IKAG Storywriting Draft v2

⦁	Amelia catches Conner in the library writing something and screwing up paper repeatedly. It's by happenstance, but she figures it'll be best to monitor what he's doing and put a premature stop to any shenanigans he might be up to. Amelia puts her best foot forward to greet Conner. Thrown off by seeing her out of the context of the office, Conner explains he's trying to write a story for English class, but he can't get the opening sentence he wants. Amelia realises he's writing straight ahead instead of forming a plan of action, and talks him through setting down a list of bullet points framing the story structure.

⦁	She also talks him into using a phone/computer/tablet that'll let him write and rewrite his words without having to scribble and cross out entire lines on paper. Amelia seems pretty experienced at this sort of thing! It's just basic stuff, really. She pulls out her own phone and shows off a couple websites hosting short stories she wrote and uploaded, along with a bookmark to an marketplace listing a published anthology she was part of. Conner's reaction is delayed, and Amelia anticipates a superficial response ("oh wow, you're a real writer!" "I wish I were as good as you!"). He starts frowning.

⦁	When he starts frowning, Amelia expects a different response (something more negative, like Conner giving up before he even starts, or going "well you're naturally talented", or disassociating from her). Instead Conner makes up his mind: "I can write better than this." Ah. There it is. Conner gets ahead of himself, but he refuses to be shown up by Amelia.

⦁	They start goading one another into competing over a short story idea before getting shushed, both of them returning home after school to study literature (Conner) or ruminate (Amelia).

⦁	Amelia returns to her own house and looks around to find the place vacant, save for her step-sister Princess Daughter, who informs Amelia that Queen Mother has travelled overseas for a business meeting. With the house mostly empty and Amelia left to her own devices, she opens her laptop and gets to work.

⦁	Amelia getting Conner's phone number?? Calls up Hayleigh who doesn't have it on hand, but can ask her brother Rudy for it and Amelia requests it through clenched teeth - her and Rudy don't get on (he thinks she's a snob and a nag and doesn't see positive things for Conner being called up a councillor, she thinks he's lazy and indecisive and not using his full potential and trying to deflect by doing things with less "drama" to them). Amelia's demeanour changing from cool/cold to casual chatting over the phone, we only hear it from her side but can gauge Conner's attitude through comic symbols coming out of the phone and the broad colouring around it - green for jovial, blue for suspicious, red for furious etc. Princess knocks on the door shortly after.

⦁	Princess: "So, who were you gossiping with?"
Amelia: "Just another student who's writing a short story for English homework. We're going to compare stories tomorrow, if I have the time tonight to write mine."
Princess: "It's not a contest, is it? You know how much Conner hates losing."
Amelia: "...how much did you hear?"
Princess: "Quite a lot. I could hear you from across the hall."
[panel of Princess scrunched up against Amelia's door during the phonecall]
Amelia:
Princess: "Well, as long as it keeps him busy, that means less trouble for us. ...did you tell him about your stories?"
Amelia: "I did."
Princess: "And he still challenged you, I bet. They never learn."
Amelia: "Do you think I should... hmm."
Princess: "Hmm?"
Amelia: "Do you think I should go easy on him? Write a story that's... below-par, lob him the chance to win?"
Princess: "If you think it's for the best, perhaps. It's up to you."

⦁	Conner writing his story. It starts out as a One Piece fanfic with a self-insert protagonist, but devolves into a mishmash of One Piece, Castlevania, Power Rangers, Jojo, Batman [expies of each series, granted] and whatever else Conner is into at the time. Conner is caught in the thrill of creation and doesn't have a fresh pair of eyes to give him the perspective he needs.

⦁	The two students return to the library the next day. Conner is triumphant and eager to present, but deigns to read Amelia's draft to give her a fighting chance ("you can't start the show with the showstopper"). Amelia seems uncomfortable and reveals her embarrassment about being caught on the phone. Conner says she should have tried rolling with the punches, or even mocking herself even harder.
Conner imitates Princess: "What were you up to, just now?"
Conner imitates Amelia: "Lesbian phone s*x"
Amelia waves her arms to try and disperse the imitation-bubbles.
Amelia: "Besides, she knew it was a boy on the other end. She knew it was you from first glance."
Conner: "Just say it was a really butch girl framing me up. Maybe you were being the bottom over the phone."
Amelia, with a completely straight face: "Amelia Nenko bottoms for nobody."

⦁	Conner reads Amelia's draft from cover to cover, enraptured by the themes and writing. Basically a one-page comic framed as the story he's reading. An 18th-century samurai has more talent in beekeeping compared to the duties performed for his lord. A warmonger travels to the region intending to slay everyone in his path. The samurai is killed in battle, but his hive of bees escape and surround the warmonger, suffocating him through the combination of body heat. It's baffling but extremely compelling and self-contained.

⦁	Conner looks back at his own story, gives it a cursory flip through with that reawakened perspective, and then tosses it in the trash. Amelia steels herself, thinking she should have held back against Conner. She starts thinking back to when she was a middle-schooler playing sports with the neighborhood kids. She had no self-restraint and dominated the other kids when it came to baseball, or painting, or tag, etc etc - and they quickly resented her and refused to play with her anymore. After becoming aware of her genius talent (and having it be compared to a 'demon' inside her by her own mother), Amelia suppressed it to become a completely different person on the outside. She watches Conner miserably.

⦁	Conner reaches a resolution. He's going to try again and write an even better story, it'll blow Amelia's out the water. "Wait, that's not fair, you can't just have a do-over!" "Fine! We'll both write another story, we each get a week this time!" Amelia, not quite believing what she's hearing, pushes her luck a little: "You're not going to win, you know." Conner: "Hmph! Don't count your chickens yet! It'll take more than a few books and some, some p*rn fanfic to stop me!"

⦁	Amelia: "... ...eh?"
Conner: "One of those websites you had your books on was LimeFic.net [made up domain], remember?"
Anyone with a passing familiarity of going on the internet knows the site for adult-rated smut stories. And Amelia inadvertently showed off her catalogue. She screams in denial at the realisation but Conner thinks it's cute she would see it as such a huge vice.

⦁	Princess Daughter commisserating with Amelia, which is to say Amelia is venting while Princess pays a modicum of attention. Ella is also there and it seems like Amelia is mostly venting towards Ella.

⦁	Amelia: "The worst part is that, he saw that site and thought it gave him free reign to keep sending me links to random p*rn comics he bookmarked!"
Princess Daughter, who has heard this rant before: "No, that was the second worst part, wasn't it."
Amelia: "The worst worst part was they all sucked!! They're all stupid Western garbage that looks stilted or just plain childish! Everyone knows the Japanese draw the best hentai!"
Princess Daughter: "Yes, dear."
Ella, mostly to herself: "What's a Japanese?"
Amelia: "I kept sending him actual good doujins instead, and do you know what he kept saying?"

⦁	Flashback of Conner and Amelia on Amelia's phone, as she's trying to prove a point. They're in the middle of registration, or perhaps a class.
Conner, slightly unimpressed, arms behind his head: "These are all just black and white, though. And backwards. That one only had ONE coloured page at the start."
Amelia: "You're missing the point! The writing and art is so much better than that cartoon garbage!"
Conner: "Yeah, but that cartoon garbage is in all-colour. And these comics are just weird. They're all just step-brothers and sisters, or girls with dongs."
He starts asking questions in rapid-fire, leaning further into Amelia's space, pointing at things on the phone we can't see: "Why are there black bars everywhere? Why are they semi-see-through? What's an onee-san? What's an onii-san? Is that meant to be an x-ray picture? Why is there a fat old man here? Are trains that packed in Japan? Why is her brother crying while jerking off? Why is Japan weird? Why do people make dumb backwards-ass black-and-white comics?" Amelia gradually starts shaking, furiously trying not to die of anger/embarrassment.

⦁	Amelia, back in the present, venting about Conner and bullying him for his inferior taste behind his back. Meanwhile she still has Conner's first story draft in her drawer, fished out of the bin.

⦁	Conner getting chewed up by his English teacher for not handing in his story draft. "It was sh*t." "That's not the point, though!"