Hero For Hire
Java the Hut
Cap'n Coree
Disclaimer; Own not the Samurai Champloo I do.
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Chapter 2: The Interviews.
It was approaching evening fast. Fuu was afraid that the interviews would carry on late into the night and then into the next day. Almost every applicant was unqualified, of questionable intentions, or was down right dishonest. Anyone that seemed suitable for the job Jin or Mugen found some sort of fault in them, or frightened them away in the 2nd half of the interview where they had to prove their abbillities with a sword. Akoto pointed out to Fuu that it was mostly young, handsome men they found the most fault with, especially Mugen. They were only half way through the pile when Fuu called the winning lot...
"Mokoto, Raharu?" Fuu called out, looking in the still swarming crowd for their next applicant.
"Raharu here!" someone called, and a young girl, only a few years older than Fuu pushed her way through the crowd. She looked like a boy at first glance, her dusty brown hair cut directly below the ear, unkempt. She was dressed in a small white shirt that exposed her mid-drift, and navy blue shorts. Over her shirt she wore a green coat, and two slings, one attached to a small sword and sheath, the other to a quiver with several arrows and a bow. Even her boobs, which were of an average size and bounced (she obviously wore no underwrappings, a fact that made Fuu blush a tad,) with every step, carried a masculine air.
"Dyke," Mugen whispered. Fuu didn't quite understand. Akoto scowled and shook his head.
"Hi, Raharu at your service." she said, approaching Fuu and sticking out her hand. Fuu took in gingerly, afraid it might bite. She waved to Akoto as she took her seat infront of the box, and Akoto waved back. A large grey and white dog weaved its way through the crowd and took a seat next to her. Fuu eyed it, alittle concerned. It looked more like a wolf than a dog to her, but it seemed tame.. Raharu stroked it, waiting for Fuu to start the interview.
"Eh..right.." Fuu cleared her throat, "I'm Fuu, I'm the one, eh...hiring.. I suppose. This is Mugen, and Jin." She motioned to both of them. "They are..my inital bodyguards.. So..Raharu, why do you want to be my bodyguard?" Fuu couldn't see why this girl would want to apply for the job of protecting someone, she looked like she wasn't much stronger than herself.
"Well I suppose I'm tired of this town." Raharu said, "Need a change."
"Do you think you're...qualified?"
"Well I'm not too good with the whole sword thing.. Suppose I can hold my own, though. I'm pretty good at hunting though, and I'm a really good marksmen."
"Any bad habits?"
"I'm told I snore."
"Like drinking?"
"Sake makes me ill."
"Brothels?"
"Pssh, excuse me?" Fuu just chuckled and shrugged.
"Would you consider yourself reliable or flaky?"
"You're making this too easy, who'd admit to being flaky? Trust me, I won't run off."
Fuu smilled, convinced. Maybe women were just more trustworthy, and it'd be nice to have someone she could talk to. She hadn't had many girlfriends when she was a child. She looked to Mugen and Jin.
"Any questions, you two? Comments?"
"I'd like to say," Akoto spoke up, "That I've known Raharu for a long time, since she was a child, and she has always been a very good friend."
"Pshh," Mugen growled,glaring at Raharu."Sexual prefrence?"
Raharu itched her nose and looked in the other direction, "Any real questions?" Fuu smacked Mugen in the back of the head, furious, then looked at Jin who shook his head.
"Well, now to the second part of the interview," Fuu said, "I'd like you to demonstrate your...fighting skills..by uh..fighting one of my other companions."
"Eh...well I said I'm not too good at sword fighting.." Raharu mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.
"It's ok, you don't have to win.."
"Okay I suppose. I'll take the scruffy one. He doesn't look too bad." Jin smirked. Mugen stood up.
"Pshhh, such a mistake. Fish Face would have taken it easy on you, you being a girl an' all." Mugen said, drawing his sword.
"Fish Face?" Raharu said, standing as well, "Do I get a code name if I get hired?" Jin 'hnn'd and Fuu sighed. Mugen lead Raharu away from the crowd to a small clearing.
"Okay, have at girlie. I'm giving you the first shot." Raharu looked to the sword in her hand, than at Mugen like a lost child. Fuu felt like she was sending a sheep to the slaughter. Raharu ran at Mugen, bringing her sword up as if it were a bat, and she was going to club Mugen in the head. Mugen stepped aside and tripped her, swinging the flat end of his sword to smack the sprawling girls bottom.
"Feh, pathetic." Mugen sighed. Raharu dragged herself to her feet, scowling. She rushed at Mugen again, swinging her sword madly. Mugen tripped her again, scratching her skin with the edge of his sword.
"She has no clue what she's doing" Jin said, "She wouldn't be able to protect you in an actual fight."
"But thats what I have you two for." Fuu said shrugging. No matter how many times Mugen knocked her down, Raharu kept getting back up. Towards the end of it she was pretty beat up. There were several cuts running up and down her arms, and bruises on her knees and elbows. Eventually, however, she landed a pretty decent hit, in between Mugen's legs
"Okay!" Fuu called, as Mugen fell to his knees, writhing. "I think thats enough."
"I didn't do very well, did I?" Raharu pouted as she jogged back.
"You did...well enough," Fuu said. Not many of the men had done better, and had simply given up when they realized they were no match. Raharu one the fight simply because Mugen was tired, and he hadn't expected it, but Fuu would give her an A for effort.
"I'm much better with the bow, if you'd like to see.."
Jin stood against an oak tree, an apple placed on his head. Several yards away Raharu stood next to Fuu, her bow in hand. She knocked an arrow and bit her tounge. Jin feared for his life, but noone could tell. In the clearing Mugen was still curled into a cursing heap. Seconds passed. Fuu watched Raharu's face. She wasn't moving. She didn't even appear to be thinking.
"Uh.." Fuu started, but was the whizz of the arrow springing from the bow cut her off. It zoomed straight towards Jin, and he had to resist the urge to duck. There was a resounding "thunk" and the apple cleaved in half. Jin slumped against the tree and sighed in relief.
"Oh...you did want me to hit the apple right?" Fuu laughed and clutched Raharu by the shoulders.
"I think I found my new bodyguard!" Fuu cried, and told the crowd to go home.
"REALLY?" Raharu cried, overjoyed, and hugged the younger girl, picking her up off the ground. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"Mmmffff" Fuu mumbled, being suffocated by the bulk of Raharu's chest.
"Dyke." spat Mugen, glaring in their direction.
"Hnn." Jin agreed.
That night the hotel was filled with the soft, sweet, but rather loud giggles of adolescent girls, as Raharu and Fuu talked late into the night, much to the distaste of Mugen and Jin who had gotten little sleep the night before.
"This sucks." Mugen spat. With Raharu there he hardly got the chance to tease Fuu. Fuu didn't even pay attention to him when he did! Mugen sat in the corner like a toddler whose favourite toy had been stolen. Jin, who longed for silence, wouldn't admit that Fuu's new friendship made him alittle jealous as well, and tried to focus on cleaning his swords, and then fixing his glasses over, and over, and over.
"OH GOSH! You're lying right!" Raharu laughed as Fuu recounted one of their many adventures where Mugen had gotten them in trouble.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GO TO BED!" Mugen screeched. Raharu's dog "Beau" rested it's head on Mugens leg, a let loose a long strand of drool.
"Psh, don't pay attention to Mugen. He's only happy if he's fighting, drinking, or getting laid."
"Boys" Raharu sighed.
"This. Fucking. Sucks." Mugen growled, pushing Beau's head off.
TBC
AN: Thanks DeathIsOnlyTheBeginin and midnight 1987 for the reviews. Makes me feel loved, and keeps me motivated. Promise to update soon, probablly with in the next few days, till then SLOPPY KISSES!
