Chapter 3!
So, I am officially doing a poll. Should Hirato and Akari become romantically involved? Yes or No. Please vote!
A week went by rather smoothly. A few sunburns were easily dealt with, and when Yogi got himself pinched by a crab, Akari was easily able to staunch the bleeding and give the tearful prince an ice bag.
Gareki stared out his window, watching the world fly by. The ship had just made a quick stop in the town Gareki was starting to call 'the place where I grew up'. They were now headed to Niji forest. Kuroko hadn't been there in a year, and wanted to see the forest again. Nai had been ecstatic.
Gareki was curled in his bed. The heated blanket gave off a slight lavender smell. Nai was on the bottom bunk, snoring lightly. Part of Gareki didn't want to return to Niji forest because… why? It was Nai's old home. Nai wouldn't want to stay. Nai would still stay on the ship with Gareki, right?
Gareki suppressed a shiver. He heard Nai mumble in his sleep. Sometimes, Gareki could swear Nai was reading into Gareki's mind, seeing his frustrations and fears.
Kuroko was always a little wary of Gareki. Gareki could understand. It was almost as if Gareki had stolen something of Kuroko's, but everyone was pretending he hadn't. Gareki could see the sun rising through his window. It was time to face another day. Tomorrow they would reach Niji forest. Today they would be in Kurasu. Gareki hadn't been here since he met Nai…
Gareki sighed, sitting up just as the door opened to reveal a sheep.
"Wake-up!" The sheep happily announced. Gareki forced down a smile as Nai awoke with a start, and ran to the sheep for a hug, trying to pull into bed with him while the sheep tried to go off and do its other duties. Just another morning.
The city was bustling as ever. The old castle that Mine had once owned was gone, replaced with what appeared to be a garden. Gareki stared up at the hill. He thought about his group of thieves. Two had died that night. What did the others from his usual conspirators think?
Yogi and Tsukumo and Hirato disappeared into the crowd. A quick cleaning of the city would take place, and then a show. Circus was no longer on vacation. Gareki turned to face his companions for the day. Akari and Kuroko looked around the crowded street with thinly veiled disdain. Nai was hugging Yukkin to his chest, Gareki couldn't fathom why Yukkin was with them, but it made Nai happy.
"So, I know this city pretty well. Any particular place you want to go? I'll make sure we stay away from Illuminated Street." Kuroko smiled in appreciation.
"I was asked to go to a clinic in this town. On Illuminated Street." Akari huffed. Gareki made a face and turned away.
"If you have money on you, give it to me, or hide it." Gareki advised, turning towards the part of the city covered in shadows. Kuroko didn't look happy, but followed the doctor, the angsty teen, and the hybrid human.
It took half an hour, but the rag-tag group made it to the shabby building that appeared to be the clinic. Gareki was surprised when Akari nodded.
"A pretty decent place for a med-clinic." Akari commented.
"If you insist." Kuroko grumbled, a hand on Nai's shoulder. The group entered the building.
"Are you the Circus doctor?" A young woman in a full black body suit asked the second Akari entered the building asked. Akari replied he was.
"Please, this way. We have what appears to be an infection…" The nurse and Akari went deeper into the building, leaving Gareki, Kuroko and Nai in the waiting room.
"You could probably use your knowledge and help too." Gareki muttered, not looking at Kuroko.
"I think I might. Will you watch Nai?" Kuroko asked. Nai was chatting with a ruffian who was hugging a swollen hand to their chest. Kuroko noted that Gareki's hood was up and that he avoided looking at anyone.
"Are you afraid to be recognized?" Kuroko hissed. Gareki turned to exit the building.
"I think Nai would do better here. I have a few things I can get done." Gareki said, pulling his goggles over his eyes as he left the clinic.
After leaving, Gareki just walked until he was lost in the ghetto of the city. Not that Gareki could get lost here. He knew that four blocks to his left with two blocks behind him was the clinic, though that wasn't the path Gareki had taken.
The shadows of the alleys held movement of deals being made and desperation of men and women alike. Gareki smiled though. This part of the city was raw. Honor was, surprisingly to outsiders, extremely important to the inhabitants. You could rob, beat-up, even carry out vendettas with minimal reaction from the community. But if you raped, or murdered someone in cold blood, the community would turn against you, and tear you apart. The people here were close. The whore on the corner had two kids running through the streets during this time of day. The two kids had different fathers and the fathers supported their kids. It was what was expected.
Gareki, though he had only lived in this part of the city for two years, had adapted very quickly, and the community accepted him. So when he saw the richly-clad, rough-housing young men whistling at the girls walking down the streets, he could feel the irritation of the community. One of the frat boys, his blond hair oiled back in what might have been fashionable on a child, actually reached out a grabbed a girls skirt.
The girl slapped the young man. The whole group of outsiders reacted, grabbing the girl and pinning her against the nearest alley wall. Gareki was there almost immediately. Gareki didn't recognize the girl, and from the lack of reaction from the community, she must be a new inhabitant.
"What you want!" The blond one tried to growl, his voice impossibly whiny.
"What do you think you're doing?" Gareki demanded. He knew with his hood up and goggles on he was a sight. He was hoping it was mildly threatening. The other rich boys turned their circle to encompass and trap Gareki and the blond.
"Well, well, well. A regular vigilante!" The blond laughed. Gareki rolled his eyes. The rich and their dramatics. Gareki saw the girl sliding out of the alley. A group of other girls gestured for her to come to them. Gareki had to keep the attention on him.
"More like a pissed off friend." Gareki replied coolly.
"A friend? She your bang baby?" Gareki tried not to laugh. What did the blond think he was saying? Was he trying to be cool? He should at least learn some insults.
"I know anyone would rather have me than that oily mop you call hair." Gareki sighed. He hadn't done a battle of wits in a while. He needed better insults as well. Fortunately, the infuriated face of the blond was funny and the girl made a break from the alley into the pack of other girls. Gareki met eyes with a tall black haired girl who mouthed 'hold on'. One good deed was always repaid here.
Gareki focused back onto his situation. Blond was sputtering some insult about how Gareki's mother must be a whore or something. Gareki thought back. He really didn't know anything about his parents.
"Are you done? I have somewhere to be." Gareki said. He wouldn't turn his back on the blond just yet. You never knew when someone was actually trained in fighting. Gareki felt his idea was justified when a knife appeared in the blonde's hand. A quick glance around told Gareki that at least three other of the six men around him were also armed.
"I have just thought of something, Mervin." An oily, pretentious comrade of the blond spoke. Mervin. Poor bloke. Gareki mocked silently.
A hand grabbed Gareki from behind. Gareki reacted instantly and jammed an elbow into that person's gut, but three others grabbed him and forced him to his knees.
"What might that be, Augustus?" Mervin asked, twirling his knife in his hand. That caused Gareki worry. What if these guys actually knew how to use the knives. A boot swung across Gareki's cheek, but Gareki didn't miss Mervin dropping his knife and almost cutting himself. That was slightly reassuring. Gareki's goggled went off kilter.
"I bet this guy is trying to keep his clientele!" Augustus sneered. Gareki's brain stopped for a minute. Clientele?
"What?" He verbalized. Mervin had a disgusted look on his face.
"One of them homos, ehh?" Mervin scoffed.
"What?" Gareki replied. He was mildly confused. His clientele? It was then Gareki realized his hood had fallen down. Augustus ripped the goggled off, his self-righteous smirk fading upon seeing Gareki's face.
"Or maybe not?" Mervin said. Gareki bristled. He knew his features weren't as pronounced as, say, Yogi, but he wasn't a girl, obviously. Were these guys blind?
"Nah" A third guys spoke up. "He's a he." The same guy said. Gareki sighed. These guys were idiots.
"No guy is this pretty though." Mervin countered.
"Am I supposed to feel complemented?" Gareki asked. He was rolling his eyes, and received another complementary kick across the face.
"Shut this ass-hole up!" Mervin yelled. It wasn't hard to take charge of the situation from there. The guys holding Gareki loosened their grip to avoid being struck by glancing blows from their friend. Gareki jumped up. Gareki used his training, doing a back-flip of the still crouching men, letting his long legs catch Mervin under the chin. Augustus squealed and swiped out with the knife, missing Gareki's swinging legs. Gareki stood up and kicked the crouching guys down onto their faces. The other two guys and Augustus stood back.
"I would suggest you leave." Gareki said.
"I'll kill you." Mervin vowed his jaw swelling, and spitting blood. Gareki thought he might have seen a tooth.
"Just get out here and stay on your playground." Gareki snapped. His jaw was starting to ache. At least he could tell it wasn't dislocated.
The guys traded glances and raced out of the alley. Gareki slowly followed them out of the alley, turning the corner to head towards the clinic. He should get ice as soon as possible.
"Gareki." A deep growl stopped him, as well as the gun to the forehead.
"Samson." Gareki replied. Samson held his poker face, but it broke into a grin.
"You son of a gun. We all thought you were dead!" Gareki couldn't reply. He still felt responsible for the other two guys' deaths.
"Well, I'm alive. I have to go though, allow me to pass." Gareki said. Gareki pulled his hood up and reached up to pull his goggles down. He remembered how Augustus had ripped off his goggles, and run off with them. Gareki cursed under his breath.
"Thank you." Samson said. Gareki looked back at his old partner. "The girl you helped is my girl. She's rather new, appeared right after you left. She's pretty strong for a chick that used to have pastries served to her regularly."
"I have found people are a lot stronger than their known history would suggest." Gareki muttered.
"What is that?" Samson asked.
"Good-bye." Gareki said, walking around the dark-skinned man and headed towards the clinic. He appreciated that Samson didn't follow him.
"Thank you." A clear voice came from Gareki's right. He looked at the girl he had just saved.
"I had a knife in my skirt I was about to draw, but your assistance was greatly appreciated." Her eyes sparked with a fire. Gareki smirked.
"Keep that spark. You'll fit in just fine here." Gareki told her, and then he went on his way.
Gareki had almost reached the clinic when the voice of the rich boys broke into his consciousness.
"Son of a whore… probably and second generation slut…"
Gareki frowned. He knew the main reason the words bothered him was because he just didn't know. What if his mother was a prostitute? Had she sold him to the elderly couple that would later sell him to the slave ship? Was she alive? Who was she?
"Gareki!" Nai's happy voice broke past the wall of anxiety inducing thoughts.
"Gareki, where have you been?" Kuroko sounded like a frustrated elder brother. "Your jackets filthy! Where are you goggles? Are those bruises forming on your cheeks?" Kuroko's sudden invasion of Gareki's face caused Gareki to stiffen. Kuroko didn't seem to notice as he gripped Gareki's chin and turned the shorter boy's face right and left, also pushing down the hood to allow better lighting.
"I'm…I'm fine!" Gareki finally took a step back. Nai looked up at Gareki in worry.
"I heard you fighting." Nai admitted. Kuroko looked even more frustrated.
"Is that what you needed to take care of?" He demanded. Gareki rolled his eyes, flipped up his hood and walked into the clinic. He was sure Akari had some bruise cream. Gareki didn't know if he would live through Yogi's wails if he saw the bruises.
The midnight hour struck, and Gareki was once again in the med lab. Akari was giving a lecture, using the day's events as a tool to help instruct. Akari was describing what bruising was, how it happened, and anything that had to do with bruising.
The lecture came to a lull. Akari was allowing Gareki to finish writing. Then, the doctor stepped behind Gareki, reading his notes.
"I don't know how… but your notes are in three languages. I would recommend you stick to one. How did you write essays for Kuronomei?" Akari pondered aloud. Gareki shrugged. He really just put down what most accurately described what he wanted to write, using whatever character worked the best.
"I might suggest that Tsukumo teach you one language completely to write in." Akari said, standing up and rolling his shoulders.
After a long silence, Akari sighed.
"I take that fight you had was related to prostitution?" Akari asked. Gareki smirked.
"You are a genius." The tone was sarcastic. Akari huffed.
"In Kurasu's Illuminated District, it wasn't much of a guess."
"You're familiar with the Illuminated District?" Gareki asked.
"Gareki, in my life, I have become familiar with many districts, not just the red lit ones." Gareki nodded, not pushing the topic. Gareki was helping Akari tidy the med-lab when he couldn't keep silent anymore.
"My mother. They said I was probably the son of a whore. I…I don't know. I realized it bothered me because I didn't know." Gareki admitted. Akari straitened his papers on his desk.
"If your mother was a prostitute, would you still be proud of her?" Akari fixed Gareki with a hard stare.
"I don't know. Every prostitute I've met has been incredibly strong willed and kind to me." Gareki said. Akari raised an eyebrow. "I didn't sleep with them!" Gareki said suddenly, "I just often ran errands for them and their partners!" A blush had formed over Gareki's cheeks. A small smile graced Akari's lips.
"Gareki, it is in my experience as well that prostitutes are the kindest, most dedicated people. They are the ones sacrificing everything for someone else. At least, most of the time." Akari added at the end. Gareki thought about it. In the deepest crevices of his mind, he could see a dark-flowing haired woman smiling at him.
"You know this personally?" Gareki asked quietly.
"Quite." Akari replied, even quieter.
The two headed off to bed.
I've always thought Gareki was drawn kind of feminine, like a cat. Don't ask me why, but I've always thought cats had feminine air.
Also, mini discussion: You know how everyone gets upset at being thought of being the opposite gender? It happens. Usually it ticks you off.
FYI- Red Light Districts are the gambling/druggy/prostitute house areas.
