STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg and, to top it off, Rurouni Kenshin is way out of my league and ownership possibilities… And a merry Christmas to you too!
Quick little message from author: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry X-mas everyone! Sorry for the delay, but this chapter actually proved to be a bit of a challenge for me. I'm not exactly sure why, but it was very difficult to write. I am pleased with the final product; in fact, it is one of my favorite chapters. I think it's a very tender, gentle piece. It reveals quite a bit and it promotes progress, all in all, good things. I am still a bit hesitant about it though, as I was with last chapter, but hey! I got a marriage proposal out of my previous update so, who knows what lies ahead? A few questions: can anyone help me out with the mystery that are Kaoru's parent's names at the moment? Also, can anyone guess what Kenshin studies? I did drop in a few hints and clues, here and there.
Enjoy everyone.
Chapter 11: Inspiration Found
It was the very characteristic sound of clacking heels that caught their attention. It was the unusual humphing, oomphing and huffing noises that compelled them to edge closer and faster to the source of said cacophony. It was the sight that greeted them upon arrival that drove them to suppress grins and laughter.
There teetered, in a plush periwinkle faux-fur bolero jacket, a short, belted jean dress and matching denim patchwork, knee-high boots with needle-thin heels, an acutely peevish and highly desperate Megumi, in all her ineffectively coercive glory.
Behind her, sitting proud and pretty, oblivious to his owner's pleas and threats, 15 inches of bone, muscle and abundant fur hunkered down, unresponsive to the persuasive tugging coming from the leather leash painfully yanking at the collar round its neck.
"Max! Max, come on already! MAX!!! Why won't you budge, you stupid mutt?!!" the young pet proprietress did, indeed, whine and scold.
To which the annoyed poodle, with his very dark, oval shaped, intelligent and alert eyes, simply retorted with a glare and a slight shake of his head. Had he been human, this last fact would probably have not gone unnoticed by the young woman and he, in turn, would have, more likely, been "tsk-ing", rather than remaining silent. As things were, though, the situation was easily growing too cloyingly dull and trite.
That is why, caught in the folds of her own pent up frustration, irritation and aggravation, Megumi failed to see the young couple walking towards her until a familiar voice made their presence known:
"Good afternoon Megumi. I must say, what a lovely coincidence to bump into you today, that it is." Kenshin greeted as warmly and politely as was his custom.
"Kenny!!! Hey, what are you doing around here? It's such a shame that you don't stroll around the park more often; these chance encounters truly are a treat! That being said, what brings you here? Oh, and I see you've, once again, let the party animal tag along…" the 'kitsune' started off brightly, quickly easing into wry disdainfulness as soon as a shy Kaoru came into her line of sight.
"Well, hello to you too, Megumi." Kaoru answered with a raised eyebrow and fisted hands pressed tightly against her sides in an effort to keep the exchange within the realm of the civilized, but entirely unable to prevent herself from pronouncing the offender's name as if it were something dirty and vile.
Kenshin, at once, sensed the tension in the air, surrounding the two women, and failed to see where such animosity could spring from. Clueless as ever, clueless as ever… Men!
However, although the circumstance at hand was admittedly beyond his understanding, he didn't figure why he couldn't possibly try to clear up the air between the two females or, at the very least, try to steer the budding conversation towards neutral ground:
"Megumi, I couldn't help but notice that you are having some… eh… difficulties with your… eh… dog: is there anything I can do to help?"
Really, he would be more than glad to help her out. Really, he wished he could certify that that fluffy thing was, in fact, a dog. Really, his conciliatory nature knew not of the misrepresented fatality innocently concealed within the catalytic power of such words…
"Well Kenny, as much as I appreciate the offer, I don't really think there is much that you can do. Fido here simply refuses to move, and poodles are known to be slightly haughty, so it looks like the ball is in his court now… and could stay there for a really long time." the hazel-eyed belle purred as her eyes settled on the immobile pooch, whose unwavering stillness unnerved her further, as the tightening of her lips visibly manifested.
"Maybe -and this is only a suggestion-, if you treated the, and I quote, 'stupid mutt' nicer, he would actually listen to you." Kaoru stated flatly, trying as hard as she could not to loose her temper, quickly assessing that if she didn't keep her tongue in check, this would be a total no-go situation.
"My, aren't we testy! Kenshin, I must say, your taste in women is, most certainly, not improving! Of course, I am happy to see that you are on the road to recovery: after everything you've been through, you deserve someone by your side. However this is not at all what, I'm sure, any of us had in mind! " Megumi exclaimed, holding the shocked teenage girl in derision.
Flipping a coin derives in either heads or tails; both cannot land sunny side up. Flipping two coins is an entirely different story: by and by, impossibility can come into existence; a bifurcation, yet again.
Kenshin's cheeks struggled to rival and outmatch the rich coloring of his hair and he found himself caught between denying the wily woman's words, or ignoring them altogether for the sake of accord and threefold amity.
Kaoru blushed as bright as a tomato and a flush of anger had her steaming as furiously as if she had just popped a string of chili peppers into her mouth.
The nerve of that woman! She wasn't sure whether her embarrassment should be outweighed by her anger; whether she should strike the hussy or go hide behind that tree over there and recover from such an awkward choice of words!
This was entirely… This was, simply put… This was absolutely and without shadow of a doubt… This was just… Mou!
Grumbling and muttering to herself, the spirited adolescent that had almost become a meager casualty of fate that very same afternoon decided to forsake the company of all and any human parties for the rest of her life, finding a four legged mammal to be her ideal scapegoat... or something.
Shaking her head in the hopes that some of the sanity that had, quite obviously, flown out of her cerebrum would perhaps leak right back into it, she ignored the tongue-tied fool and the fox who suffered from a severe case of 'snake's venomous tongue' -and afterwards she was the one that got pegged 'animal': some people should really take a long hard look in the mirror! – and, in as dignified a manner as one who has just been ridiculed can muster, padded towards the impassive puppy:
"Here boy, here! Want a belly rub?" she inquired, kneeling down and patting her knees in a friendly, beckoning gesture.
"Yes please!"
Thoughts unbidden and mental pictures that he quickly swatted away formed in the young red-haired male's mind -those therapy bills were really going to skyrocket, weren't they?- whilst the tall beaut rolled her eyes in view of Kaoru's assuredly useless antics: if she, the owner of that stubborn flea bag, could not get it to move, what made her think that she could pull it off?
Meanwhile, the generally brazen girl continued to coo and blab, encouraging the doggy, who began to wag its tail, then slowly proceeded to paw his way towards her, and finally settled itself on her lap, where it received a free rub between the ears.
Needless to say that Megumi was aghast and beside herself with displeasure: how had she managed to subdue that untamable shrew of a dog that was Max? Contrary to the lies she kept feeding Sano -just for the fun of rebuffing the son of a gun who was too full of himself for his own good- that arrogant mongrel had proved to be a nightmare from the get-go. How in the seven hells did that teenybopper manage to make it act affable? Could it be that there was more to her than met the eye? Could it be that Sanosuke, for once in his life, was right and that she was, indeed, what the doctor prescribed? Maybe, just maybe, she would do…
Kaoru giggled and playfully lobbed Max away when he began licking her with his coarse tongue and Kenshin smiled despite himself, warmed by the picture those two painted. Kamiya Kaoru was… a mystery. And yet, she was as translucent and transparent as spun glass.
"Megumi, Kenshin: help! Max is trying to chew up my ribbon!" she called out in between fits of laughter.
Glancing over at his best friend's crafty girlfriend, he simpered. Apparently, she was also as forgiving as they come…
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Agnostic, atheist or deist?"
"Oro?"
"Just humor me, okay? It's not that long a walk, but the silence bugs me a bit."
"Which means we just have to play a round of fifty questions…"
"Actually, I was going for less, but if you're that enthusiastic, fifty it is!"
"…"
"Aren't we communicative?!!"
"…"
"Whoever said silence is golden never got walked home by you!"
"…Agnostic, I guess."
"That does sound like a pretty agnostic answer to me!"
"I guess."
"You can get so grouchy sometimes... Anyway: Jung, Freud or Fromm?"
"Jung."
"Heathcliff, Garfield or Hello Kitty?"
"Did you just say Hello Kitty?"
"Well… some people find it…cute?"
"I beg your pardon Kaoru, but that's like asking which Tellytubbie is your favorite!"
"Which I'm hoping is not the purple one because that's the one that has a male voice and carries around a purse. No, I do not suffer from homophobia at all, I just don't think that precisely that tellytubbie should be a straight guy's favorite because, let's face it, that would be just plain weird!"
"As opposed to simply having a favorite one?"
"Touché!"
"Maybe you should just stick to less controversial questions."
"Actually, I was hoping that during my version of the Spanish Inquisition I could pinpoint just what it is that you should be recovering from exactly… but I'm assuming that that would be a controversial topic that could do without my prying, correct?"
The young man with fiery hair slowed his pace to a standstill as he awkwardly pondered the question that had just been left hanging in the air, above their heads: talk about suspended suspense!
Was talking about Tomoe, so many months after their break-up, truly so controversial a thing? Would it harm his relationship with the lively schoolgirl if he chose to plead the fifth? Did he really want to keep it all inside? Did he actually have a relationship of any type with the girl? Wasn't this query just a speck too broad for his taste? Did it not leave too many things in the open? Was he only recovering from a bad break-up? Was there more to it than that? And if so, did he really want to talk about it? Why was he even thinking about talking about it? What was wrong with him today?
"You don't have to say anything; if I'm being nosy, put me in my place and we'll move on. Besides time invested on the past is time wasted; live in the now aiming towards the future… somewhat. You said so yourself at the diner: 'carpe diem', remember?"
When she opened her mouth, when she phrased her thoughts, when she scrunched up her brow, when she absentmindedly discarded old wounds and gave him half the chance to shed his skin; when she was herself, she was so beautiful. The irony of it all was that she probably wasn't even aware of how a few minutes spent by her side could change a man.
She was real and honest and kind enough to not ask for anything in return after she just gave herself away. She did not presume to be special and her words weren't a poem by Baudelaire; she was regular, average and plain, but something about the way she responded to the world made her stand out, made her shine, made her genuine, made her KAORU.
That was it, wasn't it? How was she supposed to keep safe that way? What made a rose think that four measly thorns could protect it from the world? Did she even know what kind of a world she was living in? Did she ever conceive the kind of bad news this could bring?
"You shouldn't do that." he spoke at length, eyes hidden behind the thick drapery of carmine bangs.
"Do what?" she inquired innocently.
"Let sleeping dogs lie: it could get you into trouble."
"It's not like I won't find out eventually; the truth always comes spitting right out. However, I am a firm believer in a little something called 'timing': not everyone's psychological clock is set to buzz at the same hour; some people need more time than others, and that's okay.
Besides, I can always squeeze it out of you later: the element of surprise is, after all, an Angela Lansbury favorite!"
Startled lavender eyes widened in astonishment; that certainly caught him off-guard!
"But of course! How ever could I overlook the pedagogic quality of 'Murder, She Wrote'?" he gabbed smoothly, promptly attempting to cover up the small slip-up, the one millisecond in which he let down his guard.
"But of course! And don't you forget Nancy Drew, Poirot and Monk's teachings!" she added merrily.
"Duly noted."
Kaoru laughed a stream of gold and teasingly elbowed him in the ribs: she was taken aback by just how good it felt to have him lighten up!
"See? That wasn't so terrible, was it? You smiled and you didn't even pull one muscle!"
"You're only saying that because you misjudge the taciturn; we get quite a kick out of sulking silently and such."
"Believe you me, you have not seen sulky and taciturn until you bear witness to the spectacle that is me on the day they hand back our math tests!"
"That bad, is it?"
"Let's just say that I'm scouting for a new tutor, seeing as I've already recruited and failed to understand all available in this zip-code."
"Well… and this is just a thought so… feel free to say no, if you are so inclined, but: what if you stop by the loft on Friday and I lamely attempt to help you out at studying for your next math test or doing your math homework?"
"Ah… the hero complex, once again, kicks in! And, as luck would have it, you are, not only good at saving people's lives, you're also a math wiz, correct?"
"Well… not a wiz per say, but I'm fairly decent at calculus and spatial geometry."
"I guess I'll have to think about it. That, and fill the parental units in; because of the whole party fiasco I'm grounded till I turn thirty, so if I'm ever going to get away from the house, this could prove to be as good an excuse as any."
"Technically it's not an excuse. I think it's safe to say that studying doesn't really hold any of the perks that a frat party proffers."
"Don't remind me! I still suffer from mental blanks whenever the subject is broached and, for some weird reason, I keep humming and singing poor Joni Mitchell renditions under my breath."
Kenshin allowed the shadow of a smile to grace his lips. He could still see her singing along to the car radio and humming like a mad bee, utterly wasted. In his own humble opinion, it was for the best that Kaoru not recover full memory of the events that had unfolded that night; some would be too embarrassing, for her as well as him, and some would simply be too sinister…
"And here we are at last: home sweet home!" the blithesome girl exclaimed at the sight of a two story house, with its small garden and quaint little gate shaded by a rose arch trellis.
"It seems that our journey has finally reached its end." he declared.
"How in the world do you make everything sound so definitive?"
"How do you manage to read so much into things?"
"I read too much into things? Look who's talking…"
"I'm not the one getting angry over a petty disagreement, that's for sure."
Had Kaoru been a neon sign, 'Kiss me! Kiss me' would have been flashing around in big bold letters right about then.
It was one of the most perplexing things that had ever happened to her up to date, but there was something about his nonchalant, manic-depressive, provoking and vexatious ways that made him irrevocably… appealing.
Was she loosing her mind? Perhaps. Was she completely off her rocker? Well… certain unexpected sensations surging through her at that particular time could, quite possibly, attest to it. Did she give a damn? Hmm… Not particularly, no.
Maybe it had been all that 'carpe diem' talk that had done the trick; maybe, it was that accursed tendency of hers to always seek to help the helpless that had been her downfall; or maybe, just maybe, he had her at 'hello'. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that our fledgling female lead, in that particular instant, was feeling something powerful blossoming at the pit of her stomach, something akin to the sweet-tempered flapping of delicate butterfly wings, bringing forth warmth and an unfamiliar wave of surrender that dispersed itself from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.
"What is this feeling?" she wondered, not for the first time –she realized- since she had laid eyes on the peculiar boy standing before her.
"Kaoru?" he called out hesitantly, jostling her from her thoughts.
"Sorry! You were saying?" she inquired in as aloof a manner as she dared, hoping against hope that he hadn't noticed the paltry blush that she just knew was coming to flaming life on her cheeks.
"You were arguing with me and… never mind."
"You started it!" she countered at once.
"Oro? How so?"
"Well… you just… with your… there was you being all definitive about stuff and… you started it!" she finished off pathetically, uselessly standing her ground.
"That's one way of putting things…"
"Yes it is. One way. The only way."
"Well 'Miss High and Mighty', as long as you manage to step through that gate and make it home alive and well, my work here is done."
Kaoru smiled, a wan expression crossing her face as her hands reached for the gate: why did saying goodbye leave her feeling so…sad? This was ridiculous! What was wrong with her today?!!
"Bye Kenshin… and thanks… for that whole life saving thing back there and… for walking me home. I could have done it by myself, but thanks anyway. I…I appreciate it."
He gathered that displays of gratitude weren't that common or easy a task for her, and that was probably a good thing too; otherwise her thanks would not have been as honest or as full of meaning as they had been and they would not have warmed his heart as much.
That is why, before he could stop himself, he put it right out there; before he could regret it, he spit it right out, as she predicted would be the case:
"A break-up." he mumbled.
"Sorry?" she urged him to repeat himself, letting go of the open gate.
"Megumi and Sano: they both seem to think that that's what I'm recovering from… a rough break-up."
"Is it?" she asked sizing him up kindly, which disconcerted him, yet again.
"In part." he replied curtly.
Kaoru smiled broadly this time around: he might not be willing to share everything, but she figured that saying this much was hard for him. She wondered what could have made him decide to speak up…
"I'll see you on Friday, Kenshin." she divulged softly, turning away from him.
"Till Friday it is then…Kaoru." He said, whispering her name as an afterthought.
She closed the gate and leaned her back against it. She had to admit, she liked the way he said her name.
He walked back the way he had come. Without a chatty girl by his side, the afternoon seemed somewhat lonelier and boring. Taking in a breath of polluted city air, Kenshin chanced giving his watch a glimpse and discovered that he was late for his test… the one he had been hopelessly studying for before he left the loft in a befuddled state of mind.
Normally this sort of situation would have him hyperventilating and racking his brain for a solution but, oddly enough, he found that he… couldn't quite care less at the moment.
All he wanted to do was take his time getting home and… he wasn't exactly sure. It struck him that, aside from studying or cooking or doing the laundry, he didn't know what to do with himself. Maybe he should head out to the old dojo and practice a while. Maybe, maybe not: ether way he didn't really care; either way, he felt fine.
"Thank you…Kaoru…"
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prologue
Scene: A room with a view. Ms. Writer sits behind a desk, working on a typewriter.
Enter Muse.
Muse: She wanted to say something. She didn't know what it was yet, but she knew there was a truth inside of her waiting for the right moment to be set free.
She believed in honesty and integrity, yet how many times had she caught herself dancing on a white lie? Forgive me; did I say "dancing"? I meant tumbling and trembling through it.
Sometimes, the right words evade me: all the things she doesn't mean to say stand forward leaving me –along with the proper words- behind.
Has that ever happened to you? Have you ever been stuck on an empty page for hours, scratching your head in the hopes that it will come to you, that the cartoon-like light bulb will flicker on, but all the patience in the world doesn't amount to anything because your sheet still remains blank?
I guess it is natural, understandable and what have you. In spite of that, I happen to know for a fact that it doesn't bother or frustrate any less.
Ms. Writer has no tricks up her sleeve, no adjectives or adverbs to summon, no verbs or nouns to conjure.
Ms. Writer is all alone and, in her loneliness, she seeks the guidance of words and flourished phrases to fill up the empty spaces. Sometimes it works; more often than naught, it isn't enough.
Many a time, Ms. Writer has stared at the pure whiteness, at the hollow blue lines and, many a time, vocabulary and sentencing sentences deny her friendship.
Then, she sits by herself, gazes at her typewriter and wills it to come to life. For, she knows that her stories, her eternal companions, lack something very special: they lack humanity, flaring nostrils and beating hearts.
All those dead trees sitting by her desk, awaiting her magic touch, require a pulse, a life she cannot breathe into them, a choice that is not hers to make.
Yes, al Ms. Writer can do is sit quietly and wait for a muse, wait for language to carelessly imitate life.
Ms. Writer often sighs.
[Ms. Writer sighs loudly.]
Muse: You see, it's not unusual for eternity to stretch itself into long hours of loneliness and frustration, of hopeless simulations,
of useless attempts.
Ms. Writer is tired of her books and novels and papers and quills, of fantastic beasts given shape beneath candlelight.
Ms. Writer sits and sighs often.
[Ms. Writer sighs loudly.]
Muse: You see, she is tired of looking out her window craving life.
Ms.Writer: [Standing]
After all, there has to something more than texts and manuscripts!
Out there, expecting my arrival must be some form of life.
[Sitting]
I am lonely. I am the coldest shade of blue. I crave life.
[Standing]
Taking all of this into consideration, I, Ms. Writer, will sit no more. I shall
Stand and seek and find, for I am sure that, somewhere, beyond my window,
lies life.
Muse: Thus, the story of Ms. Writer began…
[All exit stage.]
Allowing the pen to slip away from her grasp, Kaoru let it roll off her desk as she stretched her arms.
"All done!" she joyfully exclaimed to no one in particular, breaking the reigning silence in her room.
To be perfectly frank, she had no idea where that bout of sudden inspiration had come from. Just that afternoon, as soon as she abandoned the school's grounds, she had felt petrified at the thought of having to sit herself down and write a play. After almost dying, priorities changed, she mused. If not a near death experience, what else could possibly explain an impromptu creative spurt?
She allowed her lips to curl themselves into a wistful smile. She could think of a few things other than the threat of imminent death that could provoke artistic proficiency: one name, to be more exact…
* RING! RING!*
And that would be Misao, right on schedule. Sometimes a phone does for the most welcome of interruptions; some people simply have good timing: put the two together and it's a best friend's daily call right before dinnertime that resolves the equation.
*RING! RING!*
Yes, some people really have good timing: one more second and 'woe that was her!', she would have been chummy with the worms by now. She really should stop thinking about it all, thinking about him!
*RING! RING!*
"Thank you Mr. Graham Bell, you gifted us all with a blessing in disguise. Thank you Misao, for always being right on time. Thank you Kenshin, thank you for saving my life, in more ways than one…
Flip two coins and impossibility becomes quite possible…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Reviewer Responses:
To kouri: Thanks for your review. I'm glad to see your penname back in this segment, that I am! I'm also relieved that you aren't upset because I STILL haven't finished reading what you have up so far for your delightful story; I hope to be able to review the rest before your next update, although I can't guarantee it, just as I hope to be able to upload another chapter before this year ends, as a little gift to all of you wonderful reviewers who stick by me, but I can't exactly promise because it all depends on factors beyond my desires and wishes. Thanks again for dropping a few lines!
To Misato-Katsuragi2: Thank you for reviewing. You know what? I hope that the upcoming chapters are as good as the past 10 ones as well! I would really like to maintain the quality of this story and your review gave me something to think about and strive towards. Thankies and bye!
To EnjeruJoshin: Yours was, by far, one of the most hilarious and sweetest reviews I have ever received! It is amazing to hear that my writing can touch and move you so deeply; it is, after all, what every aspiring writer struggles and dreams of doing. If my silly little story can make you laugh, can make you cry, can make you smile and can make you think about your needs, wants and life in general then… that's the best Christmas gift Santa could pop under my tree. As for the marriage thing… I don't swing that way, but your offer of the Kenshin DVDs and manga tempts me… a lot. Let me think about it, okay? I'll get back to you on that one. ^_~ * wraps in big teddy bear hug * Till next chapter!
To missaw: I would never, ever, in a million years think about discontinuing this story… at least not right now! @_@ Thank you for your comments, you are one of my most reliable reviewers and I value that very much. Have a merry Christmas and I promise I will try to see if I can update before 2004 starts, 'kay? Bye! ^_^
To @_@ : Many thanks for sharing your thoughts on this fanfic! Kaoru a more energetic Aoshi? I can agree with that statement, but she might beat you senseless with her shinai for it! Don't say I didn't warn you! ^_~ As to how I do it? Well… simply put, it is a mystery. Although, I do have to say that I have one of the best literature teachers in the world. Next semester is the last I have with her and that makes me unbelievably sad but, 'carpe diem' hunh? Thanks again and, feel free to review, comment or ask me any questions you like, anytime.
To VanyD: Because of you *points accusing finger right back* I will be tired tomorrow because I spent a countless amount of hours penning this chapter! Thanks for liking it and reviewing and, although I will be drained tomorrow, I don't particularly mind: it's my pleasure. ^__^
To Bob-san: Sorry if I lost you with my fast paced conversation between K/K, but I do tend to get a bit 'Gilmore girls' when I write, or when I talk, or when I think, for that matter. The old people's thoughts sprung out of nowhere. They weren't even going to be in the chapter, but suddenly I remembered seeing this old white and black photograph of an old couple sitting on a bench… and it fit my storyline! Thank you for reviewing and, you are most welcome: it's my pleasure to give my reviewers replies! ^_~
To Rhapsody07: Thank you for the awesome compliments: they had me floating on cloud nine for quite a bit! I don't know if I will write the great American novel, seeing as I am not American -or English, for that matter- but I do hope to be a respectable author someday and I wish that for you as well. It's nice to have dreams and even better when they come true! Have a Merry Christmas and an excellent New Year Rhapsody-chan! I'm lucky to have a reviewer like you!
To Ocean Fish: I am the type of person to get jealous of a plant, so I can empathize with poor Saito-chan (yes I am calling him "chan" because it's fun to see him sweatdrop!) and I can also tell him that we are pookies and he just has to deal with it, so there! Aside from the five-year-old tantrum I just graced you with I am, as always, grateful that you reviewed, I already read and reviewed chapter 5 of 'Living the Dead', as well as chapter 1 of 'Blame it on my youth' and now I am updating, all before the end of 2003; aren't I a productive little camper? I'm tired pookie, after I upload I'm going to bed so, I'll catch you another time, 'kay? Bye bye!!! Also, before I go, he DID walk her home and, there's no date involved in their future encounter, but don't you like the possibilities and doors I left open for them? Bye now! Have yourself a Merry little Christmas and an awesome New Year!
To Venus Smurf: You keep saying I'm wonderful, but have you ever stopped to think just how wonderful YOU are? You are God's gift to all fanfiction writers that you review, I am sure. Thank you for asking about my father, I believe that you are the only one who took the time to read my author's note and ask about it. He's fine, he's at home recuperating and he has already gone back to work so, if he takes it slow, everything should run smoothly and without any glitches. You will be glad to hear that I have future plans for Yahiko, but he will come into play much later on, I think. Well, I did take a lot of Flinstone Kids vitamins as a child, so that could explain some of the cleverness you claim I posses. Your explanation on the whole over- inflated ego thing has me blushing furiously! You are a master of flattery, that's for sure! I will miss you while you are away, but do have fun and come back with all kinds of nice things to tell me about your Christmas holiday! To the amazing girl that is Venus Smurf, I wish a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year! May 2004 be merry and bright- or is that supposed to be Christmas? Oh well, you know what I mean! See you in six weeks! Bye!!
To all of you I wish the very best in this upcoming new year. May 2004 be everything you hoped and more than you bargained for! Christmas cookies and gingerbread men for all!!! Woo hoo!!!