(Asato)
It was a long trip, and it’s now mid-day Monday. I’m exhausted.
“I thought we’d be at the main house,” Souji complains.
“Oh, but this old fashioned place is nice – such a fine place, well-kept,” I tell him. I’m glad it’s away from the water, as damp makes my cough worse. I’ve used too much medicine on this journey already.
He looks around, and smiles. The one that always makes my heart beat faster. “You’re right… this place will be fine to wait.” A few days, the old steward at the gate told us, before his master returns.
I also notice that the place is well-guarded – we were followed up by two men and I saw more as we were ushered into this part of the compound. Inside the walls is a washroom and a small bathhouse, and the steward let us know that there were changes of clothes ready for us as well.
Yagi-san is still out, like she mostly has been. I’m beginning to wonder if there’s damage… or is she taking advantage of the bandages to silently watch us? But she did lose a lot of blood and… we’ve not fed her this entire time.
Souji stands in the middle of the room, his eyes closed. “These old places… you know they carry magic with them, did you know? Do you believe in magic, Asato-san, or does your medicine make you a woman of science and facts?” He looks at Yagi-san, his eyes gleaming. “Once I knew men who could command more than just armies… darkness itself…. things you’d never believe.”
Before I can answer, there’s a knock on the door, and a man stands there with a box.
(Kichisaburo )
“Ah, I’m the -personal- servant of the steward, and the only one who you will see until the master returns. I will visit to bring food, or anything else you need.” He sets down the box. “The master, via the steward, asks that you stay within the walled garden of this house and anything you need will be provided for.”
I saunter over to him, smiling. Despite the burns, the other part of my face is still -beautiful-. Years only make it better, it’s all a part of having, what is it? Good bones. “Ah, thank you. And do you, -personal servant-, have a name?” I ask, saying his title like a caress.
He’s not a -young- man but he stammers slightly, “Ahhh… Koyama Kei, sir.”
I nod, noticing that his flabby cheeks are stained red with a blush. “Ah, then, Kei-kun, I thank you for your help. We’ll try… not to disturb you too much.” My smile now is slower, more… conspiratorial. That’s how it’s done. Find a “soft” spot.
“Hai- hai – sir!” He turns, and scampers on down the path. Oh, he’ll be back, I think… and not just because it’s his job.
Asato-san of course watched it all. “I wish you didn’t have to do that,” she says.
“I’m just protecting us,” I tell her, turning back to her with a sunny smile. “Now, do you think that our lazy friend will wake up to eat? It doesn’t look like she skips a lot of meals,” I snicker.
She gives me that look and I have to be careful with the insults… so I sigh. “I’m just worried… that she’s not been taking care of herself. But she was so terribly fond of the sweets in the old days, you know. That catches up with you as you age….” I pick up the box and take off the lid. Ohh, high-class stuff!
“And why you’ve followed my counsel, to moderate,” she says, pleased. It’s actually that I can’t stand sweets… but it’s nice to let her have this. I do all sorts of nice things for her, like kill that deadbeat runaway husband of hers! Well, it helped me, as I tried to learn Okita’s best move, but left-handed. Wait, wasn’t that Saitou left-handed? He left a -mark- on my -good- side, that bastard.
Maybe I should mark the woman? Haha… but then something hits me, and my nose wrinkles.
“She smells like old milk. Can’t you fix that?” I ask Asato-san.
(OOC – to be continued)
(Hide)
We’re… on land. That much I know.
I’m just weak. Tired and worn out from the past daysa. I think my head has finally stopped bleeding. I -think- it’s Monday.
I miss music. I just hear their voices at times. Sometimes, there’s a third one, but it comes and goes.
Before this started, a new song came up… I remember listening, waiting… it spoke to so much to where… I fall quickly into sleep, hearing it in my head…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS88CRDMA8E
Oh, Hajime…. my love, my love…
(Hide)
Later Monday Afternoon
“If you want to eat you’re going to have to wake up.” Asato-san’s voice breaks through the fog. She pulls off some of the bandages and the first thing I see is her frowning. “And you’re going to have a bath first, you -smell-.” Her smile has an edge to it. “Souji was complaining about it.”
Replacing the bandages, she pulls me up to stand… when is the last time I did that? Stumbling, I’m lead…. it’s outside. It smells fresh, mossy, clean… it rained last night, I remember, on the boat.
I trip on something, and land on my hands and knees, making a sound of pain as I feel the injury to my left hand.
Somewhere behind me, I hear that man laughing, and my face burns. How many indignities…? “Just let me see,” I say, trying not to make it sound like I’m pleading, “then I won’t bother you so much…” This is what Hajime said I should have done with the caped man, right? Be agreeable.
“No, she’s… clever,” comes Kichisaburo, “keep her in the dark. Just follow Asato-san and be a good girl, HIde-chan. Just like I remember,” he coos, but it makes me shiver, that tone of voice.
Once in the bathroom my blindfold is removed and in the tiny space I’m allowed some privacy to deal with the realities of my body. I wash my hair, which has been chopped so raggedly… At some point I…. well, at least I’d had only tea, way back on Saturday, but -still-… I clean myself carefully. There’s a thousand little indignities in all of this, what’s one more?
She hands me some leaves. “Unless you want to keep leaking and aching,” she says. “Souji hates the smell of milk.”
I shake my head. “No, my daughter isn’t weaned yet.”
“You really think that you’re going -home- after all of this?” She laughs, putting the leaves back in my hands. “But as for the child, she won’t starve – the clinic has wet-nurses available, for losing a mother after birth -is- a common sorrow.”
I start to tremble, and pull the towel tight around myself. I thought maybe, ransom… some price, information, something. Why was I taken, then? Who would want -me-, instead of… whatever reason I had attached when trying to make -sense- of this whole thing?
“You know if I stop the milk, I’ll have a cycle. A heavy one. I bet he doesn’t like the smell of -that-, either,” I look up at her, but then I’m on the floor, from the force of her slap against the side of my face.
She towers above me. “You – you – rotten girl.” I keep my eyes down, trying to control my breath. “What a nasty thing to even -discuss- when speaking of Souji!!” Her face is red and I wonder if my comment hit too close to the truth. I landed again on my left hand, and it hurts more… but at least the slap wasn’t near my head wound.
Then she flings some bandages at me. “Fine, put up with the pain and get an infection, but wrap up and work up some pads. You can change them – and wash them – when I bring you out here to relieve yourself.”
My head wound is re-wrapped, but she only shrugs at my hand.
Once I’m dressed in a borrowed kimono and blindfolded again, I’m walked back into the house, into what can only be an interior room. one with a single door that I can hear -locks-. Asato-san brings me a skimpy meal – tea, rice with some pickled vegetables and one small fish – which I eat carefully, slowly. I’m not hungry but I know I have to eat. I have to -live-… I need to go home again.
(OOC – to be continued)