Saber Marionette A fond old fanfic, a fresh new flavor.

Ohohoho. Greetings, all. I have returned. And this time I have something to show for it other than my senseless prattling and fangirlism of Hanagata! <3

Recently I decided I needed very badly to rewrite the old SMJ fics I wrote four or five years ago. I was about fourteen when I wrote them. I am now eighteen. Them's big changes.

Most of you will probably end up reading the following for the first time. Even those who have-- I'm looking at you, BMS-- are pretty much reading it for the first time. If you have, though, you know it as "What Shall Be Left Unspoken." I dunno if it's gonna stay that way or not, once I'm through. But anyway. This isn't the whole thing-- just a preview because I was really jazzed about having improved it into a fic that's, well, not sucky. ^^; So without further ado, I really hope you enjoy!

What Shall Be Left Unspoken (?)​

You are the air that I breathe. The air, and the moon and the stars, and all things bright and beautiful and must I go on?

I hope you know that. I hope you know that if it weren’t for Yumeji, I’d be up there in seconds flat. Hanagata Mitsurugi’s final flight—!

I have to make the jokes in my head, even if I know how angry you’d be if you could hear me. Because damn, have I ever been this afraid in my entire life? Gartlant can’t even hold a candle to this. Not even Daddy can. That’s saying a lot.

I wonder if he’s okay.

What are you guys doing up there right now? The explosions get louder, closer, every minute. I wonder if everything’s all right. I mean, look: you’re you, Otaru-kun. And they’re them. You can do anything. Still, there’s this insanely stupid and marginally suicidal part of me that feels left out, that wants to be right there by your side. Then maybe...

But we all know I would die up there, and I could never do that to my brother. Maybe if he were a little older, I—… But he’s not. So here I am, cursing heaven above that I was born such a coward. Though it’s not like you would have me go anyway, would you? I bet that’s just your way of telling me you care. Right? Right?

I think my life may be flashing before my eyes. I don’t know; either it’s never happened to me before or it’s happened so often that I don’t even notice anymore, but that’s not really the point either way. What’s important is that I remember how it was a year ago: the sun was shining, birds sang in celebration of my moving in next to you (like I know you were in spirit, but you’re a little clumsy with your feelings like that, Otaru-kun). Those pesky girls were just beginning to finagle their way into your good graces. Those pesky, pesky girls. Lime was the worst by far. Lime is the worst, with the perpetual vise-grip she has on your attention and the talking and the talking and the talking and the talking…

Cherry’s tolerable. And her pickles are fabulous. Don’t tell her I said that, though. Not that it’s anything I care to think about, but she also needs to get laid. Not by you, of course. Don’t tell her I said that, either.

But don’t you even get me started on Bloodberry. Crazy amazon. I’m surprised she hasn’t killed us all by now. Before you come back, you can invite her to stay up there a while longer for me!

…I don’t mean that. I just thought I did. Once. Oh no, Hanagata Mitsurugi said, what do I want to do with her? Nothing, that’s what. Nothing at all. Not me. Nope.

It’s kind of funny. In an insane sort of way.

And you. I don’t think I need to tell you by now that you go without saying. You’re an angel. You’re also a dolt. But you’re also an angel. My angel. That’s right.

Shush, Yumeji.

Fine, ours. For now. Ha. Funny that I pick a time like this to sort things out intelligently.

Yumeji, please.

Please.

---

So. You’re back. —What the hell, you’re back! Hey, don’t you walk away from me; have you any idea whatsoever how I’ve been worrying?

…Your party’s looking a little slim there, Otaru-kun. And I don’t like the look in your eyes. You’re tired. And no one else is coming.

Are they.

It’s not a question.

You’re warm, though. Even with those shadows under your eyes. Not that I can see you very well— it’s a little blurry. From the smoke from the wildfires raging in the city. That is.

“Otaru-kun…”

Push me. Put your arms around me. Do something, will you? Say anything. Silence doesn’t— it doesn’t flatter you at all. Dammit, talk!

…Or leave. Sure. You’re not seeing me anyway. Bye-bye, Otaru-kun’s back.

Door in my face. Beautiful.

Goddammit. Just tell me what’s wrong already so I can tell you it’s all right even though it is most palpably not.

Throw me a friggin’ bone here, somebody. Anybody.

Even God.

God, God, God.


~(tbc)



More to come! Lub yew, bai-bai!1 <3

 

Wow. That's really nice. It took me a minute to figure out that the whole story was just looking inside Hanagata's head, (probably a good thing, since if we knew right away, some of us may go 'eew!' and not read it. )

Anyway, yeah, it's a really great story. I can't think of anything that you need to improve on. It's all gold.

I dunno if that title really fits, though. Ehh, but the title's the hardest part. (Just look at my fanfic. Six months old, and still not more than "Shinryu's Story." )

Anyway, if that's the calibre of all your work, I can't wait to see more!

 

Hee, thanks. <3

Spring break is upon me, so I'll have plenty of time to keep going with it. so w00t on that.

I see what you mean about the "good thing we didn't know" thing, as much as I think it's a shame. ;o I'll have to keep that in mind for future... strategizing.

This is the first of what later became a five-part story arc at different points in time. This and the second one take place between the climax and the credits of the last episode of SMJ, the third takes place sometime in J Again or early J to X, the fourth takes place three years after the end of J to X, and the fifth (which has been in production for a while now) takes place (if I remember right) fifteen years after the end of J to X. So. Interesting stuff. I hope other people think so too.

I'll tell you-- writing a 23-year-old Yumeji is an adventure in itself. ^^

 

Yes, I suck for replying twice in a row. But I just couldn't wait!

It's doooone~.

So puh-leez check it out and be sure to let me know what you think, won't you? <3 It's true that these first parts are thin on the girls, but bear with me. ;o

Its fanfiction.net location:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2308572/1/

 

Yay! It's updated.

I really loved this story way way back in the day when you wrote it, so it's nice to see the re-writes. Oh, and what is this about a 23 y/o yumeji?

*looks around at the peoples. Waves*

Er...HI!

(See Newbies forum for my re-intro post)

 

Ahahaha! Well, fancy seeing you here. :B

Older!Yumeji is gonna be in that last, fifteen years post-J to X fic of mine if I ever get around to writing it. I've worked on it on and off... I'm planning on pairing him with probably Cherry, Bloodberry, or Lorelei. Haven't decided who.

 

Thanks for bringing Lady Aoi back!

And, may I suggest Bloodberry? Or Lime? For Yumeji? I can't really see him with Cherry, for obvious reasons, and Lorelei's too old for him, I think. Actually, wouldn't he be a bit too old for the girls? Like, 13 or 14 years at least.

...Wait. Yumeji was, like, 4 at the beginning of SMJ, right? At the end of J to X (Prior to the last episode) He had to be at least 10 years old. But there isn't THAT much time between the series. If you work it out, it's only 2 or 3 years.'

...Wow, they were with him for such a short time, but they changed Otaru so much... so much like myself...

 

He was most assuredly older than 4. For the sake of my fic, I put him at about 8 in SMJ, which would make him 9 1/2 to 10 at the start of J to X. So at the end of J to X (three years later) he'd be in his early teens, and twelve years after THAT, he'd be in his early-mid 20s.

Lorelei wouldn't be THAT much older than him. About eleven years or so, but hey. At any rate, the poor woman is starting to feel her youth ticking away (she's about 36 in this fic, if I remember correctly), and she sure ain't gonna be hooking up with Otaru, so... XD

I pondered sticking Lime with him, but Yume-chan HAS grown up, after all. I guess what it really depends on is how his personality turns out. I haven't actually written him in yet, but I imagine him as a fairly pleasant, well-mannered young man, though the stress of having to take on the Hanagata Council has probably made him the teeniest bit sullen and resentful. Overall, though, I can see him getting along with any of the girls. The only thing about Lime is that even growing up to be 15, she's still a child. Cherry's the closest to his age on a mental level, followed somewhat behind by Bloodberry... Bloodberry might be more interesting, though, so it's probably between her and Lorelei.

 

Once I had Yumeji's age all figured out. I forget exactly how I did it, but I think I some how deduced that he was 6 in J and about 10 at the *very* tail end of J to X. He looks a bit taller to me for some reason. I have no clue how I came to this conclusion, but there it is.

Xel, my personal vote is Yumeji/Lime, if only because of their closeness in the series. Then again, friendship doesn't necessarily have to transform into romance (nor should it). Still, that's my opinion!

~ AOI