Okay, so it took more than two days. But that's because I erased over half of it and started over- even now I think I should wait and maybe rework some things. But thank you all for your patience, and enjoy!
Chapter 7 - Unfairly Jaded (Part 2/2)
"Okay, we meet back here at sunset okay?"
"Kay.."
"And don't get into trouble-"
"Kay..."
"Don't go killing anyone-"
"No promises."
"Mugen!"
"Fine, damn it. I'm going, I'm going."
It was about lunch time and they had already stumbled across their next destination. Apparently that mountain they had been creeping up on was Murakuni mountain, and on the other side was was the bustling trade city of Fukui. Mugen didn't want to admit it but taking the deer trail like Fuu said really saved them some time- he just wanted to climb up the mountain until they could get a good look at everything around them. But she whined and complained about how her legs would fall off in no time and that she would make him carry her- and no way was he going to do that. The small trail ended up leading them to a road that spun around the side of the mountain and eventually lead them to see the city scape.
Fuu had never been here before so she was quite excited- she knew that Fukui was just become the provincial capital. Before it was Echizen, and even know Fukui was still being rebuilt after the many wars but she heard many rumors about the great textiles, and blades that were sold and bought here. With this much business happening she knew it should be relatively easy for the both of them to get a job somewhere.
Turning around, Mugen needed to give Fuu her own little lecture. She was always making it seem like he was the cause of all of the problems but in reality he was just saving her ass. "-And girl, make sure you don't get yourself- Where'd ya go?!"
With an eager pace Fuu started making her way to the city centre, that was usually where all the main markets were. She wanted to make sure she got herself a job right away so she could have some food. Unfortunately, Mugen wasn't much of a hunter and they didn't stumble across anything other than bugs yesterday. Making her way through the streets her ears caught word that a "pop-up market" was getting set up along the harbour. Although Japan had attempted to trade with other countries, there were three that they currently allowed; China, America and the Dutch East India Trading company. If anyone else even stepped foot on Japanese soil they would be executed without any hesitation, and it was because of these strict rules that pop up markets like these were very "hush hush". But just as often as they would appear they were gone, so if you wanted some rare goods you had to act fast and if you were caught you better be prepared for the consequences.
Following the sounds and direction of the seagulls, Fuu easily found herself on the stone made harbour. Apparently more people than just her heard the word on the streets about it- people were already flooding it, making it almost impossible to make her way through. People were shouting and haggling, some pushing and shoving, bidding on items that someone had already purchased.
'Jeez..people are crazy.'
She expected it to be busy but not this busy and not this fast. She didn't even have an opportunity to find someone as they were setting up to offer to help for the day. Usually finding people just as its about to get busy is the best bet on getting a last minute temporary job. Not many people were looking for an employee just for an afternoon.
There seemed to be a large variety of goods set up along the pier. Some on the ground on blankets, other's out of the backs of wagons and quickly made tables. There were fresh fish, spices, silk materials, accessories, weapons, and some peculiar looking items that she was sure were from Europe. Their were many items made from silver, and strange "kimonos" she had never seen before. Fuu knew better than to actually call them a kimono but she had no other word for them. They seemed to consist of many different pieces and fasteners, but she didn't have time to really look because she was pushed from the front of the crowd to the middle.
"You there, Miss!"
"Huh?" A soft hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
Coming face to face with the "culprit", Fuu was taken back slightly. The woman was Japanese, or at least she appeared to be but her hair and makeup were strange. Her hair seemed to have been curled somehow, the bottom half was hanging loose over her shoulders but the top half was tied up into a tight bun and her bangs were cut quite short, tickling the middle of her forehead. Her cheeks were powdered a bright pink and her lips a similar shade- she had never seen anything like it before.
"Would you like to try some new beauty products from across the seas? We have the best from not only Holland but from China as well!"
"Um..I don't really have the-"
"I promise we can get you looking super beautiful for your boyfriend! And at the best prices, guarantee!"
"N-no thank you. Really, I prefer more of the natural look-" Raising her hands in front of her, Fuu tried to be as nice as possible at letting her down. She honestly didn't want whatever made the girl look like that anywhere near her. And wearing makeup only reminded her of being stuck in the brothel a few years ago, she never went near the stuff again since then.
"Rin you're scaring the poor girl." Coming up behind the girl that was apparently named Rin, was a woman of unparalleled beauty. Her hair was like a black waterfall that fell over her shoulders, her skin looked almost porcelain, her eyes looked to be as dark as her hair but they were surrounded by the longest and fullest set of eyelashes Fuu had ever seen. Despite her amazing beauty, she wore a simple kimono but maybe that was part of her charm.
"Ah, but Mrs. Miyata told me to go sell the new products."
"Yes she did, but this girl is obviously not interested. She's not the cosmetic type like you, she's a natural beauty."
Being called a beauty by such a gorgeous being like her almost made Fuu's knees weak. She wished Mugen was here to witness this, there's no way he would ever believe her. "My my..." Placing both hands on her cheeks, Fuu couldn't help but blush.
Eyes widening, the beautiful woman grabbed Fuu's wrist, pushing her kimono sleeve far up her arm. "You! You're perfect!"
"Hah? Excuse me?"
"Would you be interested in testing a new product for us? We'll pay you of course!"
"No I couldn't possibly...wait...did you say pay?"
Swallowing the ball of nerves in her throat, Fuu held her arms out on the small table in front of her. Her kimono was pushed down to her waist, but they were kind enough to offer her some much needed chest bindings. The walls of the small room were covered by shelves, all full of different kinds of products. She couldn't read most of the labels because they were of a different language. The room had a strong aroma to it, but she couldn't pin point it but it was strong enough that it was making her head hurt. They seemed like nice enough people, and the shop was only a block away from the harbour. Her eyes watched as the girl named Rin was mixing some things in a bowl.
"S-So what is this called again?"
"Epilation! We just got the instructions yesterday and we've been trying to find someone to test it on."
'Epilation? What is that supposed to be?" Nervously laughing Fuu was still unsure on this all. "And why not try it yourself?"
"Oh because, how am I supposed to do it myself? And besides, I've been threading for years." The girl's voice was high pitch, almost like it was forced but it seemed to fit her erratic and bubbly personality. Fuu had no idea how old she actually was because of the way she had her makeup done, and her hair was still putting Fuu through a loop.
And there was another term she didn't quite understand. None of it made sense to her, but she was told the more she tried the more she would get paid. "And so why me, exactly?"
Stirring everything together in the bowl, the woman brought out a small thin stick- it reminded Fuu of a flattened spoon. "Because, you have very fine body hair and not a lot of it. So it shouldn't hurt you very much as compared to finding some hairy mongrel." Before giving Fuu any time to prepare, she spread some of the warm substance onto Fuu's left arm, then placed a small cloth on top of it. "Now, on the count of three... 1... 2" With a quick pull of the cloth, it was over.
"You said 3! not 2!"
"Did it hurt?"
"Huh..No actually." Fuu looked to her arm and saw the spot that had the hot substance was now starting to turn red, and that whatever hair was there was now gone.
"Don't worry dear, the redness should go away soon." Rin then started to repeat the process again and again on both arms. "But then again, I suppose something like this wouldn't hurt a girl like you." She said while gesturing towards Fuu's shoulder.
She had almost completely forgotten about it, since the pain went away she never paid much attention to it. She had been too preoccupied with the other marks on her body that the one that actually could have killed her slipped her memory. "Yea it seems wherever I go I just run into trouble. I seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
With another pull of the cloth both of Fuu's arms were red and were now hairless. "Well, you were in the right place today. You're getting luxury treatment, and you're getting paid for it at that!" Running her long fingers over Fuu's arms, Rin felt how smooth Fuu's skin was. "So soft! Your boyfriend will be so happy."
"Pshh..I don't have a boyfriend, more like a...dog?" Petting her own arms Fuu was happy with how it felt. Her skin was the smoothest it had ever been before- too bad no one would be able to see it. "So, is that all then?"
"Actually, I wouldn't mind practicing this on other parts, if you don't mind?"
"..Other parts?"
"Che..." Clicking his tongue, his eyes darted all over the place.
Everyone seemed to be avoiding him again. It was always one or the other, there was no in between for him. Why couldn't the annoying punks leave him alone and everyone else not shy away from him? It's not like he wanted to be here anymore than they wanted him- he was just doing what the girl told him. But no one wanted him, and he could really care less. Now, it wasn't that he was exactly being rejected but he wasn't about to go grovel or go from place to place asking for a job. He could see it in everyone's eyes as he approached or walked by- they wanted nothing to do with him.
"Go get a job!"
"You go get a job you bitch." Kicking a stone in front of him, it tapped down the stone set of stairs in front of him. He watched it, as it "tik tik-ed" against the stairs until it eventually rolled and came to a stop at the bottom. Why was he doing what she said? She was the one that wanted to stay at another hotel. Maybe food would be nice but there were other ways of getting money. Skipping the steps of the staircase, Mugen jumped from the top to the bottom. The sound of his steel plated getas caused the attention of those nearby to look at him, only to turn away quickly.
The salty breeze rustled his already wild hair, and the seagulls sang a familiar song. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, his senses tingled. Even after all these years his body had the same reaction whenever he was near the sea. It was like it was imbedded into his bones.
For years he yearned to be on the sea, to get as far away as he could from the living hell of the island. He wanted to get as far as he possibly could from there, and to never look back. Burning that village down to the ground was supposed to be his "farewell" and "fuck you" to that hell on earth. Whether he ended up in Japan or somewhere else he didn't give a shit, he had plans to go alone on a raft or whatever he could find but Mukuro found him first. It was the first time that Mugen ever found someone with the same eyes as him, dead, dejected, and completely void of everything except anger. Through the flames that Mugen set that night on the Island, he saw someone standing there, waiting for him. Why didn't Mugen cut him down like everyone else that night? He very easily could have, but the bastard stopped him with only a small dagger and a revolver. Perhaps it was because Mugen saw the familiar eyes which told him it wouldn't be as easy as he thought. He honestly had nothing to lose, and the sea would always be there for him, to one day set sail and to leave everything behind him.
At first it was fun, really fun. Mukuro managed to get his hands on a large ship, and they would go pillage whatever coastal villages they could. The "rewards" would always be the same, a large sum of money that was "split" amongst them all (though most of it always went to Mukuro and locked away), maybe some new weapons and of course countless broads who against their will would entertain each and every single one of them. After each pillage they would make their way back to the hellish Island from which they came- no law enforcement would dare step foot there. After all, there were no laws, it was theirs to rule. It was easy, really easy, but Mukuro seemed to have his sights on bigger and better things. It wasn't long until he started planning taking over shipment vessels, and Mugen was naive enought to follow along with it all.
Even though the two of them shared similar childhoods, and their eyes were mirror images of one another- something even darker lurked in Mukuro. The way the sick son of a bitch looked at his own sister, the way he would linger his hands on her, and the way he would shoot one of their own without reason just for the hell of it didn't sit right with him. Now Mugen never claimed to be a saint, or a "bringer of justice" but killing just because you can lost its appeal to him. It was one thing to kill if they had something you wanted, or if they were in your way but Mukuro would point his revolver and shoot just because he could. Who was to say who would be next? And when? Even his own sister Kohza wanted to get away from the creep, and for good reasons.
Something kept her by his side, maybe he threatened her, or blackmailed her, or she found some kind of solace in being part of his gang. She had the unfortunate luck of being born a woman on the Island, most likely born out of rape. Staying there by herself would have eventually resulted in the same thing, or her death. Perhaps she was willing to risk it happening by Mukuro rather than some random guy jumping her. She picked the easiest path for herself, just like Mugen did.
When his body first hit the bone chilling water the night they raided the sugar vessel, Mugen thought he was done for. He thought he would be washed away by the very sea that he thought would take him away. In a sense, the sea did take him, it took him to the shores of Japan, away from the Islands, and away from Mukuro. Mugen very easily could have made his way back there, to extract his revenge, and maybe take over the gang at he finally had his opportunity to cut all ties with the island and those who came from it. The only reminder would be the bands tattooed on his body. Even if the tattoos were put there before he officially committed any crimes, they were forced upon his body once he hit a certain age only because of where he was born and who he was born from. From the very second he was born, it was decided who he was and who he would become. The blue bands would be his only reminder, and maybe one day he would go back, and when he did he would be sure to find Mukuro.
But in the end, Kohza was Mukuro's ending- the tricky little bitch used him, and eventually convinced Jin to kill him. Mugen didn't blame Jin for what he did, but damn it all, he really wanted to be the one to end Mukuro- especially after he fell for the same trick twice. When the bombs on the ship went off, so did Mugen's mind. There was nothing but a vast empty whiteness, where the crow men were leading him to the other side. He probably would've went along with it but he heard someone calling for him. For the first time, someone was reaching, calling, pleading, and crying for him. So he couldn't just leave...he was no one worth crying over but yet she was, and he wanted to make it stop. Maybe if he could have walked away with some of that money on the ship it would have been worth it all.
Scratching his dusty, dirty scalp Mugen groaned. He was getting all...what did Jin call it again? Centimeter? Whatever that feeling was that chicks were supposed to get, Mugen was sure he was getting it too.
"Hehe, hey man you got it right?"
"Damn right I did. Like taking candy from a baby."
The familiar jingle caught Mugen's attention. Two guys about his age were snickering and talking like they were some big shots. One tossed a small coin sack up and down while they turned down some small alley. With his hands in his pockets, Mugen spun on his heel and followed the two guys.
"How much do we have left?"
"Just a few ounces, boss will be happy that's for sure."
Hand reaching over onto the handle of his blade, Mugen nonchalantly leaned in close to the men to see what they were fumbling with in their hands. "Oh? What do we have here huh?"
Starling the two men, a coin purse and small thin package fell onto the ground. Some coins fell onto the ground, clanging on each other.
"Whoa, what the hell man?!"
"Who do you think you are, huh?!"
One man took a step back and the other bent down and started to collect the fallen money and packages.
"Hah? I just happened to see ya had something interesting is all.." Mugen arched an eyebrow, curious about what was exactly in them, and who these two goons were supposed to be.
Smiling the two guys crossed their arms, they suddenly got extremely smug. "This stuff isn't cheap you know. It's the real deal."
"-80 mon per ounce."
Okay, now Mugen really was confused. Did these two idiots not realize he was talking about their money? And what the hell was an ounce anyway? "Sure...I'll take some."
"Money up front." One man held out his hand, palm up, waiting for Mugen to drop whatever money he had.
Smirking, Mugen couldn't have said it better himself. "That's exactly what I was thinking." In a flash, Mugen slammed one man's head against the stone wall, and he used the dull side of his blade to knock out the other. Their bodies fell on top of one another as Mugen slid his blade back into his sheath. He made sure to pick up every last coin that fell, and even pulled out the coin pouches that were tucked away in their clothing. 'You do things your way girl, and I'll do things my way.' . He was quite surprised at how much these two had on them, whatever they had been trying to sell they must have sold a lot to have this much cash. While rummaging through their personals, Mugen came across the small purple pouch that had fallen earlier. Picking it up, he knew right away that there wasn't any money in it. Whatever it was it shifted like sand or dirt. Opening it up, Mugen looked inside. "Huh, what the hell is this?" Kneeling next to the one man that was still groaning from having his head smashed against the wall, Mugen nudged him. "Hey, you, what the fuck is this stuff supposed to be?"
"P-Please give us back everything! Our boss will kill us if you don't." The man sniffled as blood ran from his temple.
"And why the hell would I care if you die? If ya want I could do you a favour and just end ya right here." Sticking his finger in the pouch, Mugen played with the texture. Bringing it out again he sniffed his finger that had a light white coating on it. It left his nose irritated and itchy, but it also smelled sweet. Sweet and familiar. "I'll only ask again, if ya don't answer I might as well cut out your tongue since you ain't gonna be using it. Now..what the fuck is this stuff?"
"It's opium."
Dropping the purple pouch on the man's face, most of it spilled out.
'Opium, it's fucking opium.' How could he forget that smell? He spent an entire day breaking the buds and extracting the brown shit out of them. This was the stuff that got Fuu into the shit show she was running away from, so why the hell was he running into it all the way out here in Fukui? It must be some stupid, freaky coincidence. Slapping his hand over the man's mouth he stopped the protesting because of the wasted product. "Where the hell did you get this stuff? And don't be stupid about it." He removed his hand from the man's mouth.
"I-I can't tell you that!"
Biting his lip, Mugen realized it was a stupid request. He should just leave it alone, let the two scumbags go-or he could kill them. But if he did that then there really would be no chance of getting the answers he wanted. He smacked the man's face a couple times, not enough to hurt him, but hard enough that his hand stung a little bit. "Get outta my sight now."
"H-Hai!" In a scramble, the man got to his knees and and dashed back out onto the street, pushing people out of his way. He was yelling something but Mugen couldn't quite make it out. He didn't even look back at his still passed out friend.
Clicking his tongue, Mugen grabbed the purple pouch and its spilled contents and dumped the last of it on the other man. With his hands back in his pockets, Mugen walked out onto the street, following the trail of pushed people and spilled goods.
"See that wasn't so bad was it?" Smiling brightly, Rin collected the used cloths that had the now hardened "wax" and hairs on them. She hummed a happy song as the cloths were collected in a small basket. "Now we can confidently offer this to customers!"
"I'm glad to be of service." Fuu tried to smile but she was exhausted. She didn't know there was so many poses and positions needed for something like this, and she wasn't ready for the emotional roller coaster she went on. Getting her arms done was one thing but she couldn't refuse the money they offered for the "other parts". It took a little convincing but before she knew it her legs were getting done and Rin continued higher and higher. The air touched skin that hadn't directly felt it since she hit puberty, just thinking about it made her face feel hot. Parts of her felt very sensitive, but the pain she initially felt was already gone, but she was sure we was going to curse like Mugen.
"So..are you here in Fukui alone? It's dangerous for a young girl to be going around like that, and it looks like you..Ah..I mean..just..I saw.." Rin's voice trailed off, not sure how to say what she wanted.
Nodding, Fuu knew what she was getting at. Just a few days ago Fuu was crying about the very things Rin was concerned about. She hadn't looked at herself since her bath at the Inn, and she didn't really have the time to think about it all since then either. "I'm here with a friend. So there's no need to worry." Rolling up one of her sleeves, Fuu looked at her arm. The skin was no longer red and her skin never looked so soft and radiant. It was too bad she had no one to show- maybe she could go to a hot spring and show off to other female guests. 'Ugh...you live a sad, sad life Fuu...' . Was her self esteem so low that she desired to show off to a bunch of strangers to get some sort of satisfaction? Screw it! She would make Mugen feel how amazing her skin was.
"-you go have your fun, and I'll have mine."
'Ahhh...right..Mugen will probably be gone as soon as we find a place to stay.'
"Right, so if you go out front, Hinata will pay you."
"Okay perfect, thank you so much Rin." Standing up, Fuu slid open the door.
"But! If you'd like, you can stay here. It's slow today anyways and I have time on my hands." Fixing her short fringe, Rin offered Fuu a comforting smile. "I think you deserve some pampering..."
"Thank you Rin but, there's no need. It would just go to waste anyway." It was true, any pampering she received would just go unnoticed and they would probably be leaving tomorrow anyways. Getting her hair removed was more than enough excitement for Fuu, and all she really wanted to do at this point was get paid so she could go eat.
"Is your friend a guy?"
"Well, yea-"
"Don't you want to enhance your beauty for him?"
"No, not for Mug-"
"Don't you want to show him how feminine you really are?"
"N...maybe?" The idea intrigued her. When they first travelled together, Mugen made countless remarks about her lack of sex appeal. He even made sure to point out to her the girls/women that did have the desired traits. Usually they had bright red lips, a large exposed chest and hips that seemed to sway side to side. Mugen was stupid enough to eat that kind of stuff up. He never considered that the red could easily wipe away, or that extra effort was put into walking that way to make men mesmerized. If she really wanted too it wouldn't be that hard to expose her cleavage, sway her hips a little more and to make her lips the same shade of red. However, she had no desire to do that because Mugen wasn't her type. He was too wild, rude, and unkempt. Years ago she would have fought with every ounce of her being to get him to recognize that she had sex appeal. Not because she lusted after him but when you're constantly told you can't do something or you're "delusional", it makes you that much more eager to prove them wrong.
So what kind of man was she attracted too?
She never really put much thought into it before. She like a handsome face of course, with a nice clean smile, and a good sense of humor. Working in a teahouse she had definitely come across men hitting on her or asking her out but she never accepted. It wasn't to say that they were all ugly, but they weren't that good looking either. But they never bothered to ask her name, or anything else. It was always some lame line and an offer to get something to drink, to which she would roll her eyes because they were already at a teahouse. Sure, she knew one day maybe she would want to have kids but it was hard for her to imagine that for herself. After travelling with Jin and Mugen the first time everything else seemed so mundane and monotonous, it was hard to accept that teahouse work was her life once again. Even the costumers faces seemed to blur into each other, which made it hard for her to imagine being with any of them. A basic simple life wasn't something she could see herself doing anymore. She needed some excitement and something to make each day different. When was the last time she was actually attracted to someone?
Peeking around the corner, Fuu watched for him. She was sure she would run into him again, this was the direction in which he ran when he stole her coin purse. It wasn't a huge place, so unless he had some hideout or secret routes he would eventually have to pass by. With a surprised gasp, she hid herself in the alley again. He seemed to be mentally preoccupied with something as he shuffled by.
"Hey, you!" Running out behind him, she quickly caught up.
"Huh?"
"Do you remember who I am?"
"-Who are you?"
"The girl whose wallet you stole!" With widened eyes she couldn't believe it. It happened yesterday! Just how many people did this guy steal from in a day? She could easily read his face as he seemed to recall bumping into her in front of the food stand yesterday, successfully pulling her wallet out from her obi.
He turned to run, but Fuu quickly grabbed his wrist with both hands and stopped him.
"You can't get away from me."
"Let go of me!" He pulled his arm, but she didn't let go.
"-The hell I will!" She pulled on his arm with even more force, she was going to get her money back from him one way or another.
"You bitch!"
It was within mere moments that she and the criminal were surrounded by some men. She didn't know why but she didn't care, it wasn't any of her business and it's not like they were there for her. They exchanged some words and before she knew it, she was getting dragged along. Maybe it was because she gave that pig nosed guy a piece of her mind, and also she shouted at the top of her lungs. Some little man with a dagger wasn't going to get in her way of getting her money back. At this point she had been threatened so many times that she didn't even hesitate when he told her to mind her own business.
His fingers easily wrapped around her tiny wrist and although his grip was tight it didn't hurt. They turned a few corners and the local law enforcement was running after them, and of course he couldn't stop for them. He was a pickpocket, he couldn'ted just say "Hey, some guy was threatening me to return something I stole from him".
Fuu was spun in front of him and soon a knife was pressed to her neck. She wasn't expecting it, her heart began to race with fear for her life, but it was soon washed away when she remembered his mother. He was only doing what he was doing for the sake of his mother, he wasn't a bad buy, he just had certain circumstances that caused him to do what he did.
"Stay away! If you come any closer, I'll slit her throat!"
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
Slowly, Fuu was being backed up into a yard as a crowd seemed to be accumulating to see what was happening. The law enforcement was at a loss, they wanted to catch him but they didn't want to risk her life. They yelled at him to surrender peacefully but he refused. Closing the two of them in a building, Shinsuke jammed the door shut so no one would be able to enter.
"Do you hear me?! If you come near me, I'm really gonna kill this girl!"
His grip on her loosened, and she probably could have slipped away right there but the sound of something dripping on the ground made her decide to stay. He was bleeding, and looking at the amount of blood that was already collected on the ground, he was cut deep.
"Hey, you're bleeding!"
"Shut your mouth."
"But..."
"It's no big deal!" Pushing her up the stairs, Shinsuke lead Fuu to the top floor, where they could see everyone and everything happening around them.
Looking out the large window, a bigger crowd was gathered than what she had expected. 'Do people really have nothing better to do than to just stand around watching? Sheesh, get a hobby...' The sun was already setting and things still didn't seem to be progressing at all. Blood was smeared on the staircase and on the floor. "Are you in pain?"
He was sitting off to the side, trying to keep his cut arm elevated on his knee. "It's nothing."
"That look on your face says otherwise."
"Don't you get it? If I have to, I'm gonna kill you."
Rolling up her sleeve, Fuu ripped a piece of her white underlay, no one would see the ripped sleeve so there was no harm in helping. He didn't seem to oppose her tending to his arm, although it was only temporary it was better than nothing. Now that things were quiet between them she finally got a good look at his face. He tried looking away from her but it didn't stop her from taking a peek here and there while wrapping the cloth around his arm. His skin had been kissed by the sun, and it was noticeably darker than her own- but not darker than Mugen's. His face was quite handsome, and the way he acted like a bad boy when in reality he was doing all of this for his mother was absolutely adorable. She couldn't help but wonder when he first started living this kind of life, what happened to his father and if he was ever going to quit.
Just thinking about that day still made her uneasy. When he looked at her as he was leaving through the window it made her heart skip a beat. He looked driectly at her, with that appreciative look in his eyes and the sunset behind him. 'If I ever see you again, I'll repay you for what you did today. So... don't forget about me, okay?' There was no way she could forget about him, even if he did steal their money and held her hostage, she would only remember him for the kind hearted guy who only wanted to take care of his mother.
"Then it's settled!" Grabbing Fuu by the wrist Rin lead her to the room that was set up directly across from the one they were in.
Looking at it, Fuu figured at one point this building must have been a restaurant at some point. The room had the set up of what would have been a basic kitchen: high counters, a multitude of shelves and cabinets and the distinct scent of smoke and cooking oil still barely hung in the air. It was hard to pick up because there was an almost overwhelming floral scent that clouded most of her nose but there as no tricking her. She had worked as a waitress for years and there was no way she would ever be able to forget the scent that would often cling to her clothing at the end of everyday.
"Won't you get in trouble for bringing me back here? I can't pay for any of this."
"Oh please, don't even worry about it. Hinata and Ms. Miyata won't mind-" Forcefully making Fuu sit down on a stool, Rin pulled the chop sticks from her hair. "-And besides, this a beauty parlor, I can't let someone leave looking like this. It might hurt our reputation."
'Oh..ouch...I don't look that bad, do I?' Puffing out her cheeks, Fuu slowly let the air out, deflating her face. "Thank you...Rin-chan." Maybe pampering would be so bad after all. Who knows, she might even run into some young stud on her way to meet up with Mugen.
Shivers went down her body as a comb started making its way through her hair. There were a few knots here and there which pulled on her scalp but she didn't mind. When she was young her hair was often knotted in multiple places from her rolling around outside and playing without restraint. Her mother would lecture her and would then brush her hair without any mercy. For the times it wasn't full of knots, it was always relaxing, especially when someone else did it for her.
"Ah what's that?"
Rin stopped brushing her hair and she was mixing some things in a small bamboo bowl on the counter. "It cleans the hair without having to wash it. Although, it's only temporary and you will have to make sure you wash your hair in the next day or so." Nodding, Fuu watched as the pale powder was carefully spooned into the bowl and then a few drops of what looked to be oil was added. Using a brush, Rin started applying it to Fuu's scalp and then combed it through to the ends of her hair.
The sweet scent seemed to be stronger, and she was no longer able to smell the cooking oil or smoke. "It smells amazing." Fuu never had the luxury of using anything like perfume before, even if this technically wasn't perfume it smelled like it. The scent wasn't overpowering, it was like walking past a blooming bud. Faint, yet a treat to the nose.
"Hai, Ms. Miyata crushes hydrangeas and leaves seals them in a vase of oil for weeks before we use it." Skipping in front of Fuu, Rin rested her hands on her knees before bending down to meet Fuu's eyes. "Now, Fuu-chan, are you ready to become the most beautiful girl in Fukui?"
"Oi...have you seen a guy about this tall? Blood on his face? Ugly as all hell?" Holding up his hand to be level with his ear, another person refused to answer him as they shuffled away. "It's rude to ignore people, jack ass..."
After a few blocks Mugen lost view of the fleeing man and eventually there was no trace of him left. 'Damn it..' He should have just killed him, or broke a few of his bones until he told him what he wanted to know. 'This is all her fucking fault. Telling me not to kill anyone. Who the hell does she think she is? Does she not know who I am?! Seriously...' Casually, Mugen grabbed a peach from a store front as he walked on by. He took a big bite out of it just as someone yelled at him. Turning to look over his shoulder, some juice ran down his chin and the old shop keep slowly looked down to the ground and eventually went back about his business. Now what should he do? He had been walking around for hours until he ran into those punks, and obviously there would be no finding him now. Maybe he should just go back to the waiting spot for Fuu to get back.
'Wait...maybe that other guy..'
Turning around, Mugen picked up speed and because everyone was avoiding him he didn't have to do anything except venture straight. People got out of his way without him having to hesitate, and he even grabbed another peach from the stand. They were unbelievably sweet and seemed to satisfy some of his hunger but he really couldn't wait to get his hands on some meat. With his cheeks stuffed with unchewed pieces of peach, he turned into the alley where he was sure he had his run in with the two men. He swallowed everything in one large lump.
"What the fuck?..." He had the right alley alright, but the man he left unwounded was now laying in a pool of his own blood. His face cut beyond recognition and his innards were spewing out from his side. The blood was beginning to spread towards Mugen's feet, and the smell made Mugen's stomach twist. He was gone for maybe 20 minutes tops. This must have just happened, hell, he might have walked right by the person that did this. But who? Was someone watching them? Or was there some sick bastard out there that got their rocks off from stuff like this that just happened to walk by at the right time? 'Well..whatever happened, I need to get the hell way from here.'
"KYAAA OFFICER! SOMEONE, HELP!"
His head snapped up, some woman was clutching her child to her chest and looked away with frightened eyes. A few other's gathered around her to look down the alley at Mugen and the brutal scene.
"There was a murder!"
"Hey, this ain't what it looks like." He dropping the peach pit, he took a few steps back. 'The girl's bad fucking luck is rubbing off on me.'
With the sound of the whistle, a officer turned into the alley. Bringing his foot back, Mugen kicked the peach pit much like a rock. The pit hit the officer on the forhead, making him fall backwards, and Mugen made a mad dash in the other direction. There was no point in trying to tell them what happened, that he just found the guy like that, and that he didn't do it. They would never believe him, hell even if he told Fuu he didn't do it she would probably question him. He left a cloud of dust behind him as he ran, and the sounds of the whistles and voices of the law enforcements still seemed to follow close behind. They did have the home field advantage after all. All he could do was veer right, and left or continue on straight. He didn't know where the hell he was going or where he would end up.
"Ah, shit!"
A street peddler was guiding his mule out from an alley, cutting right in front of Mugen. The mule had sacks, boxes and rolls of material strapped all over it and Mugen couldn't see what or who was on the other side. With a quick hop and raising his arms, Mugen sprung up, twisting his body forward so his feet were above his head, he planted both hands firmly on the mule's loaded back and sprung himself over on the other side. With his feet touching the ground he continued on his path.
"STOP OR ELSE WE'LL SHOOT!" Coming at him from in front, a group of law enforcement perched down on their knees with riffles pointed and ready.
"LIKE HELL I WILL!" This wasn't his first time with a run in like this. He didn't slow down, and the line up of men and their guns got closer and closer until they split at the middle, making a clear path for Mugen.
"What are you guys doing?! Aren't you men?! SHOOT! SHOOT NOW!"
With a round of ear rattling bangs, holes appeared in things all around Mugen. A bag of rice started to empty, hitting the ground like a hourglass that was tipped upside down, and to his left a vase on display shattered into countless pieces.
"IF YOU'RE GONNA STOP ME, YA GOTTA TRY HARDER THAN THAT!" Jumping once again, Mugen managed to scale another wall, putting more of a distance between himself and his pursuers. He didn't bother to look behind him, he just kept on going until the whistles and shouting were drowned out of his ears.
"Rin, are you almost done?" Sliding open the door, the ethereal beauty came in the room. "Oh..wow."
Rin couldn't help but bring as she pulled the small brush away from Fuu's lips. "I'd say so. It didn't take much but I'd say she can leave her proudly and with her head held high."
"Can I see?" Fuu fidgeted with her hands and was trying to hide the excitement in her voice. She didn't want this done at first but as soon as Rin showed her the products and explained what she was going to do, Fuu couldn't help but be eager for the results. The last time Fuu had makeup on her face was at the brothel and it felt heavy on her face but whatever Rin had used was light, like there was nothing at all.
"Hai! Of course you can!" Grabbing a small hand held mirror, Rin gave it to Fuu. "I'll be right back, I'm going to submit the epilation report to and I'll bring your pay back with me." Hooking arms with the beauty, Rin guided them both away, leaving Fuu alone with her reflection.
Holding the mirror in her hands, Fuu wouldn't help but stare at herself. Although the makeup was light, she looked like herself but yet at the same time she never looked so different. The apples of her cheeks were powdered with the lightest shade of rogue, giving her a permanent blush. But it didn't overwhelm the pale colour of her skin. It was a miracle that she hadn't tanned during her travels these last few weeks. Her brows seemed to be combed smooth and filled in slightly. Closing one eye, Fuu looked at the lid. There was a small sweep of brown in the crease of her eye, adding depth and definition to the shape of her eyes. And just like in a ukiyo-e painting, her eyes were lined with fine black lines, going all the way along her top lash line and a third of the way on the bottom lash line. Lightly biting her bottom lip, Fuu quickly stopped because of the product that adorned them. Her lips weren't as brightly painted as Rin's but they were shiny and seemed to have a pink on them that reminded her of spring. Fluffing her hair with her fingers, it never felt so silky smooth in her entire life. Bringing a strand to her nose, it still smelled like oils that Rin used.
"Ah, absolutely stunning!" Slender fingers, with long red nails at the end grabbed Fuu's chin and brought her attention up. It was a middle aged woman, her hair was elaborately done and she had a large gold encrusted comb keeping it all together. Her face was powdered white, with a red gloss on her lips, and the painted on beauty mark at the corner of her mouth didn't fool Fuu. "I must say, absolutely flawless." Letting go of Fuu's chin the woman snapped her fingers. "That's it! Just wait here."
Blinking, Fuu watched as the woman left and Rin came back in.
"Who was that?"
"Oh, that was Ms. Miyata. Here-" Rin handed Fuu a heavy pouch of coins.
Opening it up, Fuu's eyes almost popped out of her head. "This is too much money! I can't accept all of this."
"Then, you'd be willing to do a bit more work then?" Ms. Miyata came back in with a small stack of papers in her arms. "Just for today. I can't waste a face like yours. Just go and hand out some flyers, show all the girls and women of Fukui what this parlor can do!"
Taking the stack of papers from Ms. Miyata, Fuu flipped the edges, trying to get an idea on just how many there were. "Sure, it's the least I can do after how generous you all were."
"HINATA!"
Jumping back, Fuu clenched the papers in both hands as 's shrill voice shrieked to the other room.
"TAKE OF THAT GET UP AND ESCORT HER!"
"Yes mother!"
'A man's voice? But who?' Fuu couldn't help but rub her lips together, the smooth texture of the cosmetics made them feel like silk.
"Word on the street is that there's some mad man is running around Fukui. The police are in a frenzy, apparently someone was killed in an alley. Imagine that! In broad daylight!" Hands on her waist, shook her head. "Just you wait, they'll be blaming the foreigners in no time. It's a shame really.."
"Well what do you expect? Shady stuff is happening all the time here." Rin popped her lips, her voice was trailing off as she seemed bored. "This is nothing new.."
"Yes but they're saying they don't think he's from here! He ran at the police with their guns like a wild animal."
"Now you two, you're going to scare her." Stepping beside was an undeniably handsome man. Handsome might have been the wrong word, he was beautiful. It should be a crime for a man to look like that, he easily put Fuu's pampered look to shame. His hair was short, not even long enough to run fingers through it, but his face was like it was straight out of a painting. His gentle dark eyes, long lashes that were like wings of a butterfly.
'Wait...didn't they call for Hinata...that would mean.'
Pointing at the man, Fuu's mouth hung open. "That means you're her! I mean, that you're the one that brought me here with Rin!"
"Oh Fuu, this is my son Hinata. Isn't it such a shame?" grabbed Hinata's cheeks and squished them, forcing his lips to press out like a fish. "He was born with such a beautiful face I was sure he was meant to be a girl."
"Mother, please." Pulling himself from his mother's grasp, he grabbed onto Fuu and the papers. "Let's go before it gets too dark out."
The two of them walked the streets, Fuu handed out a paper to women who would look her way, she even made sure to show off her soft hairless arms. This caught the attention of most who couldn't believe that such a thing was available for women like them. Fuu tried her best to explain the products and procedure the best she could but she didn't know any of the terminology so that was when Hinata would step in. Fuu could see it on the the women's faces whenever he talked, their knees got weaker and their faces flushed. Whether they were mesmerized by his feminine beauty or by his smile she didn't know but he had a way of drawing people in.
"Jeez...why didn't your mother just send you to do this instead of me?" Fuu pouted as she looked for some more people to hand out flyers to. She made a mental note to go to the meeting spot soon, the sun was barely starting to set.
"She has before. It usually goes alright but I guess my disguise as a woman is a little too convincing, and I end up pulling off my wig to scare off some perverts." With a deep inhale, Hinata sighed. "And Rin usually just frightens people away. She's a little too into the Holland trends, and I don't think Japan is quite ready for that yet."
Nodding, Fuu knew what he meant. Rin had scared her at first too, and if it wasn't for Hinata, she never would have went along with it all. "So why do you dress as a woman anyway?"
Scratching the back of his head, Hinata glanced at Fuu. "It's to help my mother, and she dressed me as a girl until I turned 13. So It's not like it's anything new."
"What!? That's ridiculous. Why didn't you stop her?"
"Well, because it saved me from a lot of hardships, no one ever questioned my gender, I was never recruited into any gangs or anything like that. It also helped me get a job as a regular Kabuki performer- when I'm not helping mother that is."
"A Kabuki performer? Wow That's impressive Hinata!" Turning to look at him, he was suddenly gone. "Hinata?" Turning in circles a few times she finally caught him. He was inquisitively looking at a display of different accessories. Running up beside him she looked at the one that seemed to have his attention. It was a a beautiful hair stick, the body was a white lacquer, and it was two pronged. The top of it was a collection of white cherry blossoms with a light pink around the center of each bloom, from the side of the flowers was a small gold chain with a white bead at the end. "It's beautiful, I think it would suite you."
"Yea, I've been looking for one with these colours...but I was hoping for a peony, not hydrangeas" Looking at the seller behind the stand, Hinata pointed at the hair stick in question. "May I?" With a nod of approval from the stand owner, Hinata picked it up and started examining it from all angles. He felt the weight in his hand and even inspected the small chain.
"What's a peony?"
"A type of flower, it's...large, and has lots of layered petals. It's really beautiful."
"I might not know what a peony is, but I think those hydrangeas are nice. It's beautiful but it isn't too much that it would take away from your face. Sir, may I?" Grabbing a mirror on the other side of the display, Fuu held it up for Hinata. "Hold it up next to your head and just imagine it in your wig. Beautiful right?"
Doing what Fuu said, he couldn't help but look at her instead of the mirror. "Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it."
Smiling brightly, Fuu set the mirror back down and picked up the papers once again. "I told you. People should really listen to me more."
"What about you Fuu, isn't there one you like?"
"Huh? Oh, no. There's no point. I had some years ago but I ended up breaking them. I just use chopsticks now." Tucking a her hair behind her ear she let her eyes roam over the hair sticks. There were plenty to choose from but none of them really jumped out at her. Each one was beautiful in its own way but she didn't need something fancy, especially since she was just walking around or running for her life. Having something so beautiful would be like she was lying to herself, like she was trying to pretend she was someone else. Her life wasn't about these types of luxuries, or any luxuries at that.
"Hmm..earlier said you preferred the more natural look right? Then how about this one?" Standing behind Fuu, Hinata twisted her hair up and stuck a stick in it, keeping it firmly in place. "Now take a look."
Picking up the mirror again, Fuu held it up and turned her head slightly. With such little effort Hinata was able to do her hair up beautifully and with only one stick. She always needed to use two when she would do it, and it never looked this good. The stick that he picked out was very simple, it was bronze in colour with only a beaded strand dangling from the end of it. The beads alternated between an opaque white and a soft pink, and at the end was a single pink cherry blossom flower.
"You have great taste Hinata. Your mom is right, it's a shame you're not a girl." Shaking her head as she laughed, she watched the beaded chain and cherry blossom bounce with her movement. It had been so long since she had proper hair sticks she almost forgot what it felt and looked like. Biting her bottom lip, she turned her head again, taking another look at it in the mirror. The reflected light made her squint her eyes, changing the angle to get a better look. It was the sunset. Fuu loved the bright blue skies but the setting sun was something special. It was the sun's final breath, of the day. Like a candle about to burn out, the colours flickered across the sky in an attempt to stay alive. Maybe it was because she was always partial to the colours of the sunsetting. Yellow, like the sunflowers. Orange like the peaches her mother would share with her, and then red. Why was red so important to her again? The outstretched hues of orange, yellow and red reflected in her eyes as she thought of it.
Noticing where her eyes were in the reflection, Hinata turned to look at the sunset. "It's so pretty it's almost unfair isn't it?"
"Yea, it's really pretty...especially the red." Setting down the mirror Fuu went to pull the hair stick out of her hair but Hinata's large, yet delicate hand stopped her.
"Leave it." It was like Hinata was suddenly closer to her. His skin was smoother than her own, but it held hers firmly.
"What the hell are you doing?"
A tall figure shadowed over Fuu and the unfamiliar face, scowling down at them. His brows knit, pushing his jaw out he clicked his tongue. She wasn't at the meeting place so we went looking for her which was difficult since the police were looking for him. He had to weave his way around the alleys, walk behind carts and stalls trying to hide himself. And what was she doing of all things? She was on a god damn date.
"Mugen-" Pulling her hand out from Hinata's she finally turned to fully face him. "-I was just finishing off some work, then I was going to go to the meeting spot."
"What kind of work is this supposed to fucking be huh?"
"I'm handing out flyers for your information!" She shook the remaining flyers in his face, crinkling under the pressure of her fingers.
Pulling the papers from her, Mugen tossed them over his shoulder. They fluttered and drifted down to the ground. "There, now you're done."
"Mugen, you can't just do that!"
"Is that right? Well I think I just did. Now let's get the hell outta here."
Hinata stood there, watching the back and forth not sure if he should say something or walk away. When he first saw the man in red walk up, he wanted to run as far away from his as possible. His instincts were telling him to not get involved with this man, that he was nothing but trouble. The scars on his face, and his blue banded tattoos were all he needed to see. He swallowed a lump in his throat and took a step away from the bickering duo.
"I'm not saying it again-" Mugen finally turned towards the unfamiliar male, and like an imposing predator, he needed to protect what was his. Draping his arm over Fuu's shoulders he tucked her back into the form of his body like he did the night before. With more force than necessary, Mugen stuck out his other arm, and pointed his middle finger up into the air. Showing his discontent to the male without having to directly say anything to him. "It's time to go- now." With his left arm over her shoulders, he grabbed the wrist that was closest, spinning her as he turned away to leave.
"Ah, wait, ouch...Mugen!" With very little effort, she attempted to pull out of Mugen's grasp. There was no budging him, even if she used all of her strength she doubted she would be able to break free. Her short legs attempted to keep up with Mugen's long strides but his fast pace walk was like a jog for her. Looking over her shoulder, she looked at the very confused and concerned Hinata. "Thank you for everything Hinata" Please say goodbye to Rin and your mother for me!" Wincing her head snapped back at Mugen has his vice like grip only seemed to tighten. "Mugen that hurts."
Mugen didn't bother to answer her. He didn't even bother to push away the people walking in their path, he just plowed right through them which left Fuu apologizing she rushed by. Normally he would cuss or mutter something at the strangers as if it was their fault they got knocked down, but he didn't. He weaved them through alleys, and eventually back onto the mountain path that led them into the city.
"MUGEN I SAID THAT HURTS!"
"God damn it-" Swinging his arm around he tossed Fuu against the side of the still towering mountain. Her back hit the "wall" made of the rising earth, knocking some air out of her lungs and unraveling her hair. Stepping forward, Mugen could feel something crack under his geta, but that was of no concern for him. "-what the hell were ya doing huh?!"
Finally, the grip on her wrist was gone, and her reflexes kicked in- landing a perfect red hand print on his face. "I told you! I was working!" Rubbing her sore wrist, she felt the impact on her hand still as it felt like pins and needles were pricking every part of her palm and fingers. "I don't get why you're so mad at me."
His face stung, but only a little bit, and he didn't know why he was so mad either. It was like all frustrations of the day all bubbled up at once and Fuu just seemed to tip the scale. He always seemed to be on edge lately, he found it almost impossible to relax. Especially now, looking at her downcast eyes and her touslled hair- she looked different somehow.
"Ah, Mugen, You broke it!"
"Broke what?"
Pushing against his chest, Mugen had no choice but to take a few steps back as Fuu bent down and picked up the item in question.
"Jeez...it was so pretty too..." Fuu picked up the hair stick that had held her hair up, but there were shards on the ground that once made up the cherry blossom charm at the end.
"-A gift from your little boyfriend?"
"Yes." Standing up, tall and firm, she twirled the hair stick between her fingers like a small baton. "-In fact, because of him I had a day full of luxury. I got top of the line spa treatments, I got my makeup done, and even my hair. In case you haven't noticed." Crossing her arms she expected Mugen to have the same airy, uninterested expression he used to get whenever she would talk about men, or how attractive she was since after all her business was her business. But his expression sent chills down her body.
His hardened expression bore into her. His narrowed eyes seemed clouded by the shadows left by his knit brows. The muscle in his jaw bulged out as his teeth clenched together, he could taste a little bit of blood- he must have bit down on his cheek without realizing it. He knew she was lying about him being her boyfriend but it still ticked him off.
Rolling her eyes, she pulled out the hefty coin purse from her yellow obi and tossed it at him. "He was the son of the woman I worked for today. She wanted him to escort me since there was some lunatic running around." She laced her fingers behind her head with her elbows up in the air. "Jeez, you always get so worked up Mugen."
He tossed the coin purse up a few times, feeling the money jingle. She got a pretty hefty sum for just a days worth of work, he was impressed. Pissed off, but impressed.
"The least you could say is, Wow Fuu, you're so dependable, thank you for working so hard, and you're so beautiful." She lowered her voice, in an attempt at making herself sound like him, but in reality it was more comparable to when she ate her own weight in food.
"Just stop gabbing and let's go." Grabbing her by her arm once again, he pulled her along with him as they made their way down another mountain path, leaving the beautiful view of Fukui and the sea behind them.
"Next time, you get a job and I'll spend all day doing nothing."
She pouted at him from across the fire. Tonight she didn't want to be near him, she wanted to fall back into her old self and whine and complain until she got her own way. It's not that today was hard for her, it was one of the most relaxing days she's ever had but she was still looking forward to staying in a nice warm room with food and a bath. With her hair pulled over one shoulder she turned her face into it, breathing in the sweet floral scent that was left by the oil.
"Thought you said you went to a spa, so why are you getting mad at me?" He was trying not to look at her, he knew she looked different, and as soon as she said the word makeup he wanted to call out bullshit. Whenever he saw some broad with makeup on it was always noticeable, and it smelled terrible. Their eyes were always lined with thick black lines, and their lips unnaturally red- but that's not how Fuu looked. In an attempt at distracting himself, Mugen was picking away at the dry crusting skin of his right hand.
"I got paid to try out some new treatments for your information. Behold!" Pulling up her kimono sleeve, she made her way beside him, offering her smooth arm to him. "-the softest skin in all of Japan!"
"Hah?.." Arching an eyebrow at her, he looked at her arm then back to her face, and then back to her arm again. "What's so special about it?"
"Just feel!" Grabbing his left hand, his arm crossed in front of him and she made him pet her arm up and down. "Super soft right?" She couldn't help but grin at him.
Yanking his hand away from her her set his hands on his crossed knees. "I've felt softer." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either. Her skin really was soft but he couldn't remember the feeling of the last woman he was with. At the time he always thought they were soft, it was like somehow women were universally softer and smoother than men. They were just born that way, it was how they were supposed to be.
"Hmph! Fine, then I guess I'll just enjoy it all by myself." Shifting away from him she rolled up the hem of her kimono to her knees and she pet her legs like they were some kind of treasure.
Smirking, he looked over at her newly revealed skin. The light of the fire even left a sheen reflection on them- he could see just how soft the skin was. "You mean you were gonna let me touch you just like that?" Maybe leaving Fukui was a bad idea, if he would have taken off his haori and maybe tied his hair up he could have been in the company of a real woman. Hell, the girl even said she would leave him to have his own fun next time.
"A-As if! I'm not cheap like those other women. You only wish you could have a beauty like me." Sticking her tongue out at him she quickly retracted it when she felt his warm hand on the top of her revealed shin.
"So you sayin' you have a price?" With a hefty huff from his nose he ran his hand up higher closer to her knee. "-like a cheap hair stick?"
Pulling her leg away from his hand she unraveled her kimono hem, covering her legs once again. "Mugen! Don't be a pig! And if that hair stick was so cheap why don't you fix it or buy me new one since YOU broke it!"
"Not like I meant to break it."
Grabbing his hand, Fuu turned it over so his palm was up and she firmly placed the hair stick on his rough skin. "-Don't care. Just fix it." Eyes widening, it was like stars sparkled around her. "Or you can deduct the price from the dumpling debt!"
'God damn it how can she change her mood so much?...Just watching her makes me tired..' His eyes downcast at the supposedly broken hair stick. He looked at it but couldn't figure out what was exactly broken about it. It looked fine to him, it wasn't snapped, cracked or chipped anywhere. "How is this broken? Looks fine to me, and why do you need something like this huh? Who you got to impress?"
"Look-" Her tiny, well shaped nails pointed at the end of the beaded strand. "-there's supposed to be a charm there. But you stepped on it." Using the same finger she pointed at the strand was now inches away from Mugen's face. "And it never hurts to look good."
Smacking her hand out of his face he pretended to spit on the ground. "Pew...it's gonna take more than some hair stick and makeup to make you look good." His eyes followed the dangling beads as he held the hair stick up in front of him. "..So you just need some dumb charm?"
"Hmph...I guess." Crossing her arms and sticking her nose up in the air she decided to ignore the insult. At this point, him not insulting her would be strange- she wouldn't even know how to react if he ever actually complimented her. He had been acting "strange" the other night, bringing her in close to sleep against him like that. If it had been almost anyone else she was sure her heart would have exploded, or she would have punched them out. But it wasn't anyone else, it was Mugen. Sighing, she couldn't help but think maybe she should have punched him when he did that.
"Here."
"Huh?"
"I fixed it."
Holding out the hair stick between his two fingers Fuu took it from him. 'How could have he fixed it?' Looking at the end of the beaded strand, she expected there to be a rock tied to the end but she was pleasantly surprised to see there wasn't. In place of the cherry blossom flower was a smooth round ornament. The green colour stood out from the opaque pink and white of the beads, and complimented the copper colouring of the stick. Never in a million years would she think to pair together all of these colours but they worked together beautifully.
"What is this?"
"It doesn't matter, it's fixed like you wanted."
"Saying something like that makes me even more curious. Where did you get it?" She rolled the new ornament between her thumb and index finger, being mindful of the quick fix it was. "If you don't tell me I'll just keep asking until you do. Muuuuugen, where did you get this? Huh? Mugen-"
"It's my earring." Pointing to his right ear, she had almost forgotten about the missing piece of his lobe. "-not like I'll be needing it anymore, and if it will make you shutup then it's a win win."
"Your earring?...Huh...I guess so.." Laying down, she outstretched her arm, holding the hair pin high above her face. The jade earring at the end seemed to shine brighter against the fire's light better than all the other beads. Mugen's earrings were the only refined things about him, he always wore them, but he never talked about how he got them or when. There had been a point where she wanted to ask him about them, but why bother? Everyone had something they liked, or something that they didn't need but they still had. Jin had his glasses, which he used has his own security blanket, and Mugen had these earrings. They were so small and delicate compared to him, and to see a man wearing earrings was already rare. Bringing her hand and the hair stick down onto her chest, she gripped the material. It was unfair...unfair how the world viewed him, and how he allowed it. He was far kinder than any of them could imagine, even if they viewed him as some kind of beast she would refuse to accept it. The world was left jaded by him, cynical, weary, and afraid of him; and he viewed the world that way as well. Letting go of the material over her chest, she played with the jade earring once again by rolling it between her thumb and index finger.
She had been jaded too, but in a completely different way. She knew the world was an unfair place, and Mugen was the kind that was able to take advantage of these unfair situations. He was able to turn these bads things and make it into something that worked for him, that or he just didn't let it bother him. He took the actions of these jaded people head on, shaking them to the core. Even with these negative experiences, and situations that she was tossed in, he found his way back, he saved her again so it was only natural she be jaded as well.
Unfairly jaded, by him.
