Avalon:Volume 0 Chapter 1 - Revision history

Aorii at 15:03, 10 May 2013

2013-05-10T15:03:43Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 10 May 2013
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	Unwilling to start a confrontation that wasn't on her terms, Kannon could only retort silently to words spoken a minute ago. Her thoughts were delayed by earlier deliberations, leading to even more holdup in her mental pipeline. It was a common occurance for her in social situations.		Unwilling to start a confrontation that wasn't on her terms, Kannon could only retort silently to words spoken a minute ago. Her thoughts were delayed by earlier deliberations, leading to even more holdup in her mental pipeline. It was a common occurance for her in social situations.

	To be fair, access to elite families ranked as high on her charts as anyone else. In the business world, connections were just as important, if not even more so, than competence. ''Cinderella'' tales of marriage between commoners and nobles may be better known, but upper class scions had more incentive, and more pressure, to seek partners among themselves. After all, marriage between two corporate heirs yielded obvious ~~business~~ and political gains~~, the least of which was increased financial stability that will send company stocks skyward for years to come~~.		To be fair, access to elite families ranked as high on her charts as anyone else. In the business world, connections were just as important, if not even more so, than competence. ''Cinderella'' tales of marriage between commoners and nobles may be better known, but upper class scions had more incentive, and more pressure, to seek partners among themselves. After all, marriage between two corporate heirs yielded obvious financial and political gains.

	Yet although status may bring her invites from collegiate secret societies, it was not enough for any self-respecting daughter. Kannon dreamed of a perfect romance like most girls her age, but she also kept the wise words of her mother to heart: On the upper levels of society, people married for partnership. History has proven that most ambitious ~~men~~ of greatness ~~-- and many women for that matter --~~ were rarely satisfied for long. A successful life-long relationship laid in the reliance between two strong individuals in assisting each others' dreams, not temporary factors like status, interests, or even youthful passion born of hormone-driven emotions. Therefore, "''a true princess commands the respect of her prince through personal ability, loved regardless of how many mistresses he may or may not have.''"		Yet although status may bring her invites from collegiate secret societies, it was not enough for any self-respecting daughter. Kannon dreamed of a perfect romance like most girls her age, but she also kept the wise words of her mother to heart: On the upper levels of society, people married for partnership. History has proven that most ambitious individuals of greatness were rarely satisfied for long. A successful life-long relationship laid in the reliance between two strong individuals in assisting each others' dreams, not temporary factors like status, interests, or even youthful passion born of hormone-driven emotions. Therefore, "''a true princess commands the respect of her prince through personal ability, loved regardless of how many mistresses he may or may not have.''"

	But ~~in an era when people started dating as early as elementary school~~, Kannon never had a boyfriend ~~through her twenty years of life~~. ~~It wasn't a lack of interest; she~~ had received plenty of offers~~. Kannon~~ simply had more pride than to date someone who only wanted a rare trophy or connections to her family. ~~For someone who took great pride in her ability~~ to ~~read others~~, she knew perfectly well that the number of men who have genuinely interacted with ''her'' could be counted on with her fingers.		But through her twenty years of life, Kannon never had a boyfriend. She had received plenty of offers, but she simply had more pride than to date someone who only wanted a rare trophy or connections to her family. Highly sensitive to other people's intentions, she knew perfectly well that the number of men who have genuinely interacted with ''her'' could be counted on with her fingers.

	''Whatever...''		''Whatever...''
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	She mouthed as she repeated one of her mottos:		She mouthed as she repeated one of her mottos:

	''Ideals of princes can wait, achievements of life comes first.''		''Ideals about princes can wait, achievements in life comes first.''

	With a silent sigh, Kannon refocused her attention, only to close the Augmented-Reality (AR) windows -- computer graphics superimposed into her perception of the real world through her implants -- that displayed her study material.		With a silent sigh, Kannon refocused her attention, only to close the Augmented-Reality (AR) windows -- computer graphics superimposed into her perception of the real world through her implants -- that displayed her study material.
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	''Have I hit my limit?''		''Have I hit my limit?''

	Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know. Man had neither physique nor numbers nor fearlessness, yet humankind once grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization. In his exact words, "''one must grasp true understanding before determination created results.''"		Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished reading a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know. Man had neither physique nor numbers nor fearlessness, yet humankind once grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization. In his exact words, "''one must grasp true understanding before determination created results.''"

	''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could...''		''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could...''

Aorii at 13:26, 8 May 2013

2013-05-08T13:26:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:26, 8 May 2013
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	But Kannon Reginberaht's keen senses were far from average. She could hear every syllable with just enough clarity, even though she did her best to pretend she couldn't. Years of honed experience made her excellent at ignoring unwanted commentary... except they hit one too many hated keywords and drew her attention.		But Kannon Reginberaht's keen senses were far from average. She could hear every syllable with just enough clarity, even though she did her best to pretend she couldn't. Years of honed experience made her excellent at ignoring unwanted commentary... except they hit one too many hated keywords and drew her attention.

	Kannon wasn't a social person by any measure, especially without preparation. Her mind relied upon visual thinking with a build-up approach, which forced her to consider as much detail as possible before advancing to ~~the actual topic~~. It excelled at tackling large-scale tasks where she could take 'setup time' to absorb the complete picture, leading to a highly productive session. The downside was a long gear-switching time for simple activities which did not limit themselves to one topic, like daily conversations. It resulted in a noticeable delay to her response time measurable in seconds, making ninety-some percent of the people Kannon met quickly form the impression that she was slow, and therefore no mental giant.		Kannon wasn't a social person by any measure, especially without preparation. Her mind relied upon visual thinking with a build-up approach, which forced her to consider as much detail as possible before advancing to deliberations. It excelled at tackling large-scale tasks where she could take 'setup time' to absorb the complete picture, leading to a highly productive session. The downside was a long gear-switching time for simple activities which did not limit themselves to one topic, like daily conversations. It resulted in a noticeable delay to her response time measurable in seconds, making ninety-some percent of the people Kannon met quickly form the impression that she was slow, and therefore no mental giant.

	''Challenging yet pointless encounter...''		''Challenging yet pointless encounter...''

	The circumstances made action difficult for ~~Kannon~~. Impromptu social confrontations were steep fights, especially against multiple opponents whom she knew next to nothing about. But those girls had a perfect vantage point over the hall's entrance; if Kannon just walked out, she would seem like a pushover and only embolden them in the future. After self-deliberation, she concluded that the best option was ''inaction'': to feign ignorance and absence by staying behind the privacy screen of her single-person study desk.		The circumstances made action difficult for her. Impromptu social confrontations were steep fights, especially against multiple opponents whom she knew next to nothing about. But those girls had a perfect vantage point over the hall's entrance; if Kannon just walked out, she would seem like a pushover and only embolden them in the future. After self-deliberation, she concluded that the best option was ''inaction'': to feign ignorance and absence by staying behind the privacy screen of her single-person study desk.

	Still...		Still...
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	''Since I can't concentration enough to study, let's utilize this time for something I ''can'' concentrate on.''		''Since I can't concentration enough to study, let's utilize this time for something I ''can'' concentrate on.''

	Kannon opened her schedule to organize her plans for the days coming up. The summer research trip with her astrophysics professor had taken far longer than expected since their survey craft broke down. By the time she returned, it was already close to the first round of ~~midterms~~. After that was... a whole week crossed out for her cousin's wedding, prompting a round trip back to that 'main family home' she hated so much.		Kannon opened her schedule to organize her plans for the days coming up. The summer research trip with her astrophysics professor had taken far longer than expected since their survey craft broke down. By the time she returned, it was already close to the first round of exams. After that was... a whole week crossed out for her cousin's wedding, prompting a round trip back to that 'main family home' she hated so much.

	''Dear life: please give me a break already.''		''Dear life: please give me a break already.''

Aorii at 19:37, 28 April 2013

2013-04-28T19:37:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:37, 28 April 2013
Line 175:		Line 175:
	''Have I hit my limit?''		''Have I hit my limit?''

	Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know~~; "''mankind~~ once grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization, ~~not mere~~ determination.''" ~~Without understanding to back up effort, charging ahead was nothing short of blind stupidity.~~		Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know. Man had neither physique nor numbers nor fearlessness, yet humankind once grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization. In his exact words, "''one must grasp true understanding before determination created results.''"

	''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could ~~muster~~...''		''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could...''

	She plunged back down onto the seat and curled up once again with her long hair spread in a mess all around...		She plunged back down onto the seat and curled up once again with her long hair spread in a mess all around. Her mind had no choice but to face her own inexperience...

	Suddenly, the spacecraft began to pitch and shake. It felt like a shuttle meeting turbulence; except this was deep space, and there were no atmospheric streams.		Suddenly, the spacecraft began to pitch and shake. It felt like a shuttle meeting turbulence; except this was deep space, and there were no atmospheric streams.

Aorii at 18:42, 28 April 2013

2013-04-28T18:42:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:42, 28 April 2013
Line 175:		Line 175:
	''Have I hit my limit?''		''Have I hit my limit?''

	Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know; "''mankind grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization, not mere determination.''" Without understanding to back up effort, charging ahead was nothing short of blind stupidity.		Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know; "''mankind once grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization, not mere determination.''" Without understanding to back up effort, charging ahead was nothing short of blind stupidity.

	''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could muster...''		''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could muster...''

	She plunged back down onto the seat and curled up once again with her long hair spread in a mess all around~~. Her thoughts were blanking out again~~...		She plunged back down onto the seat and curled up once again with her long hair spread in a mess all around...

	Suddenly, the spacecraft began to pitch and shake. It felt like a shuttle meeting turbulence; except this was deep space, and there were no atmospheric streams.		Suddenly, the spacecraft began to pitch and shake. It felt like a shuttle meeting turbulence; except this was deep space, and there were no atmospheric streams.

Aorii at 18:39, 28 April 2013

2013-04-28T18:39:58Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:39, 28 April 2013
Line 175:		Line 175:
	''Have I hit my limit?''		''Have I hit my limit?''

	Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as animals ~~display~~ far more courage and guts than man will ever know; "''mankind grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization, not mere determination.''" Without understanding to back up effort, charging ahead was nothing short of blind stupidity.		Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as even animals displayed far more courage and guts than man will ever know; "''mankind grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization, not mere determination.''" Without understanding to back up effort, charging ahead was nothing short of blind stupidity.

	''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could muster...''		''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could muster...''

Aorii at 18:37, 28 April 2013

2013-04-28T18:37:31Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:37, 28 April 2013
Line 167:		Line 167:
	The alarm notified Kannon of the TSV-9's departure from hyperspace. However, one look over to the display window, currently set to the sensors feed, was enough to sink her heart back into the abyss. There was nothing there. Except for the translucent azure glow of space, the blossom-pink window frame, and the bright-blue grid lines, the local map was completely empty.		The alarm notified Kannon of the TSV-9's departure from hyperspace. However, one look over to the display window, currently set to the sensors feed, was enough to sink her heart back into the abyss. There was nothing there. Except for the translucent azure glow of space, the blossom-pink window frame, and the bright-blue grid lines, the local map was completely empty.

	Kannon knew it might come to this~~. But now that it did, she realized that she wasn't ready~~.		Kannon knew it might come to this.

	''This is my one chance of getting help on time and what do I find? Nothing!''		''This is my one chance of getting help on time and what do I find? Nothing!''

	~~Disorganized information~~ filled her mind instantly as if every related folder of ~~files was dumped into~~ it. Her thoughts ~~raced through all the images, her fingers navigating through~~ every menu, ~~and her voice mumbling barely relevant numbers -- distance to the nearest colony, endurance ranges of the TSV-9 craft, list of nearby starports, etc, etc, etc. She couldn't think~~ of ~~a solution~~. No matter what, she just couldn't think of ~~something~~ else ~~she could still~~ try~~. So she went over it all again~~, ~~and again~~, ~~and again~~...		Information filled her mind instantly as every related folder of data spread over it. Her thoughts reviewed every correlated file and reassessed every menu, looking for an alternative solution of some kind. Yet no matter what, she just couldn't think of anything else to try, even after going through everything a second time, a third...

	~~Kannon always met her anxieties by doing~~ ''~~something~~'', ~~anything that would distract her attention towards productivity. But when~~ the ~~basin~~ of ~~ideas emptied out,~~ it ~~resulted in~~ a ~~marginally better approach~~ to ~~panicking than doing nothing. In fact~~, ~~it may actually be worse~~, ~~as after fifteen minutes all she worked~~ up was ~~a headache~~.		''Have I hit my limit?''

			Initiative and courage, the willingness to take action, was only as good as one's ability and the availability of information to back it up. Kannon still remembered the first time she finished a young adult fiction, her father immediately rectified her views: "''willpower alone opens nothing''", as animals display far more courage and guts than man will ever know; "''mankind grew to dominance through preparation, knowledge, ingenuity, and organization, not mere determination.''" Without understanding to back up effort, charging ahead was nothing short of blind stupidity.

			''But limited data was all I had; an informed guess the best I could muster...''

	She plunged back down onto the seat and curled up once again with her long hair spread in a mess all around. Her thoughts were blanking out again...		She plunged back down onto the seat and curled up once again with her long hair spread in a mess all around. Her thoughts were blanking out again...

Aorii at 16:41, 28 April 2013

2013-04-28T16:41:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:41, 28 April 2013
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	Kannon wasn't a social person by any measure, especially without preparation. Her mind relied upon visual thinking with a build-up approach, which forced her to consider as much detail as possible before advancing to the actual topic. It excelled at tackling large-scale tasks where she could take 'setup time' to absorb the complete picture, leading to a highly productive session. The downside was a long gear-switching time for simple activities which did not limit themselves to one topic, like daily conversations. It resulted in a noticeable delay to her response time measurable in seconds, making ninety-some percent of the people Kannon met quickly form the impression that she was slow, and therefore no mental giant.		Kannon wasn't a social person by any measure, especially without preparation. Her mind relied upon visual thinking with a build-up approach, which forced her to consider as much detail as possible before advancing to the actual topic. It excelled at tackling large-scale tasks where she could take 'setup time' to absorb the complete picture, leading to a highly productive session. The downside was a long gear-switching time for simple activities which did not limit themselves to one topic, like daily conversations. It resulted in a noticeable delay to her response time measurable in seconds, making ninety-some percent of the people Kannon met quickly form the impression that she was slow, and therefore no mental giant.

	''~~Rather challenging~~ encounter...''		''Challenging yet pointless encounter...''

	The circumstances made action difficult for Kannon. Impromptu social confrontations were steep fights, especially against multiple opponents whom she knew next to nothing about. But those girls had a perfect vantage point over the hall's entrance; if Kannon just walked out, she would seem like a pushover and only embolden them in the future. After self-deliberation, she concluded that the best option was ''inaction'': to feign ignorance and absence by staying behind the privacy screen of her single-person study desk.		The circumstances made action difficult for Kannon. Impromptu social confrontations were steep fights, especially against multiple opponents whom she knew next to nothing about. But those girls had a perfect vantage point over the hall's entrance; if Kannon just walked out, she would seem like a pushover and only embolden them in the future. After self-deliberation, she concluded that the best option was ''inaction'': to feign ignorance and absence by staying behind the privacy screen of her single-person study desk.

Aorii at 00:41, 24 April 2013

2013-04-24T00:41:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:41, 24 April 2013
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	"Eck. Why would anyone coming here dye their hair like... like some street tramp!"		"Eck. Why would anyone coming here dye their hair like... like some street tramp!"

	"Just whoring attention. She's even got the boys wondering if that's her natural hair color. Apparently all her official info has it too, and same as her mother's--"		"Just ''whoring'' attention. She's even got the boys wondering if that's her natural hair color. Apparently all her official info has it too, and same as her mother's--"

	"The Reginberaht family? They're like one of the top ten top families in business!"		"The Reginberaht family? They're like one of the top ten top families in business!"

Aorii at 00:33, 24 April 2013

2013-04-24T00:33:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:33, 24 April 2013
Line 7:		Line 7:
	"Eck. Why would anyone coming here dye their hair like... like some street tramp!"		"Eck. Why would anyone coming here dye their hair like... like some street tramp!"

	"Just ''whoring'' attention. She's even got the boys wondering if that's her natural hair color. Apparently all her official info has it too, and same as her mother's--"		"Just whoring attention. She's even got the boys wondering if that's her natural hair color. Apparently all her official info has it too, and same as her mother's--"

	"The Reginberaht family? They're like one of the top ten top families in business!"		"The Reginberaht family? They're like one of the top ten top families in business!"
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	To be fair, access to elite families ranked as high on her charts as anyone else. In the business world, connections were just as important, if not even more so, than competence. ''Cinderella'' tales of marriage between commoners and nobles may be better known, but upper class scions had more incentive, and more pressure, to seek partners among themselves. After all, marriage between two corporate heirs yielded obvious business and political gains, the least of which was increased financial stability that will send company stocks skyward for years to come.		To be fair, access to elite families ranked as high on her charts as anyone else. In the business world, connections were just as important, if not even more so, than competence. ''Cinderella'' tales of marriage between commoners and nobles may be better known, but upper class scions had more incentive, and more pressure, to seek partners among themselves. After all, marriage between two corporate heirs yielded obvious business and political gains, the least of which was increased financial stability that will send company stocks skyward for years to come.

	Yet although status may bring her invites from collegiate secret societies, it was not enough for any self-respecting daughter. Kannon dreamed of a perfect romance like most girls her age, but she also kept the wise words of her mother to heart: On the upper levels of society, people married for partnership. History has proven that most ambitious men of greatness -- and many women for that matter -- were rarely satisfied for long. A successful life-long relationship laid in the reliance between two strong individuals in assisting each others' ~~goals~~, not temporary factors like status, interests, or even youthful hormone-driven emotions. Therefore, "''a true princess commands the respect of her prince through personal ability, loved regardless of how many mistresses he may or may not have.''"		Yet although status may bring her invites from collegiate secret societies, it was not enough for any self-respecting daughter. Kannon dreamed of a perfect romance like most girls her age, but she also kept the wise words of her mother to heart: On the upper levels of society, people married for partnership. History has proven that most ambitious men of greatness -- and many women for that matter -- were rarely satisfied for long. A successful life-long relationship laid in the reliance between two strong individuals in assisting each others' dreams, not temporary factors like status, interests, or even youthful passion born of hormone-driven emotions. Therefore, "''a true princess commands the respect of her prince through personal ability, loved regardless of how many mistresses he may or may not have.''"

	But in an era when people started dating as early as elementary school, Kannon never had a boyfriend through her twenty years of life. It wasn't a lack of interest; she had received plenty of offers. Kannon simply had more pride than to date someone who only wanted a rare trophy or connections to her family. For someone who took great pride in her ability to read others, she knew perfectly well that the number of men who have genuinely interacted with ''her'' could be counted on with her fingers.		But in an era when people started dating as early as elementary school, Kannon never had a boyfriend through her twenty years of life. It wasn't a lack of interest; she had received plenty of offers. Kannon simply had more pride than to date someone who only wanted a rare trophy or connections to her family. For someone who took great pride in her ability to read others, she knew perfectly well that the number of men who have genuinely interacted with ''her'' could be counted on with her fingers.

Aorii at 02:39, 23 April 2013

2013-04-23T02:39:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:39, 23 April 2013
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	"Well I guess you can call her pretty in an otherworldly way, almost like some collectible trophy. But have you talked to her? She's sooo slow, literally, and dull in every sense of the word."		"Well I guess you can call her pretty in an otherworldly way, almost like some collectible trophy. But have you talked to her? She's sooo slow, literally, and dull in every sense of the word."

	"She has to be good at something though. This isn't an easy university to enter, and even then ~~the~~ washout ~~percentage~~ from the first two years is over half!"		"She has to be good at something though. This isn't an easy university to enter, and even then washout from the first two years is over half!"

	"Probably just family connections. With such a ''useless'' heir, her parents must have sent her here husband-hunting!"		"Probably just family connections; must be nice to have the parents arrange her dreams for her."

			"Well do they have any choice? With such a ''useless'' heir, her parents must have sent her here husband-hunting!"

	Most people wouldn't be able to hear the malicious words tinged by jealousy. The four girls who voiced them in hushed whispers sat in an isolated corner on the far side. The study hall was massive enough to fit two basketball courts, and only those who chose to turn up the audio through their sensory implants -- a recipe for maximizing distractions -- would be able to hear.		Most people wouldn't be able to hear the malicious words tinged by jealousy. The four girls who voiced them in hushed whispers sat in an isolated corner on the far side. The study hall was massive enough to fit two basketball courts, and only those who chose to turn up the audio through their sensory implants -- a recipe for maximizing distractions -- would be able to hear.