Disclaimer: This (piece of crap), my dear readers, is a fictional work of … something. All characters mentioned belong in the animé series Weiss Kreuz. The plot is taken from the book Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguié. Please don't sue me…?
Warnings: Just the usual OOCness of people. And more gory happenings. For the faint of heart, please refrain from reading (this might be an exaggeration, but no one reads this anyway). Oh, and don't judge wolves so hastily (smirk… oops, I think that was a spoiler for the last chapters). And no, Ken doesn't turn into a wolf, despite your opinions. Yes, he has been bitten twice now, but he is not infected because… you know already, ne? About this chap; well, all I can say is: Poor Ken, and Manx is a lucky girl.
This fic will also be archived in ein mcmilli's site Wintered Snow. Thanks SO much, girl! (huggles) westkitsune has also archived this fic (along with my other Weiss fics) in her C2 "RanKen Meant To Be." Arigatou! (dies of asphyxiation)
To my still-lovable beta, Skyyler-sama: Arigatou! (showers poor girl with a few – hard – boxes of cookies)
Last Saturday, ELana-chan and I went to my best friend's house to (marathon) watch this soccer-based anime called "Whistle!" Of course, we wouldn't even notice it if there weren't hints of yaoi so... we were pleased. One interesting thing to note is one of the characters who is Fuwa Daichi. He's this totally Hiei-like guy who wears all-black, looks like Kaido (from Prince of Tennis), and spouts off data with Inui's (another charac from PoT) voice (they have the same seiyuu!) and I was like "Oh my gosh, Inui and Kaido's love child!" I am so delirious right now.
Scarlet Moon
By Ninetails
Chapter 5
Sunlight streamed through the tops of the trees, bathing the path in a golden haze. Ken strolled lightly along, his basket clutched in one hand and his other wrapped loosely around the hilt of his knife. He was thinking about his cousin and what he could do to help him, and for once he was able to ignore the whispering of the trees.
It was midmorning. His father was working in the shop all day and had told him to go to his grandmother's early. It was nice to be out of the smoke and the heat. The air was crisp and cold, and he took several deep breaths. Birds were twittering in the trees and darting back and forth across the path before him. They eventually drew his attention away from his dark thoughts.
"It is a beautiful day," he called out loudly to the looming giants surrounding him.
They whispered a reply, but he paid no heed. He paused only to look up at the sun, shielding his eyes from its intense light. When his eyes fell upon a dark form lying just off the path, though, all thoughts of warmth fled. His heart began to pound and he found himself suddenly drenched in a cold sweat. He dropped the basket of food, and it landed with a sharp crack upon a branch. He jumped as the sound continued on around him, echoing and only seeming to build in intensity.
He pulled his knife from his belt and advanced with wary steps. A wind sprung up and the trees rattled their leaves above him. Their swaying caused patterns of light and shadow to play across the ground in a macabre dance.
The dark form was a man, or what was left of him. His throat had been ripped out, and there were deep lacerations and scratch marks all over his body. One arm had been gnawed down to the bone. The ground around him was torn up, with tracks of both a wolf and a man noticeable. The man's blood had seeped into the earth, and drops had scattered upon a few leaves.
His face alone was intact, and by that Ken knew him. It was Simon, the man whom he had fought in the shop. His eyes were fixed in horror, his mouth frozen in his death cry.
Ken fought the urge to fall to his knees and retch. The trees began to shake even more fiercely in the wind, though, and this time their haunting warning was clear to him.
He turned and stumbled back down the path, moving as fast as he could. He snatched up his basket and kept going. A branch snapped behind him, but he was too terrified to look back.
Ahead of him the trees' remaining leaves fell like rain and quickly began to coat the path. He ran through them, wincing as they crackled beneath his feet. His foot caught on a root that he was certain had not been there the week before, and he crashed to his knees. With a thud, his knife fell from his suddenly numb hand to the ground. Ken knelt for a moment, panting.
Then he heard it. Something was coming down the path behind him at a steady trot. He turned around and saw a wolf, fangs bared, six feet from him.
He let out a scream and it lunged at him. He reached for his dagger, knowing that his hand wouldn't find it in time. The beast was upon him, jaws snapping. He rolled to the side and its teeth found only his sleeve. With a tearing sound it came free, and he felt a stinging in his arm where its teeth scratched him.
Then it stopped, snuffling him. It tilted its head and stared at him for a long moment. Ken stared back, and by his eyes, he knew him. It was the wolf that had attacked him as a child. With a cry, he wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his knife, and he swiped at him.
The wolf danced easily out of his reach, though. After a last look at him, it turned and loped off into the trees, his sleeve still in its mouth.
Shaking with fear, Ken pulled himself to his feet, wincing as he put weight on the ankle that had tripped on the root. He stared for a long while into the trees whence the wolf had gone. Why did he leave me alive? he wondered. He finally turned and limped the rest of the way.
When he arrived at his grandmother's cottage, he was exhausted in both mind and body. When Manx opened the door and saw Ken, her youthful face drained of all color.
"Child, what happened to you?"
"It was the wolf from so long ago," he whispered.
Without another word, Manx ushered him inside and bade him sit.
Ken accepted the chair gratefully and submitted himself to a thorough examination. Within minutes his grandmother had elevated his ankle and put a poultice of willow wood on it, which eased the swelling. Manx had then washed the scratch on his arm and dressed it with dragonwort to help stop the bleeding.
"The wolf killed Simon the tanner," Ken said at last, his voice too emotionless for the feelings within his heart.
Manx looked up sharply. "Are you sure?"
Ken nodded. "His throat was torn out, his body covered with scratches and partly eaten. There were wolf prints in the dirt, and it wasn't far from there that the wolf attacked me."
Manx picked up Ken's left hand and gently pried his fingers open. Ken stared down numbly as Manx took the knife from his gasp. He hadn't realized he still had been holding it.
"Did you kill him?"
"No, I didn't even touch him. He tore my sleeve and then he just... left."
Manx's eyebrows shot up in a look of surprise that Ken had seldom seen from her. "That does not stand to reason."
"Nor did I think so," Ken admitted.
Outside the wind began to howl angrily around the cabin, shaking the small building in its wrath. "It's an ill wind," Ken said with a shudder.
"Nonsense," his grandmother snorted. "Wind is neither good nor ill, it just is. Its effects we may not like, but the wind itself bears no will of its own."
"That's not what Father says," Ken muttered.
"Well, your father's ignorance is not my doing. He's too much like his own father - too stubborn to learn, unwilling to believe the evidence of his own senses. That's why I named him after your grandfather." Manx sighed in frustration. "At least you shall know better, whether you choose to follow my path or not."
Ken smiled at his grandmother. "I will always follow your teachings, in one way or another."
Manx gazed fondly at him. "That's my good boy. You can also think for yourself, and that is best of all."
Ken nodded, his fear subsiding with each passing moment. It was good to sit, warm and secure, and bandy words with the woman who had taught him so much.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I just wish I knew what stayed the wolf's wrath."
"Might have been the Creator, honey."
Ken opened his eyes and stared in amusement at his grandmother. I'm not sure I will ever understand how your faith could stand steadfast when all you ever rely on is what you can see with your own eyes."
It was an old conversation, but Manx smiled at him with tolerance anyway. "As I've told you before, the study of nature and the world does not preclude the Creator. You do not see the wind, but you feel it and may know its effects. So is it with Him. I do not see the reaction between your skin and the herbs I place upon it, yet I know that it will stop the bleeding faster. I know that it works, even if I do not know how or why."
They fell silent, and once again Ken listened to the howling of the wind. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that it was a hungry wolf prowling around the house and seeking to devour them. He began to tremble.
"Tell me of this young noble you're interested in," Manx asked suddenly.
"How did you know?" Ken asked with a shaky laugh.
Manx just smiled enigmatically. "I have my ways."
Ken shook his head. "And I shall never cease to be amazed by them. His name is Ran, and he is- "
"The earl?" Manx asked, eyes widening and the look of agelessness replacing her youthful features.
Ken nodded.
"Well, that is impressive. Is he handsome?"
Ken felt himself blushing. "I believe so, although he may be more beautiful than handsome since his features are… delicate, almost as that of a girl's. He's taller than I with red hair and violet eyes. He has wide shoulders, but he carries himself with a grace I've never seen in anyone before."
Manx cocked her head. "I believe I have seen such a man in these woods before." She shook her head. "But I cannot be certain of it." There was a moment of silence, and then Manx asked, "Where did you meet?"
"At the shop. His horse had thrown a shoe just down the street."
Manx's face took on a look of mock-horror. "At the shop! Well, at least he's seen you all sweaty and dirty! And has come back for more, as I am hoping," she finished with a sly look.
Ken's blush intensified. "Grandmother," he admonished. "I am not interested in him in that way! What would everyone think? Besides, it's unconventional and against the-"
"Nonsense, child. The Creator does not condemn feelings of love to another human being, whether it be a man or a woman. If you like him, then so be it. You should take your chance with him, lest no one else does. It's good to know that you have finally found someone."
Ken began to grow irritated. "Grandmother, I wish you would have more faith in me."
"I do, dear; it's the village people I worry about."
Ken shook his head. "Besides, we barely know each other, and we come from very different backgrounds."
"It wouldn't be the first time a nobleman… chose a commoner, if that is what you're worried about."
"It's not just that," Ken said, shifting in his chair. "It's a great may things. He still acts a little too cold to me for comfort. Perhaps if we get to know each other better, I will have the leisure to speculate on such improbabilities."
Manx leaned forward and touched the cross necklace around Ken's neck. "It looks like it's not a matter of if, but rather when you get to know each other better." She smiled fondly at Ken. "You asked me how I knew you had met a nobleman. Only a nobleman could afford to give you such a trinket, and only one with a great interest in you would care to."
Ken dropped his eyes to the necklace. "You are right," he whispered, admitting it as much to himself as to his grandmother. "I guess I'm just frightened."
"Of what, dear?"
"Losing myself. When I look into his eyes, I feel as though I am drowning, and I become terrified. What if he does have feelings for me? What is to be done then? All I've ever known is fire and steel, and I don't know how I'd give that up. I don't know who I'd be without them."
Manx clasped him tightly about the neck. "Darling child, what you do does not dictate who you are. Clothed in finery, you would be the same person as you are when covered with ash and soot."
"Do you really think that's true?"
"I know it is. I loved your grandfather, and we were very different people. In loving him, though, and marrying him, I didn't lose myself. Rather, I gained something I had long been in want of. Love makes you more than what you are, not less. Besides, if you're worried that you'll miss 'fire' and 'steel,' you needn't. The fire and steel are in you – they always have been. You need to look no further than right here," she said, tapping Ken's chest.
Manx stood suddenly, and Ken thought he caught the glisten of tears in her eyes. "Now let's check those wounds."
Ken winced as Manx gripped his ankle, but he had to admit that the pain was less than before, and he could move it freely. "You're a miracle worker, Grandmother."
Manx smiled. "I like to think so."
Next she checked Ken's arm. "Bleeding's stopped," she commented. "A couple of days and you won't even see the scratch."
"The same can't be said of Simon," Ken noted grimly.
A shadow passed over Manx's face. "No, though I can't say there are many who will miss him."
"Myself included," Ken admitted hesitantly. It was amazing how quickly his grandmother could distract him from emotional pain as well as physical. As soon as he returned to the village, he would have to send men out to help recover the body. He shivered. "He was the man I fought with at the shop a few weeks ago."
"Strange that you were the one to find him dead."
"Strange indeed," Ken whispered, a shiver slithering up his spine.
By nightfall the village was in turmoil. The body of Simon the tanner had been retrieved, and everyone had heard the tale of the wolf attacking Ken. A quick search of the woods near where the body had been found had yielded no wolf, and the searchers had to retreat as darkness crept over the land.
Ken sat on his bed, feet curled beneath him, and listened to the excited murmur of voices in the street. The door opened and Kase entered, shutting it behind him. He came to stand in front of Ken. "Are you alright?"
"Yes."
Kase balled up his right hand into a fist and struck his left palm with it. "I will find the wolf that attacked you and I will kill it," he vowed.
"Thank you," Ken finally said, unsure how else to answer him.
"They are saying that it is a monster, twice the size of a normal wolf."
Ken shook his head. "Those weren't my words. He was large, but I wouldn't say he was monstrous."
Kase shook his head, eyes glinting. "Anything that would attack you can be nothing short of monstrous."
Ken stared at the other man in the light of the flickering candles, and his face looked strange to him. What has he suffered these many years? Ken wondered. More and more his cousin seemed a stranger to him. His joy at being home had been short-lived, and of late Ken had heard him cry out in the night, only to find him fast asleep. Even his eyes had grown darker, and with each passing day the shadows around them grew.
"Kase, what is it that haunts you so?" Ken asked, reaching out impulsively to place his hand on the other's shoulder.
His cousin closed his eyes and leaned slightly into his hand. Ken held his breath, for a moment believing he might finally reveal his pain to him. Kase opened his eyes, though, and shrugged his hand off. He took it to brush lightly at his lips before releasing it.
Ken balked at the unusual display.
"Dear cousin, the pain my eyes have seen is not for your ears to hear."
Ken gulped almost audibly, strangely unsettled by his cousin's sudden untoward actions.
"If not mine, then whose?" he whispered, his voice raspy from strange emotions.
Kase smiled darkly. "I do not know, but one day I shall find them and they shall hear their full."
He then turned and left the cottage. Alone in the light of the flickering candles, Ken shivered, wondering how long his cousin was meant to dwell in darkness and pitying him for it.
He lay down at last, convinced he would not sleep. As soon as his eyes closed, though, his body slumped and darkness claimed him.
As the sun rose in the sky, Ran woke. He blinked sleepily for several minutes as he tried to gather his senses. He stretched slowly and stared at his hands, splaying the fingers as wide as he could. Next he stretched his legs, wiggling his toes. At last, with a mighty shake, he sat up and gazed around him.
He was in the woods, but nothing looked familiar. Where am I? he wondered, feeling slightly dazed. I need to find my clothes.
He tried to think back to the events of the night before, but there was nothing, only a gaping hole where his memories should have been. He felt panic rising in him as he realized that the last two and a half days were completely gone.
Rolling over onto his knees, he saw something that made his blood run cold. With a trembling hand he reached out and picked up the torn remnant of a man's sleeve… The light of recognition dawned in his eyes, quickly replaced by the darkness of despair. Ken's.
"What have I done?" he almost wailed, fear showing in his eyes. He pressed the sleeves to his face and grieved. He collapsed back onto the ground, tears streaming out of his eyes, every drop a knife to his heart, until there was nothing left in him.
At last the brief storm passed, and he lay limp and exhausted. He hadn't cried for a very long time. By sheer will he finally managed to stand. I need to find my clothes and go home.
After a couple of minutes he got his bearings and trudged off through the woods. His bare feet padded on the ground, the soles callused from many mornings such as this one. After nearly half an hour he reached his destination. He always left his clothes in the same place so that he could easily find them.
Usually he awoke somewhere near them, though that hadn't happened this time.
Why can't I remember anything? What did I do? Questions crowded his mind, and he couldn't cease their clamoring. The moaning of the trees echoed his state.
He spotted his small pile of clothes at the same time he heard someone humming a haunting tune. He ducked behind a thick tree just in time to avoid being seen by a red-haired woman. She seemed to have her age unknown, since she seemed to be younger than he was at one time, and infinitely older in the next, more mature and wise than even his years.
Ken's grandmother, he realized as he watched her. It couldn't be anyone else.
The woman was walking along slowly, a basket on one arm and her eyes fixed on the ground. She suddenly bent over and pulled a plant from the base of a tree. Laying it gently in her basket, she straightened and moved on. She was moving ever closer to his clothes, and if she looked up, she would discover them.
He bent, picked up a stone, and threw it into the woods in the direction away from his clothes. It landed with a loud thud that startled all the birds into silence.
The woman didn't turn around; she didn't even flinch. After a moment, though, she said, "If you want your clothes, you're just going to have to come get them."
He could feel the blood racing in him, and he was afraid. How did this woman know that he was there, watching her? He thought about his options. Clearly she couldn't be fooled or diverted. He could leave and come back later. But what if she takes my clothes with her? Maybe I can make it back to the castle without being seen. He rolled his eyes. That's smart - even if I can make it all the way to the castle, there will be eyebrows raised when I walk into the great hall naked.
He sighed; there was no help for it. "If milady would avert her eyes, it would be greatly appreciated."
She raised her head, and he could swear he saw a smile dancing on her lips. "Why? If you feel as free as one of the forest creatures, then why should you be ashamed to be seen?"
"It was not my intention to be without my clothes."
"Don't fib, young man. There is no water nearby that you might have been swimming in, and your clothes are laid out too neatly for them to have gotten that way by accident."
"Still, I do not wish to be seen," he said, gritting his teeth and trying to hold on to his patience.
"You should have thought of that before you decide to take your little romp in the woods."
He shook his head. "You're just as difficult as your grandson."
The woman's smile faded suddenly. "You know my grandson?"
"If his name is Ken, then I know him."
"It is," she said, her voice now cautious. "You wouldn't happen to be the young man he saw naked on the path about a month past, would you?"
"I'm afraid so, though I hope he doesn't realize that."
The woman took on a threatening stance, her beautiful features hardening into that of authority he could only wish to attain. "You will leave him alone, young man."
Ran couldn't believe this was happening. He, the earl of Fujimaya, was naked in the forest being lectured by a peasant woman to leave a mere blacksmith alone. How much stranger does it get than this? he wondered. He looked down at the torn sleeve in his hand and wished he hadn't. A lot, stranger if only Ken knew.
"I'm afraid I can't leave him alone. I'm growing quite… fond if him." He deepened his tone, something he did quite rarely; being that he preferred to use a rather monotone voice in addressing his subjects. "Now, good woman, you will turn around so that I may get my clothes."
The woman cocked her head. "Earl of Fujimaya?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes."
She turned in an instant. "Beg your pardon, milord"
"All is forgiven so long as you keep your back turned," he said, striding out from behind the tree. He reached his clothes and dressed quickly while she stood silent with her back to him. When he was finished, he debated slipping away quietly but realized there was no longer much use in it.
"All right," he said.
She turned slowly, her face ashen.
"I would prefer it if you did not tell Ken of this," he said, still in his deepest voice.
She nodded slightly. "It is our secret. Tell me, why?"
"Why do you find an earl in the woods in a natural state?" he asked, his voice deadpan.
"Yes."
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"I'm not so certain of that. There are things that happen out here that no man can explain."
"Nor woman?"
"Nor woman," she affirmed, shaking her head.
"Let's just say I'm following a family tradition and leave it at that."
She smiled suddenly, and he cocked his head. He had an uneasy feeling that she knew something he would not wish her to know.
"Ken is right about you," she said softly. "You are different from what one would expect. You did not have to answer my question."
"Ken is different as well. I've never met anyone like him."
"He's strong, my Ken. Whatever you have to share with him, he can handle it."
A sense of foreboding filled him. "What makes you say that?"
"I've lived in these woods a long time, seen many things. When Ken described to me the man who gave him the necklace, I told him I thought I had seen you in the woods before." She paused for a long minute and gave him a sly look. "I wasn't wrong."
He felt his blood run cold. "What do you mean by that?"
"I think the fewer the words spoken on the subject, the better," she answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, milord, I have work to attend to."
She curtsied and turned to go, eyes back on the ground.
Ran stared at her retreating back as he pondered on her words. How much does she know? he wondered. And if I don't tell Ken, will she?
He closed his eyes and prayed for calm. The moon was no longer full, but he could still feel its pull on him, and in many ways he was just as dangerous now as he had been the night before. He turned, at last, and began the long journey out of the forest.
Ken sat on his bed, impatient and fretful. His father had insisted that he stay off his bruised ankle for another day. It had been three days already, and with nothing to do but relive the attack over and over, he felt that he would go mad. The sun had begun its slow descent in the sky, and he urged it on.
There was a soft knock on the door, and he hobbled over to answer it. A cloaked and hooded figure dashed past him and entered the room. "Close the door quickly, child," a familiar voice whispered.
Ken hurried to do as he was told. "Grandmother?" he asked wonderingly as Manx pushed her hood back. Fear rushed through him. Manx had only braved coming to the village once before, right after the firs wolf attack, and it had been she who had done much of the work to heal Ken's legs.
"Shh, yes," Manx said, her youthful features tense but her eyes were shining with excitement.
"What are you doing here?" Ken asked. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I came to bring you something."
"What?"
Manx pulled something from a basket she was carrying. She unfolded it, and in her hands she held a cloak of scarlet.
Ken stiffened, feeling suddenly faint as he remembered another red cloak he had worn years ago, the day he was attacked by the wolf. He remembered too seeing the dark bloodstains on the tattered garment before his father had disposed of it.
Manx must have seen Ken's hands beginning to shake, for she hastened to say, "This one will offer you unique protection from all manners of attackers."
"How?" Ken whispered.
With a smile Manx showed him the inside of the garment. There, stitched in the lining, were strips of his brother's armor. Prominently displayed was the crescent moon, still covered with blood.
"It is heavy, but it might one day save your life. As your brother protected you before, so will he now."
"Thank you," Ken said, tears springing to his eyes. He stood and tried on the cloak. It was indeed heavy, and the metal banged against his hip, but he felt safe. He closed his eyes and imagined his brother once again beside him, comforting and protecting him. Slowly his image of his brother faded, though, and was replaced by another. A smirk taunted him, and he found himself smiling as he opened his eyes.
"And how is Lord Ran?" Manx asked shrewdly.
"I haven't seen him since you and I last spoke," Ken admitted. It's amazing how she can always tell what I'm thinking.
"It's a gift," Max said, smiling.
Ken shook his head "Grandmother, sometimes I think you truly are a mind reader."
"If I were, I wouldn't admit it."
Ken spun slowly, favoring his injured foot, getting used to the weight of the cloak and the way it moved. It had an attached hood, and he pulled it up slowly until it covered most of his head.
"Red is your color, my dear, and it looks dashing on you," Manx said with a small smile.
"Thank you, Grandmother."
"I must go quickly, but you must promise me to always wear it when walking through the woods."
"I will, Grandmother," Ken assured her, fear once again squeezing at his heart. "Is everything well?"
The woman's youthful face turned thoughtful and a little bit more older. "Let us hope that it is, Ken. Only time will tell for sure. Now I must go."
"Thank you."
"You are welcome," Manx answered. She put her hood back up over her head, crossed to the door, and left as quickly as she had come.
After a moment, Ken took off the cloak and sat back down on his bed, clutching the garment in his hands.
TBC
Author's Notes:
I hope I didn't make Ken all girly here, the lead character of the book is, after all, a girl. So sorry for the terribly inaccurate rendition of our favorite Weiss bishounen. Oh, and you may ask where I keep getting the herbs' name. It's from the book (Scarlet Moon).I was too lazy to do my own research, and I admit to just typing up random wiccan herbs I recall from days of yore (meaning when I did some research for my Com class). Err, oops?
Any questions will be answered in the end of this absurdly slowly-updated fic. If not, a very advanced gomen nasai.
Oh yeah, there will be a significant non-appearance of Ran and Ken in the next chapter to give way for a few more… characters whom you all know and (hopefully) love. Oops. Was that another spoiler? It will also be significantly short, much to my relief, since it's only a filler chapter.I really can't generate fics right now, with the Pope's death and people bashing me and stuff, so I apologize profusely.
Replies to Reviews (Chapter 4): Geez people, you truly are scaring me. What would prompt you to write the reviews you did? (checks back on chapter 4) Oh. Ehehehe… since Elana-chan lectured me on not being affectionate with my dear reviewers, I decided to give each and every one of you a pocky… no, wait, pocky is MINE!... a box of cookies and assorted candies of your choice (since it would be impossible for me to know what you favor; or even if you like cookies and stuff). Oh, Elana-chan has always been mentioned in my fics; she's the girl who converted me into a YoujixOmi fangirl so... She's gonna post a YxO fic this week so I'm thrilled about it 'coz she asked ME of all people to beta read it. Wai!
Ru-chan Wai! You liked it! Wow. (does The Baka Dance for an unmentionable amount of time) Kase? Evil! Perish the thought! He's the one who killed Simon? I don't think so. Really. Watch me gloat. Ehehehe… Geez, you're too perceptive for your own good (stares unblinkingly at Ru-chan). Demo, I think he honestly likes to learn from Manx because he wants to cure himself of the darkness in him but I think that's another spoiler again so I'll stop. Why are we so prejudiced with Kase? I know that he betrayed Ken's trust and almost killed him and all, but there's hope for salvation, ne? (Gods, what is this drivel I keep spouting!) Ehehehe… I honestly can't remember Kase; I think I haven't watched that ep, so I dunno how he looks like. If I did, he would be an Unmentionable. Okay, I gotta stop boring you. Thanks SO much for being the first reviewer of chappie 4 (GO 4!) and I really hope you would update Demon Ring 'cause I'm SO starved for ryuxtat fics right now. (puppy-dog eyes) Here's a box of dough – err, I mean cookies for you! Hope you like 'em! (huggles)
angeli-sama You actually loved the kiss! I loved it too although I thought that it could have used more fluff and stuff. (eek, that rhymed!) Wolf Ran would be the sexiest wolf ever! I wouldn't mind being bitten by him, even through all the lacerating pain and whatever. Yeah, I AM demented. Aww, but I hafta admit that Kenken IS scared of the wolf. There's no escaping that. Unlike us, he doesn't know that the totally adorable – err, I mean, the totally scary wolf is actually his Ran. Eh? Why did you glare at westkitsune's ID? (ponders on it until she remembers that her brain ain't functioning) Thanks SO much for reviewing! (huggles; oh, and here's a box of – is box the right word? Maybe it should be a tin – of cookies. Enjoy!)
westkitsune Kase is a pain? Why? He's harmless… for now. And no, even though it's in my Favorites list, I haven't read "Love on a Leash" yet. It's too… well, long. And I'd rather like to read Atsureki's other fics: "Please Give Me Another Chance" and "Weiss Reiter," and I am so sad 'coz they ain't finished yet (gets enveloped into a cloud of depression). Ugh, Sponge Cola's "Crazy for You" is running through my head since yesterday and I can't stop singing it! Waaaah! Help! Aww, thanks for rec'cing me to angeli-sama and I love fantasy SO much (it's the only thing I read nowadays) that it's all I write about these days. Yeah, Ran is HOT! Though why you think my portrayal of Ran is hot is still a mystery to me. I wouldn't get enough of the kiss if Ran is doing it to me too (eek, AWAY hentai thoughts!). Ken is still terrified of the wolf for now, but let's see how he would react when he finds out (meaning I haven't worked it out yet…) You wanna read the book? Aww… then you won't have a reason to read my fic anymore 'coz you'll know the denouement! It's a great book though, although the middle chapters are a bit of a drag. Oh well. Your fics ARE great , and I'm relieved that I wrote that. I can't generate reviews these days 'coz the 2 fics I'm working on is taking up all my brain power. Too bad about the boyfriends, ne? All girl's school? Could it be St. Scho? Oooh, many incidents of lesbian stuff in those settings, ne? I have this friend who just came out (she has a girlfriend), and even though UP prides in being a rad school, I was fairly… perturbed. Creepy. I haven't heard of Velvet Goldmine but I would like it if you tell me. I have a feeling that this is getting insanely long so, ja! (hands westkitsune a box of cookies – with all the cookies intact, thankfully)
HeatherR Whee! YOU think it's excellent! (dies of hyperventilation) Waah, you wanna buy the book too? Then you won't have reason to read this (crappy) fic 'cause you're gonna know what happened! (runs away bawling). 'Nyways, I'm glad that the last chapter answered some of your questions. Don't worry though 'cause the questions left unanswered (and definitely unasked) will be answered, some day, in the next chappie perhaps? Yeah, Ran is the unjustifiable victim of his ancestor's stupidity (or was it bloodlust?) He was a bit… sadistic in his younger (wolf) days but he's understandably unused yet to his interesting condition so the wolf in him could be a bit… unrestrained, ne? (I'm full of un's- today) Ran is a complex character so I'd consider myself lucky if I do his persona justice. Oh, that little lecture you had reminded me of Dan Brown's novels. And I knew all about that whole inhospitality bit (I think I read it in a magazine, of all places) and I was preaching it to some of my cousins and I got into a little war with my grandma (a devout Catholic) so… Ugh. I hate not being able to explore the facets of my religion (but I do it anyway, ehehehe). (hands HeatherR a box of assorted cookies – without any being munched on) I'm proud of myself.
Chitoshiya no Tohma Whee! I'm deliriously happy about that first kiss (although it could use some – okay, make that a lot – of work)! Ooh… I like that "oh-so-bad good guys" bit. It fits Ran to a T. Aww, you're another one who hates Kase? Why! Waaaaah! (watch me mock-bawl) Yeah, I think he'll try to learn Manx's skills. As for his success, we shall see. As for why… I don't know. Really. Whee! You thought it was great! (faints and bonks head on convenient table – I'm a regular masochist, ne?) Here's the next one and I fervently hope that you like it. (hands Chitoshiya a box of animal-shaped cookies) Ehehehehe…. Time for a little variety, ne?
orangejuicehugger Strangest name so far… and I love it! Nyahahaha! Elana-chan simply loved you review, might I add. What do you mean by "I am so impressed by the way your writing has gotten since you started posting!"? (looks suspiciously at her/him/it?) I'm gonna take it as a compliment though (watch me escape from reality). Waaaiiii! Thanks SO much for thinking that this is fantastic and all that shit. (huggles orangejuicehugger to death) Ugh, don't read it too much or you'll get a migraine! (or maybe that's only in my case…) Wheee! Thanks SO much for reviewing! (hands him/her/it a box of cookies complete with assorted candies and other sweet stuff)
Brokn Innocence Kase? Evil intentions? Where? What! Huh? (watch me play oblivious for an absurd amount of time) Ehehehehe, maybe. I still dunno. I might add a few twists or something, but right now, my brain can't handle it. Thanks SO much for thinking it was a great chapter! … As much as you would just want them to disappear and leave you alone, they're your relatives (sighs frustratedly) Your mind went blank? Whee! Mine does too… a few too many times to make me alarmed, but who cares? It's a fun experience! (ignores disturbed stares aimed at her) I hope that you're alright now… (kitty-kat eyes) Hope you like the new installment! (hands a heavy tin of cookies to BI – gomen, too lazy to type) Thanks for reviewing! (huggles)
RosefaerietaleRed You liked it! You really did! I admit that I had a lot of trouble with Ran and Ken's conversations/interactions so I'm happy that it paid off. You're another one of those Kase-haters, ne? I am too! Whee! (goes around the room dancing absurdly) I haven't watched the whole series yet so forgive me if I depicted anyone too lousy (especially Kase, I don't recall seeing him yet… and I'm too lazy to find his pic on the net so…) Thanks SO much for reviewing! (hands Rose a box of yummy cookies while trying hard not to swipe some) Ugh, I seriously have to restrain myself more.
