Thread: Love Hina RP 2.0

'It's certainly big', he thought to himself as he lowered the picture and the building itself came into his view... He looked down at the map he was holding and tapped the little drawn 'x' on it.
This is definitely the place.
"Hinata... Sou... Was it? A girls dormitory that used to be an inn? ...could that girl really be here?"
Muttering to himself was a habit that he never seemed to get over... Perhaps it was because he was so often alone and needed someone to talk to... Who better than one's self, right? At least that's how he justified it. ...to himself, of course.

His hand unconsciously traveled to the long 'stick' of wood that hung through the loop at his side. He traced a line up the length of polished wood to the handle by his waist, then down the threaded tassel that hung from the butt end.
"How troublesome," he muttered again, paying no mind that there was nobody to listen to him, "This would have been so much easier if she would have simply taken me in back in Kyoto..."
He sighed lightly to himself as he rapped his knuckles against the stick in a subtle and unseen show of frustration. Hey, if it pleased him, all the more reason he should make futile actions.

That stick of his, however, was the whole reason he went on this whole trip around Japan... Perhaps his venting wasn't quite as undue after all.
In actuality, it wasn't a stick at all... No, that's a lie. A long slender object made out of wood is, at least in the most general sense, indeed a stick, is it not? He'd have a fit if anyone referred to it with such disrespect, however. After all, it IS his Bokken, and a man's sword is his closest partner... Even if that sword simply happened to be a wooden one.
Perhaps it's unfair to blame his Bokken for the trip... Especially since his intent is to learn better skills. But if it wasn't for the sword, what point would there be to learn the skills? It was a trivial argument, really.

The point was, he desired to grow stronger in his swordplay... And the only person he felt he could learn from was the master of a certain sword school... Shinmeiryuu.
However, when he went to the Dojo in Kyoto and finally met with Tsuruko Aoyama, he was quite flatly turned down.
"I cannot teach you."
He remembered her words grimly... Spoken to him casually with a smile, as if she didn't have a care in the world that he had traveled so far to see her.
"But why?"
He recalled pleading with her as they sat across the table from each other sipping tea. Ok, so she wasn't as cold as he portrayed her to be... He was invited inside and treated to tea, and even met her husband! But he felt he could let the details of such niceties slide when he reminisced of his rejection...
"Because I have a family now. I don't have the time or patience to continue teaching such a dangerous art to new students. Besides...", she explained to the shocked young man who sat across the table from her, "...the Dojo has been passed down to a new Master."
That was that. Their tea time was over, along with the conversation, and the man's hopes of learning the style that had once saved his life. Dismissed with an apology, bow, smile, and a map...
He felt somehow cheated, but he was enough of a gentleman to not let that show.

And now that man stands here... At the bottom of a long series of steps that lead up to the Girl's Dormitory now as the 'Hinata-sou'.
"This better be worth it...", he whispered aloud for his own ears to hear once again as he began the ascent.
This new owner lived here. The mighty Legend Tsuruko's own sister... The New Master of the Shinmeiryuu Sword Style: Motoko Aoyama.

He lightly brushed his fingers through his red hair before letting it fall again, just barely brushing his shoulder.
Remembering once again, the last of his conversation with Tsuruko played in his head as he climbed...
"How will I know who she is?", he asked the former Kendoka.
"Believe me...", she said as she chuckled lightly, "You'll have no doubt once you see her."

Feh, so troublesome! He pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose as he neared the top of the long stairway. A gentile breeze stirred several Sakura petals out of their place in the trees. He paused and watched as they danced their way across the air in front of him.
He closed his eyes and smiled lightly to himself... Perhaps this trip isn't a waste after all. He was here, and he damned well make the best of it.

He reopened his eyes and looked at the Hinata-sou with a new gaze of resolve...
"I, Ryo Misaki, will learn the techniques of Shinmeiryuu even if it kills me!", he announced to himself and walked across the walkway to the grand entrance.

The shinmeiryyu hopeful she spotted looked far more interesting than the un distractible keitaro, and she was curious, so she went outside, leaving the doll on the floor.

Had he been more experienced, he might have noticed her, but she toyed with him a bit, making a noise to turn his head, and such, before casually stepping in beside him and revealing herself slowly, saying, "hi"

Ryo's distracting thoughts were broken by a strange rustling sound... He stopped. Instinctively, he brought his hand to the handle of his bokken as he slid one foot back and spun to face the source.
A casual onlooker would have called him 'paranoid', but there had been more times than he could count in which a situation like this actually held danger.

However, if his mind weren't so cluttered with thoughts of annoyance... Or perhaps he was covering up for being so fatigued from his travels... Either way, it was a poor excuse, and Ryo didn't notice the presence approach behind him.

"Hi"
...The red haired boy nearly jumped out of his skin, though he'd prefer never to admit that.
Instantly he spun around to meet the sound of the voice.
His hand fell from the sword this time... Ryo felt no malice. ...but maybe that's because there was... No one there?
That couldn't be right... Did he imagine the voice?

No, wait... It was faint at first, but Ryo was certain he saw something. ...maybe it was time for him to get new glasses?
It slowly took shape in front of him. The image of a girl.

"Oh! I'm sorry... Hello!", he replied, slightly flustered at how foolish he suddenly realized he must have appeared.
This girl, though... Odd, Ryo thought. Could she really be a spirit?

Karin nodded, and raised her ethereal hand to prevent him from interrupting her introduction.

"My name is Karin Deitrich, and you can forget exorcisims I'm under the employ of the kanrinin and the swordsgirl here at the inn. To answer the question you were about to ask, I died 60 years ago and for reasons that do not matter anymore I was kept in this world." She said before teleporting behind him and back in front, looking him over.

"Karin, leave the passers by alone" :aruka said walking up. Karin whent invisible again but hung out, listening and studying the obviously less that motoko swordsman.

"Hmm, interesting...", he said aloud as he relaxed and turned his head slightly to the side...
"I've not actually had a conversation with a ghost before..."
Ryo's eyes widened as he realized that he was actually speaking his thoughts in front of someone. A slight blush crossed his face.

"Ah! Sorry, where are my manners?", he flustered, then bowed to the spirit Karin who just introduced herself to Ryo. "Though I can perform exorcisms, I'm not a Priest or Monk by trade, so I rarely do them. Besides, you don't come across hostile, so I'd never dream of attacking you. ...I'm not the type who uses his sword that way... Oh, sorry, I'm Ryo Misaki, by the way.", he said with another small bow, then pushed the small frames of his glasses back up his nose, and habitually brushed his fire red hair out of his face again...
"I've come here to seek training from Aoyama-sa--", his sentence was broken from another voice from behind them.

His eyebrows raised as he spun around to meet the owner of the unfamiliar voice.
"Ah, she's no trouble at all!", he reassured the older lady as he turned to motion at Karin. "I was just introdu--", he stopped as he noticed the girl was no longer there. "...cing... Myself... Err..."
Ryo blinked a few times then shook his head lightly and continued talking.

"Sorry. Anyway, I'm Ryo Misaki. It's a pleasure to meet you.", he stated, bowing again.
"I've come here looking for Motoko Aoyama... Is there any chance I might speak with her?"
He realized his request was probably odd... After all, most people would be a little taken aback by a stranger asking to see someone...

Karin had indeed been aware of his presence before the others were, but what was she gonna do?

She'd already analysed this ryo fellow, and foun him a little more than intriguimg, so he began her visual dissection of the man.

He had obviously prepared for a trek through the woods, why she had no idea. She found nothing of significance to the current situation, so she bored quickly, and, going behind a rock, formed her body as much as she could. She appeared less an apparition and more a very pale girl now.

"Hello sir, may I help you?" She said coming around the rock to face the overtjy jubilant man

Watching all this from above two women sit on the roof smiling. One wearing a staff on her back the other a glowing purple braclet.

"wonder how shinobu is?"

"we've been gone for a while, things change"

"You are at the hinata inn, and from your garb I can tell you've been in the woods for a while, perhaps the kanrinin can help you with... Freshening yourself." She motioned up the stairs to the inn.

"Do not go into the hotsprings at this time, as the girls are occupying, and will likely wound you. Speak to Keitaro about the men's arrangements."

She waited for him to turn his head, and dissolved, returning to her spot in her tree, where Su was waiting for her.

"KARIN!" Su said, "come with me!"

Su had the ability to touch and effect karin

The two both jump down Arii landing gracefully on a fire cloud and Kona on a mini chibi storm cloud.

The Two look at the scraggly man.

"you better not be a minion of Haru."

The two head on in.

Karin found herself being hauled around the inn, Su's ability to touche and affect Karin's form in many ways annoyed her, but Karin was bored.

They finally stopped. Su's eyes darted around, the focused to detect karin's thin outline.

"I engineered a new mecha today, but it needs a little more... Shall we say... Independance to perform it's function." She said and turned around to grab a tarpan as she unveiled the tracked mecha, Karin cringed.

It obviously was engineered to serve it's purpose.

It was an ugly thing, a rather unelegant piece compared to what kaolla had created before, with adjuster wheels and mechanisims all exposed.

"This is the Kaolla Su super special Onsen dredger! I hate how on the south end of the onsen there is no room to jump in, so he'll fix that... Problem is in tests it creates a jagged hole that hurts the feets."

"Su why don't you have it dig a pool instead, dredging out the onsen could cause the water to drain away."


...


"Never thought of that" Su said, "karin you are so smart!" She finished as she ripped the side off the device.

Karin floated away, sometimes common sense is the best answer. She stopped when she saw the twins when she floated into the lobby. And she waited silently.

Karin decides to follow this Kona, it was difficult to read her, and she wanted to know more of these two.

On the roof kona sat, and because of the age involved, karin belived revealing herself wouldn't suprise someone like her. She could tell by the depth of those eyes. They held knoedge untold and wisdom beyond her body.

Karin took a position laying on the ground beside the girl, and slowly formed herself.
"So it's kona is it? Haven't seen you around before." She said nonchalantly when she was confident he voice could be heard

Breaking from her meditative trance.

"it's beautiful up here. So your the new resident apparition. Young yet very talented. Traveling is tiring. " winces a little. "Gonna need to pay Mototk a visit soon."

She sences a volitile yet angry but not evil spirit within.

"I've spent nearly 20 years heren I been dead for 60... But I sense youv'e been around for quite a lot longer... Can I ask you a question?"

The ghost found herself completely in thralled in this girl. Such a wealth of information and life knowledge...

Meanwhile in the back of her mind a scene played out. Being close to this girl reminded her of her death som how, and now the events which had all but clouded over with her knowledge of these years came into perfect clarity, as though they happened yesterday.

---------------------------------

The rain of firebombs ceased the day before, but the tokyo fires still burned and could be seen from small outskirt of osaka. Karin Deitrich sat on a corner of the roof over the urashima family dwelling there, and watched the fires spread. She turned away, and gazed, by chance this day, toward the hiroshima direction, and thought about the last few months

Karin was a nazi youth sent to japan as part of an exchange programme. Doite urashima was her replacement, and she had joined his family.

Word had arrived yesterday that Doite had been killed when the JU-88 carrying him was shot down.

She swore an oath to full fill his duties in the urashima family on the spot, and suddenly, the light of a million suns peirced the sky.

-------------------
(The next few memories are of fleeing the cities, and arriving at a small villa on mt. Fiji)

That night the forest was silent, save the crack of the tree. It grew to a creshendo, and karin found herself running outside to see, as the tree silenced, as it fell free directly on to her.

The next day there wads no doubt she was dead, for the tree was a foot thick, and laid on her chest, a look of peace on her face.

"I died during a war myself. Though your death was simple it was with honor. I had to relive the horrors of my life twice fold the far."

she could sense a great sorrow deep in her.

"Loss of all I love, family loosing sanity and illness, mder and betrayl. Let alone this." shows her the fractrured glowing face under her left side. Watching friends die their families fall and torn apart sects and lies. All this in my first life alone."

"my friends and I have been through a lot together. However, we have returned." standning she states like a proclomation "survival is a must, by anymeans"

"there are are 6 of us motoko and arii are the ones more suited to tell you about our past. Mine is not pleasnt" cringes.

" if you'll excuse me, this needs to be taken care of. " the glow of the fractures on her torso right side shines through her shirt.

Karin decided not to push anything. It was her hobby to study and analyse people, and that told her to let the corpse lie.

But. What had been honorable about her death? She got squished by a bloody tree, half a world away from the fatherland, and had she stayed inside she would have lived out her life...

Her vow.

The value plaved on vows was immense in japaneses and german culture. Perhaps she is still bound to that vow.