Akamatsuverse Contract Labor

[GreydonCreed]

Ok, you just had a substantial portion of a chapter uploaded without even preliminary proofreading.? This is because you put only six hours difference, and quite possibly at a time where most of us who would try to do some quality control were/are asleep.

I personally have a rule of thumb that any story chapter to be looked at be given a minimum of five days to ensure at least basic quality control.

I have posted the last two or three chapters the same way I did this one, Usually I finish the chapter the night before, and post it on TTF more as a preview than a beta request. However, if someone notices a mistake or two and points them out, I am perfectly willing to go back to the FFN post and correct it. That is the reason why I mark them as the semi-final version.

I will admit that I was in a bit of a hurry to post this last chapter, since it has been a week since my last chapter went up. I would really prefer to post a new chapter every three or four days.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Do you feel you need to keep your katana with out at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?ö

The above line in the part 'with out' makes no sense unless you were going to place another word between them here in this context.

Since it was already posted, did not really read for errors, just read it for entertainment.

I would have keitaro follow up with a yped or written addendum detailing all these words in print for legal purposes. A verbal aknowledgement is really not enough.

 

[FinalMax]

Do you feel you need to keep your katana with out at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?ö

The above line in the part 'with out' makes no sense unless you were going to place another word between them here in this context.

Since it was already posted, did not really read for errors, just read it for entertainment.

I would have keitaro follow up with a yped or written addendum detailing all these words in print for legal purposes. A verbal aknowledgement is really not enough.

I agree on the typed bit, but that stems more from being part of an inherited business. Honoring the handshake agreement helps your early transition to new management, but written contracts and rules help expand. Just make sure you have a good recollection or record of who made prior handshake agreements.

Here, we have someone who's renegotiating handshake agreements. That doesn't end well, and I've seen it. Management usually ends up in as much trouble, if not more, as the tenant.

 

[GreydonCreed]

Do you feel you need to keep your katana with out at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?ö

The above line in the part 'with out' makes no sense unless you were going to place another word between them here in this context.

Since it was already posted, did not really read for errors, just read it for entertainment.

I would have keitaro follow up with a yped or written addendum detailing all these words in print for legal purposes. A verbal aknowledgement is really not enough.

I agree on the typed bit, but that stems more from being part of an inherited business. Honoring the handshake agreement helps your early transition to new management, but written contracts and rules help expand. Just make sure you have a good recollection or record of who made prior handshake agreements.

Here, we have someone who's renegotiating handshake agreements. That doesn't end well, and I've seen it. Management usually ends up in as much trouble, if not more, as the tenant.

PCHeintz, FinalMax -

You both are correct about Keitaro giving a printed copy of the revised dorm rules to the tenants, with the stipulation that it has to be returned to either of the managers within 24 hrs of receipt in order to continue residency at the Sou. I will go and throw a couple lines into the chapter explaining that.

PCH, the deal with the 'your katana with out' line is that I meant to type 'your katana with you'. I have a slight case of phantom typing fingers, where I mean to touch type one thing, and another thing, or sometimes even a word I am thinking of in advance, gets typed instead. I correct most of them (it can really affect my typing speed, getting it down to about 25 wpm ) but if the spell check doesn't catch them sometimes they slip by.

Thanks for the FB, guys. ^_^

 

[Prince Charon]

Interesting, and the rules are reasonable. I wonder who's going to violate a rule, first.

 

[da_fox2279]

Interesting, and the rules are reasonable. I wonder who's going to violate a rule, first.

My guess? Kitsune. She's shown herself to be one lazy person, and will most likely be the one to start being late with payments.

Motoko's going to be the close second, is my guess. She's so used to reacting to anything that pisses her off - especially if it's male - that's she's got the ingrained habit of going for her weapons that she'll start carrying around a wakizashi or tanto; she can't go around unarmed, it's not in her nature.

Nice addition to the chapter.

Do you feel you need to keep your katana with out at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?ö

The above line in the part 'with out' makes no sense unless you were going to place another word between them here in this context.

I would suggest changing this to "Do you feel the need to keep your katana with you, out in the open, at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?" Just a suggestion.

Looking forward to more. This is starting to get exciting!

 

[PCHeintz72]

Do you feel you need to keep your katana with out at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?ö

The above line in the part 'with out' makes no sense unless you were going to place another word between them here in this context.

Since it was already posted, did not really read for errors, just read it for entertainment.

I would have keitaro follow up with a yped or written addendum detailing all these words in print for legal purposes. A verbal aknowledgement is really not enough.

I agree on the typed bit, but that stems more from being part of an inherited business. Honoring the handshake agreement helps your early transition to new management, but written contracts and rules help expand. Just make sure you have a good recollection or record of who made prior handshake agreements.

Here, we have someone who's renegotiating handshake agreements. That doesn't end well, and I've seen it. Management usually ends up in as much trouble, if not more, as the tenant.

It should be noted, that since Keitaro was able to look everything up, and even made oblique references to it, the *existing* rules had to also have been typed or recorded somehow... otherwise how would he know half of what he was stating to the group, like Suu's particulars, or Shinobus conditions... etc...

 

[GreydonCreed]

Interesting, and the rules are reasonable.á I wonder who's going to violate a rule, first.

My guess? Kitsune. She's shown herself to be one lazy person, and will most likely be the one to start being late with payments.

Motoko's going to be the close second, is my guess. She's so used to reacting to anything that pisses her off - especially if it's male - that's she's got the ingrained habit of going for her weapons that she'll start carrying around a wakizashi or tanto; she can't go around unarmed, it's not in her nature.

Nice addition to the chapter.

Do you feel you need to keep your katana with out at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?ö

The above line in the part 'with out' makes no sense unless you were going to place another word between them here in this context.

I would suggest changing this to "Do you feel the need to keep your katana with you, out in the open, at all times to defend yourself, Motoko-san?" Just a suggestion.

Looking forward to more. This is starting to get exciting!

I would think that Keitaro, Haruka and Kanako have put the fear of the gods into most of the tenants. It's the tenants that aren't believers in that good old time religion that are going to have problems.

The keep your katana with you line has already been fixed on the FFN post, as well as the lines about the printed copies of the new dorm rules, and a couple other typos. I don't correct the TFF posts, as I consider the FFN posts the semi-final versions.

For the people that are into that sort of thing, there is a reason why Kanako and Haruka sat where they did at the dinner (it's more of the nature of a joke from one of my favorite tv shows, NCIS). Whoever figures it out either the joke or the purpose/reason for those positions gets an internet cookie. ^_^

 

[Deathwings]

Seeing Kanako before she entered her Gloom and Doom phase was interesting. Still can't really wrap my mind around her as a Genki Girl tough, it's just weird. :sweat:

Also, my guess with the UFT's belts is that you only get the red ones after you've sent someone to the hospital or even killed someone in defense of a family member.

That's the Nail, isn't it ? At some point, someone tried to do something to Kanako and Keitaro answered with extreme prejudice, causing him to suffer a HBSoD afterward and to miss the Todai exam. :mellow:

 

[Mercsenary]

Ok, you just had a substantial portion of a chapter uploaded without even preliminary proofreading. This is because you put only six hours difference, and quite possibly at a time where most of us who would try to do some quality control were/are asleep.

I personally have a rule of thumb that any story chapter to be looked at be given a minimum of five days to ensure at least basic quality control.

Haha. 5 days? HAHAHAA


AHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA





OH GOD YOU'RE KILLING ME

One at most. 2 at the max

Jesus christ... 5 days? He's not writing a fcking report for the President buddy.

 

[GreydonCreed]

Seeing Kanako before she entered her Gloom and Doom phase was interesting. Still can't really wrap my mind around her as a Genki Girl tough, it's just weird. :sweat:

Also, my guess with the UFT's belts is that you only get the red ones after you've sent someone to the hospital or even killed someone in defense of a family member.

That's the Nail, isn't it ? At some point, someone tried to do something to Kanako and Keitaro answered with extreme prejudice, causing him to suffer a HBSoD afterward and to miss the Todai exam. :mellow:

Deathwings, I'm guessing you're a fan of tvtropes. ^_^

(BTW, do you guys know that TFF has it's own page at tvtropes? :blink: )

In this story Kanako isn't really hyper enough to be a Genki Girl. She just can't sleep very much, and (especially since I'm typing this at three in the morning local time) it's weird to be up in the early morning. She's just doing stuff to eat up her time (contrary to what some people believe, you can't study all the time), otherwise she's going to be pulling a Rei Ayanami and just be laying in bed with her eyes wide open. And I can tell you from the few times I've gotten insomnia, it sucks. <_<

I don't want to comment about the Red Belts just yet, but they will come up in a couple of chapters. B)

And I do want to point out that Keitaro did not miss the Todai exam - he just blew it pretty badly after some bad stuff happened, also to be explained in a couple of chapters.

Thanks for the FB. ^_^

 

[FinalMax]

Ok, you just had a substantial portion of a chapter uploaded without even preliminary proofreading.? This is because you put only six hours difference, and quite possibly at a time where most of us who would try to do some quality control were/are asleep.

I personally have a rule of thumb that any story chapter to be looked at be given a minimum of five days to ensure at least basic quality control.

Haha. 5 days? HAHAHAA


AHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA





OH GOD YOU'RE KILLING ME

One at most. 2 at the max

Jesus christ... 5 days? He's not writing a fcking report for the President buddy.

It's called being thorough and giving all feedback enough time to be made. Sometimes you have a busy week at work/school/home and can't give the feedback within 6 hours of posting. It's using common courtesy and trying to insure that there is no such thing as rushed product with a metric shitload of mistakes..

My habit of giving 5 days stems back to the time I did beta over my e-mail. I'd look through a story at least twice over, making separate notes on the story flow and on general grammar/punctuation mistakes. Then I'd have to organize things and figure out just how to present the issue in a way that ultimately helps the writer in the long run.

 

[zeebee1]

Of course we know. Who do you think made it?

 

[Master of Squirrel-Fu]

(BTW, do you guys know that TFF has it's own page at tvtropes? :blink: )

Yep, I think it was started around the time Raine was doing the MST of Lionhearts crapfest. Really needs more love.


Also I'm not sure if you ment to do it, but I keep getting Kei/Haruka vibes whenever I read a scene with the 2 of them interacting. the Hotsprng scene nearly made my Pairing-scouter explode.

 

[GreydonCreed]

Also I'm not sure if you ment to do it, but I keep getting Kei/Haruka vibes whenever I read a scene with the 2 of them interacting. the Hotsprng scene nearly made my Pairing-scouter explode.

Buddy, you ain't seen nothing yet.

First part of Ch 12 to be posted shortly.

 

[GreydonCreed]

The preliminary first part of Ch 12. Enjoy. :lol:

Ch 12

He had angered a god somewhere and it was now pounding on his head. That was the only explanation for this.

Keitaro was not an early riser, but once he woke up he normally had no problems staying that way, plus the quality of the sleep he got was enough that he usually felt well enough when he woke up. But now his head felt like it was being used as a taiko drum in a street festival, and his mouth felt as dry as a desert.

ôGods above and belowàö Even his voice sounded horrible, coming out in a rasping croak that was barely intelligible. Keitaro tried to sit up, but had difficulty doing so; there seemed to be a weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw that there was long black hair spread out beneath his chin, and his heart almost stopped.

The girl on his chest mumbled something and tightened her grip on his chest. Her face was turned towards his, but her hair kept him from recognizing her. Keitaro could see that past her hair the girl appeared to be wearing a grey t-shirtà and by craning his head to see bare legsà nothing else.

ôWhy do these things happen to me?ö Keitaro mentally asked himself. For some reason he was always falling onto girls or some other clichÚd crap, as though he was some kind of amusement to the gods.

ôHmmà nii-chanà you feel so goodà so warm.ö The voice got stronger, and more recognizable.

ôGodsà Kana-chan,ö Keitaro moaned silently. After his rescue of his adopted sister a couple of years ago, she had gotten rather clingy with him. It was not uncommon for him to wake up and find her in the same futon with him. It got rather awkward when he would abruptly wake up in the middle of the night to find her nude and trying to strip his shorts off. She had calmed down some by the time he had left the country, but had still occasionally snuck into his bed, scaring the hell out of him.

ôAt least sheÆs kinda dressed,ö He thought to himself. ôAnd IÆm dressed, right?ö Moving his hand toward his hip, he patted it and was relieved to feel his boxer shorts, and after moving his hand upwards, a t-shirt.

The movement of his arm shifted the person on top of him, and Kanako started to awaken. Smacking her lips a couple times, she gave a yawn that looked more than a little like the ones cats would do, before opening her eyes and tilting her head upwards to look at him in the face. Her dark brown eyes locked onto his own with a steady gaze, and there was no nervousness or anxiety in her expression.

ôGood morning, Kana-chan,ö Keitaro said quietly. His voice no longer sounded like a gravel truck backing up, but it was still rather raspy.

ôGood morning, nii-chan,ö She smiled softly before her face starting moving toward his, her intention obvious.

ôKana-chan, no one who calls me nii-chan is allowed to kiss me,ö Keitaro warned her. Even though they were not of the same blood, there was more than a little reluctance on his part to get involved with her like that.

ôGood morning, Kei-kun,ö she said without missing a beat. If anything, KanakoÆs voice got even more sultry. Smiling slightly, her lips moved past his to press up against his cheek. Rubbing her face against his for a moment, she pulled away and locked eyes with him again. ôHow do you feel, nii-chan?ö

ôLike someone dragged me through a mile of drainage ditch.ö The shock of finding Kanako in his bed had cleared his head slightly, but he was feeling achy all over. ôWhat the hell happened last night?ö

ôYou talked to Konno-san about her rent arrears, and gave her the choice of paying them off immediately, or working for either you or Haruka. Once she found out I would be supervising her for you, she chose the teahouse.ö It had been rather amusing to see the fox girlÆs eyes to go wide open when she was informed that Kitsune would be under Kanako. She quickly took HarukaÆs offer instead. ôYou then bought a bottle of sake from her, and while you were drinking it, you told Haruka and I what happened in Thailand.ö Kanako did not know what was worse, to hear the horrors he had witnessed, or to see her brother in tears while telling the story. ôIÆm sorry that all happened, nii-chan, and that you had to re-live it by telling us about it.ö

ôWhatÆs in the past should stay there, Kana-chan. I donÆt want to keep repeating it, obviously, but you guys needed to know.ö

ôNii-chanàö Kanako lowered her head to his chest again, pressing her ear against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.

ôUmà Kana-chan, why are you in my futon?ö Keitaro sweat dropped as Kanako got comfortable on his chest with no apparent intention to leave anytime soon.

ôThere isnÆt another room for me to use, so I decided to stay here. Haruka got me a futon and everything.ö Kanako tilted her head to the side, and Keitaro could see that there was a futon beside his, only it looked barely slept in.

ôI think she got that futon for you with the intention that you sleep in it and not in my futon, Kana-chan.ö

ôWell, I did tell her that she should not trouble herself, but she insisted. When we put you to bed, I tried to sleep but I could not. Then I got into your futon and I fell asleep right away. My insomnia never bothers me when IÆm with you.ö Kanako nuzzled against his chest.

ôAnd what would have happened if you had not fallen sleep?ö Keitaro knew better but he had to ask.

ôI think I would have found something to do that would have tired me out enough to sleep.ö Kanako looked up at him and smirked.

ôUhà what time is it?ö Keitaro was desperate to change the subject and looked at his wrist, but his watch was not on it.

With a slight moan, Kanako raised her head off his chest and looked over at the alarm clock. ô8:17 AM.ö

ôBreakfast is at 8:00 AM on the weekends. They must have started without us. If we hurry we can catch the tail end of it.ö Keitaro gently pushed on Kanako and she reluctantly rolled off him and sat up. Keitaro tried to sit up, but his head started spinning; he groaned and let himself fall back onto the futon. ôOn second thought, I can wait until the world stops moving. You go ahead to breakfast, IÆll go to the hot spring in a bit and clear my head there.ö

ôI am not going to leave you in the hot spring by yourself with you this weak. You get ready for the spring, I will go tell Shinobu-chan to leave some food set aside for us and weÆll eat after we are done in the spring.ö With a graceful roll, Kanako got to her feet and turned back to him.

ôKana-chan, where did you get that shirt?ö His sister was wearing a long heather grey t-shirt with dark orange diagonal printing across the front, proclaiming æOverkill Never FailsÆ. The shirt barely came to the top of her bare thighs.

ôWell, I forgot to pack pajamas in my bag,ö Kanako did not look very upset with that, ôso when I was getting ready to go to sleep with you,ö Keitaro blushed slightly, ôHaruka insisted I wear more than just panties.ö The blush got darker. ôWe looked in your dresser and I got this shirt. You donÆt mind, do you?ö

Keitaro smiled. ôNo. Actually, I was going to give you that shirt, it reminded me of you and your fighting style.ö

With a happy cry, Kanako dropped to her knees, and before he could do anything, she bent over him and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. Getting back on her feet, she turned and started moving toward the door.

ôKana-chanà you should at least wear shorts with that shirt.ö Keitaro was still reeling from the kiss, but he knew that a couple of the tenants would not react well to Kanako running around wearing only a t-shirt.

ôOK, nii-chanàö Kanako stepped over to her duffle bag laying on the floor next to the dresser. Bending over at the waist, she started digging through it, causing her t-shirt to ride up and show the lacy black panties she was wearing. Keitaro managed not to choke, and after a few moments, Kanako pulled out a pair of cargo shorts. Without hesitation she stepped into them and pulled them up her legs before buttoning them. Letting the t-shirt drop over them, the shorts were barely visible.

ôIÆll be back in five minutes, nii-chan, donÆt strain yourself.ö Kanako stepped through the door, leaving Keitaro laying on his futon wondering again what god he offended.

-----

 

[Prince Charon]

Kanako is a lot of fun, here. :yay:

 

[Mighty Bob]

Personally I'm liking the story so far ( and am damned curious what the hell happened to Keitaro to shove an actual spine into his back ) While I rather like the interaction between Keitaro and Haruka, as well as what we've seen of Kanako in the last chapter or so; this story seems to be missing any substantial interaction or even just screen time with the girls from the dorm. Suppose it's just cause you're still setting the scene and laying foundations, but group interaction beyond Keitaro laying down the law would be nice, if only to show off the changes growing from Keitaro's changes.


And I agree, insomnia sucks. My record was 6 days straight where I couldn't sleep no matter what the hell I did. Laying there desperately wanting to sleep and not being able to do anything but stare at the ceiling and just being so -damn- tired.....not fun, not fun at ALL.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Drat... forum ate my post... Here:

Once she found out I would be supervising her for you, she chose the teahouse

Uncertain I understood your meaning here, but believe 'her' s/b 'here'

 

[TkMacintosh]

Drat... forum ate my post... Here:

Once she found out I would be supervising her for you, she chose the teahouse

Uncertain I understood your meaning here, but believe 'her' s/b 'here'

...I don't think that's a mistake.

It sounds like from what I'm reading...

Kanako would be watching Mitsune in Keitaro's place while Keitaro goes and does various other things around the Hinata Sou.

 

[zeebee1]

I don't like Kanako, so the fact that I don't find her creepy in this, yet, is definitely a plus as far as your writing goes.

 

[da_fox2279]

Kanako is a lot of fun, here. :yay:

Truth.

Quite a fun little scene, here, and Kanako is very IC, imo.

Me likely. ^_^

 

[GreydonCreed]

I don't like Kanako, so the fact that I don't find her creepy in this, yet, is definitely a plus as far as your writing goes.

So you don't *not* like my version of Kanako... Would this be the equivalent to the Zeebee Seal of Approval? :yay:

Thanks for the FB. ^_^

 

[GreydonCreed]

It sounds like from what I'm reading...

Kanako would be watching Mitsune in Keitaro's place while Keitaro goes and does various other things around the Hinata Sou.

Yep, that's what I meant.

TkM, da_fox, thanks for the FB.

 

[GreydonCreed]

The preliminary second part to Ch 12. Enjoy :lol:

-----

ôSo, is that a tanto in your gi or are you happy to see me, Aoyama-san?ö

Motoko stiffened at the voice. She was used to being the quietest person to move around the Sou, but apparently that position had now been usurped. And by a person younger than her to boot.

The feelings of dread she had started feeling at last nightÆs dinner had only intensified during the residentsÆ meeting the new manager had held last night. While the manager did most of the talking, his newly appointed assistant was at his side, looking at everyone with the eyes of a hawkà or given her newly demonstrated stealth skills and coloring, a jungle cat. And at the end of the meeting, when Motoko had stood and started reaching for her sword, Kanako was the one of the three Urashima that she had felt the most hostile intent from.

Kanako stepped out of the intersecting hallway and around the front of the kendoist who had just left the kitchen, now standing still, her face forward but her eyes tracking her movements. The younger girl came to a stop in front of her, head tilted to the side as she looked her up and down before locking her gaze with Motoko, her shorts and t-shirt contrasting with the gi and hakama that the kendoist wore most of the time.

ôYou didnÆt answer my question, Aoyama-sanà is that a weapon you have concealed there in your gi? Because if it is, you did a very poor job of concealing it.ö There was a diagonal oblong bulge in the front of MotokoÆs top near the beltline of the hakama, extending the white material out an inch or so, right next to where the material overlapped in the front. ôIf you think you can carry a weapon concealed the same way you would openly, you are mistaken.ö

Kanako stepped up within touch range of the kendoist, almost close enough to feel her breathing. ôAnd it will do you little good if someone with ill intentions can get *this* close to you.ö Motoko was almost half a head taller than the younger girl, but now it was though the youngest Urashima was standing over her, holding her in place, rather than standing off slightly to the side and leaning forward to speak softly in her ear.

With a slight tug, a knife appeared in KanakoÆs hand as she pulled it out of the front of MotokoÆs gi. She had not realized the UrashimaÆs hand had slipped into the closed garment, so distracted she had been by her nearness.

Kanako took half a step back, lifting the blade up to examine it. The gleaming blade looked to be about 20 cm (8 inches) long, with a distinct hamon line. The tsuba (rounded handguard) was decorated with a delicate gold etching and while very attractive had been the reason the blade had printed against the gi and gave itÆs presence away. The handle of the tanto was wrapped in black sharkskin, with braided dark blue silk forming a non-slip surface above it.

ôWhat are you doing with this? This is almost too good to carry, it should be on display.ö Kanako looked from the tanto to Motoko, who was looking both angry and mortified that she had been so easily disarmed.

ôIt is the only blade I can easily carry under my gi, everything else is too big.ö And it was not for a lack of trying; Motoko had spent a half hour this morning trying conceal a wakizashi under her gi before she gave up, it had showed through the fabric even worse than the tanto did.

ôThe reason you canÆt conceal it is because of the tsuba, it pushes the handle away from your body and against your clothes. What you need to carry is something without one, like a kaiken.ö

Motoko could not keep her upper lip from curling up slightly. A kaiken was a samurai era knife designed to be carried hidden in a womanÆs obi (kimono sash). Small and flat, itÆs typical length of 15 to 20 cm made it perfect for concealed carry. It was one of the items now carried by the bride in a traditional Japanese wedding. Motoko had seen one when her sister was getting ready to get married toà that male.

Feeling a poke on her sternum, Motoko looked down to see that Kanako had reversed the knife in her hand and had tapped her chest with the handle. ôI am going to give you a pass this time, Aoyama-san, but do try harder to make sure your weapons can not be seen. Otherwise I might be tempted to keep whatever I get away from you.ö

Motoko was reaching up to take hold of the tanto when Kanako stepped up *close* to her, trapping the blade and her hand between the two of them, her face tilted up and her breath puffing up against her. ôYou know, when I heard about you people from nii-chan and Haru-san, I thought that it would be Narusegawa or Konno that would be giving us the most trouble. I now know thatÆs not who I have to look out for.ö

Motoko tried to move back or pull her hand and tanto free, but she could not move. The dark brown eyes before her were the coldest she had ever seen, freezing her in place.

ôI will tell you this, Aoyama. I love my brother more than life itself, and if you ever try to hurt him, you will never see me coming.ö Stepping back, Kanako smiled at her, but her eyes stayed ice cold. ôHave a good morning, Aoyama-san.ö Turning, she continued down to the kitchen, leaving the kendoist standing still in a cold sweat.

-----

ôThank you for coming this afternoon, Naru-san. You donÆt mind if I call you that, right?ö

Naru shook her head. Dressed in sweats as she had been instructed, she was standing on the rear lawn of the Sou, facing Keitaro and Kanako, who were dressed in shorts and t-shirts.

ôStarting today, we are going to start you in some basic exercises in Tai Chi. This will benefit you in helping to control both your temper and overall all stress in life.ö Keitaro was standing at ease in front of Naru while he spoke, while Kanako stood to his left, also relaxed, but still keeping her eyes moving scanning the area around them.

ôRight now we are going to start with the breathing exercises, as that will benefit you a great deal with your temper. First off, I need to tell you have been breathing wrong for most of your life.ö Naru looked in askance at Keitaro, who gave a short laugh. ôWhat I mean is you breathe with your chest and lungs rather than with your diaphragm. So we are going to stand here teaching you how to breathe correctly, then do some stretches, then walk you through a basic kata. We are not expecting you to learn this quickly, as most physical habits engrained in people take a while to unlearn, but hey, the journey of a thousand miles start with a single step.ö Keitaro smiled at Naru, who cautiously smiled back. ôYou are going to watch me do everything I am showing you, and Kanako will be next to you to do any corrections that are needed, OK?ö Naru nodded.

ôFirst, stand with your feet shoulder width apart, hands at your sides, head and back straight.ö Naru assumed the instructed position, with Kanako standing close by her side facing her.

ôSlowly take a breath through your nose, not so loud that it can be heard by others. Fill your lungs completely, but not straining them, and hold it for four seconds, then slowly let the breath out through your mouth. Go ahead and do it now.ö Naru started to breathe, and with some adjustments was doing it the way that Keitaro wanted. After about ten minutes, Naru was calmer than Keitaro had ever seen her.

While Keitaro and Naru was doing this, Kanako was able to keep an eye on her surroundings. This was why when Keitaro was starting Naru on the stretching exercises, she was able to see the figure standing at a window watching them. At the distance they were at, she could not see the face clearly, but she could see that they were wearing a white top and had long black hair. Kanako stared at the window for a few moments before the figure stepped away. She continued helping her brother, her eyes returning to the windows every few minutes, but the figure never returned.

-----