Okay, now we've gone through the November backlog for this particular Let's Play. (Except for the fact that the reference jar amounts is still from the past.) Also, wow, I took a really long time to actually get this post published...
Note: A Software Update to this game was installed in the middle of this portion of the playthrough.
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 Three: Part One-
April 1867
'The seasons changed, and spring came.'
(And we, once again, did a massive time skip...)
'Kyoto was filled with the cherry blossoms, and the whole city took on a festive atmosphere. Surrounded by the gentle cheer of spring, my footsteps felt somehow lighter. Okita watched me prance about with a crooked smile.'
(And this "prancing" isn't embarrassing you one bit?) Nope. (Hear ye! Hear ye! The experenced otaku have'th no shame!)
Souji Okita: "You don't need to hurry. We aren't going anywhere in particular. Just think of it as a nice relaxing walk."
(Only Okita and the Monster could ever think of a police patrol as a "nice relaxing walk".)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Okay. I'll be careful."
'It seemed to me that it was dangerous for a captain of the Shinsengumi to think that when he was out on patrol, but I didn't dare say anything to Okita. Then again, things had been pretty quiet lately. Perhaps he was right.'
(Actually, that means that an incident is due.)
'No, I told myself, I had to focus. Now was not the time or the place for high spirits. Nearby I noticed a few ronin who slunk off into the side streets at the first glimpse of the Shinsengumi.'
(I say we... I can't believe I'm going to say this... "Rat out" the vermin.) (*LOL* That's a good pun there!) (And I regret saying it already...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "How suspicious..."
'Why run away unless they knew they were guilty of something?'
(Well, it could be that they assumed that we'd assume that they're up to no good and attempted a hide check to avoid having to deal with that bullshit, but rolled lower than our spot check and so here we are...)
'I stared after them intently and must have looked as if I was about to give chase because Okita gave a bark of laughter.'
Souji Okita: "Don't waster your energy on them. They're small potatoes."
But rotten potatoes, small or large, will still give you food poisoning. (What's THAT supposed to mean!?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Really?"
Damn, I forgot the sarcasm tags.
Souji Okita: "If they were Choshu guys, then they wouldn't just run off like that. They'd be more confident. The guys who take off like that when we show up are almost always just small-time punks."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I see..."
'I didn't.'
Of course not, small-time punks or not, most ronin cause trouble for the citizens of Kyoto. Affiliated with Choshu Domain or not!
Souji Okita: "They're probably guilty of something; maybe some minor crime. But the blues scare off a lot of people these days."
(Just like the fuzz in modern times.) (They're called "the police".) (And I say, "Fuck the police!") (You do know that in this time, we're WITH the police.) (Yeah, your point?) (*facepalm* ...Never mind...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "The uniform's gotten pretty famous around Kyoto, hasn't it?"
Souji Okita: "Well, could be infamous, depending on who you ask."
'It was true: The Shinsengumi blues brought recognition, but that was a double-edged sword. Sometimes they commanded obedience or respect, but sometimes the response was...less pleasant.'
(Cue the rotten tomatoes! ...Or potatoes... Or turnips. Ow...)
'Their uniform had become a symbol, but there was some argument among the Shinsengumi as to whether or not they should adopt a new uniform. Some people, such as Itou, just felt that the uniform should be changed because it wasn't fashionable...'
Screw "fashionable"! Besides, I think they look cool. (Of course YOU'D think they look cool, Japanophile!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Is Itou back from the imperial territories yet?"
Souji Okita: "Yeah, I think so. I can't say I'd have minded if he'd just stayed out there, though."
Same here. (Now if only a certain someone in Shimohi's old gaming group in meat space could just get a job and go away like that...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "He went to go recruit some of his friends and acquaintances, right?"
Souji Okita: "That's what he says, but I gotta wonder how far he really went, you know?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "How far? What do you mean? If he went out past the imperial territories, then he must really care about the Shinsengumi, right?"
'After all, to go that far would be quite a trip to make just to get more recruits. Okita, however, didn't seem to think so.'
Souji Okita: "That's what you think?"
... (I think I can see a de-sync coming up soon...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Am I wrong?"
Souji Okita: "No, not really."
'Okita stopped and gazed off into space for a moment. When he spoke, it was to himself.'
Souji Okita: "Kondou's too nice. He should just kill Itou."
(If only we could do the same to that jerk in meat space...) ... ("But, laws against that sort of thing, and not to mention that Spaz would hate us forever..." yada-yada-yada...) *sigh* By now, I wouldn't be surprised if he already does hate not only me but all women everywhere...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okita!"
Stuff like that shouldn't be said out in public!
'He had a tendency to talk of killing too easily, and too lightly, but...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "How could you joke about killing one of your compainions?"
(That never stopped him from pulling a bazooka on Hijikata before.) (Wrong series! Again!)
'He let his eyes slide to mine, and gave a small sigh.'
Souji Okita: "A companion, huh?"
(Not the Firefly definition of the word.)
'The scorn in his voice wasn't for me; it was for Itou. Ever since he had first arrived, Okita and the rest of the captains had never seemed to like Itou much, but I was surprised that he would say something like that where anyone could have heard. I glanced around, to make sure no one had been paying attention--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?"
'There, in the crowd... A face I'd seen before.'
(Isn't she that "girl" who looks a lot like you?)
'Kaoru?!'
(So that was her name, sorry, we were too lazy to check the previous posts to find that out.)
'The face that looked back could easily have been mine. There was no way I could have ever mistaken that face. But no sooner had I spotted her than she disappeared, melting into the crowd.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Kaoru!"
Souji Okita: "Hey!"
'He made a grab for my arm, but I'd already moved out of his reach. I might get in touble for it, but if I didn't go quickly, I'd lose her.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sorry Okita! There's something I have to do!"
'I caught a glimpse of his confused face as I ducked into the crowd. ... ...'
Souji Okita: "How many times do I have to tell her not to run off without permission... Why can't she look at this from my point of view?"
(Because she's autistic, she has trouble doing exactly that.)
'*Pant* *Pant* *Pant* I ran through the crowd as fast as I could, bobbing and weaving around citizens going about their business, until at last I caught up to her. She was Kaoru, no mistake.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, Kaoru? Do you remember me...?"
Oh crap! What if she doesn't...!?
Kaoru Nagumo: "Yes, you were with the Shinsengumi. I remember you."
'She looked...surprised.'
(Most likely because she thought she'd never see you again.)
Kaoru Nagumo: "You ran after me so suddenly... It scared me."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm sorry about that, but there's something I wanted to ask you."
'I realized belatedly that I didn't know what I planned to do with her answer once I had it, but I knew I had to ask.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "One of the Shinsengumi saw a girl who looked like me at the Sanjo Ohashi Bridge a while ago. Could that have been...you?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "I don't know. I do go by Sanjo Ohashi fairly often. Is that a problem?"
'She laughed politely.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Did you want to ask if I'd even been there at night?"
'Could it be? Could Kaoru really have been the girl who interrupted the Shinsengumi that night?'
Shimohi Yukimura: "If it was an autumn night, and you got in the Shinsengumi's way..."
Souji Okita: "Then you and I are gonna need to have a little talk. I don't want to give away all the details, but it ends with your death."
Ah... (Fuck! Is Okita going to kill Shimohi NOW!? ...Or is he talking about Kaoru?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh! Okita..."
'I hadn't realized he caught up with me so quickly.'
Kaoru Nagumo: "Oh, you're Oktia, from the Shinsengumi. Thank you for helping me the other day."
Are you talking about from roughly a year ago, or...?
'She bowed, but Okita didn't even seem to notice.'
Souji Okita: "So, you gonna answer the question? Where you there that night?"
(But...!) (First of all, this is Japan, not America. Besides, at this point in time, the Miranda rights haven't even been invented yet.)
'Okita wore the same half-smile he always did, but his body was as tight as a bowstring, ready to have his blade in hand at a moment's notice.'
Kaoru Nagumo: "My death...? Please, don't say scary things like that. Lots of people pass by Sanjo Ohashi during the day."
(But we're asking about "at night", who passes by the bridge during the day has nothing to do with that!)
Kaoru Nagumo: "At night, though... I don't go near it, because of the notice board stuff."
'It was almost as if she'd read my mind.'
(Maybe that's because "she" CAN read our mind. Oooooo!) (Still think this girl's a crossdressing evil twin?) (That's because he is.) (WHAT!? That's just crazy talk!)
Kaoru Nagumo: "I can't believe you suspect me just because my face happens to look like someone else's. I don't know anything..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, of course! I understand!"
'She looked so sad, I felt I had to say something.'
("Something!") (Not like THAT!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "I knew it wasn't you."
'After all, how could a normal girl do anything to the men of the Shinsengumi?'
(Becasue, "she" isn't a "normal girl".)
'Okita seemed less convinced. His eyes shifted to me.'
Souji Okita: "And why do you say that? Because she's a girl? Or because she looks like you?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "No, that's...that's not it..."
([sarcasm] Right... [/sarcasm]) Which one? (The latter, obviously.)
'I couldn't bring myself to admit that he was exactly right. I'd assumed Kaoru couldn't possibly done it, simply because she was a girl.'
Oops. (Obviously you've forgotten the sexist standards of the time. That's a de-sync for ya!)
Kaoru Nagumo: "Can I go now? ...Excuse me."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Kaoru..."
'She turned and ducked away, disappearing back into the crowd. Had I done the right thing, I wondered, in covering for her? I was pondering whether or not I should give chase again when I heard Okita begin to cough.'
(Woah! Back away from the biohazard!)
Souji Okita: *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okita?! A-Are you okay?!"
(Obviously not!)
'He was bent nearly double, and coughing uncontrollably, his entire body shaking with each cough.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okita?!"
Souji Okita: "Stay back!"
(Yeah... We should listen to the dude...)
'As I stepped toward him, he threw out a hand and twisted his face upward to glare at me.'
(*facepalm*) Sorry, just worried about his health. That's all...
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?!"
Souji Okita: "*Cough* *Cough* I'm...I'm fine. So just...stay there, okay? *Cough* *Cough* *Cough*"
...Okay, it's obvious that you're not "fine".
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'It was the sheer force of his personality that stopped me, not just his words.'
("Persona!") (*facepalm*)
Souji Okita: "*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*"
'After a while, his coughing slowed, then subsided entirely.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okita... Is something wrong?"
(Yes... TB... Obviously! I've been saying this for a while now!)
Souji Okita: "Like what?"
'When he turned to look at me this time, his sardonic half-smile was back. He looked every part the usual Okita, except that he had grown frighteningly pale.'
(Not that you could tell from the sprites...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "I mean..."
...have you caught some kind of illness or something?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Why don't we find somewhere to rest? You looked like you were in a lot of pain..."
Well, this was a better option to say out loud.
Souji Okita: "Oh, I was just tired. I mean, you did make me run all the way here."
Shimohi Yukimura: "But..."
Souji Okita: No buts. I'm fine. Now..."
'His expression was suddenly hard.'
Souji Okita: "About the girl. Asking her about the thing with the notice board was important. I agree with you."
'Good, then. We needed to know if she was an enemy of the Shinsengumi or not. I needed to know.'
Souji Okita: "But even--no, because of how important that is, you shouldn't have run off on your own like that. What if she had been an enemy of ours. Could you have handled her?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well..."
I'd like to say "Yes" but I'm not sure if... (The game would let you?) Yeah...
Souji Okita: "Did you even consider that possibility? That she'd planned to lure you here? It's a great spot for an ambush, you know."
...I didn't consider that.
Shimohi Yukimura: "...You're right."
'She hadn't tried to attack me, but Okita was right. Next time I might now be so lucky: I could have easily run right into a trap.'
Souji Okita: "You need to be more careful, all right? I can take care of you, but without me around you're just a useless kid."
Hey! (Sorry, but this game seems to insist that's true. No matter how much of a female version of the Swashbuckler you are.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Sorry."
Well, I kind of had to say that.
'The Shinsengumi had done so much for me, I'd just wanted to give something back... Instead, I'd only caused more trouble for them.'
Souji Okita: "...All right, lecture's over."
'Okita looked tired, and more than a little frustrated. I tried to apologize again, but he cut me off.'
Souji Okita: "Stop being so timid. You can rely on us when you need to. I've gotten pretty used to saving your ass at this point. A couple more times isn't going to mean much."
'He let out a snort of laughter.'
Back at my room...
'That night, after everyone else had gone to bed, I lay awake thinking about what had happened. I couldn't forget what Okita had said...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "A useless kid..."
'He was right. Compared to the captains--no, even compared to the weakest Shinsengumi footsoldier, I was pathetic.'
(So, let's get to training so we won't be so blessed pathetic!)
'There was nothing I could do for them. It wasn't as if I'd tried to imagine myself as some sort of warrior, but to have my lack of worth so bluntly stated was something of a blow.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "*Sigh*"
'I lay there, staring at the ceiling.'
(Which I guess is becoming all too familiar...) (You know I don't like reference-based jokes.) And Akurei and I don't really care that you don't like them. (By the way, here Shimohi's specificly referencing a scene from the trope namer.)
'I couldn't go on like this.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Tomorrow I start working harder."
Yeah!
'I didn't want to run off on more pointless adventures that did nothing more than cause trouble. That meant I needed to develop better judgement.'
...Which would mean to gain experience, which would mean making more mistakes. *sigh*...
Shimohi Yukimura: "And if I'm going to do that, I need my sleep."
Because being tired doesn't lead to calm and rational thinking.
'But no sooner had I closed my eyes--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?!"
Learn to knock!
'There was a crash from the hallway outside of my room. I rolled up and out of my bed just as the door exploded into my room. Standing in the hole was one of the Shinsengumi's soldiers.'
Obviously a... [simultaneous] (Rakshasa!) (Fury!) [/simultaneous] Either way, we're in trouble! Okay... Better stay cool...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um... Is something wrong?"
Soldier: "..."
'It was dark, inside and out, and I couldn't see his face. He just...stood there. I felt a chill run up my spine.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Did you need something?"
Soldier: "Blood... I need blood..."
Yeah, we're definitely in trouble.
Shimohi Yukimura: "*Gasp*"
'He was one of the furies!'
Soldier: "Eh he he he he! Give me blood!"
'I could see now that his face was twisted in madness, and his eyes shone like twin fires in the night. His hair glistened white in the moonlight.'
(Okay, the answer here is a blade to the heart...or off with his head. Either way works.)
'He was a member of the Fury Corps, and he was utterly and completely mad.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Uh... Aaah..."
(Dude! What the fuck are you doing!?) Sorry, my body's fear has overridden my combat reflexes...
'I had to call for help! I couldn't possibly face a deranged superhuman monster on my own.'
Oh, right! I can call for backup! Sorry Akurei, you're too incorporeal to help. (Aw man!) (Monster, you're almost a fury yourself.)
'...No, I couldn't call for help. If I did, then the secret of the furies would get out.'
...Almost forgot about the masquerade here.
'That would be bad for the Shinsengumi. I had to find another way.'
(Stick! The pointy end! In! His heart!)
'The fury, unfortunately, was not similarly encumbered by doubts.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Aaah!"
Soldier: "Graaah!"
'His sword hissed through the air, and I felt the metal of its blade burn into the flesh of my arm.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Gaaah!"
'Blood sprang from the cut.'
Oh dear... This is bad... This is really bad...
'I pressed down on it desperately with my free hand, but to no avail. Thick, red liquid spilled between my fingers, fled down my arm, and onto the floor.'
Soldier: Yesss...blood... Give me blood..."
'He began to creep toward me, his movements odd and jerky, like a massive spider. I backed away from him until I felt my back hit the wall. I was going to die!'
Ah... Shit!
'Suddenly, I remembered Okita's words from earlier that day...'
[flashback]
Souji Okita: "Stop being so timid. You can rely on us when you need to."
[/flashback]
'That was it, then. My death wasn't worth their secret.'
(Well, obviously you've forgotten why your life was in danger back at the start of this. "Not dead yet" indeed...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Someone! Help!"
Soldier: "Eh he he he he! Blood! Bloooooood!"
'He was down on his hands and knees, licking my spilt blood off the floor. There was no samurai there. There wasn't even a parson in him anymore.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'The blood on the floor had distracted him, but I knew that would only last precious seconds. If help didn't arrive soon...'
I'm dead meat.
'The seconds went by like hours. Please, I begged to any god who might be listening, let someone come!'
Soldier: "Not enough...not enough!"
'He looked up from the floor. My sleeve was soaked in blood from the cut on my arm. His eyes locked onto it, and I saw them light up with animal hunger. His grin was a nightmarish thing.'
Soldier: Eh he he he he! Yes! That! Give me more of your blood!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Nooo!"
'There was no doubt: He was going to kill me! I froze--'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Hey! You alive?!"
(Cue the big damn heroes!) (...) (What!? It's a trope name. If it was "damned" then I would have said "big blessed heroes.")
Shimohi Yukimura: "Yes!"
'Hijikata had appeared in the doorway, his sword already drawn and shining in the moonlight.'
Soldier: "Graah!"
'The fury spun to attack Hijikata, but the commander's sword was faster.'
Soldier: "Aaaarghh!"
'His twisted cry reverberated from the walls of the room, but he still stood, despite the wound Hijikata had given him, sword in hand.'
Toshizo Hijikata: Get over here! Now!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Y-Yes!"
'As I ran to his side, I heard other footsteps, pounding down the hallway, and in mere moments they resolved into the figures of the other captains.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Shit, this is bad. I don't think he can even understand us."
Sanosuke Harada: "Yeah. He's too far gone. We can't let him live."
'At some unspoken signal, a chorus of blades slid from their scabbards.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Shin! Sano! Don't screw this up!"
Yes! Heisuke's here!
Sanosuke Harada: "Who the hell do you thing we are, Heisuke?!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "If a captain can't take out a simple soldier, even if he is a fury, he'd have to resign. Assuming he wasn't dead."
'They fanned out quickly, surrounding the wounded soldier. There was no escape. The captains all attacked at once, and the fury died almost instantly. The excitement was over. ...Or so I'd thought.'
(So, what? Did everyone miss his heart or something?)
'But it hadn't been only the captains who'd heard my cry for help.'
Kashitaro Itou: "What's going on here?!"
[sarcasm] Oh great, it's that jerk again... [/sarcasm]
Toshizo Hijikata: "Damnit."
Kashitaro Itou: "What on Earth happened to that man?! Oh, this room has been stained with blood! How savage!"
'His voice and his face were filled with shock and horror.'
Kashitaro Itou: "Why have our captains cut down one of their own men? Explain this at once! What happened here?!"
'The captains fell silent.'
Why wouldn't "he went insane" be a plausible excuse?
Keisuke Sanan: "My apologies. My lack of discipline is at fault here."
Wait, wasn't Sanan supposed to be dead to Itou? This is just getting worse and worse...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sanan?!"
*facepalm* Why did I just do that!?
'His appearance surprised me, and likely everyone else. It seemed like it would have been more prudent for him to remain hidden... Needless to say, the appearance of a man he'd thought dead did little to improve Itou's disposition.'
Kashitaro Itou: "S-S-S-Sanan?! What are you doing here?!"
'Itou's usual composure was almost entirely gone, and he gaped openly at Sanan. I couldn't really blame him. I probably would have done much the same thing if I saw a dead man walking and talking.'
Keisuke Sanan: "I will explain later, but first we must clean up this mess."
'Sanan's face looked tight and drained. As the commander of the Fury Corps, he likely felt responsible for what happened, as the man who had gone mad was supposed to have been under his control.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "It's not your fault, Sanan."
Heisuke Toudou: It's just a side effect of the treatment, right? Nothing you could do."
Kashitaro Itou: "Wh-What?! What are you saying?! 'Treatment'? What are they talking about, Sanan?"
Keisuke Sanan: "...I'm afraid I cannot divulge that information."
'Sanan's gaze slid to Itou for a moment, but he said nothing further. After all, what could he possibly say? How could one admit that they had been creating inhuman monsters in secret, out of one's own soldiers? Itou's composure regained at last, he leveled a glare at Sanan.'
Kashitaro Itou: I was told that Sanan had passed away, and with no reason to doubt that information I believed that was true. I see now that you have all conspired against me. I am the Deputy Commander of the Shinsengumi! To do all of...this without informing me... I dearly hope you have a satisfactory explanation!"
Toshizo Hijikata: "If all you're gonna do is bitch, why don't you do us all a favor and shut up?"
Kashitaro Itou: "What?! How dare you speak to me in such a manner! Hijikata, you--!"
Isami Kondou: "Calm down now, Itou... I'm sure Toshi didn't mean to snap. We're just all a little on edge right now. You have to understand..."
Oh dear, here comes the big blow up...
Kashitaro Itou: "Oh, I understand all right! I understand that you are savages, each and every one of you! I cannot abide the company of such uncivilized cretins any longer! And as for you, Sanan, when you are finished here I expect to hear why you are not, in fact, deceased, and why this was hidden from me!"
Keisuke Sanan: "Ugh..."
Kashitaro Itou: "Are you listening to me, Sanan?!"
Keisuke Sanan: "Unnnngghh...gaaaaagh!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sanan?"
Oh no! Sanan's going into Berserk mode!
'Suddenly I realized he wasn't just being dismissive of Itou: there was something very wrong with him. His face was twisted in pain, and he didn't seem to respond at all, no matter how much I shouted his name.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "What's wrong, Sanan?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sanan, uh..."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Shimohi, get back!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wha--?!"
Am I going to be right again?
'His hair had begun to turn white.'
Yep, why did I have to be right again!?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Aaah!"
Damn it! I still think that looks hot!
'By the time I realized what was happening. it was too late. Sanan's hand shot out like an angry snake, and closed around my wrist.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "O-Oww..."
'The strength of his grip was unbelievable. His fingers might have been made of stone for all I could move them. I could almost feel the bones of my arm begin to bend under the strain.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ow...ugh... Sanan?!"
Keisuke Sanan: "Blood...this blood..."
'His finger pressed against my arm, to hard, wiping some of the blood from the cut the soldier had given me.'
Keisuke Sanan: "Please, give me blood. Your blood..."
Ah shit...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Noooo! Let me go!"
Sanosuke Harada: "Stop it, Sanan!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Damnit! The smell of blood's driving him crazy!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Let her go, Sanan!"
'Each man still had his hand on his sword, but I could see the hesitation in their eyes. It was Hijikata who finally spoke.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Hold him down! We're gonna have to get a little rough."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Damnit! Guess we don't have a choice."
Sanosuke Harada: "Sorry about this, Sanan."
Heisuke Todou: "I can't let you hurt Shimohi."
Heisuke... You...
'They moved into a circle around Sanan, thier blades glinting.'
Kashitaro Itou: "Are you going to kill Sanan?! I can't allow you to do that!"
Isami Kondou: "Itou, it's dangerous here. We should just leave this to Toshi and the guys. Come on."
Kashitaro Itou: "Kondou? What are you--?! Unhand me!"
(Hey do you want to... On second thought, let's just let him die already.)
'Kondou pulled a struggling Itou from the room and off down the hall.'
(Aw man!)
Sanosuke Harada: "Good. Now we've just gotta take care of him."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "It's not gonna be easy."
Heisuke Toudou: "Sanan's always been pretty strong, and now he's...well, you know."
Yeah, all too well...
Keisuke Sanan: "Eh he he heh... Blood, yes... My body, it needs the blood..."
'His tongue flickered out to lick my blood from his fingers.'
Heisuke Toudou: All right, that's enough! C'mon Shin! Sano, Let's go!"
Sanosuke Harada: "We all attack together--!"
Toshizo Hijikata: "Wait!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "What? We don't have all night, Hijikata."
Toshizo Hijikata: "He's...he's doing something..."
Keisuke Sanan: "...Graaaagh...nnnggaaaah!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Sanan...? What's going on?"
Keisuke Sanan: "Unn...guh... What...what happened?"
'The madness was gone from Sanan's eyes, and his hair was quickly fading back to its normal color.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Sanan?"
*sigh of relief* I think we're safe for now.
Keisuke Sanan: "Yukimura? What am I doing here...?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, thank goodness! You're yourself again!"
'I was relieved to see they hadn't been forced to cut Sanan down, but... Why had he returned to normal?'
That's a good question...
Sanosuke Harada: "What the hell just happened?"
What Sano said.
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Your guess is as good as mine."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Hell if I know."
'The captains weren't the only ones confused: Sanan himself seemed to be just as surprised at his sudden transformation.'
Keisuke Sanan: "I see. So I went mad, just like the others..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "...And then all of a sudden you were normal again. I just can't understand how..."
Keisuke Sanan: "How...? I...I don't know."
Toshizo Hijikata: "We can figure that out later. First we need to clean up this room. Someone get rid of that body."
Sanosuke Harada: "That floor mat's gonna have to go."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "...And we're gonna have to replace this door..."
'Each of them moved to begin some task that needed doing and Hijikata turned toward me.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "You..."
[sarcasm] Great, now Hijikata's going to chew me out for this... [/sarcasm]
Shimohi Yukimura: "Yes, of course, I'll hep too--"
Toshizo Hijikata: "You're hurt. What you need to do is rest."
Well... That's a more pleasant surprise.
Toshizo Hijikata: "Since you obviously can't use your room, you can stay in mine for tonight."
Wha-What!?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Your room? Are you sure?"
Toshizo Hijikata: Do I have a choice? Go."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Y-Yes!"
'I had no desire to remain in the blood-soaked room any longer than I had to. It took me only minutes to reach Hijikata's room.'
(Later...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Huh? Is it morning already...?"
Looks like that did take all night...
'The sun was peeking through the window, and outside I could hear twitters and chirps of birdsong.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, right..."
'The room I was in wasn't mine.'
Yeah, it's Hijikata's room. *looks around* Looks pretty nice.
'It took me a moment to remember whose room it was, and then all the events of the previous night crowded back into my memory. I saw, vividly, the man who'd gone mad with bloodlust; felt the sting as his sword bit into my arm--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I got cut..."
...And it's got to be gone by now.
'I looked down at my arm. I'd wrapped it in bandages the night before, after insisting that I could handle it myself, being the daughter of a doctor. Slowly, I lifted it, then moved it in a circle. The cut had bled a lot, but fortunately it hadn't been particularly deep.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "*Sigh*"
'I moved my arm some more. It didn't hurt.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "It bled so much, though..."
'With deliberate care, I unwrapped the bandages.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Of course."
'What had been and ugly, open wound the night before was now little more than a faint white line. In a few days, even that would be gone.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well, I guess it's good that the wound is gone, but if anyone sees this..."
(They'll suspect that you're not human. Better keep it wrapped up anyway, just to be sure.)
'After some thought, I re-wrapped the bandages. Unless they took them off, no one would know that my arm was completely headed underneath. That reminded me, however... How were they doing? I was awake, so I figured I might as well go out to the common room and see if anyone was there.'
(Shortly after...)
'As I neared the entrance, Itou appeared, on his way out. Heisuke and Saito followed in his wake, much to my confusion.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Good morning."
Kashitaro Itou: "Oh, it's you. Good morning. I'm glad to see you safe and sound."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, thank you."
'His mood was almost the polar opposite of the previous night; he seemed now to be in rather high spirits.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Has something happened?"
Kashitaro Itou: "Oh ho ho ho! Would you like to know?"
I would think that asking would at least imply an intent of knowing something.
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Yes."
Kashitaro Itou: "I won't tell you."
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
...Why?
Kashitaro Itou: "Ha ha ha ha! Well, you'll learn soon enough. Isn't that right, Toudou? Saito?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "What...?"
'I cocked an eyebrow at Heisuke and Saito.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...Yeah, I guess."
'The moment our eyes met, he looked away. That seemed...odd.'
Heisuke... What's going on?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um...Saito?"
(I think Saito's going to be just a cryptic.)
Hajime Saito: "You have no need for this information just now."
'Unlike his companion, Saito met my gaze straight-on, but his eyes were flat and utterly devoid of any emotion.'
Hajime Saito: "We should go, Itou."
Heisuke Toudou: "Uh, yeah... See ya, Shimohi."
'And then they were gone, leaving me wondering just that had happened.'
Genzaburo Inoue: "Are you sure it's all right for you to be up and about already?"
'Inoue and Shimada looked up as soon as I stepped into the common room.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm fine. I slept really well, and I feel a lot better."
Kai Shimada: "That's great. I'm sorry about what happened to you, though. Does your cut hurt?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, uh, well... Actually, it wasn't very deep. It barely hurts at all."
'I couldn't tell him the truth, of course: that it was already almost completely healed.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh, I ran into Itou on my way in. Did something happen?"
Genzaburo Inoue: "Ah... So you saw them, eh?"
'He frowned.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "He said something...weird. And Heisuke and Saito were actiing kind of strange, too."
Kai Shimada: "Yeah... Well, Itou and some others are leaving."
What!?
Genzaburo Inoue: "They're going to form a new group, different from the Shinsengumi."
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?! Is...is that okay?"
Kai Shimada: "He had a meeting this morning with the chief and Commander Hijikata."
(During said meeting...)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Isami Kondou: "...Guardians of the Imperial Tomb?"
Kashitaro Itou: "Yes. I intend to take some of my comrades and leave. We will be appointed official guardians of the Imperial Mausoleum. I have been considering such a move for some time now, but after last night's...excitement...I felt this was the right time. I knew when I joined the Shinsengumi that my imperialism might not be welcome, but I thought we could work past that. I see now that I was mistaken."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Just spit it out, Itou. You want to split up the Shinsengumi."
Kashitarou Itou: "Call it what you like, but I can no longer remain in the company of such savages as yourself."
Isami Kondou: "If you insist, then I will do as you ask. You must remember, however, that last night's incident is a result of orders from the shogunate. We cannot allow you to reveal this secret."
Kashitaro Itou: "Then I propose a deal: Allow me to depart peacefully, and in turn I will remain silent. I also wish to bring several of your men with me."
Isami Kondou: "...Very well, but anyone you wish to take must agree to leave."
Kashitaro Itou: "Of course. I will, naturally, maintain the fiction that we intend to continue to cooperate with one another. A stance that will no doubt benefit both of us."
Isami Kondou: "...Cooperation. Fine. Toshi? What do you think?"
Toshizo Hijikata: "It's your decision, not mine."
(...And now back to the present.)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Then...Heisuke and Saito..."
Genzaburo Inoue: "Yes. They are leaving with Itou. I confess, I'm rather surprised."
Shimohi Yukimura: "No..."
'Then...would that mean I could never see them again?'
(Wow... This must be bad news for you...)
Isami Kondou: "Don't worry. Remember what I said? We're going to keep relations amicable between our two organizations."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Kondou..."
'It was kind of him to try and comfort me, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was going to befall all the Shinsengumi and its members.'
(And it will, trust me on this one.)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Genzaburo Inoue: "You aren't going to let the men interact with the Guard though, right?"
'The expression on his face was likely a mirror of my own.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Of course not. He gets to leave, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let him get away with whatever he wants."
Shimohi Yukimura: "But...is this really okay? Itou and the others leaving, I mean."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Itou and his men leaving isn't a problem."
Then what is the problem?
'Hijikata's voice was flat, but unconcerned.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Although, I was a little surprised that Heisuke and Saito decided to go with that snake."
Isami Kondou: "Ah...I would say it was more than a 'little.'"
'From there, the conversation moved onto a discussion of politics and the like that wa beyond my ability to follow. And what could I have said anyway? The decision had already been made, and there was nothing I could have said to change it. I got up quietly, and left the common room.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "*Sigh* ...I never thought something like this could happen..."
'I was especially worried about...'
-The Guard.-
-The soldiers.-
(*sigh* Let me guess, the Guard has more to do with your beloved Heisuke so...)
'What worried me most were the people leaving with Itou. Heisuke and Saito... Would I ever get to see them again? Was this...goodbye?'
Well, I hope not.
'I wanted to know what they were thinking... Were they still around? As I stood up to go look for them, I spotted Yamazaki walking toward me.'
Susumu Yamazaki: "I heard you were injured. Are you feeling better?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, yes, I'm fine. Have you, uh, seen Heisuke and Saito?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Toudou and Saito?"
Yes, exactly!
'His expression turned grim at the mention of their names. It was quite clear how he felt about the men who'd chosen to leave the Shinsengumi with Itou.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Sorry for asking."
'I turned quickly to leave, but the held out a hand to stop me.'
Susumu Yamazaki: "I saw them going off that way."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Thanks!"
'My voice came out more cheerful than I'd intended, but the didn't seem to notice.'
Susumu Yamazaki: "If you want to speak with them, do it soon. Once they've left, you won't be allowed to talk to them."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Yes!"
Later...
'There they were!'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke! Saito!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Ha ha... Well shoot, looks like you found us."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh... Did you want to be left alone? I can go..."
Please don't say you want to be alone...
Heisuke Toudou: "No, no, course not. I, uh, wanted to talk to you too."
Thank goodness!
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Good."
'The smile he gave me was strained.'
Hajime Saito: "I imagined we'd see you before we left. If you have something to say, say it."
(Well, this is it... I think...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "R-Right..."
Akurei, y-you mean...? (Maybe it's love confession time!)
'I wanted to know why they were leaving the Shinsengumi, of course, and why they had decided they were going to follow Itou.'
Well, that's good to know as well...
Shimohi Yukimura: "I just wanted to hear it from you. Why are you leaving the Shinsengumi?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Why, huh... Hmm..."
Let me guess, hard to explain...
'He scrunched up his face, and scratched nervously at the side of his nose.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Well, Itou and I are from the same school. He's my senior, obviously. He joined the Shinsengumi at first because I invited him. So I feel like I'm kinda...obligated to stick with him, you know? I guess that's it."
Oh...
'Heisuke had always struck me as kind, so it was no surprise that he felt he couldn't abandon Itou.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "But that means you'll leave everyone else behind.. You might not ever get to see them again."
I might not ever get to see you again...
Heisuke Toudou: "I'm not really one of Itou's...followers, I guess you might say, but I was and am a national imperiralist. So it just kinda seems like working for somebody like the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb is a better fit for me than working for the shogunate."
I see... But I'll still miss you.
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
But, of course, I can say any of that out loud.
'Then what he was saying was that while he and Kondou might agree on nationalism, they differed too much in regard to the emperor and the shogun. I couldn't really think of anything to say, so I kept my mouth shut.'
More like nothing I could say...
'After a moment, he continued.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I'd wanted to just stay here, and screw around and have fun with the guys... I mean, we've been together for quite a while, right?"
'His gaze had drifted off into the distance, and there was something in his profile that seemed almost heartbreakingly lonely, but his mouth was a hard line. His mind was made up.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What about you, Saito?"
'I looked up at him.'
Mostly asking out of curiosity.
Hajime Saito: "Joining Itou and his men serves my own ambiton."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Are you a national imperialist too?"
Hijime Saito: "Yes, Kondou and Hijikata are well-intenioned, but mistaken. The expulsion of the foreign influence can no longer be left to the shogunate."
Shimohi Yukimura: "And because you don't agree with them, you're willing to walk away and never see them again?"
'Saito nodded.'
Hajime Saito: It can't be helped. If I must set my feelings for the Shinsengumi aside in order to fulfill my ambitons, then I will."
("Yabou no hate wo mezasu mono ni...Ikenei wo!") (...What?) Okay, in English... "And for the man who follows his ambition...a sacrifice awaits!" (Hey! You two added a silly reference to Jojo's Bizzare Adventure! Besides... *looks up* ...even if this did occur in the same universe, Jonathan wouldn't even be born yet!) (Although that line itself refers to Dio Brando rather than Jonathan Joestar.) Can we just drop this already...?
Shimohi Yukimura: "But..."
'I...'
-Wanted them to stay.-
-Felt betrayed.-
Not really that last one, but at least I want Heisuke to stay. (Of course...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Are you sure you won't change your mind? Stay here with the Shinsengumi? I can't be the only person who doesn't want you to go. We all like you! Aren't the Shinsengumi your friends?!"
'I knew they had their reasons to go, but I had my own reasons, and I wanted them to stay! Ther was still time... If I could just convince them, make them understand, then they wouldn't have to go away.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Please! Heisuke! Saito!"
Heisuke Toudou: "...Don't say that. It took a long time, and a lot of hard thinking, to decide to do this."
Hajime Saito: "Is that all you had to say? Then please excuse me."
Shimohi Yukimura: "But if you go, then you might have to...you might have to fight the Shinsengumi some day!"
'I made one last, desperate attempt, but Saito simply shrugged it aside.'
Hajime Saito: "As I said, my ambiton comes before my emotions."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Saito!"
'But his mind was made up. There was nothing I could say to change it.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
Heisuke... What about you?
Heisuke Toudou: "He's sure tough..."
'His eyes followed Saito as he walked away.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Do you feel the same way? Can you just forget about your feelings? Would it be so easy for you to fight your friends?"
Heisuke Toudou: "I...um..."
'He screwed up his face in frustration. Heisuke was honest and straightforward, but he didn't have a way with words the way some of the other men did.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Hey, why don't we go to the courtyard?"
'He wasn't avoiding my question precisely. Perhaps he wanted to buy some time to think about this response?'
Shimohi Yukimura: "All right. Let's go."
(Later, at the courtyard...)
Heisuke Toudou: "It's, uh, gotten really warm."
'He lifted his face to the sky for a moment. It was a cool, clear blue, and warm rays of sunlight washed down on us.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Let's sit down here."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okay."
'I lowered myself down next to him.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I know that...well, pretty much everybody doesn't like Itou very much."
(And we can see and hear why.) Akurei! Not now!
Heisuke Toudou: "But I don't really think he's wrong, at least not completely."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm sure he's not..."
'But 'not wrong' and 'trustworthy' were two very different things. Was he really worth leaving the Shinsengumi to follow? I opened my mouth to ask, but one look at Heisuke told mehe was about to answer my unspoken question. I closed my mouth.'
Heisuke Toudou: "The emperor...the shogun... Who's right, who's wrong... I think think we'll really know who had the right idea until it's all over."
Yeah, good point there. (Well, it would be if we weren't time traveling souls. We know who history will see as correct. But for most people, yeah, he does have a point.)
Heisuke Toudou: "I know Itou has some sort of plan that he hasn't told us about yet."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Then..."
Heisuke Toudou: "But I feel like I can do something good for our country with Itou. I have to see if I'm right. That's why, for now at least, I want to go with him."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Look, there's something you gotta understand. It's...it's not like I hate all the guys now or something."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Okay..."
'I understood what he was saying, but my heart felt like a cold, twisted lump in my chest. I didn't want to accept it. I couldn't.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I know, I just... I wanted you to... I wanted to stay with you longer, Heisuke."
(...That's an interesting way to do a love confession. But, then again, what is Shimohi if not interesting?)
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah... Thanks. It's nice to know you feel like that. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I'm not sad to leave you, but that...uh...doesn't mean that, um... Look, this is hard for both of us, okay? But it's something I gotta do. I'm a man, too."
'The last part was delivered as little more than a mumble, and I noticed he blushed as he said it.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I understand, Heisuke."
'So I wasn't the only one who would feel the loneliness of being apart, then. In some strange way, that made me happy.'
Heisuke Toudou: "And...thanks for everything, all right?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Thank you for telling me how you really feel. I appreciate it."
(And cue the flower petals.) Yay!
Heisuke Toudou: "Phew... Glad to hear it. I just wanted to, you know, make sure we were...clear. On that."
'His smile was relieved.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Oh... Sorry I can't stick around until you find your dad."
Shimohi Yukimura: "No, it's all right. Don't worry about it. Just...be careful, Heisuke."
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, I know. I won't throw my life away. I promise."
'My wound healed completely soon afterward, but I kept the bandages on. I got plenty of questions about how I was recovering, but the best I could do was nod, smile, and assure them that I was fine. The truth was, I didn't even have a scar. I couldn't have pointed out where on my arm I'd been cut if someone had asked me.'
(Well, there are some problems with having a healing factor and you're trying to appear "normal".)
'When Itou and his followers--now the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb--left, the compound seemed suddenly very empty. I felt like the Shinsengumi was falling apart around me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Was this nothing mor ethat a natural result of the Shinsengumi's growth, or the harbringer of something far greater and more terrible?'
(I'm betting on the latter.)
----------------------------------------------------------------
So, Saito and Heisuke's left the Shinsengumi but at least I've scored some more points with Heisuke before he left! (Huzzah!) (At least I didn't need to pull out the jar for this post.) So, before we move on to the next post; I'd like to report that... We have a good idea where each of our heroes stand, regarding romance levels of course. Toshizo Hijikata and Souji Okita are tied at last place for...pretty much nothing. Next up in the ranking is Hajime Saito in third place, Sanosuke Harada is at second place, but... (Of course!) ...Heisuke Toudou's number one! (In Shimohi's heart, at least.)
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