T I T L E : Cruelty and the Beast
C H A P T E R : Chapter Six - Paying Customers
A U T H O R : ViviBell
R A T I N G : Light T - Mugen's poor language.
S P O I L E R S : Yush. Takes place after the series has ended.
P A I R I N G S : MugenxFuu MugenxOC
S U M M A R Y : Backtracking - the twosome need food to eat; even if that food does come from an old shack in the middle of no-where.
D I S C L A I M E R : Don't own Samurai Champloo or any of its characters.
The hours rolled on with the pair scuttling too and fro as they took a few paces back onto the main road. They had not traveled much distance, but the winding streets that branched off in different directions kept Mugen on edge, and had him retracing his steps several times until he was positive he had taken the right path.
Fuu kept silent. While she was desperately hungry by the time they had made some progress she was still content that Mugen had shown some indication that he had some emotional range and kept her head down. Naturally their silence was uncomfortable but she dealt with it – her annoyance over his crude and pointless mannerisms propelling her through this silence.
"It's there."
Looking up from the ground Fuu almost walked straight into Mugen's back.
She exhaled heavily against his gi, staring into the dirty red of his over-shirt which tickled the pointed tip of her nose. She would have sneezed had she had the brain to do it as well as breathe. Twisting her nape to the side she glanced over the edge of Mugen's body up at the crooked house on the side of the road.
It was partially concealed behind meager vegetation which frowned over its twisted entrance. The wooden planks that made up the shack were worn and rotten; some bent out of shape, some hanging from their hinges. Even the frame of the door was warped; slanting towards the right with a piece of tattered cloth acting as a makeshift screen that separated the interior from the outside world. Fuu was not upset.
She glowered up at Mugen and pouted. "This is what we came all the way out here for?"
"No, we came here for food," he reminded her, a warning hiss in his voice reminding her that it was best not to test his patience until they had stuffed their stomachs.
Taking the lead, Mugen stalked off into the recesses of the home, vanishing behind the fraying veil into the darkness within. Fuu remained behind for a few prolonged moments, holding her breath as she waited for the sound of an ambush, or the clash of swords.
"Fuu! Bitch, get your ass in here!"
Mugen's face appeared briefly behind the veil. His chin was jutting forward and his cold eyes bore into hers, drawing her in. As his face disappeared once more, she too, ventured into the unknown.
The overwhelming aroma of dust and musk trounced the young woman. Her hand shot up to grip her nostrils shut and her eyes watered as her body quelled the lingering scent that resided in her lungs. Her cheeks bulged as if she was going to puke. Fuu looked at Mugen for sympathy, but he gave her the cold shoulder.
"Live with it," he told her firmly, one hand reaching back over his shoulder to give himself a quick scratch. While he remained unperturbed, his gesture indicated otherwise. His fingers twitched towards the elongated handle of his swords, poised there as they trekked further into the depths of the old residence. It looked like it had not been inhabited for centuries, but the odd scuff marks in the sheet of dirt revealed that people had been here recently. Mugen was not sure who it was and there was no harm in being prepared.
He thumbed the worn leather that surrounded the handle of his sword, and his expression softened somewhat.
"Don't think anyone is here, Mugen."
"Shush!" He flagged her down and her lips clamped shut with a 'smack'.
The sound bounced off the walls, echoing. Nonetheless, it was quickly engulfed by the noise coming from the back of the shop.
He walked forward, passing past the rows of shelves of food and goods. He squinted, catching movement behind a stack of freshly piled rice bags. He could see the crown of someone's head; the silver hair gleamed like strands of string rolled up into a tight ball. As he stepped onto a loose floorboard, the woman looked up, alerted by the sound.
"Hell-hello? Anybody there?"
Mugen threatened to unsheathe his sword. His eyebrow twitched with the effort to contain himself, and the hand that continued to grip the handle pulsed. He pulled the sword an inch or so from its cover, before letting it slide back down with a cool slicing sound.
"Yea', customers."
With a burst of energy, the little woman approached from the twosome, appearing from the aisles in a blur of dust.
She was short – small even in comparison to Fuu, but it was overlooked by her bright smile and surprisingly nice set of teeth. She looked old – old to t he point where there was no discrimination between little years. She adorned an old kimono. It was beautiful – once upon a time; but the calligraphy had faded and the embroidered threads had diminished against the silk material.
"My my, customers?!" she commented as she brushed herself down. "We haven't had customers for donkey's years."
"I can tell," Mugen replied dubiously as he took a final glance at the piled bags of old rice. He winced as Fuu elbowed him in the ribs before pushing past him.
"Sorry about him," she started with an apologetic laugh. The old woman had not gotten Mugen's insult and stared at Fuu blankly. The conversation died for a moment before being revived by the eighteen year olds nervous giggle. "So, we were wondering whether you had any… newi-sh supplies that we could take a look at?"
"Hmm, well, we have a few rice crackers and some dango that arrived not too long ago," the woman said thoughtfully, peering around the shop as she recalled where her stock was. "Its in the back," she said after a moments paused, and shuffled in the direction. She paused and a bony hand came to rest on her hip.
Fuu noticed her discomfort and placed a comforting hand on her back. "Don't worry. I'll go find it," she told her kindly before she scuttled off into the recesses of the last aisles to find the supplies. Mugen watched her go with a renewed look of interest plastered on his face. He gawped as the skinny girl offered to fetch the food. How come he didn't get some of that? Whenever he asked her to get food she'd complain about her not being a slave. And here this old broad gets it without having to ask!
It took him seconds at most before he realized that the shopkeeper had inclined her small form directly in front of him; her wrinkled face pressed up as high as she could towards his, only managing to reach the the bottom of his breastbone. Her light brown eyes were shining intensely; brimming with wetness, but not tears. She was old and the clarity of her eyes had faded, hidden behind the gunk that rested in the corners and the thin, milky thin that coated the sphere. Still, they seemed to brighten as they stared up at him.
"You… you…"
He took a step back.
"What, lady?"
"You're that boy – I know you. You came here years ago!" she continued, her accusations growing louder. Her voice was muffled by the sound of Fuu dropping something in the background.
"I don't know what you're on 'bout."
She continued regardless of his protests.
"Years ago, you came here. You needed food. I gave you some… and offered you a place to stay. You were gone the next thing I know," she told him, hoping that her story would remind him.
Mugen's face remained expressionless, with only the faintest of twitches of his lips when he stared up to see where Fuu was. She was coming back down, her hands gripping a few packages of homemade rice cakes.
"Got the stuff!"
At the sound of Fuu's triumphant call, the old woman shrank back from Mugen's face, and rubbed her eyes fretfully. Fuu, once again was quick to off her a comforting pat, to Mugen's dismay.
"You alright?"
The woman cackled. It was meant to be happy, but it was that manacle laughter that old people could not seem to avoid in their age. The throaty growl mixed with a chortle sent shivers racing down Mugen's spine, though he disguised his discomfort with a snort.
"Oh, I'm fine dear. It is just this young man reminds me of someone I saw, years ago it seems now."
"Really?"
She gave another thoughtful nod and smile, clasping her hands together. "Yes, yes – before the shop was in the state it is in today; before trade with Satsuma was more open."
"It is not open any more?"
"God no, child, especially for shops like mine. Ever since there was a large raid on Satsuma's transport ship, they've been limiting their supplies… as you can see." She glanced calmly at her surroundings, huffing and muttering incomprehensible words under her breath. "It was an awful raid at that – so many lives taken; so many burning in the fires…" Her appearance lightened however, as she looked back at Mugen.
"Not soon after the raids – before things got bad- a boy appeared. He looked a lot like yourself, but more ragged and wild – like he was itching for a fight!"
Fuu glowered skeptically at Mugen. He returned the glare avidly.
"Look, woman, I ain't this kid of yours-"
"I suppose you're right," she interrupted before he could continue. "My eyes are not as good as they used to be in my old age, and I seem to be constantly mixing things up! My apologies."
Before the conversation grew stale, the old shopkeeper deterred from their current topic, offering the pair a smile. "So," she began, turning to Fuu, "this man must be your brother!"
Fuu could not herself from recoiling at the comment; even under the surprised gaze of the shopkeeper and the death-stare she received from Mugen.
"Eww! No way is he my brother!"
"Oh! My sincerest apologies, once again!" She turned to Mugen. "So she is your girlfriend?"
At this, Fuu snickered and blushed bashfully, unable to comment on her assumption verbally and simply shook her head in response. Mugen was far more articulate.
"That's disgusting."
Fuu's bony elbow collided his with side once more earning a laugh from the woman.
"Is that you two are going to take then?" She asked gently, indicating at the bags of goods with a nod of her head. Fuu replied with a quick yes just before Mugen retrieved the food from her hands, strutting towards the exit without another word.
Fuu and the shopkeeper gawped.
"Mugen! We have to pay for those!"
Pausing, he twisted his face towards the pair; his silver eyes boring into the old woman's with a playful glint.
"I said we were customers. I didn't say we were paying customers."
Mugen was staring fiercely into their campfire. He ignored Fuu's prying gaze, and even the odd attempts to make conversation. Fuu suddenly pulled herself from her sitting position, huddling her petit frame beneath the covers. "Mugen?" "What's it?" "That boy the shopkeep was talking about..." She blinked up into the inky abyss of the sky, forgetting her words. "What' bout him?" "He was you... wasn't he?" Mugen closed his eyes. "Go to bed, Fuu." Fuu just have a forced chuckle in response, turning her back towards him. "Seems she wasn't as blind as she had made herself out to be."
The cracker crumbes were scattered around his mattress, his fingers littered with little shapes of the riceflakes that they had consumed for their dinner. The blanket was bunched around Mugen's lower torso, curling over his long legs with his feet peering out of the other side. He was comfortable - but the physical comfort he received could not negate the aching he felt in his mind, and a sudden heaviness that gripped his chest and weighed against his shoulders. He did not know what to make out of it, nonetheless, he assumed that tonight would be a night of fitful sleep and queezy unrest.
N O T E S : A HUGE thanks to all my reviewers and subscribers! You're all so great and supportive. ITS MY B-DAY today, bytheway! xD
Back to the story - I am so sorry this took so long for me to complete - its just work is really taking its toll on me, and I am grounded - sad, aye - so I cannot get onto the computer as much as I would like.
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Yeah, so basically this is Mugen meeting another person who he had left along the way. This is more of a stepping stone post for the next, which will involve more dream seqences. ;
Coming up...
Two more dreams, and an arguement that breaks the pair in two. I shall say no more. Hehe. Hearts to you all!