AN: Alrighty, no one really had trouble with the Battousai thing, but
here it is in a nutshell for those of you still lost: Kenshin was a
camp counselor once. He was in charge of a group of kids. When they
went rafting one day, a storm caught them and the twin boys were never
rescued. Kenshin tried to save them, he failed, Enishi and Katsu were
counselors at the time as well, but Enishi already hated him and gave
him the name "Battousai" which spread quickly among the rest of the
guys and he has been haunted by the boys' deaths in the back of his
mind ever since, and Enishi awakened the old feelings. Got it?
Gooooooooooood. On to the story….
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Kaoru took the laundry basket into Misao's room. She was out studying with some Daisuke character for a Biology test. Kaoru rolled her eyes as she remembered Misao's insistence that he was just a friend.
{Please, that guy is incredibly cute. Being the little weasel that she is, she's probably not drinking in a word of the textbook and is staring at his dreamy face.} Kaoru pulled out a few of Misao's t-shirts and a sports bra. Wrinkling her nose, she opened Misao's undergarment drawer, tossing it in. Something that glittered caught her eye. A stray quarter?
{That doesn't belong in here…I'll put it on top of her dresser-} Kaoru stopped and her eyes widened. Wads of twenty dollar bills were shoved under Misao's pajamas. One, five, ten, twenty…
{Five hundred dollars?!!!} Kaoru screamed in her head. {Maybe she's just been saving up…but…why doesn't she put it in the bank? She always complains that she's broke…} Kaoru backed out of the room slowly, then darted back to her room where she hurriedly put away her own clean laundry.
{It's none of my business, it's none of my business…}
------------------
"Here, I've got something for you. This will be taken out of your pay." Daisuke tossed something in Misao's direction. She caught it, and looked down. A deep purple camisole with a laced up front complete with a sewn in garter belt lay in her hands. Misao's eyes shot open in horror.
"We promised on money." Misao looked up defiantly at Daisuke.
"I thought this would come in more handy." He crossed his arms and glared down at her.
"Why is that?" Misao asked, whipping her head around to face him.
"I've given your name out to a few of the boys. You're going to need something flashier than your own body. You're not much of a looker." Daisuke shrugged.
"Hey!" Misao stood, hands on her hips, "I thought we agreed this was strictly business. How dare you talk about my body like that!"
"You need the money, and I can't keep paying it. You're going to need more customers."
"You don't expect me to wear this, do you?"
"You bet your little ass I do."
"QUIT TALKING ABOUT MY BODY!"
"GET IN THE OUTFIT!"
Misao furiously pulled it over her head, and wriggled around violently, trying to pull the tangled hem from the collar. When she finished, she could hardly breathe. Daisuke tossed her the fishnets, and she hesitated to glare at him before angrily complying with his unspoken wishes as she pulled the fishnets up her thighs and clasped them to the ribbons of the belt.
"It's a little small, thank you." Misao huffed, out of breath.
"Makes your breasts look bigger." Daisuke pulled off his shirt.
Misao sat on the bed, trying to get some oxygen in her lungs.
"You've been slacking off, anyhow. Try to imagine someone else's face and let's make this enjoyable, huh?" Daisuke climbed onto the bed, pulling her back and straddling her.
"Got the condom?"
"Yes, I've got the fucking condom."
"Then let's go." Misao closed her eyes.
{I'm numb when I'm with him. I can't feel anything…I don't want to do this anymore, I'm so tired…}
"Imagine someone else…" Daisuke whispered as he took out her braid and thrust his tongue into her mouth.
{Someone else, yeah. Who, who, who to imagine? Aoshi's hot. He's probably still a virgin anyway. Don't like Kenshin, too girly. Sano's too much of a playboy. So that leaves…}
"Soujiro-" Misao's eyes shot open just as her lips spoke the name out loud. Daisuke paused as well, and she could feel him smugly grinning by her cheek.
"I know him." Daisuke murmured with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Forget I said it." She shot back, closing her eyes again. But Soujiro's face remained in her head. He was the one doing this to her. He was gingerly kissing her, trailing down her chest, digging his tongue under the silky material of the camisole to her navel. His hands were interlocked with hers, his hair was tickling her breasts as he moved further down…down…down.
Inside.
Misao jerked. She couldn't help herself. A small breath of happiness escaped herself. Imagining Soujiro above her was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her breathing grew quicker. Daisuke was still smiling complacently.
"Good girl," he whispered, "Good girl."
----------------
"Shinomori." Shishio greeted Aoshi curtly. Aoshi nodded his head.
"Treat her like the angel she is." Shishio pointed at his smiling daughter, who immediately latched herself to Aoshi's leg. Yumi appeared in a lovely pink evening dress, though she was wearing a surprisingly garish shade of green lipstick. Aoshi tore his eyes away from her face to greet Shina.
"We'll be back around ten. The Opera lasts so long!" Yumi giggled.
"Yeah." Aoshi dragged himself into the house, Shina giggling as he struggled to make it into the living room. Shishio and Yumi closed the door and Aoshi listened to them drive away, and closed his eyes as he took a breath. It was going to be a long night.
"Two hours of tic tac toe, one for reading "Tiki-tiki-tembo", and another for watching the Little Mermaid. I'm wiped out." Aoshi fell back on the couch. It was only 8:00 and Shina was already asleep. Aoshi started to turn on the TV when he heard the door open.
{But they aren't due back until 10…}
In walked in a young girl with her arms full of picture frames. She was practically struggling to stand as she teetered into the living room. She set down the frames with a clatter, and leaned over to catch her breath.
"Whew.." she turned around and her eyes widened when she saw Aoshi. She was wearing a black tank top and a charcoal colored skirt that scarcely reached the floor. Her inky black hair was cropped close to her face, gradually growing shorter toward the back.
"I'm so sorry…" she smiled.
"No, I'm sorry I startled you. I'm…Shinomori Aoshi. Shishio hires me as a baby-sitter."
"I see. He's my uncle, and I'm staying here while I finish up an internship at the photo studio downtown. My name is Arashi Makoto."
"So you're a photographer?" Aoshi asked, mildy interested.
"Yeah. My expertise is black and white. Wanna see?" she asked, indicating the frames. He stood up and pulled one away from the wall. It was a profile of a violet-haired girl, mouth wide open in mid-scream. What appeared to be blood trailed down her lips and neck, and covered her hand that was so tightly clenched at her head. The background was black, though splatters of blood were present behind the girl. The typing at the bottom was in silver, and read: "a scream- to no avail".
"That's my boss's least favorite." Arashi commented. Aoshi gave a small grin in reply.
"Actually, I find it quite inspirational and passionate." He murmured, looking through the others.
"This rose one is nice." He said, pointing at the blank and white photo, with the one red rose standing out in the middle. "The dew makes it so much more aesthetic, along with the singular rose in color. How did you do that?"
"Well, my expertise isn't actually in the taking of pictures, it's in photo manipulation. It's much more fun for me to clean up the pictures and distort them to create the final, emotional piece."
"You work from your emotions?"
"Of course. There would be no story behind any of them if I didn't." Arashi smiled.
"Indeed."
Kenshin surveyed the hotel room. It was small and neat, definitely different to what he was used to at home. He looked outside at the billboards and busy streets, taking a shuddering breath. He did not remember Japan at all. He was only two when he had been adopted, so it was only natural that he would not remember, but it disappointed him a little. He still knew the language well enough, thanks to Julie, but he was sure he sounded foreign anyhow. Kenshin didn't even look all too Japanese, and had often found it hard to believe he had come from such a dark-haired, dark-eyed country, but the birth certificate was proof enough. Both his parents had been Japanese, with no other foreign ancestry.
"Oh, I can't wait!" Lisa clasped her hands together excitedly. "I remember when we came to get you, Kenshin. You were such a breathtaking baby, with your soft red hair and precious violet eyes. Your hair was in a tiny little ponytail, you could barely pull if back….and you cried when I held you, but you warmed up to Julie right away. I guess because she looked more familiar with her darker hair." Lisa smiled, her eyes far off in her memory. Julie was smiling as well, and she leaned over to kiss Lisa. Kenshin turned away, back to the window. He had always remembered Julie and Lisa being affectionate, but now it disturbed him slightly. Julie pulled away first, giving Kenshin a long, hard look.
"I didn't think it bothered you." she murmured.
"It doesn't." Kenshin replied.
"Julie, any child thinks it's disgusting when their parents kiss each other, be they straight or gay." Lisa interjected, "Anyhow, I'm going to take a shower. That flight was terrible."
Once Lisa was gone, Julie flopped down on a bed and picked up a travel brochure.
"We can do some sight seeing tomorrow," she said. "I want to look at some palaces, but they're kind of far away and I don't feel like paying for a taxi or whatnot."
"Maybe we can just go to a museum or something."
"Good idea. That'll give us a better variety of the history. Have you studied Japanese history at all?"
"Not yet. Mostly we have to study European history since Europe advanced so quickly and supposedly is the inventor of the world as it is today. State standards don't see much of a reason to study Asian history."
"I see."
"Are you going to keep the girls' names?" Kenshin asked, veering off the subject of school.
"Of course we are. We kept your name."
"True." Kenshin replied. They had even kept his last name, Himura, though they added Julie's last name of 'Vanner' to the end. And eventually, Himura-Vanner was changed back to simply 'Himura'. He was glad that Julie supported his bond with his culture and ancestry.
"Time for bed, kid. That time zone change is gonna screw us up tomorrow." Julie smiled and Kenshin stepped away from the window. Despite the trip's rocky beginning, Kenshin was beginning to enjoy himself.
--------------------------
Magdaria rang the doorbell of the dorm, biting her lip in anticipation. A groggy Soujiro opened the door, a cappuccino in hand. He welcomed her in and she stood nervously in the living room of the dorm. Sanosuke came out, still damp from a shower, but wearing his trademark red banding around his head and muscle tee with 'bad' written in kanji on the back. He had khaki pants on, which mostly hid his sneakers from view. Magdaria smiled and he grinned back.
"You look good." Sanosuke offered.
"You do too." Magdaria replied. Soujiro watched them with near blood-shot eyes from sleep deprivation.
"Pathetic lot you are. 'You look good'. There are better pick-up lines out there, you idiot." Soujiro slumped off into the kitchen.
"I thought he was always really sweet." Magdiaria looked up at Sano.
"He's PMSing." Sano rolled his eyes.
"I HEARD THAT!" Soujiro yelled shrilly from the kitchen.
"Come on, my brother is waiting outside to drive us to the show."
"Your……..brother?" Sano stopped dead in his tracks. Big brothers were always threats, especially with the absence of a father-figure. Sanosuke reckoned he was as good as ground beef.
"Yeah, my big brother. Don't worry, he's a sweety, despite the fact he might ask you if you accept Jesus as your savior. If not he'll spend the rest of the time trying to convert you, so lie to him if you're not Christian."
"I'm Bhuddist, actually." Sano shrugged, heading for the elevator.
"Really? I've never gotten a chance to look into it."
"You might like it. I've met a few athiests who turned Bhuddist. It's a religion where you're in control. Gives people like you a better grip on your spirituality."
"You might find some music you like that could help you with meditation. New Age comes from all sorts of cultures, and I'm sure you could find some Bhuddist-related things."
"Really? I didn't know that." Sano asked, sincerely interested.
"Yeah." She replied. The two fell silent, and walked out to the black Chrysler Seabring. Sanosuke felt himself tense up when he got his first glimpse of Magdaria's brother. He was definitely a large, intimidating guy, for a religion major. Magdaria pulled Sano into the back seat and smiled as she introduced the two.
"Amakusa, this is Sanosuke Sagara. Sano, this is my brother, Amakusa Muto."
"Nice to meet you." Amakusa inclined his head, though his calculating eyes never left Sanosuke's. Amakusa's hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and was wearing a red dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the top. Two gold rings adorned the hand that gripped the head of the passenger seat, and a crucifix identical to Magdaria's lay at his throat. Amakusa gave Sano a final glare, and backed out of the parking spot and began the drive to Adaruriku Park..
Magdaria chattered away happily. Sano had his eyes locked on Amakusa's when they met in the rear view mirror. This big brother was definitely going to be an obstacle. Could he win his trust? Most likely not. Buy his affections? Hell no. But there was no way he was going to pass up the chance to date a girl like Magdaria. Something about her drew him to her.
Her hair was unkempt, artistically so, and she wore only her crucifix at her neck. She had a ring for every finger, sometimes even two, but no bracelets. She was wearing a crimson tank top and loose-fitting jeans, with a belt that was undoubtedly Amakusa's. She was wearing worn tennis-shoes that completed the comfortable outfit, and clutched a hand-sewn purse Sano could only guess she had made herself. Sano was jerked out of his thoughts when Amakusa spoke to him.
"Keep out of trouble. I'm counting on you to take care of Magdaria."
"Bye, Amakusa! Don't forget to tell Uncle Saitou to pick me up at three!"
"I won't, Magdaria."
{Uncle Saitou? Great.} Two ass hole chauffeurs in one day. Sano wasn't sure he could take it.
An hour later, Sanosuke was milling through an independent artist's work, settling on "Water Meditations". Magdaria was not far off, seeking out information on aromatherapy. Sano purchased the CD, and hurried toward Magdaria.
"Find anything good?"
"Not worth keeping for the rest of my existence." She replied, putting another book down. "I'm going to check out that miscellaneous box now, wanna come?"
"Sure."
Magdaria hadn't been sifting through the box very long when she pulled out a CD entitled "Ghost of a Rose". She immediately bought it, then had to refrain from jumping up and down.
"I've completed my collection without having to order it off of the Internet!" she squealed, shoving the CD into Sano's face.
"Blackmore's Night?" he questioned.
"It was a used CD someone tossed into a box to sell. It's not new age at all, really. It's medieval rock. Absolutely awesome. Have you ever been to a Renaissance faire?"
"No-"
"You have to go! They are so much fun! I'll make sure to invite everyone else, too. There should be one around soon…here, you have to listen to this song. Let's go to that bench over there." Magdaria hurried off to the bench under the large, elderly tree, pulling out a CD player as she ran. Out of breath, she stifled a cough when Sano caught up with her.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little respiratory difficulty, no worries. Kinda like asthma."
"All right."
"Here." Magdaria turned the volume all the way up, and Sano sat next to her. A strange tune drifted into his senses, and he fell in love with the melody. He couldn't hear the woman sing very well, but Magdaria had burst into song. She wasn't the best singer, but she had talent enough to stay on key.
"The valley green was so serene
In the middle ran a stream so blue
A maiden fair
In despair
Once had met her true love there
And she told him: She would say…" The music continued. Magdaria caught his eyes, bringing her voice down to a whisper as the woman began the refrain.
"Promise me
When you see
A white rose you'll think of me
I love you so, never let go
I will be - your ghost of a rose…"
Sano took Magdaria's hand in his. His breathing quickened, and his throat felt incredibly dry.
{Why is she so captivating? I didn't know I could ever feel this….this…weird. Damn, this means I'll actually have to remember anniversaries and crap!} he mused.
"Magdaria….I know this is only our first time out, as friends, but…"
"Yes?" she asked innocently, brown eyes staring back into his similar ones.
"I really…really like you. There's something strange about your aura, the way you carry yourself. You're amazing. I'm…not good with words." He blushed.
"I can see. But it's okay. You'll learn to use them well enough someday." She paused, brushing her hair out of her face as the wind picked up. "But…I like you too."
She looked up at him again, and his face was so full of relief. Then he broke out into a stupid grin and let out a breath of disbelief.
"Really?" he asked.
"Really." She nodded. Sano hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward, kissing her gently as his hand moved to support her neck. Her arm went around his neck, and the music flowed on in the background.
Promise me
When you see
A white rose you'll think of me
I love you so, never let go
I will be - your ghost of a rose…
Nothing could spoil Sano's mood now, not even crabby Uncle Saitou. Magdaria ran to the professor-worthy Honda with a bumper sticker that read "Honk if You Hate Your Students". A pathetic little air freshener hung on the rear view mirror, but failed to cover the scent of white-out and fresh ink from the Xerox machine.
"Sagara," Saitou greeted him with clenched teeth.
"Professor," Sano nodded.
"You have my Uncle as a teacher?" Magdaria's eyes lighted up.
"Creative Writing." Sano responded.
"Of course." Magdaria replied as she looked out the window. She began humming the song again, occasionally mouthing the words. Sano, in his mind, decided to do just as the song asked. He would always remember her if he saw a white rose.
They got back to the dorms, and Saitou pulled the car into his reserved parking place. Walking up the stairs, Sano casually placed his arm around Magdaria's waist, and she looked up at him with a smile. She brought her hand over his, but not before Saitou whipped around to glare at them.
"Hands off my niece, Sagara." Saitou barked, getting out the key to his dorm.
"Hands off, hands off!" Sano put his hands in the air, gave Saitou a grin, and kissed Magdaria. After he pulled away, he watched in satisfaction as Saitou's aura practically spewed flames of hell.
"No hands." He turned and opened the door to his own dorm. Magdaria rolled her eyes, giving a sigh of exasperation. She turned to see Amakusa standing in the doorway. Both Uncle and Brother were glaring daggers at the door Sano had just shut.
"Guys, give him a break. He's really nice."
"Nice, my ass!" Both replied at the same time, then turned and gave each other a weird look. Magdaria laughed.
"Perhaps you guys have more in common than you think," she said smugly, before going into her room, "But if you gang up on Sano, you're going to have to answer to me."
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ANOTHER AN: Well. This story has a lot of little gaps in it, and I realize that. For example, I've never really specified their ages, nor their 'country' that they reside in. I have done this on purpose, or at least, the country part. I'm going to have to go back and read the story in order to estimate their age (I'm thinking most of the guys are juniors, and the girls are mostly sophomores, but I've got to check) As for the country, I'd rather leave it up to your imagination. I want to keep parts of Japanese culture on hand, but I can't place them in Japan without the fear of screwing everything up because I know next to nothing on Japan and Japanese culture. So a lot of the story is very American-esque, since I am much more familiar with my own country, but it would suck to have the Kenshin-gumi stuck in this country, because it's just not them, you know what I mean? Alrighty, enough babbling. Until next time, then!
-The Fairy
PS I hope you guys are happy, this chapter was 10 pages long in Microsoft Word!!!!! The overall story as of now is 123 pages. Can you believe it?!!!! O.O ! Neither can I.
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Kaoru took the laundry basket into Misao's room. She was out studying with some Daisuke character for a Biology test. Kaoru rolled her eyes as she remembered Misao's insistence that he was just a friend.
{Please, that guy is incredibly cute. Being the little weasel that she is, she's probably not drinking in a word of the textbook and is staring at his dreamy face.} Kaoru pulled out a few of Misao's t-shirts and a sports bra. Wrinkling her nose, she opened Misao's undergarment drawer, tossing it in. Something that glittered caught her eye. A stray quarter?
{That doesn't belong in here…I'll put it on top of her dresser-} Kaoru stopped and her eyes widened. Wads of twenty dollar bills were shoved under Misao's pajamas. One, five, ten, twenty…
{Five hundred dollars?!!!} Kaoru screamed in her head. {Maybe she's just been saving up…but…why doesn't she put it in the bank? She always complains that she's broke…} Kaoru backed out of the room slowly, then darted back to her room where she hurriedly put away her own clean laundry.
{It's none of my business, it's none of my business…}
------------------
"Here, I've got something for you. This will be taken out of your pay." Daisuke tossed something in Misao's direction. She caught it, and looked down. A deep purple camisole with a laced up front complete with a sewn in garter belt lay in her hands. Misao's eyes shot open in horror.
"We promised on money." Misao looked up defiantly at Daisuke.
"I thought this would come in more handy." He crossed his arms and glared down at her.
"Why is that?" Misao asked, whipping her head around to face him.
"I've given your name out to a few of the boys. You're going to need something flashier than your own body. You're not much of a looker." Daisuke shrugged.
"Hey!" Misao stood, hands on her hips, "I thought we agreed this was strictly business. How dare you talk about my body like that!"
"You need the money, and I can't keep paying it. You're going to need more customers."
"You don't expect me to wear this, do you?"
"You bet your little ass I do."
"QUIT TALKING ABOUT MY BODY!"
"GET IN THE OUTFIT!"
Misao furiously pulled it over her head, and wriggled around violently, trying to pull the tangled hem from the collar. When she finished, she could hardly breathe. Daisuke tossed her the fishnets, and she hesitated to glare at him before angrily complying with his unspoken wishes as she pulled the fishnets up her thighs and clasped them to the ribbons of the belt.
"It's a little small, thank you." Misao huffed, out of breath.
"Makes your breasts look bigger." Daisuke pulled off his shirt.
Misao sat on the bed, trying to get some oxygen in her lungs.
"You've been slacking off, anyhow. Try to imagine someone else's face and let's make this enjoyable, huh?" Daisuke climbed onto the bed, pulling her back and straddling her.
"Got the condom?"
"Yes, I've got the fucking condom."
"Then let's go." Misao closed her eyes.
{I'm numb when I'm with him. I can't feel anything…I don't want to do this anymore, I'm so tired…}
"Imagine someone else…" Daisuke whispered as he took out her braid and thrust his tongue into her mouth.
{Someone else, yeah. Who, who, who to imagine? Aoshi's hot. He's probably still a virgin anyway. Don't like Kenshin, too girly. Sano's too much of a playboy. So that leaves…}
"Soujiro-" Misao's eyes shot open just as her lips spoke the name out loud. Daisuke paused as well, and she could feel him smugly grinning by her cheek.
"I know him." Daisuke murmured with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Forget I said it." She shot back, closing her eyes again. But Soujiro's face remained in her head. He was the one doing this to her. He was gingerly kissing her, trailing down her chest, digging his tongue under the silky material of the camisole to her navel. His hands were interlocked with hers, his hair was tickling her breasts as he moved further down…down…down.
Inside.
Misao jerked. She couldn't help herself. A small breath of happiness escaped herself. Imagining Soujiro above her was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her breathing grew quicker. Daisuke was still smiling complacently.
"Good girl," he whispered, "Good girl."
----------------
"Shinomori." Shishio greeted Aoshi curtly. Aoshi nodded his head.
"Treat her like the angel she is." Shishio pointed at his smiling daughter, who immediately latched herself to Aoshi's leg. Yumi appeared in a lovely pink evening dress, though she was wearing a surprisingly garish shade of green lipstick. Aoshi tore his eyes away from her face to greet Shina.
"We'll be back around ten. The Opera lasts so long!" Yumi giggled.
"Yeah." Aoshi dragged himself into the house, Shina giggling as he struggled to make it into the living room. Shishio and Yumi closed the door and Aoshi listened to them drive away, and closed his eyes as he took a breath. It was going to be a long night.
"Two hours of tic tac toe, one for reading "Tiki-tiki-tembo", and another for watching the Little Mermaid. I'm wiped out." Aoshi fell back on the couch. It was only 8:00 and Shina was already asleep. Aoshi started to turn on the TV when he heard the door open.
{But they aren't due back until 10…}
In walked in a young girl with her arms full of picture frames. She was practically struggling to stand as she teetered into the living room. She set down the frames with a clatter, and leaned over to catch her breath.
"Whew.." she turned around and her eyes widened when she saw Aoshi. She was wearing a black tank top and a charcoal colored skirt that scarcely reached the floor. Her inky black hair was cropped close to her face, gradually growing shorter toward the back.
"I'm so sorry…" she smiled.
"No, I'm sorry I startled you. I'm…Shinomori Aoshi. Shishio hires me as a baby-sitter."
"I see. He's my uncle, and I'm staying here while I finish up an internship at the photo studio downtown. My name is Arashi Makoto."
"So you're a photographer?" Aoshi asked, mildy interested.
"Yeah. My expertise is black and white. Wanna see?" she asked, indicating the frames. He stood up and pulled one away from the wall. It was a profile of a violet-haired girl, mouth wide open in mid-scream. What appeared to be blood trailed down her lips and neck, and covered her hand that was so tightly clenched at her head. The background was black, though splatters of blood were present behind the girl. The typing at the bottom was in silver, and read: "a scream- to no avail".
"That's my boss's least favorite." Arashi commented. Aoshi gave a small grin in reply.
"Actually, I find it quite inspirational and passionate." He murmured, looking through the others.
"This rose one is nice." He said, pointing at the blank and white photo, with the one red rose standing out in the middle. "The dew makes it so much more aesthetic, along with the singular rose in color. How did you do that?"
"Well, my expertise isn't actually in the taking of pictures, it's in photo manipulation. It's much more fun for me to clean up the pictures and distort them to create the final, emotional piece."
"You work from your emotions?"
"Of course. There would be no story behind any of them if I didn't." Arashi smiled.
"Indeed."
Kenshin surveyed the hotel room. It was small and neat, definitely different to what he was used to at home. He looked outside at the billboards and busy streets, taking a shuddering breath. He did not remember Japan at all. He was only two when he had been adopted, so it was only natural that he would not remember, but it disappointed him a little. He still knew the language well enough, thanks to Julie, but he was sure he sounded foreign anyhow. Kenshin didn't even look all too Japanese, and had often found it hard to believe he had come from such a dark-haired, dark-eyed country, but the birth certificate was proof enough. Both his parents had been Japanese, with no other foreign ancestry.
"Oh, I can't wait!" Lisa clasped her hands together excitedly. "I remember when we came to get you, Kenshin. You were such a breathtaking baby, with your soft red hair and precious violet eyes. Your hair was in a tiny little ponytail, you could barely pull if back….and you cried when I held you, but you warmed up to Julie right away. I guess because she looked more familiar with her darker hair." Lisa smiled, her eyes far off in her memory. Julie was smiling as well, and she leaned over to kiss Lisa. Kenshin turned away, back to the window. He had always remembered Julie and Lisa being affectionate, but now it disturbed him slightly. Julie pulled away first, giving Kenshin a long, hard look.
"I didn't think it bothered you." she murmured.
"It doesn't." Kenshin replied.
"Julie, any child thinks it's disgusting when their parents kiss each other, be they straight or gay." Lisa interjected, "Anyhow, I'm going to take a shower. That flight was terrible."
Once Lisa was gone, Julie flopped down on a bed and picked up a travel brochure.
"We can do some sight seeing tomorrow," she said. "I want to look at some palaces, but they're kind of far away and I don't feel like paying for a taxi or whatnot."
"Maybe we can just go to a museum or something."
"Good idea. That'll give us a better variety of the history. Have you studied Japanese history at all?"
"Not yet. Mostly we have to study European history since Europe advanced so quickly and supposedly is the inventor of the world as it is today. State standards don't see much of a reason to study Asian history."
"I see."
"Are you going to keep the girls' names?" Kenshin asked, veering off the subject of school.
"Of course we are. We kept your name."
"True." Kenshin replied. They had even kept his last name, Himura, though they added Julie's last name of 'Vanner' to the end. And eventually, Himura-Vanner was changed back to simply 'Himura'. He was glad that Julie supported his bond with his culture and ancestry.
"Time for bed, kid. That time zone change is gonna screw us up tomorrow." Julie smiled and Kenshin stepped away from the window. Despite the trip's rocky beginning, Kenshin was beginning to enjoy himself.
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Magdaria rang the doorbell of the dorm, biting her lip in anticipation. A groggy Soujiro opened the door, a cappuccino in hand. He welcomed her in and she stood nervously in the living room of the dorm. Sanosuke came out, still damp from a shower, but wearing his trademark red banding around his head and muscle tee with 'bad' written in kanji on the back. He had khaki pants on, which mostly hid his sneakers from view. Magdaria smiled and he grinned back.
"You look good." Sanosuke offered.
"You do too." Magdaria replied. Soujiro watched them with near blood-shot eyes from sleep deprivation.
"Pathetic lot you are. 'You look good'. There are better pick-up lines out there, you idiot." Soujiro slumped off into the kitchen.
"I thought he was always really sweet." Magdiaria looked up at Sano.
"He's PMSing." Sano rolled his eyes.
"I HEARD THAT!" Soujiro yelled shrilly from the kitchen.
"Come on, my brother is waiting outside to drive us to the show."
"Your……..brother?" Sano stopped dead in his tracks. Big brothers were always threats, especially with the absence of a father-figure. Sanosuke reckoned he was as good as ground beef.
"Yeah, my big brother. Don't worry, he's a sweety, despite the fact he might ask you if you accept Jesus as your savior. If not he'll spend the rest of the time trying to convert you, so lie to him if you're not Christian."
"I'm Bhuddist, actually." Sano shrugged, heading for the elevator.
"Really? I've never gotten a chance to look into it."
"You might like it. I've met a few athiests who turned Bhuddist. It's a religion where you're in control. Gives people like you a better grip on your spirituality."
"You might find some music you like that could help you with meditation. New Age comes from all sorts of cultures, and I'm sure you could find some Bhuddist-related things."
"Really? I didn't know that." Sano asked, sincerely interested.
"Yeah." She replied. The two fell silent, and walked out to the black Chrysler Seabring. Sanosuke felt himself tense up when he got his first glimpse of Magdaria's brother. He was definitely a large, intimidating guy, for a religion major. Magdaria pulled Sano into the back seat and smiled as she introduced the two.
"Amakusa, this is Sanosuke Sagara. Sano, this is my brother, Amakusa Muto."
"Nice to meet you." Amakusa inclined his head, though his calculating eyes never left Sanosuke's. Amakusa's hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and was wearing a red dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the top. Two gold rings adorned the hand that gripped the head of the passenger seat, and a crucifix identical to Magdaria's lay at his throat. Amakusa gave Sano a final glare, and backed out of the parking spot and began the drive to Adaruriku Park..
Magdaria chattered away happily. Sano had his eyes locked on Amakusa's when they met in the rear view mirror. This big brother was definitely going to be an obstacle. Could he win his trust? Most likely not. Buy his affections? Hell no. But there was no way he was going to pass up the chance to date a girl like Magdaria. Something about her drew him to her.
Her hair was unkempt, artistically so, and she wore only her crucifix at her neck. She had a ring for every finger, sometimes even two, but no bracelets. She was wearing a crimson tank top and loose-fitting jeans, with a belt that was undoubtedly Amakusa's. She was wearing worn tennis-shoes that completed the comfortable outfit, and clutched a hand-sewn purse Sano could only guess she had made herself. Sano was jerked out of his thoughts when Amakusa spoke to him.
"Keep out of trouble. I'm counting on you to take care of Magdaria."
"Bye, Amakusa! Don't forget to tell Uncle Saitou to pick me up at three!"
"I won't, Magdaria."
{Uncle Saitou? Great.} Two ass hole chauffeurs in one day. Sano wasn't sure he could take it.
An hour later, Sanosuke was milling through an independent artist's work, settling on "Water Meditations". Magdaria was not far off, seeking out information on aromatherapy. Sano purchased the CD, and hurried toward Magdaria.
"Find anything good?"
"Not worth keeping for the rest of my existence." She replied, putting another book down. "I'm going to check out that miscellaneous box now, wanna come?"
"Sure."
Magdaria hadn't been sifting through the box very long when she pulled out a CD entitled "Ghost of a Rose". She immediately bought it, then had to refrain from jumping up and down.
"I've completed my collection without having to order it off of the Internet!" she squealed, shoving the CD into Sano's face.
"Blackmore's Night?" he questioned.
"It was a used CD someone tossed into a box to sell. It's not new age at all, really. It's medieval rock. Absolutely awesome. Have you ever been to a Renaissance faire?"
"No-"
"You have to go! They are so much fun! I'll make sure to invite everyone else, too. There should be one around soon…here, you have to listen to this song. Let's go to that bench over there." Magdaria hurried off to the bench under the large, elderly tree, pulling out a CD player as she ran. Out of breath, she stifled a cough when Sano caught up with her.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little respiratory difficulty, no worries. Kinda like asthma."
"All right."
"Here." Magdaria turned the volume all the way up, and Sano sat next to her. A strange tune drifted into his senses, and he fell in love with the melody. He couldn't hear the woman sing very well, but Magdaria had burst into song. She wasn't the best singer, but she had talent enough to stay on key.
"The valley green was so serene
In the middle ran a stream so blue
A maiden fair
In despair
Once had met her true love there
And she told him: She would say…" The music continued. Magdaria caught his eyes, bringing her voice down to a whisper as the woman began the refrain.
"Promise me
When you see
A white rose you'll think of me
I love you so, never let go
I will be - your ghost of a rose…"
Sano took Magdaria's hand in his. His breathing quickened, and his throat felt incredibly dry.
{Why is she so captivating? I didn't know I could ever feel this….this…weird. Damn, this means I'll actually have to remember anniversaries and crap!} he mused.
"Magdaria….I know this is only our first time out, as friends, but…"
"Yes?" she asked innocently, brown eyes staring back into his similar ones.
"I really…really like you. There's something strange about your aura, the way you carry yourself. You're amazing. I'm…not good with words." He blushed.
"I can see. But it's okay. You'll learn to use them well enough someday." She paused, brushing her hair out of her face as the wind picked up. "But…I like you too."
She looked up at him again, and his face was so full of relief. Then he broke out into a stupid grin and let out a breath of disbelief.
"Really?" he asked.
"Really." She nodded. Sano hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward, kissing her gently as his hand moved to support her neck. Her arm went around his neck, and the music flowed on in the background.
Promise me
When you see
A white rose you'll think of me
I love you so, never let go
I will be - your ghost of a rose…
Nothing could spoil Sano's mood now, not even crabby Uncle Saitou. Magdaria ran to the professor-worthy Honda with a bumper sticker that read "Honk if You Hate Your Students". A pathetic little air freshener hung on the rear view mirror, but failed to cover the scent of white-out and fresh ink from the Xerox machine.
"Sagara," Saitou greeted him with clenched teeth.
"Professor," Sano nodded.
"You have my Uncle as a teacher?" Magdaria's eyes lighted up.
"Creative Writing." Sano responded.
"Of course." Magdaria replied as she looked out the window. She began humming the song again, occasionally mouthing the words. Sano, in his mind, decided to do just as the song asked. He would always remember her if he saw a white rose.
They got back to the dorms, and Saitou pulled the car into his reserved parking place. Walking up the stairs, Sano casually placed his arm around Magdaria's waist, and she looked up at him with a smile. She brought her hand over his, but not before Saitou whipped around to glare at them.
"Hands off my niece, Sagara." Saitou barked, getting out the key to his dorm.
"Hands off, hands off!" Sano put his hands in the air, gave Saitou a grin, and kissed Magdaria. After he pulled away, he watched in satisfaction as Saitou's aura practically spewed flames of hell.
"No hands." He turned and opened the door to his own dorm. Magdaria rolled her eyes, giving a sigh of exasperation. She turned to see Amakusa standing in the doorway. Both Uncle and Brother were glaring daggers at the door Sano had just shut.
"Guys, give him a break. He's really nice."
"Nice, my ass!" Both replied at the same time, then turned and gave each other a weird look. Magdaria laughed.
"Perhaps you guys have more in common than you think," she said smugly, before going into her room, "But if you gang up on Sano, you're going to have to answer to me."
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ANOTHER AN: Well. This story has a lot of little gaps in it, and I realize that. For example, I've never really specified their ages, nor their 'country' that they reside in. I have done this on purpose, or at least, the country part. I'm going to have to go back and read the story in order to estimate their age (I'm thinking most of the guys are juniors, and the girls are mostly sophomores, but I've got to check) As for the country, I'd rather leave it up to your imagination. I want to keep parts of Japanese culture on hand, but I can't place them in Japan without the fear of screwing everything up because I know next to nothing on Japan and Japanese culture. So a lot of the story is very American-esque, since I am much more familiar with my own country, but it would suck to have the Kenshin-gumi stuck in this country, because it's just not them, you know what I mean? Alrighty, enough babbling. Until next time, then!
-The Fairy
PS I hope you guys are happy, this chapter was 10 pages long in Microsoft Word!!!!! The overall story as of now is 123 pages. Can you believe it?!!!! O.O ! Neither can I.