Akamatsuverse Contract Labor
- Thread starter GreydonCreed
- Start date
My own take is good intentions or not, Granny Hina basically in canon deliberately backstabbed and decieved keitaro and basically Haruka and the girls all in the process... even arranged to take his adopted sister with her to prevent her help or interferance. Deliberately telling him to arrive after she left proves this was premeditated in my eyes. Thus earning my eternal hate and wishing for her downfall in practically every story I read of her in...
Most think that extreme, but consider, she not only could have solved this thing on day 1 by revealing the truth, even if she did not do that she still could have alleviated 95% of the issues by simply being there the 1st day... both the girls she took in and was responsible for and the daughter (Haruka) and grandson (Keitaro) by blood she was considered close family too were seriously wronged that day. And it was never addressed.
Instead, we get to see Keitaro having had the deed transferred to him with conditions and him not even having a say in the matter, nor the girls whom lives were affected by it.
She *had* to know what they were like... she managed them for years.
Because of her... he, and even they, saw hell...
Most think that extreme, but consider, she not only could have solved this thing on day 1 by revealing the truth, even if she did not do that she still could have alleviated 95% of the issues by simply being there the 1st day... both the girls she took in and was responsible for and the daughter (Haruka) and grandson (Keitaro) by blood she was considered close family too were seriously wronged that day. And it was never addressed.
Instead, we get to see Keitaro having had the deed transferred to him with conditions and him not even having a say in the matter, nor the girls whom lives were affected by it.
She *had* to know what they were like... she managed them for years.
Because of her... he, and even they, saw hell...
Because Granny Hina is Destiny, and <a href='http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BecauseDestinySaysSo' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Destiny Says so...'</a>' thus it shall come to pass. Keitaro and Naru are MEANT to be an nothing shall stand in the way of their union. It's unfortunate that people had to be hurt along the way, but the end result was worth the pain and suffering.
Says you... :snigger: :snigger:
I agree with PC though. I disliked Hina when I watched the Anime and it didn't get better throughout the story, mainly for the reasons he specified. All she had to do to prevent all that pain and misery is to stay long enough to explain things. Granted, if she had, then half the half the cheap humor wouldn't be workable anymore; that just makes Akamatsu look lazy though. There were such great possibilities in all the other characters, and it even seemed like we got a better depth of history on all of them except the violent one his granny predestined him to get. It just seemed wrong.
I agree with PC though. I disliked Hina when I watched the Anime and it didn't get better throughout the story, mainly for the reasons he specified. All she had to do to prevent all that pain and misery is to stay long enough to explain things. Granted, if she had, then half the half the cheap humor wouldn't be workable anymore; that just makes Akamatsu look lazy though. There were such great possibilities in all the other characters, and it even seemed like we got a better depth of history on all of them except the violent one his granny predestined him to get. It just seemed wrong.
The preliminary first part of Ch 28.
Yes, we are going back to the current time line story, and yes, Keitaro is going to confront Tsuruko about Motoko's punishment.
Enjoy! :lol:
-----
Previously in the main time line storyà
Sitting motionless in the darkened room, a single figure knelt on the tatami mat in the room facing the window, although she was not looking at any particular thing. The only sound was her breathing, the only light coming under the door from the hallway behind her.
A new sound became apparent, that of footsteps. They would not have been noticed otherwise, but the house was so quiet this night that they could be heard. The steps stopped in the hallway, there was the sound of someone lightly knocking on the door, and after a long moment it clicked open, partially illuminating the empty tenant room, the light reflecting off the window glass and onto the tears trailing down the face of Tsuruko Aoyama.
Keitaro Urashima stepped into the room and paused for a moment before he spoke, his voice even. ôYou and I need to talk, Aoyama-san.ö
-----
Hinata-sou Dormitory
Hintata City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Metro Tokyo, Japan
Late November
early morning
(almost three months after story start)
Keitaro stared at the oak post in front of him, his fists clenched but down by his sides. He had spent the entire night trying to sleep, or failing that, calm down some, but he was still as angry now as he was last night. He had gotten up just before dawn to see his guest leave, then walked out into the back yard, winding up at the leather and cloth wrapped training post that his sister used for punching and kicking practice.
He could feel Kanako somewhere nearby. Normally, his sister would have to be relatively close for his sixth sense to pick her up, but right now he was so keyed up he could probably sense her at the bottom of the hill that the Hinata-sou was on. He could feel that she was behind him and that she was feeling a certain amount of concern for him, but then again, given the look on his face she had seen as he walked here, he could not blame her.
Feeling stinging pain in the palms of his hands, Keitaro brought his fists up in front of his face and opened them. Seeing the deep half-moon impressions that his fingernails had left in this palms, he frowned before letting his hands drop to his side and focused again on the post.
He had known things would go badly for Motoko after she had lost her honor duel with him. He had known that her family would punish her for her misuse of the family martial art, for the loss of her temper and her unjustified attacks. And while the punishment was not as bad as he was previously feared could occur, in some ways it was worse, as there was nothing being done to help the young Aoyama. Instead she was being shoved off to deal with her own problems on her own, with most of her family extending no help.
Feeling the anger thrum through his veins again, Keitaro closed his eyes, thinking back to how close he had come to hurting the one person that was looking out for Motoko now.
-----
Hinata-sou formal tea room
the night before
ôAoyama-san, I regret I have to do this, but I have some questions about what happened tonight with Motoko-san.ö Keitaro was kneeling on the center mat, looking at Tsuruko, who was kneeling on another mat in front of him. The older woman was trying her best to maintain a poker face, but he could still feel that she was nervous, not that he would blame her. Not only was he asking about the internal business of her traditional family, Kanako was standing next to the door behind her in an æat easeÆ position that was in reality a modified martial arts ready stance. With the upbringing that Tsuruko had, having someone behind them in a situation like this was a sign that they were not to be trusted. Having some inkling of what had happened with the younger Aoyama, Keitaro was not in the mood to be overly polite with their guest and let his sister stay in place rather than call her to his side. His calling his guest by her family name instead of her given name as he had previously was another sign of his displeasure as well.
ôI will answer what I can, but there are some things that are family matters that I will not be able to talk about.ö Tsuruko looked as though she did not want to say the words, but did so regardless.
ôWell, I will try not to ask anything too out of line.ö Keitaro was focusing intently on Tsuruko. ôFirst off, why is it that Motoko-san left before you did? Is she not returning to Kyoto with you?ö
Tsuruko barely kept from flinching. ôMotoko-chan needed to make her way to her new residence before it got too late in the evening. I needed to stay behind to finish arranging to ship her possessions home.ö
ôNew residence?ö Keitaro asked, his face emotionless. ôMotoko-san will not be returning to Kyoto with you?ö
ôNo. She will continue her residence and schooling here in Tokyo.ö Tsuruko was trying to stay emotionless as well, only she was not doing as well as she would normally.
ôI hope you forgive me saying this, Aoyama-san, but I was under the impression that Motoko-san was going to be punished by your family for the events of the last few days here at the Hinata-sou.ö While the expression on KeitaroÆs face remained emotionless, his tone was noticeably cooler.
ôMotoko-chanÆs punishment was already decided and ordered by the family council.ö Tsuruko gave a minute flinch as Keitaro visibly reacted to the statement.
ôSo if I understand what you are saying, Motoko-san is not returning to Kyoto and that is part of her punishment. Do you understand how that sounds?ö Keitaro leaned forward, the temperature of his voice dropping even more. ôThe only reason I allowed the honor duel to occur is so Motoko-sanÆs punishment would not be too harsh. Are you telling me that was in vain?ö
Tsuruko was now sitting up straight, both from the tone of the UrashimaÆs voice and the ice cold sensation she could feel going down her spine. At first she thought that Kanako was projecting her ki at her, but the sensation was all too familiar to her now. It was the same emotion she had felt when Keitaro had glared at her while holding his familyÆs sword, the physical sensation of hostility, or as it had been previously known in martial arts circles, killing intent.
ôAoyama-san, I have to ask, what is Motoko-sanÆs status in her family now?ö Keitaro was now ramrod straight, his hands curled up and on top of his thighs, his eyes partially hidden by his glasses. However, the temperature in the room seemed to still be dropping, making the feeling of the sweat siding down her spine all that more uncomfortable.
ôIÆm sorry, Keitaro-sama, I cannot speak of that.ö Tsuruko could barely keep from cringing as his head tilted slightly, the light now gleaming off the lens of his glasses, making them completely opaque.
ôBy saying that Aoyama-san, I start thinking the worst has occurred with Motoko-san. Please tell me I am wrong.ö The UrashimaÆs fingers flexed in his lap before becoming still again.
ôI can certainly tell you that the worst did not occur, Keitaro-sama.ö Tsuruko could still feel the cold in the room, but at least it was no longer intensifying.
ôBut from what I understand, a member of your family with emotional problems and a history of acting out is not returning home and getting the help she needs, instead she is being effectively banished.ö Tsuruko could not help it, she had tried to not react to the UrashimaÆs words, but the twitch of her eyebrow was seen by the man in front of her.
ôYou are not serious. Tell me that is not the case. Tell me you did not banish a seventeen year old girl from her family!!!ö Keitaro did not quite yell the last statement, but it was a close thing. The cold temperature in the room suddenly, massively increased, almost to the point where their breath would be visible. Instead of responding to his almost-shouted words, Tsuruko instead looked down at the mat before her and keep silent. Behind her, Kanako cringed and almost took a step back at her position by the door, never having seen her brother this angry before.
ôYou really did it.ö TsurukoÆs head rose up only to see Keitaro glaring at her, his eyes now visible now. ôYou have a family member with martial arts training and *weapons* that has anger issues, and instead of helping her with them, you send her to another city, only for her problems to get worse. And now that those problems have spilled over and affected the family she was boarding with, what do you do? You blame her entirely for the problem and throw her out! Out of sight, out of mind, right?!?ö he snarled.
A long terrible silence filled the room, the three people motionless, the cold in the room reaching meat locker level, until softly spoken words broke the stillness. ôI did what I could.ö
ôWhat was that?ö Keitaro growled.
ôI said I did what I could.ö Tsuruko slowly looked up and at Keitaro. ôMotoko-chanÆs punishment originally was to be expelled from the family, banned from using the family martial arts and left to fend for herself. I managed to convince them to reduce the punishment to temporary banishment and I arranged for financial support and lodging. If she stays out of trouble and sufficiently makes up for her misdeeds, she will be allowed back into the family at the lowest rank, and very probably not as heir again.ö
ôAnd how did you convince your family to go along with such a merciful punishment?ö Keitaro had noticed that Tsuruko had said nothing of the ban on using the family style being relaxed, and for someone like Motoko, that was a fate almost worse than death.
ôI blackmailed them.ö Here Tsuruko looked into KeitaroÆs eyes. ôI had threatened to refuse to retake my place as family heir and to walk away from the family entirely if Motoko-chan was expelled. Since my sister and I are the only full-blooded Aoyama of our generation left this was a threat they took seriously. They insisted on serious punishment for her actions, and finally we settled on the ban and temporary banishment. I am now supporting my sister with my own money, however.ö
Silence once again fell in the room, only this time the cold feeling started to decrease, the temperature slowly but surely returning to normal.
ôAoyama-san, I apologize for my harsh words earlier. I let my temper get the better of me, and I spoke angrily as a result.ö Keitaro performed a sitting bow, only to see Tsuruko do a deeper bow in return.
ôIt is I who must apologize, Keitaro-sama. It is though our familyÆs inactions and decisions that this came to be, and our latest actions did nothing to help resolve them.ö Tsuruko straightened up, but her head remained tilted down, her eyes focused on the mat before her.
After another long moment, Keitaro was the one that now broke the silence. ôIs there any assistance you need in shipping Motoko-sanÆs possessions?ö
ôNo. Everything is now packed in boxes and labeled, and a shipping company will arrive tomorrow to pick them up.ö MotokoÆs possession consisted mostly of training clothing and weapons. Her actual sword, Shishu, was going to go to TsurukoÆs home, as she was secretly disobeying her familyÆs order to destroy her sisterÆs katana in the hopes of one day returning it to her. ôIf you do not mind, I am leaving the furniture we paid for. You can do with it as you wish.ö
ôThat is acceptable, Aoyama-san.ö Keitaro looked at the swordswoman for a long moment. ôYou will be leaving tomorrow morning after the boxes are picked up?ö
ôIf you do not mind, I will leave first thing tomorrow. The shippers already have their instructions, and I do not wish to impose on you any longer. When they arrive if you could show them to MotokoÆsà former roomà they will take the boxes and load them on their truck. I do not have to be here for that.ö
ôVery well. As IÆve said before, IÆm sorry it came to this, Aoyama-san. There is one last thing however.ö The Urashima watched as the Aoyama raised her head again, her eyes focusing on his now. ôTell your family that I will not forget what they allowed to happen here, and what their reactions to it were. I will also remember in the future who showed mercy and who did not.ö
TsurukoÆs eyes widened at the statement. It was not an outright denouncement of the ties between their two families, but it was a near thing, one that her family would not be happy to hear.
ôKanako-chan will escort you to your room, Tsuruko-san. Have a good night, if that is even possible at this point, ö Keitaro said, unmistakably dismissing his guest, who then came to her feet and left the room, his sister right behind her, the clan heir being left alone in the room.
-----
the next morning
Tsuruko Aoyama left at the break of dawn, having called a taxi to come pick her up. Once the cab came up the access road to the rear of the house, the swordswoman loaded her roller bag into the trunk and then turned back toward the house, where the two Urashima silently stood next to each other. After bowing deeply and seeing the siblings return her bow, wordlessly Tsuruko unslung the bag containing her two swords and got into the cab, closing the car door behind her. The taxi drove off, and Keitaro turned and moved away the house, walking up to the training post in the back yard, staring at it for some unknown amount of time before he finally felt the presence of another person coming up behind him, easily identified by the smell of cigarette smoke.
ôHow bad was it, Kei-kun?ö Haruka had to leave early the evening before as she had to help close and clean up the tea house. After it was all done, it was a little too late to come back to the main house, so she decided to wait until morning to get caught up with events.
ôPretty bad, Haru-chan. Motoko-san wasnÆt expelled from her family, but it was a near thing. Instead they banished her and banned her from using her family style. If she æplays niceÆ,ö here Keitaro made finger quote marks, ôthey may let her back in. The good news is that her sister is now financially supporting her, so hopefully she wonÆt end up on the street or worse.ö
ôDamn.ö Haruka lit a cigarette, and even though Keitaro gave her a brief frown, he said nothing about it. She looked at her nephew for a few moments, finally turning her head away to exhale smoke before looking back at him. ôYou did all you could, Keitaro-kun.ö The older Urashima knew what he was thinking, not that her words made him feel much better.
ôI know.ö KeitaroÆs words were somewhat lacking in conviction.
ôYou canÆt save everyone, Kei-kun.ö Haruka was being semi-facetious, so she did not expect the frown he gave her.
ôThat is an excuse people give. You do the best you can to help everyone you can, because if everyone were to say that, no one even tries, it would always be someone else's problem.ö Keitaro turned and focused again on the training post in front of him. ôKanako-chan snuck into Tsuruko-sanÆs bag while she was in the shower and copied Motoko-sanÆs new information for me. WeÆll be keeping an eye on her. If she gets into something too deep, weÆll be there for her.ö
Haruka stood there silently smoking as Keitaro continued staring at the post. After finishing the smoke and tamping out the butt, the older Urashima finally spoke again. ôWhat are you trying to do, break that post with your eyes?ö
ôIÆm not at that level yet. IÆm sure Granny could though.ö Haruka smirked at the observation. ôNo, I was close to losing my temper earlier, and I wanted to have something to punch in case I did.ö Keitaro raised his fist and lightly tapped the wrapped target area. ôI did a punch like that once, and my chi wasnÆt properly set. Almost broke a knuckle.ö
ôLive and learn, cousin.ö Keitaro turned his head and looked at his erstwhile cousin-turned-aunt.
ôOr better yet, learn from other peopleÆs mistakes. ItÆs a lot less painful that way.ö Keitaro turned and walked back to the house, Haruka following behind him.
Yes, we are going back to the current time line story, and yes, Keitaro is going to confront Tsuruko about Motoko's punishment.
Enjoy! :lol:
-----
Previously in the main time line storyà
Sitting motionless in the darkened room, a single figure knelt on the tatami mat in the room facing the window, although she was not looking at any particular thing. The only sound was her breathing, the only light coming under the door from the hallway behind her.
A new sound became apparent, that of footsteps. They would not have been noticed otherwise, but the house was so quiet this night that they could be heard. The steps stopped in the hallway, there was the sound of someone lightly knocking on the door, and after a long moment it clicked open, partially illuminating the empty tenant room, the light reflecting off the window glass and onto the tears trailing down the face of Tsuruko Aoyama.
Keitaro Urashima stepped into the room and paused for a moment before he spoke, his voice even. ôYou and I need to talk, Aoyama-san.ö
-----
Hinata-sou Dormitory
Hintata City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Metro Tokyo, Japan
Late November
early morning
(almost three months after story start)
Keitaro stared at the oak post in front of him, his fists clenched but down by his sides. He had spent the entire night trying to sleep, or failing that, calm down some, but he was still as angry now as he was last night. He had gotten up just before dawn to see his guest leave, then walked out into the back yard, winding up at the leather and cloth wrapped training post that his sister used for punching and kicking practice.
He could feel Kanako somewhere nearby. Normally, his sister would have to be relatively close for his sixth sense to pick her up, but right now he was so keyed up he could probably sense her at the bottom of the hill that the Hinata-sou was on. He could feel that she was behind him and that she was feeling a certain amount of concern for him, but then again, given the look on his face she had seen as he walked here, he could not blame her.
Feeling stinging pain in the palms of his hands, Keitaro brought his fists up in front of his face and opened them. Seeing the deep half-moon impressions that his fingernails had left in this palms, he frowned before letting his hands drop to his side and focused again on the post.
He had known things would go badly for Motoko after she had lost her honor duel with him. He had known that her family would punish her for her misuse of the family martial art, for the loss of her temper and her unjustified attacks. And while the punishment was not as bad as he was previously feared could occur, in some ways it was worse, as there was nothing being done to help the young Aoyama. Instead she was being shoved off to deal with her own problems on her own, with most of her family extending no help.
Feeling the anger thrum through his veins again, Keitaro closed his eyes, thinking back to how close he had come to hurting the one person that was looking out for Motoko now.
-----
Hinata-sou formal tea room
the night before
ôAoyama-san, I regret I have to do this, but I have some questions about what happened tonight with Motoko-san.ö Keitaro was kneeling on the center mat, looking at Tsuruko, who was kneeling on another mat in front of him. The older woman was trying her best to maintain a poker face, but he could still feel that she was nervous, not that he would blame her. Not only was he asking about the internal business of her traditional family, Kanako was standing next to the door behind her in an æat easeÆ position that was in reality a modified martial arts ready stance. With the upbringing that Tsuruko had, having someone behind them in a situation like this was a sign that they were not to be trusted. Having some inkling of what had happened with the younger Aoyama, Keitaro was not in the mood to be overly polite with their guest and let his sister stay in place rather than call her to his side. His calling his guest by her family name instead of her given name as he had previously was another sign of his displeasure as well.
ôI will answer what I can, but there are some things that are family matters that I will not be able to talk about.ö Tsuruko looked as though she did not want to say the words, but did so regardless.
ôWell, I will try not to ask anything too out of line.ö Keitaro was focusing intently on Tsuruko. ôFirst off, why is it that Motoko-san left before you did? Is she not returning to Kyoto with you?ö
Tsuruko barely kept from flinching. ôMotoko-chan needed to make her way to her new residence before it got too late in the evening. I needed to stay behind to finish arranging to ship her possessions home.ö
ôNew residence?ö Keitaro asked, his face emotionless. ôMotoko-san will not be returning to Kyoto with you?ö
ôNo. She will continue her residence and schooling here in Tokyo.ö Tsuruko was trying to stay emotionless as well, only she was not doing as well as she would normally.
ôI hope you forgive me saying this, Aoyama-san, but I was under the impression that Motoko-san was going to be punished by your family for the events of the last few days here at the Hinata-sou.ö While the expression on KeitaroÆs face remained emotionless, his tone was noticeably cooler.
ôMotoko-chanÆs punishment was already decided and ordered by the family council.ö Tsuruko gave a minute flinch as Keitaro visibly reacted to the statement.
ôSo if I understand what you are saying, Motoko-san is not returning to Kyoto and that is part of her punishment. Do you understand how that sounds?ö Keitaro leaned forward, the temperature of his voice dropping even more. ôThe only reason I allowed the honor duel to occur is so Motoko-sanÆs punishment would not be too harsh. Are you telling me that was in vain?ö
Tsuruko was now sitting up straight, both from the tone of the UrashimaÆs voice and the ice cold sensation she could feel going down her spine. At first she thought that Kanako was projecting her ki at her, but the sensation was all too familiar to her now. It was the same emotion she had felt when Keitaro had glared at her while holding his familyÆs sword, the physical sensation of hostility, or as it had been previously known in martial arts circles, killing intent.
ôAoyama-san, I have to ask, what is Motoko-sanÆs status in her family now?ö Keitaro was now ramrod straight, his hands curled up and on top of his thighs, his eyes partially hidden by his glasses. However, the temperature in the room seemed to still be dropping, making the feeling of the sweat siding down her spine all that more uncomfortable.
ôIÆm sorry, Keitaro-sama, I cannot speak of that.ö Tsuruko could barely keep from cringing as his head tilted slightly, the light now gleaming off the lens of his glasses, making them completely opaque.
ôBy saying that Aoyama-san, I start thinking the worst has occurred with Motoko-san. Please tell me I am wrong.ö The UrashimaÆs fingers flexed in his lap before becoming still again.
ôI can certainly tell you that the worst did not occur, Keitaro-sama.ö Tsuruko could still feel the cold in the room, but at least it was no longer intensifying.
ôBut from what I understand, a member of your family with emotional problems and a history of acting out is not returning home and getting the help she needs, instead she is being effectively banished.ö Tsuruko could not help it, she had tried to not react to the UrashimaÆs words, but the twitch of her eyebrow was seen by the man in front of her.
ôYou are not serious. Tell me that is not the case. Tell me you did not banish a seventeen year old girl from her family!!!ö Keitaro did not quite yell the last statement, but it was a close thing. The cold temperature in the room suddenly, massively increased, almost to the point where their breath would be visible. Instead of responding to his almost-shouted words, Tsuruko instead looked down at the mat before her and keep silent. Behind her, Kanako cringed and almost took a step back at her position by the door, never having seen her brother this angry before.
ôYou really did it.ö TsurukoÆs head rose up only to see Keitaro glaring at her, his eyes now visible now. ôYou have a family member with martial arts training and *weapons* that has anger issues, and instead of helping her with them, you send her to another city, only for her problems to get worse. And now that those problems have spilled over and affected the family she was boarding with, what do you do? You blame her entirely for the problem and throw her out! Out of sight, out of mind, right?!?ö he snarled.
A long terrible silence filled the room, the three people motionless, the cold in the room reaching meat locker level, until softly spoken words broke the stillness. ôI did what I could.ö
ôWhat was that?ö Keitaro growled.
ôI said I did what I could.ö Tsuruko slowly looked up and at Keitaro. ôMotoko-chanÆs punishment originally was to be expelled from the family, banned from using the family martial arts and left to fend for herself. I managed to convince them to reduce the punishment to temporary banishment and I arranged for financial support and lodging. If she stays out of trouble and sufficiently makes up for her misdeeds, she will be allowed back into the family at the lowest rank, and very probably not as heir again.ö
ôAnd how did you convince your family to go along with such a merciful punishment?ö Keitaro had noticed that Tsuruko had said nothing of the ban on using the family style being relaxed, and for someone like Motoko, that was a fate almost worse than death.
ôI blackmailed them.ö Here Tsuruko looked into KeitaroÆs eyes. ôI had threatened to refuse to retake my place as family heir and to walk away from the family entirely if Motoko-chan was expelled. Since my sister and I are the only full-blooded Aoyama of our generation left this was a threat they took seriously. They insisted on serious punishment for her actions, and finally we settled on the ban and temporary banishment. I am now supporting my sister with my own money, however.ö
Silence once again fell in the room, only this time the cold feeling started to decrease, the temperature slowly but surely returning to normal.
ôAoyama-san, I apologize for my harsh words earlier. I let my temper get the better of me, and I spoke angrily as a result.ö Keitaro performed a sitting bow, only to see Tsuruko do a deeper bow in return.
ôIt is I who must apologize, Keitaro-sama. It is though our familyÆs inactions and decisions that this came to be, and our latest actions did nothing to help resolve them.ö Tsuruko straightened up, but her head remained tilted down, her eyes focused on the mat before her.
After another long moment, Keitaro was the one that now broke the silence. ôIs there any assistance you need in shipping Motoko-sanÆs possessions?ö
ôNo. Everything is now packed in boxes and labeled, and a shipping company will arrive tomorrow to pick them up.ö MotokoÆs possession consisted mostly of training clothing and weapons. Her actual sword, Shishu, was going to go to TsurukoÆs home, as she was secretly disobeying her familyÆs order to destroy her sisterÆs katana in the hopes of one day returning it to her. ôIf you do not mind, I am leaving the furniture we paid for. You can do with it as you wish.ö
ôThat is acceptable, Aoyama-san.ö Keitaro looked at the swordswoman for a long moment. ôYou will be leaving tomorrow morning after the boxes are picked up?ö
ôIf you do not mind, I will leave first thing tomorrow. The shippers already have their instructions, and I do not wish to impose on you any longer. When they arrive if you could show them to MotokoÆsà former roomà they will take the boxes and load them on their truck. I do not have to be here for that.ö
ôVery well. As IÆve said before, IÆm sorry it came to this, Aoyama-san. There is one last thing however.ö The Urashima watched as the Aoyama raised her head again, her eyes focusing on his now. ôTell your family that I will not forget what they allowed to happen here, and what their reactions to it were. I will also remember in the future who showed mercy and who did not.ö
TsurukoÆs eyes widened at the statement. It was not an outright denouncement of the ties between their two families, but it was a near thing, one that her family would not be happy to hear.
ôKanako-chan will escort you to your room, Tsuruko-san. Have a good night, if that is even possible at this point, ö Keitaro said, unmistakably dismissing his guest, who then came to her feet and left the room, his sister right behind her, the clan heir being left alone in the room.
-----
the next morning
Tsuruko Aoyama left at the break of dawn, having called a taxi to come pick her up. Once the cab came up the access road to the rear of the house, the swordswoman loaded her roller bag into the trunk and then turned back toward the house, where the two Urashima silently stood next to each other. After bowing deeply and seeing the siblings return her bow, wordlessly Tsuruko unslung the bag containing her two swords and got into the cab, closing the car door behind her. The taxi drove off, and Keitaro turned and moved away the house, walking up to the training post in the back yard, staring at it for some unknown amount of time before he finally felt the presence of another person coming up behind him, easily identified by the smell of cigarette smoke.
ôHow bad was it, Kei-kun?ö Haruka had to leave early the evening before as she had to help close and clean up the tea house. After it was all done, it was a little too late to come back to the main house, so she decided to wait until morning to get caught up with events.
ôPretty bad, Haru-chan. Motoko-san wasnÆt expelled from her family, but it was a near thing. Instead they banished her and banned her from using her family style. If she æplays niceÆ,ö here Keitaro made finger quote marks, ôthey may let her back in. The good news is that her sister is now financially supporting her, so hopefully she wonÆt end up on the street or worse.ö
ôDamn.ö Haruka lit a cigarette, and even though Keitaro gave her a brief frown, he said nothing about it. She looked at her nephew for a few moments, finally turning her head away to exhale smoke before looking back at him. ôYou did all you could, Keitaro-kun.ö The older Urashima knew what he was thinking, not that her words made him feel much better.
ôI know.ö KeitaroÆs words were somewhat lacking in conviction.
ôYou canÆt save everyone, Kei-kun.ö Haruka was being semi-facetious, so she did not expect the frown he gave her.
ôThat is an excuse people give. You do the best you can to help everyone you can, because if everyone were to say that, no one even tries, it would always be someone else's problem.ö Keitaro turned and focused again on the training post in front of him. ôKanako-chan snuck into Tsuruko-sanÆs bag while she was in the shower and copied Motoko-sanÆs new information for me. WeÆll be keeping an eye on her. If she gets into something too deep, weÆll be there for her.ö
Haruka stood there silently smoking as Keitaro continued staring at the post. After finishing the smoke and tamping out the butt, the older Urashima finally spoke again. ôWhat are you trying to do, break that post with your eyes?ö
ôIÆm not at that level yet. IÆm sure Granny could though.ö Haruka smirked at the observation. ôNo, I was close to losing my temper earlier, and I wanted to have something to punch in case I did.ö Keitaro raised his fist and lightly tapped the wrapped target area. ôI did a punch like that once, and my chi wasnÆt properly set. Almost broke a knuckle.ö
ôLive and learn, cousin.ö Keitaro turned his head and looked at his erstwhile cousin-turned-aunt.
ôOr better yet, learn from other peopleÆs mistakes. ItÆs a lot less painful that way.ö Keitaro turned and walked back to the house, Haruka following behind him.
For all your talk of Keitaro being a nice guy, he is remarkably rude to Tsuruko. He has seen multiple times that Tsuruko wants her sister to not be punished too harshly, yet he is acting incredibly hostile to her even though he has seen this firsthand. The same goes for his words toward Haruka. Right now he looks more like he's throwing a temper tantrum than anything else.
But hey, if that's what you wanted to get across, you did it remarkably well.
But hey, if that's what you wanted to get across, you did it remarkably well.
....she didn't tell him not to try, just that not everyone can be saved. His reacton here seems a little harsh considering. In all honesty the phrase 'You can't save everyone' is best shown in the concept of 'Triage'.
I'd argue that Keitaro is showing signs of '<a href='http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChronicHeroSyndrome' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Chronice Hero Syndrome</a>' especially since he went off on Tsuruko and gave Haruka a verbal slap for her comment.
I'd argue that Keitaro is showing signs of '<a href='http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChronicHeroSyndrome' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Chronice Hero Syndrome</a>' especially since he went off on Tsuruko and gave Haruka a verbal slap for her comment.
I'm going to say something unusual here... I was wrong in this part. ^_^
I did not have a good feeling about this part even before I posted it, so I am going to redo it.
I'm going to confirm what everybody probably already knows and say that Keitaro is going to Roanapur. Do you really think he would have survived there if he had Chronic Hero Syndrome? Even in RL Thailand you see things that haunt you, Roanapur is much worse. Keitaro knows all too well there are people you can't save.
And before people bring up Rock, remember he has 1) the Lagoon crew to protect him and 2) Plot Armor. Two instances where he was not able to protect people are the Vampire Twins and Yukio Washimine. The biggest reason Rock isn't dead is because Balalaika likes him and his nerve. If he really angered or interfered with her he would be dead.
I did not have a good feeling about this part even before I posted it, so I am going to redo it.
I'm going to confirm what everybody probably already knows and say that Keitaro is going to Roanapur. Do you really think he would have survived there if he had Chronic Hero Syndrome? Even in RL Thailand you see things that haunt you, Roanapur is much worse. Keitaro knows all too well there are people you can't save.
And before people bring up Rock, remember he has 1) the Lagoon crew to protect him and 2) Plot Armor. Two instances where he was not able to protect people are the Vampire Twins and Yukio Washimine. The biggest reason Rock isn't dead is because Balalaika likes him and his nerve. If he really angered or interfered with her he would be dead.
Personally, I truly think she wants him to be confrontational with her... He is someone she is plain not used to dealing with, and I think she enjoys the uncertainty in dealing with him...
As for Keitaro being 'cold'. I think it because that meeting had two completely different conversations going on at the same time,
1. It was a meeting between Keitaro and Tsuruko, and that was the nicer undertones, any coldeness on that level was only up to the point she explained her personal efforts...
2. It was a meeting between Urashima and Aoyoma clan representatives... neither is clan head, both are highest ranked and representatives present... and it was on *that* level, that they *had to be cold, and their could be no other way about it that would not be a dismissal of the methods the Aoyoma used on their members...
As for Keitaro being 'cold'. I think it because that meeting had two completely different conversations going on at the same time,
1. It was a meeting between Keitaro and Tsuruko, and that was the nicer undertones, any coldeness on that level was only up to the point she explained her personal efforts...
2. It was a meeting between Urashima and Aoyoma clan representatives... neither is clan head, both are highest ranked and representatives present... and it was on *that* level, that they *had to be cold, and their could be no other way about it that would not be a dismissal of the methods the Aoyoma used on their members...
As there are no major changes in the first part of Ch 28, here is the semi-final part two of Ch 28. Enjoy. :lol:
Hinata-sou Dormitory
Hintata City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Metro Tokyo, Japan
Early December
late morning
(three months after story start)
Keitaro was frowning as he looked at the screen before him. Computer literacy was not one of his greater talents, but he still knew enough to get by. Unfortunately, setting up a laptop computer was not among his skills. However, Haruka had insisted in his leaving the technological dark ages and getting online with the rest of the world.
Keitaro had protested that he did not have the money to buy a new computer, only to have a laptop carry bag slap up against his chest. As the ronin juggled the bag to keep it from falling, his aunt told him that she had replaced her laptop with a new one. After wiping and reformatting the older but still serviceable computer, she had decided to give it to her æfavorite nephewÆ.ö
Sitting at the low table in his room, Keitaro was able to use the wireless access Kaolla Su had set up from the FTTH 10GB internet connection she had paid to have installed and maintained at the Sou for her research projects. Su allowed the residents of the dorm to use for the wi-fi as well as its attendant firewalls and antivirus programs for free, so it was a simple matter to download the email and browser programs that he was more used to. Certain browser systems were a little too blue-screen-y and vulnerable in KeitaroÆs experience, so he used the open-source Kyuubi browser instead.
Noticing the differences in the browser since he had gone downloaded it last, Keitaro opened the Instant Messaging and mail program that went with it and logged on. After seeing that the email account he had originally opened when he started to work for Seta was still in place after not using it for almost a year he imported the few contacts and set the preferences and alerts, which promptly informed him he had 157 new emails awaiting his attention.
Sighing, Keitaro opened the email program and looked at the various emails that had gotten past his spam filter, seeing that roughly a third of them were offering discount Viagra and Cialis, another third were asking for him to launder money for some deposed third world leader through his bank account, and the last third were offering access to free hardcore porn. Clicking and deleting his way through the list, going from the oldest to the newest, he finally got to the final screen and after deleting the obvious spam, he was left with four legit emailsà including one with an email sending address that he belatedly recognized, with a title that caused him to halt in his tracksà æTwo Lovely Ladies Waiting For Their HeroÆ, dated a week previous.
Opening the email, Keitaro quickly read it. His two trainers were apparently impatiently awaiting his scheduled return from Thailand at the end of the year, and were eager to hear from him as soon as he could. It was obvious that Miyuki had written most of the email, but she had changed the font for part of the message so that Natsumi could write her own message, one that caused KeitaroÆs cheeks to redden. Finally, the end of the message had a photo attachment that, after being automatically scanned by the email and anti-virus programs, produced a photo of the two girls that made Keitaro blush noticeable. After saving the email and the photo in a secure and innocuously titled folder, he closed the email program and the browser and started the shut-down process for the computer.
Tapping his fingers on the table as the laptop was shutting down, Keitaro pondered his dilemma. There was not a week that went by that he did not think of the two girls, but after he had arrived home from Thailand, he had been hesitant to contact them. Given what he had seen and done in Samui and Roanapur, he was more than a little reluctant to talk about it with the two policewomen. Even though the Thai government had ruled that he had acted in self-defense in most of his actions, there were some things that he had done that the Thais did not officially know he had done, even though they had at the very least suspected his involvement. But given that Keitaro had done what that the national police had previously said was impossible, the Thais were not about to rock the boat, instead arranging for the survivors of the expedition to be quickly sent out of the country for their protection.
However, time was running out for him to decide on what to do. Natsumi and Miyuki knew that the expedition had been scheduled to return the first week of January, which gave him a little less than a month to make a decision and act on it. Keitaro did want to reunite with his two lovers very much, and not just for the obvious reasons. The girls were the best friends he had ever had, even more than Shirai and Haitani, the two guys he had been friends with back in high school and were now also ronin.
Hearing the disk drive of the laptop come to a halt, Keitaro looked and saw that the computer was completely off. Closing the screen, he pushed himself up and away from the table. It was getting close to lunchtime, and he had a plate full of ShinobuÆs leftovers to look forward to, which even reheated were better than most restaurant meals.
Walking downstairs, Keitaro noted how quiet the house was. It was a week after Motoko had left the Hinata-sou, and the other tenants were still affected by it, most noticeably Su. The hyperactive foreign girl often made the swordswoman her reluctant playmate, as she was the only tenant strong and durable enough to keep up with her. Once Motoko had left, Su spent most of her days shut up in her outdoors lab building, coming out only to eat or sleep, acting like a shadow of her former restless self.
Naru and Kitsune had been acting somewhat nervous around him as well. They now realized that Motoko had very probably had been asked to leave the Sou due to rules violations, and they did not want to catch the managerÆs attention in a negative way.
Kanako had gone off for the day on her motorcycle, telling her brother that Motoko was apparently moving to a new residence. She was going to keep an eye on the former tenant to get the address and get a feel for the new location.
Just as Keitaro was passing through the living room, he heard the sound of a engine coming from behind the house. Given that SuÆs Mecha-Tama had a hybrid turbine engine with a completely different sound signature, that meant that a vehicle was coming up the rear access road. They were not expecting any deliveries or visitors, so his curiosity was naturally piqued.
Walking out the back door, Keitaro saw that the vehicle was a beat-up panel van, one that looked like it had not just been through a war or two, but driven underwater between those wars. Dented and rusted, the off-white colored van came to a halt at the end of the walkway leading to the rear house door, the engine sputtering and backfiring a couple of times before it finally shut off.
Standing at the end of the walkway, Keitaro could hear some metallic banging sounds come from the inside of the van before the double side doors finally crashed open. A blonde haired blue eyed girl fell out of the opening, nimbly rolling to her feet and looking around. Wearing a multicolored tee shirt and shorts, she looked to be in her mid-teens.
ôYou sure this is the place, Poppa?ö The girl asked loudly in English. ôThis place looks too fancy for someone like the dork.ö
A older male voice responded from inside the van. ôThis is the Hinata-sou, I used to come here when I was seeing Haruka-chan.ö
Keitaro thought he recognized the voice, but his thoughts on the matter were interrupted by the blonde girl jumping at him, yelling ôKeitaro! You dork, why the hell havenÆt you called!ö
Barely able to keep his footing after catching the screaming girl, Keitaro moved his head to the side to avoid the swat the girl aimed at him. ôAnd a good day to you too, Sarah-chan,ö he said as he carefully lowered the girl to the ground.
Sarah clenched her fists and looked like she wanted to take another swing at him, but instead she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. ôDonÆt give me that æSarah-chanÆ crap, you dork. Why havenÆt you come to see us or at least called!ö
ôI have been talking with your father, Sarah,ö Keitaro was not about to annoy the volatile teen by using honorifics again. ôIt was how he knew that I was staying here at the Sou.ö
ôYeah, well you didnÆt call to talk to me!ö Moving toward Keitaro, Sarah wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing the side of her face against his chest. ôI missed you, dork,ö she said in a lower voice.
ôIÆm sorry Sarah, things have been kind of hectic here.ö Keitaro ruffled the blonde teenÆs hair, which was worn in two long loose ponytails streaming from the top of her head.
ôHey there, Part-timer, howÆs it going?ö Moving carefully, Noriyasu Seta stepped out of the driverÆs door, his right leg in a cast and two crutches in hand. Standing up, Seta put the crutches under his arms and hobbled over to where his daughter and friend were standing.
ôSeta-sensei, itÆs good to see that youÆre better.ö Keitaro was telling the truth; the last time he had seen his boss he had been in a hospital bed swathed in bandages, recovering from a badly broken leg and gunshot wounds. ôI didnÆt think you would be out of the hospital so soon though.ö
The lanky professor and explorer gave a half-grin. ôWell, I heal really fast, which you need in my line of work. Plus the nurses in the hospital were all ganging up on me, so I knew it was time to leave.ö
ôThatÆs not a big surprise.ö A female voice came from behind the van, and Haruka Urashima walked around the vehicle, coming to a halt next to her former boyfriend. Staring at him for a long moment, she gave him a half-hearted swat to the head. ôIdiot, you should still be in bed.ö
ôHey, hey, no beating up on the cripple! But if you want to make me go to bed, I can think of a couple easier ways to do it.ö Seta waggled his eyebrows at his former girlfriend, who swatted at him again, only to miss when he moved his head.
ôSeta-sempai? Is that you?ö A different female voice asked, and the group all turned to see the residents of the Sou standing at the rear door. Su and Shinobu looked curious, Kitsune looked surprised and somewhat worried, but Naru was wide-eyed, as though she was seeing a ghost.
ôHello Naru-chan, Kitsune-chan. Been a long time since IÆve seen you last.ö The grin on SetaÆs face slipped down to a smile, but he was still happy to see them. ôI donÆt recognize the two young ladies with you though.ö
ôThose are Shinobu Maehara and Kaolla Su. They are all residents here at the dormitory.ö Keitaro introduced the two younger tenants, and while Shinobu did a half bow when her name was spoken, Su merely bounced in place and smiled. ôGirls, this is Noriyasu Seta, professor at Todai and my sensei.ö Seta gave a head nod in return. ôAnd this young lady here is Sarah McDougal, Seta-senseiÆs adopted daughter.ö
ôOhayo, it is good to meet you.ö Sarah said in accented but understandable Japanese, pulling away from Keitaro to do a half bow like Shinobu had.
ôYou should have called and let us know you were coming, Seta-sensei. We would have had a better meal ready.ö Keitaro said. It was the weekend, and there was no prepared meal for lunch, merely leftovers and sandwiches.
Scratching the back of his head, Seta grinned. ôTo tell the truth, there is someone else here to see you, and I wanted it to be a surprise.ö He turned to look at the van, and everyone else present did the same as metallic banging sounds started to come from the rear doors. The double doors finally crashed open and what looked to be a ramp fell to the ground. After a long moment, a giant tortoise, about a meter and a half long and weighing about 300 kilos, slid down the ramp on its bottom shell, extending its legs and head once it was on the ground. Looking around, the tortoise saw Keitaro and started moving toward him, walking rather fast for such an unwieldy looking animal. Coming to a stop in front of Keitaro, who had dropped down onto one knee, the tortoise looked him in the face and, surprising everyone, chirped out a æmyuh!Æ
ôGidget! ItÆs good to see you.ö Keitaro reached out with his hand and stroked the top of her head. The tortoise, rather than snapping at him or moving away, moved its head into the touch. Looking up at Seta, he asked ôHow did she get here to Japan?ö
The professor smiled at his student. ôShe led a friendÆs boat to Osaka, then they made their way to the hospital I was at. Surprised the heck out of me when I went out for a walk in the garden one morning and Gidget here was eating the landscaping. Managed to keep the hospital from calling the animal control people once I offered to pay for the plants.ö
Keitaro frowned as he stood up. ôWait, she *led* a boat to Japan?ö Giant tortoises were perfectly capable of traveling at sea, but Gidget had traits that were almost supernatural. ôWhereÆs the friend?ö
ôRight here.ö Everyone turned to see another girl standing next to Seta. Looking uncannily like Shinobu, the girl had a deep tanned complexion and waist length straight black hair, while also wearing a pastel tee shirt and shorts like Sarah. ôWhat is the matter, Mista Taro? You donÆt recognize me?ö The girl said softly in heavily accented English.
This time, it was KeitaroÆs eyes that widened. ôNyamo-chan? Is that you?ö It was a rhetorical question, as no one else called him æMista TaroÆ, but cleaned up and in feminine clothing, she did not resemble the ragamuffin that had helped him so much in Thailand. Moving over toward the girl, he was only slightly surprised that she hugged him, only with slightly less enthusiasm than Sarah. ôHow did you get to Japan?ö
ôMy boat.ö Given her language difficulties, Nyamo tended to be a little laconic.
ôNyamo, you have a little sailboat! That was thousands of kilometers!ö NyamoÆs boat was a one mast open hulled vessel, most certainly *not* meant for open seas travel.
ôGidget protect.ö The girl nodded toward the giant tortoise. ôShe catch fish, lead to islands with water.ö
ôGods, Nyamo.ö Keitaro hugged the girl to him this time, astounded that she had made it through such a dangerous journey unscathed. ôWhy did you do it?ö
The tanned girl frowned. ôMuch trouble when you and Mista Seta leave. Bad men come looking for you. They look for people who know you, so I hide. Gidget lead to boat, lead away from islands. We get to Japan, she lead to Mista Seta.ö
Keitaro looked up at Seta, who shrugged uncomfortably. His boss knew most of what had happened in Thailand, but the really bad stuff happened while he was recovering in a Samui hospital. It was still enough to convince him to shelter the girl rather than have her sent back to a country where bad people were looking for her.
ôKeitaro-san, who is this girl?ö NaruÆs question snapped him back to the present.
ôThis is Nyamo, she is the granddaughter of a friend of Seta. She was helping him out on the expedition when we had our troubles, she helped save his life when he was hurt. SheÆs staying with you, right?ö Keitaro looked over at Seta, who had a semi-pained look in his eyes that he quickly concealed.
ôOf course.ö Seta answered. ôCan we go inside, I canÆt stay on my feet for too long.ö
ôOf course, of course. Shinobu, could you make some tea? WeÆre going to have some guests over for lunch and probably dinner as well. If you will follow me?ö Keitaro gestured toward the door of the Sou, and everyone began moving toward it, Shinobu leading and Gidget and Nyamo bringing up the rear.
Hinata-sou Dormitory
Hintata City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Metro Tokyo, Japan
Early December
late morning
(three months after story start)
Keitaro was frowning as he looked at the screen before him. Computer literacy was not one of his greater talents, but he still knew enough to get by. Unfortunately, setting up a laptop computer was not among his skills. However, Haruka had insisted in his leaving the technological dark ages and getting online with the rest of the world.
Keitaro had protested that he did not have the money to buy a new computer, only to have a laptop carry bag slap up against his chest. As the ronin juggled the bag to keep it from falling, his aunt told him that she had replaced her laptop with a new one. After wiping and reformatting the older but still serviceable computer, she had decided to give it to her æfavorite nephewÆ.ö
Sitting at the low table in his room, Keitaro was able to use the wireless access Kaolla Su had set up from the FTTH 10GB internet connection she had paid to have installed and maintained at the Sou for her research projects. Su allowed the residents of the dorm to use for the wi-fi as well as its attendant firewalls and antivirus programs for free, so it was a simple matter to download the email and browser programs that he was more used to. Certain browser systems were a little too blue-screen-y and vulnerable in KeitaroÆs experience, so he used the open-source Kyuubi browser instead.
Noticing the differences in the browser since he had gone downloaded it last, Keitaro opened the Instant Messaging and mail program that went with it and logged on. After seeing that the email account he had originally opened when he started to work for Seta was still in place after not using it for almost a year he imported the few contacts and set the preferences and alerts, which promptly informed him he had 157 new emails awaiting his attention.
Sighing, Keitaro opened the email program and looked at the various emails that had gotten past his spam filter, seeing that roughly a third of them were offering discount Viagra and Cialis, another third were asking for him to launder money for some deposed third world leader through his bank account, and the last third were offering access to free hardcore porn. Clicking and deleting his way through the list, going from the oldest to the newest, he finally got to the final screen and after deleting the obvious spam, he was left with four legit emailsà including one with an email sending address that he belatedly recognized, with a title that caused him to halt in his tracksà æTwo Lovely Ladies Waiting For Their HeroÆ, dated a week previous.
Opening the email, Keitaro quickly read it. His two trainers were apparently impatiently awaiting his scheduled return from Thailand at the end of the year, and were eager to hear from him as soon as he could. It was obvious that Miyuki had written most of the email, but she had changed the font for part of the message so that Natsumi could write her own message, one that caused KeitaroÆs cheeks to redden. Finally, the end of the message had a photo attachment that, after being automatically scanned by the email and anti-virus programs, produced a photo of the two girls that made Keitaro blush noticeable. After saving the email and the photo in a secure and innocuously titled folder, he closed the email program and the browser and started the shut-down process for the computer.
Tapping his fingers on the table as the laptop was shutting down, Keitaro pondered his dilemma. There was not a week that went by that he did not think of the two girls, but after he had arrived home from Thailand, he had been hesitant to contact them. Given what he had seen and done in Samui and Roanapur, he was more than a little reluctant to talk about it with the two policewomen. Even though the Thai government had ruled that he had acted in self-defense in most of his actions, there were some things that he had done that the Thais did not officially know he had done, even though they had at the very least suspected his involvement. But given that Keitaro had done what that the national police had previously said was impossible, the Thais were not about to rock the boat, instead arranging for the survivors of the expedition to be quickly sent out of the country for their protection.
However, time was running out for him to decide on what to do. Natsumi and Miyuki knew that the expedition had been scheduled to return the first week of January, which gave him a little less than a month to make a decision and act on it. Keitaro did want to reunite with his two lovers very much, and not just for the obvious reasons. The girls were the best friends he had ever had, even more than Shirai and Haitani, the two guys he had been friends with back in high school and were now also ronin.
Hearing the disk drive of the laptop come to a halt, Keitaro looked and saw that the computer was completely off. Closing the screen, he pushed himself up and away from the table. It was getting close to lunchtime, and he had a plate full of ShinobuÆs leftovers to look forward to, which even reheated were better than most restaurant meals.
Walking downstairs, Keitaro noted how quiet the house was. It was a week after Motoko had left the Hinata-sou, and the other tenants were still affected by it, most noticeably Su. The hyperactive foreign girl often made the swordswoman her reluctant playmate, as she was the only tenant strong and durable enough to keep up with her. Once Motoko had left, Su spent most of her days shut up in her outdoors lab building, coming out only to eat or sleep, acting like a shadow of her former restless self.
Naru and Kitsune had been acting somewhat nervous around him as well. They now realized that Motoko had very probably had been asked to leave the Sou due to rules violations, and they did not want to catch the managerÆs attention in a negative way.
Kanako had gone off for the day on her motorcycle, telling her brother that Motoko was apparently moving to a new residence. She was going to keep an eye on the former tenant to get the address and get a feel for the new location.
Just as Keitaro was passing through the living room, he heard the sound of a engine coming from behind the house. Given that SuÆs Mecha-Tama had a hybrid turbine engine with a completely different sound signature, that meant that a vehicle was coming up the rear access road. They were not expecting any deliveries or visitors, so his curiosity was naturally piqued.
Walking out the back door, Keitaro saw that the vehicle was a beat-up panel van, one that looked like it had not just been through a war or two, but driven underwater between those wars. Dented and rusted, the off-white colored van came to a halt at the end of the walkway leading to the rear house door, the engine sputtering and backfiring a couple of times before it finally shut off.
Standing at the end of the walkway, Keitaro could hear some metallic banging sounds come from the inside of the van before the double side doors finally crashed open. A blonde haired blue eyed girl fell out of the opening, nimbly rolling to her feet and looking around. Wearing a multicolored tee shirt and shorts, she looked to be in her mid-teens.
ôYou sure this is the place, Poppa?ö The girl asked loudly in English. ôThis place looks too fancy for someone like the dork.ö
A older male voice responded from inside the van. ôThis is the Hinata-sou, I used to come here when I was seeing Haruka-chan.ö
Keitaro thought he recognized the voice, but his thoughts on the matter were interrupted by the blonde girl jumping at him, yelling ôKeitaro! You dork, why the hell havenÆt you called!ö
Barely able to keep his footing after catching the screaming girl, Keitaro moved his head to the side to avoid the swat the girl aimed at him. ôAnd a good day to you too, Sarah-chan,ö he said as he carefully lowered the girl to the ground.
Sarah clenched her fists and looked like she wanted to take another swing at him, but instead she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. ôDonÆt give me that æSarah-chanÆ crap, you dork. Why havenÆt you come to see us or at least called!ö
ôI have been talking with your father, Sarah,ö Keitaro was not about to annoy the volatile teen by using honorifics again. ôIt was how he knew that I was staying here at the Sou.ö
ôYeah, well you didnÆt call to talk to me!ö Moving toward Keitaro, Sarah wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing the side of her face against his chest. ôI missed you, dork,ö she said in a lower voice.
ôIÆm sorry Sarah, things have been kind of hectic here.ö Keitaro ruffled the blonde teenÆs hair, which was worn in two long loose ponytails streaming from the top of her head.
ôHey there, Part-timer, howÆs it going?ö Moving carefully, Noriyasu Seta stepped out of the driverÆs door, his right leg in a cast and two crutches in hand. Standing up, Seta put the crutches under his arms and hobbled over to where his daughter and friend were standing.
ôSeta-sensei, itÆs good to see that youÆre better.ö Keitaro was telling the truth; the last time he had seen his boss he had been in a hospital bed swathed in bandages, recovering from a badly broken leg and gunshot wounds. ôI didnÆt think you would be out of the hospital so soon though.ö
The lanky professor and explorer gave a half-grin. ôWell, I heal really fast, which you need in my line of work. Plus the nurses in the hospital were all ganging up on me, so I knew it was time to leave.ö
ôThatÆs not a big surprise.ö A female voice came from behind the van, and Haruka Urashima walked around the vehicle, coming to a halt next to her former boyfriend. Staring at him for a long moment, she gave him a half-hearted swat to the head. ôIdiot, you should still be in bed.ö
ôHey, hey, no beating up on the cripple! But if you want to make me go to bed, I can think of a couple easier ways to do it.ö Seta waggled his eyebrows at his former girlfriend, who swatted at him again, only to miss when he moved his head.
ôSeta-sempai? Is that you?ö A different female voice asked, and the group all turned to see the residents of the Sou standing at the rear door. Su and Shinobu looked curious, Kitsune looked surprised and somewhat worried, but Naru was wide-eyed, as though she was seeing a ghost.
ôHello Naru-chan, Kitsune-chan. Been a long time since IÆve seen you last.ö The grin on SetaÆs face slipped down to a smile, but he was still happy to see them. ôI donÆt recognize the two young ladies with you though.ö
ôThose are Shinobu Maehara and Kaolla Su. They are all residents here at the dormitory.ö Keitaro introduced the two younger tenants, and while Shinobu did a half bow when her name was spoken, Su merely bounced in place and smiled. ôGirls, this is Noriyasu Seta, professor at Todai and my sensei.ö Seta gave a head nod in return. ôAnd this young lady here is Sarah McDougal, Seta-senseiÆs adopted daughter.ö
ôOhayo, it is good to meet you.ö Sarah said in accented but understandable Japanese, pulling away from Keitaro to do a half bow like Shinobu had.
ôYou should have called and let us know you were coming, Seta-sensei. We would have had a better meal ready.ö Keitaro said. It was the weekend, and there was no prepared meal for lunch, merely leftovers and sandwiches.
Scratching the back of his head, Seta grinned. ôTo tell the truth, there is someone else here to see you, and I wanted it to be a surprise.ö He turned to look at the van, and everyone else present did the same as metallic banging sounds started to come from the rear doors. The double doors finally crashed open and what looked to be a ramp fell to the ground. After a long moment, a giant tortoise, about a meter and a half long and weighing about 300 kilos, slid down the ramp on its bottom shell, extending its legs and head once it was on the ground. Looking around, the tortoise saw Keitaro and started moving toward him, walking rather fast for such an unwieldy looking animal. Coming to a stop in front of Keitaro, who had dropped down onto one knee, the tortoise looked him in the face and, surprising everyone, chirped out a æmyuh!Æ
ôGidget! ItÆs good to see you.ö Keitaro reached out with his hand and stroked the top of her head. The tortoise, rather than snapping at him or moving away, moved its head into the touch. Looking up at Seta, he asked ôHow did she get here to Japan?ö
The professor smiled at his student. ôShe led a friendÆs boat to Osaka, then they made their way to the hospital I was at. Surprised the heck out of me when I went out for a walk in the garden one morning and Gidget here was eating the landscaping. Managed to keep the hospital from calling the animal control people once I offered to pay for the plants.ö
Keitaro frowned as he stood up. ôWait, she *led* a boat to Japan?ö Giant tortoises were perfectly capable of traveling at sea, but Gidget had traits that were almost supernatural. ôWhereÆs the friend?ö
ôRight here.ö Everyone turned to see another girl standing next to Seta. Looking uncannily like Shinobu, the girl had a deep tanned complexion and waist length straight black hair, while also wearing a pastel tee shirt and shorts like Sarah. ôWhat is the matter, Mista Taro? You donÆt recognize me?ö The girl said softly in heavily accented English.
This time, it was KeitaroÆs eyes that widened. ôNyamo-chan? Is that you?ö It was a rhetorical question, as no one else called him æMista TaroÆ, but cleaned up and in feminine clothing, she did not resemble the ragamuffin that had helped him so much in Thailand. Moving over toward the girl, he was only slightly surprised that she hugged him, only with slightly less enthusiasm than Sarah. ôHow did you get to Japan?ö
ôMy boat.ö Given her language difficulties, Nyamo tended to be a little laconic.
ôNyamo, you have a little sailboat! That was thousands of kilometers!ö NyamoÆs boat was a one mast open hulled vessel, most certainly *not* meant for open seas travel.
ôGidget protect.ö The girl nodded toward the giant tortoise. ôShe catch fish, lead to islands with water.ö
ôGods, Nyamo.ö Keitaro hugged the girl to him this time, astounded that she had made it through such a dangerous journey unscathed. ôWhy did you do it?ö
The tanned girl frowned. ôMuch trouble when you and Mista Seta leave. Bad men come looking for you. They look for people who know you, so I hide. Gidget lead to boat, lead away from islands. We get to Japan, she lead to Mista Seta.ö
Keitaro looked up at Seta, who shrugged uncomfortably. His boss knew most of what had happened in Thailand, but the really bad stuff happened while he was recovering in a Samui hospital. It was still enough to convince him to shelter the girl rather than have her sent back to a country where bad people were looking for her.
ôKeitaro-san, who is this girl?ö NaruÆs question snapped him back to the present.
ôThis is Nyamo, she is the granddaughter of a friend of Seta. She was helping him out on the expedition when we had our troubles, she helped save his life when he was hurt. SheÆs staying with you, right?ö Keitaro looked over at Seta, who had a semi-pained look in his eyes that he quickly concealed.
ôOf course.ö Seta answered. ôCan we go inside, I canÆt stay on my feet for too long.ö
ôOf course, of course. Shinobu, could you make some tea? WeÆre going to have some guests over for lunch and probably dinner as well. If you will follow me?ö Keitaro gestured toward the door of the Sou, and everyone began moving toward it, Shinobu leading and Gidget and Nyamo bringing up the rear.
I just started reading this, and am about halfway through, but I felt the need to point something out.
To all of you motherfuckers who whined about the soul bond, do you have any idea exactly how incredibly petty and absurd that complaint is? Love Hina exists parallel to all of Akamatsu's other works. You know, the ones about a lightning strike turning a bunch of computer programs into girls, and the MAGICAL KINGDOMS THAT LIVE ON MARS.
'Souls don't exist'? Motherfucker, not only do souls exist, but a robot can develop one if it falls in love hard enough. I've got no problem with a soul bond, because I also don't happen to have a problem with magic girls whose powers run off of kisses, shota wizards who are also half demon, and Windows 95 growing tits because of a power surge.
BUT LORD RAINE I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE AKAMATSUVERSE THIS STANDS ALONE
Shut the fuck up, you stupid bastard, and use your head for two freaking seconds. Even if you discount literally everything else that we know exists in the same universe as the Hinata Sou, even if we take just Love Hina standalone and judge from that? You're still being retarded, unreasonable, whiny bitches. Just in Love Hina alone, we have: a little girl building giant turtle themed robots with antigravity and homing lasers for fun, people throwing ki blasts off of swords and fists, ki usage and manipulation being such common knowledge that everyone who is serious about martial arts knows about it and acknowledges it's usage as a form of practical magic, a demonically possessed sword in the attic that functions by, hey, OVERRIDING THE USER'S SOUL WITH THE DEMON'S OWN, and an inn where no one blinks an eye when someone punches through a wall, and one of the stated rules is "please keep energy blasts to a minimum."
Perspective.
You have none.
BUT LORD RAINE-
Look at my sig goddamnit. LOOK AT MY SIG. Direct all diatribes of how disappointed you are at how this story is fantastical and not serious and realistic enough for you to the THOUSAND YEAR OLD IMMORTAL LOLI VAMPIRE SORCERESS-QUEEN RECLINING ON A BEANBAG CHAIR AND PLAYING SOLOMON'S KEY NAKED WHILE EATING CHIPS
My sig exists, and as such, your argument is invalid. Good day to you sir.
To all of you motherfuckers who whined about the soul bond, do you have any idea exactly how incredibly petty and absurd that complaint is? Love Hina exists parallel to all of Akamatsu's other works. You know, the ones about a lightning strike turning a bunch of computer programs into girls, and the MAGICAL KINGDOMS THAT LIVE ON MARS.
'Souls don't exist'? Motherfucker, not only do souls exist, but a robot can develop one if it falls in love hard enough. I've got no problem with a soul bond, because I also don't happen to have a problem with magic girls whose powers run off of kisses, shota wizards who are also half demon, and Windows 95 growing tits because of a power surge.
BUT LORD RAINE I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE AKAMATSUVERSE THIS STANDS ALONE
Shut the fuck up, you stupid bastard, and use your head for two freaking seconds. Even if you discount literally everything else that we know exists in the same universe as the Hinata Sou, even if we take just Love Hina standalone and judge from that? You're still being retarded, unreasonable, whiny bitches. Just in Love Hina alone, we have: a little girl building giant turtle themed robots with antigravity and homing lasers for fun, people throwing ki blasts off of swords and fists, ki usage and manipulation being such common knowledge that everyone who is serious about martial arts knows about it and acknowledges it's usage as a form of practical magic, a demonically possessed sword in the attic that functions by, hey, OVERRIDING THE USER'S SOUL WITH THE DEMON'S OWN, and an inn where no one blinks an eye when someone punches through a wall, and one of the stated rules is "please keep energy blasts to a minimum."
Perspective.
You have none.
BUT LORD RAINE-
Look at my sig goddamnit. LOOK AT MY SIG. Direct all diatribes of how disappointed you are at how this story is fantastical and not serious and realistic enough for you to the THOUSAND YEAR OLD IMMORTAL LOLI VAMPIRE SORCERESS-QUEEN RECLINING ON A BEANBAG CHAIR AND PLAYING SOLOMON'S KEY NAKED WHILE EATING CHIPS
My sig exists, and as such, your argument is invalid. Good day to you sir.
It would be cliche if it was used to cement the status of the author's OTP. Here, it's a thing that happens to exist. In spite of what Kanako wants, Keitaro isn't going to hit that anytime soon. Ever, if he has anything to say about it. It's just sort of there. There is no telepathy involved. It doesn't augment his ki, or magic, or whatever, or mean he can talk to people with his mind or share emotions or any of the other cliche things that actually make soul bonds a cliche. Even it's existence isn't a cliche. Most of the time, that shit is just sort of there, and no real explanation for it is ever given. If one is, it's usually OMG THEY WERE DESTINED TO BE TOGETHER. In this setting, Keitaro murdered the shit out of some guys who were going to kidnap and rape Kanako, so there's actually some precedent for them to develop some sort of closeness or bond. It actually makes sense here, and is not, as it so often is, just shoved into the story sideways because FAPFAPFAPFAP WELL WHY NOT FAPFAPFAPFAP.
I haven't gotten to the conclusion of this little drama yet, but I'm hoping that Greydon is going to wrap it up in the exact same way I would. Motoko Ayomaya is banned from the Hinata Sou, but then again, Motoko Ayomaya doesn't exist anymore. Or in other words, Keitaro uses Motoko's banishment as a loophole to allow her back in the inn, because the person who was kicked out technically doesn't exist anymore.
Not sure how Greydon will handle it, though. I suppose I'm about to find out.
Not sure how Greydon will handle it, though. I suppose I'm about to find out.
Then you will be disappointed...
I personally disliked the soul bond partly because it was a cliche way of slapping Kanako with Keitaro, partly the fact that Kanako is a manipulative bitch similar to Kitsune or Hina, but uses the excuse, "I love my oniichan and I will protect him" to justify her manipulating him and others around him, and partly the fact that I just don't like her as a character. I admit the latter is purely a personal opinion.
It's not that a soul bond shouldn't exist, as I have no problem with them in a story, it's who he soul bonded with. That's why my believability meter pegged. When people talk about a soul bond, it's almost always in a romantic sense so it led the reader to believe that there would be a pairing with Kanako.
Either of the two other girls (who you will come across soon) would have been perfectly acceptable as a soul bond partner.
I personally disliked the soul bond partly because it was a cliche way of slapping Kanako with Keitaro, partly the fact that Kanako is a manipulative bitch similar to Kitsune or Hina, but uses the excuse, "I love my oniichan and I will protect him" to justify her manipulating him and others around him, and partly the fact that I just don't like her as a character. I admit the latter is purely a personal opinion.
It's not that a soul bond shouldn't exist, as I have no problem with them in a story, it's who he soul bonded with. That's why my believability meter pegged. When people talk about a soul bond, it's almost always in a romantic sense so it led the reader to believe that there would be a pairing with Kanako.
Either of the two other girls (who you will come across soon) would have been perfectly acceptable as a soul bond partner.