Disclaimer: I don't own FY or any of the characters, but I do own Tansho
and all the other people of the Black Dove.
Warning: Not very bad...just a few nasty words here and there. ^-^
Chapter 5 The Delicate Warmth
I go upstairs to my room. My heart is beating so fast that I fear I may be dying. And if I do die, I will die in my bed.
I lie down, but I don't die. I stare at the canopy of my bed and wonder what compelled me to do such a thing. Never had I touched a man in such a way. Of course, I may rub a man's shoulders or run a finger over his lips, but never what I did to Tasuki--underneath his clothes. Never. Most of the men I've slept with were half-dressed the entire time!
What the hell is happening to me?, my mind whispers.
**************************************************************************** ***************************
I look for him the next night, and when my eyes finally lock on him, I nearly collapse from relief. I grab the banister of the stair to hold myself upright, but Okichi sees my near-fall and she is soon so close to me that her perfume is suffocating me.
"Are you ill, Tansho?" she chimes, her cream-colored hair floating around her plump body like bubbles. She reached her hands up and gingerly twists a section of her hair into a thick bun atop her head, then taking a ribbon from between her breasts and tying the bun into place. Her large eyes question me with much more than concern.
"No," I answer quickly and too harshly, wondering if the little word is a lie. My eyes tear away from Tasuki, and I pray that she didn't see how hard it was for me. "I'm just tired."
"Well, you have been on the floor more than the rest of us lately," she says, her eyes scouring the tavern for her next target. She frowns when Misa plops down in the lap of her favorite regular. "Why don't you stay in tonight? It would do you good." Her eyes return to me, and I smile.
"I think I will," I answer. I realize that I need to stay away from him, even if just for one night. "Will you tell Shingen for me?"
"Of course," she replies, patting my cheek, "Go rest now."
I think that our conversation is over, but when she is half way down the stair, she turns. I see her eyes burning, and I take a step back, releasing my hold on the banister.
"Don't think that we don't notice, Tansho," she whispers, "Because we do...we notice everything--you should know that." She pauses, and I know that it is only to make me lean towards her. "You will not win," she finally hisses. With those last words and a violent flip of her waist- length hair, she is gone, swallowed by the pungent smoke of the Black Dove.
I can do nothing but stare. I knew that they would see when I was nestled in Tasuki's lap. I knew that they would talk amongst themselves like a flock of hens cackling. But I didn't think they would ever be so damn agressive. I know better than to confront them. Agressive whores are dangerous. This is common sense. But was it just the chance of a few extra months' pay that fueled them--or something else?
So I do as she says--I take a rest. I return to my room and pray that I won't see him. But when I close my eyes, I see red. I see fire. And I want to kill him for what he is doing to me. Damn it! Damn him! I've known him for less than a week and his face is already burned into my mind. I press my fingers to my eyelids and rub vigorously. He vanishes like a fog and I sigh, half from relief and half from pure exhaustion.
Distressed, I grab a wool shawl from my wardrobe, swing it heavily over my shoulders, and run. I race down the stairs, not daring to look in the direction of the tavern. I shove my bare feet into a pair of slippers at the back door and retreat into the fluctuating air of the city. One night it is like spring, the next like the middle of winter. This is the way it is in the south, and I thought that I was use to it by now. The freezing air pushes it's way under my flimsy shawl, and I realize that I'm not use to it at all.
I slam the door behind me and run past the latrines to the wooden veranda at the entrance of the tavern, hoping for it to be empty. I need emptiness. I need silence. I need solitude. I need each one like I need the air. But the air is so cold that I feel my lungs will burst, though I have gone no farther than a few steps.
I reach the veranda and find that the warm, dim glow of the lanterns cast their light on nothing but the rough wood. I sigh and press my back against the wall of the tavern, watching my breath create shapes before my eyes. I reach out to touch what appears to be a rose, but it whisps away at the contact with my warm skin. I can hear the sounds of drunkeness coming from the open doors of the tavern, but there are no people coming and going, and I am glad for this.
I breathe in and out, cleansing my lungs like I would cleanse a dirty garment. But then I hear the sounds of footfalls, and I hold my breath and sink into the shadow of the veranda.
Then the entire veranda is on fire as he steps out.
"Damn him," I whisper. But when he turns his head, I know that I spoke too loudly. I press my back against the rough wooden wall and bend my head against my shoulder, but I know that I've been seen. Damn it all to hell.
"You don't need to hide from me, ya' know," Tasuki replies calmly, turning his gaze back to the lights of the city.
"I wasn't hiding from anything," I answer. I step out of the shadow even though my first impulse is to turn and run from him.
I wonder if he remembers last night. I wonder if he is angry with me. He certainly couldn't have enjoyed it. He shooed the other whores away as if they were a swarm of flies--he would no doubt do the same to me. Wouldn't he?
"Your name's Tansho?" he suddenly asks. I jump at the sound of his voice splitting the silence.
"Yes," I answer, "How did you know my name?"
"I should ask you the same damn thing!" he barks at me, crossing his arms over his black overcoat. But then I see in his face as he rethinks his words. "I overheard Nuriko the other night."
"As did I," I say. He flings me a look of irritation, but doesn't reply.
As the time creeps on in silence, I begin to shiver in the chilly air. I pull the shawl tighter around my bare chest; but, like a fool, I never think to pull my dress tighter around my body. As if reading my mind, he turns to me again.
"You should put on more clothes if you're gonna stand out here in the cold," he remarks.
"I'm fine," I lie, "It's not cold at all." He frowns, then smiks, then laughs.
"And just what the fuck is so funny?" I ask menancingly, crossing my arms over my shawl to try to keep in more heat. I frown deeply at my outburst. I hadn't meant to be so malicious toward him.
"You're just standing there freezing your ass off!" he answers in a mocking tone, walking across the veranda toward me. He unbuckles the belt that clasps his black overcoat, then begins working at the hooks of his coat. By the time he reaches me, he has shrugged it off his shoulders and is holding it in his hands. Instinctively, I move away, and he stops.
"I'm not gonna throw it over ya' and kidnap ya' or anything," he replies calmly, though I can tell that he is obviously still annoyed with me, "Calm the hell down and come here."
I do as he says and allow him to carefully drape the coat over my shoulders. His white cotton shirt gleams momentarily in the dim latern light, and the heat of his body cascades over me as he moves nearer to pull the coat tight over my back. It's heavy on my body, but the inside feels like a waterfall of warm water steaming down my back all the way to my feet. It reaches well past my calves, enveloping my entire body with heat. The scent of him wafes into my nostrils and I breathe in deeply. Suddenly, a glimer catches my eye and I look up at him.
Two beaded necklaces, one blue and the other red, hang delicately from his neck. As I reach my hand up, my elbow brushes his ribs and he recoils a bit.
"Ticklish, are we?" I tease as I gently grasp the longer necklace in my fingers. He merely grunts, but allows me to study the peice of jewelry. I allow myself one look into his eyes, and I am rewarded with him looking into mine.
"Thank you," I say quietly as I finger his necklace. I feel my skin touch his every now and then as I carress the smooth orbs. From where my hand is on his chest, I can feel the strain of his heart under his breastbone. I have an inclination to lay my palm there, but I resist.
I have to pull my hand away after only a minute. The heat of his body is almost scalding. My shivers have ceased, but my insides have only started. He is still close to me, my shoulder still in the valley of his side. His closeness helps to keep the cold away as well. I find myself wondering how it would feel to have that warmth on top of me--or inside of me. Then I gasp at my own thoughts and mentally slap myself. Once again, this man has awakened something new to me. Never before had I lusted in such a way--for a man, and not for his money. I actually feel ashamed. I want to go, but he speaks before I can even raise a foot.
"Did you mean what you said last night?" he asks quietly. I wait. "About my earrings making me...even more beautiful...ya' know...?" I am shocked. My eyes roam madly, trying to find the words somewhere in the night air.
"I'm not known to lie," I finally answer, though unsure of myself. I wonder if that was the right thing to say.
I hear him clear his throat, and I know for sure that I have made a fool of myself all over again. I snap my eyes shut.
"I should be going," I say quickly, having found the strength and nerve to speak.
I glance up at him, then turn quickly and begin my trek to the back door.
"Hey wait!" he calls from behind me. My heart stops. My blood scalds my veins. My eyes burn and my body begins to shake again. I cannot. I cannot--not even for four months' wages. If I do, then I'll never get away. I'll never escape him. I'll never be able to stop. But I turn anyway, and I face him, unafraid.
"My coat," he says.
Then the world goes cold around me once again.
"Your coat," I repeat. My hands rise to my shoulders slowly and grab the collar of the black overcoat. "I'm sorry." I pull the warmth away from my body gingerly, instantly missing it. He takes it and pulls it back on, fastening the belt and smoothing it over his front. "Thank you," I say. Then I turn once again.
But I feel fingers close on my arm. I am stopped in mid stride, and I fall backward. I feel that I will choke on my own heart. I feel him turning me around again. Yet again.
Run, my mind screams at me, Run now, you fool. He'll capture you, and you know it. You'll never get free!
But I feel the warmth of his hand on me, creating a ring of fire around my upper arm. It spreads to my chest and stomach, then to my womanhood and legs, until my feet are boiling as well. I want to slap him, to jerk my arm from his grasp, and run like a madwoman back into the tavern and up to my room. I can hide there. I can lock myself in and he'll never see me again for all of eternity.
I can smell him now. I can feel pressure on my breasts, on my belly. I know that I am pressed against him, and I know that I am slowly being welded to his body. I feel a soft weight on my spine, just as I had before when I was in the valley of his lap. But I do nothing but stare at the dark wood of the veranda beneath my slippered feet. And I see his black boots next to my feet, and I know that I am too close to get away.
Why? Why is he holding me like this? Just the night before he seemed to be disgusted by my presence...so why in Heaven and Hell is he holding me like this? More importantly, why am I allowing it?
I look up. I look up and I see swamps staring back at me, as close to me as the air. The warmth of his breath is on my cheek, on my neck and ear, on my lips. He is like a drug. Like opium. His breath is like a thick smoke that I welcome into my lungs. Suffocate me. Drown me.
I feel the warmth of his lips touch the corner of my mouth, delicately, slowly, as if he could shatter my face if he pressed too hard. He is moving down my throat now, to the hollow of my chest, then up the other side of my face to my jaw and ear. He doesn't kiss. No, it's more like a trail of moisture that he leaves behind. But then he kisses my earlobe, causing me to shudder violently in unexpected pleasure. I feel him move away momentarily.
"That's what it feels like," he whispers near my mouth. My eyes are closed, but I can almost see his lips moving in front of me. Subconsciously, my face moves toward his voice, but I meet nothing but scortched air.
A soft brush over my eyebrow, then my eyelid. Like the wings of a butterly, I think to myself. He is hovering at the edge of my mouth again, teasing me mercilessly.
I open my eyes wide, and I stare at him. If this is the way it has to be, then it will not be wasted.
Oh, what will she do...what will she do, Oh God?!!? Will Tansho take the chance for the money, or wait just a little longer...Aaaahhhh...the suspense!!!
Replies to reviewers:
frenchiecangal: I read your bio over the weekend..and you're French Canadian!! Ah, now your pen name makes sense *grins*. Anyways, I'm so sorry that the updates are goign slower than I promised. I'm falling farther and farther behind and I know it!! waaaahhh!! Even with the Thanksgiving break from school I've still been exhausted and end up sleeping all afternoon instead of doing homework and posting new chapers. I'll try to speed up soon! ^_^
shadow priestess: I have yet to check out the curriculum of Georgia State (I haven't even visited the campus yet!!! And my application is due in March! I'm so beind!!) But I do plan on majoring in Creative Writing, and avoiding all Math classes that can possibly be avoided!! ^_^
Kitty Lynne: Hello dear friend! I got your last e-mail and I'll try my best to reply soon, OK?! I've had a bad e-mail encounter with Roku that's left me quite dazed and confused (not to mentione pissed off!), and I'm in dire need of some advice concerning her and a few other things. As for my fic...thank you so much for your compliments on Nuriko and the interactions between Tansho and Tasuki. And, yes, I did remember how you got a bit upset over my description of Chichiri and decided to remove it. When I re- read it while editing, I did realize how genuinely inconsiderate it was of Chishiri fans like yourself. Thanks again for all the wonderful compliments!!
Emerin Mornlight: Just remember what I said about the camp fire, ans don't start roasting those marshmallows.
Torrent: Thanks so much!!! ^_^
RyogazGal: That's very unfortunate about those flamers. How rude!! Do they right OC's themselves...'cause if they haven't, they need to try it. Or pehaps they have, and happen to think that theirs are the only acceptable ones. *scowls at OC flamers...wherever they may be* As for the help you requested concerning the paragraphs. *snickers* Don't worry, I had that problem too when I first posted on FF. In my case, it was on account of the paragraphs I had in my original documents that I uploaded from. In my documents, I had only single-spaced my paragraphs (like most writing in books or magazines), but I found out by way of a friend who had been on FF for awhile that by simply spacing your paragraphs further apart (double or triple spacing, depending on the effect you want)...it separates them out when they're uploaded onto FF. That should solve your problem, but contact me if you need more help OK?!
Thanks again for all the reviews everyone!!! Love and hugs!!! ^_^
Warning: Not very bad...just a few nasty words here and there. ^-^
Chapter 5 The Delicate Warmth
I go upstairs to my room. My heart is beating so fast that I fear I may be dying. And if I do die, I will die in my bed.
I lie down, but I don't die. I stare at the canopy of my bed and wonder what compelled me to do such a thing. Never had I touched a man in such a way. Of course, I may rub a man's shoulders or run a finger over his lips, but never what I did to Tasuki--underneath his clothes. Never. Most of the men I've slept with were half-dressed the entire time!
What the hell is happening to me?, my mind whispers.
**************************************************************************** ***************************
I look for him the next night, and when my eyes finally lock on him, I nearly collapse from relief. I grab the banister of the stair to hold myself upright, but Okichi sees my near-fall and she is soon so close to me that her perfume is suffocating me.
"Are you ill, Tansho?" she chimes, her cream-colored hair floating around her plump body like bubbles. She reached her hands up and gingerly twists a section of her hair into a thick bun atop her head, then taking a ribbon from between her breasts and tying the bun into place. Her large eyes question me with much more than concern.
"No," I answer quickly and too harshly, wondering if the little word is a lie. My eyes tear away from Tasuki, and I pray that she didn't see how hard it was for me. "I'm just tired."
"Well, you have been on the floor more than the rest of us lately," she says, her eyes scouring the tavern for her next target. She frowns when Misa plops down in the lap of her favorite regular. "Why don't you stay in tonight? It would do you good." Her eyes return to me, and I smile.
"I think I will," I answer. I realize that I need to stay away from him, even if just for one night. "Will you tell Shingen for me?"
"Of course," she replies, patting my cheek, "Go rest now."
I think that our conversation is over, but when she is half way down the stair, she turns. I see her eyes burning, and I take a step back, releasing my hold on the banister.
"Don't think that we don't notice, Tansho," she whispers, "Because we do...we notice everything--you should know that." She pauses, and I know that it is only to make me lean towards her. "You will not win," she finally hisses. With those last words and a violent flip of her waist- length hair, she is gone, swallowed by the pungent smoke of the Black Dove.
I can do nothing but stare. I knew that they would see when I was nestled in Tasuki's lap. I knew that they would talk amongst themselves like a flock of hens cackling. But I didn't think they would ever be so damn agressive. I know better than to confront them. Agressive whores are dangerous. This is common sense. But was it just the chance of a few extra months' pay that fueled them--or something else?
So I do as she says--I take a rest. I return to my room and pray that I won't see him. But when I close my eyes, I see red. I see fire. And I want to kill him for what he is doing to me. Damn it! Damn him! I've known him for less than a week and his face is already burned into my mind. I press my fingers to my eyelids and rub vigorously. He vanishes like a fog and I sigh, half from relief and half from pure exhaustion.
Distressed, I grab a wool shawl from my wardrobe, swing it heavily over my shoulders, and run. I race down the stairs, not daring to look in the direction of the tavern. I shove my bare feet into a pair of slippers at the back door and retreat into the fluctuating air of the city. One night it is like spring, the next like the middle of winter. This is the way it is in the south, and I thought that I was use to it by now. The freezing air pushes it's way under my flimsy shawl, and I realize that I'm not use to it at all.
I slam the door behind me and run past the latrines to the wooden veranda at the entrance of the tavern, hoping for it to be empty. I need emptiness. I need silence. I need solitude. I need each one like I need the air. But the air is so cold that I feel my lungs will burst, though I have gone no farther than a few steps.
I reach the veranda and find that the warm, dim glow of the lanterns cast their light on nothing but the rough wood. I sigh and press my back against the wall of the tavern, watching my breath create shapes before my eyes. I reach out to touch what appears to be a rose, but it whisps away at the contact with my warm skin. I can hear the sounds of drunkeness coming from the open doors of the tavern, but there are no people coming and going, and I am glad for this.
I breathe in and out, cleansing my lungs like I would cleanse a dirty garment. But then I hear the sounds of footfalls, and I hold my breath and sink into the shadow of the veranda.
Then the entire veranda is on fire as he steps out.
"Damn him," I whisper. But when he turns his head, I know that I spoke too loudly. I press my back against the rough wooden wall and bend my head against my shoulder, but I know that I've been seen. Damn it all to hell.
"You don't need to hide from me, ya' know," Tasuki replies calmly, turning his gaze back to the lights of the city.
"I wasn't hiding from anything," I answer. I step out of the shadow even though my first impulse is to turn and run from him.
I wonder if he remembers last night. I wonder if he is angry with me. He certainly couldn't have enjoyed it. He shooed the other whores away as if they were a swarm of flies--he would no doubt do the same to me. Wouldn't he?
"Your name's Tansho?" he suddenly asks. I jump at the sound of his voice splitting the silence.
"Yes," I answer, "How did you know my name?"
"I should ask you the same damn thing!" he barks at me, crossing his arms over his black overcoat. But then I see in his face as he rethinks his words. "I overheard Nuriko the other night."
"As did I," I say. He flings me a look of irritation, but doesn't reply.
As the time creeps on in silence, I begin to shiver in the chilly air. I pull the shawl tighter around my bare chest; but, like a fool, I never think to pull my dress tighter around my body. As if reading my mind, he turns to me again.
"You should put on more clothes if you're gonna stand out here in the cold," he remarks.
"I'm fine," I lie, "It's not cold at all." He frowns, then smiks, then laughs.
"And just what the fuck is so funny?" I ask menancingly, crossing my arms over my shawl to try to keep in more heat. I frown deeply at my outburst. I hadn't meant to be so malicious toward him.
"You're just standing there freezing your ass off!" he answers in a mocking tone, walking across the veranda toward me. He unbuckles the belt that clasps his black overcoat, then begins working at the hooks of his coat. By the time he reaches me, he has shrugged it off his shoulders and is holding it in his hands. Instinctively, I move away, and he stops.
"I'm not gonna throw it over ya' and kidnap ya' or anything," he replies calmly, though I can tell that he is obviously still annoyed with me, "Calm the hell down and come here."
I do as he says and allow him to carefully drape the coat over my shoulders. His white cotton shirt gleams momentarily in the dim latern light, and the heat of his body cascades over me as he moves nearer to pull the coat tight over my back. It's heavy on my body, but the inside feels like a waterfall of warm water steaming down my back all the way to my feet. It reaches well past my calves, enveloping my entire body with heat. The scent of him wafes into my nostrils and I breathe in deeply. Suddenly, a glimer catches my eye and I look up at him.
Two beaded necklaces, one blue and the other red, hang delicately from his neck. As I reach my hand up, my elbow brushes his ribs and he recoils a bit.
"Ticklish, are we?" I tease as I gently grasp the longer necklace in my fingers. He merely grunts, but allows me to study the peice of jewelry. I allow myself one look into his eyes, and I am rewarded with him looking into mine.
"Thank you," I say quietly as I finger his necklace. I feel my skin touch his every now and then as I carress the smooth orbs. From where my hand is on his chest, I can feel the strain of his heart under his breastbone. I have an inclination to lay my palm there, but I resist.
I have to pull my hand away after only a minute. The heat of his body is almost scalding. My shivers have ceased, but my insides have only started. He is still close to me, my shoulder still in the valley of his side. His closeness helps to keep the cold away as well. I find myself wondering how it would feel to have that warmth on top of me--or inside of me. Then I gasp at my own thoughts and mentally slap myself. Once again, this man has awakened something new to me. Never before had I lusted in such a way--for a man, and not for his money. I actually feel ashamed. I want to go, but he speaks before I can even raise a foot.
"Did you mean what you said last night?" he asks quietly. I wait. "About my earrings making me...even more beautiful...ya' know...?" I am shocked. My eyes roam madly, trying to find the words somewhere in the night air.
"I'm not known to lie," I finally answer, though unsure of myself. I wonder if that was the right thing to say.
I hear him clear his throat, and I know for sure that I have made a fool of myself all over again. I snap my eyes shut.
"I should be going," I say quickly, having found the strength and nerve to speak.
I glance up at him, then turn quickly and begin my trek to the back door.
"Hey wait!" he calls from behind me. My heart stops. My blood scalds my veins. My eyes burn and my body begins to shake again. I cannot. I cannot--not even for four months' wages. If I do, then I'll never get away. I'll never escape him. I'll never be able to stop. But I turn anyway, and I face him, unafraid.
"My coat," he says.
Then the world goes cold around me once again.
"Your coat," I repeat. My hands rise to my shoulders slowly and grab the collar of the black overcoat. "I'm sorry." I pull the warmth away from my body gingerly, instantly missing it. He takes it and pulls it back on, fastening the belt and smoothing it over his front. "Thank you," I say. Then I turn once again.
But I feel fingers close on my arm. I am stopped in mid stride, and I fall backward. I feel that I will choke on my own heart. I feel him turning me around again. Yet again.
Run, my mind screams at me, Run now, you fool. He'll capture you, and you know it. You'll never get free!
But I feel the warmth of his hand on me, creating a ring of fire around my upper arm. It spreads to my chest and stomach, then to my womanhood and legs, until my feet are boiling as well. I want to slap him, to jerk my arm from his grasp, and run like a madwoman back into the tavern and up to my room. I can hide there. I can lock myself in and he'll never see me again for all of eternity.
I can smell him now. I can feel pressure on my breasts, on my belly. I know that I am pressed against him, and I know that I am slowly being welded to his body. I feel a soft weight on my spine, just as I had before when I was in the valley of his lap. But I do nothing but stare at the dark wood of the veranda beneath my slippered feet. And I see his black boots next to my feet, and I know that I am too close to get away.
Why? Why is he holding me like this? Just the night before he seemed to be disgusted by my presence...so why in Heaven and Hell is he holding me like this? More importantly, why am I allowing it?
I look up. I look up and I see swamps staring back at me, as close to me as the air. The warmth of his breath is on my cheek, on my neck and ear, on my lips. He is like a drug. Like opium. His breath is like a thick smoke that I welcome into my lungs. Suffocate me. Drown me.
I feel the warmth of his lips touch the corner of my mouth, delicately, slowly, as if he could shatter my face if he pressed too hard. He is moving down my throat now, to the hollow of my chest, then up the other side of my face to my jaw and ear. He doesn't kiss. No, it's more like a trail of moisture that he leaves behind. But then he kisses my earlobe, causing me to shudder violently in unexpected pleasure. I feel him move away momentarily.
"That's what it feels like," he whispers near my mouth. My eyes are closed, but I can almost see his lips moving in front of me. Subconsciously, my face moves toward his voice, but I meet nothing but scortched air.
A soft brush over my eyebrow, then my eyelid. Like the wings of a butterly, I think to myself. He is hovering at the edge of my mouth again, teasing me mercilessly.
I open my eyes wide, and I stare at him. If this is the way it has to be, then it will not be wasted.
Oh, what will she do...what will she do, Oh God?!!? Will Tansho take the chance for the money, or wait just a little longer...Aaaahhhh...the suspense!!!
Replies to reviewers:
frenchiecangal: I read your bio over the weekend..and you're French Canadian!! Ah, now your pen name makes sense *grins*. Anyways, I'm so sorry that the updates are goign slower than I promised. I'm falling farther and farther behind and I know it!! waaaahhh!! Even with the Thanksgiving break from school I've still been exhausted and end up sleeping all afternoon instead of doing homework and posting new chapers. I'll try to speed up soon! ^_^
shadow priestess: I have yet to check out the curriculum of Georgia State (I haven't even visited the campus yet!!! And my application is due in March! I'm so beind!!) But I do plan on majoring in Creative Writing, and avoiding all Math classes that can possibly be avoided!! ^_^
Kitty Lynne: Hello dear friend! I got your last e-mail and I'll try my best to reply soon, OK?! I've had a bad e-mail encounter with Roku that's left me quite dazed and confused (not to mentione pissed off!), and I'm in dire need of some advice concerning her and a few other things. As for my fic...thank you so much for your compliments on Nuriko and the interactions between Tansho and Tasuki. And, yes, I did remember how you got a bit upset over my description of Chichiri and decided to remove it. When I re- read it while editing, I did realize how genuinely inconsiderate it was of Chishiri fans like yourself. Thanks again for all the wonderful compliments!!
Emerin Mornlight: Just remember what I said about the camp fire, ans don't start roasting those marshmallows.
Torrent: Thanks so much!!! ^_^
RyogazGal: That's very unfortunate about those flamers. How rude!! Do they right OC's themselves...'cause if they haven't, they need to try it. Or pehaps they have, and happen to think that theirs are the only acceptable ones. *scowls at OC flamers...wherever they may be* As for the help you requested concerning the paragraphs. *snickers* Don't worry, I had that problem too when I first posted on FF. In my case, it was on account of the paragraphs I had in my original documents that I uploaded from. In my documents, I had only single-spaced my paragraphs (like most writing in books or magazines), but I found out by way of a friend who had been on FF for awhile that by simply spacing your paragraphs further apart (double or triple spacing, depending on the effect you want)...it separates them out when they're uploaded onto FF. That should solve your problem, but contact me if you need more help OK?!
Thanks again for all the reviews everyone!!! Love and hugs!!! ^_^