As anime characters would say... KYAAA!!! =^_^=
I read this story twice (once yesterday and again today). I love the tension created in the scene between Kyouya and Haruhi when he saw her undressed! I'm REALLY trying not to gush like a demented schoolgirl on a sugar high, but it's really hard. ;)
deep breath Ok.
Once again, another entertaining story! The portrayal of characters in the tale is believable and in keeping with the manga's storyline (canon? I'm not too familiar with correct fanfic terms.)
This is another fascinating insight into Kyouya's psyche, looking beyond the surface and yet doesn't jar the reader into thinking this is only someone else's wishful fantasy. Nevertheless, this definitely fulfills MY fantasy that Kyouya is a still water that runs deep person - tightly leashing back his passionate emotions! At times, it feels like I'm reading a continuation to the original manga instead of fanfiction. :)
Of course, there will always be elements intrinsic in the world of fanfiction that is inescapable: the written outlet in which our deepest fantasies (unfulfilled in the manga) are realized. This, though, is woven seamlessly into the backbone of the story.
Maybe it's because I'm a Kyouya fan and thusly, hideously biased, but this is definitely a story well-worth reading!
Thank you for sharing, whimsey. I am really looking forward to future Ouran High School stories by you!
p.s. I'm partial to blue diamond engagement rings... ;)
Author's response
..."We'll honeymoon in Atami!"...(giggle). Hey, thanks again for your great commentary. It's such a huge compliment, to hear that this story hits your buttons and yet remains believable in terms of canon (assuming that term applies to anime and manga-based fic as to other genres. This is the only series of its kind I've written for, so not sure). A realism that remains consistent to the original story is a major concern with me in fiction, and I love the challenge of taking canon and leading it in a new (but hopefully plausible) direction. It's massive fun, extrapolating a possible future out of curious hints and what-ifs laid out in the canon world; just running with it, while trying to keep it true to the source. Although it doesn't really work, until the reader says that it works for them, which is why I'm so overjoyed at your response. I really can't thank you enough. And if you want, you're welcome to come visit me @ LiveJournal too. We can yammer about Kyouya endlessly, and I can prove I know how to write in paragraphs. ;D