[ she blinks; tilts her head. One, she doesn't know what tofu is. Two... ] You talk funny, dontcha?
[ how polite. But Maria shrugs, letting go of his sleeve and propping her hands up on her hips. If he's looking for danger signs, it won't be hard to see the outline of not one, but two hilts hung at her hips, hidden behind her haori. It's not an attempt at a subtle threat or a sign of overconfidence as much as... laziness and cluelessness. She continues to chatter in a cheerful voice. ]
But no, it'll be a short talk! Real short, I promise! Come with me.
[That's interesting. Kenshin hasn't met many swordswomen aside from Kaoru-dono, and this is a foreign one at that, with what looks like daisho. That doesn't mean she's necessarily intent on attacking him, but he's alert for it as he maintains his agreeable facade, ready to drop the bucket and sacrifice the tofu if need be. Of course, she might also genuinely need his help. Kenshin's prepared to give it if that's the case.]
Sessha has heard that before, [he says amicably. He's heard all of those statements before. To test her intention, he prompts,] Perhaps the side alley over there? We would have privacy. [Which she'd certainly need to attack him; there's sword-bearing police about on the streets, and they all know him on sight, some of them personally.]
[ ah, yes, anti-sword laws... the bane of her life. Why would the country that invented her two dearest friends go and ban them after the fact? That makes no sense at all in her mind. ]
Mmhm! Perfect, amigo! Let's go over there! [ she chirps, nodding, and immediately grabs for his arm once again, eagerly skipping towards that alleyway and dragging him along if need be. The quarters are a little cramped for a fight... but it'll do. She believes her swords can cut through stone if she believes hard enough. ] It's so nice to meet a cooperative fella for once!
[Because they'd just gone through a particularly bloody civil war and didn't want to chance the extremely likely scenario of further armed rebellion...
A big reason Kenshin is being so cooperative is because he doesn't want to chance innocent bystanders getting hurt in case she does attack him. It's honorable of her to go along with that, he muses, even as he lets out a startled,] Ororo-- [as he's dragged along without resistance.
He stumbles, water sloshing out of the tofu bucket.] Shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves before our talk? [he manages to get out as she steers them to the alley. Kenshin certainly wants her name, at least.]
It's cute to think she's being honorable at all, though - the word means almost nothing to her. Really, she just wants to avoid getting scolded by her boss. That, and even Maria has a grasp of common sense, however tenuous; it wouldn't be good to get jumped by the police in broad daylight. She could always kill them all, she's sure, but it would be a lot of trouble, and then she'd definitely get cussed out.
Regardless, she pauses from her inspection of the alleyway to turn to Kenshin once he asks for introductions - a request that's met with a melodramatic sigh. ]
Eehh, really? But I'm all fired up. You Japanese are so formal! [ whatcha gonna do. It seems like she'll listen, at least; she takes off the hat, shaking her hair loose. ] I guess it'd be good for you to know my name, amigo! I'm Maria Barcelito! And...
[ in a flash, she's thrown back the haori, unsheathing both swords and holding them before her - no wakizashi, both katana. ] This here's Murasamia, and this is Kochite! We came here to kill you, Hitokiri Battousai! Get excited!
Considering the other types of enemies Kenshin has had, this definitely counts as honorable. It's convenient, anyway, and he has no way of knowing what she's thinking (which he'd be far more alarmed by). He's not terribly surprised by her revealing her purpose, but he is disappointed. He feels an instinctive pang of regret that is quickly chased away.
How to handle this... If she's as straight forward as she seems, maybe she'll believe the dumb act. Two katana, he notes. Odd, but he's confident he can face it. He'd just rather not.]
Hi-to-kiri? [he repeats, as if sounding it out, eyes wide and shocked as he stares at her. He's careful not to technically lie.] Oro, is sessha being mistaken again...? Maria-dono, I'm only a wanderer, de gozaru yo. Though it's nice to meet you and Murasamia-dono and Kochite-dono.
[He even bows politely, nerves on high alert in case she isn't honorable and takes that as an opening to attack.]
[ you can practically see the gears in her head turning trying to understand this. Or maybe a hamster on a wheel would be more apt. Most of the time, the people she was told to assassinate - especially the tough ones - were a lot like her: thugs, people who loved the thrill of the fight. When she announced her intentions, they were usually more than willing to give her a fight, even if fights with her typically didn't last too long. And if this 'battousai' guy was so strong and good at killing people that they recruited her from overseas to take him out, surely he was the same, too, right? It's not like you get good at killing people because you don't like to do it!
But now he's saying she's got the wrong guy. Does she have the wrong guy? He looks like the right guy. Her thin brows knit together. ]
Huuuuh? For real? But the boss said he was short with red hair and a big x-shaped scar on his cheek! That's gotta be you! [ punctuated with a few (harmless) jabs in his direction with her swords. ]
[Maybe this will work... Kenshin would vastly prefer not fighting her. He's careful not to lie to her, however. He's sure eventually his identity will come out-- he never seems to be able to keep it a secret these days-- but maybe by then she'll know him well enough to respect his wish not to fight. He can hope.]
Battousai hasn't been seen around here in a long time, [he remarks cheerfully, setting his bucket down carefully so as not to spill any more water.] This one has been mistaken for him before. [That's certainly the truth.
Ignoring her jabs with the swords, Kenshin unsheathes his own about half way, with careful, deliberate motion so as to make it clear it's not meant as a threat.] Would a hitokiri carry a blade like this? I don't kill anyone.
[ the sight of him unsheathing a sword almost drives her into a striking, anyway - a sword! They're outlawed! Only a killer would be carrying one around, right? And she's just so excited to cut someone up that she's looking for any excuse to lay into this guy, but --
his words interrupt her as she takes an aggressive step forward, halting her in her tracks, and she stares at the sword, trying to figure out what he's talking about. ]
A blade like that? Looks like a regular katana to me, amigo! What are you talking about? [ she's not the brightest crayon in the box... ]
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[ how polite. But Maria shrugs, letting go of his sleeve and propping her hands up on her hips. If he's looking for danger signs, it won't be hard to see the outline of not one, but two hilts hung at her hips, hidden behind her haori. It's not an attempt at a subtle threat or a sign of overconfidence as much as... laziness and cluelessness. She continues to chatter in a cheerful voice. ]
But no, it'll be a short talk! Real short, I promise! Come with me.
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Sessha has heard that before, [he says amicably. He's heard all of those statements before. To test her intention, he prompts,] Perhaps the side alley over there? We would have privacy. [Which she'd certainly need to attack him; there's sword-bearing police about on the streets, and they all know him on sight, some of them personally.]
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Mmhm! Perfect, amigo! Let's go over there! [ she chirps, nodding, and immediately grabs for his arm once again, eagerly skipping towards that alleyway and dragging him along if need be. The quarters are a little cramped for a fight... but it'll do. She believes her swords can cut through stone if she believes hard enough. ] It's so nice to meet a cooperative fella for once!
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A big reason Kenshin is being so cooperative is because he doesn't want to chance innocent bystanders getting hurt in case she does attack him. It's honorable of her to go along with that, he muses, even as he lets out a startled,] Ororo-- [as he's dragged along without resistance.
He stumbles, water sloshing out of the tofu bucket.] Shouldn't we at least introduce ourselves before our talk? [he manages to get out as she steers them to the alley. Kenshin certainly wants her name, at least.]
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It's cute to think she's being honorable at all, though - the word means almost nothing to her. Really, she just wants to avoid getting scolded by her boss. That, and even Maria has a grasp of common sense, however tenuous; it wouldn't be good to get jumped by the police in broad daylight. She could always kill them all, she's sure, but it would be a lot of trouble, and then she'd definitely get cussed out.
Regardless, she pauses from her inspection of the alleyway to turn to Kenshin once he asks for introductions - a request that's met with a melodramatic sigh. ]
Eehh, really? But I'm all fired up. You Japanese are so formal! [ whatcha gonna do. It seems like she'll listen, at least; she takes off the hat, shaking her hair loose. ] I guess it'd be good for you to know my name, amigo! I'm Maria Barcelito! And...
[ in a flash, she's thrown back the haori, unsheathing both swords and holding them before her - no wakizashi, both katana. ] This here's Murasamia, and this is Kochite! We came here to kill you, Hitokiri Battousai! Get excited!
no subject
Considering the other types of enemies Kenshin has had, this definitely counts as honorable. It's convenient, anyway, and he has no way of knowing what she's thinking (which he'd be far more alarmed by). He's not terribly surprised by her revealing her purpose, but he is disappointed. He feels an instinctive pang of regret that is quickly chased away.
How to handle this... If she's as straight forward as she seems, maybe she'll believe the dumb act. Two katana, he notes. Odd, but he's confident he can face it. He'd just rather not.]
Hi-to-kiri? [he repeats, as if sounding it out, eyes wide and shocked as he stares at her. He's careful not to technically lie.] Oro, is sessha being mistaken again...? Maria-dono, I'm only a wanderer, de gozaru yo. Though it's nice to meet you and Murasamia-dono and Kochite-dono.
[He even bows politely, nerves on high alert in case she isn't honorable and takes that as an opening to attack.]
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[ you can practically see the gears in her head turning trying to understand this. Or maybe a hamster on a wheel would be more apt. Most of the time, the people she was told to assassinate - especially the tough ones - were a lot like her: thugs, people who loved the thrill of the fight. When she announced her intentions, they were usually more than willing to give her a fight, even if fights with her typically didn't last too long. And if this 'battousai' guy was so strong and good at killing people that they recruited her from overseas to take him out, surely he was the same, too, right? It's not like you get good at killing people because you don't like to do it!
But now he's saying she's got the wrong guy. Does she have the wrong guy? He looks like the right guy. Her thin brows knit together. ]
Huuuuh? For real? But the boss said he was short with red hair and a big x-shaped scar on his cheek! That's gotta be you! [ punctuated with a few (harmless) jabs in his direction with her swords. ]
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Battousai hasn't been seen around here in a long time, [he remarks cheerfully, setting his bucket down carefully so as not to spill any more water.] This one has been mistaken for him before. [That's certainly the truth.
Ignoring her jabs with the swords, Kenshin unsheathes his own about half way, with careful, deliberate motion so as to make it clear it's not meant as a threat.] Would a hitokiri carry a blade like this? I don't kill anyone.
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his words interrupt her as she takes an aggressive step forward, halting her in her tracks, and she stares at the sword, trying to figure out what he's talking about. ]
A blade like that? Looks like a regular katana to me, amigo! What are you talking about? [ she's not the brightest crayon in the box... ]