***
*disclaimer* (put fingers in ears) I can't heeeeaaaar you!
***
AU-
A butterfly flapping it's wings
caused a hurricane half a world away.
--The Theory of Chaos
***
There was safety in the routine.
If the routine wasn't broken then everything might turn out all right.
Wake up in the morning. Fix Breakfast.
(Greet Kaoru-dono in the hall and watch her as she walks away knowing every movement that she made before she made it, pure bliss.)
Gather up the laundry from all the bedrooms.
(There was none in Kaoru-dono's bedroom. There was only a note still folded on her desk with the word 'gomen' written on the outside.)
Go outside to the morning sunshine and do the laundry.
(Revel in the pure domesticity of listening to Kaoru conduct morning practice with Yahiko.)
Kenshin kicked the laudry tub... it was no use. The routine was nothing without Kaoru-dono. Even the Dojo was different, all the life and sparkle had gone out of it, it had gone dormant awaited Kaoru-dono's return to spring back to life.
"Is that what I should do?" Kenshin thought out loud.
It was tempting to lose himself that way, not thinking, not feeling until one day Kaoru came back and everything was back to normal.
Too bad it didn't work that way, Kenshin thought sadly. When, if, Kaoru came home something would change, that he could feel in the marrow of his bones. Maybe he had been expecting this, or something like it... maybe ever since he rescued a head strong young girl from a murderer one dark night.
***
Hiko was in town shopping for sake and the makings for supper when Midori arrived for her promised visit.
Kaoru didn't see her right away, she was in her practice clothes working her way through a set of sword kata.
Midori stayed in the shadows andwatched Kaoru's body flow through the supple movements until Kaoru registered her presence on that inner radar that most swordsmen possess.
She dropped her strance and waved to Midori. "Hey! Welcome!"
Midori smiled and left the shade. "I was watching your dance, that was beautiful!"
Kaoru shuckled nervously. "Not really, I'm actually a little stiff... I haven't been practicing the really hard stuff lately." she sighed. "That's part of the reason I came here... but why not let's go inside? There's some sun tea that should be nice a cool by now."
"That would be lovely!" Midori agreed. "I've never met a female swordmaster before."
Kaoru smiled. "Swordsmasters are a rare breed these days, and female kenshi were always rare." she led the way inside and prepared two cups of tea for herself and her guest.
Midori accepted her cup with gratitude and took a sip... she winced. "Oh... it's..."
Kaoru made a face. "Feel free to tell me it's aweful." she sighed. "I'll get it right one of these days."
"It's not your fault. Someone sold you bad jasmine." Midori assured her. She pointed to some of the loose tea floating in the drink. "See, it's all stems and no blossoms."
The shinhondai scowled. "Drat." she muttered. "there's a dead man in the south markets once I find him."
Midori put the lid back on her tea. "Indeed, next time you go shopping please stop by my house. I know where all the honest merchants are."
Kaoru bowed to her new friend. "I would be very, very grateful."
"It's no problem, expecially now that I know you and my husband know each other!" Midori assured her.
"Eh? I don't know who you are talking about." Kaoru said.
Midori smiled. "Of course not, he married into my family and took our name. Do you recall one Kage Tsubasa who trained with you at your family's dojo?"
Kaoru's face lit up. "Of course! We hated each other!"
Midori started. "What? He spoke of you so... happily."
"Oh... oh, of course. We were rivals you see, the best two students in the Dojo. We were always fighting." she smiled reminiscently. "If it hadn't been for him I would never have worked half so hard to succeed my father as the Dojo master."
Midori blushed. "Oh, I had been under the impression that you were childhood friends..."
"We were," Kaoru assured her. "There are many types of friends. Is he in town?"
"Yes, of course." Midori brightened. "He wanted me to invite you and your brother to supper tonight."
Kaoru beamed. "That would be wonderful." Tht way I don't have to... oh no... "Hiko's already getting food for tonight." she slammed her fist into her hand. "We should go down to the market and catch him before he gets anything that will spoil."
Midori stood. "A good idea. We can go to my home afterwards."
***
Author's note
***
I've been using a lot of jpanese words in here but not translating them. How implotie of me! *hits self* Here's and index of the words I've used so far.
Aijou- beloved daughter
Ue- My dear father
Onigiri- riceballs
Miso- soup made from soyban paste
katsuobushi- dried bonito fish flakes
kombu- dried kelp
Dashi- a broth base for many japanese soups
*disclaimer* (put fingers in ears) I can't heeeeaaaar you!
***
AU-
A butterfly flapping it's wings
caused a hurricane half a world away.
--The Theory of Chaos
***
There was safety in the routine.
If the routine wasn't broken then everything might turn out all right.
Wake up in the morning. Fix Breakfast.
(Greet Kaoru-dono in the hall and watch her as she walks away knowing every movement that she made before she made it, pure bliss.)
Gather up the laundry from all the bedrooms.
(There was none in Kaoru-dono's bedroom. There was only a note still folded on her desk with the word 'gomen' written on the outside.)
Go outside to the morning sunshine and do the laundry.
(Revel in the pure domesticity of listening to Kaoru conduct morning practice with Yahiko.)
Kenshin kicked the laudry tub... it was no use. The routine was nothing without Kaoru-dono. Even the Dojo was different, all the life and sparkle had gone out of it, it had gone dormant awaited Kaoru-dono's return to spring back to life.
"Is that what I should do?" Kenshin thought out loud.
It was tempting to lose himself that way, not thinking, not feeling until one day Kaoru came back and everything was back to normal.
Too bad it didn't work that way, Kenshin thought sadly. When, if, Kaoru came home something would change, that he could feel in the marrow of his bones. Maybe he had been expecting this, or something like it... maybe ever since he rescued a head strong young girl from a murderer one dark night.
***
Hiko was in town shopping for sake and the makings for supper when Midori arrived for her promised visit.
Kaoru didn't see her right away, she was in her practice clothes working her way through a set of sword kata.
Midori stayed in the shadows andwatched Kaoru's body flow through the supple movements until Kaoru registered her presence on that inner radar that most swordsmen possess.
She dropped her strance and waved to Midori. "Hey! Welcome!"
Midori smiled and left the shade. "I was watching your dance, that was beautiful!"
Kaoru shuckled nervously. "Not really, I'm actually a little stiff... I haven't been practicing the really hard stuff lately." she sighed. "That's part of the reason I came here... but why not let's go inside? There's some sun tea that should be nice a cool by now."
"That would be lovely!" Midori agreed. "I've never met a female swordmaster before."
Kaoru smiled. "Swordsmasters are a rare breed these days, and female kenshi were always rare." she led the way inside and prepared two cups of tea for herself and her guest.
Midori accepted her cup with gratitude and took a sip... she winced. "Oh... it's..."
Kaoru made a face. "Feel free to tell me it's aweful." she sighed. "I'll get it right one of these days."
"It's not your fault. Someone sold you bad jasmine." Midori assured her. She pointed to some of the loose tea floating in the drink. "See, it's all stems and no blossoms."
The shinhondai scowled. "Drat." she muttered. "there's a dead man in the south markets once I find him."
Midori put the lid back on her tea. "Indeed, next time you go shopping please stop by my house. I know where all the honest merchants are."
Kaoru bowed to her new friend. "I would be very, very grateful."
"It's no problem, expecially now that I know you and my husband know each other!" Midori assured her.
"Eh? I don't know who you are talking about." Kaoru said.
Midori smiled. "Of course not, he married into my family and took our name. Do you recall one Kage Tsubasa who trained with you at your family's dojo?"
Kaoru's face lit up. "Of course! We hated each other!"
Midori started. "What? He spoke of you so... happily."
"Oh... oh, of course. We were rivals you see, the best two students in the Dojo. We were always fighting." she smiled reminiscently. "If it hadn't been for him I would never have worked half so hard to succeed my father as the Dojo master."
Midori blushed. "Oh, I had been under the impression that you were childhood friends..."
"We were," Kaoru assured her. "There are many types of friends. Is he in town?"
"Yes, of course." Midori brightened. "He wanted me to invite you and your brother to supper tonight."
Kaoru beamed. "That would be wonderful." Tht way I don't have to... oh no... "Hiko's already getting food for tonight." she slammed her fist into her hand. "We should go down to the market and catch him before he gets anything that will spoil."
Midori stood. "A good idea. We can go to my home afterwards."
***
Author's note
***
I've been using a lot of jpanese words in here but not translating them. How implotie of me! *hits self* Here's and index of the words I've used so far.
Aijou- beloved daughter
Ue- My dear father
Onigiri- riceballs
Miso- soup made from soyban paste
katsuobushi- dried bonito fish flakes
kombu- dried kelp
Dashi- a broth base for many japanese soups
