My face will, from this day forth, be ever bright red.
For various reasons, for the last couple of days, it feels like I've been blushing constantly because of one reason or the other. People keep clapping me on the back. and congratulating me on beating 'that big over inflated gorilla' up, all for Meiji High's pride. That's actually kind of nice, really - I wouldn't mind if that was my only reason for blushing.
Unfortunately, it is not.
Every time I run into Aoshi-sama, those scenes start replaying through my head. Yes, you know which ones I mean.
The ones where he......and I....and the stupid train! And stupid Sano and his off putting remarks! Kyaaa!
Naturally, with such thoughts in my head, all the blood in my body rushes up to drown them, and my face goes bright red. I don't even need to see Aoshi-sama; it can be just hearing his voice, or even someone just saying his name. Argh!
And thus, my face being red all the time. It's pretty understandable, don't you think? Between all the blushing I've scarcely had any time at all to worry if my 'secret' is still safe. Fat chance. I woke up the morning later, and saw the huge bruise on my face from the kenpo match. It was already coming up when we went out - if anyone didn't see it when I was being 'Misao' then they're blind. And if they didn't connect the facts then, they're very stupid.
They'd have to be almost as stupid as me!
Meiji Heights
Part 11: You've got mail!
Clean up duty was the worst. I had kenpo practice to go to, and instead here I was, picking rubbish up in the corridor, and then running up and down it with my trusty companion, a dripping mop. Blech. Outside, everyone else was still congregated in little gossiping clusters, drifting off toward their club practices - just a bit more and I would be able to go.
"Oi, Makimachi!" A rough shout down the hall. It was a sempai from 2-C.
I looked at him inquiringly. He shook his head at me disbelievingly. "There's an incredibly hot girl waiting for you at the entrance, Makimachi. She asked me to go 'remind' you of your date."
WHAT!?
Stunner number one: Hot girl? Stunner number two: Waiting for me? Not exactly what I want to hear! Stunner number three: Date!?
"Jeez, Makimachi, if I had a date with someone that good looking, you wouldn't catch me mopping floors before hand. What're you doing!?" He grabbed the mop from me. "It's my duty as a man to send you down - and you can give me her number when you get sick of her, ne?"
I attempted a smile in response to his leering wink, and beat a quick exit. I wanted to know just who exactly I had a date with.
There was an unexpected crowd at the entrance of the school - along with the curious looking secretary peering from the glass windows of her office, there was an excess of.....boys, all of them hanging of the words of my 'date.' Which I currently couldn't see, due to the crowd of boys around her, but her voice was quite eerily familiar.
"I don't know why I put up with him....But Ma-chan is just so cute, and he normally always tries to help me....He's just like a little brother! That's why I wanted to give him a treat today....I don't know what's keeping him...." All was said in dulcet pouting tones, which seemed to incite the horde of fanboys to sympathetic murmurs.
"Ano...excuse me." The crowd parted magically for me, though not without some resentful muttering. I tugged at the high necked collar of my uniform nervously. I had put it on this morning because it was unseasonably cold, but right now I was nervously sweaty.
And from the masses, smiling prettily, was Komagata Yumi, Sou-kun's step-sister. In her short skirted uniform, the neckline 'modified' to display her ample cleavage, she was a sight for male eyes. It made me.....okay, maybe I'm destined for a lifetime of being one colour or another. I was definitely green at that moment. The gleam in her eyes was at it's manipulative best, and inwardly I groaned, and braced myself for the storm.
She knows! She must of seen me when she caught up with Shishio...no, wait I was dressed as a girl then....so how could she know?
Sou-kun.
For some reason, Sou-kun had told her.
Right then, I could have cheerfully throttled my best friend.
"Ara....Masaru-chan, you don't look happy to see me at all...You don't want me to visit you at school?" She pouted, full lower lip displayed to the appreciation of all males gathered. They rushed to reassure Yumi that she was always welcome at Meiji High. I was mentally throwing up. Gag.
"I didn't realize you were coming to visit me today, Yumi-neesan." I grated.
Her smile grew slightly fixed - it drove her insane when someone called her 'older sister'. Something about it making her sound old, especially when Sou-kun and I were only a year younger then her, and he wasn't her real brother anyway, a step-adopted-cousin-brother really. "Didn't you get my message? I wanted to take you out today....so we could catch up. It's been too long since I last saw you." She laid one hand lingeringly on my shoulder, to the palpable sighs of envy from the admiring throng. I tried not to run screaming - it was rather creepy to me being the object of Yumi's 'womanly charms'.
"Ano....I'm so sorry, Yumi-neesan, but I have kenpo practice today, so...." I prepared to sidle away, only to be grabbed by several pairs of arms attached to belligerent looking boys when tears appeared in large vacant appearing eyes.
"Oi, she came all the way here, the least you can do is go out with her, Makimachi!" seemed to be the common consensus. And:
"We'll tell Shinomori why you're not at practice, even the Icicle wouldn't deny you a date with Yumi-chan."
And just like that, Yumi kidnapped me from school.
She took me to a little cafe on a side street. It looked expensive, and I didn't have a single yen on me. She noticed my look, then raised a perfectly (and artificially, I thought nastily) shaped eyebrow. "I said that it was my treat, didn't I?" Away from her admirers, her tone was brisk, authoritative, and businesslike. "Come on."
Once in, she ordered a cappuccino. I ordered hot chocolate, and flushed at her derisive smile. So what if I still like chocolate milk? It's healthier then being addicted to caffeine.
We settled down to our drinks. She sipped hers thoughtfully, regarded me over the rim, then set it down with a quiet clink. "That's an...interesting look, Misao-chan."
I attempted not to splutter over my milk, and burned my tongue instead. I looked around somewhat nervously - some of the richer members of school could possibly be patrons of this cafe. Today, they weren't. Thank goodness.
"What about it?" My attempt at being casual was ruined by the nervous waver in my voice.
She smiled, deceptively pleasant. "I have a feeling that you're classmates would quite interested to know of this, 'Masaru-kun'."
Okay, there was no way I was going to play along with her little game of cat and mouse. I set my cup down with a much louder clunk. "You're blackmailing me?"
Flash of predatory white teeth. "Let's just say....you've got mail."
Clunk. This time it was my head hitting the table, as I face faulted. "Um....Wouldn't that require me having something you want?"
"Precisely."
Silence.
"You have to tell me what you want, you know."
Another slyly arched eyebrow. "Don't you already know, Misao-chan?"
"No idea." I replied shortly.
She rolled her eyes, and leaned forward. I was in a vantage view that many males would die happy after achieving. "Look, you were there that night, weren't you? I saw you there, dressed as girl for once. Your taste in clothes seems to have improved though, when you're actually dressing like one-"
"My friends dressed me," I said flatly. "And that also brings up the point, how exactly do you know?"
She smirked. "Please. You and Sou-kun used to talk almost every weekend when school started. Sou-kun would come home from school on the weekend. There is a phone in my room where I can listen at home. Although-" she added thoughtfully, "it was by complete accident the first time. I picked up to ring Makoto, and Sou-kun made some sort of comment about your charade. Naturally I listened in a few more times to see exactly what your situation was. It was.....enlightening, to say the least."
My shoulders had slumped lower with her every word.
"Anyway, that's besides the point. You were there that night that I found Shishio and that-" Her fingers tightened around her cup. Suddenly manicured nails looked positively deadly. "-that Kamatari together."
She made it sound like she had found them together in bed or something, rather then in a huge crowd of friends. Come to think of it, although I had had other things on my mind that night (like Aoshi-sama) I didn't recall Shishio behaving that...well, romantic towards Kamatari. In fact, despite her being the only girl in his group, he hadn't really treated her any differently from the others.
Not that I was going to share my observations with Yumi. It was unlikely she would believe me anyway.
"Shishio..." her voice weakened for a moment. "Shishio has gone too far this time. But I mean to make him want me back, Misao-chan." There was a ominously steely tone to her words. "I want you to set me up with that guy you were next to that night."
I choked, and I hadn't even touched my hot chocolate again since burning my tongue. "You WHAT!?"
Brown eyes narrowed. "You heard me. I want to go out with that.....Shinomori, did Sou-kun say? He's good looking and well built enough to arouse Shishio's protective instincts. I think he'd look rather good in a suit, don't you? Isn't your formal coming up in a few weeks? He can take me to it, perhaps...He's the school president isn't he? Or at least on the Student Council. That's sure to make Shishio quite irritated - that I've picked someone rather equal to him. And I heard he's the captain of your little kenpo club. He shouldn't be beaten too badly by Shishio-sama in the end, or in the very least, he should be used to it."
All the dishes on the table rattled suddenly, and that was because I had jumped up and slammed my palms against the table. A distant part of myself noted with some relief that nothing was broken. It all looked expensive. "You take that back," I practically hissed. I was about to shout, but my jumping up had attracted enough attention. "Aoshi-sama could beat Shishio hands down any day. Aoshi-sama....is the strongest person I know! You don't know anything about him, so don't you dare insult him like that!"
She looked at me for one moment, and then her eyes widened, and I felt a burst of anger as she began to laugh. "Oh my."
I glared at her furiously while she composed herself. "Oooh my. Misao-chan, you are a girl after all."
Anger drained into mystification. She took one look at my perplexed face, and began to laugh again. "Misao-chan, from that little burst of outrage there, you have a bad case of infatuations going on with....Aoshi-sama?....and you don't even realize it. Don't worry, you can have him back when I'm done!"
My jaw worked soundlessly.
"He is very good looking, which is why I selected him, but really, everything is for Shishio." She sighed, and re-crossed her legs. Long legs, flawless as far as I could see, even though her ankles did look like they would snap. And those were amazingly high heels....
"So, yes, he's all yours after my little charade is done. But it's really cruel of you, you know, to poor Sou-kun."
I stared at her blankly. "What does Sou-kun have to do with this?"
Irritatingly, her mirth spilled over into laughter again. I was just so amusing today! "You really are dense. If you don't know....well, it's not my place to tell you."
She produced her wallet from a miniscule hand bag - it was a mystery to me how she fit anything at all in that tiny square of fabric. It was all handle. Long graceful fingers flicked out a few notes onto the table.
"Anyway, I have your cell phone number from Sou-kun. Here's mine." She slid what looked like a business card across the table. "Call me and tell me the details of when 'Aoshi-sama'-" another wicked smile "-will take me out."
"I'm really sorry, Mi-chan." Sou-kun certainly sounded repentant enough, even though mere minutes before, he had howled with laughter, when I had relayed an edited version of what had happened between Yumi and I. There was no way I was going to repeat her comment about him, even though I really wanted to know what she meant. And even less chance about relaying her assumptions of my feelings for Aoshi-sama. I didn't have feelings for Aoshi-sama. He was a sempai, and my friend. That was all. Even though he was good-looking, and smart, and probably would look good in a suit....In fact did look good in a suit, thinking back to that dinner at Omasu and Okon's house.
"-Is there anything I can do?"
I realized I had zoned out sometime during talking to Sou-kun, which was really incredibly rude, particularly because he was my best friend. I took a second to process his last words.
"Make her stop," I groaned. "I have no idea how to approach Aoshi-sama with something like this. What am I supposed to say? And you and her act like real brother and sister rather then adopted step cousin things usually."
"She's my step-cousin," Sou-kun corrected meticulously. "And I've been adopted into the family, so we are siblings by law. And in heart most of the time. There's just times I really wish we weren't. Like now. Like when my best friend asks me to stop my sister when she's absolutely determined to do this."
"Out of the question, huh?" I replied dryly. "Some best friend you are."
"I can try. But I already know whatever I say to her won't work. She thinks this is the only way she can attract Shishio-sama's attention ever again, which is really stupid because he's kind of worried about her. As much as Shishio-sama can worry. But she refuses to talk to him, and Shishio-sama's not the type to beg after her with that kind of treatment. And now it's all a big mess, and I'm stuck between them." He concluded sourly.
"Smile away, Sou-kun." I teased. "You're smile cheers everyone up."
He groaned. "My face will crack if I smile anymore around them. Besides, it's dangerous to look remotely happy or sad or anything that might annoy them - it's like both of them are surrounded in thunderclouds, and anyone might get caught by a stray bolt of lightning. But I smile anyway, otherwise I'll just look terrified, and I don't think that'll make them very happy."
It felt good to simply talk with Sou-kun again - I hadn't done that for quite a while. It was hard being a boy, though not as much anymore - but when I was with him, I could lapse into my normal speech patterns, although by sheer force of habit, some boyish intonations seemed to have imbedded themselves into my speech, which made him laugh when he noticed. It reminded me that he was my closest and oldest friend, even though we had been separated by long months.
"Anyway, I'll try my best to bring Yumi and Shishio around. What'll you do?"
I let out a long breath. "Try to get up the nerve to ask Aoshi-sama about this. I've got no idea how he'll react, except it'll probably involve the word 'no.'"
"Why do you think that?" Sou-kun asked curiously. "Most guys would jump to go out with Yumi-neesan. She's pretty, she's got a good body, she can be intelligent or brainless depending on who she's trying to charm.....what's there that most males wouldn't like?"
I froze for a moment, and the phone slipped from my suddenly numb fingers, startling me out of my shock. I managed to catch the phone before it hit the floor, without Sou-kun knowing anything was amiss.
"......I guess you're right, Sou-kun. That makes it a lot easier to ask, ne?"
"Maybe it would be better not to mention that she's only doing it to make Shishio jealous. That might make some guys annoyed, right?"
"No....I better tell him everything about the situation. It wouldn't be fair to Aoshi-sama otherwise."
'That's true."
We spoke a little more, but in a distracted haphazard way, and about nothing of importance. I think we discussed the weather, what was on TV, and what we respectively had for dinner. Finally we said out good nights, and I returned back to the dorms from the phones.
I paused, and mentally took a deep breath.
It was time to ask Aoshi-sama. If I waited, if I thought about anything at all for too long (like why you were hoping he would say no to a date with Yumi) then I would simply never have the nerve to ask him at all.
His back was turned to the door as he sat at his desk, chin resting one hand, a pen flicking through the long fingers of the other. He looked tired, and I bit my lip.
"Ano....Aoshi-sama? ...Can I ask you something?"
Evil cliffhanger that was not meant to be a cliffhanger. Maybe I'll edit it later on. Sorry!
Okay, I can't believe that I'm perpetrating in one of the Great Soppy Myths of Teenage Fiction - the Dance/Disco/Prom whatever you want to call it. In this case, the Formal. (Particularly since I'm NOT attending my own formal, which is this very weekend. I was supposed to, but guess who left the Hated Loathed Repugnant Torturous You Get My Idea Dress Shopping too late? Hee hee. Well, whaaaaaat a pity.) Okay, no bad to you if you like the damn things, by I happen to....not. However. A Formal is a good place to make things tick, especially in that gooey, romantic, particularly adolescent way. And it is part of a shoujo/fanfiction cliche. So. Hence the events that happen in this chapter. But a Formal is my idea of HELL, next to going to a disco/nightclub. They both involve uncomfortable clothing, and dancing, two things I abhor. So, there you go. And everything won't end up happily ever after at the Prom like happens in countless movies and fics.
Heeeey, guess what? I'm a manga editor now! I edit "Butsu Zone" with MangaCity.net I guess I'm insane, because it's another thing to take up my spare time, but I leech so many scanlations that I felt that I should give something back you know? Anyway, mangacity does a lot of great Shounen releases, which is good, because most scanlations on the 'net tend to be shoujo, and Butsu Zone looks like it's shaping up to be interesting. It's by the same mangaka of Shaman King, so check it out!
Review Reply:
JML: Refer to above. *snickers* Yeah, I love that FB episode too. Maybe I'll squish in a Valentine's Day/White Day chapter - it's such a shoujo manga thing to do, and think of all the mock-angst I can play with because Misao can't possibly think of giving chocolates to Aoshi right? *snickers*
Fallen Virtue: Observe away, hee hee. Well, yes he does know. And great, you picked up on the possibilities of the group projects, mwahahaha. Actually, that was more to rope in the Kiyosato-Tomoe-Kenshin-Kaoru quadrangle I have later. And it shouldn't get too complex, hopefully. Just complex enough to be interesting, but not so complex that you can't follow who likes who. (i.e, Fushigi Yuugi style XD) There is sadly only one scene where I show Megumi and Masaru working together, but that's a bit later on, and leads onto another scene with Megumi and Aoshi....
FlameSolo: XD. That he is. For such an angsty character, the first episode of RK makes laugh and laugh with oro-ing Kenshin.
bee: A/M on the way. It is primarily an A/M fic.
sawdust monster: ^_____^. Hee hee.
Moon Phoenix: K/K has it's place....but who says Kenshin will be paired with anyone in the end? Besides, he did just accept Kaoru's invitation to go to the Formal...isn't that Kenshin and Kaoru enough for you? Hee hee. And yes, A/M is the primary pairing of this fic. There's not enough A/M....
Katisha888: Well.....Here's the wake...
Phoe-chan: *sweat-drops* People in the 'transforming' animes are so oblivious. I tried not to make everyone to oblivious in MH, but some stupidity is needed to make the plot work. And I always thought Kenshin was amazingly intelligent anyway....
gautama: I WISH inspiration would rain down on me too! Well, it has sort of, but for other fanfiction and original stuff lately. BUT MH is my only really long, multi chapter fic right now - I'm confining the others to trilogy chapters at most. Except I can feel the onset of a multi chapter Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna one coming up...and an D.N. Angel one too. T__T. But I told myself I had to write Part 11 first...And yes, school is sadly top priority. x_x.
lebleuphenix: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Domo arigatou gozaimashta YO!!!!! Hee hee...yes, the lurking plot lines are waiting...
Kmye-chan: Youe're not going to say ANYTHING??? *big puppy dog eyes* Hidoi yo....Yeah, I'm not the biggest K/K fan either. And Misao and Aoshi are definitely not going to the formal together, poor Misao. Ah...and I'm trying to avoid actually showing them train together - it'd be hard, cos I really don't know exactly what that training would entail. Plus, Hannya's mainly in charge of her at the moment. Interesting things, eh? *snickers* Well, I'll get my mind out of the gutter. I don't know - I don't want this turning into hentai.
Lazuli Silverwing: Thank you! And yeah, it probably isn't too realistic, but who says guys can't be small either? Kenshin isn't that much bigger then her really...
Innocent Dreamer: ---__-----;; Yeah well....I think I've grovelled and explained about lateness enough already - I write when I can write.
tesuka-chan: My head? My head's not that big....it still fits in the room...somewhat....I just can't get past the doorway anymore....And I see you're imagination is quite....uh....vivid XD, if you were passed out on the floor with a big puddle of drool. I admit I blushed when I was writing about it - and I was thinking of that fan service part of RK, the episode where Kenshin and Aoshi fight again, and Aoshi's trench coat drops off, and his shirt opens for no reason at all, other then to make fangirls scream 'Kya!'. Well, yeah.
Megami no Ushi: Nah, I wish. MH is nowhere near over - the gender bending part is only the first 'section' of plot, so to speak. And the chinese version of manga must be DIRT CHEAP, if it's cheaper then manga is in Japan! You can buy manga in Japan for like 200 yen per volume in the second hand stores, and for like 500 new. That's something like two dollars, and seven dollars in my country. *drools* Kyaaa! You have an awesome collection, but I think mine's pretty good as well. I bought practically all of Flame of Recca, Angel Sanctuary, and the Jinchuu arc of Kenshin when I was Japan. *grins happily* Then my brother went over, and bought me two volumes of Fruits Basket, and last year I went to an anime con and bought the Kaine manga (by Kaori Yuki), a Totoro manga, and the Angel Sanctuary artbook. *hugs books* I'm so obsessive about books. This year, I went to the same con, and I found a Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna artbook. I really should have bought it, but while I was deliberating, (nearly $100!) my friend said she wanted it. So, she bought it. ---__---;;. At least I can still look at it. I really should have bought the Hikaru no Go artbook too, but it was SO expensive, and someone bought it later. I saw them buy it too... T_T.
bittersweetKandy: Yup, it's pretty much inevitable in RK fiction, especially in mush like this. I'm going to try to portray everyone nicely- hopefully it won't get too ugly.
chibicherry: Hee hee, thanks.
I_like_coffee: Personally I don't like coffee.....coke is my choice of caffeine. Hate to see what it's doing to my stomach. Wow, you read this in one sitting? Well, I guess I've read longer fics in one sitting, but still. You sat that long in one place to read //my// story? *teary eyes* Thanks....I tried to keep the characters IC, but because it's AU there is a bit of OOCness. Now that I read back, my style seems to me quite awkward here - the beginning chapters are kind of old. I like the style I wrote my Gravi and my FFIX fic the best thus far - but I'm glad that readers like the style MH is written in. Thanks! And you ecchi XD.
ai so: --__--;; looks like it was another two month wait, or just about. And it's been about a month since I wrote fanfiction at all. --___--;; Yes, it's annoying when you have to remind yourself what's going on a just update-otherwise-neglected fic. I have to do it just to write now!
Yumeko: Isn't he?
Keito-chan: Thanks! I see that Kagome/Sesshoumaru stories tend to dominate your favourites list - personally I don't really like the pairing, but it's got the cold guy/spunky girl thing going. Aoshi and Misao's relationship is that sort of thing too, but I like them for some reason....For some reason I didn't really like Sesshoumaru all that much, which is peculiar, because I normally adore his type, the white-haired, cold hearted, stoic, villain type. Mwaha. Writing like a guy...eh, it is hard, and I gave up trying to be 'overly masculine'. I just tried imagining the specific characters thoughts, and it sort of came. But I find Misao a lot easier, her being a girl, but she's still somewhat difficult, because she's not me. Well, that's kind of obvious, but. Anyway, the masculinity thing is why I dread writing a Sano chapter. The imagining thing is why I dread writing a Megumi chapter - I think she's quite a complicated character.
saicho-18: Heh, not dead yet. Nice to know someone would miss me though XD. Wow, not OOC at all? Thanks! That's a big lie, or at least a polite exaggeration, but it sure makes me feel GOOD! ^____________^.
Go-chan: Nasty ff.net. Thanks for writing me another one! Yeah, the first piece of Kenshin I ever saw was the Remembrances Arc, and that's pure Kenshin/Tomoe stuff. At first I didn't particularly like Kaoru with Kenshin, but I've sort of accepted it, and she does suit him. Hehe, study sessions are still a little while off....And hopefully the dance will be interesting. And yes, Sano is utterly clueless. ....The RK awards voting still goes on.....I really want to know who wins! I don't think it'll be me though, honestly - the competition is way too stiff. Heehee, chibi-angel and dementedchris' fic makes me laugh too, but they're about just as bad as updating as I am. --___--;;. But thanks! And good luck to you too!
Volcan of Dragonfire: *ducks head* the best? Thanks! But......the next chapter didn't really come out soon, gomen?
Ao-san: Hmmm.....poor puddle of Aoshi's heart, XD. I don't know if it's exactly how I always imagine him - I can see him as a gangster, or a teacher, or even as a businessman on my more imaginative days XD. But I'm glad that my version of Aoshi fits your version!
Yume-damo-shiranai: Good question, but I really don't know! I know roughly where the story should go, but it's changed a bit from where I first imagined it. At least double it's current length, and probably longer.
Tessira Aleyn, Lilfrozenfire, sombody, shelby7, trickster, killua K: Gomen ne? And especially for the enmass reply. It sucks, but I tend to be a slow updater nowadays....RL keeps me way too busy, namely homework. Actually writing the chapters doesn't take me too long - unless I get writer's block, the scourge of my existence. I feel guilty, and frustrated by not being able to write, but it's all beyond my control. I write when I can write.
hiberantionz: More about the tournament in upcoming chapters, I promise. The genderbending section of plot has to finish first. The tournament is concerned closer to the end of the story.
Gemini Demon: Yup, it was Misao! Wow, I got to see a rare you! Thanks! XP.
Crystal Lily: Hee hee, I though that Kaoru asking Kenshin would be more typical, ne? Well, yes...it would be pretty suspicious. And Sano could be faking it....but I doubt it.
blue eyes: No problem. Reviewers asking "stupid" questions are usually what points out plot holes, or makes me rethink the plotline, or remember things I wanted to do, or what my writing is really showing them, rather then what I'm trying to show...."Stupid" questions are really helpful, so keep on asking! Well, maybe everyone knows...Or maybe they only suspect...or maybe they're just plain oblivious.
Ginger: Thanks. And who says you don't have a life? I like reading fanfiction too, and writing it, and I still have something of a life....sort of resembling one anyway. And yes, this is deja vu indeed.
ESP: *grins* It won't be strict pairing anything...but I myself don't find K/T icky even when Kaoru IS there. ^____^.
Dag: Hopefully I'll complete it. But not anytime soon probably. T__T;;
Ryuu Angel: YAY!! I love long reviews, they make me feel so spe------cial. Heh, AU fics are kind of pointless, but they're entertaining at least though. And I have character developement? Wow....o.O Thanks. AU fics tend to neglect Tomoe quite a lot, so I want to give her some spotlight, ne? And I love Sou-kun and Okita too, but I would never be able to write an actual series fic about them. Too hard. Thanks for all your comments!
nikki: ^__________^. Thank you!
WAI! It looks like we're going to break the 300+ review mark soon! I never ever DREAMED that I would get to 200+ reviews, much less 300! Thanks to all of you, especially those of you who keep on returning, and telling me what you think of every chapter. You guys are incredible!