Akamatsuverse That Gentle Night

Wonderbee31

Well-Known Member
#1
Well, while working on the next chapter of FutuRanma, I was reading some of my comic collections, specifically sci-fi comics, to get some ideas, when I read an old ST comic that Peter David had written. The story was excellent, and got me to thinking of what character I could use for it to adapt to anime fiction. I considered Ranma at first, then thought, what about Keitaro from LH? He's a gentle soul, but what if, something happened that made him decide that it's just not worth it?

Okay, first off, I'm not a Naru fan, if my girlfriend, (now wife) had treated me anywhere near as bad as that, well, she wouldn't even be my girlfriend now, much less married, to me. I don't know if I'll keep them hooked up or not. Also, I'm not that good a writer, so, any and all suggestions are appreciated. Lord Raa has helped me a lot, and I always appreciate his assistance. Thank you.

The theme that I want to choose for this, is a poem about the sea, and what's waiting beyond the veil that is closed to all of us that are alive. It's going to be fairly dark, and well, we'll see how it goes. Take a looksee, and while anybody is looking at this, well, I'll still keep writing on my other stuff as well. So here we all are again: Love Hina and all characters related to it was created by Ken Akamatsu, I'm making nothing off this, and well, hoping that you enjoy my scribblings.

Prolouge chapter:

Wonderbee31 presents:

A Love Hina fanfiction.


That Gentle Night



It had been a slow day at the tea shop, and Haruka Noriyasu was settling down to enjoy one of her many guilty pleasures, which was enjoying a smoke of her favorite tobacco. Both Seta and Sarah had been working on getting her to quit, Seta saying that she tasted like tobacco when he kissed her, and Sarah scrunching up her face and say her new Mommy smelt like an old store. Haruka had only grinned wryly, pulled out her paper fan, and the two of them had quickly found reasons to be elsewhere.

She knew that it was addictive, and bad for her, but damn it, one of her friends had once said something to the effect of, ôWhether you die healthy, or in terribly poor shape, you still dieö, and Haruka, while she wasnÆt out to die at all, was not willing to simply give up something just because it was bad for her. If that was the case, then riding with Seta in his van surely qualified as just as dangerous.

Smirking to herself, simply because no one else was around, Haruka sat down, and lit up the cigarette, pausing to enjoy that first puff, when the nicotine rush hit her fully, and she always felt that moment of light-headedness, before her body adjusted to the drug.

Settling into a chair at a table away from the door, she picked up a book of English poems that Kenshiro Urashima, KeitaroÆs father had sent her for her birthday a year ago. Haruka had a better than passable understanding of the English language, her years abroad with Seta before she settled back in Hinata city at the tea shop had allowed her to meet many English-speaking people, so sheÆd had the opportunity to actually use her English skills, unlike many Japanese, who simply studied the language because it was one of the requirements to pass through the middle and high-school exams.

Keitaro had also learned quite a bit of English as well in his time abroad, and it was now one of his best courses at Tokyo University, or Toudai for short. HeÆd been doing very well in all of his classes, it seemed to her that since heÆd gotten that monkey of being a ronin off his back, that heÆd finally been able to lighten up a bit.

Also the fact that he and Naru were still getting along relatively well was also something that helped a lot. Sure, they had their bad days still; Keitaro would do something clumsy, like trip and fall, inevitably onto a girl for one reason or another, and Naru would give him one of her Naru Punches (patent pending), and Keitaro would find himself launched into the air. However, they were never as hard, and he didnÆt fly nearly as long as he used to these days, just enough to know that Naru was unhappy with him about something.

Still, Haruka sometimes found herself wishing to heaven that Naru would grow the hell up sometime, and learn that there was more to a relationship that the continual grade-school antics that she seemed to be still stuck in sometimes. With that last thought, Haruka opened up the heavy tome in her lap, titled ôIn Praise of Sailors.ö She again smiled gently to herself, Kenshiro had always fancied himself as a sailor, even though he was admittedly terrified of the ocean, and wouldnÆt even go swimming in the deep end of the pool during the summertime.

He always seemed to be more drawn to the romantic notions of the dark blue, open sea, and less to the harsh reality of what sailing was really like back in those days. Yes, much like his son after him, Kenshiro was a hopeless romantic, and just like Keitaro, when heÆd fallen in love with his wife, Mitsuko, heÆd pretty much went through hell for her, until sheÆd finally acknowledged her own love for him, much like Naru had done with Keitaro.

She settled down, and was starting to read a poem by the author John Masefield, the one that had been quoted a lot over the years, and started out with æI must go down to the seas again,Æ when the telephone rang, roughly bringing her out of her relaxed state, and back into the harsh world of a wintry February morning. Glaring at the noisy device for a moment longer, Haruka put the book on the table, careful to mark her spot, and walked over to the phone stand, roughly picking it up, and growling into the receiver, ôHello, Hinata Tea Shop, this is Haruka Noriyasu speaking.ö

ôHelloö came the tinny sounding male voice over the phone, ôMay I speak with Haruka Urashima please?ö

ôMy maiden name is Urashima, but I go by Noriyasu nowö, said a now slightly irritated Haruka, ôCan you tell me who this is please?ö

ôMy apologies Ms. Noriyasuö, said the man over the phone, ôI wasnÆt told of your name change. My name is Sergeant Hakoda, of the Mokotubo district police. IÆve been trying to contact a Mr. Keitaro Urashima this morning, and have been unable to get in touch with him. I was hoping you might know where he is.ö

Haruka narrowed her eyes a bit, what would the police want with Keitaro?

ôIÆm KeitaroÆs aunt,ö she said roughly, ôHeÆs at Toudai today for his late classes, and will probably be back home sometime around six this evening. If youÆll leave me a message, IÆll get it to him as soon as he arrives.ö

ôAll right Ms. Noriyasu,ö said the Sergeant, ôI would like to let him know, but itÆd probably be better if he hears it from a family member anyway.ö

Haruka felt her stomach go cold at these words, and she clenched the phone tighter, hoping that what she was imaging she was going to hear wasnÆt true.

ôOkay officer,ö she said slowly and deliberately, ôCan you tell me what happened?ö

The man at the other end of the phone line sighed, before he spoke again, ôI hate to bring bad news, but, this morning, around 9:00 A.M., Mr. Kenshiro Urashima, and Mrs. Mitsuko Urashima were driving to somewhere down in Tokyo, when their car was hit by another one driven by a drunken driver. They were pronounced dead at the scene at 9:15. IÆm sorry, but, we need their son, Keitaro, to come down to the Mokutobu district hospital, andàwell, to positively identify their bodies. They had their IDÆs on them, but, we must formally make sure, you understand?ö

HarukaÆs mind had, for one of the first times in her life, gone completely blank. She found herself accepting what the police officer had said, but at the same time wanting to deny it with all the fervor she possessed. Instead she found herself speaking into the phone, as if she were an observer of a play, instead of being a participant, ôAll right, as soon as Keitaro arrives, weÆll be down toàto look at his parents.ö

ôThank you Ms. Noriyasu,ö said Sergeant Hakoda, ôAnd let me just say again, that weÆre truly sorry for your and Mr. UrashimaÆs loss. His parents were quite popular down here, and their shop was a favorite of all the children in town. IÆll be here till nine tonight, so just ask for me by name. Again, IÆm sorry for your loss. Goodbye.ö

With that last word, the phone clicked as the line closed, and Haruka felt her self clutching the phone, until she was jolted out of her state by the incessant beeping tone of the line. Putting the phone down gently onto the receiver, she walked back over to the chair in a daze, and sat down at the table that sheÆd gotten up from for what seemed like hours, but was only a few minutes ago.

She picked up the book that sheÆd been browsing through only moments before, and turned to the page that sheÆd placed her book mark in, staring at the poem that sheÆd just settled down to start reading, before she threw the book harshly across the room, and put her face in her hands, the shaking of her shoulders the only betrayal of what she was feeling.

Later that day, Keitaro Urashima, and his girlfriend Naru Narusegawa, were making their way up the steps to the entrance of Hinata Inn. Well, trying to might be the more operative words, as Keitaro was walking slowly up them, while Naru was apparently dogging his every step, and yelling at the top of her lungs.

ôàAnd another thing!ö shrieked Naru, ôCanÆt you quit the clumsy act just once?! I mean, you just had to climb all over that girl, didnÆt you?! God Keitaro, sometimes I wonder whatever made me think that I could ever have a relationship with you!ö

ôNaru,ö said Keitaro, ôIt wasnÆt like that, I just slipped on an icy patch on the sidewalk, and fell into that girl, I didnÆt mean anything by it, honest. It was just dumb luck, I guess, though I wish I didnÆt have so much of it.ö

Keitaro had whispered/grumbled that last part to himself, but it was apparently still loud enough for Naru to hear, as she turned on him with the speed of a cheetah getting ready to strike.

ôSure, an icy patch on the sidewalk,ö Naru said sarcastically, ôOne that everyone else walking on it missed, but you just miraculously managed to step on it anyway, huh? Do you think IÆm a complete idiot Keitaro, or what? DonÆt stand there and lie to my face, it just makes me wish IÆd never met you even more!ö

Even as Keitaro turned away from Naru, he missed the look of dismay that crossed her face.

æOh God Keitaro,Æ thought Naru, æI canÆt believe I said something as spiteful as that. I just wish that I could really talk to you, instead of the way we communicate now, which sucks.

Naru had started to reach out and put her hand on KeitaroÆs shoulder, when another voice from above them broke the moment.

ôKeitaroö, said a voice that Keitaro had come to appreciate over the years, ôCould you come up to the tea shop for a moment? I need to speak with you about something very important.ö

Keitaro waved at his aunt Haruka, someone that heÆd really come to love, even more so than he had when heÆd known her when he was little. SheÆd been one of his rocks over the years, whenever things were close to overwhelming him, he was still able to talk with her in the relatively neutral zone of her shop, the one place that the girls from the Inn respected and would leave him alone when he went there, which was usually when things got so bad that Keitaro felt like screaming at the injustice of it all.

For Keitaro, this may have well been one of those times, as during the scene with Naru he had found himself getting slowly worked up, to the point where he could feel the nervous tic on the side of his neck start to throb, a sure sign that he needed to get away before he said something that heÆd regret later.

With a wave goodbye to Naru, Keitaro walked over to his aunt,, stopping when he got close enough to see her face. One thing that Keitaro could say about Haruka, she had a great poker face, it was next to impossible to tell what she was feeling sometimes, but right now, Keitaro could read his AuntÆs face well enough to know she had to talk about something very bad.

Haruka?ö asked Keitaro, ôWhatÆs wrong? Oh my god did something happen to Seta of Sarah, has there been an accident or something, please just tell me what I can do, and IÆllà

KeitaroÆs babbling was stopped by Haruka putting her hand up in front of his face for a second, before she stopped, and got a pack of cigarettes out of her apron pocket, shaking one out of the box and putting it in her mouth. When she did that, Keitaro knew that something was very wrong then, as her hand shook for a second when she got her matches out, and tried to light one.

Haruka?ö he asked warily, ôWhatÆs wrong? Please tell me, because I want to help if I can?ö

Haruka looked at her nephew for a moment more, before she did something totally out of character for her, she put her arm around his shoulders, and the two of them walked into the tea shop, and for the next half hour, nothing more of them was seen, though, if one of the girls had decided to listen in, they would have heard what sounded like sobbing.

End prolouge.
 

SimmyC

Well-Known Member
#2
Hmm. Interesting start. You said this is a darkfic... and that automatically drew me in (since I like darkfics. Well, some darkfics). :p Now, Keitaro's parents dying, I wonder how this will affect Keitaro and Naru's relationship. I too am not a fan of Naru. And certainly not a fan of Keitaro and Naru. I'm perfectly fine with them breaking up. Especially if Naru does something that is unexcusable now that Keitaro's parents are dead.

No glaring problems I could see. Though it just makes me curious what you have planned for the next chapter! Keep up the good work! :yay:
 
#4
Inquiry: will this fic contain zombies?
 

Wonderbee31

Well-Known Member
#5
No zombies in this one, though there will be a light, and Keitaro, well, he's going to be...no spoilers please.

However, I am considering one day, doing a cross with Dario Argento's 'Three Sister's' trilogy(even though he's only made two of the films for it after 30 years :headbanger: ), and that could have zombies in it, so who knows?
 

runestar

Well-Known Member
#6
When I saw the title, I thought that it might have something to do with volume9 and I don't know why... :lol:

Wow, quite the explosive opening, look forward to seeing how this continues... ^_^
 
#7
Wonderbee31 said:
No zombies in this one
Exclamation: So much anti-zombie racism on the internet, it's bullshit!
 

GenocideHeart

Well-Known Member
#8
Dark Knight Gafgar said:
Wonderbee31 said:
No zombies in this one
Exclamation: So much anti-zombie racism on the internet, it's bullshit!
Someone is imitating HK-47. Imitating HK-47 is grounds for immediate execution, as he's too awesome to be imitated.

:flameon:
 

Moshulel

Well-Known Member
#10
Pretty interesting ideea ... now all we have to do is to wait for an update :yay:
 
#11
GenocideHeart said:
Dark Knight Gafgar said:
Wonderbee31 said:
No zombies in this one
Exclamation: So much anti-zombie racism on the internet, it's bullshit!
Someone is imitating HK-47. Imitating HK-47 is grounds for immediate execution, as he's too awesome to be imitated.

:flameon:
Statement: Imitation is the best form of flattery.
 

Havenoname

Well-Known Member
#12
Not bad.

This is a good start. Try to keep going with it. ^_^
 
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