[China Trip]

[x_ginta_x]

Sifting through the maps and charts in the Nexus library while using his grandfather's stories as a guide had helped. When they PINpointed onto the scene they were just far enough outside the city limits that someone appearing out of thin air wouldn't be gawked at, but just close enough that it wasn't a terrible walk. The estimate had ended up

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[dream_departed]

"Yep! I had the currency converted at the Nexus mall." She adjusted the large bag containing bolts of rolled up silk, in case someone preferred to barter. Aya-chan was taking shopping seriously.

She threw her arms around Ginta and tried to pull him close for a long, deep kiss. "Best to get that out of the way before we go. There is know telling how people in ancient China would react to PDA."

[x_ginta_x]

Ginta was gladly pulled and lingered for as long as he could.

"Mm, good idea." Aaaand, one more little kiss on top of that. For the road. He fidgeted with the straw hat he was using to obscure his ears before starting to stride towards the entrance of the city. On the way, there was the occasional beggar dotting the way and no shortage of people coming and going: sailors, merchants, soldiers, farmers bringing food to trade, the usual colourful crowd.

Once inside the main area, there were shops and booths all around, some boasting opulent silk, some offering odd and beautiful porcelain crafts, others displaying the celadon pottery, the specialty of Zhejiang.

Ginta had to take a moment to soak it all in before speaking. "Was there anything in particular that you wanted to find?"

[dream_departed]

Ginta would probably not approve of the magical objects that Aya-chan was interested in, so she rested her head on Ginta's shoulder and answered, "Shopping really a secondary thing. I mostly just want to be here." She turned her head toward him, smiling sweetly. "With you."

Aya-chan went stiff when she heard a man's voice shouting, "Stop! He's a demon! Get him!" Aya's grip on Ginta's arm tightened and she got ready to run.

A man -- furs, fangs, pointy ears -- raced past them. She blinked. Another man, the big mouth who was still shouting orders, was not far behind. She did not think about it. She stretched out her leg and tripped him.

Big Mouth fell to the ground with a loud thud. The two men following behind him had to stop short to keep from tripping over Big Mouth.

Big Mouth groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. Oh, damn. Big Mouth was a big man with a big spear. He did not look happy.

[x_ginta_x]

The happy warm fuzzies he was feeling froze like a heavy thing in his gut at the same time Aya stiffened.

How do they know?

How it's possible to freeze again when you're already not moving is an odd thing, and an achievement that Ginta isn't likely to be able to repeat. But when he sees the man, smells what he is, it happened. "Yourozoku? Here?" he mumbled, nearly inaudibly.

With him being as distracted as he is, its a good thing that Aya was so quick on her feet, so to speak. The ensuing pile up snaps Ginta out of it, and he realizes that Big Mouth will probably be a problem.

"Dear, are your leg spasms acting up again?" he asked, making sure the concern was evident in his voice. He then turned to the men that were hauling themselves off the ground. "I'm so sorry about that. It happens sometimes and can't be helped. That's part of the reason we came to this city, in hopes that the doctors here would know how to cure the way her legs stiffen up seemingly out of nowhere."

Man, that was such a load of bull. Would they buy it?

[dream_departed]

The only real similarity to Ginta was the eyes. Maybe the slightly upturned nose. He was more stockily built with wild black hair that refused to be restrained by a top knot. It is possible it might not be Ginta's grandfather, but how many Yourouzoku found their way to China?

Aya-chan made a small bow. She took a slow step forward trying to radiate 'See? I'm a small helpless girl. No threat at all.' Which was, after all, true.

"We ditched the group and ran away." She raised the PINpoint. "Using this. It sounds like you are a long way from home. We could help you, if you trust us."

[x_ginta_x]

He looked at Aya, then at the thingamabob she was holding with no small amount of suspicion in his eyes.

"That's what you used to poof in with?" He gave it another measuring glance. "Tempting... but I can't just go. I have an obligation to fulfill."

Ginta gave him a strange look. "What obligation could you possibly have in a place you don't know?"

The responding look was just a little bit stern in a way that filled Ginta with a sense of déjá vu. "Not that it's any of your business, but... I promised one of the guys I came over with that I'd track him down and we'd both make it back to Japan in one piece." He paused before muttering, "He helped me with my sea sickness."

Now the déjá vu was hitting full force. Ginta was fairly sure he'd heard a story similar to this before. "What... what was the guy's name?"

"Kenichi. I doubt you'd really know him," the youkai said with a dismissive wave.

Pretty sure I know of him, though, Ginta thought as he sent a kind of sick, shocked glance at Aya. The trip just got a lot weirder, for him.

[dream_departed]

Aya-chan gave him a sympathetic look. She reached out to put her arm around him. "Come on, we're only trying to help.

"Where was the last place that you saw Kenichi? Maybe we could track him down."

The demon looked from Aya to Ginta and back again. Aya-chan was often got that Look, but it still hurt.

"Why do you care? Why are you so insistant?"

"You are Yourouzoku. Ginta is Yourouzoku. And the pack looks after one another." Aya-chan said in a tone that suggested that he should know that already. "Now, you can let us help you or take your chances with the nice men who are trying to capture and do God knows what to you."

[x_ginta_x]

The arm was appreciated and leaned on a little bit. He was just going to ignore the small headache that thinking about the situation was generating.

The youkai (Denjiro by name, if Ginta was remembering right [though he rarely had called him anything but jii-chan, so he could be wrong]) narrowed his eyes at Aya.

"What would you know about Yourouzoku, girly? You smell pretty human to me."

Now it was Ginta's turn to put his arm around Aya and give the other man a significant look. "She knows enough."

Denjiro gave a half-laugh, half-snort. "I'm sure your pack just loves that."

Ginta held up a finger, "They're actually pretty understanding, believe it or not. ...And I thought you'd be more understanding since the friend you have to find is probably human."

Denjiro crossed his arms and glared. "That's a pretty different situation, boy."

"But it's still hanging around-" just then, Ginta thought he heard Big Mouth's voice off in the distance, "-humans! Run!"

[dream_departed]

Oh, great. This was ... great! All they had to do is let themselves be taken hostage and then they would find Kenichi.

"Give us the pack that you are carrying, little girl."

"Parle?" she ventured.

"Huh?"

It sucked that life could not be more like the movies.

She took her pack off her shoulder. "I know where to find even more than that. I can tell you, but I will only talk to the captain."

"Yeah, why would you do that?"

"...because my master should not have hit me the way he did."

[x_ginta_x]

The men conferred amongst themselves for a good few minutes before deciding that, yes, they would take her to their leader.

Ginta kept casting glances Aya's way. He knew she had a plan, the story about a master showed that much, but he was still nervous about the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Denjiro drew his hat a little lower over his eyes. None of them had recognized him yet and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Might be best not to give too much away just yet.

The group was jostled and herded towards the harbor area. The bustling port was every bit as busy as the market place and the ocean view was something else, but they weren't allowed much time to stop and take in the sights. When they reached the edge of the pier, a few of the pirates drew out dirty bits of cloth.

"Can't have you lot giving away our hide away to the locals, so blindfolding it is."

Denjiro tore a bit of his own clothes and tried to blindfold himself before the men got a chance to get close enough to get a good look at him.

[dream_departed]

Aya-chan held out her hand for Ginta while she allowed herself to be blindfolded. A pirate took her free hand and led her forward. She could feel his rough calluses and the dirt on his hand. She was grateful he did not hold her too tightly.

They were led on a meandering path. Aya wondered if they were being made to walk more than was necessary.

"You are going to want to duck here, girlie," the pirate leading her told her. She ducked, shuddering a little when she felt something that felt like cobwebs brush across her face.

"What is this? The entertainment?" a surly voice Denjiro might have recognized as belonging to the captain asked.

[dream_departed]

I love you completely. It has hurt being away from you all of these years. I thought that I was being loyal and faithful to you, the way I know you would be to me. But I finally realized that you would not want me to feel like this. I'm going to try to move on. Good bye.