As always such brilliant writing! You are like the best ygo fanfic writer ever

Ocean, you are brilliant :).

and they still don't comprehend that atemu is human with human emotions. they might win some more arguments if they acted human enough... *rolls eyes*

brittney

Very interesting...With all the hubub about the second series anime (the one dubbed by 4Kids), one tends to forget that in "Season 0," Yami indeed has control over the Shadows... I think this was a very insightful fic, and I think Yuugi is very brave by talking to them like that. Great job!

Col.

That was really good. I can't write much tho b/c my cat is holding my hand hostage while he sleeps. Apparently I make a good pillow...

Well done! I loved it!

-Kayura

Sad, entrapment for an eternity in shadows is a poor fate for anyone.

Oh that last line gave me goosebumps! Nicely done. I loved Yugi's defense, nothing can retort to that. Although the thought of the Shadows having a human form in and of itself is DEFINITLY NOT something I readily want to imagine, it's far too creepy for my mental health.

That was unusual and not an angle I've come across before. The shadows were actually exactly what you would expect them to be, plus they radiated with darkness, power and creepy-ness. Though I half expected them to attack Yuugi. Their arguement was also very well done, made sense you know. Finally their last word was good, perfect ending (wonder what would have happened if Yami had been made aware of their presence...does he know that two have had their talks?) and also kinda scary-to say that 'momentarily'...that Yuugi will eventually fade to death while they wont...beautifully dark part.

Don't really understand the title though!

oh. my. god. this is line of of most touching and deep oneshots Ive ever read. And everything you wrote over there is SO true. :) Awesome job.

awsome story but who won?

Very interesting. I like the exchange of words the characters have. Are you gonna continue this?

I really really really really like this. Wonderful characterization, excellently acheived through action and dialogue instead of description. bravo!

I'm too lazy to log in.

Oh, wow. That was amazing. It truly was. I think my jaw dropped several times while reading this. Difficulty is, I can't exactly pinpoint what is so geat about it. Meaning, there is not one thing that particularly stands out, like plot, or character disscription. It's all of such a high quality. I find that in all your fics, especially either the angsty ones, and the multichaptered, like Fly away home. I anxiously await the third chapter of Let us dance. It's about time Seto got a taste of being written by Ocean...

Interesting... The Shadows as a sentient entity.

'Arrogance is a mortal trait. We are not mortal.' *Snort* reminds me of a line in another fanfic. AEAU - Pharaoh Atemu says he can't be conceited, becaused conceitedness is a flaw, and he has not flaws.

Are the Shadows really not mortal? Not human, yes, but mortality is only the ability to die.

Cold - cold has often been associated with darkness, but one thing I've never understood: Shadows need both light *and* darkness to exist. So why are the Shadows/Shadow Realm always depicted as dark and, consequently, cold? Shouldn't they be grayish, and only slightly chilly?

The dreamcatcher reminds me of a book I once read: 'Demons Don't Dream' by Piers Anthony. It's part of a humorous fantasy series. In it, the Demon Xanth receives permission from a mortal girl to eavesdrop on her dreams, in order to learn how to dream for himself. He'd previously observed humans to learn how to love, and feel other emotions.

I wonder how long the Shadows need to eavesdrop before they have learned humanity by osmosis?

*sits down at the computer with my dinner, some chocolate milk, and Marik next to me as he tries to pull off the chain that's attatching him to the dresser*

I am finally going to review Dusky Jacinth! wOOt! I'm excited, are you excited Marik?

Marik: *stops pulling for a second* Thrilled. *starts again*

Me: All right! Good. *rubs hands together and proceeds to start a process I have sadly neglected*

Firstly!

I liked the setting of an autumn night. So much could be interpreted from that, the most typical and likely is the fact that it is obviously late autumn, and winter is right around the corner. Late autumn, unlike early, is a sign of everything dying (early autumn would be the harvest)...a fitting setting for the Shadows. Like the first touches of winter, they corrupt and freeze everything they touch.

Marik: *working on the chain with a nail file* I'm sensing some hostility towards the winter season, here.

Me: It's very possible. Even though winter is not permanent, it can seem extremely long and disheartening. It just struck me how a story with the Shadows took place during the change of a season of plenty to a rather daunting time.

Secondly!

Needless to say, I am rather fond of the Shadows' appearance in this story.

Marik: *rolls his eyes* Just a little biased?

Me: Of course! _ I also really like how they entered the story. There was no warning, no foreshadowing...hehe. Pun. There was no hint that they were coming until all of a sudden they were there, which fits their character perfectly. In the way they arrived, you almost get the idea that though they came, they were also there the entire time, just waiting.

Marik: *narrows his eyes* I hate it when they do that. It's creepy. *shakes the nail file at the ceiling before going back to his escape attempt*

Me: _ Hooray for the Shadows description! I've drawn pictures of them for you, but the Shadows are a rare sort of character where you can get a better idea of their appearance by *words,* rather than by pencils and pastels. Because they are, technically, an abstract, it's a lot of fun to let the readers imagine the Shadows, as only the deep parts of the mind can fathom a being such as they.

Marik: ...that was a weird sentence.

Me: So it was. I think I know what I meant, though, so that's all that matters.

Thirdly!

I have a question, and this goes back to my earlier statement of the Shadows having been there all along. I got the impression that before the story begins, Yami and Yuugi were taking a walk. I then assumed that Yami got all pensive and stuff-

*From behind me* Yeah, he does that.

Me: *turns around* AHH! Where did you come from?

Yuugi: *shrugs* Decided to come for a bit of a visit.

Me: ...Any particular reason?

Yuugi: Not really.

Me: ...Well, all right then! Sit down and have some ice cream!

Marik: *snapping out of his shock at seeing Yuugi appear* Hey! How come I don't get any ice cream!

Me: Because I gave you a bag of cheeze kurls earlier.

Marik: Oh yeah! *sits happily back and munches on some cheeze kurls*

Me: So anyway. I figured Yami got all pensive and stuff, and Yuugi told him he'd wait for him at a different spot. Hey, Yuugi, am I right?

Yuugi: *eating some ice cream*

Me: ...Well, aren't you the helpful one. Well, continuing on. If I'm right, then Yuugi would have been "abandoned" for lack of a better word, and my question was: was it the same way for the Shadows? Did Yami cut off his connection with them (as best he could, anyway), and left them to their own devices for a while? And thus, they would go and sit with Yuugi, because he has the closest connection with Yami. Am I right? Or am I random?

Marik: Is there another option?

Me: No!

Marik: Oh. Well, then I'm eating more cheeze kurls.

Me: You do that.

Fourthly!

Marik and Yuugi: *both with mouthfuls of food* Fourthly?

Me: Fourthly! I liked that the Shadows played "Cat's Cradle." I saw it as very symbolic towards the Shadows' own personality, as the game consists of creating a net...a web, in which things could get caught. They are essentially forming a trap, which they do anyway to any unfortunate soul that loses a Shadow game.

Marik: Or loses to Bakura in an RPG.

Yuugi: *rolls his eyes at the memory* That was...no, I probably shouldn't say it...but I will anyway. It was dumb. I never want to think about that again.

Marik: Amen.

Yuugi: You weren't even there!

Marik: I can imagine.

Yuugi: *nods and goes back to his ice cream*

Me: Fifthly!

Marik: What the heck's a fifthly?

Me: I loved Yuugi's tone towards the Shadows. He is not intimidated by the Shadows, and has no doubts about it. Not only does he have the Millennium Puzzle on his side, but his love for Yami and desire to "protect" him from the Shadows gives him an extra strength. I also liked how they tolerate each other, only because there's no way that either of them is backing down. There's a suspiscious respect, and each will wait until they see an opening.

Yuugi: I'll win.

Marik: What makes you say that?

Yuugi: I always win.

Me: I think you've been hanging around Yami too much.

Marik: Well, he does always win...*evil grin* Except when it comes to "Connect Four"

Yuugi: That doesn't count!

Marik: *snorts* It only require the ability to count to four and-

Yuugi: *shouts* I said it doesn't count!

Marik: *shrugs and goes back to his cheeze kurls*

Yuugi: *practically hyperventilating as he goes back to his ice cream* Stupid, stupid pieces that can go diagonally...

Me: Sixthly!

Dreamcatcher! Imagine one doodle that got turned into a major character design! *all proud of myself* Of course, I had it as just an ornament, and you took it to the next level of actually having it perform what it was meant to do! I applaud you!

Seventhly!

Marik: Okay, now we're just making up words.

Yuugi: As long as we get ice cream, does it matter?

Marik: ...I guess not.

Me: The Shadows, I think, are a little underestimated by Yuugi.

Yuugi: Hey! I won't have you assume all this about me when-

Me: Connect Four.

Yuugi: That doesn't COUNT!

Me: Though I know that Yami definately prefers Yuugi, and will always choose him, I think Yuugi would really have to work for it. Yami and Yuugi love each other, to be sure, but 30 years of different companionship and habits is hard to Shadows will always be a part of Yami, and they know it well. It would be interesting to see you incorporate this "battle" in upcoming stories.

Yuugi: *perks up and cocks his head as though he's listening to something*...Uh oh. Yami's going to get into trouble.

Me: How can you tell?

Yuugi: I have a sense. Don't you?

Me: *looks at Marik, who is happily eating his cheeze kurls* Understood.

Yuugi: See y'all later! *eats one more spoonful of ice cream before taking off*

Me: Come back again!

Marik: And bring the Puzzle!

Me: I guess that's all I have to say, too. You got anything to add, Marik?

Marik: You mean other than thinking in a linear line?

Me: *tries to respond but ends up laughing instead* Can't...type...laughing...too...hard...

Bye!