I know I left this story for a ridiculous amount of time, but I have now re-dedicated myself. Looking back on that previous chapter makes me cringe a little. I'll have to rewrite that. However, my to-do list is lengthy enough already and my lack of free time is shocking. Work, school, food, sleep-- repeat until dead. But, at last I've found my inspiration and this story shall proceed full steam ahead.
I was shocked at the positive response to the first chapter and that gives me hope that maybe, I haven't lost -all- my reviewers... Oh well. I'll be writing anyway.
Enjoy... If you dare. Muah.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These Bloody Fangs of Mine
Written by: Kit
EPISODE TWO: Knight of the Night
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Painfully bright light filtered in through my closed eyelids, turning everything a fiery red. I breathed in deeply, choking on the thickness of the air. It was like trying to breathe pea soup, if such a thing were possible.
There was a weight on my chest. Not uncomfortable, but definitely noticed.
I could smell... things. Lots of things. Some I'd rather I didn't.
It was garbage day. The thought filtered in suddenly, followed by the unwelcome aroma of too-ripe bananas, coffee, beef ramen and other... interesting once-edibles.
The weight on my chest began to vibrate, resonating straight through to my lungs. Wheezing, my eyes opened fractionally. Slits of blinding light pierced through the comforting darkness and I groaned.
I shifted fractionally, but froze up at the tearing pain that came from my neck to my shoulders. Every muscle and ligament seemed to have knotted and petrified overnight.
Overnight... The thought started a rather muffled train of thought that my head wasn't up to comprehending just yet. I blinked my eyes slowly, breaking the crust that had glued them together. My adjusting vision blurred and then focused on two slitted orbs about an inch from my face.
"Mwrrow," they said.
I shook my head and felt the weight lift off. There was a thud from beside me and I propped myself up on my elbow groggily. I looked down at the cat, its familiar black coat and glinting fang made me sigh with recognition.
"'Morning Dracula," I murmured, running a hand through my thoroughly tangled hair.
There was a strangled cough from the door. I spun around.
"Don't call me that," the all-too familiar figure growled, as he angrily clenched the two sopping white shirts in his hands. His bare chest and shoulders locked stiffly as his green eyes bore irefully into mine. My throat stuck and I, for lack of actual coherent thought, stuttered,
"Not y-you. C-Cat."
He glimpsed down at the offending feline warily before looking back at me.
"Right," he breathed, face relaxing. He looked down at the shirts, one of which I recognized to be the blouse from my Tofu Hut uniform. The other, I assumed by his state of dress, was his own. I tried to speak, to yell, to scream, but all my mouth would do was gape open and close, much in the same way my goldfish does. His silvery hair, nearly white in this terribly chipper light, drooped messily into his face and he stared at me with something akin to mistrust. I was tempted to glance around for his brown suede jacket, just so I could be sure it was him, the man from the street, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to break his gaze. Despite its harsh intensity, I felt myself relaxing and leaning my head back into the softness of my pillow.
"I tried to get the stains out of your shirt," he gestured finally, carefully, "but you may have to get it professionally cleaned." I wrapped myself around his sentence, forcing myself awake.
"W-what did I spill on it?" My voice came back, much to my relief. My head felt rather fuzzy, and something told me that this was not the most important issue at hand here.
He winced slightly and stepped forward. "Miss Omeki, you shouldn't worry about it too much right now."
"Whad' I spill?" I slurred again stupidly.
"I think, um, it might be best if you went back to sleep for a while," he tried, voice remaining soft and low. Suddenly I became irritated at his patronizing tone.
"Look mister, just tell me what I spill... spilt..." My throat cracking as my voice raised an octave. I swung my feet slowly to the floor and tried, wobbly, to stand.
He looked to the floor in what seemed to be a painful gesture. He opened his mouth, but before he spoke, I peered over his shoulder into my tiny kitchen, one of the three minuscule sections to my one-room apartment. In the small chrome sink, and splayed over the dingy beige countertop, were tiny puddles of red, accompanied by every single one of my pathetic hand-knit dishrags, soaked completely crimson and leaking steadily onto the linoleum floor.
I smelled it first, and somehow I just knew the scent.
Blood.
I inhaled it, swam in it, nearly tasted it on my own pink tongue.
Not just any old blood. My blood.
He must have noticed my movement before even I did, because he came forward and propped me up with his free hand as I slumped towards the floor.
"I wasn't kidding about the sleep, Miss Omeki," he said, leaning my back towards the futon, "you've been through a lot these last three days. Your body needs rest."
"Not three," I corrected drowsily, as I once again went horizontal, "one, just last night... One..."
And as I said it, my mind replayed what had happened in shadowy detail. The bus stop; Yukito; the dark, tearing, seeping pain that went on and on, despite how much I silently screamed for it to stop.
I pushed against his arm, shaking as I sat back up.
"Didyoucallthepolice? Did you get him? H-he attacked me, oh Kami, he said he was going to kill me.. But I don't know who Hiryuu is, I really don't!" My eyes moistened with hysterical tears as my chest heaved up and down heavily.
It took me a minute to calm down, aided by an almost jarring back rub. I breathed deeply, eyes shut as tightly as possible. The haunting scent of blood filled my nose and I tried desperately to block it out. As I relaxed again, my eyelids fluttered open and I looked up again at him.
"Y-You saved me, didn't you?"
He returned my gaze darkly. "That's one way of putting it."
I took that as a positive and tried to muster a grateful smile from behind my panicky haze. "I can't thank you enough, and I-I'm really sorry I crashed into you before, Mr, uh, Mr....?"
His vivid grass-green eyes closed once before he answered.
"My name is Hiryuu Ross, and you'll be sorrier tomorrow, kid."
I just stared as he got up and walked away.
It took me a long time to get back to sleep after that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second time I awoke, it was dark. With a jolt that felt like a pail full of icy water, my body launched itself upwards. I was half onto the floor before I even knew what I was doing. My eyes blinked, now watery and stinging.
I glanced around the room. Dracula sat crouched on a chair in the corner, his black tail flipping back and forth slowly. My Tofu Hut uniform was neatly pressed and hung, the hanger balancing on the knob of my sole kitchen chair. Narrowing my eyes, I turned to look down at what I was wearing. A yellow cartoon cat face grinned goofily up at me. I winced. The carnival souvenir was a frequent pyjama accessory, but not something I'd like anyone of the opposite sex to lay eyes on. Assuming I was taken to the hospital, at least my 'hero' hadn't dressed me himself. The idea was enough to make me flush feverishly.
With that thought, I glanced around my apartment. You could see just about every corner from my futon, but I couldn't help feeling uneasy. He claimed to have saved me, but was it really a good idea to have some strange guy roaming around? And he said his name was... Hiryuu. Hiryuu Ross. It was possible that the name was a coincidence, but... What connection could he have had to my attacker?
In an attempt to control my panic, I inhaled deeply. My nose wrinkled with the stale stench of the air around me. Everything smelled musty and used. I could pick up the redolent aroma of fruity perfume, lunch meats, yeast, and even some old cigarette smoke, which was strange considering I hadn't smoked a day in my life. Perhaps Hiryuu did.
Suddenly, a click penetrated the relative silence. My eyes sprang to the unlocking door. I practically leapt from my seated position and I reached to the side of the futon where my trusty baseball bat was propped up. In almost the same second, my grip eased as Hiryuu's less than cheerful face poked through the door.
"Ah," he sighed as he eased through the entrance, a large brown bag balanced on one arm, "glad to see you're awake." He moved towards the tiny kitchen space and set the bag down on the makeshift counter. He stood perfectly still for a moment as he looked at me. His brown suede jacket hung nicely on his shoulders and I couldn't help but get a sense of deja vu. After a moment of examining me, he reached into the bag and stepped forward, a bottle in his hand. He offered it to me cautiously and I, suddenly feeling parched, took it just as carefully. I offered him a small smile before taking a gulp, then two. Orange juice. Ah. No pulp.
As I guzzled ravenously, he pulled over my one notched little chair, setting the hung uniform on the table.
"I was wondering if you were going to pull through there," he noted. He had a quiet, but strong voice. Against my better judgement, I liked it.
"Pull through what?" I wondered in-between gradually slowing sips. I mentally checked my body over for cuts, bruises, or any other wounds. All ten fingers and toes were accounted for, and I didn't feel any pain anywhere. In fact, this was the best I'd felt in a long time. That guy couldn't have roughed me up too badly.
Hiryuu ignored me and sat down. Dracula immediately sprang from his corner cushion and let out a loud mewl. He rumbled and rubbed himself affectionately against the man's black trouser leg. It was the first time I'd seen the black furball do that to anyone besides me. But, then again, the last person I'd had in this apartment was the landlord when I'd moved in... I really needed to get out more.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, paying the cat no heed.
"Fine, thank you." The answer automatically skittered from my mouth, ingrained by years of desensitizing retail service.
He shook his head. "No, really. How do you feel?"
I scrunched my eyebrows together and thought. All my limbs felt loose, but strong; my head was incredibly clear; and, for once, I had no headache, stuffed nose, or any other of my yearlong allergy symptoms.
I looked up at him. "I feel... Well, to be honest, I feel great."
He smiled humourlessly. "Then I suppose you have some questions for me."
I nodded thoughtfully, a little unsure by his sombre attitude. For a knight in shining armour, he sure didn't seem very... Shining. Or knightly. But, then again, beggars, especially ones being mugged, can't be choosers.
"Here's one," I began, "did you get him? The guy who tried to mug me?"
He looked a little surprised by that. "Mug? Uh, no, Yukito got away."
"But you know who that creep is, right? You can go arrest him or something, y'know, go all 'Cops' on his butt..?" I pounded my fist into my hand righteously.
My hero frowned. "Not quite. The situation is not that simple. Yukito Ikatouya has a certain... Immunity."
I gaped. "Immunity? You're kidding me, right? Just because he's rich doesn't mean the law doesn't apply to him!" I glared accusingly. "And who are you to know about the 'situation,' hn? A cop?"
"You might say that."
I flew to my feet angrily, seconds before realizing that my T-shirt only covered to the top of my thighs. Shrieking at the flash of purple underwear, I launched myself frantically under the covers. After a moment of embarrassed screeches, as well as several silent mouthings of 'baka,' I peeked my head back out. Expecting to find Hiryuu laughing or sneering at me, I was surprised to find he had moved into the kitchen and was looking through my cupboards.
His expression was neutral, tired even. Again, something striked me as being odd about his manner. No leering, no scoffing. That is, unless I was so completely plain as to repel even the slightest bit of male attention... I was relieved and rueful about this at the same time. After all, my knight was a decisively good-looking guy, if maybe a bit of a gloomy gus.
"Tea kettle?" He asked blandly.
I gulped. "Lower cabinet. It's electric..."
He plugged it in and turned away, looking out my one fair-sized window. If there was anything at all to say about this apartment, it was that the view was nothing to sneer at. As he watched the people down below, I snuck towards my dresser and pulled at the middle drawer. It screeched terribly as it opened, being a bit abused, but he didn't turn until I had acquired a pair of jean cut-offs and tucked my shirt in. I was too nervous to change any more than that. His eyes didn't stray from the view, but my nerves wouldn't let me be so bold.
"Kettle's boiled," he pointed out after a few minutes, "is there any tea around here?"
I went and fixed two cups, peering at the groceries in the bag as I did so. Coffee, bananas, instant noodles, milk... I pulled up an unpacked box to sit on and left him the chair, but he remained standing and leaned against the wall instead. There was a strange, nearly awkward silence.
"Heh, I had a funny dream," I started up, anxious to fill the gap, "I, uh, hallucinated that there was blood all over this place, everywhere, even in the sink." My laugh sounded nervous, hollow. I glanced at the uniform on the table. It was spotless, as was the rest of the place. Hn. Blood dreams. That'll teach me to get mugged before bedtime.
"It wasn't a dream," he commented, "and I had your uniform dry-cleaned while you were still asleep. You were in a very critical condition for a while there, Miss Omeki."
I sipped at my tea. "W-what did he do to me? I don't really remember..."
With this, Hiryuu gave a large sigh and turned from the wall. He pulled the chair out and sat down with a thud. His green eyes burned into mine with an intensity that made me spill my tea down the front of my shirt. It burned, but I didn't really feel it. I just focused on his eyes; they were so bright and vibrant. As pale and serious as his face seemed, his irises just glowed warmly in contrast. My skin tingled, as it had on the day I ran into him on the street.
"Miss Omeki, you may not believe what I'm about to---"
"--Kaho, if you don't mind--"
He started again. "Miss Kaho---"
"No," I corrected, "just Kaho. That 'miss' thing makes me feel old."
He shocked me by nearly smiling. "You, miss, are most definitely not old." I didn't like that patronizing tone of his voice.
"Oh don't give me that," I growled, "you can't be much older than I am."
His near-smile faded abruptly. "What are you? Sixteen? Seventeen? I am your senior by far." I pouted at his wrong guess. I did not look that young...
"Nineteen," I grumbled, "and you can't be a day older than thirty. A decade isn't all that much, sir."
"A decade?" He mused, "try a century."
I cocked my head angrily to the side. "I may be young, Mr. Ross, but I'm not stupid. A century is one hundred years. There is no way on this Earth that you are a hundred years old."
This time his smile was dry. "You're right---" I smiled triumphantly at his defeated tone.
"---I'm three."
Being a young girl alone in the city, I've always been sensitive about being made a fool of and this time my voice was furious. "Honestly, if you think this is funny! To taunt a traumatized girl... I am not a joke, thank you very much!"
His hands raised, palms forward placatingly. "I joke you not." He sighed and took the teacup from my hands as I went to take an angry sip. Staring into my eyes calmly, he cleared his throat formally.
"You see, Kaho, since the emergence of the modern Homo Sapiens Sapiens, some-odd forty thousand years ago, there has also appeared a seperate gene variation as well. This mutation is referred to scientifically as sangiitus vampirus. This variation shares most of mankind's normal characteristics. The exceptions to this being that this emerging variation, this, genetic mutation if you will, produces humans that are physically incapable of surviving without ingesting human plasma. There are also a few minor differences between those affected and those who are not, the most prominent being amplified senses, augmented strength, prolonged life-span, complete immunity to common viruses... Little things." He took a small breath, "To put it in laymen's terms, Kaho, I am what you would call a 'vampire,' and, as a result of last week's digression with Yukito, so are you."
I threw the sugar cubes at him.
"GET OUT!! OUT! RIGHT NOW!! I MEAN IT!! Leave my apartment, or I'll call security-- Don't think I won't! I refuse to sit here and be made a fool of, Mr. Ross!! This is absolutely unbelievable, the way I'm being treated! I bet you're not even a cop! A vampire!? ARGH! I can't believe you actually expect me to--"
"---Oh," he interrupted mildly, "while I was cleaning up, I accidentally stepped on your glasses."
On my... My mouth snapped shut and my eyes must've bulged out of my head.
"WHAAAAAAAAT???" My screech echoed throughout the room, "b-b-but, how could you--how could you? Do you have any idea of how expensive those were? I have an astigmatism and those lenses cost me an arm and a leg! How am I supposed to see, to function, much less go to worrr----" I cut myself off. Hiryuu's eyes were touched with amusement as he held up the broken coke-bottle lenses.
I patted my eyes slowly.
Nothin'.
My gaze lifted once again to his face; his clear, still, slightly amused face. I could see the tiny little crinkles in the corners of his eyes as he gave another half-smile; I could see the well-placed dimple in his left cheek; I could see each individual strand of his perfect silvery hair.
I glanced down at the broken plastic frame.
"Okay..." I breathed, feeling light-headed, "um... Let's just say I might, sort of, could possibly believe you..."
He stretched and yawned, exposing his canine teeth to me. ... His rather unnaturally pointed canine teeth.
"Well then, Kaho, there's someone I think you need to meet."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laser eye surgery... Permanent contacts... New eyeballs...
I was out of ideas. How the devil I was looking at myself at this moment, I just couldn't figure out. But there I was, wide-eyed, slightly flushed, incredibly confused face reflected in the glass door pane. My dark brown hair was flat on my head, and, for the first time in my life, I was seeing what I looked like without glasses. My eyes strayed to a white square on the neckline of my frantically selected sweater.
It was on backwards...
... Funny. I'd always worn it like that.
"Oi..." I glanced up the stairs. I could hear Hiryuu stepping slowly downwards. While I was used to pouncing down the thirteen floors from my floor, Hiryuu had obviously decided to take his sweet time with it. I had a minute or two. And so I pulled my arms into my shirt and began to twist it around.
Hiryuu the vampire. Hn. Right. New eyeballs were more likely. And he had absolutely refused to say anything else on the matter until I met with these people he mentioned. Why I was even listening to this guy, I didn't know. Perhaps it was out of gratitude, perhaps I was starved for any normal human contact. Although, how this counted as normal I wasn't too sure...
"Kaho?"
I winced and rotated around, arms still stuck meekly inside my sweater. Hiryuu stood at the top of the stairs, eyebrows raised. I blanched. There was no way he should've got down here so fast...
"Eh-heh..." I flopped an empty sweater arm at him. Very chic.
He waited for me to fix myself right before pushing open the final door to what stood as the lobby. It was, in truth, a grungy hall lined with rusty letter boxes. I passed mine without even checking. I never got any mail anyway.
Before I got to the door, I heard something. The frantic click of stiletto heels.
The door burst open.
"Kaho-chan! Oh!" Jeri Miaoto stepped, no, launched herself in. Her arms were topped with a tremendous bouquet of flowers. I backed off. My allergy alarm usually went off if I was within ten feet of a petunia, daisy, lilac or sunflower. And don't even get me started on baby's breath. But... Surprisingly, I could still breathe. There were such things as miracles. Who knew?
"Jeri?" I gaped as she rushed forward to hug me, "what're you doing here?"
Pulling me close in her embrace, she murmured, "Now, tell me the truth, were you really sick, or just playing hooky with this gorgeous specimen..?" I blushed upon seeing Hiryuu's eyebrow raise. Somehow, he'd heard that, I just knew it.
She backed off and gave Hiryuu a dazzling smile. I noticed she had done her hair and make-up to a tee, as well as worn a very new-looking sun dress. Not exactly what I'd call proper 'sick-call' attire...
"Nice to see you again," she cooed warmly at him, "I see your 'patient' is up and about."
I looked questioningly at him. "You've met?"
He shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I took the liberty of telling your work you'd be out sick."
I ran that through my head. I'd been attacked on a Saturday night. But, I didn't work on Sundays... I turned towards Jeri.
"What's the date?"
She smiled uncertainly. "Tuesday, hon. Why?"
I breathed a sigh of relief. Only a day. That wasn't so bad.
Jeri giggled. "--The only reason I know that is because I have a hair appointment the first Tuesday of every month!"
Wait. The first of the month...?
Hiryuu sensed my confusion at once. Grimly, he informed me, "You've been in bed for more than a week..."
Nearly... a... week...? Instantaneously, I began to hyperventilate. A dozen or so thoughts flew into my head at once. Half a paycheck, missed hydro bill, unfed goldfish, undone laundry, forgotten to pick up photos...
"PHOTOS!!" I yelped, "Oh god, Hiryuu please tell me you told my other job that I wouldn't be in..."
He looked surprised. "Other job..? I didn't know..."
My knees buckled and I sank to the floor, my world coming to crash down violently around me.
I was -so- fired.
My secondary boss, Mr. Shunsen Nogi, while being a renowned portrait photographer, was far from an understanding man. I was one of half a dozen abused assistants, all of which could be replace by any number of eager wannabes with cameras. It was an unpleasant job, but it paid well, and it was good experience for what I really wanted to do...
I moaned woefully. Not only was I fired, but there was no way I would be able to make rent with only half a tofu cook's paycheck. There goes my freedom, my independence, my future as an internationally famous photo journalist... Now I would have to return home and grovel at my mother and her fiancé's feet. Oh, Akeno would just love that, to welcome his 'little daughter' back into the house. And all of this just because some stinking rich stockbroker decides to play cops and robbers...
My head sagged downwards. I almost wished vampires really did exist, and that I was one, if only so I could rip Yukito's neck open and watch him bleed dry. The thought reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything in quite a while.
But, as I fought back tears, I felt Hiryuu kneel beside me. His hand rested gently on my shoulder and, almost immediately, I stopped shaking. It was as if someone had just placed a warm blanket over me. I looked up, feeling something radiating between us. To call it a connection was corny, but that's indeed what it was.
"Don't worry," he declared firmly, kneading his fingers gently against my arm, "everything is going to be fine. I'll take care of you. No matter what."
And, for no real reason at all, I believed him.
Hm. Looks like I had my very own knight after all...
###################### Author's Ramble ####################################
This may seem a tad short, but this really was the safest place to cut it off. The next chapter has much more in the way of action. This was sort of a prelude to establish Hiryuu and Kaho's relationship. Character development and all that. Thanks for reading! o
###################### Exceedingly Profound Replies #########################
Zyryon - To tell you the truth, your simple review gave me a massive kick in the butt. Thanks, and I hope this lives up to your expectations.
FireBringer - mongos... I have never heard of that word. From now one I shall make ample use of it. Thank you mongos for your review... How's that?
Liv-star - Yeah, I too am having a hard time finding fun, completely unserious stories. It's nice to know that I'm sort of succeeding in that sense. Thanks. Hope you're around to read the next chap!
Maruhanabachi - Awww... Thanks. It's nice reviews like this that make me feel quite scummy in my lack of updating. I'm really glad you like my sense of humour. It's a bit kooky, I warrant, but hopefully fun for all those involved. If you've read this chap, please let me know how it is. I'm so rusty!
Minchi - Thanks, hon. I appreciate that.
Yin Camui - Split it into chapters? Heh, I hate to break it to you, but this is my regular chapter size. I didn't think it was too long before now... Hm. I hope you can overlook that. Thanks for giving me your thoughts.
MOONSHADOW3 - Your thumbs up is much savored. Merci.
Poetic abortion - Okay, love your name. Thanks, although I think 'brilliant' is a little strong. There are so many kinks in my writing that it looks as if I crimp it or something... Ehe. But, thanks for the praise!
MiyunoMegami3 - Hehe. Don't be -too- mad at me. Better late than never, ne?
Rekishi Niiro - Wow. My stories coming to life? That's a scary thought... However, I am glad you were intrigued by the tofu, if nothing else. Tofu is an excellent literary tool, I'll have you know. Thanks for the unwavering reviewage. Hopefully, you'll keep me informed as to how I'm doing. Merci buckets.
Canni Souda - Glad to see I've made an impact! o
Aoi Sakura - Hiya! I'm still alive, if worried about the reactions of any angry readers I may have left. Vampires are indeed fun to write about. I'm hoping to open up some ideas that've never been done before. Promises to be a hoot! Well, at least I hope so...
Dinkydaelf - Y-you're not angry..? Phew. Thanks for reminding me that not everyone wants to slash my head into two with a broken coke bottle. I promise there'll be no more year-long wait periods. Hope you're still around! It's be lonely otherwise... TT
Suki Arashi - Yep. Still going. Hopefully you're still reading...
She Who Floats - Mwahaha. I have the power to make thout giggle! Today fictionpress, tomorrow, the world! Take that and that. Hya! Ehe. Thankies.
The Alien from Uranus - Tofu and vampires. A silly combination? What do you mean by that? And don't worry, this story won't take away from PG. I will see it through to the end, promise! Take it easy, and hope you enjoyed this chap!
Hummer - Wow, those are nice adjectives compared to what I usually get: insane, disturbing, nonsensical... It's a nice change. Thanks!
Carter Tachikawa - Ah! Coming from an excellent writer! Thanks for reading, and even more for reviewing. Hope this chapter measures up.
Lynx wings - 'Stream-of-consciousness narrative style?' O.o There's a name for it? Wow. I need to go think about this. Much thanks for the review. And the definition. Ooh.
Erika Dejongh - Nope, I haven't read 'Cirque Du Freak'. Have I accidentally copied something? Eeh. That's unfortunate. Anyway, glad my logic actually seems... Logical to you. Thanks.
Love and Shadow - Influenced by anime? Moi? You must be joking, how could I possibly be influenced by manga like Ranma, Scrapped Princess, Samurai Pizza Cats, Miyazaki and the like? Blasphemy! ;; ... Yeah. You've got me pegged.
Kiyume - You actually know a vampire? Wow. Fantastic. You must let me interview him as research for my story. How does he like his blood? Shaken or stirred?
Fluff Inc. - Why, yes, I have had dreams of tofu. Why do you ask? Is there something wrong about dreaming of wobbly squares of organic goodness? Hn, Jess? Are you discriminating against tofu now?
Stellarr - Eeeh. Don't hurt me. I bow to your unyielding patience.
Kali Akotor - Uh, heh. Funny how things don't tend to make sense in my writing, isn't it? Ehehehe... I'm going to have to work on that. Let's just call it 'fictionary license,' okay? Bear with me, the plot holes shall be filled with completely sensical cement. Yes. Anyday now. You'll see...
Ink on paper - My goal here was to give a comedic light to the vampire world. It's going to get kookier, just you wait. Glad to see I'm not getting flamed by readers of official vampire literature. That's be bloody... No pun intended. ;; Hang on there, there'll be no more year-long waiting periods...
Miss Katherine - Oh! Thank goodness. I was wondering when I'd get some criticism. And, looking at my writing now, you're completely right. I am an incoherent rambler. I have no excuse. But admitting it is the first step, and, hopefully, I shall be cured sometime soon. Thank you for the helpful comment and, like many others I'm sure, I patiently await your update.
Daeani - Waaah... Another angry mob member. Forgive me!
Just a Whimsy - Yay! I'm Kat-approved! And no worries, this will not be a cliche, angst-fest. Heh, as if I could authentically write that. Hn. There's an idea. Oh well, as long as I have the support of a talented little muffin such as yourself, all will be well. Thanks, yo! And keep writing!
Elmer25 - Um, I wish it was true, but no, I do not speak French fluently. I've got my grade twelve core under my belt, but that's about it. A shame, no?
Chibi Emi-Kura-Maro - I write and can only wait for your response. Indulge me.
CHIPMUNK1 - Yeah, Kaho did have echoes of Mirei in her, but I'm hoping to shake that out. She'll be her own person if I have to write 'till I'm blue in the face. But keep me informed if she gets a little too PG-esqe. An objective opinion would be appreciated. Thank you!
The Last Cynic - You're right about that. Seriousness adds credibility. I'll try to tone it down without losing any of that 'laugh-out-loud' humour you mentioned. Thanks for the helpful comment, and I hope you'll find that I've improved over the past year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, those reviews took forever to answer... But then, that's good, right?
Next time on TBFoM: Transcending Reality
Red, red, red. A trip to the dentist turns out to be more than it seems. Kaho learns the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth. Tofu banishment. The Centre bites back. Dinner for two. Vampiric psychology gone awry. Bela Lugosi. Hiryuu rings the bell and Kaho finally wakes up. Nineteen years certainly is a long time to be asleep.
Stay tuned. Don't make me pull out any more teeth jokes.
-Kit