Botticelliangel: I was relieved to hear that the spiel on immortality in the beginning was a nice contrast to the liveliness in the end. Was worried it was too boring and would get skipped over by readers.
Sesshoumarubride: That part was fun to write!
Hesha07: Thanks for the one review for the Wind chapter. I was worried no one read it.
Liberatedmysterygirl: As I said in the e-mail (that you may or may not have received), I would be happy to give an update time along with my date, but takes so long to update posts that it wouldn't work there. I will post a chapter in the morning, and then it won't show up until sometime later that evening—I can never tell when it will be! I will be happy to e-mail you a direct link when I post at a specified time—such as morning—just let me know.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.
Fortune was, indeed, charged up by Erin's taunts, even into the next night. How dare she, he thought angrily, stealing a quick glance at his middle. He had spent many hours, naked in front of the mirror, turning from side to side, rear to front, bending over, squatting down, twisting in all directions—all to try and convince himself that he did not have love handles. Of course, in all actuality he did not, but this did not stop him from obsessing over the possibility of it. In his paranoia, he could not decide if this bulge was a muscle or that one a fat pocket, or if the wrinkle in his stomach as he bent over was not caused by a huge, glutinous roll of flab.
Heaving a sigh, he fell back against the cushions of his settee, also falling back on his own overconfident nature, deciding that he must be just as fit as ever. And, just as remarkably handsome and fetching, he was quick to add. Out of the corner of this eye, something in the mirror caught his attention—was that cellulite on his thighs?
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Erin looked up at the waning moon; it was a stark white and had almost oval shape, reminding her of an egg. Tonight, at below 80 degrees and breezy, it might have been a pleasant evening if the fast-moving clouds were not threatening rain. The massive oak tree branches were waving in the wind gusts around her, making a crackling, hissing sound as the wind brushed through the leaves. With this wild summer weather, Erin wondered if there was a hurricane brewing in the Gulf this week.
Erin was no longer afraid of hurricanes. But, when Erin was very young, she was terrified of them. There were always people preaching about how the next big hurricane was going to burst the levee and finally cover New Orleans under a flood of muddy river water. It was only a matter of time, they claimed, and she had taken these threats to heart. Each time a violent storm would sweep through the city, as a young child, Erin would feel terror twisting deep in her gut, convinced that this time luck would run out and they would all be swept under a tide of rising floodwater.
As she grew older, she understood how unlikely that was. The city's denizens would receive more than adequate time to evacuate the city in event of a possible inland hurricane pushing the waters dangerously against the levees. In fact, just last year, she had evacuated to a cousin's house in Baton Rouge when the mayor was convinced that the end for the city was finally near. It would not survive another hurricane, he claimed, because it was just that close to sinking into the swamp on which it was built. Erin doubted this, feeling that the city's charmed life would not finish in her lifetime. She had not felt that gut wrenching fear this past evacuation. Strangely enough, however, she was feeling it now.
Yes, there was indeed a feeling of dread which clawed like a kitten in her gut. She wished the 'kitten' would just curl up in there and fall asleep, but she knew it was unlikely to end until she had completed this next part of her plan.
Despite her nervous energy, Erin also felt a little giddy. The streetlights and faint stars seemed to possess an added sparkle this evening. Perhaps this is the rush soldiers sometimes describe feeling when going into battle, Erin thought.
Had she had gone a little too far with her insults to Fortune the previous evening, Erin wondered. He really was a good-looking guy, and the things she had said about his weight and age were completely ridiculous. Still, he still seemed to take it all to heart. Oh, well, she mentally groaned, his massive ego had it coming.
Her next stunt would serve to bring him down yet another notch. Her plan depended on one crucial point—Sesshoumaru's obsessive punctuality.
She had noticed this quirk in his personality the first time the two of them had set a time to meet. Never fail, he was always there at exactly that time—no earlier, or later. She had noted this as a bit humorous since she was the exact opposite—perpetually late. Once, when they were to meet Fortune, she had noticed that he slowed his steps as he neared their meeting point, attempting to time their arrival perfectly for midnight.
That is exactly why Erin arrived at the meeting place at 9:52. P. M. She had eight minutes before Sesshoumaru was due to arrive—10:00 p.m.. As usual, Fortune was already waiting. Apparently, she thought, he had nothing better to do with his time than to hang out with the two of them, or to wait around for them to show up so that he could then hang out with them. Such a sad, sad man was Fortune, she snickered to herself.
Tonight, he would learn what happens when you mess with Erin.
"Fortune," she waved at him from across the street. He was leaning against a signpost, his body angled in such a manner as to accentuate his lean form, with his back to her. As usual, the vampire made a point of ignoring her. She wondered if he had engineered this pose in an attempt to look thin and thereby counter her accusations. She wouldn't put it past him. Erin approached him slowly, giving him ample time to recognize that she was coming, as if approaching a wild animal. He turned briefly to acknowledge her approach, before turning his back to her again.
"Fortune," she said again, her voice soft and sweet. "Aren't you going to say 'hello'?"
His only response was a slight stiffening of his shoulders. He must have been really offended, she thought happily.
She glanced down at her watch: 9:54 p.m. The darkened street and scanty storefronts around them were abandoned for the evening, so it was only the two of them until Sesshoumaru arrived. She now wished she had chosen a more populated meeting place.
"I've been thinking about what I said last night," she began cheerfully, causing Fortune to turn his head towards her slightly.
"If you are about to say I have a double chin, you can just keep it to yourself, girl. I don't go around pestering you about your chunky thighs, now do I?"
That total bastard.
She forced another smile. "No, I just wanted to say I was sorry."
"What?"
She was shocking him left and right. "Those things I said…"
"Yes," he said bitterly.
9:55 p.m.
Erin now had to complete one of the most difficult parts of her plan, but she could not let herself stall. She only had five minutes. She took a step towards the vampire, and another, and another, until she was almost flush with his back. She could tell by the features of his slightly turned face that he was a little taken aback by this, and she noted, there was also something else in his expression. There was something about the lilt to his mouth that was decidedly sadistic and threatening. It scared the hell out of her. She paused to gather her composure. It was all she could do to keep her position—she wanted to back away quickly, to run away. Instead, she slowly began to lift her hand and move it towards his right shoulder. Tentatively, she brushed her fingertips over the cloth of his shirt, before her hand came to rest on his shoulder.
"I'm still waiting," he said, his voice softer this time, reminding her that she had not finished her sentence.
9:56 p.m.
The time from the watch on her wrist still resting on Fortune's shoulder gave her four more minutes. A lot could happen in four minutes. Maybe too much, she shivered, not able to look into Fortune's eyes now. At the first light touches, his eyes changed—pupils dilated and his light grey eyes seemed to inexplicably darkened to a slate color. That look made her feel like…a rabbit pinned beneath the paws of a slavering hound. She looked away, trying to focus on something other than Fortune, but her mind refused to cooperate. She could feel the heat of his body through the cotton of his shirt—he was not as hot as a normal person perhaps, but she was a little surprised he was not at all cold.
She finally gained enough composure to finish her statement, "I didn't mean those things. I don't think you are fat."
"You didn't," he responded, vaguely disguised relief in his voice. She looked up to see that his eyes had cleared, appearing normal again.
"No, you're not. I just said it because I was angry with you."
"Why were you angry," Fortune asked, his almost a whisper now. Her close proximity and touch were making his head swim a little. He could feel her breath on the back of his neck, a tantalizing warmth. Why was she so close? Did she not know of the danger he posed to her?
9:57 p.m.
"I was angry for the other night, when you told me those…things. But, I'm not angry with you anymore. I felt bad for saying what I said, and wanted to tell you that I actually think you are," Erin paused here, trying to work up enough nerve to say the words, "very," she clenched her teeth, she couldn't get the words out. It was too damn embarrassing, even if she were only saying it to goad Fortune, "attractive," the last word finally gushed out in a rush of air. It was a relief to finally get the words out, and Erin slipped her free hand into her pocket, fingering a razor blade stashed there.
"Why, yes, that's true," he heartily agreed. She thought him attractive, well, who wouldn't? But, why was she telling him this, here, now, and more importantly, while they were alone together? Was she trying to seduce him, he wondered? No, impossible, she was too young to think of such things. Or, was it? Her nearness and words suddenly stirred the sweet memory of her blood on his lips, causing him to whip around to face her. Erin's hand fell back down to her side.
9:58 p.m.
Whew. Erin had thought she would have to stand so uncomfortably close to Fortune for the full five minutes! But, when she looked up and met his gaze, his face was again much too close, she froze. The look in his eyes was again feral, but there was also mesmerizing about those hooded, grey eyes. She felt suddenly afraid, coupled with another emotion which she could not name stirring deep in her belly. She quickly looked away. He brought his hand up to her chin, pressing it back up, forcing her to again meet his hypnotic gaze. Those intense grey eyes caused another flood of unknown feeling to wash over her again—making her knees buckle. Fortune's arm snaked around her waist to catch her. In the back of her mind, she realized that the situation was quickly spiraling out of control, and she seemed to lack the power to fight this strange, new sensation. What time was it? She had forgotten. It seemed like she had been staring into those steely eyes for an eternity. What had she gotten herself into, she wondered. She was definitely having some strange reactions to being so close to the vampire. She had failed to predict this failing on her part. It was time to ditch her plan and make a swift retreat.
Before she could extricate herself from Fortune's hold, his next action forestalled any and every action on her part.
It was then that she realized that it was she who did not know with whom she had been messing, not the other way around.
Fortune let his fingertips glide from her chin down the side of her neck, leaving trails of goose bumps in their wake. She was unable to move. Déjà vu, Erin thought dazedly, but the previous incident had not incited her body to act in such a traitorous manner. "Erin," Fortune breathed her name softly. He leaned forward, their foreheads almost touching, and she tensed, her hands clenching into fists in a shared gesture of anticipation and fear. Ouch, Erin winced, her trancelike stupor suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain in her hand—the razor! It was too late to turn back now.
With that sudden scent of blood, Fortune was on her. Erin felt herself falling backwards, felt Fortune's lips against the skin of her neck, and then the sharp prick of his fangs entering her skin. She had no idea what time it was. It might be too early, or too late, or whatever, she no longer cared. She was sinking into a warm, deep pool of delicious feeling, ever deeper…
Suddenly, there was a flash of white, and the contented feeling was wrenched from her. Erin whimpered a little at this sudden loss of warmth. She lay there, dazed, hands now propping her up and mouth open wide in shock. What the hell had happened just now? First of all, Fortune had been way too close, and, had he actually bitten her? She had been trying to entice him to do that very thing, and planning on cutting herself in attempt to spur his bloodlust. But, she had never intended that he would actually get so far as to sink his fangs into…she stopped that thought quickly. It was making her feel nauseated. She had not planned to actually getting to the point of Fortune attacking her. She had only wanted him to appear as if he were menacing her when Sesshoumaru arrived. She had underestimated the vampire's intense reaction to what she had considered to be subtle enticements. Furthermore, she had not factored in her own reactions. Being so close to the vampire had been overwhelming; her reaction to him had completely caught her off guard. It must have had something to do with his being a vampire, she decided. Perhaps he had hypnotized her like in the movies? Did he have some form of mesmeric ability?
But, it was over. She was safe. But, she could have been killed!
Erin looked up to thank Sesshoumaru, and she finally realized she was in the middle of a stand off. Erin pushed herself up further on her elbows and looked from vampire to youkai, trying to decipher just what was happening.
Sesshoumaru and Fortune were facing one other, standing on each side of her, glaring at one another. Correction—Sesshoumaru was glaring with narrowed eyes and Fortune was smiling boldly back at the youkai. However, they were both eerily quiet. The expression on Sesshoumauru's face was not overtly angry, but held his usual impassive veneer, so Erin supposed she would not see any ass-whooping tonight.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
A white blur passed very close to Erin's head and collided with Fortune. Sesshoumaru took the opportunity to swipe at the vampire's neck with his claws, seeking to decapitate him, thereby cleanly and neatly ending the vampire's life. He was angry. It was one thing to believe that Fortune would kill the human girl under his protection, but to actually catch him in the act. It was maddening. Sesshoumaru's eyes went blood red and he wanted nothing more than the vampire's blood on his claws.
He was denied the satisfaction. Instead of a neat slice through flesh and bone, his claws met only air as the vampire dodged the blow. Swiftly, he followed Fortune to the left side of the girl, with Fortune ghosting again out of his claw's deadly reach. After the third or forth time this occurred, the sensible voice in the back of Sesshoumaru's rage-filled mind informed him that the vampire appeared to be leading him in a childish game of tag. And, he was being led in a circular pattern around the girl, no less. With incredible speed, he followed Fortune around their improvised fighting circuit, unexpectedly lurching forward a little to the left of the vampire, grunting with effort. A desperate act, really, since it put the youkai slightly off balance, but it did, in fact, achieve the desired result.
Sesshoumaru embedded his claw-tipped left hand deep into the vampire's abdomen, jerking upwards toward his heart. Time seem to slow as he noted the shock and fear in Fortune's eyes, as well as the vampire's evasive twist to the side, preventing Sesshoumaru's claws from reaching his heart. But, it did not change the fact that he was still impaled on Sesshoumaru's hand. Fortune looked down at Sesshoumaru's arm where it disappeared into the gaping hole in his abdomen. He grimaced in obvious pain.
"Ouch," Fortune piped out in response, returning his gaze to the youkai's crimson eyes.
Sesshoumaru stared coldly and mercilessly into Fortune's eyes, and slowly lifted his right hand, spreading his fingers slightly readying himself for one last assault.
Suddenly, Sesshoumaru's clawed hand paused in mid-slash and he stiffened, his eyes darting to his arm, where two delicate human hands now gripped his forearm. It was Erin.
"Please, stop."
The youkai glanced down into a pair of pleading green eyes, his eyes still glazed over with red. He had almost not recognized her presence. His battle madness began to slowly dissipate from his mind and vision, leaving the sight of a very shaken, trusting young girl directly in his line of sight to further calm his inner beast.
"I didn't mean for this to happen. I never realized…" She trailed off as her eyes began to well up with unshed tears.
"Stop. Let him go. Please, Sesshoumaru." She wrapped her arms tightly around the youkai's right arm and tugged fiercely. When that did not work, still gripping his forearm with one hand, she reached over and gripped the impaled arm near his elbow, causing a profuse amount of blood to begin leaking all over her hand. Erin stared in horror, her eyes darting back and forth from the blood now coating her wrist to the arm embedded in Fortune's ripped and bloody abdomen.
"It is horrible," she said in a whisper. She began to sob quietly, tears finally spilling over and rolling down her cheeks. She tugged once again at Sesshoumaru's left arm. He let it relax, allowing her to pull it out a few inches, causing blood to spray across the front of his shirt. Dammit, he thought, I'll never get that fucking stain out.
Fortune had been watching this exchange carefully, waiting for his chance for escape. He was in agony, trying desperately to remain coherent despite the wriggling, burning pain working its way in spirals around the gaping hole in his stomach. His hopes were not in vain, for within a few, brief moments, the youkai had relaxed his impaled appendage and Fortune was able to spring back, effectively removing the youkai's fist from his abdomen. He sprang forward just as swiftly, which had the added benefit of catching the youkai by complete surprise as he sank his fangs deep into his neck.
Ahhhhh, fucking amazing, was the only thought which ran through the vampire's mind as Sesshoumaru's blood rushed between his parted lips and burned its way down his throat. A gaping hole in the chest was worth this delicious indulgence. But, he half-expected to be slammed backwards any second now, as before. The seconds slid by, one, two, three…and still no movement from the youkai. The vampire blissfully imbedded his fangs deeper in Sesshoumaru's neck, and began to suck desperately at the potent, luscious blood.
Sesshoumaru was beginning to feel lightheaded after the few seconds Fortune had been drinking his blood. He had felt the vampire clamp down on his neck, but was unable to take the necessary evasive action since he also had the two frail arms of a human girl still firmly clamped around both of his arms. He gently tried to shake off the near hysterical girl from her death grip on his arms. She was not responding. He lifted his arms up, and Erin's feet left the ground, not loosening her grip in the slightest. He could not strike against Fortune without injuring her while in this position. Unbeknownst to Erin, she had become Fortune's human body shield. Take Fortune of all people to take advantage of this situation, he thought disdainfully, despite the fact that he had just attempted to kill the vampire.
"Erin, let go," he finally tried to reason with her. Erin looked up, staring at what Fortune was doing as if in some kind of trance. She did not relinquish her hold. "Erin, let go!" Sesshoumaru bellowed out, finally startling the girl into relinquishing her hold on his arms. Immediately, he knocked the vampire violently backwards. Fortune's rearward flight ended in a rather noisy collision with a large oak tree—SMACK, the branches of the oak shivered, showering leaves and even a very shocked squirrel onto the ground below with the impact. The squirrel quickly recovered and scampered into another nearby tree, and Fortune slumped to the ground where he had landed.
Sesshoumaru did not follow the vampire, his rage having been sufficiently cooled by the girl's unfortunate interference. He and the girl stood there side by side, staring at the crumpled form of the vampire.
"Will he be okay?"
"Yes."
"Um, are you sure?"
As if to answer, Fortune stirred, emitting a small groan.
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry about all this."
"Why should you be sorry," Sesshoumaru asked, cutting his eyes over at Erin.
"Its just…I didn't realize, I mean, I thought you two might fight—like you might yell at him or even slap him around a bit—but I never expected it to be so, so…violent. The two of you were trying to kill each other."
"Actually, I was trying to kill the vampire, he simply took advantage of the situation," like the complete bastard he is, Sesshoumaru added to himself.
"And, grabbed the chance for a refreshing meal," Fortune interrupted, apparently recovering from his injuries surprisingly fast.
"And, you, girl, you expected this," Sesshoumaru asked rather sharply.
"Um…," was Erin's only reply. She suddenly felt ashamed, as well as realizing that the youkai might not take kindly to being utilized as her tool for revenge.
"I can answer that for you," Fortune interrupted again. He stretched lazily, feeling the youkai's rich and powerful blood coursing through his veins, healing the wound in his chest even faster than was normal—all that with the added bonus of making him feel deliciously languid in response to the heated blood. Why couldn't the youkai just allow him to feed every so often voluntarily? The aftermath was amazing.
He realized the girl and youkai were still staring at him, awaiting a further response.
"Oh, yes, as I was saying, she would have known that the two of us would be after each other's throats when you arrived." He paused here. He now realized that Erin must have planned all along to seduce him into going for her at the point of Sesshoumaru's arrival. He wondered how the hell she was able to time it so perfectly. How did she know that he would not arrive a few minutes later, and she would have been dead? He was not certain, but what he did realize was that her skillful manipulations were meant to pit the two of them against one another. That took spunk, and a little selfish aspiration, on her part. He could not help but admire her for it.
However, she had no concept of how dangerous either of the two could become in a fight. She had been justifiably horrified. She had even attempted to save his life—a fact that he simply could not ignore. And, so, he lied, "Erin was simply waiting for you and I attacked her. What do you think happened," he answered derisively, making it sound as if the youkai were particularly unintelligent for even asking. He owed the girl one, after all.
"Why did you do that, " Sesshoumaru asked suspiciously.
"I'm a vampire, that's what I do," Fortune answered in his best sarcastic drawl, "and, quite good at it, if I may say so myself," Fortune stretched again, looking vaguely cattish. "What a stupid question," he added, "but I've come to expect such things from you, Sesshoumaru."
Erin stood silently watching the vampire. Is he trying to lie for me, she wondered, or is he just that stupid.
"I do not believe you. You knew I was arriving soon and would be…" he hesitated, searching for the right word, "displeased. What prompted you to such an action—a death wish?"
"Awfully Confident, coming from one of my latest victims," Fortune grinned wickedly at the youkai, "Let's see, if I remember correctly, there was something…what was it? Oh, yes, I remember, Erin cut herself on the hand and, with her blood already spilled, I just couldn't help myself."
Sesshoumaru's gaze was still locked with Fortune's but he made no move to speak further.
"I apologize," Fortune said in a bored tone.
No response.
"Really, you should apologize as well."
No response.
"You did try to kill me, you know. And, in front of poor Erin. You should really apologize to her as well."
Sesshoumaru turned his back on the vampire at this statement, apparently not amused by Fortune's banter.
"You were a bad dog."
He heard a muffled snickering coming from the Erin's direction, so he was inspired to continue.
"A very, very bad dog."
Another chuckle sounded, this time louder.
"Erin, you don't by any chance have a rolled up newspaper anywhere handy?"
This inspired a burst of giggles from Erin's direction. Fortune continued, not accustomed to such a receptive audience, and quite pleased by the response.
"We really should get him a shock collar, you know, with his temper and all. Who knows who he might attack next."
With this last statement, Sesshoumaru whirled around and began stalking purposefully towards the vampire. Fortune leapt hastily to his feet to avoid him, next taking up the spot next to Erin. "I think it might be rabid," he added, once again a safe distance from the youkai.
"And, you might be dead soon."
"Ah, I see. My lips are sealed." Fortune tightened his lips together in a pretend seal and looked back and forth from the youkai to Erin, prompting more laughter from the girl. With this kind of encouragement, Fortune could not help but ad at least one more jibe, "After all, I've had enough fists punched through my stomach for one evening, my dear, dear friend, Sesshoumaru." He frowned and lowered his eyes in mock sadness. "Would you even have missed me? Did I mean so little to you…."
"Enough," Sesshoumaru interrupted.
Fortune gave a few melodramatic sniffs, but otherwise complied with silence.
At least for a few moments, "Anything for you, my…"
"Stop."
"Yes sir. I will not say another word."
There were a few moments of silence before…
"Yesshir, Not another word."
"You are annoying."
"Oh, Sesshoumaru, even your insults are like music to my ears."
Sesshoumaru looked questioningly at Erin, wondering if the vampire would simply go away if he ignored him long enough. He toyed with the idea a moment before realizing he had tried it before and failed. Fortune's taunts won out over his nearly infinite patience every time. Fortune was just that annoying.
"Are you ready? I think we need to get cleaned up and you must be hungry," he asked, looking down at Erin.
"Yes, let's go. But, I'm not very hungry at the moment," she answered, trying not to think about the blood on her hand or the hole in Fortune's abdomen. She felt guilty about her bout of giggles spurred by Fortune's dog jokes, but then she was always prone to uncontrollable laughter when nervous.
The two left, with the vampire trailing behind.
"I'm not either," he stated to the backs of his companions.
"You are not what," Erin asked, looking behind her at the vampire.
"I'm not hungry…anymore."
Fortune did not wait for a response this time, but continued cheerfully, "Thanks for the snack, Sesshoumaru. It really hit the spot."
Erin could not help but giggle again a little nervously at what the vampire was implying, as well as at the sheer ridiculousness of said statement. She had never cared for dark humor very well until she had come into extended contact with these two.
Surprised to hear the giggle, Fortune was pleased, thinking that perhaps there was hope for the girl yet.
Erin stifled her giggles quickly, glancing up to see the youkai's response. She couldn't be positive, but it almost seemed like a blush was creeping up into his pale cheeks.
"Yes," Fortune patted his belly, "got a belly full of Sesshoumaru. Yummy." The wound in his chest had apparently healed.
Fortune pretended to burp, loudly, and complained about feeling overfull and how Sesshoumaru's blood was now giving him indigestion.
Sesshoumaru sighed. Why hadn't he killed him when he had the chance?
This was pretty darn weird, Erin mused, sharing jokes about drinking someone else's blood. It was gross, really, when you thought about it. It was as if you were joking with a cow, whilst you munched on a piece of barbecued brisket you'd just hacked off its shoulder. She gagged a little at the thought. Was spending time with these two a good idea? It could be dangerous? It might turn her into a bad person. Despite these doubts, she kept her place beside the youkai.
"A fist full of vampire intestines, delightful," Sesshoumaru responded, shocking them out of their thoughts with his uncharacteristic joke. "It was so delightful, I am considering doing it again. Very soon. That would take care of your overly full stomach, now wouldn't it Fortune?"
"I don't like it when you make jokes. You're too creepy." Fortune gave an exaggerated shiver.
"Hn," Sesshoumaru responded, not caring whether the vampire was joking or not. His attention had now turned to the particulars of getting the three of them cleaned up before they attracted any unwanted attention.
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AN: Get ready, here is one helluva author's note:
Okay, a few questions about the writing in this chapter. Did you think that the mix of thoughts/dialogue was confusing, especially when I switched point of views? Or, was it pretty easy to follow. Lemmie know so that I can correct it, or not, in the next chapters. Also, was the current chapter's content too similar to previous fight scenes/Erin+Fortune scenes in previous chapters? Also, I didn't get any AFF reviews for the short Wind chapter (ch. 12) and so I was wondering if that was because it was because no one has read Inuyasha's manga chapter 410, or if it was just lame.
(it is now up to chapter 413, you know, but Sesshoumaru has not been in the last couple)
I may not be able to update for another week or two, depending on how this next week goes. I have to plan a 2nd birthday party and catch up on some of my part-time work from home stuff. In a few days, I'll probably have a better idea about when I will be posting chapter 15, so feel free to e-mail me if you want me to give you a more exact time—that way you'll know when to check back with the story.
For AFF, giving a chapter update schedule is helpful since they don't have automatic e-mail alerts—sorry I can't do it this time. Will try to next time!
One quick note: I wanted a few recommendations for some new, good fics to read on AFF. If you review, do you mind also recommending a fic or two that you like? In August, I may be having a slow period with a good deal more free time for a few weeks. I know, I know, I should spend it all writing—but you gotta have some stress relief too! I promise to have plenty of updates during that time!
Oh, and if you are still reading this unbearably long author's note, perhaps you are the sort who would be good material for my beta-reader. I had one and lost 'em. In this chapter especially, I deleted some dialogue and thoughts and then had a very hard time deciding if the intentions where still clear, so I added a little more back. When you are proofing your own stuff its difficult to determine if there is there are any confusing bits since you already know exactly what is happening and you unconsciously fill in any gaps while reading. E-mail me if interested.