Return of Digit Island!~

Well, I'm thinking about resurrecting Digit Island yet again, albeit with some changes and some alterations to character histories so that they don't all know each other. <_<

Scene: An abandoned stone courtyard. The sun has gone down and there is a chill in the air. Two humanoid figures are facing one another. The taller one, clearly belonging to a male, is sitting and the shorter, standing a short distance away, hands on her hips.

"Are you sure these are the seven?" the female asked, her voice incredulously high, especially for her. "They look... weak."

The other figure spoke a few sharp words in his native tongue. "They are human, Tem," he replied, switching back over to common. "It is the will of the High Council that this be done and as part of your discipline-"

Before he could continue, the one addressed as Tem interrupted. "Yeah, yeah. I know," she narrowed her eyes. "I just don't think they'll be ready when the time comes. But don't say I didn't warn you."

The man stood up, taking some effort to push himself into a standing position. "Take the twins with you," he replied, his voice barely audible, even in the dead silence of the night. "They'll remind you not to lose faith in humanity... yet."

Enter Isaiah and Jeremiah Lewis, age 19.

"We're going to be late for classes!" Isaiah grabbed his bookbag and ran out the door, dragging his brother behind him. Today was the first day of classes at Veritas Academy and the older of the twins had his introduction to engineering class in less than five minutes. Jeremiah, as usual, was lagging behind.

"Just hold on... there's no need to rush," Jeremiah grabbed his notebook and managed to barely get his set of house keys out of the lock before he was yanked away. Another typical morning to another typical day, right? Wrong.

"Hey! You two. You're with me today." Isaiah frowned; he'd heard that familiar voice before and it always meant trouble was close behind. Before either of the brothers could say anything, they were whisked off to a campsite. Tem was up to her usual tricks again.

Meet the Chosen Seven:

SCOTT ADAMS, your average fifteen-year-old high school student from California who enjoys theater, hanging out with his friends and just generally having a good time,
SAMANTHA ADAMS, Scott's twin sister who is an avid storyteller and a caring friend,
NATHANIEL "NATE" WINTERS, Scott and Sam's fourteen-year-old cousin who is originally from New York who has an aptitude for technology and setting things on fire,
KIRAN SHASTHRI, one of Nate's best friends from school who wants to be a medical missionary when she grows up and is rarely seen without her flute,
MICHAEL LIU, a quiet fourteen-year-old with a mysterious past,
KEITH CHANDLER, a thirteen-year-old kid from eastern Washington who talks to inanimate objects and lastly,
EDWARD McALLISTAIR, a sixteen-year-old football player from Texas with a superiority complex to boot.

Together under Tem's instruction and the watchful eyes of Isaiah and Jeremiah Lewis, can these seven young teenagers work together to save Digit Island before it falls? Or will Tem's skepticism about the strength of humanity prove accurate once again?

Letter of Forgiveness

Just a little something I decided to write from one character to another. This takes place just a few months after high school graduation. For some reason, Sam has been bugging me to write more about her and Katie, which has been rather interesting, to say the least. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy.

August 6, 2007

Dear Katie,

I'm not sure why I'm writing this to you, but I felt like I needed to say something. Ever since I last saw you about two months ago, God has been putting it on my heart to tell you a number of things. So if you will please do me the honour of reading this letter, that would be appreciated.

First of all, I have been praying for healing. We're all broken people, but it is our brokenness that makes us beautiful in a way. I don't know if you know what I mean, so I'll just leave it at that. But things that are broken need to be fixed. What you did hurt me a lot and it hurt Michael and my brother, too. You must know that healing cannot happen until Forgiveness and Grace are present.

I have forgiven you for what you did. So has Scott. Even Michael has, though stubbourn he is to admit it. But in order for you to heal - for any of us to heal, really - you must forgive yourself.

I am not going to be falsely nice and tell you that forgiving you has not been difficult. On the contrary, it has been one of the more difficult tasks I have been faced with. I know what you did was very bad, but how much must one atone for past mistakes? How long does it have to be before it becomes a legalistic ritual rather than an act of heartfelt penance? How muchmust one pay to redeem herself from past transgressions? Although no action is without consequence (as Michael so often points out to me), I see no reason for a person to continually beat herself over the head for a past mistake.

Do not get me wrong here. I am not saying that atonement is unnecessary, but that it needs to be balanced out by Grace and Mercy. From them comes Forgiveness and when all three are present, together with Love, that is when healing can happen. It is a choice, one that must be made to accept forgiveness.

And so, I have chosen to extend my forgiveness to you. God has already forgiven you for what you have done and now it is my turn. I cannot force you to accept it, but I am giving it to you as a gift and I hope that you will accept.

Your Sister in Christ,
Samantha Christine Adams

Fact and Fiction

I was just thinking about what I have in common with various fictional characters that I've written, both now and in the past. It's interesting to see how much a person's characters can say about said person because authors put a lot of themselves (and people they know) into their characters, whether they want to or not. Or even whether or not they realise it.

So, if you could bear with me while I think on paper (erm... or on the keyboard?), that would be very much appreciated.

Scott Adams: Not much, but I do know that Scott's sense of direction is horrible. It's kind of a running joke between their group of friends that he would get lost on the way to school if it wasn't for his sister or Michael. To make matters more interesting, he also plays the navigator character, Lt. Quincy, in their VBS (Vacation Bible School) skits.
Samantha Adams: Most obvious would be her love of writing. She usually carries around her notebook with her and is constantly doodling ideas down in it. It's pretty rare she lets anyone else look at her unfinished works, too (usually only Michael and occasionally Scott, depending on Sam's mood). The other thing I've noticed that is similar between Sam and me is that we both hate seeing people close to us suffer. I'm not sure I need to say more about that.

Oddly enough, that's all I feel like doing right now. Maybe I'll come back and figure out more characters later, but for now... well, I should go back to sleep; I stayed up until after 2AM last night/this morning talking to a friend.

Character Theme Songs

So, yesterday my sister and I were talking about character theme songs. I was thinking about some of my characters and what theme songs they would have. So... here goes nothing! Oh, and some of these characters have more than one song.

Scott Adams

"Gibberish" by Relient K
Reason? It just fits him. Plus, my roommate made me sit down and listen to the song and one of the first things I thought of was how well it would fit Scott.
Lyrics
Youtube

Samantha Adams

"Friends" by Michael W. Smith
Reason? In one of my earliest stories, my characters were all going off to college at different schools. Sam gave Michael a CD with this song on it and told him that he'd better listen to it.
Lyrics
Youtube
"Shine" by Newsboys
Reason? It's a little off the norm (like Sam), but it talks about being a witness with your actions.
Lyrics
Youtube

Emiko Takahashi

"Always Have, Always Will" by Avalon
Reason? There are parts in her life that she really does want to obey and do what she ought to do, but there are also parts in her life where she rebels against her father and/or against common sense. This song talks about the story of the prodigal son.
Lyrics
Youtube (Disclaimer: There were only about 2 videos for this song. I chose the one that fits Emiko better.)

Johannah Liu

"Does Anybody Hear Her?" by Casting Crowns
Reason? Fits her perfectly. I don't think I need to say more because her story comes out in Snapshots. This is also one of my favorite songs.
Lyrics
Youtube

Kiran Shasthri

"Jesus Freak" by dcTalk
Reason? The line "I don't really care if they label me a Jesus Freak" really shows how she lives her life. She's not afraid to talk about anything relating to Christianity... no matter what situation she finds herself in.
Lyrics
Youtube

Sharpe

"Stained Glass Masquerade" by Casting Crowns
Reason? I have a whole playlist dedicated to him, but this song is the one that's been standing out in my mind. This is one of the two main reasons why he refuses to go back to church (though he eventually breaks his promise).
Lyrics
Youtube
Other songs on this particular playlist that I think fit him pretty well are "In the End" (Linkin Park), "Everybody's Fool" (Evanescence) and "Facade" (Jerkyll and Hyde soundtrack). I'm not linking to any of these; if you want to read the lyrics or hear the songs, you're going to have to look them up for yourself. Sorry.

Nate Winters

"Fireproof" by Pillar
Reason? Inside joke with Nate and I couldn't resist. One thing that you must know about Nate is that he has always been a bit of a pyromaniac. Musical style of this song also fits
Lyrics
Youtube

Callisto Verity

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World
Reason? She's usually looked down upon by being too young for whatever she tries to do and spends her life living in the shadows of the "big kids".
Lyrics
Youtube

These are just a few songs that remind me of my characters. I'd really like to get a better list together someday. I'm still trying to find good ones for characters like Michael, Hideaki and several other additional characters from my list of characters who are more prominent.

Character List: Once Upon an AU

So, there are quite a few characters in Once Upon an Alternate Universe, so I thought I should organise a list and show them to you, along with a bit of connection so that you can know who's who when you're reading.

There are more students, family and staff members (as well as other characters) in this story, but here is a bit of an outline of a few important ones.

Just a brief note about student alliances...
Fellowship: Fully dubbed as the "fellowship of misfits" by Evan Saunders, this group includes Saunders, Tyler Martin, Michael Liu, Scott and Samantha Adams, Marie Wilson and most recently, Kiran Shasthri.
Comrades: Unofficial name (again, given by Saunders) for the group that follows Emiko Takahashi around. Emiko Takahashi, Tatiana Valdez, Katie Myst, Ricardo Martinez, Ron Flinn. There are more...

Maplewood Students, circa 2005
Michael Liu: A fairly level-headed sophomore at Maplewood Academy. Provides a voice of reason for his friends. Member of the Fellowship.
Samantha Adams: One of Michael's two best friends who would do just about anything to help one of her friends if they needed her. One of the best students in their sophomore class. Fellowship.
Scott Adams: Samantha's younger twin brother whose plans (or lack thereof) get him and his friends into a whole lot of trouble sometimes. Fellowship.
Evan Saunders: Future class valedictorian at Maplewood Academy. Though bossy at times, he generally means well. Fellowship... and the one who gave them their name. Often just called by his last name.
Tyler Martin: Athlete and all-around nice guy. He and Saunders are best friends. Known for being one of the few Christians on Maplewood's athletic teams. Also a member of the Fellowship.
Marie Wilson: A fairly quiet friend of Samantha's whose aspirations are to work with special needs students. Fellowship.
Kiran Shasthri: The exchange student living at the Liu's house for the semester. Outspoken about what she belives, but sincere. Newest member of the Fellowship.
Emiko Takahashi: Archrival of the Fellowship (especially Evan Saunders). Slightly spoiled daughter of Tetsuya Takahashi. Knows Hideaki Sato from Japanese school. Comrade.
Katie Myst: Close acquaintance of Emiko Takahashi. Blonde cheerleader. Peppy past the point of annoyance and seems to have something particularly against Samantha. Comrade.
Tatiana Valdez: Emiko's sidekick who is always seen with her. Enjoys gossipping.
Victoria Chapel: Evan Saunders' girlfriend who is very involved in music and theater. On good terms with almost everyone. No alliance.
Julianna Miller: Shaun Ackerman's niece and a close friend to Katie Myst. Was dating Scott Adams for a few months during their freshmen year.
Hideaki Sato: Transfer student to Maplewood Academy who happens to know Emiko Takahashi from Japanese school.
Kyle Wilson: Marie's older brother who is in eleventh grade. Plays sports and is a close friend (and fellow Christian Athlete) to Tyler Martin. Has been dating Kathryn Saunders for over a year.
Kathryn Saunders: Evan's older sister who enjoys cheerleading. Is dating Kyle Wilson. Gets along with Katie Myst, but thinks that the situations that Katie gets herself into are immature.

Staff Members at Maplewood, circa 2005
Jedediah Sharpe: Former chemistry teacher at Maplewood. Graduated Maplewood in 1988. Now teaches Latin and AP chemistry. Tough taskmaster and difficult man to get along with and tends to be disliked by most of his students. Runs the Chess Club and Forum Philosophorum.
Candace Pruitt: Chemistry teacher at Maplewood. She has been teaching there since at least 1980. Strict, but fair. Helps out running the chess club.
Shaun Ackerman: History teacher at Maplewood and a Maplewood graduate in 1987. Outspokenly Catholic, highly energetic and loved by almost all of his students. Uncle to Julianna Miller.
Peter Screwtape: Principal of Maplewood Academy who has been working there since 1995. Named after two of CS Lewis' characters.
Hugh Avery: Former physics and now math teacher at Maplewood. Graduated in 1983. One of the few teachers who gets along well with Sharpe. Hosts Operation Numbers, the math club.
Josiah Alton: Administrator at Maplewood and former biology teacher. He has been teaching there nearly as long as Candace Pruitt has and they are close friends. Surrogate father to Sharpe. Father to Jennie Alton.
Laura Clarkson: Young biology teacher at Maplewood who recently moved from Texas to California. Talkative.
Anthony Wilson: Physics teacher at Maplewood. Single father to Kyle, Marie and their three younger siblings. Hosts the Film club. Enjoys having a lot of fun with his students. Addicted to movies and coffee.
Aislynn Celeste: The young math teacher at Maplewood who graduated from Northpointe in 2001. Older cousin to Keith Chandler.
Seven McAllistair: The IT worker for several of the local private schools. Recent college graduate. Expert with computers and anything technical.
Amy Kerrington: Technology teacher at Maplewood. Works closely with Seven McAllistair whenever he comes to the school.
Rem Argentium: A young history teacher. Enjoys art and is quite good at it. Younger brother to Seneca Argentium and a graduate of Northpointe. Former classmate of Aislynn Celeste. Quiet.

Family Members
Jonathan and Mei-lani Liu: Michael's parents who are hosting Kiran Shasthri for the semester. Jonathan graduated from Maplewood in 1985.
Tetsuya Takahashi: Emiko's father and a local politician. Maplewood graduate in 1988. Archrival of Sharpe.
Jennie Alton: Eldest daughter to Josiah and Sherry Alton. Mentor to Marie Wilson. She is working on getting her master's degree so she can work with special needs students.
Priya Shasthri: Kiran's aunt who is a professor of physics at a local university. She was Sharpe's university advisor.
Stephanie Rei: Emiko's mother. Divorced from Tetsuya Takahashi. Mother to Hana Rei. Lives in the UK with her younger daughter.
Seneca Argentium: Rem's slightly older sister who does research at Nicholae Kwaitkowski Labs, Inc.

Other Characters
Ming-yue Tam: Kiran's best friend from back home at Melanthios.
Nate Winters: Scott and Samantha's cousin who also attends Melanthios and is a good friend of Kiran's. Enjoys playing with fire and technical stuff.
Keith Chandler: Chess champion from Northpointe Academy and younger cousin to Aislynn Celeste.
Hana Rei: Emiko's younger and estranged sister who lives in the UK and attends Alcantha. She is genuine and sincere. Her best friend is Callisto Verity.
Callisto Verity: Hana's best friend and the chess champion from Alcantha. Enjoys getting into arguments and is very competitive. Thirteen-years-old.
Donovan Isaacs: A slightly crazy student at Alcantha who is the same age as the Fellowship. He goes to church with Hana's family on a regular basis.
Sophia McAllistair: Cousin to Seven McAllistair and the same age as Nate Winters. Lives just outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her family.

A Duel of Wits, Part One

I really needed to write something... and preferably a piece when I wasn't being particularly nice to any of my characters. I'm thinking this gets worse before it actually gets better and you get to see a little bit of Michael's interactions with Emiko here. And Sharpe (as always) is awesome.

This takes place a few weeks into their sophomore year of high school (September 2004) because Kiran Shasthri is around and it's specifically stated that this happens in September because it's still warm.

Characters: Sharpe, Michael, Emiko, Samantha, Scott, others by mention
Word Count: 1000
Rating: G
Summary: Michael and Emiko have to figure out a way to resolve their differences.

Sharpe’s lips narrowed as he sneered. One hand was clenched around an Earlenmeyer flask with a pale green liquid filled nearly to the brim and the other hand was loosely fingering a long stick. He whipped the stick up against the chalkboard, scattering chalk dust throughout the classroom. Several students gasped. No one said anything; it was silent with the exception of a beaker full of bubbling liquid in the back fume hood.

Out of everyone in the room, both Emiko Takahashi and Michael Liu seemed to be the only ones who even remained slightly calm after seeing Sharpe’s reaction, and neither of them for a good reason. Kiran Shasthri was sitting in the back corner of the room, her eyes wide with fear; Samantha’s eyes were gently closed, showing a resolved expression on her face. But it was obvious she was angry… and obviously so. Scott gritted his teeth together and clenched his right hand into a tight fist. Whatever was about to happen was not going to be good and he knew it. He had known his best friend long enough to know when something was going on and Emiko was better than just about anyone else at irking any one of them in the homeroom of twenty people. And today, she was at the top of her game.

“Miss Takahashi.” Sharpe’s words were cold as they cut through the air, even amidst the warmth of the air that September morning. Emiko glanced up at him, a nauseating smirk playing on her face. Michael’s steady glance shifted towards Sharpe, then back to Emiko as quickly as it had left. “Mr. Liu.” It was now that the Asian boy frowned slightly. “A word with both of you. Outside. Now.” He motioned to the door that led into the nearest hallway and turned to pace towards it.

Emiko smirked at Michael. “Look who’s in trouble now,” she commented, careful to keep her voice low enough so that Sharpe wouldn’t easily be able to hear. After shooting a feeble smile over at Scott, Michael turned to leave and follow Sharpe. Scott felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was not very often he believed in what his sister often called a sixth sense, but the sophomore was sure that this was one of those times he did. And this sixth sense was yelling at him to do something. Because it just wasn’t fair.

It hadn’t been Michael’s fault… nor had it been Emiko’s. It had all happened so fast that even Scott had possessed some difficulty keeping up and knowing exactly what had come to pass. One moment, Michael was swapping history notes and talking about chess strategies with Evan Saunders and the next moment, it was like Michael and Emiko were in some sort of stalemate, Sharpe looking on with a sinister expression of both intrigue and loathing in his eyes. Only one thing had been said and Scott hadn’t been paying enough attention to tell what that something was. And now, all three of them were outside, except for Saunders, who was now passing notes back and forth with Victoria Chapel.

“You think they’ll be okay?” Scott leaned over and placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. It was rare to see Scott devote even most of his attention to one person or one thing; often Michael had commented that Scott could easily be quite a bit more brilliant if he’d only learn to concentrate on one thing at a time. The younger twin had always brushed his friend’s remark off without even as a second thought.

Sam nodded. “They have to be,” she replied, her rough voice hardly even a whisper. “It’s out of our hands now and the best we can do is trust that Sharpe won’t let either of them react.” There was a short pause and Sam waited for the conversation between Kiran and Tyler to resume before she continued. “And that he won’t bait either of them in the process.” She shifted in her seat so that she could see outside, but Sharpe’s back was turned towards the window; she couldn’t see his face at all.

“Mr. Liu, I have given you plenty of chance to explain yourself, yet you have chosen not to take advantage of this.” Sharpe’s voice was considerably lower in volume, but higher in pitch than was normal for him. “Same for you, Miss Takahashi.” His voice dropped to a hiss as he spoke Emiko’s name. “Perhaps both of you should come up with a way to solve your problems without creating as much of a commotion in my classroom.” One of his eyebrows arched slightly.

Emiko met Sharpe’s steady gaze with a smirk. “How about a duel of wits?” A smile still playing on the corners of her lips, she turned towards Michael. “Well?”

The Asian boy thought for a long moment, then nodded. “Name your terms,” he replied, his voice slightly tentative.

“Ackerman’s classroom, after school.” She glanced up at Sharpe for a moment, but he said nothing. “You bring one of your friends and I’ll bring one of mine. Other than that, we both come alone.” There was the slightest pause. “Agreed?” She stuck her right hand out and twirled a long strand of dark hair around the fingers of her left hand.

Michael reached to shake Emiko’s hand, a showing a slight wince as he made skin contact with her. “Agreed, but we allow Mr. Sharpe to be present, as well.”

The girl smirked. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She let go of Michael’s hand and dropped her voice to a low whisper. “Four o’clock. See you then.” With that, she turned and flounced back into the classroom, leaving Michael to wonder what he had gotten himself into. But he would have to wait and see. Right now, it was Emiko’s turn and it was little use to predict what she was planning to do next. He’d just have to sit and wait it out.

tbc

A Little about Emiko

First thing, in honor of April Fools Day (which was yesterday), A Good Idea? is a piece I wrote back in 2007.

In more serious business (which isn't the reason why I'm up at this hour), but I've been thinking a lot about Emiko Takahashi recently... most specifically how she gets along with her fellow classmates and the teachers at RHS, as well as her parents and half-sister.

Scott Adams: No one in the fellowship likes Emiko Takahashi and Scott especially dislikes her. Because of his social status, he has a difficult time. He could easily be a member of the popular crowd, so he feels like he has to give Emiko a chance because of this, but he also knows that none of his friends feel the same way towards her. Scott's attitude is such that he often believes the best in people, unless they give him a really good reason to believe otherwise. So he can't help extending that to Emiko... to some extent. However, he gets really angry with her when she bullies his friends.
Samantha Adams: Out of everyone in the fellowship, Sam harbors an especially strong dislike (bordering on hate) towards Emiko. She just can't seem to accept the fact that Emiko just might become part of their group later on and she doesn't see why Michael puts up with Emiko.
Evan Saunders: It's said that the only person who has gotten into a physical fight with Emiko Takahashi and actually won was Evan Saunders. Evan hates the fact that Emiko likes picking on his friends (and on the other students) and he'll stand up to her, even when no one else will.
Hideaki Sato: Hideaki is probably Emiko's only real friend. The two of them met at Japanese school and he'll do almost anything for her and she for him. Hideaki was the one who originally taught Emiko how to play chess and he's one of the few people she actually respects. Much later in the storyline, they end up dating.
Tetsuya Takahashi: The relationship that Tetsuya has with his only daughter is rocky at the best of times. He tends to be very controlling of those around him and Emiko is no exception. However, what he soesn't take into account is that Emiko is very much like her mother and rebellious at the core. This drives Tetsuya and his daughter apart even further, leading to severe consequences for everyone involved.
Katie Myst: Katie is originally a character from the AU. She's one of the cheerleaders and hangs with the popular crowd. She knows Tyler by association (and knows he's a Christian) and has a crush on Michael. Surprisingly, Katie and Emiko don't get along very well. While Katie is very perky, Emiko hangs with the almost punk kids within the popular crowd. They argue constantly when they're forced to work together. However, both have adopted the principle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend ally". Katie is able to make the fellowship miserable in ways that Emiko never could... or would.
Sharpe: Sharpe and Emiko have a very interesting relationship and this is mostly because of what happened between Sharpe and Tetsuya when they were in school and because of the AU. For some reason (this differs whether the story is AU or not), Sharpe feels it necessary to keep an eye out for Emiko. He does this quite well, but he enjoys seeing how she will react if he does certain things. As with most things, this goes both ways and Emiko constantly pushes Sharpe. Things really start to go downhill when Michael tells Sharpe that Hideaki and Emiko are dating.
Michael Liu: I'm really not sure how Michael relates to Emiko. He doesn't particularly like her, but he doesn't harbor a strong dislike towards her, either... at least not outwardly. Michael is the kind of person who will stand up for what he believes, but he also won't argue if he doesn't think it will do any good. This is probably why he doesn't argue much with Emiko. Oddly enough, there is some amount of mutual respect between the two, but to anyone who knows them, it is more like a stalemate. Emiko knows she'll be in major trouble if she crosses the line with Michael and he knows the same thing about her. But when Hideaki and Emiko start dating, everything changes.

NB: The whole Hideaki/Emiko story doesn't take place until the fellowship are all college students. Michael basically flips out at Hideaki (they're roommates at the time). Michael's having a hard time with this and needs to talk to someone and for some reason, he doesn't want to talk to his parents. Since he's not talking to Samantha and Scott's studying abroad, the next most logical choice is Sharpe.

Happy Late Valentine's Day...

Quick VD musing here, so please bear with me. I don't normally write anything romance and for a very good reason, but I'm bored AND I finished 40 chapters of Genesis AND I finished my homework for math class, so here goes nothing.

Michael glanced over at the girl and shook his head. "You deserve better than what I could give you." He was quiet for a long moment and did not meet her eyes. Instead, he stared down at the tiled floor, counting the brown specks on one of the linoleum blocks.

The girl crossed the room towards where Michael sat on the couch and plopped down next to him, taking little notice of his personal space. She was one of the few people who had always been able to do this to him without making him too uncomfortable and right now, she chose to take advantage of that. As most girls would do. Sam turned towards him and for a moment, she hesitated before setting her hands on his shoulders. She had always believed that physical touch was a most excellent way of expressing affection and many times, her brother had playfully referred to her as a cuddler.

"Michael?" One of Sam's finger's flicked a strand of Michael's hair. "This isn't about them." She was, of course, referring to Hideaki and Emiko, who had been seeing one another seriously for the past four years. Sam suspected the only reason why they weren't married yet was because of certain objections voiced by several people. "And before you start again, my opinion counts for something."

The young man opened his mouth to protest, about to give Samantha a lecture about how the rights of women hadn't always been to have a say in the affairs of others... or of themselves. But he already knew what she would say. This was twenty-first century America, not some country in the Middle East or two hundred years ago.

"And who's to say that I deserve better than you? What if I don't want that?" She glanced at the calendar, which read February 19, 2015. It had been almost four years since she'd finished college and most of her classmates and friends - her brother included - were already married. So why had she waited? For a long time, she had thought about her decision, even seeking counsel from the most unlikely of sources. Her high school self would have scoffed at her older persona asking for help like she had, but Sam had been desperate and she wanted an opinion other than that of her twin. As much as she respected him, she disagreed wholeheartedly when Scott told her that Michael wasn't coming back. And she had been right, hadn't she?

There was a long pause where Michael watched Sam carefully, as if trying to figure out what to say to her. He was quiet during the entire time; the only sound in the room came from the second hand of the clock keeping track of the moments that passed.

I can't even bring myself to finish this right now. Okay. There is a very good reason why I don't write romance. Now you've seen why. Please don't bug me to write it again.

Voices of Characters

While I was working on Snapshots, I kept thinking about little random character details... specifically what their voices should sound like. I have never given it much thought, but many of my characters have voices like people I know.

Take Callisto, for example. She has always sounded like my younger sister (not the youngest) with a British accent because she lives in the UK and always has. Scott has always had a voice like one of my former classmates who is well-liked by pretty much everyone he meets. Sam has always had a voice similar to one of my former classmates, as well. If Marie ever talked, she would sound a little bit to me like my friend Jenny does. Out of my long-standing characters, Michael's voice was a bit harder to pin down. It was only recently that I figured out that Michael sounds a little bit like my friend Dan, at least in my head. Like his voice in general. Okay, granted that Michael does have a touch of an accent and he can slip in and out of accents fairly easily, but still...

Perhaps the most important and most difficult character to pin down, however, has been Sharpe. In my mind, his voice has never been particularly loud, but there is a distinct tone to it. Michael describes his voice as almost hissing (Sophomore Saga). By the unbiased narrator (haha), Sharpe's voice usually gets described as calculating, dripping with sarcasm, not particularly deep, snappish and clipped when he's annoyed, sickly sardonic, cold, caustic (more alkaline than acidic) and having a slight drawl. I'm not sure what kind of voice that would produce, but it would be an interesting one.

Snapshots Chapter Five: The Eleventh Hour

Well, I've finally got the fifth chapter finished and typed up. Since I had to put a warning up on DA about it, I decided to put it here in case anyone wanted to read it who isn't a member on DA. Just make sure you read the other chapters before this one...

Chapter One: The Leather Book
Chapter Two: Deliberate Ambiguity
Chapter Three: A History Lesson
Chapter Four: Sharpe's Dark Secret

MPAA Rating: Mild PG-13 for character death by suicide.
Characters: Sharpe, Jonathan Liu, Michael Liu, Jennie Alton, others
Word Count: 4920
Summary: The fifth chapter in Snapshots...

A boy sat at the top of the stairwell, unable to believe what he had just heard. Had his ears betrayed him? Or had what he thought had happened actually come to pass? Either way, Michael realized that someone had some explaining to do and for once, that someone was not his best friend. He slumped down and let his head fall to the more comfortable position of resting on his arms as he tried to ignore whispers from his parents that were coming from downstairs.

When he finally could not handle things anymore, he jumped up. This merited the attention of both his parents, as Jon exchanged nervous glances with his wife. He was just starting up the stairs when Michael turned and bolted in the direction of the school room, grabbing a blue and grey stuffed animal as he passed by the room he and Andy shared. Andy, who was still patiently working on transposing music, paid his older brother little or no attention.

The door to the school room would have slammed shut had Jon not arrived in time to prevent that from happening. As he glanced down at his son, he saw the face and body of a livid teenager. Michael’s normally pale cheeks were red and his eyes narrowed in anger. One hand was clenched into a fist at his side and the other was holding the stuffed manta ray by one of its pectoral fins.

“Michael, please,” Mr. Liu held one of his hands up in the air in a placating gesture. Ironically enough, this was the same stance that Michael often assumed when mediating arguments between Scott and Samantha Adams. “Just listen to me.”

Michael hardly moved a muscle. For nearly five minutes, he stood there, rarely blinking and barely breathing. There was a tension mounting in the air, but Michael outwardly appeared immune to it. Silence prevailed for that period of time until he finally spoke. “Why was he here?” His voice was perfectly calm, but serious and almost deadly.

Jon drew in a sharp breath of air. “Please, Michael,” he began. “Let’s both go downstairs, have some tea and I’ll answer your questions, okay?” He sent up a silent prayer that Michael would oblige. The boy considered for a brief moment, but nodded and followed his father out of the schoolroom, still holding the poor manta ray in one hand.

Once Jon had poured both himself and Michael tea, he sat down on the couch. Michael was sitting in the chair that Sharpe had occupied only moments before, wrapped up in a flannel blanket that rested on the back. He showed little interest in the cup of tea; instead it sat on a coaster on the coffee table in the center of the living room.

Jon sighed. He knew he would have to take the initiative; if Michael did, accusations would follow. He could see into his son’s eyes that the boy was a simmering combination of angry, hurt, upset, confused and frustrated. This was a dangerous combination in almost any human, but especially someone who kept so many of his emotions typically hidden. “Mr. Sharpe decided to come by to make sure you and Sam arrived home safely.” At this statement made by his father, Michael arched an eyebrow. So Sharpe had been following them earlier. “He wanted to catch up on old times for awhile, so that’s what we were doing. We went to high school together.”

Michael leaned back, clearly unimpressed. “He mentioned that,” he replied in a non-committal voice. “Several times, in fact.” There was a short pause and Michael’s fingers ran along the seam of the blanket. “Why was he here? I know Mom gave him dinner.” Although the Liu family was gracious to their guests, Michael hadn’t expected his mother to feed Mr. Sharpe dinner.

Mr. Liu frowned slightly. “Just how much did you hear?” He took a sip of his tea and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his hands together.

Michael shrugged. “Enough to know what happened.” His voice was level and calculating as he spoke, as if he was testing to see how his father would react before he said anything else. “After so long, I thought you or Mom would’ve realized that I often pretend to sleep.”

Jon’s glance fell to the ground suddenly. “Michael, please tell me exactly how much you heard.” His voice was level as he matched that of his son, but there was a deep pleading undertone within his emotional signature that betrayed him. He was very uneasy of what would happen next and this frightened him.

Michael hardly wished to respond and he kept fiddling with the blanket in his hands. “I know that Mr. Sharpe gave you something that he intended for me to have. And yes, I heard almost everything.” An eyebrow quirked upwards as Jon’s face paled slightly.

Jon, who was still almost white, pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Michael. It was slightly wrinkled along the corners, but Michael ripped it open and removed the piece of paper inside. It was a handwritten note and probably the handwriting of a teenager, he guessed, and transcribed onto spiral-bound notebook paper.

[[Michael, if you’re reading this, please don’t shoot the messenger. He’s only doing it on my request and that’s it. If you want to send a reply, please trust him to get it to me. But that’s not what I was going to talk about anyways. I really wanted to you to know that Sharpe’s a good guy and I’d like to invite you to visit me sometime. Maybe pick up a game of chess? He mentioned that you play... so do I! Or just hang out... or whatever. It doesn’t really matter to me.

I wish I knew how to say this to you, but you’ve really been a good friend to me. All the times we’ve talked and Sharpe’s told me that you really do care about your friends. I’ve never heard him say that about anyone else, except probably your dad. He’s a good guy, too, I think. Maybe I’m wrong, but I have a hunch he knows more than he says he does.

Which is why I’m actually writing to you. He really has a soft spot for some of his students and I’d like to ask you a favor. Has he told you anything about a guy called Kiyoshi Sato? I know they used to know each other. I asked Sharpe last time, but he wouldn’t say anything more. Weird, huh? That and his family are the only things he never talks about.

You probably won’t trust me on this. Sharpe told me to put proof in the envelope. Silly guy. But there’s the camp pic of you, the twins and red-head down at the archery range. The flash that he thought was lightening was my camera. Sorry ‘bout that... and thanks.

I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Signed, The Black Rook]]

Michael read the letter once and then again. One of his hands held the picture. Surely enough, the photograph clearly showed Scott and Nate arguing in the background. Sam was preparing to shoot the arrow and Michael had been standing next to the two cousins, deciding whether or not to watch them argue or to step in and play peacekeeper.

“Michael,” Mr. Liu’s voice was clear. “Mr. Sharpe was very insistent that you had that. In fact, he was sure you needed it. I don’t know why; you’d have to ask him.” He glanced down at his son. Michael’s face was carefully crafted into that same stoic expression he had nearly mastered that revealed almost none of his feelings. The only sound coming from the living room was the soft chime that signalled that it was 10:30 PM. Upon hearing the chime, Michael jumped up. “What’s–” Mr. Liu started to ask, but Michael cut him off before he could say anything.

“I... I need to go somewhere.” Michael threw the blanket back down on the chair. Because he had not actually gone to bed yet, he was still wearing the same clothing he wore at school: a blue turtleneck and slacks. He slipped on his tennis shoes that were lying on the floor next to the front door over the socks he wore. He also grabed his long trench coat and shoved the letter and picture into a pocket. He shut the door before his father could stop him and he was gone.

---------

“Who is it?” A voice called from inside and a girl opened up the door just a crack. The girl was easily a few years older than Michael was and she sported a casual purple sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers. Her long brown hair was pulled back loosely into a braid. “Oh, hi Michael! I... uhm, didn’t expect you here so late, but please, come in.” She smiled and moved to the side, allowing Michael entrance to the house.

Michael followed Jennie into the living room. The house was remarkably like his own in so many ways. Plush blue carpet covered the floor of the room in which they stood and a few chairs and the couch had been arranged around the room in roughly an elliptical shape. Jennie took a seat, but Michael remained on his feet, far too uneasy to sit down and stay still.

“Michael, you okay?” Jennie glanced over at him. “I’ve never seen you out this late.” Even at church functions, Michael had been well-known amongst his peers for getting home at a reasonable hour.

Michael shrugged. “I need to talk to Mr. Sharpe,” he stated after a moment. His voice was shaky; he was still pacing back and forth along the carpet. He clasped his hands behind his back and stopped for a moment.

Jennie placed her hands on her left knee. “Okay... let me know why you need to see my brother,” she replied, her voice equally as apprehensive as Michael’s had been. She was not concerned that Sharpe would be asleep; it was still early enough that the thought passed through her mind. She was well-aware of the fact that her older brother stayed awake far into the night on a regular basis.

Michael’s hands came unclasped. “He... he said something to me and I wanted to ask him what it meant.” There was a short pause. “It’s Latin and I need to ask him about the translation.”

Jennie opened her mouth slightly. “Let me call him and see what he says,” she answered. “While you’re waiting, we made cookies this afternoon if you want some.” She spent part of her time working at Riverdale High and many of her afternoons were spent volunteering at the community center with kids who had special needs. Fridays were usually devoted to fun projects, like cooking. Apparently more cookies had been made than they were able to eat or take home.

“No thanks,” Michael shook his head. Between dinner and the odd things that had happened that day, he was hardly hungry anymore. After a moment, Jennie grabbed the telephone and took it into the other room. Michael drew his lips into a tight frown. Very few things were running through his mind and the only main thing was concerning Mr. Sharpe. Nearly five minutes later, Jennie emerged from the kitchen.

“My brother agreed to let you come over,” Jennie smiled, holding the phone loosely in her right hand. “I’d walk you over myself, but Mom and Dad want me home.” She wrote and address on a piece of paper and sketched out a quick street diagram. “This is what he told me to do, so here. I trust your ability to follow directions is better than Scott’s?” She smiled slightly and handed the paper to Michael.

Michael nodded. Scott was the kind of person who would get lost giving instructions from his house to school, despite the fact that it was only three streets away and the trio had been going to Riverdale for over two years. Michael glanced down at the paper. The address read 313 B Janus Avenue. With a split second thought, Michael knew exactly where that apartment complex was located; it was only a short distance from Riverdale High. In fact, Tyler Martin had used to live in the same complex with his mom and younger sister Emily until they had moved just a few months before.

As he walked down Chestnut Avenue, the wind whipped around his body, blowing his coat in all directions. The boy pulled in closer into his body as he kept putting one foot in front of the other. His dark eyes blinked a couple of times as he made his way down the street. It would be a long walk; that much he was certain of.

While he was walking, he contemplated the letter he had received. He was certain he knew the person who had sent it. Perhaps it had been someone from Sola Scriptura, the summer Bible camp that he, the twins, their cousin Nate, Tyler Martin, Marie Wilson and Kiran Shasthri had all attended the summer before their sophomore year. It had been a wonderful time. Michael had made some close friends that summer, like Nate Winters and Hideaki Sato and Kiran Shasthri, who had later stayed with the Liu family for a semester as an exchange student. All the teenagers spent time not only in worship, but also intense Bible study. The smaller group that Michael had been in had studied Job. As memories of Sola flooded his mind, he smiled; maybe the walk did not feel so long after all.

The apartments on Janus Avenue were not far from Riverdale High. Michael kept walking along as he realized that it made sense for Sharpe to live there if, as he said, he did not own a car. It would take Michael approximately five minutes to walk from the apartments to Riverdale; he assumed it would take Sharpe slightly less than that based on the fact that the chemistry teacher had much longer legs than he. The teenager entered the apartment complex and wandered around for a few moments. It was a nice feeling to walk around in peace... the lonely atmosphere contrasted with his home, which was ever bustling with people.

After about ten minutes of walking, he came to realize that the A apartments were on the first floor and the B apartments were on the second. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair, eyes darting around into the distance. He came upon the apartment marked 313A and his glance shifted upwards to the heavens. For just a moment, he marveled at the majesty of all that was happening. Despite the foul weather, the night sky was absolutely amazing: he could see the small flecks of light that were really stars, all of them many light years away. Though he couldn’t find any of the constellations, he knew that the closest star other than the sun was approximately four light years away. A gentle smile touched his lips; the heavens had not yet seemed this close to him since he and a small group of friends had gone star gazing at Sola.

[“Isn’t that amazing?” One of the teenagers marveled as he looked up at the night sky. The moon was only a small sliver that night. “Hey Michael, look up there. The Big Dipper... or Ursa Major as Dad calls it.”

“Hmm?” Michael arched an eyebrow towards the other boy. He had been counting specks of light for the past few minutes. “What did you say again?”

Hideaki smiled. “The only vacation Dad took me on was camping and we spent lots of time watching stars.” His dark eyes lit up and he held his hands out to get them warmed up by the fire that was barely smoldering. “They’re so far away... Alpha Centauri’s the closest and we can’t even see it here.”]

Michael cherished that memory – like all the others – that he received from Sola and he smiled. It gave him both the strength and courage to climb the stairs to Sharpe’s apartment. His hand hesitated when he reached to knock on the door. He couldn’t follow through. As much as he was curious about what Sharpe had said to him and how he got the letter, the sensible part of Michael’s mind urged him to give up right then.

He would have left had the door not opened right at that moment. “Mr. Liu, I presume.” Long fingers opened the door from the inside as the cold voice spoke. So many times had Michael heard this voice; to him it sounded both caustic and slippery, like one of the alkaline bases they used in the chemistry lab. “Come in. We have been expecting you.”

---------

Light streamed from the inside of the small apartment as Michael blinked a few times. He could hardly believe he was in the apartment complex, much less that he was entering the room. The man ushered him inside quickly and firmly shut the door, not allowing the wind to enter or to exert chaos upon the sparsely decorated room. Michael followed Mr. Sharpe inside and removed his tennis shoes, setting them beside the door. As he looked around, he took in every detail he could. The walls were a light grey and the thinning carpet was dark green.

“Sit.” Sharpe motioned towards a computer office chair. There was a grey striped cat sitting in the seat. As Michael began to sit, the cat lazily jumped down and pranced across the carpet and into the kitchen. “Nernst is hardly used to anyone being here.” Sharpe followed the cat across the room and allowed his long legs to carry him towards the dining room with little effort. “As am I.” He grabbed two ceramic mugs and brought them to the living room, offering one to Michael, who gladly accepted.

Michael swished the contents of the mug around and smelled the liquid. It was a smell he would recognize almost anywhere and it belonged to Jennie and Mandie’s apple cider. Every Sunday during the cold weather, Jennie would make it for the kids in the youth group at church. He silently gave thanks for something familiar around here; the whole day had just been too odd for him. The boy was pensive for a moment as he saw, waiting for the steaming liquid to cool. Apparently the contents of Sharpe’s mug were less hot because the chemistry teacher was able to drink. There was an awkward silence that built up inside the room. Michael was contemplating how the day had begun by walking out of homerooms and letting the door slam behind him. The series of events that followed had led to this: being out of his house after curfew hours and sitting in the apartment of the very teacher he had been determined to hate earlier that day.

“When my sister called, she said that you had a question that you needed to ask me,” Sharpe’s voice had the slightest hint of a drawl, which Michael had never noticed before. The middle-aged man set his half-emptied mug down on the small table near his own chair.

Michael nodded. “Who’s Kiyoshi Sato and what does he have to do with me?” Michael’s eyes narrowed. This was a good question to begin with and he was well-aware of the fact that Sharpe was probably going to avoid fully answering his question; he had overheard just enough of the conversation before.

Sharpe folded his hands and took a deep breath. The ambient lighting, though dim, still seemed bright on his eyes. He resolved to fix that, but it would have to wait until later. “Kiyoshi Sato was a classmate of mine when we were in high school,” Sharpe began. He chose his words carefully; now was neither the time nor the place to speak more than was necessary. “He and Emiko Takahashi’s father were close friends. They happened to be in the same year that I was and both delighted in giving a certain amount of grief to their classmates.” Sharpe’s angular nose wrinkled ever-so-slightly at the very tip. “Your father and your aunt were both acquainted with him. Why do you care to know?” Sharpe arched an eyebrow, choosing to ignore Nernst, who had pranced back into the living room and was now rubbing up against Michael’s leg.

Michael shrugged and his glance dropped to the cat. “It’s just something I was thinking about., that’s all.” Michael was lying through his teeth and he knew it. He was also aware that Sharpe probably knew this, but he didn’t care. “Could I pet him?” He glanced down at Nernst, suddenly changing the subject.

Sharpe frowned slightly. “If he lets you, then you may pet him.” He watched as Michael bent down and Nernst jumped into the youth’s lap. The man took a long sip and set the mug back down. “That is not everything you were going to say, was it?”

Michael shook his head. “Is Mr. Sato still alive?” He stopped paying attention to the striped feline long enough to ask the question. After remembering the crumpled paper in his jacket pocket, he resolved to inquire about the contents of that later.

“No,” Sharpe let out a sigh. “He died sixteen years ago as a direct result of a decision he made.” Sharpe’s voice was about half an octave lower than it normally was.

[Sharpe was silent as he moved through the alley way. It was a dark and cloudy day in the middle of March, much like what one would expect to find in Seattle, not the sunny Bay Area in California. He had nothing better to do; there were no assignments due for any of the classes the college junior was taking. Even Dr. Shasthri – a difficult professor if he’d ever encountered one – had not assigned homework for the advanced thermodynamics class she taught.

This may have not been the best idea he had, but the twenty-one-year-old decided to duck into an abandoned alleyway. He hardly had reason for doing this, except that a police car was about half a block from where he stood; he did not want more of a headache than he already had from the sirens and flashing lights of emergency vehicles. In the shadows, he saw something that would make his headache much worse: Kiyoshi Sato. Sato’s narrow features had grown even narrower in the past year and a half since Sharpe had seen him last.

He heard a cry coming from the basket that Sato held under one arm and he gasped aloud, barely reaching his hand up in time to muffle the sound. It was the cry of a small child. He’d heard it once before, many years ago when he was in the hospital for his own surgery, but he’d paid little attention then.

“What’re you doing here, coward?” Sato’s scathing voice addressed Sharpe. “I know you’re here, so y’might as well show yourself.” Sato set the basket down on the ground next to an old trash bin and turned around, looking for Sharpe to appear.

Sharpe decided to step out from the shadows. “Ah, Sato,” his voice was sickly sardonic as he answered Sato’s accusations. “And who is the coward this time? Impregnating a girl three years younger than you? Running away so you don’t have to face her parents? Taking one of the children with you?” He paused for a moment, pointing a long stick at the ratty basket and the torn blanket that draped over its edges. “And who was the true coward before? Bullying someone who’s half your size? Insisting that the fight is five-to-one? Now, if I were you, I’d put that knife down on the ground. Oh yes, I know you’ve got a knife in your pocket…” Sharpe nodded towards the front right pocket of Sato’s jeans.

Sato seethed though his clenched teeth. “You…” he hissed. This was followed by a string of expletives. “I don’t have time for this!” He removed the knife from the pocket of his jeans, opened it up and thought for a moment, debating at whether to lunge at Sharpe or to slit his own throat open. He decided on the latter. He brought the knife up to his own carotid artery. Sharpe stood frozen, unable to do anything. Instead of going through with his plans, Sato used his knife to slice the side of his neck. He screamed out in pain and fell to the ground.

Sharpe hurried over and held his – former – enemy in his arms. “Here,” he said, holding up a vial to Sato’s mouth. “It’ll work faster… and not be as painful.” The contents of the vial were poisonous, but it would allow Sato to die without so much pain. After all, that was what he obviously wanted. Sharpe knew Sato was a coward; what about the infant? However, Sato’s breathing stopped just before he swallowed the substance.

As soon as he had realized what happened, Sharpe wove his way around the trash cans to reach the infant. He immediately noticed an envelope in the basket. Opening it up, his dark eyes skimmed the contents.

[Attention: J. Victor Sharpe
If I am to die here and today, please take the child into your care. His name is Hideaki.
K. Sato]

The date and a signature were placed on the side of the note and Sharpe frowned, his lips drawing themselves into a thin line. As carefully as he could, he picked up the basket. The young child inside was about a year old and looked almost exactly like his father did. Sharpe knew he couldn’t bear to look at the youth every day for the rest of his life. It would bring back too many memories of being teased and pushed down into the mud day after day. Even if the boy stayed with the Altons – Sharpe was sure Josiah and Sherry would take him in – the memories were still too strong.

He shook his head. He would have to take the boy into a foster care center instead. With that choice being made, he set off towards home, carrying the basket under his arm.]

“Yet that holds little concern for either of us now, Mr. Liu,” Sharpe’s voice had reverted back to its typically cold tone. “And tomorrow, things will be made clearer.” An eyebrow arched upwards as his hands clasped the warm mug.

Michael glared at the older man defiantly for several moments. Down the hall, the clock ticked and Nernst rubbed his head against the side of the chair. “Alright...” Getting Sharpe to answer his inquiries about this Kiyoshi Sato was clearly not working, so he decided to take another route. “You went to high school with Emiko Takahashi’s father, didn’t you?” This question was merely one of curiosity; earlier Sharpe had mentioned Takahashi being a bully.

Sharpe set the mug down on the table that was at the left side of his chair without regard to use a coaster of any sorts. “We were both on the interscholastic chess team.” Absently, Sharpe reached into his pocket and pulled out an old chess piece. It was carved from a wood that looked that almost black in the dimmed lighting of the room and judging by the general shape and the cross on the top of it, Michael assumed it was a king. After a moment of twiddling it in his thin fingers, Sharpe placed the piece back into the pocket of his pants. Maybe it had been too long since he played a game of chess... that is, played and lost a good game. “If you had been listening to what I said earlier, you would have been able to deduce that.” He glanced over at Michael, observing the Asian boy with a dark glance. “I know you are brighter than people–” The last bit of Sharpe’s sentence was cut off by the ring of the doorbell.

“Excuse me for a moment.” Sharpe pushed himself into a standing position with quite a bit more effort than Michael would have expected for someone with his scrawny stature. Soundlessly mouthing words, he made his way towards the door, limping ever so slightly. The Asian boy noted the anomaly. He had never seen Sharpe limp before or if he had, Michael had never actively noticed it before.

As Sharpe opened up the door, his normally darker skin paled to the color of light parchment. A woman in her early fifties stood outside the door, wearing an oversized travel coat. From the inside of the apartment, Michael could see that her skin was dark and the only remarkable aspect of her appearance – other than the fact that she looked somehow familiar – was a blue and purple cloth wrapped loosely around her head, neck and shoulders.

tbc in chapter six...

New Year's Eve Party

To make up for my patheticness at posting yesterday (I was trying to do five different things at once and I was a bit distracted), I'll write something for you today.

First off, a little bit of background information. I wanted my characters to have a (slightly disastrous) game of truth or dare at a New Year's Eve party at the Liu's house. So the characters present would be Michael's parents (duh), Mr. and Mrs. Adams, Hideaki's dad, Wilson, Tyler's mom, Nate's parents and maybe others. Oh, and Sharpe because Jon invited him over and for some reason, he agreed to come. Younger people present would have to include Michael, Scott, Sam, Evan, Tyler, Marie, Hideaki, Emiko, Kiran and Nate. Wouldn't that be a fun group?

So the extended fellowship goes into the other room. They've each had a little bit to drink (they're all at least 21, so no big deal) and the door between the room they're in and the room the adults are in is about half opened. Someone (Saunders?) suggests they play a game of truth or dare. Needless to say, neither Michael nor Sam is particularly excited about that proposition and Tyler's being cautious (as always). But they make a few rules and the game gets underway... needless to say, it'll be interesting.

No really. I'm just deciding how to narrate this piece before I start in on it. I could do the same third person narration I usually do or I could do first person. If I did first person, the most logical choice would be first person to Michael's POV. More amusing would be first person to Sharpe's POV, as he realizes that something is going on and he goes to stand by the door between the rooms. But none of the younger people can know he's there... or if Michael (or Sam) figures it out, neither can say anything to anyone else.

And this brings me to where I was meaning to go... to share something that I wrote with you guys. It was too late last night to post it here, so here it is today. Enjoy! This piece is actually going to be rated PG by the time I'm done with it, but this particular section is harmless. Trust me. Okay, it's just a short little paragraph-length teaser, but still. I actually wrote something. >.>

MPAA Rating: G
Characters: Michael, Emiko, Evan Saunders, others are present.
Word Count: 134

Michael stopped before he said anything and put a hand on Emiko's shoulder. Such an uncharacteristic motion for him. With a firm grasp, he pulled the Japanese girl closer to him and when she was facing him, her face only centimeters away from his, he gave her one look and hissed a few words in her left ear. "Don't even consider it" was all he said. Those words were meant for her alone to hear. He let his hand drop down to his side and quickly turned and paced out of the room. If she went through with Saunders' proposition, that would probably be just about the stupidest thing she'd ever done. Which is quite the accomplishment for her, he thought, the bitter taste of bile rising up in the back of his throat.

tbc.

Christmas Traditions

Well, thinking about the holiday season that is coming up on us (and that Hanukkah already started for anyone who didn't know that), I've always wondered what some of my fictional characters do for the holidays. So I've compiled a short list of some of their traditions...

Liu Family: Since Jonathan is a pastor at the local church, all five of the Liu children are always somehow involved in the annual Christmas Eve service. Usually Andy will play his violin, Michael will occasionally work backstage (depending on the year) and Elizabeth and Cassandra are in the choir. After the Christmas Eve service is over, their family will go home and get ready for bed. In the morning, Johannah Liu (Jonathan's younger sister) will come over and they will read the Bible story as a family. Then, they'll open presents. In the afternoon and evening, they'll make a large dinner.

Adams Family: Scott and Sam's family spends Christmas in a similar way that Michael's family does, but after the Christmas Eve service at their church is over, they go over to their uncle's house (their uncle is Shaun Ackerman) and their whole family attends Midnight Mass. On Christmas, both Shaun Ackerman and Julianna Miller (Shaun's niece - I'm not sure how she's related to Scott and Sam quite yet) come over and they all spend Christmas together.

Sharpe: Except for the Christmas Eve story that I'm working on, Sharpe really doesn't celebrate Christmas. Sometimes he will go over to the Alton's house; other times he will just stay home and work on what needs to be done as if it's any other day.

Donovan Isaacs: Donovan's kind of an interesting case because he goes to school abroad as a high schooler. Sometimes his parents will come over from America to England to visit for the holidays and he'll go to church with them. Other times, he'll go to church with Stephanie and Hana Rei (Emiko's mom and half-sister) on Christmas Eve. On Christmas morning, Lucy (his second to youngest cousin... there's six of them!) will wake them up and they'll all open presents. That afternoon, usually Uncle Edmund will take him, Connor, Steven and Emrick out to the movies while Aunt Alexandria, Lucy, Sarah and Beatrice stay home and cook the meal.

I really wish I could know how my other characters celebrate the holidays. Hugh Avery is Jewish, so he celebrates Hanukkah. Aislynn Celeste celebrates Christmas with an interesting mix of French and Polish traditions that she learned from her grandparents by whom she was raised. Kiran would go home for Christmas and spend it with her parents, except for the story I'm working on right now (her parents are on a missions trip) where she spends Christmas with her aunt.

P.S. Oddly enough, I spend more time at my computer when I'm at school than when I'm at home. Isn't that wierd?

Quick Update

I won't be writing any more of the Christmas Eve story tonight (unfortunately), but I wanted to talk some about what I've noticed about my characters and how stories flow... something that came to mind as I was drafting the next piece in a word document. I'll probably finish that and get it uploaded tomorrow or Sunday or something like that. And this was because I was working on Christmas presents and then I got busy with some other stuff. Like socks.

Anyhow... in the Christmas Eve piece, the main character is technically Sharpe, though it changes POV several times. When I was writing Sharpe's parts, they were a lot more reflective and less rushed. There hasn't been any dialogue with him; no one knows for sure what he's thinking and people certainly know less of what he's saying.

When I've been writing Michael (and Kiran), there is a lot more dialogue and the story actually moves along. But it loses some of the individual touch and reflection that Sharpe brings along. Kiran's nearly as talkative as Scott is.

And to go read where Kiran first meets the group, read this story. She also meets Sharpe later on in that piece; I haven't written it yet. You get a bit of Michael's narration in that piece. Just so you know... Riverdale's mascot is a knight, Michael (and Scott and Sam) all live on Chestnut Avenue, Sam wasn't talking about Evan Saunders... Scott has no sense of direction whatsoever, Ackerman got fired and re-hired over the summer thanks to something that happened with Sharpe (that'll be fun to write!), and Victoria Chapel and Evan Saunders date throughout high school. Oh, and Sharpe's favorite color is purple.

I can't wait to write more of that and I'll be bringing in the idea of the Debate Club and a plot idea for writing that. It should be fun. And I can't wait to write about why Ackerman was fired and how he got rehired over the course of about two months. Silly administration...

Christmas Eve, Part III

Once again, this is a continuation of what I've been writing. Go back and read the other pieces first if you haven't already done so.

MPAA Rating: G
Characters: Michael Liu, Kiran Shasthri, Priya Shasthri, others by mention
Word Count: 344

“I’m staying with Aunt Priya over break. Mom and Dad’re still in India.” The matter-of-fact voice explained before Michael could even begin speaking. “She doesn’t live far from here, so she said it’d be alright if we went here for Christmas Eve service instead of her church.” The girl pushed a long strand of dark hair behind one of her ears and she bounced slightly on her toes, no doubt having the extra energy from sitting still in the pews for so long. The Christmas Eve service was nearly twice as long as those on Sunday mornings.

While Kiran was talking, Michael nodded absently. He had grown used to her chatter during the semester and a half she stayed with the Liu family as an exchange student during his sophomore year. For a moment, his thoughts drifted over back towards Sharpe. First seeing him here, then Kiran. What was going on with that? Was there something he didn’t know about? Seeing Kiran at a church wasn’t a strange idea to him; she had cheerfully gone with the Liu family every Sunday while she was at their house, except for the time she had come down with a nasty case of the flu.

“Well, maybe we can do something together. You, me, Scott, Sam and Nate.” Kiran kept talking and Michael was about to excuse himself when he saw an woman who looked like an older, thinner version of Kiran standing on the opposite side of the corridor, waving towards her niece. Michael smiled slightly towards Dr. Shasthri; he had met her once or twice before.

“Kiran!” As Priya Shasthri called towards her niece, Michael’s dark eyes caught a movement out of the corner of his peripheral vision. A head jerked up in a quick motion and Michael turned from Kiran to the shadowy figure and back to Kiran again, eyeing the girl suspiciously. He licked his top lip with his tongue. Surely there was something going on here and he wanted to know what that something was.

tbc.

Christmas Eve Story Background

I don't really have a lot of time to write something decent, so I'll just give a little background on the Christmas Eve story that I've been working on. Plus, we've had storms and our power at home was out all this morning and I was not necessarily here this evening or I would've blogged earlier.

Anyhow, it takes place in December of 2008, which means that the Fellowship et al have been out of high school for about a year and a half. They're all sophomores in college. Kiran Shasthri, Nate Winters and Danny Turner are all freshmen, though Kiran probably has close to sophomore credit as far as her classes go. Ellie Johnson is a senior in high school and Andy and Elizabeth Liu are juniors. Cassandra is (probably) in eighth grade, though I'm not 100% sure.

It's been twenty-five years since Sharpe was in eighth grade, making him now nearly thirty-nine years of age (he'll be thirty-nine in the middle of February 2009, as his year of birth is 1970).

In other news, this is a little bit random, but I really want to write something futuristic/dystopian with Seven and Tem and Aislynn and Kana and Siyamak and all those other characters. Well, maybe not Aislynn, but definitely Seven because he comes from an alternate universe where science and technology are basically worshipped. That has real potential to turn into something interesting. And I'd love to include Tem because she randomly pops up in the most inopportune places at the most inconvenient times. And Kana and Siyamak because they're two of Tem's original AU counterparts and they're just fun to write. Siyamak's a bit of a creep, though...

Twelve Character Survey

At least this time all these characters know each other, so that should take away some of the awkwardness that was seen in an earlier survey... for the sake of this, I'm also assuming that as the author, I'm allowed to interact with my characters.

There will be spoilers. Nothing hugely major if you haven't read what's on the other site, but please consider yourself forewarned.

1. Evan Saunders
2. Kiran Shasthri
3. Hideaki Sato
4. Samantha Adams
5. Michael Liu
6. Scott Adams
7. Emiko Takahashi
8. Tyler Martin
9. Mr. Sharpe
10. Nate Winters

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF...

Number 1 (Evan) woke you up in the middle of the night?
--I would wonder what on earth he was doing up in the middle of the night. And I'd hope everything was okay.

Number 2 (Kiran) asked you to go out with her?
--Uhm... I would back away slowly and head for Bernard's Book Shoppe to see if somehow the multiple dimensions had somehow gotten messed up...

Number 3 (Hideaki) walked into the bathroom while you're showering?
--If I was actually in the shower and didn't see him, I don't think I'd notice, but if I did happen to see him, I'd scream. Boys aren't supposed to be in the girl's bathroom.

Number 5 (Michael) cooked you dinner?
--I would thank him. He's a pretty good cook. ^_^

Number 6 (Scott) was lying next to you on the beach, sleeping?
--I'd snicker and make drawings on his back with suntan lotion. He wouldn't wake up...

Number 8 (Tyler) got into the hospital somehow?
--That would really worry me, so I'd go find out what happened. It would probably be some sports-related injury.

Number 9 (Sharpe) made fun of your friends?
--Sharpe would totally do something like that. If I knew him in real life, I'd probably be used to it and pay little attention after awhile. Maybe make a snide remark back at his expense every once in a while. That's what happens when two people with a similar personality construct get together in the same room.

Number 10 (Nate) ignored you all the time?
--Wow... I couldn't imagine Nate ignoring anyone, but I guess he has to ignore someone. No matter, I wouldn't vie for his attention.

~~~~~
WHAT WOULD THEY DO UNDER THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES?

Two serial killers are hunting you down. What will Number 1 (Evan) do?
--Kick their behinds. Literally. He'd beat them up.

You're on a vacation with Number 2 (Kiran) and you manage to break your leg. What does Number 2 (Kiran) do?
--She would go hysterical for a few minutes and then realize things aren't that bad and that she's overreacting and splint it.

It's your birthday. What will 3 (Hideaki) give you?
--Knowing Hideaki, he'd probably forget about my birthday.

You're stuck in a house that's on fire. What does Number 4 (Sam) do?
--Sam would make sure that the fire department had been called and was on their way.

You're about to do something that'll make you feel extremely embarrassed. What will Number 5 (Michael) do?
--He'd turn away and pretend not to notice to give privacy, as that's what he would want.

You're about to marry Number 10(Nate). What's Number 6's (Scott) reaction?
--Heh heh... Scott would probably try to convince Nate otherwise, but they're cousins. After Scott sees that Nate really wants to marry me, he'd beg to be as involved in the wedding as possible.

You got dumped by someone. How will Number 7 (Emiko) cheer you up?
--She'd laugh in my face.

You're angry about it afterwards, how does Number 8 (Tyler) calm you down?
--Tyler's probably the best person at calming other people down and he'd talk to me and tell me that there's a lot worse things that can happen in life.

You compete in some tournament. How does Number 9 (Sharpe) support you?
--First, he'd tell me to concentrate and he'd be honest about whatever the tournament was. He shows the kind of "tough love" to his students, so that's probably what he'd do to me.

You can't stop laughing. What will Number 10 (Nate) do?
--He'd laugh with me...

~~~~~
RELATIONSHIP PART
Number 1 (Evan) is all you've ever dreamed of.
--*blushes* Uhm....

Number 2 (Kiran) tells you about her deeply hidden love for Number 9 (Sharpe). Your reaction?
--Well, at least they know each other. But he's so... old. I'd shake her by the shoulders and call her an idiot.

You're dating Number 3 (Hideaki) and introduce him to your parents. Will they get along?
--I think they would. Maybe my parents would actually like to weigh in and answer the question for themselves, but Hideaki's a good guy, albeit a little off the beaten track.

Number 4 (Sam) loves Number 9 (Sharpe) as well. What does that mean?
--Well, they do know each other... but Sam hates Sharpe's guts. It'd be funnier if Laura Clarkson and Sharpe ended up dating, but I sincerely doubt that's going to happen.

Number 6 (Scott) appears to be a player, and he breaks many hearts. What do you do?
--Slap him across the face and tell him he's a jerk. Better yet, get Michael to do that for me.

You had a haircut and Number 7 (Emiko) can't stop looking at you. What goes on in your mind?
--Eh?

Number 8 (Tyler) thinks he'll never get a girlfriend. What will you tell him?
--I'd probably give him the same kind of advice he gave me when I "got dumped" earlier in the survey. And assure him, as the author, that he will find a girlfriend and eventually find true love, if not in the way he expects. *insert evil laugh here*

Number 9 (Sharpe) is too shy to face you, and confesses you their love by sending an e-mail. Now what?
--Uhm..... dare I answer that one? Or do I want to run the risk of being murdered by one of my own characters after the survey is over? No seriously, it's Sharpe. He'd never confess his love to anyone. Not after his heart was broken by *cough*johannahliu*cough*.


~~~~~
FRIENDSHIP PART
Could Number 1 (Evan) and Number 6 (Scott) be soul mates?
--Yeah, they're already pretty close friends, so I don't see why they couldn't pretty much be best friends.

Would Number 2 (Kiran) trust Number 5 (Michael)?
--Yes, Kiran trusts Michael. She stayed with his family for a semester during her sophomore (well, technically her freshman year, but she took sophomore level classes) year, so fall of 2003 as an exchange student.

Number 3 (Hideaki) wants to go shopping, will Number 7 (Emiko) come along?
--Once they start dating then yes.

Number 4 (Sam) is bored and pokes Number 10 (Nate). What happens after that?
--Nate's incredibly ticklish and they're cousins. So it'd probably turn intos some crazy pillow fight/tickle war, especially if Scott is around.

Number 5 (Michael) and Number 1 (Evan) are forced to go back to school together. What study will they pick?
--Well, Michael is a pre-med student in university. Evan studies engineering.

If Number 6 (Scott) and Number 3 (Hideaki) cooked dinner, what would they make?
--Oi, Iluvatar help us...

Number 7 (Emiko) and Number 9 (Sharpe) apply for a job. What job?
--Sharpe already has a job teaching high school chemistry. Emiko would apply for any job that keeps her as far away from her dad as possible.

Number 8 (Tyler) gives Number 2 (Kiran) a haircut. Is that okay?
--Eh...

Number 9 (Sharpe) sketches what Number 6's (Scott) perfect girlfriend should look like.
--Sharpe can't draw.

Number 10 (Nate) and Number 8 (Tyler) are blushing while they talk. What is their conversation about?
--Likely about girls... or about gila monsters or something completely random. Nate tends to blush easily. Tyler doesn't, but his dark skin doesn't lend itself to doing that easily or often. Nate is light-skinned and freckled.

And, uhm, now you know a little bit about some of my characters... I hope that was (a) educational and (b) entertaining. And I also hope that a certain character isn't too upset at me for continually volunteering him for these surveys, but his answers (or lack thereof) are so amusing. ^_^