Authoress' note: I'm building up my Band of Seven DVD collection, and I'm thrilled to say that I just got the first two Bankotsu-centric episodes on DVD. I've had them less than a week, and I will probably wear them out by the time another week goes by. LOL!
(--eats up animated version of The Braided One)
Oh, yeah, by the way, mucho thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!
Original Character Interview.
by artisanrox
CHAPTER 11. SHADOWS.
"That little bitch might as well give up before they even start!" Suikotsu said, grinning darkly from ear to ear. "No one can beat our Eldest Brother at anything!"
Renkotsu narrowed his eyes and humphed.
"Yathink he'll kill 'er if she loses, Brother?" asked Kyoukotsu innocently.
"No, Kyoukotsu," calmly answered Renkotsu. "Chances are she'll end up serving Eldest Brother wine, plaiting his hair for him, and...and..."
He cut himself off, able to go no further, and visibly cringing. The possibility of it was too horrible to comprehend. Words failed him.
Suikotsu, Kyoukotsu, and Ginkotsu leaned in further. It was odd to see Renkotsu so...uncomfortable. They all knew what Bankotsu would do to a guy or a demon who lost to him in a fight. What horrible thing would their fearless leader make a girl who lost to him possibly do?
"Brother! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" said Suikotsu.
"Yes," answered Renkotsu, appalled.
Ginkotsu let out a low, frightened "gessssshhhh" before a long, horrified hush fell over the men.
Someone had to muster up the courage to say what needed to be said, and Kyoukotsu was that someone. "The...the wash," he said, twitching.
The four of them groaned simultaneously. Even Suikotsu could appreciate how flat-out gross it was to do the wash clothes for seven dirty, bloody, poison-tainted, sweaty guys after a good battle. Especially when it came to doing Jakotsu's and Suikotsu's washes.
"It's a good thing we make so much goddamned money from taking up jobs," said Suikotsu. "Althought I kinda get a kick out of cleaning the weapons, doing the clothes sucks, 'cuz it's boring. I think most of us would rather buy new clothes rather than wash the old ones."
The rest of them agreed, because most of the time, that's exactly what they ended up doing.
"Heh. She's really in for it," Suikotsu snarled.
A pensive Kyoukotsu spoke. "So how does Big Brother get away with wearing the same white clothes all the time? Do you guys ever see him buying anything new?"
The other three men turned to look at him, eyebrows raised, and shook their heads "no".
The box with the glass facing sputtered a little, much to Bankotsu's annoyance. He gave the box a hard smack, and it popped one last time, and began to display a picture.
"Like I said before, we've had a lot of problems with this. First off, there's hardly any sound. We tried forever to get it repaired, but nobody around knows how to fix it. So we'll both really have to pay attention."
Akiko listened, and picked up a controller. She was disappointed about the glassy box not working to its potential.
Reading the expression on Akiko's face, Bankotsu began speaking again. "Well, it IS feudal Japan. And this is a terribly overused anachronism...that's why it doesn't work well. I'm sorry."
Akiko grinned sarcastically. "Yeah, it is pretty overused. Hey, maybe eventually you'll find someone to fix it."
"Heh. Thanks," answered Bankotsu, grinning back.
They forwarded through the opening video, the title screens, and the copyright crap, and began to select their characters they wished to use. Akiko chose the quick and nimble Russian ninja girl, Hotarubi.
Bankotsu was next to choose his character. He forwarded through the characters quickly, knowing exactly which one he wanted to use.
Akiko wanted to laugh, but stifled it, when he ended up selecting the shrine maiden, Mikado.
Bankotsu turned toward Akiko, and saw her eyebrow raised and her mouth pinched together in a tight, one-sided grin.
"W-what? She's the best character in the game!" he said nervously, defending his choice. "She's got everything! Speed, strength...and she wields a pretty nasty naginata!" He grabbed the remaining controller, smirking his very best smirk. He pointed with the controller to his weapon, which hung on the far wall. "The naginata is awesome. Kinda reminds me of my Banryuu!"
Akiko let out a chuckle. It was her first genuine laugh since stepping foot into the building.
After running out of smalltalk, the four men in the main room glanced at each other once on a while, wondering how their fearless leader was faring.
Suikotsu frustratedly flung his hands, which were lazily resting behind his head, down to the floor, slapping the wood loudly. "Dammit! I can't take this anymore!" Suikotsu got up to his feet and strode over to the screen, then proceeded to place his ear against it. He signaled with a hand to the other three guys to follow his example, and Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu walked up to the screen, and pressed their ears against it, also. Renkotsu remained exactly where we was.
Renkotsu's mouth dropped, and his eyes widened in terror. "Big Brother had just asked for privacy while he challenges that girl. You realize that if he finds out you're doing that, he'll slaughter each of you in turn!"
That Mukotsu! He is certainly getting to be a debilitating negative influence on these men! thought the firearms expert.
Suikotsu waved a dismissive hand toward Renkotsu. "Shaddap. I can't hear anything!" he mouthed.
As there was way too much face to lose on the parts of both parties involved, they eventually thought it best to have the game set to "practice", where the win tally could be easily seen. Then there would be no confusions as to who should remove something from their person.
The first match was begun. Akiko tried her best to defend her character, but Bankotsu and his skill in using Mikado and her naginata proved to be greater, and Hotarubi fell in a mass of pixellated blood.
Bankotsu laid his controller on his lap, and grinned evilly at Akiko. "You know, you were pretty smart not to do this in one match." His expression turned serious, but still remained dark. "But now, you know the deal." He held out a hand palm-up, and flicked two fingers toward himself. "Off with something."
Akiko put the controller down, which made her take hands out from under her sleeves. Bankotsu realized that this was the first time he even seriously looked at her hands, since she always had them hidden so well. He expected her to take something innocent off first. Probably a ring or something, he figured. Well, whatever, he thought.
And, finally seeing her hands, he was shocked to see the sheer amount of jewelry she was wearing!
She had a ring on almost every finger, and some fingers were double stacked with rings! She had a few bracelets on, too, and considering her earrings, her multiple layers of clothing, her stockings and sandals, and the bow around her kimono, Bankotsu estimated that she had at least twice as many chances of not losing as he did!
"You really didn't think I'd do something as important as a job interview without all my bling-bling on, now did you?" asked Akiko with a snarky tone to her voice.
Bankotsu watched her take off one ring, and daintily place it on the floor in front of her. "Y...you little...!" he whispered.
"You agreed to it! And I'm doing exactly what we agreed to!" Akiko said, in defense of herself.
Bankotsu's interest was piqued now, but he was also miffed that the girl should have so many more chances at winning than he did. She was right, however. This is what he agreed to, and he'd carry it through.
Damn honor and all that crap, he thought. It gets me into so much trouble, it's ridiculous.
They played another round, and it took almost no effort for Bankotsu to win again, and for Akiko to remove a second ring. It slightly irritated him, but they had quite a ways to go before anyone was completely disrobed. So he swallowed his irritation and played again.
The third time, it was obvious that Akiko was catching on to him. It was difficult to defeat her this time, but nonetheless, when Hotarubi hit the dirt again, and Akiko removed a third ring, Bankotsu couldn't take it anymore. He was quickly getting bored with her.
Bankotsu balled his fists together, and turned toward Akiko angrily. "Look, girl!" he said loudly to her, "I've done this way too many times with way too many people! My skills are top notch with this, and I'm not going easy on you! So if you don't like it rough, then--"
"Atta boy. Take charge, Tiger!" whispered Suikotsu, waving a white-knuckled fist while he listened in.
Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu chuckled.
Renkotsu was sweating. He knew if he went over the door, Bankotsu would have his head along with everyone else's. But...but...he was so curious...
Curiosity won, and Renkotsu made up an excuse about making sure his fearless leader would not fall prey to some shape-changing demon girl, and walked as quietly as possible over to the screen to join his comrades.
While venting his frustration to Akiko, Bankotsu happened to notice out of the corner of his eye that the screen leading to the main room was different than usual. It looked darker.
Studying it more carefully, he noticed the dark area was made of a mass of suspicious shapes: a very large figure, a slightly shorter, but still very sturdy figure that looked strangely like it had an artificial arm, and an even smaller figure with wild, spiky hair. And another shadow was quickly joining them.
Bankotsu ground his teeth together in fury. "Damn them all!" he whispered almost inaudibly.
Akiko, noticing her opponent's gaze was locked on the screen across the room, wondered what his problem was. She turned toward the screen also, seeing the large shadow cast upon it.
With further thought, Bankotsu reconsidered walking back out into the main room and knocking their heads into the ceiling. All of their heads. At once. However, first things had to come first, he reminded himself, and it helped stifle his fury for now. He had something here he had to finish. But God help them if they say one stupid thing to me...
He turned to Akiko again. "So," he continued quietly, remembering now that he was being rudely monitored, "I suggest you make this more interesting, and fast, or you'll be in for it even worse when you lose!" He picked up his controller again, giving her a dirty look. Not only will I make her do the laundry, but I'll make her clean Kyoukotsu's mountains of dishes by herself! He smirked as he thought to himself. Heh. Everybody hates doing that, too.
Akiko turned back to him, and made an equally angry face at him. "Let's continue. No one's naked yet!"
A fourth game was played, and Akiko was thrilled to finally win.
"Yes!" she shouted joyfully. "Take it off!" she said loudly, her eyes flashing. She pointed a little forefinger at her competitor.
Suikotsu's eyes went wide. "I...can't believe it."
Kyoukotsu cupped his hand to the screen for good measure. "You don't think...?"
Renkotsu's eyes narrowed. "I don't know, Kyoukotsu. I don't hear any weapons clanging in there."
The win by Akiko assuaged Bankotsu's annoyed boredom for now. "Don't get cocky with me, girl," he quietly growled at her, "because it's about time!" He opened the side of his armor, slipped out of it, and set it aside.