Chapter Text
Any passerby would call this little bit of the Samurai's life "business as usual. Robot assassins make an attempt on his or a bystander's life. Jack takes out his sword. Chaos ensues. The rubble clears. He's alive. The bystander hopefully is too.
The bystander in this instant being a young woman, slightly frazzled, but okay.
"Are you alright?" Jack holds out a calloused hand to her. She stares at it for a beat, and Jack fears he may have underestimated how frightened she was. Then she takes his hand and smiles and he smiles back, relieved.
"Yes, I...I think I am. Thank you so much, Samurai Jack. I didn't think I'd ever have the pleasure." The woman says sincerely. She brushes dirt off her white skirt and black blouse, seeming to regain composure in the little motions. Jack takes a moment to admire her long brown hair flowing in the wind before he catches himself.
"The pleasure is mine. I hope it is not too rude of me to ask you for directions to the nearest village?"
The woman beams. "Actually, I was just on my way." She stared up at him, a foot shorter, and Jack was taken off guard by her large brown eyes. They were warm and inviting, and he once more found himself having to remember his manners. She was a lady, and he was not permitted to stare.
For too long.
"Well, I would be in your debt if you would bring me with you. I could be your escort, perhaps, in case you are attacked again." He paused, his curiosity peeked. "Why were you attacked?"
She sighed, her eyes shimmering with resignation. "I fell behind in some tax payments again. They were coming to collect, and when I begged for more time, they said my life would be adequate payment."
Jack frowned with sympathy. "Such atrocity. Is that the way of life for your village?"
"Yes, well, mostly me. Business is slow, and I-oh! Where are my manners? Here I am guiding you and you don't even know my name. I'm Sonia."
Jack bowed his head with a polite smile. "They call me Jack. But I suppose you already knew that."
Sonia giggled softly, and Jack's smile broadened a fraction. "You're as handsome as your reward posters."
A sliver of warning crawled down Jack's spine. He could not be sure who to trust these days, and Sonia had more or less confirmed she knew of him through infamy. But then, so did many civilians in the towns and bustling cities he had passed through in his travels. Perhaps for now, he could remain optimistic.
But he would remain cautious too.
With an awkward cough, Jack said, "Well, we had best go before the sun sets."
Sonia nodded, thankfully not acknowledging the awkward change of subject. "Of course. It's just this way."
Jack kept his hand near his sword. Just in case.
XXX
She had not, in fact, been leading him into a trap.
The village she brought him to was small and cozy, with some rice plantations that reminded him of home and hay fields that did not, but still felt welcoming all the same. No one paid them much mind outside of a small nod or grunt of acknowledgement. Jack was still guarded, but quietly heartened to know that some areas were relatively untouched by Aku's evil.
"Are you just passing through, Samurai, or do you require a place to stay?" Sonia asked after a few steps on the path to what appeared to be an inn.
Jack hummed thoughtfully, watching the sunset. The pinks and purples were lovely and stretched on for miles, but they would soon give way to the coming black of night. He did not know how far the next village was, and the walk from the robot ambush to this abode had been a good few hours.
He contemplated some more, Sonia waiting patiently for an answer. The young woman had so far been kind and quiet, respecting his need for silence. Her attitude did not even slightly hint at an ulterior motive, and from her pale skin and familiar structure, it was easy to tell she was human. As was everyone in the village. It wasn't often that he found a safe haven, but perhaps he could give this place a chance.
"That would be lovely." He said at last.
Sonia's countenance lit up with a subtle kind of joy, and Jack felt himself letting his guard down a little more. Something about her happiness was very contagious.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that I own an inn of sorts." She reached for his hand, shyly withdrawing when she remembered to say, "May I?"
"Of course." Jack let her take his hand, silently drinking in more of the sights around him. A farming community most likely. Everyone around him was absorbed in their work, putting cows and chickens back into their pens or tilling fields to prepare for another harvest. None of the building loomed over him like the skyscrapers in the cities. They were small, but cozy, and he could smell many dinners of stew and veggies wafting out of open windows.
He was so caught up in his thoughts, he gave a small start when Sonia said, "We're here."
An inn of sorts, she had called it. Jack could see some doors leading to different bedrooms, as well as a desk where anyone could check in. But what truly caught his attention was the amazing smell in the air. Incense, he realized with elation. He tried to place the name of the scent.
"Smells nice, right?" Sonia's soft, gentle voice brought him back. "I made the incense myself. It's a special kind that matches what the customer considers the most relaxing kind of scent."
"Very interesting. How do you make such a thing?" Jack took more steps inside, wondering if he could take his sandals off yet. The carpet just barely brushed his feet, but he could already feel how soft it had to be. He wondered what material it was.
"Well, my line of work has a specific focus that inspires me." She stepped behind the desk, leaning over it and folding her arms. "But I can tell you more later if you wish. Would you like to check in?"
"Ah, yes." Jack fished for coins out of his pocket. "How much?"
"Ten for a night."
"Are you sure? That seems a little low-"
"For you, dear Samurai?" Sonia's brown eyes were affectionate and caring. "Hardly."
Jack almost protested. She had just been saying earlier that business was slow. She even admitted that she'd been attacked by tax collectors.
But one look into her eyes, and he...sighed. "I suppose I can accept then."
"Very good." Her eyes seemed to shimmer in the light of the candles that decorated the desk. Jack blinked, wondering how he had so quickly gone from cautious to comfortable.
"Now, before you go to bed, I would like to offer you a little service." She folded a hand over his, once more guiding him. This time to a pink couch in the small lobby. In front of it was a coffee table with more incense and a selection of tea and fine China.
"Service? Do you perhaps mean food?" Jack was gently sat down on the sofa, where he immediately sank into its soft surface. He almost sprang back up with surprise, but Sonia laid a hand on his head pressed him back down, kindly but insistently.
"Are you hungry, dear Samurai?" Sonia's voice had only gotten softer since he'd entered the inn, and Jack found himself hoping he would hear more and more of it.
He shook himself out of his stupor. "Oh, no. But I would not mind something to drink."
Sonia nodded, taking a tea kettle from the coffee table and pouring into one of the small cups. The calming scent of chamomile entered Jack's nose, and the smoke of the incense slowly wound its way around the steam, a relaxing combination. He blinked slowly.
"The tea has already been prepared?" He murmured the question, vaguely surprised by how soft his voice had become.
"Well, as I said earlier, my line of work has a specific focus." Sonia's voice was quiet and slow, almost rhythmic in its cadence. Jack really liked it.
She continued. "I am human, but not quite. Once upon a time, I witnessed the stress and weariness of travelers and warriors marching through our village. They could never stop, for they had their duty and honor that prevented them from resting. Over and over, I watched them trek on, spent and exhausted, utterly miserable, unable to even sit for a moment."
Sonia paused, wrapping Jack's fingers around the teacup. "Drink, please."
Jack obeyed, pressing the cup to his lips and taking a small sip. Then a bigger one. Then another. "This is very good." His belly warmed and tingled with the effects of delicious chamomile, spreading to his hands, toes, and head.
"Thank you." Sonia smiled. Jack smiled back. She was so kind. And her voice was so nice. He blinked again, finding it a little harder to open his eyes this time.
"No matter how often I offered my rooms and the chance to rest," She continued, "They refused. I could not stand seeing such wonderful people risking their lives with no peace, even temporarily."
She paused again, her eyes on his. "May I ask you to take a deep breath?"
Jack saw no harm in that. He breathed in...he breathed out...the incense was so wonderful. The tea was so warm as it flowed languidly through his body. Her brown eyes were so warm and caring.
"Very good." She smiled. Jack smiled too.
"So, one day," She opened a little drawer in a cabinet of the small table. Inside was an even smaller book, with a title in a language Jack didn't understand. "I did all I could to find a way to...persuade these brave souls to rest."
Persuade? Jack groaned a bit, finding that word alarming for some reason.
"Then as if by fate, I found a way." She opened the little book, her brown, brown eyes scanning its pages with interest. "This book came to me by chance, granting magic of a persuasive sort. Some call it witchcraft or spells. But I prefer to call it what it simply is...hypnotism."
Jack started, sleepy stupor beginning to fade. Hypnosis. Like the spells the sirens weaved on him to steal his mind. Or, more appropriately, like the gentle caress of Spring attempting to lull him to sleep.
He tried to spring up, to grab his sword, to do anything that might help him regain his alertness.
But before he could even begin to try, a hand was on his head. Impossibly soft. Impossibly gentle.
"Hush, now, dear Samurai. I am not here to hurt you. I will not allow any harm to come to you. I simple want you...to rest."
Jack gritted his teeth. "You...are lying..." His jaw was so heavy, it was like talking through molasses. "You...you...I..." It was just like Spring, he wanted to say. She would imprison him here, and Aku would be free to wreak havoc for all eternity.
"I am not." Her smile was sincere. "I'm sorry that it seems as though I deceived you. The warriors passing through here often do not want my help without my powers of persuasion. If there is any manipulation happening, it is simply because I wanted you to have a most restful sleep until morning."
Her hand pressed into his head, warm and secure. Without realizing it, he was sinking back into the cushions. The incense wasn't just in his nose, it was wrapped around him like a cocoon. The tea was still coursing through his body, still delightfully warm. He was delightfully warm.
"I'm sorry, dear Samurai. I didn't mean to frighten you. I had known you were a fighter, but you must truly have seen many awful things to resist my powers. But I need you to trust me. I am going to help you. All I desire is for you to sleep soundly."
"I...I..." Jack's protests were sluggish. His eyes were so heavy. Hers were so beautiful. The hand on his head was firm yet caring. He wondered blearily if his instincts would save him as they did with Spring, but....
He was so, so tired.
Sonia's voice washed over him again. "What are you feeling, dear Samurai?"
His hands were lead weights, but he managed to move them over the surface of the cushion. "Soft..." He sighed blissfully.
Her hand moved from the top of his head, trailing to his cheek and tracing slow little circles. He couldn't help the dazed smile spreading over his face. Sonia smiled too. It made him happy.
"What do you see?"
"Your...eyes..." Warm and honey colored and sweet. He could drown in them, but this was far more pleasant than drowning. It was sinking. He was sinking into her eyes. Sinking into safety. Sinking into sleep.
"What do you smell?"
"Incense..." He couldn't place the name of the wonderful scent. He supposed that didn't matter. Not when it was wrapped around him so snuggly and securely. Not when he felt so safe and cozy.
"What do you taste?"
"Cham...chamo...ch..." Warm. The tea was so warm. And he was so cozy.
"Why don't I just..." Sonia touched the knot of his pony tail, pulling at it and letting his long hair slide to his shoulders in a little blanket over his head. His eyes fluttered.
Her forehead pressed to his, and he almost slipped away right then. He hadn't felt so cared for since he was a child being held by his mother. He wondered if Sonia would sing for him as his mother did. That would be truly-
She kissed his forehead, and he flushed. He was overwhelmed with joy. Safety. Utter bliss.
"How do you feel now, dear Samurai?"
Blissful. Happy. Relaxed. Warm. Soooo sleepy..."Good." Was all he managed with his heavy jaw.
Her smile gained a touch of mischief. "What is my name?"
Jack could hardly comprehend the question. "S...sss..."
She giggled. He giggled too. He didn't understand what was so funny, but he was glad he made her laugh.
"Say what comes to mind, dear Samurai."
"Mm...I..." All that was coming to mind was how good he felt. How could he possibly convey such a thing with mere words? "You....ah..." He could not.
Sonia giggled, stroking his hair. He shivered at the pleasant sensation, feeling very much like a sleepy little puppy with a loving owner. He murmured more things, hoping she knew how good she was making him feel, how unbelievable it was that he could feel so loved and safe so far from home.
Had Jack been more conscious, he would have seen the fondness flash through her eyes. "You really are adorable." He flushed more.
She smiled. He smiled too. "I'm going to guide you to your room, now. You look tired. I think you should get some sleep."
That sounded absolutely wonderful. His body was heavy, but with Sonia's help, he found he was capable of moving to the room waiting for him, and the peace that was promised.
If he'd been capable of thinking anything outside of blissful or cozy, he would have been so delighted over the bed being even softer than the couch. He was sinking again. Into the pillow. Into the mattress. Her hand was on his head again, and he nuzzled into it. A blanket wrapped around him, bounding him in fuzziness.
"You're safe here, dear Samurai."
Safe. Cozy.
"You will have no trouble sleeping through the night."
His smile was dazed and lopsided. His eyes were half lidded and glazed over. Her hand slowly slid down his face, stopping over his eye lids and covering his world in soothing darkness.
"Sleep now, dear Samurai. You will wake only when you are rested."
Jack closed his eyes, enveloped in clouds and good feeling. A hand circled his head around and around, hypnotic in its rhythm, bringing him down and down and down.
He drifted away.