it Manabu? No, the person was older than Bubu. Maybe it was Aoi? Oh, hell, he’d remember that, wouldn’t he?
He stumbled through the apartment, holding his head with both hands. Well, this sucked, didn’t it? What if he ended up with an STD and didn’t know who gave it to him? He peeked in the bedroom, wondering if his boyfriend would be of any help – but nope, Byou was flopped on top of the covers, passed out harder than him.
Finally, he got out his phone and called Uruha. “This may sound like an odd question, but . . . did I have sex with anyone last night?”
Word: Defile: (verb) to make foul, dirty, or unclean
Character/Pairing: Kazuki (SCREW)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 191
Notes: Camera Eye Kazuki is a long-time porn star paired with Aoi onscreen and off.
“Why is the likes of him allowed to defile a place like this?”
The sharp, harsh voice caused Kazuki to turn around with a start. He came to this inter-denominational prayer garden – set up by a Buddhist temple, but open to people of all faiths – when he needed a few minutes’ peace and quiet. And he’d had it – until now.
There were two middle-aged women glaring at him, but apparently not noticing he’d sensed their presence. One of them was saying, “Honestly – a porn star. He’s got a heck of a lot of nerve coming here, doesn’t he?”
Kazuki knew he should be offended – but really, he was amused. They were quick to judge him, to be sure – but how did they knew who he was in the first place? Not like his picture was in mainstream magazines. Therefore, they had to be familiar with his work, right?
He went over to them, bowed low, and said, “Good day, ladies. It’s always nice to meet a couple of fans.” And he left chuckling low to himself, their flabbergasted faces and deep blushes all the proof he needed of their moral hypocrisy.
Word: Elusive: (adjective) difficult to find
Character/Pairing: Tomoya (Royz)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 197
Notes: Tomoya is a porn screenwriter here.
Tomoya paced back and forth in front of his computer. He stopped, glaring at it, as if he expected it to cough up the answer he was seeking. But the computer remained silent.
He’d been writing this scene all night. The script was due to Uruha in the morning. And there was still one damn line of dialogue that was eluding him – a snappy comment for a character to say as he exited a room after a fight with a friend. Everything else had written itself – but he just could not come up with that one line.
I need help on this, he thought. Maybe I should try calling Jin. He always said to reach out to him if I need help, right? He dialed . . .
Jin, unfortunately, was awakened by the phone during a well-earned nap after pulling his own writing all-nighter. So when he answered, he was not pleased. “Eat a bag of dicks!” he shouted into the receiver.
Tomoya jumped in shock – and then, he realized that was it. Jin had yelled just the line he was looking for. “Thank you for that!” he shouted as he ran over to his computer.
Word: Fledgling: (noun) a young bird just acquiring the feathers necessary to fly
Character/Pairing: Hiro (Fest Vainqueur)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 200
Notes: In the latest After Ever After fic, it’s mentioned that Hiro, who grew up in his parents’ ice cream business, was opening his first solo shop.
Hiro looked around the ice cream shop. They’d finally finished decorating it to his specifications. The newly created flavors were chilling in the freezer cases. They were all set for their grand opening tomorrow.
And quite frankly, he was scared to death.
There was a huge difference between working in his parents’ business, developing new flavors and formulas, and running his own business and brand. Everything was all on his own head. There would be his name on it, and his alone. If something didn’t go over well, he had nobody to blame but himself.
He was beginning to feel like a bird pushed out of the nest, taking his first tentative flight. He could either soar . . . or he could go splat. And if it was the latter, the splat would be big.
But he was going to take the chance. He was going to put his ideas, his concepts and flavors and formulas, out there in front of the public and see what happened. If it went over big, fine. If it didn’t – at least he had the courage to try, right?
Time to go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow was a very big day.
Word: Capricious: (adjective) given to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood or behaviour
Character/Pairing: Jui/Jun (Gotcharocka)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 199
Notes: For why Jun is so upset over the possibility of losing his company’s distribution deal, see the Camera Eye Fic Snow White and the Seven Porn Stars (Plus One).
“You really need to give yourself some breather time, baby,” Jui said from the doorway, glancing over to where Jun was sitting at the desk, frantically typing away at his laptop.
“I will, dammit!” Jun snapped, not looking away from the screen. “Just let me finish this screenplay!”
“Hiro can finish it,” Jui said. “You haven’t been yourself these last few days, love. One moment you’re your sweet, happy self, the next? You’re yelling and throwing things around. I’ve never seen you snap like that. Never.”
“It’s important that we stay on schedule,” Jun said. “We’re not losing this distribution deal! It’s not going to be Heavy Hitter all over again! If we lose it this time, I’ll . . .”
Jui walked over to him and grabbed his hands. “Jun . . . don’t worry about it. Really. No matter what happens, we’ll be okay. The pace you’re on now, you’re not doing yourself any good. Just breathe a little. Trust Hiro to finish it.”
Jui blinked. Crap – he HAD lost it. And Jui knew – like he always did. Nobody else could drag him back from the edge like that.
He took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said.
Word: Waste: (noun) something unused, unproductive, or not properly utilized
Character/Pairing: Kai (The GazettE)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 196
Notes: The irony here is that Camera Eye!Kai went into porn to finance his culinary school education.
Sometimes Kai wondered if all the time he’d put into culinary school had been a waste. He hadn’t been in a professional kitchen for a single day since he started in the porn industry. He wasn’t going to be in one anytime soon, either – even though a wave of younger stars was dominating the sales charts now, Kai’s videos were still steady sellers, and he was beginning to learn the production end of things as well.
He thought, sometimes, of the hours he’d spent in kitchens under the harsh gaze of instructors, painstakingly learning the best way to craft everything from tempura to coq a vin. He’d dreamed back then of having his own kitchen, maybe in a restaurant in a swanky hotel, rolling out dishes to great applause.
Fate had something different in mind for him. But as much as he enjoyed his career, he sometimes dreamed about that swanky hotel restaurant and felt a bit sad.
Until, of course, he cooked for a party for his industry friends, and heard the applause and praise for the dishes he produced – and then he knew his culinary degree was not a waste at all.
Word: Esoteric: (adjective) understood by or meant for only the select few
Character/Pairing: Mitsuki/Hiyori (Kiryu)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 200
Notes: Set before the events of The Hidden Prince, when the My Dragon comedy group was just starting out.
“We’re opening for HIBARI?” Mitsuki said, looking at Hiyori in utter shock.
“We’ll be in the biggest comedy club in the entire Western half of the country,” Hiyori said. “We don’t want to turn this down.”
“Yes, but opening for Hibari?” Mitsuki said. “We’ll bomb! His audience will hate our style of comedy. He’s just too damn esoteric!”
“He’s got a huge cult following,” Hiyori said.
“He just stands there in the middle of the stage looking spacy and mumbling!” Mitsuki said. “I don’t think anyone gets his humor except college students who wear all black and live on espresso. That’s not our audience!”
“But the size of the club . . .”
Mitsuki put his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “Hiyori . . . we’ve worked too hard to risk any setbacks. I’d rather work a tiny club and hear them all cheer than have dead silence in a place the size of a barn. Please . . . reconsider this one.”
Hiyori sighed. Mitsuki was right. He’d thought only of the club capacity numbers – not if this was truly the best gig for them.
“Okay,” he said. Damn, he thought, I need to work on this leader thing.
Word: Fragment: (verb) to break into pieces or cause to disintegrate
Character/Pairing: Saga (Alice Nine)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After (sidestory Son and Heir)
Word Count: 174
Notes: In this universe, Shou is the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Alicenine, and Tora and Saga are his primary staff members.
Saga stood in the doorway of the ballroom looking with frank incomprehension at the pile of shattered glass and twisted metal in the middle of the floor that had once been a chandelier. “What happened?” he asked the two staff members.
“It just . . . fragmented,” one of them said. “It . . . the chain holding it up kind of snapped, and it sort of broke up on the way down . . .”
Wonderful. An ancient chandelier had to give up the ghost on the day of a reception. Well, he knew he'd be dealing with crises like this when his best friend became Grand Duke and made Saga his right hand. He should have expected this. The trick was dealing with it quickly, neatly and efficiently. Fortunately, he was getting pretty good at this.
“Get a lot of brooms,” he said, “and then inform the staff we're switching to a garden party.”
It was learning crisis management under fire. Except he could deal with a bit less fire.
Word: Waver (verb) to feel or show doubt, indecision, etc.; vacillate
Character/Pairing: Yuuki (Lycaon/Initial'L)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale
Word Count: 199
Notes: Set at the very beginning of A Sort of Fairy Tale, the night before the Culling candidates arrived in the capital.
Yuuki looked at his pile of packed bags. He knew he gave his word that he would represent the district of Lycaon in the Royal Culling. Except he was really starting to waver as to whether he should go through with it.
Was he doing this because he truly wanted a shot at being the consort of a prince? Or was he doing this to appease his father, so he'd butt out when it came to Yuuki's singing career?
Part of him did want to go to the capital, meet the prince and see what he was like. Another part wanted to tear these bags apart, tell his band they were resuming their schedule and tell his father fuck it, he wanted to be a singer, not a nobleman.
He frowned at the bags. Okay, so this prince was supposed to be a nice guy. Not a typical royal, they said. The kind of person Yuuki would be interested in meeting – but at the expense of weeks of gigs?
Yuuki sighed. Fine, he thought, I'll do it, but on my terms. If I don't like the prince? I'm coming straight home, no matter he OR my father says.
Word: Gilded (adjective) having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.
Character/Pairing: Junji (Kiryu)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 187
Notes: Refers to the Camera Eye fic One In a Dozen.
For weeks after the Gilded Gala, people would ask Junji what it was like to attend such a prestigious event in such a fabled place as the Gilded Palace.
“Eh, I wasn't that impressed,” he said. “Sure, the place is huge and showy and elegant on the surface. But the people who went to the Gilded Gala? Shallow. Shallow and superficial.”
He found himself thinking a lot later about Kiyotake Kenyu, the billionaire publisher of “gentleman's magazines” who owned the place, threw the annual Gilded Gala and picked Mahiro for his “Dirty Dozen” list of top porn stars – all to cover up his own homophobia.
That guy, he thought, surrounds himself with beauty to hide the ugliness of his soul. He presents himself as a “gentleman” – but he's empty, and shallow, and narrow-minded. All the outer graciousness in the world couldn't make up for a heart filled with hate.
Junji knew that he'd rather live in a dump with a pure and honest heart than in a mansion as someone like Kiyotake. And he most definitely was never setting foot in the Gilded Palace again.
Word: Serenity (noun) the state or quality of being calm, or tranquil
Character/Pairing: Subaru (Royz)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 184
Notes: Surfing is crucial to the identity of A Sort of Fairy Tale!Subaru.
People who didn't come from Royz – especially people from the upper classes – never quite understood why surfing meant so much to Subaru.
Early on in his efforts to launch a surfboard and rollboard company while learning the ropes of being the Duke of Royz, he got used to questions about, “Why would you want to go out early in the morning and stand on a board on top of a wave?”
Why, indeed. He knew he would never be able to put into words the absolute serenity of feeling yourself moving along with the wave, merging with it, becoming one with it. In those few moments of mastery of the board, surfer and nature were truly one.
To surf was not just to ride the wave. It was, in some ways, to BECOME the wave. That was something non-surfers would never understand.
So he'd just put on his sweetest smile and tell the person asking the question, “We do it because it's fun. You should try it sometime!” But he knew that statement wasn't even scratching the surface of the real truth.
Word: Objective (noun) something that one's efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target
Character/Pairing: Hayato (Codomo Dragon)
Universe: His Prince's Knight
Word Count: 193
Notes: His Prince's Knight (and its sequel, His Knight's Prince), set in the kingdom of Jiluka, is a parallel story to A Sort of Fairy Tale.
Hayato knew that he was attracting whispers and stares from the other knights, but he didn't care. Every day, he was out there before the rest of them were, training as hard as he could.
He had to make sure he was the best knight possible. He had to outrun, outjump, outshoot, outduel everyone else. He even needed to be able to pilot his motorcycle with more precision than any of them.
And, yes, there were some people who were flat-out baffled that someone who had, up until now, seemed to be a flat-out slacker was now working his ass off. They didn't realize he had an objective. No, a flat-out mission.
He had to become Sena's knight, no matter what it took. Even if he collapsed into bed aching all over every night, only to get up the next morning and pile on more pain. Every bit of it would be worth it if he got to experience the one moment he most dreamed of – kneeling in front of Sena, taking the oath to serve and protect the prince. It was what made every bit of sweat and strain and ache worthwhile.
Word: Prowl (verb) to rove over or through in search of what may be found
Character/Pairing: Aoi (The GazettE)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 193
It was one of Aoi's favorite things to do – prowl around various areas where he knew his fangirls would be hanging out in hopes that someone would recognize him.
He'd go down to Harajuku or Sunshine City – the neighborhood of Ikebukuro where Otome Road was located – wearing sunglasses and a hat, but deliberately leaving off the face mask that gay porn stars usually wore when going into fujoshi-heavy areas. And then, he'd roam around, pretending to be in search of fashion – when what he was really after were reactions.
Most people just walked past him without noticing. But then, there would always be the turned head, the lingering glance on him, the young girls who leaned over and whispered to their friends, “Hey, isn't that . . .” Nobody approached him – since they didn't want to be seen approaching a porn star in public.
But for Aoi, the distant affection was enough. He just smiled, and basked in the attention. It nourished him like sunshine nourished flowers, and he was never going to be able to get enough. These young ladies knew a superstar when they saw one.
Word: Rift: (noun) a difference of opinion, belief, or interest that causes a break in friendly relations
Character/Pairing: MiA/Koichi (Mejibray)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 196
Notes: Yes, Koichi really has worn headgear made from stuffed animals.
“It’s not a big deal,” Koichi said. “It’s not like you’re going to embarrass yourself.”
“It’s a HUGE deal!” MiA said. “I’m not wearing it.”
“You’ve worn all my other creations and not said anything!” Koichi said. “How is this different?”
MiA sighed. “Koichi . . . this isn’t just any other industry event. There’s going to be mainstream press there.”
“So my designs are good enough for porn people, but not for the MAINSTREAM? Well, that’s good to know!” Koichi stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.
MiA sighed. How was he to know his refusal to wear this . . . thing would cause such a rift? It was a hat made of stuffed bears. It was ridiculous. But . . . it clearly meant so much to Koichi . . .
He looked at the slammed door. All right, he thought. I’ll bite the bullet. He opened the door, stuck his head in, and said, “Okay. I’ll . . . I’ll wear it.”
Koichi jumped up from the bed where he’d flung himself with a squeal and hugged MiA. And MiA knew he’d made his Good Boyfriend points for the year.
Word: Fragrant: (adjective) sweet-smelling
Character/Pairing: Ruiza (D)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 172
Notes: In the After Ever After series, Ruiza has been named the official perfumier to the Royal House of the Nation of Veekay.
When people asked Ruiza how he’d made his career choice, he didn’t quite know how to put it into words. After all, a perfume chemist wasn’t exactly the most common choice of life paths.
“I think it’s just that I like being around sweet-smelling things,” he said. “I have a very finely tuned nose, and I can easily figure out what kind of scents go together well.”
What was hard to put into words, though, was just how he experienced smells. They were to him as raw vegetables would be to a chef, or a bunch of unorganized musical tones to a musician. His brain seized on the possibilities, mixing and matching and combining, painting pictures of what could be.
It was a symphony of scent. Adjust the musk a little, the result was mysterious and alluring. A bit more floral, and it spoke of sweet innocence. The possibilities were endless.
But how could you put into words that you wanted to paint pictures that could only be appreciated with the nose?
Word: Murmur: (noun) a low, continuous sound
Character/Pairing: Hal/Hiro (Fest Vainqueur)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 170
When you were in the honeymoon phase of a relationship, everything your partner did could seem endearing to you, no matter what the circumstances. Hiro knew he was experiencing this when he found even Hal’s inability to wake up in the morning to be endearing.
The alarm would go off, and his lover would just lie there in the bed and murmur. No real words, just a continuous stream of low vocal sounds. Then he’d reach out with one hand and hit snooze. It would go off, and he’d start murmuring again – this time, louder.
Another hit of the snooze button, and when it went off the third time, the murmurs would start to sound something like coherent words. “Dunwanna . . . dunwannawakeup . . . wanna sleeeep . . .”
Eventually, Hiro would shake the other man and get him to stumble to his feet – but not right away. He wanted to watch the sleepy spectacle – because it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen in his life.
Word: Consanguine: (adjective) related by blood
Character/Pairing: Yo-ka (DIAURA)/Subaru (Royz)
Universe: Heart of the Ocean
Word Count: 172
Notes: Okinawa, where this fic is set, features a large aquarium as part of the Ocean Expo Park.
Yo-ka couldn’t believe it. They were breaking and entering – in an aquarium, yet. But Subaru had managed to get them past the guards and through several locks – whether through luck or some sort of sea creature magic, he didn’t know.
“This is it,” Subaru said. “These are the holding tanks for newly caught animals.” He led the way to a catwalk, over an array of underwater pens.
“How do you know about all this?” Yo-ka said.
“This is a fairly common thing among my people,” Subaru said. “The aquarium workers don’t know the difference between selkies and normal seals – and we get captured quite frequently.” He searched around for the right pen number, and when he found it, he paused, his hand on the switch.
“I wouldn’t do something like this under normal circumstances,” he said. “But for a family member, it’s worth it.” He threw the switch, and the end of the pen swung open.
“You’re free, Uncle,” Subaru said. “Swim back to the open sea, as fast as you can.”
Word: Haze: (noun) vagueness or obscurity, as of the mind or perception
Character/Pairing: Jin (SCREW)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 200
Notes: The After-After Party is a wild bash, usually featuring numerous drunken hookups, held after the porn industry’s JAVA Awards in this ficverse.
The only bad thing about the After-After Party was waking up the next day not quite knowing what happened. Your mind was a total haze filled with half-remembered fragments of the night before, and you weren’t quite sure what was real or unreal – and the killer hangover wasn’t making things any better.
Such was Jin’s state right now. He woke up on the couch, still in the clothes he wore last night, his head pounding like a taiko drum, with a vague memory of kissing . . . someone. Wait, was it Manabu? No, the person was older than Bubu. Maybe it was Aoi? Oh, hell, he’d remember that, wouldn’t he?
He stumbled through the apartment, holding his head with both hands. Well, this sucked, didn’t it? What if he ended up with an STD and didn’t know who gave it to him? He peeked in the bedroom, wondering if his boyfriend would be of any help – but nope, Byou was flopped on top of the covers, passed out harder than him.
Finally, he got out his phone and called Uruha. “This may sound like an odd question, but . . . did I have sex with anyone last night?”
Word: Defile: (verb) to make foul, dirty, or unclean
Character/Pairing: Kazuki (SCREW)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 191
Notes: Camera Eye Kazuki is a long-time porn star paired with Aoi onscreen and off.
“Why is the likes of him allowed to defile a place like this?”
The sharp, harsh voice caused Kazuki to turn around with a start. He came to this inter-denominational prayer garden – set up by a Buddhist temple, but open to people of all faiths – when he needed a few minutes’ peace and quiet. And he’d had it – until now.
There were two middle-aged women glaring at him, but apparently not noticing he’d sensed their presence. One of them was saying, “Honestly – a porn star. He’s got a heck of a lot of nerve coming here, doesn’t he?”
Kazuki knew he should be offended – but really, he was amused. They were quick to judge him, to be sure – but how did they knew who he was in the first place? Not like his picture was in mainstream magazines. Therefore, they had to be familiar with his work, right?
He went over to them, bowed low, and said, “Good day, ladies. It’s always nice to meet a couple of fans.” And he left chuckling low to himself, their flabbergasted faces and deep blushes all the proof he needed of their moral hypocrisy.
Word: Elusive: (adjective) difficult to find
Character/Pairing: Tomoya (Royz)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 197
Notes: Tomoya is a porn screenwriter here.
Tomoya paced back and forth in front of his computer. He stopped, glaring at it, as if he expected it to cough up the answer he was seeking. But the computer remained silent.
He’d been writing this scene all night. The script was due to Uruha in the morning. And there was still one damn line of dialogue that was eluding him – a snappy comment for a character to say as he exited a room after a fight with a friend. Everything else had written itself – but he just could not come up with that one line.
I need help on this, he thought. Maybe I should try calling Jin. He always said to reach out to him if I need help, right? He dialed . . .
Jin, unfortunately, was awakened by the phone during a well-earned nap after pulling his own writing all-nighter. So when he answered, he was not pleased. “Eat a bag of dicks!” he shouted into the receiver.
Tomoya jumped in shock – and then, he realized that was it. Jin had yelled just the line he was looking for. “Thank you for that!” he shouted as he ran over to his computer.
Word: Fledgling: (noun) a young bird just acquiring the feathers necessary to fly
Character/Pairing: Hiro (Fest Vainqueur)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 200
Notes: In the latest After Ever After fic, it’s mentioned that Hiro, who grew up in his parents’ ice cream business, was opening his first solo shop.
Hiro looked around the ice cream shop. They’d finally finished decorating it to his specifications. The newly created flavors were chilling in the freezer cases. They were all set for their grand opening tomorrow.
And quite frankly, he was scared to death.
There was a huge difference between working in his parents’ business, developing new flavors and formulas, and running his own business and brand. Everything was all on his own head. There would be his name on it, and his alone. If something didn’t go over well, he had nobody to blame but himself.
He was beginning to feel like a bird pushed out of the nest, taking his first tentative flight. He could either soar . . . or he could go splat. And if it was the latter, the splat would be big.
But he was going to take the chance. He was going to put his ideas, his concepts and flavors and formulas, out there in front of the public and see what happened. If it went over big, fine. If it didn’t – at least he had the courage to try, right?
Time to go home and get some sleep. Tomorrow was a very big day.
Word: Capricious: (adjective) given to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood or behaviour
Character/Pairing: Jui/Jun (Gotcharocka)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 199
Notes: For why Jun is so upset over the possibility of losing his company’s distribution deal, see the Camera Eye Fic Snow White and the Seven Porn Stars (Plus One).
“You really need to give yourself some breather time, baby,” Jui said from the doorway, glancing over to where Jun was sitting at the desk, frantically typing away at his laptop.
“I will, dammit!” Jun snapped, not looking away from the screen. “Just let me finish this screenplay!”
“Hiro can finish it,” Jui said. “You haven’t been yourself these last few days, love. One moment you’re your sweet, happy self, the next? You’re yelling and throwing things around. I’ve never seen you snap like that. Never.”
“It’s important that we stay on schedule,” Jun said. “We’re not losing this distribution deal! It’s not going to be Heavy Hitter all over again! If we lose it this time, I’ll . . .”
Jui walked over to him and grabbed his hands. “Jun . . . don’t worry about it. Really. No matter what happens, we’ll be okay. The pace you’re on now, you’re not doing yourself any good. Just breathe a little. Trust Hiro to finish it.”
Jui blinked. Crap – he HAD lost it. And Jui knew – like he always did. Nobody else could drag him back from the edge like that.
He took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said.
Word: Waste: (noun) something unused, unproductive, or not properly utilized
Character/Pairing: Kai (The GazettE)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 196
Notes: The irony here is that Camera Eye!Kai went into porn to finance his culinary school education.
Sometimes Kai wondered if all the time he’d put into culinary school had been a waste. He hadn’t been in a professional kitchen for a single day since he started in the porn industry. He wasn’t going to be in one anytime soon, either – even though a wave of younger stars was dominating the sales charts now, Kai’s videos were still steady sellers, and he was beginning to learn the production end of things as well.
He thought, sometimes, of the hours he’d spent in kitchens under the harsh gaze of instructors, painstakingly learning the best way to craft everything from tempura to coq a vin. He’d dreamed back then of having his own kitchen, maybe in a restaurant in a swanky hotel, rolling out dishes to great applause.
Fate had something different in mind for him. But as much as he enjoyed his career, he sometimes dreamed about that swanky hotel restaurant and felt a bit sad.
Until, of course, he cooked for a party for his industry friends, and heard the applause and praise for the dishes he produced – and then he knew his culinary degree was not a waste at all.
Word: Esoteric: (adjective) understood by or meant for only the select few
Character/Pairing: Mitsuki/Hiyori (Kiryu)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 200
Notes: Set before the events of The Hidden Prince, when the My Dragon comedy group was just starting out.
“We’re opening for HIBARI?” Mitsuki said, looking at Hiyori in utter shock.
“We’ll be in the biggest comedy club in the entire Western half of the country,” Hiyori said. “We don’t want to turn this down.”
“Yes, but opening for Hibari?” Mitsuki said. “We’ll bomb! His audience will hate our style of comedy. He’s just too damn esoteric!”
“He’s got a huge cult following,” Hiyori said.
“He just stands there in the middle of the stage looking spacy and mumbling!” Mitsuki said. “I don’t think anyone gets his humor except college students who wear all black and live on espresso. That’s not our audience!”
“But the size of the club . . .”
Mitsuki put his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “Hiyori . . . we’ve worked too hard to risk any setbacks. I’d rather work a tiny club and hear them all cheer than have dead silence in a place the size of a barn. Please . . . reconsider this one.”
Hiyori sighed. Mitsuki was right. He’d thought only of the club capacity numbers – not if this was truly the best gig for them.
“Okay,” he said. Damn, he thought, I need to work on this leader thing.
Word: Fragment: (verb) to break into pieces or cause to disintegrate
Character/Pairing: Saga (Alice Nine)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After (sidestory Son and Heir)
Word Count: 174
Notes: In this universe, Shou is the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Alicenine, and Tora and Saga are his primary staff members.
Saga stood in the doorway of the ballroom looking with frank incomprehension at the pile of shattered glass and twisted metal in the middle of the floor that had once been a chandelier. “What happened?” he asked the two staff members.
“It just . . . fragmented,” one of them said. “It . . . the chain holding it up kind of snapped, and it sort of broke up on the way down . . .”
Wonderful. An ancient chandelier had to give up the ghost on the day of a reception. Well, he knew he'd be dealing with crises like this when his best friend became Grand Duke and made Saga his right hand. He should have expected this. The trick was dealing with it quickly, neatly and efficiently. Fortunately, he was getting pretty good at this.
“Get a lot of brooms,” he said, “and then inform the staff we're switching to a garden party.”
It was learning crisis management under fire. Except he could deal with a bit less fire.
Word: Waver (verb) to feel or show doubt, indecision, etc.; vacillate
Character/Pairing: Yuuki (Lycaon/Initial'L)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale
Word Count: 199
Notes: Set at the very beginning of A Sort of Fairy Tale, the night before the Culling candidates arrived in the capital.
Yuuki looked at his pile of packed bags. He knew he gave his word that he would represent the district of Lycaon in the Royal Culling. Except he was really starting to waver as to whether he should go through with it.
Was he doing this because he truly wanted a shot at being the consort of a prince? Or was he doing this to appease his father, so he'd butt out when it came to Yuuki's singing career?
Part of him did want to go to the capital, meet the prince and see what he was like. Another part wanted to tear these bags apart, tell his band they were resuming their schedule and tell his father fuck it, he wanted to be a singer, not a nobleman.
He frowned at the bags. Okay, so this prince was supposed to be a nice guy. Not a typical royal, they said. The kind of person Yuuki would be interested in meeting – but at the expense of weeks of gigs?
Yuuki sighed. Fine, he thought, I'll do it, but on my terms. If I don't like the prince? I'm coming straight home, no matter he OR my father says.
Word: Gilded (adjective) having a pleasing or showy appearance that conceals something of little worth.
Character/Pairing: Junji (Kiryu)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 187
Notes: Refers to the Camera Eye fic One In a Dozen.
For weeks after the Gilded Gala, people would ask Junji what it was like to attend such a prestigious event in such a fabled place as the Gilded Palace.
“Eh, I wasn't that impressed,” he said. “Sure, the place is huge and showy and elegant on the surface. But the people who went to the Gilded Gala? Shallow. Shallow and superficial.”
He found himself thinking a lot later about Kiyotake Kenyu, the billionaire publisher of “gentleman's magazines” who owned the place, threw the annual Gilded Gala and picked Mahiro for his “Dirty Dozen” list of top porn stars – all to cover up his own homophobia.
That guy, he thought, surrounds himself with beauty to hide the ugliness of his soul. He presents himself as a “gentleman” – but he's empty, and shallow, and narrow-minded. All the outer graciousness in the world couldn't make up for a heart filled with hate.
Junji knew that he'd rather live in a dump with a pure and honest heart than in a mansion as someone like Kiyotake. And he most definitely was never setting foot in the Gilded Palace again.
Word: Serenity (noun) the state or quality of being calm, or tranquil
Character/Pairing: Subaru (Royz)
Universe: A Sort of Fairy Tale/After Ever After
Word Count: 184
Notes: Surfing is crucial to the identity of A Sort of Fairy Tale!Subaru.
People who didn't come from Royz – especially people from the upper classes – never quite understood why surfing meant so much to Subaru.
Early on in his efforts to launch a surfboard and rollboard company while learning the ropes of being the Duke of Royz, he got used to questions about, “Why would you want to go out early in the morning and stand on a board on top of a wave?”
Why, indeed. He knew he would never be able to put into words the absolute serenity of feeling yourself moving along with the wave, merging with it, becoming one with it. In those few moments of mastery of the board, surfer and nature were truly one.
To surf was not just to ride the wave. It was, in some ways, to BECOME the wave. That was something non-surfers would never understand.
So he'd just put on his sweetest smile and tell the person asking the question, “We do it because it's fun. You should try it sometime!” But he knew that statement wasn't even scratching the surface of the real truth.
Word: Objective (noun) something that one's efforts or actions are intended to attain or accomplish; purpose; goal; target
Character/Pairing: Hayato (Codomo Dragon)
Universe: His Prince's Knight
Word Count: 193
Notes: His Prince's Knight (and its sequel, His Knight's Prince), set in the kingdom of Jiluka, is a parallel story to A Sort of Fairy Tale.
Hayato knew that he was attracting whispers and stares from the other knights, but he didn't care. Every day, he was out there before the rest of them were, training as hard as he could.
He had to make sure he was the best knight possible. He had to outrun, outjump, outshoot, outduel everyone else. He even needed to be able to pilot his motorcycle with more precision than any of them.
And, yes, there were some people who were flat-out baffled that someone who had, up until now, seemed to be a flat-out slacker was now working his ass off. They didn't realize he had an objective. No, a flat-out mission.
He had to become Sena's knight, no matter what it took. Even if he collapsed into bed aching all over every night, only to get up the next morning and pile on more pain. Every bit of it would be worth it if he got to experience the one moment he most dreamed of – kneeling in front of Sena, taking the oath to serve and protect the prince. It was what made every bit of sweat and strain and ache worthwhile.
Word: Prowl (verb) to rove over or through in search of what may be found
Character/Pairing: Aoi (The GazettE)
Universe: The Camera Eye
Word Count: 193
It was one of Aoi's favorite things to do – prowl around various areas where he knew his fangirls would be hanging out in hopes that someone would recognize him.
He'd go down to Harajuku or Sunshine City – the neighborhood of Ikebukuro where Otome Road was located – wearing sunglasses and a hat, but deliberately leaving off the face mask that gay porn stars usually wore when going into fujoshi-heavy areas. And then, he'd roam around, pretending to be in search of fashion – when what he was really after were reactions.
Most people just walked past him without noticing. But then, there would always be the turned head, the lingering glance on him, the young girls who leaned over and whispered to their friends, “Hey, isn't that . . .” Nobody approached him – since they didn't want to be seen approaching a porn star in public.
But for Aoi, the distant affection was enough. He just smiled, and basked in the attention. It nourished him like sunshine nourished flowers, and he was never going to be able to get enough. These young ladies knew a superstar when they saw one.
