Taste of Ink
His mouth tasted like cotton when he woke again. Sitting up he groaned as he felt the rush of blood from the elevation change. With a careful hand he inspected the bandage around his head deftly tearing it off.
"Bandages?" He said tossing them aside. " And a big comfy bed?" Mugen smirked and nodded in approval. "Did I dream all that shit with the priest and crazy girl?"
"Ah you're awake."
"Guess not." He flopped back down and groaned again.
"Guess not what?" Jin asked leaning on the wall.
"Nothing. What the shit happened to my head? I don't remember it being bandaged before."
"You were accosted by a lass."
"Huh?"
"Fuu hit you in the head." He paused and laughed a bit. "I swear by the look on her face she must've thought she killed you."
"What!" Mugen sat up again throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "What'd she do that for?"
"You don't recall I take it? All the better then." He left gesturing for Mugen to come along. "If you're hungry there's leftover pizza in the oven."
"Pizza?"
"Yes, priests eat pizza too." Jin sat in the living room and set to work on the sermon he'd been working on prior to checking on his houseguest. Sunday was coming soon and all things considered the last thing he wanted was to be found lacking in front of his small congregation. It seemed lately that only a handful of parishioners even bothered to stay for the whole morning. Shaking his head wearily he noticed Mugen eating happily on the couch watching him. "Can I help you?"
"Nope. Just wondering why you do it?" He said licking the pepperoni juices off his fingers. "How do you force yourself to write a bull shit sermon to read to a room of prudes that'll take it too literally and idiots that'll misconstrue it? Damn I wouldn't even bother. You could probably just get up and do the hokey pokey and they wouldn't notice the difference."
Jin set his pen down and leaned back stretching. "Well you've got that right. Much too often religion is misinterpreted. That's when you get all the rules."
"Isn't that what it's all based on? Rules and principles and what not?"
"Not exactly." Jin said brushing back a loose strand of hair. "You see religion used to mean something. People could go to church and leave feeling whole. It provided some comfort in daily life to know that there was always some place you can go to be accepted. Problem is that, wasn't good enough."
"Of course not." Mugen said standing to move to the doorway as he lazily pulled out a cigarette.
"You can smoke by the window if you wish." Jin said gesturing to the window behind him. "That's usually where I myself partake."
"Priests smoke?"
"Only when Father McDaniel isn't watching." Jin smirked.
Mugen lit up and inhaled deep resting his elbows on the open sill. "Nice digs."
"Pardon?"
"The house. This like standard priest benefits? Seems like most churches can't afford this kind of stuff."
"We can't." Jin said turning to face him. "Most of the money comes from the donations of the parishioners. My fee has been docked twice since I've been here. I make less than the kid at Burger King who says, "you want fries with that?" Jin smiled and laughed. "It's strange really."
"What is?"
"Religion. Everyone has their own way to interpret it. Even I at times wonder why some rules are in place in the structure. There are just some that don't make sense."
Mugen nodded and flicked the filter into the dirt. Eyes lowered he watched it fizzle in the frost. "Like what?" He said turning to look at Jin. "What doesn't make sense?"
"Lots of things."
"What time is it?"
Jin glanced at his watch, "Close to eleven am. Why?"
"Just askin." He shut the window and yawned. "So where's Fuu?"
"Home. Said she had to take care of some things before she left for work." He stood and closed his notebook deciding that now was not the time to be working on it. "She said she'd return if she could leave early tonight, otherwise she'd be by tomorrow morning to check on you."
"Hmm." Mugen rubbed his head. "What'd she hit me with anyway? Feels like this one time at Rico's I had a hit of…um I mean." He trailed off and coughed returning to the couch to lounge. "So uh what was it?"
"My katana."
Fuu folded the towels as she hummed along with the radio. She'd been putting off cleaning for too long and the last thing she needed was a messy apartment to come home to again. It wasn't much, but it was hers. A two bedroom although the one was more of a large closet, hardly room for a bed. It had been her room when her mother lived there. She'd told her to go ahead and take the bigger room as she was younger and had more things to store, but Fuu insisted she didn't need the extra space.
"Fuu, sweetie, are you sure?"
"Mom it's okay. You go ahead and take the bigger one. What if you meet some nice man and he sees you live in your daughter's closet?"
"Oh really now Fuu that's just silly."
"Is not, would you date a man who lived in his son's closet?"
"Depends on the quality of his derriere."
"Mom!"
She smiled and laughed. She knew her mother would never date anyone, at least not for more than companionship. Who ever her father was, she loved him more than anything. She'd frequently catch her gazing out the window and singing softly to herself. Fuu didn't have to ask to know what she was thinking about. Somehow she always knew.
"Why didn't you ever tell me mama." She said looking at the photo on the end table. She and her mother just a year before her death. Fuu was only nineteen. Everything about her was embodied in Fuu, all but the eyes. "I don't have your eyes, or grandma's. Whose eyes do I have mom." Sighing she sat on the couch and picked up the picture. "You drank all my strawberry soda, and we rode the Hurricane coaster four times."
She traced the features she and her mother shared before putting the frame back and packing the stack of towels to put away. The only clue she had to who her father was lay within her mother's locket. After the sale of anything that wasn't an heirloom she found the trinket in her mother's jewelry box. Inside were two pictures. One of Fuu about age two or three, the other was of a man handsome with sandy blonde hair and the same eyes as herself. No name, just a picture. It appeared to be the only picture. Having looked all through her mother's belongings she found no letters or other photos. She spent years questioning anyone who'd known her mother who might have an idea of who this man was. They all claimed ignorance.
The day was disappearing rapidly as she noted the clock read nearly one in the afternoon. She had to be in by five and ready to go on by five thirty. "Where does the time go?" She ducked into her room to get a bag ready for changing. She hated not being prepared and had taken the liberty of cleaning her costumes. Setting the messenger bag on the bed she started packing up the outfits. Sparkle and skimpy cuts, often themed with cherries or schoolgirl influences. "Men are weird." She said aloud laughing at how ridiculous she and the other girls must look in the outfits.
Pulling her coat form the closet she buttoned it quickly and put the bag over her shoulder. One last glance around to make sure she had everything, her eyes fell on the rosary at her bedside. Grasping the cool beads in her hand she bit her lip. "Jin." Only hours ago he'd told her. She'd asked after all, it wasn't like they kept secrets from one another.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. "No. How is he?"
"Fine, just not conscious." He sat next to her touching her wrist softly. "You're sure you are all right? Fuu?"
"The sword…you…why do you…?"
"Shh." He soothed cupping her face with his hands. "Fuu there are things you may not understand right yet. Please we'll talk another day."
"But, I need to know Jin. Please." Her arms wrapped around him as her head rested on his chest.
"Fuu…sometimes I must preach against evil." He pushed her away gently. "And sometimes I must fight the evils around us all. That is all you need know right now."
Locking her door she made her way down the stairs tucking the rosary safely inside her shirt she stepped outside. The sky was already growing dark with snow clouds. She wanted to know more, although she understood his reason for hesitation. She was still in shock from the situation before hand.
"Close, real close"She shook the memory form her mind and continued on to Azure. Truly she was frightened when Mugen approached her, but she still hoped she'd not hurt him. The streetlamps flickered on as she thought perhaps he was on drugs. Far be it for her to call Jin wrong, but Fuu wanted to believe Mugen was reachable. "I bet he's handsome when he's not all cracked out. Not thin or gaunt, but when he's well fed and rested." She sighed crossing the busy street. "I bet he'd be real nice too."
Stepping into the door she smiled at Vince blowing him a kiss and thanking him for the night off. Back in the dressing area most of the girls were in already putting on make up and adjusting clothes. Phaedra was just stepping out of the shower rustling her hair gently.
"Hey honey." She said smiling at Fuu. "So how's mama." She said in a knowing tone.
"Fine…why?"
"Oh come one." Akiko said leaning back in her chair. "We know it's a guy? So spill it who is he?"
Fuu started hanging up her costumes and shook her head. "No, it's not like that you guys. I was just helping out a friend. I know Vinny's got a soft spot for mamas so I told him that was it." She turned to face the skeptical women. "It's not like a date or anything. If you really wanna know I was helping out Jin with a special situation."
Phaedra sighed and started sifting through the lingerie. "Fuu Savakis What is it with you and the priest? You know he can't be with you."
"I know that Phae. It's just we're friends. Have been all our lives and so I help out when I can. He's a good man."
"Yeah I'll bet he's real good."
"Akiko!" Fuu laughed. "That's blasphemy!"
"Oh I'd let him blasphem-me!"
"Aki stop!" Fuu said blushing brightly.
"Oh com on Fuu, how long do you think it's been for the poor guy? Man of God or not that's gotta be hard on him."
"You're a bitch." Fuu said laughing hysterically. "A dirty bitch."
"No I just wanted to make you laugh angel."
"Don't call me that." Fuu said sitting to do her makeup. "I'm no angel."
"Sweetie you're the kindest human I've ever met." Phaedra added. "You're gentile and genuine and honest. You're a good person."
"Well thanks just the same but…"
"Oh." Akiko said apologetically. "Right the dance, I forgot. You gonna be okay with it tonight?"
"Yeah." She sighed. "I just don't want to be an angel when I'm dancing like that. It just bothers me for some reason. I know it's just a costume but… I'll be all right. I was practicing earlier at home. I think I'm ready."
"Thirty minutes ladies." Vince called. "Lilly, Phaedra, Akiko, Fuu, Janet! You all here?"
"Everyone but Janet!" Phaedra called. "She's a little behind, we just switched the order, new line up's on your desk!"
"Gotcha!"
Fuu dipped her finger into the rouge applying it carefully to her cheekbones. Lightly, not heavily it had to be an "innocent" glow. Next, light mascara and gold eye shadow. "Heavenly not trashy" She thought. As she took the curling iron to her hair she watched one crystal tear slide down her cheek as it landed in the glitter casting sparkles on the dresser.