on the wrong track, pt9
Kenshin paced back and forth, growling in utter frustration at the situation he found himself in. Jineh was dead; the mad former Assassin he had confronted in the warehouse last night. But so was, almost, a certain stranger that had caused him enough trouble already. She was lying peacefully asleep in Sano’s bed, no wounds but a severe magical exhaustion. He had been forced to supply her with a bit of his own magic for the first hour before she stabilized and Sano stopped shouting curses.
Now he was waiting for her to wake up and finally explain herself.
Sano had left two hours ago, to hit the local pubs probably, and had left him alone to confront the problem, saying that he wished to have no part in what would take place once the girl woke. It was obvious he knew the girl, and was worried, so it seemed strange of him to leave her but Kenshin had more important things to figure out. Like how Abe Mai, the young girl from the café, managed to end up between him and a crazed murderer in that warehouse.
Looking through that notebook of hers sounded like a good place to start, because he could sense protective spells coming off of it and that could only mean she was, indeed, hiding something there.
Only problem was, as far as he could tell, that it was currently nestled quite deep in her cleavage.
oOo
Kaoru didn’t have time to open her eyes before a familiar voice was demanding her attention. Groaning in annoyance, she turned her back at whomever it was - probably Sano, or maybe Yahiko? - and mumbled a slurry “go’way!”. The only response was silence and she thought it was a lovely blessing this early in the morning. She tried to go back to sleep but found that the pounding in her ears was actually a rather painful headache; just her luck that the voice decided to speak up again right then.
“Who are you, and why have you been taking notes on me and my life?” it asked, and she frowned. Whatever is it talking about?
Shreds of memories assaulted her as she concentrated and a startled gasp left her at her memory’s sudden recovery. Before she could properly think about it, she was bolting up straight from whatever bed she was in. Well, attempting to bolt anyway. She only got as far as sitting up before the world spun and she collapsed back onto the mattress. Oh she really shouldn’t have followed him from the hotel; she should’ve listened to her instincts which had screamed to take it slow.
But, she admitted, she had grown impatient after a whole day of nothing but clean, innocent site-seeing. That he’d dressed up in a darker, more worn suit and a suspicious-looking trench-coat - along with a hat and all - had only fueled her curiosity and strengthen her compulsion to follow.
She absently wondered if the saying was true in her case, and if she was the cat, because now he had her caught; her notebook in hand.
Thank Merlin it was her new one brought for this weekend trip, and not the other she kept securely hidden in the inner pocket of the skirt of her dress. Then he would know everything.
Wait, he has my notebook?!
Ah, what to do, what to do? I need a plan!
Obviously, he had finally caught on to her; finally noticed someone was watching him, and finally found that it was her. A fleeting memory of Sano commenting she would probably stalk her boyfriend due to her obsessive dedication to her job passed her otherwise frozen mind, and so, a plan of escape was made within a few moments of cold silence.
“I’m only…I’m only interested, Himura-san!” she pleaded then, because really, she is. Though, she needn’t mention the money, or the original reason she started following him. “I’m so sorry! It’s a really bad habit of mine! I just can’t seem to get you off of my mind and…and I had to do something about it!”
Please let him think she was but an obsessed stalker!
“Really, miss Abe Mai?” he says, sounding darkly amused. She froze upon hearing her false name being spoken in such a dark drawl, torn between his gut-clenching voice and the fact that his eyes burned. She swallowed; meeting his gaze with a slight tremble to her lower lip (she was itching to bite it, but refrained in fear of moving at all). The golden specks adoring his usually violet eyes had not disappeared, but seemed to be increasing. She swallowed, again (damn her throat was dry!), and nodded to show that she was listening. He smirked knowingly, titling his head. “I have found your name registered in the Freelance Tracker Guild, and scattered records of your history. I was going to assume this was a false identity, but you can convince me otherwise, can’t you?”
Biting down a groan, she cursed whoever had made this man so smart. And when had he had time to check her records? “Himura-san! Please! I’m just a-“
“-Tracker mage, without a record of education, who have been tracking me,” a voice whispered in her ear and she realized she was staring at wild, silky strands of ruby red hair. He was hovering above her, so close his chest was pressing lightly against her own. A surprised gasp left her and she snapped her head back to stare wide-eyed at the amused man, barely avoiding bumping into his jaw.
“You can teleport?!” she gaped, knowing he had been at a much more comfortable distance moments earlier. She suddenly knew why he had moved with such God-like speed in the warehouse. “And without speaking a spell out loud?! You’re…you’re..!”
“…powerful?” he finished, raising a brow. She nodded. Yes, powerful. To be able to move the large amount of substance and delicate matter as there were in a human body, you would indeed have to possess vast amounts of magic while being able to control it as well. And he had done so, repeatedly, when engaged in a full-blown mage fight.
He should really frighten her, because he had jumped through space with such ease and neither of her senses - magical or not - could’ve possibly noticed. But she wasn’t scared. She was fascinated.
“How come you’re stuck behind a desk all day?” she suddenly asked, something occurring to her that made her scowl in displeasure. It didn’t really matter that now wasn’t really the time to give in to her impulsive manners but she gathered she must’ve hit her head quite hard somewhere along the line.
Himura stiffened above her and didn’t reply directly, so she continued. “You’re exhausting yourself, aren’t you? Working all those hours, cooped up in a room. It’s to tire yourself out, isn’t it? Because with that amount of power, how are you supposed to sleep if you haven’t used enough for the day?”
She supposed it was a good way of distracting him, throwing him off balance like this, and she was on a roll. Something was clicking into place as her mind raced with what little she had been able to observe about him, how she could use it against him, and she titled her head further to look him properly in the eye, suddenly and illogically angry in her excitement. His expression was blank, but she didn’t care; her heart was beating fast, almost painful in her chest. She was angry, and she didn’t yet care why. Anger was better than fear, which seemed to be what he wanted her to feel; pinned underneath him in a foreign bed, in a strange room, at an unknown location.
“I know how it feels, to leave your magic unexercised,” she continued, wanting to focus on something other than her position underneath him; the vulnerability it left her in. “It’s like a rash after a while, begging to be itched and it drives me mad! Should drive anyone mad! Every time I’ve been around you I’ve ceased all magical flow in my body, and you must be doing the same, right? In the office, everyday. You really should know better than to leave your magic suppressed, it grows restless! Exhausting your body until it falls asleep regardless of the energy building up inside you is insane! Why are you doing this, huh?!”
“It is none of your business, Miss Abe. But it is a peaceful lif-“ She didn’t let him finish, because clearly, this man needed someone to tell him to wake up before his magic consumed him from inside-out in its search for an outlet. It didn’t matter that he was who he was - inspector Himura Kenshin, Battousai, cheating fiancé - she simply couldn’t let something like this go. It was like slow suicide, and she’d seen it happen right before her eyes, had seen its worst outcome. She’d be damned if she allowed it to happen again.
“-Peaceful life?” she interrupted angrily, poking him hard in the chest and breathing in deeply before continuing without a pause. ”What about your life is peaceful, exactly? The day-to-day existence that is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow? You call it peaceful, but what does your magic tell you? What does your body tell you? It’s dreary, bleak and wearing you down, that’s what! So tell me, is this peaceful life what you want, or what you think you deserve? Because to me it looks more like a punishment rather than a paradise, Himura Kenshin!”
Her voice ended up being much louder than when she had started her rant and she was left panting slightly at the effort. His golden eyes had narrowed, an expression torn between anger and perplexed amusement on his face. She realized she must’ve really sounded like a stalker, and mentally congratulated herself for keeping her cover even subconsciously, despite the fact that Himura was probably fuming. Swallowing nervously, she tried to keep his intense glare and tilted her chin up stubbornly.
“S-so,” she continued, stuttering slightly after a few moments of tense silence where he’d merely stared down at her, a contemplative look on his face. “You r-really shouldn’t do that!”
He raised a brow, seemingly amused by her sudden change in temper. Huffing, she looked away and silently thought that one would have to be made of stone to face his attitude unwavering, before she made a weak attempt at breaking the continuous silence from his part. He’d have to answer a question, right?
“S-so you’ll start using magic again, regularly, w-won’t you?”
When she received no answer, she sighed in defeat. She’d have to face the beast head on, wouldn’t she? A startled gasp left her as he slowly removed his warm weight from her trapped form, and her head snapped up to stare at him with wide, puzzled eyes. Was he going to hit her? No…the Himura Kenshin she’d observed the last couple of days didn’t seem like that kind of man…did he?
His long bangs shadowed most of his face while he sat back, lips in a thin line that was neither a frown nor smirk. Blinking, she pushed herself up on her elbows, titling her head and eying his stiff form with confusion. Shouldn’t he at least be questioning her? Threatening her?
He snorted, making her jump at the unexpected sound, before raising his head enough for his bangs to fall aside and reveal his gold-violet eyes. He stared her down, and she had to look away again, but it lasted only seconds before he stood and caused her gaze to follow him again.
“Don’t leave this room,” he said, having turned his back on her now and started to make his way to the door. “You won’t be able to, so don’t try. I’ll be back when I am more…collected. You will answer me then, and you will answer me truthfully.”
And with that, he left, a heavy blanket of magic surrounding the room. Blinking, she wondered how much more collected he could be, when he’d barely shown any emotion half-way through her tantrum. It took her a moment before she realized he’d locked her in, with powerful wards preventing her from escaping.
“Fuck!” she hissed, momentarily berating herself for her vocabulary before sitting up more comfortably on the bed. If he thought he could keep her here, he’d be up to one big surprise.
She wished she could see his face when he returned to find her gone, without a trace.
Now, she only needed to find a way to disappear.
oOo
NEXT PART
PREVIOUS PART
FIRST PART
so, a desperate plan was formed; Kaoru is a stalker? I don't think Kenshin'll believe that, but he's off to cool down. so you'll have tp wait to take part of his thoughts.
anyway, yes, bottling up your magic for a longer period of time is a big no-no. the more magic you've got, the more you need to use it. I hope I didn't confuse you too much with all that stuff.
next up; Kenshin's musings and....where's Sano?
until next time...
peace out~!
Now he was waiting for her to wake up and finally explain herself.
Sano had left two hours ago, to hit the local pubs probably, and had left him alone to confront the problem, saying that he wished to have no part in what would take place once the girl woke. It was obvious he knew the girl, and was worried, so it seemed strange of him to leave her but Kenshin had more important things to figure out. Like how Abe Mai, the young girl from the café, managed to end up between him and a crazed murderer in that warehouse.
Looking through that notebook of hers sounded like a good place to start, because he could sense protective spells coming off of it and that could only mean she was, indeed, hiding something there.
Only problem was, as far as he could tell, that it was currently nestled quite deep in her cleavage.
oOo
Kaoru didn’t have time to open her eyes before a familiar voice was demanding her attention. Groaning in annoyance, she turned her back at whomever it was - probably Sano, or maybe Yahiko? - and mumbled a slurry “go’way!”. The only response was silence and she thought it was a lovely blessing this early in the morning. She tried to go back to sleep but found that the pounding in her ears was actually a rather painful headache; just her luck that the voice decided to speak up again right then.
“Who are you, and why have you been taking notes on me and my life?” it asked, and she frowned. Whatever is it talking about?
Shreds of memories assaulted her as she concentrated and a startled gasp left her at her memory’s sudden recovery. Before she could properly think about it, she was bolting up straight from whatever bed she was in. Well, attempting to bolt anyway. She only got as far as sitting up before the world spun and she collapsed back onto the mattress. Oh she really shouldn’t have followed him from the hotel; she should’ve listened to her instincts which had screamed to take it slow.
But, she admitted, she had grown impatient after a whole day of nothing but clean, innocent site-seeing. That he’d dressed up in a darker, more worn suit and a suspicious-looking trench-coat - along with a hat and all - had only fueled her curiosity and strengthen her compulsion to follow.
She absently wondered if the saying was true in her case, and if she was the cat, because now he had her caught; her notebook in hand.
Thank Merlin it was her new one brought for this weekend trip, and not the other she kept securely hidden in the inner pocket of the skirt of her dress. Then he would know everything.
Wait, he has my notebook?!
Ah, what to do, what to do? I need a plan!
Obviously, he had finally caught on to her; finally noticed someone was watching him, and finally found that it was her. A fleeting memory of Sano commenting she would probably stalk her boyfriend due to her obsessive dedication to her job passed her otherwise frozen mind, and so, a plan of escape was made within a few moments of cold silence.
“I’m only…I’m only interested, Himura-san!” she pleaded then, because really, she is. Though, she needn’t mention the money, or the original reason she started following him. “I’m so sorry! It’s a really bad habit of mine! I just can’t seem to get you off of my mind and…and I had to do something about it!”
Please let him think she was but an obsessed stalker!
“Really, miss Abe Mai?” he says, sounding darkly amused. She froze upon hearing her false name being spoken in such a dark drawl, torn between his gut-clenching voice and the fact that his eyes burned. She swallowed; meeting his gaze with a slight tremble to her lower lip (she was itching to bite it, but refrained in fear of moving at all). The golden specks adoring his usually violet eyes had not disappeared, but seemed to be increasing. She swallowed, again (damn her throat was dry!), and nodded to show that she was listening. He smirked knowingly, titling his head. “I have found your name registered in the Freelance Tracker Guild, and scattered records of your history. I was going to assume this was a false identity, but you can convince me otherwise, can’t you?”
Biting down a groan, she cursed whoever had made this man so smart. And when had he had time to check her records? “Himura-san! Please! I’m just a-“
“-Tracker mage, without a record of education, who have been tracking me,” a voice whispered in her ear and she realized she was staring at wild, silky strands of ruby red hair. He was hovering above her, so close his chest was pressing lightly against her own. A surprised gasp left her and she snapped her head back to stare wide-eyed at the amused man, barely avoiding bumping into his jaw.
“You can teleport?!” she gaped, knowing he had been at a much more comfortable distance moments earlier. She suddenly knew why he had moved with such God-like speed in the warehouse. “And without speaking a spell out loud?! You’re…you’re..!”
“…powerful?” he finished, raising a brow. She nodded. Yes, powerful. To be able to move the large amount of substance and delicate matter as there were in a human body, you would indeed have to possess vast amounts of magic while being able to control it as well. And he had done so, repeatedly, when engaged in a full-blown mage fight.
He should really frighten her, because he had jumped through space with such ease and neither of her senses - magical or not - could’ve possibly noticed. But she wasn’t scared. She was fascinated.
“How come you’re stuck behind a desk all day?” she suddenly asked, something occurring to her that made her scowl in displeasure. It didn’t really matter that now wasn’t really the time to give in to her impulsive manners but she gathered she must’ve hit her head quite hard somewhere along the line.
Himura stiffened above her and didn’t reply directly, so she continued. “You’re exhausting yourself, aren’t you? Working all those hours, cooped up in a room. It’s to tire yourself out, isn’t it? Because with that amount of power, how are you supposed to sleep if you haven’t used enough for the day?”
She supposed it was a good way of distracting him, throwing him off balance like this, and she was on a roll. Something was clicking into place as her mind raced with what little she had been able to observe about him, how she could use it against him, and she titled her head further to look him properly in the eye, suddenly and illogically angry in her excitement. His expression was blank, but she didn’t care; her heart was beating fast, almost painful in her chest. She was angry, and she didn’t yet care why. Anger was better than fear, which seemed to be what he wanted her to feel; pinned underneath him in a foreign bed, in a strange room, at an unknown location.
“I know how it feels, to leave your magic unexercised,” she continued, wanting to focus on something other than her position underneath him; the vulnerability it left her in. “It’s like a rash after a while, begging to be itched and it drives me mad! Should drive anyone mad! Every time I’ve been around you I’ve ceased all magical flow in my body, and you must be doing the same, right? In the office, everyday. You really should know better than to leave your magic suppressed, it grows restless! Exhausting your body until it falls asleep regardless of the energy building up inside you is insane! Why are you doing this, huh?!”
“It is none of your business, Miss Abe. But it is a peaceful lif-“ She didn’t let him finish, because clearly, this man needed someone to tell him to wake up before his magic consumed him from inside-out in its search for an outlet. It didn’t matter that he was who he was - inspector Himura Kenshin, Battousai, cheating fiancé - she simply couldn’t let something like this go. It was like slow suicide, and she’d seen it happen right before her eyes, had seen its worst outcome. She’d be damned if she allowed it to happen again.
“-Peaceful life?” she interrupted angrily, poking him hard in the chest and breathing in deeply before continuing without a pause. ”What about your life is peaceful, exactly? The day-to-day existence that is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow? You call it peaceful, but what does your magic tell you? What does your body tell you? It’s dreary, bleak and wearing you down, that’s what! So tell me, is this peaceful life what you want, or what you think you deserve? Because to me it looks more like a punishment rather than a paradise, Himura Kenshin!”
Her voice ended up being much louder than when she had started her rant and she was left panting slightly at the effort. His golden eyes had narrowed, an expression torn between anger and perplexed amusement on his face. She realized she must’ve really sounded like a stalker, and mentally congratulated herself for keeping her cover even subconsciously, despite the fact that Himura was probably fuming. Swallowing nervously, she tried to keep his intense glare and tilted her chin up stubbornly.
“S-so,” she continued, stuttering slightly after a few moments of tense silence where he’d merely stared down at her, a contemplative look on his face. “You r-really shouldn’t do that!”
He raised a brow, seemingly amused by her sudden change in temper. Huffing, she looked away and silently thought that one would have to be made of stone to face his attitude unwavering, before she made a weak attempt at breaking the continuous silence from his part. He’d have to answer a question, right?
“S-so you’ll start using magic again, regularly, w-won’t you?”
When she received no answer, she sighed in defeat. She’d have to face the beast head on, wouldn’t she? A startled gasp left her as he slowly removed his warm weight from her trapped form, and her head snapped up to stare at him with wide, puzzled eyes. Was he going to hit her? No…the Himura Kenshin she’d observed the last couple of days didn’t seem like that kind of man…did he?
His long bangs shadowed most of his face while he sat back, lips in a thin line that was neither a frown nor smirk. Blinking, she pushed herself up on her elbows, titling her head and eying his stiff form with confusion. Shouldn’t he at least be questioning her? Threatening her?
He snorted, making her jump at the unexpected sound, before raising his head enough for his bangs to fall aside and reveal his gold-violet eyes. He stared her down, and she had to look away again, but it lasted only seconds before he stood and caused her gaze to follow him again.
“Don’t leave this room,” he said, having turned his back on her now and started to make his way to the door. “You won’t be able to, so don’t try. I’ll be back when I am more…collected. You will answer me then, and you will answer me truthfully.”
And with that, he left, a heavy blanket of magic surrounding the room. Blinking, she wondered how much more collected he could be, when he’d barely shown any emotion half-way through her tantrum. It took her a moment before she realized he’d locked her in, with powerful wards preventing her from escaping.
“Fuck!” she hissed, momentarily berating herself for her vocabulary before sitting up more comfortably on the bed. If he thought he could keep her here, he’d be up to one big surprise.
She wished she could see his face when he returned to find her gone, without a trace.
Now, she only needed to find a way to disappear.
oOo
NEXT PART
PREVIOUS PART
FIRST PART
so, a desperate plan was formed; Kaoru is a stalker? I don't think Kenshin'll believe that, but he's off to cool down. so you'll have tp wait to take part of his thoughts.
anyway, yes, bottling up your magic for a longer period of time is a big no-no. the more magic you've got, the more you need to use it. I hope I didn't confuse you too much with all that stuff.
next up; Kenshin's musings and....where's Sano?
until next time...
peace out~!