Life as usual.

[Genjo Sanzo]

The sun was bright and hot as it sank lower in the vivid afternoon sky. The temple buzzing with its usual activities of the day. His slipped his half gloved fingers through the already messy mass of blond hair. He sighed, something he found himself doing a little too much lately for his own liking. Violet eyes gazed from behind glasses at the scroll he should have been reading but he wasn't absorbing any of the words. In fact he was hoping for a distraction, but even if one came he would always send them away with a glare. After the usual work of the day including the usual lectures and daily work, he was ready to just relax.

His gloved fingers twitched, egging him to reach into the folds of his clothing to withdraw a soothing cigarette. Hmn well he was done working for the moment anyway, he couldn't concentrate. The priest was quick to remove himself from his seat, egar to get away from his work as he made his way out of the room the usual scowl set on his face, long religious robes drifting with the coming and going gales. He was quick to wave away any disciple that approached him, really he wasn't in the mood for bullshit.

He had taken his usual seat upon the small porch, just outside his room. Opening a new pack of cigarettes and tapping one out. Placing it between his lips, he sat there for several long minutes, his lighter in his hand yet his cigarette unlit, lost in thought. He sat there, violet orbs staring into the forest but the blond quickly shook himself from his thoughts clicking the lighter and lighting the end of his cigarette, inhaling deeply, the intake of nicotine helping to center him.

[Kikyo Saiin]

‘It is so easy to take a life. I’ve killed so many, have left countless bodies in my footprints…and yet the guilt suffocates me like a noose around my neck. The burden of the solitude though I can touch others with my hands, the insanity from blood spattered dreams, the remorse of taking everything away from those I have no right to judge.

‘The very burden of this life. I am the highest ranking Priestess in Shangri-La, but what value does a title have when the one who holds it is worthless? The more I struggle, the more sins I add to my already infinite pile. I could end this disgusting life with the single thrust of a blade…but they…HE…binds me to this world…’

Distracted by her morbid thoughts Kikyo Saiin missed a block. A hiss of pain escaped from between her clenched teeth as the youkai’s dagger sliced through her off-white robes and into her arm. Grabbing her attacker’s wrist, she twisted, sending the man attached sprawling to the ground on his back. Maintaining a hold on his arm, she placed a booted foot on his neck.

“Who is your master?” She demanded. “Why does he want the Suiton Scripture?”

“Bitch! Fuck you!” He snarled.

“No. Fuck you.” In one swift motion, her katana plunged through his open mouth where it came through the back of his head. As she removed it from his person, she grumbled all the while. “Bitch this, bitch that. You’d think they’d figure out something else to call me.”

The long, sharp steel blade was carefully cleaned before it was sheathed. Kikyo took loving care of Home Goroshi, her demon banishing sword. She twisted her long raven hair back into a messy bun on her head before she lifted her ever constant bag. It was heavier then usual since she was hauling around something that didn’t belong to her.

With a huff, she hiked through the forest, her white robes managing to get caught on every branch. After what seemed like hours, the Temple finally, FINALLY, came into view. She could practically feel the hot water of a bath, which made her pick up her pace.

[Genjo Sanzo]

His fingers darted to the cigarette as he took hold of it, inhaled, then exhaled through his nose as he sat in silence, the only thing that could be heard was the soft chirping of crickets and other various animals as night slowly descended on the temple. He hadn't heard from the damn monkey all day, yes of course Sanzo appreciated the silence but now it was just getting irritating.

He was willing to bet the damn kid was getting into some kind of trouble and Sanzo would have to get him out of it...as usual. He felt like a god damn babysitter. Genjo Sanzo wasn’t a man of normal stature. Being a Sanzo priest he was constantly expected to do some major bullshit that had nothing to do with him. Bullshit that he never wanted to do. Like this was a fine example."God dammit...." he cursed softly, his right hand then moving to his cigarette before he crushed it in the ashtray.

He supposed it was about time to find Goku and smack the hell out of the kid for disappearing all day. The priest raised from his quiet spot with a small grunt of irritation, but before he could move the hushed whispers of various disciples came to his attention. Raising a elegant brow as he focused dark violet eyes on the door before narrowing them, a few long strides later he threw open the door glaring down at young monks that were quickly scampering several feet back from him. Sanzo held back the urge to roll his eyes as he watched them. "What do you want?" He asked as politely as possible despite the heavy irritation that was evident in his rough voice as he crossed his arms over the expansion of his chest.

All three of the young disciples starting immediately talking, voices seeming to blend together with how high pitched and squeaky they all were but after a few moments one of their voices rose above the rest. "A Priestess has arrived at the temple, Master Sanzo." The young man threw out rather quickly before all three bowed and quickly left Sanzo's presence. Hn..well at least they knew when to leave him alone. Now a Priestess visiting the temple? That didn't happen often, with a irritated sigh passing pale lips he pushed himself from the doorway to go greet this woman. He just wanted to get this over with so he could go find Goku and beat the damn kid.

[Son Goku]

It was so early in the morning that he rose that the sun had not yet burned through the thick morning fog. Over the past few days, a growing restlessness had made the young man more and more restless, a feeling that grew in his mind that was gradually blocking out all other thoughts. Slipping out of his bed and dressing quickly and quietly, Goku slipped out of his personal chamber and skirted the early-morning chanters, snagging some food from the kitchens and slipping over the temple ground wall unnoticed. Certainly he knew he shouldn't leave Sanzo's immediate jurisdiction, but the restless feeling within him had become impossible to ignore. By nature he was a wild creature, and confinement to any area made him anxious.

Though he had taken only a few breaks, he didn't feel tired. The air was fresh and seemed more abundant outside the monastery walls. A smile he didn't even know was there brightened his face as he grasped craggy rock and pulled himself up, scaling the small cliff face without any exertion, or waded through the small stream, water swirling around his ankles. No youkai had bothered him as he wandered in the nearby forest, but he wouldn't have minded either way. The wandering didn't take him very far, and he was already returning. The trip was relaxing and had eased that wanderlust, so now as the gates loomed closer the nervousness of Sanzo's anger began to set in. Goku paused in the middle of the road, looking down at himself. Dust and soil clung to his clothes and exposed flesh. The night was drawing in, so perhaps he had enough time to clean himself up before the priest caught sight of him and asked questions. Running a grubby hand through his messy hair, the monkey boy slipped off the road and headed towards a portion of the wall he could easily climb over.

It wasn't that he really feared the Sanzo priest. It was more of a terrible respect, coupled with an inexplicable draw towards him that seemed to run deeper than his own identity. Could it be that it was just that he brought Goku out of his prison, or that he had given him a chance at a life he otherwise would never had known? It didn't much matter to him, nor did he give it much thought. But whatever power the man held over the boy, he responded to it almost instinctively. Like a moth to a flame, Son Goku returned to the priest at the close of his wonderful day, his only thought being avoiding said priest's fan.

[Genjo Sanzo]

Uneasily flicking ashes from the end of his cigarette, Sanzo's free hand came up to tangle in his hair as he breathed a sigh of frustration as he walked toward the gates of the temple. But the priest paused in his steps when he caught a very familiar sight at the corner of his eye and he felt a vein twitch in his forehead.

Where in the hell was that stupid monkey all day? What the fuck was he doing? They were questions Sanzo wanted to ask as he strode over to the damn kid, but right then he couldn't make it so that Goku wouldn't mistake it for concern. The idiot was determined to attach himself to his savior. Sanzo had tried everything, from beating him with the fan to insulting him to just about every form of abuse that wasn't fatal, but none of them had deterred the boy.

Sanzo considered kicking him or killing him. It would, after all, be only what the brat deserved, and maybe relieve some of the stress that always seemed to linger whenever Goku was around or in this case, not around. Honestly, he'd never asked the boy to follow him, and the gods only knew why Sanzo continued to put up with him. Most of the time even he didn't understand. All Sanzo knew was that every time he considered seriously throwing Goku out, something would stop him: a weak excuse, a disturbingly heavy feeling (guilt, maybe?), or even just Goku's pathetically childlike, stupid gaze that reminded him so much of the look the boy had given him when they had first met on the mountain. Whatever it was, Sanzo could never muster up what was needed to get rid of the boy. Perhaps he was some sort of masochist, since all Goku ever did was cause him headaches.

But once the priest made it over to his ward, Sanzo immediately reached into his robes to pull out his fan and crack the boy over the head with it, glaring down at the monkey. "Where in the hell have you been?" He demanded, irritation evident in his voice.

[Son Goku]

The boy didn't expect to be found out so soon, and the rag he was using to clean up with splashed into the bucket at his feet as he whirled, covering his head protectively in anticipation for a whack with the fan, his face an expression of surprise. It would be a comical sight to an observer if there were one, but to Goku it was a scene never looked forward to yet oft repeated. Of course he never *tried* to piss of the priest, but it sure seemed unavoidable to irk him at least once a day... if only that.

If it wasn't Sanzo it was the monks. The monks seemed to take personal offense to the brunette's very existence, amplified by the mysterious bond the two had. Where they worked hard to be in the scripture holder's presence, the boy could come and go from his side at will. Indeed, they were actually together more than apart, and the boy seemed to have special favor with the priest that any of them would give their right arm for. To add insult to injury, the twerp stole from the kitchens regularly and tended to leave disaster in his wake. Once, when he was left unsupervised, he had somehow toppled the shelving units in the library, leaving such a scattering of scrolls and books that it took two weeks for the monks to get it all arranged in meticulous chronological order back into *reenforced* shelves. If anything, the priest looked secretly pleased with what Goku had done, but that may have had something to do with the monks being so occupied with the project that they had left him alone the entire time. That time, Sanzo had even slipped him some treats, a secret they both kept and never mentioned again. The glares the monks gave him had no effect on the boy for quite a while after that.

Golden eyes looked to the older man, cringing a bit but not running. "Sanzo, I-" A pause, then he gave his trademark grin, eyes curved in a happy expression. "Hi!" Sure, that could work. Act natural. "Just went for a walk, that's all, honest!" One arm slipped behind his head, rubbing through his hair casually but not quite letting down his guard.