Goodbye LJ...

[windandwater]

This is just to make it official for those who don't know, but I'm leaving LJ completely. For the rest of this week at least. Tomorrow is the Bar Exam and it runs for three days, so don't expect to see me about at all until Thursday night. Or even until the weekend since I plan on spending Thursday after the Bar drunk and crying. No online time for me at all. *whines* It will be hard, but I know I can do it.

So, because I'm a total h0r like that, I am declaring this to be a spam post. Go ahead. Run wild! Give me fics, give me links, give me pics, just babble to your heart's content and rape my inbox so I have something to see when I finally DO come back to the wonderful world of LJ. I don't even care if you write me a drabble and post it one word at a time. XD;

Though, I've tried to make a spam post before and it failed a bit miserably, so I don't have very high expectations this time around. Feel free to prove me wrong though!

♥

Comments

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

It should have been familiar surroundings. Wufei had grown up in a village as small as this one, of course, and had rarely left his home and family before the events of last month. But this town was on the western side of the Oz border, and just the distance of a week’s travel made all the difference. Wufei eyed the alien buildings with suspicion, and the buildings’ inhabitants stared suspiciously right back. Their faces, so unlike in character to the ones he’d grown up with, vanished from doorways and windows as Duo and Wufei passed, and some hands made superstitions signs. One little girl, playing idly in the street, saw Duo and Wufei and started towards them curiously; her mother appeared from inside a building and dragged her away. It made Wufei feel, for the first time, like a true outcast; unconsciously, he moved a pace closer to Duo.
When Duo stopped, Wufei nearly stumbled into him. “Here,” Duo announced, pointing upwards to a fading sign hung over a doorway. “Bella’s place, we can stop here for a bite.”
Wufei glanced up at the looming and sinister-looking front uneasily, but bit his tongue as Duo led the way inside. In fact, it was rather clean and airy inside, if a much more cluttered room than Wufei would feel comfortable with. Despite the relative warmth of the day, a fire burned merrily in the stone hearth. There were a few other patrons; two old men playing chess by a window, a young girl and her mother eating at another table. Calling cheerfully for a waitress, Duo settled at one of the tables, and Wufei did likewise.
A rather plump redhead, on the aging side, appeared from behind a curtain at the sound of Duo’s voice. She smiled cheerfully on seeing the young man, and bustled over to their table. “So, Duo m’dear, back again to make trouble?” she said in a mock-disapproving tone.
“Trouble?” Duo sounded miffed by the very idea. “Why, Bella darling, what makes you think I didn’t come here just for the pleasure of your company?”
She clucked over him, shaking her head. “My company, you scamp, more like my food. I must be going soft in the head in my old age, not to charge you full price.”
“There’s no better food in the country, and I should know,” Duo assured her. “Someday I’ll give up the wandering life, and settle down here with you, just so I can eat it every day...”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

She laughed, and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “Why, you tease, you know you never would! Even if you weren’t so serious about your work, you know I’m not your type. I’m female, for starters.”
“Yes, well.” The bantering tone dropped out of Duo’s voice, and a flush rose in his cheeks. He glanced over at Wufei, then down at the table.
This had the effect of drawing Bella’s attention to Wufei, and she pursed her lips as she looked him thoroughly over. “Speaking of which, Duo, is this your latest prize? And what a prize -- in more ways than one. Why --”
“Bella,” Duo interrupted her, the flush rising higher in his face. “Could you be a love, and get some lunch for two? I... uh... have to go out for a little, but I should be back by the time it’s ready.”
“Why, of course, dearie,” she replied, sounding surprised. With a slight shrug, she turned and left the two of them alone.
Duo pushed back his own chair and stood, clearing his throat, keeping his eyes on the table. “Wufei... uh... I’m gonna go get supplies now. Stay here, all right?”
“Certainly,” Wufei replied, a bit puzzled by Duo’s behavior.
“And -- uh --” Duo darted a glance up into Wufei’s eyes. “I’m... well, sorry.” With those confusing actions, Duo fled.
Wufei blinked after him, as the inn door swung shut on the daylight outside. What change had come over Duo? He was acting like something had embarrassed him, but what was it? Wufei replayed the conversation in his head, and Bella’s comment about being female came to mind. One of Wufei’s more distant uncles, in his home village, had loved men, not women. Had she meant to imply that Duo also preferred men? And if so, what exactly had she meant by calling him a prize?
In delayed reaction, a matching blush appeared in Wufei’s cheeks. He knew, objectively, at least, that he was considered an attractive man. Surely Duo hadn’t -- didn’t make a habit of molesting his prisoners? Impossible, surely! Duo would never stoop so low! The vehemence of his own thoughts surprised him; what did he really know about Duo, after all? Only what the bounty hunter chose to tell him -- and, it seemed, he had not told him everything. Wufei felt anger begin to grow inside him, as this revelation cast an unsettling light on everything that had passed in the time he had spent with Duo. Countless casual touches suddenly took on a new and sinister meaning; he suddenly recalled a dozen instances when Duo had the opportunity to observe his body. Did Duo find him -- desirable? Arousing, even?
The thought did not disgust him as much as it should have.

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

A quick change in the room’s illumination caught Wufei’s attention, and he glanced up to see the door open and close, as two travelers entered the inn and shrugged off their outer layers. They were both large, and bulky men, with rather mulish set features; one had a shaggy blond mop of hair, and the other short, tangled dark hair. They took a table in the corner, and the chairs creaked when they sat.
Wufei paid them little attention, his thoughts quickly returning to this new and disturbing dilemma. It had never occurred to him to doubt his own preferences, although he had never really had an opportunity to explore. His studies had always occupied his time, before his marriage -- he swallowed against the lump in his throat, and blinked back a threatening stinging in his eyes. His six-hour marriage. No, he had never had a chance to discover Meiran...
That memory was too painful, and he forced his thoughts away from it. It was true that he had found Meiran attractive, and in fact had admired the virtues of many of the village girls. But it was always a purely aesthetic attraction, and he had never been excited by any of them. He had always assumed himself merely to be a late bloomer, and that such desires would show themselves in time.
This was a hell of a time for it, though... He forced himself to consider the problem objectively. Did he, Chang Wufei of the Clan of Dragons, actually find another man... Duo... desirable?
He had a bad feeling he already knew the answer to that question...
He was abruptly jarred out of his musings as his ears caught a change in the surrounding atmosphere, a sudden increase in excitement. He glanced over to the table in the corner, only to find the two travelers staring intently back at him, talking excitedly to each other. Studying them more carefully, Wufei realized that the sturdy leathers they were dressed in were black and tan; from the belt of one hung a coiled whip, and as the other shifted, he caught a glimpse of metallic links. Wufei’s mouth went dry as he realized what, exactly, they were.
Bounty hunters.
This could be very, very, bad...
As if in answer to Wufei’s thoughts, the two got up from their table and sauntered over to him. He looked up at them as they approached, feeling suddenly small.
“Look at this, Alex,” rumbled the dark-haired one. “In’t this the Dragon mark what killed His Lordship Khushrenada?”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

A quick change in the room’s illumination caught Wufei’s attention, and he glanced up to see the door open and close, as two travelers entered the inn and shrugged off their outer layers. They were both large, and bulky men, with rather mulish set features; one had a shaggy blond mop of hair, and the other short, tangled dark hair. They took a table in the corner, and the chairs creaked when they sat.
Wufei paid them little attention, his thoughts quickly returning to this new and disturbing dilemma. It had never occurred to him to doubt his own preferences, although he had never really had an opportunity to explore. His studies had always occupied his time, before his marriage -- he swallowed against the lump in his throat, and blinked back a threatening stinging in his eyes. His six-hour marriage. No, he had never had a chance to discover Meiran...
That memory was too painful, and he forced his thoughts away from it. It was true that he had found Meiran attractive, and in fact had admired the virtues of many of the village girls. But it was always a purely aesthetic attraction, and he had never been excited by any of them. He had always assumed himself merely to be a late bloomer, and that such desires would show themselves in time.
This was a hell of a time for it, though... He forced himself to consider the problem objectively. Did he, Chang Wufei of the Clan of Dragons, actually find another man... Duo... desirable?
He had a bad feeling he already knew the answer to that question...
He was abruptly jarred out of his musings as his ears caught a change in the surrounding atmosphere, a sudden increase in excitement. He glanced over to the table in the corner, only to find the two travelers staring intently back at him, talking excitedly to each other. Studying them more carefully, Wufei realized that the sturdy leathers they were dressed in were black and tan; from the belt of one hung a coiled whip, and as the other shifted, he caught a glimpse of metallic links. Wufei’s mouth went dry as he realized what, exactly, they were.
Bounty hunters.
This could be very, very, bad...
As if in answer to Wufei’s thoughts, the two got up from their table and sauntered over to him. He looked up at them as they approached, feeling suddenly small.
“Look at this, Alex,” rumbled the dark-haired one. “In’t this the Dragon mark what killed His Lordship Khushrenada?”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

“The same,” the blond one smirked. “Cocky little criminal, sitting here cool as anything in broad daylight...”
“His loss, our gain,” the other grunted. “His price ‘as doubled, in the last week. This’ll make us rich men.”
The situation seemed, for a moment, absolutely ludicrous. Wufei tried to think of some way to convince these men, No, you can’t take me back to Romafeller, I’m already heading that way myself...
“I’m afraid my price is not yours to take, gentlemen,” Wufei said coolly, sliding his chair back and standing, every muscle tense as a wire. It’s already claimed, you see --
They grinned at each other, amused by his seeming defiance, and started forwards towards him. Wufei dodged their first grab, ducking behind the table -- one of the chairs clattered to its side, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. From behind the kitchen curtain, Bella’s worried face peeked out, and widened as she took in the situation.
Hell with it, Wufei decided. He had given his word of co-operation to Duo, not to these thugs. Narrowing his eyes, he slipped into a defensive stance, though his focus wavered back and forth between the two men.
The blond one -- Alex -- grabbed hold of his wrist, and Wufei quickly twisted his arm around, throwing the bigger man off balance, and then followed this up with a blow to his neck. Alex staggered, but before Wufei could press his advantage, his partner charged in from the other side and forced Wufei to duck his swing.
The three men soon devolved into an unorganized struggle. Wufei had more discipline, more knowledge of the art and power that went into combat, but his opponents were much larger than him and surprisingly fast for their size. Their punches and kicks, even those that he blocked, hit him with bruising strength; he gave as good as he got, but they had more mass with which to absorb his own blows.
An opening -- at last! Concentrating entirely on Alex for a moment, ignoring his partner, Wufei delivered an expert kick to the man’s knee, and snarled in satisfaction as he toppled with a surprised howl. This time he did not give him any time to recover, following his opponent down to the ground and punching at him with all his strength. Alex was dazed, groggy, and Wufei felt a thrill of impending victory. One down -- one to --

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

He heard the sharp crackling through the air an instant before his right arm was circled by a line of liquid fire. He gasped at the unexpected pain, his arm falling for a moment uselessly numb, and took an instant to recognize its significance; left free for a moment, the other bounty hunter had pulled out his whip. Another crackle sounded as he tried to turn, face his opponent, and this time the whip caught him across the chest, sending him sprawling to the floor amidst the wreckage of the chair.
Dazed, he tried to fight through the blinding pain to get to his feet, but the lash descended mercilessly, driving all thoughts of fight from his mind. Distantly, he heard Alex, sounding furious and out of breath. The whip entangled his left arm, and then strong hands gripped him and hoisted him into the air, slamming him down on the table. He felt the wood start to buckle with the force.
“Hold’im, Mueller... just a minute...”
His hands were yanked behind him, and he felt something cold and rigid bite around his wrists. Chains! After all this? He had to concentrate on getting air back into his lungs, as the rattling of metal links filled his ears. Manacles fastened around his legs, too -- he remembered a similar setup the first time he had woken up, after Duo had run him down. But unlike Duo, these bloodhounds had no intentions of letting him go.
“ -- son of a bitch! Nearly broke my leg!” came Alex’s outraged voice. “I wanna teach this little bastard a lesson --”
“Later,” growled his partner. “First we gotta get th’ brand on him. Don’t wanta have to chase him down gain.”
A snarling agreement, and the sounds of footsteps limping away. With difficulty, Wufei refocused his eyes. Dark-haired Mueller still held him pinned unforgivingly against the wooden table, as his partner, muttering curses, hulked over the fireplace. He pulled out a long metal rod with a wooden handle, and began to scrape coals out of the firebed. Wufei tried to twist his head to see the rest of the room; the other patrons appeared to have fled. Behind the kitchen curtain, there was no sign of Bella. Damn it! They can’t just -- let them --
“All right,” Alex said hoarsely, limping back over to the table. He tightly clutched the wooden handle of the glowing iron brand. His face was twisted in vengeful glee as he instructed his partner, “Open up his shirt -- and for the luvva God hold’im still...”
Wufei twisted and bucked frantically against his bonds as Mueller shifted his grip to yank Wufei’s shirt open. It was no good, Mueller pinned him easily -- Alex bent over him with the brand --

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

The door slammed open, admitting a bright burst of sunlight into the darkened room. Startled, the two bounty hunters looked up from their bloodthirsty task, and Wufei wrenched his face as far around as he could to see.
Standing in the doorway, black clothes silhouetted against the bright sun outside, stood Duo, full back dangling from one hand. His face twisted by a cold fury the likes of which Wufei had never seen. Behind him, Wufei just caught a glimpse of an anxiously hovering Bella.
“Just what exactly,” Duo growled, in a voice that chilled Wufei to the bone, “do you think you’re doing with my prisoner?”
Mueller eyed the newcomer uneasily; Alex glared daggers. “Clear off,” he snarled, attempting to look imposing. “This is our piece of meat.”
“Correction,” Duo drawled almost lazily, stepping slowly into the inn room. “That is my piece of meat, and I was the one who ran him down, and I will be the one to collect on his reward.”
Mueller’s glance flickered uneasily from Wufei to Duo. “He ain’t got your brand on him.”
“That’s right.” Duo smiled dangerously. His hand hovered over a suspicious lump in his black trousers; Wufei wondered desperately if there was actually a weapon there, or if Duo was just bluffing. “Shinigami doesn’t need a brand to claim what’s his.”
Alex stiffened, then barked a laugh. “You think you can impress us by pretending to be Shinigami? Like hell!”
“Alex,” Mueller muttered uneasily. “I don’t think he’s pretending.”
“No way.” Alex stared down at the much shorter, slighter man with contemptuous disbelief. “You’re trying to tell us that this skinny little wimp is the guy who brought down the bandit Hoskin and his men? That’s crap!”
“Care to test it?” Duo bared his teeth in what could very generously be considered a smile. It looked morbidly like a skull’s grin. “I’ve come much too far to lose my investment in the Dragon.”
Something in his aura of menace unsettled the two older men; Alex drew back slightly. Wufei breathed a sigh of relief; the tip of the iron poker had been wavering perilously close to his face.
Mueller’s voice was defensive. “It don’t matter who you are,” he retorted. “If your mark ain’t on him, he ain’t yours...”

Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY

[mikkeneko.livejournal.com]

He heard the sharp crackling through the air an instant before his right arm was circled by a line of liquid fire. He gasped at the unexpected pain, his arm falling for a moment uselessly numb, and took an instant to recognize its significance; left free for a moment, the other bounty hunter had pulled out his whip. Another crackle sounded as he tried to turn, face his opponent, and this time the whip caught him across the chest, sending him sprawling to the floor amidst the wreckage of the chair.
Dazed, he tried to fight through the blinding pain to get to his feet, but the lash descended mercilessly, driving all thoughts of fight from his mind. Distantly, he heard Alex, sounding furious and out of breath. The whip entangled his left arm, and then strong hands gripped him and hoisted him into the air, slamming him down on the table. He felt the wood start to buckle with the force.
“Hold’im, Mueller... just a minute...”
His hands were yanked behind him, and he felt something cold and rigid bite around his wrists. Chains! After all this? He had to concentrate on getting air back into his lungs, as the rattling of metal links filled his ears. Manacles fastened around his legs, too -- he remembered a similar setup the first time he had woken up, after Duo had run him down. But unlike Duo, these bloodhounds had no intentions of letting him go.
“ -- son of a bitch! Nearly broke my leg!” came Alex’s outraged voice. “I wanna teach this little bastard a lesson --”
“Later,” growled his partner. “First we gotta get th’ brand on him. Don’t wanta have to chase him down gain.”
A snarling agreement, and the sounds of footsteps limping away. With difficulty, Wufei refocused his eyes. Dark-haired Mueller still held him pinned unforgivingly against the wooden table, as his partner, muttering curses, hulked over the fireplace. He pulled out a long metal rod with a wooden handle, and began to scrape coals out of the firebed. Wufei tried to twist his head to see the rest of the room; the other patrons appeared to have fled. Behind the kitchen curtain, there was no sign of Bella. Damn it! They can’t just -- let them --
“All right,” Alex said hoarsely, limping back over to the table. He tightly clutched the wooden handle of the glowing iron brand. His face was twisted in vengeful glee as he instructed his partner, “Open up his shirt -- and for the luvva God hold’im still...”
Wufei twisted and bucked frantically against his bonds as Mueller shifted his grip to yank Wufei’s shirt open. It was no good, Mueller pinned him easily -- Alex bent over him with the brand --