"Airing Out Dirty Laundry" (Ronin Warriors fic)/title>  <link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all"> </head> <body> <p>Title: Airing Out Dirty Laundry<br /> Fandom: Ronin Warriors<br /> Characters/Pairing: Cye Mouri, Dais<br /> Rating: PG-13<br /> Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine<br /> Warnings: Mentioned past violence/torture, mentioned past familiar death and illness.<br /> Notes: Post-series. I don't know why this dynamic lives rent-free in my brain (aside from Cye being my fave Warrior as a kid and Dais being my fave Warlord as a kid), especially when I don't think Cye and Dais even spoke to each other in these series, but it does.</p> <p>--</p> <p>Dais had expected his post-Talpa days to be filled with fighting for Kayura as she murdered the remaining lords to assume power. However, the girl had proven to be a successful diplomat and managed to convince the bastards that peace was in everyone’s interest. The next thing Dais knew, the Dynasty had been reborn as a realm for souls to find peace and he had more free time on his hands than he knew what to do with.</p> <p>Cale was working as Kayura’s bodyguard and Sekhmet had built himself a boat to explore the further reaches of the realm. He’d invited Dais along—<i>We’ve lived here for longer than I care to recollect but have rarely left the palace unless it was to conquer the human realm, surely you must be curious of what exists here</i>—but Dais had declined. Even if the realm was reborn, even if the spirits and demons would smile and wave at them now (something that still startled Dais, and he was not the type to startle), it was no thanks to them. If it weren’t for Anubis, Kayura, and the runts, they would still be naively serving their ‘emperor,’ expecting a reward that was never to come.</p> <p>So, he spent his days in the woods near Mia Koji’s mansion waiting for… he wasn’t quite sure. He used to tell himself that he was going to pick a fight with Hardrock to cheer himself up. But he had yet to challenge Hardrock, even when the little man went for morning jogs, singing about someone called a Kamen Rider at the top of his lungs. Then he told himself that he was trying to learn about these lads that were so pure of heart. So far, all he knew was that Kamen Riders loved justice (ugh), Halo was too young to drive (this was a running joke between him and Wildfire when they sparred), and Strata would sleepwalk out of the mansion and into the woods if Halo or Mia couldn’t catch him in time (one time he had almost walked into a tree, but Dais had turned him around in time, only because the tree didn’t deserve a sleepy samurai crashing into it, definitely not because he was getting soft).</p> <p>It was a good thing Strata had been asleep since Dais doubted any of them wanted anything to do with the warlord who had helped capture and torture most of them. At least, that was what he thought until one sunny morning with Torrent.</p> <p>The day had started normally. Dais observed from his mystical hiding spot as Torrent set down his laundry basket and started hanging clothes up to dry. He was working alone again, although judging how he had shooed both Hardrock and Halo away the last time he came out here, Dais suspected Torrent liked working alone. Interesting. Even the innocent little warrior of trust needed space sometimes. Although he supposed it wasn’t that shocking that Torrent had hidden depths. Torrent’s reaction to the horrors of the Dynasty had been… unusual. Halo and later Hardrock had shouted about justice and trying to pick fights and everything one would expect. Torrent had silently endured it all: the torture, the nightmares, the slow draining of his spirit. Even when he was a captive of the Dynasty, he was still above them all emotionally, maybe even spiritually. He had been so damnably stoic that Dais had tossed an unconscious Hardrock at his feet after winning his battle just to get a reaction out of the brat.</p> <p>That had worked. He could still remember Torrent glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes. <i>If he’s dead, I’ll kill you.</i></p> <p>Dais took a deep breath to dispel the pain in his chest. He had been so proud of himself for breaking Torrent at that moment. But now… now…</p> <p>“If you’re going to spy on me, the least you can do is help me with the laundry,” Torrent said cheerfully, hanging up a red shirt.</p> <p>Dais was so shocked that someone could see through his illusion that he had revealed himself and was standing next to Torrent before he realized it. “I thought you didn’t want people helping you with the laundry.”</p> <p>“No, I shooed Sage and Kento away because they’re both way too rough with the fabrics.” Torrent shook his head as he pinned a mint green silk shirt to the clotheslines. “You’d think someone as fashionable as Sage would know better, too. You, however, seem together.”</p> <p>“And you seem naïve,” Dais chided him. “Even if we have stopped fighting, I’m still one of the men who tried routinely tried to kill you. I was among those who nearly tortured you to death.”</p> <p>Torrent was now hanging up jeans and trousers. “I know. I was there.”</p> <p>“That’s all you have to say about it.”</p> <p>Torrent shrugged as he stared at a pair of jeans with holes in the knees (those most likely belonged to Hardrock, possibly Wildfire). “What else is there to say about it? You were doing what your emperor told you to do—and while I can’t speak for the others, as far as I’m concerned you made up for it when you helped us defeat him.</p> <p>“Besides, it wasn’t the worst thing that’s happened to me.” Torrent pinned the jeans to the clothesline.</p> <p>“Excuse me? Torrent, we—”</p> <p>Torrent held up a hand. “First, please call me Cye when we’re off the clock.” Torrent… Cye smiled at him, but it was a sad one. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m in no mood to battle or get kidnapped again. However, I knew from day one as a Ronin Warrior that I would have to fight. I hated it, but I accepted it. I knew that I could be hurt, captured, or killed. I accepted that, too.”</p> <p>“Very well,” Dais said slowly. “But do you feel up to explaining the other part?”</p> <p>Cye knelt next to the basket, picking out socks. “Dais, my first memory is watching my father die—that was the worst thing that’s happened to me, just so you know. I’ve spent every day of my life terrified that this will be the day that Sayoko will have to tell me that Mum finally passed as well.” It was subtle, but Dais noticed that Cye shivered despite it being a warm day. “Nothing the Dynasty could toss at me could be as terrible as my ‘normal’ life.” He gave Dais a look. “Well, except when you tried to convince me you’d killed Kento. I’ve forgiven you, but I’m still a little mad about that.”</p> <p>“… I have lived for centuries. I’ve defeated brilliant generals and tacticians, but you boggle my mind,” Dais finally admitted. “You accept and forgive so easily, yet you’re also astute to the point of shrewdness. I have no idea what to make of you.”</p> <p>“Well, maybe if you help with the laundry, you’ll figure me out.”</p> <p>Dais rolled his eye, but he helped nonetheless.</p> </body> </html>