[A room in the Zen Temple]
Shar:	Today we shall reveal one of the deepest mysteries in the
        world, [drumroll]
Am:	[Cymbal clash] Aoshi's room!
Shar:	This is Aoshi's room, rented from the Zen Temple
Am:	[Surveys the small room] What a mess! Ouch.
Shar:	Heh, can't be worse than mine! [proud grin]
Am:	[Laugh] Yeah, Aquarius. Go figure!
Shar:	Clutter aside, this is a very simple set up, ne, 'Manda?
        Just a bed, desk and closet.
Am:	Hai! Watch out for sharp objects though, his spare
        kodachis are on the desk, but there may be other sharp
        things around.
Shar:	Like this shuriken [picks it up]
Am:	Done up with a ribbon? How sweet! Must be for Misao.
Shar:	"To Aoshi-sama, from Misao". Nope, more like from
        Misao-chan. This is bad. He doesn't even bother to unwrap 
        it, just left it lying around.
Am:	Hope Misao doesn't find out about this. She'll be
        heartbroken!
Shar:	Yep. [puts shuriken on desk] Hey, this is a very good
        picture! Who took it?
Am:	It would take a genius to picture the Oniwabanshuu in
        this friendly light.
Shar:	Uh-huh. [puts photo back] Oh, cool, a calligraphy set.
        Aoshi's a scholar too.
Am:	[Suspicious look] I thought all Aquarius are scholars.
        You write bad poetry yourself! [looks at rice paper]
        "Kill"?  "Kill" "kill"
        "kill" "kill", man, is he obsessed!
Shar:	[Flatly] Three guesses who these are meant for.
Am:	Kenshin, who else? Talk about stating the obvious. Look,
        there's even a dartboard with Kenshin's picture on the
        wall. With the daggers left in!
Shar:	[Steps around carefully and sits on bed] You know, I've
        always wondered if he ever wash that trenchcoat of his.
Am:	[Looks in closet] Who knows? Look. [opens closet so Shar
        can see the row of identical trenchcoats]
Shar:	[Sweatdrop] Probably not. He can afford to.
Am:     [Laughs]
Shar:	Wow, he has a lot of Kenshin's pictures.
Am:	[Inspects pictures on inside of closet door] Yeah. To
        remind him of his grudge?
Shar:	[Flops backwards to lie on bed] Ouch. Must be tough,
        hating someone like that.
Am:	Yeah...
Shar:	Amanda...
Am:	Yes, Shar?
Shar:	[Points dumbly at ceiling]
Am:	[Sits on bed to get a more comfortable view of the
        ceiling] What's... ack! [Jumps up] That was close! [take
        the katana she nearly sat on] Shar, did you know Aoshi
        uses katanas? [unsheaths katana]
Shar:	[Skeptical] What swordsman would let his blade dull like
        that? [runs a finger along the back of the blade and cuts 
        herself] Ita! It's sharp!
Am:     [Lifts one eyebrow in surprise] The sakabatou?! 
Shar:	A cheap imitation. What would he want with a sakabatou?!
Am:	To practise against, maybe.
Shar:	Uh-huh. And how do you explain that? [points to ceiling]
Am:	[Looks up at Kenshin Raincharm Doll suspended from
        ceiling] Err... Voodoo?
Shar:	Something's fishy here. [Sucks on cut] What's that box in 
        the closet?
Am:	[Brings out a cedar box from under trenchcoats] Magazine 
        cuttings...and a cassette tape?
Shar:	[Brings out walkman] Let's hear it. [Looks through 
        magazine cuttings of Kenshin and wonders if she really 
        wants to listen to the tape]
Am:	[Pops the tape in and looks about the bed idly]
Tape:   Answer me one thing, Aoshi. You were a great man,
        entrusted with the position of Okashira for the Edo
        Castle Oniwabanshuu. Was there no oppurtunity for you
	to become an officer in the new government? Why are you
        now a mere bodyguard? There must have been a place for 
        you to use your own abilities... It doesn't matter. 
        Challenge me, if that's what you want... But I cannot 
        permit you to involve others in... 
Am:     [Finds an old shoebox under bed and pulls it out] Oh 
        cool, paperdolls. [shifts through paper doll clothes and 
        finds paper doll] Of Kenshin?! [sweatdrop]
Shar:   [Stops tape] It's a recording of everything Kenshin's 
        ever said to Aoshi!
Am:     [Picks up a crumpled ball of paper and reads it] Shar, 
        can you read this? I only recognise the names and some 
        words but I have a sneaking suspicion......
Shar:   Am, come look at this dartboard. [Pulls out 2 of the 
        daggers] See how the corner here is curled up? [carefully 
        removes Kenshin's portrait]
Am:     [Gawks at Kaoru's vandalized portrait, which has more
        holes and vicious stabs than Kenshin's] ...... [hands 
        Shar the paper]
Shar:   "Dearest Kenshin ~heart~, I can't start to tell you how 
        much I adore you..." [Sweatdrop] You were probably right. 
        It's a love letter to Kenshin. [exchanges mute looks with 
        Am]
Am:     This is bad.
Shar:   Very bad.
Am:     [Whips out long garbage bag] We'd better get rid of all 
        the incriminating evidence.
Shar:   [Nods and starts stuffing the bag with all the 
        Kenshin-related things and Kaoru's badly mutilated 
        picture] And make sure that no one else ever sees it
	again. Especially Misao-chan.
Am:     [Blows her nose and sniffs exaggeratedly] She'll be so 
        heartbroken!
Shar:   [Hands her a tissue and hauls bag out of room] I can't 
        BELIEVE he drew horns and a moustache on Kaoru's picture!
Am:     [Grabs the trash bag] Shar, we'd better leave soon
        before he gets back...
Aoshi:  [Icy glare] before WHO gets back?
Shar &
Amanda: Yikes! [freak freeze into Takahashi Surprise Pose] 
        Eheheheh...[guilty looks and grins dumbly at Aoshi]
Aoshi:  [Opens garbage bag] What's this?
Shar &
Amanda: Eh...nothing! [Looks at each other and start running down 
        the corridor FAST]
Aoshi:  Gaaa! That's all my Kenshin stuff! [Icy glare, fiery aura 
        beginning to glow] Am! Shar! Get back here! Prepare to 
        die!!!
Shar:   [Still running] We're sitting around for you to do that? 
        Not bloody likely!
Am:     We've really done it this time!
Shar:   At least it's an improvement on his monotonous behaviour! 
        Now just keep running!
Aoshi:  [Clutching handfuls of Kenshin pics to him] Arrrgghh!! 
        I'm ruined!!!

Am and I are Authorized, Licensed Bards!
Which absolutely means murder weapons off!
*wicked grin and general mirth* And finally,
For more Anime Madness with Am and Shar, Stay Tuned!