[Open] Act One: The Wall - Needle in the Hay

The classroom is scorching today. Sweltering. Nonetheless, I stubbornly keep my uniform fully buttoned and keep working even after the bell rings. Everyone had a partner already so I constituted to do the work on my own.

The bell rings. The students rush out of the classroom and pour out of the school building like the end of a cheesy, picturesque 80s high school movie. A few stay behind to discuss afternoon plans as the slowly ease out. I look back over my shoulder. A student or two is silently finishing work.

One of those students is the petite Kuriko Hatsuhara, who is struggling to finish the assignment on time. Her lack of sight make it difficult to write without the aid of a keyboard, and she wasn't lucky enough to own a laptop.

After a few minutes of frantic writing, Kuriko slams her pencil in anger with a noise of pure frustration. She mumbles something under her breath about "pencils going where the sun don't shine."

I raise my eyebrows and slowly turn back towards her like one of those old balding European men of distinction about to make a witty comeback. Noticing the haze in your eyes, I sigh and tread over, pulling up a seat next to her. I shift my gaze to the paper then to her face. Pretty.

"You need help transcribing the work? I can help so your pencil stays glued to the paper rather than up someones arse. No one deserves hemorrhoids out of your frustration."

Taking a long breath out of her nose, Kuriko grudgingly replies, "Yeah. thanks."

She explains her troubles, "My laptop bust and now I'm pretty much having to learn how to write again - it's been SO long."

Rubbing her eyes, she adds "The names Kuriko. Kuriko Hatsuhara."

"Relying so much on technology has its downfall. Keller had none of this and she went along well."

I grasp your hand and begin tracing the letters while saying them.

Letting Chihiro trace the letters, I try to commit them to memory.

After a while, Kuriko feels that she'slearnt them sufficiently enough to continue the work alone.

"Thanks, err... I've forgotten your name." she says, turning red. "How come you've stayed late?"

"Because I did the work at leisure by myself. And my name is Chihiro. Chihiro Tanaka."

"Nice to meet'cha!" Kuriko says, beaming in the general direction of Chihiro.

"You worked alone, huh? Makes sense. I worked with that girl... Rii? She hindered us if anything. Stayed silent the WHOLE time. Had to do it all myself."

Next to Kuriko are pages upon pages of writing that Rii had written in a doomed attempt at communicating with Kuriko. It ended with an angry exclamation of:

"~Fuck you!!!~"

I put on an unassuming expression with a slight hint of interest.

"Sounds like my type of acquaintance."

"Well, if you can get her to talk, please come find me." Kuriko says with a pout. Headstrong as always, Kuriko asks, "You're new here aren't you?"

I nod but in my head, I work out the formula. A girl who doesn't talk no matter what in a school for the disabled. Chances are she's probably mute. Having a mute paired up with a blind girl....

"I am. New, that is. Just came in a few days ago. Maybe that girl was mute...."

"M-mute? ....Ah. I believe I've made a grave error of judgement."

Kuriko looks slightly worried for a second, then shrugs. "Oh well! How're you enjoying it here?"

"I hate this place. But it's better here than anywhere else for me."

I brush my hair out of my eyes and inspect my nails.

Kuriko looks surprised.

"You hate it?! Why?? The people here are great, teaching is pretty good, the facilities are better than most school in the country... What's wrong?"

"I admit the last two at least. The people I've met so far...."

I let the sentence fade off.

Kuriko's face drops for a moment, only to be revived with a grin "....I hope that doesn't include me!" Kuriko says with a wink. "Who have you met?"

"A Mister Hawke, a Setsuna and..."

I take a deep breath before saying "...Veach. Don't worry. You're fine. Setsuna too."

A smile from Kuriko.

"Hawke is great! And Veach is my boyfriend... what's wrong with him?" She says with a pout.

My tone dramatically changes from softly apathetic to brutally cold. Porcelina speaks.

"He's both nosy and insolent."

"Huh... Well. I suppose we can have our own opinions." Kuriko gets up and stiffly says, "Thank you for the help, but I must be off to visit my boyfriend in hospital. Goodbye."

[THE POWERS OF A TIMELORD.]

My voice eases back to my soft, indifferent tone.

"Goodbye. Hold on to it while you can."