After reading the note, Aku burned it betwixt his clawed fingers. Since when did the Samurai care if he was harmed? He thought of disregarding the message at first but later that day, Jackie would find a small note rolled up inexplicably in an empty tea cup:
Aku regarded her coolly as she sat across from him, relieved that she did not immediately draw her sword.
The tea was matcha, his personal favorite and he poured himself another cup as he spoke.
“I seek the assistance of a skilled swordsperson. One who is not opposed to taking on a student…” His eyes met hers from across the table, awaiting what she might say next.
“… Hm.” She arched her brow as she took a sip of the matcha tea. Jacqueline simply could not turn away someone who was eager to learn. She wanted to know their story.
” … Who is the pupil so I may meet them?”
Well, this was certainly going much better than expected. So far. Aku tried not to look too surprised (or too hopeful, for that matter.)
“Her name is Azura and she has been employed as my personal assistant for the past year…” As he spoke, Aku placed a photo on the table and slid it toward Jacqueline beneath his clawed finger.
Pictured was a young woman in a selfie-style shot with dark hair and dark, expressive eyes. There was a smile on her face and what appeared to be a party hat on her head. (Beside her, near the edge of the photo, was her boss, also smiling and wearing a party hat on his lower horn, but we won’t talk about that.) There was a sense of kindness and innocence about her that one might never expect to see in an employee of Aku.
Aku regarded her coolly as she sat across from him, relieved that she did not immediately draw her sword.
The tea was matcha, his personal favorite and he poured himself another cup as he spoke.
“I seek the assistance of a skilled swordsperson. One who is not opposed to taking on a student…” His eyes met hers from across the table, awaiting what she might say next.
“I do not think that was the correct sound, Samurai. And as the Master of this World, I can make any request I desire.”
Of course, she scooped up the tiny adorable fluffy cat in her arms and cuddled it gently before stroking its head and smiling rather contently.
Well, that worked even better than anticipated!
“Ha ha ha haaa!” he laughed in a voice much higher than usual. “I knew it! Now put me down, Samurai, before I—! Before I… Mmh…”
He trailed off as her hand continued to stroke his furry head. Then, closing his eyes, he began to purr involuntarily.
“I am sorry,” she muttered and went to put him down, but when the Demon cat began to purr, the Samurai sat down and just kept petting him. She didn’t have her arms around the feline this time, so he could leave whenever he wanted to.
*gently rubs fingers around his cheeks / whiskers and behind the ears~!
He could see now how humankind could be enslaved by felines.
Aku stood in her lap for a moment as he deliberated whether to climb off, but then he simply laid down and made himself comfortable while attention was lavished upon him. Like any cat enjoying a good scratch, he tilted his head into the scritches and flexed his claws a bit, purring all the while.
No matter where the Samurai might be in his or her wandering, he/she would come across an ancient temple. Posted outside was a large sign written with very fine penmanship that was rarely seen in the modern age. It read:
SEEKING
Skilled swordsman (or swordswoman) for training purposes.
For details—and hot tea—see within.
If one should enter, they would find steaming hot tea, as promised, set upon a low table in the center of the temple. No one else was present. Not yet…
“… I have nothing better to do,” she muttered, stepping into the temple carefully and glancing around. It looked empty, all except for the low table and hot tea.
She was tempted, but … in this day and age, one had to take extreme caution. The Samurai refrained from touching the tea, simply folding her arms and waiting.
All was quiet save for the melodic clinking of wind chimes somewhere outside and the random chirrup of birds. The tranquil atmosphere did not change, even when the Lord of Darkness appeared without warning, sound or disruption to the stillness of the air.
One moment Jacqueline had been alone and the next moment, Aku was there on the other side of the table sitting cross-legged (he had no legs, of course, but his black form lent the appearance of such) and sipping tea. He’d taken a more reasonable, human-like size for the occasion though he still seemed to loom tall even while seated.
“Greetings, Samurai,” he spoke as if he’d been expecting her, his tone both calm and tepid. “I had hoped you would show.”
The Shogun of Sorrow 