Beyond The Haze : A Lilly pseudo-route - II-13 added 27-02-2022

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Razoredge
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Beyond The Haze : A Lilly pseudo-route - II-13 added 27-02-2022

Post by Razoredge »

Hi everyone.

I'm back after a huuuuuuuuuuge absence. Why? Because I was tired to write, my fiction borred me, and all this kind of stuff.
But I'm back, and I want to write again. I will not continue my MikixOC fic, cause I haven't any new stuff for you for this fic. However, I've created a new OC, a girl. I present to you Kaori. Kaori means perfume/scent in Japanese. In this story, you'll see a romance between two girls. These two girls are represented on this pic.

Image
I really thank Zinganza for this work. I let her doing whatever she liked to give Kaori a face, and I really like the result.

Kaori is 18, a tall Japanese girl who suffers about prosopagnosia. With this disability, she can't recognize any face. In fact, she can't even recognize her own mother if she's not speaking, or if she don't wear her usual perfume. She must find stratagems to recognize every person. For her mother, Kaori uses her perfume to recognize her, for her father, she has bought a silver necklace with a little pearl on a cross and use it to recognize him. She must find new stratagems for every person she want to remember.

Also, you can see a scar on her chest. She had a heart attack when she was a bit younger, around 15 years old, and was operated for that. She still have some cardiac issues nowadays and needs to take pills for life. It's the reason why she was sent to Yamaku.

If you feel like to produce fanarts about this story, I fully encourage it. Some people here do a really good job, and I'll be very honoured if someone do something about my work.

Feel free to review my work, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

Image

Art by Sharp-O

Act I: Whisper

Act II: Forward

Last edited by Razoredge on Tue Nov 14, 2023 9:51 pm, edited 40 times in total.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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Re: Beyond the haze [OC] - Introduction

Post by Razoredge »

Important note : I will only write this fic in English. So, no translation from french to English. Only my English writing skills. Please note I'm a pure beginner in pure English writing. I still hope you'll like this work.


Prologue : Ray of sunshine

Another year in Yamaku, for me, it’s the third year here. I go back to my room with my mom; I know she’s my mother because she wears her usual perfume, with a little touch of lime. Unfortunately, Dad couldn’t come with us today, because he’s working. During most of the trip, it was raining, and sadly, the rain didn’t stop when we arrived. I just can’t stand rain, because I had a heart attack on a rainy day. When it’s raining, my mom’s perfume reassures me.

The first thing we do when we arrive in my room is to put my clothes in my closet. Mom also gives me my bottles of pills and her water bottle. I totally forgot to take my pills this morning, and in such cases, I’m really glad that Nurse isn’t behind my back. Swallowing these common white pills with a sip of water, I sigh when I’m done. The thought that my entire life depends on chemicals like these isn’t pleasant at all, but I need these pills if I want to survive.

Sometimes, I look my mother in the eye, and I sigh. Since my childhood, I’ve never been able to recognize her face. Her face is beautiful, but it will always stay a blur to me. I know this state of affairs will never change, but I still have hope.

Classes will only start tomorrow, so I have a full afternoon to do whatever I want. I hug my mother strongly and thank her for her help. Before leaving my room, she promises to call me once she’s at home. It may be childish, but when she’s driving, I always want to make sure she came back at home safely. I ask her to kiss Dad for me, and she leaves, telling me she loves me.

A few minutes after mom’s departure, rain intensifies, sweeping against the window. In the yard, some students run to reach the dormitory, trying to avoid to be soaked by the rain. In this sad afternoon, something makes me smile. I’ll see Saki again, my beloved best friend. We met during the first year, and she slowly became a friend, probably because she was the first student I trusted.

I expected, when we got into the dorm, the third floor to be lively, especially the day before the new school year. I’m not complaining; most of the students will probably come in a few hours.

Suddenly, I wonder if mom took my swimsuit. Opening my closet, I smile when I see my swimsuit, kindly folded. Swimming is not my favorite pastime, but Nurse told me to do so. For him, swimming will be a good thing for my heart, and I trust him on that point. Since I was in Yamaku, he never lied and told me everything. Even if the truth can be brutal, he will find the words to tell me the truth. I respect and like him for that. I will get back to the swimming pool this week. My holidays weren’t healthy at all, and I can’t live like before. My heart will not stand it.

After closing my closet and putting all my bottles on my night table, I leave my room. I have nothing special to do, so I just roam around to remind me of this place. The dorm is slowly filling up; some students talk to each other, a common day in this school.

I don’t even remember who the girl with the black hair and blue eyes in the corner is. She must be a second or a third-year student, but I can’t remember her name. I’m lost once again; the place is familiar but everyone around me looks like strangers. Everything around me is a pure haze. As if a light fog covered every face. I rove, with no goal, praying to hear a familiar voice. It’s tir....

”Kaori, you’re finally here.” This voice, it’s her, my friend Saki. I can’t make a mistake.

I turn over and I smile. Saki’s face is a blur to me, but I can’t get her voice mixed up. Silently, I hold her in my arms, hugging her tightly. It’s her, her delicate perfume is really recognizable. I missed her so much.

“I was afraid; I thought you’d only come tomorrow. You don’t know how much I missed you, sweetie.“ I’m really sincere when I talk like this to her.

“Me too. Did you get rain during your trip?“

As my best friend, she knows how much I hate rain. Saki knows a lot of things about my past. My scar screams out that I have cardiac issues; she takes care of me even when her own disability weakens her. Even in the worst days, she will try her best to help her friends. And I will always do the same thing for her. She’s important to me.

“A lot, but it got worse an hour before we got there. But seeing your cute baby face enlightens my day.“

Saki’s voice is always a ray of sunshine during my bad days. She doesn’t have to do anything to cheer me up. I hear the rain sweeping against the windows, but now, it means nothing to me. My friend is here, nothing else matters.

“Great. What did you do during your holidays? You don’t know how long I’ve been counting the days until I’d go back to school because of my father.” She asks me with a little smile, before pouting when it comes to her father.

“Nothing special; in fact, I’ve spent all my time playing video games or playing guitar.“ I answer.

I play guitar since my first heart attack. Dad bought my first guitar when I left the hospital, to make me happy. It may be a second hand, but I take a religious care of it.

“Really nice. Remind me to come with you someday. I’d really like to hear you playing.“ Her smile is a precious thing.

“Of course. It’d be a shame to do something else.”

We talk a lot about insignificant things, but even when we have nothing serious to talk about, it’s an actual pleasure to be with her. I’m 18, but sometimes, I just can’t bear being alone; loneliness scares me. I don’t want to do a heart attack alone. Having friends is a shield for me, she knows that. I’m glad to be her friend. With her, I lose my sense of time. With her help and the help of my other friends and my parents, I can survive this year. And I’ll be happy. Nothing else matters now.
Last edited by Razoredge on Sun Feb 13, 2022 9:57 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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Re: Beyond the haze [OC] - Prologue added 11-12-2018

Post by Scroff »

Your English is many times better than my French and I never struggled to understand what you were saying (writing?).

But playing thrash metal on a Jaguar? Really??
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Re: Beyond the haze [OC] - Prologue added 11-12-2018

Post by Razoredge »

Yes. It's pretty nice though. I'm playing myself Thrash Metal on a Fender Jaguar, and with the right settings, it's pretty amazing. You can play a lot of styles on a Fender Jaguar, it's the most versatile guitar Fender have ever made with the Stratocaster.

But I'm glad to see it's understandable.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

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Re: Beyond the haze [OC] - Prologue added 11-12-2018

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Some odd word choices but other than that SpaG are quite good.

I'm always wary of stories where OCs are "overloaded" with disabilities - in this case two conditions that have nothing to do with each other...
I'm not sure if her heart condition is something you've planned to be a major plot point later on, but if not I recommend you rethink it or at least tune it down to something minor.

Of course there are people who have two seperate conditions in real life, but that is exponentially more rare than having only one condition* and such characters always challenge the reader's suspension of disbelief.

*Remember to always bring a bomb when you're flying on an aircraft, because the probability of two bombs on the same aircraft is vanishingly low...
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Re: Beyond the haze [OC] - Prologue added 11-12-2018

Post by Hanako Fancopter »

Well I'd say your English is quite good for a beginner. Not too much to say about the story since it is the very beginning, we'll see how it develops. I'll also remain undecided on your OC until I see more of her, but she's not a Hisao stand-in, so that's nice right off the bat. The one thing I'm unsure about is the trait she borrows from Hisao, her heart condition. I'm not sure that she needs her face-recognition condition and heart problems on top of that, it may be a bit much. I suppose it creates a challenge for you to make sure that the story does not simply revolve around those conditions constantly debilitating her.
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Re: Beyond the haze [OC] - Prologue added 11-12-2018

Post by Razoredge »

I have something in my mind to do later with this condition. I will make sure to not do anything stupid with that, and of course, I will do my best to not debilitate her with that.

These two things means a lot to me, and it was a thing I wanted to do since a while. That's not a spoiler but her cardiac issue will make a plot point, but not a Hisao one.

It will be a plot for her future life, you'll understand it during the story. But this disability will not be the major topic of this fic, don't worry.

Thanks for the advice though. I will think about an eventually change, but as I said, these two things means a lot for me, but her cardiac issue will be a minor topic, until a specific moment, which is not a Hisao kind of.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

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Re: Beyond The Haze [OC] - Prologue added 11-12-2018

Post by Razoredge »

Image

Act I: Whisper

White void

An entire week has passed, and in this class, I can’t remember any name. A loud pink-haired disturbs me, but it seems she’s always like that. This was already the case during the previous years, and I guess it won’t change. Maybe she makes up for her deaf friend, but that doesn’t change the fact she disturbs many people. It was a banal week, not for my heart, that being said.

My first day of swimming was pretty intense. I never was an excellent swimmer, I can’t swim for a long time. After a few lengths, my heart beats like crazy, and I need to take long breaks. I knew it would happen, even if I try my best to swim at a slower pace when it happens. Every time my heart is at the wrong pace, I’m scared. Even if I take my pills every day, the same fear consumes my mind.

However, I love my swimming suit. I think it suits me well. As plain as it is, I love it. My previous swimsuits were badly cut. They were at the right size, but I don’t know why they were badly cut in the chest area.

My progress will come out if I keep going. Early in the first year here, I started swimming before breakfast, but for once, I thought it would be a good idea to swim before dinner. I ask a swimming partner what time is it, half-past six. I was swimming for an entire hour.

One more length and I take my shower. The water in the shower is pretty hot, much more than the pool. I love hot water; it’s reassuring and comfy. The steam wraps me up; such a pleasant feeling. But I can’t spend my time taking a shower; my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut.

Ten minutes later, I’m heading towards the cafeteria, and some students do the same. In the line, I’m wondering what I can eat, and as usual, there aren’t many choices, except for students with specific diets. As the line slowly moves, someone pushes me a little.

It could be insignificant, but the same person wraps her arms around me. Only a few people do the same thing to me. I’m at school, so only Saki could do this to me. Her perfume speaks for her. I like her cuddles; they are so sweet. I’m very tall, so she must be on tiptoe, given the position of her arms.

“Want somebody to eat with?” She asks me.

“Of course, why would I say no? You’re always welcome.”

There are five or six people before us; I still have the time to choose my meal. Tonight, I don’t want to eat meat, so fish is a good choice. With some fried veggies, it will be perfect. Our turn comes, and I take my meal; Saki takes some vegetables and meat.

Her hands are shivering a bit, so I take her tray, and she searches for an empty table for two. I have some things to tell her; it’s the right moment to do so while sharing a meal. I take a bite of fish, it’s not bad, tasty and juicy. I always preferred fish rather than meat, but I would never say no to a good piece of meat.

Mom told me some bad news earlier in the week, and I need to tell Saki what she told me.

“You know my father is a heavy smoker, don’t you? Mom told me it’s gotten worse lately.”

“He knows you hate that, right? Why does he keep smoking?” She asks me, worried.

“It seems he’s been working more and more lately, and he’s exhausted. When he’s tired, he smokes a lot to stay awake. He knows I hate this thing, so every time I’m at home, he goes outside, but he doesn’t reduce his consumption.” I sigh.

She looks worried. My father always worked hard for us and I admire him for that. But he never takes care of himself; his family is his number one priority. Sometimes, I try to convince him to take care of himself, but every time, I talk to a brick wall.

“He still works late?”

“Yeah. You know the drill, a typical salaryman who takes work with him at home.” I’m afraid for him, really afraid.

“It’s okay, sweetie. He knows you’re scared for him, and he will change; I’m sure he will.” Saki is always confident about these things, but I know she says that to reassure me.

The rest of the meal is silent; the cafeteria’s atmosphere is peaceful. At midday, there is a certain bustle, but not during dinner. Fatigue is a vicious thing.

Somebody shows up in my field of view, a girl with her arm wrapped in a bandage. I don't know her name, but she’s a classmate; I always see her in the front row during classes. She’s with a girl with flashy blue hair who seems pretty tired. They look cute together, and given how they act together, they must be dating.

Once we are done, we clean our table and leave this place. Outside, the weather is lovely, not too warm, but not too cold. Heading towards the school gardens, I lie down in the grass under a tree. The grass is moist, but it’s a pleasant feeling. I feel like a child; when I was young, I loved to lie down in the grass with my mother.

Feelings surround your body, dampness, coolness, you lose all notions of time; it sucks your mind into a white void. At midnight, with my mother, when everything was quiet, my heart beats were the only thing that I could hear. Such a simple, yet wonderful thing. Just me and my mother. Nothing else.

“You know, when I was young, I thought I could touch the stars. I was amazed, as much as a kid could be. Sometimes, I wonder if stars are the souls of our ancestors. That’s childish, right?“ I giggle.

“We’re all children in our hearts. Children with broken bodies who are forced to act mature in a society not made for them. Don’t be ashamed to think like that.“ She smiles, her eyes closed.

The wind blows, quietly, peacefully. My hair goes wavy as I nearly fall asleep. I’m pretty tired. Everything is silent here, no noises, no car’s horn, no public works, just me, Saki and our friend, the wind. My mind finally reaches the white void, but all good things must end. We need to go back to the dorm.

Tonight, I’ll sleep tight, my mind is peaceful, and swimming tired me. I wish her a good night, kissing her on the forehead, and I reach my room. My pajamas wait for me on my bed. It’s a casual thing, a blue shorts with a black tank top. Even during winter, I put nothing else. Simple things are the best. I put it on me, and I go to bed.

Before I fall asleep, something pops up in my mind. It’s about my way of swimming. My swimming pace needs to be slower, and I have to increase my stamina. With this state of mind, everything will be better.

Then, I’m in the arms of Morpheus. That was a pleasant week. A tough start, but a nice finish.
Last edited by Razoredge on Tue Oct 10, 2023 9:41 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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Re: Beyond The Haze [Lilly x OC] - I-2 added 11-27-2018

Post by Razoredge »

Fleeting words

Sunday, what a lovely day. Every Sunday, I get up at a quarter past seven, half an hour later than usual. Taking my pills, I feel my stomach growling, and I leave my room, heading to the cafeteria to get some breakfast.

Every morning, I eat the same thing, some rice with greens and a boiled egg, with a side soup. Nothing fancy, but strongly nourishing. I’m not very original with food, but at least, I’m not picky. The school gardens are empty, most students are probably still sleeping. I never was a huge sleeper, sometimes, I even sleep for only four hours. Of course, at midday, I’m tired, but I cannot do otherwise.

My swimming suit is in my bag - with a towel, too. On my way, I wonder if I’ll become a skilled swimmer someday. The swimming pool’s building looks exactly the same as the others; everything here looks trite. Except for the gate - that is too pompous.

When I reach the pool, I’m stunned; there is absolutely no noise. Only three people are swimming quietly, and that’s all. Sunday is one of my favorite days, for that reason alone. In the locker room, I put my swimming suit on and head for the pool. On the diving board, I gaze at the surface of the water. Smooth as a mirror. I take a huge inspiration, and I dive.

I never open my eyes under water because of chlorine, and I don’t count how many times I hit the pool’s walls before I got used to the dimensions of the pool.

I swim the crawl every time; it’s the only swim stroke I’m able to do. As a warmup, I do a few slow laps; that’s essential even if I don’t like that, because without a good warmup, the chance of injuries is tremendous.

I take my time; I don’t want to hurt myself. My warmup is always around two or three laps. Sometimes, during my warmup, I stop swimming to say hello or a few other words to my swimming partners.

When I’m in the pool, I’m only focused on my training; nothing else matters. Swimming is not my favorite pastime; however, the nurse told me to swim for the sake of my heart. He knows what’s good for me. If I give up, if I don’t follow my treatment correctly, I’ll go back to square one.

When I was at the hospital, everything was different. I couldn’t walk a few meters without help. My heart was in poor condition, but everyone helped me to bear the surgery and the treatment. I hate hospitals, but I just can’t thank them enough for what they did for me. But at night, when I was alone, the heaviness on my chest was sometimes so hard to bear that I burst into tears.

I don’t want to go through all this again, so I have to swim. I will live with a weak heart for the rest of my life, but I have to keep fit. Every day, I try to swim for about an hour. It reinforces my heart, and it develops my muscles a little. I don’t think I could find a better sport for my condition.

Then my real training begins. I don’t swim really quick, but I’m trying to improve, perseverance is the key. If I surrender, I will never get better. I start my laps, slowly, and I speed up from the third lap. I’m focused on my swimming, and I must keep this mindset

....................................

Half an hour of training is not that shabby, it doesn’t tire me too much. I throw myself in the shower, craving for a long hot shower. You just can’t swim and put your clothes back on without a shower, chlorine is harsh for the skin.

Suddenly, I remember that I have finished the only book I borrowed from the library. I have a substantial collection of books at home, but before the start of the school year, I forgot to take some of these. It’s time to go to the library. I’m a regular there, I can’t spend a week without reading a book.

When I reach my destination, I wonder what kind of book I could borrow. Pushing the door, I walk into the library. There’s never any noise here; I always liked this peaceful atmosphere. The librarian is working behind her desk. It must be the librarian; someone who works in a library with some books’ reservation stuff is a librarian.

I make a few steps, and I hear a little greeting behind me. The voice is so low, I can’t even recognize it. I just answer to this greeting and head for the first shelf. I search for a few minutes, but there’s nothing attractive. Unlike food, I can be very picky with books; I have specific tastes in literature.

“You want something particularly, kitten?”

Only three people call me by that nickname: my mother, my father and... Yuuko. She’s aware of my problem and calls me like that to help me remember her. That’s nice of her, but I suspect she also does that out of affection. She knows I like and trust her, and she actually shows specific care for some students.

“Oh, hi Yuuko. Sorry, I didn’t recognize your voice initially. “ I smile at her. “Do you have some books about Japanese mythology? I love these books.”

She doesn’t know if books about this specific subject are currently available. She goes back to her desk to search on her computer, then she smiles.

“Yes, on the third shelf on the right, in front of you.” She answers me with her sweet voice.

“Thank you, Yuuko. You’re too kind.”

I go towards the third shelf. In my mind, some wishes tumble out; I have a vague idea of what I’m looking for, but nothing specific. I search a book with a good title. Suddenly, I hear a voice next to me. I was so obsessed with my search for the perfect book; I didn’t notice someone was alongside me.

“Do you know where this book is?“

I raise my head and meet a pretty blonde girl with blue eyes. She must be a foreigner; you can’t find a lot of Japanese people with natural blonde hair and blue eyes. She has a paper in her hand, with a title written on it. So, she wants a book about Japanese mythology too.

I look at the shelf and directly find her book, at the top of the shelf, with some other books. I’m taller than her, and I don’t have any difficulty to take it. The front cover is full of dots underneath the title. It must be Braille; why would someone cover a book with dots if it’s not written in Braille?

“There it is. You like Japanese mythology too?” I ask, placing the book in her open hand.

“Thanks. I try to diversify my reading, and it’s a pleasant subject, I have to admit.” She answers me, smiling.

She’s blind; her eyes speak for her, and the book too. But I won’t say anything about that; we all have our problems, and some of us don’t want to talk about that.

“Oh, forgive my bad manners; I didn’t introduce myself. Lilly, Lilly Satou.“ Her voice is sweet and peaceful.

“Kaori, Kaori Yamamoto. Nice to meet you. “ I’m honest; it’s a genuine pleasure for me to meet new people. But I have to find new stratagems to remember each person; sometimes it’s pretty simple, but for some people, I really have to find very tiny details to remember them.

I try to write her description down on my mind, a blonde girl with faded blue eyes and a sweet voice. She even has a hair bow. I have to memorize this description; I know I’ll never be able to memorize her face, but I can remember some details if I repeat them regularly.

“Thanks again for the help, Kaori, you’re too kind.“ She still smiles. Her smile is a marvelous thing.

“Don’t worry. It was my pleasure.” I answer to her.

We go back to Yuuko’s desk to register our books, then she leaves the library first. I talk with Yuuko about trivial things before leaving the library, too. I will spend the rest of the day reading this book.

Not a bad morning. A bit of swimming, and an encounter with a lovely girl. Not so bad. I love this kind of day and I need more of these.
Last edited by Razoredge on Wed Jun 29, 2022 7:42 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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Re: Beyond The Haze [Lilly x OC] - I-2 added 11-27-2018

Post by Oddball »

Not too shabby so far. You character's narration has a lot of personality in it and I like the details of how she has to remember her friends and family.
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Re: Beyond The Haze [Lilly x OC] - I-2 added 11-27-2018

Post by Razoredge »

I appreciate it, really. I always try to improve my writing, and the help of Mirage will be a really good thing for me.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

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Re: Beyond The Haze [Lilly x OC] - I-3 added 01-11-2019

Post by Razoredge »

Playing in puddles

We have science class early in the morning. Science is not my favorite subject, but sometimes, some lessons are really interesting. Especially when the topic is the human body.

When the teacher talks about the heart, I try to pay close attention to every word. I'm early, as usual, I hate being late, so I try to come ten or fifteen minutes before class starts.

Finally, the teacher comes, and he seems to be wearier than most of us. However, he starts the lesson quickly. It seems that today, we'll talk about plants, I'm not really that enthusiastic about plants, but never mind.

I take out my notebook and take some notes. When he draws a plant, I try to do the same thing, but the result is a shame. I will never be a good drawer.

When I begin to get bored in class, I doodle, it keeps me busy when I don't know what to do. But that's hopeless. I'm not good with a pencil in hand. At least, I manage to focus, and like that, I can take the course.

Outside, it starts to rain. I planned to go into town with Saki, but if the rain goes on, that plan will have to be thrown out. Nevertheless, spending time with my best friend is always a good thing.

Then, this lesson is over, and our English teacher comes. It must be our English teacher because she's speaking in English. I love this language because it helps me to understand some of my favorites movies without subtitles. However, my oral skills are dreadful, I can totally understand English when I read it, but my accent is very unpleasant to hear.

Today's lesson is about vocabulary. Great, I don't have to speak, this is a good thing. I write every single word, with its meaning in Japanese. Even if I know some of these, I still write them. The list contains around 25 words, not too much.

When the teacher asks us to work in groups, everyone is moving to work with someone, even my neighbor. I look around, and I see a girl who's alone.

A girl with dark purple hair, with burns on the right side of her body. She will be my teammate for today because we need to work in groups. I head for her desk, slowly.

Her attitude is clear, she's very shy. I need to be gentle with her. Her sheet is empty, and she's shaking when she sees me. Okay Kaori, you have to handle her with kid gloves.

" Hi, I think we must work together. " I say, with a friendly voice.

" We.... we must? " She seems to be lost.

I will take my time with her, it seems that a single word can break her. This work is simple, but working with her won't be an easy job. The first two questions are easy, answering them will take two or three minutes.

I start to answer these questions, and she mimics me. I try my best to be quiet, and it seems to appease her. But, when she reaches the fourth question, she has something to ask me.

" How... how do you write this... In English?"

She doesn't know how to translate ‘Hanabi’ to English. I can't judge her, some people have difficulties with foreign languages.

" Fireworks. It's called a fireworks. " I answer.

I write this word for her, and she writes it in a little notebook, with a smile. After that, she's quiet. We focus on the work and manage to finish on time. But, right after the lesson, she vanishes. I can't blame her.

Saki must be waiting in the hall, as usual. Most students are rushing to the cafeteria, but today I will not follow the crowd.

However, there is nobody in the hall, it seems I'm alone. Well, it doesn't matter, I can be very patient. Suddenly, somebody pinches my ribs - lightly, but enough to surprise me. When I turn around to see who did this to me, this person hugs me frankly. Obviously, it's Saki, she can be mischievous sometimes.

" Ready for a wonderful afternoon? " she says. She must be joking because it's raining outside.

" For sure. You'll be my umbrella, right? "

She knows that I'm joking. Occasionally, she taunts me about my height, so it's only fair. Outside, we walk as fast as we can, we don't want to look like drowned rats so we have to hurry. But, if we want to reach the Shanghai, we have to walk for a long time.

.............................................

Finally, we reach the restaurant, soaked to the skin and very hungry. Saki finds a free table, and we sit down. I already know what I want to eat - some miso ramen - and Saki also chooses what she wants to eat.

Then, she orders for us. A few minutes later our meal is ready. I recognize Yuuko by her voice and thank her.

When I eat ramen, I eat very fast, as if I was afraid it might mysteriously disappear. I try my best to eat slowly, but I just can’t manage to do so. However, it's delicious. If I love a dish, I eat very fast, it's a bad habit.

Suddenly, a question appears in my mind.

" Saki, I worked with a girl this morning, a shy girl, with burns on the right side of her body. She was pretty, though. Do you know her?"

She thinks for a little bit, then she has the answer.

" You must be talking about Hanako. Yeah, she's shy, you have to be very gentle with her. " She answers me.

" Does she have any friends? " I wonder.

" Lilly is her best friend, she helps her a lot. "

I try to connect some memories to this name, but nothing happens. Saki notices it and helps me.

" The tall blind girl with blonde hair. " She answers me with a smile.

" That's right! I tried to remember her name, but I couldn't. I met her a few days ago, she was pretty kind. "

Saki giggles, she knows I'm not innocent when I talk like that. I brush it off and finish my dish quickly. This place is one of my favorite restaurants, I was never disappointed with the food here.

Saki eats slower than me, but that's okay. I'm patient. When Yuuko asks us if we want a dessert, we decline. We pay our bills and leave.

Luckily, the rain has stopped, the weather still isn't great, but at least we won’t get wet again. There are puddles everywhere, and it makes me smile, I can remember a lot of things thanks to puddles.

" You see this big puddle? We used to jump into this kind of puddles with Dad when I was a child. Mom wasn't happy of course, but that was fun. We did a lot of simple but funny things. Now... "

" He doesn't have the time, right? " She asks me, interested in my past.

" Not anymore. But... I miss this kind of stuff. "

She gives me a little tap on the shoulder, and we walk around. Suddenly, I have an idea. I take her by the arm, without saying anything, and go towards a little jewelry shop. I want to buy something for her and for me too.

In a few minutes, I see what I want. Two little necklaces, nothing fancy, but it's lovely. There is a part of a heart on each one. I buy them instantly, I'm sure it will make Saki happy. And when she sees it, she's more than happy. She hugs me like she never did before. It seems it means something to her.

She's my best friend, and nothing is too much when I want to make her happy. It's pretty cute on her, though. She wants to go to the little library near the jewelry shop. Why not?

The shop seemed to be small from the outside, but it's actually huge. Saki leaves me alone to search for her book. I don't know what she wants to do, but she wants to be alone to do it. There are a lot of interesting books everywhere, but I need to control myself, I'm not here to buy them all.

While I'm reading a summary, she pokes me in the rib, innocently. We leave the shop, and when we're outside she offers a big book to me.

"I know you like this kind of stuff, so, I had to buy it for you." Saki says to me with a great smile.

It's a book about Japanese mythology. A really big one. I really respect the author of this book, so, it's a wonderful gift for me.

" Thanks... It means a lot to me. " I strongly hug her.

During our return trip, we don't say anything. Sometimes, words are not needed for us, we can communicate without saying anything. Saki knows I love her, and I know she loves me. She will always be there for me, and I will be there for her too.

That's what best friends do. I was lucky to meet her. At the dorm, we separate but not for a long time. Never for a long time.
Last edited by Razoredge on Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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Razoredge
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Re: Beyond The Haze : A Lilly pseudo-route - I-4 added 02-17-2019

Post by Razoredge »

A certain point of view

4 am... I rolled over in bed for an hour. When I hear a storm, I can't sleep. I have to admit, I'm afraid of thunder. Tonight, that was just a slight thunderstorm, but I'm still afraid. Fear isn't rational at all, I know it.

The thunder isn't that loud, but it's close, too close for me. I have to fight my fear by myself. Disturbing my mother for that? No way, she must be sleeping. Luckily, today, lessons are only in the morning. However, I need to buy food, some afternoon snacks and maybe some fruits. I’ll go to the city this afternoon.

When I can’t sleep, there is only one thing I can do: reading. I get up and take this book about Japanese mythology that was on my desk, and start my reading from the third chapter, a chapter about Yokai. I can’t get enough of this subject. When I’m reading, I lose track of time, and mom always told me that was a good sign; it means you’re passionate about a subject. During my reading, the storm finally stops. What a relief.

The alarm clock is half-past five; I’ve only slept two hours tonight. I will not swim today, Nurse is going to kill me, but I never swim when I’m tired, for security. I swallow my pills with a bit of water. I can’t stand that bitter taste, but it helps me to stay alive. Thanks to these little things, my heart doesn’t act up too much, even if it has a mind of its own.

One huge chapter later, it’s seven. Time to get up and put my clothes on. It’s still raining, but fortunately, the storm is over. I stretch out, and my spinal column cracks.

When I’m that tired, I’m always cold and the freezing rain sliding down my back doesn’t really help. It’s an awful feeling, but the prospect of a good breakfast that will keep me awake keeps me going. The cafeteria’s ambiance is quiet, even if a few students are chatting while eating. I take some rice, greens and a boiled egg, the same thing every morning. I can’t change my habits, and I don’t want to.

I’m alone this morning, that’s not a problem. Sometimes, it feels good to be alone, but not all the time, of course. I sit down and begin eating.

...................

A few minutes before the first lesson of the day, I hit my desk with my forehead, what wakes me up with a start. Oh boy, that day will be long. Trying my best not to fall asleep, I feel my neighbor nudging me when the teacher comes. I slowly take my notebook and write some notes before quickly loosing focus.

Sometimes I doze, I have to admit. This lesson is interesting, but I can't fight against tiredness. I try my best, but there's nothing I can do. I have no excuses, I only had to sleep last night, but with my fear of storms, sleeping was nearly impossible. You can’t fight against a phobia, you just have to deal with it.

All the lessons of the morning follow the same thread, I take some notes and try not to fall asleep. Not a productive morning at all. I'm not a lazy girl, but when I'm tired, I'm tired, that's all. Tomorrow will be a better day, I'm sure it will. But, luckily, the rain has finally stopped.

When all the students rush to the cafeteria, I head for the girls’ dorm to get my wallet and my bag, too. There is a convenience store not far away, maybe ten or twenty minutes away by foot. On the way, a little breeze is blowing. After a storm, I always welcome a bit of wind.

Not a living soul on the road, my only companions are the birds and the wind blowing. What a peaceful afternoon. I love this place. However, it took me almost two years to feel good at the academy, the surrounding area was way easier to get used to. Now, this place is my second home, people here helped me to feel better. I owe them a lot, and I’m not sure I could ever pay my debts. Sometimes, I still want to be with my family, but now, I'm not sad to be here.

It takes me twenty minutes to reach my destination. I’m not a quick walker, but I have a good pace. While browsing the shelves, I think about what I could buy. Some chocolate biscuits are a must have, I know this is not good for my heart, but just a few shouldn’t be too bad.

Two packs of sugar free strawberry biscuits also grab my attention. Strawberries are my favorite fruits along with cherries. I take some plain cookies too, and I’m done with the snacks. I also take some strawberries, some apples and cherries too, and I’m done with my purchases.

"That's pretty cheap..." I say when I calculate the overall cost of my purchases.

I make a detour, browsing the shelves, just to see if they have new products. Suddenly, someone asks me if I can help them.

"Sure. What do you need?"

The blonde girl in front of me needs a particular kind of ramen, these one you use for a soup. I guide her towards the right section because she’s blind. Her white cane and her washed blue eyes speak for her.

I only take a few seconds to find what she needs, and I put the ramen in her basket. Her beautiful smile is the only reward I could have asked for.

"Thanks... Kaori?"

If she knows my name, I have already met her before, but I can’t remember her face. She wears the same uniform as me, which means she’s a Yamaku student, but I can’t remember who she is. Fucking disease; I always feel guilty when I can’t recognize someone, even if it’s not really my fault. It’s an awful feeling.

“Yes, but... Sorry, but I can’t remember your name...” My voice is low. I feel ashamed, even if I have done nothing wrong.

She slightly laughs. It's a friendly laugh.

“Lilly, Lilly Satou. You’re the one who can’t remember people’s faces, right?” She says to me with a smile.

"... Yes ... I'm sorry..." I hate these situations.

“No harm done. You don’t have to apologize for that. In fact, you should never apologize for your disability.”

She’s really nice to me, although she hardly knows me. Inwardly, I thank her for that; I’m not very good at gratitude without being ridiculous. Just with her words, she soothed me and took some guilt off me. Some people would be mad at me, but not her, fortunately.

Then, we head for the checkout. I was right, my purchases are cheap, just around one thousand yen. Once we’ve paid for our groceries, Lilly wants to go back to school with me. On the way, I wonder why she is like that with me. But asking her would be quite uncalled for; she must have her reasons.

“I wonder... You must be half Japanese, right? I mean, you’re quite tall for a Japanese woman, such as myself.” I ask her.

I’m very tall for a Japanese girl, I know that, and it took some time before I wasn’t complexed by my height anymore. I don’t even know why I’m this tall, all my family was Japanese for so long, I can’t explain why I’m way taller than my entire family.

“In fact, I’m half Scottish on my mother’s side and half Japanese; it must explain why I’m this tall, I think.” She answers me with a slight laugh.

I guess it makes sense; they say European people are way taller than Asian people. I wish I could travel to Europe, especially to Greece, since I really like mythology.

"I have never been to Europe yet. Is Scotland a nice country?"

She stays quiet for a bit and seems to be deep in thought, trying to find something to answer. I can’t see any emotion on her face; it’s pretty weird.

“From a certain point of view, yes. My sister always says that Scotland is an exquisite country, but, to be honest, there are some things I don’t like there.”

Given her voice tone, it’s pretty clear she doesn’t want to elaborate on that point. I understand, there are some things I hate to explain, too. In my soul, I know I should never have asked this question. I don’t know if she’s mad at me, I just hope it’s not the case. I was just curious, that’s all.

Nevertheless, a few seconds later, she’s smiling. Her reaction is strange but reassuring at the same time. On the way, we talk about insignificant things, and her behavior clarifies that she’s not mad at me. This kind of conversation is pleasant; talking about casual things can be nice sometimes, only talking about important topics can be very boring in the long run. Her voice is very sweet, she speaks in a well-bred manner, and I can discern a little but enjoyable motherly tone.

I have to adapt my pace to hers, since she walks with a cane, but that’s fine. I never walk fast when I talk to someone. Finally, we are back at school, and in all honesty, I had a good time with Lilly.

“Thanks, Lilly, it was nice to speak with you.” I say, with complete honesty.

"You're welcome. If you ever need someone for a grocery trip, do not hesitate to ask me."

We separate, and I head for my room to store my purchases in my cabinet. It was a lovely little afternoon. This is one of the reasons I see this place as my second home now; you always meet new people and you can have a great time while doing simple things. I put my purchases away on my cabinet. With four or five packs of biscuits, I can hold out a whole month.

The rest of my afternoon is devoted to reading, something I'm used to do when I don't know what to do, and it's also a great way to have a good time. I’ll probably buy a little acoustic guitar too; some models are pretty cheap nowadays. I just can’t ask my parents to bring my guitar and my amp; it’s too heavy for them, and I don’t think our dorm’s warden would tolerate such a loud thing in my room.

My Japanese mythology book awaits me, and I bury myself in it. A nice way to finish a wonderful afternoon.
Last edited by Razoredge on Mon Aug 22, 2022 7:02 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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Re: Beyond The Haze [Lilly x OC] - I-4 added 02-17-2019

Post by NelNinja »

I approve this story.

Your handle of English is pretty good. Occasional word choice is strange, but because it's an OC I chalk it up as a character quirk. Connotation is always the hardest to pick up in a language, and your writing is easy enough to understand.

Applause! Look forward to more
I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing
Character Impressions:
Misha>Emi=Hanako=Lilly=Shizune=Rin
I wrote things!
The Sound of Silence - Shizune one-shot
Pilgrimage - A Subversion of Fate - Hisao sans heart attack (Uncancelled)
PB and Bananas (Post Rin good ending one-shot)
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Razoredge
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Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2015 12:31 pm
Location: Bordeaux, France

Re: Beyond The Haze : A Lilly pseudo-route - I-4 added 02-17-2019

Post by Razoredge »

I appreciate your message. The result is a mix between my own writing "skills" and Mirage's correcting, (I really thank him for that) but, thanks for that. I hope the rest of the story will satisfy you.
Lilly = Akira > Miki = Hanako > Emi > Rin > Shizune

Stuff I'm currently writing : Beyond the haze : A Lilly Satou pseudo-route, Lullaby of an open heart : A Saki pseudo-route & Sakura Blossom : A way with Hisao
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