Chapter Seven
"AGGHH! CRAP!" Revy snarled furiously. "I can still smell those little brats' shit! Shit and cry! Shit and cry! That's all they ever fucking do!" She screamed as she stormed in the door, tearing the 1,500 dollars out of her pocket and sticking 500 in an envelope in her drawer and labelling it Revy's money. Touch it and you die. Rock looked at Revy, shocked that she was actually saving money.
"Hey, Revy… How did your job go? You've been gone for a long time."
"That fucking bitch asked me to babysit her brats! I had to change diapers, feed the brats, set up their cribs… What am I? A mercenary or a housesitter?"
"Well… You made 1,500 dollars off your work. Why complain? Oh, are you saving your money?"
"Yeah, yeah! I put 500 dollars away in an envelope, and if you touch it, I'll fucking castrate you!" Revy snapped angrily.
"I have no interest in your money. I'm glad you're finally starting to think ahead." Rock said, wondering how long Revy would actually save for, or if she would just spend the money a week later. Regardless, it wasn't really his concern.
"So, how is Anita?" Rock asked. Revy growled.
"Fine… Unless she fucked up again and got her ass killed this time!"
"I doubt she'd be so foolish. She mentioned that all her pets were killed, and she was threatened with a chainsaw abortion. I'm fairly certain that she'll behave as it were. She seems to have a fairly strong sense of self-preservation, unlike someone I could mention. Speaking of which, I need to go out. I'll be back in a few hours probably."
"Hey! Where are you off to in such a damn hurry!?"
"I'm visiting Frederica. She should be off work by now." Rock said, shutting the door behind him and heading toward Frederica's apartment at a decent pace, despite his cast and crutches. Revy growled, still annoyed that Rock was going for another woman.
Revy didn't feel like trying to get revenge on Frederica, though. She probably couldn't beat her, anyway. She was fairly sure that Frederica could block all of her bullets, and if she got too close to Frederica, she would get torn up by Leatherface's chainsaw. She could fight a little bit with her fists, but for the most part, her gimmick was her guns.
"I come in moment, yes I do!" Came Shenhua's voice from inside. Moments later, she opened the door, revealing that she was in nothing but a towel.
"Oh… Um… You could've gotten dressed first. I've got nowhere to be." Rock said, blushing slightly.
"No, you too much prude, yes you are! Come in. You here see Sawyer?" Shenhua asked. Rock shook his head.
"Oh. Why you here then?"
"I want to talk to you." Rock said. Shenhua's eyes widened.
"I no sleep with you, no I don't!" Shenhua said, slapping Rock hard across the face.
"No, no." Rock said, laughing nervously, trying to smile. "I wanted to ask you to teach me to fight with knives. I'm already taking some lessons from Revy with guns."
"Oh, you want be fighter. I think you better as diplomat." Shenhua said, frowning. "Sawyer be back soon."
"Well, could you teach me to knife fight anyway? In the very likely event that my words won't be enough."
"Okay. I teach you, yes I do. You need be stronger. Come back when leg healed, and we begin lessons. Ah, Sawyer! You back already from shopping?"
"Yes. Hello, Rock. How are you? It's a nice day, I'm glad to see you out and walking. Are you here to see me, or on business?"
"I'm here to see Miss Shenhua. I asked her if she could teach me to fight with knives. I started training with Revy with guns a month or so ago, and… Well, I'm getting better. I still can only use a 9 mm, but my aim is better, anyway…" Rock said, laughing sheepishly.
Sawyer laughed as well, her laugh grating on Rock's ears.
"Oh, you no should ask Miss Twinky for anything. She no be much help, no she don't." Shenhua said in her slightly broken English.
"She's actually a decent teacher, Miss Shenhua. Harsh, but talented."
"But what you do when run out of bullets? Twinky no think that far ahead. When out of bullets, she run at enemy and punch. She good at punching, strong, fast, but no good at planning. You right come to me. I teach you all I know about knives.
"First, you stand still." Shenhua said, walking up to Rock and pacing around him, looking him over like a piece of meat, feeling his muscles. Finally, she grabbed his shoulders, and kneed him as hard as she could in the stomach, driving the wind violently from his lungs, causing him to collapse, gasping for breath.
"What… What the… *GASP!* Fuck was that for!?"
"Shut up, student! You no back sass me! You need do sit-ups and core strengthening exercise every night. I have instructions if need them. How far you can run?"
"Maybe a kilometer if I was pressed?"
"That no far enough. Need be in good physical shape. Fast, nimble. You none of those things.
"You scrawny businessman. That no good anymore. And you smoke."
"So, you want me to go running every day, do situps and stomach strengthening exercises at night… Oh, and I don't smoke anymore. I quit a little while ago. Too expensive a habit."
"And lift weights. That good for guns as well. Need strong arms to resist gun kick yes you do! I no start knife training until you leg completely healed. We understood?"
"Yes, Miss Shenhua… OUCH!"
"That Master Shenhua you!"
"Y-yes, Master Shenhua. Oh, and I quit smoking a few weeks ago. Didn't want to waste the money."
"That better, yes it is! Now you go home, start exercising! By time I see you next, you better be stronger, able resist my knee of death!"
"Yes, Master Shenhua."
"Good. Now get out!"
Rock nodded and headed out quickly before she decided to assault him again. Frederica laughed as Rock closed the door.
"You were having fun with that, weren't you?"
"Maybe just little bit." She said with an evil grin.
Frederica sighed. She honestly wished that Shenhua wouldn't act so belligerently towards Rock. But that was just who she was. As long as Frederica had known Shenhua, she had been prone to violence and threats of violence.
"So, Rock wants to learn to fight?" Frederica asked. Shenhua nodded.
"I don't know why. I liked him better as the peaceful individual that he was."
"I no blame him. His words get him far. He saved whole Roanapur from crazy maid bitch use words. But there those like Twinkie that no hear words, only hear weapons. He no need to become homicidal maniac just because he know how use weapons. What martial arts you think he know?"
"I'm… Not sure… I don't think he knows martial arts." Frederica said uncertainly.
"What you mean? Of course he know martial arts! He Japanese."
"I don't think it works that way, Shenhua. He's a businessman. He may have taken some martial arts when he was younger. But I have the feeling that he was always more cerebrally oriented than most citizens of Roanapur.
"I would suggest teaching him martial arts that take into account his less athletic orientation." She finished, trying to think of a martial art form that wouldn't require immense strength to utilize.
"Hmm… Capoeira… No, that no good with knives. Karate? That maybe work. What you suggest, Sawyer?"
"Mm… Silat, Tantojutsu, Shurikenjutsu… There are many knife and throwing weapon styles. But really, you should just teach him your styles, if any."
"Hmm… You right, Sawyer!" Shenhua said, snapping her fingers.
"Shenhua… Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Sawyer asked, looking uncommonly vulnerable at the moment. Shenhua smiled.
"Sure, you ask me anything you want, Sawyer… But not my measurements! They my secret."
"No, no… How do you keep yourself looking so beautiful?"
"What? This just way I look… A little makeup, some eyeliner… You beautiful! Come in bathroom with me!" Shenhua said, pulling Sawyer into the bathroom.
The Taiwanese woman parted Sawyer's hair, looking into her eyes.
"Mm… You have good lipstick on… Blue-grey eyes, yes… Black or blue eyeliner work well, yes it do… Brush hair… Find nice clothes."
"What's wrong with my clothes?" Sawyer asked, feeling terribly embarrassed that Shenhua was inspecting her like this.
"Nothing wrong. You dressed casually. There nothing wrong with that. You need formal dresses for dates, and fancy occasions, yes you do… Ahh… Yes, yes… There… A little powder… Cover up scar… You look perfect. Look in mirror." Shenhua said. Sawyer looked uncertainly in the mirror.
"I… I look amazing…"
"Yes, I kiss you right now if you no taken."
"Thank you, Shenhua… Maybe you could teach me how to apply makeup?"
"Of course… We need get you nail polish, yes we do. It no need be expensive. Just a good color for you. Blue or gray be good colors. Maybe purple, match clothes."
"Maybe… That could be fun…" Sawyer said. Shenhua nodded, looking at Sawyer's fingernails.
"First we need clean you nails. You have pretty hands, but no take care of nails. They ragged and dirty." Shenhua said, shoving Frederica onto a chair and taking out a nail scrubber, wetting it and rubbing soap on it cleaning Frederica's nails completely. When she was done with that, she dried them off and started filing them with a rough file first, moving down to a medium, then a fine file, admiring her work. Frederica had very tough nails. She could probably use them as weapons in themselves.
"Shenhua… How did you learn to do that? You're very good at this."
"Mother wanted me take after her and be beautician. I run away and become assassin… Still I keep nails clean, though. I never manage to shake that, no I didn't." Shenhua said. Frederica nodded.
"What colour nail polish you want?"
"Mm… Plum? There's some plum in my shirt."
"That work maybe… But I think blue, or black, colors of your eyes and hair. Shirts change. Hair and eyes no change. Here, I have some blue nail polish…" Shenhua said, taking out a bottle of it.
"I make it myself." Shenhua said, inspecting the nails and running them under hot water, wiping them off with soap as well.
"You nails need be clean on top and inside so nail polish adhere correctly, yes you do."
"Okay… I… Guess I'm not used to all this girly stuff."
"It no girly take good care of nails. Many men get manicures, too… My mother did many men's nails. Mostly businessmen, but regular men look better with nice nails too, they do."
"I see… Thank you, Shenhua… This is… Really nice of you."
"I teach you how make love as well, if you like…"
"No thank you. I appreciate the gesture, but I think Rock would take exception to that."
"Suit yourself…" Shenhua said, holding Frederica's fingers tightly, making a stroke on her thumb first, finishing each nail before moving onto the next one. Then, once they dried, she went back and did a second coat.
After the second coat, she put on some clear nail polish to make sure that it didn't chip as easily, then waited for it to dry. She then pushed Frederica in front of a mirror, inspecting her hair.
"When last time you get haircut. You no can do nothing with this mop on you head…" Shenhua said critically. Frederica blushed slightly.
"I'm usually in full slaughter suit. I don't really need to worry about my hair.
"I cut it maybe once a year at most, and I do that myself."
"I see… Get it cut every six to eight weeks at most." Shenhua said, shoving Sawyer's head in the sink and wetting her hair, combing out her hair, and making a snip here and there, finally telling Sawyer to look in the mirror again.
"I look completely different. Will Rock even recognize me?"
"You voice make you very recognizable. He no be able to miss you." Shenhua said bluntly. Sawyer nodded numbly.
"You're right. Rock said something about voice box replacement surgery. He said it's possible, but still in its infancy. Do you think he would like me better if I had a more pleasant voice?" Sawyer asked.
Shenhua laughed at this question.
"If he no can accept you for who you are, why you should change yourself for that kind of man… He no kind of man if he no can accept you as you are…"
"I know. But… I used to be really good at singing until my throat got cut."
"That good. Why you no ask Rock? He love you, really, he answer you honestly, yes he do."
"I'm… Embarrassed to ask. He'll think I'm insecure." Sawyer muttered, though her muttering was still clearly audible, given how mechanical it sounded.
"You don't need to be insecure, Sawyer… I apologize for interrupting you. The door was open. Sawyer, you're a beautiful young woman. You're talented, you have a steady job… Perhaps a slightly gruesome one, but a good job… Any man would be lucky to have you."
"You more gentleman than this town used to, Lotton." Shenhua said. Lotton sighed at this comment"I know. But, I won't change that aspect of myself. I didn't really come here because I was evil, but because I liked the relative freedom that this town offered."
"You too nice be killer. Consider different line of work, yes you should."
"I know. I need to find a decent job so I can start paying for my stay here."
"That would be nice, yes it would. But no hurry to change yourself. You could try be host at bordello down street."
"I don't think I would be well suited for that, either. I'm too clumsy. You look good, Miss Sawyer. Did you choose the makeup and polish yourself?"
"Thank you. No, I always wear lipstick, but Shenhua chose the eyeliner and nail polish. I was going to use plum colored polish to match my clothes. She suggested blue to match my eyes. I'm still not sure about this whole thing, but Shenhua cut my hair, too to clean me up."
"It looks good. Just because you're a cleaner doesn't mean that you can't dress up a bit."
"Shenhua is right. You really are too nice for this town.
"I always thought Rock was as well, but he at least became a little bit darker in his time here. You seem to be the same good-hearted, slightly clumsy man you were over a year ago when you first arrived here. I suggest you at least pick up some form of martial arts, or learn to shoot your Mauser a little better." Sawyer said critically. "Maybe take lessons along with Rock. I'm sure Revy or Mr. Chang would teach you if you paid them."
"Is Mr. Rock paying Revy for his lessons?"
"I'm not sure. I have not asked. It doesn't seem important. Surely you can pay whatever Revy would charge."
"Probably… Depending on how much she charges. She seems to be a greedy individual… I wouldn't be surprised if she charged through the nose for her tutoring."
"I wouldn't either. It's sad, but Revy is a lost cause. Rock tries to help her with introspection and caution, but she's much too far gone for that."
"Perhaps. It's still quite noble that he tries. I believe I will attempt to get her help. I would be no good with knives. Miss Shenhua's line of work would do me no good. Revy would be the better option."
