A/N: Come on people, a little review won't hurt you. NEMO: I love your fic
He Loves me He Loves Me not. Are you gonna do more?
A Plague of Hakama Ties Standard disclaimers apply
The sun is now at its highest and the first of my groups three fights is winding down. I can hear the crowd calling for blood just about. It seems they aren't happy with the non-violent ways of the temple tournaments. Personally, I'm not either. I'd much rather just get a person out of my way and if cutting them makes 'em move faster, well then so be it.
I look over to my left. Tori-Atama is still thinking hard. The poor thing's going to have a hideous time getting any sashes off. If we're in the same group of fighters I'll take him out first. I'd hate for the boy to get his hopes up. The other warriors are milling around. Some of them are stretching out, some of them are flirting with the pretty faces come to look at the fresh meat. To be the wife of a temple warrior is considered a worthy position.
I can see Lady Fujita returning. That woman is one of the few females who can scare Shishou. She's one of the meanest things to ever hold a sword. I'm actually pretty surprised she's overseeing a two-bit cattle call like this. On the subject of this being a cattle call... Why do they have us in these pens? I've never felt more like an animal than this. AND IT'S FUCKING HOT!
"You look like someone just killed your favorite dog, girlie." Sanosuke crouched down beside me, gave upon balancing his long form on his heels and plopped himself down in the dirt. "So, why are you trying to join the temple forces?"
Two swift movements are all it would take. Two quick jerks of the wrist and one graceful swing of my right arm and the stupid rooster would be out of my hair forever. Instead of giving into my death dealing tendencies I decided to give him an answer. "It seems the right thing for me to do, that it does. I've been trained in an ancient and powerful sword technique. Hiten Mitsurugi has taught me to wield my sword for the people, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I would be insulting all those who have swung a sword in the name of Hiten Mitsurugi if I did nothing with what I have been taught, that I would."
"Yeah? Sounds like a big weight for a little thing like you to carry around. So you really know how to use that sword there?"
I lift my head and look him straight in the eye. "Yes. I know how to use this sword."
"Hahaha.. Just teasing you." He chuckled some more as he unexpectedly brushed off my glare of death. That was a first. "I'm not here to prove anything, I already know how many thugs I can floor in a night. I used to do it every night actually. My hometown down south gave me a choice, give up the bar brawls or go do them somewhere else. So I decided that the best way to get into fights was to move around with people who I know are gonna get attacked. So becoming a temple warrior just seems to fit my way of life perfect."
"Oro?"
I know I look like a little kid right now. My eyes are blinking incredulously and my mouth is slightly open. "You got kicked out of your hometown for fighting and so thought that the temples would accept you for that same thing? Do you honestly think you're going to be able to beat these warriors with just your fists? Look at them, they're mostly hardened mercenaries. One of them has an axe almost bigger than me."
"Scared?"
"Me? Of course I'm not scared you stupid Tori-Atama," I'm practically screaming at him now. Shishou should have given me temper management lessons. Wait, he did. "I'm just rather shocked at your own careless disregard for your own life!"
"Hey, Hiten Girl, come get your sash." Lady Fujita yells at me form the gate to our pen. The fight's over, you're going in next." The five other combatants have already lined up outside the pen. I feel like an idiot.
.
So now we're lined up waiting to beat each other into the ground, five muscle bound thugs and little ol' me. I'm actually getting kind of nervous. That's a first for me, or maybe it's the fact that I'm about to walk into an arena surrounded by hundreds of people while wearing a bright pink gi, correction... magenta. Three of the guys look like no problem, well actually all five of them do, but I really try not to develop too much of an ego. The other two that 'might' be a passing problem look like they scare little children into bed.
I think my favorite's the one with the huge axe. One has to wonder about these men and their propensity for choosing oversized weapons that're slow and very predictable. Now, if axe boy stays with his axe there'll be no problem whatsoever. Should he choose to go after me with his body stench I might get worried, oh and his fists too. I do have to admit being a petite girlie figure is not going to help me in the ring.
The fight finishing before us six warriors is rather boring. A tall fellow with twin kodachi is decimating the entire arena by raising an eyebrow. *shiver* I don't think I'd want to go up against that eyebrow either. Wonder what it would be like to scare people by just moving an eyebrow.
"All right, you six with the green sashes, into the arena."
We're in. Horn's blow, people yell and throw things. Little kids dressed in bright yellow gather fallen weapons, armor and other 'stuff' from the arena floor. Here we go.
@.@*
"Goooood Noontide Ladies and Gentleman, and welcome to the thirtieth annual Temple Tournament. Please grab a seat and some shade while we line up the warriors for the next fantastic fight. This is one you'll not want to miss. They're known by hidden names that we whisper behind our hands, by their prominent scars and by the enemies always trying to find and destroy them. Our next fight is the second group of elite level warriors. The fighters who go find a fight and stay until it's over. Not one of these six will be walking off the field if the other five have their say about it. Grab your wine cups and some snacks now, folks 'cause you're not going to want to miss a minute of this rumble that's going to happen. Let's introduce the contestants."
"First in the arena and the tallest of the bunch, shadowed only by his weapon. Dian Wei is one of our favorite 'Mad Cows'. Let's see if he and his huge axe can make it into the finals again this year."
"Dian Wei is followed closely by Zhang Fei. Those aren't delicate fingernails on his hands, folks. Those are some of the most dangerous claws to be found in the world."
"Out of the east comes an oddly dressed fellow by the name of Cao Cao. He's the son of the leader of his Wei tribe and has come to bring glory to his family's name."
"Another tribal prince, Lu Bu is one of the most easily recognized of our six. Those telltale feathers sticking out of his head have been known to scare off entire armies in the west. Will they prove helpful or a hindrance this time."
"Our fifth warrior is a Gan Ding, a reformed pirate and reborn protector of our friendly town wharf. A common face in the bars of town, but not frowned upon. Listening to the crowd's roar, it's safe to say he's our favorite here."
"And last, and smallest, and very noticeable in the pink gi we have one Himura Kenshin. An odd name for an odd hair. It's been a while since this tournament has seen a northern Choshu warrior show their face. Himura has claimed sword mastery of the ancient art of Hiten Mitsurugi. Maybe we'll get to see some super secret moves today, folks."
"The fight begins as soon as the Grounds Master lowers the flag and there it goes folks. They're off like a flash. Cao Cao is in the lead swinging his sword, but oops, looks like that tunic is a little long. He's tripped and fallen."
[these are the advanced fighters? *snicker* this is going to be too easy]
"Himura Kenshin is circling behind the main group and seems to be targeting Dian Wei. Such a big axe must be scary to the tiny warrior."
[note to self: assassinate announcer after Dian Wei falls.]
"Ouch folks, there goes the axe. Himura sliced that handle like a piece of cheese. Dian Wei is backing up up, up, and into the crows. Himura is falling back. The judges have called it. Wei is disqualified for stepping out of the ring. Wei is gone. Does Himura get the pints for the unbroken sashes?"
[Points? We're collecting points? Dammit! Why doesn't anybody tell me these things!]
"The judges have called it, Himura does not get the points. Seems he had ample time to cut those ties. The arena is littered with green sashes, can Himura make up for the loss. Cao Cao is out! Gan Ding is dancing with his sash and.. Gan Ding is out, a masterful performance by Himura. That looked like all six sashes in one fell swoop! Cheer for the little swordsman, folks!"
[LITTLE... Dammit! You will die!]
"Lu Bu and Zhang Fei are head to head. These two warriors, normally tentative allies are crossing blades as if there was no tomorrow. There goes one sash, two, is that a third? Where is Himura? Lu Bu is down, but.. so is Zhang Fei. Himura is slicing their ties as I speak. Himura has the match.. I repeat Himura has the match!"
[That was it?]
@^#*@^(!#_$#!*#!&^
A Plague of Hakama Ties Standard disclaimers apply
The sun is now at its highest and the first of my groups three fights is winding down. I can hear the crowd calling for blood just about. It seems they aren't happy with the non-violent ways of the temple tournaments. Personally, I'm not either. I'd much rather just get a person out of my way and if cutting them makes 'em move faster, well then so be it.
I look over to my left. Tori-Atama is still thinking hard. The poor thing's going to have a hideous time getting any sashes off. If we're in the same group of fighters I'll take him out first. I'd hate for the boy to get his hopes up. The other warriors are milling around. Some of them are stretching out, some of them are flirting with the pretty faces come to look at the fresh meat. To be the wife of a temple warrior is considered a worthy position.
I can see Lady Fujita returning. That woman is one of the few females who can scare Shishou. She's one of the meanest things to ever hold a sword. I'm actually pretty surprised she's overseeing a two-bit cattle call like this. On the subject of this being a cattle call... Why do they have us in these pens? I've never felt more like an animal than this. AND IT'S FUCKING HOT!
"You look like someone just killed your favorite dog, girlie." Sanosuke crouched down beside me, gave upon balancing his long form on his heels and plopped himself down in the dirt. "So, why are you trying to join the temple forces?"
Two swift movements are all it would take. Two quick jerks of the wrist and one graceful swing of my right arm and the stupid rooster would be out of my hair forever. Instead of giving into my death dealing tendencies I decided to give him an answer. "It seems the right thing for me to do, that it does. I've been trained in an ancient and powerful sword technique. Hiten Mitsurugi has taught me to wield my sword for the people, to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I would be insulting all those who have swung a sword in the name of Hiten Mitsurugi if I did nothing with what I have been taught, that I would."
"Yeah? Sounds like a big weight for a little thing like you to carry around. So you really know how to use that sword there?"
I lift my head and look him straight in the eye. "Yes. I know how to use this sword."
"Hahaha.. Just teasing you." He chuckled some more as he unexpectedly brushed off my glare of death. That was a first. "I'm not here to prove anything, I already know how many thugs I can floor in a night. I used to do it every night actually. My hometown down south gave me a choice, give up the bar brawls or go do them somewhere else. So I decided that the best way to get into fights was to move around with people who I know are gonna get attacked. So becoming a temple warrior just seems to fit my way of life perfect."
"Oro?"
I know I look like a little kid right now. My eyes are blinking incredulously and my mouth is slightly open. "You got kicked out of your hometown for fighting and so thought that the temples would accept you for that same thing? Do you honestly think you're going to be able to beat these warriors with just your fists? Look at them, they're mostly hardened mercenaries. One of them has an axe almost bigger than me."
"Scared?"
"Me? Of course I'm not scared you stupid Tori-Atama," I'm practically screaming at him now. Shishou should have given me temper management lessons. Wait, he did. "I'm just rather shocked at your own careless disregard for your own life!"
"Hey, Hiten Girl, come get your sash." Lady Fujita yells at me form the gate to our pen. The fight's over, you're going in next." The five other combatants have already lined up outside the pen. I feel like an idiot.
.
So now we're lined up waiting to beat each other into the ground, five muscle bound thugs and little ol' me. I'm actually getting kind of nervous. That's a first for me, or maybe it's the fact that I'm about to walk into an arena surrounded by hundreds of people while wearing a bright pink gi, correction... magenta. Three of the guys look like no problem, well actually all five of them do, but I really try not to develop too much of an ego. The other two that 'might' be a passing problem look like they scare little children into bed.
I think my favorite's the one with the huge axe. One has to wonder about these men and their propensity for choosing oversized weapons that're slow and very predictable. Now, if axe boy stays with his axe there'll be no problem whatsoever. Should he choose to go after me with his body stench I might get worried, oh and his fists too. I do have to admit being a petite girlie figure is not going to help me in the ring.
The fight finishing before us six warriors is rather boring. A tall fellow with twin kodachi is decimating the entire arena by raising an eyebrow. *shiver* I don't think I'd want to go up against that eyebrow either. Wonder what it would be like to scare people by just moving an eyebrow.
"All right, you six with the green sashes, into the arena."
We're in. Horn's blow, people yell and throw things. Little kids dressed in bright yellow gather fallen weapons, armor and other 'stuff' from the arena floor. Here we go.
@.@*
"Goooood Noontide Ladies and Gentleman, and welcome to the thirtieth annual Temple Tournament. Please grab a seat and some shade while we line up the warriors for the next fantastic fight. This is one you'll not want to miss. They're known by hidden names that we whisper behind our hands, by their prominent scars and by the enemies always trying to find and destroy them. Our next fight is the second group of elite level warriors. The fighters who go find a fight and stay until it's over. Not one of these six will be walking off the field if the other five have their say about it. Grab your wine cups and some snacks now, folks 'cause you're not going to want to miss a minute of this rumble that's going to happen. Let's introduce the contestants."
"First in the arena and the tallest of the bunch, shadowed only by his weapon. Dian Wei is one of our favorite 'Mad Cows'. Let's see if he and his huge axe can make it into the finals again this year."
"Dian Wei is followed closely by Zhang Fei. Those aren't delicate fingernails on his hands, folks. Those are some of the most dangerous claws to be found in the world."
"Out of the east comes an oddly dressed fellow by the name of Cao Cao. He's the son of the leader of his Wei tribe and has come to bring glory to his family's name."
"Another tribal prince, Lu Bu is one of the most easily recognized of our six. Those telltale feathers sticking out of his head have been known to scare off entire armies in the west. Will they prove helpful or a hindrance this time."
"Our fifth warrior is a Gan Ding, a reformed pirate and reborn protector of our friendly town wharf. A common face in the bars of town, but not frowned upon. Listening to the crowd's roar, it's safe to say he's our favorite here."
"And last, and smallest, and very noticeable in the pink gi we have one Himura Kenshin. An odd name for an odd hair. It's been a while since this tournament has seen a northern Choshu warrior show their face. Himura has claimed sword mastery of the ancient art of Hiten Mitsurugi. Maybe we'll get to see some super secret moves today, folks."
"The fight begins as soon as the Grounds Master lowers the flag and there it goes folks. They're off like a flash. Cao Cao is in the lead swinging his sword, but oops, looks like that tunic is a little long. He's tripped and fallen."
[these are the advanced fighters? *snicker* this is going to be too easy]
"Himura Kenshin is circling behind the main group and seems to be targeting Dian Wei. Such a big axe must be scary to the tiny warrior."
[note to self: assassinate announcer after Dian Wei falls.]
"Ouch folks, there goes the axe. Himura sliced that handle like a piece of cheese. Dian Wei is backing up up, up, and into the crows. Himura is falling back. The judges have called it. Wei is disqualified for stepping out of the ring. Wei is gone. Does Himura get the pints for the unbroken sashes?"
[Points? We're collecting points? Dammit! Why doesn't anybody tell me these things!]
"The judges have called it, Himura does not get the points. Seems he had ample time to cut those ties. The arena is littered with green sashes, can Himura make up for the loss. Cao Cao is out! Gan Ding is dancing with his sash and.. Gan Ding is out, a masterful performance by Himura. That looked like all six sashes in one fell swoop! Cheer for the little swordsman, folks!"
[LITTLE... Dammit! You will die!]
"Lu Bu and Zhang Fei are head to head. These two warriors, normally tentative allies are crossing blades as if there was no tomorrow. There goes one sash, two, is that a third? Where is Himura? Lu Bu is down, but.. so is Zhang Fei. Himura is slicing their ties as I speak. Himura has the match.. I repeat Himura has the match!"
[That was it?]
@^#*@^(!#_$#!*#!&^