Character Profile Outline by KittyFelone, literature
Literature
Character Profile Outline
Okay, before anybody starts to think this is some weird idea, let me explain.
For anyone who knows how to write (and I mean, REALLY knows how to write), you understand that a good story has everything written out on paper first. You know, stuff like Outlines, Plot Triangles, Character Profiles. This might be of a challenge to some of you and tie you down, but unless you are capable of keeping every piece of information in your mind, this is a good resource to fall back on. If you do not need this, then fineyou arent required to use it. According to Science Fiction Writers of America, do
The Great Shift Diary (07/16/20) (part 9) by ARcaptionEYE, literature
Literature
The Great Shift Diary (07/16/20) (part 9)
Dear Diary, Well, it has been mostly a week since I wrote in this, and well, things here have gone through another weird phase. To start, my mom stopped my bully. Seeing him pushing me around and calling me racial slurs on Tuesday, I did not expect mom to punch him. Christ, I know mom is going through some sort of identity thing, but well, before the swap, she wouldn't even kill an insect. But seeing her in my old boy's body beating up the jerk, I couldn't help but feel a bit happy and shocked at the same time. I was happy to see that even if she is acting like she does not care for me or Jason anymore, she actually does. And let's just say I am going to get into something that happened a day ago about her personality changing with that new body and this getting into this town, but I am going to finish writing about this first. Once she got the bully on the ground and told him, "Never go near my brother again!" she then dragged me somewhere quiet and asked me how long
My Stressed-Out Boss By: FLA527 Another in the Shooting Stars series A TG - RS story Gerald Simpson sighed heavily, it had been another long day. Made even worse because my unit had to work late due to a project upper management assigned our team. Anyway, finally all seemed to have finished their assignments and were heading out. Going around, checking in to make sure all had turned in their work and thanking them for pitching in by staying late. And as I moved through the area, from cubicle to cubicle, checking in with each team member, a weariness was asserting itself. At 44 years old and unfortunately divorced, currently I had little more than work in my life. Yes, I have two kids, a 20-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter. But, they were busy with their lives, which didn't leave much time for a father who'd, honestly, been so busy trying to build his career to have much time for them growing up. So sadly, now it was a struggle to get them to commit much
Wrongfully In My Sister's Place by VIII-Bit, literature
Literature
Wrongfully In My Sister's Place
“It’s not what it looks like-” Laurence panicked, trying to cover his sister’s gaze with his hands.
“How can it be anything but what it looks like, ?” Kitty asked skeptically, “You’re wearing women’s underwear. My underwear to be specific. I gotta ask, what are you doing?”
Laurence blushed, holding his head in his hands as he realised he had finally been caught. The question in his mind was what he was going to tell her.
“Well, um,” he mumbled, “I just, uh, curiosity got the better of me and I had to know. I saw these sitting on ya-your bed uh-and I-”
“
Three Parts, One Whole - Chapter 1 by AgelessEmpire, literature
Literature
Three Parts, One Whole - Chapter 1
The Birthday of Unknown Expectations The sun rises through the blinds of my dorm room. It's a Friday morning and I'm getting ready for my classes. I get dressed and head down to the cafeteria, which is about a ten-minute walk from my room. My name is Naya Akito, and I am the sole heir to the Naya group, a small family conglomerate that mainly focuses on construction in the Tokyo Area. I'm really excited because tomorrow, I turn 20! I was raised in a strict manner by my mother and father, but they also wanted me to be independent. After I graduated high school, I decided to enroll at St. John's University in Tokyo. My family would pay for my Tuition and Room & Board as long as I got good grades. This is a fairly prestigious school whose degree can get its graduates most places in life. I wanted to throw a party with my friends tomorrow for my 20th, but I had to cancel, because my father insisted that I attend a "ceremony" for my 20th, along with a few other business partners. I tried to pry, but he wouldn't go into detail. I guess I'll find out tonight once I return to the manor... I exit my dorm and lock it, then head down the stairs and towards the cafeteria for some breakfast. "Yo, Akito-kun!" I turn around and see a guy with slicked-back blonde hair and a mischievous grin on his face approach me. "Good morning, Nagisa!" I smile. He's one of my best friends at St. John's. We met when we both were first years here and have stuck together ever since. "You excited for the big 2-0?" "You bet! Sorry I had to cancel the party. Family issues..." I say as I roll my eyes. "What? It's all good! Your family is rich. What else do you need to celebrate your 20th!" He smiles and winks. "Have you seen my family? They're a real 'no laughing allowed' bunch! I don't think they even know what 'fun' means!" I laugh. "Yeah, well you can always count on me for that!" He smirks. "Let's get some breakfast. Jo and Tomo are already there." We make our way to the cafeteria, which is just next to the dorms. There's a huge line for breakfast, but we make it in time for the 1st wave. We get our food and find a seat at the end of one of the long tables in the cafeteria. I hear my friends arguing as we approach them. "No, I'm serious. Goth girls are trouble." Jo argues, as he waves his hands around. "By 'trouble', you mean endless possibilities. I'd never get bored if I had one!" Tomo exclaims. "There you go again... prattling on about your ideal girl... that's actually just 2D, that is!" "Oh? So I'm not allowed to have an ideal girl? I'm not like you, I can't have an 3D girlfriend!" "Stop humiliating yourself, Tomo." Otomo interjects as we sit down. "Jo-kun is just jealous of my sex appeal and sexual prowess!" Tomo laughs, as Jo's face turns blank with confusion. Jo is the ace of the university's basketball team and is extremely popular with girls. Tomo, on the other hand, might be tall, but he's scrawny and a massive otaku, to boot. "By the way, Akito-kun! You got a girlfriend again, yet?" Jo asks as I sit down. "You seem to be forgetting that I'm an heir... a sole heir. My parents insist on making every decision for me. It's as if I'm still in middle school!" I roll my eyes. "How about you, Tomo? I've heard about your 'play for both teams' game, but never seen a girl or... boy with you." Tomo shoves his smartphone in my face. "This... is the way of culture!" Tomo says as his lenses glow. My eyes adjust after a second and see that, on his screen, appears to be a visual novel game where there is a dialogue box at the bottom and two Anime character sprites. The two character sprites appear to be two pink-haired girls. One with pink eyes and one with blue eyes. One with a confident face, the other with a bashful one. One with sizeable breasts, the other completely flat. "Those don't count, my dude. They're anime characters!" I snort. He ignores my comment. "And the best thing is... one is a boy and the other is a girl!" He beams. Ah, there it is. I place my hand on his shoulder. "Tomo. You need a detox." "Yup, perhaps a therapist." Jo adds, crossing his arms and nodding. "No internet for four years, at least." Nagisa adds. "Buh... buh..." Tomo tears-up "Face it, man. Women, or men for that mater, like that don't exist." "Stop bullying me! There are lots of them! You'll see!" Tomo yells. "Yeah? Bring one here and let me decide." Jo says. "Fine... I will!" "Providing that they don't run away! I mean... what's a normal girl to do around a guy who talks to her as if she's an NPC in a video game?" Jo adds. It's a shame that Tomo has this personality. Behind those glasses, I can tell that his face is quite handsome. If he weren't such a trainwreck, he'd probably be able to find someone quite easily. "We just wanna help you, man. This obsession with Eroge is not normal." Nagisa says. "Maybe he needs a 'therapist' like the rest of us." I grin as I try to sing Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing. The four of us snicker. We brutally pick on each other all the time and are as different as can be, but we are all best friends. As an only child, they're like the brothers that I never had. I finish my breakfast and head to class. It's another drab course on Marketing... something I wish I didn't have to do. My family is very much about business, and so it's required that I have a degree in something that'll allow me to inherit the Naya conglomerate's assets. The only problem is that it's so damn boring. I think about what might be happening when I get back to the manor tonight. I know it's going to be my 20th birthday tomorrow, but being able to drink is the only perk... right? I bet my parents are throwing another party with their business partners, which I will have to attend. It's what they do to maintain long-held partnerships with other family-run corporations. I sigh and look up at the clock on the wall. 10am... the class is finally over! I have a 30-minute break, most of which is required to walk to my next class, all the way across campus. It's a real bitch when the weather is bad, but at least the lake in the center is pretty. As my path crosses the small dam next to the lake, I see a familiar face. "Good morning, Akito-kun! Did you get your paper done in time for Philosophy?" I look over and I see Hanamura Ayako, one of my only female friends, my classmate, and my ex... She is a kouhai of mine, a girl about one year younger than me. She is fairly tall and slender, with long brown hair usually worn with a braid. "Good morning, Ayako-san. I did!" I say with a smile. I actually finished it during my lunch break yesterday. Unfortunately, being an heir means that you're a slave to your family and it's obligations. My father forced us to break up when he discovered our relationship. Considering that the Naya family is hanging on by a thread, due to an infertility gene, I'm the last suitable heir to the family's assets. My father is determined to use me to build a strong alliance with another family and ensure our 200-year old Clan's continued existence. Ayako-san and I still hang out, but only if I have the time. We're still friends and talk quite a bit between classes. It's moments like this that I hate being such a pathetic pushover. I'm an adult, dammit! In the end, though, I realize that 9 generations of Nayas hang on my shoulders. If we are taken over, then it's 200 years for nothing. "That's good!" Ayako smiles. "Are you excited about tomorrow? 20 is quite the milestone! Even I am excited about you turning 20!" She giggles. "Yeah, it's certainly something to enter my second decade of life and be able to drink openly. It's a bummer that I'm spending the day with a bunch of sour old men, though. I just know it'll be a bunch of boring old men in suits, discussing stocks." I sigh. "Yeah... I can totally see that, ahaha." She laughs nervously. I remember how she was so heartbroken about it. She stayed in her room for two days. Everytime I look into her eyes, I feel a deep sense of regret, like I betrayed her. She understood my situation, though, and has moved on. I hear she's beginning to date again. "Oh, by the way, I need to show you something!" She says and she enthusiastically pulls out her phone. Ayako is always picking up new interests left and right. She is hoping to become a surgeon, after she graduates medical school, which will be several years from now. Her phone's screen lights up and she pulls out her earbuds. I guess she wants to show me something on the Internet? "So, have you heard of the Morelli Twins?" She asks me. "I have not." I say "New Italian supermodel. Just watch." Wait, did she just say "supermodel" in singular? A foreign talkshow comes on with Japanese subtitles. The show appears to be French, and the clip has 33 million views, but was only posted two weeks ago. After a minute, the lead singer of the French Pop Punk band named "DAX" comes onstage with a tall brunette woman... with TWO heads. "Wait, what!?" I gasp. I've heard of conjoined twins, but these girls were different. It's as if their body was made to support their unusual anatomy, being perfectly symmetrical and even having three breasts. "Fascinating, isn't it!?" Ayako glows. "Yeah..." I'm at a loss for words. The interview lasted for 10 minutes. Throughout the show, the "twins" seemed to have different personalities, but were totally in-sync, almost as if they talked using the same breath. The girls proved to be charming and cute together. DAX had his arm around them for the entire interview. At the end of the show, he even proposed to the two-headed model and they said "yes" in-sync! "Sooo cuuute!!!" Ayako gushes. "Yeah... I guess so." I sigh, not knowing how to feel about all this. I scroll down to the comments and I am shocked. Some of the rudest and most inhumane garbage I've ever seen typed is dominating the comments section of the video. Words like "Freaks", "Abomination", "Demon", and even "Hellspawn" were splattered all over the many sentences. I could only bear reading it for twenty seconds before I had to close-out the page. How the hell can people be so evil and mean!? The twins just want to live happy lives with the man they love, and only get hate for it!? This enrages me, but I keep quiet about it and hand Ayako back her phone. I assume she hasn't read that mountain of toxicity. "I've decided that I wanna become a doctor that specializes in helping people with Divergent Polycephaly!" Ayako says enthusiastically. "That's amazing!" I smile, "But... why?" "Well, they are all alone in the world and no one is willing to help them... so I wanna do it! Supposedly, there are many other people in the world just like them. Some rumors say that no two sets are alike!" She laughs. "Yeah, but it's like a taboo or something, right? Aren't you gonna be ostracized for helping them?" I ask. "I'll find out the hard way when I become a doctor!" Ayako winks. "Or maybe I'll become a researcher at the cutting edge of technology! I'll be like Thomas Edison or Isamu Akasaki!!!" Ayako is clearly on fire in a flight of fancy now, as we finally make it to the building where our philosophy class is being held. It's a class taught by Professor Ishida, a man who is so eccentric, he wears a Hawaiian Shirt and Bermuda shorts to class. His face is very expressive, with his hair always perfectly styled. His weirdness makes this class bearable. Class goes as expected. The only thing different today was when the teacher made us write down a few lines about how we could apply the topics that were discussed. With the internet comments still on my mind, I wrote: "Never judge people, for one can never know what they have gone through." As soon as I put my pencil down, I felt as though something had shifted in the air. After my last class ends at 4:00, I pack my things in my Yellow Suzuki Swift and leave for the manor. It's a weird experience, being one of the very few students who owns a car. The backseat of this thing has been the chariot for many a drunken fellow. I'm basically Jo's designated driver. When his team loses, he tends to drown himself at the bar. My parents would not let me get a sports car because it was "unsafe". However, I noticed that the Suzuki Swift had a "Sport" model with a six-speed manual! I sold my parents on the idea that it was a humble, no-frills hatchback that was safe and had a lot of cargospace. They had no idea what a "Hot Hatch was. Take that, father! Oh yeah, the Toge is fun. I don't need to elaborate. After a little over an hour's worth of driving, I arrive at the manorhouse on the edge of Kanto prefecture at the base of the mountains. It's an old, western-style stone and brick house built in the Taisho-era that survived the American Bombings of the 1940s. I recall a vacation that my family took to the US when I was a kid and noticed all of the regular houses that were close to the size of our Chateau. It would be humbling if they all didn't look the same. There is a garden out-front, with two maids and one butler. Unfortunately, they aren't the cute and sexy maids that you see in Anime, but the strict and stiff upper-lip type that yells at you for touching some vase the wrong way. As I pull-up, I notice a dozen fancy luxury, classic, and even super cars infront of the porte cochere. I guess the guests have already arrived. Let me guess that I'm going to be the only one under 40 here... Two cars that particularly catch me eye are a jet black Toyota Century Limo and a bright green 1974 Lancia Stratos. The fact that someone got a car as rare as that into Japan tells me that he's a real high-roller! I park my humble hot hatch in the grass next to the automotive extravaganza. Of course, there is no parking left for me, my old man's own son. I step out of my car and enter the old house through the backdoor. I take that this is my queue to get dressed-up for the guests. I sneak around the back and open the door to the personal rooms. "Hurry-up and get dressed. The guests will want to meet you soon." Tomoko, the old maid says in a flat voice as I enter the house. "Ok. Where's my suit?" I ask. "Second door on the left, on the hanger." Tomoko answers. "Thank you, Tomoko-san!" I say as I start to walk. Unlike my mother and father, I want to respect the servants as people. They work very hard every day and should recieve some gratitude, aside a paycheck. My kindness often goes unanswered, however. I make it to my room and open the door. As usual, our butler, Hitoshi, has laid out my suit, along with a white dress shirt. I get undressed, then slip-on the dress clothes. A perk of coming from a well-off family is that even the fanciest clothes are tailored to fit you perfectly. I slip my belt on and pick out a tie for this evening. I usually hate ties, but the fact that these were tailor-made for me means that they're quite comfortable. I put on my blue tie, which signifies our family's color. I can't tell you how many times I've seen my dad at events wearing one just like this. I exit the room, go downstairs, and put the mask of a "perfect son" on, just like I always have. When I arrive at the main hall, I see a eight men is suits and two women in dresses. "Oh, Akito. We've been expecting you..." My father, Naya Gunzou says in his usual stiff manner. My mother, Momoka, is standing beside him with a glass of wine in her hand. Their age gap and height difference couldn't be more obvious. My mother is only 43 and looks as if she was not even 30 yet. The little woman with a bob-cut and crimson eyes is dwarfed by the tall graying 59 year-old businessman with glasses and a "smoker's face". Across from my parents is a Bald man in a dark red suit and a young woman with long, copperish blonde hair and a black dress. My father motions me over and I walk over to the gathering. "Now that we are all here, we shall discuss what the future of Naya Holdings looks like. Everyone, this is my son, Naya Akito." My father announces. "Good evening everyone." I say, having no clue what's going on. The bald man in the red suit eyes me like a dragon. I suddenly feel as though I am being looked right-through. It's very uncomfortable and intimidating. "So this is the final heir of the Naya family... Considering your situation, I'm surprised you didn't, let's just say, make a few spares." He says in a low, harsh tone. The people around him chuckle at this comment. My father looks angered, but gripped by fear. My mother looks away in embarrassment. I can tell that this man is very powerful, but what is his interest in me? I can't let this slide. I might not have the best relationship with my parents, but nobody marches into my family's own house and insults us. "Excuse me, but who are you?" I ask. The man in the red suit raises his eyebrows. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself. It would be rude to not give my name to my future son-in-law" the bald man says, as his lips curl. "Wait, huh?" I can only say. My old man has some explaining to do. I catch him looking away out of embarrassment. "My name is Ketsujou Kousei. I am the head of the Ketsujou family and tomorrow, you are to wed my daughter." My eyes go wide in shock. My old man REALLY has some explaining to do. "By your reaction, I see that your father has kept his promise! At age 20, you are to marry into the Ketsujou Family and that day is... tomorrow!" He grins. "Congratulations, you'll have a bride before the vast majority of people in this country. She should be arriving tomorrow with her sisters." The blonde woman approaches me. I can tell that she's his daughter by her icy dragon-like stare. "You should feel privileged, my dear brother-in-law. Triply so, ohohoho! It would be an honor to wed into such a distinguished family such as the Naya's! You will have your pick of the finest ladies of the land!" What the hell is this!? "By the way, my name is Kersujou Mira. No, I'm not availible. Too bad for you." She smirks. "Er, um... well... this is quite sudden!" My father says, now sweating. "Well, it's getting late and we have a ceremony to prepare for! I hope you're used to kimonos, my new son-in-law! Haha!" Kersujo laughs. The man in the red suit smirks, as he pats my father's back. "I hope you're ready for your new wife! She's a shut-in, so be gentle!" I don't understand what's going on here, but my parents seem to be cowering under this man's intimidation. It makes me mad, but I feel as though I'm caught in a situation that's way above my head. "Anyway, I think it's time we got going! I hope you have a pleasant evening, Naya-kun." The man in the red suit smiles, as he and his entourage make their way to the door. As soon as the door shuts, I storm over to my father like I never have before in my life. "WHAT. THE HELL. IS GOING. ON?" I ask. My father looks like he's going to have a stroke. My mother is not helping, but looking down at the floor. "Father... just tell me. Can't you just trust me for once???" I ask, grabbing his shoulders. My father looks into my eyes, then down, and then sighs. "18 years ago... I was at a party looking for connections with other families and factions. I befriended a man named Ketsujou Kousei. We got to know each other after much drinking and we made a promise to bind our families in marriage as soon as my son turned 20. They are a very powerful family with national influence. CEOs and Politicians come from them. I could only imagine the influence that they could bring us. I was unfortunately too drunk and too naive to know that he was up to something." He sighs. "I thought I could handle him, but it seems that he is more cunning than I could have imagined. He revealed the details of our marriage to me the other day and I had no choice but to accept. The Ketsujou clan does not take broken promises lightly..." He trails off. "Well, fine I get it. I get a wife and I try and produce an heir for the sake of the family. She can't be that bad, can she?" I ask "Oh, I wish I was allowed to explain... I do not want my own son to reproduce with that... creature." He says with a glazed look in his eyes. "What are you talking about?" I ask. He sighs again. "You'll see tomorrow... They- she'll only be revealed as she comes down the aisle. I swear, Kousei gets off way too hard on the reactions of others." He says with an annoyed look on his face. "Can I at least know her name?!" "Erm, Technically, she goes by three names, but I suppose 'Miyuna' will do for now." "Well, I guess if I can't pry any other information from you, I'll have to settle with that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." I say, feeling exhausted and annoyed. "Well, if you don't like her, I can't blame ya. She's an abomination of the human form, afterall." Woah, that was pretty damn harsh to call anyone at all. What the hell did she do to make my father so mad? I decide to not comment and I make my way back up to my room. As I approach my room, I see my mother, Momoka, approach me in the hallway. Her crimson eyes have tears in them. She walks up to me and hugs me. "If you want to find a mistress after this, I understand. We've been devieved by the Ketsujou. They want you to be heirless sothat they can aquire all of what we have after you die." She sobs. "Hey, don't say that! I'll find a way out of this! I promise! I'm a Naya, after all! We always make the impossible possible!" I really have no idea what the hell is going on. I'm guessing the oath my dad swore included her too. She looks up into my eyes and I see the tears that my father mentioned before. "You'll do this for me, right?" She asks, as she wipes her eyes. "I'll see what happens tomorrow, but I don't believe in running around on anyone." I say, remembering my own ex-girlfriend, Hanamura Ayako. I still feel a tinge of guilt when I look at other girls to this day. I hate how weak I am. I hate how I've always been a pawn. "Well, I guess I'll turn in for the night. Good Night, ma." I say, as I hug her back. "Good night, dear. I love you." She says, as I make my way into my room and shut the door. I lock the door and flop down onto the bed. Why is my family talking so poorly about this "Miyuna" and why did her own family seem to look down upon her? I remember a mention of her being a "shut-in". I'm fine with introverts! Then my thoughts start racing... Is she infertile? Does she have a terminal disease? Is she a basketcase? Is she perhaps a man in disguise? Is she a psychopath? Is she really old? Is she DEAD? Is she- I remember the clip Ayako showed me this morning. Surely not... After about 30 minutes, I manage to calm myself down and try go to sleep. Tomorrow is my 20th birthday... and my surprise wedding day... I wake up from an uncomfortable night of weird dreams and restlessly staring at the ceiling. I see my black Kuromonpuku on the otherside of the room. I admit, even though I'm Japanese, I'm not familiar with the way Shinto weddings work. I've been to a handful Christian-style weddings, but that's it. The fact that I'm a bit unfamiliar with my own culture's traditions is a bit nerve-wracking. My family has always been quite western in it's style and very secular in it's philosophy. You could say that's what got my industrialist ancestors ahead in life during the Meiji-era. The westernizatoon of the Naya family didn't make it any less strict, however. Expectations were the only religion of my predecessors. I hear my door open and see Tomoko, the maid. She looks at me and sighs. "I take it you're anxious. You should eat. You have to be ready for your marriage ceremony at noon." She says, in her usual deadpan voice. Of course I get no sympathy from the strict caretaker. Ever since I was a kid, she was in-charge of many of my needs, including disciplining me when I got out-of-line. I eat a simple breakfast, as she cleans. I don't feel hungry, but realize that I need my strength. After a few minutes of silence, Tomoko suddenly speaks. "I remember the day you were born, Akito-kun." I look up and notice a nostalgic look on her face. I don't even think I've ever seen her smile before. The elderly stiff face suddenly looks different. "You've turned into such a good boy over the years. I'm proud of you." It was unexpected, to say the least. I didn't know that she had such an old, kind face. I realize that I haven't looked into her eyes for the longest time, and now I notice that they're a soft purple, with hints of gold. She had a look in her eyes that made me feel like she was truly my mother, not just the maid. I felt tears forming, but I held it in. "Uh, thank you." I awkwardly say, not knowing how to receive the sudden display of respect. She goes back to cleaning and I finish my meal. I guess I feel a bit more relaxed. As I finish the meal, I get up and get changed in my bathroom. The black kimono feels nice and is very high quality, but heavy at the same time. Almost as if it were supposed to remind me of the responsibilities ahead. I exit and put on the traditional Geta next to the doorway. "Akito, good luck today." She says as she sees me off. I bow and take my leave. As I exit the rustic place of my upbringing, I approach the Toyota Century Limo in the driveway. My mother and father are waiting for me, not making eye contact. It's clear that my parents are as distraught about this as I am. They can't tell me anything, but know something, and I'm in the dark about absolutely everything. I'm about to tie the knot with an absolute stranger "for the sake of our future." I don't know why, but I get the feeling that my fate is not in my own hands at all. My mind wanders back to Ayako, and I remember our first kiss... I wish I could just marry for love. As I get into the car, I realize that they were waiting on me. The three of us enter the car, and my mother puts her hand on my knee. She doesn't look at me, but it feels like she's looking right into my soul. Although I figured my mother was just a trophy wife that married my dad for his wealth, I did get the impression that she actually cared about my feelings, but didn't feel confident as a mother to handle the day-to-day stuff. The fact that she's trying to comfort me now feels weird. I suddenly feel that there was more going on than what I'm being told. It's only a 20 minute drive to the temple in the sleepy Kanto bedroom community. As we arrive, we get out of the car, and I see my old man put his hand on my shoulder. He's looking away as well, but he whispers in my ear. "You must do this for me." I didn't get to reply because he was pulled away by a priest. As I watch my father disappear behind the stone walls of the shrine, I wonder what he meant by those words. I am suddenly greeted by eight shrine maidens. I never got to see them much in-person before. Their graceful appearances are stunning. Four stand on the right, and four stand on the left of the entrance and silently bow as I enter the shrine. The weight in the air is truly heavy. As I walk in, I see a red carpet leading to a walkway where I see the priest standing. My intuition tells me that there are a few breaks from tradition at this ceremony, but I'm not sure why I think that. Probably because Kousei organized it. "Ah, Akito, my favorite Muko!" Speaking of the devil... "I hope you're ready. Your eyes are gonna pop outa your head when ya see her!" He grins as if he's making fun of me on a very deep level. I'm not sure how he knows how I'm feeling, but it's clear that he's not gonna tell me what's going on until the "punchline" that this apparently is leading up to. "Please treat her with more respect. I still don't know who she is, but she's still going to be my wife." I say in a flat voice. I'm just doing my best to get through this, but I am concerned about the condition of her well-being. "You have no idea, do you?" He snickers. Dammit, I wish this bastard would quit playing games with me. Am I a fucking joke to him? I walk down the aisle. There are very few people here, most of whom were at the party last night. One person looks unfamiliar. A man in his 30s with slicked-back brown hair and blue eyes with a vague resemblance to Kousei. He grins just like Kousei and Mira. I can tell he's related. I already don't like him. I draw towards the front as I prepare myself for my Marriage before the Kami. I see a bowl of Sake and other elements which I don't recognize. What draws my attention the most is a cushion with four rings near the front. That's odd... is this a double wedding or something? The whispers are silenced by the gong. I take my seat by the altar, and the priest starts chanting. My eyes dart to the entrance. I see a figure in a white kimono with some sort of hood over top of it. It must be the mystery woman that nobody would tell me about! As the figure approaches me, I see something absolutely inconceivable... I suddenly remember the clip that Ayako showed me yesterday morning and the comments that my parents made last night. This can't be real... I see the "hood" come off and from a single pair of shoulders, not one, not two, but THREE heads are revealed, and they all share a single body! The head on their right has eyes like brilliant Turquoise, the head in the middle has eyes like shimmering Peridot, and the head on their left has eyes like dazzling Emeralds! All three heads have hair is neck-length and all in an exotic shade of copperish-blonde. Their eyelashes are thick. Their faces are identical and doll-like. Their expressions all look nervous. The middle head looks like she's about to cry. One thing is for certain that leaves me speechless: They are the most BEAUTIFUL women I've ever seen! Today is the day that I start my life with the Ketsujou Triplets.
YOUR Style
• Figure out how you draw first. By this I mean, pay detailed attention to what things you gravitate to when drawing. Like, do you have a tendency to draw very detailed eyes? Do you like to draw round small bodies? That kind of stuff. Keep track of what you are good at and what you need to work on. Your strengths and weaknesses as an artist are what you need to be aware of because they are things that only you will truly know unless you tell the world. For example if you draw very detailed heads but struggle with the rest of the body, maybe a type of cartoon style is best for you and not anime.
• What’s your pre