Never About Winning

by Again With This

On what must be chance, Alexa awakens dormant power in Japan. A lifestyle change and college dropout later, she is assigned a partner in the form of grumpy, snarky Hiei. When an archaic organization bent on human-demon segregation makes itself known, Alexa and her friends find themselves fighting a deeper terror than previously imagined. There's more to life than winning. Hiei/OC

29. Response to Anon Review

Howdy! You're all likely wondering what the heck is goin' on, with this quick lil extra note put up. Normally I wouldn't respond until next chapter, but in this case I feel I must.

If you read reviews like I do, you'll note an anonymous guest named "Ibuki" left me a note claiming I used Mukuro's past of sexual violence flippantly, and thus I do not care for her.

I must ask that you read closer, and this extends to anyone who feels the same. I wish they had an account and pm'ed me to address their concern so we could start a conversation, but this is the option I am left with.

Trauma of all kinds manifests differently, and different people will be at different parts of their journeys when healing at any given time. Nowhere in this chapter does she even imply that Hiei should be of any romantic interest to Alexa. If anything, she's pointing out that Hiei could be worse. Mukuro's power is based on her emotions, her state of mind. I believe I had her say that they share a similar source of anger, and perhaps Alexa should use it to reach greater heights.

Alexa may have told her story, and it may be quite different compared to Mukuro's past, but there is no such thing as the "Trauma Olympics." She is at a different place in her journey and still full of anger that she doesn't realize. I also, perhaps, purposefully did not write the entirety of her story out in all its details. It is this that was the point of the last chapter. It is Alexa explaining the possible source of her anger, which I very deliberately wrote and spelled out on the page.

Hiei was in the background because the source of her anger is a plot point of this story. Mukuro knows that he knows what this rage is, how it can be used, and how it can eat someone up til there's nothing left. She's trying to keep her friend alive, and is perfectly at ease with the idea of using Hiei to do so.

Mukuro is one of my very favorite characters. She destroyed the demons around her and rose to the top because the world failed her, and I empathize with that rage. Alexa does too. They are friends because they could understand one another, despite their differences as a powerful demon and a human.

So don't you dare say I don't take that topic seriously. It is disheartening, as a survivor myself, to think that anyone would read this and believe so.

Much love, everyone.

-A