with that positive response, I've left that section as is. thanks guys.
I'm not trying to cast Keitaro as MPD, just trying to illustrate the
conflicting emotions and motivations he's feeling. I think it works.
in any case, here is the rest of chapter four. after I fix dinner, I'll
get to work on revising and fleshing out chapter 3.
Enjoy!
Kitsune came back with the first aid kit and two cups
of hot tea. Steam rose off the hot liquid as she carefully
cleaned Keitaro's knuckles and put a light dressing on
them. He hissed in pain when she dripped a bit of iodine
on the wound to sterilize it.
Motoko walked past on the level above and stopped for a
moment, an expression of concern on her face. Kitsune saw
the black haired girl and shook her head, indicating she had
things under control.
Kitsune finished bandaging the landlord's hand and pressed
the warm cup of tea into his hands. She then sat down next
to him and slipped a companionable arm around his shoulders.
Keitaro smiled into his tea and leaned into Kitsune's body a
little bit, enjoying the warmth and comfort she offered.
"Thank you, Kit."
"Sure thing, sugar," she purred.
"How are you feeling, Kei? Need to talk about anything?"
He stared into his tea for a long moment.
"Yes, I do. I just don't know how, Kitsune. I don't know
how to explain what I'm feeling right now."
She rubbed her hand up and down his back, bumping her
knuckles along his spine. The gesture surprised him, but
relaxed him immensely. It was weirdly soothing.
"Can you try? I promise I'll listen."
A tiny smirk appeared on Keitaro's face at the word 'promise'.
"I guess. I feel incredibly alive, like everything is in
starker contrast. The colors, the way things feel, I'm
experiencing everything more intensely than I ever have
before. I've been believing a lie for so long, I completely
accepted it as part of my world view. I never questioned it,
never examined what the foundation for my life was. And now I
find it lacking. Everything I built on it is collapsing. I
don't know who I am anymore. Two days ago, I never would have
thought myself capable of hitting anyone, let alone Naru! Now,
I'd have a hard time not doing it again."
He snorted, sucking in a bit of mucous that threatened to
dribble out of his nose.
"I'm scared of what I might do, and what's going to happen.
I thought I knew what the future held. I thought I would
marry Naru, and get my degree and become an archaeologist. Now
I'm never going to be with Naru, and I don't know if I can
face Seta again. Where does that leave me in school? He's the
department head. I can't avoid him."
Kitsune pulled the young man into a hug and said, "Kei, I don't
know what the future will bring, but I will be here for you
when it gets here. You're my friend. I gotta look out for my
friends, right?"
"Did you mean what you said to Naru tonight?"
Kitsune's smile vanished and her voice sounded heavier.
"Yeah, Kei, I did. She crossed a line. I love her like a sister,
but until she gets her act together and makes up for how bad
she hurt you and the rest of us here, I can't deal with her."
Keitaro hugged Kitsune back, burying his head in her shoulder.
"I don't know how to thank you for how good you've been to me,
Kitsune. I'm not used to people caring for me like this. It
feels nice."
Kitsune kissed the top of his head, then ruffled his hair a bit.
"It's how you've been making all of us feel for a long while
now, Kei. It's past time we returned the favor."
__________________________________________
A little bit later, the two trudged upstairs and Keitaro
escorted Kitsune to her room. She opened the door and stepped
inside, and he turned to go.
"Keitaro, wait."
He turned back to face her, curiosity filling his features.
"What do you want, Kitsune?"
She figeted a little bit, her hands clutched in front of her.
"I know you've had a rough night, but. Um. I thought you might
like staying wih me tonight."
Keitaro's face turned cherry red and a tiny trickle of blood
oozed out of his left nostril.
"You mean...?" He trailed off, unable to voice what hoped and
feared she was offering.
"If you want to, Keitaro. I'd like that. But even if you're not
up to it tonight, which would be totally understandable, I
thought you might enjoy just... not being alone."
Keitaro stepped back to Kitsune and took her hands in his. He
leaned in and gave her a soft, almost fluffy kiss. She could
feel his pulse pounding through his lips as he just barely
touched them to hers. Breaking the kiss, he looked deep into
her eyes for a moment before saying anything.
"Not tonight, Kit. I need some space and some time to think
about things. But thank you. It means a whole lot to me."
A look of genuine fondness graced Kitsune's face and she
cupped Keitaro's cheek.
"You're one of the good ones, Kei. Go get some sleep, sugar."
He walked down the hall and out of sight with a silly grin
on his face. He wasn't out of sight for more than a few seconds
when Kitsune noticed a presence behind her. Alarmed, she turned
to see who it was. A tall, dark figure loomed over her.
"Ack! Motoko! Don't do that!"
The taller girl stepped back a pace, giving Kitsune some room.
"My apologies, Mitsune. However, I wish to ask you a question."
The foxy girl had an idea where this was going, but said, "Lay
it on me, Motoko."
The kendo girl's voice was cold as ice.
"What are your intentions toward Urashima?"
Kitsune smirked. At least Motoko was still easy to predict.
"What's it to you, Motoko? The green-eyed monster rearing its
ugly head?"
The kendoka shook her head, sending rippled through her mane of
raven hair.
"He has been badly hurt by Naru's insensitivity. The last thing
he needs is for you to play another of your petty games with his
heart. Are you leading him on again? Planning to humiliate him or
scorn him?"
Kitsune's smirk vanished and her eyes opened all the way, giving
her face an unusually serious look.
"No, Motoko. I saw him hurting so bad, I just wanted to help. I've
been there, Motoko. I've had guys tell me what I wanted to hear,
string me along till they get what they want and then blam, it's
over and I'm all alone again."
"I saw his pain and it was like looking in a mirror. I couldn't
help but do my best to make him feel better."
Motoko snorted.
"Including sleep with him?"
Kitsune had the decency to blush, but she rallied on.
"Yes, Motoko. It's not like its a huge sacrifice. He's cute and
successful. A really nice guy, and I love him. Why not sleep with
him, if it will give him some confidence in himself?"
Motoko looked shocked.
"You, you love him?"
"Yes, Motoko. I love him. I'm not in love with him, but I do
love him. He's like the brother I never had, though without the
icky feeling of kissing your brother. I'd do just about anything to
help the lug."
The swordswoman sighed in relief before she remembered who she was
talking to.
"Glad I'm not serious competition, Kendo Girl?"
Motoko blushed a lovely pink, but said, "Yes. I have strong feelings
for him. I love him as you do, and possibly more."
Kitsune smiled a wide, honest grin that said she was glad for her
friend.
"You tell him that, kiddo, and get him to accept you, and I'll back
off so fast you'll never know I was there."
"Thank you, Mitsune. I am grateful. But I should say that I would
not object to Keitaro being moderately 'experienced' when I do confess
to him. If you feel it will help him, carry on."
"Hee hee! Okay, Motoko. I'll break him in for you, sugar."
The kendoka blushed brighter than before and retired to her room.
__________________________________________
Seta stalked to his office door with quick, impatient steps. Whoever
was knocking on his door so insistently was going to get a piece of
his mind! He opened the door with a sharp retort on his lips, but
failed to get it out as the butt of a Walther cracked him square
between the eyes.
He found himself sprawled on the floor of his office, blood pouring
down his nose and upper lip. Haruka stood in the doorway with a
frighteningly large pistol leveled at his head and a fan he knew from
past experience was lined with razor blades clutched in her other
hand. Cold fury blazed in her eyes.
"Just what the HELL did you think you were doing, Seta?"
He spat out some blood that had dripped into his mouth, then tried to
stand up. Haruka put her foot on his chest and shoved him back down,
roughly.
"Stay there and start talking, Mister!"
Her foot ventured lower and placed a small amount of pressure on
his crotch. Bullets of sweat burst out of his pores and soaked his
shirt.
"She loves me Haruka. She has for years. It was so nice being around
someone who openly loved me and wanted to be with me. I knew it would
hurt some people, and that it wasn't a great idea, but how could I
resist? I just wanted to be loved, Haruka my dear. Surely you can
understand that?"
Haruka pressed a little harder with her foot.
"Sure, 'sweetie'. I can understand a thirty-six year old man dating
a nineteen year old girl, who is a student at the university he works
at. The girl who lives with his best student and was all but dating
him, and who is also friends with his ex?"
She ground her foot around, feeling which parts she wanted to crush
first.
"Surely there's nothing to misunderstand there, right?"
Seta grimaced in pain and twisted his legs, trying to escape the
pressure.
"Haruka, she makes me happy, she likes Sara, and Sara likes her. You've
rejected me enough times over the years that I don't really feel the
need to explain myself to you any more than that."
While her eyes widened in shock, Seta lunged up at her with his legs,
tripping her. He sprang to his feet and dashed away from his violent
ex-girlfriend.
Haruka regained her feet and took a shot at Seta, missing and
shattering a pot to his left. Shards of ceramic flew through the air,
slicing his shirt to shreds and drawing bloody lines across both his
arms. She fired twice more, spelling the doom of another pot and an
ancient turtle statue. Then, in pure frustration, she hurled the gun
at Seta, nailing him on the side of the head.
She slammed her fist into a table and leaned on it, crying softly.
"Dammit, I love you. I just needed a little more time. Sara reminds me
so much of her mother, and I know you chose her over me. It hurt to
know that I was your fallback plan, damn you! Even though it was what
I wanted! I still said no, just to hurt you back!"
Seta crept up and put his arms loosely around Haruka. She leaned into
his shoulder and cried for a minute or so. Then he felt something very
sharp at his throat.
"Back off, Noriyasu."
He did as she demanded, glad to get the deadly fan away from his jugular.
He fingered his throat, feeling the sting of a tiny cut there.
Haruka took a deep breath and tucked the closed fan back into her belt.
"I'm not gonna kill you, Seta. I'm very, very mad at you and really
disappointed in you. But I guess this is partially my fault too. Pride
makes fools of us all."
She turned around and walked to the door.
"I don't want to see you around Hinata House anymore. Sara can come
visit if she likes, and Naru can come if she dares, but if I see you
there without a damn good reason, or I ever hear of you hurting Naru
like this, I will put you down like a rabid dog. That's not a threat,
that's a promise. And you know how the Urashima family keeps promises."
She slammed he door shut and Seta started swearing.
__________________________________________
Motoko shivered in the predawn chill as she ascended the stairs to
the laundry balcony. She stretched her arms as she walked, getting the
muscles ready for her workout to come. She had a small knot of stiffness
in her neck that wouldn't go easily, but she managed to work it out.
She stepped onto the deck and went to the railing to look down on Hinata
City. She loved the view from up here. The morning air was crisp and
clean, free of pollution and the normal grime of daily life.
She was lost in the world of awakening senses when she heard a voice
say, 'Good morning, Motoko."
Startled, she was facing the sound in a flash, her hand at her hip,
ready to draw her sword.
She relaxed as she recognized Keitaro sitting on the roof, bundled up
in a heavy jacket and swathed in a warm blanket.
"Good morning to you, too, Urashima. Have you been up there all night?"
"Yeah. I got a little sleep here and there, but I've mainly been
sitting up here and thinking. Working through some things."
"I see. Anything you wish to share?"
"Sort of. Last night, Naru came by to get some things. She interrupted
something she shouldn't have and said some pretty mean things. I, I hit
her, Motoko. I punched her right in the jaw."
"While that is regrettable, I cannot call it unjustified."
Keitaro looked surprised to have the tall girl side with him.
"I shouldn't have done it. It's wrong for a guy to hit a woman. I'm
ashamed of myself for doing it."
"You are correct, Urashima. It is wrong, but what Naru did to you was
also wrong. It does not excuse what you did, but it makes it easier to
understand and forgive."
"Thank you Motoko. I wasn't sure how you would take that news. I'm glad
you aren't angry with me."
"Of course not, Urashima. I am your friend, and wish to help you in
this hard time."
"Thank you Motoko. That means a lot to me."
As the words left his lips, the sun crested the horizon, bathing them
both in the first light of day.
"That's what I've been thinking about all night."
Motoko looked at the sunrise, beautiful and golden.
"I don't understand, Keitaro."
"The sun has to rise sometime. The darkness can't last forever."
She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"In that you are correct, Urashima. It cannot."
__________________________________________
End Act 1
To Be Continued!
__________________________________________
Halfway done!
