Where the buildings end and the curbs begin.




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Ame Was lead with disorientation and slight panick flooding her emotions. A portune of her was screaming, 'Where's Hayate! Find Hayate!' "But... what about Hayate?" her voice uttered out confusedly. Another part of her mind hissed out, 'people are running and are going to hurt you, Kill them all!'... and the rest was all in confusion of what to do, mild hunger, and a surprise that Sasha was still around.

Once reaching the food stand, the latter of her thoughts pressed to the lead. Sure... Why not, Sasha's now here and she should eat. Her eyebrows completely furrowed towards the rumble of her friend's stomach. Glancing over at him.. ~What does he have in there, a wolf?~ The owner of that foodstand giving a most acknowledgeable "EHEM!" as Ame's hand unconsciously went towards a piece of bread on the table.

However, the woman's eyes were on Sasha while he asked the last question.. "Oh....." she grit her teeth, glanced around, and muttered out, "I was hiding. That Moribastard will kill me if he sees me..."

"Kill you? Why would anyone want to do that?" Truning to the the shop proprioter " I'll take three of your daily special, please." With an overly animated gesture he laid payment down on the counter.

"Come! Sit! Talk!" Sasha blurted out as he dragged Amethyst over to table and "helped" her find a seat by putting her in one.

"So here's what I was dreaming..." Sasha began to rant about a dream involving him swimming in an ocean of sake that was being navigated by boats made of fried tofu... or soemthing to that effect...

Ame complained, lost her bread... Got overall pissed.. The Usual.. But slowly came to a gradual stop when Sasha plopped her down at a table somewhere nearby and put the talk of an ocean of sake down infront of her.

Sure it wasn't as great as food, but it did get her attention. Listening through the odd conversation with the bulky russian, every sentance he said was brought to more and more of a raised brow. How..... Odd...

"You..." Ame started, pointing a mutually bloody hand (from previous selfstitched cut to her pinky finger with Hayate previously), "Have very odd dreams. Get out of your workjoint more often and away from those potions..."

Pause.. "So where's some sake.." followd by an evil glare.

"Hmmmmm... Sake? Thought someone was stealing all of it these days. Saaaayyyyyy...." Sasha grinned mischeviously and leaved over to Amethyst in a rather conspiritoral manner. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would ya?" Sasha leaned back and laughed without really waiting for an answer.

At that moment the food arrived. It was carried by who else but a young and attarctive daugher of the shop owner. Sasha leered at her in a way that was plainly playful. "There migth be something to that 'going out more' thing you were talkin' about there...." he said to nobody in particular.

Though the food was placed in front of Sasha first, he restrained himself until Amethyst had food in front of her... but as soon she had hers, he dug into his with abandon.

"Eh?" The thought never hit Ame that sake was being stolen anywhere. It may have only been the fact that she'd been with Oke and Obsid in teh Field and hayate in the alleys all this time. But a good part to blame is her inability to read.

Before any thoughts on that could full emerge, the woman first glared at Sasha for his looks at the maid. Unhappy thoughts going through her mind that this would be how she was treated if she weren't tough and strong like Kireaji (her dad). Isn't going to kill Sasha for pulling off his manly antics. But it sure did piss her off.

And before she could argue on this, the food was served. Ame completely didn't pay any attention to her present companian at the food table. Nor did she give a damn about the chopsticks nearby her on the table surface.. Once the plate was down she started to raze the plate to the floor with her bare hands.

This was when something finally came to the complete surface. Ame's eyes sparked to a fearful anger and otherwise irriversible terror. She nearly knocked the table over in her suddenly aquired conversational tool, "Who's stealing sake? And where's the sake being stolen from!?"

"Stolen from everywhere I hear... everyone is very nervous about it. Hard to get any good stuff these days.... unless you make it like I do.. heh." Sasha lloke dliek he was about to say soemthign else until he saw the serving girl out of the corner of his eye. His head swivveled to get another good look as he went back to eating.

Her hand slammed on the plate.. to grab some of hte food on it and stuff it in her face.. before slamming it back down on the hard table surface.. her eyes intense and greatfully pissed.."Even the Teahouse!?"

"The teahouse was the first to get hit.." An oldman eating at a second table nearby replied while sipping his tea... The oldman wasn't one to butt into conversation these days with largely wanted criminals.. But if a straight answer would quiet her down, all's the better.


"DAMMIT!" Ame howeled. Which.. well.. didn't quiet her down. But at least she didn't go rabid at the old fogie. "I'll kill that axe-weilding skitzofrenic bastard for stealing my sake! I KNOW he did it!" this savage assumption was merely because Reiji WAS the person to steal his sake 2 times in the past.. ^^`

"Well well well.... seems that you have an idea about who is behind all this trouble." It didn't bother Sasha in the least that most of the other patrons were staring at his table.. or more specificly, at Amethyst.

Sasha's plate was nearly cleaned off and he leaned back in his seat and burped contentedly.... "hmmmm... " He closed his eyes for a moment and appeared just inches away from attaining pure bliss.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Sasha asked Amethyst. He really didn't have anything planned and was in the mood to tag along on some sort of adventure.

Ame sat back down after a moment of shaking her bloody food-covered fist.. Before she noticed Sasha was done. This pissed her off more. So, sitting down, Ame started to dig into the rest of her food - practically emptying the plate into her mouth. Til she pretty much licked it clean and slammed it back down.

Took a deep breath.. and let it out.. "Healing, Practice, Planning, and Revenge... Then Sake to forget the first 4 ever happened.." that said.. she went on to say her plans exactly.. "I need to find Hayate and get buffer to go kill the damn general that nearly killed me. But on the side I'm gunna go to Reiji's Sakeshop and Burn It Down to get my sake back if I have to.."

Sasha considered questioning the logic of burning down an shop to make the sake come back, but it didn't seem like it would be very productive, so he let it go.

"Well, I must admit that I like a good bonfire, I might pass on this one. I think maybe a nice bath sounds more useful at this juncture."

Sasha stood and gave a large stretche followed by a belly rub.

"As always, you are invited along... my treat. An maybe this time it is my favor to the town... heh" Sasha looked at the current state of filth that Amethyst was in.

"Besides, if ya wanna get buff, those little swords aren't gonne get you nowhere! I can train you the proper way. But baths come first."

The sudden change in topic completely threw the woman off and made her uneasy all the more. It just didn't seem right, this man. Damn crazy Russians being odd and everything.

"But.. er.. I need to seek revenge and find Hayate to keep him from dieing.." Amethyst bit her lip slightly if not furiously. Getting more and more pissed as the miliseconds flow by. Her sad attempt at supressing rage was all the more ill as Sasha all out insults her state of cleanse - if not misunderstanding half of what he said. Her eyes a mere window into how angery and frustrated the woman was getting. "And I bloodwell don't need a-"

Then Sasha changes again to her sword. Glancing down abruptly at Shin'i, Ame slowly put a hand to it's hilt and after a "what... do you mean.." began to shut herself up in just pure all out confusion.

"Well lass, it is a pure matter of physics. You can swing that tiny bit of steel around day in and day out without trouble no doubt, so how does using it get ya any stronger?"

Sasha paused to see if his words were having nay effect....

"Well... it won't get you very far to be sure. What you need is some real weight to make some real muscle. Like MINE!"

At that, Sasha rolled up a sleve and stuck a curled arm pose to show off his tricept... smoothly transitioning, he slipped his labcoat off his shouldrs for a pectoral and ab flex... and finally he droppe dthe coat to the ground to flex his tricepts and back.... all the while grinning like a madman. His muscled bulged, but not excessively... and he showed the sort of definition that can bee seen through the hide of a large cat as it slinks after it's prey.

the prediction of what was going to happen next through Sasha's antics was not evident to teh woman as she stubbornly stood her confused little ground under sandle that she was right about what the blazes Sasha must be going on about. Ever her view on being right was.

Pursing her lips just slightly, the woman muttered a, "Kill more people" to the first question on how she's going to get stronger by using just her blade or.. something like that. But hte russian blew right by that (more than likely) and started showing his buff physice.

Amethyst furrowed her brows.. "Having too much weight would weigh me down and not make me fast..." THough the words were more of an excuse to not accept his mentioned help. Whilst trying hard not to show the interest she had.

Sasha's smill slackened for a moment as he held his pose but went into momentarily deep though.

"Slow, eh?..."

And with that he picked up the heavy wooden stump bench he had been sitting on and proceeded to press it over his head one armed at a rather rapid pace.

"Practice slow and you will be slow. Practice fast and you will be so."

With a seemingly gentle gesture Sasha tossed the stump over his head and down his back where he reched back blind and caught it before setting it gently down on the floor once more.

His smile remained in it's usual state of exuberence, but the mad aura he had while flexing was gone. As he picked up his coat he laid a few extra coins on the table for the ruckas he had caused. Next he cast a few glances at the other patrons who were still aparently recovering from the shocl... as was the yound serving girl... but she looked les sthan enamored. Oh well.

"Shall we?" Sasha gave a sligth bow and guestured a "ladies first" that he guessed would be ignored.

Ripe and big were Ame's eyes - though she tried hard ot hide that and remain badass enough to look strong - as Sasha took thetable with ease and practically juggled with it.

A small "Sugoii" was free from her. But Ame pressed her lips closed so nothing else will. Catching herself and returning to a regularly schedualed glare to anything male. Not to mention the russian.

After the display and the gesture to get moving, Amethyst let out a feh, "Feh..." before tacking on.. "If we walk, we walk side by side.. that way there's no backstabbing."

The Russian knew better than to wink or make any sort of comment about walking side by side. Hell.. that was a big measure of trust as it was on the part of Amethyst.... so side by side it was.

As they walked down the street people gave their usual cries of terror at Amethyst... then Sasha heard something new after the oh so common "Run! It's Amethyst!" A raving pedestrian addded "and that big guy!" Hmmm.. seems that Sasha was getting a reputation by proxy. Not that he had ever touched a person on the street... It wouldn't bee good for business, Sasha frowned.. but quickly found his smile once again as he remembered that he was under government contract and under no obligation to actually EARN a living.

Ame walked with the crazy russian. The bloody jerk practically towered over her as they walked. And she was talk for someone in japan. It was bothersome. Her eyes were mere angry slits as she trudged past teh panicking people. Muttering out a curse every other step.

A handful of yards from the hotspring her head jerked up. Glancing up at Sasha angrilly for a moment before muttering out a, "I'll see you afterwards.." Thereon she suddenly sprint into a full run towards - and soonafterwards into - the hotspring. Moments later was the later scream of someone shouting out, "AMETHYST!" and all women in the place run out - half still wearing towels.

Ahhhh... towels.... The Russian peacefuly took in the view of half naked pandemonium before proceeding into the springs himself.

*Sasha exits The Street*

Out of the hotsprings a while later came Amethyst. She was completely soaked except for her outter robe. Almost as if the woman went into the water wearing everything, though taking the one robe off anyway. Also dry was her sword, of course.

"So anyway" she said to someone who most undoubtedly was following.. "I don't give a wild bullshit about if theivery is wrong (saying this cause she pillages for a living). But Yeah.. Noone steals my sake.. Can't get wasted otherwise... So We gotta kick that jerks ass.."

Her eyebrows were furrowed - facing forwards away from Ryu, the guy following... She still didn't believe fully that he wasn't going to betray her. What with torturing her in the past and all. Damn filthy men...

*exits following Amethyst* " I dont care what the man has done... show him to me and i will make him wish he was dead." ~I will make her trust me somehow... but how... if i was her i dont think i would ever be able to trust me again...no... i will find a way for her to trust me.""Where is his sake shop anyways... it has been so long since i have been in this damn city."

Shovelling through the crowd. Or more.. Ame didn't have to do anything as people took one look, completely blew a panick fuse, and ran in opposite directions away from her. Her eyes still mere slits of anger at this...

Sure having people show instant respect was fun in the beginning of her carreer of being a murderous traitor. But now it's just gotten old. And it's always the same thing. AME! Run! Can't these idiots thing up better dialogue?

"Yeah Yeah.." She responded to Ryu.. Almost as if he were an annoying puppy she wanted to get rid of than someone who wanted to get back on her good side and help her out. Abruptly stopping, she pointed at a dark brown building with mildly charred wood. On a sign it read Invinsible Sake Shoppe in Japanese.. Of course.. Ame couldn't read, so she merely knew it from it's looks.. "It's down there. And I don't know where that bastard is.. Feel free to go there and wait til he gets in..."

*turns to Amethyst* " As you wish" * Ryu then turns off and heads out to the sake shop* ~Where in the hell could i even find this poor fool... no matter, he will have to show up eventually~ * Ryu continues to walk down the street until he comes to the building Ame was talking about... he then places he hand on the hilt of his sword and enters*

Hayate was following Ame for a short while. Keeping his head down, keeping his lowly profile. Always walking with at that slow, careful pace. He made a extra effort to avoid anyone and everyone. The ronin had a talent for getting lost in crowds, and avoiding the eyes of people. It turned out to be a bad thing, when Ame started that huge conflict in the streets. Hayate got lost into that giant crowd, and had completely lost track of Ame before he could even realize what had really happened.

Hayate was pushed around, back and back. He never let anyone really touch him though. Hayate's feet were to quick and dodged any morons trying to bump or push him aside. But before the lowly man realized it - he was staning back at a wall. Staring at the streets, and slowly wondering what had happened to Ame.

The only reaction that came out was a simple sigh. As Hayate leaned against a wooden post with his arms crossed. Looking down at the ground in true Hayate-like fashion. He was following someone, then got seperated, and now didnt know what to do. Seeing how this was a simple situation, Hayate decided on a simple solution.

To simply wait, figuring Ame may come back for him sooner or later. And if she didnt, He'd go off somewhere.

Ame came back sooner or later.. Infact, her presense was pretty easy to follow from the people fleeing in panick from her rather water-logged body. Her outer robe slumped over a shoulder unimpressively.. And overall, she looked like she went through major shit the last handful of hours. Not at all being happy over it, either.

Each step was a sandle-sludged one. The wet slap of the sandles made her very presence miserable.

But in all fact, Ame was pissed over more than just being soaked. So much crap happened in the last few hours. Setting her off edge. An old aquaintance of hte past. A bountyhunter wanting to be her friend. Sake missing from the teahouse. And no knowledge of what happened to Sasha. This was not turning out to be a good day.

Her eyes were presently, however, scanning the streets for Hayate. Because once she finds him, her day isn't a complete loss.

The dirt on the streets of Edo were the only things that Hayate's eyes watched. The man leaned against a post, both arms crossed in usual Hayate fashion. The balls of dirt that swirled around on the ground by the flowing wind were the only things that kept the man company. Though one would ponder if Hayate was looking at the actual dirt, or if he was picturing something else in his mind.

Often people do that. Staring into something that they normally wouldnt stare at. Letting thoughts wander and float inside of their head. Letting pictures come to their minds, and then letting them go. In and out, in between. Thats what Hayate did to occupy himself while he waited. Officially he was waiting for Ame. That was the reason for him waiting. But Hayate himself didnt really know what he was waiting for.

His thoughts bounced back and forth while he stared into that dirt ground. The streets of Edo. Waiting, thinking, pondering. All things Hayate did - most often on the brinks of insanity. The main thing that was always nagging at the lowly ronnin's mind was something that he could never figure out the answer to. What was going to become of him after....everything.

A slow sigh came out of his lungs. Hayate's mind still was unable to find the answer. It was lost. Like it always was. He was lost. Like he always was. So Hayate waited, lost in thoughts. Just doing what a lost item can do. He waited to be found.

It didn't take long to track down someone waiting to be found - standing away from everyone else. In plain view. But one must understand that someone who was born to be Part of that 'blending into the crowd' tends to be extremely hard to place in exchange with those up and moving about - talking to others, giving themself personality in their everyday action. When the voice and actions were gone, so was view of the fool behind them.

That being said, Ame found herself lost on where the bastard is. And soon afterwards tripping over a squad of cops whom howled for Amethyst to stop and get taken in for her crimes. Before a shot from a handgun reinged through the air almost painfully.

The woman first looked up as the cops stopped infront of her upon hearing her name and the proposition she would most likely refuse. Only after the gun shot did she get Huge eyes, freak, and - with a quick glance over the area - dash into the nearest alley.

After all. Why not? Hayate was probably in one of these alleys. He was always in some alley, right? Not just Standing there in plain sight like he was just now.

Through the alleyways, the woman dashed, only turning around once to stand up against 2 rookie cops that dogged her every footstep. It was only a few swipes, a rah of rage, before they were collapsed upon the ground. Ame glanced down at them with anger, kicking one. Before returning her eyes to the wall. Beyond it - in a seperate alley - the cops called to one another if they saw her.

She took off where previously headed - nowhere important. Just to get out of the alleys and away from the bastards that gave chase. Around a few bends. Until stepping out not too far away into the main street.

Looking left, looking right. Pausing.. Looking left again. Hayate stood right side her... Ame paused in silence at the man staring at the ground.. Before moving to tap him on the shoulder, "Oi.."

What am I......

Hayate's broken thoughts continued to drift and wander as his eyes continued to stare at the swirling dirt on the ground. It was all broken up though, almost in a snap. The nerves on his shoulder tensed up, due to the tapping from Amethyst. Hayate's reaction was just a slight head lifting up. Lifting up to see Ame.

"...hello..."

Hayate's ears picked up the sound of approaching...people. He thought he heard some noise earlier. Perhaps Ame started something like she always did....

The natural instincts of the ronnin forced him to grasp his sword. Hayate looked around to spot conflict. If he did spot it, he would resolve by releasing the sword his hand held at the moment.

Hayate glanced past Ame back down her alley. Not too far away - just around some corner - was a pile of blood and a foot sticking out. The rest of the body to that foot was most likely, well, just around that corner.

There were also sounds. Sounds of police marching in military fasion through an alley.. But it was not the alley Hayate currently glanced into. It was a wall beyond that. They sounded to eachother over Ame's whereabouts - this being unknown since amethsyt was currently with teh ronin.

Ame furrowed her brows, closed her eyes, let out a curse, straighted up, opened her eyes, and watched as the street around her was suddenly empty.. Of course, this was only because of her very presence and people's knowledge of her.

She grit her teeth, glanced towards the garden, then back at Hayate. Almost taking is hand - but instead hte sleeve around it - Amethyst tugged at him, "Come on, Let's go, dammit!" before making her way unabaited towards the garden.. In that of a skittish rush.

Paranoid eyes always took the longest to stop bolting around. Those type of eyes always wandered around in every location they could wander in. People with those eyes would often look at things, once, twice, and thrice. Then a 4th time just to make sure. Hayate had those types of eyes. Eyes that made him hard to socialize with - but eyes that had kept him alive through most of his existance.

Those eyes quickly snapped to a spot when the ronnin could feel his sleeve being tugged upon by Ame.

"....what...?!"

Hayate yelped out. She was being chased...? She had brought enemies? How many? How strong? Was Moritsune or any of his generals with them? Hayate had a ton of questions now bouncing in his mind. Along with his paranoid eyes jolting around as he was being pulled along by Ame. Though Hayate did not fight against being tugged along. He simply let himself be guided by Ame. It was easier then having to assess and think out a combat plan and such.

*walking through the alleyway she sighs and looks out onto the main street* Where is that damn woman....*slipping onto the street she crosses her arms and leans against the wall* ...no fleeing people, screams, sake bottles, blood trails...is she dead...*her eyes scanned the streets nervously* I just cant leave her alone for one damn minute can I *sighing heavily she walked down the streets making her way towards the garden*

A hearty sea chanty rang through the streets as a freshly scrubbed and violently massaged Russian meanered as the breezes pushed him. "What time is it, anyway?" Sasha wondered to himself.

It had been some time since he had actually done any real alchemy and he stoped a moment on a bridge to ponder this fact. He stared down through the water at some fish as they swam to stay in place...

Amethyst had left the garden quite some time ago.. Her mind was lost on many things - which was never healthy for one who is such a forcefully simpleminded individual. Hayate and the future fight with Moritsune and his goonies, Obsid not being dead after all, their future, the new weird unconscious girl they found in the garden, Reiji and how to kil him for stealing the sake, sake.. sake...

Yes, the baikokudo stopped inches from the broken down inn that Ai-chan once owned.. She needed to get sake. The others can wait for her anyway. Not like there was much to do in a rundown inn except sit around and wait anyway.

Turning on heel, the woman walked away, her mind looking out for the nearest place for sake.

... a while passed, people fleeing this way an that. a short run from the cops Once again. A few people die under Ame's sword. She runs from the rest on wet cloppish sandles.

Until finally the woman makes it to the end of the street. There a bridge lay stranded over a harmless creak.. Upon it being Sasha.

Sasha singing had dropped from a lour roar to being mumbled under his breath. In fact, to an outsider, it appeared that he was talking to himself.. which was a LIE! He was SINGING to himself!... and to the fish... sorta...

He dug through his poskets anf found the remnants of a stale bit of bread which he removed and began sprinkling on the water in an effor to feed the fish... but as teh water continued to move downstream, the fish ignored teh crumbs and continued to swimm in place. Sasha dropped the remainder into the water and let out a nearly dejected sigh. he was feeling liek he was missing something... now what could it be?

==post continued in The Bridge====

*walks out of the sake shoppe and leans against the wall* ~i was never able to kill b4, so why should i start killing for Ametheyst... no.. i do owe her for all the pain i have caused~

*Arriving at the streets she decidely turned away from the garden path quickly and made her way down the streets. Rubbing her head slightly she considered her sake consumption options* Damn bastard always cleaning out the one place I enjoy...*Sighing heavily she grumbled and wandered aimlessly down the dusty streets in search of sake*

*looks around and trying to figure out what would be the best option for him to take when he looks up and spots Obs walking down the street* ~No way.... I , I thought she was dead or gone.~ *walks down the street and up to joji and bows* " Hello Obs, its Ryu.. if you even remember me"

*stretching and preparing to yawn she paused abruptly as the stranger approached her. Instinctively reaching for her daggers she stopped herself as recognition crossed her mind* Ryu....*eyeing him suspiciously almost she relaxed her tensing muscles and stood quiet* I didnt know you were still around....

*looks up and laughs a lil bit* "Thats ok if you dont remember me to well, i have been away for a long time." *looks over at the sake shop* " Well, could i invite you for some sake and we could talk. Come on.... its on the house"

*crossing her arms she nodded and took a few steps* When have I ever payed for anything...youve been gone too long Ryu....*pondering for a moment she pushed away her concerns with the thoughts of free sake waiting for her beyond the sake shoppe doorways* I like the teahouse better but I cant decline sake...*happiness lighting her steps she walked into the shoppe*

*smiles and walks behind Obs * ~ hmm, maybe she really does remember me..... or maybe im just wanting her to that much~ *walks into the sake shoope behind Obs*