sincere | Drabble Challenge cuz why not

Need to get cracking on my writing, Crysi made it look tempting, and, heck, I have way too much free time, what with the "can't find a job" thing. Challenge me!

Each person can ask for up to 3 drabbles, and you can ask for 1-3 people in each drabble. All genders and orientations welcome. Pairings are indicated by / and regular interaction with , -- but I'm Le Subtle and your pairing may or may not be nearly invisible.

I'm still on a KH kick, but you may also request: Tales of Symphonia/the Abyss, Suikoden I-III, Warcraft, Lost, Kyou Kara Maou, most of CLAMP, and Final Fantasy VI-XII (minus XI and VIII, although VIII characters may be requested in KH-verse, and plus Tactics). If you're really jonesing on something else, ask and I'll tell you. (In advance, I know nothing of Avatar.)

The format is Character/Character: prompt, as follows:

Luxord, Namine: fortune-telling
Marluxia/Zexion: politics are sexy
Balthier/Fran: the AU where he never took off the Judge costume

You can also request specific storylines, as follows:

Namine, Cid: the tea (AS)
Sora, Roxas, Xemnas: you know nothing (IXIII)

(No requests for NNK canon yet; there isn't enough of it to go around.)

Bonus points if you request at least one pairing that nobody I know writes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

My kosher challenges are:

Lucia, Sgt. Joe: they grow up so fast, don't they?
Kantarou, Youko (pre-Haruka's release): 朧月夜

My pathetically hopeful, blast-from-the-past challenge is:

Zero/Erts: either "I'd like to walk around in your mind" or "coldest night of the year," whichever sparks an idea

. . . . wait, you meant Final Fantasy Tactics, not Tactics Tactics. *headdesk*

Tactics Tactics is also okay. XD

You = Good People ツb

Someone else who likes Tactics! :O A rare breed indeed. ^_^

Yeah, I tend to gravitate toward obscure series, which really sucks because if I want art and/or fic, I generally have to do it myself. XD;

One thing was as constant as the archaic concept of seasons; that a certain number of cycles in rotation, GIS would dock at GOA to make preparations and restock on supplies and whatever else it was that GIS did, mysterious workings that Zero only longed to someday be privileged to.

He had been on GIS, once, since the incident. Erts had 'summoned' him -- a thoroughly impersonal message, except for the postscript, a wry, Don't let Garr see you. He could almost hear Erts's voice saying it.

"Sorry to call you up here," Erts murmured. "I would've gone down to meet you, but-- well." He laid back in his bed, one hand over the bandages on his stomach.

"How did you get hurt?" Zero demanded, hopping to the younger boy's bedside. "One of the Victim-- How did it--"

Erts laughed, a soft sound. It didn't sound like he really meant it, but maybe like he thought it was appropriate to laugh. "Not Victim. I was my enemy this time. I bruised a rib while training."

Zero was torn between appreciation of Erts's newfound dedication and scolding him for being too dedicated. He settled for an in-between, "Take better care of yourself! Next time it could be an automic." (He still wasn't sure what was the deal with those except that they were frequently used as threats on reckless Candidates such as himself.)

The blond boy smiled at him. "Thank you for your concern."

Zero dropped to his knees and folded his arms over the edge of the bed. "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked, tucking his chin over his arms.

Erts hesitated a moment, then shook his head wordlessly. "I... Just wanted to see you."

Maybe it was just the way Erts was, that unabashed sentimentalism, but Zero thought, I've never had a friend before who would have gone to trouble just to be with me. He smirked a bit and said, "Well, soon you won't have to send a message to spend time with me. I'll be right down the hall."

That prompted a laugh -- a real one. "Will you? What rank are you now?"

Zero grinned. "First of Second Troop," he said, smug.

Erts's eyes widened. "You beat out Hiead?"

It hadn't been easy. It hadn't been easy at all. "Yeah, well, he couldn't keep up with me. Torturing small animals instead of practicing."

"You're horrible."

"No, he's horrible," Zero corrected. He fidgeted a little at the edge of the bed, playing with a wrinkle in the sheet. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

Quiet breathing, the slow rise and fall of Erts's chest, and then he shook his head. "No. It doesn't. You know... Zero..."

"Mm?"

"...to be honest, I wanted you to come because... being with you makes me feel better."

Hesitantly, Zero shifted, groping blindly on the sheets for Erts's hand. The telepathist stiffened at the contact, giving a panicked little jerk that Zero knew was reflexive, and then slowly, slowly eased.

When Zero thought about how soon he would have to leave GIS, and Erts, he felt colder than he had in years.

Nice. I was looking forward to how you might handle that "coldest night" thing on seasonless, climate controlled GOA and/or GIS. I also love the slightly awkward yet overwhelmingly comfortable atmosphere of their conversation.

And how you casually worked in "Hiead is a homicidal asshole, for serious" because he totally is.

She was lingering at the window, leaning against the support pole with her arms folded. Being lost in thought did not stop her from hearing heavy footsteps on the rough floor, but Lucia had only to lift her head for a moment to identify the newcomer. Her thoughts were confirmed when he piped up and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Hugo," she told him, shifting enough out of the window for him so that he could see for himself.

Sgt. Joe padded up beside her and squinted out the window. "Ah," he said sagely.

"I don't know why he does that."

Her son was outside with his friends, laughing at something Lulu or Aila perched on a nearby rock had said. He was hanging from a tree branch by his knees, Fubar hovering beneath him, watching him steadily. For all his odd upside-down perch, Hugo seemed oblivious to anything strange about the picture.

The duck said critically, "Boy's getting to that age. He needs to start worrying about what other people will think of his actions more than worrying about what they think of his looks."

She watched Hugo for a moment longer, and then turned a faint smile on Joe. "He's growing up." Light words that meant so much-- that hit hard, although Lucia shouldered that blow stubbornly. She was the mother of an adolescent. Hugo was so good, so earnest and serious, that it was easy to forget his youth.

"He's been growing up all along," Sgt. Joe said, ruffling his feathers with the gruff disdain that meant he was trying not to be sentimental.

Lucia smiled for him, for his caring. She wondered what Hugo would be like as an adult-- quick to smile, or withdrawn, private? He was too much like her already, needed too much to be in control of things. Don't grow up so fast, Hugo. Enjoy yourself. Be a child a little while longer...

"Oh," the duck said, turning to leave. He tossed her a deadpan wink over his shoulder. "I overheard him telling Fubar about it. He's hanging from the tree because he thinks it'll make him taller. He's a little worried about his height."

Lucia stared out the window, watching Hugo swing nimbly, gymnastic swaying from his knees onto his hands and then over the branch and back to dangle upside-down. She couldn't allow herself to smile, not when he could look up and catch sight of her at any moment; but she wanted to, desperately.

He still has childhood ahead of him yet.

Oh, wow. I totally lost track of this thread. XD;

Anyway, I'd like to drop an extremely belated "thank you" for this drabble. Strange as it may sound, Sgt. Joe is one of my favorite Gensui III characters, and I like what you've done with him here.

Drabble Challenge cuz why not

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Zero/Erts: "Respite"

Re: Zero/Erts: "Respite"

Lucia, Sgt. Joe: "Halcyon Days"

Re: Lucia, Sgt. Joe: "Halcyon Days"