Chapter Five: Kunpaetku
Yay! Another chapter! Thankie soooo much to Crystal and Regina for their e- mails, and I'd like to thank those who reviewed, too. Heh, I'm going on like I've won an Academy Award or something. Anyway, here goes - this is where the very slight AU starts. Hopey you likey. And Ilya is actually a guy's name. Oops. She's named for a Russian violinist, whom I did not know was a man. (Not like it matters. And only the first name.)
"So? What's that matter?" Ilya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Astaroth was created to serve Ares, God of War. He was supposed to find Soul Edge until I killed him ..."
"And ...?"
"That's why these people have been after me - Astaroth's been revived, and they want to keep me away from him."
"So I guess you'd better give up on your dreams of revenge, eh?"
"No! I can't rest until I destroy that monster for good!" He'd raised his voice, and Ilya had flinched at the sound of it. "Er ... sorry." He paused. "Is that girl still around? I want to question her some more."
"Nah. Annabelle turned her back for a second and she was gone. I really wanted to know how she could imitate my voice so well."
"Yeah, I was wondering about that, too."
"I guess we'd better get going, then," was all she said afterwards.
"You still want to travel with me, then?"
She shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."
Ilya and Maxi gathered their things and bid Annabelle farewell. "Where are you going?" Xianghua asked as they headed out the door.
"Marseille." Maxi was getting irritated by her constant interrogations.
"Really? Why?"
"There's someone we're meeting there."
"Who?"
He thought he was going to snap, but he relaxed when he heard Ilya burst out laughing. "I don't know his name, but it seems he can help us."
"Hey, Ilya?" Kilik asked. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"What? Oh, sure." She looked back at Maxi. "Be back in a minute, okay?"
She and Kilik went outside and walked just a bit. When they were about fifty feet or so from the house, Kilik asked her, "Do you love Maxi?"
"What?" Her reply was brusque.
"I was just wondering ... because, you see ..."
"What, you love him, too?"
He blushed and shook his head. "No, no, it's just that ... Xianghua's loved him since they first met, four years ago, and I don't want to see her get hurt."
"So you like her, huh?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Then go after her. Tell her, for God's sake!"
"What?"
"You can't sit on your ass and expect happiness to fall into your lap, you dolt! You gotta get out there and make yourself heard! If you love her, you have to tell her. You have to do everything you can to make her realize that! If you don't, you'll spend the rest of your life saying 'if only.' Besides, helping the girl you love get someone else should only be done as a last resort. If she hates you, THEN you can help her get her guy."
Kilik smiled sheepishly. "You're right, Ilya. I should listen to you. So you should take your own advice - go tell Maxi you love him."
"What? I don't love him!"
"But you asked me if I loved him, TOO. That indicates you have feelings, you know."
"I was referring to that Xianghua chick."
"Okay, if you say so ..."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" She narrowed her heterochromic eyes at him.
"Just ... the way you get mad at him over certain things ... it makes it look like you do," he replied with a shrug and a grin.
Ilya shook her head. "I don't. How could I? The perv kissed me."
"So?"
"Without permission," she said slowly, emphasizing every syllable as though she were talking to a troublesome three-year-old.
"Oh."
"See? He's a total jerk."
"Well, I traveled with him a few years back, and I've got to say, he must really like you."
"What makes you say that?"
"He may be a playboy, but he's never put so much effort into one woman. He's more of the tawdry one-night stand kinda guy. But you ... he's never told a woman he loved them until he met you, as far as I know. He must really love you."
"As far as you know," she repeated, giving him a look that said, plain as day, 'You just dug yourself a hole, there, moron.' "I bet he just wants to get me in the sack." She paused. "How many women has he been with, by the way?"
"Er ... about thirteen on the journey we all took together ..."
"Gross. I wonder how many illegitimate kids that guy has."
She said it with such a matter-of-fact (and sort of apathetic) attitude that Kilik couldn't help himself - he started laughing. "I don't know. I'm not so sure I want to know, either."
Ilya sighed. "He's some character ... in a manner of speaking. But I guess I'm stuck with him. We should get going."
"Oh ... you never answered my question."
"Eh?"
"About how you got that scar."
She sighed again. "I was trying to save my nephew from a pirate and I got cut open. That's all." She paused and thought for a moment, then smiled. "Guess it isn't such a long story after all, huh?"
"Pirate?"
"Yeah. Cervantes de Leon. Since you're so hung up on Soul Edge, I assume you know who he is."
"Uh ... yes."
"And ever since then I've been a pirate hunter. It's made me a lot of money, so it's not all bad." She grinned cheerily, but Kilik knew the memories pained her. He himself hid a tragic past behind his peaceful smile.
"But, you know, Maxi ..." Kilik's voice died in his throat. Ilya raised an eyebrow, quite interested in the urgency that filled his words. Obviously the girl didn't know Maxi himself was a pirate; otherwise she'd probably beat the hell out of him and continue the journey alone. "Never mind, I was thinking of something else ..." he added quickly, scratching the back of his head.
Though not entirely convinced, Ilya nodded and started back toward the house. She opened the door to find Xianghua kissing Maxi. Although the pirate didn't seem to be enjoying it (rather, he seemed as surprised as she was), she took in a deep breath, and Kilik covered his ears, knowing what was coming.
"You stupid JACKASS!" she shouted, throwing her entire backpack at him. It hit him in the shoulder and fell to the floor with a thud. "You're nothing but a liar and a pervert! I never want to see you again!" With that, she pivoted on her heel and stormed off into the woods.
Kilik stared after her for a moment and then turned to face Maxi and Xianghua. "What ... what's going on?"
"It wasn't me!" Maxi exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "This was all her!" He pointed at Xianghua. "Aw, hell, that kid's gonna get lost. I have to go find her ..."
"No, you shouldn't," Kilik protested, stopping him by grabbing his arm as he headed out the door. "She's not gonna want to talk to you. I'll find her and explain it wasn't your fault."
"Thanks, kid." Maxi then turned to Xianghua. "What were you doing, kissing me like that? She's gonna hate me even more now!"
Kilik rolled his dark eyes as he left in search of Ilya. He jogged toward the thinly wooded area by the river, and quickly found her sitting in the boughs of a large tree. "Hey, Ilya, it wasn't Maxi's fault. Xianghua kissed him out of the blue - he didn't want her to." When she did not reply, he looked up at her with a grin. "Come on down, let's talk about it."
She glared down at him, and he noticed there were angry tears in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. He's a jerk, there's nothing more to it."
"How'd you get up there so fast?" he asked, changing the subject, hoping to initiate a conversation. "You were barely out here a minute before I got here."
"I spent most of my childhood climbing trees because Anatoli and Mishka used to pick on me a lot."
He laughed. "Well, it's kinda hard to talk up to you like this, so why don't you come down here?"
Realizing he wasn't going to leave her alone, Ilya leapt down and landed gracefully on her feet. It was an eight-foot fall, and Kilik was impressed she could make it without tottering even a little upon landing. "Whatcha here for?" she asked, frowning and putting her hands in her pockets.
"I came to talk to you about Maxi."
She groaned moodily. Just the thing she DIDN'T want to talk about. "Why?"
"You notice how you got mad when you saw him kissing another girl? You DO like him, don't you?"
"Are we gonna get into a 'like' and 'like-like' talk here?" she inquired irritably. "'Cause that's kid stuff."
He smiled warmly. "You're avoiding the question."
Ilya's gaze fell to the ground. "Okay, so I don't hate him," she mumbled.
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere." He knelt down a little, placing his hands on his knees, as if talking to a small child. "So, maybe you should listen to your own advice, huh? Tell him you like him?"
She nodded grumpily, and Kilik realized she wasn't as mature as she at first seemed. She was probably the same emotional age as a twelve-year- old. "So, Ilya, let's head back, alright?"
" ... Okay."
Resisting the urge to extend a hand for her to hold as they walked back (it was kind of like having a conversation with a little sister), Kilik instead put a hand on her back and slowly guided her toward the house. Annabelle greeted them, and gave Kilik a wink. As Ilya started down the hallway without him, the old woman said to him, "I think they'll make a cute couple. Maxi's in their room, trying to come up with the best way to apologize. It's sweet."
Indeed, Maxi was sitting sideways on a wooden chair, his back against the wall, lost in thought. He was mulling over what to say to Ilya when she returned...
IF she returned.
He shook the thought from his head and frowned. Just when he thought everything was clear for him to make his move, something got in the way and crapped all over his ambitions. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if Ilya would listen to Kilik.
His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and an angry- looking Ilya entered the room. At second glance, she looked more determined than angry, which was perhaps a good sign. But Maxi wouldn't dare let his guard down.
"Look, Ilya, I -" he began.
"Er, I came to ..." she started at the same time.
The two looked at each other and laughed a little. Their simultaneous words had lightened the mood a little, and Maxi started again.
"I realize you're mad, and you rightfully should be, but I want you to know, it was only halfway my fault."
"Halfway?"
"Yeah, because she came at me but I was too surprised to do anything to stop it."
"I came here to say that I don't hate you and it's entirely possible that I like you as more than a friend and I'm sorry I overreact to everything and I get mad and yell at you all the time," Ilya said so quickly Maxi could hardly follow. It seemed she was forcing the words out before she changed her mind or lost her courage, he couldn't tell which.
"So you don't hate me?" He smiled warmly. She shook her head. "Huh, that's a relief."
"Your little buddy Kilik is really nice, by the way," she said quickly, changing the subject out of sheer discomfort. "He was really understanding about the whole Cervantes thing."
Maxi's spirits sank. He remembered that she hated pirates, and if he wanted a full-blown relationship with her, he had to come clean. "Ilya, come sit on the bed," urged, and patted the bed, which was facing his chair. She obliged, and he took her hands in his own. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you, but I was too afraid to."
"Yeah?" she asked, a suspicious frown replacing her charmingly shy expression.
"Before I tell you, I want you to know that I love you more than anything, even though I've only known you for a while. Nothing will ever change that." She nodded, growing more anxious by the second. "I'm ..." he began, and his voice caught. He frowned and closed his eyes, gathering his nerve, and then opened them again, looking at her sadly. "I'm a pirate."
There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence where Ilya neither spoke nor moved. "Or, at least, I was," he continued. "After my crew and my brother were murdered, I gave up on that lifestyle. I'm sorry, Ilya. I should've told you sooner."
She nodded, her face emotionless. She refused to meet his eyes. "You should have," she agreed quietly. Ilya stood up and began to walk away, letting Maxi's hands slide away from hers.
"Ilya ..." he said, his face full of regret. She stopped in the doorway, her back to him.
"Don't ..." she started in a growl, her shoulders hunching. "Don't talk to me." And as Ilya left the room, Maxi's hopes for a relationship faded.
Oooooh, there're so many things wrong with their sort-of-friendship/budding relationship. Maxi's being honest so he can further their relationship, but what's going to happen now that Ilya knows he's a pirate? Well, I said drama, even if it's edging on melodrama. Heheh. Anyway, there's more angsty stuff to come, so keep reading (please)!
Oh, BTW, Kunpaetku is the actual name of the guy who created Astaroth. Just read his profile.
Next: Ilya starts out on her own, but when things go awry, will Maxi be able to save her? (This will be a naughty chapter, full of nudity and steamy stuff. This is the whole big thingie I had planned for "Champloo", and it's a little bit unnecessary. Kinda entertaining, though.) Yeah, the next chapter is ALMOST done, and I may post it as soon as tomorrow.
Yay! Another chapter! Thankie soooo much to Crystal and Regina for their e- mails, and I'd like to thank those who reviewed, too. Heh, I'm going on like I've won an Academy Award or something. Anyway, here goes - this is where the very slight AU starts. Hopey you likey. And Ilya is actually a guy's name. Oops. She's named for a Russian violinist, whom I did not know was a man. (Not like it matters. And only the first name.)
"So? What's that matter?" Ilya asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Astaroth was created to serve Ares, God of War. He was supposed to find Soul Edge until I killed him ..."
"And ...?"
"That's why these people have been after me - Astaroth's been revived, and they want to keep me away from him."
"So I guess you'd better give up on your dreams of revenge, eh?"
"No! I can't rest until I destroy that monster for good!" He'd raised his voice, and Ilya had flinched at the sound of it. "Er ... sorry." He paused. "Is that girl still around? I want to question her some more."
"Nah. Annabelle turned her back for a second and she was gone. I really wanted to know how she could imitate my voice so well."
"Yeah, I was wondering about that, too."
"I guess we'd better get going, then," was all she said afterwards.
"You still want to travel with me, then?"
She shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."
Ilya and Maxi gathered their things and bid Annabelle farewell. "Where are you going?" Xianghua asked as they headed out the door.
"Marseille." Maxi was getting irritated by her constant interrogations.
"Really? Why?"
"There's someone we're meeting there."
"Who?"
He thought he was going to snap, but he relaxed when he heard Ilya burst out laughing. "I don't know his name, but it seems he can help us."
"Hey, Ilya?" Kilik asked. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"What? Oh, sure." She looked back at Maxi. "Be back in a minute, okay?"
She and Kilik went outside and walked just a bit. When they were about fifty feet or so from the house, Kilik asked her, "Do you love Maxi?"
"What?" Her reply was brusque.
"I was just wondering ... because, you see ..."
"What, you love him, too?"
He blushed and shook his head. "No, no, it's just that ... Xianghua's loved him since they first met, four years ago, and I don't want to see her get hurt."
"So you like her, huh?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Then go after her. Tell her, for God's sake!"
"What?"
"You can't sit on your ass and expect happiness to fall into your lap, you dolt! You gotta get out there and make yourself heard! If you love her, you have to tell her. You have to do everything you can to make her realize that! If you don't, you'll spend the rest of your life saying 'if only.' Besides, helping the girl you love get someone else should only be done as a last resort. If she hates you, THEN you can help her get her guy."
Kilik smiled sheepishly. "You're right, Ilya. I should listen to you. So you should take your own advice - go tell Maxi you love him."
"What? I don't love him!"
"But you asked me if I loved him, TOO. That indicates you have feelings, you know."
"I was referring to that Xianghua chick."
"Okay, if you say so ..."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" She narrowed her heterochromic eyes at him.
"Just ... the way you get mad at him over certain things ... it makes it look like you do," he replied with a shrug and a grin.
Ilya shook her head. "I don't. How could I? The perv kissed me."
"So?"
"Without permission," she said slowly, emphasizing every syllable as though she were talking to a troublesome three-year-old.
"Oh."
"See? He's a total jerk."
"Well, I traveled with him a few years back, and I've got to say, he must really like you."
"What makes you say that?"
"He may be a playboy, but he's never put so much effort into one woman. He's more of the tawdry one-night stand kinda guy. But you ... he's never told a woman he loved them until he met you, as far as I know. He must really love you."
"As far as you know," she repeated, giving him a look that said, plain as day, 'You just dug yourself a hole, there, moron.' "I bet he just wants to get me in the sack." She paused. "How many women has he been with, by the way?"
"Er ... about thirteen on the journey we all took together ..."
"Gross. I wonder how many illegitimate kids that guy has."
She said it with such a matter-of-fact (and sort of apathetic) attitude that Kilik couldn't help himself - he started laughing. "I don't know. I'm not so sure I want to know, either."
Ilya sighed. "He's some character ... in a manner of speaking. But I guess I'm stuck with him. We should get going."
"Oh ... you never answered my question."
"Eh?"
"About how you got that scar."
She sighed again. "I was trying to save my nephew from a pirate and I got cut open. That's all." She paused and thought for a moment, then smiled. "Guess it isn't such a long story after all, huh?"
"Pirate?"
"Yeah. Cervantes de Leon. Since you're so hung up on Soul Edge, I assume you know who he is."
"Uh ... yes."
"And ever since then I've been a pirate hunter. It's made me a lot of money, so it's not all bad." She grinned cheerily, but Kilik knew the memories pained her. He himself hid a tragic past behind his peaceful smile.
"But, you know, Maxi ..." Kilik's voice died in his throat. Ilya raised an eyebrow, quite interested in the urgency that filled his words. Obviously the girl didn't know Maxi himself was a pirate; otherwise she'd probably beat the hell out of him and continue the journey alone. "Never mind, I was thinking of something else ..." he added quickly, scratching the back of his head.
Though not entirely convinced, Ilya nodded and started back toward the house. She opened the door to find Xianghua kissing Maxi. Although the pirate didn't seem to be enjoying it (rather, he seemed as surprised as she was), she took in a deep breath, and Kilik covered his ears, knowing what was coming.
"You stupid JACKASS!" she shouted, throwing her entire backpack at him. It hit him in the shoulder and fell to the floor with a thud. "You're nothing but a liar and a pervert! I never want to see you again!" With that, she pivoted on her heel and stormed off into the woods.
Kilik stared after her for a moment and then turned to face Maxi and Xianghua. "What ... what's going on?"
"It wasn't me!" Maxi exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "This was all her!" He pointed at Xianghua. "Aw, hell, that kid's gonna get lost. I have to go find her ..."
"No, you shouldn't," Kilik protested, stopping him by grabbing his arm as he headed out the door. "She's not gonna want to talk to you. I'll find her and explain it wasn't your fault."
"Thanks, kid." Maxi then turned to Xianghua. "What were you doing, kissing me like that? She's gonna hate me even more now!"
Kilik rolled his dark eyes as he left in search of Ilya. He jogged toward the thinly wooded area by the river, and quickly found her sitting in the boughs of a large tree. "Hey, Ilya, it wasn't Maxi's fault. Xianghua kissed him out of the blue - he didn't want her to." When she did not reply, he looked up at her with a grin. "Come on down, let's talk about it."
She glared down at him, and he noticed there were angry tears in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. He's a jerk, there's nothing more to it."
"How'd you get up there so fast?" he asked, changing the subject, hoping to initiate a conversation. "You were barely out here a minute before I got here."
"I spent most of my childhood climbing trees because Anatoli and Mishka used to pick on me a lot."
He laughed. "Well, it's kinda hard to talk up to you like this, so why don't you come down here?"
Realizing he wasn't going to leave her alone, Ilya leapt down and landed gracefully on her feet. It was an eight-foot fall, and Kilik was impressed she could make it without tottering even a little upon landing. "Whatcha here for?" she asked, frowning and putting her hands in her pockets.
"I came to talk to you about Maxi."
She groaned moodily. Just the thing she DIDN'T want to talk about. "Why?"
"You notice how you got mad when you saw him kissing another girl? You DO like him, don't you?"
"Are we gonna get into a 'like' and 'like-like' talk here?" she inquired irritably. "'Cause that's kid stuff."
He smiled warmly. "You're avoiding the question."
Ilya's gaze fell to the ground. "Okay, so I don't hate him," she mumbled.
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere." He knelt down a little, placing his hands on his knees, as if talking to a small child. "So, maybe you should listen to your own advice, huh? Tell him you like him?"
She nodded grumpily, and Kilik realized she wasn't as mature as she at first seemed. She was probably the same emotional age as a twelve-year- old. "So, Ilya, let's head back, alright?"
" ... Okay."
Resisting the urge to extend a hand for her to hold as they walked back (it was kind of like having a conversation with a little sister), Kilik instead put a hand on her back and slowly guided her toward the house. Annabelle greeted them, and gave Kilik a wink. As Ilya started down the hallway without him, the old woman said to him, "I think they'll make a cute couple. Maxi's in their room, trying to come up with the best way to apologize. It's sweet."
Indeed, Maxi was sitting sideways on a wooden chair, his back against the wall, lost in thought. He was mulling over what to say to Ilya when she returned...
IF she returned.
He shook the thought from his head and frowned. Just when he thought everything was clear for him to make his move, something got in the way and crapped all over his ambitions. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if Ilya would listen to Kilik.
His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and an angry- looking Ilya entered the room. At second glance, she looked more determined than angry, which was perhaps a good sign. But Maxi wouldn't dare let his guard down.
"Look, Ilya, I -" he began.
"Er, I came to ..." she started at the same time.
The two looked at each other and laughed a little. Their simultaneous words had lightened the mood a little, and Maxi started again.
"I realize you're mad, and you rightfully should be, but I want you to know, it was only halfway my fault."
"Halfway?"
"Yeah, because she came at me but I was too surprised to do anything to stop it."
"I came here to say that I don't hate you and it's entirely possible that I like you as more than a friend and I'm sorry I overreact to everything and I get mad and yell at you all the time," Ilya said so quickly Maxi could hardly follow. It seemed she was forcing the words out before she changed her mind or lost her courage, he couldn't tell which.
"So you don't hate me?" He smiled warmly. She shook her head. "Huh, that's a relief."
"Your little buddy Kilik is really nice, by the way," she said quickly, changing the subject out of sheer discomfort. "He was really understanding about the whole Cervantes thing."
Maxi's spirits sank. He remembered that she hated pirates, and if he wanted a full-blown relationship with her, he had to come clean. "Ilya, come sit on the bed," urged, and patted the bed, which was facing his chair. She obliged, and he took her hands in his own. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you, but I was too afraid to."
"Yeah?" she asked, a suspicious frown replacing her charmingly shy expression.
"Before I tell you, I want you to know that I love you more than anything, even though I've only known you for a while. Nothing will ever change that." She nodded, growing more anxious by the second. "I'm ..." he began, and his voice caught. He frowned and closed his eyes, gathering his nerve, and then opened them again, looking at her sadly. "I'm a pirate."
There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence where Ilya neither spoke nor moved. "Or, at least, I was," he continued. "After my crew and my brother were murdered, I gave up on that lifestyle. I'm sorry, Ilya. I should've told you sooner."
She nodded, her face emotionless. She refused to meet his eyes. "You should have," she agreed quietly. Ilya stood up and began to walk away, letting Maxi's hands slide away from hers.
"Ilya ..." he said, his face full of regret. She stopped in the doorway, her back to him.
"Don't ..." she started in a growl, her shoulders hunching. "Don't talk to me." And as Ilya left the room, Maxi's hopes for a relationship faded.
Oooooh, there're so many things wrong with their sort-of-friendship/budding relationship. Maxi's being honest so he can further their relationship, but what's going to happen now that Ilya knows he's a pirate? Well, I said drama, even if it's edging on melodrama. Heheh. Anyway, there's more angsty stuff to come, so keep reading (please)!
Oh, BTW, Kunpaetku is the actual name of the guy who created Astaroth. Just read his profile.
Next: Ilya starts out on her own, but when things go awry, will Maxi be able to save her? (This will be a naughty chapter, full of nudity and steamy stuff. This is the whole big thingie I had planned for "Champloo", and it's a little bit unnecessary. Kinda entertaining, though.) Yeah, the next chapter is ALMOST done, and I may post it as soon as tomorrow.