Wahoo! Back after fifteen years to write a review for this! And updates to boot, haha!

This was my favorite FB fic from back in the day, one I would revisit in my head when I needed a sweet story with a good set-up to daydream about possible endings. I gave up years ago checking for updates, but with the reboot going on I felt compelled to track it down, and lo! It had doubled in length! (Let me tell you so you can appreciate the full effect: I could not remember your user name or the story title, and I trawled FFN through the filters, even remembering that this fic predated their complex filter system and might not even get picked up through "Character A" and "Character B," etc. Stupidly, very early on in the search I saw your user name and and was like, "...hmmm...HMMMMMM...hmm?" and even clicked on your profile, but the summary of the fic didn't address the things I remembered from it, so I ignored my intuition, glossed over it, and went back to the search for literal hours? haha (I have no idea how long but a long ass time, I must have trawled 1000 results) Finally; still, the only thing pinging my memory was your user name so I went back - at this point I was thinking maybe the fic had been taken down or something - so I said "what the hell, lets just check this again," and I clicked this fic, and! It was it! And I had been within a single click of it five minutes into a two hour search hahaha but it was worth it!)

Anyway, the things that brought me back to this fic after all these years... Ahh, many things! You have a great intuitive grasp of conflict that drives the story both from a distance and more up close and personal: there's always something moving this story forward, be it the weather, the Sohma family, messy and confused emotions, sexual tension, and they all work together naturally. Plus, Survival is probably my favorite genre holdover from childhood, so I am a sucker for a great wilderness fic. In the years off and on when I would think about how this scenario might play out based on where I left off - it was after the storm when they started staying at Mai's but before Keiko was introduced - the emotional arc I would imagine was similar to how it has actually ended up playing out, only it is so much more satisfying to read it happening, especially with full consideration for details (like the nap at the love hotel? omg haha) and your deftly drawn supporting characters, and a way forward to get Tooru back in school that was organic and important to the story rather than incidental, and using that to create conflict for Kyou, and using his conflicts to create other conflicts - it's just great. I love it. I'm so glad you updated and that I finally made my way back after all these years.

I hope everything is going well for you and that you are still writing elsewhere!

All the best,

thesardine

(hmu at yeahcoolduck on tumblr if you are still writing! Tumblr is such a hellsite rivaling even the pit of voles for shitty communication interface and vitriolic user base but what are ya gonna do haha. if FFN thinks I'm gonna log into their site with my goddamn facebook profile they need to seriously have another think. I'm old school.)

The latest chapter. I'm finally here. My feelings *sobs* I'd be thrilled to be a beta if or when you want to get back to this; then again I might be a *little* too close to the material to offer constructive feedback, ahaha _U Anyway, on to the review~

I have a thousand little vignettes and spin-offs and what-ifs for these three thanks to this fic. But I've never written about them with such depth like you have; it feels like I'd be disrespecting both them and your gorgeous fic... Same with Spotted, tbh. I'll probably write them anyway and just keep them to myself (that last part's kinda hard though _;)
Lmao it's hilarious to me that the dorm also thinks its Yukiru instead of Kyoru bc a lot of people started out with that ship in the manga too (and the anime especially)

I wonder why Morikawa is so uncomfortable... I mean I know 1, a girl living with two guys is Not Done, and 2, Morikawa doesn't like/is afraid of the boys, but other than that? Feels like something else is a factor...

Meanwhile: "She wanted to brush her fingers through their hair. She loved the smooth skin on Yuki's arms and the broad, strong expanse of Kyou's back."

I live for the touch-starved trope in general but homg it's turned up 1000x thanks to this ship zvdcvv

"Why did she feel like they were swimming in secrets?" Because one side of this triangle isn't properly connected! Y'all need to be a triad/delta/whatever it's called instead of a V centered on Tohru. Even *she* isn't strong enough to hold them together.

Poor Kyo! Aaah! But THIS LINE WRECKED ME "*But maybe,* a secret part of Kyou whispered, if we were back at Mai's... *we'd be upstairs doing katas...*" HE'S STILL THINKING ABOUT THAT, WHEN *ALL THREE* OF THEM WERE CONNECTED. *screams for days* even if only in his subconscious. *That's* what needs to come back out...

"It was disgusting that he got so... excited by just a glance and some dirty thoughts. He felt like he was doing a disservice to Tooru, imagining her *doing things* with the Cat but he couldn't stop his mind from racing."
Maybe... way deep down... he wants to watch them. To see if Tohru really does what he's thinking of...

"But the warmth of the Rat's body was relaxing his aching bones and muscles." and I was dying through this scene THANK YOU

"There was something about the mixture of Yuki's hair twining with Kyou's on the pillow that made her knees a little weak." *scREECHES*

"Tooru felt her heart start to beat faster and couldn't help a small smile from escaping. *Mother, it's really happening! I'm back in school! I'll be able to keep my promise!*" PRECIOUS CHILD I ADORE YOU TT_TT

Boy, that class group sure is... something. I keep waiting to see one of the boys get transformed and praying it doesn't happen at the same time.

"...every one of the old ladies regulars at Mai's restaurant had a crush on him and ordered twice as many desserts when he was taking orders just so he'd smile at them more." RELATABLE. Because I 1. love desserts 2. love him.

Man, I wanna fight everyone bullying Morikawa. And her interactions with Kyo? Life-giving, I wasn't expecting that...
aaa I've got a bad feeling about Kyo helping with the leak *bites nails* but thank god, he didn't get transformed!

"She was ashamed of herself, she was sure that her mother's voice was silent because she'd become so far from the person she wanted her to be." nuuuu my baby, that isn't it *hugs her*

I swear I devoured everything before this but THIS "Somehow one of his legs had got between hers and she clutched it tight with her thighs. She was moving slightly, squirming against him and he realized he was moving too, rhythmically, his hips against her." im gonna fucjkibg die

"Yuki gave a little whimper in his throat, he hoped drowned in the deep noises Kyou was making or the constant stream that was coming from Tooru. His body was moving in concert with theirs if he wanted it to or not." holy shit holy shit hOLY SHIT
and then it ends. Like it always does. But it's different now with Kyo telling her to cuddle Yuki.

"She was starting to feel that her feelings were like sharp-edged weapons that she didn't know how to wield properly." I really *really* like this line.

"She had a secret love of Yuki and Kyou's backs. She could touch so much of their backs without being afraid of transforming them." this is FCKIGN CANON and you cannot change my mind.

"Maybe if they were the one in the middle, feeling warmth from either side, they'd understand. She couldn't see Yuki or Kyou consenting to such a thing. A memory of their hair mixed on the pillow yesterday morning made her smile." *screams into pillow*

"Yuki felt Kyou pat the blanket into place, and shrunk back into Tooru's embrace." AH. As for the last line... It has to be possible. It just *has* to be. I believe in
theeeeeeeemmmmmm

Well... shit. I made it. ...MY FEEEEEEELLLSSSS
ok i dont care that its unfinished this is absolutely my fav Furuba fic ever. Spotted is in the top 5 too, and you bet your sweet bippy A Mystery will be too; gonna start that next! Also yay me for getting around to a fic that's been bookmarked literally for years, ahaha~ Thank you so so much for creating this gorgeous piece of work. I've got more than enough fuel for the Yukyoru fire because of and I'm reccing it to everyone I can.
Hey, maybe next year's anime reboot (THE ENTIRE SERIES!) might help with inspiration? :DDD regardless ur a blessing and I can't thank you enough. Now I'm gonna keep being annoying and review every chapter of A Mystery too~

"...the world that had been round all his life was suddenly a triangle and he was at a loss to how to reconcile it."
HI MY MIND IS STILL ALL *multiple exclamation points here, f u formatting*
I knew this would be a major setback but I'm still like nuuu plz be okay boys
""Yuki-kun once told me," Tooru said after a moment, "that I can do things slowly and at my own pace." the whole paragraph is glorious.
Meanwhile it's back to old ways for Yun and Kyon... Somehow it's even worse now though.
"The distant and untouchable prince completely replaced her sweet, caring Yuki." ...ow.
Meanwhile: "I don't care, Kyou told himself. 'I don't,' he said out loud." Sure you don't, buddy pal friend~~~ I love this section. I could be completely wrong bc I'm taking so long to get through it but I think this is the first time we really get into Kyo's head and I LOVE IT. Daydreaming about Tohru, puzzling over Yuki... it's all great.
Sleepy Kyo. Sleepy Kyo! (poor baby thinking he doesnt have much time left ;_;)
Um okay oh my god I live for angry Tohru because we never see that! Just- AAAAA *incoherent noises*
And then jfc YES Yuki finally said what was bothering him! Also I love this bit: "Kyou and Yuki looked at each other, brimming with secrets. They'd lived with them for so long they didn't know how not to."
Like, damn, tru. (Also also holy magoly the kissing scenes make me die, lord help me they're delicious.)
But even though Yun and Kyon have secrets, if it's for *her*? They'll try to stay open. Always for her. Maybe eventually they'll do that for each other too.

"He didn't know how to act around Kyou anymore and it was making him unsettled and irritable."
Ahaha~ changes, eh~?
And omg lookit Tohru go! Dang girrrll
New people, new people eeeeee! Aah of *course* Tohru would have to deal with the manager Back Then, makes complete sense but I never would've realized that...
"...And after graduation Yuki would find some perfect job, and they wouldn't need him, either of them." Kyo. Sweetie. No, you're wrong. ...they need to help him realize that.
They're finally really talking! *screams into hands*
AND THEN I DIED BECAUSE KISSING AND "Kyou's grip, already slack, loosened and his fingers spread to entwine with Yuki's over her arm. Their fingers threaded and and Kyou's finger ran down Yuki's index finger..."
AASDGHKLBVVNQUJB IM GONNA JUST. IM SO FUCKKNG GIDDY RIGHT NOW (this is the greatest slow burn in the history of slow burns). I LOVE YUKYORU AND EVERY COMBO. I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH (I will say this a thousand more times ur gonna have to deal with it ;DDD)

I feel weird admitting I couldn't think of anything to say during Kunimitsu's sit-down- I just devoured it, wanting to see what would happen next. That would imply I'm thinking of what to say in my review during other parts because they're not as interesting? But that's not it, all of it is interesting and amazing and *squawks* so I should quit fretting over it ehehe~
I love how Kunimitsu explains the Sohma family to Mai and co. But- no, Kagura ;_; and ohhh nononono Yuki, come back... At least he can't remember why he's meant to hate Kyo...
Oh no Yuki plz don't be a hero! But the fact he's willing to do this for Tohru and Kyo, omg *bites nails*
THEY PASSED THE TEST I KNEW THEY WOULD AAAAAAA but oh god I don't think I'm ready for them to fake their deaths, I know it might be the only way but so many people will be sad, ow my heart
"Please take care of Mother!" ...*sobs* oh my god she left the picture
But then they're in a love hotel I'm *chokes*
"After all, Honda Tooru was dead now... didn't she deserve a little bit of heaven?" Wow. Wow wow wow I love this but it also hurts buT I LOVE IT. This chapter was absolutely amazing I cannot believe how fantastic a writer you are, oh my lord

"This was the Cat he was fretting over. Why was he all worried? Let him work himself to death for all he cared. Yuki's stomach turned, he couldn't even finish the thought without feeling instantly guilty."
YES GOOD
But then! My poor daughter, ye gods *clutches chest* and then the boys both holding her mY HEART
Then the relationship convo killed me AAAAAAAA
Also this had me in stitches: "Yuki had never thought of himself as particularly sheltered. He'd come to realize how little he knew of the world since they'd run away. But it wasn't until now that he realized how lacking his vocabulary was. Kyou was using words he'd never heard of in combinations he'd never imagined to describe acts he was pretty sure weren't physically possible or recommended."
And then more sobering things...
"They couldn't spend every day together all the time. It wasn't normal and it wasn't healthy. She *knew* that. She had to let them live their own lives and be strong enough to live her own. But she was afraid."
It *is* good she knows it's not healthy...
She's useless otherwise?! Oh my poor baby, why? I want to know, like my husbando does _;
Also yes hi I think I love Keiko.
"Kyou was a lump under the blankets of the futon. But there was an alertness to the room, so Yuki knew he wasn't sleeping."
I... I don't know what it is but I ADORE that sentence! An alertness to the room. What a phrase.
Kin-san returned! Ah I'm happy, even if it's just one scene. And I can just see the boys wrecking the soccer game oh my lord ahaha~
Oh fu- uh, fudge me, that ending knocked me flat though! Now what?! D:

wow I wish I had something to say about the "confession" scene but I was too busy gobbling it up to think~ (getting relatives mixed up made me giggle tho)
Tohru's wearing Kyo's clothes- to bed! Trope level up!
Can I just- I LOVE that Yuki sees Kyo's hair first and is all "oh yeah that's where I'm supposed to be" like oh my god it's kinda subtle but still so important?! Then he climbs in with Tohru and feels *complete*. He needs *both* of them. Ugh I love it so much
Aw jeez, Tohru remembering the other Zodiacs through objects like that just squeezes my heart... I feel like I've been neglecting them too, somehow, ehehe :,,(
"'Because it shows how much Kyou-kun cares about us. Both of us.'
Kyou shook off her hand, and stepped back. "I don't care about *him*."
Tooru didn't press the issue, she just took his hand again and smiled." *quiet screaming* im lob theemmm
Oh my god Yuki and Kyo TEAMING UP to handle those troublemakers give me LIFE (and bonus protecting Tohru of course) and jfc I was cackling imagining Tohru's serious face, so matter-of-fact "oh Kyo-kun's holding back and Yuki-kun is a lot slower" and Mai and Ginta all "WTF?!"
"'I wouldn't have passed without Yuki-kun's help." Tooru said. "It was only with Yuki-kun's tutoring that I was able to make it through. I forgot about it immediately afterwards.'
'You shouldn't sound so proud of that Honda-san.' Yuki said lightly." *WHEEZES* asdhkljbqthv
"Tooru blushed. She wanted something of them close if she couldn't have them. She had a shirt of Yuki's hidden under the pillow in Keiko's bed." ASDHKHVVNCZW *flips table* TOHRU OH MY GOD
I am SCREAMING over how they literally cannot sleep without each other (on the one hand I'm worried y'know but on the other hand MY SHIIIIPP)
And wowie Keiko coming through! It does seem too good to be true but somehow I'm not worried~

First I have something to get out of the way. *fujoshi screeching over Yuki and Kyo bathing together* They're getting closer!
"[Yuki] kind of liked being part of a 'we,' even if it included the cat."
"[Kyo] stood, feeling a funny tumble in his middle. Were they really doing this? The three of them?" YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY
And then of course you killed me again with them waiting for Tohru to fall asleep and them all ending up on the floor together anyway.
AND THENNNNN
"Kyou froze, and looked down in panic at Yuki. He couldn't handle a cuddly Tooru. Not this early in the morning. Yuki looked just as confused."
oh my lord this scene is just *SQUAWK*
"It was like a current now, the energy flowing between them. Yuki set the pace in front, Tooru held it steady, and Kyou was the base they all worked off. There wasn't any jealousy, there wasn't any pain or worry, it was just the three of them, moving as one."
the sexual tension is gorgeous thanks I'm still dead. And this is just a beautiful paragraph. And the from behind hugs?! AAAAAAAAA
"He'd been hating the rat for years, he didn't know what to make of the new relationship building between the them now. Things were so confused."
YES THIS IS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ASFJJVVNC and the paragraphs after that are also to die for but i'm not gonna quote any more of your own damn fic at you than I possibly have to lmao
Oh I lied
"Tooru's heart beat fast. They were getting into dangerous waters but that was all eclipsed by one thing. "Home?" Tooru's throat got thick with tears. "If Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun are there it will be home, that's all I need.""
I got chills when Kyo did too... I had forgotten for a while about the other Sohmas, shame on me.
So, they're about to (kind of) spill the beans... What will Mai and the others think?

I’m back! Did you miss me? Probably not :P

I should have more to say about this chapter but I spent the whole time screaming internally/on tenterhooks about WHEN ARE KYON AND YUN GONNA GIVE HER THE JEWELRY?

Oh wait—there’s ALSO Tohru telling the kitchen folks how Yuki likes peaches. And then helping cook aaaaaaa my daughter *wipes happy tears* (and the boys pitching in?! AAAAAA GOOD)
and I love Kyo getting Yuki's medicine and how he still thinks he's just pissied at Yuki for making Tohru worry- he's making Kyo worry too but he doesn't wanna admit it adafadfdsf

YUKI. HIGH ON PAIN MEDS. B Y E IM DEAD

ok but fav quote from this CH
"She could smell him, a musky scent that was Kyou, spice, hard work and steam." *squawking*

"'I've done so many bad things to her and she still looks at me like I'm worth something. Honda-san is amazing.'"
“‘She never complains. Never. Ever. Never-ever. Not even after I lost the picture of her mother. I can't do anything, but that doesn't seem to bother Honda-san.’” Yuki. my precious bby

and I swear I nearly copypasta the entire jewelry giving-scene because OH MY GOD. but i didn't

“How was it they always knew what she tried to hide?” THIS IS WHY I LOVE THEM

“‘We've made a promise. We aren't going to let Honda-san be hurt again, we won't take anything else away from you. We're going to try to give as much as we can back to you.’"

"What I want is Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun." Tooru said firmly. "Yuki-kun said that I was reacting to what happened, and he's right. Because when I thought that I might die, the only thing I wanted was them. Both of them. I don't think I'm confused." She looked up at them. "Probably, I'm being punished for being so selfish, but I can't stop, because I just want more and and more of Kyou-kun and Yuki-kun, however much I have isn't enough. Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun have given up so much for me, but for now, I can't stop being selfish."
this paragraph is my favorite out of the ENTIRE FIC SO FAR. It's beautiful. IT'S IN-CHARACTER. I LOVE IT SO MUCH I CAN'T. JUST I CANNOT.

Back on track, yay me. (except going back through the others made me realize I had even more to say about already-reviewed ones... Gosh, me, get a grip)
I do wonder why Tohru seems so afraid. Is it because she pretty much confessed to Yun and Kyon last night and now she remembers they're in public and she's ashamed? Or maybe it's more general; in a small town, with an unusual group (and unusual-looking boys), and their curse, how long before they're found out again, and with too much damage to contain this time? Maybe it's both. Maybe something I haven't thought of yet.
Moving on! Yuki's sleep-eating is always hilarious. I cackled at the rice grain counter attack asdfh canon.
I really liked learning so much about Mai and the others, and getting a look at the inner workings of the restaurant. Mai's quickly becoming one of my favs that's for sure.
AAAH YES MY BABS NAPPING TOGETHER AGAIN. And Tohru standing up for them, and Kazuya taking it (mostly) in stride. They do have to be careful though, for more than one reason! But I gotta say I adore that they can't stay away from each other for long despite the risks ugh god I'm such trash for theeeemmm "It was a little crowded with all three of them sharing two futons, but Tohru liked it. Kyo was where he should be, at her front, and Yuki was at her back. She felt the mouse playing with the ends of her hair and smiled. She wasn't sure if he even knew he did it or that she noticed, but when he was drifting off to sleep he'd tug at her hair, often sleeping with a lock trapped between his fingers. It was a simple thing, but it went a long way to relaxing the knot of tension that felt lodged in her ribcage."
*delighted pterodactyl noises*
But then. The boys still thinking she's confused, that she loves one more than the other... And they did take her away from everyone, so why wouldn't it be pseudo-Stockholm Syndrome? God this hurts so much. But then! Kyo's now a "not-quite-enemy" and vice versa?! Im a dead!
On the one hand, thank god for much needed hospitality. On the other... how far is news going to travel the longer they stay in one place?
More background! I still love it!
Oh my, Tohru, Yuki and Kin-san all together. Yuki blushing at Tohru’s outfits adafadsfhjjjj “too much of her for his liking” aaaaaaaaa!
And then suddenly I feel bad for everyone involved... It might be a permanent goodbye and even though I know the trio has to move on it still bothers me.

This is probably a weird thing to get hung up on, but “There wasn't any more tea” is such a domestic, *unassuming* opening line. I like it a lot. Strikes me as the opening to a fairy tale, or another AU for these three. And when I think about it, it *is* the start of another adventure: out of tea? Well better take inventory, and Tohru needs meds, so off to town Yuki goes.
In Kyo’s clothes. Feels like a full circle-ish thing.
Anyway, he meets Kazuya and Kin-san, and more seeds are planted. And Yuki and Kyo keep worrying about and over each other, even though they’ll never admit it.

Oh my lord everything is hilariously awkward at the start HAHAHAHA
"’Mother...Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun are such kind people." She wasn't used to being so...so coddled. Her mother had cared for her, and loved her dearly and worked hard to provide for her. She'd always made her feel precious. But this feeling was different. She felt sheltered, she felt *protected*. Her heart felt huge, it couldn't contain the feelings she had within her. ‘Someday, Mother, I won't be able to help it. It's all going to spill out.’"
I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS PARAGRAPH ITS AMAZING
AlsoI'll always be running after them...trying to catch up.’ She fell back to sleep as she made a promise in her heart to never stop trying.”
Reminds me of Yuki’s thoughts in CH 11. My daughter TT_TT

Oh gosh, of COURSE things explode into a knockdown, drag-out fight. It’s still all the boys know how to *do*. And of course Tohru gets in the middle of it because this one’s different, it’s so much worse; and of course (to quote another fic I adore) she’s “the sun who holds their gravity together.” They rally around her and in the end they all smile, at least for a moment.
And ye gods, the hot spring! Another pivotal scene and one of my favorites out of the whole fic.

This is when Everything Starts. Yuki putting on his mask because there’s no way she’ll love him like she loves the Cat. But Tohru knows something’s wrong and doesn’t know if she can fix it. And Kyo’s wondering why the ffff he can’t stop thinking about Yuki, he doesn’t care... or does he.

Kin-san’s debut! I love her!

And “He felt that funny flip in his stomach again. ‘What is it about you that makes people want to protect you?’

‘Eh?’ Tooru looked up at him naively. ‘Eh?’ Kyou just smiled at her.”
THIS IS SO THEM ITS BEAUTIFUL