STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY: If wishes...
Quick little message from author: I guess that now you all have every right to want to kill me; believe me, on several occasions I've been more than willing to contemplate and proceed with hanging myself. Okay, so this update is seriously late in coming (though, thankfully, the month isn't over yet), but I had a few obstacles to overcome before completing this chapter, one of them being getting and staying sick with the flu for a period of approximately two weeks (I'm still on meds; crappy immunological system and what have you). The other little bone that I was coerced and almost physically forced into picking was getting started on all the projects that I have to hand in this semester: I have a lovely photography project that I'm mapping out, I was at the beach today taking pictures and interviewing vendors and policemen precisely because of that class, I have a grammar seminar to present next Thursday that I'm doing all the artwork for (as well as an in depth analysis on the subject), I have to get cracking on an Oscar Wilde made-up interview that I have to hand in and do the front-cover for (my friends always rely on me to go artsy on any work we have to hand in and the cover is coming along great –very Andy Warhol-), besides tests to study for and organizing my History study-group since I basically head the darn thing. All in all, I'm swamped, however, that doesn't mean that I'm gonna slack off on this fic: it will take time, but I will see it through. Also, I have a few ideas going through my brain for an Inuyasha one-shot and a long complicated AU: I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about that!
Well, enough with the rambling: let's get it ON!
SOUNSTRACK: Lisa Loeb – "I do" (acoustic version); Incubus – "Pardon Me" (acoustic version); Jack Johnson – "Flake"; K's Choice – "I Will Return to You"; Shakira – "Si Te Vas"; The Pretenders – Human.
Chapter 14: The Nouvelle Cuisine.
The doorbell rang. Backing away from the open fridge door, Kaoru smothered a growl. She was royally frustrated and in awe of how freakishly strong she could be, all at once: the loud buzzing outside her front door had snapped her out of her reverie and, somehow, she had managed to pull the refrigerator's door-handle right off its hinges, not something that she was particularly proud of. Come to think of it, did a door-handle or knob even have hinges?
Perfect. This was just perfect. This was precisely the perfect way to end an already terrible, disastrous, completely harrowing day… one that still had several hours to go before, at long last, reaching its end. Perfect. This was just perfect.
Skidding out of the kitchen in her fuzzy frog slippers, powder pink hooded sweatshirt and forest green wind shorts, Kaoru stomped toward her empty house's main entrance, cautiously peered through the peephole, mumbled a thousand or so profanities under her breath and swung the tall oak door open wide, a pint of ice-cream neatly tucked under her arm.
"Sano what do you want?"
To say that our girl was in a foul mood was more than transparently obvious and inanely redundant.
Endowing her with his trademark arrogant smirk, Sanosuke Sagara sized Kaoru Kamiya up…and down… and back up again: precisely what he had expected; let it not be said that males are without a sixth sense!
"Some ice-cream would be nice…"he intoned sarcastically, the smile never leaving his face as he bored holes at the tub of Häagen Dazs that seemed to cry out 'Chick meltdown!' 'Comfort food!' and 'I got stood up: and a nice day to you too!' amongst other creative shirt logos that never quite made it to 'I'm with stupid!' standards.
"How did you get through the gate?" she questioned, biting back on the anger and the embarrassment that came along with getting caught wallowing in self pity and spoonfuls of creamy goodness.
"You mean the big plank of wood with roses round it? I figured I could skip that part, seeing as that wall you guys've got 'aint really tall or anything. Besides, I got the feeling that, unless I reached your front door, I wasn't getting in at all."
"What makes you think that standing on the porch makes a difference?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow and a little scoff.
"Is it just me or are you really defensive today? Sheesh, lighten up a bit will you! So he stood you up? It's not the end of the world!"
At that, Kaoru muttered a subdued grumble and stormed back inside the house, unwittingly leaving the door ajar, a sign that a certain man with an impish gleam in his eyes took the liberty of considering an invitation to let himself in and feel right at home.
"I take it you're not in a good mood…" he ventured stating as he followed her into the kitchen.
"Ya think?!" she exclaimed sharply, aggressively slamming the Belgian chocolate ice-cream pint on the counter and crossly sticking a spoon smack down the middle of the frosty substance.
"By the way, I just love that thing that you've got going for your hair there…" Sano spoofed, nodding his head toward the messy mop of black Medusa-like tendrils that was Kaoru's hairdo.
"Well excuse me for being home alone and not expecting any company!" she yelled, glaring daggers at her uninvited, sorry excuse for a houseguest.
"Where are your folks?" he inquired, scrunching up his nose in confusion.
"Out. They're most likely playing Pictionary and eating peanuts at some boring old couple's condo."
"That… really makes me cringe at the thought of growing up!"
"You and me both, Peter Pan," the young girl commented, a thoughtful expression crossing her features before being replaced by a wary, suspicious one, "Again, what are you doing here Sano? What do you want?"
"And we were just starting to bond!" the coffee-eyed brunet said, doing his best impression of a dejected six year old.
"I'm waiting…" she stood her ground, one hand on her hip, one foot tapping away against the tile floor as if there were no tomorrow.
He had to admit, she was persistent and obstinate like hell; not one to beat around the bush, really: why were all the women that ever waltzed into his life such a hassle? One thing was without question: Kenshin owed him BIG.
Sometimes, he had to think hard and remind himself why it was exactly that he was friends with the densest man in the solar system…
With a disheartened sigh for a prelude, he decided to dive right in and salvage what he could from the wreckage: he hated getting stuck with damage control!
"I called our beloved mutual schmuck on his cell and he said some things; I found a post-it stuck on my fridge and it contradicted some things. The information on the post-it made sense; the little chat I had with him… not so much."
"What does your neuron deficiency have to do with me?"
"The idiot was going to be smart and take you out to dinner but Tomoe showed up out of the blue and the script suffered major rewriting: I'd say it has plenty to do with you." He continued, undeterred by her guarded attitude.
Now, at that she had to snort: she had nothing to do with anything, she didn't have any kind of say or influence in any decisions made that afternoon that quickly slipped into night and, ultimately, it was crystal clear that she didn't count. How was any of this supposed to have plenty to do with her again?
"Not really. Look Sano, we were just probably going to eat at a Taco Bell or something; whatever happened to change those plans, it's no biggie."
"Aloof Kaoru, focus on seeming at all times uncaring and aloof. Think 'Aoshi'… only a bit more alive… and a little less laconic."
"No biggie, hunh? Well, the huge tub of chocolate ice-cream sitting pretty in this kitchen begs to differ, missy."
"If you must know, I happen to have quite the sweet tooth!"
"If you wanna keep lying to yourself and avoid how you're feeling about all of this, I can't stop you; I've been told it's a free country."
"I'M NOT LYING!!! I went over to your place to study with the man! Study: S-T-U-D-Y! If after the study session we considered grabbing a bite to eat to keep our stomachs from embarrassingly growling at each other before they developed a new code of communication amongst themselves, it was only an extra to the whole deal, not something planned and most certainly not something to get all riled up about! I solemnly refuse to loose sleep over this!"
"Believe me missy, there's no doubt in my mind that both your stomachs could develop an understanding waaay before your mouths ever do. Now, you just keep telling yourself whatever helps you get through the day. Meanwhile, I have only one question for you: have you lost an appetite over this? I know that your good humour -for one- is an official goner, but is your will to eat legally dead as well?" Sanosuke asked, crossing his arms in a smug manner, as he leaned his back against the kitchen island.
"Taunt, jibe and jeer all you want, but if you must know, your roommate and I get along just fine; we just don't happen to get along romantically speaking… not that either one of us would even want that to be a possibility. As for dinner, I haven't eaten anything."
Although Kaoru seemed particularly satisfied by the way she had responded to Sano's false accusations -with only one slight second of hesitation from her part-, the tall, lean, dark-eyed man that had shown up at her front door without RSVPing or receiving an initial invite to respond to, for that matter, was giving her a very dry look.
When he, without breaking the unnerving eye contact, raised an eyebrow in an act of pure defiance, the girl in cutesy-wootsy frog slippers standing across from him reached her final straw: thus, cutesy-wootsy went right out the widow…
"YET, YOU JERK! I HAVEN'T EATEN ANYTHING YET! Your idiot friend did NOT turn me into one of those lovesick bimbos who skip meals, just because he so happened to chose his ex-girlfriend over me!!!"
"Right… Well, two words: 'Freudian' and 'slip'."
"Are you getting smart with me?!!"
"Tell me: what were you planning on eating?"
A question for a question and skepticism were making it harder and harder for the truth to be denied. Oh well, one should never underestimate the power of denial…
"Ice-cream, not that it's any of your business!" she yelled, seconds away from giving him a shiner; she was stressed out enough as it was without him adding fuel to the flames.
"So, you're doing the typical whiny-female-knocks-herself-out-on-an-ice-cream-binge deal, that it? Don't let me keep you from your frozen emotional dampener then."
"Who taught you such big words? Besides, the only emotional dampener I can see for miles is a stupid inanimate object called phone that could easily pass as a cold and evil harbinger of bad news!"
"No real food for you… something make you loose your appetite?" he teased, avidly scanning the room with his eyes. Come to think of it, he was kind of hungry; if he managed to coax her into eating, then perhaps he could join her?
"Nothing has made me loose my appetite, thank you very much! And, if you must know, I was thinking about making myself a…a… a salad."
"That's right Kaoru; you suck it up and make all dejected women everywhere proud! Pretend that the idea of having to taste, chew and swallow anything of your own concoction sounds appealing…as opposed to nauseating…"
"Well, don't let me stop you. The last thing I need is for a scrawny girl like you to die of malnourishment on my watch: Kenshin would never let me live it down."
Salad. She was going to eat salad. What was she, on a diet or something? Was it an innately female thing to solve any and all food related problems with the magical word 'salad'? For fuck's sake: the girl was going to down a bucketful of ice-cream all by herself; did she really think that eating a salad afterwards would suppress the amount of calories initially ingested? Besides, salads weren't precisely share-worthy material and they never succeeded at filling up the void in anyone's stomach…
"I doubt your friend would even notice. As dense as he is, he'd probably think I was taking an exaggeratedly long nap rather than sleeping eternally." she uttered sardonically and, it saddened her to recognize, a tad bitterly. It couldn't be helped though: she was truly putting too much of a fight against her feelings and her restraint was bound to crumble sooner or later.
"So the dimwit's finally showing his true colors, hunh?"
"I think he can't help but show them! Idiocy reflected in blank stares is not something a person can easily hide…" she voiced as she slammed cupboard after cupboard in her search for a salad bowl, recalling how a certain red-haired man had assessed a certain unpleasant situation in a way that was beyond clueless.
"Let me get this straight: you're not mad at him, but you can't seem to stop insulting him or bring yourself to pronounce his name… Am I missing something?"
In all honesty, Sano was a simple man and this… this was all too confusing and starting to get out of hand: whoever said that a woman's mind was a mystery had been dead on. Of course he knew she was upset; the part he didn't get was why she didn't give up the act and be up front about all that sentimental mushy stuff already: she could really save them both the time and the energy!
"A brain", came the flat, monotone retort.
"Hey! I didn't get into college for nothing you know!"
"It's called a football scholarship…"
"Why do people keep saying that like it's a bad thing? There's so much prejudice against us athletes!"
"The correct term would be 'dumb jocks': I presume that you have, more than likely, heard it many times…"
"That and a thousand other versions of it, everyday, straight from my twisted, devil of a sweetie pie's mouth!" he proclaimed, a long suffering sigh being the final touch to his ode for the leading lady in his life.
"More like lemon-pie! You can't quite get the sour taste out of your mouth after a meeting with your girlfriend, I'm sorry to say."
"Don't I know it…"
Kaoru knew the slumping of depressed shoulders when she saw it and, at that particular time, her unwanted companion was slouching to the point of severe 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' lordosis.
As much as she was displeased by his attitude at the moment, she couldn't very well deny him a helping hand; something was bothering him and, in his own kooky way, she knew he had only been trying to assist her in her troubles: it was time that she did the same.
Gently placing a hand on his shoulder she voiced her concern and felt him tense up in response, most likely feeling guilty at being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, metaphorically speaking:
"Is something wrong?"
"Yeah… there is… I still don't see any sliced up lettuce…"
With a slight smile softening her features, Kaoru realized that, if there was anything whatsoever that she and this annoying man could possibly have in common, it was abnegation.
She was upset about the turning of tides that had come to pass that evening, but she wasn't comfortable enough with her feelings to admit to it; she didn't know what was bringing him down –although she had a fair enough idea of whom it involved- but she knew that he too was in a similar boat, if not the very same one as herself.
With that in mind, the thought of them talking things out didn't sound like such a bad idea: being two castaway peas in a pod, they had to stick together, did they not?
Besides, the cat was already out of the bag and striving to be obnoxious and elusive on an empty stomach was beginning to take its toll on her…
"Nor will you see any sliced up vegetables: I can't cook worth wasabi, squash, salad or any food group known to man." she confessed.
"Technically, making salad's not cooking."
"You would think it impossible to screw up a salad, wouldn't you?" she commented, hefting her body into a sitting position atop the kitchen counter.
"Actually, yeah." Sano said, taking a seat beside her.
"Believe me, it's not something I take particular pride and joy in, but you don't want me going anywhere near all the goods in this room; basically, you want me to keep myself at least ten paces away from the fridge and pantry at all times."
"So… I was right and you really weren't planning on eating anything, were you?"
"Oh… I was… only, I was thinking more along the lines of take-out than homemade. I have Domino's Pizza on speed-dial."
"It's a real shame to give up on homemade considering the neat stock of ingredients you've got here."
"Of course the idea appeals to you! Free food every which way: that's your favorite kind, isn't it? The one on a zero-dollar budget availability scale?" she joked, feebly nudging her elbow against his ribs.
The alluded young man scrunched up his face and decided to get her back for that one:
"I was thinkin' about maybe whippin' us up some mean oven roasted spring vegetables and lemon and herb roasted chicken but, what with you having a stick up your butt and all, I take it back."
"Oh please, like you know how to cook!" she discredited with a roll of her eyes and a wave of her hands.
"Wanna bet?" he challenged; he could really use the money to cover the expenses for that little trip to Vegas he'd been planning…
"How much?" she inquired suspiciously; one could never be too careful with the guy, but she could really use the money, seeing as she was flat-out broke...
"First, you have to swear on your life that you won't tell a soul about this." he requested, hopping off the countertop.
"Like if I'm ever going to have to hold up to that promise…"
Oh yes, to Sano easy money was always welcome, but the look on her face when the night was over… now that would be priceless!
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"This sucks!"
"You only brought this upon yourself, you know."
"How in the name of Emeril and his 'kick it up a notch' shtick was I supposed to know that you can do more than stuff your face when it comes down to food?!!"
"Stop whining and pay up!"
"With what: the lint in my pockets??? I only agreed to this stupid bet because I'm all wiped out; aside from that, there's not a single gambling bone in my body!"
"And how is that meant to be fair??? I bust my butt cooking dinner and I don't get paid or laid!"
"As much as I enjoyed dinner, I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last man alive!"
"This is a giant IOU that I'm gonna keep hanging over your head missy! And please, don't even dare joke around with that: the mental pictures I'm getting are not precisely pretty!"
"I had a bokken in here somewhere… Oh well, a frying pan will just have to do!"
"Whoa! What is it with you and domestic violence? First I get a good filling of board game, and now you want to smack me upside the head with a frying pan?"
"Or a wok; whichever is closest and handier…"
A pair of dirty plates and two empty cans of soda littered the pine kitchen table and set the scene for yet another not-so-friendly bantering match.
Against all odds and much to Kaoru's dismay, or delight -she wasn't too sure on that one point yet- , Sanosuke had proved his worth as quite the frugal gourmet, regaling them both with a scrumptious, mouth-watering repast that only served to solidify her theory on the possibility of sliding into parallel universes unawares.
Small talk had been pleasant -as pleasant as the mechanics of the lazy bum/mood swinging female interrelation could allow, anyway- and after preferring a slipper over a pot or pan as a weapon and quick thinking turning a dish into a shield, there was an itch that the schoolgirl just absolutely needed to scratch…
"So… how come no one knows you could have your own show on the Food Channel?" she cross-examined, meddling when, quite frankly, no one asked her to.
"Do I look like a pansy-ass chef to you?" he lectured with his customary 'it's not actually supposed to make sense' policy.
"Oh, I get it: it's a male, chauvinistic, ego-trip thing! Listen… does Kenshin look like a pansy architect to you?"
"Yes!!!" he declared, not a hint of doubt tingeing his voice.
For what it was worth, Kaoru had to sigh: on second thought, comparing big ol' macho-man-wannabe Sano with little ol' attuned-to-his-more-feminine-side Kenshin, might not be the best or smartest way to broach the subject…
"I just don't get what the big deal is. This is an activity that you clearly enjoy and, as far as I know, you always do your own thing: what's stopping you?" she inquired innocently enough.
"It sounds like you still have a lot of growing up to do, missy. It's good though, that people like you still exist; call me up in a few years and tell me how being idealistic worked out for you, 'kay?" he responded with blunt honesty, scooping up some ice-cream into a bowl.
"I just don't see anything wrong with you wanting to be a chef, I really don't! People should have goals and do whatever it takes -without resorting to Machiavellian means, that is- to achieve them."
"In Care Bear land: sure. In the real world, people should go to college, get good grades and do an internship somewhere, graduate, find a job and miserably work off their house's mortgage until the day they die in their sleep and leave their family swimming in unpaid debts."
"I never thought the word 'jaded' would suit you, but the hits just keep on coming, as do the surprises…"
"I 'aint jaded; just heavily realistic." Sanosuke claimed, handing her a bowl.
"If that's what growing up means, then The Ramones were right all along and I figure I'll be better off singing along to their 3 minute songs than becoming a responsible well-adjusted member of society." she manifested, licking her spoon in deep thought.
"That's sweet kid, but you 'aint immune to coming of age, college applications and your parents' or friends' opinions."
"It just doesn't seem fair! This was the best meal I've had in years and it comes off as totally dumb and retarded that you should let your talent waste away because you have to turn out like everyone else wants you to, like the predetermined image they have of you or, even worse, submit to the preset little mold that the world is just far too eager to cram you into! Granted, dropping out of college is the ultimate risk, but if you have not an ounce of passion for that which you are doing, then there's not all that much to loose, is there?"
"Not to burst your bubble or anything, but there's a lot on the line when the one person you care about is willing to turn their back on you." he pointed out, waving a spoonful of ice-cream in front of her face.
Pinching her nose in irritation, there was no denying that this was the part of the story that Kaoru hated the most. Small talk during their quirky supper had been okay, keeping his grubby oven mitts away from her dish after he was done had been kind of amusing, and even that annoying part at the end where she was reminded of how much she owed Sano –actually, that was still like taking a shot to the head…
The importance of our protagonist's mental tirade, though, centered on one thing: the part of the conversation she and Sanosuke had amidst mouthfuls of chicken and pop, wherein a recent ridge between the hellion and his vitriolic girlfriend was revealed. The fact that a person who supposedly loved someone ran off when something this important came up -throwing breakable objects around to boot- was not sitting well with her at all…
"Setting aside all personal differences that I may have with Megumi, I think it would be silly if the following went unsaid: Sano… screw your girlfriend!" the teenager vigorously exclaimed and then, in view of a very wolfish grin, quickly amended, "And not in the Kama-Sutra sense of the word ya perv…"
"Listen missy, I get that you're trying to help, I do, but that's just not gonna happen. Let me break it down for you: I know Meg and I fight all the friggin' time, and I know it doesn't always seem like we see eye to eye but, in the long run, all that matters is that we pull through together. I may not be smarter than your average bear, but I know that what's most important to me right now is that darling spitfire of mine and, as much as I hate to admit it, she's usually right whenever she calls the shots; who's to say she doesn't have a point here?"
"Then let's say that you do decide to stay in college and that she cools off and you two get back on track: will you be fully happy?"
"Kaoru…" the boy spoke, chuckling softly, "love's not like that."
"What do you mean? Isn't love all about being happy, singing to the birds and vive la vie en rose?" she questioned, knitting her brows in utter confusion.
"Sure… that too. You've never been in love, have you cookie?"
"What do you know?!" she called out defensively, somewhat peeved at getting coined 'cookie'.
"Easy kiddo: I'm there. And if you don't get what I'm trying to tell you, then you'd better keep your fingers crossed so that when you fall it's not that bad and it's not that hard." Sano gushed seriously, although a small good spirited twinkle appeared to be lodged in his gaze.
"You really get off on mimicking Yoda, don't you?"
"Do I look like Kenshin? He's the nerd and housekeeper, I'm the actual guy."
"Sano… even though this in no way invalidates that you are a lazy bum and freeloading jerk, you aren't half bad and… it may not be my place to say, but I still believe you should talk to Megumi again about all of this. You should do whatever makes you happy and, if she loves you, she'll come around; after all, I may not be very familiar with the topic but, if I understood what you said before, then this whole 'love isn't only a synonym of happy' theory goes both ways, doesn't it?"
He had to smile. He got why his friend was attracted to her. Even though she was way too innocent for his taste and, without shadow of a doubt, an exasperating nag, she was above all else a nice person and a kindred spirit; in his less than humble opinion, Kaoru Kamiya could take on Tomoe any day: too bad the village idiot didn't see things from that perspective…
"Well missy, I came, I ate, now it's time I hit the road. You gonna be okay?" he asked in genuine concern, standing up from the table.
"I have no reason not to be." she affirmed coolly, hiding her eyes beneath her bangs.
She began to clear the table and he stretched his stiff limbs. She made her way to the sink and turned on the tap. Rolling up the sleeves of her sweatshirt, she set to work on the menial task of washing the dishes and soon enough bubbles were flying around her. Sanosuke took the opportunity to chase the transparent spherical soap-and-water-turned-to-fun substance round the kitchen and popped the flakes of soap, exactly as a young child would have done.
After a while, he nonchalantly walked over to the girl and took it upon himself to dry the dishes, ladles, glasses, forks and knives, all this done in a peaceful, companiable bout of silence that came naturally to them both, despite their generally talkative natures.
"So… what's Tomoe like?"
The question that broke the comfortable stillness was one that Sanosuke had expected. She had intentionally left the subject of Kenshin untouched, but he knew that she was only human and, as such, it had to be gnawing away at her insides and driving her mad.
Now that she had finally gone and done the inevitable though, he wasn't sure what to say that wouldn't sound disheartening; after all, Kenshin's relationship with 'Miss Cool, Calm and Collected' had been intense.
"Umm… I'm probably not the best person to ask. You have soap suds in your hair."
Soap suds??? What was he hiding from her? This 'Tomoe' person was the epitome of perfection, wasn't she? In fact, Tomoe would never ever get soap suds in her hair while washing dishes, would she? Of course not! She probably didn't randomly fall into ditches either… Who was she kidding? She was a lost case and she knew it, Kenshin knew it, Sano did too and Megumi had even gone as far as to say it out loud.
"Odd. Since Kenshin's your best friend, I figured that you could give me the Cliff Notes version, in case I ever bump into her I'm not taken completely off guard or anything…"
The porcelain dish in his hands was beyond being dried; it was currently getting polished.
"What to say? What to say?"
"I'd give you the lowdown on Yukishiro, but I kindda have a very biased opinion so, why bother?"
"Sano… that's what I want: a biased opinion! Otherwise, I might as well stalk over to any strange person dilly-dallying down the street and ask them about a girl they don't know so they can give me the impartial version due to a disturbing psychotic spell, or look at me funny and send me off to an asylum."
Didn't she ever back off? That girl was stubborn to the bone and, from the looks of it, would be the death of Kenshin- if he bothered to acknowledge that there was other intelligent life on the planet ever again anyway, considering that, in the past, when Tomoe was around, he used to devote 110% of his attention solely to her.
"Look missy; let's just say that, Tomoe and I, we don't get along so great…"
So Sanosuke wasn't all that fond of Kenshin's ex, hunh? Well, she could most definitely deal with that! It wasn't much and it didn't solve anything, but it did make her feel slightly better about herself and her current situation: maybe this woman wasn't as perfect as she had initially thought…
"It's kind of hard to get along with a rude, sarcastic ruffian: I can relate to that particular sentiment." she, in astute and mischievous fashion, expressed, putting an end to the plainly displeasing discussion; after all, she didn't want to bring her friend down, especially not after the lovely and unique bonding that had gone on that night.
"Yes," she thought with a smile, "for now I can truly consider him a friend, can't I?"
"Trust me, it 'aint half as bad as having to eat with your Casper-white face in full view. Seriously, stepping out into the sun once in a while won't hurt you, ya know?" he retaliated for the heck of it.
A splash of water and soapsuds followed that statement in a flash and flurry of movement.
Sanosuke ducked just in time to avoid an airborne slipper, but, very much to his chagrin, he wasn't fast enough to stop the second one from connecting with his jaw.
"On second thought, maybe 'friend' is too strong a word…"
Ah, friendship… what a wonderful, crazy, sadomasochistic thing it was.
Reviewer Responses:
To Misato-Katsuragi2: Trust me, to Tomoe I do this too: :-p ! I don't like her all that much, but I do believe that she is one of the most misunderstood characters in anime history and, for that very reason, I intend to cut her some slack. I've got plans for her but, though I certainly don't intend to give the story away, I've decided to be nice this time and tell you that, SO FAR, I have no intentions of allowing her to end up with Kenshin… On that very suspenseful note, I leave you…
To Kakiyaku Mai: *Pauses*… Yes, this will be a K+K fic! At least, that's my take on it thus far… Ah, French: I lived in Belgium for three years so I know how to speak it and write it properly… the experience also created a deep-rooted phobia in me when it comes down to grammar and, to be more specific, verb structures. *shudders at the thought of her upcoming grammar seminar* Now that you know what Kaoru does with seemingly harmless slippers, are you still intent on the use of a bokken? And a little tip: remember that a kitchen is just an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction just waiting to be put to good use! Bye!
To Nigihayami Haruko: Trust me, reviews never are long enough, though the length of your last one was highly satisfactory! I'm glad that you like the way I portray Kaoru and it please me to hear that you enjoyed the revelations from last chapter. I know that this one is a bit slow on the uptake, but I want to establish solid foundations for all my characters' relationships; I don't like it much when an author introduces two characters who have never met into the story and seconds later, they become friends. In my opinion, friendships take time and, if I want Sano to be on missy's side, I have to give the answers as to why he would side with her: to me 'just because' isn't good enough. I hope this chapter was to your liking; oh well, at least I tried…
To Aryanne: Before we go into my story… YOU UPDATED SILVER CROSS!!! YOU UPDATED SILVER CROSS!!! I am ever so happy!!! *clears throat and sheepishly glances sideways* Okay, so now that that's all taken care off, let's get on with the show! First and foremost, squeezing Tomoe back into the picture is not as easy as it seems, especially when one is a K+K fan. Secondly, Sano wasn't there when he should have been, but wasn't his presence soothing and comforting during the aftermath? If there's one thing I couldn't get away with, it was leaving Sano's opinion and brilliant take on things out of this part of the story; to me his supporting role is ever fundamental in the development of the main characters' relationship; he's the one that -in his own, truly particular way, of course- makes sense out of everything. Third up: there is a beneficial quality to Tomoe's interference; she holds exclusively knowledgeable insights about the ever mysterious past… Now, do I have your attention? *laughs maniacally and does the typical Mr. Burns evil rubbing of hands.*
To tibby-chan: I was hoping I could get my next chapter up soon too, but as I thoroughly explained in my AN, some things came up… Thanks for liking my story and for leaving a review!
To ^_^: Messed up, hunh? Wait till you see the rest: I get the distinct feeling that, soon enough, our dear Kenny will be beyond messed up! Also, thanks dude, I appreciate the review!
To Laurika: As you have probably found out from experience, pleading for a new chapter to come out soon doesn't work with me; blame my teachers and all the crazy things they make me do! As of right now, I am sitting here, typing away after my day on the beach, courtesy of my photography teacher, and I am sun burnt: yes, my shoulders are all red and soon enough they are going to hurt to the touch like… well, hell. Thank you for all the lovely comments on my story: flattery will get thee everywhere… ^_^ !
To Shaeya Sedjet: I hope you get past reading the first chapter. Tell me what you think of the rest, okay? ^_~
To tamichka: Number one: I will ALWAYS be here to listen to your ranting! Numero two: okay, sure, Tomoe isn't back in the picture… although, you probably won't want to take a looksie at the upcoming chapters then… To live in denial, hunh? You asked when I was gonna update… I guess I won't score any points if I go all 'funny' on you and say 'how is now for an answer?' *gets sucker punched* Yep… I figured as much… ^_~
To Rhapsody07: I think all of us fanfiction authors can, in one way or another, relate to Kaoru's sudden inspiration thingy, hence why I decided to write about it: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Another thing: fine, I won't tell you Tomoe is back… you'll just read more and more about it eventually, until you start getting used to the idea! *flashes impish wink* ^_____~ I'm thankful that you agreed with the way Kaoru handled herself throughout this whole ordeal; I hope that after this chapter that positive idea of yours doesn't change in regards to that very same situation! I'm happy that you're back at the 'Reviewer Responses' section: we missed you down here!
To VanyD: I'm sorry to say that I don't read Fushugi Yuugi; in fact, I know very little about that show. Well, we always hope that there will be a happy ending in store for Kaoru and Kenshin, don't we? ^_~ I agree with the fact that the two lovebirds need to lock lips, but I'm not going to rush things. Of one thing you can be certain though: when the time comes, it will be quite memorable for the both of them!
To missaw: Do you know that you are the only person that did NOT throw a fit because of the K/T situation? I find it fascinating and flattering that you didn't mind in the least that I incorporated that bit into the story! Now, for the fun part: if you think that last part was a MAJOR plot twist then, in time, you are going to be in for a VERY lovely surprise! Till next we meet again!
To EnjeruJoshin: You think you're pretty clever don't you? You think that just because you predicted Tomoe's return you can predict that which is coming next, don't you? To be very 'Buffy', cliché and evil, I'll say this: "You think you know. What's to come, what you are. You really have no idea." Okay, so maybe the "what you are" spiel was a little over the top, but the rest… it suited the situation and fit in quite beautifully, if you ask me. To ease some of the emotional distress I seem to have, yet again, put you through, I can go ahead and tell you with a clear conscience that Tomoe and Kenshin will not be heading off to a Las Vegas wedding chapel or anything of the sort anytime soon. Now that you can rest easy I am going to go on ahead and thank you for all the encouragement and the motivational speeches you direct my way: they mean the world to me! Till next time, kay? Bye! ^_^
To Ocean Fish: Oh… we don't address 'HER' by 'HER' filthy little name, do we? Someone has some anger management issues * to be read in unpretentious singsong voice* By the way, even though I'm a Scorpio, I don't tend to hold grudges and I forgive you, though that baby talk scared me… a bit *shudders*. Well, I haven't updated consistently, so I can't blame you for taking your sweet time as well and if I had to pick a story for you to focus on right now… well… you know the Piano People are my favorites so, if my vote counts any, I'm gonna say 'Living the dead' it is! My shoulders are starting to hurt because of the stupid sunburn afflicting me so I'm gonna draw this to a stop, okay? I'll see you next time and, if you need any help with your stories, let me know. Bye now!
This is people: I'm signing out for the time being. Please, don't forget to review!