_RyoSaku

[Fic] Wings

2008-07-19T13:11:06Z

Title: Wings
Rating: K
Summary: And nearby, she kept flapping her little wings, trying to get the male butterfly to see that she exists.

[Follow this fake-cut.]

Just before I finish the fic exchange entry...

Reminder 2 - Contest 2

2008-07-05T01:11:54Z

Hi again guys,
Happy July 4th for those who are in the US. :) Anyway, you have 26-27 more days to e-mail me your entries for the Fanart/Fanfic Exchange. I'll be sending another e-mail tonight. And just to forewarn you all, you'll probably get a lot of e-mails me during this month. A reminder for each week or so. :) Thanks for participating guys~

Remember to e-mail your entries at daydream.thestars@gmail.com :D Just in case if you forgot~

Have fun & Happy Fourth of July~~

Ames --

[Fic] Transition

2008-07-01T10:44:38Z

Title: Transition
Rating: M [non-graphic]
Summary: I promised you that I’ll be welcoming you back with a smile. That when you come back, I’ll make you happy, that you’ll never have to go away again. And I would. I’d do anything.

Warning: This is pretty much a practice fic. I've never written a decent lemon before so don't expect this to be smutty and steamy. Also, I've done really *bad* things to Ryoma and Sakuno's characters, something which I tend to do in my yaoi fics. Expect a bit-screwed up Ryoma and Sakuno (but I DID try my best to see what they could be in the future T_T). Future timeline (based from canon)

[“Listen,” he whispered, cautiously checking over his shoulder. “He isn’t what he used to be, okay?”]

Reminder -- Contest 2

2008-06-28T14:11:26Z

Hi guys,

A reminder for those who are participating in the Fanfic/Fanart Exchange. Your entries are due on July 31st, 2008. I just thought to remind you all. =) I'll send you guys an e-mail as well tonight. =)

Needing information.

2008-06-22T16:47:23Z

Hey RyoSaku-ers. Is there any online list of all the RyoSaku moments in the anime? I'd like to know which ones occurred in which episode. Can anyone help?

New Fanart!

2008-06-15T20:55:08Z

heheheh.... my finals are OOOVVVEERRRRR!!!! *throws graffitti into the air* Graduation is in two weeks though... =[

Now that I have a lot of time, I did another RyoSaku fanart.

The colors to this is a little light because I wanted to explore soft colors. I think it turned out well though.

Lover's Embrace

Hehe. Hope you like it !!

~~~~~~ JIA ~~~~~~~

[Fic] Racket

2008-06-10T09:28:51Z

Title: Racket
Rating: K+
Type: One-shot

(Sakuno never considered the possibility that her racket was to be her greatest competition for Ryoma's affection.)

RLSP - new web addy

2008-06-09T21:56:58Z

RyoSaku L. Squad Productions is at a different domain for the time being. Sorry for the hassle. It'll be back up at www.cinpii.com/ryosaku in a few short months. In the meanwhile, you can find the site at
http://cinpii.technibin.com/ryosaku/

Immoral Ch. 7

2008-05-31T17:49:51Z

Finally I've updated my fanfic. =D

IMMORAL

Title of Chapter: Date and Confessions
Alias: Pure Essence
Chapter: 7
Summary: “But there is someone I like very much.” Sakuno whispered under her breath thinking Ryoma would not hear it. “Who?” he asked, quietly. “Who is it that you like?” [RyoSaku] OC

To read from the beginning:

Immoral Chapter 1

Reviews are accepted in Fanfiction or in LJ. Thank you for reading!

Enjoy ^_^

As for the fanart/fanfic exchange, I hope everyone's having fun =)

I can't wait for the posting. Good luck to all of you!

Contest 2

2008-05-26T19:37:09Z

Hi there guys,

Thanks for those who are participating in the Fanfic/Fanart Exchange.

Here are the list of participants under the LJ CUT.

1) cinpii
2) jia845
3) littleswtangel
4) suzaku18
5) veryviciousv
6) missallsunday/Dira
7) -x-OrangeAce-x- (Arah-chan)
8) neko11lover
9) darklogic09/Dark-chan
10) Asanisan
11) lintsister
12) Kyralea
13) Hazelnut
14) Shea-chan
15) littlemoonhime/Bunny

If I haven't e-mail your prompt, please comment here and please provide me with your e-mail address~ ^^;

Thanks!

Edit: I forgot to put the person's request in your e-mail. It should be the bold words at the bottom. ^^; Sorry for uh e-mailing you twice/thrice/four times/five times. LOL.

Ames

Reminder! RyoSaku Fanfic / Fanart Exchange & Contest

2008-05-17T08:08:48Z

Hey everybody!! Here is a quick reminder for you all that today is the LAST DAY you can sign up to participate in the RyoSaku Fanfic/Fanart exchange! So if you want to party with us, get your name in now before it's too late.

http://community.livejournal.com/_ryosaku/31410.html

Also those of you that have signed up but haven't filled out your prompt, please leave a new comment or email me with your prompt information so I can get all the data to Ames and we can get started right away without any delays!

I hope to see you all participating in our exchange - it's going to be a blast!

[Fic] Twilight

2008-05-11T06:29:14Z

Title: Twilight
Pairing: Ryoma x Sakuno
Rating: T

(...and Sakuno swore that never before in her life had she heard something so erotic.)

The Official RyoSaku Fanfic / Fanart Exchange & Contest

2008-05-07T07:58:34Z

So let's get the RyoSaku party started. *celebrates*

This post will serve as our official sign-up thread. You do not have to be a registered LJ user or a member of this community to participate. To sign up please do one of the following:

If you are an LJ user, please comment saying "I would like to sign up."

If you are not an LJ user, please comment saying "I would like to sign up" and give us your name and email address to contact you for your participation.

Don't sign up if you aren't going to follow through on this project! We haven't decided the punishment yet if you do, but it is not acceptable to flake out and there will be consequences. So be serious about it!

Here is our exchange time frame:

Sign ups: May 7, 2008 - May 17, 2008
Picking the Prompts: May 19, 2008 - May 31, 2008
Fics/Arts due: July 31, 2008 (That will give us all 2 months to get the projects done)
Posting Begins: August 4, 2008
Awards: September 2008

Once you sign up, we will contact you with your prompt to fill out of what you will be doing (fic or art) and what you are requesting in return.

xxamixx our mod here has committed to running the show in the way of handing out prompts to the participants and posting our entries to keep the gift givers anonymous until the unveiling at the end. I will be offering support without finding out who is doing what since I would like to participate, but if it ends up being too much for xxamixx or if help is needed, then I will be doing it. Although if any of you are not able to participate but would like to help out in running the exchange or don't mind being back up help or a back up writer/artist if someone should flake, please do leave a comment here so ~~we can take shameless advantage of your kindness~~ we can get your help if needed.

>>>>>What is a Fanfic / Fanart Exchange?

A fic and art exchange is when people fill a request for whatever elements they want or don't want to see in a fic or a piece of art - elements such as mood, characters, dialogue, and so on. Someone writes or draws a piece of work for them. In return, they also fulfill a fic or art request for someone else. Basically, writers and artists swap stories and art. Thus it is a fic/art exchange.

It will be an anonymous exchange, therefore, Authors/Artists will be revealed at the end, once all fics/art have been posted.

Some basic participation rules:

1. If you request a fic or art, you must be able to fulfill someone else's request.

2. All fics should have a minimum word count of 1500. There is no maximum word limit. All fics must be COMPLETE when sent to us -- no exceptions. Chaptered or multi-part fics are fine, but the fics must be COMPLETE upon receipt.

3. Please have your fic spell-checked and/or beta-read.

4. To maintain anonymity, please do not post your fic/art anywhere else until after the revealing. After the revealing, go ahead and archive it anywhere you want.

Here is an example of a prompt:

What would you like to receive?
The tone/mood of the fic/art:
An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic/art:
Preferred rating of the the fic/art you want:
Canon or AU?
Deal Breakers (what don't you want?):

>>>>>Awarding

After all the participants gifts have been posted here we will conduct votes for the following categories:

Overalls:
Best fic overall
Sweetest fic overall
Funniest fic overall
Best artwork overall

Characters:
Best Ryoma
Best Sakuno
Best minor characters

Misc:
Favourite Line
Best Kiss
Most Original Artwork
Most Eyecatching Artwork

The winners of Best Overall Fanfic and Best Overall Artwork will be sent a prize of their choice - I have PoT cell phone charms and plushies to choose from. I think I have a mouse pad as well. These are all brand new products. I will post up pictures of the possible prizes later.

If you have questions, please post them here so we can answer them for you.

ALSO - REALLY IMPORTANT - everybody pimp the exchange! If you are posting on ff.net or mm.org, deviant, etc. let other RyoSaku fans know about this - the more participants we have, the better the exchange will be!

5/18/2008 UPDATE:

Okay, so the sign-up phase is now CLOSED. If you missed out on joining, we'll still take you on as a back-up writer/artist - please leave your name and contact information if you wish to sign-up as a back-up. Otherwise, I think we'll be doing another exchange sometime in the future, so you can participate next time!

On that note: here is a list of all our participants for this exchange:

1) cinpii
2) jia845
3) littleswtangel
4) suzaku18
5) veryviciousv
6) missallsunday/Dira
7) -x-OrangeAce-x- (Arah-chan)
8) neko11lover
9) darklogic09/Dark-chan
10) Asanisan
11) lintsister
12) Kyralea
13) Hazelnut
14) Shea-chan
and 15) myself - littlemoonhime/Bunny

So that gives us 15 participants! whoo hoo!

NOTICE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS: If you haven't commented with your prompt or emailed your prompt data to me, you need to do this ASAP. I will be harassing and stalking you later on today if I don't get it. >) Once I gather together all the prompts from everybody I will be forwarding all the data to Ames who will then take over on assigning the prompts, collecting the fics/art, posting them up here for us to read anonymously, taking nominations and voting on the awards, and then revealing who did what. After that I'll mail out the prizes to the Best Overall winners. ♥ Finally, those of you not on LJ or who are on LJ, but not in this community, I recommend you join so you can read all the announcements here regarding the exchange and read all the posts from Ames of the fics and art when they are turned in. w00t! I don't know about you all, but I'm totally excited. XD This is going to be a blast!

Immoral Ch. 6

2008-04-23T04:34:06Z

New chapter updated for fanfic.

Title: Immoral
Update: Chapter 6 - Irritated Prince
Words: 5454

Summary: As the two of them walked out of the courts, Ryoma had expected Sakuno to run up to him and offer him congratulations as she always did. However, this time, she ran past him to Tai. Disappointment and betrayal flashed in his golden orbs. [RyoSaku] + OC

The chapter is too long to post here... so please visit the website below. =) Enjoy! ~~I have a feeling I rushed this chapter a bit... I hope not ><~~

To read chapter 6 only: Immoral Chapter 6

To read from the beginning: Immoral Chapter 1

Thanks for reading! Reviews are accepted in this journal or on fanfiction.net.

[Fanfiction] The Last Request

2008-04-21T11:23:33Z

Title: The Last Request
Pairing: Ryoma x Sakuno
Rating: K
Word Count: 565
Summary: Ryoma asks one last thing from Sakuno before he leaves.

(And finally, goodbye...)

Warnings: Spoilers (facts are loose, though)
A/N: Mush mush mush... my brain has just melted. XP

Fanart ALERT =)

2008-04-19T02:13:36Z

YAY!!! Completed another fanart today. I was in a good mood all day since it's the beginning of Spring Break!!! It's one week long but I'll be studying all week so I wont be able to produce much RyoSaku love... =[

My new artwork is called "Winter Romance" It's drawn to celebrate the ending of Winter and the beginning of the wonderful Spring (minus the allergies and humongous bees...).

The idea basically came when I saw a scene from the manga B.O.D.Y. It's similar but a little different with the setting and clothing. I just used it as a reference since I have trouble with drawing anatomy.

Winter Romance

Please leave comments in this journal. I hope you all likey!! RyoSaku forever ^_^

Another Ficcage Post♥

2008-04-11T14:03:57Z

Title: Working Miracles

Pairing: Ryoma/Sakuno

Authoress: darkwings09

Summary: When all hope is lost; could he still find his way out of the clutches of impending death? [One-shot][AU]

Words: 1, 760

Rating/Warning: PG-13 for the violence mentioned.

Disclaimers: These characters are born from Konomi-sensei’s ideas, not mine.

Note: Tis’ the second Au-ish fic of mine. Sequel to ‘Hope’. And yes, I’ve been bored to death and so I decided to make a continuation to my previous fic instead.

He already vowed to someone- no, everyone- that he’ll manage to go through the war alive and intact, safe and sound. But the war didn’t meet his expectations; it was too bloody, too painful, too aggressive, too deafening- everything that he could possibly think of to counter even his own belief. Truth to be told, fate was unfair, they were far outnumbered and the chance of emerging the victor was too low. He drew his sword to rest at his side, wondering when he had the right to complain and even the urge to do so.

Real warriors don’t coward in fear of fate, he reminded himself, the sound of bones cracking, flesh ripping, clangs of deadly swords and arrows and blood-curdling screams falling on his ears. He had gone through almost the same ordeal himself, only that his experience had not been this agonizing and petrifying. His grip tightened around the handle of his sword in irritation and complicated thoughts continued dancing in his supposedly war-filled mind. He received a pretty bad gash earlier ago.

He wrapped thin fingers on his wounded side, taking a brief moment to think of how they fared in the fight. It was funny and odd, the way his injury didn’t pain him as he really expected it to do so. He mumbled incomprehensible curses under his breath. Was it giving him the impression that he’s already slain and dead? His vision wobbled hazardously and everything was beginning to fall into a dark haze which he still wasn’t familiar with. He held onto his sword as he drove its solid tip to the muddy ground for support.

“Can you still keep up with that condition, Echizen?” said the carefree mocking voice from behind him as Ryoma whipped around to face him with a fiery glare. Atobe had his sword situated on his shoulder blade, an annoying beam plastered on his face. Ryoma realized at once that one wrong move would mean instant death, trying to still his uneven breath and the rate of his heart beat.

But then the pointed weapon was dropped from his body, but it traveled down- where? He was in the verge of unconsciousness and he didn’t bother to think where- and when, for that matter- he would be pierced at with that scornful sword of Atobe’s. Everything went pitch black before he could even react to what the taller man had delivered to him, but he could care less. But even before he was rendered out cold by the treacherous fate he was positive that he felt a sharp gash of pain, followed by a distress cry of another fellow combatant, and lastly, the sweet words and melody of someone and that irked him, because perhaps he had broken an important promise this time around.

She placed both of her hands instinctively over her mouth, a gasp of anguish escaping her lips. She had warned him prior to the bloody war, of course, and perhaps even a deft warrior such as him couldn’t escape what fate had in store for him. But she can’t accept this, for some unknown reason. She forced her unsteady legs to run- run to where Ryoma was placed, and know what happened.

Momoshiro spotted her amongst the growing mass of a crowd and gave her a grief-stricken look that made her even more anxious. Her cloak slipped off her head through her trembling hands as the sunlight seemed to sparkle off her auburn hair. She headed towards them and even though it was just a short distance it was as if she had just ran a marathon. She opened her mouth quickly, but what is it to say? Alas, she found not a single word to utter.

“He’s alive, at the very least,” Momoshiro murmured uneasily, clearing his throat and staring at the bloody figure weighted on his arms, “…Though I’m not sure how long he can still cling on to his life.”

Her pulse jumped at the horrid sight, and she dared not to move an inch at the older man’s painful words. She shakily reached out to find out if Ryoma was still warm and somehow, alive, but she already paused midway in her reach, as if there was an unexplainable invisible force stopping her wrist. Tears were lost in the dreary silence of the crowd as she identified all his wounds. There was a bad slash that was dangerously near to his right eye. She’s the one at fault, she realized, she could’ve stopped him from joining the battle when she had the chance. But it seemed like it was too late to do anything now, and she-

“Bring him to us straight away, you idiot!” came the worried loud voice that alarmed Momoshiro. He gulped as he turned around to follow the direction of the booming voice, and swiftly sweat dropped as he figured out the owner of the voice. He gave a quick nod at Sakuno’s direction as he sprang up to his feet and ran to where her grandmother stood along with her helpers. She darted her gaze back to Momoshiro’s fading image, wondering for a split second if Ryoma would survive.

And yes, he will. He’s especially not the type who breaks promises so easily. He’ll remain alive.

Stuck in her own words and promises of sweet nothingness, she can’t think straight.

XXX

Uneven, labored breathing.

Tranquility.

Tiny sounds of the thin cloth being grasped by a frail hand in unpredictable motions of the hand.

More stillness.

She carefully ran numb fingers against the side of his face which was being treated by her grandmother witch, aware of the dripping blood that tainted her skin. The dead silence of the room was inwardly driving her crazy, and she hoped that this insanity would end.

“Even the strongest healing potions and spells couldn’t wake him,” said her grandmother in a deep distressed voice, shaking her head in regret, “…At least; he’ll live on until tonight.”

But Sakuno didn’t like the idea, and she found no absolute assurance in her grandmother’s statement. Ryoma may have sinned heavily in the past and even in the present, but he didn’t deserve death in such a young age. It doesn’t matter now if death would’ve still been a part of his man pride and dignity, what does is that he’ll live. And so she shut her eyes, deciding that she’ll settle this once and for all.

“…I’ll do it,” she spoke in a surprisingly calm demeanor, albeit her hands were still vaguely quivering in fear and regret, “Magic wasn’t meant only for destruction-” she broke to a half-smile “-I could use it. Mine isn’t any different from other types of magic…”

Her grandmother stared at her in faint shock, knowing all too well that what her granddaughter was referring to was almost a taboo kind of magic. It was a risky type of a spell that even expert magicians find it hard to execute and control. One false move would be too perilous, and if handled more flippantly it may lead to instant death. She herself couldn’t predict the aftermath if one manages to release such a powerful spell, and she found no comfort and faith in it at all.

Sakuno stepped up and sighed heavily, reluctance dawning upon her, but she knew it was all worth it. She cast a questioning look at her grandmother once more, but she couldn’t read the expression that was carved on her face. But the witch murmured something about her being hopelessly stubborn and reckless, and the young sorceress merely smiled at her grandmother’s words.

She placed both of her hands lightly against the near-dying warrior’s chest, eyes fixed on the tousled blue hair of the boy. She wasn’t even sure if she can correctly recite the spell, but she’ll give it a try anyway.

Neon green light began to shine throughout the whole room, signifying that in some way her magic was working. She can feel the hot sensation under her sweaty palms, and the same watery substance running down from her forehead to her flushed cheeks. She heard herself say words that even she couldn’t understand, almost as if she was being control by yet another unknown force. It was becoming more and more unbearable with each passing second until she suddenly let go of him, leaning against the wall for support, and her grandmother trying to comfort her and say that it wouldn’t work.

But no, if he can still hold on before he was rendered unconscious in the battlefield, then it’s the same as her trying until she can no longer utter the spells. She stood up steadily, drawing a sharp intake of breath before situating her hands again on their respective places. The first failure had already weakened her badly, and so she couldn’t afford to lose now for the second time around.

And then there was another glow, brighter than before, but she didn’t know what happened next, whether it failed or not, whether it was a miracle that answered their prayers or just another failure- she wasn’t sure exactly. But she passed out, her poor figure slumping against the wall, at least not on Ryoma’s.

She guessed that it was a failure more than a success, and that it may be goodbye to Ryoma by tonight. It was hard to believe in miracles, she thought, painfully hard.

She believed she wasn’t strong enough to hold back the tears that have already found their way down to the floor.

XXXX

He cupped her face with his abrasive fingers that night, keenly noticing the tear stains on her pale skin. She was sound asleep on a stool on the other side of his bed, apparently exhausted and weary with a blanket draped over her shoulders to ward off the chills of the night.

He didn’t even think that he can survive the harshness of the war earlier ago, and thought that fate was probably written already and cannot be changed nor altered. It was an almost scary thought, he admitted, but now he knew that fate wasn’t that almighty after all, and that miracles happen sometimes- just sometimes. And he was quite lucky today.

Or perhaps, it would be easier to thank her more than anything, because if it wasn’t of her tireless efforts, he would’ve been a goner by now.

Soft fingers curled around his callused ones before he drifted off to sleep once more, hoping that both of them would find each other’s dreams pleasant and beautiful.

XXXXX

Author’s Notes: I’ve been musing about some decent notes from me here, so, I’ll just share a few tidbits of this story.

I based this story loosely on my current OTP, which is Kurogane/Fai~♥
I don’t really know why, but I’m feeling some OOCness present in this fic, or maybe I’m just too carried away while typing this? (shrugs)
Take note that Ryoma and Sakuno were probably around nineteen years old at this fic’s timeline. The rest is up to your imaginations.

Oh, and reviews are love, and reading this alone is love, too!

Thanks and hope you enjoyed this!~

(Short) Ficcage Post~

2008-04-09T11:54:56Z

Title: Hope

Pairing: RyoSaku

Authoress: darkwings09

Words: 1,404

Disclaimer: These characters are born from Konomi-sensei’s ideas, not mine.

Notes: This is my first time writing an AU-ish fic. I’ve been limiting myself from multi-chaptered fics for some time now. This is a rushed fic just so for enjoyment lol. So, um, that’s it. :D

He ran callused fingers across his damp disheveled hair which was completely vulnerable to the rain, ignoring the pitter-patter of the liquid substance on his head. His fingers were drumming against his sword’s scabbard impatiently. He is, as obvious as it is, a warrior, and warriors don’t scamper away from rain.

“So?” he voiced amidst the veil of water that enveloped the atmosphere, his cat-eyed stare questioning, “What is it that you want to tell me, Ryuuzaki?”

The young sorceress merely bit her lower lip in response, unsure of what to answer. She fidgeted with her magical staff uneasily, refusing to look straight at Ryoma. The latter folded his arms on his chest, eagerly waiting for her reply. Her head was throbbing with so many worries. How should she deliver the news to him? What if he declines it stubbornly? What would happen by then? What if- there were so many dense and complicated thoughts swirling and dancing in her mind.

No. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts of the possible aftermaths. Just no. Ryoma’s eyes felt as if they were melting her with that gaze of his- that look that gives her the shivers that run the length of her spine. For the sake of his safety, she should gather up all the guts she can and tell him everything.

“Take me with you, Ryoma-kun,” she finally said with a firm resolute, her hold on her staff trembling and quivering. The raven-haired boy tried to keep his expression impassive and cold, but deep inside he was bewildered. Still, he kept his mouth shut and his arms went limp against his sides.

“…I dare partake in the battle,” she added furthermore, terror almost present in her voice, “Please, take me with you.”

There was a rule that says that females were banned from wars, be they belong to the First Class. Sakuno, unfortunately, was just a tyro and a beginner and he found no way to tell her that. But he knew she was aware of that rule; anybody in the land is, actually. He drew a sharp intake of breath and closed his eyes, cursing the determined look carved on her pale face.

“You know yourself that you can’t participate in a men’s battle,” he said huskily, “… Don’t be reckless. You’ll get yourself killed.”

“But you don’t understand, Ryoma-kun,” she muttered darkly, her head hanging low and her auburn bangs shadowing her eyes. Yes, how can he understand? It was his fate to die in the battlefield in the first place!

“Y-You can’t,” she promptly added, her voice now sounding hoarse and stuttering. It floated in the icy air and faded away even before Ryoma could grasp at its meaning. He stared at her, blinking once, now uncertain of what she’s talking about.

“Why not, Ryuuzaki?” he questioned her stubbornly, somehow irked at her earlier statement. He took a step closer to her, his booted steps sounding faint against the mud and the downpour. She paused for a moment and searched for coherent words to say to him, only to find herself lost in her train of thoughts.

“…My skills will suffice,” she mumbled apprehensively, trying hard to ignore his question, and realized too late that it was just a lie. Her auburn eyes widened as a soft gasp escaped her lips. She’s nothing compared to her grandmother who was an expert witch, everybody else was probably aware of that.

Even him.

But, even if it’s a lie, if it’s the only way to solve everything, then she’ll just have to go along with it. Even to the risk of letting herself go in harm’s way.

He remained calm for the rest of the silent moments and neither of them dared to move an inch. It was as if a curtain of tranquility fell close between them, and the silence was becoming more and more painful and unbearable with each passing second.

He fixed his eyes on her thin frame, and for a second there he took note of her every detail. The long auburn hair that was still on her back, those pitiful enticing eyes that were set on the muddy ground, the simple white dress that she wore, the shuddering hands and fingers on her staff- she was always like that, appearing meek, frail and submissive.

“…I’m going,” he said emotionlessly, finally opening the metaphorical curtain of silence. She watched his image turning back at her in horror, tears welling up within her eyes. She hastily tore her gaze from him to her staff, determined to end this once and for all. She shut her eyes and mumbled incomprehensible words under her breath, thus summoning a magical haze of bright tendrils around her.

He stopped suddenly, checking his steps for a brief moment. He then noticed the sudden brilliance of the supposedly dark environment and quickly cast a glance at the sorceress. His eyes rounded for a while in surprise, but in the second he calmed down as quiet sobs fell on his ears.

Fire unexpectedly enveloped him, dancing around him as if mocking him. It shocked him that the fire did not hurt him at all, and he swiftly identified it as a mere illusion.

She shook her head no, and he stared at her blankly, a slight arch on one eyebrow.

“…I-It’s fire that doesn’t burn…” she finally explained between sobs, walking nearer and nearer towards him. She’s not a deranged magician to play with fire, but she managed to nullify its dangerous effects. For the first time, she was thankful for the torturous evening sessions that she and her grandmother held in the castle grounds.

“…Please, don’t go, Ryoma-kun” she uttered desperately, reaching out to hold his hand in the fiery substances, “Death awaits you. I’ve dreamed of this yesterday”

He looked at her hard and dumbfounded, and wondered if she’s a clairvoyant or a dream seer. Apparently she is, and that skill was what differed her from the other magicians in training. He coolly held her hand back, a smirk tugging the corners of his lips. She stood there, frozen at his touch, and all her anxiety seemed to wither away. The fire subsided gradually as he smiled a small assuring smile.

“Hn. Do you think I’ll die?” he asked her in a deep rasping voice, and she was sure that there was the slightest hint of restlessness in it. He let go of her hand, leaving them both cold and vulnerable to the rainfall once more.

“…Fate can’t be countered,” she told him frankly, “But if it’s Ryoma-kun…”

If it’s Ryoma, surely he’ll cope up with it, right?

…It’s a lie, but perhaps the most believable lie.

“I won’t die,” he murmured as he looked back again ahead the muddy path. The distinguishable scent of war lingered in the cold air as he kept his eyes fixed on his sword. And then he stared back at her with a determined serious look and something tells her that all would be fine if she puts her faith to everything positive.

Words were only lies back then.

A wry smile tugged the corners of her lips as she let his presence go wordlessly.

He paused once again, casting a glance back at her

“…Wait for me here,” he said frigidly, “I’ll return in one piece.”

She nodded quickly, her cheeks slightly tainted with the brightest hue of red. There was still uneasiness in the young warrior’s voice, but there is hope and that’s all she needed to believe in.

She turned back when his image faded in the oblivion, deciding that it would be much better if she goes and do what she should in the prayer room.

So, um there. XD