Chapter 84: 'Cooking with key'

Kiyone's eyed the unoccupied kitchen Dubiously.

"Rank amateur dip-shits!" she thought with a soft clucking of her tongue.

Obviously 'Masaki-chan', that is to say Ayeka's 'biological mother' was fumbling the ball! She personally had never met the woman, yet Kiyone could only however assume being the supreme commander of Jurai's royal bodyguards Misaki must have had a hand in the Tanzuru's selection?

Some security force! Why, with what she could kit-bash together out of this room alone, would be enough to sow total havoc!

Her elation was cut short when the opposite doorway suddenly admitted one of the knights, a rather large specimen who took to instantly glaring.

"What are you doing here?" He immediately demanded in rather clipped tones, automatically Setting her teeth on edge.

"I live here ass-wipe!" Kiyone snapped a reply, seeing no reason to 'coddle'. Watching then as the big man's eyes widened.

"I ... am Ashawn!" He stated hesitantly, looking at her curiously. Kiyone stood there mutely, batting her eyes in some mild confusion as to why this announcement was of such burning significance.

"How do it you know that name?" The huge man added, in tones as consistently clipped as before. After the few second they had both stood, regarding the other, totally confused.

"What are you talking about?" Kiyone finally had to ask.

"Ashwhibe is my brother." The Tanzuru stated firmly to which Kiyone found she could only stare blankly back at the man. While her mind did a complete roll.

"What do you suppose are the odds... ?" Her brain reasoned after a slight 'hiccup'. Finally moving passed the dead spot the minor revelation had caused.

"You know?" She then said wryly, unable to suppress 'the smirk'. "There is a certain family resemblance."

"I thank you!" He nodded, obviously oblivious. Adding a slight bow. "What are you doing here?"

"One track mind." Key smiled privately, while the smirk infinitesimally deepened and Kiyone again surveyed the man standing before her."And no neck to speak of. A perfect example of a jar head robot, Ala Jurai!"

"I was kinda hungry." She at last told him, adopting a layer of false cheerfulness. "Decided on making a little snack."

"I see!" He grunted, while continuing to just stand there.

"This is where they keep the food," She told him, nodding for emphasis. "It's why they call it a kit-chen?"

"Of course!" The man gruffed with a nod. "That makes sense."

As he just continued to stand there, regarding her blankly Kiyone suddenly believed she understood!

"Do you even know what the word 'snack' means solider?" She asked coyly. Watching closely as his brows mildly furrowed.

"Certainly!" Ashawn nodded. "Its something one does in a kit-chan." Upon hearing his mispronunciation of the word, Kiyone instantly bit her lip.

"CHRIST!" She swore to herself. "This Bozo barely speaks Japanese!"

With this new information firmly in place, key cleared her throat and straitened.

"ME..." She then told him, nodding while pointing to herself.

"VERY ... HUNGERY..." She continued slowly, indicating her mouth, making a grotesque pantomime of chewing.

"YOU..." Kiyone then pointed to him. "GO ... FUCK ... SELF ... CHOP! CHOP!!"

She finished her little soliloquy by curtly waving hands, palms down, several times rapidly the general direction of the open doorway behind him. Judging from his sudden shift in expression, the burly Tanzuru 'caught enough' of what she had said to be certain he didn't like what he had heard. Scowling, turning on heel, he stalked to the door. He then turned again and stopped, adopting a parade rest stance, regarding her sternly beside his battle staff.

"Great!" Kiyone thought glumly. "And he can't take a hint!"

Shrugging after a moment or two, flashing a smile, she made her way over to the fridge and opened its door.

"Not much here." She mused gazing hungrily around. The crab-puffs, squid-casserole and various leftovers however were not on her menu.

"I probably can't get the light-bulb out with no-neck not noticing!" She thought glumly. The big goon in the door way was putting the 'kabosh' on her intended scavenger hunt.

"And This damn robe only has one pocket." Key added to her self, just as something right then caught her eye.

"Nobuyuki you complete slob!" She smiled. "I love you!"

Reaching forward, she deftly removed the steak knife from the cheese. From there it found its way covertly into her one pocket. Giving the refrigerators contents one more scan, She paused, noticing the Knights glaring reflection in the side of a can of Wild Bull energy drink.

The brightly mirrored finish of the can caught enough to see him, 'Checking her assets' among his other current duties' while he thought she wasn't looking. The notion really didn't trouble Kiyone excessively, she was proud of her body. She certainly worked hard enough maintaining it in earth's 'piss weak gravity' as she herself put it occasionally. Also, the huge guard wasn't all that bad looking. In a 'Neanderthalic' kind of way she supposed but the situation gave her an idea.

Picking up a plate of lobster-tails, Kiyone paused long enough for her back to shield her just loosing the tie of her robe.

"Would you like something while I'm here?" She asked turning around, using a thick Jurian dialect Key was reasonably sure he would know.

At his assumed post at the kitchen doorway Ashawn's eyes instantly narrowed at her change in demeanor and language. He chose however to remain merely silent and observe.

This, he had been told was one of those 'police officers'. The term rolled across his memory with some mild contempt. Representatives of the league of confederated worlds, requiring ... a certain 'delicacy' of handling.

Ashawn couldn't say that he was impressed, the skirmish in the adjoining chamber not withstanding. The Galaxy police were hardly full time warriors!

Yes, the drama a while ago, would have unfolded quite differently had 'He' but been able to join ... The Tanzuru considered confidently.

She was... 'Attractive' he begrudgingly admitted. Slender and yet well defined, muscled but not grossly so. Particular Ashawn liked the woman's long dark hair and intriguing cobalt eyes. The view afforded as she was turned and bent retrieving food was also very ... Arresting.

She, would bear fine children! But alas, she was not of the imperium, and so could only be his as a bond wife.

When it became clear the massive guard seemed unwilling to move any closer Kiyone added the smile Tenchi had once informed her 'was a unfair use of a concealed weapon'.

"These Rock-Lobster tails were prepared by the hand of princess Sasami herself!" Kiyone told the huge man brightly. Closing the Refrigerator's door as she turned, making certain the right end of her robe's tie was pinned.

Ashawn's jaw fell slowly open, catching just enough.

It didn't really matter that the words 'Rock-Lobster and tails' translated into something like "Stone-water spider and backsides' the mere mention of second princesses name automatically riveted his attention. Rumors about Sasami's culinary skills were legendary! Probably because of her mother Masaki's constant bragging on the subject.

Lord Knight Azaka had also boasted often of his 'Sampling' such cuisine. Then there was of course, the one other minor mater...

As Jurians He and his brother Ashwhibe were quite young. Two centuries it could be augured were hardly sufficient to gain a proper perspective. The interval had been enough to find 'the twin hammers' as they were called to be gleaned from the ranks, appointed as reward for skill and devotion. The day they had earned the rank of royal knight had been one of the proudest Ashawn could remember. The mantle and staff of Tanzuru granted by the hand of Lady Misaki herself!