Day 15: Kanan Reboot
This is the tamest R-rated thing I've ever worked on. XD The warnings are the same as before.
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Gojyo gave up all hope. The house got run down and he spent every night for weeks in the care of the bartender and the women who flocked to him. He never took any of them home, but he made the barkeep happy because he rented out rooms for the night and only spent an hour at a time in them. It was better than going back to that empty house.
His whole life felt empty now, and he'd never expected to get attached to anyone, let alone her. But there was no denying it now. Even he could see it, now that she was gone.
One rare morning Gojyo woke up in his own bed. He went into his own kitchen and discovered what food he'd had had been carried off, piece by piece, by rats, who'd left little rat shits in piles in his cupboards. Gross. He didn't feel much like walking back into town, but what else could he do? Even the coffee was gone. So he jammed his feet into his boots and started walking.
It seemed like a very long walk with the hangover he had, on no caffeine and an empty stomach. To top it off, he could feel a blister forming on the pad of his left foot. It felt like he was grinding glass in with every step. He limped a little way further under the broiling sun, feeling shittier and shittier with every step. He knew he was having a pity party, but he felt like it today.
He sat on one of the infrequent mile-markers, carved as it was into a convenient boulder, and peeled off his boot to check out the blister.
"Shit," he said.
It was huge. If he walked all the way to town on it, he'd be real sorry. But there wasn't anyone else to go for him. He didn't have neighbors or, he swallowed hard, a roommate. He put his boot back on. Nothing for it but more of the same.
Gojyo stood again and limped a little further down the road. He kept his eyes to the ground, avoiding ankle-twisting holes and rocks. From far off, he heard a rumbling, like a whole herd of water buffalo stomping down the road, and it was coming from behind him. He stepped down into the ditch and took a look.
"Huh," he said. "Don't see that every day."
It was a car, a jeep, dark blue. Cars were rare around here because not only were they expensive, and you had to find gas for it somehow, but most people just walked and never went more than fifty miles from where they were born.
The jeep rolled to a stop next to Gojyo.
"Excuse me," said the driver. "Is this the way to Chang-An?"
Gojyo shaded his eyes and squinted up at the person in the driver's seat. It took him a second to place who it was.
"Kanan!" he said.
He hopped up onto the driver's side door and reached out to hug her. She flinched away and he dropped back.
"Sorry," he said. "It's just…y'know…never thought I'd see you again."
She smiled and got out of the jeep. She looked better than the last time he'd seen her, though that might have to do with her wearing decent clothes and not his hand-me downs. Tentatively, she reached for his hand and, getting it, gave it a brief squeeze. Kanan was warm and alive.
"That's the first time you've ever said my name," she said. "I always thought you'd ask, someday."
"I thought they'd killed you," he blurted out.
She winced.
"No," she said. "Sanzo interceded, and I was given a second chance."
"Huh," said Gojyo.
He thought for a minute.
"You in town for long?" said Gojyo.
"As a matter of fact, I am," Kanan said. "As long as I can find somewhere to stay. The monks looked after me while I was gone, but it's not like they could give me money to start over with. Not all of them were happy that I was to go out into the world again."
"You could come back with me," said Gojyo. "The place is a mess, but it's still standing."
"I couldn't impose," she said. "But thank you."
Gojyo hadn't expected to feel so lousy. He hadn't expected to be turned down, either. It just seemed real easy, natural-like, even if they were months away from the settled life they'd shared. He'd offered without thinking.
"What's with the jeep?" said Gojyo.
It was an obvious change in subject, but it meant he could look at the car and not at her.
Kanan patted the hood, and the engine revved. Then the whole thing flashed, and a tiny red dragon wound itself around her neck. When Gojyo approached, it flamed at him, hissing between tiny sharp teeth. He backed off.
"Oh," said Gojyo. "And a red dragon equals a blue jeep how?"
Kanan shrugged, and the little dragon dug its claws into her shoulders.
"How does a dragon become a vehicle, period?" she said. "I have no idea."
They stood in the middle of the road for a couple more minutes, totally silent.
"I'd better get going," said Gojyo. "I've got a little shopping to do in town."
He looked at Kanan and hesitated before sticking out a hand. She didn't take it, so he took it back.
"See you around, yeah?" he said.
And Gojyo kept on walking.
By the time he'd haggled over the carrots and the rice and the salt fish, both of his feet were blistered and he could feel a sunburn rising over his cheeks. He slung the string bag over his shoulder and started on the long walk back to his house. So intent was he on not popping his blisters before he got home that he didn't see Kanan until she got right in his face, just outside the village gate.
"What do you want?" he said.
"Let me give you a ride home," Kanan said. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."
Her arm brushed against his and he remembered, vividly, those mornings where he'd woke with her around him.
"If you really want," said Gojyo.
It took a remarkably short time in the jeep to get from the village to his house. And when they got there, the little dragon looked tired, so he invited them in for a cup of tea and something to eat, now that he had food. Gojyo could see the wheels turning in Kanan's head as she looked around the kitchen. He sighed.
"I know it's a dump," he said. "But I'm responsible for it. I'll clean it, eventually."
"Gojyo," she said.
And it wasn't without affection. He knew she knew he was lying about cleaning. The only cleaning he'd ever do would be to torch the whole place, and that would leave him without a roof over his head.
"The offer still stands," said Gojyo. "It'll be getting dark soon, and I don't like the rumors I've been hearing."
The way Kanan stiffened in her chair told him that she'd heard the rumors as well. Youkai, roaming the hills, in search of easy prey. They wouldn't think twice about attacking a lone woman, dragon or no. But they were only rumors.
"That's sexist," Kanan said, absently.
Then her gaze sharpened on him. He was reminded how green her eyes were, how beautiful. Gojyo found himself staring and he made himself look away first.
"I can take care of myself," she said.
"So," said Gojyo. "Was it true? Why Sanzo came for you?"
Kanan lowered her eyes. Her hands shook.
"Yes," she said. She paused. "No. I'm not really sure."
She put a hand to her stomach, right over the scars Gojyo knew were there.
=====
It's interesting how hard it is for me to imagine Kanan as a primary, not-relegated-to-Hakkai's-background-drama character. Even harder: how she and Gojyo interact.
~later
=====
Gojyo gave up all hope. The house got run down and he spent every night for weeks in the care of the bartender and the women who flocked to him. He never took any of them home, but he made the barkeep happy because he rented out rooms for the night and only spent an hour at a time in them. It was better than going back to that empty house.
His whole life felt empty now, and he'd never expected to get attached to anyone, let alone her. But there was no denying it now. Even he could see it, now that she was gone.
One rare morning Gojyo woke up in his own bed. He went into his own kitchen and discovered what food he'd had had been carried off, piece by piece, by rats, who'd left little rat shits in piles in his cupboards. Gross. He didn't feel much like walking back into town, but what else could he do? Even the coffee was gone. So he jammed his feet into his boots and started walking.
It seemed like a very long walk with the hangover he had, on no caffeine and an empty stomach. To top it off, he could feel a blister forming on the pad of his left foot. It felt like he was grinding glass in with every step. He limped a little way further under the broiling sun, feeling shittier and shittier with every step. He knew he was having a pity party, but he felt like it today.
He sat on one of the infrequent mile-markers, carved as it was into a convenient boulder, and peeled off his boot to check out the blister.
"Shit," he said.
It was huge. If he walked all the way to town on it, he'd be real sorry. But there wasn't anyone else to go for him. He didn't have neighbors or, he swallowed hard, a roommate. He put his boot back on. Nothing for it but more of the same.
Gojyo stood again and limped a little further down the road. He kept his eyes to the ground, avoiding ankle-twisting holes and rocks. From far off, he heard a rumbling, like a whole herd of water buffalo stomping down the road, and it was coming from behind him. He stepped down into the ditch and took a look.
"Huh," he said. "Don't see that every day."
It was a car, a jeep, dark blue. Cars were rare around here because not only were they expensive, and you had to find gas for it somehow, but most people just walked and never went more than fifty miles from where they were born.
The jeep rolled to a stop next to Gojyo.
"Excuse me," said the driver. "Is this the way to Chang-An?"
Gojyo shaded his eyes and squinted up at the person in the driver's seat. It took him a second to place who it was.
"Kanan!" he said.
He hopped up onto the driver's side door and reached out to hug her. She flinched away and he dropped back.
"Sorry," he said. "It's just…y'know…never thought I'd see you again."
She smiled and got out of the jeep. She looked better than the last time he'd seen her, though that might have to do with her wearing decent clothes and not his hand-me downs. Tentatively, she reached for his hand and, getting it, gave it a brief squeeze. Kanan was warm and alive.
"That's the first time you've ever said my name," she said. "I always thought you'd ask, someday."
"I thought they'd killed you," he blurted out.
She winced.
"No," she said. "Sanzo interceded, and I was given a second chance."
"Huh," said Gojyo.
He thought for a minute.
"You in town for long?" said Gojyo.
"As a matter of fact, I am," Kanan said. "As long as I can find somewhere to stay. The monks looked after me while I was gone, but it's not like they could give me money to start over with. Not all of them were happy that I was to go out into the world again."
"You could come back with me," said Gojyo. "The place is a mess, but it's still standing."
"I couldn't impose," she said. "But thank you."
Gojyo hadn't expected to feel so lousy. He hadn't expected to be turned down, either. It just seemed real easy, natural-like, even if they were months away from the settled life they'd shared. He'd offered without thinking.
"What's with the jeep?" said Gojyo.
It was an obvious change in subject, but it meant he could look at the car and not at her.
Kanan patted the hood, and the engine revved. Then the whole thing flashed, and a tiny red dragon wound itself around her neck. When Gojyo approached, it flamed at him, hissing between tiny sharp teeth. He backed off.
"Oh," said Gojyo. "And a red dragon equals a blue jeep how?"
Kanan shrugged, and the little dragon dug its claws into her shoulders.
"How does a dragon become a vehicle, period?" she said. "I have no idea."
They stood in the middle of the road for a couple more minutes, totally silent.
"I'd better get going," said Gojyo. "I've got a little shopping to do in town."
He looked at Kanan and hesitated before sticking out a hand. She didn't take it, so he took it back.
"See you around, yeah?" he said.
And Gojyo kept on walking.
By the time he'd haggled over the carrots and the rice and the salt fish, both of his feet were blistered and he could feel a sunburn rising over his cheeks. He slung the string bag over his shoulder and started on the long walk back to his house. So intent was he on not popping his blisters before he got home that he didn't see Kanan until she got right in his face, just outside the village gate.
"What do you want?" he said.
"Let me give you a ride home," Kanan said. "It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."
Her arm brushed against his and he remembered, vividly, those mornings where he'd woke with her around him.
"If you really want," said Gojyo.
It took a remarkably short time in the jeep to get from the village to his house. And when they got there, the little dragon looked tired, so he invited them in for a cup of tea and something to eat, now that he had food. Gojyo could see the wheels turning in Kanan's head as she looked around the kitchen. He sighed.
"I know it's a dump," he said. "But I'm responsible for it. I'll clean it, eventually."
"Gojyo," she said.
And it wasn't without affection. He knew she knew he was lying about cleaning. The only cleaning he'd ever do would be to torch the whole place, and that would leave him without a roof over his head.
"The offer still stands," said Gojyo. "It'll be getting dark soon, and I don't like the rumors I've been hearing."
The way Kanan stiffened in her chair told him that she'd heard the rumors as well. Youkai, roaming the hills, in search of easy prey. They wouldn't think twice about attacking a lone woman, dragon or no. But they were only rumors.
"That's sexist," Kanan said, absently.
Then her gaze sharpened on him. He was reminded how green her eyes were, how beautiful. Gojyo found himself staring and he made himself look away first.
"I can take care of myself," she said.
"So," said Gojyo. "Was it true? Why Sanzo came for you?"
Kanan lowered her eyes. Her hands shook.
"Yes," she said. She paused. "No. I'm not really sure."
She put a hand to her stomach, right over the scars Gojyo knew were there.
=====
It's interesting how hard it is for me to imagine Kanan as a primary, not-relegated-to-Hakkai's-background-drama character. Even harder: how she and Gojyo interact.
~later