ALEXIS' POV

A few days passed since that incident with the ronin. Hideyoshi explained to me they were able to capture them and now they were serving their time in prison. Anyway, afterwards, I managed to save up enough money to go back to the market place and hopefully I won't get chased again. As I was looking around, a familiar voice called out to me.

"Alexis? is that you?"

"Oh, hey Sasuke!"

He was standing by a merchant's blanket at the side of the road. Sora ran over to Sasuke and then he jumps on him. Sasuke nearly stumbled but, he managed to keep his balance. Sasuke chuckled as he scratched Sora's face.

"Who's that woman, Sasuke? You know her?"

Sora barked at the familiar merchant before running to him and Sasuke. Sora wagged his tail and then rubs his head against Yuki's arm.

"Hahaha, I think it's clear Sora remembers you, Yuki."

I said while laughing at him. Yuki sat cross-legged in front of an array of pretty accessories.

'But seriously though, what is the vassal of a powerful warlord doing here? Whatever it is, he doesn't look happy.'

"You should recognise her too, Yukimura. You've met before."

Yuki glanced at me and Sora before speaking again.

"Oh, yeah! The weirdo who tried to fling herself off the cliff and her psycho dog."

"Oy! watch it! Sora is not a psycho, he's just overprotective of me and another thing, I wasn't trying to kill myself that night."

"You can't deny you were acting totally weird that night! So, what are you doing in Azuchi anyway?"

Yuki said as patted Sora's head.

"That night you saw me, I was leaving Kyoto because my parents and I weren't exactly getting along well, considering the fact they told me that I was moving from Canada to Kyoto. So I decided to leave my village and come here to look for work."

"And what would that be?" Yukimura asked me.

I glanced at my guitar case that was on my back and I asked him sarcastically.

"What do you think? haven't you heard the rumours about me?"

"What rumours?" Yukimura asked me.

I sighed annoyingly and then Sasuke told him.

"Don't you know? the people in Azuchi have been calling Alexis the songbird because of her talent in singing."

"Huh?! you're that songbird?! you've gotta be kidding me."

"I'm not kidding, it's the truth," I spoke with a frown on my face.

"Yukimura, she already knows who we are and what we're doing here. She's trustworthy," Sasuke told Yukimura.

"Wait, when did she find that out?"

"She ran into Lord Kenshin," Sasuke told him.

Yukimura was nodding sadly as soon as the name left Sasuke's lips.

"Don't say any more, I understand. He couldn't keep his identity a secret if you threw a blanket over him."

'I guess that's true, especially since his black cloak stands out more.'

I thought to myself before I asked Yukimura.

"So what is it you're doing here?"

"I'm selling stuff, can't you tell?"

"But, why?"

Sasuke answered, in a whisper.

"He's disguised as a merchant. It's an effective way for him to move about in enemy territory."

'I get it now, he's here undercover.'

"You've got a difficult job."

I knelt down to look at his merchandise like a normal customer, to keep up appearances. Sora sat next to me and also looked at the merchandise.

"Hair combs, obi charms, necklaces. You sell women's accessories?"

"Don't ask. It wasn't my choice. It would have been my last choice."

"Really? But these are all so pretty. It's true you're not the guy I'd expect to go for women's accessories."

"And I'm glad about that."

Sora sniffed at the accessories and then he nudged his nose at the hair comb.

"Oy, what are you doing?"

Yuki asked Sora as he tried to shoo him away. I picked up the hair comb and I looked at it.

"Sorry about that, Sora's got this habit of picking accessories and clothes for me, don't ask me how or why he does it, it just happens."

"I see, but, he's got a good eye I'll give him that much."

Yuki said as I looked at the hair comb. The hair comb was black and it has a pretty blue flower pattern on it.

"It's pretty, good eye Sora."

Sora barked in response while wagging his tail. I looked at the price of it and I wasn't sure whether to buy it or not.

"But, the only downside is the price of it..."

"Don't blame me, it's not my fault I got this as my undercover work."

I looked at the hair comb again and I was debating whether or not to buy this or not. I wanted to buy some new kimonos and accessories for my job as a musician but, I also wanted to save up my money. 

"*Sighs* maybe some other time, it's a shame too. This is a pretty hair comb too."

"Hold it, if you like it that much I'll cut the price down to half, how does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me, thanks."

I said as I paid for the new accessory and then Yukimura wraps it up in a cloth for me. I put the hair comb in the folds of kimono until, I heard soft footfalls and a shadow fell over me.

"What's going on here?"

That dry voice caught my attention. I recognised him even before I spun around. It was Kenshin.

"Oh, it's you."

"Hi, Kenshin."

"Why do you always show up everywhere I am?"

'I guess a night with the fireflies hasn't changed that unfriendly attitude.'

I thought to myself with a sweat drop running down the side of my head. 

"I hate to tell you this but, I was her first. You showed up where I was."

"Well, I didn't see you. So it's like you showed up out of nowhere. Next time, announce yourself better. Try using a smoke signal."

"No need, I've got something better than a smoke signal."

I whistled for Sora and then he barked at Kenshin before jumping on him. Kenshin shoved Sora away from him making him giggle at him.

"Oh great, it's you again mutt."

Sora barked at Kenshin and he wagged his tail while having his butt in the air. He ran around Kenshin excitedly and he barked happily.

"Well, that's a first, I've never seen Sora get this excited around someone like before, I think he likes you."

"Very funny," Kenshin spoke with an annoyed look on his face until Sora started barking at him happily. "And you keep quiet!"

Sora whimpered and then he laid down next to me with a sad puppy eye look on his face. 

"Oh don't mind him, Sora, he doesn't mean it. He's just being a grump right now," I spoke with a smirk.

"Oy!"

I laughed at his reaction.

3RD PERSON POV

Yukimura's jaw fell slack as he watched Alexis and Kenshin talk.

"Hey, Sasuke. I'm really seeing this, right? Lord Kenshin's talking to a woman and he almost sounds like an actual human being."

"I'm not sure. They didn't seem this friendly last time I saw them. Perhaps they bonded over some incident while I wasn't around."

Alexis looked at the two of them and she said to them.

"We can hear you and there's nothing weird about what we're doing."

"Oh yeah there is. I should've asked this earlier, but, are you sure you're a woman and not a man in disguise?"

"What?! of course I'm a woman! you wanna have a little sneak-peek at my chest?"

Alexis asked with a smirk on her face with her fingers near the collar of her kimono. Yukimura covered his eyes and he said to her.

"No! that's not necessary!"

"Calm down, I'm only teasing you."

Sora whimpered as he shook his head. Sasuke then spoke up.

"Yukimura, I'm curious about them too, but your language is disrespectful to Alexis."

"If you don't stop talking about this right now, I'll kill all of you."

Kenshin's disgruntled words put a swift end to the discussion.

"I'm leaving for Echigo tomorrow. I only came by to tell you both."

ALEXIS' POV

'Really? Kenshin's leaving? I was hoping to see more of him.'

I thought to myself after hearing this.

"That's sudden. From the way you talked about it, I expected your sojourn to last longer," Sasuke said to Kenshin.

"I was. Until I got a letter. There's a discord in one of our newer domains."

"Really? But you don't need to go quell it yourself though."

Yukimura spoke up after the news but, I can tell Kenshin has been waiting for a battle for a while now.

"I'm sure it won't be fulfiling, but, I've been starved for battle lately. Letting loose on them will help clear my head and loosen theirs. From their necks."

"Those poor guys. They don't know what's coming."

I gulped a little and then Sora whimpered before hiding behind me after seeing that look in Kenshin's eyes. 

'Exercise can fight off a bad mood, yes but, I don't think war counts.'

"Now you know. So I'm leaving."

"Where to, my Lord?"

"To drink."

Sora and I looked at Kenshin with confused looks on our faces before looking back at him.

"At this time of day?"

Sunset was only a few hours away and he's going drinking?

"Why does it matter what time of day I choose to drink?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure there are some good reasons for not to drink in the day-"

Yet, Kenshin sounded so assured, I wondered if I sounded silly for correcting him. I also felt a little stupid too because it's not like I had room to talk, whenever the band and I go for a drink it was either during lunchtime or during the evening.

'Now that I think about it, I have also noticed people drinking throughout the day here.'

"I might add that no one loves sake more than Lord Kenshin."

Sasuke explained to me and I said to him.

"Well, I can appreciate a good drink too, as long as it's after work. So, Kenshin, you must have quite the tolerance level?"

"I just drink as much as I want to."

'Seriously? doesn't he get drunk?'

My thoughts were interrupted when Yukimura explained to me.

"If you're wondering when he stops, the answer is never. Plus, once he starts drinking, he gets fighty."

"Like your typical angry drunk?"

"I'm not an angry drunk. Do not spread lies, Yukimura. ...I don't get drunk."

I was surprised by this and then Yukimura spoke up.

"That's the problem. Your tolerance is too high. No one can match you."

"So, what did you mean by fighty, Yukimura? Like sword-fighty?"

Yukimura and Sasuke shared a look of uncommunicable trauma.

"Worse. He'll insist on grabbing me and Sasuke and making us drink with him until the morning."

"He tries to enact every problematic idea he gets while drinking and he gets more than usual."

I covered my mouth to prevent myself from laughing. Yukimura glared at me and he shouted.

"What are you laughing at?! what's so funny?!"

"Hehe! oh, it's nothing!"

'How do you like that Lizzy? if you were here, you would have met your match.'

I thought to myself with a grin on my face.

"But if you want to drink, go ahead. Just don't cause any problems," Yukimura told Kenshin.

"You can't order me but since this is my last cup of sake in Azuchi. I plan to drink peace. I don't want any loud interruptions to spoil my drink this time."

Having said everything he wished to say. Kenshin turned to go. 

'...And there he goes. Pinning him down for a conversation is tricky. Not to mention that I didn't get to say thanks or tell him goodbye.'

He was nearly out of sight. This time tomorrow, he'd be forever out of reach. Yukimura sighed and then he spoke up.

"His last cup? he's been drinking every day and I guarantee he'll drink more tomorrow."

"Without a battle to comfort him, he's been assuaging himself by drinking. Yesterday I believe he only had sake and pickled plums all day," Sasuke told Yukimura this.

I sweat dropped when I heard this and I said to them.

"And I thought all the drinking was bad. You say he also hasn't been eaten anything?"

"Normally he eats adequately, but then a bad mood will hit him," Sasuke explained to me.

Yukimura then spoke up.

"Lord Kenshin operates on mood alone you see, often a bad one."

Sora whimpered as he looked at me and I agreed with his worried look too.

'I'm also worried he's not eating. No wonder they say he's in a bad mood.'

"Is something on your mind, Alexis?"

Sasuke asked me as I continue to think to myself.

'No mulling about it. Life is short. I'm going to do what feels right.'

I thought to myself before picking my guitar case and telling the boys.

"Sasuke, Yukimura, I'll see you two later!"

Their calls asking where I was going went unanswered. I needed to race if I was going to find Kenshin. 

'He couldn't have gone far. Then again, he is a fast walker.'

At least he stood out in the crowd. I found him easily enough.

'There he is!'

"Sora! stop him."

Sora barked at me before he raced after Kenshin. Sora got in front of him and then Kenshin said to him.

"It's you, don't tell me."

Kenshin stopped and he turned to look at me, letting me catch up.

"What do you want?"

'He asked that same question the first time I ran after him. He's always trying to get away somewhere and I always seem to have a reason to chase him.'

It was kinda funny when I thought about it. Normally, nothing could make me chase a guy.

"I forgot to tell you something, well, two things actually."

"What is it?"

"Firstly, I wanna say thanks for saving me from the ronin, again. Also, I've followed your advice and now I got more performances coming up. At the rate I'm going, I'll be so popular that I don't think the warrior family I work will need me for much longer so, thank you."

"I didn't do anything for you. Did you really come after me to tell me something you figured out for yourself?"

Kenshin looked unimpressed.

"You said you had two things? I hope the second is better."

"I hope it's better too."

"Let me thank you for you've done by taking you out to eat."

"I did nothing for you and I don't need thanks."

'Same answer as last time.'

I thought to myself with a sweat drop running down my head. It also sounded like a refusal, at least it wasn't a flat out 'no'.

'This is my last chance to repay him before he leaves for Echigo. Who knows if I'll ever see him again? I thought if I offered him something more than pretty words, he'd bite. Literally, since he hasn't eaten since yesterday.'

How could I get him interested in eating without stubbornly setting a plate of food in front of him? That's when an idea popped into my head.

'I know what will hook this fish!'

"Did you know there's a place in town that serves Azuchi's legendary local brew?"

"Legendary...local brew..."

By the delicate twitch of his brow, I knew I had him.

'Drink like a fish and the drink becomes the bait.'

I thought to myself as imaginary fox ears appeared on top of my head.

"They only make a small batch each season, so you can only get it here. It's strong but smooth, and the taste? Unforgettable."

"...It's that good?"

Kenshin's eyes were gleaming in a way I'd never seen before.

"I must try it. Lead me to this shop. Now."

"As you wish."

I said with a smirk on my face while having my vixen ears and tail showing.

'Hehehe...hook, line and sinker!'