**Pechan's friend asked why she made Tokio throw up in the last chapter.
Well, Pechan once had to help clean a deer her father shot, and she
remembered puking her guts out after he cut open the stomach, the
intestines spilling out and everything. Nasty things, they stink when
they're cut there. ANYWAYS, she's starting to run out of any good ideas, so
expect her to DISCLIAM OWNING ANY RUROUNI KENSHIN CHARACTERS.
~ Pillow Talk ~
Saito didn't go after Tokio after she ran. He had business to finish. A team of six more officers cleaned up the place, getting rid of all the bodies. And body parts. Further investigation found plenty of stolen goods in their closets. Not to mention, they appeared to be smuggling rifle and ammunition, as well as a few explosives. They found more track lists of the hotels' 'finished jobs' and it appeared they had more orders. Their schedule was crammed for a good two years. Saito was going to go and trace back all the people that paid for these murders. A few bags of opium were stuffed into some of their pillows in storage, but that wasn't really the matter.
Just as he got up to leave, someone stopped him, "Saito!!"
He turned, and looked down at the little man that just loved to shout out his name as loud as he could. He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in his lips, "Is there a problem, commissioner?"
The midget held up a paper, "Good work. You're going to be stationed at Fukuoka."
Saito looked at the report, and it said there was going to be another raid. Alone.
"Hnh," he said, lighting his cigarette. Alone meant they didn't want to lose any other of their men. Meaning this was a suicide job. No problem. He had handled more of these life or death situations better than anyone else. He folded it, and tucked it away, "I'll go after I tie up some loose ends."
"We'll send for some replacements for this establishment. That woman you brought with you. She was not part of the briefing."
"But you needed a distraction. And she provided it."
"You're not allowed to get involved, and you're not allowed to get anyone else involved, Saito!"
He looked down at him. *How easy it would be, to just Gatotsu you and pin you to the wall.* He smiled, "Understood, commissioner. I'll try not to go ahead of myself next time."
The commissioner sweated, and turned, "See that you do. Otherwise, I'll report this sort of thing the next time to Okubo."
He left, calling a few men to accompany him as he gave them their assignments. Saito smoked, thinking. Fukouka. That was pretty far away. He looked at the gate to the hot springs where Tokio ran. He exhaled, and flicked away his cigarette. Guess not much left to do except to see if she's not throwing up anymore.
~~Tokio~~
Tokio rubbed her eyes. Well, people died all the time!! What was so special about that?! She was an assassin; she was supposed to kill people!!
**Right. And how many people have you killed so far?**
'Shut up.' She scooped some more water, and splashed her face, trying to get the blood of her face. Soon, she plucked out her pins, and let her hair drape into the water. She sighed, seeing thin wispy lines of red emanate from her hair on the water's surface, ripple away. Great, it was in her hair too.......
She wanted to wash her kimono too, but she didn't feel like getting naked. In fact, she didn't know what to feel.
People died in front of her. And they were sleazy, boorish, idiotic, dirty, and wanted only one thing from her. Plus, they were murderers, and they killed people for chump change. They were immoral men that deserved the deaths for the many they've created.
So why did she freak out? She dipped her hair further into the water, rinsing it out more.
**That was kind of gross, their blood splashing all over you.**
Yeah. She shook her head in the water, still thinking she could taste their blood. Perhaps the sight of so much blood caused her to get sick. She laughed, and put her fingers to her forehead, "So much for the best assassin..........."
She sighed, and dipped her head in the water, and then pulled it out, letting her hair slap onto her back. She exhaled, her eyes closed, steam rising from her mouth from such hot water against the cold evening sky. The sun was red, and she was a silhouette.
"Are you feeling better, Tokio?"
She opened her eyes, and turned. Goro stood there, in a black shirt and hakama. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and his arms were crossed as he leaned against the gate. She frowned, "Boys aren't allowed in the women's hot spring."
He smirked, "You're decent enough."
She bit her lip turning away.
"I had hoped you realized that the turnout would have been this way. I'm sure you've seen handiwork like this before."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm referring to your days of the Revolution. You must have seen things like this already."
She froze, and gulped, answering, "I only saw the aftermath, Goro. Never.......... never really saw it happen. It usually went by so fast."
"I see," he replied. "So you are okay?"
She stood, pulling her kimono tighter. It sagged a bit, and her wet hair clung to her skin, which shined in the vapor of the hot springs. "Yes, I........... I just forgot what it was like. I'm sorry if I made you look bad."
"Look bad?"
She chuckled, closing her eyes, and turning away, "You know, I'm supposed to be your wife and all...........?"
He smiled slowly, "That's right."
She coughed into her hand, and walked up to him. She put her hand on the latch door latch behind him, when she looked at him, "You know, it's not that fact that they were killed that bothers me. What bothered me was that you did it."
He frowned at her, "I thought I had already told-"
"I know," she said sighing. She looked at the gate, as she opened it, "I'm just saying, it'd be nice if you didn't do it again."
"Hnh," he said, shaking the ashes off his cigarette. "Someone has to do it."
"But it has to be you?"
He didn't like that tone. He frowned, "I chose to be the one who does it."
She was frowning, her bottom lip stuck out a bit. She closed her eyes, and sighed. "Well, I'll just get ready for bed," she mumbled. She slammed the door behind her, and called out, "You owe me a new kimono, you moron!!"
He smiled, and took a drag from his cigarette. He was afraid she'd be mad the whole damn time.
~~ Nighty Night ~~
Goro slid open the doors to his room, where Tokio was laying. She opened her eyes, and smiled, "Hey."
He slid the door behind him, "To be honest, I thought you'd be mad. Last time I drew my sword, you didn't speak to me for a week."
"Last time the sword was pointed at me."
He slipped walked over to one side of the room, "Hnh. I see."
He untied his hakama, and looked at her. She was staring bug eyed right back. Then, she noticed him looking at her, and she frowned, "Do you really have to get dressed here?"
He shrugged, "If it bothers you, you may turn around. I never asked you to watch."
She grumbled turning around, and pulling her blanket over her head, "Stupid cop, thinks I wanna see him naked the first chance I get.........."
He smirked, and changed into a yukata. He only had one free week left before he left for Fukuoka. It seemed every time the government sent him into a suicide mission, they thought it customary to give them one last week to live and do whatever he wanted. A waste of time, since he just went ahead anyways, killed the target, and was already back in his office smoking before the police commissioner came to complain about him in some stupid way.
But this time, maybe he'd use his extra week.
"Tell me, Tokio, what do you plan to do once you get home?"
Tokio peeked under her blanket, "Are you decent?"
"No. I'm here naked and ready."
"Oh ha ha ha, you wish," she said, rolling her eyes. She sat up, and pushed her bangs out of her eyes, "Hmm, I dunno. Work as a cook again at the Shirobeko?"
He nodded, unrolling a blanket.
"What about you?"
"I'm off."
She pulled her knees to her chest, "Really? For how long?"
"We'll see," he said, lying down.
She looked at him, "Well, hey, don't go to sleep yet! Let's do something!"
"Right now," he asked, flatly.
"No, you dork, let's plan something!!"
"Such as?"
She shrugged, "I dunno. Wanna hit the beach?"
"I'm not much of a swimmer. Maybe some other time."
She crawled over, "Say................. why are you being so nice?"
"What do you mean? I've been this way since I met you. You're the distrustful one."
**True.**
She clonked her head, and said, "But before, you didn't let me go with you!"
"That's because I had to see a friend."
"But you'll bring me along to make me see you kill people?"
He laughed low, in his throat. She gulped, since his laugh sounded somewhat evil.
He sighed, "Yes, I suppose that is odd," he turned on his back, and looked at her. She was so close to him. He smirked, "Lonely?"
She gulped, and backed off immediately, "Sorry, I just thought I'd get closer so I can hear better!!"
He closed his eyes, "Suit yourself."
She frowned, but got into her futon. Even though her brain commanded, **HEY, HIS BED LOOKS MORE COMFY!!**
After ten minutes or so of silence, she whispered, "Hey, are you asleep?"
"Yes."
She leaned over to him, "I was just wondering, don't you think it's cold in here?"
"......................................................................................... that has to be your worst excuse yet for wanting to get close to me."
"Ah, shut up. You wish I liked some old guy like you."
"Twenty seven is old?"
"Terribly old. You're a fossil."
"Ah, I see."
She growled, "Stop agreeing with me!!"
He sighed, "Yare yare..... nothing pleases her. What a difficult woman."
She folded her hands under her head, and looked at the ceiling, grumbling to herself, "Who needs him? Tons of guys love the way I look, and laugh at everything I want them to laugh at. And I got tons of old flames just waitin' to be rekindled, and millions of fan boys-"
"It's hard to sleep when certain people talk to themselves."
"-and I'd never have to resort to traveling with some mean old cop who thinks he's such a chick magnet."
He smirked "Now that's a first."
"Well, all I'm saying is Miss Sa-" she stopped, her hand shut on her mouth.
"............................ Yes? Miss Sae said?"
"Nothing, forget it," she said turning. "We were drunk."
"It wouldn't happen to be her commenting on me, would it? Primarily my butt."
She fell over, even though she was already lying down. "WHEN DID YOU HEAR THAT?!!"
"When you were drunk. You talk in your sleep sometimes."
She mopped her face, "You're a demon. Because only a demon would go this far to make my life a living hell."
Tokio eventually fell asleep, after she decided not to talk anymore. Everything she said he managed to twist to a truth she was afraid to face.
~ Pillow Talk ~
Saito didn't go after Tokio after she ran. He had business to finish. A team of six more officers cleaned up the place, getting rid of all the bodies. And body parts. Further investigation found plenty of stolen goods in their closets. Not to mention, they appeared to be smuggling rifle and ammunition, as well as a few explosives. They found more track lists of the hotels' 'finished jobs' and it appeared they had more orders. Their schedule was crammed for a good two years. Saito was going to go and trace back all the people that paid for these murders. A few bags of opium were stuffed into some of their pillows in storage, but that wasn't really the matter.
Just as he got up to leave, someone stopped him, "Saito!!"
He turned, and looked down at the little man that just loved to shout out his name as loud as he could. He pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in his lips, "Is there a problem, commissioner?"
The midget held up a paper, "Good work. You're going to be stationed at Fukuoka."
Saito looked at the report, and it said there was going to be another raid. Alone.
"Hnh," he said, lighting his cigarette. Alone meant they didn't want to lose any other of their men. Meaning this was a suicide job. No problem. He had handled more of these life or death situations better than anyone else. He folded it, and tucked it away, "I'll go after I tie up some loose ends."
"We'll send for some replacements for this establishment. That woman you brought with you. She was not part of the briefing."
"But you needed a distraction. And she provided it."
"You're not allowed to get involved, and you're not allowed to get anyone else involved, Saito!"
He looked down at him. *How easy it would be, to just Gatotsu you and pin you to the wall.* He smiled, "Understood, commissioner. I'll try not to go ahead of myself next time."
The commissioner sweated, and turned, "See that you do. Otherwise, I'll report this sort of thing the next time to Okubo."
He left, calling a few men to accompany him as he gave them their assignments. Saito smoked, thinking. Fukouka. That was pretty far away. He looked at the gate to the hot springs where Tokio ran. He exhaled, and flicked away his cigarette. Guess not much left to do except to see if she's not throwing up anymore.
~~Tokio~~
Tokio rubbed her eyes. Well, people died all the time!! What was so special about that?! She was an assassin; she was supposed to kill people!!
**Right. And how many people have you killed so far?**
'Shut up.' She scooped some more water, and splashed her face, trying to get the blood of her face. Soon, she plucked out her pins, and let her hair drape into the water. She sighed, seeing thin wispy lines of red emanate from her hair on the water's surface, ripple away. Great, it was in her hair too.......
She wanted to wash her kimono too, but she didn't feel like getting naked. In fact, she didn't know what to feel.
People died in front of her. And they were sleazy, boorish, idiotic, dirty, and wanted only one thing from her. Plus, they were murderers, and they killed people for chump change. They were immoral men that deserved the deaths for the many they've created.
So why did she freak out? She dipped her hair further into the water, rinsing it out more.
**That was kind of gross, their blood splashing all over you.**
Yeah. She shook her head in the water, still thinking she could taste their blood. Perhaps the sight of so much blood caused her to get sick. She laughed, and put her fingers to her forehead, "So much for the best assassin..........."
She sighed, and dipped her head in the water, and then pulled it out, letting her hair slap onto her back. She exhaled, her eyes closed, steam rising from her mouth from such hot water against the cold evening sky. The sun was red, and she was a silhouette.
"Are you feeling better, Tokio?"
She opened her eyes, and turned. Goro stood there, in a black shirt and hakama. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and his arms were crossed as he leaned against the gate. She frowned, "Boys aren't allowed in the women's hot spring."
He smirked, "You're decent enough."
She bit her lip turning away.
"I had hoped you realized that the turnout would have been this way. I'm sure you've seen handiwork like this before."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm referring to your days of the Revolution. You must have seen things like this already."
She froze, and gulped, answering, "I only saw the aftermath, Goro. Never.......... never really saw it happen. It usually went by so fast."
"I see," he replied. "So you are okay?"
She stood, pulling her kimono tighter. It sagged a bit, and her wet hair clung to her skin, which shined in the vapor of the hot springs. "Yes, I........... I just forgot what it was like. I'm sorry if I made you look bad."
"Look bad?"
She chuckled, closing her eyes, and turning away, "You know, I'm supposed to be your wife and all...........?"
He smiled slowly, "That's right."
She coughed into her hand, and walked up to him. She put her hand on the latch door latch behind him, when she looked at him, "You know, it's not that fact that they were killed that bothers me. What bothered me was that you did it."
He frowned at her, "I thought I had already told-"
"I know," she said sighing. She looked at the gate, as she opened it, "I'm just saying, it'd be nice if you didn't do it again."
"Hnh," he said, shaking the ashes off his cigarette. "Someone has to do it."
"But it has to be you?"
He didn't like that tone. He frowned, "I chose to be the one who does it."
She was frowning, her bottom lip stuck out a bit. She closed her eyes, and sighed. "Well, I'll just get ready for bed," she mumbled. She slammed the door behind her, and called out, "You owe me a new kimono, you moron!!"
He smiled, and took a drag from his cigarette. He was afraid she'd be mad the whole damn time.
~~ Nighty Night ~~
Goro slid open the doors to his room, where Tokio was laying. She opened her eyes, and smiled, "Hey."
He slid the door behind him, "To be honest, I thought you'd be mad. Last time I drew my sword, you didn't speak to me for a week."
"Last time the sword was pointed at me."
He slipped walked over to one side of the room, "Hnh. I see."
He untied his hakama, and looked at her. She was staring bug eyed right back. Then, she noticed him looking at her, and she frowned, "Do you really have to get dressed here?"
He shrugged, "If it bothers you, you may turn around. I never asked you to watch."
She grumbled turning around, and pulling her blanket over her head, "Stupid cop, thinks I wanna see him naked the first chance I get.........."
He smirked, and changed into a yukata. He only had one free week left before he left for Fukuoka. It seemed every time the government sent him into a suicide mission, they thought it customary to give them one last week to live and do whatever he wanted. A waste of time, since he just went ahead anyways, killed the target, and was already back in his office smoking before the police commissioner came to complain about him in some stupid way.
But this time, maybe he'd use his extra week.
"Tell me, Tokio, what do you plan to do once you get home?"
Tokio peeked under her blanket, "Are you decent?"
"No. I'm here naked and ready."
"Oh ha ha ha, you wish," she said, rolling her eyes. She sat up, and pushed her bangs out of her eyes, "Hmm, I dunno. Work as a cook again at the Shirobeko?"
He nodded, unrolling a blanket.
"What about you?"
"I'm off."
She pulled her knees to her chest, "Really? For how long?"
"We'll see," he said, lying down.
She looked at him, "Well, hey, don't go to sleep yet! Let's do something!"
"Right now," he asked, flatly.
"No, you dork, let's plan something!!"
"Such as?"
She shrugged, "I dunno. Wanna hit the beach?"
"I'm not much of a swimmer. Maybe some other time."
She crawled over, "Say................. why are you being so nice?"
"What do you mean? I've been this way since I met you. You're the distrustful one."
**True.**
She clonked her head, and said, "But before, you didn't let me go with you!"
"That's because I had to see a friend."
"But you'll bring me along to make me see you kill people?"
He laughed low, in his throat. She gulped, since his laugh sounded somewhat evil.
He sighed, "Yes, I suppose that is odd," he turned on his back, and looked at her. She was so close to him. He smirked, "Lonely?"
She gulped, and backed off immediately, "Sorry, I just thought I'd get closer so I can hear better!!"
He closed his eyes, "Suit yourself."
She frowned, but got into her futon. Even though her brain commanded, **HEY, HIS BED LOOKS MORE COMFY!!**
After ten minutes or so of silence, she whispered, "Hey, are you asleep?"
"Yes."
She leaned over to him, "I was just wondering, don't you think it's cold in here?"
"......................................................................................... that has to be your worst excuse yet for wanting to get close to me."
"Ah, shut up. You wish I liked some old guy like you."
"Twenty seven is old?"
"Terribly old. You're a fossil."
"Ah, I see."
She growled, "Stop agreeing with me!!"
He sighed, "Yare yare..... nothing pleases her. What a difficult woman."
She folded her hands under her head, and looked at the ceiling, grumbling to herself, "Who needs him? Tons of guys love the way I look, and laugh at everything I want them to laugh at. And I got tons of old flames just waitin' to be rekindled, and millions of fan boys-"
"It's hard to sleep when certain people talk to themselves."
"-and I'd never have to resort to traveling with some mean old cop who thinks he's such a chick magnet."
He smirked "Now that's a first."
"Well, all I'm saying is Miss Sa-" she stopped, her hand shut on her mouth.
"............................ Yes? Miss Sae said?"
"Nothing, forget it," she said turning. "We were drunk."
"It wouldn't happen to be her commenting on me, would it? Primarily my butt."
She fell over, even though she was already lying down. "WHEN DID YOU HEAR THAT?!!"
"When you were drunk. You talk in your sleep sometimes."
She mopped her face, "You're a demon. Because only a demon would go this far to make my life a living hell."
Tokio eventually fell asleep, after she decided not to talk anymore. Everything she said he managed to twist to a truth she was afraid to face.
