Green Eyes and Cat Ears: A Kuroshitsuji fan-fiction.
Synopsis: While on the run from the brutal men that killed her parents, a young woman, Ellia, prays for an angel to rescue her from certain death. What she gets in return, though, is an attractive demon she finds herself guiltily drawn to.
To be safe, I'm rating this M for future chapters, as I do not know for sure what twists and turns this story will take.
Author's Note: Kuroshitsuji is property of Yana Toboso. Also, I am not an expert writer, so don't expect this story to be perfectly written.
Chapter Ten: Change of Plans
The mind works in strange ways. Ways one may not realize until the worst time. Ellia's realization came in the form of a dream. She had dreamed that Henry, upon reaching his goals within the ring, finally decided to kill her. This was no surprise. But in her dream, during their encounter, Sebastian had saved her from death. He'd taken a bullet for her, and had died. In her arms. Smiling.
Before Henry could finish his intended target, Ellia awoke. Tears in her eyes and heart racing, she laid still in bed for what seemed like ages, feeling horrible. She finally looked over and noticed there was no one next to her. Her handsome (fake) fiancee had wandered off somewhere.
Ellia knew he'd been in the room before she'd fallen asleep, but after that she supposed he could've left without her knowing. "Maybe I was talking in my sleep and it bothered him," she said worriedly. The woman looked down at the foot of the bed and saw yellow eyes gazing at her through the thick darkness.
"Here," she called softly. The cat rose from her place and walked across the black covers to her owner. Ellia scooped her up into a hug and sighed. "I had the most awful dream, love. Sebastian saved me from that terrible man, Henry, but he died because of it. He died because of me. What if something happens while we're out here, with these men? I've only been on this ship for a few days and already I have an enemy that wants me dead at a time of his choosing. What if I have even more enemies that I don't even know about? I can't expect Sebastian to protect me from everyone...he might get hurt."
Gatlin offered a quiet "meow" in reply, staring up at the teary-eyed teen, seemingly emotionless yet attentive to her words.
"So what if I do get him to fall for me somehow? What then? He'll return my feelings and then it'll be even worse if something bad happens to him. If he likes me, he'll probably feel even more obligated to protect me. Not because of Ciel's orders, but because he actually cares."
Ellia hugged the animal tighter and took in a deep breath. "It's not right for me to distract him like that, Gatlin. I'll be the cause if he's hurt. This whole time I've been totally focused on my feelings, not the assignment. His performance of the role of my fiancee is solid because he's not distracted. I, on the other hand, am distracted by him...I've been so nervous around the other men. It's not acceptable for the leader of such a significant trafficking business."
Ellia was then quiet in contemplation for a while, sitting in the dark, staring into nothing. Gatlin nudged her arm and she looked down with a sad smile.
"Ciel instructed us the play the part as a couple and to not fail this operation. I think it'll be better if both of us dedicate our time and effort into the assignment and information-gathering...not each other. Encouraging from him anything more than that behind closed doors is-"
Gatlin interrupted the woman with a fierce, deep snarl. She then hissed and leaped from her arms, landing before her on the bed. The animal turned around and stood staring angrily, white fur raised in the darkness.
Ellia's eyes were wide with surprise. "Gatlin, what's wrong with you?" she asked, whispering.
The cat stayed where she was, unwavering. It was scary, how suddenly upset she'd gotten.
"Did you not like what I was saying, darling?" she inquired. The animal ceased her loud protests, instead emitting a low-pitch growl deep in her throat.
"I mean, I know it was a dream, but I-"
Suddenly the door to the room opened. Sebastian walked in, silent. When he saw his traveling companion sitting up in bed, he approached her, speaking only when he was standing in front of her beside the bed.
"Did I wake you, Miss Ellia?" he asked softly.
The woman shook her head, though she doubted he saw it with how dark the room was. "No, you didn't. I just...had a nightmare."
"Oh?" By his tone of voice, she guessed he was interested. "What happened, Miss Ellia?"
"You died," she said flatly, looking back down at her cat. Gatlin was silent now, watching not Ellia anymore but rather the butler beside her.
"How did I die, exactly?" he asked in the same tone.
Ellia looked back up at him. "You took a bullet for me," she said, sounding sad now. "Mr. Darbren was the shooter."
Sebastian smirked, though the woman below him couldn't see it. "I see. Well, Miss Ellia, you have nothing to worry about. It was only a dream."
The raven-haired woman shook her head. "I know, but...if you were to get hurt, I would-"
"Ellia," he interrupted sharply, his voice deeper suddenly, more dangerous. "Do not dwell on it. It will only distract you. Young Master would be very displeased if your attention was drawn away from our assignment by a mere fabrication of your mind."
The woman didn't reply for a few moments, her heart beating a bit faster from the tone he was using. It was intimidating yet...sexy. Though she was somewhat afraid to speak, she gathered her courage to tell him her concerns. It was only logical to get her thoughts out into the open.
"I don't want to be a distraction to you," she admitted. "I don't want you to get hurt because you're too preoccupied with...us."
With her words Ellia felt heat rise on her face so she turned away, staring off into the dark void beyond where her cat was sitting.
Without warning Sebastian took hold of her chin with his index finger and thumb, turning her to face him. She realized he was only inches away, leaning down so he was eye-level with her.
"Miss Ellia. You are not a distraction to me in the slightest. You have no real cause to fear for my safety. I am here to protect you, you are not here to do so for me."
Ellia's eyes widened, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Him being so close to her now, she'd lost the courage to say anything against his argument. That and, he was right.
"If you are worried about yourself becoming distracted, I doubt it will be an issue. Thus far your act as company leader has been convincing. The other men appear to value your input and contribution, and we've gathered a good amount of intelligence. We still have a ways to go, but...you're free to pursue other interests outside of this assignment as long as you continue what you've been doing. The only thing that could interfere with what we're trying to accomplish is if you let yourself become burdened by unnecessary things. One such thing would be nightmares, Miss Ellia. Is that clear?"
Ellia nodded slightly and he released her, stepping back and standing straight.
"Sebastian, can I...count you as an interest worth pursuing?" she asked quietly.
An amused "Hm" was his only reply, until he turned to leave the room. Ellia followed the sound and was about to speak when the man said something.
"Oh and Ellia...It should calm your heart to know that it would take more than a single bullet to kill me." He opened the door and smiled in the dark, then left, closing the door behind him with barely a sound.
Ellia Cross sat in mild confusion, thinking over all that he'd said. She was "free to pursue other interests," huh?
"I guess that means he doesn't mind that I like him," Ellia thought aloud. "Since I know he knows by now. And he also thinks I've been doing a good job with being the company leader."
The cat across from her meowed in agreement.
"Maybe me being nervous is just a mental thing? I mean, I might not be the most outgoing person but I must be doing well if Sebastian said I was. He has no reason to lie to me."
There was a pause, and then she spoke again. "I guess there really isn't anything to worry over, is there? He killed those three men before that had been chasing me, back when I first met him. Or rather, when he met me. If he can handle something like that...then maybe we'll be okay?"
"Meow."
Ellia smiled. "You already knew that, though, didn't you? It's strange, how you can doubt yourself and your ambitions so much, and then someone you care about comes along and tells you otherwise...and suddenly you realize just how wrong you were. But...it's nice. Now I know I won't have to avoid him for the sake of the operation. Things can continue like normal."
"Meoooow."
"He even said that I wasn't a distraction to him at all," she said happily, then paused, thinking over what she'd just said.
"Wait. I don't distract him? At all? I don't know whether to feel relieved or insulted."
Gatlin walked over to the woman and purred, nuzzling her hand affectionately.
She sighed. "Aw, you're right, love. Things will work out regardless. I'm going to work to become more confident as company leader...but I don't have to give up Sebastian to do it." Ellia smiled happily and hugged Gatlin tightly. "To create emotional calm from worry and fear so easily...my savior is really an amazing man, isn't he?"
To this Gatlin responded by snuggling closer to the woman, voicing a gentle "mew" of joy.
With Ellia's heart unchained by her previous feelings of guilt, she was free to take in the sights and atmosphere of the port along Ireland's coast with extreme joy. This joy she expressed in constant smiling that the crew found amusing. The woman carried her cat around as she wandered streets and shops freely. Being in charge of things, she could do as she pleased, though she seemed either content with or oblivious to the fact that she made herself stick out horribly among the natives of the town.
It had taken several days to reach their destination, but Henry's ship had made it safe and sound. The cargo was to be unloaded immediately, and so while the Cross company's men unpacked, Ellia walked off to waste her free time with Gatlin looking at dresses and getting to know where the shops and taverns were.
Henry Darbren had left the ship at the same time as she had, though Ellia knew not where he was now. It scared her a little, not knowing where the man was in this town. Wandering the same streets she was. Maybe even watching her, making sure she didn't do anything suspicious. Ellia had no connections to Ireland besides through her company's men, though. She didn't know them except by name, so as far as association went, she was on a short vacation with work.
The dark-haired woman had just exited a shop when she saw the ship's "captain" waiting outside for her, standing there with his arms crossed. She cursed in her head. "You," was his only greeting.
"What?" Ellia replied just as rudely. Gatlin, safe in her arms, gazed at the man.
"I just got word from an associate of mine that seventeen of our allied companies are merging their shipment plans with ours."
Ellia stared blankly. "Okay."
Henry sighed. "Do you know what that means for us?"
"Ease in shipping supplies," she said, hiding well with her tone the fact she was guessing.
"Right. Your leadership of Cross helped that deal along. I mentioned your name and almost instantly my associates here agreed to contact a few friends of friends. Basically, they'll be doing half of our work for us. We'll make the same amount of money off half the trades, because of the distribution of profits."
"Who decided that? The distribution, I mean."
"I did. Why? Do you have a problem with that, bitch?" he snarled, daring her to oppose him.
Ellia smiled. "No, not at all."
There was silence for a moment, then Henry said, "You know what this means for you."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "I'm guessing this deal you made...was to benefit Remascen. Am I right?"
"Exactly. In short, you won't be on board with my men quite as long as you had planned. But that's not the end of it, see. I plan to merge each and every one of our allies into Remascen. One giant company will be more productive than working around the agendas of many smaller ones."
"Won't that be difficult for you to handle on your own? Managing all those people, controlling when shipments are made, received, where ships go, what suppliers to accept from, which customers to deny-"
"You clearly can't see the big picture. None of that will be impossible, as you're making it out to be," he said seriously, eying her.
"For a man with your abilities and lack thereof, I think it would pose a challenge," Ellia said casually, watching him. Anger lit up his eyes, but Henry remained calm on the outside.
"Let's make this clear, you little bitch," he hissed, stepping closer to her so passers-by wouldn't hear. "The only reason I let you in on our company and its activities is because I needed you to reach my own personal goals within this company. Once I've met those goals, I'll have no need for you. You, Ellia, are the one who initiated change in the alliance of the ring. Trafficking had slowed in the later years of your father's management. Our allies had prepared to shut down and disperse upon his death, giving to each boss his own right to choose where and when to sell without depending on the ring. This was our only option to remain in business in the underground."
"Why did progress slow when my father was still working with you?" she asked, a bit quieter now, analyzing his expression as he spoke to her, debating whether or not he intended to cause her harm based on her responses.
"He was beginning to draw back from the ring. We all assumed it was because of family issues, and so I had my men run out and take care of the entire deal in one night. It would've been flawless had you not somehow escaped." He narrowed his eyes at her angrily. "You never did answer my question from before, by the way."
"About how I escaped? I guess...I run fast? When you're scared your body can do amazing things due to the adrenaline fueling your actions. With such frightening and strong men behind me, I guess I was really sprinting for it without realizing."
She saw the man considering her logical answer, then added, "I'm sure if you'd been there I could've ran a marathon."
Mr. Darbren seemed puzzled as to how to take her words: as an insult or a compliment. He only replied flatly with, "Mhm."
Ellia thought to ask the man something, but Gatlin meowed loudly in hunger, and the question easily slipped her mind. "Oh, I have to feed her. I'll, um...see you later."
Henry silently watched her walk past him toward the docked ship. The men had swiftly finished unpacking and distributing the cargo into safe buildings, awaiting further transport. What was to be kept in Ireland, more than half the shipment, was placed in the hands of eager underground customers and sellers, all of whom were recorded in the agreement made by Henry and his company shortly after arriving in Ireland.
Before she got too far, Mr. Darbren stopped the woman. "One more thing."
Ellia turned quickly and looked at him expectantly, also warily in case he tried something.
"The deal I proposed for complete merging of the ring can't be set in stone until your name is on the papers."
She smiled. "I understand. I'll make time to attend to it...after the celebration." With a spring in her step she walked off happily, looking forward to the party with the rest of the crew.
Henry only glared at the blue-clad woman, his thought of comfort being that it wouldn't be long before her existence wasn't necessary. Agreements would be finalized, and the ring would belong to him by forfeit of leadership through the Cross heir's death.
And because of the fine print Henry had been careful to include in the proposal for complete merging of all allied companies, it didn't matter in the slightest that Ellia had a fiancee that would've by default taken over her place.
Instead, Henry Darbren would be signed into rightful rule with moderate haste. Ellia had unknowingly agreed to sign her own death warrant.
Ellia did know, though. Which is why instead of finding food for Gatlin, she sought out Sebastian first, rushing through the halls of the ship until she found him seemingly wandering alone.
"This is awful!" she exclaimed worriedly. She had explained the whole story to the butler, though not once did he change expressions. He didn't even seem surprised, which made Ellia wonder if her fears were unfounded. They were standing in their room on the ship with the door closed. Gatlin was sitting beside the door, listening intently for people walking by.
"Not necessarily, Miss Ellia. This will only make our job easier. And we'll be able to leave before schedule."
"How?" she asked, clearly confused. "He plans to kill me when he's finished merging the companies! He'll do worse things, I'm sure, if I don't sign the agreements, so I have no choice."
"You can make an agreement of your own," Sebastian said seriously, "though you may not like the work involved."
Ellia's heart skipped at his words and somehow she felt as though her time in Ireland wasn't going to be all fun and games. She still had to deal with Henry in some way, shape, or form.
She sighed, forcing herself to accept the fact that the man was a recurring annoyance. "What do I have to do?"
The tavern was loud. And crowded. The drinks cost triple what they should have. But the people still left in the building after 10 pm were too drunk to care.
10 pm would probably seem early for some customers to leave. But thanks to Henry's rowdy crew, many left before the tavern's frequent business hours ended. This was good news for Ellia, who already felt horrible due to the amount of wine she'd ingested.
Well, she'd thought it was wine. On at least five occasions crew members had swapped drinks merely by not paying enough attention. Ellia had had more than her share of beer and whiskey. She felt incredibly nauseous and was glad Sebastian was nearby to help her if she needed him to.
The demon, though, had not taken a single drink. He was content with water. For some reason, though, the men of the crew didn't bother him about it. Ellia gathered that they had a good opinion of him, but she couldn't fathom why. Unless they were gay. In which case she could totally understand because of how good-looking he was.
As the night wore on, though, she saw less and less of the butler. He kept leaving then returning at random times, staying gone for such extended periods that she forgot he'd even been in the room at all.
Though surrounded by various men laughing and having a roaring time, Sebastian approached the young woman sitting at the table beside them. "Miss Ellia," he spoke, so serious that it made the girl's smile fade a bit.
"Yeah?" she asked, louder than she'd intended. Her view of the room spun whenever she moved too quickly, so she grabbed the man's arm and focused on just staying still.
"When do you plan to speak to Henry? You must negotiate with him as we had planned earlier. Sometime tonight would be most convenient." His voice was no-nonsense but the significance of the situation was lost to Ellia, who was back to smiling at him.
"Right now?" she asked, then gestured to the men sitting at the table behind her. "We were just about to play poker." She giggled. "You should play with us, Sebastian. There's a rather fun spin on it."
"I'll pass, Miss Ellia. And yes, you should probably speak to him right now. He's in his room on the ship mapping out our next trip and finishing plans for the shipment we're taking back to eastern Europe."
Ellia sighed. "Oh, fine. But when I'm done, can I come back? I don't want to miss poker."
Sebastian replied with "Sure," even though he knew she most likely wouldn't be returning unless the captain felt generous.
He pulled her to her feet and the woman swayed a bit. She took in a breath and steadied herself, looking around at the men at the table. "I'll be back in a bit, guys. Stuff to do. Don't start the game without me, got it?" She laughed then, and the crew joined her. "Okay," was the general answer, though the men were more focused on the conversations they were having amongst themselves while drinking.
Sebastian guided the woman to the ship, making sure she didn't trip by keeping a hold on her arm and shoulder.
"Do you remember what you have to do?" the demon asked, standing with her at the ramp.
Ellia straightened out her dress and turned to look at him, strangely serious considering how much alcohol was in her system. She wasn't a solemn drunk by any means. Her previous smile was gone now, though, because she knew she had to try to seem relatively aware for the talking she had to do.
"Y-yeah, I remember. I r-really don't want to, though," she said.
The demon didn't show her any sympathy. "It's for the assignment, and the good of the people affected by this business. Remember you must get the list from him. Do not forget."
"I won't. Leave it to me." She pulled away from him and stepped onto the ramp. Almost instantly she lost her footing and fell back. The butler caught her though and helped her to stand again. Ellia let out a nervous laugh and continued on her way. Though her steps were painfully awkward, she made her way onto the ship and it was quiet once again by the dock.
Sebastian only stared at the vessel for a moment before turning to keep an eye on other things in the town.
Knock knock.
Ellia lightly tapped the door to Henry's room with her knuckles. "Who is it?" was the demanding reply she got from the other side.
"It's me," she said too cheerfully, and waited for him to answer. It took a moment or two of waiting but Henry opened the door. He looked down at her suspiciously, appearing stressed about something.
"What the fuck do you want?" he asked.
"I want to talk about your plans for the ring," she said, feigning assertiveness.
Henry narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything. Instead, he stepped aside and opened the door further, letting the young woman in.
Once they were sitting at a table in the room, Ellia sat in silence, watching the captain across from her. He didn't appear happy to see her, though in her current state she wasn't about to question why. She also failed to notice the slew of papers and maps that were scattered around the room and most heavily concentrated on a desk along the wall.
"Again, I'm asking what is it you came here for. You're not exactly doing much talking," he said impatiently, crossing his arms as he stared at her.
"I have an agreement," she finally said. "I-it's for your company. Remascen is...getting the better half of the deal, and we both know it. I've decided I'll only sign the papers if you give me one thing."
Henry raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that right? Well, bitch, what is it?"
"Your company record. Everything pertaining to Remascen and the ring. I want all of it."
"Why the hell would you have need for our record? Once I'm done with you, you won't be able to use it."
"Not me, but perhaps Sebastian. I love him dearly, and if anything were to happen to me, I would want him to carry on the Cross name for his own company, in whatever fashion he desires."
"So in the event you die, your wish is to have him start his own company in your name?" Henry confirmed, looking at her with a surprised, almost unbelieving expression. "Isn't that selfish? What if he doesn't want to get involved in the underground?"
"He knows all about what my parents were involved in. He isn't opposed to it, Mr. Darbren. And...perhaps he could even be an ally of yours someday."
"Ha!" Henry laughed loudly at her statement. "You're either stupid or cunning to think that man would join his company with mine for the sole purpose of profit."
Ellia smiled. "You wouldn't have known this, but he got engaged to me for my value in this ring. He can profit from me being a part of it. My family's name was well-known where he lived, and when he heard the daughter, heir of the company and the ring, was single, well...it wasn't difficult easing into a relationship with him. He'd take any chance he could get to profit from this situation."
"For a man who doesn't put significance on his fiancee's future, he sure bought you a fancy ring," Henry said, watching her.
"My parents' savings from being involved with you are...more than enough to keep him around. But if I know him as well as I believe I do, he'll come to you and your men for more. Just don't tell him that, okay?"
Henry smirked. "I won't say a word. You, on the other hand, are rather talkative tonight. You went out drinking with my crew, didn't you?"
Ellia then noticed that indeed she had been talking a lot. And sprinkled a few lies into her proposed agreement. With a small smile she realized she could come up with some pretty convincing arguments when she was drunk.
"Does that anger you?" she asked, leaning forward with her hands placed at the edge of the table.
Henry sighed. "No. What does anger me is the fact you came in here assuming I'd just agree to whatever you said despite it being dangerous to me. Why would I give you Remascen's record if your fiancee could just use it against us in the future of his own company?"
Ellia kept from smiling. This was part of the plan Sebastian had mentioned. Ellia was to bargain for Henry's company's information first, and when he denied her she would lower the deal to only the records of everyone else in the ring. No longer threatened personally by the woman's death, he would agree to her terms, more than likely.
Well, the butler had been right in his reasoning.
"That's fine with me, if it's the others," he said, clearly having no regard for the consequences the other allied companies might face. "To lose a few pawns for the sake of business isn't a concern. If they don't benefit me after the merge, I'll have no need for them."
Ellia let her smile shine through. "Good. Then we have a deal?"
Henry stood up from his seat and made his way over to the woman, choosing to stand behind her. He stood there for a moment, taking a lock of her dark hair and playing with it. Ellia froze, worried she'd done something to make him disagree with her.
But that couldn't be! She'd said everything Sebastian had told her to say, and hadn't left anything out. It should've been obvious to Henry that he was getting the good end of the bargain. She prayed he didn't realize, though, that she was getting the even better end.
"What do I get in return?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence. He released her hair and stepped to her side, waiting for answer. His hand he anchored to her shoulder in a tight, almost painful grasp.
"I told you I'd sign the agreement and merger papers," she said, turning her head just slightly to look up at him through her bangs.
"That's not enough," he said, staring down at her. "You'd be an idiot to think I don't see your share of this being better than mine. If you want to be so greedy as to pass your benefits onto your fiancee even after your death, then I should get something out of it, too. It's only fair."
"You're the last person who should argue in favor of fairness," Ellia said, keeping her tone even. The fact this man was asking more from her after all he'd taken, it would've sickened her were she aware enough to have such a feeling.
"And you're the last person who should be trying to resist me," he growled, taking his hand away from her shoulder and instead taking hold of her left hand, which she'd had on her lap. He brought her hand closer to view the ring she was wearing, pulling her body upwards in the process. Ellia winced from the sudden jerk, and had to brace herself against the table to keep from somehow pulling a muscle.
"What do you want?" the woman asked.
Henry's blue eyes met hers and very quickly he pulled her towards him. Ellia nearly flew out of the chair, and it fell over sideways with a somehow muffled sound. Before she knew what had happened she was shoved backward against the table and greeted with Henry shattering her personal space bubble with a fierce kiss.
What surprised her, though, was not the kiss, but the fact that it didn't scare her, didn't make her angry, nothing. She felt nothing. Well, emotionally she felt nothing. Physically she could feel his lips and the other parts of himself he was holding against her.
When he moved away from her a moment later, Ellia only stared. Henry looked angry, somehow, though she hadn't really provoked him. "You're due for the suffering you evaded last time."
"You plan to make me suffer by sleeping with me?" Ellia asked. She cracked a smile, and a second later she was laughing. Hard. Almost too hard since there was nothing the man found funny. When her laughing died down Henry sneered. "What is it?"
"You don't seem the type to have a sense of humor," Ellia said, breathing in and regaining her composure. Henry leaned into her and whispered coldly, "I'm not."
There was a moment of silence, and in that moment Ellia's heart sank. "What are you really going to do?" she asked.
Henry smiled darkly. "If you're lucky, you'll be too wasted to remember."
"What would be your point in all this, then?" she asked, quieter this time.
Henry seemed to think over her inquiry, then stepped away from her. "I'm sure you'll answer your own question when you actually have the time to stop and consider it. For now, though," he pulled a concealed dagger from his side pocket, "try not to scream too loudly."
Author's Notes.
Sorry this chapter is so late! I've been working on creating a new original story. Fan-fiction is fun, yes, but having a story all your own presents its own amusement and challenges. I've noticed the recent lack of reviews and in response to it am thinking it is because the update wasn't as quick as expected? Well, I hope this chapter will suffice for a while. Thank you to those that continue coming back for more. I really appreciate your opinions. =]
To the reviewers:
To Lucia d' Neko-Kyuuketsuki: Thank you. ^^ Your reviews make me smile.
To ImmaEatCHUU: Thanks so much. =] I have tried to make it twist and turn to make it bit more interesting than the standard this-and-that-happened drama. I'd say Ellia is lucky, to an extent. And I like long chapters, too. They make the overall reading of a story worth-while.
To Orion The Arch Angel: Yeah college isn't exactly a fun park, is it? I've gotten more homework and reading assignments these past couple weeks than I did in two years of high school. Of course, I didn't have to save up money to pay tuition for high school, either. I'm glad you liked the chapter. =] Sometimes I wonder if current chapters measure up to older ones, but then I think that, well, not every part of a story can have Grade-A action or suspense. There's less-exciting events to emphasize the significant things. FF7 fan-fics – the good ones - are full of that, which I totally appreciate.
To Lavacake: I'm sorry the main character's persona displeases you. But I didn't make her fierce and spunky for a reason. Not all women in stories are going to punch a man who insults them or fly into a fit over injustice. I don't like that outline of personality when plot-writing so I try not to use it. But thank you, anyway, for trying out the story.
To SWEETSAPPHIRE0: Your update request was granted. =]
As always, reviews are loved! And thanks so much to my readers who take time out to read this story, even though it's not what I'd call amazing. Merci beaucoup!