Five Year Illumination (A Reunion Tale). Updated 8/02

[Wolfiermz]

Well, you've seriously stirred this up a few notches since I last read it. Very good character renditions, specifically Rin. The thing I see is that I really can't imagine the path this story will go through. You've put a mighty weight of characters in your shoulders, I'll just sit around and see how it all turns out.
Special congratulations on the Kenji-Yuuko relationship, that was very cool of you, and if you look at it, it does make some wicked Kenji-sense.

[Walshy12238]

I'm really enjoying this fic, and I can sort of see where it's going... maybe. I dunno, I guess the Emi-Hisao thing would have precedence (at least that's the way I see things playing out), but who knows? For all I/we know, you could take this in a completely different direction.
As the gentleman/lady above me said, I'm just going to sit here and wait to see how it goes. Keep up the great work!

[LOL WUT]

Oh what? A new part?

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAH

The new part follows Kenji

Wha- Why

Kenning is dating Yuuko

FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

[Helbereth]

Well, you've seriously stirred this up a few notches since I last read it. Very good character renditions, specifically Rin. The thing I see is that I really can't imagine the path this story will go through. You've put a mighty weight of characters in your shoulders, I'll just sit around and see how it all turns out.
Special congratulations on the Kenji-Yuuko relationship, that was very cool of you, and if you look at it, it does make some wicked Kenji-sense.

Oh, I certainly have a plan mapped out. A lot can happen in two days. The Kenji/Yuuko thing is a common assumption among fans, and I thought it made sense. I ran with the idea and wove it with my own perspective.

I'm really enjoying this fic, and I can sort of see where it's going... maybe. I dunno, I guess the Emi-Hisao thing would have precedence (at least that's the way I see things playing out), but who knows? For all I/we know, you could take this in a completely different direction.
As the gentleman/lady above me said, I'm just going to sit here and wait to see how it goes. Keep up the great work!

The Emi/Hisao thing will play a big role, no doubt. I don't think that's giving anything away. There are hints at other issues all over the previous chapters, though. Not the least of which is that Kenji is really there to extend an olive branch for his behavior. There's also Rin and the blind artist thread, Shizune's boyfriend, and other tribulations waiting to be resolved - or in some cases, discussed.

I'm fully aware that I'm weaving a lot of different characters into the plot, but I'm pretty organized about the ordeal. I'm finally hitting a stride with the narrative depth, too, I think. The Kenji part, in particular, is probably the best 2000 words I've ever written.

Oh what? A new part?

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAH

The new part follows Kenji

Wha- Why

Kenning is dating Yuuko

FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

A little hint:

The phrases -his woman- and -bearer of future generations- are very important.

I don't exactly come right out and say what they mean, but if you're paying attention, they're tactical descriptive bombs. I didn't want to go right out and say what I meant so I could maintain some suspense with Kenji's flashbacks. If you read over it a second time, you'll probably catch on - once everything else is in context.

Don't look here unless you have a pretty good idea what that means: Kenji and Yuuko aren't just dating, they're married; and Yuuko is pregnant. Yeah, I'm going there.

[Dr. Robotnik]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KENJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are the staff going to be in this at all? Because it could get kinda stale pretty quick if there are only 3 main groups.

[Helbereth]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KENJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are the staff going to be in this at all? Because it could get kinda stale pretty quick if there are only 3 main groups.

Well, the groups don't necessarily stay together throughout. There are 6 headed there in the same car, 2 in another, and 2 in another, and I've also brought Miki and Suzu into the story a bit - though I haven't decided how much to follow-up with them. There's no reason they wouldn't wander about separately and mingle.

As for the staff, I do plan to include them as well, where it becomes appropriate. I think Hisao will want to see Mutou, since he's pursuing a similar career, and Mutou had a lot of influence in that regard. Emi probably keeps in touch with Nurse, still. Rin might end up running into Nomiya - perhaps even Sae. Lilly could have reason to see Miyagi, etc.. I haven't decided any of that specifically.


As for going into the head of one of the staff members, I'm not sure. I've already visited the minds of... 9 characters, I think? Hisao, Lilly, Misha, Shizune, Samantha, Hanako, Kenji, Rin and Emi... yeah 9. Some more extensively than others. Would a few more additions to that roster be too many? If I remember right, when I read the Demon Wars series (R.A. Salvatore) he spent time inside the head -or at least looking through the eyes- of almost every character.

There is an assembly planned at some point during the day for the alumni to meet, so those kinds of interactions could happen there. I could just as easily jump inside Mutou's head as he wanders the somewhat-empty halls of Yamaku trying to find a quiet place to read, or Miyagi outside wandering the festival, or some other literary concoction.

TL:DR
As a vehicle for conflict, character clashing and other intriguing plot devices, a class reunion and a festival combined create a lot of opportunities. I have no intention of half-assing that idea.

[Dr. Robotnik]

Is Miyagi actually the English teacher or was that just fanon? Or are you talking about Pat Morita (please let it be that)?

[Helbereth]

Is Miyagi actually the English teacher or was that just fanon? Or are you talking about Pat Morita (please let it be that)?

Honestly, I have no idea whether Miyagi is just a fan invention or not. I'm not privy to nor able to accurately distinguish her from the complete list of canon characters. It's a common enough thread in other fictions, though. Common enough that I wouldn't feel wrong using her in this story, anyway.

I don't think there's anything wrong with using the lexicon of fan-made characters in most cases - or making references to other fictions. At least where added characters are concerned. Characters written in to replace Hisao would toss the story balance quickly if added to a tale such as mine. As long as they fit into the world well enough, it shouldn't matter whether they're canon or not. I may even use characters from my other fanfic as cameo appearances; whom are all added to the KS world rather than replacing anyone. I've been filling up class 3-1 in that story, which I haven't seen anyone else attempt (it's damn fun, too).

I don't think I'd delve into their heads, though, since people reading this will want to get perspective from the canon characters mostly. Dropping into Samantha's head for a while was a difficult decision, even. I originally had no intention of doing so, but when it came to the point of writing that particular scene -I was going to jump back in Hisao's head- I decided to just go with my gut and have a look through a character that was just introduced to Lilly and Hisao. It made it a little more dynamic, I think, and was a better way to get her character across. It also helped add more depth to Lilly and Hisao - especially the little internal quips like thinking Hisao's English makes him sound like Jackie Chan.

I excused it because Samantha isn't just a cameo OC - her character has more depth than that. It was for the good of the story, I told myself.

TL:DR
I think the point is that I'm writing this to write it. I'll try not to step on the original VN in the process, but I won't guarantee everything in the world will be as you might have imagined. It will be as I imagined.

[nemz]

The book -which I did try to come up with a realistic equivalent for, but my research led nowhere-

Ahem. THIS with a side order of THAT for flavor.

[Helbereth]

The book -which I did try to come up with a realistic equivalent for, but my research led nowhere-

Ahem. THIS with a side order of THAT for flavor.

Nice to see someone was more successful than myself. I don't think I need to be specific about the book in any case. Just looking at the titles, though, they look like they'd make great catalyst candidates for Kenji's delusions. I think I'd rather leave it more ambiguous, since the issue is what the book did rather than what it said. Action speaking louder than words and all that hogwash.

[griffon8]

That's at least three stories that have made a reference to Suzu playing Battleship with Death. It's now Fanon. Too bad Bill & Ted did it first.

[Hoitash]

That's at least three stories that have made a reference to Suzu playing Battleship with Death. It's now Fanon. Too bad Bill & Ted did it first.

Better then the old chess cliche, at least.

I prefer poker with Death, myself.

[Helbereth]

That's at least three stories that have made a reference to Suzu playing Battleship with Death. It's now Fanon. Too bad Bill & Ted did it first.

Better then the old chess cliche, at least.

I prefer poker with Death, myself.

How the hell would you read Death's poker face?

That would be ridiculously unfair, don't you think?

"He's bluffing."

"How can you tell?"

"I saw him smile."

"What?"

"His nose twitched."

"Are you mocking me?"

"I swear, he moved his eyebrows."

"We're not friends anymore."

Also, yeah, I pretty much added that quip because of Scissorlips. I did, however, figure out a decent profession Suzu could work toward and have a lot of creative inspiration for, as well as the ability to perform without fear of injury. So you can put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Dr. Robotnik]

That's at least three stories that have made a reference to Suzu playing Battleship with Death. It's now Fanon. Too bad Bill & Ted did it first.

Better then the old chess cliche, at least.

I prefer poker with Death, myself.

I'd face him in Brawl. He doesn't really seem like the kind of guy who would be very good at it.

[Hoitash]

That's at least three stories that have made a reference to Suzu playing Battleship with Death. It's now Fanon. Too bad Bill & Ted did it first.

Better then the old chess cliche, at least.

I prefer poker with Death, myself.

I'd face him in Brawl. He doesn't really seem like the kind of guy who would be very good at it.

Well, there's this crack fic, and in it, Death from Discworld is the dealer, so that's where I got the idea.

Actually playing with Death might suck, you guys have a point there.