Blargh! I actually managed to read through all the IC! First I gotta say yaall are great writers, and if I weren't under pressure to finish reading so I could join I could definitely enjoy it as a novel. Second, most of the stories are of high-ranking officials, which made me regret my character concept a little, but on the other hand there's the whole Michael/Karen thing that breathes an entirely new kind of life to the story. So I'll probably be fine. Gonna post soon. Prepare yourselves, mwahaha.