Konnichi wa, minna-chan! Tsunei here!
Sorry about not updating in like, forever. I had a bunch of tests, and then my computer got a virus, and I had writer's block for a whole weekend, which is when I do most of my writing. You get the point? Anywho, I've updated, so you should be happy and not pelting me with tomatoes (ducks a vegetable). This chapter is in Yahiko's point of view.
Disclaimer...
Tsunei: Okay Sano, say the disclaimer.
Sano: No way! Not after you captured me.
Tsunei: Well, it's not my fault Enishi is too damn hard to catch! (tugs on Sano's leash) Now say the disclaimer.
Sano: NO!
Tsunei: I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but if you don't say the disclaimer I will force-feed you Kaoru's cooking.
Sano: OKAY! I give up...ahem. Buritsutsunei does not own the idea of Rurouni Kenshin, the plot, nor the characters, except for those that she has rightfully stolen.
Tsunei: Good boy! (leaves)
Sano: (checks to make sure she is gone) Help me!
Tsunei: And now I give you...
JADE GREEN
Chapter 3-Yahiko
Normally I sleep in till at least 8, or whenever the hag decides it's time for me to start training. However, on the day after we found that strange girl Xan, I woke up just after sunrise. It wasn't noise that disturbed my sleep, or some prank of Sano's, but the wonderful smell of breakfast.
My stomach growled as I threw on a clean gi and hakama. Maybe Megumi had come back over; it certainly wasn't Kaoru cooking, as if it was, the smell would have been acrid, not pleasant. I trotted down the hallway, following my nose into the kitchen. Much to my surprise, I found not Megumi, nor the hag, but Xan preparing breakfast. A pot of soup, probably miso, if my nose was correct, was bubbling over a tiny fire. Meanwhile, Xan was busy shaping freshly cooked rice into perfectly round onigiri balls. She looked up from her work when I walked in.
"Morning Yahiko," she chirped as she finished the last rice ball and put in on a tray with the others. "If you wait a minute, I can get your miso and onigiri all set. The tea should be ready in a few seconds, too." Xan poured the soup into five bowls. Bringing one of them over to where I had sat down, she smiled for no apparent reason. Moments later she brought the tray of onigiri and a pot of tea over too.
"What's this all about?" I asked, taking a bite of onigiri. It tasted like heaven. But, compared to Kaoru's cooking, most things taste like heaven. Still, all things considered, it was pretty good. I finished it pretty quickly and reached for another.
"Um, well, you guys were so nice as to let me stay, that I decided I would return the favor by making breakfast," explained Xan, taking a sip of tea. "How is it, by the way? I hope it's not too bland."
I swallowed the rest of my onigiri. "No-it's great!" I said, now taking a sip of the soup. This too was delicious. The hag always made it too salty.
Xan sighed, relieved. "Good. I haven't made any of this stuff in so long that I was afraid I had forgotten how to make it."
"Forgotten how to make what? And what smells so good in here?" asked a sleepy eyed Sano, walking into the kitchen.
"Good morning Sano! Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry," said Xan, motioning to the food.
Sano sat down next to me. "Morning twerp," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with one hand and reaching for a bowl with the other. He took a deep drag of his miso soup. Surprised, he exclaimed, "Hey, this is pretty good! Xan, if you cook this good all of the time, you can definitely take over Kaoru's job as chef. She couldn't cook a good meal to save her life."
Much to Sano's misfortune and my humor, Kaoru walked in the kitchen at that exact time, Kenshin at her heels. I laughed to myself as the hag sneaked up behind Sano and yelled, "SANOSUKE, KEEP YOUR FAT MOUTH SHUT!" She proceeded to beat the crap out of him.
"Morning, Yahiko. Morning Xan-dono. Did you make breakfast?" asked Kenshin, ignoring the fight and sitting down opposite of me. Xan handed him a bowl of soup.
"Mm-hmm," she answered, making a place for Kaoru for when she got done beating Sanosuke. "There's tea there too. Hope you like it."
Kenshin's eyes grew wide as he took a bite of onigiri. "This is outstanding, that it is," he exclaimed in the way that only Kenshin can.
I helped myself to a sixth rice ball, my miso soup long gone. If Xan was going to keep cooking, I would end up as fat as the hag!
Kaoru finished beating Sano and sat down next to Kenshin. "Xan, thanks for making breakfast. I seem to be missing the gene that allows one to cook, and it doesn't help when the guys keep teasing me about it," she said, shooting daggers with her eyes at Sano and I. I continued to munch on my onigiri.
Seeing that everyone was taken care of, Xan began to enjoy her meal. As she ate, I noticed she wasn't wearing the kimono that the hag had lent her. Instead, she was garbed in a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of pantaloons that were cut above the knee.
"Hey Xan! Why aren't you wearing Kaoru's kimono?" I asked, motioning to her strange clothes.
Xan's face grew red as she lowered her head in embarrassment. "Um, well, I feel really stupid saying this, but I don't know how to wear one properly. The robe itself is easy enough, but that sash is harder than hell to tie!" she admitted, setting down her empty soup bowl.
Kaoru brushed away her worries, saying, "That's okay. The obi IS the hardest part of the kimono to learn how to do. I'll help you with it after breakfast, and then we can go shopping!"
"Okay! I love shopping!" exclaimed Xan, running her hands through her short brown hair and laughing. "I'll just do up these dishes, and then we can get ready."
Kenshin spoke up. "Don't bother yourself, Xan-dono. Yahiko and I will take care of the dishes, that we will. Right Yahiko?" He smiled cheerfully.
The thing I hate about Kenshin is the fact that he's so damn helpful. He's always doing womanly chores like laundry and dishes. But I guess for a breakfast like that, I could do the dishes in payment. God, that soup was great...
"Well, the dishes won't take too long to do. What are we men supposed to do while you ladies go out and have fun? Clean?" asked Sano, handing his dishes to Kenshin, who had gotten up to wash them.
Kaoru smiled evilly and said, "Why thank you for offering to clean, Sano! You know, you've really become a gentleman. I expect the dojo to be spotless by the time we come back."
Ha...Sano really walked into that one. He grumbled, muttering, "That's not what I meant." He walked to the door and said, "Maybe I'll come with you women, just in case any perverts try to abduct you. You never know, with all those strange men walking around."
Xan surprised us all, saying, "Hmm...would you classify yourself as one of those perverts, Sanosuke? You seem pretty strange..."
Kenshin and Kaoru's jaws dropped, as did mine. Xan seemed so innocent and sweet, but it was obvious now she had a bit of a saucy side. While her new attitude surprised us, it also provided great humor for us.
"Ha! Sanosuke, the pervert!" I cried.
Xan smiled and walked past Sanosuke. "Well, c'mon Kaoru. We need to get all prettied up if we're going shopping. And I need you to tie that damn sash thing...the obi, or whatever it was called."
It was pretty obvious to me that Xan was one of those girls who needed a day to warm up to you. She was really mild when we first took her in, but now she was red hot!
The women disappeared into Kaoru's room to get changed. Kenshin broke the silence that followed, saying, "Well, if this one gets help with the dishes, we can all go into town with Kaoru-dono and Xan-dono."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure. And then we can all go out to eat a the Akabeko!" I exclaimed, picking up a pile of dirty dishes to wash. Much to my surprise, Sano came over to help too.
"Uh, Sanosuke? Are you feeling alright?" asked Kenshin nervously. He was right to be nervous-Sano was only helpful when he was being sneaky and wanted something or was drunk. The red-haired swordsman started washing the dishes as I dropped them carefully in the basin of soapy water.
Sanosuke put on a mask of utter innocence. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be alright?" He dried a plate and set it in the cupboard. "I just want to go into town. Is that a federal crime now?"
This made no sense to me whatsoever. If Sano wanted to go into town, he could have just left. No one would have cared; he did it all the time. There must have been something to make him want to come with us...
Kenshin spoke up again. "Um, right. Sanosuke, why didn't you just leave if you wanted to go into town? Doing dishes has never held you back before."
That's why Kenshin is such a cool guy. He can always read my mind and ask what I don't want to. But, then again, the mind reading thing is a little creepy.
Sanosuke seemed to have a little trouble answering Kenshin's question. "Er, um...I just thought you might need a little help with the chores. Plus, it's a lot more fun to hang out with you guys in town than heading in all by my lonesome," he finished quickly, putting away the last of the dishes.
Kenshin picked up the basin of water and carried it outside to dump it. It was this time when I asked, "But didn't you tell us last week that you hated hanging out with us in town?" Something was amiss here, and I just couldn't put my finger on it.
Walking back in, Kenshin agreed with me. "Yes, Sano, this one did hear you say that. Something about how we were bad luck for your gambling skills?"
"Who has gambling skills?" came Xan's voice from the doorway. Sanosuke turned to face Xan, as she provided a great excuse not to answer my and Kenshin's question. However, when he looked at her new outfit, his mouth dropped open. He gaped at the girl like a freshly caught fish.
Xan was garbed in one of Kaoru's older kimonos, but it did not take away from her appearance. The fabric was decorated with a delicate cherry blossom print and red silk hems. The obi too was made of a deep red silk, and it wrapped around her waist to form an elegant butterfly bow. The outfit looked like it had been made for Xan. This particular one had always made Kaoru look fat. Wait...all her clothes make her look fat.
"You look very nice in that kimono," smiled Kenshin. "I like yours too, Kaoru-dono. Is it new?" Kaoru's kimono was a deep blue with embroidered leaves scattered across it. Her obi was of a bright green silk, and it too was tied in a butterfly bow. Much as I hate to admit it, she looked pretty nice. Much nicer than she usually looked, which was covered in sweat and mud.
Xan smiled shyly. "Thanks," she said, tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear. Her locks were piled up on the back of her head in a messy, but pretty, bun.
"Well, that means we can go into town, now that Kaoru doesn't look so ugly anymore," I said, putting on my sandals.
Kaoru raised her fist as if to hit me, but then stopped, confused. "Wait...did you just compliment me?"
Sano still gaped at Xan. She obviously noticed this, and shrank slightly behind Kaoru. "Um, Sano? Earth to Sano! If you let your mouth hang wide open anymore, flies might swarm in."
Her words yanked Sanosuke back into reality, but they didn't help stop his stuttering. "Um...yeah...you...er," he stammered, face turning bright red. I'd never seen Sano this embarrassed or tongue-tied.
Xan chose to ignore Sano. She turned to Kaoru and smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? I'm dying to see all the hot spots in this town!" She and Kaoru slipped on their sandals, as did Kenshin. Sano always wore his black fighting slippers, so he walked out of the dojo to wait for us.
When all of us were ready to go, we walked out of the dojo to join Sano. He was pacing by the gate. "Finally ready?" he asked, stopping. We all left to go into town.
Kaoru and Xan lead our mismatched group, Kenshin right behind them. Sano and I took up the tail of the parade. I took this time to question him about his strange behavior. "So, Sano, are you going to go gambling?" I asked.
He ran a hand through his raven hair. "Er-no I don't think I'm going to. I don't have any money," he replied lazily.
"That's never stopped you before."
"Why are you so suspicious? I just don't feel like gambling today."
"Sure. The day you stop gambling is the day Kaoru cooks a real meal."
"I heard that brat!" Kaoru shrieked, throwing a rock at my head. Luckily, I ducked just in time.
I continued talking to Sanosuke. "So, what is up with you?"
"Nothing!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had eyes for a certain lady person," whispered Kenshin slyly, slowing down to walk with us.
"No! You like Xan?" I whispered incredulously. Sano's face turned bright red, but he didn't answer. "Ha! It's true, isn't it?" I shrieked.
"She's a pretty face. That's all," he muttered, quickening his pace to join up with the girls, leaving Kenshin and I standing in the middle of the road, grins plastered on our faces.
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Sayonera, minna-chan! This is Tsunei, signing off. Sorry if the last bit was a little OOC for Kenshin there, but I thought it was okay. PLEASE review, and I will get the next chapter up. I think it's going to be Kaoru's point of view, or maybe Sano's. Actually, I think it will be Sano's. Get ready for some major card playing! I'm going to have gambling in the next chapter! Well, I have homework to get done. May your swords stay sharp!
Hey, that review button looks really nice...(hint hint hint!)
Sorry about not updating in like, forever. I had a bunch of tests, and then my computer got a virus, and I had writer's block for a whole weekend, which is when I do most of my writing. You get the point? Anywho, I've updated, so you should be happy and not pelting me with tomatoes (ducks a vegetable). This chapter is in Yahiko's point of view.
Disclaimer...
Tsunei: Okay Sano, say the disclaimer.
Sano: No way! Not after you captured me.
Tsunei: Well, it's not my fault Enishi is too damn hard to catch! (tugs on Sano's leash) Now say the disclaimer.
Sano: NO!
Tsunei: I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but if you don't say the disclaimer I will force-feed you Kaoru's cooking.
Sano: OKAY! I give up...ahem. Buritsutsunei does not own the idea of Rurouni Kenshin, the plot, nor the characters, except for those that she has rightfully stolen.
Tsunei: Good boy! (leaves)
Sano: (checks to make sure she is gone) Help me!
Tsunei: And now I give you...
JADE GREEN
Chapter 3-Yahiko
Normally I sleep in till at least 8, or whenever the hag decides it's time for me to start training. However, on the day after we found that strange girl Xan, I woke up just after sunrise. It wasn't noise that disturbed my sleep, or some prank of Sano's, but the wonderful smell of breakfast.
My stomach growled as I threw on a clean gi and hakama. Maybe Megumi had come back over; it certainly wasn't Kaoru cooking, as if it was, the smell would have been acrid, not pleasant. I trotted down the hallway, following my nose into the kitchen. Much to my surprise, I found not Megumi, nor the hag, but Xan preparing breakfast. A pot of soup, probably miso, if my nose was correct, was bubbling over a tiny fire. Meanwhile, Xan was busy shaping freshly cooked rice into perfectly round onigiri balls. She looked up from her work when I walked in.
"Morning Yahiko," she chirped as she finished the last rice ball and put in on a tray with the others. "If you wait a minute, I can get your miso and onigiri all set. The tea should be ready in a few seconds, too." Xan poured the soup into five bowls. Bringing one of them over to where I had sat down, she smiled for no apparent reason. Moments later she brought the tray of onigiri and a pot of tea over too.
"What's this all about?" I asked, taking a bite of onigiri. It tasted like heaven. But, compared to Kaoru's cooking, most things taste like heaven. Still, all things considered, it was pretty good. I finished it pretty quickly and reached for another.
"Um, well, you guys were so nice as to let me stay, that I decided I would return the favor by making breakfast," explained Xan, taking a sip of tea. "How is it, by the way? I hope it's not too bland."
I swallowed the rest of my onigiri. "No-it's great!" I said, now taking a sip of the soup. This too was delicious. The hag always made it too salty.
Xan sighed, relieved. "Good. I haven't made any of this stuff in so long that I was afraid I had forgotten how to make it."
"Forgotten how to make what? And what smells so good in here?" asked a sleepy eyed Sano, walking into the kitchen.
"Good morning Sano! Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry," said Xan, motioning to the food.
Sano sat down next to me. "Morning twerp," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with one hand and reaching for a bowl with the other. He took a deep drag of his miso soup. Surprised, he exclaimed, "Hey, this is pretty good! Xan, if you cook this good all of the time, you can definitely take over Kaoru's job as chef. She couldn't cook a good meal to save her life."
Much to Sano's misfortune and my humor, Kaoru walked in the kitchen at that exact time, Kenshin at her heels. I laughed to myself as the hag sneaked up behind Sano and yelled, "SANOSUKE, KEEP YOUR FAT MOUTH SHUT!" She proceeded to beat the crap out of him.
"Morning, Yahiko. Morning Xan-dono. Did you make breakfast?" asked Kenshin, ignoring the fight and sitting down opposite of me. Xan handed him a bowl of soup.
"Mm-hmm," she answered, making a place for Kaoru for when she got done beating Sanosuke. "There's tea there too. Hope you like it."
Kenshin's eyes grew wide as he took a bite of onigiri. "This is outstanding, that it is," he exclaimed in the way that only Kenshin can.
I helped myself to a sixth rice ball, my miso soup long gone. If Xan was going to keep cooking, I would end up as fat as the hag!
Kaoru finished beating Sano and sat down next to Kenshin. "Xan, thanks for making breakfast. I seem to be missing the gene that allows one to cook, and it doesn't help when the guys keep teasing me about it," she said, shooting daggers with her eyes at Sano and I. I continued to munch on my onigiri.
Seeing that everyone was taken care of, Xan began to enjoy her meal. As she ate, I noticed she wasn't wearing the kimono that the hag had lent her. Instead, she was garbed in a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of pantaloons that were cut above the knee.
"Hey Xan! Why aren't you wearing Kaoru's kimono?" I asked, motioning to her strange clothes.
Xan's face grew red as she lowered her head in embarrassment. "Um, well, I feel really stupid saying this, but I don't know how to wear one properly. The robe itself is easy enough, but that sash is harder than hell to tie!" she admitted, setting down her empty soup bowl.
Kaoru brushed away her worries, saying, "That's okay. The obi IS the hardest part of the kimono to learn how to do. I'll help you with it after breakfast, and then we can go shopping!"
"Okay! I love shopping!" exclaimed Xan, running her hands through her short brown hair and laughing. "I'll just do up these dishes, and then we can get ready."
Kenshin spoke up. "Don't bother yourself, Xan-dono. Yahiko and I will take care of the dishes, that we will. Right Yahiko?" He smiled cheerfully.
The thing I hate about Kenshin is the fact that he's so damn helpful. He's always doing womanly chores like laundry and dishes. But I guess for a breakfast like that, I could do the dishes in payment. God, that soup was great...
"Well, the dishes won't take too long to do. What are we men supposed to do while you ladies go out and have fun? Clean?" asked Sano, handing his dishes to Kenshin, who had gotten up to wash them.
Kaoru smiled evilly and said, "Why thank you for offering to clean, Sano! You know, you've really become a gentleman. I expect the dojo to be spotless by the time we come back."
Ha...Sano really walked into that one. He grumbled, muttering, "That's not what I meant." He walked to the door and said, "Maybe I'll come with you women, just in case any perverts try to abduct you. You never know, with all those strange men walking around."
Xan surprised us all, saying, "Hmm...would you classify yourself as one of those perverts, Sanosuke? You seem pretty strange..."
Kenshin and Kaoru's jaws dropped, as did mine. Xan seemed so innocent and sweet, but it was obvious now she had a bit of a saucy side. While her new attitude surprised us, it also provided great humor for us.
"Ha! Sanosuke, the pervert!" I cried.
Xan smiled and walked past Sanosuke. "Well, c'mon Kaoru. We need to get all prettied up if we're going shopping. And I need you to tie that damn sash thing...the obi, or whatever it was called."
It was pretty obvious to me that Xan was one of those girls who needed a day to warm up to you. She was really mild when we first took her in, but now she was red hot!
The women disappeared into Kaoru's room to get changed. Kenshin broke the silence that followed, saying, "Well, if this one gets help with the dishes, we can all go into town with Kaoru-dono and Xan-dono."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Sure. And then we can all go out to eat a the Akabeko!" I exclaimed, picking up a pile of dirty dishes to wash. Much to my surprise, Sano came over to help too.
"Uh, Sanosuke? Are you feeling alright?" asked Kenshin nervously. He was right to be nervous-Sano was only helpful when he was being sneaky and wanted something or was drunk. The red-haired swordsman started washing the dishes as I dropped them carefully in the basin of soapy water.
Sanosuke put on a mask of utter innocence. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be alright?" He dried a plate and set it in the cupboard. "I just want to go into town. Is that a federal crime now?"
This made no sense to me whatsoever. If Sano wanted to go into town, he could have just left. No one would have cared; he did it all the time. There must have been something to make him want to come with us...
Kenshin spoke up again. "Um, right. Sanosuke, why didn't you just leave if you wanted to go into town? Doing dishes has never held you back before."
That's why Kenshin is such a cool guy. He can always read my mind and ask what I don't want to. But, then again, the mind reading thing is a little creepy.
Sanosuke seemed to have a little trouble answering Kenshin's question. "Er, um...I just thought you might need a little help with the chores. Plus, it's a lot more fun to hang out with you guys in town than heading in all by my lonesome," he finished quickly, putting away the last of the dishes.
Kenshin picked up the basin of water and carried it outside to dump it. It was this time when I asked, "But didn't you tell us last week that you hated hanging out with us in town?" Something was amiss here, and I just couldn't put my finger on it.
Walking back in, Kenshin agreed with me. "Yes, Sano, this one did hear you say that. Something about how we were bad luck for your gambling skills?"
"Who has gambling skills?" came Xan's voice from the doorway. Sanosuke turned to face Xan, as she provided a great excuse not to answer my and Kenshin's question. However, when he looked at her new outfit, his mouth dropped open. He gaped at the girl like a freshly caught fish.
Xan was garbed in one of Kaoru's older kimonos, but it did not take away from her appearance. The fabric was decorated with a delicate cherry blossom print and red silk hems. The obi too was made of a deep red silk, and it wrapped around her waist to form an elegant butterfly bow. The outfit looked like it had been made for Xan. This particular one had always made Kaoru look fat. Wait...all her clothes make her look fat.
"You look very nice in that kimono," smiled Kenshin. "I like yours too, Kaoru-dono. Is it new?" Kaoru's kimono was a deep blue with embroidered leaves scattered across it. Her obi was of a bright green silk, and it too was tied in a butterfly bow. Much as I hate to admit it, she looked pretty nice. Much nicer than she usually looked, which was covered in sweat and mud.
Xan smiled shyly. "Thanks," she said, tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind her ear. Her locks were piled up on the back of her head in a messy, but pretty, bun.
"Well, that means we can go into town, now that Kaoru doesn't look so ugly anymore," I said, putting on my sandals.
Kaoru raised her fist as if to hit me, but then stopped, confused. "Wait...did you just compliment me?"
Sano still gaped at Xan. She obviously noticed this, and shrank slightly behind Kaoru. "Um, Sano? Earth to Sano! If you let your mouth hang wide open anymore, flies might swarm in."
Her words yanked Sanosuke back into reality, but they didn't help stop his stuttering. "Um...yeah...you...er," he stammered, face turning bright red. I'd never seen Sano this embarrassed or tongue-tied.
Xan chose to ignore Sano. She turned to Kaoru and smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? I'm dying to see all the hot spots in this town!" She and Kaoru slipped on their sandals, as did Kenshin. Sano always wore his black fighting slippers, so he walked out of the dojo to wait for us.
When all of us were ready to go, we walked out of the dojo to join Sano. He was pacing by the gate. "Finally ready?" he asked, stopping. We all left to go into town.
Kaoru and Xan lead our mismatched group, Kenshin right behind them. Sano and I took up the tail of the parade. I took this time to question him about his strange behavior. "So, Sano, are you going to go gambling?" I asked.
He ran a hand through his raven hair. "Er-no I don't think I'm going to. I don't have any money," he replied lazily.
"That's never stopped you before."
"Why are you so suspicious? I just don't feel like gambling today."
"Sure. The day you stop gambling is the day Kaoru cooks a real meal."
"I heard that brat!" Kaoru shrieked, throwing a rock at my head. Luckily, I ducked just in time.
I continued talking to Sanosuke. "So, what is up with you?"
"Nothing!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you had eyes for a certain lady person," whispered Kenshin slyly, slowing down to walk with us.
"No! You like Xan?" I whispered incredulously. Sano's face turned bright red, but he didn't answer. "Ha! It's true, isn't it?" I shrieked.
"She's a pretty face. That's all," he muttered, quickening his pace to join up with the girls, leaving Kenshin and I standing in the middle of the road, grins plastered on our faces.
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Sayonera, minna-chan! This is Tsunei, signing off. Sorry if the last bit was a little OOC for Kenshin there, but I thought it was okay. PLEASE review, and I will get the next chapter up. I think it's going to be Kaoru's point of view, or maybe Sano's. Actually, I think it will be Sano's. Get ready for some major card playing! I'm going to have gambling in the next chapter! Well, I have homework to get done. May your swords stay sharp!
Hey, that review button looks really nice...(hint hint hint!)