[SANCTUARY]
She's the undisputed Princess of Furinkan High. He's just the bad boy next door. But when good meets bad...an angel and a demon fall in love...
(A/N) THANK YOU SO MUCH! To everyone who e-mailed me and encouraged me to keep writing this! I was going to leave it for dead, but now I'm back! With new inspiration!
Dedicated to Stephanie Hoa and Chris (KP21456@aol.com) Luv to you both!
CHaPTeR 4: Behind the Masks we wear
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The sun had almost set behind the chain-link fence. This period of time, this twilight, was Ranma time. All he had to himself, and even then it was usually spent making the journey to the Master. So any thinking, or idling, practicing or shopping, had to be done on the way. The Master always expected him to be punctual.
Ranma sighed as he jogged along the fence-top. He had lost control, and that was something he should not have done. And because of his actions, an innocent was hurt. Innocent. Feh. Tatewaki Kuno was anything but.
Before he knew it, he stood in front of the mansion, a dark imposing structure that towered over the rest of Nerima. Taking a deep breath, he growled, throwing his shoulders back as he strode inside.
The shadows lay stagnant, cast by the moon throwing it's light through the window. It was nightfall already, the time spent on his walk meant precious moments wasted.
He was late.
"Kojiro!" He growled. A shadow seemed to coil, and drift towards him.
"Yes, Ranma-san?"
"Where is he?" The ninja's shadowed eyes seemed to gleam in pleasure.
"He is expecting you. He has been waiting." Ranma almost snapped the smaller man's neck in annoyance. He was so sick of this overly-dramatic set-up. If he'd been through it once, he'd been through it a thousand times. And everytime sent a shiver down his spine. Ranma hated being made to feel scared and weak.
"Show me the way."
It was so hard to predict where the man he called Master would be, thought Ranma. At each visit, the man made certain that Ranma could neither find nor sense him until Kojiro directed him, or he showed himself. By the way and feel of the passages Kojiro was leading him through, (he absently leapt over a dark crevasse) the Master was in the Green Room. The mansion was a living, festering mass of traps. The Master was a very paranoid man. That, and so sadistic, he created them purely for Ranma's torture.
Kojiro silently swung the door to the Green Room open, then dissolved back into the shadows. If Ranma strained his ears, he could hear very very soft footsteps padding away. Tendrils of smoke drifted out, causing Ranma to grimace in disgust.
The circle of men reclining on big leather couches made Ranma feel out of place. But he must never show that. If he did, there would surely be punishment afterwards.
He stepped into the room, winding through the clusters of businessmen. Old, fat, thin...the smoke came from the opium a small group were smoking near the door. They looked up as he walked past, grinning, showing yellowed teeth in skeletal faces. Ranma felt disgusted, and kept moving on. Closer to the powerful presence at the back of the room. A hand groped his ass and he whirled around snarling. Firh, the Master's pet whore smiled cheekily, then winked as he strutted the room. Firh was a beautiful man, more so than most, with tangled blonde locks and a devilishly seductive mouth. He had high cheekbones, and deceptive blue eyes. Yes, Firh was a very pretty gajin. Ranma dared not to strike him, for to blemish that perfect skin earned a countenance of three hundred strokes from the master.
Instead, he gritted his teeth and continued his way to the back.
A small gambling table was set up, and many powerful infuences, both local and international, Ranma recognised. None recognised him. The Master looked up, and halted play with a powerful hand. A head and shoulders taller than the man sitting next to him, he was big, powerful, strong and distinguished.
"Report." His voice was like gravel, like thunder creating a cyclone.
"Ranma Saotome, sir. Reporting on Furinkan High, sir. One Nabiki Tendo present, sir. One Akane Tendo present, sir. One Ryoga Hibiki present, sir. All living at the Tendo Dojo, sir. Outlets for business present, sir. No sign of Honoured Elder Kho Lon yet, sir." His eyes stayed focused, seemingly blank as they gazed at the wall just past the Master's ear. But the Master knew better. He could feel the hatred seething through Ranma.
He shuddered. At least that old bat hadn't caught their tail yet, or they'd be in the shit and then some.
"Good. Dismissed." Ranma opened his mouth as if to say something, but play had resumed. There was nothing else to do. He left. Firh gave him a flirty smile as he passed him, pouting when Ranma didn't react.
Once outside the Green Room, when the door closed, he shook with rage. That man, that creature that he called Master. His own father. Second in Command of Tokyo's Yakuza. And he treated most prisoners with more affection than his own son. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't cry. He could wait until he got home.
Ranma didn't notice the soft sound of the door behind him closing. Soft hands caressed his back and shoulders.
"Firh." Who else would it be? But he made no attempt to stop him, and so the hands kneaded into the muscle, relaxing him, caressing the flesh. Soothing him. The hands gripped his shoulders and turned him to face his captor. Firh was a head taller than Ranma, and more beautiful than any man had any right to be. He leant in, and brushed his lips against Ranma's ear.
"Come on Ranma, I'll take you home."
Numbly, Ranma let himself be led out of the grounds and back to his apartment.
At his apartment, Firh stood at the bottom of the steps.
"Good night Ranma Saotome." He wrapped his arms around Ranma's waist, pausing to gauge his reaction, and frowned when he saw tears in the younger boys eyes. Leaning in he kissed them away, then brushed his lips lightly against Ranma's.
"Take care." He finished, stepping back, and then walking into the darkness.
Ranma pushed the door open and stepped into his apartment, going through his nightly routine mechanically. Only when he was safe in bed did he let the tears fall.
(AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ranma is NOT gay. Firh is just a little tasty piece of shounen-ai. The rest of this story will not be this dark, only a few chapters every now and then. E-mail me if you have any other queries.)
She's the undisputed Princess of Furinkan High. He's just the bad boy next door. But when good meets bad...an angel and a demon fall in love...
(A/N) THANK YOU SO MUCH! To everyone who e-mailed me and encouraged me to keep writing this! I was going to leave it for dead, but now I'm back! With new inspiration!
Dedicated to Stephanie Hoa and Chris (KP21456@aol.com) Luv to you both!
CHaPTeR 4: Behind the Masks we wear
___________________________________
___________________________________
The sun had almost set behind the chain-link fence. This period of time, this twilight, was Ranma time. All he had to himself, and even then it was usually spent making the journey to the Master. So any thinking, or idling, practicing or shopping, had to be done on the way. The Master always expected him to be punctual.
Ranma sighed as he jogged along the fence-top. He had lost control, and that was something he should not have done. And because of his actions, an innocent was hurt. Innocent. Feh. Tatewaki Kuno was anything but.
Before he knew it, he stood in front of the mansion, a dark imposing structure that towered over the rest of Nerima. Taking a deep breath, he growled, throwing his shoulders back as he strode inside.
The shadows lay stagnant, cast by the moon throwing it's light through the window. It was nightfall already, the time spent on his walk meant precious moments wasted.
He was late.
"Kojiro!" He growled. A shadow seemed to coil, and drift towards him.
"Yes, Ranma-san?"
"Where is he?" The ninja's shadowed eyes seemed to gleam in pleasure.
"He is expecting you. He has been waiting." Ranma almost snapped the smaller man's neck in annoyance. He was so sick of this overly-dramatic set-up. If he'd been through it once, he'd been through it a thousand times. And everytime sent a shiver down his spine. Ranma hated being made to feel scared and weak.
"Show me the way."
It was so hard to predict where the man he called Master would be, thought Ranma. At each visit, the man made certain that Ranma could neither find nor sense him until Kojiro directed him, or he showed himself. By the way and feel of the passages Kojiro was leading him through, (he absently leapt over a dark crevasse) the Master was in the Green Room. The mansion was a living, festering mass of traps. The Master was a very paranoid man. That, and so sadistic, he created them purely for Ranma's torture.
Kojiro silently swung the door to the Green Room open, then dissolved back into the shadows. If Ranma strained his ears, he could hear very very soft footsteps padding away. Tendrils of smoke drifted out, causing Ranma to grimace in disgust.
The circle of men reclining on big leather couches made Ranma feel out of place. But he must never show that. If he did, there would surely be punishment afterwards.
He stepped into the room, winding through the clusters of businessmen. Old, fat, thin...the smoke came from the opium a small group were smoking near the door. They looked up as he walked past, grinning, showing yellowed teeth in skeletal faces. Ranma felt disgusted, and kept moving on. Closer to the powerful presence at the back of the room. A hand groped his ass and he whirled around snarling. Firh, the Master's pet whore smiled cheekily, then winked as he strutted the room. Firh was a beautiful man, more so than most, with tangled blonde locks and a devilishly seductive mouth. He had high cheekbones, and deceptive blue eyes. Yes, Firh was a very pretty gajin. Ranma dared not to strike him, for to blemish that perfect skin earned a countenance of three hundred strokes from the master.
Instead, he gritted his teeth and continued his way to the back.
A small gambling table was set up, and many powerful infuences, both local and international, Ranma recognised. None recognised him. The Master looked up, and halted play with a powerful hand. A head and shoulders taller than the man sitting next to him, he was big, powerful, strong and distinguished.
"Report." His voice was like gravel, like thunder creating a cyclone.
"Ranma Saotome, sir. Reporting on Furinkan High, sir. One Nabiki Tendo present, sir. One Akane Tendo present, sir. One Ryoga Hibiki present, sir. All living at the Tendo Dojo, sir. Outlets for business present, sir. No sign of Honoured Elder Kho Lon yet, sir." His eyes stayed focused, seemingly blank as they gazed at the wall just past the Master's ear. But the Master knew better. He could feel the hatred seething through Ranma.
He shuddered. At least that old bat hadn't caught their tail yet, or they'd be in the shit and then some.
"Good. Dismissed." Ranma opened his mouth as if to say something, but play had resumed. There was nothing else to do. He left. Firh gave him a flirty smile as he passed him, pouting when Ranma didn't react.
Once outside the Green Room, when the door closed, he shook with rage. That man, that creature that he called Master. His own father. Second in Command of Tokyo's Yakuza. And he treated most prisoners with more affection than his own son. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't cry. He could wait until he got home.
Ranma didn't notice the soft sound of the door behind him closing. Soft hands caressed his back and shoulders.
"Firh." Who else would it be? But he made no attempt to stop him, and so the hands kneaded into the muscle, relaxing him, caressing the flesh. Soothing him. The hands gripped his shoulders and turned him to face his captor. Firh was a head taller than Ranma, and more beautiful than any man had any right to be. He leant in, and brushed his lips against Ranma's ear.
"Come on Ranma, I'll take you home."
Numbly, Ranma let himself be led out of the grounds and back to his apartment.
At his apartment, Firh stood at the bottom of the steps.
"Good night Ranma Saotome." He wrapped his arms around Ranma's waist, pausing to gauge his reaction, and frowned when he saw tears in the younger boys eyes. Leaning in he kissed them away, then brushed his lips lightly against Ranma's.
"Take care." He finished, stepping back, and then walking into the darkness.
Ranma pushed the door open and stepped into his apartment, going through his nightly routine mechanically. Only when he was safe in bed did he let the tears fall.
(AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ranma is NOT gay. Firh is just a little tasty piece of shounen-ai. The rest of this story will not be this dark, only a few chapters every now and then. E-mail me if you have any other queries.)