Thursday, November 29, 2007
(Chap 9: Fire And Blood To Come.)
Rumiko strolled down the stairs with a satisfied smile creasing her perfect face. She knew her son never had a thing for the feminine variety of human, but she never dreamed he would pick such a handsome man to lay his affections on. If she were twenty years younger she wouldn't mind having Eiri-kun all to her self. She chuckled as she turned the corner into the main living room on the first floor.
The sight that met her when she entered had her laughing in such uncontrollably hysteria that she almost toppled out of her four inch heeled slippers. One of her many 'charges' was straddling a very uncomfortable looking Hiro. Maiko had an air of amusement around her and she was obviously more capable of containing her laughter than her mother.
The ferocious prostitute looked up from her molestation of Hiro's much violated ear and glared at her hysterical Madame. "Madame Rumiko, I'm a little busy."
Rumiko steadied herself and smirked at her annoyed whore. "Yes I can see that. Now leave my adopted son alone so I can have a peaceful, sex-free conversation with him." The prostitute scowled but slowly and reluctantly dismounted her victim's lap. Rumiko swatted her butt as the girl walked past her heading toward the stairs.
Hiro straightened his frazzled clothing and sighed in relief. Rumiko walked into the living area and took a seat directly across from her still smirking daughter. "I see you've met Sarah, she's our western import. Do you like her? She's new and little bit too excited about her job."
Hiro scoffed and ran a stressed hand through his disheveled hair. "Isn't that a bit of an understatement?" Rumiko laughed and passed him a fresh cup of tea.
"Well, shall we get down to business?" Both Hiro and Maiko shifted uncomfortably. "I understand that Eiri-kun was not the only captive you brought aboard Bad Luck."
Maiko cleared her throat and nodded. Hiro took that as his cue to explain. "Eiri-san and his younger brother, Tatsuha." Rumiko nodded, Hiro continued on. "Tatsuha is Ryuichi's captive."
Rumiko's pleasant face faded. Her cheeks turned red and she tensed her shoulders. "Shuichi let him take another captive? After what happened with that last one?" Hiro nodded. "Tell me about Tatsuha." Rumiko did not seem pleased.
Maiko took over for Hiro. "Tatsuha looks exactly like Eiri; with the exception of dark hair and eyes they could pass for twins." Rumiko began to pace back and forth in front of the couch Hiro and Maiko currently occupied. "Ryuichi was the one who captured Tatsuha bellow deck on the NG. It seems he took an immediate liking to Tatsuha. I'm sorry mama, but you know how Shuichi can't say no to Ryu-chan."
Rumiko threw herself back onto her over stuffed green armchair and sighed, running a thin hand through her waving long pink hair. "There is something your not telling me. I want to know every thing." She looked pointedly at Maiko and her daughter immediately frowned.
"They're lovers."
Rumiko's head shot up to look at her children. "Please tell me I heard you wrong." Maiko and Hiro both shook their heads. Rumiko leaned back against the back of the plushy chair. "How bad is it?"
Hiro stepped in. "Tatsuha seems to really like Ryu. He didn't even object to being taken captive. Actually he seemed rather eager."
Rumiko let out a frustrated scream. "They all do, don't they! Honestly you'd think a grown man would learn after the first dozen broken hearts!"
Maiko stood up and walked over to her angry mother. "Mom, I think we should let Ryu stay with Tatsuha. Ryu really likes him and Tatsuha really likes Ryu." Maiko lowered herself into her mom's lap and wrapped her arms around the Madame's shapely shoulders. "I know how much you love Ryu, but you can't protect him forever. I love him too, but really mother, I think Tatsuha will be good to Ryuichi."
Rumiko wrapped her arms around Maiko's waist and lowered her head to rest on Maiko's shoulder. "I love Ryu like my own son. It hurts every time one of you gets hurt. I just can't stand to see him sad."
Hiro watched mother and daughter display a rare sign of affection between the two strong women. He had always viewed Rumiko as his adoptive mother and she was always more than happy to oblige him in his fantasy. Hiro's maternal mother was an abusive woman. A Prostitute who had no honor and let any one have her.
She would surround herself with men that often times displayed the same animalistic desires toward her son as they did toward her. Luckily Hiro was never forced to go through such a traumatic experience.
When Hiro was eleven he snuck aboard a ship that was bound for any where. He didn't care he just wanted out. He ended up at Pleasure Port. When he stepped off the dock he felt a tap on his shoulder; a short, pink haired boy, no older than he was, smiled up at him. That was the day Rumiko and Shuichi took him into their already overflowing family. He is forever grateful.
Rumiko sniffled and began to wipe at her eyes. "I missed you all so very much. You are staying for a while aren't you?"
Maiko stood up and looked down at her mother in an unsure smile. Rumiko raised an eyebrow and looked from one suddenly nervous child to another. "What is it now?"
Hiro got up and began to inch his way to the door. "Hiro, sit down before I get angry." Hiro stopped mid inch and walked back to the couch. "Good, now tell what I don't already know." Rumiko pinched the bridge of her nose as if willing herself to stay calm.
Maiko began to inch backward toward the couch and blurted out. "Eiri and Tatsuha are Tohma Seguchi's brothers-in-law." Neither Hiro nor Maiko stuck around to see their mother's reaction. Both pirates dashed for the open living room door and made it just before they were overcome by the banshee like scream that followed their confession.
"WHAT?!?!?!?!"
Suguru had just run half way across town when he reached The Chicken Ranch. Sighing in relief for finally making it to his destination, Suguru walked slowly up to the front door. His heart fluttered with excitement. He was finally going to tell Hiro how he feels.
His fist was inches away from the thick, worn wooden door when it burst open. The small accountant was immediately barreled over by running and screaming, scantily clad women and one rather feminine looking man, followed by a panicked Shuichi sprinting out of the house and dragging a confused Eiri behind him. Maiko ran close behind laughing gleefully with Hiro jogging after them.
Suguru was standing open mouthed and stunned, 'What in the world is going on?' "Hiro I-" Hiro grabbed Suguru's arm before he could finish and with out slowing his pace chased after Maiko.
"She's ganna blow!" The fleeing occupants of The Chicken Ranch had all lunged behind trees and bushes, ducking for cover.
Just as Hiro threw himself over a shrubbery, taking a stunned and confused Suguru with him, The Chicken Ranch exploded in a bright flash of light, fire, and heat.
Taki Aizawa is a dangerous and cruel man. He smiled to himself as he wiped blood from his dirty and deranged hands. "Throw the rest of him over board." His first mates Ma-kun and Ken-chan obeyed their demented captain and threw the remaining pieces of a prisoner over the side of ASK.
For the past year his goal had been to kill, rape, and steel from enough people to get him into the darkest circle of hell. Of course he would rather not die ever, but hey, if you had to die eventually why not do it in style?
He, of course, had been setting his sights too high had never accomplished his goal of gaining the affection (or sex, look at it how ever you want) of one, Shuichi Shindo, but he was definitely certain he would get the little pink haired pirate soon.
If Taki was once thing, humble was on it. He had been "courting" Shuichi for six years now and never once had Shuichi given into his devilishly charming... charm. He had a plan. He would certainly get Shuichi, whether it is consensual or forced, either way it did not bode well for poor Shuichi. And that was just what Taki liked.
He liked to see his victims bleed. Not that he bragged about it, but that's what he liked. Of course none of his "partners" complained, mainly cause they were in too much pain, but hey, who was he to judge? Sometimes people just didn't have a very high pain tolerance. "I have a very special surprise for you Shuichi-kun. I can't wait to tell you about it."
Ma-kun knocked on the blood socked and stained door of the captains cabin. "Captain Aizawa, everything has been disposed of. Is there anything else you need done?" A deranged and disturbed laugh oozed through the slightly damp door. "Guess not." Ma-kun suppressed a shudder and quickly walked away.
Rumiko paced in front of her children, adopted and biological. The Uesugi brothers waited outside the door with baited breath. Tatsuha, for some reason, couldn't help, but feel that part of the explosion was some how his fault, but he decided to worry about that later. His lover was being stared down by a very scary looking and slightly scorched Madame who held a creepy resemblance to Shuichi.
Rumiko stopped pacing parallel to Shuichi looked him in the eye then screamed. Feeling slightly relieved she continued to march back and forth in front of her children. Who were lined up firing squad style along the wall of her now singed sitting room.
"Do you have any idea what you've released upon all of us?" Rumiko looked every one of her cowering children in the eyes. Shuichi, Maiko, Hiro, Suguru, and Ryuichi all averted their eyes and chose to stare at their toes. "You are most likely being chased by half of Japan and probably a large part of China by now!" Rumiko shoved her fists to her hips and sighed. "Do you have any idea how powerful Tohma Seguchi is?"
Suguru and Hiro both looked up. "We tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen!" They were frantically yelling at Rumiko, praying she would take pity in her adopted children and center her anger on her biological children. Suguru spoke up. "We tried, but Shuichi just wouldn't hear any part of it. He was determined to-"
"Be quiet!" Rumiko looked from Hiro to Suguru. "You don't have any idea what you've done wrong, do you?" Both men looked at each other then slowly shook their heads. "You have kidnapped close to the only family Seguchi has left."
An eerie silence fell over the young adults standing a motherly trial. Rumiko once again pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in frustration. "Why, God, did you give me such idiotic children?"
From behind the door Eiri could barely hold his laughter. Tatsuha was busy trying to silence his brother's giggling or the raging Rumiko would discover them listening in. Too late.
The door burst open throwing both Tatsuha and Eiri across the floor. Rumiko stood with an aura of death. The moment she saw the perpetrators of the giggling her aura softened once again into a very pleasant flirty glow. "Oh Eiri dear, what are you doing on the floor? Stand up and introduce me to this handsome look alike of yours."
He change in mood scared Tatsuha more than her scary yelling did. Eiri though seemed un phased. He stood up and began the introductions. "Rumiko-san this is my younger brother, Tatsuha." Eiri gestured to the stunned and scared looking teen still lying on the carpeted hall floor. "Tatsuha this is Madame Rumiko, Madame of The Chicken Ranch and Shuichi and Maiko's mother."
Tatsuha's eyes grew to the size of half dollars. Rumiko smiled sweetly at him and held out her hand to help heft him off the floor. "I'm sorry if I scared you dear. I'm not mad at you." 'yet' She added in her head. "You are Ryu-kun's captive. Am I correct?"
Tatsuha saw the warning look in her eyes and took an audible gulp. He couldn't find his voice, but he still nodded quite vigorously. Rumiko smiled and turned from her guests.
Just as she passed over the threshold of the sitting room she looked over her shoulder at the two brothers. Giving them a seductive wink she said, "You're welcome to anything you like in my home. Take one of my girls for a spin if you like, but I think you would much rather like a bite to eat. I will be done here shortly then I will be able to give you my full attention." She winked again and slammed the door behind her.
Tatsuha gave off a shiver and turned to Eiri. "How do you not freak out when your talking to her? Sure she's hot, but man is she scary!"
Eiri rolled his eyes at his little brother. "I think we could learn a great deal from Rumiko-san, now shut up, I want to listen to what she's saying. I have a feeling she knows more about our dear brother-in-law than she is letting on."
Both men quickly plastered their heads to the door and began to listen to mother verbally berate her naughty children.
"As I was saying." Rumiko once again took up pacing. "You lot are in a heap of trouble. Tohma has most likely taken action and spoken to the Emperor." Shuichi's head shot up. Ryuichi emitted a scared little yelp and he clutch Kuma-chan to his chest. "And if the Emperor knew what was good for him I suspect he assigned General K to assist Tohma."
Both Eiri and Tatsuha looked at one another. They knew Tohma was powerful, but they had no idea he would ask for the assistance of that crazy, gun happy westerner.
Tatsuha's heart sank. He's endangering Ryu and Bad Luck to just be with him. Eiri felt a pang of panic. Not that he liked the idiotic pirates, but he had no intention of getting them killed. An image of Shuichi lying broken on the beach with blood oozing from an open chest wound flashed before his eyes.
Eiri's heart ached and he pressed his head back against the door.
"As long as you are docked at Pleasure Port you are safe." Rumiko looked sad now. "K knows better than to attack a pirate in his home. You will ether have to return Eiri and Tatsuha-kun or you will stay here till we all rot. Either way you will live at least a little bit longer."
Ryuichi felt panic rise in his chest. "No! I can't let Tat-chan go! I won't let him go!"
Rumiko looked startled and glanced at her adopted son. "Ryu honey, there isn't much more of an option. If you ever want to sail again you have to take him back."
Ryuichi could feel tears begin to prickle at his eyes. "No! I can't; I won't let him go! I love him Rumiko!" The whole room grew silent.
Every one knew Ryuichi always grew attached to people he liked, but he had never professed love to any one. He always felt that love was sacred and shouldn't be thrown around lightly. For him to say something so adamantly he must feel every ounce of his words.
On the other side of the door Tatsuha felt lighter than air. His lover actually loved him. He'd had plenty of lovers in his life, but he had never had one like Ryuichi. He had never had one he could truly say that he loved like he can with Ryuichi.
Shuichi stepped out of line and faced his mother showing no fear. "Mama, we can't take them back. They both have become part of my crew and it would be detrimental to every one aboard to let them go." Rumiko looked sadly at her son. Shuichi gave his mother a pleading look. "Mother please. I won't take Eiri back." He practically whispered.
Rumiko smiled warmly at her family. "I understand how you feel Shuichi. I mean, look at me. I have two children I gave birth to and bunch of tag-a-longs I picked up along the way." Rumiko grabbed her son and brought him into a bone crushing hug. "I love you, my babies and I will help you."
Shuichi pulled away from his mother and looked at her straight in the eye. "Really? You will?" Rumiko nodded and Shuichi jumped in the air. "Woohoo!"
Ryuichi smiled brightly and rushed out the door once again knocking Tatsuha over onto the floor.
Ryuichi fell face first on top of Tatsuha. The two men laid on the floor tangled up and stared at each other in shocked silence. "Hello Tatsuha."
Tatsuha smiled brightly and wrapped his arms around Ryu's waist practically squeezing the air out of the older man. He leaned in close to Ryu's decorated ear and whispered, "I love you too, Ryuichi; more than anything."
Ryuichi smiled brightly and crushed their lips together in a blistering kiss.
"Awe, they are really cute!" Every one's attention turned away from the two lovers on the hallway floor and looked directly at Rumiko. She glanced at every one's faces and smiled innocently. "What?"
A/N Woot Woot! Another chapter down, who knows how many more to go! I hope I didn't make Aizawa too scary.
Rumiko knows all about Tohma? I wonder how she knows so much about him. Even I don't know. Just kidding. Will the crew of Bad Luck be able to escape the royal navy as well as Tohma's personal forces? What is this "special surprise" that Taki has in store for Shuichi? Stay tuned for more surprises to come! Review, I want to know what ya'll think!