Day 27/28: Kanan Reboot
There! I'm at a good stopping point. Time to post! I've finally caught the reboot up to that Banri business, hooray!
Like the other parts, this is rated R for all the general Kanan/Gonou business. And also swearing.
=====
The two of them muddled along for a while longer. Gojyo saw the way Kanan looked at him, with pity and understanding, and he thought that she didn't understand him at all.
She loosened up some, though, after he told her about his fucked up family, and she told him more about his. Gonou, her brother, was her twin. They were closer than close. They were orphans, raised separately, and the hadn't found out until after they'd fallen in love. Kanan always got dreamy when she talked about Gonou.
"You would have liked him," she said. "Everyone did."
Gojyo started to hate the dead man in the room on principle.
Kanan never talked about the night Gonou died. She never talked about why he'd come to rescue her, though Gojyo put some of it together on his own. Hyakugen Maoh's clan had been wiped out just around that time, and that bastard was famous for kidnapping and eating beautiful women. Gojyo was also pretty sure about why Kanan was so gun-shy, even though they shared a bed most nights.
It made Gojyo wonder about the baby that had never been born, and he felt cold thinking those thoughts. Would it have been like him? Or had it been Gonou's and she couldn't stand the thought of raising his kid without him? Gojyo was sure Kanan knew exactly what he was thinking. He was sure she hated him for it, even though she didn't call him on it.
And then one day, while they were having one of those soul-searching sorts of breakfasts, parked on the couch with the TV on so it didn't feel quite so quiet, the front door came crashing in and a man stood in the opening.
Banri had come back.
Gojyo felt himself gaping. He saw how angry Kanan looked, those lips tight with disapproval and a hint of fear around the eyes. Banri wasn't wearing his limiter, and he looked feral. Dangerous, like the slightest move would set him off. It was his usual. Gojyo looked at Kanan again.
"It's okay," he said. "I know him."
"Banri," said Gojyo. "What the fuck, man! Where've you been?"
He stood and placed himself between Kanan and his ex-roommate.
"Damn," said Banri. "I heard you were hooked up with a chick, but look what she's done with this shithole! I never would've believed it in a million years if I wasn't seeing it."
Banri looked Kanan up and down, baring his teeth in admiration. Gojyo wanted to punch him for it. Banri took a step closer and slugged Gojyo's shoulder.
"You done good, Gojyo," he said. "She cleans and she's a looker."
"She is right here," said Kanan.
Banri raised both hands in defense, although Gojyo could tell he was having a hard time not laughing.
"Sorry babe," Banri said. " You're just kinda a cut above this guy's usual, you know?"
Kanan stood and smiled so cold Gojyo expected her to frost over everything she touched.
"Care for a cup of tea?" she said.
Gojyo wouldn't have put it past her to poison Banri's drink. Gojyo understood the feeling-his ex-roomie got that reaction a lot. Kanan retreated to the kitchen without waiting for a reply.
Gojyo jabbed an elbow in Banri's side.
"Tone it down, man," he said.
"Just makin' conversation," said Banri.
Gojyo raised his eyebrows.
"Why are you really here?" he said. "No word for a year plus and then you fucking kick my door down?"
"A guy can't just drop by?" said Banri. "Fuck, seriously, I just thought you'd be up for some fun, even if some bitch does have you by the balls."
Gojyo frowned.
"It's just a little job," said Banri. "It'll be just like the good old days."
Hah. Everyone wanted to put him to work. Sanzo had dropped by only a couple days ago, trying to turn him into some sort of fucking hunting dog, looking for some thieves who were hitting temples.
"Your head must be on backwards," said Gojyo. "The good old days weren't that good."
They'd kinda sucked, actually, between the stealing and the running and the beatings he dished and received. Banri'd been his first friend, really, but he hadn't been a good one.
"I gotcha," said Banri. "That pretty piece in there won't let you, huh?"
Banri threw his head back and laughed.
"Never thought I'd see the day when the great Sha Gojyo would choose a chick over a fuckton of money."
He looked Gojyo in the eye, then.
"Guess times really have changed," he said. "The offer stands. See you around."
And almost as quick as he'd come, Banri left.
Gojyo followed him with his eyes until Banri was beyond where he could see.
In the kitchen, the tea kettle screamed.
It wasn't more than a week later when Gojyo got stuck cleaning up Banri's mess: a couple thugs showed up and he went with them, leaving Kanan behind. It was his business, Banri's business, but it wasn't hers.
He waited until the three of them were out of sight of the house before he made a fuss with his fists.
He still ended up tossed in front of a tied-up Banri with some gang of idiots howling for blood. It really was just like the old days. Gojyo'd really hoped Banri had left town, but his luck wasn't with him. He switched places with Banri, playing hostage while Banri was supposed to be robbing the temple at Chang-An. It made Gojyo smile. If Banri was that big of an idiot, if he didn't run like Gojyo assumed he would, he deserved to have Sanzo's gun in his face be the last thing he ever saw.
"What're you smiling at, huh?" said one of the thugs. "Banri's not back yet, and it's coming up zero hour."
Gojyo shelved the thought for later. He relaxed in his seat, testing how slack the ropes were around him.
"You dumb asses never should've let Banri get near the door," said Gojyo. "He's never coming back."
Gojyo turned a friendly smile around the room.
"You little mongrel bastard," said the leader of the gang. "That just means we're gonna take it out on you. And your time's about up."
They got in a couple good hits to his gut on top of what they'd already done, knocked the wind out of him. Gojyo spat blood to one side. So this was it, huh? Tied like a pig for the slaughter, at the mercy of a bunch of youkai meatheads. He tested the ropes again. If he didn't mind popping a joint or two, he could get himself untied.
The door swung open. All of them stared at the new arrival, temporarily blocked by a large, black umbrella.
"Banri?" wheezed Gojyo.
The umbrella swung out of the way, dripping on the floor. It was Kanan. She looked pale and small, particularly standing next to the guys who were doing a shit job guarding the door. Gojyo felt ill.
"Who're you, you bitch?" said the leader. "We didn't call for no slut."
"I thought Gojyo might need an umbrella for the walk home," she said.
"You shouldn't be here," said Gojyo. "Get out."
"Oh, this is cute," said one of the guys. "You girlfriend's come to rescue you."
"Fine," said the leader. "We'll do you, and then do him. Or maybe we'll save you for later, yeah?"
He snapped his fingers, and the men grinned like beasts. They stepped forward, one by one.
Kanan sighed. She snapped her umbrella shut.
"Remind me to try to leave you alive," she said. "It can be difficult to control myself, sometimes."
Getting rescued by a girl wasn't as humiliating as he'd thought it was going to be. He had to revise his opinion of umbrellas as weapons, though. She'd done things that he'd never even imagined with that umbrella.
"So," said Gojyo. "You a youkai or what?"
She was almost giddily cheerful as they limped home, leaning on one another.
"The monks think it has to do with Gonou being so fresh from turning when I killed him," Kanan said. "Although half of them think it has to do with our being twins."
"What kind of a youkai doesn't have a limiter?" said Gojyo. "And you…look like you."
Well, minus the gory state of her clothes, she looked the same as always.
"I have never stopped being myself," she said. "But I suppose I took something of Gonou into me, that day. I remember…how angry he was."
He looked at her, skipping along in the rain, and he couldn't quite reconcile what she was doing now with what she had done. Even now, the rain was washing her clean.
"I am perfectly capable of defending myself," said Kanan.
"I can see that," Gojyo said. "You defended yourself right through six guys' insides."
At that, she blushed and stopped walking.
"I really didn't mean to," she said. "But I couldn't just leave you there."
She frowned.
"I knew Banri was trouble," she said. "I don't know what you saw in him."
"Sometimes, neither did I," said Gojyo. "But I couldn't abandon him."
"No," said Kanan. "I suppose you couldn't."
The rain came down harder. Gojyo felt drowned.
"I wish my umbrella hadn't broken," said Kanan. "We could really use one."
Gojyo laughed and instantly regretted it. Shit. Maybe those guys had cracked a rib.
"Let's go home," he said. "I'll buy you a new one."
=====
Okay. Time to relax now.
~later
Like the other parts, this is rated R for all the general Kanan/Gonou business. And also swearing.
=====
The two of them muddled along for a while longer. Gojyo saw the way Kanan looked at him, with pity and understanding, and he thought that she didn't understand him at all.
She loosened up some, though, after he told her about his fucked up family, and she told him more about his. Gonou, her brother, was her twin. They were closer than close. They were orphans, raised separately, and the hadn't found out until after they'd fallen in love. Kanan always got dreamy when she talked about Gonou.
"You would have liked him," she said. "Everyone did."
Gojyo started to hate the dead man in the room on principle.
Kanan never talked about the night Gonou died. She never talked about why he'd come to rescue her, though Gojyo put some of it together on his own. Hyakugen Maoh's clan had been wiped out just around that time, and that bastard was famous for kidnapping and eating beautiful women. Gojyo was also pretty sure about why Kanan was so gun-shy, even though they shared a bed most nights.
It made Gojyo wonder about the baby that had never been born, and he felt cold thinking those thoughts. Would it have been like him? Or had it been Gonou's and she couldn't stand the thought of raising his kid without him? Gojyo was sure Kanan knew exactly what he was thinking. He was sure she hated him for it, even though she didn't call him on it.
And then one day, while they were having one of those soul-searching sorts of breakfasts, parked on the couch with the TV on so it didn't feel quite so quiet, the front door came crashing in and a man stood in the opening.
Banri had come back.
Gojyo felt himself gaping. He saw how angry Kanan looked, those lips tight with disapproval and a hint of fear around the eyes. Banri wasn't wearing his limiter, and he looked feral. Dangerous, like the slightest move would set him off. It was his usual. Gojyo looked at Kanan again.
"It's okay," he said. "I know him."
"Banri," said Gojyo. "What the fuck, man! Where've you been?"
He stood and placed himself between Kanan and his ex-roommate.
"Damn," said Banri. "I heard you were hooked up with a chick, but look what she's done with this shithole! I never would've believed it in a million years if I wasn't seeing it."
Banri looked Kanan up and down, baring his teeth in admiration. Gojyo wanted to punch him for it. Banri took a step closer and slugged Gojyo's shoulder.
"You done good, Gojyo," he said. "She cleans and she's a looker."
"She is right here," said Kanan.
Banri raised both hands in defense, although Gojyo could tell he was having a hard time not laughing.
"Sorry babe," Banri said. " You're just kinda a cut above this guy's usual, you know?"
Kanan stood and smiled so cold Gojyo expected her to frost over everything she touched.
"Care for a cup of tea?" she said.
Gojyo wouldn't have put it past her to poison Banri's drink. Gojyo understood the feeling-his ex-roomie got that reaction a lot. Kanan retreated to the kitchen without waiting for a reply.
Gojyo jabbed an elbow in Banri's side.
"Tone it down, man," he said.
"Just makin' conversation," said Banri.
Gojyo raised his eyebrows.
"Why are you really here?" he said. "No word for a year plus and then you fucking kick my door down?"
"A guy can't just drop by?" said Banri. "Fuck, seriously, I just thought you'd be up for some fun, even if some bitch does have you by the balls."
Gojyo frowned.
"It's just a little job," said Banri. "It'll be just like the good old days."
Hah. Everyone wanted to put him to work. Sanzo had dropped by only a couple days ago, trying to turn him into some sort of fucking hunting dog, looking for some thieves who were hitting temples.
"Your head must be on backwards," said Gojyo. "The good old days weren't that good."
They'd kinda sucked, actually, between the stealing and the running and the beatings he dished and received. Banri'd been his first friend, really, but he hadn't been a good one.
"I gotcha," said Banri. "That pretty piece in there won't let you, huh?"
Banri threw his head back and laughed.
"Never thought I'd see the day when the great Sha Gojyo would choose a chick over a fuckton of money."
He looked Gojyo in the eye, then.
"Guess times really have changed," he said. "The offer stands. See you around."
And almost as quick as he'd come, Banri left.
Gojyo followed him with his eyes until Banri was beyond where he could see.
In the kitchen, the tea kettle screamed.
It wasn't more than a week later when Gojyo got stuck cleaning up Banri's mess: a couple thugs showed up and he went with them, leaving Kanan behind. It was his business, Banri's business, but it wasn't hers.
He waited until the three of them were out of sight of the house before he made a fuss with his fists.
He still ended up tossed in front of a tied-up Banri with some gang of idiots howling for blood. It really was just like the old days. Gojyo'd really hoped Banri had left town, but his luck wasn't with him. He switched places with Banri, playing hostage while Banri was supposed to be robbing the temple at Chang-An. It made Gojyo smile. If Banri was that big of an idiot, if he didn't run like Gojyo assumed he would, he deserved to have Sanzo's gun in his face be the last thing he ever saw.
"What're you smiling at, huh?" said one of the thugs. "Banri's not back yet, and it's coming up zero hour."
Gojyo shelved the thought for later. He relaxed in his seat, testing how slack the ropes were around him.
"You dumb asses never should've let Banri get near the door," said Gojyo. "He's never coming back."
Gojyo turned a friendly smile around the room.
"You little mongrel bastard," said the leader of the gang. "That just means we're gonna take it out on you. And your time's about up."
They got in a couple good hits to his gut on top of what they'd already done, knocked the wind out of him. Gojyo spat blood to one side. So this was it, huh? Tied like a pig for the slaughter, at the mercy of a bunch of youkai meatheads. He tested the ropes again. If he didn't mind popping a joint or two, he could get himself untied.
The door swung open. All of them stared at the new arrival, temporarily blocked by a large, black umbrella.
"Banri?" wheezed Gojyo.
The umbrella swung out of the way, dripping on the floor. It was Kanan. She looked pale and small, particularly standing next to the guys who were doing a shit job guarding the door. Gojyo felt ill.
"Who're you, you bitch?" said the leader. "We didn't call for no slut."
"I thought Gojyo might need an umbrella for the walk home," she said.
"You shouldn't be here," said Gojyo. "Get out."
"Oh, this is cute," said one of the guys. "You girlfriend's come to rescue you."
"Fine," said the leader. "We'll do you, and then do him. Or maybe we'll save you for later, yeah?"
He snapped his fingers, and the men grinned like beasts. They stepped forward, one by one.
Kanan sighed. She snapped her umbrella shut.
"Remind me to try to leave you alive," she said. "It can be difficult to control myself, sometimes."
Getting rescued by a girl wasn't as humiliating as he'd thought it was going to be. He had to revise his opinion of umbrellas as weapons, though. She'd done things that he'd never even imagined with that umbrella.
"So," said Gojyo. "You a youkai or what?"
She was almost giddily cheerful as they limped home, leaning on one another.
"The monks think it has to do with Gonou being so fresh from turning when I killed him," Kanan said. "Although half of them think it has to do with our being twins."
"What kind of a youkai doesn't have a limiter?" said Gojyo. "And you…look like you."
Well, minus the gory state of her clothes, she looked the same as always.
"I have never stopped being myself," she said. "But I suppose I took something of Gonou into me, that day. I remember…how angry he was."
He looked at her, skipping along in the rain, and he couldn't quite reconcile what she was doing now with what she had done. Even now, the rain was washing her clean.
"I am perfectly capable of defending myself," said Kanan.
"I can see that," Gojyo said. "You defended yourself right through six guys' insides."
At that, she blushed and stopped walking.
"I really didn't mean to," she said. "But I couldn't just leave you there."
She frowned.
"I knew Banri was trouble," she said. "I don't know what you saw in him."
"Sometimes, neither did I," said Gojyo. "But I couldn't abandon him."
"No," said Kanan. "I suppose you couldn't."
The rain came down harder. Gojyo felt drowned.
"I wish my umbrella hadn't broken," said Kanan. "We could really use one."
Gojyo laughed and instantly regretted it. Shit. Maybe those guys had cracked a rib.
"Let's go home," he said. "I'll buy you a new one."
=====
Okay. Time to relax now.
~later