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Chapter 6: Arm-y Nurse

Maru found a vending machine down the aisle from the nurse's office and purchased a can of coffee. With a satisfied grin he took a deep drink from the can. The grin quickly fell as the coffee hit his taste buds. Aw man. That's just... a crime against taste buds everywhere. He shuddered and chugged the thing down, trying to taste as little as possible. Beggars can't be choosers, as the saying goes.

With a sigh he tossed the empty in a handy recycling bin, purchased another can, and stood outside the nurse's office door in wait while doing a repeat performance of 'Chug.'

Hisao left the nurse's office just after Maru finished his act. Maru nodded to Hisao, and entered the nurse's office.

"Alright Maru," said the nurse with a grin. "I guess I don't need to double check with you." He gestured to an empty armchair.

"It's all pretty obvious, isn't it?" replied Maru with a smirk as he sat down. He looked around for a moment before putting the coffee can on the nurse's desk.

"Well, that's one way of putting it, I suppose," said the nurse with a wink. He nodded to the empty can. "Still drinking lots of caffeinated beverages?"

"Keeps me going," Maru said.

"Those probably aren't helping your insomnia," observed the nurse with a frown.

"I dunno, I've had plenty of nights of that even without touching a drop of the stuff," Maru said with a shrug. "Sleep happens. Or doesn't, as the case may be."

The nurse glanced over at the coffee stained papers on his desk. "I suppose I can't in good faith advise against drinking coffee," he said with an amused smile. "Anyway, you've probably been briefed about the school enough, so I'll just go over this quickly. We have all kinds of facilities available, mostly physical therapy and such. There's always someone from my staff around, even at night, so never hesitate to call us if there is a problem."

"Will do," replied Maru. "Say, does all of that include a gym?"

"As a matter of fact, we do," said the nurse with a smile. "Says here you made a bit of use of the hospital's gym?"

"Well, I have to keep my girlish figure," replied Maru with a grin.

The nurse returned the grin. "Good to hear it. Now, you don't strictly need to keep with it, but it's always a good idea to stay fit."

"Just so," said Maru. "Keeps the brain sharp, I've found. Plus...." He flexed his arms. "I make this look good!"

The nurse winked. "Indeed you do!"

Maru chuckled for a moment, before considering further what the nurse had just said. Did he just hit on me? Dude, sorry, don't swing that way....

"Anyway," continued the nurse, "let me just double check your file...." He went through the files on his desk and computer.

Maru hummed a little, and looked up at the ceiling tiles.

The nurse smiled as he held up a thick file and opened it. The smile turned to a frown. "Are you still having nightmares?"

"Occasionally," admitted Maru. "I don't let it bother me, though."

The nurse smiled. "Well, that's good. The hospital still wants you to look into some sort of therapy, though."

"Eh!" Maru waved his hand dismissively. "I'll be fine without."

"That may well be," said the nurse with a frown. "However, you have demonstrated a few of the warning signs for post-traumatic stress disorder. There may not enough for a diagnosis, but there is enough to be worrying. And considering that you lost both your mother and father in the accident, as well as your arm and leg, specifically the arm, it wouldn't be any surprise if you did end up with some form of psychological damage. Most people would."

Maru sighed. "Look, I'm fine, alright? I mean yes, I get the nightmares, but they're infrequent." He snorted. "I know what signs you're talking about too, and let me assure you; I had those before the accident too. They're unrelated." Hell, had them before.... He clamped down on that line of thought.

The nurse nodded after a moment and smiled. "Alright then, I will take your word for it. But if you change your mind...."

"I'll let you know, yes," replied Maru with a nod.

"Good." The nurse smiled. "Now, let's check your limbs."

Maru rolled up his shirt sleeve to let the nurse examine the stump.

The nurse turned his arm this way and that, and made sure to see it from all angles. He poked and prodded it as he did so, and occasionally asked if there was any pain; to which Maru replied in the negative.

"The arm looks good," said the nurse with a smile. "Scarring aside."

"Gives me character I think," Maru replied with a smirk.

"Now," said the nurse as Maru rolled his shirt sleeve back, "how about that leg?"

"It's been just like a leg to me," Maru replied deadpan.

The nurse grinned. "That's good! But seriously, let's see the leg."

"Right, right," muttered Maru with amusement as he unstrapped the prosthetic. "Wish they'd given me a better leg. Damn cheap thing."

"I will admit, this isn't the highest quality prosthetic," the nurse said as he took a look at it. "Maybe I can do something about that," he said with a wink.

"Hey, don't put yourself out on my account," Maru said as he waved his hand. "I can make do."

"Even so, it doesn't do any good to go around with an inferior prosthetic if it brings you discomfort," said the nurse.

"It's not that it's uncomfortable or anything," said Maru. "I just feel like I'll break the damn thing sometimes. Seriously, it looks like one good kick and it'd just sort of shatter."

"Were you planning to do kickboxing?" asked the nurse with a smile.

"You never know!" Maru smirked. "But probably not. Still.... Eh, never mind."

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said the nurse as he inspected Maru's leg. "So there's no discomfort?"

"No, although I did trip and fall down the stairs earlier," Maru said with a shrug. "I don't think that's the prosthetic though."

"Did you get hurt?" asked the nurse with a frown.

"Well, my pride got bruised, but I think I'm fine otherwise," Maru replied wryly. "Only went down three steps."

"Well try not to do it again," said the nurse with a smile. "Stairs are expensive if you break them." He grinned.

Maru snorted. "Well, you can just call me the Stair Master, in that event."

The nurse laughed. "And here I was beginning to wonder if my jokes were getting stale." He shook his head. "Now then. I noticed you have a missing tooth? It's not mentioned in this report."

"And a chipped tooth," Maru replied before opening his mouth to show the nurse closer. "Ighs nah re-ay-egh oo-"

"Close your mouth and try that again," said the nurse with a wink.

"I said, it's not related to the accident," replied Maru as he began to strap his leg back on. "Had those before. Fisticuffs."

"Ahh, so you got into some fights then?" asked the nurse with a frown.

Maru sighed. "On occasion, yes. As you may have noticed, I'm not exactly your run-of-the-mill sort of person. Kind of got singled out now and then." He snorted. "Of course, I also usually gave worse than I got too, so it's not all bad. I mean, you should have seen the other guys!"

"Just don't get into any fights here," said the nurse with a smile. "You may be sturdy, but not everyone here is."

"Hey, I didn't plan to get in those fights either, they just sort of happened," Maru replied as he held his hand and stump up defensively. "I'll try, but if someone comes after me...."

"That shouldn't be a problem," said the nurse. "You may have already noticed that this is a more friendly community than others."

"I have to admit I haven't had the chance," said Maru with a shrug. "But I'll take your word for it."

"Good," replied the nurse. "Now then, says here you have some scarring on your torso?"

Maru rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just a few here and there," he replied as he took off his shirt. "There's the two on my left," he pointed to a twin set of scars just at the bottom of his ribcage on his side, "and the one on my shoulder," he jabbed his thumb at his right shoulder. They were nearly invisible, unless you looked right at them as the nurses at the hospital had while checking him out for further injury.

The nurse examined these in turn. "Hmm, and I suppose you're not going to tell me how you got them, either?"

"Tragic accident at Sea World," Maru replied, deadpan. "Simply tragic." He sniffed and pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "They still haven't found the narwhal, you know."

The nurse grinned. "Well I'm not going to ask, just as long as it wasn't child abuse or something like that."

"Naw, nothing like that," Maru said. "But I'd prefer to keep it under my hat, all the same." And damn the hospital for finding them, for that matter. I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling doctors!

"Hmm...." The nurse frowned for a moment, then shrugged and smiled. "Well, that's all I have for you, in that case. Do you have any questions before I kick you out?"

"I do actually," said Maru as he put his shirt back on. "Now, you said there's a gym. I'd like to go there and lift weights and the like, but, well...." He motioned at his stump. "They didn't give me a hand. And that's considering all the things I might have done for them! Hell, I'd deserve a standing ovation!" He coughed. "But yes. I can't really lift weights on this arm without a hand."

The nurse grinned. "Well, you're in luck! The hospital sent the arm you were using here, rather than back to the manufacturer for refit."

"Really?" Maru blinked. "Wow. I figured they'd try to get some of the money back on that thing." He scratched the back of his head. "Guess I'll have to take back the hand comments."

"Yes well, someone apparently thought you wouldn't be able to easily get another one, under the circumstances," said the nurse as he checked his notes. "Not to mention it'd be rather silly to send it back and get another one just like it, don't you think?" He winked.

"Heh, well, there is that," Maru said with a nod. "Still, most excellent. Had me worried, that."

"Anything else?"

Maru looked up in contemplation as he stroked his chin. "I don't think so, no."

The nurse went over his papers one more time and sat them on his desk. "Good," he said with a smile. "That's it, then. Come meet me if you ever need something."

"Will do," replied Maru as he stood up and grabbed the empty coffee can. "Thanks for your time."

"Anytime, anytime," said the nurse with a grin. "Take care of yourself now."

"Sure thing," said Maru as he went through the door.

-------

I still have no idea if the adjustable prosthetics are a thing or not. They seem like they ought to be, though. Does anyone here know, praytell? Also, woo, 6 down! Still 20 more to go, mind....

I still have no idea if the adjustable prosthetics are a thing or not. They seem like they ought to be, though. Does anyone here know, praytell?

Well, there's this, but it wasn't on the market in 2007. However, even with that system, a mold of the limb has to be made.

But... this is Miki, who seems like she'd just go and say what seems natural,

Actually they were both lines of the narrator not Miki...

He gave into his better nature

He gave in to...

"I was born in Scotland."

Was she? I don't think it's ever explicitly stated, but I always assumed she was born in Japan.

AS far as I know all prosthetics are custom made for their user and I don't think there are any suitable for weight lifting...

Lilly was born and raised in Japan. She says so herself.

Armchair Legend wrote:

Helbereth wrote:Additionally:

"Oh bother," Mutou muttered under his breath before he shook his head.

Now you've gone and made me replace my long-standing assumption that Mutou would sound like Ben Stein with that of Alton Brown.

Oh, bother...

dewelar wrote:And now I'm hearing him as Sterling Holloway...it's rather fun .

Whereas for some reason, I had been thinking of Winnie the Pooh. ... Yes, I'm aware that probably makes next to no sense.

Sorry this is a bit late, but Sterling Holloway was the voice of Winnie the Pooh in the original Disney shorts/movie, so...yeah, definitely makes sense to me .

Oscar Wildecat wrote:

I still have no idea if the adjustable prosthetics are a thing or not. They seem like they ought to be, though. Does anyone here know, praytell?

Well, there's this, but it wasn't on the market in 2007. However, even with that system, a mold of the limb has to be made.

Hmm.... Not to mention that's just a leg prosthetic.... Hm. Still can make it work I think, but I need to do some thinking.

Mirage_GSM wrote:

But... this is Miki, who seems like she'd just go and say what seems natural,

Actually they were both lines of the narrator not Miki...

Oh, I know, I know! Sorry, I think I misspoke. I mean that the bad narrational lines were bad, while the Miki lines were ... still bad, but in character.

He gave into his better nature

He gave in to...

Whoops, fixed.

"I was born in Scotland."

Was she? I don't think it's ever explicitly stated, but I always assumed she was born in Japan.

Made a guess, as I wasn't positive. Apparently though,

Guest Poster wrote:Lilly was born and raised in Japan. She says so herself.

...I'm wrong. Will think on this, and fix soon.

AS far as I know all prosthetics are custom made for their user and I don't think there are any suitable for weight lifting...

There are weight lifting prosthetics out there, which I think I'm going to just have as 'sent in from the hospital' or something. Edits will be coming.

dewelar wrote:Sorry this is a bit late, but Sterling Holloway was the voice of Winnie the Pooh in the original Disney shorts/movie, so...yeah, definitely makes sense to me .

...Brilliant!

------

Chapter 7: Nobody's Room With A View

Hisao stood in front of the main building and auxiliary building, and realized they still looked the same to his eyes. He let his eyes drift to the people that came out of the school and went to the gate or the dorms, and got his first real look at the other students.

Everyone seems to know where they are going, he reflected as he people-watched. He still kept thinking that most of them didn't look too special for being students at a special school. Then again, neither do I. Does that make me one of them? One of us? He shook his head. I should go somewhere too, to prevent me from getting lost.

His thoughts were interrupted as Maru stepped out of the auxiliary building and, after a look around, walked up to Hisao.

"Hey, man," Maru said with a smirk. "How'd it go?"

"The nurse visit?" Hisao asked.

"Just so," Maru replied.

"...About as I expected," Hisao said and frowned. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Ah, sure thing," Maru said with a shrug. "Your business, and all that. Hey, which way's the dorm?"

"That way I think," Hisao said, and pointed to the buildings a line of students was heading to, which were set a little way apart from the main building complex.

"Ah, right," Maru said with a nod. "Well, I need to go get settled in. I'll see you later, eh?"

"Sure," Hisao replied with a shrug.

Maru walked off to the dorms, and whistled Scotland the Brave as he moved.

Hisao watched after him a moment, before he returned to his contemplation. It was around dinnertime, but he felt tired instead of hungry. He decided to follow Maru to the dorms, and his weariness only grew as he trudged forward.

There was a garden of sorts between the school and the dorms, with shrubbery, flowers, and the smell of fresh cut grass.

Maru breathed deeply of the atmosphere as he traversed the park-like piece of land. Man, this is a really nice place, actually. You just don't see this sort of thing at a high school normally.

Hisao found the cut grass smell to be overbearing. It dawned on his tired mind that the smell felt novel because he hadn't been outside at all for so long.

Maru paused at the entrance to the dorms, and took in their red brick facades. It occurred on him he had no idea which dorm he was supposed to go into, so he looked at the crowds in an effort to determine his destination. He realized with a frown that, although there seemed to be gender preferences, there were enough people of opposing sexes going into both dorms to make his task somewhat confusing.

Careful determination and one coin flip later, and he headed into the dorm on the left.

Hisao stopped in front of the dorms. It felt way too pompous to him for what it was, like the others, and so he pushed forward, going inside the right dorm.

A few moments afterward, Maru stumbled out of the left dorm with a frown. "Right," he muttered to himself. "Other one, then." He walked in.

Despite the ornate exterior, the inside of the dorm was fairly new, functional, and in Hisao's opinion, boring.

"Oh, hey Hisao," Maru said as he entered and saw the boy in question.

"Huh?" Hisao turned around and blinked. "...Didn't you leave before me?"

"I chose poorly," Maru admitted with a shrug.

Hisao raised an eyebrow. "...Didn't you notice the signs?"

Maru blinked and looked around, and noticed for the first time the 'Male Dorm' sign, inverted on the front doors. "...See, that would have been the smart way of doing things. Can't have that."

Hisao shook his head.

Maru coughed. "Anyway.... Hm. Nice place. So which room's yours?"

"Room one-one-nine," Hisao replied.

"Room one-one-eight here," Maru said, and then grinned. "Guess that makes us neighbors!"

"Lucky me," Hisao replied, voice drier than the Sahara as he walked toward the stairwell.

"Now now, I'll have you know that I'm a quiet neighbor for the most part," Maru replied with a chuckle as he followed. "And I'm only a little crazy. No cardboard cutouts of William Shatner or anything!"

Hisao didn't reply to that as he poked his head around the corner of the common room door.

A few students inside were watching the television, and one nodded at him, gave a quick "hello", and turned back to the TV.

Seems that only the girls around here are sociable, Hisao reflected. Well, with one kind of annoying exception.

Maru nodded and waved at the inhabitants of the common room as he walked past. I'm glad Hisao knows where he's going, he thought. Makes one of us, at least.

The two of them ascended the stairs without word, and reached a series of small corridors that branched off from the main hallway. Each of the minor halls had a toilet and a shower, as well as four rooms.

About halfway down the hall, Hisao spotted room 119. He walked forward, followed at a measured distance by Maru. Hisao looked at the name plates on the rooms adjacent to his, and noted that the room next to his had the name "Kobayashi Maru" on it with a wince.

Maru noticed the same, and winced as well, if for different reasons. "I'm totally going to put something over that," he remarked. "Maru's fun house? No, that would sound weird. The dungeon of Maru? ...Terrible. Maru was here? Hmm...." He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Hisao looked at the door directly adjacent from his own, room 117, and noticed that light shone from below it. He knocked lightly on the door. "Hello, is anyone home?" he asked.

Maru looked over curiously. He wasn't nearly as sociable as he let on, and seeing someone who actually was that lived next door to him was a matter of interest.

The sound of movement came from within room 117, followed by the clicking of way more locks than either Hisao or Maru thought the doors had. Maru raised an eyebrow. After a moment, the door squeaked open.

A bespectacled boy was standing in the doorway. He looked at Hisao very intently through extremely thick eyeglasses. "Who is it?" asked the boy.

Blind? thought Hisao. No, at least not completely, why would he have eyeglasses if he was?

Is that the winter suit? thought Maru. And... a scarf? What. It's getting close to summertime, and.... Oh, nevermind, to each their own.

The bespectacled youth leaned closer to Hisao until their noses were almost touching.

His breath stinks of garlic, Hisao thought as he leaned away. "Hisao Nakai...," he said at length. "I'm moving into the next room. I thought I should introduce my...."

The bespectacled youth's face suddenly brightened in realization, and he stood back upright. He thrust his hand out in a smiling greeting, almost straight into Hisao's diaphragm.

The corner of Maru's mouth threatened to curl into an amused smile.

"Oh, 'sup dude?" said the bespectacled youth. "The name's Kenji."

"Ah, hi," Hisao said as he took Kenji's sweaty hand and shook it, still a little rattled by the sudden change of attitude and vehement welcome.

Maru coughed. "I suppose I should-"

Kenji spun rapidly, and faced Maru. "Ah! Don't sneak up on me like that! I might have used my ninja-like skills to kill you, or worse!"

"Uh," replied Maru with a blink.

"So who are you?" Kenji asked as he gave Maru the up close and personal treatment.

"I'm Maru," he replied, and tried not to gag at the smell.

"Oh, the unwinnable scenario guy?" Kenji asked with a smile. "'sup dude? The name's Kenji." He thrust his hand out to Maru, and would have speared him in the spleen if Maru hadn't twisted to the side.

Hisao couldn't help but smile at Maru's discomfort.

"Uh, hey," said Maru with a frown as he shook the proffered hand. Great, both of my neighbors get that stupid joke. Ah, well....

"There were some suspicious-looking people going in and out of your rooms earlier," Kenji remarked.

"It was probably my parents," Hisao said.

"Or the shipping guys in my case," said Maru.

"Your parents? You sure?" Kenji frowned. "'Cause they could've been some other people, too. It's even worse for you Maru, who knows if someone stole some uniforms to get into your room? You can't judge a book by its cover."

"Uh," replied Maru with a raised eyebrow.

Hisao awkwardly tried to think of a way to respond to Kenji's out-of-place proverb. "I'd say the chances are high enough," he said at last.

Maru decided that it was probably as good a time as any to prepare an escape route. He fished out his key and stuck it in his door lock.

Kenji shuddered and made some exaggerated hand gestures. "You're a brave man, Hisao. Me, I don't think I could trust the chances. The only one I trust is myself."

"Does that mean I shouldn't get to know you, either?" asked Hisao in a snide tone.

Kenji tilted his head back, apparently in thought.

Maru hazarded a sideways glance inside his dorm. Well, looks like everything's here. There's the tools, my laptop, my clothes bag.... There's the pegboards.... Damn, did they just take all the hardware and put it into a box? Shit, that'll be murder to sort out.... Ah fuck it, I'll leave it like that. Go go gadget lazy powers!

"A wise decision," Kenji said at last with a smile. "Damn, you are smarter than you look. Probably. What do you look like? I hope not smart." He squinted his eyes and leaned closer again, but Hisao leaned backwards to dodge it.

"Not at all," said Maru with a grin.

"Says the one who looks like a muscle-bound meathead," countered Hisao with a snort.

"Ach," Maru yelped, and staggered backward slightly while holding his hand to his chest. "Ye wound me!"

"Idiot and meathead, got it," Kenji said with a knowing smile. "Later dudes." He turned around, fumbled for a moment in search of the door handle, and shut the door behind him.

"Huh," Maru said. "Well, that happened."

"Mmm," agreed Hisao. "Of course, he now thinks I look like an idiot thanks to you." Though I'm not sure it matters, thinking about it.

"Well, you do have the hair for it," Maru said with a grin.

Hisao grimaced and patted down his ahoge. "I can't help it, it just does that."

"Hah, I'm just giving you a hard time," Maru replied with a grin. "Feel free to say something disparaging about my person if it makes you feel better." He smirked. "C'mon. Say something about the hand. Something about the leg. Hell, say something about my teeth. Free shot, c'mon."

"...Don't tempt me," Hisao said with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, tempting people's my job, don't you know?" Maru winked, and then pantomimed singing into a microphone. "Please, allow me to introduce myself; I'm a man of wealth and taste!"

Hisao winced again. "You're off key."

"Oof, okay, ow," Maru said with a frown. "You can diss the arm, leg, and teeth, but the singing? That's a low blow."

"Er, I'm sorry," Hisao said after a moment. "I didn't realize it was a sore spot."

"Hah, I'm just messing with you again," Maru admitted with a grin. "Don't take me too seriously, alright?" He blinked. "Well, unless I tell you to take me seriously. But that's not too often, probably." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I'll... keep that in mind," Hisao said evenly.

"Heh, right." Maru nodded. "Ah, anyway, I might be doing some drilling. Just a word of warning."

"Drilling?" Hisao raised an eyebrow. "You mean, like with a power tool?"

Maru nodded. "Aye. I can wait for another day if that's an issue, but I want to get the pegboards up soon."

"Is that how you lost your hand?" Hisao said. "Because I want to know if you start screaming."

Maru let out a barking laugh. "Nope! I, uh," his voice got lower, "well, I got in a car crash. It killed my, uh, parents." He looked aside for a moment, and then continued. "That's why I'm here, actually. Good old ward of the state."

"Oh," Hisao replied. "Um, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Ah, it is what it is," Maru said with a half-hearted shrug. "Can't be helped, may as well make the most of it. I mean, what else can you do?"

"Huh." Hisao contemplated this for a moment. I have to wonder if anything actually phases him. Have to admire the attitude, though.

"Anyway, so the drilling?" Maru smirked.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine," replied Hisao.

"Goodie!" Maru grinned. "Shouldn't be more than half an hour. Well, assuming I'm still as handy as I was." He smirked as he waved his handless arm for emphasis.

Hisao groaned. "I may regret asking this, but do you need me to, um... help?" Damn, I almost said lend a hand. ... Thinking about it, I should have. He did ask for it, after all. Literally.

"Naw, probably not," Maru replied. "Really do need to make sure I still have it. Besides, I have a cunning plan." He grinned. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"Not a problem," Hisao said as he pulled his key out. It required more effort than it should have.

Maru nodded and stepped into his room.

Hisao managed to retrieve his key, and slid it into the lock.

"Oh, Hisao," came Maru's voice. "If you need any help yourself, you need but ask. You wouldn't believe it, but I'm a pretty handy guy to have around."

Hisao groaned. "You already used that pun. But thank you."

"Hah! No problem," Maru replied.

Hisao went into his room and looked around. Bleak beige walls, white linen, a desk made of some type of light wood. Ugly curtains. He sighed. It's no one's room; impersonal, like my hospital room was.

-------

And, aside from the drilling being quiet, the rest of it's just a dupe. Bluh.

Chapter 8: Chance Encounters

While Hisao reflected on the radical changes that had befallen his life, Maru was having a field day. After he realized he could hold the pegboard up just as well with his elbow and what remained of his forearm, he was soon measuring and marking where the screws should go. Finally, he drilled a single, large hole. Into this he inserted a drywall anchor.

He realized he hadn't told Hisao anything about hammering, so instead he used his palm, and then his elbow to push the anchor all the way in. He nodded as he inspected it, happy that it was flush with the wall. He promptly began to put the pegboards themselves up, and again used the remained of his arm to hold the pegboard up as he started a screw with his fingers.

He drilled a pilot hole once he had properly aligned the pegboard, inserted another anchor after tilting the pegboard out of the way, and then temporarily inserted a screw. More pilot holes were drilled, and more anchors inserted. He finally screwed the pegboard into place after a quick bit change. He repeated the process for each piece of pegboard he put up, and soon he had covered most of a wall with pegboard.

He looked at his palm and frowned at the bruise that was beginning to grow from where he had pressed in the anchors. He rubbed his elbow with his stump, and frowned at the soreness. Damn, really should have mentioned the hammering. Ah, well. Get the feeling he didn't want to be disturbed further anyway.

He shrugged. Well, now what? What time is it.... Quarter 'till six, alright. Guess I'll hit up the library real quick, and then go see what's in town. Want to start on that little project, need to get some wood at the least. He nodded to himself.

Maru walked to the main building, and then retraced his steps to where Lilly had shown him the library was. He entered and blinked, surprised that it was so big. "Huh." He shrugged, and made his way forward. He skimmed titles as he slowly walked past rows of books, mostly ignoring them until he started to find some science fiction.

Huh, I haven't read the Worldwar series in a while, I ought to see if they have a copy, he reflected as he skimmed the shelves thoughtfully. Oh hey, Foundation series, can always check that out if I can't find i- Oh hey, In The Balance. There we go. He pulled the book from the shelf and looked around. Pretty quiet here, actually. Wonder if there's a place to sit back and read.

That thought in mind, he once again began to stalk the aisles. He briefly considered sitting at one of the desks near the back of the library, but decided against it; he always read better in a reclined position. He continued to the very back of the library, and noted with delight that there were a number of beanbags present, one being occupied. Even though there was another person there, they looked like they were quietly reading, and would probably leave him in peace.

He looked more closely at the other person. Oh hey, it's Hanako, he thought. Her face was practically buried in her book, and he shrugged. I guess I should go apologize now, he thought while he scratched his head with the book. Hope this doesn't get too awkward.... He approached her quietly as he could.

The effort was futile. Hanako jumped in surprise, and looked at him wide-eyed from underneath her fringe.

"Ah, sorry," he said with a wince. "Didn't mean to startle you. Er. Both this time and in class." Well, this is off to a fine start.

"It... it's okay," she said.

"Even so...." He shook his head. "Ah, mind if I sit down?" He gestured to one of the beanbags near her.

After a few tense seconds, she gave a slight nod. "O-okay," she said, barely audible even in the quiet of the library.

"Um, thanks," Maru said. He realized she probably didn't actually want the company, but having already asked, he couldn't very well pull back. He sat down gently.

Hanako did her best to hide herself behind her book.

"So, uh...," he ventured in an effort to dispel the awkwardness of the situation, "what're you reading?"

She gently tipped the book backwards so he could read the title while still hiding behind it.

"Life of Pi?" He scratched his head. "Where have I heard of that before? Hm. What's it about?"

"A boy... and a tiger...," she shuffled nervously, "...on a boat...."

"This isn't Calvin and Hobbes adrift, is it?" He smiled, amused at the thought.

"N-no," she replied, her eyes darting nervously. "I-I don't... think so. I only j-just started it."

"Oh," he said. "Huh, well, if it's any good, let me know? I've been meaning to broaden my reading horizons. May have to check it out after you're done with it." He smiled at her for a moment, and then realized she was shivering. He frowned. "Um.... Are you cold?"

She stood up forcefully from the beanbag and took a deep breath. "I... I...."

He blinked. "...Uh?" Wait, shit, this seems famili-

"...Ivegottogodosomething!" Hanako made a mad dash to the front of the library.

"...Shit." Maru groaned and slammed his book into his forehead. Well, that's just fucking great. Tried to apologize and make some small talk, and just made her run away again. Damn it all! He ground his teeth and frowned. Well, the atmosphere's pretty bad here now.... Dammit. He stood up and walked to the front of the library himself.

When he reached the counter, he saw Lilly and a woman with red hair and glasses talking.

"Oh, hey Lilly," he said tiredly.

Lilly opened her eyes slightly in surprise. "Maru?"

"The one and only," he replied. "Admittedly somewhat ashamed of that fact right now."

"Ahh, did you need to check out a book? Or return one?" said the red haired woman.

"Ah, well, I do need to check this out I think," he admitted as he handed her his book.

"If you don't mind my asking," Lilly began, "why are you ashamed of being yourself?"

"Well, for the second time today," he began, "I managed to scare off Hanako." He blinked. "Er, classmate of mine, sorry. Feeling like a complete heel right now because of it."

"Oh dear," Lilly said with a frown. "Yuuko, would you excuse me, I had better try and find her."

"S-sure," said Yuuko. "I'll be here when you get back."

Maru blinked again. "You know her?"

"I do," replied Lilly. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to explain it to you some other time."

"That's fine," he replied earnestly. "Sorry, don't mean to keep you."

Lilly hastily grabbed her cane and hurried out of the library.

"Damnation," Maru said as he leaned against the counter. "I'm not doing too well today, am I?"

"What did you do?" Yuuko asked.

"Well, I saw Hanako, went to apologize for scaring her in class.... Ah, I had asked if she wanted to join my work group, offered to shake hands, and she fled.... Um, but yeah, went to apologize, asked her a few questions about what she was reading, saw that she was shivering, asked her if she was cold, and...." He shrugged. "Well, here we are."

"Well, she is a very timid girl," she observed with a small frown. "You have to be very careful around her. She can be very jumpy, I think, and she's not accustomed to talking with other people."

"I noticed," Maru replied wryly and then sighed. "You're not the only one saying I should be careful around her. Guess I should have listened more closely."

"W-well, maybe now it'll stick?" she said kindly as she scanned his book. Then she covered her mouth with wide eyes. "I didn't mean for that to come out sounding so harshly...."

"No, you're right," he replied with a bitter chuckle. "I should probably have just apologized and went on my way. Still, I dunno...." He scratched the back of his head. "Ah, I guess I'll just have to deal with it as it comes. It just doesn't bode well; I lost all my tact a long time ago."

"You can always regain it," she said with a nod and a smile. "Maybe this will be motivation to do so?"

"Heh! I suppose," Maru replied as he picked up the book. "Ah, thanks for the advice, anyway. See you around, eh?"

"Take care," Yuuko said with a shy wave.

He nodded and made his way out of the library, dropped his book off at his dorm room, grabbed some money, and set out to the bus stop.

-----

Lotta borrowing. I'm not proud.

Chapter 9: Dreaming Of A Himalayan Blunder

As Maru walked through the city, he contemplated his second encounter with Hanako.

"Timid," said the librarian. I don't think I've ever met anyone so timid, he thought. Though that might have something to do with me not being much better sometimes.... Did learn to fake it after a while, though. Never was sent running away like that, however.

He noticed an older woman staring at him, or rather his leg, and raised an eyebrow at her. Her eyes widened before she ducked her head down and walked hastily in the other direction. He stared after her retreating form for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Huh." He continued his introspection. So the question becomes, what would make someone that timid? He stroked his chin for a moment. "Hm." I guess it could be the scars, couldn't it? People can be rather unaccepting of those who are different.... Damn pity, really. Those scars mark her as a survivor; she should be able to wear them with pride, not be ashamed.

He snorted. I guess, depending on how early she got them, that could be an issue too. Kids are the fuckin' worst. Even if you're just the least bit different. How much worse would it be for someone with such a visible difference? He shook his head. And of course, some people never fucking grow up....

Maru stopped at a crossroads, and took note of his surroundings. He committed the street names to memory, and continued in what seemed like a likely direction.

On that note, what got her in a place like Yamaku in the first place? She doesn't appear to have an actual disability, he thought. The scars aren't exactly going to hinder her for too many things.... Well. What am I saying. Of course they will, damn society's shallow like that. If I put it in that context, it makes perfect sense. How dare she be different from the norm! Can't have that! Call her disabled and ship her away!

He sighed. Maybe it's not a bad thing, though. His thoughts returned to what the nurse had told him. "A more friendly community than others," he said. Filled with people that have experienced hardships that they didn't really have any control over. Does tend to make people more accepting of things, I've noticed. Most people, they just don't end up thinking about it, and they lash out without consideration.

He let the thought go, and looked up at the signs on some of the buildings. Deli, bread store, cafe, Starbucks, thrift sho- He blinked. Oh hey, a thrift shop, that's promising! He quickened his pace and entered.

Nearly half an hour later, he left with a rather eclectic set of objects; an old flashlight, a particularly beat up old boom box, a giant novelty ink pen, a bag full of miscellaneous junk, a couple spools of receipt paper, some old leather belts, some old sandals, an old trailer hitch, a tricorne, several hat pins, and a couple duffel bags. He worked everything but the tricorne into one of the bags, which he felt was of more use atop his head.

He didn't know for sure what he'd do with all of it, but he had ideas for most of it. He swung the duffel bag over his shoulder and continued his appraisal of the city.

A stop at a hardware store netted him a couple brass door kick plates, a spool of copper wire, a copy of his room key, a pack of small rubber washers, and a plus sized rubber coated hook. A quick trip to the lumber section netted him a few choice pieces of cheap scrap lumber. He stuffed all of this into his second duffel bag, and checked his watch.

Almost ten, he thought, and yawned. Time to call it a day.

As he retraced his path back to the bus stop, he noticed a somewhat thuggish guy almost his age staring at him in disgust. He met his eyes and stared back, hard and unblinking. The impromptu staring contest lasted for a few seconds before the guy's eyes widened and he turned his head.

Maru passed the thug silently, making sure that his eyes did not stray from straight forward. He listened, though, and hard; it wouldn't take much for the punk to run behind him and go for his kidneys with a knife. It had been a bad idea to stare him down, but being who he was he also couldn't resist it. I am one stupid motherfucker, he reflected. Damn force of habit's gonna be the death of me one of these days. Literally, at this rate.

He rounded a corner, leaned against the wall, and waited. A minute passed in tense silence, followed by another. The thug didn't follow. He let another minute pass before sighing and continuing on his way.

Well, suppose I can count on watching my back here, too, he thought. Damn pride. Well, at least no one's gonna miss my fool head if it gets taken. He snorted. And I guess it's good to know I still have it. Simple stupid psych trick that it is. He sighed. Fuck. Already had to move twice because of this sort of shit. Can't do that now, I think. Oh well. Let the chips fall where they may, I just don't care anymore.

By the time he got back to the dorms, it was almost ten thirty. He took the elevator to his floor, put his duffel bags next to his bed, went through his nightly routine, and laid down. Almost as soon as he had, he realized it was going to be one of those nights, likely as a result of the events of the day.

As he lay there, he let the mask he had worn all day fade away with a shuddering sigh. Lying down to sleep was always the worst on nights like that; it gave him time to think, and when that happened, his worst thoughts came out to play. He stared up at the ceiling as he tried to pre-emptively chase the thoughts away by running though the events of the day.

Unsurprisingly, Hanako came to mind first, and the way she had ran from him both times they had met. I always did have a way with the ladies, he thought snidely. His thoughts continued to his visit to the city. He glanced over in the direction of the stuff he had found and purchased, and sighed.

What's the point of it, I wonder? Of any of it? Coming to this school, getting stuff like that.... In the end, what's the point? He sighed again and turned his eyes back to the ceiling. Is there a point? There wasn't before. And then.... He shuddered. Maybe I should have just died in the accident. He rolled his eyes. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered probably anyway.

Maru's thoughts took darker and darker turns, as he began the usual series of insomniac exercises. Twenty minutes on the left side, ten on the right, fifteen on the back. Instead of going to the next step of trying to sleep in the chair, he got up, turned on the lights, and picked up the book he had gotten at the library. He read for half an hour, and then tried again. He fell into an uneasy sleep after another twenty minutes.

He dreamed. Back to the day of the accident. Ice on the road. Hill. Car sliding out of control. A sigh of acceptance juxtaposed against his parents screams. There was fear. Reflexive. Muted.

Crash. Confusion. Quickly deflating airbag. Still alive, but in pain.

Leg, gone. Crushed by driver's seat. Angle just right to save other leg. Blood, but not much. Most of that from front seat.

Seat angle just enough to see Father. Moment of nausea. Mother, tree branch. Both dead. Shock of event and pain dilute ability to mourn.

Arm, stuck. Piece of machinery held it to roof. Moment of awe. It was the car's transmission. Tug. Too stuck to be just roof. Maybe another tree limb. Glance at mother, look away.

A pop. A hiss. Smell of gasoline. Not much, but worrying. Thought of burning to death worse than thought of expected outcome of crash.

Another pop. Mother burning. Hand burning. Redouble efforts to free hand. Raw edge of panic, forced away.

Freedom impossible. Flame licking up arm, pat out. Panic returning. Hold it at bay, try to think.

Options, few and unpleasant. Item on hand. Folding knife. Cheap. Probably stolen. Stolen again by him. Inanity of reflection focused thoughts for critical moment. Pulled from pocket. Unfolded with thumb.

Flame reaching further down arm. Panic, this time let loose with purpose.

He stabbed and he stabbed and his arm would not come free-

Maru's eyes snapped open and he clutched the bedspread with a grimace, sweating.

"Shit!" He willed his breathing to slow down, and with glacial slowness his body responded to the command. Once he was sure he had steadied himself not to inadvertently shout, he began to speak to the empty air. "Goddamn. Twice in a row? Seriously? Fucking shit." He heaved a sigh between breaths. "Crash one again. Suppose I should count my blessings." He snorted. "Can't blame myself for that one."

He rubbed his eyes, and stopped only when a kaleidoscope of light told him that he was overdoing it. "Fucking... fuck." A delightfully eloquent way to start the day, he decided irritatedly as he sat up and rubbed his face. Well, I'm not getting back to sleep. Shit. What time is it? Four sixt- shit. Well, may as well get up. Not like it's that far off from when I normally get up anyway....

It took him another couple minutes to persuade himself to actually get out of bed, in spite of that. It only served to make rolling out of bed onto his face all the more bitter.

"Oh for fuck's sake," he muttered from his position on the floor before sighing. "Well, good to know what sort of day this is going to be." He levered himself up into a sitting position on the floor, and rubbed his nose. Oh good, not bleeding. Thank goodness for small miracles. He looked at his foot which was thoroughly tangled in the bedspread, and shook his head.

He looked around as he pried the bedspread off of his foot, and blinked in confusion. Huh? Where... oh. Memories began to return, and he sighed. Not off to a good start here, am I? Scared that poor girl, twice.... Possibly offended my neighbor.... Other neighbor's completely off his gourd.... Oh, and having a nightmare two nights in a row, complete with epic faceplant. Yay.

Maru shook it off as he stood up, free from the sheet. Well, can't go slacking off. He started his morning stretches, dressed, strapped on his leg, and then headed down to the auxiliary building in the hopes that the gym would be open at such an early hour.

It was, and he spent the better part of the next hour pumping iron after roping one of the staffers into fitting him with a prosthetic and spotting for him. He then went back to the dorm, took a thorough shower, and followed the surge of people going to the cafeteria. Some food and most of a pot of coffee later, and he felt more or less prepared to face the day.

His next destination was the classroom. He would be early, but he didn't really care; he could always make a proper entrance after lunch. As he walked into the classroom, he noted that there was already someone else in the room.

Hanako sat at her desk with a book in hand. As he plowed in, she looked up at him, eyes wide.

"Eep!" Maru darted out of the room. He almost tripped. He grabbed the doorframe to steady himself. Okay, that was awkward, he thought as he peaked past the doorframe at Hanako.

She was staring at him, her mouth hanging open slightly in confusion.

"I, uh...." He slowly worked his way back into the room. "Sorry, I just...." He shook his head. "Um, if I sit down, you're not going to, er, run away again, are you? I didn't mean to frighten you either time, and I, er...." He scratched the back of his head.

"It-it's alright," Hanako said, backing into her chair.

"Kinda feel like a bit of a jerk all the same," Maru said as he approached gingerly. "I really didn't mean to startle...."

"D-don't worry about it," she replied.

"...Alright," he said. "Um...." He shook his head again. "I'll just... shut up now." She didn't say anything to that, and he sighed. Yeah, this day's looking up and up....

Well...
To be perfectly honest the meeting with Kenji felt like you just copied the scene from the VN and put in one additional character to spout corny gags and memes...
If you absolutely wanted to do that scene, you could have at least spared us Hisao's internal monologue and written it from Maru's PoV. We all know what Hisao is thinking in this scene, so it doesn't add anything to the story.

Maru let out a barking laugh. "Nope! I, uh, well, I got in a car crash. It killed my, uh, parents." He looked aside for a moment, and then continued. "That's why I'm here, actually. Good old ward of the state."
...
"Can't be helped, may as well make the most of it."

Yes, we get that your character is a cool guy and flippancy was put in his cradle by one of the 13 fairy godmothers, but joking like that over the death of his parents is a bit much, don't you think?

Have to admire the attitude, though.

In Hisao's position I might start to wonder if he is a psychopath ritght about then...
And why does he have a power drill with him???

it wouldn't take much for the punk to run behind him and go for his kidneys with a knife.

You know that might be a thing in downtown Detroit, but not in rural Japan...

getting stuff like that.... In the end, what's the point?

Good question... Is there one?

Options, few and unpleasant. Item on hand. Folding knife. Cheap. Probably stolen. Stolen again by him. Inanity of reflection focused thoughts for critical moment. Pulled from pocket. Unfolded with thumb.

Flame reaching further down arm. Panic, this time let loose with purpose.

He stabbed and he stabbed and his arm would not come free-

You're not serious about this one, are you?

Out of curiousity, does Hisao have an actual role in the story? There have been several stories about an OC who goes through a retelling of Act 1 and whenever the author decided to still include Hisao, he usually had nothing to do other than follow the OC around like a groupie and stand on the sidelines while the OC takes his place in whatever event they're involved in. So is it really that important to keep Hisao around if your OC is just going to be involved in all the events that used to be reserved for Hisao?

Also:

one additional character to pout corny gags and memes...

I wonder if I'm the only one who thought the non-stop barrage of internet memes and TV-tropes references is a bit overdone. Pop culture references are like easter eggs. They can make the reader smile when used sparingly. When used non-stop, they keep pulling the reader out of the story as if the author is slapping you on the back every few sentences and shouts "See what I did there?". I personally find it kind of jarring. It's possible that this is deliberate to make him annoying so there's a lot of room for character development when he starts to confront his tragic past, but when a character crosses a certain line it becomes impossible to relate to him anymore and if that keeps going for the entire Act 1, the reader might just reach the point where he starts hoping that, instead of ending up with Hanako, the OC ends up joining Kenji for whiskey and pretzels.

Of course, it is possible to do the "painful past/cheerful facade"-character type right since the KS team pulled the same thing with Misha. But I think if Misha spouted pop culture references every few sentences in an attempt to be funny, rather than merely acting overly cheerful, she wouldn't be nearly as lovable as she is.

I sort of... stopped reading right around the scene with Lilly.

Mirage_GSM wrote:Well...
To be perfectly honest the meeting with Kenji felt like you just copied the scene from the VN and put in one additional character to spout corny gags and memes...
If you absolutely wanted to do that scene, you could have at least spared us Hisao's internal monologue and written it from Maru's PoV. We all know what Hisao is thinking in this scene, so it doesn't add anything to the story.

Aye, I know. More stuff for the revisioning, once I get everything ported over. That said, that does give me an idea.... Hm.

Yes, we get that your character is a cool guy and flippancy was put in his cradle by one of the 13 fairy godmothers, but joking like that over the death of his parents is a bit much, don't you think?

Hmm.... Anyway, it's a bit of a coping mechanism for him, I think. That said, it could use a slight touch-up....

In Hisao's position I might start to wonder if he is a psychopath ritght about then...
And why does he have a power drill with him???

Woodworking as a hobby, for one thing.

You know that might be a thing in downtown Detroit, but not in rural Japan...

It's a matter of perception. No, it's not likely, but that doesn't mean someone won't think it'll happen. Besides, he's in the city, not the town; urban, not rural.

Good question... Is there one?

Depends on the philosopher you ask, I think.

You're not serious about this one, are you?

Yes.

Guest Poster wrote:Out of curiousity, does Hisao have an actual role in the story? There have been several stories about an OC who goes through a retelling of Act 1 and whenever the author decided to still include Hisao, he usually had nothing to do other than follow the OC around like a groupie and stand on the sidelines while the OC takes his place in whatever event they're involved in. So is it really that important to keep Hisao around if your OC is just going to be involved in all the events that used to be reserved for Hisao?

Eh, I had in mind when I started to write a dual narrative, with Hisao's actions slowly being swayed over the course of the story. I regret that now, but 26 chapters in, and it's a task to go back and undo things, particularly with the dearth of time I have. Oh well, once I get all the chapters up here and do some more thinking about it....

one additional character to pout corny gags and memes...

I wonder if I'm the only one who thought the non-stop barrage of internet memes and TV-tropes references is a bit overdone. Pop culture references are like easter eggs. They can make the reader smile when used sparingly. When used non-stop, they keep pulling the reader out of the story as if the author is slapping you on the back every few sentences and shouts "See what I did there?". I personally find it kind of jarring. It's possible that this is deliberate to make him annoying so there's a lot of room for character development when he starts to confront his tragic past, but when a character crosses a certain line it becomes impossible to relate to him anymore and if that keeps going for the entire Act 1, the reader might just reach the point where he starts hoping that, instead of ending up with Hanako, the OC ends up joining Kenji for whiskey and pretzels.

Of course, it is possible to do the "painful past/cheerful facade"-character type right since the KS team pulled the same thing with Misha. But I think if Misha spouted pop culture references every few sentences in an attempt to be funny, rather than merely acting overly cheerful, she wouldn't be nearly as lovable as she is.

Hmm.... Anyway, I didn't think it was quite that heavy-handed, but then again, tvtropes ruined my vocabulary quite a while ago. That said, Hisao does already find him a bit annoying, so eh.

Helbereth wrote:I sort of... stopped reading right around the scene with Lilly.

Ah, that's a pity. Any particular reason why, if you don't mind my asking?

-------

Chapter 10: Smalltalk

---Mostly, I'm not sure why I wrote this chapter, but the practice was good. The only substantial difference was the following, though.----

"Okay!" Misha smiled. "Okay, okay~! Perfect~! We'll see you after school in the student council room, then, Hicchan!"

Hisao blinked. "Wait, why there?"

"Yes, why there?" asked Maru from behind Hisao, who jumped.

"Because~!" Misha grinned. "That's where we keep the game. Macchan, hi-hi~!"

Shizune signed something.

"What? Oh, do you have a question~?" Misha grinned at Maru.

"Just an observation," Maru replied. "Well, a few, really. I've been eavesdropping, I have to admit. You two have been rather heavy-handed trying to recruit this poor guy." He laid his hand on Hisao's shoulder.

Hisao gently brushed the hand off his shoulder with an annoyed frown.

Shizune signed something furiously.

"Huh?" Misha frowned. "Are you accusing-"

"I also note you're challenging a new guy to a game of Risk," Maru continued, undeterred. "In the council room. Alone. Against the two of you."

"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?" Hisao asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not hardly," Maru replied. "Honestly, I just want to play a game of Risk, and this is as good a pretext as any." He paused, then grinned. "I mean, of course! I have to watch out for you, you know."

Hisao rolled his eyes. I could have done without that last addition, even if I'm pretty sure he's kidding.

Shizune signed something with a smirk.

"Wahahahaha~!" Misha grinned. "Then meet us after class~!"

"Oh, it's on," said Maru with a competitive smirk. "I used to be pretty good, back in the day." Geez, I hope I'm not writing a check my skills can't afford. It's been a long time since I played a good game of Risk.

Shizune looked at Maru with a matching competitive smirk.

"Ohhh~!" Misha grinned. "Shicchan says to bring your best game, since you challenged us like that."

"I'll do that," Maru said as he turned to leave.

Lunch ended shortly thereafter.