Dunno really how long this will be. Probably only four or so chapters. This
first chapter is taken almost entirely out of real life. Happened to a
friend of mine about a year ago. Basically, it's a story about Seta's death
and the impact it has on Kitsune. Might be a little OOC, but I admit I need
to watch LH a few more times to get the characters right. So, don't get mad
at me about it. BTW, Love Hina and all associated characters = not my
property.
Konno Mitsune, or Kitsune as she preferred to be called, leaned out of her room. Keeping one hand on the doorframe, she brushed her golden bangs out of her eyes. When the sunlight hit her face, she was immediately sorry. Even though she kept her eyes closed, the brightness sent a shockwave of pain through her head. That, and the incessant ringing of the telephone, caused her head to swim in an ungodly bath of sound and light.
"Why doesn't someone pick that up?" she mumbled to herself.
She stumbled into the hallway. To keep herself from falling over, she kept a hand on the wall. She was midway down the stairs when the phone abruptly stopped.
"Thank, God."
Kitsune managed to get back to her room and fall onto the futon. She had just closed her eyes to go back to sleep when the phone began to ring again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
She counted seventeen before it stopped again. Kitsune smiled to herself. A small victory, waiting out the phone. But why wasn't anyone answering it? She rolled onto her side and grabbed the sake bottle beside her. Popping the cap, she held it to her lips. Right. She was the only one home.
Naru was at some test and Keitaro was on a dig with Seta. She smiled as she thought of the older man's face. Motoko was on one of her usual training trips. Haruka was probably at the teahouse with the baka Kentaro. And Suu, Shinobu and Sara were at school.
Sara. Kitsune sighed and took a sip when she thought of her. Seta had only been gone a month and a half. Sara's grades were slipping and she had gotten into three fights. And Seta was planning on being gone for another two months. Things with her could only get worse. Kitsune took another sip and set the bottle down. Closing her eyes, she rolled onto her other side and began to doze.
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
"Damn," she muttered. This time she stood and went for the phone right away. She made her way down the stairs and picked up the receiver.
"Moshi moshi."
"Kitsune-chan!"
It was Keitaro. Kitsune's face broke into a smile. It had been just over a month since they had talked. She pulled out a stool and sat down.
"Ah, Keitaro. What's up? Was that you calling earlier?"
"Hai, it was. But nobody picked up."
"Sorry about that. Only I was home and I was too tired to come get it. Anyway, how've you been? How's Seta?"
"Um, actually,' he began. The smile instantly faded from Kitsune's face. She could tell that something was wrong, even before Keitaro said it. Her stomach rose.
"There was an accident. One of the machines rolled and," he said, a sob forming in his throat, "he got caught underneath it. He died, Kitsune."
Her lower lip started to tremble and the tears were already flowing down her face. "What?" she whispered hoarsely, the phone slipping out of her hand. Her face in her hands, she sobbed loudly. She could hear Keitaro calling her name,.
Seta dead? No, it couldn't be. It couldn't. She tried to stand, but her knees buckled. She got the urge to vomit and reached for the nearby garbage can. The phone swung back and forth, Keitaro's voice barely audible.
"Kitsune! Kitsune-chan!"
Konno Mitsune, or Kitsune as she preferred to be called, leaned out of her room. Keeping one hand on the doorframe, she brushed her golden bangs out of her eyes. When the sunlight hit her face, she was immediately sorry. Even though she kept her eyes closed, the brightness sent a shockwave of pain through her head. That, and the incessant ringing of the telephone, caused her head to swim in an ungodly bath of sound and light.
"Why doesn't someone pick that up?" she mumbled to herself.
She stumbled into the hallway. To keep herself from falling over, she kept a hand on the wall. She was midway down the stairs when the phone abruptly stopped.
"Thank, God."
Kitsune managed to get back to her room and fall onto the futon. She had just closed her eyes to go back to sleep when the phone began to ring again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
She counted seventeen before it stopped again. Kitsune smiled to herself. A small victory, waiting out the phone. But why wasn't anyone answering it? She rolled onto her side and grabbed the sake bottle beside her. Popping the cap, she held it to her lips. Right. She was the only one home.
Naru was at some test and Keitaro was on a dig with Seta. She smiled as she thought of the older man's face. Motoko was on one of her usual training trips. Haruka was probably at the teahouse with the baka Kentaro. And Suu, Shinobu and Sara were at school.
Sara. Kitsune sighed and took a sip when she thought of her. Seta had only been gone a month and a half. Sara's grades were slipping and she had gotten into three fights. And Seta was planning on being gone for another two months. Things with her could only get worse. Kitsune took another sip and set the bottle down. Closing her eyes, she rolled onto her other side and began to doze.
Ring!
Ring!
Ring!
"Damn," she muttered. This time she stood and went for the phone right away. She made her way down the stairs and picked up the receiver.
"Moshi moshi."
"Kitsune-chan!"
It was Keitaro. Kitsune's face broke into a smile. It had been just over a month since they had talked. She pulled out a stool and sat down.
"Ah, Keitaro. What's up? Was that you calling earlier?"
"Hai, it was. But nobody picked up."
"Sorry about that. Only I was home and I was too tired to come get it. Anyway, how've you been? How's Seta?"
"Um, actually,' he began. The smile instantly faded from Kitsune's face. She could tell that something was wrong, even before Keitaro said it. Her stomach rose.
"There was an accident. One of the machines rolled and," he said, a sob forming in his throat, "he got caught underneath it. He died, Kitsune."
Her lower lip started to tremble and the tears were already flowing down her face. "What?" she whispered hoarsely, the phone slipping out of her hand. Her face in her hands, she sobbed loudly. She could hear Keitaro calling her name,.
Seta dead? No, it couldn't be. It couldn't. She tried to stand, but her knees buckled. She got the urge to vomit and reached for the nearby garbage can. The phone swung back and forth, Keitaro's voice barely audible.
"Kitsune! Kitsune-chan!"
