It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not

Blah blah blah subject line goes here

2008-08-01T05:37:45Z

Well, I'm leaving on a plane to Chicago tomorrow, so I'll be MIA for a few days. Just FYI in case... um... in case. >_>

And I really should be packing, since I'm leaving in less than nine hours.

EDIT: I just realized that what I called "tomorrow" is actually technically today. O_O

Another day ends...

2008-07-29T04:05:04Z

Well, I just finished another incredibly depressing anime. X/1999, or just X, whichever you want to call it.

I have no idea how I feel about the ending.

It's sad, but it doesn't make me feel sad in the way these kinds of things usually do. It makes me feel... empty. Wounded. I'm not going to keep this a secret; I get very invested in fictional stories and characters, on a very personal level. Other people say they understand, but I don't think they do. Maybe some do, but if so I don't think I've ever met them.

I finished X at maybe three or four in the morning. I didn't sleep, afterwards. It wasn't that I couldn't sleep; I just didn't. I wasn't even that terribly upset. The ending was sad, yes, very much so, and though I cried a lot at the end of the second to last episode, for reasons anyone who's seen it will know, I didn't cry at all when it came to the very end. I wasn't even upset, not... really. I was numb. And I could've slept if I'd wanted to, I just... didn't want to. I didn't have much of a will to do anything, actually. It was like my soul had been drained and I hadn't quite managed to recover yet. Still haven't, actually. I wasn't even able to muster the will to let go and let myself sleep until almost twelve hours later, in the middle of the afternoon.

I think part of it is that, with this anime, I really wanted it to end a certain way. I really, really did. And with other anime I've seen, this simply hasn't been the case. I've had times when I would've liked a specific ending, but I'm usually not nearly this set on it. I mean, yeah, sometimes I get really invested in a character and will get very worried if it looks like they're going to die or something, but that's more about being invested in the particular character, not the ending itself, if that makes any sense. And usually those end the way I want them to, anyway.

This one didn't.

It just... didn't. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it, but there was a particular... wish, I guess you could say, that a character had, that I wanted desperately to come true, and though it kind of did... it didn't happen the way I wanted it to, and the way it did happen was painful. It required sacrifice that I didn't expect, and it... it was... I don't know. It just left me numb and I don't know why.

I am debating reading the manga, which has been on hiatus practically forever, just because it hasn't ended yet. There's still a chance that it won't end... that way.

So anyway, on a different and significantly less depressing subject, WHY IS THERE NO FUUMA/KAMUI FIC IN THIS FANDOM? THEY ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS. WHY DO THEY HAVE NO FIC. DOES NOT COMPUTE.

I mean, there is some fic, but not nearly the amount I'd expect from such an obvious pairing. I think it's because the whole fandom is very hung up on Seishirou/Subaru. And while I like and enjoy reading fic of that pairing too, can we please be having a bit more Fuuma/Kamui? Pretty please? With apocalyptic angst on top?

Blah. I've actually been debating writing a bit of fic myself, but His Majesty Mr. Bitchypants (AKA Kamui) won't cooperate. I just can't seem to get him down on the page in any way that makes sense. With luck I could maybe write some drabbles, but an actual oneshot, with like, some kind of plot? Pah. Be serious.

I do quite like his character, though, even if he is a bitch to write. I mean, yeah, he spent the first ten or so episodes having no personality other than I AM BITCHY AND PEOPLE SUCK, but that was all kind of explained in the end so that's okay. And I like the whole struggle-against-destiny concept, too. I personally loathe the idea of destiny. I do not like being told what to do. I do not like feeling powerless to change anything. And I especially do not like the defeatist mentally that comes with the idea of destiny. That "there was nothing I could do, it was destiny, it was pre-ordained, why try because you cannot change the future" bullshit. I don't like it. I won't believe in it. Lucky for me, Kamui is kind of the same way, which makes the whole doom-and-gloom-end-of-the-world thing much more tolerable.

So, um. In conclusion. Watch X only if you don't mind being a bit depressed when it's all over. And if you have my kind of personality, the kind that causes you to become overly invested in fictional beings to the point of insanity, almost... well, just be prepared.

Dragon Eggs

2008-07-16T20:31:47Z

Look, I has eggs. :D Click them please? So they hatch?

Blaaaaah.

2008-07-07T07:57:17Z

Alright, I think these damned sinus infections are going to have to be declared chronic, now. That makes five this year, and it's only July!

Meanwhile, the Code Geass dub continues to walk the fine line between absolutely horrid and so-so, as does the second season. I think my problem is that I don't really have any characters I particularly like. Suzaku and Lelouch are both trying to change the country in Their Own Way, blah de blah, but I think both of them are going about it the wrong way, so I have no one to rally around, so to speak. Blah.

Also, just realized it was Monday. This doesn't seem to bode well.

As it stands, as of now...

2008-07-03T06:00:41Z

H'okay. So.

I've seriously neglected this journal for, um... ever, and I'm going to try to remedy that, I suppose, by posting a bit more often and commenting on other journals even when I can't post on this one.

So here's how it stands on what you can expect from this journal from now on:

- My babblings about real life. This is a given. These will sometimes be locked.
- My babblings about anime/manga I am following. I am so very behind on both, but I will be trying to catch up. You are welcome to point and laugh if you're inclined to such things. These are unlikely to be locked.
- My babblings about books. I'm not by any means looking to turn this in to a book rec journal, but since my condensed six-week American literature class just ended (THANK GOD; my classmates were IDIOTS and I like reading I really do but not THAT MUCH in that small a space of time) I am looking forward to reading for personal pleasure again and I'd like to get my thoughts about such things out. These are also unlikely to be locked.
- My babblings about writing. And herein lies the problem, and also why I've avoided posting here for so very long. I have, for the moment, stopped writing Hand in Hand, as well as fanfiction in general. I love fanfiction (and Hand in Hand), truly I do, but at the moment I am very invested in this new project of mine (it's NEW and SHINY), which I am hoping will end up being a novel, though who can tell, and so I am putting fanfiction on hold out of necessity. I am sure I will still be reading a lot, though. But for now, Hand in Hand is unlikely to be worked on except as a kind of stress-relieving side project for when my main project won't work with me. And hell, maybe I'll squeeze out a oneshot every once in a while. Anything I write will likely be unlocked, though babbles about my current project may or may not be locked.

So um... I hope anyone who actually reads this journal doesn't disown me for any of this? :D And now it is quite late and I really want to read before I am lost to the world, so... later.

GAH.

2008-04-16T21:17:17Z

Well. I've managed to miss every single one of my classes this week.

Why?

Because I have ANOTHER. THRICE DAMNED. SINUS INFECTION. URRRGGGHHH. What is the matter with me? This makes what, three times I've been sick in the past four months? Apparently 2008 is the year of the never-ending germ fest or something. I tend to get sick at least once a year, yeah, but this is ridiculous.

So anyway, yeah. I've been reading fanfiction like a wild thing because I'm bored out of my mind and I have nothing else to do. Hopefully this stupid thing will go away soon...

Bad Days

2008-03-25T03:45:59Z

I had a bad day.

I got up late, did nothing, went to Japanese, still managed to do nothing, had a fight with my mom about something stupid... it doesn't even matter.

The point is, I had a bad day. And that's okay. Because we all have bad days. We all have days when we feel like there's no one in the world who understands, no one cares about us, our life is going nowhere, we are living a pointless existence with no meaning, so on and so forth.

And that's OKAY. It's okay to feel like that. It's normal. We all have bad days, bad weeks, bad months, bad years even. So what?

So what?

It's a bad day.

Maybe tomorrow... maybe tomorrow will be a good day.

I think maybe I like this song.

Interests Collage

2008-03-23T02:26:11Z

This is, apparently, my interests in collage form.

Create your own! Hosted and ReWritten by darkman424

Another fic-rec thing...

2008-03-14T06:18:30Z

OH MY GOD I need to stop reading fanfic.

I get all excited and wiggly and then I start waving my arms about. Waving them. Happily. And I don't see why people think that's odd. Really. My nephew does it all the time. Granted, my nephew is also two years old...

And WTF. This fic. Entitled "Family Affair". Makes me want to have children. WTF WTF WTF. I have always said I don't want children. I'm not nearly old enough right now to have them anyway, but when I do get older, I never really wanted to have children. But for SOME REASON, this fic has filled me with so much happy fluffy nonsense that I almost ran downstairs and announced to my mom that I've changed my mind and I totally want to have children some day.

...Almost.

But oh my god, I still love that fic. Granted, it is Roy/Ed (from FMA), which I think is okay but I'm usually not that big a fan of it, and it IS mpreg, which I usually find very... odd, but please, please, please don't let that put you off reading it. It's wonderful, and it's set after the baby is born so you don't have to deal with the preggers bits if you don't want to, and that's actually a legitimate reason WHY the whole baby thing happened, and it's just so gorgeous and wonderful and I think it's made me into a Roy/Ed shipper but only the way this person writes it and... wow.

So yeah.

There's the end of my rant for the day.

OMG CODE GEASS DUB IS GO

2008-03-13T02:30:41Z

Oh my gosh. Code Geass dub.

YEEEEESSSSS. *_*

Lelouch's voice. I like it. I LIKE it. And Suzaku's sounds good too. You know, somehow, while watching the series, I thought it would sound better dubbed. I really hope it does. From what I've seen so far, it definitely has potential.

Argh...

2008-03-12T23:57:02Z

I've realized something.

I get very, very dangerously restless when I have nothing to do. As in, I take stupid risks in the hope that I'll get into trouble and then things will HAPPEN. I go for walks at one o'clock in the morning. I seriously consider trying to climb down onto the porch from the roof (I'd probably do it, too, if I was in better shape). I email old not-quite-friends-anymore and say I'm sorry (god knows why) in the hope that maybe they'll reject my apology and then I can argue with them. Or maybe in the hope that they'll accept it and then I can start talking to them again, because we're so different and we used to have huge arguments and somehow I don't think I minded that quite as much as I thought. Or sometimes I start wondering how hard it is to sneak into various places, but not because I actually want to get into these places. Because I'm bored as hell and I think it would be fun.

I hate spring break.

Fic Recommendation

2008-03-10T02:16:44Z

If you have seen the anime Fullmetal Alchemist all the way through, you absolutely must read this fic, because it is just that wonderful. That's a link to the last part, by the way, because it has links to all the previous parts.

Believe me, this fic is amazing. I was wiggling in my seat while I read it. Me. Wiggling. And while I may often express my joy while reading a good fic, it is usually in the form of a simple smile, and occasionally quiet laughter. But while reading this, I was so happy, I couldn't help but wiggle around in my seat and giggle at certain moments. It was incredibly bittersweet, sad and yet so hopeful, angsty and yet so sweet. And the characters are very well characterized, with every bit of dialogue and every action right on in keeping with their personality.

So yes. Read it. It's essentially gen, which is what I prefer from FMA fics. I don't really ship anything in that series, since the relationship I like most in that show is that of the brothers, and most pairing fics detract from that, unless it's elricest, which I don't mind but never seems to ring true for me. Anyway, there's a pinch of Roy/Ed in the story, but it's barely there, so you can easily read the fic even you don't like that pairing.

Mondays shouldn't even exist...

2008-02-26T03:27:22Z

Short weekend was short.

Ugh... Mondays. Why do we even have Mondays? Why can't we just go straight to Tuesday? Tuesday, I can deal with.

Alright, enough silliness. Basically, I had an annoyingly short and unproductive weekend, I'm stressing over getting in enough stuff to get into a good university, and on top of it all I have a sore throat and a stuffy nose, which for me usually precedes a really, really bad cold.

And my friend, who we're going to call J throughout the remainder this entry, invited me over to play this new PS3 game he borrowed from a friend tomorrow. AND OMG I WANT TO PLAY IT SO BADLY AND I'VE NEVER PLAYED A PS3 GAME BEFORE AND I'M EXCITED. But. My mom has informed me that if I am not totally better tomorrow (and that means both sore throat and stuffy nose must be gone), I'm going to have to stay home. And I know she's right on that, but damn it, I want to go! Why do I have to get sick all the time? Plus, I've been doing so well lately! I've become fairly productive and my life seems to be on the right track; I'm keeping my room clean and laundry up to date, I'm studying regularly, I've finally finished plotting my book and have started writing it, and... now it seems I could be getting sick. Which would kind of mess all that up.

So yeah. I guess what I'm going to do now is go get a shower and go to bed so I can get up for English tomorrow. I'm hoping that if I take care of myself tonight and get a good night's sleep, maybe I'll feel better in the morning. And yes, whatever God there may be, that was a very ill-disguised prayer for you to make me better. Though I get the impression that you kind of don't like me, maybe you could make this one little exception. ...Please?

Well, I guess I should be going. Wish me luck?

I need to stop stalking capslock communities now...

2008-02-24T03:30:56Z

Well, thanks to capslock_dn, I am now convinced that Hayate (from Naruto) and L (from Death Note) are the same person.

...SHUT UP YES THEY ARE.

sob

2008-02-21T19:27:25Z

I just finished the Bartimaeus Trilogy. For the third time.

They are such wonderful books.

I'd almost like to go into detail about what is so wonderful about them - the characters, their relationships, the plot... But because those of you who are thinking of reading the books' experiences with them will be, for all intents and purpose, one and the same, I rather think you'll know once you read them anyway.

Oh, honestly.

2008-02-14T05:46:40Z

(In reaction to this lovely news.)

Dear George Lucas,

It's over. You've been a huge success. You've made millions.

NOW GODDAMNIT, LET STAR WARS DIE.

I NEED SLEEEEP.

2008-02-11T04:25:08Z

Just finished getting my first essay of the year down on paper. *headdesk* Soooo tiiired...

And the best part is, I have twenty-eight pages of tiny print to read in my US History textbook before I get go to bed. Argh.

Hello again, college. Hello again, responsibility. Hello again, utter lack of anything resembling a life.

Life's like an hourglass glued to the table...

2008-02-10T06:54:31Z

I have been so angry lately. And I don't even know why.

I love my family. I think I have a better and more stable family than anyone else I know. Sure, we have our slight areas of dysfunctionality, but I love them and they love me and we make it work and that's all that matters.

But lately, whenever I talk to my parents, I find myself irrationally angry at them to the point where I'm wishing they would just go curl up in a hole and die. It's stupid because nothing's causing it. It's just... we'll be having a conversation and they'll exhibit one of their many idiosyncrasies that may irritate me slightly normally, but usually aren't a big deal (or even a small one). But now these things they do (like how my mom, when I'm making a point, will randomly interrupt with a counterargument that I hadn't gotten to yet but was going to address in about ten seconds. Generally I hold up a hand, say "let me finish", and move on, but now...) send me into a complete rage and I stomp off in a huff.

Now, if this was normal anger, I'd probably go be annoyed in my room for a while, listen to some music, whatever until it went away and I could think about the problem rationally. But with this I can't do that. I get frustrated and want to go back to the kitchen and argue with them more, even though I know it'll only make me angrier.

Ugh. I'm so sick of being a teenager with teenager-y problems. I just wish this would go away.

This thing is, I think it may have something to do with my older sister's impending ~~doom~~ wedding. I've never had a good relationship with her, so I'm thinking the two might be connected. But it's nearly two in the morning where I am and I'm way too tired to psychoanalyze myself right now, so I'm just going to go to bed and hope the problem sorts itself out eventually.

Take the photographs and stillframes in your mind...

2008-02-10T03:11:39Z

I just spent about an hour looking at old photos of my mom and dad when they were teenagers. They look so happy. They got together in their senior year of high school, broke up and later got back together... they went to college for two years each, and then dropped out to fight the draft... They've had such amazing lives.

And I can't help but look at these pictures and think, if you'd told them then that someday they'd have three kids, a grandkid, and a dog in a midsize house on the east coast, what would they have said?

BOOKS OMG

2008-02-09T04:10:33Z

OMGOMGOMG TODAY I WENT TO THE LIBRARY AND GOT BOOKS.

LIKE. BOOKS.

I am SO happy. ;___; I haven't read anything non-school-related in too long. Sure, most of the stuff I got is YA fiction, but that's because I get my fill of "literature" in the stuff I read for English and most "adult" books are trashy. Besides, young adult fiction is just as well written as adult fiction (if not more so). The only difference is that teenagers tend to be the main characters (emphasis on "tend to")

Wait. Why am I justifying myself? I'm currently WRITING a work of YA fiction (I don't really think of it that way, but hey, the main character is thirteen and it's a fantasy. It just kinds of ends up getting lumped in with all the rest of the young adult books, and I don't mind that, really). ANYWAY. I don't need to justify my reading choices, so nyeh.

I'm in a weird mood.

Anyway. For anyone looking for first-rate fantasy to read, YOU MUST READ THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY. I'm re-reading it for the third time to get myself back into the habit of reading, and the books are soooo good. Seriously. Don't be daunted by length. I'm the kind of person who doesn't care how long a book is as long as it's good, but if you are, rest assured that you will not get bored. The books are hilarious, witty, thoughtful, and well-written, with characters that will grab you and NEVER let go and a plot that is engaging and multi-layered.

In other words, they're amazing. Everyone should read them. (The first book is The Amulet of Samarkand if you're interested).

In fact, I think I'm going to go do some reading now.

One more thing...

2008-02-08T02:07:19Z

Here's another thing I did today: discovered inter-fandom politics.

...Yeah. I'm scared now.

Oh look, it's that life I've been missing lately!

2008-02-08T01:01:13Z

Well, I'm finally better. FINALLY. Back in class, too, which is nice, even though I had a TON of catching up to do at first. Still have a lot of US History to catch up on, but luckily that class is Tuesdays only so I can do it over this weekend. Along with my English essay, which is likely to be a bit of a pain.

And yet somehow, I am still happy, which might have something to do with the fact that I managed to get a LOT more done today than I have in the last two months. I installed new anti-virus on my computer, cleaned up the bathroom, cleaned out my desk, did the dishes, exercised, did laundry, studied my algebra (I am so behind in math), cleaned my room (kinda, since I only did the furniture), sorted my rather cluttered email inbox, and actually found time to study for once. Feeling accomplished FTW. I'm the kind of person who actually really likes finding time to study, especially if it's Japanese. Laying on my bed with my Japanese textbook in front of me and my veeery long Japanese playlist playing in the background is my idea of a good time. Which could mean I am just a very studious person, or that I desperately need to get out more, depending on who you ask.

Also, I started watching Cowboy Bebop, on the recommendation of a friend (who insists it is a classic anime that everyone should see. I'm starting to agree with him). At first I thought it wouldn't be my type of anime, but it's really very interesting the farther you get into it. I'm only on episode seven, but I like it so far. The dub (which is the version I am watching) is quite good.

So that's basically all that's going on with me right now. Here's to whoever's reading this: may you have a more interesting life. xD Though, at the moment, I'm fairly happy with mine.

Hand in Hand: Chapter Four

2008-01-26T01:45:58Z

Hand in Hand
By: Gem
Characters/Pairings: SasuNaru/NaruSasu
Rating: T/PG-13
Status/Chapter: WIP, 4/?
Summary: Sasuke just wanted to find his brother and, preferably, kill him. But of course Kakashi must get involved, and then there's this furry calling himself "Uzumaki Naruto". And what's more, Naruto seems determined to stop him from accomplishing his goal. And what is this organization he's a part of, called "Hand in Hand"?
Author's Note: THIS IS MAJOR AU. It takes place in a futuristic universe, the details of which will become clear as the story progresses.

Well, my second beta hasn't yet gotten back to me, but I've decided to be impatient and go ahead and post this, since I've had it done for ages.

So here it is, chapter four, betaed by el_gilliath. Thanks for reading, everyone. ^_^ As usual, feel free to give criticism and point out any flaws you find.

---

Sasuke was standing in a dark room, devoid of all color. Naruto and Sakura stood before him, mouths moving, but no sound came forth. Their eyes were crimson and glowing faintly. Then everything blurred, and they were on the floor, clearly dead, and his sword was in his hand, dripping with shining scarlet blood. Somehow not horrified, merely surprised, he reached out to touch the dark liquid, tentative for some reason he neither knew nor cared about. But the blood – their blood – merely turned to smoke as soon as he finger brushed against it.

Then, out of the darkness, came a snake’s voice, quiet and raspy and much too persuasive to be human. “Sasuke-kun…” it whispered. There was only one person in the world with that sort of voice. But no – he was gone. He had to be gone. Sasuke had killed him with his own hands, hadn’t he? Surely that had been Orochimaru’s blood on the sword. He’d never kill Naruto or Sakura. That’d be just what his broth—what Itachi wanted. Sasuke wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

And then Itachi was before him, and Sasuke was charging, and Itachi touched his face just before Sasuke’s sword could pierce his flesh. “Don’t you want to remember, little brother?” he whispered. Sasuke screamed; for what reason he didn’t know.

Then Sasuke didn’t know where he was, only that he was falling. His feet touched upon something firm, and suddenly he was standing in the courtyard of a large house; the house he’d lived in when he was young. When – no. Wait. The moon was full, and his parents were standing there, under the tree with the soft pink blossoms he used to play with as an infant. This was the night. That night.

There was a splash of liquid scarlet, and Sasuke screamed and wrenched himself from his dream to find himself in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar place. Which, unfortunately, was becoming an altogether too familiar situation.

Breathing deeply, he fisted his hands in the blankets and wiped furiously at his damp cheeks, trying to rid them of the liquid that wasn’t tears, damn it. He hadn’t cried in years. This was stupid. It’d only been a dream, after all. One of many, but just a dream nonetheless. He was in Naruto’s dwelling, not his old house. He was safe. So why couldn’t he convince his heart to stop racing?

Tch. It was pointless. Sasuke flopped back down onto the pillows, wrinkling his nose at the smell of damp fur. It was all over the house, honestly, but the bed was the worst. However, Sasuke certainly wasn’t going to sleep on the ripped up old couch with the suspicious stains on the cushions, and that was the only other option besides the floor, which was, of course, not even an option, unless he wanted to be rolling over into various pointy steel objects throughout the night.

Damn it all, why wouldn’t the nervous feeling leave him? He got up and stretched, trying to work out the kinks in his back. That’s what he got for sleeping in a furry’s bed. Well, might as well just get something to eat, since he was up. He never could go back to sleep once he’d woken up.

At first, when Sasuke entered the kitchen, he thought there wasn’t anyone there. But when he snapped his fingers once to signal the lights on, Naruto was revealed to be sitting at the table, looking perfectly wide awake. And shirtless. Maybe even completely unclothed, since, from Sasuke was standing, he was unable to see if the furry was wearing pants.

“Could sleep, either?” Naruto asked, grinning.

“Hn.” Sasuke grunted as rummaged through the cabinets, looking for anything edible.

“Kakashi’s gone out, by the way. He said it was ‘important’,” Naruto informed him.

“Good. Less annoying people for me to deal with. Do you ever bother to be fully clothed like a normal person?”

Naruto didn’t respond, and Sasuke didn’t look at him. In the first of Naruto’s cabinets were five laser tools, a few flat, rusty sheets of metal whose use he didn’t know, and box of microchips that, according to the label, were X-21s. Nothing that looked remotely edible. He moved on to the next cabinet, muttering expletives under his breath.

“Food is in the one on your right, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

The last one Sasuke would have looked in. How typical. He opened the cabinet Naruto had indicated and selected a box of crackers, throwing them onto the table and sitting down across from Naruto.

“I heard you, by the way. You were screaming in your sleep, Sasuke.” His voice was free of teasing, quiet and serious. It was unnerving. If the old Naruto had heard Sasuke having a nightmare, he probably would have teased him about being a scaredy-cat the morning after.

This Naruto… Sasuke didn’t know him. He just shrugged, brushing the furry off easily. “Nightmares. Everyone has them.”

Naruto was quiet for several moments, eyes downcast and sad. He fiddled with the end of his tail, avoiding Sasuke’s eyes. “No. Not everyone does.”

“Naruto!”

Naruto’s ears pricked upwards, and Sasuke jumped, almost losing his hold on the box of crackers. The voice was loud and clear, and seemed to have come from the instant fryer in the corner.

“Dude, they’re coming for you! Get out of there!”

“Shit.” Naruto sprinted to one of the cabinets and fumbled through it clumsily, finally extracting a dusty gray backpack with several rips in the outer pockets and a large brown stain that looked like blood, though that was probably just a trick of the light. “How close are they, Kiba?” He yelled at the instant fryer, now pulling open cabinet after cabinet and throwing what seemed like a random selection of objects into the bag.

“Not far. You’ve got about ten minutes. You remember what gate we’re at?”

“A-31,” Naruto replied immediately, slamming the last cabinet closed and zipping up the bag. “Sasuke, go get whatever you need. We’re leaving.”

“What? Why? And why the fuck is your instant fryer talking?” Sasuke demanded.

Naruto shook his head. “No time. I’ll explain later.” When Sasuke didn’t move, he yelled, “GO, bastard!”

“Idiot,” Sasuke retorted automatically as he went to fetch his throwing knives. Explanation be damned; if Naruto was leaving, he wasn’t going to be left behind, and neither were his most valuable weapons.

When he re-entered the kitchen, Naruto was still conversing with the instant fryer. “How many?”

“Two. Don’t know which ones. Hinata just barely glimpsed them from the shop.”

“Are you sure it’s them, then?”

“Yes, Naruto, we’re positive.” It was a different voice this time, female, and it sounded exasperated. “We picked up some very advanced weapons devices on radar, moving down G street. It couldn’t be anyone else. You have to get out of there now.”

Sasuke knew that voice, though it had seemed much higher and more annoying last time he’d heard it. “Ino?”

“What the—Sasuke? Naruto, what’s going—”

Naruto hit a button on the side of the fryer, and there was a loud beep as it turned off.

“What are you doing, idi—”

Naruto slapped a hand over his mouth, ears twitching. “Shh. I hear them. They’re close.” He released him a moment later. “Back entrance. Now.”

“What back entrance?”

Naruto paused. “Oh yeah, I don’t have one. Kiba never put one in for me. The bastard. Anyway… window. Yeah, that’ll work just as well.”

“What are you—”

Before Sasuke could finish his sentence, Naruto had leapt onto the counter and smashed nearly all the glass out of the kitchen window. Gaping, Sasuke watched as Naruto eased himself through, disappearing from sight. A moment later, his voice issued from somewhere below the window. “You coming, scaredy-cat?”

Muttering a curse and thanking whatever God there may be that he was thin, Sasuke jumped up onto the counter and leapt cleanly through the window, landing neatly next to Naruto on a dumpster in a back alleyway. He started to speak, but Naruto merely shushed him and began slinking down the alleyway, foxlike, Sasuke on his heels.

“Where are we going?” Sasuke hissed as Naruto poked his head around the corner.

“No time. We have to—erk—”

Sasuke grabbed Naruto around the neck and slammed him against the rough concrete wall. “Stop avoiding my questions,” he growled. He knew he’d slipped into the Sharingan, but at the moment he didn’t care. His eyes could stand to burn for a few seconds, and the intimidation factor was worth it. “Now, Uzumaki. And if – what the fuck is wrong with your eyes?”

Naruto blinked, and Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and looked again in surprise at Naruto’s very blue irises. Hadn’t they… just been red?

“What are you staring at, Sasu—gack—”

Sasuke’s grip tightened on Naruto’s windpipe. “Your eyes. They’re not red anymore. Explain.”

“I would if—you’d let go—you asshole,” Naruto panted, glowering at him, eyes slowly growing purple and then red as Sasuke watched. Suddenly Naruto’s skin seemed to radiate heat, and Sasuke wrenched his hand away from the furry’s neck, biting back a yelp of pain.

“What I was going to explain,” said Naruto, dusting off the seat of his pants, “is that my eyes only turn red when I’m angry or nervous or somethin’. You surprised me when you decided to throw a hissy fit and slam me against a wall, so I guess they turned back to blue.”

“Right, that sounds believable,” Sasuke snapped sarcastically. He’d ignore the hissy fit comment for now. Naruto would have to pay later.

Naruto shrugged, scratching his ear with a long, sharp claw. “Comes with being a furry. Take it or leave it. Now can we be going, your highness?”

“No, we cannot, you complete and utter imbecile,” Sasuke hissed. “I want to know why your kitchen appliances are able to hold conversations. You do realize this is abnormal.”

“Maybe I’m just that kickass and—get down!”

Naruto threw himself to the ground, grabbing Sasuke’s shirt and pulling him down with him in the process. Sasuke’s jaw slammed against the ground and his teeth snapped together, biting his tongue. Warm blood leaked from his mouth as he furiously blinked away tears of pain. Seconds later, two red lasers shot over their heads, leaving black scorch marks in the ground. “Lovely,” Sasuke growled, voice low so that only Naruto could hear him. “They’ve got stun guns.”

“Huh. Guess they don’t want to kill us.” He yelped as a laser singed the hair on the top of his head. “You know, if you weren’t so fucking chatty—” But Naruto chose not to finish that sentence, opting instead to grab Sasuke by his collar and dash around the corner of the alleyway, dragging a furious raven-haired teenager after him.

By the time Sasuke was able to get his feet back underneath his body, stunning lasers were shooting over their heads, knocking over the trash cans and dumpsters crowding the alleyways and leaving scorch marks all over the concrete walls. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, but was unable to see their assailants, though judging from the direction of the shots they were pursuing them via the rooftops.

“We’re not going to be able to lose them unless—” but Sasuke’s sentence was interrupted by a sudden, burning pain in his head – he’d been hit.

“Sasuke? Sasuke?"

This is all Naruto’s fault, he thought as he slipped into unconsciousness.

---

Sasuke’s head was killing him, and the metallic taste in his mouth just had to be blood. Where the hell was he? The smell of decay that usually infested most of the downtown alleyways was gone, and there was no sound except for heavy breathing – his own and someone else’s. Whose? The last thing he remembered was running and then there was that horrible pain and—

“Damn it!”

“Shut up, bastard, you’re going to get us killed!”

Sasuke sat up, looking around wildly. He was sitting next to Naruto in a secluded alcove that opened into another alley. The walls around him were cool metal, not concrete; Naruto must have carried him several blocks to get away from their pursuers.

“How’d you—where are we?”

“East area of downtown Konoha,” Naruto replied, panting slightly.

“What?” Naruto lived in the western area. The eastern area was miles from where they’d been. “No way in hell.”

Naruto laughed. “It was a last resort… but it worked.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. That didn’t sound good. And Naruto’s labored breathing certainly wasn’t encouraging. “What kind of last resort?”

“Sasuke… I’m not going to be able to move very much for a while.”

Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat. If Naruto couldn’t move, and these people were after him – powerful people, judging from the top-of-the-line weapons they carried (no normal stun gun should have knocked him out in just one hit) – the furry didn’t have a chance. “How close are they?”

Naruto closed his eyes, ear twitching and swiveling from side to side. “Can’t tell. Too many footsteps. Sounds like they’ve sent the Konoha PD after us, too.”

“The police department?” Naruto nodded, eyes still closed. Damn it. No choice then. Sasuke stood, ducking a little so the top of his head only just brushed the top of the alcove. “Get on my back.”

Naruto opened his eyes and blinked perplexedly. “Why? What are you doing?”

“What’s it look like, idiot?” Sasuke snapped, bending down in front of Naruto and ignoring his sanity, which was screaming at him to never expose his back to a furry. Sasuke gritted his teeth. “Get. On.”

“Wh—oh.” Sasuke snorted. Now the idiot’s brain starts working again. “Okay.” Strong arms, muscular and tanned, wrapped around his shoulders from behind. Sasuke could feel Naruto’s heartbeat as the other’s bare chest pressed against his clothed back. It was weak, unsteady, fluttering like a dying butterfly. The idiot. What had he done to himself? Sasuke hadn’t needed his help; he didn’t need anyone’s help. But of course Naruto had to be stupid and play the hero, and look where it had gotten them.

“Hold on,” he warned, hooking his arms under Naruto’s knees. The arms around his shoulders tightened, and a thick, bushy tail wrapped around his waist.

“Thanks, bastard,” Naruto panted in his ear. Sasuke could feel his lips curve into a smile.

“Hn. Whatever. Let’s go.” Sasuke leapt down from the alcove and jogged down the alley, peeking around the corner before continuing onto another unpopulated side street. Naruto was heavier than he’d expected, but he could handle it. He’d have to remind himself to train while carrying heavy loads later on; he couldn’t afford to be unprepared like this again. Not that it was anything difficult. No, definitely not. Not at all.

Damn it, I can’t keep this up. “Which way?”

“Right, then left, then right, then another two lefts and a right. We’re going in the back entrance of the central spaceport.”

“Why are we going to the spaceport?”

He felt Naruto shrug. “Because we have to? That’s where my ship is.”

“You have a ship?” Sasuke panted, incredulous. “Where the hell did you get a ship?!”

“Well, it’s not mine exactly – LEFT!”

“But that’s just an alcove, you said the next one was—”

“GO LEFT!”

Sasuke skidded to a halt and ducked into the alcove on their left. Naruto leapt off his back and shoved him behind the single dumpster occupying the small space, slapping a hand over his mouth as several armed members of the Konoha Police Force ran past their hiding place. Sasuke waited until they’d passed to bite the furry’s fingers. Hard. Naruto yelped and let go of him, returning his glare reproachfully before continuing as though nothing had happened. “It’s not really mine; I just built and programmed it. It’s Kiba’s.”

Sasuke snorted. “And I’m guessing this Kiba is a furry, too.”

“Right again, pretty boy.”

Sasuke frowned. That had been a joke. No furry could possibly own a ship. “That’s impossible. Furries aren’t allowed to have ships; it’s illegal.”

“Illegal don’t mean impossible.”

“Doesn’t. It doesn’t mean impossible.”

“Yeah, yeah. Bastard.”

“…Idiot.”

“Asshole.”

“Moron.”

“Shut up!”

“What, can’t take a little—”

“No, seriously, shut up!”

For once, Sasuke complied. A moment later more armed men rushed by the dumpster, these ones equipped with large, high quality laser guns instead of the tiny, pistol-like stunning weapons the others had carried. Damn it, why hadn’t he heard them before they’d gotten so close? Whenever he was around Naruto, it was like he automatically let his guard down, without even a thought to what dangers were lurking nearby. Honestly, the furry was going to be the death of him someday, if not very soon.

They were up and moving again in after a few minutes, Naruto latched onto Sasuke’s back like a leech. Sasuke tried to keep his breath quiet and footsteps light so as not to attract attention when they occasionally passed a street that was more populated, but it was difficult with over six feet of pure muscle on his back and his breathing already heavy. There are too many goddamn alleys in this city, Sasuke thought, too many places the main one branched off. You could never keep a watch on all of them at once, and the sun that had just come over the horizon cast long shadows, throwing him off. It didn’t help that the sickly metallic scent in the humid air was making his insides feel like melting butter.

“Go left,” Naruto whispered in his ear, and Sasuke veered to the left onto a narrower street. “Stop.” Sasuke complied, and Naruto slide off his back and began flexing his limbs gingerly. “I think I can move alright now… you okay, bastard?”

Sasuke was leaning against the alley wall, forehead pressed to the cool metal, panting hard, but not so hard he couldn’t glare at the idiot who dared to ask him how he was feeling. “I’m fine.” Except he wasn’t. It was now clear that his body hadn’t recovered fully from the Sharingan overuse. Which wasn’t terribly surprising, though it was slightly inconvenient. “Are we going now?”

“Take this,” said Naruto, opening his bag and throwing what looked like a piece of tattered brown leather in Sasuke’s direction. “Put it on.”

“Why?” Sasuke asked, unfolding the cloth. It was a cloak, made of an odd material that looked like leather but felt almost like plastic.

“The back entrance of the central spaceport is in furry territory,” Naruto explained.

Ah, of course, Sasuke thought. It was normal for humans to wear cloaks in furry territory, to hide their faces from the furries’ wicked eyes that shone from behind the windows and atop the roofs of every building. Though that probably wasn’t what Naruto was worried about, and to be truthful, it wasn’t Sasuke’s first priority either. If they were spotted by their pursuers again, they’d be in bigger trouble to any encounter with a furry could bring. “We’re trying to go incognito, then.”

“Uh… yeah, that sounds cool, we can do that, too.”

“It means in disguise, you idiot.”

“I knew that! I was just testing you!”

“Whatever. Let’s go.”

Naruto pulled his cloak over his head to match Sasuke, and they set off, walking exactly three feet from each other at all times (Sasuke made sure of that). After taking a few turns and backtracking once or twice (“I thought you said you knew the way, moron,” said Sasuke), they took a right turn and suddenly Sasuke found himself on a street full of furries. At the sight of them, two relatively tall, presumably human men in cloaks, most of the furries scampered into side streets or inside buildings. A few of them leapt up onto the roofs to stare at them as the walked by. Sasuke couldn’t help but notice that most of them had red eyes.

When they were several yards into the eerie silence of the street, another cloaked figure emerged from a nearby building – easily the nicest on the block, though it still looked like it was about to collapse – and began walking at Naruto’s side. Naruto grinned.

“Hey, Hinata.”

“Hello, Naruto-kun.” She looked up, smiling, and through her curtain of dark hair Sasuke saw that she had pure white eyes – not a common furry trait, but certainly not human. “D-did you lose them?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Naruto replied in a hushed voice. “Is Kiba ready?”

“Y-yes, um, I think so. He told me to come and meet you.”

“Cool. Hey Sasuke, look!”

Konoha Central Spaceport loomed over them, a huge silver dome, shining in the dawn light. It was said to hold over four thousand ships, from commercial supply carriers to space yachts owned by the rich and powerful. On the higher levels, at least; the lower levels were rented for cheap prices by ship enthusiasts and travelers looking to house their family-oriented and single-passenger vessels in someplace where they ran a low risk of getting stolen.

The back of the great Central Spaceport faced them now, and up close Sasuke could see a pattern etched on the surface of the dome, like a quilt. Each square had a letter and number carved into it. They were, presumably, the gates that were opened when a ship needed to dock or depart. Five or six ships were currently circling the dome at different heights, waiting to be let in.

Automatic doors of transparent glass lined the first level of the structure. “Naruto-kun, your tail…” Hinata whispered as they passed through.

“Oops. Sorry,” Naruto said sheepishly. In his excitement at seeing the spaceport, his tail had begun swishing behind him, causing a suspicious moving bulge to appear in the back of his cloak. Sasuke snorted.

“Sasuke-kun, your eyes are, um, kind of red…”

Damn. He closed his eyes and reopened them. “And now?”

“They’re f-fine, Sasuke-kun.”

“Good.” He had to calm down. He couldn’t go slipping into the Sharingan in a public place like this; it was bound to prompt questions. That chase had put him on his guard, and that was good, but now wasn’t the time to have a panic attack just walking through an open area like a crowded street, even if it did mean they could’ve been easily spotted.

The first level of the dome was crowded with people, must ducking in and out of elevators or making their way along the main hall, travel papers in hand. A few shady-looking individuals in cloaks and masks stared at them from the alcove near the window. It was well lit overall, but some of the individual light fixtures had gone out, making eerie shadowy patches.

“Come on,” Naruto beckoned, moving left towards one of the elevators. “It’s better the farther up you get. You coming, Hinata?”

The girl shook her head. “I r-really have to get back, Naruto-kun. My orders were to accompany you here and then return home.”

“Alright. You gonna be okay by yourself?”

“I’ll be f-fine.” She smiled and gave a little wave, then turned and walked back towards the entrance.

Naruto started walking towards the elevator again, but Sasuke hung back. The creepy guys in masks near the entrance were looking at Hinata – or more specifically, at her chest – in a way that could only be described as a leer.

“Naruto. Wait.”

“Wha—”

“Watch, and be prepared to move if necessary.” Sasuke jerked his head towards the guys in masks, but Naruto just looked perplexed. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Typical moron.

As Hinata neared the exit, one of the men came towards her from behind, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention. Their conversation lasted only a few moments before the man screamed in pain and scratched at his eyes, yelling, “Jin! The vixen – she did something to my eyes! I can’t see! Grab her!” The swarm of people in the hall all seemed to move at once, some rushing directly to the scene to see what had happened, some moving quickly away to avoid being suspect to whatever crime might have occurred. In the commotion that followed, Sasuke saw Hinata slip through the glass doors and make her way back down the street.

Naruto laughed. “See, Sasuke? She can handle herself.” Shaking his head, he continued weaving his way through the throng towards the elevators, ignoring the man’s continued screams.

“What – what the fuck did she do?” Sasuke demanded, turning sideways and darting into an elevator after Naruto just as the doors slid closed. He waited until they were out and walking down the hallway of the second floor (which, in accordance with Naruto’s earlier statement, was much better than the first) to repeat his question in a whisper. “What just happened? What did she do?”

Naruto chuckled quietly, fingers clasping the edges of his hood so it wouldn’t slip off as they made their way through the crowd. “It’s her family’s tradition. They get special things in their eyes when they’re born – Byakugan, or something like that. It lets them see the energy flow in peoples’ bodies, and if they focus just right, they can shoot freaky laser things out of their eyes and do stuff to it.”

Sasuke nodded. She wasn’t a furry, then. “So it’s an eye modification similar to the Sharingan. She just discontinued the energy flow to his eyes, causing temporary blindness and extreme discomfort.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Sure. By the way, when you were being all buddy-buddy with the snake pervert, did Kabuto teach you anything?”

Sasuke scowled. “Yes. Why?”

“You talk like a mad medical scientist. It’s really creepy.”

“I do not—”

“We’re here!”

Sasuke looked up. They were standing in front of two large doors with A-31 painted on them in red. Naruto moved to the side of the door and pressed a small button underneath a miniature screen that Sasuke assumed activated the intercom.

“Hey, Kiba, it’s me,” Naruto said quietly. A face briefly appeared on the screen above the intercom button, but disappeared so fast that Sasuke barely got a glimpse of it.

“I’m opening the doors.” It was a different voice, not Ino’s and not the one Sasuke assumed belonged to the furry Naruto called Kiba. This one was an urgent male’s voice that seemed somewhat familiar to Sasuke. “Hinata just called. They’ve entered the building, Naruto, and they’re on this floor. We need to take off the minute you two get in here.”

“What about Kakashi?”

“Already here.”

“Right. You ready, Sasuke?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” The doors slid open, and they sprinted in. Sasuke’s half-second glimpse at the ship revealed it to be a dark gray, moderately sized vessel that was shaped vaguely like a thin, sleek diamond with wings. Then the door near the cockpit opened, and there stood Ino, beckoning to them frantically. Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the arm and leapt an easy ten feet up and through the door, pulling the other after him. They collapsed on the floor of the ship in a heap as Ino slammed the door closed and yelled something towards the cockpit. There was a low humming noise, and suddenly Sasuke was slammed against the wall as they accelerated forwards and up. His face was pressed uncomfortably against one of the windows to either side of the door, and as he opened his eyes and glanced through it, time seemed to stop.

For there stood a man in black robes decorated with red clouds, his long black hair blown back from his face, eyes glowing blood red.

Itachi.

And then they were soaring through blue skies, and Sasuke didn’t even try to suppress the tears of frustration that poured from his eyes.

Wheeeee....

2008-01-25T05:07:08Z

I have decided that people are awesome.

This may or may not be because I am currently running a fever.

...

:DDDDDDDD

BWAHAHAHA

2008-01-24T01:16:19Z

Oh my GOD.

I just caught up with all the Death Note dub episodes I've missed (except ep. 13, which is still downloading) and GODDAMNIT I love this show. I - just - it's genius. And L is so awesome. And... and... askjfdlksjdfklsjklsjdklf I have no words. I only hope someday I can create a story half as incredible as Death Note.

(In other news, this cold reeeaaaally needs to go away now.)