[X] It's important to be curious and persuasive, like Mikado-kun. If everyone's on friendly terms, there's no need for conflict, right? (+Concilliatory)
1d20 = 4 - 1 (Trait: Stutterer) +1 (Pride) +2 (Unknown Trait) = 6 vs 6 Bare Success!
Kel Ibara was sitting alone during the lunch bell. Silas didn't bring lunch today; he must have forgotten. So when lunch came around, and everyone got up to leave for different parts of the school, Silas picked up his things and took a seat near Ibara, without making a word.
He didn't notice Silas for a while. He was busy sketching, like always.
At some point, Ibara-kun seemed to make a mistake, grumbled to himself, and turned his head to grab an eraser. It's at that point he caught sight of Silas, staring at him.
He blinked. Then he grinned.
"Yo," he said.
"...h-hi." Silas mumbled.
He tilted his head, as if expecting Silas to say something. But Silas… didn't really have the energy for anything. So he stayed quiet.
Eventually, the boy shrugged, and turned back to his work. Silas decided to stare out the window and not think for a while.
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.
A few minutes passed. "You watch anime, Yamigawa-kun?"
"H-Huh? Sorry?" Silas blinked. "Yeah. I do. Why?"
"The thing I'm working on. It's a post-transformation outfit for a character from Mera-Mera Mischief Maker. You watch that show?"
"...no," Silas admitted.
"Aww. That's a shame."
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.
"You know, you can take a seat closer if you wanna watch. I don't mind, promise."
"Oh… thanks," Silas said. But he stayed where he was.
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch. Scri—pluk.
"Damnit. Hey, do you have a pencil sharpener?"
"Y-Yeah. Here…" Silas reached over and dropped one on Ibara-kun's desk.
"Thanks, man. You like art?"
"I'm… n-no good at it."
"Well, you don't have to be good at it to like it. I like trains, but I couldn't tell you the first thing about how they work. So do you like art?"
"I guess… yeah. I d-do."
"You should try for yourself some time."
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.
Silas wasn't sure if he was making a good impression or not. How… how would he know? Did he study Ibara-kun's facial features? Should he ask directly? Was it something he derived from the tone of his voice?
A dice roll, and an integer counter incrementing or decrementing by one?
"Not a talker, huh?" Ibara-kun said suddenly. "That's okay. By the way, you're still using my towel, aren't you?"
Oh, shit. He was. "I'll… g-give it back. If you want."
"Nah, that's alright. Honestly, you can keep it if you like. I can always make more. Though, it was damn hard to get the embroidering right, let me tell you that." He snickered. "Poked a few holes in my fingers, even. It was that day I learned what you're supposed to use the thistle for, heheh."
"Y-You em… embroider?"
"Yeah. My grandmother taught me. Gotta make sure it doesn't become a lost art, you know? It'd be a shame for handcrafts to disappear. A little less beauty in the world."
"That's…" Silas hesitated. "...a very pretty thing to say."
"Mhmm."
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch.
There was a sudden flurry of movement.
"Ibara-kuuuuun~! It's been so long, dude!"
"Hey. We brought Siopao from the Foreign Cultures Club meeting."
"Ahh, hey! It's been a while, you two."
Silas tensed up. There were two more people here, now, all of a sudden. If you looked at it mathematically, that was a two-hundred percent increase in difficulty.
"Woah, who are you?" It was a girl's voice. She sounded light and frilly, like window drapes. "I don't recognize you. Your hair's… kinda a mess! You're like the villain from Backstreet Shojo!"
"Um." Silas's mind went blank, as he tried to process this new person's arrival. Wait… Backstreet Shojo? The edgy magical girl anime? What did she see him as… some sort of lesbian serial killer? Or a back-alley heart surgeon?!
"Wait… oh! You're the… the weird guy people are talking about, right? The emo otaku kid from Class 4-2!" She giggled.
Silas felt his face turn white. What?
"Hey, not cool—"
"Heeeeh? It's just what I've heard. What's your name, anyway, Otaku-kun?"
Silas flinched as she took a seat. He struggled to contextualize his thoughts. There was something wrong and repulsive and… and familiar about this girl. But mostly… repulsive.
"...are you okay, dude? Why are you staring?" She chuckled nervously. "Cat got the tongue? Error: 404?"
"I… I… I…" Silas was shaking his head. He got a good look at the girl, and something in him stirred. Something angry. "I'm not weird. Or an… otaku. Or a g-goth! Don't… s-say that!"
"What?" She frowned. "Okay, okay. You're… none of those things. No need to get so aggressive, dude. Hey… can you stop staring at me like that? You're kinda freaking me out."
"You're f-freaking me out!" Silas retorted.
The girl snorted. "Okay. Weirdo."
"...shut up." Silas looked away. His cheeks burned. He paused for a moment, and suddenly decided to rise from his seat. The chair legs screeched below him. "S-Sorry. For. For bothering you, Ibara-kun. I'll… get going, now."
"No, no, no, you're fine. Stay a bit, Yamigawa-kun," Ibara reached out to him.
"No. I'm not fine." It came out more cruel than he expected. Silas looked down. He didn't want to see Ibara's reaction. "I'm so sorry. I have something im-important to do."
Silas fled, not sparing a second glance at Ibara-kun.
"What the heck is wrong with you?"
Wrong with him. Wrong with him? Nothing was wrong with him! He was a person, like anyone else! How dare she come on over, and make stupid insinuations on his character because of… what, because he looked weird? Was he too weird for them? Not normal enough?
Who decided which was which, anyway?!
"I… I was just repeating what I heard! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it. This isn't my fault! I didn't know he'd react like… that."
More words were spoken, but he blocked them out. He tried to focus on… something else.
Class was starting.
He'd think about these strange feelings later.
<><><>
Silas has learned more about Kel Ibara!
Kel Ibara
A cool guy from Class 4-2. Likes cute things, is kind of aloof. He reminds Silas of a protagonist from an Eastern railroad drama.
Conformity: -6
Personality:
Kel Ibara seems to be a Creative person. Silas might be able to approach him more easily if he is able to reciprocate Ibara-kun's Imaginative way of looking at the world. He also respects Silas's Pride.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to be on good terms with Mikado-kun?
He still isn't sure if his relationship with Ibara has improved or not. Maybe he should try again?
Also, he's certain he's left a bad impression on some of Ibara's… friends? Were they friends? Maybe he will learn more about them later.
<><><>
Once Silas had realized that people were… talking about him, he couldn't help but notice the tiny ways that people treated him differently. Because he was an outsider. Because he was… bad at talking. Because of his gray hair. Because he had a brittle body. Or whatever.
It scratched at the back of his mind. It scrawled under his skin. It was always there, simmering in the background. People were… embarrassed to be associated with him. They were judging him. Even people who were nice, like Kel Ibara-kun. They were all bound by the constraints of… what? Social expectation?
It hurt. Like gravity. And felt similarly inevitable.
This… it wasn't fair! All he wanted to do was reach out to people. To not… shrivel up and disappear. But there was a border he could not cross. A line in the sand defined by arbitrary rules he couldn't have known before he got here.
It was stressful just to think about. And it made Silas feel… angry. It was faint. Like a heartbeat. It made the blood in his veins pulse. He wanted to… he wanted to break something. Rip sheets of paper. Shatter a window with one of those firefighter tools. Or maybe he wanted to find a street, pick a direction, and walk and walk and walk until his shoes wore out from overuse…
He'd never had such strong emotions before.
<><><>
Silas has discovered Conformity! Fun fact: Originally, this stat was called "Alienation." This is why those modifiers were initially positive. I even had a silly joke about "Silas has discovered Alienation! But not the Marxist kind!"
Conformity is a measure of how "acceptable" Silas is, in the eyes of the student body. Every named high school student has some value of Conformity. The difference between two characters' levels of Conformity is one element that determines the Difficulty of a social action between them. Conformity also has other effects which are dependent on character traits.
Silas currently has an Conformity of -12. This is for the following reasons:
Some students were offput by Silas's poor Charisma. (-1)
Silas's embarrassing Smarts in the first week of classes is the talk of cruel rumors and jokes. (-4)
Certain people seem to think that Silas lacks Imagination. (-1)
A poor Physique is causing Silas (-1)
Something about Silas's foreignness makes people uncomfortable. (-3)
Some people see Silas as slightly rebellious. But why? (-2)
Silas can increase his Conformity by raising his Attributes and trying to remove his traits. Both will take time. However, he might also have opportunities to reduceConformity, if he so wishes.
Conformity may also be temporarily affected by Moodlets.
Silas has discovered two of his own traits: Gray Gaikokujin - Silas has silver-blue hair, gray eyes, and an uncanny sense of hearing, all the traits of a foreigner not just to Miyao, or even Mihoku, but to the Known World. Nobody knows where people like him come from. They don't even have a name for him. This makes certain folk uncomfortable. (-3 to Conformity. Moodlets which reduce Conformity are twice as severe. ???)
??? - Silas has absolutely no idea why, but he has gained a reputation as someone who actively defies authority. But he hasn't even done anything! (-2 to Conformity. ???)
<><><>
Days went by, and Silas coasted along, mostly aimless. He would come to class, go home, and have a quiet dinner with Sera. She had gotten a lot more busy all of a sudden. She often came home with haggard eyes, only to chug a can of coffee at dinner and disappear into her room for the rest of the evening.
Silas tried to ask her what was wrong more than a few times. "Don't worry about it, Silas," she always said. "I'll be fine. Your onee-san will always be fine."
It wasn't very reassuring. He… he hated not knowing things.
Friday came more quickly than ever. As class ended for the day, Silas was one of the last people to leave. He wasn't in a hurry to gather his things. To be honest… he wasn't in a hurry to do anything. His head was foggy. In the back of his mind, there was a dull fear he wouldn't make his way home. Like he'd get lost on the way back.
As he made for the door, he was stopped.
"Oh. Yamigawa-kun. Can you stay after for today?" Inoue-san was standing in the doorway. She was holding a clipboard in her hand. Her expression was dispassionate; professional. "I've been asked to take you to the staff office."
Silas gulped. "It's about the assessment, r-right?"
"That would be… likely, yes." She glanced at her clipboard, and then back to him. "Would that be a problem?"
"Not… n-not at all."
"Great. If you could…?"
"Ayo, Yamigawa-kun." Silas flinched, moving out of the way as Ibara stepped towards them. "Long week, right? How're you doing, man? Are you headed to the station? Mind if I tag along? Oh, I'm sorry. Inoue-san, was I interrupting something…?"
The girl shook her head reassuringly. "Not really. Did you and him already have plans?"
"Nah. If it's Student Council business, I guess it can wait. I'll see you around, Yami—"
"Wait." The girl hesitated. She adjusted her glasses. "Don't be so hasty, Ibara-kun. I can… tell Sowa-sensei that now isn't a good time. If that's what you would prefer, Yamigawa-kun."
"Sowa-sensei? Isn't he the… kind of strict math teacher? The one they brought in from Miyao Polytechnic? Used to be a professor?" Ibara asked. "Wouldn't he get in trouble if…?"
Inoue-san cut him off with a finger, smiling. "He'll understand. I'll make sure. What do you say, Yamigawa-kun?"
They waited for Silas to respond.
Silas responds…
[] "I don't want to talk to a t-teacher right now. I… I w-wanna go with Ibara-kun. Sorry, Inoue-san."
[] "...I'd rather not get yelled at later f-for this. I'll come with you, Inoue-san. Sorry, Ib-Ibara-kun."
Silas Yamigawa
Some kid from nowhere. Gray hair, skittish, and more than a little absentminded. Barely has two brain cells to rub together at any given time.
Four in the morning, but we're having such a lovely time~
Mad as a hatter with a dagger and a dollar sign~
Aristocrat, tip your hat and break your mother's heart
And when the sun comes up
You find a brand new god.
Statuses: Dysfunctional - Due to recent failures, Silas finds it difficult to focus on trying to improve himself. (-5 to all Smarts checks. Silas is incapable of taking actions that will allow him to increase Smarts. Requires external assistance to remove. Does not expire naturally.)
Habits: Daydreaming - Silas spends a lot of his waking hours imagining things: fantastical plots, military engagements, spaceships, tetris blocks, mahou shoujo… that sort of thing. (+Imagination) Takes Walks - Silas likes to spend his free time pacing his neighborhood… just because. It helps calm his nerves. (+ Physique) Attentive Listener - (1/6. On completion: ++Imagination, +Charisma. Silas will begin to take an interest in writing.)
Traits: Tabula Rasa - Silas is extremely maladjusted for a person of his age. He's gonna have trouble with… pretty much everything.
Stutterer - Silas punctuates his sentences with awkward mumblings and repetitions. (-1 to social checks) Gray Gaikokujin - Silas has silver-blue hair, gray eyes, and an uncanny sense of hearing, all the traits of a foreigner not just to Miyao, or even Mihoku, but to the Known World. Nobody knows where people like him come from. They don't even have a name for him. This makes certain folk uncomfortable. (-3 to Conformity. Moodlets which reduce Conformity are twice as severe. ???) ??? - Silas has absolutely no idea why, but he has gained a reputation as someone who actively defies authority. But he hasn't even done anything! (-2 to Conformity. ???) Mercurial - Silas hates it when things don't go perfectly the first time around. It starts to bother him until it's the only thing he can think about… (Intensified, and usually counterproductive, consequences for experiencing some sort of personal failure.)
???
Relationships:
Big Sister - Silas's Big Sis and legal guardian. Her real name's Seraphine.
Silas no Mirai
Silas is having trouble… conceptualizing who his older sister is as a person, rather than as just his Big Sister. A fog settles in his mind whenever he tries to force himself to recall just these simple things. Perhaps he just needs a new perspective. Or an old one?
Objective 1: Gain Base Imagination +3. Base Imagination is increased by building positive habits, and not through Traits.
Reward: Big Sister becomes an interactable Character, more Objectives.
Eryk Nillis
The 'Chief Horticulturist' of the Tenant's Association which owns and manages Silas's apartment tower. Gruff, but frank. He's Amberrish, probably.
Silas knows almost nothing about this character.
Miyuki Nillis
Miyuki Nillis
Eryk's niece. Somewhat cold. Works at the Greenhouse, probably.
Silas knows almost nothing about this character.
Fellow Yamaha Senior High School students
Yoshi Mikado ("Mikado-kun")
Yoshi Mikado
A student from Class 4-2. Self-conscious about his weight. Seems to be friendly and talkative. He runs some sort of computer club?
Personality:
Yoshi Mikado seems to be a bit of a Geek, but he's also Friendly. It might be easier to talk to him if Silas builds his Intelligence. Silas thinks it will be easier to get along with Mikado-kun than most.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to be on good terms with Ibara-kun?
Kel Ibara("Ibara-kun")
Kel Ibara
A cool guy from Class 4-2. Likes cute things, is kind of aloof. He reminds Silas of a protagonist from an Eastern railroad drama.
Conformity: -6
Personality:
Kel Ibara seems to be a Creative person. Silas might be able to approach him more easily if he is able to reciprocate Ibara-kun's Imaginative way of looking at the world. He also respects Silas's Pride.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to be on good terms with Mikado-kun?
Tammy Aomori ("Aomori-san")
Tammy Aomori
A loudmouthed student from 4-2 who won't stop talking about the military. Seems like a person with many passions.
Personality:
Tammy Aomori seems to have a very Argumentative personality. It will probably be rather hard to get on her level unless Silas learns to be more Charismatic.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to greatly dislike Inoue-san?
Sara Inoue ("Inoue-san")
Sara Inoue
The resident Class Representative of Class 4-2. A relatively calm seeming person who seems to be a stickler for properness.
Personality:
Sara Inoue is very Studious, but she seems a bit Reserved. It will be easier to get along with her if Silas tries to be more conformist(?). Silas thinks it will be easier to get along with Inoue-san than most.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to be greatly disliked by Aomori-san?
Funnily enough, I actually had a lot of this already written, but I realized that I didn't want to stuff too many votes into one update block. I really ought to make better plans, so I don't get bogged down as I usually do...
This post is a bit heavy on mechanics exposition. If you're not sure what a number means, don't hesitate to ask! Thank you kindly, and I hope y'all have a nice Thanksgiving and/or regional equivalent.
Also poor Silas, I get it when people come and just assume things about you.
At least by the Ibara talk he seems to be a nice person, his friend tho has no social tact
[X] "I don't want to talk to a t-teacher right now. I… I w-wanna go with Ibara-kun. Sorry, Inoue-san."
Picking this option because we still have 0 smarts and negative studies moodlet. However It requires external assistence to remove... If someone has a good argument for the other option I will change.
But I also like the narrative effect it has on our boy.
...I have half the mind to not raise our Conformity too much. That's where the most interesting characters are.
The reputation of a weirdo is alright with me. We are weird. We should own it and wear it on our sleeve. Or on our head, as the case may be.
Of course, being a weird kid when you have no friends and no connections would be absolutely terrible in real life, and a cause of much anguish and bullying, but those things are easier to deal with in a quest, and what is life without a little drama?
We live in one! A silver-haired transfer student with no parents and a mysterious caretaker who is also his Big Sister, and a grand lockpicker, and an intelligence spook with friends in high places! (come to think of it, where is her entry?)
"Yeah. My grandmother taught me. Gotta make sure it doesn't become a lost art, you know? It'd be a shame for handcrafts to disappear. A little less beauty in the world."
Hmm. What is Silas' opinion on handicraft? Man has no monopoly on beauty. That which is beautiful is such regardless of whether it occurred naturally, was made by hand, or has been programmed to be made by machine. Is it because one attributes soul to art?
"Um." Silas's mind went blank, as he tried to process this new person's arrival. Wait… Backstreet Shojo? The edgy magical girl anime? What did she see him as… some sort of lesbian serial killer? Or a back-alley heart surgeon?!
Oi, what is this generalising? Not all magical girl series characters are lesbian serial killers, just most of them!
Is this a nod to a certain mafia show?
...is this Kel reproaching his friend (which we may have taken on our account), or is it the girl giving us the parting shot? Whom does the voice belong to?
Anyway... I think this is a chance to get to meet someone on the Student Council (if they get assigned to fix our educational problem), or someone who is in similar circumstances to ours. Which likely means low Conformity, which likely means better odds at socializing. Let's go for it!
[x] "...I'd rather not get yelled at later f-for this. I'll come with you, Inoue-san. Sorry, Ib-Ibara-kun."
I hope the teacher assigned to Silas can help him with his difficulty on studies but at the same time I worry about it since by Inoue and Ibara talk he seems a bit too strict.
[X] "...I'd rather not get yelled at later f-for this. I'll come with you, Inoue-san. Sorry, Ib-Ibara-kun."
Let's see where this leads.
??? - Silas has absolutely no idea why, but he has gained a reputation as someone who actively defies authority. But he hasn't even done anything! (-2 to Conformity. ???)
[X] "...I'd rather not get yelled at later f-for this. I'll come with you, Inoue-san. Sorry, Ib-Ibara-kun."
"Yeah, that's probably for the best. But hey, before you go!" Ibara approached him. He was holding a little pencil sharpener. "I think this is yours."
"O-Oh… thanks." Silas blushed. "...I'll give you back your towel… e-eventually."
"You could also buy it off me, if it bothers you so much." He chuckled. "It's basically yours at this point, anyway. See you round, man. You too, Ino-chan."
"Take care, Ibara-kun." The two waved at each other. Inoue waited for Ibara's footsteps to fade away, down the hall, before she returned her focus to Silas. "Okay then. Come with me, Yamigawa-kun."
They traveled in silence down unfamiliar hallways and byways towards their destination. Silas kept his eyes fixed to the floor. He was in trouble. He knew it.
"In here, please." The staff office was a quiet place. A few desks, a simple meeting table in the middle. The room was a bit dark, but light came in through the blinders on the windows. Surprisingly, there was only a single teacher here.
"Sowa-sensei. I've brought Yamigawa-kun with me, as you asked."
"Ahh!" The teacher wheeled away from his desk. He was an older man, with greying, gelled hair. He seemed like the kind of person who should be doing critical research, not teaching high-schoolers. "Thank you so much, Inoue-san. Are class representatives always so responsible?"
"We are supposed to be, yes." Something flickered in her expression. "It's not always true."
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad the Yamaha Student Council takes these things seriously. It makes my job easier, certainly." The man chuckled. "You're free to go, Inoue-san. Thanks for the help."
"I actually plan to crunch some numbers for the Budgetary Committee, since I am here."
"Class is over." The teacher waved his hands. "You can look at it tomorrow, surely? I don't want to keep you here."
"It's critical work." She hesitated. Her mouth opened and shut several times. "I… I won't be intrusive."
Sowa-sensei raised an eyebrow. "Well, I won't stop you."
"Thank you, sensei."
The girl took a seat at one of the desks. She pulled a small laptop from her schoolbag, and waited for it to boot up.
For the first time, Sowa-sensei turned to face Silas. "I prefer to keep the ceiling lights off. We can turn on the desklamp if you want. Is that alright with you?"
"...sure." Silas looked around. "What… a-am I here for, anyway?"
"Give me a moment, please, Yamigawa-kun." The teacher rolled himself back to his own computer. "I just need to make a note here. Take a seat, please."
For a few moments, there was no noise save for the diligent click-clack of computer keys. Silas pressed his fingers together nervously, eyes darting around the room. It was a comfortable place, really, but it wasn't helping his creeping anxiety. He fidgeted in place.
"So, Yamigawa-kun." The teacher returned from his computer. "You're a rather intelligent young man, correct?"
"Uh." Silas's breath caught in his throat. "I… d-don't think so, to be honest."
"Why so?"
"…my gr-grades?" He admitted, shamefully.
"Hmm. Do you know what your grades even are yet? I haven't returned any of your class assignments."
"No."
"Indeed." He made a tent with his fingers, and was silent for a moment, affixing him with a stare. "Do you play boardgames, Yamigawa-kun?"
Silas, confused, replied, "I'm s-sorry?"
"Boardgames. Chess, in particular."
"I, uh…" Silas wasn't sure what to say. Was this some kind of trap? "…y-yeah. I do. Like chess, I mean."
"Oh, wonderful. So do I." He reached underneath his desk. "Imperial or Union?"
"Union. I, uh… I l-like the pieces."
"Fair enough. I prefer Imperial, myself. Makes games last longer."
Sowa-sensei pulled out a small wooden box. He reached inside and pulled out an old, chipped wooden board, which he unfolded in front of Silas. Then he tipped the box over, and let the pieces fall on the desk.
"Red or Black?" He asked.
"...Red," Silas said. Red went first, and always had a slight advantage.
"Then I shall be Black."
The teacher oriented the board. Silas helped to assemble the pieces. After a minute or so, the battle lines were drawn; pawns in front, pieces in the back. Four perfect, symmetrical lines. Light glinted off the frame of the teacher's glasses as he studied the board. "Your move," he said.
Silas didn't really expect anything like this. He… expected a scolding? Or a meeting with a committee of teachers. Or… anything, really. Not this, though.
He played online chess, sometimes. He even had vague memories of playing against Sera-neechan on occasion. Though… those were always online sessions, too, for some reason. Some of his opponents were quick, but Silas liked to play conservatively. He preferred to corner the enemy team on some flashpoint, and overwhelm the line by eliminating pieces around it to weaken the enemy formation.
It was the same kind of logic he used in grand strategy games, honestly. Concentration of force. Put enough fires, tanks, mechanized infantry and close air on a flashpoint and penetrate the front. Split the enemy in two, and defeat them in detail. It was elegant. He liked elegant solutions.
Silas was nine moves into such a play. His plan was pretty good. He had his flashpoint. His backline was weak, but that was okay. His hand hovered over a piece, ready to move to complete the play.
"Wait!"
Silas flinched. There was suddenly a soft, but firm, grip on his arm. He looked to his right, and realized that Inoue had taken a seat next to him. Her face was close. He could feel her breath on his neck. "Look at these pieces. Pawn, Rook, Queen, Bishop."
Her voice was a whisper, but there was an odd excitement to it. Silas squinted, and followed her as she pointed towards the board. "Pawn moves. Queen takes Rook. Bishop takes Queen. Pawn moves. Covered by another Rook. Look what happens then. Do you see?"
"...if I make this move, it's a checkmate in five turns."
"Four. Wait, no… you're right. Five."
"If I don't make this move, he takes my knight here..."
Silas saw his plan unfurl before his eyes. He was about to lose half the board.
"...no. I can't move. I'm trapped."
"Maybe."
Silas stared at the board. He looked at Inoue. He gazed at his math teacher. He stared at the board again.
Silas leaned back in his seat. "...you… you win. I forfeit."
Inoue shifted in her seat. "What? So quickly?"
"I reject your forfeiture." Sowa-sensei was grinning. Silas swore he saw a glint of devilishness in his otherwise blank expression. "Come on, now. Chess is a game of honor."
He shook his head. "I forfeit. There's… th-there's no point. You've shattered my formation."
"Well? Even so, you can still fight."
Inoue made a dissatisfied noise. "You're not just going to let him win, are you, Yamigawa-kun?"
Silas furrowed his brows. "No… I'm not."
"Inoue-san, didn't you have numbers to crunch? Budgetary Committee work? Critical stuff?" The teacher was chuckling.
Inoue's ears turned a bit red. "I finished. This is more important now. Besides, it isn't fair for him to play alone."
Silas scrunched his face. "W-What are you saying, Inoue-san?"
"Sowa-sensei was a professional chess player at Miyao Polytechnic. He won a tournament last year, in fact. I think he's messing with you, considering you've gotten this far." The girl took a slow breath. "...I want to beat him, too. Is it okay if I help you?"
"...sure," Silas said, warily.
"Thank you," Inoue replied.
In the end, it was futile. The game was too far gone; in fact, Silas realized he had been good as dead for at least three turns before Inoue had pointed out the teacher's strategy. Still, with Inoue's help, he made Sowa-sensei pay for each move he made. He almost managed to rebalance the playing field. But it was for naught; ten turns later, his King was pinned by a pawn covered by a Knight, a Rook, and Sowa-sensei's own King.
"Checkmate," Silas said. "...y-you win. Good game… sensei."
"Yes. You understand what I did, right? What your mistake was?"
"Yeah. You took advantage of the rigidity of my playstyle. You saw what I was going to do ahead of time, and adjusted your plan accordingly. You let yourself get caught in my trap, and then you broke out in a way I couldn't defend against without significant loss."
"Yep. A common counter to a beginner's playstyle. No offense to you, of course." The man laughed. "I've made the same mistake before. People leagues smarter and with more responsibilities than either you or I have done so, as well."
Silas chuckled, too. That… that was funny. He really was a beginner, was he? Online chess was nothing like this. This was so much more interesting.
"And now that you've seen me do it, maybe next time, you won't make the same mistake. Even if you do, each failure solidifies the lesson. It's why I like games. When you lose—" He took his Rook, and knocked Silas's King over. "The consequences are temporary. It's possible to clear the board and play again."
Sowa-sensei cleared his throat. He started to gather the pieces together. "Do you want to know what your overall grade on last week's assessment was, Yamigawa-kun?"
Oh. That came out of nowhere. Silas hesitated. "...n-no."
To his surprise, Sowa-sensei let out a laugh. "I appreciate your honesty, Yamigawa-san. Let me get it for you."
Inoue froze, her hand in the middle of resetting one of the pieces on the board. But only for a moment. After her hesitation, she continued moving pieces around, but her expression became unreadable.
A few seconds later, the teacher had plopped down a stack of papers on his desk. "Okay. I'm going to read out a series of grades. I want you to listen to each of them carefully. Overall: Sixty-nine."
Silas flinched. Not even a passing grade.
"Language: Fifty-three."
He sunk into his seat some more.
"History: Sixty-three. Up to seventy-six."
"...u-up to…?"
"Ah, Karin-sensei, the history teacher, is quite kind. She went through all of the history grades after the initial pass and found that they were too strict."
"Oh… s-so it's pity points."
Sowa-sensei frowned. "I didn't say that. I was part of the committee who did the second pass. I approved of her changes. It's always a tricky thing, grading written responses on exams. Anyway…" He shuffled some papers around. "Science: sixty-five."
Silas looked down. He thought he did good in that one.
"Civics: Fifty. Up to fifty-nine."
Silas's head was a lot lower to the table, all of a sudden. He was slouching. It was… starting to hurt. But he could barely think about it. Fifty on Civics? That was… that was worse than bad.
He grumbled to himself. He was better than that, surely. He was better. And yet…
He heard a rustling of papers. "You know, initially, the director of the Counselor's Office was going to meet you. The reason I insisted on talking to you is because of this section, right here. Can you… raise your eyes, please? Look at me. And the paper."
Silas did so, slowly. He wasn't feeling very enthusiastic. It was the math section of the assessment. He was prepared to gloss over the questions, but almost immediately, his eyes became fixated on the score at the top of the paper.
"Ninety-two," Sowa-sensei said, nodding. "Down from ninety-five. I checked your paper myself. Twice. The average for the math section is quite low, you see. It is abnormal for a student to do so good at math, and nothing else."
"I…" Silas was still processing the numbers.
"I think you're very intelligent, Yamigawa-kun. You have gaps in your knowledge, rather large gaps, but nothing is unfixable. And now that you've heard all of this… what do you intend to do?"
"...intend?"
"Yes. What will you do when you go home today?"
"I guess I'll…" Silas looked away. "...I w-wanna read the assessment and look over the notes and… t-try to see why I got it wrong. And… maybe I'll… r-rework my… studying. To fix the… the holes. In my knowledge."
"Good. That's the thing about assessments. The consequences are temporary. The grade comes back, you get feedback, notes, and in a couple weeks, you get to try again." He smirked. "That being said, we are concerned about your grades. Your assessment puts you rather significantly behind your classmates. That isn't good at all. There's talk of extracurricular remedial classes. Mandatory stuff."
"Oh…"
"However, it's the opinion of certain members of the educational committee that such measures might not be necessary, if you can demonstrate sufficient growth during the upcoming midterms. Do you know when your next midterms are?"
"T-Three weeks from now. Mid May."
"Exactly. We might talk again in May. Until then… that's all, Yamigawa-kun."
"That's… all? No… no c-commitments, or delinquent classes, or…?"
"Yes. That's all. I just wanted to talk to you, and lay down the stakes. If you improve, good for you. If not, the educational committee may compel you to take certain accommodations. Either way is a way forward."
"A way forward…" Silas repeated. "...so w-why did you want to play chess with me?"
"Oh." The man chuckled. "Do I need a reason? I'm just glad my hunch was right. That you liked chess, I mean. In my head, it was a seventy-five-twenty-five chance. And, well… sometimes, a game is a good way to stimulate the mind. Wouldn't you agree, Inoue-san?"
"Oh, well, uh…" Inoue stuttered. Silas raised an eyebrow. He'd never seen her caught off guard before. "...that may be true, Sowa-sensei, but there certainly are some games that… aren't stimulating in the right way."
She was blushing. Sowa-sensei raised a single eyebrow.
"At any rate. Yamigawa-kun, Inoue-san, you're both free to go. Thanks for coming in to talk to me, and have a nice weekend." Sowa-sensei yawned, stretching out his arms.
"Oh… then… th-thank you, Sowa-sensei," Silas said, getting up from his seat. He bowed, clumsily. "For the… en-enlightening conversation."
The teacher grinned. "Of course."
Having a chat with a teacher has inspired Silas significantly!
Dysfunctional has been removed. Silas still doesn't know why he got it… but the brainfog has receded, at least for the time being!
Silas has gained a new moodlet: Inspired - Silas feels like he could do anything, if only he had the time… (Double progress on actions to build Habits. +1 action. ???. Expires at the end of Week 3)
Silas may now make progress on the following habit: Studying (0/6) - Silas has learned decent techniques for trying to re-acquire information learned throughout his classes. (On completion: +2 Smarts. Permanent modifier to midterms and finals.)
New Objective
Midterms I
Silas needs to make it through his first slate of midterms to avoid being compelled to join remedial classes. Midterms take place at the end of the second week of May.
Each of the following conditions will improve the chance that Silas has a satisfactory result.
Condition 1: Silas has completed the "Studying" Habit. (Add +4 to midterms)
Condition 2: ??? (Add +4 to midterms)
Condition 3: Silas has a Smarts of at least 6 (Add +2 to midterms)
Condition 4: Silas's Charisma, Smarts, Imagination, and Physique combined is at least 12. (Add +2 to midterms)
At the end of the week of midterms, Silas will roll a 1d20, adding his modifiers. If he rolls higher than 12, he will succeed.
<><><>
Inoue ended up coming with Silas to the station. They mostly walked in silence. It was getting late; the sky was turning yellow.
"I'd like to apologize," Inoue said suddenly, "for… imposing myself with Sowa-sensei today. I shouldn't have been worried."
Silas tilted his head. "You were w-worried?"
"Yes." She smirked, looking down. "Last year, we had a very different math teacher. One of my underclassmen friends went to her for a similar kind of meeting, and came out… well. It wasn't pretty."
She cleared her throat.
"...regardless, I didn't want to leave you alone in a situation that might have involved some… emotional tension, especially after what I… heard. About you. I hoped I could be an advocate, or something, if Sowa-sensei became too harsh. Seems I had nothing to fear."
"Why do you c-care so much?"
Inoue stopped. "Pardon?"
"About me. I'm… y-you don't know me." Silas affixed her with a stare, brimming with suspicion. "And yet, you… t-treat me with kid gloves. You're k-kinder than most people. You try stop teachers f-from calling on me in class. You came with me to Sowa-sensei's meeting, to try and… p-protect me from him, j-just because. Do you… w-want something out of me? Or is it pity?"
Inoue's face became unreadable, again. She opened her mouth, and closed it again. Open, closed. Open, closed.
"...I don't want anything from you," she said, slowly. "I'm… it's my job to look after my classmates. That's… the point of my position, anyway. If you're so insistent on looking for a selfish motive, then you can look to my Student Council armband."
She sighed, rubbing her arms.
"Maybe I do pity you. I do not think that is a bad thing, however. I would prefer pity to indifference. And it sucks to be… different. Alienated from your class. I don't think it's fair for anyone to suffer alone, so I want to make sure they… aren't. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"
Silas was taken aback. Inoue was being very earnest; straightforward. He felt something red on his face. Shame, maybe? "...I'm s-sorry. That was a bit mean. W-What I said about you."
"It's alright. I've heard much worse. Apology accepted." Inoue gestured again towards the station, and they were walking once more. "...by the way, I'd love to play chess against you, some time."
"Y-You would?"
"Yes. Sowa-sensei is way beyond both our leagues. You and I would be a more even match. I hope you don't mind if I prefer Imperial Chess, though."
"It might be an interesting variation to… t-try out."
"Wonderful." She turned away. There was a satisfied look on her face.
They spent the rest of the walk making smalltalk. At the station, they realized they were headed in opposite directions, so Inoue bowed politely at him, bid him good evening, and they parted ways on the platform.
It was an oddly satisfying conclusion to his week, Silas thought.
Silas may now make progress on the following Habit: Strategy Games (0/6) - Silas has been re-learning how to play games like chess against human opponents for fun. They're a decent pastime. (On completion: +1 Smarts. ???)
Silas has learned one of Sara Inoue's traits: Nonjudgemental - Inoue thinks that it is wrong to treat people differently for not conforming to social standards. (Social actions to increase relation with Inoue are completely unaffected by conformity.)
Silas's relationship with Sara Inoue has… improved, most certainly, but by how much?
Maybe if he takes one more social action, the rules for social actions will start to make more sense!
<><><>
It's the weekend. What will Silas do? He has 2 actions available.
Habits
[] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[] He'll try to get back into online chess. It's not the same as in person, but it's an entertaining pastime. Keeps his mind sharp, too. (Build Strategy Games Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[] The outdoors is a font for stories, especially public spaces like the Tower Greenhouse. Silas will find a place, and try to listen around for... interesting tidbits. Just 'cause. (Build Attentive Listener Habit. Imagination Check, Difficulty 12)
[] Silas needs to do something to improve his physical health. Surely, he can think of something… (Choose a Habit to increase Physique.)
Social
[] Silas wants to SOCIALIZE with someone. This will increase social bonds on success. -[] SERA-NEESAN, his BIG SISTER, seems to always be busy when he tries to strike up a conversation with her…
-[] He hasn't talked with ERYK NILLIS in a while. What's he up to? (Social Check, Difficulty ??)
-[] He hasn't had a good chance to really get to know MIYUKI NELLIS. What's her deal? (Social Check, Difficulty ??)
[] Silas would like to INTRODUCE himself to someone, but unfortunately, there are no new people to meet.
Statuses: Inspired - Silas feels like he could do anything, if only he had the time… (Double progress on actions to build Habits. +1 action. ???. Expires at the end of Week 3)
Habits: Daydreaming- Silas spends a lot of his waking hours imagining things: fantastical plots, military engagements, spaceships, tetris blocks, mahou shoujo… that sort of thing. (+Imagination) Takes Walks - Silas likes to spend his free time pacing his neighborhood… just because. It helps calm his nerves. (+ Physique)
Attentive Listener (1/6) - Silas seems to have a decent ear for paying attention to people, properly absorbing what they're saying. Sometimes this happens even for things people would rather he forget. (On completion: ++Imagination, +Charisma. Silas will begin to take an interest in writing.) Studying (0/6) - Silas has learned decent techniques for trying to re-acquire information learned throughout his classes. (On completion: +2 Smarts. Permanent modifier to midterms and finals.) Strategy Games (0/6) - Silas has been re-learning how to play games like chess against human opponents for fun. They're a decent pastime. (On completion: + Smarts. ???)
Traits: Tabula Rasa - Silas is extremely maladjusted for a person of his age. He's gonna have trouble with… pretty much everything. Stutterer - Silas punctuates his sentences with awkward mumblings and repetitions. (-1 to social checks) Gray Gaikokujin - Silas has silver-blue hair, gray eyes, and an uncanny sense of hearing, all the traits of a foreigner not just to Miyao, or even Mihoku, but to the Known World. Nobody knows where people like him come from. They don't even have a name for him. This makes certain folk uncomfortable. (-3 to Conformity. Moodlets which reduce Conformity are twice as severe. ???) ??? - Silas has absolutely no idea why, but he has gained a reputation as someone who actively defies authority. But he hasn't even done anything! (-2 to Conformity. ???) Mercurial - Silas hates it when things don't go perfectly the first time around. It starts to bother him until it's the only thing he can think about… (Intensified, and usually counterproductive, consequences for experiencing some sort of personal failure.)
???
Relationships: Big Sister - Silas's Big Sis and legal guardian. Her real name's Seraphine. Kel Ibara - An acquaintance. Silas isn't sure what to make of Kel. He seems friendly, at least. Sara Inoue - Silas's Class Representative. A kind person, but... in an annoying way, sometimes. He isn't sure if they're friends or not.
Silas no Mirai
Silas is having trouble… conceptualizing who his older sister is as a person, rather than as just his Big Sister. A fog settles in his mind whenever he tries to force himself to recall just these simple things. Perhaps he just needs a new perspective. Or an old one?
Objective 1: Gain Base Imagination +3. Base Imagination is increased by building positive habits, and not through Traits.
Reward: Big Sister becomes an interactable Character, more Objectives.
Midterms I
Silas needs to make it through his first slate of midterms to avoid being compelled to join remedial classes. Midterms take place at the end of the second week of May.
Each of the following conditions will improve the chance that Silas has a satisfactory result.
Condition 1: Silas has completed the "Studying" Habit. (Add +4 to midterms)
Condition 2: ??? (Add +4 to midterms)
Condition 3: Silas has a Smarts of at least 6 (Add +2 to midterms)
Condition 4: Silas's Charisma, Smarts, Imagination, and Physique combined is at least 12. (Add +2 to midterms)
At the end of the week of midterms, Silas will roll a 1d20, adding his modifiers. If he rolls higher than 12, he will succeed.
Eryk Nillis
The 'Chief Horticulturist' of the Tenant's Association which owns and manages Silas's apartment tower. Gruff, but frank. He's Amberrish, probably.
Silas knows almost nothing about this character.
Miyuki Nillis
Miyuki Nillis
Eryk's niece. Somewhat cold. Works at the Greenhouse, probably.
Silas knows almost nothing about this character.
Fellow Yamaha Senior High School students
Yoshi Mikado ("Mikado-kun")
Yoshi Mikado
A student from Class 4-2. Self-conscious about his weight. Seems to be friendly and talkative. He runs some sort of computer club?
Personality:
Yoshi Mikado seems to be a bit of a Geek, but he's also Friendly. It might be easier to talk to him if Silas builds his Intelligence. Silas thinks it will be easier to get along with Mikado-kun than most.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to be on good terms with Ibara-kun?
Kel Ibara("Ibara-kun")
Kel Ibara
A cool guy from Class 4-2. Likes cute things, is kind of aloof. He reminds Silas of a protagonist from an Eastern railroad drama.
Conformity: -6
Personality:
Kel Ibara seems to be a Creative person. Silas might be able to approach him more easily if he is able to reciprocate Ibara-kun's Imaginative way of looking at the world. He also respects Silas's Pride.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to be on good terms with Mikado-kun?
Tammy Aomori ("Aomori-san")
Tammy Aomori
A loudmouthed student from 4-2 who won't stop talking about the military. Seems like a person with many passions.
Personality:
Tammy Aomori seems to have a very Argumentative personality. It will probably be rather hard to get on her level unless Silas learns to be more Charismatic.
Traits:
???
Relationships:
Seems to greatly dislike Inoue-san?
Sara Inoue ("Inoue-san")
Sara Inoue
The resident Class Representative of Class 4-2. A relatively calm seeming person who seems to be a stickler for properness, though she seems to be surprisingly levelheaded and fair when it comes to dealing with her classmates. She likes strategy games.
Personality:
Sara Inoue is very Studious, but she seems a bit Reserved. Despite her rather strict-looking outward appearance, she is easier to get along with than most people, because she does not care about Conformity in the slightest. Perhaps there's a story behind that.
Traits: Nonjudgemental - Inoue seems to have a soft spot for those who are maladjusted to high school social standards. She doesn't think it's right to be treated poorly because of it. (Conformity has no effect on Inoue.)
Relationships:
Seems to be greatly disliked by Aomori-san?
Seems to be friends with Ibara-kun?
Probably on good terms with Mikado-kun?
I am glad the teacher was a nice one. I was prepared for the meeting go horrible.
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
Better start studying soon for the midterms while we are inspired.
[X] The outdoors is a font for stories, especially public spaces like the Tower Greenhouse. Silas will find a place, and try to listen around for... interesting tidbits. Just 'cause. (Build Attentive Listener Habit. Imagination Check, Difficulty 12
We still need to build imagination status for Sera-neesan
Edit: read the number of actions incorretly the first time.
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] The outdoors is a font for stories, especially public spaces like the Tower Greenhouse. Silas will find a place, and try to listen around for... interesting tidbits. Just 'cause. (Build Attentive Listener Habit. Imagination Check, Difficulty 12)
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] The outdoors is a font for stories, especially public spaces like the Tower Greenhouse. Silas will find a place, and try to listen around for... interesting tidbits. Just 'cause. (Build Attentive Listener Habit. Imagination Check, Difficulty 12)
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] The outdoors is a font for stories, especially public spaces like the Tower Greenhouse. Silas will find a place, and try to listen around for... interesting tidbits. Just 'cause. (Build Attentive Listener Habit. Imagination Check, Difficulty 12)
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] He'll try to get back into online chess. It's not the same as in person, but it's an entertaining pastime. Keeps his mind sharp, too. (Build Strategy Games Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
For the first time, Sowa-sensei turned to face Silas. "I prefer to keep the ceiling lights off. We can turn on the desklamp if you want. Is that alright with you?"
[...]
Silas pressed his fingers together nervously, eyes darting around the room. It was a comfortable place, really, but it wasn't helping his creeping anxiety. He fidgeted in place.
"So, Yamigawa-kun." The teacher returned from his computer. "You're a rather intelligent young man, correct?"
[...]
Light glinted off the frame of the teacher's glasses.
A few seconds later, the teacher had plopped down a stack of papers on his desk. "Okay. I'm going to read out a series of grades. I want you to listen to each of them carefully. Overall: Sixty-nine."
Silas flinched. Not even a passing grade.
[...]
"Civics: Fifty. Up to fifty-nine."
Silas's head was a lot lower to the table, all of a sudden. He was slouching. It was… starting to hurt. But he could barely think about it. Fifty on Civics? That was… that was worse than bad.
"That being said, we are concerned about your grades. Your assessment puts you rather significantly behind your classmates. That isn't good at all. There's talk of extracurricular remedial classes. Mandatory stuff."
[x] He'll try to get back into online chess. It's not the same as in person, but it's an entertaining pastime. Keeps his mind sharp, too. (Build Strategy Games Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[x] Silas wants to SOCIALIZE with someone. This will increase social bonds on success.
-[x] He hasn't had a good chance to really get to know MIYUKI NELLIS. What's her deal? (Social Check, Difficulty ??)
It's been a while since we saw them, and I still want to know why she is avoiding us. Do we look suspicious, or something?
Fail the midterms, and you'll get to meet the less-kind members of staff! The Civics teacher, Geniichiro-sensei, in particular, already has a bone to pick with Silas. Go ahead! Give him cause!
Some people think the colors come from an old hymn:
"Red, the blood of angry men
Black, the dark of ages past!
Red, a world about to dawn
Black, the night that ends at last!"
Others think the origin of the colors lie in the uniforms used by the various factions of the Amberrish Civil Wars.
Still others say its because of rust. Early Chess pieces were sometimes forged of iron, as a mark of prestige, but weather conditions in Ambernia wreck havoc on unprotected ironwork, so the pearly white would rust into red and bronze. Painted wooden boards were made, too, but many of them did not survive the fires, so the popular perception of a game of chess came to be rusted red versus jet black.
Civics classes are basically "what it means to be a Miyaoan citizen" classes. Students learn about various munucipal institutions, like the City Council, the courts, emergency responders, the Self Defense Forces, and so on, and how those institutions interact with each other and with them, as citizens of the City. Elections both local and regional, Special Municipal Ordnances, civil liberties and obligations, taxes, the whole schebang.
There's also a brief section on Imperial Law of course.
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] Silas wants to SOCIALIZE with someone. This will increase social bonds on success.
-[X] He hasn't had a good chance to really get to know MIYUKI NELLIS. What's her deal? (Social Check, Difficulty ??)
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] He'll try to get back into online chess. It's not the same as in person, but it's an entertaining pastime. Keeps his mind sharp, too. (Build Strategy Games Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
It might not be listed as an objective, but avenging our loss is absolutely my objective.
Scheduled vote count started by LuciDreamer on Dec 5, 2022 at 2:08 AM, finished with 9 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Silas will go over his assessment, and try to organize notes and study material based on what his teachers are saying he is short on. And he's short on a lot of things… (Build Studying Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[X] The outdoors is a font for stories, especially public spaces like the Tower Greenhouse. Silas will find a place, and try to listen around for... interesting tidbits. Just 'cause. (Build Attentive Listener Habit. Imagination Check, Difficulty 12
[X] He'll try to get back into online chess. It's not the same as in person, but it's an entertaining pastime. Keeps his mind sharp, too. (Build Strategy Games Habit. Smarts Check, Difficulty 10)
[x] Silas wants to SOCIALIZE with someone. This will increase social bonds on success.
-[x] He hasn't had a good chance to really get to know MIYUKI NELLIS. What's her deal? (Social Check, Difficulty ??)
"I'm home," Sara Inoue said, slipping off her school shoes and stepping into her home slippers. She stretched her arms and looked around. "I'm home!" she said, louder.
Quiet.
She made her way to the kitchen. There was a little note on the fridge. Sorry, dear! Your mother and I had an urgent work call. There's stir-fry on the stove if you're hungry! We should be back by 10. Love you!
Sara clicked the top of her mouth with her tongue. Mom and Dad had been a lot busier with the shop recently. Hopefully the renovation was going well, and that there weren't any surprise expenses. The restaurant had already taken a chunk out of her college fund.
…well, that wouldn't matter, anyway. She was going to attend a local university. Tuition was surprisingly generous for Miyao citizens; such was the benefit of council democracy, one supposed. And that besides, she was sure she'd get a partial scholarship...
Sara shook her head. This wasn't a productive train of thought to have right now. Yoshi-kun had been right; she had been really strung out recently. She needed to have a more grounded sense of perspective. Focus on what was right in front of her. Like the delicious pot of lukewarm stir-fry that she needed to microwave and eat so she could head upstairs and get started on homework.
When she was done, she stuck her own stickynote on the fridge that read, thanking her parents for the food. They had a lot of days like this, communicating only through stickynotes. Between the restaurant and mom's pregnancy, the Inoue household had a lot on their plates.
Sara did what she could to make that burden lighter, however she could. But it was never quite enough. Things would get better when she left for college, probably. She could get a part-time job there, and Mom and Dad wouldn't have to worry about feeding and buying clothes for her anymore once she figured out how to live as an adult…
As she entered her room, she flicked a switch and watched the lights flicker on in succession. First the corner lamp; next, the desk lamp; finally, the fairy lights. The latter were her newest edition. Tammy-chan had complained, the last time she was over: "Why is your room so boring?! You're not gonna impress any girls—or guys—if you live in a place without any personality, you know? My brother's dorm at Miyao Tech, you wouldn't believe the kinds of decorations he puts up..."
So she'd bought a roll of cheap LED lights. Spent two nights just to figure out how to set it up. She had to admit, they were quite pretty. She now knew why they called them "fairy" lights. Sometimes, when her AC unit kicked on, they danced in midair. Her room was pretty barren besides that. A simple bed; a work desk; blinders on the window.
She stared around. Hmm. Maybe she'd buy… one of those comfy bean bag chairs and a rug after she moved into her dorm. Yes. And a little plant she could water every morning. And a white noise machine. That would have to wait until after she got her part-time job, though, and, aghhhh, she was doing it again…
Sara fell onto her bed, her head swimming with plans for the future. Plans, plans, plans… she loved making plans. She loved it when they fell apart, too, since that in itself became a challenging puzzle to solve. Recently, though, the process had become a lot less… fun. Really, recently everything was less fun.
It was crushing, the weight of the future. She couldn't afford not to think about it, but she knew—she'd been told—it was unequally unhealthy to fixate on it. She knew this was distracting her. Yet, she did it anyway. Oh, being human was a pain… if only she were a robot. A robot that could still feel, of course. She could do everything she wanted, think for however long she cared to on any topic she wished…
She snapped off her glasses, placing them at her bedside table. The world got blurry for a few moments, but it didn't take her long for her eyes to adjust to the change. Maybe a nap would do her some good. Yes. That's one thing Kimura-san always told her: A short nap did wonders for the mind, so long as you didn't indulge.
She tried to drift off to sleep, letting the days' troubles pass her by. Getting snubbed by her fellow classmates at the last meeting, doing the extra work for the Budgetary Committee anyway, eating an A- on the last language assessment, attending that meeting with Yamigawa-kun, dropping off a stack of papers to Ibara-kun's mom, having her train card fail on her, waiting on the platform for fifteen minutes while the station clerks tried to fix it, trying to politely ignore the backhanded insults of a group of drunk salarypeople on the ride home.
Let it all. Just. Pass her by. Pass her by…
<><><>
"Kelsey Miyagi Ibara."
The boy froze. He was in the middle of working on one of his scripts for the Drama Club—he was gonna get it early this year, he was hoping that would help his chances—when he heard his mother call out his name. She was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, holding a piece of paper in her right hand.
Kel gingerly paused his music, pulling off his headphones. "Yeees, Mom?" He asked, putting on a grin.
"That nice girl from your class came by again, today. Inoue-san. Care to guess what she brought with her?"
"Ohh, uhh." Kel snapped both of his fingers. "A copy of my free-ride notice to the Global Technology Institute?"
"Ugh. Kel…" His mom started walking to his desk. "You left your Language and Civics papers at your desk today. You should consider yourself lucky that Inoue-san cares so much about your academic performance! Or maybe you left them on purpose?"
"Now Mom, why would I ever do that…"
"Kel-kun, you can't keep doing this! Honestly. Did you even read the paper? You didn't even read the paper, did you? How can you expect to make it through this year if you don't listen to feedback?"
"I already know it's bad," Kel said, matter-of-factly. "...why do I need to go over it again?"
"If you knew it was bad, then why'd you—" she threw the papers down, and they floated towards the floor— "submit it like this, then?! Come on, Kel!"
Kel shrugged. He didn't know what to say. Would he tell the truth? That he didn't… care? That he couldn't bring himself to focus when it came to academic stuff? But Mom always hated that answer. And it wasn't... a useful answer. It didn't solve anything. Mom liked it when you solved problems, and didn't make more.
Which sucked, since Kel Miyagi Ibara was a problem himself.
"...you know, art schools look at your GPA, too."
"No they don't."
"Some of them do!" She looked at him with angry eyes, puffy eyes. She was trying to hold back tears. "Why can't you just… do it? For me? For your father? Do whatever you want with your free time, but… don't give the school any more reasons to call us up! It's only the second week of school!"
"I'll get better."
"You always say that, Kel!"
The boy looked away, leaning back in his chair, and crossing his arms. He wished he could articulate what he wanted to say, but whenever Mom came up to his room to start this argument again, he just… couldn't find the words. What would he say, even? That he was sorry? He wasn't sorry for doing bad in class. He was sorry for making her feel bad… but he couldn't say that without pretending to be sorry for doing bad in class.
His mother sighed. "Just… read the paper, will you? You did… alright. Eighty-five, eighty-nine. You even got Geniichiro-sensei to write a positive note. You always do alright on your writing assignments, Kel, and if you'd just read them maybe you'll impress your teachers. Dinner's at seven-thirty. We're hosting the Kusanagis again. Wear something nice, okay? Aunt Mayu bought you that button-up shirt last week, maybe you should put it to use."
"I will," Kel said.
"Alright. See you then… son."
"Yeah, Mom."
And she closed the door.
Kel sat there in silence, before spinning around in his chair a few times. Things had been getting different lately. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was graduating this year. Everything felt a lot more tense.
He spun, and spun, and spun, until the torrent at the center of his mind finally calmed down. He put his headphones back on, and continued typing. He'd think about this more once he was done… with this script. And after that, he had to get started on another set of fabrics. Aunt Mayu had gifted him a new shirt, but also a bunch of textiles he really wanted to get started on. And he did, in fact, need a new towel. A pretty one.
A short sidestory, since Kel and Inoue are two characters with whom Silas has gotten to know, at least a little bit.
The next update should be out... in a week or two! I'd work on it over the weekend, but unfortunately, final exams are starting this Saturday, and I am already quite behind on studying. And last minute projects.
It feels like my entire year has been building up to this exam week, to be honest... god, I hope things go well.
At any rate, I can't wait to get back to writing for Perfectly Normal once it's all over!
