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DAME DAME DAME.Chapter 2By The Fox LadyDAME DAME DAME de dame na hito neIttai nani o yatteru no? Un ja nai TSUKI ja nai Motto jitsu ryoku misete No, no, no, you're no good What are you trying to do? It is not a matter of luck Show me more of your skill. Dame! by Izumi Yo. The afternoon was sunny and fresh. Takashi walked to the Aoiya with his best –and one- male kimono on, the one Ninko bought for him when he worked in her hairstyler job serving tea and helping her with her distinguided clients. It was a creamy one, embroided with a bluish pattern of little lavender flowers in the chest. Takashi wore it with a bit of amusement: it was a beautiful kimono very alike the ones he used in his adolescence, but he never ever before was aware of how quick this cursed clear clothes turn dirty... Anyway, Aoshi always had a taste for the expensive clothes. Soushi had laughed a lot about it, saying that was a kimono like to make Shinobu proud. He had left the boy in his train to Yokohama, and now he walked just after lunch to the Aoiya, hoping Aoshi could have stayed after lunch in the Oniwabanshuu quarters. "Ohayou." he bowed to the young Omasu, who opened the door for him, and smiled. "Gomen nasai, Omasu-san, is Aoshi-san in home?" he asked politely. The girl bowed at him, not bothering in hide the impression his new look had created in her. "Ohayou, Takashi-kun!" she greeted. "Please , come inside. Aoshi-sama is in the garden." "I know the way, daijobu." he smiled. He had known Omasu briefly when she was just a girl, and her new found shyness was charming. "I’m glad to see you well. How are Okina and the young Misao?" "They’re in the market with Kuro. Do you want to let here that bag of yours?" "Iie, gomen nasai. Is something for Aoshi." Takashi waved smiling, and walked with his teaset hanging in the bag into the house he knew from three. In the garden, who was wilder, and more vary, but less cared, than Saitoh’s, sat Aoshi in his customary blue kimono, meditating. "Ohayou, kitsune." Aoshi said from his position, even without open his clear eyes. "Ohayou, owl boy." Takashi smiled and goes to sit closer. "How are you?" The streets were crowded, and Ayumi made her way grimly, her navy blue gi waving loose like an haori over a light white one, blame the sunshine and the warm breeze. Her hakama waved too, making her feel the delicious breeze in her slender legs, the smell of the trees under the sun sweet and fresh. She enjoyed the afternoon, as she looked for a place where to watch the Aoiya for her whole turn, from the lunch to midnight, when it came to be Yuri’s turn. And she had hoped to spend this afternoon with Saicho-chan, his young assistant, making inventary in her clinic. What the heck. She found a simple sake bar close enough, she ordered a bit of fresh white sake, and she waited. A white shiny silk shirt move between the crowd without a collision, and Ayumi’s head lifted to take a peek. That chinese shirt, and the black ponytail waving defiantly in the breeze made her smile, before to shout: "Eh! Mitsuki-chan!! Over here!!" she called. The always genki, cheerful and huggeable Mit-chan looked at her, and ran to the sake shop, to embrace Ayumi laughing. "Gods, I’ve missed you!" Ayumi exclaimed. "I’ve heard you were out country." "Hai hai." Mitsuki nodded, her fat ponytail feathered moving at every turn of her head. "I’m happy to be in Kyoto again. How are you, Ayumi-chan? And the rest?" "We have news, dear. Sit, let me buy to you a cup of sake and I’ll tell you what had happened lately." Ayumi shrugged. "You wouldn’t imagine how busy we have been..." "Kiri-san." Kiri closed the book about poisons and looked to the graceful exgeisha, who walked softly into her room in the Hanari Meiko’s herbal shop. She sighed, and Kiri tilted her head. "Kiri-san, I’m sorry, but I think you owe an apology to Takashi-sama. Even if he is wrong, and I’m afraid he maybe is, we must respect his feelings as we respect the yours." Kiri cursed, her black hair loose around her shoulders in a mess, trembled. "How a man so good as the kit can be so close to that dog of Shinomori? How a man so intelligent as Takashi can be so blind when it comes to that bastard?" "Ki-chan..." Yuri took her hands under the floating sleeves of the kimono, and caressed her hands and wrists. With a shudder, she stopped, her trained fingertips feeling something wrong. With a pull, she turn the pals up, and discovered Kiri’s bare arms under her violet kimono... ...And she gasps... Kiri’s arms were full of cuts, old, fresh, and new ones covering the soft flesh. Alarmed, Yuri pulled a handkerchief to stop the bleedings, but Kiri stopped her, raising to her big purple eyes full of tears, and wide. No... let the dirty blood go... please let the tainted blood go away..." "Kiri!" Yuri embraced her, truly scared for that mad eyes. As she rocked Kiri in her arms, her blue kimono stained with red, she heard sobs against her bosom, and then cries. "I’m not an Oni... I’m not an Oni... I’m Kuroki, I’m the last Kuroki..." she cried desperately. Yuri just embraced her tighter, her own eyes burning. "Shh... daijobu, Kiri, please..." "The Onis wasn’t happy with burn my clan, or to kill my brother! Wasn’t enough for them to steal my life!? They even had marked me… In my veins run his blood, his dirty damned blood staining me in every heartbeat… I hate them! I hate them and someday I’ll have revenge!! Kami-sama, I swear it!! They killed my father! They stole me a mother!! THEY WILL PAY!!" she cried. "Kiri, yamette!!" Yuri’s forceful tone made Kiri open her eyes and look at her. Seeing pain, and understanding in the ex geisha’s face, she took a deep breath, and tilted her head. "Suminasen..." "Kiri, I imagine you have your reasons to hate them, but now you’re part of a group, and we need to work together. But if we can help you, we’ll do... I’ll do." "... Neesan..." Kiri open big, sad purple eyes looking straight to Yuri’s black ones, where all her love, and all her compassion was shining in symphatetic tears. "Suminasen, Yuri-san..." "Daijobu, Ki-chan. Cry if you like. I’ll be here with you. I’ve never had an imouto... I’ll be very honored if you want to have a neesan, do you know." she smiled and kissed her feverish forehead. Kiri embraced her and rests a while in her shoulder, with a sigh. "...Neesan?" "Hai, Ki-chan?" "... I’ve stained your beautiful kimono..." "I’ll stop the bleeding. And never again do something like that!" * whack* "Itaii!" Kiri dried her tears and smiled weakly as Yuri started bandaging the abused arms. "Neesan, can I ask you a question?" "Hai?" Kiri grinned. "You know how much Takashi likes you, neeh? Do you think I can bribe him with you, to let me kill Shinomori?" * Whack* "Ki-ri!!" "Was just an idea!" "I’ve heard you had been busy." was the simple statement Takashi did. Aoshi looked at him sharply, and then served tea. The wind rustled in the garden, waving their loose kimonos, and the long tail of the kitsune into his eyes. "You had never ever had secrets for me" Aoshi said with a whisper. The both stares to the garden’s pond, seeing with eyes of the memory a skinny boy of long ponytail running after a taller one, who jumped from rock to rock, like a cat, till a SPLASH ended the contest. They can hear laughs, and Mariko’s laugh too, through the mist of the years. Fifteen years ago, they had been free, fresh spirits blended into one under the happy, joyful gaze of Mariko. But when the war came, it took all away. koko ni kuru to omoidasu mada yume baka ri miteita koro wo hoshi kara tanabiku kaze ga ore wo kinou heto saratteku (Here brings back memories--still dreaming, always looking to the future From a star the swaying wind carries me to yesterday ) "Aoshi?" "Aa." "... I’ve came here for a reason." "I know." hadena buruu no so ra egao wo utsusu kimi futari de kaita sennen saki no mirai (the bright blue sky your smile reflecting To describe for us thousand years in the future) Takashi was sat in front of him, kneeled carefully. Aoshi left his tea cup, the beloved blue lilium from Takashi’s teaset in the floor, and they both looked straight to the eyes. In the garden, two young boys unconscious of his fragility smiled and dissapeared like mist. mada wasureta wake ja nai n da ze ano toki no yakusoku wo onaji tsuyosa de onaji supiido de yume no tochuu remember 16 (I still don't know the reason we forgot the promise we made that time With the same strength, at the same speed, on the way to a dream--remember 16) Aoshi dropped his gaze to the teacup and touched the brim of the porcelain cup with soft fingers. Was just a brush, a caress, over the warm porcelain, as he waited for Takashi to voice what is troubling him. Takashi was an open book to him, and he had sensed something very wrong in even the way his hair moved. The placid energy, the laughing, loving gray eyes were deadly serious: and was something hurt, something like the fear of to voice a wrong word in his haunted gaze. He waited, and then Takashi’s hand covered his with the lightest of the touches. "You used to trust in me." was Aoshi’s calm statement. "I need to know." Takashi whispered. "You don’t trust in me anymore... after Shishio." Takashi lowered his gaze, ashamed and sad. mada nakushita wake ja nai n da ze hitamukina ano ai wo ochi konda toki wa kokoro no naka de itsumo omou REMEMBER 16 (I still don't know the reason we lost that all-consuming love The sad time deep within my heart, I'll always remember--REMEMBER 16) "Aoshi, do you remember ..?" was Takashi’s whisper. At the sound of his voice with the magic of half-forgot songs a lot of memories, the light charm of the memories came back in a haze. The days all were happy, sunny, and peaceful. When they still didn’t know how blood smelled. When they had each other. Is for that, my brother, you meditate and I nap. Is because that with the eyes closed the both of us can revive our memories, almost as lively as they were... hoko ri darake no gin'iro no gitaa nandomo nandomo "yume wa kanau" to nakinagara sakenda hibi (The dusty silver guitar-- How many times did it say, "Dreams can come true" in the days we shouted and cried? The old song came to Aoshi’s lips, and he mouthed a verse, lost in the melancholy and beauty of the moment. Takashi’s voice had made such a exquisite bittersweet second of memories, a tender pain blossom in his heart in the to have loved and to have lost. No one can understand the pain and the happiness of the memory in their hearts, beside themselves. The bright days still lived inside of them, and they can look at them in the past, and smile remembering the past happiness: but they never could be truly happy again. Because the happiness they were searching wasn’t longer in their world. And that is the price to pay of the absolute happiness, which is in the self-ignorance of that is happiness: is the known fact you will never be so truly happy again... "Hokori darake no gin’iro no guitar..." Aoshi mouthed again as the both felt their hearts constricted. Was no necessary more words between them: Aoshi knew, and Takashi knew. Very softly, Takashi tilted his head till his forehead touched Aoshi’s, his hand still in his, his respective bangs hiding the gray and the blue eyes. A tear trickled his way till Takashi’ chin, and his partner trickled till Aoshi’s lips. They stayed like that for a while. "Shut Up!" Mariko pulled a long coat from Saitoh’s perch, and wrapped it around her shoulders. Mikeru could see the tears in her eyes. Has been a long discussion about the night missioning into the Aoiya, but has been no way to convince Mariko of do her part. Kazuo jumped from his seat. "Damn it, Mariko, or you make sure to get that f*** Okashira out the Aoiya, or I’ll do MYSELF!" "I’ll refuse to BAIT him, you… baka yarous! I’ll not help you to violate a house that was MINE! And you can go to HELL!!" yelled her, slapping Kazuo’s hands out of her shoulders. "Mariko, listen and calm down!" Mike ordered. "Ie! Ask to Takashi, and he would say the SAME!" Mariko pointed to Kazuo with a menacing finger, her cat-like eyes narrowed. "And if something hurts him, you will be very sorry!" "Mariko, listen to yourself!" howled Kazuo. "Aoshi is not a slave trader, and I’ll not let you slice his throat for fun! I am myself clear?!" Yuri, who has been silent with a barely holding herself Kiri sat by her side, lifted a hand. "Mariko-sama, if we don’t found anything, we will not hurt him. I’ll do my best." "You are going to go, neeh, Yuri?" Mike looked at her tiredly. "Choose two more members and search the house from bottom to ceiling. Kazuo, Shinobu, Mitsuki and Ayumi will distract the Onis meanwhile." "I want to go with Kiri and Yuu to cover our backs." Yuri said softly. Mariko looked at her. Then, to Kiri. "Mariko, if you don’t get the Okashira out the house, I know he will recognize them. And being like that, I’m sorry but I’m afraid the confrontation is unavoidable." The long yellow and blue kimono Mariko worn was wrinkled from all the discussion. She took a knife, and snapped it with her eyes burning blue. "Mari..." Kazuo sighed, scratching his tired head, using her pet-name, his eyes full of tenderness. "Mari-chan, you know you and the kit are the main reason I’ll never broke that bastard neck!" Mike nodded. When Mariko hide her face in her hands and cried softly, Kazuo kneeled close, and embraced her against his broad, white-shirt covered chest. "Mike." Takashi was in the door, pale as a ghost, his teaset hanging from his hand, his creamy kimono still on. "How was all?" asked Yuriko carefully. Takashi crossed the room without a blink, his head lowered, heavy steps. "... Is better for you to prepare." he said, his voice low. "I assume you’re assigned to tonight." "Takashi!" yelled Mariko, jumping in her feet, her eyes tear-stained. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?" Takashi looked at Mariko with sad eyes, disillusioned eyes. When Mariko shook him for the shoulders, he let her. And when she left the house with her coat moving in the wind, nobody said a word. "Yuri." said just Mike with low voice. "Go to prepare." mada wasureta wake ja nai n da ze ano toki no yakusoku wo onaji tsuyosare onaji supiido de ima mo yume no tochuu (I still don't know the reason we forgot the promise we made that time Aoshi- Has been a long time, isn’t it? Takashi said he saw you this afternoon and I got a big desire to see you. Are you free tonight? Will you like to come to my house and see my children? I’ll prepare a good dinner, promised! Hoping to see you, Mari. mada nakushita wake ja nai n da se hitamukina ano ai wo ochi konda toki wa kokoro no naka de itsumo omoidasu yo (I still don't know the reason we lost that all-consuming love The sad time deep within your heart, you must always remember) |