InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "fine take a nap"

Kenshin Himura (justawanderer) wrote in wariscoming,
@ 2013-05-31 22:06:00

Entry tags:

buffy summers

Who:Kenshin and Buffy
What:Vampire Slayer meets a ~~former~~ Man slayer.
When:Backdated slightly to arrival
Where:Starbucks!
Warning:TBA?

The dark red haired samurai knew he could not stay at the Starbucks for long. His presence was already gaining much unwanted attention. Unfortunately for him he had no idea how to 'blend in' and it did not help that speaking English was difficult. He could not explain that he was a tourist or a wanderer or anything of the sort because he did not know the words. The computer had been set for him to read in Japanese and write in English, but he knew this was only going to make things more difficult in the long run. He stuck out of the crowd like a sore thumb with his deep red mens kimono and samurai hakama pants, it was only natural people should stare.

That was exactly the opposite of the effect he wanted. In Japan he would have just simply looked like a poor penniless samurai. There were many of them since the war ended. Most did not know how to give up the sword after living by it for so many years. Kenshin was one of those, but he did at the same time accept the peaceful age of the Meiji. The sword he kept was special. It looked like any old Katana, but when drawn the blade was on the wrong side. His sword was for protecting the ones he loved, not for taking lives. He was unsurprised to find people staring at the weapon, and at him but that did not make it less uncomfortable for the young faced wandering swordsman. He got up and bowed his head to the lady who had shown him the computer machine, and left the building to wait outside.

Even out side he stood out. He found more people staring at the cross shaped scar on his cheek even than at home. Kenshin turned so said marking was not as visible, leaning against the wall of the coffee shop in an attempt to be casual. He tucked his hands inside the long sleeves of his kimono and watched people pass by.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-01 05:28 pm UTC (link)

"Pretty easy to see who's new here," Buffy said, coming up to the guy in the kimono. "That's a nice sword you've got," she added with professional interest, that being the second thing about him she noticed after the kimono. She hadn't seen the scar on his averted cheek yet, but a sword was hard to hide.

Sword wasn't her usual choice, and when she had picked one up, it'd usually been a European style weapon, but there was something sleek and deadly about a katana. She held back on the casual comment about decapitating the vampires of this world that the sword brought to mind, though. No point in overloading the guy, he looked uncomfortable enough already.

Poor guy. She hadn't really meant to get involved with a newcomer when she started talking to him on the journals, just to vent a little about the Seal, but it quickly became clear that someone had to, and she'd been keeping to herself for long enough. It was time to be helpful, so she tried on her best friendly smile before heading off to see if she could lead a Japanese newcomer to a love of oreos. Or just to the complex.

The smile was easier to put on than she expected, and it was easy to find the guy she was looking for, and so she was feeling genuinely optimistic when she greeted him.

"I'm Buffy," she continued, sticking out a hand before she thought to wonder if Japanese guys from eighteen sixty-whatever shook hands.

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justawanderer
2013-06-01 08:35 pm UTC (link)

He did not even need to look up from his spot to know she had arrived. He knew she was on her way and could tell by the distinct sounds her body made coming toward him. They were not obvious to the untrained ear, but he spent years as an assassin. He was trained to look for certain sounds, especially coming directly for him.

Kenshin focused on her words. Trying to pick out the bits and pieces he understood (which were not many unfortunately) but he tried. It was easier to talk on the computer it could translate for him. He did not know very much by the way of English at all. When he turned toward the blond girl, his deep amethyst eyes brightened a little in a friendly manner. She had gone out of her way to come collect him, he would try to show her as much respect as he could. "Sessha wa wa not fit." He frowned at the way English sounded on his tongue, unsure if she understood what he meant. His heavy Japanese accent did not make it any easier probably for her to understand him. "Sword. Ah, kore wa Sakabatou." He said placing a hand on the weapon. It's name was the Sakabatou. He hoped he could at least convey that much. He might show her the weapon in a less populated area, but it was not wise to draw a katana in the public eye. Even the former samurai knew that.

"Buffy-dono." Dono was his attempt to show her respect. He knew in Western culture people did not bow, but shook hands instead so he offered her a slender hand. They did not look like they belonged to a skilled swordsman, but the calluses between his fingers said otherwise. Kenshin paid no mind to curious on lookers. There was no need to get paranoid, as the man slayer he often faced the same experiences in Kyoto.

"Himrua Kenshin." He said in true Japanese fashion. "Himura last name." He seemed friendly enough, but he held himself with an air of amicable temperance as though if he were to falter he might hurt someone.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-02 03:31 am UTC (link)

Buffy's smile slipped when Kenshin spoke, the accent so thick she really wasn't sure what he was saying. Had he understood what she said? Was there any communication going on here? He'd seemed to know English when they were speaking over the internet, but maybe he only knew how to write it?

It was a relief when she recognized her own name, and when he shook her hand. She looked into his eyes and saw understanding, probably more than she was displaying right now, with all her surprise and confusion.

"Umm," she said, frowning as she tried to play back the sounds he'd produced and map them into English. Not fit, okay, and sword. And last name made immediate sense, she was making progress!

"Umm," she said again, this time because she was trying to figure out what to say back. You've got a scar like a cross on your cheek was completely obvious and not important right now, just another surprise, Can I call you Ken? was friendly in her book but did the Japanese even do nicknames...

"Hey Kenshin, let's go somewhere quieter, okay?" She'd probably said that too fast. "Somewhere quieter," she repeated slowly, reaching out to direct him by touching his shoulder, then leading the way to a side street. She'd been around Lawrence enough by now -- wandering aimlessly sometimes when she got restless -- and she knew exactly where to go to quickly find a street with less foot traffic.

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justawanderer
2013-06-02 06:05 am UTC (link)

He watched her with a vague amusement. Mostly remaining silent because it was not as though she would understand if he spoke. He could tell that much just by looking at her. It was a little frustrating, but he was patient. That much showed in his actions. He waited for her to take the lead, knowing she knew much more than he did when it came to the world he suddenly found himself in. Trusting her. It was not as though he were helpless really should she decide to attack him, but he did not think she would. She agreed to help him, so he was going to believe in her.

What she saw may have been more focused than understanding, but he did understand that he was the foreigner now. That She was trying her best despite the obvious language barrier and he was grateful. When she said his name, he paid attention and nodded. Trying to motion that she should lead the way with a nod of his head. "Hai." He knew she was coming to show him somewhere, so he would take her lead.

No matter how he tried, Kenshin did not blend in with the modern world. The more he followed Buffy, the more people stared. He was anxious to get out of sight. He did not understand what she had said but the motions helped. He would have to remember that in Western cultures people did not often give their last names, and shook hands instead of bowing, and then there was the 'new world' business. I really was a lot to take in. Kenshin was feeling more than overwhelmed with it all.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-02 03:41 pm UTC (link)

Attacking anyone was the last thing on Buffy's mind. All the stares, the people not so discretely getting out of the way, the feeling of overwhelmed that Kenshin was radiating -- it brought back her own arrival and the feeling like she was under attack by a reality that wasn't right.

She walked briskly, focusing on each person who reacted to the red-clad samurai walking along with her, not letting them blur into a pattern of aversion but seeing them as individual people. Seeing the street, knowing where she was... She'd come a long way since she arrived, and she had a responsibility to Kenshin now, she couldn't get lost in herself.

The silence of their progress was hard for her, though. Talking grounded her in a social reality, and though she occasionally turned and gave Kenshin an encouraging smile or touched his arm to direct him, the silence felt barren.

Buffy turned into an alley, even further from the crowd. There were cars parked here, dumpsters and piles of empty boxes behind a store, but a distinct lack of people. "It's a shortcut," she said in explanation. If he understood, that was good. If not, then at least she'd tried.

They continued along the alley for a while, crossing wider streets occasionally. ("The grocery store is that way," Buffy said at one point, just to say it. Not really expecting 'grocery store' to be understood right now.)

Then they came to a chain link fence stretched across the alley, about eight feet tall. Buffy had forgotten about it; in her own ramblings, she just hopped right over, it didn't even register as an obstacle, but she should have remembered. Why did she keep doing this sort of thing?

She looked at Kenshin a little hoplessly. "Umm, how are you at climbing?" Of course they could backtrack, it wasn't that far to a cross street, but then they'd be back in the crowds...and it wasn't really a very tall fence. She hesitated, then repeated the last word for clarity, with a gesture toward the fence. "Climbing?"

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justawanderer
2013-06-02 06:53 pm UTC (link)

Under normal circumstances Kenshin was far better at hiding his emotion than he was just then, but things were far from normal. He was worried. Yet not so worried about himself, mostly worried about Buffy and his friends at home. He couldn't contact them, and probably wouldn't see them for some time. Tokyo while it was safer than Kyoto was these days, was stil a dangerous place for them. Even more since they'd been so kind and took him into their hom. What if the same thing happened in this new world and he brought trouble to the blond girl who had decided to help him, and now took it upon herself to attempt to comfort him. He gave her a warm smile in return and continued to follow her.

" Migikai..iiie. Short." He corrected himself. He seemed to understand some words at least. When they reached the fence, he gave her a rather amusing look as if to ask for real? and looked up at the fence. "Daijoubu de gozaru ka?" He asked her until he realized she probably would not understand his concern for her. "You..ok?" He tried as he looked at the fence and then looked for something to jump on to help. Climbing really wasn't his favorite thing. In large samurai pants it probably was not difficult to see why. But if he could only climb a short ways that would be okay.

Kenshin climbed up onto one of the closed near by trash cans and looked up at the top of the fence, as though to do the impossible and jump the entire thing. A second or two later he was in the air and standing on top of the chain link fence, and then landed silently and gracefully on the other side hardly breaking a sweat. He waited for her and only offered an encouraging smile as though it were nothing and waited for her to join him. If she had troubles he would get right back over to help, but for now he would wait. He did not want to underestimate his new friend.

He rested his arm on his sword hilt out of habit and watched. Glad to be away from the many staring people of the new world, despite fences. He would have to remember to thank her later, maybe he could bake something. He really didn't have money to buy anything, and even if he did he got the feeling that the little bit of money he did have wouldn't work. Maybe she would like Japanese food, Kenshin was a pretty decent cook.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-03 01:54 am UTC (link)

"I'm just annoyed," Buffy said, and added quickly, "At myself. I used to be...better at this." At taking care of other people. At keeping track of what she was doing... She glanced at Kenshin to see if he was taking this in. If he didn't get the words, maybe he'd at least get the tone.

She shrugged, self-deprecating, making the effort. "It's okay. Really."

And then things turned better than okay as Kenshin surprised her by jumping over the fence. A smile spread across her face, far more delighted than the occasion really warranted, but it was just such a nice surprise. She didn't expect nice things anymore, so it was twice as much of a surprise when it happened.

"Did I say climbing? I take that back, climbing is for koalas. Jumping tall fences in a single bound is for us," she said, taking the fence from a standing start, with a flip at the top. Okay, maybe that was a little showy, but she landed sturdily next to Kenshin and grinned at him.

"If I were home, I'd take you patrolling," she told him. "It'd be fun." But home was far away, and didn't bear thinking about. The complex was home now, for her and soon for him. "It's not far now," she said abruptly, starting off again.

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justawanderer
2013-06-03 02:41 am UTC (link)

Tone was definitely something he could pick up on and he offered her the same sort of comforting touch to the shoulder she had been giving him, and a small smile. He wished he could understand more of what she had to say, but he could tell just by the way she spoke that she was having a difficult time. He could sympathize with that.

Normally Kenshin wasn't into showing off, so it made him feel a little better when he realized Buffy could do the same thing he could. Even seemed maybe a bit more athletic than him. "Sugoi de gozaru." He paused and looked over at her trying to remember the word he was taught in Yokohama. "Good." He had met many women that were skiled, but few that could jump like he could. Miss Kaoru was skilled with a sword but he doubted she could have made that jump.

He smiled at her, an amused mirth in his eyes. "Patrol? To ano, protect?" He struggled through the words, wishing he had the computer to translate for him again. Maybe Buffy could help him set it up again like the kind lady at the coffee shop had done. He could talk to it and it translated everything. If she couldn't, Kenshin would just have to figure out a way to get by when it came up.

Kenshin was looking at everything, it had all changed so much. He wondered if he was going to be able to fit in. It was a little nerve wracking.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-03 03:29 am UTC (link)

For distraction, Buffy took a stab at repeating back the words that Kenshin said. "Sugoi de godzilla?" Okay, so she forgot how the last bit went. It happened. "It's a monster-sized amount of goodness, huh?" It was actually sort of freeing to talk to someone who might not understand (especially about godzilla). Effortless, in a way.

She nodded, encouraged by the look in his eyes. "Yes. Patrol. Protect. Preserve from peril and defend from the dangers that lurk in the darkness. And the ones that lurk in the light too, you'd be surprised by how many lurkers don't have enough shame to hide when they really ought to know better." She glanced to the side. "Or maybe you wouldn't. All I've got are assumptions here."

She wished he spoke English or she spoke Japanese. He seemed like an interesting guy who'd have something to say if he only had the words to say it with.

They emerged from the alley just then and the complex was in sight. "We're here," Buffy sang out, like they'd just been on a long journey and had finally made it, and led the way around to the front. Clothes from the donation box, an apartment, a computer, food -- that's what he'd need first off.

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justawanderer
2013-06-03 10:20 am UTC (link)

The red headed samurai raised an eyebrow at Buffy as she tried her hand at Japanese. What language was that? He thought to himself in minor amusement. A for effort though. "Hai. Good." He ignored the Godzilla comment, he didn't know what that was. Probably some kind of American thing. He really did have lots of catching up on popular culture to do.

Unfortunately when she started explaining day light danger, she lost him again. He could only smile and nod. He knew next to nothing about the supernatural. Only the bits that were in stories, and he had no idea that those stories in this world were probably real.

"Kore wa complex?" It did not feel like the dojo. Kenshin frowned a little at it at first hesitantly but seemed content to follow Buffy now. She'd lead him exactly were she said she would on the computer machine. "Arigatou. "He did not know how to say he would repay her kindness one day, but he did offer her a traditional bow. He forgot for an instant that Westerners shook hands.

As he straightened up he looked around, seeming amazed at how things had changed. Indoor lighting made the place feel warm. The dojo had no such thing. Indoor lighting unless by a lantern was not a thing he had seen before. "Different." He said, stil struggling to say the words properly. It was a lot to take in. "Ano..it free?" He said feeling a little skeptical. It was too nice to be free.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-04 03:03 am UTC (link)

"This is the complex," Buffy said, guessing at the question. "It's completely..." She trailed off, staring, as Kenshin bowed. She was startled, but mostly at a loss to interpret the bow. Didn't Japanese people bow in greeting? Or maybe farewell? Was he leaving?

But he just looked around; she must be wrong about that. Besides, she wasn't going to leave this half done. He was here, but the guiding wasn't over yet.

She stepped back to let him take everything in, glancing around as he did, trying to see it with new eyes, to see what she'd seen...not when she arrived, she hadn't been processing anything then, but after that. But it was too familiar for that. Sometime when she hadn't been paying attention she'd gotten used to being here.

"It's free," she confirmed. She paused, framing it as simply as she could. "Free for us. Other people like us made it that way. Okay?" She stopped to see if that was an explanation that would make sense to him.

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justawanderer
2013-06-05 06:44 am UTC (link)

In some cases it was greeting or parting, but others it was thank you. And that was this case as well. He did not appear ready to leave just yet anyway. He did not have any clue where he was, even if he did leave he'd end up back in the same place out of confusion. So he waited for her to explain things and listened the best he could.

"Fight." It was built for free because of the war. He said with a small frown. War was something he understood very well. He'd lived through nearly a life time of it. The cross shaped scar on his cheek was a reminder and a curse. It never healed properly. He noticed a list of classes posted, but he couldn't read that either. He shook his head and made a frustrated face.

"Hai." He understood some bits of what she said, but it was all fragmented. He got the gist of it though. It seemed nice for a time of war. Then again everything did. It was all modern and new. It barely looked like an apocalypse at all.

"You..home? here?" He asked, having to pause between every word to try to remember it properly.

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slayer_comma_b
2013-06-06 12:45 am UTC (link)

"Fight? Only if you want to," Buffy said slowly, frowning. "I guess." She hadn't really figured out the war going on here herself. Or apocalypse. Whatever. In three months, there'd been some definite crazy going on, but nothing that really said war to her. Not that she'd ever been in an actual war, even with the Initiative. Life in Sunnydale had been more of a one woman fight against the evils that she could contain and kill. But she'd been in plenty of tight situations, the kind where hope was pretty sparse, had geared up for the fight of her life time after time -- after that, living here was like a vacation.

It wasn't like they were out there beating the drum recruiting for this apocalypse. But that was a bit to complicated to get into, so she moved on to the next question. "Yes. I'll show you."

She hurried off to fetch a floor plan from the office with the free apartments marked. She pointed to her own apartment. "I live here. First floor." She made the sign for one with her index finger. "There are eight floors." She four fingers on both hands wiggled, thumbs tucked in. "Do you like to live on top or near the ground?" It was worth asking, even if she wasn't sure how well it was going to be understood.

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