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azuriteI haven't done review replies in a while, and you might think that because I have the ability to use FFnet's new Review Reply option, I would take advantage of it. However, the thing with the FFnet Review Reply is that they are private, not posted anywhere on the site. With these, not only can you see which reviews I took special notice of, but which ones asked pertinent enough questions for me to answer. As always, keep your eyes peeled for interesting information or secret spoilers!
Note: I do not post all reviews that I receive here; only the ones that I feel I should reply to. For all reviews, I do NOT edit them for content/spelling/etc. in any way.
For lengthier reviews, I will insert my commentary where appropriate. The actual review will resume in italicized text.
If more reviews come in for this (or any older) chapter(s), then I will respond to them at the BOTTOM of this page, and indicate a “last updated” section here at the TOP. If there is no LAST UPDATED area, that means this post has not changed since the original post date.
twilight eyes 8120 -- Your writing is so full of descriptions that are just so amazingly wonderful. I think your writing actually forces me to consider my own processes, because you make a person feel like they are actually within the story--not just reading it. You also give a person tons of great material to sink their mental teeth into.
Wow, thank you! It's always great to hear from a fellow author, plus ones whose works I read and enjoy. *nudge nudge* To think I might somehow be inspiring or at least helpful really makes me smile.
I enjoy how you keep pulling in story and plot lines from the past. You make me have to review past chapters to try and find all the links. The true sign of a good story.
My only concern is Téa's fainting spells. Shouldn't Kaiba have taken her straight to the hospital? I mean, last chapter she could barely maintain consciousness and now she's right back to dancing. No doctors, no concern from him. I would have thought instead of going back to the mansion--they would have gone straight to emergency. It's not normal for a person to simply start blacking out without any good, solid reason. I know that this has something to do with her ancient past, but neither her nor Kaiba know that. I would think there would be massive concern. That's the only sticking point I have. I just can't seem to get past it. But I will I'm sure.
Ah, another detective! We've got quite a few of you showing up lately; maybe you ought to band together and form a PI agency? In any case, I justify Téa's fainting spell with the best thing you can have under your belt: experience. My mom's had several fainting spells in public, and the first reaction is not to get her to a hospital, but to get her conscious again. That's why first aid kits tend to have smelling salts, or, when that's not available, people will "slap" someone awake, or splash them with cold water. Fainting spells are usually caused by a pretty standard set of things: an allergic reaction, an asthmatic attack, lack of eating or sleeping, or menstrual symptoms.
Since Téa is lacking in the allergies and asthma departments, you know that's not it. She's also a smart girl, one that eats and sleeps properly, and she's not on her period (if she was, I would have probably made it a point to mention it). As it stands, there's a very good reason why she keeps fainting when she does, but you have to read between the lines and catch onto the little details. You're on the right track! Seto would be, too, but he's more stubborn! :P
Anyway, I found it quite amusing that Kaiba finally allowed himself to be initiated into the circle. It's amusing to think of him with the mark on the back of his hand. Who would have thought? I can't imagine him being all smiles about it, maybe a frown and a grimace. Then again, love could have changed him--but not too much, because it's that annoying attitude which makes him too endearing.
More like "grunt" -- that was how I pictured him, anyway. Téa would glare and nudge him until he stuck his hand in. He wouldn't have done it willingly, were Téa not there. Plus, everyone else got suckered into doing it too, whether they wanted to do it or not. :) Téa and the power of Influence! Hah!
Nice setup, good chapter. Should I be like all your other fans and wish for an update soon? I know you do that without prompting. Just know I'm looking forward to it...
Thanks, I appreciate it. And do review again; I always like to know what people think about the strengths and weaknesses of the story and the chapters.
yugikid -- *bows to the master of writting* bravo and I have to say nice use there of the japanesse ep except with Tea doing the gun trick I liked how you worked that in, bravo please keep up the fantasic work
Hey, you caught onto the whole gun trick! I even used the same card that Kaiba did when he first "escaped" from Saruwatari (Kimo). I wondered how many people would know about that! Thanks for your review and high praise! *blush*
Gekkou Hana -- Wow.. what an amazing chapter! Tea's character has gotten so strong! It amazed me to see her character act so darn calm and even think up of a plan when she had a gun pointed at her! After everything, even her flu, she still managed to pull it together.. It was nice to see that she doesn't always depend on her friends, even in times of a crisis.. she def pulled through better than i would! and i could be a pretty calm person when im in a bad position! Even afterwards when everything was said and done, she even stood up to her captor and made sure the other Big 5.. i mean Big 4 knew who they were messing with.. I can't wait for the next chapter! I wonder what kind of ordeal you'll put Tea through next time!
*evil grin* Flu? I assume you mean from Chapter 19, because in Chapter 20, that was no flu. ^_~ Bwahah. Also, in these chapters, time goes by pretty fast. The time it takes to go from Chapter 19 to 20 is one month, and about two weeks between Chapter 20 and 21. If you read carefully, you could probably deduce the exact dates, but I don't think anyone's THAT into this story. ^^; Except me, that is.
Also, the way Téa acted toward the SPs is a big clue toward a future arc. But that's all I'm saying on THAT subject! :X
Crystal56 -- Wai! This is adorable. I absolutly love this story. It's really really good! WAI!
*flaps arms*
I can't wait to read more...and can't wait for the Egyptian big tie in thingie...all paths of destiny originate or end up in Egypt, eh?
Look forward to the update! WAI!
*shifty eyes* MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYBE.
unknown reviewer -- My god...an update already! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack? You know how excited your dedicated reviewers get whenever you update. And its a decent lenght to...I don't understand how you could write chapters like this so quickly, how do you find the time?
Yes, yes I am trying to give you a heart attack. I'm just plain evil and malicious like that. :D No, I'm kidding of course. But I do like to surprise people. It makes for more exclamation points and happy faces in reviews, which I always like. Heh. As for chapters, I don't always write them in order. For the bulk of them, I have the chapter already outlined in its own file. If I get particularly inspired, I might even write a scene or two for it in advance; that's why there tend to be such long stretches between chapter updates. I actually have to flesh out those outlines and rough notes and turn it into real prose! I also have to find betas, double-check dates... everything. I'm very picky about it all.
My pointless rambling aside...Superb job as usual. This has gotten to the point were I'm not sure my simple compliments are worthy of your work. Your that good. The Big four are getting a little sloppy...trying to pick her up in the middle of school. I would of recommended waiting until she is out in the open. Perhapse now that they see dealing with her will not be as easy as they think they will stop using the kid gloves and break out the big fiendish plots.
Speaking of fiendish plots...how exactly does Bakura fit in with Maliks prophecy I wonder. I've gathered that Tea's fainting spells, and perhapse her issue with the BEUD, are connected to this Prophecy...might it have something to do with the man with one blue eye and one golden (Dartz I believe).
So many questions to be answered, so many plot points to connect...who needs cliffhangers when we still know so little about what fate has in store for our favorite characters.
no compliment is good enough to describe your story
Sincerely,
THE UNKNOWN REVIEWER
I never liked the Big Five. I wanted them to be evil in this story, instead of really lame like they appeared in the anime. I could never imagine adults of their age with motivation enough to DUEL their way to victory. I can understand them pressuring Pegasus to duel in order to gain their trust and get Kaiba Corp.'s technology, but the whole Noa/VR world arc bothered me. It makes for some good fics, but it just didn't fit with my idea of the WDKYverse, which is why I changed both Noa and the Big Five's role in it. But if you really want me to pass your message along to the Big Four, I will! :D
Back in detective mode, I see! Not too many people have caught on to all the little hints I've been dropping in these recent chapters, but you seem to have spotted most of them. Good work! Now to put the pieces together before the story comes to a close...
Thanks very much for continuing to review and for the high praise, as well! :D
Janime Lee -- I was wrong. I thought Bakura was making Téa faint. I'm now placing the odds on the genocidal maniac.
*laughs*
Oh, Malik (doesn't bother me which way you spell his name--they should've left it as it was phonetically). Hiding in the background, is he? A possible confrontation with Bakura? The twists and plots just keep getting better!
Crump's dead! YAY! I hated that fat... shmuck. And I can't wait to see the rest of Big Five (Four) get what's coming to them.
Ah, the final year of school. Make or break time. Good luck to everyone. I have no doubt that they're going to need it (and not just academically).
Yeah, I know some people will think it's weird, but... well, for every one thing the dub gets right, they get 10 things wrong. :P Trust me, if I were in charge of translation for either the anime OR the manga, it would be a lot more accurate. Forget all that censorship-- put Yu-Gi-Oh on Adult Swim if it's too graphic! Buncha wussies...
But *grin* Yiddish! A reviewer after my own heart. I love the word "schmuck." It's horrible, but it's so fun to say. Schmuck, schmuck, schmuck! But yes, Year Three will be THE YEAR OF DOOM (DOOM, DOOM, DOOM)! So I hope you enjoy it as much as they... (bwahah) will.
mischiefmagnet -- Hehe...isn't that card she jammed into the gun mechanism the same one Kaiba used in the manga before he threw those guys off the helicopter? (is too lazy to go dig out Duelist manga from the recesses of increasingly scary manga shelf) Definitely a "cool dude" moment for Téa! : )
Indeed. I did it on purpose. :P Plus, the Gyakutenno Megami card is a Fairy, which I always thought would be more likely in Téa's deck. I think someone wrote a fic once where either Kaiba or Anzu gave the other the card, and I thought "Wow. That made SENSE!" Kaiba is a surprising guy.
I enjoyed this chapter precisely for the transitional value that the title suggests. I had kinda forgotten that the Big Five were important to the plotline of this story (forgive me). I've been re-watching my subs of the virtual world episodes. Téa's duel against that Penguin guy is definitely a highlight!
This was actually quite action-packed and fun to read. And the bit at the end was cute, though I can certainly see Seto being a little embarrassed to have a wedge of smiley face markered onto his hand. Haha! I hope you'll add more soon!
It was tough writing this chapter, because "transitions" are always tough for me. They're like "filler chapters" but unlike anime, which tends to just recap EVERYTHING, I also had to set up stuff for the future chapters, so it wouldn't come in like WOOOOOOOSH! Plot: here it is! Now, I'd love to see a grumpy Seto with a wedge of smiley on his hand, with a smug Téa smiling beside him. HAH!
Starian Princess -- That was cute, the last part and all. Tea never ever fails her friends when they need her most. I realize that she actually keeps the group together if anything. I suppose every group/gang has that particular person.
Téa: The Ultimate Glue. For all your crafting needs.
I wonder though, how the next chapters will go. There's Malik worrying about Seto and Tea. Bakura worrying about well, just Tea actually. Malik worrying about Bakura being obssessively worried over Tea. And Seto and Tea knowing absolutely nothing... yet. There are also still the Big FOUR who are after, not only Seto but, Tea as well. And heaven only knows, how much more conflict they'll all have to go through.
BWAHAHA. But wait: There's more! (And I'm not tellin'!)
Friendship is such a big factor when you don't exactly have your family around. This chapter was really inspiring and I'd like to say "thanks" for that boost. It's going to help me and most definitely motivate and inspire me.
Thank you! I like to think there are some good messages in both Yu-Gi-Oh and WDKY; it's not just some sort of "fun" activity for me. I take it seriously, and I write for a reason. I feel kind of weird admitting it, but I don't have too many IRL friends where I am right now, and it makes for a pretty sad and lonely time. But the people I've met online, most especially through Yu-Gi-Oh, Seto x Anzu, and WDKY have really brightened my life-- reviewers like you who continue to put time and effort into reading what I have and telling me what you think. YOU inspire me. So thank you. :)
Nachzes Black-Rider -- Oh! Look! An update! -smile-
Good chapter... Hmm...Big FOUR are going down. Kaiba, KILL! BWAHAHAHA! -is evil-
You know, it's funny you say that, because Mamono made me an icon that pretty much has those exact words... plus or minus. It's actually for WDKY15, but I'll use it anyway. I can only hope you see this review reply and get to see what I'm talking about!
xx Painful Bliss xx -- I curse the Big Five.
Well, I personally think that this story can only go up--Tea and Kaiba are together, the Big, Stupid Five can only add to the plot, Bakura and Malik are being added the the class, and Mai and Tea have that dueling tournament coming up.
Oh! And I also like the Japanese names better then the dubbed ones. I mean, come on, where did they get Tea out of Anzu?
Update soon!
xx Painful Bliss xx
I hope it DOES continue to go up-- I don't want people to start getting bored with the plot, even if the future chapters will deal with characters that they've already seen in the anime. And thanks for not forgetting about that dueling tournament. While I did mention it more in passing than anything, it IS important to both plot and characterization. On top of that, I'm not GREAT at writing duels, but I intentionally made myself insert them as a plot point, because I want to get better at it!
As for names, I would have to change SO much of WDKY if I changed the names. I would also have to change the way Joey speaks, how Bakura speaks (and references to where he's from), plus the use of honorifics. Writing Chieko would have been easier if I used Japanese names and honorifics, but I didn't want to be confusing. I keep the names the dub screwed up (Malik and Isis), but I have no qualms with Joey, Tristan, or Téa. I like them as names, and unlike some people, I don't find their characters drastically different from the original. What they SAY, maybe, but not their characters at large.
DarkShadowFlame -- Awesome; time seems to be flying between your updates. Once again, I read this chapter when it first came out and then reread it to do my reviews. In the time between, I kept thinking about that awesome scene where Tea and Chieko take out the two SPs. It's so cool that they do it in tune to a dance. I love how it's so visual. Also, it's very ironic that Tea used the same card Seto used to block the gun. (Fate :) ) I was trying to figure out if that did happen in this universe and I'm fairly sure it did, right? The thing that really threw me off was Yugi owning Industrial Illusions. Was that supposed to be what happened in the show?
Yay for my weird references left and right. Yes, the same gun battle did happen in the WDKYverse, but as it's not too crucial to the plot, I didn't mention it. It was more of an homage to Seto's own kick-ass-ness, and how he's not the only one with "smooth moves." As for Yugi owning Industrial Illusions, in the Duel Monsters tournament, the grand prize wasn't just "free these people's souls" but 60% of the shares of Industrial Illusions-- everything that Pegasus owned. He was so confident that he would win that he risked it all-- and when Yugi came out on top, he had to fork it over. However, I always saw Yugi as too shy to really do anything about it. In the manga-verse, Pegasus died, so control of I^2 went to the other stockholders, while Pegasus' stock went to... well, it depends on if you count Yu-Gi-Oh! R as part of canon.
In this, I'm drawing mostly from the anime-verse, so Pegasus is very much alive, but also retired. If he has any stock of I^2 left, it's very little; Yugi is essentially in control, and if Pegasus were to re-enter the scene, he would be more of an "honorary" member than someone with any real control.
Yay for Malik and Bakura (creepy stalkers that they are). I'm interested to see how things come to a head with Bakura, especially since I'm not sure even HE knows exactly what he wants. And Ryou should start fighting back, damnit! And I want to know everything Malik knows. :) In time, right?
Also yay that Serenity is here! I love the way you portray her. There are too many people who are EITHER a Serenity or a Tea fan, and bash the hell out of the other. But I think the friendship between them is really sweet!
YES! Though I like independent, strong girls, and I might be injecting a bit of Mai and Téa into Serenity. But I think it's plausible, considering how much the younger girl admires those two. She really didn't get enough time in the limelight, and just because this is a Seto x Téa story doesn't mean I'm going to bash Serenity. If anything, I wanted to make it clear that she'd never have a relationship (or even attraction) to Seto, and why. I hope I pulled that off without upsetting any Serenity fans. She's still extremely loyal.
Agh. What's gonna happen to their friendship?!? Maybe the gang does need Dartz to come in and wreak havoc after all... you know, so they can be united against the end of the world and all. :) And Raphael and Odion can help them and live happily ever after. (Sorry, had to throw that in.)
I'm so excited for the next action-filled chapter... woo-hoo! Update soon (I know some authors hate to hear that but you must realize how much we the readers are dying!!)!
Hey, I LOVE to hear it! You wouldn't type it if you didn't mean it, right? So say it as much as you like-- I will update as soon as humanly (and creatively) possible! Thanks for continuing to read and review! :D
A. Valentine -- This is still great! I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to review, but I've been very busy.
Your writing style is fantastic, as well as your storytelling. Just out curiosity, how much longer will this fic be?
Please update soon!
Thank you for your review! WDKY is planned to be 36 chapters total (Chapter 7A & 7B count as one chapter), with an upcoming sequel of a similar length, and a final installment, to round out the saga as a trilogy. Who knows how long it'll take, but I will get it done!
Ambiance-Dream -- At first, this title really freaked me out, because like I said, it was really late in the night, so I got easily creeped out. But it wasn't that creepy... No ghosts or anything. *relieved sigh*
Mwahaha, it's good and bad that the Big Five-ahem, Four- finally acknowledge Téa's strength. It's good for obvious reasons, and it's sad because now Téa doesn't have as much element of surprise. But she still has lots... And more cleverness up her sleeve.
Re: The BigFive Four... true. As it stands, I don't want to make them total weaklings and wusses against Seto OR Téa, so I want to encourage the two of them to work together against the Big Four to achieve their goal of putting them in jail. But it'll take some doing-- more than cleverness, as you'll see.
Which is apparent in her little scene with Chieko against those big men. It was really brave and heroic of them to do that, especially at gunpoint. They were really really clever in this part. And it shows how dance is such a big part of their lives, actually... They were able to interpret this idea wordlessly and quickly through the idea of music... It's hard to have your brain function, let alone think this all up in a situation like this. And you were really clever to conjure up this idea.
It's my fault for listening to Elissa's "Mamboleo" so many times while I wrote this chapter! AUGH!
And that conversation on the cell between Téa and Gansley was just so cool. *evil chuckle*
It's so cute how Serenity's part of the group now. After all, she's gotten into Domino High!! *cheers* But seriously, I totally agree with Téa. I wouldn't know, but being at gunpoint is NOT fun.
This is just me, but I thought that Serenity was a bit OOC... I dunno, but I've always imagined her as a more quiet and shy type. But hey, the situations are different from the past, right? And maybe she's changed. Sorry, just a thought.
Serenity is very hard for me to characterize. I'd like to think her admiration and exposure to Téa and Mai has influenced her personality; she's also seen a lot and grown up, especially since Battle City. I hate how in both the anime and the manga, she's one of those characters that just drops out of sight, even though she's got such an important connection to one of the main characters (Joey). It's hard to pin down her personality traits-- I know she's determined and loyal, but at least a bit timid, too. Hopefully I can get her characterization right as time goes on, or at least make you feel that the changes I made to her personality are justified.
Quick question again(sorry!!): When does the Japanese school year start? Or, this can also be interpreted as, What's the current date/month in the story? Sorry... I'm just a little confused. But it's my fault, not yours!! ^^
The Japanese school year starts in late March or early April, and continues on till mid-March of the next year. They get breaks during summer (about 2-3 weeks) and winter (about 1 week around New Year's), and that's about it. School is very rigorous in Japan. In the WDKYverse, they also have half-days on Saturday. They used to have this in Japan, but I heard that they changed it so there's no Saturday school anymore. However, there are still late-night and weekend cram schools. The current time in the school is late March, early April. Specifically, April 5th when Téa overhears Malik wishing his sister a Happy Birthday (because, duh, her birthday is April 5th!).
It's kind of sad that the people don't have classes together anymore... But it's an interesting concept, which also leads to the little black-marker-happy-face thing, which is pretty important, considering how it kind of officially initiates Seto into the little group. I like that. I really like that.
Yayy!! I've finally caught up!! *breathes sigh of relief* You know, I've had a WDKY marathon since the afternoon of two days ago. I began reading that afternoon, and that's what I did for the rest of the night, and went to sleep at 12:30. And then, I spent the entire day yesterday reading... Besides going to my friend's house for a project, but that's besides the point. And I finished last night- urm, this morning, at 1:30, and went on to review all of this until now, the afternoon. Ooh, two day marathon!! My eyes feel so dry... lol
Sorry, just wanted to write that little thing.
Well, I really hope you update this story soon; it's really one of my favs, and I'm really really excited for the next chappie!! *^-^* Ja ne!!
O_O Wow. And thank you. And wow again.
Inu Kaiba -- It took me a while to finally catch up, and I'm sorry for the delay. Not that you were particularily expecting a review from me, but...
I liked these past two chapters, they were interesting, particularily the one I chose to review.
I was really hooked on this chapter, particularily because of the tensity of the moment when Tea got apprehended by the two 'policemen'.
I miss Mai's occurrences and although I know this is a Seto/Tea story, I will again announce my disappointment at a lack of Mai showing up altogether, along with the lack of romantic development between Joey and Mai. I can only hope I'll actually get to see them together before the end of the story.
Mai will definitely have her time to shine in chapters 26+, and her relationship with Joey will definitely come into play. So patience-- it pays, I promise!
I'm not sure if I'm right, but did Tea fainting on White Day have anything to do with what happened with the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon?
And also, the fact that you mentioned Pegasus... I can't help but think he'll have a starring role in your fiction, if not in this, than the sequel.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYBE...
Anyways. I'm sure there are a lot of loose ends being tied up, but there's a lot of stuff I don't remember since I first read your fiction. Not that I'm complaining, it's just a bit hard to remember, and I'm not exactly in the mood to re-read such a humungous story.
Well, now I'm just complaining and being a burden. Keep up the good work, and update soon!
Like I said to another reviewer, maybe I ought to compile a Reader's Guide or something, so people can keep track of all the random things I mentioned! In lieu of that, there is the Official WDKY Page, which has logs, research pages, and all sorts of other interesting details. It needs an update, but it's mostly current.
Note: I do not post all reviews that I receive here; only the ones that I feel I should reply to. For all reviews, I do NOT edit them for content/spelling/etc. in any way.
For lengthier reviews, I will insert my commentary where appropriate. The actual review will resume in italicized text.
If more reviews come in for this (or any older) chapter(s), then I will respond to them at the BOTTOM of this page, and indicate a “last updated” section here at the TOP. If there is no LAST UPDATED area, that means this post has not changed since the original post date.
twilight eyes 8120 -- Your writing is so full of descriptions that are just so amazingly wonderful. I think your writing actually forces me to consider my own processes, because you make a person feel like they are actually within the story--not just reading it. You also give a person tons of great material to sink their mental teeth into.
Wow, thank you! It's always great to hear from a fellow author, plus ones whose works I read and enjoy. *nudge nudge* To think I might somehow be inspiring or at least helpful really makes me smile.
I enjoy how you keep pulling in story and plot lines from the past. You make me have to review past chapters to try and find all the links. The true sign of a good story.
My only concern is Téa's fainting spells. Shouldn't Kaiba have taken her straight to the hospital? I mean, last chapter she could barely maintain consciousness and now she's right back to dancing. No doctors, no concern from him. I would have thought instead of going back to the mansion--they would have gone straight to emergency. It's not normal for a person to simply start blacking out without any good, solid reason. I know that this has something to do with her ancient past, but neither her nor Kaiba know that. I would think there would be massive concern. That's the only sticking point I have. I just can't seem to get past it. But I will I'm sure.
Ah, another detective! We've got quite a few of you showing up lately; maybe you ought to band together and form a PI agency? In any case, I justify Téa's fainting spell with the best thing you can have under your belt: experience. My mom's had several fainting spells in public, and the first reaction is not to get her to a hospital, but to get her conscious again. That's why first aid kits tend to have smelling salts, or, when that's not available, people will "slap" someone awake, or splash them with cold water. Fainting spells are usually caused by a pretty standard set of things: an allergic reaction, an asthmatic attack, lack of eating or sleeping, or menstrual symptoms.
Since Téa is lacking in the allergies and asthma departments, you know that's not it. She's also a smart girl, one that eats and sleeps properly, and she's not on her period (if she was, I would have probably made it a point to mention it). As it stands, there's a very good reason why she keeps fainting when she does, but you have to read between the lines and catch onto the little details. You're on the right track! Seto would be, too, but he's more stubborn! :P
Anyway, I found it quite amusing that Kaiba finally allowed himself to be initiated into the circle. It's amusing to think of him with the mark on the back of his hand. Who would have thought? I can't imagine him being all smiles about it, maybe a frown and a grimace. Then again, love could have changed him--but not too much, because it's that annoying attitude which makes him too endearing.
More like "grunt" -- that was how I pictured him, anyway. Téa would glare and nudge him until he stuck his hand in. He wouldn't have done it willingly, were Téa not there. Plus, everyone else got suckered into doing it too, whether they wanted to do it or not. :) Téa and the power of Influence! Hah!
Nice setup, good chapter. Should I be like all your other fans and wish for an update soon? I know you do that without prompting. Just know I'm looking forward to it...
Thanks, I appreciate it. And do review again; I always like to know what people think about the strengths and weaknesses of the story and the chapters.
yugikid -- *bows to the master of writting* bravo and I have to say nice use there of the japanesse ep except with Tea doing the gun trick I liked how you worked that in, bravo please keep up the fantasic work
Hey, you caught onto the whole gun trick! I even used the same card that Kaiba did when he first "escaped" from Saruwatari (Kimo). I wondered how many people would know about that! Thanks for your review and high praise! *blush*
Gekkou Hana -- Wow.. what an amazing chapter! Tea's character has gotten so strong! It amazed me to see her character act so darn calm and even think up of a plan when she had a gun pointed at her! After everything, even her flu, she still managed to pull it together.. It was nice to see that she doesn't always depend on her friends, even in times of a crisis.. she def pulled through better than i would! and i could be a pretty calm person when im in a bad position! Even afterwards when everything was said and done, she even stood up to her captor and made sure the other Big 5.. i mean Big 4 knew who they were messing with.. I can't wait for the next chapter! I wonder what kind of ordeal you'll put Tea through next time!
*evil grin* Flu? I assume you mean from Chapter 19, because in Chapter 20, that was no flu. ^_~ Bwahah. Also, in these chapters, time goes by pretty fast. The time it takes to go from Chapter 19 to 20 is one month, and about two weeks between Chapter 20 and 21. If you read carefully, you could probably deduce the exact dates, but I don't think anyone's THAT into this story. ^^; Except me, that is.
Also, the way Téa acted toward the SPs is a big clue toward a future arc. But that's all I'm saying on THAT subject! :X
Crystal56 -- Wai! This is adorable. I absolutly love this story. It's really really good! WAI!
*flaps arms*
I can't wait to read more...and can't wait for the Egyptian big tie in thingie...all paths of destiny originate or end up in Egypt, eh?
Look forward to the update! WAI!
*shifty eyes* MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYBE.
unknown reviewer -- My god...an update already! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack? You know how excited your dedicated reviewers get whenever you update. And its a decent lenght to...I don't understand how you could write chapters like this so quickly, how do you find the time?
Yes, yes I am trying to give you a heart attack. I'm just plain evil and malicious like that. :D No, I'm kidding of course. But I do like to surprise people. It makes for more exclamation points and happy faces in reviews, which I always like. Heh. As for chapters, I don't always write them in order. For the bulk of them, I have the chapter already outlined in its own file. If I get particularly inspired, I might even write a scene or two for it in advance; that's why there tend to be such long stretches between chapter updates. I actually have to flesh out those outlines and rough notes and turn it into real prose! I also have to find betas, double-check dates... everything. I'm very picky about it all.
My pointless rambling aside...Superb job as usual. This has gotten to the point were I'm not sure my simple compliments are worthy of your work. Your that good. The Big four are getting a little sloppy...trying to pick her up in the middle of school. I would of recommended waiting until she is out in the open. Perhapse now that they see dealing with her will not be as easy as they think they will stop using the kid gloves and break out the big fiendish plots.
Speaking of fiendish plots...how exactly does Bakura fit in with Maliks prophecy I wonder. I've gathered that Tea's fainting spells, and perhapse her issue with the BEUD, are connected to this Prophecy...might it have something to do with the man with one blue eye and one golden (Dartz I believe).
So many questions to be answered, so many plot points to connect...who needs cliffhangers when we still know so little about what fate has in store for our favorite characters.
no compliment is good enough to describe your story
Sincerely,
THE UNKNOWN REVIEWER
I never liked the Big Five. I wanted them to be evil in this story, instead of really lame like they appeared in the anime. I could never imagine adults of their age with motivation enough to DUEL their way to victory. I can understand them pressuring Pegasus to duel in order to gain their trust and get Kaiba Corp.'s technology, but the whole Noa/VR world arc bothered me. It makes for some good fics, but it just didn't fit with my idea of the WDKYverse, which is why I changed both Noa and the Big Five's role in it. But if you really want me to pass your message along to the Big Four, I will! :D
Back in detective mode, I see! Not too many people have caught on to all the little hints I've been dropping in these recent chapters, but you seem to have spotted most of them. Good work! Now to put the pieces together before the story comes to a close...
Thanks very much for continuing to review and for the high praise, as well! :D
Janime Lee -- I was wrong. I thought Bakura was making Téa faint. I'm now placing the odds on the genocidal maniac.
*laughs*
Oh, Malik (doesn't bother me which way you spell his name--they should've left it as it was phonetically). Hiding in the background, is he? A possible confrontation with Bakura? The twists and plots just keep getting better!
Crump's dead! YAY! I hated that fat... shmuck. And I can't wait to see the rest of Big Five (Four) get what's coming to them.
Ah, the final year of school. Make or break time. Good luck to everyone. I have no doubt that they're going to need it (and not just academically).
Yeah, I know some people will think it's weird, but... well, for every one thing the dub gets right, they get 10 things wrong. :P Trust me, if I were in charge of translation for either the anime OR the manga, it would be a lot more accurate. Forget all that censorship-- put Yu-Gi-Oh on Adult Swim if it's too graphic! Buncha wussies...
But *grin* Yiddish! A reviewer after my own heart. I love the word "schmuck." It's horrible, but it's so fun to say. Schmuck, schmuck, schmuck! But yes, Year Three will be THE YEAR OF DOOM (DOOM, DOOM, DOOM)! So I hope you enjoy it as much as they... (bwahah) will.
mischiefmagnet -- Hehe...isn't that card she jammed into the gun mechanism the same one Kaiba used in the manga before he threw those guys off the helicopter? (is too lazy to go dig out Duelist manga from the recesses of increasingly scary manga shelf) Definitely a "cool dude" moment for Téa! : )
Indeed. I did it on purpose. :P Plus, the Gyakutenno Megami card is a Fairy, which I always thought would be more likely in Téa's deck. I think someone wrote a fic once where either Kaiba or Anzu gave the other the card, and I thought "Wow. That made SENSE!" Kaiba is a surprising guy.
I enjoyed this chapter precisely for the transitional value that the title suggests. I had kinda forgotten that the Big Five were important to the plotline of this story (forgive me). I've been re-watching my subs of the virtual world episodes. Téa's duel against that Penguin guy is definitely a highlight!
This was actually quite action-packed and fun to read. And the bit at the end was cute, though I can certainly see Seto being a little embarrassed to have a wedge of smiley face markered onto his hand. Haha! I hope you'll add more soon!
It was tough writing this chapter, because "transitions" are always tough for me. They're like "filler chapters" but unlike anime, which tends to just recap EVERYTHING, I also had to set up stuff for the future chapters, so it wouldn't come in like WOOOOOOOSH! Plot: here it is! Now, I'd love to see a grumpy Seto with a wedge of smiley on his hand, with a smug Téa smiling beside him. HAH!
Starian Princess -- That was cute, the last part and all. Tea never ever fails her friends when they need her most. I realize that she actually keeps the group together if anything. I suppose every group/gang has that particular person.
Téa: The Ultimate Glue. For all your crafting needs.
I wonder though, how the next chapters will go. There's Malik worrying about Seto and Tea. Bakura worrying about well, just Tea actually. Malik worrying about Bakura being obssessively worried over Tea. And Seto and Tea knowing absolutely nothing... yet. There are also still the Big FOUR who are after, not only Seto but, Tea as well. And heaven only knows, how much more conflict they'll all have to go through.
BWAHAHA. But wait: There's more! (And I'm not tellin'!)
Friendship is such a big factor when you don't exactly have your family around. This chapter was really inspiring and I'd like to say "thanks" for that boost. It's going to help me and most definitely motivate and inspire me.
Thank you! I like to think there are some good messages in both Yu-Gi-Oh and WDKY; it's not just some sort of "fun" activity for me. I take it seriously, and I write for a reason. I feel kind of weird admitting it, but I don't have too many IRL friends where I am right now, and it makes for a pretty sad and lonely time. But the people I've met online, most especially through Yu-Gi-Oh, Seto x Anzu, and WDKY have really brightened my life-- reviewers like you who continue to put time and effort into reading what I have and telling me what you think. YOU inspire me. So thank you. :)
Nachzes Black-Rider -- Oh! Look! An update! -smile-
Good chapter... Hmm...Big FOUR are going down. Kaiba, KILL! BWAHAHAHA! -is evil-
You know, it's funny you say that, because Mamono made me an icon that pretty much has those exact words... plus or minus. It's actually for WDKY15, but I'll use it anyway. I can only hope you see this review reply and get to see what I'm talking about!
xx Painful Bliss xx -- I curse the Big Five.
Well, I personally think that this story can only go up--Tea and Kaiba are together, the Big, Stupid Five can only add to the plot, Bakura and Malik are being added the the class, and Mai and Tea have that dueling tournament coming up.
Oh! And I also like the Japanese names better then the dubbed ones. I mean, come on, where did they get Tea out of Anzu?
Update soon!
xx Painful Bliss xx
I hope it DOES continue to go up-- I don't want people to start getting bored with the plot, even if the future chapters will deal with characters that they've already seen in the anime. And thanks for not forgetting about that dueling tournament. While I did mention it more in passing than anything, it IS important to both plot and characterization. On top of that, I'm not GREAT at writing duels, but I intentionally made myself insert them as a plot point, because I want to get better at it!
As for names, I would have to change SO much of WDKY if I changed the names. I would also have to change the way Joey speaks, how Bakura speaks (and references to where he's from), plus the use of honorifics. Writing Chieko would have been easier if I used Japanese names and honorifics, but I didn't want to be confusing. I keep the names the dub screwed up (Malik and Isis), but I have no qualms with Joey, Tristan, or Téa. I like them as names, and unlike some people, I don't find their characters drastically different from the original. What they SAY, maybe, but not their characters at large.
DarkShadowFlame -- Awesome; time seems to be flying between your updates. Once again, I read this chapter when it first came out and then reread it to do my reviews. In the time between, I kept thinking about that awesome scene where Tea and Chieko take out the two SPs. It's so cool that they do it in tune to a dance. I love how it's so visual. Also, it's very ironic that Tea used the same card Seto used to block the gun. (Fate :) ) I was trying to figure out if that did happen in this universe and I'm fairly sure it did, right? The thing that really threw me off was Yugi owning Industrial Illusions. Was that supposed to be what happened in the show?
Yay for my weird references left and right. Yes, the same gun battle did happen in the WDKYverse, but as it's not too crucial to the plot, I didn't mention it. It was more of an homage to Seto's own kick-ass-ness, and how he's not the only one with "smooth moves." As for Yugi owning Industrial Illusions, in the Duel Monsters tournament, the grand prize wasn't just "free these people's souls" but 60% of the shares of Industrial Illusions-- everything that Pegasus owned. He was so confident that he would win that he risked it all-- and when Yugi came out on top, he had to fork it over. However, I always saw Yugi as too shy to really do anything about it. In the manga-verse, Pegasus died, so control of I^2 went to the other stockholders, while Pegasus' stock went to... well, it depends on if you count Yu-Gi-Oh! R as part of canon.
In this, I'm drawing mostly from the anime-verse, so Pegasus is very much alive, but also retired. If he has any stock of I^2 left, it's very little; Yugi is essentially in control, and if Pegasus were to re-enter the scene, he would be more of an "honorary" member than someone with any real control.
Yay for Malik and Bakura (creepy stalkers that they are). I'm interested to see how things come to a head with Bakura, especially since I'm not sure even HE knows exactly what he wants. And Ryou should start fighting back, damnit! And I want to know everything Malik knows. :) In time, right?
Also yay that Serenity is here! I love the way you portray her. There are too many people who are EITHER a Serenity or a Tea fan, and bash the hell out of the other. But I think the friendship between them is really sweet!
YES! Though I like independent, strong girls, and I might be injecting a bit of Mai and Téa into Serenity. But I think it's plausible, considering how much the younger girl admires those two. She really didn't get enough time in the limelight, and just because this is a Seto x Téa story doesn't mean I'm going to bash Serenity. If anything, I wanted to make it clear that she'd never have a relationship (or even attraction) to Seto, and why. I hope I pulled that off without upsetting any Serenity fans. She's still extremely loyal.
Agh. What's gonna happen to their friendship?!? Maybe the gang does need Dartz to come in and wreak havoc after all... you know, so they can be united against the end of the world and all. :) And Raphael and Odion can help them and live happily ever after. (Sorry, had to throw that in.)
I'm so excited for the next action-filled chapter... woo-hoo! Update soon (I know some authors hate to hear that but you must realize how much we the readers are dying!!)!
Hey, I LOVE to hear it! You wouldn't type it if you didn't mean it, right? So say it as much as you like-- I will update as soon as humanly (and creatively) possible! Thanks for continuing to read and review! :D
A. Valentine -- This is still great! I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to review, but I've been very busy.
Your writing style is fantastic, as well as your storytelling. Just out curiosity, how much longer will this fic be?
Please update soon!
Thank you for your review! WDKY is planned to be 36 chapters total (Chapter 7A & 7B count as one chapter), with an upcoming sequel of a similar length, and a final installment, to round out the saga as a trilogy. Who knows how long it'll take, but I will get it done!
Ambiance-Dream -- At first, this title really freaked me out, because like I said, it was really late in the night, so I got easily creeped out. But it wasn't that creepy... No ghosts or anything. *relieved sigh*
Mwahaha, it's good and bad that the Big Five-ahem, Four- finally acknowledge Téa's strength. It's good for obvious reasons, and it's sad because now Téa doesn't have as much element of surprise. But she still has lots... And more cleverness up her sleeve.
Re: The Big
Which is apparent in her little scene with Chieko against those big men. It was really brave and heroic of them to do that, especially at gunpoint. They were really really clever in this part. And it shows how dance is such a big part of their lives, actually... They were able to interpret this idea wordlessly and quickly through the idea of music... It's hard to have your brain function, let alone think this all up in a situation like this. And you were really clever to conjure up this idea.
It's my fault for listening to Elissa's "Mamboleo" so many times while I wrote this chapter! AUGH!
And that conversation on the cell between Téa and Gansley was just so cool. *evil chuckle*
It's so cute how Serenity's part of the group now. After all, she's gotten into Domino High!! *cheers* But seriously, I totally agree with Téa. I wouldn't know, but being at gunpoint is NOT fun.
This is just me, but I thought that Serenity was a bit OOC... I dunno, but I've always imagined her as a more quiet and shy type. But hey, the situations are different from the past, right? And maybe she's changed. Sorry, just a thought.
Serenity is very hard for me to characterize. I'd like to think her admiration and exposure to Téa and Mai has influenced her personality; she's also seen a lot and grown up, especially since Battle City. I hate how in both the anime and the manga, she's one of those characters that just drops out of sight, even though she's got such an important connection to one of the main characters (Joey). It's hard to pin down her personality traits-- I know she's determined and loyal, but at least a bit timid, too. Hopefully I can get her characterization right as time goes on, or at least make you feel that the changes I made to her personality are justified.
Quick question again(sorry!!): When does the Japanese school year start? Or, this can also be interpreted as, What's the current date/month in the story? Sorry... I'm just a little confused. But it's my fault, not yours!! ^^
The Japanese school year starts in late March or early April, and continues on till mid-March of the next year. They get breaks during summer (about 2-3 weeks) and winter (about 1 week around New Year's), and that's about it. School is very rigorous in Japan. In the WDKYverse, they also have half-days on Saturday. They used to have this in Japan, but I heard that they changed it so there's no Saturday school anymore. However, there are still late-night and weekend cram schools. The current time in the school is late March, early April. Specifically, April 5th when Téa overhears Malik wishing his sister a Happy Birthday (because, duh, her birthday is April 5th!).
It's kind of sad that the people don't have classes together anymore... But it's an interesting concept, which also leads to the little black-marker-happy-face thing, which is pretty important, considering how it kind of officially initiates Seto into the little group. I like that. I really like that.
Yayy!! I've finally caught up!! *breathes sigh of relief* You know, I've had a WDKY marathon since the afternoon of two days ago. I began reading that afternoon, and that's what I did for the rest of the night, and went to sleep at 12:30. And then, I spent the entire day yesterday reading... Besides going to my friend's house for a project, but that's besides the point. And I finished last night- urm, this morning, at 1:30, and went on to review all of this until now, the afternoon. Ooh, two day marathon!! My eyes feel so dry... lol
Sorry, just wanted to write that little thing.
Well, I really hope you update this story soon; it's really one of my favs, and I'm really really excited for the next chappie!! *^-^* Ja ne!!
O_O Wow. And thank you. And wow again.
Inu Kaiba -- It took me a while to finally catch up, and I'm sorry for the delay. Not that you were particularily expecting a review from me, but...
I liked these past two chapters, they were interesting, particularily the one I chose to review.
I was really hooked on this chapter, particularily because of the tensity of the moment when Tea got apprehended by the two 'policemen'.
I miss Mai's occurrences and although I know this is a Seto/Tea story, I will again announce my disappointment at a lack of Mai showing up altogether, along with the lack of romantic development between Joey and Mai. I can only hope I'll actually get to see them together before the end of the story.
Mai will definitely have her time to shine in chapters 26+, and her relationship with Joey will definitely come into play. So patience-- it pays, I promise!
I'm not sure if I'm right, but did Tea fainting on White Day have anything to do with what happened with the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon?
And also, the fact that you mentioned Pegasus... I can't help but think he'll have a starring role in your fiction, if not in this, than the sequel.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYBE...
Anyways. I'm sure there are a lot of loose ends being tied up, but there's a lot of stuff I don't remember since I first read your fiction. Not that I'm complaining, it's just a bit hard to remember, and I'm not exactly in the mood to re-read such a humungous story.
Well, now I'm just complaining and being a burden. Keep up the good work, and update soon!
Like I said to another reviewer, maybe I ought to compile a Reader's Guide or something, so people can keep track of all the random things I mentioned! In lieu of that, there is the Official WDKY Page, which has logs, research pages, and all sorts of other interesting details. It needs an update, but it's mostly current.
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Yiddish
Date: 2006-01-10 09:54 pm (UTC)And I totally agree with you about redoing YGO and having the dialog as is (or translated as close to) and names as they are in Japan. Screw censorship and political correctness! I want to read/hear as it was originally! That's why CN made Adult Swim! Morons, I tell ya!
Ah, my eyes are in the right places. Cool. Off to read your latest chapter. I'll review!