Name: bingobaby reviewed Pawns and Fairy tales on Mar 19, 2012 01:29 pm

love it

Author's Response: Thanks!

Name: Rinney reviewed Pawns and Fairy tales on Mar 18, 2012 08:54 pm

Oh MAN. I can't wait to see what happens next. Ginny's Patronus was a Dragon. Aww, that was such a lovely touch.

I love how she defended him from Blaise's accusations. Even if he were just using her to try and feel better from Cho's rejection, it makes me feel good seeing that her emotions aren't so muddled where she allows for people to talk horribly about Draco. This is such a good cross-over, auuugh. You're killing me when you update slowly. XD

More, please!

Author's Response: Thanks! Ginny may be confused about how she feels, but her actions speak for themselves.

Name: ladysaotome reviewed A Firewhiskey-Fueled Grand Gesture on Jan 02, 2012 09:38 am

Cross-posted from your lj & fanfic.net:

Well, I spent most of the weekend reading your fic rather than doing the dishes and my other weekend chores. Now I'm craving a massive HYD rewatch (not that I don't rewatch every 6 months anyway!) and a Meteor Garden rewatch to boot and I don't usually care for that version (mainly cause he hit her once & that's a line he never crossed in the jdrama - the one thing that set her apart from every other person in his world).

I'm very much enjoying your clever mix of HP & HYD. And I'm ever so happy you've added all the kissing as that's the one thing I missed in the jdrama (though I was glad it avoided the manga's fixation on sex). I'm definitely addicted to your story & have subscribed to watch for updates!

As for the writing itself, if you even want any input in that regard, I think I would advise paying attention to the adjectives/adverbs. Two great blog posts on the subject - http:/bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2009/06/adverbs-revisited.html & http:/bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2010/12/weeding-out-unnecessary-adjectives-and.html

Name: openskys reviewed A Firewhiskey-Fueled Grand Gesture on Dec 26, 2011 07:07 pm

Please update soon!

Author's Response: I will be! Next chapter is half-written already!

Name: gidge_8 reviewed The Return of the Status Quo on Dec 13, 2011 07:41 pm

I have always been a huge fan of this story! It inspired me to start writing and I'm soooo very happy to see an update! It's a joy to re-read many of the chapters to remind myself of what a fun AU you've created.

Name: Anise reviewed A Firewhiskey-Fueled Grand Gesture on Dec 09, 2011 09:56 pm

Wow, wow; what a fic. Maybe it's actually a good thing that I didn't find it before. I didn't have to wait a year between updates!! ;)

Anyway. I haven't read... watched... whatever... the original anime thing this took certain elements from, but every element does stand alone without it. And I feel that this is a fic which accomplishes so many things that are incredibly difficult to do in D/G writing.

Most importantly, it's deeply grounded in the basic *reality* of how Draco and Ginny would actually think and behave, given who they are as characters. That quality shines through even in an AU setting (where Harry is relegated to the background and gets a grand total of 2 lines, as he so richly deserves!:P) For instance, Draco is a disturbed kid in some ways, and he has a genuinely nasty streak. Most authors deal with this dilemma by either setting the fics post-Hogwarts, when he's had a chance to change (which is what I do-- I don't even try to write Hogwarts-era), or glossing over this fact.

But you didn't. You dealt with how this frankly unpalatable truth would actually play out. We also see *why* and *how* Draco's personality has developed this way, the poverty of his emotional life balanced against the undeserved largess that has been dumped upon him in terms of material wealth, as well as the totality of what it means-- he both loves and hates with everything that is in him. But he does think and behave like someone with a real attachment disorder (wouldn't it be interesting to get a chance to diagnose Draco, though!) He loves too much, too intensely, too dangerously, and we see what the consequences could be for Ginny. (She also sees this more clearly than he does, I think.)

When he tells her that out of the three people in the world that he could trust, he's now down to one, it's unbearably intense and touching and pathetic, but it's too much for her to handle, and she knows it. When he tries to shower her with all the luxury he has, so easily available to him, so far out of her grasp, she *knows* that she can't just give in and let him do it. It's extraordinarily difficult to write a fic that has Draco and Ginny sparring basically throughout the scenes in which they interact, but you've managed to do it because you've given them legitimate reasons to behave that way. Oh, and btw....You write some really intense love scenes for a PG-rated fic (although I can't help hoping that you eventually up the rating-- I'm kind of incapable of writing anything below NC-17, personally, even though the explicit content takes up a very small part of my fics. You can do it... you can just add that little bit... come to the dark side... we have cookies... )

Ginny has her own issues to deal with, and the way you've written her is so believable-- you really have her essence down, and it works in an AU fic just as well as it would in anything canon-compliant. The key to Ginny, I've always believed, is that she has a trauma disorder-- she fits all of the diagnostic criteria in canon, and you've given her a background here that also qualifies her. But she's determined to survive and to win out. That is itself another reason why she knows that she can't give in to everything that Draco wants of her-- she's afraid that she will lose herself, the self that she's fought so hard to keep, and that is a legitimate fear. But still, we can't help hoping that she will give in... or at least give Draco SOME reassurance here. ;) He has shown that he's capable of change by allowing himself to be subjected to the suffering that he inflicted on someone else (the Claire incident), and I think that may be his finest hour in this fic. The poor kid! Let Ginny give him a little hope, anyway!!@

Wow, that has to be the longest review I've ever written for anything. So, anyway... I hope this fic doesn't end up getting abandoned. I had terrible medical problems this spring, so I fully sympathize with how difficult it can be. But you can do it!! We're all behind you!! :)

Author's Response: Oh my goodness, where to start? This review was absolutely delicious to read in a variety of ways; partly because I'm a huge fan of your work (although, discourteous reader that I am, I don't know if I've ever left a review - shame on me), particularly The Bat-Boogeys Cometh, partly because I found it very flattering, but mostly because of your insight! It's given me quite a bit to think about (and get excited about!). You'll have to forgive the length of my response, because once I started, I couldn't stop - you've commented on so much that *I* now want to comment on!

I'm so happy (and gratified) by your observations on Ginny's characterization. Many have commented that they find her such a strong character, but in my view, she's the most fragile one in the story. It's why she sees danger in every situation - she strives to be extremely cautious and truly regrets anything reckless she does (because, despite her caution, she can't resist interfering in situations that violate her strict concept of right / wrong and justice - it's why she sticks up for Claire in the first place and gets herself into the whole mess). To her, consequences are very real and she can never forget that her situation is fairly precarious in this world - she knows just how fine the line is that she's walking. She's a pretty haunted kid; isolated, separated from her family, stuck the world that created her nightmares. What gets her through the day is the idea that some day, she may get to play a part in ending that world.

To be perfectly honest, a lot of Draco's characterization is derived from the series that inspired the story, with my own tweaks to fit fanon!Draco. The hero of Hana Yori Dango is violent, arrogant, reckless, immature and completely disregards the consequences of his actions - because he's never had to experience them in any way that is meaningful to him. Draco is a bit darker than that (his HYD counterpart isn't very clever and gets a little mindless about his devotion to the heroine - I've tried to give Draco a degree of intelligence in order to make him all the more dangerous), but with some elements to him that if loosely fit together, would make up the beginnings of a skewed moral code (betrayal = bad, perseverance = admirable, Purebloods = supreme, boredom = horrendous, money = power, power = everything, forgiveness = unattainable)

Draco's loneliness is really his only sympathetic quality, and the only thing that is meant to be somewhat redeeming about him is his desire for Ginny. Once his emotions are involved, he *feels* all the way and will do whatever it takes to win the girl - but that, unfortunately, is the something that makes it so difficult for the object of his desire - it's too much. He has no real concept of what the stakes are for her (and how can he, considering what his family life has been), but for Ginny, she has *so* much to lose - the cost is too high to risk for an arrogant, reckless teenage boy who she's not even sure she likes half the time. For Draco, however, all he has to lose is Ginny, and for him, THAT is way too high. Except that he doesn't *really* understand "loss" yet; at least, not the same way that she does.

As for ever increasing the story's rating - I'll try. Every time I venture into remotely NC-17 territory, I fall victim to Harlequin cliches and it's never any good. I do have a scene in mind (it's still a way off in the plot), and will hopefully be able to persevere in writing it. And as to Ginny giving him some kind of reassurance to him... I'll just say that she does, but in an unexpected way (there was a hint in this chapter as to what that might be)... Stay tuned for the next update. : )

Name: Rinney reviewed A Firewhiskey-Fueled Grand Gesture on Dec 04, 2011 05:03 pm

WOW. *claps*

You know, I'm a fan of Hana Yori Dango as well. It was the first manga and first live-action series I ever watched [with me watching a few episodes of Meteor Garden to go along with it] and I must say, how you intergrated the two is just MARVELOUS. I also see parts of the story that are uniquely of your own creation, and I appreciate it very much.

I did not think Draco and Ginny would fit the places of Tsukasa and Tsukuchi[Isn't that their names? Mind you I read and saw this well over 3 to 4 years ago?] so well, but damn. They do. I am in love with this story, and you just have to finish it. You just HAVE to!

Author's Response: Thanks! The first time I saw HYD, it was like a D/G crack!fic brought to life, and couldn't stop my brain from finding ways to fit that plot/characters into JK Rowling's world, and it's been so much fun to write. Don't worry, I have full intentions of finishing it.

Name: Rashonda reviewed A Firewhiskey-Fueled Grand Gesture on Dec 04, 2011 12:09 am

I am just grateful that you decided to post anything. I adore this story, Ginny and Draco's push/pull relationship keeps me coming back. And, I see Pansy is still being Pansy she'll never learn. Hopefully Hermione takes Gin's advice she doesn't need to be there with all of this mess going around. Oh, and who was the mysterious DE that came and ultimately saved Gin? I'm curious. Anywho, great job as usual!

Author's Response: Thanks Rashonda! Pansy will always be Pansy - I try to keep her as one-dimensional as possible. This way, her only real threat to Ginny is annoying her to death! : ) Thanks for sticking with me, more to come soon, I promise.

Name: bcbg185 reviewed Nearing the edge on Dec 03, 2011 06:30 pm

I also nearly cried when Draco said he had exactly three people in the entire world who he would trust with his life and now that was down to one. Such a powerful statement. I really felt for him for losing his Tonks-Blaise-Ginny trifecta.

Author's Response: That part broke my heart. I really appreciate that comment - that scene underwent a shameful number of re-writes because I couldn't get across his heartbreak and how serious the betrayal is without making him sound like an emo, whiny teenager. In many ways, what happened between Blaise & Ginny is just a misunderstanding that Draco happened to witness, but to him, it was so much more than that.

Name: aka3400 reviewed Nearing the edge on Sep 03, 2011 12:52 pm

Ahh! Please please please continue this story! I've reread it more times than i can count because I love it so much! Cannot wait to see how you finish it!

Name: Len reviewed Little Red Vixen on Aug 10, 2010 06:27 am

I really miss this story... :(

Name: Alluring_Twilight reviewed Abductions and ultimatums on Jul 15, 2010 09:36 pm

I'm hooked. I have falling absolutely in love with this story! Can't wait to see what happens next between D/G! And I think I might go check out HYD now, since you're basing Crossing into Chaos somewhat on HYD.

Name: twiddlekinks reviewed Abductions and ultimatums on Apr 15, 2010 10:09 pm

Eeeee man, what a cliffhanger!! But I'm so very glad that you've added more to this story. Your Draco definitely reminds me of Doumiouji, and they're both incredibly and inevitably attractive in the same way. Well done, as always. ^_^