From: "Lady Fel" --------------------------- Affair --------------------------- The man stopped in front of the gate. Kamiya Dojo. He pulled his wide-brimmed straw hat a little more over his eyes. Today, Battousai, finally we can end it, today... ... -------------------- The late afternoon sun cast her in an elegant shade of old gold, glowing softly where glass beads of perspiration still clang on to her perfect skin. You can hardly tell she's nearly 35... but then, he was approaching 40 too. She stretched slowly, sensuous and fully aware, from her expression, of the effect it took on him. Saitou Hajime smirked. He had almost forgotten how refreshingly bold some Dynasty harlots were. "Nani?" The woman fixed him a habitually cynical look. "Tickle your oh-so-noble morals now that you've had your way, don't I." A statement, rather than a question. She had changed somewhat since their last meeting in the cusp of the Dynasty and Meiji. Bolder, angrier, more... self-orientated. With a generous dose of unsatisfied desire. "He may have your person, but I have your heart." He looked down at his mistress in the same arrogant, self-satisfied way she remembered so well. He traced the line of her jaw. The flesh under his callused finger was warm and supple, snow-like, like so many nights an entire era before. Still remote, refined and ready to melt under his very gaze. There was no doubt in their mind who "He" was. Her powerful chief patron, Shishio Makoto, prime criminal. A hitokiri of the last days of the Dynasty, superhuman survivor. Countless assassinations, challenges, even burnt at the stake; and still the man lived. A man whose life was wrought with miracles from hell. "So assumptive." Yumi humphed, sitting up. A flicker of flame lived and died in the dim room to light her tabako. "Ah Yumi, Yumi... ma-ahou yo." He eeled around to rest his head in her lap. "Does he know you're here?" Immediately Saitou realised it for a stupid question. They were in his house, use of which he had granted the woman on her visit in Tokyo. "Who you're with." He elaborated. "Naturally." Yumi replied smoothly, took a long drag from the cigarette and added, "I'm his eye on you." Saitou chuckled and plucked the lit paper roll of crushed leaves from her fingers. He missed her prickly sharpness despite his convictions more than a decade ago and was somehow glad it had been enhanced, not pruned away. Shishio's eye on him? Surely it was the other way round! The information he had managed to glean from the ex-harlot in the past three hours far surpassed ten years of intensive police work and if indeed she was to spy on him, all Yumi had learnt could be learnt about elsewhere at greater depths. Shishio wasn't going to be very happy. Perhaps he could... ... no, that's a stupid thought. He was not responsible fore Yumi's well being! Shigata ga nai. -- Nothing can be done. Not without jeopardizing anything else, that is. Strong as his feelings for this old flame was, his sense of duty to Justice was greater. "What about you?" Yumi bent her head over him, allowing long unbound hair to fall softly about his face. "Wouldn't your wife expect you home sometime?" "Baka." He caressed her cheek tenderly. You should be fearing for yourself, for when Shishio learns that I've learnt all his plans from you... ... "Tokio is hardly one to fear." "Never underestimate a woman." She warned sullenly. "I should be leaving soon." Only the subtle tilt of her face towards his hand betrayed her reluctance. "There is time yet." And drew her naked form down to him again. "Demo, shinkensen wa..." He hushed all her protests in a thick, husky voice. "Never mind the train." --------------------------- The meeting was pure chance. How was he to know he would run into Yumi, lost in that shady back alley? All he was looking for was a private corner to take a smoking break in. Indeed, he had never expected to meet her anywhere at all. Neither did he anticipate the sudden wrench in his heart when he saw her in that festive kimono worn in the respectable style, obi tied behind. All at once she had thrown him back to his youth, the days when he was brash and unsure of himself, full of passion and undirected desire. He was lost in her mystery, as he once more allowed himself to be in that strange moment. "Saitou? Saitou Hajime?" How foolishly pleased he was that she remembered him! There was a haunted man fretting just inside the main entrance of the station. His face lit up when Yumi approached, but became obviously distressed when he saw that someone was with her. One of Shishio's men. Saitou decided. Either he was upset that Yumi had betrayed their master or that she had not been sensible enough to keep contact with the enemy to the minimium. She leaned over, appearing to give Saitou a last good-bye peck on the cheek. Instead, she stuffed a handkerchief into his hand and whispered. "This is the map to our next stop. Do not forget what I told you." "I won't. Take care, Yumi." She smiled wanely, as if to say "don't I always?" He stayed long enough to see her meet with Mr. Paranoid, then turned and started back to the Police Station. He had to file a report. Shishio was up to the usual villianous schemes again: taking over the government. Some days he wished people would be a little more creative. Now the challenge was to foil his plans with minimal fuss and force; which wasn't too much of a problem. All he had to do was alert his superiors of the plans in hatching and convince them that Himura Kenshin was their man. Perhaps if he was lucky they would send him to Tokyo to determine the Battousai's skills. Convincing Himura was their problem. he smirked. Few people could get past Saitou Hajime, much less Shishio Makoto. ---------------- "You're late!" Houji exclaimed as Yumi came within range. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" Yumi pulled on the back of her collar. The decent kimono was terribly uncomfortable for one so used to other styles. "Would you rather we miss the train or mess up the job?" She demanded irritatably. Houji still looked upset, but then, he always did. The moment she stepped on the private carriage at the next stop, Yumi went straight for the bathroom and changed back into her usual off-shoulder harlot styled kimono. Giving her front-tied obi one last settling pat, she went to report to her leader and lover. "Soujirou's reports hold true, Shishio-sama," She thought of the grunt police officer. "We will not have unexpected trouble from him." "What? You mean Seta was on his case before this? Then why did we waste all the resource on reconfirming a good job..." "Go see if everything's ready for our arrival at the Village." Houji stopped his whine at a dismissing glare from his leader. Shishio turned his attention back to Yumi as the doors slid shut leaving them in extreme privacy. "Don't worry, Shishio-sama," She smiled with him. "You will get your duel with Battousai." --------------------------- end --------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Having difficulty getting "in synch" with list members? http://www.onelist.com Try ONElist's Shared Calendar to organize events, meetings and more!