The Impala's Trunk

bites fingernails

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:47:26 GMT

Got my Spring Fluff assignment today, and I spent a solid 5 seconds staring at it, unopened, in my inbox. (Yes, I am a dork about things like this.)

When I opened it, I was pleasantly surprised at the possibilities. Two of the five pairings were on my "Can't Write" list, so that narrowed my choices down some. Now I'm hovering between my two final pairing choices, because I can see merit in writing either.

*consternation*

Both pairings require quite a bit of research on my part, (always a good thing), though one would require a bit more than the other. Choices, choices.

Christ.

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 13:17:11 GMT

Back at the net cafe (and whee, look at my shiny new icons), but the only available table with a plug was in the smoking area. Sealed room, air conditioning up to full, I think my eyes may start bleeding from the smoke. T_T

Anyway, I'm sure you're all tired of hearing me complain by now, so here, have a pimp to an awesome Fic/Art Exchange coming up:

spring_fluff

There are a /lot/ of sign-ups and a lot of great prompts. I caught myself ogling some of the rare pairs and hoping I get them, lol. Anyway, what are you waiting for? Cut-off is on the 10th, so have at it, kids! XD

Also, I spent last night doodling and I was happy enough with the result to make it my new default icon. Click on the image to view the larger version. :D

Everyone else is doing it...

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 15:02:17 GMT

Tenipuri Meme!

*Prince of Tennis: Tenipuri Survey*
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
How did you find out about PoT?:	Heard it was popular around LJ.
When was that?:	About three years ago?
What was first for you: the anime or the manga?:	Anime.
Did you begin reading/watching it from the beginning?:	Yep.
If not, then at which point of the story?:	-
What was your first impression?:	GP was really popular and I actually got into the series expecting this big yaoi couple. Lol. My first impression was mostly... 'that's it?'. XD
HOLDING
Do you download the manga?:	Sure.
Do you download the anime?:	Yep.
Do you own original PoT manga books? (How many?):	All.
Are they in your own language?:	I've got them in English, Thai, and Japanese, none of which are my nationality's language. XD
Do you own original PoT anime DVDs? (How many?):	Yep. Around 3-4, I think.
Are they in your own language?:	Nope.
Do you own any PoT merchandise?:	Oh yes. XD
What kind?:	Practically everything there is to buy. Cards, stickers, DVDs, manga, pencil cases, bags, costumes, etc.
Do you buy it regularly?:	I used to, but not anymore.
STORY AND CHARACTERS
Your favorite character::	Tachibana Kippei.
Your least favorite character::	None. All of them have their own quirks. :)
Your favorite team::	Fudomine all the way. XD
Your least favorite team::	Rikkaidai? I don't hate them, but I'm not as fond of them as I am of the others.
The best game you've seen::	Tachibana/Chitose in the manga. XD
The most boring game you've seen::	thinks I'm not too fond of MomoKai matches for some reason...
Game you would yet like to see::	Tezuka/Tachibana or Tezuka/Sanada :)
Your favorite pairing::	Tachibana pairings, mostly. Tachibana/Kamio, Tachibana/Tezuka, Chitose/Tachibana. Lol. I also have a soft spot for TezuRyo and InuKai.
Your least favorite pairing::	TezuFuji and Golden Pair, though I have read some well-written pieces that make me change my mind. :)
The character you're most like::	Wow, I have no idea. Maybe Ryuzaki-sensei?
FANDOM
Do you write fanfiction?:	Sure.
Do you draw fanart?:	Yep.
Do you like reading fanfiction?:	Oh yes.
Do you like looking at fanart?:	Of course!
Your favorite fanfiction genre::	Gen, mostly because I get tired of reading the same love stories over and over again. Lol.
Your favorite fanfiction rating::	PG-- just enough spice to make things exciting. ;)
Your favorite fanfiction author::	Kimmy, Hal, Kish, Helen, Eda, and others. I unfortunately don't have my recs list up, but that'd be the place to start. :D
Your favorite fanart artist::	A lot, but off the top of my head I'd say Hyatt and Bunny. ^_^
Have you ever participated in a PoT cosplay?:	Lol, yeah.
Do you collect PoT dojinshi?:	Yes.
Do you draw PoT dojinshi?:	Yes.
Do you watch PoT AMVs?:	Yes.
Do you make PoT AMVs?:	Yes. (And it becomes apparent to me that I have no life.)
RANDOM QUESTIONS
One word to describe PoT::	Damn.
If the above word 'crack'?:	Not quite, lol.
Are any of the PoT characters straight?:	I... of course. They all are. XD
Should Sakuno die?:	No way! She needs to sit on Hanamura-sensei's lap. XD
Do you like Ryuzaki-sensei?:	Oh yes. She's awesome.
Was the season about Americans necessary in the anime?:	It may not have been necessary, but it was interesting. :)
Tenipuri, Anipuri or Tenimyu?:	Tenipuri. Anipuri is a close second, but nothing beats the original. Tenimyu is just fan service. XD
Who is the seme of the series?:	...Fuji? Seriously, I cannot see anyone topping this boy.
Who is the uke of the series?:	Kaidoh. XD Even Ryoma'll top this guy.
Tezuka or Tezubot?:	All of the above. :)
Is it OK for Ryoma to be winning all the time?:	Yes, I think it's been well-established that this is going to be a recurring theme, and it's pretty much the reality that the world of POT revolves around.
Who has the funniest hairstyle?:	Oishi?
Who has the best fashion sense?:	Tezuka. :3
Oishi/Kikumaru - canon?:	As much as Tezuka and Oishi are.
Sengoku/Atobe - crack?:	Lol.
TENIPURI & YOU
Would you like to live in the world of PoT?:	Sure, why not?
Which team would you like to play in?:	Fudomine. I'd be their resident fangirl.
Which character would you go out with?:	An, please. :3
Which character would you become friends with?:	Kamio, because he is neurotic love. And also Ishida, because he seems like such a nice guy.
Which tennis technique would you like to learn?:	Rage ball, oh yes.
Which character would you most like to play against?:	Tachibana, hands down.
AND NOW, THE FINAL QUESTION...
Do you love Atobe?:	Everyone loves Atobe.
Take this survey \| Find more surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

***

Many Thanks and Much Love to:

deetamamushiko (Hugging snowmen rocks my socks! Thanks so much!) XD
jenlan (Thank you so much, sweetie. I hope we remain friends for years and years to come! :3)
soloproject (Babe, you are awesome. Thank you so much for the lovely pic. *waves little Fudo flags*)

Thank you so much for the lovely Christmas cards! :D *hugs all around*

Fic: "Open Your Eyes" (Fuji/Tachibana, Shinji/Kamio) Shounen-Ai, G

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 14:09:52 GMT

"Open Your Eyes
by: Trinity Helix
Feedback: Everything to trinity_cross@yahoo.com
Website: www.trinityhelix.com
Fandom: Prince of Tennis
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Characters: Tachibana, Fuji, Shinji, Kamio
Genre: Shounen-Ai, G
Warnings: None
Notes: For happiestwhen. This was my fic for the Tenipuri Fantasy Fest before my old laptop crashed and deleted everything. -_-;; Sorry, luv. This is half a year late but I hope you like it anyway...

Original Prompt: Fuji/Tachibana and Shinji/Kamio: "missing scene"; hospitals change people and... loosen inhibitions...? ;) any rating, angst a plus, no implied tezufuji plz, but other pairings welcome.

There are half a dozen daisies on Tachibana’s side table, white on white in a sterile room. His eyes are half-lidded and he dozes off at three o’ clock, lulled by the steady hum of the hospital vents.

He wakes only when he hears the dull monotone of Shinji’s voice and the scrape of a chair being pulled towards him. Kamio is there, too-- his eyes very blue and very wide, hands twisting in his lap.

It takes a while before Tachibana registers that Shinji is asking him a question, his lips mouthing words so quiet that the other boy has to strain to hear.

“...flowers?”

Tachibana stares at him for a while, blinking sleep from his eyes and running a calloused hand through his hair. He looks at Kamio for help, but he is red-faced and won’t meet Tachibana’s eyes.

Oh.

Flowers.

“Fuji dropped by a couple of days ago,” he replies, propping himself up on his elbows.

Shinji shrugs, strands of hair clinging to a pale cheek. “That was nice of him, bringing you flowers. I suppose he must have been trying to get information about that Kirihira from Rikkai-- did you tell him anything? I hope you didn’t cave just because he gave you flowers,” he says, then frowns. “Come to think of it, no one except An has given you anything since you came here. That’s really bad manners on our part, considering we’ve been here every day since you were admitted.”

Shinji pauses and fishes around in his pocket, then holds out a stick of gum. “Here,” he says. “Please get well soon, Tachibana-san.”

Tachibana takes the stick of gum, offering the other boy a game smile. “Thank you, Shinji,” he says. “I’ll do my best.”

“Tachibana-san!” Kamio rises from his seat. “Please get well soon!!”

He’s holding out a ballpoint pen and a (slightly squashed) chocorone. Tachibana suspects that he might’ve been sitting on it for the better part of the day, but takes it anyway.

“Thank you, Kamio-kun.”

His vice-captain looks almost mollified at that, but when he sits down again his eyes are invariably drawn towards the vase beside them.

“See, Akira,” Shinji says, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you didn’t spend all your lunch money on sweet bread and soda, we’d have enough money to buy Tachibana-san a proper ‘Get Well Soon’ gift…”

“Shinji!!” Kamio yells, then gets up and runs out of the room.

Shinji frowns. “He eats too many sweets, Tachibana-san,” he says. “Maybe you should put him on a diet-- I think he’s so high-strung because he’s got all that sugar in his system. Who knows, maybe he’ll have a different play style altogether if he’s not so hyper.”

Tachibana grins weakly.

It is almost relieving to see that nothing has changed in his absence.

***

Four days pass before Fuji drops by again, and he brings a fresh bouquet of flowers. Tachibana doesn’t know if it’s terribly appropriate for boys to bring other boys flowers, hospitals or no, but he also doesn’t think Fuji cares.

Fuji makes the appropriate small talk, chatting about how Seigaku is training hard for their upcoming match against Rikkai.

There is a pleasant smile on his face as always, never breaking, never wavering. Tachibana finds himself thinking that he is like an opposite Shinji-- whilst Ibu always seems to say exactly what he is thinking, Fuji says everything /but/.

Fuji crosses his legs self-consciously. “May I have this?” he asks.

He is holding up Tachibana’s grip tape.

“Please,” Kippei replies. It isn’t like he’ll have much use for it any time soon; he’d only brought it out of some automatic response while packing his hospital bag.

Fuji nods in thanks, pocketing the tape. “Kirihara will be a good match,” he says thoughtfully, almost as if he were talking about the weather. Almost as if Tachibana had not spent his last visit warning him to be careful.

“You can beat him,” Kippei replies evenly.

Fuji hums a little and says no more about the subject. An has brought candy, and he unwraps a piece and chews in silence.

Tachibana can’t make out what to think of the whole thing, and when a nurse drops by to tell him that visiting hours will be over soon, he sighs in relief.

Fuji smiles a little and nods, getting to his feet. “Thank you again for the grip tape, Tachibana,” he says. “Please get well soon.”

He’d absented himself from training for this, to see Tachibana, and he wonders if it is because of his innate need to fight for something other than himself or… something else.

Tachibana wasn’t Taka, after all, and neither were they childhood playmates like Saeki and he. Tachibana wasn’t a good friend or a teammate… he just /was/.

Fuji gives him a final enigmatic smile before walking out of the room.

Kippei watches him go.

“Fight well, Fuji,” he says.

But the other boy is already gone.

***

Come the day of Seigaku’s match against Rikkaidai, Fuji is ready.

He binds the grip of his tennis racquet with Tachibana’s tape, winding methodically from bottom to top.

Inui has just won and everyone is beaming; Echizen gives Fuji a look. The boy rarely speaks, but with his eyes he begs Fuji to win. He wants to play Sanada badly, and maybe he wants Seigaku to win just as much.

No matter; Fuji will not lose.

Later-- on his knees and badly bruised-- Fuji grits his teeth. He prays for strength to come to him; the will to move. There is a cut on his cheek and he opens his eyes, glaring at Kirihara across the net.

“I’m terribly sorry,” the other boy says. He doesn’t sound sorry at all. “I don’t know where the knuckle serve is going to hit-- the mystery is part of the technique.”

The referee looks at him uncertainly, but Kirihara bows and looks appropriately contrite.

Fuji gets to his feet.

His gaze drifts towards the stands-- past the line of Seigaku regulars and trainees-- to the Fudomine group watching him intently. An looks worried, chewing her bottom lip.

Fuji shakes his head; he can do this. He /will/ do this.

A shout from Rikkai’s stands distracts him, and he looks up to see Tachibana limping towards the entrance. The cane he is using doesn’t look very comfortable.

“Fuji!” He yells, and his teammates look up.

“Aniki!” says An. “You should be in the hospital!”

Tachibana ignores her for the moment, and he grabs the chain-link fence. “Fuji!” he calls. “Don’t give up. You can beat him-- just don’t give up!”

Fuji smiles, his eyes open. “I had no intention to,” he replies.

His eyes meet Kirihara’s across the net. “Sorry for the interruption,” he says. “Let’s continue.”

Kirihara nods in acquiescence but doesn’t reply. They switch courts, Fuji wiping the side of his mouth with his towel. It comes away tinged with red and damp with sweat.

It’s Fuji’s serve, now, and he hits the ball hard across the net. Kirihara’s eyes meet his for a split second before he returns it.

Fuji frowns; his form is wrong somehow, a little off around the chest and arms. If he hits it like that, Fuji thinks, it’ll go right past--

There is a startled yell as the ball hurtles towards Tachibana Kippei clear across the stands. He falls, the cane clattering from his grasp as An rushes to help him up.

The fence had thankfully caught Kirihara’s ball, but his intent was unmistakable.

Fuji opens his eyes, anger a slow burn in the pit of his stomach.

Kirihara will pay for that before the match is over.

***

The next time Fuji sees Tachibana is after he is out of the hospital. He stops by his house for a friendly game, wanting to test his mettle against a Nationals player.

Tachibana obliges him, and it isn’t long before two of Fuji’s triple counters are broken, a few not-so-subtle requests succeeding in drawing out Tachibana’s true play style.

Fuji’s eyes open when he sees the marked difference in the way Tachibana now moves, his muscles holding the coiled strength of a wild beast.

/So this,/ he thinks. /Is what I’ll be playing against./

“Be careful, Fuji,” Tachibana says quietly. “Or you might get hurt.”

It might have been a boast coming from anyone else, but Fuji knows otherwise. He merely nods in response, readying himself for Tachibana’s serve.

It’s almost like Taka-san’s hadokyuu, he thinks analytically, even as he moves to return it. The power behind it makes the air shiver with intensity, and it arches across the court. The perfect execution of a complex technique, and it is a perfect set-up for the Higuma Otoshi.

It is this that breaks Fuji’s third counter, the last of his special techniques. His racquet flies from his grip, strings broken.

If Tachibana is the standard of Nationals players, then Fuji will have to come up with something new if he wants to win. He is Seigaku’s second best player, perhaps third when Tezuka comes back, and he must maintain his level of play.

Across the court, Tachibana smiles.

The ball has managed to find its way back to his side even with Fuji’s broken racquet, and he makes no move to return it. “Very impressive, Fuji,” he says.

“Thank you, Tachibana,” Fuji replies, fingering the broken strings of his racquet. Tennis is the only thing on his mind; he wants to win. “Perhaps we can continue this match another time.”

Kippei nods, clear black eyes watching him keenly. “Of course.”

He puts his racquet away.

***

Their next meeting occurs during the Shitenhouji-Fudomine matches, and now it is Fuji who watches from the stands while Tachibana plays against Chitose Senri. They are evenly matched for the most part of the game, playing as closely as only old rivals possibly can.

Fuji thinks it almost beautiful.

He can hear Echizen muttering something under the brim of his cap, but Fuji’s open eyes don’t leave the courts.

“Fascinating,” he says.

On the floor, Tachibana has eyes only for Chitose. His left eye is a bruised mess, his mouth set in a determined smile. This is where the Nationals will end for Fudomine, he knows, and he will make it an end to be /remembered/.

He moves into a familiar pose, preparing for the very technique that changed both his and Senri’s lives.

“Rage Ball,” Chitose whispers, across the net. It is what he came to the Nationals to see.

He has a split second to prepare for it and then it is upon him, the racquet’s throat creating an impact that silences the stands.

His left eye is useless to him, but he bares his teeth, picks a ball, and prays.

It turns out to be the right one, and by the time he opens his eyes, he has returned an impossible play.

“Game and Match! Shitenhouji’s Chitose wins!”

***

Tachibana almost can’t bring himself to watch Seigaku’s match with Shitenhouji, but Fuji plays singles three against their captain and his resolve crumbles to dust.

He makes his way back to the stands with Kamio at his side, a myriad of cuts and bruises covered with newly-wound bandages.

The eye-patch Tachibana is sporting ruins his depth perception some, but he can still see well enough to watch Fuji play.

And, eventually, to watch Fuji lose.

Tachibana feels his stomach clench in sympathy as Fuji takes his seat on the players’ bench, draping his towel over his head. Even after upgrading his triple counters, even after the unveiling of a fourth… it was all for nothing.

Fuji’s head is bowed in defeat.

Momoshiro and Kaidoh are up next, and Tezuka nods at them.

He does not look at Fuji.

And Tachibana, for all that he respects Tezuka Kunimitsu, cannot help but see his lack. All players are equal, he knows, and defeat does not diminish this if a captain does not let it.

Even later, after the doubles two pair wins and Momoshiro gives Fuji a thumbs-up sign, his smile is strained.

Unable to stand it, he leaves Kamio and makes his way to Seigaku’s side. “Fuji,” he says.

The other boy does not turn, but he straightens up a bit. “Tachibana.”

The Fudomine captain opens his mouth to speak, to offer words of comfort, but as he watches Tezuka and Inui play against the Shitenhouji D1 pair, he realizes that it is not his place to do so.

So he lays a hand on Fuji’s shoulder instead.

Syuusuke tenses under his touch, but when no trite words are forthcoming, he slowly relaxes.

They remain that way for some time, Tachibana’s hand a soothing weight. Eventually, Tezuka and Inui win and Echizen shrugs off his jacket.

Tachibana leaves as quietly as he came, but Fuji feels the warmth of his palm until far after the matches are over.

***

Almost every school is present the day that Rikkai and Seigaku meet for the finals. Fudomine goes early at Tachibana’s urging, and they get good seats on Seigaku’s side. With them are Yamabuki, St. Rudolph, and Rokkaku; Hyotei, Jousei, and Higa are barely visible figures on the other side.

Sengoku Kiyosumi immediately sits next to Kamio and pesters him for a match afterwards, and the vice-captain looks at Tachibana pleadingly.

Kippei merely winks at him. He’ll be captain next year; the match will be good social practice.

Shinji, however, is accosted by St. Rudolph’s Mizuki, and here Tachibana /does/ step in. If Fuji’s reaction is anything to go by, Mizuki Hajime is not someone he wants hanging around his team.

“Nfu. Nfu,” Mizuki chuckles, giving Tachibana a look that could melt butter. In spite of himself, the captain finds himself shrinking away.

“It’s starting,” Kamio says loudly, crossing his arms over his chest. Sengoku backs off with a grin; he’ll rib him during breaks and afterwards instead.

As the two teams line-up, Tachibana’s breath catches in his throat.

Fuji is in singles three… against Yagyuu Hiroshi.

Niou is benched, Yanagi and Kirihara are D1, Marui and Jackal are D2. Tachibana squints, trying to read the Kanji on the boards. Sanada and Yukimura are, of course, S2 and S1.

“Tezuka and Sanada,” Ishida says in a low murmur. “This is going to be a hell of a game.”

The other schools are all talking about Echizen and Yukimura, or Inui and Kaidoh and the Golden Pair, but Tachibana is only interested in singles three. “The Laser Beam is tough to beat,” he says, frowning slightly.

Fuji Yuuta looks at him in surprise, then shrugs and nods. “Aniki can do it,” he says.

“Aa,” Tachibana replies.

/I hope so./

On the players’ benches below, Fuji makes eye contact with him and winks.

***

After Seigaku has won, everyone is eager to congratulate their friends. Kamio and An have gone over to shake Momoshiro’s hand; Shinji is talking in Echizen’s ear.

Tachibana walks over to Fuji, waiting patiently as he accepts a hug from his brother and completely ignores Mizuki.

“I’ll see you at home then, Yuuta?” Fuji asks, ruffling his hair. “Oneesan says she’s going to cook me a celebratory dinner.”

Yuuta nods. “Yeah, I’ll definitely be there… I just have to grab some stuff from my dorm first.”

“I’ll make sure he gets home safe and sound.” Mizuki chuckles beside him, raising an eyebrow at Fuji.

Yuuta blushes a little; Fuji’s eyes open.

“We’re leaving now,” he says hurriedly, taking Mizuki by the arm and tugging him away. “Bye, aniki! Congratulations again!”

Fuji’s brow wrinkles as he watches them go, then his face relaxes into his customary smile. “Tachibana,” he says. “Thank you for watching us.”

Kippei shrugs. “I doubt I could have kept Fudomine away,” he says, laughing a little. “Shinji will be talking about Echizen’s match for weeks.”

Fuji makes a small, approving hum. “Tachibana, would you--" he begins, but is cut off abruptly by the arrival of Saeki, who runs up and gives him an enthusiastic embrace.

“That was brilliant, Syuusuke!” Saeki grins. “Congratulations!”

Momentarily distracted, Fuji accepts the praise. “Well, I couldn’t have done it without your assistance,” he says. “The extra training helped quite a bit.”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” Saeki laughs. “You’ve got a hell of a serve!”

Tachibana’s mouth tightens at that, but he forces out an easy grin. “I think I hear An calling for me,” he says to Fuji. “I’d better go. Congratulations again.”

And he is gone, side-stepping past Momoshiro and Kaidoh and disappearing into the thick of the crowd.

Fuji is momentarily taken aback. “Tachibana?”

He cranes his neck and tries to spot the familiar blond head, but the jumble of students is somewhat overwhelming. He spots An standing next to Kamio and Shinji; Kippei is nowhere in sight.

“Huh,” Saeki says, grinning. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say Tachibana was looking a little green around the gills…”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” says Fuji automatically. “There is absolutely no reason for him to be jealous of you.”

Silence hangs between them for a moment before Fuji realizes what he has just said.

He blinks.

“I was kidding,” Saeki points out unhelpfully. “But it looks like you weren’t.”

And he gives Fuji a little push towards the entrance, grinning.

***

It doesn’t take Syuusuke long to find Tachibana; the captain is not particularly hard to read.

Fuji walks into the street tennis courts and up the bleachers, smiling a little as he spots the lone figure hunched on the lowest stoop.

“Feeling sorry for yourself,” he says. “Doesn’t really suit you.”

Tachibana’s back is to him but he doesn’t seem surprised to hear Fuji’s voice. “I suppose it doesn’t,” he says evenly.

Fuji sighs, studying him for a while. It has been a long year for both of them, though this not-quite friendship of theirs has somehow endured. Fuji is surprised at how much he cares.

Carefully, he takes a seat beside him.

Tachibana shifts a little to make room for him but doesn’t speak; Fuji sighs inwardly.

“Saeki was talking about team training,” he offers. “Between Seigaku and Rokkaku. Our teams had a joint training session shortly before Nationals.”

He smiles somewhat self-consciously. “It was beach volleyball,” he continues. “And Saeki was my partner.”

Tachibana doesn’t say anything for a long time, but Fuji senses the tension ebb from his shoulders.

“I wasn’t jealous,” Tachibana finally says, but he is smiling just a little. “Not really.”

Fuji chuckles. “Of course you weren’t,” he says.

He leans back, resting his hands on his stomach. He thinks about tennis and Kirihara and hospital beds, and then he thinks about how the color of Tachibana’s hair reminds him of buttercups.

“I only ever asked to play you,” he says suddenly. /I didn’t want to play against anyone else./

Tachibana turns to look at him, his eyes unreadable even by geniuses.

“It wasn’t always about tennis,” he says. “Was it?”

“No,” Fuji agrees readily.

His hand brushes against Kippei’s, just enough to be entirely deliberate.

His eyes are open, impossibly blue, and he smiles a real smile.

It’s not a promise, he thinks. But it’s a start.

Tachibana takes his hand.

It’s going to be an interesting year.

*Fin*

Whee~

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 06:28:44 GMT

Ben and his parents and I went to the city for lunch, and now I'm using the internet at one of the cafes. I don't think I've ever slept so much in such a short span of time... the weather is wonderful!

I also got to wear my new swimsuit top, but I didn't get it wet at all. I made it halfway down the beach before putting my blanket down on the sand and falling asleep. Ben, of course, has used the time to work out like crazy. Before I passed out, he was doing cartwheels and practicing his capoeira. :P

The good news is that I brought some work with me and actually managed to get stuff done in between falling asleep in random places. My thesis storyboards are now halfway done, and I finally finished my Tenipuri Fantasy Fest fic for Sionnan. (Holy crap, it was due half a year ago. 0______o) Also drew out some preliminary sketches for my illustrated literary project with pixxers, so that was good, too.

Can anyone tell me if this is Fujiwara in the reindeer hat? Because I will die if it is.
http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/yoh_s_blog/imgs/b/7/b71f11e4.JPG

(Hallo YOH-santa and Fujiwara-Deer. I DIE NOW KTHNXBAI. KIMMYYYYYYYYYYYY LOOK AT THEMMMMMM!)

Fudomine Fic/Art Contest + Hiatus

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:26:10 GMT

Hi, everyone! :) Nori's holding a Fudomine fanfic/fanart contest at Fudomine.org, so please join and help support everyone's favourite underdogs. XD She asked if I would supply an art commish to the winner of the fiction category, so I'll be supplying that plus a grab bag of Tenipuri goodies as well. (The contest runs until late January).

Join here: http://fudomine.org/contest/

Also of note is the fact that I am in the final phase of my thesis this semester (last sem was writing the actual paper, this sem is shooting the stop motion film), which is why I've been incredibly busy. To that extent, I will be going on Hiatus from now 'til December.

If you need me, I can be found at redtrinity@gmail.com and my RL contact info can be accessed through my userinfo.

See you guys in a month! :D

Advanced Merry Christmas to all my F-list! ^_^

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 12:53:11 GMT

Whee! Finally finished my POT Christmas Card. I'll be going down to the printers tomorrow to get it done and then I'll send out all my cards asap. :) For once, I am not late, lol!

View here: http://www.trinitycross.net/flame/fanart1a/pot27.html

Did this one with markers yet again, and I'm really starting to like that medium. It always comes out so nice and bright. :3

Also made this into a wallpaper (1024x768) for my better half pixxers, but anyone who wants it can have it, too. ^_^
Download it here: http://www.trinitycross.net/flame/fanart0/pot27c.jpg

*hugs everyone* :D

Tachibana/Kamio~

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:40:27 GMT

Drawn for Kimmy, because omgitsucksmebackinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. XDDD

Also updating because I put up my Takuma bromides over at Buchou-spotting. Check out the banana in a tux, looking pensive, and being oh-so-cute. XD http://www.trinitycross.net/taku/gallery.html

*sighs* I'm off to Seoul next week, though I'm thinking that now may not be so good a time to visit South Korea. ^_^;; Oh well. Hopefully everything will be all right.

It's my first trip abroad without a companion, so here's hoping I don't do anything stupid and wind up in jail.

Or dead.

Or in North Korea. ^_^;;

No to Nukes~! D:

T_T

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 05:55:00 GMT

Extremely, EXTREMELY upset right now.

Finally got the photosets I ordered a while back and I got the wrong Tachibana. The WRONG TACHIBANA.

I love Yoh, but I love him BLONDE, and I would never spend my hard-earned money on his photosets with BLACK, SHORT hair.

ARG. I've been waiting for these for over a month and I get the WRONG TACHIBANA. Of course, I'm sure that the original Takuma Sugawara set I REALLY ordered was probably shipped to some other person already. I already felt stupid enough spending all that money on bits of colored paper, but can you imagine how I feel /now/?? I spent all that money on bits of colored paper that I didn't even WANT.

Ugh.

Guh.

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:13:20 GMT

Dear Yoh,

I take back every single bad thing I said about you and your Tachibana.

Like, seriously.

Love,
Lizz

P.S.
Please to be taking more slutty pictures with your blonde!blonde hair and the second!Kamio. T_____T

Prince of Tennis and Asian Musculature.

Sun, 09 Jul 2006 07:16:43 GMT

I'm a fan of martial arts movies because of two things: 1) It's research for Asian musculature and 2) It's got half-naked men running around. (Okay, maybe the 2nd more than the 1st, but whatever, right? XD)

Anyway, I was rewatching one of my favourite movies this afternoon while having lunch, and I took a bunch of screencaps and wanted to share. XD

The thing about these martial arts movies is that you can't really fake a lot of the stunts. Unlike in Prince of Tennis, where you can get non-athletes to perform the special moves and add in the special effects later, the most you can do with fight scenes is cut frames and do wirework to make it appear faster. However, the actors used still have to be actual martial artists or athletes, because it just looks flat-out fake otherwise.

Real tennis athletes will likewise have very developed forearms, deltoids, biceps, and triceps (the manga!Kaidoh is actually pretty accurate), due to the constant stress of their game play.

In any case, I've taken caps from Star Runner because it had ectomorphs and mesomorphs (two of the three main body types) in various stages of development.

Ectomorph.
This is Bond, the main character. He is a very well-defined ectomorph, as the character he is portraying trains several hours a day, every day. (Note: Look at the definition of his deltoids in the 2nd picture, as well as the width of his biceps and triceps in the third picture.)

(I'm thinking characters like Tezuka, Sengoku, Sanada, Atobe, etc. should have this kind of body type IRL.)

This is his sidekick, whose name eludes me right now. He doesn't do the hard training that Bond does (i.e. resistance training), so his muscles lack bulk.

(Perhaps RL Kikumaru, Gakuto, etc. should have bodies like this.)

Now we move on to Mesomorphs. This is Tank, the movie's main antagonist. This is about as big as an Asian will ever get (without taking steroids or protein supplements). Tank is the Guy to Beat on the show, so the character needed to be portrayed as a guy who trains every waking moment of his life. XDDD (Okay, that was an exageration, but you get the idea.) As he is a mesomorph and already genetically predisposed to getting bulky, it won't take him as long to buff up as it will an ectomorph.

(Kawamura, Kabaji, and Ishida are probably characters that would end up looking like this.)

Still, no amount of training will ever get asian mesomorphs bigger than this, and while it may seem that this is already pretty friggin' big, you have to remember what Western mesomorphs look like:

And Bale isn't even an example of the most defined that a western mesomorph will get. (Think Vin Diesel at his finest/biggest.)

Anyway, that's about it for my screencaps. I took other, but they're really for my own personal enjoyment than anything else. XDDDD

But before I go, I leave you with Brandon Routh! Believe it or not, this guy's actually an ectomorph. *___* (You can see by the way his bone structure (and most notably his torso) is very long and lean.)

Happy Fudomine Day~! :DD

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:23:38 GMT

There's nothing I find more satisfying than waking up to an F-list with not one, not two, but /three/ Fudomine-centric fics.

It's like having a birthday in the middle of June~! XDDD

In any case, go read, love, and snuggle the authors of the following fic:

Title: Slave for a Day
Author: Serenia
Rating: M
Pairings: Tachibana/Tezuka, mild doses of various other crack pairings
Summary: Fudomine needs to raise some funds for repairs to their tennis court, and Shinji comes up with an interesting idea.

Read it here: http://katsstuff.livejournal.com/8122.html

This is /hilarious/. You all MUST read it, because the various people who showed up for the bidding were a crack-tastic surprise. XD

***

Title: Never Again
Author: kalamitykat
Rated: PG-13
Status: One-shot.
Summary: Tachibana's thoughts at the end of a school year.

and

Title: Caught in the Act
Author: kalamitykat
Rated: G
Status: One-shot.
Summary: miska158 asked for Kamio/An/Shinji. She got Momo/An/Kamio instead. Don't ask me how.

Read both stories here: http://kalamitykat.livejournal.com/147401.html

The first is sweet and nostlagic and lovely, the second is crack-fun. XDDD

Read, love, and enjoy! :D

***

SPREAD THE FUDO LOVE~! :DDDD

^_________^

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:30:39 GMT

Promised Kimmy I'd put up photos of my little plushie harem, and here they are. ^_^ I have others as well, but these are my favourite ones. :D

The Story-In-My-Head goes like this: Tachibana and Kamio decide to open a cafe, and they get Tezuka to be their accountant and occassionally three-way partner. XD (He does this in between bouts of Pillar!sex with Ryoma, who in turn is also sleeping with Fuji, who's cheating on him with his brother.)

*ahem*

Anyway, the only people who go to this cafe are BL couples, hence the Leorio and Kurapika plushies. And also, Kagi from Whistle is their head waiter, simply because he's so hot. And Kamio thinks he looks like Kippei, back when he had long hair. XDDD

The end.

***
Obligatory Red Threads pimp: XD

We make custom plushies! We have a sale! Go look--> http://community.livejournal.com/redthreadsdj/6370.html

Fic Rec: Chitose/Tachibana crack.

Fri, 16 Jun 2006 17:06:04 GMT

I've been babbling about Chitose/Tachibana for the past 24 hours, and my little sister Andi wrote me crack.

It is Chitose. And Tachibana. In the playground. When they were 4 years old.

If you do nothing else in your life, read her fic here: http://andhera.livejournal.com/53001.html

And because my little fingers itch to create further crack... Tachibana and Chitose at the playground! XDDD

Click to enlarge! :D

GENIUS 313.

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:07:59 GMT

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG

I take back every single bad thing I ever said about Konomi-sensei.

313 chapters later and I'm as in love with his characters as I was in chapter 25 when Tachibana first made his appearance.

Oh /GOD/. Someone please say they've spoiled themselves with 315 so I can fangirl with them? Please? T__________________T

****

Also, Red Threads has updated with its latest horde of plushies. Please check them out in the comm!post here: http://community.livejournal.com/redthreadsdj/6442.html

(Plushie Post Includes: Sukisho! Deathnote! Prince of Tennis! Silver Diamond! Hunter x Hunter!)

We've gotten rid of all our backlog and we'll be reopening our custom plushie store this coming Sunday. We also have a pretty big announcement during this time, so please watch for it! :D

****

EDIT: I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF.

I am so, SO weak. XDDD

EDIT 2: T______T

...I have Chitose lust. *_*

Photo Story: In the beginning, there was Dot Toast.

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:00:12 GMT

Today was my first day of Jap 10-11, and my brain feels like it's going to bleed/dribble out of my ears.

I have quite a bit of work ahead of me, but I couldn't refrain from taking a few pics of my Tachibana and Kamio custom plushies. And of course the Tezuka plushie demanded /his/ camera time, and of course Fuji pushed his way into it, too... XD

In the beginning, there was Dot Toast.

Dot Toast was a good pairing, if a little boring. Tez-chan and Kippy-kun were well-matched, and when Tachibana would ask "How is the toast, Kunimitsu?" and Tezuka would answer "Hn.", Tachibana would know that he /really/ meant "It's quite good, thank you for asking, my undeniably-sexy-god-of-copulation." and it was Good.

However, a certain Tensai from Seigaku learned of Tachibana's reputation, (Tezuka was boasting about him in the locker rooms), and was determined to find out if it was true.

So Fuji Syuusuke invited Tachibana out for dinner, and while Tachibana was eating his sushi, he asked: "So, are you really the undeniably-sexy-god-of-copulation like Tezuka says?"

After choking on his rice, Tachibana replied: "Of course. Want to test it out?"

And they did.

Afterwards, Fuji agreed. "You are indeed the undeniably-sexy-god-of-copulation, Tachibana-san. I think I'll go test this out on Ryoma."

And so he did.

Afterwards, Fuji went to Tezuka. "Tachibana is indeed the undeniably-sexy-god-of-copulation," he said. "I tried out everything he taught me with Ryoma."

Tezuka choked on his noodles.

"Ryoma??" he gasped. He began to feel something stirring in his chest. He suspected that it was asthma.

"If I didn't know better," Fuji said slyly. "I'd say that you were jealous."

Tezuka couldn't believe it. Jealous? He couldn't possibly be jealous that Fuji had slept with Seigaku's hot, incredibly small, incredibly sexy, sweet little dumpling-of-an-ace player...

Oh shit, Tezuka thought. He really /was/ jealous.

He decided to confront Ryoma about the issue.

"Echizen," he said. "Fuji said... I mean, you and he... er... Don't you think... BECOME SEIGAKU'S PILLAR OF SUPPORT!!"

Ryoma looked at his buchou, and his buchou looked at him.

Then he said: "Oh. Is that what they're calling it, now?"

And he reached up and kissed Tezuka.

Fuji was spying from the bushes and saw them kissing.

"My work here is done," he said proudly. "Now to find Tachibana-san."

On his way to Fudomine, however, he heard crying from nearby bushes.

"Boo-hoo Tachibana-san wouldn't look at me at practice today," came the voice. "All I want is to go to Nationals with him and win something other than third or fourth place because it makes him antsy and determined and when he's antsy and determined he can't see how cute I am in my tiny white shorts. *sob*"

Fuji blinked.

Kamio Akira.

/Of course/.

Fuji sidled up to him.

"You know," he said conversationally. "Tezuka just broke up with Tachibana-san."

Kamio sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Re-really?"

Fuji nodded. "He's probably on the rebound right now. /Very/ easy to snag, if you know what I mean."

Kamio finally smiled.

"And you probably won't even need the tiny white shorts," Fuji grinned, and they went off to find Tachibana together.

They found him in the Fudomine clubroom, sulking about how his team kept placing third or fourth in the tournaments. "We need to win," he was muttering, holding his head in his hands and trying not to cry.

"Er," said Kamio. "Maybe we shouldn't bother him."

"Nonsense," Fuji said.

He strode up to Tachibana, dragging Kamio along with him. "Tachibana-san, Tezuka has eloped with Ryoma and Kamio is in love with you."

Kamio let out a gurgled shriek. Tachibana looked up and blinked.

"What?" he asked.

Fuji smiled. "Kamio also says he will play 75% better if you make him your boyfriend."

Tachibana looked sharply at Kamio. "Is this true, Akira?"

Kamio looked at his buchou. "It's always been you, Tachibana-san," he said. "I mean, I only had sex with Shinji because I couldn't have you. And that goes for Kaidoh and Momoshiro and Atobe, too."

"Actually, I meant the bit about you playing 75% better," Tachibana said. He was eyeing the little third place medal they'd hung on the clubroom's wall.

"100% better if you have lots of sex," Fuji interjected smoothly.

Kamio nodded vigorously.

Tachibana considered this for all of two seconds.

Then he jumped on Kamio.

"TO NATIONALS!" He yelled, while stripping off Kamio's clothes.

And they lived happily ever after...

...while Fuji snuck off with Taka-san to try out Tachibana's patent undeniably-sexy-god-of-copulation (tm) moves.

BURNING~!!

The End.
(and aren't we all glad? XD)

View more custom plushies here:

and here: Garu's Collection of Plushies!

flails and falls down

Sat, 10 Jun 2006 12:50:30 GMT

I've been internet-less for the past three days, and my eyes are blurry and red from staring at the pc the whole day. >_< Making up for lost time? XD

In any case, I'm slowly going through my F-list so please bear with my embarassing lack of comments to all your entries. My DSL providers are entirely to blame.

PIXXERS: I WANT MY BUNNY. *____*

GENIUS 312: WHY GOD WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??????

And on that note:

*bites fist*

If I have one goal as an artist, it is to be able to draw boys like Konomi-sensei. Tachibana makes me nosebleed on command, I swear to God.

EDIT: I need to make that an icon. It's too hot to not be my default. T_T

EDIT 2: svz_insanity wrote me Tachibana/Kamio. READ IT BECAUSE SHE IS THE BESTEST DRABBLE-ER EVER. ^_____________^ Go! Go! What are you waiting for??? -->
http://svz-insanity.livejournal.com/299434.html?thread=3427242#t3427242

308 scanlation fun.

Thu, 25 May 2006 17:25:49 GMT

Andhera .: "Together I want to..."
lizz: "run away with him into the sunset"
Andhera .: You know he has to use ever fibre of self restraint from saying "have sex"
lizz: XDDDDD
lizz: we have filthy minds
lizz: of course, konomi probably meant for him to say "win nationals"
lizz: or something equally boring
lizz: i like our version better
Andhera .: nobody ever thinks of tennis when sweating that profusely
lizz: oh god
Andhera .: it's LIES
Andhera .: if anyone tells you so

...ahh. Fandom, I've missed you so. XD

And also, because I realized that I'd never actually posted it before: New hair under the cut. XD

POT 309.

Thu, 18 May 2006 16:11:11 GMT

SPOILERS.

omgomgomgomgomogmogmogmogogmogmogmogmgmogmogmg *spazz flail dies*

Chitose came from Shishigaku?? (I spoiled myself by reading posts regarding this chapter yesterday, so the fact that Chitose was the boy Tachibana injured back in Shishigaku was expected. I did not expect, though, that it wasn't during an official match. *_*)

HOLY CRAP.

(And omg Chitose semes Tachibana-- he's actually half-a-head taller! XDDD)

aeyr[-9q28734[-w0su7d AN IS SO DAMNED CUTE!!

WHY HALLO THAR TACHIBANA-SAN. *_____*

DOWNLOAD IT HERE: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=54D8AE1753F66C18

ARG.

Thu, 18 May 2006 12:43:13 GMT

Why is it that the more I want to see something (i.e. the Prince of Tennis raw this week), the longer it takes for Tokyo Toshokan to show it?

T_____________T

I'm so excited I want to DIE.

Prince of Tennis card scans. :)

Mon, 15 May 2006 07:07:12 GMT

So. My brother moved out a couple of weeks ago, and my mother and I have been converting his old room into the computer room bit by bit.

It's nice and spacious and lovely, and it feels great to be working here. There's a proper place for everything, it's right next to my room, and now I never have to go downstairs ever again! (Well, aside from when I need to eat. Hell, I can sleep on my chair. XDDD)

Right. In any case, because I am very happy, I think I should spread the joy. XD So as my first act in my new location, I decided to update my scans page with a bunch've my Tenipuri card scans. (For those of you who don't know, I used to be an obsessive card collector til I realized that I needed to save up to get married and move out. This realization occured recently, like maybe sometime last week. XDDD Lol.)

Anyway, on to the scans!! :D Please note that there are large images beneath the cut.

***

Feel free to take for personal use; I don't require a link back, but it would be swell if you wanted to nudge people over. ;)

I like to think of these cards as my evolution chart to Tachibana's hair. XDD

He started off at Shishigaku like this:

The he shaved it all off and went to Fudomine like this:

Then he bleached his hair again in time for Nationals. (And goddammit, the banana yellow in the OVA is NOT what it's supposed to look like!!) This is the correct color!!

(omg i love this one. T_T)

And of course, no update would be complete without buchou. XD

And some gag cards:

This is where Tachibana reprimands Kamio for losing his temper with Akutsu. In the humor bubble, Kamio's thinking that Tachibana is so mature, while Tachibana is thinking about kicking Akutsu's ass. XDDDD

A bunch've Kamio pics + 1 Ishida. :>

And a final parting image:

Support Fudomine~! :DD

***

As always, if you want to check out my other scans/screencaps, check out my gallery here: http://www.trinitycross.net/flame/gallery.html

POT 308.

Thu, 11 May 2006 12:14:36 GMT

I was checking Tokyo Toshokan every hour since I got home and I /finally/ got the latest chapter of POT (308).

Yes, I cried.

But my god was it worth it. *____*

I literally yelled "Oh Christ!" when I saw this. *wibbles*

Kamio broke my heart, though. ;_; (I kept thinking about Chapter 237... he was so resolute. My heart went out to him when they lost...)

Next week: Tachibana vs. Chitose. *_____________*