Divergent Limit

[BlueRaven]

Good Idea, but beware it doesn't prevent getting raped

[Vela Nanashi]

I very much identify with Claire right now, when a task you know exactly how to do is impossible or hard for other reasons, quite a common thing for me, though not for the same reason as for Claire.

I think Jason did not want to tell Claire that Nora and he probably broke up I think, at least I hope they broke up, that he broke up with her, as she was clearly super toxic toward him.

Good to see Claire and Emily meet again. Hopefully it helps Claire heal a bit and feel more whole and normal again.

I love how Emily tried to create a positive reason for lack of contact, I really understand that, but then having her energy drain like that is sad, but reality sometimes sucks.

Yeah I also recognize lashing out against someone who does not deserve it, because I am hurt and overwhelmed and get triggered by some thing that was not meant in a bad way at all...

Yeah those million questions are so hard to not ask, but it is good she let's Claire explain things at her own pace and in her own way.

Stupid leaky eyes, it is hard to read when they leak...

Yeah good point Emily, about Mark being likely to do this again, and how it might have been helpful to try to get some evidence to the police in the slight chance that they might catch him. Even if that is like getting traumatized again.

Also good points from Claire there, still if it were me, I would be vengeful and want to do all I can to get revenge and justice, but very few people are like me in that I think.

Yeah that tension needed to be slain, good job Jason time for some eyeses greem

I really hope Claire can salvage getting back together with Eugene, I think they deserve happiness, even if it will be complicated, but also he knows what it is like to be a survivor, so once they feel safe to open up with each other they can be a help there I think.

Also Jason is brilliant, if Eugene does not accept that answer that she can't tell him, but that she wants to be with him still, then he would not be good for her, though maybe she might want to include some type of apology even if it is not her fault, I don't know.

Aww perfect cute message

Eugene please don't fuck this up, no trying to wait to send a reply please, no "the game" or what not.

Ouch poor Jason, that the news about what professor had done made Mark's words suddenly inflict a mental wound on Claire. Also poor Claire losing a friend and mentor figure, as it seems he was that for Claire...

Have three meanie points from me...

[Claire]

I very much identify with Claire right now, when a task you know exactly how to do is impossible or hard for other reasons, quite a common thing for me, though not for the same reason as for Claire.

I think Jason did not want to tell Claire that Nora and he probably broke up I think, at least I hope they broke up, that he broke up with her, as she was clearly super toxic toward him.

An interesting hypothesis that I will not comment at this moment in time.

Good to see Claire and Emily meet again. Hopefully it helps Claire heal a bit and feel more whole and normal again.

I love how Emily tried to create a positive reason for lack of contact, I really understand that, but then having her energy drain like that is sad, but reality sometimes sucks.

Yeah I also recognize lashing out against someone who does not deserve it, because I am hurt and overwhelmed and get triggered by some thing that was not meant in a bad way at all...

It's nice to hear that Emily worked for you as a character. I wanted to portray her accurately and also have her be more than just comic relief.

Stupid leaky eyes, it is hard to read when they leak...

I think that's the first time ever anybody has commented on one of my stories that the story made them cry. I'm so happy you're so into it.

Eugene please don't fuck this up, no trying to wait to send a reply please, no "the game" or what not.

I think you will enjoy the first half of chapter 6.


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Thanks as always for the great commentary, Vela. If I manage to finish the story, I'll reread all your comments in order like a liveticker on the whole novel.

[Claire]

Element 6 - The Game Of The Century

November 5th, Wednesday

“When a series gets closer and closer to one specific value like this one, then we say that it converges. But if, for example, it keeps fluctuating like that one, then we say the series diverges - or that it has a divergent limit. A series also diverges when…”

Eugene was listening to Claire explaining the concept of converging and diverging series to another student. The other student happened to be Michael, the guy Eleanor had hooked up with. Eugene didn’t know at the time what had just happened when he ran into him in the hallway, but he felt nevertheless bad for how he had greeted him.

Still, he couldn’t deny that his compassion for Michael was overshadowed by the reappearance of the girl answering his questions. He had been quite surprised when mere minutes before the article with Eleanor’s allegations went public he suddenly saw a notification for a new text from “Claire ∞” on his phone.

They had sent a few messages back and forth and ultimately settled on talking more in person after Claire’s analysis section, the first one she had taught since that evening at the Infinite Pint. Her sudden disappearance had worried him, but seeing her teach again, he hadn’t noticed any difference to before. Now he was just waiting for the other students to leave, Michael being the last one with questions for her.

He heard Michael say his goodbye and saw Claire give him a smile. Eugene got up from his seat, walked past him, and was only a few steps away from Claire when he turned around after all.

“Michael?”

Michael was standing in the doorway when he turned around as well.

“Yeah?”

Eugene hesitated for a moment.

“I wanted to say sorry if what I said in the hallway the other night sounded like I was mocking you. I didn’t know that… you were leaving.”

Michael sighed, then smiled.

“It’s cool. With the recent news, I can see that you and Eleanor had quite a few things on your mind.”

They exchanged a nod. After that, Michael left.

Eugene turned back to Claire. She frowned as if she was unsure whether she should ask what that exchange with Michael was about, but she apparently decided against asking.

“Hi.”

“Hey. No Maxwell purse today?”

“Uhh, no.”

She looked at the plain black purse, a brief flicker of sadness on her face. He didn’t know what to make of that, but she didn’t linger on it.

“I know I already apologized in my text. But let me say sorry again for ghosting you. You didn’t deserve that.”

He was surprised by the sincerity.

“Uhh, yeah, no big deal. Honestly, I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“Yeah, me too, thanks…”

Claire stood behind the lectern, packing her things, while he decided to sit down on one of the tables in the front row. She continued the conversation before he could say anything.

“So, how are you and Eleanor doing? When I read that article, the date October 24th immediately jumped at me. That was the day you had that argument, wasn’t it?”

Eugene was surprised.

“Heh, impressive memory! I’m not sure whether I would call what happened an argument, but you’re right. That missing puzzle piece I was talking about turned out to be Robertson. How are you doing? What does all this mean for your job?”

She was about to disconnect her laptop from the projector when she suddenly stood still. Then she glanced at him.

“I doubt the university would want to risk letting go of anyone who worked for Robertson. That would be a PR nightmare. Beyond that… It still feels a bit unreal. I owe Robertson a lot.”

Eugene put his hands in his pocket and lowered his eyes to the floor.

“Yeah, I thought about writing you, giving you a heads up before the article hit the public, you know. But I wasn’t sure whether that would’ve been fine.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see an anguished smile on her face.

“It’s okay… So, how’s Eleanor?”

He shrugged.

“It’s hard to tell. I think Robertson just confessing like that caught her off guard. We were preparing for this long, drawn out battle. Like, what if he does this or that? We spent so much time helping the journalists gathering all that corroborating evidence. And then… puff!”

He snapped his fingers.

“… the opponent you thought you’d be fighting doesn’t even show up. It’s honestly a bit bizarre and kind of… anticlimactic?”

Claire bit on her lower lip.

“I think I get that. It’s a bit like… after everything you went through, the victory doesn’t feel earned? That must be tough, especially for someone with a fighter’s mentality like her.”

He nodded.

“Exactly.”

Claire seemed surprisingly invested in this. Was it because she had worked for Robertson? Or was it maybe because they had talked about the whole situation at the Infinite Pint without even knowing back then what was going on? He couldn’t tell. He was so closely involved that he found it hard to imagine how these news affected students who had more distance to it all than him.

But Claire’s case wasn’t maybe so distant after all. She worked for Robertson for years. Learning the news, especially as a girl who spent time alone with the man, he imagined her wondering: ‘Was I in danger?’

“I was thinking about contacting Eleanor. It’s not like we’re close, but I want her to know that I do support her. But she got probably enough people trying to reach out at the moment…”

Eugene got up from the table and went a step closer.

“Actually, I got a bit of an unusual suggestion for you.”

Her expression was curious.

“About us getting coffee… I’m not sure I got time for that this week. I promised Eleanor I’d support her and I think it’ll take a few more days at least until things calm down. But…”

Did she look disappointed?

“… I was wondering if you’d like to come with me on Saturday? Eleanor got a fight. I promised I’d come and cheer her on, and I think I’d have more fun if you’d come with me.”

Claire giggled.

“You want me to be your plus one to a kickboxing match?”

Eugene couldn’t help but smile himself.

“Well, some people go watch a movie, others go to a nice restaurant, I take girls with me to watch my roommate beat the shit out of other women. What’s wrong with that?”

They both laughed.

“Okay, as long as I don’t have to fight myself, I’m in.”

“Perfect! Saturday it is then!”

Some part of him couldn’t believe it. He actually had a date with Claire Infinite.

They talked a bit more, but after a few minutes, they said their goodbyes. Eugene was about to leave the room when he heard her call his name.

“Eugene?”

He turned back to her.

“Mhm?”

He saw her take a deep breath. His first thought was that she might continue with ‘I have a boyfriend’, but even he realized how weird that would be.

“There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Sure…”

She averted her eyes while a little blush began to form on her face.

“So, it’s like this… As a TA, there are pretty strict rules against dating someone in your section, especially if you’re grading them and stuff like that…”

He began to understand where this was going and had to suppress the wide grin beginning to spread across his face as he let her finish her question.

“So, should I request that… you’d be switched to a different section…?”

He couldn’t help but tease her a little.

“Are you asking me whether Saturday is a date or just us hanging out as friends?”

“Kind of, I guess…”

He walked slowly toward her until he was close enough to take her hands. She looked up at him, clearly surprised.

“Claire, I have to tell you…”

He paused for dramatic effect.

“Even though I truly admire your abilities as a teacher…”

Her small fingers felt soft and warm on his palms.

“…and my shortcomings when it comes to math are uncountably infinite…”

He smiled at her wide-eyed, flushed face.

“…I didn’t sit down next to you at the Infinite Pint because I was looking for the best math tutor on campus.”

He let go of her hands. Claire didn’t seem to know what to do with them. She took a step back, brushed her hair behind her ear and squeezed the tip of her nose.

“Um… then I’ll let… who do I even tell now that Robertson is gone? Maybe Nicole knows. I’ll ask her. Wait…”

God, she was cute.

“…This is analysis, not linear algebra, so Robertson got nothing to do with this. Professor Martinez then…”

He took a step back as well, giving her some breathing room.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Claire calmed down.

“So, uh… Saturday then?”

He smiled.

“Yes, Saturday we’re going to indulge ourselves in some legally sanctioned violence for our date.”

She forced herself to look at him.

“I… I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m gonna miss coming to your sections, though.”

“Me too.”

Then they said goodbye and Eugene left. He was over the moon, but he didn’t have much time to revel in his success.

He had been busy with his classes and supporting Eleanor. Since the allegations went public, he didn’t have any time to relax at all. But there was something he wanted to do for himself today and Eleanor had agreed to join him.

He went home and grabbed the basketball he had bought eight days ago. Tuesday last week, October 28th, the day Robertson had assaulted Eleanor for the second time in the elevator on campus. Meanwhile, not knowing what was happening to Eleanor, he had decided to play basketball for the first time in six years. Or at least to make a few shots at the hoop in the park nearby their shared apartment.

He didn’t stay long at home. A quick bathroom break and he was on his way again. It was the third time that he went to the hoop to play for a bit. The ball still felt weirdly small in his now adult hands, yet also heavier than he remembered. He dribbled it occasionally against the asphalt as he casually strolled to the park.

He enjoyed the rhythmic bouncing of the ball. It left his hand, touched the ground, the familiar sound reached his ear, then it jumped back, just high enough to gently nestle into his palm before he sent it back down with a soft flick of his wrist. Rinse and repeat. He hadn’t touched a basketball in six years, yet it didn’t refuse him at all.

When he arrived at the park, he was immediately reminded of last Tuesday. He had stared down the hoop for minutes before he took his first shot. To his surprise, he had made it first try. The next three shots were all misses, airballs with far too much force behind them. The latent muscle memory of 12-year-old Eugene was clearly at odds with the height and strength of his current adult body.

He had managed to adjust rather quickly. By the time Eleanor had suddenly shown up to apologize for groping him, he had found his rhythm again, making shot after shot. Still, the ball going in over and over again hadn’t given him the satisfaction he hoped for. The experience didn’t match what he had expected. Making the shots had given him joy, but it felt distant and mundane instead of cathartic.

He made the first shot of the day when Eleanor’s apology flashed through his mind again. She had looked awful as she approached him. Dark circles under her eyes, tired, not dressed for the cold in those tight black jeans and the short-sleeved beige top. The wind kept blowing the long black hair into her face no matter how often she brushed it back.

“I… I wish I could say I wasn’t myself in that moment… and that wouldn’t even be a lie. But it sounds like an excuse to me. I’d like to explain to you what was wrong… is wrong with me. But… but before I do, I want you to know how deeply sorry I am. I… I wanted to use you. I wanted to take advantage of your kindness to distract myself from my own problems. But that’s no justification for what I did. I’m so sorry.”

The moment she spoke those words, he was relieved. The Eleanor he knew hadn’t vanished.

He dribbled as he sprinted toward the hoop, pretending to outplay imaginary opponents. He came to a halt, made a sudden turn, and went for a jump shot. The ball bounced once on the rim before going in after all. He smirked as he went to pick up the ball.

He had been unable to respond to Eleanor’s apology immediately. He couldn’t remember anybody apologizing to him like that ever before. No ‘I didn’t mean to…’, ‘I’m sorry you feel that way…’, or ‘I’m sorry, but you did…’ Hearing somebody apologize like that, owning their mistake without ifs, ands or buts, was simply disarming. Whatever anger he had been holding onto suddenly had nowhere left to go, as if it had run into a brick wall of accountability before it could lunge at her.

Holding the ball in his hands again, he looked at the hoop. A thought crossed his mind. Could he dunk now? When he was twelve, he had been far too small and lacked the leg strength to jump high enough. But he wasn’t twelve anymore.

Instead of accepting Eleanor’s apology immediately, he had told her about how he wanted to play in the NBA as a child and how his growth spurt during puberty almost felt like his body’s attempt to protect him from further abuse. The question she had asked him in response caught him off guard.

Again, he sprinted toward the hoop, this time without any obstacles he needed to circumvent. His path was a clear line with a simple goal. He jumped.

“So what’s it like playing basketball as a tall, adult man? It’s the first time, isn’t it?”

He had started to shake, tears filling his eyes, as the truthful answer to her question began to take shape in his mind.

“I… I’ve grown… so much… So why… why does the hoop feel like… it’s so much further away now?”

For a moment, he was holding onto the rim, suspended in mid-air. The ball had fallen through the hoop and he could hear it bounce on the asphalt. Then he let go, landing back on the ground too. He reached for the ball before it could roll away.

“Yeah, can’t get any closer than that. Still feels distant, though…”

He mumbled to himself.

As he turned around to take a few more shots from the free-throw line, he saw two kids eyeing him with caution. A small boy holding a basketball, maybe ten years old, and a slightly taller and older girl, about twelve or thirteen, he guessed. With her light brown hair put in a ponytail and the freckles on her face, the girl reminded him of what he imagined a young Claire might have looked like. The boy had the same freckles scattered across his face, making Eugene think that these two were likely siblings.

He moved toward them and smiled.

“You guys want to play?”

The boy looked to his sister, who stepped forward.

“Uhh… we can come back later.”

Eugene shook his head and stepped aside.

“It’s cool. I was done anyway. Have fun.”

That wasn’t true. He was waiting for Eleanor to come and play with him for a bit.

“Okay, thanks!”

Then they ran past him and started playing. Eugene went to the park bench where Eleanor and he had sat down after her apology. Here she had told him what Robertson had done. Just thinking of it made the anger rise in him again, albeit only for a second. He decided to watch the kids play until Eleanor arrived.

About five minutes later, Eleanor showed up wearing leggings instead of her usual jeans. She was ready to play. He waved her over. As she came closer, she greeted him.

“Hey. Didn’t expect to change clothes to be just a spectator today.”

“Well, what can you do? It’s the game of the century. You wouldn’t want to interrupt that, would you?”

“In that case, I agree. There’s just nothing we can do.”

Eleanor sat down next to him, chuckling. She continued.

“You ever thought about teaching basketball to kids? You managed to teach even me how to shoot properly. So you’ve got some talent.”

Eugene leaned back against the backrest.

“I’m not sure I’d call what you do proper shooting.”

She elbowed his side in response. It actually hurt a little.

“Okay, okay! I surrender. No, I never thought about that. A week ago, I wasn’t sure I’d ever touch a basketball again. Teaching wasn’t exactly on the forefront of my mind.”

Eleanor let her head rest against his shoulder.

“I really think you’d be good at it.”

“Maybe…”

It was true that he had never considered it before. Right now, he didn’t have the mental capacity to think this through. Playing basketball again, helping Eleanor, and dating Claire on top of college was more than enough to keep his mind occupied.

“I invited Claire to your fight on Saturday.”

Eleanor raised her head and looked at him, then began to laugh.

“You did what?!”

Eugene laughed too. He knew how absurd that sounded.

“Well, she said she wanted to support you, but didn’t know if it was okay to reach out. So, I thought…”

“You’d take the petite five-foot math nerd to a kickboxing gala? I can’t describe how much I love this.”

Eleanor was holding her stomach as she wiped away tears of laughter.

“Joke’s on you. She said yes and asked me if this is serious enough for me to be transferred to another section.”

“Ooooh, the university administration is getting involved. If that isn’t true love, I don’t know what is.”

He poked her back with his elbow, although more gently than she had.

“Enough of my dating life. What about that call with your mom? How did that go? Is she coming on Saturday?”

Eleanor quickly became serious again.

“Better than expected. I never thought I’d say that, but talking to her was surprisingly pleasant. After dealing with so many journalists trying to contact me – half of them not because they are interested in the Robertson case, but because they hope to get to my mother through me – talking to her felt almost like talking to a normal person. She’ll visit us on Saturday, and then come watch the fight.”

He nodded.

“And you’re okay with that?”

She leaned forward, her eyes following the ball as the boy’s shot missed the hoop.

“Mhm. If the argument with my mom hadn’t escalated to the point where she cut me off, I never would’ve gone to Robertson for help in the first place. I think she knows that too. The realization comes a little late for both of us, but I think it’s become clear we can’t continue like before. So if she’s trying to show an interest, come to my fight and things like that, then I… I don’t want to shut her out.”

He still wasn't used to seeing Eleanor like that. The Eleanor he got to know in high school, that he had lived with these past few months, was decisive, strong, optimistic. He trusted her deeply, so much so that she was the only person he had ever told that his coach had abused him. The Eleanor he saw now felt more contemplative, more reserved in her judgment. He couldn’t quite tell whether this was a sign of growth or a lack of confidence.

“I hope things work out. I just hate seeing her hurt you over and over again. So if you need somebody to accidentally throw a basketball in her face, let me know. I can arrange that.”

Eleanor chuckled, then leaned into him.

“Thank you.”

For a few minutes, they watched the kids play in silence. Neither the boy nor the girl had any idea what they were doing. Eugene’s best guess was that he was watching an older sister with zero interest in basketball trying to support her younger brother, who was more enthusiastic but equally clueless. Through that lens, the scene before him became quite heartwarming. He was wondering if he could give them some pointers. But Eleanor pulled him out of his thoughts before he could make up his mind.

“Eugene?”

He turned his head to her. She was leaning forward and looking at her feet.

“Can I ask you something about… what your coach… did?”

Somehow this park seemed to make them feel more at ease to talk about personal issues than even their home did.

“Sure.”

He had no idea what she was about to ask.

“Did you ever feel not just hurt, or sad, or angry, but… confused after it happened?”

She glanced at him. He avoided looking back at her and leaned forward himself.

“Uhh, yeah, a lot, actually. I mean, I was twelve, so I had no experience at all. He… he made me come with his hand. I hadn’t started masturbating myself yet. So coming for the first time like that was, among other things, quite confusing.”

He sighed. Over the years, he had learned to be honest with himself about what happened to him. But saying it out loud still made him feel the weight of it.

“And later, I had questions. It was a man who made me come, so I wondered: am I gay? And did I actually like it? Things like that. It took me a while to understand that… that…”

He began to laugh as he tried to finish the sentence.

“Sorry! … It took me a while to understand that making a boy in early puberty come isn’t exactly rocket science. No need for the hand of the hottest girl in school.”

He took Eleanor’s hand, gave it a little squeeze. She squeezed him back.

“Thanks for telling me that. Claire should consider herself lucky for not losing you to the gays.”

He chuckled.

“You’re welcome. You don’t have to, but do you want to tell me why you asked?”

Eleanor took a deep breath.

“I… I’m still hung up about freezing like that. I know, I know. It’s not my fault, I get that. I’m not blaming myself. Just… what did I do all this training for if not to defend myself in a moment like that?”

He wished he could give her an answer that would satisfy her, but he simply didn’t know. They had both suffered abuse and he had far more time to process it than her. But their situations weren’t the same. He hadn’t been an adult kickboxer, who froze when a weaker man touched him, but a child assaulted by a much older, stronger man. His own experience had little overlap with hers in that regard.

“I don’t know, Eleanor. I’m not a fighter like you. I wished I had been taller and stronger. I wondered, maybe he picked me because I was the small kid on the team, the easy target, the one least likely to put up a fight. What I can tell you, though, is this.”

He looked her in the eye.

“Everybody can freeze when they are attacked, man, woman, small or tall. But when he tried it again, you knocked the bastard flat on his ass with a single punch. There’s plenty of people who can’t do that. So I don’t think all that training was for nothing.”

Eleanor seemed to contemplate what he said.

“I know, but…”

She didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t know the magic words that would convince her. Maybe the fight on Saturday would make her feel better, make her remember that she didn’t learn to fight just for self-defense.

They sat there in silence again. After a while, he let go of her hand and leaned back again. Looking at her, he wondered what he could say to lighten the mood. Then he remembered he had one more piece of news to share with her.

“Oh, by the way, I ran into Michael earlier. We talked briefly. He says he…”

“Watch out!”

The girl’s voice interrupted him. He turned his head back to the hoop, but found himself staring directly into the basketball approaching his face. It was too late to react. Just before the ball made contact with his nose, it came to a stop. Eleanor had caught it.

She got up and passed the ball back to the girl.

“Be careful, you two. That could’ve really hurt.”

“We’re so sorry! It was an accident! Noah, say you’re sorry too!”

“Sorry…”

Eugene stood up as well.

“Tell you what. How about we teach you how to play without taking innocent bystanders out?”

The siblings were looking at each other, unsure what to do with the offer. Eugene continued speaking to the girl.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. How about… boys vs. girls? I’m a little taller than her…”

He pointed at Eleanor.

“And you’re a little taller than him.”

He pointed at the boy.

“So I think that’s fair. And I can give you a few tips while we’re at it. Sound good?”

Eleanor gave him the side-eye, knowing full well he could play against all three of them at once and still win easily.

“Really? We saw you earlier. You’re like really good.”

The boy asked. Eugene smiled. It was sweet that even his rusty skills could still impress a small boy.

“Sure. Let me show you how to shoot first. And don’t let Eleanor scare you, she’s not as mean as she looks.”

Eleanor gave him a soft but noticeable kick in the ass. Then they played basketball with the kids.
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After the dramatic events of the previous chapter, this one here was a bit of a breather I hope.

[mcpa1597]

I still see some roadblocks down the line, but it's good to see there are some bright spots ahead.

Would be really cool to see some Eleanor/Victoria interactions in the future.

[Vela Nanashi]

It is a good sign that Claire is able to teach again. Hoping that Eugene and Claire will have a good talk after class.

Good that Eugene tried to smooth over things with Michael too, though my memory does not recall what was bad with what he said, at least it seems that Michael is not very upset with Eugene.

They are so awkward and cute, and I am swept up reading and not really having a lot to add there, all I can say I like what I am reading

That is the horrible thing, sometimes you just can't recapture that lost time of your past, it is simply lost.

I am glad to see him give the court to the kids, hopefully they can travel the happy path with no bumps.

That is a very good idea, he could be a coach who makes sure nothing bad happens to the kids he teaches.

Good that her mom and Eleanor is mending the bridge. Also Eugene ready to do violence to her mom if she misbehaves

Yeah freezing when you can obliterate someone is rough, so I get why Eleanor is hung up about that. Also yeah it might be easier to make a man cum against his will than a woman actually @ Eugene...

Love the ending when they play with the kids and teach them a thing or two Hopefully Eugene adjusts the challenge rating so its challenging but not impossible for both sides

Now I wonder if Claire, Eugene, dragon mom, and Eleanor will have dinner after the game perhaps.

[Lucius]

The chapter leaves me happy and wistful at the same time. Happy because Eugene and Claire are beginning to establish a lovely relationship while Eugene is simultaneously renewing his friendship with Eleanor, the author being extremely skilful with the dialogue all the way. How does Eugene do it all? And no, it doesn't make one want to date again, but the mathematicians' interaction is infinitely sweet.

Wistful because all of the main characters, so sweet and human, so alive, have been hurt through no faults of their own in various awful ways.

[Claire]

@mcpa1597

I still see some roadblocks down the line, but it's good to see there are some bright spots ahead.

Would be really cool to see some Eleanor/Victoria interactions in the future.

Thy will be done! Chapter 6 already set up that Victoria will come to watch the fight on Saturday.

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@Vela Nanashi

though my memory does not recall what was bad with what he said

Nothing really. When Michael left Eleanor's room, Eugene offered him Ramen, unaware of the emotional state Michel was in. Eugene then saw him leaving and later learnt what happened from Eleanor. He's just worried Michael might have taken that the wrong way. Basically, Eugene worries too much.

They are so awkward and cute, and I am swept up reading and not really having a lot to add there, all I can say I like what I am reading

Thanks! I had a lot of fun writing this. Cute romance isn't something I haven't tried my hand at before this, so I'm happy to hear that it's landing for you.

That is the horrible thing, sometimes you just can't recapture that lost time of your past, it is simply lost.

That's an idea I want to explore much more in later chapters.

Also yeah it might be easier to make a man cum against his will than a woman actually @ Eugene...

He didn't mean that as a comparison. He's just amused at what his younger self interpreted into a simple physiological reaction.

Hopefully Eugene adjusts the challenge rating so its challenging but not impossible for both sides

I think his main concern would be to let the boy win, assuming that his sister is fine with that.


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@Lucius

And I thought the chapter might be too sweet for you.


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@Labaal i've never played Deltarune and I've only played very little of Undertale, but I think I have some idea of the tone Toby Fox imbues his stories with. I think that's a comparison I'm not sure I can live up to, but I appreciate the compliment!

[Claire]

Similar to deltarune which has its horror/hurt aspects I'm very curious how you'll weave in the horror aspects into the pov of the victims Claire particularly

I think the closest thing to a straight horror story I've written is:

The Strange Case of Henry Banner and Danica Carew

But for Divergent Limit, I'm not trying to write horror in the sense that I want the reader to feel scared themselves. Take the end of chapter 5 when Claire remembers the things Mark told her. She is clearly scared, but my focus when writing that moment was more on making the reader understand why Claire is scared and less on making the reader feel scared.