"what's there to like?"

nothing. but that, if anything, was self explanatory. "what the hell are you lookin' for anyway? we're not fucking ghostbusters, you know."

"i never said we were looking for ghosts, general," replied tenpou, trying to pad up the edge in his voice but wavering. "i distinctly remember telling you that we were going down 'to look.' but if you're scared..."

"cut the crap. all i'm goin' to say is that i had better get good compensation for being made to work off duty."

tenpou decided to play along. "i'll talk to goujin about giving you a short vacation in a century or two. not now though. busy times."

"idiot." that wasn't the type of compensation he had been asking for. "well, since you were the one who ed me down here, you have to give the compensation, not goujin." he shuddered at the thought.

"now that you put it that way," the field marshal replied. "i'll give you a..."

he paused.

kenren pushed him to continue, a little hopefulness in his voice. "a..."

"a hug." replied tenpou with simple decision.

"a...hug." kenren was incredulous.

"or is that too intimate?"

"a hug."

"what did you think i'd give you?"

fine, if the marshal wanted to play the damn innocent, he could very well do it. kenren had threats. very good threats.

"i..." the raven-haired general stated with obstinate resolution, wishing the loudness of his voice (and the provocativeness of the thought) would banish that eerie gut feeling he was getting from this place . "will get something very, very good from you tonight because i ain't prancing around in youkai guts for nothing. and you had better promise me something very, very good or else i'll take you right here and now...on the damn floor and i won't give a damn if the whole western army came in looking for us and found me screwing you senseless. you'll like it so much you won't even see the cadavers when i'm through."

"well, if you put it that way, i guess i'll have to..." but his voice faded when he caught sight of a faint glow coming from a far off room. it disappeared. "one moment, please." and he quickened his pace to a slow jog until he reached the decrepit door which housed the "mysterious glowing thing." farther behind him, he heard kenren cursing as he smacked his own face with consternation.