Sorry bout the delay, I was in a pretty bad car accident. I got released from Lee memorial hospital yesterday and am doing better. So okay then, Fuu's P.G. Lol, I remember reading this one comment about the last chapter and it was something like 'is Fuu going to abort herself?' and I'm just thinking, aborting yourself in 1600's Japan…………………………holy God, could u even imagine? I think my uterus shriveled up just reading that. I mean, I think the most primitive form of abortion now is shoving a wire hanger up u'r uterus, I couldn't even imagine all the horrors they did to all those poor innocent vaginas back then. Lol
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T h e E l e c t r a C o m p l e x
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stop your nonsense my dear
i know you need attention
so slash an artery...
you are so transparent
can't see your own reflection
you look the same to me...
now let go...
this baby popped my heart
he fell to pieces, he turned cold
he never did what was told
this baby sucked me dry
he cried some milk, he turned to stone
he took his ball and he went home
baby dracula
oh baby dracula
baby dracula
your romantic notion
won't hide your pale complexion
or vulnerability...
and it hurts to know you
won't be the one exception...
here's a philosophy
just let go...
this baby popped my heart
he fell to pieces, he turned cold
he never did what was told
this baby sucked me dry
he cried some milk, he turned to stone
he took his ball and he went home
baby dracula
oh, baby dracula
baby dracula
oh, baby dracula
you've lost your relevance mr. black
i gave you everything, give it back
you won't win and i'll tell you why
you've betrayed a person who bleeds but wont die
red is your reason and alibi
sucked off everyone, say good-bye
when your narrow coffin's rotting from the inside
then you know to let go, think it's time you tried
'Baby Dracula' – Scarling
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She was getting better. They had gone back after a short while but Jin and the priestess were already at the shrine steps. The samurai was holding a large sack that apparently contained more food Basukyou had prepared for her to keep her well and healthy until they arrived at the next town. She'd also given her a scroll scrawled with a few 'pregnancy pointers'. Just little things Fuu should expect later on, so she wasn't at a total loss of what to do when they came to pass.
After bidding the old woman a farewell they made their way into the next village. It didn't take her long to notice Jin's growing distance from the group. He was never very conversational before but now it was as if a whole anti-Fuu barrier had been erected up between them. She wasn't sure what to make of it but was too ashamed to go near him anyway. It was pretty obvious he had put two and two together and was aware of what had transpired between her and Mugen. She'd seen it in his eyes when they found him on the steps.
The pallid man wasn't the only one Fuu was seeing changes in. As they traveled to the town Mugen hadn't left her side. He no longer barraged her with his abusive attentions but he unspokenly made it his first priority to never let her out of his sight. He didn't say anything to her, rather just slowed his step, letting Jin take the lead, to walk next to her, all the while keeping his eyes on the road ahead. She wished he would walk faster so she could be alone. She didn't want her relations with the barbarian to be any more obvious than he was already making it.
Fuu felt relieved to finally reach the village and was surprised with all the flourishing attention everyone began paying her, as were her companions. Her robes still remained a little damp, the absorbent cloth slightly hugging her form, making her belly more noticeable. Everyone they passed spared her a warm smile or a flattering compliment or two. She didn't know what to do with all the blatant interest and was unsure of how to respond. The majority of the consideration stemmed from the women of the village. Most just sighed in affectionate nostalgia, some berated her with questions about her condition and every now and then even went so far as to place a friendly hand on her stomach.
They were all shocked when someone offered them lodging free of charge. The old man caught sight of the young girl and instantly suggested the travelers spend their time in the village at his Inn, commenting that women in such a way where a lucky charm from the Gods and he would be honored to have her under his roof. They hurriedly accepted, less the keeper rethink the decision and change his mind.
Before the three were able to settle themselves within their rooms, Jin impassively announced he was going out to search for work. Fuu agreed, commenting that once her kimono was fully dried she would do the same. Of course Mugen gave his own enthusiastic objections, but she simply ignored his obnoxious control issues and retired to her own room.
Patiently removing her robes and yukata, she hung them on the nearby windowsill, letting the breeze seep through the cloth and threading, drying away the access moisture. Letting out an exhausted breath, tired of traveling, she plopped down next to the window, leaning her head against the wood and allowing her eyes to drift through the scenery the pane provided. Her fingers went to the slight swell of her abdomen, circling the firm protrusion of it. She could practically feel it getting bigger, like a growing wart or blemish on the smooth surface of her skin, and knew she wouldn't be able to hide it behind her kimono much longer.
She couldn't help but wonder about Jin. His exaggerated distance from their little group didn't go beyond her notice. What did he think of this whole thing? Did he find her disgusting now? Was she a whore in his eyes? Well, he did fall in love with one. It would make him somewhat of a hypocrite if he held that variable against her. Glancing down at her stomach she wished nothing more than for it to magically disappear. It was hard to see this abnormality as a baby, it was hard to see it as anything other than a shackle chaining her to a life she dreaded and caging her from everything she had hoped for. She didn't want to be pregnant; she wanted to be anything but a mother. Especially the mother of any of his offspring.
Her doors slid roughly open, without a knock. Not that she expected one anyway. He had seen her nudity more than enough, and she no longer felt the reflex to hide it from him. Hallow clicking sounds echoed up from the hard floor until he came to sit in front of her, languidly laying his elbows on his knees.
"You should be out earning money with Jin." She commented offhandedly.
"You're not working." He said, his voice stern and commanding, lazily resting his chin on his fist.
"You can't tell me what to do." She replied with subdued defiance.
Fuu was quickly becoming irritated with the way he was staring at her belly. Opening her mouth she prepared to tell him promptly to get out but was abruptly cut off when a calloused hand invasively palmed her left breast.
"Hey, this pregnant thing has its benefits." He grinned lasciviously, testing the heavier weight in his hand.
Yelping at a particularly rough squeeze she instantly shoved him back, quick to massage the pain away from her sore flesh. She had always wanted bigger breasts, but didn't imagine they would hurt this much.
Mugen scowled at her but didn't make any further advancements; instead, watching as she held her chest like an open wound. "What the hell's your problem?"
"Leave them alone, they feel really sore." She bit out.
"What're they sore for? Its not like you've been exercising them."
"They just hurt, okay?" She snapped.
He snorted heedlessly. "Whatever."
A low rumble came from her growing stomach, causing two pairs of eyes to flicker down to it. "I'm hungry."
"Are you fucking kidding me? You ate a whole bag of food, by yourself, only a few hours ago."
"Well then I'm hungry again and I'm going to go out to find a job so I can feed myself. Maybe seeing me do it will give you some ideas." She said, wobbling up and snatching her robes, not checking to see if they were completely dry or not before pulling them on.
Mugen jumped to his feet, grabbing at her arm when she made for the door. "The hell you are! Why don't you stay put for once? You act like I jump at the chance to save your scrawny ass whenever it gets into trouble."
"Then don't!" She growled yanking her arm away and storming out the door.
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It was bad enough the creep had gotten her into this situation in the first place; he didn't need to be trying to saddle her to him too. She was trying to make it as clear as possible that he wasn't obligated to stay with her, and she would prefer it if he didn't. She didn't need or want him either so there was no point to play the part of the dysfunctional family. As soon as they found the sunflower samurai he was gone, and that was the way it should be, and the way it hopefully would be.
They had come close to being something similar to friends once, she thinks. She worried for him, didn't want him dead, and she did honestly care for his well being. But he changed it all that one night. He became bitter and aggressive after her refusal and in return she began to resent him for turning on her so easily. He was supposed to be a vicious, conscienceless pirate and killer, and vicious conscienceless pirates and killers didn't suddenly get feelings for little girls. The man was incapable of a simple emotion such as guilt, how could he be able to feel something like affection or care? It was ludicrous, and if he was dumb enough to confuse whatever he was feeling for love, or whatever, then that was his own fault. He had no reason to get so angry with her or use the situation as a way to control her.
Choosing to forget the focus of all her irritation for the moment, Fuu let her eyes flutter about the small town, flitting from shop to shop, from stand to stand, storing little things away in her memory for future reference. Her clothes were dryer than she expected and did more to hide her problem. This time no unusual glances and overly friendly stares followed her awkward form, and she was thankful.
Another baritone rumble resounded from her belly, forcefully demanding that something be put in it. Fuu let out a frustrated breath. She was used to always being hungry but now it was like any sight even suggesting the faint promise of mouthwatering victuals had her salivating at the jowls like a neglected dog at dinnertime. As if on cue, a wholesome aroma filtered around her nose, guiding her feet to a decent looking teahouse. Giving pause, she wondered if she should go in. Her pockets and purse were empty, so there was nothing to pay with. After giving it another moment of thought, Fuu shrugged and ambled in. Maybe if she just sat there looking pitiful, someone would take pity on her and buy her something.
An empty space at a little table caught her eye and she quickly seated herself before she drew unwanted attention. For some reason, shop owners could just smell poverty. It was like an odorous stench wafting in and rudely assaulting their nasal cavities. Dropping down into a comfortable position, Fuu leaned on the table, resting her cheek on her palm. Thinking of the saddest thing imaginable, and pouting her lips, she put on her best 'feel sorry for me' face. Watching each new customer come in brought her 'sad face' to a whole new level every time. But no one so much as gave her more than a two second pause and her annoyance was beginning to replace the sadness in the 'sad face.'
"Oh, you look hungry, dear. Is there anything I can get you?"
Distracted by the new voice, Fuu turned up to see an older woman with dark brown hair standing at her side holding a large serving plate in her hands looking down at her with a warm smile. Fuu widened her eyes and hoped they were watery enough, before giving her lip a good tremble. "I wish I could say yes, but I don't have any money." She all but whimpered.
The older woman giggled, bringing a hand up to her mouth to hide the gap between her two front teeth that was always apparent when she laughed. The large plate dropped a bit from her mid section, exposing an abnormally endowed stomach. "Don't you worry about that. Us 'expecting' women have to stick together don't we?" She lilted, patting her belly jovially.
Fuu's face promptly fell. Great, now she was trying to con a pregnant woman. She had been around Mugen far too long. "Us?" She asked confusedly.
The other woman's brow furrowed, her eyes running up and down Fuu's physique. "Of course, aren't you with child too?"
"What! How can you tell?" Looking down with a bit of panic, she inspected for any sign that her clothes might not be concealing her little bulge as well as she might have thought.
The woman's eyes softened and she gave a maternal smile. "I suppose we can just recognize our own kind. Like a sixth sense of sorts." She joked giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.
Fighting the urge to curl her arms around her torso, Fuu opted to simply shift about uncomfortably.
"You're awful young, this is your first I take it?" She said trying carefully to sit down next to the younger girl, finally managing it after many wobbly attempts.
Fuu nodded, not really at ease with the direction of the conversation, but the other woman didn't appear to notice and continued on with a wistful sigh.
"Its my third. Though you definitely have the right idea, starting out so young and all. You'll have more energy should you have to raise more. Had I had any sense back then, that's what I would have done when I got married. Oh, where are my manners? My name's Yasuki by the way."
"I'm Fuu." She answered, pausing when Yasuki turned to snag another waitress by the elbow.
"Houku, could you tell Kobuo to bring us some tea and perhaps a few plates of Shamisen?"
The server nodded pleasantly and, once released, continued on her way to do as she was told.
"Is that your husband?" Fuu asked curiously, Yasuki evidently held quite a bit of authority in the restaurant.
"Kobuo? No no, he's my brother in law. My husband is the owner of our establishment, but he's away right now. He's been gone about a week, his mother and father have saved money for the new baby and he should be returning with it any time now." She explained trying to sound upbeat, but Fuu could tell she missed him dearly. "If I may ask, where is your husband? Its very irresponsible of him to leave you alone with no one to look after you in your condition."
Fuu faltered, wracking her brain for some sort of half way decent explanation. She had a feeling 'No I'm not married, just an unwed girl carrying the bastard child of a wanted felon and bandit' wasn't it. "He-He's dead!" She blurted out, instantly wondering why she considered that a decent explanation. "He's dead, he died." She stammered trying to calm her anxious voice.
Yasuki's sunny demeanor quickly transformed into one of guilt and sympathy, placing a comforting and apologetic hand on the other girl's knee. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to bring up such a painful subject."
"Its fine, not your fault." She said giving an uneasily reassuring smile.
The older woman returned the gesture just as the familiar form of Houku returned with two cups of tea, a pot for more, and a few plates of shamisen accompanied with other goods. Yasuki squealed with delight as the tray was set before them and Fuu had to bite her tongue to keep from doing the same, but unfortunately her control didn't extend to not yanking the plate off the serving tray the second it touched the table and emphatically shoveling morsel after morsel into her bottomless mouth. Only when her initial cravings were satisfied did she chance glimpsing at Yasuki, somewhat surprised and a little comforted to see she was pretty much vacuuming the meal up with as much gusto as she.
The tang and spices of the servings had both women reaching for the tea, giving them a bit of free time for conversation before their accelerated appetites possessed them once more. Fuu found herself enjoying Yasuki's company, feeling soothed and welcomed by another female relating to her predicament. They chatted on about trivial things that while meaningless, made the girls feel more at ease with each other and fed an affectionate young bond between the two.
"I'm glad I met you, I've never felt at ease eating like that in front of anyone before." Yasuki giggled.
"Oh I do it all the time, the trick is to just remember half the people that see you do it will probably forget in a day or two anyway. That or you'll never see them again, either way."
The older girl laughed, once again hiding her gaped teeth behind her hand. "I'm sure, but I doubt my husband would so easily forget. Especially with it happening three times a day." She sighed happily, but the joy gradually tapered and faded.
Fuu squeezed her hand encouragingly. If such a woman was finding friends in total strangers, she could imagine how lonely she was. "You really miss him, don't you?" it wasn't so much of a question.
Yasuki nodded, dark tendrils falling into her face. " I do, I've woken up to him every single day since I was thirteen. I'm just not used to going to bed alone anymore, especially with the baby's due date so close."
"Are you going to have it soon? I don't really know much about babies, mostly the whole them being inside my stomach part."
"Its not so hard, I know it seems it your first time, but you get used to it. You crave odd foods, the bigger you get the more uncomfortable you get, your feet swell up, then you can't sleep on your stomach anymore, and on top of it all you feel like you want to yell, cry, and laugh all at the same time and you don't know which to do first." She rambled.
Fuu gazed at her dumbfounded, her mouth hanging slightly open. This whole pregnancy thing was horrible! Was that how she was going to get? "How, how long does it last?" She stuttered, regaining her courage to ask for more answers she wasn't so sure she wanted anymore.
A slender finger went to Yasuki's lips as she thought. "Hmm, I suppose it depends on the woman. Usually anywhere from 7 to 10 months." She explained.
That was almost a year! She was going to be like this for practically a year! "Wh-what about, you know, your breasts?" She asked quizzically.
Yasuki looked at her puzzled, not understanding. Fuu sighed and put her small hands to her growing chest.
"They've been getting bigger, and they hurt all the time." She clarified.
Almost instantly, the older woman's face took on a look of recognition. "Ah! Yes I know what you mean. They'll be like that until they've gathered enough milk." She instructed as a matter-of-factly.
Well there was that answer. She knew how women fed their children but it was still gross to think about her doing the same.
"Your back will start to hurt as you get bigger too." Yasuki added.
"Does anything not hurt?" Fuu asked irritatedly. There was absolutely nothing good about having a kid. She didn't know why it was such a celebrated event.
"Mm, perhaps, I just haven't found what yet." Yasuki chuckled before taking another sip of her tea.
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Dumb slut. He was actually looking out for the bitch and she practically throws it right back at him. Stupid whore. Mugen walked around the town, not to look for her, the bitch didn't deserve it, but he just had nothing better to do. They did need money, he supposed he would have to 'earn the money with Jin', as she so annoyingly put it. Then again, he and Jin did tend to differ on what they considered 'earning.' But he and stoic man differed on more than just the proper way to attain finances.
He wondered where the old fucker was anyway. Probably getting cats out of trees, helping old ladies cross the road, teaching blind kids to read, and all that happy horse shit. Whatever. Giving a lazy yawn, Mugen picked at his ear, glancing at his pinky before wiping the findings on the front of his clothes. All bull aside, though, they did need food. As long as Fuu actually had a reason for being a total cow they'd have to get off the whole eating-for-a-day-only-to-starve-for-a-week diet.
Sadly, years of living by the bottle can develop a certain eagle eye for fine alcoholic locations, and this was the reason Mugen excused himself with when the local sake shop resting on the outskirts of town caught his eye. He tossed the idea around in his head for a while. There was really no down side to this. He could both pickpocket the drunks and get a good drink himself, it'd be killing two birds with one stone. Walking towards the sake house a high-pitched wail filled his ears. It started out low but gradually rose as it drew nearer.
Glancing to his right he caught a young woman, possibly in her twenties, early thirties maybe, exiting a small hut, holding a howling baby in her arms while it continued to bawl in her ear. An older man walked with her at her side, looking on with concern and giving the child's back the occasional reassuring rub.
"He said she must've gotten a little water lodged in her ear." She explained, patting the baby's head and lightly bouncing her at her chest.
"Her forehead felt warm, I don't think a water logged ear can cause that." He replied suspiciously.
"He said to make sure she sleeps on that side of her head for a week or two. If she doesn't' improve then we're supposed to bring her back."
The man grudgingly nodded, accepting her instructions, while draping his arm around her shoulders as they walked, gently pulling them both protectively closer to him. Slowly, the baby's cries died down, its attention pulled away from the pain in its ear to a particularly fascinating lock of its mother's hair dangling in front of its face.
Mugen's eyes followed the little family, watching them pass him without notice. He gave a brusque grunt before turning back to the sake house. That was the life he and Fuu had never known, and apparently neither would any offspring of theirs either. He wondered how they would have turned out had they grown up more like that. Reaching the front side of the shop, he found that he wasn't quite ready to go in yet; instead he rounded away and sat himself on the ground, leaning against the wall of it. Oh well, there was no sense in dwelling on what could have been. He always believed the present was what it was, and there was no sense in wishing for it to be different.
That girl seemed fond of her baby. So he wasn't out of his mind in thinking women liked having kids and all that. Therefore Fuu was defective. It wasn't just him. He had no idea what the hell her problem was. It wasn't like she had any sort of grand master plan for her life, so what was the big deal about popping out a kid or two while you wait? Then again, if she couldn't do a damn thing right before, why should now be any different? Women were too much fucking trouble; he could actually understand why that Isaac guy preferred men now.
A long shadow suddenly fell over him, blocking the sun out of his face. Mugen looked up to see a wiry man with sun kissed skin and raven colored hair.
"You look like you need a drink more than I do." He laughed.
Mugen chuckled likewise; apparently the guy was a mind reader. "I need a drink more than a lot of people do."
"Do you mind?" He asked politely gesturing towards a spot next to the pirate.
"Not my land, what do I care?" He replied with a careless shrug.
Sitting himself down next to the other male he mimicked his position and leaned back against the front of the sake house. His chest rose with the deep sigh of a weary and travel worn man. "A drink does sound nice right about now." He smiled.
"So go have one, and while you're at it, buy me one too."
He gave a brief chuckle that tapered into a soft languid smile, resting peacefully on his lips. "No, no I can't do those sort of things anymore. Had you caught me about seven years back I probably would have taken you up on that offer." He sighed, yet still sounded oddly happy and serene.
With a roll of his eyes, Mugen stifled a groan. Great, a sober. He hated talking to these people. Always going on about how miraculous their life had become after they defeated 'the demon alcohol.' He knew nothing of this demonic booze, but he knew he'd hang out with a flock of alcoholics over a group of chastity preaching, sobriety toting assholes any day. Mugen was born with a sake bottle in his hand and, if he had his way, he'd die with one in it too. His mouth was open and readying itself to tell him exactly where he could shove his words of inspiration and enlightenment.
"My wife will be giving birth soon. I just don't have the money to throw, right now. This will be our third child coming."
Holding his tongue, Mugen looked the stranger over once again with more forgiving eyes. Well at least he wasn't a total sobriety-toting bastard. Just a whipped little pussy. But a pussy was better than a reformed alcoholic any day. "Yeah?"
The lanky man nodded. "I have two girls already. I'm hoping for a boy this time around." He admitted.
Mugen faked a choke. "Three women under one roof. How the hell do you do it?"
"I confess it's not easy. It's definitely not something I would recommend to everyone. I take it you don't have any girls of your own?" He inquired curiously.
"The only one I've got is the one that turned me off to the rest." He grumbled.
The other male chuckled understandingly. "I can see where you're coming from. Do you have any children at all, yet?"
"One on the way." He replied scratching the back of his neck.
"Your first, then?"
"As far as I know." Mugen snickered. He couldn't help but imagine what Fuu's face would look like if one of the random whores he'd probably consorted with came up with a little version of him in her arms claiming him to be the father. That would be show he'd pay good, hard earned and stolen money to see.
"Mm, I remember when my wife began expecting for the first time. I'd never been so nerve wracked in my entire life. Whatever I needed I didn't get enough of, whatever needed to be done wasn't' done fast enough, whatever was done wasn't good enough." He explained lightheartedly. "She always needed to be fed, and for some reason it was with the strangest things. But I did my best to get them. We didn't know much about children at first, so we pretty much lived day to day until Natsue was born." His face softened and he went quiet for a moment or two, as if wanting to savor a particularly pleasant image in his mind. "As hectic as it was, there is something to be said for truly being needed by someone. When I wasn't there, my wife, Yasuki, would cry until I returned and cling to me as if I had been gone a hundred years. I always kept her healthy, even if it wasn't with the food she wanted. I don't think I truly became a man until I began to provide and keep watch over my family." He said as if speaking more to himself than anybody else.
Mugen shifted into a more comfortable position so that his hair took most of the offensive sunlight out of his eyes. If there were some sort of contest for pussy whipped men, this guy would be the undefeated champion and reigning lord and master.
"But perhaps this time around, it won't be so hard to raise for the new little one. My father had been saving up for the baby as a gift. It was much more than I initially expected and hopefully this child will have it easier than the others did at its age." He commented beginning to rise to his feet. "I have enjoyed our conversation, but I have not been home in quite a while and must be getting back. It was nice to meet you." He said giving Mugen a respective bow before pivoting on his heel and starting off in the direction the pirate had come from.
The other man had only taken a few steps when he suddenly found a patterned sword shoved precariously close to his throat. Making a startled noise, he staggered back, but the blade followed his jugular like a fatal shadow.
"I think you're right. There is something to be said for being a provider."
Turning his head, wincing when he nicked himself on sharpest part of the rapier, his eyes scanned along the arm holding the weapon to still on a wickedly grinning mouth, and a pair of devious stone colored eyes.
"Now how about providing me with any money you have on you." Mugen jeered running the blade's tip up and down the ball of the other male's throat.
The dark haired man's nostrils flared in outrage, fixing his attacker with a deathly glare. "How dare you. You'd truly steal a baby's money?" He said almost in a sickening awe.
Mugen shrugged casually. "Baby's money, women's money, men's money. I don't like to play favorites." He chuckled.
"May the Gods show mercy to your soul." He whispered gravely.
Scoffing at his prayer, Mugen leveled the sword with his trachea, applying pressure to the more tender part of the jugular. "If I don't show it why the hell should they?"
"You are a bastard and a thief! You have no heart, no conscience." He hissed.
"Hey, if you can't keep it then you don't deserve it, that's what I always say. That's your fault, not mine."
The other man went still, searching Mugen's eyes for any sign of compassion, any humane mercy. He found none. "You cannot have it." He growled.
"Fine. But that's a pretty dumbass cause to die for." He replied swinging his blade back and sending it slicing through the stranger's neck. The steel made a stomach turning, slicking sound as it went through the skin, muscle, and bone. The slain man's eyes rolled up into their sockets, a thin, gooey, red ring rounding about his neck before parting at the edge, the weight of the skull bringing the head to drop off the stalk-like neck like a grapefruit off a tree limb, landing onto the ground with a heavy thud
The body followed closely in suit, the frame crumpling to the floor like a broken marionette cut of its strings. With a sort of ingrained primitive satisfaction, Mugen watched until the only movement the decapitated carcass gave was the gentle lulling of the head as it swayed and rocked softly on the floor. Crouching down, his hands rummaged through the body's robes, feeling around until he grasped something familiar. With a little sound of triumph he quickly yanked the well-endowed pouch from its confines, his grin widening at the weight of it.
Rising up he dangled the little bag in front of his face. Its seams and threading stretched and expanded to accommodate the excess ryu. Pocketing the spoils, his ear was abruptly assaulted by a long horrified scream. His head whipped to the left spotting a woman with mahogany hair racing towards him with tears careening down her cheeks. A winded noise left him, the breath nearly being knocked out of his lungs as she plowed right into him, tiny fists furiously beating against his chest.
"You demon! What have you done?" She screeched pounding any part of him that was within reach.
Growling in annoyance when her never-ending assault began to irritate him he effortlessly thrust her away from him, brutally shoving her to the ground. She landed with a painful cry, her arms curling over her large belly, her watery eyes settling on the decapitated body only a few inches away. With lips trembling and the tears coming harder than ever before she crawled pitifully over, laying her head on the motionless chest and sobbing brokenheartedly into the bloodied robes.
Mugen spared her one last glance before moving on his way. No point in staying to listen to her wailing while he stood there awkwardly. Her tearful howls followed him until distance slowly faded them out of hearing range. She must have known the man, maybe a brother or a husband. Either way it wasn't his problem. It wasn't his fault the man couldn't defend himself. That was life. The strong survive and the weak either better themselves or face dying out. He didn't make those rules; he was just extraordinarily good at following them.
There was a market around here somewhere. He knew he had seen one, probably passed it on his way over. He'd find it, pick up some food, maybe come back and get some sake too as long as he was here and all, and by the looks of it he'd have enough left over to get a room all there own. Things were certainly looking up. Had that guy not been such a stubborn ass he probably would have lived long enough for Mugen to thank him. Smirking, he idly tossed his arms behind his head. It had gotten off to a rough start, but he had a feeling the day was getting better.
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It was supposed to be a little walk. That was all. Just a short stroll to stretch Yasuki's legs out after sitting for so long, especially with all the weight in her stomach putting so much pressure on them in their kneeled position. Weren't they discussing baby names on the way? Yes, Fuu remembered suggesting "Koaru" to her. She'd always liked that name. Clenching her eyes shut, Fuu couldn't block out Yasuki's agonizing wails. She couldn't stop thinking 'Her husband! That man must've been her husband!' How had it turned out this way? Why had he done it? For the stupid pocket change? Heartless bastard.
They were walking down the streets, Yasuki pointing and naming the places she knew about as they went along. Fuu was munching on a peach she had taken off the food trey and brought with them. Time passed so quickly with their gossiping and prattle that they hadn't realized how far they'd gone. The edge of the town was coming into sight, along with something that had her in a panicked sweat and set her heart thumping mercilessly in her chest.
Mugen was a very easy man to spot. With his recluse hair, and oddly made clothing, he couldn't stand out more in a crowd if he simply ran about naked with 'look at me!' tattooed across his forehead. Of course the image they encountered was nowhere near as funny. They had reached them just in time to see a headless man fall limply to the floor. Fuu instantly snatched Yasuki, throwing her hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. The other woman was trembling and didn't fight when the smaller girl began tugging her behind the hut next to a pottery shop. That is, she didn't fight until her attention lay on the head, lulling ever so softly to and fro on the dirt floor.
Yasuki froze and Fuu found that she couldn't budge the woman no matter how hard she pulled. It all happened so fast, it seemed before she could blink Yasuki broke free from her grip and was sprinting towards Mugen and the fallen man, bawling at the top of her lungs. Mugen looked up towards her and Fuu darted behind the building desperately eager for him not to recognize her.
And that's where she stayed. The sounds of struggling and violence had long since drowned out and she doubted Mugen was even there anymore. But Yasuki was. The older woman hadn't moved from her spot, still so loyally clinging to her mate. Fuu wanted to move, she truly did, but her legs appeared to be completely against listening to her brain's commands. Taking a deep breath to settle her rattled nerved she braved a peek behind the wall and sure enough it was just as she thought. Yasuki was weeping alone and Mugen was very much gone.
It was a small relief, but she would take any kind of relief at this moment. Steeling herself against her own doubts and insecurities she stepped out from behind the hut and made her way to the newly made widow. Kneeling down she stroked Yasuki's soft hair back, hoping to give her as much comfort as she could. She wracked her brain trying to think of what to do. Anything she came up with always involved leaving her sobbing friend and that didn't sound like the right thing to do either. Finally she knew they couldn't go on staying here without any sort of help. "Yasuki," she whispered, delicately trying to get the other woman's attention. "I want to go get Kobuo, but I don't want to leave you here. What do you want me to do?" She asked anxiously.
"I won't leave my husband!" Yasuki sobbed, burying her face deeper into the unmoving chest beneath her.
"Okay, okay! But I have to go get Kobuo, will you be alright until I get back?" She was only answered with more weeping.
Her brain told her she needed to go get somebody, anybody who knew her better than she did, but it appeared nothing else in her agreed. Her heart and body were adamant about staying with her new friend in her devastated state, but she knew she wouldn't be able to give her the kind of help she was in need of. Giving her shoulder one last reassuring squeeze she took off back to the teahouse.
That bastard! How could he do such a thing! Why was she even asking something like that? He was Mugen, what other reason did he need? How could she face Yasuki again? Mugen had just murdered her husband in cold blood and what did she do? Ran behind a building and prayed to Kami he hadn't seen her. But how was she supposed to know that man was her husband? She'd tried to protect Yasuki by dragging her into the alley with her, hadn't she? Fuu's mind flooded with questions of fear, shame, and justification. The only thing she was sure of was her friend was in total emotional ruin and she couldn't help feeling partly responsible.
Her sandaled feet clopped clumsily against the dirt as she ran through the streets. Damn Mugen. How could Kami create such a vortex of all-evil and not make him sterile? What was he thinking giving such a vicious bastard the ability to procreate? As if one of him wreaking hell on this innocent planet wasn't enough. Giving her head a shake she tried to free herself of distracting thoughts. She needed to focus on where she was going. Yasuki needed help and she didn't want to leave her alone for too long. Thinking of her friend almost made her pass the teahouse up entirely in her mad sprint.
Stumbling a bit, Fuu skidded to a halt, kicking up dust and almost tripping over herself in the process. She was a little winded but barreled through the doorway nonetheless. Her head darted this way and that until spotting a familiar looking waitress. Hurrying over to her Fuu quickly grabbed the server by the arm, grasping for her attention. "Houku! I need you to go get Kobuo! Yasuki needs him! Its an emergency!" She explained gasping for breath.
Houku appeared startled by her urgency but still managed to stammer out an assent and flee to the end of the house and into a back room. Fuu only had to wait a few agonizing moments before a pale boy looking to be around her age was rudely shoved out of the back quarters. Houku followed anxiously after, urging him to bend down for her to whisper in his ear, pointing directly at Fuu. The boy's face drained of color as he listened, his attention settling on the young girl waiting impatiently for him. He suddenly stood stalk straight, almost knocking Houku over with his shoulder, before walking hurriedly over to her.
Fuu began to fidget eagerly as he approached her. His eyes were fearful and worried and she could tell he was wondering why his sister-in-law wasn't with her. "Where is Yasuki? Houku told me something was wrong?" He asked earnestly.
Nodding frantically, Fuu snatched his wrist, yanking him along with her through the room and out the door. "Yes! Come with me and hurry up!"
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It had been a long time since she had a day like this. They had gone for Yasuki and thankfully she remained right where Fuu'd left her. She couldn't imagine how hard it must've been for Kobuo. To have to be the head of the family and take care of the grieving wife when your brother's motionless body lay right in front of you. He would have his own time to grieve later, but for now he had a hysterical woman to console. She thinks he did a good consoling job, given the situation of course. Fuu walked them back to their little home before agreeing to give them some time alone and taking her leave.
Only when she was outside their doors did she breath a sigh of relief and begin to trudge exhaustedly back home. The sun was starting to set and she was feeling the need for company. For someone to talk to, or at least be in the presence of. Now was simply not the time to be alone. Taking several little detours on her trip back to the inn, she searched the city for Jin, ferreting out any place that seemed like the type he would go to find work. She began to ask about, questioning whether anyone had seen a tall, pale man, with dark hair, samurai garb, and spectacles. The glasses would definitely be the defining feature; after all, how many samurai wore glasses?
Unfortunately no one appeared to know or recognize this man she inquired about. With a little more slouch in her posture, Fuu restarted her walk back to their lodging feeling a disappointed and puzzled. This was not a big town; she doubted many things got by the people of the village. Therefore she had no idea where Jin was or why nobody had seen him. One the bright side, daylight was wearing thin and he would have to return sooner or later.
The town was rather small, as far as towns went anyway, so it didn't take her long to make it back to her room with little trouble. With a tired groan she slumped against a nearby wall, relaxing her eyes shut and welcoming the sweet oblivion behind them. A weak little giggle bubbled in her throat when the tickle of tiny feet scurried across her torso. They pitter pattered down her thigh, over her calf, and sprung to the wooden floor. Fuu could hear Momo-san scamper across the ground and leap onto the windowsill, accidentally ramming himself into the glass, mistaking it for an exit. She choked out a weary laugh at his charming antics, "I say we run away right here, Momo-san, just you and me. We'll find other body guards, bigger, better ones." She murmured exhaustedly.
"Fuck you."
Gasping, Fuu jolted up out of her tired haze to see Mugen standing a little ways away from her, glaring offendedly. She hadn't even heard him come in, and something was different about him, she then noticed he was only wearing his gray undershirt; his red haori was thrown carelessly over his shoulder in a makeshift sack.
"You're back early. I thought you were gonna go get work." He said, giving her a skeptical once over. Looking as if he discarded that thought he shrugged and continued on. "Whatever, anyway, I got us a different room, I'm not sharing with fuck-face, so lets go." He instructed, reaching for her wrist to pull her along. She could only guess who the designated 'fuck-face' was.
Before he could get very far, though, Fuu yanked her hand back, bringing it across his face with a resounding 'SLAP!' Jerking backward, Mugen dropped his shirt-made-bag, unflinching at the loud clatter it made landing on the dirty ground. Quickly recovering he pinned her with a wrathful glower. "What the hell's your problem!"
"Do you have no conscience! Is there absolutely no good whatsoever in that twisted, black void of evil you call a heart! What is wrong with you?" She screamed in outrage.
Growling out in frustration, Mugen fought the urge to throttle her. "What. The. Hell. Is. Your. Problem. Now?" His gritted out. It was always something with her.
"You killed Yasuki's husband you heartless creep!" She accused.
"What're you talking about? Who's Yasuki?" Was she never happy? It seemed that no matter what, there was always something new for her to bitch at him about.
"My friend! She was pregnant too, and you killed her husband! I saw you!" Fuu could feel tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, but urgently fought them back, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.
Mugen looked at her in anger, frustration, and confusion. Maybe he should just give her a swift hit to head, knock her unconscious, and drag her back to the room. And suddenly his eyes widened the littlest of bits in realization. Oh.
---flashback---
"My wife will be giving birth soon. I just don't have the money to throw, right now. This will be our third child coming."
---end flashback---
Of course. Of. Fucking. Course. Why not? Out of all the men with pregnant wives in the whole damn town, of course he would kill the only one with a wife Fuu was friends with. He rolled his eyes and gave a groan of exasperation. He'd never hear the end of this. "Yeah, look, how was I supposed to know?"
Fuu screeched in irritation through her gritted teeth, making frustrated motions with her hands at him. "That's not the point, Mugen!"
"Then what the hell is!" He hollered back in her face.
"The point is you're a cold, soulless bastard and you deserve an eternity in every single one of those seven hells you'll be going to!" She seethed.
"We needed the money you idiot!"
"NO! You needed the money! There is no 'we', there never was a 'we', there never will be a 'we'! I don't need anything from you! I don't need or want anything to do with this or you!" She screamed, butting his unyielding shoulder against her own as she barreled past him heatedly.
She had no idea where she was going or what she was doing. So long as wherever it was, or whatever it was, lead her far away from him. What had she honestly expected? An apology, a request for repentance, and unending sea of regret and shame? Pfft, those were things a natural human would feel. This was Mugen. How silly of her to forget.
That liar. He wasn't killing out of need. The bastard enjoyed it. She could see that same look on his face every time he did it. It was excitement, wild anticipation, and some positively warped version of glee. The jerk loved what he did. He had no concept of human life. All he cared about was himself. Always taking what he wanted with no care or thought of who got hurt in the process. Fight, kill, steal, pillage, destroy, those were the only things he knew.
Was this really him? Was this really the way he had always been? If so, then why was it that she was only seeing it now? She supposed since they met she had thought there was at least one iota of good in him. Some small piece of goodness that lay trapped and tangled in all the rest of the dark badness in him. But she was wrong. She saw that now. He never changed and he never would. He was always going to follow that morbid beat of his own drum. And that drum was pure unadulterated evil being pounded on by demons to create that morbid beat that he kept retardedly following. Sadistic Idiot.
It was dark now as she walked through the familiar village, only now it seemed empty, black and barren. Everything looked bigger and made her feel that much smaller. Fuu wrapped her arms reassuringly around herself. Everyone was probably all cozy in their beds, snuggling with loved ones and what not. She remembered being able to crawl into bed with her mother. She would wiggle into her arms, tell her a lie about a bad dream she never had, only using the nightmare lie as an excuse to sleep in her mother's bed. In all reality she had only been afraid of the dark and simply needed maternal love and attention.
With a lonely sigh, Fuu continued walking down the deserted streets, watching her feet as they peeked out of her kimono with every step. Being back in the town made her think of Jin. He hadn't been at the inn and had not come back as of yet. She wondered where he was and if he was all right. Her heart gave a painful lurch at the remembrance of the last time he had spent the night elsewhere. She winced at the sting the memory was still capable of giving her. A slender hand rose to massage her temple, eager to massage the unwanted memory away as well. Jin would come back, she had faith in him. She trusted him.
"Fuu? Is that you? What're you doing out at this hour?"
Glancing up from her reverie, she saw Yasuki standing outside a nearby doorway, looking sickly and miserable, but her eyes still held that light of concern for her.
"Yasuki, are you alright? What're you doing out here alone?" She asked worriedly going to her side.
"I-I just couldn't stay in that house any longer. I see his face on everything in there. Our bed still smells of him. And I couldn't take Kobuo hovering over me like a dark cloud anymore. So I asked him to give me some time alone." She whimpered, her voice obviously weak and scratchy from crying. "I think it was good for him too, he still had to leave and go back to take care of-"
Fuu lightly rubbed her back in a comforting motion as another onslaught of sobs wracked her body before she could finish. "Sshhh, its okay, I know." She whispered sweetly, lowering Yasuki to the ground to sit with her. The other woman wept into her neck, clinging anxiously to her.
"Oh Fuu, what am I going to do? Our children, our baby, I can't do this alone! I'm scared, I can't do this all by myself!" She cried.
Not knowing what to say, Fuu gently began rocking her back and forth, making soft, soothing noises in her ear.
"I can't go through this on my own," She hiccupped, "I need him." Sniffling, Yasuki rose up, trying her best to wipe her tears away. "How could you do it, Fuu?" She whimpered.
Her face paled at the other woman's accusation. Did she know? What if she knew? How did she find out? Fuu gulped, trying to swallow the thick lump that had developed at the bottom of her throat. "Ho-How could I do what?" She asked weakly.
"How could you handle the death of your husband? I don't know how you could possibly do it, I feel like I'm falling apart from the inside out."
It was amazing how a few sentences can somehow take the weight of the world off your shoulders. Fuu almost let out her breath of relief but managed to catch it at the last second. "I'm, I'm not sure, really. I guess I never really bonded with him the way you did."
Yasuki nodded tearfully but understandingly. She had seen many arranged marriages where the bride and groom simply never took to each other. "How are you going to have your baby?"
Pausing, Fuu wasn't sure how to answer the odd question. "Ummmm, the natural way?"
A small laugh escaped Yasuki's lips, and her hand came up to wipe away more tears. "And here I thought I would never laugh again…" She smiled sadly. "No, I mean how are you going to do it? I've had three already, and he's always been there for me. I don't know how to go about this on my own."
"Well, this way is the only way I know, so I don't really know what I'm missing by not having a husband." She laughed awkwardly. "Besides, you aren't going this alone, you have Kobuo, don't you?"
"Yes she does."
Fuu and Yasuki turned at the new voice to catch a young Kobuo standing there dirty and tired. "I know I'll never be able to fill my brother's place, and I don't want to try, but I'll be here for whatever you need, Yasuki." He explained coming to kneel by his sister-in-law.
Yasuki's eyes overflowed and her lip trembled before she had Kobuo in a bone crushing bear hug. "Oh thank you, Kobuo! You don't know what this means to me!" She wept, crumbling into a shivering, sobbing, ball in his arms.
Kobuo smiled softly, running his hand through her hair soothingly and Fuu suddenly felt very out of place. She awkwardly scratched an itchy spot behind her head, looking elsewhere, wanting to the give the little family some sentimental privacy. A light rumbling sound caught her attention and she glimpsed out of the corner of her eye at the two, surprised to see Yasuki collapsed in Kobuo's arms, sleeping soundly with a breathy snore. Kobuo chuckled, patted her head and picked her up. "Thank you for being there for my sister, Fuu. Your kindness will not be forgotten." He said, trying to bow but almost keeling forward in the process.
Fuu stifled at giggle at his blush and nodded and smiled gratefully, standing up to retreat back from where she came. It had indeed been a long day and Yasuki had the right idea. She yawned sleepily, trudging back to the large establishment. If she had to deal with Mugen then so be it.
She was glad that her friend would be okay. But for some reason, the warm scene left her heart feeling a little heavier. Yasuki was the kind of woman that everything some how worked out for. The worst thing imaginable could happen and yet things would still find a way to fall into place for her. She would always be surrounded by people that loved her and would be there for her. She was the fairy tale with the inevitable happy ending.
It made her wonder what kind of story she, herself, was. She never really thought about things like that. What was going to happen to her? What was this thing inside of her, feeding off of her, going to do to her? How was she going to find her father in this condition? Fuu's arms, once again, wound around her lithe physique to comfort herself. She suddenly wished she could crawl back into her mother's arms and hide from the dark again. Maybe she would meet up with Jin on the way back and they could at least walk together, she thought brightly.
But Jin never appeared, and no one was there to walk her back. Working her hands up and down her arms she tried to rub a little warmth back into her limbs. Fuu didn't usually have time to think about all that she had lost. The day she realized she was loosing she also realized her father was the cause of it all, and that fueled an anger that blinded her to other feelings, such as loneliness. She was used to doing things on her own, like taking care of her mother, working, or taking care of herself. But right then she would have given anything in the world to be in Yasuki's place. Then maybe this feeling of seclusion and solitude would leave and she would feel as though she were back in her mother's arms again.
She finally returned to the old man's inn and hastily made her way inside. The halls looked bigger and more ominous than she remembered. Her hand fervently went to the knob of her door the minute she recognized it, impatient to get out of the overbearing hallway. Once inside, though, she had to look around just to make sure she was in the right room. Everything looked as it did before she left; Momo-san was even still sleeping at the windowsill. A cry of surprise left her when she almost tripped over a tangled mass of gaudy red. Upon further inspection she found that this was most definitely her room. Her fingers skimmed experimentally along the lumpy bundle. Mugen's dirty red haori was still here, but Mugen wasn't.
Fuu could feel the hollowness inside her grow a little bigger. Shaking it off, she sent a withering glare at the discarded clothing. Stupid jerk. He was the last person she wanted here anyway. It was then that she noticed that the bright red cloth was tangled amongst something. Moving over towards it she fell down beside it, temporarily dismissing her previous mental rant in favor of satisfying her new curiosity.
Peeling back the first edge of the robe she came in contact with, her eyes brightened at all the goods stowed away inside. A decent sized mound of food, like fruit, vegetables, eels and fish lay haphazardly piled over one another. He had gotten her food. This thought sent a multitude of confusing feelings careening into the pit of her belly. Shifting about uncomfortably she was unsure of what to think.
When her mother died she had never felt more alone or utterly abandoned in her life. Everyone that had ever loved or cared for her was gone and she was all by herself. Yet she had gotten used to it and managed to get over it and support herself. Those feelings were something she thought she would never have to go through again. Well, right now, she wasn't as divested as she had been then, but the feelings were somehow similar.
Removing her outer kimono, she lay down and bundled it beneath her head into a thin homemade pillow. There lay a wonderful assortment of various meals before her, all shining in their own juices and sending her nose their sinfully alluring aroma. And for the first time in her life she found she had no appetite for it.
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Ok there ya go. So whatchya think? R&R ppl
Luv
The Deni Pie