Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Vanilla ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: motionblur 
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.07.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 385 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Psychological / Drama / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.07.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.8K | Visits: 385 | Status: Completed
[4]
Jien did spend the rest of the day with me, as it happened. We happened across his friends in the village square late in the afternoon, their work for the day being done. He hailed them with a loud, "Hey-ho, boys!" and strode towards them.
Kazuei turned around first and grinned, raising a hand in greeting. "Jien!" He saw me and his eyebrows shot up, impressed. He hadn't been at the clearing earlier. "Damn, Jien, who'd your kid brother murder?"
"Gojyo-babe!" Seiya called. "How you feelin'?"
"This's nothing', guys," I called back to them, gesturing with my good arm at my thoroughly bandaged body. I felt myself break into a smile. Jien's friends always made me feel better. They were such a rough and ready bunch, and though they poked fun at my age, they never made me feel inferior. "I don't feel it at all!"
"Sheee-it," Raiden whistled as we joined them. "Hear that, Jien? Your bro's so tough I bet he could drive nails with his pinky."
"Damn straight," Jien snorted. He ruffled my hair, and I made a face at him.
"Quit it, Jien."
"Better pay attention to him," Tando advised. "The punk'll scratch you to death."
The conversation jumped around easily as we drifted out of the village. Seiya's sister had just had a baby. Raiden's girlfriend was wailing on him for smoking. Tando'd just returned from a trip to another village. Jien told aggrieved tales about working part-time at the local restaurant. And Kazuei…
"I got a kickass weapon at the Weaponmaster's," he bragged. "It's this long metal staff with blades at both ends. At one end there's a half-moon blade, and at the other is this wide flat blade. Molecular sharpness, gentlemen." His hands flowed in the air as he demonstrated. "The Weaponmaster said humans can't use it all."
Raiden glared at him. Tando just laughed. "Neither can idiot youkai," he pointed out. "You give yourself a paper cut every time you get your paycheck."
"Tah! You just don't recognize talent when you see it."
"Well, you sound awfully sure of yourself. Let's see this gorgeous weapon of yours," Raiden grumped.
"It's prettier than a girl," Kazuei said worshipfully.
"Now you're pushing it," Seiya warned.
Kazuei just grinned, and out of nowhere, it seemed, he produced the weapon.
It *was* a beautiful thing. In the molten sunlight it sparkled. The blades on both ends seemed surrounded by a soft haze as if, indeed, the air *had* been split by their sharpness. Kazuei held the weapon like he knew how to use it. "Another thing this baby can do is extend," he explained to his now fascinated audience. "The blades can shoot out if you nudge them with your power. The staff is hollow inside and the blades are connected by a lot of chain links."
"Damn, that sounds difficult," Jien said judiciously. " I can't believe the Weaponmaster let a clown like you walk out of the shop with it."
Kazuei twirled the weapon languidly, getting a dirty look from Seiya, who had to dodge what would have chopped off half his neck and the shaggy blue hair that was his pride. "Shit, Jien, I know how to handle this baby. It's hard at first, but once you know how to use it, it flows, it's magic, it's music, it's nothing at all."
"Such a poet," Seiya caroled.
"It doesn't sound hard at all," I piped up scornfully. "You're just hamming it up for all it's worth because it's cool-looking."
"Yeah, punk?" Kazuei grinned and shoved the weapon at me. "Have a go at it."
"Gojyo," Jien said warningly, and I knew he was telling me not to aggravate my injuries.
"I'm fine," I said testily. "I'm not gonna break in half just by grabbing the thing." Damnit, why did my *right* arm have to be broken? I grabbed the weapon.
And staggered. The thing weighed a ton. Jien moved towards me as if to support me, and I scowled at him. He stopped, but from the look on his face he wasn't happy about it.
"Heavy?" Kazuei trilled.
"Considering I got a broken arm, I think I'm doing pretty well," I shot back.
He laughed and nodded in acknowledgement. Holding up the weapon was a strain on me, especially with just one arm, but I wasn't just gonna drop it. I nudged the weapon curiously with my power, and the half-moon blade shot out with a strength that knocked me onto the ground, hard. Raiden whirled to the side just in the nick of time and Tonda burst out laughing at the look of cross-eyed surprise on his face.
"Kid, you all right?" Kazuei knelt beside me on one side. I glanced to my other side, where Jien hovered.
"I'm fine," I said loudly. Actually, my side was aching and my arm was rather unhappy, but this thing was too cool. I grinned. "Kazuei, this is the most awesome thing I've ever seen!"
"It's my baby," Kazuei crooned. He winked at me. "Glad ya like it, Gojyo-babe. You know I'd just break into tears if you disapproved."
"Of course," I said flippantly. Seiya chuckled.
Kazuei reached his hand out. "Much as I love to see you stumble around with it, you're gonna kill someone if you keep on shooting those blades out without warning. Here, give it back."
My face fell. "Aww, can't I mess around with it a little longer?"
"I think 'mess' best describes the probable results of keeping that weapon in your hands any longer," Tonda said primly.
"*I* think 'mess' best describes what you must see in the mirror every morning," I grumbled as I handed Kazuei his weapon back.
Raiden and Seiya laughed, and Raiden poked Tonda. "Hear that?" Raiden snickered.
Tonda just raised an eyebrow and gazed at me coolly. "And with that long hair of yours, the edge you have over me is what?"
Jien took my good arm and helped me up while I stared at Tonda, wide-eyed. He'd mentioned my hair and he *hadn't* talked about the crimson color. He just said it was long. That was it. Nothing about the half-breed mark.
Seiya waved his fingers in front of my face. "Yo? Gojyo-babe? Tonda's not that hot."
I bared my teeth at his fingers. "Get your hand out of my face or I'll do it for you."
"Seiya doesn't think I'm hot," Tonda wailed in a pouting falsetto. "Raiden! Defend my honor!"
"You have none."
"You suck." Tonda crossed his arms and pretended to sulk.
Raiden opened his mouth, and Seiya cut him off. "Don't do it, Raiden," he advised. "It's too easy."
Tonda mock-glared at Seiya. "That was the *point*."
"Sex talk in front of the kid?" Jien drawled. "You oughta know better."
"I understand everything they're saying," I let Jien know, feeling delightfully wicked.
Seiya whooped. "Corruption!"
Kazuei laughed. "Well, boys, I hate to say it, but I've got to head home. I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Raiden informed him. "It's a miracle you're not dead yet."
"No miracle." Kazuei thumped his chest. "I'm just one tough sunuvabitch."
"When I'm fully healed, I'm gonna learn how to use that weapon," I told Kazuei, staring straight up into his pale gray eyes. "And next to me, you're gonna look like an arthritic grandma."
"I'm terrified already, bucko." Kazuei grinned. "Looking forward to it."
"You'll sure look amusing tangled up in the chains," Seiya mused.
"Bite me," I retorted. "No, don't. I'll get rabies."
Kazuei waved. "So long, gentlemen."
Eventually, Seiya, Raiden and Tonda drifted off as well. Seiya had to babysit, Raiden's girlfriend was a battle-axe according to all reports and would fry his ass if he were late, and Tonda, well, who knew about Tonda.
Jien and I headed back into the village. The late afternoon was slowly dissolving into evening, and though the accord was unspoken, we knew that neither of us wanted to head back to Mother's house. Though I definitely preferred the village to the enclosed Hell of Mother's four walls, I always felt self-conscious walking through crowds of people. And I always got stares. Always.
The curious gazes burned on my skin. I heard a little girl's high voice pipe up behind me, "Ma, what happened to him? Is he on fire?" The mother shushed her.
That triggered a landslide of memories. My head echoed with remembered comments, less innocent than that of an ignorant little girl. A boy a bit older than me had scoffed, "Shit, what kinda guy wears his hair like that? Oh, it's a taboo kid, forget I asked." A woman had gasped, "Maki, look at that little kid's eyes! Do they look red to you?" An old guy surrounded by a posse of other old guys had grunted in explanation to a muffled inquiry, "Red hair and eyes -- yeah, that there's a taboo child." An older woman had advised her daughter: "Don't join up with the youkai, dear, or your child will be marked just like that." She had pointed her knobby finger at me without shame.
I felt mortified and humiliated and so self-conscious that every cell in my body ached, and I shuffled along hoping to become invisible.
Out of nowhere, Jien stopped short. "Man, Gojyo," he said, sounding exasperated, "would you quit doing that?"
I looked up at him through my hair. "What?"
"That." He sighed, reached out, and tucked my hair behind my ear. "You're hiding like your hair's a curtain or something. Don't hang your head. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."
I gave him a Look and wordlessly held up a hank of my hair for him to inspect. A girl a little bit older than me looked at us curiously, and I bitterly hoped she could see my hair as perfectly as she probably wanted to, gossipy bitch. The waning sunlight bathed me in crimson.
He made an impatient sound. "So you're half human, half youkai. So what? Kazuei looks like he's half octopus, half vampire bat when he's in full youkai form. No one cares. No one I know holds what you are against you."
"I know someone you know who holds it against me."
Jien's face softened as he looked at me, and he crouched down to be at eye level with me. "You'll hold your head up with pride yet, Gojyo," he said softly. "You don't realize it 'cause of Mom's damn brainwashing, but really, you're a great kid. The guys think you're the coolest little man they've ever met, and they're not big fans of kids. But you, you're something else. You've always been special, you hear me?" He took some of my hair in one hand and tugged it gently. "Everyone who's not a fucking deranged psycho sees how beautiful you are. You're my punk kid brother, okay? Keep that in mind."
"Jien…"
He let go of my hair, patting it back in place, smoothing it down. Then he stood. "I know what'll help you out."
Jien did spend the rest of the day with me, as it happened. We happened across his friends in the village square late in the afternoon, their work for the day being done. He hailed them with a loud, "Hey-ho, boys!" and strode towards them.
Kazuei turned around first and grinned, raising a hand in greeting. "Jien!" He saw me and his eyebrows shot up, impressed. He hadn't been at the clearing earlier. "Damn, Jien, who'd your kid brother murder?"
"Gojyo-babe!" Seiya called. "How you feelin'?"
"This's nothing', guys," I called back to them, gesturing with my good arm at my thoroughly bandaged body. I felt myself break into a smile. Jien's friends always made me feel better. They were such a rough and ready bunch, and though they poked fun at my age, they never made me feel inferior. "I don't feel it at all!"
"Sheee-it," Raiden whistled as we joined them. "Hear that, Jien? Your bro's so tough I bet he could drive nails with his pinky."
"Damn straight," Jien snorted. He ruffled my hair, and I made a face at him.
"Quit it, Jien."
"Better pay attention to him," Tando advised. "The punk'll scratch you to death."
The conversation jumped around easily as we drifted out of the village. Seiya's sister had just had a baby. Raiden's girlfriend was wailing on him for smoking. Tando'd just returned from a trip to another village. Jien told aggrieved tales about working part-time at the local restaurant. And Kazuei…
"I got a kickass weapon at the Weaponmaster's," he bragged. "It's this long metal staff with blades at both ends. At one end there's a half-moon blade, and at the other is this wide flat blade. Molecular sharpness, gentlemen." His hands flowed in the air as he demonstrated. "The Weaponmaster said humans can't use it all."
Raiden glared at him. Tando just laughed. "Neither can idiot youkai," he pointed out. "You give yourself a paper cut every time you get your paycheck."
"Tah! You just don't recognize talent when you see it."
"Well, you sound awfully sure of yourself. Let's see this gorgeous weapon of yours," Raiden grumped.
"It's prettier than a girl," Kazuei said worshipfully.
"Now you're pushing it," Seiya warned.
Kazuei just grinned, and out of nowhere, it seemed, he produced the weapon.
It *was* a beautiful thing. In the molten sunlight it sparkled. The blades on both ends seemed surrounded by a soft haze as if, indeed, the air *had* been split by their sharpness. Kazuei held the weapon like he knew how to use it. "Another thing this baby can do is extend," he explained to his now fascinated audience. "The blades can shoot out if you nudge them with your power. The staff is hollow inside and the blades are connected by a lot of chain links."
"Damn, that sounds difficult," Jien said judiciously. " I can't believe the Weaponmaster let a clown like you walk out of the shop with it."
Kazuei twirled the weapon languidly, getting a dirty look from Seiya, who had to dodge what would have chopped off half his neck and the shaggy blue hair that was his pride. "Shit, Jien, I know how to handle this baby. It's hard at first, but once you know how to use it, it flows, it's magic, it's music, it's nothing at all."
"Such a poet," Seiya caroled.
"It doesn't sound hard at all," I piped up scornfully. "You're just hamming it up for all it's worth because it's cool-looking."
"Yeah, punk?" Kazuei grinned and shoved the weapon at me. "Have a go at it."
"Gojyo," Jien said warningly, and I knew he was telling me not to aggravate my injuries.
"I'm fine," I said testily. "I'm not gonna break in half just by grabbing the thing." Damnit, why did my *right* arm have to be broken? I grabbed the weapon.
And staggered. The thing weighed a ton. Jien moved towards me as if to support me, and I scowled at him. He stopped, but from the look on his face he wasn't happy about it.
"Heavy?" Kazuei trilled.
"Considering I got a broken arm, I think I'm doing pretty well," I shot back.
He laughed and nodded in acknowledgement. Holding up the weapon was a strain on me, especially with just one arm, but I wasn't just gonna drop it. I nudged the weapon curiously with my power, and the half-moon blade shot out with a strength that knocked me onto the ground, hard. Raiden whirled to the side just in the nick of time and Tonda burst out laughing at the look of cross-eyed surprise on his face.
"Kid, you all right?" Kazuei knelt beside me on one side. I glanced to my other side, where Jien hovered.
"I'm fine," I said loudly. Actually, my side was aching and my arm was rather unhappy, but this thing was too cool. I grinned. "Kazuei, this is the most awesome thing I've ever seen!"
"It's my baby," Kazuei crooned. He winked at me. "Glad ya like it, Gojyo-babe. You know I'd just break into tears if you disapproved."
"Of course," I said flippantly. Seiya chuckled.
Kazuei reached his hand out. "Much as I love to see you stumble around with it, you're gonna kill someone if you keep on shooting those blades out without warning. Here, give it back."
My face fell. "Aww, can't I mess around with it a little longer?"
"I think 'mess' best describes the probable results of keeping that weapon in your hands any longer," Tonda said primly.
"*I* think 'mess' best describes what you must see in the mirror every morning," I grumbled as I handed Kazuei his weapon back.
Raiden and Seiya laughed, and Raiden poked Tonda. "Hear that?" Raiden snickered.
Tonda just raised an eyebrow and gazed at me coolly. "And with that long hair of yours, the edge you have over me is what?"
Jien took my good arm and helped me up while I stared at Tonda, wide-eyed. He'd mentioned my hair and he *hadn't* talked about the crimson color. He just said it was long. That was it. Nothing about the half-breed mark.
Seiya waved his fingers in front of my face. "Yo? Gojyo-babe? Tonda's not that hot."
I bared my teeth at his fingers. "Get your hand out of my face or I'll do it for you."
"Seiya doesn't think I'm hot," Tonda wailed in a pouting falsetto. "Raiden! Defend my honor!"
"You have none."
"You suck." Tonda crossed his arms and pretended to sulk.
Raiden opened his mouth, and Seiya cut him off. "Don't do it, Raiden," he advised. "It's too easy."
Tonda mock-glared at Seiya. "That was the *point*."
"Sex talk in front of the kid?" Jien drawled. "You oughta know better."
"I understand everything they're saying," I let Jien know, feeling delightfully wicked.
Seiya whooped. "Corruption!"
Kazuei laughed. "Well, boys, I hate to say it, but I've got to head home. I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Raiden informed him. "It's a miracle you're not dead yet."
"No miracle." Kazuei thumped his chest. "I'm just one tough sunuvabitch."
"When I'm fully healed, I'm gonna learn how to use that weapon," I told Kazuei, staring straight up into his pale gray eyes. "And next to me, you're gonna look like an arthritic grandma."
"I'm terrified already, bucko." Kazuei grinned. "Looking forward to it."
"You'll sure look amusing tangled up in the chains," Seiya mused.
"Bite me," I retorted. "No, don't. I'll get rabies."
Kazuei waved. "So long, gentlemen."
Eventually, Seiya, Raiden and Tonda drifted off as well. Seiya had to babysit, Raiden's girlfriend was a battle-axe according to all reports and would fry his ass if he were late, and Tonda, well, who knew about Tonda.
Jien and I headed back into the village. The late afternoon was slowly dissolving into evening, and though the accord was unspoken, we knew that neither of us wanted to head back to Mother's house. Though I definitely preferred the village to the enclosed Hell of Mother's four walls, I always felt self-conscious walking through crowds of people. And I always got stares. Always.
The curious gazes burned on my skin. I heard a little girl's high voice pipe up behind me, "Ma, what happened to him? Is he on fire?" The mother shushed her.
That triggered a landslide of memories. My head echoed with remembered comments, less innocent than that of an ignorant little girl. A boy a bit older than me had scoffed, "Shit, what kinda guy wears his hair like that? Oh, it's a taboo kid, forget I asked." A woman had gasped, "Maki, look at that little kid's eyes! Do they look red to you?" An old guy surrounded by a posse of other old guys had grunted in explanation to a muffled inquiry, "Red hair and eyes -- yeah, that there's a taboo child." An older woman had advised her daughter: "Don't join up with the youkai, dear, or your child will be marked just like that." She had pointed her knobby finger at me without shame.
I felt mortified and humiliated and so self-conscious that every cell in my body ached, and I shuffled along hoping to become invisible.
Out of nowhere, Jien stopped short. "Man, Gojyo," he said, sounding exasperated, "would you quit doing that?"
I looked up at him through my hair. "What?"
"That." He sighed, reached out, and tucked my hair behind my ear. "You're hiding like your hair's a curtain or something. Don't hang your head. You've got nothing to be ashamed of."
I gave him a Look and wordlessly held up a hank of my hair for him to inspect. A girl a little bit older than me looked at us curiously, and I bitterly hoped she could see my hair as perfectly as she probably wanted to, gossipy bitch. The waning sunlight bathed me in crimson.
He made an impatient sound. "So you're half human, half youkai. So what? Kazuei looks like he's half octopus, half vampire bat when he's in full youkai form. No one cares. No one I know holds what you are against you."
"I know someone you know who holds it against me."
Jien's face softened as he looked at me, and he crouched down to be at eye level with me. "You'll hold your head up with pride yet, Gojyo," he said softly. "You don't realize it 'cause of Mom's damn brainwashing, but really, you're a great kid. The guys think you're the coolest little man they've ever met, and they're not big fans of kids. But you, you're something else. You've always been special, you hear me?" He took some of my hair in one hand and tugged it gently. "Everyone who's not a fucking deranged psycho sees how beautiful you are. You're my punk kid brother, okay? Keep that in mind."
"Jien…"
He let go of my hair, patting it back in place, smoothing it down. Then he stood. "I know what'll help you out."