A Duel of Wits, Part Three

Part Three of A Duel of Wits.

I finally was able to get internet access when I had my computer. Hoorah for taking the laptop down to campus and getting wi-fi at the library!!! So, here you go and I hope you enjoy this. =)

Part One // Part Two

Rated: G

Candace could have kicked herself in the shins for being that wrong. Nearly four and a half hours later, she walked into the staff break room with the sandwich she’d just purchased from the cafeteria. The rest of her morning had been unusually uneventful, other than having to warn Katie Myst and Ronald Flinn to stop talking during class. Come to think of it, even Emiko Takahashi had been more than well-behaved during class. As she entered the lounge, she spotted Shaun Ackerman conversing with Laura Clarkson and Hugh Avery in hushed tones. Not far away, Josiah Alton, the once biology teacher and now administrator, ate his lunch – a cup of soup – in determined silence.

Upon seeing Candace, Josiah motioned over towards her. Relieved to not feel compelled to enter into whatever gossip Laura was spreading, Candace took the seat next to Alton. After a moment of silence, she began to eat her lunch.

“Did you hear what Takahashi’s been planning?” The question from Josiah came as Candace took the first bite of her sandwich. The slightly older administrator smiled. “Go ahead and finish before you answer.”

It took a moment for Candace to swallow the bite she’d just taken. “I take it that you’ve talked to Peter about it?” When Josiah nodded, Candace continued, her voice indignant. “He’s just about the most selfish, arrogant jerk who’s ever lived and I don’t think he cares about anyone else, even that brat of a daughter of his!” In all truth, her heart ached for Emiko, but she refused to admit that aloud. The sophomore caused way more problems in classes than any other student.

Josiah set his soup spoon down and frowned slightly. “Have you talked to Sharpe yet?” There was a short pause. “He has just as much experience and rank as Shaun does and Peter seems to hold him in high esteem.”

Candace shook her head. “Peter said not to, so no.” The clipped tone of her voice told Alton that there was more to her words than she was saying. “And I don’t think he’ll be at the staff meeting later, either.” As succinctly as she could, she told Alton what had happened earlier.

“Unless Peter has something to say that Jedediah hasn’t heard before, I really doubt there’s any reason for him to attend the meeting, other than to help keep the peace.” A grim smirk played across Alton’s face and Candace noticed that Josiah was probably just about the only person she’d ever met who used Sharpe’s first name.

“To keep the peace,” Candace echoed. “If things go how I think they might, you’ll probably be the one doing most of that.” She glanced over at Hugh Avery, making eye contact with the pre-calculus teacher for a short moment before turning back to Alton. “You know most of the staff does not agree with either of us, but I doubt they would want the school closing, either.” She dropped the level of her voice down to a low whisper in an attempt to avoid being overheard. Avery glanced over in their direction, but continued in his own conversation.

Josiah nodded. “Becky already promised she’d support whatever decisions I made, provided that I do everything in my power to keep Maplewood operating and I already know where you stand on this... and where Shaun does.” He took a moment to glance over at Ackerman. “Hugh’s likely to go along with whatever Amy decides, as is Laura, though she’s a bit more easily persuaded.”

“And Takahashi’s damn good at getting people to like him.” Bile rose up in Candace’s throat and Avery turned to glance over at them. “And to listen to what he has to say.” She didn’t feel the need to explain herself... both she and Josiah had known Tetsuya since he had been a student of theirs and he’d changed very little over the years. In fact, Candace firmly held the belief that few people truly changed through the years, particularly those after a person graduated high school.

“That’s what I’m concerned about,” Josiah replied. “With the exceptions of us, Hugh, Shaun, Jedediah, Helen, Lynn, Anthony and Jason, we have a pretty young staff here. Amy’s still young, but she has a good head on her shoulders, as does Julia. I trust them to make the right decision for the students.” His smirk turned into a frown and he glanced towards Laura once more. She was still talking to Ackerman. Hugh Avery was nowhere to be seen and Alton assumed he left the staff lounge. “The rest... well, I’m not so sure.” He took another few bites of soup. “But it’ll all work out in the end, I suppose.”

“How can you be sure?” Much to Josiah’s chagrin, this question did not come from Candace Pruitt. While Alton and Candace had been speaking in hushed tones, Sharpe had entered the staff lounge and was now standing directly behind where Josiah sat. Hugh Avery took the empty seat on the opposite side of Candace.

“I just know,” Josiah glanced up to make eye contact with Sharpe. “Call it a result of faith; call it wishful thinking; call it whatever you want, but I just know everything will somehow work out. Even if it’s not in the way we expect.” He motioned for Sharpe to take a seat and the Latin teacher obliged and sat down. “How long have you been standing there, anyways?”

“Approximately ten minutes, which was sufficient time for me to know the entire contents of your conversation,” Sharpe admitted after a moment. “I walked in just after Candace mentioned Miss Takahashi.”

“So it’s true then?” Hugh Avery had turned towards Candace, choosing to engage her in conversation instead of actively listen to Sharpe make up a good excuse for eavesdropping. He was sure he’d hear about it later. “Tetsuya’s really trying to close the school down?”

Candace narrowed her eyes at the teacher who had once been one of her students. “Yes, but you’d better keep that voice of yours down,” she hissed. Years of teaching had made her far more imposing as an authority figure; anywhere else she probably would not be heeded, due to her small stature. “Peter doesn’t want anyone to know yet, not even the heads or the senior faculty members.”

Avery frowned. “So I guess I’d better pretend this never happened, eh?” Only the slight twinkle in his blue eyes contradicted his apparent seriousness towards the situation.

Candace gave one brief nod. “Josiah and I are the only ones who should,” here she emphasised this word, “know. However, both you and Sharpe and only God knows who all else do. So you’d best shut that mouth of yours, Avery.” It was rare for Candace to call any of the teachers – other than Sharpe – by surname only.

Sharpe nodded at what Josiah said. “I apologise, but as you know, I have sufficient motivation to be concerned, given the situation and who is involved,” his voice was lower than Candace’s voice had been earlier. “As should everyone else.” He paused for a moment and glanced around the room, his dark eyes settling their attention on the clock. “If you will excuse me, I have a few last-minute preparations I must make before class this afternoon. I must make my apologies that I shall be late to the meeting this afternoon, but Peter should start without me.” With that, he took his leave and exited the lounge.

The older teacher frowned. The scientific part of him was so curious to find out what prior engagements Sharpe had after school that would cause him to miss such an important meeting, but his common sense told him it was a bad idea to ask. If it was meant to be, he’d find out. But first, he had to get through the rest of the afternoon, including an appointment with Amy to meet the new IT manager for the school district.

tbc

Quick Updates

So... I finished part three, but I don't have a USB device to bring it to a computer with internet access and therefore, it won't get posted until I do. Sorry about that. Until then, I shall tell you a few things I have realised about characters and writing in general, just to prove that I have not fallen off the face of this spinning planet.

1. Seven McAllistair used to attend Northpointe Academy, where he knew Aislynn Celeste, Rem and Seneca Argentium and Keith Chandler. He is now the IT manager for the school district and works with maitaining the Maplewood Academy webpage and other technological stuff.

2. Rembrandt Argentium and Aislynn Celeste knew each other quite well when they were still in school. In fact, they were in a relationship at one point, which Aislynn broke off for an unknown reason.

3. Tyler Martin and Victoria Chapel are Rule Enforcers (similar to hall monitors) at Maplewood. This is a bit surprising because normally, tenth graders aren't allowed. Apparently they really needed a few good members.

4. There's quite a bit more to Emiko than what meets the eye at first. Even more than I'd ever imagined.

5. Hugh Avery was one of the SATs (basically teacher's assistants) while in high school.

6. Candace calls just about everyone by their first name, except for Sharpe. Alton calls Sharpe by his first name. Hugh Avery also usually calls people by first name only, but Sharpe uses surnames for people.

Hmm... and I think that's all I wanted to share. Hopefully I'll have regular computer access within a week or so or I'll be able to find my USB so that I can upload stories. <_<

A Duel of Wits, Part Two

Go read Part One if you haven't already done so. This is a continuation of the same storyline.

Characters: Sharpe, Michael, Emiko, Fellowship, Candace Pruitt, Peter Screwtape
Rated: G

“What was that all about?” The quiet query came from Tyler Martin and the tall African American boy sat back in his chair and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the black countertop. However, before Michael could answer, Sharpe re-entered the room, followed by an older-looking woman. There was a frown on her face and she was speaking in hushed tones to Sharpe.

“Yes, I am aware of that, Candace,” Sharpe’s voice was equally as quiet and Michael had to strain his ears to pick up even that much of their conversation over the sounds of Katie Myst talking excitedly to Kiran Shasthri, the latter choosing to ignore the perky cheerleader. “You must also remember that I have personal business to which to attend this afternoon.” Absently, he removed a small object from his pocket, gave it one glance and returned it to its original position.

Candace was frowning, her already thin lips pulled into a line. “Not that again, I hope.” Though she was at least a head shorter than Sharpe, her presence was imposing, especially as she glared at him through her spectacles, which were pushed down on the bridge of her nose. “Peter will not be pleased and that will not be beneficial for anyone involved.” She paid little attention to any of the students who were in the classroom, especially since most of them had gone back to their normal activities of passing notes and exchanging answers to the homework for Ackerman’s history class.

Sharpe nodded. “I understand, but I have obligations at four o’clock this afternoon.”

“What time will they be done?” Candace tapped her foot against the tiled floor a few times, an old habit of hers that she’d picked up from her roommate at university. Or maybe Priya had picked the habit up from her; Candace didn’t know and right now, it was not important.

The younger of the two shrugged. “I do not know,” he replied simply, his dark glance circling around the room before returning to Candace. “But as a teacher, I have given students my word that I will be present if I am needed.” There was an awkward pause and he turned back to face some of his homeroom students, making eye contact for a brief moment with Emiko Takahashi. “They need me more than Peter does. Now, if you will excuse me, we can talk about this later.” With that, he crossed over to the front of the room, leaving Candace standing near the door in the back.

The older woman frowned slightly, then walked out of the room, shaking her head. Getting Sharpe– and many of the other younger teachers– to come to these meetings was just about as bad as giving Saami (her cat) a bath. But this meeting was something that was absolutely necessary if they were ever going to resolve their differences and figure out how to save the school. A small muscle near the corner of her mouth twitched. Perhaps Maplewood was not meant to be saved, even by her. As Candace thought about it, it made her sad; the further she walked from the small classroom that Sharpe held his classes in, the more she realised that this might be the end of everything. All that she had worked for all these years might come crashing down, just because some of her co-workers were too immature to swallow their pride and just cooperate with one another. No, she could not let that happen. She would not.

Her resolve steadily increased and firmed itself until she walked into the building that held the offices. She searched her memory in an attempt to figure out why Peter was calling this assembly. Did it have something to do with the school board meeting that she had missed the week before? She knew something must have been said– by Testuya Takahashi, no doubt– and the teacher frowned to herself. Tetsuya had been one of her students back when he was in high school and the chemistry teacher was even the least bit surprised to find that the man had not changed. Before, he was the president of the Student Council; now, a politician who had much power over the school board of Maplewood Academy.

With each passing second, she could feel her heart pound in her chest. She had gone to meet Peter several times before, so why was today any different? She reached out to knock on the door, but it was already part-way open.

“Come in, Candace,” a nasal voice sounded from inside. The voice unmistakably belonged to Peter Screwtape, the principal of Maplewood Academy. “There’s some things we need to talk about before the staff meeting.”

Candace let herself into the rather spacious office that Peter had claimed for himself as soon as Mark Wheeler had vacated his position. “You know I had family obligations the night of the board meeting,” she began, but before she could continue, Peter held up his hand. After a few moments of standing near the doorway, Candace entered the room and took a seat, sitting perfectly upright in her chair. “But I hope that Mr. Takahashi hasn’t gotten his head turned upside-down yet.”

The corners of Peter’s lips turned up the smirk that Candace knew all too well. “Basically, yes,” he admitted. “You know how Tetsuya is, though. I seem to recall you mentioning that he was in your class when he was still a kid.”

The chemistry teacher nodded. She had been teaching at Maplewood for over a quarter of a century and she’d seen her fair share of students pass through the halls, easily learn the rules to name chemical compounds and several tricks to solving the mathematical problems associated with the physical sciences, but fail to learn what she’d termed as the important lessons of high school. “More stubborn than the rest of us put together,” Candace offered. Perhaps Peter didn’t need Sharpe, but Candace felt she did. The younger man always knew how to stand up to the principal.

Peter tilted his head downwards and it was a full minute and a half until he made eye contact with Candace again. “Candace, you must not tell any of the other teachers about this until the meeting, but Takahashi wants the school to close down.” As soon as those words came from Peter’s mouth, Candace paled. There was no possible way this day could get worse, was there?

tbc

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.

Alternate Universe

So... last night I was thinking about the alternate universe and here are a few things I've come up with.

1. Maplewood Academy is still in existence. A few of the teachers from Maplewood are still there (ie, Candace Pruitt, Josiah Alton). Yes, they were characters at RHS, so that's not too odd.

This presents a bit of a problem, as Maplewood required Latin for all its students. There is no Latin teacher at RHS (he retired around 1990, which is about fifteen years before Once Upon an AU takes place).
My solution? Well, we know that Sharpe is fluent in Latin (and took at least three years of it in university). I'd like to get him teaching Latin. But that would leave us without a chemistry teacher at RHS, right? Wrong. Both Candace Pruitt and Josiah Alton are definitely capable of teaching science classes. Candace used to be the chemistry teacher at Maplewood (in the CU), whereas Josiah taught biology. Neither of them really teach anymore by the time the RHS stories take place. Candace is working in the office as the vice-principal and Josiah works with other administration stuff... and occasionally substitutes for other teachers.

2. Hideaki needs to transfer to Maplewood partway through the year. He can't be there in the beginning, but he has to come into the storyline somehow.

If he does end up staying with the Liu family, this could potentially be interesting. This takes place their sophomore year of high school, which would mean that Kiran is staying with Michael's family. If Hideaki joined them, there would be seven kids in the house; that's quite a lot!
If this was not AU, this could cause some potential problems with the general timeline of the other stories. Hideaki isn't supposed to get to know anyone in the fellowship (Michael, Scott, Sam, etc.) until the end of their junior year. However, he does know Emiko quite well by that point.

3. Keith Chandler, Aislynn Celeste, Rem Argentium and Seven McAllistair?

I need to figure out some way to bring these four characters in. Aislynn helps Hugh Avery run the after-school math program at RHS, so she'd probably do something similar at Maplewood. I was thinking that Rem Argentium is the new history teacher. I am not so sure about Seven and what he could do, other than he could potentially come in and fix computers or something like that. And... Keith. I have no idea where he's going to come in. Same thing with some of the Alcanthan students (ie, Callisto Verity, Hana Rei and Donovan Isaacs... and some of their friends).

4. Since this is the AU, then I can give my characters cool powers... maybe. Or maybe not. *shrugs* I've been debating back and forth with that for quite some time and weighing the pros against the cons of the situation.

I already know that Seven has a photographic memory, but that's not too special. And he's always had that; it was part of his original character concept. I'll have to figure out how "realistic" I want to make it. The more realistic it ends up being, the fewer characters who are able to do crazy things will be running around. Though a certain character still needs the ability to disguise herself extremely well...

And those are just a few of the things I've been thinking of recently. Hopefully this piece might actually get written for once, instead of just sitting there with nothing to do. But it'll all depend on how much I figure out about this particular version of the AU I want to build.

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

Checkmate!

So, I was playing chess last night with a friend of mine and an idea came to me. Chess has an important place in almost everything that I write, so I was thinking about bringing it in one major time and uniting a lot of my characters, especially those from the younger generation.

Later, I should probably get out my chess set and actually play out various games or something.

Scene: The Intrascholastic Chess Tournament
Universe: Alternate Universe
Location: Riverdale High School gymnasium
Finalists: Michael Liu, Emiko Takahashi, Evan Saunders, Hideaki Sato
Coach: Sharpe

Four advance to the finals.
Going into finals (by points scored):
First Place: Hideaki Sato (x)
Second Place: Michael Liu (x-5)
Third Place: Evan Saunders (x-7)
Fourth Place: Emiko Takahashi (x-8)
Whoever wins a game will advance to the next round.
X is an arbitrary positive integer.

First Round:
Evan Saunders (white) vs. Emiko Takahashi (black)
Verdict: Emiko ends up beating Evan Saunders. Her strategy is to develop her pawns and bishops, whereas Evan plays heavily with knights, rooks and often his queen. At the end of the game, one of Emiko's pawns reaches the end of the board and turns into a queen, forcing checkmate and ending the game.

Second Round:
Michael Liu (white) vs. Emiko Takahashi (black)
Verdict: Midway though the game, Michael checks Emiko's king with one of his rooks. Her queen captures the rook (eliminating the threat), but one of Michael's knights captures Emiko's queen. A few moves later, he lost his queen to one of Emiko's bishops. At the end of the game, Emiko has a bishop and a knight, while Michael has a rook and two bishops out on the board. You can probably guess how this ends.

Third Round:
Michael Liu (white) vs. Hideaki Sato (black)
Verdict: Unknown. None of the characters will tell me what happened yet, which makes me think it ends in a stalemate.


In other news (which is completely off-topic!), I came up with a new character idea. I don't know what he's like or where he fits into the story, but here's what I have of him so far...

Name: Keith Chandler (aka KC)
Age: 15
Race: Human (at least, he'd better be!)
Gender: Male
Appearance: Straight hair that is long enough to be tied back into a pony-tail (slightly longer than shoulder-length). Always wears a scarf and gloves of some type. Usually wears either regular glasses or sunglasses.
Quirks: Tends to adopt mannerisms of people he is around. Doesn't wear a watch, but can tell the time within a minute.
Pets: Lewis, a gold dust day gecko (rather on the larger side)

Other than that, I really don't know anything about him yet. There is definitely a chance that he knows Rem Argentium, which would tie him into Once Upon an AU. But I really don't know for sure yet. KC's brand-new, so there are still a lot of mysteries about him that I don't yet know.

But he's a character who knows a heck of a lot more than he's saying, which is really starting to irk me!

Edited to Add: I know where KC comes in. And I know what happens at the end of the RHS chess tournament. Hideaki doesn't want to participate in the Interscholastic Chess Championship, so he forfeits to Michael. Michael doesn't want to do it, either; he just wanted to see whether or not he could beat Hideaki. So Emiko ends up playing. And I think I'm going to let Sharpe narrate this piece, even if it's from a third-person POV.

Once Upon an AU- Ideas

Since this is an alternate universe piece, I thought I'd play around with history a bit and change a few things. Some of them are major things.

1. The main characters (Michael, Scott, Sam, Emiko, etc.) all go to Maplewood Academy, which is still in existence. But it won't be if Tetsuya Takahashi has anything to say about it. He wants it torn down because all he sees is corruption within its walls. Unfortunately, he doesn't know anything about the coalition of the four schools... or of the prophecy.

2. In the middle of the story, Hideaki transfers to Maplewood and stays with Michael's family for the rest of the school year. This is their junior year of high school, so the year after Kiran comes to stay with the Liu family.

3. This hasn't been firmly decided on in the regular universe, but for this piece, Emiko and Hana are full sisters. Tetsuya and Stephanie split up after Stephanie was pregnant with Hana. Hana and Emiko have still never met face-to-face.

4. General storyline with all the other characters is still the same. Sharpe is still acting as double agent (he'll never get away from that role!). Ackerman still gets killed at the beginning. They still need a new history teacher to replace him. Rem Argentium is his new replacement. Aislynn Celeste is still the young math teacher under the tutelege of Hugh Avery. Seven McAllistair is still the person who comes in and repairs the computers.

Because of this, well... at Maplewood, school uniforms were required. I'm assuming they'd still be required now. So students have to wear uniforms. Teachers have to wear something similar to uniforms. That will make things interesting...

Emiko tugged on her tie and gritted her teeth. Not only did she have to wear khaki pants (Merlin forbid she wear a skirt!) and a black polo shirt, but she had to wear a burgandy jacket and a ghastly burgandy and silver striped tie to boot. Why couldn't she have gone to some public school instead of a place with a dress code stricter than just about any other institution and a whole bunch of prep kids on top of that? The girl sighed. At least her best friend was transferring here for the rest of the year. Rumor had it that he'd been kicked out his old school, so his uncle and aunt decided to send him here instead. To Maplewood Academy. Home of the Uber Geeks.

Emiko's talking about Hideaki... and the "uber geeks" is mostly a reference to Saunders. Yes, I am bored. Insanely bored. And I got this idea during class today and had to come back to scribble it down. It's not good yet.

Music?

One thing I've noticed when writing is that certain characters have music they want me to listen to when I write them. Normally, I listen to either classical or soundtrack or something else that's primarily instrumental when I write, but when I'm trying to write certain characters, I've found that certain music works best for them. For example, I've found it nearly impossible to write Sharpe and listen to music that's explicitly Christian. In fact, I even have a playlist of songs I listen to while I write him (mostly consisting of alternative music and some soundtrack).

Quick Update

I've just decided that I have a new pet character: Professor Shasthri. I would really like to figure out more about her, but I'm not sure how I will go about doing that. I also want to continue writing an interaction between her and Sharpe, as they play off of each other quite nicely. But Sharpe is being stubborn and not letting me write him at the moment, so that may be easier said than done.

Yes, I realize it has been almost two weeks since I last wrote here, but I haven't had much of a muse as far as writing goes and I've decided that it's not worth forcing myself to write anything of consequence at the moment.

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.

Write more?

I have discovered that I really need to write more, specifically from Snapshots, chapter six. I really need to figure out exactly what happens to Priya Shasthri and how that affects Sharpe and Michael and the conversation they have. I need to figure out if Priya would take Michael home... that is how he would get back home that night because Sharpe doesn't really drive (he doesn't have a car) and it's too late for Michael to walk home (silly thing called curfew that they have).

But it'll have to wait until the end of the chapter to decide because Priya's explanation is going to take awhile. I think I shall go take some time to write now, especially now that I do not have to worry about classes and all of that this week!

Slightly OT: Words and their Meanings

It just came to mind that so many of our English words come from other languages and if we took time to learn bits and pieces of these other languages, how much would our vocabulary (and grammar) increase and become improved?

Through studying Latin last year, I have come to know more about the English language, including the proper uses of who and whom. (The words that I still get confused are affect and effect...) My vocabulary has also increased, though I'm not sure if that's always so readily apparent. But one thing that I've realized about myself is that I learn words by their roots in other languages, most obviously Latin and Greek.

Recently, I've had at least two duh moments when I've come to realize definitions of words and how they're connected. Allow me to explain. Firstly was the word diagnosis. Pretty easy, right? Did you know that it's Greek origin and comes from the same root that the word agnostic comes from? The root gnosis means knowledge, making agnostic to mean without knowledge. This would make sense because agnostics believe that we cannot know for sure about whether or not God is out there. Second duh moment was being told that confidence comes from the Latin roots for con (with) and fidere (to trust). Having studied some Latin, I probably should've realized that.

But what does this have to do with writing? Nothing much in particular, other than noting the fact that some of my characters are bilingual and some of them would pick up on meanings of words like that. I know Sharpe definitely would and possibly characters like Donovan Isaacs or Aislynn Celeste, both of whom speak English and at least one other language fluently (Donovan's fluent in English, Spanish and knows a few words and phrases in French and Aislynn's more than fluent in French).

That is all for now, as I need to go eat breakfast before the day really gets started.

Speculation?

So, I've been thinking a lot about Sharpe's character as of late, so that has been quite interesting. One thing that I've figured out about him (indirectly) is that he and Stephanie Rei knew each other primarily through Jennie Alton, as Stephanie and Jennie were friends while they were in school. So Sharpe was the one who delivered Emiko's Christmas present to her (in this piece). Emiko is fourteen and in ninth grade (her birthday isn't until April), so she would've recognized Sharpe's voice as being familiar.

Also, there should be some reason why he was at the church on Christmas Eve... of all times and places. One would think that Sharpe would rather go on Easter Sunday or just some random day, but not Christmas Eve, mostly because of his history. In fact, in the narration of this piece, it is stated that he does not want to go on Christmas Eve. So why does he?

For this, I can think of only two reasons. One is that someone would have had to force him to go. Since he is an adult and responsible for his own actions, that doesn't seem likely. Plus, he hadn't been to church since high school (when he was living with the Altons) and even then, he didn't go very often.

The other reason that comes to mind is that something in him was drawing him to the service. I don't know what was said or what in that particular service went on other than what Michael is thinking to himself. I would love to know what exactly drew Sharpe to go to church and what drew him to go there on Christmas Eve. Because something did. It honestly doesn't surprise me that he chose to go to the church where Jonathan is a pastor. Since he's had quite a few run-ins with people who are hypocrites, it's kind of really important for him to be somewhere that there aren't as many (if any at all!). And I think he knows that the church that Jonathan works at and that the Altons go to is probably safer than elsewhere.

But there's something that draws my curiousity towards Sharpe. There's so much about him that I don't know yet, even if he is one of my most well-developed characters. I'd love to know if he has read any CS Lewis (one of the most amazing people who has ever lived, by the way!) because I think if Sharpe read anything religious, he would be more likely to read Lewis than anything else. Especially given what I know about CS Lewis from reading a biography on him.

Those are just my thoughts right now. Good night.

Writing and Life

I am just writing because I think I will go crazy if I don't. I have been forced to go be social for the past few days rather than sitting in my room and knitting and watching movies and doing homework, so last night, I spent quite a bit of time talking to one of my friends who also writes. It always makes me really happy whenever I meet someone else who enjoys writing.

It's interesting that I write more characters who are guys. I think I'm more comfortable writing guys than girls to be honest. Not that I don't have female characters, but they just aren't as well developed or prominent. My friend (who is a guy) writes way more female characters. And then I suggested we should write together sometime. It's very different writing with another person compared to writing with only yourself. I doubt I'd be writing Sharpe in such a situation - haha. No really. He's difficult enough to write in a normal situation and he still has a strong enough personality that I can't always write him well (which is frustrating). I need to learn to be more consistent with such an awesome character like Sharpe.

Now that I've written a little bit, I should really get going on my paper (which HAS to be typed). That'll be interesting. Well, and the fact I'm supposed to work on my chemistry lab during the time that I have small group tonight. Bleh.

Character Feature: Sharpe

Just to let you know, I will be finishing this when I am able to type more proficiently, which may or may not be anytime soon. I was going to release this on Thursday, which would be Sharpe's thirty-ninth birthday, but I decided to release what I had earlier.

This picture was drawn by leedom111. The artwork
belongs to her, not to me.

Full Name: Jedediah Victor Sharpe
Date of Birth: February 19, 1970
Birth Family: Gabriel (father), Amanda (mother), Michael Hosea (older brother)
Adopted Family: Josiah and Sherry Alton, Jennie and Mandie (younger sisters)
Place of Birth: New Jersey, USA
Place of Residence: Riverdale, CA. A small apartment (313B Janus Avenue) close to RHS.

High School: Maplewood Academy
Year of Graduation: 1988
Extracurricular Activities: Interscholastic Chess Team, Students Assisting Teachers (SAT)
Faculty Advisor: Candace Pruitt

University: Silicon Valley Institute of Higher Learning (in San Jose, CA)
Years Attended: Fall 1988-Spring 1994
Academic Degrees: BS in Chemistry, Minors in Biology and Physics, Masters in Chemistry
Faculty Advisor: Priya Shasthri, PhD
Extracurricular Activities: Research, Tutoring underdivision students

Former Jobs Held: Research Associate at Kwaitkowski Laboratories International
Current Employment: Chemistry teacher at Riverdale High School, head of the science department, homeroom instructor
Current Employer: Peter Screwtape
Extracurricular Activities Led: Forum Philosophorum (aka Debate Club) with Shaun Ackerman, Interscholastic Chess Team with Candace Pruitt

Series Connections: Maplewood, Riverdale
Allies: Candace Pruitt, Josiah Alton (despite disagreeing most of the time), Jennie Alton, Jonathan Liu, Shaun Ackerman, Hugh Avery, Amy Kerrington
Enemies: Tetsuya Takahashi, Kiyoshi Sato, Laura Clarkson, Peter Screwtape
It's Complicated: Michael Liu, Emiko Takahashi

Stories:
Snapshots Through Time: Chapter One: The Leather Book; Chapter Three: A History Lesson; Chapter Four: Sharpe's Dark Secret; Chapter Five: The Eleventh Hour
Maplewood Chronicles: Making the Squad; Maplewood Chronicles 2; Seeking Solace
University Days: Just Alright
Riverdale and Beyond: A Christmas to Remember; A Good Idea; Substitute Teacher; A Sophomore Saga; Annoyance; Jellyfish; The Dance; Bombing?; Just Another Ordinary Day

Character Connections:
Tetsuya Takahashi: Tetsuya Takahashi and Sharpe went to school together. They were in the same homeroom when they were students at Maplewood (Snapshots, ch1) and were both part of the Interscholastic Chess team (Snapshots, ch5). Sometime during the first month of school, Sharpe made a snide comment at Tetsuya's expense. Takahashi retaliated and things only got worse from there. They have never gotten along with one another and they will never get along with each other, either. However, at the end of their senior year, something of a most curious nature happened. On their day of graduation, Sharpe slipped an old chess piece into Takahashi's hand with a short note. Since then, they have been civil to one another, but barely so. It is only a matter of time until things explode in their faces and something very bad happens.
Candace Pruitt: Candace was Sharpe's high school chemistry teacher and the person who originally recommended him for the SAT program (see above). She was also the faculty sponsor for the chess team. Although strict, Candace has a good understanding of people and she is willing to take chances in order to get the job done. This has saved Sharpe on a number of occasions, most notably when she hired him as the physical sciences teacher at RHS for the 2000-2001 school year. Their relationship mostly consists of mutual respect mixed with a bit of annoyance.
Shaun Ackerman: If you didn't already know this, Shaun Ackerman is the history teacher at RHS and is incredibly religious. He and Sharpe have been acquainted with one another since high school because Shaun graduated in 1987. Shaun also co-runs the Debate Club with Sharpe; having two people who are extremely polarized in opposite directions may not have been the best choice on Candace's part when she asked both of them to be staff advisors. They seem to interact in a similar manner as Captain Picard and Q (on Star Trek: TNG) do. Despite all of this, there is a mutual respect. When Shaun is killed at the beginning of Once Upon an Alternate Universe, Sharpe is both upset and regretful.
Laura Clarkson: Sharpe and Laura have a love-hate relationship taken to the extreme. She's the biology teacher at RHS and originally from Texas. He is her boss and they are both able to figure out every possible way to irk the other. She finds out he is afraid of jellyfish when he is helping her prepare for one of her labs and she (innocently) asks him if he wants to go to the staff Valentine's Day party.
Hugh Avery:
Jennie Alton:
Jonathan Liu:
Hideaki Sato:
Michael Liu:
Emiko Takahashi:
Kiyoshi Sato:
Rose McGonigall: Rose was probably Sharpe's only close friend in high school.
Peter Screwtape:
Priya Shasthri:

Background:

Personality:

Physical Appearance:

to be finished at a later date

Snapshots Musings?

So, I was thinking a little more about where I'm taking Snapshots. At the end of chapter five, Dr. Priya Shasthri shows up at Sharpe's apartment. Chapter six will be spent with her, Michael and Sharpe conversing in some sort of manner that is yet to be determined. One thing I've found out about Sharpe is that he doesn't always react the way I think he will, so that should be interesting to write. But it ends with Dr. Shasthri leaving.

Earlier I was wondering how Michael would get back home (or if he would). The logical way would be for Professor Shasthri to give him a ride back to his house, thus leaving Sharpe alone at night. But when she's driving back, I'm not sure if she should talk to Michael at all. Like if he asks her any questions, I don't know if she would answer him. I guess that would depend on what happens earlier in chapter six, which is still yet to be written.

I'm thinking Michael would mostly play the part of an observer and I'm pretty sure I want to skew the narration more to his POV for most of the conversation. I don't imagine him taking explicit part in what's going on, but he should be more of an observer and commentator. I'm not doing first-person POV for this, but rather shifting the narration ever so slightly to include more of Michael's thoughts and his biases. I've shifted POV slightly throughout all the chapters. Like in chapter 1, most of it was Sharpe (though some of Michael). Chapter two was Michael's POV. Chapter three shifted quite a bit. Chapter four was Sharpe and the fifth chapter was mostly Michael's POV, though the omnicient narrator claims the ability to change it whenever she desires!

Not really, but still. I do need to write some, because I miss it so much. It makes me sad. And... I really want to delve deeper into that piece I wrote with Sharpe. There's something that happened to him that he's not saying and I want to know what that is and if he ever tells anyone. I would also love to go into and explore a philosophy class from Sharpe's POV, which will be a huge challenge... not only because I've never done anything of that sort before, but also because out of all my characters, Sharpe is the most complicated and we don't exactly see eye-to-eye, though I think I can understand where he's coming from.

Brief Snippet?

So... my roommate and I were talking last night about characters and such and something struck me that I really hadn't thought of before. Sharpe is a lot more rough (for lack of something better to call him) towards Michael than he is towards Hideaki... or even really anyone else. The thing is that he knows Michael can handle it and Hideaki can't as well as Michael can. Plus, if Michael's going to grow as a person, he needs to be pushed and Sharpe realizes that.

Sharpe's pretty unique amongst my characters, I think. He possesses the unique ability to read people insanely well, but it's a learned skill for him. I don't remember whom he's talking to at this point (possibly Hugh Avery), but he remarks that he has always been a loner and studies people in order to learn more about them. This implies that his ability to read people hasn't always been as good as it is now. Well... or if you read anything about him when he's younger, you can find out that's true. Sharpe's just wierd.

But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about right now... I wanted to talk about something that happens later in Snapshots. And yes, there are spoilers here. So, Sharpe is spending time with both Michael and Jonathan Liu and when all is said and done, Michael has heard some things that he would have really rather not heard... and that Jon's not sure Michael should have been told yet. So Michael basically runs away (unlike Scott, Michael has a good sense of direction, so getting lost isn't an issue).

The door slammed shut and Jon turned to leave. He had to follow Michael... he had to go after his son. This never should have happened. Michael was too young to know all of this. Even though Michael was a good sixteen years of age, Jon would never have expected his own mistakes to weigh so heavily on his son.

Sharpe placed a hand on Jon's shoulder, stopping the older man in his steps and holding him back."Let him go. He needs to take care of this on his own." There was a certain gravity to Sharpe's voice that could not be mistaken for anything other than concern. "There is nothing we can do for him now." He was aware that those words sounded insensitive, cruel even, but he had to say them.

"What'd we do wrong?" Jon's voice was doubtful, questioning. He glanced up at Sharpe and their eyes met for a long moment.

Sharpe could only shake his head. "Nothing," he replied in a near whisper. "He needs to work this out on his own and there is nothing you could have done that would have made this any easier." The lines on his face creased as his thin lips drew into a frown. "He will come back, but please, do not go after him... not now."

Not only is Michael going to get it when he gets back, but apparently Sharpe knows him better than anyone thought was the case. Michael does come back... it just takes awhile.

But that is it for now. I just thought I should update this... and actually write something for once. I am still working on chapter six.

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.