Well, we have an implication that a nemesis met in another Let's Play series might be behind this plot as well... (Not really, all this stuff about Daemon Spearmeister is just part of the According to an Otaku LP Meta-plot.) Or, an extra parallel plot line that's influenced by the plot of the actual game. Hence the term, "Meta-plot"... And, yes, I do realise I should've explained this during the whole mess with Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors along with that first "Heroic BSOD" scene from the Ace Attorney series. (And that's not the only thing being explained. We're also going to reveal the reasoning behind a running gag specific to this LP.) (Is this going to be the one I think it is...?) Let's find out...
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
-Chapter 2: Part Four-
October 1866
'After the dust cleared, following the Hamaguri Rebellion, the shogun set about cleaning house.'
(Ha ha. Get it? We were cleaning our own "house" during the events of the last post.) Can you please not crack jokes while that sombre music is still playing...
'Encyclopedia updated'
'The Choshu Domain were declared enemies of the court, and the shogun gathered other domains and launched a military campaign known as the Choshu Expedition. It was the intention of the shogunate to completely demolish the Choshu Domain, but intervention on the part of Satsuma and some other domains lead to an early end for the Expedition with no actual battles fought.'
(Well, that sucks...) (Bloodthirsty War monger!) (Why, thank you.)
'Perhaps feeling they'd dodged a bullet, the Choshu Domain fell silent for a time. Their obedience was short-lived, however, and before long their disrespect for the shogun became impossible to ignore. Kondou was asked to accompany an envoy sent to the Choshu to investigate their behavior, but they refused to even meet with the envoy. Fed up with their insubordination, the shogunate ordered the Second Choshu Expedition...'
Which, I assume, is what leads to this...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Hey! Guys! Listen up!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "What is it, Nagakura? Is something wrong?"
Sanosuke Harada: "What, you run into some outlaw ronin out there?"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "No, it's way worse than that. I heard that Lord Iemochi's dead!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?!"
(And...Shimohi's starting to re-sync with her character, good for her!)
'Lord Iemochi, the 14th Shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate?! I could feel my chest tighten. I'd never seen his face in person, and neither had most of the Shinsengumi. Even so, the Shinsengumi had been assigned to guard him in the past, and he was the symbol of the shogunate.'
Sanosuke Harada: "Are you sure? Man, this has gotta be the worst time for something like this to happen... What's gonna happen to the Choshu Expedition? Have they decided on a new shogun yet?"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "I don't really know any details..."
Sanosuke Harada: "There's no way we can go to war without a leader... It'd destroy morale."
(And, as any Dynasty Warriors game can teach you, that's a very bad thing! Then again, Shimohi mostly just plays Dynasty Warriors: Gundam...)
Shinpachi Nagakura: "I know. I've got a real bad feeling about this."
(So...Now Shinpachi's related to Han Solo?)
Shinpachi Nagakura: "The Choshu got off easy. I'm hoping they'll get the pounding they deserve this time, but..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "They're only a single domain..."
'I tried to convince myself that a single domain couldn't cause much of a problem, but I couldn't shake that feeling of dread. Soon afterward, the shogunate lead a massive army against the Choshu, but the expense of war weighted heavily on the coffers of the other domains, and they fielded fewer troops than the shogunate had hoped for. The death of Iemochi was another blow to army morale, and some domains withdrew from the war entirely. So it was that the Second Choshu expedition ended in a shocking defeat for the shogunate army.'
(No duh there, if you don't believe me, look in a history book!)
'That was the moment when the shogunate government, stable for 260 years, began to waver.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "It sure has been hot lately..."
And I'm finding that rather surprising...
'I swept my hand across my face, wiping away several new beads of sweat. Kyoto was a nice city, but I could have certainly done without the humid heat.'
Ah, the old Japanese tradition of complaining about the heat...
Hajime Saito: "...Indeed."
'Beneath his usual calm there was a hint of alertness and carefully-restrained violence, and for good reason. The Choshu had been declared enemies of the court after the Hamaguri Rebellion and driven out of Kyoto, but some feared remnants of their forces had remained behind, in hiding. Now more than ever, Saito and the rest of the Shinsengumi had to be alert and focused when on patrol.'
Hajime Saito: "I'll begin with this store. Wait here. There is nothing for you to do inside."
Shimohi Yukimura: "All right."
If you say so...
'He gave me a short nod of confirmation, and stepped into the shop with his men.'
Hajime Saito: "I'm from the Shinsengumi. I have come to inspect your store."
Store Owner: "Y-Yes, sir. Of course."
'I'd been waiting for Saito and his division for a few minutes when I noticed a commotion nearby.'
Rokuro: "Hey! Outta the way! You got a couple patriots comin' through here!"
(I bet over nine-thousand Internets that he's actually a ronin.)
'A number of rather unplesant-looking ronin were making their way in my general direction, yelling, threatening, and generally intimidating anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.'
(At least they're not farting in your general direction.) (Once again, you owe even more money to the reference jar...)
'"Patriots"? Hardly. Perhaps they considered themselves loyal to the imperial court, but they look like the sort who only used their supposed patriotism as an excuse to steal and kill.'
(Like your typical group of player characters in a tabletop role-playing game such as Dungeons and Dragons.) (You've already done that gag at least once before.)
'These were just the sort of men whom the Shinsengumi was charged with subduing.'
Rokuro: "Hey! You deaf?! I told you to move!"
'The ronin tossed a poorly-aimed kick at a child playing in the street.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Stop--!"
'I'd barely taken a single step toward them, when--'
(Don't you dare do a "Fire Nation" gag here!) (Well, now I don't have to.) (Curses...!)
???: "Desist, you hooligans!"
'I didn't see where she'd come from, but a girl had run out to place herself between the ronin and the child.'
Rokuro: "Wassis? You think you can tell us what to do, lady?! Ha! Some broad wants to pick a fight with us?! Patriots loyal to the emperor?!"
(Dude, last I checked, this was loyalslist territory.)
'The man's obviously short fuse had been lit. He made a grab for the girl and missed. I suspected his next attack wouldn't be quite so inaccurate. I couldn't let that happen.'
Rokuro: "Who're you? You know this broad?"
Not really, but I know that no-one should be allowed to push others around like that!
Shimohi Yukimura: "No, I don't."
Rokuro: "Then howsabout you keep your damn nose outta my goddamn business!"
Nope!
'Flecks of spit flew from his mouth as he roared at me, and my legs suddenly felt somewhat weaker than they had a moment ago.'
(Dude! Say it, don't spray it! And, Shimohi, you're a demon now! You're supposed to be tougher than that!)
'But I was committed. I couldn't run now.'
(That's the spirit!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "If you truly love your country as you say...Then why do you abuse women and children?"
Indeed, fakers!
Shimohi Yukimura: "A samurai should protect common people, not attack them!"
Rokuro: "What did you say?!"
Did you not hear me? Then clean the wax out of your ears and listen up.
Self-Confident Man: "That's right! You tell him, son!"
(Is he talking about Shimohi or that hooligan?)
Over-Confident Man: "How'dya like that, ya damn ronin! Patriot, my ass! Get outta my city!"
(I know it says "Over-Confident" but, he's right, get the fuck out of Kyoto and go fuck yourselves!)
'Something about my speech seemed to have stuck a chord with the crowd that had begun to gather. With the cheers, my legs started to regain some of their usual steadiness.'
Rokuro: "You son of a bitch!"
Let's see here... A "bitch" is a "female dog" and dogs are not only billed as "Man's best friend" but are loyal, hard-working, dependable, and will defend their human companions if they're in trouble... Like a Samurai to his Lord. So, thanks for the compliment!
'With the rough hiss of metal, the ronin's sword leapt from its scabbard. I suddenly discovered I had difficulty swallowing. I could try to dodge, but if I did, he might hit the girl my actions had intended to protect.'
(So, take the attack then. That's the reason our father didn't move his head when some angry drunkards resorted to throwing stuff, including jars of sake, because it would've hit the series love interest in the face otherwise.) (Why do you keep insisting that Kenshin Himura's our father!?) *sigh* Because, if he didn't exist, neither of you two would exist either. Both of you were born from trying to process a 2D-complex crush on him. So, from a certain point of view, he IS your father! (...No! I-It's impossible!) (Search your heart, Pansy, you know it to be true.)
'...No, that wasn't an option. I shut my eyes--'
Rokuro: "Gaagkh!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Huh?"
'Slowly, carefully, I opened my eyes.'
Hajime Saito: "You needn't worry. I used the back of my sword."
(Meh, our father did that all the time...after this war, of course.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Saito!"
Rokuro: "Urgh...hnng... You..."
Hajime Saito: "Take them to headquarters. They may be Choshu."
(They did refer to themselves as "Patriots loyal to the emperor" so, my money's on "Yes, they're Choshu." Told you this was Loyalist territory!)
Soldier: "Yes, sir!"
'Working quickly, Saito's men set to work binding the ronin for transport.'
(Hopefully they were hog-tied. That would be funny to see.)
'Saito's cold eyes fell on me.'
Hajime Saito: "That was reckless. Why didn't you call me?"
Well... I tend to be in harms way most of the time. Still...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking..."
???: "The gentleman is right! You were dreadfully reckless! I had the situation quite well in hand."
Gak...! (Got you there.) (Gakgakgakgakgakgakgakgak!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah... Um..."
'A scolding from Saito was expected, but I hadn't thought that my erstwhile damsel in distress would contribute.'
*facepalm* Of course! She's a person, not an object or possession! Why are you making me do that!? (Shimohi's, of course, talking about the game itself.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm sorry I made you worry..."
'I gave her a short, slightly confused bow, to which she blinked as if suddenly remembering something very important.'
???: "Oh, but... You did save me, didn't you now? And I haven't yet thanked you! How crude of me. Thank you."
Did I hear her say "ore" somewhere in there? That sounds odd...
???: I must say, you're awfully courageous! Most people wouldn't dare confront a ronin so!"
Well, I'm not most people...
Shimohi Yukimura: "No, I didn't... I mean, Saito and his men saved me. I didn't really do anything..."
'She raised a dainty hand to her mouth in a poor attempt to stiffle a giggle.'
???: "He he. Oh, you needn't be so modest. I suspect that this, our meeting here, is providence. Young ladies must watch out for one another here in the city!"
[sarcasm] Great, someone ELSE reminding me of how my disguise is so paper-thin... [/sarcasm]
Shimohi Yukimura: "Uh...?"
'Saito glanced from her to me, and an expression flickered across his face that I couldn't quite place.'
Hajime Saito: "...You can't expect to fool everyone. There's no need to worry about it."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Umm..."
Failure is still annoying, none the less...
???: "Oh dear. Was it supposed to be a secret? Perhaps I...shouldn't have mentioned it?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well...ah..."
'I wasn't entirely sure how to respond. How does a person respond to that sort of question? She seemed to sense my confusion, and gracefully moved on.'
???: "I'm terribly sorry, but I don't believe I've even asked your name! How terribly boorish of me! I should very much like to be friends, but it is difficult to become acquainted with the nameless. Might I inquire as to who you are, then?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, well, this is--"
'It seemed only polite to introduce him first, being that he was a good deal more important than I, but the girl seemed to have other ideas.'
???: "Oh, I know who he is. Mr. Saito, yes? The Shinsengumi is frightfully famous here. And you are?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "My name is Shimohi Yukimura. It's nice to meet you."
Sen: "And it is a pleasure to meet you, Shimohi. You may call me Sen."
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ms. Sen?"
Sen: "Oh goodness, you needn't be so uptight! You look to be about my age, so I see no reason for us to not speak as contemporaries."
Shimohi Yukimura: Um... So, just Sen, then?"
(Hey! That rhymes!)
Sen: "Yes, I suppose that will do."
'She grasped my hand between her own, her face open and earnest.'
Sen: "We must meet again sometime, Shimohi."
'She gave my hand a gentle squeeze, then turned and left, her kimono flapping behind her. Our encounter was over before I'd had a chance to grasp what was even happening, and so I simply stood, stunned, for a moment or two.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um..."
'I glanced up uncertainly at Saito.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Is my, um, disguise really so easy to see through?"
(I don't think you'll like the answer to this one...)
'If it wasn't, then how had Sen, who'd I'd just met, been able to tell immediately that I was a girl? I had to admit I'd felt like it was a pretty good disguise... Saito looked down at me, a strange expression on his face.'
Hajime Saito: "...Who knows?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "What? Wait, what's that supposed to mean?!"
'His only response was a flicker of a smile. I opened my mouth to protest--'
Hajime Saito: "We should go. We've fallen behind already. We must hurry to complete our patrol on time."
'He spun on his heel and marched off down the street.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Fine!"
'It was clear he had given me all the answers I was going to receive, and so I hurried to catch up, albeit somewhat petulantly.'
"Petulantly", that's a new word to look up. And now...
'It felt like summer: Each day was hotter than the last.'
Isnt' this supposed to be October? Shouldn't it be getting colder, not hotter?
'On this particularly sweltering day, I was bringing some tea to Kondou, who was relaxing on the veranda.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Here's your tea, sir."
Isami Kondou: "Oh! Thank you..."
'He had been deep in thought: arms crossed and face stern. Things had been...bad since Lord Iemochi's death. Kondou especially was having a difficult time of it. Perhaps it was best if I simply left him alone... I turned, and had already begun to walk away when he spoke.'
Isami Kondou: "Matsumoto is examining Souji right now."
(He's going to find the TB, I just know it!)
'His coughing had grown more violent and more frequent lately, perhaps...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...What did he say?"
Isami Kondou: "He hasn't said anything yet. I hope it's nothing serious."
(Oh, it's as serious as fuck! As a matter of fact, it's fatal and it will kill him.)
Isami Kondou: "If something happened to Souji, I don't know how I'd be able to face her..."
Who?
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Her?"
Isami Kondou: "Yes..."
'Lines formed across his forehead, and his frown deepened.'
Isami Kondou: "When we left for Kyoto, Mitsu, his older sister, asked me to look out for him. If I made her mad, I...well, I shudder to think what might happen to me. The very thought is terrifying."
Shimohi Yukimura: "...What would she do to you?"
(Can't read the atmosphere, can't you...)
'It wasn't exactly the sort of thing I'd ever thought I'd hear from Kondou of all people. As his descriptions of her became more and more exaggerated, I found myself laughing.'
Isami Kondou: "Hey, this isn't a laughing matter! I'd rather fight off ten ronin then try and argue with her. She's...quite something."
(Ah, the Socially Awkward Hero...)
Toshizo Hijikata: "That makes two of us."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Hijikata?"
Isami Kondou: "I hope everything will turn out all right, but if something should happen to Souji, then I would like you to be the one to tell Mitsu, Toshi."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Like hell I will. That kinda crap is what we have a chief for, Chief."
Isami Kondou: "Easy for you to say..."
'Kondou's behavior had been strange enough, but Hijikata too? Just what sort of person was Okita's sister?'
(Apparently like Shinpachi's sister turned up to eleven.) (You're talking about the wrong Shinpachi here!) ... (Oh, right. A-hem... "As I recall, in Gintama, it was Okita's older sister that had what I assume to be TB instead." Yeah...)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Oh, right... Did you hear about the notice board over by Sanjo Ohashi Bridge?"
(For once, we get a two for one special.)
'The board he was talking about had been set up by the shogunate, to officially and publicly declare the Choshu enemies of the court.'
(The early blogosphere everyone!)
Toshizo Hijikata: "Some assholes pulled it out and tossed it into the Kamo."
(What's a "Kamo" supposed to be!?)
Isami Kondou: "Yes, of course I heard about that. Haven't they already replaced it?"
Toshizo Hijikata: "They did. Same thing happened. I think they're gonna ask us to keep an eye on it pretty soon."
([sarcasm] Great, we're going to be body guarding a bulletin board. This sounds fun. [/sarcasm])
Isami Kondou: "It got torn down at night, didn't it? What do you say to using Sanan's Fury Corps, then?"
'Hijikata frowned.'
And, given what we saw at the beginning of the game, we can see why...
Toshizo Hijikata: "The Fury Corps..."
Isami Kondou: "You think it's a bad idea?"
(Duh!) Duh. (No, fucking, duh!)
'Hijikata chose his words carefully, his face grim.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "They work hard enough, but... They tend to get a little excited."
(And the award for understatement of the century goes to...)
Toshizo Hijikata: "Whatever we give them to do, they end up slaughtering the other side. That's not enough for 'em, though: They go in and hack the corpses to bits. Most of the time they're not even recognizable."
(Aw, come on! Corpse mutilation is the best part of the battle!) (*spit-takes coffee*) Where did that even come from? (Even I don't know!) (*LOL*)
Toshizo Hijikata: "Maybe they're doing it to try and hide the Shinsengumi's hand, but they're going too far. We're not just a pack of murderers. I told 'em to knock it off, they they won't listen. They just wanna play with their corpses. They keep this up, and we're no better than those night-cutters."
("Night-cutters"?) You know, dishonorable samurai who test the sharpness of their swords by ambushing a random civilian at night... (That's just horrible!) I know, right.
Isami Kondou: "Hm..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'I felt a shiver snake down my spine as he spoke. Even more than a year later, I still remembered with terrifying clarity what I'd seen when I first arrived in Kyoto: the furies.'
(And what with them being Joker-crazy and all...)
'They'd behaved as if possessed by evil spirits; their swords hacking away mercilessly at men already dead.'
(Hey, with zombies, you have to make ABSOLUTELY SURE they're dead.) But they were never zombies in the first place. (That's not important!) [sarcasm] Right... [/sarcasm]
'It hadn't been hatred or fear that drove them, but some sort of twisted amusement. I didn't think I'd ever forget the half-mad smiles each had worn.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "...I've got a few other ideas."
Isami Kondou: "Good, good. I'll leave the details to you then, Toshi."
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Isami Kondou: "Ah, yes... Have you heard about Lord Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi, the old Guardian of the Shogun?"
Toshizo Hijikata: "Yeah, what about him? I've heard a couple people say he's like Ieyasu reborn. I donno about that, but I do hear he's pretty sharp..."
'Before long, they'd started to discuss politics I couldn't begin to understand and I politely excused myself.'
Later...
'I thought back on what Hijikata had said. It was true that Sanan had been acting strange, and the Fury Corps had been getting more and more violent. There was a lot on my mind, but what worried me the most was...'
-The notice board.-
-The furies.-
(Again, another obvious one...)
'Just as Hijikata had predicted, the Shinsengumi receieved an official request to guard the notice board at the Sanjo Ohashi Bridge.'
(I know it isn't obvious, but Shimohi thought the issue with the rakshasa was more troublesome than some bulletin board vandalism.) (They're called "furies"!)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'As it turned out, the vandals were eight men from the Tosa Domain.'
Both Akurei and I figured it was vandals, hence my choice of the other topic... (By which, you mean "The furies".) (No, "The rakshasa"!) *facepalm*
'Harada and his division were well-prepared, and captured them when they attacked. Harada was given a reward by the Aizu for his service, and he took the rest of the captains to Shimabara to celebrate.'
(Both Shimohi and I've seen enough of the anime to know where this is going. Time to uphold that promise...!)
'I had remained at the temple to eat my dinner alone, but my heart felt like a lead weight in my chest, and it chased away any appetite I might have had.'
(Aw man, no fan service for the dudes...) (Not that the readers would be able to see it anyway.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "What's going to happen to the Shinsengumi and the Fury Corps..."
'Almost as if on cue, the door slid open and Sanan stepped through.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, hello Sanan. Can I help you?"
'I'd scarcely opened my mouth when Sanan began to speak.'
Keisuke Sanan: "The Water of Life is amazing! The furies we've created are a complete success! Only short-sighted fools would call it failure. They simply lack a proper understanding of what we've done."
You and...who else?
Keisuke Sanan: "With this, we have nothing to fear! Not Tosa, not Choshu, not anyone!"
(You don't know about that silver thing yet...) Spoilers!
Keisuke Sanan: "You agree, don't you, Yukimura?!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah...um..."
(Ah, another Japanese tradition, this time "not committing to an answer you might regret later" or any answer for that matter...)
'Sanan's face looked...wrong somehow. This wasn't the man I knew. His eyes glittered with something strange and frightening. It looked unpleasantly like madness. He'd been acting oddly lately, but it was different from when he'd lost the use of his arm. This was more threatening somehow, and it felt as if it was rapidly spiraling out of control.'
Keisuke Sanan: "Say something! You don't agree with those fools, do you?! They don't understand!"
Dude! Consent under duress doesn't count!
'His left hand wrapped around my wrist with fingers like steel cables and hauled on my arm, trying to pull my face up to look into his. I pulled against his grip, but he was far too strong for me to overcome.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Please, stop!"
'The horrible twitching madness in his eyes was too much for me and I screamed.'
(Where the fuck is The Doctor when you need him!?)
Souji Okita: "What're you grabbing her for, Sanan? That's not how you impress a lady. See? She's terrified."
I really hope he's actually helping me... (And not being a troll?) Precisely.
'Okita flashed a grin, but his hand on Sanan's arm didn't waver. Behind him I could see Saito and Heisuke.'
Keisuke Sanan: "Oh. I got...caught up in the moment. I lost control. I apologize."
'On the other side of his glasses, Sanan's eyes had returned to normal. The glint of madness was gone.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "It's good to see you back. You're a little earlier than I expected, though."
Heisuke Toudou: "Sano's gonna be drinking till morning, if Shin has anything to say about it."
In that case, we'd better be really quiet tomorrow morning.
Heisuke Toudou: "I didn't think I could handle that much, so I left with this pair of sticks-in-the-mud."
(Well, it's best to have someone on hand as a designated driver...) (Cars don't exist yet!) I'm glad they can't hear either of you.
Shimohi Yukimura: "It's only the three of you then?"
'Heisuke grinned.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Hijikata caught the eye of a lady at Sumi called Kimigiku. She sat next to him the whole night. Being the commander of the Shensengumi doesn't seem to stop him from getting all the ladies..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Kimigiku?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah. She was real pretty. ...Actually, I'm a little worried Sano might not have enough to pay for her..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I see..."
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'One of Kyoto's oiran, then...'
The "oiran" are the high-class call girls most people think of when they hear the word "geisha". Actual geisha are the high-class entertainers that perform for the oiran and their clients. (*sigh* The more you know...) ("And knowing's half the battle!" The other half is shooting someone!)
'She was probably just as beautiful as Heisuke said. They must have made a beautiful couple.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'I gazed down at myself, small, plain, and dressed like a boy. Suddenly I felt very sad.'
Hajime Saito: "Is something wrong? You look unhappy."
(At least your character is more expressive than you are. The only distinct facial expression Shimohi has in meat space is anger or rage.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh! No, it's nothing."
'I did my best to give him a convincing smile.'
Hajime Saito: "I imagine you're tired. Perhaps we should leave."
'His last words were directed at Sanan, who shrugged and sighed.'
Keisuke Sanan: "Yes, I suppose so. We'll tak another time, then."
And, next time, leave the crazy at the door!
Hajime Saito: "You should get some rest, Shimohi."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I will! Thank you."
'And I meant it. Sanan had calmed down, but I had no wish to be around him just then any longer than I had to. Okita stopped at the door, just as Sanan was leaving.'
Souji Okita: "Sanan... This...this Water of Life stuff. Does it cure diseases and things too?"
(No, even if you do drink the Strange Youth Water, you'll still have TB.) (They're calling it "Water of Life" not that "Strange" term you're using!) (But it's a more accurate translation!)
Keisuke Sanan: "Of course."
(...you don't know. I do, don't do it!) Too late for that...
Keisuke Sanan: "I was a normal human being before, but I have been reborn into something completely different. I'm sure it could cure even so-called 'incurable' diseases."
Souji Okita: "Huh..."
'They started walking again, and I could hear them as the moved down the hall, still talking.'
Hajime Saito: "I think we'll leave Sanan to Souji for now."
'He watched them leave, his always-unreadable face stern and, of course, unreadable. He remained for a few moments before leaving himself.'
(Well... Both of you are left-handed and have faces that, at least most of the time, can't be read... Are you sure Saito's not autistic?) That's not a good diagnosis at all!
'Heisuke had stayed silent during the exodus. When he finally spoke, his voice was sad.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Sanan's...different."
'Then even the captains who'd been with the Shinsengumi since Edo were beginning to grow suspicious of Sanan... Heisuke was quiet for a few moments. I was starting to feel as if he was avoiding my gaze when he finally spoke. He told me that when Harada and his men had been attacked at Sonjo Ohashi, one of them had seen someone who looked a lot like me.'
(Oh... I see we've met the evil twin...again.) (When was the first time!?) (That "beautiful lady" that looked a lot like Shimohi's character in an earlier post.)
'This strange person had tried to impede the Shinsengumi, and sided with the vandals from the Tosa Domain. I haven't left the temple, of course, and even if I had been at Sanjo Ohashi, I would never have tried to get in the Shinsengumi's way.'
(Not intentionally, anyway...)
'But if it wasn't me...then who? What could it mean?'
(Like I said, evil twin.)
'Heisuke's news only fed the anxiety that had been slowly building within me.'
The next day...
'It was near year's end, and I was outside in the cold weather, sweeping the compound.'
Shimohi Yukimura: Phew... Well, that should do it."
'I wanted to help out as much as I could, but since they still refused to let me out without an escort, there wasn't a great deal I could do. Still, I had helped make our home clean, and that felt good. Hopefully they'd like it too.'
Isami Kondou: "Cleaning, I see. You're certainly hard at work."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, hello Kondou. It's really gotten cold lately, hasn't it?"
Isami Kondou: "Yes, it has indeed. I've been in Kyoto a while now, but I still can't get used to the weather."
'He rubbed his hands together and blew on them, in a mostly vain attempt to warm them up.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I've picked up a bunch of dead leaves, so I was thinking about roasting potatoes later. Would you like some? They'll warm you up."
'Kondou gave me a little, wry smile.'
Isami Kondou: "Roasted potatoes, huh? I used to enjoy that. A long time ago..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh..."
'I flushed with embarrassment. Kondou was a busy man--management of the Shinsengumi was not easy. A man like that didn't have time for roasting potatoes.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...You've been really busy lately. I hope you're taking care of yourself."
Isami Kondou: "Hmm? Oh, right... Well, if I'm busy, then that means that the Shinsengumi is needed. It's an honor."
Well, that's one way of looking at it...
Shimohi Yukimura: "True..."
'In the last several weeks, Kondou and Hijikata had left the temple often to go meet with important shogunate officials. They probably scarcely had time to breathe, let alone relax. At that moment, almost as if my thoughts had summoned him, Hijikata appeared.'
(Like a case of "Speak of the devil" without the speaking bit.)
Toshizo Hijikata: "There you are, Kondou."
Isami Kondou: "Oh, Toshi. Where were you? I was looking for you. They've chosen the next shogun. It's going to be Lord Youshinobu Hitosubashi."
'Hijikata's brow furrowed to what I wouldn't have hesitated to describe as a glower.'
That's an odd choice of words.
Toshizo Hijikata: "Him, huh? Well, let's hope he lives up to the rumors."
Isami Kondou: "Must you find a dark side to everything?"
Apparently, "Yes."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Who's Lord Hitotsubashi?"
Wait a minute! *Looks up* Yeah, thought so, he was mentioned earlier... (Aw, fuck! More de-syncing problems.)
'I had a vague memory that he was the commander of the shogunate forces during the Battle of Hamaguri Gate, but Kondou gave me a quick explanation of the rest.'
Isami Kondou: "They say he is very intelligent; some even going so far as to call him the second coming of Lord Ieyasu."
Yes, I do remember that last part.
'He glanced over at Hijikata, perhaps looking for corroboration. He found none.'
Isami Kondou: "At any rate, he has a quick mind, and the emperor trusts him. How could he be a poor choice?"
Only if what we heard was the truth...
'There was a certain pride in Kondou's voice, almost as if he were talking about a friend or brother.'
Who knows.
'If what he said was true, though, then perhaps this shogun would be able to unite the shogunate and the imperial court, and overcome the crisis that was destroying our nation.'
([sarcasm] Right... [/sarcasm])
Toshizo Hijikata: "...All right, he's smart, I'll give him that."
Isami Kondou: "Then what's the problem?"
Being smart doesn't stop people from doing stupid things.
Toshizo Hijikata: "Forget it. Doesn't really matter who the shogun is to us anyway. We're just here to fight for him."
Isami Kondou: "That's right. If we do our best, that means the shogun and the shogunate are safe and secure."
'He kept his tone carefully light, perhaps in an attempt to sway Hijikata, but to no avail.'
And here's the sombre music again... (That's the same music played at the beginning of this chapter as well.) Just didn't feel the need to mention that back then.
'Only twenty days after Lord Yoshinobu had been officially inaugurated as the new shogun, the emperor passed away.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'It was especially hard on the emperor's younger sister, Kazunomiya, who had been married to Lord Iemochi and was intended to be a symbol of Imperial Unification, but everyone on both sides was shocked by his death. He was succeeded by the Imperial Prince, a young boy of only 15 years.'
(Would this Imperial Prince happen to have the name of "Meiji" by any chance?)
'In the turmoil, the activities of the Choshu Domain went un-investigated... The entire country of Japan found itself thrust into rapid motion.
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Well, that's the end of Chapter Two. Next time, we start Chapter Three! (And, once again, I have to keep tabs on the reference jar... Haven't you thought of maybe NOT making these stupid references!?) Nope. (Never!) (*sigh*)
Monty Python Reference Jar
Akurei: $24
Shimohi: $14
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