Author Note

Here we go. The thirty chapter mark. Miracles do happen!

At least, that is what it is for you. For me, this post is all about the feels of writing chapter 60. It is a number that does not hold much significance on its own, but chapter 31 is where I picked up writing again after not working on this story for several months. I may have written a couple more in the small amount of time before I published the first chapter here... but either way, to me this isthe point where I truly committed to finishing this story and have now doubled my original chapter count.

Together with this comes an unfortunate announcement that may not come as a surprise: I need to do more story plotting. While I have a lot of things planned out to some degree, I'm now going through a transition period where I need to understand exactly how I want to develop the story, especially given the way so many of my chapters tend to drift away from my rough outline during the joys of writing. This isn't a thing I can force; my mind typically tackles these problems best over a period of time while I'm doing other things, allowing fresh inspirations to nudge me out of my circular and preset ways of thinking.

This means that the release pace of chapters is almost certainly going to slow down. I'm well aware I've done several chapters in one day more than once in the past few weeks, but it is rather unlikely that will happen until I find myself firmly back in the drivers seat of writing as opposed to teetering on the edge of getting lost in the woods. :-)

My system remains the same as before: I upload a chapter here when I finish writing a chapter, unless I don't get anything done during a whole week, in which case you get one for 'free'. From my perspective, anyway.

And as always, my thanks go to all who spend their free time reading my humble little story! :-)

Chapter 31j: Snow Detail

Setsu and I have been put on snow detail today. It is rather unfair and borders on child exploitation, but hey, Chris said he'd bring back fish and chips if we'd clear out the footpaths around the building.

Well, that's all you need to say to people who are truly tired of beans, peas and broccoli. We crave something utterly unhealthy, and fish and chips is a very tasty choice in that category.

Not that we're getting much done right now: Setty first got distracted making a snow ant, yet another obsession courtesy of Cassandra. Then I hit her with a snowball for not helping me, and now she is retaliating in full force.

I'm on a half-cleared path, she is in the middle of the lawn where we tossed half the snow. She has cover and plenty of ammunition, whereas I'm stuck trying to dodge these icy balls whilst hoping to not slip and find half-way fresh snow near me.

I hold my more-ice-than-snow ball for a while, eyeing Setty to find a good moment to throw. And then I grin at her, changing my target from her to that monstrous ant she had been making.

Those P.E. classes where we did some baseball prove useful after all: my ice ball heads straight for the snow ant, leaving Setty to squeak as she.. actually jumps straight in front of the ant.

~*SPLOTCH*~

That is the sound of an unreasonably hard snowball hitting my sister in the head, sending her toppling over. Oh fuck.

You idiot! Why did you jump in front of that?! It's just some snow! Geez!

Oh crap. There is blood. Lots of it.

I rush over to her while feeling amazed that she isn't crying. She might well be far too stunned by the blow to realize how hard that ball hit her. It was the snow ant that was supposed to get squashed, not her face dangit! Is it a concussion or something?

"Oi. Setty. You awake? Talk to me."

Chris comes running out the front door looking worried sick; he had apparently been watching us. Unfortunately he's wearing his morning slippers still, which leaves him struggling in this slippery weather.

Honestly, all I can see is all the blood running over her chin.

And then lots of whiteness. COLD!

The stupid little brat just shoveled my face full with snow, and now that's getting my clothes.. oh you little..!

"Fucking hell Setty, stop it! You're bleeding!"

There are no thoughts of censoring my language; worry and irritation make for a potent combination.

Chris has finally arrived at this point, looking her over with a concerned eye and asking her how she feels. I can't help but stare concernedly while taking off my coat and getting rid of the remainder of the snow, shivering throughout. Damn this cold.

Setsuka is just grinning, and it turns out there is no permanent damage. No loose teeth or anything.

All that happened is that the force made a tooth go through her lip, causing all this mess.

Damn it Setty, you gave me a near heart attack!

He ends up escorting her inside, but as he reaches the door, he turns towards me.

"What the hell were you thinking, young lady? Using one of those fast balls in a direction close to your sister? Have you lost your mind?"

I want to retort - who would expect her to jump in front of that damn snow ant? - but I think better of it. The smashing guilt I feel right now leaves me no other choice.

"You finish cleaning the path on your own. As for other punishment, I'll have a talk with your mom to see what is adequate. But when you come in, you better apologize to her, understood?"

I nod in silence. Having been convinced that his guilt trip was effective, he goes inside to help Setsu some more. Before the door falls into the lock, I can spot his slippers leaving a wet trail over the hallway floor that mom will definitely not get a kick out of.

Buying her a jawbreaker as an apology would probably be in bad taste, wouldn't it? Hmm.

When there is no younger sister to keep you busy, boring work like this actually goes a fair bit faster despite being down a pair of hands. Of course, the scare just now means she is still very much on my mind.

It is a surprise exactly how many fireworks were sent into the air here during the New Year celebration. Of course, we are also responsible for that stuff to some degree, but because of the freezing wind we only stuck it out for like fifteen minutes. Most of this trash isn't ours, but those things just fall down where they want to.

Fireworks aren't fun when it rains that hard.

Garbage ought to be put into the trash, but it just isn't doable to only shovel snow and let the rest be. I'll just have to wait for the huge snow pile I've built to melt. That way, the garbage stays behind. But judging by the expected weather, that'll probably take me waiting till next week.

In the end, all that remains is Setty's snow ant that I cannot convince myself to shovel up, and a huge mess of snow a few meters away from it. It is honestly not quite impressive; a bunch of big snow blobs, with smaller ones pressed up against it to form legs and what-not.

But hey, it is about thirty minutes of effort. Yet somehow, the way the body is posed gives me a feeling of eerieness that I am very familiar with.

Our old house was infested with them. I've had them in my bed. In my breakfast. On my shoes. Screw that living nightmare.

I hate insects. Especially ants. They deserve to burn in hell.

But at least this one isn't moving.

Clenching my jaw, I turn away and walk to the door to go back inside, my feelings of guilt winning out over a possible murder of a snowy creature that doesn't live to begin with.

I guess I'll go with the jawbreaker. Maybe she'll laugh.