《Rain Bow Veins By Bokuroo》Chapter 21
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It was the same position Koutarou sat into one week later, only this time his gaze was focused on the gravestone in front of him.
There were footsteps approaching him and a moment later, he could feel a hand gripping on his shoulder. Then, someone crouched down next to him.
"What's this?" Tetsurou asked and pointed at the book in Koutarou's hands.
"The Book Thief" he answered and stroked the worn out cover gently with his fingers.
"I didn't know you were into books."
"It was Keiji's favorite" he told him, still not tearing his gaze away from the epigraph on the marble in front of him.
"I've finished reading it yesterday."
For the third time he wanted to add, but didn't.
"I see."
It was silent for a moment, before his best friend continued.
"Have you cried already?"
Koutarou placed the book on the heap of soil in front of him and finally got up, Tetsurou following his matter.
The hand on his shoulder appeared again and this time squeezed it tightly in a supportive way.
He turned to his best friend and smiled sadly."I don't think he would've wanted me to."
At this, Tetsurou pulled him into a hug and Koutarou hesitated for a moment before hugging him back tightly.
"He would've wanted me to continue on, Tetsu..."
"I know" the other whispered before slowly pulling away, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"Hey, are you ready for your first day back in practice?"
Koutarou rubbed the corner of his eyes with his sleeve and finally put on his infamous bright smile.
"You can bet."
"Let's go, then."
Tetsurou squeezed his shoulder one last time before letting go and going ahead across the graveyard.
Koutarou didn't turn back when he finally followed him.
He didn't know what his future would bring.
But he knew he would never forget the boy with a heart made of glass that was called Akaashi Keiji.
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Many Minded
Synopsis: Issa Pyxis, Spacer orphan and illegal heretic, graduated from living on the streets to running with a gang years ago, but now it looks like that’s all going to change. Her inheritance, more specifically who—or what—she is, is catching up with her, and on a planet with the Emperor’s inquisitors slinking around in every shadow, nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. What will she do? A cyberpunk story about identity, loneliness, covert infiltration, evil dystopias, and much more! Features: - Cyborgs and cyberpunk galore - This is indented to be somewhat “rational” and “hard” Sci-Fi story - Original Fiction however parts of my worldbuilding are inspired by other Sci-Fi stories (duh) Rationale: The future is cool, AIs are kickass, and questions about consciousness are simultaneously existential and yet unanswered. To me, this story is a vehicle for exploring these topics, and also, I wanted to write a story where the protagonist was unafraid of themselves and where their self is more like a git-repo than a meat computer. Disclaimer: This story primarily takes place in what we’d describe as a “cyberpunk dystopia” with some extra technocracy, autocracy, and religious fervor thrown into the mix, so there will be some “grittiness” in this story. Caveat emptor. Also, [insert your favorite boilerplate “views expressed” disclaimer here]. I shouldn’t need to say this, but the main character and other characters in my story can be wrong on occasion (gasp!) and the way they view the world isn’t always objective truth (if such a thing even exists) nor do their views and opinions necessarily reflect the views of me, the author. Cover art by me! [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 83Carus - Libertas
participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge and also having a go at NaNoWriMo this November. This was a first draft published as it was written for Nanowrimo November 2020. A little rough around the edges, I hope to come back and edit at some point, and then continue the story on. In the grand scheme of things Elias was nothing special. Which was why he was surprised by a random company on a new colony planet buying out his contract. That was the problem with the large companies that ruled the colonies, once they owned your contract, they owned you. Imagine the greater surprise when he learnt that the new company held the promise of freedom. Not from the constant battle against the Swarm that were also trying to claim the colony planets for their own. Nor from the Crust, the mysterious substance that covered the same planets and held the resources they all fought for. No, the freedom from being oppressed by those with more power and to finally decide where to go and where to set down roots and call home.
8 139The Purpose of Wings
Selen Moonlit had hoped death wouldn't be the end for her, but never expected it to come so soon -- or for her salvation to come in such a strange way. Given the chance to take over for someone who would've died in another world, she picked the life of a young bird-girl. Now she lives in the post office of a river city lit by crystals, and her adoptive family wants to know what classes and statistics she wants to develop. She knows enough about games to guess how this kind of rule system works. But she used to be an aspiring chemist with a good knowledge of other science. All alone in an unfamiliar world, yet surrounded by family she barely knows, what can she do to make this new life meaningful? This story is a companion story to "Rising World", which currently exists in full on Amazon and has a visible preview here on RR. Many thanks to the readers who saw it while it was being written. This story is currently being posted separately under its own name, where it will soon catch up to what's under the RW title, and this version is a revised edition.
8 196Pentagram
Melanie Donald was born in 2000: a less than average, ordinary girl struggling through school and stumbling through life as a square peg in a round hole.Blaze Thompson was born in 2008: a girl of immeasurable talent, who surpasses everyone around her and conquers every challenge set before her. In 2016, the city in which they lived was destroyed, and Melanie was killed. It is now 2024. Blaze is as old as Melanie was when she died, and attends a private school that was once a naval academy. She seeks answers about the true nature of the disaster she survived.What caused it? How could it destroy an entire city? How can this school, of all places, be so important? And if Melanie is dead, how can she be here? Of course, her search for answers grows just a little more complicated when a secret society makes the first move in its hunt for the two girls. A work in progress. This is only a first draft of a final story, and it'll be refined before it's finally released. Thanks for your patience. Updates: Later.
8 69Tann Angle's Formula
She was the creator of 'the world', she had the ability to bend the principles of sciences, she had the ability to change everything. However, this ability was taken away. She was left in a world of danger, haunted by the Hetzers. She had to face reality, to blend into the society created by her own hands, and to make relationships that she used to consider as 'unreal'.
8 184Fighting for the Lord of Earth
A fleet of alien spaceships were detected coming into the Sol Universe heading for Earth. During the initial talks with the humanoid aliens their leader took control of the planet itself becoming the lord of Earth. He demanded the world leaders send him subjects that would be trained and fight for him who fought for the King of space. In return the Earth would be protected and their primitive knowledge would be greatly expanded. Roughly 6,000 people from all around the earth were gathered into their ships and taken to another planet for training. After they would be dropped off the ships would return several times to pick up the full numbers demanded. Kohn Lowson was the first to step on one of the alien ships.
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