Moron. This guy was an absolute moron.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
"I'm sorry? I only intended to take one apple. Have I done something wrong?"
"Done something wrong? Don't play dumb with me, brat."
I'd followed the troublesome figure to another fruit stand, expecting a clever display of thievery, only to witness a sad, ignorant boy, oblivious to his own acts of crimes. He may have gotten away with the previous owner, but the man he was messing with now would eat him alive. Even I wouldn't bring myself to raid his cart. It was suicide.
"I'm not quite sure I follow…"
And what was with the formality on this kid? He sounded out of place, like he didn't belong. An outsider. Outsiders never lasted around these parts. Where was he from?
"Oh? Then let me make it clearer for you, dipshit."
Oh dear. Didn't matter anymore. The runt was going down a fatal path and he wasn't even aware of it. The shroud still hid his distinctive features, but his voice gave up his gender. From here, I could manage to see a sliver of his mouth, turning upwards, a definite way to ensure death by the merchant.
"You steal from me? I take a hand."
The brutal man unsheathed a knife, snatching at the boy's wrist and slamming it onto a surface. With a fearsome snarl, he goes off into a heated lecture, raising the blade, glistening under the merciless sun. Smile on idiot boy vanishes.
"W-Wait, what on earth do you think you're doing?" the boy demanded, panicking and trying desperately to flee the bone crushing grip that was obviously being applied to his arm. The man said nothing, readying the strike.
I'm so tempted to just watch everything unravel seeing as how I was still pissed about the give away from earlier, however thanks to certain parental genes, I can't bring myself to allow justice to be served this way. No matter how much I hated the kid.
With a sigh, I gathered my wits and leapt out into the midst of the scene. The man, oblivious to my entrance, continued to prepare his killing strike when I clumsily rammed into his side. Startled, the knife tumbled away and dumb wanna be thief slipped a safe distance away.
"Oh I'm so- terribly sorry," I slurred, adding the occasional hiccup and sway. The drunk act was pathetic, but entertaining nonetheless, and I'd attracted quite the crowd. "Waahcha sellin'?"
The man, now even more red from a mixture of rage and embarrassment, spun to face me, blade raised. I had hoped he'd be at a point of realizing just how many eyes were on him, but I may have underjudged his pissed off meter.
"Damn bitch!"
Not good.
In a flash, the gloves were on, literally, and I worked my magic, yanking away the dangerous marketer's toy. His hand, persistent, continued on to rain down on my head and so I readied for the moment to perform a simple flip-you-over-despite-being-heavier-set maneuver, but before I could do so…
"How dare you strike at a young lady!"
Mr. Genius decided to chose that very second to be "heroic" and he made the mistake of noting me as a "young lady", hence I was perfectly okay with the rewarded punch to the nose he took for me, flying backwards into a clumsy heap at the spot I had been standing in. With a simple side step, I glared at the idiot, shaking my head at the spewing fountain of blood trickling down his chin. The madman of the hour, clearly unsatisfied by his jab, roared a series of rude remarks, charging straight for the boy. Rolling my eyes, I leapt to his aid, again, and snatched at his wrist, tugging him to his feet and sloppily dragging his heels at my pace, away from the scene. He obliged easily enough and I was left to my thoughts of why I had done what I did.
"Thank...Thank you."
Exhaling, I waved away the gratitude coldly, collapsing to my bum. Seeing it as an invite, for some reason, the boy had the guts to fall over beside me, breathing hard. Every part of my body tensed. It had been a long run as I had once again misunderstood our pursuer's determination, and so here we were, moron and skilled thief that had that situation completely under control, still sticking around for no particular reason.
Why hadn't I ditched the kid during our chase? He was the main problem, I was in the clear. Actually, why was I still lingering around here? Someone else could do the babysitting, I had some berries to eat.
"What's your name?"
I looked at him in disbelief, blinking. From this close, I could see the startlingly beautiful sapphire glint in his eyes as well as his handsome facial features. He was pretty, I'd grant that, but usually the pretty ones were the most idiotic.
"Oh, my apologies, I'd almost forgotten of your unstable state," he said as though it were the most polite way of speaking.
"Excuse me?" I hissed, sitting taller and noticing his advantage in height. The boy looked suddenly flustered, jolting to his feet and placing an arm to his stomach. I wondered if he was in pain, until he began to bow. Bow. The fool was bowing to me. Suddenly I was the one agitated, snatching his sleeve to toss him back down to the ground. "Stop that. Are you mental?"
"I'm sorry ma'dam? I'm afraid I'm not quite familiar with that phrase? Do you mean to ask if I am retarded?"
Unbelievable.
"Yes," I snapped, amazed by the boy's logic. "Although I'm fairly certain you are." With that, he messed with his nose, drawing back a bloodied hand in surprise. Guess he never really took the time to register the severity of that punch.
"No," he said gravely, fiddling with his ridiculous grim reaper attire. "I do not suffer from any mental disorders."
"That's not..." I trailed off sighing loudly and pushing back my hair. A literal brat. Takes everything so seriously and as the way it appears. Great. I didn't even bother with pointing out the implied sarcasm. He wasn't my concern anymore. Even so, that didn't seem to stop him from continuing his stupefying conversational skills.
"Not what?" he asked, flinching at my replying icy glare. "I'm not sure I understand... Have I upset you?"
"Yes!" I barked, "You got me caught, I had to save your skin from your own stupidity, and now I'm having to deal with your gibberish. Are you trying to sound like an asshole?"
He seemed shocked, in the midst of deciding whether or not to wipe his wet hand on his hideous clothing. In a flurried panic, he basically threw his palm all over the place, searching for some sort of proper cloth. Probably a handkerchief, judging by his ludicrous babbling.
"I thought that you were the one needing the saving. And as for me being responsible for your capture, I have no clue to what you mean." He appeared genuinely confused. The little crime he committed was unplanned, all right. Who was this kid?
"Were you not aware that what happened back at those two carts is commonly known as stealing?" I pointed out, raising a brow.
"Stealing?" he echoed incredulously, taking a seat once more at my side. It didn't seem to get to him just how uncomfortable I was being this close to a stranger. A weird one at that.
"Yes. Don't you know what that means?" I noted his blank stare with concern. "Taking things you're not supposed to take? No?"
He shook his head, casting his eyes low guiltily. "I'm not familiar with the term."
"Well," I sighed, reaching into my pocket and extracting a lone apple. "I guess for porky back there, it's fine. He's not exactly on anyone's good side." I turned the fruit in my hand a couple of times, giving myself something to do while engaging in my inner world of curiosity. It appeared as though I was going to have to cave into my bubbling questions.
"I see..." the boy said quietly, twiddling with his thumbs. "You said two carts. I'm assuming you're referring to the, as you claimed, capture?"
The formality was annoying. It took quite a bit of willpower to refrain from breaking his nose off.
"Yes. You would be correct, except for the whole 'claimed' deal. You most assuredly did get me into a predicament." Now I wouldn't be able to raid that luscious raspberry gold mine, not to mention the other surrounding ones that that despicable man was certain to give the heads up on. I'd have to lay low for a while, and I hated waiting.
"How?" he pressed.
"He caught only one thief," I answered.
"So you were stealing as well," he accused, reaching back out to cover his faucet of a nose, forgetting once again of its stickiness. He grimaced.
"Yes. We're both thieves. Make sense?"
He didn't respond, disapproving of his messed up state and new found discovery of being a criminal. Fed up by his obsession with his red stained palms, I leapt up and dashed over to the nearest stand, lying just below us. White cloth fluttered in the wind and with my knife I ripped away a piece. With my ghetto wipe, I jogged on back to him staring fascinatingly at me. Ignoring the sudden twinkle in his eyes, I shoved the fabric over his broken sniffer and demanded he apply pressure. Graciously, he accepted the item, tilting back and pinching.
"Thanks," he said, though with the fabric it sounded more like "thunks". Averting my eyes, I measured a safe distance and took a seat once more.
"Where are you from?" I asked, awaiting for some ridiculous reply. Instead I was met with his tensing stature and the sneaking glimpse from between his forefingers. He gave an unexpected cough of a laugh, wincing at the pain it brought.
"Is it that easy to tell I'm not from around here?" he asked humorously, uncaring of my frown. Whistling through my teeth, I cast a withering look.
"Well you certainly don't talk like a local." I gestured at his clothes. "And you have the gloomiest get up I've ever seen. Not to mention you don't know, or you 'claimed' to not know what stealing is." I make sure to add his own choice of words in the mix, scowling at his twitching corners. What out of all of that appealed to him as funny?
"Ah, I suppose now you expect me to tell you of my background so easily?" he chuckled with a hint of a tease. I was not amused.
"Yes, because of all the trouble you've put me through."
He pulled back away from the bloodied material, cocking his head with mock interest.
"From what I recall, the scenario of 'saving' me wasn't my doing. That you did entirely of your own free will."
I didn't appreciate the smug tone, and I certainly didn't enjoy the overall truth of his point. He had something good to hide and now I wanted to know it even more.
"Okay, but the matter of the first cart and being caught-"
I paused at his laughter, crinkling my temple in confusion. He casually extended his legs, leaning forward to gaze through me. Something struck a nerve. An aura of power seemed to envelope him and I felt slightly intimidated. It was as if this was suddenly a different person. The weak, freak of a boy was now replaced by someone... wise. In control.
I shivered.
"If I remember correctly, the path of a thief, your stealing, wasn't up to me either. You were in the act of something wrong as well, so in reality I've done some justice by having you close to being caught," he went off, ending with something remarkably close to a smirk. Gritting my teeth, I fisted the ground and narrowed my eyes.
"Who are you?"
He sighed in feign annoyance. His irises continued their magnificent dazzling show, nearly blinding me.
"Haven't we established I've nothing to owe you, fair lady?" His taunting face melted into that of a gentleman, kind, polite, and considerate. He had the appearance of one who would listen to all my problems and actually sympathize. Someone trustworthy. It's almost impossible for me to break from the spell. All it takes is the reminder of being called 'fair lady' like I was some fragile doll to be kept. As much as I'd like to slaughter the boy with newly acquired techniques from Papa, I still had the nagging insistence to dig out information.
It's harder than I thought it'd be.
"Okay," I growled, eyes twitching. "So are you saying there is absolutely no way I'm going to learn who you are?"
He took the time to imitate contemplation, tapping the side of his cheek and closing his eyes. "Well, I didn't say that..." His lips spread out wider and he peeled back his gaze to once again stun me with his crystal stare. "How about a trade?"
Guarded, I demanded he elaborate.
"A trade," he said again, rubbing at his chin pleasantly, beaming at his idea. "Information for information. You tell me a bit about yourself. I tell you a bit of myself. How does that appeal to you, fair maiden?"
Agitated, I waved off the last of his comments. "Okay, okay," I hissed. "But enough with the maiden and lady crap."
He nodded, victorious, and bent his head down in another, more minor bow. "But of course. I wish to not offend."
"Right..." I grumbled, frowning. "And can it with the formality. Or at least tone it down a notch."
"Alright."
I'd agreed like it was no big deal, but the stranger was still a stranger, and a suspicious one at that. I could give away false info, but the way his starry eyes cut into me, I found it unnerving. Maybe even a bit terrifying. There was something bizarre by the way he appeared so proper and of higher class. It was intimidating and creepy and I really felt like it'd be smart to drop the situation and sprint it on down to Naomi, who was probably kicking up a storm of frustration waiting for me. Speaking of which, I wondered just how she would have handled the situation. He, as I noted before, was a looker, and Naomi, tough girl she may be, was a sucker for the boys. Would she experience these weird, annoying fluttery sensations in my stomach? The sticking, drowning effect taking effect in my head? My words felt like mush and took three times the effort for me to push them out in intelligent syllables. What was going on with me? Was this of his doing?
Why, oh why did I have to follow him?
"How does this work?" I sighed, feeling a pout coming on. He shrugged, making even that seem like an art, messing around with his now red cloth. The bleeding, it seemed, had finally come to a stop, or at least a slight trickle. Dried blood sprinkled his features and I had the sudden urge to snatch the fabric from his restless hands and wipe away the gunk.
"I'd love to hear what it is you go by for starters."
In other, more normal words, he meant my name. Knowing if I fumbled under my doubts and precautions I'd be here all day, I quickly, and stiffly answered.
"Fujiin."
He nodded, grinning.
"Fujiin," he tested, stretching out the u in a playful manner. "Beautiful. Unique."
I ignored his compliment, not exactly favorable towards attempts at flattery. Especially on typically bad days.
"And you?" I prod. He takes a moment before giving me a working title and I cannot be sure of its reliability. I cannot be certain of his honesty or if he was putting up a show of innocence.
He told me his name and I look back on it wondering sometimes. Wondering why he had chosen to trust me. Why had he decided to linger around me? What about him drew me in beside his mysteriousness? When had I figured out those rising emotions, blossoming in my heart? So many things to ponder about, all buried in the past. Pieces of a puzzle I never received the tools to solve. Bits of me lying scattered, refusing to come together and make sense of the thoughts and imaginative scenarios clouding my brain. He told me his name, and I wondered then as I wonder today. Always wondering. Will I always wonder? Will I never forget? Will his name ever leave my chest, my lips, my soul?
"Ritzu."
He had dusted himself off. He'd risen and offered me a hand to my own feet.
"Let us meet again, if you don't mind."
"What?" I had said, a bit on edge. "We've hardly gone past the introductions."
He had bowed, earning an irritated glower from me. "As I'm not from around these parts, I'll be needing a guide. Seeing as how you only seem interested in my info, I shall have to preserve it as much as I can, indeed?"
I'd stuttered. There was no way for me to react as I wanted. He was truly a puzzle that appeased to my curiosity, my craving for adventure. How was I to refuse what I was itching to discover?
"Until tomorrow? Same spot?"
I said nothing, baffled. He had taken this as an opening for more of his charmingly bizarre words.
"I bid you goodnight," he practically sang, raising his head to my level, grinning before adding with a slight taunt, "my lady?"
Then he had taken off in a graceful sprint, crusty face and all.
Later on, when he finally told me his identity, I couldn't have cared any less for it. That wasn't what mattered to me anymore. A new mystery had surfaced. A mystery I never had the chance to fully unravel.
Yooooo! I'm back and alive! (sort of...)
So good news and bad news... But first I want to take the time once more to say THANKS FOR THE VIEWS AND REVIEWS AND ALL THAT JAZZ :D
Like you have no idea how happy this makes me *insert less than three*
I also want to point out once again my wonderful, wonderful friend, Blue ^.^ writer of Numb the most AMAZING Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction I've ever read! You should definitely give her story a read, I highly recommend it, share it with friends, just man... Amazing.
She's under my favorite author list and just- wow. It's such a heart-warming tale :)
Okay! So the bad news... I'm still neck high in the torturous schedule of marching band camp!
School is coming *cue ominous thunder* and I've got to do something called homework... *sigh*
Unless of course, someone would like to do it for me? :D
No?
Okay...
Any who... What I mean to say is I usually love making long chapters for you guys! But that'd take quite a while...
Good news is (I suppose...?) I'll be starting to make my chapters a bit shorter for you all^.^ so I can post frequently?
Depending on how much you truly wish to be updated, I shall prevail and conquer my school's need to take away my passion of writing!
I love you all.
Seriously.
Over 2,000 views?
Amazing.
I hope you still enjoy these chapters (even if they're a little shorter now)
Thanks again my lovelies~
~Wonder14