After two hours in this goddamn city, Iante was ready to scream. She did
know the spoken language, but the written one was an entirely different
matter.
'Why don't these people have signs in other languages?!' the thought nagged her. 'That way I could tell an inn from a shop selling goat balls. '
Not that she had seen such a shop, but anything was possible.
For now, revenge was forgotten in favour of a warm meal and a long bath.
Grumbling under her breath, she failed to notice the horses racing toward her.
Himura Kenshin, once known as Himura Battousai, was cheerily carrying a bucket of tofu when he noticed the woman in the middle of the street, unaware of the oncoming danger. He lunged forward, pulling the woman aside.
Shocked by the stranger's grip, Iante was about to screech at him for his impudence when she realized she had almost been crushed by the fancy carriage galloping past them. 'I need to stay out of lala land. I can't stop him if I get killed by some friggin horses ' Iante thought. Immediately, she closed her half-open mouth and took a better look at her rescuer.
He was a short young man with flaming red hair, violet eyes, a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, and the most hideously purple shirt she had seen in her life. "You need to look where you're going, miss." He also had a high- pitched voice and a sweet smile.
"You're right. Thank you for pulling me out of the way," she answered in what she hoped was a grateful tone. Not that she wasn't really grateful, but she hated letting strangers notice her weaknesses. Like daydreaming, for example.
An uncomfortable silence descended. Finally, Iante said, "Yes, well, I'll be going. I have to find a place to stay before sunset...and I can't read your writing so..."
The little guy smiled even more sweetly.
"Why didn't you simply ask someone for directions?"
In moments like this, Iante honestly would have kicked herself in the head if she were physically capable of it.
"Um..."
"Well, there's an inn just three blocks down this street."
"Oh...I see. Thank you."
Without further ado, the woman turned away.
Himura Kenshin watched her leave. What a strange woman. It was obvious from her features that she was a foreigner, but how would a foreign woman manage alone in Japan? He quickly made up his mind.
"Hey, miss, wait!"
She looked at him questioningly.
"Yes?"
"A lone foreign woman, unfamiliar with our customs, might not be safe at an inn. Why don't you come with me? I live in a large house and I'm sure there's enough room for you, that I am."
Iante raised an eyebrow.
"Really? An inn would be more dangerous than following a complete stranger to his house?" Her tone was more than caustic.
"Do I look threatening, miss?"
She looked at his innocent eyes and his bucket of something white, down to the sword by his side.
"Looks can be deceiving. And let me assure you, I know how to look after myself."
"I noticed."
The little punk was referring to the horses.
She tried to glare him down but it simply didn't work on this guy.
"Fine. Lead the way."
He smiled again and started walking.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*!
Takimi Shigure was drifting in and out of consciousness on the bare floor. Everything hurt - his arms and legs from the bonds, his back from the whip, and he knew he was bleeding inside. His master had torn him badly when he took him. At moments like these, the memory of Gentatsu's beautiful face and gentle smile soothed the pain in his body and soul.
But he never thought about Gentatsu while Myamoto was taking him. Never. That would be blasphemy.
He should have told Gentatsu about his feelings for him before that fateful night. He should have had the courage to risk rejection. But he couldn't. He was a coward.
'The sky should always be high and clear....'
But now there was no sky. He existed in darkness and nothing could bring back the light, for he would never forgive himself.
Oh, how he hated his master. How he despised and cursed the man in the small hours of the night. How he wished he could tear the bastard to pieces, the man who had taken by force the one thing he had never given to lovers. With both men and women, Takimi Shugure had always been the one to do the taking; he had never submitted to any of them. It was a stupid macho thing, he had been too proud to spread his legs like a woman and be taken like one. But when he met Gentatsu.... For the first time in his life, he fell in love. And he swore that if they became intimate, Gentatsu would be the only one who would take him. He had wanted to do that, he had wanted to submit to his beloved.
Of course, all of it had remained a simple dream. He only saw Gentatsu with women and that discouraged him from any expression of his yearning, afraid of rejection, afraid of losing a friend who was the closest thing to a soulmate he'd ever had...
Even after Gentatsu's death, he never submitted to anyone, intent on keeping his promise.
Untill he was taken by force. He had not been strong enough to prevent it. Yes, he, Takimi Shigure, was truly despicable.
A single diamond tear slid from an emerald eye.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Beautiful."
He was really pleased, both with himself and with the body to which he would soon restore life.
His men had dug up an emaciated skeleton. But now, after some of his most powerful magic, flesh once again covered its bones, adorned with hair like wine-coloured silk and eyes that were clear and crystal-blue.
The body had only one flaw. It was not alive. Yet.
He gently sat beside it on the satin sheets. Calm and serene, it was dressed only in a sheer red robe.
Black eyes glinted viciously as a painfully white slender hand caressed the young man's face.
"Yes, very beautiful indeed."
'Why don't these people have signs in other languages?!' the thought nagged her. 'That way I could tell an inn from a shop selling goat balls. '
Not that she had seen such a shop, but anything was possible.
For now, revenge was forgotten in favour of a warm meal and a long bath.
Grumbling under her breath, she failed to notice the horses racing toward her.
Himura Kenshin, once known as Himura Battousai, was cheerily carrying a bucket of tofu when he noticed the woman in the middle of the street, unaware of the oncoming danger. He lunged forward, pulling the woman aside.
Shocked by the stranger's grip, Iante was about to screech at him for his impudence when she realized she had almost been crushed by the fancy carriage galloping past them. 'I need to stay out of lala land. I can't stop him if I get killed by some friggin horses ' Iante thought. Immediately, she closed her half-open mouth and took a better look at her rescuer.
He was a short young man with flaming red hair, violet eyes, a cross-shaped scar on his left cheek, and the most hideously purple shirt she had seen in her life. "You need to look where you're going, miss." He also had a high- pitched voice and a sweet smile.
"You're right. Thank you for pulling me out of the way," she answered in what she hoped was a grateful tone. Not that she wasn't really grateful, but she hated letting strangers notice her weaknesses. Like daydreaming, for example.
An uncomfortable silence descended. Finally, Iante said, "Yes, well, I'll be going. I have to find a place to stay before sunset...and I can't read your writing so..."
The little guy smiled even more sweetly.
"Why didn't you simply ask someone for directions?"
In moments like this, Iante honestly would have kicked herself in the head if she were physically capable of it.
"Um..."
"Well, there's an inn just three blocks down this street."
"Oh...I see. Thank you."
Without further ado, the woman turned away.
Himura Kenshin watched her leave. What a strange woman. It was obvious from her features that she was a foreigner, but how would a foreign woman manage alone in Japan? He quickly made up his mind.
"Hey, miss, wait!"
She looked at him questioningly.
"Yes?"
"A lone foreign woman, unfamiliar with our customs, might not be safe at an inn. Why don't you come with me? I live in a large house and I'm sure there's enough room for you, that I am."
Iante raised an eyebrow.
"Really? An inn would be more dangerous than following a complete stranger to his house?" Her tone was more than caustic.
"Do I look threatening, miss?"
She looked at his innocent eyes and his bucket of something white, down to the sword by his side.
"Looks can be deceiving. And let me assure you, I know how to look after myself."
"I noticed."
The little punk was referring to the horses.
She tried to glare him down but it simply didn't work on this guy.
"Fine. Lead the way."
He smiled again and started walking.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*!
Takimi Shigure was drifting in and out of consciousness on the bare floor. Everything hurt - his arms and legs from the bonds, his back from the whip, and he knew he was bleeding inside. His master had torn him badly when he took him. At moments like these, the memory of Gentatsu's beautiful face and gentle smile soothed the pain in his body and soul.
But he never thought about Gentatsu while Myamoto was taking him. Never. That would be blasphemy.
He should have told Gentatsu about his feelings for him before that fateful night. He should have had the courage to risk rejection. But he couldn't. He was a coward.
'The sky should always be high and clear....'
But now there was no sky. He existed in darkness and nothing could bring back the light, for he would never forgive himself.
Oh, how he hated his master. How he despised and cursed the man in the small hours of the night. How he wished he could tear the bastard to pieces, the man who had taken by force the one thing he had never given to lovers. With both men and women, Takimi Shugure had always been the one to do the taking; he had never submitted to any of them. It was a stupid macho thing, he had been too proud to spread his legs like a woman and be taken like one. But when he met Gentatsu.... For the first time in his life, he fell in love. And he swore that if they became intimate, Gentatsu would be the only one who would take him. He had wanted to do that, he had wanted to submit to his beloved.
Of course, all of it had remained a simple dream. He only saw Gentatsu with women and that discouraged him from any expression of his yearning, afraid of rejection, afraid of losing a friend who was the closest thing to a soulmate he'd ever had...
Even after Gentatsu's death, he never submitted to anyone, intent on keeping his promise.
Untill he was taken by force. He had not been strong enough to prevent it. Yes, he, Takimi Shigure, was truly despicable.
A single diamond tear slid from an emerald eye.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Beautiful."
He was really pleased, both with himself and with the body to which he would soon restore life.
His men had dug up an emaciated skeleton. But now, after some of his most powerful magic, flesh once again covered its bones, adorned with hair like wine-coloured silk and eyes that were clear and crystal-blue.
The body had only one flaw. It was not alive. Yet.
He gently sat beside it on the satin sheets. Calm and serene, it was dressed only in a sheer red robe.
Black eyes glinted viciously as a painfully white slender hand caressed the young man's face.
"Yes, very beautiful indeed."