A/N: As promised - B7. Enjoy and know that no brain cell was used to produce this piece of entertainment.
Warning: Pointlessness
Ba-basement
Bankotsu was a man of action. When he had a craving he acted.
This is why the leader of Band of Seven was walking down a corridor in the band's headquarters one sunny morning.
He had a craving.
He had an itch.
Only well-prepared pickles could silence the violent urge he felt. He felt he could burn the world if he didn't get what he wanted.
Luckily for the world Bankotsu had a jar of perfect pickles stored in the basement.
One could argue Bankotsu could send a servant to fetch his pickles and bring them to his room. But servants were usually cleaning the training yard all morning and calling one away from their important task just to bring a dusty jug felt like such a waste. Besides Bankotsu didn't trust anyone with his pickles.
Bankotsu smiled when he saw Suikotsu leaving the kitchen with a tray containing a big tea pot and a cup - it seemed his brother was going to spend the morning reading
"Where are you going, big brother?" asked Suikotsu politely.
"To the basement," Ban replied cheerfully and dove down to catch the falling tray before it hit the floor. Suikotsu shook visibly and took the tray from Bankotsu's hands.
"Ba-basement?" he whispered. "Are you sure you want to go there?"
"Of course!" Ban grinned. Suikotsu shrugged, regaining his composure.
"Good luck then," he said. Bankotsu gave a nod and resumed his walking.
He was a man on a mission. He passed Renkotsu's room and peeked in through the opened door - the room was neatly organized and empty, Ren was probably outside, testing his new invention. Ban didn't dwell on it for long, he had a jug to dig out after all.
Bankotsu found Ginkotsu and Mukotsu standing in front of the door covering the stair leading to the basement, both looking thoughtful.
"Hi, guys, what's up?"
"We want to get some stuff from the basement, big brother," explained Mukotsu. Bankotsu blinked.
"So? Why won;t you go to fetch that stuff?" he asked. Ginkotsu just grunted and shrugged, so Mukotsu elaborated on the explanation.
"Jakotsu said it's haunted." It was no secret those two were very superstitious.
"Haunted?" Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. "Jakotsu was probably joking."
"But we heard some howling and groaning from down there!" Mukotsu said. Bankotsu was about to answer when he heard a moan-like noise fro seemingly just behind the door. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Whatever it was...
...It was locked away with his pickles.
Not listening to his band mates Bankotsu kicked in the door and practically ran on the stairs, jumping two steps at one leap. He had to save his pickles!
The basement was lit with a single candle placed on a small table in the center. It was doing its best to illuminate rows of shelves and barrels. Bankotsu scanned the big room - he saw no ghosts and no youkai, only a lone man hanging by his wrists from he ceiling in a far corner. The man moaned when his haunted eyes locked with Bankotsu's.
The leader of the band sighed in relief and looked back at Mukotsu and Ginkotsu peering inside. It seemed Jakotsu was in a playful mood today.
"It's safe! Jakotsu just keeps his friend inside and probably didn't want us to scare him!" he called and walked to his pickle jug to treat himself.
The captured man followed with his eyes the man who had ran in the basement and now was leaving with a pickle jug in his arms. He moaned weakly and let his head hang freely when his desperate noise didn't cause the man to even look back at him.