a/n: Thanks for the positive feedback and for actually coming back to
continue the story. I appreciate it. A few things before I start, just to
address a few concerns. This is 100% a Raiha/Fuuko pairing because I am
all the way for them, not that the Tokiya/Fuuko ones aren't interesting but
Raiha and Fuuko are so cute together. Also, the miko idea is just a ploy
that I am using. It doesn't have anything to do with Fushigi Yuugi really.
That's about it. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Flame of Recca or any of the characters. Sigh.
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Flower Gathering
::Mutual Enemy::
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A distressed miko dips a rag into a bucket of sea foam green water and uses this to scrub the temple floor. Her punishment for dragging in half the garden on her kimono the other night is that she is on cleaning duty for the week. Despite the chill from the pre-dawn air, this is the ideal time to scrub floors because everyone is still in their rooms. It is in this state that Fuuko fumes about her punishment.
I can understand why I am forced to scrub the floors but the priest was too strict in giving me cleaning duty for the entire shrine. I'd only dirtied the floors! Additionally my supposed inability to follow curfew now has me trapped in this stuffy shack. I'll be lucky to live through this monotony. Why some of these girls choose to be mikos is beyond my understanding.
Thinking of such unfavorable punishment Fuuko pressed harder on the towel as she maneuvered it across the floor. To hear the wood squeak and creak under the immense pressure gave her joy. At least she wasn't the only one suffering from the ordeal.
Fuuko continued to scrub the floors as daylight gradually leaked into the room and the air became lighter. The rays of light, as they spilled onto the floor, carried with them much needed warmth that melted Fuuko's frozen hands and gave her a more relaxed expression. All around her the soft sliding open of doors began, and miffled voices could be heard as her comrades prepared for breakfast. As the footsteps all rushed toward the dining room, Fuuko emptied her bucket and set it down in the supply shed. She followed her comrades to the meal.
Since she'd been up so early Fuuko's stomach had been turning for quite some while. She hoped that breakfast would be appetizing today. But to her dismay all that was offered was rice porridge and one sliver of pickled daikon radish. For every nibble of daikon Fuuko ate three scoops of the porridge. Breakfast lacked in taste and in conversation since the mikos were supposed to be thinking about what they were grateful for. For Fuuko though the silence only drew more attention to the insipid meal in front of her. Still, her empty stomach gobbled up the meal regardless.
Having finished her breakfast in record time, Fuuko was the first to step from the table. She had so many chores to be done that she needed as much time as she could get. She headed to the roof to sweep leaves off the tiles before the sun rose any higher. The monotony of her tasks forced her to contemplate the cause of her misery.
Good thing they didn't find out about my running into a ninja. Ugh.I'd get killed to know that I'd interacted with a man I didn't even know. Still, it's all his fault. I could have made it home without so much as a drop of mud on me and I would have been early, too, but after that stupid ninja ran into me I was not only doused in mud but the mud on my shoes kept sticking to the mud on the road, and.ugh! I kept getting stuck in the slush. It's ALL his fault. HE should be the one doing these chores. And now the priests probably reported this to my parents, too. I'm going to be in so much trouble. Raiha, this is WAR!!!
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
At the village dawn was almost here. The shopkeepers began setting up their stands and villagers were beginning to straggle into the main road. Seeing as this was a Sunday, the streets would soon be extra filled with merchants and shoppers shoving their way around the roads. Thus, Kurei had chosen to bypass the annoying villagers by taking a higher route.
On the rooftops above the hustle and bustle a black ninja could be seen bouncing from building to building with the blue-haired cheeky fighter in pursuit. Moving quickly across the buildings both ninjas watched each other. Raiha was in hot pursuit of his archenemy, almost certain that he would catch him this time. Since most of the village was just waking up no one really noticed the silhouettes of these two mysterious figures reflecting off the walls. Kurei could hear Raiha's breathing more and more. Turning back for a quick glimpse he noticed that he was in danger of being caught the black ninja dropped to the masses below. Similarly Raiha dove down to the crowd as well.
With the ocean of people Raiha quickly lost sight of Kurei. Deciding on his next move, Raiha quickly put together the information he had discovered. Kurei is apparently trying to hunt down a sword-something about all-powerful ninja. This sword is a family heirloom of the Sakoshitas. And the family owns a weapon shop. Well, then, I guess it's off to the weapon's district. Just as Raiha was about to return to a higher altitude and venture to the weapon district, a girl bumped into him and began to fall toward the millions of unaware feet below. Fearing the girl's safety Raiha instinctively caught her by the waist and set her on her feet. Obviously with this maneuver the girl ended up close to the ninja. As he peered down at her she began to blush.
"Are you okay, miss?"
She just stood there dumbfounded at the dashing face before her. This girl must be mute. She hasn't said a single word not counting the yelp that she gave as she fell.
As Raiha studied this curious specimen of a girl, villagers brushed past him and an rude boy was quickly coming in his direction by stepping on the heads of the people in the crowd.
"Move out of the way," a youthful growl of a voice yelled at him.
Raiha directed his eyes away from the mute in time to see a spiky-haired boy land in front of him. As the boy approached he noted the skillful- looking ninja and the awestruck girl who observed him.
What an odd hairstyle. I've never seen someone's hair quite so unkempt. Curious. Raiha smiled amiably at the young boy. Perhaps this guy is an aspiring ninja here for some tips. I guess I can pause from my chase just for a little mentoring.
"Get your filthy paws off of Yanagi."
Ooh.that's no way to greet someone. Oops, he must be her boyfriend. Shouldn't he be glad she wasn't trampled?
With that the boy pushed Raiha away and hugged the girl. This was enough to snap the girl, Sakoshita Yanagi, out of gawking at her savior. The boy began examining her, making sure she had no scrapes.
"Did this man harass you? You don't really seem yourself. Kind of dazed and out of it. You're face is sort of pink, too. Is it out of shock?"
I don't look like a harasser do I? I thought she was always dazed. I guess she isn't mute then.
"Recca-kun.you're being rude."
Ignoring Yanagi's statement Recca launched a fist at Raiha, which was easily dodged by the latter. Yanagi let out another yelp as she thought a brawl was about to break loose. What's with these people? If I'd known the villagers were so strange I wouldn't have bothered to come.
Recca once again grabbed Yanagi and proceeded to lead her away, "Don't you ever try abducting her again or I'll have your head, PERVERT."
With Recca's loud manner of talking and his emphasis on the word pervert, the crowd momentarily froze to stare at the accused. Some people were even about to pummel Raiha.
Eek! Did he just call me that? Oh no, these townspeople don't look very pleased. I should be going before this gets any worse. I have places to be anyway. Now.Sakoshita's weapon shop is.that way!
"Recca! He saved me from my fall. I would have been trampled to death because nobody pays attention what they're stepping on here. You told me that when you agreed to usher me into town."
After scolding her love for his jealousy Yanagi beheld the stark contrast between her fuming, easily upset Recca-kun and the cheerful, reserved stranger who was in the midst of leaving. Perhaps Recca isn't the love of my life after all. There are so many people in the world.
Out of desperation for one more glimpse at the blue-haired hunk, Yanagi nearly screamed, "Wait!" Checking her volume she proceeded, grasping at Raiha's hand. "How can I ever repay you? I don't think I can.I mean you saved my life. At least tell me your name so that I may have my parents honor you."
Surely this girl is not as entertaining as the miko I met a few days ago. I can't believe she's treating this like a star-crossed encounter.
This must mean something. Certainly we were destined to meet. Yanagi drew closer to Raiha and began to blush profusely. Recca could no longer restrain himself.
"Hime, we have to get going." Then turning to Raiha, "Don't think you can put your filthy hands on her again. Stay away from my girl or this is WAR!"
Yanagi butt in yet again, "Excuse my friend for his rudeness. Your heroism is greatly appreciated." And then she was led off by her beau.
A tomato red Raiha pondered the intense feeling a girl could have from such an insignificant deed. He'd never been more humiliated before. First he was called a pervert in a crowd of people and then this girl latched herself onto his arm. The submissive ones always have a streak of the princess complex. And submissive she was, as evidenced by the rough bossy boyfriend of hers. As he ascended to the roof he could see the village shrine from afar. Kirisawa Fuuko.wonder what ruckus she's up to.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Kurei weaved unsuccessfully through the crowd on his way to the weapons' district. It was soon to be 3 o'clock and he had scarcely made progress through the town. That bastard Raiha, making me go through all these lowlifes. As if I didn't have enough trouble ahead of me finding those Sakoshitas and their shabby weapon shop. I wonder how a family living in such a rustic village could have engineered such a wondrous sword. I'll never find the place. But after just finishing the thought Kurei heard the words, "Sakoshita-san, I was wondering if you could take a look at this bow. Its accuracy has decreased significantly. Are the hairs too loose?"
The weapons' expert had just focused his attention on the item when the sinister man entered.
"Are you the owner of this shop?"
In a reluctant voice, he answered, "Yes." Clearly this man is a foreigner. He means trouble. I haven't seen a person dressed in full ninja gear in over ten years.
"I have some urgent business to conduct with you in private." Before the shopkeeper could even answer, Kurei hoisted the other customer outside and shut the doors. "I understand you're family has an heirloom sword in its possession. How much are you willing to sell it for?"
The man stated that he had no knowledge of such an heirloom and asked that Kurei please let himself out. After glaring awhile into the man's eyes, Kurei decided he'd just have to find the sword in other ways and strolled out the door.
Enraged at not being able to buy the sword from the man, Kurei cursed Raiha for his rotten luck. Had he arrived earlier while the family was still asleep he could have ransacked the shop and stolen the sword. Idiot Raiha. If you interfere with my conquest again, this is WAR.
a/n: Gomen. I know that there wasn't any Raiha/Fuuko interaction in this chapter, but I'm still trying to set things up. Please stick with my story. I promise the next chapter will be better and you'll think that this dull chapter was worth going through. Still, tell me how I'm doing.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Flame of Recca or any of the characters. Sigh.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Flower Gathering
::Mutual Enemy::
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
A distressed miko dips a rag into a bucket of sea foam green water and uses this to scrub the temple floor. Her punishment for dragging in half the garden on her kimono the other night is that she is on cleaning duty for the week. Despite the chill from the pre-dawn air, this is the ideal time to scrub floors because everyone is still in their rooms. It is in this state that Fuuko fumes about her punishment.
I can understand why I am forced to scrub the floors but the priest was too strict in giving me cleaning duty for the entire shrine. I'd only dirtied the floors! Additionally my supposed inability to follow curfew now has me trapped in this stuffy shack. I'll be lucky to live through this monotony. Why some of these girls choose to be mikos is beyond my understanding.
Thinking of such unfavorable punishment Fuuko pressed harder on the towel as she maneuvered it across the floor. To hear the wood squeak and creak under the immense pressure gave her joy. At least she wasn't the only one suffering from the ordeal.
Fuuko continued to scrub the floors as daylight gradually leaked into the room and the air became lighter. The rays of light, as they spilled onto the floor, carried with them much needed warmth that melted Fuuko's frozen hands and gave her a more relaxed expression. All around her the soft sliding open of doors began, and miffled voices could be heard as her comrades prepared for breakfast. As the footsteps all rushed toward the dining room, Fuuko emptied her bucket and set it down in the supply shed. She followed her comrades to the meal.
Since she'd been up so early Fuuko's stomach had been turning for quite some while. She hoped that breakfast would be appetizing today. But to her dismay all that was offered was rice porridge and one sliver of pickled daikon radish. For every nibble of daikon Fuuko ate three scoops of the porridge. Breakfast lacked in taste and in conversation since the mikos were supposed to be thinking about what they were grateful for. For Fuuko though the silence only drew more attention to the insipid meal in front of her. Still, her empty stomach gobbled up the meal regardless.
Having finished her breakfast in record time, Fuuko was the first to step from the table. She had so many chores to be done that she needed as much time as she could get. She headed to the roof to sweep leaves off the tiles before the sun rose any higher. The monotony of her tasks forced her to contemplate the cause of her misery.
Good thing they didn't find out about my running into a ninja. Ugh.I'd get killed to know that I'd interacted with a man I didn't even know. Still, it's all his fault. I could have made it home without so much as a drop of mud on me and I would have been early, too, but after that stupid ninja ran into me I was not only doused in mud but the mud on my shoes kept sticking to the mud on the road, and.ugh! I kept getting stuck in the slush. It's ALL his fault. HE should be the one doing these chores. And now the priests probably reported this to my parents, too. I'm going to be in so much trouble. Raiha, this is WAR!!!
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
At the village dawn was almost here. The shopkeepers began setting up their stands and villagers were beginning to straggle into the main road. Seeing as this was a Sunday, the streets would soon be extra filled with merchants and shoppers shoving their way around the roads. Thus, Kurei had chosen to bypass the annoying villagers by taking a higher route.
On the rooftops above the hustle and bustle a black ninja could be seen bouncing from building to building with the blue-haired cheeky fighter in pursuit. Moving quickly across the buildings both ninjas watched each other. Raiha was in hot pursuit of his archenemy, almost certain that he would catch him this time. Since most of the village was just waking up no one really noticed the silhouettes of these two mysterious figures reflecting off the walls. Kurei could hear Raiha's breathing more and more. Turning back for a quick glimpse he noticed that he was in danger of being caught the black ninja dropped to the masses below. Similarly Raiha dove down to the crowd as well.
With the ocean of people Raiha quickly lost sight of Kurei. Deciding on his next move, Raiha quickly put together the information he had discovered. Kurei is apparently trying to hunt down a sword-something about all-powerful ninja. This sword is a family heirloom of the Sakoshitas. And the family owns a weapon shop. Well, then, I guess it's off to the weapon's district. Just as Raiha was about to return to a higher altitude and venture to the weapon district, a girl bumped into him and began to fall toward the millions of unaware feet below. Fearing the girl's safety Raiha instinctively caught her by the waist and set her on her feet. Obviously with this maneuver the girl ended up close to the ninja. As he peered down at her she began to blush.
"Are you okay, miss?"
She just stood there dumbfounded at the dashing face before her. This girl must be mute. She hasn't said a single word not counting the yelp that she gave as she fell.
As Raiha studied this curious specimen of a girl, villagers brushed past him and an rude boy was quickly coming in his direction by stepping on the heads of the people in the crowd.
"Move out of the way," a youthful growl of a voice yelled at him.
Raiha directed his eyes away from the mute in time to see a spiky-haired boy land in front of him. As the boy approached he noted the skillful- looking ninja and the awestruck girl who observed him.
What an odd hairstyle. I've never seen someone's hair quite so unkempt. Curious. Raiha smiled amiably at the young boy. Perhaps this guy is an aspiring ninja here for some tips. I guess I can pause from my chase just for a little mentoring.
"Get your filthy paws off of Yanagi."
Ooh.that's no way to greet someone. Oops, he must be her boyfriend. Shouldn't he be glad she wasn't trampled?
With that the boy pushed Raiha away and hugged the girl. This was enough to snap the girl, Sakoshita Yanagi, out of gawking at her savior. The boy began examining her, making sure she had no scrapes.
"Did this man harass you? You don't really seem yourself. Kind of dazed and out of it. You're face is sort of pink, too. Is it out of shock?"
I don't look like a harasser do I? I thought she was always dazed. I guess she isn't mute then.
"Recca-kun.you're being rude."
Ignoring Yanagi's statement Recca launched a fist at Raiha, which was easily dodged by the latter. Yanagi let out another yelp as she thought a brawl was about to break loose. What's with these people? If I'd known the villagers were so strange I wouldn't have bothered to come.
Recca once again grabbed Yanagi and proceeded to lead her away, "Don't you ever try abducting her again or I'll have your head, PERVERT."
With Recca's loud manner of talking and his emphasis on the word pervert, the crowd momentarily froze to stare at the accused. Some people were even about to pummel Raiha.
Eek! Did he just call me that? Oh no, these townspeople don't look very pleased. I should be going before this gets any worse. I have places to be anyway. Now.Sakoshita's weapon shop is.that way!
"Recca! He saved me from my fall. I would have been trampled to death because nobody pays attention what they're stepping on here. You told me that when you agreed to usher me into town."
After scolding her love for his jealousy Yanagi beheld the stark contrast between her fuming, easily upset Recca-kun and the cheerful, reserved stranger who was in the midst of leaving. Perhaps Recca isn't the love of my life after all. There are so many people in the world.
Out of desperation for one more glimpse at the blue-haired hunk, Yanagi nearly screamed, "Wait!" Checking her volume she proceeded, grasping at Raiha's hand. "How can I ever repay you? I don't think I can.I mean you saved my life. At least tell me your name so that I may have my parents honor you."
Surely this girl is not as entertaining as the miko I met a few days ago. I can't believe she's treating this like a star-crossed encounter.
This must mean something. Certainly we were destined to meet. Yanagi drew closer to Raiha and began to blush profusely. Recca could no longer restrain himself.
"Hime, we have to get going." Then turning to Raiha, "Don't think you can put your filthy hands on her again. Stay away from my girl or this is WAR!"
Yanagi butt in yet again, "Excuse my friend for his rudeness. Your heroism is greatly appreciated." And then she was led off by her beau.
A tomato red Raiha pondered the intense feeling a girl could have from such an insignificant deed. He'd never been more humiliated before. First he was called a pervert in a crowd of people and then this girl latched herself onto his arm. The submissive ones always have a streak of the princess complex. And submissive she was, as evidenced by the rough bossy boyfriend of hers. As he ascended to the roof he could see the village shrine from afar. Kirisawa Fuuko.wonder what ruckus she's up to.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Kurei weaved unsuccessfully through the crowd on his way to the weapons' district. It was soon to be 3 o'clock and he had scarcely made progress through the town. That bastard Raiha, making me go through all these lowlifes. As if I didn't have enough trouble ahead of me finding those Sakoshitas and their shabby weapon shop. I wonder how a family living in such a rustic village could have engineered such a wondrous sword. I'll never find the place. But after just finishing the thought Kurei heard the words, "Sakoshita-san, I was wondering if you could take a look at this bow. Its accuracy has decreased significantly. Are the hairs too loose?"
The weapons' expert had just focused his attention on the item when the sinister man entered.
"Are you the owner of this shop?"
In a reluctant voice, he answered, "Yes." Clearly this man is a foreigner. He means trouble. I haven't seen a person dressed in full ninja gear in over ten years.
"I have some urgent business to conduct with you in private." Before the shopkeeper could even answer, Kurei hoisted the other customer outside and shut the doors. "I understand you're family has an heirloom sword in its possession. How much are you willing to sell it for?"
The man stated that he had no knowledge of such an heirloom and asked that Kurei please let himself out. After glaring awhile into the man's eyes, Kurei decided he'd just have to find the sword in other ways and strolled out the door.
Enraged at not being able to buy the sword from the man, Kurei cursed Raiha for his rotten luck. Had he arrived earlier while the family was still asleep he could have ransacked the shop and stolen the sword. Idiot Raiha. If you interfere with my conquest again, this is WAR.
a/n: Gomen. I know that there wasn't any Raiha/Fuuko interaction in this chapter, but I'm still trying to set things up. Please stick with my story. I promise the next chapter will be better and you'll think that this dull chapter was worth going through. Still, tell me how I'm doing.