Rafusen
2004-02-05
ch 1, signed

Oi, you! I've returned from the underworld. Nice fic.
Chiri: -_^ We'll never forget your endearing reviews for wind chimes, no da..
Tas: Chiri's turnin' inta real big head, ya know. Think's he's real hot sh*t, ya know.
^^ Bad boys! Well, keep writing...love ya

Talia Ali
2003-02-04
ch 1, signed

Wow... just wow. This was an amazing story. I really liked how you portrayed Chichiri, Houjun, as Kagayaki's mentor and step-father. Brilliant. Keep up the great work.

Black Zodiac
2003-01-03
ch 1, signed

*snif snif* how sweet, it almost mad me cry (and that's not easy.) Very well written, I loved it!

Digi-riven
2002-08-16
ch 1, signed

^_^ I liked it!

Yifiig
2002-06-30
ch 1, signed

*sniffle* My chichiri's all grown up now! This is one of the few fics that can make me all warm and fuzzy inside.

shadow priestess
2002-05-31
ch 1, signed

WOW!!! This was really good!! Too cool!!! Oh gosh... And I liked the song you set it to. I coulda sworn at first that Kagayaki was Tasuki. It totally freaked me out. But once again, too cool.

Seiryuu Girl
2002-05-24
ch 1, signed

Wow. I don't know if I know how to describe how brilliant that was. It was good to see a story still set in The Universe of The Four Gods of Earth and Sky. I think the idea of Chichiri's future was wonderful, and the mention of Tasuki's sacrifice nearly made me cry. I think your writing style is brilliant as well, and your own character was an interesting person. Besides, I'm normally a Seiryuu fanatic, I rarely read completely Suzaku stories unless they seem particularly intriguing and review even less. You have written a brilliant piece of literature, which was not only detailed and well-written but also interesting. Well done.

Sakata Ri Houjun
2002-04-16
ch 1, signed

Gods, this absolutely made me cry. How wonderful that you also included the element of Mitsukake's healing water. Not very many people remember that Chichiri got that. And Tasuki's death was classic.
But I loved how you reunited chiri with his loved ones in the end. What a tearjerker!
Keep writing...

LinaIX
2002-03-07
ch 1, signed

Eh...I actually read this fic a long time ago and never got around to reveiwing it...oops...=P This fic has stood out in my mind ever since I read it, and I've read lot since. ^^ It's wonderfully written and quite original if I should say so!!! ^^ I almost wished it didn't end! And you made the death so I wouoldn't cry,but soooo touching! Guess I could of just said that I loved it! ^^ I've read both of your FY fics and love them both!

Chichiri's Girl
2002-02-20
ch 1, anonymous

Wow! I apologize in advance for not being as eloquent as your other reviewers. Roku-chan, ever the big sister, ("I want you to read this or I'll beat you up like in the old days if you don't leave a nice review") hooked me onto your story. Since I'm such a huge Chichiri fan,and for the fact that I can't write my way out of a paper bag, I am really impressed by "Crossroads". Actually, I am quite jealous of how well you portrayed Chichiri as a very wise, yet self-effacing sifu. (Had a good one myself and this story threw me back to my ol' martial arts days.) I'm going to print your story out to re-read more slowly as I'm stuck on an airplane this weekend. I'll keep an eye out for more FY fanfics you write. You are one great author!

roku kyu
2002-02-14
ch 1, signed

Wellllll...Wow. This is a truly beautiful and inspired story. There is so much quiet and intense emotion here that it's rubbed off on me, and I'm unable to write with my usual exclamation points. I love the detail, love Chichiri, love everything. Parts that especially affected me - Chichiri's story of Tasuki's death, the wonderful continuity (with OVA 1) of returning the seishi artifacts to Hotohori's son and grandson, and the happy/sad ending. The one thing that stumps me is why there aren't more reviews of this truly wonderful effort. Well, I'll see what I can do about that - word of mouth (or net!) does wonders. Congratulations on a job well done. Like you, music affects me very much (at one time, I even dreamed of being a music ed major - but too little talent in that arena kept me as just a rapt audience member.)
Anyway, now I'll ask for a favor - can you explain the exact Japanese term for Chichiri's cloak? -I've seen it written as both kesa and kasa, and it's driving me nuts as I keep vacillating between the two. Ugh. The science nerd in me requires exact answers! Help! Thanks!

Shunyata Ryuen
2002-01-21
ch 1, signed

All righty, then. I warn you now, I'm very long-winded when it comes to stories I like, so settle back in your seat and take a deep breath, 'cause I'm gonna start writing and I don't know when I'm gonna stop. *cracks knuckles*

Now. It all began last night, around midnight. Exhausted and pissed off that Lord of the Rings won nooooothing *sob* at the Golden Globes, I was in the mood for a fanfic. Thus, while skimming through the fic listings looking for something possible, I ran across a very well-written summary, the story of which I'd considered reading before, but had gotten sidetracked from. This story, naturally, was this one. Soooo. I printed it out (thirteen pages, in case you wondered ^_~.), dragged it up to my room, and settled in for a bit of reading before drifting off.

As it was, I was completely entranced by it. So often, fanfics hinge on dramatics and action and love triangles and Lord knows what else, but this was just a simple, unassuming story of a guy who goes into a bar, forms a lifelong friendship, and is forever changed by the experience. The writing is phenomenal. Honestly, I can't understand why this fic isn't flooded with reviews by now. You manage to juggle accurate and interesting description without going overboard, and so there's nothing to distract from the dialogue, which is the guts of the story, anyway. At first, due to Kagayaki's incessant swearing and bar-frequenting, I was wondering if he might perhaps be some strange reincarnation of Tasuki, but the fact that he is an original character works so, so well here. I love the setting of this story, also--there are very few who dare to toy with the later days of the surviving seishi's lives, and the way you incorporate what's been going on in those past few years so effortlessly into the story--it makes for a very smooth, enjoyable read.

Next, Chichiri himself. At first, I was a bit confused about the "old guy in the bar," because truthfully, until he introduced himself, I had no idea who in hell he was. :) The absence of "no da" punctuating each sentence made it difficult to realize his identity, but at the same time, I really like that he's changed so much. It seems to be a very natural progression of Chichiri's character, that he would become a healed, unmasked individual who doesn't need to rely on false faces and voices to get through life.

I love, also, the story of Mitsukake's holy water and Tasuki's death. It's believable, particularly for Tasuki, and, again, it's integrated effortlessly into the narrative. Finally, I love the relationship formed here. Kagayaki and "Ri-sensei" are, as you no doubt were attempting to emphasize, so -different-, and yet they still have the capacity to be the -same.- If there is a moral to this story, it's that no one is beyond redemption, and even the most unlikely of peoples can be salvaged if treated with the right kind of care. So, to conclude. :) I very, very much enjoyed this story--the reading of it was a welcome, relaxing experiences, the characters are phenomenal, and the fun little afterlife-ending left me smiling. It's one of those "uplifting" things, ya know? But, anyway. Don't be disheartened by the lack of reviews here, because honestly, truthfully, you are an immensely talented writer and I really, really enjoyed reading this. In fact, if you don't object, I'd love to post it on my fanfiction archive, despite the fact that Nuriko's only in it for...well, two sentences or so. ^_~. If you don't want it posted, of course, that's fine--but let me know, one way or the other, at [email protected]. Thanks for the great read, Kryssa. :)