Ryu

[Kara Winters]

{:Father:}

The sounds of heavy breathing and the clash of steel against steel rang throughout the dojo of the Ito clan. While it sounded like any other normal practice between youth and mentor this teacher and student were fair from normal, or rather… tester and student. Ryu Winters found himself on his back, in his true form. The last strike had caught him so off guard that he transformed back into a mer, in which he now found himself staring at the point of a blade. The wielder of the blade, as his eyes travelled upwards was being held but a serious man with cold eyes hidden behind black rimmed glasses. Perhaps the most irking thing about it all was that the man was still wearing his heavy black trench coat and did not seem at all hampered by it. Never mind the fact that the man was the love of his mother’s life.

“Are you satisfied Master Lau?” a voice cut in.

Ryu turned his head to see his swords teacher sitting on a bench watching the two with curious eyes. His teacher Ran was perhaps a generation older than Lau Donovan, for his long hair was speckled with grays, and it was a shade lighter than Donovan’s without being brown. Ran had been watching the two closely as Donovan tested his student, partly out of concern seeing as the Lau clan tended to have higher standards than most, however it was well known Donovan was the son of Long, and his wife was from a good clan. Stern, but not a beater by any means, he had little to worry about Donovan’s method of training, though, curiosity bade him to.

It wasn’t that teaching anyone from the Lau clan was unusual, they did it all the time, and when Donovan showed up with teenage twins, a boy and a girl they were accepted as always. Ran had no problem with teaching the boy, he seemed eager enough to learn and quite serious compared to the bouncy (though amusing) Feng whom was given to poor Ai to teach. There had been a bit of tittering at first at why it was Lau Donovan who show these children to their doors, for he had nothing to do with the clan’s offspring and had no wife. Besides the fact these children were clearly teenagers, therefore far too old to be Donovan’s children. The first sign that something was up, was when they transformed for the first time. Ran had made it his business to increase the stamina of his student to try and reduce the amount of times that Ryu would turn back into a mer. Obviously it didn’t fully work seeing as Ryu was now back to his true form with a sword at his throat. This knowledge though, made it clear that either child was of the Lau clan, and in fact upon further investigation was found that the Lau clan had nothing to do with the upbringing of these children.

“I’m satisfied,” Donovan replied sheathing the sword he had borrowed waiting for Ryu to get back to his feet before turning to put it back where he got it from, “Make sure he doesn’t telegraph his moves so much.”

That was the nice thing about having Donovan as the sponsor Ran thought to himself as he watched Ryu struggle to his feet. The last blow probably made the boy’s arm a bit numb. The thing about Donovan, was that he knew not to expect too much, what Ryu had managed, despite losing was satisfying against someone with Donovan’s experience. He watched as Ryu made his way over to his teacher, while Donovan picked something off the bench that was wrapped in a heavy cloth. He turned to Ryu, who was still trying to get the soreness out of his back. The man shoved the cloth into the boy’s arms without giving him time to grab it. The merman fumbled with the object for a moment before holding it securely and tightly.

“Here, keep it, take care of it,” Donovan told him gruffly, “You’re old enough.”

Teacher and student watched in a daze as the enigmatic man left as suddenly as he had come during their lesson. Ran’s gaze turned back to Ryu as he watched the boy uncover the object to reveal an in richly carved wooden sheath. The swish of metal leaving its confines revealed the glint of cold metal. It was a sword, a traditional tai chi sword; real weapons were only given to members of the Lau clan when the head of the respective family unit deemed the child ready.

“He thinks well of you,” Ran finally spoke knowing that his student had always been a bit wary of the older man.
Ryu nodded in complete surprise, though still speechless.

While Ran would admit this surprised him as well, he had to lay back a bit against the wall and fold his fingers across his stomach. This was an interesting development, was this boy an adoptee? Or did Lau Donovan plant himself inside of an already establish family? Perhaps he thought idly he should warn Ai of his, but then again he had a feeling she already knew.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Transformation:}

Entrylog July 5th, 2007

Well, it looks like Feng and I get to learn one more spell, we thought we would give it a go. We both had meaning to for a while, but I think what pushed us really was that weird testing thing that Donovan did with us. Teacher says Donovan thinks highly of us, and well he has to be thinking of us since he’s the one who got us these lessons and is giving us weapons.

I don’t feel any different, after all I’ve been a teen over a few months now, but there’s something different I think being trusted with a real sword. Besides, this is Donovan we’re talking about, he looks at the general public like they are nothing. Well to be fair the general public is the people at the school and to be fairer we have a lot of students that aren’t so serious. Still, he just gave us our weapons, even though we both lost to him. Though Feng’s teacher said the day we beat Donovan is the day his clan comes knocking on our door, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but I have a feeling we weren’t meant to win that fight.

Though you’d think he would at least threaten something if we didn’t look after our weapons. The fact that he didn’t… I think says he has trust in us…. I think…. You never know with that guy.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Shi:}

Entrylog October, 26th, 2007

When life decides to keep you busy, it keeps you busy, at any rate there have been several new students entering the school. One of being Shi, a naga with… some interesting views on life. I say interesting because on one sense while it is nice to have someone like Shi around the school for once, I’m actually kind of worried at the same time. I don’t know if Feng has noticed this (I’m sure she has noticed), but I think she writes it off as him just not getting out enough, but he seems to have an issue with bipeds.

Bipeds, in which includes nearly all of the school population on two legs, which is pretty much everyone but me, Feng and Shi. I don’t know what his problem is with our two legged peers, but he’s not fond of them, especially humans from the looks of things. He tolerates mother well enough, which is good otherwise Shi and Donovan would be at odds. Actually, Donovan I think doesn’t like Shi, something having to do with Feng, but I wasn’t there so I don’t know.

The point is, it kind of worries me that he feels like this. I’m also worried that, since it seems that Shi isn’t aware that a good amount of the people who work at the school are related to us, that he might pick a fight with a family member. I think Feng would be very upset with him if he did and he seems quite fond of her. No… I don’t think it’s fond in that manner, but you never know.

Feng is under the impression as I said that Shi needs to get out more often. She is kind of right about that, Shi does need to learn there are other things to do in life. Lin was telling us about these games, that Shi plays. Triton says that they are called video games, he also said they weren’t that interesting, but other people find them fun. They run on electricity though, does this mean he spends a lot of time out of water just to play video games?
 

[Kara Winters]

{:Aliya, The Ranch and Halmir:}

Entrylog January 2nd, 2007

Well life has certainly kept us busy, though one could blame Donovan for that. Even though it is suppose to be good for us. Still, there are only so many extra lessons one could take before needing a break. Still, it’s nice to interact with other people close to our age. Even though they aren’t Seconds, it’s just for the sake of having someone to interact with. Like there are a lot of guys my age that I get to spar with when Ran isn’t training me alone. They’re a good bunch, though I’m not so sure about this going to the movies thing. I don’t get most of what they talk about sometimes, but I guess that’s okay.

There had been rumours going around that Donovan’s mother visited Feng while she was at Tea lessons. Information spreads quickly in the Ito clan, and it’s mostly accurate. Feng confirmed it, but she wasn’t at all worried. In fact she said it was a lot of fun. I’ve never met the woman, so I guess she isn’t much like Donovan then. Then again, as long as you’re decent to Feng she tends to not find anything wrong with you.

Like Halmir for example, not to say the guy isn’t nice, but he’s… how shall I put this… A bit touched in the head? For those that have no clue what I’m talking about, I shall explain. We went to this Ranch that Donovan had recently founded. The idea was to learn how to ride horses, and later to help him as soon as we completed our lessons. To gain experience he said, fair enough. One of the fighters at the Ranch was a man named Halmir, I don’t know his story, but from what I hear everyone says he’s a bit touched in the head. I would hope so, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to make of him complimenting Feng and Aliya like that. He’s not flirting perse, though it could be taken as it. Especially since he wanted to draw Feng ‘in her likeness’ as he put it. I guess I shouldn’t worry, even Lin says he’s nice enough, but Lin is kind of like Mother in that aspect. She thinks people are nice first until they show otherwise.

Aliya is no help; she doesn’t see anything wrong and doesn’t take Halmir seriously. Then again, one shouldn’t if he’s just like that as a person. However, Aliya is also a lot like Feng, insane and very active. Well, not insane, but she certainly seems to have pulled off quite a number of stunts in her time as well. Though I guess in the long run it’s a big worry about nothing. Since it seems that Ulrich had suggested Halmir as the person to go with Donovan on his ‘hunting’ trips, there isn’t much to worry about. Besides, he is good at his job, even if Lin says he’s easily distracted off the job.  

[Kara Winters]

{:After The First Visit and The Second Visit:}

Entrylog Jaunary 31st, 2008

There and back again, it’s hard to get use to the vast changes that happen to the ranch, even though it has only been a few months for us. Donovan had unfortunately kept us busy by giving us follow up lessons after we got back from the Ranch the first time. Feng especially had the hard time of it, traditionally we are not allowed our own weapons until we are tested. We had been, by Donovan when Feng and I received our main weapons, but now that Feng has to use the bow and arrow as well, she had to be tested again. By her teacher, since Donovan doesn’t use that weapon. Anyhow, by the time Feng passed her test (though she still has to train), it was several months until we visited the Ranch again.

Aliya had a kid, and Haradhel’s son grew and she had another child, it’s kind of weird. Well, not weird for Haradhel, but Aliya was the person that Feng kept trying to understand that Admir had a crush on her. Which didn’t work at all that well that for once Feng had to give up, because Aliya made even the densest of us look knowledgeable. Yet, here Aliya was, married with a child. A little boy, who adores Feng, but Feng is willing to bounce him to all his heart’s content provided it doesn’t make him sick.

They are, as Feng had often voiced, very cute, though I don’t think I’m use to being around such err… rough kids to be honest. I was sort of tackled on my first day there, and lost balance. It was a long way down to say the least. Still it is fun to be around Aliya again, to just be with her and talk. Feng and I… we do not get to talk to people that are even close to our age that isn’t family back home.

We had made a promise to visit more often, something we hope to try more of in the future.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Noticed:}

If it had been anyone but his sister, he might not have noticed, or at the very least not noticed ask quickly. However, he knew his sister as he knew himself, true this did not help him to ever predict the kind of trouble she would get into, but he knew enough to know when something was not quite right. When Feng slowly stopped been excessively bouncy, channeling her energies else where (like rock collecting), people had assumed she was finally calming down. After all, Feng and Ryu were over two years old, it was only natural they were mature. Celebor did, and he was through some twisted world traveling around the same age as them, and he was very mature. So, no one took this as a surprise that Feng seemed to be settling down. It must be exhausting to always be on the go some would argue, but Ryu felt it wasn’t quite right.

When she began to move her things out of their room they used to keep their stuff, he became concerned. Again, no one had thought it was anything too unusual, as many had pointed out they were teenagers now. There was no reason why they should share the same room much less the same waters (as Feng was slowly being less there). Yue and Yukito had their own lives people would argue, but he would argue it was only because Yue and Yukito had their own mates. Yet, to be fair, they were also of the opposite gender, no longer as little children could they continue sleeping together, but where would such a concept come from when you spent half of your time sleeping in a river?

When she began take extra food with her, he became confused. As far as he knew there was no need for her to take extra food. Some said, she was probably hungry, but Feng didn’t have Yuki’s bottomless stomach. Not to mention she liked her sweets within moderation, which why he was put at ease when she began to squirrel away healthier choices, it didn’t stop his confusion though. It did not know what was causing it; he did not know what was happening. All he knew was that his sister was acting very odd, even for her. Sometimes, he thought, there was something… not quite feral about her, but like she was acting on instinct.

He also noticed she was during sparring becoming increasingly violent.

Had she not suddenly disappeared one day though, everyone else might not have noticed, or at least not noticed sooner. One day, he woke up and she was not there, nor was she at school… or at the lake with Shi, or at lessons with Ai, or at the inn in the evening. She was no where to be found, though one of the siblings had mentioned they spotted her in the Seconds World the day she disappeared. Otherwise, he had no clue where she went.

And this worried him.  

[Kara Winters]

{:Ashoka:}
Entrylog August 9th, 2008

May no one ever find out about my meeting with Ashoka, not even the twin goddesses themselves. Looking back on it, I think I let myself sink to the bottom of the bay near the sea once I was far enough away from her. Never in my life have I ever been jumped like that. I’ve heard of such things, but she was all sex and death, a very lethal combination.

She was beautiful true, there is no denying that, not when she stretched and bent herself in ways that should be illegal. I don’t think I can look at the idea of being naked the same way again. Which is so wrong for a merman.

Why is that wrong you might ask?

Being naked is not supposed to matter, after all technically in my true form I am naked, Feng nearly as much so, I think the only thing that keeps her from being as naked is family upbringing. I mean, if one wanted to be technical, we don’t need to wear anything, cloth gets ruined by water far too easily.

But I am getting off topic, the point is, Ashoka makes normal people’s heads spin. She’s also, I dare say a sociopath. She has no concept of values, or morals only her own pleasure. Despite what she claims of it going both ways, I’m pretty sure it was just for her pleasure rather than her partners, especially if she takes pleasure from death as well.

The world is expanding, there are more Seconds out there than ever, and as Lin has learned, as Toshiro and Miyu has learned, so have I now experienced the dangerous side of our world. As they say though, nothing stays innocent forever.
 

[Kara Winters]

{:Future Holds:}
Entrylog October 10th, 2008

Finally! One would think that being mers it wouldn’t be too hard to move but all the stuff that Feng collects and then having our own rooms behind the fake waterfall takes time, but the room is so worth it! The clan grounds have an area called the waterfall garden, it is a large two story hill which is really a house for mers, and there are more rooms than just for the four of us just in case there are more in the future. The home is a false hill or cliff where a waterfall runs down covering our ‘door’. There are waterways all through out the clan grounds making the whole compound look idealistic but it is for our benefit. There is so much room it is hard to imagine now being stuck in the same fountain with Feng, Jair and Naida. I just hope the two Surprises are alright with having their own room, it can be a bit daunting when you’re the size of a doll.

Feng and I haven’t fully decided what we’ve wanted to do yet, since some of what we’ve learnt fighting wise is as much for show as it is for fighting, Feng had suggested maybe we just use our home to attract visitors. In some ways it isn’t bad, it appeals to a mers (or at least Feng’s) need for show. After all there is no reason for us to travel with little mers in the river and out of all our siblings we are perhaps the most exotic unless mother gets another animal from the waist down child.

I know Naida would like it, since she has started singing. She seems to be very fond of music, though instruments don’t do very well in the water. Feng is thinking of getting her pan pipes, it wouldn’t get too wrecked by water, then again anything she would play would have to be out of the water. On the other hand I am considering of helping Triton out in the dojo.