Wow! There were quite a bit of searches for this game that lead to this blog! (Too bad that happened during the NaNoWriMo hiatus.) Oh well, at least because of that, this post is going to be the first of the December the first Mega Publish Event! (Let's get this Japanese game obsession on the way already!)
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Drug
References, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
-Chapter 2: Part Two-
-June 1865-
'It had been three months since we'd moved the headquarters to Nishi Hongwanji.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "There's a lot more room, but..."
...I can't have a room to myself anymore?
'More room meant, well, farther to walk.'
Ah, I see...
'I'd walked through it nearly every day for several weeks, and I was finally beginning to learn my way around.'
Then...
'As I turned a corner near the back of the compound, I caught sight of someone sitting in the shadows.'
Please tell me it's not that Chikage asshole.
Shimohi Yukimura: "There you are, Sanan. Your food's ready."
Thank goodness!
Keisuke Sanan: "Oh, hello. Thank you."
'The snow had disappeared, the cherry blossoms had bloomed and fled, and now the swallows and the heat had come.'
[sarcasm] Great, time for the ritualistic complaining about the heat and the humidity of a Japanese Summer. [/sarcasm]
'Sanan and I exchanged a pair of smiles, and I held out my hands to let the breeze brush across them.'
Yeah... A cool breeze during an otherwise hot summer day is really enjoyable.
Shimohi Yukimura: "It's really gotten warm lately."
Keisuke Sanan: "Yes, it has. Unfortunately, the heat and the sunlight aren't particularly pleasant for me."
I don't like hot temperatures and staying in the sun for too long, but I know you have it worse than I'll ever will.
Shimohi Yukimura: "Really...?"
'I hadn't thought the sun was particularly strong that day, but to Sanan, who had to hide in the shadows or stay indoors during the day, it must have seemed unbearable.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'The night he'd...changed...Sanan's hair had turned white, and in his eyes had been a thirst for blood.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
Aside from the heliophobia, I don't notice anything different from him. (You do know that's usually a sign of being...A VAMPIRE!) (How many times do I have to tell you this, he's not a vampire, he's a rakshasa! Okay!)
'But to look at his peaceful smile now, it was hard to imagine that night had even been real. If someone had taken me aside and said it was all a bad dream, I would have believed them.' (Hey! Shimohi! This is all just...) (*hits Niyagi on head with hilt of katana* No, that's not something Shimohi would actually do.)
'It hadn't been a dream, though, and now Sanan spends his days avoiding being seen and hiding from the sunlight.'
(And...Sanan's failing quite badly at this whole "not being seen" bit. Maybe he should watch this video here.) (*checks video link* Now that's one more dollar for the jar!)
'The Shinsengumi's greatest secret...'
(You mean the same one that nearly got us killed when this game just started. [sarcasm] Yeah, that's most definitely the 'greatest' secret of this group... [/sarcasm])
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Here it is."
'For just a moment, the sun lit on Sanan's hair.'
(And, let me guess, it's going to burst into flame.) (No.)
'I don't know if it was a trick of the light or simply my mind being foolish, but in that moment, his hair was a brilliant white.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah!"
Oh my Gods! He looks totally hot! (And his eyes are now as red as mine.) (*facepalm* This is our Xenophilic Let's Player everyone...)
Keisuke Sanan: "Is something the matter? You look as though you've seen a ghost, which I hardly feel is polite."
Aw, man... He's back to having the brown hair again. (And... Shimohi sucks badly at body language.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh! N-No! Nothing at all!"
([sarcasm] Right... [/sarcasm]) ([sarcasm] Right... [/sarcasm]) (You'd rather not be too obvious about how much you're attracted to traits that are not human.)
'He looked perfectly normal now, of course. Surely, I though, I must have simply imagined it.'
Once again, aw man...
'Even if I had, there was no denying that he was the same man who had gone mad with bloodlust. It was...unnerving.'
(Duh! I mean, he did try to kill you; after all.) Later, out in Kyoto...
'Heisuke and I made our way through the crowded-as-usual streets of Kyoto at a brisk pace.'
Hurray! Heisuke's back! (Of course you'd be happy about that. Just wait 'till...) *hits Akurei on the head* (What! What did I do!?) *hands Niyagi a note* (Let's see here... "Spoilers"?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "You know, I haven't gone out on patrol with you in quite a while, Heisuke."
Heisuke Toudou: "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess not. Edo had me pretty busy. Shin and Sano didn't bug you while I was gone, did they?"
Define "bug".
Shimohi Yukimura: "No, they were perfect gentlemen. I'm fine."
'I couldn't manage to suppress a short giggle.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "They look out for me when we're out on patrol, but I still haven't found any information about my father, though..."
(Maybe that's the reason behind the huge time skips.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, I stopped by your place in Edo after you told me where to find it, but...uh..."
"Uh..." What? Something tells me this is going to be bad news...
'He couldn't seem to find the words he was looking for, and instead just kicked at a clump of dirt in frustration.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh... Well, thank you for taking the time to look anyway."
'Heisuke looked up in time to see my face fall, and gave me a good-natured pat on the shoulder.'
Heisuke Toudou: "C'mon, cheer up! Who knows? He might just pop up some day!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "You're right. Besides, you're all helping me look, so I've got to find him sooner or later. But what about you? You haven't been back to Kyoto in a while..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Hm. Well...I sort of feel like the town has...changed. So have the people..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke...?"
...What are you trying to say?
'The smile he'd put on to cheer me up a moment ago was gone. Nostalgia and melancholy weren't like him...'
Heisuke Toudou: "Hm...?"
'Heisuke's head jerked up a fraction of a degree, and he looked across the street. He stood up on his toes and waved.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Hey! Souji! Find anything over there?"
Souji Okita: "Nope. Everything's normal."
(Just... Stand way, way back. Just in case you cough or something.)
'Okita was out on patrol as well, although his route took him through a different part of the city than ours. He gave me a short nod of acknowledgement, then looked back toward Heisuke with a snicker.'
Souji Okita: "...Well, normal for now, at least. I'm sure things'll pick up once the shogun gets here."
Shimohi Yukimura: "The shogun's coming to visit Kyoto?"
Souji Okita: "Yep. It's got Kondou all worked up, too."
'If the shogun was visiting, that was a chance for the Shinsengumi to be noticed.'
For good or for bad reasons, that has yet to be seen...
'Kondou's reaction to that was easy to imagine. I giggled.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Oh yeah? ...Yeah, I bet he is..."
'That...didn't seem like Heisuke.'
(All right, who brought in the doppleganger!?) (At least you didn't say "Changeling".)
'Had something happened that I didn't know about?'
That does seem like a safe assumption here.
'I looked over to Okita, hoping that he might help, but...'
Souji Okita: "*Cough* *Cough*"
(*runs a mile away in one-second flat*)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okita...? Are you all right?"
(Of course he isn't! Now I just have to get this face mask on...) (Okay, can you back off with the constant TB jokes here.) (No!) (You're a demon! Human diseases don't affect you.) (Then, in that case, you can...no wait, I'd love to see you suffer. Carry on.) *sigh* ...
'His face was tight with pain, and his coughing was getting worse. He glanced up, but his gaze swept past me and across the street. His eyes narrowed at something behind me, and I turned in time to see a ronin stumble backwards.'
(Nice use of biological warfare, Okita...)
Goro: "Whoa whoa! Wadda ya mean, 'no'?!"
???: "Stop it! Let go of me!"
Hey! You asshole! "No" means "No"! Okay!
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Goro: "We're patriots, fightin' every day to kick those damn foreigners out of our country! The least you can do is give us a little booze, Or maybe even, heh, a little...company...?"
First of all: That's no excuse for your abhorrent behaviour. Second: You're not, in fact, entitled to have her!
'Across the street, a clump of men--perhaps three or for--were harrassing a young girl.'
And I'd sure love to put a stop to it right now... (Hey! Game! Hop to it!)
'I didn't know what they were up to, but it didn't look pleasant.'
([sarcasm] No? Really?! I never would've guessed. [/sarcasm])
Shimohi Yukimura: "We have to help her!"
("We must DO SOMETHING!") (Now you're borrowing a gag from "Atop the Fourth Wall".)
'I felt Heisuke tense up next to me.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I know! Stay here, Shimohi--"
Nope, I hate being in the kitchen anyway.
'Before he could finish, a flash of blue cloth shot past us, toward the dangerous knot of men.'
Souji Okita: "Well well well. Guess being a patriot doesn't mean what it used to if we've got men like you throwing it around."
(Well, why not send in the human bio-weapon.)
'The usual crowds shuffled away from Okita and the men as quickly as they could. None of them wanted to be nearby once words were put away and swords unsheathed. The ronin's eyes found Okita's jacket, and the men stiffened.'
Cue the "Oh Shit!" reaction...
Goro: "You... You're one'a those Shensengumi fellas, ain't ya!"
Souji Okita: "Ah, you must be the brains."
(That's a laugh!) If he's the smartest one... oh dear.
Souji Okita: "So tell me chief, what's it gonna be?"
'His lips curled back into a predatory smile as his hand fell to the half of his sword. There was no mirth in that rictus grin, and the ronin's face abruptly grew several shades paler.'
(Hello! We need a bunch of brown pants on aisle four...!)
'They were only somewhat deflated, however--not entirely punctured--and their ringleader made one more attempt.'
Goro: "Goddamnit. Get outta here, ya brown-nosing son of a bitch!"
(And... Now he's accusing Okita of White Knighting...) Or more like, "Sky-blue Knighting".
Heisuke Toudou: "Shut up. If you really wanna live, maybe you should follow your own advice."
'The sight of two of the Shinsengumi's notorious blue jackets standing shoulder to shoulder was apparently enough of an argument for the Ronin. The last of the color drained from their faces, and they turned tail and ran.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "You aren't going to go after them? Arrest them?"
Yeah, what's the deal here!?
Souji Okita: "And charge them with which crime, exactly? Didn't figure you for the iron fist sort."
(Oh, right, I'm not sure if the natives of this era consider "sexual harassment" a crime like those who actually live in the modern era.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'He was right, of course. They'd had crime on their minds certainly, but they hadn't actually committed one.'
But at least we prevented a crime from happening, and that's much better than having to rescue her after they had their way with her.
Shimohi Yukimura: "I-Iron fist...?"
Heisuke Toudou: "What are you so worked up about? ...Ah, never mind. Forget about it."
I hope that was more of a "realised the reason just after he said it" reaction...
'Encyclopedia updated.'
???: "Um... My name is Kaoru Nagumo. Thank you for saving me."
'I watched as the girl give Okita a quick bow. She was so refined; so lady-like.'
(You know, you could use to live up to her example a little more.) No, I'd rather not get sexually harassed, thank you very much...
'Even dressed like a girl, I doubted I could ever be as elegant as her. I'd only just begun to feel sorry for myself when suddenly I felt a hand on my arm.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Whoa! O-Okita?!"
Souji Okita: "Calm down, kid. Just c'mere and stand next to her."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um..."
'He shoved me next to the girl we'd just rescued, then stepped back to stroke his chin thoughtfully.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "U-Um... Okita...?"
(Come to think of it, doesn't this Kaoru person sort of look like in-universe Shimohi's twin?) (You have no...) *hits Akurei on the head again* (What!? Spoilers again!?)
'I glanced nervously toward the girl, and give her my best attempt at a simile, under the circumstances. The smile she gave me in return was beautiful, but there was something about it that seemed...odd.'
("Venus Envy" perhaps...) (What?!)
Souji Okita: "Just as I thought. They look just like each other..."
'He seemed to be talking mostly to himself, but as soon as the words left his mouth, I realized what had seemed odd to me.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "We look like...?"
'No...no, it was more than that. We were too much alike. It was almost as if I were looking into a mirror, but a mirror with a will of its own, and wearing much better clothes. The longer I looked at her, the more uncomfortable I felt. I shuddered.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Really? I don't think they look alike at all."
(Seriously...!? Okay, I think I figured out another reason why you like Heisuke. It's because he's about as autistic as you are.)
Souji Okita: "No no no. They're practically identical. Dress the kid up like a girl, and you wouldn't be able to tell 'em apart."
Except that I would not wear that much pink... (Your younger self would!) That's because that was my YOUNGER self, okay! Besides, the two of you didn't exist back then.
'The girl--Kaoru--was looking straight at me, as if she hadn't heard a word Okita had said.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'I had to say something, but...what? Perhaps she saw through my confusion, or perhaps it was something else--'
("Venus...") (Don't you dare finish that!) ("...Envy.") (THAT TEARS IT! *pulls a hammer out from behind back and tries to smash Akurei into the ground*)
Kaoru Nagumo: "I wish to thank you properly, but I'm afraid you've caught me in the middle of an important errand which I must attend to. Please forgive my rudeness."
Well, people've gotta do what they've gotta do...
'She bowed quickly to Okita.'
Kaoru Nagumo: "I hope I will be able to repay you soon, Okita of the Shinsengumi."
'And with that, the girl who called herself Kaoru disappeared into the crowds of Kyoto, although the unease her presence had created in me remained.'
(*Looks ups* Speaking of "dopplegangers"... Oh! You're going to die soon!)
'With a mischievous grin, Heisuke dug a playful elbow into Okita's ribs.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Hey hey hey! Looks like she's got the hots for you, Souji!"
(That has...) (...so many implications.) No, it doesn't!
Souji Okita: "Ha! Oh Heisuke... Is that really what you think? You've got a long way to go before you're at Sano's level."
Dude, what's...
Heisuke Toudou: "What? Hey! What the hell's that supposed to mean?!"
...okay, I would've used different words, but Heisuke pretty much just said what I was going to say myself. (Weird, dude...)
'Their back-and-forth continued, but my mind was elsewhere. Last night's rain had left a number of puddles on the road, and when I looked into them I saw a strange girl who looked just like me.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Kaoru, huh..."
'Wind caught the surface of the puddle, sending a flurry of ripples across it. My face quirked into a small smile, but the face in the puddle didn't smile back.'
(Dun-dun-duuuun!) (Are you doing MORE doppelgänger jokes...)
Heisuke Toudou: "C'mon Shimohi! Let's get moving!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "All right! I'm coming!"
'Wasting no more time on a puddle, I turned and ran toward Heisuke and Okita, already on their way back to headquarters.' And once we get there...
'The temple was much larger than the compound in Mibu, as advertised.' Except that it wasn't really advertised for sale, we just swooped in and said "Mine!"
'The entire Shinsengumi could gather in the new common room with space to spare. As Kondou spoke, his voice echoed grandly throughout the hall.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Isami Kondou: "By now, I imagine you have all heard that Iemochi Tokugawa, the 14th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, will be visiting our city of Kyoto."
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Isami Kondou: "The Shinsengumi have been asked to guard him as he passed through the city on his way to Nijo Castle!"
'The Shinsengumi...guard the shogun?! Almost immediately, the room exploded in cheers.' (Yes! We've finally made it to the big time!) (Monster, we're not part of the Shinsengumi!)
Toshizo Hijikata: "Heh... Too hard for them to ignore us after Ikeda and Hamaguri, huh? All that work's finally paying off."
Souji Okita: "Guess you could say the fate of the country'll be resting on our swords, huh..."
'He let out a snort of laughter as he spoke, but there was something in what he said that put me on edge. Then again, it wasn't as I'd be going to guard the shogun...'
Kashitaro Itou: "Parade guards, eh... If only Sanan were still with us."
Dude! Not cool!
Kashitaro Itou: "We have truly lost a valuable ally..."
'They'd never told Itou the truth about Sanan. If fact, the entire incident surrounding his transformation had been covered up. Only a few of the men in the Shinsengumi knew the truth. Perhaps Kondou felt guilty for deceiving him, because I was a brief flicker of bitterness cross his face before he spoke.'
Isami Kondou: "Well, at any rate, things are going to be rather hectic here very soon, so we ought to get our assignments hashed out. To begin with, I'd like Toshi, Souji, and myself to--"
[sarcasm] Great, what now... [/sarcasm]
Toshizo Hijikata: "Sorry Kondou, but you think maybe Souji can sit this one out? I think he's getting sick."
([sarcasm] No! Really...[/sarcasm]) (Stop! Okita's been infected with TB since the Battle of the Ikeda Inn! We get it already!)
Isami Kondou: "What? Souji, is this true? Are you all right?"
Souji Okita: "The Demon's just being a mother hen, sir. I think I'm fine."
(Of course you think you're fine! Combat is awesome! But being sick means you can participate, so of course you're going to try to look and think you're healthy and fine... but you're not, and you're going to die.) Well, that's according to the ultimate canon in the multi-verse... (From the readers perspective anyway.) ...the canon of "real life".
Toshizo Hijikata: "Don't give me that crap. You just about coughed up a lung earlier."
Indeed, I was there to see it happen.
Souji Okita: "Fine, fine. Think someone's being a little overprotective, though..."
(Nope, because you have a deadly disease. Let me repeat that: You have a...DEADLY DISEASE! Got it! Well, at least it's deadly in this era...)
'His smile had turned a little bitter as he spoke, but he looked fine... Perhaps Hijikata was just being overprotective.'
(And... Cue Okita coughing up his other lung...)
'I didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, before--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Heisuke...?"
Yeah, where IS he?
Heisuke Toudou: "Uh... Um, Kondou... I'm not...feeling so great either..."
([sarcasm] Great, now Heisuke's caught it as well. Thanks a lot, Okita! [/sarcasm])
Isami Kondou: "You too, Hisuke? This is our time to shine! I was hoping to have all of us there to greet the shogun..."
Sorry, life sometimes gets in the way like that.
Heisuke Toudou: Yeah...sorry."
Isami Kondou: "Oh, no, no, your health comes first. Always! I'm sure you'll have another chance. I'll just have to make sure you get to do something spectacular!"
(Like something...) (I just know that Shimohi and the Monster's going to...) ("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!") "Um-diddle-diddle-um-diddleye! Um-diddle-diddle-um-diddleye!" (...sing something stupid and strange.)
'He did his best to simply wave it off, but it as easy to see his genuine concern for Okita and Heisuke. Once he had finished inspecting the rest of the soldiers and sending them off on their assignments, Hijikata turned to me.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "All right, what're you going to do?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Um?"
Toshizo Hijikata: "Don't give me that. I'm asking if you're coming with us or not."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I-I can go too?!"
Isami Kondou: Of course! We certainly won't mind. After all, you're practically one of us. If you want, I'd love to have you come."
(Eat THAT Pansy! We ARE, in fact, honorary Shinsengumi members... Damn it! That means we're with our father's enemies!) (Kenshin... Himura... IS NOT OUR FATHER!) You keep... (...telling yourself that...)
'Could I? Could I really go...? I hesitated for a moment, confused, and Okita and Heisuke laughed.' Seriously, I want to hang around with Heisuke, but if he's not going...
Souji Okita: "You don't need to worry about yourself, kid. Nobody's gonna be stupid enough to try and attack the shogun."
(I wouldn't bet on that, humans can be pretty damn stupid...)
Heisuke Toudou: "Why don't you go? I'd be surprised if anyone did so much as draw a sword."
(Then prepare to be surprised. Like I said, humans are stupid.)
'It didn't seem quite fair to me that I wasn't even a soldier and I could go, while they were stuck back at the compound. Still... I'd felt drained lately, with the lack of information we'd been able to uncover about my father. Perhaps this would be just the thing to cheer me up.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'll go!"
(Really?! No choice in the matter this time?)
'Perhaps the excitement of the occasion was infectious, as I felt a steel in my spine that hadn't been there before.'
(*sees the word "infectious"* Are you sure you're not catching TB as well?)
'If so, however, it appeared Hijikata was immune.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Calm down. You're just carrying messages. Think you can handle that?"
Later...
'Right, left. Right, left. My footsteps echoed softly through the night.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Owww... My legs are starting to cramp up..."
Seriously, I don't think my legs have felt this sore and tired since my mother and I marched in a local parade in period Civil War-era clothing... Ouch!
'I decided it was best to take a short break and stopped to look up at the castle.' (And by "Short" that had better mean "a couple of seconds".)
'In the early days of the Tokugawa shogunate, Nijo Castle had been a place for the shogun to stay on his way to the capital. It had been a while since a shogun had actually stayed in it, though. We'd met the shogun on the road and begun our escort about thirty minutes earlier, and had arrived at the castle relatively recently. By now, I imagined, Kondou, Nagakura, Inoue, and the men were greeting the officials and other important people in the shogun's retinue.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well, I've got a job to do too."
'More specifically, it was my job to tell all the soldiers when to change shifts, and generally carry messages back and forth.'
(Might as well call you Ratatosk, 'cause you're practically a Squirrel Girl!) (Once again, the stupid jokes...)
'A glorified errand-girl, in other words.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "This means I'm not totally useless...right?"
... (Yeah... Right now Shimohi's feeling really deep in the dumps right now.)
'Time to get back to work, then. Even a short walk around Nijo Castle was enough to see several blue jackets, all of them on guard, none of them nervous or anxious.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well, of course... After all, the castle's really well-guarded. Only an idiot would try to--"
I'm just REALLY tempting fate right now. (Okay, now time to cue the idiots...)
'A sudden chill ran down the length of my spine. I froze.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah!"
'...I knew the feeling. Two feet of cold steel, waiting to find their way into you.'
This sounds really bad...
'Eyes shining with a lust for blood and violence. I'd never hoped to find myself accustomed to such a horrible thing, but in the time since I'd begun living with the Shensengumi, I had felt it more than once. I suppose they would have called what I felt radiating from the shadows, "bloodlust." My eyes were drawn up toward the roof, where no normal person would ever thing to look.' (Then again, you're not a normal person. So there.)
'A large wall cast a shadow, shielding a section of the roof from the moonlight. There they stood.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "You!"
It's the three jerks again. [sarcasm] Just great... [/sarcasm]
Chikage Kazama: "...So, you've noticed us. Not too slow, then..."
So, you're still saying that I'm slow.
'They looked very distinctive, unlike any soldiers I'd ever seen before, but three sets of piercing eyes scattered my thoughts and made it difficult for me to think. I had recognized them; now I had to put names to faces...'
Let's see...the dude on the right's Kyo Shiranui, the dude on the left is... *looks at Encyclopedia* "Kyuju Amagiri", right. Which leaves the dude in the middle to be Chikage Kazama! (Then again, the game interface told you that just seconds ago.)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'Chikage Kazama.' Except...that I haven't met him in the previous entries, why is he being mentioned... (Because he's one of the possible love interests.) Seriously...?! No way!
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'Kyuju Amagiri.' Met this dude during the Battle in the Ikeda Inn, he broke Heisuke's head-guard and gave him a head wound... the bastard!
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'Kyo Shiranui.' And...I met this dude during the Hamaguri Rebellion. Used an, at first glance, anachronistic gun against Sanosuke Harada... seems to be about as eager to fight as Akurei... (Like a boss!)
'They were connected somehow to both the Satsuma and the Choshu, and they'd made an effort to impede the Shinsengumi at Ikeda, and again at Hamaguri. whoever they were, the did not belong at the shogun's castle!' Damn straight! Go back to...wherever you come from! ([sarcasm] Most. Eloquent. Speech. Ever... [/sarcasm])
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wh-Why are you here?!"
Indeed.
Kyo Shiranui: "Hey little girl, you oughta be asking yourself how we got here, not why! ...It was pretty easy, you know. A little human wall doesn't mean shit to a demon."
(*Jaw drops* You've got to be kidding me! They're DEMONS!?) ("Oni" to be precise, but yeah, close enough for government work.)
Kyuju Amagiri: "We are here for a specific purpose. That purpose is you, Shimohi Yukimura. We are here for you."
Oh shit! Does this mean I'm going to die...? Let's see...how best not to piss them off...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I...I don't understand... A demon...? What do you mean? And why are you here for... No...no, you must be joking!"
Chikage Kazama: "...How can you ask what a demon is? Perhaps you're the one joking here. After all, you are one, just like us."
(*looks up* What what!? You're saying that SHIMOHI, in this game, is a DEMON!?) (...High five, bro!) So...I'm a tomato!? (*falls over*) (*falls over...and is left hanging*)
'He stepped forward, the shadows following him like a cloak. When Amagiri spoke, it was calm and peaceful, as if he were trying to reason with a frightened child.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "Do your injuries heal quickly? Too quickly, perhaps?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wh-What?!"
Kyuju Amagiri: "Do you heal from injuries faster than any human could?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "W-Well, I..."
(Well, that may be true... But that doesn't mean you have to go with them. If you're a demon, you forge your own path.)
'I couldn't bring myself to answer that, so I pursed my lips and remained silent instead. Shiranui's eyes narrowed.'
Kyo Shiranui: "What the hell? Maybe it'll be quicker if we just give her a demonstration."
(*Looks up* "Demon-stration"? Nice pun there!) (That was said without any irony what-so-ever...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
I think I'd better draw my sword soon.
Chikage Kazama: "Enough, Shiranui. I don't care if she admits it or not. We're here for a reason, and that hasn't changed."
'His eyes dropped to the kodachi at my waist.'
Chikage Kazama: "Her family name is a demon's and she carries the Demon of the East's kodachi. That is evidence enough."
(And THAT'S why you can't change the family name back at the beginning of this game, it's a plot point.)
'My family name? What was wrong with "Yukimura"? I didn't understand what he was saying, but that didn't stop the cold sweat that I could feel inching down my spine. It felt almost as though the darkness itself was coming for me.'
Chikage Kazama: "Then again, it isn't as though we need your permission to kidnap you."
Damn it, why can't I draw my sword to defend myself!? I'm a too paralysed by fear?
Chikage Kazama: "Female demons are rare. Now, come with me..."
No! (Shimohi's not a Limited Edition Collectors item...) I'm a person! Stay away from me!
'His hand stretched out from the darkness, pale and grasping, like the tentacle of some hideous subterranean monster--Then, out of nowhere, a blade flickered through the night.'
Sanosuke Harada: "Whoa there, pal. Tryin' to pick up chicks in a back alley? That's not creepy at all."
Yay! The cavalry’s here! By the way, nice use of sarcasm, Harada-san...
Chikage Kazama: "...You again? The culture and the nose of a dog, I see."
At least dogs are billed as mankind's best friend. You, however, ain't no friend of mine!
Hajime Saito: "One could say the same of you."
(Our father's enemy has a point.) (Ken...nope, I'm not saying it this time!)
'Sword and spear glinted in the moonlight, and Kazama stepped back, momentarily stymied.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Harada! Saito!"
(Now that I think of it, it's interesting that Hajime Saito and Sanosuke Harada just happen to be the ones to show up to help. Considering that, aside from Heisuke who's stuck back at headquarters, these two are the only ones you've managed to catch the attention of in a positive manner...)
'My legs felt suddenly weak, as if the now-shattered tension had been the only thing keeping me standing. I teetered backwards, my balance momentarily lost--A strong, sinewy hand caught me and pulled me back, its grip hard as steel.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Stay back."
'Hijikata.'
What's he doing here? (Remember, he's the main branch love interest for the anime adaptation.) Ah, right...
'One hand guided me around behind him even as the other drew his sword.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Hnn. I figured you were here for the shogun's head. What do you want from a kid?"
Chikage Kazama: "I've little interest in you or the shogun at the moment. The matter at hand concerns only we demons."
(Go fuck yourself! You're not speaking for all demons in existence!)
Toshizo Hijikata: "Demons?"
What I heard was "Oni da to?" but close enough.
'His eyes narrowed.'
Sanosuke Harada: "Heh... Haven't seen these punks since Hamaguri..."
'As Harada drew his spear back to a ready position, I saw Shiranui's hand move toward the gun on his hip.'
I think I'd better run for cover...
Hajime Saito: "True, though I feel little at this reunion."
'Saito's hand tightened around his sword, and Amagiri's feet shifted into a stronger stance. Tension hung in the air so think I could scarcely breathe. They were a powder keg, ready to explode. Even the slightest movement could be enough to set them off. As slowly as i could, I moved my trembling hand toward the hilt of my kodachi.'
'I'd nearly reached it when a voice whispered in my ear.'
(Dude, you don't have implausible fencing powers...)
Susumu Yamazaki: "Don't worry about the commander and the captains."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Y-Yamazaki?! When did you...?"
(He's a ninja, mastery of the stealth hi/bye is a basic ninja skill. Duh!)
'He'd appeared as silently and invisibly as if he had been a shadow himself.'
Susumu Yamazaki: "I've been ordered to return you to headquartrers."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Then...you're telling me to run away?"
(Please don't tell me you're going to quote Shinji...) Hey, Niyagi, we haven't heard from you in a while. Welcome back!
'It was true that if I remained, it was unlikely I could actually be of help to anyone.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I..."
-Want to remain here.-
-Will return to headquarters.-
(Well, if it puts you out of harms way, gets you closer to the guy you like, AND proves that you trust Harada, Saito, and Hijikata to win this fight... I'd say, follow the ninja.) Indeed, I'd rather not run from battle. But then again I don't want to risk getting captured by those demons even more...
'I ran toward the Shinsengumi compound with Yamazaki scared and anxious.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'Several times, I turned to look over my shoulder to make sure nothing was following me. By the time we reached the temple, I'd lost count of how many times I'd checked.' (And... Were you being followed?)
Susumu Yamazaki: "I have to go back to help them." There aren't very many men here at the moment. You should go find Okita or Toudou. They should be able to protect you if something happens."
O...kay...
'Without waiting for my response, he was gone--another shadow in a night full of them.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'Suddenly, the night felt very quiet. The word "demon" echoed through my head, and their faces floated in front of my eyes. I shook my head. As the temple came back into focus, I felt very, very alone.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Right... Yamazaki said that I should go find Okita or Heisuke."
-Okita-
-Heisuke-
(Any of you reading this can quickly guess what Shimohi's going to choose. If you get this wrong... Well, there's just no helping you.)
'The temple at night felt like an entirely different place. Nearly all of the members of the Shinsengumi had gone to guard the shogun, which meant the entire compound was still, cold, and oddly silent. I was quite relieved, then, when I finally spotted Heisuke, sitting in a corner and gazing up at the stars.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Huh? Shimohi?"
'He looked at me and blinked, as if he didn't quite believe what he was seeing.'
Heisuke Toudou: "What're you doing here all alone?! ...Did you guys already finish with the shogun?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um...actually..."
'I didn't know where to start.' But I did my best to explain what happened, none the less...
'Stumbling over my words more often than not, I poured out the whole story. At the mention of Amagiri, the man who'd wounded Heisuke at Ikeda, he scowled.' (No surprise there.)
Heisuke Toudou: "That guy, huh..."
'I continued, leaving out the part where they had called me a demon, and finished with my arrival at the compound.' Well, of course I did. What...i-if he tries to slay me on the spot...
'When I fell silent, he closed his eyes for a moment and sat, deep in thought.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Damn... Well, this must've been a pretty scary night for you. Anyway, you don't have to worry so long as you're here. I won't let anybody lay a finger on ya!"
'He pounded his chest with one fist and grinned. I felt a little better. There was something about his bravado that was somehow...comforting. But...wait...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I thought you didn't feel well?"
So... Was that an excuse the whole time?
'I'm not sure he should be outside at night. He hadn't said how bad it was... If worst came to worst, could he still fight? Heisuke glanced at my face and frowned.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Oh...um... Actually, the truth is...I'm fine. I lied."
*sigh of relief* Thank goodness... (Heisuke didn't actually catch TB from Okita! Hurray!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...What? Why?"
'He looked at me for a moment, then shook his head in defeat.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...I just didn't want to go guard the shogun."
(Huh? What's that supposed to mean?)
'The Shinsengumi had originally been formed to protect Kyoto, the home of the emperor, and to act as body guards tot he shogun, when he visited the city. At that time, the divide between those who supported the shogun and those who didn't hadn't existed. The shogun had shown a deep respect for the emperor, and expressed a desire to drive out foreign influences. In other words, to serve the shogunate was to serve the emperor.' So, who you favored didn't matter at the time.
'That very service had been the reason for the Shinsengumi's existence. To work for the shogunate, and to help them keep order in the city of Kyoto.'
Heisuke Toudou: "These days though, it seems like the Shinsengumi is just another servant of the shogun's, and the shogun isn't doing anything about the foreigners."
'So this was why Heisuke had been less than excited by the opportunity to escort the shogun. He gazed down at the ground, his eyes distant and sad. I didn't know what to say. The Shinsengumi had never demanded to know, or even seemed to care, about my political leanings. Which was just as well, seeing as I had little in the way of knowledge or opinion on the subject, and almost never though about it.'
And that's the only way, shape, or form that the term "idiot" can ever apply to me. As in I'm "not interested in politics". And why should I, when modern politics is pretty much a "grown up" version of "He said, she said 'bullshit'".
'But Heisuke had been in Edo for a long time... Did he see a change in the Shinsengumi that had, to me, been to gradual to notice?'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um..."
'As any group grows, it must begin to accept people with differing viewpoints. Size and human nature will simple decree that it cannot remain tightly focused forever. So long as the Shinsengumi fought in the front likes of any way, it would lose friends to death. But how many might it lose, I wondered, to differences of opinion?' Kind of like... What happened to my old gaming group, but in a very painful way... (Still mourning the death of the Nerdish Underground as you remembered it, back when it was still fun.)
'I did my best to put the thought from my mind. Better to enjoy the present than worry about the future.' Or to regret the past...
'As I sat myself down next to Heisuke, the memory of Kazama and his ominous last words began to fade.' I wish the same could be said of my old gaming group. The good memories leave me said, because I know those moments are gone for good. And the bad memories leave me angry, because a single bully succeeded in making sure that...that... I'd never have any more fun with them again... *cries* (And the game's rather depressing music right now isn't helping matters here at all.)
'So much had happened. My mind spun, full to bursting. Once the rest of the men returned, there was a meeting among the captains. The subject of that meeting was the three men who'd appeared at Nijo Castle: Chikage Kazama, Kyuju Amagiri, and Kyo Shiranui. They had called themselves demons, and their previous encounters with the Shinsengumi suggested that they were involved, somehow, with the Satsuma and Choshu.'
(But I still don't know if they're my sort of demons yet... *Looks up* Shiranui's comment up there suggest that, like my sort of demons, the laws of physics don't have a iron grip on them. But, then again, I could be wrong.)
'Although it wasn't clear if the three men were members of any domain, the Stasuma and Choshu were the most vocal imperialist domains. What was clear was they--Kazama, Amagiri, and Shiranui--were not to be taken lightly. There was another problem, however...' (Oh dear, what could it be now...)
'Why had they come for me? Hijikata asked if I had any idea why they would have targeted me, but I was a desperate to know as he was. They'd called me one of them, and they'd known my last name. Kazama had pointed out my kodachi, although I didn't understand what he'd said.' Because the implications of what he'd said where very disturbing, especially for my own worth as a person. So I wouldn't be surprised if I tried to force myself forget enough of it to not understand...
'I couldn't bring myself to tell Hijikata and the captains. What if they didn't believe me? I didn't believe me...'
And if you can't believe in yourself, who will? ("The me who believes in you"?) (Oh dear God! Not this crap again!)
'My name is Shimohi Yukimura.' And I am a demon. (Hi Shimohi!) (Hey! You should never do a AA joke here!)
'I am the daughter of my father and my mother. I am a normal girl; nothing out of the ordinary.' (Are you sure we're not dealing with a version of Shimohi from Middle School?)
'My only memento of my mother, my kodachi, lay in my palm. I squeezed it tight. Who am I?'
------------------------------------
("The Shadow knows! *evil laugh*) (Can you quit making references to stuff you don't watch or listen to long enough to remind yourself of what you owe...)
Monty Python Reference Jar
Akurei: $20
Shimohi: $12
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