Special thanks to listersgirl who was an invaluable help to me while writing this impossible fic!
Mugen, Jin, and Fuu once again found themselves traveling between cities, hungry, and poor. Young 16 year old Fuu gripped her stomach and moaned. "I need something in my stomach! ANYTHING!"
Mugen, the crude criminal, snapped "How many times do I gotta tell you? Drink some damn fucking river water!"
Jin, the stoic and reticent ronin samurai told them "There is no river, here" then walked past the two to the front of the line.
Fuu groaned in response, Mugen scratched his unkept head of hair and said "No?" and tried to cover his ignorance. They continued their trudging out of the wood and came upon a restaurant inn.
Fuu peeped "Do you think they'll give us water?"
"It is worth a try" said Jin.
They bowed into the entrance and took a few stools at a table. A waitress was soon there to take their order. Jin sat, straight backed while Mugen leaned forward on his elbows and Fuu fidgeted in her place. Soon Mugen's weary forehead was rudely placed on the table.
Jin could smell the food cooking in the kitchen behind him. He said right up front to the charming waitress "We have no money."
He didn't look up at her, but rather across form him to Mugen and Fuu. The waitress scowled and Fuu jumped in with "We only need some water. There isn't a river on this road and we're just looking for some water to fill our stomachs. Pleeeeeeeeeeease?"
Mugen, head still on the table, groaned. The face of the waitress softened and she said "Our water is precious because there isn't a river nearby." Jin's stomach gurgled loudly enough for all to hear it, but he didn't flinch. He just kept his gaze straight ahead.
Fuu noticed a strange look come over the waitress's face. It was a fascination with Jin. When the waitress left for the kitchen Fuu said "I wonder what that was all about."
Jin asked her, totally oblivious to the waitress's stare, "What is what all about?"
"That waitress, she was…looking at you!" Jin said nothing, but merely rose an eyebrow. Fuu continued "Not like in a romantic way, but like in a funny way."
Jin dropped the eyebrow, grimaced, and said skeptically "Funny way?
Mugen picked up his head once again and said "Ignore her, she's just a crazy girl."
Fuu crossed her arms and sat back warning "She's up to something". Fuu looked back towards the kitchen and saw some people shuffling about. Fuu squinted her eyes with suspicion and slouched in her seat. An old man and an elderly woman from the kitchen looked at their table.
Fuu remembered her job as a waitress and the fire resulting in the quest with these two men. Jin and Mugen fought daily, but were drawing their swords less frequently these days. Fuu, of the samurai class herself, had been impressed by the handsome subdued Jin, his wire rim glasses and his traditional expertise with the sword. Mugen, on the other hand, was a filthy criminal bastard.
Fuu was wary of Mugen, but was coming to trust him more. His background was shady, but his fighting style was magnificent. It was unlike anything Fuu had seen before. It was not in any way traditional but he was just as effective as Jin. Hence the constant fighting between the two men. They were always trying to prove who was better. The soles of Mugen's geta were lined with metal and he used them often to block blows from his enemies.
Fuu wondered if he would be using them today as she watched some kind of commotion take over in the kitchen. "I think we should leave" said Jin succinctly. He heard whispering and felt a tension in the air. Just as Jin began to rise the waitress returned with the water. She smiled broadly at Jin while he took his seat. Jin's face betrayed no emotion as he seated himself.
Mugen allowed the confusion to be read on his unshaven face. It faded as he loudly gulped down his cup of water. The waitress then placed a large pitcher on the table. She cocked her head and tried to catch Jin's eye. He slowly brought the cup to his finely shaped lips and said "Thank you."
"Your welcome, sir" she said with a big smile. Mugen grabbed the pitcher and sloppily spilled more water into his cup.
After the waitress left Jin again said "We should leave. Now."
Fuu said "No! Why? Look!" She grabbed pitcher form Mugen "All the water we need! I thought maybe she'd come back and say no, that's why I was suspicious, but look!" She held up the pitcher and Mugen wrestled it away from her.
"I don't' like this" said Jin, stone faced as always.
"Mugen slammed his cup down and said "Typical. Free water and a woman who's taken a liking to you and all of a sudden we gotta go? Why?"
"I think I know her, but I can't place her face" said the samurai.
The other two didn't have a chance to question him or complain any further. The waitress returned with three plates full of food. Crab and vegetables for all three of them. She placed the three plates down in front of the travelers and said "Enjoy." She smiled at Jin again, who turned his face away.
Jin said "We have no money."
Fuu and Mugen had already dug into their plates. Fuu enjoyed the beans and rolled her eyes with delight whenever she popped them into her mouth. Mugen was negotiating a full crab leg, by chewing on the outer shell. They both froze when Jin said to the waitress "If I eat this I will be indebted to you."
"Please, eat" said the waitress. Mugen and Fuu continued to stuff their faces. The waitress said "It is I who am indebted to you. Please. Eat Jin-chan. You look thin."
Jin allowed his eyes to dart up and meet those of the waitress. She was of uncommon beauty. Her blue black hair was pulled up and back, and her soft brown eyes warmly gazed down on him. Her cherry lips expanded into a coy smile and her skin was like porcelain. Her smile faded when she noticed a blank stare of non-recognition settled deeply into Jin's eyes.
She said "Do you not recognize me, Jin-chan?" He only blinked in response.
Fuu nearly choked upon hearing anyone call him Jin-chan. Mugen said "I don't care who you are lady" he crunched through the crab leg with his bare teeth "This food armf armf is great crunch crunch. Hey Jin, are you going to eat or what? If not…" Mugen reached across the table to grab at Jin's food. The waitress smacked his tattooed wrist and Mugen's hand retreated to it's own plate. She noted the two blue stripes on Mugen's wrists and ankles, and identified them with the markings of an imprisoned criminal.
Thoughts of what possible dark crime he had committed crossed her mind until they were interrupted by the old man in the kitchen calling her name. "Shiroko! Shiroko!" he called. "We have other customers!" he said jokingly.
Shiroko gave a quick bow to her nonpaying customers and said "Yes sir!" She smiled and ran off.
Fuu caught a moment of recognition running across Jin's face when he heard her name. Fuu swallowed a large mouth full and asked him "So do you know her or not?"
With a tinge of exasperation Jin said "Yes."
"Who's Armf armf garmfle the broad?" asked Mugen cramming more rice into an already full mouth. "She's argmf argmf got nice tits."
Fuu huffed and said "Is that all you guys think about? Hooters! It's always about boobs with you guys!"
Jin ignored Fuu's complaints and said "She was a girl from my youth."
Mugen teased "She's a hot woman, you should try and hit that. She likes you. If you don't I sure as hell will."
Fuu couldn't believe her ears. "I can't believe you guys, what if she hears you! What if I hear any more! I'm a lady you should have more respect!"
Jin, again ignoring Fuu, only responded with a grunt. As Shiroko attended other customers Fuu persuaded Jin to eat his meal. Shiroko cleaned up after them while the sun began to set. The orange glow pierced through the door and reflected off Jin's glasses. The three rose to leave, but Shiroko stopped them. "It's getting late, my friends" she said "Soon the sun will set. Tell me, do you have far to go?"
"We're headed into the city" responded Jin curtly.
Shiroko said "You won't make it by sundown, nor daylight even if you walked all night. I can arrange for you to have a room for tonight." The three looked at each other, Jin's face reflected a stern rejection of the idea, but he said nothing. Mugen said "Sure lady, why not?"