#nobody's letting kitakata in on the investigation :(

[jichanxo]

sunday six

tags: @passthroughtime @four-white-trees @overdevelopedglasses @skysquid22 @mike----wazowski

senseific progress has been slow, though i'm trying to keep at it... at the very least i've been poking at something related in the meantime. itokura and kitakata sensei part 2.... or something....

“Keep your book.” He caught up to her as she started on the staircase. “Tell me what I’m missing.”

“Go ask Amasawa’s brother, if you care so much. And isn’t this your floor?”

Kitakata stopped on the landing. She was right, this was his floor. He had to go bring her work to the staffroom. “Why would I ask him when I’m asking you?”

She paused on the steps.

He sighed. “So everyone really does know about this, if even Kento does. It’s just me who’s out of the loop.” He sounded frustrated.

[jichanxo]

long time no senseific asks! you plan on focusing on the school stories just as much as kwgm, if i’m not wrong? do their plots change much with kitakata present, or is he not very present for the much of the clubs’ plotlines? (idr if you talked about it earlier, sorry if you did)

this is gonna be hard to answer because i still don't have a lot sorted out, but here are my thoughts for now:

putting this post here for context since i talked about the current structure for school stories there, and that is largely unchanged rn.

i've been thinking harder about it, and while i am trying to stay open to including as much school story stuff as possible, it's also just... not interesting to retread the same ground as canon? since part of the point of the Big Conflict between kitakata and yagami is that yagami doesn't trust him to let him join the professor investigation, by necessity, kitakata isn't going to be around for a lot of it, and that means right now there isn't a lot of opportunity to make substantial changes. of course nothing's set in stone, and i want to make it so kitakata is trying to keep in the loop so he's definitely sticking his head in at some points, but yeah. not a lot of opportunity for change, and it's not really worth writing it without any.

i am thinking some of the students in the clubs would have been taught by kitakata, and that leaves some room to slip him in🤔i was thinking he's sakura dento's homeroom teacher, so maybe when things get serious over there, he might be trying to check up on them. especially since itokura's also in the robotics club. of course, there's also the dance club thing i mentioned in the post linked earlier. i'd actually like to involve him earlier because i want him to laugh to himself watching yagami dance, but i haven't figured it out yet unfortunately 😔 (this is a cry for help) (nobody would be able to help me without reading my wip) (or without me drafting more of the school plot) (....maybe i'll try swapping around the placement of some scenes...)

anyhow, aside from that, i can only really figure it out as i go, like i usually do.

but instead of talking about what i think i can't do with the school plot, i'll talk about what i am interested in doing. stating the obvious here, but what i think would be interesting in this plotline is the character relationships.

of course the centrepiece here is the tension between yagami and kitakata -- yagami who doesn't want him involved in the investigation (because he's unprofessional or untrustworthy or doesn't communicate, or because yagami can handle it himself anyway, or because kitakata as a teacher has certain obligations to report student misconduct) and kitakata who cares and wants to help and be involved (we know very well the reason for this, and that it's personal for him. especially when it involves itokura later. but yagami doesn't)

in addition to the above, is amasawa having to navigate the tension between them. she's not as strongly opposed to kitakata getting involved as yagami is, but she also understands why he wants to keep him out. it's true sometimes that kitakata doesn't need to be involved (for instance, i can't imagine him helping with the motorcycle gang stuff lol) but it's also true that sometimes they won't be able to hide things from him, and sometimes it would be good to have kitakata as an ally. she is on good terms with both these people, and yet they don't always get along. it's a difficult situation. (something something maturity-immaturity contrast, the adults being immature and the student being mature)

there's also kitakata's relationship with itokura, since obviously they've got that history. i really hope that kitakata would be able to reach itokura this time. both because it feels good but also because it feels like the most natural conclusion to what i've built up with their relationship. although he's glad to see itokura back at school, i think there's a part of him that's bitter and jealous about how it'd been yagami to help her, and not him. even though he'd tried, he'd failed, and even now yagami won't let him help and it's just not fair, why is it you, and not me? (looping back to that point about kitakata-yagami tension). and finally, finally he'll be able to make a difference. he'll do the right thing, without messing up. tie that shit up with a ribbon it's a completed arc. ...i'd also like to have them spend some time together in the lead up too... i want them to get along 🥺

to a lesser extent, sawa's also important here. i don't see her actively involved in the plot or anything, but she's similar to itokura in that she's this important figure in Why Kitakata Is The Way He Is. kitakata and itokura aren't gonna talk about their history together, but i think sawa will help yagami understand kitakata after their big fight.

aside from that, i'd like to show kitakata interacting with students when i can. helps paint a fuller picture of him and his life outside of his relationship with yagami, yknow.

but yeah, that's what i have in mind right now. as always, subject to change when i actually write it. but you can see i have general ideas, just haven't locked in how it's going to interact with the school clubs specifically.