King Chronos of Pluto
The Time Gate stood outside the regular flow of time, so there was no accurate way to measure just how long Princess Minthe stood guard there. It could have been millions of years, or just a few seconds. She felt time turn around her, without touching her. Except for those few instances when, in a way, it did. When her father came to visit.
She could tell he had come again before she even turned around, for she could smell fresh tea mixed with autumn leaves, spring flowers, winter snow and summer grass. She smiled as she turned to face him; he was sitting down at a table set for lunch, with two chairs. He smiled at her in return.
“Good afternoon, daughter,” he said. He was tall and dark skinned like her, with light green hair that fell down his back and framed his lean face. He wore his usual armor, steal plates and leather with ornate designs carved into it that represented the passing of time. For a tim
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What is life without stories?Newest Deviations
Literature
Planetary Kings 10: Pluto
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Literature
Planetary Kings 9: Neptune
King Poseidon of Neptune
The hour was late, and much of castle had settled in to sleep. King Poseidon had tucked Princess Phoebe into bed an hour ago, and was finishing the last two items of paperwork before preparing for bed himself. The plans for the new roadways looked sound, and he signed off on them. The last thing in his pile was a proposal for a new art museum in the capital. He read it over with great interest, his gray-green eyes twinkling with pleasure, and then signed his agreement. He gathered the papers and placed them in the corner of his desk for the servants to retrieve in the morning. Just as he stood and stretched, he heard a soft cry in the distance.
Striding quickly to the door, he listened carefully for any further sound, and discerned muffled sobbing. A sad sigh escaped his lips as he turned and scooped up the item he knew would be needed to help with this problem. It took him only a few moments to reach the Princess
The hour was late, and much of castle had settled in to sleep. King Poseidon had tucked Princess Phoebe into bed an hour ago, and was finishing the last two items of paperwork before preparing for bed himself. The plans for the new roadways looked sound, and he signed off on them. The last thing in his pile was a proposal for a new art museum in the capital. He read it over with great interest, his gray-green eyes twinkling with pleasure, and then signed his agreement. He gathered the papers and placed them in the corner of his desk for the servants to retrieve in the morning. Just as he stood and stretched, he heard a soft cry in the distance.
Striding quickly to the door, he listened carefully for any further sound, and discerned muffled sobbing. A sad sigh escaped his lips as he turned and scooped up the item he knew would be needed to help with this problem. It took him only a few moments to reach the Princess
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Literature
A Defense of the DiC Dub
A Defense of the DiC Dub of Sailor Moon
I know what most of you are probably thinking: Why, in the name of the moon, would anyone defend the DiC dub? The answer is, because I honestly don't think it deserves all of the hatred it gets. Is it perfect? Hell, no! Is it edited to pieces in places? Absolutely. Is there unnecessary censorship? Of course. Is Naru/Molly's accent kinda weird and out of place? No question. But all of this doesn't mean there weren't things that the folks at DiC did well, or that the entire show was awful. In fact, there were several things about the DiC dub that were really good. So, what did DiC do right?
The Music. While it is too bad that DiC replaced basically all of the Japanese music, the music DiC created was also quite good. The tunes were distinctive and evocative, and quite memorable. The transformation music was great; in fact, I like DiC's music for Sailor Moon's
I know what most of you are probably thinking: Why, in the name of the moon, would anyone defend the DiC dub? The answer is, because I honestly don't think it deserves all of the hatred it gets. Is it perfect? Hell, no! Is it edited to pieces in places? Absolutely. Is there unnecessary censorship? Of course. Is Naru/Molly's accent kinda weird and out of place? No question. But all of this doesn't mean there weren't things that the folks at DiC did well, or that the entire show was awful. In fact, there were several things about the DiC dub that were really good. So, what did DiC do right?
The Music. While it is too bad that DiC replaced basically all of the Japanese music, the music DiC created was also quite good. The tunes were distinctive and evocative, and quite memorable. The transformation music was great; in fact, I like DiC's music for Sailor Moon's
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Literature
Planetary Kings 8: Uranus
King Caelus of Uranus
“. . .and I am counting the days until I can see you again,” the recording said, and King Caelus paused it to look at his wife. He had watched this newest report three times, just to see her face and hear her voice. He touched the screen and sighed; he knew what he was getting into when he married her, but he missed her so.
It was no easy fate, being a senshi of the outer worlds; the vast majority of their time had to be spent at their posts, supporting the magic web that protected their system from outside invaders. Twice a year they were allowed to return home for a day; just two days a year with their families and friends.
“Such a lonely fate for someone who loves dancing so much,” King Caelus said, to himself and to the universe at large. One day, she'll be able to come home to stay, he thought, then scowled in frustration. But only because our daughter will have taken up the m
“. . .and I am counting the days until I can see you again,” the recording said, and King Caelus paused it to look at his wife. He had watched this newest report three times, just to see her face and hear her voice. He touched the screen and sighed; he knew what he was getting into when he married her, but he missed her so.
It was no easy fate, being a senshi of the outer worlds; the vast majority of their time had to be spent at their posts, supporting the magic web that protected their system from outside invaders. Twice a year they were allowed to return home for a day; just two days a year with their families and friends.
“Such a lonely fate for someone who loves dancing so much,” King Caelus said, to himself and to the universe at large. One day, she'll be able to come home to stay, he thought, then scowled in frustration. But only because our daughter will have taken up the m
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Literature
Planetary Kings 7: Saturn
King Titan of Saturn
The King of Saturn was a slender, soft-spoken man, but his eyes seemed to pierce everything around him. Few of the servants had the courage to meet his eyes, even though he never raised his voice to any of them. As he glided down the hallway with a rustle of his dark purple robes, that unnerving gaze sweeping the area in search of his quarry, the servants kept their own eyes looking at almost anything else. King Titan paid them no mind, for he was used to it, and he had more important matters to attend to at the moment.
As King Titan passed by one of the large windows, one of the curtains quivered slightly. He paused in mid step, a smile touching his lips.
“Now, where could she be?” he mused aloud, and heard a tiny, muffled giggle. “I've searched everywhere, and there's no sign of Rhea! Has she vanished completely?” he continued, causally stepping back toward the window, and heard another quiet giggle.
The King of Saturn was a slender, soft-spoken man, but his eyes seemed to pierce everything around him. Few of the servants had the courage to meet his eyes, even though he never raised his voice to any of them. As he glided down the hallway with a rustle of his dark purple robes, that unnerving gaze sweeping the area in search of his quarry, the servants kept their own eyes looking at almost anything else. King Titan paid them no mind, for he was used to it, and he had more important matters to attend to at the moment.
As King Titan passed by one of the large windows, one of the curtains quivered slightly. He paused in mid step, a smile touching his lips.
“Now, where could she be?” he mused aloud, and heard a tiny, muffled giggle. “I've searched everywhere, and there's no sign of Rhea! Has she vanished completely?” he continued, causally stepping back toward the window, and heard another quiet giggle.
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Literature
The Ways of the Saiyans Finale
At Vegeta's command, the Saiyan army began to gather up their dead so that the bodies could be buried properly at the Saiyan colonies. The remaining forces of the Kold Empire made no attempt to stop them. Much to Vegeta's surprise, High General Nappa had survived the battle. Noting her presence next to the prince, Nappa shot Bulma a brief, unhappy look, but otherwise kept his disapproving thoughts to himself. The large Saiyan supervised the collection of the bodies of the royal family. Kakkarot and Toma gently collected the bodies of Bardock, Okarana, and Raditz.
“You two,” Vegeta said, pointing at two able-bodied soldiers, “take the bodies of the Munotes and put them with the royal family.”
“Sire?” The soldiers gaped at him in surprise and he scowled.
“They are my family, too, and will be treated with all the respect that entails. Now, MOVE IT!” Vegeta barked and the two soldiers jumped to work.
“You two,” Vegeta said, pointing at two able-bodied soldiers, “take the bodies of the Munotes and put them with the royal family.”
“Sire?” The soldiers gaped at him in surprise and he scowled.
“They are my family, too, and will be treated with all the respect that entails. Now, MOVE IT!” Vegeta barked and the two soldiers jumped to work.
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Literature
The Ways of the Saiyans Ch 14
The Ways of the Saiyans
by
NansJns
Chapter 14: Long Live the King
“Sire, there are several ships currently in orbit. Some of them are ours, the rest are an unknown design,” reported one of the helmsmen on King Kold's ship as the data began to come in. “They're fighting-”
“I don't care,” King Kold answered, cutting him off, his voice low. “Make a hole for us so that we can land.”
“Sire?” the helmsman looked at him uncertainly.
“Must I spell it out for you? Destroy whatever vessels are directly in our path so we can get through to the planet!” King Kold barked, and everyone on the bridge jumped and flinched.
“Y-yes, my king,” the helmsman said with a shiver. “Weapons charging.”
“Our fleet can always regroup and re-engage the enemy fleet later,” King Kold muttered as he paced around in front of his command chair, “but I want the ones responsible for Fri
by
NansJns
Chapter 14: Long Live the King
“Sire, there are several ships currently in orbit. Some of them are ours, the rest are an unknown design,” reported one of the helmsmen on King Kold's ship as the data began to come in. “They're fighting-”
“I don't care,” King Kold answered, cutting him off, his voice low. “Make a hole for us so that we can land.”
“Sire?” the helmsman looked at him uncertainly.
“Must I spell it out for you? Destroy whatever vessels are directly in our path so we can get through to the planet!” King Kold barked, and everyone on the bridge jumped and flinched.
“Y-yes, my king,” the helmsman said with a shiver. “Weapons charging.”
“Our fleet can always regroup and re-engage the enemy fleet later,” King Kold muttered as he paced around in front of his command chair, “but I want the ones responsible for Fri
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Literature
Fault
Fault
by
NansJns
There was a heavy smell of death in the air. Panthro felt his stomach twist as he tasted the tainted, misty air, and he began to run. He wasn't sure how long he ran, but the high walls of Thundera suddenly loomed ahead of him. For a moment, he felt relief at the sight of of those high, safe walls. He ran through the open gate, not even stopping to wonder why it was open and unguarded. Inside the gate, however, was no city. A massive graveyard stretched off to the horizon before Panthro's eyes, each grave marked with Thunderian writing.
“No!” Panthro cried in horror. He spun around, but the walls and gate were gone; all that remained was the endless graveyard. He turned back, and saw a familiar figure standing several feet away.
“Surely you're not surprised?” Grune asked, and laughed.
Panthro snarled. “You bastard! How could you do this?”
Grune just kept laughing in response,
by
NansJns
There was a heavy smell of death in the air. Panthro felt his stomach twist as he tasted the tainted, misty air, and he began to run. He wasn't sure how long he ran, but the high walls of Thundera suddenly loomed ahead of him. For a moment, he felt relief at the sight of of those high, safe walls. He ran through the open gate, not even stopping to wonder why it was open and unguarded. Inside the gate, however, was no city. A massive graveyard stretched off to the horizon before Panthro's eyes, each grave marked with Thunderian writing.
“No!” Panthro cried in horror. He spun around, but the walls and gate were gone; all that remained was the endless graveyard. He turned back, and saw a familiar figure standing several feet away.
“Surely you're not surprised?” Grune asked, and laughed.
Panthro snarled. “You bastard! How could you do this?”
Grune just kept laughing in response,
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Literature
The Howler - TC Fic
“I always liked the story of The Howler,” Cheetara said.
“The Howler?” Wiley Kat repeated.
“What's that?” Wiley Kit asked.
“You've never heard of The Howler?” Tygra asked in surprise.
“I thought everyone knew about it,” Lion-O said with a slight grin.
“Well, we haven't,” Wiley Kat said.
“Oh boy,” Panthro grumbled, already tuning out the rest of the conversation. He had no taste for ghost stories, and someone needed to stay alert for trouble.
“They say that years ago, in one of the outer villages of Thundera, there lived a disobedient little cub. Whatever his parents and elders would tell him to do, he would do the opposite. He broke the eggs he was sent to collect. He would throw mud on clothes hung up to dry. When asked to help his sister, he would push her into the dirt. If they told him to go to bed, he'd hide and stay up half the night. If they told hi
“The Howler?” Wiley Kat repeated.
“What's that?” Wiley Kit asked.
“You've never heard of The Howler?” Tygra asked in surprise.
“I thought everyone knew about it,” Lion-O said with a slight grin.
“Well, we haven't,” Wiley Kat said.
“Oh boy,” Panthro grumbled, already tuning out the rest of the conversation. He had no taste for ghost stories, and someone needed to stay alert for trouble.
“They say that years ago, in one of the outer villages of Thundera, there lived a disobedient little cub. Whatever his parents and elders would tell him to do, he would do the opposite. He broke the eggs he was sent to collect. He would throw mud on clothes hung up to dry. When asked to help his sister, he would push her into the dirt. If they told him to go to bed, he'd hide and stay up half the night. If they told hi
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Literature
Planetary Kings 6: Jupiter
King Zeus of Jupiter
King Zeus's birthday celebration was a grand affair. Bright, happy music filled the lavishly decorated hall as the guests danced and mingled. King Zeus walked amongst his friends and compatriots, his Queen at his side, talking merrily with everyone. His boisterous laugh could be heard throughout the hall, but even when he was silent he stood out in the crowd. King Zeus was almost a foot taller than everyone else there, broad-shouldered, with long red-brown hair tied back in a low ponytail, brown eyes, and a thick beard and mustache. He wore robes of emerald green for the occasion and his tall, golden crown. His wife, Queen Hera, was tall, though not as tall as Zeus, with long, wavy, glossy brown hair and green eyes. She wore a lovely green and gold dress that fell over her full curves just right. When she went to fetch some wine for the two of them, King Zeus surveyed the room for a moment. He was pleased to see
King Zeus's birthday celebration was a grand affair. Bright, happy music filled the lavishly decorated hall as the guests danced and mingled. King Zeus walked amongst his friends and compatriots, his Queen at his side, talking merrily with everyone. His boisterous laugh could be heard throughout the hall, but even when he was silent he stood out in the crowd. King Zeus was almost a foot taller than everyone else there, broad-shouldered, with long red-brown hair tied back in a low ponytail, brown eyes, and a thick beard and mustache. He wore robes of emerald green for the occasion and his tall, golden crown. His wife, Queen Hera, was tall, though not as tall as Zeus, with long, wavy, glossy brown hair and green eyes. She wore a lovely green and gold dress that fell over her full curves just right. When she went to fetch some wine for the two of them, King Zeus surveyed the room for a moment. He was pleased to see
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Mature content
The Ways of the Saiyans ch13
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Literature
The Ship
The Ship
by
NansJns
Vegeta usually tried to stay on the outskirts on the Halloween festivities, considering them to be very foolish. He had developed a taste for human candy, though, and would slip into the party to grab a few pieces every now and then. Trunks and Goten were back from trick-or-treating, and were gleefully counting up their loot. Not many children could hit ten different neighborhoods in one night. Vegeta was doing his best to tune the nonsense out when Trunks suddenly pulled on his sleeve.
"Dad, I asked you a question!" Trunks said.
"What is it?" Vegeta asked.
"Do Saiyans have ghost stories?" Trunks asked.
"Of course," Vegeta shrugged. "I'm pretty sure most races do." He was slightly taken aback by the excited look that filled his son's eyes.
"Can you tell us any of them? I bet they're way better than the lame stories we've been hearing!"
Vegeta considered it for a moment; then a wicked
by
NansJns
Vegeta usually tried to stay on the outskirts on the Halloween festivities, considering them to be very foolish. He had developed a taste for human candy, though, and would slip into the party to grab a few pieces every now and then. Trunks and Goten were back from trick-or-treating, and were gleefully counting up their loot. Not many children could hit ten different neighborhoods in one night. Vegeta was doing his best to tune the nonsense out when Trunks suddenly pulled on his sleeve.
"Dad, I asked you a question!" Trunks said.
"What is it?" Vegeta asked.
"Do Saiyans have ghost stories?" Trunks asked.
"Of course," Vegeta shrugged. "I'm pretty sure most races do." He was slightly taken aback by the excited look that filled his son's eyes.
"Can you tell us any of them? I bet they're way better than the lame stories we've been hearing!"
Vegeta considered it for a moment; then a wicked
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Literature
Haunted House
Haunted House
by
NansJns
It was mid-autumn, and a light, cold rain was coming down over Thundera. The slums were darker than usual under the overcast sky, and the husk of a house the young cubs stood before creaked and groaned in the wind. Since they had come to the slums three months ago, Wiley Kat and Wiley Kit had heard several stories about the old house; most agreed the original owners had died horribly inside, and their spirits still roamed its decaying rooms. Some even said it was the birthplace of the White Lady, the ghost who searched endlessly for her children, and would steal any cubs she found. None of the homeless would take shelter there, even in the worst weather, because of the stories. Now Kit and Kat stood before the house with some other homeless cubs, trying to see or hear anything unusual.
"This is pointless," Wiley Kat said after a while of nothing happening. "Someone should go inside!"
"Yeah!
by
NansJns
It was mid-autumn, and a light, cold rain was coming down over Thundera. The slums were darker than usual under the overcast sky, and the husk of a house the young cubs stood before creaked and groaned in the wind. Since they had come to the slums three months ago, Wiley Kat and Wiley Kit had heard several stories about the old house; most agreed the original owners had died horribly inside, and their spirits still roamed its decaying rooms. Some even said it was the birthplace of the White Lady, the ghost who searched endlessly for her children, and would steal any cubs she found. None of the homeless would take shelter there, even in the worst weather, because of the stories. Now Kit and Kat stood before the house with some other homeless cubs, trying to see or hear anything unusual.
"This is pointless," Wiley Kat said after a while of nothing happening. "Someone should go inside!"
"Yeah!
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Literature
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat
by
NansJns
"Oh, come on, Renji! It'll be fun!" Rukia said in a cajoling tone, trying to get the dubious look off her husband's face. "Byaku-kun is looking forward to it so much, don't disappoint him!"
"I know," Renji sighed. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his six-year-old son's feelings over something so harmless. "It's just that it seems kinda silly, and Halloween is just such an American thing. . ."
"That's why we're going to the American sector of Soul Society, to trick-or-treat properly!" Rukia said brightly. "I even got a costume to wear myself! Wait a moment!" she said with a wicked grin as she dashed off to get it. She came back holding the costume up to Renji's eye level and grinning more wickedly than ever. It was a tiny, shiny red devil outfit that would be more than a little revealing when worn. "See? It's a demon! I'm gonna say I'm a
by
NansJns
"Oh, come on, Renji! It'll be fun!" Rukia said in a cajoling tone, trying to get the dubious look off her husband's face. "Byaku-kun is looking forward to it so much, don't disappoint him!"
"I know," Renji sighed. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his six-year-old son's feelings over something so harmless. "It's just that it seems kinda silly, and Halloween is just such an American thing. . ."
"That's why we're going to the American sector of Soul Society, to trick-or-treat properly!" Rukia said brightly. "I even got a costume to wear myself! Wait a moment!" she said with a wicked grin as she dashed off to get it. She came back holding the costume up to Renji's eye level and grinning more wickedly than ever. It was a tiny, shiny red devil outfit that would be more than a little revealing when worn. "See? It's a demon! I'm gonna say I'm a
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Literature
The Ways of the Saiyans ch12
Chapter 12: Armada
It was strange to think that they had been in the Room of Spirit and Time for over three months, but only a few hours had passed for everyone on the outside. Vegeta had to keep reminding himself that his family was still alive, that he hadn't missed the deadline. Even so, he couldn't shake the fear that gnawed at him and he was often tense and angry. At the moment, he was in a far corner of the void that filled the impossible room; not that "corner" was really the right word for it. He could neither see nor hear his companions, which was how he preferred it for the moment. He was in no mood to listen to their idle prattle, however well-meant. Kakkarot had made friends with them all easily, his upbeat attitude returning after their first week in the timeless space. Son Gohan had taken a particular shine to the younger Saiyan, treating him like he was his own grandson. Kakkarot rema
It was strange to think that they had been in the Room of Spirit and Time for over three months, but only a few hours had passed for everyone on the outside. Vegeta had to keep reminding himself that his family was still alive, that he hadn't missed the deadline. Even so, he couldn't shake the fear that gnawed at him and he was often tense and angry. At the moment, he was in a far corner of the void that filled the impossible room; not that "corner" was really the right word for it. He could neither see nor hear his companions, which was how he preferred it for the moment. He was in no mood to listen to their idle prattle, however well-meant. Kakkarot had made friends with them all easily, his upbeat attitude returning after their first week in the timeless space. Son Gohan had taken a particular shine to the younger Saiyan, treating him like he was his own grandson. Kakkarot rema
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Literature
Nursery Rhyme
Pyramid from the sky, from the sky, from the sky,
Pyramid from the sky, what do you bring?
Many people, furred and clawed, furred and clawed, furred and clawed,
Many people, furred and clawed, that's what it brings.
All across the land they roam, land they roam, land they roam,
All across the land they roam, finding new homes.
And what do they say to us, say to us, say to us,
And what do they say to us? Leave the pyramid alone!
Evil things live in there, live in there, live in there,
Evil things live in there, stay well away!
Didn't you live in there, live in there, live in there,
Didn't you live in there, just yesterday?
We will live there never more, never more, never more,
We will live there never more, we're free today!
- Old Third Earth nursery rhyme.
Pyramid from the sky, what do you bring?
Many people, furred and clawed, furred and clawed, furred and clawed,
Many people, furred and clawed, that's what it brings.
All across the land they roam, land they roam, land they roam,
All across the land they roam, finding new homes.
And what do they say to us, say to us, say to us,
And what do they say to us? Leave the pyramid alone!
Evil things live in there, live in there, live in there,
Evil things live in there, stay well away!
Didn't you live in there, live in there, live in there,
Didn't you live in there, just yesterday?
We will live there never more, never more, never more,
We will live there never more, we're free today!
- Old Third Earth nursery rhyme.
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Favourites
Literature
Filk: I Wanna Be Hamill's Joker
I Wanna Be Hamill's Joker
Music: I Wanna Be Peter Lorre (copyright Tom Smith)
What makes me so down, are the villains that I see.
I can't do much for them, not doing very much for me.
I find too many flaws, with Dexter, Lecter or Jigsaw.
Monsters, killers, and zombie hordes, looking at them just make me bored.
Cesar Romero was too silly, Heath Ledger way too bleak.
Jack Nicholson was so snarky I could punch him in the cheek.
No, I was quite surprised, by Luke Skywalker's other guise.
His wit and style caught my attention
[as Joker] And never failed to bring Bats avengin'!
When I grow up, I wanna be Hamill's Joker
A purple Zoot on him looks so divine.
I want to cackle and plot, and put Batman on the spot.
[Joker] And if that doesn't work I've got a gas guaranteed to raise a smile.
Who wants to be a grim and tortured Dark Knight?
Who wants to face the hero all alone?
I've got all that I need, with my pretty minion Harleen.
I wanna grow to be Hamill's Joker and steal a shrink of my own!
W
Music: I Wanna Be Peter Lorre (copyright Tom Smith)
What makes me so down, are the villains that I see.
I can't do much for them, not doing very much for me.
I find too many flaws, with Dexter, Lecter or Jigsaw.
Monsters, killers, and zombie hordes, looking at them just make me bored.
Cesar Romero was too silly, Heath Ledger way too bleak.
Jack Nicholson was so snarky I could punch him in the cheek.
No, I was quite surprised, by Luke Skywalker's other guise.
His wit and style caught my attention
[as Joker] And never failed to bring Bats avengin'!
When I grow up, I wanna be Hamill's Joker
A purple Zoot on him looks so divine.
I want to cackle and plot, and put Batman on the spot.
[Joker] And if that doesn't work I've got a gas guaranteed to raise a smile.
Who wants to be a grim and tortured Dark Knight?
Who wants to face the hero all alone?
I've got all that I need, with my pretty minion Harleen.
I wanna grow to be Hamill's Joker and steal a shrink of my own!
W
Sir-Talen Sir-Talen
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Literature
Just Like You - as Snape
Just Like You
I see him all over this place.
Gryffindor scarf and that smug smile on his face.
I see him on the pitch, doing all the things you'd do,
And he looks just like you.
I never thought I'd hate a child.
But he is stubborn, disrespectful and wild.
He loathes me blindly, just like another boy I knew.
And he looks just like you.
Perhaps it's only resentment,
Or something deeper which clings to this sentiment,
But after everything, I hold this much as true;
He looks just like you.
Zooming around upon his broomstick,
The-boy-who-lived is,
In spite of everything, so strong.
Looming in my mind, making me sick,
Just like you, he is
The-boy-who-could-do-know-wrong.
I know that he can't be all bad,
But he reminds me of the life I never had.
And he always brings to mind the hell you put me through,
Because he looks just like you.
He torments me with his visage.
The soul damning, spitting image
Of the one who beat my spirit black and blue.
Yes, he looks just like you.
Soaring hi
I see him all over this place.
Gryffindor scarf and that smug smile on his face.
I see him on the pitch, doing all the things you'd do,
And he looks just like you.
I never thought I'd hate a child.
But he is stubborn, disrespectful and wild.
He loathes me blindly, just like another boy I knew.
And he looks just like you.
Perhaps it's only resentment,
Or something deeper which clings to this sentiment,
But after everything, I hold this much as true;
He looks just like you.
Zooming around upon his broomstick,
The-boy-who-lived is,
In spite of everything, so strong.
Looming in my mind, making me sick,
Just like you, he is
The-boy-who-could-do-know-wrong.
I know that he can't be all bad,
But he reminds me of the life I never had.
And he always brings to mind the hell you put me through,
Because he looks just like you.
He torments me with his visage.
The soul damning, spitting image
Of the one who beat my spirit black and blue.
Yes, he looks just like you.
Soaring hi
JuvenyleChylde JuvenyleChylde
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8
Piggyback
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The Ways of the Saiyans ch1
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The Ways of the Saiyans
by
NansJns
Chapter 1: The Last Night of Kukatoh
The Saiyan cities were quiet beneath the burning sun as it sank slowly toward the horizon, painting the sky brilliant colors of red, gold, and blue as it went. The streets beneath the hot sun were empty and scorching, and all of the doors and windows on all of the buildings were shut. To an outsider, it would almost look as though every city and village on the planet had been abandoned. Even the great Royal Palace looked deserted from the outside. From within the buildings, however, soft voices could be heard whispering prayers and chants. Once the sun had finally vanished below the horizon, five figures emerged from various buildings in each of the numerous cities, including from the Palace, and flew over to tall towers near the center of all of the cities, as faces full of anticipation began appearing in windows. Landing on the top floor of the old stone towers, they walked up to the massive, gold, ball-shaped bell that hung there, and two grabbed hold of the gold rod next to the bell and swung it forward. The rod struck the side of the great bell and released a loud, clear sound that could be heard throughout the entire city.
BONG. . .BONG. . .BONG. . .BONG. . .BONG. . . .
As the fifth note echoed out, every house flung open its doors and the people flooded out into the streets, laughing and talking in excitement. Most wore traditional clothes, though some just wore their armor or street clothes, but everyone had smaller versions of the great bell attached somewhere to their clothing and/or around their wrists and necks; some even had bells on their tails. Several women had some of the rare flowers that bloomed only at this time of year adorning their hair or on their clothes by the bells.
"Finally! The last day is always the longest!"
"Meditating and praying all day I can handle; but the fasting is such a pain. . ."
"I'd rather be inside and hungry than going out for food at this time of year!"
"Mama, it's still really hot!"
"It'll cool down soon, don't worry!"
"How long until the food stands open?"
"Give them a minute!"
"I'm not dancing until I get something to eat!"
"Hear, hear!"
"The Children's Dance will be soon, so we'd better hurry. . ."
The crowd chattered happily as they filled the streets, seeking release for the energy they'd been forced to bottle up all day. A large ki ball exploding overhead like a brilliant firework made the crowd fall silent and all eyes turned to the huge vid-screens that were attached to various buildings. The screen blinked to life and was filled with a live shot of the Royal Family, dressed in their finest ceremonial garments, and wearing their sun medallions and crowns, which were gold bands around their heads with round, red stones in the middle of their foreheads. The Prince, who was only five years old, stood between his parents, his lips pressed tightly shut in an effort not to laugh. The crowds cheered lustily at the sight of their Rulers, until King Vegeta raised his hand for silence.
"Good Evening to you all on this, the last evening of Kukatoh!" he said in his loud, booming baritone. The crowd cheered again, then fell silent. "The five days of Kukatoh are the most sacred in the Saiyan calendar! We have spent two days honoring the great warriors of the past, two days honoring the great warriors amongst us now, and now, on this last day, we give hope and prayers for our great warriors of the future!" The crowd erupted in cheers yet again, and the King and Queen had to wait a moment for it all to die down. When it was silent again, the Queen spoke.
"Kukatoh is our word for strength, pride, and honor, and that is what these days are for. This evening we shall honor the promising warriors amongst our children, and they shall hold their heads up with pride and show their strength in dance! The Children's Dance shall be held in one hour's time, so bring all our children forward soon! Kukatoh! Strength, Pride, and Honor!" Queen Lesessu declared in her strong, clear voice. She was shorter than her husband, but still tall by most standards, with a lean build, narrow dark brown eyes, long black hair tied back with a gold clip, tanned skin, and her lips were painted red.
"STRENGTH, PRIDE, AND HONOR!" voices echoed the words across Vegeta-sei. Due to the time difference, half the planet had already had the last day of Kukatoh, but they still watched the Royal Speech and cheered all the same. On the side of the planet that was still celebrating, things came fully to life. Brightly colored lights lit up the streets, music began playing, and the stalls all opened, selling everything from food to jewelry to keepsakes. The crowd began chattering again as they celebrated the last night of the holiday.
"The music is starting for a Mates' Dance! Ooh, let's join them!"
"I don't know the song well enough to sing along. . ."
"It'll be fine!"
"I can't wait to see the Prince in the Children's Dance!"
"Did you hear the rumor that Lord Frieza wants to train the Prince himself?"
"I'd sooner have the Prince never see another combative move again than have him under that awful creature's tutelage!"
"Hush! Not so loud!"
"Relax! There aren't any of his lackeys around now! They always leave in droves at this time of year because of the heat, and even if they didn't, the King would order them to leave during Kukatoh!"
"Let's not worry about all of that! Let's just dance, eat, drink, and have a good time! I'm sure our King and Queen wouldn't give the Prince over, anyway!"
"Agreed! Let's enjoy the day!"
As music and dancing filled the streets, the third-class squad leader Bardock and his mate, Okarana, were working their way through the crowd with their young son Raditz in tow.
"But I don't want to dance in front of everyone!" Raditz wailed as he struggled against his father's grip on his small wrist.
"It's tradition, Raditz. Don't worry, you'll be fine," Bardock answered calmly.
"But I don't know all the steps!" Raditz objected.
"Neither do most of the children your age. It'll be okay, Raditz. No one expects you to do it perfectly," Okarana said. "If anyone should be nervous, it's the Prince! He has a special part in the dance and he does have to know all the steps!"
"But-!" Raditz tried again.
"No more 'buts'! You're behaving as if it's torture, instead of a simple dance!" Bardock cut him off.
"Says you it's not torture," Raditz muttered unhappily under his breath. Then, louder, "I did the dance last year! Do I hafta-?"
"Yes, you have to do it again. Raditz, it's not just the tradition, the dance is a symbol of hope for success in your training. And it only lasts ten minutes!" Okarana said firmly. Raditz fell silent, sulking unhappily. A sweet smell wafted under his nose, and his parents suddenly stopped. He looked up to see them looking at something through the crowd.
"Would a piece of pape nut cake topped with a slice of hokani fruit and whipped cream improve your mood?" Bardock asked casually, his eyes on the nearby table covered in plates of the special holiday treat. Raditz's eyes lit up.
"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically.
"That table's selling roasted kumber meat, too; let's get some of that," Okarana said, eyeing the food hungrily.
"We've got enough time, let's go," Bardock said, and they all headed to the booth selling food.
"And can I have a glass of hokani juice, too?" Raditz asked excitedly, his little voice almost a squeak as they came up to the booth and Bardock bought them each some roast, bread, and a piece of cake.
"In a bit," Okarana answered as she took her snack from Bardock. "Right now, you should stick to water. You can have juice after the dance."
"Okay," Raditz sighed as he accepted the food from his father. He devoured the meat and bread and most of all the delicious treat quickly, smearing the whipped cream onto his face. As he happily licked the cream off his face and fingers one-by-one, he glanced toward the distant outline of the Palace and wondered if the Prince was worried about the dance at all.
Prince Vegeta was practicing his part of the Children's Dance in front of his mother, while his father spoke quietly to one side with four of his advisors. Little Vegeta's attention kept sliding away from his steps to the feast he knew was being made in the kitchens. He could smell the wonderful aromas of meats, vegetables, breads, and most of all the desserts being prepared. As was the tradition, all he'd had to eat that day was a little piece of bread around midday, and his small stomach was grumbling loudly for what he smelled.
"Momma, can't I have something to eat before the dance?" he asked, stopping in mid-step.
"Yes, of course, Vegeta. After you show me you know all your steps for the Children's Dance. Your part is very important, and you must know all of it," Queen Lesessu answered gently. "Now, continue." Prince Vegeta sighed and picked up again where he left off. He glanced briefly to his father and wondered what he was talking about.
"Your Majesty, surely there must be a way to stop this!" one advisor, an older Saiyan with graying hair, whispered. "We can't just hand over the Prince to that monster!"
"Don't you think I know that?! But what choice do I have? I haven't the power to refuse Frieza! If I try, he'll simply kill me, and possibly Lesessu, and take the Prince!" King Vegeta answered hotly.
"There must be some way. . ." a second advisor said.
"If there is, I don't know it," the King said with a heavy sigh. He looked over his shoulder to his small son, his eyes flickering with emotion. "I'm assigning General Nappa to Vegeta as his personal guard. Nappa has strict instructions to keep a close watch on the Prince, and to help him remember who he really is. That's all I can do," King Vegeta said quietly as little Prince Vegeta completed his practice. A proud Lesessu was complimenting her son for remembering all the steps as King Vegeta turned his eyes back to his advisors. "I will continue trying to persuade Frieza not to keep him for long, but I doubt it will help."
"Can't you at least buy a little more time? Giving Frieza Prince Vegeta immediately after Kukatoh is. . .is unthinkable! The day after the holiday is traditionally set aside for inner reflection and rest, given that the festivities themselves are quite exhausting!" the third advisor said, also glancing toward the Queen and Prince.
"I know!" King Vegeta snapped, louder than he intended. His wife and son looked at him curiously, and he gave a small wave and a half-hearted smile to indicate that things were okay. Once their attention was on each other again, he turned back to his advisors and continued in an angry whisper, "I know full well that he shouldn't be going anywhere tomorrow, but that's when Frieza's coming for him! I was barely able to convince that ice-cold bastard to wait until after Kukatoh! I don't like this situation anymore than you do, but we have no choice!" The advisors grumbled unhappily, but could say no more. A servant stepped in then to say the royal feast was ready. Prince Vegeta took off running for the dining room as King Vegeta took his wife's hand and they walked together after their son.
"Our beautiful little boy. . .what will Frieza do to him?" Lesessu sighed quietly, leaning into her husband.
"Don't you start in on me as well, woman! I can't refuse Frieza!" King Vegeta hissed.
"I know that, Beloved. But I'm afraid. . .afraid of what he'll become under Frieza's influence. Vegeta holds the best promise to become the next Super Saiyan; he could free us of that tyrant forever, but not if Frieza brainwashes him first," Lesessu answered. They had reached the dining room and proceeded to take their seats. King Vegeta had no ready answer for his mate. In silence, his dark eyes watched his son eat his dinner, while his mind whirled with what the next day would bring.
In every city, dozens of children between the ages of four and seventeen were brought together in wide, open areas reserved for fighting and/or dancing (depending on the time of year), and directed to form several concentric circles, with the youngest children ringing the outside and the oldest near the center. In Sutarufurai Square in the Central City, Prince Vegeta stood in the very center of it all, on a raised platform so that everyone would be able to see him. His live image was broadcast on vid screens all across the world. All of the small children were nervous and fidgety, and the oldest ones were grumbling unhappily at the embarrassment they felt this dance brought on them. The watchers stood five feet back from the rings of dancers, with the King and Queen sitting in chairs on a raised platform in the middle of the crowd. To one side, a group of men and women sat with instruments in hand. As the last few children were pushed and/or pulled forward by teachers and parents, the band began to play. The children began dancing, the smaller ones with shuffling, unsure feet, the older ones with practiced ease. They danced for over a minute as the music swelled, accompanied by the jingling of the bells on their clothes and the rhythm of their stamping feet and clapping hands. Then they began to sing, a gentle, strong tune that the crowd began to pick up and sing as well:
"Kukatoh, strength, honor, and pride
These things we always carry inside
The way may be dark, the path unclear
But never give way to doubt and fear
Just remember this word when you're alone
And it will always lead you home..."
Little Prince Vegeta listened carefully, waiting for his cue. When he heard the tell-tale words, he began his part of the Children's Dance. In the very center of the dancers, he began performing his steps, just as he had earlier in front of his mother. The music began to speed up, and so did the dancers. Vegeta's steps and leaps became bigger and higher, and he made his ki flare to leave streaks of light behind him. Ring by ring, the other children fell into the same steps, following his lead. Soon, the square was filled with ki light, and the music began building for the finish. Prince Vegeta moved through his steps, his little face tight with concentration, his ears trained on the music and singing. The children moved through the dance until finally, the music came to an end and they performed the final maneuver. All of them fired a ki beam to one spot in the night sky so they all collided and created a beautiful explosion of blue and silver. The watching crowd cheered and clapped, and the children sighed in relief that the obligatory dance was over. Shouting and laughing, they scattered into the crowd, ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. There were games to play, contests to enter, normal dances in which to participate, gifts to get and, especially, lots of treats to eat. The joyous celebration went well into the night, the Saiyans honoring their children with great abandon.
It was late when the festivities came to an end and Prince Vegeta finally went to bed that night, but just over an hour later he was awake again and called for a servant to bring him a glass of water. The ningen woman bowed respectfully and went to the kitchens to fetch him his drink. As she stepped into the kitchen, another servant looked up with an amused smile.
"Prince Vegeta wants his water, I assume?" the kitchen worker asked.
"Yes, indeed! He's regular as clockwork at this time of year, isn't he?" the ningen women answered with a smile.
"Just about. But who can blame him? It's so hot and dry during these four months; everyone wants extra water," the kitchen servant said as she filled a glass with cold water. "Here you are, fresh for the Prince," she said as she started to hand the glass to the other female.
"I'll take it to him," a baritone voice cut in, and a large male hand took the glass from the kitchen servant. The two turned and stared at King Vegeta, who stood a foot away and was holding a second glass of water for himself. Both women bowed quickly.
"As you wish, Your Majesty!" they said in unison. Neither servant was quite sure why the King wanted to do it, or why he came down himself for some water, or even why he was still fully dressed, but neither was willing to question him. The King left the room with a whip of his cape, and a strange, far away look on his face.
Prince Vegeta sat up quickly when he heard his door open. "Do you have my water?" he asked quickly, and then saw it wasn't the servant woman he'd sent to the kitchens. "Papa?"
"Yes, son. I have your drink with me. I happened to be down there getting some water of my own, and just. . .decided I'd bring your glass to you," King Vegeta answered gently, walking up to his small son's bed and handing him the glass. Prince Vegeta was a bit bewildered, but he wasn't going to ask questions. Besides, he was really thirsty. He took the glass and drank it down in three large gulps.
"Thank you, Papa," Vegeta said as he wiped his mouth on the back of his little hand. Then he yawned a little. The King shifted uncomfortably.
"You're. . .welcome, Vegeta," the King answered. "You. . .you did very well in the dance tonight. I'm proud." Prince Vegeta blinked and tilted his head a little. His father was acting strangely.
"Thank you. . ." he said again. Then he yawned again, only bigger. He felt sleepy. Much sleepier than normal. His whole body felt warm and heavy, his mind was getting fuzzy, and his eyes were falling closed. He slumped back into his bed, thinking to himself that something felt very funny. Assured that the Prince was deeply asleep, the King whispered a soft prayer for forgiveness. He gathered his son into his arms, pulled his cape over him and, after making sure the hallway was empty, quickly and quietly left the room.
Supinchu was one of the most elite guards in the palace and had traveled farther than any of the others. He was very tall, close in height to Nappa, the head General. His black, shoulder-length hair spiked widely to the sides, and his black eyes were rounded and narrow. He was accustomed to his King and Queen giving him special duties, but why would either of them want to see him in the middle of the night, on the last night of Kukatoh, in an empty, extra room of the palace? It was all very irregular, but the royal family trusted him and his ability to be discrete, so he waited. The door finally opened and the King stepped in with his cape wrapped tightly around him. Supinchu bowed automatically, but his eyes stayed lifted towards his monarch, his curiosity overwhelming him.
"Good evening, my King. May I ask why you have requested such a late meeting?" Supinchu asked in his most formal voice.
"You may. Supinchu, you are one of my most trustworthy guards, and you've traveled the galaxy far and wide. Tell me, truly, is there any world where one could hide from Lord Frieza?" King Vegeta answered, and Supinchu straightened up in surprise.
"Hide from Lord Frieza? Well. . ." Supinchu went through his memories, searching for any such place. "Well, yes, there is one place; a small, distant world half the galaxy away that he all but ignores completely. It only has one thing of value to him, but various complications, including the world's extreme distance, makes it difficult for him to get it. . .the world of. . ."
"Don't tell me the name!" King Vegeta cut him off, which caused Supinchu to look even more confused. "Supinchu, I'm entrusting you now with the greatest treasure of our Empire," the King said, this time quietly, as he pulled back his cape to reveal the sleeping prince cradled in his arm, his little head resting on his father's shoulder. Supinchu jerked back in shock at the sight.
"You Majesty, what-?!" Supinchu gasped.
"I want you to take the Prince to that small, distant world, and hide him there. Put him amongst the people Frieza would be least likely to suspect!" the King said, his voice stone. "I've given him a sedative, so he'll sleep solidly until he arrives there. I've also packed some learning materials, so he'll never forget who he really is!" King Vegeta held up a full, medium-sized bag from his belt.
"King Vegeta, you can't be serious! Why-?!" Supinchu tried again.
"Better he stay with ningen strangers than be raised and trained by that monster, Frieza!" King Vegeta answered harshly. "I can't let that tyrant have my son, do you understand?" Supinchu swallowed nervously and nodded.
"I understand, Your Majesty. Perfectly. And I'm sure he'll be safe on-"
"No! I told you before, don't tell me! Never tell me! What I don't know, Frieza can't force me to tell him," the King snapped. The Prince stirred for a moment at the sound of his father's anxious voice, then fell still again. "You will take him now. I've made sure the launching bay is empty, no one will see you leave. In the morning, when Frieza comes, I will announce that the Prince was somehow kidnapped out of his room. I'll keep everyone busy looking for him on-planet in order to buy you as much time as I can. Once the Prince is safely hidden, you must come back with all haste to Vegeta-sei. If anyone questions your absence, I will tell them that you were simply sent on a diplomatic mission on my behalf; you can create your own details for it. Now, go," King Vegeta said, and handed the sleeping child to the guard. Supinchu gathered the Prince and the bag, and looked at his King once more.
"I will do as you command, King Vegeta. I swear on my honor, the Prince will be safe. I will return as soon as I can," Supinchu said, bowing one last time before leaving quickly with his precious cargo. The King watched him depart and his heart clenched tight. ((May Kami. . .and Lesessu. . .forgive me. When she hears he's disappeared, she'll be frantic! My little son, wherever it is he's taking you, may you be safe there, and grow strong. I swear, this was the only way!)) he agonized to himself. With a weighty heart, he turned and left the room to return to his bed chambers and sleeping mate.
Supinchu climbed into the special space pod with the Prince and quickly punched in the target coordinates for the planet. He glanced briefly down at his sleeping charge, and drew in a slow breath. ((Don't worry, Your Highness! I know a family there who'll be able to take good care of you and hide you away from Frieza at the same time.)) he promised mentally, and then hit the launch button. The pod whirred to life, swiftly lifted off the pad, and flew into space.
"Coordinates set," the female-sounding computer said. "FTL engines engaged. Approximate travel time: 6 weeks. Stasis setting: medium. Destination: Planet Mikusubodo. All information correct?"
"Yes. Activate stasis in three minutes," Supinchu said, as he fitted an oxygen mask over the prince's face. He didn't dare risk mixing the sedative already in the prince's blood with the stasis gases, the combination could prove fatal. He quickly programmed the computer to have a second round of the gas go through the mask should its wearer start to wake, and a few moments later, the sleeping vapors filled the small pod. ((May Kami smile on us both, young Prince.)) the elite guard prayed before he fell asleep.
by
NansJns
Chapter 1: The Last Night of Kukatoh
The Saiyan cities were quiet beneath the burning sun as it sank slowly toward the horizon, painting the sky brilliant colors of red, gold, and blue as it went. The streets beneath the hot sun were empty and scorching, and all of the doors and windows on all of the buildings were shut. To an outsider, it would almost look as though every city and village on the planet had been abandoned. Even the great Royal Palace looked deserted from the outside. From within the buildings, however, soft voices could be heard whispering prayers and chants. Once the sun had finally vanished below the horizon, five figures emerged from various buildings in each of the numerous cities, including from the Palace, and flew over to tall towers near the center of all of the cities, as faces full of anticipation began appearing in windows. Landing on the top floor of the old stone towers, they walked up to the massive, gold, ball-shaped bell that hung there, and two grabbed hold of the gold rod next to the bell and swung it forward. The rod struck the side of the great bell and released a loud, clear sound that could be heard throughout the entire city.
BONG. . .BONG. . .BONG. . .BONG. . .BONG. . . .
As the fifth note echoed out, every house flung open its doors and the people flooded out into the streets, laughing and talking in excitement. Most wore traditional clothes, though some just wore their armor or street clothes, but everyone had smaller versions of the great bell attached somewhere to their clothing and/or around their wrists and necks; some even had bells on their tails. Several women had some of the rare flowers that bloomed only at this time of year adorning their hair or on their clothes by the bells.
"Finally! The last day is always the longest!"
"Meditating and praying all day I can handle; but the fasting is such a pain. . ."
"I'd rather be inside and hungry than going out for food at this time of year!"
"Mama, it's still really hot!"
"It'll cool down soon, don't worry!"
"How long until the food stands open?"
"Give them a minute!"
"I'm not dancing until I get something to eat!"
"Hear, hear!"
"The Children's Dance will be soon, so we'd better hurry. . ."
The crowd chattered happily as they filled the streets, seeking release for the energy they'd been forced to bottle up all day. A large ki ball exploding overhead like a brilliant firework made the crowd fall silent and all eyes turned to the huge vid-screens that were attached to various buildings. The screen blinked to life and was filled with a live shot of the Royal Family, dressed in their finest ceremonial garments, and wearing their sun medallions and crowns, which were gold bands around their heads with round, red stones in the middle of their foreheads. The Prince, who was only five years old, stood between his parents, his lips pressed tightly shut in an effort not to laugh. The crowds cheered lustily at the sight of their Rulers, until King Vegeta raised his hand for silence.
"Good Evening to you all on this, the last evening of Kukatoh!" he said in his loud, booming baritone. The crowd cheered again, then fell silent. "The five days of Kukatoh are the most sacred in the Saiyan calendar! We have spent two days honoring the great warriors of the past, two days honoring the great warriors amongst us now, and now, on this last day, we give hope and prayers for our great warriors of the future!" The crowd erupted in cheers yet again, and the King and Queen had to wait a moment for it all to die down. When it was silent again, the Queen spoke.
"Kukatoh is our word for strength, pride, and honor, and that is what these days are for. This evening we shall honor the promising warriors amongst our children, and they shall hold their heads up with pride and show their strength in dance! The Children's Dance shall be held in one hour's time, so bring all our children forward soon! Kukatoh! Strength, Pride, and Honor!" Queen Lesessu declared in her strong, clear voice. She was shorter than her husband, but still tall by most standards, with a lean build, narrow dark brown eyes, long black hair tied back with a gold clip, tanned skin, and her lips were painted red.
"STRENGTH, PRIDE, AND HONOR!" voices echoed the words across Vegeta-sei. Due to the time difference, half the planet had already had the last day of Kukatoh, but they still watched the Royal Speech and cheered all the same. On the side of the planet that was still celebrating, things came fully to life. Brightly colored lights lit up the streets, music began playing, and the stalls all opened, selling everything from food to jewelry to keepsakes. The crowd began chattering again as they celebrated the last night of the holiday.
"The music is starting for a Mates' Dance! Ooh, let's join them!"
"I don't know the song well enough to sing along. . ."
"It'll be fine!"
"I can't wait to see the Prince in the Children's Dance!"
"Did you hear the rumor that Lord Frieza wants to train the Prince himself?"
"I'd sooner have the Prince never see another combative move again than have him under that awful creature's tutelage!"
"Hush! Not so loud!"
"Relax! There aren't any of his lackeys around now! They always leave in droves at this time of year because of the heat, and even if they didn't, the King would order them to leave during Kukatoh!"
"Let's not worry about all of that! Let's just dance, eat, drink, and have a good time! I'm sure our King and Queen wouldn't give the Prince over, anyway!"
"Agreed! Let's enjoy the day!"
As music and dancing filled the streets, the third-class squad leader Bardock and his mate, Okarana, were working their way through the crowd with their young son Raditz in tow.
"But I don't want to dance in front of everyone!" Raditz wailed as he struggled against his father's grip on his small wrist.
"It's tradition, Raditz. Don't worry, you'll be fine," Bardock answered calmly.
"But I don't know all the steps!" Raditz objected.
"Neither do most of the children your age. It'll be okay, Raditz. No one expects you to do it perfectly," Okarana said. "If anyone should be nervous, it's the Prince! He has a special part in the dance and he does have to know all the steps!"
"But-!" Raditz tried again.
"No more 'buts'! You're behaving as if it's torture, instead of a simple dance!" Bardock cut him off.
"Says you it's not torture," Raditz muttered unhappily under his breath. Then, louder, "I did the dance last year! Do I hafta-?"
"Yes, you have to do it again. Raditz, it's not just the tradition, the dance is a symbol of hope for success in your training. And it only lasts ten minutes!" Okarana said firmly. Raditz fell silent, sulking unhappily. A sweet smell wafted under his nose, and his parents suddenly stopped. He looked up to see them looking at something through the crowd.
"Would a piece of pape nut cake topped with a slice of hokani fruit and whipped cream improve your mood?" Bardock asked casually, his eyes on the nearby table covered in plates of the special holiday treat. Raditz's eyes lit up.
"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically.
"That table's selling roasted kumber meat, too; let's get some of that," Okarana said, eyeing the food hungrily.
"We've got enough time, let's go," Bardock said, and they all headed to the booth selling food.
"And can I have a glass of hokani juice, too?" Raditz asked excitedly, his little voice almost a squeak as they came up to the booth and Bardock bought them each some roast, bread, and a piece of cake.
"In a bit," Okarana answered as she took her snack from Bardock. "Right now, you should stick to water. You can have juice after the dance."
"Okay," Raditz sighed as he accepted the food from his father. He devoured the meat and bread and most of all the delicious treat quickly, smearing the whipped cream onto his face. As he happily licked the cream off his face and fingers one-by-one, he glanced toward the distant outline of the Palace and wondered if the Prince was worried about the dance at all.
Prince Vegeta was practicing his part of the Children's Dance in front of his mother, while his father spoke quietly to one side with four of his advisors. Little Vegeta's attention kept sliding away from his steps to the feast he knew was being made in the kitchens. He could smell the wonderful aromas of meats, vegetables, breads, and most of all the desserts being prepared. As was the tradition, all he'd had to eat that day was a little piece of bread around midday, and his small stomach was grumbling loudly for what he smelled.
"Momma, can't I have something to eat before the dance?" he asked, stopping in mid-step.
"Yes, of course, Vegeta. After you show me you know all your steps for the Children's Dance. Your part is very important, and you must know all of it," Queen Lesessu answered gently. "Now, continue." Prince Vegeta sighed and picked up again where he left off. He glanced briefly to his father and wondered what he was talking about.
"Your Majesty, surely there must be a way to stop this!" one advisor, an older Saiyan with graying hair, whispered. "We can't just hand over the Prince to that monster!"
"Don't you think I know that?! But what choice do I have? I haven't the power to refuse Frieza! If I try, he'll simply kill me, and possibly Lesessu, and take the Prince!" King Vegeta answered hotly.
"There must be some way. . ." a second advisor said.
"If there is, I don't know it," the King said with a heavy sigh. He looked over his shoulder to his small son, his eyes flickering with emotion. "I'm assigning General Nappa to Vegeta as his personal guard. Nappa has strict instructions to keep a close watch on the Prince, and to help him remember who he really is. That's all I can do," King Vegeta said quietly as little Prince Vegeta completed his practice. A proud Lesessu was complimenting her son for remembering all the steps as King Vegeta turned his eyes back to his advisors. "I will continue trying to persuade Frieza not to keep him for long, but I doubt it will help."
"Can't you at least buy a little more time? Giving Frieza Prince Vegeta immediately after Kukatoh is. . .is unthinkable! The day after the holiday is traditionally set aside for inner reflection and rest, given that the festivities themselves are quite exhausting!" the third advisor said, also glancing toward the Queen and Prince.
"I know!" King Vegeta snapped, louder than he intended. His wife and son looked at him curiously, and he gave a small wave and a half-hearted smile to indicate that things were okay. Once their attention was on each other again, he turned back to his advisors and continued in an angry whisper, "I know full well that he shouldn't be going anywhere tomorrow, but that's when Frieza's coming for him! I was barely able to convince that ice-cold bastard to wait until after Kukatoh! I don't like this situation anymore than you do, but we have no choice!" The advisors grumbled unhappily, but could say no more. A servant stepped in then to say the royal feast was ready. Prince Vegeta took off running for the dining room as King Vegeta took his wife's hand and they walked together after their son.
"Our beautiful little boy. . .what will Frieza do to him?" Lesessu sighed quietly, leaning into her husband.
"Don't you start in on me as well, woman! I can't refuse Frieza!" King Vegeta hissed.
"I know that, Beloved. But I'm afraid. . .afraid of what he'll become under Frieza's influence. Vegeta holds the best promise to become the next Super Saiyan; he could free us of that tyrant forever, but not if Frieza brainwashes him first," Lesessu answered. They had reached the dining room and proceeded to take their seats. King Vegeta had no ready answer for his mate. In silence, his dark eyes watched his son eat his dinner, while his mind whirled with what the next day would bring.
In every city, dozens of children between the ages of four and seventeen were brought together in wide, open areas reserved for fighting and/or dancing (depending on the time of year), and directed to form several concentric circles, with the youngest children ringing the outside and the oldest near the center. In Sutarufurai Square in the Central City, Prince Vegeta stood in the very center of it all, on a raised platform so that everyone would be able to see him. His live image was broadcast on vid screens all across the world. All of the small children were nervous and fidgety, and the oldest ones were grumbling unhappily at the embarrassment they felt this dance brought on them. The watchers stood five feet back from the rings of dancers, with the King and Queen sitting in chairs on a raised platform in the middle of the crowd. To one side, a group of men and women sat with instruments in hand. As the last few children were pushed and/or pulled forward by teachers and parents, the band began to play. The children began dancing, the smaller ones with shuffling, unsure feet, the older ones with practiced ease. They danced for over a minute as the music swelled, accompanied by the jingling of the bells on their clothes and the rhythm of their stamping feet and clapping hands. Then they began to sing, a gentle, strong tune that the crowd began to pick up and sing as well:
"Kukatoh, strength, honor, and pride
These things we always carry inside
The way may be dark, the path unclear
But never give way to doubt and fear
Just remember this word when you're alone
And it will always lead you home..."
Little Prince Vegeta listened carefully, waiting for his cue. When he heard the tell-tale words, he began his part of the Children's Dance. In the very center of the dancers, he began performing his steps, just as he had earlier in front of his mother. The music began to speed up, and so did the dancers. Vegeta's steps and leaps became bigger and higher, and he made his ki flare to leave streaks of light behind him. Ring by ring, the other children fell into the same steps, following his lead. Soon, the square was filled with ki light, and the music began building for the finish. Prince Vegeta moved through his steps, his little face tight with concentration, his ears trained on the music and singing. The children moved through the dance until finally, the music came to an end and they performed the final maneuver. All of them fired a ki beam to one spot in the night sky so they all collided and created a beautiful explosion of blue and silver. The watching crowd cheered and clapped, and the children sighed in relief that the obligatory dance was over. Shouting and laughing, they scattered into the crowd, ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. There were games to play, contests to enter, normal dances in which to participate, gifts to get and, especially, lots of treats to eat. The joyous celebration went well into the night, the Saiyans honoring their children with great abandon.
It was late when the festivities came to an end and Prince Vegeta finally went to bed that night, but just over an hour later he was awake again and called for a servant to bring him a glass of water. The ningen woman bowed respectfully and went to the kitchens to fetch him his drink. As she stepped into the kitchen, another servant looked up with an amused smile.
"Prince Vegeta wants his water, I assume?" the kitchen worker asked.
"Yes, indeed! He's regular as clockwork at this time of year, isn't he?" the ningen women answered with a smile.
"Just about. But who can blame him? It's so hot and dry during these four months; everyone wants extra water," the kitchen servant said as she filled a glass with cold water. "Here you are, fresh for the Prince," she said as she started to hand the glass to the other female.
"I'll take it to him," a baritone voice cut in, and a large male hand took the glass from the kitchen servant. The two turned and stared at King Vegeta, who stood a foot away and was holding a second glass of water for himself. Both women bowed quickly.
"As you wish, Your Majesty!" they said in unison. Neither servant was quite sure why the King wanted to do it, or why he came down himself for some water, or even why he was still fully dressed, but neither was willing to question him. The King left the room with a whip of his cape, and a strange, far away look on his face.
Prince Vegeta sat up quickly when he heard his door open. "Do you have my water?" he asked quickly, and then saw it wasn't the servant woman he'd sent to the kitchens. "Papa?"
"Yes, son. I have your drink with me. I happened to be down there getting some water of my own, and just. . .decided I'd bring your glass to you," King Vegeta answered gently, walking up to his small son's bed and handing him the glass. Prince Vegeta was a bit bewildered, but he wasn't going to ask questions. Besides, he was really thirsty. He took the glass and drank it down in three large gulps.
"Thank you, Papa," Vegeta said as he wiped his mouth on the back of his little hand. Then he yawned a little. The King shifted uncomfortably.
"You're. . .welcome, Vegeta," the King answered. "You. . .you did very well in the dance tonight. I'm proud." Prince Vegeta blinked and tilted his head a little. His father was acting strangely.
"Thank you. . ." he said again. Then he yawned again, only bigger. He felt sleepy. Much sleepier than normal. His whole body felt warm and heavy, his mind was getting fuzzy, and his eyes were falling closed. He slumped back into his bed, thinking to himself that something felt very funny. Assured that the Prince was deeply asleep, the King whispered a soft prayer for forgiveness. He gathered his son into his arms, pulled his cape over him and, after making sure the hallway was empty, quickly and quietly left the room.
Supinchu was one of the most elite guards in the palace and had traveled farther than any of the others. He was very tall, close in height to Nappa, the head General. His black, shoulder-length hair spiked widely to the sides, and his black eyes were rounded and narrow. He was accustomed to his King and Queen giving him special duties, but why would either of them want to see him in the middle of the night, on the last night of Kukatoh, in an empty, extra room of the palace? It was all very irregular, but the royal family trusted him and his ability to be discrete, so he waited. The door finally opened and the King stepped in with his cape wrapped tightly around him. Supinchu bowed automatically, but his eyes stayed lifted towards his monarch, his curiosity overwhelming him.
"Good evening, my King. May I ask why you have requested such a late meeting?" Supinchu asked in his most formal voice.
"You may. Supinchu, you are one of my most trustworthy guards, and you've traveled the galaxy far and wide. Tell me, truly, is there any world where one could hide from Lord Frieza?" King Vegeta answered, and Supinchu straightened up in surprise.
"Hide from Lord Frieza? Well. . ." Supinchu went through his memories, searching for any such place. "Well, yes, there is one place; a small, distant world half the galaxy away that he all but ignores completely. It only has one thing of value to him, but various complications, including the world's extreme distance, makes it difficult for him to get it. . .the world of. . ."
"Don't tell me the name!" King Vegeta cut him off, which caused Supinchu to look even more confused. "Supinchu, I'm entrusting you now with the greatest treasure of our Empire," the King said, this time quietly, as he pulled back his cape to reveal the sleeping prince cradled in his arm, his little head resting on his father's shoulder. Supinchu jerked back in shock at the sight.
"You Majesty, what-?!" Supinchu gasped.
"I want you to take the Prince to that small, distant world, and hide him there. Put him amongst the people Frieza would be least likely to suspect!" the King said, his voice stone. "I've given him a sedative, so he'll sleep solidly until he arrives there. I've also packed some learning materials, so he'll never forget who he really is!" King Vegeta held up a full, medium-sized bag from his belt.
"King Vegeta, you can't be serious! Why-?!" Supinchu tried again.
"Better he stay with ningen strangers than be raised and trained by that monster, Frieza!" King Vegeta answered harshly. "I can't let that tyrant have my son, do you understand?" Supinchu swallowed nervously and nodded.
"I understand, Your Majesty. Perfectly. And I'm sure he'll be safe on-"
"No! I told you before, don't tell me! Never tell me! What I don't know, Frieza can't force me to tell him," the King snapped. The Prince stirred for a moment at the sound of his father's anxious voice, then fell still again. "You will take him now. I've made sure the launching bay is empty, no one will see you leave. In the morning, when Frieza comes, I will announce that the Prince was somehow kidnapped out of his room. I'll keep everyone busy looking for him on-planet in order to buy you as much time as I can. Once the Prince is safely hidden, you must come back with all haste to Vegeta-sei. If anyone questions your absence, I will tell them that you were simply sent on a diplomatic mission on my behalf; you can create your own details for it. Now, go," King Vegeta said, and handed the sleeping child to the guard. Supinchu gathered the Prince and the bag, and looked at his King once more.
"I will do as you command, King Vegeta. I swear on my honor, the Prince will be safe. I will return as soon as I can," Supinchu said, bowing one last time before leaving quickly with his precious cargo. The King watched him depart and his heart clenched tight. ((May Kami. . .and Lesessu. . .forgive me. When she hears he's disappeared, she'll be frantic! My little son, wherever it is he's taking you, may you be safe there, and grow strong. I swear, this was the only way!)) he agonized to himself. With a weighty heart, he turned and left the room to return to his bed chambers and sleeping mate.
Supinchu climbed into the special space pod with the Prince and quickly punched in the target coordinates for the planet. He glanced briefly down at his sleeping charge, and drew in a slow breath. ((Don't worry, Your Highness! I know a family there who'll be able to take good care of you and hide you away from Frieza at the same time.)) he promised mentally, and then hit the launch button. The pod whirred to life, swiftly lifted off the pad, and flew into space.
"Coordinates set," the female-sounding computer said. "FTL engines engaged. Approximate travel time: 6 weeks. Stasis setting: medium. Destination: Planet Mikusubodo. All information correct?"
"Yes. Activate stasis in three minutes," Supinchu said, as he fitted an oxygen mask over the prince's face. He didn't dare risk mixing the sedative already in the prince's blood with the stasis gases, the combination could prove fatal. He quickly programmed the computer to have a second round of the gas go through the mask should its wearer start to wake, and a few moments later, the sleeping vapors filled the small pod. ((May Kami smile on us both, young Prince.)) the elite guard prayed before he fell asleep.
Activity
- Listening to: Random
- Reading: The Antiquities Hunter by Maya K. Bohnhoff
- Watching: Watch Mojo
- Playing: Papa's Scooperia
- Eating: casserole
- Drinking: Sprite
So, my plan to have a monthly journal entry has failed miserably. Nothing since January - I genuinely suck at this. I mean, I had a busy summer, my grandmother passed away, I went to four scifi & fantasy conventions, and I got sick three times, so I was preoccupied, but I also had plenty of things I could have talked about (and that doesn't excuse my silence for winter and spring). Oh, well. At least my efforts to keep my backlog here down by making weekly clear outs of my busiest clubs worked. So, yeah, my Grandma Mary, my last living grandparent, passed away in June. I spent most of my life living several states away from her, so I didn't see her often, but we always had a good time together, and I'll miss her. I went to LeperCon at the end of June, WesterCon in July, WorldCon in August and CoKoCon at the end of August/start of September. They were all a good time, hung out with friends, went to interesting panels, heard lots of good music, managed to see a masquerade for the first time in ages. I had stomach flu before WesterCon, a chest cold a week after WesterCon, and a head cold after CoKoCon. Aaaand that was pretty much my summer.
In other news, I'm shopping around an original short story to Sf&F magazines; four rejections so far. I'm going to keep trying, but it is a bit disheartening. Although two of them encouraged me to try with them again in the future, so there's that, at least. One even said that they "rather liked my style of writing." Do you think it would help if I told them that I actually have an established base of readers?
Okay, i can think of a few more things to say, but I'm going to save those for a future journal; maybe that will inspire me to actually make one soon!
Until next time!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
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Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
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In other news, I'm shopping around an original short story to Sf&F magazines; four rejections so far. I'm going to keep trying, but it is a bit disheartening. Although two of them encouraged me to try with them again in the future, so there's that, at least. One even said that they "rather liked my style of writing." Do you think it would help if I told them that I actually have an established base of readers?
Okay, i can think of a few more things to say, but I'm going to save those for a future journal; maybe that will inspire me to actually make one soon!
Until next time!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
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- Listening to: Random
- Reading: The Duplicate by William Sleator
- Watching: SuperCarlin Brothers
- Playing: solitare
- Eating: casserole
- Drinking: water
All right, I have now cleared out my backlog from before I moved last year. I kept the pile from getting too high, but I just didn't get around to clearing everything out until the last couple of weeks. That's why some responses took so long. Please know that even if I don't answer right away or at all, I am always grateful for faves, comments, and llamas! It's always satisfying to see my DA notes and such down to 0, especially after it nearly crawled up to 1000. yes, I consider keeping my account under 1000 to be keeping it under control. And I know I said I was going to try and do a journal entry every month and missed last month, but hey, here I am; it's still a step in the right direction!
In other news, the holiday season was quite nice for me, and I hope it was good for all of you, too. Sadly, last week, my dog Julius Cesar (the dog with the blue collar in my pictures) passed away, so I've been feeling a bit down. He was old and arthritic, but still sweet.
I've been trying to make a point to write everyday, even if it's only a sentence, and it's working pretty well so far. It'll be interesting to see how much I get done this year. Wish me luck!
Until next time!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
My Clubs:
In other news, the holiday season was quite nice for me, and I hope it was good for all of you, too. Sadly, last week, my dog Julius Cesar (the dog with the blue collar in my pictures) passed away, so I've been feeling a bit down. He was old and arthritic, but still sweet.
I've been trying to make a point to write everyday, even if it's only a sentence, and it's working pretty well so far. It'll be interesting to see how much I get done this year. Wish me luck!
Until next time!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
My Clubs:
- Listening to: Random
- Reading: The Expanse series
- Watching: SuperCarlin Brothers
- Playing: Papa's Sushiria
- Eating: lunch
- Drinking: water
Booyah, this week I finally completed my "Planetary Kings" drabble/ficlet series! I always feel so pleased with myself when I actually finish something. And look, I didn't wait a whole year before doing another journal! 
Halloween was fun, went to a couple parties, but got very few trick or treaters. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving next week, though I'm getting over a cold and my mom is still in the middle of one. Things have been interesting since the move; our new house has an apartment over the garage and some friends have wound up in it for a while; I spend a fair part of most days helping chase around their two-year-old who has decided I am her favorite "aunt". Mostly settled in, still a few kinks to work out. I'm seriously going to aim for at least 1 journal entry a month (I also need to post on FB a little more often. ) ; who wants to take bets on how quick I'll fail on that goal? 
Until later!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
My Clubs:
Halloween was fun, went to a couple parties, but got very few trick or treaters. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving next week, though I'm getting over a cold and my mom is still in the middle of one. Things have been interesting since the move; our new house has an apartment over the garage and some friends have wound up in it for a while; I spend a fair part of most days helping chase around their two-year-old who has decided I am her favorite "aunt". Mostly settled in, still a few kinks to work out. I'm seriously going to aim for at least 1 journal entry a month (I also need to post on FB a little more often. ) ; who wants to take bets on how quick I'll fail on that goal? Until later!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
My Clubs:
King Chronos of Pluto
The Time Gate stood outside the regular flow of time, so there was no accurate way to measure just how long Princess Minthe stood guard there. It could have been millions of years, or just a few seconds. She felt time turn around her, without touching her. Except for those few instances when, in a way, it did. When her father came to visit.
She could tell he had come again before she even turned around, for she could smell fresh tea mixed with autumn leaves, spring flowers, winter snow and summer grass. She smiled as she turned to face him; he was sitting down at a table set for lunch, with two chairs. He smiled at her in return.
“Good afternoon, daughter,” he said. He was tall and dark skinned like her, with light green hair that fell down his back and framed his lean face. He wore his usual armor, steal plates and leather with ornate designs carved into it that represented the passing of time. For a time, he had been called King Hades, but his true name was Chronos, the God of Time.
“Good afternoon, Papa!” Minthe said cheerfully as she rose from her place in front of the gate. “Is it afternoon?” she paused for a moment for their customary joke.
“It's afternoon if I say it is,” King Chronos grinned. “How are you?”
“As well as I ever am,” she said as she sat down in the one empty chair by the table. Along with the green tea, there were rice balls and sushi, and Minthe quickly filled her plate. “I wish you'd visit a little more often, Papa; it gets so lonely here. . .”
“I know, and I'm sorry,” King Chronos said, his smile faltering into a frown for a moment. “But I promise you, you won't be here forever.”
“How can you be sure?” Minthe whispered sadly.
King Chronos laughed at that, making her look back up at him in surprise. “Dear daughter, one thing you should have learned by now, standing here outside the wheel of time, is that nothing lasts forever, save love! Life, and time, is change! And one day, you will leave this Gate; you have my word!”
Minthe considered those words carefully for several long moments, then smiled and nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Papa!”
They finished their meal, then King Chronos stood, and looked into the distance with a sigh.
“I'm being summoned,” he said.
“So soon?” Minthe asked with a frown.
King Chronos smiled sadly at her and then embraced his daughter. “Always remember,” he said gently as he kissed her on her left temple, “that just because you can't see them doesn't mean there aren't people watching over you, and loving you.”
“I'll remember,” she said with a nod, fighting back the burning tears.
“Until next time, my little one,” King Chronos said as he faded back into the time vortex.
“Goodbye, Papa,” Minthe said softly.
The Time Gate stood outside the regular flow of time, so there was no accurate way to measure just how long Princess Minthe stood guard there. It could have been millions of years, or just a few seconds. She felt time turn around her, without touching her. Except for those few instances when, in a way, it did. When her father came to visit.
She could tell he had come again before she even turned around, for she could smell fresh tea mixed with autumn leaves, spring flowers, winter snow and summer grass. She smiled as she turned to face him; he was sitting down at a table set for lunch, with two chairs. He smiled at her in return.
“Good afternoon, daughter,” he said. He was tall and dark skinned like her, with light green hair that fell down his back and framed his lean face. He wore his usual armor, steal plates and leather with ornate designs carved into it that represented the passing of time. For a time, he had been called King Hades, but his true name was Chronos, the God of Time.
“Good afternoon, Papa!” Minthe said cheerfully as she rose from her place in front of the gate. “Is it afternoon?” she paused for a moment for their customary joke.
“It's afternoon if I say it is,” King Chronos grinned. “How are you?”
“As well as I ever am,” she said as she sat down in the one empty chair by the table. Along with the green tea, there were rice balls and sushi, and Minthe quickly filled her plate. “I wish you'd visit a little more often, Papa; it gets so lonely here. . .”
“I know, and I'm sorry,” King Chronos said, his smile faltering into a frown for a moment. “But I promise you, you won't be here forever.”
“How can you be sure?” Minthe whispered sadly.
King Chronos laughed at that, making her look back up at him in surprise. “Dear daughter, one thing you should have learned by now, standing here outside the wheel of time, is that nothing lasts forever, save love! Life, and time, is change! And one day, you will leave this Gate; you have my word!”
Minthe considered those words carefully for several long moments, then smiled and nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Papa!”
They finished their meal, then King Chronos stood, and looked into the distance with a sigh.
“I'm being summoned,” he said.
“So soon?” Minthe asked with a frown.
King Chronos smiled sadly at her and then embraced his daughter. “Always remember,” he said gently as he kissed her on her left temple, “that just because you can't see them doesn't mean there aren't people watching over you, and loving you.”
“I'll remember,” she said with a nod, fighting back the burning tears.
“Until next time, my little one,” King Chronos said as he faded back into the time vortex.
“Goodbye, Papa,” Minthe said softly.
Planetary Kings 10: Pluto
HaHA! My ficlet series is complete! 
Okay, confession time - this was actually the very first Planetary King I wrote. So, why wait until the end to post it? Because I got it into my head to post them in the order of the planets (except for Moon, obviously). Silly, but there it is. I would have gone ahead and called him Hades, but the manga flat out states her father is Chronos, so here we are. Minthe is Sailor Pluto, naturally. I had a bit of an issue coming up with her name, since of all the gods, Pluto/Hades doesn't seem to have any children from what I could find. Minthe was the name of a Nymph Hades had loved, who was supposedly turned into the mint plant by Persephone. I figured making her a beloved daughter who had to be sent away - not out of jealousy, but just out of duty - would still work. Heck, she even has green hair. I hope you have all enjoyed this ficlet series about the forgotten kings of the ancient solar system! I may write more someday, but the primary series is now complete!
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, Viz, and more people who are not me. The Kings are mine.
The rest of the series may be found here: nansjns.deviantart.com/gallery…
Okay, confession time - this was actually the very first Planetary King I wrote. So, why wait until the end to post it? Because I got it into my head to post them in the order of the planets (except for Moon, obviously). Silly, but there it is. I would have gone ahead and called him Hades, but the manga flat out states her father is Chronos, so here we are. Minthe is Sailor Pluto, naturally. I had a bit of an issue coming up with her name, since of all the gods, Pluto/Hades doesn't seem to have any children from what I could find. Minthe was the name of a Nymph Hades had loved, who was supposedly turned into the mint plant by Persephone. I figured making her a beloved daughter who had to be sent away - not out of jealousy, but just out of duty - would still work. Heck, she even has green hair. I hope you have all enjoyed this ficlet series about the forgotten kings of the ancient solar system! I may write more someday, but the primary series is now complete!Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, Viz, and more people who are not me. The Kings are mine.
The rest of the series may be found here: nansjns.deviantart.com/gallery…
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King Poseidon of Neptune
The hour was late, and much of castle had settled in to sleep. King Poseidon had tucked Princess Phoebe into bed an hour ago, and was finishing the last two items of paperwork before preparing for bed himself. The plans for the new roadways looked sound, and he signed off on them. The last thing in his pile was a proposal for a new art museum in the capital. He read it over with great interest, his gray-green eyes twinkling with pleasure, and then signed his agreement. He gathered the papers and placed them in the corner of his desk for the servants to retrieve in the morning. Just as he stood and stretched, he heard a soft cry in the distance.
Striding quickly to the door, he listened carefully for any further sound, and discerned muffled sobbing. A sad sigh escaped his lips as he turned and scooped up the item he knew would be needed to help with this problem. It took him only a few moments to reach the Princess's room, and he gently knocked on the door.
“Phoebe? Dear? Are you all right?” King Poseidon called through the door.
“Daddy?” Phoebe answered, her voice thick with tears. He stepped into the room to see his eleven-year-old daughter sitting up in bed, her hair a mess, her eyes puffy from crying. Her wavy blue-green hair, several shades lighter than his own, was tangled from sleep. He set down what he was carrying on her little table. “I had the nightmare again! Everything was buried under ice, all the buildings and the people!” she said between sobs. He sat on the edge of her bed and hugged her, and the tears began to slow. “Everything was just gone and dead. Why do I keep seeing that?” she asked.
“I. . .I don't know,” King Poseidon said, which was the truth, though he had a terrible hunch. “It may be connected to your Sailor Guardian magic; a warning of things to come. You know that is one of Neptune's gifts.”
“But does that means our kingdom's gonna die?” Phoebe asked fearfully.
“I don't know; we need to speak to you mother when she returns, she'll know better than I,” King Poseidon answered. “but I swear to you, we'll do everything in our power to see our kingdom survive.” He felt his daughter relax a little in his arms, and knew the worst had passed. “Now, try to go back to sleep.”
“Will you play for me?” Princess Phoebe asked softly, and Poseidon smiled as he released her. He picked up his violin and bow from the table where he'd left them as Phoebe settled back into her large, fluffy bed.
He placed the carefully carved instrument under his chin and lifted the bow to the silver strings. With strong, deft fingers, he coaxed a lilting, sweet melody from the violin, which filled the room and traveled, muffled, down the hall. The tune gamboled about, relaxing and uplifting at the same time. The King played for several minutes, watching his daughter drift back to peaceful sleep. Once he was certain she was deeply asleep once more, he finished his tune and backed quietly out of the room. His violin was one of the few things that could soothe the Princess after a nightmare or future vision; he just wished he knew what her visions really meant. His own sleep would not be so peaceful tonight.
The hour was late, and much of castle had settled in to sleep. King Poseidon had tucked Princess Phoebe into bed an hour ago, and was finishing the last two items of paperwork before preparing for bed himself. The plans for the new roadways looked sound, and he signed off on them. The last thing in his pile was a proposal for a new art museum in the capital. He read it over with great interest, his gray-green eyes twinkling with pleasure, and then signed his agreement. He gathered the papers and placed them in the corner of his desk for the servants to retrieve in the morning. Just as he stood and stretched, he heard a soft cry in the distance.
Striding quickly to the door, he listened carefully for any further sound, and discerned muffled sobbing. A sad sigh escaped his lips as he turned and scooped up the item he knew would be needed to help with this problem. It took him only a few moments to reach the Princess's room, and he gently knocked on the door.
“Phoebe? Dear? Are you all right?” King Poseidon called through the door.
“Daddy?” Phoebe answered, her voice thick with tears. He stepped into the room to see his eleven-year-old daughter sitting up in bed, her hair a mess, her eyes puffy from crying. Her wavy blue-green hair, several shades lighter than his own, was tangled from sleep. He set down what he was carrying on her little table. “I had the nightmare again! Everything was buried under ice, all the buildings and the people!” she said between sobs. He sat on the edge of her bed and hugged her, and the tears began to slow. “Everything was just gone and dead. Why do I keep seeing that?” she asked.
“I. . .I don't know,” King Poseidon said, which was the truth, though he had a terrible hunch. “It may be connected to your Sailor Guardian magic; a warning of things to come. You know that is one of Neptune's gifts.”
“But does that means our kingdom's gonna die?” Phoebe asked fearfully.
“I don't know; we need to speak to you mother when she returns, she'll know better than I,” King Poseidon answered. “but I swear to you, we'll do everything in our power to see our kingdom survive.” He felt his daughter relax a little in his arms, and knew the worst had passed. “Now, try to go back to sleep.”
“Will you play for me?” Princess Phoebe asked softly, and Poseidon smiled as he released her. He picked up his violin and bow from the table where he'd left them as Phoebe settled back into her large, fluffy bed.
He placed the carefully carved instrument under his chin and lifted the bow to the silver strings. With strong, deft fingers, he coaxed a lilting, sweet melody from the violin, which filled the room and traveled, muffled, down the hall. The tune gamboled about, relaxing and uplifting at the same time. The King played for several minutes, watching his daughter drift back to peaceful sleep. Once he was certain she was deeply asleep once more, he finished his tune and backed quietly out of the room. His violin was one of the few things that could soothe the Princess after a nightmare or future vision; he just wished he knew what her visions really meant. His own sleep would not be so peaceful tonight.
Planetary Kings 9: Neptune
That's right, the next one is done! King Poseidon is a gentle man, and has a great love for art and music. With his wife away most of the year protecting the solar system he basically rules Neptune alone - which can be tricky with a clairvoyant daughter. Princess Phoebe is, naturally, Michiru.
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, Viz, etc., none of whom are even remotely me.
The rest of the Planetary Kings ficlets may be found here: nansjns.deviantart.com/gallery…
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, Viz, etc., none of whom are even remotely me.
The rest of the Planetary Kings ficlets may be found here: nansjns.deviantart.com/gallery…
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Pride
BE YOURSELF
Made with pride by the DeviantArt community BROWSE ALL ART
- Listening to: Random
- Reading: The Antiquities Hunter by Maya K. Bohnhoff
- Watching: Watch Mojo
- Playing: Papa's Scooperia
- Eating: casserole
- Drinking: Sprite
So, my plan to have a monthly journal entry has failed miserably. Nothing since January - I genuinely suck at this. I mean, I had a busy summer, my grandmother passed away, I went to four scifi & fantasy conventions, and I got sick three times, so I was preoccupied, but I also had plenty of things I could have talked about (and that doesn't excuse my silence for winter and spring). Oh, well. At least my efforts to keep my backlog here down by making weekly clear outs of my busiest clubs worked. So, yeah, my Grandma Mary, my last living grandparent, passed away in June. I spent most of my life living several states away from her, so I didn't see her often, but we always had a good time together, and I'll miss her. I went to LeperCon at the end of June, WesterCon in July, WorldCon in August and CoKoCon at the end of August/start of September. They were all a good time, hung out with friends, went to interesting panels, heard lots of good music, managed to see a masquerade for the first time in ages. I had stomach flu before WesterCon, a chest cold a week after WesterCon, and a head cold after CoKoCon. Aaaand that was pretty much my summer.
In other news, I'm shopping around an original short story to Sf&F magazines; four rejections so far. I'm going to keep trying, but it is a bit disheartening. Although two of them encouraged me to try with them again in the future, so there's that, at least. One even said that they "rather liked my style of writing." Do you think it would help if I told them that I actually have an established base of readers?
Okay, i can think of a few more things to say, but I'm going to save those for a future journal; maybe that will inspire me to actually make one soon!
Until next time!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
My Clubs:
In other news, I'm shopping around an original short story to Sf&F magazines; four rejections so far. I'm going to keep trying, but it is a bit disheartening. Although two of them encouraged me to try with them again in the future, so there's that, at least. One even said that they "rather liked my style of writing." Do you think it would help if I told them that I actually have an established base of readers?
Okay, i can think of a few more things to say, but I'm going to save those for a future journal; maybe that will inspire me to actually make one soon!
Until next time!
*~*NansJns*~*
Need a Proofreader?
I'm a semi-professional proofreader (I've been proofreading for over ten years, I just haven't been paid for it) looking for business:
I find and fix spelling and grammar errors, typos, poor phrasing, and formatting, for $15 an hour. I will also recommend improvements on, and additions to, the content itself if requested.
I have a quick turn around time and am quite friendly to work with.
Please note, I am NOT offering to write terms papers or anything like that for you - I'm not helping you cheat! You send me what you have, and I help fix it up - that's it!
Send the documents in .doc, .pdf, or .odt format. If you are interested, e-mail me at rhiannon@tyra-assoc.com. I prefer to be paid by check or money order for now; eventually I'll probably have a Paypal account.
Oh, and one more thing - if you send me a story that has made-up words in it, let me know about them ahead of time so I don't try and fix them!
My Friends:
My Clubs:
deviantID
NansJns
Rhiannon Tyra
Artist | Hobbyist | Literature
Artist | Hobbyist | Literature
United States
|
Current Residence: Arizona, Reality 36BX Favourite genre of music: Filk Favourite photographer: Never even thought about it. Favourite style of art: Ummmm. . . Operating System: Windows Vista - curse it all. . . MP3 player of choice: Real player and Windows media Shell of choice: My own little shell, it's quite cozy... Wallpaper of choice: Fanart Skin of choice: Nothing interesting. Favourite cartoon character: Vegeta, Goku, Trunks, Sailor Moon, Hotohori, Tsume, Inuyasha, Ed and Al Elric. Personal Quote: "Sarcasm is but one of the many services we offer!" |
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Happy birthday! And may you have many more to come. 
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Of course, you're more than welcome. It's been a while, I hope you're doing well.
I'm doing fine, thanks! I hope you're doing well, too!
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