Again a truly mind blowing reading experience and I learnt a bit more about tarot cards too!

I loved it and you style of writing is certainly a favourite!

Thanks so much!

perfect! absolutely perfect!
loved every bit of this story, hun ^__^

I know I'm reading this several years after it's completion but it's still a great read. Good job with it!

*blinks* That was an intense chapter.

Glad Gambit has his heart back. Too bad Rogue had to almost die for him to gain it.

The tension in the air is thick! Well written!

I always wondered what MO stood for, thanks for the definition! Good opening chapter. Rogue and Remy were both pretty screwed up after that near-death experience and the consequential loss of powers. I look forward to more though!

Hi there! Yes, I know this is a very belated review, but I just found this story like 3 days ago (I usually read mostly Cowboy Bebop fanfics and only recently discovered that any good fanfics existed for Rogue and Remy). Anyways, this story was so incredible that I just had to leave you a review! I love that you explore what happens between Rogue and Remy between when they leave the other X-Men in New Orleans and when they show up again in X-Pose. I always wondered what would happen when Remy finally unloaded all his anger at Rogue for bringing him back...I never imagined it would happen during the midst of a serial killing spree! VERY original idea! I always wanted to see Rogue get fed up w/him being all distant and basically tell him to just let it all out, which of course leads to the fight of the century...Which I was not disappointed by w/your version! ^_^ I also loved how the killer was going through all the 'queens' working his way up to Rogue...very suspensful. And the whole 4 elements thing was cool, too. You must have REALLY watched a lot of CSI! The crime scenes were great! Very gory, but then again some of my favorite movies are incredibly gory... This fic was REALLY dark, especially in respect to Remy and Rogue and their relationship (but not as dark as some of your other fics, which by the way...Wow...Remy needs some serious therapy in 'Rogue Psychology'!). I liked the whole "we bleed for eachother" thing w/the wounds Vargas left, it just fit for how Rogue and Remy would be connected. Oh, question! When Rogue kills the serial killer guy, she remembers that her father apparently molested her; did you make that up for the story or is that actually mentioned in a comic? I seem to remember a scene from the cartoon series in the mid-90's (when I was like 7) where Rogue's dad beats her up when he finds out she was a mutant. I've just never seen it detailed anywhere (in the comics) exactly what happened between Rogue and her father. I like the idea, though, as bad as that sounds. It kinda makes more sense w/why Rogue is so afraid to touch even w/o her powers. I liked all the allusions to Greek mythology in your fic! (The golden thread, etc.) Well, there's so much more I could say here about this amazing fic, but I don' wanna' sit here all day typing, so I now take my leave. lol Always wanted to say that...Bye! ^_^

Hm... I get to be the 100th review!

I have to say that I really really REALLY love your language. It is so dark, voluptuous, and rich. Gothic in the old sense. I also like that you managed to mesh the fact that the characters - Remy in particular - have been horribly wounded by their past experiances without sacrificing their personalities. Gambit's persona peaks out everywhere in between all of the bleeding and the pain. I also felt so sorry for them - I never once hated Gambit when he was being a jerk - I just felt sad. Rogue's tortured confusion over the "irreparable wound" (great phase by the way - I have to find a way to use it) that was Anna - impressive.

And constantly bleeding unhealing wounds? Excellent - a physical expression of what strong minded but dependent people can do to each other.

I also liked the mystery - it was actually a real mystery and not simply window-dressing to justify the romance. Great work here!

Hm. Just noticed that I never reviewed this. And I have to say, this was the story that brought me back to ROMY fanfiction. I can't handle overblown accents or "he's so hot/she's a wench" or "he's a dog/she's so cool". Ran me right out of the fandom.

But this, this made me read the comics to find out where this was coming from. This, this made me want to write again, made me want to be a better writer.

Not to say that it is perfect. There are times when you really lost me for a bit, and hopefully I'll be able to post again and either tell you exactly where or apologize for not getting the obvious :)

Complex, dark stuff. Thorough is the word I'd use, but not in a workman like sense, but as in solid and touchable for all it is vague and disturbing. You must be a mystery writer because every twist was well handled. I was a bit thrown by the climax, but I think it makes for a very interesting story.

This is a very interesting Remy/Rogue, one were *gasp* Remy's being a jerk. I personally love RemytheJerk. And I would be a jerk too under the circumstances.

Just running this off on my way to get Tylenol, so forgive me if it's a little incoherent. Point is, good stuff, which is what I've come to expect from you.

I really, really hate Romy. Rogue is an entirely soul-sucking character who turned Remy into a pale shade of his original self. #350 completely and utterly destroyed my amusement with the couple.

On that note, this story is still amazing. Well-written, clever plot devices (even if I pegged the murderer around chapter 3 or so), and excellent characterization.

Well, **. Halfway through the chapter, I got to thinking it might be Dominic Jones. Well, let's see if I'm right...*reaches with trembling hand to click next chapter*

Hm, I've mixed feelings about the end of this. I'd half guessed, second guessed and ultimately out-guessed myself, so I didn't see it coming. On the other hand, I got rather confused as to what was going on. The mixed points of view flummoxed me somewhat.
Having said that, you've a real gift for capturing atmosphere, and I really felt the oppressiveness of the wood and the drama of the situation. And I kept reading straight through to the end, so you must be doing something right!
Not the best piece of yours that I've read, as some of it tips over from dramatic to melodramatic, but good solid stuff nonetheless.
Jx

I've read from the start to the end of chapter 6 all in one go and I've got to say I'm seriously impressed. You handle the varied plot strands well, and the mystery is great. Your supporting cast are clearly drawn, and none are over the top or unbelievable.
I have found the flitting in and out of the present tense a bit distracting - I keep thinking I've missed something! And some of the Romy scenes were a little melodramatic for my taste, but you make really good use of their past and I love the idea of the injury linking them together somehow.
I have to leave my computer now, but am looking forward to finishing off the read later!
Jx

Hope I can make sense at this time of night. This was well written and amazingly crafted. It had me hooked all the way through. I couldn't stop reading it. I loved the suspense and couldn't figure out who the murder was. I hoped it was Eileen just because it would have been an interesting twist, but it worked out well.

The only problem was that as great as the mystery and everything was, I couldn't feel for the characters. Remy was the main focus of the story, and several times I hoped he would end up being a final victim just to put him out of my misery. He was selfish. He was hurtful. Rogue should have left him. But, and I could be wrong, I get the feeling you wanted me to feel sorry for him, and it really wasn't happening. Sometimes you can tell just by reading a story who the author's favorite character is, and this was one of those. There seemed plenty of opportunities where the reader should take pity on Gambit, and Rogue even as a secondary character didn't get enough focus on her feelings and her side. Remy's fan girls often blast Rogue for being selfish in the relationship or the X-Men for not doing enough to help him with something or other. But here Gambit was the one being an absolute jerk most of the way through. You portrayed him as human and as having faults, and that's good. But he had so little compassion for anyone outside of himself, especially the woman he loved. And by the time he was actually able to get the stick out of his ** and think of her, it was too late. He'd done too much damage. I can't see why Rogue would have given in and forgiven him so quickly after how he treated her. No woman deserves that from her boyfriend.

But again, the strength of the story was in the mystery and the actual writing, not so much the characters. Having the car/bus Remy was looking for at the beginning actually come in at the final chapter to run him over like he originally wanted would have justified his existence to me in the whole story, but oh well. At least he's not in "poor, poor me" mode anymore.