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 Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:12 pm
Yahiko was usually never a guy who paced, yet there he was in the hallway, walking up and down, not quite sure what to do. Akimura Yukio... the name didn't ring a bell at all. His mind shuffled through past events... Enishi, Kyoto, even smaller Tokyo Events, but he couldn't get anything. He didn't know what bugged him more; the fact that this kid came out of nowhere and knew a bunch of things that he shouldn't have known or that he himself was no good at remembering just one small name. Akimura... nothing. Then again, perhaps he didn't have anything to do this kid at all. Maybe it was a previous family member that was dealt with before he came along to Kamiya Kasshin Dojo.
"Damnit. Where's Saitou when you need him?"
Though Yahiko didn't paticularly like Saitou, nor did he know the ex-Shisengumi on a personal level, one thing he did know was that Saitou Hajime had just as much information as Kenshin did when it came to people. Especially during the Revolution. Of course, it was just his luck that any remaining members of the Kenshin-gumi were pretty much scattered. The last Yahiko heard of Saitou, he was off in Hokkaido on some mission and that was pratically when he was still a teenager. Of course, he was pretty sure that he saw the Lone-Wolf in the distance during Kenshin's funeral, so perhaps he wasn't as far off as Yahiko thought.
Scratching the back of his head, Yahiko let out a deep sigh. "Well, we'll just have to see what this kid does..." Of course, he still had a slight feeling in his gut that any person who knew what this Akimura knew, wasn't here for just a few play lessons.
Meanwhile, Akimura and Chizuru were getting right into the warm-up. There was no need to doddle anymore. The dark-haired young man obviously had no problem with the strokes. He'd been doing this ever since he was practically a toddler. Smoothly, Yukio's shinai went up and down, up and down. "Go, Roku, Shichi, Hachi!"
Chizuru on the other hand, was having a little more difficulty. She understood the concept no problem, but Chizuru, being Chizuru was also busy making sure she was holding it properly, that her stance was alright and so forth. It's not that she was a perfectionist (well, maybe a little), but she just didn't want to seem like an idiot either, even if she did know that the reason that she came here was to learn, not to show off things she already knew. "Kyaa..." she mumbled softly to herself. Well, the least she could do was at least try, so away she went swingly slightly hard. "Go... Roku... Shichi... Hachi..."
((Ah... it's great to be back in the game. Now we just need Sakabatou and "What happens when..."
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Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:47 pm
After a couple of repetitions, it was apparent to see that [[maybe it was what Kenji had -wanted-]] Chizuru was having a little bit of a hard time getting the actual strokes straight. That only could come with practice; it seemed this Akimura got this down flat-pat in no time at all. Hm.. Yahiko had been gone a long time too, perhaps suspicion about Yukio? The teen had his own suspicions of him as well, just randomly coming to this Dojo and saying he'd been there before. It was just too weird. Kenji slightly nodded to Yukio, he already knew that his strokes were close to perfect; Chizuru, on the other hand.. Approaching her, Kenji walked slightly behind her, adjusting her grip and feet so she was in a proper front stance. "Once you get the stance and hand coordination right, all you have to do is concentrate on hitting your sword in the center straight ahead of you, just like someone was really there." Despite how it appeared he was directing her with ease, the girl was making his heart pound in his ears. It took a lot to say his words directly and clearly and not to stutter or say anything stupid. Maybe for the moment it was good that Yahiko wasn't there.
"Now just try again. Akimura, good job. You can try doing other stances and different hits also. I'll be watching." Stepping slightly back, the swordsman coordinated some other moves for Yukio to try and went back to Chizuru. Surprisingly with two completely different paced students it was a bit difficult to do by himself. Come back already, you baka Yahiko. Better be careful in case Yukio tried anything.. but that's doubtful unless they were alone, especially in the daytime. No, it wasn't likely, but lately the crimes around Tokyo had been getting worse, and the sense of security many people including Kenji as a child had weren't as stable as it used to be. Which is why.. he needed to finish his training; for his parents, to protect his country and those important to him. [[Gwas! I posted two times in one day! But they were very sorry ._.; I don't know what's wrong with me. They're little butt baby posts >> Hopefully when the real action comes they will increase xD]]
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Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 7:30 pm
Well, seeing that he couldn't do much about the situation, Yahiko figured he'd just have to go along with just completing this 'class'. If you can call it that anyway. There had been less and less students lately. Perhaps because most of them were getting older and didn't have as much time for it. Others may be because they had their own issues to deal with. For his regular students, that seemed to be the case.
Yahiko let out one more sigh. He wondered if this was how Kaoru felt all this time when the only student she had for the longest time was in fact, him. Of course, when the spikey-haired Kendoka was young and first became her student, he was the equivalent to twenty students. He had his moments were he was a difficult kid, especially with his 'Ne-san'. It was a daily routine, even after, when he was actually a Sensei and not a student. They really did have a brother/sister relatioship.
As he entered back into the Dojo, the young Shihan was impressed to see Kenji doing a really good job with the two. It's not that the young Himura was a bad teacher or anything, but he had been acting strange ever since that Chizuru girl came in.... Ohhhhhhhh... so he was right the first time. Kenji's hormones were acting up. Yes... it did take awhile for Yahiko to catch onto things like that. Perhaps it was something that he got from Sanosuke and by inheriting his room those pass teen years.
Oh god! He caught the freeloader/oblivious to everything with the exception to things that have to do with fighting gene?
Well, not entirely. If that were the case, the Tsubame would be with Yutaro already. However, he's not exactly great in the female language which therefore lowers his relationship level with Tsubame. For Example...
Tsubame: Yahiko-kun...
Yahiko: Mmm?
Tsubame: **Nuzzles in closer** Umm... my hands are a little chilly...
Yahiko: How can they be cold? There's a fire already.
Tsubame: No, I mean... they're 'cold'.
Yahiko: Do you want gloves?
Tsubame: No, it's not that...
Yahiko: Blanket? Tea? What? I seriously don't undestand what you're saying.
Tsubame: What I mean is that they're cold. Meaning, that it would be just wonderful if I'd be able to perhaps get someone's body heat.
Yahiko: ... You really have to stop speaking in code, Tsubame.
Tsubame: Just... nevermind. I'm going to make some tea.
Yahiko: But you said you didn't want tea!
See what I mean? Anyway, to return to the actual story.
"Right then, is everything okay here?" Yahiko asked, grabbing himself a shinai from the wall.
Chizuru nodded. "Hai. I think I'm getting the hang of this. Sempai Himura has been a great help so far." The young lady then gave Kenji a little smile as she then went back to performing a few more swings. Her arms felt as though they were going to fall off though.
Yukio nodded slightly as well. "No problems at all in the least, Shihan."
"Alrights. Well, for day, we're just going to keep things simple. Other than the warm-up strikes, there are four other basic strikes to different parts of the body. Men, Kote, Do, and Tsuki." While saying this, Yahiko demonstrated the four different strikes with ease. They weren't very hard to learn, but after doing it for a good five hundred times, it can be a pain in the arms. Actually, you don't even feel your arms after awhile. But it does increase muscle stamania and so forth, so in the end, it all works out. "However, before learning these, you have to actually learn how to move around. If not, then you're as good as dead, so, I'm going to show you two how one typically gets around with a sword in your hands..."
In a matter of minutes, Yahiko had them running laps around the dojo. "Don't stop now! Akimura! Raikoji! Keep it up! Don't stop now! You do, and they're only push-ups in store for you! And when there are push-ups in store for you! There are push-ups in store for all of us!"
"I'm... not... stopping!" Chizuru chirped. Yahiko, the slavedriver. She had been told that Shian Myojin could be on the strict side, but honestly, she had a feeling that he just did this for enjoyment. She had been told that a lot of Sensei's that have been in trainings for several years were a little on the... odd side. She had a guy feeling that Yahiko was no exception, despite his young looking age. Ah well, slightly crazy, yes, but a good teacher none the less, she suppose. However, she was much more intrigued in his Sempai. Perhaps it was the fact that he was acting a little funny around her, which seemed to happen a lot with her and guys, but it didn't hurt that the red-head was cute to boot as well.
((Alyeth, don't worry about the short post. The fact that you post means the world to me! You wouldn't believe how much I've been complaining about not having a RuroKen rp for all this time!))
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Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:41 pm
Finally, he came! Kenji thought he was going to die of embarrassment and his face turn as red as his hair if it had been a moment later. Of course, he couldn't let Yahiko know that, so his stature straightened a bit when he came back, and a silent nod confirmed both were on the right track. Now, if only they had any clue whatsoever about what was coming for them next.. yes, laps. Kaoru had never been one to do that, but perhaps it was Yahiko's own evil side turning out on his students. All those strokes.. could get to you after awhile, after all. Or so it seemed. Indigo irises gazed over the two making laps around the Dojo, obviously not having a problem finding a glint of amusement in them as well. Sure, being a Sempai was great, but it took a lot of hard work to earn that privilege through Yahiko, and it was only fair. Just because the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu is in fact hereditary, you still had to learn the technique to the last degree and perfect pronounciation of movement. It would only be a matter of time until the swordsman could learn the real techniques.. the ones of his father, but there wasn't much time to think about that now. Turning to his lifelong friend, Kenji tilted his head and let out a light chuckle, just from seeing the look of satisfaction run on the Shihan's face.
"What are you so smug about? It seems you've inherited your own forms of torture, certainly not strokes though." Maybe a comedic moment here and there couldn't hurt before the things really pushing in Kenji's mind would have to come out, like they always did. He always tended to have a slightly big mouth; like his mother. "Say, Yahiko, do you find that Akimura guy a little odd? I've never seen him here before.. yet he claims to not only have been here before, but to say that it's famous? If it was famous, dontcha think we've have more students? It's just odd to me.. I don't have a good feeling.." His eyes slightly narrowed and his brow furrowed, staring intently ahead at the slowly decreased pace of the two, although it wasn't quite noticeable just yet. "What do you think he's after..? Something about my parents..?" What could he possibly want of Kenshin's or Kaoru's? No.. not that.. he couldn't. There's just no way. And that thought was left unsaid to the companion next to him. No way he would be after the now deemed heirloom of their family that Kenji always possessed: The Sakabatou. But maybe he was just overthinking things; maybe this Dojo was more famous than the two gave it credit for. After all, a Battousai and a once prominent leader of a swordsmanship against killing housed here, but you always undermine things that are so close to you unconsciously. But still, watching Chizuru charmed the teen and allured him into thinking about how she resembled a certain someone so similiarly it was almost irrepresibly not to think.
And then the thought of pushups entered his mind. Ugghh.. anything but that, please.. It was the one thing Kenji couldn't stand, and the one thing Yahiko and Hiko loved torturing him with. It was bad for an enemy to know your weak point; and that included your history also.
Keep yourself in the shadows.
I left that life behind to lead a peaceful life of prosperity and protecting others..
Still, no matter what, a sword is to kill. But I like her way better, that blissful fantasy of being free of death.
Of being free of who you are.
And maybe Kenji would find out more things about his parents' past that didn't need uncovering.. perhaps an intent of blood and eternal loneliness. But no matter what, he would always move forward; for those he loved. [[Wow, yay rant xD I loved your post, Taiyo. Especially Yahiko's lack of girl-skills. It seems some things never change x3 I can't believe I posted back so fast with such a dandy post 83 isn't it marvelous? -marvels it-]]
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:54 pm
Yahiko crossed his arms, still looking at the two students, but also paying attention to Kenji's words. "I'm not being smug. I'm just doing what a Sensei has to do to keep students in tip-top shape. What? You don't think your mom didn't get me to do that? When learning Hadome, I had to do several thousand blocks before I even had a chance to try the technique out. Besides, if I don't push you guys, who will? You need a good body and mind to practice and form of Budo."
His voice then lowered as his Sempai continued on. "Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is famous. It doesn't mean that we'll get more students though," a slight sigh left his body. "We do have quite a few, it's just that, well, the world is moving pretty fast, and it's hard to keep of with everything. So, they have to take a bit of a break is all. However, as for the Akimura guy, I've never seen him before, but I can easily tell that he's no amateur at Kendo, as a sport, or on the battlefield. Which is why you have to stay alert. As for what he wants, I can only guess and wonder. He could want your Sakabatou, but he could be looking to take someone's life as well. I can also tell it wouldn't be the first time he did it either."
After several years of travelling and experiencing his fair share on the battlefield, the Shihan could easily tell who had the eyes of a killer. Enishi certainly had them, as did many of his own opponents. Kenshin had them once upon a time as well, as did Hiko and Saitou. Luckily enough for Yahiko though, he never had to stray down that path, though there was many a time were he almost had to and though he never tried to show it, it often scared him. He didn't want to know what it was like to have someone die in your hands, friend or foe. He didn't need another thing to dwell on about his past. He wanted at least some things to be clear.
"We'll be finishing class soon for today." Yahiko said quietly again, his red eyes unmoving. "Well teach them a few more basics and then we'll let them leave and we can go and eat at Akabeko's."
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Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:49 am
Kenji was a bit surprised and taken aback at the fact of Yahiko's quiet reply; like there was always something in the world to explain why people weren't really coming back to the Dojo. Just seeing his expression as they grazed over Akimura, it gave the swordsman a pang of guilt for something, but he didn't know why. The eyes of a killer.. did my father have them? I only saw the gentle good-natured side of him at home, never in a real battle.. only the battle he lost to age and time.. he brought a grimace to his expression for a moment, but, deciding it wouldn't help his friend's mood at all, he attempted to shrug it off and look at the two students ahead of them now. So they have a killer on their hands. Kenji had never desired to take a life, and didn't really know if ever the time came to do so he would be able to without hesitation and ease. He didn't want that constant feeling of regret that his former father Kenshin had carried with him forever; those lives lost for a purpose vague and unclear to anyone in this Era now. All that battling in the Edo Era seemed useless and almost troublesome to the people in Tokyo now; they knew nothing of real pain and remorse; only of the current lucrative wants of material possessions.
The fact of the matter was this Akimura guy could become dangerous; so he needed to become stronger, that was all there was to it. The teen wouldn't allow this Dojo to fall or to see anyone's life taken any from him ever again if he could help it; and he'd do anything possible to prevent it. Eyes narrowed but then eased as he looked over to the Shihan and nodded. "That sounds really good right now, actually. It's just.. some things I don't really understand.. about.. well.. what it really means to keep up this Dojo. I don't seem to have a purpose anymore. And things seem to be troubling you too. Is it about my parents?" If there was ever a time for bad timing, well, Kenji probably nailed it right to the wall with a bullseye. But perhaps the Akabeko would be a better time to talk; it didn't really matter to him. Lightly gripping the hilt of the sakabatou, all the time he could almost feel a radiating sense of strength seeping from its core, a combination of feelings so powerful to him, it was almost an honor just to carry it alongside himself. Something so incomprehensible; a life so double-sided.. well, he didn't understand it, even after holding it that night for the first time. It would probably take a long time to ever comprehend what it meant, but one thing was true: it would help him seek true strength.
Sighing lightly, the swordsman looked over to Yahiko again before glancing back at the students' progress. Ehh. He was getting tired just watching them.
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Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:16 pm
Yahiko sighed slightly. "Kenji, we have a lot to talk about. Maybe we will just close the class early." Quickly he put his hands into the air and clapped them. "Yame! Good job you two. Go get some water out back. You just had your first taste to a Kamiya Kasshin warm-up. If you feel as though you want to learn more, then be my guest and come by tomorrow at the same time. We'll actually go through things more thoroughly, etcera."
Chizuru took a few gasps. Boy, that was a rough while! But at the same time, it felt good to get such a good workout! Now the question was, would she be able to do this kind of workout a few times a week? Well, she'd certainly try! After all, these days, a girl has to learn how to defend herself in Tokyo. It was getting to be a very dangerous place apparently. She had only recently moved here with her father, a very important and influential man in trading with foreign countries. So, it was only logical for her to learn to take care of herself, even if she did technically have bodyguards (who probably thought she was still in her room). Chizuru wanted to be independent, and since she found out that before Shihan Yahiko, his Sensei was actually a woman, which made the young woman very excited. After all, it's not often that you have a powerful women in this time and maybe Chizuru would be one as well someday.
"Arigatou, Shihan," she breathed as she for a gourd near her bag and drank from it. "I will definantly be here tomorrow!" She then smiled at the two and bowed deeply.
Yahiko bowed slightly as well. "Right then, you two are free to go. Sayonara."
Chizuru bowed again. "Sayonara!"
Yukio simply bowed and then looked up with an odd smile on his face. "Until tomorrow. It was a pleasure being in your dojo. Even after a little bit, I've already learnt so much." After that statement. He left.
This struck a huge nerve in Yahiko's body. He wasn't going to take that as just any little statement. This was trouble. Big trouble.
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:21 pm
The swordsman blinked, simply watching Yahiko's actions and watching them begin to walk and return to their homes, or wherever they resided. Good, Chizuru looked like she wanted to come back again, and it brought a small smile to Kenji's expression. But just hearing Akimura's reply sent a small chill down his spine; all happiness temporarily gone. What kind of trick was this guy trying to pull? He already knew all the moves Kenji introduced him, and all they did for the remainder of the class was run laps. Bright violet irises darkened slightly to a more indigo hue, as the teen looked over to the Shihan beside him; so he looked the same about this, the same uncertainty. So it wasn't just either one of them, there had to be something up with this guy. And no matter what; Kenji wanted answers. "Good idea.." it was a low murmur, not meant for either of the two trainees to hear, and they probably didn't. Sighing as the two of them had left, the Sempai began in the direction of the Dojo; hoping Yahiko would follow so they could talk things over for a little while. Darn right they had a lot to talk about, just before Kenji never had the nerve to ask. But that had changed now.
Sighing, he walked inside and looked out front to see the two finally leave beyond the distance. Would Chizuru be safe around that guy..? The teen didn't know -what- was bothering him so much, but it had to be something not so pleasant for it to be constantly bugging him this much. Maybe seeing her out in the front wouldn't hurt? "Yahiko, I'm going to walk out front and wait for you; you slowpoke." Giving a quizzical smirk for a moment, Kenji then headed out to the front doors of the Kamiya Dojo to see to it that Chizuru was safe at least beyond the corner. It was a little emptier outside than he would've liked; but it was one of those slow days for everyone, and often this was a result. But hopefully the Akabeko would be a bit different. [[Sorry for my short post again, I feel bad for just playing one character xD We need to get together and scheme Taiyo. Yesyesyes >>; -cough-]]
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:03 pm
"Slowpoke?" Yahiko repeated. "Hey, just because you happen to have some of that Hiten Mitsuryugi speed doesn't mean I can't kick your a** in a painful way of sorts." As he walked behind the young Sempai he realized that Kenji was doing more that just meeting his Shihan outside. Yahiko raised and eyebrow and then grinned to himself as he placed his hand on the red-head's shoulder.
"Ah, if only Misao, Megumi and your mom were here. It'd be the best of gossip for them. An assistant teacher falling for a student." Suddenly, his voice went very high. "Oh, how scandalous, Kenji! What will the neighbours think!?"
That was always the nice thing about having someone younger than you around. Back in the old days of the Kenshin-gumi, Yahiko would be the butt of teasing when it came to girls, especially Tsubame. That's what would happen when you were 'the kid' of the group. Of course, once Kenji came into the world, that role was passed down to him. Even though Yahiko was still teased, he was now allowed to tease someone about random things as well. It's like the Circle of Life; the cycle never stops.
"Right then!" Yahiko stood up straigh again, adjusting his hakama and putting on his zorii. "To Akabeko with us! I'm starving and they have my favorite special today," Strolling down the stairs, he also had a few other things on his mind. If this Yukio knew a lot about them, then he'd know about Tsubame and if there was anything that any enemy loved to do to piss off the spikey-haired man, was get even ten meters within Tsubame. He wasn't about to let anything happen to her again.
Apparently though, Yahiko didn't have to worry too much about her being harmed at the present time. After all, the other sensei of the Kamiya Kasshin style was looking out for her. And looking at her. In a rather flirtatious way. Of course, Yahiko wasn't too keen on childhood rivals trying to run off with the woman that he loved either.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:17 pm
Oh no, not that teasing again. Ever since Kenji was able to understand words and talk, Yahiko had taken the advantage in the situation and always had something to throw back at him. But this time the Sempai had something even better to retaliate with and perhaps place their situation on a somewhat reciprocated move. Well, it sure would be hard to recover after this move. A momentary blush flustered the Kenji's face to be almost as red as his hair, and after a moment of stuttering and turning around to regain his dignity, the swordsman coughed lightly and could only kick the dirt around him before walking forward only slightly. "Well Yahiko.. you act like you don't have any problems with girls at all. When was the last time you saw Tsubame, huh? Even -talked- to her? She's crazy for you, and all this time you've done nothing about it. I'm sure Kaa-san and Megumi wouldn't be very happy to have you alone all this time, neh?" Now that was a soft spot for the Shihan, but not enough for him to get mad about it. Hopefully. Maybe that Yukio guy still had them both a little stirred up, and they were trying to relieve their tension by cracking jokes at each other. Yeah, he'll just go on thinking something like that.
A relieved sigh released from Kenji's lips as they progressed to the street on the way to the Akabeko, a familiar path Kenji had been taking since his earliest years of childhood; even before that. It brought back lots of memories, lots of good ones that led to the sad ones. But what were the good times without the bad? They made up life, was the epitamy of life, where everything branched off. And that's why there was no other path but forward. By this point in time Kenji and Yahiko were highly respected amongst their area, due to their hereditary influences and deeds as well as other things. 'Oh, you look so much like your father, more and more every day Kenji!' 'Yahiko, you're so grownup now! When did it happen? My time flies..' regular Akabeko customers that the two had friendly acquaintances with in the time of Kenshin. Hopefully, these happy times could remain, if only just a little bit longer.
The redhead pulled the flap to the Akabeko and stepped in, feeling the radiance of the home-like environment. Taking in a deep breath, he settled to find their 'regular spot' and proceed to glance over the menu for a minimal of ten seconds and order 'the usual'. As it usually was, of course, they were to be served by none other than..
A petite figure was seen through the slight crowded miniature halls of the Akabeko; no, things hadn't changed much at all from the early times of Meji. The Akabeko was more popular than ever, and full of regular customers flowing in almost daily, so it was priority that Tsubame had to work harder than ever to keep them happy and coming back. She had been working here for years, ever since being cleared of her debt off the streets by none other than the Kenshingumi; she owed them so much still. Dark colored eyes glanced over the vicinity of the seating area, and a flash of red hair caught her eye. It was Kenji of course, and the waitress had always told him and Yahiko they were always welcomed to come any time they like, no matter what the circumstance of busy-times or what have you. It was the least she could do in repayment for their generosity.
But what had that all amounted to? Everytime she was around Yahiko, she'd get nervous and her heart would start pumping so loud she feared he'd be able to see it coming out of her chest. And so they'd barely gotten anywhere. Well, that's an understatement. But still; Tsubame had such conscious ambition for the Shihan, and yet perhaps was it he didn't notice it, or feared commitment? She didn't quite know, but she was willing to wait for as long as it takes to finally be with him one day. That is my dream. My secret dream.. But that was nonsense; why would he want to be with someone like her anyway? The waitress brushed it off with a light wave of her hand, and quickly grabbed a tray to navigate to where Kenji had sat. The swordsman usually didn't come without Yahiko anyhow, so maybe she could fit in a little chat before going to another table.
But Tsubame had a habit of walking very fast when she was anxious, and unfortunately collided straight into the person she was anticipating on meeting on well.. different standards. Falling backwards, tray afloat in the air, brown eyes widened as the lithe girl fell to the ground, letting out a small gasp as she saw none other than Yahiko in front of her. "O-o-oh, Yahiko! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't see you there! I.." All she could do was stutter again, and that nervous feeling crept up on her senses again. Brown locks swayed in front of her view, but it was difficult to move or do anything at the moment, the waitress could only slightly shake in embarrassment.
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:50 pm
"I... have my reasons for Tsubame." Yahiko said flatly. He knew that Kenji was only joking, but what the young red-head said was true. He hadn't exactly... well been really all that romantic with the woman that he cared for so deeply. Then again, it wasn't his style. Well, not exactly. Sure, he wanted to tell Tsubame how he felt, but at the same time... he was somewhat afraid. For various reasons. Though it had been several years since anything really serious has happened, he still worried that if anyone wanted to get to him, they'd do it through Tsubame. After all, it happened with Kenshin and Kaoru, and there had been thugs that tried to harm her before, whether they knew Yahiko or not. He wanted to protect her at all costs. After all, other than trying to uphold his family honor, she was the main reason that he chose 'the sword that protects others'.
It was always nice coming into the Akabeko. Anytime you felt bad, just the sheer smell of the tasty food made you feel better if you were feeling down. A wonderful atmosphere, nice workers and all that jazz. Not to mention that he and Kenji were always welcomed here, which was always a plus.
Just as he was about to sit down, he felt a slight push against his back. As he turned around, he saw on the floor just the young woman he was thinking of... in her frantic state as usual. Tsubame was quite the nervous one, not matter how hard she tried to calm herself down. It was just how she was though, even if Yahiko had told her there was never anything to worry about. He didn't mind, though. After all, if she was able to stand his short temper and somewhat oblvious ways, than he should be able to accept Tsubame being a little frantic with no problems at all.
The Shihan gave a half smile as he bent down to help up the nervous waitress.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Tsubame. Don't need to get all worked up. It's not like you did it on purpose. Well, I figure you didn't. Either way, just relax." Though he meant to do it a little more gently, Yahiko's hand reached over to his childhood friend and yanked her back up onto her feet.
"See? No harm done at all."
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Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:56 pm
At first all Tsubame could do was open and close her mouth as the Shihan was above her, a light blush transcending across her cheeks. Shaking slightly, she forced a slight smile (she could always towards Yahiko) and was immediately put to her feet; something she probably wasn't quite ready for. But she managed to maintain her composure, not better or worse than usual, which wasn't saying much. Tsubame raised a hand and lightly coughed before bending over the pick up the fallen tray; thankful that nothing prone to get broken was laden upon it during the brief collision with the Shihan. But she didn't mind much, just seeing him again was almost a relief, they hadn't been around as often as usual, probably the Dojo business getting started up again. Kamiya Kasshin Ryu had gained popularity among the city due to its origins, so who knew what they were in store for. "I-I'm so sorry, Yahiko, I'm so clumsy.." Dark eyes glancing into the opposite bright determined eyes, she realized that's what she liked about Yahiko; his determination, his strong and inexorably courageous stature, it had always been there, despite how he denied it so. But that didn't matter; she knew, and that seemed to be the most important to the waitress. Oh Tsubame, stop day dreaming! You have people to serve, don't get caught up in your own lala land!
Suddenly shaking her head, dark locks swaying, Tsubame gripped her tray and turned slightly to face the direction Kenji was in. "O-oh, Kenji is waiting for you, in the usual place. I'll get your orders in r-right away." She mentally slapped her forehead in disdain at her stuttering. Come on, say something else, ask how the Dojo's going! Come on! Blinking a couple of times to regulate her vision, the waitress clung to the tray yet tightly again and cleared her throat ever so slightly before he left.
"Oh, and um.. how's the Dojo going? I-if you need any help cleaning, or, anything, don't be afraid to let me know. I would love to h-help out if you need it.." Suddenly the small frame lost her balance completely, and her feet almost swept from under her at someone rudely walking by, and fell straight into Yahiko yet again, two times in one day; in five minutes.Well, this probably looked interested to anyone who decided to look; even the rurouni's son, who was peeking through the shoji door and smiling with such satisfaction of Yahiko's embarrassment it could be expressed as 'ear to ear.' Good thing Tsubame didn't see this, or perhaps she would've turned a new shade of red that would be seemingly impossible to anyone else.
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:06 pm
"It's doing alright I guess," Yahiko shrugged with a plain sort of look on his face. Straight to the point indeed. It took him awhile to realize that perhaps Tsubame may have wanted more than just a five word answer. So, after about a six-second pause, he gave a sort 'Oooh... right, I see', sort of look, and then continued on.
"We got two new students actually. A guy and a girl. They seem to be like okay people," Of course, Yahiko didn't want to worry Tsubame anymore than she usually was. She was always the person to get nervous over anything, as it was just seen. Yukio was an odd one, that was for certain. There was something in his eyes that made it seem that if he was ever going to go after someone, he would do it through any means necessary.
Yahiko scratched the back of his spikey head, not really knowing what else to really say about the Dojo. It was sorta getting back on it's feet. Hopefully, old students would return once they were back in Tokyo. He knew that quite a few of them wouldn't just abandon it oh-so-easily. Just like him, they cared as much about the dojo and still keeping the old ways tied with the knew.
Before he could really think of anything else to say, before he knew it, Tsubame had fallen right into his arms. It was a reflex perhaps, now that the beautiful waitress was actually face to face with him and didn't actually catch him off guard by the behind. He grasped her rather tightly; enough so that she could get back steadily on her feet and not slip down in the process. Red-brown eyes looked down into hers for a moment. They flashed a sign of a love-like protection, the kind that always showed whenever he was fighting to protect her. It was automatic, even over the smallest thing. And though he looked as though he were going to perhaps say something relatively romantic just then, the ex-pickpocket always found a way to prove us wrong.
"Hey a*****e!" he yelled over his childhood friend, looking angrily at a rather (now) stunned looking man. "Watch where you're going! This ain't a roughhouse ya know! Say you're sorry!"
The man squeaked slightly. Normally, he'd tell the person off, but he knew exactly who this young man was. Spikey-hair, bokken on his back, continuously pissed-off attitude... yeah... taking on one of the strongest people in Japan wasn't a great idea. However, apparently, he didn't need to do much talking, for someone else, a rather handsome you man, with lightish brown hair and bluish-violet eyes had stepped in, looking quite calm, shaking his head slightly witha small smile on his face.
"Honestly, Myojin-kun, can you perhaps be a little less rough yourself? You'll scare away all of Tsu-chan's customers. Though I must admit, the beautiful young lady does deserve an apology. You wouldn't giving one, would you?" He turned around, with a very diplomatic smile on his face, looking at the tiny man. He nodded, a little worried.
"Sorry, m'am. No harm done right?"
"See? That's all you had to do was ask nicely and politely."
The shihan scoffed slightly. Yutaro Tsukayama always had a way of making him look bad. Perhaps it was intentional, or perhaps it was not. Most likely it was; after all, they were rivals. Though, they were very good friends too, even if their friendship was odd and consisted of a lot of competing.
Tsukayama Yutaro... half Japanese, half German. Also a Shihan of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu style and a ladies man to boot. No matter how strong Yahiko was, it didn't help much when the 'foreigner' would woo the ladies like it was noone's business. Yutaro, was proper, polite, and though he was quite strong himself, he prefered to show it in a more 'clean' fashion. Girls from around town loved the second Shihan. He was just so romantic and handsome and had such a clean mouth compared to Yahiko. Sure, Yahiko was cute, but he certainly was a lot more... rough and gruff about things.
Yutaro bowed politely to the two (mostly Tsubame) and smiled. "I do hope though that Tsu-chan is okay? Not harmed in any way I hope?"
"What the hell are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be off, oh I don't know... going around the dojos in the area, helping out like you said you would?" Yahiko said somewhat bitterly.
The brunette laughed. "Of course I am! I just got back rather recently from one actually. Junta-san actually has some money for our dojo, thanking us in the Workshop. However, I always have time for seeing the lovely Tsu-chan. Making a small trip is hardly a huge task. It's never a bother to come and visit her often. Aren't I right, Myojin-kun?"
Ouch, straight for the throat. It's certainly true that he hadn't really had the chance to visit Tsubame these days for several reasons. However, maybe it wasn't much of an excuse. After all, he did know that Yutaro was just as hardwoker as he was (despite his womanizing ways). Still... did he have to go after Tsubame? He knew that Yahiko was crazy about her... and yet... he persisted.
"...I've been busy with a lot of things." Yahiko replied flatly. [/orange]
"Hai-hai... that's true. Anyway, I was originally here to ask the Tsu-chan if she needed any help with Akabeko today. I noticed it was incredibly busy."
"You work at Akabeko now?"
"Only when I'm needed and when Tsu-chan needs help. A beautiful woman such as herself can't be left doing everything by herself. And since she never really asks for help. I, as a practicionor of The Sword the Helps Others, must do what I can when someone is ineed of help."
Twitch.
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:10 pm
Tsubame nodded accordingly when Yahiko decided to continue on with his brief description on how the Dojo was going, it was nice they were even talking at all. She had missed his visits, and what, with Yutaro around so much lately things had been extra busy this time of year and he'd offered to help. So, why would she decline his assistance? Well, after being pulled up, the waitress still blushed at his penetrating gaze, that look that was so determined to protect her by any means, it gave her hope. It didn't matter, Yahiko, with the right ambition in mind, could do anything. But the moment was quickly disposed of when Yutaro came into the picture. "Oh, Yutaro-kun.." She gazed down at the floor, spreading the wrinkles amongst her dress as if to distract herself from what was about to come. Everytime those two came together, there was always some kind of fight. They were so close, why couldn't they just stop bickering like old ladies?
Tsubame then looked back at Yutaro and shook her head. "No problem at all." She managed a weak smile, but made sure to nervously glance at Yahiko every once in awhile to try to see how things were going to turn out. Not so good it seemed. Yutaro knew all the necessary buttons to push in the Shihan to set off something, even flattering her in any means possible. "Hehe.. of course. And your help is much appreciated, Yutaro-kun."
Of course she understood Yahiko was busy a lot of the time and couldn't always make it to a trip to the Akabeko for a nice hot meal. Of course she could understand that. But how could Yutaro with all his woman hunting and escapades around the city with helping Dojos? Not much made sense anymore, and it was beginning to confuse Tsubame if Yahiko really wanted to be with her or not. Second guessing herself wasn't the best thing, but it had been a very long time since they'd first met, and not once had the Shihan attempted to make further relationship with her. How much longer could she wait..? All women by her age were married and stay-at-home housewives by now. No.. stop thinking like that.. I just.. have to.. to.. to wait, no matter what the cost.
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