A/N YAY! Chapter 9 is at LONG LAST FINISHED! cheers loudly Who's happy? Yeah, ya better be. XD Anyway- It's a long chapter, and to be honest I really don't know how on earth I wrote 16 pages on being at the mall. It's probably not a very exciting chapter, but hey, its something right? Hopefully you'll enjoy parts of it if not all.
Disclaimers: You know the drill- Saiyuki characters and original story line= not mine, but the talented Kazuya Minekura's. Original characters…are…very original…and don't belong to anybody but their respective owners…namely themselves. ;) No profit is being made by this, it's only for my entertainment, for yours and for my friends'. Remember it is a FAN FICTION- any gripes you have (other than huge mistakes I might make)- keep them to yourself- I really don't care.
Chapter Nine
Mall Rats
"How's he doing back there, Mandi?" Ashley's voice called from behind the wheel of her truck. The 'he' inferred to Hakkai, who was following the girls in the Jeep going towards the mall.
Katie piped up from the passenger side. "I'm surprised that he's even gotten this far driving on the right side of the car…Hakuryuu's steering wheel was always on the left in the anime."
"Yep…" Mandi replied briefly, her brown eyes diligently keeping watch of the black iron vehicle behind the truck. She bit her lip, shaking her head as the Jeep continued veering to the left only to suddenly be pulled straight again. "Oh god…he's making me nervous…"
The girls decided that they would take the Sanzo party to the closest mall and buy them the clothes needed to look like just another part of the crowd. It did take a while, however, to leave Mandi's house, only because the monk was rather impartial to leaving his fan behind along with his pistol. Yet again it'd been Hakkai to the rescue, convincing the blond young man that really, there was no use for it. Katie had also added in that people would definitely think it strange that a grown man was whacking people in the head like a child throwing a temper tantrum. Naturally this only irritated Sanzo, but he did eventually stash the paper fan away.
Only ten minutes had passed since both Jeep and truck hit the road towards Yorktown Shopping Center, and already the girls' nerves were frayed. They'd questioned Hakkai's driving abilities to begin with, knowing he could be rather reckless- (all information collected from watching the anime repeatedly) - and wondered just how he'd been able to get around without getting into an accident. The truth was right behind them, and it was obvious that if it was kept up for much longer, something bad just may happen.
When a passing vehicle blared the horn at the Jeep that couldn't seem to stay in its own lane or stick to one speed, Mandi grimaced.
"Ash, could you pull over please?"
With a nod, Ashley pulled the emerald green Ford F250 Super Duty onto the shoulder, wondering what was going on. She didn't get the chance to ask, because as soon as the Jeep stopped behind them, Mandi stepped out.
"Why did we stop?" Katie arched a brow quizzically towards the tall female driver.
"I don't know…it probably has something to do with Hakkai's bad driving though. I take it he's not used to an actual road." Ashley replied, stepping out as well.
Katie followed suit and both girls moved to see what was going on. By this time, Mandi had already moved out to speak with Hakkai, trying to ignore the berating gaze of a certain uptight monk.
"Why did we stop?" the monk inquired smoothly, having repeated himself for the fourth time.
At a length, Mandi gave in. "Ah, to be honest?" she laughed nervously. She didn't much feel like getting in trouble for insulting Hakkai's driving, but something had to be said.
"The truth is we wanted to bring you out in the middle of a busy street and have fun playing 'How Many Cars Can Sanzo Dodge?'." Katie stated with a completely straight face.
"How…morbid," Hakkai murmured, slightly worried that she wasn't kidding.
When Sanzo didn't take the bait, Katie sighed. "You're no fun. I'm just joking anyway…you need to lighten up."
"Like that'll ever happen," Gojyo scoffed, poking his head out of the back window.
Goku did the same on the other side, wrinkling his nose. "Hey, what's the hold up?"
"I'm wondering the same thing." Ashley said, glancing to Mandi. "We're getting strange looks from people."
Sure enough, drivers slowed down as they passed the group, gawking, and more than likely wondering just what was happening. People could be so nosy- they always needed to know just what was going on, even if it had nothing to do with them, and Sanzo wasn't having any of it.
"We're drawing attention. Care to hurry up and tell us why we've stopped?"
Smiling, Mandi clapped her hands together and spoke as kindly as she could. "Hakkai, you aren't too comfortable driving around out here, are you?"
The emerald eyed youth appeared a little embarrassed. "Not really, no."
"We're not comfortable with him driving out here either," Goku grumbled. "Gojyo keeps sliding into me because Hakkai jerks the wheel too hard."
Ashley and Katie exchanged glances at the chestnut haired boy's words and tried to stifle giggles. There was something about it that just sounded…naughty.
"Just whose wheel is Hakkai jerking?" Katie giggled and then shook her head when Goku gave her a confused glance. "Never mind Goku."
Mandi gave a short laugh and resumed. "I didn't think you were, so if it's alright with you, Hakkai, I'll gladly chauffer for the day. No offense, but with the way you drive, we're liable to get pulled over by the police, or worse, get into an accident."
Hakkai ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah…I would say yes, but…there are two problems: Hakuryuu doesn't always take to strangers handling him, and one of us would have to ride with Katie and Ashley."
"I fail to see how the latter is a problem," Ashley muttered. "It's not like we're going to kidnap you or anything."
Katie glanced to her. "We won't?"
Ashley shrugged. "Maybe later."
Sanzo crossed his arms, impatiently waiting for some resolution to arise. Katie was suddenly inclined to make a comment to Ash about the high Buddhist priest suffering from an abnormally long case of PMS, causing them both to reel into a fit of giggles.
The third girl stood, digesting what Hakkai said, and then walked to the Jeep, placing a hand lightly upon the hood. Curious, the brunette young man watched her, absently adjusting the monocle over his right eye.
"Hello there, Hakuryuu," Mandi spoke softly, leaning over as she did. "I bet you're a bit wary of strangers like Hakkai said, and I suppose I really can't blame you. You must be a little frightened too, being in an unfamiliar place where you can't transform…but I promise you there's nothing to be too frightened of, and you certainly don't need to be afraid of me, little one."
Surprisingly, the vehicle responded with a cheery sounding squawk. Hakkai smiled faintly at this.
"It seems you have his attention."
Grinning, Mandi looked over her shoulder to Ashley and Katie, her expression nothing short of pure joy. She was talking to a car, but not just any four wheeled metal clunk- this was Hakuryuu! They both returned the smile, and she turned back to continue speaking.
"Hakkai isn't used to driving around here, either…but I may have a solution that can ease your nerves if you're up for it." She paused a moment. "What do you say to having me drive you Hakuryuu? I swear Hakkai will be right there with you at all times, so you won't have to worry about him."
A moment passed in silence, save for the cars whizzing past on the road. Sanzo let out an annoyed sigh, hoping this was going to get somewhere soon. Gojyo and Goku both stared on, wondering if the Jeep was even going to make a response. Finally, Hakuryuu let out a confirming squawk.
"Oh good!" the brunette girl clapped, beaming, and then dug around her purse for her tortoise shell wire rimmed glasses. She slid them in place and hopped over to the driver's side. "I'll be very careful with you, I swear."
Alarm suddenly rang through the backseat duo at the thought of a girl driving them around. Could girls drive? They'd never seen a female in control of any vehicle in Shangri La, though seeing a vehicle was really rare as it were. It was then that Goku and Gojyo realized that Ash had been driving, and so figured it wasn't at all unusual. However, there remained one other question…
"Who's going to ride with us?" Katie asked.
Ashley shrugged. "I don't really care who it is, but while you decide, I'm going to wait in the truck." She turned to get back in, shutting the door quickly before a passing car rammed into it.
Mandi waited beside Hakuryuu's driver side door, tapping her fingers against the metal frame, gaze dancing about. Hakkai prompted that he had to ride in the Jeep, so it was left between Goku, Sanzo, and Gojyo. The red headed kappa would've been more than happy to join the girls, but Goku's comment about him just wanting to score with them made Sanzo turn and move rigidly towards the Ford.
"I'm riding with them."
"But Sanzo! I can ride with them!" Goku complained.
The blond monk snorted, giving a sidelong glance to the golden eyed boy. "I'm not riding in there with her." He inferred to Mandi, who had reached the annoyance level of Goku in his book.
"How childish," Katie mused, reading into what he must have been thinking. "She's no where near as bad as I can be, Sanzo, and without your gun or fan, you're stuck."
He grunted, moving into the passenger seat of Ashley's truck, violet eyes straight ahead as he spoke.
"Then you're going in the back."
Katie ran up to the transport and gaped. "Excuse me? I don't think so! This is Ash's truck, and Ash is my friend, so I should sit up front!"
She knew she too was being childish now, but there was a better reason behind wanting to ride up front. Katie just refused to be a doormat, and the tone of voice Sanzo had used with her just pushed several wrong buttons.
Ashley peered past the monk. "Can you argue about this later? Fight over who gets the front on the ride back, please, I just don't want to be sitting on the shoulder much longer."
"I agree." Sanzo stated expressionlessly. "We're wasting time, just get in."
Begrudgingly, Katie climbed into the back and stuck her tongue out at the priest. Suddenly, Sanzo wondered if he wouldn't be better off riding in the Jeep.
When Mandi pulled out onto the road, Ashley waited until it was clear before tailing the black vehicle. She reached out and turned the radio on, telling Sanzo not to try and kill it because it wasn't a demon. He wasn't amused, but Ashley had been completely serious- she might've caused him some serious damage if he'd wrecked her radio.
For a few minutes after, everything remained fairly quiet inside of the Ford, but this simply wouldn't do for the blue eyed girl. She leaned forward and tapped Sanzo's shoulder.
"Question."
"No." he replied shortly.
Ashley smirked but didn't say a word- she was keeping an eye on where the Jeep was going, and noted that Mandi's driving was considerably better than Hakkai's.
Katie rolled her eyes. "I'm not Goku, ya know. It's not like you could foresee what I'm going to say."
Sanzo huffed. "Fine. What is it?"
She grinned. "Can we stop and get something to eat? I'm hungry."
This made Ashley laugh, and Sanzo scowled.
"You're not cute."
"I wasn't trying to be," Katie retorted, chuckling. "But in all seriousness…Sanzo, what is it that you and the others are searching for? Maybe we can help."
Sanzo sighed. "It's none of your business and even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to help."
Katie bit back the retort she was originally going to use. "Try me- we know more than you might think."
The monk grunted, turning his violet gaze to Ashley. "How do you turn her off?"
"I'm still figuring that one out," Ashley replied, letting on a teasing smile.
"You're no help." Sanzo muttered.
"Sanzo, really though, why won't you tell us what you're searching for? How do you know that we won't be able to help in some way?" Katie persisted, poking the monk's shoulder blade. "We could at least try, and it's not like we don't know anything about the four of you. Don't you think it would be easier with more help?"
"Stop touching me," he replied stiffly. "I don't think this is any of your concern. The fact is nobody ever should have known anything about us, and I don't care that you do, it doesn't make me trust you any farther than I can throw you. You three have done enough as it is, and we don't need or want your assistance on anything more than you have offered to do before this conversation."
Glancing in the rearview, Ashley saw her friend eyeballing Sanzo dangerously. She sighed- this felt a lot like their online Saiyuki role plays come to life. In fact, Ash wondered if this exact same scene hadn't been played out once before. There was one upside- she knew that Katie wasn't going to let Sanzo have the last word.
Katie sat back, arching a brow, pondering on just how to respond to the blond monk's rejection. "So you mean to tell me that you'd have been content to drive around aimlessly, looking for whatever, without money to eat, without a real place to sleep, and with a very good chance of drawing a lot of attention because you'd be shooting that gun of yours off every five minutes?" she exhaled sharply. "It doesn't sound like you've got another choice, so just accept our assistance. Swallow your pride, monk, because it's very unattractive."
Ashley felt like applauding her friend for being able to render Sanzo speechless in just under forty-eight hours. However, she thought it best to keep her hands on the wheel, lest they drive into a ditch. Hopefully things were going much better in the Jeep…
Mandi made a smooth right hand turn into the Yorktown parking lot, a smile plastered to her face all the while. She couldn't seem to erase it from the very moment she had permission to drive the Jeep, and who could really blame her? To begin with, Gojyo and Goku had started to bicker, Goku first complaining that Gojyo was taking up too much room and the kappa responding by his usual "stupid monkey" retort. Hakkai took this all on with a grin of his own, surely used to it by now, but Mandi was afraid she may get into an accident from laughing at them. So to remedy this, she'd turned the radio on and the pair in the backseat somewhat reduced their banter to a dull roar.
After finding a place where both truck and Jeep could park side by side, Mandi turned the ignition off and gave the vehicle a gentle pat.
"Thanks so much Hakuryuu! We'll be back soon enough."
The Jeep replied with a happy squawk and then remained silent. Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku piled out from inside, and at least two of the three seemed exceptionally grateful to have been relieved of the erratic driving.
"Thanks for taking over- Hakkai might've crashed us into something!" Goku exclaimed, grinning to the young woman who responded only with a smile and a faint blush.
Hakkai glanced to the shorter boy inquisitively. "I'm not that bad...am I?"
Clamping a hand on his friend's shoulder, Gojyo responded. "Not in Shangri La...It's tolerable there. But here man? Yeah, ya are that bad."
Mandi laughed, clamping a hand over her mouth, only to be joined by the sound of Katie and Ashley laughing as well. The other two had gotten out of the Ford, Sanzo scowling beside them.
Katie glanced to the brunette girl, noting the wide grin on her face. Mandi did smile a lot, but half of the time it left her friends wondering if it held any meaning. Today, however, there was no doubt in the older girl's mind that there was substance to that expression.
"So, you just got to drive Hakuryuu...how was it?!"
"Awesomely awesome!" the brown-eyed girl replied enthusiastically, bouncing on her heels.
Ashley arched a brow at the hyper ness. "Did they give you sugar or is this a natural high?"
Goku piped up instead. "She can't have sugar?'Coz if not, we didn't give her any."
"Baka saru," Gojyo chortled, stretching. "It's just a figure of speech."
The chestnut haired youth pouted at the insult but then corrected what he'd just said. "Well, in that case...we all had some candy on the way here."
Katie sniggered. "Now what if you'd just gotten her in trouble, Goku? Gojyo could've been wrong you know."
This made the boy's eyes widen as he turned around to look at Mandi, who only smirked at him. "I'm sorry!"
The girls suddenly burst out in laughter, causing a few other parking lot stragglers to turn in wonder of what was so funny. Finding nothing of interest, the strangers shrugged and looked away, leaving the group to their own devices once more.
Mandi began to speak, about to suggest they go inside, tilting her chin in the direction of the entrance. As she did so, her pony tail swept past Goku's face, and in an instance she yelped as her hair was tugged.
"Yes, Goku?!" she cried, rolling her eyes back and to the side. "What are you doing?"
Gojyo muttered, "Here we go again...the monkey and the hair..."
Goku gazed innocently up the three and a half height difference, letting go of the pony tail. "Sorry...but I just noticed you have really red parts in your hair. Is it real?"
Sanzo, who'd remained irritated and silent, glared at the rest of the group. No demons in this place, his holy monk ass. He wondered if that promise included hanyou- not full demons, but not full humans, one canceled out the other. Before he said a word, Hakkai spoke in response to Sanzo's thoughts.
"If there were demons existing here, Sanzo, Goku and I would still be wearing our power limiters and Gojyo would be able to summon his weapon. Demons just...don't exist here, my friend, it's more likely just...fashionable."
Ash smirked as Mandi still hadn't replied to Goku's question. "She dyes it, Goku. The brown is her natural color, the red was just added in."
"Oh...that's pretty cool." Goku grinned.
Gojyo shook his head, bewildered, and suddenly felt bitterness toward his own hair color, which wasn't phony in the least bit. "Why anyone would want the color red in their hair is beyond me."
"Oh shut up," Ash snapped heatedly, feeling her cheeks grow warm. "Red is a beautiful color."
The hanyou arched a brow at the comment yet said nothing, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. This girl had spunk, which was more than he could say for the airheads he spent most nights with in Shangri La. Those girls cared about nothing more but winding up in the arms of some pretty face with a strong lean body come nightfall. Gojyo had a feeling that Ashley wasn't that type.
Annoyed with loitering near the cars, Sanzo motioned toward the mall entrance. "Are we going to go inside any time soon or is there something 'special' we need to know about this place too?"
Katie rolled her eyes. "So sorry we're not moving along fast enough, your highness." she huffed a bit. "There isn't anything you need to know except that it's just an enclosed market."
The other five exchanged wary glances. They were only on their second day of knowing each other and already everyone could tell that there was going to be a lot of tension between Katie and Sanzo. Goku tugged at Mandi's sleeve, wanting to avoid witnessing an argument.
"Maybe we should just go inside now?"
Gojyo snorted. "I can't believe I'm admitting this, but that's a good idea, monkey."
"I'm not monkey! Why can't you just call me Goku, damnit?!"
The kappa smirked, putting out the cigarette he'd had burning in his hands for some time. "It just isn't fun that way."
Ashley and Mandi stared at the two for a moment before laughing. Poor Goku- it seemed no matter what he said or did, he'd just always be nothing but a monkey to everyone else.
The blond monk let out a strained sigh, crossing his arms. While he could be extremely patient, he really just wanted to get this all over and done with. "Are we going or what?"
"Yeah, yeah, calm down preacher man." Katie muttered, starting off for the doors.
Mandi caught up quickly, the golden-eyed youth in tow, his hand still clutching her sleeve. Suddenly she wondered referring to him in a way that made him sound years younger was proper. If her memory served right, Goku's birthday wasn't long after hers, and he'd be roughly the same age as she and Ashley: nineteen or twenty.
She laughed- either way he was just a spirited boy with the appetite of about ten teenagers. Goku's features gave the impression that he was much younger than he was, and ignoring the five hundred years to his age, Mandi would just always see him that way. The way he clung to her sleeve, for instance, made her wonder if she'd suddenly picked up an extra brother on top of the 2 she already had.
Gojyo smirked at Goku, a million ideas of what to say formulated in his mind. However, Hakkai only looked to his friend and much to the kappa's disappointment, the words were never spoken.
Wordlessly, the seven shuffled through the double glass doors of Sam Goody Records and were welcomed by an employee dressed in a blue polo shirt.
"Hello, and welcome to Sam Goody!"
The group stared a moment before nodding or verbally returning the greeting before moving towards the main section of the mall. They didn't get far before Hakkai's voice stopped them.
"Hey- Sanzo, look at this!" the emerald eyed young man waved the monk over to a wall chock full of anime DVDs. He managed to spot the row of Saiyuki DVDs. "It looks like...they really do sell this stuff in the stores."
Sanzo's already scowling expression darkened more so as he looked over the merchandise. "So they told the truth about that much. Fine. We shouldn't stick around near these." Truth told, even though the cover art was drawn, the likenesses could very easily be drawn between animated character and living breathing person.
Sensing the monk's slight uneasiness, Katie waved a hand. "C'mon, we didn't come here to gawk at the DVD selection. Let's go shopping!"
Hakkai and Sanzo rejoined the others and the seven walked out into the main lobby of the two floored mall.
"So where to first?" Katie inquired, glancing about. She and Ash had only been there once before, and that was the first time out of three that they'd come to visit Mandi and Erin.
Ash chuckled. "Maybe you should give them a moment to recuperate, huh?" She nodded towards the Sanzo-ikkou.
All four young men had their eyes roaming, chins tilting upward when their gazes reached the escalators and followed the moving stairs upward. It was quite evident that they'd never seen a market like this one, especially one with two floors.
Mandi laughed. "It's a good thing we're not in Minnesota- the Mall of America would've given them coronaries."
Katie sputtered at the thought of all four guys suddenly passing out at the sheer size of America's biggest shopping center.
Sanzo turned his violet gaze steadily to the girls, though he was unable to fully hide that he was a little impressed by the establishment. "Have you decided what we're doing?"
"Hm..." Mandi thought. "Should we split up and take someone to different stores or stick together?"
"I'd rather we stayed together." Sanzo stated flatly.
"You're not afraid of getting lost in such a big, big place, are you Sanzo?" Katie winked teasingly.
The monk grunted, glaring icily towards the oldest of the female trio, but didn't bother replying.
Hakkai smiled. "Either way is fine, but if we split up, it might take a while to find everyone. Unless we have a designated meeting place, but then we'd have to decide on a time to meet there." He laughed softly, "And with the way Gojyo and Goku shop, we really don't know if that set time would be efficient for them."
"Then that settles it, I guess." Ash murmured. "Where to?"
Mandi raised her hand, forefinger and thumb extended and she beamed, speaking excitedly. "I suggest Hot Topic- it's the closest clothing store on the first level."
Ash sniggered at her friend's motion. "Ok 'Hakkai'."
Puzzled, the green eyed man turned his head towards the tall girl. "I didn't say anything."
Mandi blushed a bit, putting her hand down. "Ah, never mind her...err...the store is this way." she shook her head, laughing shortly to herself and turned down the left of the lobby while the others followed. Truthfully, she hated being first in line to lead people, but she was the only one who knew the place like the back of her hand. She guessed that given the circumstances, it wasn't a problem
After passing the elevator, Mandi led the other six around the right hand corner and gestured to a store a few yards away. "There it is."
A black and metallic silver arch framed the entrance with neon red lights in jagged script read "Hot Topic". Punk music blared from speakers hidden inside the store and the rubber matted floors held racks and shelves of rock-star like clothing. As soon as the seven stepped inside, they were greeted by a young salesgirl with a pierced lip and spiky multi-tonal hair.
"Hey, welcome to Hot Topic. Is there anything I can help you find?"
The four young men gawked at the salesgirl. Just what kind of store was this? All the clothes seemed to run either very small or very big, and most of the colors were pretty dark, giving a gothic feel to them. Some of the merchandise was just unbelievable- there were a pair of Mary Jane shoes in the window display with 4 inch thick soles! How could anyone walk in those things?
Katie motioned to the young men behind her and the other girls. "We're actually looking for clothes for...any of them, really. Whatever suits whoever's tastes?"
The salesgirl, whose nametag read Alana, nodded. "Alright then. Let me tell you we have a clearance sale going on- anything red tagged is an additional 50% off, so you might want to check the clearance rack before anything else, and save a few bucks."
Goku was ahead of the game. He'd already eased up to a men's clothing rack, sifting through pairs of red plaid bondage pants.
"These are kick ass! Oh man! These too!" He jumped to a shelf that held T-shirts, laughing as he picked one up that had a picture of Ralph Wiggum of the Simpsons picking his nose. "Too funny! A yellow person!"
Alana arched a brow, laughing lightly at Goku as Mandi tried to explain. "Err; he doesn't watch much TV..."
The salesgirl nodded, glancing towards customers entering the store. "Well, if you need any more help, let me know." she moved off towards the newcomers to greet them.
Gojyo shrugged. "I don't know if this is my kind of place or not, but some of this stuff looks kind of cool." He spotted a black T-shirt with a picture of a cartoon monkey on it with the words "I'm With Stupid" beneath. He grinned. "Is that for me, or what?"
Ashley laughed, "That's so mean...but so funny."
The red head smirked, heading for the rack holding the T-shirt. He definitely had to get it, and if he knew better, Gojyo knew Goku wouldn't get the meaning to it for a while.
The other two young men stood near the front of the store as the girls quickly dispersed to hunt down some clothes for them. Goku seemed to already have a small pile of clothes in his arm and the next time Sanzo saw the youth duck out from an aisle, he reprimanded him.
"One outfit each, monkey, or weren't you listening? Put some back."
Goku pouted, turning to do what he was told, but Mandi's hand stopped him.
"Ya know, I doubt there's really another store here that will have clothes Goku might be enthusiastic about wearing…so, if this is what he wants, then I guess it's ok." She turned her coffee colored eyes to Goku from the monk. "Just don't expect much else from other places…leastways, not from me."
The monkey-like boy conceded eagerly and Sanzo glared with vehemence. "You're going to spoil him."
"So you keep saying, but I'm being nice and helping him out. There's a difference." She smiled and turned away.
Katie then approached the blond man with a shirt in hand. She held it up to him to assess how the black and silver shirt with meshed elbows and safety pinned collar might look on him. Like his black undergarment, she supposed it'd make a nice contrast to that golden hair of his.
"Whatever." He said quietly.
Not liking his reply, Katie rolled her eyes. "Maybe a straight-jacket would do more good. That way you couldn't use that gun or your damn 'fan of doom' on anyone. Not to mention it would sure as hell fit your mental state."
Sanzo glared in reply and the young woman shrugged, turning to pick up a pair of wannabe leather pants and then thrust the two items at the monk.
"Go try them on before I buy anything. I don't much feel like listening to you gripe because what I got you doesn't fit."
"I never asked you to become my personal shopper, and I'll have you know we do have a change of clothes with us."
The young woman shrugged. "I know you never asked, Ashley and I are splitting the costs of whatever we get, and as for your change of clothes- they'll do just fine…until they wear out, that is. It's better to be prepared, and besides…this is just too fun an opportunity to pass up."
Without another word, the monk walked back towards the fitting room, which was basically just a room with a heavy velvet drape for a door.
Ashley, Mandi, Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku lingered around the clearance racks, digging curiously through everything. Gojyo held the insulting T-shirt over one arm and a pair of frayed black bondage pants along with a white thermal shirt to wear under the other. He was trying to help Ashley find something for herself, but his suggestions weren't taken too kindly too. Most of the clothes he held up were too revealing or just too wild for her tastes.
Goku had his neck craned as he read the shirt the kappa held, trying to figure out what it was supposed to mean. "I don't get it…"
"Never mind, Goku, it's probably better if you didn't…" Hakkai chuckled.
The golden eyed boy frowned. "Hakkai, did you pick anything out yet? You're taking too long."
A sheepish smile found its way to the green eyed man's lips. "No, I haven't found anything, I'm afraid. To be honest…"
"…this place isn't exactly his style," Mandi finished absently, lifting up a Good Charlotte work shirt and then returned it to the rack. "Perhaps another store will suit you more, Hakkai." She glanced to him and he agreed.
Ashley jerked up a shirt displaying a cartoon horse sporting multi-colored hair. She laughed a little. "I usually don't go for clothes like this, but…I kind of like it."
Katie liked it too- so much in fact that she ended up getting the same shirt but of a different color.
When Sanzo finally emerged from the fitting room, the group was good to go. Mandi took the liberty of handling Goku's purchase alone, which totaled out to around one hundred and three dollars. A whistle blew past Katie's lips and Goku didn't quite understand until Mandi explained that what she just spent was the equivalent of eleven thousand-odd yen. Floored, Goku turned red in the face- nobody ever spent that much on him at one time, he was sure of it. He asked if she wanted to give something back and Mandi flat out refused, getting another comment from the monk about Goku being a spoiled chimp.
The items between Ashley and Katie had come to something just over Goku's total, but since the girls were splitting the cost, they spent less money. Gojyo thanked them both with a smirk and a wink but Sanzo, of course, gave the curtest of nods.
Their next destination was unknown until they found themselves wandering past the Gap. It was a store which none of the three girls would ever set foot in, but the clothes in the tidy vicinity seemed to fit Hakkai more than perfectly. And so, the group shuffled over into the space of hardwood floors and perfectly aligned clothing racks. Sure- the store was just as expensive as Hot Topic, but it seemed luck was on their side- they'd hit another sale.
Gojyo's face contorted to one of disdain- no way would he get anything from here- it was so not his style to look like a clean-cut kinda guy. Sanzo, on the other hand, found some of the clothing appealing, as did Hakkai, resulting in the both of them splitting to take a gander.
Ashley and Katie remained near the doors, conversing quietly about this entire situation, simply wondering at the awesomeness of it all.
"Ultimately they'll have to leave…you know, once they find whatever it is they're searching for." Katie sighed wistfully. "If we could help them…maybe we could go back to Togenkyo with them…"
Ashley shrugged. "I'd say we're helping them a lot as it is, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be up to them whether or not we go back with them." She thought a moment. "Part of me still wants to say none of this is real, but…dreams don't last this long, do they? And there's so much that gives up that everything is really happening…it's just so surreal."
"It's probably just the shock that won't let you believe it," the older girl mused with a short laugh. "Though…is it me, or is Sanzo crankier than he is in the anime?"
"Nope, he's definitely crankier," Ash agreed with a wry grin. "And Gojyo is a lot hornier at that…the other two seem to fall in place with how they've been portrayed though."
Katie chortled. "Well, I guess being in a strange place, forced to rely on absolute strangers explains Sanzo's behavior. He probably feels like he's wasting time here. As for Gojyo…well, he's not been laid once since their journey began, so the anime has portrayed, he probably figures- hey, fresh blood."
"You're right- I do feel like I'm wasting time here." Sanzo spoke flatly, interrupting the soft giggles. "And I don't appreciate being the center of your piddling gossip."
Pushing away mild embarrassment, Katie smirked. "You're not the center of our gossip; we're talking about Gojyo too."
The kappa lifted his chin, hearing his name. "Good things, I hope."
Ash snorted. "If you can count your perverseness as a good thing, then yeah."
"They don't call me the erotic kappa for nothing, sweetie." He chided, shrugging lean shoulders.
Sanzo picked up his arm, showing off two button-up tops and a pair of dark slacks. "This will be all for me." His violet eyes danced to Katie.
"Oh? Well, good luck paying for it- I don't know if they'll accept yen here, or your ATM card." Katie challenged.
The monk hid his bemusement. "Don't tell me the first thing you bought was the end of your charity."
"You said you don't need our charity," Katie smiled sweetly. "You said it loud and clear. I did my part."
Knowing full well that her friend only toyed with the monk, Ashley hid a grin, waiting for him to erupt. However, his reaction was not what she'd expected.
"Fine." Sanzo replied coolly, moving to return the clothes to their proper places.
With a laughing sigh, Katie stopped him, informing him that she'd only been teasing.
"I fail to find the humor," he muttered, dropping the clothes into her arms.
"Tough crowd." She scoffed with a shake of her head.
On the other end of the store, Mandi had followed Hakkai to assist him in picking something out. She had a feeling he might be a bit indecisive and had been right in thinking so. The slender young man had been trying to choose between a crisp hunter green button-up collared shirt and a spring green one, and already had a pair of khaki colored chinos over his left forearm.
Mandi laughed, taking the shirts from him. It was nothing short of what he was already wearing. "You can stray from the same colors, you know…I'm sure green isn't the only one to bring out your eyes." Her cheeks flushed immediately after the last word was spoken.
Hakkai rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not choosing by color, I'm actually going by price…it seems you spent quite a bit on Goku, I just want to be a little easier on your wallet."
'How considerate…' Mandi thought, taking the clothes from his arms.
He watched, puzzled as she replaced them all and picked up different colored shirts. One black, one white, and the other a navy and white pin striped.
"Isn't just one enough?" Hakkai queried. There was no need to spend so much money…
"Nah…it's on sale. Besides, who really wants to wear the same clothes all the…" Mandi trailed off, laughing awkwardly at Hakkai's semi-dejected expression. "Never mind."
Letting go of an exasperated sigh, he turned to pick up a pair of black jeans on sale…for sixty-five dollars. He didn't know the exact figure, but he guessed if one hundred of the dollars here was equal to eleven thousand yen…it was still a chunk of change. As he began to put the jeans back, Mandi took them.
"Do you like them?" she asked, unfolding them to guesstimate whether they'd fit him or not. Her eyes dropped to the price tag. 'Ouch…my poor, poor wallet…'
Hakkai attempted to take the jeans back. "They are nice, but isn't the price a little steep?"
"Welcome to America," she grinned, taking the merchandise back out of his reach.
Goku sidled up to her. "I know you said I couldn't have anything else…"
"But you're hungry?" Mandi asked, quirking a brow.
Shocked, Goku took a step back from her. "Whoa! How'd you know that?!"
"It's not that hard to figure out, you dumb monkey." Gojyo slung an arm around the shorter young man. "Every day it's the same damn thing…every five minutes it's the same damn thing…'I'm hungry, I'm hungry'. Get a life, man."
Ashley crossed her arms. "Please don't start that in here…" she still smirked in amusement despite herself.
It was then that Katie approached carrying a few items, Sanzo following behind her. She flicked her azure eyes to the others.
"Are we done here?"
Hakkai replied hastily before Mandi the spend-a-holic could add anymore clothes to his pile.
"Yes, we're done."
Ashley shook her head- they were spending so much money- she hoped there'd be enough left between everyone to still do some of the things the girls had planned. Sure, it was great having the Saiyuki fellas around, but she and Katie had come to visit in order to spend time sight seeing Chicago.
"Aren't you going a little overboard, girls?" Gojyo suggested. "It's nice what you're doing, but we don't even know how long we're gonna be here. It could be a few days or maybe weeks, possibly even months. Do ya really feel like babysitting us for that long?"
Truth told…given the choice…the girls would have watched over them for forever and a day if they could. This was something they'd only dreamt and fantasized about, and now with the chance in front of them, they'd grab on and hold tight for as long as possible.
However, before anyone had the chance to answer the red head, music began to play from Mandi's pocket.
"Your ass is ringing," Ashley pointed out as the brunette revealed her cell phone.
Sanzo eyed this new contraption warily, though Hakkai and Goku looked on with curiosity. Gojyo…seemed more interested in a group of teenage girls walking past.
"Damn, can we say hotties?" the kappa smirked lustily.
"More like, can we say 'felony'?" Katie giggled.
Mandi answered her phone, sounding rather exasperated.
"Yeah?"
"Damn it girl, where have you been?! I've been trying to get a hold of you for like three days now!"
"Ah. Hey Erin." Mandi smiled faintly. "I'm sorry I was just busy getting ready for Ashley and Katie. They got here yesterday."
Erin sighed, the air causing static to crackle over the phone. "I guess that's alright. How are they?"
"They're doing- Goku; please don't touch that- doing fine." Mandi had tried to keep the chestnut haired boy from a display, forgetting who she was on the phone with.
"Goku? Are you giving them nicknames now, or are you hallucinating?" Erin laughed, confused.
"Ah…" Mandi took a step back as Sanzo attempted to reach for her cell phone. "Damnit Sanzo, would you please stop?"
He motioned to the cashier. "I'd like to leave sometime soon; we're wasting time here."
"Shush monk." Katie warned before calling a hello to Erin.
Erin's voice became teasing. "Goku and Sanzo? Who was that guy talking to you?" she paused, hearing Katie's greeting, and then shouted into Mandi's ear. "Hello honey!"
Mandi arched a brow, drawing the phone away. "I'll have to answer those questions later…I'm at the mall right now and I'm getting death stares for being on the phone. Plus the cashier is waiting for us- oh…Ashley is waving hello now too."
"Tell her I said hi," the girl responded. "Ok, I'll let you go then, but you'd better call me back!"
"I promise I will…I'll talk to you later."
"Good! Later!"
Putting the phone away, the brunette girl passed on Erin's hellos to Ash and Katie on her way to the register. The other girls followed her, and then winced at the total.
"Big spender today, eh Mandi?" Katie chuckled.
"Lucky guy," the cashier added as Mandi handed over the dollar amount. "I'd never spend that much on my boyfriend- you must like him a lot."
Mandi's cheeks reddened. "He's not my boy…never mind…thank you." She took her change, not feeling like explaining anything to someone she didn't know.
Katie moved on to buy what Sanzo had gotten, as well as a nice sunshine yellow shirt for Goku. She smirked at the young woman behind the register.
"You'll have to forgive my friend. She's very, very shy when it comes to her love life."
Gojyo leaned in close to Ashley, continuing his attempts to make passes at her. He was actually intrigued by this tall honey haired young woman, even if in some ways she reminded him of Sanzo. She was quiet, to the point, and a little distant, but her strong will…wait! What on earth was he thinking? He knew this girl all of two days and his mind was in a tizzy? Not him- Sha Gojyo the ladies' man could accept being turned down and rebound in a snap, right?
"That's a nice line, but I don't think so, Red." Ash shot him down once again.
He frowned, rejected, saw a perky blond with a nice build wander past, and immediately recovered.
"Hentai baka." Sanzo grumbled crossly at his kappa companion's behavior before turning to Katie. She held one bag to him and another to a very bored Goku.
"What's this?" he questioned. "I didn't want anything."
Katie smiled lightly. "Every guy needs a nice shirt, so I took the liberty of buying you one."
The monk shifted his gaze to them and huffed. "Say thank you, Goku."
Goku scrunched his eyebrows at Sanzo. "Hey, she got you stuff too, so you should say thank you, now."
"Thank you, now." Sanzo replied flatly, stepping out of the store.
Although they didn't care for his rudeness, the girls began to giggle at what Sanzo had said.
"Volume one, episode two." Katie stated, informing the actual episode where Sanzo had said that same line to Goku.
As the group ambled back out into the mall, Hakkai fell in step beside Mandi. "I'm curious… how much did you spend on me..?"
"Oh, don't worry about it Hakkai. It was a gift- it's not right for me to say how much it cost. But if you really want to know, I'll give you a hint. I won't be able to buy any food next week, so if Goku keeps on eating the way he does, we might be scrounging for our dinners." She kept her face expressionless, though inside she was dying with laughter.
Katie kept a snigger to herself as Hakkai stared, halting in his steps.
"What? Are you serious? Oh…my…I'm taking these back." He turned around to go back to the store.
Mandi giggled and put a hand on his shoulder. "No, no, Hakkai, hang on a sec."
Gojyo laughed at his friend's gullibility. "I think she was teasing you, man."
Blushing, Hakkai resumed walking. "Ah…I knew that." He glanced to the young woman. "Thank you for this, then."
"Not a problem." She beamed, turning her face the other direction. Her face was going red again, starting with her ears. What the hell was wrong with her? He was just a guy…okay…he was a really cute one, one from her favorite anime…and the real one at that.
"Oh man! How awesome is this?!" Goku cried out suddenly, skidding in front of the candy store, and breathed in deeply. "It smells so good!"
Ashley could have sworn the kid's eyes were twinkling in a way only an animated character's eyes could twinkle. She smirked, proceeding to walk inside the shop. It did smell pretty good and she planned on picking something for herself…and for Goku.
"Goku…go on and pick one thing. It's my treat." She murmured and Goku jumped for it.
Katie and Mandi also decided to get something for themselves, unable to resist the sultry scent of chocolate and sugar. They were probably going to be quite hyper later on and laughed about it- those poor guys would find themselves wishing that they hadn't gone to the mall after all.
Goku finally decided on jawbreakers, once he found out that it was a candy that lasted for what seemed like forever. Gojyo was completely in favor of the name of the confection.
"So if he bites down on those things it could bust his jaw?" the kappa asked Ashley in a low voice.
The blond girl shrugged. "I guess that's possible, they are called jawbreakers."
Gojyo smirked and called out to the chestnut haired youth. "Hey monkey, make sure ya chew on that stuff, and chew hard."
Katie stifled a laugh. "That's awful."
"Hey, if it'll get him to shut up every now and then, who the hell cares?" Gojyo quipped, stuffing his hands in his pockets as the group wandered out of the candy store.
Sanzo seemed mildly pleased that the candy did keep Goku quiet. The sugar spheres were so big that the young youkai couldn't speak around them. He supposed the trip wasn't a complete loss.
Deciding that there truly wasn't much left to buy, Mandi figured it was time to go home. The group returned to their cars in the parking lot, splitting up again for the ride back. Hakkai seemed rather relieved that Hakuryuu was still there and unharmed, and Mandi laughed.
"You know, I highly doubt that he would've been taken. I think whoever would try would get freaked out by the noises this little guy can make. Isn't that right, Hakuryuu?" She patted the hood of the vehicle.
In response, Hakuryuu squawked loudly, and as predicted some passers-by jumped with a start, gazing in wonder at the Jeep.
Hakkai chuckled softly. "I suppose you're right then. I just get worried, that's all."
Gojyo and Goku piled into the backseat, the younger still working on the same jawbreaker and looking quite perplexed as to how it could last this long. The red head smirked- he had a feeling it would be a fairly quiet ride.
Ashley, Katie, and Sanzo climbed back into the Ford truck wordlessly. The monk was scowling, becoming annoyed at the bags he had that wouldn't sit up properly against the seat. Katie peered back at him with an evil smirk.
"Gee Sanzo you look like you're having fun."
The blond glowered at her. "Leave me alone."
"Is that any way to talk to someone who just spent money on you?" the young woman rebuked, keeping her expression intact. "I'd think a monk would be more appreciative. Oh- that's right- I forgot…you're the heartless kind."
Ashley rolled her eyes. Katie was really trying hard to irritate Sanzo…again.
Sanzo sat back against the seat, his hand smacking the bags as they shifted again in result of the truck beginning to move.
"I have to be heartless, otherwise how can I willingly kill those who piss me off." He glared pointedly at the older of the two girls. "Turn around, shut your mouth, and leave me the hell alone."
Katie sniggered but did as she was told. She gave a wink to Ashley who only sighed in reply, keeping her focus on following the Jeep back to Mandi's house. However long that these four fellas would hang around didn't much matter- but it was clear that keeping Sanzo and Katie from killing each other would be a huge challenge.