KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter One 9/15)

Post by Mirage_GSM »

"Miss Mikado, I would appreciate it if you would reframe from such causal contact."
I think you meant "refrain".

At the beginning I was a bit confused about how much time has passed since the last chapter. You might try to make that a bit more clear as well as at least a short summary of what happened in the meantime...
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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter One 9/15)

Post by atw_ah »

*Takes a deep breath*
*Forcibly blows out air*
*Cough**Cough*

Gah! This is so dusty! I haven't touched this thread since September, it feels like it's been forever since I've posted something (well three months to be exact). So there's some bad news and good news.
First the bad news: I don't have anything new to post. I initially underestimated the workload I was going to get when I started my last semester. When I finally found out how much work I had, I was forced to purge Bloodline out of my mind while I was working. So no new posts for a bit.

Now the good news: I finished my last class of this semester in the morning so I had the whole rest of the day to try to get back into the swing of things. While there is still quite a lot of me to do to try to get back to my once-a-week-release groove that I had during most of the summer, I did have a chance to go through my outline for Act 2 with new ideas. In addition to that, I went back and edited Chapter 2-1 and corrected spelling, grammar and characterization mistakes. You can go back and read it if you want. It's not a rewrite (which I consider to be a complete overhaul of the chapter in question) just an edit (which I consider to be the same chapter with the same ideas but polished up). I also have a good portion of Chapter 2-2 written up from a while back so it shouldn't be too long for the next release.

Until then, it just feels great to finally be back doing something I enjoy.
KS: Bloodline The story of Yaso Atoza, 24 years after the events in KS.
Nomad: A Hanako Tale Hanako's search for her own personal paradise, ten years after KS.

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter One 9/15)

Post by Comrade »

Just read the whole thing, preety good, will be looking forward for
Next addition.
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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Two 1/7)

Post by atw_ah »

You know, I've been sitting on this chapter for a while now. I completed it on Friday night and have not touched it until a little earlier today. I've not lost interest in writing, it's just that there are some chapters that I REALLY want to write but can't just yet and that makes me sad and discouraged about writing the chapters before it. It's strange really, I'm happy that I'm finishing a chapter but also disappointed that it's not the one.

Seriously though, if you were to see the notebook that I use to write some ideas, you'll be able to see that I'm more focused on those chapters than anything else. There was one time when I woke up in the middle of the night and quickly look over all my room for a pen and paper to quickly write an outline for a chapter in Act 2 before the idea left my head. As of right now, Act 2 is comprised of 15 chapters and maybe about 6 of them I'm really looking forward to write. But I can't jump the gun, I have to do the work before I can have fun.

Anyways enough of my rambling and on to the first Bloodline chapter of 2013!

--------

Chapter Two: New Light

I stretch out my arms and hear several little cracks coming from my back, followed by a single large, resounding crack from near the base of my spine. I'm not use to working for so long after my time in class and if the way that I'm dragging my feet through the hallway of the boys' dormitory is any indication, I'm not going to get use to it anytime soon.

After organizing a workforce of two people and meeting with Miss Mikado, the rest of my day was spent learning and memorizing all of the duties that I'm going to be in charge of. Sure at first it seemed fun, what with Mikado helping to pass the time with stories of her days as a Yamaku student. But soon after, all of the fun was over with and it was nothing but business for the rest of the day.

What the Over Watch Committee has to do is keep track of the budgets of each of the clubs, help build stalls, and monitor the progress made by the clubs. Not to mention, that on the day of the festival, we have to keep a watchful eye on the underclassmen stalls all night to make sure that they are working at their peak efficiency. With all that we're doing, it makes me wonder what's left for the Student Council to do.

I twist my neck side to side and feel a loud crack in each direction. I'm not sure if cracking your neck is good for you or not, but it feels so good right now that I don't really care. When my head is back to its normal forward-facing position, I notice that some people are looking in my direction.

I couldn't have possibly looked that strange when I was twisting my neck. I try my best to straighten myself out and look as normal as possible as I try to reach my room. As I walk past the group of people in the commons area, I feel several pairs of eyes drilling into my back. I quickly glance behind me and each pair of eyes avert their gaze.

Strange. I don't recall doing anything out of the ordinary recently.

I continue making my way through the dorm and reach the stairs to go up to the next floor. On my way up, I pass by a pair of boys who are laughing about something. When they see me, their voices turn into whispers and they keep everything they say in hushed tones, or at least try to.

...

"Did you say something?" I ask after I hear one of them say something that sounded a lot like my name.

One of the boys freezes in place and doesn't turn around. The other one, who was laughing loudly earlier, turns to me. "Oh, no. We didn't say anything. That wasn't us."

We stand there for several moments in an awkward silence. Only when I nod slowly do the boys continue going down the stairs.

I swear I heard one of them say my name and laugh as they rounded the corner.

Naturally, I'm curious about what's being said about me. It's obvious that there some rumor going around about me; people don't go around staring at me for no apparent reason.

Well, at least not in Yamaku anyway.

If there's one thing that I've learned in my time here, it's that if you want to find out the current rumors and gossip that are circulating about, you have to go to one guy. Fortunately, that guy lives in the dorm across from mine so it's not too out of my way.

Before I knock on Ryo's door, I make a quick stop at my room to drop off my stuff. No sense in carrying all of things to Ryo's room when mine is right there.

As I enter my room, I notice that there's something that wasn't there when I left this morning. There's a tiny brown box sitting on my desk. Someone sent me a package. I pick it up for closer inspection. The box has seen some wear and tear while it was being delivered. So much so that the return address is a little hard to see.

I hold it closer to the lamp to see better.

Written in bold, neat letters is the name of my father and my home address. My parents sent me a package? After being in Yamaku for almost a month, this is the first piece of actual communication my parents have sent me.

Oddly enough, this a step up from their usual thing. At least this time it's their words unfiltered and not through Toshiro.

I quickly open the box and pull out its contents. Only two things were inside of the box, a cell phone and a small letter. I put the phone aside and read the letter:

Dear Yaso,
We hope that you are doing well at Yamaku. We haven't received any messages from you in the past month so we assumed that it was a good sign. It's been so long since you've been outside of a hospital, we thought that we should get you something to commemorate it.
Since it's the first time you've been on your own since your accident, your mother realized that your current phone might be out of date. We bought this new one; it's suppose to be the latest model and ready to play any of those games that you liked so much. We hope you enjoy it.
Love,
Mom and Dad


Out of all the things that my parents could have sent me, they decide a phone is the best solution. The one I'm using now is just fine, I don't see the need for it.

I pick up the phone and turn it on. I look through the contact list and see that there are already four numbers pre-programmed: my mother, my father, Toshiro and the family doctor that we've had for years.

It's a little depressing now that I think about it. Out of everyone that my parents could have thought to put on the phone, they could only think of my immediate family and a doctor. No friends or extended relatives that would care about how I was doing.

I guess that's partially my fault. I never was the most social stimulating and I generally avoided people. I don't think anyone from my old school came to visit me while I was hospitalized. Even if someone did, I don't remember any names or faces from that time, only my family and their terrible show of support.

I look at the phone one more time and set it down on my desk. I'll have to program it later. There are other things I want to do now than be bogged down by reminders of my parents and their uncanny ability to not understand what I want from them.

I finish putting my school things away, change out of my uniform, and go across the hall. I lightly knock on Ryo's door several times. After realizing that he most likely didn't hear those knocks, I knock louder than before. I can hear him scrambling as he makes his way to the door.

"Who is it?" he asks before opening.

"Ryo, it's me. I want to talk to you about something."

There's a distinctive click from the lock following by the door slowly opening, revealing Ryo on the other side with a book in his hand. "What' up? What do you want to talk about?"

I'm glad that in the month that I've gotten to know him, he's learned to take whatever stick he had up his ass out. We can actually have a normal conversation without wanting to rip each other's throats out. Now if only he would start wearing something other than Yamaku's full uniform could I consider him to be normal.

"Well, when I got into the dorms, everyone was giving me these funny looks. There were also a couple of guys who were talking about me. I just want to know what that's about."

Ryo holds up his book and folds the corner of a page before closing it. He sighs, "All right, come inside. I think I know what this is about."

With a puzzled expression on my face, I enter his room. He closes the door behind me and takes a seat on his bed. I look around his room for bit before taking a seat. There isn't much in here with regards to personal belongings. In fact, the only thing in Ryo's room that doesn't look school related is a picture of a man and a woman holding a young boy. The adults look like any average couple but the boy has a silver head of hair and big gray eyes. The boy appears to be on the verge of tears as his parents hold him lovingly.

As my eyes wander across the room, I notice that Ryo is watching closely to what I do. I feel a bit ashamed that I'm prying into his personal space so I quickly take a seat in the chair across from him.

He scratches his chin. "So where do you want to start?"

"What do you mean 'where do I want to start'? Is there any other place to start from then the beginning?"

"Well no. It's just to see what you know so far." Ryo reaches over to his desk. He finds a piece of paper and hands it to me. "Take a look at this for starters."

I look the paper over. It's the form I had to sign when I joined the committee. Having none of my questions answered, I look back at Ryo, who in turn hands me another paper. It's another copy of the same form, but this time it is signed by a name I don't recognize.

"Who's Ando Sadayoshi?" I ask while I try to figure out what Ryo wants to show me.

He sits back on his bed and looks over another piece of paper in his hand. "Last year, like many before it, there was a need to create an Over Watch Committee. The problem was that there was no one who wanted to be part of it. The people who were already willing to work for the school were already in the Student Council and everyone else was already doing a project for their class or club. So that left only one group of people, the troublemakers."

At this, Ryo shifts his gaze off of the paper and at me. He looks at me, up and down repeatedly, analyzing my posture and sense of style. His gray eyes finally finish looking me over and they slowly make eye contact with mine. There's a stillness in the air as Ryo goes silent. His eyes remain locked with mine. They remain still and yet have a keen sense of focus about them.

The stillness is short-lived however, as he begins rolling around in his bed while he laughs up a storm.

He sits up and acts as if he's wiping the tears out of his eyes. "Ando Sadayoshi was Yamaku's top delinquent. He was the one who was forced to do be the head of the committee last year. Being committee head is a punishment reserved for the most rebellious of our student."

Punishment!? The committee head is meant for delinquents? You have got to be kidding me! Nakai, why the hell did you make me do it?

"You can't be serious?" I ask in the most deadpan voice I can manage.

"Yep, your official the biggest fool in all of Yamaku Academy." He answers with a smug smirk.

I groan, which actually sounded more like a growl, and sink deeper into Ryo's chair.

Why me? What did I do to deserve this. I'm the laughing stock of the school. I've shot myself in the foot and for what? 'To do my duties for the good of the school'? That's it, I'm out. There not a chance in hell that I'm going to follow through with this.

I lift the paper I signed up in front of me and rip it in half. I take the halves, put them side by side and rip them some more. I continue this until the form is not more than small, meaningless pieces of paper. After being tricked and mocked by the school, I'm surprised that I'm the least bit considerate and throw away the pieces in a nearby trash bin.

Ryo, who was quiet throughout my little scene, takes this moment to speak up. "That's not going to do much you know. You're already the committee head and have already started working. Besides, that was just a copy and not the actual form you signed."

My only response is a glare, a glare so hard that it could set someone ablaze. Sadly, it doesn't.

Ryo hands me another paper, one that I'm about to rip in pieces until I notice the signature at the bottom: Midori Kagami.

His eyes focus on me once more and his voice changes from the elated one he just had to a more stern tone. "What I'm curious about however, is why did she join?"

I feel my body slowly tense up at the question. I had promised Midori that I wouldn't tell anyone about her relationship to Nakai and Satou, regardless of what anyone said about her. Ryo, like many other people, think Midori is some kind of vile criminal, someone who does what she wants no matter the consequences. There have been many times when I wanted to yell at someone for spreading rumors about her but I've had to hold myself back because it would cause her more trouble than it would fix.

Still, that doesn't mean I don't try to change their opinions. "She's my friend and wanted to help me with the workload. There's nothing wrong with helping out someone close to you, is there? She's a good person, I don't see why so many say otherwise."

"I'm not saying that there's something wrong with her. It's just that she's very --I don't know how to say it-- cautious of the things she does."

I roll my eyes and sigh. "We're at a school for the disabled. Everyone is 'cautious of the things they do.'"

"You know what I mean-" He takes a deep breath. We've had 'discussions' about this topic before. Try as I might, I can't make him change his mind about her without revealing Midori's secret, which in turn, frustrates me without end and makes me want to hit him. I'm sure he knows this will most likely lead to an argument if he continues with this conversation. It's his move whether or not we do this again.

He rubs the back of his neck and lets out a tired sigh. "It's getting late so we should probably be getting to sleep soon." Good move, I don't think I would have had the energy to fight tonight anyways.

I nod and hand him back the papers I didn't rip. I say my goodbyes and take my leave.

The first thing I do when I enter my room is fall face first into my bed. It's so comfortable right now that I feel like I could fall asleep any second. Unfortunately, the conversation I had with Ryo creeps its way into my head and takes away my desire to sleep. I turn onto my back and stare at the ceiling as darkness slowly engulfs my vision.

Delinquent work. Am I really stuck doing this? Am I really so gullible that I believed Nakai when he said that I would be doing something good for the school? I mean, regardless of who's part of it, the committee is still needed. One way or another it was going to be formed. It just so happens to be that the new kid gets tricked into doing it.

What about Midori? She must have known about that right? Why did she join in as well? How come no one has said anything about her joining? Do people think she is a delinquent fit to be in the committee? It just doesn't make sense anymore.

A blinking light catches my eye. It's the cell phone my parents got me. I reach over to pick up and look over it one more time.

It certainly is newer and more sleek that the one I have now. At the very least, they did try to help me. I should probably give it a try just to acknowledge their effort. I go back to the contact list one more time. Four different numbers, that's it four. These are the only four people that my parents think I would ever call, no friends just family and a doctor. Just thinking about it discomforts me greatly.

I erase one of the contacts that my parents left me and input the four new numbers that I got at this school. I put the phone down and try once more to fall asleep.

The change in my contacts is not much, but at least it's a step away from how I used to be and that's enough to make me feel better.

--------

It feels good to finally release a Bloodline chapter after so long. It feels oddly satisfying.

*Next Chapter*
Last edited by atw_ah on Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
KS: Bloodline The story of Yaso Atoza, 24 years after the events in KS.
Nomad: A Hanako Tale Hanako's search for her own personal paradise, ten years after KS.

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Two 1/7)

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Seems a bit strange to give a job with so much responsibility to the least dependable students at the school...

No matter; I'm glad to see you continue this.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Two 1/7)

Post by Hoitash »

Mirage_GSM wrote:Seems a bit strange to give a job with so much responsibility to the least dependable students at the school...
The idea is they learn responsability through pride of ownership.

Or they frak it up and are social outcasts for the rest of their lower education career. so win-win, really.

While I'm here, lovin' the Next Gen fanfic you got goin', atw_ah. It's not just a rehash of old material, which can be a problem with these kinds of works, so good job :)
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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Two 1/7)

Post by Comrade »

Comrade approves
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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Two 1/7)

Post by Cornetto Man »

I'm really enjoying this fic so far. I'm definitely going to keep watching this one and am looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the good work!
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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Two 1/7)

Post by atw_ah »

Mirage_GSM wrote:Seems a bit strange to give a job with so much responsibility to the least dependable students at the school...
Hoitash wrote:The idea is they learn responsability through pride of ownership.
Yeah pretty much on the dot with that one. When I was a kid, I was a bit of a trouble-maker and I didn't start flying right until I realized that there were people who depended on me and the things I did affected them too. It's pretty much the same idea here, though with some indirectly stated reasons:
Nakai was originally suppose to be in charge of the committee (the delinquent comittee) but since someone actually "volunteered" for it, the school could put more responsibilities for it (the non-delinquent committee), hence why Mikado (StuCo advisor) is in charge of it.

Totally not something I pulled out of my ass to explain it. *Swifty eyes*
Well to be honest, I wasn't really thinking about it when I wrote it but it ended up working out. This happens to me again for something else in the story that we be revealed later.
Mirage_GSM wrote:No matter; I'm glad to see you continue this.
Hoitash wrote:While I'm here, lovin' the Next Gen fanfic you got goin', atw_ah. It's not just a rehash of old material, which can be a problem with these kinds of works, so good job
Comrade wrote:Comrade approves
Cornetto Man wrote:I'm really enjoying this fic so far. I'm definitely going to keep watching this one and am looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the good work!
Yes... now to to convert your praise into a liquid and shower in it...
I think I'm taking that expression too literally. :|
Either way thanks for your support.
KS: Bloodline The story of Yaso Atoza, 24 years after the events in KS.
Nomad: A Hanako Tale Hanako's search for her own personal paradise, ten years after KS.

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

Post by atw_ah »

You know, with writing this chapter, I realized something. It's harder to write in Act 2. In Act 1 I was able to get through a chapter rather quickly before it focused on one singular idea (an introduction of something). In Act 2 and onward, I have to make sure that everything fits in the grand scheme of things and works for a greater goal in the future. In other words, each chapter has one centralized goal but also it has to lay the foundation for something that'll either appear in the next chapter or even in the next act. It's a tough job writing a whole pseudo-route but it's still a lot of fun. Anywho, onward to the next chapter...

--------

Chapter Three: Unspoken Promises

"Just fill out these forms and have them back to me by the end of the week and everything should be fine."

I hold out a fairly sizable stack of papers to a classmate of mine. He hesitates for a moment due to the sheer size of the stack, obviously surprised that his simple-right-before-lunch question about how to get a stall for his club resulted in so much paperwork.

"So, we just fill this out and then everything is set." He asks as he slowly moves his mechanical arm to grab the stack.

While I don't have a problem with the disabilities of my classmates, I just can't help but watch as his left arm, while made of synthetic materials, comes to life and moves just like his flesh and bone right one. It's so fascinating that I almost forget to reply to his inquiry.

"Uh, y-yeah. That's all you need to get started at least. Once everything is evaluated by administration then you can get started on the next step of the process."

While my classmate looks through the stack of papers to see what is needed to be done, I let my curiosity run wild once more and look at his arm. From what I can tell, Kenta Hayashi lost his arm from near the shoulder down. His synthetic arm is, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of his real one. While they don't share a too similar appearance, his left arm seems to covered by a rubbery material that is suppose to replicate skin, they can function at nearly the same level of skill.

It does make my imagination wonder though. For instance, how is it powered and does he control with his mind? Can it come off and if it does, can he still control while detached? Can it be altered to have super human strength or can it connect remotely to electrical equipment?

Isn't he technically a cyborg like that old American super-

"Is something the matter?"

My eyes quickly dart away from his arm. It became painfully apparent that I was staring and now he's giving me a really funny look.

Got to play it off as cool.

"I was just w-wondering... what kind of stall your club was g-going to make." I scratch the back of my head nonchalantly, trying my best to make it seem that I wasn't doing anything wrong.

I don't think it's working.

"I don't know about the rest of the Wrestling Club but I wanted to make one of those ball throwing games. You know, the one with the stack of bottles."

"Yeah, it sounds like a great idea. Just get those papers in as soon as possible and then you'll be able to get started."

He brings up his mechanical arm up to his forehead and salutes me, "No problem chief!"

I awkwardly return his salute and he quickly marches his way out the door. Once he's out of sight I slowly sink back into my desk and get my things packed away before I head out for lunch.

"Wrestling Club? I didn't know we had one of those at our school?" says a voice of the girl that was watching me the whole time from her desk.

"Yeah, they watch wrestling matches and talk about their favorite wrestlers and stuff. Nothing too big."

"Hm~." Amaya hums as she taps her pursed lips in a pensive manner. "No, I don't think they do just that. Did up notice the cut right below his left eye?"

I roll my eyes. "Just because he has a cut near his eye doesn't mean anything."

"Of course Yaso, because damage near one's eye is something normal and happens to everyone, right?" she replies in a dry tone.

She gives me a harsh look, one that I can't look at without feeling ashamed. It's a feeling that doesn't seem to last long as Amaya lets out a hearty laugh.

"I'm only kidding. You shouldn't feel bad about bringing up my missing eye." She slaps me hard on the back. "Though seriously, did you hear how his arm creaked when he saluted you? There's no way those guys are just talking."

A sigh comes from the desk next to mine. Kamiko puts her pen down and slips a piece of paper into her book bag. "At least his club has started getting ready for the festival. The Archery Club has yet to say what it's doing or even ask any questions."

Amaya sits on top of my desk and holds up her hands in a peace sign to Kamiko. "You shouldn't worry so much. We already know what we're going to do: a shooting gallery like last year's." She sticks out her tongue. "I was just about to ask Yaso for the forms before you interrupted me."

Kamiko rubs her temples as she lets out another sigh, though this one sounds more disappointed than annoyed. "Again with the same thing? I thought you guys were going to do something different this year. Everyone has already seen that shooting gallery a thousand times."

Amaya points to me. "He hasn't and I'm sure there's a whole group of first years who haven't as well."

Kamiko's brow furrows and she starts glaring at the one-eyed girl. It's at this point that I realize that Kamiko has huge dark bags under her eyes and her appearance isn't as sharp as it usually is. I can't decide on whether or not that makes her glare more frightening.

Regardless of the amount of power it possesses, it goes completely unnoticed by Amaya as she turns her covered eye towards Kamiko to look straight at me. "So how about it? Can you give me a packet of forms like you gave the one-armed wrestler?"

"I would love to give you one, but Kenta took the last one I had."

Amaya's smile falters a bit. "Well that's unfortunate." She turns to face Kamiko again. "See, Miss Class President. I tried doing some work for my club but now I can't."

Kamiko's only response is to palm her forehead. Clearly, she is not amused by Amaya's antics. She's about respond in protest against her laid back attitude when a yawn escapes her lips.

"Tired?" I ask.

"Waha... ha... ha~..." Her attempt at laughter quickly fails. "Yeah, the Student Council has been buried in paperwork getting ready for the festival. I can't imagine that the Committee is any better." She answers as she tries rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes.

"You're right, we're in the same boat you are. It's been nothing but endless paperwork and informing the clubs of what they need to do. Though to be perfectly honest, it's only because of Midori's hard work that we're able to finish our daily tasks before it's too late."

A small smile makes its way to Kamiko's face when she hears my words. Too bad the same can't be said about Amaya, whose gaze is directed somewhere else.

"What's wrong, Amaya?" I ask before looking in the direction she is facing.

Amaya remains quiet as Midori slowly steps through the door and makes her way to my desk. As she walks, I can't help but notice that many of the people in my class are looking at her and whispering something or other. From where I'm sitting, I can't make out what they're saying but knowing that Midori is rumored to be in a tabooed relationship with our homeroom teacher, it can't be anything good.

She greets us with a small wave of her hand, which is returned by Kamiko and me. Amaya, on the other hand, nods quietly.

"Oh Midori, you came at a perfect time," I say when she finally reaches my desk. "Do you still have a copy of the club packet with you? Amaya here needs one."

"Yes, I do," she answers as she begins looking through her bag to find what I asked her for.

"You know what?" Amaya exclaims as she gets off my desk. "I actually think that one of the other club members grabbed one the other day. I don't want to you waste extra paper on my club. In fact, I think I should go look for him now. Bye." She quickly waves in our general direction and runs out of the classroom.

Both of the girls are in a confused silence as they track Amaya's swift motion out the door. It really is disappointing how some people treat Midori because of that stupid rumor. While she can live with the fact that people will constantly misjudge her, it does very little to dull the blow whenever someone would deliberately avoid her, especially when it's done in front of her face.

A quick glance in Kamiko's general direction reveals that she wants to say something to change the subject but can't. She's either torn between trying to comfort Midori or chase after Amaya. With very little support from her, I take it upon myself to try to savage this moment.

"So," I start, with a longer than usual 'o' sound to help me get their attention. "What brings you here today, Midori?"

A small but hesitant smile forms on her lips. "I was just wondering if you two wanted to join me for lunch."

I respond with a quick nod but Kamiko slowly shakes her head. "I'm sorry but I can't. There's a lot of work to be done in the Student Council. Even though I don't like doing it, we have to meet during lunch to get it done."

Midori frowns. "Are you sure you can't put in off just for today?"

"No, if we did that then we'd have to miss a lot of tomorrow's class to make up for today. There's already enough people on the council that are having trouble keeping up with classes as is."

A part of me can't help but wonder whose fault it is: the Student Council member who spent a little too much time working on projects instead of class work; or the Class President who most likely forced the student to forego school work to work for the council.

"I'm sorry about this," Kamiko continues. "I'll make it up to you over the weekend. On Sund- wait no, Yaso and I have some business to take of that day."

"Wait, what? Since when have we had to do something on Sunday?" I interject.

Kamiko groans as she waves her hand in front of my face to dismiss any issues I might have. "I'll explain it to you later."

Great, there goes my weekend to relax.

"I've got to get going now but I promise you Midori, we'll do something together soon. Just you and me, okay?"

"Okay," Midori reluctantly answers while Kamiko gathers her things and starts for the door.

"I'll see you guys later, bye," she quickly says before she goes out the door, leaving Midori and me as one the few people that are still lingering around in the classroom during lunch.

For a few moments, we simply stand there and contemplate how quickly our group whittled down to just the two of us. Not that I'd complain, I like spending time with Midori. It's just that I wish it didn't leave us in an awkward situation like this.

She's the first to try to move our lunch forward. With a smile, she turns to me and motions for me to follow her. Without any protest, I get up from my desk and follow her out the door.

Considering that a fair amount of time has passed since lunch started, the hallways are pretty much empty, save for the few students scurrying around for something to do. It's not that usual of a sight, since at this time there are many clubs meeting to discuss upcoming events. With the festival a little less than a month away, more and more clubs are engaging in this routine to make sure that everything is in place so that everything runs smoothly when it's time. In just this week alone, I've been approached by about fifteen different students, each representing his or her club, and asked about paper work and procedures.

Quite frankly, I'm glad the hallways are empty right now. That just means that there is less of a chance that either Midori or I are approached by another club. After being tricked into this position at the start of this week and working non-stop every night thereafter, I can finally relax for a few moments.

Hardly a word is spoken between Midori and me as we make our way to our usual lunch spot. I don't really mind the silence and she hasn't said anything about it either. It's not that we can't think of anything to say, but rather it's because this silence is something we haven't had a chance to enjoy.

Normally, I would eat lunch with Midori only a few times a week. We would just chat and enjoy each other's company away from everyone else. However, since joining the committee, we've been having lunch together every day, more out of necessity than anything else. Either Kamiko or Mikado would hand me some paperwork in the morning that needed to be completed before the end of the day and I'd meet with Midori at lunch to complete it.

Troublesome? Yes. Completely unwanted? Not really.

While, yes, I do hate this work and wish I could burn all the stacks of paper that's been handed to me, I don't mind doing it. Not the actual working but the process, by which I mean working with Midori. When she's working her way through a particularly large stack of papers, she has this strange determined expression that one would think her life was on the balance. It's an interesting sight and I sometimes find myself ignoring my work while I stare at her. Too bad I can't say I do that without any repercussions. Mikado has had to snap me back into focus on more than one occasion, which resulted in several teasing remarks that left both Midori and me embarrassed.

"Yaso?"

I stop when she calls out my name. I look to my side where she was stand and find her missing. I look to my other side and she's not there either. No one is front of me so she must be behind.

I turn around to address her. "What is it?"

Her expression shows a mixture of both curiosity and of worry. I also notice that she stopped in front of a door. "Where are you going? We're already here."

"Oh," I say in surprise. "I must have zoned out there, sorry."

"Are you okay?" The curious part of her expression is gone and now it's full blown concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired." I rub the back of my neck to emphasize my point. "It's been a long week."

She hesitates for a moment before slowly nodding. She grabs hold of the door handle, takes a deep breath and quietly opens the door to the Tea Room. I almost think that she is just being her overly paranoid self when she suddenly peeks her head into the room before stepping in.

As I walk in right behind her I reverse her question. "Is something the matter? I don't think I've ever seen you take so much precaution while entering this room before."

She tilts her head downward, which cause her bangs to fall over her eyes. Behind a very bashful smile she says, "It's nothing really but I was expecting someone else to be here too."

"Someone else? Who might that be?"

She takes a deep breath and blows it up at her bangs with a huff. When they fall back into her face she brushes the loose strands aside and tucks the end behind her ears. She starts to play with her golden necklace, pushing the two rings on the chain back and forth. "I thought my mother would be here. She told me that she wanted to talk to you."

I was already in the process of sitting in a chair when she started talking. By the time she finished speaking, she was already seated while I'm frozen in place somewhere between not standing and not quite sitting.

This can't be good. Nakai gave me a bit of a hard time when he learned that I knew his secret. Even though we got off on a fairly descent note when I first arrived here, he didn't trust me at first. It was only after we started running in the mornings that he warmed up to the idea. Satou is a different matter entirely. I've only talked to her once and it was a terrible first impression which ended up in her walking off annoyed. I can't even begin to imagine what she might think of me.

But then again what's the worst that can happen? Their just teachers... teachers that are currently committing fraud because they have that kind of influence... teachers with connection to the higher ups. Okay this might be a problem. They could have me expelled, sent to another school, hell I wouldn't be surprised if they could get someone to kill me.

Wait, I might just be overreacting here. But I just need to make sure.

"Can I ask you a somewhat strange question, Midori?"

It's plainly obvious that I've been stuck in my thoughts for some time now. Midori is almost through halfway through her meal. She swallows the little bit of food in her mouth before speaking. "Go ahead, I don't mind."

Finally seated and in a somewhat comfortable position, I put my elbows on the table and rest my chin on top of my hands. "Just out of curiosity, when you used to live with your parents, who would you listen to more? Whose words would you put more weight on?"

She hums a "hmm" as she tilts her head to ponder my question. As she's thinking, her eyes look to the ceiling as if the answer she is looking for is written on the ceiling.

After a few seconds, her eyes fall back on me. "Most of the time, my parents would agree on the majority of things. But when there were arguments, more often than not, my mother would win."

Oh, God damn it. This does not bode well, not well at all.

"Well, it was nice while it lasted," I mumble as I slowly sink in my chair.

She laughs at my reaction. It's a carefree, worry-free laugh that makes me a bit envious that she can do that and I can't. "Don't be like that, I'm sure it won't be anything bad."

"That's easy for you to say. Do you know what the one and only time I spoke with her was like?"

A frown forms on her features as she mulls this over. "Okay, maybe she doesn't like-like you, but it's fair to assume that she doesn't outright hate you."

I sink even further in my chair. "That's not doing much to reassure me."

She tilts her head to the side with a curious expression. "Why are you so worried about what my mom would say to you anyway?"

"Honestly, I'm a little afraid that she'll find a way to get me kicked out of this school."

A quiet giggle escapes her. I give her a nasty glare which causes her to stop abruptly and give me an apologetic expression.

"I didn't know you cared so much about your education."

"It's not that. Well, I mean that is important but it's just not the main reason."

Midori's eyebrows arch up, a sure sign that she wants me to continue. "I just don't want to leave the friends I've made here."

She smiles, content with my answer. "Did you spend a lot of time with your friends at your old school?"

I shift uncomfortably in my chair. I haven't really thought of my time before Yamaku for a while now. I guess I've been a little too busy to think of things that don't have priority. "I didn't have any friends at my old school. Acquaintances, yes, but no one that I could a call a close friend."

"Really? I thought differently by the way you act here," she says after a moment to think about my answer.

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't think I act differently than I did back there. I guess I just never met someone that seemed engaging enough."

Midori quickly breaks eye-contact with me, opting to look out the window. She quietly mumbles something that I can't make out.

Did I say too much? Does she think that I meant—

"My first two years at Yamaku were very lonely. I didn't try to make any friends because I was afraid that someone would find out about my parents." Her speech is slow, wistful.

I follow her line of sight and see that she is watching a group of students laugh while they enjoy their lunches. "I was so scared that I wouldn't be allowed to be close to my family that I basically isolated myself from everyone to not draw any attention. Unfortunately, that only had the opposite effect," she adds with a sad sigh.

Her eyes seem distant as she reminisces about her past. "I would only attend my classes and then spend most of my time alone in my dorm. Other than a few lunches with my parents, Kamiko was the only person that would spend any time with me."

She turns to face me with bit of reluctance to make eye contact. She opens her mouth to say something but quickly closes it and remains quiet.

She stares at me quietly for several moments. When I fail to say something in response, she looks down in front of her and quietly continues to eat her lunch.

I try to think of something to say to her but my mind keeps coming up blank. After multiple attempts to figure out a sure-fire way to say what I want, I decide to just wing it and hope that I can make the point I want to make. "Hey Midori, can I ask you a question?"

She looks up at me expectantly and slowly nods her head.

"We're friends aren't we?" I ask.

Midori eyes go wide as she tries to formulate an answer. Her eyes show her nervousness as she again nods in response.

She doesn't take her eyes off me for a second as I figure out the next thing I want to say. I chuckle to myself when I realize that her dual-colored eyes that I found so strange when we first met are now something I've grown accustomed to seeing almost every day.

I smile to her as I break eye-contact and look out the window towards the group she was looking at before. "At my old school, I never enjoyed being around others because I didn't like how most of them would act a certain way so that they could make friends." One of the boys in the group does a series of motions which cause the rest of the group to burst into laughter. "I always thought that those people were fake and were never truly happy."

I try thinking back to the time when I would spend my lunches alone under a tree watching as everyone scurried about their day. The memory is blurry and some details don't connect perfectly. It's still little disheartening that I can't remember my old life very well. I sometimes wish there was some way that I can get all of memories back with just a snap of my fingers. I guess I should look on the bright side; I've forgotten about any regrets I may have had in my life.

I look at Midori again. She still has her eyes locked on me. I guess the pause I just had was a little longer than I wanted. "You're different, you know that? You hear everything that everyone says about you and you don't change. You stay true to yourself no matter what. I like that about you, Midori, you know exactly who you are."

Truth be told, I'm a little jealous about that as well.

Midori looks a little uncomfortable. She rubs her arm as looks down again. Her fallen bangs fail to hide the crimson tint her cheeks has taken. "That's not true. I have changed because of what others have said," she says with a tiny, almost inaudible voice.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I would have never been so involved with the school festival and I would have never told someone about my family if I didn't meet you. You're kind and open to me; you made me want to be the same way." She doesn't try to look me in the eyes. She tries her best to look anywhere but at me.

"Midori, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do!" She hastily shouts this as she looks me straight in the eyes. "I wouldn't have told you so much if I didn't."

A light chuckle is only response. "You're the first person to ever put so much trust in me. It's because of that trust you have in me that I am giving this whole making friends thing a chance." I reach across the table and hold my hand in front of her. "So thank you Midori, for being my friend."

She stares quietly at my hand. At first she seems confused by my actions, not sure what her next move should be. But then, she makes one of the sweetest smile I have even seen, takes my hand and shakes it. "Thank you Yaso, thank you for this."

I notice that her hand is smaller than mine. It's delicate and light to the touch. It's warm and with a small bit of hesitation, almost like she doesn't believe I'm really doing this.

The bell suddenly rings, prompting us to class. We put our things away and head back to class. When we reach the point where we have to split ways, I turn to Midori and wave to her.

Midori starts to lift her hand to wave back to me but quickly puts it back down. Instead she walks up to me and puts her arms around my neck and pulls me close to her.

Not knowing what to do, I freeze up. It takes several seconds for the gears in my head to register what's going on and respond. I slowly bring up my arms and wrap them around her waist, returning the gesture she's giving me.

She breaks away from the hug and starts walking towards her classroom. She waves to me one final time before she disappears behind the door of class 3-2.

I'm still not quite use to causal contact. My family was never the hugging kind, so I never got use to the idea of people just hugging for the sake of hugging. But Midori is really... warm, soft, nice smelling...

I think I could get used to it if she keeps it up.

As I walk towards my desk, a crumbled up ball of paper hits me in the back of the head. The thrower, who is sitting in the front of the classroom, is staring daggers at me.

"Mr. Atoza, I suggest you review the rules for Public Displays of Affection in hallways."

"S-sorry, Mr. Nakai."

--------

Honestly, hugs are weird and foreign things to me. I don't know the correct protocol when it comes to hugs. How comfortable do you have to be with someone to warrant a hug as a departure? How long should you hug someone for? How do you know what a hug is suppose to mean? Don't get me started of kisses...
I have some idea... it's just that I'm not use to either of them...
I'm going to go to my dark, lonely corner now...
Last edited by atw_ah on Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:54 am, edited 4 times in total.
KS: Bloodline The story of Yaso Atoza, 24 years after the events in KS.
Nomad: A Hanako Tale Hanako's search for her own personal paradise, ten years after KS.

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

Post by mindtrapdragon »

I just caught up and I really do enjoy the story so far, good work.
Wait, I might just be overeating here. But I just need to make sure.
That made me laugh for a bit, I am guessing overreacting?
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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

Post by atw_ah »

mindtrapdragon wrote:
Wait, I might just be overeating here. But I just need to make sure.
That made me laugh for a bit, I am guessing overreacting?
Wow, I can't believe I missed that when I read through it. Boy is my face red.
Though, truth be told, I was kinda hungry when I wrote that part. I didn't expect it to reflect in my writing.

Thanks for pointing it out and for reading.
KS: Bloodline The story of Yaso Atoza, 24 years after the events in KS.
Nomad: A Hanako Tale Hanako's search for her own personal paradise, ten years after KS.

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

Post by griffon8 »

Yay, another chapter!
I hold out a fairly sizeable stack of papers
sizable
what is needed to be done, I fall to my curiosity once more and look at his arm.
Never seen a phrase like this. Not sure if you're using a wrong word or I just don't recognize it.
"You right, we're in the same boat you are. It's been nothing but endless paperwork and informing the clubs of what they need to do. Though to be perfectly honest, it's only because of Midori's hard work that we're able to finish our daily task before it's too late."
You're; tasks <-- I assume. They don't only have one task per day do they?
She greets us with a small wave of her hand, which is returned by Kamiko and I.
me
"Oh Midori, you came at a perfect time." I say when she finally reaches my desk.
time," I
"Yes, I do." She answers as she begins looking through her bag to find what I asked her for.
do," she
it does very little to dull the blunt of the blow whenever someone would deliberately avoid her
'dull the blow' or 'blunt the blow', your choice
She either torn between trying to comfort Midori or chase after Amaya.
She's
Midori frowns. "Are you sure you can put in off just for today?"
can't put it
having trouble keeping up with classes as is."
'as it is' would be better, but I think it's a stylistic choice
whose fault is that. The Student Council… instead of class work or the Class President…
whose fault is that: the Student Council… instead of class work; or the Class President…
"I make it up to you over the weekend.
I'll
"Wait, what? Since when have we had to do something on Sunday" I interject.
extra space after the '?'; should have a '?' after Sunday
"I'll see you guys later, bye." She quickly
bye," she
For a few moments, we simply just stand there and contemplate how quickly our group whittled down to just the two of us.
eliminate one of these, your choice
Hardly a word is spoken between Midori and I as we
me
Normally, I would just eat lunch with Midori a few times a week. We would just chat and enjoy each other's company away from everyone else.
Repetitive: I recommend dropping the first 'just'. You can put 'only' after 'Midori' if you like.
together every day. More out of necessity
day, more
Mikado has had to snap me back in focus on more than one occasion, which resulted in several teasing remarks that left both Midori and I embarrassed.
into; me
I look to my side where she is stand and find her missing.
'was standing' is what I think you meant
"Oh," I say a surprise.
in
"Yeah, I'm just fine, just a little tired."
repeating 'just' again; drop the first one
I almost think that she is just being her overly paranoid self when she suddenly peaks her head into the room before stepping in.
peeks
Behind a very bashful smile she says "It's nothing really but I was expecting someone else to be here too."
says, "It's
She starts play with her golden necklace, pushing the two rings on the chain back and forth
starts to play; missing period at the end
Wait, I might just be overeating here.
As hilarious as this is, I think you mean 'over thinking'. :lol:
Midori is almost through half her meal.
Odd phrasing. I'd say 'almost halfway through her meal'.
"Well, it was nice while it lasted." I mumble as I slowly sink in my chair.
lasted," I
It's a carefree, worry-less laugh that makes me a bit envious that she can do that and I can't.
worry-free
"Why are you so worried about what my mom would say to you anyways?"
anyway
"I didn't know you cared so much about you education."
your
Did I say too much? Does she think that I meant-
You want an em dash at the end, not an ordinary dash. Like this: —
Unfortunately, that only had the opposite effect." She adds with a sad sigh.
effect," she
Kamiko was the only person that would spend some time with me.
Drop it or change it to 'any'.
I didn't like how most of them would act a certain way so that could make friends.
that they could
I try thinking back to the time when I would spend my lunches alone under a tree watching as everyone would scurry about their day.
scurried
It's a still little disheartening that I can't remember my old life very well.
It's still
I guess I should look on the bright side, I've forgotten about any regrets I may have had in my life.
side; I've
She rubs her arm as looks down again. Her fallen bangs fail to hide the crimson tint her cheeks has taken. "That's not true, I have changed because of what others have said." She says with a tiny, almost inaudible voice.
and; true. I; said," she
"You're the first person to ever put some much trust in me. It's because of that trust I you have in me that I am giving this whole making friends thing a chance."
so; trust you
At first she seems confused at my actions
by
It's warm with a small bit of hesitation
warm and with
The bell suddenly rings, prompting us to get back to class. We put our things away and head back to class.
Drop this whole bold part.
Midori starts to lift her hand to wave back to me but quickly pulls it back down. Instead she walks up to me and puts her arms arm my neck and pulls herself close to me.
puts; around; me close to her
I think I could get use to it if she keeps it up.
used
As I walk into my classroom, a crumbled up ball of paper hits me in the back of the head.
How did he hit Yaso in the back of the head when he was coming into the room?
The thrower, who is sitting in the front of the class room is staring daggers at me.
classroom, is

Why did I start this? I was just going to mention a couple little things, then I kept seeing more errors.

Get an editor! If you already have one, get a better one! :P
I found out about Katawa Shoujo through the forums of Misfile. There, I am the editor of Misfiled Dreams.

Completed: 100%, including bonus picture. Shizune>Emi>Lilly>Hanako>Rin

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

Post by atw_ah »

griffon8 wrote: Corrections out the wazoo
Ok, normally I would make up the bullshit excuse that my Spanish interferes with my English, but this time it's not going to cut it. Wow, I seriously did not notice all of my mistakes.
Thank you griffon, I really mean that.
Wow, just wow. As I look back on it, I notice that some of my mistakes are from my own editing as I'm writing. I write a sentence, change a part of the sentence, forget to make it fit, and then I move on. I need a lot of work.

On a side note, one of my classes for the uni this semester requires a book called Rules for Writers. Needless to say, I will be paying much more attention to that book from now on.

I'm going to go back to my little, lonely, dark corner and wallow in my shame now. Good night... :cry:
KS: Bloodline The story of Yaso Atoza, 24 years after the events in KS.
Nomad: A Hanako Tale Hanako's search for her own personal paradise, ten years after KS.

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Re: KS: Bloodline (Act 2: Chapter Three 2/11)

Post by YourFavAnon »

This chapter, at least in my opinion, was probably the best one yet. Bravo.
atw_ah wrote: Honestly, hugs are weird and foreign things to me. I don't know the correct protocol when it comes to hugs. How comfortable do you have to be with someone to warrant a hug as a departure? How long should you hug someone for? How do you know what a hug is suppose to mean? Don't get me started of kisses...
I have some idea... it's just that I'm not use to either of them...
I'm going to go to my dark, lonely corner now...
Hugs can mean a lot of different things. It can mean anything from a casual greeting or departing gesture all the way up to a romantic one. There is no set standard so to speak for when a hug is appropriate between two people. It honestly depends more on if the two people are open to physical contact more than anything. Kissing is the same way, just it only fits the bill for the romantic way and generally isn't something that is done right off the bat in a relationship. Though, in a high school relationship, I could definitely see something like that happening on day one just because of how curious high school students can get.

Don't feel bad for not knowing, a lot of people really don't. Only reason I know is because I've got a very limited group of friends who love hugs.
I write things occasionally.

Dumps of my 35+ fics can be found here and here (including some non-KS stuff).
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