onna's scratches and scribbles

Just adding misc artwork here for grins.

Using my skills to draw the Katagana on 3x5 cards has just showed me how pathetic I am at it. Junked a LOT of cards at lunch today, so many in fact I had to go buy more tonight.

In honor of rat getting officially hired I just posted a silly background on his blog - just something I whipped up using clipart.

Decided to hell with resending the story to obsession.

I am to the point I want to pull my story from obsession. I am really pissed at them. I sent the story by the deadline and got nothing acknowledging the receipt. I checked the site all that week but nada on the status of the contest. I asked a question clarifying the deadlines on their forum and got no response.

Then they post this:

August 24th, 2003

It's the final countdown!

Two more days to go!!, we hope you are enoying reading our releases as much as we do XD!. Two more days also for the Fanfic contest, remember you have till next Tuesday to send us your works and/or nominate the fics you like ^-^ (eg:if you like a gundam wing fic and you want it to see it here send us the url and it'll enter in the contest too).

So all that hard work FOLLOWING THEIR FUCKING RULES (font size, etc.) was really pointless. Understand, they had never mentioned nominating fics on other people's sites until now. Nothing was mentioned in the official rules. And they still haven't changed the initial August 16th deadline in the official rules section.

I might send it again, just in case it did not make it. Of course, if it DID make it they will send me yet another nasty email saying they got it the first time. They are prone to sending nasty emails. I am not the only one to point out to them the Gravi scan they label as #3 is actually doujin #5. But their way of thinking it is their third Gravi scanlation so their labeling is correct. While the logic makes sense the doujin is still #5 and they are misleading people with their numbering system.

Why did I even bother?

I may pick up the pencil and sketchpad for a while and let writing lie.

Originally I had decided to wait until the contest was completed before posting Kokigami to any fic archive but since obsession seems to dragging their feet and extending the deadline again and again - probably because of lack of participants - I gave up on them last night and posted to two archives, gurabiteshiyon and Forever Fandom.

Because the story was so large the first site froze up, so I ended up dividing it into four sections: dedications/disclaimers, part one (up to the lemon), part two and the author notes.

Now that I have divided it up I can probably merge the first two sections and submit that part to ff.net under the "R" rating. Any readers who wish to continue the story will have to go to one of the other archives, and I would provide links. Still debating about this. I would get more exposure at ff.net, which would be the only reason for submitting to that site. We shall see, later.

I have three reviews so far and I have to admit I am embarrassed from the praise. Sure, I worked hard on the fic but anyone with a good English grammar and literature education could do something like this too. Are these skills not taught in schools anymore?

I am feeling a very slight urge to work on the interface but I really need to work on the Kenny piece pronto. And I need to gather all my thoughts together to make a long entry at the regular blog. But a nap sounds good right now....

Grunt hit me over the head when I went to bed recently and I found myself starting another story snippet in my other small notebook. This one has everything else in it while the other notebook only has the monster fic. Don't know where these little dollops are coming from and where they will take me. I suspect I may just compile them as slices of life. Beats me having to develop an entire fic around the snippet. Since this last one was another bedtime bit I may just do something like bedtime adventures, perhaps without lemon. The idea that Eiri is not the best person to sleep next to, given his selfish manner while awake, gives me lots of fodder.

Again, humour is one of the elements that keeps appearing. I would have NEVER thought I would the kind of person to write humour, especially after all the angst-filled poetry I wrote in college. If I could locate the typing paper box I put all the work in I would post some, just to point and laugh at it. I spent weeks typing up that stuff, pre-computer mind you, so every single time I made a mistake I had to either start again or try and white out the area very carefully.

I can probably put my hand on some of high school stuff because I stuck it in my senior memory book (which is in the bookcase I cannot currently get to because of all the computer stuff like complete CPUs and boxes and boxes of software piled in front of it). Talk about some real chuckles in the high school stuff! I was lusting after a bishie boy toward the end of my high school days and my work reflected it.

Hmm, I guess the humour reflects my life now. rat and l laugh a LOT. And I guess this writing phase is a result of not writing for so long while in this happy relationship. Someone who writes angst poetry loses inspiration when in a good relationship.

After convincing rat to get a blog to put his stories yesterday, tonight I played with getting rat's blog looking better than the standard template. Jeeze, I hate the new templates and style sheets!

Anyway, had fun using one of the techniques I learned tonight in one of Photoshop Users mags to do his pic. He has not seen all the stuff I did to it after he went to bed, like the text, the yellow highlights and the border.

Been able to finally get all the text from the monster fic notebook into the document. At least something has been accomplished.

Evan has been pestering me a lot lately. I think Kokigami sucked up a lot of writing steam.

My hands are really suffering from office abuse (too much typing) the last few days. Thursday and Friday at the office will be even worse.

Oh yeah, I changed the graphic on the right...

Finally found some inclination to do some writing - worked on the mythology fic and the monster fic a little today. For the most part, Grunt is lounging by the pool, drinking ale, belching loudly and scratching his balls through his god-awful Jams. Evan has been poking me some but I haven't been listening.

I am going to sleep now.

Here is the thumbnail of the pic mentioned in Friday's entry...

I did not realize *Angelus had gotten the code for my sliced Vejiita and Gohan pics working until I got an email today from someone requesting a copy of the black and white pic she had seen on the website so she could print it for her room! Anyway, A Prince and his Boy now has a piece of my artwork as well. It is the pic inspired by Talon's story, "...you knew that...". I drew it before I realized Gohan was supposed to still be a chibi. Oh well. The pic stands on its own, but I see so many flaws in it now.

Once again I am humbled by excellent fan sites wanting to host my artwork.

Okay, the story has been sent to ob-session.net. Have no clue when the decision will be made. Time to let it go and get on with the next piece of creativity.

Hope something happens soon so I can post it at the various archives. Of course, anal retentive ff.net will only get part of it...

Title: Kokigami
By: bakayaro onna
Completed: Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Manga: Gravitation
Category: Humour/Romance/Short Fic/Lemon
Rating: first part - PG-13, second part - NC-17
Summary: Language, lemon, bad word play and a lot of silliness all combine to tell a tale of an exuberant pink-haired JPop singer, a grumpy blond romance writer and the eighth century Japanese practice of Kokigami.
Pairings: Eiri and Shiyuuichi, Tatsuha and Ryuuichi (implied).
Warnings: Shounen-ai and Yaoi
Thanks & Dedications: To my real-life inspirational muses, Dasia, Joules, Lutra, rat and Talon. This is my first long story and I could not do any of this without your daily encouragement and support. Special lemon tarts and glomps to the lovely Lutra for initial polishing, to Talon for re-visualization *smooches danglemate*, and to the incredible Joules for her amazing grammar goddess talents. Finally, to the love of my soul, stoopid rat, who is completely supportive of my art in all its forms, including my yaoi addiction.

Do not post/archive on your web site without first asking permission.

Gravitation is the property of Maki Murakami and Sony. No money is being made from any ventures with these characters. I am just a fan who writes and draws in this universe because of my the love of the series.

See Author Notes at the end of this fic for Japanese terms and other information you may be curious about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rub, rub, massage, knead, rub, stroke, rub....

POP!

Aahhhh....

Massage, rub, twirl, manipulate, fondle, press, rub....

POP!!!

Mmmmmmmmm.......

The only sounds in the living room were bare skin rubbing against bare skin, an occasional pop and faint vocalizations of unadulterated pleasure.

Eiri continued to relax into the butter-soft black leather of his L-shaped modern sofa as his feet were massaged. His eight smaller toes were slowly being pulled and popped one by one, relieving the sensation of compression they sometimes held and releasing endorphins, which sent much-needed euphoric chemicals throughout his tense body. When his fickle feet troubled him his whole body suffered.

He lay there in a chemical-induced haze, eyes closed, feeling zero pain. He just wished his big toes would pop as well, thinking they would discharge a double dose of rapture, but as much as they had tried the largest phalanges on his feet refused to give it up.

'Oh well,' he mused, muzzy from the natural drug, still satisfied, sinking deeper into the cowhide cushions.

His masseur had other thoughts on his mind.

Shiyuuichi loved rubbing Eiri's feet and popping his toes, bringing his crabby lover to this almost catatonic state of blissful mellowness. He knew Eiri was more pliable and accommodating after a foot massage, even more so than after sex. Over the months after he had taken on this task Shiyuuichi had been able to finagle Eiri into agreeing to small things while in this daze, like cooking his favorite meal, watching a particular TV program together, going on a dinner-and-a-movie date or something as simple as a nice long snuggle. Shiyuu even rubbed without ulterior motives occasionally, just to ensure his blond beau would not catch on to his subtle manipulations.

The secret to this stratagem was to provide the service just prior to a proposal so Eiri was amiable to the suggestion and could not try to get out of it at a later time. Whatever Shiyuuichi had in mind had to be hovering in the near future and be close by.

Today's bushwhack was no different. Shiyuuichi had picked something up at the local bookstore and wanted to use it to liven up the bedroom a little. Not that sex was boring in the least. Sex was wonderful, thrilling, exciting, satisfying, passionate, and all those scrumptious adjectives and he had no complaints whatsoever. But Shiyuuichi felt variety was the spice of life and he wanted to take the initiative for a change, shake it up a smidgen.

After the final toe popped and the final sigh of pleasure was expelled Shiyuuichi crawled along Eiri's supine form to gently lie down on top of his warm paramour, wrapping his arms around the taller man's torso and tucking his hands under the serene body. As he settled in, Eiri's right arm languidly shifted to drape over the small of Shiyuu's back. Eiri sighed contentedly as his pink-coifed lover leisurely nuzzled the skin peeking out from the blond's shirt which, in typical Eiri fashion, was unbuttoned halfway down from the neck.

Shiyuuichi stayed in this peaceful position for a while, loving the fact he had his arms around the most important person in his life, a man whose strong arm was encircling and cradling him as well. He listened to the regular heartbeat under his ear and the constant rhythm of his beloved's breathing, the pulses of life of this beautiful and complex individual he loved to distraction.

Although he was savoring this rare moment of mutual serenity Shiyuuichi knew he had to work swiftly to plant the proposition in the malleable mind and flesh or he would fumble his opportunity.

"Yukiiiii...," whispered Shiyuuichi in a low husky voice.

"Hmmmm...," came the muffled response.

Excellent. Still good to go... "Remember when you said you would be willing to try something new in bed?" he cooed into Eiri's firm and muscular chest.

"Uh huhmmm...."

"Well, I found the perfect thing!" In his enthusiasm Shiyuuichi blurted out his words more abruptly than he intended. 'Oh shit! That was so loud!' thought the tenor, hesitating to glance up at his boyfriend's face and praying it was still genial.

"Yeah?" purred the lazy lover, seemingly unfazed by the boisterousness. "Wha...?", his state so tranquil he did not bother about finishing his words.

Shiyuuichi mentally sighed with relief when he saw his outburst had not ruffled the inert blond. "I'll be right back," murmured the pink-haired man, consciously keeping his voice low this time. He reluctantly wiggled out from under the affectionate embrace, climbed off his compliant companion and scooted down the hall to his backpack lying in the foyer, where he dug out the item in question and scampered back. Kneeling on the floor by Eiri's head Shiyuu held the item up so the drowsy supine male could see it easily when he opened his eyes.

"Here's my idea, isn't this great?" Shiyuuichi almost crowed with delight.

One ochre-hued orb slid halfway open and focused on the object being held in front of it. It was a paperbound book titled Kokigami: The Intimate Art of the Little Paper Costume - Performance Enhancing Adornments for the Adventurous Man.

The single eye gave the book the fleetest of glances, then closed.

"Nuh uh," was the response from lips beginning to look less relaxed and more tense and irritated by the second.

"Please?" whined the determined J-Pop singer, trying to put enough charm and persuasion into his voice to convince the grouchy novelist otherwise.

"Uh uh," was immediately thrown back into the petite man's pretty face.

Shiyuuichi huffed and visibly pouted in disappointment. He had thought Eiri's mellow state of mind would have found them snuggled together on the sofa by now. He'd vividly imagined himself leaning back against Eiri's chest as he sat in his lover's lap, the two of them picking out one of the shapes and building it together while sharing little affectionate nuzzles, kisses and squeezes as they worked. Since He-Who-Must-Be-Cranky was back in the house Shiyuu now had to come up with a Plan B. He rubbed his brain cells together for a moment.

"Okay, how about if I make one up and you can see what it looks like? Maybe it will get you in the mood, huh?"

The only response he received was steady breathing, which Shiyuu took as an affirmative.

With Eiri still luxuriating on the couch Shiyuuichi flopped his butt onto the hardwood floor and leaned back, supported by the furniture's frame. He flipped through the thin tome thoughtfully and finally, after much deliberation, selected something he deemed appropriate. Retrieving scissors and cellophane tape from the utility drawer in the kitchen he proceeded to gingerly remove the pages from the book. He gently punched out the pieces and carefully considered the size guide while blushing ferociously. Not wanting to make any mistakes, he slowly put the sections together, referring to the assembly guide repeatedly, using the expensive coffee table as a crafting surface.

Finally he got the last piece in place and secured. Looking inside, he also made sure all tabs were flush to the inner walls and the entire interior of the cylinder was smoothed with tape. Holding up the finished three-dimensional shape in triumph he knee-walked over to his dozing lover still parked on the couch cushions. Before speaking he stole a quick kiss from the soft supple lips lying there so invitingly.

"Okay!" he chirped joyfully, "All done! Ready for you to wear!" Shiyuuichi giggled dirtily, thinking hot and horny thoughts as he held his masterpiece in Eiri's line-of-sight.

Once more one of Eiri's lion-gold eyes lazed open, glanced once and closed.

"No fucking way am I putting THAT on me," he stated quietly, this time turning his head away.

Shiyuuichi's thoughts of passion were crushed as he fell over backward, staring at the ceiling and twitching. After spending a few moments contemplating the semi-gloss paint he vowed he would not give up so easily and crawled back to the edge of the sofa where the target of his desire reposed.

He decided to attempt the pretty reliable poor beaten puppy approach. "But I did all this work so we could have some quality time and fun together! There's even a little script provided so we don't have to think too much about what to say," Shiyuuichi whimpered. "And movements too!" he added as an after-thought.

Eiri sat up suddenly, sending Shiyuuichi back-pedaling to keep from getting knocked out by the long swinging legs now settling on the floor in front of him. The writer's face was wearing the patented Yuki Scowl^TM. "I WAS feeling relaxed. I WAS feeling comfortable. I was even feeling the tiniest bit inclined to carry you off to our nice comfortable bed and ravage you roundly." He glared at Shiyuuichi through tousled blond bangs. "Now I have lost it all," he growled, thinking it would shut his brat up.

Shiyuuichi was undaunted by the display of typical Eiri behavior. He had caught Eiri's little slip, the words 'our bed' instead of 'my bed' in the tirade and it had gladdened his heart, causing his eyes to begin glowing with joy. He scrambled back close to his crotchety lover, cupped one hand on Eiri's knee and gazed up at his sexy sweetheart, using the happiness radiated from his face and adding big cow eyes. "Please, think about it, just a little?" he pouted prettily while batting his long full eyelashes, air-walking the object still in his other hand up and down and back and forth in front of the surly blond.

Eiri was still relaxed enough he was not yet in full projectile yell mode. He also knew this darling man in front of him always seemed to grab him by the short hairs when it came to trying new things. He tried to ignore the object being dangled and danced in front of his eyes and glanced at the expectant cherubic face gazing up at him adoringly. That pouty lower lip was just begging to be gnawed and sucked on.

The novelist sighed and put a hand to his forehead, knowing he was going to regret giving in even a little, but he could not resist his bothersome and tenacious beloved. "It will give me paper cuts in places I don't want that kind of pain," he protested half-heartedly, feeling his resolve shatter into infinitesimal pieces and flutter away. He decided to try to retain one small scrap of dignity. "If you are so keen on this, you put it on. Prove to me this 'activity' will be amusing, entertaining and exciting," he challenged, eyes narrowing while a defiant smirk tugged on the corners of his mouth.

"If I put this on and you like it, if you know what I mean, will I get to be seme?" Shiyuuichi questioned with a lusty leer.

Eiri looked at the shape in his lover's hand then scrutinized the hopeful countenance of the person he held closest to his shredded heart kneeling in front of him. "Yeah, yeah, " he muttered as he rolled his eyes and made an off-handed wave with a flick of one wrist, thinking there would be no way in Hell he would find this pastime even remotely arousing.

Shiyuuichi lunged at Eiri, enveloping him in a big bear hug around the waist before he got up and started dropping his clothes on the spot. Eiri blinked in surprise at the ungraceful but still delightful striptease occurring before his eyes. Needing nicotine, he winced at the war zone scattered across the costly designer coffee table as he excavated his pack of Alfa menthols and lighter then glanced back at the impromptu floorshow.

Eiri's eyes got much, much wider.

Shiyuuichi was already bare and had gone rigid in concentration. It seemed he was gathering himself together internally as he closed his eyes, sensually licked the palm of his right hand, then reached down to his semi-erect penis supported in his left hand and cupped the head with the moistness.

Eiri audibly gulped as he stared at his pink-coifed paramour, eyes shut, head tilted back, mouth slack, breath quickening, hips thrusting, briskly stroking himself to full mast. He gawked at the erotic display. There were times Shiyuuichi's extreme shyness about his own body and sex in general fell by the wayside and a wild wanton animal was left in its place. That animal was sensuous, sexual and glowingly beautiful. Eiri could not help but lick his lips in anticipation as his heart rate and own penis began to rise in appreciation.

Before Eiri could pounce on his aroused and desirable lover Shiyuuichi opened his eyes and reached for the tube of paper he had left on the coffee table prior to the strip.

He slipped the shape on, which immediately spun around on the slippery-skinned rod and hung upside down, the slightly heavier top making it a victim of the law of gravity.

It didn't fit.

It was too big.

Shiyuuichi's mouth gaped open and closed like a goldfish and his green-flecked violet eyes almost overwhelmed his face as he stared down in amazement at the uncooperative koki.

Eiri had to quickly cover his mouth and fake a smoker's cough to keep from laughing out loud at the priceless expression on his idiot lover's visage.

Shiyuuichi was rosy with embarrassment and shocked by the incident. He knew his family jewels were more than above average in size and he was rather insolent about the fact he did not have a teensy weensy weenie. But he definitely did not have the length or thickness of his very well-hung fuck-mate.

"I made it to fit you...," Shiyuuichi muttered, his face turning an even brighter shade of red as he dwelled on a daydream image of his lover's talented and lavish endowments.

Eiri was at the point of biting his knuckles to keep from spewing his mirth but he just could not look away from the comedy of Eros before him.

Shiyuuichi continued to stare at his contrary crotch as he attempted to come up with an answer. Surprisingly, a solution popped up almost immediately. With the reluctant koki still dangling dangerously, Shiyuu waddled over to the end table, took off the shape, pulled some facial tissues from their box and began winding them loosely around his woody. A few wadded ones were added as he put the koki back on. The extra padding was sufficient to settle the shape in place without it slipping off or spinning. He grinned. "Paper cut protection too!" the vocalist quipped. A few strokes and squeezes to his balls brought the koki back to full solid attention. Wearing a feral leer and with hips leading Shiyuuichi jauntily strutted back to the coffee table to retrieve the script.

It was then Eiri realized Shiyuuichi was still wearing his socks.

His pink socks.

His damnable cute pink socks.

Scanning the script, then pitching the piece of paper back on the table, Shiyuuichi composed himself like he was preparing to sing, closing his eyes in concentration, taking deep breaths to warm up his diaphragm and striking a pose. He sent a closed fist up in the air then made a few pulling-down motions.

"Whoo whoo! Engine 783 now leaving the station! All clear!" declared the man wearing a paper train engine on his excited tool. Shiyuu convincingly produced whooshing sounds through his talented lips as the 'steam' began to build up in anticipation.

With fists still closed and forearms parallel to the floor Shiyuuichi started slowly moving his upper limbs back and forth like the pistons on the train wheels, moving steadily faster as the whooshing sounds were spoken more rapidly. The engine began lurching in expectation and cautiously the train departed from the station, helped by the slickness of pink socks against a wooden floor.

"Chuff," said the train, "Chuff... chuff... chuff, chug, chuff, chuffchuffchugchuffchoochoochoochoo..." The engine quickly picked up speed as it began traveling its route.

With the foot coverings allowing him to skate along the floor easily Shiyuuichi found himself getting fully immersed in the role-play. He would announce actual station names as he scooted about the living room, stopping at one station for loading and unloading passengers and goods, backing up to collect new cars, chugging by another station without stopping with a comment about not having a scheduled stop there, whistling when crossing roads, yelling all aboard, bringing the steam sound up faster and louder as he prepared to leave a station. Shiyuu's overactive imagination could 'see' what he was acting out, caught up in the fantasy of being a train, a horny train wanting to entice a particular passenger to climb aboard for a bump and grind ride.

Despite his earlier trepidation Eiri reluctantly found he was fascinated with the display, almost missing his mouth when he placed a cigarette between his sensual lips. Lighting up, he decided there was something definitely decadent about watching someone scooting around on the wood floor in just pink socks and a paper train engine stuffed on an erect penis, gleefully spouting train sounds, yelling conductor calls and making arm motions. His nether regions agreed. Eiri's groin was not only stirring again, it was coming to full alert status.

Noticing the appearance of the cigarette, Shiyuuichi decided to chug close to 'Uesugi Station'. As he passed by he reached over and snatched the lit cigarette from Eiri's lips, like a child capturing a brass ring while riding the carrousel. "I need this!" He announced, then stuck the cigarette, filter first, into the smokestack of the costume. "Gotta have smoke coming out of the stack now, don't we?" he sniggered.

Eiri considered stopping Shiyuuichi, then hesitated. Maybe allowing the paper costume to catch fire might be a way to stop this nonsense, as titillating as it was, once and for all. Then he reconsidered; how he would explain to the emergency room staff how his lover's penis could go up in flames? It would turn into one of those gay ER stories people liked to pass around, like losing a gerbil or light bulb up one's colon. The fact they were both famous and the story might leak to the press, or worse, a tabloid, made him feel somewhat ill and concerned. Besides, getting burned in that delicate area would not be pleasant in the least and the time his lover would require to recover completely would cut into any playtime Eiri would wish to initiate. He was now used to having sex on a daily basis, at least once every 24 hours, preferably more. Just how long could he go without his special dose of sweet Shiyuu sexual release?

"Get that cigarette away from combustibles before you burst into flames, idiot," he snapped, more loudly than he intended.

"Yuki! You're worried about me? I need to work especially hard to please you!" beamed the tenor-turned-choo-choo as he removed the cigarette from the top of the koki and held it gingerly between two of his fingers.

Anticipating naked full-body contact with a back-breaking hug and sloppy kiss from Shiyuuichi Eiri was surprised when the younger man started shuffling about with even more enthusiasm and intensity. Shiyuu suddenly scuttled back in front of Eiri and gently placed the cigarette back into his lover's relaxed mouth. Before Eiri could make a move to grab the imp Shiyuu had quickly chugged away from him.

"I want Yuki to see this is a fun game and we can enjoy playing together today! Whoo! Whoo! Gonna shake my caboose at you, too!" Shiyuuichi's over-the-shoulder quip was followed by a naughty giggle as he jiggled his hips seductively, setting his divine little ass wagging back and forth in an almost hypnotic fashion.

Grappling desperately onto that miniscule particle of dignity, Eiri had to contain himself and refrain from hopping aboard the tempting Shindou Express right then and there. He shoved his back against the leather couch, perched his arms across the back of the furniture and slouched, looking to all the world like he was bored out of his brain. He was feigning indifference, of course. His logical mind was totally elsewhere and starved for oxygen since all the blood had rushed from one head to the other.

Leaning forward to extinguish his cigarette, Eiri finally resigned himself to his fate with a heavy mental sigh, releasing that final drop of dignity to whirl away to parts unknown, and made the decision to hold up the train his next available chance, using his 'gun' like an old-time train robber. Looking up from the ashtray as he blew out the last traces of smoke from his abused lungs he blinked confusedly, puzzled. His pink-tressed lover had abruptly stopped in the middle of the floor and had gone completely scarlet from the top of his forehead to the middle of his chest. He was staring in the direction of the hallway with his mouth dangling open so low an elephant could have crawled in easily. Turning his head, Eiri beheld what had frozen Shiyuuichi in his train tracks and brought on his acute embarrassment.

Leaning on the doorframe slouched Eiri's younger brother, Tatsuha, an enormous smile taking up most of his face as he took in the mating dance. Snuggled under Tatsuha's free arm peeped his brother's lover, the infamous Sakuma Ryuuichi, looking wide-eyed and intensely interested at the 'talent' Shiyuuichi was exposing. Eiri's jealousy chomped him hard on the ass as he noticed Ryuuichi's concentrated gaze on his lover, the romance writer's powerful, almost irrational territorial tendencies about HIS Shiyuuichi rising out of control and in earnest even as Eiri's desires, wants and wang waned.

"Who the fuck let YOU in?" Eiri snarled threateningly.

Tatsuha grinned as he watched his middle sibling vacillate between embarrassment and anger while he squirmed on the leather sofa. He held up a set of house keys and jangled the metal Kumagorou^TM key ring. "I let myself in, big bro," Tatsuha replied arrogantly.

"Don't you EVER knock?" barked the irate blond, feeling the hairs on his neck rise up like a defensive canine's while struggling internally to get his ridiculous possessiveness under control - and finally succeeding.

"Why? What would be the point? You never answer the door, or the home phone for that matter since you now have Caller ID, unless you are actually expecting someone important like your editor, your publisher or your car insurance agent. And, of course, if it's Shiyuu-kun when he forgets his keys because the neighbors kept complaining about all the yelling and pounding." Tatsuha smiled smugly at his elder brother, who was glaring balefully at the uninvited people in his sanctuary.

"This looks like fun, actually," beamed the black-haired teen as his gaze landed back on a still stunned Shiyuuichi. "Hey, Shiyuu, does the train make unscheduled stops? This priest wants to hop aboard one of your passenger cars and take the tour!" He pulled out a scrap of fabric from his pants pocket, which when held up revealed itself as a tiny monk's costume.

Ryuuichi squeaked happily at the sight of the small ensemble. "I have my Kumagorou koki with me and Kumagorou has a conductor's outfit perfect for this!" He began digging around in his many pockets for the aforementioned items.

Eiri slammed the palms of his hands on either side of his head with a groan, pushing slightly against his temples in an attempt to stop the headache threatening to raise its ugly face. As his gaze flitted around the room's occupants he felt his head slowly sink lower and lower, until finally his elbows landed on his knees and he was staring at the floorboards, reluctantly replaying what he had just witnessed.

His idiot lover was still standing paralyzed and blinking stupidly, naked except for pink socks on his feet and a paper train stuffed onto his now wobbling erection while his idiot brother had dropped his chinos and was wearing a miniature version of full Buddhist monk raiment on his genitals. Said brother's brain-dead lover had his leather jeans around his ankles and had donned a tiny, pink and very fuzzy bunny with button eyes on his privates. And that blasted pink rodent he carried around all the time was in a blue and white striped conductor's uniform complete with hat and had been plunked on top of Shiyuuichi's rose-tinted noggin.

Eiri wondered if he had just been transported to the Twilight Zone.

Hazarding a glance back up at his younger brother and gesturing at all the penis apparel invading his line of sight, Eiri grumbled, "How did you know about this, Tatsuha?"

"Picking the lock and raiding dad's dirty books cabinet, just like you did." Tatsuha replied matter-of-factly as he took a gander at his lover's latest attire. "C'mere, my widdle bun-bun, give us a kiss and I will feed you a carrot!" he crooned as he pulled his lover into a one-armed clinch, the miniature monk and bitty bunny looking like they were kissing as well.

Shiyuuichi finally shook out of his daze and glared accusingly at Eiri. "You knew what kokigami was all this time and didn't tell me?" he huffed indignantly.

"Yeah, I knew, " said Eiri nonchalantly, "and if I HAD told you about it you would have wanted to try it immediately." Eiri added scornfully, "The Japanese have been using kokigami for centuries, imbecile, where have YOU been?"

Trying to ignore the bobbling characters at their groins, Eiri glowered at the unwanted duo, who were in the process of exchanging spit. "Get a room, and I don't mean here! Jeez! And why are you here, pestering us, in the first place?" At Eiri's comments Tatsuha and Ryuuichi broke off their tonsil hockey, both grinning sheepishly but not contritely.

During Eiri's tongue-lashings to both himself and his friends Shiyuu had completely lost the steam of his train and his inclination to continue the play. He pulled the koki off, raining tissues at the removal, placed the shape and the ever patient Kumagorou on the coffee table, and began pulling on his cotton Nittle Grasper^TM boxers, looking dejected.

"Don't be sad, Shiyuu-chan," warbled Ryuuichi, moving toward his dispirited pink-haired friend to comfort him. Since he had forgotten his pants were around his ankles he immediately lost his balance, flailed about and fell face first onto the hardwood floor with a loud smack.

Eiri looked to the heavens and rolled his eyes in exasperation as Shiyuuichi dashed and Tatsuha shuffled, chinos still hobbling him, toward the crashed man lying motionless on the floor.

"Let's play something else," Ryuuichi requested, rubbing his nose with one hand and his deflated koki with the other as he was gently rolled over and helped back on to his feet by his friend and his lover.

"You did not damage anything vital now, did you, Ryu-chan?" queried Tatsuha as he noticed his sapphire-eyed lover had a hold of his crotch.

"No, he hit his head," interjected Eiri, lighting another cigarette and inhaling deeply, savoring the nicotine buzz.

"Yuki, that's mean!" exclaimed Shiyuuichi, glaring at the blond lounging on the sofa.

Ryuuichi ignored what the others were saying, focusing on his younger lover instead. "I'm fine, Tat-chan! I caught myself with my hands at the last minute so I just bent bits of me a little." Ryuuichi smiled as he wiggled his 'little bunny' back and forth between his fingers. "See? Nothing broken!"

Tatsuha pulled Ryuuichi into a loving hug, which the older man leaned into and reciprocated cheerfully. Over Ryuuichi's shoulder Tatsuha noticed Shiyuuichi look away sorrowfully from the embrace as he went back to dressing. Tatsuha knew Shiyuuichi was thinking about how his own lover would never do such a thing in front of anyone, how Eiri would never show any kind of affection toward him in public or even in private among good friends.

"We brought that movie you have been wanting to see, Shiyuu, and thought we could all watch it together," said Tatsuha as he released his lover from his clinch and pulled the DVD box from his jacket pocket. "Unless we are interrupting something," he leered, actually hoping they would get kicked out so his brother would give Shiyuuichi the attention he desperately needed at the moment.

Eiri gracefully rose from the couch. "Nothing to interrupt. Go ahead and watch your movie, just keep it down, I have a chapter deadline to meet so I will be working and don't want to be disturbed by too much racket." Eiri chose to overlook the abject misery on Shiyuuichi's face even though the sight of it made his chest tighten painfully. Tatsuha's eyes shouted silent accusations at his brother, which were also ignored. Eiri stomped into his study and slammed the door, leaving a slender smoky trail behind him.

"I feel bad 'bout interrupting your game, Shiyuu-chan," said Ryuuichi, removing his koki bunny and pulling his pants back onto his slim form.

"Don't worry about it in the least, Ryu-chan, it wasn't working anyway." Shiyuuichi glanced once at the closed study door, sighed longingly, then turned back to his friends with a small resigned smile on his face. "I will get some snacks, order some dinner to be delivered and we can watch the movie. Is Italian okay?"

"Yeah!" Ryuuichi bounced onto the recently vacated sofa and grabbed up his bunny for a cuddle. "Kumagorou wants plenty of those soft garlic breadsticks so he can pretend they are carrots!" declared Ryuuichi as Kumagorou's paws clapped in agreement. Shiyuuichi could not help but grin at his friend's antics as he left the room for the kitchen, pulling his orange hoodie shirt back into place.

Tatsuha zipped up and was just making himself cozy by draping one arm across his lover's shoulders and snuggling into Ryuuichi's side while gently patting one of Kumagorou's legs affectionately when Shiyuuichi returned with a tray holding more than enough munchies and drinks to go around. Shiyuuichi smiled warmly at the threesome, shuffled the clutter covering the coffee table onto the floor and away from the traffic path then laid out the junk food feast. Plopping on the couch, Shiyuuichi began making himself comfortable on the other side of Ryuuichi, who pulled his friend close to his dancer-like body and rubbed Shiyuuichi's back soothingly. The puddle of three men and one plushie settled in to watch the entire DVD, starting with the extras included; the interviews, games, trailers, cut scenes and outtakes, and finally finishing off with the actual movie, a high-action comedy-adventure, which begged for lots of loud yells, cheers and laughter.

~*~*~

The raucous party sounds had died long ago, with Eiri barely noticing the front door slamming when his crazy brother and said brother's crazier lover had left. He had worked through dinner as was his habit and had been surprised when no pink fluffball had intruded on him, badgering him about eating regular meals. Finally finishing his latest chapter, emailing it to the editor for revisions and making some notes for the next he decided it was a good place to stop and call it a night.

Mentally cringing when he considered what state he would find the living room after being bombarded by the Three Stooges from Hell he was surprised to find it cleaned and straightened. No evidence of the goober gathering remained. Eiri was amazed.

Also amazing was the fact all the snippets from the earlier construction had vanished from the coffee table and only the book, a few small, rectangular pieces of thick paper stacked together and the train koki remained. Even the tape and scissors had been put away.

Eiri picked up the papers, flipped through them and realized they were the script and body movements for using the koki. Mildly curious, one corner of Eiri's mouth twitched as he scanned the silliness on the first piece of paper.

KISHA: The Steam Train. With smoke belching and cinders flying the big Steam Engine roars out the tunnel. Proud, throbbing, hot.

'Proud, throbbing, hot, huh?' thought Eiri. 'Is this why he picked the train for me to wear? Or was it chosen because of the smoke reference? And why would the train want to leave the tunnel? I would have thought the tunnel would be the goal.' He combed his fingers through his flaxen hair as he examined the next scrap of paper.

The Call: "Chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff chuff, Whoooooooooooo! Got to make it! Got to make it!"

Eiri actually snickered as he thought, 'Well, I guess that's better than "I think I can, I think I can!" More positive at least.' His lips turned up slightly at the memory of his pink-haired and pink-shod lover slipping across the floor, intently playing his part and improvising brilliantly around the lack of script. Shiyuuichi really had put a lot of effort into the game, Eiri realized suddenly, feeling a twinge of guilt about not picking up on it at the time. 'Of course he did, he always puts his all into everything he does, and you know it, you stupid-shit," Eiri berated himself. To get his mind off what he was feeling he scrutinized the next fragment of paper.

The Reply: "Please stand well clear of the tracks, the 11.25 express is coming through!"

Eiri snorted. ‘Well, that’s pretty lame’, the writer scoffed to himself, thinking about much more creative scenarios, like arriving at the station, going into a tunnel or stopping for a water fill-up, situations with much more sexual innuendo than the written script. He pondered the final piece of paper.

The Play: Swing forearms vertically to simulate pistons. Move toward your partner in a straight line while making loud, rhythmic steam emission noises. Blow whistle before moving off again.

Eiri’s guilt returned as he recalled how well Shiyuuichi had done his part in the Play. Then it hit him, if he, Eiri, had attempted to be the train engine he would not have done half as well as his multi-talented firebrand of a lover.

With a shake of his head Eiri placed the papers back on the table and moved to the kitchen to get a drink. There he found not only the dishes done and the trash bagged up but also a hot pink sticky note on the refrigerator door handle announcing a large covered container of take-away leftovers had been prepared for him, ready to be reheated. Another stab of guilt jabbed him. Shiyuuichi had actually left him alone as requested, which was highly unusual but not unheard of, and had still set aside provisions so his lover would be well fed. Realizing he was a bit hungry after all he microwaved the ten-layer lasagna and angel hair pasta with meat sauce and gulped it down, chasing it with an icy cold beer. Pitching the disposable storage container and empty can into the trash he yawned as he meandered into the bedroom.

The moon-veiled vision stopped him in his tracks.

His better half was sprawled on his stomach at an angle across the bed, unencumbered by bedclothes and tantalizingly nude. His lover’s silky smooth toothsome bottom glowed invitingly in the diffused moonlight and from where he stood Eiri could spy in the pale shadows the soft velvety sac at the junction of the long, sexy and spread legs languishing in abandon. Eiri’s earlier interrupted inclinations swelled back in magnificent majesty as he gazed upon the sumptuous repast before him.

Before he became too distracted by the view before him Eiri moved to the bathroom for his nightly constitutional, finishing with a thorough brushing of his teeth and two tiny dabs of a spicy scent to his skin. One was placed in the hollow where his hairline met the back of his neck and the other at his hair part above his brow. This particular cologne literally made his lover’s mouth water and the blond decided it was once again time to exploit the response.

Back in the bedroom he carefully sat upon the mattress and scrutinized his sleeping lover’s face painted with moonlight, flinching when he saw the dried tear tracks glimmering on the soft cheeks. ‘Damn it, I made him cry,’ he sighed to himself, ‘again.’ Eiri hated himself when he caused his soul mate to weep because of something he did or said, but he could not help himself. The fear and terror of being out of control of his life, being so exposed emotionally, so open to the chance of being hurt by someone he loved and cared about, would literally freak him out. The only defense he knew was to lash out, and regrettably the vehemence was usually directed at the trying yet lovable man who gently held his scarred heart. Eiri still could not break himself of the comfortable, familiar habit of keeping himself in a protective shell and violently pushing away everyone and everything. All he could do after being a fucking ass bastard was to make it up to Shiyuuichi in other ways.

One way was allowing Shiyuuichi to think he was manipulating Eiri into doing things by massaging his feet first. Eiri had caught on to the ploy after the first few executions and decided to let Shiyuuichi continue to think he was pulling a fast one. The massages really did relax him like nothing else did and it allowed Eiri an excuse to ‘let go’ a little. At least, that was what he told himself.

But now it was time to ‘let go’ in other, more delightful ways…

~*~*~

Shiyuuichi slowly became conscious as rising waves of ecstasy licked at his very core. As his brain finally kicked in he became aware of two things; one: a warm, familiar frame was lying on top of his back and between his spread legs, and two: luscious, leisurely rhythmic thrusts were stroking against pleasurable places inside him. Eiri’s semi-clad upper half was wrapped around him, bare chest pressed into his back, his sand-washed silk-covered arms cradling him. As expected, Eiri’s lower extremities were covered, except where his unzipped fly exposed the silky straight pubic hair which tickled Shiyuu’s skin so pleasantly, the soft yet firm testicles which slapped against the underside Shiyuu's bottom and his balls so erotically and the long, slick, thick penis which filled and fulfilled Shiyuu so completely. A long drawn-out moan flowed out from deep within Shiyuuichi’s being and escaped through his relaxed mouth, acknowledging the satisfaction he was experiencing, which was answered with a light chuckle behind him.

Out of Shiyuuichi’s line of sight, Eiri’s face was nestled in the curve of Shiyuu’s right shoulder against the back of his satiny head. A deep sultry voice flowed over younger man.

“Proud,” came the soft utterance, emphasizing the word with a more forceful yet still slow thrust.

“Throbbing, “ was purred, accentuated with strong Kegel exercise muscle flexes thumping Eiri’s penis against the smoldering walls deep inside Shiyuuichi’s channel.

“Hot,” brushed over Shiyuu’s left ear in a heated wisp of air, again accented with a slow and powerful push inside a more all-encompassing heat and ending with a circular hip grind motion to intensify and prolong the sweet infiltration.

Shiyuuichi twisted his neck to gaze at his lover’s visage and his eyes rolled into the back of his brain as he was hit with olfactory overload. ‘Oh, he smells so GOOD!’ Shiyuu thought as saliva began to fill his mouth in reaction to the sumptuous spicy scent. As he blinked his eyes back under control the vocalist found himself contemplating the amused and twinkling twin suns of his golden lover, who then covered Shiyuu’s mouth with his own luscious lips and began to suck the breath and juices from him.

Pulling away slowly from the soul kiss, Eiri murmured to his almost asphyxiated lover, “Breathe, silly. I’ve shown you how to kiss and breathe at the same time. No passing out is allowed, at least not until after you’ve come, that is.” Eiri smirked as he watched his adorable lover’s cheeks pink delicately at his ribald remark. The blond leaned in slightly to ravage the small ear located so conveniently close to his mouth with kisses and tongue fucks, extracting hisses, whines and small squirms from the responsive man beneath him.

Although Eiri was still slowly caressing his insides most exquisitely Shiyuuichi felt an unusual shifting of Eiri’s legs against the back of his own. Then he felt his pale lover’s gentle hands on his hips, pulling him up so he was now on his hands and knees, Eiri never stopping the unhurried in-and-out motion of filling and refilling Shiyuuichi’s body. Eiri made a slight shift in angle and with the next thrust sent a searing surge of sensuousness throughout the younger man’s nervous system. Shiyuuichi screamed his enjoyment with each deliberately slow penetration and brush to his prostate.

Through the haze of pleasure Shiyuuichi finally detected a change in the overall feeling of their love-making; he no longer felt the nubby texture of Eiri’s raw linen slacks against the back of his unclad thighs. Instead was the unaccustomed but welcoming warmth of flesh pressed against flesh.

Eiri’s legs were bare?

Had Eiri removed his pants?

Eiri NEVER removed his pants during sex!

Shiyuuichi’s jumbled and confused thoughts were tossed aside to be forgotten as Eiri ran soft dry kisses and nibbles down his upper spine and light fingertip glissades up along his sides, causing the smaller man to arch and gasp from the prickling tingles coursing through him. The kissing along his spine continued, which eventually caused Eiri to slip out of Shiyuuichi’s heat as Eiri’s mouth traveled ever lower, finally reached his lover’s posterior and nipped at each rounded cheek.

“No! Don’t stop! Come back! Don’t leave!” Shiyuuichi managed to choke out, almost crying because of the deprivation, of losing the feeling of his lover’s gentleness inside him. Immediately he felt strong silk-sheathed arms wrap tightly around his waist as Eiri’s torso pressed against his back and the blond’s lips kissed his skin repeatedly in an attempt to comfort the distressed man under him. Eiri’s now freed penis pressed against Shiyuu’s backside, causing another shaky whimper of need to escape the singer’s throat. Shiyuu felt his lover’s low seductive rumble against him.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Eiri declared against Shiyuuichi’s back, then kissed his darling’s skin again soothingly. Eiri’s own breath had hitched when he had heard the crying tone in his lover’s voice. The amber-eyed man released his right arm from around Shiyuu’s waist and trailed his fingertips up along the satin-skinned torso until he reached one of his sweet love’s sensitive nipples. Stroking the pleasure center gently he repeated, “I’m not going anywhere.” Relaxing his death grip on Shiyuuichi’s waist Eiri’s left hand homed in on his beloved’s erection and began to lightly run his fingers along the length. “I’m here, don’t cry,” was all he was able to utter before he had to shut down the upswelling of emotions bombarding him by pressing his face into the warm back of his vivacious life partner to regain some semblance of control.

With those reassuring words easing his fears of rejection and abandonment Shiyuuichi allowed himself to be swept away by the delicate ministrations his handsome lover’s fingers were playing on his body. Eiri’s hands seemed to be everywhere at once, lightly covering his skin with butterfly caresses, coaxing yet another huff of pleasure from Shiyuuichi’s slack and slightly drooling mouth. It was all one large, somewhat defused blur of sensation until without warning everything focused on the tender kisses and licks being lavished on his balls.

While Shiyuuichi had been zoned out on all-over pleasure Eiri had lain down face up and maneuvered himself so the smaller man’s groin was suspended above his head. Then he had latched onto Shiyuuichi’s knees and moved them apart more so the pink-haired man’s body would lower itself to Eiri’s waiting mouth. Eiri’s featherweight fingertips were now delicately stroking Shiyuu’s bottom.

Shiyuuichi fell to his elbows, pressing his face into his now crossed arms as he sobbed with delight, knowing Eiri loved the velvety texture of his almost hair-free testicles as much as he loved Eiri giving them attention. The fingers lightly caressing his behind, fingernails teasing and tickling the skin to gooseflesh, just compounded and enhanced his enjoyment. Shiyuu wailed wantonly when Eiri sucked one testicle into his mouth and concentrated on the dense, rounded structure inside the sac, rolling it around and nudging it with his talented tongue. Then he graced the other testicle with the same gentle treatment. The ‘ahs’ pouring from Shiyuuichi’s mouth were almost staccato as he relished the ardent pampering he was receiving.

Suddenly Shiyuuichi’s body stiffened and shuddered, his mouth uttering a low howling moan while his head tilted back toward the ceiling as the base of his shaft experienced a deliberately unhurried tongue swipe and a light gnaw. He heard a chortle under him as an aristocratic nose gave the midline of his scrotum a loving nuzzle and silken lips stole a quick buss. Hands hastened along Shiyuu’s sides until they could reach his chest, then pressed upward. Shiyuu found himself once again propped up on his hands and knees.

Eiri spoke quietly into the tender skin of Shiyuuichi’s right inner thigh, while doling out tiny tantalizing kisses. “Since you were bound and determined…" *kiss* "…to try something new…" *kiss* "…I thought…” *kiss* ”…this would be different enough…" *kiss* "…to appease your need…" *kiss* "…for a little adventure.” *kiss* Eiri rubbed his soft left cheek against the sensitized inner thigh, a soothing sensation.

Eiri tapped Shiyuuichi’s outer thighs with his fingers and continued without the distracting smooches. "Let's continue the adventure. Just keep your hands on the bed, your arms straight and let your legs relax a little, okay?"

"Uh huh," was all the affirmative the addled-from-ardor Shiyuuichi could muster, finding himself in the rare state of being at a loss for words.

"Okay then," said Eiri, one side of his mouth quivering into a microscopic smirk, realizing their roles had somehow reversed and suddenly he was now the talkative one between the sheets.

Eiri wrapped his hands around Shiyuuichi’s slim hipbones and pressed upward. The action sent the lower half of Shiyuu's lanky body toward the ceiling. The pink-haired man's legs were now as straight as his arms and only his hands and feet were in contact with the mattress. His head hung low while his bottom was the highest part of him, in a lovely presentation position because of his spread legs.

The thought of such easy access made it difficult for Eiri to resist but he reined his libido in so he could move to the next step of the adventure.

"I'm letting go of your hips now, so keep in this position for just a minute. I promise it won't last long," said Eiri as he reluctantly removed his hands from Shiyuuichi's satiny smooth body.

Shiyuuichi remained poised above the mattress as directed, albeit a bit shaky. Curious as to just what was going on behind him, he deciding to look between his arms and was greeted by the sight of his lover moving toward him. Eiri was actually crawling on his stomach between Shiyuuichi's legs and through the space formed by the smaller man's body. Shiyuu’s head jerked back as the fair-haired man quickly covered the length of the human tunnel and stopped when his shoulders met with Shiyuuichi’s hands pressed into the mattress.

Eiri knew he had only moments before the shorter man above him would need to relax so he swiftly adjusted his shirt, pulling it down from the neckline so it was slipping off his shoulders and pulling up the shirttail so it no longer covered his bottom. Then he told Shiyuuichi to put his knees back on the bed.

Shiyuuichi’s knees landed firmly against the mattress on either side of Eiri’s body, arms and legs quaking from the exertion of the odd position. He was even panting slightly.

Eiri tilted his head so he could see his lover’s strained face. “You look as if you're you are about to collapse,” he muttered quietly. “Why don’t you go ahead and lie on me?” Eiri’s answer to his question was a puddle of pink powder-puff fluff crashing on top of him, causing him to grunt in surprise. Then his lips twitched with a tiny grin as he felt the radiating body heat, the still unflagging erection and the sensuously soft bare skin of his beloved bonehead, who was currently using him as a human futon.

As with any man with youth on his side, Shiyuuichi recovered quickly from the odd exercise and was pleased to discover the right cheek of his face had landed on Eiri’s bare left shoulder when he had collapsed onto Eiri’s body. He began to kiss, gnaw and lightly lick the vulnerable spot on his lover, quickly drawing panting ‘ha’s from his usually silent paramour. Shiyuuichi loved playing Eiri’s body the way Eiri could play his own. The blond novelist’s shoulders and back were a very large erogenous zone and that revelation had given Shiyuuichi an arsenal he could exploit even in public, when he could get away with it. Pushing Eiri’s shirt a little lower off the shoulder allowed him to attack even more savory milky flesh, which he proceeded to do enthusiastically.

As he investigated Eiri’s back with his mouth Shiyuuichi discovered the wiggling motion he used to propel himself along the long lean form under him drew breathy moans and answering wiggles from his taller lover. Scrambling back onto his hands and knees Shiyuu decided to continue making the man beneath him writhe from the action. Swaying his hips in a side-to-side motion the pink-haired man slowly rubbed the head of his erect penis along the middle of Eiri’s back right below the bunched up silk shirt. Eiri’s soft exclamations grew louder as he felt his own erection push against the mattress under him, his hips involuntarily responding with slow sustained thrusting motions to the stimulus.

Shiyuuichi continued the unhurried back-and-forth hip motion, deliberately drawing a snake-like path downward with his moist tip. He brushed the head of his hard length across the small of Eiri’s back, along the two darling lower back dimples, gradually making the shallow assent up the curve of the older man’s tight muscular backside.

Eiri found he was groaning in abandon and flailing against the bed because of the tingling, quivering sensations careening throughout his body, licking at his nipples, tickling up his spine, tightening his balls, twitching his already aching erection. He was definitely letting go this time by allowing Shiyuuichi to take the initiative, and Eiri had been surprised when he had ascertained he was enjoying the little adventure immensely. His teeth sank into the pillow closest to him as he grunted out his delectation, but he was still trying to keep his head just a little longer so the final stages of his plan would go off without a hitch. He HAD made a promise.

Shiyuuichi kept sketching against the blond’s bottom, feeling his penis dip and dance in and out of the curves of Eiri’s crack. As the tip slipped over the crest of the buttocks and began its descent the satiny skin covering the lower half of the compact yet curvaceous rump let it be known it was even more sensitive, wringing louder gasps and whines and body spasms from the horizontal golden man. The final deliberate ‘paint’ strokes were applied to the undercuppage crease where upper leg was joined to buttock, a highly sexually charged volatile area judging from the seizures jolting the flesh and the sharp, boisterous noises escaping through the gritted teeth of the novelist.

Shiyuuichi finally had to pause, the length of his pulsing erection coming to rest in the valley dividing Eiri’s cheeks. Rubbing himself against his lover for such an extended period of time coupled with the almost constant erotic sounds and motions his lover made had stimulated him to the point of bringing him close to completion. He had to stop and regroup if he wanted to last longer and continue this intriguing romp.

The brief respite was also a relief to Eiri, who had found himself getting dizzy from almost hyperventilating while trying to catch his breath.

For a few moments the only sound in the moon-drenched bedroom was a duet of ragged inhalations and exhalations.

Recovering some of his control, Shiyuuichi glided his torso back up Eiri’s back, pressing his sensitive and erect nipples against the soft pale skin and allowing his dribbling penis to drag along, leaving another shimmering trail of pre-cum along Eiri’s lower spine ridges, drawing soft sighs from the prone taller man. The silk shirt was now a rolled up, wrinkled, sweat-smeared and bedraggled wad across the middle of Eiri’s upper back, and its bunched up condition was restricting the blond’s arm movements to a degree. Shiyuuichi considered talking Eiri out of the garment then realized it was acting somewhat like a restraint, keeping the pale man from full motion. Perhaps this was the adventure Eiri had mentioned as appeasement. Having the usually authoritative man in this passive position was certainly unusual and unique. It probably WAS the closest they would ever get to bondage so Shiyuuichi decided to ignore it and continue his assault to Eiri’s highly reactive back. Admittedly, at any moment the JPop vocalist expected the writer to roll over and take him hard and fast while he was hovering over or sitting astride the fair-haired man, the thought of which caused the uke in Shiyuuichi to tingle and mewl with anticipation.

His face back in position over the top of Eiri’s sensitive snowy shoulders, Shiyuuichi applied first nose nuzzles then teeth presses to the pliable skin, leaving a pattern of lightly indented rings across the upper part of Eiri’s back. For some reason the blond loved teeth presses and bites that did not break the skin, perhaps something having to do with the threshold between pain and pleasure. Eiri’s bucking response and moan from each press encouraged the lighter man to continue his travels along the same route. Leaning over to kiss the hollow at the back of his partner’s neck just where the golden man liked it, Shiyuuichi was almost bowled over by another assault to his nose, the spicy aroma once more turning on the waterworks in his mouth and making his eyes spin. Eiri actually smiled into his pillow when he felt the liquid landing on the first vertebrae of his spine, knowing he had surprised his petite lover yet again and they would both reap the rewards of the fragrant stimulation.

Shiyuuichi fell upon the blond’s fair flesh with renewed enthusiasm, lapping up the saliva he had so generously slobbered there and adding kisses, licks, gnaws and nips as he saw fit. Occasionally he would taste himself mixed with his lover’s flavor as his tongue passed over areas where he had drawn pre-cum trails earlier. So intent was Shiyuuichi on lavishing attention to his lover’s back, shoulders and neck he barely registered the sound of the pump bottle dispensing lube.

Shifting his somewhat restricted arms so he could actually reach his goal, the knuckles of Eiri’s left hand traveled carefully up Shiyuuichi’s left inner leg pressed against his hip until he bumped into his destination, the silky scrotum and shaft of his highly excitable lover. Working by touch alone he pressed his slick palm and digits around the rigid ‘engine’ and thoroughly coated the silky smooth skin of Shiyuuichi’s raging erection with strawberry scented and flavored lube. High-pitched melodious bird cries trilled from the silver throat of the singer as the onslaught to his senses washed over him.

While Shiyuuichi was saturated with exquisite carnality Eiri put into action the next phase to fulfilling his promise. Eiri’s left leg began to push out against Shiyuuichi’s left inner thigh and knee in an attempt to dislodge the rose-tinted man from his current placement on the mattress.

With his brain muddled with lust, Shiyuuichi just instinctively transferred his left leg away from the limb pushing him off-balance, placing his knee on the other side of the shifting leg. When the right leg under him parroted the move of the left so his other leg altered positions as well Shiyuu found himself kneeling between the spread inner thighs of his amber-eyed lover.

Shiyuuichi now faced the bottom edge of Eiri’s shoulder blades peeking from under the crumpled silk. Fed up with the fabric denying him the entirety of his flaxen beauty’s flawless skin, Shiyuuichi dug his toes into the mattress and pushed himself up along his lover’s long body so he could easily reach the offending cloth, his lube-slathered phallus leaving slickness in the outer vale of Eiri’s rump cheeks. Shiyuu gathered the underarm material on both sides and began pushing both the fabric and Eiri’s arms up over his head. With his arms raised, the back of the shirt easily passed over the blond’s head and puddled around his wrists. The beautiful broad back was now completely exposed and Shiyuuichi slipped back down so his knees settled between Eiri’s thighs. Feeling his excitement intensify at the slightly kinky spectacle before him, the singer began assaulting the flesh along the now fully visible bottom edge of the writer’s shoulder blades with a slightly wet tongue and nibbling teeth.

A sharp gasp escaped Eiri’s lips as scraping incisors followed by a soothing tongue glided across his skin.

As his mouth continued to gnaw and lave all over the pale back Shiyuu ran his fingers along the sides of Eiri’s body, finally reaching another one of Eiri’s hot spots. Stroking the outer edges of the recumbent man’s pectoral muscles with feathery fingertips sent shivering signals to nipples pressed against the mattress just out of reach to harden immediately. Eiri’s strangled gurgle and thrashing motions gave Shiyuuichi the thumbs-up to persist the loving molestation.

After a little more tender taunting which excited them both Shiyuu ceased his back banquet and shifted his hands so they were poised on the skin right above Eiri’s shoulder blades. With fingernails bared like claws Shiyuu ran twin track lines of medium-pressure scratches from those pale creamy shoulders all the way to Eiri’s muscular calves, leaving behind thin pink welt paths. While the writhing man discussed his acute pleasure with the pillow he was screaming into Shiyuuichi bit Eiri lightly a few times on the rear, just teeth presses, but oh-so intoxicating to the blond, whose head jerked from the saliva-soaked kapok to bellow his ecstasy at the ceiling as his back arched tautly.

Shiyuu’s own passion-laden body could not resist the sight of his lover’s beautifully arching back. He quickly leaned forward and bit down hard onto Eiri’s white right shoulder, coaxing another round of guttural screeches from the blond while Shiyuu’s own rapture-drenched shrieks were muffled by the skin and bone he held tenderly but firmly between his teeth.

Eiri could not delay any longer. His brain was refusing to think anymore, it just wanted to process pleasure. His body was ablaze with the sensations the sparks in his groin were shooting throughout his entire system, caused by the extravagant care and detailed attention his beloved was bestowing on his body so thoroughly.

It was time to strike while both irons were fiery hot.

It was now or never.

Eiri rose slightly off the mattress with his hands and knees and shoved his firm bottom against Shiyuuichi’s slippery groin in desperation, wriggling his posterior in a way he hoped was enticing, or at least was providing an unsubtle clue to the smaller man behind him. Both extremely stimulated men keened at the mind-blowing contact, bodies seizing up momentarily as their shared desire thundered over them.

Shiyuu was stunned when he heard Eiri whisper breathlessly, “Choo choo, Shiyuu, I have a promise to keep…”

Reluctantly calling himself away from concentrating on just pure raw passion and sensation Eiri scraped a few brain cells together into a semi-coherent puddle of grey matter and gaspingly panted out his Reply, “The train must make it to its destination on time but first must pass through a long, dark, narrow and dangerous tunnel. Keep your hands inside the compartment and your head down.”

~*~*~

The train arrived on time…



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Notes


Japanese Terms, just in case…
-chan: suffix meaning darling or little one. A term of affection usually reserved for romantic partners, young female friends, children, family members or small animals.

-kun: An honorific used for addressing or referring to Children and teenagers, particularly males, or in an adult setting, used to address an inferior.

Seme = Japanese term meaning attack. In a male/male relationship this term refers to the penetrator. It is sometimes referred to as the man on top but everyone knows a man does not have to be literally on top to penetrate a lover.

Shounen-ai = Japanese term meaning boy’s love. Stories where two very beautiful males are attracted to each other romantically. The focus is on the character drama of the relationship, while yaoi is used for more explicit, sexually focused material.

Uke = Japanese term meaning receptacle. In a male/male relationship this term refers to the penetrated, the receiver.

Yaoi = An acronym from the Japanese phrase 'yama-nashi, ochi-nashi, imi-nashi', meaning 'no peak, no point, no meaning'. Yaoi is a woman's genre of manga (comic books) and short stories, produced by female artists and writers for female readers to enjoy. It focuses on the romantic, emotional and sexual relationships of two (sometimes more) men together.

Is that kokigami book for real?
The kokigami book is an actual publication and at one time the author owned a pristine (unused) copy of it. A few moves have occurred since purchasing the book and it has now been mislaid. Information on the book can be found at www.kokigami.com. The title has changed since it was first released over a decade ago so both subtitles have been added to the book depicted in this story. The ‘tiny paper costume’ is such a nice turn of phrase and it is a shame the new subtitle is more clinical.

What’s a Kegel exercise muscle flex?
You can find out more at http://www.bringhealth.com/kegel_exercise.html

Why do you spell Shiyuuichi’s name like you do?
I am breaking it down phonetically using each symbol of the katagana as a separate syllable. Recently I found a book showing the katagana for Shi and for Yu actually together and it spells Shu, which means the name really should be Shuuichi. However, since I have already set my spelling standard for my Gravitation fics I am going to keep it Shiyuuichi. Even Maki Murakami-sensei changed how she spelled her character’s name in Romanized letters as the series progressed. In the first art book she spelled it Syuichi and in the second art book she spelled it Shuichi.

When I say “Shiyuu” I use one slurred syllable, “sheeyou”, and if you listen to the anime you will sometimes hear it pronounced that way.

What is the big deal with Eiri’s pants?
In the manga Eiri never removes his pants and only rarely removes his shirt (though he does completely unbutton it) when he & Shiyuuichi have sex. The anime never indicates this pants issue one way or another although the flashback sequence where the camera pans across the floor littered with Shiyuuichi’s schoolgirl uniform only shows his clothes scattered about, all pieces accountable as Shiyuu’s, including the red girlie undies. Some unknown fabric is seen draped on the edge of the bed. Later Eiri looks like he gathers up that particular piece of fabric, which turns into his shirt. His pants are on.

The dream sequence in the OVA does show Eiri in strange looking, almost thong-cut black underwear, but he is standing, not having sex. The Costume Nazi in me almost hit the roof at the sight of those poorly designed briefs.

In the Remix doujinshi (drawn by Maki Murakami) Eiri’s pants are missing on only two occasions, in #4 in two frames and throughout # 5, where Eiri is an unwilling uke to both Tatsuha and Tohma.

So far, the other yaoi Gravi doujinshi I own and not drawn by Mukakami-sama depicts Eiri wearing his pants during sex. What I mean by wearing pants is the waistband of the pants rarely leaves the waist except at the open fly. I have seen the waistband reach the upper hips but the waistband never goes lower than the hips. No butt crack is ever seen.

Personally I suspect this is a Japanese visual shorthand for the reader. A lot of yaoi doujin I own (at least a couple hundred now) depict the seme wearing pants and sometimes a shirt during sex and the uke is either completely naked, or pant-less with just a shirt, shoulders being exposed. The exposed shoulders on a uke is a really interesting piece of shorthand I have as yet to find out the specific meaning. Originally I thought it may be connected to the Japanese erotic paintings where the couples are completely dressed but their kimono are exposing super-sized genitalia. I could not find any exposed shoulders on the women in any of the prints in the art books I own. Then I thought it could be referring to how slipping the kimono neckline back on a geisha’s shoulders, exposing the neck, is supposed to be very erotic. I do not have any confirmation on any of my speculations being factual so do not quote me.

An interesting tidbit - my writing muse had me baring Eiri’s shoulders and I did not even connect what I did until I wrote the above about exposed shoulders. I just wanted Shiyuuichi to have some skin to enjoy in his new position. My muse, Grunt the God-awful Stench, keeps up with the shorthand better than I do!

Anyway, in general, pants or no pants equals seme and uke respectively.

In real life it would be a tad uncomfortable and almost dangerous to wear pants while having sex. All that sweat and other bodily emissions getting into the fabric and the potential threat of the metal zipper teeth tearing into delicate flesh or snagging on either or both participants’ pubic hair would make it unappealing to both parties involved. The truth of the matter is, the usual places men’s pants land when having sex with their pants still on are either right below the butt where they rest on the thighs, or around the knees.

Well, Hell!

Just when I thought it was done...

Both Lutra and Joules found mistakes we had all missed the first time. Ugh, makes me want to stop writing....

Anyway, pull out your Version 8 copy and fix it so it reflects these changes:

Before speaking he stole a quick kiss from the soft subtle [just checking you mean subtle rather than supple!] lips lying there so invitingly.

Supple is correct.

'His listened to the regular heartbeat under his ear and the constant rhythm of his beloved's breathing,' Sposed to be 'he'?

Yes, supposed to be he.

Shiyuuichi was rosy with embarrassment and shocked by the incident. He knew his family jewels were more than above average in size and he was rather insolent about the fact he did not have a teensy weensy weenie.

Yes, change that dreaded 'a bit' to something else. Thanks for finding it, Joules, and I changed it to something more like what I was meaning in the first place, the word rather.

Tatsuha smiled smugly at this elder brother, who was glaring balefully at the uninvited people in his sanctuary. 'his elder brother'?

Yes, that's correct. *glares at self*

Maybe allowing the paper costume to catch fire might be a way to

Jeeze! Left it out! I am SUCH a friggin' baka...

sac at the junction of the long, sexy and spread legs languishing in abandon.

Made even a different change here, Joules!

THANK YOU BOTH!!!!

Wonder if Talon or senoritafish found anything 'glaring one way'.....

Final (hopefully!) revised version has been sent out for approval. Have fun! I think it is done done. If you give the thumbs-up I will make a font size 6 version in Word and send it to ob-session.

Pic added just for grins.

Time for sleep, definitely, sleep....

Information about Kegel exercises can be found at this site. However, the 'wiggle' described in the story will not be discussed. You are gonna have to trust me on this one... *grins evilly*

Reprieve! obsession has extended the fic deadline to the 16th! Hurray! We can all relax for a little while. My colon is much happier.

Been working on the revision. I think I was updating the wrong version, the one without Lutra's suggestions, so now I have three docs open and I am looking at them paragraph by paragraph. Also finding a few tiny bits I had initially missed with Joules' beta and am adding them in.

Sent them an email about clarification. They say they want verdana font size 6, but do they mean font size 6 in html (really large) or font size 6 as in 6 pixels (really small)? Now that they have changed the deadline I can breathe easier waiting for their answer.

The most wonderful and marvelous Joules has sent back the beta!!! I am very, very pleased! THANK YOU, JOULES! You, Lutra and Talon will all get VERY special thanks because without the three of you the story would not have gotten BETTER!!!

Now I need to go in and actually make the changes, but for now I must take a nap, put the final touches on Talon's beta so I can get it to her tonight and maybe watch another GW ep as I fall asleep. I know that does not sound nice, but I lie back with the laptop and just cannot help but drift off in such a comfortable position.

I have decided NOT to post the story here until Joules has had a chance to look over it.

All right! Talon has put her seal of approval on the rewrite so I will work on that and post THE WHOLE THING here when it is done. But not until AFTER I finish the Kenny thing and the R&L chapter 12 final beta.

About betaing-after I think I have completed it I let it lie for about 24 hours, then visit it again for one more 'walk through'. I need that data dump so I can look at it fresh one more time.

Since Roxie and I had lunch together yesterday I did not get the chance to work on anything. Today I will, unless I get sucked in by the GW vcd in the dvd player. I think I will be able to resist. Hee, the folks at the office would be shocked NOT to hear Japanese coming out from the break room!

For the Kenny thing I need to smooth some lines. Times like this I wish I understood how to use bezer curves better.

Note to self: use vocalist as well as singer - use novelist as well as writer.

Okey dokey...

Here is a clarification of the Inverted V stance - visually does this work better for everyone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eiri tapped Shiyuuichi’s outer thighs with his fingers and continued without the distracting smooches. "Let's move along with the adventure. Just keep your hands on the bed, your arms straight and let your legs relax a little, okay?"

"Uh huh," was all the affirmative the addled-from-ardor Shiyuuichi could muster, finding himself in the rare state of being at a loss for words.

"Okay then," said Eiri, one side of his mouth quivering into a microscopic smirk, realizing their roles had somehow reversed and suddenly he was now the talkative one between the sheets.

Eiri wrapped his hands around Shiyuuici's slim hip bones and pressed upward. The action sent the lower half of Shiyuuichi's lanky body toward the ceiling. The pink-haired man's legs were now as straight as his arms and only his hands and feet were in contact with the mattress. His head hung low while his bottom was the highest part of the younger man, in a lovely presentation position because of his spread legs.

The thought of such easy access made it difficult for Eiri to resist but he reined his libido in so he could move to the next step of the adventure.

"I'm letting go of your hips now, so keep in this position for just a minute. I promise it won't take long," said Eiri as he reluctantly removed his hands from Shiyuuichi's satiny smooth body.

Shiyuuichi remained poised above the mattress as directed, albeit a bit shaky. Curious as to just what was going on behind him, he deciding to look between his arms and was greeted by the sight of his lover first rolling over then moving toward him. Eiri was actually crawling on his stomach between Shiyuuichi's legs and through the space formed by the smaller man's body. Shiyuu's head jerked back as the fair-haired man quickly covered the length of the human tunnel and stopped when his shoulders met with Shiyuuichi's hands pressed into the mattress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You should have seen rat and I with action figures working this out... Which ones did we use? Teen Gohan in his body suit and the yummy muscled dead Vejiita, of course!

Okay, working on an alternative way of describing the inverted V sequence, less talk and more just simple description. Maybe this will work better visually. Will post to email and here when it is done.

Boy, I am SO glad I got this done a week before it was due! The feedback has been INVALUABLE!!! *throws Belgium chocolates and those 'sneak and attack' Japanese lemon sour balls.*

Thanks for your feedback, Talon! I can definitely relate to the exhaustion so I appreciate you taking the time to read!

Do you think talking about S's butt in the air, legs and arms straight would help clarify the position? I keep thinking there should be a simple way to explain the position.

Anyone else have an opinion? Let me know!

I think it is time to send it to one my gay friends and get his view.

Joules, take your time. I know you are entertaining Carol this week. Go have fun! I know I would be doing so in your wonderful town!

Okay, is this an improvement on the improvement? Addition in bold...

"The beautiful broad back was now completely exposed and Shiyuuichi slipped back down so his knees settled between Eiri’s thighs. Feeling his excitement intensify at the slightly kinky spectacle before him the singer began assaulting the flesh along the now fully visible bottom edge of the writer’s shoulder blades with a slightly wet tongue and nibbling teeth. "

Lutra is the first one back with feedback and I will be breaking up those long sentences as she suggested.

THANKS, LUTRA!!!

*scratches head* Now, after I do the adjustments should I send out the new and improved version, or not? It is your call, readers!

rat laughed out loud when I told him my results. I laughed too.


Nobody will find a single mistake in your fics--not
a spelling error, not a grammar error, and
especially not a canonical mistake! You'd
probably be mortified at so much as even a
comma out of place. You work hard on your fics,
and does it ever show! Your plots are complex
and intelligent, and your characters are almost
perfect replicas of their canon counterparts.
Yours are the kind of fanfics people can get
lost in, and even forget they're not reading
the real thing! Thanks for writing such great
stuff. Just remember it's okay to losen up a
little.


What Kind of Fanfiction Writer Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hee, should I go after the quiz maker for saying "losen" instead of "loosen"?

Third draft of Kokigami is off to the muses for their approval/beta. If everything is okay I will then have to convert it to the requirements of the contest. Why would anyone want 6pt Verdana is beyond me but I will do it in html instead of as a doc file. I attempted the doc file and it is completely unreadable. Don't know what is going to happen to my TM markings in the story.

Now I have to decide if I should let Evan pester me for a while or continue to let Grunt has his way with me. Have a few sketches done for the mythology fic. One is of an image I just see vividly in my head, from a description I have already written, and it just begs to be drawn.

Have LOTS of work to do to the mythology fic. Have the beginning, the ending and only bits and pieces of the various middle sections done.

I think I will continue beta-ing the next chapter of R&L for Talon for now and not think about working on anything of mine for about 24 hours.

I have my artwork Stealing Snow Shoulder Smooches as my wallpaper on the laptop. It actually helped give me an idea for Kokigami, an idea which has turned into a somewhat major plot element for the lemon section.

I really do relate to that Eiri boy a lot.

So many writers use Eiri's ear as a way to heighten him and get his juices flowing. But if you will note from both the anime and the manga Eiri has violent reactions when his ear is licked, kissed or nibbled. My theory is he HATES having his ears messed with, just like I do. It is not an erogenous zone at all but rather a sure-fire way to shut down any passion that might be brewing, sorta like a swift kick to the balls.

If you are the person who is supremely stupid enough to get near those ears you will find your face hurting, badly, with a possible broken nose. While deep in the heat of passion I have actually suddenly swung with a clenched fist at past lovers who tried to engage my ears. The arm action is involuntary and violent. If one of my ears actually gets touched or even breathed upon you might as well give up on getting any nookie that night. Everything locks down tight. rat realized almost immediately not to even consider my ears. I verbally warned him initially and after I jerked away from him a few times with fist raised high when he'd forgotten what I had told him he quickly learned to keep away. Since the rest of my body is pretty much one giant erogenous zone (a la Shiyuuichi) he got over it quickly and found other, more pleasant and less volatile romping grounds.

Hm, probably will use this in a story later. This behavior sounds so Eiri to me and I could see a story where Shiyuuichi just keeps going back for those ears and turning up at NG with another black eye or nose broken in a different direction. And the fluffhead would still be grinning like a banshee.

Lutra made a recent comment about music or lack of when writing. I will have to amend what I had said because I have noticed I do NOT have any music running in the bedroom when I work, just the fan we keep on for white noise. Today is the first day I have turned on the radio in here, just to see if I can take it. Of course, the station is probably not very conducive to writing since it is a disco channel. I guess I should switch over to the smooth jazz station but I am finding I am producing with or without music. *snicker* The 'melodious' *cough cough* tones of Grunt's grating voice is all I really hear.

Sometimes I find the creative process a bit strange. Sometimes I start off with a simple and occasionally clumsy sentence, throw a lot at it to enhance it then find I pare it down, back to simple but not clumsy. At least I hope it is no longer clumsy.

I spent about an hour yesterday mulling over just one sentence, taking breaks to change proper names to descriptions above and below the sentence. Finally I switched elements of the paragraph around and found something that flowed better. I didn't expect that to be the solution. I was really working at subtly crafted sentence structure. As Piccolo would say, feh.

When one sentence or phrase in a paragraph seems a bit odd or out of place I look at the whole paragraph to see if I can make adjustments to get the 'visual' I am working toward to come through. Usually it takes days for me to work with these small bits, very frustrating.

Sometimes I have to break out the different sentences from the descriptive paragraph where a progression of a movement or action is taking place so I can 'see' if the action/movement is in the correct sequence and making sense.

Sometimes I have written a section I thought was the next part of the story and find it works better if I use it to break up a long sequence of action/movement that is not coming together in the larger 'unit'. That seems to be working so far, as long as I already have something written to stick there!

Finally and a bit clumsily I got S between E's legs yesterday. It was a trite-sounding and what I consider a chunky and junky phrase but it was there to convey the basic idea, a placeholder for a lack of a better term. I think I finally pulled a better turn of phrase out of my head today and I hope it works.

I have until August 12, not a long time away. The office has decided to shut down the next two Fridays so I will be 'forced' to take vacation days (poor me! *grin*) and I hope to take off Monday the 11th for the final polish. The office knows I am working toward this goal and they are encouraging me! It is so nice to work in a place with other creative people who understand how the muses can drive you to distraction.

Today rat told he is willing to read it twice, so I have handed this puppy off to him so he can look at what I have and help me catch more grammar errors I am finding scattered about. Some of them are simple, like when I have changed the word "Eiri" to "blonde" I have sometimes forgotten to add the word 'the" in front of it. Opsie.