I'm pretty much speechless about this chapter. Okay I'm baby, No wonder Falcon is so protective over Chite. He doesn't want to lose him like his brother Hawk. On a side note it makes me want to go kick Thaelen's ass. Lenior is a dumbass and needs to be either put in serious pain or he needs to die. Other than that I'm just dying to know what happens a go or I'll be late for class. Muse of melody

omgomgomgomg! I was relieved that Jasper was okay but now I'm so anxious and nervous to find out what's gonna happen to Chite now that he's trapped in that coffin with no air! Oh crap, Falcon needs air too, you mentioned that. Crap! Now I'm super nervous! And how did thta perverted jerk get out anyways? Poor Peter! I hope he's okay! omg what if he gets turned into a vampire too! that'd be kinda cool, but still. Oh! And poor Hawk, that story was so sad! No wonder Falcon's so messed up. It's heartbreaking

Gah Gah Gah gah GAH. This chapter just made me SQUEAK. I love hte way you write and just.. .

I agree with Psuedonym. I'm sorry, I just can't see any truth in Muffle's opinion. And I'm a CW MAJOR, man. (in highschool, not college! _;; I go to an arts school.) Even if there is something I'm not seeing, that's what revision is for. I have several chapters of my own story that I can hardly stand to think about, but for now I'm just going on, trying to finish the novel itself. I know this point has long since been forgotten, but the read and review system is, after all, just a not so specific *critique* system. And while sometimes a reviewer might be afraid to say anything bad about a story, other times they really mean it. I guess my point is, any opinion can be helpful, as long as it's truthful. But if one review out of a million truthful reviews brings up a point, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Am I being helpful at all? Making sense, even? I may have outlived my usefulness. Oh well. Just don't give up, ne? I'm willing to read all of DI and FLoE all over again and critique them line for line for you. Anything I can do, just email me or leave a note on my lj. 'Kay? _

Chippie

I really, really, really LOVE this story . I can't wait for the next chapter.

Okay, I'm taking Muffle's lead on this and turing your review section into a message board.(I just couldn't resist).

I know that Muffle may never see this and it may be pointless to write a second reivew but I decided to take Muffle's advice and reread DI and FOLE (again) to try to see what she is talking about. I honestly think that Muffle is entitled to his/her own opinion. I'm actually glad she/he wrote you a review. It proves how much he/she likes you if she's/he's considerate enough to give you some consructive criticsim. Anyway, I did like she said and reread a few things because I really wanted to understand where she's/he's coming from. But I still couldn't. Like I've said before everything in your stories is part of its own universe and anything that happens there is exactly as it should be. Even after rereading it again I still can't find fault in it.

So, Muffle- I think it's great that your voicing your opinions to help Xandra improve (I can definitly say I liked your second reivew better. The first one did seem nasty.) even if I don't necessarily agree with what you say.

AND Xandra, keep up the good work. Your stories are a treat to read. In fact when I'm reading them I have to say that mediocore is the last adjective on my mind. I do agree with one thing he/she said though. It is great that you write because you love to write because when reading your stories that same enjoyment you get from writing is passed down to your readers and it just makes your stories magical. (If that made any sense at all.)

Again-BEST REGARDS!

I couldn't resist... I knew I'd get this response. Time to use your review section as a message board to clearly state: my review seemed nasty yeah, but I'm not bagging you. YOU said somewhere in either this or DI that your stories had lost their fluidity. You recognised that problem yourself. And I don't read these stories because someone is forcing me, but because I used to love them and hate the mediocrity they've fallen into. People like light-hearted stories, and you too (again, as stated in DI) that you aren't penning FLOE and DI because you wanted them published but because you enjoy it. That's fine. But if you've truly got love for this then at least PLEASE, begging please, take at least my words into the slightest consideration. You're good. These stories are good. And quality is better over quantity. Read over the first chapter and look back over the beginning of DI and see exactly why I'm writing out a second review. The beauty and fluidity in your writing CAN return.

I promise not to say another word, nor review again unless I have something positive to say - and that would only be at the end because I'm not reading again until it's all wrapped up. Good luck, enjoy your loyal fanship which you so rightly deserve (you really really do), and I'm sorry if you don't want to listen to all this.

Hey Xandra!

Let me just start off by saying this: this was another absolutly great chapter in another absolutly great story!

Anyway, I usually don't review but I've read four out of your seven works posted and I LOVED every minute of them. Seriously, I had the most horrible day on Friday. I honestly was feeling like crap but then I go online and find that this new chapter was up. It made me so happy and after reading it I felt so much happier than when I got home from school. THAT is how good I thing your stories are and don't let other people tell you otherwise. I think you are a phenomenal author and I think your stories are perfect. I mean, sure there are some fluffy moments and humorous scenes but that's the way it should be. If in all your stories you had all the main characters dieing and all of them were angsty wrecks it just wouldn't fit with the story. Everything you write always feels natural. It would seem forced and awkward if you wrote anything differently. (Everything is as it should be).

I, for one, don't find your stories to be frustrating or cheesy or soap opera like at all. And if anything you have become a much more skilled writer since DI 20. Muffle is entitled to his/her opinion, but I just wanted to let you know that my opinion is that the only way you would let your fans or yourself down is to allow yourself to be discouraged or changed by bad reviews (WOW, that sounded kind of lame)

FYI- I don't adore you because I'm a fluff addict like Muffle might think, I love you because you ARE an amazing author with a lot of TALENT and you are using that TALENT to wirte some of the most INCREDIBLE stories I've ever read.

I, any case, I just thought now would be a good time to tell all this.

UPDATE ASAP!

Best Regards!

Flawless chapter as always, Xandra. I would love to rant on and on about it, and you know I would because I've done so in the past. _ You're really big on the cliffhangers, ne? Well, I know there's nothing I can do about that so I'll just move on to business.

To the reviewer, Muffle:

No one is making you read these stories. You have to realize that a writer's decisions and tastes in writing THEIR stories are not always going to match your own. I can't speak for Xandra, but I can speak for me, and apply it to the writing world in general: Writers write for love. When you create a character, create a world of characters and design a place for them to live, you love them more than anything. You raise them carefully, and when something happens you hope right along with them that everything will be okay. Sometimes you already know it will, but you still share that anxiety because they don't know, and you love them. This is what makes someone a good writer.

To be told something like what you told Xandra is horrible; I would have died to see something like that about my own story. Not that you aren't allowed to have an opinion, I believe strongly in free speech. But have you ever written anything? Have you ever built that kind of world for yourself, feeling all along that your writing might not be as good as you think but still doing your best and hoping that it is? You can't have, or else you would understand that you have just committed murder with your last review.

Should you ever see this, please think about that and who or what exactly you have just killed.

Sorry, Xan. I do this out of love.

Chippie

OMG I totally thought you gave up on this story! Okay I LOVED this chapter! And that cliff that the end...EVIL! So PLEASE PLEASE update soon!

PAH! Your stories are so frustrating and cheesy! What happened to that wonderful author from the first 20 or so chappters of Dark Illustrations? I gave up on that story with the last chapter but now the same thing is happening to this too! Your such a damn good writer and capable of so much more than this ham. Nothing bad ever happens. People who we've never met or never cared about die, but when it comes to Ivan Yustinov and now Jasper, no, they live ONLY because this has turned into a fluff story. Same with DI. From eloquence and pulse-pounding suspense to "how many battles can the characters fight in and walk away with just a few cut and bruises?" That Norbunga dude snuffs it, but again, he isnt really a main character. You keep going on and on about how huge and awful these bag guys are yet they don't seem to be doing much at all. Are these stories going to be reduced to a lame "let's defeat the unstoppable bad guy and live happily ever after" cliches?

I've never reviewed before because I'm lazy, but now I have to say it. ANd I say it only because you WERE the best damn writer on this website! But now... each chapter consists of how many bad jokes can you make about being a closet gay and how many puppy dog looks can I throw in while I'm at it. You're letting YOURSELF down. People may like fluff and adore your stories because of this, but you have TALENT to do better than this. These stories deserve such better treatment.

Not to mention the whole "Michah is just Chite in a different story" and "Falcon is Adrian" and Pavel is Cal and Europa is a slightly more intelligent Peter. It's the same formula working overtime.

After two years I officially give up. i'll come back to see how this all ends but other than that... Again, I don't WANT to bash you, but you're just so much better than this fluffy nonsense.

(Oh yeah, and what's with putting everything in brackets this chapter? You had four in the first scene alone!)

I wish I could make this review good enough to make you take my point but I know you'll just shrug it off. If you've gotten stuck with writers block or something then just stop until your creative juices start flowing again. Both this story and DI started off as a fun romp, but now they are worse than the soap operas Chite is so fond of. Don't let yourself stoop that low when you KNOW (I think you even mentioned it in an authors note once) that you're having trouble writing and could bring back the magic your stories have lost.

Woohoo for updates! Very nice. Loved it, as always.

Write more, write soon, just write. Ciao.

Oh, that was so worth the wait! *grins* I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter, as usual.

*laughs insanely* I knew it! J-Jasper!

*ahem* I mean...Anyways, I LOVE YOUR STORY! Yeah, I kept talking about it this weekend when I was with my friends. I think they got a little annoyed with me going on about everything that was happening and stuff.

I can't wait to see how this develops! I really am getting into it over here. A sign of this may be my sudden wanting to learn Russian and new-found intrest in vampires. Whelps, keep at it and update as soon as it's conveniant!

Write more, write soon, just write. Ciao.

I love this story! I hope you don't give up on it. This is one of the few stories I actually check up on. So please UPDATE SOON!