Conversation Topic/Fanfic - Sugar Cookies/Fanfic - A Tangle of Christmas Lights/More!

[star_ocean_fan]

Ask the Star Ocean Character Reminder - Roger S. Huxley

Just a friendly reminder that I am taking questions for the next Ask the Star Ocean Character segment featuring Roger S. Huxley from Till the End of Time. Limit three questions per person, no cussing or vulgar language, and questions must be submitted to me no later than midnight of December 11, 2012. They can be submitted to me via PM, comment, or email (luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com), and, when submitting, please let me know if you wish to remain "anonymous" for the inquiries or if there is a specific user name you'd like for me to use. Otherwise, I will use whatever name you post the questions as when submitting them.

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Christmas Reminder - Seeking Star Ocean themed Celebrations!

This is another friendly reminder that I am seeking out holiday themed Star Ocean cosplay, photography (with the toys, naturally), art work, and fan fiction. This isn't a contest of any kind, there are no prizes for best piece, this is just Star Ocean fans celebrating the holidays with their favorite (or one of their favorite) game. Please keep all photography and artwork clean and tasteful (no nudity) and fan fiction to one-shots with mild language and implied situations (no smut). I will accept chaptered fiction ONLY if the story is complete.

When submitting fan fiction (of any kind), please include the following in front of the story:

Title
World
Pairing: (if applicable)
Characters:
Rating:
Warnings: (if applicable)
Disclaimer: (a MUST)
Claimer on OCs: (a must and where applicable)
Summary:
Author's Notes: (if applicable)

Note: The only time World does not need to be included is for birthday stories

Also, please note: While I have a very good grasp of the English language and the mechanics for writing, I am not a beta-reader. This is by choice so I can work on my own material for myself and the people who enjoy reading my works. I will not accept any stories with severe spelling and grammatical errors. This is a fan journal, not a fan fiction and fan art posting website like deviantArt and fanfiction.net. I read over everything that is submitted to me. I do not accept the excuse of "it's just fanfiction" for poorly written material. I also will not hesitate to ask a person to fix the errors and resubmit a story. I know that none of us gets paid for our fan fiction, but this is as much your fandom as it is mine. Take pride in your work and do your absolute best. Don't just say you love Star Ocean. Shout it.

All submissions for the holiday season (not restricted to just Christmas - all holidays in December are welcome) can be emailed to me at luthersfayt@gmail.com or thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com

Thanks in advance!

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Announcement - The Star Ocean Universe Facebook Page

A few months ago, when I first had the idea for a Star Ocean fan event, I started a facebook page called The Star Ocean Universe. It can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Star-Ocean-Universe/274275612679796 . The journal entries are posted to the maintainer account, which can be found by typing thestaroceanuniverse@gmail.com into facebook's search engine (name is under Autumn Ronk). All Star Ocean fans are welcome to join me there.

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Conversation Topic - Education in the Four Dimensional Realm

By now, most players of Till the End of Time have reached the four dimensional realm. They have also defeated the game, no doubt numerous times. Players of Till the End of Time are quite familiar with the four dimensional realm, its inhabitants, and their apparent laziness.

The fact that over ninety percent of the four dimensional realm's population is unemployed is really no big secret to Star Ocean fans. Talking to the people in Arkives and Gemity as well as certain playable characters while exploring brings all of this to light. However, just because so many are unemployed in the 4-D realm doesn't mean the inhabitants are uneducated. If the player finds the right people to talk to, s/he finds out that a young boy has been accepted to work at Sphere 211 after passing some kind of placement exam.

Knowing this about the game, it does make me wonder just how the four dimensional realm's educational system works. At what age do the people start attending school and for how long does their education last? I surmise that they do start out very young, and that it is a very intense educational system. The person I've spoken to that gets accepted to work at Sphere 211 is a boy who appears to be no older than Flad, who I'm also surmising to be around the age of twelve. (He could be fifteen, too. The game's creators have a tendency, when coming up with the characters and their ages, of designing very young looking  characters who are actually older than they appear - Peppita, Roger, Lymle, Precis, and Meracle, for example.) Taking that into consideration, the educational system of the four dimensional realm has got to be an intense one but, at the same token, a nearly useless one if more people than not are unemployed.

What are my fellow fans' thoughts on the 4-D realm's educational system?

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Fan fiction entries

Title: Sugar Cookies
World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther x Fayt
Characters: Luther Lansfeld, Fayt Leingod with mentions of Ryoko Leingod and Robert Leingod
Warnings: male/male relationship, a bit of sentimental, sappy fluff
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I do not own Till the End of Time or the characters of Fayt Leingod and Luther Lansfeld. They belong to tr-Ace and Square Enix respectively, and I don't profit financially from writing this story.
Summary: He knew Fayt had a surprise for him. He would soon understand its implications.
 

 

There were times when Fayt drove Luther to complete distraction. It usually did not matter what the younger man happened to be doing at the time or not doing. Fayt could simply be sprawled out on the floor, his lithe form completely relaxed and unguarded, and tempting the neglected parts of Luther he had spent years in controlling into some form of action. The blue-haired man could completely unhinge Luther in ways no else could. His counterpart could also completely baffle him like no one else could, either.

For example, throughout the day, Fayt had been busy. With what, the younger man refused to tell him, and he kept saying it was a surprise. Luther would find out the moment he returned to their home, Fayt said, and it drove the blond-haired man wild just thinking about what his young lover could be doing all day. So much so, Luther called it a day early, much to the surprise of his sister and his subordinates. He simply had to find out what the green-eyed man was doing.

Getting to his elaborate and ornate mansion took very little time, just the blink of an eye, and Luther stripped himself of his armor once all of his security protocols were in place. Fayt liked to greet him without the cumbersome items on, and Luther did not mind obliging him. Once his armor was off and safely stored away, the blond-haired man went in search of the one who had captured everything about him.

Not very many knew of the one feature to Luther's mansion, an extension he had built on after Fayt had come to live with him. It connected directly to the Eternal Sphere, more specifically to Fayt's home on Earth. Luther had the extension added shortly after he had brought the blue-haired man to live with him, mostly so his lover could still see his mother and spend time with the woman whenever he wanted. As much as he despised the fact the connection still enabled Fayt to see Sophia Esteed and Maria Traydor (the two women continued to try and persuade Fayt to leave him), Luther knew he could not have denied Ryoko Leingod the right to see her son. With Robert Leingod dead, Fayt and Ryoko would need each other's support for quite a while, especially around this time of the year. The holiday of Christmas had arrived on Earth, and Luther knew depression hit hard the people who had lost loved ones. He was not about to deprive his lover of the last remaining family Fayt had. To do so would be cruel to the one he cherished above all others, and Luther could not be cruel to Fayt, not like that.

Upon entering the Eternal Sphere and Ryoko Leingod's home on Earth, Luther noted a rather unusual yet most pleasing scent. Curious, he searched the house trying to locate where the delectable aroma originated, and he found it emanating from the kitchen. Then he paused and blinked. Luther did not ever recall the Leingod home ever having an actual kitchen. Fayt was an only child, and Ryoko and Robert had always been busy, living up to the reputations of being pioneers in the fields of symbology, genetics, and genetic-morphing. No one in the family had actually cooked, at least not until Fayt had been flung all over the galaxy on an insane quest of survival. Then Fayt had learned how to do many things, like cooking, on his journey. Such little bits of knowledge had changed Fayt, but for the green-eyed man to be baking? It was definitely intriguing. Since he was even more curious, Luther entered the space and paused to watch.

Fayt sat at what appeared to be an old-fashioned dining room table, his shirt and hair covered in white. His fingers were coated in a strange substance, but the blue-haired young man did not seem to mind. If anything, he appeared focused to Luther, rolling the substance with a long, rounded wooden object. As soon as he finished with the rounded wood, Fayt picked up some strangely shaped piece of metal and pressed it into what now looked like dough before placing the shape onto a long, thin sheet of metal.

A light smile touched Luther's features as he watched his lover work. It was a menial task to be sure, but Fayt seemed to enjoy what he was doing. Luther had no idea what his lover was actually doing, but he was not about to interrupt, either.

"I'm making sugar cookies, if that's what you're wondering what I'm doing," Fayt murmured after a few moments. Luther raised an eyebrow at him. He thought the younger man had been completely unaware of his presence. It appeared that he had been wrong.

"Sugar cookies?"

"Yeah." Fayt nodded his head. "People used to bake all kinds of cookies before replicators were ever invented."

"I see." Luther tilted his head a little. "Why sugar cookies?" Fayt shrugged in response.

"They seem festive," he replied. "Besides, Dad liked them."

Fayt's voice took on a quiet, almost sad quality, and Luther found himself moved. He closed the distance between himself and Fayt and sat down.

"You miss him."

"Yeah."

Luther reached over, sliding his arm around Fayt's shoulders. The younger man leaned closer to him so that their foreheads touched together. He knew Fayt wanted to break down and cry, but the blue-haired man never would. His lover wanted to be strong for his mother. Quickly as they had come into contact with each other, Fayt pulled away and turned his attention back to the dough.

"Sugar cookies are time-consuming," he said. "I didn't know that when I'd first found the recipe. I wanted to have them done before you were done at Sphere. I didn't realize what time it was . . ."

"It's still early, Fayt," Luther murmured. "I wanted to see what you were doing that was such a surprise."

Fayt laughed a little at his words, the sunshine returning to his features.

"Well, I'm baking you some cookies," Fayt said. "There's your surprise."

"So I've noticed," Luther said, chuckling. He slipped a hand under the table and onto Fayt's thigh. "And I'm sure they'll be quite delicious."

'Especially if I'm tasting them on your lips.'

"Thanks."

 

*****

Title: A Tangle of Christmas Lights
World: Till the End of Time
Pairing: Luther x Fayt
Characters: Luther Lansfeld, Blair Lansfeld, Fayt Leingod
Warnings: male/male relationship, implied situations, and a bit of sentimental, sappy fluff
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I do not own Till the End of Time or the characters of Luther and Blair Lansfeld and Fayt Leingod. They belong to tri-Ace and Square Enix respectively, and I don't profit financially from writing this story.
Summary: It's Christmas time in the Eternal Sphere. Two lovers prepare to celebrate.
 

 

Luther stared crossly at the clock, a deep frown on his features as he willed the minutes to move by faster and signal the end of the day before returning his attention back to his computer screen. He felt rather anxious, a very rare oddity for someone such as him, and he wanted nothing more than to leave Sphere as quickly as he could. It would be upon leaving that he would indulge in something he had never done in all the years he worked at Sphere – Luther Lansfeld was taking two weeks off from work.

He was not taking just any two weeks off, either. In the Eternal Sphere, more specifically on Earth, it was in the middle of the month of December. Various sections of the planet would be celebrating a holiday by the end of the month, the holiday of Christmas, and he had been promised if he took the weeks surrounding that particular holiday off, he would receive a rather special surprise from his lover.

His curiosity trumped his desire to work non-stop. As a result, Luther announced a company wide shut down of Sphere, surprising everyone. No other company in Lost City was allowing their employees the time off, and more than half of his subordinates wondered – though never to his face – if Luther had lost his mind. The blond found it to be absolutely delicious, the way his subordinates wondered about the time off and his motives for giving such a lavish and rather unexpected vacation. When he had told Fayt of his actions, the blue-haired man simply shook his head and smiled. Fayt knew Luther liked to keep his subordinates guessing and on their toes. It was of no surprise to him that Luther enjoyed the questions never asked in his presence.

Luther glanced at his clock once more before letting out an exasperated sigh. Only twenty-five minutes remained left of his day. Why could Time not fly faster?!

"Luther? Are you all right?"

At his sister's inquiry, Luther scowled, but he refused to glance at the older woman. He did not want to see her expression of concern or whatever other emotion that might be on her face. It was also the last thing he needed, especially when he would not be back to Sphere until after the holiday season on Earth had passed.

"I am fine, Blair," he replied with a growl. "What is that you want?"

"I came to see if you needed some help," Blair replied with a chuckle, which finally caught Luther's attention. "But I can see that you don't. You just looked so . . . upset."

"I am fine," Luther repeated. "Is there anything else?"

"No." Blair shook her head. She offered him a faint smile. "Tell Fayt I said hi and Merry Christmas, all right? Have a good holiday, Luther."

The violet-haired woman then waved and left his office. Luther stared at the spot where she had stood for a moment longer then exhaled, feeling a dull throb forming behind his eyes. His sister never ceased in baffling him, though he figured it could not be helped. He probably baffled her in a similar fashion.

'Maybe I'll just leave early,' he thought, noting only two more minutes had gone by since Blair approached him. 'Everything I needed to finish is done anyway. Fayt won't mind me coming home sooner than usual.'

The mere idea of seeing Fayt was more than enough motivation for Luther to shut his computers down and leave. If he knew his lover – which Luther was certain he did – the younger man was probably in the process of decorating their home in the Eternal Sphere for the upcoming event of Christmas, and Fayt would probably be wearing those shimmery shirts Luther liked so much. They exposed just enough of Fayt's chest and abdomen to entice the blond into kissing his lover and then some. Within moments, the lights of his Workspace were off, the computer screens blank, and Luther was heading for the transport to his home.

Once he arrived in his immense yet sparsely decorated mansion and entered his private chambers, Luther immediately shed his armor and donned something a little more comfortable. While he was not one for displaying his wealth by wearing extravagant and more than expensive clothing and jewelry, there were some things Luther simply could not bring himself wear. Though he never minded when Fayt wore jeans and tee shirts, Luther found such articles of clothing did not suit him. He preferred simpler versions of his usual attire, and he donned the clothes Fayt had given him as quickly as possible. Then, once he felt satisfied with his appearance, Luther left his mansion and entered the Eternal Sphere.

Upon entering his penthouse suite he shared with Fayt, Luther immediately noticed someone had planted a tree in the center of the living room. Not only had it been planted, but the tree was covered in twinkling lights of green and white and shiny round balls of silver and emerald and strange, glittery ropes. An angel gazed at him from her perch on the tree's top, and Luther found he did not appreciate her cool stare. He also smelled cinnamon and ginger, an indication someone had been baking not that long ago, but Luther did not see any sign of his lover. The thought of Fayt not being there greatly displeased Luther, and he stalked towards the kitchen to be sure.

Just as he reached the door leading into the kitchen, Luther heard a yelp of surprise and pain. It was soon followed by a resounding crash, and he noticed both sounds had come from the bedroom. Luther immediately placed himself in the room and saw Fayt . . . tangled in a strand of silver lights and sprawled across the floor between the wall and the bed. Fayt winced as he started to push himself up, not noticing Luther right away.

"Dammit," he growled, shaking his head. Luther saw a slight gash above Fayt's left temple as the younger man moved, blood trickling from the wound.

"Are you all right?" Luther demanded, kneeling next to Fayt. The sound of his voice startled the younger man, and his green eyes widened when he saw the blond.

"Luther!"

"Yes, I'm here," the blond-haired man said. He reached over to touch the wound. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Fayt replied, one hand touching Luther's arm. Instinctively, he leaned into Luther's touch. "I just wasn't expecting you to be home early."

"I decided I wanted to start my vacation sooner," Luther said, healing the wound on Fayt's head quickly. "Perhaps it is a good thing I did. What were you doing with these lights?"

"Oh, I, uh," Fayt averted his eyes as he spoke, his cheeks a faint shade of pink. "I was trying to hang some Christmas lights . . ."

"I can see that," Luther murmured. "The question is why."

"Soooo . . ." Fayt paused for a moment. "I could surprise you . . ."

"Well, you have accomplished that," Luther said. He started to untangle Fayt from the lights.

"Not like that, silly," Fayt said. "They were for something else."

"Something else?" Luther raised an eyebrow at this slight confession from Fayt. "What kind of something else?"

To this, Fayt smiled in a rather shy yet adorable and arousing fashion. Luther wanted to pounce his partner then and there and kiss the younger man senseless.

"I'm going to give you two of your Christmas presents tonight," Fayt replied.

"Which is?" Luther prompted.

"If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise," Fayt said. He untangled his legs from the Christmas lights. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"And if I don't wish to wait?"

Fayt paused in his movements then leaned over and kissed Luther. When he pulled away, Luther noticed Fayt's green eyes were sparkling.

"Then it won't mean as much," Fayt said. "I want tonight to be special."

"Of course," Luther murmured. He felt a little jilted by Fayt's enigmatic behaviour, but the blond understood why his lover was behaving as he was. Fayt loved to be affectionate, and he was fond of planning the occasional evening where the two of them could be more than intimate with each other, but pamper one another and simply be who they were. Such moments were among Luther's favourite times, and he received the impression Fayt had something similar in mind for the evening. He smiled and kissed Fayt once again.

"Is there anything you wish for me to do?" he asked.

"Not really," Fayt confessed. They stood up, Fayt's hands now grasping the strand of lights whereas Luther's remained on the younger man's body. "I wasn't expecting you for another fifteen minutes or so."

"I see . . . I shall leave you to your work then," Luther murmured. Though Fayt said there was nothing he wanted from Luther at the moment, the blond-haired man knew of something he could do while he waited for Fayt to finish his current project. He smiled at his partner, his fingers brushing along Fayt's cheek, before he left the room.

As Luther exited their bedroom, he sensed Fayt watching, and his smile grew a little. Fayt's gaze possessed intensity and hunger for him, and the evening promised to be one of the best nights ever. All Luther needed to do now was wait.

 

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And that's all for today, my friends! Happy Tuesday to you!