Year End Note & Author Note for Chapter 41

Year-End Note from Hiro & Meia

"We'd like to take this opportunity to THANK YOU for your continued support to Fists and Lipsticks! This hard work won't be possible without readers like you who never ceased to give us the boost and the moral support to continue writing this story. Intricate planning, late night dates with Mr. Laptop to finish a chapter, tedious grammar, spelling, and inconsistency checks... they wouldn't be worth it without YOU. So again, thanks!"

From Meia:
Hi guys! Thanks for the support to F&L! 2009 is going to be so great! God bless and merry merry holidays! Kisses!

A short Author Note regarding Chapter 41

I don't want an overall depressing chapter, so yeah, best time for Saori and her 'weirdness' to come in. This brings us to another question - Why is Saori damn weird? First, she acts like a euphoric drunkard with some sort of champagne/bottle fetish. She sometimes act like a kindergarten, but then there are times where she kicks some ass. She even went as far as taking a bullet for Kosuke. She's in great pain considering her bullet wound on her left flank, yet in front of Kosuke, she acted so happy-go-luckily and cheerful. She told Kosuke that she saved his life, but she didn't tell him that she was seriously wounded in the process of doing so. With this, I'd like you to notice her peculiar actions not just in this chapter but also in the previous chapters. Who knows, you might just catch my little clues, hehe.

As for Ayane and Crosse, I'm actually glad that someone has noticed it (great job, Miss Jasmine). My plan is to actually make Ayane and Crosse communicate without using words. They conversed with each of their own reminiscences to their childhood, which they simultaneously recalled with the similar 'haircut incident'.

If you would imagine what was going on inside his mind during that time he was cutting Ayane's hair and recalling their good times together, even without words you will be able to understand fully why he cried in the end of the chapter.

And as you may have realized by now, yes, the Crosse Overload chapters would be composed of several reminiscence of their childhood and teenage years BEFORE they met again in Book 1. It's going to be one hell of a dramatic ride.

And remember when someone asked whether Ayane's going to have two wedding proposals? And I said 'Why not three?'. This is what I'm pertaining to. The truth is that long before Yoshifumi Rei proposed to Ayane, someone has already asked her the same question in the past. That makes Kosuke the 3rd wedding 'proposer'. The very first one is... Crosse Williams .

I'm actually happy with how this chapter turned out compared to the older version (before my laptop fell from the staircase and the motherboard just flew straight away to the puddle of mud). The old title was actually 'Silent Reminiscences', but then the new inspiration came from the fact that we have lots of champagne bottles right now at my aunt's home (which would be given away for New Years Eve). Yeah, the den looks like a bottle museum IMO, hehe.


F&L in 2009

One thing I can guarantee is that F&L2 WILL BE ENDED in 2009. We're half-way done already and with this, I'm now ready to drop the BIG plot twists in the next few chapters. As usual, expect constant updates (you know how much I dislike long update intervals. Works good for both the author and the readers to keep readability, I believe). Long intervals are a no-no for mystery genre fics, hence the fast updates.

The PM list will NEVER be taken down - it is 'public service' according to Meia, hehe. It keeps the readers updated of new chapters without giving the readers the hassle of clicking on our thread every single day expecting a chapter when there's actually none. Same old and simple rule apply for the PM list : You ask, you're in. You ask, you're out. See the index page for the note made by Meia.

Also, after numerous requests, I'm coming up with a .DOC version of F&L2 from Chapter 1 - 40 pretty soon. I'll do another round of massive revisions (grammar, spelling, and inconsistency check) for the uploaded chapters so far.

For the inquiries regarding translating F&L to Korean and Vietnamese, at this point in time, I would have to deny these requests because F&L is not finished yet. Thank you for the offers and for the understanding. Regarding the Chinese/Mandarin version, I MAY come up with one myself AFTER I finish the English version.

Again, regarding questions about my nationality. Yes, I'm a FILIPINO. Pinoy ako, pero kalahati lang. (I'm Filipino but I'm a half-breed). My mother's pure Chinese.


Future projects

I am actually starting to make the skeleton for a new fic I'm planning to write January of 2009. However, since it would be set in America and the characters would have English names instead of Japanese/Korean, I still have to decide whether I'll be putting it up in Soompi or not. Definitely it would be up in Fictionpress.com, though. Target release date is May 2009.

As I've mentioned in my blog, it's actually another mystery story, but with a supernatural twist. The protagonist is a female who one day discovers her 'unusual' ability. What is that ability? I'll keep it a secret for now, but I guarantee you that it's something new and, as far as I know, has never been done before. And no, it's NOT a vampire fic. I'm very excited about writing it. It's going to be cool (and I hope you'll find it cool too).

AGAIN, THANKS FOR THE GREAT 2008! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT, READERS BOTH SIGNED AND SILENT. THANKS FOR THE COUNTLESS EMAILS, REPLIES, AND MORAL SUPPORT.

-Mark (a.k.a. hiro0911/HiroLovesMeia)

Welcoming 2009 with a NEW fiction project

Since Fists and Lipsticks 2 is already half-way to ~fin, I think that this is the best time to start writing a brand new story. For sure I would be posting it in Fictionpress, but for Soompi Forums, I have yet to think about it. The setting would be in the United States this time with characters having English names instead of Japanese.

I'm still in the process of choosing the best title for it (I don't want the title to be similar to any movie or book currently existing). Last week, I've started constructing the skeleton of the plot and scribbling possible issues, conflicts, and scenes. I'm actually very excited about writing it.

It would be another mystery fic, but adding a supernatural twist this time. Nope, not a vampire fic but it would definitely be something different... and interesting.

For a sneak peak, the protagonist would be a female who one day discovers her 'unusual ability'. What is this unusual ability?

Well, that's a secret for now.

I wouldn't be posting in anytime soon, but after I finish around 25 to 30 chapters and after I outline the plot with satisfying details, I will be posting it . Target release would be May 2009.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

F&L Author Note for Chapter 37-40

This has been copy-pasted from Soompi Forums for the Fictionpress readers to view.

I actually promised a review reply for chapter 37-40. After reading the comments you've left and after giving it much thought, I think it would be best if I leave some of the questions unanswered for them to be unraveled soon in the plot. That way, I think I could maximize the suspense factor, hehe.

But I'd like to answer some questions you have that needed clarifications:

Who is Kaoru Hiro again?

Kaoru Hiro is Saori's older brother. He's the chief/boss of the Tokyo police investigating team. Recall him from Chapter 4: Good-For-Nothing

The man slammed an ID on top of his desk, glaring at Saori with a disappointed expression. Pointing his finger towards the female investigator, the man said, “You squeezed yourself into a case that isn’t yours, made a counterfeit ID saying false information and rank, and presented such irresponsible, tentative, and unproven ‘kitchen fire’ theory for the media to feast on! Now tell me, Junior Newbie Kaoru Saori… TELL ME WHY I SHOULDN’T FIRE YOU?”

“But…”

“Why shouldn’t I fire you?!”

“You can’t fire me because I’m your baby sister, huhuhu…” Saori frowned, faking a sob resembling that of a little girl whose ice cream has accidentally spilled on the floor.

“AISSSSH!” the man said, thumping his skull onto his desk. As he lifted his head to face Kosuke once again, he heaved a sigh and said, “I apologize for my sister’s… foolishness. I’ll send for a new investigating team right away, Attorney Yamazaki.”

“And make sure you clean this mess with the media,” Kosuke said.

Then, his eyes fell upon Saori, whom he caught making faces while he was not looking. Saori immediately looked towards the other direction when she noticed that Kosuke was now glaring at her.

“Yes, yes, very well…” the man answered.

“Till we meet again then, Senior Investigator Kaoru Hiro-san…”

also in Chapter 17: Cookies

“ONII-CHANNNNN!!”

“AISHHH! Get off me!”

The pestered Senior Investigator Kaoru Hiro pushed back Saori, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, flung herself onto his aching back, and clasped her arms tightly around his neck. For a moment, he felt as if he was trampled down by either an Amazon or a gigantic leech, her exasperating 'clinginess' aggravating his already-stressful state. Before him were piles of documents, most of them unsorted and misfiled. The three telephones on his desk have been ringing almost every thirty seconds and e-mails have been arriving non-stop since the time he arrived in his work place, and so he pulled out all networking cables going to and from his office. The cappuccino on his table brought earlier by his secretary has become cold and the cookies that came along with it have not been touched either.

Frowning, Saori released her older brother’s nearly-choked neck.

“Psh. Couldn’t you act a little bit sweeter to your little sister even for once? Huhuhu…”

“Sweeter?!” Hiro groaned, holding his strained back in pain. “And couldn’t you treat your older brother like a human being? Saori-chan, I’m not an elephant! My goodness… Aghhh… I think you broke my spine…”

“OH! Does it still hurt?!” she shrieked, attempting to reach for Hiro’s shoulder.

“DON’T TOUCH!”

“Okaaay! Fine!” Saori said, putting both her arms up.

For emphasis' sake, I'd like to quote another important appearance of Kaoru Hiro that you might have forgotten.

From Chapter 18: Costumes

Instead of listening to the report from one of his men on the other line, Kosuke snapped his mobile phone close and stared blankly at the ceiling of his bedroom, studded with glow-in-the-dark stars.

After a few seconds though, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

Senior Inspector Kaoru speaking…

Can I help you, Attorney Yamazaki?

“Kaoru-san, I need you to find someone for me…”

Hiro rubbed his eyes as he pulled himself up to sit on his bed, “The person must be someone important, eh? It’s 1:30 in the morning…”

“Very important indeed,” Kosuke answered. “I need you to find a woman named ‘Lily Akiyama’. Acquire all information you can find…”

“Find her ASAP…”

“…dead or alive.”

Ah, this is what I don't like from long update intervals, especially for a mystery story. I think it's my bad making Kaoru Hiro's appearance rather too subtle. But surely for the next chapters he'll be more active in the scene.


Why is the title of Spectra Boss/Grand Lord being passed around too much? It's rather confusing now who really is the boss of the rival gang?

For the mean time, I'll outline the given facts:
1) Yamazaki Daisuke is the Spectra Godfather/Big Boss.
2) But under him, there are also other 'bosses'. Hmm, think of a company. There's a CEO, then there are the presidents from different countries, then managers, then supervisors. Don't worry though, for I allotted a chapter to explain this gang hierarchy. As much as possible, I avoided discussing these 'gang rules' too prematurely in the story because it would drag the plot.
3) Having said that, think of Dmitri as the boss of the Spectra for Japan. It used to be Kosuke, but remember he got 'kicked out' because he's 'slacking off' during those romance chapters with Ayane, remember?
4) But those Spectra guys in Chapter 40 called Crosse the 'Grand Lord' instead of Dmitri

Well, for #4, we have to read on to find out what, why, and how it happened, hehe.


What are the three items Rei found sprawled on the floor when Crosse escaped with Ayane?

If you read Chapter 39 carefully, you'll find out what these three VERY IMPORTANT items were. Some people have figured it out correctly. Scan through the reviews.

Yes, that's it.

Big mess for the Silver Crescent?

And there's the other problem with the stolen data from the Spider Web.

Well, the bad stuff merely started.


Will Ayane really wake up like a zombie? With all her emotions erased, including her love for Kosuke?

Chapter 41 onwards would be one hell of a ride. There would be a lot of twists in the story so stay alert for clues. I advice re-reading some chapters where I've dropped these subtle but vital clues.

Regarding the question above, let's say... we've gotten enough of cliches -#-wink-#-


What would Chapter 41 and beyond be about?

To answer this question: if Chapter 21-30 is the so-called 'Ayane-Kosuke Romance Overload', then I'd say Chapter 41-50 is the 'Crosse Williams Overload'.

Ah, pat my head for spoiling you, Crosse fans.

Aside from this, prepare for a dose of twists and revelations. As I've said, it's about time for us to go deeper into the plot.

Expect some comebacks from old characters from F&L too. I know you've been missing Tomo, Akio, Hidemi, and Yuken too. Yes, they're coming in for some action, especially now that Kosuke needs them the most.

And with the common question to who Kaoru Saori is, we'll get to know more about her in the next chapters.


To the readers, I know I've said this a million times but really geez... thanks, hehe. The Soompi community is really... wow, I couldn't describe how nice and accommodating you guys have been, especially for a newcomer like me. I've only been here for merely a year, but the support you've been showering F&L is really EXPLOSIVE. Drives me to work harder and harder to meet your reading satisfaction.

Will update New Years Eve.

Thanks again and Seasons Greetings to all!

-The Author


P.S. Before I forget, thanks by the way to those who cast their votes for F&L in that story of the year contest here in Soompi. For a mere newcomer to be nominated alongside the pioneer authors here is already a big honor. Meia said that a great fraction of those who placed their votes are actually silent readers, so thanks if ever you read this.

Author Notes form F&L2 Chapter 34, 35, and 36

This is copy-pasted from Soompi Forums for Fictionpress readers to read too. Hope the clarifications help... - The Author

===================

Author note & Review replies for
Chapter 34 – Smears

This chapter came a little difficult for me to write. For one, I wanted it to come out as a ‘hybrid’ of themes – silliness of Saori + flirty but sweet Kosuke scene + cascade of betrayal + overwhelming rage + sadness = Chapter 34 --- that kind of pattern. I hope it didn’t turn out so bad, hehe.

Now, for the shock pans, shall we?

Regarding Ayane’s rampage...

iLOVEyunho=)
whoa shes gone insane?
fuuko-chan
It was expected that Ayane might just lose control suddenly but how she lost it scared me. And yes, she felt scared of herself too...
ningmeng
she went insane.and that was scary.
noona
she's gone crazyyyy..
puppaluppa
Somehow i know Aya is going to break down eventually but hjshdjkshkjs that was intense!
fangirlism
it was kind of about time for her to explode. She kinda needed it.
azn_chick91
woah that was intense
whohungjen?
holy mini cooper that was pretty scary it was so emotional
blah.blah.blah
OH MY!!! So powerful...
x3_b3b3
woahhh Ayane totally lost it O_O she sorta scared me for abit..but I could feel her anger, her hate, and her sadness
anokakoolio
omg O.o This chapter was so emotional. She finally cracked
macdoox3
she's gone INSANE. In a crazy psychotic way.
renchew
Amazing, this side of Ayane. She mustve been waiting to release all her emotions for a long time but that was pretty insane sigh shes gone a bittttt crazy =(
angielyn;s2
omgggggg! she went crazy there for a minute, i was like brooooo wthhh
jaja13
omg, she totally went ballistic.
rufflezz
Wow. Her rage is out of control.
bby-aye
but waddah angry child! she sounded really really mad! better not mess with her..
babii_peach
whoaa hectic!!! wat the hell happened there she went crazy!!!
5imply_5wt
i never knew she was capable to do all of that..
rufflezz
Nothing can really calm her down now, although she thought that love could.
sweet_rose_20
poor girl, she had so much inside of her
PSiloveyu
I'm speechless completely and utterly speechless....................
x__nga
woah, this is crazy. you really did mean it when you said its going to be action now.
Denied86
Perhaps that was how you were trying to depict her as; crazy, if so, you totally succeeded lol!

^ Exactly. And not just ‘crazy’ but scary and freakish crazy.

Why?

I wrote this chapter to emphasize a couple of things: (And I’m happy that people actually pointed out exactly the things I’m trying to portray.)

EMPHASIS # 1: Ayane is powerful. Not just rich-powerful or pretty-powerful, but physically powerful. Among the members of the Silver Crescent, she can fight the best. She took down all those hitmen all by herself, even took down the higher council of the gang themselves (Rei and the others). The fight scene was not merely created to spice things up or created just to abide with the action genre consistently.

jinx1791
No one could ever replace the Empress.

^ It was to show WHO IS in-charge – “in the Silver Crescent’s face!”

EMPHASIS # 2: Ayane is angry. Not just plain angry but hellish, freakish angry.

lollipop517
I cnt believe they tried to replace her! Wtf?!
LoveItLiveIt
Whoa! What a big mess!! >< Everything..Ohh gosh..I can't believe the gang..
? ENN ?
I never expected for them to try and get Rei to be the new boss!

She is angry because she felt betrayed by the gang when they tried to oust her without her knowing. Remember that, somehow, being the almighty Lady Nu Huang built up her pride into something soaring high. She is angry because the Silver Crescent seems to not understand her feelings - of being torn between her duty and Kosuke. Above all, she is angry because she felt as if everything is going against her ‘being’ with Kosuke, not just the people who wanted them to separate but the circumstance/scenario itself. She thinks that people and the events had not been fair at all.


EMPHASIS # 3: Ayane refuses to listen. Notice that the rest of the Silver Crescent Gang, especially Rei and Lin were ‘trying’ to wake her up – ‘trying’ to remind her that “Hey, you have a duty to do!”. They told her of the past, of how many people sacrificed their lives under the cruel hands of the Spectra gang, of how much she craved for that revenge. But what did she do? She seemingly shut her ears to their pleas and had that ‘as-long-as-I’m-with-Kosuke-I’m-good-so-no-one-gives-a-damn’ attitude. Yes, she’s too blinded and deafened by love, and that brings us to #4…

EMPHASIS # 4:

lenaaa._
She hid away her emotions so good and now that she broke out I realized she loves Kosuke soooo much.

chng234
ayane must be very upset at this point.
but i believe she made the correct decision for choosing kosuke.

And her love for Kosuke was so strong that it leads us to # 5…

EMPHASIS # 5: Ayane admitted that she is selfish.

QUOTE

“Maybe Rei was right…
I have become selfish…
Because all I wanted to do right now was to be with you…”

Not only did Ayane admit that she’s crazy. Let’s see this one - -

QUOTE

“Let them say that I am selfish for all I care. I could go on and on, enumerating the number of instances I have lived for other people in the past. It is only fair that I claim my desires this time around…”

From the Yoshida Ayane in Book 1 who is willing to go too far for other people without asking anything in return, this time, she has begun ‘calculating’ her good deeds to justify her actions and mistakes. Though you can say that…

jusplainmeh
it's obvious that the b*tch is crazy.
1shinhwa
omg! that F*kin b*tch!

… and that Ayane is being too irrational with her actions, decisions, and emotions… that…

chocoberryjam*
…Aya overreacted
bee21192
if u make aya feel so self conscientious for being so emotional i think it'd be the typical protagonist's under-confidence that u find everywhere..
myxlove101
I think she needs another session. ^^;
Maybe a chill pill?

… we should remember # 6 - -

EMPHASIS # 6: Ayane is suffering from a psychiatric disorder.

I like this review by miss Silent Serenity - -

Silent Serenity
I just wanna add that probably Ayane, because of her psychological issues, tend to feel the extremes of emotions. Meaning, if she's sad, she's really sad. If she's happy, she's really happy. If she's angry, she's REALLY REALLY angry. She is unable to moderate her feelings and that's precisely what Shizuki has to fix.

^ Exactly. Although it does not occur in all post-traumatic stress disorder patients, sometimes they present with signs of being quite ‘bipolar’ at times. She bursts out not because she is overacting but because she simply isn’t mentally and emotionally capable of controlling her feelings.

But…

xradiostarx
shes uncontrollable unless shes with kosuke.

Very good opinion. As narrated in the romance overload chapters (a.k.a. Chapter 20-31), during that time she was with Kosuke, she seemingly warped back to that Ayane from eight years ago.

However, we can also look at this in a different dimension - - - that the thought of losing Kosuke’s love is precisely the thing that drives her mad and uncontrollable.

pie.x3
i wonder how she'll be able to keep track of the gang AND keep kosuke..
rikuu
huh why not.? I thought love heals everything ):
MRS.CHANGMIN(:
i still believe that love and revenge can both be had.

It’s a double-edged sword, and so, how does she pull out the balance so that she won’t falter both in her mission and love?

Well, that’s why this story’s still ongoing, hehe…

Anyway.

EMPHASIS # 7: Well-said by miss pinkslippers and meOz –

pinkslippers
Ayane was overpowered by her rage, by her desperation to protect Kosuke, to protect her only reason for living.i think it's just normal for Ayane to have her heart smeared with things other than love. Like hate. Like revenge. Because whoever undergoes what she has experienced in the whole duration of her existence would, i think, be having the same kind of heart too. or worse, much more tainted. Hate and revenge would always be part of Yoshida Ayane.

me0z
Holy moly your writing was so pro that it really painted a picture of the story. and man i felt lucky i wasn't actually there when Aya blew up cause that was just scary. it was unexpected, unpredictable and you could say not like aya at all. truly it is tragic to see a heroine falter just when all the things was brightening up for her. The rage was just overpowering.


EMPHASIS # 7: Well-said by miss loveme100x

loveme100x
In my honest opinion, every character in this story is selfish. They place greed and revenge above love, happiness and the well being of others. But I guess... in a selfish world, only the most selfish would succeed right? Ayane is in many ways wrong. But in other ways, she's right. They obviously don't know her if they went to that length to keep her from Kosuke and to even attempt to replace her.

If perfection was one of the major themes for Book 1, the counterpart for Book 2 is ‘selfishness’. We see how much Ayane and Lin seemed to scream “Look at me! I’m miserable, so feel sorry for me. It’s your duty to understand me!”. And it is precisely this self-pity and selfishness that makes them all the more broken (and precisely the thing that irks the readers).

maizakichi
ayane's so emotional now T_T
i don't know if i should hate her or love her atm~
kawaii999
I absolutely despise Ayane.
Chiiikk
And Lin .. Feel like she really hate aya-chan ..
sentuhmentalfo0l
and lin.. i thought she was her friend but she seems the most eager to get rid of ayane

And yes, I’m irking you guys on purpose, hehe…

However, there is someone in the group who does not bother lamenting about his dreadful past at all. You’ll find out who he is in the next chapters – and you’ll be shocked. This would actually change and fix things a little as far as the Silver Crescent is concerned.

EMPHASIS # 8: EVERYONE in the Silver Crescent hates EVERYONE in the Spectra… except Ayane and Kosuke.

mangoes-dbsk
She (Ayane) should realize that she is the only one who likes Kosuke here. All the rest of them hate him, even though whatever happened wasn't of his own fault. They hate the Spectra, they hate the people associated with the Spectra, and they hate the most, the people who is working in the Spectra. She should realize that, since she created the gang formed with ... antis? Haters, of the Spectra.

And so, the same question as before - -

shamansha
If these people wanted revenge then they should just go for Yamasaki Daisuke and leave Kosuke out of this...he was innocent ever since he was a child... he was brought up to be like this...poor kosuke...
jaeyoungg
think the Silver Crescent shld jus plan to kill yamazaki daisuke and dimitri Williams since they hv the most power and daisuke is nt kosuke's real father it shouldnt matter right? haha

Big secret for now… But if you’re good enough to catch the big yet discreet clues I’ve dropped both in Book 1 and Book 2, you’ll find out why they can’t just target Yamazaki Daisuke or why they can’t leave Kosuke alone in this mess – especially now that he angered Rei… a LOT.

EMPHASIS # 9 :

miss a??c a?s?r
The gang for the first time saw Ayane crying, to me it shows how much they really don't know about her then they think they do.

^ Self-explanatory.

EMPHASIS # 10: Ayane and Kosuke are going through similar dilemmas in relation to their gangs.

MINisVIP
why do kosuke and ayane have the same fate? T__T
being replaced..

^ Precisely.


Others questions / inquiries / random stuff

dreamer88
god that was
exciting like imagining an action film you´ve
put my imagination to work

Hehe, thanks.

jvang_07
If it were me, I would have had her kill Lin.

Couldn’t kill Lin because she had to serve ‘some other purpose’ in the story.

RHAINE
i personally think that saori should back off.
sure she gets teased a lot and wants to show kosu-kun that shes something better but jeez
she acts like a highschooler not a 25y/o chrr.

^ Very good observation. Take note of this. May come handy, who knows?

sARAnghae_oppa
Wow I never thought I would be so into the characters... But the story really does draw you in=)

Thanks, glad you feel that way. As much as possible, I’m trying to develop both the plot and the characters in every possible way.

simpleangel
I still want to see what would happen when Ayane meets with Crosse. Will Crosse still like Ayane?

You’ll go crazy from Chapter 40-50 -#-evil grin-#-

cambochinkanese
Hahaha, Kosuke, even if he's in pain he still had the energy to be flirtatious.

Hehe, Ijust thought of adding some mushiness so that the chapter wouldn’t be all that depressing.

.luckii.
AND SAORI!! CAN YOU JUST FRACKIN KILL HER??
cause...im guessing that none of the characdters will end up with the ones they love...

Give Saori a chance, trust me. Just forgive her… st*pidity for now.

sayuri ko
if her watch responds to gun wave lengths, then why didn't it detonate when rei shot lin's arm right before she revealed her watch?

It’s because Ayane activated/turned ON the wristwatch-bomb AFTER Rei pulled the trigger.

Denied86
What if she finds out that Kosuke was hurt by Crosse?!
HYPERGURLY^^
i wonder when kosuke is going to tell her that crosse did this to him!

The question is, would he?

lil^jenniie
Fuuko, wasnt there this tape that she aya
and isnt kosuke building or place built but her coompay, she is an architeture isnt she.???

Yes, Ayanami Fuuko (the resident female bully of Tsuzuya Academy in Book 1) is the one who gave her the tape. When will the tape come handy here in Book 2? What is the significance of her being an architect? Good observations and points to consider, but I can’t reveal that part yet.

kc_chua
her exterior was ninja-hot with those slamming moves with her nunchaku (cool weapon choice by the way!)

Hehe, I got the idea of the nunchaku while re-playing Suikoden II on the Playstation.

silently_solitude
I guess there'll be many more traitors and drama going on.

We barely got to that part, hehe.

benchi101
I hope that the explanation about Crosse's disappearance update soon.

Errrr… not too soon yet, I guess.

milk-o
The fight scene was a bit vague...I was hoping the action parts would be something that would make me wanna say, "god I missed every f*cking inch of that!"
I know that you're just starting to introduce the deception chapters along with the bloodier, action-packed ones... So maybe I'm just expecting things too soon? Its hard to say, I don't want to ruin the fun...

^ Hehe… *cough cough* Chapter 39 *cough cough*

yamaki_LOVE
Yoon & Chris doesn't hate Ayane or mad at her eh??

Chapter 36 will answer that.

syndryx
they all have their points and it's quite difficult siding with anybody...not that i really intend to do it, but as readers, you let us know a hell lot of things about what the characters are thinkin...and it's really difficult to see them all troubled and wild because of misunderstanding...

You yourself said it before right, syndryx? I remember it well when you said that there’s no one in the world that is pure evil.

Everyone has a story once you hear it… probably even Yamazaki Daisuke himself ?

MisoSoupOfKpop
I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVENT COMMENTED AS MUCH AS I SHOULD HAVE. I blame school.

School first before F&L!

kc_chua
I nominated Fists and Lipsticks for Original Fic & Most Original Plot category for Fic of the Year!

Geez, thanks hehe. I actually thought that that thing was for fanfics only.

To those who placed their nominations, thanks a lot for the support… although there’s still no greater price than the experience of having to interact dynamically like this to you readers. You know, you guys throwing in your opinions and views of the story, posts that do not solely contain praises but intelligent exchange of information and criticism. I really appreciate it.

Author Notes & Review Replies for
Chapter 35 – Sessions (Part 7)

This chapter took me long to make, not because it was hard writing the plot but because this required me to do some research. I got to learn some basics on how actual psychiatrists do their psychiatric interviews. I came across an interesting article where in a violent, uncooperative patient was placed under some sort of ‘drug-interview’. The procedure makes use of drugs like barbiturates and sedatives to make the patient not just calm but, as said as miss milk-o - -

milk-o
5% intravenous sodium amobarbital at rate no more than 1ml per minute<= she isn't just letting her relaxed! Sodium Amobarbital has both sedative-hypnotic and analgesic compounds. Though it's an anti-anxiety drug, the rate of 1ml per minute might induce the patient to partial hypnosis, thus Ayane's 'readiness' to answer Shizu-chan's questions...

^ Precisely. It’s ---

kc_chua
…like a Veritaserum in Harry Potter! L0l

Yeah, pretty much like it, but it is actually used in real-life, although in rare and special instances.

me0z
Because Aya is kinda relaxed or just numb lost between feelings, her words were really simple, what really stood out, her simple statements "i'm angry'and 'sadness'.

That’s the purpose of the drug-assisted interview. The patient is able to define her thoughts and feelings more directly – more focused and easily relayed.

bloo
Wow you did a lot of research huh? Although I was expecting more psycho-analysis

Regarding the psychoanalysis, it would come later in the story. For those who do not know what a psychoanalysis is, think of it as a ‘psychiatric medication/treatment’ not using drugs or surgery but using psychiatric techniques. Right now, Shizuki is still in the interviewing/history taking phase. And yes, she is going tad slow.

whohungjen?
only a tad slow? its going soooooooo slow

^ Why? Well, hehe… Can’t tell yet.

simpleangel
-Gasp- Voice recorder?

Sometimes psychiatrists use voice recorders to record their sessions because patients do not like it when the doctor is scribbling and scribbling too much during the interview, indicating lack of sympathy in what the patient is saying and just after the information he/she is saying. Some doctors say that this is unethical though, but yeah… who knows? This voice recorder just might be handy in the future? Good way to point out.

MisoSoupOfKpop
I love the "Sessions" chapters. They provide insight into Aya's raw emotions and feelings
silently_solitude
I'm glad that Aya is able to cry now, and in front of Shizuki!
5imply_5wt
it's really good to get to know more about ayane and all the things she's going through right now.
sweet_rose_20
poor aya-chan......she has so many things inside of her to deal with.
? ENN ?
Aya's pasts is makes me wanna cry.
a??c a?s?r
It helps us know how ayane is feeling as well as giving us tiny clues
jaeyoungg
i feel so sad for ayane, hving an internal conflict
PSiloveyu
aya...the poor thing =(
rikuu
SO SAD! omg. poor her. poor shizu-chan. POOR EVERYONE.
Chiiikk
poor aya .. after all she is still a woman .. >...<

As I’ve said before, instead of writing ‘Reminiscence’ chapters for Book 2, I decided to make the flashback chapters in a form of a psychiatric session to make things a little different from the usual.

aya_fantasy17
nice research u've done on psychiatric interview.
chocoberryjam*
i liked the intro to the session, it sounded so professional .
kc_chua
Very few authors in Soompi, Winglin, & Fiction Press (or almost close to none) go through the pain of looking up complicated medical books for the sake of making realistic clinical diagnosis or treatments if they're necessary in the story.
I've seen fics (and even movies) where in the characters, for some reason, are brought to the hospital and the doctor in the story explains the condition of the patient, saying info that are not even realistic when you make a real doctor check it up (not that I'm ranting...). But that precisely makes your fic stand out. The fight scenes here may be quite towards the unrealistic side, but that is understandable because it was meant to be like that. However, when it comes to things like medicine/surgery related issues, you bring to us a case that is actually seen in real hospitals. That makes it authentic, and coming from someone who isn't in the medical field, being able to write like this is impressive. Excellent job!

Geez, thanks. I’m happy to hear that I sounded convincing, hehe.

Regarding the research, you’re correct miss kc_chua. I just thought that the fighting scenes of F&L are quite unrealistic – but I wanted it to be like that because I am inspired by movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Matrix, Kill Bill, So Close, and kung fu movies. To make a little diversion from the ‘unrealistic’ fight scenes, I thought that putting realistic elements like the psychiatric sessions, for instance. I wanted to make the diagnosis and treatment as real as possible. I have a pet-peeve regarding unreliable medical information in novels and movies too (There’s a TV show in the Philippines where the lead character is some sort of mermaid. I think she was shot and the freakin’ mermaid was brought to the hospital, and there they performed CPR and blood transfusion ON THE MERMAID. I was… stupefied, hehe. Sweet Jesus, do mermaids have blood-types?).

And now, regarding Crosse Williams - -

RHAINE
their first meeting was sooo kyoot. crosse was such a shy kid.
dreamer88
it was a nice memory of how she met
crosse oh i feel sad now.....
.luckii.
the tearless me is still crying out to crosse. why is his life so sad? WHY DID YOU MAKE IT SO SAD?!
panguyfm
IT WAS SO SWEET HOW THEY MET FOR THE FIRST TIME
HE WAS HER FIRST CRUCH A GOOD FRIEND & COULD HELP HER HEAL HER WOUNDS
s2naomii
i tear up at the name of crosse williams T_T
and aya T_T
chocoberryjam*
i feel sorry for crosse and aya now... their lives have become so twisted. . . Im still waiting on more CROSSE ! !
azn_chick91
how she met CW is soooo cute ^^
x__nga
aww, cute meeting. childhood is an very important factor in psych. i think your doing a great job with the reports, seem real enough for me, although i never seen one before lol. but i took psychology last year, and everything sounds pinpoint.
rufflezz
It's cute the way that Ayane had met Crosse
yamaki_LOVE
0MG awhhh lil Crosse & whaa too cute!!
babii_peach
i love how ayane and crosse met . its totally adorable!
x3_b3b3
its soo cute how Crosse and Aya became friends!
sentuhmentalfo0l
aw the crosse flashback makes me miss him
sweetgirl_121
Hiro u make it hard to hate anyone, don't u? aya and cross first meeting was cute, i still they are more meant for each other.
pie.x3
oh so crosse is mentioned in this session chapter huh? he sounds really sweet as a little boy
iLOVEyunho=)
thats so cute aww!! i reckon shes better off with crosse
bby-aye
so thats how crosse and her met.
MINisVIP
crosse sounds so cute when he was younger, lol.
xradiostarx
i loved the flashback! poor crossee!

I started the narration of Ayane’s childhood with Crosse in the cutest way possible. And yes, it is not just to make you go “Aww, how cute” but to emphasize this fact - -

jaja13
i didn't know that a simple high school love story could turn into THIS!
fuuko-chan
I feel so sad for Ayane. T__T And the flashback of her and Crosse as children made me feel worse. D: Who would've thought that those two innocent kids would end up having so much problems as they grew.

And so, now for the common clamor:

macdoox3
i seriously can't wait when Crosse will meet Ayane face to face.
lenaaa._
I long for the day Crosse and Aya will meet again.
It seems like centuries ..
mangoes-dbsk
I want him to come out now! I want! I want!!
myxlove101
And have more Crosse time, kk? :]
lollipop517
Cant wait for him 2 be more involved in the present!
HYPERGURLY^^
i like kosuke and all but crosse.. he needs some loving too.

Hehe, cough *chapter 40 - * cough

xherodbskx
but I cant believe crosse is evil now T_T
renchew
But crosse's changed so much now =(
qiianer
Actually, I don't believe that Crosse has turned bad. I believe that he's somewhat planning a get back plan too.
cambochinkanese
Things are becoming unfortunate as things get going

Whether he has something in mind or not, that would be revealed later in the story.

Have your ‘shock meters’ ready, hehe.


Other stuff / questions / randomness:

~*BaeSeulGi*~
lin doesnt sound nice......don really like her alot

Chapter 36 would rationalize that part.

anokakoolio
Rei's threat was pretty scaring especially his implying on how people died because of her.

Things people do when they’re angry… and jealous. Yeah, the craziest things…

lil^jenniie
The gang are pushin her to hard I reckon because ... what she been through is more devasting than the others she was on the run most of her teenage years, not be able to be herself. Being portrayed as someone else.

The Silver Crescent has such high expectations for Ayane. Why wouldn’t they? She’s the leader after all – the high and mighty Lady Nu Huang. If you would look back to Book 1, Ayane worked hard to portray a role she wasn’t. The same thing is happening right now, but in a much greater scale.

Things in the gang would get a little crazier in the next chapters. Hold on to your seats, hehe.

pinkslippers
little did she know though, her impending meeting with Kosuke was actually the one driving her forward. each day. each minute. each second. Not to kill as she had always been telling herself, but to finally quench that longing to, at least, see her high school sweetheart. which she had always denied to herself.

Yes, precisely - - as would be emphasized in the next chapter.

W0z13
wait.
so crosse is his son?
waaaaaah? >-<;;
iim so confused = =;;

Crosse is Dmitri Williams’ son. Dmitri Williams is the CEO of the motorcycle corporation in Book 1. And Dmitri Williams is also the same guy whom Lady Nu blackmailed in the earlier chapters of Book 2.

Don’t hesitate to ask if you guys are confused with some parts. I’ll be more than glad to clear things up. *thumbs up*

dreamandlove
OMG!! I love the story...it's just soooo awesome!!!
I read the first part and I'm truly hooked

Hey, welcome to F&L and enjoy your stay!

amandahs
i just realized that you update pretty fast, and your chapter are all fully detailed and are interesting.You must be really good. I guess researching on the topic helps as well.

It helps writing at least 5 chapters in advance. It helps me come up with constant updates without compromising the quality and length.

milk-o
I was just a bit too happy getting to top 5. The retention policy of our school was too high! Did you know that in our 5-unit subject, out of 48 students in the second year, only eight of us passed the required grade quota?! Oh, and add the fact I am running a business and stalking my fave threads here in fanfix (that includes your thread mister)... So it was really such a pleasure to see that all my slacking hardwork paid off... We are now actually down to twenty-two this second semester, so I hope I could maintain things as it is...

Geez, you’re awesome. Law school must be really hard huh? I just had a conversation with my friend via YM (he’s in Ateneo de Manila) and he said that it’s hellish hard, especially Taxation.

sARAnghae_oppa
Their love could have been a great one if it weren't for so many misunderstandings along the way...

But come to think of it, it is because of these trials that fortifies their bond.

gule2
i like both Kosuke and Crosse. I don't want any of them to die or end up hurt. Hiro, please give F&L2 a happy ending!!

Well, we have a long way to go before this story ends. Let’s savor the moments for now, hehe.

littlemisstiny
want to apologise for not being around lately but my exams finished
snowy_life
OMMMGGG~~
SOORRII FOR NOTT REPPLLYYINNGGG FOR ALOOTT
didi-anime
SORRY for my late reply ><
i've just had heaps of work, my yearlies and everything crammed together so didn't have much time but im back now
cuti3gurl
wow i'm VERY late haha. i haven't read the past three chapters until now. the story has gotten SOOOOOO GOOD!

Like I’ve always said, school and real-life matters first before the Internet! Hehe. We never (and will never) require readers to reply chapter after chapter. The fact that you spend a fraction of your time to visit our thread is more than enough for me to appreciate your support. The kind words you leave give me the extra hyena-smile factor though. Man, how I dig them.

Author Notes & Review Replies for
Chapter 36 - Lullaby

This chapter for me was kind of disturbing to write. I'm a self-proclaimed homophobic and I do not enjoy stories with homos on it. It's a choice thing, so no offense to any particular person or fic around here in Soompi. All of us have our own likes and dislikes in this world, you know .

But somehow, perhaps this ‘dislike’ is precisely the reason why I made Yoon's story like this.

littlemisstiny
but even worse that people like this probably do exist in the real world taking advantage of children

^ What could be worse than a gay pedophile molesting 9-year-old male kids?

fuuko-chan
THAT WAS JUST SO NASTY! STUPID PERVERTED PEDOPHILE!
maizakichi
darn..yoon's past is troublesome too~
.luckii.
OMGG~ PEDOPHILIC CHILD, MUCH? THATS FRICKIN DISGUSTING
5imply_5wt
perverted old bastard.. i can't believe he did that to yoon.. * cries in a corner*
xKANA
That perverted old man! >:O He's so disgusting, thank god Kim Yoon Jae took care of him.
azn_chick91
poor yoon jae T.T he had to go through so much
didi-anime
yoon's story is so sad
HYPERGURLY^^
poor yoon!! his past was so sad and sickening.
sweet_rose_20
omg poor kim yoon jae..........had to go through all that
myxlove101
That's disgusting. That pedophile. Should have died years ago~
~~PuhPuhMuh~~
poor yoon
cambochinkanese
Yoon seriously has been through too much hardships; it's a good thing he's started fresh with Spectra.
silently_solitude
Goodness gracious!!!! What a scary yucky man!! And that poor Yoon! Ugh. The Spectra is really pissing me off!
qiianer
That Mr Han is a sick man okay!
Forget the fact that he's gay, but did he have to attack CHILDREN?!
PSiloveyu
this chapter put me in massive shock mode. the sick, disgusting, perverted, pedophile ==" poor pooor poorr yoon TT_____TT"
iLOVEyunho=)
poor yoon
babii_peach
who would hav thought. eurghh pedos man. seriously how could they?
amandahs
we got to know more about yoon
benchi101
NO! Yoon was harassed by a pervy ugly pedophile!!! TT^TT I feel so bad for him! I want to murder Mr. Han!!!!!!!
s2naomii
disgusting pedophile . . and aweeeeeeeeeeee yoon jae
Denied86
That was just depressing...
Chiiikk
wow .. yoon >..< poor him
fangirlism
IT was like an episode of Law & Order: SVU! Holy crap. D: <
~*BaeSeulGi*~
that Han guy is pure disgusting..........ewwwwwwww


Disgusting, true. Not only that, I’d like to emphasize. He came from a poor family, sold to a stranger at age six, molested at nine, witnessed the death of SangHun (the 14 year old kid who tried to save him and the other kids when they were nine), murdered a lot of people (including Mr. Han) in the bomb explosion and joined the Silver Crescent at age seventeen.

A little too much?

yamaki_LOVE
Poor Yoon his story is the saddest T-T I'm glad Lin realizes what she said to Yoon! & gosh he is smart!!
macdoox3
Yoon's past is truly one filled with pain. It makes me said thinking about it.
jusplainmeh
I don't care about any other of the silver crescent member's history. None of them can be as heartwretching as Yoon's...
kc_chua
I actually think that Yoon's past is a lot more brutal than Ayane's, given the fact that he was molested by a gay pedophile!

^ I’m happy that a number of people pointed this fact out, because this is precisely what I was trying to unveil through this chapter. Although Chapter 36 seemed to be merely one of those flashback chapters regarding a ‘minor’ character’s past, this narration aims to stress out a few facts:

1) Yoon’s past is dreadful… perhaps even more dreadful than the rest of the Silver Crescent, including Ayane herself.
2) Yoon never once showed he was bothered
3) Yoon never once ‘bragged’ about his past

And so…

RHAINE
i still hate Lin. its not like shes the only one who has been through all that shi*. i bet the others wouldnt have joined if they didnt have a reason. its not like they think lifes meaningless and they just want to jeopardize it for fun. dur. think lin THINK. LOLOL. im overreacting xD
w00dchild.jnR
I don't like Lin. She's selfish and spoiled and she thinks she's the only one that is hurt. Doesn't she realise that all the Silver Crescent are scarred? She's so bitter and unreasonable. She might be good at fighting, and maybe her mother was killed by Spectra, but everyone else also experienced terrible things. It's so unreasonable. That's so sad... I feel bad for Yoon ><
rufflezz
Lin shouldn't accuse her friends like that ):
But I guess now she knows the stories behind them all, or most of them.
sweetgirl_121
and here were Iam thinking that yoon was annoying that poor kid, I'm seeing him in very different light. now both lin and aya should be a shame, throwing all the fits like nobody was hurt as them when some were hurt really beyond their imagination.

Now, with Lin knowing this fact, Yoon somehow indirectly became her ‘means’ of re-assessing her actions and realizing her own mistakes.

noona
good that lin and ayane made up^^
sentuhmentalfo0l
i'm glad that lin apologized. i feel like she was being selfish
x3_b3b3
and its a good thing that Lin and Ayane made up. AND IT WAS SOO CUTE THAT LIN RAN OUT!~ keke
bee21192
even though a greater part was about yoon, lin is the one that really touched my heart.. i'm glad to see that the silver crescent gang knows when to get together and stand up for, or better, WITH each other..
renchew
Its good that lin understands everything now !
blah.blah.blah
Yay! Aya is forgiven!
puppaluppa
auw how cute Lin just ran out like that haha
xradiostarx
im glad that lin had understood things and hopefully everything will work out
macdoox3
I'm so happy that Lin apologized to Aya-chan. Finally I can see the friendship they share on a deeper level. And I'm sure Aya-chan can figure something out where ALMOST everybody is happy. She's smart, she can figure things out. ^^

By looking not only at the plot but the ‘motive’ behind the plot, we would see that this chapter aimed to show not just how characters commit mistakes but how they struggle to ‘rebuild broken bridges’. In this case, Lin realized her mistake of being too harsh with her judgment towards other people and her ‘crying over spilled milks’. True that her past was horrible too, but she finally realized that she’s not the only person shattered in the gang - everyone is, including the person alongside her who does nothing but smile.

Ayane also has almost the same flaw as Lin for Book 2 now that she has begun ‘calculating’ her good deeds to justify her actions in the present. She would find herself thinking about how good things would be with Kosuke as if totally forgetting about the task set on her shoulders. She is torn between playing heroine and playing the girl-in-love. This is to be fixed not only by Shizuki, but also by herself.

I like this comment by miss nganrinat0r:

nganrinat0r
it seems that the Silver Crescent is made up of exceptional people yet the most unexpected; aya, inititally the daughter of someone who manufactures cars while Yoon is the son of a poor family. their challenges in life made them the exceptional people they are. they are also strong due to barriers that they can relate and created; Yoon and his smile while aya and her fake identities.

^ Precisely. Ayane’s fake identities as Miyazawa Aya and Lady Nu Huang (and as Mei Lee) and Choi Woo Seok (Yoon)’s new name and smile are their self-made defenses.

simpleangel
I liked how he creeped Mr. Han out with his smile.
strawberrylova79
cant imagine that he was *shiver* the story for his never ending smiles/giggles is so sad
supergeek;3
Yoon's past made me go O____O he had such a terrible, and hard life yet he's still able to smile like that.
dreamer88
that´s why he smiles all the time it made me cry
renchew
Ahh i love yoon and his smile =)
bloo
...his smiles and goofy attitude definitely concealed his dark past well.
chocoberryjam*
WAHH!! what a sad story... hidden behind a smile i never knew Yoon would have such a . . . X_X past...
MINisVIP
and the fact that he smiles all the time to cover up his sadness/anger/upset is so.. i don't know how to say it, but it's kinda sad. WHY IS EVERYONE'S PAST SO COMPLICATED?!?!?!??!!?!?
jaeyoungg
i love this chpt though it's suppose to be sad =x cos i get to know better abt yoon, and i think he is becoming one of my fav char in F&L2 ;DDD
lollipop517
I've always loved him and now i love him even more! Bless! He's had such a hard time! Atleast it's made him stronger tho!

These uncanny defense-mechanisms may make them seem insane and frail at times, but these defenses show that they are human, desperately struggling to survive/escape from their own traumas

gule2
It's something that finally bring me closer to Silver Cresent's members.
pinkslippers
i hope Silver Crescent would be one again--one in friendship, one in taking revenge.
bby-aye
it seems like the crescent gang is coming back together.

Seems like it… but there’s still someone to worry about - - Rei.

This leads us to this:

macdoox3
I think, the complicated past that everyone in the crescent gang is what connects them, bind them and somehow divide them. The division, i think, is because of the different views.

I’m glad with the fact that you pointed out how the gang members have such diverse views and priorities when it comes to revenge. For Lin, revenge is getting rid of the Spectra in the soonest time possible. For Rei, he initially wanted to get rid of the Spectra to avenge her mother, but somehow his new anger towards Kosuke overrides this previous motive. Now, he wants to exterminate the Spectra including Kosuke so that he can have Ayane for himself. For Yoon, he wanted revenge against the Spectra because of the abuse he got when he was still a child, but he doesn’t take things as seriously as he ought to be because his defense-mechanism of smiling seemingly mask his true feelings. And so, he is misunderstood. For Ayane, she wanted to get rid of the Spectra, but at the same time protect Kosuke.

What about Chris?

milk-o
How about Chris? I think I'd wanna know about him too.
lil^jenniie
Chris sounds like a nice guy. I havent heard of him much since this chapter.
pie.x3
oh and chris seems to have alot of trust in ayane and it makes me feel like she's gonna have a comeback with this super awesome plan XD i'm looking forward to it
jinx1791
..go chris!!..woot!!..woot!!..
..such a nice man..a very transparent person..
..he didn't take any sides..he even makes things better and let them realize bout the situation..
..he's so smart..i started to like him and i know more if him now..
linnienguyen
i wonder what chris's past is too

Can’t say much about Chris at this point. But definitely you’ll read about his story soon.

Given these facts, this leads us to another reason behind writing Chapter 36 as it is - -

blurr
this adds a whole new meaning to "Spectra"
kawaii999
My disgust for spectra has been taken to a whole other level.
shamansha
Ughh stupid spectra! they do nothing but ruin everyones lives!

Yes, it is to again emphasize how POWERFUL the Spectra Gang is. They have a faction in Korea, meaning they have even more groups all over the world. They run drug laboratories, manufacture and sell illegal drugs and weapons, runs wh*re houses and casinos, host illegal street racing, and now even buy and abuse children. The Spectra gang is not just about dealing with an exchange of immature and petty deals or arguments like “This is my territory” or “I’ll beat you down because you beat my men”. They’re powerful, they’re rich, and they’re evil.

But then again, there are still LOTS of things about the Spectra that have not been written yet.

Hang on to your seats, hehe.



Other questions / stuff / randomness:

Sungminnnie
I was wondering, how old Yoon is right now?

Yoon is 21 right now. He joined the Silver Crescent when he was 17 years old. Chris recruited him in via the command of Ayane.

sweetgirl_121
i reread the chapter, am I missing something? weren't the Silver Crescent in for replacing aya with rei? how come Chris is rooting for ayane and asking for lin to understand her? so she is still the boss?

Ayane is still the boss. Remember how he kicked the ass*s of those people who tried to oust her? She threatened them all in Chapter 34 –

QUOTE

“If any of you wishes to be the new boss of the Silver Crescent,” I declaimed. “I suggest you come and try…”
“… that is IF anyone of you would dare to stop me.”

I placed my nunchaku back into my pocket, “Otherwise, no other person will lead the Silver Crescent except ME.”

anokakoolio
The Sae-ya Sae-ya song was song haunting. ONe of the people who sang that song had such a haunting voice that it was scary but beautiful.
Silent Serenity
And I tried playing the song in YouTube too and omg the song is creepy..... in a sense, lol.

I tried looking for a song that had that 'eerie effect'. Hehe, it’s probably inspired by the Hotel 626 game scene where you sing a lullaby to the baby. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can click on my sig. Freaky, hell.

sarw
this fic ROOCKS

Geez, thanks… Hehe.

sARAnghae_oppa
I was wondering how you came up with this story. The plot is very complicated and none of the conflicts repeat themselves even when there was a prequel. I think you're so awesomely talented as an author. Ook That's it=)

It’s hard to describe exactly how I came up with Fists and Lipsticks. Probably it’s the way I could draw out inspiration out of anything under the sun (glow-in-the-dark stars because I really have them in my room since I was a kid, cookies because I was eating cookies when I made that chapter, Santa Clause because Christmas is coming pretty soon, wedding gowns because I happened to pass by a really beautiful one when I was strolling around a shopping mall, locked doors (hehe, I’d leave that to your imagination), lipsticks (because Zhang ZiYi is the model of Maybelline),… etc) and twist them into something that would fit the story.

A specific technique I do in order to string the events is to center the plot of each chapter around the chapter title. So you’ll notice that the chapters of F&L2 individually seem like a series of interconnected one-shots. I don’t cut the chapters just because another scene is about to start or just because I think that the chapter is getting too long or just because I wanted to leave a cliffhanger.

Another specific thing I do is that I make some sort of flowchart of events. Helps me track which scene comes next. If a new idea pops in my head, I insert them wherever they fit.

I also pre-write chapters before posting so that I can still change some parts where some inconsistencies may ensue.

eternal_bliss
anyone care to tell me if Crosse came back yet? It seems like I missed a lot....

Yup, he’s back.

jenibeth
it takes me almost a month to catch up with this fic, im glad i finally did!heheh
well, i love everything about your story, its kinda different from the other stories i have read!

Hey, welcome miss jenibeth. Enjoy your stay with us!

mangoes-dbsk
And, you changed your signature? Funny for me to notice. I don't remember your signature to be like that last time. And about that Hotel 626 thingy... isn't it on the soompi humor section? I go around that section a lot. I told my sister to play it. My sis thinks that we have to take photos of ghost? We can't play bcuz we have no webcam. Mind telling me what it's about?

Yeah, you have to take a picture of a drifting ghost and sing a zombie baby a lullaby. Freaky but cool, that’s why I’m recommending it.

Funny that I received PMs asking me if I started a new fic, hehe. Hotel 626 isn’t a new story by me. It’s a Flash game brought by Doritos.

Linnsterr
sorry lately alot been going on & i don't have time to comment
or read. but after this week -- i will catch up then ima leave you a really really long COMMENT =D

Hehe, it’s okay. Take your time.

kc_chua
More and more people should try reading something NEW here in Soompi and this is the story to read!

Thanks miss kc_chua. Although it could be really hard to gain new readers nowadays, especially when they find out that we still have a prequel and that I use Japanese names instead of Korean. Add to it the fact that F&L is quite different from Soompi fics. Let's admit that a greater fraction of readers like the ‘cliché ones’ more than the ‘weird ones’.

And yes, F&L is one of the weird ones, hehe.

That’s why I’m especially thankful to the new readers. I really appreciate how you spent a fraction of your time to give this ‘weird fic’ a shot.

milk-o
Hiro, kapag tinanggal ako ni Meia sa PM list, babalatan kita! Wahahaha! Kidding!

WAAAAAA! Wag po…………


Speaking of...

This brings us again to the common question / PM:

ARE YOU REALLY FILIPINO HIRO?!

Yes, I'm Filipino hehe.

I'm not a pure blood, though. I'm half-Chinese. But I'm a US Citizen.

Author Note for Fists and Lipsticks 2: The Silver Crescent: Chapter 32 onwards

Author Note for Fists and Lipsticks 2: The Silver Crescent:
Chapter 32 onwards

It’s time to push the story forward…

… and as we end the “Romance Overload Chapters” a.k.a Chapter 21-31, we now go deeper into the story – to uncover secrets of the Silver Crescent & Spectra Gang, re-meet ‘old characters’ (*cough* earrings *cough*), and develop the characters either positively or negatively.

From here on, things may get a little bloodier, little confusing, and a little towards the mystery side of the fic. Not that I will completely remove the comedy and romance, but I find it necessary to put the mystery/action/drama side of F&L to the top of the list as far as this section of the story is concerned.

Upon reading the reviews left by the readers so far, I think I’m getting just about the right feedback I was expecting. I’m glad that people actually noted the drastic change in Ayane (some have actually started ‘hating’ her at this point of the story… ‘hating’ even Kosuke for his perseverance… while some are ‘hating’ Rei for his excessive jealousy and rage to the point of calling Ayane selfish… ‘hating’ Yuken for his excessive stealth… ‘hating’ Saori for her annoying attitude… ‘hating’ Prime Minister Yamazaki Daisuke for his evil doings as the Spectra Lord).

Now, I believe that this would be the part where you could actually look back to Book 1 of Fists and Lipsticks, where Ayane was once introduced as the ‘kind-hearted, almost-perfect, beautiful, courageous, self-giving/selfless’ girl – so good at everything, so nice, so pure… This is where she starts to ascend to her ‘breaking point’, some sort of ‘release’ to crush each of these sweet seeds one by one. And yes, this is part of the character’s so-called ‘negative development’.

Same goes for the opposite. Remember that point in time when you used to hate Crosse Williams and Ayanami Fuuko in Book 1? -#-evil grin-#-

But Ayane would not be the only one trapped between the raging wars between the two powerful gangs. Mistakes would be made, jealousy would start the fire in its summit, wide smiles would turn into tears, and remorse and guilt would be sowed all over again. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

I have actually written five chapters in advance (like I always do) and looking at the plot from where it is right now, I would see to it that every event that would unfold would not be unjustifiably “too much” for Ayane and Kosuke. Like in F&L 1, as much as possible, I make sure that there is a reason behind each event, and so, if the events become too much, chase me down with a frying pan, hehe… No seriously, if things go overboard, tell me what you think and I MAY consider it – not unless ‘that’ event is linked to something else I have in mind that has yet to be revealed. If they do, just forgive me for a while. Hehe.

I’m really grateful for all the support you readers have been giving this humble fic, especially the old loyal readers. I’m also very thankful for the new readers (the fact that there’s a Book 1 prior to Book 2 so it’s quite unusual/rare nowadays to gain new readers because of the burden of having to read a 600+ page Book 1 just to catch up with the story). Despite having gone through that burden, the warm welcome and appreciation and the boost you’ve been giving me to finish this story had been beyond overwhelming. Geez, I could only scratch my head and say thanks. I wanted to send you all some Tootsie Rolls, but Yoon might tease me so yeah… maybe not. Perhaps you can all come to my wedding? Haha.

Regarding Chapter 32, I consider this as one of my ‘transition chapters’, although I’ve dropped some really good clues here that MAY be useful in the future chapters. Definitively not going to anyone’s list of favorite chapters, but hey… as I said, we need to push the story from here on – and this chapter offers that ‘initial’ push.

Also, I’d like to take this chance to thank Miss Rebekah (from LA Youth Newspaper), Miss Andy (from the Mirror – CSA School Publication), Miss Polly9 (from LiveJournal), and Miss Megan (from AZ Teen Magazine) for their kind mention of Fists and Lipsticks in their newspaper/magazine/blog reviews.

Big thanks!

-Hiro

Chapter 21 - 31 a.k.a. "Romance Overload Chapters" Uploaded

Well guys, we just reached the end of the Romance Overload chapters. I hope it wasn't bad and didn't bore you to death from cheesiness, hehe.

The plan was to build up the Kosuke-Ayane relationship in a whole new level in merely a month's span. The process came difficult for me, coz I had to squeeze the events in merely ten chapters. I wanted to write it in a manner that would not seem rushed, for I aim for that "beautiful" character development and transition as far as the two characters are concerned.

In contrast to Book 1 of F&L where the romance chapters were mainly composed of 'cuteness' and 'high schooly' love, I created this in a way that catered to all aspects of love -
cuteness + corniness + hilarity + clever/witty + sexy + passionate. Again, this process did not come easy as well. I had some of the chapters re-done several times as to create the perfect balance and chemistry. I also had to go to a real hotel to picture out the setting (with Meia? Hehe, I'll leave that to your imagination).

And the *cough cough* sex scenes *cough cough* were the most difficult to do, hehe. I had Chapter 30 and 31 revised more than 5 times. I wanted it to turn out in such a way that the readers would end up smiling with the unfolding of events, not laughing at the way it was written. Above all, as much as possible I wanted to avoid writing them "by the fluid" (a.k.a. no unnecessary mention of human organs, 'burning rods', 'red flowers', and 'goo' - those shit, hehe... sorry to other authors...)

Well, we now proceed to the deeper parts of the story. The old folks are going to make a come back, new secrets to discover, new problems, new love teams, and more more more action.

To the readers, thank you for your continued support! I guess I couldn't possibly come up with this story without your honest feedback and encouragement.

-hiro

Fists and Lipsticks PDF Version 4.0 Released

Due to insistent public demand, here's the long overdue COMPLETE downloadable version of Fists and Lipsticks Book 1.

Here's the download link - http://www.mediafire.com/?y2iwx0mqmy0

This PDF can only be downloaded through this link. Any other link or re-uploads in other website is considered an unauthorized copy, therefore illegal distribution. Inform us right away if you've seen this story somewhere else.

This file is shared and archived in Soompi and Shoebox. Feel free to spread the link, but again, no re-uploads please.

DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. The sky shall punish he who defies this law with death... -#-evil laughter-#-

===========
A/N on F&L2:

"Romance overload" chapters are about to end... Well, time for some action folks! Thanks for your continued support

-The Author

What's up with Lady Nu's "Emo-ness" ?

I've been receiving tons of emails, PMs, signed & unsigned reviews both from Fictionpress & Soompi regarding the 'terrible things' I've been doing to Ayane and Kosuke. Guys, I still wanted to do so many things in my life like get married, have kids, become an astronaut... so please don't kill me yet! AHHH!

Anyway, kidding aside...

Regarding the question about why Ayane was acting the way she was - Why was she acting so "emo"? Why can't she just get over it and be with Kosuke and forget everything else? Why does she have to make her life and love-life so overly-dramatic with the way she acts? Why does she have to react that way? Why does she have to deny that she was Ayane? Why can't she just blurt out that "Hey, I'm your Aya-chan!". If she wanted revenge, why can't she just kill Daisuke? Why is Kosuke on the kill list?

Lots of questions, huh? Told you, I'm the Brain Fryer, hehe.

I couldn't answer those questions straight up, but instead, let me point out several things to you that may answer your confusion a bit - -

Fact # 1
If Ayane told Kosuke as early as now that she is Ayane and just live happily ever after, F&L2 will be over before it even reaches the climax! Before killing me, please let me have the opportunity to bring out the stuff I have on my 'secret box' gradually. Besides, if I came up with such 'rushed' ending/conclusion to F&L as early as now, you would surely be left hanging with all the questions unanswered.

Fact # 2
Remember that Ayane is currently suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In the reader's perspective, her reasons may seem 'dense' - - I understand that it may make readers think that "...she's so stupid... Why does she have to go emo like that when she can just tell him that she's Ayane and live happily ever after...". But if you would consider this fact along with those terrible things that have happened to her in the past, it is only logical that her fear and guilt affects her ability to make decisions. That's why if you have noticed, I emphasize that each time she and Kosuke meets, she kinda goes 'out of her mind'. Her 'assassination mission' was going well in Chapter 14: Lost Memories, but when Kosuke appeared, she suddenly goes *blamm!*.

Fact # 3
Remember that Yamazaki Daisuke is now the Prime Minister of Japan. Meaning, he's now more powerful - - a lot more powerful than before. The Spectra is under Kosuke's command now, but even though this is the case, Daisuke is still the 'big guy' over the gang <---- WHY? I can't reveal the reason for now. I can't elaborate because it may spoil some things that should be revealed on the pending chapters, but here's the thing - Daisuke is still 'technically' the Grand Boss of the Spectra gang... and at the same time, he is also the leader of the entire Japan.

That makes him twice or even thrice as powerful.

And as I've mentioned in the chapter where Nami finally confessed that she is not Kosuke's real mother, she told Kosuke that Daisuke made him take over the gang because it was part of his revenge - to make Kosuke the leader of the very gang his real parents started, meaning:

1) He has to undergo the pressure of being the leader
2) It was in his job description to kill - to transform into a person he's not
3) He was made to take over despite his unwillingness
4) He had to suffer by going through all these ^
5) Daisuke has just successfully made his ultimate revenge upon Gendou and Lily Akiyama (Kosuke's real parents) - - making their own son suffer.

And knowing these, this brings us to Fact # 4 . . .

Fact # 4
Because Yamazaki Daisuke is twice or thrice as powerful than before, even the Silver Crescent couldn't just jump onto him and kill him that easily. And so, as the leader of the Silver Crescent, Ayane formulated a 'grand scheme' to take down the Spectra as stealthily as they could. If you have noticed, they have been doing things gradually - killing important affiliates first, raiding storages, assassinating more affiliates, hacking into their computer systems... all these rather than going straight to Daisuke to kill him, because she knows that doing so would not be as easy as it seems even though she can fight better than Bruce Lee, Jet Li, or Lara Croft. This way, it would be like taking down the foundations of a building first rather than bringing the whole structure down in one blow, which was basically impossible, granted that they were battling against another big gang.

I do hope you get the picture... Makes it more realistic, eh?

But the other big question is... Why is Kosuke on the 'kill list' of the Silver Crescent?

Fact # 5
Kosuke IS the NEW leader of the Spectra Gang. Even though he seems like a puppet of Daisuke, he is where he is. I couldn't expound on this yet because it would be another major spoiler if I say as early as now the reason why Ayane 'had' to include him in the kill list.

But hey, if Kosuke has been in the 'kill list' for such a long time now, why aren't the Silver Crescent killing him yet when they all have their chances? Besides, he's been out in the open too often, unguarded and leisurely going around... For the reason, let's just say that it has something to do with Fact # 4 ^ (doing the revenge plan 'gradually').

Not satisfied with the reasoning in Fact # 4?

Hehe.

Well, if you're good, that alone gives you a clue...


Next stuff - - Why can't Ayane just tell Kosuke that she IS Ayane?

Fact # 6
One symptom of someone suffering from post-traumatic disorder is 'denial' and 'diversion from self'. If you have noticed, Ayane has gone through a drastic personality change. She has transformed into a completely different person, yet somewhere inside her was longing to find her true self.

I read an almost similar psychological case from a medical journal from my research and I kind of applied it to Ayane's case - that because of her sudden 'shift' to a persona that she isn't, she begins to become confused of who she really is. The result is that she has been acting as different personas ("multiple/split personalities") - sometimes she act as a really cruel gang leader. One time, she acted like a child at such daze during the "glow-in-the-dark-stars" Sessions chapter. Then on one chapter, she was drinking and drinking while willfully telling Shizuki of her past. One chapter, she was dancing so gracefully that no one would think that she's the same person as the gang leader, that she's the same person that was at daze with the glow-in-the-dark stars chapter, that she was that drunken girl...

This psychiatric condition + her guilt + her sadness + her hatred + her grand revenge plan = FACT # 2

You could imagine the overwhelming emotions swarming inside her.

Now, I ask you - - Who wouldn't go insane?

And that's why she couldn't tell Kosuke that she's Ayane. It's not because she's emo, or because she's being too dramatic... She could not tell him because she wasn't mentally capable of doing so, even though inside her, she was screaming "I AM AYANE!".

And Shizuki's role in this story is to fix this mess ^ .

And besides, if she did tell him that she is indeed Ayane, there would be no need for me to write Chapter 21-30 - the much awaited romance chapters, hehehe...



^ So there, I hope those things I've written spared my life, hehe.

Thank you for your continuous support! If you have more questions, don't hesitate to PM/e-mail/message me in Fictionpress, Hotmail, or Soompi.

-hiro