But months later, she was still in the same area, far from where she had been born and raised. Her ancestral home was close enough to travel to, but she dare not do that. Other places were possible, but for various reasons, she had dismissed them. Instead she had chosen to stay where she was, where she had some grip on the familiar.
Some days she did wonder though. She considered her choices, and what had lead her to where she was. There were times when she considered telling Shinnosuke about what she had done. He would forget it, but for a moment, he would know and she would have it off her chest. Perhaps that was what kept her mouth shut as well.
Still, she couldn't give up the chance for a somewhat normal life. Three meals cooked in the kitchen, eaten together. Chores to be taken care of each day. And a nice home to sleep in through every sort of weather. All in a place that only a dead man and a directionally challenged person had been.
With a great sigh, she shoved the thoughts from her mind, and returned to her task of chopping fire wood.
From her spot in the small shop that she and her 'husband' ran, Ukyo sighed. Too all outsiders it seemed that they were a simple couple, come to ply their wares in a new city. They seemed to be a doting 'husband' with a tolerant 'wife', who didn't seem to want riches, but a stable life together. For just about every neighbor and customer, they were the picture of a working class couple.
She still wondered how they had managed it. Sure she still had the business skills she'd had to keep her own resturant going, but there were other factors at play. It had taken quite a bit of work to get Konatsu to act like a man, but it was still a costume to him. On the other hand, she had to continue to remind herself to act more 'feminine'. Plus she lived in fear of the day when a crime happened and she was involved as a witness or a victim, and they started to check into her history.
Thankfully, that hadn't happened yet, and they were still able to live by their 'new' identities. They even had a growing repeat customer base. All in all, it looked to be pretty good going.
Shampoo sat in a realtively okay bar in Hong Kong and nursed her drink. For what had seemed to be the hundredth time that night, she had to make a fool understand that she was not looking for company and even if she was, it didn't come in drunk fools who thought that 'Hey Baby' was a come on. Instead, she just wanted to sit and brood for a long time.
After all, it seemed that the cover had become fact. In her false identity of being a merchant, she had discovered that it was becoming her life. Going from being a warrior to a dealer was a major step down, but it seemed that was how it was going. At the very least it allowed her to eat and sleep under a roof, even if she despised it.
She didn't know if it was her skill in trading, or if it was the fact that she had male customers looking down her blouse as they made a sale. Either way, it was keeping her, while not in riches, in enough money that she could afford some frivolities. A little trinket here, a small token there... it was all meaningless, but she managed to deal with it pretty well.
However, that didn't mean that she wanted to be with anyone, other than herself.
Hearing the noise in the room, Kodachi pulled the screen open a bit and peaked in. Inside there were a group of half dressed men, all intent around a cup and a pair of dice. Their bodies were sweaty, their attention focused and their money ready. None of them paid any attention to the girl that was peeking in on them.
And that was how she liked it.
After all, this was one of her first gambling dens and she wanted to make certain that everything ran smoothly. These men would feed their habits and dreams of making small fortunes with their attempts in that room, and would spend plenty to do just that. Money that would in part come to her, enriching her coffers even more.
Oh, she was not hurting for cash, but she did not wish to sit and do nothing. First off doing this would make certain that she had a cash flow if she needed it. Not only that, but it also put her in good shape with her... associates. She made them money, and that made them happy. As such, that would allow her the chance to turn to them if she needed to. Plus, more money in her pocket was always welcome.
Besides, these fools were under her control, and they didn't even know it. They might think that they were strong, but she knew that they had a weak point, one that she satisfied quite nicely, and profitably. So much so that she could afford to pay her bills and still have enough for some luxuries at the same time.
It was good to be her.
Smiling, she slid the screen closed and walked off while:
(Posted Wed, 30 Jul 2003 06:00)
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