(a/n: Fairly fast- comapartively, that is. So here we go once more as we get into the swing of things. Just for paractice I wrote in the boy's POV's on this one. A lot of fun. I like the contrast. Anyway, Jin is a tad OOC, but you'll have to forgive it. He knows, okay? So take it easy on him. He doesn't like it anymore than you do. Everyone else is pretty much on their normal path. Jeeze..God forbid there's some character development here. Just kidding. Go read...What are you still doing here?...I told you to get on with it!...You're still reading this?!...That's it, it's on!)
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Vol. 25 Obligatory Offense
-Mugen-
Now that I had gotten away from Mr. Square, I was feeling a lot better. Man, that guy could be a downer sometimes. I guess I felt bad or whatever, about him having a kid and being all confused about choosing between two girls. Wait…why was I feeling sorry for him? He had two girls and I had none. Fuck that. If I got a day of work in though, I could solve that problem. I just had to find Fuu and see if she could get her boss to hire me on too.
I rounded the corner and finally her behind the counter of a fish hocking stand. There was some guy chattin it up with her. He was younger than me, but not by much. Fuu seemed to be likin it too. He said something with a sly grin and she started laughing all girly. He started laughing himself when he saw she had gone into a fit.
'Yuck it up Chuckles,' I thought menacingly. He'd better keep his hands off if he knew what was good for him. I was sick of all these people getting all caught up in this sappy bullshit. Was I the only one who wasn't going all crazy over someone? If I could prevent some of this before it started then we'd be better off. I thought about all this as I walked up to Fuu and whoever the funny guy was.
"Yo."
Fuu wiped a tear out of her eye. "Hey Mugen. You should have heard the story Kazu just told-" She stopped, trying to catch some air and get a grip on herself before she went off again. Just when I thought she was going to have it, she lost it and started laughing her head off. "The cabbage….and- the…'That's not a pig, that's my wife!'" I don't think I'd ever heard her laugh so hard ever.
I raised my eyebrow as far as it would go. I felt like it was going to go right up into my hair. She was acting kind of dumb like when she used to get those crushes on the guys we met on the first go of our journey. I still remember what she did for that artist; the painter who did the Ukiyo-e shunga. Fuu didn't seem too pissed at the end of it all though. In fact, she seemed real okay with it, beside the fact she was pissed at the guy for lying to her.
"So…" the guy started awkwardly. He stuck his hand out to shake. I left him hanging there; shaking hands wasn't my thing. "You're Mugen, then."
I squinted a little at him. There was somethin I didn't like about this clown. "Yeah…"
"I'm Kazu, like Fuu said."
'I don't care.'
I turned to Fuu. "So looks like a nice set-up you got goin here. Wanna let me in on it?"
She frowned. "No way! You'll mess it up Mugen. Now that Tsuki's gone off with the money, we actually need this job. We have to pay for everything that we've already used and for what we need. No offence, but you're kind of a screw up."
"Whoa there bitch, don't spare my feelings or anything," I spa sarcastically. To my right funny boy made a move to stand between me and Fuu. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back as I clenched my fist to hit him. What they hell? He thought she needed protection form me?
"You shouldn't do that Kazu," she warned him.
"He has spoken to you like any common whore. He is dishonorable."
"That's just how Mugen is, it didn't mean anything."
He relaxed a bit, and I was disappointed that he hadn't tried a swing. I wanted to bruise up that face of his, maybe break his nose even. He was on my last fuckin nerve and I was already at the end of my rope with my temper today. "Go for it punk, see what happens."
"Mugen, stop it!" Fuu yelled. "I'm going to loose my job if you make trouble."
I put my hands up at their usual resting place behind my head. "Fine. I'll be a good boy." I turned to leave, still a little heated, but I wasn't stupid enough to cut off our only money source. I turned when I heard that punk saying something to Fuu behind my back. "See you around Kazu."
-Jin-
I didn't leave the hotel until almost sundown to go see Shino. I wasn't sure where she was inside the house, but I needed to talk to her. We had to make a plan for our future. I had to have a good life for this child hood. I wouldn't allow him to be born into a bad childhood or a broken family. I remembered my early years and just being shipped off to the dojo. So young I was thrown into violence that I didn't even remember what life was like without it. Mugen had grown up in the Ryukyu Islands with criminals, and he had a more horrible childhood than I. And Fuu hadn't had a father for most of her life, only to have him die when they were finally reunited. Up until then she had to take care of her sick mother and watch her die a little more every day, something no one should have to do. Then there was Tsukiko. She had near three parents die. Two from murder. Then she chose to leave her country; that in itself was another great feat. I nearly forgot about the lover she had lost to the sea…I still didn't know much about him. So that added up to four for Tsukiko. I turned my thoughts back to the unborn child. That was what I wanted to protect him from.
I came to the house and went to the shadowed side. I was going to just look in windows until I found her. Of course I had no way of telling her that I was coming, she wasn't to have visitors. I'm sure any message from a man would be read to ensure the girl's safety, so that way would be futile too. I inched closer to the first glowing rectangle, my feet making nearly no noise. No one in the house would ever hear me approaching.
"Funds are low this month Hiraku. We might have to ask the government for more money. I'm sure we could tap one of the more philanthropic contributors, couldn't we?"
I inched past this window, not interested in the conversation. Shino wouldn't be here much longer anyway. The next few windows were just as fruitful. With a sigh I looked to the second story. The narrow balcony would be difficult to get to. I found a tree on the backside of the building that reached up to the second story…barely. I willed the branches not to snap under my weight as I climbed. Finally my hands rested on the railing and I made it over with no trouble. I kept crouched low next to the thin paper doors. I really didn't know how I could look inside them without anyone seeing me.
It felt shameful crawling around like some peeping pervert. I never would have done this under any circumstances other than these. I slid the first door open a fraction of an inch and peered in. A woman sat sewing a garment in the candlelight- not Shino. The next I didn't even have to look in because a the woman was softly playing a shamisen and singing along. Her voice did not sound like Shino. The third room had three women sitting around and gossiping over a communal bottle of sake. No doubt it was the thing that had loosened their tongues in the first place.
It wasn't until the fifth room that I found her. She was tidying up her space and making her bed for the night. I slid the door shut and crept toward her. She turned and jumped, my sudden presence no doubt frightening her.
"Jin!" she whispered urgently. "You can't be here."
"I had to come and talk to you. We have to make plans for us, and there is no other way to do that than for me to come see you."
She looked around uncertainly, but nodded. "When do we leave?"
"I do not know just yet," I sighed. "Many things have to be done. I have to get a house, money, a job."
"Won't that take a long time?" she questioned earnestly.
I was a little confused by her sudden urgency, but I shook it off. She was just nervous about getting out and having a baby. Perhaps I was being a little paranoid because of all of the pressure lately. "Do you think you can wait a bit longer?"
"I-I…yes." She didn't look at all certain of her answer. Actually, it looked like she was certain of exactly the opposite of what she told me.
"I suppose I'll go out and get a job first thing," I told her; though it was more of a thought to myself. "Then I can get a place for us to stay. It won't be nice; at least, not at first. After that I can come back for you. How we'll get you out, I'll have to plan. Maybe I can get Mugen to assist me."
"Whatever you think is best," Shino agreed. "But you have to go now. Night checks are soon, and if you get caught then I will be thrown out now."
I nodded and turned to go. She run up behind me and embraced me from behind. Her hands were wrapped tightly around my chest. It had been a long time since we had touched, and it wasn't something I was going to ever forget…her touch. When she released me I smiled down at her and then went on my way.
As I walked back to the room, it now being late enough for Fuu and Mugen to start getting impatient waiting for me, I felt the most perplexing combination of emotions. Half of me felt like I was leaving pert of myself back with Shino, and the other half was already gone. So as I wound my way through the crowded streets and down the narrow alleys, I felt hollow.
We had always been taught back at the dojo that emotion was weakness. Showing it in life lead to showing weakness in battle. It was a sure way to meet your bloody fate, my master had told me. During all those hours of endless drills and sparring you start to loose it anyway, so I never missed it. Now though, I was feeling so much that it was overwhelming. I didn't like it. I was still making the rational decisions, but it felt like it was only a matter of time until I would meet the afterlife. No matter how finalized or certain I felt in a choice, I knew I was making a mistake…in my heart. I winced as I thought of how sentimental that sounded. Men did not think such things, only women. Mugen would never let me live this down if he found out.
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(a/n: Torture!!!!! Ha, ha. R&R my lovelies.)