[It's not particularly hard to track down Hitokiri Battousai if some effort is put into it. A redhaired swordsman who remains armed despite the ban on swords, with a cross shaped scar, who keeps going around wrecking crime syndicates in Tokyo... Well, suffice to say, it wouldn't be the first time someone had traced him to the Kamiya Dojo. He has so many enemies at this point that off hand, he couldn't guess which one would be behind a given attempt on his life-- and although Kenshin is always on the lookout for said attempts, to tell the truth, he prefers his peaceful life enough that he's long since lost his wartime edge. A general sense of the ki of those around him is all he maintains in this extensive crowd.
Today he's doing Kaoru-dono's grocery shopping for her, meandering through the marketplace in Tokyo with a small smile. Kenshin would be entirely innocuous given his easy air, but the hair marks him out in a sea of black and his sakabatou is at his hip, as always. He's lugging a wooden bucket filled with tofu in water with relative ease despite its weight.]
[ She's lucky for that, too, because this is her first time out of the Big Apple, and, unsurprisingly, Japan is quite different from the concrete jungle she's used to. It can be assumed that Maria already spent several days getting lost, getting into trouble, or both at the same time. Undoubtedly, the man who'd signed her contract was getting a little tired of it (and tired of covering her damages, too), but it was difficult to find anyone willing to take on this work.
For some reason. She didn't understand who wouldn't want to take on this job. A swordsman so strong that his enemies had to look across the ocean for someone who might be able to cut him down? The thought alone excited her; she was eager as always to whet her blades on a stronger neck than before, and even the long boat ride over and subsequent navigational issues had done little to deter her. Today, her luck finally comes through.
Though Maria surely sticks out more than he does with her dark skin and Latina features, she's doing a relatively good job staying under cover, hidden under a wide-brimmed hat and dressed the same as anybody else on the streets. It's easy enough to pick out that hair in a crowd, and once she's slipped nearer, the sword and scars seal the deal. ]
Oi! Amigo! [ for once in her life, she manages to keep herself from whipping her swords out right then and there and making a scene; instead, she slinks up nearby, whispering loudly at him and tugging at his sleeve. Stealth was never her strong point... ] I wanna talk to you!
[He's not so dense as to not notice someone approaching, but Kenshin doesn't sense an immediate intent to attack in the person's ki and so lets them get close enough to tug at his sleeve.]
Hmmm? [He turns to smile at her, open and friendly. He certainly doesn't seem like Japan's strongest swordsman. If anything, he seems a bit ditzy, not reacting at all to her being obviously foreign. There's plenty of foreigners in Tokyo these days.]
Will this be a long talk? Sessha's arms are getting tired from carrying the tofu, de gozaru. [He'd like to put it down if this will take a while.]
[ 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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Maria Barcelito / Baccano!
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Today he's doing Kaoru-dono's grocery shopping for her, meandering through the marketplace in Tokyo with a small smile. Kenshin would be entirely innocuous given his easy air, but the hair marks him out in a sea of black and his sakabatou is at his hip, as always. He's lugging a wooden bucket filled with tofu in water with relative ease despite its weight.]
no subject
For some reason. She didn't understand who wouldn't want to take on this job. A swordsman so strong that his enemies had to look across the ocean for someone who might be able to cut him down? The thought alone excited her; she was eager as always to whet her blades on a stronger neck than before, and even the long boat ride over and subsequent navigational issues had done little to deter her. Today, her luck finally comes through.
Though Maria surely sticks out more than he does with her dark skin and Latina features, she's doing a relatively good job staying under cover, hidden under a wide-brimmed hat and dressed the same as anybody else on the streets. It's easy enough to pick out that hair in a crowd, and once she's slipped nearer, the sword and scars seal the deal. ]
Oi! Amigo! [ for once in her life, she manages to keep herself from whipping her swords out right then and there and making a scene; instead, she slinks up nearby, whispering loudly at him and tugging at his sleeve. Stealth was never her strong point... ] I wanna talk to you!
no subject
Hmmm? [He turns to smile at her, open and friendly. He certainly doesn't seem like Japan's strongest swordsman. If anything, he seems a bit ditzy, not reacting at all to her being obviously foreign. There's plenty of foreigners in Tokyo these days.]
Will this be a long talk? Sessha's arms are getting tired from carrying the tofu, de gozaru. [He'd like to put it down if this will take a while.]
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
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.]
no subject
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!
no subject
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.]
no subject
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.]
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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... ]