...some better than others. ._.
Also, "prompt-based" is somewhat misleading, as I'd written the fic first, and then used that word as a title-placeholder. The word, generally, isn't awesome enough to be a title, so I call them "prompts." ._.


prompt: embrace
Word Count: 90
Characters: Gou (+Rio)

Gou held him while he shuddered and coughed dry coughs, proof of overexertion. The cautious, fearful part of him looked over to make sure Rio wasn't coughing up blood, and tightened his grip when Rio moved, but Rio wasn't moving away, wasn't shoving him away. He was falling over, and Gou gently let Rio fall on the grassy ground until Rio fell into an exhaustion-wrought sleep.

Only then did Gou let Rio go.

Maiita ze, he thought, looking helplessly at Rio's prone form, this is getting to be a pattern.

prompt: naive
Word Count: 280
Characters: Mele, Rio

Rio-sama had this strange way of speaking, as if he were talking to himself.

She didn’t think he really noticed or attended to it. She wasn't really sure he intended her to know about his nightmare of the rain.

Good Rin Jyuken practitioners didn't reveal their weaknesses, after all. Especially not to fellow Rin Jyuken.

She must not be a good Rin Jyuken user, then. Because she'd never give this weakness away.

Maybe she was naïve. Maybe this was what had gotten her killed to begin with.

But from the moment he had revived her and given her his hand—more than anyone else had done for her—she had decided she would follow him forever.

---

Maybe it was naïve.

Good students of Rin Jyuken didn't tell each other their weaknesses. She could turn on him at any time. But he felt safe with Mele.

He wondered if he would still be safe enough if he kept his guard up. Mele wasn't powerful enough on her own to succeed at overthrowing him.

So why had he just delegated the overseeing of the Rinshi to her? He had just given her an army. He'd given her his army.

Trust was no excuse. Those close to him had disappointed him before. Trust was a luxury, not a necessity to those who followed—or lead—Rin Jyuken.

Maybe it was naivette. Probably. Hopefully.

He couldn't blame Mele for being tempted, when Braco offered her true life. It was true, after all. And it was his fault to begin with. He'd trusted too much.

And then Mele broke Braco's nails and killed him, and Rio knew he didn't need to distrust Mele anymore.

prompt: mine.
Word Count: 145
Characters: Rio (+Mele, +Rageku)

When he walked into the Main Hall, he felt a flash of irritation at the sight of Rageku applying lipstick to his Mele. He almost commanded her to stop, because Mele was fine just as she was, but there was a reason he'd had Rageku resurrected, so he said instead, "Rageku. Can we get on with the training already?"

That came out more biting than he'd intended, but that was his Mele she was messing with, dammit. She'd looked uncomfortable—a lot—with Rageku in her lap (not that he blamed her). And Rageku was just being infuriating.

He had to force down an additional burst of irritation as Rageku sent Mele away—no one ever took Mele seriously, even Rageku, who'd made him realize that very fact. But if Rageku thought that was at all ironic, or just plain hypocritical, she didn't show it.