WARNING: Rated R, for just about everything! This routine is getting truly boring..... Nothing extra special to worry about in this chapter, just go read the general first warning in the first chapter. I will warn you all that the response to reviewers will probably be pretty long, so if you can't be bothered reading through it, skip on ahead to pretty line and chapter.
Author's note: I want to thank all the wonderful reviewers out there for their support! It really means a lot to me! So I also want to wish you all a Happy New Year! I know it's not quite New Years yet, and for those of you who celebrate other New Years, consider it be be either very early or extremely late. Thanks everyone!
Response to Reviewers (I think I hit a personal record for number of reviews. Your response is great, guys!- and all in-depth ones, too. Glad to see this fic is attracting so many intelligent people):
Vesca: No, I haven't read your fics, I should probably get around to it sometime (I'm so lazy..). Yes, I'm trying to start dropping some hints with Hiko to work up to the whole realization climax thing, I'm impressed you picked up on it. Glad to see another friendly face, and I hope you have a great New Year too! Thanks for the review!
Chiruken: From the responses I've been getting, apparently people like controversy. I must file this information away for future use. I especially like your comments about the mixed feelings of sympathy and disgust - that was one aspect of the story I tried to work on and balance. I feel honoured that you took the time to write about that in your review. Love the long-winded and philisophical review, thanks very much! Hope you keep on reading.
Sakura Alex: Believe me, you shouldn't flame, and I appreciate people who don't - apparently all the reviewers of this story are mature enough to respect other people's perspectives/ideas. (Laughs). Thanks for telling them where to go though. Another Kenshin angst fan, woohoo! Thanks for the praise, it really helps to motivate me to keep writing! Hiko will eventually get a clue, though (people keep asking - this fic IS going somewhere eventually). Feel free to ask any questions in your reviews, I enjoy communicating with my reviewers (in case you can't tell with the huge 'response to reviewers' section). Or if you want a REALLY long response, feel free to E-Mail me.
Kai: Thanks mate! BTW, cool pen name.
Emz: Emz is still reviewing! Great! Heh heh heh, love your review, thanks. It thickens indeed....
Syngen Segumi: Wow, deep (far too deep for the early afternoon). Gee, I could just about make a mentor out of you after that review. I agree with your views; but what's this with 'maturing as writer'? You're not that much older than me mate! (I hope my grammar in the chapter is of a more intelligent level than my responses). Thanks for taking the time to review.
Crazy Girl Person: It's my favourite reviewer again! (Sorry guys, I don't mean to play favourites, but loyalty counts for a lot). Oh, this fic isn't really meant to be a sequel to Servitude, though in all rights it could be, I just won't be making any references at all to that story point. Read it however you want. And anyhow, Kenshin is a little crazy - to become Battousai and then to later practically have a split personality..... yeah, it's out there. I'm impressed that you picked up on Hiko calling Kenshin by his name, I was strangely proud of that theme for some reason. Hiko's going to figure things out eventually, though it'll sure take a while. Speaking of taking a while, maybe I should start holding out on you like I did to Unseen Watcher - threaten no updates until you update yours! That'll get the gears working. Way of the Samurai is cool. You have good taste.
MsJadey: Thanks very much for making the effort to review (Christmas makes everyone lazy). I'm truly glad if I have created something unique with this fic, and even more so if my writing style can support it. This will not, however, wind up being a series of vignettes, though I admit it does look like that at the moment. The plot will be resolved - I detest unresolved storylines. Don't know how many more drunk faces of Hiko I can develop, though, I haven't been hanging around my alcoholic 'friends' recently (who were the ones who originally inspired this), but I'll be seeing them New Year so maybe I'll bring along a notepad and see if they produce any worthwhile material. It's a beautiful thing, to be the only one sober in a crowd of drunken idiots. About as beautiful as roadkill.
Thanks everyone, and have a Happy New Year! Don't forget to review!
_________________
Routine
Chapter 5 - Anything for a Night of Solitude
By Sinnatious
************
Hiko awoke the next morning with the sun. He felt more tired than he should have for a full night's sleep, but when he got out of bed and donned his white mantle and katana he found that the usual irritation at his own sleepiness and that of his pupil's did not annoy him as much. In fact, he almost felt that nothing at that point in time would irritate him.
Wondering what could have brought on his own good mood - the sake must have been especially good the night before or something - he moved towards his baka deshi's room to wake the boy. He paused briefly at the doorway, taking in the sight of pupil's peacefully sleeping form. What was the saying - that they looked like such angels when they were asleep? True enough, at this point in time if it wasn't for the faded remains of Kenshin's black eye he would never have been able to guess that the lithe boy could lift a sword, much less have mastered more than half of the Hiten Mitsuryugi Ryu.
Such pondering was a waste of time. "Baka deshi! It's morning! Don't make me drag you out of bed again!" It was always tempting to use the flip side of his sword to wake the boy up; after once or twice the kid had been so fast out of bed he wasn't even awake by the time he reached the kitchen, which was always a source of great amusement for Hiko.
He was about to turn and head back to the kitchen to start making breakfast, but the boy's ki didn't stir from its serene sleeping pattern. That was odd, usually the kid was a fairly light sleeper. "Oi! Baka! Didn't you hear me? Wake up!"
Still there was no response from the sleeping boy. He must have really been exhausted; training the day before hadn't been that hard, had it? The swordmaster briefly contemplated what to do. It was tempting to let him sleep in out of pity, but there could be no such softess coming from Hiko Seijuuro. Still, a Do-Ryu-Sen would probably be inappropriate at this time.
Placing a hand on each of the boy's shoulders, he shook him gently. "Kenshin!"
Whether it was the shaking or the utterance of his real name that woke Kenshin up he wasn't sure; the night before he'd received quite a reaction when he'd called the boy by his given name again. Hiko filed the information away for future use. Either way, the apprentice snapped awake, instinctively pushing out, but his pupil's comparatively meagre strength wouldn't be enough to budge the great Hiko Seijuuro.
"Shishou!" he gasped. It seemed to him that he used the exclamation a great deal lately. "What-?"
Hiko stood up, finally making his way to the kitchen. "Get up already! Don't make me call you again. We have another full day of training today!"
Kenshin retched inwardly; even though he had been startled awake, he was still exhausted, the previous evening's sleep not enough to suffice, given the excessive training the day before and the night's activities. At least being shaken awake wasn't as hard as the flip side of a sword. Hiko must have still been in a good mood, going easy on him like that.
Changing out of his hakama and into a fresh blue training gi, barely bothering to run his hand through his red hair and tie it up in the usual topknot, Kenshin hurriedly grabbed his katana and headed out into the kitchen where Hiko was almost finished making breakfast.
Much like dinner, breakfast was eaten in silence, until both were finished and Kenshin did the dishes. The routine never changed. As a child, it used to irritate him more than it had the past few months. He wondered if in time he would come to base so much of his life on routine like his master did that he would maybe even one day even drink the way Hiko did; he already found himself picking up so many of his other traits. Kenshin shuddered invisibly, vowing to himself never to drink sake to that extreme. In fact, he was almost about ready to swear off ever drinking sake altogether.
It was in the afternoon, after lunch, when the two stood facing off, sparring once again in the knee-deep water of the stream where it wouldn't matter if either one of them.... well, mostly himself, Kenshin admitted.... was knocked back by an attack. It was good for his strength too, moving through the water, but the teen still felt that by now he should have been at the level where they could spar on normal ground more than once or twice a week. Kami-sama only knew that Hiko only ever decided for them to train on normal ground when Kenshin was feeling at his worst. He was never a lucky person, that he was not.
"You need to get more height on your jumps," his Shishou instructed him. The apprentice was already tired but Hiko did not seem even slightly so. It was probably all the sake fueling him.
Kenshin wasn't certain whether he should smile at that idea or scowl at it.
Hiko remained patient, following the next attack, as the boy swam back into position. The kid was soaked - they'd have to do another load of laundry the next day, he supposed. They could have trained on ground, especially as it was less tiring and the boy seemed more tired that usual; though there was that darn trend in odd behaviour that the boy was developing lately.... still, the splash of the water was so refreshing. He frowned to himself - he was getting poetic again. What was WITH this unexplainable good mood?
Besides, as fragile as the kid seemed to be these days, getting slammed into the ground would be a lot harsher than the riverbed. Training in the river also allowed him time to think, since when they trained in the stream they both moved much more slowly. He simply hadn't had any solitude to think in lately, as the boy was STILL sitting up every night while he drank sake. Well, good mood or not, tonight he wasn't. He didn't think that he'd resort to threats of violence; for some reason, none of his threats seemed to faze the youngster recently; but there had to be some way to get some peace and quiet....
Before either knew it, was growing towards evening, the sun set and twilight on its way. That was when Hiko had his answer of how to get just one night's respite from his baka deshi's silent companionship. It was cruel, yes, but it would, in the long run, benefit them both.
Hiko lowered his sword and sheathed it, Kenshin moving to the do the same. That was when he spoke. "Baka deshi, that was the most pathetic Ryu-Shon- Sen I've ever seen. You're going to stay out here until I say and practice!"
Kenshin felt his heart drop to somewhere well below his knees at the words. He had been pushing it to keep training today, but practicing beyond dark? And what about dinner?
He didn't even have the chance to protest before Hiko was making his way back to the hut, white mantle billowing dramatically in the wind. Sighing in defeat, he raised his sword again, running through the moves of the Ryu- Shon-Sen, which was somewhat more difficult without an opponent. The swordmaster's word was law, after all, and not even he dared cross it.
Twilight set in, leading to darkness. Kenshin still practiced, though his muscles burned and his energy was drained to the point of non-existence. He was getting hungry, too. But all these were irrelevant as the one fear burned in his mind; that he wasn't there to witness, and thus be at least somewhat prepared for, his master's nightly sake drinking ritual.
It was difficult to focus on a tricky sword technique when one was fretting about such things. Which Hiko would come for him later? Would Hiko even come for him at all?
As time passed into the part of night where Kenshin was usually confronted with the full drunkeness of Hiko, it appeared not. By now the boy was barely practicing at all, more standing there trying to catch his breath and conjure energy he simply no longer had. The moon was out, fortunately, allowing him to see with relative ease. Finally, deciding that standing there wasn't going to do him any good and neither was any practicing - he didn't know what his Shishou had been ragging on about, he'd felt that his Ryu-Shon-Sen was quite satisfactory - the young red-head sheathed his katana and quietly made his way back to the hut.
He felt his resolve begin to waver once he was within sight. There was no doubt that Hiko was beyond the point of no return with his drinking by now. He thought he could even sense it in his ki, though his senses were not yet fine-tuned enough to divine anything more than that.
When he heard a loud voice coming from inside the hut he did feel at least one moment of relief. Hiko was singing. He couldn't make out the words to whatever song his master was gracing with his voice; he still had difficulty with the fact that Hiko even knew any songs well enough to sing. A singing Hiko usually meant an early night, something a very tired, not to mention cold and hungry Kenshin always looked forward to.
Still, his Shishou had said not to return until he told him to. On the other hand, it was clear that with that being the case, he wouldn't be told to come back at all that night. This, he felt, was the definition of being between a rock and a hard place.
Kenshin chewed on his lip thoughtfully; he was cold in his wet clothes, and staying out here for the night he would almost certainly catch a cold, something he couldn't afford to do these days. This presented him with something of a dilemma. No matter which Hiko he was faced with, his Shishou wouldn't recall telling him to come in the night before come the next morning. So the next morning, if he didn't recall telling him to come in, he'd either be angry that Kenshin had come in, or would question at why he didn't remember Kenshin coming in. That would raise many more questions until..... well, until all the truth came out.
Then again, Hiko didn't seem suspicious of the fact that he would never remember going to bed at night. Could he just forget about telling his pupil to come back inside?
Kenshin thought not. A compromise, then. He'd go in, get changed out of his wet clothes, then come back out so that his master still found him outside the next morning. There weren't too many predators he had to worry about on this mountain, and he could sleep outdoors fine so long as he wasn't soaked to the bone; it wasn't that cold out at night at the moment. Besides, it made much more sense for his master to have forgotten to fetch him than to have fetched him and not remember it.
Kenshin quietly slipped in through the hut into his own room, shrugging off his own wet clothes and replacing them with warm dry ones. There wasn't much he could do about his hair, but that was almost dry by now anyway. Hiko's singing died out in the background; since the older man hadn't noticed him come in, it seemed apparent that he was going to bed. Holding his breath, Kenshin waited until the last of the candlelights flickered out in the kitchen, then stole back outside, katana still in hand, and made his way back to the clearing he had chosen to train in.
Settling himself against the tree, Kenshin held the katana propped up protectively against his shoulder, just in case he was wrong about predators, and drifted to sleep. It would be difficult to explain in the morning, but it was the only solution he had.
_____________________
Sorry about the slightly shorter chapter, it was kind of the way it played out. I'll try to post the next one quickly to make up for it. Happy New Year!
Back to Anime Chapter Four Chapter Six