This be Sherra once more! Heh, I know it has been a long time since I've
done anything with this fic. I really just wrote it on that snowday to have
something to do and because I had this idea that I wanted to test out.
Well, as it turns out the idea that I wanted to write probably won't get in
the fic anyways because it wouldn't really work with how the plot is
turning out. But, oh well!
Yeah, I know that Kurei was acting a bit out of character in the previous chapter so in this one I tried to explain it a bit. Again, I was just writing this fic for fun then so wasn't bothering with deep ponderances about what I was doing to the characters. I've decided now that I'm going to try to finish this thing with all the characters in character. Things work out better that way.
Anyways, this chapter is fairly short and is mainly Joker wandering around doing stuff. For those of you who haven't read the mangas, Joker is one of Kurei's strongest Uraha and is... well.. one of his requirements for joining the Uraha was that he would never have to respect Kurei. He is, as his name suggests, a joker, and I hope that you enjoy him wandering around. Hopefully I'll have another chapter of this up soon, that is... if I don't forget about it again...
"Come on, Neon-chan! I was only joking!" called out Joker to Neon's retreating form. He watched her from underneath his floppy black hat as she stormed off, maids skittering out of her path as she went by. Joker heaved a nasal sigh. Why couldn't Neon appreciate his brilliant sense of humor? Well, maybe it was just jokes about the size of her breasts that she minded. Joker shrugged and began to head off in the opposite direction as Neon had gone, looking around for someone else to bother.
"Heeeeeeey Raiha!" exclaimed Joker as he rounded a corner and found the purple-haired ninja leaning against a wall.
"Not right now, Joker," said Raiha, none of his usual cheer and energy showing in his blank expression.
Though no one could see it behind the hat, Joker blinked in surprise. Raiha was usually so much fun, too! It wasn't fair that both Neon and Raiha be mopey when Joker wanted to have fun. He gave Raiha a prod with his trident- shaped elemental weapon but Raiha only glared. "I said not right now and I meant it!" snapped Raiha as he straightened up and took a step away from his fellow Uraha. "I'm not in the mood to be teased so go find someone else."
"Don't wanna find someone else!" whined Joker. "Neon is already sulking and Kurei-han never laughs at my jokes! Who else am I supposed to hang out with? Magensha?"
Raiha had had enough. He threw up his hands in frustration and began to trace Neon's steps back down the hall. "I don't care, Joker! Just leave me alone!"
Joker watched Raiha find his own door to slam and felt bitter pangs of disappointment. What was up with people today? Maybe it was the phase of the moon or something. Joker peered out the window and saw a crescent moon shining back down on him. Nope. Wasn't the moon. Joker wandered over to a trashcan and banged it with his elemental weapon for a few minutes. When no one was attracted by the sound he stopped and sighed yet another sigh.
"Well, maybe Kurei-han is in a good mood," murmured Joker as he set off to find the flame-master.
Joker searched through Kurei's office. He wasn't there. Joker poked through Kurei's room and even stuck his head into the shower to look for him, but he wasn't there. Neon didn't know where he was and neither did Mori's flunkies. Joker was just about to give up his prospect of having fun when he found Kurei, sitting in the garden and twirling something between his finger.
A rose. It was a rose. "Uh oh," muttered Joker as he hid behind a shrub. There was only one thing that Kurei would be looking melancholy about while hanging around flowers at that was Kurenai, his lost love. Maybe that was why everyone was so mopey, Kurei was mopey and he was spreading it around. Misery loves company, after all. "But so does joviality!" said Joker as he stepped out from his hiding place. "Hey, Kurei-han!"
Kurei dropped the rose and in an instant his face was emotionless, cold blue eyes glaring at Joker. "What?" It sounded more like a death threat than a question but that had never stopped Joker before. He sat himself beside Kurei and picked up the rose that he had dropped, inhaling deeply of its scent and then giving an exaggerated sneeze.
"Not right now, Joker," growled Kurei.
"Hey, did you tell Raiha and Neon to say that because I've heard it from both of them tonight."
A flicker of something passed over Kurei's face and he gave a shrug. "Maybe they finally realize that the Uraha isn't all fun and games."
"But it isn't all mope and whine either! Neon is always kinda crabby but what is up with Raiha?"
Kurei's emotionless face hardened. "He is learning that there are some things that just have no place in the Uraha."
"Like what? Smiling? He looks like someone just told him that Christmas was canceled. Raiha is always fun but now he looks like a zombie! What did you tell him?"
Kurei's eyes flicked to the rose for a moment but the movement was not quick enough for Joker to miss. Joker slowly picked the rose off from the ground and put it back in Kurei's hands, watching the flame-master closely as he took it back. The melancholy was back. Joker could tell that Kurei was doing his best to hide it but he was used to seeing Kurei's veiled emotions.
"I told him that he couldn't see her again," said Kurei in what was barely above a whisper. "I told him that I'd have her killed."
"And now you regret it, huh?" asked Joker cheerfully in his kansai accent. "Well I suppose that I'll find some way to forgive you and he probably will too. "I'll even go tell him to chase the girl down, if you want. I'm sure that he could be persuaded to change his mind about this not-seeing thing."
Kurei nodded. "Right. That would be great, Joker."
Joker stood up and gave a dramatic bow. "Have no worries, Kurei-han! I'll have our favorite ninja grinning like an idiot again before the night is out!" Joker gave an impish grin and waved at Kurei before running off into the night, leaving Kurei regarding the red rose that was still in his hands.
"Kurenai..."
Joker walked into Raiha's room, "forgetting" to knock. It was because of this that he was able to see Raiha unguarded for a moment, sadness and pain showing on his face before it returned to the blank look that he had given him earlier. "What, Joker?"
"Eh, nothing. Just decided to visit."
Raiha narrowed his eyes. "Well I'm not accepting visitors right now so go away. Come back some other year, maybe."
"Oooooh, you sting me!" exclaimed Joker as he flopped down on Raiha's bed. "I'm only visiting! It's not like I'm going to beat you up or anything like that Hokage girl does."
A twinge of emotion flashed across Raiha's face at the mention but he quickly covered it up. "Well I'm not going to be seeing her anytime soon so I guess I won't have to worry about that."
Joker nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes. Love hurts, doesn't it?"
Raiha winced slightly at the word. "Please Joker, please leave me alone. I'm really not in the mood for talking right now."
"Well I am so you'd better listen!" Joker lunged forward from the bed and grabbed Raiha by the collar, giving him a good shake. "What the hell are you doing here, Raiha?"
"I'm serving Kurei-sama!" Raiha shoved Joker roughly off and retreated to another corner of the room to glare from a distance.
"That isn't what I meant," sighed Joker. "I mean, what are you doing here, in this building, right now, while your lady waits out there for you in the moonlight? Huh?"
Raiha gave a jerky shake of his head. "No, I can't see her anymore. Kurei- sama said-"
"Just forget what 'Kurei-sama' said!" snapped Joker. "You gotta learn which of his orders you have to follow and which you don't! If you take everything that Kurei-han says at face value then you must really believe that he is Mori's son and a living the life he wants to live. Some things he means and some things he doesn't! Get to know that, you dumb ninja!"
"But he said specifically-"
"He just told me the exact opposite specifically!" interrupted Joker. "He told me that he doesn't give a darn what you do with this Hokage girl. Marry her for all he cares." Joker put his hands on his hips and glowered at the stunned ninja. "Do whatever you want with her, just don't mope around here about her because I'm not going to put up with it, you hear me?"
Raiha's stunned look slowly transformed into one of realization and then joy. His usual smile returned to his face as he nodded. "Hai, Joker! No more moping!"
Joker gave Raiha a friendly slap on the back. "Well then, go get her! What are you waiting for?"
Raiha's smile grew an amused edge. "Somehow I don't think that Fuko would be very thrilled if I dropped into her room in the middle of the night. I think that I'll wait for tomorrow, is that ok with you?"
"Well, I suppose it'll do. Now, I think that I'll leave you to write your love poetry or whatever." Joker gave Raiha one last grin before disappearing out the door, leaving a very happy ninja inside.
"What would these people do without me?" mused Joker, letting his weapon come to rest on his shoulder as he strode off down the hall.
Yeah, I know that Kurei was acting a bit out of character in the previous chapter so in this one I tried to explain it a bit. Again, I was just writing this fic for fun then so wasn't bothering with deep ponderances about what I was doing to the characters. I've decided now that I'm going to try to finish this thing with all the characters in character. Things work out better that way.
Anyways, this chapter is fairly short and is mainly Joker wandering around doing stuff. For those of you who haven't read the mangas, Joker is one of Kurei's strongest Uraha and is... well.. one of his requirements for joining the Uraha was that he would never have to respect Kurei. He is, as his name suggests, a joker, and I hope that you enjoy him wandering around. Hopefully I'll have another chapter of this up soon, that is... if I don't forget about it again...
"Come on, Neon-chan! I was only joking!" called out Joker to Neon's retreating form. He watched her from underneath his floppy black hat as she stormed off, maids skittering out of her path as she went by. Joker heaved a nasal sigh. Why couldn't Neon appreciate his brilliant sense of humor? Well, maybe it was just jokes about the size of her breasts that she minded. Joker shrugged and began to head off in the opposite direction as Neon had gone, looking around for someone else to bother.
"Heeeeeeey Raiha!" exclaimed Joker as he rounded a corner and found the purple-haired ninja leaning against a wall.
"Not right now, Joker," said Raiha, none of his usual cheer and energy showing in his blank expression.
Though no one could see it behind the hat, Joker blinked in surprise. Raiha was usually so much fun, too! It wasn't fair that both Neon and Raiha be mopey when Joker wanted to have fun. He gave Raiha a prod with his trident- shaped elemental weapon but Raiha only glared. "I said not right now and I meant it!" snapped Raiha as he straightened up and took a step away from his fellow Uraha. "I'm not in the mood to be teased so go find someone else."
"Don't wanna find someone else!" whined Joker. "Neon is already sulking and Kurei-han never laughs at my jokes! Who else am I supposed to hang out with? Magensha?"
Raiha had had enough. He threw up his hands in frustration and began to trace Neon's steps back down the hall. "I don't care, Joker! Just leave me alone!"
Joker watched Raiha find his own door to slam and felt bitter pangs of disappointment. What was up with people today? Maybe it was the phase of the moon or something. Joker peered out the window and saw a crescent moon shining back down on him. Nope. Wasn't the moon. Joker wandered over to a trashcan and banged it with his elemental weapon for a few minutes. When no one was attracted by the sound he stopped and sighed yet another sigh.
"Well, maybe Kurei-han is in a good mood," murmured Joker as he set off to find the flame-master.
Joker searched through Kurei's office. He wasn't there. Joker poked through Kurei's room and even stuck his head into the shower to look for him, but he wasn't there. Neon didn't know where he was and neither did Mori's flunkies. Joker was just about to give up his prospect of having fun when he found Kurei, sitting in the garden and twirling something between his finger.
A rose. It was a rose. "Uh oh," muttered Joker as he hid behind a shrub. There was only one thing that Kurei would be looking melancholy about while hanging around flowers at that was Kurenai, his lost love. Maybe that was why everyone was so mopey, Kurei was mopey and he was spreading it around. Misery loves company, after all. "But so does joviality!" said Joker as he stepped out from his hiding place. "Hey, Kurei-han!"
Kurei dropped the rose and in an instant his face was emotionless, cold blue eyes glaring at Joker. "What?" It sounded more like a death threat than a question but that had never stopped Joker before. He sat himself beside Kurei and picked up the rose that he had dropped, inhaling deeply of its scent and then giving an exaggerated sneeze.
"Not right now, Joker," growled Kurei.
"Hey, did you tell Raiha and Neon to say that because I've heard it from both of them tonight."
A flicker of something passed over Kurei's face and he gave a shrug. "Maybe they finally realize that the Uraha isn't all fun and games."
"But it isn't all mope and whine either! Neon is always kinda crabby but what is up with Raiha?"
Kurei's emotionless face hardened. "He is learning that there are some things that just have no place in the Uraha."
"Like what? Smiling? He looks like someone just told him that Christmas was canceled. Raiha is always fun but now he looks like a zombie! What did you tell him?"
Kurei's eyes flicked to the rose for a moment but the movement was not quick enough for Joker to miss. Joker slowly picked the rose off from the ground and put it back in Kurei's hands, watching the flame-master closely as he took it back. The melancholy was back. Joker could tell that Kurei was doing his best to hide it but he was used to seeing Kurei's veiled emotions.
"I told him that he couldn't see her again," said Kurei in what was barely above a whisper. "I told him that I'd have her killed."
"And now you regret it, huh?" asked Joker cheerfully in his kansai accent. "Well I suppose that I'll find some way to forgive you and he probably will too. "I'll even go tell him to chase the girl down, if you want. I'm sure that he could be persuaded to change his mind about this not-seeing thing."
Kurei nodded. "Right. That would be great, Joker."
Joker stood up and gave a dramatic bow. "Have no worries, Kurei-han! I'll have our favorite ninja grinning like an idiot again before the night is out!" Joker gave an impish grin and waved at Kurei before running off into the night, leaving Kurei regarding the red rose that was still in his hands.
"Kurenai..."
Joker walked into Raiha's room, "forgetting" to knock. It was because of this that he was able to see Raiha unguarded for a moment, sadness and pain showing on his face before it returned to the blank look that he had given him earlier. "What, Joker?"
"Eh, nothing. Just decided to visit."
Raiha narrowed his eyes. "Well I'm not accepting visitors right now so go away. Come back some other year, maybe."
"Oooooh, you sting me!" exclaimed Joker as he flopped down on Raiha's bed. "I'm only visiting! It's not like I'm going to beat you up or anything like that Hokage girl does."
A twinge of emotion flashed across Raiha's face at the mention but he quickly covered it up. "Well I'm not going to be seeing her anytime soon so I guess I won't have to worry about that."
Joker nodded knowingly. "Ah, yes. Love hurts, doesn't it?"
Raiha winced slightly at the word. "Please Joker, please leave me alone. I'm really not in the mood for talking right now."
"Well I am so you'd better listen!" Joker lunged forward from the bed and grabbed Raiha by the collar, giving him a good shake. "What the hell are you doing here, Raiha?"
"I'm serving Kurei-sama!" Raiha shoved Joker roughly off and retreated to another corner of the room to glare from a distance.
"That isn't what I meant," sighed Joker. "I mean, what are you doing here, in this building, right now, while your lady waits out there for you in the moonlight? Huh?"
Raiha gave a jerky shake of his head. "No, I can't see her anymore. Kurei- sama said-"
"Just forget what 'Kurei-sama' said!" snapped Joker. "You gotta learn which of his orders you have to follow and which you don't! If you take everything that Kurei-han says at face value then you must really believe that he is Mori's son and a living the life he wants to live. Some things he means and some things he doesn't! Get to know that, you dumb ninja!"
"But he said specifically-"
"He just told me the exact opposite specifically!" interrupted Joker. "He told me that he doesn't give a darn what you do with this Hokage girl. Marry her for all he cares." Joker put his hands on his hips and glowered at the stunned ninja. "Do whatever you want with her, just don't mope around here about her because I'm not going to put up with it, you hear me?"
Raiha's stunned look slowly transformed into one of realization and then joy. His usual smile returned to his face as he nodded. "Hai, Joker! No more moping!"
Joker gave Raiha a friendly slap on the back. "Well then, go get her! What are you waiting for?"
Raiha's smile grew an amused edge. "Somehow I don't think that Fuko would be very thrilled if I dropped into her room in the middle of the night. I think that I'll wait for tomorrow, is that ok with you?"
"Well, I suppose it'll do. Now, I think that I'll leave you to write your love poetry or whatever." Joker gave Raiha one last grin before disappearing out the door, leaving a very happy ninja inside.
"What would these people do without me?" mused Joker, letting his weapon come to rest on his shoulder as he strode off down the hall.