Valentine Sweethearts Revisited

Blast from the past: While I remembered certain elements of Valentine Sweethearts, most of the details were very fuzzy and I giggled all the way through from the sweetness and cheesiness overload. In Chapter 1, I remembered Sakura's outfit quite well and I've been on the hunt for a dress like that for years. I recently purchased something similar and wore it on my last birthday a couple of weeks ago when I visited my grandmother. I probably recalled Chapter 2 the best since Takashi and Chiharu are my faves but I forgot about the blossom effect in the end. As for Chapter 3, I completely forgot that I made Kai a poet until KID-Z4P reminded me of the fact last year. I was really impressed with my past self's poetry! I remembered absolutely nothing from Eriol and Tomoyo's chapter so that was a very strange thing to revisit. What surprised me the most about the final chapter was that the Valentine Card was based on a fairy statue that was given to me 20 years but has only recently come back into my possession after over a decade. 

The New Trials Connection: New Trials is no stranger to Valentine's Day! While the first one in Arc 2, Chapter 21 brought on pains and misunderstanding when Syaoran thought Sakura gave chocolates to Eron and Sakura thought Erika gave chocolates to Syaoran, at least there was a Valentine's Day. The next my February rolled around was  Arc 3, Chapter 51 but the gang was knee deep into the Plague crisis. The next proper Valentine's Day was in Arc 4, Chapter 67.5 and that was rather fluffy. 

Reading the relaunch: For Valentine Sweethearts, KID-Z4P chose to remaster Chapter 3: Words of Beauty. He's a Kai fan so I'm glad that he took the time to single this chapter out. At always, Jeremy manages to raise the name game of my minor characters. I used to create names by the mashup technique, which I don't recommend. There were some twists and turns in this version that I didn't see coming at all. My favourite part of the relaunch is when Kai was storming after the creep with a kendo stick. What a wonderful image!

Review spotlight: I received 73 wonderful reviews for this story and the one that stands out the most was a long and rambling one from Midnight Moonlight who followed me ever since Destined Love in lurkdom and finally commented on the penultimate chapter of this story. However, the one that I'm spotlighting is a tiny excerpt of a longer review from another anon who signed off as "grl who reads 2much fanficsmushlover" because she was the one who called out Kai's low self-esteem and made me see that I had low self-esteem too. In elementary school I was picked on every day and in high school I worked really hard to be invisible. By the time college came around I realized that I didn't really know myself and by university I became a more confident person. But that journey began with this comment because Kai was me and if he came off as someone with low self-esteem, it only meant that I was going through it too, which is why this review was such a turning point for me.

so kai likes poems eh? an has incredibly low self-esteem-aaw, kawii. poor kai(pat on da head)

Art: Around the same time I wrote this story, I was gifted a Wildflower Angel: Violets for February angel and I used it as my Valentine Card for this fic. It, along with my other fairy statues, stayed with my mom after I got married because my husband didn't like "dust collectors" and she had a curio cabinet while I didn't. Fast forward ten years later my husband and I made the hard decision to go our separate ways because after being blackballed from a field he worked 20 years to get into, he changed his profession a few years ago to become a pilot and just when he was going to enter the work field, COVID happened and tanked the industry. He got a job in Russia and for the sake of his mental health he had to take it and since I have a stable job here we decided it would be best if I didn't follow him. It was tough at first but I'm okay now. For my birthday a few weeks ago my mother returned my fairy statue collection now that there's no one to complain about dust collectors. So to read this story at the exact same time that my fairies returned was pretty special to me.

Up next: It's time for the girls to deliver their thank you gifts on White Day! This is probably the fic that I remember the least in the Destined Love Trilogy so I'm looking forward to the surprises coming my way. 

Chapter 9: Life Altering Choices / Finishing the Puzzle

 

Blast from the past: I only remembered one scene from this whole chapter and it wasn't even as risqué as I thought it was going to be! And with Chiharu, Takashi, Rika and Kai being featured so much in chapter eight, I was pleasantly surprised that my past self spent more time with them before the conclusion. It wasn't too much of a shock when I realized why I didn't remember Tomoyo and Eriol's story since it was so forgettable. Sakura and Syaoran's story made me melt all over again.

The New Trials Connection:  It's hard to find a connection this time around since Destined Love has wrapped up and New Trials is ongoing. But this chapter did take place at Christmas and through out the 21 years of New Trials we celebrated Christmas three times. In Arc 1 it was a school party and in Arc 3 it was a grandiose affair at the Daidouji mansion. The party in Destined Love falls in the middle!

Reading the relaunch: Wow, major edits here. A little bit of padding was added to the snowball scene but as expected the intimacy was totally skipped over. The Decision Card didn't make the cut but instead the Romance Card took it's place and it's always fun to see that spirit. 

Review spotlight: Once again this review isn't by someone who I had a connection with online or in real life, but it's one by whitewave16 pinpoints the spirit of what I wanted to achieve with Destined Love that I had to highlight it:

This is a nice "ensemble" story of the CCS gang. It's good that Rika and Chiharu also got their turn in the spotlight.

Art: The Decision is almost twice as my other drawings in this series because of all of the detail that had to go into it from the flowers to the jewelry! I'm still bad at drawing eyes but at least it looks better than what I drew for The Cuddle. Her jewelry came out great even though the dress design in kind of boring. 

Up next: Destined Love may be over but I was no where near ready to say goodbye to the gang. Things are about to get mushier and fluffier in Valentines Sweethearts. 

Chapter 8: Confessions of Love / Those Three Little Words

Blast from the past: I did not remember this chapter at all!! Even when I collected the few memories that I had, those were from the final chapter and not this penultimate one. When I started my re-read, I remembered Kai and Rika confessing their feelings but Kai's brave and tender ministrations took me by surprise. And speaking of surprises, where did that fire come from?! I was pretty riveted through out the whole scene. As for the other half of the chapter, I knew that Chiharu was going to confess her true feelings but Takashi's kiss nearly knocked the wind out of me as well. Clearly I was very influenced by the steady stream of romance novels that my friend loaned me during our college days.   

The New Trials Connection: Twenty one years and two million words later, we are still waiting for Sakura and Syaoran to confess to each other. Seeing that a lot of stories end after the protagonists confess their feelings, maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Meilin confessed to Kai but their relationship is so rocky that maybe they might want to come back to that. I always thought that Tomoyo confessed to Eriol since it was her intention but she never did. Sakura was so close to confessing to Syaoran but the Hong Kong Heartbreak happened instead. Eron confessed to Sakura and they did date for a bit so good for him. 

A fire also made an appearance in pre-NT when Miho lost control and burned the family home so there's a connection there too. 

Reading the relaunch: None of the sappy stuff made the cut, which is to be expected seeing that the relaunch was posted by a boy. Oh my, I wonder what he'll do with that steamy S&S scene in the next chapter...

We talked about how his title referred to the completely cut C&T confession and we agreed that the three little words fell more along the 'Can we date?' atmosphere between Kai and Rika. 

Review spotlight: This one comes from PunkxRockxPrincess who is someone that I don't have a real life or fandom relationship with unlike the seven other reviews that I previously spotlighted. But when I read it, I was brought back to a time where we were just starting out and supporting each other through words of affirmation from one writer to another. I haven't been involved in fandom in a long time, but the reviews section isn't what it used to be.

I like all the pairings you made, great. For your first fic, it's really good. Not that I'm an expert of course, but I know because I'm starting at this too, so you have all my support! And my reviews as well. Love your story and everything, keep it up!

Art: The OC spirt doesn't make her appearance so I fell back to one of Jeremy's request from months ago where he asked me to draw Kai. This is probably my favourite Rika and Kai moment from the chapter where he plays with a lock of her hair. I liked how that part came out put I'm not too crazy of his arm. I never gave much thought about how he looked like, and to be honest, I like Jeremy's version of Kai a whole lot better. 

Up next: Sakura and Syaoran gets their ultimate chapter and I lean heavier into the romance. As for E&T, I know they're doing something but once again I'm drawing a blank.

Chapter 7: Pains of Misunderstanding / How to Shatter a Heart

Blast from the past: I knew that this was my least favourite chapter but after re-reading it, it wasn't as bad as I remembered it being. Re-reading a moody Eriol was actually kind of fun. I do like the fact that there were multiple spirits that made an appearance in this chapter. It's easy to plot out a storyline from having a spirit in the wild to capturing it while completely forgetting that there are quite a few cards at my disposal.

The New Trials Connection: For all of its faults, I am delighted that past me created this juvenile delinquent of a character who seems to be cut from the same cloth as Mizuki Kai. Another connection is that this chapter features misunderstandings, which occurs quite frequently through out New Trials, especially when the characters are too stubborn to talk to each other!

Reading the relaunch: One of my favourite changed that Jeremy made was that he had Tomoyo shop for Eriol's Christmas present rather than a three month anniversary gift because it's way less cheesy. He also gave some more depth to one of my throw away characters that really made me laugh. He also created a scene between the Argument and Cuddle, which I loved.

Review spotlight: I really beat myself up in the author's note so there was a whole lot of consoling going on in the reviews. This one comes from an old classmate and I laughed when I re-read it so it gets a spotlight: 

It really wasn't all that bad at all.. I quite enjoyed it. Very different from your other chapters, but refreshingly so. I especially liked the realistic anger in eriol's original reaction to Tomoyo kissing the stranger.. A swift punch with no mercy... heheheh, that's exactly what I'd expect from someone as emotionally charged as Eriol. Great job, don't be so hard on yourself.

Art: I wasn't too excited to draw The Argument since he's hands down my least favourite and there's no pretty outfit to design this time around, but I'm glad that I gave him funky hair. My goal was to ultimately make him look different that Wish-chan's Kai even though they do share similarities.

Up next: I actually don't remember. I know that there's one spirit left though I don't know who it is and that it's a two part finale but I can't remember anything expect for an intimate S&S scene that I'm part mortified and part looking forward to revisiting! 

Chapter 6: A Different Perspective / Bravery

Blast from the past: I was really looking forward to getting to this chapter. All this time of writing Destined Love, I was playing into CCS fandom tropes (Sakura and Syaoran being the best couple ever, finding a way to bring Eriol and Tomoyo together and honing in on Takashi and Chiharu's commitment to each other) but I finally got to go off the beaten track with Kai. It was brand new territory and I got to call the shots. So without even thinking about it, I wrote what I knew and came up with a shy, self-conscious teen who was way too hard on himself. Lucky for him (and me), he finds himself a solid group of friends who encourage him to be more confident in himself.

The New Trials Connection: Wish-chan has a plethora of original characters but let's face it -- we all know that Mizuki Kai is everyone's favourite. It makes me really happy that our OCs share the same name even though they couldn't be more opposite from one another. Also in New Trials, Wish-chan breaks Rika and Terada-sensei up, but that girl is loyal to canon and they eventually find their way back to each other. To be fair, I also paired Rika and Terada up in my strictly canon Before They Remembered series. Interestingly enough, while my Kai and Wish-chan's Kai are nothing alike, if I had to compare him to one character in New Trials, it would be Yutaka Ichiro, the shy boy who tries to pursue Rika but she turns him down.

The second New Trials connection is that both Wish-chan and I created the Heal Card. While hers is physical and mine is emotional, I think it's pretty cool that we share a card name.

Reading the relaunch: I created Kai's last name by combining two of the characters' last names from Digimon (Ken and Tai). Jeremy was quick to point out that 'Ichimaya' wasn't real and quickly renamed him Ishikawa Kai instead, which I used for my version 2.0. Other additions that I found enjoyable was a reunion between Chiharu and Rika along with a scene where Chiharu and Sakura tried (and failed) to comfort Rika. Finally, he makes a reference to the first story in my Before They Remembered series, Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf by noting how parental the Heal is. How sweet!

Review spotlight: One of the best parts of being in a fanfiction community is cultivating friendships. Musouka-Sama (formerly known as Kan-chan) and I would read and review each others' stories, which was always so much fun. I dedicated this chapter to her because she was the one who gave me an idea that allowed this chapter to come to life.

OOOOOOOO! you didn't have to do the dedication! having your support is enough _ KAI WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! _ HEEHEEHEE! onto the next chappy!

Art: This was my first time drawing an older woman and I'm really satisfied with the results. I wasn't sure if I could pull off the bun without making it look like a ball but it worked out! This time around the wings are more on the angel side rather than the fairy side, and I was inspired by the way Jeremy connected his relaunched version of this chapter to my Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf fic when the Heal reminded Sakura of her mom.

Up next: After many suggestions from my readers, I try my hand at angst and as it was out of my mushy, fluffy wheelhouse, I wasn't too thrilled with the result. So now is a good time to take a break and switch my focus to the 31 Days of New Trials (a new prompt for every day of August) as we build up to the 21st anniversary of New Trials! I'll be back in September.

Chapter 5: Together at Last / An Unorthodox Reunion

Blast from the past: I actually had a line in my original version that started off with, "Thanks to the Internet, they were able to chat…". Oh what a novelty online used to be. I didn't start using the Internet until 2002 even though it's been around longer. There was also an adjustment period that I wasn't so warm to embrace. 

I don't know if I was the one being naive to believe that Chiharu's parents would throw themselves to her whims about moving back or if I just made it work in her favour without thinking.

I must have been really excited to get this chapter out because the amount of mistakes in the first version is nothing short of embarrassing!

The New Trials Connection: The running away theme has come up in New Trials. Kai ran away after his family fell apart. Syaoran ran away from home the moment the threat of the Dark Ones surfaced. Meilin ran away with Kai in Arc 4. Sakura and Syaoran ran off to Tokyo in Arc 2 and then ran off to Hong Kong just before the Great Elder died. 

Wish-chan crafted some excellent lies for Takashi in New Trials. I especially loved it when it tied into the chapter or story arc. 

Reading the relaunch: What I love the most about this remastered chapter is that off the bat KID-Z4P has Takashi living alone, which totally fills up the plot hole of how he managed to keep a girl in his room under his parents' nose. Another positive point is that Takashi finally got some sense knocked into him and named his bear, 'Chiharu'!

Review spotlight: When I go back to read the reviews from fellow CCS fans, they're usually always along the lines of 'so cute' or 'very romantic' or 'love this story'. This review is from Mirian, one of my oldest friends since 1998, and even though she's pretty much identified all of my plot holes, I'm glad to say that her inquisitive nature hasn't changed one bit after all these years! 

Finally, Takashi and Chiharu are together. As they should be. I'm surprised Takashi's parents didn't realize a girl was staying in his room. Was Chiharu saving up money to run away? How did she pay for the plane ride? Her parents must really care about her to move for her needs and chapter did reveal that love knows no bounds. Very well written.

Art: To my disappointment, the Unite is described the same way as the Rendezvous. However, since I was not satisfied with how young the Rendezvous came out, I took the opportunity to do things differently this time around and I think the Unite looks more mature. I have never done a looking over the shoulder fanart and I loved how it turned out. The outfit is designed after the dress that Wish-chan drew for Sakura during Syaoran's 18th birthday extravaganza in Chapter 73.5.

Chapter 4: A Night to Remember

Blast from the past: When I wrote this I had never been on a date myself so it was pure daydreaming and living through Sakura and Syaoran at this point. I thought I was progressive when I set Sakura up to proudly pay for half of the dinner but I know now that it's a lot more gallant when the guy treats the girl. Plus we all know that Syaoran's family is loaded! On my first date a few years later he paid for the dinner while I covered the movies. The cringiest part of this chapter was that out of all the fancy food I could have had them eat, I chose chow mein and dim sum. I wanted to sound exotic, but oh my gosh, it is such plain food. I switched those out for kobe beef and grilled lobster. After that it was smooth sailing and the special kiss still makes me grin from ear to ear.

The New Trials Connection: Both the Romance and the Kaitou Magician wear tuxedos! My inspiration was Tuxedo Mask. We have also seen Kai and Meilin go to a fancy restaurant on their Arc 3 date and later on that's where Syaoran takes Sakura before the mess with the Plague. Wish-chan then introduces La Seine, which ended up capturing the kind of ambiance that I was going for when I wrote this chapter.

Reading the relaunch: Alas, there was no companion chapter of 'A Night to Remember' in CardCaptor Chronicles. Jeremy simply stated that every couple in Destined Love had two chapters each with the exception of S&S who had three. And it's clear that this filler chapter in no way moves the story forward.

Review spotlight: This review is from Rhea, who was one of my online penpals back in 2003. The conversations will always start off CCS-based but then you get to know the people on a more personal level. I met her while she was actively seeking out participants to vote on her CCS fanfic poll. I remember that Little Wolf LOVER was number one because her stories were addicting and salacious. I also remember that Peacewish made it on the top authors list and The New Trials of CardCaptor Sakura and Friends made it on the top fanfic list. It was her poll that allowed me to open my eyes and search for the diamond fanfics in the rough.

That's sweet. ) Your fanfiction has very nice romance scenes... I wasn't disapointed! I think I'll keep reading it now. You've got me hooked. hehe. The romance card, what a sweet card to keep...

Art: I was pretty impressed with the way the Romance's outfit turned out! It's my second time drawing a tux. Red is my go-to choice for the tie colour so I had to choose a different route. The gold looks really nice with the black. At first I was upset with the way the wings came out so uneven, but after colouring them in they didn't look so bad. I didn't mention anything of him having them in the chapter, but I decided to keep with the theme of giving all of these spirits wings. The Romance's wings are inspired by his bow tie.

Up next: It's finally time to pick up with Takashi and Chiharu's story in Chapter 5: Together at Last. Will our two lovebirds confess their feelings for each other?