This is the first draft of my latest idea I posted in my ideas thread.
I doesn't have a title, and I don't know when I will be able to write more, or even if I can come up with a suitable plot for it.
But here is something.
@@@@@
Keitaro Urashima sighed as he finished dressing. The Hinata Sou hadnÆt had a guest for nearly a month. And that guest had left under a cloud thanks to his inattention to the supply of condiments and perishable foodstuffs.
He knew he should pull himself together, but it had been a long, long time since Keitaro had last enjoyed some social interaction. The polite conversation and pleasantries of shopping didnÆt count in his book.
Running a hand through his damp, messy hair, the bespectacled man wondered what the chances of him actually meeting someone to keep him company were. He knew that he wasnÆt going to meet a beautiful woman who would fall madly in love with him.
Keitaro shook his head as he admitted to himself that heÆd settle for a female who didnÆt look like a warthogÆs ugly sister and could feign enough affection for him to make him feel like she didnÆt want to stab him to death.
ôIÆm pathetic,ö he sighed. Scratching his head, Keitaro suddenly recalled something heÆd once heard about helping cope with depression û find a simple task and complete it. Seeing a pile of half-finished jobs lying around was soul-crushing. ôMaybe I could clear out one of the rooms...ö
@@@@@
Keitaro chose a room to clean out at random. A small part of him knew that he should have taken a more methodical approach, but the chance of finding something exciting momentarily overrode his common sense.
When he opened the sliding door, he immediately regretted his choice of room. The simple act of opening the door disturbed the thick layer of dust, irritating his lungs.
ôOn second thoughts, letÆs try the room next door,ö he said. Taking a step back and closing the door, Keitaro coughed loudly before moving to the room on his left.
Bracing himself, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the amount of dust in this room was greatly reduced.
ôLetÆs start with opening the window, shall we?ö he asked rhetorically.
@@@@@
An hour later, Keitaro wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. As he stood up to get a better view of the room, he winced at the pain his legs.
He rubbed his calves and noticed the grey patches on his trousers and shirt.
ôThatÆs just great,ö he muttered, returning to his full height with a much needed stretch. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to a faded red box that heÆd encountered during the clean up.
Having remembered what had happened when he had acted on his first impulse earlier, Keitaro had put the box to one side and waited until heÆd cleaned up some more before looking at its contents.
Slowly opening the box, Keitaro noticed that the box was lined with crimson velvet. Inset in the velvet were twenty metallic items, all of them resting in numbered slots.
ôThey look like bullets,ö he murmured. ôBut what kind of gun fires bullets like these?ö
Shrugging, Keitaro put the box to one side before returning to his cleaning up. Under a pile of old and faded papers, he saw another box, similar to the one that contained the mysterious bullets.
Immediately opening this second box, he saw that it was a large calibre handgun.
Keitaro swallowed nervously. This was the first time heÆd been so close to a firearm and he found it intimidating. Several thoughts raced through his mind.
Who does it belong to?
Why is it here?
Has it been used to kill someone?
Is it valuable?
If it is valuable, do I have the right to sell it?
The bespectacled man scratched his head, dust clinging to his sweaty hair. He held the box up to the light and finally saw a small envelope resting in the lid of the box.
Keitaro opened the envelope and read the message inside.
æKeitaro,
You will know what to do with this when the time comes.
Toshiro Urashima.Æ
ôToshiro Urashima?ö Keitaro repeated. ôThatÆs my grandfatherÆs name... I only met his a few times before he died. Why would he leave this to me?ö
When his stomach rumbled, Keitaro decided it was time to clean up and get some lunch.
@@@@@
A quick shower and change of clothes later, Keitaro strolled into the kitchen, intent on finding something to eat. He opened the door to the refrigerator and recoiled at the smell of rancid food.
ôShit,ö he cursed as he slammed the door shut. ôWell, thatÆs just killed my appetite. And now I need a new fridge I donÆt have the money for.ö
A thought entered his head as he glanced at the two boxes on the table. ôUnless... IÆm sure that my grandfather would prefer that I didnÆt starve to death.ö
Getting a backpack, Keitaro carefully placed the two faded red boxes inside and left to head into town.
@@@@@
Keitaro took a moment to compose himself before entering the pawn shop. The elderly man behind the counter greeted him politely before returning his attention to the raven-haired young woman dressed in a kimono.
ôIÆm very sorry, Miss, but I canÆt help you. I havenÆt had any bladed weapons for sale for some time.ö
ôI see, well, IÆm sorry to bother you,ö the woman said, forcing a smile.
ôBut please, feel free to look around,ö the elderly man smiled, hoping to keep the attractive woman around for as long as possible. ôMaybe youÆll find something else that you like.
Keitaro walked up to the counter. ôHello, IÆm sorry to bother you, but could you give me a valuation on this gun. It looks quite rare, but I donÆt know anything about them.ö
The shopkeeper blinked as he opened the red box. ôThis... this isnÆt your average gun, young man.ö
ôWhat can you tell me about it? Is it valuable?ö
ôItÆs a Caster gun. Yes, they are rare, but there isnÆt much in the way of a market for them. I can give you 400 Wong for it.ö
ô400 Wong? ThatÆs it? YouÆve got regular guns on sale for more than that!ö
ôIÆm sorry, but market forces are market forces. I could go to 450, but thatÆs my final offer.ö
Elsewhere in the shop, the raven-haired woman cast a furtive glance at Keitaro. While she had little affection for any firearm, she knew that the pawnbroker was trying to rip Keitaro off. æA good Caster gun is worth 100 times what heÆs offering. Maybe I could make him an offer...Æ
ôAh, well, you know what, I donÆt think I need a new fridge that badly. Thank you for your time,ö Keitaro bowed politely before returning the box to his bag.
The woman bowed towards the shopkeeper and followed Keitaro out of the door.
ôExcuse me, sir,ö she said.
Keitaro turned around and finally got a good look at the woman. She had long black hair, a pale, yet flawless complexion and a small sword at her side.
ôC-can I help you?ö the bespectacled young man asked, suddenly finding himself rather warm.
ôI couldnÆt help but overhear that you had something you needed to sell in order to raise some money.ö
ôYeah, what of it?ö
ôI happen to know that he made a derisory offer for your Caster gun. ItÆs worth a lot more than he offered you for it.ö
ôYeah, I got the feeling he was trying to pull a fast one. I donÆt know anything about guns, but this one looks handmade to order. Even if it doesnÆt fire, itÆs worth more than 400 Wong,ö Keitaro said. ôSo, did you want to make me a better offer?ö
ôYes. What do you say to me offering you 4,000 Wong for it?ö
ôIÆd say youÆve got yourself a deal, Miss...?ö
ôAoyama. Tsuruko Aoyama.ö
ôKeitaro Urashima. So, when can you get the money? I really should get that new fridge as soon as possible.ö
Tsuruko nodded. ôThatÆs understandable, I have to be going soon, too. I have the money on my ship. If youÆll follow me.ö
ôCertainly, Aoyama-san,ö Keitaro bowed politely.
@@@@@
Aboard the Celestial Crane, Motoko Aoyama was angrily jabbing at the control panel, trying to program a course back home.
ôStupid machine!ö she ranted as, yet again, it failed to complete the calculations for the route.
Motoko was so wrapped up with her attempts to plot the route home that she missed her sister arriving on the bridge with a man.
ôWhy wonÆt you work, you infernal device!ö she demanded as she smacked her hands against the control panel.
ôMotoko-han,ö Tsuruko said, surprising her sister, ôIÆm sure that I told you that computers donÆt like violence.ö
ôAneue!ö the younger sister said, spinning around. ôI was just trying get us home, but the computer wonÆt work properly!ö
ôI see. Well, IÆll take a look at it when IÆve concluded my business with Urashima-san here.ö
ôWhat business is that?ö Motoko asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she looked at Keitaro.
ôThe purchase of a weapon,ö Tsuruko said. ôA Caster gun, if you must know.ö
ôA Caster gun? But we donÆt have that kind of money!ö
ôYes we do, Motoko-han,ö the elder sister said, fixing Motoko with a pointed look.
ôSorry, Aneue... IÆll get back to work with the computer,ö the younger sister said apologetically. She opened an access panel and struggled to bite back a stream of curses directed at the shipÆs manufacturer.
ôIs something the matter, Motoko-han?ö Tsuruko asked, managing to keep a straight face at the way her sister was gnashing her teeth.
ôThe stupid sub-ether co-processor has burnt out! No wonder navigation computer wonÆt accept the route, it canÆt calculate the path!ö Motoko glared at the blacked components in her hand. ôUnless we can get another one thatÆs compatible with our shipÆs computer, weÆre canÆt use the sub-ether engines. WeÆre stuck her on Tenrei.ö
ôThatÆs not to say that we havenÆt enjoyed our stay on your planet,ö Tsuruko added, hoping that Keitaro hadnÆt taken offence.
ôTenrei claims yet more victims,ö Keitaro sighed. ôWait, sub-ether calculations arenÆt that hard.ö
ôSpoken like someone with no navigational experience,ö Motoko scoffed. ôYouÆve got to consider sub-ether eddies and currents, stellar drift, other ships. You have to constantly monitor everything and make course corrections every few seconds.ö
ôI donÆt see what the problem is,ö the bespectacled man said with a shrug. ôIÆve calculated courses through sub-ether before.ö
ôReally?ö Tsuruko asked. ôSo you could get us to a planet with better repair facilities?ö
ôYeah,ö Keitaro nodded positively. ôWorking things out like this is one of the things IÆm actually good at.ö
The younger Aoyama was sceptical. ôIÆll believe that when I see it.ö
ôThen why donÆt you give Urashima-san here a chance, Motoko-han?ö
ôBecause I donÆt want to fly into a star, Aneue,ö was the sarcastic reply.
ôYeah, well, no offence, but I wasnÆt planning to go off-world today, either,ö Keitaro said with a nervous laugh. ôIÆve got to buy a new refrigerator and stock it. I canÆt do that if IÆm flying around the cosmos, now can I?ö
ôSee, he doesnÆt even want to do this,ö Motoko said, pointing at Keitaro. ôNow, how about we go into town and buy a new sub-ether co-processor and we can go home?ö
ôYou wonÆt find anything like that here. Tenrei isnÆt exactly the technological centre of the universe. We have hot springs and countryside and thatÆs about it,ö Keitaro sighed.
Tsuruko stroked her chin as she considered the situation. ôSo weÆre stuck here until a part can be shipped to us. That is, unless Urashima-san here is willing to navigate us to somewhere where we can get a replacement. WeÆre willing to pay you 2000 Wong for your time and bring you back here.ö
ôTwo thousand?ö Motoko asked through gritted teeth. ôGetting a replacement shipped to us here will only cost 1500. Not to mention the fuel costs.ö
ôBut that will take weeks, Motoko-han. We need to be back home within three weeks, or donÆt you remember?ö
ôWhat happens in three weeks?ö
ôItÆs nothing that concerns you, Urashima,ö Motoko sneered. ôAnyway, even if we had perfect conditions, weÆre ten days from home. WeÆll be cutting it fine.ö
ôCutting things fine is an Aoyama tradition, Motoko-han,ö Tsuruko smiled. ôThen itÆs settled. Urashima-san, please assist my sister with the take-off preparations. We leave in ten minutes.ö
@@@@@
I doesn't have a title, and I don't know when I will be able to write more, or even if I can come up with a suitable plot for it.
But here is something.
@@@@@
Keitaro Urashima sighed as he finished dressing. The Hinata Sou hadnÆt had a guest for nearly a month. And that guest had left under a cloud thanks to his inattention to the supply of condiments and perishable foodstuffs.
He knew he should pull himself together, but it had been a long, long time since Keitaro had last enjoyed some social interaction. The polite conversation and pleasantries of shopping didnÆt count in his book.
Running a hand through his damp, messy hair, the bespectacled man wondered what the chances of him actually meeting someone to keep him company were. He knew that he wasnÆt going to meet a beautiful woman who would fall madly in love with him.
Keitaro shook his head as he admitted to himself that heÆd settle for a female who didnÆt look like a warthogÆs ugly sister and could feign enough affection for him to make him feel like she didnÆt want to stab him to death.
ôIÆm pathetic,ö he sighed. Scratching his head, Keitaro suddenly recalled something heÆd once heard about helping cope with depression û find a simple task and complete it. Seeing a pile of half-finished jobs lying around was soul-crushing. ôMaybe I could clear out one of the rooms...ö
@@@@@
Keitaro chose a room to clean out at random. A small part of him knew that he should have taken a more methodical approach, but the chance of finding something exciting momentarily overrode his common sense.
When he opened the sliding door, he immediately regretted his choice of room. The simple act of opening the door disturbed the thick layer of dust, irritating his lungs.
ôOn second thoughts, letÆs try the room next door,ö he said. Taking a step back and closing the door, Keitaro coughed loudly before moving to the room on his left.
Bracing himself, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the amount of dust in this room was greatly reduced.
ôLetÆs start with opening the window, shall we?ö he asked rhetorically.
@@@@@
An hour later, Keitaro wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. As he stood up to get a better view of the room, he winced at the pain his legs.
He rubbed his calves and noticed the grey patches on his trousers and shirt.
ôThatÆs just great,ö he muttered, returning to his full height with a much needed stretch. Shaking his head, he turned his attention to a faded red box that heÆd encountered during the clean up.
Having remembered what had happened when he had acted on his first impulse earlier, Keitaro had put the box to one side and waited until heÆd cleaned up some more before looking at its contents.
Slowly opening the box, Keitaro noticed that the box was lined with crimson velvet. Inset in the velvet were twenty metallic items, all of them resting in numbered slots.
ôThey look like bullets,ö he murmured. ôBut what kind of gun fires bullets like these?ö
Shrugging, Keitaro put the box to one side before returning to his cleaning up. Under a pile of old and faded papers, he saw another box, similar to the one that contained the mysterious bullets.
Immediately opening this second box, he saw that it was a large calibre handgun.
Keitaro swallowed nervously. This was the first time heÆd been so close to a firearm and he found it intimidating. Several thoughts raced through his mind.
Who does it belong to?
Why is it here?
Has it been used to kill someone?
Is it valuable?
If it is valuable, do I have the right to sell it?
The bespectacled man scratched his head, dust clinging to his sweaty hair. He held the box up to the light and finally saw a small envelope resting in the lid of the box.
Keitaro opened the envelope and read the message inside.
æKeitaro,
You will know what to do with this when the time comes.
Toshiro Urashima.Æ
ôToshiro Urashima?ö Keitaro repeated. ôThatÆs my grandfatherÆs name... I only met his a few times before he died. Why would he leave this to me?ö
When his stomach rumbled, Keitaro decided it was time to clean up and get some lunch.
@@@@@
A quick shower and change of clothes later, Keitaro strolled into the kitchen, intent on finding something to eat. He opened the door to the refrigerator and recoiled at the smell of rancid food.
ôShit,ö he cursed as he slammed the door shut. ôWell, thatÆs just killed my appetite. And now I need a new fridge I donÆt have the money for.ö
A thought entered his head as he glanced at the two boxes on the table. ôUnless... IÆm sure that my grandfather would prefer that I didnÆt starve to death.ö
Getting a backpack, Keitaro carefully placed the two faded red boxes inside and left to head into town.
@@@@@
Keitaro took a moment to compose himself before entering the pawn shop. The elderly man behind the counter greeted him politely before returning his attention to the raven-haired young woman dressed in a kimono.
ôIÆm very sorry, Miss, but I canÆt help you. I havenÆt had any bladed weapons for sale for some time.ö
ôI see, well, IÆm sorry to bother you,ö the woman said, forcing a smile.
ôBut please, feel free to look around,ö the elderly man smiled, hoping to keep the attractive woman around for as long as possible. ôMaybe youÆll find something else that you like.
Keitaro walked up to the counter. ôHello, IÆm sorry to bother you, but could you give me a valuation on this gun. It looks quite rare, but I donÆt know anything about them.ö
The shopkeeper blinked as he opened the red box. ôThis... this isnÆt your average gun, young man.ö
ôWhat can you tell me about it? Is it valuable?ö
ôItÆs a Caster gun. Yes, they are rare, but there isnÆt much in the way of a market for them. I can give you 400 Wong for it.ö
ô400 Wong? ThatÆs it? YouÆve got regular guns on sale for more than that!ö
ôIÆm sorry, but market forces are market forces. I could go to 450, but thatÆs my final offer.ö
Elsewhere in the shop, the raven-haired woman cast a furtive glance at Keitaro. While she had little affection for any firearm, she knew that the pawnbroker was trying to rip Keitaro off. æA good Caster gun is worth 100 times what heÆs offering. Maybe I could make him an offer...Æ
ôAh, well, you know what, I donÆt think I need a new fridge that badly. Thank you for your time,ö Keitaro bowed politely before returning the box to his bag.
The woman bowed towards the shopkeeper and followed Keitaro out of the door.
ôExcuse me, sir,ö she said.
Keitaro turned around and finally got a good look at the woman. She had long black hair, a pale, yet flawless complexion and a small sword at her side.
ôC-can I help you?ö the bespectacled young man asked, suddenly finding himself rather warm.
ôI couldnÆt help but overhear that you had something you needed to sell in order to raise some money.ö
ôYeah, what of it?ö
ôI happen to know that he made a derisory offer for your Caster gun. ItÆs worth a lot more than he offered you for it.ö
ôYeah, I got the feeling he was trying to pull a fast one. I donÆt know anything about guns, but this one looks handmade to order. Even if it doesnÆt fire, itÆs worth more than 400 Wong,ö Keitaro said. ôSo, did you want to make me a better offer?ö
ôYes. What do you say to me offering you 4,000 Wong for it?ö
ôIÆd say youÆve got yourself a deal, Miss...?ö
ôAoyama. Tsuruko Aoyama.ö
ôKeitaro Urashima. So, when can you get the money? I really should get that new fridge as soon as possible.ö
Tsuruko nodded. ôThatÆs understandable, I have to be going soon, too. I have the money on my ship. If youÆll follow me.ö
ôCertainly, Aoyama-san,ö Keitaro bowed politely.
@@@@@
Aboard the Celestial Crane, Motoko Aoyama was angrily jabbing at the control panel, trying to program a course back home.
ôStupid machine!ö she ranted as, yet again, it failed to complete the calculations for the route.
Motoko was so wrapped up with her attempts to plot the route home that she missed her sister arriving on the bridge with a man.
ôWhy wonÆt you work, you infernal device!ö she demanded as she smacked her hands against the control panel.
ôMotoko-han,ö Tsuruko said, surprising her sister, ôIÆm sure that I told you that computers donÆt like violence.ö
ôAneue!ö the younger sister said, spinning around. ôI was just trying get us home, but the computer wonÆt work properly!ö
ôI see. Well, IÆll take a look at it when IÆve concluded my business with Urashima-san here.ö
ôWhat business is that?ö Motoko asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she looked at Keitaro.
ôThe purchase of a weapon,ö Tsuruko said. ôA Caster gun, if you must know.ö
ôA Caster gun? But we donÆt have that kind of money!ö
ôYes we do, Motoko-han,ö the elder sister said, fixing Motoko with a pointed look.
ôSorry, Aneue... IÆll get back to work with the computer,ö the younger sister said apologetically. She opened an access panel and struggled to bite back a stream of curses directed at the shipÆs manufacturer.
ôIs something the matter, Motoko-han?ö Tsuruko asked, managing to keep a straight face at the way her sister was gnashing her teeth.
ôThe stupid sub-ether co-processor has burnt out! No wonder navigation computer wonÆt accept the route, it canÆt calculate the path!ö Motoko glared at the blacked components in her hand. ôUnless we can get another one thatÆs compatible with our shipÆs computer, weÆre canÆt use the sub-ether engines. WeÆre stuck her on Tenrei.ö
ôThatÆs not to say that we havenÆt enjoyed our stay on your planet,ö Tsuruko added, hoping that Keitaro hadnÆt taken offence.
ôTenrei claims yet more victims,ö Keitaro sighed. ôWait, sub-ether calculations arenÆt that hard.ö
ôSpoken like someone with no navigational experience,ö Motoko scoffed. ôYouÆve got to consider sub-ether eddies and currents, stellar drift, other ships. You have to constantly monitor everything and make course corrections every few seconds.ö
ôI donÆt see what the problem is,ö the bespectacled man said with a shrug. ôIÆve calculated courses through sub-ether before.ö
ôReally?ö Tsuruko asked. ôSo you could get us to a planet with better repair facilities?ö
ôYeah,ö Keitaro nodded positively. ôWorking things out like this is one of the things IÆm actually good at.ö
The younger Aoyama was sceptical. ôIÆll believe that when I see it.ö
ôThen why donÆt you give Urashima-san here a chance, Motoko-han?ö
ôBecause I donÆt want to fly into a star, Aneue,ö was the sarcastic reply.
ôYeah, well, no offence, but I wasnÆt planning to go off-world today, either,ö Keitaro said with a nervous laugh. ôIÆve got to buy a new refrigerator and stock it. I canÆt do that if IÆm flying around the cosmos, now can I?ö
ôSee, he doesnÆt even want to do this,ö Motoko said, pointing at Keitaro. ôNow, how about we go into town and buy a new sub-ether co-processor and we can go home?ö
ôYou wonÆt find anything like that here. Tenrei isnÆt exactly the technological centre of the universe. We have hot springs and countryside and thatÆs about it,ö Keitaro sighed.
Tsuruko stroked her chin as she considered the situation. ôSo weÆre stuck here until a part can be shipped to us. That is, unless Urashima-san here is willing to navigate us to somewhere where we can get a replacement. WeÆre willing to pay you 2000 Wong for your time and bring you back here.ö
ôTwo thousand?ö Motoko asked through gritted teeth. ôGetting a replacement shipped to us here will only cost 1500. Not to mention the fuel costs.ö
ôBut that will take weeks, Motoko-han. We need to be back home within three weeks, or donÆt you remember?ö
ôWhat happens in three weeks?ö
ôItÆs nothing that concerns you, Urashima,ö Motoko sneered. ôAnyway, even if we had perfect conditions, weÆre ten days from home. WeÆll be cutting it fine.ö
ôCutting things fine is an Aoyama tradition, Motoko-han,ö Tsuruko smiled. ôThen itÆs settled. Urashima-san, please assist my sister with the take-off preparations. We leave in ten minutes.ö
@@@@@
