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Touchdown Breakdown (Updated 7/30/2012)

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:33 pm
by Total Destruction
Alright, screw you guys. Now my brain won't stop churning out Godawful cripple soap opera plots and I'm mad about it, but in all seriousness, writing for an audience again is kind of awesome. Keeps me from getting sloppy. Well, sloppier, rather, but hey, one day at a time. You all rule.

:mrgreen:

My last fiction ended on an abrupt, yet perfect final note (I'm glad a couple of you agreed!), but you guys and this damned game, I swear to God. Makes me get creative. So I compromised.

Consider this a direct continuation of my previous story, Turn to Stone, except this one won't be a one-shot. (Is that what they're calling 'em now?) You don't have to have read it for this to make sense, provided I did things right, but it does kinda give a great deal of background.

As always, feedback of all kinds encouraged. Rip me to pieces and tell me my music is garbage.

EDIT: This was going to be called "Gold Needle" as a stupid reference to Final Fantasy (lawl cuer 4 turn to stoned ahahah), but I thought I could do a bit better and name it after a 'Strip song, but the title is VERY similar to an existing story on here that's very good and didn't even cross my mind till right now. I highly suggest that everyone read Leaty's Mean Time to Breakdown. (It's REALLY good!) I apologize for the confusing similarity of names, but DAMMIT. :lol:


***
Prologue: Turn to Stone
Chapter One: Touchdown Breakdown
Chapter Two: Evil Speaks
Chapter Three: Down There With You

***

"Your lies will have you on your knees
Your soul will pray to satisfy your needs
Your mind will burn your last thoughts
Now witness the only master you've lost."
-LeƦther Strip, "Touchdown Breakdown"



Today's a good day. Hell, every day's a good day, but today's something else. Sun's out. Nice breeze. Not humid at all. Blue skies with just a hint of orange. Long shadows. A few conveniently placed clouds lazily drifting by, offering shade right when I seem to need it. A good day for calisthenics. A hell of a good day to get some sprints in.

As I'm working out the kinks in my hamstrings, I see a familiar face heading toward the track. It's Hisao. Oh, cool. I haven't seen the guy in a while. Well, outside of class, that is. Maybe Ibarazaki succeeded in roping him in to that routine she was practically plotting in secrecy with... Hey. What's his deal? He's looking kinda beat. Bummed out. I decide to jog over to him and find out.

"Hey, you. Why the long face?"

"Miki, I think I messed up."

And jeez, does he look the part. Depressed. Haggard. Tired. Yeah, that's it. He looks dead tired. Scared, too. Shell-shocked, even. Wait. Where was he coming from? Oh, dammit, dammit, dammit. He was coming from the girls' dorms, wasn't he.

What did you do, Hisao. What the hell did you do.

"Hanako. She... I dunno..." He sighs, hangs his head ruefully, and I can practically read his thoughts. Second verse, worse than the first.

"She just blew up at me. She said she hates me. She said she doesn't need anyone telling her that she's broken. She said she hates Lilly and I for treating her like a child. She said she hates me. She says none of us understand. I guess that's true. She said she hates me, Miki. She threw me out of her room, Miki. She HATES me, Miki."

Huh. Can't say I didn't see that coming. Wait. Wait. WHAT.

"Slow down a minute. She eighty-sixed you from her room 'cause you were treating her like a kid? Care to explain that one a bit?"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" He's hysterical now, on the verge of tears. "She's so touchy, all the time. ALL THE TIME. I try to just get a little bit closer, and nothing. Nothing! I can't treat her like everyone else. She's so fragile. Miki, I sent her into a panic attack because I went out shopping for her birthday and I was gonna surprise her with the news but instead I wound up letting the cat out of the bag to Shizune and God-damn Misha and she up and goes catatonic on me and... Oh, hell, YOU saw it! It was like talking to an empty shell and I felt so BAD about it, so we kept the celebration small and then Lilly left so she's been really out of it and I TOLD her! I TOLD her I'd still be around to protect her and that's a good thing, right? Right?! But she's been stuck in her room for like three days, and I went to try to cheer her up and drag her out and get her some fresh air and maybe, just MAYBE, make her happy and she HATES me and I don't even know what I DID."

He's panting now. Almost hacking up a lung and frothing at the mouth.

"Um." It's all I can bring myself to say, really. Millions of thoughts are going through my mind at rapid speed, falling like rain and rushing to a flood of... Anger? Confusion? Sympathy, maybe? No, definitely anger. Shit. Fuck. Dammit. You. YOU.

"I thought I was doing alright, you know? I thought I was being everything she needed. All I wanted to do was help her. You know, protect her, and be there for her? I never wanted to hurt her, ever, and I don't know how I managed to do exactly that, I thought I was doing the right thing, and I don't even know how I feel about..."

"Hisao."

It's been a good year and a half since I lost my hand. I'd like to think I've made a lot of progress since then. So I'm a little clumsier than I used to be, and maybe my penmanship is still kind of awful. But one thing I made absolutely sure to perfect was the ability to deliver a mean right hook to the face. His face. His spineless, heartless, fucking brainless face.

As he reels back and falls to the ground in a crumpled mess, concern briefly flickers through my mind. Aw, shit, he's got a heart problem, and that's an awful lotta blood. Another, even quicker flash of panic seizes me as well. What if someone saw this? Of course someone saw it. Dammit. We live in a fucking school. Everybody probably saw it. And even if it was just some joker that saw me up and deck this kid, the people he'd tell... Oh, man, the rumor mill in this school is going to go nuts. No, no, no. Even given the circumstances, this could easily be expulsion. Dammit. Dammit, dammit, GOD DAMN IT.

I grit my teeth and steel myself, pushing those thoughts aside for when the eventual handcuffs come out and I have a nice, quiet night alone to think about what the hell I'm going to do for the next couple of years. The bastard had it coming, and judging by what I can see of his expression that's not ground up into mincemeat, I think he knows it. He pushes himself up, spits a rather nasty glob of blood and saliva into the grass that's thankfully devoid of teeth, chuckles, and rises to his feet.

"I guess I deserved that, huh. Ow." He winces and wipes his rapidly swelling face with his sleeve.

"You're an idiot."

"I think I deserve that, too." He sighs. "I think I fucked it all up."

"Yeah, you did. Would you like to know how?"

He waves his hand lazily in dismissal. "No... I think I have that part figured out. I just... I have a lot to think about, is all. Ow. Talking hurts."

"So let's shut up and get your ass some medical attention before you keel over and die on me." Thankfully, he does. And we do. Double-time, looking every which way just to be sure.

The walk goes by without incident or interruption from anyone, which surprises the hell out of me, and gives me ample time to think. Not about the repercussions of the stupid, necessary thing I just did. That's pretty much a given. But also things I should have done a long time ago. Things I thought I should have done differently, but given recent events, might... Might not have been a bad idea? Still doesn't make it any better, or make me feel better, for that matter. Not even close. It actually makes me feel a hell of a lot worse.

"Miki." Hisao snaps me out of my train of thought and I realize we're standing in front of the nurse's office. He's got a weird look on his face. Well, the side I didn't mangle, anyway.

"While I can still move my jaw. Want, need to tell you." He spits on the tiled floor in a way that under any other circumstances would either be really gross or totally badass, then continues. "I think I've been a terrible person since I came to Yamaku. Since my heart attack."

Oh, shit. He said he had a condition, but I never figured he'd ever went into full-blown cardiac arrest. Yeesh. Kind of explains a lot, I think. No time for that now, though.

"I've been miserable. Not a day goes by where I'm not reminded every day about things I can't do that I used to take for granted. Not a minute passes where I'm not aware I could drop dead the next. And I don't think I've done... A single thing to change any of that." He pauses to spit again, this one more saliva than blood, which is a good thing, though I honestly wonder why I'm even noticing.

"Then I met Hanako. I think that's why I started being friends with her, really. I've been so afraid of doing anything about me, that she became my project, I guess. A way for me to not have to sit there and think about pain. About dying. Didn't realize I was messing up both of us. Worse."

So that's it, then. The guy tries to play Mr. Fixit to someone because he hasn't got the guts to take a look in the mirror. Well, fuck him, then. I saw who was in that mirror, smashed it, rearranged the pieces, and even though the slivers of glass were a bitch to pull out of my fingers, I'm happy with how she came out. I think.

He chuckles again, this time seeming less sardonic and much more genuine, which kinda weirds me out a bit. "I'm an awful friend, Miki. Don't wanna see Hanako. Not now. Not the way I am. Got some stuff to figure out." He slowly turns to knock at the door, then pauses, facing me again. "If you see Hanako, tell her she's absolutely right. Can you do that for me?"

Huh. Maybe that "fuck him" was jumping the gun a bit. Seems like he wants to do something about this, like he wants to turn it all around. Can't fault him there. I know from experience that Yamaku, more than anything else, is the best place to get that second, hell, third chance. I nod in earnest as we enter the nurse's office. And at that moment, all earnestness and whatever delusions I had cooked up to replace courage take the opportunity to leave me high and dry, I'm in trouble. The nurse takes one look at Hisao's face, looks at me, and abandons his nonchalant smile for a strange mixture of concern and a glare so intense that might as well be separating each of my molecules and splitting them one by one.

"Oh, for the love of... Miura, you know better than ANY-"

"It's okay," Hisao interjects, "It's my fault. I, ow, had it coming."

While not seeming to calm him down or convince him in the slightest, it's at least enough to shut the nurse up and get him right to business. "Miura," he says tersely, "Would you please excuse us and wait outside? Don't. Go. Anywhere."

Wouldn't think of it, boss.

Seconds pass like millennia. Thoughts race by like bullets, some grazing my head and leaving my ears ringing, some hitting me right between the eyes, ricocheting around the inside of my skull and scrambling my brains until I can't even feel anything and I couldn't even tell you what a bullet even was or what I was even using it as a metaphor for anymore, then another rapid-fire burst of old woes, old fears, and even older demons.

A few scattered glimpses of childhood brawls and scraps. Slaps and scratches evolving through the years to chokes and kicks to the side of the head. Stupid, pointless things like insults and keep-away. Serious, important things like extortion and protection. Days spent ditching class in favor of the school of hard knocks, giving as many lessons as I got. Realizing way too late that I might have had a problem. Figuring it was too late to go against the flow. Fighting tooth and nail to get out. Realizing that I might have just gotten right back in. Bleed. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Somewhere above me, I hear the ticking of a clock. Steady. Even. Like a pulse, maybe. What are those things that piano players and stuff use to keep time? I forget what they're called. But it's like that. I focus on it as I'm being ripped to shreds by my mental firing squad. Each wave comes on slower and slower. Each blast from the past hitting harder and more vividly. Each ticking of the clock feeling somehow heavier and louder.

Ratatatatat.

That girl I knocked over on the playground because she had no friends. The first time I coerced someone into doing something I wanted. The first time I got in a legit fight.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Kapow. Zoom.

That guy I utterly destroyed when he got a little too fresh with me. The guy whose arm I broke when he didn't get fresh enough. The guy that would've succeeded were it not for the only time I've ever been glad to be surprised by the cops.

... Tick. ... Tick.

Ziiiiiip. Fwooooosshhhh. Zzzzziiiinnnnnnnggggg.

Punching, punching, punching, again and again, until there wasn't anything left to punch with. Continuing to punch anyway, again and again, until a different set of bones collided with a stud in the wall. Screaming, again and again, because holy fuck what the hell did I just DO -

"... With a saline solution. Not all the time, but enough to make sure everything's nice and disinfected."

Goddamn it. I nearly jump out of my skin as the door opens and the nurse goes over things my idiot friend has to do to keep his face from falling off. Speaking of which, aside from a bad bit of swelling and a bandage, said face isn't looking as grim as I'd figured. I'd ask him how he's feeling, but I have a pretty good idea of how that's going anyway.

"Miura, I'd like to see you in my office now. Nakai, you're free to go."

Hisao gives me an awkward wave and slowly heads off, probably to get some sleep. There you go, champ. You earned it. I follow the nurse into his office and take a seat. I'm all stressed out and my legs are glad for the reprieve, and I'm surprised to find that my hand's killing me a bit. Amazed I didn't put the poor kid to sleep. But anyway, I'm likely screwed. Here it comes. I look up at the nurse, who's regarding me with the worst kind of look. The look that says "You are worse than dead. You are worse than shit. You are dead shit."

A new mantra replaces the bullets and ticking clocks in my head. Don't cry. Don't cry.

"Miura. What you did was nothing short of asinine. What in the hell were you thinking? No, wait, I can clearly answer that one for you. You obviously weren't thinking much, if at all. You could have done far worse than simply given him a nasty cut and some light trauma. And even then, did you stop to consider the consequences of assaulting a student on campus? You cannot afford this. I can't believe you, out of anyone at this school, would do something so reckless."

Don't cry. Don't cry. Please, dammit.

"Miura." His fingers clench the bridge of his nose, like he's got a massive headache. Don't blame him. "Your friend was kind enough to inform me of what happened. And while I may disagree with your methods of handling the situation..." He pauses and gives me a reluctant grin. "I think you did the right thing."

"What." I nearly pass out, both from shock and from forgetting to breathe because I'm honest to God terrified right now, and something tells me that I should be even more afraid that I'm not as screwed as I thought I was, or to the extent that I thought I was. No. This might be worse.

Don't cry. Don't you fucking dare.

He laughs, albeit a strained one. "That boy's been needing some sense knocked into him for a while now. I guess you managed to hit part of his brain back into place. He's promised to actually get motivated and take care of himself. A training and dietary regimen and daily appointments to take vitals and adjust dosages if need be. On a much more personal note, though..."

Aw, dammit.

"I think you made the right call in regards to the situation between Nakai and Miss Ikezawa. Granted, maybe a stern talking-to would have been much more appropriate, but let's just chalk this one up to serendipity."

"What's that?"

"Oh, ah, everything working out for the best." He takes a seat at his desk and drums his fingers absentmindedly. "You're in their class correct?" At my nod, he frowns a bit. "So you were privy to the episode some time ago?"

"Yeah. Is, well, was she okay?"

Here he stumbles a bit. "It's hard to say. I'm not much of a neurologist, myself, but now? Maybe this incident between the two of them is for the better. For both of them, really." He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Are you friends with Ikezawa?"

Now it's my turn to sigh. "I dunno, Nurse. When I transferred here, I tried, you know, getting to know her and hanging out with her. Not out of pity, nah, but I just wanted to be, well... Better, I guess. You know, than before." He nods. I think he's the only one that does, and I'd like to keep it that way. "And it was cool and I got to really like her around, but about this time last year, she..."

Something hits me. "Hisao said he was getting something for her birthday. Today might be her birthday. Oh. Oh, shit. Sorry," I quickly apologize for my language, but he's unfazed. Rather, he's got that amused, mildly intrigued smile of his that kinda makes me mad.

"Did what happened to her, you know, burns and all, happen on her... Well, you probably won't tell me. Patient confidentiality and all. Right. Either way. Makes sense."

That damned smile widens just a bit. My suspicions confirmed, at least I think so, in the shittiest way. That's awful. Really fucking awful. And I think I've forgotten my mantra some time ago, because I think a few rogue tears made their escape when I wasn't paying attention.

"She basically told me to leave her alone, so I guess I just did." I whack my wrist against my thigh in frustration. "Dammit. I haven't talked to her in a whole year."

Miki, you had better stop that fucking crying right now, or so help me, I will give you something to cry about.

"I dunno. I just miss her."

The nurse rises from his desk and hesitantly places a hand on my shoulder. His face is twisted up in all kinds of paternal weirdness. I can tell he's not good at this kind of thing, but it's working nonetheless.

"I think everything will turn out just fine, Miura. You've got a good head on your shoulders, even when you're trying to knock off everyone else's, and maybe she'll see that, too." His hand goes back to his pocket and his demeanor instantly shifts back to his signature blend of business and party. Hahah. Doctor Mullet. That's amazing. "Now let's get a look at that hand for good measure. Can never be too careful."

A few prods and squeezes of my knuckles, fingers, and whatever the actual bones in your hand and wrist are called, and he's pretty satisfied. "Nothing wrong. Surprising, given Nakai's thick skull." I can't help suppressing a giggle between sniffles, and he grins in response. "Good. Good. Now you've given me quite the bit of paperwork to do. Damage control and what have you, so you're all set to go." I get up and make my way to the door, when I stop and interrupt his scrawling of illegible things on way too many different colored documents.

"Hey, Nurse? Thanks. For patching him up. For not calling the fuzz. For... Well, you know."

He grins again. "It's what I do. Now get outta here and let me work in peace," he moans in mock annoyance, sniggering as he handles the wonders of medical bureaucracy. I leave his office and close the door behind me.

As I make my way back to the track, I realize I'm simply too exhausted and a little too bummed out to be running, so I decide to call it a night and head back to the dorms. Once again, I find myself tuning out the outside world and getting lost in a maze of thoughts. A maze with paths that seem to criss-cross and loop infinitely. A maze with no exit and a single dead end.

Man. Hisao tried to baby her, and they both justly got burned for it. Owch. That's a terrible way to put it, huh. But what did I do? I did the exact opposite, and what did I get? Well, nothing, really. Nothing at all. And if that's not wrong, how the hell is it supposed to feel right?

Before I know it, I'm already in my room, stupidly staring at my bed, which happens to be taunting me with its false promises of restful sleep and pleasant dreams. Not fucking likely. I shrug and resign myself to flopping on it unceremoniously, mind racing with flashbacks of close calls both recent and from a lifetime ago, of instant replays of various things and faces broken in half, and of tiny smiles and long, dark hair.

Forget the mantra. I'm alone. I'm alone, and I can do what I want.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a good day. Hell, every day's a good day.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 4:48 pm
by Breaker deGodot
I was wary at first that this would be another story where a canon bad ending is arbitrarily turned into a non-canon happy one, but I think you've assuaged my fears somewhat. I really enjoyed this, and I can see this plotline going into some very interesting directions. The only thing I wonder about is whether it was really smart to write it from Miki's POV, considering that the story seems to be specifically about Hisao and Hanako. I'll see how it goes.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:05 pm
by spirizu
I liked this. I'd already considered that Hanako's "bad end" was the best thing for her, but it hadn't occurred to me that it might be good for Hisao too. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

And now for pettiness:
Total Destruction wrote:I haven't seen the guy in a minute.
Is this a typo? Doesn't seem to make sense to me.
Total Destruction wrote:beaurocracy
"bureaucracy". I think it was the only spelling mistake I saw, so it kinda jumped out at me.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:26 pm
by Mirage_GSM
Breaker deGodot wrote:The only thing I wonder about is whether it was really smart to write it from Miki's POV, considering that the story seems to be specifically about Hisao and Hanako. I'll see how it goes.
You think it's going to be about Hisao? I don't.
I also don't think the "In a minute" is a typo. It's just Miki's way of talking.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:38 pm
by Total Destruction
Breaker deGodot wrote:I was wary at first that this would be another story where a canon bad ending is arbitrarily turned into a non-canon happy one, but I think you've assuaged my fears somewhat. I really enjoyed this, and I can see this plotline going into some very interesting directions. The only thing I wonder about is whether it was really smart to write it from Miki's POV, considering that the story seems to be specifically about Hisao and Hanako. I'll see how it goes.
Wow, was not expecting feedback that fast, man! Thank you!

I thought Hanako's bad ending was PERFECT, and I don't think I'll be changing the dynamic of that relationship anytime soon. Hell, in that whole arc, I strongly felt the both of them needed a swift kick in the ass to smarten up, and the bad end did just that PERFECTLY.

This isn't really a story about just Hisao and Hanako, though. This is still a first (technically second, but whatever) chapter, mind you. Maybe links would be appropriate, huh? I gotta make the stand-alone-ness (???) AND a seamless transition happen. At the same time. Why do I do things the hard way. I'm an idiot. :lol:

Thank you for your comments/criticisms!
spirizu wrote:I liked this. I'd already considered that Hanako's "bad end" was the best thing for her, but it hadn't occurred to me that it might be good for Hisao too. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.
THANK YOU.

:D

I've got a few tricks up my sleeve yet. We'll see what kind of trouble we can get into.
And now for pettiness:
PLEASE.

:twisted:
Is this a typo? Doesn't seem to make sense to me.
*hits self*

No... No, it's not a typo. It's slang that I personally use way too much and hadn't even SEEN that I wrote it. Thank you for pointing that out!
"bureaucracy". I think it was the only spelling mistake I saw, so it kinda jumped out at me.
I knew that word looked too logical the way it was spelled in my head. Maybe I should abandon my old, dated Notepad for Google docs or something. How that's the ONLY spelling mistake is unbelievable to me, and I consider this moment among the highest points in my life.

:mrgreen:

THANK you for pointing things like that out. As superfluous as they may seem, they're things I GOTTA be checked on. Can't build a house when you hammer nails in backwards, can you?

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:41 pm
by Total Destruction
Double-post because I'm slow.
Mirage_GSM wrote:
Breaker deGodot wrote:The only thing I wonder about is whether it was really smart to write it from Miki's POV, considering that the story seems to be specifically about Hisao and Hanako. I'll see how it goes.
You think it's going to be about Hisao? I don't.
I also don't think the "In a minute" is a typo. It's just Miki's way of talking.
:D

SUCCESS.

It's cool to know that established fanfictioneers (lawl, is that a word, and can I copyright it if not?) GET me, boss.

Thank you!

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:48 pm
by Hoitash
Well, my curiosity is piqued, despite the use of a bad ending, which are things I tend to avoid.

So definately interested where this going.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:51 pm
by Ascended Flutist
Another of those commenting-as-I-read thing, because I like it.

Hey look, it's a fic from Total Destruction. I like this guy, what he writes, and his avatar.

Hey, look, it's after The Bad End.
calisthenics
Thanks Dagoth for the built-in dictionary in my laptop.
She said she hates me, Miki. She threw me out of her room, Miki. She HATES me, Miki."
You stopped just before it went from comical to repetitive. Well done.
Miki, I sent her into a panic attack because I went out shopping for her birthday and I was gonna surprise her with the news but instead I wound up letting the cat out of the bag to Shizune and God-damn Misha and she up and goes catatonic on me and hell YOU saw it it was like talking to an empty shell and I felt so BAD about it so we kept the celebration small and then Lilly left so she's been really out of it and I told her I'd still be around to protect her and that's a good thing right but she's been stuck in her room for like three days and I went to try to cheer her up and drag her out and get her some fresh air and maybe just maybe make her happy and she HATES me and I don't even know what I DID
Hisao is pretty upset, so why not make his language a bit more colorful and rant. Okay, I can buy it. A bit suspension-of-disbelief tickling, but okay. But, uh, when does he breathe?
Stumpfist PUNCH.
In retrospect, that was hilarious.
slightly staggering march to the nurse's office,.our silence only broken
Hello, dot. What are you doing here? You look a bit lost. :>
"I'm an awful friend, Miki. Don't wanna see Hanako. Not now. Not... Not the way I am. Got some stuff to figure out... Take care of. You know?" He slowly turns to knock at the door, then pauses, facing me again. "If you see Hanako, tell her she's absolutely right. Can... Can you do that for me?"
Total Destruction's characterization isn't working out so well for you, uh, Hisao? At this point I'm hoping you're not gonna do something stupid.
He pauses and gives me a reluctant grin. "I think you did the right thing."
I think nurse would be a lil' bit more roundabout about it. But he also likes to jump straight to the point, so this is just as valid, I guess.
Well, you probably won't tell me. Paitent confidentiality and all. Right. Either way. Makes sense." My suspicions confirmed, I guess, in the shittiest way.I shake it off, then continue. "She told me, well, not word for word, but more or less, to leave her alone, so I guess I just did." I whack my wrist against my thigh in frustration. "Dammit. It's been a year, now, I think. I haven't talked to her in a whole year."
Passage's a bit messy. I suggest proofreading it.


As a whole, it flows like gravy, which means some passages are sticky and hard to get out of, and some other are much better. It might have something to do with my sleep deprivation though, so don't take it as valid criticism until someone else says the same.

Oh and the story itself's pretty good, and does a good job of highlighting Miki's... states of mind. You have me interested.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:10 pm
by Dawnstorm
Your Miki is a lot of fun to read, you know?

Minor quibble:
He nods, and we begin a long, slightly staggering march to the nurse's office,.our silence only broken by the occasional groan of pain or sharp intake of breath.
The participle phrase sounds out of voice for her - too complex structure for her conversational tone (the dual punctuation suggest you were fiddling with this and forgot to finish fiddling).

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:19 pm
by Total Destruction
Ascended Flutist wrote:Another of those commenting-as-I-read thing, because I like it.

Hey look, it's a fic from Total Destruction. I like this guy, what he writes, and his avatar.
:mrgreen:
You stopped just before it went from comical to repetitive. Well done.
That was FAR messier two days ago. I'm glad I pruned that.
Hisao is pretty upset, so why not make his language a bit more colorful and rant. Okay, I can buy it. A bit suspension-of-disbelief tickling, but okay. But, uh, when does he breathe?
THAT I'm glad I didn't prune. Lawl. Hisao can't breathe, dummy. He has a heart problem. Hahah. But seriously, maybe I should put a few pants/gasps of air in there.
Stumpfist PUNCH.
In retrospect, that was hilarious.
I was damned tempted to use the actual stump, too.
Hello, dot. What are you doing here? You look a bit lost. :>
My fingers are retarded. THANK YOU.
Total Destruction's characterization isn't working out so well for you, uh, Hisao? At this point I'm hoping you're not gonna do something stupid.
I'm not sure if you're talking about a serious flaw in the characterization or not, but that video is kinda hilarious. I played Skyrim JUST ONCE and missed a midterm because I lost ten hours.
I think nurse would be a lil' bit more roundabout about it. But he also likes to jump straight to the point, so this is just as valid, I guess.
This was definitely the toughest thing to sort out, because he's kind of exactly both ways. Reading him is like reading an open book that's written in strange, alien symbols and the damned book is upside down.
Passage's a bit messy. I suggest proofreading it.
I think a straight rewrite would be better, and I think I actually DID rewrite it. I saved this twice for redundancy, and I think I posted the ALMOST but not quite done one, hahah.

As a whole, it flows like gravy, which means some passages are sticky and hard to get out of, and some other are much better. It might have something to do with my sleep deprivation though, so don't take it as valid criticism until someone else says the same.

Oh and the story itself's pretty good, and does a good job of highlighting Miki's... states of mind. You have me interested.
THANK YOU. Criticism like this makes me incredibly happy and I dig it very much. Like a SHOVEL, boss.

WORKIN' ON IT.

:mrgreen:

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:22 pm
by Total Destruction
DOUBLEPOST BECAUSE I'M SLOW DAMMIT
Dawnstorm wrote:Your Miki is a lot of fun to read, you know?

Minor quibble:
He nods, and we begin a long, slightly staggering march to the nurse's office,.our silence only broken by the occasional groan of pain or sharp intake of breath.
The participle phrase sounds out of voice for her - too complex structure for her conversational tone (the dual punctuation suggest you were fiddling with this and forgot to finish fiddling).
THANK YOU.

:mrgreen:

I didn't forget, I think i actually pushed both punctuation marks ("punctuations" is not a word, Chrome? THANK YOU for letting me know) at the same time. That one prolly needs a rewrite, too.

Compliments/criticism appreciated!

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:57 am
by Ascended Flutist
Total Destruction wrote: Hisao can't breathe, dummy. He has a heart problem.
True. I hadn't thought of that. How does he breathe if he has arrhythmia?
Total Destruction wrote: I'm not sure if you're talking about a serious flaw in the characterization or not, but that video is kinda hilarious. I played Skyrim JUST ONCE and missed a midterm because I lost ten hours.
Nah, dunce-Hisao is one interpretation of his character, and his intellectual performances during the bad end are less than stellar, so I can buy it. What I'm saying is I hope he's not stupid to the point of FUSRODAHing himself off a cliff or summat.
Total Destruction wrote: This was definitely the toughest thing to sort out, because he's kind of exactly both ways. Reading him is like reading an open book that's written in strange, alien symbols and the damned book is upside down.
If there's something Lovecraft taught me, it's DON'T READ THAT BOOK, PUT IT DOWN, NOW! ACTUALLY NO, GO TO THE NEAREST CANNON, SHOVE THE BOOK INSIDE THE BARREL, AIM FOR THE OCEAN AND FIRE! BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T READ IT.
But uhm, yeah. Nurse kinda ambivalent. I think he'd tease Miki a bit before getting to business with her. He likes being straightforward, but he prefers when his interlocutor has no way to fight him back. He likes it when the student's only option when he's done is to say 'yes, sir.'
At least that's how I see it.
Total Destruction wrote: THANK YOU. Criticism like this makes me incredibly happy and I dig it very much. Like a SHOVEL, boss.
If I can't make people happy my life has no point anymore.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:51 pm
by Catgirl Kleptocracy
Glad to see a continuation, though I wasn't expecting one so soon. I'm cool with that, though.

If Ascended Flutist is still looking for a second to agree on the gravy reading, I'll throw my name in for that. I noticed it more in the first half than the second (the story felt like it smoothed out a whole lot once Miki is called in to talk to the nurse). I think a lot of it comes from Miki's thought patterns throughout the first half, and how frantic it is. Hisao is also frantic, which adds onto it. A lot of it is good, fast paced thought, which is what you want. I loved it. Bits of it were repetitive though (like characters saying or thinking the same thing two or three times in the same paragraph), which I think bogged down some of the sections. People do ramble when they're frantic, and their thought is fractured, but it tends to bog down in writing if you write it like people would actually speak or think.

And if I can take a turn asking for you to get a confirming opinion, there are a lot of ellipses in this. Ellipses have always been a pet peeve of mine, though, so see what others think about it.

I'm pumped that this comes off of Hanako's bad ending. I also didn't like her "good" ending, and I'd rather see post-stories about her that jump off of the bad one. Also a good take to have Hisao working on himself as well. You seem on the right track to keep this from being a, "Bad ending was bad, let's make everything sugar and rainbows!" deal. I don't think it's a bad idea at all to have the protagonist be a third party to the relationship. Worked just fine in Moby Dick, so long as you cut out the text-book about how to be a whaler. It also gives you the opportunity to dive into more conflict. On the surface level, the story seems to be about the conflict within Hisao and Hanako's relationship, but there's potential to see more change within Miki than the other two as she navigates the surface level conflict.

Almost forgot, but that last bit reminded me -- I actually would have liked to see a little bit more conflict out of Miki, specifically in the part where she's waiting outside the nurse's office. There's a brief section while she's brooding that says she's blasted by a rapidfire burst of old woes, fears, and even older demons. Since we're in first person--always in the character's head--could we get a little indication of what she's actually referring to here? See a little bit more of what she's actually thinking without simply telling us that she's thinking about old demons? You don't (and probably shouldn't) play all of your cards, but sections like this, especially when the story is so close within the character's mind, almost feel like the reader is being lied to. We're getting her direct thoughts for the rest of the story, but then all of a sudden we're only getting her side comments on what she's thinking. It's especially glaring since, as said, it's stuff that's directly related to the conflict of the view-point character. Again, you don't have to tell us exactly what's eating her, but try not to simply tell that there's conflict, especially if it's done specifically for the reason of hiding that information from the reader.

Bangarang story though. Like I said, I was pleasantly surprised to see this up so soon. Keep the good stuff coming, I can't get enough!

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:06 am
by Ascended Flutist
Catgirl Kleptocracy wrote: If Ascended Flutist is still looking for a second to agree on the gravy reading, I'll throw my name in for that. I noticed it more in the first half than the second (the story felt like it smoothed out a whole lot once Miki is called in to talk to the nurse). I think a lot of it comes from Miki's thought patterns throughout the first half, and how frantic it is. Hisao is also frantic, which adds onto it. A lot of it is good, fast paced thought, which is what you want. I loved it. Bits of it were repetitive though (like characters saying or thinking the same thing two or three times in the same paragraph), which I think bogged down some of the sections. People do ramble when they're frantic, and their thought is fractured, but it tends to bog down in writing if you write it like people would actually speak or think.
I reread this a second time (am fully awake and kicking, unlike last time) and didn't have nearly as much trouble, so Total Destruction must have ironed some of it out. Could come from the fact that I sort of knew what was coming and adapted my pace to it though. At any rate, yeah, Miki's train of thought is very frantic, but it kinda suits her.

Overall, I had a much better experience going through it a second time. Swell job correcting it.

Re: Touchdown Breakdown

Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 7:15 pm
by Total Destruction
Catgirl Kleptocracy wrote:EPIC FUCKING POST OF CRITICISM
THANK YOU.

Capturing flighty, flaky, fidgety tension and uncertainty in dialogue is HARD. No better way to learn than the hard way. I gotta work on a balance between depicting people rambling like stunned idiots and actual cohesive English, hahah.

About Miki's damage and problems, I need something to make a story with, dammit. :D But yeah, I could've been a bit more immersive, and I think I'll get to fixing that.

Currently working on a second/third/??? part to this inspired by a detour I took in real life a minute ago. Yeesh.

THANK YOU!
Ascended Flutist wrote:CLARITY
Gotcha. I can be kinda thick sometimes.

And yeah, when I get criticism, I take it to heart and try my best to make a mess less messy. Thanks!
Hoitash wrote:Well, my curiosity is piqued, despite the use of a bad ending, which are things I tend to avoid.

So definately interested where this going.
AND HOW DID I MISS THIS. I'M A SLOW TYPIST.

Thank you very much!