Yukino

[ChesCa]

Sorry, my tabs button isn't working for some reason.
*Facepalms*
How could I forget the theme song for this thread?

Hidden:

'Yukino'

In the village of the Black Paper people, the specters of twisting breathing fabric danced amongst the fog secreting lanterns, humming their songs as it vibrated through their beings. They twisted into soft circles and spiraled into sharp squares, squashing into high shapes and stretching into low ones. Most would have run away in horror or had at least become too dizzy to watch, but not the little girl, sitting on the edge of their little village, watching in fascination but too shy to come close.
As she watched, she felt something grab and shake her. She could not see the hand and she began to panic. Before she could scream, she was paralyzed by an unknown force. Struggling and grunting, she finally gave up when she realized what was happening.
She was waking up.

In an apartment, Ms. Nagawa shook her daughter awake.
"Yukino, it's time for the appointment," she said.

Dr. Issei was meeting with the most challenging patient in his life. Her name: Yukino Nagawa. Age six. Born in Hiroshima, New Japan in the year 2991CE. Yukino was indeed one of the special cases: every attempt to diagnose her disorder had been met with failure.
Japan...no, the world had made great bounds and leaps in the field of psychiatry: mapping the brain, decrypting chemical readouts, reading behaviors and above all, 'curing' them. Of course, even with today's medicine, not all mental ailments could be gotten rid of, but with disabilities such as autism, shyness and anxiety just a few pills away from total erasure, it would only be a matter of time before all mental deficiencies were gotten rid of.
Of course, there is a down to every upside: every human body is different, and as diagnosis became more refined, so did the medication needed for each patient. One milligram of a special medicine to treat depression could throw a person who needed only half a milligram out of whack in the skull, leading to symptoms from 'mild nausea' to 'total psychotic breakdown.' This was why the ShikoPlus was invented: a machine that could diagnose every known disorder and read what treatment was necessary to bring a person back to normalcy. The machine itself was just a portable helmet that had sensors lining the inside that read brain functions. Every nineteen patients out of twenty had been successfully diagnosed. It was usually Issei who was in charge of the last remaining patient.
Dr. Issei specialized in talk therapy, an old but necessary method to diagnose those who could not...or would not...use the ShikoPlus. Some patients' brains were not compatible with the helmet, and as a result produced no read out. It was then up to Issei to use trial and error to find the correct diagnosis and to let the patient's physicians take care of the prescriptions. The rest of the patients, however, just found it too embarrassing to use the helmet. Throughout history, the mentally impaired were ostracized, and these times were no different. Some patients found shame in wearing the helmet, or would be afraid that someone they knew would find out they used it. There was even a hushed, derogatory nickname for the ShikoPlus. The YanDome, which sometimes translated to Crazy Cap. Issei could get even the most stubborn of clients to eventually use the ShikoPlus after ensuring that there was no shame in using it nor would there be a violation of privacy, and that's why Yukino had been assigned to him: she would not wear the cap no matter what. Both the doctors and her mother had thought that its touch had caused immense discomfort, and that she seemed to be deathly afraid of it. Right off the bat Issei had thought 'Autism or Asperger's' when he read the report about her, but he was still legally bound to make absolutely sure that this was the problem with her, lest everyone involved face a malpractice lawsuit.
And so it was that Issei waited in his office for his new patient to arrive. His secretary's voice crackle on the intercom.
“Dr. Issei, your six o' clock is here.”
“Send her in, Miss Nosa,” Issei responded.
-
Ms. Nagawa glanced at the rearview mirror out of habit and saw nothing in the backseat.
That's right, she had Yukino sit in front this time around. She wanted to give her daughter comfort concerning this 'new development.'
Ms. Nagawa fidgeted in her seat as she thought carefully about what she would say to her daughter.
A few nights ago, she sat Yukino down at the dinner table and tried to discuss what was going to happen. She spoke about how mommy was worried for her, that she wanted Yukino to be happy and have friends and grow up to be a loving, caring person, and that she would not leave her alone with an adult that wasn't friendly. Yukino nodded her head to please her, but Nagawa knew that she didn't really understand the weight of the situation or what they were trying to do.
The antsy mother tried not to shake her leg while driving. Her mother had always told her not to do that, or people would stare at her.
Right now, Yukino was just staying quiet and staring off into space, ignoring her new surroundings. The change in scenery and routine did nothing to phase her or pique her interest. She wasn't even looking out the window for the new buildings. Ms. Nagawa put her eyes back on the road, trying not to look like she was judging her own kid. A lot of children her age should be looking at the buildings and landmarks as they passed by on a trip so that they could judge how far they were from home on the way back, but not once had Ms. Nagawa seen Yukino do anything like that.
Kids did that right? Adults did it too, so Yukino should be following suit.
Maybe.
“What do you want to listen to on the radio?” she asked.
Yukino turned. “I don't know.”
“Well, what kind of music do you listen to?”
“I don't listen to any kind of music.” She looked down a little, almost on the verge of spacing out back into her own little world.
“Mom's just going to put on some jazz.”
“Okay.” Yukino looked to have barely registered her mother's statement.
Soothing piano music permeated the front of the car shortly thereafter.
“How was school yesterday?”
“The same,” she responded. It was always the same, both Yukino's school day and this conversation.
Nagawa pressed the subject anyway. Maybe this time she'll get something out of her daughter other than 'nothing special' or 'the same.'
“Really? What happened?”
“I dunno'. It was just the same.” Yukino also never told what the same meant.
Fine, then Nagawa will just have to take the lead.
“Well, what did the teacher teach?”
“Math,” she replied timidly. Her arms were laying on her lap.
“Oh. That's good. What did you do then?”
“We had a test. I got a 10.”
Nagawa's eyebrows raised for a fraction of a second. Was her kid also...
“A ten? How many questions were there?”
“Ten.”
Oh.
There was a prolonged silence in the car as Nagawa managed to blank out every possible subject for school that could have been talked about.
“I'm very proud of you honey!” Nagawa mustered up the most enthusiasm she ever felt for being able to count numbers. Yukino looked at the car door. Ms. Nagawa raised a mental white flag and drove the rest of the way in silence. If there was one thing she knew, it was that talking about Yukino was off-limits for Yukino.
When they arrived, their destination was a clean, white building that was two stories tall. They entered through the front and spoke with the secretary.
“Oh hi, Ms. Nagawa! And how are you today?”
She didn't answer the question. No way she could say 'fine' after having just pondered whether the love of her life was stupid or not on top of worrying about her mental condition.
“I'm just here to sign in my daughter,” she said and smiled politely.
“Okay, sure. Let me just buzz you in.”
She pressed the button on the intercom. “Dr. Issei, your 6 o'clock is here.”
“Send her in Miss Nosa,” Issei's voice crackled from the other side. The secretary buzzed the door into the main offices open.
-
Dr. Issei had always left his door open so that he was visible to the patients as they came in. The security door buzzed and Ms. Nagawa walked her daughter into the office. A small thing, less than 4 feet high, Yukino was dressed in blue slacks and a white shirt. Her hair was cut short and she was remarkably pale. The meaning of Yukino's name was 'Snowy Field.' She certainly lived up to that description.
Ms. Nagawa leaned down and met her daughter in the eye.
“Okay, sweety, I'll be right outside if you need anything.” Yukino gave her mom a small hug.
“I love you,” she said, like she was saying good-bye forever. That was okay. The young ones usually don't get used to strangers too quickly, but Issei could usually loosen them up after a few sessions. What Issei's observant mind immediately noticed was that Yukino barely spoke above a whisper, a totally withdrawn voice and lifestyle. The file on her had mentioned that she was often 'gloomy and vapid.'
Ms. Nagawa gave a quick wave and smile to the good doctor and headed out. Yukino stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what she should be doing.
“Hello there. How are you?” Dr. Issei leaned forward and smiled, but made sure not to get into her face with his friendliness. He wanted her welcomed, not smothered.
“I'm okay.” She avoided eye contact and looked at the floor.
“Why don't you have a seat and get comfy?” Issei offered, directing to the couch. Yukino climbed on and plopped onto where the cushions sink down, looking like she'd fall into the couch at any moment now.
“Tell me a little about yourself Yukino.” Always proactive, never apprehensive or disinterested. That was how Issei would always handle his cases.
She stared. She couldn't think of anything to say. No worries, just lead her on and she'll get more comfortable.
“Say, how old are you?”
“Six.”
“Oh, so you're getting on in years.”
That stare again. Over her head. Poor choice in a joke.
“What's it like being six?”
“I'm smarter, I guess.”
“Really? How smart are you?”
She fidgeted a little and broke eye contact. “I got a perfect score on my test.”
The report on her also said that she was having trouble in school, partially from having trouble getting up in the morning and partially from being bullied by other kids. Personally, Dr. Issei had also laid blame at Ms. Nagawa's feet for not disciplining her daughter enough. He had heard she was being raised in a 'study-free' environment.
“How good for you! What was it about?”
“Numbers. I can write up to ten.”
Dr. Issei pulled out a sheet of paper and some pencils.
“Why don't you draw them for me?”
“Am I going to be tested again?”
“No, not if you don't want to.”
Yukino took the items anyway and wrote on the end table beside the couch. After a few moments, she finished and gave it back to the doctor. He looked it over.
She can count. Well, that's one thing she can fell confident about.
“That's very good of you.”
“I knew I could do it.” She spoke as though she had done nothing of importance. That's interesting. Usually praise rubbed kids in the right way.
“Yukino, what makes you happy?”
She raised her eyebrows a little, then thought about the question. For three minutes.
“How about this Yukino: What makes you feel good?”
She pondered for another minute.
“I don't know the right answer,” she finally replied.
“You're not being tested. Any answer you give is okay.”
“I know, but I think I don't like lying.”
This one had the strangest answers. Not especially worrisome yet, but strange. Perhaps this one had delusions of grandeur? A self-inflicted burden of being perfect and always right?
“You think you don't like lying?”
“I thought about it a little.”
“Why don't you like lying?”
“Because it will make me feel bad.”
“I see. Why would that happen?”
“I dunno'. That's just what would happen.”
A slight pause as Dr. Issei tried to think of the next topic.
“Can I build a house?” Yukino asked.
“Oh. Sure.” Issei pointed to some blocks scattered in a basket on the game shelf. Instead, Yukino began gathering all the pillows she could from the couches and placed them around herself. It only covered up to her waist. She added on the cushions as well, and propped up the cushions so that one was at her back and two at her sides, like a tent, then stacked the pillows within the v-shaped area of the cushions to make a kind of wall. Only her eyes were visible through the opening.
“I've never seen anyone play house like that before.” Issei was genuinely a little perplexed and amused. Most parents nowadays had discouraged their kids to doing this by now.
“I do it all the time at my house. I use blankets and pillows though. I also like to do it in a closet sometimes.”
“Why do you go into the closet Yukino?” Issei wanted to make sure she wasn't hiding from her mother.
“I just like it in there. It's dark and I'm all comfy.” That last sentence is accompanied by her smiling a little and hugging herself. So she did have a comfort zone.
“My mom doesn't like it though. One time she came home at night and I fell asleep in there. When she opened the door she screamed and thought I was an animal or something. Then she told me I couldn't do it anymore because she said sleeping in dark and small places were for rabbits. I would've told her I was in there if I was awake, but I messed up.”
“Yukino, you don't need to blame yourself. I'm sure your mother isn't even bothered by it.”
“But I was supposed to know.”
Yukino was a zealous type A. If it continued to be focused on self-blame, this was not good for her well being. Issei made a mental note to steer that personality type to something more constructive.
“Yukino, it's okay that sometimes bad things happen and make mistakes. It's how we learn.”
Yukino looked confused.
“Okay,” she finally commented. Another conversation over her head. She'll learn when she's older anyway. Let's change the subject to...
“Yukino, what do you like to do?”
“I dunno'.”
“Let me say that again: what is your favorite thing to do at school?”
She thought a little. “I like drawing time. I can be by myself and do my own thing.”
“I see. What kind of things do you draw in class?”
“I draw people and grass and animals, and sometimes,” she leaned forward and whispered “even monsters.”
“Ooooh. What kind of monsters?”
“Scary ones. With lots of...lots of...,” she searched for the words, “Wiggly legs.”
“Wiggly legs?”
“Yeah. And also black monsters that are like paper.”
A portrait from her psyche could help in his diagnosis. Issei got the paper and some crayons this time. “Could you draw them for me?”
“Okay.” She set them down on the table and really got into her work, taking six minutes to complete it all. She used up a good chunk of the black crayon. Black is actually the only color she used.
She gave the paper back to him.
On the page are what looked like squiggly, blobby patches of black. One was unidentifiable, another looked to be a scowling person with big, round ears, another a stack of laundry with small ears and the last shape slightly resembles a...
“Those wiggly legs are called tentacles. Squids and octopus have them.”
“Oh! Like the kind you eat.”
Issei chuckled. “Yes, like that.”
“Ew. I've been eating slimy things.”
Issei laughed at that. “Don't worry, the food makers make sure to clean it all up before they serve it to you. Do you like drawing these kind of things?”
“I think it's okay, although the teacher makes sure I don't draw anything scary again.”
Again?
“What did you draw that looked so scary?”
“What people really look like.”
That could be something of note.
“Could you draw me a picture of what we all really look like?”
“Will I get in trouble again?”
“I just want to see how you see things. There's no wrong way to do that.” And even if there was a wrong way, it could be easily remedied.
Yukino hesitated a little when given the drawing materials again, then spent two minutes scratching down on the desk and paper. When she was done, she handed it back.
The 'people' in the paper barely looked like people at all. They had arms and legs for sure, but...their eyes and faces were gaping red holes, and they had wheels on their feet. The backs of their heads were broken and out of those holes came wires, which led up and out of the page. The arms and legs even looked funny: they were square and blocky, like wood.
Dr. Issei looked over at Yukino.
“Is this what they look like all the time?”
Yukino shook her head. “Only sometimes, when they're showing how they really look.”
“Do I look like that right now?”
Yukino glanced to the side. “Only a little.”
She really didn't look comfortable with lying.


-


The session ended a little early, but only so that Dr. Issei can talk with Ms. Nagawa. Yukino was given a coloring book in the lobby while she waited.
“What's wrong with her? What will she need?” Ms. Nagawa was wringing her hands, waiting for an answer.”
“I don't quite know what it is,” Issei began, “but so far autism isn't such a stretch. However, I think she may be the youngest patient that has ever shown signs of schizophrenia.”
“Oh...” Now the mother looked worried.
“Don't get too discouraged. I'm an expert in solving problems like these, though they may take a while.”
Ms. Nagawa nodded her head, but she was still looking back at her daughter in worry. Perhaps some 'home remedies' would help ease this case along.
“I do have one suggestion to make things easier for everyone,” he proposed.
“What is it?”
“Spend time with her.”
“Doctor, I do spend time with her. I talk to her at the dinner table, but she won't pipe up much. Any morning time is spent trying to get her out of bed and you know how that works out.”
The report had said she had trouble sleeping so much she had missed days of school. The event that finally got her mother to get her diagnosed was a day where Yukino literally spent almost the whole day sleeping.
“What I mean is spend quality time with her. She seems almost incapable of enjoying herself, and always worries about things beyond her control, even small ones like scaring you from the closet.”
“Oh, I remember that night. She startled me and I scolded her,” Ms. Nagawa looked guilty, “She looked like she'd committed a crime and I spent the night worrying I was too hard on her. How do you suggest I get her to open up?”
“You know her better than me. What would she like? Maybe set aside an hour that's all about her, even if it's just to distract.”
Nagawa thought for a moment.
“I guess I could read to her,” she said half-sure, “She can get pretty absorbed into a story, and that's usually when she can settle down a little.”
“Good. Let her choose a story she might like and you read together with her. Make it seem like you can understand her tastes.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Wrong choice of words.”
“I can set aside Sunday for reading time. I'll see what she likes in a book. Thank you doctor.”
“No problem. Same time next week.”
Ms. Nagawa turned to the door.
“Oh, I'm sorry, but there's one more small matter.”
“Yes doctor?”
“Does your daughter like to play 'House' a lot?”
Ms. Nagawa gave an exasperated laugh. “Yes she does doctor. A lot.”
“Whenever she gets...” she searched for the words, “overwhelmed, she hides in a really small space and covers herself. She really likes the feeling of being covered. She once described it as being like a turtle. It's just comfort thing, I guess.”
“How long and how often has she been doing this, Ms. Nagawa?”
“Technically for a few months now, but ever since she was—just before she was four, actually—she would always crawl away into hiding spots. Like under the cupboard or in a corner where furniture meets, like she wanted to be alone.”
Ms. Nagawa gave an exasperated yet amused sigh, “There's no talking that kid out of that habit no matter what. It's okay now though. I've told her where can and can't go, but recently she just took to wrapping herself.”
“Is there any way for you to coax her out of places?”
“What would happen normally is that I'd just take her out of wherever she was and she'd just crawl right back later. Now I can just call her for dinner or tell her that I'm going to the store and she'll come right out. She's a good girl.”
“I can believe that. But...”
“Yes doctor?”
“When you read to her, try doing it in a place where she's not so at ease.”
“What? Will she be able to handle that?” Ms. Nagawa glanced at her kid again. She was coloring the pages in black. 'More Black Paper People?' Issei wondered.
“Oh no, nowhere dangerous. Just the living room or outside. Just get her used to a new location. You can tell her you have an easier time reading there.”
“That...could work.”
“It's nothing but a small precaution. When she gets used to being around people, at the same time she'll be learning to explore outside her comfort zone. Not to be so apprehensive of new environments.”
“I'll do it, but is this really necessary doctor?”
“Oh, it's probably a phase, but...”
Neither of them needed to say it. 'She could grow to become a future shut-in.'
“....I would recommend disciplining her out of this stage of life as soon as possible.”
“I know. I should have done it when she was younger, but I wasn't strong enough.”
Ms. Nagawa teared up a little, but before Issei could offer reassuring words, she composed her self again.
Thank you Dr. Issei.”
“Oh, anytime,” he responded.
Nagawa exited out of the door into the lobby, but Issei kept his door open for his next appointment, who should arrive shortly. Through the lobby door, he heard the mother and child.
“Yukino, what kind of books do you like?”
“Um...a book about animals.”
“Any kind of animals? What's your favorite?”
“Rabbits!”
“Why are you asking?”
“Because I just the best for my little daughter.”
Issei swears he could hear the smile in Ms. Nagawa's voice.
“Mom, you're squishing me in front of all the peoples.”
He heard the two leave, presumably to a bookstore.


-


The Brown Burrow. A place to be served drinks by beautiful, almost half naked women in animal suits. That is where he always went to unwind. First greeted out of courtesy, now as a regular. Dr. Issei did not think it a sin to enjoy himself with drink and beautiful women. Many who could find out would be shocked, but that's what made him so good at this job: he could do things both ways. As long as he kept his business and personal life separate, all the more power to him.
“Pass me another one!” he shouted, red faced and red nosed.
“Yes Master. Is there anything else you would like?” asked a dainty waitress in a kitten costume with a low cut neckline. He ogled her for a moment.
“Master, I'm afraid that there are other customers.”
“Oh, of course of course sweet potato.”
“Thank you Master,” she refilled his drink, the third one he had tonight, “Please enjoy yourself.”
As she walked away, he swore she deliberately sashayed like that just to get people coming back. All the girls did so, but with hips that wide she could really toss it out. He downed his drink and sat back, groggy and taking in the nice view of the scenery.

[Kitsune Inferno]

Alright, first of all, you've got a wonderful set of characters here. Yukino is clearly the star of the show, even if she's not the narrator. Issei and Yukino's mom are rather plain and typical, but they work, so I don't really think you need to change them. They serve the story well. And Yukino is rather profound and very interesting. What kind of story is she going to have, I wonder? I'm really looking forward to it.

My biggest complaint is that you've got no hook. A first chapter, of any work, should give the reader a good sense of what the story will be about. I'm at a loss when it comes to Yukino. Is this a feel-good family story? Is this a supernatural thriller? An action series? There's nothing that tells the reader what to expect, which is in direct contrast with Bound, which probably told the reader too much. :\ You should strive to strike a balance here, because as interesting as Chapter 1 may be, it tells me nothing about what kind of story it is.

You had a few grammatical and structural errors here and there, and I was unsure who the narrator was in the second-to-last section until the end. I was a bit confused at times.

Other than that, Yukino is a valiant effort and the cast is astoundingly interesting, despite there only being three characters so far. Just remember, a hook is key, even if it's just an exposition chapter...

[ChesCa]

Thanks for the review. After the reviews, I'll change the first chapter to reflect what we talked about.

Hidden:

The next week, Yukino was more at home in his office, now that she knew that she was to come every week.
“How are you today?” Issei started. He always hated starting that way, but whatever got the ball rolling.
“I'm okay. And how are you?”
“Oh I'm fine. Thanks for asking.”
“I know that. I'm just supposed to ask.”
Eh, she'll get this human interaction stuff done right eventually.
“Are you learning manners in school now?”
“No. My mom said that I should ask people how they are. I don't know why because I can see how they are just fine.”
“Hmmmm,” Issei took an exaggerated pondering pose for her benefit, “That's true, but why do you think your mother wants you to do that?”
“I dunno'.”
Well, no one was exactly born courteous.
“Well, I can take a guess: People like it when others care about them, but they don't always know when someone does. By asking that, that person will know that you care, and it will be very nice for them.”
Yukino turned glum for a moment.
“Yukino?”
“Nobody ever asks me.”
New strategy.
“I'm sure that they're just shy.”
“What does shy mean?”
“It means to be afraid of good things.”
“Why would anyone be like that?”
“It's a mystery.” That and he didn't want to pour the complex possibilities on a first grader.
“Ooooh.”
Time to see if he can dive into the next layer of this girl's mind.
“Yukino, do you like where you live?”
“Oh yeah. It's okay.”
“What's your house like?”
“Um...there's a kitchen, and a living room, and a TV room with a biiiiig TV,” she stretched her arms out at the word 'biiiiig', “and my bedroom and my mom's bedroom and the bathroom and the hallway.”
“It sounds like a pretty big place.”
“Yeah, it's okay.”
Better than 'I guess' or 'I don't know the right answer.'
“Do you and your mom get along pretty well?”
“Um...I guess.”
Too soon.
“Do you get into arguments?”
“Only when I don't get up in the morning. She gets really mad and yells at me sometimes,” she started looking glum again, “The rest of the time she's okay and lets me do my own thing.”
“Did you two do anything together?”
“Sometimes she would make me go shopping with her, but that's boring and I always want to go home. And we eat together.”
“Anything else?”
“Mmmm,” she grunted, a little annoyed, “I used to read by myself, but now she wants to read for me.”
A slight hitch for the mother. Better get the daughter to loosen up more with the new plan.
“Do you like reading by yourself?”
“No one bothers me when I'm reading in school. They don't come near me.”
“When do you read?”
“Recess.”
The children are probably distracted, or she sits somewhere they don't notice.
“I sit in the classroom and do it.”
Or there's that.
“Why does it bother you when your mother does it?”
“Because I want to do it on my own!” she was pouting a little.
“Oh, well, just tell her that you want to read to her.”
The idea latched onto her as planned. “Will she listen?”
“If you tell her to. The next time you sit down, tell her you want to show off a little.””
“What?”
“That you want to show her how good you are at reading.”
“Oh. I'll do that.”
“Very good.”
Keep the conversation going. Don't let the progress stall.
A key part of a child's growth was a good, strong, healthy family unison. Issei decided to check that aspect of her life next.
“Do you talk with other family members?”
She shook her head. “I only live with my mommy.”
“There's no one else?”
“My mom says I had a daddy, but he died before I was born.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
“That's okay, because I don't know him,” she looked down at her lap, “Sometimes the kids make fun of me for it, though.”
“How did you feel when you first found out that he was dead?”
“I was a little sad, but my mom looked even sadder. Like she wanted to cry, so I hugged her.”
“That's very nice of you. I'm sure she liked that.”
Good. Normal bonding with the parent.
“I knew she would.” She actually grinned a little at that. She had some pride, it seemed.
“What about any aunts and uncles, or grandma and grandpas?”
“She said I'm not allowed to see them.”
Division in the family. Not good.
“Why Yukino?”
She shook her head again. “She didn't say.”
Best not to pry, but that could be worth remembering. Would the other family members be a bad influence on her, or was it a more personal thing on Ms. Nagawa's part?
Speaking of relations, that brought up another point.
“Do you have anyone to play with?”
“No. And I don't want to,” a defiance coupled with her usual glumness. Despondency. She doesn't want friends because she gave up on having them.
“Don't you want someone to talk to?”
“I'm talking to you.”
“No no, I mean like kid stuff or stuff you wouldn't say to me.”
“I'm not going to say anything to you that I don't want you to know.”
“This is the part where she's supposed to act creepy and possessed and like an adult,” flashed the thought between Dr. Issei's ears, but she said it naturally, like she was just letting him know.
That usually wouldn't bother him or any psychiatrist; there were private and then there were personal matters, but children would just hide and hide, not letting anyone know they have a secret. Yukino's reply was something more along the lines that a frank speaking adult would say.
“You don't have to say anything you don't want to.”
“I know. No one can make me say anything.”
That adult talk, innocent manner again.
“And they shouldn't.”
“I think people are going to try anyway, but I won't say anything.”
“What kind of people are they, Yukino?”
Was someone after her? Why? Was it just the other kids?
“Some people that mom doesn't like and told me never to talk to. They're grown ups with cameras and papers. I know what will happen if I talk, so I won't.”
“What will happen if you do talk?”
“She'll be in the newscasts, or what she says are trashy peep shows.”
Reporters?!
“Why is your mom so famous?” he wanted to ask.
None of his business none of his business none of his business. Focus on the cause and cure of her disorder.
“Your mother taught you well. It's bad to talk to adults you don't know outside of here, your school and your house.”
Yukino's eyes rolled a little up and to the side, then her eyebrows raised. She just remembered something.
“I almost forgot: Do you know what 'Media Whore' means?”
That's a bizarre development.
“No, I don't,” he lied, “Where did you hear that?”
“My mom. She was talking on the phone and she told the person not to call her that. She was really mad. She found me and told me to wait in another room while she talked.”
No family connections and an angry phone call from someone who would throw personal insults at Ms. Nagawa? Sounded like an estranged relationship if he ever heard of one.
Time was up a short while later after they had made small talk.
“Yukino, when you come back next week, can you do me a favor?”
“Yes?”
“Could you tell me about the story you're reading?”
“Okay,” she grinned. “It's called Watashipu Daun.”
“I'll remember that.” Issei smiled back.
Best to gauge how well the 'project' was going by seeing how lost she gets in the conversation over it. Too bad it was an english title, or else he'd be able to figure out what she just said.


Dr. Issei waited for her to exit the office, then poured himself some water. He'd been talking for a long while today and needed a break.
Yukino acted like she knew everything and was never wrong. That probably wasn't a good sign. Girls her age should be humble and willing to listen to her seniors more. Maybe the early stages of Narcissism. Or maybe it could be connected with that earlier Super Type A personality she had and she can't relax until she's sure she knows everything. If the latter were the case, the mother would firmly but carefully break all expectations of being right. Better that than letting life do it in a much harsher manner and having her react negatively to it. If it was the former...Yukino will be seeing psychologists for a very very long time.
Baby steps. Just teach her how to work well with others she doesn't know and build on that. What matters is getting a handle on her problem, and the earlier the better.
“You're next appointment is here Dr. Issei,” Miss Nosa buzzed on the intercom.
“Send him in, send him in,” he gulped down one last glass for good luck.


Yukino dreamt again that night. In that dream, the Black Paper People were dancing and making weird shapes, humming and talking at the exact same time. The thing with the wiggly legs (tentacles, they're tentacles) was on the ceiling, not caring what was going on below, letting the Black Paper People pass through his hanging tentacles. It looked sad and lonely, so Yukino walked up to it.
“How are you?” she asked.
Two big, shiny, bulbous white eyes, not unlike searchlights, widened and focused on the little girl. The Black Paper People stopped dancing, but they only muttered and looked at the ceiling squid, whispering their translucent hums.
After a long pause, it answered “I could be better.”

[Kitsune Inferno]

Hmmm, I really liked it. It seemed each chapter we were going to get a little more of Yukino's story peeled back, but my one issue is the end of the chapter. It seems so out of place... I'll have to see Chapter 3 before making the call on it, but it's a little jarring and kills the immersion.

[ChesCa]

Here we go, the next part:

Hidden:

“What happened next?” Issei asked Yukino.
“And then they went into the forest, and then they were nearly eaten by a dog,” Yukino was using rapid hand and arm gestures to put the point across. Good. She's excited. Kids in a good mood were usually more pliable.
“Oh wow. How did they get out of that one?”
“Bulakubelli figured out that they could float wood and help the rabbits that couldn't swim up the river.”
Blackberry. Yukino meant Blackberry. Issei was going to need to teach her how to correctly pronounce the words one day.
“This sounds very interesting. I didn't know a story about rabbits could be so cool.”
Dr. Issei wasn't putting on a facade when he said that: he was genuinely entrenched in a tale of rabbits trying to find a new home.
“We had to stop there last night, but I get to hear more tomorrow.”
“I'm glad you like it Yukino.”
Nice to hear that her home life was becoming at least a little more enjoyable. A positive sign of progress that she's taking root to the efforts to curb her avoidant, queer behavior.
“I knew I would--”
She stopped herself.
“Yes, I enjoyed it very much. It was cool,” she almost stiltedly said, like it was rehearsed.
It seemed her speaking with so much self-assurance was finally effecting her home life. Her mother was now obviously training her to be more humble in her language.
The next question wasn't a sure fire way to learn more about her, but it was worth a try.
“So, who is your favorite character?”
“FAIBA!” she exclaimed.
“You knew you liked him the moment you saw him, didn't you?” Issei said while nodding. He was waiting for Yukino to explain the character before he chanced to guess who she was talking about.
Yukino opened her mouth to exclaim again, but paused.
“Yes!” Her head nodding was a little too enthusiastic.
What? Did she know she would like him before she even heard of him? Still, progress was progress, and when she fit into the habit of humility her grandeur should fade with it.
“What do you like about him?” Issei asked, trying to calculate which rabbit she was talking about.
“He can see the future.” Yukino put up her hands like a magician having just presented something out of thin air.
Fiver. She meant Fiver.
“Is he always right?”
“Uh-huh.”
Somehow, Issei knew she would say that. He chuckled under his breath.
“What's so funny?”
Whoops. He slipped.
“I just think he sounds a lot like you, Yukino.”
Issei hoped his tone made it sound like he was just ribbing her.
She still smiled, but it faded to a small one, her teeth disappearing.
“I'm not a rabbit.” Even for a child this was poor cover.
Wishes to hide from the world in her 'house', thinks she knows everything, relates to a psychic rabbit that can predict the future and should be listened too. Conclusion: Keep her away from message boards. She won't be able to escape.
Now came the hard part. She wasn't likely to be in a better mood than this.
“Do you ever feel like that? Like no one is listening to you?” Dr. Issei wore his empathy face to put her at ease.
Yukino slouched back and folded her arms. She looked down. Putting up her guard? Thinking? She didn't respond for a full minute.
Dr. Issei was about to press the question again when she looked up.
“People listen to me, but I think they think I'm lying.”
Persecution complex? Maybe. Probably just the usual communications problem with someone still learning how to talk to others.
“They think you're lying?”
“Not lying but...” she can't think of the word.
“Wrong.”
She sunk back further into the chair than before. Crap. Too strong a word.
“Yeah,” Yukino sighed sullenly.
Still, he had to go forward.
“Yukino, sometimes you have to accept the fact that you don't know everything,” Issei started, carefully making his words as non-judgmental as possible, “Sometimes fitting in and growing up means swallowing your pride and going along with what's best for you.”
Yukino started to frown and pull her legs up to her chest. She stared up at him from a downcast head. Better lighten the load a little.
“Today, we still function as a society because we learn to interact with each other, working towards what's best for the group,” he reassured her, “Without these skills we could not have built and rebuilt our society to where it is now.”
Yukino was very still. The only sign of movement was that her eyes had turned away. She really didn't want to hear what was being said.
“Yukino look at me,” he said as gently as possible. She turned her eyes back towards him, but they were squinted, like she was struggling to focus her gaze on him. That made sense: children with autism or Asperger's always had a hard time breaking the habit of low eye contact. Usually it was best to start when the child was four to discipline them to not look away, but Yukino at least wasn't too old yet to start.
“I know it's very hard for you right now, but that's okay. Not everyone has it easy. Learning to talk, smile, make friends and study comes to some people more easier than others,” he had made his tone as soft as possible, “There was even a time where for some people it was near impossible.”
Yukino gripped her legs harder. For all her pride, she really did have a habit of knowing what would come next.
“But we've gotten past those times, and we have medicines and machines to make it better for all of us.”
Well, most of Japan. There was still those few of whom the ShikoPlus had no effect on.
“Your mother and I only want what's best for you, so if you could--”
“No!” Yukino interrupted abruptly, turning her head away from him. Great. This was falling apart fast.
“Yukino, behave and let me finish what I was going to say.”
She snapped her head back at him and pounded her arms once on the cushion.
“I already know what you're going to say and I said no!”
“Yukino--”
“NO!”
It was hard to keep his calm tone of voice, but Issei would have never gotten his job if he didn't have the patience to deal with situations like these.
“No no no! You can't make me!” she was starting to raise her voice. The only way left to handle this was to just let her yell it out while he listened.
“Everyone keeps trying to make me wear that stupid hat but they won't leave me alone! I never wanted to put it on but my mom kept trying to make me! And the doctors kept trying to tie me up and put it on me and they JUST. WOULDN'T. LISTEN!” Yukino's voice had raised to almost a screech at the end. As nice as she usually was, she had absolutely no control over herself when she was angry. That was another typical habit of the autistic: if something doesn't go their way, they lash out to an inappropriate extreme. All of this could be avoided if she just put on the helmet, but then again that was precisely part of the problem. Part of her disability was an unhealthy aversion to new things.
She had finally quieted down, breathly deeply and quickly, her arms shaking from anger.
“Yukino,” he started, his voice emotionless, “I deserve better than being yelled at, and if you keep talking to me like that I will have to end things early.”
She was shocked and her arms stopped quivering. Playing the part of the victim was sometimes the best way to disarm someone.
“But you tried to make me put on the helmet too,” she blurted, immediately putting herself on the defensive. Now that she knew she was wrong, she'll no doubt be more open to reason.
“Yes, and I am sorry for that,” he explained, “but I deserve more respect than that, and in return I do not yell at you, okay?”
Yukino hugged her legs for a long time, looking ashamed. In defeat, she laid on her side and looked directly at her knees. She was closing up. Best to drop the bad cop act and put on the good cop cap again.
Dr. Issei leaned forward. “No one is out to get you.”
“What about the other kids?” Her already low voice was muffled by both her mumbling and her legs.
“Kids sometimes don't know any better. You just have to remember not to be like them, and try to stay away from them.”
“Can I do the same with the camera people?”
“Let your mother help you with that,” Issei sincerely advised.
“She sometimes yells at me when I talk about that kind of stuff.” This time she looked at him, but she was still curled up.
Dr. Issei was getting exasperated.
“Sometimes grown ups make mistakes too. Even I do from time to time. Try asking her if you can sit down and talk about it sometime.” Issei hoped that Ms. Nagawa would be open to that conversation.
“Oh. Okay,” she sounded like she had surrendered her fort to him.
After about a minute, Yukino sat back up, but was slumped into the couch. Issei let her sit there to mull over what happened.
“Dr. Issei?” she finally asked.
“Yes?”
“What do rabbits eat?”
That was an....interesting change in topic.
“Oh, lots of things: carrots, leaves, lettuce, grass,” Issei counted on his fingers as he went.
“Okay,” Yukino acknowledged.
“Why do you ask?”
She smiled. “It's a secret.”
He didn't need to be Faiba to see what that comment meant.
He wanted to press her and tell her that she would need to talk to her mother before bringing animals into the house, but he really didn't feel like challenging her after finally calming down from her episode.
“Well, whatever it is, make sure you tell it to someone you trust if it's very important.”
“Oh, I know that,” she said, beaming.
Of course.


The good doctor invited Ms. Nagawa into his office.
“I don't want to go into specifics, but you might want to think about getting a good rug cleaner in the near future,” Dr. Issei started, doing his best to warn the mother of impending carpet bombs without violating confidentiality.
“What? Oh Dr. Issei, is this about the rabbit she wants?” Ms. Nagawa asked nonchalantly.
So her mother does know. That's good and bad.
“You...didn't bribe her into behaving with a pet rabbit did you?”
“I thought about it, but only if she refused at first.”
“Ms. Nagawa.”
“I'm kidding doctor I'm kidding. She wants one because of the story. It's fascinating, that E-Archive. I just get drawn into it.”
“Yes, adventure isn't usually what I think of when it comes to rabbits,” Issei said bluntly.
Ms. Nagawa made a face. “You don't tell Yukino that do you?”
Whoops. “Oh no no no,” he sputtered. She gave a mischievous leer and snickered under her breath.
Guess even Ms. Nagawa had her sly side.
“I never let my adulthood corrupt my patients Ms. Nagawa,” he swore.
“I dunno.” Dr. Issei started sputtering again. “Oh, I'm just teasing.”
“Well, I just needed to let you know,” Issei just wanted to finish this conversation and get to the point.
“Yes, thank you doctor,” she turned to leave. Issei sighed a little inside.
“Ms. Nagawa, there is one more thing,” he said in his professional voice. She halted and turned, looking a little concerned.
“Yes?”
“Is there any reason why you will not make her wear the ShikoPlus?”
Ms. Nagawa's look of concern shifted into an almost glare. She was trying to be pleasant, but the glare behind her eyes could almost be seen.
“She didn't want to, so I didn't make her.”
“Ms. Nagawa,” he started, “It is within your power and right as a parent to make her wear the ShikoPlus.”
“Thank you for the suggestion. I will remember it,” she said mootly. Issei thought she would remember what he said all right.
“We need to make her wear it for her own good. It will not be pleasant, but it will only take a short time and she will be done with it.”
“Dr. Issei, did you know she couldn't speak for a week when we tried to put the YanDome on her?”
She was calling it the YanDome. Issei was on thin ice.
“I read in the report that she had resisted and you eventually escorted her out. It's the reason why she's here.”
“She bit her tongue, doctor.”
Issei was not aware of that. Whoever made that damn report was going to need to be disciplined.
“I was unaware of that Ms. Naga--”
Her mother interrupted him more quickly and harshly than Yukino did.
“She learned from one of my movies....my movies Dr. Issei,” she almost unnoticably gulped, like one guilty or afraid, “that biting your tongue was a way to win. A way to escape something bad.”
She sniffled a little but her eyes were still dry.
“I don't know if she knew that could kill her or not, but it was painfully clear for everyone that she was terrified of that thing, and I will not force my daughter to endure something she finds so horrifying.”
Issei almost pleaded a second time, but the poison misting from her words only signaled that she was more than ready to bite the head off of him and any objections he had.
“I understand. Forgive me for forgetting my place.”
He backed away.
“I am here to help the both of you,” he reassured her.
“Thank you doctor,” Ms. Nagawa's thanks sounded a little strained, “I hope that you don't mind we miss next week's meeting. It's her birthday that day.”
“I understand. Two weeks time then, Ms. Nagawa.”
The both stiffly returned to the normal routine of their lives.

[Kitsune Inferno]

I haven't read the chapter, but I JUST noticed what your theme song was.

Never seen the anime, but this song's part of that rescoring project I was working on D:

[ChesCa]

Here's the next part. I won't be submitting this to the bi-weekly:

Hidden:

Yukino came in looking a lot more at home in his office. She was finally getting used to her new routine, trusting herself to someone she barely knew. This could also be an indication that her home life was improving.

“Hello again Yukino. How was your birthday last week?”

“It was fun. I got to have a big cake and go to the movies and got three—no four presents.” She displayed four fingers in triumph, hand raised high into the air in front of her.

“That's very good.”

He didn't even have to ask 'What did you do?' this time around. Yukino was finding something in her life worth sharing with others about. For a girl with her condition, she was showing remarkable progress in her adaptation to new things. Still, it wasn't like it would be enough to finally cure her. In the end, there was nothing that could benefit someone more than the ShikoPlus.

“What kind of movie did you see?” Issei kept the conversation casual for now.

“It was one my mom was in a long time ago. It was called Depth Row.”

Come again?

“Your mother was in a movie? Nooooooo,” he said in faux disbelief to hide his actual misbelief. His thoughts flew one after another like flash cards being sorted through at top speed. No matter how many images of actresses he brought up, he couldn't find anyone that looked like Ms. Nagawa. Did she change her appearance? And if so, why was she still being hounded by the press? He didn't see anything looking like her on the Netsphere.

“Yes she...” Yukino interrupted his thoughts, then she slumped, “I messed up.”

She wasn't supposed to tell. Understandable.

“I won't tell anyone about it. No one outside this room will hear that your mom was in a movie.”

“Thanks,” she beamed.

Reporters, hearing her mother being called a media whore, cut off from family. This girl will not be living in a normal household anytime soon. It made him wish to get to know the mother more, as Yukino's home life was directly affected by how well Ms. Nagawa could train herself to handle both personal issues and raising a child. Yukino first. She would need to serve as the point of view that her mother can not have of herself. Then he could think about calling her in for appointments and perhaps curing her of any deficiencies as well. Issei got the conversation going again.

“What was the movie about?”

“It was about a poor place in Osaka where the Koreans live and how they made these houses out of parts from back home and from what people throw away. It was good, but mom and a couple of other grown ups got mad at me when I accidentally gave away the ending.”

“Did you look on the Netsphere?”

“You little rascal you,” was what went unsaid between them.
“You can't make me tell,” Yukino's stated in a sing-song manner.

“I have a secret and you won't know what it is,” was what came from her undertone.

Backing off. Talk about the presents. Get her likes and dislikes and see if you could segue from there to something important.

“What did you get?”

She jumped right up and began counting on her fingers the four gifts she got.

“I got a toy dog, a bat alarm clock that I chose--”

“You chose? Isn't that cheating?”

“My mom was taking me to see some clocks for an alarm and I told her I wanted the bat one. She pretended to buy another one, though.”

He supposed that was clever enough. “Go on.”

“I also got a book about Alunesto--”

She really needs to get those English titles down.

“And a Faiba!”

A what?

“A what?”

“A Faiba! I got a pet baby rabbit like in the story!” Issei could see the gleam in her eyes.

“Wow, that is so cool. Did you name it yourself?”

“Yes!” Her one nod was so hard it looked almost like she wanted to shake her head off.

“What's he like?”

“He has brown fur with white circles around his eyes. He looks like a big, cartoon bunny.”

“You're making sure to take good care of it, right?”

“Oh yeah. My mom's teaching me how. We're making a garden box for him to move around in.”

“A garden box?” Issei asked.

“Outside in the balcony, where we keep some balls and fake grass.”

“Ahhhh. Well, that sounds like a lot of fun.”

He leaned back in his chair. She seemed loosened up enough now.

“Has school been getting any better lately?”

Yukino lost her excitement, but didn't don her usual glum face, instead getting comfortable on the couch and concentrating on prior events.

“It stinks.” She put on an almost melodramatic emphasis on stinks.

“I see.”

“When it was two days before my birthday, I ended up talking about it. They laughed at me and told me that nobody is going to go.”

“That's not very nice. How you did handle it?”

“I just walked away, but they kept following me so I ran. The teacher saw them then and made them stop.”

“When I see her, I'll be sure to thank her,” Issei assured her.

Yukino stared off into space for a moment.

“No one did come to my birthday party.” Her voice was monotone. It was difficult to tell if she was bored or just hiding her melancholy.

“I'm sorry. Next year, we'll do something here so you can have two parties.”

“It's okay. No one ever came before anyway. Not even grandma or grandpa.”

Dr. Issei leaned forward again.

“Have you ever met them or talked to them?”

“No. I'm not allowed to see them.”

“I see.” Ms. Nagawa seemed to be taking drastic measures to cut Yukino off from the rest of the family. This wasn't good for either mother or daughter, ignoring the bonding that comes with a strong family unit and the willful ignorance of rejecting one's elders. Issei's suspicion that some of Yukino's problems stemmed indirectly from the mother's doubled.

“How has school been since you first started coming here?” Issei wanted to dig a little deeper.

“More or less the same, I guess.”

“What about your home?”

“We keep reading, and I get to watch the Net Monitor until nine.”

“That's good.”

The conversation was stalling fast. Find something to latch onto.

“Is there anyone at school you like?”

“No,” she said flatly. She seemed to have totally given up on human contact and has already dismissed it as something she can do without anyway.

“Nobody! Everyone in the school dislikes you?”

“No! Some kids leave me alone,” she scolded the good doctor. There's some leeway for improvement there.

“There are usually group projects in schools. Were you ever partnered with anyone?”

She started rocking herself a little. She didn't like talking about her loneliness, or rather, how she wished she didn't experience it. That was one of the downsides of being alone out of frustration rather than any initial desire.

“I get partnered Anako. She works pretty nicely with me,” she finally mumbled, almost too bashful even for her.

“What have you worked on?”

“One time, we had to make this diarrhea--”

“Diarrhea?” Issei burst with genuine incredulity.

“The thing with the dolls and paper and glue.”

“Diorama. It's called diorama,” he couldn't hold in his laughing. Across from him, Yukino couldn't hold in her frustration.

“Sto-o-o-p! That's not funny!”

“I'm sorry. Do you know what diarrhea means?”

She gets confused. “No.”

“Ask your mother because she will never forgive me if I tell you.”

He calmed down, then implored her to continue.

“We had to make a diarrhea--”

It took about ten seconds for Issei to calm down again and forty seconds to talk Yukino away from her newly made fort.

“We had to make a thi-ing,” she spelled out for Issei, “and I had to collect the grass. I didn't have any toys, though, but she brought some from home.”

Her mood lowered. Whatever happened next wasn't good.

“But after school I was going to meet her to give her the toys back, but I put the diorama down to tie my shoes while crossing the street...and then I forgot it there.”

That probably caused a rift between the two.
“I didn't know until I was nearly home, but when I came back, the cleaning guy was already sweeping up everything. I was really sad, but when I told her everything, she told me it was okay.”
She paused.

“She looked sad too, though. My mom helped me buy her new toys as a present for what happened, and it was alright after that.”
That was good news. This Anako sounded like a healthy young girl, someone Yukino could bond with and learn to be more socially adept from. It would be really good for progress, and she would have a friend as a nice bonus.
“How is she now?” he inquired.

“Oh, she's fine. I say hi to her and she says hi back.”

“What did you think of the toys she brought?”
“I liked them, a lot.” She looked as though she wished she had gotten them for presents instead. Issei prepared himself a bit, then took the tone of someone asking a favor, suddenly sounding like her closest friend.

“I want you to do this for me: sometime this week, tell her that you like her and want to play with her.”

“How?” She looked ready to panic.
“Tell her you liked your toys, and maybe share something with her. Just play with her.”
“It'll be weird.”
“It's not like she's going to hate you.”
And then, Yukino went quiet for the longest time. Her eyes aren't just far from still, turning this way and that, but almost chaotic in their zigs and zags. If it weren't for the fact that her brow was so creased in concern, thought and fear Issei would've thought she was having a seizure or something. She stayed this way for two minutes before Issei stepped in.
“Yukino?”

“Shhhhh!”
She was quiet for another five minutes, looking for all the world like she was trying to solve the world's most evil math equation in her head, even wordlessly mouthing whatever she was thinking but never actually speaking. Her eyes slowed down to a stop, some of the tension vanished like a magic trick (but not all of it), and she finally looked the good doctor in the eye again.
“...I can do it,” she finally said, cautiously.
“Good. Let me know how it goes next week,” Issei hoped his fake cheeriness would put her at ease.
The rest of the session went by more quickly than anticipated and ended.
“Could you send your mother in for a moment? Miss Nosa can give you something to read while you wait.”
“That's okay, I'll read a little bit from Wataashipu Daun instead.”
“Good girl.”
A few moments later, Ms Nagawa entered.
“I have some concerns I would like to address.”
“What's happened to her?”
“It's you I want to talk about this time.”
“EH! ME!”

Ms. Nagawa had clearly never seen herself as a problem. How many times has he gone through this talk now with the parents?

“Yukino is alone. Utterly alone.”
Ms Nagawa immediately grasped what he is getting at. She must've had this conversation before with others, possibly even with her own family. Not surprising, considering how unusual alienation from one's kin was.

“It's not that easy.”
“I do not know your family or professional situations, but from the way it sounds, Yukino is too isolated, and has never grasped how to interact with others.”

“That's not entirely my fault. She's been this way since she was in preschool,” Ms. Nagawa was on the defensive, but was trying to be graceful about it.
“Granted, but I sometimes wonder if you're trying too hard.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“How large is your family, Ms. Nagawa?”
“Not very, but I'm not in contact with any of them. Not voluntarily anyway.”
“They're stalking you?!” That didn't sound good either.
“For the most part, yes. But I can't do anything about it until they actually show up at my doorstep. For now, my mother is just too good at looking up my information. I have to have my agent change my call number every month.”
“Your agent?”
Now Ms Nagawa messed up. A rare opportunity.

“Nothing, just business.”
And there it went.
“I'm just worried that in keeping Yukino isolated from her family, you're doing it too well. There is absolutely no way she can leave the house? Ever?”
Ms Nagawa was at a loss.
“I don't do it on purpose...I just want...”

“Ms. Nagawa, don't you think Yukino deserves better than this? You're punishing her for whatever problems you may be having.”
Ms. Nagawa glared at him. “I'm not the one causing the problems.”
Issei had a feeling he was about to relieved of his duties.
“My mother and father are....” she paused, “They're my problem, but I can't let Yukino get into contact with them.”
Phew. It wasn't him that was getting the blame. This new fact that Nagawa wanted to protect Yukino from something did open up a new avenue of possibilities.
“I know a park just an hour up the freeway that's out of the way of the city. There's plenty for a child to do up there.”
Nagawa blinked. “A park?”
“Because there's very few out here in this stretch of the woods, and much more crowded.”
The mother took a few moments to get his meaning about how this trip would benefit Yukino.
“I'll...consider this.”
Translation: I'm going to buy sunscreen after this talk. A place to play and interact without having to worry about 'stalker family.' No one could say Issei couldn't compromise.
“Thank you doctor. Until next week.”
“Of course, madam.” They both give a short bow.
When Ms Nagawa shuts the door behind her, he heard a very loud question being asked in a tiny voice: “Mom, what's diarrhea mean?”
Nothing came of it, but Issei locked his door, just in case.


Yukino stared through a hazy, smoky glass now separating her from the Black Paper Village. The Black Paper People were displeased. Their master had left, ever since the day he talked to her. If he didn't return soon, she knew they would have to pick a new ruler, and they were at a loss as to who can fill his place.
An invisible man pushed through the crowd. They paid him no mind, used to his nudging as a way of making his presence known. Yukino knew the invisible man was looking up at the endless black of the ceiling.
“Does anybody have any idea where he could have gone?” His voice came through like she had water in her ears.
The Black Paper People hummed their 'no's' and 'sorries,' their vibrations rippling their bodies like tiny waves. Like ponds thrown in a puddle.

No one noticed that he disappeared until they realized that he doesn't nudge his way back from where he was standing. This was because he began floating into the endless black, tracking their master to where ever he went.
Yukino waited for the rest of her dream for the Black Paper People to start dancing again, but still they waited in concern for the return of their master.

Let me know if any parts or sentences confused you.
Also my writing group said that they wanted me to show Yukino refusing to put on the Yandome and not tell, except for me it seems superfluous and redundant to do so. The scene would only show that Yukino might have autism and an aversion to touch and new things and Ms. Nagawa doesn't want to traumatize her daughter by forcing her to put it on, which we should already know by now.
Thoughts?

[ChesCa]

Here's the next batch. I hope I didn't overdo it on the last part.

Hidden:

“Piss! Off!” Yukino shouted with her fist in the air.
Huh?
“Huh?” Issei tilted his head.
“It's a new word I learned. It was in the book we read.”
“Really?” Issei knew he was in for a memorable session.
“My mom doesn't let me say it.” That's obvious enough. It also appeared that she just borrowed a grin from a devilish little imp.
“I won't tell, but let's not repeat that too many times,” Issei whispered to her.
“PISS OFF!” she shouted again.
Sigh. Best check on her progress with social interaction.
“Did you talk to Anako last week?”
She nodded her head. “Yes.”
“So, what happened?”
“I said hi, and then she said hi back. She was playing with her new helicopter.”
New one? Oh right, the car accident.
“I showed her my stuffed cat. And then we played astronauts,” she continued to list off.
“With the cat and helicopter?”
“The sandbox was the moon and the helicopter was the spaceship.”
“What was the cat?”
“Mission control,” her happy grin was almost contagious.
“So who went to the moon?”
“The spaceship,” she spoke matter-of-factly.
“I see. Anyone inside it?”
“We tried to fit in a dead sand bee, but it crawled away, so it wasn't dead anymore.”
From the girl who knew everything.
“But I forgot that it was alive, so it made sense.”
Ugh. At least she hadn't chased off anyone with her ability to know-it-all.
“And then, and then I asked to come over to her house, but her mom said no. I asked my mom but she also said no.”
That's not surprising. Not many were willing to take a strange child into their house so quickly. It could cause disruption.
“I think they're mad because they think I cheated off her terminal.”
What?
“Why would they think that?” Issei's concern was more genuine this time around.
She shuffled uncomfortably.
“Yukino, please answer me honestly.”
She had a hard time looking at him as she answered.
“We have the exact same answers.”
Issei internally shook his head.
“Yukino, you shouldn't copy off of other people.”
That nearly set off one of her moods when she shouted “I can't copy without her password!”
Wait, did he hear that correctly?
“You didn't shar information?” Issei asked. Sometimes the younger kids shared information as a sign of friendship or to take advantage of one another, depending on the person.
“No! We didn't do anything, but everyone thinks I still cheated!”
Issei would need to look into this more. Actually, this gave him an idea for what to do for his next session. He'd need to go buy it first though.
“Sorry, I believe you,” he lied, putting up his hands in defeat, “are you still allowed to see Anako?”
She visibly let all her tension go.
“Yeah. I even asked if we could go to the park next time, but she said 'we'll see.'”
So she went there already. Did it work?
“Which park?” Issei tried his best to act ignorant.
“Oh, it's a park reeeeaaaally far away. But it's really pretty, and has lots of grass and flowers for Faiba to silufulei on.”
What?
“Si-lu-fu-le-i?,” even he had a hard time wrapping his tongue around that, “What does that mean?”
“It's rabbit talk for eating grass,” Yukino then put on that grin again “and sometimes she makes hulaka.”
“Hu-la-ka?”
Wait a minute. Makes hulaka?
“She went poop,” She giggled wildly at this, “but then this police man came over and said we had to pick it up. My mom brought plastic bags, though, so it was okay.”
“Where did you learn this word?”
“Wataashipu Daun.”
What kind of book was this Watership Down?
“You got further into the book?”
“Yeah, and right now, they just reached their new home, but the bird told them that they won't survive because there's no one to make babies.”
Make babies?! Wasn't she too young to be learning about that kind of thing?
“My mom made that face too, but she wouldn't say why.”
“What bird told them? I thought it was about rabbits,” Issei instantly knew after that statement that he was letting too much get to him.
“Oh, a bird joined them. The 'Piss off!' bird. His name is Keehaa.”
What are they putting into kid's books these days? Issei wished he could use the ShikaPlus on everyone who ever wrote stuff like that.
“Right now, Hey-zelu is going to rescue some caged rabbits so that they can make babies.”
“Okay. That sounds...,” dicey, “...exciting.”
“Yeah. I can't wait,” she was jumping up and down. Ah, the innocence of youth.
“So, back on track: What else did you do at the park?”
“I played with Faiba and chased him, and a lot of kids came over to look at him. They took turns holding Faiba, and even their moms and dads took a look at it.”
She then remembered something off, judging by her frown.
“My mom wouldn't come over, and she stayed by the bench in the shade. She was wearing a mask, like she was sick.”
Hmmmm.
“She said she was sick, but her cough didn't sound real to me,” Yukino added.
Dr. Issei did not contest this. Were there people who would still recognize her even after all her changes?
“She probably just had one of those day long colds, and her cough might've sounded funny through the mask.”
Dr. Issei immediately regretted lying to her, but he didn't want to explain something overcomplicated to a child like the right to privacy and reporter stalking.
“We stayed all day, and I was getting, tired, so then we went home.”
“I'm glad to hear that you had such a good time.”
Dr. Issei just remembered something very important.
“Are you sleeping well?”
“Yes.” She's lying. That was too quick of an answer.
“Good. Just make sure to keep it up.”
The session ended later.
“Have a good week, Yukino.”
“Thank you doctor. See you later. Bye.”
Dr. Issei waved back lightly.


Issei was back at the Brown Burrow, glad to spend his spring vacation being admired by pretty women. He sometimes wondered if there was a big, gaping void within him that needed human contact and listening to the problems and bellyaching of others was his way of compensating. The little bird woman serving him his drink with her arm around him was more intimacy than he was used to experiencing overall, and thus he banished his over thinking self back to his office until it opened again.
“Up to the top again, Cindy,” he was really good at not slurring when drunk.
“Yes Master,” the little bird replied with squealy glee.
He touched her fingers delicately as she handed the glass back to him.
“Please, call me Hanake.”
She turned to make sure her boss wasn't around.
“Sure, Hanake.”


Yukino was still not sleeping well. Every time she tried, she woke up only a couple of hours later. She did not know why. That's okay, though, as it gave her time to check on the gate out in the balcony. Faiba was too small for the gate to keep from passing through and falling onto the ground floor. Yukino knew that if she wanted Faiba to be safe, she'll need something for the gate. But she could never find or think of anything. And when she was rested enough to think about it, she always forgot. After petting the rabbit good night, she climbed back onto the bed, spent thirty minutes trying to slow down her breathing, and went to sleep.


She saw the village of the Black Paper People rejoice as their Master returned, descending from the hole above like a falling boulder and becoming their pretend, breathing ceiling once again. He looked around, searching for something. Yukino then stepped away from the smokey glass. She thought that he might have been looking for her just now.
Do you see her? the Master's whisper was so loud she had to listen to him talking through the hands she used to cover her ears. His voice always went through the ground, like a radio being played too loud.
The Invisible Man was at the bottom of a tentacle.
“No,” he growled, “but I can feel something rubbing at the wards. Only a special girl could even touch them.”
She should be completely unable to come back at all. Why is she so powerful?
“She's getting stronger still,” the Invisible Man sounded worried. Yukino felt a little proud of herself for scaring the creatures. Here she was like a super hero or something.
Is she--? The Master started again.
“No. She's only human. But I think...I think I know what's happening.”
What is it?
“She must be getting her power from somewhere else. I'll increase wards to maximum.”
They'll notice.
“We'll think of something to tell them to stop being scared.”
The Invisible Man put his 'wards' at the highest power, and Yukino can only see outlines of the village now. The Black Paper People shimmered, feeling the force of the new barrier.
Well, what do we tell them? The Master's voice was so quiet now she could take her hands off her ears.
The Invisible Man did not answer. She knew he wasn't there anymore.
Piss off you sissy.
That night, Yukino slept the whole way through, dreaming her usual routine of keeping the world safe from the Black Paper People. She was the only one who could do it and she knew it she did it well.
The next week, Yukino did not make it to her appointment.

[ChesCa]

This batch I'm intending for the Bi-Weekly after the one I judge.

Hidden:

It was Monday morning when he got a call from the police. Issei remembered because Mondays were usually quiet and monitor transmissions cut in like an unwanted cherry pit in the throat. He hit the receive key much harder than he intended to shut off the call tone and an image of a rough faced, older man appeared onscreen.
“Hello. May I speak to Dr. Hakane Issei? This is Detective Tsuzube.”
“This is he. Which one did it?” Issei said without a beat.
The officer on the other side laughed. This one was new to dealing with uncured patients, that much was obvious.
“Actually, I'm afraid it's a little more serious than that,” the detective's tone evaporated what little was left of his previous mirth.
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Do you know a girl by the name of Yukino Nagawa?”
Oh, that cannot be good.
“Try to keep everyone calm. I'll be there shortly to help with whatever you need.” Issei was already getting up. Every once in a while he'd have to visit a patient's home to diffuse a situation. It was nothing usually too serious; more often than not it was someone just having a meltdown and disturbing the peace. Still, legally, as the one to take on Yukino's case it was his responsibility to make sure he wasn't lax in his duties to cure her. Quite a few talking doctors lost their license because they didn't take their work seriously.
Instead of looking relieved, the man on the other side looked a lot more uncomfortable.
“Then you don't know where she is. That's a shame.”
What did he say? The good detective continued.
“The mother tells us that she's gotten rather fond of you, so we thought your office would be a good lead.”
“My office is still miles away from her house. I don't think that she can easily get here,” Issei replied, plopping down on his chair and wiping his brow.
“It gets worse. We can't decide if this is a kidnapping, or if she just ran away.”
Did she go off with a stranger? He started sweating more. Issei wouldn't get into trouble for that, but the idea of her being plucked up by some uncured psychopath was enough to raise the hair on the back of his neck.
“Please, can you tell me what you know?” he pleaded.
“Well pal, I can tell you what I can so far.”
There was a sound of paper rustling as he looked through something below the screen's view. Tsuzube was checking his notepad.
“Last night, at a yet to be determined time, Yukino left the house. The door was locked, but the key kept in it was missing. That means she took the key with her and planned to return.”
There was no break in. That much was good news.
“What makes you think this was a kidnapping? It sounds like she just up and left.”
“At first that's how it looked. The girl was discovered missing when her mother went to wake her around 6:30, but her bed was empty and as said before, the key was missing from the door. Ms. Nagawa called the police and searched around the apartment complex for hours, but nothing doing.”
“Is it possible someone could have lured her outside?” Issei asked.
“Not likely. I'm told that the child doesn't take too easily to change and prefers staying at home, plus the missing key, which again indicates that she planned to be out for a while. If somebody had lured her out to kidnap, they would most likely just lead her away, saying they needed something quick from her. Yukino planned to be gone for quite a while.”
That made sense.
“I...I see. I don't know anything, but I'll call if I ever see her.”
“Thanks.”
“I just hope the rabbit will be all right,” Issei muttered to himself.
“Rabbit?” The detective was confused by the strange change of subject.
Issei caught himself.
“She had a rabbit, named Faiba. She kept it on the balcony.”
Tsuzube looked like he just conjured a lightbulb.
“Oh, so that's what it was.”
Issei frowned.
“What what was?”
“We investigated that place and found a lot of vegetables and...droppings, but no animal. Sorry to tell you this Dr. Issei, but it looks like even the pet has gone missing. So much for lucky rabbit feet, I suppose.”
The detective typed something onto his console, and Issei's monitor blipped, asking for a approval for an incoming file.
“That's some security footage of when she was last seen. It's the whole reason we're possibly looking at a kidnapping.”
The next week, Yukino was still not found. Not a sign of Faiba either. There had been no note for ransom, no cryptic calls, not even a letter.

Dr. Issei was seeing a substitute patient this Saturday evening: Ms. Nagawa herself, who was so distressed that talking her through this tough time would do little in keeping her functioning. Not that Issei blamed her for her distress. The tape in question had shown Yukino approaching a man in a train station. She approached him, at which point the man turned and started talking to her. After about six minutes, the man led her by the hand onto the train. The police were currently trying to identify him for more leads. Issei hoped for the best, but chances seemed slim that he had good intentions, taking a lone, strange girl with him for no conceivable explanation. There was no sign of Faiba on the tape.
Now came the most difficult part: talking someone through a loss. Even with today's medical technology, there was no medicine or device to give peace of mind in an uncertain world.
“I'm so sorry for your troubles, Ms. Nagawa,” he leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder.
Ms. Nagawa accepted the touch gracefully. She had a box of tissues on the arm of the couch, ready for easy access. She couldn't predict when she'd be strong and when she'd collapse into a sobbing mess again.
“Thank you for your sympathies doctor, and it's not your fault.” She grabbed a kleenex for good measure and blew her nose.
“How can anyone think of taking away my little girl?”
“Sometimes...,” he started, but he couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't needlessly worry her more. He changed his tone, but he could see Ms. Nagawa already caught the pause, “We still don't know exactly what happened yet. We don't even know if there's anything wrong with that man.”
Yeah right. The more Issei thought about the situation that more tense he got too.
With the advent of the ShikaPlus, mental illness was nearly a thing of the past. Suicide rates plummeted, homicides were near non-existent, and schizophrenia, depression, PTSD and even sociopathy went the way of the small pox in Japan...except for those few instances when the helmet didn't work or the person managed to evade its use. Whenever a murder or rape happened, it was almost enough to accelerate a slow news day to the speed of light, the spectacle often lasting for months. Some of the time it was just a person who didn't take to the ShikaPlus, but those were rare, as most of those people didn't have too serious of any illness. Most often the perpetrator just knew how to act sane and had just finally gotten caught doing their crime, after which they were forced to wear the cap and take their meds. They were always immediately cured and repented afterwards. Then there were the scandalous cases involving a patient whose doctor had either misdiagnosed or was too lax in getting them to wear the helmet. Issei remembered back in psychology classes about the case of Wamui Mitemine. She was an adult patient who suffered from severe emotional disturbance, an inferiority complex and severe depression. She had refused to wear the ShikaPlus, and so was court ordered to see a talking doctor. The doctor's job, like his, was to convince her through any means necessary to wear the ShikaPlus.
Six months later the board who hired the psychologist weren't getting reports of any results and were wondering if he was even doing his job. That was when Wamui Mitemine killed both herself and her nine-year-old son. An investigation was opened and the board found through the psychologist's records that he had been neglecting his duties, never sticking to his agenda and instead letting the patient dominate the sessions. When his license was revoked, the press caught onto what had happened and implicated him for the murder/suicide as well. It was a harsh lesson in taking matters concerning mental illness lightly.
Issei suppressed a small shudder. He knew that when that man in the train station was identified, his doctor would be getting a call soon after. Poor guy.
“Ms. Nagawa, is there any other place you can think of that Yukino might have gone, or who might help?” Issei asked.
Ms. Nagawa held herself for quite a while, then let a whisper crack through her throat.
“Excuse me for one second.”
Issei nodded. She left the room, then heard the door to the main lobby open. He assumed she was going outside.
After a couple of minutes of silence, he heard shouting. It was Ms. Nagawa's voice and she sounded incredibly angry. The walls only halfway succeeded in muffling her rage. After what seemed to be five awkward, unpleasant minutes, he heard the door to the lobby open again and the mother re-entered the room, looking even more exhausted.
“I called my family,” she forced herself to admit, “They'll look for her in their neighborhoods.”
Issei still wore his poker face, but he still felt a little shocked at this development.
“That is very brave of you, Ms. Nagawa...but is there a reason you didn't tell her about where she went to school or where you live?”
She shook her head.
“I can't bring them there. Besides, those areas are already covered by the cops. They'll have a better chance of finding her anyway, and my parents will just have an excuse to intrude while they're 'helping out.'”
This bothered Issei more than it should. He took a deep breath, then asked the question.
“Ms. Nagawa, are you hiding something?”
Ms. Nagawa's eyes narrowed to the point where her eyelids seem to shadow completely over her corneas.
“What are you getting at?” Dr. Issei knew he had approximately ten seconds before he had a disaster on his hands.
He disarmed the situation immediately by jumping straight to the point, “Ms. Nagawa, I will be required by law to tell the police that you are withholding information from me that could lead to the child's whereabouts that much sooner. If you can not convince me that keeping her away from your family is that much worse than letting them get involved, it will look that much worse for you.”
Ms. Nagawa held her glare. Perhaps those weren't the right choice of words.
“I have worked with the police numerous times and they have valued me as a credible source when it comes to cases such as these. I can still tell them that for private reasons you can not have the family involved and they will believe me. But only if you tell me what's what.” That was as stern a voice as he could muster.
Ms. Nagawa's eyes flickered and her lip turned up for but a moment. She then laid back and rested her head on the back of the couch while she closed her eyes and composed herself for whatever confession was coming. Finally, she looked up and let everything out.
“They're going to sell her into show business if they ever get their hands on her.”
There was a long pause. 'Sell her?' Issei was slightly confused by those choice of words. Yukino didn't look the celebrity type. He decided to wait while Ms. Nagawa braced herself for more confessions.
“I'm sure Yukino already let this slip, but I'm a...was...movie star,” she finally stated.
“I'm not at liberty to confirm or deny that, Ms. Nagawa. I can't talk about what patients say.”
“Fair enough. It wasn't my choice to enter into the film industry. My parents...my siblings...hell my cousins, aunts and uncles....they were very wealthy people. Were wealthy.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she remembered whatever shame she was re-experiencing.
“My grandfather and his brother had everyone spoiled rotten, and no one was left wanting. Not even his grandchildren. We used to live in the Edo precinct; very prestigious.”
Issei nodded his head. Back in his academy days, he often walked by the tall gates, green gardens and tall white buildings of the more privileged neighborhoods. It never particularly bothered him, but he did notice that not an awful lot of people came down from their gated communities to attend the university, despite being more than able to afford it.
“But then...I don't know. I was way too young to understand at the time and I only found out more details when I was away filming in Australia, but something happened where our grandfather was murdered and his will was stolen.”
That would traumatize someone for sure.
“I'm very sorry. Have they caught the perpetrator?”
Nagawa shook her head. Bad topic.
“How did you know it was stolen?” Issei tried to change the topic. Nagawa's smile at that could only be sardonic. Not the wisest of moves.
“Ha! Grandfather Te didn't spoil us to corrupt us on purpose. If anything, he loved us too much to see what he was doing to our personalities. It doesn't make sense for him to not leave us something.”
“Anyway, no one can find his will, and...you know.”
Issei nodded again. Most of the unclaimed assets would go to the government, while the family would have rights to anything owned by the deceased, assuming that the corpse in question was not in debt.
“Everyone was very upset. We had nowhere near the same wealth as before, nor did any of us have any life skills. We were basically a clan of over privileged brats. None of us even went to schools past high school.”
“This meant that the adults had little money of their own to give. They had almost none saved up, aside from their leftover allowances. My cousin's family tried investing, but my uncle had no idea what he was doing and soon he had to move to the poorer part of town. The Korean slums, if I remember correctly. That scared the shit out my mother and father.”
“My other cousin's family, they were well off for a while, but it was discovered that my aunt and uncle on that side were running a con artist's ring and were locked up. Thankfully, my cousin there was taken in by a good family and moved to Hokkaido.”
“My own family,” she sighed in exasperation, “that's where the trouble really begins.”
Ms. Nagawa placed her head in her right hand. Issei could smell the frustration.
“One of them knew a talent agent, and they were looking for child actors. I was four, and the talent agent was looking for the new face of a CD cover. This was before my grandpa's death, but it played a large point in what came afterward.”
Ms. Nagawa's smile was weak as she straightened up and put forward her hand.
“Hello. My name is Carrie Childs. Pleased to meet you.”
Dr. Issei could not hide his surprise from this revelation. This woman was Carrie Childs? The household face for Gleaming Dan?
“You're the girl that...” he began.
Ms. Nagawa hung her head in shame. “Yes. I'm that girl.”
Carrie Childs was a little girl who was depicted walking hand in hand with a popular cartoon talk show host Gleaming Dan. It turned out later that the creator of Gleaming Dan had a thing for high school girls and was involved in a scandal where he was caught proposing one for sex. The interviews started coming back to Issei, as well as those associated with Gleaming Dan caught up by the press.
“I am so sorry, Ms. Nagawa.”
“Thanks, but it wasn't your fault. That part was a complete accident, to be fair. Nobody touched me, at least."
The media sensation after the revelation was nightmarish in its nature. Just after the creator was brought onto the six o' clock news for his takes on the events that transpired, Carrie's life was brought into the center spotlight: her favorite food, how well she did in school, her blood type and speculation on what it was (that information being deliberately withheld to keep the show hosts guessing), even her thoughts on the controversy that she in no way could fully understand. Dr. Issei remembered what happened after that.
“They sold out information on you to make you into a media star,” he said.
Ms. Nagawa made such an angry face that Issei wondered if she had it reserved just for this topic. The good doctor couldn't blame her. Every day information had been sold to the public to keep their interest in her up, right down to what she ate for lunch and every playground she visited.
“At first I loved the attention, but then soon other kids started wanting to come over to my house. They only wanted to be on the Datasphere broadcast as well and even their parents would sometimes ask me for autographs. Later I even had a stalker peep into my window as I was playing a board game. It got to the point where we had to move to a new apartment complex in another city just to keep the fans guessing where I am. We even had to cut off our internet to keep from being traced. My parents used the public terminals as substitutes.”
“But it never stopped, not on my parent's side. They'd still approve of any interviews to be done and any photo shoots for any magazine hoping to stand out from the rest. My sister and brother suffered because all attention was focused on me getting as much publicity as possible, and even now I don't know if they can ever truly look at me without contempt.”
Issei could barely digest all of this.
“How did you deal with all of this? Did you protest?”
“Pfft, no!” she laughed, “I was four when it began and barely ten before I got tired of it, and all this stuff was still fairly glamorous to me, despite the downsides. All it took was one fun interview or one birthday present to make me forget the hell I went through each week. It only got more chaotic when they asked me to start starring in commercials. I started getting a lot of money for my allowance again, so I could have anything I wanted. But I also had to keep my schedule open for any shoots and calls and even had to turn away a few dates with friends because I had a job to do. By the time I was fourteen, I was the happiest little wreck you ever saw.”
Nagawa's sigh was enough to bring down the mood in the room below the floor. Issei could see her fighting back tears.
“I was in Australia doing a shoot when my grandpa died, and I was still there even after his funeral.” She gave a bitter chuckle, "Getting me on television was his idea in the first place. Just as a little birthday gift."
She took a kleenex and dabbed her eyes. Ms. Nagawa took a couple of moments before starting again.
“Then came my first and only big movie deal. Depth Row. I was tired of always being cast as some child actor in a teenage skin, so I auditioned for the role of a lead girl in a Korean slum. I was...,” she subtracted the years in her head, “sixteen at the time. I didn't get the part, but I was asked to be an understudy and instead got the role of a daughter whose family's car breaks down in the middle of the town. The family is classic middle class home grown Japanese goodness and wouldn't you know it? They all of a sudden find themselves out of their element.”
Ms. Nagawa rolled her eyes, but continued.
“Still, it was nice being asked to play something that wasn't some shiny face on a poster, and everyone on the set was pleasantly surprised at how few takes I needed to get a scene done right.”
“And that's where I met my future husband.” She tried to hide her smile, but it broke through anyway.
Dr. Issei checked his watch. He didn't want to be rude, but time was of the essence and he didn't mean to get so entrenched with Ms. Nagawa's problems over Yukino's.
“I'm sorry Ms. Nagawa, but all of this is leading to why we can't let them find Yukino, right?”
Ms. Nagawa gave him an unfriendly look, but relented with an understanding nod.
“Oh, trust me...this is where I start drifting apart from my family and why I never want to see them again. His name was Kooyai Banata.”
Dr. Issei recognized the name. Aside from a few side roles that were pretty memorable, Kooyai was a fairly under the radar actor. So he had married, eh?
“He was playing the part of my character's unrequited love. Irony, right?”
Dr. Issei nodded. Very 'irony' indeed.
“Afterwards, we started hanging out after the shoots were done and...I knew he liked me a lot, but he was so shy. It took him eight months to finally ask me out to a movie. As friends of course.”
Ms. Nagawa grinned at this, obviously remembering how poorly Mr. Banata explained how he was just 'friends' with Ms. Nagawa.
“After the first week I tricked him into confessing his love for me. He freaked for three minutes before I had to explain that I had no problem with it.”
She started laughing at whatever freak-out show her then boyfriend was putting in her mind's eye.
“And after a night together—no sex, in case that's what you're thinking—he really started to loosen up and forget what he was so nervous about.”
Ms. Nagawa's face then fell.
“Then I started shirking my shoots so I could go on more dates with him. I knew that I could get away with it now that I was so famous, but my mother was livid and tried warning me that if I kept up my absences I wouldn't be paid anymore. It got to the point where she started physically blocking the door so I couldn't go out.”
Her voice dropped to a low, almost threatening tone.
“I knew she wanted me for my money, but that was when it finally hit me how much of my happiness she was willing to throw away so she could keep up her lifestyle. I was never so angry in my life.”
Dr. Issei didn't blame her. She continued.
“Eventually, we both turned 18 and eloped. We weren't 100% sure at the time, to be honest, but my mother was getting increasingly desperate to keep me under her control and in her wallet, so she started promising my cousin's family in the slums a cut of the money if they could shame me into staying with her. Once she gathered them together to try and plead their case about all their needs riding on me, I just lost it like no other time in my life. They tried to get me to comply by making me lose face, but I reversed the situation and shamed my parents in front of the whole two households. That was when I cut myself off.”
Issei nodded, then waited for the inevitable conclusion of her husband's fate. By his calculations it was...
“Four years later,” Ms. Nagawa completed the thought, “he got struck in the head by a falling brick. He didn't even make it to the emergency room.”
She shrugged, but in a way that made it look like she was struggling to lift her shoulders. “Life, eh?”
“And this is where we finally get to why Yukino can't be found by them. The doctors...I had told them that we had been trying to conceive, and they offered something I didn't know could be done before: post-mortem sperm collecting.”
Issei gave her a quizzical look.
“I don't know the proper term, but what they did was they collected his sperm before his body was too cold, and I gave some of my eggs.”
She still looked nonplussed talking about the whole situation.
“I still can't believe I did something like that, but at the time, I was just so...desperate. And it felt like the only chance I had.”
It probably was.
“For the next month, I was really beside myself with grief, and even considered suicide, or having the eggs destroyed. Or both. It didn't really matter. Then something terrible happened,” she got quiet, trying to remember the exact details, “One day, there was a fire in the clinic where the eggs were being kept, and it damaged a lot of the equipment. They had called to tell me that the eggs were no longer usable, and I was just this close to breaking down on the phone.” She held her fingertips really close together to illustrate her point.
“Later that day, though, they called and reported something I couldn't believe. One of the eggs had survived. Both the doctor on the phone and I were still amazed when I asked him to repeat that message.”
Ms. Nagawa leaned forward, “The egg had died but it was usable again. There was only one way I could believe it: I had to test it out.”
Issei didn't have anything to say even if he wanted to speak.
“And that's how Yukino was born. You're starting to get an idea of where this is going.”
Suddenly Issei knew exactly why Yukino had to be kept away from the family, as morose as it made him to admit it.
“She was a child that defied the odds. Everyone would be gaga over her in a day," Issei stated.
“Exactly. I was on cloud nine when I finally had my darling Yukino, and I had to tell somebody. So I called my mother to tell the good news to. I thought she might have changed while we were apart. She came over right away and actually looked excited to see a brand new baby in this world.”
“Then she found out what happened with the eggs,” she curled her lip into a sneer, “I saw her eyes light right up. And I made sure that was the last I ever saw of her.”
“Sometimes she would manage to find my number and call me, accusing me of being selfish and endangering the well-being of my child, but I know that if I let her see my mother that...,” Nagawa quivered with anger, “....woman...will do everything she can to manipulate Yukino into something that she'll come to regret.” She slumped down, exhausted and breathing hard from her rant. After she composed herself, she sat back up to meet the doctor eye to eye.
“They also have a copy of her hospital records as proof of her strange birth, just to fend off any naysayers. They're insane, all of them, but my mother is the one leading them all. All for money.”
Silence.
“She is a gift from my husband, and her name is Yukino.”
Dr. Issei recalled how strange Yukino's name was spelled, the characters not usually combined in that way.
“Snowy field.”
“Life in winter. Life in death.” Ms. Nagawa sniffed and took a tissue.
“I'll let the officers know not to let them near your daughter.”
“Thank you doctor.”


Yukino had no idea where she was. All she knew was 'head east.' She can't read the roadsigns well enough yet, so she couldn't tell how far it was before she reached the beach. She had not bathed in days and her trip was hindered because she would not get a ride. She knew that people would either take her to the police station or kidnap and do terrible things to her, touching her in ways she didn't know why they did. She also had to walk by night, or she knew she would be seen walking by herself and would be stopped. She ate thrown out food that wouldn't make her sick and never drank from fountains that had been spit in.
She really needed to get the beach.
She had to hurry. She knew how to do this, so nothing could stop her from saving him.
From saving Faiba from death.
There was an alleyway she could snuggle up for a few hours. She went to sleep on the concrete, beneath a few garbage bags, her ear on the ground so that sounds would have a better chance of waking her up. Before light came, she could hear the whispers from the shadows. She learned how to listen to the Black Paper People through them.
Al. She heard the master say.
No answer.
Al!
“Yes sir?” She heard the Invisible Man's voice say. She now knew he was Al.
I can't find him in this crowd.
“That can only mean that he has retreated to his lab, my lord.”
Well, bring him out! I have important matters to discuss.
“Of course, Master.”
No one talks for a few moments. She could only hear the humming whispers and the rippled footsteps of the dancing village.
“What is it?” Came a tiny voice finally. She squinted as she concentrated on hearing it. She thought it sounded like a mouse.
The Black Paper Mouse made a yelp.
“FUCK MAN LEGGO'!” It shouted. Yukino heard that word before. Only bad grown ups and kids used it.
“Do not speak with impunity to the Master!” Al shouted.
“Oh yes, because he knows how to make it all by himself and just has me along for fun.”
Shut up. Both of you.
“Sir!” both Al and the Black Paper Mouse responded. She heard one of the Master's tentacles moving. Maybe he was picking up the mouse.
I need your advice...and your help.
“Again?”
There's something more pressing than the Rosetta Disk at the moment.
“Really?” The Black Paper Mouse sounded confused.
Yukino heard the Master shoot up that tunnel. She could tell because of the really loud echo it left in her head. Not even God knew where that tunnel went.

[Kitsune Inferno]

Finally caught up.~ Aside from the message board comment in the third chapter (really? :P), this story just gets better and better, Cuddles. As it stands, Yukino's scenes with the Black Paper people are kind of weird, but the therapy sessions more than make up for it! Your story is shaping together nicely, very nicely! I can't wait to see what Yukino's motivations are in her runaway, while I can't wait to see how her grandparents play into this.

As for Chapter 6 itself, I loved Yukino's backstory. It was so engrossing to read and it doesn't really feel contrived. You've painted rather realistic portrayals of the characters and their motivations, and aside from a few technical errors, I feel that this chapter of Yukino is not only the best yet, but probably one of the best pieces of fiction I've read in the entire sub-forum. If anything can dethrone A Dastardly Two, its name is Yukino.

I commend you, Cuddles. Excellent, excellent work! ^^

[Gerri]

Why is KI the only one commenting on Yukino? If it means nobody else has read it yet, then they are sure missing out on something. I absolutely love the conversations with the therapist. The extra texts sometimes confuse me regarding the timeline of events and occassionally seem to interupt the story but that's the only minor criticism. And Cuddles updates quite regularly which is a big plus as well. Out of those stories I've read here so far it's the one that resembles an actual book the most. I still haven't read quite a few though. (-;

Anyways, please continue writing it!

[ChesCa]

Finally caught up.~ Aside from the message board comment in the third chapter (really? :P), this story just gets better and better, Cuddles. As it stands, Yukino's scenes with the Black Paper people are kind of weird, but the therapy sessions more than make up for it! Your story is shaping together nicely, very nicely! I can't wait to see what Yukino's motivations are in her runaway, while I can't wait to see how her grandparents play into this.

As for Chapter 6 itself, I loved Yukino's backstory. It was so engrossing to read and it doesn't really feel contrived. You've painted rather realistic portrayals of the characters and their motivations, and aside from a few technical errors, I feel that this chapter of Yukino is not only the best yet, but probably one of the best pieces of fiction I've read in the entire sub-forum. If anything can dethrone A Dastardly Two, its name is Yukino.

I commend you, Cuddles. Excellent, excellent work! ^^

Awww, thanks dude. ^^; (Even though we talked about it before).

Why is KI the only one commenting on Yukino? If it means nobody else has read it yet, then they are sure missing out on something. I absolutely love the conversations with the therapist. The extra texts sometimes confuse me regarding the timeline of events and occassionally seem to interupt the story but that's the only minor criticism. And Cuddles updates quite regularly which is a big plus as well. Out of those stories I've read here so far it's the one that resembles an actual book the most. I still haven't read quite a few though. (-;

Anyways, please continue writing it!

Thanks, I will. :)
However, I will take a week or two break before editing the next part. I just have to focus on a couple of other things is all, but I'll be back on it in no time.
Tigerlilly and some of the judges have read my story as well. It's just that this thread isn't very conversation heavy.
As far as the texts go, aside from that mess up where I fast forwarded into the future, pretty much everything happens chronologically.
As for the Black Paper people stuff, well, there's a reason for that, but I can see how they feel out of place, and I'm hoping the payoff for them will be worth it.
Glad you like.

[Dryish]

Mm, I actually forced myself out of the dark haze of ordinary indolence and read all of Yukino. As someone who has visited a psychologist weekly in the past, and as someone who has taken interest in the different ways of actually helping out mentally unstable and insecure people, I have to take off my hat for you. This is fantastic. The characters really do work, even though they're not too unique, and the conversation flows with eloquence, making it sound very real. Also, I love what you're doing with the black people and the post-mortem sperm gathering. It adds an interesting dark touch to the plot.

The only rant I've got is about those odd time jumps here and there, especially about the one at the end of the second installment. It feels quite out of place there with the next bit beginning normally with Yukino and Issei chatting. If you have to keep including those, you might want to separate them from the main text somehow.

I'll keep following this enthusiastically. Yukino has really piqued my interest.

[ChesCa]

Mm, I actually forced myself out of the dark haze of ordinary indolence and read all of Yukino. As someone who has visited a psychologist weekly in the past, and as someone who has taken interest in the different ways of actually helping out mentally unstable and insecure people, I have to take off my hat for you. This is fantastic. The characters really do work, even though they're not too unique, and the conversation flows with eloquence, making it sound very real. Also, I love what you're doing with the black people and the post-mortem sperm gathering. It adds an interesting dark touch to the plot.

The only rant I've got is about those odd time jumps here and there, especially about the one at the end of the second installment. It feels quite out of place there with the next bit beginning normally with Yukino and Issei chatting. If you have to keep including those, you might want to separate them from the main text somehow.

I'll keep following this enthusiastically. Yukino has really piqued my interest.

Thanks. Glad you likey. :)

[ChesCa]

Here's the next part.

Hidden:

It was one week later when Dr. Issei got the call from Tsuzube. Yukino had been found.
“Is she okay?” Issei cut to the chase.
“You want the good news or bad first?” the officer responded as he laid back in his chair. This one didn't give much care to appearance, it seemed. Contrarian mindset, or just laziness?
“Give me the overall picture,” Issei was wiping his brow again.
“Well, health wise, it's still undetermined. She was remarkably resilient and savvy when it came to surviving on her own. She's not sick with food poisoning, she's not starving, she's not dehydrated. From what we could get out of her, she never talked to anybody and miraculously no one ever noticed her. For two whole weeks she somehow made it to the beach on this side of the island almost undetected.
Dr. Issei lost his voice at this news. Maybe Yukino did know everything. Or maybe this was a huge coincidence. Who knew at this point?
“We're keeping her in the hospital for checkups, though. She's got sunburn from sleeping outside during the day, and the trip was too long on foot for a kid like her. She made it, but now she's looking like she's sore all over. Shouldn't be too long before the kid is discharged, though.”
“Good, good. As can be anyway,” the good doctor nodded to the monitor. He was about to bid the good detective adieu before Tsuzube continued.
“Yes, but....I think there might be something else.”
“What is it?”
Tsuzube made a grimace as his eyes moved in thought about how to best explain the situation.
“I should just give you the simple version first,” he said, finally deciding on a proper explanation, “That rabbit, 'Faiba,' he's dead.”
“Oh no,” Dr. Issei put his face in his hand, “She must have been crushed.”
This was not good for her recovery. Issei would have to be extra careful on how he handled her for a while. He was already planning how long he should let her grieve before focusing on her condition again. Sadly, no matter how many times he went through this, things still always got complicated.
“The reason Yukino was at the beach in the first place was because she followed the rabbit there, or so she's told us,” Tsuzube explained.
Dr. Issei knew that he should be shocked by what he just heard, but his instincts for a patient's well being was overriding that emotion at the moment. Facts like that were always stored for later analysis anyway. Tsuzube on the other hand looked more at ease at being morose.
“When she got there, she was only in time to see him get run over by a truck. Barely anything left of the poor thing. The reason we found her was because she wouldn't stop crying and a family having a picnic in the area thought that she was lost.”
“How did the rabbit get there?” Issei inquired.
“We don't know. We even tried asking Yukino, but now she's just all clammed up,” the good detective rubbed at his neck in discomfort, “I guess it's all really up to you now. Head cases are your specialty, right?”
Dr. Issei nearly snapped at the officer for that remark, but let it slide in favor of just keeping things pleasant.
“I will do everything I can for her,” Issei assured with a small but humble bow.
“Thanks doc. The doctors said she should be a week at most in the hospital, so expect her a couple of Saturdays from now.”
Issei almost forgot.
“What about that man she was with? Did you find him?”
“Oh yeah!” the detective sat right back up at his forgetfulness, “We found him and brought him in for analysis.....however,” Tsuzube was having trouble with strange news again, “both the YanDome and his doctor said that he had been cured of any illnesses a long time ago. Not only that, but when he took our polygraph, we found out that the train station was where he met her for the very first time. She had fed him a story about being lost and he believed her.”
Issei's silence was the signal for Tsuzube to keep going.
“The only thing he's guilty of is being gullible. We're double checking, but....I don't think he was the one who sought her out.”
“...Thank you, detective.” Issei put on his professional tone again.
“I'd prefer to wait and let Ms. Nagawa handle her first. She needs to be with her mother.” It would also give him more time to prepare for her.
“Suit yourself. You know what's best pal. So long,” Tsuzube gave him a half-wave, half-salute.
“Yes...,” Issei paused when the detective cut off transmission, “...goodbye.”


“Please don't mention Watership Down to her,” Ms. Nagawa nearly pleaded.
Dr. Issei already knew this.
“Thank you for the heads up,” he kept the sarcasm out with no effort. It wouldn't be an effective one-on-one conference otherwise.
“She's back to sleeping late again,” the despondent mother said through a voice almost thick with tears, “I can't wake her up no matter how hard I try. It's even worse than when we started.”
Issei thought it best to get the hard part out of the way.
“It's likely she gave up on everything when she saw Faiba die.”
“Thanks doctor. I really wanted to hear that,” she still had enough energy to give a small leer.
“Just mulling over how she might be feeling right now, to help us prepare to how to best handle her.”
She nodded in reluctance, but Issei noticed a temporary glare at the word 'handle.'
“Yes, I think that would be for the best.”
Best to check on her education as well.
“What about school? Is she doing okay?”
“A student is bringing over homework from the class to her. Her name's Anako, and she's someone Yukino responds to for some reason.” Ms. Nagawa's eyes squinted with suspicion. “They seem to only be talking when I'm not in the room. I don't like two kids keeping secrets from me,” she gave a defeatist shrug, “but she probably needs this right now.”
Yukino had a confidante. This was certainly very good news. Most likely even he'll never know what the two are talking about, but that was of little relevance. Sometimes friends could help in ways even he couldn't.
“When can I expect her, Ms. Nagawa?” he asked in a deliberately quiet tone.
“Probably next Saturday,” she then sighed, “I'm sorry, but I have to cancel reading time for now. I finished the parts we didn't get to and it has the rabbits going to war and trying to kill each other. Not a very good thing to be exposing her to at this point.”
“I understand completely. Until next Saturday then, Ms. Nagawa.”
“Doctor.”


Yukino was at the park again, but she really didn't feel like going. Some of the children have asked about her rabbit, and she had to tell them that he died. Some said they were sorry, but then they forgot about her and went to do something else. That's okay. Yukino knew that would happen. She didn't care anymore though. They didn't deserve to play with him anyway. She felt sad because she knew she would regret playing with them, but now she can remember not to do it again.
Her mom came up to her. She looked worried. Maybe it's because Yukino was looking sad while she sat on the bench. She was actually doing it on purpose a little, so that her mom would know she didn't like it here.
“Do you want to go home early?”
“Yes,” she nodded, “can I sleep in the car?”
Her mom was getting mad at her for sleeping too much.
“Sure sweetie.” Yukino was led back to the car by hand, and she nearly fell asleep by the time her mom got in too.
Yukino wished that her friend Anako was here, but she lived too far away. She could talk to Anako about anything. Yukino let herself drift off finally, her mind being enveloped in a cool dark that always seemed to start when her eyes closed. It was comforting.


Before the two had left, on the other side of the park, a man was watching the kids play. Ms. Nagawa did not know this, but this man was the second husband of Ms. Nagawa's cousin, whom she had never met. This man was heading into his own car, and he followed them at a discreet distance to their home.


The Black Paper Village was asleep. Even they tired and needed rest, and so they sunk into the smooth black rock beneath them and slumbered until their next calling. Not the Master though. He never slept. He had not slept for three thousand years. Yukino knew because she once heard him talking about how he forgot how old he was and Al did a math problem to figure it out. She giggled a little when that happened.
Now the Black Paper Mouse looked like he wanted to sleep but couldn't. He was too busy working on something. He always seemed more awake when he was working than when he took a break though. The Black Paper Mouse had a hard time keeping his shape, which made his humming talk kind of hard to understand through the shield.
“I've found all I can about her, and it looks like she might not be that all that special.”
She felt sad about that. She knew they were talking about her. It was because they saw Faiba die, wasn't it?
Are you joking with me? I was so sure about her.
“She did have some abilities, but they're not too strong. They aren't developed at this age.”
The Master raised an eyebrow.
Come again?
“She was born that way.”
I thought she was being given her talent.
“Al thought wrong. She's too young to have even survived the doors. And even if she did, she would've gone crazy afterwards.”
Interesting. So she has nothing to do with us at all?
“Aside from her 'nightmares,' no.”
I'll keep the wards up to keep her away then. After her she learns to avoid this place, we should be safe.
“Of course, Master.”
However, I still trust Al, and something about this stinks.
The Black Paper Mouse nearly lost his shape entirely as he plopped onto the ground, but then he fixed himself.
“Mas-ter! We can't do this forever!”
I don't want you to. Just don't let her become a problem when we aren't watching. Multiple sessions will do.
The Black Paper Mouse sighed.
“Of course, Master.”

[Gerri]

Yay, new chapter. I continue to be hooked. Poor Faiba. Btw, I never found the black paper people out of place, it was mostly the time jump that felt like it. The black paper people are essential and I like the awake and asleep side of the story. Now, I'm curious whether and when a connection between the two will become more apparent, i.e. regarding the characters in both story sequences. Great how you continue to grow the different aspects of the story (the therapy, the relatives, the friendship, the black paper people). Looking forward to the next chapter.

[ChesCa]

Thanks Gerri. :)
For this chapter, my writing group said that some of my description was redundant. They were right and I was going to edit them out........except when I finally got to it today I forgot which parts were the problem and I can't pick them out. They also said some descriptions could be taken out and have Issei or Yukino make movements or something that would be better. If you can find those problems, please pick them out for me.

Hidden:

Anako was walking home with her mother after dropping off Yukino's homework for the night. It was dark and nearly her bedtime, but Anako and her mother had to wait for the hospital room to become available. It looked like one of Yukino's family members came to visit. He said he was her uncle. The uncle made a lot of noise because Ms. Nagawa called security on him. She said that she didn't want Yukino's uncle to 'pro-po-zi-shen' her for anything. Then they both started yelling and had to go out of the room.
“Mom? What was happening there?”
“Don't ask honey. It's not polite and it's also none of our business.”
“Are you going to tell this to your lady friends?”
“Want some ice cream?”
Anako always got ice cream every time she asked that. She started skipping as she walked.


Ms. Nagawa was sitting in her daughter's hospital room, wondering what the hell was taking so long for the doctors to discharge her daughter. She was especially agitated because of her brother-in-law's unwanted visit. She turned to her child.
“Yukino,” she said directly, almost commanding her, “do not talk to that man anymore. If he comes up to you, you come to me.”
“I know,” she said with an exasperated sigh. Those were usually the two words Ms. Nagawa could get out of her at this point. She still had the bad feeling that Yukino didn't appreciate the gravity of the situation.
“I mean it Yukino. In fact, if anyone comes up to you talking about television and fame, you run away. Quickly.”
“I know!” Yukino screamed back. A nurse passing by looked in, but the mother didn't give a damn at that point.
“Don't you talk back to me!” Ms. Nagawa was pointing her finger right in her kid's face, like she was shaming her. Yukino immediately retreated into her blankets.
“I didn't mean to.” Ms. Nagawa recognized the tone. She could hear her eyes tearing up.
Ms. Nagawa's wrath curdled into guilt. “I'm sorry honey,” she sat down next to her little girl, “Mommy...mommy is really upset right now, and I'm not acting very grown up.”
Yukino peeked from underneath her covers. “No. You're not.”
Ouch. “Okay, but don't tell everyone that, okay?”
She sidled back up from her covers. “Okay.”
Ms. Nagawa was glad they could reach an understanding.


Yukino wasn't talking, just hiding in her 'house' again. Dr. Issei understood why. Yukino didn't even want to come, but both he and her mother knew it was best to get her help again as soon as possible. He still felt bad when he saw her apprehension in the waiting room, though. Ms. Nagawa was leading her by the hand instead of letting Yukino come in on her own. Now was as good a time as any to bring out the card game he bought for her....was it really only a few weeks ago? He brought out the game from his shelf.
“Do you want to play?” Issei calmly asked through the stack of cushions. Nothing came in response.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?”
“Does this game have dice?” Yukino asked.
That was an odd request.
“No, it doesn't,” he explained, “Would you like to learn how to play 'Big Picture?”
Issei wasn't sure if this would work. The game was for different grades, and some cards in this deck reached a full three grades ahead of her.
Still, it seemed to work, as she slumped down from her pillow house, the 'walls' collapsing and making a mess that Dr. Issei will have to clean up after the session.
“That sounds okay, I guess,” Yukino was more receptive than he thought. Maybe...
“Yukino, do you already know how to play?”
“No, but I've seen other kids play it.” What wasn't being said was that no one would let her play with them. “I want to see how the older decks work,” her morose monotone didn't show much excitement, but it was likely that even she wanted something to distract from her ordeal.
Perhaps this game was right up her alley.
“Okay. Let's try it this way to pass the time. I'm going to draw a card and show you the front,” Issei began to explain. He picked up a card and showed it to her. The front of the card had the 'question kanji' and the back had the 'answer kanji.' Dr. Issei then handed Yukino the spare paper and pencils that came with the set.
“Then I'm going to give you a clue as to what the complete kanji is. Sometimes you'll need to write in the missing part, sometimes you'll need to guess what needs to be added to change the meaning. Every question you get right, you get to move onto the next part and get a point.” Inspiration struck Issei and at the last minute he added, “But for every one you get wrong, I want you to tell me something about yourself.”
Yukino suddenly looked a lot shyer. “Like what?”
“Anything you want to talk about. Your choice.”
“What do I get if I win?” she asked, huddling to herself. That was a fair question.
“If you get the most out of ten...” he thought for five seconds struggling for something good, “you get to decide what we talk about next week.”
“Oh, okay.”
Issei regretted what he said, but at this point next week wouldn't bring her closer to results anyway. And besides, he bought this game for a reason. He wanted to see if she somehow cheated to get those answers off her friend.
He pulled the first card. On the front was the symbol for the word 'Word.' He set the hourglass.
“Draw the symbol that will turn this character into 'Trust.” The answer side showed the symbols for 'Person' to the left of 'Word.'
Yukino mulled this over while holding the pencil in her hands, caught between writing a guess and giving up. When the hourglass was about to run out, however, she dropped her pencil and blurted out her answer: “A person!”
Just in time. The sand nearly ran out.
“Very good, but could you write it anyway? It's how people in the game know that someone isn't just guessing.”
“Oh, okay.” She wrote it down and gave her answer over to him. It was close. She put the symbol for person to the right of the character instead of the left. Still, he felt that Yukino would not appreciate him badgering her over something that kids would probably find trivial anyway. “Very good,” he encouraged. That's one down. Nine more chances to go to find out more about her. He pulled the next card. It was a fifth grade level card and a multiple choice 'replace the character' card.
The question side had the symbol for 'Shop' or 'House.' There was a symbol at the bottom that needed to be changed to make the overall picture mean 'Reside' or 'Stay.' He reset the hourglass and began to read aloud.
“This shop has been in the same place for a long time. What symbol needs to be placed under the roof? A. Old? B. Needle?--”
“Old!” Yukino shouted in victory. Right again. The symbol replaced at the bottom was the symbol for old. Two for two for Yukino.
“Good job! Did your mother teach you that?”
“Yes!” She's nodded her head too hard again. She didn't learn that kanji from her mother. This girl was way more advanced than he gave her credit for, and Dr. Issei felt like he just made a very bad gamble. Still, he would be true to his word. He picked another card and reset the hourglass. The question side was the character for woman, which anyone can recognize. The answer side was for 'cheap', with the woman wearing a 'hat.'
“What do you draw to give the woman a cheap house?”
“Easy!” Yukino drew the exact symbol. Too easy for anybody.
“Very good!”
“I'm winning I'm winning!” At least she was distracted from what happened to her.
Dr. Issei wouldn't be getting anything out of her today, it seemed. He drew another card. Great, it was another easy one: the question side was the symbol for 'Mouth.' The answer side was the character for 'Old', which she obviously knew from the previous question. One would just have to place the mark for 'Ten' on top of the mouth symbol.
“What do you get with ten mouths?”
Yukino thought.
And thought.
And thought.
The hourglass emptied.
“Time.”
“Aw man.”
“Don't worry about it,” he reassured her, “The question was probably worded poorly. This is the symbol.” He showed her the answer side.
“What does that mean?”
"Hm?!"
Issei didn't guard his reaction too well this time. Yukino looked a little worried, but Issei reassured her by putting his hands up.
How could Yukino answer the question for 'Reside' if she didn't know the proper symbol? He was about to ask, but then it hit him that he never made Yukino draw the symbol and that she probably bluffed. Multiple choice questions sometimes made things too convenient.
He decided to let that little fact slide for now to avoid upsetting her, but he intended to see if he can't use this to find out more about what kind of person she was when she played games. Playing nicely? Cheating? Ignorant? Just having fun?
“Okay Yukino. Just tell me something about yourself. Anything at all.”
Yukino pondered what to tell the good doctor without embarrassing herself. After a moment, she replied, “My best friend is Anako. We're going to be together forever!”
Dr. Issei wouldn't rush to such conclusions about someone he barely knew, but that's more of the adult life right there. Besides, some children could stay bonded much easier than adults could.
“Really? And how do you know that?”
“Well, I don't see us splitting up anytime soon.”
That was....fair.
“You really get along with her, don't you?”
“Yeah. She even helped me stay in school. And talked to me when Faiba--”
She shut her mouth instantly. A moment later, she cast her eyes to the ground and hugged her knees.
“When Faiba died, she still stayed my friend. All the other kids I knew stopped playing with me when I couldn't bring him anymore.”
Issei gave a sympathetic nod.
“It's okay Yukino. I'm sure it's not because they hate you.”
“They never really liked me either,” she pouted. Dr. Issei couldn't directly contradict that.
“I just want you to know that they probably didn't mean anything, and sometimes people grow apart anyway.”
“...Not Anako,” she mumbled to herself. A sore subject. Dr. Issei drew his next card and reset the hourglass. The question side was 'Field'. The answer side was 'Fruit.'
“What day of the week does fruit grow on the field?”
“Thursday!” she immediately shouted again. She was right. The primary symbol for Thursday was 'Tree', and the picture for fruit was a tree sprouting underneath the field symbol. Still, he had to check something again.
“Could you draw the symbol for me?”
Issei could see the enthusiasm melt completely from her face. She now looked a little panicked.
“Sure,” she said anyway to fake confidence. She handed over the finished result.
She drew it wrong again: the tree was put on top of the field, not below it. She just guessed at random and got lucky a second time. Still, at least this time she knew what the character actually was, unlike the Old pictograph. This was getting more perplexing. He refrained from calling her out on her lie and drew the next card. The hourglass was reset. The question side was 'Snow.' The answer side was 'Electricity.'
“Draw the dragon's tail turning snow into lightning.” The tail part of a dragon kanji could be easily drawn into this symbol to turn it into electricity. Just two lines would do the trick. This question was especially inconvenient because Yukino would have practice spelling her own name, which contained the character snow. She surely must have seen the symbol for train, which had the electricity symbol.
Yukino was still struggling when the timer ran out. Dr. Issei was beginning to see a pattern here. First thing was first though: getting to know Yukino more.
“A deal's a deal. Tell me something about yourself that you think is really interesting. Perhaps even something you're good at.”
Yukino thought a long time on this one. Too long. After thirty seconds, she answered “I can't.”
Normally he would establish that response to her lack of self-esteem, but now he wondered if she was hiding something.
“There's something that everyone is good at. You just have to think really hard.” He said this with the most encouraging look he could give, like he believed Yukino really did have something she could share. Sadly, his work with kids has convinced him that, even if somebody had something they're good at, there was still such a thing as 'too early to tell.' He can't say this to Yukino though, nor any other patient for that matter. After ten seconds, Yukino came up with a rather simple, vague answer:
“I can live all by myself.”
Already ready to leave the nest, this girl was. To her credit, she did survive on her own for about two weeks. Perhaps...
“Oh. And how do you do that?” he inquired.
“I eat food that isn't bad for me and I don't talk or get seen by adults that want to hurt me.”
Issei successfully suppressed his wince. At least Dr. Issei would never have to worry about Yukino taking rides or candies from strangers any time soon. He intended to press the question of how she could tell such things. Trusting a child in her own judgment of safety was still too dangerous just to take her word for it.
“Draw the next card please!” she exclaimed, cutting him off from further questioning. He obeyed, keeping to his word. The question side of the next card was for 'Preach', with the answer side was 'Word'. Once again, this card required Yukino to draw the answer. Once again, she failed to do so.
“What would you like to talk about next?”
Yukino thought for a little bit.
“...I still see people as they are sometimes, but it doesn't happen that much anymore.”
Yes, the people with the strings coming out of their heads, blocks of wood for limbs and wheels for feet.
“Why do you think we really look like that and not like we are now, with skin and hair and all that good stuff?” he asked.
“I never look like that,” she put her hand over her mouth. She let that slip out.
Ah. This was a new development.
“How come you never look like us?”
She made her shrug way too obvious. “I don't know. I even tried looking in a mirror once to see if I really looked like that, but I don't turn into any of those things. I think I'm the only one who's real.”
“You're the only one whose real?” Issei didn't like the sound of that.
“I don't mean it like that,” she corrected herself. Did she really realize she just made herself sound like a sociopath? “I just....don't know how to say it.”
She looked like she was scanning her lap as she tried to find the right words. It didn't seem likely that she was looking down on others as figments of her imagination. Good. Scratch the psychopathic possibilities. Hopefully.
“What do you look like?” Issei inquired.
She immediately put up her defenses at that. “I don't want to say.” Okay, fair enough. Still, he could sneak in one more question.
“When did you stop seeing our 'real forms' so much?”
“It was when I began sleeping a lot again,” she put a pillow on her lap and held it against her, “I really don't want to say anymore.”
Dr. Issei displayed his palms in defeat and picked another card.
The next two cards were multiple choice, and on both counts Yukino got them right but didn't write the symbols correctly. She was more confident that she was fooling her therapist since Issei already decided to never say anything. So far, everything she has managed to get right was multiple choice or had multiple choice elements. One last shot at asking Yukino any questions he might have before time was up. He got another multiple choice card. The question side had the picture for Field again. The answer side was for 'Thinking.' A field above the symbol for heart was the answer. The three choices were 'heart,' 'rain' and 'hit'. Dr. Issei tried something he usually wouldn't, but in exchange forbid himself from asking Yukino anything.
“What does a thinking field need?” He started the timer. He deliberately turned it into a drawing question.
Yukino should be able to get this one. She was in the right grade bracket after all. But she struggled and struggled, until time ran out.
“Dangit!” she shouted.
Aside from the easier two kanji, Yukino could not draw a correct kanji on her own, but got all her multiple choices right. Dr. Issei...could not draw any conclusions from this strange case. Well, except that it was strange.
“Well, don't worry: You still won, so you don't have to answer the last question.”
Yukino looked relieved, and even smiled for him. “Thanks doctor.”
The session ended and Yukino was sent home looking better. At least, that was what Issei surmised when he saw how relieved Ms. Nagawa looked to see her daughter in high spirits again. She even mouthed a 'Thank you' from the lobby. Unfortunately, Dr. Issei didn't get to ask his last question:
What would have happened if the two had played with dice?


The Black Paper Mouse looked really beat up. His edges were like torn paper with wet dirt and sticks stuck to him, and his footsteps left sand. The Master didn't look bothered by it though.
What took you so long?
Yukino didn't think he could see the mouse's face, because Chuu was making rude faces without getting in trouble.
“I took the scenic route. I was under a lot of stress lately and I needed to contemplate suicide in private.”
Yukino remembered hearing about suicide in history class. People rarely did it now. Maybe the mouse needs to wear the YanDome.
There's always 'death by smartass.'
The Black Paper Mouse grumbled. “I had to go practically everywhere. Really hard when you're as small as me. Not to mention that she only traveled at night.”
Did she ever lose you?
“Sir, I wouldn't have been gone so long if I had ever lost sight. I was faraway, not lost.”
The Mouse sounded mad at the word lost.
You did well.
“Thanks, I guess.
“Get on with it!” Yukino was given a start. She didn't know Al was there. Both the Master and the Mouse jumped too.
“Yes sir!” the Mouse responded, “She showed signs of having special abilities. She was particularly choosy about what she ate, where she went and who she talked to.”
“Are you sure?” Al asked.
Yukino frowned. It followed her? But then why didn't they talk about this while she was trying to find Faiba? Maybe they were talking about another girl. One that didn't lose their pets. She nearly cried again.
“I saw her walk around three blocks to reach a building instead of heading straight there. If she had taken the straight route, she would've run into some bad people. There was no real way for her to know that they were there ahead of time.”
How far did she travel?
“Around 30 kilometers, if I can guess correctly. She finally got picked up by humans at a beach.”
And you didn't get on the car?
“I was getting a drink from a water fountain. Had to walk all the way back home.”
The Master thought about stuff. She could tell because his eyes were moving.
How is she now?
“I don't know sir. I came straight here to report.”
“We haven't had anymore trouble with her, Master,” Al chimed in. The Master thought again, then talked again.
Rest well, but be open to looking over her if she starts becoming a problem again.
“Sir? You don't want me to kill her?” asked the Mouse.
This one's a natural. We've never had a case like that before. She's completely new. What if we...
“Oh. I think I get your gist.” The Black Paper Mouse bowed and sunk back to his labs underground.
It would be a gem of a miracle if we ever get a hold of this talent. Any thoughts, Al?
Silence. Al went away earlier..
I need to do something about that.


Dr. Issei was back in the Brown Burrow, this time being serviced by a sheep girl.
“Would the master like a refill?” she said as she clung to his arm.
Issei put his glass forward and let the sheep girl fill it to the brim. “Thanks honey.”
“You're welcome.” She swung her other arm around his shoulders, “How was your day today?”
“Oh, you know, same old same old. Someone with a parenting problem, someone with a love problem, a person where the question is 'what problem doesn't he have?' Just the hazards of the job.”
“Teenagers with too much time on their hands?” she cooed with a charming faux fascination.
“Mostly.” He took a swig.
“You look really tired. Did my teddy bear get too many crazies today?”
Dr. Issei took a second to look over how he was in the past hour. It took twenty seconds in all for him to remember what the two are talking about and five seconds to recall that yes, he did come in looking like crap. He had felt so worn out.
“Yeah, there's never really any place where everyone is happy. Sometimes I think that the only way to find a happy town is to find a place without a psychologist within twenty meters.”
“No one to tell them they're sad?” the sheep girl put her finger to her cheek in legitimate pondering. Dr. Issei laughed loudly, forgetting for a moment how tired he was. Unfortunately, his swinging moods brought him right back to what was probably the cause of his melancholy.
“Dear, do you remember what it was like to be a child?”
The sheep girl put her finger to her lips while she rolled her eyes up to mimic thought. “Let's see: I remember being really short and really happy!”
“Never miserable?”
“No. Not really,” she answered in a really cutesy voice, “Nobody's ever sad with doctors like you around.” She doubted any doctor outside of this place ever got to hear her especially arousing sultry tone.
It was obvious that this sheep girl's childhood never had bad adults and environments intruding on her well-being. Otherwise, she would probably be a different person altogether.
Extra happy or extra miserable or extra troubling, kids never really half-ass it either way.

I also feel like the last conversation wasn't necessary, but the Brown Burrow needs to stay in the story.

[ChesCa]

Next part and it's a doozy.
I'll try to make my corrections, and next installment will conclude the Spring Act:

Hidden:

There were now three men a day coming to Yukino's apartment asking for her. Mom kept shooing them away, so that's good. Still, Yukino was now too afraid to go to school anymore. The reporters were allowed to follow her mom and her on their walk and not get arrested. They kept asking about 'art-ti-fish-all in-sim-men-nay-shen' and her dad. That really made mom angry and Yukino wished that she could make them go away because that made her mad too. Mom said not to talk to them, though, or they'll have something to put on the Datasphere, like her voice or a video.
Still, even though she was afraid, her mom pulled her by the hand to school, both of them running really really fast to keep away from the camera people. That wasn't the most bad part though. Everyone in her class knew that she could be on the Datasphere one day and wanted to be her friend. Yukino knew that only Anako was her real friend, and that the other kids would stop treating her nicely once they thought they would get to be in the news. She always stayed with Anako now, although she felt bad that her friend had to deal with the lying kids too. That was okay though. Yukino knew that Anako would try to make real friends this way instead of pretending to be someone's friend. That was what Yukino liked about Anako.
The school bell chimed and she and her mom were just in time. She waved her mom good-bye and followed everyone into class.


Ms. Nagawa began her walk back home, now able to focus more on fending the reporters off from herself instead of having to worry about Yukino's privacy. It had been a while since she'd had to run, but thankfully old habits died hard.
She started sprinting like a mad woman, grateful for the fact that she hadn't worn heels in years for this very reason. She made a direct line to the school's parking lot, where many parents were still crowding in with their cars to turn in their students at the last second. With the reporters crowding and carrying multiple equipment, not many would make it through before losing sight of her. In fact, once she crossed between the cars of two very surprised families, the media mob was choked down to a trickle,and the onrush of cars on the other side blocked traffic, entrapping all but a few personnel within the hodge podge of vehicles. Only three reporters made it through. Ms. Nagawa checked the skies for clouds. Crap. It was a bright and sunny day. If it had been raining, she could have taken a chance and run through muddy fields or places where the water poured down in spouts. Very few cameramen were willing to risk their equipment that way just to get a shot of a running celebrity. Instead, she tried for Plan B and headed for a crowded area, not too hard in the her city.
She ran many meters before she reached a mall. Perfect, except for the fact that it was a middle of a school day, so crowds were sparse. She remembered her survival instincts: Do not take an elevator that was next to another elevator or very near an escalator, lest they beat her to her floor and she gets boxed in. Instead, she searched for the mall theater, and spotted it dead ahead. All recording equipment would be confiscated if the reporters tried to come in, so she dashed into the lobby, not bothering to get a ticket yet. The camera men halted at the boundary between theater and mall. As a last punishment she walked out of their sight. Ms. Nagawa took out a book she had on hand for such occasions and sat to read. It would take a while, but even reporters eventually walked away, not wanting to waste anymore time on an impossible chase. The book she brought out was 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' an old favorite of hers. Kooyai had given it to her to remember him by.



The bell rung and Yukino was ready to finally go home, but her mom wasn't there to pick her up. That was really bad, because Anako needed a ride home. Like, right now. Anako did not know this, but Yukino didn't want to tell. A man came up to Yukino all of a sudden. She stayed still, almost petrified.

“Hello Yukino,” he said. He was bowing down a little, but he still looked really big, “Do you know who I am?”
“You're her uncle,” answered Anako. Yukino wondered how she knew that.
“Why yes, yes I am,” he said, pretending to be happy but she could tell he wasn't really, “Say, would you mind letting me take care of Yukino now? I need to take her home.”
“Um....” Anako nearly walked off with Yukino. She knew not to talk to strangers, but Yukino grabbed her shoulder to stop her.
“Actually, could you give Anako a ride home with me? I just need her to be dropped off.”
The uncle started looking really nervous. Yukino didn't know why, but she didn't really care. Anako needed to go home. It was weird how she looked a little scared of him still, though.
“Take a kid I don't know in my car? That's kind of...,” his eyes went back and forth, like the Master in her dreams, “rude.”
“Yeah, my mom's picking me up,” Anako said really quickly.
Yukino turned to Anako. “Don't worry, she'll be alright with it.” Anako's nervousness was gone, but it took a little while. “He's family.”
The uncle stood there looking scared, but he then said yes after a little while. “Hop in the car kiddos. Just tell me where to drop you off.”



It had been six hours since Ms. Nagawa ducked into the theater. The time was moot to her as she was once again absorbed into her favorite book. She reached the ending even faster than usual. Earnest's name was about to be revealed and Bunderby has just died. He reminded her of her husband. Kooyai's first play was the 'Importance of be Earnest' and he joked how as an understudy he provided support for the real actor. Kooyai hated the concept of status and images. A lot of it rubbed off on Ms. Nagawa. Not surprising, considering how they got tired of it after so long.


They were laying on the grass together, gazing into the sky, like the silent scenes of a cliché romantic picture.
“Koona,” he said, “Don't you ever worry how much you're giving away to make others happy?”
“I'm happy too,” she responded, “I'm definitely a lot more lucky than other people.”
“If you're happy, how come you only smile when I'm around?”
Koona Nagawa was silent at that response. Did she really look that sad? She wasn't exactly happy-go-lucky but she didn't feel depressed or anything either.
Kooyai looked a little too proud of his question, like he thought he made a point or something. He toned it down when she gave him 'that look'.
“It's just that,” he began very carefully, “You don't look like you enjoy what you do. You're acting for the paycheck and not for any real passion.”
“Don't you work for a paycheck too?” Koona bounced back at him, “You had to work hard to get into stage productions.”
“Fair enough,” he conceded, “but still, how come you don't talk to the other actors? Or the crew? They seem pretty friendly.”
“Well...” Koona was having a hard time with this answer, “because my family picks me up for my next shoot.”
He looked taken aback by that.
“How many shoots do you have a day?”
Koona was really hesitant this time.
“Maybe forty or fifty.”
Her companies had the best in holographic sets and music.
“How could you get to know anyone like that?!”

“I still have my family!” she snapped at him.
She knew what Kooyai would be thinking the moment that slipped out.
“It's not like that. They care for me, so I'm just making the most of everything,” she waved off.
“So nothing was ever your idea?” he asked plainly.
She hated how brusque he could be sometimes. Koona wasn't really reaching this man.
“Don't you have any feelings for your family?” she teased.
“Only as much caring as they gave me.”
The sudden shift of intensity in his voice actually scared her a little. He calmed down when she saw him get a good look at her face.
“It was mostly a stable family as long as no one embarrassed my dad...and as the head of our local school district it was hard not to do that. If we didn't get the good grades to show that his term in office was working his rivals would pin that against him. Naturally, that meant we had put on a good show for people he called 'shit eating pigs.'
Koona Nagawa couldn't hold in her snort. Kooyai seemed to remember that phrase fondly as well.
“But yeah, I don't really think my family's all that good for me.” He rolled over to face her. “And now that I think about it, I rarely see you without yours in tow. How often are you away from any of them?”

Koona rolled over onto her back so that he wouldn't see her think. She tried to find just the exact right way to phrase her answer, but no matter what she could think of the response felt like the wrong one.
“I'm very close to them,” she finally said.
“To all of them?”
“Well, my brother and sister are kind of jealous of me,” she admitted.
Kooyai looked at her for a moment.
“How do your siblings get treated?”
“They're fine.” Why can't he just go back to being quiet and pretty?
“I don't see them around that often. Not as much as your mother.”
“My mother drives me! I don't have a license yet!”
He put up his palms in surrender. “Fair enough, but they don't come onto set too often.”
Koona gripped her hands.
“They just do whatever the hell they want. They're rarely ever home, just roaming around with a bunch of feral kids, doing who knows what?”
“I think they're just hanging out with friends. I used to do it all the time.”
“Well, mom and dad didn't know what to do with them so they just let them wander around.”
“I think you're jealous,” he blurted out. She knew he blurted it out because he instantly regretted it.
Fuming, she grabbed her purse and started to stomp off.
“Koona--”

“It's Miss Nagawa to you for a while, buddy!” she sneered back.
She started walking faster when she heard him trying to catch up with her, pleading her to listen.
That man didn't know her at all. He was just mad because she was more successful than he was. Typical males.


Ms. Nagawa had finally finished her book, then looked at the time.
“Oh shit!”
Everyone in the theater lounge looked up at her. She didn't pay any mind to anything but the fact that she was late for picking up Yukino. She brashly said good bye to a stunned usher, rushing past so fast he didn't have time to bow.


Dr. Issei was in his office, contemplating his letter very carefully. He didn't want to look like he was running away from his duties, but on the other hand he also didn't want to be the one who let something slip on his watch. After quadruple checking and making sure everything was exactly how it needed to be, he sent his e-mail to the Board of Mental Health:


Dear Sirs and Madames of the BoMH:
While our initial diagnosis of autism and Asperger's seem to fit her behavior, she has also exhibited traits of a superiority complex and has a rather remarkable ability to somehow predict multiple choice answers with very high accuracy without knowing the real answer to the question. It is very likely she may have a new way of thinking that has yet to be cataloged into the ShikaPlus, and I would like to request she be brought to you for advanced evaluation.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Hanake Issei

He relaxed back into his chair.



Koona Nagawa had already gone to the principal, but security couldn't find Yukino anywhere on campus. Ms. Nagawa finally just went straight to her teacher to find out anything she saw.
“Yes, someone had picked them up already.”
What?!
“What!?” Ms. Nagawa shouted.
“It was your brother. Your uncle, right?”
This stupid, stupid bitch.
The shock had to dissipate before Ms. Nagawa could express her feelings the best she could.
“You let her go with a complete stranger you dumb bitch!?”
Yukino's teacher was cowering away, finally realizing that she may have made a mistake. Good, but too little too late.
“How did you even know it was really her uncle?!” She wasn't letting this woman off the hook until she was good and done.
“He walked up to her and introduced himself to Yukino and Anako, and Yukino confirmed that it was her uncle.”
Oh this woman was such a liar!
“I even walked up to him and asked why you weren't picking them up. Yukino said that you were sick at home and that you called her to say to let her uncle pick them up. It's true, I swear!” the teacher pleased and begged.
Bullshit! Is she honestly expected to believe that Yukino would lie to cover for a man she barely met? Ms. Nagawa pointed her finger in the woman's face, slit her eyes and talked in a deliberately forced yet hushed tone: “If anything happens I will use my status to have you terminated in this precinct and every one surrounding it. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” she nodded, near crying. Who knew if the woman even knew she was bluffing, but it was enough to put the fear of God into her and that's what she needed right now.
“Good.” Ms. Nagawa walked back to the administration office to make a phone call to the police, then headed straight for her house for her car.


Anako waved goodbye to Yukino before she ran into her house.
“Mom! I'm home! Yukino's uncle dropped me off, so it's okay, right?”
Mom didn't say anything.
“Mom?”
Anako walked from the front to her living room. There wasn't anybody here.
“Mom, where are you?” Anako was getting really worried, so she ran to the kitchen to look there. It was empty, but Anako started to hear water running. The shower. She knocked on the door to let her mom know that she's home.
“Mom! I'm home!” she tried to shout over the water. She wasn't saying anything. This made her want to cry. “Mom!” she pounded really hard on the door now so her mom could her her, “I said I'm home!” Nothing. She pounded the hardest that she can, feeling her eyes get watery. Something was horribly wrong. She ran out of the house and pounded on the neighbor's door.
“What? What is it?” the lady answered.
Anako was almost crying, but she tried to keep herself from from doing it so she could help her mom better.
“My mom! She's in the bathroom but she won't come out.” Anako felt the tears gush out really strongly now, and she cried on the porch while the lady ran inside to check on her mom.


Yukino was still in the passenger's seat, her uncle driving her to a house a few miles away from hers. She knew she wasn't going home right then because they were never going to her house in the first place.
“I know this looks strange, but you're actually going to get to visit your aunt and your grandparents, so there's nothing to worry about.”
“I know,” Yukino thought her uncle looked a little surprised at how she said 'I know.' He didn't say anything though.
“I'm not going to tell you anything that I don't want to,” she said in the same way. If that made her uncle angry he was good at hiding it. She guessed she was important or something.
“Aw, don't be that way. We're nice people once you get to know us,” he lied.
“I already know all about you, and you people could never be my friend.”
No one said anything for the rest of the ride.

[ChesCa]

This will probably need a little polishing, but this concludes the Spring chapter of Yukino. I'll be taking a hiatus until some time next year (March at the latest).

Hidden:

Dr. Issei was waiting impatiently for Yukino to show up and meet his new guest, a chairman of the Board of Mental Health Mr. Chirago. He had responded to Issei's email with great interest, wanting to document the new mental condition of the child that could significantly improve the capability of the ShikaPlus.
Said child was forty-five minutes late. It was only Chirago's eagerness that kept him there.
Issei took care not to rush when Miss Nosa buzzed in.
“Yes Miss Nosa?”
“Sir, there's a group of people who are here to see you. They say it's urgent.”
Even Mr. Chirago doesn't like the sound of that.
“Who are they?” Issei asked.
“They claim to be family of Yukino's. They want to find out where she is and thought you might know something.”
Oh God not again. The Chairman was too kind to sigh in exasperation, but they both knew he was doing it internally.
“She's run away again?” Issei forgot to mask his frustration this time.
Both men could hear the secretary trying to shoo away the family before whispering into the intercom.
“No sir. Ms. Nagawa is missing this time as well. It seems that they both ran off.”
There was louder chatter and Nosa had to click off. Mr. Chirago put on his hat, thanked Issei for going through the trouble of seeing him, and walked out the door.
Well, so much for progress.


That night, on the news, it was everywhere: the superstar actress Koona Nagawa had been found, and that she had a kid. However, before either of them could be interviewed, both had disappeared, and her face was plastered on every post and topic thread on the Datasphere, with enough to keep the tabloids going for months at a time. Everyone was looking for her when they weren't glued to their screens and seats, and all were fascinated by new information being given out by her family in this time of crisis, revealing everything from her forbidden love with her husband, the late great Kooyai Nagawa (whose past was also being dug up) to her measurements, claiming that it would help better identify her. The family was already being offered a role in a documentary about their wayward daughter's life. It was on every night for three months.


Yukino was barely keeping awake in the car. Ms. Nagawa wanted to avoid traveling abroad, feeling that Yukino didn't deserve to be chased away from her home country. Even the summer home in Australia was out of the question. Ms. Nagawa was too familiar with what it was like to be uprooted. Besides, her family already knew about that place. Instead, she called in a favor with her godfather, an old friend of grandpa Te. Before she lost touch with him, she still remembered him as that old man who disapproved of how his best friend's family were behaving and treating their children as cash cows. And he was right.
She turned on the radio to calm herself and keep awake as the isolated highway got darker and more pitch.
Koona remembered that the last time she saw him, it was when he warned her about going into the movie business, saying that it would follow her. She scoffed at him, but she was pretty sure that he didn't take it personally. He was even still friends with Te even after they fought over how he was spoiling his kids, so naturally he would forget about that little incident with her, right? At the very least, he was doing it for Yukino's sake, letting them stay with him for a while. A small town, up in the mountains, poor reception and communications. It would be rough, but better than dragging Yukino across the sea.
“Mom, will I ever get to see Dr. Issei and Anako again?” she mumbled very sadly.
Ms. Nagawa blinked. She wasn't...'sad' per se, but the let downs were really starting to feel like a ton of pebbles. “I don't know, honey.”
Yukino leaned on the car door to keep herself upright.
“I don't know yet either.”


Dr. Issei was at the Brown Burrow again, saddled with the same dumb sheep girl as before.
“Can I get you anything, Master?” He put out a glass. She refilled. She smiled daintily. Wasn't there anyone new on shift?
“Is there anything wrong?” she asked with a puppy dog look. He just wasn't concentrating on his public face too well today.
“No, I just have something on my mind.” Nonchalant truth seemed to be the best way to end this.
“Aw, let's make some small talk to take your mind off things. I know. How about that missing actress all over the news now?” she piped really cheerily.
Although he felt a little bad for getting up and leaving, this was the first time Dr. Hanake Issei needed to walk out of the Brown Burrow early.


The Master was wondering where Yukino went. She was watching from the barrier but maybe he didn't sense her. Maybe they knew where she lived but was gone now so they couldn't find her.
Chuu.
The Black Paper Mouse spilled up from the ground.
“Yes si-GURK” Chuu tried to say something but one of the humming dancers accidentally stepped on him.
You still there?
Chuu got himself up and popped and unfolded everything back to normal.
“Can we move to somewhere more private? And less heely?” The Black Paper Mouse was looking over his shoulders.
As you wish.
The Master grabbed Chuu with a tentacle and shot up the tunnel to where Yukino couldn't see. That was okay. She didn't care anyway.
Yukino watched the humming dancers as they turned and twisted at the same time. The dances were so pretty that she felt her eyes getting heavy.
Yukino blacked out in her own dream and went to sleep a second time.


“So, what did you need me for, boss?”
That human has not come back. Is she...
“Dead? I don't think so.”
Chuu, you don't mean to say you tried anything, did you?
“What? No! I'm a bad guy, but not that bad.”
You said you don't think so. Why?
“Well sir, the sad thing is she just went away.”
How?
“Her mother just packed up one day and left. No warning. I was in the village when it happened, so I couldn't stow away.”
I see...this is disappointing, but perhaps no big loss overall.
“Anything else, sir?
How goes the Rosetta Chip project?
“Almost done sir. The notes left behind came in very handy. The first five languages should be done in no time.”
Glad to hear it, Chuu.

[tigerlilly]

NIce one nice! The most interesting tidbit of the story for me must be story line you brought in with Anako and her mother. Introducing a friend of Yukino's brought in a nice dynamic an explained a bit why Yukino doesn't like other children, since she expects them to have some other plans in the back of their minds
And it showed that Yukino actually does care for others, even if it's just a selected few. The interesting part must be the one with Anako's mother though; I assume her mother tried to commit suicide? And Yukino urging her friend to get home, was more than her having a bad feeling, she literally knew Anako's mom was in mortal danger.
This just strenghtens my feeling even more that Yukino had a connection to death somehow, so that she could sense something was wrong.
But also her ability to apparently read the mind of others ( like knowing that she can never be friends with her uncle) interests me. It looks like she can't read thoughts, but read another persons intentions or their "heart", to put this very simplified...? I think there's some kind of trick behind it... somebody "helping" her to do so in some way. It already happened with the card game too, didn't it?
As always I am confused by the paper mouse and his Boss, this one I still can't sort out hahah Since now for the first time it is clear they exist completely independently from Yukino (So them being a fragment of her imaginatin I can rule out). Just what are they?? I feel dumb for not finding a clue! xD
I hope I will found out in the next chapter when the hiatus is over! :)

Also the little flashback of Yukino's mom, was nice to read. As I began reading it, I expected this to be the part where Koona confessed his love to her (the funny little anecdote you mentioned in a previous chapter), but this one gave a good insight on miss Nagawa too!

What didn't go as smoothly was the transition between the two last parts. I would have loved to kow what happened at the house of Yukino's grandparents and as it is know it felt as if you just skipped a part. Will this episode be told in another chapter? And a couple of spelling errors made their way in, but nothing big. As you said you'll still give it a polisihing, right?
BTW when you say spring arc, this means there will be 3 more arcs named after the remaining seasons?