Hi, I'm back. This is just me going insane, before I have to read up and do
assignments for midterms. Man, do I have a busy week ahead of me.....
Disclaimer: My favorite chara is Kenshin, not his brother-in-law, but I am definitely intrigued by Enishi. Watsuki-sensei is an AWESOME writer, and this is my poor attempt at continuing his enigmatic manga character.
Dialogue-intensive chapter coming your way.
...............
"Where have you been, Misao?"
Okina welcomed her home with the question.
"Just out, like always," she replied easily, but her eyes went past him.
"With that young man again?"
"Shiroyuki-san? Uh-huh," and she stretched herself out on the porch.
"You don't fool me, Misao-chan," Okina sternly glared at her.
Puzzled, she took a more respectful position, kneeling opposite him. The old man, however, began to pace before her.
"Let me tell you what I already know," he began. "Shiroyuki Shinichi is not that man's real name. His name is Yukishiro Enishi."
Misao paled.
"He does not bother too much to hide his former identity, as he assumes that he is no longer being watched. Quite the contrary. The police keep a private tab on him, and so do several private investigators. At the first chance they get, at the first sign of criminal activity, they will pounce and arrest him."
Her face became ashen.
"Don't look at me like that, Misao. I taught you everything you know, and you can't hide anything from me for long. To continue: He was a former mafia boss in Shanghai, influential there and in Japan. This current business of his stems from his experience in weapons manufacturing and trading."
This did not worry her too much; she knew it from him personally.
"He used to have, probably still has, a huge network of contacts and informants. He was powerful in the underground. It is possible that many key people were killed under his orders."
Speculation, Misao mused. Not proven.
"And, his mental capacity is still questioned. He could go berserk at any moment, and kill off hundreds of people with a single command. Or, he could kill with his own hands at will and without mercy. He is skillful in both the sword and the pistol, which is a deadly combination."
Still speculation......but what if Okina was right?
"W-w-who gave you this information?" Misao inquired.
"That man is potentially dangerous, Misao. It would be wise for you to keep away from him." Okina warned.
"Who gave you the information?!"
"I protect the privacy of my sources." His face was calm.
"WHO TOLD YOU?!" It took all of Misao's respect for him, not to grab Okina by the throat.
"If you must know," Okina quietly sat in front of her, "Aoshi told me."
The world crumbled before her eyes.
"He knows that you have been spending your afternoons with him. From someone inside the Shiroyuki mansion, it has been discovered that you had once been kissed by the man. Now, has all the information been so far correct?"
She did not answer.
"Furthermore, you have been careless enough to tell Yukishiro too much about yourself....."
"But I never gave away any of our secrets!" she protested.
"You have shown him our house, described it in detail. Anyone with a scheming mind could use this information to eliminate us! Also, you have shown him your strong and weak points, and those of your comrades, by telling about them to him. You have even gone so far as to tell him about the Okashira...."
"Only that I think the world of Aoshi-sama, and nothing about his movements!"
"But you know yourself that he is uniquely brilliant and intelligent. Do you think he won't put two and two together, and find a way to infiltrate us?"
"Infiltrate? You're taking this too far, Jiya! He doesn't have any plans like that!"
"Are you sure? How would you know that he isn't lying to you, showing you a false face, like he has a false name? You know only one side of him!"
Now that Okina mentioned it, Misao realized he was right. She saw the man who showed her the world of books, the man who was confused about life and love, the man who-kissed her an hour ago. But the shrewd businessman, the powerful dealer, the conniving master tactician-that was a part of his personality as well, and she had never seen him in that light.
What if it was true what Okina said, that he was merely showing a false face, that he had not changed after all, that this was all a show for her? That deep inside, he was still a...psychotic genius? Driven by a singular purpose, someone who could set Kyoto ablaze, could toy with a man's emotions, could employ vast resources to eradicate traces of a man's life?
But the man she held two weeks ago was not a farce. The man who held her close this afternoon was not a lie. Surely he was true to her, if only to her.....surely.
"Misao, for your safety, I have to ask you to stop seeing Yukishiro," Okina ordered.
"But, Jiya----"
"No buts, Misao!"
"Jiya, he needs me!"
"Those were the Okashira's orders!"
The Okashira's orders?!
"I understand that you and Aoshi have had an opportunity to meet Yukishiro in Tokyo when you stayed at the Himuras for a few months. The man you met there is the same as the one who calls himself Shiroyuki Shinichi now, according to Aoshi. He says that Yukishiro already has an outward presentation of a changed life. However, he still retains much of that self from your encounter with him two years ago. Aoshi has not stopped you from seeing him these past few months, because he was not sure of what course to take. But, as new information came to his attention, he has decided to make you end your relationship with Yukishiro."
"New---information?"
"Yukishiro has upscaled his business to take in exports to Shanghai. That probably means that he still has connections he wants to employ for his illegal tradings. There have been reports of an increase in opium and weapons trade recently, and your-friend-is suspect to be one of the masterminds of the exchanges."
"That's not possible...maybe it's just a coincidence....."
"Aoshi has reason to believe that he has reclaimed that little island of his, a trading outpost from two years ago. Reports from Tokyo say that no increase in activity to it has been noted, but they suspect it might happen soon."
"No, that's not true, Jiya..."
"Until we are sure that it is not true, we forbid you to continue seeing him. You are too important to us."
"NO, JIYA!!"
"My mind is made up, and so is Aoshi's."
There was no reasoning with Okina. As tears welled up in her eyes, she ran up to the second floor, and cried out her sorrows. She propped her arms on a windowsill, and quietly watched the day turn into the night, the way her hopes turned into disappointment.
It had been a very unusual day. She started it full of hope and determination to see her tall whitehaired friend, after two weeks of separation. She saw her hope realized. She felt-whatever it was he felt for her now. Then now she was being forced to separate herself from him again. The worst of it being, her own Aoshi-sama gave the order.
Aoshi-sama was Aoshi-sama, and she would obey him almost without question. But why was this decision so hard for her to accept? Why was it so hard to leave him now? What was Enishi to her, and what place did Aoshi now have in her heart?
She buried her head in her arms, and wept under the stars.
"Doushite?" (why?)
A voice asked from the street below.
"Why the tears in her beautiful jade eyes?"
Misao looked down, and saw the reason for her tears.
He had changed his clothes into something a little more formal, slightly hidden under a dark overcoat. Misao knew that Americans called it a three- piece suit, and it was of the black and white combination that he wore, cloaking him in the night. His head was uncovered, and his snowy hair blew in the chilly winter breeze.
She recalled all the information Okina force-fed on her, and she tried to link them to the handsome gentleman looking at her from below. She remembered a time, not too long ago, when anything he said was taken with suspicion, by her. She might no longer think that way, but she definitely could not blame Aoshi-sama for doing so. He never had a chance to talk to him like she had talked to him over the past few months.
But the Okashira must be obeyed. It was part of the code.
"My associate is having a dinner at my house, and he has graciously allowed me to bring a partner. Could you possibly be ready in half an hour?" the gentleman asked from the street.
"No, I'm sorry......Shiroyuki-san. I can't be ready, not ever." And her eyes filled with tears again.
" 'Shiroyuki-san?' What is the meaning of this? You already called me------- -"
"Don't say it here, Shiroyuki-san. I can't see you anymore. Aoshi-sama forbids it."
"What?! Why?"
"Because he still thinks, Shiroyuki-san, that Yukishiro is a dangerous man, and it would be wise for me to stay away from him....so this is goodbye."
"Sacre bleu.....Shinomori thinks I am dangerous?! Still?"
He began to chuckle, then to snicker, then to laugh, then to guffaw until the whole street heard his laughter.
He eventually composed himself and added with a hiss, "He doesn't know half of what I can do."
Then he silently looked up at his little friend at the window. As snowflakes quietly fell around the man, a plan began to form in his mind, Misao could see it in his face. She did not know whether to be assured of that fact, or to be deathly afraid.
Misao saw him take out his purple spectacles from a coat pocket. He dramatically took it in both hands, slowly brought it to his face. Then with right index and middle fingers slightly crossed, he pushed the glasses by the bridge, and hid his increasingly fierce eyes.
"It shall be as he wishes. Shiroyuki will no longer meet with Makimachi from this day forward."
She bravely hazarded, in a whisper. "When do I see you again....Enishi- san?"
"Wait until the cherry blossom festival, Misao. All should be in readiness by then. I will come for you, I swear it."
..............
Things will start to get interesting from now on, hopefully.
Sabbie-I finally have the first chapter to the Vandread fic you asked of me. ^^ I do need tips, though. Hope you do OK with the make-up admissions!
Firuze-nee-san-I'm managing him smoothly and wonderfully?! Nee-san, do you have any IDEA how much I pound my head nights when I type, just to get it right? I could actually leave a Nine Months chap in the middle and go to bed. I'm afraid that if I sleep on a White and Black chap I might lose the moment slowly forming in my brain and not get it back. As it is, I keep feeling like I'm falling into the cliché! I'll keep the suggestions in mind, thanks!
ewunia-yup, that's what I like about RK too, the deep characters. Oh, yes, there is a deep personality under all the insanity! And yes, that's why there are a lot of RK fanfics, there are so many open ends to the story.
chitchat-Misao won't just fall straight for him, or for anyone else, to replace Aoshi! I mean, even Kenshin already had awful thoughts about Aoshi, and still she didn't lose faith in him! Not sure yet if this will be happy or angsty. It's definitely not comedy. ^^
amy-Thanks a lot for the interest!!
Cleao-don't bite your nails, that's a bad habit! ^^
Tiian-thanks for the compliment and the vote of confidence. Feelings? I'll try to work on them, but I'm not too good with descriptions. ^^
Devil-thanks much!
Zauriel-to further understand Enishi, I suggest you go to www.maigo- chan.org/ruroken.html, and read the Jinchuu arc translations. Hope it helps!
Tesuka-chan-thanks about the Misao comment! Does she love him? She's not sure yet. ^^ Possessive streak? You'll find out eventually...^^V
Please keep reading!
Disclaimer: My favorite chara is Kenshin, not his brother-in-law, but I am definitely intrigued by Enishi. Watsuki-sensei is an AWESOME writer, and this is my poor attempt at continuing his enigmatic manga character.
Dialogue-intensive chapter coming your way.
...............
"Where have you been, Misao?"
Okina welcomed her home with the question.
"Just out, like always," she replied easily, but her eyes went past him.
"With that young man again?"
"Shiroyuki-san? Uh-huh," and she stretched herself out on the porch.
"You don't fool me, Misao-chan," Okina sternly glared at her.
Puzzled, she took a more respectful position, kneeling opposite him. The old man, however, began to pace before her.
"Let me tell you what I already know," he began. "Shiroyuki Shinichi is not that man's real name. His name is Yukishiro Enishi."
Misao paled.
"He does not bother too much to hide his former identity, as he assumes that he is no longer being watched. Quite the contrary. The police keep a private tab on him, and so do several private investigators. At the first chance they get, at the first sign of criminal activity, they will pounce and arrest him."
Her face became ashen.
"Don't look at me like that, Misao. I taught you everything you know, and you can't hide anything from me for long. To continue: He was a former mafia boss in Shanghai, influential there and in Japan. This current business of his stems from his experience in weapons manufacturing and trading."
This did not worry her too much; she knew it from him personally.
"He used to have, probably still has, a huge network of contacts and informants. He was powerful in the underground. It is possible that many key people were killed under his orders."
Speculation, Misao mused. Not proven.
"And, his mental capacity is still questioned. He could go berserk at any moment, and kill off hundreds of people with a single command. Or, he could kill with his own hands at will and without mercy. He is skillful in both the sword and the pistol, which is a deadly combination."
Still speculation......but what if Okina was right?
"W-w-who gave you this information?" Misao inquired.
"That man is potentially dangerous, Misao. It would be wise for you to keep away from him." Okina warned.
"Who gave you the information?!"
"I protect the privacy of my sources." His face was calm.
"WHO TOLD YOU?!" It took all of Misao's respect for him, not to grab Okina by the throat.
"If you must know," Okina quietly sat in front of her, "Aoshi told me."
The world crumbled before her eyes.
"He knows that you have been spending your afternoons with him. From someone inside the Shiroyuki mansion, it has been discovered that you had once been kissed by the man. Now, has all the information been so far correct?"
She did not answer.
"Furthermore, you have been careless enough to tell Yukishiro too much about yourself....."
"But I never gave away any of our secrets!" she protested.
"You have shown him our house, described it in detail. Anyone with a scheming mind could use this information to eliminate us! Also, you have shown him your strong and weak points, and those of your comrades, by telling about them to him. You have even gone so far as to tell him about the Okashira...."
"Only that I think the world of Aoshi-sama, and nothing about his movements!"
"But you know yourself that he is uniquely brilliant and intelligent. Do you think he won't put two and two together, and find a way to infiltrate us?"
"Infiltrate? You're taking this too far, Jiya! He doesn't have any plans like that!"
"Are you sure? How would you know that he isn't lying to you, showing you a false face, like he has a false name? You know only one side of him!"
Now that Okina mentioned it, Misao realized he was right. She saw the man who showed her the world of books, the man who was confused about life and love, the man who-kissed her an hour ago. But the shrewd businessman, the powerful dealer, the conniving master tactician-that was a part of his personality as well, and she had never seen him in that light.
What if it was true what Okina said, that he was merely showing a false face, that he had not changed after all, that this was all a show for her? That deep inside, he was still a...psychotic genius? Driven by a singular purpose, someone who could set Kyoto ablaze, could toy with a man's emotions, could employ vast resources to eradicate traces of a man's life?
But the man she held two weeks ago was not a farce. The man who held her close this afternoon was not a lie. Surely he was true to her, if only to her.....surely.
"Misao, for your safety, I have to ask you to stop seeing Yukishiro," Okina ordered.
"But, Jiya----"
"No buts, Misao!"
"Jiya, he needs me!"
"Those were the Okashira's orders!"
The Okashira's orders?!
"I understand that you and Aoshi have had an opportunity to meet Yukishiro in Tokyo when you stayed at the Himuras for a few months. The man you met there is the same as the one who calls himself Shiroyuki Shinichi now, according to Aoshi. He says that Yukishiro already has an outward presentation of a changed life. However, he still retains much of that self from your encounter with him two years ago. Aoshi has not stopped you from seeing him these past few months, because he was not sure of what course to take. But, as new information came to his attention, he has decided to make you end your relationship with Yukishiro."
"New---information?"
"Yukishiro has upscaled his business to take in exports to Shanghai. That probably means that he still has connections he wants to employ for his illegal tradings. There have been reports of an increase in opium and weapons trade recently, and your-friend-is suspect to be one of the masterminds of the exchanges."
"That's not possible...maybe it's just a coincidence....."
"Aoshi has reason to believe that he has reclaimed that little island of his, a trading outpost from two years ago. Reports from Tokyo say that no increase in activity to it has been noted, but they suspect it might happen soon."
"No, that's not true, Jiya..."
"Until we are sure that it is not true, we forbid you to continue seeing him. You are too important to us."
"NO, JIYA!!"
"My mind is made up, and so is Aoshi's."
There was no reasoning with Okina. As tears welled up in her eyes, she ran up to the second floor, and cried out her sorrows. She propped her arms on a windowsill, and quietly watched the day turn into the night, the way her hopes turned into disappointment.
It had been a very unusual day. She started it full of hope and determination to see her tall whitehaired friend, after two weeks of separation. She saw her hope realized. She felt-whatever it was he felt for her now. Then now she was being forced to separate herself from him again. The worst of it being, her own Aoshi-sama gave the order.
Aoshi-sama was Aoshi-sama, and she would obey him almost without question. But why was this decision so hard for her to accept? Why was it so hard to leave him now? What was Enishi to her, and what place did Aoshi now have in her heart?
She buried her head in her arms, and wept under the stars.
"Doushite?" (why?)
A voice asked from the street below.
"Why the tears in her beautiful jade eyes?"
Misao looked down, and saw the reason for her tears.
He had changed his clothes into something a little more formal, slightly hidden under a dark overcoat. Misao knew that Americans called it a three- piece suit, and it was of the black and white combination that he wore, cloaking him in the night. His head was uncovered, and his snowy hair blew in the chilly winter breeze.
She recalled all the information Okina force-fed on her, and she tried to link them to the handsome gentleman looking at her from below. She remembered a time, not too long ago, when anything he said was taken with suspicion, by her. She might no longer think that way, but she definitely could not blame Aoshi-sama for doing so. He never had a chance to talk to him like she had talked to him over the past few months.
But the Okashira must be obeyed. It was part of the code.
"My associate is having a dinner at my house, and he has graciously allowed me to bring a partner. Could you possibly be ready in half an hour?" the gentleman asked from the street.
"No, I'm sorry......Shiroyuki-san. I can't be ready, not ever." And her eyes filled with tears again.
" 'Shiroyuki-san?' What is the meaning of this? You already called me------- -"
"Don't say it here, Shiroyuki-san. I can't see you anymore. Aoshi-sama forbids it."
"What?! Why?"
"Because he still thinks, Shiroyuki-san, that Yukishiro is a dangerous man, and it would be wise for me to stay away from him....so this is goodbye."
"Sacre bleu.....Shinomori thinks I am dangerous?! Still?"
He began to chuckle, then to snicker, then to laugh, then to guffaw until the whole street heard his laughter.
He eventually composed himself and added with a hiss, "He doesn't know half of what I can do."
Then he silently looked up at his little friend at the window. As snowflakes quietly fell around the man, a plan began to form in his mind, Misao could see it in his face. She did not know whether to be assured of that fact, or to be deathly afraid.
Misao saw him take out his purple spectacles from a coat pocket. He dramatically took it in both hands, slowly brought it to his face. Then with right index and middle fingers slightly crossed, he pushed the glasses by the bridge, and hid his increasingly fierce eyes.
"It shall be as he wishes. Shiroyuki will no longer meet with Makimachi from this day forward."
She bravely hazarded, in a whisper. "When do I see you again....Enishi- san?"
"Wait until the cherry blossom festival, Misao. All should be in readiness by then. I will come for you, I swear it."
..............
Things will start to get interesting from now on, hopefully.
Sabbie-I finally have the first chapter to the Vandread fic you asked of me. ^^ I do need tips, though. Hope you do OK with the make-up admissions!
Firuze-nee-san-I'm managing him smoothly and wonderfully?! Nee-san, do you have any IDEA how much I pound my head nights when I type, just to get it right? I could actually leave a Nine Months chap in the middle and go to bed. I'm afraid that if I sleep on a White and Black chap I might lose the moment slowly forming in my brain and not get it back. As it is, I keep feeling like I'm falling into the cliché! I'll keep the suggestions in mind, thanks!
ewunia-yup, that's what I like about RK too, the deep characters. Oh, yes, there is a deep personality under all the insanity! And yes, that's why there are a lot of RK fanfics, there are so many open ends to the story.
chitchat-Misao won't just fall straight for him, or for anyone else, to replace Aoshi! I mean, even Kenshin already had awful thoughts about Aoshi, and still she didn't lose faith in him! Not sure yet if this will be happy or angsty. It's definitely not comedy. ^^
amy-Thanks a lot for the interest!!
Cleao-don't bite your nails, that's a bad habit! ^^
Tiian-thanks for the compliment and the vote of confidence. Feelings? I'll try to work on them, but I'm not too good with descriptions. ^^
Devil-thanks much!
Zauriel-to further understand Enishi, I suggest you go to www.maigo- chan.org/ruroken.html, and read the Jinchuu arc translations. Hope it helps!
Tesuka-chan-thanks about the Misao comment! Does she love him? She's not sure yet. ^^ Possessive streak? You'll find out eventually...^^V
Please keep reading!