Disclaimer: Characters from Saiyuki and Guilty Gears don't belong to me!
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
This chapter is dedicated to Li Yan!
Chapter 3
Room 34
Yaone was working on an experiment when someone knocked on the door. "Come in!"
Silence.
"Hello?" asked Yaone.
"Oi, don't you dare to back out now!" yelled a voice outside her door.
Yaone went to open her door and found Baiken with little Anji beside her. Baiken was practically dragging Anji with one hand.
"Baiken?"
"This brat is ridiculous! One minute he's okay into coming here and now he's backing out!" said Baiken and glared at Anji. "Are you playing with me?"
Anji shook his head.
"Then come in!"
Anji didn't move.
"Oi!" said Baiken fiercely. "You behave like this and you can forget about eating lunch!"
"I want!" said Anji straightaway.
"Then go in for the test!"
Anji still didn't move.
"See? Is he playing with me or something?" said Baiken hysterically. "Dammit, the adult Anji is bad enough, this one is worse!"
"Calm down, Baiken, you have to be patient." said Yaone and squatted down to Anji's height. "Maa, he's quite cute, isn't he?"
"Che." said Baiken, looking away.
"Ne, Anji… Anji-chan, are you scared of the needle that I'm going to give you?"
Anji looked at her and asked. "Who are you?"
"Sumimasen, I forgot. My name is Yaone. I'm the one who is going to give you the blood test. So, are you scared?"
Anji was still before he nodded. "I'm scared that it will be painful."
"It will be, but if you just squeeze your eyes shut and think of the things you like when I'm giving you the test, it won't feel so bad."
Anji's big brown eyes blinked. "Really?"
Yaone nodded. "Tell me what you like."
"Um… dancing, fans and um… aeroplanes!"
"Aeroplanes?" asked Baiken.
"Okay, then just think about these things during the test. Oh yeah, I have some interesting experiments going on inside too, you want to see them after your tests?"
Anji brightened up straightaway.
"Can I?" asked Anji, his eyes sparkling.
Yaone nodded and extended her hand to Anji. "Come on, it won't take long. Then you can go with Baiken to have your lunch after you have done the test AND exploring my room."
Anji took Yaone's hand and went into the room, followed by Baiken.
"Naïve idiot…" she muttered.
Anji was looking at the bubbling blue smoke that came out from a beaker with colourless liquid with interest when Yaone came over with a solution and cotton wool in her hands.
"Make it quick, I'm hungry." said Baiken, taking out her pipe as she sat down beside Yaone.
"Dame!" said Yaone, taking away Baiken's pipe. "No smoking! You want my room to burn down like Jam's restaurant?"
"You cannot smoke, Mummy, it's bad for you." said Anji helpfully, looking away from the beaker.
"Mummy?" said Yaone with amusement.
"Shut up and do your test." said Baiken. Whether she was saying that to Yaone or Anji was unclear.
Yaone dubbed a bit of cotton wool with the solution and rubbed it onto Anji's wrist. Anji stared at his wrist doubtfully.
"Just look somewhere else, Anji-chan." said Yaone gently and she took out a needle.
If you called that a needle.
"What the? Do you really need that much?" asked Baiken as Anji went pale.
Yaone nodded, a needle with the thickness of around 1.5 inches and length of 3 inches in her hand. "More blood, more accurate the results will be."
Anji screamed.
"I don't want!" yelled Anji, getting off the seat and trying to run to the door.
"Yaone, this is ridiculous!" said Baiken as she caught Anji by the collar. "He's not an adult now! He can't give so much blood in one go!"
"But it must be a very special potion to land Anji into this state, I need more blood to analyse so as to successfully turn him back to normal."
"I don't want I don't want I don't want!" screamed Anji, trying to push Baiken's hand off his collar.
"You be quiet!" said Baiken in annoyance and turned to Yaone. "Look, I won't let you to take so much blood from Anji, not in one go, at least. Just take a bit and if you don't find it is enough, take it from him again next time."
"Eto… all right." said Yaone, keeping away the gigantic needle and taking out a smaller needle.
"Anji, Anji!" called Baiken.
"I don't want!" said Anji hysterically.
"Anji, Anji, look! Yaone has kept the bigger needle! Oh just look, you idiot!" said Baiken, turning Anji around and lifting his head up to Yaone's needle forcefully.
Finally, Anji quieted down as the sight of the smaller, normal-size needle.
"I will use this instead, okay?" asked Yaone.
Slowly, Anji went back to the seat.
Guilty Gear Hostel canteen.
The canteen was packed with people. Everyone turned to look as the little Anji went after Baiken like an innocent puppy. The girls were whispering "how cute" while the guys just watched in amusement.
"Irashaimase!" said Jam cheerfully as Baiken approached.
"Che." said Baiken. "And you still have the mood to be happy? Where is that stupid friend of yours?"
"… Who?" asked Jam innocently.
Baiken scowled and waved her sword at Jam's neatly arranged stack of plates.
"Gomen gomen!" said Jam quickly and frantically. "I don't know where Chipp is, really…"
Baiken kept her sword. "If you see that idiot, tell him that I will kill him unless he has found the solution to what he has done to Anji first."
"Oh… I have heard from Bridget… so where is Anji?" asked Jam, looking out.
"Here."
"Where?"
"Here." said Baiken again and immediately, Anji jumped, with his hands holding onto the edge of the counter. He lifted himself up with much force and smiled. "O-ohaiyo!"
"Wah, so cute! Hello, Anji!" said Jam, smiling.
Anji's hands were too tired to support Anji and he let go of the counter, disappearing from Jam's sight.
"You try to take care of him, he's driving me nuts." said Baiken. "Oh yeah, one tori karage bento set. (fried chicken bento set)"
"… Just one?" asked Jam. "I know you don't like Anji-san much, but…"
"How do you expect him to eat finish one whole set by himself?" interrupted Baiken. "He's only 4!"
"Oh I get it."
"Mummy, I want ramen."
"Didn't you say you want tori karage bento set?" asked Baiken, annoyed. "And stop calling me Mummy!"
"I want ramen."
Baiken rolled her eye. "Fine… oi Jam, change it to ebi fry ramen. (fry prawn noodles)" she called.
"… Maybe a bowl of chicken katsu don instead." said Anji.
Baiken scowled. "Will you make up your mind?"
"Err…"
"Stop, Jam!" called Baiken and glared at Anji. "Just what do you want to eat?"
Anji looked back at Baiken with his big brown eyes. "Eto… oyakodon (fried egg with onion and rice)."
"… Sure?" asked Baiken, narrowing her eye.
Anji nodded.
"If you dare to say 'I don't want that' when the food is ready, I will give you a slap." said Baiken.
"I don't want," started Anji and quickly added. "I don't want a slap."
Baiken frowned and turned to Jam. "One oyakodon, Jam."
Anji watched with anticipation as Baiken scooped and placed his portion of rice into a smaller bowl that Jam provided.
"Is this enough?" asked Baiken, adding the egg into Anji's bowl.
Anji nodded and took the bowl. "Arigato, Mummy."
"You… oh forget it, call me Mummy as much as you like. Idiot…." said Baiken, frustrated and picked up her chopsticks.
Anji got himself a spoon and started eating.
"Konnichiwa!" said a voice and the two of them looked up.
"See? Isn't he adorable?" asked Dizzy to Testament, who was standing behind her.
"Oh my, Anji Mito has actually ended up in this state… too bad." said Testament.
"I'm Dizzy, remember me, Anji? We met just now at the corridor." said Dizzy.
"I remember you!" said Anji with his mouth full. "You are that oneesan with cool wings!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full." snapped Baiken.
Anji swallowed his food and looked at Testament. "Who is this? Your sister?"
Baiken looked at Testament for his reaction and sure enough, he frowned.
"Do I look like a girl, human?" he growled.
Anji slowly shook his head. "I-is it your brother, oneesan?"
Dizzy giggled. "Considered as, ne, Testament?" she asked, wrapping her arms around Testament's arm.
Silently, Testament just patted Dizzy's head like a brother.
"Can we go and sit down now?" said Testament.
"Okay!" said Dizzy and turned to Anji. "Tomorrow the hostel residents are going out to the beach! You must come, okay? Ky has promised to teach us cycling!"
"The beach, I want to go, I want to go! Can I, Mummy?"
"Whatever." said Baiken,
"Ja, see you then!" said Dizzy, turning around and pulling Testament along with her.
Good, peace at last.
Baiken and Anji started to eat again, but then after a few minutes, she found Anji staring out of space, his mouth obviously empty and his food untouched.
"Oi, what are you doing?" asked Baiken.
Snapping out of his trace, Anji quickly scooped and ate another spoonful of rice.
A few seconds later…
"Oi!" called Baiken when she spotted Anji looking at Testament and Dizzy eating potato salad near the window.
Anji went back to his food.
A spoonful later…
"Anji Mito!" said Baiken loudly.
Anji took his gaze off Sol and Millia Rage at the corner of the canteen.
"Mummy, are they siblings too?" asked Anji, pointing at the two.
"Keep talking." said Baiken darkly.
Quickly, Anji returned to his food.
Two spoonfuls later…
"Anji, are you waiting for me to feed you? If I feed you, I will give you a slap, then I will feed you, do you want that?" asked Baiken with irritation.
Anji shook his head.
"Then hurry up and eat!" said Baiken. "It's have been what, half an hour and you still have not finished your food! What do you think you are doing?"
Anji just continued to eat…
… For 2 minutes.
"That's it. I'm going to throw away your food." said Baiken.
"I don't want!"
"Then?"
Anji scooped up his next spoon of food and shoved it into his mouth.
"Chew and swallow." ordered Baiken, looking at Anji's puffed cheeks.
Anji chewed and swallowed his food.
"How's your lunch?" asked another voice.
"Oniisan!" said Anji happily while Baiken groaned and buried her face in her hand.
Ky smiled. Behind him were Johnny and Axl. "So how is it?"
"Very nice." said Anji.
"Good," said Ky. "Ah, have you taken your shower?"
"No."
"Why don't you join us later in the evening?"
Baiken's jaws dropped. "What?"
"Well, I think it's better for the boy to shower with the adult… males." said Ky and smiled again. "Or you prefer to shower him yourself later?"
"I… but if he…"
"Mummy, are we going to shower together?" asked Anji suddenly. "Can you shower my hair? I can help you to wash your back."
Silence around the table.
Ky blushed. Johnny was practically drooling and Axl whistled. Straightaway, Baiken knew what was going on in their minds and scowled.
"Bastards…"
"Ah, no! I… Mon dieu!" said Ky quickly. He closed his eyes and muttered something like a prayer.
Johnny and Axl tried hard to look innocent but failed miserably.
Baiken turned to Anji. "You go for shower later, clear?"
"With you?"
"No, with Ky and the rest."
Anji looked at Ky and the rest. "Okay." he continued his food.
"He doesn't even look disappointed." whispered Johnny to Axl. "What a letdown."
Baiken and Anji had reached the hostel rooms in the second floor when they saw Sol again outside his room, which was Room No. 16. Sol had his arms crossed, a cigarette between his lips.
Straightaway, Anji walked to him.
"Oi, Anji, Anji!" said Baiken, going after the boy.
"Sumimasen, oniisan?" said Anji to Sol.
"What?" asked Sol, not even looking at Anji.
"I was just thinking… are you and that blond hair lady siblings?"
"That idiot! Out of all the people in this hostel, he have to disturb that one…" said Baiken.
Sol looked at Anji, his eyes blank. Then, he slowly raised his eyebrow.
"You mean Rage?"
Anji nodded.
"… Do we look like siblings?"
"… Just wondering."
"No we are not, now go away."
"Then why are you sitting with her just now?"
"None of your business."
"You like her?"
"Anji, stop being a busybody… great, now I know that his never-ending curiosity starts even since he's a kid…" said Baiken and took Anji's hand. "Let's go back."
"I haven't asked finish!"
"Sol doesn't have the time for you to ask him stupid questions! Now go!"
Anji turned and looked at Sol. "I still think you like that blond oneesan. Have you two gone out?"
Baiken sighed in frustration and carried Anji up. "Go."
"What time is it, play time?" asked Anji hopefully.
"Nap time! You are quieter when you sleep…" said Baiken and kicked her door open.
Sol watched as Anji groaned. "I don't want to sleep!"
"You don't have a choice." said Baiken, slamming the door shut.
Sol was still for a while before he dropped his cigarette and scraped it with his shoe on the floor. He shoved his hands in his pocket and walked to the room next to his. He knocked it.
"Oi, Rage."
The door opened and Millia looked out in puzzlement. "Yes?"
"Free at 9pm?"
"Yes. What do you want me to do?" asked Millia, her arms folded.
"Meet me outside the cinema then. If you are late, I'm not going to bother about you." said Sol and he left, leaving Millia with amazement and puzzlement.
"But I don't want to sleep!" wailed Anji.
"I don't care," said Baiken, placing the mattress on the floor. "Now lie down!"
Anji pouted but he lay down anyway.
"You need rest after giving your blood," said Baiken, lighting her pipe. "Now close your eyes."
Anji's eyes remained open.
"Do you want me to slap you to sleep?"
Anji closed his eyes. But a few minutes later…
Baiken frowned at the sight of Anji waving his hands in the air, as if he was using the Zessen fans.
"Oi, what do you think you are doing? Sleep!"
Anji's hands rested on his sides and closed his eyes. A minute later…
"I want to go to the toilet first." said Anji, getting up.
"Go." said Baiken, reading the newspaper on her table.
Anji went to the toilet for a few seconds and came back, flopping onto the mattress as he did, like an action-figure in the television.
"Anji Mito, you do that again next time and I will take away your mattress!" scolded Baiken.
Anji didn't answer. He lay down properly.
Another minute later…
"Stop tossing and turning! How are you going to sleep like that?"
2 minutes later…
"Okay, I'm coming over to slap you to sleep." said Baiken, getting up.
"I don't want!"
"Then?"
Silence.
A few minutes later…
Baiken looked up from her newspaper and found Anji waving his hands again from his place on the mattress. This time he added a few swishing noises as effects.
"Anji Mito!"