[open]

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[From the looks of it, Souji has just finished some practice - the bokuto are put away neatly, but he hasn't bothered getting changed yet. He's sitting out on the porch, still wearing his hakama and gi, hair tied up off his neck. He fans himself with one hand - it's a bit hot today for training, but he didn't want to waste a string of good days just because the weather was uncooperative.

Come bother him?]

Comments

o hai

[notpissedoff]

[Susumu has no orders to carry out today, which means he has nowhere to be. Which means a day of being pestered by a certain bratty red-haired page who doesn't understand the concept of staying out of other people's rooms unless invited in. It isn't that he minds the brat's company - in small doses. But an entire day of it is too much for him to deal with. Thus, he has taken refuge on the roof of the training hall, where he has been sitting silently for the past couple of hours, so far undiscovered.]

[Things seem quiet around the base now, though. In this heat, most people have retreated inside, out of the sun. Hoping that he's in the clear for awhile, Susumu hops lightly down from the roof, landing in a crouch on the ground a short distance away from Souji. As he stands, he nods to the other in greeting.]

:3

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Souji has a pretty good guess what Susumu was doing up on the roof - Tetsu is loud enough to hear straight across the compound, really - and so he just grins and gives the ninja a cheerful wave.]

Enjoying the sun, Yamazaki-kun?

[notpissedoff]

[At Souji's question, Susumu glances away and rubs the back of his neck a bit gingerly.]

I'm probably sunburnt.

[He joins Souji on the porch then, although he doesn't sit. He stands a few paces away from the other, folding his arms in front of him and gazing ahead in silence for a few moments, before speaking again.]

Training in this heat?

[It's a pointless question - he's well aware that's what Souji's been doing - but he's really not good at small talk when he isn't wearing makeup. He'll look at this as practice.]

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Souji kicks his feet a little, and nods, even though Susumu can't see him.]

It seemed like a shame to waste a good day.

[notpissedoff]

[Susumu glances sidelong at Souji, eyeing him critically for a moment. He does seem well enough, today... still, he could have waited until it cooled off a bit. He should have. However, telling him as much will have no effect whatsoever, Susumu concedes to himself with a frown. So he employs a tactic that might have better success.]

The Vice Commander would not approve.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[He glances up at the sky, ostensibly contemplating the clouds - he doesn't want to meet Susumu's eyes.]

Hijikata-san means well.

[He's dodging the accusation, and he damn well knows it.]

[notpissedoff]

[And Susumu knows it, too. He exhales in a way that's something of a cross between a 'hmph' and a sigh, and turns more fully toward his companion, arms still folded. You're getting a Look now, Souji. Not a full-on glare, though... not yet.]

Well-meaning comrades should not be disregarded so lightly, Okita-san.

[He's only half referring to the Vice Commander, of course. Still, he hasn't allowed his voice to take on an accusatory tone; simply stating a fact in the same way one might comment on the weather.]

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Souji is silent for a moment - thinking of an honest answer rather than a flippant one. Susumu is one of the few people, strangely, he feels he can be honest with. He doesn't sugarcoat his opinions, or fuss unnecessarily. Unlike certain Vice Commanders.]

I know - but if I'm stuck inside doing nothing all the time, I'm not really living any more.

[notpissedoff]

[Susumu's eyes widen a fraction before he glances down at his feet, the Look having completely fallen away at Souji's response. He'd been expecting a flippant remark, perhaps a jab about his failure to practice what he preached; he had been prepared for that. He hadn't been prepared for blunt honesty, and he has no comeback for it.]

[Souji's right, after all. It's no way to live, especially not for a warrior, and Susumu knows that if their roles were ever reversed, he'd feel and do exactly the same. He is quiet, staring thoughtfully at the ground for long enough that it seems as though he won't say anything further. Finally though, he speaks.]

...I won't tell him.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Souji hides a snicker behind his hand at that - it's rare that he manages to wipe the serious look off of Susumu's face so completely, and he loves it every time he does.

When he smiles at the ninja, though, the expression is genuine.]

Thanks.

[notpissedoff]

[Although Souji hides it, Susumu has a feeling he's being laughed at behind that hand, and he glances back at the other with a frown. It's bad enough he was caught off guard - he doesn't need it to be a source of amusement.]

[But then Souji thanks him, and Susumu just closes his eyes and sighs. There's no point in acting offended when he really isn't (at least not much). One corner of his mouth turns up slightly then, in the barest hint of a smirk.]

...Unless he asks me directly, in which case I will not lie to him.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Trust a ninja to play dirty. Susumu gets the full-on puppy dog eyes pout.]

Yamazaki-kuuuuun~

[notpissedoff]

[Ninjas are immune to puppy dog eyes, of course. Mostly. Souji just gets a slightly-raised eyebrow in return.]

You'd rather I lie to my master?

[...Okay, that was probably a dumb question, and Susumu realizes it as soon as the words are out of his mouth. He suspects that Souji would prefer for him to lie, at least sometimes. But that won't be happening - Susumu's loyalty lies with Hijikata-san first and foremost.]

[That doesn't mean he always needs to tell the man the whole truth, of course...]

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[The pout is still there. /Someone/ is acting like a bratty twelve-year-old again.]

Mou...you don't have to lie to him. Just...don't tell him everything.

[And beneath the bratty kid voice, there is the genuine desire to keep Toushizou from worrying over him, when he can't do anything about Souji's illness.]

[notpissedoff]

[Susumu firmly resists the urge to roll his eyes. Despite appearances, Souji is the superior officer here, after all. Instead, he reiterates what he just said.]

Unless he asks me directly.

[Yes, he's stubborn enough to keep this up all day. Of course, he'd rather not have to... so Souji's getting just a hint of a Look again. Susumu knows that he doesn't want anyone fussing over him, and can appreciate that. Still, it's the Vice Commander they're talking about. It's a large part of Susumu's job to tell him things.]

That's the most I can offer, Okita-san.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[The pout stays a little longer before he finally gives it up with a small shrug of his shoulders.]

Ah, I guess that's good enough~

[notpissedoff]

[...And count on Souji to go from pouting to seemingly content with no in-between. Susumu just sighs. He's sure he'll never figure this man out.]

...Good.

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

[Her kimono were messy, certainly not what one might expect from a woman out wandering alone. She walks slowly, with a cane in hand, but she knows she will reach what had being called to her soon.

Plain sandals on her feet, she carefully prods at the ground before her, and then turns to him. She raises a hand in greeting, bowing her head slightly and looking at him with eyes that were filmed over, like a dead fish's.]

Hello.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Souji looked up and blinked in surprise. This woman did not look like the type to be wandering around Shinsengumi headquarters - but then again, this was temple land, as well. Perhaps she lost. Either way, it never hurt to be polite.]

Ah, hello!

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

[Tapping her cane against the wood he was sitting on, she settled herself into place beside him, but not close enough to be rude. He eyes didn't focus on him, instead looking forward, always forward. That was how her life was, no matter if it was aiding her emperor or simply resting at the temple.

She smiled softly, drawing her robes around her.]

I am not lost.

My name is Ren. You are Souji Okita, correct?

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Another surprised blink from Souji - though the woman /did/ carry herself like a miko, even if she wasn't dressed as one, so...

He made a small affirmative noise]

I am. Were you looking for me?

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

Don't be surprised. I can hear you.

[And she chuckled softly.]

I am no miko. Though I'll take that as a compliment.

I suppose you can say that I was looking for you...I was drawn to this place for some reason.

[She tapped her cane on the ground as she thought.]

I have been sent other places, spoken to others.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[If his guess was right, he wouldn't need to voice the question out loud. but it was habit to vocalise, and so he did.]

You can...read minds?

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

[She nodded softly.]

I don't mean to invite myself in, but your thoughts are clear like water.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[He laughed a little awkwardly]

I suppose that's not a bad thing, ne? I wouldn't want my thoughts to be muddy, I think.

[Still, he couldn't help but feel a touch of fear - if she could read minds, she would know his secret.]

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

Don't be concerned. I don't pry.

[And she nodded, turning those unseeing eyes in his direction. she would make some comment about the weather, but she never was much one for idle chit-chat. Instead she reached out, resting a hand on his arm and smiled.]

I can only see the waves of the surface, not the depths that lie beneath them.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Ah, well, that was something of a relief. It wasn't quite a secret here, any more - not among the other officers, anyway - but the fact that one of the ranking Shinsengumi officers was dying of tuberculosis wasn't something he wanted spread around.]

Ah, I see!

[In an effort to draw the conversation away from that particular topic, he went back to something she had said earlier.]

Something...drew you here?

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

I have been traveling for some time. Occasionally, the fog will lift and I will find myself speaking to someone.

[She smiled softly in his direction.]

It seems I am drawn to these places.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[Souji glanced up thoughtfully, kicking his legs absentmindedly]

I wonder what drew you here, then...

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it was you. The threads of fate seem wound tight around you.

[She closes her eyes, tapping her cane softly against the ground with scaled and webbed hands.]

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

Mm, maybe.

[There's a sort of false cheerfulness to his voice - fate means someone taking his decisions out of his hands. And he really doesn't like the sound of that right now.]

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

I have troubled you. I apologize.

[She doesn't have to hear the false cheer in his voice- she can sense his thoughts, and she doesn't dig deeper than that. She bows her head softly, blinking her eyes closed.]

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

Ah- it's fine. It wasn't you. Things have just been - complicated, lately.

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

I have gathered as much.

[And she pauses before tentatively reaching out and resting a webbed and scaled hand on his upper arm. Her touch was cool, often invoking feelings of a white fish in a pond.]

I will listen, if you wish to speak.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[The cool, smooth feeling of her hand doesn't come as much of a surprise to Souji - he's realized already that she's not human. Too kind to be a kappa, but maybe some other water spirit, wandering a bit far from their lake. If so, lying to her would not be in his best interests. Such beings tended to dislike that sort of thing.

There's a long silence before he speaks, though. He'd been somewhat idly kicking his legs against the edge of the porch - slowly that comes to a stop as well.]

I'm dying. I have another two years, maybe. If I'm lucky.

[paintedkoi.livejournal.com]

...I see.

[She knows it either must have cost him something to speak it, or else it's something he lives with the knowledge of every day. Probably both.

She smiles softly. She has seen death, felt the threads of someone's life cutting short. But she knows the one truth in those deaths.

She pulls her hand back, and folds her hands in her lap.]

Death is not to be feared if you have lived an honorable life.

[coughcoughshank.livejournal.com]

[He laughs, somewhat shakily]

Well, I guess that depends on if the gods are imperialist or shogunate, ne?