a/n: Wah~ It has been WAY too long since I finally got around to updating
this fic...sorry! First it started with term papers, final projects,
presentations, and then finals week (better known as Hell Week). Then I
just couldn't dig up the motivation to get cracking on this fic. But have
no fear! Seeing as how it's summer and I have nothing but summer school to
fret about, which I refuse to do 24/7 for the next three months, this fic
will be updated at least once every two weeks! Hope it was worth the wait.
Now, onwards, fellow voyagers! (always wanted to say that, hehe)
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own them. Sigh. But we can all dream. ^_~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Scenarios
.::. Scene Two: The Meeting .::.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rain continued to pour down in true winter fashion as the carriage finally drew up to its destination. Restless from sitting in the coach for almost a week, Misao flew out with a sprightly jump before the carriage had even completely halted. Unfortunately, she forgot three very important details:
1. Her mother had insisted she dress like a presentable lady rather than the "rags that scarcely covered more than a loin cloth. Really, so barbaric." This particularly shrill comment elicited a roll of the eyes from yours truly.
2. after sitting still for over seven hours, since breakfast, her limbs were stiff from disuse, weary from the fatigue of travel, and weak from lack of nourishment.
3. Rain tended to change the normally hard, compact dirt road to a consistency little better than her afore mentioned early morning breakfast which consisted of oatmeal - slippery and thickly wet.
All these forgotten factors contributed to the chaotic events that followed. Upon landing from her ill-judged spring, her foot, unaccustomed to such lengths, caught on the hem of her skirt, legs unused to the additional weight of the many layers of cloth required of a kimono wobbled beneath her, causing her tiny feet to slip and slide in the muddy slush that vaguely resembled the walkway. Add in the amount of bulk she held within her arms and the end result: Misao's ankle caved. She went down in a flurry of silk, luggage, and gift-bearing parcels.
The servants that had witnessed the event seemed torn whether to laugh, pity, or assist the unhappy soul. Fortunately, said soul relieved the tension as she sat immersed in muck, guffawing to her hearts' content. The servants questioned her sanity. But her tinkling laughter proved contagious as they allowed the hilarity of the scene to sink into them, causing everyone at the site of the scene to squirm with laughter. It was this scene that greeted one Hiko Seijuro as he appeared at the door to seek out the disturbance. He found his daughter's precious weasel of a friend at the epicenter of the laughter, rolling around in the mud as if she had never had so much fun in her life. No matter how entertaining he found it to watch a young lady frolicking in the rain and sludge, he knew his daughter would have his head should she become ill. Stepping further into the open, he stood at the top of the steps as he called down to her.
"I realize my mistake now. You are correct. You are not an itachi; you are a pig."
All laughter ceased as soon as the booming voice reached their ears.
It would never cease to amaze him how volatile she was...chortling to her heart's content one moment, glaring with the promise of death and vengeance the next. At least he would not lack for entertainment in the coming weeks. Before she reached the point of no return, Hiko quickly, and wisely, interceded.
"Well, we better get you out of those wet things; wouldn't want to have to deal with your uncle's temper if his little itachi got sick."
"That smoking human chimney of a scumbag is here? Why didn't you say so earlier? Kaoru should have mentioned it in the invitation. I wouldn't have come."
The pleasure shining within her sapphire depths belied how little suited her words reflected her heart. Unfortunately, he had not meant to mislead her.
"Don't worry. He's not here yet. He arrives next week. Now, get."
"Oh."
Disappointment abounded in that one statement.
"Good. That means I'll only have to deal with one of you old fogies until I'm settled."
Well, she sure bounced back quickly; he expected as much. He watched as she quickly bent down to collect her impossibly dirtied parcels before springing for the house within a minute, hiking up her kimono to about mid- thigh to allow better movement, cackling all the way.
Hiko sighed and shook his head. His eyes narrowed as her back disappeared within the manor. Did she really think she could fool him with that carefree act? He had practically seen her grow alongside his daughter. Hell, she was like the younger daughter he never wanted. As if he couldn't detect the hurt and pain hidden so superficially by her easy humor. He would have to investigate this matter further.
As Misao entered the airy manor, she dropped her mask. Yet, she could not help but feel a gentle lightening of her problems as the prospect of seeing Kaoru, one of her few kindred spirits in this world, undeniably pleased her to no ends. She felt the strain in her smile disappear as it turned into a genuine, full-fledged grin. As murmurs of scorn and disapproval echoed through the dark corridors, Misao merely widened her grin all the more and held her head higher whilst ignoring the dirty looks, pun intended, directed her way. Sadly, this action prevented her from the ability to avoid committing her second big mistake in less than ten minutes. She strode to the drawing room from which she heard music floating out, assuming her friend was at play, and forcefully shoved the door aside. By the time she realized her mistake it was too late. Even as she scrambled to stop the swinging door, a resounding slam of sturdy wood against solid wall brought everything to a halt. Dancers froze, violins screeched, women started, men stiffened. Then, as one, all eyes turned and zeroed in upon the disturbance.
For one solitary moment in time, not even crickets were heard. Everything was muted by surprise.
Then, pandemonium ensued.
The ladies of the party scrambled to exit the room from another doorway and to secure the men as their protectors. Ever ready to be of assistance, the men gallantly bestowed their attention and affected protection upon the ladies. Affected because there was no real danger and had there been any true danger, three fourths of the dandies would have clambered over the ladies to exit whilst the other fourth sat incapacitated and witless as to how to resolve the problem. As the situation stood, they saw a diminutive vagabond at the entrance and frightened ladies, ripe for the taking, calling for assistance. Obviously, they secured their 'protective posts' all the while enchanted by the delicacy of the female disposition.
Enishi observed it all unmoved from his seat at a corner table. The twit that had approached him earlier, though comely, had been unable to carry even the blandest of conversations to success, too nervous to stammer out comprehensible sentences, growing even more anxious and frantic if Enishi attempted to ease her tension. Really. All the pretty ones had cobwebs for brains and all the witty ones had warts and pockmarks for faces. Needless to say, after the two most dreadfully dull dances of his life, he disposed of the nuisance and sat down to partake of the food in an attempt to avoid another such insipid encounter. Sitting at his table with tea, he had been in the process of surveying the room when the disturbance occurred. Just as his eyes swept past the entrance, the door suddenly swung open. The split second before it collided with the wall presented to him a young woman desperately trying to catch the knob and close the door.
Didn't work.
At first, the woman-child seemed contrite and ready to apologize for the intrusion, but as the disorder, fright, and contempt infiltrated the room's occupants rapidly at the sight of her, she seemed to gain confidence with every snide remark, every shrill scream and dead faint, no longer sorry for her actions.
Enishi was intrigued.
At the moment, the dirty little vagabond was crossing the ballroom, emanating poise even as each squishy step shamelessly left behind a tiny, partial footprint of grime. Surprisingly, she made a beeline straight for Kenshin's perfect little fiance. This unanticipated turn of events had Enishi conjecturing as to the nature of Kaoru's acquaintance with the lowly traveler. Perhaps Kenshin's perfect little lady wasn't quite as proper as he had thought. He maneuvered himself closer to the two for better scrutiny of their conversation. At such a close range, Enishi absently noted that, had he not known better that women hated dirt in any form, it would appear as though the mystery guest had been immersing herself in a mud bath.
As soon as the pile of filth was within arms length of the lady of the house, she threw herself giddily at the woman. Had any of the people within the room been unsurprised when Kaoru not only didn't push the woman away, but drew her closer into a warm and welcoming hug, they surely would have found it unbelievable that Kenshin complacently watched from the sidelines while his beloved was thus set upon by an unknown stranger. The other women in the room had screamed, sure that it was some dismissed maid back for revenge on the woman. Once the mistake had been cleared, however, they could little bear the triumph so plainly visible on the insolent chit's face. Thus, they demanded to be taken home, and the men, bound by their honor, had no choice but to obey, though little disposed to exit the scene without finding out the details of such an acquaintance with such an appearance.
As Kaoru and Kenshin left the stranger to go take leave of the guests, Enishi watched the girl step back into the hall. Surprised, he found her standing beside a massive pile of luggage and parcels, equally covered in dirt as she was, obviously hers. So she wasn't a vagabond. Further scrutinizing her fluid movements, he finally took in the proper kimono under all that filth. If his eyesight served him right, it was a rather expensive kimono at that. All these facts only heightened his curiosity as he stalked toward her.
Misao had sensed the intensity of scrutiny upon her from the minute she stepped back into the hallway. She need not turn to know that the man with potent jade eyes stood behind her. Exasperated at the rude directness of his gaze as if she were some specimen under glass to be examined, she twirled around, prepared to give him a piece of her mind.
She was caught off guard when he snatched her encrusted hand and brought her soiled appendage to his lips.
Enishi inwardly smirked at the simpleton. She was just like the rest...but she had afforded him entertainment, so he would reward her with his services.
"Allow me to assist you madam."
Startled, Misao made the mistake of responding.
"Who are you?"
Enishi nearly rolled his eyes in impatience. Even this girl observed social etiquette. He had hoped otherwise.
"But of course, how could I have been so rude. I am Yukishiro Enishi. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss..."
Her amazement at his previous actions quickly faded and gave way as her annoyance flooded back full force. The gallantry and self-assurance with which he approached her and introduced himself immediately reminded her of a certain black haired oaf who had likewise ingratiated himself to her through such underhanded ways.
Enishi observed the change of her countenance with bafflement. He had said nothing offensive.
"Will you not tell me your name, little one?"
THAT did it. Misao hated to be reminded of her short stature. Why did everyone get a kick out of mocking her? It wasn't as if she CHOSE to be short. Who did this guy think he was? She let him know exactly what she thought about him.
"Who do you think you are? It is improper for you to approach a young lady in such a manner. Have you no knowledge of etiquette; it's quite rude, really. I refuse to acknowledge any such means to ensnare me with your trap. Furthermore, I believe that the party has broken up so all guests, including you, should be leaving. And, most importantly, DO NOT CALL ME LITTLE! Just because not all people can be overgrown weeds like yourself, does not mean it is necessary to mock those less fortunate than you."
Now, Misao knew she sounded much too prim and proper, acting completely out of character, but it had been a long, strenuous trip and left her raw and ready to snap at the first person to aggravate her. Fortunately, it happened to be the pompous man before her.
Enishi was confounded. He had merely attempted to soften her with the endearment, not bring on a bout of rage directed at him. Besides, why was she so angry? He was simply trying to help. Only pure intentions...for now. Yet, even as he considered backing off from the unstable female, he found himself impossibly drawn in by her infuriated expression, taking another step toward the girl.
This provoked a growl from the mud-caked woman.
Enishi did a double take. Had she really just _growled_?
"What will it take for you to get the point? I am NOT interested, and LEAVE me ALONE!"
Enishi grinned. He was amused. She was certainly feisty and confident. No woman had ever rejected him before he even offered. Then his grin turned into a smirk.
Misao's face was a mix of nervousness and provocation. Why would Kaoru befriend such an infuriating man, and for that matter, why did this _Yukishiro Enishi_ have that sly smile on his face, as if he was a cat that had just caught the canary?
"Give me your name and I shall leave you be." Silently, he added 'until tomorrow.' The girl was in for an enormous surprise when she would soon learn of his residence within this very house.
"What?!" Indignant. Offended.
Enishi took another step forward.
The girl gulped. So she was affected by his presence. She was nervous. He could practically see the sweat breaking out upon her brow.
"Makimachi." Grudgingly given.
"Makimachi what?"
Enishi watched her left cheek twitch in irritation. He was quite enjoying himself.
"Makimachi Misao." That gritted out, she glared at him expectantly. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"I gave my name. Now go away." A dismissal.
This was a day of firsts for Enishi. He had never been dismissed from the presence of a female before.
"I said I would leave you be, not that I would leave."
Enishi watched amusedly while Misao, as predicted, nearly exploded with rage.
"FINE! Then, I'll leave!" With that stated, Misao promptly picked up two of her smaller pieces of luggage, opting to leave the servants to bring up the rest as she beat a hasty retreat. Never one to leave things be, she had to have the last word. Turning around at the foot of the stairs to lock eyes with her tormentor in a silent duel, she gave one last, emphatic "HMPH!" before fleeing up to the second floor and disappearing around the bend.
A challenge had been issued. Yukishiro Enishi never backed down from a challenge. Perhaps the next few weeks would not be as dreadfully boring as he thought. He would certainly not lack for entertainment with this new spitfire around. She would divert him sufficiently until his plan was ready and could be set into motion. He turned with the intention of returning to the now empty ballroom only to freeze.
Two golden orbs of molten fire bore into his own pair of wary emerald.
Abruptly, lids obscured gold before opening to reveal the normally gentle violet irises before Kenshin strode away.
It was the same look they shared when their annual competition for young girls' hearts was issued...the same, yet different.
Interesting. It seemed Kenshin had not reformed as much as his fiance would like to believe. Yet, that did not seem right. There was some nuance contained in that brief look telling Enishi that it was not the same as every other time. Nevertheless, perhaps this new woman, this Misao, would play a bigger role in his ultimate feat over Kenshin.
With that thought, Enishi sauntered after his cousin to the empty ballroom.
Very interesting.
~*~ end scene two: the meeting ~*~
a/n: Now that that's all out of the way...I really enjoyed writing this chapter. What can I say? I'm a sadist who loves messing with my poor characters' minds! Hiak hiak hiak hiak hiak *evil cackling echoes all around* ;op. Just hope that y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Although, for those of you who've read my Inuyasha fic, I feel that the interaction is eerily similar. I did have a lot of trouble pinning down Enishi's character. Hopefully, as the story progresses, their personalities will take on more life.
Also, thank you to all my lovely reviewers for their comments and critiques:
bee - I feel so honored that THE bee was my first reviewer!
Firuze Khanume - Hopefully, this chapter was long enough to satisfy you ;op
dynast - hehe. Thanks! I wish I could have found a way to blend the info more fluently, but I figured I should just get all that stuff out of the way so I could concentrate on the more pressing, current events.
Karasu - Gah! All these compliments are going straight to my head! LOL but that's ok; who am I to complain!
Devil - Arigato~~~
chitchat - koala-chan feels her head expanding at dramatic rates...about the Kenshin and Enishi relationship: yes, they are cousins. I know it sorta makes it gross that he was seducing Tomoe, but back then, interfamily marriages were common, so.
amy - thanks! Sorry for the long wait, hope it was worth it.
Keito-chan - How could I possibly ever hate my ever loyal and constant reviewer?! Besides, I totally understand that it was rather bland and uneventful in the beginning. Hope that's not the case now. I feel so honored that you put me on your favorites! Always feel free to make honest critiques on my work, that's my only source of feedback and it really helps to hear what works or doesn't work, what you liked or didn't like. So, please keep it coming! _
smurtle - My very own personal editor! Thank you for helping pick out my grammar errors; those things always bug me, but it's very hard to catch all of them. ^_^
I know that I had stated that Enishi's plan would be in this chapter...but, then I realized that it would be better to devote a whole chapter to the formulation of said plan. So, you know the drill. Please let me know how I'm doing, and keep on the lookout for:
Scene Three: The Plan
Muahahahahahahahahahaha~ ok...maybe a little too overly dramatic. ;op.
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own them. Sigh. But we can all dream. ^_~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Scenarios
.::. Scene Two: The Meeting .::.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rain continued to pour down in true winter fashion as the carriage finally drew up to its destination. Restless from sitting in the coach for almost a week, Misao flew out with a sprightly jump before the carriage had even completely halted. Unfortunately, she forgot three very important details:
1. Her mother had insisted she dress like a presentable lady rather than the "rags that scarcely covered more than a loin cloth. Really, so barbaric." This particularly shrill comment elicited a roll of the eyes from yours truly.
2. after sitting still for over seven hours, since breakfast, her limbs were stiff from disuse, weary from the fatigue of travel, and weak from lack of nourishment.
3. Rain tended to change the normally hard, compact dirt road to a consistency little better than her afore mentioned early morning breakfast which consisted of oatmeal - slippery and thickly wet.
All these forgotten factors contributed to the chaotic events that followed. Upon landing from her ill-judged spring, her foot, unaccustomed to such lengths, caught on the hem of her skirt, legs unused to the additional weight of the many layers of cloth required of a kimono wobbled beneath her, causing her tiny feet to slip and slide in the muddy slush that vaguely resembled the walkway. Add in the amount of bulk she held within her arms and the end result: Misao's ankle caved. She went down in a flurry of silk, luggage, and gift-bearing parcels.
The servants that had witnessed the event seemed torn whether to laugh, pity, or assist the unhappy soul. Fortunately, said soul relieved the tension as she sat immersed in muck, guffawing to her hearts' content. The servants questioned her sanity. But her tinkling laughter proved contagious as they allowed the hilarity of the scene to sink into them, causing everyone at the site of the scene to squirm with laughter. It was this scene that greeted one Hiko Seijuro as he appeared at the door to seek out the disturbance. He found his daughter's precious weasel of a friend at the epicenter of the laughter, rolling around in the mud as if she had never had so much fun in her life. No matter how entertaining he found it to watch a young lady frolicking in the rain and sludge, he knew his daughter would have his head should she become ill. Stepping further into the open, he stood at the top of the steps as he called down to her.
"I realize my mistake now. You are correct. You are not an itachi; you are a pig."
All laughter ceased as soon as the booming voice reached their ears.
It would never cease to amaze him how volatile she was...chortling to her heart's content one moment, glaring with the promise of death and vengeance the next. At least he would not lack for entertainment in the coming weeks. Before she reached the point of no return, Hiko quickly, and wisely, interceded.
"Well, we better get you out of those wet things; wouldn't want to have to deal with your uncle's temper if his little itachi got sick."
"That smoking human chimney of a scumbag is here? Why didn't you say so earlier? Kaoru should have mentioned it in the invitation. I wouldn't have come."
The pleasure shining within her sapphire depths belied how little suited her words reflected her heart. Unfortunately, he had not meant to mislead her.
"Don't worry. He's not here yet. He arrives next week. Now, get."
"Oh."
Disappointment abounded in that one statement.
"Good. That means I'll only have to deal with one of you old fogies until I'm settled."
Well, she sure bounced back quickly; he expected as much. He watched as she quickly bent down to collect her impossibly dirtied parcels before springing for the house within a minute, hiking up her kimono to about mid- thigh to allow better movement, cackling all the way.
Hiko sighed and shook his head. His eyes narrowed as her back disappeared within the manor. Did she really think she could fool him with that carefree act? He had practically seen her grow alongside his daughter. Hell, she was like the younger daughter he never wanted. As if he couldn't detect the hurt and pain hidden so superficially by her easy humor. He would have to investigate this matter further.
As Misao entered the airy manor, she dropped her mask. Yet, she could not help but feel a gentle lightening of her problems as the prospect of seeing Kaoru, one of her few kindred spirits in this world, undeniably pleased her to no ends. She felt the strain in her smile disappear as it turned into a genuine, full-fledged grin. As murmurs of scorn and disapproval echoed through the dark corridors, Misao merely widened her grin all the more and held her head higher whilst ignoring the dirty looks, pun intended, directed her way. Sadly, this action prevented her from the ability to avoid committing her second big mistake in less than ten minutes. She strode to the drawing room from which she heard music floating out, assuming her friend was at play, and forcefully shoved the door aside. By the time she realized her mistake it was too late. Even as she scrambled to stop the swinging door, a resounding slam of sturdy wood against solid wall brought everything to a halt. Dancers froze, violins screeched, women started, men stiffened. Then, as one, all eyes turned and zeroed in upon the disturbance.
For one solitary moment in time, not even crickets were heard. Everything was muted by surprise.
Then, pandemonium ensued.
The ladies of the party scrambled to exit the room from another doorway and to secure the men as their protectors. Ever ready to be of assistance, the men gallantly bestowed their attention and affected protection upon the ladies. Affected because there was no real danger and had there been any true danger, three fourths of the dandies would have clambered over the ladies to exit whilst the other fourth sat incapacitated and witless as to how to resolve the problem. As the situation stood, they saw a diminutive vagabond at the entrance and frightened ladies, ripe for the taking, calling for assistance. Obviously, they secured their 'protective posts' all the while enchanted by the delicacy of the female disposition.
Enishi observed it all unmoved from his seat at a corner table. The twit that had approached him earlier, though comely, had been unable to carry even the blandest of conversations to success, too nervous to stammer out comprehensible sentences, growing even more anxious and frantic if Enishi attempted to ease her tension. Really. All the pretty ones had cobwebs for brains and all the witty ones had warts and pockmarks for faces. Needless to say, after the two most dreadfully dull dances of his life, he disposed of the nuisance and sat down to partake of the food in an attempt to avoid another such insipid encounter. Sitting at his table with tea, he had been in the process of surveying the room when the disturbance occurred. Just as his eyes swept past the entrance, the door suddenly swung open. The split second before it collided with the wall presented to him a young woman desperately trying to catch the knob and close the door.
Didn't work.
At first, the woman-child seemed contrite and ready to apologize for the intrusion, but as the disorder, fright, and contempt infiltrated the room's occupants rapidly at the sight of her, she seemed to gain confidence with every snide remark, every shrill scream and dead faint, no longer sorry for her actions.
Enishi was intrigued.
At the moment, the dirty little vagabond was crossing the ballroom, emanating poise even as each squishy step shamelessly left behind a tiny, partial footprint of grime. Surprisingly, she made a beeline straight for Kenshin's perfect little fiance. This unanticipated turn of events had Enishi conjecturing as to the nature of Kaoru's acquaintance with the lowly traveler. Perhaps Kenshin's perfect little lady wasn't quite as proper as he had thought. He maneuvered himself closer to the two for better scrutiny of their conversation. At such a close range, Enishi absently noted that, had he not known better that women hated dirt in any form, it would appear as though the mystery guest had been immersing herself in a mud bath.
As soon as the pile of filth was within arms length of the lady of the house, she threw herself giddily at the woman. Had any of the people within the room been unsurprised when Kaoru not only didn't push the woman away, but drew her closer into a warm and welcoming hug, they surely would have found it unbelievable that Kenshin complacently watched from the sidelines while his beloved was thus set upon by an unknown stranger. The other women in the room had screamed, sure that it was some dismissed maid back for revenge on the woman. Once the mistake had been cleared, however, they could little bear the triumph so plainly visible on the insolent chit's face. Thus, they demanded to be taken home, and the men, bound by their honor, had no choice but to obey, though little disposed to exit the scene without finding out the details of such an acquaintance with such an appearance.
As Kaoru and Kenshin left the stranger to go take leave of the guests, Enishi watched the girl step back into the hall. Surprised, he found her standing beside a massive pile of luggage and parcels, equally covered in dirt as she was, obviously hers. So she wasn't a vagabond. Further scrutinizing her fluid movements, he finally took in the proper kimono under all that filth. If his eyesight served him right, it was a rather expensive kimono at that. All these facts only heightened his curiosity as he stalked toward her.
Misao had sensed the intensity of scrutiny upon her from the minute she stepped back into the hallway. She need not turn to know that the man with potent jade eyes stood behind her. Exasperated at the rude directness of his gaze as if she were some specimen under glass to be examined, she twirled around, prepared to give him a piece of her mind.
She was caught off guard when he snatched her encrusted hand and brought her soiled appendage to his lips.
Enishi inwardly smirked at the simpleton. She was just like the rest...but she had afforded him entertainment, so he would reward her with his services.
"Allow me to assist you madam."
Startled, Misao made the mistake of responding.
"Who are you?"
Enishi nearly rolled his eyes in impatience. Even this girl observed social etiquette. He had hoped otherwise.
"But of course, how could I have been so rude. I am Yukishiro Enishi. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss..."
Her amazement at his previous actions quickly faded and gave way as her annoyance flooded back full force. The gallantry and self-assurance with which he approached her and introduced himself immediately reminded her of a certain black haired oaf who had likewise ingratiated himself to her through such underhanded ways.
Enishi observed the change of her countenance with bafflement. He had said nothing offensive.
"Will you not tell me your name, little one?"
THAT did it. Misao hated to be reminded of her short stature. Why did everyone get a kick out of mocking her? It wasn't as if she CHOSE to be short. Who did this guy think he was? She let him know exactly what she thought about him.
"Who do you think you are? It is improper for you to approach a young lady in such a manner. Have you no knowledge of etiquette; it's quite rude, really. I refuse to acknowledge any such means to ensnare me with your trap. Furthermore, I believe that the party has broken up so all guests, including you, should be leaving. And, most importantly, DO NOT CALL ME LITTLE! Just because not all people can be overgrown weeds like yourself, does not mean it is necessary to mock those less fortunate than you."
Now, Misao knew she sounded much too prim and proper, acting completely out of character, but it had been a long, strenuous trip and left her raw and ready to snap at the first person to aggravate her. Fortunately, it happened to be the pompous man before her.
Enishi was confounded. He had merely attempted to soften her with the endearment, not bring on a bout of rage directed at him. Besides, why was she so angry? He was simply trying to help. Only pure intentions...for now. Yet, even as he considered backing off from the unstable female, he found himself impossibly drawn in by her infuriated expression, taking another step toward the girl.
This provoked a growl from the mud-caked woman.
Enishi did a double take. Had she really just _growled_?
"What will it take for you to get the point? I am NOT interested, and LEAVE me ALONE!"
Enishi grinned. He was amused. She was certainly feisty and confident. No woman had ever rejected him before he even offered. Then his grin turned into a smirk.
Misao's face was a mix of nervousness and provocation. Why would Kaoru befriend such an infuriating man, and for that matter, why did this _Yukishiro Enishi_ have that sly smile on his face, as if he was a cat that had just caught the canary?
"Give me your name and I shall leave you be." Silently, he added 'until tomorrow.' The girl was in for an enormous surprise when she would soon learn of his residence within this very house.
"What?!" Indignant. Offended.
Enishi took another step forward.
The girl gulped. So she was affected by his presence. She was nervous. He could practically see the sweat breaking out upon her brow.
"Makimachi." Grudgingly given.
"Makimachi what?"
Enishi watched her left cheek twitch in irritation. He was quite enjoying himself.
"Makimachi Misao." That gritted out, she glared at him expectantly. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"I gave my name. Now go away." A dismissal.
This was a day of firsts for Enishi. He had never been dismissed from the presence of a female before.
"I said I would leave you be, not that I would leave."
Enishi watched amusedly while Misao, as predicted, nearly exploded with rage.
"FINE! Then, I'll leave!" With that stated, Misao promptly picked up two of her smaller pieces of luggage, opting to leave the servants to bring up the rest as she beat a hasty retreat. Never one to leave things be, she had to have the last word. Turning around at the foot of the stairs to lock eyes with her tormentor in a silent duel, she gave one last, emphatic "HMPH!" before fleeing up to the second floor and disappearing around the bend.
A challenge had been issued. Yukishiro Enishi never backed down from a challenge. Perhaps the next few weeks would not be as dreadfully boring as he thought. He would certainly not lack for entertainment with this new spitfire around. She would divert him sufficiently until his plan was ready and could be set into motion. He turned with the intention of returning to the now empty ballroom only to freeze.
Two golden orbs of molten fire bore into his own pair of wary emerald.
Abruptly, lids obscured gold before opening to reveal the normally gentle violet irises before Kenshin strode away.
It was the same look they shared when their annual competition for young girls' hearts was issued...the same, yet different.
Interesting. It seemed Kenshin had not reformed as much as his fiance would like to believe. Yet, that did not seem right. There was some nuance contained in that brief look telling Enishi that it was not the same as every other time. Nevertheless, perhaps this new woman, this Misao, would play a bigger role in his ultimate feat over Kenshin.
With that thought, Enishi sauntered after his cousin to the empty ballroom.
Very interesting.
~*~ end scene two: the meeting ~*~
a/n: Now that that's all out of the way...I really enjoyed writing this chapter. What can I say? I'm a sadist who loves messing with my poor characters' minds! Hiak hiak hiak hiak hiak *evil cackling echoes all around* ;op. Just hope that y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Although, for those of you who've read my Inuyasha fic, I feel that the interaction is eerily similar. I did have a lot of trouble pinning down Enishi's character. Hopefully, as the story progresses, their personalities will take on more life.
Also, thank you to all my lovely reviewers for their comments and critiques:
bee - I feel so honored that THE bee was my first reviewer!
Firuze Khanume - Hopefully, this chapter was long enough to satisfy you ;op
dynast - hehe. Thanks! I wish I could have found a way to blend the info more fluently, but I figured I should just get all that stuff out of the way so I could concentrate on the more pressing, current events.
Karasu - Gah! All these compliments are going straight to my head! LOL but that's ok; who am I to complain!
Devil - Arigato~~~
chitchat - koala-chan feels her head expanding at dramatic rates...about the Kenshin and Enishi relationship: yes, they are cousins. I know it sorta makes it gross that he was seducing Tomoe, but back then, interfamily marriages were common, so.
amy - thanks! Sorry for the long wait, hope it was worth it.
Keito-chan - How could I possibly ever hate my ever loyal and constant reviewer?! Besides, I totally understand that it was rather bland and uneventful in the beginning. Hope that's not the case now. I feel so honored that you put me on your favorites! Always feel free to make honest critiques on my work, that's my only source of feedback and it really helps to hear what works or doesn't work, what you liked or didn't like. So, please keep it coming! _
smurtle - My very own personal editor! Thank you for helping pick out my grammar errors; those things always bug me, but it's very hard to catch all of them. ^_^
I know that I had stated that Enishi's plan would be in this chapter...but, then I realized that it would be better to devote a whole chapter to the formulation of said plan. So, you know the drill. Please let me know how I'm doing, and keep on the lookout for:
Scene Three: The Plan
Muahahahahahahahahahaha~ ok...maybe a little too overly dramatic. ;op.
