DISCLAIMER: Saiyuki isn't mine in any way, although I try to collect fragments of it from Kinokuniya. Getting the Requiem Visual Complete was an added bonus, as one gets to see one hanyou in the shower ala Psycho *grin*.
Firn-chan wishes to report that she does not squeal 'Sanzo-sama', merely 'Sanzo'.
As I promised Azzie, Sanzo, here is something to make you sleep.
PROSPERITY
Fuku
"Ma! I'm home!" Jien bawled from the doorway. His mop of black hair was scruffy as usual from his day in the fields and his skin was covered with a film of sweat. He was home early today, as it was a public holiday of some sort.
Also, it being a public holiday, Gojyo would be home and Jien knew how his mother felt about his stepbrother--in a word, murderous. There was a vow he had to make good on, he thought as he yelled her name again.
"You shout so, Jien-chan. I can't hear Gojyo's playing," came Kouka's reply.
Jien's jaw dropped a full five inches when he saw his mother standing over Gojyo, sitting at the sacred piano and playing flawless scales. "Hi aniki!" he chirped when he saw Jien. "You're home early!"
"Never you mind him!" snapped Kouka. "Concentrate on your scales!"
"H...hai. Sorry kaasan."
Jien watched silently for a while. "I guess I'll get my own lunch," he finally grinned. Score one for the redhead!
++++++++++
Sanzo was slowly losing it as Hakuryuu rumbled along the road to Weishan. Gojyo and Goku, especially, were contributing to his irritation.
"'taku. Why do I have to dye my hair black?! It ruins my image entirely! I look like a freak!"
"Sanzo...this headband's really tight...and the contact lenses itch...and I'm hungry..." whined Goku.
"Not to quibble, Sanzo," Hakkai said very softly, "but earrings just aren't my style either..."
That set him off. Sanzo shot several rounds off his gun into the air to shut them up and release his stress before slumping down into his seat.
"Bunch of retards," he snarled softly, digging his ear furiously for want of anything better to do.
"Still, Sanzo, when you think of it, Wang Ying was quite insistent about not letting us go to Weishan in the first place, wasn't he?"
"Rather. Why the sudden statement?"
"I don't know, really. All I know is I saw hate course through him when he heard the name of Weishan. It must have had something to do with his past, and the scar on his face. I know that hatred, and the bitterness in the voice when I heard it...it was like when Cho Gonou was thinking to himself about the Hyakugan Maou..." Hakkai shook his head and suddenly smiled. "That, and I wanted to calm you down on the journey. Your shooting disturbs my concentration."
"Ah well, at least it's not BLONDE hair dye," muttered Gojyo.
The wrath of Sanzo descended with sickening smacks of the
harisen.
++++++++++
It wasn't long after that before the (bruised and crabby) Sanzo-ikkou arrived at Weishan. Only the high stone walls of the city and a pair of huge bronze gates greeted them.
"They're HUGE!" Goku breathed, and rapped on them tentatively. This would all have been very well if a) he was not a demonic youth who didn't know the bounds of his own strength and b) he had used his fist instead of a very hard, durable, capable-of-killing-demons-by-the-truckload Nyoibou or As-you-will Staff.
"Who goes there?!" barked a voice from above. Sanzo looked up to see a guard who looked even crabbier than he did glaring down at them. Goku whisked his weapon behind his back and whistled sheepishly.
"Forgive the intrusion, but we are travellers on our way to the West. We come to ask for provisions, as we've run out of them some time back..." Hakkai began.
"Well," sneered the guard, "that's tough. Not my fault if you don't plan ahead and bring enough vittles to last your journey, is it, mister?"
"Please, sir, we just want to come in, buy our provisions like the rest of you, and leave. We won't cause any harm," Hakkai persisted. His smile was taking on a slightly fixed quality.
"Sorry. I have strict orders not to let anybody through these gates until the specified times."
"Which will be?"
"Noon."
"Aw maaaaaan...It's getting so hot and that guard won't let us in! I'm going to melt!" whined Goku. "What are we gonna do, Sanzo?"
Hakkai noticed the guard's expression change instantly upon hearing the name. "Wait here for a minute, you four!" he yelled and disappeared from sight. Five minutes later, the bronze gates swung open, and the guard appeared to greet them, a changed individual indeed.
"Forgive this humble man's shortcomings, o Master Genjou Sanzo. Please, you and your companions are honoured guests in our glorious Weishan."
Sanzo chewed irritably on the tip of a still unlit cigarette and stepped through the gates, mumbling words the gutter would have rejected. Sighing, Hakkai asked Jeep politely to transform back to his dragon state and let it perch on his shoulder.
"The one thing Sanzo-sama is good for besides shooting demons and wrapping them in sutras," a voice floated up from behind him. The monk could nearly feel the speaker's grin on his back.
"You're doomed, Gojyo," Sanzo growled, giving him the finger.
The four were immediately taken through the streets of Weishan by the aforementioned guard. Goku was still a bit miffed at the earlier incidents, however, and blurted out "Hey mister, you didn't seem this friendly BEFORE you found out we were with a Sanzo." The man had the good grace to blush as he cleared his throat nervously and muttered something under his breath.
Just then, a young woman appeared walking down the street. She really was pretty--long brown hair, loose but neat, gentle eyes the greeny blue of a calm summer sea, gentle mannerisms, graceful, GREAT body--and in her hands she clutched a basket full of colourful flowers. When she saw the soldier, she beamed and greeted him politely.
"Good morning, Aseki-san!"
The soldier looked surprised, as if he wasn't used to being greeted in the street by pretty young maidens. "Uh, ah, good morning Lady You!"
"Please, I have a name! It's Seiko, so please call me that and drop the 'lady You', please?"
"H-hai. Of course. What are you doing here? You-sama's been looking for you and he's not happy!"
The young maid's smile faltered a bit. "Daijoubu deshou," she said with a small laugh, "It'll probably be all right. It's not like picking flowers for him is such an awful task. Who are these men with you?"
"Genjou Sanzou-houshi-sama and his companions on their journey to the West."
"Oh, I see. Well, go back to your post, Aseki-san, I'll escort them to You-sama, all right?"
"As you wish, Lady Y...I mean, Seiko-san," Aseki replied, bowing slightly, and tromped off dutifully. She watched him go, turned to the Sanzo-ikkou and bowed humbly.
"Yaku Seiko greets Genjou Sanzou-sama and his companions. I hope your stay in Weishan will be a memorable one."
"Well met, Yaku Seiko," Sanzo returned the greeting formally. "We will not be staying long--we're just here to stock up on provisions and we'll be on our way."
"Sou ka...? I think You-sama would like to meet you first, though."
"Who is You-sama?"
"Our mayor. He's the youngest yet and he's been holding the post for about three years now."
"Does he take good care of the town?" asked Goku.
Seiko nodded, then her smile faltered slightly. "I don't deny that Weishan has become stronger and stronger, more prosperous and more famous than ever before, but I know there are many rumours about us. I think you, too, have heard them. I admit quite a large part of the residents have a furious hate for demons, but there are some who do not. You-sama also punishes those who extend help to them."
"Punishment? You-sama punishes a simple human kindnesses?" Gojyo remarked dryly.
"Something like that." Her cheeks tinged pink. "Please don't let one bad apple ruin the whole bunch."
"Still, you know what they say; One drop of indigo ruins a whole vat of milk. What else can you tell me about this You-sama of yours? I don't feel very impressed. He seems like quite a rotter to me."
"Is THAT so?"
Gojyo turned to see a young man about Sanzo's age sweep up to them. Sweep is right, for he was dressed in a flowing coat of blue silk trimmed with gold and his stride was long and immaculately graceful. His hair was raven black, half of it swept back into a bun and secured with white cloth, the rest hanging neatly around his shoulders. Eyes a delicate silver-grey were set in a sharply contoured face with skin pale as porcelain. The ikkou would later find he had a voice that was so very soft and polite yet had the unfortunate tendency to sound eternally displeased with something.
"Tell me sir, are you not happy with the way this town is run?" he enquired politely. "And you, Seiko my love, what are you doing out here?"
Seiko paled and smiled nervously. "H-hello, anata."*
++++++++++
*In case you didn't know--that's what a wife calls her husband!
And now, review thanks...
real-circus -- It's a thankless job, but SOMEBODY's got to make them
limiters.
Kanzeon Bosatsu: *has a sudden image: KANZEON LIMITERS INC.* Oooo... $_$
Jiroushin: Ka...Kanzeon Bosatsu-sama...what are you thinking of?!
M2000: Goddess of Mercy deliver us from Kanze-B...
H. Mauvecloud -- There is definitely more to come with Gojyo and Kouka
(also some Gojyo-Jien interaction). Relax, your pinyin comments were taken in
good grace, although I did run into a bit of trouble trying to think of a nice
name for Yue Chin Xi (now Yaku Seiko). ;) Please continue Turbulent Days
and Cureless. *hands H-M a bottle of Clorox* For your brain.
Fortunata -- Hehe, now we do ;)
ayie@hairi -- Again, glad you like it! I had a ton of fun writing that
scene at the table. It was actually much, much worse in the beginning...*cackle*
Gojyo: Shut up and don't you DARE tell her what havoc you wreaked on
my hair!
M2000: *points at reader* Ssssh, somebody's listening.
Gojyo: Sheeeeeeeeeeet...*sweatdrop*
vermillian -- Hey, thankers! I like that song immensely too.
L.L. Artemisan -- Yes, hello Ju-chan. Well, he IS Sha Wu Jing in Journey to the West, ne...strange but true! (By the time this is uploaded, Ju-chan/LL Artemisan will prolly have seen the results of my hair-dye escapades, so take no notice of my fanatic little kouhai's ramblings, readers.)
Azzie -- You're welcome! And now I update again! I also appreciate your comments -- they always make my day, everyone! :)