Blood, smoke, money, booze. All that life has encompassed for as long as memory serves. Well, the positive things anyway. They help. They help with everything else. The unrelenting pain that throbs deep beneath the skin, yet somehow just before the surface. That deep pulsating power that calls out in hushed and loving tones. Ever whispering....Genji....Genji......Genji. Demanding to be used in the sweetest and most intoxicating way. Everything about life had been a struggle between desire and control. It's all about temptation, far beyond the choices for a normal man. Then again, no normal man is present. Only....this.
Still......blood, smoke, money and booze. They help.....thats more than anyone else has done.
While lost in thought, Genji nearly smacked into the end of an alleyway. A deadend. Genji adjusted himself and looked around. Unaccustomed to long labors of thought, he wasn't sure how long it had lasted. Had it been days, hours, minutes?
"Aw, who gives a shit."
Genji proceeded to walk to the mouth of the alley and lok around. The streets were wide and unfamiliar. Edo was pretty new to him. "This place is too damn big. How is anyone supposed to fuck'in find anything?" He felt the wind blowing west, so he decided to follow it.
He wandered down the streets, keeping an eye out for signs that stated either food or alcohol. He noticed that he had once again cleared a good amount of the traffic in the streets. "Popular as ever." He noted with a small hidden smile. Genji found his affect on people rather amusing. It was better than other reactions he had and he was very content with being left alone.
He came upon a sign that stated "Food""Alcochol" and even "Bed". Thats all Genji needed to read.....or could. He strolled in confidently and walked right up tot he man behind the counter. He slowly turned around.
"Yes sir, how can I............help......you." The man grew visibly paler as Genji came into full view for him. He then began to tremble. Genji just stared at him with a distinctly bored gaze. Genji reached into his clothes and pulled out 2 Shu. "You're going to give me room&board for 2 Shu......got it?"[color] He then placed the money on the counter.
The innkeeper nodded, seeming a bit relieved....yet not, at the same time.
[color=#f91b23]"I'l be in the dinning room. Send over a bottle of Sake and bowl of raw beef. When I saw raw, I mean still bleeding and whining. Be quick about it, I'm fuck'in starving over here." Genji said as he turned his back and walked over to a table. The man was frozen, but seemed to shake himself out of it. "Um...sir.....your name, please?"
He looked back and stared him right in the eyes. "Genji."
Genji had gotten his bowl and sake and began to indulge. He didn't even use any chopsticks. Jst grabbed handfuls and stuffed himself. After he had finished his meal, he took out his pipe and lit it, breathing deep of the sweet smoke that banished his pain.
After some time, he felt an odd presence. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. It was alien, yet so familiar. Could it be? After all this time? He slowly looked over to someone who he felt was staring at him. To his disappointment, it was a young girl. She seemed.....entranced, sort of. The Ronin looked up at her with crimson eyes. "Paint an Ukiyo-e, it'll last longer."
The girl then seemed to pull herslef togetehr and begin speaking. "My apologies it's just, it feels like I know you from somewhere, but I don't think I would forget a ronin who carried six swords and wore a mask." One eyebrow just slowly raised, puffing on his pipe he simply continued to stare at her. Huh, so she had felt it too. Even now, Genji felt an odd energy between them. Somehow opposing and attracting at the same time. It was kind of liek the feeling he got for Youkai....yet so very different. Who the hell was this girl?
"My name is Kohaku Kana." She bowed.
Oh...that's who.......weird. A smile began to grow about her face and her voice started sound friendlier by the moment......gag.
"And I have come to inquire as to whether or not you would be interested in being hired."
At that, Genji's other eyebrow met the first. A job, huh? Genji quickly scanned the girl over. Fine clothes, smelled of fine oils, definitely was packing money. But....something more. Something that her clothes hid. Some subtle definition of muscle. A small elegance about her, not that of a normal high-born lady...but more like a warrior. She had been trained.....interesting.
Genji breathed deep of his pipe and blew it into the air above him. The smoke formed into two dragons who began to curl around one another....then ate each others tails until there was nothing left. He looked back down at her directly in the eyes. Though she was smiling, she was nervous....determined, but nervous. But not about him. There was something else. He poured her a bowl of Sake and saluted to her, drinking straight from the bottle. He then slammed it down on the table."Money. If the job promises that, I'm interested." Genji then looked around and beckoned her closer with a finger, as if to tell her a secret. When she was close enough, he spoke. "But Blood and Smoke will make me take the job. How much Blood we talk'in 'bout girly?"