I’ve read a lot of Sherlock to understand most of the characters in the story.

For starters, I loved the idea of mixing in factual information taken from the First World War, which is what this story is centered around. Watson wants to enlist, only to be denied and then brought into the war a couple of days later – a bit of jarring writing right there, as I’m not too sure who enrolled him – nonetheless, he’s in.

Watson goes on to talk about Holmes and how he wants to postpone action, along with his faults to Stamford, who then in turn addresses it to Holmes. Right here is more than likely the main plot – Watson feels sorry about their quarrel, and wishes to make amends. Holmes spends the rest of the fic writing to Holmes, wishing him the best along with addressing him of the whereabouts of the war for close to a year…and Watson does not take it upon himself to write Holmes back. This to me seems rather confusing, that Watson wants to make amends with Holmes but does not respond to any of his writings.

In between this, you have other passages sprinkled within – and I have to say that I loved the way you wrote the telegrams (or whatever the proper name for those notes might be). Just to see the “STOP” and “FULL STOP” definitely brings a sense of the time that this fic represented. I give kudos for doing this. Within these notes is Doyle stating to Holmes that he has not heard from Watson during the former friend’s writing spree. You also have a bit of bantering with Sherringford and Mycroft, along with discussions between Doyle and Holmes, Watson and Stamford, and even a little sibling discussing between Sherlock and Mycroft. All of these interactions were well written and did well to keep the plot moving along.

The final letter is one of gratitude, as Augustus, a stranger, looks on to see two men – Holmes and Watson – embracing one another (finally!) with a fit of laughter. I have to say that I loved this note in particular, not just for the reuniting, but for the valid descriptions of Holmes with his mustache and Watson looking thin – not sure if this was the cause of being in the war or if that’s just his normal figure. And it was humorous to see Augustus silently making wages in case of a fight, but nonetheless, all he saw was a reunion waiting to happen.

In terms of SPAG, I only found one error:
[And perhaps it was not overly judicious for me to have raised my objects to the sensibility of running your head into such danger a your age…]
-The ‘a’ should be ‘at’ – within the 13 December 1914 passage

Other than that, everything else seems spotless, and with the vocabulary that you used throughout the fic, I give you kudos to this feat!

Overall, this piece was well written in terms of time depiction and overall plot structure, with your conflict in the beginning being resolved at the end, and the middle being used for advancement. Again, nice work and happy writing to you in the near future! :)

Fandom blind.

The first thing that really struck me about this fic was the style of writing. It is a really unique style of writing, using back and forth letter format, with different characters and voices, and I think you did this very well.

The highlight was certainly your tone of voice in this fic. No character felt redundant, and everyone had their unique "voice". Also, I loved how you made the style of the tone and dialogue reminiscent of the times back in the day. Also, the characters, which I felt were consistent, and well-done. Sherlock's blunt, matter-of-factly tone, and Watson's 'human" tone.

I love how you captured the characters, and their interactions. The absolute highlight here for me was Sherlock and Watson's interaction, especially the part where Watson stops replying, and their friendship, and Sherlock's real thoughts and feelings abouut everything slowly unravels. This was a part that you captured beautifully, with pure emotion and friendship slowly unravelling from a mask of logic and snarkiness.

I love how you paced this here, and it shows. It felt very natural and heartwarming when they chose to reunite (in no small part to Doyle, of course! ;D). I swear that interaction really made me chuckle, between Doyle and Sherlock, especially when Sherlock threatens to declare himself as fake. :)

And that ending.. so heartwarming, and I have to say that I genuinely smiled.

In all, unique style of writing, fantastic capture of the character voices, and amazing pacing to boot. :)

If I were to nitpick, actually it's not really one - just a reader's complaint hehe, is that there were so many voices I got really confused - like the only time where I grasped the story is when I cut apart the story's interactions and managed to follow. :)

Well done.

-Art

Hi Hi!

Congratulations on being chosen as Story of the Week for Reviews Lounge, Too forum.

I highly enjoyed your story. It was well-characterized and everyone felt distinct in each letter sent out. This is definitely something very hard to do - especially while trying to keep it interesting. Your style of writing reminded me much of ACD's Sherlock writing, and I liked that you actually included him in the story. Very original. That small section reminded me of the most recent version of Romeo and Juliet released... which happened to be in anime form and included Shakesphere as an actual character in the show. While at first glance, it may seem strange; like your story, it felt natural occurring. It made your story special.

The distinct voices of characters really stood out for me. Sherlock's matter-of-fact voice came out quite flawlessly throughout the piece. His emotions came through slowly as it became obvious that John wasn't going to respond back to the letters. John felt the most "human" as he does in every incarnation as he wrote each of his letters. In the first letter, I especially enjoyed how he spoke when asking to be enlisted as it reminded me of the old novels. There was never a time when these four characters were mistaken for one another when I was reading. Congratulations on being so well-versed in writing characterized voices. As someone whose written something similar, I know how hard that could be, but you did very well with it.

My favourite moments come both at the end.

Only promise never to ring up my relations again or I will write to The Strand claiming I am a fictional character whose identity you have purloined - Every mention of AC Doyle made me smile, but it was this moment that took the cake... the idea that Sherlock was real, and he'd convince the world he was fake, just an idea he made up if Doyle didn't stop getting involved with his family or friends. Very witty.

The other moment that really stood out to me was the final letter, speaking of these older gentlemen, clearly John and Sherlock and their excitement to see one another. It much reminded me of the beginning when Watson spoke of their relationship. To see the ending was of these two old men happily seeing each other and that their friendship hadn't ended warmed up my heart.

Awesome job on this,
Until Next Time,
Neo

I love this story so much! After hearing about Sherlock my whole life, I recently read a collection of the stories published in the Strand and you really managed to capture the voices of the characters and their relationship with each other quite well.

I liked your unique style in this piece. You told the story through written communication, which is ironic, because all the conflict in this story is because of the lack of communication between several individuals. To pull off using letters while still managing to keep the voice of each character distinct and real shows real skill. Sherlock was his blunt and logical self, Mycroft commanding, Watson emotional and longer winded in his telling of stories.

I think one of the parts that really stood out to me was the two parts where Sherlock sends letter after letter and all of them go unanswered but yet he keeps on sending them. He stays so formal and logical, yet the longer he goes without a reply, the more emotion he lets slip. Saying he’s worrying over the state of doctor, admitting he missed Watson during his marriage, admitting that he cares and wants to see him back safe and sound in his chair. It is very clear Sherlock is missing his friend and regrets there parting.

However, what makes this story so tragic is the amount of near misses it contains. Yet, you don’t state them outright; you give us the pieces in little details – the time stamps on documents, place names. I really appreciate an author that chooses to not tell the reader everything outright and instead trusts them to put the pieces together. Though the last near miss – Sherlock almost stopping by Baker Street after Watson returns – is the most heartbreaking. I wanted to yell at him to just stop by.

Sherlock on Doyle is perfect, and I really chuckled at their communications – especially at the end when Mycroft gets involved. But there is one note that is telling where Doyle mentions that he hasn’t heard from Watson and we figured that Sherlock must have asked for help. From Doyle. A man he can’t stand. Sherlock’s actions certainly show the things he is not willing to say.

The ending. Oh, the ending. A description of their reunion from an outsider was perfect as by this point we don’t need to know what they are feeling, we already know. Also, I think it was apt that it Doyle who figured out a way to get them together again. After all, he wants more stories for the Strand.

Really, really good job with this one. Loved it!

There were some grammatical errors ("unheard of," "I am loathe," "whittle away the hours," etc.), and things were at times difficult to follow.
However, you did a fair job of approximating Doyle's narrative style, right down to the occasional references to outside incidents (i.e. - "the drunken spaniel") and Holmes' difficult mannerisms. The inclusion of Doyle himself as a character was a bit risky, but putting him in a smaller role helped to ameliorate the sense of intrusion. I think the decision to stage the final meeting through the correspondence of an outsider so as to continue the pattern of the story was a good one.

Hi! Fandom blind, but I'll do my best to review.

I love, love, love the portrayal of Sherlock. His character is multi-dimensional. He is usually apathetic, cold, and snarky (like how he complains about the headline; he even admits his solitary nature), but when it comes about Watson... Wow. His letters to Watson are all written very beautifully. Full of emotions, and shows Sherlock's softer side very well. For example, the way Sherlock gives advices about Downs. Sherlock knows about Downs, and he helps Watson by telling Watson what he may need (like the 'vile antiseptic concoction') there. Also, it melts me when Sherlock says in his letter that he's glad that Watson isn't around when the bombing event takes place and Sherlock saying that he'd like to see Watson back.

Speaking about well-written letters, the bombing events are incredibly well-written. It's just talked in a letter, but the descriptions for the situation just fits. Choking fog and cars crashing into flaming wrecks work especially well, and Sherlock's minor injuries also add to it.

It's pretty heartbreaking when Sherlock talks about Watson deserting him. Sherlock too, is rather broken as shown by his inability to conclude the letter addressing this issue in satisfactory manner. Then [I remain very sincerely yours,] It packs so much emotions that I'm getting a tad teary. Sure, Watson may have deserted Sherlock, but Sherlock still cares for Watson.

Which becomes why I literally tear up the moment I reach the last letter. It's a happy ending, but it's also very sweet at the same time. It's reunion/reconciliation (and admittedly, I'm a softie for that ending). Sherlock and Watson finally meets. The meeting starts off very tense. Both of them exchange glare. But then, they burst out laughing and hugging each other. Their friendship/reunion is just so, so beautiful. Sherlock and Watson are best friends.

On a sidenote, I love the funny lines that lighten the bittersweet mood. Such as in the last letter. Fieldstone's way of describing everybody is pretty funny. Madmen and lunatic asylum make me giggle. And then [Mad as a hatter,] Funny, and it's well-placed, which is a plus. The reunion scene that takes place earlier has made me teary, and this just makes me grin.

A fantastic tale of friendship! Love it! :D

I had to write a review for this because I've never seen someone write a one-shot completely based off of telegraphs and letters, and secondly be chock full of so many themes and plots going on. The first thing I noticed was the fact you really stock to the proper dialogue and language of the time which is great. The amount of detail was enough for me to envision what was going on with the characters without having to reread the chapter out of clarification or confusion. Truthfully I am not the most well-versed when it comes to Sherlock Holmes, yet I was able to understand the majority of the references and character arcs, which speaks to your abilities as a writer.

It was interesting to see the different POV's over the misunderstandings that took place causing friction between Holmes and Watson. A lot of times when I read a story I always wonder what 'so and so' thought about the situation or what the other side of the issue would be, and it was great that you were able to effectively convey emotions behind the letters as this played out. I think this goes for all of your letters though, I really felt when reading them I could understand what the emotions were behind the words instead of simply letters on the screen. The use of the dating on letters was an effective plot line in itself, if you don't pay attention you might miss out on some subtle hints that are going on.

Big fan of your Holmes and Sherlock interpretations, the way you characterize them is very similar to how I have always pictured them. The Christmas exchange was hilarious too, and I was a little sad at Watson being silent for some time, but I understand why you did it.

Excellent creativity and storytelling!

I thought I'd give this a re-read because I had enjoyed it so much last time. And in doing so, I came up with some more things to say.

First off, I really loved the fact the entire story is done through letters and telegrams, but it also shows how dependent people were on such things then. It's very different than today with email, text, and phone. And if one didn't receive our message, we'd try again. Back then, however, there was no way of knowing. It was all done by assumption and faith...but unfortunately, that's what caused the horrible misunderstanding between friends in the first place. And of course, no one can resist a great adventure with Holmes and Watson, even if the adventure was being had separately.

I think my favorite part of this piece was that you told the story in such a unique way, not just with the letters, but the side story with Augustus and his upcoming marriage and the story with ACD...you entwined all these plots expertly, and it's quite extraordinary that this story is only one chapter for everything going on.

I also loved the emotion you packed into this piece. Obviously, there were some very funny lines and moments throughout this story. But the other thing we saw, which is something a bit rare, was the sadness and emotion we saw from Sherlock himself, especially in his letters to John. I'm also a bit surprised that he never sent them...well, I'm assuming so, as they were never addressed to anyone. But that's just like him, being the private man that he was. But the fact he simply felt so strongly about Watson really warmed my heart.

Another thing I loved was the fact that both men, though angry with one another, still managed to find out what the other was up to over the years. I think that still shows they care about each other, even if they don't like to admit it. But then when they were both reunited, it made it all worth it. While it's sad that they had a falling out over something so silly, it's not really as though they missed out, because they knew what the other was doing over the years. I'm also glad they finally ended their little rift with a final hug. For a moment, it didn't seem like it was going to happen, but it did.

And then of course, I quite enjoyed that it was Fieldstone recounting the story to his beloved, Gertie. And I love that he says they're both mad. LOL...I suppose they both are in a way, but they're not hurting anyone.

Upon the second read, I did have an easier time of keeping all the characters straight, but most people don't read a one-shot more than once. Just some food for thought there that it might be best split into two. What you decide to do is up to you.

I did enjoy this the second time around as much as the first. Still one of my favorite stories. Well done! :)

I enjoyed reading this very much. The elaborate vocabulary and the loquacity seem perfectly suited to the time period and the characters, as well as to your chosen format of correspondence. You captured Sherlock Holmes's formality and coldness while hinting at his real caring for Watson beautifully. This line fit his character very well:
"Here I must needs take this opportunity to remark it is neither a withering of the brain during my dotage or any mawkish feeling of loss at your absence that has compelled the penning of this missive."
And he tries so hard to make it about the patient Watson would be able to attend, while all the while there are little hints that Holmes wants Watson nearby again. Very well done indeed.

A few typos I noticed:
In Sherlock's 14 December 1914 letter:
"in my dotage or any mawkish feeling" - should be "nor any mawkish feeling" (neither/nor structure)
"running your head into such danger a your age" - should be "at your age."
In Sherlock's 4 June 1915 letter:
"I was of a mind take in our haunts of old" - Is there a "to" missing between "mind" and "take"?
Third telegram, 24 December 1915:
"Sherrringford" - three r's
In Doyle's 12 April 1916 letter:
"even if you do not exalt is as highly as does he" - Should "is" be "it"?

I really, really liked this line. It was poignant and powerful:
"The men fighting this war, it seems, are made of finer stuff than the governments sending them off with nary a pat on the back for their troubles."
Oh, my. The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle references were hilarious! I like how he tells Watson he's glad his accent wasn't thick like Doyle's. "The deafest or most obstinate ears on this side of the Continent" - too funny! :D
Again, your characterization of Holmes' and Watson's relationship is superb:
"Not that I have, in my dotage, descended so low as to live in a constant state of agitation over the continued safety of a perfectly capable army surgeon..."
Oh, my that correspondence among Doyle, Sherlock, and Mycroft is priceless. :D I love the reference to Sherlock writing and claiming to be a fictional character... which of course he is. Very clever indeed. :)
Wow, interesting way of writing their reunion. Overall, a very clever fic. I enjoyed it very much! Well done!

I really liked how you wrote this piece in series of correspondences – and the variation in the different styles and levels of formality of the correspondences was a very interesting touch as well. It gives us a different insight into the character than we’re used to seeing in regular prose.

I have to admit, some of the references went over my head, as I’m not as familiar with the books as I’d like to be, but I feel like you’ve captured the tone of the books relatively well. And the amount of research that went into this piece is quite impressive. Using ACD’s actual letter as John’s was quite a nice touch.

Sherlock’s letters, in particular, were very passionate, and though he prides himself as being someone who doesn’t like to let his emotions get in the way of his reasoning, I could definitely imaging him writing those letters to John. I was wondering if maybe the reason why they’re so passionate is because he was just writing them without the intention of actually sending them – judging by the fact that they didn’t seem to reach John at all. He’d probably be more willing to let his feelings slip if he doesn’t think the intended recipient would ever see the letters.

One criticism I have is how many different characters the correspondences were to and from, which made them jumble up a bit as I was reading them and I had difficulty remember who said what to whom. Otherwise, it was a very well-written and intriguing read.

SPAG
-One of the posts addressed from “Sharringford” has a mistype of “Sharrringford”

Hi there and congratulations on being nominated for Best One-shot/Two-Shot in the Reviews Lounge, Too, Reviewers Choice Awards!

I have to say that this was a really fascinating story. I love the idea of telling everything through correspondence. It shows the characters in a much different light and reveals parts of their lives that we don’t normally see inside a regular Sherlockian story. I love the different styles of missives that you used in the piece, starting with the formal letters written by Watson, Mrs. Hudson and a few others to the telegrams sent back and forth between Sherlock and ACD and Mycroft and Sherringford. They convey a different type of intimacy, of friendship even that works well to flavor this piece.

The formality of John’s request in the opening letter here: ((To Whom It May Concern)) along with the tone of the message, beginning here with: ((I am writing as a retired surgeon late of the army medical department, to request enlistment for the conflict with Germany.) shows to me what an upstanding man that John Watson is. Even at his advanced age he wants to do his part and fight for King and Country, formally offering his abilities and services even though he likely knows that he will be rejected on account of his advanced age.

I can see this here: ((Returning to Sussex by 10:21 from Victoria STOP Expect retirement to remain permanently uninterrupted STOP German spies can go to blazes FULL STOP)) as being something Sherlock would totally do. He doesn’t have a care in the world about the fact that he’s intruding upon Mycroft’s retirement. He simply informs him, as if he is his servant rather than his brother about his return and latently expects that Mycroft will either come get him or have a car waiting for when he arrives. I also got a chuckle out of his comment about the German spies. I can see Sherlock as being nearly insulted by their intrusion with his work and in wanting them to bugger off so he can accomplish whatever task he’s taken on.

I’m sure you didn’t mean fully for this here: ((Pick up your ‘phone or open your post STOP There’s a good fellow FULL STOP)) to provide a chuckle, but I got a giggle out of it. I can’t see much of anybody joking around with Sherlock Holmes (and living to tell of it), but you have ACD expertly do so. You even have Sherlock reply almost in kind, especially when he says he will attend the séance that ACD is inviting him to attend. There’s a level of professional respect inside the words, but there’s also a great amount of respect and admiration that both men could publically trade barbs and not care a whit about who might read them.

Just a minor suggestion:

This is a minor niche and a personal suggestion so please take it only as that. Your writing is gorgeous and I thought you did a fantastic job, but there are a lot of letters in this one chapter. Tt does get rather confusing to keep them all in line, especially since the characters change as the letters explore different arcs and themes (John wanting to rejoin the military and being rejected, Mycroft calling in a favor, Sherlock and ACD exchanging notes, etc.). Given the length of this story word-wise, splitting the chapter down into two so that a reader doesn’t end up feeling quite so overwhelmed or lost inside what is going on could be helpful. Again, it is a personal suggestion and you can freely ignore me, of course :)

In all, this was a wonderful read and I greatly enjoyed it. Fantabulous job!

This was absolutely awesome! I adore that this entire story was written via a series of letters and telegrams, number one. And number two, it's absolutely brilliant to have ACD himself as a character in here.

I really loved that you used Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's actual letter to the War Office, disguised as John Watson, of course. I think it's quite amazing that at his age, he still tried to help with the war efforts. Wow... Anyway, on to the actual story, I love that through a bit of manipulation and with the help of Mycroft, John was able to enlist once again after all. Ack, but oh, dear...how quickly a rift between friends can happen with a tiny misunderstanding when letters fail to be opened and when letters never make it to their recipients. Oy vey!

However, I really love that this whole rift happened on misunderstandings, and that caused such a problem between Holmes and Watson...though I really loved the emotion in some of the letters, especially Holmes. He was such a complicated man who didn't show his emotions very easily, so I really adored his letters to Watson, as they both showed his personality and revealed his feelings, even if he wouldn't say them out loud. I also wonder if the letters Sherlock wrote were ever meant to be sent. There isn't an address listed on them. Maybe he didn't know where to send them or he hoped John would come back and he'd just hand them to him? I'm not quite positive, but I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he never intended them to be sent at all. But I also love that Sherlock had secret missions during the war as well, and he apparently told very few, except Mycroft and Watson. I'm assuming Sherringford was actually Sherlock, if I am understanding that correctly. I hope so.

Awww, I'm a bit sad that Mrs. Hudson is no longer with them, but I guess she can't live forever. I couldn't help but laugh about Sherlock expecting that her niece never rent out the rooms again or maybe even erect it as a museum. Hilarious! But I am glad that through the years, both boys were able to keep tabs a bit on one another through others. There were so many great lines and bits of humor through this, I'm not sure I can pick my favorite, but I did quite enjoy the bit about Violet being pregnant and being adamant that the child not be named Sherlock...and that it would be John or Mary, depending on the gender. I also thought it was sweet and a bit sad that John hoped it was a girl...perhaps saying that he wasn't good enough to have a child named after him. Awww...

LOL...I adored the telegrams about opening the mail and the seance between Sherlock, Mycroft, and ACD. That bit was absolutely hilarious! And of course, the whole train scene tied this up brilliantly! I love that Fieldstone referred to them as 'old-mustache' and 'starving-to-death'. That was too funny! Also, his letter made me feel as though I was right there, watching the whole scene unfold, so well done there. Anyway, I love that the two ended in a hug! That was beautiful, because it was so unsure for a moment. I'm glad that this little misunderstanding, though it caused a bit of a waste of a few years of friendship, finally was at an end. And the moral of the story is to always open mail, yes? A well-deserved favorite! Well done! :)

Truly wonderful work
You managed to build up the tension re two parted friends, whilst several engaging threads wove to and fro.

Well done:-)

This is a mix between a review and me making sure I got everything correctly.

I can't believe that you actually went and got the letter that Doyle sent to be Watson's. That's so awesome!

This fic is so intricate and intelligent and chock full of details, I just love it! If you don't look carefully at the dates (as I did, first time around) a lot of the hints go right by your head.

Just to clarify, did Mycroft intervene in order to let Watson go? Why? Mycroft's letter is sent before Sherlock asks him to and Mycroft didn't ask to let Watson go, simply asked where he will be stationed. Another thing: did Sherlock miss the date when he was supposed to go to dinner with Watson but got home too late to see the letter? So then, the misunderstanding between the two is that Watson thinks that Holmes doesn't want him anymore and Holmes couldn't get a hold of him in time to dissuade him from going to the army?

"Usage of an arm for him to slip through his on walks along the shore, for his rheumatism is nigh on intolerable of a morning." This is, by far, the cutest line in the story, as well as one of the cutest things I've ever read. This whole letter from Sherlock shows so much about his personality and beliefs without directly telling me anything. The way he tries to persuade Watson without offending him, as well as greatly showing the affection he has for the other and the longing to see him again, while feeling that he hasn't treated Watson well enough to deserve him coming back right away. Question though, how is it that Sherlock's letters never made it to Watson? Did he get a wrong address or something?

"Not that I have, in my dotage, descended so low as to live in a constant state of agitation over the continued safety of a perfectly capable army surgeon," hah, liar. Have I mentioned just how much I love your Holmes and Watson? Because I do. Very much.

On that point, I'd just like to say that I am something of a kindred spirit. I love your attention to detail, all the little things you add in that enhance the feel of the fic. And my idea of Holmes and Watson seem to be the same as yours, so I really enjoy this!

"I'd every intention of heading up to Baker Street, for I hear ownership was passed on to Mrs Hudson's niece some years back, and that the girl recently let our old rooms out again, despite my strict injunction that it remain empty or else be converted into a museum." That's Watson who went back to the room, isn't it? If there is one thing about this fic that annoys me, it's that everything here is built on misunderstandings. Sherlock's letters, and now how he didn't end up going to Baker St. which would have cleared everything up.

"Suffice it to say he promised to… well, he gave me his solemn oath to keep an eye out for your name transcribed in stone on any memorial list he may happen upon, and to alert me in the event such should occur." He asked the vicar to tell him if Watson ever got married again, or died? I'm not entirely sure.

" Hunting trip you suggested most invigorating STOP One last pheasant to bag STOP Hope our mutual friend is well FULL STOP

- Sherringford"

I'm going to make a wild guess and say this is in code and that this is really Sherlock, having almost finished the job Mycroft gave him and is asking about Watson. No?

" I shan't have authorial persons ringing me up at one in the afternoon and interrupting my requisite arranging of the day's files, which I have never, in all my fifty odd years in this position, had disturbed in so boorish a manner." Hah, Doyle, the sneaky guy. Has Doyle ever inserted himself into his own story like this? Or was this all original on your part? Love Mycroft, BTW.

THE ENDING! FLUFF OVERLOAD! I love how the guy narrating thinks they were lunatics. He didn't understand. If I have just one wish, it is that this scene could have been present when they met. The way it ended was perfect, of course, matching the style of the rest of the rest of the story, but still, I would have loved to see it.

One last note, I have to acknowledge the way you handled this fic was just perfect. The way you told the story through nothing more than letters was really well done and enjoyable from beginning to end!

Now I'm ending it here because I've just rambled on for far too long. So, cheers!

-Starluff

Wow, your writing is really brilliant!