I was clearing up the old thread and I accidentally deleted the first post, not realising that it would delete the whole thread.
I think that's a lesson for us all there.
However, it does allow me to repost everything in completed chapters and for you guys to comment on more than just a teasing snippet (that happens to have mangled formatting).
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Unforeseeable
By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: Of all the 15 IBRC Certification joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.
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Chapter 1
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It was the morning after and Keitaro Urashima, former ronin, was beginning to regret drinking as much as he had to celebrate finally getting into Toudai.
His drinking had started early at the behest of his tenant, Mitsune Konno, and he’d passed out before 9:30. The last thing he’d heard was Kitsune’s teasing about his inability to handle his drink.
He slowly lifted his head, regretting every millimetre of movement. “Ow. Ow. Ow,†he winced as he opened his eyes.
Daylight flooded his field of view, causing him to shut his eyes and look away. After a few minutes of deep breathing to steel himself, Keitaro tried again. He fumbled around for his glasses.
When he could see properly, he took stock of his situation. “At least I didn’t vomit all over myself,†he thought wryly.
Rising to his feet, he made his way to the kitchen, intent of rehydrating himself.
It was then that he heard the sobbing.
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Shinobu Maehara turned her head towards the sounds approaching her. “S-sempai, i-is that you?â€
“Y-yeah,†Keitaro answered, causing the girl to slowly rise to her feet. “Is something wrong?â€
“I-I can’t see, Sempai!†the girl cried as she took a step towards the sound of her landlord’s voice. She tripped and it took all of Keitaro’s reactions to catch the chef before she hit the wooden floor.
“W-why can’t you see, Shinobu-chan?â€
“I don’t know!†she sobbed into Keitaro’s chest, causing the now former ronin to wince.
“Shush, Shinobu-chan. It’ll be alright,†Keitaro said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. He closed his own eyes as he struggled to deal with the intense throbbing in his skull. “I’m sorry to do this to you, Shinobu-chan, but I need a drink of water, so let’s go into the kitchen, ok?â€
“O-ok, Sempai,†Shinobu said, her face buried into her crush’s t-shirt. “P-please help me there. I-I’m scared, S-sempai...â€
Keitaro nodded and gently guided the blind girl to the kitchen, where he sat her down on a chair.
“D-don’t go, Sempai...â€
“I’m just getting us something to drink, Shinobu-chan.â€
Shinobu picked up on the pain in Keitaro’s voice. “I-is something the matter, Sempai?â€
“I’ve got a hangover, Shinobu-chan. I just drank too much last night,†Keitaro said with a forced smile. “I’ll be alright soon enough. Now, can I get you anything?â€
“S-some tea, please, Sempai,†the blind girl said.
It was a struggle for Keitaro to make the tea, but he managed to brew something surprisingly palatable.
After a gentle caffeine hit, he took Shinobu’s hands in his and spoke in his best reassuring voice.
“Shinobu-chan, I’m going wake up the others and get them to keep you company while I phone the doctor. I promise I won’t be long.â€
“O-ok, Sempai.â€
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Motoko had also been drinking last night, but she had decided to exercise moderation. Having quickly changed to soft drinks and tea after the initial toast, the kendoist was nowhere near the sorry state that her landlord had been in. But still, she had lain in bed far later than normal.
There was a knock on her door.
“Motoko-chan, I need you to come to the kitchen.â€
“What? Keitaro, is that you?†the raven-haired girl asked, lifting her head. “What’s going on? Why is it still dark?â€
“It’s not, Motoko-chan,†Keitaro answered. A sinking sensation filled his stomach. “Can you see?â€
Motoko moved a hand to her face to check her eyes were open. When she realised that she couldn’t see her fingers, she let out a scream.
“What’s going on?!†she demanded.
Concerned for his friend’s wellbeing, the former ronin barged into the room and rushed to the blind girl.
“I can’t see,†Motoko sobbed. “I can’t see. What’s wrong with me?â€
“I don’t know,†Keitaro answered. “Shinobu can’t see, either. Please, come with me to the kitchen. I’ll call the doctor out.â€
“B-but if I can’t see, what’s the point of me living?†the kendoist sniffed. She reached out for a blade.
“No!†Keitaro shouted, causing Motoko to flinch. “I won’t let you kill yourself. We’ll find out what happened and we’ll get your sight back, I promise.â€
“But what about the Shinmeiryu? What good am I to my clan if I’m blind?â€
“What good are you to your friends if you’re dead?†the bespectacled man countered. “Please, we need to find out what happened.â€
“F-fine, I’ll come with you to the kitchen. For Shinobu.â€
Keitaro smiled happily. “Let me help you up.â€
Motoko braced herself for the inevitable ‘accident,’ where her landlord would place a hand on her breast or thigh or buttock. She was surprised when he took her by the hand and slowly led her to the kitchen.
‘Perhaps I misjudged Keitaro...’
“Shinobu-chan,†Keitaro said, rousing the kendoist from her thoughts. “I promised I’d be back, and here I am. I’ve brought Motoko-chan with me.â€
“Motoko-sempai!†the chef greeted, reaching out a hand to confirm her friend’s presence. Shinobu’s heart sank when she heard her friend’s words.
“Shinobu, where are you? I can’t see.â€
“Y-you’re blind too?â€
“Y-yes,†the swordswoman admitted as she took her seat. Keitaro handed her a cup of tea. “Thank you, Keitaro.â€
“I’m going to get the others. I’ll get them one at a time, so keep calm.â€
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Naru Narusegawa fumbled for her glasses before opening her eyes. When she noticed that everything was still dark, she let out a scream.
Keitaro burst into the room.
“Naru-chan, are you blind too?â€
“Keitaro? W-what’s going on?†Naru asked, her head moving around, hoping to find something that would prove that she wasn’t blind.
Or worse, losing her mind.
“Keitaro, are you there?â€
“I’m here, Naru-chan,†Keitaro said, taking hold of Naru’s hand. “Do you think you can walk? Motoko-chan and Shinobu-chan are blind, but they can walk. They’re in the kitchen.â€
“What’s happened to us, Keitaro? Why can you see?†the brunette asked, pointedly not moving until she got an answer.
“I honestly don’t know, Naru-chan. I remember drinking to celebrate passing the entrance exam, but I drank too much and I passed out early. I don’t know about anything that happened after that.â€
“Oh,†Naru replied. She was placated enough to go with Keitaro to the kitchen. “So, what do you think happened to me?â€
“I don’t know, but I think that it’s the same thing that happened to Motoko-chan and Shinobu-chan.â€
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“M-Motoko-sempai...†Shinobu sniffed. “I...â€
Motoko reached out, trying to find her friend’s hand. “Ow,†she winced as she brushed her wrist against the hot teapot. “This is intolerable.â€
“W-what do you mean?â€
“I mean that...†the swordswoman trailed off as she realised that her friend was in the same position. “I’m sorry, Shinobu, I’m just not used to being so helpless. I couldn’t even find my way here without Keitaro’s help.â€
“What do you think happened to us?†Shinobu asked, sipping her tea.
“I know that we weren’t attacked – I didn’t feel any scars on my face,†Motoko answered. “I don’t know of any disease that we wouldn’t notice that could spread from person to person. We need to establish what happened last night to find out why Keitaro isn’t affected.â€
“Yes,†Shinobu nodded. It was out of habit and she realised that it was a pointless gesture. “Well, we were celebrating Sempai passing the entrance exam.â€
“Yes,†the kendoist agreed. “Apart from you and Su, we all drank from the same bottle of sake, so it couldn’t be that if Keitaro can see.â€
“Sempai and Kitsune drank more than you and Naru-sempai did,†the chef added. “And we all ate the same food.â€
The raven-haired girl stroked her chin. “So if it’s not the food or drink, then what else was there?â€
“The meteors,†the two girls answered in unison.
“They were so bright,†Shinobu recalled. “Oh no,†she gasped in horror.
“What’s up, Shinobu?â€
“I-if the lights were what blinded us, h-how m-many p-people do you t-think s-saw them?†the chef asked, shaking at the terrible thought of a largely blind populace.
“...Oh shit...†Motoko said with an uncharacteristic vulgarity as the potential situation sank in.
Keitaro arrived with Naru and noticed the horrified expressions on the seated girls’ faces. “What’s wrong?â€
“I... Sempai...â€
“Keitaro,†Naru growled, snatching her hand away from Keitaro. “What did you do?â€
“It’s not Keitaro, Naru-sempai,†Motoko said. “Can you see?â€
“No,†the brunette said a timid tone. She reached out and felt her way to the table. “I can’t see a damned thing.â€
“We may know why,†the kendoist said. “Last night’s meteor shower.â€
“Aw man, I can’t believe I missed that! I was looking forward to seeing that,†Keitaro griped. “The TV said that was going to be spectacular.â€
He reached for the teapot and poured two cups, completely missing the implications of what he’d said. “Here you go, Naru-chan.â€
“Thank you,†Naru said as her fingers curled round the ceramic cup. “So, if we’re blind, what are we going to do?â€
“I don’t know,†the former ronin said before taking a few sips of his tea. “I need to check up on Su and Kitsune. I’ll be back soon, ok?â€
“Ok, Sempai. But when you come back, we’ll need more tea,†Shinobu said.
“Do you need anything now?â€
“No, but hurry back,†Motoko said, hoping she didn’t sound too desperate.
“Will do,†Keitaro said. He filled the kettle before leaving to find his other two tenants.
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Kaolla Su was up and tinkering with one of her new gadgets, trying to solve the problem that had caused her to miss the live viewing of the previous night’s fireworks.
“Too hungry to think about this,†she sighed, placing it to one side.
There was a knock on the door.
“Su-chan, are you alright in there?†the male voice asked.
“Yeah,†the blonde said as she opened the door to her room. “What’s up, Keitaro?â€
“It’s... I need you to come to the kitchen, Su-chan,†Keitaro sighed.
“Are you alright, Keitaro?â€
“I’m a little delicate, but it’s not me,†the hungover man answered. “The others, they can’t see.â€
“Can’t see?†the princess repeated. “Are you all playing a game?â€
“No,†Keitaro insisted. “It’s... please, go to the kitchen while I get Kitsune.â€
“Ok,†Kaolla said in her usual happy tone.
Keitaro let out a sigh as he fought off a wave of nausea. ‘This is hard work. At least I’m not the only one here who can see.’
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Kitsune was out cold, and had long been that way thanks to her overindulgence. She’d started drinking before Keitaro and had mixed the remnants of several bottles into one glass to make it worth the effort of drinking.
That had caused her to give herself alcohol poisoning.
Keitaro’s knocking on the door had gone unanswered and he feared the worst for Kitsune’s condition. He barged in and rushed to where she’d collapsed.
“Kitsune, are you alright?†he asked. He tentatively reached out and gently nudged the sleeping woman and repeated his question.
“Sleeping. Piss off,†the ash-blonde mumbled. “Come back in three days.â€
“Kitsune, I need you to get up now,†Keitaro said, rolling the voluptuous woman onto her back. He swallowed involuntarily when he noticed the way that Kitsune’s ample bosom was straining at her skimpy t-shirt. “K-Kitsune, please, get up.â€
“Still sleeping.â€
The young man sighed as he tried to think of a way to get Kitsune to wake up without making a scene. “Kitsune, if you get up now and go to the kitchen, I’ll let you off this month’s rent.â€
The short-haired woman smiled and sat up. “Good morning, Keitaro. What can I do for you?â€
“Something’s happened to the others – they can’t see. I need you to go to the kitchen to help them while I call a doctor,†Keitaro explained.
“Weird, but ok,†Kitsune nodded. “Do you mind if I get dressed first?â€
“What? Oh yes, sorry. I’ll make some more tea.â€
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“Let me look at your eyes, Shinobu,†Kaolla said as she leaned in to inspect the chef’s eyes.
Shinobu struggled to sit still as she felt Kaolla’s breath tickle her face. “C-can you see anything?â€
“Hold still,†the princess scowled. “I can’t tell if anything’s wrong with your eyes,†she said as she climbed off Shinobu’s lap. She pouted as she tried to unravel the mystery. “It doesn’t make sense.â€
“Maybe not, but it happened,†Naru snapped. “I’m sorry, I’m just... it’s I don’t know what’s going on. I mean, we’re all blind and there’s a man here. Yeah, it’s Keitaro, but what if he... you know?â€
“S-Sempai would never take advantage of us like that!†Shinobu insisted. “He’s trying to help us and you-you’re accusing him!â€
“Accusing who of what?†Kitsune asked, leaning up against the door frame. “And why the long faces?â€
“We are unable to see,†Motoko said. “Aside from Keitaro and Su, we are completely blind.â€
“You’re blind?†the ash-blonde asked. “When did this happen?â€
“Last night,†Shinobu said. “When we were watching the meteors.â€
“Meteors? Oh yeah, the TV news was filled with how they were going to be a spectacular show. So you really think it was that that blinded you all?â€
“It’s the only common factor. We all drank from the same bottle of sake, but Keitaro can see. Shinobu and Su didn’t drink any sake, but Shinobu’s blind. We all ate the same food. The only thing that you, Keitaro and Su didn’t do was look at the meteor shower,†the kendoist surmised.
“Oh shit...†Kitsune said as realisation dawned on her face.
“Bad news,†Keitaro said as he arrived in the kitchen with the cordless phone handset. “I can’t get through to the doctor or the emergency services.â€
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To be continued....
[hr]
Unforeseeable
By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: In the strip search of life, it’s better to be the finger, or even the anus, than the rubber glove.
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Chapter 2
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The two sighted girls turned to Keitaro.
“What was that?â€
“I can’t get through to the emergency services,†the former ronin repeated. “I don’t know what’s happening, it’s like the whole system is jammed.â€
“We need to contact someone,†Motoko said. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I have a cellular telephone for emergencies. Kitsune, could you go to my room and send a text message to my sister?â€
“Sure, think about what you want me to put in it,†the ash-blonde said before leaving the kitchen.
“Ugh,†Keitaro sighed. He fell into an empty chair and slumped over, resting his head on his arms. “Need sleep...â€
“You can’t sleep now!†Naru protested. “You need to sort this out!â€
“Sort what out,†Keitaro mumbled. He slowly lifted his head. “I’m in no condition to do anything complicated like following medical instructions. Hell, finding you all and bringing you to the kitchen nearly killed me.â€
“It’s your own fault for drinking so much last night,†the brunette chided. “If you hadn’t drank yourself unconscious, you’d be in a better state to help us.â€
“Sorry,†the hungover man apologised. He winced when he felt the room spin again. “I’ll be right back.â€
After Keitaro had left the room, Kitsune returned with Motoko’s phone. “Have you thought about what you want me to put in your message, Motoko?â€
“I’m not sure how to word it. We don’t know what happened, we only know that three of us are blind and three of us can see and that we can’t get through to the police or any of the other emergency services.â€
Kitsune’s fingers flew over the keypad and managed to type out a message. “There, it’s sent.â€
“What did you put?†the kendoist asked, concerned that her family would panic. “And how did you write the message so quickly?
“I told her what we know,†the short-haired tenant answered. “As for texting so quickly, I had to learn how to for an article I wrote.â€
“What was it about?†Naru asked.
“It’s not important right now,†Kitsune said, hoping that her friends would drop the matter. “So, where’s Keitaro gone?â€
“I think he’s gone off to the toilet,†Shinobu answered. “He didn’t sound very well.â€
“He just drank too much. A bit like you, Kitsune,†Naru added. “I still think that if you and Keitaro hadn’t drank so much last night, you’d be in a better condition to look after us.â€
“Actually,†Motoko said, massaging her temples, “If they had been more moderate in their drinking, they would have seen the meteor shower with us.â€
“So?†the brunette asked, not having been part of the earlier conversation between Motoko and Shinobu.
“W-we think that watching the meteor shower was what blinded us all,†Shinobu added. “It’s the only common factor we could think of.â€
“Oh shit,†Kitsune gasped. “They said that meteor shower was going to be visible across half the world!
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Keitaro retched several times, but didn’t actually vomit. When he spat into the bowl, he was forced to brace himself against the wall to stop him for falling over.
“No more booze for me,†he sighed. After a moment, he realised that he needed to use the toilet for the other end and fumbled with his trousers and boxer shorts.
He was just in time to sit down before he evacuated his bowels.
“Damn it,†he sighed again. “I don’t think I can deal with this.â€
Keitaro closed his eyes as he rested his head on the wall. “I’ll just close my eyes for a few moments.â€
It was enough for him to fall asleep.
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“What are we going to do?†Naru asked. She was becoming increasingly anxious about the situation. “We need to sort something out.â€
“Yes, we do,†Kitsune agreed. She reached for the teapot and frowned. “I guess the first thing is to make some more tea.â€
“TEA?†the brunette demanded shrilly. “Just what do you think is going on here?â€
The ash-blonde sighed. “Naru, the situation is this: you, Shinobu, Motoko and God knows how many others have been struck blind and we can’t find a doctor to find out how permanent it is.â€
“Yes, but you and Keitaro have to do something!â€
“What can we do? You’re not the only one who wishes we were sober, Naru, but we’re in no state to find a doctor right now,†the voluptuous girl added as she flicked the switch for the kettle. “And before you think of volunteering to go, how many steps are there? What’s their size? What’s the gradient of the hill?â€
“I don’t know, I never gave it any thought,†Naru admitted defensively.
“Kitsune does have a point, Naru-sempai,†Motoko said calmly. “We can’t take the risk of falling down and breaking a bone.â€
The kettle finished boiling and Kitsune made some fresh tea. “Silly question, have any of you lot watched or read ‘Fist of the North Star?’â€
“No, but I think it’s about a skilled martial artist who wanders a post apocalyptic landscape,†the kendoist answered. “There’s a great deal of violence and exploding people, if I remember correctly.â€
“Yes. I’m not saying that people’s heads will start to explode, but my point is that there were some survivors who banded together. The survivors tended to fall into one of two camps,†the ash-blonde said as she refilled the cups of everyone there, “The people who tried to continue with some sort of normality and the lawless gangs who went around raping and killing people.â€
There was a silence which caused Kitsune to hastily add, “I’m not saying that there are rape gangs out there, but anyone who goes out there has to be careful. What if one of us was captured and forced to be someone’s eyes?â€
“Oh,†Naru replied. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. So what are we going to do?â€
“That’s a good question. First off, I think we need to decide on some ground rules. Su, could you get Keitaro, please?â€
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“Hey, Keitaro!†the blonde called out. She banged her fist on the toilet door. “We need to talk to you Keitaro!â€
“Wha?†the bespectacled man said, rousing from his little nap. “Oh, I fell asleep on the toilet. Let me finish up here.â€
The toilet flushed and Keitaro washed his hands. When they were clean, he splashed some water on his face and looked in the mirror. “I look as bad as I feel. Still, let’s see what they want to talk to me about.â€
Opening the door, Keitaro stepped out and gave Kaolla a weak smile. “Ready when you are.â€
“Good,†Kaolla said. She grabbed Keitaro’s hand and led him back to the kitchen. “Is this how it’s going to be? You look after all of us and I look after you?â€
“Sorry about that,†the former ronin said, rubbing the back of his head. He entered the kitchen and took his place in an empty chair. “So, what’s it that you wanted to discuss?â€
“We’re trying to decide what we’re going to do,†Kitsune said. “First off, I think that it’s obvious that we’ll be keeping the gates bolted shut until we know more about what’s happened.â€
“Agreed,†Keitaro nodded. “Tomorrow, I’ll go into town and look around. See if I can find someone who knows what’s going on.â€
“Tomorrow?†Naru protested. “What about today? We need to know more about what’s going on now!â€
“Ok,†Keitaro sighed and stood up from his chair, “I’ll go now.â€
“Sit down, Keitaro,†the ash-blonde said, pointing downwards. “Nobody is going anywhere until tomorrow, when we’re all sober. For all we know, everyone will be able to see tomorrow morning and we’ll be back on our feet before we know it.â€
“But what if we’re not?†Motoko asked.
“Then we’ll adapt and survive,†Kitsune said pointedly. “Humans have a long history of changing their environment to make life easier for them, and changing to their environment to survive.
“And before any of you complain about ‘just surviving’ not being enough, you need to be alive to have a meaningful life.â€
The others were taken aback by Kitsune’s hidden steel-hard core.
“O-ok,†Keitaro nodded. “I suppose we could start planning a route I could use as a base for my search?â€
“Yes,†Kitsune smiled. “Now, how about we get something to eat? We need to keep our strength up.â€
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Six hours later, Keitaro was feeling better; mainly because he had spent much of that time asleep.
He groggily sat up on his futon and noticed that he was not alone. “What the, Kitsune? What are you doing here?â€
“Taking this opportunity to get away from the others,†the ash-blonde answered in a conspiratorial tone. “Naru’s really not taking this whole thing well.â€
“Can you blame her? I mean, it’s one thing to need glasses, but to lose your sight completely is another matter,†Keitaro replied.
“But she doesn’t have to act like such a huge brat,†Kitsune countered. “I mean, Motoko and Shinobu are positively stoic in comparison.â€
“How bad do you think it really is?â€
“Best case is that everyone is fine by the end of the week. Worst case is that everything’s turned to shit and there are six people left alive on a planet that’s slowly dying,†the voluptuous resident sighed sadly. “Anything beyond that, I honestly couldn’t say, Keitaro.â€
She moved to the window and looked out towards the town. There weren’t many signs of life. Keitaro looked down for a moment before joining Kitsune by the window.
“I... I think that we’ll make it out of this, Kitsune.â€
“Really? And why is that, Keitaro? Do you know something that the rest of us don’t?†Kitsune asked, turning to face her landlord.
“I finally got into Toudai, Kitsune,†Keitaro smiled. “Do you really think I’m going to let all that effort I put in go to waste?â€
“No, I suppose not,†the ash-blonde smiled back. ‘Damn, Keitaro really knows how to put a girl at ease. Maybe...’
There was a knock at the door. It was Kaolla.
“Shinobu said that she needs some help with dinner,†the princess said as she opened the door.
“Ok, we’ll help,†Kitsune said. “Come on, Keitaro, you need to do something useful today.â€
“What? Yeah,†the bespectacled man nodded. He noticed that the Princess seemed more subdued than normal. And it took a lot to bring Kaolla Su down. “Is something wrong, Su?â€
“Not really...†Kaolla said. She looked up and noticed that Keitaro and Kitsune were unconvinced by her words. “I’ve got this weird feeling about tomorrow.â€
“What, me going into town to see what happened? I’m sure I’ll be fine,†Keitaro smiled.
“I can’t shake this feeling that it’s like you’re in one of those Biohazard games.â€
“You think that Keitaro’s going to have the undead jump out at him?†Kitsune asked, wondering what sort of thought process the foreign girl had going on in her pretty little head. “The dead aren’t going to walk the streets, Su-chan.â€
“I know that,†Kaolla sighed. “It’s just that it seems like there’s always something to take advantage of a major disaster to threaten people. You know, like aliens or a virus or something.â€
“I don’t think we’ve got to worry about a virus or alien invaders, Su-chan,†Keitaro said as he rubbed the top of the blonde’s head. “If you’re that worried about me, you can always make something to protect me.â€
“You mean it? I’ll make you something special!†the blonde beamed happily. “It’ll be the best thing you could ever take on such a mission!â€
Kitsune smiled as Kaolla ran off to her room to knock something together. “Well, you’ve certainly managed to cheer her up.â€
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Keitaro and Kitsune entered the kitchen together. They were greeted by the sight of Shinobu struggling to open a sack of rice.
“Let me help you, Shinobu,†Keitaro said, rushing to the chef’s aid. “What are you... we making for dinner?â€
“Just some rice and vegetables, Sempai,†Shinobu answered. “I... I don’t think that I can cook anything more than that.â€
“It’s ok, Shinobu, we’re here to help,†Keitaro said, hoping his voice was enough to reassure the blind girl.
“T-thank you, Sempai,†the chef blushed.
Kitsune watched on, noticing that Keitaro’s presence and words had a calming effect on Shinobu, just as they had on herself and Kaolla earlier. She couldn’t help noticing how his assistance and inherently slightly goofy nature had cheered up Shinobu. It made her think about just how important he was to the Hinata Sou and its residents.
‘I’m not sure how long we’d last without Keitaro...’
“Well, the rice is cooking and the vegetables are steaming right now,†Keitaro announced, turning to see the concerned look on Kitsune’s face. “Is something wrong, Kitsune?â€
“I... I was just thinking,†the ash-blonde replied. “Nothing serious, so how long before you need me to call the others in?â€
“About twenty minutes,†Shinobu answered. “S-sempai, I was wondering if, if...â€
Keitaro was surprised to see how red the chef’s face was. “Is something wrong, Shinobu-chan? Are you feeling sick or anything?â€
“Auu....†the blind girl said, nearly fainting when Keitaro placed the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.
“I don’t think she’s got a fever, Keitaro,†Kitsune smiled. “What is it you wanted, Shinobu-chan?â€
“I’m... I’m a little scared. C-can I s-sleep in your room?†Shinobu stammered.
“Sure thing, Shinobu-chan,†the ash-blonde said, struggling not to laugh at the look of panic on the ronin’s face. “You and the others can all sleep in my room for tonight.â€
Shinobu’s face fell. “Oh, but I meant...â€
“Shinobu-chan, I know what you mean. I know that you like Keitaro, but you can’t sleep in his room,†Kitsune said, her tone turning serious. “It’s not proper for a young girl like yourself to sleep in a boy’s room.â€
She stood up and walked to Shinobu, throwing her arms around her and holding her tight. “Besides, you’ll make everyone jealous if you sneak into Keitaro’s bed...â€
“Auu...â€
The voluptuous girl felt the heat from the blind girl’s cheeks as she nuzzled against her face. “It’s a wonder your face hasn’t caught fire, it’s so hot, Shinobu-chan. Now, if you promise to stop trying to seduce Keitaro, I’ll stop teasing everyone so much, ok?â€
“O-ok,†Shinobu nodded.
“Good, now how about we get everything ready for dinner?â€
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The evening meal was an uncomfortable affair for the unsighted diners. Naru was still unhappy about the lack of progress in finding out the extent of the situation. She felt that Keitaro wasn’t doing enough to find out just what was going on.
Kitsune wasn’t helping matters with her less than caring response to her questions.
Motoko was becoming increasingly frustrated with her situation, with the latest problem being her meal. Not that it was inedible, but because she was unable to season it correctly.
Shinobu was carefully trying to eat her food with the bowl right under chin, lest she spill it all down herself.
Keitaro wasn’t sure what to say, every time he thought that he knew what he could ask without sounding like some insensitive moron, he was brought back to reality by one of the blind girls fumbling for something. He turned Kitsune for help.
The ash-blonde shrugged apologetically.
“About tomorrow,†Keitaro said. “When I’m in town, is there anything in particular that any of you want me to pick up?â€
“N-no, luckily, we did the big shop two days ago,†Shinobu answered. “We’ve got enough food to last us for a few days.â€
“So, you finally decide that you should be taking your duties seriously,†Naru sneered. “We need a doctor to look at our eyes. That’s your priority, getting us help.â€
Kitsune rolled her eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand why Naru was so insistent on Keitaro getting help, but she didn’t have to keep harping on about it.
‘It’d almost serve her right if Keitaro couldn’t find a doctor,’ she thought with a smirk. “Personally, I don’t think we need anything in particular, but if you come across any candles or anything else that might be useful in an emergency, then it might be worth bringing them back.â€
“You should take a pad and pen with you,†Motoko said, placing her bowl on the table. “You may need to keep a record of where medical help can be found.â€
“Agreed,†Kitsune nodded. “Naru, do you have anything to add?â€
“No,†the brunette replied. She finished her food and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to accept that we’re all relying on Keitaro like this.â€
“Thanks,†Keitaro muttered. “Well, if we’ve all finished eating, I’ll wash the dishes.â€
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Keitaro was surprised to see that Kitsune was helping him with the washing up.
“Kitsune?â€
“I just felt like helping,†the ash-blonde said as she dried the bowl nearest to her. “Is that a problem?â€
“Not at all, it’s just...†Keitaro insisted, hoping that he hadn’t offended his friend. He thought back to when Kitsune had snuck into his room during his nap. “Did you need some space from the others?â€
“Yeah,†the short-haired girl nodded. “Naru’s my friend, and I love her to bits, but she’s really trying my patience with her attitude. Sure, you haven’t exactly wowed us with superhuman acts of competence in the past, but you’ve always given it your all.â€
“Thanks,†the bespectacled man muttered.
Kitsune put the bowl and towel down and gave her landlord a quick hug from behind. “Sorry about that, Keitaro, I didn’t mean to damn you with faint praise.â€
“I know you meant well, Kitsune,†Keitaro sighed. “Today’s been hard on us all. But there is something that I need to ask you. It’s a serious question.â€
“Ok, go ahead,†Kitsune said as she continued to dry the bowls.
“What should we tell the others? I mean, what if it’s really bad – you know, like most people are ‘blind and desperate’ bad? Do you think we should tell Motoko and Naru everything? Don’t they have the right to know about what’s going on?â€
“I don’t know,†the ash-blonde answered after chewing her bottom lip for a moment. “I mean, they’re our friends, and if they could see, I’d want them to know about what’s going on so they could help us. But, because they can’t see, it might panic them. That’s certainly why we can’t tell Shinobu.â€
“But what about Su?†Keitaro followed up. “You’ve seen what she can make with a box of scraps, so her skills will be useful. The problem is that she’s still a child – she might panic or accidentally tell Shinobu.â€
“I don’t panic easily,†a young voice stated defiantly from the kitchen doorway.
“Su,†Kitsune said, turning to the blonde girl. “How long have you been standing there?â€
“Long enough to see that you like Keitaro!†Kaolla teased. “But if you don’t tell me what’s going on out there, I’ll have to find out for myself!â€
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To be continued...
[hr]
Unforeseeable
By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: Bees. My God.
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Chapter 3
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“Well, what’s it going to be, Keitaro? Are you going to tell me what’s out there or am I going to have to go on a mission myself?â€
Keitaro looked at Kitsune, who could only shrug. “Fine, I’ll tell you what I see.â€
“That’s good, because I made you something nice,†the blonde girl beamed as she held up a jet black rod. “It’s to keep you safe when you’re in town!â€
“What is it?†Kitsune asked.
“I call it the Persuadatron!†Kaolla said as she handed over the 45cm long device. She went to the fridge and pulled out a cold drink
Before Kitsune could warn Keitaro not to touch the red end, the ronin shocked himself and crumpled to the floor.
“Keitaro!†voluptuous girl cried out.
“I-I’m alright,†Keitaro muttered, shaking his head.
“See, I knew you’d like it,†Kaolla smiled happily. “It’s got three settings: Normal, Tough Guy and Keitaro.â€
“What was that setting?†Kitsune asked as she helped Keitaro to his feet.
“Normal,†the princess said before finishing her drink. “Maybe I should make you a suit so you don’t shock yourself?â€
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,†Keitaro said, breathing heavily.
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The following morning, Keitaro knocked on the door to Kitsune’s room.
“Kitsune, are you ok?†he called out.
He was surprised with Motoko answered. “Keitaro, what time is it?â€
“Err... it’s 7:20. Is Kitsune ok?â€
“I’m fine, Keitaro,†the ash-blonde answered with a yawn. “Not used to having five people in my room though.â€
“Everyone’s in there?†Keitaro asked. He was, again, surprised by the response he got. The door opened and Kitsune, again dressed in her simple, but incredibly alluring sleepwear stepped out.
“Yeah, I thought it would help everyone keep calm if we were all together,†Kitsune explained. “So, are you ready to go?â€
“Nearly, I want to take some water and some food with me. I don’t know how long I’ll be,†the bespectacled man replied. He yawned. “Sorry, I should be more awake right now, but I kept having this weird thought every time I closed my eyes: what if I can’t see when I woke up in the morning.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure that I’ll sleep better tonight,†Keitaro smiled. “After all, I’ve got a lot to do.â€
It took a moment, but the short-haired girl realised what Keitaro was saying. She reached out, but he’d already left for the kitchen.
@@@@@
Keitaro slowly walked into the town. The first thing he noticed was just how quiet it was.
Sure, the area immediately adjacent to the Hinata Sou wasn’t the busiest part of the world, but even so, the people were normally moving with a purpose by this time of the morning.
Keitaro glanced at his watch. It was now a quarter to eight and there were no signs of the bus that ran by every few minutes.
No signs of cars or vans making deliveries, either.
It was eerie.
He scanned the area, his eyes darting from building to building, hoping to pick up some indication of life.
A crow cawed loudly before flying off, causing Keitaro to jump. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to calm his nerves.
“It’s just a crow. At least I know that there’s something else alive out here.â€
After taking a moment to compose himself, Keitaro made his way to the shops, hoping he’d find someone or something to tell him what was going on.
“Keep it together, Keitaro.â€
@@@@@
Kitsune handed out a cup of tea to Motoko.
“Thank you,†Motoko sighed. “Do you...â€
“No, I don’t know how long it’ll be before Keitaro returns,†the ash-blonde snapped.
“Sorry, Kitsune, you know I don’t like relying on people to do things like this,†said the kendoist. There was a pause as she took a sip of her tea. “Kitsune... How should I put this? What are we going to do if...?â€
“If what?â€
Motoko took a deep breath and pressed on with her question. “What if it’s not safe for us to leave the Inn?â€
The short-haired girl thought about this for a moment. “If things don’t return to normal, then I guess we’ll have to form our own community here. Of course, five women and one man is more of a family than a community, but it’s better than the alternative.â€
“What do you consider to be the alternative?â€
“We don’t want to think about that, Motoko,†Kitsune said in a tone that warned that it was a topic that was not going to be discussed. “Is that clear?â€
“Yes,†Motoko nodded. ‘Just when did Kitsune become so... strong-willed?’
There was a five minute silence as the two friends drank their tea.
“Kitsune, you said something about a ‘community’... what exactly did you mean by that?â€
“Well, we owe it to ourselves to survive. Or at least, give it our best shot, right? Well, we don’t know what we’re up against, but with Keitaro and Su’s help, we can turn the Inn into a castle,†the voluptuous girl answered. “We’ve got a good vantage point here on the hill, a source of water and some land we can use to grow food. It’ll be hard work, but we’ve got a chance.â€
@@@@@
Keitaro continued his trek into Hinata town, still unsettled by the lack of human contact.
Turning a corner, he saw something human-shaped and reflexively hid around the corner, like a child playing a game or a spy in a movie.
“Wait, I want them to see me,†the bespectacled man slapped his head. “Keitaro, you idiot.â€
Keitaro shook his head and walked up to the person. “Hello?â€
“Who’s there?†the figure demanded.
Keitaro realised that it was an old man. “Are you alright?â€
“Where are you?â€
“I’m here, a metre in front of you? Can you see me?â€
“No, I can’t see a damned thing,†the elderly man muttered angrily. “What happened?â€
“I don’t know,†Keitaro admitted sheepishly. “I was passed out drunk.â€
“You kids and your binge drinking!†The old man paused and let out a sigh. “I can’t say that I blame you, I want to drink myself unconscious too. Could you help me find some booze?â€
“It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it?†the former ronin asked, looking around nervously.
“Pft, you can drink when it’s dark, and guess what, kiddo, it’s dark for me right now. Now, where’s that booze?â€
“This way,†Keitaro said, guiding the man to a nearby convenience store. “There’s a store over here.
The pair walked slowly up to the automatic doors and nearly into the glass when they didn’t open.
“Whoa!†Keitaro reached out and tried to push the door open. He noticed that there were no signs that the store was open. “What’s the big idea?â€
“Looks like they decided that blind people weren’t viable customers and closed up,†the blind man reasoned. “Help me get in and point me to the drink, will you kiddo. Some cigarettes would be nice, too.â€
“Isn’t this looting?†the ronin asked.
“I can feel the sun on my face, therefore they should be open. Besides, I haven’t found a policeman to help me and I’ve been out all morning.â€
“Just because you haven’t seen a policeman, it doesn’t mean that you can take what you want without paying for it!â€
“Fine, don’t help me then. I guess I’ll just break in myself!†The old man reached out for something he could use to break the glass and get to the store’s contents.
Keitaro felt uncomfortable with looting and quietly slipped away, hoping to find someone else who could explain what was going on.
@@@@@
Back at the Inn, Motoko was deep in thought as she considered her friend’s idea about how to survive their current situation.
‘If we do make a community for ourselves here, how long can we last? Assuming that we don’t get sick or run out of food, then we could expect to live for a good sixty years. And then what?’
The kendoist’s face turn a shade of red as she realised that there would need to be a subsequent generation in order continue the human race.
‘Do I really want to be a mother? And even if I did, who would I want to be the father? It’s not like I know any men well enough to ask to father my child,’ she thought. But then a thought popped into her head. ‘You do know one, Motoko Aoyama. And he’s gone out to find help.’
“Keitaro?†Motoko blurted out. Her hands flew to her lips in embarrassment as she realised that, yes, she did know someone well enough that she might want to ask him to father her child should they be living in some sort of actual apocalyptic situation.
“I need to talk to someone...â€
@@@@@
Naru was still feeling frustrated by her situation.
The media had loudly proclaimed that the meteor shower was going be a spectacular event, one that would make those that missed it feel inadequate for some time.
But it wasn’t like she could beat someone up for what had happened to her. Physical violence against the newspapers and TV news weren’t going to bring back her sight.
She let out her umpteenth sigh of the day. After a moment, the brunette started to cry.
“I just don’t know what to do.â€
@@@@@
Kitsune knocked on the door to Kaolla’s room. She was reluctant to open the door because of the sounds of machine tools working.
“Su, is everything alright in there?â€
“Yeah, just give me a minute,†the genius called out.
There were the sounds of machinery spinning down and some objects being moved around before the door opened.
“What’s up, Kitsune?â€
“There’s something I want to talk to everyone about. Is now a good time?†the ash-blonde asked.
“Can you give me five minutes? I want to finish up this job before I lose track of where I am,†Kaolla said, pointing over her shoulder into her room.
“Yeah, I’ll be in the kitchen,†Kitsune smiled.
@@@@@
Shinobu jumped when Kitsune spoke to her.
“Ah, you surprised me!†the chef exclaimed, her heart racing. “I-is there something I can do for you?â€
“I just wanted to tell you that we’re having a discussion in the kitchen. It’s important that everyone’s there, because it’s going to affect all of us,†Kitsune said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.
“Is Sempai back?†Shinobu asked. “I didn’t hear him come in.â€
“No, Keitaro’s still out,†the short-haired girl replied. “I know this sounds mean, but it’s best if he’s not here for this discussion.â€
“W-why is that? Y-you’re not trying to g-g-get rid of S-Sempai, are you?â€
“No, of course not, we need Keitaro! But what are we going to do if we can’t get help?†Kitsune asked rhetorically. “That’s what we’ve got to decide. And we need to make these decisions together – there can’t be any room for dissent.â€
“But doesn’t Sempai get to have a say in it?†Shinobu asked, feeling slightly hurt that her friend could be so callous towards someone so important.
“Of course he does, Shinobu-chan,†the ash-blonde sighed, pulling her young friend into a hug. “But we don’t know what’s going on out there: there could be a plan to get everyone to safety on Hokkaido for all we know. Or we could be on our own. We just don’t know and we need to have some contingency plans.â€
“O-ok,†the chef sniffed.
@@@@@
Keitaro continued on his expedition into the town, hoping to find someone who knew more about what was going on. The silence and general lack of human contact was still making him nervous.
As he scanned the immediate area, he noticed a figure lying in a doorway. Curious, he approached, wondering if they needed medical help or if it was just a mannequin some drunken pranksters had left there.
A few steps closer to the doorway, and he realised that it wasn’t a mannequin, but a person. Not only that, but it was a woman.
“Excuse me, Miss, are you alright there?†Keitaro asked. He crouched down and saw that she had long brown hair.
The only clue that the figure gave that she was alive was the gentle moving of her ample chest.
Hesitantly, the ronin gently shook the insensate woman. “Excuse me, do you need medical help, Miss?â€
She stirred and opened her eyes. “W-what? K-Kei-kun? What are you doing here?â€
“Mutsumi-chan? What are you doing in this doorway?†Keitaro asked, helping the Okinawan to her feet. “Are you alright?â€
“I’m fine now, Kei-kun,†Mutsumi smiled. “I must have fainted.â€
“How long have you been there?â€
“I’m not sure, what day is it?â€
Keitaro was struck speechless for a moment. He decided that it was best if he didn’t ask. “To answer your question, I’m looking for someone who knows what’s going on.â€
“What’s happened, Kei-kun?†Mutsumi asked.
“You really don’t know? Didn’t you see the meteor shower the night before last?â€
The curvy woman pouted. “I missed that? Oh, but I wanted to watch it with you, Kei-kun.â€
“It may be a good thing that we missed it, Mutsumi-chan – it seems that Motoko, Shinobu and Naru all saw it and are now blind,†the ronin explained. “I’m trying to find someone who can help us.â€
“I’ll help you find someone, Kei-kun.â€
“Are you sure about that, Mutsumi-chan? I mean, if you’ve been lying here for a day and a half, it might be worth getting you to a hospital. Do you need anything?â€
“Could I have something to drink?â€
“Yeah, sure,†Keitaro answered as he took his bag of his shoulder and rooted around for a bottle of water. “Here you go.â€
Mutsumi gratefully drank the water. “Thank you, Kei-kun.†She looked at the bottle and noticed that she’d nearly drained the whole bottle. “Sorry, Kei-kun, I didn’t mean to drink that much.â€
“It’s alright, Mutsumi-chan. Let’s get going, we need to find a policeman.â€
@@@@@
In the kitchen of the Hinata Sou, Kitsune was testing the pen she’d picked up on one of her pads of paper.
“Right, now that we’re all ready, we can begin,†she said. “I’ve called you all here because we need to work out our contingency plans. As in, what we’re going to do in the event it’s all gone wrong out there.â€
The fox-eyed girl looked around at her friend’s faces, quickly seeing that they weren’t prepared for this discussion.
“Look, I know that it’s hard for us to think that we could be a small number of survivors of a major disaster, but it will not get any easier for us. Now, the first thing is food. How much do we have, how can we get more and will we be able to sustain ourselves?â€
“I... I think we’ve got a 5kg sack of rice, and some instant noodles,†Shinobu answered.
“Ok, well, I’ll put that we need to inventory our stock as soon as we can,†Kitsune said, noting that down on her pad. “Next, water. Now, we’ve got water for cleaning, laundry and some irrigation, should we find ourselves able to grow some food. But is it drinkable?â€
Naru failed to hold back a snort of laughter.
“Yes, Naru, I can see the humour in me asking if something’s drinkable. But I’m being serious here – contaminated water kills countless people across the world. We’re not just talking bacteria, but what about things like heavy metals leeching into the water table?â€
“I think we’d know by now if the water was poisoning us, Kitsune,†Naru replied. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t boil it before we drink it, but considering how much time people have spent in the hot springs over the years, people would have noticed something by now.â€
“I think you’re right there,†the ash-blonde nodded. “But it’s not something we should take for granted.â€
“What are we going to do if the power goes out?†Shinobu asked. “The gas, too?â€
“I think that’s going to be more when than if, Shinobu-chan. I know that it sounds pretty depressing, but we need to plan for the worst. It’s no good if we rely on the assumption that we’re still going to have electricity, gas and drinking water and we find out that they go off tomorrow morning.â€
“I think I’ve got a generator,†Kaolla said. “I’ll need to look it over, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.â€
“I like the sound of that,†Kitsune said, scribbling down a note to check what kind of fuel it ran on. “So, that gives us the chance for light, some heat and enough power to run a hotplate for a while. Does anyone else have anything they want to bring up?â€
“What about Haruka-san?†Motoko asked. “I know that she’s out of the country with Seta-san, but do we know when they might return?â€
“They weren’t planning to come back for at least another two weeks, Motoko-chan. Of course, we can’t know how widespread the blinding was. Was it just Tokyo or Japan or even most of the world? Which brings me to my next point: security.â€
“Kitsune, what kind of danger are you talking about?†Naru asked. “I mean, are we talking suicide bombers or wild animals?â€
“Worse,†Kitsune said with a sharp intake of breath. “The gates and bars in prisons are controlled by computers. No power means no control over the gates and bars.â€
The brunette paused. “A-are you saying that all the criminals are going to be let out?â€
“As much as I’d like to lie to you to make you feel better: yes, I’m saying that there’s a good chance that criminals will be freed. Now, we might be alright, but we need to keep the gates locked at all times.â€
“I’ll set up a mechatama to keep us safe,†Kaolla declared.
“That might draw attention to us,†Kitsune countered. “Which brings up another point.â€
“You mean, what are we going to do about people who knock on our door?†Motoko asked rhetorically.
“Yes,†the ash-blonde nodded. “Do we have the moral obligation to help any blind people we come across? And what about people who can still see?
“We’ve got limited supplies, so we can’t help every traveller who comes up the hill. But what if they want to stay? We’ve got some room, but just how many people can we support here?â€
“That’s assuming we _do_ decide to stay here,†the kendoist said, stroking her chin. “Perhaps it might be best if we left to look for some organisation?â€
“Where do we start looking, Motoko?†Naru asked. “Point us in the right direction.â€
“Naru’s got a point, Motoko-chan. But the purpose of this meeting is for us to discuss everything and all be happy with the decisions we’re making. Who honestly thinks that we should start looking for this so-called government?â€
“W-what do you think we should do, Kitsune-sempai?†Shinobu asked.
“Personally, I think it’s too dangerous for all of us to go out looking for something that might not even exist,†Kitsune replied. “Maybe if it was just two people who could see, then, yeah, I’d go along. But that would mean leaving you guys. And I’m not going to do that. So, no, we’re not going to go out searching for help right now.
“Maybe in the future, we could arrange some sort of expedition, but for a while. Not till we’ve got a better idea of what’s going on.â€
“I agree,†Shinobu nodded.
“Keitaro’s too much fun to leave,†the princess beamed. “Leaving Keitaro would be like... like having my arm cut off!â€
Motoko realised she was outnumbered. “Yes, I suppose it would be wise for us to stay here for the time being.â€
“Agreed, we’re all staying here for now,†Naru added, feeling reassured by her best friend’s stance.
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Keitaro noticed that Mutsumi was walking somewhat gingerly.
“Is something wrong, Mutsumi-chan?â€
“I don’t know, Kei-kun, I feel a bit sore,†the Okinawan replied, frowning slightly.
“Where?â€
“Down stairs,†Mutsumi answered, gesturing to her crotch. “I don’t know why, but something feels wrong.â€
Keitaro nodded, unsure of what to say to his friend. He scanned the street for some indication of life.
That’s when the cry for help was heard.
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To be continued...
[hr]
It seems that there are limits to what I can repost without someone else replying. I will raise a note in the issues thread.
I think that's a lesson for us all there.
However, it does allow me to repost everything in completed chapters and for you guys to comment on more than just a teasing snippet (that happens to have mangled formatting).
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Unforeseeable
By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: Of all the 15 IBRC Certification joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.
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Chapter 1
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It was the morning after and Keitaro Urashima, former ronin, was beginning to regret drinking as much as he had to celebrate finally getting into Toudai.
His drinking had started early at the behest of his tenant, Mitsune Konno, and he’d passed out before 9:30. The last thing he’d heard was Kitsune’s teasing about his inability to handle his drink.
He slowly lifted his head, regretting every millimetre of movement. “Ow. Ow. Ow,†he winced as he opened his eyes.
Daylight flooded his field of view, causing him to shut his eyes and look away. After a few minutes of deep breathing to steel himself, Keitaro tried again. He fumbled around for his glasses.
When he could see properly, he took stock of his situation. “At least I didn’t vomit all over myself,†he thought wryly.
Rising to his feet, he made his way to the kitchen, intent of rehydrating himself.
It was then that he heard the sobbing.
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Shinobu Maehara turned her head towards the sounds approaching her. “S-sempai, i-is that you?â€
“Y-yeah,†Keitaro answered, causing the girl to slowly rise to her feet. “Is something wrong?â€
“I-I can’t see, Sempai!†the girl cried as she took a step towards the sound of her landlord’s voice. She tripped and it took all of Keitaro’s reactions to catch the chef before she hit the wooden floor.
“W-why can’t you see, Shinobu-chan?â€
“I don’t know!†she sobbed into Keitaro’s chest, causing the now former ronin to wince.
“Shush, Shinobu-chan. It’ll be alright,†Keitaro said in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. He closed his own eyes as he struggled to deal with the intense throbbing in his skull. “I’m sorry to do this to you, Shinobu-chan, but I need a drink of water, so let’s go into the kitchen, ok?â€
“O-ok, Sempai,†Shinobu said, her face buried into her crush’s t-shirt. “P-please help me there. I-I’m scared, S-sempai...â€
Keitaro nodded and gently guided the blind girl to the kitchen, where he sat her down on a chair.
“D-don’t go, Sempai...â€
“I’m just getting us something to drink, Shinobu-chan.â€
Shinobu picked up on the pain in Keitaro’s voice. “I-is something the matter, Sempai?â€
“I’ve got a hangover, Shinobu-chan. I just drank too much last night,†Keitaro said with a forced smile. “I’ll be alright soon enough. Now, can I get you anything?â€
“S-some tea, please, Sempai,†the blind girl said.
It was a struggle for Keitaro to make the tea, but he managed to brew something surprisingly palatable.
After a gentle caffeine hit, he took Shinobu’s hands in his and spoke in his best reassuring voice.
“Shinobu-chan, I’m going wake up the others and get them to keep you company while I phone the doctor. I promise I won’t be long.â€
“O-ok, Sempai.â€
@@@@@
Motoko had also been drinking last night, but she had decided to exercise moderation. Having quickly changed to soft drinks and tea after the initial toast, the kendoist was nowhere near the sorry state that her landlord had been in. But still, she had lain in bed far later than normal.
There was a knock on her door.
“Motoko-chan, I need you to come to the kitchen.â€
“What? Keitaro, is that you?†the raven-haired girl asked, lifting her head. “What’s going on? Why is it still dark?â€
“It’s not, Motoko-chan,†Keitaro answered. A sinking sensation filled his stomach. “Can you see?â€
Motoko moved a hand to her face to check her eyes were open. When she realised that she couldn’t see her fingers, she let out a scream.
“What’s going on?!†she demanded.
Concerned for his friend’s wellbeing, the former ronin barged into the room and rushed to the blind girl.
“I can’t see,†Motoko sobbed. “I can’t see. What’s wrong with me?â€
“I don’t know,†Keitaro answered. “Shinobu can’t see, either. Please, come with me to the kitchen. I’ll call the doctor out.â€
“B-but if I can’t see, what’s the point of me living?†the kendoist sniffed. She reached out for a blade.
“No!†Keitaro shouted, causing Motoko to flinch. “I won’t let you kill yourself. We’ll find out what happened and we’ll get your sight back, I promise.â€
“But what about the Shinmeiryu? What good am I to my clan if I’m blind?â€
“What good are you to your friends if you’re dead?†the bespectacled man countered. “Please, we need to find out what happened.â€
“F-fine, I’ll come with you to the kitchen. For Shinobu.â€
Keitaro smiled happily. “Let me help you up.â€
Motoko braced herself for the inevitable ‘accident,’ where her landlord would place a hand on her breast or thigh or buttock. She was surprised when he took her by the hand and slowly led her to the kitchen.
‘Perhaps I misjudged Keitaro...’
“Shinobu-chan,†Keitaro said, rousing the kendoist from her thoughts. “I promised I’d be back, and here I am. I’ve brought Motoko-chan with me.â€
“Motoko-sempai!†the chef greeted, reaching out a hand to confirm her friend’s presence. Shinobu’s heart sank when she heard her friend’s words.
“Shinobu, where are you? I can’t see.â€
“Y-you’re blind too?â€
“Y-yes,†the swordswoman admitted as she took her seat. Keitaro handed her a cup of tea. “Thank you, Keitaro.â€
“I’m going to get the others. I’ll get them one at a time, so keep calm.â€
@@@@@
Naru Narusegawa fumbled for her glasses before opening her eyes. When she noticed that everything was still dark, she let out a scream.
Keitaro burst into the room.
“Naru-chan, are you blind too?â€
“Keitaro? W-what’s going on?†Naru asked, her head moving around, hoping to find something that would prove that she wasn’t blind.
Or worse, losing her mind.
“Keitaro, are you there?â€
“I’m here, Naru-chan,†Keitaro said, taking hold of Naru’s hand. “Do you think you can walk? Motoko-chan and Shinobu-chan are blind, but they can walk. They’re in the kitchen.â€
“What’s happened to us, Keitaro? Why can you see?†the brunette asked, pointedly not moving until she got an answer.
“I honestly don’t know, Naru-chan. I remember drinking to celebrate passing the entrance exam, but I drank too much and I passed out early. I don’t know about anything that happened after that.â€
“Oh,†Naru replied. She was placated enough to go with Keitaro to the kitchen. “So, what do you think happened to me?â€
“I don’t know, but I think that it’s the same thing that happened to Motoko-chan and Shinobu-chan.â€
@@@@@
“M-Motoko-sempai...†Shinobu sniffed. “I...â€
Motoko reached out, trying to find her friend’s hand. “Ow,†she winced as she brushed her wrist against the hot teapot. “This is intolerable.â€
“W-what do you mean?â€
“I mean that...†the swordswoman trailed off as she realised that her friend was in the same position. “I’m sorry, Shinobu, I’m just not used to being so helpless. I couldn’t even find my way here without Keitaro’s help.â€
“What do you think happened to us?†Shinobu asked, sipping her tea.
“I know that we weren’t attacked – I didn’t feel any scars on my face,†Motoko answered. “I don’t know of any disease that we wouldn’t notice that could spread from person to person. We need to establish what happened last night to find out why Keitaro isn’t affected.â€
“Yes,†Shinobu nodded. It was out of habit and she realised that it was a pointless gesture. “Well, we were celebrating Sempai passing the entrance exam.â€
“Yes,†the kendoist agreed. “Apart from you and Su, we all drank from the same bottle of sake, so it couldn’t be that if Keitaro can see.â€
“Sempai and Kitsune drank more than you and Naru-sempai did,†the chef added. “And we all ate the same food.â€
The raven-haired girl stroked her chin. “So if it’s not the food or drink, then what else was there?â€
“The meteors,†the two girls answered in unison.
“They were so bright,†Shinobu recalled. “Oh no,†she gasped in horror.
“What’s up, Shinobu?â€
“I-if the lights were what blinded us, h-how m-many p-people do you t-think s-saw them?†the chef asked, shaking at the terrible thought of a largely blind populace.
“...Oh shit...†Motoko said with an uncharacteristic vulgarity as the potential situation sank in.
Keitaro arrived with Naru and noticed the horrified expressions on the seated girls’ faces. “What’s wrong?â€
“I... Sempai...â€
“Keitaro,†Naru growled, snatching her hand away from Keitaro. “What did you do?â€
“It’s not Keitaro, Naru-sempai,†Motoko said. “Can you see?â€
“No,†the brunette said a timid tone. She reached out and felt her way to the table. “I can’t see a damned thing.â€
“We may know why,†the kendoist said. “Last night’s meteor shower.â€
“Aw man, I can’t believe I missed that! I was looking forward to seeing that,†Keitaro griped. “The TV said that was going to be spectacular.â€
He reached for the teapot and poured two cups, completely missing the implications of what he’d said. “Here you go, Naru-chan.â€
“Thank you,†Naru said as her fingers curled round the ceramic cup. “So, if we’re blind, what are we going to do?â€
“I don’t know,†the former ronin said before taking a few sips of his tea. “I need to check up on Su and Kitsune. I’ll be back soon, ok?â€
“Ok, Sempai. But when you come back, we’ll need more tea,†Shinobu said.
“Do you need anything now?â€
“No, but hurry back,†Motoko said, hoping she didn’t sound too desperate.
“Will do,†Keitaro said. He filled the kettle before leaving to find his other two tenants.
@@@@@
Kaolla Su was up and tinkering with one of her new gadgets, trying to solve the problem that had caused her to miss the live viewing of the previous night’s fireworks.
“Too hungry to think about this,†she sighed, placing it to one side.
There was a knock on the door.
“Su-chan, are you alright in there?†the male voice asked.
“Yeah,†the blonde said as she opened the door to her room. “What’s up, Keitaro?â€
“It’s... I need you to come to the kitchen, Su-chan,†Keitaro sighed.
“Are you alright, Keitaro?â€
“I’m a little delicate, but it’s not me,†the hungover man answered. “The others, they can’t see.â€
“Can’t see?†the princess repeated. “Are you all playing a game?â€
“No,†Keitaro insisted. “It’s... please, go to the kitchen while I get Kitsune.â€
“Ok,†Kaolla said in her usual happy tone.
Keitaro let out a sigh as he fought off a wave of nausea. ‘This is hard work. At least I’m not the only one here who can see.’
@@@@@
Kitsune was out cold, and had long been that way thanks to her overindulgence. She’d started drinking before Keitaro and had mixed the remnants of several bottles into one glass to make it worth the effort of drinking.
That had caused her to give herself alcohol poisoning.
Keitaro’s knocking on the door had gone unanswered and he feared the worst for Kitsune’s condition. He barged in and rushed to where she’d collapsed.
“Kitsune, are you alright?†he asked. He tentatively reached out and gently nudged the sleeping woman and repeated his question.
“Sleeping. Piss off,†the ash-blonde mumbled. “Come back in three days.â€
“Kitsune, I need you to get up now,†Keitaro said, rolling the voluptuous woman onto her back. He swallowed involuntarily when he noticed the way that Kitsune’s ample bosom was straining at her skimpy t-shirt. “K-Kitsune, please, get up.â€
“Still sleeping.â€
The young man sighed as he tried to think of a way to get Kitsune to wake up without making a scene. “Kitsune, if you get up now and go to the kitchen, I’ll let you off this month’s rent.â€
The short-haired woman smiled and sat up. “Good morning, Keitaro. What can I do for you?â€
“Something’s happened to the others – they can’t see. I need you to go to the kitchen to help them while I call a doctor,†Keitaro explained.
“Weird, but ok,†Kitsune nodded. “Do you mind if I get dressed first?â€
“What? Oh yes, sorry. I’ll make some more tea.â€
@@@@@
“Let me look at your eyes, Shinobu,†Kaolla said as she leaned in to inspect the chef’s eyes.
Shinobu struggled to sit still as she felt Kaolla’s breath tickle her face. “C-can you see anything?â€
“Hold still,†the princess scowled. “I can’t tell if anything’s wrong with your eyes,†she said as she climbed off Shinobu’s lap. She pouted as she tried to unravel the mystery. “It doesn’t make sense.â€
“Maybe not, but it happened,†Naru snapped. “I’m sorry, I’m just... it’s I don’t know what’s going on. I mean, we’re all blind and there’s a man here. Yeah, it’s Keitaro, but what if he... you know?â€
“S-Sempai would never take advantage of us like that!†Shinobu insisted. “He’s trying to help us and you-you’re accusing him!â€
“Accusing who of what?†Kitsune asked, leaning up against the door frame. “And why the long faces?â€
“We are unable to see,†Motoko said. “Aside from Keitaro and Su, we are completely blind.â€
“You’re blind?†the ash-blonde asked. “When did this happen?â€
“Last night,†Shinobu said. “When we were watching the meteors.â€
“Meteors? Oh yeah, the TV news was filled with how they were going to be a spectacular show. So you really think it was that that blinded you all?â€
“It’s the only common factor. We all drank from the same bottle of sake, but Keitaro can see. Shinobu and Su didn’t drink any sake, but Shinobu’s blind. We all ate the same food. The only thing that you, Keitaro and Su didn’t do was look at the meteor shower,†the kendoist surmised.
“Oh shit...†Kitsune said as realisation dawned on her face.
“Bad news,†Keitaro said as he arrived in the kitchen with the cordless phone handset. “I can’t get through to the doctor or the emergency services.â€
@@@@@
To be continued....
[hr]
Unforeseeable
By Lord Raa
@@@@@
Disclaim-me-do: In the strip search of life, it’s better to be the finger, or even the anus, than the rubber glove.
@@@@@
Chapter 2
@@@@@
The two sighted girls turned to Keitaro.
“What was that?â€
“I can’t get through to the emergency services,†the former ronin repeated. “I don’t know what’s happening, it’s like the whole system is jammed.â€
“We need to contact someone,†Motoko said. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I have a cellular telephone for emergencies. Kitsune, could you go to my room and send a text message to my sister?â€
“Sure, think about what you want me to put in it,†the ash-blonde said before leaving the kitchen.
“Ugh,†Keitaro sighed. He fell into an empty chair and slumped over, resting his head on his arms. “Need sleep...â€
“You can’t sleep now!†Naru protested. “You need to sort this out!â€
“Sort what out,†Keitaro mumbled. He slowly lifted his head. “I’m in no condition to do anything complicated like following medical instructions. Hell, finding you all and bringing you to the kitchen nearly killed me.â€
“It’s your own fault for drinking so much last night,†the brunette chided. “If you hadn’t drank yourself unconscious, you’d be in a better state to help us.â€
“Sorry,†the hungover man apologised. He winced when he felt the room spin again. “I’ll be right back.â€
After Keitaro had left the room, Kitsune returned with Motoko’s phone. “Have you thought about what you want me to put in your message, Motoko?â€
“I’m not sure how to word it. We don’t know what happened, we only know that three of us are blind and three of us can see and that we can’t get through to the police or any of the other emergency services.â€
Kitsune’s fingers flew over the keypad and managed to type out a message. “There, it’s sent.â€
“What did you put?†the kendoist asked, concerned that her family would panic. “And how did you write the message so quickly?
“I told her what we know,†the short-haired tenant answered. “As for texting so quickly, I had to learn how to for an article I wrote.â€
“What was it about?†Naru asked.
“It’s not important right now,†Kitsune said, hoping that her friends would drop the matter. “So, where’s Keitaro gone?â€
“I think he’s gone off to the toilet,†Shinobu answered. “He didn’t sound very well.â€
“He just drank too much. A bit like you, Kitsune,†Naru added. “I still think that if you and Keitaro hadn’t drank so much last night, you’d be in a better condition to look after us.â€
“Actually,†Motoko said, massaging her temples, “If they had been more moderate in their drinking, they would have seen the meteor shower with us.â€
“So?†the brunette asked, not having been part of the earlier conversation between Motoko and Shinobu.
“W-we think that watching the meteor shower was what blinded us all,†Shinobu added. “It’s the only common factor we could think of.â€
“Oh shit,†Kitsune gasped. “They said that meteor shower was going to be visible across half the world!
@@@@@
Keitaro retched several times, but didn’t actually vomit. When he spat into the bowl, he was forced to brace himself against the wall to stop him for falling over.
“No more booze for me,†he sighed. After a moment, he realised that he needed to use the toilet for the other end and fumbled with his trousers and boxer shorts.
He was just in time to sit down before he evacuated his bowels.
“Damn it,†he sighed again. “I don’t think I can deal with this.â€
Keitaro closed his eyes as he rested his head on the wall. “I’ll just close my eyes for a few moments.â€
It was enough for him to fall asleep.
@@@@@
“What are we going to do?†Naru asked. She was becoming increasingly anxious about the situation. “We need to sort something out.â€
“Yes, we do,†Kitsune agreed. She reached for the teapot and frowned. “I guess the first thing is to make some more tea.â€
“TEA?†the brunette demanded shrilly. “Just what do you think is going on here?â€
The ash-blonde sighed. “Naru, the situation is this: you, Shinobu, Motoko and God knows how many others have been struck blind and we can’t find a doctor to find out how permanent it is.â€
“Yes, but you and Keitaro have to do something!â€
“What can we do? You’re not the only one who wishes we were sober, Naru, but we’re in no state to find a doctor right now,†the voluptuous girl added as she flicked the switch for the kettle. “And before you think of volunteering to go, how many steps are there? What’s their size? What’s the gradient of the hill?â€
“I don’t know, I never gave it any thought,†Naru admitted defensively.
“Kitsune does have a point, Naru-sempai,†Motoko said calmly. “We can’t take the risk of falling down and breaking a bone.â€
The kettle finished boiling and Kitsune made some fresh tea. “Silly question, have any of you lot watched or read ‘Fist of the North Star?’â€
“No, but I think it’s about a skilled martial artist who wanders a post apocalyptic landscape,†the kendoist answered. “There’s a great deal of violence and exploding people, if I remember correctly.â€
“Yes. I’m not saying that people’s heads will start to explode, but my point is that there were some survivors who banded together. The survivors tended to fall into one of two camps,†the ash-blonde said as she refilled the cups of everyone there, “The people who tried to continue with some sort of normality and the lawless gangs who went around raping and killing people.â€
There was a silence which caused Kitsune to hastily add, “I’m not saying that there are rape gangs out there, but anyone who goes out there has to be careful. What if one of us was captured and forced to be someone’s eyes?â€
“Oh,†Naru replied. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. So what are we going to do?â€
“That’s a good question. First off, I think we need to decide on some ground rules. Su, could you get Keitaro, please?â€
@@@@@
“Hey, Keitaro!†the blonde called out. She banged her fist on the toilet door. “We need to talk to you Keitaro!â€
“Wha?†the bespectacled man said, rousing from his little nap. “Oh, I fell asleep on the toilet. Let me finish up here.â€
The toilet flushed and Keitaro washed his hands. When they were clean, he splashed some water on his face and looked in the mirror. “I look as bad as I feel. Still, let’s see what they want to talk to me about.â€
Opening the door, Keitaro stepped out and gave Kaolla a weak smile. “Ready when you are.â€
“Good,†Kaolla said. She grabbed Keitaro’s hand and led him back to the kitchen. “Is this how it’s going to be? You look after all of us and I look after you?â€
“Sorry about that,†the former ronin said, rubbing the back of his head. He entered the kitchen and took his place in an empty chair. “So, what’s it that you wanted to discuss?â€
“We’re trying to decide what we’re going to do,†Kitsune said. “First off, I think that it’s obvious that we’ll be keeping the gates bolted shut until we know more about what’s happened.â€
“Agreed,†Keitaro nodded. “Tomorrow, I’ll go into town and look around. See if I can find someone who knows what’s going on.â€
“Tomorrow?†Naru protested. “What about today? We need to know more about what’s going on now!â€
“Ok,†Keitaro sighed and stood up from his chair, “I’ll go now.â€
“Sit down, Keitaro,†the ash-blonde said, pointing downwards. “Nobody is going anywhere until tomorrow, when we’re all sober. For all we know, everyone will be able to see tomorrow morning and we’ll be back on our feet before we know it.â€
“But what if we’re not?†Motoko asked.
“Then we’ll adapt and survive,†Kitsune said pointedly. “Humans have a long history of changing their environment to make life easier for them, and changing to their environment to survive.
“And before any of you complain about ‘just surviving’ not being enough, you need to be alive to have a meaningful life.â€
The others were taken aback by Kitsune’s hidden steel-hard core.
“O-ok,†Keitaro nodded. “I suppose we could start planning a route I could use as a base for my search?â€
“Yes,†Kitsune smiled. “Now, how about we get something to eat? We need to keep our strength up.â€
@@@@@
Six hours later, Keitaro was feeling better; mainly because he had spent much of that time asleep.
He groggily sat up on his futon and noticed that he was not alone. “What the, Kitsune? What are you doing here?â€
“Taking this opportunity to get away from the others,†the ash-blonde answered in a conspiratorial tone. “Naru’s really not taking this whole thing well.â€
“Can you blame her? I mean, it’s one thing to need glasses, but to lose your sight completely is another matter,†Keitaro replied.
“But she doesn’t have to act like such a huge brat,†Kitsune countered. “I mean, Motoko and Shinobu are positively stoic in comparison.â€
“How bad do you think it really is?â€
“Best case is that everyone is fine by the end of the week. Worst case is that everything’s turned to shit and there are six people left alive on a planet that’s slowly dying,†the voluptuous resident sighed sadly. “Anything beyond that, I honestly couldn’t say, Keitaro.â€
She moved to the window and looked out towards the town. There weren’t many signs of life. Keitaro looked down for a moment before joining Kitsune by the window.
“I... I think that we’ll make it out of this, Kitsune.â€
“Really? And why is that, Keitaro? Do you know something that the rest of us don’t?†Kitsune asked, turning to face her landlord.
“I finally got into Toudai, Kitsune,†Keitaro smiled. “Do you really think I’m going to let all that effort I put in go to waste?â€
“No, I suppose not,†the ash-blonde smiled back. ‘Damn, Keitaro really knows how to put a girl at ease. Maybe...’
There was a knock at the door. It was Kaolla.
“Shinobu said that she needs some help with dinner,†the princess said as she opened the door.
“Ok, we’ll help,†Kitsune said. “Come on, Keitaro, you need to do something useful today.â€
“What? Yeah,†the bespectacled man nodded. He noticed that the Princess seemed more subdued than normal. And it took a lot to bring Kaolla Su down. “Is something wrong, Su?â€
“Not really...†Kaolla said. She looked up and noticed that Keitaro and Kitsune were unconvinced by her words. “I’ve got this weird feeling about tomorrow.â€
“What, me going into town to see what happened? I’m sure I’ll be fine,†Keitaro smiled.
“I can’t shake this feeling that it’s like you’re in one of those Biohazard games.â€
“You think that Keitaro’s going to have the undead jump out at him?†Kitsune asked, wondering what sort of thought process the foreign girl had going on in her pretty little head. “The dead aren’t going to walk the streets, Su-chan.â€
“I know that,†Kaolla sighed. “It’s just that it seems like there’s always something to take advantage of a major disaster to threaten people. You know, like aliens or a virus or something.â€
“I don’t think we’ve got to worry about a virus or alien invaders, Su-chan,†Keitaro said as he rubbed the top of the blonde’s head. “If you’re that worried about me, you can always make something to protect me.â€
“You mean it? I’ll make you something special!†the blonde beamed happily. “It’ll be the best thing you could ever take on such a mission!â€
Kitsune smiled as Kaolla ran off to her room to knock something together. “Well, you’ve certainly managed to cheer her up.â€
@@@@@
Keitaro and Kitsune entered the kitchen together. They were greeted by the sight of Shinobu struggling to open a sack of rice.
“Let me help you, Shinobu,†Keitaro said, rushing to the chef’s aid. “What are you... we making for dinner?â€
“Just some rice and vegetables, Sempai,†Shinobu answered. “I... I don’t think that I can cook anything more than that.â€
“It’s ok, Shinobu, we’re here to help,†Keitaro said, hoping his voice was enough to reassure the blind girl.
“T-thank you, Sempai,†the chef blushed.
Kitsune watched on, noticing that Keitaro’s presence and words had a calming effect on Shinobu, just as they had on herself and Kaolla earlier. She couldn’t help noticing how his assistance and inherently slightly goofy nature had cheered up Shinobu. It made her think about just how important he was to the Hinata Sou and its residents.
‘I’m not sure how long we’d last without Keitaro...’
“Well, the rice is cooking and the vegetables are steaming right now,†Keitaro announced, turning to see the concerned look on Kitsune’s face. “Is something wrong, Kitsune?â€
“I... I was just thinking,†the ash-blonde replied. “Nothing serious, so how long before you need me to call the others in?â€
“About twenty minutes,†Shinobu answered. “S-sempai, I was wondering if, if...â€
Keitaro was surprised to see how red the chef’s face was. “Is something wrong, Shinobu-chan? Are you feeling sick or anything?â€
“Auu....†the blind girl said, nearly fainting when Keitaro placed the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.
“I don’t think she’s got a fever, Keitaro,†Kitsune smiled. “What is it you wanted, Shinobu-chan?â€
“I’m... I’m a little scared. C-can I s-sleep in your room?†Shinobu stammered.
“Sure thing, Shinobu-chan,†the ash-blonde said, struggling not to laugh at the look of panic on the ronin’s face. “You and the others can all sleep in my room for tonight.â€
Shinobu’s face fell. “Oh, but I meant...â€
“Shinobu-chan, I know what you mean. I know that you like Keitaro, but you can’t sleep in his room,†Kitsune said, her tone turning serious. “It’s not proper for a young girl like yourself to sleep in a boy’s room.â€
She stood up and walked to Shinobu, throwing her arms around her and holding her tight. “Besides, you’ll make everyone jealous if you sneak into Keitaro’s bed...â€
“Auu...â€
The voluptuous girl felt the heat from the blind girl’s cheeks as she nuzzled against her face. “It’s a wonder your face hasn’t caught fire, it’s so hot, Shinobu-chan. Now, if you promise to stop trying to seduce Keitaro, I’ll stop teasing everyone so much, ok?â€
“O-ok,†Shinobu nodded.
“Good, now how about we get everything ready for dinner?â€
@@@@@
The evening meal was an uncomfortable affair for the unsighted diners. Naru was still unhappy about the lack of progress in finding out the extent of the situation. She felt that Keitaro wasn’t doing enough to find out just what was going on.
Kitsune wasn’t helping matters with her less than caring response to her questions.
Motoko was becoming increasingly frustrated with her situation, with the latest problem being her meal. Not that it was inedible, but because she was unable to season it correctly.
Shinobu was carefully trying to eat her food with the bowl right under chin, lest she spill it all down herself.
Keitaro wasn’t sure what to say, every time he thought that he knew what he could ask without sounding like some insensitive moron, he was brought back to reality by one of the blind girls fumbling for something. He turned Kitsune for help.
The ash-blonde shrugged apologetically.
“About tomorrow,†Keitaro said. “When I’m in town, is there anything in particular that any of you want me to pick up?â€
“N-no, luckily, we did the big shop two days ago,†Shinobu answered. “We’ve got enough food to last us for a few days.â€
“So, you finally decide that you should be taking your duties seriously,†Naru sneered. “We need a doctor to look at our eyes. That’s your priority, getting us help.â€
Kitsune rolled her eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand why Naru was so insistent on Keitaro getting help, but she didn’t have to keep harping on about it.
‘It’d almost serve her right if Keitaro couldn’t find a doctor,’ she thought with a smirk. “Personally, I don’t think we need anything in particular, but if you come across any candles or anything else that might be useful in an emergency, then it might be worth bringing them back.â€
“You should take a pad and pen with you,†Motoko said, placing her bowl on the table. “You may need to keep a record of where medical help can be found.â€
“Agreed,†Kitsune nodded. “Naru, do you have anything to add?â€
“No,†the brunette replied. She finished her food and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to accept that we’re all relying on Keitaro like this.â€
“Thanks,†Keitaro muttered. “Well, if we’ve all finished eating, I’ll wash the dishes.â€
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Keitaro was surprised to see that Kitsune was helping him with the washing up.
“Kitsune?â€
“I just felt like helping,†the ash-blonde said as she dried the bowl nearest to her. “Is that a problem?â€
“Not at all, it’s just...†Keitaro insisted, hoping that he hadn’t offended his friend. He thought back to when Kitsune had snuck into his room during his nap. “Did you need some space from the others?â€
“Yeah,†the short-haired girl nodded. “Naru’s my friend, and I love her to bits, but she’s really trying my patience with her attitude. Sure, you haven’t exactly wowed us with superhuman acts of competence in the past, but you’ve always given it your all.â€
“Thanks,†the bespectacled man muttered.
Kitsune put the bowl and towel down and gave her landlord a quick hug from behind. “Sorry about that, Keitaro, I didn’t mean to damn you with faint praise.â€
“I know you meant well, Kitsune,†Keitaro sighed. “Today’s been hard on us all. But there is something that I need to ask you. It’s a serious question.â€
“Ok, go ahead,†Kitsune said as she continued to dry the bowls.
“What should we tell the others? I mean, what if it’s really bad – you know, like most people are ‘blind and desperate’ bad? Do you think we should tell Motoko and Naru everything? Don’t they have the right to know about what’s going on?â€
“I don’t know,†the ash-blonde answered after chewing her bottom lip for a moment. “I mean, they’re our friends, and if they could see, I’d want them to know about what’s going on so they could help us. But, because they can’t see, it might panic them. That’s certainly why we can’t tell Shinobu.â€
“But what about Su?†Keitaro followed up. “You’ve seen what she can make with a box of scraps, so her skills will be useful. The problem is that she’s still a child – she might panic or accidentally tell Shinobu.â€
“I don’t panic easily,†a young voice stated defiantly from the kitchen doorway.
“Su,†Kitsune said, turning to the blonde girl. “How long have you been standing there?â€
“Long enough to see that you like Keitaro!†Kaolla teased. “But if you don’t tell me what’s going on out there, I’ll have to find out for myself!â€
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To be continued...
[hr]
Unforeseeable
By Lord Raa
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Disclaim-me-do: Bees. My God.
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Chapter 3
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“Well, what’s it going to be, Keitaro? Are you going to tell me what’s out there or am I going to have to go on a mission myself?â€
Keitaro looked at Kitsune, who could only shrug. “Fine, I’ll tell you what I see.â€
“That’s good, because I made you something nice,†the blonde girl beamed as she held up a jet black rod. “It’s to keep you safe when you’re in town!â€
“What is it?†Kitsune asked.
“I call it the Persuadatron!†Kaolla said as she handed over the 45cm long device. She went to the fridge and pulled out a cold drink
Before Kitsune could warn Keitaro not to touch the red end, the ronin shocked himself and crumpled to the floor.
“Keitaro!†voluptuous girl cried out.
“I-I’m alright,†Keitaro muttered, shaking his head.
“See, I knew you’d like it,†Kaolla smiled happily. “It’s got three settings: Normal, Tough Guy and Keitaro.â€
“What was that setting?†Kitsune asked as she helped Keitaro to his feet.
“Normal,†the princess said before finishing her drink. “Maybe I should make you a suit so you don’t shock yourself?â€
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,†Keitaro said, breathing heavily.
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The following morning, Keitaro knocked on the door to Kitsune’s room.
“Kitsune, are you ok?†he called out.
He was surprised with Motoko answered. “Keitaro, what time is it?â€
“Err... it’s 7:20. Is Kitsune ok?â€
“I’m fine, Keitaro,†the ash-blonde answered with a yawn. “Not used to having five people in my room though.â€
“Everyone’s in there?†Keitaro asked. He was, again, surprised by the response he got. The door opened and Kitsune, again dressed in her simple, but incredibly alluring sleepwear stepped out.
“Yeah, I thought it would help everyone keep calm if we were all together,†Kitsune explained. “So, are you ready to go?â€
“Nearly, I want to take some water and some food with me. I don’t know how long I’ll be,†the bespectacled man replied. He yawned. “Sorry, I should be more awake right now, but I kept having this weird thought every time I closed my eyes: what if I can’t see when I woke up in the morning.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure that I’ll sleep better tonight,†Keitaro smiled. “After all, I’ve got a lot to do.â€
It took a moment, but the short-haired girl realised what Keitaro was saying. She reached out, but he’d already left for the kitchen.
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Keitaro slowly walked into the town. The first thing he noticed was just how quiet it was.
Sure, the area immediately adjacent to the Hinata Sou wasn’t the busiest part of the world, but even so, the people were normally moving with a purpose by this time of the morning.
Keitaro glanced at his watch. It was now a quarter to eight and there were no signs of the bus that ran by every few minutes.
No signs of cars or vans making deliveries, either.
It was eerie.
He scanned the area, his eyes darting from building to building, hoping to pick up some indication of life.
A crow cawed loudly before flying off, causing Keitaro to jump. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to calm his nerves.
“It’s just a crow. At least I know that there’s something else alive out here.â€
After taking a moment to compose himself, Keitaro made his way to the shops, hoping he’d find someone or something to tell him what was going on.
“Keep it together, Keitaro.â€
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Kitsune handed out a cup of tea to Motoko.
“Thank you,†Motoko sighed. “Do you...â€
“No, I don’t know how long it’ll be before Keitaro returns,†the ash-blonde snapped.
“Sorry, Kitsune, you know I don’t like relying on people to do things like this,†said the kendoist. There was a pause as she took a sip of her tea. “Kitsune... How should I put this? What are we going to do if...?â€
“If what?â€
Motoko took a deep breath and pressed on with her question. “What if it’s not safe for us to leave the Inn?â€
The short-haired girl thought about this for a moment. “If things don’t return to normal, then I guess we’ll have to form our own community here. Of course, five women and one man is more of a family than a community, but it’s better than the alternative.â€
“What do you consider to be the alternative?â€
“We don’t want to think about that, Motoko,†Kitsune said in a tone that warned that it was a topic that was not going to be discussed. “Is that clear?â€
“Yes,†Motoko nodded. ‘Just when did Kitsune become so... strong-willed?’
There was a five minute silence as the two friends drank their tea.
“Kitsune, you said something about a ‘community’... what exactly did you mean by that?â€
“Well, we owe it to ourselves to survive. Or at least, give it our best shot, right? Well, we don’t know what we’re up against, but with Keitaro and Su’s help, we can turn the Inn into a castle,†the voluptuous girl answered. “We’ve got a good vantage point here on the hill, a source of water and some land we can use to grow food. It’ll be hard work, but we’ve got a chance.â€
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Keitaro continued his trek into Hinata town, still unsettled by the lack of human contact.
Turning a corner, he saw something human-shaped and reflexively hid around the corner, like a child playing a game or a spy in a movie.
“Wait, I want them to see me,†the bespectacled man slapped his head. “Keitaro, you idiot.â€
Keitaro shook his head and walked up to the person. “Hello?â€
“Who’s there?†the figure demanded.
Keitaro realised that it was an old man. “Are you alright?â€
“Where are you?â€
“I’m here, a metre in front of you? Can you see me?â€
“No, I can’t see a damned thing,†the elderly man muttered angrily. “What happened?â€
“I don’t know,†Keitaro admitted sheepishly. “I was passed out drunk.â€
“You kids and your binge drinking!†The old man paused and let out a sigh. “I can’t say that I blame you, I want to drink myself unconscious too. Could you help me find some booze?â€
“It’s a bit early for that, isn’t it?†the former ronin asked, looking around nervously.
“Pft, you can drink when it’s dark, and guess what, kiddo, it’s dark for me right now. Now, where’s that booze?â€
“This way,†Keitaro said, guiding the man to a nearby convenience store. “There’s a store over here.
The pair walked slowly up to the automatic doors and nearly into the glass when they didn’t open.
“Whoa!†Keitaro reached out and tried to push the door open. He noticed that there were no signs that the store was open. “What’s the big idea?â€
“Looks like they decided that blind people weren’t viable customers and closed up,†the blind man reasoned. “Help me get in and point me to the drink, will you kiddo. Some cigarettes would be nice, too.â€
“Isn’t this looting?†the ronin asked.
“I can feel the sun on my face, therefore they should be open. Besides, I haven’t found a policeman to help me and I’ve been out all morning.â€
“Just because you haven’t seen a policeman, it doesn’t mean that you can take what you want without paying for it!â€
“Fine, don’t help me then. I guess I’ll just break in myself!†The old man reached out for something he could use to break the glass and get to the store’s contents.
Keitaro felt uncomfortable with looting and quietly slipped away, hoping to find someone else who could explain what was going on.
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Back at the Inn, Motoko was deep in thought as she considered her friend’s idea about how to survive their current situation.
‘If we do make a community for ourselves here, how long can we last? Assuming that we don’t get sick or run out of food, then we could expect to live for a good sixty years. And then what?’
The kendoist’s face turn a shade of red as she realised that there would need to be a subsequent generation in order continue the human race.
‘Do I really want to be a mother? And even if I did, who would I want to be the father? It’s not like I know any men well enough to ask to father my child,’ she thought. But then a thought popped into her head. ‘You do know one, Motoko Aoyama. And he’s gone out to find help.’
“Keitaro?†Motoko blurted out. Her hands flew to her lips in embarrassment as she realised that, yes, she did know someone well enough that she might want to ask him to father her child should they be living in some sort of actual apocalyptic situation.
“I need to talk to someone...â€
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Naru was still feeling frustrated by her situation.
The media had loudly proclaimed that the meteor shower was going be a spectacular event, one that would make those that missed it feel inadequate for some time.
But it wasn’t like she could beat someone up for what had happened to her. Physical violence against the newspapers and TV news weren’t going to bring back her sight.
She let out her umpteenth sigh of the day. After a moment, the brunette started to cry.
“I just don’t know what to do.â€
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Kitsune knocked on the door to Kaolla’s room. She was reluctant to open the door because of the sounds of machine tools working.
“Su, is everything alright in there?â€
“Yeah, just give me a minute,†the genius called out.
There were the sounds of machinery spinning down and some objects being moved around before the door opened.
“What’s up, Kitsune?â€
“There’s something I want to talk to everyone about. Is now a good time?†the ash-blonde asked.
“Can you give me five minutes? I want to finish up this job before I lose track of where I am,†Kaolla said, pointing over her shoulder into her room.
“Yeah, I’ll be in the kitchen,†Kitsune smiled.
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Shinobu jumped when Kitsune spoke to her.
“Ah, you surprised me!†the chef exclaimed, her heart racing. “I-is there something I can do for you?â€
“I just wanted to tell you that we’re having a discussion in the kitchen. It’s important that everyone’s there, because it’s going to affect all of us,†Kitsune said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone.
“Is Sempai back?†Shinobu asked. “I didn’t hear him come in.â€
“No, Keitaro’s still out,†the short-haired girl replied. “I know this sounds mean, but it’s best if he’s not here for this discussion.â€
“W-why is that? Y-you’re not trying to g-g-get rid of S-Sempai, are you?â€
“No, of course not, we need Keitaro! But what are we going to do if we can’t get help?†Kitsune asked rhetorically. “That’s what we’ve got to decide. And we need to make these decisions together – there can’t be any room for dissent.â€
“But doesn’t Sempai get to have a say in it?†Shinobu asked, feeling slightly hurt that her friend could be so callous towards someone so important.
“Of course he does, Shinobu-chan,†the ash-blonde sighed, pulling her young friend into a hug. “But we don’t know what’s going on out there: there could be a plan to get everyone to safety on Hokkaido for all we know. Or we could be on our own. We just don’t know and we need to have some contingency plans.â€
“O-ok,†the chef sniffed.
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Keitaro continued on his expedition into the town, hoping to find someone who knew more about what was going on. The silence and general lack of human contact was still making him nervous.
As he scanned the immediate area, he noticed a figure lying in a doorway. Curious, he approached, wondering if they needed medical help or if it was just a mannequin some drunken pranksters had left there.
A few steps closer to the doorway, and he realised that it wasn’t a mannequin, but a person. Not only that, but it was a woman.
“Excuse me, Miss, are you alright there?†Keitaro asked. He crouched down and saw that she had long brown hair.
The only clue that the figure gave that she was alive was the gentle moving of her ample chest.
Hesitantly, the ronin gently shook the insensate woman. “Excuse me, do you need medical help, Miss?â€
She stirred and opened her eyes. “W-what? K-Kei-kun? What are you doing here?â€
“Mutsumi-chan? What are you doing in this doorway?†Keitaro asked, helping the Okinawan to her feet. “Are you alright?â€
“I’m fine now, Kei-kun,†Mutsumi smiled. “I must have fainted.â€
“How long have you been there?â€
“I’m not sure, what day is it?â€
Keitaro was struck speechless for a moment. He decided that it was best if he didn’t ask. “To answer your question, I’m looking for someone who knows what’s going on.â€
“What’s happened, Kei-kun?†Mutsumi asked.
“You really don’t know? Didn’t you see the meteor shower the night before last?â€
The curvy woman pouted. “I missed that? Oh, but I wanted to watch it with you, Kei-kun.â€
“It may be a good thing that we missed it, Mutsumi-chan – it seems that Motoko, Shinobu and Naru all saw it and are now blind,†the ronin explained. “I’m trying to find someone who can help us.â€
“I’ll help you find someone, Kei-kun.â€
“Are you sure about that, Mutsumi-chan? I mean, if you’ve been lying here for a day and a half, it might be worth getting you to a hospital. Do you need anything?â€
“Could I have something to drink?â€
“Yeah, sure,†Keitaro answered as he took his bag of his shoulder and rooted around for a bottle of water. “Here you go.â€
Mutsumi gratefully drank the water. “Thank you, Kei-kun.†She looked at the bottle and noticed that she’d nearly drained the whole bottle. “Sorry, Kei-kun, I didn’t mean to drink that much.â€
“It’s alright, Mutsumi-chan. Let’s get going, we need to find a policeman.â€
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In the kitchen of the Hinata Sou, Kitsune was testing the pen she’d picked up on one of her pads of paper.
“Right, now that we’re all ready, we can begin,†she said. “I’ve called you all here because we need to work out our contingency plans. As in, what we’re going to do in the event it’s all gone wrong out there.â€
The fox-eyed girl looked around at her friend’s faces, quickly seeing that they weren’t prepared for this discussion.
“Look, I know that it’s hard for us to think that we could be a small number of survivors of a major disaster, but it will not get any easier for us. Now, the first thing is food. How much do we have, how can we get more and will we be able to sustain ourselves?â€
“I... I think we’ve got a 5kg sack of rice, and some instant noodles,†Shinobu answered.
“Ok, well, I’ll put that we need to inventory our stock as soon as we can,†Kitsune said, noting that down on her pad. “Next, water. Now, we’ve got water for cleaning, laundry and some irrigation, should we find ourselves able to grow some food. But is it drinkable?â€
Naru failed to hold back a snort of laughter.
“Yes, Naru, I can see the humour in me asking if something’s drinkable. But I’m being serious here – contaminated water kills countless people across the world. We’re not just talking bacteria, but what about things like heavy metals leeching into the water table?â€
“I think we’d know by now if the water was poisoning us, Kitsune,†Naru replied. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t boil it before we drink it, but considering how much time people have spent in the hot springs over the years, people would have noticed something by now.â€
“I think you’re right there,†the ash-blonde nodded. “But it’s not something we should take for granted.â€
“What are we going to do if the power goes out?†Shinobu asked. “The gas, too?â€
“I think that’s going to be more when than if, Shinobu-chan. I know that it sounds pretty depressing, but we need to plan for the worst. It’s no good if we rely on the assumption that we’re still going to have electricity, gas and drinking water and we find out that they go off tomorrow morning.â€
“I think I’ve got a generator,†Kaolla said. “I’ll need to look it over, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.â€
“I like the sound of that,†Kitsune said, scribbling down a note to check what kind of fuel it ran on. “So, that gives us the chance for light, some heat and enough power to run a hotplate for a while. Does anyone else have anything they want to bring up?â€
“What about Haruka-san?†Motoko asked. “I know that she’s out of the country with Seta-san, but do we know when they might return?â€
“They weren’t planning to come back for at least another two weeks, Motoko-chan. Of course, we can’t know how widespread the blinding was. Was it just Tokyo or Japan or even most of the world? Which brings me to my next point: security.â€
“Kitsune, what kind of danger are you talking about?†Naru asked. “I mean, are we talking suicide bombers or wild animals?â€
“Worse,†Kitsune said with a sharp intake of breath. “The gates and bars in prisons are controlled by computers. No power means no control over the gates and bars.â€
The brunette paused. “A-are you saying that all the criminals are going to be let out?â€
“As much as I’d like to lie to you to make you feel better: yes, I’m saying that there’s a good chance that criminals will be freed. Now, we might be alright, but we need to keep the gates locked at all times.â€
“I’ll set up a mechatama to keep us safe,†Kaolla declared.
“That might draw attention to us,†Kitsune countered. “Which brings up another point.â€
“You mean, what are we going to do about people who knock on our door?†Motoko asked rhetorically.
“Yes,†the ash-blonde nodded. “Do we have the moral obligation to help any blind people we come across? And what about people who can still see?
“We’ve got limited supplies, so we can’t help every traveller who comes up the hill. But what if they want to stay? We’ve got some room, but just how many people can we support here?â€
“That’s assuming we _do_ decide to stay here,†the kendoist said, stroking her chin. “Perhaps it might be best if we left to look for some organisation?â€
“Where do we start looking, Motoko?†Naru asked. “Point us in the right direction.â€
“Naru’s got a point, Motoko-chan. But the purpose of this meeting is for us to discuss everything and all be happy with the decisions we’re making. Who honestly thinks that we should start looking for this so-called government?â€
“W-what do you think we should do, Kitsune-sempai?†Shinobu asked.
“Personally, I think it’s too dangerous for all of us to go out looking for something that might not even exist,†Kitsune replied. “Maybe if it was just two people who could see, then, yeah, I’d go along. But that would mean leaving you guys. And I’m not going to do that. So, no, we’re not going to go out searching for help right now.
“Maybe in the future, we could arrange some sort of expedition, but for a while. Not till we’ve got a better idea of what’s going on.â€
“I agree,†Shinobu nodded.
“Keitaro’s too much fun to leave,†the princess beamed. “Leaving Keitaro would be like... like having my arm cut off!â€
Motoko realised she was outnumbered. “Yes, I suppose it would be wise for us to stay here for the time being.â€
“Agreed, we’re all staying here for now,†Naru added, feeling reassured by her best friend’s stance.
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Keitaro noticed that Mutsumi was walking somewhat gingerly.
“Is something wrong, Mutsumi-chan?â€
“I don’t know, Kei-kun, I feel a bit sore,†the Okinawan replied, frowning slightly.
“Where?â€
“Down stairs,†Mutsumi answered, gesturing to her crotch. “I don’t know why, but something feels wrong.â€
Keitaro nodded, unsure of what to say to his friend. He scanned the street for some indication of life.
That’s when the cry for help was heard.
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To be continued...
[hr]
It seems that there are limits to what I can repost without someone else replying. I will raise a note in the issues thread.