***
‘There are many things that don’t need to
be said in this world, but I’d wager you don’t say any of the things that need
to be said either!’ Tomoyo grabbed her sake cup and downed the contents in one
quick wrist movement. Slamming the cup back down on the table, she leaned in on
her elbow and stared at her companion. ‘What is wrong with you, niisan, really?
Why don’t you ever say anything?’
The man across the table maintained his
cross-legged posture as he sipped from his cup. He watched his sister from underneath
lowered eyelids and took a deep breath, knowing what was coming.
‘You know what, Shin? I’m going to get
drunk tonight. I’ve had enough of this place. It’s so dull. The only way to get
some excitement around here is to do things while intoxicated!’
Although that’s what it was probably
supposed to be, but it was rather slurred and Shin just had to guess what she
meant. Plus, she’d said it every other time they’d gotten together, so he
figured he could decode it this time.
Tomoyo was well on her way to doing just
what she declared when they sliding door to their booth was opened and a large
man in a red uniform appeared. He looked over both of them – Shin sitting
perfectly still, cup in hand, Tomoyo lying on one side propped up by her elbow
looking at him through sleepy, lidded eyes.
The man returned his gaze to Shin after a
long, lingering look down Tomoyo’s entire body, and his eyes narrowed as they
took in the dual swords resting nearby. ‘I believe you are in my booth.’
Neither questioning nor emotional inflected, his statement rested gently in the
air while Shin continued to gaze at him.
Tomoyo rolled lazily onto her front and put
her face in her hands, feet kicked up in the air behind her. ‘Oh, reallyyy? Mmm
well I think it’s our booth right now.’ Tomoyo roared with laughter, despite
her statement being neither funny, nor interesting. Shin raised an eyebrow at
his sister, but she just winked at him and chuckled under her breath. He shook
his hand and then returned his gaze to their new guest, whose hand was now
resting gently on the hilt of his katana, lowering it gently in what could be
misconstrued as resting, but to Shin represented an aggressive way of
announcing that he could easily draw his blade at any time.
Shin narrowed his eyes at the movement, and
then, downing the last of his sake, he lowered the cup gently to the table
between himself and the intruder, and then rested his hands on his knees.
‘I don’t think you heard me, my friends.
You are in my booth. Since I now need my booth, you must get out of it. It is
unfortunate for you, I understand, but unavoidable.’ As he spoke, he moved his
left hand behind the hilt of his sword, and gently let each of the fingers of
his right hand come to rest on the tsuka. He did not draw, but the intent was
abundantly clear.
Shin gently rose to one knee, and glanced
to the side to see that his sister had rolled herself into a crouched position.
The intruder seemed surprised by their fast movement, but stood his ground.
Shin allowed himself a small smile of elation at his opponent’s bravado, and
his sister’s ability to seemingly rid herself of drunkenness within a few
nanoseconds – and with the right motivation.
Tomoyo was holding her dual wakizashi now,
and with their silver gleam glinting next to the pale skin of her forearms, she
looked deadly – and excited. Shin took advantage of the man’s incredulous
observation of Tomoyo and returned his swords to their rightful place at his
hip. Moving quickly, he flicked his sword slightly out of its sheath with his
left thumb, ready to move at a moment’s notice.
The man’s dangerous edge had all but
evaporated as his eyes nearly crossed trying to keep them both in view. He
looked unsure as to whether keeping with his current line of ‘persuasion’ would
lead to the best outcome for him or not. He looked at Shin, his eyes almost
desperate now.
Tomoyo spoke her brother’s thoughts: ‘We’re
going to make this easy for you. Take your hands away from that poor excuse of
a sword and go find yourself another booth – one that is actually empty, like
your threats. Do that, and you won’t have to deal with my brother’s or my own
version of ‘persuasion’.’
The man looked stunned for a second, before
quickly removing his hands and leaving the room – giving a quick bow as he slid
the door closed. Shin removed his sword once more and lay it on the ground
beside him as he resumed his sitting position. Tomoyo sheathed both of her
wakizashi and placed them under the low table before slumping on the ground,
appearing for all intents and purposes like she had just downed a dozen bottles
of sake.
‘Thank Kami-sama he chose the easy option –
I was so close to just falling down, bare blades or not.’ She chuckled to
herself and reached for the bottle, pouring another generous portion into her
cup. She lifted the bottle in Shin’s general direction, ‘more, brother?’
Shin smiled and raised his cup so she could
fill it. ‘Of course.’
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