FicWad

Grotesque Puppetry


By Lord Raa


@@@@@


Disclaim-me-do: The turtle hath awoken!


@@@@@


Part 2


@@@@@


It was 9.37 am when Tsuruko Aoyama arrived at the Hinata Teashop. The raven haired swordswoman sat at the counter and waited for service.

"Is there anything I can get you?" a young man asked with smile.

"I would like some tea and I would like to speak with a Haruka Urashima, do you know where I can find her?"

"Yes, I do, please bear with me one moment, I'll go get her. Who shall I say wants to speak with her?"

"Tsuruko Aoyama," the visitor said with a small, polite smile.

"Ah, there you are, I'm Haruka Urashima," a smoking woman introduced herself. "Thank you for coming all this way on such short notice."

"When it concerns the actions of one of my clan, then I make time," Tsuruko replied in a serious tone. "Do you have any evidence that Motoko was involved in this mess?"

"I saw her strike him with my own eyes. Though I will admit that it wasn't completely unwarranted," Haruka added hastily. "Keitaro has a habit of getting himself into awkward situations. And that generally means him falling on top of women or walking in on them while they're changing."

"Hmm, well, I'm sure that Motoko-chan has her reasons for acting in that fashion. I shall make some enquiries to determine her role in this 'conspiracy'."

"Maybe," the smoker replied.

"Please describe the situation for me, Urashima-san. I want to know as much about this as I can. I'd rather not act in too hasty a manner and cause distress to an innocent party," said the swordswoman.


@@@@@


The doorbell at the Hinata Sou rang out, causing Motoko to grumble slightly at the interruption to her training.

Opening the door, the young kendoist blinked than panicked slightly. "Aneue! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to find out how my sister is doing, what with her staying so far from home and all," Tsuruko explained with a smile that sent a shiver down Motoko's spine.

"I...I'm doing well, Aneue. Why don't you come in and I can show you around?"

"Yes, I'd like to see what sort of accommodation keeps my sister here and not with her clan in Kyoto," the elder Aoyama said as she stepped inside and changed out of her shoes.

"Looks like it could do with a new coat of paint her and there," Tsuruko mused as she was given the tour of the inn. "Doesn't the landlord deal with the maintenance? Is he shirking his duties?"

"No, we're between landlords at the moment," Naru answered walking up to the pair.

"Naru, this is my sister, Tsuruko. Tsuruko, this is Naru Narusegawa, she's studying to get into Tokyo University," Motoko introduced the pair.

The senior kendoist bowed politely. "I see, what happened to the last one? Did something unfortunate happen to him?"

"No, he just left the other day," the bespectacled girl replied evasively.

'She knows more than she's letting on,' Tsuruko noted. "Most odd... Oh well, who knows what personal problems may have come up. Shall we continue the tour, Motoko-chan?"

"Yes, Aneue. This way leads to the women's bathing area."

"Why is that fence damaged like that? It looks like someone was thrown through it," the married woman said with a frown.

"..." the Hinata Sou's resident kendoist was struggling to come up with a plausible excuse.

"Is the inn used as a movie set? That must be disrupting your studies, Motoko-chan."

"We manage."

Tsuruko turned to her sister and transfixed her with a look that promised much anguish should she not get the whole truth about the situation. "What happened to your landlord, Motoko?"

"..."

"I want the truth or you're coming back to Kyoto with me."

"What do you mean, Aneue?" Motoko asked nervously.

Her sister was not in the mood for games. "I'm talking about the previous landlord, Keitaro Urashima. I heard from someone, someone whom I have no reason to doubt, that he was hospitalised shortly after being forced to leave here. Is that the case, or are you calling Haruka Urashima a liar?"

"We didn't want a man here! He was always peeping on us and trying to molest poor Shinobu-chan!" the younger Aoyama blurted out.

"I see. So you didn't call the authorities - you just decided to dispense summary 'justice'? Did anyone defend him or did you do away with anything resembling a trial because it would be inconvenient?" Tsuruko asked as she advanced on her sister.

Motoko squirmed as she tried to word an answer that would satisfy the clearly upset woman in front of her.

"I see," the visiting swordswoman said with narrowed eyes. She sighed sadly. "And that is why you fail."

"F-f-f-f-f-fail?" Motoko stammered as she sank to her knees.

"Yes. You fail to understand what it means to be Shinmeiryu. We thought that maybe you needed a change of scenery to expand your horizons, which was why we allowed you to leave Kyoto. But it seems that we wrong, Imouto-chan," Tsuruko said as she shook her head.

"Wrong? What have I misunderstood?" the resident kendoist asked. "I thought that our clan's role was to slay evil. You yourself said that evil takes many forms. And what do you call perversion?!"

"What would you call someone who acts in an unjust manner? You do know that your attacks on Urashima-san caused more damage to his brain, therefore increasing the likelihood of him having an accident?"

Motoko was surprised when her sister enveloped her in a hug. "A-aneue?"

"Motoko-chan, you're my sister and I love you dearly. If someone had done to you what you and your friends did to Urashima-san, I would skin them alive," Tsuruko said in a comforting tone. "However, restitution must be made. What would you want if you were in Urashima-san's position?"

"I-I don't know," the younger sister answered in a quiet tone. "I think that perhaps I should return with you to Kyoto after I apologise to Haruka-san."

"And what of Keitaro-san?"

"... What do you mean, Aneue?"

"I'm referring to the man you injured. Apologising to a family member is a start, but what would you want if you were in Keitaro-san's place?" the married woman asked. "If Keitaro injured me as much as he has been, you would demand his death, would you not?"

"I-I would," Motoko nodded. "Would you be my Second, Aneue?"

"No. I'm told that Keitaro would not want such a thing. His goals seem to be getting into Tokyo University and marrying his 'promise girl'."

"Yes, we think that Naru-san maybe the girl he prom-!" the Hinata Sou's resident kendoist blanched as the realisation hit her.

"And Naru is a part of your scheme, is she not?" Tsuruko asked with an unhappy tone of voice. "I'm most displeased with this situation. If Keitaro-san recovers, then you and your co-conspirators will cater to his every whim until his aunt feels that amends have been made."

"But..."

"If you do not do this, I will see to it that you and your friends all suffer the consequences together. You acted as a group so you can all deal with the outcome as a group."

"But he could force us to do who knows what!" Motoko protested.

"Motoko-chan, the clan elders are unhappy about the use of Shinmeiryu techniques for such a dubious cause. So much so that there are voices that are suggesting that you are exiled from the clan."

"You can't be serious!" Kitsune said a little too loudly from the doorway, revealing her presence.

"Ah, you must be the third member of this scheme," Tsuruko said with a harsh tone. "I want to speak with all of you about that you've done."

"You can't kick Motoko-chan out for what we did!" the ash blonde girl protested.

"Yet you felt no compunction about forcing out your landlord for what he didn't do?" The elder Aoyama smiled evilly, causing her target's knees to weaken in fear. "That's not all we can do. My father plays golf with some of the senior management at your publishers, Miss Konno. You should be careful, lest you find yourself blacklisted."

The voluptuous woman was taken aback by this. "Y-you're joking! Surely you wouldn't do that!"

The married kendoist's gaze hardened considerably. "It seems that you and Miss Narusegawa will have to find alternative accommodation, Miss Konno. After you have paid you share of Urashima-san's medical bills, that is. And I believe that he has required several expensive scans on his skull."

"What?" Kitsune protested. "You can't expect us to stump up that kind of money just like that!"

Tsuruko stood up and helped her sister to her feet. "I want to speak with all of the residents. I need to know how much blame should be proportioned to whom before I pass judgement on this affair."

"But..."

"But nothing," Haruka added with a venom-filled voice from the bath's entrance. "I thought that you girls were a decent sort, but I couldn't have been more wrong."

"Haruka-san!" the freelance writer whined.

"Konno-san, I suggest that you keep your mouth shut for the time being. Now help my sister to the lounge and get her something to drink. Urashima-san, would be so kind as to gather the other residents? We need to have a little discussion about what is going to happen next," Tsuruko said in a displeased tone.


@@@@@


"So then," Tsuruko said as she set her teacup back on the table, "it was Motoko, Narusegawa-san and Konno-san that instigated this...plan."

"..." the guilty parties looked down in shame.

"Look, I know you guys didn't intend to hospitalise Keitaro," Haruka added after a drag on a cigarette. "But the fact is you did when you got rid of him. All because you didn't want a man around here, and well, I'm not happy about it. The question becomes: what are you going to do?"

"I... suppose we could let him come back," Naru offered weakly.

"So he can be used as cheap labour again?" the elder kendoist asked angrily. "Try again. What would you want if your positions were reversed?"

"I'd want to see him behind bars," the light brown haired girl said softly.

Haruka tapped some ash into the glass ashtray. "That's a start. So who's the ringleader? We need someone to take the fall when we go to the cops."

"C-cops?" Kitsune parroted nervously. "S-surely we don't need to get them involved..."

"Oh, so our freelance writer isn't so eager to experience incarceration, despite it being a good chance to get material for articles? That's a shocker," Tsuruko said sarcastically. "Well, I intend to take Motoko back to Kyoto with me, but as for the others, I'll leave that in your hands, Urashima-san."

"...Aneue, I could offer myself as his retainer," Motoko said. 'Please accept, Aneue, I've never seen you this angry before...'

"That reminds me," the smoker smiled. It was not a pleasant expression for the guilty girls who it was directed at. "The doctor said that Keitaro is suffering from a lot of stress and he doesn't have a lot of outlets."

"Oh, and what did he say?" the married Aoyama asked, already knowing the answer.

"Dr. Saotome-"

"Not Dr. Ranma Saotome?"

"Err, yes, that's the one, why?" Haruka asked. 'I didn't mention his first name earlier...'

"I've heard of him, he's one of the best doctors in the country. Pardon my interruption," Tsuruko bowed.

"Well, Dr. Saotome suggested that I find Keitaro a girlfriend. What sort of tasks would a retainer be expected to fulfil, Aoyama-san?" Keitaro's aunt asked. "I ask because we might be able to kill two birds with one stone."

"Ah, I see your logic," the senior Aoyama nodded. "Well, it's not unheard of for a retainer to service their master in such a way."

"What are you going to do?" Shinobu asked. "I don't want to see my friends hurt."

Haruka sighed. "They're my friends, too, Shinobu-chan. But I can't allow this to go unanswered. The way I see it, there's three options."

"Three?" the chef asked in confusion.

"Yes," Tsuruko nodded. "One, Narusegawa-san, Konno-san and Motoko turn themselves in to the police. Two, they pay a lump sum in damages and leave the inn forever, and three, they repay their debt to Urashima-san through indentured servitude."

"The problem with option one is Keitaro is unlikely to press charges," the teashop proprietor sighed as she reached for another cigarette. "So that leaves you with paying him off and leaving forever or becoming his servants."

"H-how long would they have to be his servants for?" Shinobu asked. 'I could help them out if it's not too long.'

"I think that one calendar year from his discharge from the hospital would be appropriate," Tsuruko said before reaching for her tea. "Of course, if at any time one of the girls acquired enough money to pay off the debt at some point during the year, then she could buy her freedom."

"How much are we talking about?" Kitsune asked with a calm façade.

"10 million yen," Haruka said. "Each."

There was a loud hacking cough from the inn's resident drunkard. "You can't expect us to come up with that kind of cash!"

"We don't," the senior kendoist replied solemnly. "This is an exercise to teach you all some humility."

"This is a complete farce! I'm not taking part in this!" Naru declared, slamming her hands on the table. "Who knows what that pervert Keitaro'll make us do?!"

Tsuruko cast an intimidating look at the firebrand. "Then you're going to make monetary reparations? When will you transfer the funds?"

"..."

"I thought as much. Motoko-chan, what's your decision?"

'Aneue is going to make my life hell if I go back with her,' the younger Aoyama thought with her face in her hands. 'Dare I put myself at Keitaro's mercy or should I risk being ostracised by the clan by requesting such a large sum?'

Tsuruko leaned in to whisper something to her sister.

"...I will accept my punishment as Keitaro's servant."

"Well, that's one, what about you two?" Haruka asked Naru and Kitsune. "What are you going to do?"

"Perhaps we can all take a break, Urashima-san?" the elder kendoist asked with a smile. "This is a big decision for all involved, after all."

'What's Tsuruko got up her sleeve?' "Yes, let's break for lunch."


@@@@@


Back at the hospital, Keitaro was talking with Dr. Saotome about his situation.

"Well, I understand that you're a decent person, Keitaro, but you must know that there's a difference between being a 'nice guy' and enabling an abuser," the raven haired doctor explained.

"But I'm not being abused, I know that Naru and Motoko hit me, but that's because I'm so clumsy and I keep accidentally touching them," Keitaro explained sadly.

"And what if I told you that you had a neurological condition that made you clumsy?"

"What?"

"I think you have a mild form of dyspraxia," Dr. Saotome said. "Were up any good at catching when you were a child?"

"I wasn't very good, but then, my parents didn't have much time to spend with me," the recuperating man explained. "I just assumed that I didn't get enough practice."

"Hmm, well, the good news is that with some rest, physical therapy and stress management, we should get you right as rain."

"Thanks, doc, what can I do to repay you?" Keitaro asked with an honest smile.

"Well, there is one thing," the doctor said with a conspiratorial tone. He moved his chair closer. "Your aunt, Haruka, is she seeing anyone?"

"Not that I know of," the Toudai aspirant replied. "Do you want me to ask if she's interested in going out for a few drinks?"

"If you could, I'd appreciate it."


@@@@@


"What are you going to do, Naru?" Kitsune asked as she opened a bottle of sake.

The light brown haired girl paced around her room. "I've got no idea! I can't afford to pay off their yakuza-like demand, if I get arrested, I'll never get into Tokyo University. And I refuse to be at the beck and call of someone that!"

"I don't blame you," Motoko sighed sadly.

Kitsune took a long swig on her booze before turning to the kendoist. "So why did you agree to be Keitaro's servant?"

"It was...something that Aneue said to me."

"Care to share?" the alcoholic asked.

"She said that she's been given a blank slate when it comes to punishing me if I return to Kyoto with her," the raven haired girl said with a shudder. "You don't know what she's capable of!"


@@@@@


Elsewhere in the inn, Haruka was talking with Tsuruko about the other conspirators.

"I don't think that Shinobu-chan was in a position to prevent this, in fact I think that she was deliberately kept in the dark about this," the smoking woman said. "She's got a bit of a crush on Keitaro."

"And what about Kaolla? What's her role in this?"

"She means well, but her ideas of playing might just a little too energetic," Haruka answered.

"And what about you? Why didn't you do anything to stop this problem before it worsened?" the visiting Aoyama asked. "Aren't you just as bad as the abusers if you enable them?"

"I didn't enable them!"

"Oh really, well what do you call allowing the abuse to continue without so much as batting an eyelash?" Tsuruko suggested. "By not acting to defend Keitaro, you gave permission, or at least inferred that it was ok to attack your nephew. You are just as bad as the others."

This caused Haruka to stop in her tracks. She didn't want to admit that her inaction had caused the others to hurt her nephew, but there was nothing she could say otherwise in her defence.

"I'm as guilty as the others... but what do I do now?"


@@@@@


To be continued...

Pre-read by Chi Vayne and previewed on Hawk's forum, you should know what to do to get there by now...


The next chapter will be out... when it's ready, and not before.