Developments (Post-Lilly NE) [Complete, 2015-08-11]

[Leaty]

It's a little sad, though, to see that unlike Hisao, Iwanako seems to have gotten a little colder in her interactions, and she was never all that warm to begin with. At this point, maybe I'm reading too far into the limited dialogue we get...? (Or I just love cold-yet-secretly-lonely characters.)

Iwanako might be a little colder, but I suspect by this point she's considerably less lonely than she's been at any other time we've seen her in either timeline.

If you're looking at Iwanako solely as a quasi EMT, why not try to ship him with the more-reliable and level-headed Mai?

I can't exactly see things from Mrs. Nakai's perspective, but I suspect that the reason she never tried to hook up Hisao with Mai is because she's more than a little turned off by Mai's unladylike demeanor. It would not be dignified for her son to have such a wife. Iwanako, on the other hand, would come off more as a Polite Young Woman™, so it doesn't surprise me that Hisao's mom would gush over her. (I really doubt Mrs. Nakai picked up on Iwanako's emotional instability, narcissism and occasional wanton cruelty, and I wonder if they'd even be dealbreakers if she did.)

[dewelar]

If you're looking at Iwanako solely as a quasi EMT, why not try to ship him with the more-reliable and level-headed Mai?

I can't exactly see things from Mrs. Nakai's perspective, but I suspect that the reason she never tried to hook up Hisao with Mai is because she's more than a little turned off by Mai's unladylike demeanor. It would not be dignified for her son to have such a wife. Iwanako, on the other hand, would come off more as a Polite Young Woman™, so it doesn't surprise me that Hisao's mom would gush over her. (I really doubt Mrs. Nakai picked up on Iwanako's emotional instability, narcissism and occasional wanton cruelty, and I wonder if they'd even be dealbreakers if she did.)

Or, she knows the whole story, and therefore thinks that if she hooks him up with one, she gets the other in the deal .

[dewelar]

Oh, dear, the library reopens today, so the floodgates are about to open again. Yukina's picking me up in ten minutes and I'm not dressed. I want to wear something different. Oh, if only I had different. Everything here is winter, and this is still summer, technically, although summer break is over. It's not like I'll be out of place if I wear that same dress. Is it? Yamaku doesn't even have winter uniforms – I don't know how those girls can manage with those short skirts year-round.

*** HONK HONK ***

She's here! Now where's my other shoe?

"Good morning, Yuuko!"

"Oh, Mrs. Shiromizu! Good morning!"

"In a hurry as usual, I see. I hope the next time I see you, I will also see the rent in your hand."

"Yes! I'm sorry! I meant to go to the bank yesterday, but while I was in the city I crashed into a light pole with my bike, and I had to get that fixed, so..."

"Yes, yes, just make sure I have it before the end of the day."

"I will, Mrs. Shiromizu!"

*** HONK HONK ***

"I'm coming, Yukinaaaaaa..."

Welcome to Yamaku Library, do you need to check out a book?

Welcome to Yamaku Library, can I help you with anything?

Welcome to Yamaku Li—ah!

"Yuuko?"

"Ah! Welcome to Ramikin Yandere! Did you check to book out a need?! Um...I mean...awww, sorry, Yukina..."

"Hahaha...I was about to say that you seem a little calmer this morning, but I guess you were just asleep. Have you tried using that meditation technique I told you about?"

I'd forgotten about that, but I can't say that to her..."No, actually I'm glad to be going back to work at the library. It's so much less stressful than the Shanghai, and I just like all the people there."

"What about that Kamisaka boy you told me about the other day? The one who confessed to you? Anything going to happen with you?"

"Um...well...he's...nice, but I don't like him that way. Besides, the girl he replaced is coming back, so I won't be working with him anymore anyway."

"Oh, the one from Scotland? I thought you said she'd moved away for good."

"I thought she had, too, but she changed her mind. At least I don't have to train anybody new again."

"Yes, that sounded like a hassle. Well, see you tonight!"

"Yes! Thanks, Yukina!"

I have my keys, right? Can't open the library without...yep, got it. Wait, what? Someone's actually camped out...Hanako, maybe? No, her hair's way too short...actually she's way too short. She's in uniform, so definitely a student...

"Yuuko, right?"

"Eh! Um...yes, are you waiting for the library to open...um..."

"Yoshimura. Yeah, I was." Okay, key, key, this one! "I'm not surprised you don't remember me. I don't think I've been here more than once or twice since Rika showed me around. So, uh, I'm just gonna look around, so do what you do and I'll let you know if I need you."

"Okay, you...I'll be over here if...um, right!" I didn't even have to remember what to say right away and I still stumbled over it! I promised myself I wouldn't do that, and I practiced so hard...oh, good, not too many books in the return box, either. Hmm...still a few missing ones...that sounds like a rolling cane approaching. Yoshi? Unless someone else has one now...no, it's Yoshi...oh, dear, what do I say?

"Um...welcome back, Yuuko." He sounds nervous...well of course he sounds nervous. This is the first time I've seen him, or, well, he's...he's...encountered? me since I...that is, he hasn't been to the Shanghai, so... "I brought the request list for this term. Sorry I didn't get it to you sooner, but...well, things have been..."

"No, it's all right! I guess it might have been awkward, I guess, after what happened? If it was so much trouble, you could have just given it to Lilly, but you're here already so I guess I'll take it now. Ehehe..."

"Yeah, here. I wanted to get here early so I could apologize for the other day. I figured if I got here early enough, nobody would be here yet except maybe Ikezawa..."

"Um, no, well, Ikezawa's not here...actually, the only one here is an underclassman. Katayama's friend...Yoshimura, I think?"

"Noriko? Noriko's here? Man, I've been looking for her all week! Can you tell me where she is?"

"She's over by the computer terminals."

"Thanks so much!" Oh, thank goodness that conversation didn't continue. I wonder what he wants with Yoshimura?

"Good morning, Yuuko."

"Ah! Sorry, how can I...oh, thank goodness it's you, Lilly. Things are already off to a rough start."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I expect it won't last. It is always difficult to get back into the flow of things after some time away, after all. Speaking of which, now that I'm resuming my duties, is there anything you need me to do right away?"

"Actually, yes. Kamisaka just handed me the list of new requests from your class."

"Only just now? My, my, but he does tend to procrastinate, doesn't he? I told him I wouldn't cover for him again after he was late handing in the financial report for the Yamaku festival. It caused quite the stir with my cousin."

"Ha ha ha...well, since I don't have anything else, could you cross-check the list for me?"

"Of course. However, I am going to be tutoring someone this morning, so I only have a short time..."

"Oh, I'm sorry! Don't worry about it, then, I can check them myself when I'm done going through the returns, or we can do it later..."

"It's no trouble at all, Yuuko. It will go faster if I do it anyway, at least until the person I'm meeting arrives."

As expected, she's stepping right back into things without missing a beat. "That's true. Yes, that would be very helpful, thank you very much."

Still, something about her face looks different...

Is this book even one of ours? I don't see a stamp on the cover..."Hey, Yuuko!"

"Oh, Emi! Welcome back. Did you need something?"

"Actually, someone, and she's right over there. Hey, Lilly! Sorry I'm late, but...heh heh, well, I'm still getting used to walking through the building. Throws off my timing something fierce."

"Good morning, Emi. I seem to recall you not being particularly punctual in the past, either. Yuuko, as you've probably guessed, Miss Ibarazaki is my tutoring appointment, so I'm afraid this will have to wait until later."

"Um, by all means, please go ahead! I have the request list to handle anyway."

"Oh, yeah, Yuuko, Hisao gave me a list of books to pick up for him, so can I just give this to you?"

Why does Emi have Hisao's list? "I suppose..."

"Thanks! Also, can I talk to you later? I wanna ask you a few things about what college is like."

"Um, tomorrow might be better..."

"Yeah, okay, sounds good! You sure this isn't bothering you, Lilly?"

"Not at all. So, if Hisao's not here, does that mean you've decided not to have him help you?"

"Yep, that's right! In fact, I've forbidden him from coming here when I'm studying with you! I want no distractions what-so-EVER!"

Wait, does that mean Hisao's dating EMI? I thought for sure he'd be with Hanako...

"Quite understandable. Shall we get started, then?"

Lilly and Emi start to walk away, but I can still hear Emi. "Oh, by the way, Lilly, Rin said she wanted to paint something for you. Something about, she wanted to talk to someone with...some kind of thing where they can hear colors or something, and make something that sounded white?"

"Ah, you mean synaesthesia?"

"Yeah, weird, huh? Anyway..." Emi's voice trails off, and I'm just looking at the list of books she handed to me when I hear the familiar sound of snapping fingers. Turning around, I see Shizune, for some reason without Misha.

[Good morning, Shizune.] I learned sign when I first started working here, but with Shizune I usually let Misha interpret so she can keep learning, too, which is good because I don't have to worry about whether what my hand is doing is something strange...

[Good morning, Yuuko. I was hoping you might help me with something. I'm doing some research on a university I'm considering attending, but the administrative office didn't have what I needed.]

[That's odd. What school were you interested in?]

[Specifically, I'm looking for information on the De-za-u-te-ru-zu Faculty of Management.]

I start to shake a bit, because at first I don't know what she means. Then it strikes me. "Ah!" I say aloud, then return to signing. [Desautels? In Tokyo? I think they only have a master's program.]

[No,] she says, smiling and adjusting her glasses. [I'm talking about their home campus at Ma-gi-ru University.]

Home campus? Wait...that would be...McGill? In CANADA?

[I don't have anything here right now, but I can request some information. It may take a few days, though.]

[That would be fine, Yuuko. I'm just looking into it right now, but if it meets my needs it will be one of my top choices.]

[Yes, I'll request the material right away!]

* * * *

Whew, it's finally lunch time. As I thought, things were hectic here. I still haven't even looked at..."Good morning, Yuuko."

Oh, Hanako's here? I expected...oh, I'll just ask her. "Good morning, Hanako! I thought you'd be here earlier. Is everything all right?"

Hanako...smiles at me? A real smile, and not just one of her small ones? Am I smiling for real, too? "Everything's fine. I'm h-here to pick out some books and I...I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? What did I do to be thanked for?"

Hanako leans in close and whispers, "For...letting me use your camera before." She leans back again. "I'm...g-going to try for a career in photography. I'll be in M-Misaki's care from now, so...um...well, I probably won't b-be here as often as I used to."

"Really? Oh, that's great, Hanako! I mean, I'll miss seeing you, so that's not great, but...I mean, I'm glad you found something...well, that is, I'll be rooting for you!"

Hanako smiles again – she looks really cute when she does that. "Okay, then, I'll go f-find the books..."

Wow, she's really different now, isn't she? It's a nice different, though. Come to think of it, so is Emi, and that Yoshimura girl suddenly coming here...and Shizune leaving Japan? I never would have expected that...even Lilly seems like she's different...less guarded, maybe? And Yoshi...ah, Yoshi, I'm sorry, but...well, from the look of it he and Yoshimura are getting along well, so I'm happy if that's the case.

"Hi, Yuuko. Emi's still here, right?"

"Oh, Hisao! I'm sorry, I was just..."

"It's fine, Yuuko. Do you have those books ready for me?"

"Books...oh, the list Emi gave me! Yes, here they are!"

"Thanks, Yuuko." Something's different about Hisao, too. It's like he's...more confident, maybe? I suppose that might have something to do with Emi, and they're smiling...and...Hanako's going to greet them? Well, Lilly's there...and...all four of them are leaving together? That's...that's...

That's wonderful, isn't it? I'm not sure how it happened, but I'm not going to question it. It's like everything is new for all of them – a new term, a new chapter, maybe a new book, or even a new life. It seems like they've all been through a lot this year, but that's what it means to be young. There's a lot of their story still to come.

Still a lot of story...

...maybe even mine.

====

Prev | FIN

[Alpacalypse]

It is done. May we salute, with tears of fond farewell, the longest linear story that the 'renai has ever known. (;_;)7 (;_;)7 (;_;)7

Seriously, though, congrats! I have to admit, I wasn't sure this thing would ever be finished when I arrived on the forums, but you proved me wrong. In an extremely well-written manner, too Heck, you even managed to squeeze in a Yuuko POV. I like it.

It feels inadequate to say this, but excellent work, Dewelar! So, Developments is over. Now what do we do...?

[forgetmenot]

What a nice epilogue.

Congratulations on finishing. Excellent work.

[azumeow]

Sorry to see this story go, all in all. It was a fun ride, but every ride must end (except for Mr Bones' Wild Ride, that is!)

Ya dun good. Ya dun good.

[Leaty]

I start to shake a bit, because at first I don't know what she means. Then it strikes me. "Ah!" I say aloud, then return to signing. [Desautels? In Tokyo? I think they only have a master's program.]

[No,] she says, smiling and adjusting her glasses. [I'm talking about their home campus at Ma-gi-ru University.]

Home campus? Wait...that would be...McGill? In CANADA?

EEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee

I can't believe I'm so excited about what that means for Shizune's relationship for her mother, but I am. This is the best.

Anyway... I don't have time for a lot of words right now, but I'm both happy and sad we're done. On one hand, the completion of a fanfic represents its apotheosis—so I'm overjoyed my favorite KS story finally got there. But on the other hand... No more Developments! It's been such a reliable fixture in my life.

I think that, at some point I might have to write some more Developments fic to fill some of that void. In the meantime, maybe I'll have more opportunities to use Taka-Taka in MTtB.

[Oscar Wildecat]

Cast aside the illusion that there is a beginning and end to the story. The story has no beginning. And it has no end. All there is, is a performance of people connecting, living, influencing each other, and departing. ~Gustav Saint Germain (Baccano!)

Let me just say that I'm happy to see this story fully become developed...

[Hesmiyu]

It is done. May we salute, with tears of fond farewell, the longest linear story that the 'renai has ever known. (;_;)7 (;_;)7 (;_;)7

Seriously, though, congrats! I have to admit, I wasn't sure this thing would ever be finished when I arrived on the forums, but you proved me wrong. In an extremely well-written manner, too Heck, you even managed to squeeze in a Yuuko POV. I like it.

It feels inadequate to say this, but excellent work, Dewelar! So, Developments is over. Now what do we do...?

I guess we will wait and see what Dewelar *puts on sunglasses* develops.

I'm sorry, maybe

[brythain]

Ah, thank you for a sweet epilogue that remains true to your slice-of-life vision! It's sad to see Developments come to an end—that's my initial sensation, a kind of bittersweet satisfaction with something well done but over, and hence not to be done again. My other response is that this is an excellent Library anniversary piece as well!

Thanks again, then, for being one of those who inducted me into the world of KS fanfic, and did it so pleasantly and well.

[Blank Mage]

And there's the epilogue, and with it the last of the Developments. Now, what was it I said? Four-odd paragraphs of praise? Well, let's see how this turns out.

First and foremost, congratulations on completing what easily stands as one of the most ambitious stories on the forum. It's not even subjective; Developments is nothing short of a novel, a page turner that never failed to impress. The complex interaction of so many personalities was never predictable, but never out-of-character. Each point of view was grounded and real, perfectly crafted to bring out their best and worst. I still hold your Hanako as being among the best on the forums, but Lilly, Shizune, Hisao, Emi... each of them are portrayed without embellishment or alteration, and you simply allowed the strength of their personality to drive your story, without the convoluted plot devices or contrived twists. And sure, there have been some rough patches along the way, but in the end, each of them walks away with more than they had at first.

And the plot! I can't do the plot justice here, because I'd have to reread the whole thing just to remember all the things I have to compliment. How many threads have you tied up to get us here, I wonder? The Lilly/Hanako friendship, the Hanako/Emi rivalry, the internal strife of the Satou family, and of course Shizune's mother, alcohol and terrible decisions, misunderstandings and reconciliations, all culminating in an epic war for Hisao's defective heart. I remember back when I was only reading to root for Hanako. Ah, I was so young and naive back then, back when I thought that winning Hisao was the only real issue at hand, that this story was so binary as to have 'winners and losers'. You single-handedly got me to like Emi, and seeing Hanako grow despite losing the race has been heartwarming as a reader and humbling as a writer.

I've already said that I'm jealous of your pacing, because I honestly have no idea how you managed to write sixty chapters of anything and have it stay engaging throughout. And even crazier, you managed to weave dozens of subplots into your story, each of them enriching your world with nuances and details that I would never have even thought to mention. Noriko and Yoshi, Taka and Natsume, Rin and Meiko, and a thousand little developments all sprinkled throughout the narrative from beginning to end. I mean, how many head-canons have you spread by now? How many minds do you think you've blown over the years? Is there anyone on this forum who doesn't love Development's take on the Hakamichi family? No, there isn't, because those ideas are basically just accepted as canon. And they should be! They're incredible! I wish, oh how I wish that I had the kind of insight it takes to dream up something as eye-widening as those moments, the ones where everything you weren't considering snaps into place like a dislocated joint. What was it I said back when you pulled out Meiko's alcoholism? I think it was 'you magnificent bastard'. I think you've made me legitimately yell at the screen once or twice.

And you posted each of them like some kind of atomic clock! Unfortunately, I am now intimately familiar with how hard it is to release things regularly! If you took months between chapters, I wouldn't have been surprised. If you wrote with half the quality you did, I wouldn't have batted an eye. That you managed to write all of this in a reasonable, no, a shockingly brief time frame is nonsense to me. I had your future updates marked on a damn calendar. (Although I did kind of drop off the map at one point. Hehe. Sorry.) And throughout it all, you were always on hand to proofread, offer advice and suggestions to aspiring readers (I'll finish that Hanako/Shizune New Years piece, I swear,) reading more KS fic than is probably healthy and staying one of the active members on the board. The only reason I can't say you're the most active is because Brythain exists, but that's hardly your fault.

So, in short, (you know, now that you've read all of that,) thank you for the amazing story. It's been entertaining, emotional, engaging, and all-around excellent in ways I didn't know amateur writing could ever be before having joined this board. I'm happy to list this as one of my favorite fan-fics in any fandom, let alone KS, and as sad as I am to see it end, I can only selfishly hope that it paves the way for another story, and if it does, that you'd allow us the privilege of submitting another hundred pages of speculation, consideration, and adoration in the comments.

----------------
I'll be around, hoping you will be as well. -Blank Mage

[dewelar]

It's finally complete. Developments, two years, 60 chapters, five interludes, one epilogue, and hundreds upon hundreds of fun, insightful, and always greatly appreciated comments from its beginnings, is complete. My little story has grown in leaps and bounds far beyond anything I ever dreamed two summers ago, and in truth is nothing like it was supposed to be. So, in honor of that completion, here's a little background on how it came to be.

When I first read Katawa Shoujo, and especially after reading a few of the already-existing stories like Sisterhood: Original (and still best) Flavor, Weekend at Hisao's, and Tomorrow's Doom, I knew I needed to write something. My first idea was for something involving Rin, which turned into the ill-fated Diary of Rin Tezuka. I realized that doing something like that would be too close to me, so I then settled on following up the ending which I felt had to be addressed, Lilly's Non-Good Ending. My original idea, which I expressed to Guest Poster way back when this story was still in its embryonic stage, was to have Hanako and Hisao undergo a role reversal -- after Lilly left, it would be Hanako having to draw Hisao out of his shell. However, when I started realizing it, my own headcanon interfered. Given where I felt Hanako's state of mind would be, she would need to do a lot of growing to get there.

Enter Emi. Emi was my introduction to KS, and I enjoyed her route the most out of all of them. Also, she was my reading partner's favorite character, and I quickly found that writing for her was just sheer joy. Also, I didn't really feel like any of the existing fan works did her any real justice. I said once to SpunkySix that one of my continuing reasons for writing Developments was to write the best Emi story out there. I don't know how close I came, but I'd like to think I did fairly well. Once I got there, I realized that I was suddenly telling not one story, but three. Each of the three characters needed to grow in order for them to get where I wanted them to go, so they each needed a path to follow. Then more characters started getting involved, and then a few chapters in I decided I wanted to bring Lilly back and tell her story more fully...and here we are.

The title "Developments" was supposed to have a double meaning. I've said to a few people that one of the early plot threads was to have been Hanako's growing interest in photography, and that Misaki and Rin were both supposed to play larger roles. Sadly, it wound up only coming into play as something of a bookend for Hanako's story, because it really didn't fit with everything else that was going on.

The subplot involving Shizune's family was originally meant to be introduced as a separate story. I've mentioned a couple of times that one of the story ideas rattling around in my head was to do a prequel about the Hakamichi and the Satou. However, Developments was taking up so much of my time and creative energies that I knew there was a distinct possibility that I'd never get to write that story. Therefore, I included the basics of it here, trying to do it in a way that felt as natural as possible. Again, hopefully I succeeded.

As for everything else...as Blank Mage said, there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle, so if anyone has any questions about this story -- why something or someone was or wasn't included, why I went in a particular direction, or anything at all, really -- I'll be glad to answer them.

Now, on to the accolades.

To all the people who worked on Katawa Shoujo, thank you for creating this game and allowing folks like me to write things like this. Also, thank you to all the other writers -- of which there have been many, on this board and elsewhere -- that inspired me or nudged their way into my headcanon, and thus also contributed to my imagination in creating this story. Special thanks to Guest Poster and Leaty for allowing me to borrow their characters, and to Brythain, Forgetmenot, Helbereth, Hoitash, Mirage_GSM, and ProfAllister, from whom I've also borrowed small bits without asking .

To all the people who have read this story, from Mahorfeus, Mirage and Oscar Wildecat who responded to the very first chapter and are still here with me to Hesmiyu who appeared just in time for the epilogue, from Blank Mage and Forgetmenot who often challenged me to rethink my ideas to the lurkers who are just here to sit back and enjoy the story, thank you for reading. If my story has been entertaining, or thought-provoking, or stirred anything within you, I am honored.

To all the people who have given me advice, both sought and unsought, thank you for helping to make this story better than it would have been if it had been just me writing it. The list of these folks is a long one, but in addition to those already mentioned I'll make special mention of Blasphemy and LilyKitsune, who may not have even realized she was helping me immensely in her short time here.

To all the people who have been inspired in their own writings by this story, I am humbled. Here, I'll especially note Bhtooefr, Brythain, Crimson, and, of course, Leaty. In fact, Leaty belongs on pretty much every list here, so if you don't see her, just mentally insert her name.

To all the people who have written all of the kind words -- and even the not so kind ones -- that I have the privilege to read here (and, courtesy of Google, occasionally on Reddit and even 4chan), thank you. You're the people who kept me going, and made sure I brought this story to its proper conclusion. Especially you, Maradar.

As far as what I'll do next...you'll know when I do . Like I said, I'm going to decompress for a bit, but after that...anything's possible.

And, finally...

Congratulations on 10k hits so soon! Here's to the next 90!

*checks counter*

I did it, didn't I? Wow. It's been a great ride. At the risk of repeating myself I am not repeating myself, I am not repeating myself, oh god I'm repeating myself..., thank you, everyone.

[bhtooefr]

Thank you for sharing this story with us, and congratulations on finishing it.

Also, Yuuko's head is a strange place to be in. SQUIRREL!

[FelOnyx]

And so it ends. Brilliant story, man, from beginning to, well, the last chapter I read. Ashamed to say that I haven't been keeping up with the developments* of Developments for the past few months, so I haven't read the ending yet. But I trust it's as good as the rest, and besides, it's a great excuse to just reread the whole thing from beginning to end.

*I am not sorry at all

[Skeeve]

This was... just fantastic. The tone was really on point, and there wasn't ever a moment where I thought that someone was off base or out of character.

Plus that Rin chapter was quite possibly the most entertaining thing I've read in years. You should be proud of what you've accomplished, because this was amazing.