The Chikamori Selfacy (A Reboot)
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Chapter Eight - A Different Kind of Peace (Part Two)
There wasn’t much gnashing of teeth or wailing at the news of Mayumi’s death from her family that she’d abused, yet there was time for introspection. Haruo spent some time with the stereo system, listening to pieces of classical music to come to grips with unresolved anger issues against his mother. It was his father who had provided him with that outlet into music and though his piano playing had lapsed, Haruo was still able to play at a level equivalent to 5 and perhaps with practice he would be able to progress of his own accord.
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The next morning dawned to River’s and Torao’s aging up parties. Most everyone was still in their sleepwear, blinking tiredly like owls roused from their daytime slumber to gaze upon two birthday cakes replete with candles ready to be blown out celebrating the two teens’ progression from adolescent to young adult.
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And from there they would progress to getting jobs and/or being self-employed (which is the next best thing to being unemployed ~sarcasm~). It was uncertain as to where they would end up finally in terms of a place to live, but after Mayumi’s death, it was clear to Yasunobu that he didn’t really want to stay in the house where Mayumi’s presence still lingered like a malevolent poltergeist. It was perhaps better to locate another place to live. Preferably far away from where they were currently so that the negative energies that existed near that area wouldn’t manifest into a haunting event.
Satoshi’s thoughts went to Molly and how good she looked. Of course his mind was wandering and not really paying much attention to the birthday celebrations of his brother’s son’s girlfriend and his own son.
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River on the other hand was looking at the cake as if to say, If I eat that cake, that’s going to wreak havoc on my waistline. She was thin and lithesome, but had an inner core of steel, that much Satoshi and Yasunobu could deduce. And they were both happy that Haruo was going to marry River. Although, when exactly was still up in the air. They were still trying to come to a decision on whether they would end up going to university first and completing their degrees before tying the knot or just get married, then go. Haruo had nothing on his mind other than the fact that River looked very beautiful to him.
The noisemakers were making so much racket that it was surprising it didn’t wake up the dead in chronological order; which as Mayumi was the most recent decedent, it wasn’t something that was particularly wise to do.
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River, on the other hand, was particularly happy about aging up today, since last night was extremely lonely in that bed without her Haruo to cuddle with. There was no hanky-panky, since they both were well aware of just what an unexpected pregnancy could do to their travel plans. But it certainly didn’t stop her fantasizing and her overheated imagination made her attempts to sleep absolutely miserable for that night. But now that she would become a young adult; those taboos fell away. She remembered her words to Bebe about wanting to wait...well, those words came back like unwanted pests to remind her that...once you give it away, you can’t get it back. Maybe you should wait? Oh bother.
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Once everyone had assembled, River made a silent wish...then leaned forward and blew out the candles on her birthday cake. For a long time, while the cheering and noisemakers went on, nothing happened. And just as River was about to say something to that effect; the disassociating feeling kicked in and she felt like she was thrown out of her body... and just as quickly as that feeling came it was gone. She looked over to see Haruo who was gazing back at her with an enthralled expression. She was now taller and her hips and waist showcased a nice hourglass figure. And of course, Haruo was hooked; line and sinker. She was stunningly beautiful. It was lucky Phil wasn’t there as he would have heckled Haruo and asked him if he needed a mop and bucket to clean the drool off the floor. Then Haruo would have had to plant him...upside down...preferably.
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Torao had blown out his candles and had aged up as well into a tall broad-shouldered young adult who looked just as handsome as his father, Satoshi. Albeit, he didn’t want to rock the long hair look and went for a nice short haircut. And now, he and Bebe had their whole lives ahead of them. Would the two couples match up together and start a joint farm/fishing lot so that they could earn money together? Both Bebe and River were good at painting and Bebe wanted to become a celebrated author so this would also mean that the two women would have their own self-employment.
Going to university was something that they would all have to sit down and discuss since if they were going to be self-employed, there wasn’t much use for a degree and could quite possibly be a waste of money. But then again, they would have to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of having a degree and see if it was worth it to go and get their degree. Yasunobu and Satoshi were of the opinion that they wanted the four young adults to go to university and get their degrees. They had the time, they had the youth...so why not spend some time in university and come out with paper in hand that could be transferable to other occupations, should their attempt at self-employment not pan out. It was insurance; costly but necessary in today’s job-market. It would be something they would have to discuss together to see if it was in their plans to get further education.
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After eating a piece of River’s birthday cake, Haruo had to go and hunt for a few gemstones that he would later cut and take over to the elixir shop. The proprietor there was still eager to see Haruo’s items that he was going to sell and even though they weren’t toads, the buyers who looked at the gemstones were always inspired to see what new cuts were available. Haruo preferred the spire-cut since he could maximize his earnings and buying a home for he and River to raise a family in was prime on his list of things that he wanted to accomplish.
Catching a taxi he went to a part of town where he was able to find a few gemstones that he was able to scoop up. From there he would return home, cut them and take them over to the elixir shop across the street. Mr. Joseph was still working in the store. He looked up from the cash register and smiled, “How are you doing? Haruo?”
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“Oh, great...” Haruo returned, “Found a few gemstones, so any word from your buyers about the type of cuts they’re looking for?”
“Well, they certainly liked the quality of the cuts that you’re producing.” Moses Joseph stated, “I think I have another buyer who’s looking for a yellow sapphire...”
“Well, I just happened to find one; any idea on what cut he wanted?” Haruo asked.
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Moses shrugged, “The last time he was in, he was looking for any cut.”
“Well, I’m going to be consigning this spire-cut yellow sapphire, so have your buyer take a look at it and see if it fits his requirements.”
“My goodness...that cut looks nice.” Moses exclaimed as Haruo handed over the gemstone. “It looks magnificent.”
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“Good so you should be able to get a good consignment out of it.” Haruo nodded.
Moses glanced at Haruo with a look of wonderment. “You have certainly grown...Haruo, from consigning toads for my buyers to now dealing in quality gems.”
“Well, Mr. Joseph, couldn’t stay a kid forever.” Haruo grinned as he shook Moses’ hand. “So let me know if there’s any other gemstones and cuts that are on your buyers’ lists and I’ll do my best to see if I can fill them.”
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“I certainly will, Haruo and...Haruo, one more thing...” Moses replied. Haruo was turning to go, when he paused for a moment to look back at him, “Call me Moses, you’re a young adult now...”
“Sure thing, Moses...I’ll see you tomorrow. I might have a couple more items that might suit your buyers.”
“I’ll contact them and let them know that they’re on your list to fill their orders.”
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After he was done at the elixir shop, Haruo made his way across town to a park with a community garden and there he stocked up on fruits and vegetables. Perhaps he would be able to plant it at their new place which he knew that his father was looking for. From there they would springboard their options. Bebe and Torao would have the opportunity to do the same as what he and River were planning to do; marry and raise a family. And from there, the Chikamori family would grow into a large tree with lots of branches that needed taking care of as he was doing with the trees at the community garden and the fruits of that labour would plant the genesis of their garden at wherever they decided to set down their roots.
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While Haruo was out toiling in the rain, River was working on her second painting. Getting the bright idea that painting was going to be her self-employment, she stopped just short of finishing the painting and headed out to city hall via taxi. Getting off at the corner right next to the city hall, she ran to get out of the rain; practically sprinting up the steps. Luckily for her it meant that she was able to avoid getting soaked. The permit process for becoming self-employed was relatively painless – no hidden fees, no surcharges and she was able to now earn money from commissions as soon as she made a name for herself. Making a name for herself, however, was going to be the big hurdle.
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Some acidly stated that self-employment was a quick ticket to poverty, however River McIrish had a plan and that included a plan to get rich though it would be slow going. It would be quality paintings that she would make herself known for and that in itself bred exclusivity. City Hall was bathed in a light rain while the clouds formed a misty backdrop. If she had more skill she’d take a picture of the city hall and paint it from memory, however she still had a ways to go before being able to do that.
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Because of the fact that Haruo needed to get his exercise skill up, he came back and started working on the treadmill. It was his hope to get from Level 4 to Level 8 before getting exhausted, somehow he managed to do so. Though River wasn’t too enamoured of his odour after his exercise. “Go take a shower...” she said, holding her nose, “You reek...”
“OK...ok...” Haruo rolled his eyes and headed to shower off.
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After returning from his bathing duties, he walked back over to his fiancee, “So...do I smell any better?”
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River purred, “Why, yes...you don’t stink up the room now.”
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“Why, thank you... I love you too...I think...” Haruo smirked at her.
“Well...” River, a slight touch of merriment in her eyes responded as she took her fiance in her arms, “I love me too...” she teased.
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“That’s reassuring...” Haruo grinned. A kiss ensued,
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“Let’s get to bed, hon, we have a lot to do tomorrow.”
The Next Morning 1:45AM
Considering the time of the morning, it wasn’t surprising that Haruo was yawning his head off. “I heard there was a monster in the old mine...over near Pinochle Point.” River said, anxious that her fiance was planning to go hunt for some gemstones and metals down by the old mine.
“You believe that old wive’s tale?” Haruo asked incredulously. “I doubt there’s anything there but a bunch of rats that got lost from old man Racket’s barn.”
“Well, that’s what they told me.” She cautioned him. , “Just be careful.” And that was that. Haruo headed out in the darkness up to the old mine where there were gemstones that were said to generate.
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After digging around for a while, he could find anything, but evidently out of the corner of his eyes he noticed two glowing yellow eyes. They were right, it’s a monster... his brain could barely comprehend what he saw. But instead of a growling snarl and a nasty monster breaking through the boarded up mine entrance and devouring him right then and there; a polite cough and a gravelly voice emanating from the mine posed a question.
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“Excuse me? Do you know if the Vancouver Canucks won the Stanley Cup this year? I can’t get cable up here...”
(End Part 2)
Chapter Eight - A Different Kind of Peace (Part Two)
There wasn’t much gnashing of teeth or wailing at the news of Mayumi’s death from her family that she’d abused, yet there was time for introspection. Haruo spent some time with the stereo system, listening to pieces of classical music to come to grips with unresolved anger issues against his mother. It was his father who had provided him with that outlet into music and though his piano playing had lapsed, Haruo was still able to play at a level equivalent to 5 and perhaps with practice he would be able to progress of his own accord.
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The next morning dawned to River’s and Torao’s aging up parties. Most everyone was still in their sleepwear, blinking tiredly like owls roused from their daytime slumber to gaze upon two birthday cakes replete with candles ready to be blown out celebrating the two teens’ progression from adolescent to young adult.
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And from there they would progress to getting jobs and/or being self-employed (which is the next best thing to being unemployed ~sarcasm~). It was uncertain as to where they would end up finally in terms of a place to live, but after Mayumi’s death, it was clear to Yasunobu that he didn’t really want to stay in the house where Mayumi’s presence still lingered like a malevolent poltergeist. It was perhaps better to locate another place to live. Preferably far away from where they were currently so that the negative energies that existed near that area wouldn’t manifest into a haunting event.
Satoshi’s thoughts went to Molly and how good she looked. Of course his mind was wandering and not really paying much attention to the birthday celebrations of his brother’s son’s girlfriend and his own son.
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River on the other hand was looking at the cake as if to say, If I eat that cake, that’s going to wreak havoc on my waistline. She was thin and lithesome, but had an inner core of steel, that much Satoshi and Yasunobu could deduce. And they were both happy that Haruo was going to marry River. Although, when exactly was still up in the air. They were still trying to come to a decision on whether they would end up going to university first and completing their degrees before tying the knot or just get married, then go. Haruo had nothing on his mind other than the fact that River looked very beautiful to him.
The noisemakers were making so much racket that it was surprising it didn’t wake up the dead in chronological order; which as Mayumi was the most recent decedent, it wasn’t something that was particularly wise to do.
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River, on the other hand, was particularly happy about aging up today, since last night was extremely lonely in that bed without her Haruo to cuddle with. There was no hanky-panky, since they both were well aware of just what an unexpected pregnancy could do to their travel plans. But it certainly didn’t stop her fantasizing and her overheated imagination made her attempts to sleep absolutely miserable for that night. But now that she would become a young adult; those taboos fell away. She remembered her words to Bebe about wanting to wait...well, those words came back like unwanted pests to remind her that...once you give it away, you can’t get it back. Maybe you should wait? Oh bother.
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Once everyone had assembled, River made a silent wish...then leaned forward and blew out the candles on her birthday cake. For a long time, while the cheering and noisemakers went on, nothing happened. And just as River was about to say something to that effect; the disassociating feeling kicked in and she felt like she was thrown out of her body... and just as quickly as that feeling came it was gone. She looked over to see Haruo who was gazing back at her with an enthralled expression. She was now taller and her hips and waist showcased a nice hourglass figure. And of course, Haruo was hooked; line and sinker. She was stunningly beautiful. It was lucky Phil wasn’t there as he would have heckled Haruo and asked him if he needed a mop and bucket to clean the drool off the floor. Then Haruo would have had to plant him...upside down...preferably.
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Torao had blown out his candles and had aged up as well into a tall broad-shouldered young adult who looked just as handsome as his father, Satoshi. Albeit, he didn’t want to rock the long hair look and went for a nice short haircut. And now, he and Bebe had their whole lives ahead of them. Would the two couples match up together and start a joint farm/fishing lot so that they could earn money together? Both Bebe and River were good at painting and Bebe wanted to become a celebrated author so this would also mean that the two women would have their own self-employment.
Going to university was something that they would all have to sit down and discuss since if they were going to be self-employed, there wasn’t much use for a degree and could quite possibly be a waste of money. But then again, they would have to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages of having a degree and see if it was worth it to go and get their degree. Yasunobu and Satoshi were of the opinion that they wanted the four young adults to go to university and get their degrees. They had the time, they had the youth...so why not spend some time in university and come out with paper in hand that could be transferable to other occupations, should their attempt at self-employment not pan out. It was insurance; costly but necessary in today’s job-market. It would be something they would have to discuss together to see if it was in their plans to get further education.
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After eating a piece of River’s birthday cake, Haruo had to go and hunt for a few gemstones that he would later cut and take over to the elixir shop. The proprietor there was still eager to see Haruo’s items that he was going to sell and even though they weren’t toads, the buyers who looked at the gemstones were always inspired to see what new cuts were available. Haruo preferred the spire-cut since he could maximize his earnings and buying a home for he and River to raise a family in was prime on his list of things that he wanted to accomplish.
Catching a taxi he went to a part of town where he was able to find a few gemstones that he was able to scoop up. From there he would return home, cut them and take them over to the elixir shop across the street. Mr. Joseph was still working in the store. He looked up from the cash register and smiled, “How are you doing? Haruo?”
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“Oh, great...” Haruo returned, “Found a few gemstones, so any word from your buyers about the type of cuts they’re looking for?”
“Well, they certainly liked the quality of the cuts that you’re producing.” Moses Joseph stated, “I think I have another buyer who’s looking for a yellow sapphire...”
“Well, I just happened to find one; any idea on what cut he wanted?” Haruo asked.
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Moses shrugged, “The last time he was in, he was looking for any cut.”
“Well, I’m going to be consigning this spire-cut yellow sapphire, so have your buyer take a look at it and see if it fits his requirements.”
“My goodness...that cut looks nice.” Moses exclaimed as Haruo handed over the gemstone. “It looks magnificent.”
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“Good so you should be able to get a good consignment out of it.” Haruo nodded.
Moses glanced at Haruo with a look of wonderment. “You have certainly grown...Haruo, from consigning toads for my buyers to now dealing in quality gems.”
“Well, Mr. Joseph, couldn’t stay a kid forever.” Haruo grinned as he shook Moses’ hand. “So let me know if there’s any other gemstones and cuts that are on your buyers’ lists and I’ll do my best to see if I can fill them.”
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“I certainly will, Haruo and...Haruo, one more thing...” Moses replied. Haruo was turning to go, when he paused for a moment to look back at him, “Call me Moses, you’re a young adult now...”
“Sure thing, Moses...I’ll see you tomorrow. I might have a couple more items that might suit your buyers.”
“I’ll contact them and let them know that they’re on your list to fill their orders.”
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After he was done at the elixir shop, Haruo made his way across town to a park with a community garden and there he stocked up on fruits and vegetables. Perhaps he would be able to plant it at their new place which he knew that his father was looking for. From there they would springboard their options. Bebe and Torao would have the opportunity to do the same as what he and River were planning to do; marry and raise a family. And from there, the Chikamori family would grow into a large tree with lots of branches that needed taking care of as he was doing with the trees at the community garden and the fruits of that labour would plant the genesis of their garden at wherever they decided to set down their roots.
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While Haruo was out toiling in the rain, River was working on her second painting. Getting the bright idea that painting was going to be her self-employment, she stopped just short of finishing the painting and headed out to city hall via taxi. Getting off at the corner right next to the city hall, she ran to get out of the rain; practically sprinting up the steps. Luckily for her it meant that she was able to avoid getting soaked. The permit process for becoming self-employed was relatively painless – no hidden fees, no surcharges and she was able to now earn money from commissions as soon as she made a name for herself. Making a name for herself, however, was going to be the big hurdle.
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Some acidly stated that self-employment was a quick ticket to poverty, however River McIrish had a plan and that included a plan to get rich though it would be slow going. It would be quality paintings that she would make herself known for and that in itself bred exclusivity. City Hall was bathed in a light rain while the clouds formed a misty backdrop. If she had more skill she’d take a picture of the city hall and paint it from memory, however she still had a ways to go before being able to do that.
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Because of the fact that Haruo needed to get his exercise skill up, he came back and started working on the treadmill. It was his hope to get from Level 4 to Level 8 before getting exhausted, somehow he managed to do so. Though River wasn’t too enamoured of his odour after his exercise. “Go take a shower...” she said, holding her nose, “You reek...”
“OK...ok...” Haruo rolled his eyes and headed to shower off.
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After returning from his bathing duties, he walked back over to his fiancee, “So...do I smell any better?”
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River purred, “Why, yes...you don’t stink up the room now.”
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“Why, thank you... I love you too...I think...” Haruo smirked at her.
“Well...” River, a slight touch of merriment in her eyes responded as she took her fiance in her arms, “I love me too...” she teased.
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“That’s reassuring...” Haruo grinned. A kiss ensued,
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“Let’s get to bed, hon, we have a lot to do tomorrow.”
The Next Morning 1:45AM
Considering the time of the morning, it wasn’t surprising that Haruo was yawning his head off. “I heard there was a monster in the old mine...over near Pinochle Point.” River said, anxious that her fiance was planning to go hunt for some gemstones and metals down by the old mine.
“You believe that old wive’s tale?” Haruo asked incredulously. “I doubt there’s anything there but a bunch of rats that got lost from old man Racket’s barn.”
“Well, that’s what they told me.” She cautioned him. , “Just be careful.” And that was that. Haruo headed out in the darkness up to the old mine where there were gemstones that were said to generate.
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After digging around for a while, he could find anything, but evidently out of the corner of his eyes he noticed two glowing yellow eyes. They were right, it’s a monster... his brain could barely comprehend what he saw. But instead of a growling snarl and a nasty monster breaking through the boarded up mine entrance and devouring him right then and there; a polite cough and a gravelly voice emanating from the mine posed a question.
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“Excuse me? Do you know if the Vancouver Canucks won the Stanley Cup this year? I can’t get cable up here...”
(End Part 2)
