URI:
   DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       RPG AI
  HTML https://rpgai.createaforum.com
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       *****************************************************
   DIR Return to: Residences
       *****************************************************
       #Post#: 60--------------------------------------------------
       Ramsey Household
       By: Mascii Date: February 20, 2013, 10:11 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       One of the nicer houses on Pasadena Avenue, 220 has — admittedly
       — a bit of an old-fashioned looking exterior with a recently
       remodeled interior. The majority of the apartment is kept
       immaculately clean, white walls and carpets and simplistic
       furniture that was bought for its ease and cleanliness. The few
       items kept out for decor purposes were typically gray and
       modern, with a certain cool demeanor to each piece that well
       embodied the family that occupied the house. There are no
       photographs or interesting paintings hung up on the wall, and
       little color to the house.  The only exception to the rule of
       organization lies atop Hal’s desk and in the entirety of
       Yukito’s belongings, especially his bedroom. Yukito's bedroom
       floor is always littered with discarded bits of clothing,
       notebooks, headphones and other paraphernalia. His walls are
       covered in band posters, and he has one wall with books and
       assorted CDs on it.
       Hal's office used to be a spare bedroom, but now it is the
       center for all of his research, with at least half a dozen
       filing cabinets and an array of back-up drives with every file
       of every patient he ever treated - although not all the
       information detailed was 100% accurate. His chair was fairly
       new, made of a soft black leather, but the seat was visibly worn
       from the many late nights that Hal had ended up sleeping in it.
  HTML http://cdn.sheknows.com/filter/l/gallery/modern_black_wood_kitchen.jpg
  HTML http://decordots.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/modern-apartment-in-grey-and-black-and-white.jpg
  HTML http://cdn.decoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Istanbul-luxury-apartment-modern-home-office-with-fancy-desk-and-bookcase.jpg
       [img]
  HTML http://picklemedia1.scrippsnetworks.com/pickle_media1/media/HGTV/na_migration/d1/Photo_Video_d195c70b-d286-41b6-92cf-8ae3515bfc17_medium.JPG?0[/img]
  HTML http://cdn.stylisheve.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/teen-bedroom__2.jpg
       OOC: MtM, you can let me know if anything needs to be edited!
       BIC:
       #Post#: 61--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: Mascii Date: February 21, 2013, 1:16 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       OOC: Continuing interaction from the Coffee Shop BIC:
       Yukito Maki
       "Yukito? Where are you going?" Natalie had called out. Her voice
       sounded strange to him, like she was secretly laughing at him.
       He continued to rush away, as fast as his legs and the weight of
       Erin's wrist in his hand allowed.
       "What she said!" Erin demanded, sounding very annoyed. "And I
       can follow without you tugging on me, Yukito. I have my own two
       feet, you know." Yukito gave way when she pulled her hand away,
       but not before glancing over his shoulder to make sure she was
       still following.  "I'm coming, but don't tug like that."
       "I'm sorry. It's just..." his eyes stung, and he rubbed them
       gruffly with the back of his hand, trying to keep his bangs out
       of the way. He didn't stop until he had reached the edge of his
       own yard.
       To his memory, he had never brought Erin back to his house to
       hang out or anything like that. He had only brought Reese over
       once or twice in total. The house looked so horribly dull, as if
       the rain had washed out all its color, and it was usually so
       empty. So even if he hadn't snuck out of his bedroom window
       earlier, Yukito believed that he still would have felt like a
       child getting away with some kind of crime. He opened the front
       gate slowly, looking back at Erin and placing a finger to his
       lips, his expression warning in all due seriousness. "My dad
       might still be home. I'm not supposed to go out. Come on." He
       walked around to the back, going slowly so that Erin wouldn't
       slip in the mud. For safety's sake, Yukito's room had a window
       that was fairly close to the ground and it was easy for him to
       open it back up and clamber back in, despite the awkwardness of
       the brace. He already had a towel waiting just below the window
       to wipe off their shoes with. Yukito just slipped his off,
       slipping deeper into his mess of a room. His music was still
       playing on his computer, and somehow the screaming guitars
       sounded thin and whiny, though it was enough to cover up the
       sound of their entry and their whispers.
       "I promise I won't keep you long, Erin. I just had to show
       you..." He shoved aside piles of clothing, mostly placed there
       to shield the large empty space that he actually kept beneath
       the bed. There was a neat little stack of notebooks there, and
       in the second to bottom one he had slipped a photo and a worn
       newspaper clipping. He held them in his hands, looking at them
       for a moment, before frowning. "I'm sorry...it's a horrible
       night to bring it up. With the band shit and all." She would
       probably forever believe him to be some insensitive, ego-centric
       idiot now. But he couldn't exactly brush it off as nothing now,
       could he? "I just had to show someone..."
       He offered the two slips of paper to her, holding them out with
       both hands, palms upturned, his face dipped downward and his
       eyes downcast. But his gaze kept flickering upward, watching for
       any reaction. He could make no assumptions on what she would
       say. In the photograph was a young, beautiful woman. She had
       wavy, shoulder-length hair that was a warm, chestnut brown color
       and was wearing a doctor's coat. She was sitting on a chair at
       the end of a bed, a broad smile on her brightly painted lips. On
       the bed was Yukito, looking much the same but much scrawnier,
       and much younger. He was about eleven in the picture, he knew.
       Wires and IVs and a plethora of monitors were attached to every
       useful patch of skin on Yukito, and he looked solemn and
       discontented as his hands played a black guitar covered in
       strange markings that were too small to decipher from the tiny
       picture. It had been taken in the hospital just a few weeks
       after he had woken up from the surgery that had saved his life.
       Yukito's memory had been spotty at best - he'd had the mentality
       of a child, all sorrow and fear and anger.
       Things weren't so different now.
       "That's Hal's sister. Her name was Penelope," he said, her name
       lightly altered in his accent. "She died about a week after the
       photo was taken. A man came into the hospital where she worked
       and shot about four people dead. Hal tells me she was about 22
       years old when she had me."
       He sighed, unable to express what he felt in his heart, then
       nodded toward the newspaper clipping. It had been folded over a
       hundred times in two places, so a small hole had begun to
       develop in the center. The clipping had been cut out by his own
       clumsy hand, and the edges were crooked and frayed. "This," he
       pointed with a single finger, his eyes meeting Erin's squarely,
       his jaw tense. "This is my real mother."
       It had taken many hours pouring through the library's records to
       find the obituary. He knew something hadn't fit together quite
       right. There were too many holes in Hal's story, too many things
       left unexplained. Yukito intended to see if there were any
       details about his accident. He had known the approximate date
       and location of the accident, but nothing more. Finally, he had
       found a few short paragraphs detailing an apparent hit-and-run
       incident, where an unidentified boy had been struck by a car
       while standing on a curb. The resulting crash back into a local
       diner had caused a brain aneurysm in the boy's brain which he
       had later died from. Or so the paper said.
       The newspaper clipping he had given to Erin, however, was from
       about a month after the crash.
       "It is with deep regret that The Daily announces the untimely
       death of Kokoro Maki, aged 29. Kokoro was found dead in her home
       on the morning of 30 March, from asphyxiation by extension cord.
       Kokoro was a new addition to our community, but in the last
       several months did wonders for our humble town, making use of
       her eloquent and informative reporting skills for The Daily as
       well as helping the library in translation of classic novels
       into English from her native language of Japanese.
       Kokoro was a sparkling personality, and a gentle friend to all
       of us here at The Daily. The mysterious disappearance of her son
       Yukito two weeks ago had hit us all hard, but none so hard as
       Kokoro. With a heavy heart we must accept that she could not
       bear to be without him. We shall miss her friendly smile and her
       warm.
       Rest in peace, Kokoro."
       There was a small black and white photo attached, of a young
       woman wearing a pale-colored business suit with a small,
       reserved smile that reminded Yukito a little of his own.
       #Post#: 62--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: GGJ5 Date: February 21, 2013, 9:12 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       ooc: In which Erin shows she is secretly a geneticist. BIC:
       Erin Spenser
       Who did stuff like this? Who actually pulled people about and
       snuck like they were in a bad spy film? It was still soaked
       outside to boot, which made it all the more corny. Her band had
       just experienced a radical shift, everything crumbled apart, and
       here she was following a guy semi-James Bond style through the
       slippery streets. And to boot, it was an attractive guy who'd
       given her a hug. Great. That makes things so much easier.
       She followed him all the way to his house. His big,
       awkwardly-outlandish house that didn't seem to match at all with
       Yukito. But it sure as heck matched Dr. Ramsey. Weird... being
       in his house...
       He opened the front gate slowly, looking back at Erin and
       placing a finger to his lips. In a serious way, not at all the
       way Erin would do it. He meant business. Erin wrinkled her nose.
       "Why?" she mouthed, slipping inside the gate and taking the time
       to close it back just as quietly.
       "My dad might still be home. I'm not supposed to go out. Come
       on."
       Since he whispered, Erin did, too. Her face betrayed her
       incredulity even before the whisper came out, though. "You're
       not supposed to 'go out?' What does he think you are, a puppy?"
       Still following him (like a puppy), Erin circled the house
       around to the back. It was easy to see what Yukito was doing,
       and in spite of herself, she felt a little rush of excitement.
       "Can I consider this breaking and entering for me, since I don't
       live here?" she asked in a rough whisper. "Like, can I add
       'breaking into Dr. Ramsey's house' to my list of awesome things
       I've done?"
       Clambering after him through the window, Erin got her first
       glimpse of Yukito's room. She smiled. It looked just like she'd
       expect. It even had music playing already. Definite plus. Except
       we're acting like it's a bad spy movie, she said to herself for
       the umpteenth time.
       "I promise I won't keep you long, Erin. I just had to show
       you..."
       "Oh... kaaay..." Erin drawled the word out, rolling the
       uncertainly around on her tongue. Was this going to be one of
       those moments where the attractive, musically-inclined, caring
       friend turns out to be a weirdo that wanted to share his
       collection of human teeth and shrunken heads with her? Not that
       that'd ever happened before....
       "I'm sorry...it's a horrible night to bring it up. With the
       band shit and all. I just had to show someone..."
       It wasn't shrunken heads.
       She took the papers from his hands. Looking at them, Erin felt
       at a loss. What was she even looking at? Why was this all so
       somber and secretive? Was this some kind of confession? Oh god.
       Maybe he really is a weirdo and he's confessing to me how he's
       killed five girls and this is the article saying how he's on the
       run from the police.
       Then she actually took a look at it. It was a tinier, pre- or
       mid-Enhancement Yukito, with someone Erin assumed was one of the
       doctors helping out with it. Why would he be showing her that?
       Did he have a weird crush on the doctor-lady, or something? Was
       that his girlfriend?! Erin looked over at him, her brows knit in
       confusion, shaking her head a little, at a loss. "I... don't
       know what I'm looking at, exactly? I-- I mean, that's you,
       during your Enhancement surgeries, but..." She tilted her hand,
       as if waiting for him to dump the answer into her palm.
       "That's Hal's sister. Her name was Penelope," he told her. That
       didn't help anything.... it was just as weird for her to think
       of Dr. Ramsey's family. Like, was it even genetically possible
       for a person in his bloodline to smile genuinely like that? "She
       died about a week after the photo was taken. A man came into the
       hospital where she worked and shot about four people dead. Hal
       tells me she was about 22 years old when she had me."
       "When she.... what?" Erin looked at the photo again. She
       couldn't see it. They didn't have any similar features. Not even
       the same kind of ears or nose. No way it was possible to inherit
       nothing from your mother. What was he trying to pull here?
       "Yukito.... she looks nothing like you. You don't have any white
       dominant traits, and Dr. Ramsey's about as Anglo-Saxon as they
       come." She shook her head. "There's no way. Our first genetics
       class with those stupid Punnett squares taught us that. You'd
       have to have some of her dominant genes. Look, I doodle all
       throughout that class and I know that. I'm-- I'm sorry, but--"
       He sighed, giving a nod toward the other piece of paper in her
       hand. For a brief, disgusting moment, she felt incredibly
       stupid. Of course. He gave her two things for a reason. He
       wasn't stupid.... if Erin could figure it out, then Yukito had
       known for a really, really long time. How could she have talked
       down to him that way? He was practically ripping his soul open
       for her to see! He wouldn't be stupid about it the way she was
       being.... Her face reddened. Erin looked down at the article
       with interest (and partially to hide her embarrassment). "This.
       This is my real mother."
       He'd known for so, so long. The paper felt soft between her
       fingertips. Yukito had probably gazed at this picture hundreds
       of times. He'd probably talked to the image, asked why she'd
       gone, prayed she'd come back, demanded answers he couldn't
       have.... and he'd let her hold it.
       It also meant... that bad feeling in Erin's stomach, that
       feeling of something very wrong wasn't total paranoia. It wasn't
       Yukito that was the weirdo here.
       It was Dr. Ramsey.
       No, no, it's not that. He's scary, but he adopted Yukito. After
       his mom died, he adopted him, so everything's fine. Right?
       "So... you found your birth mom?" Erin voiced, surprising
       herself at how meek her voice sounded. She used the typical
       adoption vernacular...because that's all it was, right? He'd
       just found his birth mom and probably wanted to meet her, and
       probably Dr. Ramsey wouldn't let him, because, heck, he wouldn't
       let him even leave the house for a concert, so....
       Her eyes fell on the tiny, faded print. Slowly, she read through
       it. The obituary. His mom was dead. His real mom, and the fake
       mom from the other picture. He'd had to lose a mom twice, even
       if one wasn't real... that was still twice more than anyone
       should feel.
       After a very long, very quiet series of moments, Erin finally
       broke it. "Your birth last name was Maki." Immediately, she
       chastised herself. OF all the things to say, after someone
       exposes their... whatever this was.... and she brilliantly
       comments on his last name? Her face contorted at the thought.
       "Oh, god, I'm sorry, that was stupid!" To demonstrate just the
       level of stupidity, Erin smacked the heel of her hand against
       her forehead.
       "I... I mean, I don't think I understand what this actually
       means... Yukito, the paper thinks you're dead." Her voice had
       dropped back to a whisper. She leaned in, and it would have been
       conspiratorially, only Erin was as serious as a heart attack. "I
       mean, that's just kind of  huge...! Dr. Ramsey has to know
       that... and that means... he's, you know... lied, right?" Of
       course, she knew it meant he lied, but it felt weird... It
       wasn't just the Dr. Hal Ramsey, but it was Yukito's.... dad?
       Father-like figure? ....Kidnapper?
       A sense of panic began to creep into her. So was he showing her
       this because he wasn't safe? Was he trying to get out, and
       showing her this truth was a small way of escaping? Did he want
       her to do something with this?
       After a moment of trying to find words, trying to figure it out
       on her own even though she knew well and good that she couldn't,
       Erin gave up trying. She gave up, and impulsively returned the
       hug he'd been so thoughtful to offer her earlier when she'd
       needed it. When she'd been broken up at the thought of her music
       falling apart, which compared to this... seemed really, really
       selfish. So, at least she could do this... and wait for him to
       tell her more.
       #Post#: 72--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: Mascii Date: February 23, 2013, 4:50 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Yukito Maki
       "That's Hal's sister. Her name was Penelope. She died about a
       week after the photo was taken. A man came into the hospital
       where she worked and shot about four people dead. Hal tells me
       she was about 22 years old when she had me."
       "When she.... what?" Erin did a sort of double-take at the
       photo, and Yukito felt a wave of relief over his whole body that
       he wanted to slump back into the bed. Oh, thank god... In the
       same instant, Yukito's world began to revolve rapidly, as it had
       when he'd first confirmed his suspicions. "Yukito.... she looks
       nothing like you. You don't have any white dominant traits, and
       Dr. Ramsey's about as Anglo-Saxon as they come." She shook her
       head. "There's no way. Our first genetics class with those
       stupid Punnett squares taught us that. You'd have to have some
       of her dominant genes. Look, I doodle all throughout that class
       and I know that. I'm-- I'm sorry, but--"
       She was right. It was an argument he'd come up with the instant
       he had seen the photo himself. He had begged Hal for weeks to
       let him see some kind of proof that his mother had existed.
       Photos and portraits were not something Hal liked to keep
       around, and he had been reluctant. But at last he had given
       Yukito the photo, thinking he could fool him. A part of Yukito
       was simply insulted that Hal could think him so simple as to
       think that all of his genes had come from his faceless father,
       while a part of him wished he really could be that simple, and
       merely ignore it. Instead, he had been forced to choke down his
       arguments until they were hidden deep in his stomach, like a
       dragon hoarding its gold, merely biding its time and waiting for
       its inevitable death.
       He sighed, giving a nod toward the other piece of paper in her
       hand. "This. This is my real mother."
       Erin inspected the photo that was included in the newspaper
       article, her face looking flushed.  "So... you found your birth
       mom?" Her voice was gentle, almost incredulous. Yukito made no
       reply, and she finally started to read the article. He watched
       the subtle muscles in her face shift and tense as she was unable
       to hide her feelings at the article. When she was done, they sat
       there quietly for a long time.
       Yes, Erin. She's dead. Even my real mother is dead.
       "Your birth last name was Maki," was her first comment. Then,
       realizing what she had said, Erin's face twisted, and she
       smacked the heel of her hand against her forehead with a force
       that made Yukito jolt. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, that was stupid!"
       Her voice was way too loud, and Yukito tried to shush her, fear
       shooting through him like pure adrenaline.
       "Shhh! Yes, yes...my full name was Maki Yukito. Because in
       Japan, your family name comes first. No middle name." The idea
       of having a different family name, for some reason, hadn't
       seemed so important to Yukito. He wondered if it should have.
       "I... I mean, I don't think I understand what this actually
       means... Yukito, the paper thinks you're dead." Her voice had
       dropped back to a whisper, luckily. With a serious, almost
       fearful look she leaned in toward him. "I mean, that's just kind
       of huge...! Dr. Ramsey has to know that... and that means...
       he's, you know... lied, right?"
       Yukito watched Erin for a moment, staring at her eyes. From
       where they were, he could see where the flecks of brown in her
       eyes met the black of her pupil, and he could see where the
       confusion met fascination in them, as well. At long last, he
       said, "Yes, he's been lying the whole time. About everything."
       "I don't know why or how, Erin, but...something is really not
       right here. I'm not asking you to tell me what to do or to fix
       it, but..." As he had earlier that night, he reached out and
       took a hold of the hem of her skirt. It was such a childish
       move, reaching out to her both literally and figuratively. "I
       wanted someone to know the whole story."
       #Post#: 74--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: GGJ5 Date: February 24, 2013, 8:13 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "Your birth last name was Maki." Immediately she realized her
       mistake. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, that was stupid!"
       "Shhh! Yes, yes...my full name was Maki Yukito. Because in
       Japan, your family name comes first. No middle name."
       For a moment, Erin found herself quiet. Thinking. Digesting the
       myriad of knowledge that suddenly smacked her like a 2x4. "I...
       I mean, I don't think I understand what this actually means...
       Yukito, the paper thinks you're dead." Her voice had dropped
       back to a whisper. Very somber, she leaned toward him. "I mean,
       that's just kind of huge...! Dr. Ramsey has to know that... and
       that means... he's, you know... lied, right?" She knew it was
       true. It was just scary to say it... the implications weren't
       exactly easy things to swallow.
       For a long second, he just stared at her. It started to worry
       her.... even though Yukito had basically shown her the
       fabrication, was admitting it too much? Did he feel differently
       about it all than what she assumed? Then, finally, he voiced,
       "Yes, he's been lying the whole time. About everything."
       "Oh my god..."
       "I don't know why or how, Erin, but...something is really not
       right here. I'm not asking you to tell me what to do or to fix
       it, but..." To her surprise, he reached out to tug at the hem of
       her clothes. Like she was going to slip away. Like the same way
       he did earlier. It was a motion she didn't get... but it wasn't
       bad. Just confusing. Her mind, though, was more heavily
       preoccupied with his words. With the article and the pictures.
       With the facade that was crumbling before her eyes. "I wanted
       someone to know the whole story."
       Part of Erin was worried she might burst into tears again. She
       didn't want that. She didn't want to turn this back into
       something about her. But... it made her ache inside. A person
       didn't make up such awful lies! A person didn't try to trick a
       person that much, about their family.... and what else? How did
       Dr. Ramsey get Yukito if he'd had a family? Her suspicions were
       awful ones.... A frown etched itself deeply into her face, and
       she shut her eyes before tears decided to betray her. And,
       without a fragment of hesitation, Erin reached out and hugged
       him.
       "Oh, Yukito...." Though her eyes hid it, her voice betrayed her
       worry. "It's scary..." It was a pathetic thing to say, but it's
       how she felt. Erin gently let  the hug end, then looked up at
       Yukito, eyebrows arched in concern. "It's just... I dunno if I
       should say it...." She paused, fumbled for a bit mentally voer
       her words. "If he could lie about this... How did he get you?
       What about your real family? What other things has he lied
       about?" Her last words were in the quietest of whispers. "Who
       all has he been lying to?"
       #Post#: 76--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: morethanmusic Date: February 28, 2013, 9:19 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       OOC: BOOM, BABY, MWAHAHAHAHAHA dude this took forever BIC:
       Dr Hal Ramsey
       He'd been sitting in his office for a while now. Staring down at
       his hands as they sat on the keys of his laptop, he wasn't even
       sure what exactly he'd planned on looking up in the first place.
       Hal had opened up his browser and the only thing he'd managed to
       get to before he'd blacked out was his email. His inbox,
       meticulously managed so that there were no new emails sitting
       there for any period of time, was not where he'd intended to go.
       What had he been doing?
       What had happened before he'd come in here?
       He'd been looking up old case information and come across the
       one for Penny. Penny... if he could've known then how much he'd
       need her, would he have done things a bit differently? But her
       emotions were a disease. They infected him and made him weak.
       Made him feel too deeply. It was a hazard. At first, he let her
       feel for the both of them, but soon that wasn't enough.
       Penny...
       He looked at his hands, turning his palms up so he could look at
       them. Remembering everything he'd done...
       'What if I'd protected her? What if she was still here? She
       would know how to help guide Yukito, she would have the empathy
       to help the boy realize that I really do... I do... I do care...
       that all I do is for him...'
       That sensation in his mind, like having the wind knocked out of
       his lungs, raised a panic as it spread through his unconscious
       and into his conscious thoughts. That voice, like his own, but
       somehow different, was in his mind. It was him... wasn't it? He
       had created the doctor to save himself from his mania, from his
       anger... but, eventually, the doctor had begun to control him
       more than the other way around.
       Not that he was complaining, it had kept him alive. But,
       sometimes... sometimes he wished he could feel without the
       backlash.
       "What do you think you're doing?" the doctor said, in that low,
       deadpan voice he sometimes heard escape from his own lips. "Do
       you want to lose everything you've worked so hard for? You never
       should've let your pathetic weakness for Penelope get into your
       professional relationship with the boy. Look what you've done.
       You're a disgrace."
       He put his head in his hands, closing his eyes tightly. He cared
       too much about Yukito... there was no erasing that. The world
       seemed unaware, but he knew it. Yukito didn't know. Maybe he
       never would.
       "Maybe? Yukito hates you. You've known that for a long time.
       Accept it. Learn to move on."
       'I don't want to! If he could only know... if he could know this
       anger that's killing me... Maybe he could understand why I do
       the things I do... to protect him... because I love him, because
       he's my son...'
       'Your son? Don't be ridiculous. That was a ploy you made up to
       save your research. Don't forget what you've done, what you are.
       Don't forget that you killed his mother, kidnapped him, and
       erased who he was. Pretending it didn't happen won't save you.
       Who do you think you, Jean Valjean? Calm your ego, Hal Ramsey,
       and focus your mind on the plan.'
       He clenched his jaw, hands clasped together tightly behind his
       neck as he put his head on his desk.
       'No... He's my son...'
       'You hate children. You never wanted children. You've killed
       children.'
       Slowly, he sat up, turning slightly to face the door. Out there,
       maybe, was Yukito... probably hidden in his room, behind his
       locked door and chain, with his headphones on... listening to
       music far too loud that was screaming in his ears and damaging
       all the cilia there... And maybe he was doing homework, or maybe
       he was writing... writing something that he never let Hal see.
       Such a private boy... such a quiet boy, with so much anger and
       confusion locked inside...
       'But he is my son... We aren't too different, you know. He's so
       much like I was... I wasn't but a year or so younger than him at
       the time you came around, was I, doctor? He's so much like I
       was... If I had ever had a son, it would've been like him.'
       The doctor began to retreat, fought back by his thoughts of
       Yukito.
       'No, I never wanted children. I still don't. I never will.'
       Steadily, secretly, a true smile -- though small -- crept onto
       Hal's face.
       'I didn't want a son, but now that I have Yukito... he's the
       only son I ever want.'
       Hal took in a deep breath, leaning on his desk, elbows against
       the wood, with his hands folded together. Leaning against his
       hands, he closed his eyes, his smile still barely there. He
       imagined his son, all the work they'd done on his wings, all the
       progress they'd made together... Yukito was growing up so fast,
       but he didn't regret a single day. Even if it meant his death
       one day, Hal would spend the rest of his life working to make
       sure there was a world left when he was gone, a world that would
       owe every day to son... so he would never want for anything.
       'Because I could never have asked for a son that was so like me
       and yet so untouchable, so strong, so smart... he's smarter than
       I was. And true, his dedication is to music rather than
       medicine, but what would I have done if I hadn't been given my
       cause so young? He found his own. That's what makes him unique.
       My own father heard all that I wanted to do and believed in me,
       as ridiculous as he thought it was. I should do the same for my
       son.'
       Sighing, he sat upright and pushed up his glasses. If only
       Yukito knew all that went on in his mind... But, never mind
       that. It was time to get back to work.
       He hadn't been working long when he heard the shout from
       Yukito's room. Most people would've jumped at the sound, but Hal
       only slowly turned in his chair. What was that? Was Yukito
       watching a movie? He hadn't heard anything before that...
       Narrowing his eyes, Hal rose slowly from his chair. Now that he
       thought of it, he hadn't heard the door either.
       He opened his door quietly, making his way around the corner. He
       came  up to Yukito's door, as slow and silent as death itself.
       He ran his hands down the front of his black suit and pushed his
       white coat back a bit before reaching forwards and putting his
       hand on the doorknob. He turned it very slowly, then opened it
       carefully until he felt the slight tug of the chain Yukito kept
       on it. He leaned forwards, looking inside.
       He couldn't see much, but he could see Yukito. And a girl. He
       pressed his lips together tightly. Who was that? He couldn't
       really see the girl's face, but he knew it was a girl by the
       posture and body type. His eyes scanned down to see Yukito
       holding the edge of the girl's clothes in one hand, and the girl
       holding a piece of paper and something else. What was that? This
       entire thing seemed entirely suspicious.
       Carefully, he pulled the door shut. Then, turning the knob
       violently, he swung it as open as it would go. It made a
       horrible noise as it fought against the chain, and he knew they
       would hear that.
       "Yukito," he said, his voice low and suspicious as he peered in
       at them. "Open this door. Now. I'm not asking."
       #Post#: 88--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: GGJ5 Date: March 4, 2013, 8:04 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       Suddenly, the door shoved open-- or at least someone tried to
       shove it open. Erin jumped where she sat beside Yukito,
       inadvertently letting out a shriek. Her eyes flitted to the
       door, where Yuktio had it closed with a chain. Who has a chain
       on their bedroom door? she thought fleetingly. But the thought
       flew faster than she could really register, because only one
       person would be on the other side. And that was the very person
       who not only was given permission to mess with the minds and
       bodies of countless people, and who also apparently doubled as a
       lying kidnapping scary person....
       All these thoughts were quick to pass through her mind. By the
       time she jumped at the sound and impulsively reached to grab
       Yukito's arm, as though it was a cheesy horror film she was
       watching, Erin had already thought all these things and more.
       "Yukito,"  came Dr. Ramsey's voice, not doing a thing to help
       her with her jumpiness. "Open this door. Now. I'm not asking."
       Erin glanced at Yukito, her eyes wide as her heart lodged in her
       throat from the momentary shock. She let go of the grip she
       hadn't even realized she'd held. "Sorry," she mouthed, then
       pursed her lips as a wave of guilt threatened to wash over her.
       Her eyes kept flitting between Yukito and the door, and she gave
       a pathetic little wave and smile. "H-hi." Then before the words
       could really settle on her tongue, Erin spat them out: "I wanted
       to hang out with Yukito for a while, but I didn't think you'd
       let him, since it's late-ish and all, so I made him let me in
       secretly." Feeling suddenly a bit more confident, Erin's smile
       relaxed into a more genuine one, even if just for the moment.
       #Post#: 92--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: Mascii Date: March 16, 2013, 4:33 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Yukito Maki
       "I wanted someone to know the whole story."
       He was so weak and stupid sometimes. Yukito imagined how
       pathetic he must look to her, knelt on the floor before her,
       clinging to the edge of her shirt, as though silently begging to
       be comforted. Although he was sure that the hug she had
       surprised him with earlier that evening had been uncomfortable
       and strange, he sort of wished she would do it again.
       "It's scary..." she had said. "If he could lie about this... How
       did he get you? What about your real family? What other things
       has he lied about? Who all has he been lying to?" They had all
       been questions he had dwelt on for days at a time, had
       repeatedly pressed to himself and then buried as deeply as he
       could.
       "Erin," he wanted to say, "I want to know it's going to be
       alright, even though I know it won't be. I want someone to tell
       me it's alright to cry and to feel confused."
       "Erin..." he started, feeling his chest constrict painfully, "I
       think...just maybe... that--"
       A horrible noise from the chain on the door being forced made
       Yukito jump a foot in the air, his heart stopping as he fell
       away from Erin. Despite the distance he had put between them,
       her hand still found his arm, clinging to it tightly. Through
       the slit in the door, he could see the glint of Hal's glasses,
       and the fury they contained behind the thin layer of glass.
       "Yukito," he said, his voice in a low growl that suggested
       murder. Oh, shit. Yukito sometimes forgot the anger that Hal was
       capable of conveying with such a quiet tone. Sometimes he wished
       for a more palpable fury, a louder sound that he could
       understand, and that would release them from the strain of
       unsaid words that was always between them. But now, he wished
       himself a million miles away. The wings at his back twitched
       nervously, making a light clicking sound that he felt, rather
       than heard. "Open this door. Now. I'm not asking."
       The two teenagers looked at each other, horror reflected in each
       other's eyes. "Sorry," she mouthed, then pursed her lips,
       releasing him. For a second, the color on his forearm altered as
       the pressure released from her hold. They both looked at each
       other and at Hal, unsure what to do.
       "H-hi," Erin managed, giving a little wave and a fear-stricken
       smile. "I wanted to hang out with Yukito for a while, but I
       didn't think you'd let him, since it's late-ish and all, so I
       made him let me in secretly."
       Yukito fought hard against the temptation to glance over at the
       two slips of paper that had fluttered underneath the edge of the
       bed in the fluster, blending in with the rest of the mess.
       Slowly, Yukito stood up, moving to the door. When he knew Hal
       couldn't see his face from behind the door, Yukito took in a
       slow inhale and exhale to calm himself. Hal would see right
       through their nervousness, wouldn't he? It was best to play it
       off as teenage rebellion or childish stubbornness. He forced the
       door closed, wishing he could keep it that way forever, then
       released the chain, pulling the door open so that he could see
       Hal more fully. His feet planted, his hair still wet, and his
       eyes smoldering in defiance, he set his jaw. "That was a lie,"
       he declared, "I asked her to come over. Do you need something?"
       Though his voice, low and - unbeknownst to him - reflecting the
       way Hal had spoken earlier, betrayed none of the fear that was
       making his whole body quiver. His knees threatened to give way
       and allow him to fall, hopefully into blackness and escape.
       Stubbornly, he met Hal's eyes, hoping that none of his fear was
       betrayed by his face.
       #Post#: 93--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: morethanmusic Date: March 18, 2013, 3:28 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Dr. Hal Ramsey
       Staring in at the two of them the best he could, Hal's vision
       was -- as usual -- working against him. In his teenage years, he
       could only really focus on a small section of his field of
       vision, the rest being an unrecognizable blur. Now that he was
       deep into his thirties, what used to be the only clear point in
       his vision was his only area of vision. Described as
       "tunnel-vision", Hal could see about the area of a person's face
       and neck at the distance of about a meter.
       What this meant right now was that he could see very little of
       anything through this door, and none of it at once. Becoming
       used to it over the years, his eyes would flit from place to
       place, and this made him even more panicked. It was like losing
       a large portion of his remaining vision temporarily, and that
       was more than enough to kindle his anger towards the two teens
       hiding in the safety behind the chain on the door.
       Within his vision was the jolt that ran through both of them
       when he slammed the door against the chain to get their
       attention. The girl seemed more frightened than Yukito, but the
       boy was notorious -- as Hal had been as a boy -- for nearly
       lacking expressive reactions. Seeming a bit jumpy, suspicious to
       someone looking -- which Hal was -- by how frightened she
       suddenly was, grabbing hold of Yukito's arm. He could see her
       face now, and he knew she was familiar. One of the girls from
       school, of course, but he'd assumed that much. He couldn't quite
       place her yet... but vision wasn't one of his strong points,
       obviously, and he was better with closer contact methods of
       recognizing people -- with females, in particular, he was keen
       on individual scents, and the sounds of voices.
       "Yukito," he said in a low, definite tone, trying to remain
       still and not shift for a better spot to see them, "Open this
       door. Now. I'm not asking."
       The girl turned to look at the door, then Yukito, then the door,
       then Yukito again, nervously. Hal frowned deeply, switching his
       focus to Yukito, waiting for a reaction like an animal about to
       strike. He was prepared to try and open this door by force.
       Unlikely as it was he would succeed -- for all his frightening
       demeanor at times, Hal was almost completely harmless physically
       when unarmed, and had none of the strength required to unhinge a
       door, much less break a chain. Nonetheless, he had a look that
       could kill, and it was currently directed at his son.
       'Your move. Use it wisely.'
       "H-hi," the girl began, and Hal turned his neck sharply --
       though slightly -- to look at her. She was smiling in an
       unconvincing manner and lowering her arm -- as if had she been
       waving or something. Hal frowned deeper, his eyes narrowing a
       bit.
       "Hello," he replied, deeply. "Explain yourself."
       "I wanted to hang out with Yukito for a while, but I didn't
       think you'd let him, since it's late-ish and all, so I made him
       let me in secretly," she said, and Hal tilted his head slightly.
       Slowly, his frown loosened. Not into a smile, not even mildly,
       but not into a disappointed, confused, looking for answers sort
       of look. No, he knew this girl. Her voice gave her away. The
       steadily tone, the depth... He knew those lungs. Yes, he could
       almost see a diagram of them now. Those were his design.
       He had given her every breath in those lungs. And she dared to
       sneak into his home, the only sacred space? Interesting.
       But she said she had 'made' Yukito let her in secretly? Simply
       because she 'wanted to hang out'? He doubted it. The first time
       Yukito had had any girls over was earlier -- and a different
       girl it had been, at that -- and he wasn't one to like to bring
       anyone home. Hal wasn't ashamed of that atmosphere; this home
       was their space, and it wasn't made to belong to anyone else, so
       no one else was made to feel comfortable in it. No, Yukito was
       too aware of his father’s policies for that. He wouldn’t give in
       to peer pressure… any pressure would have to be his own.
       It really was remarkable… how alike they were. Hal had been so
       similar as a boy.
       "’Made him’, did you?” he began, licking his lips, his tone
       giving away how unimpressed he was. “To my knowledge, you have
       never come to visit him before. So, enlighten me, Miss Spenser,
       why did you feel so pressured to visit him suddenly?” He turned
       his head. “Yukito?”
       The boy came close to the door, putting his hand on the
       doorknob. Hal met his eyes for a moment, as if to say he was
       trusting him to open the door instead of just slam it in his
       face. Yukito closed the door, and Hal held very still until he
       heard the chain coming undone. The door opened, revealing a
       wet-haired and defiant Yukito. Hal stared back at him, folding
       his arms over his chest to counter Yukito’s sturdy stance.
       “Well?”
       "That was a lie," Yukito replied, and Hal raised one eyebrow
       with interest.
       “Oh? Not off on a good start, are we, Miss Spenser?” he noted,
       not breaking his gaze with Yukito but noting Erin’s presence.
       "I asked her to come over. Do you need something?" Yukito
       continued.
       Hal narrowed his eyes slightly, listening intently to Yukito’s
       tone. Something was off, the familiarity of the tone was not
       Yukito’s own, but stubborn and steady. Glancing back at Erin,
       Hal’s eyes shone with the lack of trust he had for the both of
       them because of their secrecy. He noticed a change in Yukito’s
       breathing – it was unsteady. He put a hand on the door, pushing
       it slightly to suggest he wanted to come in.
       “Do I need something?” he echoed, tilting his head to the side
       in an arrogant, knowing manner. “Excuse me, but this is my
       house. I need answers. Why was this door locked? Why is she
       here?” He gestured to Miss Spenser, his voice unwavering and
       unemotional. “The first day you ever have any girls over and
       it’s two in one day? One suddenly excuses herself, the other is
       locked in your room and blatantly lies to me? You expect me to
       not find this behavior suspicious?”
       He looked at Yukito evenly, licking his lips slowly. “Explain
       yourself.”
       #Post#: 97--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Ramsey Household
       By: GGJ5 Date: March 19, 2013, 8:31 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Erin Spenser
       "I wanted to hang out with Yukito for a while, but I didn't
       think you'd let him, since it's late-ish and all, so I made him
       let me in secretly." She sounded more confident than she felt.
       That was nice. It wasn't nice to know that the person she was
       talking to was also apparently an expert liar. Erin hadn't
       reached the expert level yet. It wasn't a fair match at all.
       "’Made him’, did you?”
       Erin gave a sure nod. "Mm-hmm."
       “To my knowledge, you have never come to visit him before. So,
       enlighten me, Miss Spenser, why did you feel so pressured to
       visit him suddenly?”
       Erin's eyebrows raised at that statement. Was it really that
       weird for someone to, oh, just want to strike up a better
       friendship? Maybe if he wasn't so weird about people visiting,
       he wouldn't be so jumpy about it. "Uh, 'cause once you're
       friends with someone, you wanna hang out with them more?" She
       knew her voice carried a "well, duh" tone, but... well, wasn't
       that kind of a stupid question coming from someone who was
       probably a certified genius a few times over?
       His attention transfered over. “Yukito?”
       Yukito walked to the door and after a moment, opened it. Whether
       he saw her or not, Erin kept a constant "what the crap is even
       happening here" face on. What else could she possibly feel? Band
       breaks, secret missions sneaking into overly fancy and
       apparently forbidden home, finding out the modern-day
       Hippocrates was a liar and kidnapper and possibly a murderer
       and-- Holy crap I'm in his house giving him snarky remarks, go
       me.
       “Well?”
       "That was a lie," Yukito replied, making Erin roll her eyes. Why
       would he do that? She'd been perfectly fine with her snark,
       thank you very much.
       “Oh? Not off on a good start, are we, Miss Spenser?”
       "I asked her to come over. Do you need something?" Yukito
       continued.
       Well, if he could be sarcastic, so could she. Erin pouted.
       "Well, truth is relative, so maybe my truth was that I bugged
       him to do it, and the way Yukito sees it is that he let me.
       Isn't that the cool thing in philosophy now? Relative truth?"
       Oh, hey, look, something from that class actually sunk in. And
       might have actually been useful... maybe... if we don't all get
       killed or something. Oh...
       “Do I need something?” he echoed, voice dripping in ego. “Excuse
       me, but this is my house. I need answers. Why was this door
       locked? Why is she here?”
       When Dr. Ramsey gestured toward Erin, she couldn't help but feel
       a surge of anger towards him. If felt like he was talking like
       she was a thing. Like she hadn't already given him a perfectly
       decent answer as to 'why she was here.' Her face contorted into
       a deep frown.
       “The first day you ever have any girls over and it’s two in one
       day? One suddenly excuses herself, the other is locked in your
       room and blatantly lies to me? You expect me to not find this
       behavior suspicious?”
       She couldn't help herself. "What, he's not allowed to have girl
       friends? Are we gonna give him cooties or something?"
       The way Dr. Ramsey kept licking his lips was freaking her out...
       like he was a snake tasting the air before he pounced on his
       prey-- in this case either herself, Yukito, or both. Yay.
       Doctor-Snake-Liar-Kidnapper-Murder-Man, and Erin was bringing up
       cooties. I'm full of super-bright ideas. Can you die from
       sarcasm? Pretty sure I'm about to die from sarcasm....
       Dr. Ramsey's eyes focused on Yukito. “Explain yourself.”
       *****************************************************
   DIR Next Page