Dee looked at her best friend, who was standing on the bed waving a chibi finger and wiping her tear-stained eyes. "Dude," she said with a sweatdrop.
"Since when did you where make-up?"
Blink, blink. "I don't know..."
Dee smacked her head. "Note to self: Next time we write a pass-a-fic, let's make sure the other club members know us a little better." She poked her head around the door to look at Amy. "You know who you are."
Amy looked up from where she had currently lassoed Chichiri to a chair. "What?" she asked innocently.
Dee steamed. "WHAT are you doing!?"
Chichiri squirmed. "TASUKETE NO DAAAA!" Amy whispered something in his ear, causing him to turn bright red and look at Dee funny. "Soo desu ka no da?"
"WHAT DID SHE SAY!?" Dee demanded. Haha, bad joke.
Amy grinned innocently and skipped off, leaving the monk tied to the chair. Dee followed with a sledgehammer raised above her head.
"A little help... no... da..."
Haley raced past the monk, heading for where she thought Tasuki might be. As she turned a corner, she ran straight into the seishi bandit, who was followed closely by B-chan. "Oh! Genrou! I'm glad I found you! I wanted to talk to you about before. See, I sometimes make an ass out of myself without really meaning to, so..."
Tasuki looked at B-chan. "Do I have ta?"
The college girl nodded, mouthing the name, 'Amy-chan.'
Tasuki shrugged and sighed. 'Kuso, this is so outta character for me...' he thought. 'Oh well, screw bein' in character. It was either that'r have that psychotic one flirt with me ferever...' He turned around and planted one on the high schooler's lips.
Haley's last word before she found herself locked with the seishi was a bit muffled, but could only be translated to: "HOLY SHIT!"
B-chan smiled, leaving the room. She didn't get very far, though...
The college girl blinked chibi eyes as a chibi Amy raced by with a chibi Dee on her tail. "COME BACK HERE AND TELL ME WHAT YOU TOLD HIM! I DON'T WANT HIM THINKING I'M A FREAK!"
"Dee-chan, trust me, he already did!"
"TELL ME WHAT YOU SAID!"
"Iiiiiiie!"
"Dammit Amy!"
Amy ducked past B-chan and around a corner, narrowly missing running straight into Koji.
Dee wasn't so lucky.
SLAM!
"Itai!"
"Itai!"
Blush. "Gomen Koji!"
Puzzlement at blush. "Gomen Dee!"
Amy snuck past. With luck, this one would take care of itself. Koji didn't have a hatred of girls or a dead fiancee to work past. The only problem would probably be Dee, who still acted like a little kid when it came to being around guys she thought she loved... not to mention the adorable monk whom she loved so very very much that she slept with his plushie doll every night.
The high schooler blushed. "So, Koji... we'll probably be leaving pretty soon... have you, er..."
'DAMMIT! THINK UP A CONVERSATION TOPIC!' "Thought of a knew temporary leader?"
He blinked, then punched a fist into an open palm. "Knew I fergot somethin'."
"You want me to help? I haven't been here very long, but I did watch the series twice."
"Series? Uh, okay. Why not...?"
Amy grinned, nodding at B-chan as the two strolled off. Their work here was done. Time to celebrate with a glass of good, homemade sake.
They couldn't help but feel like they forgot something, though...
"DAREKA, TASUKETE NO DAAAAAAAA!"
B-chan blinked, choaking in mid-sip of her third cup. "Wazzat?" she wondered, nose already turning slightly pink.
"Loud angry voice, tasukete no da!!" Amy repeated, mimicking it.
"No da...? Ne, where's Chichiri?" B-chan pondered fuzzily.
"I ::hiccup:: forget..." she giggled, filling another cup.
B-chan got up and looked out in the passageway. There was silence for a few seconds and then the voice called out again. The two followed it into the room where a chibi version of the voice's owner was tied down to a chair and struggling to free himself.
"Oh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah." said Amy nostalgically. "So that's where I left him."
B-chan took in the situation curiously. "Why, Chichiri, I didn't know you were into that sort of thing."
"CHIGAOU no da!"
Haley's eyes opened wide as she felt the bandit's lips pressed against her own, then closed them slowly to feel the essence more. She didn't want it to end, but Tasuki grabbed her arms that were lying to her side, and pulled her back. She wanted to search his eyes, but he had closed them while blushing, and folded his arms while turning around. "Ta..Tasuki?" She finally managed to stammer.
"You're going on a date with me tonight. I'll come by your room." With that, he quickly walked off.
'Nani?' I thought. 'He didn't even ask me. That's kinda rude.' She frowned, then beamed quickly. She put a hand over her mouth to keep from yelling in delight, then chibily danced to the closest room and danced in to that room. She chibily danced around the room with her eyes closed.
"Um...Haley-chan?"
She stopped abruptly and looked over at Chichiri tied in a chair with Amy and B-chan on either side. "Oh..heh...wait...what are you doing to Chichiri!?"
"What about you? You're dancing around like a maniac!" exclaimed Amy.
"Oh...well..." She blushed deeply. "Well..." Finally she couldn't hold it anymore. "I'm going on a date with Tasuki! AAAAAH!" She screamed, and Amy screamed as well. The two clasped hands and jumped around in a circle.
"When is it?!" asked Amy when they stopped.
"Tonight!"
"TONIGHT?! WE HAVE TO GET YOU READY RIGHT AWAY!"
"Ready?" Haley put a finger to her lips and looked up. "How do I get ready?"
B-chan and Amy fell over, Chichiri sweat-dropped. Amy stood up. "What do you mean? You have to find what you're gonna wear, what make-up you're gonna put on, how you're gonna do your hair. There's tons of things you have to do to prepare."
"Including a little prayer," added B-chan.
"I'm sorry...I've never been on a date before." Her eyes widened. "OH SHIT! I've never been on a date before! I DUNNO WHAT THE HELL TO DO! AAAA..."
"SHHH!" B-chan clamped a hand over Haley's mouth. "Do you want him to hear you?!"
Haley shook her head.
B-chan's head drooped. "It was rhetorical." She released her hand from over Haley's mouth. "Anyway, let's see...there's probably no dresses in a bandit hideout..."
"You mean I have to wear a dress?"
Amy and B-chan stared at her. Amy spoke first. "What were you thinking of going in? Your regular man-bandit-like outfit?!"
She frowned. "You mean you don't like it?"
"It's not that!" exclaimed B-chan. "You're going to have to wear something different than your everyday stuff, and it's not like ancient China makes clothes for woman that aren't dressed or war-type stuff."
"You're right...but I have to get one quickly. How am I going to do that?"
The three thought in silence, then glanced over at the tied-up monk. They all looked back at each other, grinned and then said in unison, "Chichiri-chan?"
"Daaaaaa...fine no da. I'll teleport you to inside the village no da."
"Arigatou Chichiri!" they chimed.
Chichiri was actually rather glad they decided to go out shopping, if only for the fact it got thier minds off of him. Why couldn't he have been this popular when he was a kid? He remembered how much he envied Hikou and his luck with girls when he was younger.
Now, he wanted to get rid of it.
Amy picked up a white dress with a thin, longsleeved, green robe and a slightly darker green sash, "Hey! B-chan! What do you think?"
B-chan flashed her a V sign and picked up a lovely red dress. It had a very light orange dress underneath and a sleevless robe that was woven in the finest silks, "You would not beleive the deal I got on this!"
Haley, on the other hand, was moping about, "Deeeee.... make 'em stoooooop..."
Dee snorted, "If Chichiri can't, you think I can?"
"Ha... very funny." she muttered.
"Oh. My. God." Amy shouted, "Haley! B! Get your asses over here!"
"Should we be like the romans," B-chan asked, picking up an extremely pale make-up set. "Or something a little more natural?" she said, pointing to the purse Amy had somehow managed to grab with her, mostly filled with makeups she never really used.
"I am *not* going to look like Mulan!" Haley growled, "It's bad enough I'm wearing this!" she guestured to the *purple outfit.
"Shut up and put on the lipstick."
"Oh, this looks perfect!" Amy beamed as she and B-chan held ancient Chinese makeup and continued dabbing it on the tied up Haley.
"I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT ANY MAKE-UP!"
B-chan and Amy both stood up with chibi frowns. "But why not? Don't you wanna impress Tasuki?" She elbowed the younger girl and winked.
"Are you saying my face won't impress him?!" she practically growled.
B-chan and Amy looked at each other, than looked back at the furious girl. "Yes," they both simultaneously said.
"Aaah..." her head drooped. They both came forward with the make-up again, and her head pricked up. "WAIT! How about I make you a deal?"
"A deal? You already owe me for getting you this date," stated B-chan.
"Wha? You mean you made him?" She began to frown.
B-chan chibily sweat-dropped. "Wait, don't get sad. He obviously wants to get to know you better, if you know what I mean." she grinned. "He just needed some persuading."
"Ya, you should have seen him after you left. He was really stammering and nervous," added Amy.
"Maybe I should tell him I don't want to go..."
"NO!" they both exclaimed.
"But what's the point? He didn't want to go, and I don't want to annoy him."
"Are you forgetting our mission?" Amy asked.
"Right...you're right. Gomen, I'm just kinda nervous."
"And you have every reason to be! It's part of our mission after all," said Amy.
The younger girl's mouth became zig-zagged.
"I mean uh..." Amy stammered as B-chan glared at her. The latter girl sighed.
"If it makes you more comfortable, don't wear any make-up."
"REALLY?!"
"NO! Uh...I mean..." Amy chuckled nervously upon B-chan's look. "I mean sure...but we still get to do your hair!" she grinned.
"Fine, but you better not hurt me!"
......
"ITAI! ITAI! ITAI!"
"Well, if you weren't so tenderheaded!" exclaimed Amy.
"It does look like you're pulling hard no da," Chichiri finally said something from his little spot tied-up in the chair.
"Why don't you try it then!? Her hair isn't easy to put up!" She let go of the hair and stood up, then fidgeted while untying Chichiri.
"I"M FREE NO DA!" he shouted.
Dee, back from her little visit with Koji, and B-chan chibily guarded the door with ninja swords.
"Ninja swords in China no da?" the monk shrugged. "You guys didn't need to do that no da. I could have just teleported out if I wanted no da."
All the girls fell over.
"Why didn't you then?" asked B-chan.
He sweat-dropped. "I was afraid what you might do if you found me no da. And besides, prophecies are supposed to be fulfilled no da!"
"But are we fulfilling a..." B-chan shut her mouth. "Heh...you're right!"
"Anyway no da...let's see about this stubborn hair of yours no da." Chichiri kneeled down next to Haley, and began brushing her hair. Everybody sweat-dropped.
"I didn't think he was actually going to take the offer," Amy whispered to Dee.
"Why does it look natural for him to do that?" Dee asked back, a little scared.
"Sexy bishie...touching my hair..." Haley's cheeks blushed deep crimson.
"There no da!" Chichiri stood up, and Dee, Amy and B-chan looked in awe.
"He did that in a fraction of the time I did nothing!" exclaimed Amy.
"Chichiri..." B-chan began.
"Heh..." the monk shrugged. "I did have a sister no da!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think-ed he be gay-ed," Dee admitted to the wide-eyed B-chan.
"Uh...is it okay guys?" Haley asked sweat-dropping. Her hair was left hanging down, perfectly done in 6 braids tied with light yellow ribbon.
"Hmm...we'll just have to see how it looks with the dress." Amy threw the dress at Haley and shoved her behind a changing-behinder- thingee...wow, I'm good at describing. Haley quickly threw on the dress and walked out, smoothing out the folds.
"So...?" she asked nervously.
Dee, B-chan and Amy grinned.
"I think it's safe to say we have the Tasuki-bishie under our belt," said B-chan.
"I'm not wearing a belt," Haley pointed out.
Dee immediately smacked her on the head.
"Thank you," Amy rubbed her temples.
Chichiri's eyes grew wide and chibi. "So...when is your date with Tasuki no da?"
"Uh...I don't know." she scratched her head.
B-chan sighed. "That idiot, he didn't even set a time! I'll just go find out..." B-chan opened the door, stared wide-eyed, then closed the door again. "HE'S HERE! HAHAHAHA!"
"I'll take them no da!" Chichiri tipped his hat to the younger girl, grabbed the three other girls in one arm, and disappeared.
"Heh...I kinda wish they were here..." The girl imagined herself in the middle of the Arctic to keep from sweating, and slowly opened the door. She smiled nervously as she looked up at the bandit with the blank expression.
"Uh...hey Harii-chan."
"Hey Genrou. So..uh, where are we going?"
"Uh...right. We're on a date. Heh." He put his arm behind his head and laughed, then returned to normal. "Let's go." He walked off a bit quick, and Haley trotted a little to catch up with him, then walked normally. She was a bit disappointed he didn't offer his arm to her, but decided to shrug it off since she was dealing with an emotionally-challenged man here. Wait...emotionally-challenged. That means she would have to be the one to show affection first. She quickly grabbed onto his arm and looked up to smile at him. He responded with a blank expression and slight blush. Then, just as quickly, he looked up forward again.
"So where are we going?"
"You'll see."
"Genrou...did you get forget we had a date?" she asked, frowning as she looked up at him from the side. He paused for a second, and looked down sweat-dropping.
"Do you really think I'd forget?!"
Immediately, she blushed and looked at him with teary eyes. "You mean...you mean you couldn't forget about me? You're so nice!" She immediately hugged him around the waist. He held her shoulders, trying to pry her off.
"Hey! Can't we wait to get out of the hideout!?" He finally pryed her off, and she looked up at him, blinking flirtaciously.
"Oh...does this mean you were planning to get close to me?"
He blushed deep. "I didn't mean it like that! This is the first date!"
She blinked flirtaciously again. "Do you mean that you were planning more dates?"
He blushed even deeper. "Do you have to analyze everything I say? Geez!" He looked around the hallway quickly, then picked the girl up in his arms and ran off towards the woods. She held onto his neck tight...very tight.
"I SAID YOU'RE CHOKING ME!"
"Wha?!" She lifted her head up from over his shoulder, and for a moment their faces were barely two inches apart. They both blushed quickly, and then Haley jumped from his arms. She looked around, and found herself past the woods and just infront of a city. "You..you run fast," she stammered.
"I had to to make sure none of the guys saw us!"
She sweat-dropped, ignoring his indirect insult. Then, she quickly latched onto his arm again. "Lead the way!"
She swears she saw a bit of a smile, which was soon turned into a scowl as he walked into the city.
~~~~~~
"WHERE'S THE ACTION?!" demanded Amy.
"Shhh...you don't want them to hear you no da!" Chichiri whispered as they all hid among the trees.
"Don't you think you should give them a little time?" B-chan suggested.
"Ya, it's not like Tasuki's known for his fascination towards women." said Dee.
~~~~~~
Tasuki led Haley to the door of an inn, then put his arm behind his head. "Heh...I kinda feel silly for bringing you here since you're dressed up so nice."
She blushed at his indirect compliment. He seemed to do things indirectly a lot.
He looked down at her and grinned. "But they have some of the best food in Konan. Not to mention the best sake in all four regions!" They walked in, and the bandit led them to a small cozy table in the corner.
A short, plump woman with a mole on the left side of her forehead and curly brown hair came up to the table with a tray holding a flask. "Hey Li! I think Armageddon is coming! Genrou's in here with a girl!" she yelled out of the corner of her mouth. The bartender looked over and laughed.
"I don't believe it!" Everyone in the inn looked over as the conversation er...conversed. "I think we should give him complimentary drinks on the house for the special occasion.
Tasuki sweat-dropped. "You don't have to act like it's a miracle!" The woman just laughed in response and set a flask on the table. Tasuki quickly poured Haley and himself a glass, then drank his quickly. He looked up as the woman tapped her foot. "What?"
"Aren't you going to introduce us?"
"Oh..." he sweat-dropped, then waved his hand toward the woman. "This is Xi Luan. And this is Harii."
"Harii...what an interesting name." She smiled broadly. "But I like it."
"Thanks."
"Well, what can I get for the two of you?"
Tasuki looked over at Haley. "Whatcha want?"
"I don't really care. What's good?"
"The moo shu pork is a favorite," the woman answered. "Is that what you want?"
"Sure."
Tasuki nodded.
"All right. I'll leave the two of you alone now." She winked as she left. "She's friendly," she said.
"Ya, she can also be insulting." he scowled.
The girl laughed. "But you did always say you hated girls. She wasn't saying you were too much of a loser to get a girl."
He raised an eyebrow.
She waved her chibi arms. "I'm not saying you're a loser."
"I didn't ask if you were," he stated. She quickly sweat-dropped, and he finally laughed. "You looked like I might explode on you. Are you afraid of making me mad or something?"
Her sweat-drop grew and fell on the table with a splash. "Well...ya."
He looked a little hurt. "You mean you're afraid of me?"
"No! I just didn't want to annoy you on our date." she fidgeted nervously with her hands on the table as she looked down. "This is my first date ever, and it's with a man who used to always said he hated girls."
He didn't say anything for a while, and then said, "Just act like you usually do around me. You don't ever annoy me..." He stopped. "except for when you were just batting your eyelashes at me." She sweat-dropped. "But relax. We're just hanging out as friends, okay? Now here, have some of the best sake!" He grinned as he held up the glass he had poured for her.
"Um...Genrou...I've never had alcohol before."
"WHA?!" He almost fell over. "How old are you?"
"Uh...14." He finally fell over and landed on his head.
~~~~~~
"THAT IDIOT!" Amy exclaimed as they peered through the window.
"I wonder what made him pass out no da. It's not normal for him to do that no da."
~~~~~~
Haley woke up in the middle of the night. Genrou was still sound asleep next to her on the same bed at the inn. He had been like that since he passed out. She, with the help of Xi Luan and Li had taken him up to this room. She had kept an eye on him while she ate, and then she eventually decided to go to sleep.
She couldn't blame him for reacting like he did. Most people thought she was older. It was a positive sign, too. Maybe it meant he had actually started getting feelings for her. She shook her head. Whatever feelings he had might be gone now. He was 20, after all. This might be the last chance she had to get really close to him.
Carefully, as to not wake him up, she edged closer to him. She lifted his arm up and circled it around her shoulders, lying her head and hands on his chest. His coat had been taken off, so that he was just wearing his white shirt. She blushed as a part of her hand touched the bare skin that wasn't covered through the v-opening of his shirt. She fell asleep feeling more secure and safe than she ever had in her life.
"Dee, hurry up no da," Chichiri grunted from under the hotel window.
"Gomen Chichiri," Dee apologized, looking down for a moment to smile at the monk, "but I'm just a tad too short to see in, so I've gotta stretch." She turned back to the window and focused all her energy on pulling herself up onto the ledge. At the same time, Dee tried not to think about what she might find. She didn't think Haley-chan would do anything kinky on her first date, but everyone had been acting kind of strange since they'd arrived here, so...
'I swear, if I look in and something nasty is going on, I'm never going to stop screaming,' she thought with a shudder.
"Dee-chan no da!" the pained squeal sounded from below.
Amy and B-chan glared upwards. "Hurry, hurry!"
"You're causing Chichiri pain!"
"Gomen, gomen..." Dee apologized. She put her hands on the ledge and hoisted herself up... then came right back down. "Ugh... I always sucked at pull-ups. Well, third time's the charm... Ichi, ni, san... Up!" This time, the high schooler managed to get her feet gripped into a few cracks in the building's wall; with a short grunt she pulled herself up and peered inside...
One bed. A fireplace. Covers. Haley-chan's back. Haley-chan's head... AGAINST GENROU'S CHEST!?
"EEP!" With a strangled cry, Dee fell backwards in surprise. She closed her eyes, realizing she was about ten feet from the ground and that landing on your back from that height would probably hurt... "Pre-emptive itai..."
The high schooler waited several seconds for the inevitable WHUMP, but nothing came. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, flipping over and realizing that she was hovering about six inches from the ground. "Huh?"
Dee looked over at Chichiri, who had two fingers to his lips and was concentrating hard.
"Oh. Nicely done! Arigatou, 'Chiri."
"Doo itashimashite na no da," he muttered. "Can't hold... much longer... no da..."
"Oh, right!" Dee put her hands down and landed softly on the grass. "Have I mentioned how glad I am that you came with us?"
"That's not the only reason she's glad you're here-" Amy's mouth was quickly covered by Dee's hand. "Mph phvs ruu!" Amy bit Dee's hand.
"YOWCH!"
"Daa..."
B-chan hopped up and down chibily. "Well, whadja see? Anything interesting?"
Dee clenched her fists together. "Minna... you won't believe this, demo..." her teeth gritted together. "Haley-chan, sweet, pure Haley-chan... is sleeping with Tasuki, woman-hating, emotionally-challenged Tasuki."
Amy and B-chan stared at Dee in open-mouthed surprise for a moment. But only for a moment. The trio of girls started speaking all at once. "No way!"
"Tasuki and Haley-chan, in bed together!?"
"I can't believe Tasuki would do that!"
"That's kind of a nasty visual!"
"It was only the first date, too!"
"Tasuki wouldn't really take advantage of her, would he?"
"That creep!"
"I say we kick his ass!"
"Yeah!"
Chichiri blew a referee whistle, spreading his arms to keep them from running up the stairs and beating the seishi bandit into the ground. "Calm down, and please listen to me no da."
The chibi trio immediately stopped, eyes sparkly.
"Yes Chichiri-chan/-sama/etc?"
He took a breath. "There must be a reasonable explanation no da. I know Tasuki and he would never do that unless Haley-chan agreed to it, na no da." He paused thoughtfully. "Even then, I'm not sure if he would do it no da..." He shook his head. "Anyway, I don't think there's any reason for you to burst into his room, and, ano..."
"Pound his seishi brains into the ground for the worms to feast upon?" Dee suggested.
Sweatdrop. "Uh, hai no da. Maybe we should just leave them alone, no da."
Amy was about to disagree, then got a smashing idea. She grabbed ahold of Chichiri's arm. "You're completely right! Let's go back to Reikaku! It's getting late, after all." She shivered. "Man, it's cold tonight! You know, body heat keeps people warm, so if we cuddled up really closely in your bed I bet you and I would be toasty!"
"Daa..."
B-chan grabbed the monk's other arm. "That's a pretty cheap excuse for a pick-up line, Amy! And anyway," she grinned at Chichiri, "you don't like fast women, right?" Cuddle cuddle.
"Daa..."
Dee sighed; they always managed to get there first.
Dee paused, thinking about how Haley-chan had managed to land Tasuki; by not acting like an obsessed fangirl in front of him. A slow smile spread across her young face. Ten years? Pah, what did ten years matter!? Love knew no age!
Dee sweatdropped. 'Damn... I've been hanging around this world too long. I'm starting to sound corny...'
The high schooler caught up to her older friends, who were using Chichiri as a human tug-o-war rope at the moment. "C'mon you two, leave Chichiri alone. You're gonna snap him in two if you keep that up."
The monk grinned nervously, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. "Well, I do need both my arms for the teleporting spell na no da."
He was immediately released, sending Dee a small, grateful smile. She smiled back, eyes looking like little upside-down "U"s. Kawaii, ne. Amy and B-chan growled.
"Let's go home, then! I'm exhausted!" Dee grabbed onto the monk's kesa as the other girls did the same, sending a look back at the hotel. "But I'm going to kill that bandit if my best buddy comes back tomorrow missing something very, very precious-- and I'm not talking about animé collection!"
~~~~~~
Back in the bandit stronghold of Reikaku, Koji tapped his fingers unhappily on the dining room table. "Y'know, I get th' funny feelin' I've been left behind. AGAIN!" He stood up and stalked off to his room, hands in his pockets. "Dammit, this always happens... it just ain't fair! Genrou gets all the fun..." If he only knew...
~~~~~~
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Tasuki's eyes fluttered open. He groaned slightly, causing Haley-chan to wake up. Her blue eyes opened slowly, looking into a pair of small-pupiled, seriously confused orange eyes. "Wha...?" Genrou touched a hand to his head for a moment, blinking his eyes to get them into focus. Once he did, he found himself staring into the sleeping face of a girl... A GIRL!?
"AH!" he screamed.
"AH!" Haley screamed.
"AH!"
"AH!"
"AH!"
"AH!"
And that's where I'm going to leave you. Make of it what you will. I know Genrou certainly will.
Amy slumped against a tree trunk as Chichiri took of his kesa. "I'm a sappy romantic, and something's not right."
"You should leave them alone, no da."
"Hai, hai, I know... but I've come across too many fics that just leave people hanging in the romantic department."
He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Dee-chan tried to keep the invading images at bay, but to very little avail, "B-chan! Get these images out of my head!!"
B-chan grinned, "Me and 'Chiri, on a beach, nothing but a towel..."
"Iie! No! Even worse!" She held her little head.
B-chan couldn't help but look a bit digruntled, "It's not *that* bad..."
"Wait, *me* and Chichiri... and swim trunks." she whispered out of the monk's range, "Hai, hai, better...mmm... with Kouji rubbing lotion..."
B-chan slapped her forehead and sat down on the kesa. She patted the spot next to her, "There's room for two, no da." Chichiri blanched.
"Hey. Why wouldn't Tasuki mess around with Haley? Age?"
"Hai, no da. Now let's--"
"That's it! Haaaa!! I know the answer to everything now!!" She grabbed the monk by the collar, and for a moment, with his face so close, she thought she might lay one on him, but the angry chi vibes from B stopped that idea. "You. Monk. Take me to Taiisukun or I put the shackles--I mean, cuffs, back on!"
Without hesitation, he cast a simple spell and took her there.
B-chan's chi was flaring, "Where the HELL did she go with MY man?!"
Dee-chan put a hand over her mouth, "Don't you dare--"
--And Amy promptly fell on the two with a Chibi-chiri on her lap, "We're baaaack!"
"What took you so long?!" B-chan growled.
"I had a little talk with Taiisukun. And she decided to give me some powers that weren't currently in use."
"I think you scared her, no da." Chichiri murmured.
Amy blinked sweetly and ran a finger over a little medal with the Byakko symbol ingraved on it, and a smaller one in the center of the medallion, her patience running thin, "I'm 19 honey. I don't see a need to use my newly found power on you right now, wanna keep it that way?"
B-chan blanched, "Oh God, it's *that* power, isn't it?"
"Don't worry." Amy replied, "I read a fic a while ago about how a couple fan girls misused the power... and I really didn't like the end result." She gave a sly grin to Chichiri who tried to back away as far as possible, "So we'll play match maker. Lead me to Tasuki!"
"Nani?! I thought you said you were going to use it on Haley?!" Chichiri cried.
"Phhft, and miss out on a Tasuki with hormones? Yeah right." she grinned.
The four crept into the room, where Tasuki, she assumed, was hiding under the covers with a very red Haley-chan sitting on the edge of the bed. Upon seeing the four enter her room, she lunged at Amy and B, and about to beat them senseless if it wasn't for Chichiri and Dee. "I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT A DRESS AND MAKE-UP! I DIDN'T WANT TO BE FORCED ON A DATE--"
While B-chan cringed, Amy ignored the commenting, she had more important things to do. (This just got Haley madder). She aimed at medalion at Tasuki. "Okay, you think she's too young for you? Well. We'll see about that."
The white light hit Tasuki just as he was starting to come out of his little tent, "What the fuck? Stop it! Dammit it! Stoooop!"
The light receeded and Amy could only grin.
Tasuki wanted to kill 'er. "I'M TWENTY DAMN YOU! TWENTY! NOT FUCKING FIFTEEN!!!!"
Haley began to just grin stupidly, "You looked like this at 15? Awww... Erm, I mean." she quickly ducked behind Dee-chan.
Amy brandished the amulet, "You wanna go back to diapers pal?"
He stopped, mid lunge, and could only glare. "I hate you, you know."
She walked over and pinched his cute little cheek, "I know, I know." she whistled, "Okay crew, let's jet. Time to get these guys back on thier date."
The three followed, grumbling every step of the way, and eyeing the little necklace around Amy's neck, thinking of the possibilities...
"Damn, Why couldn't she steal Tokaki's power? I could pop into Chichiri's room whenever I wanted to..."
"Or Tatara? I could be the Poison Ivy of ancient China!"
B-chan, Dee, Amy and Chichiri quickly ran out of the room. Or rather, the three girls quickly ran out dragging Chichiri with them. "Uh..." Haley looked up at the younger bandit, who was still scowling at looking towards where they had left off to. "I swear, they're gonna get it for this."
"I need sake."
"Um... Tasuki..." Haley said softly.
"Lots of sake, an' then I'll gonna kill 'er."
"Um... about that... "
"Slow 'n painful. Grab my tessen an' slow roast 'er."
"Your under age." she finally blurted, her sleeve had sucessfully taken off ll but the stain from the lipstick.
"We're in China! There are no age limits!"
"Daaa.... right." she murmured, "But, um, I don't think she'll change your age back unless you finish this date."
He paused, "Sneaky little bitch." He grabbed Haley's arm, "C'mon then. What d'you consider a date?"
As she was being drug back outside through the leering (and surprised) crowd of people, she could only really remember the 'classic' types, "Long walks, um, picnics, y'know. Romantic stuff."
"Shit. I'm used to just gettin' 'em drunk an takin' 'em to the nearest inn." (He had to get a reputation before he was excepted into the bandit mountain.)
Haley grabbed her arm back and stood her ground, "I am *not* a prostitue!"
Tasuki whined, "I didn't mean that!"
"Then what did you mean?"
"..."
"You *did* mean that!"
"No I didn'! Your too young!" he glared, "*I'M* too young!!"
"How about we just walk back to hide out, the long way."
"All right, sounds good." he muttered. Haley was frowning, weren't dates supposed to be romantic?
Dee stared at the fifteen-year old Tasuki with wide eyes, a new thought molding in her devious mind. She glanced hungrily at Amy's medallion. 'If I could get ahold of that baby...' her eyes shot over to her monk friend. She tried to keep herself from squealing. 'I bet he was totemo kawaii at fifteen...' Ah, screw keeping it in. Dee giggled insanely.
Chichiri looked over at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Daijoubu ka no da?"
Dee smiled and blushed. "Daijoubu, thanks oh-so-much for worrying!"
Sweatdrop. "Uh, no problem na no da..."
The high schooler frowned. No, nix that plan. He was oh-so-cute at twenty-six (-seven? Something like that), plus he'd probably think her even more obsessed then she already was. And that was saying a lot... Dee gave up on any evil schemes for the moment and silded up next to Amy. "Man, Amy, why couldn't you have made Tasuki twenty-nine?"
"Um... Because the idea was to make the two of them closer in age?" her friend said with a "duh" look.
"Well, yeah, I know, demo... rrrow," Dee made a cat noise and half-rolled her eyes. "Tasuki was sooo sexy at twenty-nine."
Chichiri had conveniently overhead. "How would you know what Tasuki looked like at twenty-nine, no da...?"
Dee blinked wide, chibi eyes. "Oh, er..." 'Crap, he wasn't supposed to hear that.'
The monk frowned thoughtfully. "Hm. I wonder, na no da... Is it because...?"
B-chan and Amy glared at the high schooler and her big mouth. If the monk found out that he was a TV show character... well, everyone remembers Tamahome's little freak-out (though the authoress must note that Tamahome is in NO way like Chichiri-chan, ah thank you!).
"Are you some sort of seer, no da?"
The trio fell over. "Sometimes I forget that we're in a magical world," B-chan murmured.
"Well..." Dee popped up, rubbing her hands together. "Yes indeedy Chichiri! A seer by nature, though not necessarily by trade, if you catch my drift." From the blank looks, it was obviosu that there was no drift-catching going on in this neighborhood. "I can see the future, see the past, sometimes even read minds! It just sorta depends on how my seery powers work, y'see!"
Amy slapped a hand to her head. "What a crappy excuse."
"Well," B-chan reasoned, "it's better than telling him the truth."
Chichiri nodded, smiling chibily and holding up a finger. "Wow, that is really--"
Dee grinned, waiting for the monk's praise and respect for her abilities... A small chibi frown.
"--Kowai [scary] na no da."
Dee face-vaulted. Why did her master plans never seem to work!? "I lied. I'm not a seer. I just knew because... because I'm an idiot."
"That doesn't make sense no da."
"I know."
"I'm confused no da."
"Me too."
"But," the monk added, "I'm glad that you can't actually read minds, na no da. I like you better as a normal girl na no da."
"YOU THINK SHE'S NORMAL!?" Amy and B-chan burst out laughing.
Dee's teeth gritted together. "Let's just go back to Reikaku! I'm tired, and I bet Koji's worried."
~~~~~~
Tasuki practically dragged Haley-chan down the streets of the small town, wishing the people he knew would stop giving him stares. Geez, it wasn't like he'd sprouted a second head or something...
Haley stumbled to keep up with her long-legged friend. She had to admit that he was quite good-looking at fifteen, though she wasn't sure if she liked him better now or at his normal age. On the plus side, he was several inches shorter so she didn't have to crane her neck up everytime she wanted to look him in the eye (don't kill me for that one, Haley-chan!). "So... where are we going exactly?"
"T'the country. Where no one'll see me..."
"But don't the Reikaku bandits usually roam the country around this time?" she remarked, checking the sun to try to figure out the time.
"Maybe it's too early for that..."
"Yeah," the seishi agreed, slowing down when he realized Haley was having a hard time keeping up. "But we gotta hurry, or they'll all see me like this."
"Would it be that bad?"
"Hell yeah it would!" he shot back, stopping for a moment and gesturing to himself. "Look at me!"
Haley did as he said, enjoying the view. "What's the problem?"
"I'm five years younger, not t'mention scrawny! I'd never hear th' end of it from 'em all! Even Koji'd gimme hell about it, prob'ly tell me t'call him Aniki again..." Tasuki grabbed the ends of his jacket, which were actually dragging on the ground (hey, guys grow a lot between fifteen and twenty, it's their sproutin' time ^^; ). "Bein' fifteen once was enough, I can't wait 'till I find yer crazy friend an' make her change me back." Tasuki's voice squeaked on the end of "back." Haley giggled, but the seishi was less pleased. "KUSO! Y'MEAN I GOTTA GO THROUGH PUBERTY AGAIN!?"
Haley grabbed her sides and burst out laughing while pointing at the already-angry seishi. "You...you...KuuuUusso!" She imitated his voice by cracking hers, then quickly stifled her laugh. "I'm sorry....I couldn't help it."
He just continued glaring, then he sighed, and grabbed her arm again as he continued dragging her off out of the town. When they eventually got in a secluded area of the forest away from the path, he let go of her arm. "All right, now let's get this date over quick. We can do anything that doesn't require me being seen."
Haley frowned. "I don't want to be an annoyance to you. If you want, we can just not actually do anything and tell them we went on a date."
Tasuki stared at her blankly. "Do you not want to do anything?"
"No, it's not that! I'll do something if you want to." She blushed and waved her arms chibily. "But I don't mean that I'm secreatly in love with you and would love to go on a date with you." The girl mentally slapped herself in a face. What idiot wouldn't see through that little series of babbling?
Tasuki grinned. "Don't worry. I knew B-chan and the others were crazy to think that you loved me."
She mentally face-vaulted. 'How could I forget who I'm dealing with?' she asked herself. She forced a laugh. "Ya, they tried to tell me the same thing about you."
"What?! They said I loved you?!" he exclaimed.
"Ya..." Haley sweat-dropped. "Maybe we shouldn't mention them. It just seems to make you mad."
"More than mad..." His fists trembled with rage.
She quickly covered his fists with her hands as she smiled and sweat-dropped. "Genrou, is there something that will calm you down?"
A tint of red showed on his cheeks, and he pulled his fists away, relaxing. "Didn't I already tell you?" he grinned.
"Oh right..." she laughed. "I'll go get some sake then." She turned to walk off, but Genrou grabbed her arm.
"You want to go alone?"
"You said you didn't want to be seen, right?"
"Well, ya, but..."
"Awww, do you care enough about me that you'd be worried about me going alone?" she grinned.
He scowled. "It's not like I don't have a heart!"
"I know you do..." she frowned, remembering his reactions to his Chiriko's and Nuriko's deaths.
"I've got a better idea than drinking sake right now." He sweat-dropped. "I don't think I've ever thought that before."
She laughed. "I didn't think I'd ever hear you say that before. So, what is it?"
"I'll show you." he smiled, and walked up the woodsy mountain.
"This view is awesome!" They had climbed to an area that was straight, but high, and was practically hovering above and next to the city. The sky was clear enough to see the bright stars.
"It always makes me feel better to come up here." He sat down and sprawled his legs out with his arms propping him up from slightly behind his back. "Although usually I bring some sake too."
"You come up here a lot?" the girl asked, sitting down next to him, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Not lately. When I was returning from my journeys with the rest of the seishi and priestess, I accidentaly found this place when I was chasing a squirrel who had stolen my tessen." He looked over at her. "You better not tell that to anyone."
She smiled. "I won't." She looked up at the sky, then recognized something. "Crater!" She pointed to the bandit's constellation. "Is that why you like this place so much? Um..."
She looked over, and saw the bandit staring at her with his hand to his chest, breathing hard. "Did you have to yell that so loud? It was all quiet, and then you screamed!"
She sweat-dropped. "Oh, sorry...but that is why you like it, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Part of it. I was still coping with the others' deaths. When I saw this, with their constellations shining above this city, it reminded me why they did what they did. At first it made me angry, angry that they had to die. But then I realized they were happy to die for the peace of others." The bandit felt the girl wrap her arms around his waist and lean into him. He jumped a bit, then looked down at her with his arms up, not touching her. "Harii- chan?!"
"Genrou, you're pretty tough and courageous. But underneath it all, you're one of the sweetest people I've ever met."
"..." He stared for a moment, blushing, and watched as she closed her eyes, smiling. He reluctantly layed his hands on her shoulders and side, and sighed.
Amy paced the Reikaku main hall restlessly, shooting glances at the front door every once in a while. "I can't believe they aren't back yet? I figured Tasuki'd come running back with his tessen waving, but..."
"Maybe Tasuki's enjoying his time with Harii-chan no da," Chichiri suggested from his seat.
B-chan and Amy burst out laughing.
Dee frowned. "Hey, is it that hard to imagine Tasuki having fun with my best friend?" she paused thoughtfully, then sighed. "Ah, I forgot which bandit I was talking about. Any time with a girl is bad for him."
Koji shook his head. "Baka, never did understan' him not likin' girls. Ain't natural."
B-chan and Amy nodded at one another. Amy spoke. "But you like girls, right Koji?"
"Oryaa," he agreed, leaning back in his seat next to Chichiri.
"Any girl in particular?" B-chan wondered, shooting little glances at Dee, who didn't seem to be paying any attention.
"Ah... not really," Koji responded honestly. He followed the college girl's gaze. "Huh?"
"I know a certain girl who might like you," Amy added, fighting off the urge to set up yet another date.
"What, Dee?" he pointed at the half-asleep high schooler. The bandit laughed. "C'mon, she's more obsessed with Chichiri than you are."
"Daa..."
"An' anyway, she's too young fer me."
Amy grinned devilishly, touching the medallion that was hidden under her shirt. "Well, now..."
All of a sudden Dee jumped up, hopping onto her chair. Amy and B-chan cringed, afraid that she had heard them talking with Koji. "My spider senses are tingling!" Dee shouted melodramatically.
Chichiri and Koji looked at her with even more confused faces than B-chan and Amy. "Nande...?"
The high schooler pointed a finger towards the north. "I smell the sticky-sweet odor of sap and corny romance! At this very moment, Haley-chan may even be whispering..." she shuddered "...mushy poetry to Tasuki!" She hopped off the chair. "WE MUST RIGHT THIS TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE WRONG! AWAY!"
Everyone sweatdropped and watched her as she stormed out the door. After a moment, they shrugged and followed.
"Beats Reikaku evenin' chores."
"At least when they're preoccupied like this they don't strangle me no da."
"I'm a little curious to see how corny a date with Tasuki could possibly get."
"Hey, if it involves Bishies and love, I'm there."