Hero For Hire
cap'n coree
Chapter Six: Jealousy Sweeps The Streets
"I can't walk anymore." Fuu whinned.
"You want to eat, don't-cha?" Mugen taunted over his shoulder. Of course she wanted to eat, they hadn't eaten all day. The only game Raharu had found that day had been a rather fat squirrel, and Fuu had thrown herself infront of it before Raharu could even knock an arrow, crying and pleading for it's life. Of course, Fuu was hungry. But that squirrel could be related to Momo. And Fuu would not eat a squirrel. Oh no. Squirrel's are just too cute and cuddly. She wanted to get to the next village but she couldn't walk anymore. That was it. She just couldn't do it. And she told Mugen so.
"Well if you hadn't stopped Raharu from-" Mugen turned around, Fuu was swaying back and forth on her feet, her mouth moving, but now the words were just non-sense. Suddenly she teetered too far backwards and fell towards the ground. Raharu had barely made it to Fuu's side and got her arms around her waist before she went plumeting for the ground. Her limp form hung over Raharu's arm, almost like a napkin would drape from a waiters, and Raharu was having a hard time keeping her up.
"CAN YOU TWO HELP ME?" She shouted, Fuu swaying like a branch in the wind as Raharu shifted her weight this way and that. Jin quickly made his way over to them, and lifted Fuu out of Raharu's arms.
"We should hurry to the next village." Jin said, turning around, "Fuu needs food, and rest." For the next hour, while dusk set, they made their way through the woods. When night did fall, Raharu was depending on Jin and Mugen's sense of direction. She hung onto the hem of Fuu's kimono to guide herself, but eventually they saw the lamps of the next town burning through the trees, and it was gradually easier to find ones way.Once in town they entered the first teahouse they could find, Fuu still dangling from Jin's arms. It must have looked odd, but the waitress was kind.
"Traveling?" she asked, gesturing to Fuu.
"Hmm." Jin "replied" and nodded.
"It is hard on a girl,I suppose. Poor thing." She looked at Raharu. For a split it looked like something had passed between them. They had both looked for something in one another, and finding it, instantly grew more outgoing with one another. "But you seem to be doing just fine." She motioned to Raharu, smilling. The bait was set.
"I suppose I'm just not like other girls," Raharu said, running her hand through her hair. The waitress looked at Raharu again, as if to confirm her notion, and bowed.
"I am Yuki."
"Raharu. This is Jin, Mugen, and that there, is Fuu."
"Fuu must be very lucky to have such strong, caring companions." Yuki was addressing all three, but her eyes were fixed on Raharu. By this time Mugen had his own notion just what was going on here. He briefly wondered if there was an underground society of lesbians, and if they had code words so one might know the other. He briefly imagined Raharu trying to intiate Fuu into the society, and Fuu going along with it because she knew no better. "What kind of game is this, Raharu?" "A fun one, now just let me undo your kimono and kiss you on the mouth infront of all these robed strangers. I promise it's just a really fun fun game." Mugen would have never guessed Yuki was one had it not been for the meaningful looks they were shooting one another. Had there been arrows attached to those looks, Raharu and Yuki would have gone through two quivers each already.Yuki just didn't look like a dyke. Not at all like Raharu. She was short, with a charming figure. She was dressed in a guady red kimono, wore lipstick to match, and had long black hair that hung to her waist. She was the kind of girl Mugen was use to. Yuki lead them to their table and took their orders. Mugen ordered for Fuu.
When the food came, Yuki lingered longer then usual for a waitress, even in a trashy, empty teahouse. Mugen tried to send her away with dirty looks and some disgruntled growling here and there, but she didn't even look his way. "Atleast I'll have Fuu to myself" Mugen thought, not even thinking that A) Fuu was unconscious... B) Jin was still there. Mugen poked Jin in the shoulder.
"Give 'er to me, I think I know how to wake her up." Mugen said, and Jin handed her over. He was glad to be rid of her. He was growing tired of the odd looks that he was getting. Mugen heaved the slumbering girl into his own lap and adjusted her until her head rested against his chest. Picking up a rice ball, he waved it under her nose before placing it in her mouth. Like clock work, Fuu's eye's popped open and her teeth began to gnash and crash the rice ball.
"Mmnn, Mugen where are we?" Fuu asked, still a little woozy, while licking crumbs off her lips.
"A teahouse, you passed out." Fuu went to sit up, but Mugen's arm was restraining her. "You're not ready to get up."
"I am too!" Fuu said, trying to sit up once more, but Mugen's hand forced her down onto her lap again.
"ARE NOT! Not just lay there for a few seconds."
"Don't tell me what to do, you jerk! I know what I can and can't do!"
"Nu'uh! Now will you just LET ME FEED YOU SOME FUCKING RICE BALLS AND CALM THE FUCK DOWN BEFORE YOU PASS OUT AGAIN?" Now, all eyes were directed at Fuu and Mugen, including Raharu's and Yuki's.Raharu looked like she might have said something, but Yuki placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You have some very..uh..entertaining friends?"
"Hm." Raharu grumbled. Yuki sat down next to her.
"I'm getting off duty soon, would you like to maybe come out for drinks with me?" Raharu looked over to Fuu, who was now being (force) fed rice balls by Mugen, who muttered curses every time Fuu coughed, spraying him with crumbs. Despite the constant stream of cuss words spewing from his mouth, Mugen was obviously enjoying himself. After all, he wouldn't let Fuu up to feed herself, and Fuu, although she tried to sit up every once in awhile, was enjoying the extra attention she was getting. All of this was as obvious to Raharu as the lustful look in Yuki's eyes, and it hurt to see the two so cozy. Raharu turned away from them, and nodded, Yuki stood up.
"I'll be back for you when I am through. Wait for me?" Raharu nodded again.
"Listen Fuu, I've been thinking." Mugen whispered between shoving Fuu's mouth full of food like a crazed mother bird. "We kinda have this thing, ya know? You get kidnapped, I save your sorry ass from danger, so on and so forth.." Fuu was too busy chewing to really understand. "Well I was thinking Fish Face is probablly gonna split after we find this, this guy, if we ever do. And Raharu? Raharu's way to flaky to stick around, and you wouldn't want her to? Am I right?" Fuu wasn't even watching Mugen now, but bending her neck to watch.. "So I was thinking what if I stuck-"
"Wheffes Raharu goffing?" Fuu mumbled through a mouthful of food.
"Huh?" That was not the awnser Mugen was expecting to his almost finished proposal- er...deal. Proposal sounded too..too close to proposal in Mugen's mind.The bended knee-ring-white dress kinda thing. Mugen briefly entertained that idea in his mind before shuddering violently.
"Where is she going?" Fuu said pointing towards Raharu as she stood and exited the teahouse with Yuki.
"I dunno, out with her dyke friend to have a dyke parade."
"The waitress, a dyke? I mean its one thing to say it about Raharu, I'll admit she's a little boyish- but that waitress looked like the kind of girl you would chase after."
"I don't chase after girls whose mouths taste like rotten sushi." The inuendo was lost on Fuu, and for a moment she was puzzled before leaping to her feet. Before Mugen could react she was hustling towards the door.
Fuu poked her head out and looked this way and that for Raharu. A few yards away, she spotted her friend walking arm and arm with the petite waitress from the teahouse. Fuu blanched, but passed it off as another one of Raharu's odd little quirks. She was rather outgoing, after all. The two were laughing, and talking, like Raharu usually laughed with Fuu. It pained Fuu to see Raharu acting so- friendly, with someone else. Usually Raharu only laughed like that with Fuu. She turned around, back into the tea house, to find Jin standing behind her.
"Did she say when she was coming back?"
"Hnn." Jin replied, shaking his head. Fuu frowned. Raharu had never taken off on her like that. It was like she was, was..MUGEN! Fuu huffed, and stormed out of the teahouse. Walking in the opposite direction of Raharu and her, her...NEW friend! It took Fuu a few minutes to realize that she had no idea where she was going. They hadn't even rented hotel rooms yet! So, with no place to go, Fuu slumped down infront of a tree and pouted.
It didn't take Jin and Mugen long to find her. Her pink kimono was a dead give away against the otherwise black horizon.(She would alternate between the yellow and pink, but she still seemed to favor her old one. When Mugen had asked, concealing his interest in a vicious comment, she told him that she was afraid to get the yellow one dirty or torn. "After all Mugen, its special. You bought it for me on our first date!" she joked lightly.Mugen had snarled about never going on a date with a girl as whinny or flat-chested as Fuu but went away rather pleased, and over all in a better mood. That night he pulled Fuu's hair a total of 8 times and tripped her 6.) She looked up at them as they approached, and both tried to search for some sort of magic word to make her feel better, but were both relived when she shook her head for them to be quite, and stood to walk with them.
When they got to nearest hotel, and rented their room, Fuu was restless. She paced back and forth across the floor, looking every now and then out the window for a sign of Raharu.
"Don't worry," Mugen muttered, "you're girlfriend will be back."
"MUGEN-" Fuu hollared, but found she couldn't expend any energy scolding him that could go to pacing and fretting. "She doesn't even know what hotel were in."
"She'll come back." Jin said.
"How do you know?"Fuu snapped. Jin merely motioned to a ball of fuzz laying in the corner. It was Beau. Fuu blanched. She hadn't noticed the dog there- to be honest she hardly ever noticed it, even though it had taken to following her every now and again. (At night Fuu worried for Momo's saftety and was always partially relieved when an innkeep wouldn't let the dog bunk with them.)
"Oh." Fuu stopped pacing for a moment, and fell back onto her matress. "Well.. I guess.. I'll go to sleep then.." Fuu closed her eyes, tossed this way, tossed that way and sat up momentarially to dig Momo out of her kimono. She looked at the dog, then looked at Momo.
"Momo, go sleep in a tree." she whispered to the squirrel. Mugen had made fun of her several times before for talking to Momo. Momo, however, understood and did as Fuu said, glancing cautiously at the dog. Mugen watched, and held his tounge. There was no need to make fun of her tonight. It'd just cause more noise. He was already so worn out..
The moment Mugen's head hit the pillow he fell asleep and dreamed Fuu was a squirrel, and no matter how many faces she made it couldn't keep a large pit-bull (,who Mugen suspected was Raharu), at bay. The pit bull was slobbering on Fuu, coating her fluffy glossy hair with slobber. Then the pit-bull had two heads-no three- did one have glasses? Was one cursing? Mugen woke up sweating and cursing and feeling oddly guilty..
Fuu was up at dawn, and searching the room frantically as if she suspected to find Raharu lurking anywhere in its four corners. After she searched the room, she dragged Mugen and Jin to the teahouse from the night before. They waited there for atleast an hour before the owner came out and asked them if they were looking for Yuki.
"Yes, do you know where she is?"
"She came by and told us she'd be seeing off a friend at the other end of town." the owner said. Fuu thanked him, and started speed walking in the other direction. Mugen snorted. Jin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. They followed, feeling rather out of place behind the fuming girl.
"Does she get this worked up when were missing?" Mugen asked, looking at Jin.
"Hm."
At the edge of town they found her, staring off into the horizion, determined not to look at them, or the girl besides her. There was a tense silence as they stood there. Several seconds passed.
"So this is it?" Yuki asked, looking up at Raharu, who was still staring in the other direction.
"Hmm" she replied, doing a very stunning impression of Jin. She turned and stepped towards their destination. Fuu, Jin and Mugen followed. Yuki shot Fuu a dirty look that bounced off the oblivious girl as if she were made of rubber. While they walked away the tense silence resumed, before Yuki shouted through cupped hands;
"Come back to me." Raharu stiffened slightly, "Come back to me, when you're done, when your tired, of chasing the elusive sunflowers." The refrence wasn't lost on Mugen, Jin, or Raharu. Only Fuu believed the girl was refering to the objective of their journey. Or her journey, it should be said. She had, perhaps, pegged the goal of the rest.
For a few days, Raharu and Fuu were on stiff terms. Raharu couldn't look Fuu in the eye. Fuu did her best not to acknowlage Raharu's presence. The pressure was killing Mugen. He wished they'd just get over it, so Fuu would stop being so grumpy. But then suddenly the clouds broke and Mugen heard them laughing when he was about to enter their hotel room.
"How come you always wear boy clothes?" Fuu asked. It was the first thing she said directly to Raharu since the night she vanished. It was the first time Fuu ever thought to ask, and she had merely done it because she was the only living thing in the room besides Momo, Beau and herself. And she was tired of talking to herself and Momo.
"It makes it easier to hunt and move quietly." Raharu replied dryly.
"Have you ever worn a kimono?"
"Not since my mother died." Fuu grunted. Raharu sighed.
"I'd like to see you wear one." Fuu said, "It'd be funny. Almost like seeing Mugen or Jin in one.." She smilled faintly. Raharu shiffted.
"I guess I could try one on," she mumbled, "to amuse you. You'd have to help me tie the obi though..." Fuu stood, Raharu stood.
"Okay, I'll turn around and you change into my spare kimono. Tell me when you need me to tie it." Fuu turned towards the wall and covered her eyes, which was silly, since they had bathed so many times before. After a few minutes of shuffling clothes, and grunts of frustration, Raharu told Fuu it was alright to look. Fuu turned around to see Raharu clutching the yellow kimono closed, while trying to hold the obi on as well. Fuu laughed slightly and started to tie it together, too busy too notice the deep flustered blush on Raharu's face, and how tight she clutched the kimono together.'Why am I acting so..girly?' Raharu pondered slightly. She was dizzy, having Fuu so close to tie her clothes on together. It reminded her of when her mother use to do it for her. Fuu reminded Raharu of her mother alot in some ways.
"There!" Fuu said, backing away to examine Raharu. A few seconds passed and Raharu shiffted uncomfterably.
"How do you move in these things? Or sit? Or sleep? Eek." Raharu laughed. Fuu laughed.
"It is like seeing Mugen in a kimono!" Fuu exclaimed, gasping for air.
The door slid open and Mugen's head popped in.
"What the- HEY ISN'T THAT THE KIMONO I GAVE YOU?"
"Yeah- so?"
"What is she doing wearing it?"
"Well.."
"You told me it was special!"
"It is?"
"Apparently not special enough!" Mugen huffed,slamming the door and retreating to the hall.
"Geez, whats his problem?"
"I don't know." Raharu said, beaming, "want to try on my clothes?" There was another wave of laughter as Mugen pouted in the hall.
"Hmph. Girls."
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A.N. OOOOph. Work is killer. Never get a fast food job. I work register, mornings mostly. WEEKEND mornings. I have to deal with crazed grandmas/pas and hobos all hungry for coffee. I spilled a whole pot today all over the counter and myself. I keep telling myself the paycheck will fix it, but... if it doesnt...well... ima quit. Im a big fat quitter. My loyalties are elsewhere. Like and sleeping in and Cap'n crunch filled afternoons. I can't even stay up saturday for my fav. couch time. But I'll never give up on this story. Fear not! Mc Donalds can coffee pot me to death, and I'll stand strong.
