Alright it's time to start the personal chapters. These chapters are all about Keitaro bonding with the girls one at a time. Again I don't own Love Hina but I have modded the ever loving crap out of it.
"..." is speech
/.../ is thoughts
Story!
Keitaro woke up and glanced around. "Alright Haruka this is getting stupid I went to bed in a freaking futon and now I'm back in the goddamned basket." Keitaro muttered blinking and rubbing his eyes. He felt a hand around his waist and threw off the blanket to find Su using him as an oversized teddy bear. "Alright you overblown monkey out of the basket!" Keitaro said as he shook her and she squeezed him tightly around the waist. "Nyaaaa! Let go you stupid human!" Keitaro screeched in pain and Motoko raced down and threw open the door. "Motoko! She's hurting me!" Keitaro said as she raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She walked in and replaced Keitaro with a pillow. "Thanks... What the? It's only six what are you doing up so early?" he asked her and she sighed.
"Training Keitaro, not all of us are as lucky as you. I have to earn my strength however on the topic of earning things don't you have to find a new form to go out in public with?" Motoko asked and Keitaro grinned.
"Let me get a leaf I'll let you judge the new form." Keitaro said and he bounded outside. He jumped off the second floor and grabbed a leaf from a nearby tree and crawled back up to the balcony and poof was in the dorky human form again.
"It's identical to what I first saw you in." Motoko said exasperated as she started her training again.
"I know, this is my easiest form so I plan to simply modify it from here." Keitaro said and he glanced at her and grinned. A poof of smoke later he was a full one hundred and eighty seven centimetres tall placing him above her. Another poof and the glasses disappeared and the brown eyes turned grey. "Think this'll be enough?"
"No you're still easily recognizable, especially with the face. Changing the hair would be wise too and maybe the skin colour as well." Motoko suggested and Keitaro nodded. A huge eruption of smoke came up and Keitaro stepped out as a completely unrecognizable foreigner. He had Naru's brownish red hair and his own freckled skin. Motoko found herself staring at him a strange blush coming to her cheeks. "Um... That's perfect if I hadn't seen the transformation myself I would not know it was you." Motoko said somewhat shyly and Keitaro grinned.
"I need to work on a way to act with this, and maybe give it a test run. Perhaps I can take you for breakfast? I know this great sushi restaurant that has these amazing kappa rolls. We can leave Shinobu a note, I have some cash." Keitaro offered and Motoko thought about it for a moment.
"I accept Urashima." Motoko said putting away her bokken. "I shall be ready in ten minutes." She said and Keitaro nodded he quickly scribbled a note about Motoko helping him with a new form and they quickly left with Motoko in a clean training uniform. They walked down the steps together in an uncomfortable silence.
"So do you ever wear anything but kendo outfits?" Keitaro asked grinning at her. She glared at him. "Hey, hey now I'm not judging you or anything I'm just curious, are you uncomfortable with yourself or something?"
"No it's just I have long devoted my life to the sword and my wardrobe reflects it." Motoko said calming down a bit and Keitaro raised an eyebrow.
"Well that's stupid if you dedicate your life to just one thing you miss everything else in life. If you hold yourself to just the sword then the sword will be all you know, you'll be trapped in an endless cycle of combat and war with no escape but the unknown. And for most people the unknown is more frightening then death itself. Live a little, if I spent all my time trying to blend in like some other demons I'd miss out on who and what I am. So if you just think about swordplay then you'll miss out on the other parts of yourself." Keitaro said comfortably keeping pace with her.
"Other parts? Like what?" Motoko asked confused.
"Well... While it's true you are a swordswomen, but you are also a women, a girl, a demon, a friend, a sister, a niece and that's just scratching the surface. Below that and yet to be revealed you are a lover, perhaps a mother, studious, a sweetheart, and perhaps somewhere deep down, maybe someone who's afraid." Keitaro said and Motoko was stunned this person was pulling her apart and looking at her in ways she's never even looked at herself.
"Motoko! Is this man bothering you?" A girl with brown hair asked glaring at Keitaro who grinned at her showing his slightly larger canines but they weren't quite fangs.
"No Kikuko he is not, do not let his demeanour fool you he is a fierce Ki user and is quite powerful." Motoko warned her friend who harumphed.
"You!" she said dramatically her pointing finger in Keitaro's face he raised an eyebrow at this. "You must have bewitched Motoko with foreign magic vile male!"
"Again with the vile male? Motoko where did this start!?" Keitaro asked swatting Kikuko's hand away and glancing at Motoko who hung her head a little.
"You there! Vile male what are you doing to Motoko and Kikuko!?" another voice shouted out and a small crowd of girls all armed with bokkens marched up to all of them and Keitaro rolled his eyes and sighed.
"This is getting ridiculous! What is the matter with all of you!? You've all instantly judged me based on the most superfluous of details! It's petty and it's pathetic, so stop it before I am forced to teach you to respect your elders!" Keitaro threatened and they all brought up their training swords.
"Urashima..." Motoko said starting to warn him.
"I won't hurt them, merely teach them some humility." Keitaro said smiling. "I believe you girls do not know my name. I am Keitaro Urashima wind ki master, by raising your swords you have challenged me to combat and I accept." He said smirking as his wind magic caused a mini whirlwind to form around him. "WIND SCYTHES!" he called out slashing the air in front of him and aiming at the feet of the girls he blasted them all backwards and left a few dents in the pavement. "I claim victory on the first strike by the right of first blood. Does anyone dare dispute this?" Keitaro asked as wind howled around him, a few shook their heads and Keitaro smiled and the wind stopped. "Excellent, don't worry I don't hold grudges or other such nonsense, but I hope you all try to re-evaluate your current opinions and stereotypes as you have just learned holding onto them only ends badly. Now excuse me." Keitaro said bowing to the shocked group and walking off with a surprised Motoko.
"All right Keitaro explain yourself, when I first met you, you were shy and frightened. Then you were simply a child with strange ears and a tail. And yet now you are confident and strong as well as an erudite explain." Motoko ordered and Keitaro raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, you know how a person will dress depending on how they feel right?" Keitaro asked and Motoko nodded. "For me it's the opposite my form will dictate what I feel. That's why I needed to give this new body a test run, to figure out what kind of personality and urges it has. Think of this time now like my rehearsal for a play. I don't want to swept away in my new character so I practice in controlled circumstances." Keitaro explained as if it were all painfully obvious. "Now I promised you breakfast didn't I?" He asked leading her into a restaurant.
As he promised earlier the sushi was good and they ate in silence. "Urashima... If you take the personality of a new form do you gain the skills as well?" Motoko asked a glancing at him.
"To a point, I only get the reflexes and instinctual knowledge. If I copied you I'd gain a lot of your reflexes and more basic skills. But I'd have to use magic to copy things like you ki attack. So I might inadvertently do a basic Kata but beyond that I'd maybe be a talented beginner." Keitaro explained as he swallowed a piece of cucumber sushi aka Kappa Roll. "Transformation is a weird form of magic, I've been using it for nearly sixteen years and it still surprises me. I like the um... Dork form because it's unassuming and has nearly no instincts. It's just me in a bigger body." Keitaro said slowly and popped another piece of sushi in his mouth. He felt a shiver run up his spine and he glanced to the window and found three of the girls from earlier glaring at him. Motoko noticed them as well and sighed.
"I apologize for them Keitaro and thank you for the meal." Motoko said as she walked off to deal with them.
"Alright see you later." Keitaro said and he paid and left to return to the Hina Inn. He poofed away his clothing and sunk into the hotsprings. A few minutes later he heard some familiar footsteps and someone sunk into the water beside him.
"You're not fooling me Keitaro." Tsuroko said comfortably and he grinned at her. "I must say though this foreigner form is quite effective." She said smiling at him.
"So how did you know?" Keitaro asked
"Oh come on now a woman must have her secrets." Tsuroko said and Keitaro shook his head. "What happened to Motoko?" She asked and Keitaro relayed the day's events. "My you've certainly had a full day already. Come on now let's find Motoko and head to the school, there has been a change of plans." Tsuroko said and she stood up and quickly got changed. Keitaro shrugged and crawled out of the pool his clothes reappearing in a blast of smoke. They ran into Motoko as she was returning and they were soon on there way but something was wrong.
"What is your problem?" Motoko asked him as he rubbed his nose for the tenth time in five minutes. They were on a train and moving very quickly and were to arrive near the gods cry school in twenty minutes.
"I don't know, I keep getting a whiff of something and it's really bugging me." He said rubbing his nose again. "By the way why are you covering your bokken like that? Those girls from earlier didn't cover theirs." Keitaro said and Motoko smiled.
"By sheathing my bokken I grant it respect, and besides it would look odd for me to simply carry a bokken in the train." She explained and Keitaro grinned impudently.
"Right like two young women with long thin packages and in kendoist outfits and one of them with a yellow crane on her shoulder aren't odd in the least." Keitaro said impudently and Motoko took a playful swing at him muttering about impudent demons.
"Hey one does ones best." Keitaro said and Motoko rolled her eyes as Tsuroko giggled. After another twenty minutes of Keitaro sniffing and glancing around for the source of the smell he shrugged and followed the two of them as they left the train. "So it's been about six years since I was last here right?" Keitaro asked and Motoko snapped her head back to look at him shocked as Tsuroko nodded.
"That's right when we used your blood and a bit of hair for infusion regents." Tsuroko said smiling back at him.
"Ohh yes the ritual to make your husband a true clan member. Infusing him with a wind based demon's essence. Mine." Keitaro said and Motoko stopped and stared.
"Motoko dear it's what happens when someone is adopted or married into the clan. They gain wind demon essence through a unique ritual. There are four great slayer clans each one tied to a different element. Ours is wind. Demons that donate blood and hair for this ritual are placed on a list of allies for all four schools, so long as they try to stay out of trouble." Tsuroko said glancing at Keitaro with a raised eyebrow he shrugged.
"Problem is that only true pros are told about the demon aspects of the schools. If someone below a certain level learn of demons they usually chase after them and attack or kill donors. You are actually a pretty good example of it yourself." Keitaro said giving her a withering glance.
"Now, now Keitaro be nice, she was a mere year away from being informed and trained in magic. At a record age I might add." Tsuroko said and Keitaro rolled his eyes. The rest of the walk there was in a silence that straddled the line between uncomfortable for Motoko and entertaining for the transformed Keitaro.
"Tsuroko! You're back early!" a man with black hair and an infectious smile said running up to Tsuroko said and they embraced and kissed.
"Oh where is my violin?" Keitaro said and the man broke off from Tsuroko and laughed.
"Nice getup Keitaro, but you'll never fool me or anyone else with your blood." Tsuroko's husband said and Keitaro grinned showing off the mini fangs.
"Well met, Shinji how's the demon blood working out?" Keitaro asked shaking the man's hand and grinning.
"Unbelievable, I'd tell you everything but some of it isn't appropriate for someone Motoko's age to overhear." He said grinning and Tsuroko punched him blushing a little and Motoko started stuttering.
"Oh trust me man, I know what you've been up to. I can smell it." Keitaro said stressing the word know, Shinji's eyes went wide and he stared at Keitaro. "Anyways Tsuroko you were never very clear on what you wanted me to come here for." Keitaro said breaking the tension.
"Yes a small group has just graduated to the level that they can be introduced to demons. You have a good history in our alliance and numerous donations. Not to mention that your demonic forms look nearly harmless so you would be best to ease them into a frightening new world." Tsuroko said and Keitaro looked incredulous.
"Did your elders also remember that I can suppress my aura and take human form only once every day? And that the chances of me running into a non inducted student are massive, I don't like the idea of being attacked by hundreds of ki trained sword users." Keitaro said firmly looking Tsuroko straight in the eyes.
"Keitaro I will be personally escorting you the entire time you are here to ward off any such foolishness. We will also provide basic materials for a disguise. Such as a hat and a sash to tie your tail in." Tsuroko assured him and Keitaro sighed.
"Fine... I owe you my life so risking it around you isn't too dangerous..." He said nervously his former cool and cocky demeanour gone. "Let's get this over with." Keitaro said and after an hour of him pacing behind a screen he was called out by Tsuroko.
"Excuse me Tsuroko I mean no disrespect but who is that man? He is obviously no practitioner of the God's Cry School." One of the mostly female dominated group of ten asked. Keitaro quickly looked them over /Seven girls, three guys. I should have guessed God's Cry's techniques are mostly geared to a female soul./ he thought as the group stared at him with a mixture of confusion and loathing for his obviously cocky as hell attitude.
"Tell me students what do you know of demons?" Tsuroko asked and the general answer was bloodthirsty monster.
"Ugh man you people are stupid..." Keitaro said receiving many glares. "A demon is a powerful sentient being that is not human. Because through their many wars and very long lives a demon can gain incredible power and live thousands of years if they play it smart. They can be broken into three basic and broad groups. Devils are the monsters that everyone hears about, their sadistic bastards who need to be wiped out. Youma are passive demons, they just want to be left alone but are fierce when either they or the things they love are threatened. Finally we have the Celestials, these are moral and righteous demons who seek to live in peace and will do what they can to nip conflicts in the bud, but they are no less powerful then Devils or Youma." Keitaro said and one of the guys laughed a bit.
"And how the hell would you know any of this you moron foreigner?" he asked and Keitaro scowled at him.
"It just so happens that Keitaro here is an expert on demons and a close ally of the Gods Cry School. He was requested to come today to introduce you ten to the truth of the world and true purpose of our fighting style and teachings. Keitaro, if you would." Tsuroko said and Keitaro sighed and pulled the leaf off his forehead making sure to stop the usual smoke from appearing as his adult form faded away and the Neko demon shape took its place. He backed up nervously as all the students reached for their bokkens. "Enough! Keitaro is a celestial class demon who has been a firm ally for years." Tsuroko commanded and a couple of them still pulled out their swords and Keitaro dashed behind her.
"Look students he's quite harmless. Motoko, unsheathe your bokken." Tsuroko commanded and Motoko bewildered pulled of the nearly airtight seal on her sword and it gave off a slightly minty smell. Keitaro dashed out of cover grabbed onto the training sword and started to rub his nose against it purring. "As you can see a demonic cat is still a cat even if he has a great deal of pride and self respect." Tsuroko said almost laughing as the class watched the spectacle of Motoko waving her sword around trying to dislodge the cat child, it didn't do anything.
"Ts-Tsuroko! What's wrong with you he hates these kinds of things!" Motoko stammered as she let go of her bokken letting the child Keitaro fall to the floor but he didn't even show that he was even aware of what had just happened. /I'm sooooo gonna get you for this Tsuroko./ Keitaro thought bitterly while he outwardly just kept purring.
"Oh yes Keitaro I know the rational part of your mind can still hear me, and don't worry you'll be back at the Hina inn before sunset safe and sound." Tsuroko assured him. /I damn well better be or I'll turn a few heirlooms here into scratching posts./ Keitaro thought bitterly as the ecstasy of catnip continued to have a strong hold on him. He was completely sensory deprived for a little while as the raw amount of catnip completely overwhelmed him.
A couple hours later.
Keitaro snapped to his senses as the catnip was rubbed off the bokken and cold water was poured on him causing him to hiss in discomfort. He slapped himself to speed up the process and a large indoor bath came into focus. Some warm water was dumped on him this time and he turned and saw the entirety of the female part of the group he had shown his demon nature to. One of them with short blond hair was the one who was washing him.
"Hard to believe you're a demon. You're so tiny and cute." She said starting to wash his hair. It got him purring again as she paid special attention to the ears. After a full half hour of the recently initiated women doting on him on embarrassing levels, he managed to find his clothes again and dry off before Tsuroko spotted him.
"So how was it?" She asked smiling at him and Keitaro just stared at her open mouthed.
"Mind explaining why I came back to reality surrounded by scantily clad women? And remember I have no gender so I still think it's indecent." Keitaro said and Tsuroko smiled at him.
"Oh Keitaro they just wanted to get to know their cute little brother." Tsuroko said smiling at him and Keitaro's eyes went wide.
"You mean you used my blood to turn all of them into full fledged members?" Keitaro asked doing mental calculations on just how much he donated.
"Yes we had just enough." Tsuroko said gently.
"Soo... how are you going to get me back home?" Keitaro asked and she pulled out a slip of paper and slapped it on his forehead. With a poof he found himself in the paper and cut off from the rest of the world. /Diabolical/ he thought angrily as he was taken completely out of all time proportions. In what he thought could be either a minute or millennium he was released with Tsuroko standing in front of him and smiling. "I have every right to maul you." He said darkly and he smile turned evil.
"Perhaps but remember, I know your every weakness and strength." She said in a tone that made Keitaro shiver.
"I'm going to bed." Keitaro said simply noticing that the sun was setting and he was just dog tired from today's insanity. He flopped down on a mass of pillows and blankets not even noticing they were in a basket, curled up and fell asleep.
Polls!
Remember this was not a romance chapter, every girl will get a chapter like this one in a random order, it just takes me a while to figure out what the hell do in it. So you have plenty of time and space to vote. Also I'd like to open the option of having me disregard all the votes except the ones that will come in on the second last chapter so everyone can make a choice based on the whole story. For this option I'm going to a put a countdown on that if 10 people say do it, I will. If not then our kitten will end up with a fox at this rate.
Every Girl available: 2
Motoko: 5
Kitsune: 11
Shinobu: 3
Su: 1
Mutsumi: 2
Naru: 2
My Choice: 3
Original Character: 0
Kanako: 0