Old shit is OLD

[TheHivemind]

I was browsing through my files and found this, from the Way Back When the project was but a sparkle in the collective eyes of the Anonymous mind (which is a hell of a lot of eyes, people). Apparently everyone's favourite armless artist wasn't always an artist: What's more, Hisao was once merely Anonymous.

That said, read carefully...




My footsteps echo hollowly throughout the hallway of Rin's house, making it sound as if I've walked into a sepulcher. If I don't do this last thing right, however, it's likely that this place will become my tomb, so perhaps the aural effect is more apropos than I'm willing to admit.

“Meet me at midnight in the dining area.” I look down at the note again and shake my head slowly. Why are they doing this? I just want to be happy with Rin, is that so wrong? Instead I've been pulled into this world of blood and violence—and for what? So I can pay off a debt I never even earned, or risk losing the one person important to me. I won't let them take her. I've decided that already. My left hand fingers the trigger on the gun I've brought with me while my right hand checks to make sure the envelope with the money is still there.

Two million, American. Myself and the few Yakuza goons they sent with me earned every penny of this. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, just a little. My chest twinges a warning to me to slow down—how I managed to keep conscious during the heist is a mystery, even to me. Maybe the doc was right and the wound is starting to heal up after all.

I keep forgetting how large Rin's house is. Convenient that her parents never seem to be home. There's the door to the dining area. I check my gun one more time, just to be sure, and slide the door open. The lights are out.

“So, you've come.” The voice that's been the source of all my troubles since this started cuts through the silence like a knife and I see him, silhouetted against the moonlight streaming through the window. “Do you have the money?”

“Yeah, I've got your money.” I say, and toss the envelope on the table. “We're done after this, understand? You get the money, you stay away from me and Rin, like in the deal.”

The bastard smirks. “Until I need you again, yeah.”

“Pardon?” I can't believe my ears. “Until you need me again? I don't think so.” I shake my head emphatically. “I've paid my debt, and now I'm in the clear. You're going to take your sword-toting-tattooed ass out of here, and I'm never going to see you again.”

“You forget your place little man, I own you.” The bastard snarls. “And if you don't want to cooperate, perhaps I need to have a little chat with your girlfriend upstairs.”

The gun's out before either of us has time to think. “Don't think so.” I say. “I think you're going to get the hell out of this house before we see what a human sieve looks like.”

“So, you've got some balls on you after all, eh?” The bastard's smiling now, crouched and ready to spring. “Well come on then kiddo. Pull the trigger. You sure you'll hit me? You'll only get one chance.”

“I only need one chance.” I spit back at him.

“Do it!” He yells suddenly. I experience a brief moment of panic, but then I realize he's trying to psych me out.

“Nice try.” I say, and pull the hammer back.

The next five seconds seem to move slower than they should. Rin bursts through the door and slides to a stop in front of me, while the bastard at the window raises one eyebrow in surprise. “Hmm. You weren't supposed to be down here.”

“This stops here, Father. I know everything. I have for some time.” Rin says. Wait, father? This guy's her father? Unexpectedly, one of Rin's legs lashes out and disarms me. I stumble backwards.

“As expected of my daughter.” Her father smiles that grin of his again.

“What the hell is going on?” I demand, confused as hell and getting angry.

Rin smiles reassuringly. “Don't worry Anonymous, it's over. I'm sorry they did this to you.” She flips the lights on and turns to her father, her eyes flashing fire. “What the hell do you think you were doing, threatening my boyfriend like that? You both could've been killed!”

“Your boyfriend has a set of balls on him. Now that we know that, we're inclined to be slightly more civil.” Her father replies, and all of a sudden a lot of things start to make sense: the “debt,” the robbery, Rin's absentee parents, the attempt on my life, those guys in suits I thought were shadowing me, everything falls into place. This has been one big test.

“Hold on here,” I interrupt, “You're Rin's father?”

Rin's father bows low. “Forgive me, Anonymous. We had to make sure that you were willing to protect our daughter—as you can see, she's clearly capable of taking care of herself, but the last thing we want is to saddle her with a mewling coward as a partner. Her mother's in the next room, if you'd care to join us for tea. We'll explain everything.”

Turns out that Rin's parents are Yakuza. Who knew? Because Rin is next in line for ascension in the local family, they wanted to be sure that she'd have someone strong next to her so she wouldn't get taken advantage of when they were gone. Enter me, the kid who was silly enough to fall for her. As soon as it became apparent to the two that Rin and I were serious (God, I hope they didn't see us in the living room that night...) they decided that I needed to be tested. They concocted a story about me owing them money and went after me. Around that time, Rin began to suspect that something was up. Apparently she planned to confront her dad about it tomorrow, but my being armed hadn't been factored into the equation and she was forced to intervene. Her parents seem happy enough about the situation, and her father mentions something about a formal initiation further on down the line.

I don't bother going home that night. Rin and I spend the night together, with the blessing of her parents (though they hint strongly that I shouldn't try anything funny. And by hint, I mean they threaten to take my manhood away. We try funny stuff anyway). My heart should heal up in a few more years, and after that...

After that, Rin and I will start making some waves in our corner of Japan.

[Rednal]

Fun. XD That's an interesting end for the story.

[ukshadow]

Well done Hivemind. Got another one coming?

[Aura]

Heh, should we post here more of the ages-old things from the olde forums? Some are rather funny.

[cpl_crud]

Sure, I don't see the harm in it. It'll be interesting as well to see the changes between that and the newer, PP-edited scenes.

[Ismuth]

Or just the plots in general. Fuck damn.

[cpl_crud]

I have found a few of my older scenes if anyone is interested. There's a few I barely rememeber writing. Old project is old.


One of the things I did find will cause a lot of rage for the devs:

gAct I, Grid 2
“Getting to Know you”
The purpose of this grid is to add an element of game play to Act I, whilst also allowing you to explore each girl’s personality.
Grid 2 consists of scenes G-31 to G-80. One play through will consist of 10 scenes.

By the end of this grid, the player should have a good understanding of the girl that he has “chosen”. Also, all girls will act favorably towards the player at the end of this grid.

Due to the nature of this grid, I will only be setting rough guidelines to the scenarists, however I urge you to consider the future scenarios.

The aim of this grid is not to have you going at it like rabbits, but simply to have a good idea of who’s path you want to follow.

As with Grid 1, this Grid is split into 10 Tiers, where your choices determine what you do and don’t see.

Each scene will also have a score attached to it (out of 5). I’ll leave the exact points for each scene to the people writing the Requests, however don’t be afraid to have some “bad” (1 or 2 point) scenes, as these will determine who you get to play with later. If every scene is a 4 or 5 pointer, then we’re going to run into selection issues. And by “bad” I don’t mean you end up hating each other, simply that you might not do much more than having a normal conversation, or not really doing anything to impress the girl.

That being said, what I will do is give a timeframe for each “tier”, and an “end state”. This way, all of the scenes will end such that we can then skip to any scene on the next tier seamlessly.

[TheHivemind]

GRIIIIIIIIIID

[Aura]

Yeah, post something old. I remember a few bits that would be hilarious in the context of how the game is now

[cpl_crud]

Well, in the abscence of a better system, I'll post scenes in the order that they were written.

According to my documents folder, this is the first scene I wrote for KS. I haven't read it just yet, but I vaugely remember the idea.
Written: 23-Mar-07



Runaway
Storyline: Emi
Timeline: Late-Mid Emi Path, around where it becomes obvious that this is going to be “her” path.


Background: Earlier in the day, the Main Character (“Azaki” in this scene) gets the “letter-in-the-shoe-locker” treatment, and receives an unsigned letter, asking him to be at the main entrance to the school at 2100h. The previous day, Emi placed poorly at a track meet, a departure from her usual performance. At the time, she didn’t seem to care.

Note: I have written this in 3rd person, so that it can easily be adapted into a “script”, but it could also be transferred into 1st person, if that’s the route of the game. I am assuming that this school is a boarding school for this scene.
Also, I’m not sure if a decision was ever made on this, but I’m going with the ever-popular Arrhythmia for the MC’s illness.
I’m also assuming that Emi still has knees.

Setting: At the front of the school gate, at night. A sole streetlight provides the only illumination. It is a clear night; however the moon is waxing thin. There is a small bench that serves as the school’s bus stop.
There is no-one to be seen.

Scene proper:

Azaki approached the front gate, but saw no-one. He checked his watch. 2053. In the dim light of the streetlamp, the gates took on an air of foreboding; looking more like the gate to a cemetery than a school. Taking a seat on the bus stop’s bench, he removed the note and re-read it.
Meet me at the school gates at 2100 tonight.
Don’t be late.
There was no signature, and he couldn’t recognize the handwriting. Still, it was a good excuse to avoid tonight’s homework. Sneaking out from his room hadn’t been a problem; Azaki was used to giving the seniors in his dorm the slip. From there, it was only a short walk to the front gate, and it was unlikely anyone would be looking in this direction. Most of the rooms he passed on the way had the bright lights of people studying, but the thrill of getting caught stirred butterflies in his stomach.
He folded the note up, slipped it into a shirt pocket, and leant back on the bench. The past few days had been tiring; the sports carnival, the ill-fated “date” (if it could be called that) with Rin, and, of course, the talk from the principal. Even though it was almost Autumn, the air was still quite warm, and, coupled with the dim light of the gates, very relaxing.
Taking a deep breath, Azaki sank into the bench as if it were a spa.
*Snap*
The unexpected snapping of a twig send a bolt of surprise down Akaki’s spine, making him jolt upright. His heart skipped a beat, causing an intense pain in his chest. Falling to his knees and grabbing his shirt, Azaki ripped open his collar, gasping for air. Behind him, he heard the soft thump of a bag falling to the ground, and someone breaking into a panicked run.
“Oh my god, are you alright? I didn’t mean to scare you!” Emi’s voice took on a fevered tone as she fell to her knees; her prosthetics grating against the asphalt.
“It’s… nothing. Just give me a minute.”
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” tears were welling in Emi’s eyes, but Azaki had already regained his breathing, and felt his heart returning to its regular rhythm. Emi helped him back up onto the bench.
“I’m really sorry…” Emi’s usually cheery voice now quavered, as if on the brink of breaking out crying.
“Nothing to worry about, you just gave me a little fright there,” Azaki handed Emi his handkerchief, and she wiped her eyes. “The last couple of days have been pretty stressful. How’re you holding up?”
“Um, okay I guess…”
Azaki had never seen Emi like this before; her head hung low, shoulders slumped, chokingly fighting back tears. In the dim light of the streetlamp, she was no longer the happy-go-lucky star of the track team; she was a lonely, delicate, and beautiful girl. Desperately searching for something to say, he pulled out the note from his pocket. It had been crumpled when he grabbed his chest, so he flattened it out on his leg.
“Did… did you write this note?”
“Huh? Oh, that. Um, yes, I wrote it. I… I didn’t know who else to go to…”
Azaki was taken aback. He had barely spoken to Emi, and he thought she had plenty of friends to talk to. Why him, and why the secrecy? Still, looking at the near-broken girl beside him, he couldn’t fight the urge to help her.
“What’s on your mind?”
“I… I’m running away. I can’t stay here anymore. I… I…” Emi choked up, trying to swallow her tears. Azaki looked over his shoulder, and saw an overnight bag near the gate, where Emi had dropped it after coming to his aid. He stood up, and picked up the bag.
“You’ll be needing this then, won’t you?”
“You… you’re not going to try to stop me?”
“Why would I? You’ve obviously got your reasons, who am I to question them? However, I’d like to tag along… if you’ll let me, that is. I have a tonne of homework that I’ll never finish in time…”
Emi, charged with some new-found energy, jumped up from the bench; her trademark energetic self returning in almost an instant. She snatched the bag from Azaki.
“If you can keep up, then I guess it’s fine. I’m not waiting for you though.”
She turned, and headed down the road at a brisk pace. Her pace seemed to be more determined with every step she took, and Azaki almost had to jog to keep up. Breathless, and still feeling the residual tightness in his chest, Azaki tried to get some answers.
“So, where are we headed?”
The reply was curt, unlike the chatty Emi. “Away.”
“Er, that’s fine, I guess.”
Once again, Emi’s paced quickened, and soon Azaki was forced to watch her back as she slowly started pulling away from him. He noticed that her shoulders were still hunched forwards, gripping the straps of the overnight bag with a fanatic’s determination.
Breaking into a jog, Azaki called out to Emi’s back, “Wait up Emi!”
Looking over her shoulder, Emi revealed a tear streaked face, her cheeks flushed red, her lower lip trembling. Still, there was some steely determination in her voice. “I said I wasn’t going to…” Her sentence was cut off as she tripped over a gutter, momentum carrying her forward. The overnight bag flew a few meters ahead, and the prosthetic leg that had caught the gutter came loose, falling next to the prostrate Emi.
“Emi!” Azaki rushed to her, ignoring the rising pain in his chest. “Are you alright?”
“Get away!” shrieked Emi, her body quivering.
Azaki was taken aback, but was compelled to repay Emi’s kindness from the bus stop. He picked up the prosthetic, and moved to help Emi up. She had rolled to her side, and when she saw her leg in Azaki’s hands, a wash of panic flooded her face. She reached out to snatch the leg from him, but, in her panicked state, forgot that she no longer had the use of that leg. She lurched forward on one leg, about to fall again. Azaki dropped the prosthetic leg, and caught Emi’s flailing body. As he held her, he felt her body shudder.
“E… Emi?”
Emi didn’t reply, but instead wrapped her arms around Azaki’s waist, sobbing gently into his chest. Together, they sank to their knees, still in their awkward embrace. Azaki gazed down at Emi’s head; her usually impeccable hair was now a knotted mess. She arched her head up to meet his gaze, eyes bloodshot, cheeks flushed and criss-crossed by tears. Still, Azaki could see the beauty he had seen at the bus stop earlier… that he had seen since the day he had first seen her. He bowed his head, and fought back the ever-rising pain in his chest. Emi reciprocated, and straightened her back.
In the dim light of the waxing moon, they kissed.
“I… I didn’t ever want you to see me like this,” said Emi, her voice as quiet as a sparrow’s. “I’m nothing without my legs.”
“What are you talking about? You’re beautiful, you have a whole lot of friends, and you’re an excellent athlete.”
Azaki paused for a breath; his heart was on the verge of another attack. “And… and I love you.”
Emi jolted at this last statement. “Please don’t. I’m nothing… nothing at all. I’m a liar, a cheat, I’m… I’m…”
Fresh tears welled in Emi’s eyes, making them sparkle. Azaki pulled her close to him, resting her head on his shoulder, and holding her tight. Emi, as if having her feelings squeezed out of her by this embrace, let out a wailing cry, and started sobbing anew.
For nearly ten minutes, the couple sat in the middle of the road. Eventually, Emi’s sobs subsided, and she pulled away from Azaki’s embrace.
“I’m… sorry. You weren’t meant to see any of this. You weren’t meant to even come with me. I… I just wanted to say goodbye.”
”There’s nothing to be sorry about, but I wish you’d talked this through with someone. Why do you want to run away anyway?”
“Ever since… the operation… I’ve been defined by my legs. My family practically abandoned me. People don’t want to know about me, they want to know about the legs. And people only like me because I can run fast. But… but after the other day… I just can’t stand to face anyone again, the track team, my classmates… all of them are going to hate me now.”
“Don’t be absurd. People like you for you, and not your legs. Sure, that might be the first thing they notice, but that’s only natural. There’s a lot more to you than your legs, although I don’t think you notice that. But, if you’ll give me a chance, I’d like to help you discover that.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Azaki handed Emi her leg, and gathered the overnight bag whilst she re-attached the prosthetic. He held out his hand, and helped her up.
“So, where to? Should we keep going this way?” Azaki pointed in the direction they were headed before the fall.
“No. I’ve got a better idea. Let’s go this way.”
Emi grabbed Azaki’s hand, and started leading him back towards the school.
He couldn’t help but notice the spring in her step.


Scene End.

[Rednal]

Not bad. ^^ Although, granted, the perspective from which I'm reading it would probably be different if I really understood the character, not just having an image from the blog and a basic understanding of her. So without the background info, I can't give a truly accurate response. XD And I'll have to wait for the game for that...

[Aura]

haha, this old shit is going to give a rather odd impression of the characters. Don't trust the writers.

[Rednal]

Oh, I don't. KS, from everything I've seen and heard, isn't just some quick little project; it's massive. Most of my info is from the Developer Diaries, which I very much hope can be considered reliable... Still, I think taking a look back would be rather fun for those who have been with the project from the start. As opposed to people like me who found out through places like Mirrormoon.

[TheHivemind]

I'm pretty sure you can trust the blog.

You certainly can't trust anything else. Not even the person sitting next to you. Be on your guard constantly, lest a knife find its way into your lung without your permission.

[Rednal]

I'm permanently paranoid. o.O And I've heard enough about KS to determine that whatever shows up here is NOTHING compared to the real thing, which is significantly larger and more complex. XD