[Haruhi] KBDH chapter 48

[Brian]

...probably not, since her character growth is generally to become comprehensible, so there should be less and less techno-babble moving forward. >_>

[Specular]

Hi. I am the same "Specular" from TVTropes forum.

After mulling it over for a while I decided just to read the draft. These are my observations:

When her eyes turned back to Wataru, the boy was trembling, the hand reaching for his next weapon caught in Kuyou's hands-- No, the other Kuyou, Haruhi realized, frowning. This one had no hair band. Her eyes fixed on Wataru, and her discordant voice -- carrying across the distance even though she didn't raise it -- announced, "Go ... home. No ... use ... here."

"Ribbon" instead of "hair band" according to the last chapter.

"I'll admit, I had some doubts when he first helped my daughter, and I was suspicious that he didn't even request money after fighting off a dozen men to save her -- but your son is without a doubt the fastest rising star in my organization.  As I say, he has saved my daughter from gave harm -- or worse -- several times," he continued, shaking his head.  "I apologize if this is a surprise to you, but your son is quite an asset to us.

Typo: "grave harm" instead of "gave harm".

"No," Kunikida admitted, his neutral expression shifting to a frown.  "He's....  He's probably fine, though!  He beat up one of the ringleaders of that vouyer photography ring a while back, so I'm sure this guy was nothing for him, either!"

Typo: "voyeur" instead of "vouyer".

Besides the things already discussed, the only other thing I can think of is to mention Yuki's injured hand at some point, maybe when Tsuruya grabbed her hand or when Yuki is holding Nonoko.

I hope I could be of any help.

Random thought about the new setting for Kyon's weapons: A plasma-shooting drone powered by atmospheric energy would make Nikola Tesla very proud (or jealous, or maybe just curious...). I wonder if some of the technology developed within the brigade (or stolen from the Combine) could be toned down and patented. The amazing Operative System that Yuki wrote for the Computer Research Society (mentioned in the ninth novel, IIRC) could be a good source of (legal) income for the brigade in the future (I'm sorry Open Source).

[Brian]

Hi. I am the same "Specular" from TVTropes forum.

Welcome. :D

After mulling it over for a while I decided just to read the draft. These are my observations:

Excellent; I appreciate the feedback.  I've also been letting K:BDH languish a bit trying to finish the Later rewrite, so sorry about that. >.>;;

"Ribbon" instead of "hair band" according to the last chapter.

Oops; thanks for that catch. :D

Typo: "grave harm" instead of "gave harm".

Oops!  This one's not so much of an issue because I'll be rewriting this scene, but thanks anyway. ^_^;;

Typo: "voyeur" instead of "vouyer".

Ah, my spelling is still awful. :X  Thanks for the catch again. :p

Besides the things already discussed, the only other thing I can think of is to mention Yuki's injured hand at some point, maybe when Tsuruya grabbed her hand or when Yuki is holding Nonoko.

Oh!  I hate when I forget details like that -- thanks for reminding me.  Hmm....  I think I could twist that to be a bit more plot relevant with regards to Kimidori, but this chapter's already got enough threads running through it.

Still, Kyon seeing the bandages would be another nice point to show his temper being visibly restrained.

I hope I could be of any help.

Random thought about the new setting for Kyon's weapons: A plasma-shooting drone powered by atmospheric energy would make Nikola Tesla very proud (or jealous, or maybe just curious...). I wonder if some of the technology developed within the brigade (or stolen from the Combine) could be toned down and patented. The amazing Operative System that Yuki wrote for the Computer Research Society (mentioned in the ninth novel, IIRC) could be a good source of (legal) income for the brigade in the future (I'm sorry Open Source).

They just need Kanae to do art, Mikuru to do inking, and Yuki to write the story of the most epic doujin ever!

Kyon: "If that's KoizumixKyon, I am _so_ out of here."
Kyouko: "...I'll buy two. >.>"
Koizumi/Kyon: "...."

Okay, maybe not Kanae doing the art. <_<;;

Aha, but seriously: Thank you very much for the commentary, I very much appreciate it (and previous observations you've shared).  Did you have any thoughts on the revisions I had planned?  Now that the Later rewrite is (largely) complete, I'll get back to focusing on K:BDH, so I could understand if you wanted to wait a day or three until I get a new chapter posted. ;)

A recent factor has been seriously impacting my ability to write, but if things go well, I'll be able to get some sort of resolution on that front really shortly.  Here's to hoping.

[Phantom Kirin]

Hello, everyone at Soulriders! I'm the Phantom Kirin, otherwise known as Mad Kitsu on TvTropes. Of course, seeing that this is a forum that encourages seriousness to an extent, I'll drop the verbal tic that I tend to use and talk normally. :)

As for what I think of the first draft and the comments made to it, I have one thing in particular that I wish to point out.

"Nonoko ... this is not a magical girl's test of courage."

"W...what?" she asked, confused.

Haruhi cursed and turned her attention to raising another rampart of soil around them to repel the next wave of attacking robots.

"Imouto," Kyon said, his voice as gentle as he could manage, putting on the bright, reassuring smile he hadn't shown her since she'd woken him up crying about a nightmare, long ago. "This is a magical girl's test of pride."

She stared at him in stunned amazement, her eyes slowly widening, filling with tears as her confidence flagged and guttered out like a candle in a fierce wind. "I.... I'm being prideful?" she asked, clear drops spilling from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.

"We all depend on our allies!" Haruhi agreed. "We work together -- trying to get into a fight just because you haven't, to prove yourself.... Nonoko, let Kyon handle this!"

"B...but," the girl sniffled, shaking her head. "I want to help!"

Kyon nodded, still giving her that reassuring smile. "We all want to help, Imouto. I can only tell you this because I made the same mistake, too. But you're not ready to handle this on your own. Leave it to your big brother and sister, alright?"

"O...okay," she agreed, sniffling again before shakily pointing the wand at him. "Shining Seal -- Release!"

Now, I'm fully aware of the fact that pride may not of been exactly the right word for these lines. But...

The Other had paused her assault for the moment, trying to observe her, but unable to see into that precious core of 'memory'. Kuyou's own false observations spun away, diffusing into the enormity of the resonation that the Other maintained within her.

Kuyou's body blinked, eyes slowly closing and re-opening, forcing a re-trigger of her perceptions and double-checking. And then again.

The Other represented something alien, and Kuyou felt an unpleasant resonation within her to recognize some small parts of it anyway. That Other wanted to force her to its will, and she had to resist, somehow. It was pre-determined that she not merge ... not become synchronized.

Even so, she could tell that the Other was preparing a renewed assault.

The memetics that Kyon had delivered to the smaller entity that shared some genetic and behavior features with him were mutated, as the smaller entity delivered back unexpectedly:

"Y...you're a fairy person, too, right? Don't you have more power when you don't spend your strength to keep a larger form? D...don't be too proud!"

Kuyou turned her attention and focus away from the Other, instead orienting her observations on Kyon's younger sister. She was no longer wrapped in the same defensive structures she had been using earlier, and her force manipulation tools had been returned to Kyon -- but her memetic imprint still retained significant potential. It was the strand she had been looking for, provided by him, changed by her, allowing her the escape she had sought.

As the Other chose that moment to resume the attack, she opened herself up to it, allowing the other to try to synchronize with her, even as she synchronized herself to Ryouko. A small cluster of memetics from the other girl, modified by the small entity that Kyon's sister now clutched in her hands resonated, and she uttered her own response to the Other, "Synchronize with this: Activate 'chibi-mode'."

The Other's extended string sank into places where Kuyou was not, any more. Her perspective shifted yet again, smaller still -- down to a level she had never experienced in such a way before. Bits of attempted synchronization struck at her from the Other, rejected by the bond she shared with Ryouko -- now amplified enough to repel that foreign influence.

She was aware of the sudden void that her connection with Ryouko invoked in the Other -- it destabilized, struggling, trying to force the synchronization anyway. No longer retaining the symbols that were vulnerable to such an attack, she watched, and shared her observations with the rest of the Chorus -- wiping away the recent storm of false observations she had not allowed outside of the shadow-song.

The Other, that thing which looked and behaved like, but was not, Kuyou, gave a curious reaction then, instead of trying for new possibilities or adapting, exerting itself further -- and shattering. For a single instant, the entirety of the Other and the Noise it brought with them were silent.

Her newly shrunken form drifted slowly down on the influence of reduced gravity, until she was plucked from the air by Suzumiya Haruhi. Her attention fixed on the golden eyes of the larger girl, and she remarked, "We must destroy that structure."

"It's maintaining a beacon that locks the sliders onto this dimension!" Ryouko agreed anxiously. "There appears to be a dark fusion reactor inside there that resonates with something in another dimension. It seems likely that this is what they use as an emergency fall-back function!"

"What the hell just happened to the other Kuyou?" Kyon asked in bewilderment, casting about with a dark expression. "She just seemed to kind of turn into sparkles and drift away?"

"I provided an observation of myself that was empty, as my true self was mirrored to memories," Kuyou replied, pleased at the improved library from her connection with Ryouko. Communication was rapidly gaining efficiency! "She attempted to synchronize with it and successfully became nothing."

"See?" Nonoko said brightly. "I helped!"

"Yes," Kuyou agreed.

After reading the words from these two quotes, with Nonoko's words, Kuyou's reaction and the countermeasure that she realized could be used against the Other, and the Other's stubbornness, which led to it's destruction, I don't really think that "trust" would be the right word either.

What I think would be the right word (or words, if need be) would have to be related to:

A) Something that Kyon needed to realize that he himself was doing as a error in judgement on his part in an earlier chapter (which I think would have to do with not trying to do everything yourself), which he was referring to in the first quote.
B) Something that could be considered as a "magical girl test" (i.e. a test of character, in other words), so that it could be explained to Nonoko in those terms.
C) Something that would be understood by Kuyou when Nonoko mentions the "lesson" that she had to learn from her "test" and that Kuyou should learn the same (at least, that's how I understood what Nonoko was saying), in terms of Kuyou realizing, from those words, the very means to defeat the Other (which, by the way, would count as a Crowning Moment of Awesome, seeing that Kuyou creatively used her chibi mode to evade the Other's attack and turn it against itself), as noted in the third quote.

So, I do believe that the question here would be simple: what words would fit the three criteria, so that things can fit?

[Brian]

Hello, everyone at Soulriders! I'm the Phantom Kirin, otherwise known as Mad Kitsu on TvTropes. Of course, seeing that this is a forum that encourages seriousness to an extent, I'll drop the verbal tic that I tend to use and talk normally. :)

Hahaha, wow, Soulriders is SRYS business.  Drac, did we become The Authority?

Sorry it we present that facade.  We're actually really flexible within certain guidelines.

* Brian hands Kitsu an enten-hari.

I expect you to use this responsibly.

(I'm kind of drunk right now, so my reply may not be the most coherent.)

Greetings Kitsu-oriented-unit!  Allow me to welcome you to the Soulriders. :D

As for what I think of the first draft and the comments made to it, I have one thing in particular that I wish to point out.

Nonoko gives Kuyou the idea to blow up the anti-Kuyou.

Chibi Kuyou arrives.

After reading the words from these two quotes, with Nonoko's words, Kuyou's reaction and the countermeasure that she realized could be used against the Other, and the Other's stubbornness, which led to it's destruction, I don't really think that "trust" would be the right word either.

What I think would be the right word (or words, if need be) would have to be related to:

A) Something that Kyon needed to realize that he himself was doing as a error in judgement on his part in an earlier chapter (which I think would have to do with not trying to do everything yourself), which he was referring to in the first quote.
B) Something that could be considered as a "magical girl test" (i.e. a test of character, in other words), so that it could be explained to Nonoko in those terms.
C) Something that would be understood by Kuyou when Nonoko mentions the "lesson" that she had to learn from her "test" and that Kuyou should learn the same (at least, that's how I understood what Nonoko was saying), in terms of Kuyou realizing, from those words, the very means to defeat the Other (which, by the way, would count as a Crowning Moment of Awesome, seeing that Kuyou creatively used her chibi mode to evade the Other's attack and turn it against itself), as noted in the third quote.

So, I do believe that the question here would be simple: what words would fit the three criteria, so that things can fit?

Hmm.  That's something for me to consider.  In the meantime, I'd already tried the trust thing, which had very minor revisions.  Let's see....

Spoiler: ShowHide

"Nonoko ... this is not a magical girl's test of _courage_."

    "W...what?" she asked, confused.

     Haruhi cursed and turned her attention to raising another rampart of soil around them to repel the next wave of attacking robots.

     "Imouto," Kyon said, his voice as gentle as he could manage, putting on the bright, reassuring smile he hadn't shown her since she'd woken him up crying about a nightmare, long ago.  "This is a magical girl's test of _trust_."

     She stared at him for a stunned, blank moment.  "A test of trust?" she asked, bewildered.  "What....  But, I do trust you!"

     "Then, won't you let me take care of this?" he asked, trying not to beg.

     She stared at him in stunned amazement, her eyes slowly widening, filling with tears as her confidence flagged and guttered out like a candle in a fierce wind.  "I....  I'm not trusting you because I won't let you fight?" she asked, clear drops spilling from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.

     "We all depend on our allies!" Haruhi agreed.  "We work together -- trying to get into a fight just because you haven't, to prove yourself....  Nonoko, you have to trust Kyon handle this -- he's taken care of things like this before!"

     "B...but," the girl sniffled, shaking her head.  "I want to help!"

     Kyon nodded, still giving her that reassuring smile.  "We all want to help, Imouto.  I can only tell you this because I made the same mistake in the past.  But you're not ready to handle this on your own.  Leave it to your big brother and sister, alright?"

     Nonoko shifted her shoulder, her eyes watering.  With obvious reluctance, she gave a hesitant nod, her hands trembling.  "O...okay," she agreed, sniffling again before shakily pointing the wand at him.  "Shining Seal -- Release!"

     With that cry, the interdiction field vanished.  Kuyou was levitated from his hands almost instantly -- he presumed by Haruhi -- so wasted no time sweeping his sister in his arms.  "You can trust me, right?" he asked her.

     She sniffled and gave him another nod, managing a smile as she handed over the wand in her hands.  "...will you trust me, too?" she asked, her voice cracking.

     He felt like someone had driven something into his heart, but kept his smile anyway, hugging her even more tightly.

And:

The Other had paused her assault for the moment, trying to observe her, but unable to see into that precious core of 'memory'.  Kuyou's own false observations spun away, diffusing into the enormity of the resonation that the Other maintained within her.

     Kuyou's eyes blinked, that tiny part of her body slowly closing and re-opening, forcing a re-trigger of her perceptions and double-checking.  And then again.

     The Other represented something alien, and Kuyou felt an unpleasant resonation within her to recognize some small parts of it anyway.  That Other wanted to force her to its will, and she had to resist, somehow.  It was pre-determined that she not merge ... not become synchronized.

     Even so, she could tell that the Other was preparing a renewed assault.

     The memetics that Kyon had delivered to the smaller entity that shared some genetic and behavior features with him were mutated, as the smaller entity delivered back unexpectedly:

     "Y...you're a fairy person, too, right?  Just like her?"  She pointed to the other entity that Kuyou had focused most of her recent observations.  More than just 'memory', there were the resonant memetics, there.  "Don't you have more power when you don't spend your strength to keep a larger form?  You can trust Nii-san and Achakura to take care of you, even when you're small!"

     Kuyou turned her attention and focus away from the Other, instead orienting her observations on Kyon's younger sister.  She was no longer wrapped in the same defensive structures she had been using earlier, and her force manipulation tools had been returned to Kyon -- but her memetic imprint still retained significant potential.  It was the strand she had been looking for, provided by him, changed by her, allowing her the escape she had sought.

     As the Other chose that moment to resume the attack, she opened herself up to it, allowing the other to try to synchronize with her, even as she synchronized herself to Ryouko.  A complex loop of memetics from the other entity that Kyon's sister now clutched in her hands resonated, as she aligned, her perceptions and bounds shifting.

     Blinking her, she gave a polite smile to her copy.  "I will not allow you to harm this human," she told the Other.  "I am in love with him," she added, feeling sudden, deeper understanding of what that concept entailed from Ryouko's memetic library, and applying that meaning to herself more fully than she had before.

     Challenging the disruptive Other, she concluded, "Sychronize with that!  Activating 'chibi-mode'!"

     The Other's extended string sank into places where Kuyou was not, any more.  Her perspective shifted yet again, smaller still -- down to a level she had never experienced in such a way before.  Bits of attempted synchronization struck at her from the Other, rejected by the bond she shared with Ryouko -- now amplified enough to repel that foreign influence.

     She was aware of the sudden void that her connection with Ryouko invoked in the Other -- it destabilized, struggling, trying to force the synchronization anyway.  No longer retaining the symbols that were vulnerable to such an attack, she watched, and shared her observations with the rest of the Chorus -- wiping away the recent storm of false observations she had not allowed outside of the shadow-song.

     The Other, that thing which looked and behaved like, but was not, Kuyou, gave a curious reaction then, instead of trying for new possibilities or adapting, exerting itself further -- and shattering.  For a single instant, the entirety of the Other and the Noise it brought with them were silent.

     Visibly, it was represented by the portals overhead -- and throughout the rest of the shadow-song -- collapsing, all of their foreign energy abruptly rejected from even her pale imitation of the entirety of the Chorus.  Distantly, at the edges of observation -- for the span of a single rotation -- she could observe myriad other worlds, a complicated, tangled mass of asymmetrical eleven-dimensional objects.

     Somehow, through a haphazard and unnatural process, those other objects, those not-Choruses, jarred and flowed in twisted mockery of the natural rightness of the Chorus.  Without the Other to shield them, Kuyou was astonished to observe that, to _them_, the Song was as destructive as _Noise_ was to the Chorus!

     No sooner had she realized this than the connection was closed, squeezed down to a narrow window of potential that she could only barely perceive.  Shielded from her observations somehow, she realized ... linked to something in the structure of exotic materials that had been dropped from the upper portal.  Even with the Other missing, that thing represented difficulties.

     Yet ... every entity there had been arranged for part of some greater harmony.

     She returned herself to the proper scale of time to better interact with the others.

     Her newly shrunken form drifted slowly down on the influence of reduced gravity, until she was plucked from the air by Suzumiya Haruhi.  Her attention fixed on the golden eyes of the larger girl, and she explained, "We must destroy this dangerous structure!"

     "It's maintaining a beacon that locks the sliders onto this dimension!" Ryouko agreed anxiously.  "There appears to be a dark fusion reactor inside there that resonates with something in another dimension.  It seems likely that this is what they use as an emergency fall-back function!"

     "What the hell just happened to the other Kuyou?" Kyon asked in bewilderment, casting about with a dark expression.  "She just seemed to kind of turn into sparkles and drift away?"

     "I provided an observation of myself that was empty, as my true self was mirrored to memories!" Kuyou replied, pleased at the improved library from her connection with Ryouko.  Communication was rapidly gaining efficiency!  "She attempted to synchronize with it and successfully became nothing, because she didn't understand what I was or how I changed!"

     "See?" Nonoko said brightly.  "I helped!"

     "Yes!" Kuyou agreed.

Right.

Given that, what would you suggest?

Also, thanks very much for taking the time to comment.  :D

I always appreciate that. ^_^

[Brian]

Okay, so, finally got around some things.  The revisions are mostly complete.  The previous revision is chapter 48.0.0, so here is chapter 48.1.0, since it's a significant revision.

Again, I tail it with a list of what I think is still wrong with the chapter, though I'm glad to say less of it bothers me, now.

Also, unintentionally: Longest chapter to date.  Considering it's the second half of a two-parter....

Right.  I'll be trying to get this finalized very shortly, I get the impression the tropers are anxious for more. <_<;;

[Arakawa]

Hmm... seemed fine to me. Won't do proofreading on this new version due to the apparent influx of tropers and the fact that I'm desperate to get a chapter of my own finished :-)

A reasonable way out for Tsuruya-sama -- act too damn impressive to be put in an awkward situation.

I don't want to get into the semantics of the test of pride/trust thing and how that works. The previous version seemed fine to me, and this one seems... mostly fine as well.

To give a non-semantic opinion, I had a bit of an attachment to "test of pride", but that's because I could correlate it to a fairly important religious notion... and I'm only familiar with it as a Western (specifically Orthodox) religious notion. So unless Shinto or Buddhism have an equivalent concept that can readily be rendered as 'pride', intellectually I'm dubious that Kyon would come up with 'pride' on the spot, in the middle of a heated battle.

'Trust' seems to fit the magical-girl theme a bit more.

Tell me if that means anything to you...

I wonder if anyone's realized that Kyon's never really gotten to do anything with his beam saber yet? :p

Good opportunity to score The Cover Always Lies (or whatever that trope is called), in my opinion.

[Brian]

A reasonable way out for Tsuruya-sama -- act too damn impressive to be put in an awkward situation.

That's the best way out for anyone who can pull it off.  Too bad that can be so tricky.

'Trust' seems to fit the magical-girl theme a bit more.

Tell me if that means anything to you...

Well, pride resonated with me personally more, but trust feels like it fits the story here both for Nonoko and for Kyon -- and it makes the Ryouko/Kuyou interaction slightly less awkward (though, Chuyou as an Uncanny Valley Chibi is ... not what I'd expected).

Good opportunity to score The Cover Always Lies (or whatever that trope is called), in my opinion.

Kyon not actually getting to use the beam saber is surprisingly unintentional on my part. >.>;;

Let's see how long it keeps up. o_o

[Halbarad]

Share and enjoy!

Made the corrections on the HTML this time, so diff shouldn't throw a fit picking out the spelling/grammar corrections.

[Rogh-sensei]

As if to underscore that remark, a stray flechette broke through their combined defenses, narrowly missing the top of Nonoko's head, and in fact catching a few stray hairs, leaving them to drift down to the girl's slide in an absurdly slow counterpoint.

Slide? Side?

I expected Haruhi to have a slightly stronger emotional reaction to Kyon naming his weapons what he did. The significance there seemed kind of lost.

The slider released a satisfying yelp of alarm as he fell off his perch, slipping towards a jagged pile of debris. Before he struck it, he suddenly slowed, his body briefly surrounded by that same green, protective field.

Same as what? When did we see this field before?

The Other, that thing which looked and behaved like, but was not, Kuyou, gave a curious reaction then, instead of trying for new possibilities or adapting, exerting itself further -- and shattering.

Tense feels awkward there at the end. How about:

...instead of trying for new possibilities or adapting, exerted itself further -- and shattered.

Continuity break?

He nodded at that, frowning as he pulled his harmonic resonance tool from his pocket, keeping it on standby to conserve power.

I thought that the "sonic screwdriver" was a function built into his sword hilt, not a discrete tool in and of itself.

almost equally uncomfortably blush

Pretty sure you mean "uncomfortable."

Yuuto wondered at how easily the man slipped adopted a casual mode of addressing his subordinates...

What's happening with this verb tangle?

but he was easygoing enough it was more surprising than unwanted.

Feels like there's a "that" missing in here.

[Brian]

@Hal: Awesome -- I'll run that as soon as I get home. :3

@Rogh-sensei: Aha, I'll reply in more detail later, but for now:

I expected Haruhi to have a slightly stronger emotional reaction to Kyon naming his weapons what he did. The significance there seemed kind of lost.

That'll be circled around to later -- she wants to ask what his sword is named, too.  Well, wouldn't hurt to add some more detail on that in the existing scene....

The slider released a satisfying yelp of alarm as he fell off his perch, slipping towards a jagged pile of debris. Before he struck it, he suddenly slowed, his body briefly surrounded by that same green, protective field.

Same as what? When did we see this field before?

Hmm, should be last chapter, when she tried to blast him.  It's been a while since the last chapter; I can be more clear, here.

Alrighty -- thanks very much for the reply in the meantime. :D

[Arakawa]

Gah, I had to re-read it to remember that Yuuto and Akane are indeed Haruhi's parents.

I guess I spotted the fridge brilliance just fine.

*crawls off into a hole in embarassment*

[Halbarad]

Gah, I had to re-read it to remember that Yuuto and Akane are indeed Haruhi's parents.

I guess I spotted the fridge brilliance just fine.

*crawls off into a hole in embarassment*

Actually, no, they're Kyon's parents. Akane hasn't been named before this chapter, but Yuuto is Kyon's dad, and he talks with Haruhi's father while they're still at work.

[Arakawa]

Actually, no, they're Kyon's parents. Akane hasn't been named before this chapter, but Yuuto is Kyon's dad, and he talks with Haruhi's father while they're still at work.

I guess I psyched myself out. (I'm generally... very bad about getting these kinds of details right.)

There's a serious missed opportunity for an in-joke here, see, if you name Haruhi's mom 'Akane' that initially makes us think it's just a common name, but then we suddenly realize that...

Spoiler: ShowHide

Hint: what's the in-canon reason given for why Haruhi is such a skilled cook?

Meh, on the other hand it might be a bit ham-handed, even for a cleverly buried in-joke.

EDIT: I guess that's one potential approach to "the inevitable crossover".

[Brian]

As funny as that may be....

Kyon's mother is named 'Akane' here because that's also the name of Mion's mother (Higurashi).  Which means in her own town, where she grew up, Kyon's mother would usually be stuck with a nickname to keep her separate from the other Maebaras in town and the other Akane.

Though I did read a fic where Haruhi's mother was Nabiki....